Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Antiochus IV Epiphanes became king of the Seleucid Empire after the death of his brother Seleucus IV Philopator. He seized power while the rightful heir, Demetrius I, was a hostage in Rome. His reign was marked by ambitious expansion and Hellenization policies.

Antiochus IV invaded Ptolemaic Egypt, capturing much of the country and besieging Alexandria. He was forced to withdraw after the Roman envoy Gaius Popillius Laenas delivered an ultimatum, famously drawing a circle in the sand around Antiochus and demanding an answer before he left it.

Antiochus IV issued decrees forbidding Jewish religious practices, including Sabbath observance and circumcision. He ordered the erection of an altar to Zeus in the Second Temple in Jerusalem and sacrificed pigs, an act known as the 'Abomination of Desolation'. This sparked the Maccabean Revolt.

Antiochus IV died during a military campaign in Persia, possibly from disease or in battle. His death left the Seleucid Empire weakened and facing internal revolts, including the ongoing Maccabean Revolt in Judea.