How a Roman Senator Stopped the Seleucid Empire - (Gaius Popillius Laenas and Antiochos IV )
2022 ж. 8 Нау.
20 017 Рет қаралды
This is the story of Gaius Popillius Laenas' finest moment. And how sometimes Roman-diplomacy accomplished more than their legions, this cements Roman hegemony in the ancient world.
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Narration by: Alexander Dobby
www.alexanderdoddy.com
Music:
The Rus Awakening - A Russian Heart
Dark Alley Deals - Aaron Kenny
I still think it’s incredible that the Diadochi were so busy fighting themselves that’s they could not fight off Rome together. Maybe that’s just great Roman diplomacy and military though
Well, actually... The Diadochii fought between themselves but Seleukos died with all the Empire being his except Egypt, then the sucession wars with the Epignoii started, and while the Antigonids saw a resurgence with Antigonus III and then with Philip V and the Seleucids almost did it again with Antiochus III, by the time of Antiochus IV the Seleucid Empire was deprived of almost everything, the Egyptians become a puppet and the Macedonians disapeared, so literally at that point there was no way to "reunificate", it was better to aim to the clossest oportunity and take it. Wherever will be except, of course the Romans.
All of the great Diadochi were dead by the start of the First Punic War. The Romans ascended at truly the perfect time.
Cheat code: Augustus
@bastiat that’s pretty true, the Hellenistic kingdoms and empires were very full of themselves
Love fascinating stories like this. Romans of the Republic were such chads. The Principate gets so much more attention so I seriously appreciate you telling tales from the Republic many would otherwise never hear.
Incredibly interesting niche history stories. Love it!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@TheSPQRHistorianYou should definitely do some more along side the emperor series. Awesome work as always!
@@TheSPQRHistorian Perhaps after finishing (or alongside) the "Life of Emperors" series you could make series detailing the early history of Rome, that is age of Kingdom and the Republic, since that part of Roman history is so much underrated. It is especially taking into the account that it was Roman Republic that made probably the most stable government in history. We often focus on near constant civil wars of the Roman Empire, but also often forget that Rome managed to create a political system that ensured 420 years (since 508 BC to 80's BC and Sulla and Marius) without a civil war or a major coup! I mean not even a single one modern day country managed to achieve 4 and quarter centuries of independence without a civil war or a coup. That's how stable Roman government was. And yet that period of history, barring the Punic and some other wars, is almost entirely forgotten by KZhead historians!
@@justinian-the-great That's a great idea! I think I'll make a series dedicated to the earliest history starting at Aeneas, to Kingdom and early Republic etc
When a King submitted to the demands of a Senator. The balance of power was changing and everyone from both sides knew it, no more greek or carthaginian dominance, only Rome
Antiochus IV Epiphanes was not incapable at all he was just unlucky. He was a capable military commander but he was affected by the consequences of the defeat at 192 BC
One thing to note is that, unlike in the later years post Marcus Aurelius, in the Republican time period, when some ambassador from Rome told you something, it was usually backed by *the will of the people*. Namely that they had gone through at least some process of communal discussion and voting, so what was being presented to you was, more or less, what "Rome" wanted. So if you were to, say, strike down that ambassador, you not only didn't solve the issue, but the will of the people would send more and more against you, since it was not that one person that made the decision unilaterally. This is in contrast to later years under empire where it was basically "if I don't like this policy, maybe I can kill this one guy and it solves it", and, unsurprisingly that's what happened.
This is excellent, thank you so much for continuing to make this high-quality history content. The algorithm will recognize this channel any day now, and you're gonna have 100k+ subscribers on your hands, mark my words!
These more unknown tales of history are truly awesome. Sounds like something which would only occur in fiction. Edit: Also thank you for mentioning which sources you used. The accuracy (and inaccuracy) of historians of antiquity is a tale of its own.
Uploaded 1 day before my birthday, its a best birthday gift I can get, these days as there are few uploads regarding Ancient antiquity beside from Kings and Generals(uploads on daily basis).
Great vid! Always good to learn stories like these
I'll just add this little gem to my expanding vault of Roman knowledge. Thank you. Once, I thought the Roman era occurred a long time ago. Now, it does not seem so far away.
Great video, loved it ! Very interesting to see the details of these diplomatic missions.
Now that's power.
The most confident or arrogant diplomat ever, but this is precisely why the Republic had no chance after the Punic Wars. Successful Senators had more pull than any king that ruled in their time, so the temptation to be the known as the single greatest of those above all kings was too good to leave alone. There was zero incentive for the ruling elite to make any change that would have made any difference.
Great video
Love your channel! Found it a month ago and watched most of your videos and watching some of the new ones 💚, u make awesome videos with such details!
Perfect and beautiful
Excellent summary! It coveys a real sence of just how dominant the Roman Republic was at this period.
Referring to differing sources at the end is an instant follow from me. Very good video
Thank you so much for this episode. It is an incident that is rarely reported on and it is unfortunate that the Roman's name is not well known or known at all. I can imagine that little short, togaed, Roman, standing against Antiochus and his huge army and not being afraid of being trampled to death or even made a prisoner!!! That's true grit!
This was a time when the Roman military formation of the legions were really becoming the new dominant force of the future. Antiochuss father found this out when his phalanx army was annihilated by Rome a few decades earlier. Rome had used the Phalanx to like everyone around the Mediterranean. But the legions were more manageable than the stiff Phalanx of Phillip ll & Alexander the Great. That said Alexander went on about a 10 year winning streak! Destroyed the Persian armies all the way to India! With that Phalanx form of fighting utilized with Calvary on the wings it was still impressive under a general like Alexander!
Great video.
well done, excellent decision to put across the significance of what would normally have been a standard diplomatic mission
Thank you for this interesting event. I'm sure a lot of us, the subscribers, share the same fascination that you feel for this show of their strength.
Sir, your son and heir has been born, what do u wish to name him. Ptolomy the 1000th: are u f'ing kidding me.
Same with the Seleucids, they got Antiochus XIII while the Egyptians reached Ptolemy XIV. Not so original maybe
excellent video !!! Those romans tho !!!!
Nice.
Will you cover the Caesar campaign in Spain? Nice video as always mate.
Thank you for sharing ,i know of this account very well,when antiochus was in rome as a hostage they say he craved attention dressing in a roman toga,one day he took a fragrant oil and poured it all over himself,so the romans could smell is fragrance ,he also had a fun habit when romans would go to their baths heel pour oil on the ground causing them to slip and fall,these odd behaviours cause some critics of him to label him epimanes
I am a history graduate student and wrote a paper on this. Polybius was a pro-Roman schematism held captive to write history for Rome for a period of twelve years. Antiochus was quagmire in Egypt like the US was in Vietnam. He invaded because Koelle Syria and Phoinike was deeded by treaty to Seleucids after the battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE. It was incurred upon by the Ptolemies until Battle of Pannun in 200 BCE when it was reconquered by the Seleucids. Ptolemy VI was incurring on this territory again and its people appealed to Antiochus IV Epiphanes for help. Antiochus was rude to Romans according to Diodorus Siculus, flagrantly disregarded the Treaty of Apamea (188 BCE) even parading war elephants in front of Romans despite only being allowed ten war elephants by the Treaty of Apamea, he paraded hundreds of them at once, so was not afraid of Romans. Caius Papilius Leanus gave Antiochus a way to leave Egypt without losing face,
“I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse”
A Seleucid king scared to death by circles.
more like the most dominant military in the world at the time
@@dfjanus8014 u must be great at parties.
@@princekalender2154 i am
Kings, powerful individuals, whole empires bowed and obeyed institution of 500 high-born men from one city in Italian peninsula. Only a naturally genetic Chads such as Romans could have such an influence
Til they eventually became subordinate and toothless to one man that was every bit a king except in name.
"Genetic Chads." It's true. Pure Trojan blood
@@Pan_Z pure Latin blood
@@Hugh_Morris according to Romans themselves, Romulus and Remus descend from Aeneas, a Trojan hero.
@@fl3669 yes i know thats what they believed but the Latins were chad enough without Trojan admixture. The Latins were an obscure tribe in far off Italy that went on to rule the entire Mediterranean. I find that story cool enough
Thanks. I do prefer video about 15 minutes. Subscribed for a while now but don't get the time to watch in full
And so it was, Kings and Despots alike bow down to Senate and People of Rome
Before you leave this circle you must give me an answer! Antiochus IV: Maybe i will ask a chair and contemplate the destiny following it's course,
The king antiochus was scared of his father's defeat at the hands of the Mighty Romans at magnesia 190 BC. So he didn't obviously wanted to suffer the same fate as his father did.
All this trouble for the Romans to become a Hellenistic kingdom themselves in the end (Eastern Roman Empire).
To be fair the Egyptians gave away Memphis before this so, Antiochus IV, could had at least not whitdrew from the territory, and avoid the forcing Hellenization of Judea, maybe,
Bro really pulled up with a few hitters and a scroll 📜 and made a king no more than an employee of rome
Imagine drawing a circle around Putin and see if he does the same thing
Fdr could have
I do not care about the Senate show me Marcus Aurelius show me Trajan show me Octavian show me the ones who made us Great
👍👍👍
Rome sent Tyler Durden... 😂
what a guy
👍
You mean Odenatheus?
Only Rome can save Rome and who is more Roman than the Emperor
Line in the sand
Antiochois IV was not the rightful heir.
I don’t blame the king Rome at that time were terrifying power! The can easily destroy the Greek kingdom!! Only eastern people with their powerful cavalry has a chance against the Roman
He shouldn't left obviously
After this event occured and his way back to syria he attacked jerusalems temple and stripped it of its vessels as well