Seleucid Empire

Seleucid Empire was an empire in Levant (Middle East) that lasted from 312 to 63 BCE, about 249 years. Its people spoke Greek languages (Mycenaean, Classical, Hellenistic, Byzantine, modern Greek).

Largest successor state of Alexander, at first stretching from Anatolia to the Indus. It lost Iran and Mesopotamia to the Parthians and shrank to Syria before Pompey abolished it in 63 BCE.

See Seleucid Empire on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

312 to 63 BCE

Duration

249 years

Type

Empire

Region

Levant, Middle East

Language family

Greek

Capital

Seleucia on the Tigris, later Antioch

Came from

• Empire of Alexander the Great 334 to 312 BCE

Became

• Roman Syria and Judaea 64 BCE to 395 CE

Neighbours in Middle East

• Parthian Empire 247 BCE to 224 CE
• Empire of Alexander the Great 334 to 312 BCE
• Kingdom of Saba c. 1000 BCE to 275 CE
• Greek cities of Asia Minor c. 1050 to 129 BCE
• Kingdom of Iberia (Kartli) c. 302 BCE to 580 CE
• Himyarite Kingdom c. 110 BCE to 525 CE
• Roman Anatolia 133 BCE to 395 CE
• Roman Syria and Judaea 64 BCE to 395 CE
• Nabataean Kingdom c. 168 BCE to 106 CE
• Kingdom of Pontus 281 to 63 BCE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Carthage c. 814 to 146 BCE, North and West Africa
• Teotihuacan c. 100 BCE to 550 CE, Mesoamerica and Caribbean
• Roman Republic 509 to 27 BCE, Europe
• Xiongnu Empire c. 209 BCE to 93 CE, Central and North Asia
• Ptolemaic Kingdom 305 to 30 BCE, North and West Africa
• Western Han 202 BCE to 9 CE, East Asia
• Maurya Empire 322 to 185 BCE, South Asia
• Qin dynasty 221 to 206 BCE, East Asia

Questions