The next conspiracy shortly after this was that of Theodotus the governor of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Coele-Syria&groupId=484&placeId=908">Coele-Syria</a>, and Aetolian by birth. Holding the king in contempt owing to his debauched life and general conduct and mistrusting the court circles,
because after recently rendering important service to Ptolemy in various ways and especially in connexion with the first attempt of Antiochus on <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Coele-Syria&groupId=484&placeId=908">Coele-Syria</a>, he had not only received no thanks for this but on the contrary had been recalled to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> and had barely escaped with his life,
he now formed the project of entering into communication with Antiochus and handing over to him the cities of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Coele-Syria&groupId=484&placeId=908">Coele-Syria</a>. Antiochus gladly grasped at the proposal and the matter was soon in a fair way of being accomplished.
Now that I may perform for this royal house what I have done for that of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a>, I will go back to Antiochus\' succession to the throne and give a summary of events between that date and the outbreak of the war I am about to describe.
Antiochus was the younger son of Seleucus Callinicus, and on the death of his father and the succession to the throne of his elder brother Seleucus, he at first resided in the interior,
but when Seleucus crossed the Taurus with his army and was assassinated, as I have already stated, he sudden him and began to reign, entrusting the government of Asia on this side of Taurus to Achaeus and that of the upper provinces to Molon and his brother Alexander, Molon being satrap of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Media&groupId=742&placeId=1354">Media</a> and Alexander of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Persia&groupId=871&placeId=1571">Persia</a>.
Walbank Commentary