Laodice (fl. late 3rd – early 2nd centuries BC) was a Greek Princess from the

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...

and the wife of King

Mithridates III of Pontus Mithridates III ( el, Mιθριδάτης) was the fourth king of Pontus, son of Mithridates II of Pontus and Laodice. Mithridates had two sisters: Laodice III, the first wife of the Seleucid King Antiochus III the Great, and Laodice of Pontu ...

. Laodice appears to have come from obscure origins. Laodice could not have been a supposed daughter of the Seleucid King

Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus IV Epiphanes (; grc, Ἀντίοχος ὁ Ἐπιφανής, ''Antíochos ho Epiphanḗs'', "God Manifest"; c. 215 BC – November/December 164 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his de ...

., although such has been proposed in literature, because Mithradates III of Pontos died before Antiochos IV yet had children, in other words the chronology is impossible. This incorrect proposition is based on the assumption that the sister of

Alexander Balas Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος Βάλας, Alexandros Balas), was the ruler of the Seleucid Empire from 150/Summer 152 – August 145 BC. Picked from obscurity and supported by the neighboring Roman ...

who appeared in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

with him in 153 BC as a genuine daughter of Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the Laodice who married Mithridates III. Rather, the 153 BC Laodice could have married Mithradates V. Antiochus IV Epiphanes had two daughters who were

Laodice VI Laodice VI ( el, Λαοδίκη ΣΤ΄; died 115–113 BCE) was a Greek Seleucid princess and through marriage was a queen of the Kingdom of Pontus. Biography Laodice was the daughter born from the sibling union of the Seleucid rulers Antiochus IV ...

from this marriage to his sister-wife Laodice IV and his other daughter was

Antiochis The name Antiochis ( grc, Ἀντιoχίς) is the female name of Antiochus. Women Seleucid Princesses & Hellenistic Queen Consorts *Antiochis, a daughter of Achaeus and granddaughter of Seleucus I Nicator. She married Attalus and became the moth ...

the child from his concubine. However this assumption shows that Antiochus IV Epiphanes may have had another daughter called Laodice, however this is not certain. The assumption shows that there could some confusion about the identity of this Laodice and Laodice VI. Laodice, were she a Seleukide, should be daughter of the generation of Seleukos Kallinikos, Antiokhos Hierax and Andromakhos, or of the generation of Akhaios the younger and Seleukos Keraunos. The correct Laodice had three children with Mithridates III:

Pharnaces I of Pontus Pharnaces I ( el, Φαρνάκης; lived 2nd century BC), fifth king of Pontus, was of Persian and Greek ancestry. He was the son of King Mithridates III of Pontus and his wife Laodice, whom he succeeded on the throne. Pharnaces had two sibli ...

, Mithridates IV of Pontus, and Laodice.Callatay, ''The First Royal Coinage of Pontos (from Mithridates III to Mithridates V)'' p.21

References

Sources

*M. Getzel, Hellenistic settlements in Europe, the islands and Asia Minor, Cohen University of California Press, 1995 *J.D. Grainger, A Seleukid prosopography and gazetteer, BRILL 1997 *https://www.livius.org/la-ld/laodice/laodice_iv.html
The First Royal Coinage of Pontos (from Mithridates III to Mithridates V), Francois de Callatay
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laodice (wife of Mithridates 03 of Pontus) 3rd-century BC women 2nd-century BC women 3rd-century BC Greek people 2nd-century BC Greek people People of the Seleucid Empire Seleucid princesses Queens of Pontus

See also

References

Sources