What is Heliodorus (minister)?
{{uncat|date=March 2025}} '''Heliodorus''' was a [[minister]] of the [[Seleucid Empire]]. He worked for [[King]] [[Seleucus IV Philopator]]. Seleucus had to pay [[tax]]es 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 [[Jew]]s said it was because Heliodorus was stopped by [[angel]]s. According to the [[historian]] [[Appian]], Heliodorus [[kill]]ed 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 [[exile]]d or [[kill]]ed and proclaimed himself [[King]] [[Antiochus IV]]. {{bio-stub}}