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Achaeus died 213. He was a general and later
a separatist ruler of part of the Greek Seleucid kingdom. He was the son of
Andromachus, whose sister Laodice II married Seleucus Callinicus, the father of
Antiochus III the Great He accompanied Seleucus Ceraunus, the son of
Callinicus, in his expedition across mount Taurus against Attalus I, and after
the assassination of Seleucus Ceraunus revenged his death; and though he might
easily have assumed the royal power, he remained faithful to the family of
Seleucus. In 223 Antiochus III, the successor of Seleucus Ceraunus, appointed
him to the command of all Asia Minor on the western side of Mount Taurus.
Achaeus recovered all the districts which Attalus had gained for the Seleucids
once more; but being falsely accused by Hermeias, the minister to Antiochus, of
intending to revolt, he did so in self-defence, assumed the title of king, and
ruled over the whole of Asia on the western side of the Taurus. As long as
Antiochus was engaged in the war with Ptolemy, he would not march against
Achaeus; but upon the conclusion of a treaty with Ptolemy, he crossed the
Taurus, uniting his forces with Attalus, and in one campaign deprived Achaeus
of his dominions and took Sardis (with the exception of the citadel). After
sustaining a siege of two years, the citadel at last fell into the hands of
Antiochus in 213, through the treachery of Bolis (who had been employed by
Sosibius, minister to Ptolemy). Bolis pledged to deliver Achaeus to safety, but
turned him over to Antiochus, who immediately put him to death.
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