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Seleucid Empire

Also known as Seleucids

Hellenistic-era Greek state in Western Asia (312–63 BC)

AI overview

The Seleucid Empire was a major Greek state that ruled over Western Asia from 312 to 63 BC, during the Hellenistic period following Alexander the Great's conquests. It matters because it represented one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms of its time, spreading Greek culture and influence across a vast region that included parts of modern-day Syria, Iraq, Iran, and beyond.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Instance of: historical country
Religion: Ancient Greek religion
Country: Seleucid Empire
Continent: Asia
Capital: Lysimachia
Official language: Ancient Greek
Population: 35000000
Area: 4000000
Form of government: monarchy
Shares border with: Hasmonean Judea

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Commons category: Seleucids
topic's main category: Category:Seleucid Empire
inception: 0312-00-00
dissolved, abolished or demolished date: 0063-01-01
language used: Aramaic
official religion: Ancient Greek religion
described by source: Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
different from: Seleucid dynasty
replaced by: Parthian Empire
on focus list of Wikimedia project: Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
category of associated people: Category:People from the Seleucid Empire

Sources (4)

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Encyclopedic overview

The Seleucid Empire (/sɪˈljuːsɪd/ sih-LEW-sid) 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, and ruled by the Seleucid dynasty until its annexation by the Roman Republic under Pompey in 63 BC.

After receiving the Mesopotamian regions of Babylonia and Assyria in 321 BC, Seleucus I began expanding his dominions to include the Near Eastern territories that include modern-day Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and Lebanon, all of which had been under Macedonian control after the fall of the former Achaemenid Empire. At the Seleucid Empire's height, it had consisted of territory that covered Anatolia, Persia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, and what are now modern Kuwait, Afghanistan, and parts of Turkmenistan.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Seleucid Empire” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.