Demetrius I

Demetrius I, king of Macedon

Demetrius I (Demetrius Poliorcetes) (dĭmē`trēəs pŏl'ēôrsē`tēz), c.337–283 B.C., king of Macedon. The son of Antigonus I, he proved himself a very able commander in his father's wars, particularly against Ptolemy I. Though Ptolemy defeated him at Gaza in 312 B.C., Demetrius was able to expel Cassander from Athens; he then defeated Ptolemy off Salamis and took Cyprus. Although he had huge armaments, including new weapons of assault, he failed (305 B.C.) to take Rhodes by sea. When Cassander, Seleucus I, and Lysimachus, fearing the power of Antigonus, allied themselves against him, Antigonus and Demetrius were badly defeated in the battle of Ipsus in 301 B.C., and Antigonus was killed. Demetrius later became reconciled with Seleucus I and regained Athens for himself in 295 B.C. In order to obtain the throne of Macedon he murdered his competitors, including the sons of Cassander, and succeeded (294 B.C.) to the throne. He had his father's ambition to conquer all Asia, but his enemies united against him, and when Lysimachus and Pyrrhus invaded Macedonia he was forced (285 B.C.) to take refuge with Seleucus, who held him until he died. His son, Antigonus II, made good his claim to the throne of Macedon.

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Demetrius I, king of ancient Syria

Demetrius I (Demetrius Soter) (dĭmē`trēəs sō`tər), c.187–150 B.C., king of ancient Syria (162–150 B.C.), son of Seleucus IV. He was sent as a hostage to Rome, where he remained during the reigns of his father and his uncle Antiochus IV. After Antiochus died, he was succeeded by his son Antiochus V, but Demetrius escaped (162 B.C.), killed his cousin, and took the throne. He put down the revolt of the general Timarchus in Babylon and set out to crush the Maccabees. The usurper Alexander Balas rose against Demetrius and was supported by the Maccabean party as well as by Egypt and Pergamum. Demetrius was defeated in battle.