New Book Series:

Seleukid Perspectives

ed. by Altay Coskun & Benjamin E. Scolnic

Stuttgart: Steiner Verlag.

Editorial Board:
Eva Anagnostou-Laoutides (Macquarie, Sydney), David Engels (Poznań / Warsaw / Brussels),
Kyle Erickson (University of Wales / Lampeter), Laetitia Graslin-Thomé (Nancy)

Unbeaten in war, Seleukos I Nikator (320-281) established his power on the battlefield. He left behind a kingdom that neighboured the Thracians in the West, the Ptolemies in the South, and India in the East. His successors met with several challenges, but showed a unique resilience, and thus did their part to maintain the dynasty’s prestige and sovereignty. And so did the female members of this family, as they were married into all the ruling houses of the Near East. This new book series sets out to enhance our knowledge of the wars, diplomacy, and political strategies of the Seleukids, while also shedding light on their territories and subjects: how did they interact and negotiate with the king and his court, how did their society, culture, and religion develop under Seleukid rule; which part did they play in the rise and disintegration of this most powerful kingdom in-between Achaemenid Persia, Alexander the ‘Great’, Ptolemaic Egypt, and the Roman Republic?

Read the Preface of the series editors to volume 1.

Vol. 1: ALTAY COŞKUN & RICHARD WENGHOFER (eds.):
Seleukid Ideology – Creation, Reception and Response, June 2023.
With the editorial assistance of Deirdre Klokow.

Seleukid Perspectives explore the largest successor kingdom to Alexander the Great’s empire. Seleukid kings established their power on the battlefield but did not rely on coercion alone. They constructed an ideal of kingship to render their authority morally and religiously acceptable. For this, they considered the traditions and sensitivities of their soldiers, subjects, and neighbours, while facing the pretensions of their rivals. What was beneficial or tolerable varied dramatically from one polity to the next. This book examines local influence on and reactions to Seleukid claims by focusing on rituals, discourse, and creative moments in which ideological themes were shaped. Seleukos I (320–281 BCE) closely engaged with the imagery of Alexander and Macedonian rivals, borrowed from Near Eastern traditions, and courted sanctuaries of Apollo. Case studies for his descendants are drawn from Anatolia, Syria, Judaea, Babylonia, and Persia. Praise of the dynasty was more than flattery but part of a process in which subjects actively contributed to perpetuating, modifying, or undermining the royal image. The volume encourages new debates on the complexity and efficacy of Seleukid Ideology.

Book Cover Table of Contents with Sneak-Peek Videos and Texts Preface of the Editors

Mark your calendar for the book launch in the Seleukid Lecture Series on 21 June.

Book Launch event in the Seleukid Lecture Series, 21 June 2023:

Vol. 2: ALTAY COŞKUN & BENJAMIN E. SCOLNIC (eds.):
The Seleukids at War: Recruitment, Composition, and Organization, Oct. 2024.

The largest kingdom to emerge from the conquests of Alexander the Great was founded by Seleukos I Nikator (the ‘Conqueror’). His successors strove to defend the territories ranging from western Asia Minor to Arachosia in the east. The Syrian core transformed into a new Macedon, hosting myriads of veterans whose offspring became the next generations’ phalangites. Babylonia added wealth and soldiers, Media provided cavalry. At the height of the kingdom’s might, Antiochos III Megas was repelled from Greece by the Romans and lost Asia Minor at the Battle of Magnesia (190 BCE). The realm recovered and Antiochos IV nearly conquered Egypt before withdrawing at the behest of the Romans. His undiminished army was ostentatiously paraded at Daphne by Antioch on the Orontes (166 BCE). The narratives around key events are the prime sources for systematic inquiries into the sophisticated war machinery of the Seleukids, complemented by Greek and Akkadian inscriptions that attest to garrisons and settled veterans. The authors engage diverse sources and the latest scholarship to explain the tactics, manpower, and strategy of Seleukid warfare.

Book Cover Flyer with order form Table of Contents Preface Abstracts
Index of Names, Subjects, and Sources Sneak-Peak into Introduction

Currently in preparation:

Vol. 3:
ALTAY COŞKUN:
The Early Seleukids: (De-) Constructing a Hellenistic Dynasty, ca. 2025.

Vol. 4:
ALTAY COŞKUN & BENJAMIN E. SCOLNIC (eds.):
Judaean Responses to Seleukid Rule, ca. 2026.