ANTIOCHUS IV. (Epiphanes, the Illustrious, and by parody, Epimanes, the Insane), who had been a hostage in Rome from 187 B.C., ascended the Syrian throne on the death of Seleucus, 175 b,c., and soon made himself famous by his conquest of Coele-Syria, Palestine, and Egypt itself, with the exception of Alexandria, which would likely have also been his if the Romans had not interfered and forbidden him the country. During his Egyptian campaigns he twice took Jerusalem (170 and 168 B.C.); but he appears to have seen that he could never hope to subdue Judaea until he had rooted out the peculiar Jewish religion. He accordingly promulgated a decree, enjoining uniformity of worship throughout his dominions; and, on the refusal of the Jews to obey it, he went in person to Jerusalem and endeavoured to force on them the worship of the Greek deities. This persecuting policy stirred up the successful resistance of the Maccabees; and it was while hastening to quell this revolt that he fell ill of a loathsome disease, and died, raving mad, at Tabae, in Persia, 164 b.c. His death was thought by the Jews to be an appropriate punishment for his persecution of them.