Stratonice or Stratonica of Syria (, ''Stratoníkē'', "victory of the army", c. 320 BC – 254 BC) was Queen of the

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire ( ) was a Greek state in West Asia during the Hellenistic period. It was founded in 312 BC by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator, following the division of the Macedonian Empire founded by Alexander the Great ...

from 300 BC until 294 BC and from 281 BC until 261 BC.

Biography

Stratonice of Syria was the daughter of king Demetrius Poliorcetes and Phila, the daughter of

Antipater Antipater (; ; 400 BC319 BC) was a Macedonian general, regent and statesman under the successive kingships of Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great. In the wake of the collapse of the Argead house, his son Cassander ...

. In 300 BC, at which time she could not have been more than seventeen years of age, her hand in marriage was sought by

Seleucus Seleucus or Seleukos (Ancient Greek: Σέλευκος) was a Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonian Greek name, possibly meaning "very bright" or “very white”. It is likely related to the ancient name Zaleucus (Ancient Greek language, Ancient ...

, king of the

. She was accompanied by her father Demetrius to Rhosus (on the Pierian coast in

Macedon Macedonia ( ; , ), also called Macedon ( ), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, which later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by the royal ...

ia) where the nuptials were celebrated. Notwithstanding the disparity of their ages, she appears to have lived in perfect harmony with the old king for some years. Seleucus and Stratonice had one child, a daughter Phila, when it was discovered that her stepson

Antiochus Antiochus (Ancient Greek: Ἀντίοχος) is a Greek male personal name, likely meaning "resolute in contention", or "unwavering". It is derived from the two words αντί ("against") and ὄχη ("support"). It was a dynastic name for rulers of ...

was deeply enamoured of her. In order to save the life of his son (which was supposedly endangered by the violence of his passion), Seleucus gave up Stratonice in marriage to him in 294 BC. At the same time Seleucus announced that Antiochus would be king of the eastern provinces. It is believed that the union, which produced five children, was a prosperous one. Antiochus named the city of Stratonikeia in

Caria Caria (; from Greek language, Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; ) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Carians were described by Herodotus as being Anatolian main ...

after Stratonice. In Babylonian texts, she is referred to as 'Astartanikku', a transliteration of her Greek name that seems to have been designed in order to draw a parallel with the goddess

Astarte Astarte (; , ) is the Greek language, Hellenized form of the Religions of the ancient Near East, Ancient Near Eastern goddess ʿAṯtart. ʿAṯtart was the Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic equivalent of the East Semitic language ...

. She is also given titles that were otherwise reserved for Babylonian goddesses. Stratonice's death at

Sardis Sardis ( ) or Sardes ( ; Lydian language, Lydian: , romanized: ; ; ) was an ancient city best known as the capital of the Lydian Empire. After the fall of the Lydian Empire, it became the capital of the Achaemenid Empire, Persian Lydia (satrapy) ...

is mentioned in the '' Astronomical Diaries'' in September or October 254 BC.Sachs, A. J. & H. Hunger, ''Astronomical Diaries and Related Texts from Babylonia.'' I, no.-253 A₁ 10; A₂ 3

Stratonice's children

By Seleucus I Nicator: * Phila, who later married her uncle Antigonus II Gonatas. By Antiochus I Soter: * Seleucus, who was executed for rebellion. * Laodice * Apama II, who married

Magas of Cyrene Magas of Cyrene (; born before 317 BC – 250 BC, ruled 276 BC – 250 BC) was a Greek King of Cyrenaica. Through his mother’s second marriage to Ptolemy I he became a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He managed to wrest independence for Cy ...

and was mother of

Berenice II of Egypt Berenice II Euergetis (267 or 266 – 221 BCE; , ''Berenikē Euergetis'', "Berenice the Benefactress") was queen regnant of Cyrenaica from 258 to 246 BCE and queen of Ptolemaic Egypt from 246 to 222 BCE as the wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes, Ptolem ...

. * Stratonice II, who married her nephew/cousin

Demetrius II Aetolicus Demetrius II (Greek: Δημήτριος, romanized: ''Demetrios;'' 275 - 229 BC), also known as Demetrius Aetolicus, was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 239 until his death in 229 BC. Biography Demetrius was born in either 2 ...

(Phila's son by Antigonus II). * Antiochus II Theos, who succeeded his father as king.

References

Bibliography

* Smith, William (editor); ''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' is a biographical dictionary of classical antiquity, edited by William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith and originally published in London by John Taylor (English publisher), Tayl ...

'', ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, (1867) *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stratonice Of Syria 320s BC births 254 BC deaths 4th-century BC Greek women 3rd-century BC Greek women Seleucid royal consorts Remarried queens consort Ancient Pieria Ancient Macedonian princesses Seleucus I Nicator Demetrius I Poliorcetes Daughters of kings