Chapter Nineteen: In the Court of the Silver King
From Macedonia to Persia:
The court life and court dynamics of Antiochus II are one of the most fascinating parts of his reign. Remember that, at the centre of the Seleucid Empire was the person of the king. First and foremost, everything revolved around the king. This was, of course, especially true for the court. The court was the venue for the highest levels of decision making in the Seleucid empire and it was through the court that the king was able to actually exert power. Every decision, every war, every political move was acted out (at least in part) in the environment of the court. At its most basic, the Hellenistic court was directly inspired by that constructed around Alexander during his campaigns and rule. Images such as the golden canopy and throne were directly copied from Alexander's court by almost all of the successor kings, as was the 'royal tent', the go-to for Hellenistic kings on the move in which the throne was erected and every decision took place, even if the king himself was absent. Certainly, Antiochus II's royal tent also included the fire pit and the requirement that generals burn incense within it before meetings. Banquets, likely adapted from both Macedonian and Persian practice by Alexander and the diadochs were also a common and popular part of court life. In particular, Antiochus II is known to have enjoyed an adaptation of the banquet style used by Peukestas in the 4th Century in which the attendees were laid out in concentric rings around a central set of statues (Philip and Alexander in Peukestas' case but Alexander and Seleucus for Antiochus II although Heracles, Dionysus, and Apollo were also used on occasions).
Many of these aspects appear to have originally been adapted from Persian precedents but, under the successors, had emerged into the distinctive Hellenistic 'style' of court behaviour. Even in Macedonia where, we can presume, there was no Persian audience to impress, most of these aspects continued to be used by the Hellenistic kings. With that said, the actual makeup of the court was not always the same. In Macedonia, Antipater and his successors had largely maintained a very military-focussed court. Unlike in the Seleucid or Ptolemaic kingdoms, the Macedonian court of the Antipatrids and Antigonids had rather few civilian officials and seems to have been comprised almost entirely of the military aristocracy of the kingdom (alongside a few floating elements such as exiles, philosophers etc.). Indeed, it also appears as a very unstructured court with admittance only on the basis of the king's choice. We may compare this to the much more structured (and hierarchical) Ptolemaic or Seleucid courts which also employed a much larger, and more variable, set of officials and interests.
During the early years of his reign, Antiochus' court seems to have followed the Macedonian pattern. Until about 254 BCE, we only hear of Greeks and Macedonians in the court, most of whom appear to be a collection of generals and other aristocrats. No civilian officials appear in any capacity as regular members of the court and even literary figures and philosophers are rare during this period. This, apparently, created no small amount of resentment. In 257 BCE, Antiochus II entertained a delegation from Babylonia complaining about his lack of visits to the region and their inability to access the king or request his help. Vague promises seem to have been made but apparently not fulfilled since, in 255 BCE, Antiochus sent soldiers to Uruk to arrest an aristocrat after he publicly complained about Antiochus' abandonment of Babylonia and openly questioned his legitimacy to rule, daring to suggest that Seleucus would have been a better king. Once in the city, however, his soldiers were set upon and murdered. In response, a larger force was sent and some seventeen wealthy aristocrats were arrested and tried. They would, however, be released the following year at the behest of queen Kleopatra.
From around 254 BCE onwards, we begin to see a marked change in the court of the empire. More traditionally Hellenistic features come in and, especially after the end of the Second Syrian War, the military character of the court is toned down somewhat. In a poem written by an Alexandrian poet sometime in the 240s or 230s, the so-called 'Court of the Silver King' (implied to be the court of Antiochus II) is described as being:
'...made up of all manner of wonderful things. There is nothing from anywhere that cannot be found in the court of the Silver King. Ministers and magistrates, officials and poets, philosophers and kings all milled together...'
Until his death in 219, Antiochus II's court was known to be the largest and, by far, the grandest of all the various Hellenistic courts. The image and splendour of the court of Antiochus II was both a marvel to the Romans, who described it as 'the greatest sight beheld by any man', and even became known as far as China as 'one of the wonders of the western empires'. In part, this was simply a reaction to the sheer size and dramatic growth and prosperity of the Seleucid kingdom under Antiochus' rule but it was also a very carefully constructed reality. From the late 250s, Antiochus and Kleopatra went out of their way to attract all manner of people to the court to bolster their own cultural and political credentials. Poets, philosophers, mathematicians, actors, famous Olympians and artists are all attested as visiting, and participating in, the vibrant court environment during this period. Indeed, it was through this venue that much of the 3rd Century cultural output of the Seleucid empire was made.
Of particular popularity was the so-called 'Dionyssey', a retelling of Dionysus' trip to India written sometime in the 230s by Sosthenes of Seleukeia. A so-called 'mock epic', the poem was famous for using Homeric formulae to imitate and even satirise both the form of epic and the stories of Alexander's and Seleucus' trips to India. Dionysus, obviously, is put in the place of the two Greek generals and presented as 'hopping back and forth' across the mountains in search of more conquests every time he grows bored back home. The story goes that Sosthenes, having written the piece, was summoned to Antiochus who demanded it be read to him. Fearing that his work would be seen as subversive and he executed, Sosthenes tried to burn the poem but was stopped and once again forced to read. During the telling, he is said to have tried three times to destroy the work, only to be foiled each time including by Antiochus himself who, enjoying the work so much, had it added to his personal collection and is said to have carried it everywhere.
Sosthenes, however, proved to be one of the more prolific writers of his period. Between c. 238 and his death in c. 202 BCE, he not only wrote the Dionyssey but several books of smaller poems, many of which take a satirical tone. He is also known, however, to have turned out at least one book of more bucolic poems, seeking to capture the beauty of the Tigris and Euphrates, and another book of Sosthenic 'travel' poems which described various trips across the empire, possibly inspired by his presence in the travelling court of Antiochus II.
Kleopatra is said to have been very fond of sculpture and, accordingly, the court was frequently accompanied by expert sculptors who were often employed to adorn Seleucid palaces, create benefactions to cities, make votives and otherwise impress the court. Of particular note was Diomedes of Tyre, active between 249 and 232 BC, during which time his works were spread all across the empire. Few survive in their original forms although a variety of copies have been found. His works perfectly encapsulate the popular trends of the Hellenistic; large scenes with many intricate details and a lot of ornamentation. His most famous, the Birth of Aphrodite, became iconic for its depiction of the goddess rising from the waves, flanked on one side by a huge wave which not only provides hidden support for the goddess, but appears to threaten to swallow her entirely. After Diomedes' death in 232, one Menecrates was also very popular although more renowned for his so-called 'Scenes of Agony' and his love of themes relating to the sudden whims of fate and downfall of once powerful characters. From him, the most famous works were the 'Death of Brennus', characterising the former Galatian king as an inherently tragic, but somewhat romantic, figure, and the 'Defeat of Lysimachus', depicting the former king sat on a log, wounded and staring out as if over the battlefield at Koroupedion.
While the king was the centrepiece of court life, Kleopatra was just as important in many ways. Indeed, one observer even questioned whether it was the court of Antiochus or the court of Kleopatra. Throughout her time as queen, Kleopatra shaped the court in her own image, inviting many of the scholars and artists it became so famous for. In particular, it was Kleopatra who is known to have first patronised the ever-popular Sosthenes as well as the famous ethnographer Diogenes of Pella whose works, describing the peoples and customs of the Seleucid empire (and just beyond its borders) were the inspiration for many later ethnographies and travel writers. Indeed, during the latter part of Antiochus' reign (and into the reign of Seleucus III), what might be termed 'ethnographic peripli' became a very popular genre of literature. Probably inspired by the peripli of the Persian Gulf, Armenia, and Caucasus mountains commissioned by Antiochus, these travel writings became a huge genre in the Seleucid court and beyond, reaching as far as Rome.
Dynasty and Family:
Between 260 and 248 BCE, Antiochus and Kleopatra had some five children. Seleucus, (b.259), Laodice (b. 256), Apama (b. 252), Antiochus (b. 250), Demetrius (b. 248). Between them, these five children would come to play a major role in the political events and court life of the Seleucid empire. His eldest son, Seleucus, was elevated to co-king in 225 BCE but had been an active, and popular, member of the court long before then. Renowned for his love of luxury and high living, Seleucus is said to have grown up around the poets and philosophers of his kingdom, greatly enjoying their works and producing some of his own. In the 220s, Seleucus contributed to this by funding new royal libraries in many of the royal cities of the kingdom, calling for books to be copied and distributed amongst them for the enjoyment of himself and his aristocrats. By the time of his father's death, however, only one of these libraries was completed; the library of Seleukeia and many copies would not be made until Seleucus' own reign. The others will be dealt with in time.
Kleopatra, however, should not go ignored. Aside from her patronage of the arts, Kleopatra was also a force to be reckoned with politically. During her husband's absences from court life (often during battles or on campaigns away from Seleucid cities), Kleopatra was almost exclusively in charge. As de facto power alongside her husband, Kleopatra became famous for her ruthless control of court life and etiquette, promoting a much stricter hierarchy of attendants and court officials than had existed before. She also became known for ruthlessly quashing any potential rebellion. In 248 BCE, she is said to have had no fewer than seventeen high officials of the court rounded up and put to death when it became apparent that some of them had been plotting a coup. While, as in the case of the Babylonian aristocrats, she could be forgiving, her style tended more towards crushing opposition when it appears than towards mercy.
Of course, as all queens, Kleopatra also acted as benefactor. Throughout her long tenure as queen (and subsequently as queen mother), Kleopatra used her immense wealth and connections to make benefactions and building programmes all across the empire. She contributed to new temples in many of the Ionian cities, funded the reconstruction of parts of Nikaea after an earthquake and, famously, is said to have secured the grain supply for the city of Tyre for an entire year after the Tyrian revolution in 247 BCE. In doing so, she was acting in the same role as the king; as benefactor, she was extending the connections and access of the royal family across the empire, reaching into cities and ensuring the continued relationships between these cities and the king.
