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Jews, always ready to be aroused into fanaticism, cemented the party opposed to Hellenism, caused revolt in those who were wavering in their adherence to the national faith, and led by degrees from passive to the active resistance which culminated in the Maccabean revolt and later in deliverance and autonomy for the nation (see ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, I., § 11; HASMONEANS, § 1). Antiochus left the carrying-out of this policy to Lysias, one of his council and a general of his army, and in 166-165 started on what proved to be his last expedition to the East. That he was impelled to this by an empty treasury is almost certain. He had posed as a patron of Hellenism not only by the attempt to convert the Jews, but by his large expenditures for temples to Greek deities, and not less by his extension of the city of Antioch, and by the rebuilding and readornment of cities in the East. Thus he began the erection of an incomparably splendid temple of Zeus at Athens, which was not finished till the reign of Hadrian (130 A.D.). Indeed, his central thought along these lines was evidently to unify his kingdom by means of Greek culture (I Mace. i. 41). Besides these expenditures, he had spent large sums on Greek celebrations, and thus left an empty treasury where he had found a full one. The report as to his death is to the effect that he barely escaped with his life from an attempt to loot a temple of Anaitis, and that soon after he was seized with some sudden malady-epilepsy or apoplexy-and died at the Persian town of Taba 165164 (II Mace. ix. 7).

Antioch V. Eupator (164-162) had been associated with his father in the government, but during his term Lysias was the real ruler. The first result of the death of Epiphanes was that in Palestine the proscription of the Jewish religion as such ceased, probably because Lysias had seen that by such means the people would best be reduced to quietness. In Dec., 164, the worship of Yahweh was renewed in the Temple. But the contest had entered upon a new phase in which not merely religion but nationalism was the issue. The Syrians were practically forced, by the excesses of the Jews in punishing apostates, to carry on the war; the Maccabees sustained a severe reverse in 163 at Beth-zur, and Jerusalem was besieged. An attempt by a certain Philip to seize the Syrian throne compelled Lysias to make terms with the Jews, leaving a Syrian guard in the citadel at Jerusalem. He hastened back to meet Philip, whom he defeated. Meanwhile Demetrius I. had escaped from Rome, seized the throne, and had both Eupator and Lysias beheaded.

Demetrius I. Soter (162-150), son of Seleucus IV. Philopator, attempted while still at Rome to secure the consent of the senate to his return and assumption of the throne. But the Romans preferred the weakness of a court cabal in the East (which would give opportunity for intervention) to control by a single hand which gave promise of firmness. Procrastination resulted, and Demetrius took the veiled hint of Polybius that action was better than diplomacy. Accordingly he escaped from Rome, relied upon the inherent loyalty of the East to his house as against the palace camarilla headed by Lysias, and was not disappointed. The

army seized and at a hint slew Lysias and Eupator, and Syria proper acclaimed the new king. Rome was not pleased, however, and permitted a certain Timarchus to assume kingship over the Medes; but Demetrius soon disposed of Timarchus, and continued the process of making sure his control of those regions. In Judea strife was continuing between the Greek party and the nationalists, and the former appealed to Demetrius for support; the latter established Alcimus, the spokesman of the Greek party, as high priest, and sent Nicanor against the Maccabees. In the ensuing conflict Judas gained his last great victory over Nicanor, and followed this up by appealing to Rome. But while the embassy was on its way Demetrius sent Bacchides with a strong force, and he defeated and slew Judas, established a chain of forts to hold the Jews within bounds, including the Acra at Jerusalem, which long remained a menace to the city. Encouraged by his successes elsewhere, Demetrius intervened in Asia Minor, but at length was disastrously defeated. His opponents there retorted by putting forth Alexander Balas as a claimant to the throne (153), asserting that he was the second son of Antiochus. The new claimant won over the Roman senate, and during the subsequent conflict Demetrius fell and Alexander became king.

Alexander I. Balas (Theopator Euergetes; 150145) was assisted in overthrowing Demetrius by Ptolemy Philometor, whose daughter Cleopatra he married. Alexander's purpose in gaining the crown seemed from the issue merely the opportunity for indulgence in sensual pleasure. Government was turned over to his minister Ammonius, whose crimes were legion and inflamed the people. Meanwhile the Jews under Jonathan and Simon were making capital out of the conditions and the rivalry of kings in Syria. While Balas and Demetrius were striving for the throne, both were bidding for the support of the Jews, and the latter accepted each of the concessions made by either of the parties. So it came about that Jonathan became high priest, the Hellenistic party in Judea became practically extinct, the garrisons from the border fortresses were withdrawn, though that in the Acra at Jerusalem still remained; while the Jews were more closely bound together by the newly recognized high-priestly status of the Hasmoneans. In 148147 Demetrius Il. Nicator, the son of Demetrius Soter, a boy of fourteen, was put forward as a claimant to the Syrian throne, and the Philistine cities declared for him. The Jews were, however, faithful to Alexander, defeated the army raised in the Philistine territory, and so protected Alexander's southern approaches. Ptolemy Philometor again intervened, this time in favor finally of Demetrius, occupied Antioch, and, himself rejecting the offer of the crown of Syria, conferred it upon Demetrius (145), Alexander and Philometor both losing their lives as a result of the later phases of the conflict.

From this time the story of Syria is that of a series of struggles for the throne on the part of those who had claims more or less direct, two and even three kinglets at a time exercising authority over parts of the realm or retiring to gather strength