factbase-ancient-history/treaties/treaty-of-apamea.md

Treaty of Apamea

Overview

The Treaty of Apamea (188 BCE) was imposed by Rome on the Seleucid Empire after the Roman-Seleucid War, effectively ending Seleucid power in Anatolia and establishing Roman dominance in the eastern Mediterranean. @t[=188 BCE]

Key Facts

• Date: 188 BCE @t[=188 BCE]
• Parties: Roman Republic and Seleucid Empire (Antiochus III)
• Context: Followed the Battle of Magnesia (190 BCE) @t[=190 BCE]

Terms

• Seleucids withdrew from all territory west of the Taurus Mountains
• War indemnity of 15,000 Euboic talents of silver: 500 paid immediately, 2,500 on Senate ratification, then 1,000 talents annually for 12 years ¹
• Seleucid navy reduced to 10 warships; all war elephants surrendered
• Territory redistributed to Rome's allies: Pergamon received Lydia, Phrygia, Mysia, Pisidia, and Pamphylia; Rhodes received Caria and Lycia ¹
• Antiochus III's son (the future Antiochus IV Epiphanes) taken to Rome as a political hostage ²
• Seleucids prohibited from expanding west of the Taurus Mountains in perpetuity

Significance

• Marked the end of Seleucid influence in Anatolia
• Established Rome as the dominant power in the eastern Mediterranean
• Established philia (amity) between Rome and the Seleucid dynasty, governing relations for the following half-century ³
• Weakened the Seleucid Empire, contributing to its eventual fragmentation ⁴

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1. Polybius, Histories 21.43 ↩︎

2. Wikipedia, "Antiochus IV Epiphanes" — hostage clause of the Treaty of Apamea ↩︎

3. Ma, J. "The Treaty of Apamea and the Later Seleucids," Antichthon (2015), Cambridge University Press ↩︎

4. Gruen, E. The Hellenistic World and the Coming of Rome (1984) ↩︎