Seleucus Nicator (358 BC-281 BC) was the Basileus of the Seleucid Empire from 306 to 281 BC, succeeding Alexander IV of Macedon and preceding Antiochus I of Syria. Formerly a general of Alexander the Great, Seleucus later inherited his territories from India to Mesopotamia, and he expanded his empire against the Antigonid Empire and Ptolemaic Empire to include parts of Asia Minor and the Levantine coastline. He made a bid to become the King of Macedon during the Wars of the Diadochi, and, when he landed in Thrace to become the new king after his victory at the Battle of Corupedium, he was assassinated by Ptolemy Keraunos.
Biography[]
Seleucus was born in the Province of Upper Macedonia in Orestis, the son of a retainer of Philip II of Macedon. Because of this, he became friends with Prince Alexander, his son, and was known to be a great tactician. When Alexander became the King of Macedon, he was effectively his Prime Minister, advising him on what to do with his army and working well as an administrator, alongside General Parmenion. Seleucus led Alexander's army's vanguards on many occasions, working as one of his trusted companions who was not afraid to carry out risky tasks.
When Alexander died, along with the other Diadochi (Alexander's successors), Seleukos was entrusted with a satrapy that he was based out of. Seleucus had control of the Middle East, and later took over Asia Minor following the destruction of the Antigonids at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC. Afterwards, Seleucus fought with the Ptolemaic Empire to the southwest, Pontus to the northwest, the Nabateans to the south, the Mauryan Empire to the southeast, and the Artaxiad Empire to the north. Seleucus fought a series of successful campaigns, and after killing Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium, he took the Macedonian throne for himself, but was assassinated shortly after by Ptolemy Keraunos.