Coin of Demetrius III.

Obv: Diademed head of Demetrius III. Greek legend BASILEWS DHMHTRIOU QEOU FILOPATOROS SWTHROS "King Demetrius, Loving son and Saviour".

Rev: Figure of Atargatis, veiled, holding flower, barley stalks at each shoulder.

Demetrius III (d. 88 BC), called Eucaerus ("well-timed" possibly a misunderstanding of the derogative name Akairos, "the untimely one") and Philopator, was the son of Antiochus VIII Grypus.

By the assistance of Ptolemy X Lathyrus, king of Egypt, he recovered part of his father's Syrian dominions ca 95 BC, and held his court at Damascus, from where he tried to enlarge his dominions. To the south he defeated the Maccabean king Alexander Jannai in battle, but the hostility of the Jewish population forced him to withdraw. In attempting to dethrone his brother, Philip I Philadelphus, he was defeated by the Arabs and Parthians, was taken prisoner, and kept in confinement in Parthia by Mithridates II until his death in 88.

Seleucid Ruler disputed with Antiochus X, Antiochus XI and Philip I

Preceded by: Seleucus VI

Succeeded by: Philip I or Antiochus XII