Seleucus asks for the hand of Stratonice, the daughter of Demetrius, to provide a counterbalance for the alliance created by the marriage of Lysimachus to the daughter of Ptolemy.

The wedding is held with much pomp on the Pierian coast (in Syria) in 298.

Ptolemy marries his stepdaughter Theoxena to Agathocles, tyrant of Syracuse and self-styled king of Sicily, at approximately the same time as he marries his daughter Arsinoe to Lysimichus.

The Samnites had joined forces with the Etruscans, Gauls, and Sabines in opposing Roman expansion a few years after concluding the peace.

In 298, the allies begin to raid Roman outposts, precipitating the Third Samnite War.

Ptolemy finally brings rebellious Cyrene into subjection in 298.

The Middle East: 297–286 BCE

Consolidation of Seleucid Power and Regional Stability

Seleucus I Nicator and the Expansion of the Seleucid Empire

From 297 to 286 BCE, the Seleucid Empire, under the rule of Seleucus I Nicator (312–281 BCE), solidifies its control and expands significantly across the Near East. Seleucus, having secured a decisive victory in the earlier Babylonian War, further establishes his dominance by reinforcing his authority over Mesopotamia, Syria, and territories stretching eastward to Bactria and the borders of India. He skillfully manages the delicate balance of power among the diverse cultures and satrapies, laying robust administrative foundations.

Establishment and Growth of Antioch

In 300 BCE, Seleucus founds the strategically positioned city of Antioch on the Orontes River in Syria. Antioch rapidly emerges as a major urban, commercial, and cultural center, rivaling Alexandria and becoming a cornerstone of Hellenistic civilization. It serves as a vital administrative capital, ensuring effective governance across Seleucid territories in the Levant and western Mesopotamia.

Diplomatic and Military Consolidation

Seleucus skillfully negotiates treaties and diplomatic marriages, securing alliances and internal stability across his domains. His careful diplomacy is coupled with decisive military campaigns aimed at quelling rebellions and securing frontiers. Military reforms further enhance the Seleucid forces, blending Macedonian military traditions with local levies and employing war elephants, a notable innovation adopted from his earlier campaigns in India.

Cultural Integration and Patronage

Under Seleucus’s rule, the empire actively promotes Hellenistic culture alongside local traditions, fostering a cosmopolitan environment that attracts scholars, artists, and merchants. Seleucid patronage supports temples, gymnasiums, libraries, and cultural institutions, significantly enriching the intellectual and artistic landscape. Cities like Antioch and Seleucia-on-the-Tigris flourish, becoming vibrant hubs of Hellenistic cultural synthesis.

Stability and Economic Prosperity

This era is marked by relative peace and economic growth within the Seleucid realm. Infrastructure projects, including extensive road networks, marketplaces, and irrigation systems, greatly stimulate trade and agricultural productivity. The flow of goods between the Mediterranean and Central Asia intensifies, consolidating Seleucid control and prosperity across a vast region.

Thus, the years 297–286 BCE see the Seleucid Empire mature into a powerful and stable Hellenistic state, profoundly influencing the political, cultural, and economic landscape of the Middle East for generations.

Ashoka dispatches missionaries abroad, particularly to Tamraparni, the kingdom ruling the island now known as Sri Lanka.

Ashoka is said to have sent his own son, Mahinda, as a missionary there.

Near East (297–286 BCE): Seleucid-Ptolemaic Rivalry and the Hellenization of Palestine

Following the demise of Antigonus Monophthalmus at Ipsus in 301 BCE, the former members of the victorious coalition allocate all of Syria, including the strategically significant region of southern Syria (Palestine), to Seleucus I Nicator. This arrangement ignites enduring tensions and recurring conflicts between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties, each striving for dominance over the vital territory.

Among the contested cities is Ashqelon, increasingly known by its Hellenized name, Ascalon, a title it retains throughout subsequent eras, notably during the period of the Crusades. Other cities similarly adopt Hellenized names, such as Ashdod, which becomes known as Azotus, and Ekron, now referred to as Akkaron or Accaron.

The cultural transformation across these cities underscores the broader process of Hellenization that characterizes the period, as Greek culture, language, and administrative practices increasingly permeate the local populations. This era thus witnesses Palestine becoming a central theater of geopolitical rivalry, with each Hellenistic power aiming to secure strategic dominance through both military and cultural means.

The members of the coalition against Antigonus Monopthalmus after his battle death in 301 had assigned all Syria to Seleucus, after what they regarded as Ptolemy's desertion, and for the next hundred years, the question of the ownership of southern Syria (i.e., Palestine) will produce recurring warfare between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties.

One of the cities over which they fight is Ashqelon, which becomes known during this period by its Hellenized name of Ascalon, a name it will retain throughout the era of the Crusades.

Similarly, …

…the city of Ashdod becomes known in Hellenistic times as Azotus; and …

…Ekron becomes known as Akkaron, or Accaron.