Seleucid Empire: Map & History
The Seleucid dynasty or the Seleucidae was a Macedonian Greek royal family, which ruled the Seleucid Empire based in West Asia during the Hellenistic period.
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The Seleucid dynasty or the Seleucidae was a Macedonian Greek royal family, which ruled the Seleucid Empire based in West Asia during the Hellenistic period. It was founded by Seleucus I Nicator, a general and successor of Alexander the Great, after the division of the Macedonian Empire as a result of the Wars of the Successors (Diadochi).
Modern Countries Once Part of Seleucid Empire
At its mapped extent, Seleucid Empire covered territory in 17 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Armenia210–189 BCE · nearly all
- Iraq318–127 BCE · nearly all
- Syria301–64 BCE · most
- Tajikistan307–248 BCE · most
- Afghanistan307–165 BCE · most
- Lebanon218–64 BCE · most
- Iran318–127 BCE · most
- Egypt170–165 BCE · most
- Palestine218–127 BCE · most
- Israel218–127 BCE · most
- Jordan197–165 BCE · a large part
- Turkmenistan307–240 BCE · a large part
- Turkey301–64 BCE · a large part
- Uzbekistan307–248 BCE · a large part
- Azerbaijan210–189 BCE · a small part
- Greece279–240 BCE · a small part
- Pakistan301–292 BCE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Seleucid Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Seleucid Empire in Depth
History
Seleucus (c. 358 – 281 BC) served as an officer of Alexander the Great, commanding the elite infantry corps in the Macedonian army: the "Shield-bearers" (Greek: Ὑπασπισταί, Hypaspistai), later known as the "Silvershields" (Ἀργυράσπιδες, Argyraspides). After the death of Alexander in 323 BC, the Partition of Triparadisus assigned Seleucus as satrap of Babylon in 321 BC. Antigonus, the satrap of much of Asia Minor, forced Seleucus to flee from Babylon, but, supported by Ptolemy, the Satrap of Egypt, Seleucus returned in 312 BC. Seleucus' later conquests included Persia and Media. He agreed to a peace treaty with the Indian King Chandragupta Maurya (reigned 324-297 BC).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Seleucid dynasty (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Seleucid Empire: Key Facts
| Founded | 305 BCE |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q705904 (CC0).
Seleucid Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Seleucid Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Seleucid Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 2,975,895 km² in 296 BCE.
Seleucid Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Seleucid Empire exist?
The Seleucid Empire is dated to 318 BCE – 64 BCE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
How large was the Seleucid Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 296 BC the Seleucid Empire covered about 2,975,895 km².
How did the map of the Seleucid Empire change over time?
The Seleucid Empire appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 200 BCE to 100 BCE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.