Syrian Wars The Syrian Wars were a series of six wars between the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt , successor states to Alexander the Great ' s empire , during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC over the region then called Coele - Syria , one of the few avenues into Egypt . These conflicts drained the material and manpower of both parties and led to their eventual destruction and conquest by Rome and Parthia . Background . In the Wars of the Diadochi following Alexander ' s death , Coele - Syria initially came under the rule of Antigonus Monophthalmus . In 301 BC Ptolemy I Soter , who four years earlier had crowned himself King of Egypt , exploited events surrounding the Battle of Ipsus to take control of the region . The victors at Ipsus , however , had allocated Coele - Syria to Ptolemy ' s former ally Seleucus I Nicator , founder of the Seleucid Empire . Seleucus , who had been aided by Ptolemy during his ascent to power , did not take any military action to reclaim the region . Once both were dead , however , their successors became embroiled in war . First Syrian War ( 274 – 271 BC ) . A decade into his rule , Ptolemy II faced Antiochus I , the Seleucid king who was trying to expand his empire ' s holdings in Syria and Anatolia . Ptolemy proved to be a forceful ruler and skilled general . In addition , his recent marriage to his court - wise sister Arsinoe II of Egypt had stabilized the volatile Egyptian court , allowing Ptolemy to successfully carry out the campaign . The First Syrian War was a major victory for the Ptolemies . Antiochus took the Ptolemaic controlled areas in coastal Syria and southern Anatolia in his initial rush . Ptolemy reconquered these territories by 271 BC , extending Ptolemaic rule as far as Caria and into most of Cilicia . With Ptolemy ' s eye focused eastward , his half - brother Magas declared his province of Cyrenaica to be independent . It would remain independent until 250 BC , when it was reabsorbed into the Ptolemaic Kingdom . Second Syrian War ( 260 – 253 BC ) . Antiochus II succeeded his father in 261 BC , and thus began a new war for Syria . He reached an agreement with the current Antigonid king in Macedon , Antigonus Gonatas , who was also interested in pushing Ptolemy II out of the Aegean . With Macedon ' s support , Antiochus II launched an attack on Ptolemaic outposts in Asia . Most of the information about the Second Syrian War has been lost . It is clear that Antigonus ' fleet defeated Ptolemy ' s at the Battle of Cos in 261 , diminishing Ptolemaic naval power . Ptolemy appears to have lost ground in Cilicia , Pamphylia , and Ionia , while Antiochus regained Miletus and Ephesus . Macedon ' s involvement in the war ceased when Antigonus became preoccupied by the rebellion of Corinth and Chalcis in 253 BC , possibly instigated by Ptolemy , as well as an increase in enemy activity along Macedon ' s northern frontier . The war was concluded around 253 BC with the marriage of Antiochus to Ptolemy ' s daughter , Berenice Syra . Antiochus repudiated his previous wife , Laodice , and turned over substantial domain to her . He died in Ephesus in 246 BC , poisoned by Laodice according to some sources . Ptolemy II died in the same year . Third Syrian War ( 246 – 241 BC ) . Also known as the Laodicean War , the Third Syrian War began with one of the many succession crises that plagued the Hellenistic states . Antiochus II left two ambitious mothers , his repudiated wife Laodice and Ptolemy II ' s daughter Berenice Syra , in a competition to put their respective sons on the throne . Laodice claimed that Antiochus had named her son heir while on his deathbed , but Berenice argued that her newly born son was the legitimate heir . Berenice asked her brother Ptolemy III , the new Ptolemaic king , to come to Antioch and help place her son on the throne . When Ptolemy arrived , Berenice and her child had been assassinated . Ptolemy declared war on Laodice ' s newly crowned son , Seleucus II , in 246 BC , and campaigned with great success ( his forces possibly being commanded by Xanthippus of Sparta , aka Xanthippus of Carthage , the mercenary general responsible for defeating a Roman army at Tunis / Bagrades in 255 ) . He won major victories over Seleucus in Syria and Anatolia , briefly occupied Antioch and , as a recent cuneiform discovery proves , even reached Babylon . These victories were marred by the loss of the Cyclades to Antigonus Gonatas in the Battle of Andros . Seleucus had his own difficulties . His domineering mother asked him to grant co - regency to his younger brother , Antiochus Hierax , as well as rule over Seleucid territories in Anatolia . Antiochus promptly declared independence , undermining Seleucus ' efforts to defend against Ptolemy . In exchange for a peace in 241 BC , Ptolemy was awarded new territories on the northern coast of Syria , including Seleucia Pieria , the port of Antioch . The Ptolemaic kingdom was at the height of its power . Fourth Syrian War ( 219 – 217 BC ) . Upon taking the Seleucid throne in 223 BC , Antiochus III ( 241 – 187 BC ) set himself the task of restoring the lost imperial possessions of Seleucus I Nicator , which extended from Greco - Bactrian Kingdom in the east , the Hellespont in the north , and Syria in the south . By 221 BC , he had re - established Seleucid control over Media and Persia , which had been in rebellion . The ambitious king turned his eyes toward Syria and Egypt . Egypt had been significantly weakened by court intrigue and public unrest . The rule of the newly inaugurated Ptolemy IV Philopator ( reigned 221 - 204 BC ) began with the murder of queen - mother Berenice II . The young king quickly fell under the absolute influence of imperial courtiers . His ministers used their absolute power in their own self - interest , to the people ' s great chagrin . Antiochus sought to take advantage of this chaotic situation . After an invasion in 221 BC failed to launch , he finally began the Fourth Syrian War in 219 BC . He recaptured Seleucia Pieria as well as cities in Phoenicia , amongst them Tyre . Rather than promptly invading Egypt , Antiochus waited in Phoenicia for over a year , consolidating his new territories and listening to diplomatic proposals from the Ptolemaic kingdom . Meanwhile , Ptolemy ' s minister Sosibius began recruiting and training an army . He recruited not only from the local Greek population , as Hellenistic armies generally were , but also from the native Egyptians , enrolling at least thirty thousand natives as phalangite s . This innovation paid off , but it would eventually have dire consequences for Ptolemaic stability . In the summer of 217 BC , Ptolemy engaged and defeated the long - delayed Antiochus in the Battle of Raphia , the largest battle since the Battle of Ipsus over eighty years earlier . Ptolemy ' s victory preserved his control over Coele - Syria , and the weak king declined to advance further into Antiochus ' empire , even to retake Seleucia Pieria . The Ptolemaic kingdom would continue to weaken over the following years , suffering from economic problems and rebellion . Nationalist sentiment had developed among the native Egyptians who had fought at Raphia . Confident and well - trained , they broke from Ptolemy in what is known as the Egyptian Revolt , establishing their own kingdom in Upper Egypt which the Ptolemies finally reconquered around 185 BC . Fifth Syrian War ( 202 – 195 BC ) . The death of Ptolemy IV in 204 BC was followed by a bloody conflict over the regency as his heir , Ptolemy V , was just a child . The conflict began with the murder of the dead king ' s wife and sister Arsinoë by the ministers Agothocles and Sosibius . The fate of Sosibius is unclear , but Agothocles seems to have held the regency for some time until he was lynched by the volatile Alexandrian mob . The regency was passed from one adviser to another , and the kingdom was in a state of near anarchy . Seeking to take advantage of this turmoil , Antiochus III staged a second invasion of Coele - Syria . He made an agreement with Philip V of Macedon to conquer and share the Ptolemies ' non - Egyptian territories , although this alliance did not last long . Antiochus quickly swept through the region . After a brief setback at Gaza , he delivered a crushing blow to the Ptolemies at the Battle of Panium near the head of the River Jordan which earned him the important port of Sidon . In 200 BC , Roman emissaries came to Philip and Antiochus demanding that they refrain from invading Egypt . The Romans would suffer no disruption of the import of grain from Egypt , key to supporting the massive population in Italy . As neither monarch had planned to invade Egypt itself , they willingly complied to Rome ' s demands . Antiochus completed the subjugation of Coele - Syria in 198 BC and went on to raid Ptolemy ' s remaining coastal strongholds in Caria and Cilicia . Problems at home led Ptolemy to seek a quick and disadvantageous conclusion . The nativist movement , which began before the war with the Egyptian Revolt and expanded with the support of Egyptian priests , created turmoil and sedition throughout the kingdom . Economic troubles led the Ptolemaic government to increase taxation , which in turn fed the nationalist fire . In order to focus on the home front , Ptolemy signed a conciliatory treaty with Antiochus in 195 BC , leaving the Seleucid king in possession of Coele - Syria and agreeing to marry Antiochus ' daughter Cleopatra I . Sixth Syrian War ( 170 – 168 BC ) . The causes of this conflict are obscure . In 170 , Eulaeus and Lenaeus , the two regents of the young king of Egypt Ptolemy VI Philometor , declared war on the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes . In the same year , Ptolemy ' s younger siblings Ptolemy VIII Physcon and Cleopatra II were declared co - rulers in order to bolster the unity of Egypt . Military operations did not begin until 169 when Antiochus quickly gained the upper hand , seizing the important strategic town of Pelusium . The Egyptians realised their folly in starting the war , Eulaeus and Lenaeus were overthrown and replaced by two new regents , Comanus and Cineas , and envoys were sent to negotiate a peace treaty with Antiochus . Antiochus took Ptolemy VI ( who was his nephew ) under his guardianship , giving him effective control of Egypt . However , this was unacceptable to the people of Alexandria who responded by proclaiming Ptolemy Physcon as sole king . Antiochus besieged Alexandria but he was unable to cut communications to the city and he also needed to deal with a revolt of Maccabees in Judaea so , at the end of 169 , he withdrew his army . In his absence , Ptolemy VI and his brother were reconciled . Antiochus , angered at his loss of control over the king , invaded again . The Egyptians sent to Rome asking for help and the Senate despatched Gaius Popilius Laenas to Alexandria . Meanwhile , Antiochus had seized Cyprus and Memphis and was marching on Alexandria . At Eleusis , on the outskirts of the capital , he met Popilius Laenas , with whom he had been friends during his stay in Rome . But instead of a friendly welcome , Popilius offered the king an ultimatum from the Senate : he must evacuate Egypt and Cyprus immediately . Antiochus begged to have time to consider but Popilius drew a circle round him in the sand with his cane and told him to decide before he stepped outside it . Antiochus chose to obey the Roman ultimatum . The " Day of Eleusis " ended the Sixth Syrian War and Antiochus ' hopes of conquering Egyptian territory .