Heliodorus (minister)

Heliodorus was a minister of the Seleucid Empire. He worked for King Seleucus IV Philopator.

Seleucus had to pay taxes to the Roman Republic in exchange for the Romans not invading Syria but couldn’t afford them so he sent Heliodorus to Judea to tax the Second Temple but Heliodorus came back from Jerusalem empty handed. The Jews said it was because Heliodorus was stopped by angels.

According to the historian Appian, Heliodorus killed Seleucus while Seleucus’s oldest son Demetrius was a hostage in Rome and Seleucus’s second son Antiochus was too young to rule as king so Heliodorus could proclaim himself regent of the Seleucid Empire. Then Seleucus’s brother Antiochus overthrew Heliodorus and had him either exiled or killed and proclaimed himself King Antiochus IV.