Siege of Alexandria (168 BCE)
E476256
The Siege of Alexandria (168 BCE) was a pivotal military confrontation in which the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes besieged the Ptolemaic capital of Egypt, prompting decisive Roman intervention that effectively ended his campaign and reshaped the balance of power in the Hellenistic world.
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
event in Hellenistic history
ⓘ
military conflict ⓘ siege ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs | Roman intervention at Alexandria in 168 BCE ⓘ |
| chronologicallyFollows | Seleucid invasion of Egypt in 170–169 BCE NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| chronologicallyPrecedes | consolidation of Roman influence over Hellenistic kingdoms ⓘ |
| describedIn | ancient Roman historical traditions about Roman diplomacy ⓘ |
| hasCause |
Seleucid attempt to dominate Ptolemaic Egypt
ⓘ
continuation of the Sixth Syrian War ⓘ dynastic conflict within the Ptolemaic royal family ⓘ |
| hasCommander |
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Ptolemy VI Philometor NERFINISHED ⓘ Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II NERFINISHED ⓘ Roman envoy Gaius Popillius Laenas NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasDiplomaticAction | ultimatum delivered by Gaius Popillius Laenas to Antiochus IV ⓘ |
| hasEndTime | 168 BCE ⓘ |
| hasHistoricalContext |
Roman victory over Macedon in the Third Macedonian War
ⓘ
power struggle among Hellenistic successor states ⓘ |
| hasLocation |
Alexandria
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Egypt NERFINISHED ⓘ Ptolemaic Egypt NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasOpposingForce |
Ptolemaic forces in Alexandria
ⓘ
Seleucid army NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasOutcome |
Roman diplomatic intervention
ⓘ
failure of Antiochus IV to annex Egypt ⓘ preservation of Ptolemaic independence under Roman protection ⓘ withdrawal of Seleucid forces from Egypt ⓘ |
| hasParticipant |
Ptolemaic Kingdom
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Roman Republic NERFINISHED ⓘ Seleucid Empire NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasPoliticalConsequence |
demonstrated limits of Seleucid military power against Roman diplomacy
ⓘ
reinforced Roman role as arbiter among Hellenistic monarchies ⓘ |
| hasResult |
Antiochus IV agreed to Roman demands
ⓘ
end of Seleucid occupation of parts of Egypt ⓘ |
| hasSignificance |
confirmed Ptolemaic Kingdom as a Roman client state in practice
ⓘ
contributed to the decline of Seleucid power ⓘ limited Seleucid expansion into Egypt ⓘ marked decisive assertion of Roman authority in the eastern Mediterranean ⓘ |
| hasStartTime | 168 BCE ⓘ |
| hasTheater | eastern Mediterranean ⓘ |
| hasTypeOfWarfare | siege warfare ⓘ |
| involves | Roman demand that Antiochus evacuate Egypt and Cyprus ⓘ |
| opposedBy |
Ptolemaic royal faction in Alexandria
ⓘ
Roman Republic NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| partOf | Sixth Syrian War NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.