Theodotus Hemiolius was a general in the service of king Antiochus III the Great

Antiochus III the Great

Antiochus III the Great Seleucid Greek king who became the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire as a youth of about eighteen in 223 BC. Antiochus was an ambitious ruler who ruled over Greater Syria and western Asia towards the end of the 3rd century BC...

 (223

223 BC

Year 223 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Flaminus and Philus...

–187 BC

187 BC

Year 187 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Flaminius...

), by whom he was sent in 222 BC

222 BC

Year 222 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Marcellus and Calvus...

 together with Xenon

Xenon (general)

Xenon was an officer in the service of Antiochus III the Great , who was sent, together with Theodotus Hemiolius, against Molon in 221 BC. They retired before Molon under the shelter of the towns.-References:...

 against Molon

Molon

Molon or Molo was a general and satrap of the Seleucid king Antiochus the Great . He held the satrapy of Media at the accession of that monarch ; in addition to which, Antiochus conferred upon him and his brother Alexander the government of all the upper provinces of his empire...

, satrap

Satrap

Satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic empires....

 of Media

Medes

The MedesThe Medes...

, who had raised the standard of revolt in the eastern provinces of the Seleucid Empire

Seleucid Empire

The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...

. The two generals were however unable to cope with the rebel satrap, and withdrew within the walls of the cities, leaving him in possession of the open country. After the final defeat of Molon by Antiochus himself, Theodotus was selected by that monarch to take the command in Coele-Syria

Coele-Syria

Coele-Syria , or Cœle-Syria or Celesyria, traditionally given the meaning 'hollow' Syria, was the region of southern Syria disputed between the Seleucid dynasty and the Ptolemaic dynasty. Rather than limiting the Greek term to the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, it is often used to cover the entire area...

, while he himself undertook to reduce Seleucia on the Tigris

Seleucia on the Tigris

Seleucia , also known as Seleucia on the Tigris, was one of the great cities of the world during Hellenistic and Roman times. It stood in Mesopotamia, on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the smaller town of Ctesiphon, in present day Babil Governorate, Iraq.-Seleucid empire:Seleucia,...

. What Theodotus accomplished at this time we know not, but the next year (219 BC

219 BC

Year 219 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Paullus and Salinator...

) we find him serving under the immediate command of Antiochus himself, and bearing an important share in the action against Nicolaus

Nicolaus of Aetolia

Nicolaus was an Aetolian, and a general of Ptolemy IV Philopator , king of Egypt. In 219 BC we find him besieging Ptolemais, which was held by the traitor Theodotus, who had revolted from Ptolemy to Antiochus III the Great . Nicolaus, however, abandoned the siege on the approach of the Seleucid king...

 the general of Ptolemy IV Philopator (221

221 BC

Year 221 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Asina and Rufus/Lepidus...

–204 BC

204 BC

Year 204 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cethegus and Tuditanus...

), near Porphyreon

Porphyreon

Porphyreon is a Catholic titular see. The original diocese was a suffragan of the archdiocese of Tyre, in Phoenicia Prima. The location is now Jieh, Lebanon.-History:...

, as well as shortly after at the siege of Rabbatamana

Amman

Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...

. On both these occasions he was associated with Nicarchus

Nicarchus (general)

For other uses, see NicarchusNicarchus or Nicarch was one of the generals of the Seleucid king Antiochus III the Great . He served in Coele-Syria in the war between Antiochus and Ptolemy Philopator...

, with whom he also shared in the command of the phalanx

Phalanx formation

The phalanx is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar weapons...

 at the memorable battle of Raphia

Battle of Raphia

The Battle of Raphia, also known as the Battle of Gaza, was a battle fought on 22 June 217 BC near modern Rafah between the forces of Ptolemy IV Philopator, king of Egypt and Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom during the Syrian Wars...

, 217 BC

217 BC

Year 217 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Geminus and Flaminius/Regulus...

. After that great defeat he was chosen by Antiochus as one of the ambassadors whom he sent to Ptolemy to sue for peace.