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Seleucus I Nicator

Seleucus I Nicator

358 BCE281 BCE · Europos, Macedonia

Seleucus I Nicator was a Macedonian general of Alexander the Great who founded the Seleucid Empire, the largest of the kingdoms that emerged from Alexander's dominions. Assigned the satrapy of Babylon after Alexander's death, he secured control there in 312 BCE—a year later reckoned as the start of the Seleucid era—and took the title of king around 305 BCE. Through the wars of Alexander's successors, culminating in the victory over Antigonus at Ipsus in 301 BCE, he built an empire stretching from Anatolia and Syria across Mesopotamia and Iran toward India. He was assassinated in 281 BCE while campaigning in the West to add Macedon and Thrace to his realm.

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Stop 1 of 9358 BCE–334 BCEBirthplace (C. 358 Bce)

Europos, Macedonia

What they did here

Seleucus was born around 358 BCE at Europos in Macedonia, son of Antiochus, a Macedonian noble said to have served under Philip II. He grew up as a member of the Macedonian aristocracy before joining Alexander's expedition.

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