The concluding part of John D Grainger's history of the Seleukids traces the tumultuous last century of their empire. In this period it was riven by dynastic disputes, secessions and rebellions, the religiously-inspired insurrection of the Jewish Maccabees, civil war and external invasion from Egypt in the West and the Parthians in the East. By the 80s BC, the empire was disintegrating, internally fractured and squeezed by the converging expansionist powers of Rome and Parthia. This is a fittingly, dramatic and colourful conclusion to John Grainger's masterful account of this once-mighty empire. AUTHOR: John D Grainger is a former teacher and historian of great experience, with a particular interest in the Classical and Hellenistic Greek periods. SELLING POINTS: ? Concluding part of John Grainger's unique trilogy narrating the rise and fall of the Seleukid Empire ? The Seleukid dynasty ruled what was at one time the largest empire on earth, its decline and eventual extinction reshaped the ancient world. ? After defeat by the Romans at Magnesia, the Seleukid realm was still a major power. ? John Grainger shows how external threats, rebellious subjects and dynastic disputes combined to undermine and eventually destroy it. ? This period includes the wars against the rebel Jewish Maccabees whose liberation of the Temple in Jerusalem from Seleukid control is still commemorated by Jews at Hannukah. ? John Grainger is a highly respected and prolific historian who writes with great authority on this period. 5 b/w maps
