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Emperor Antiochus
Race Unknown Gender Male
Born 3E 51
Died 3E 120
Imperial City
Resided in Imperial City
Reign 3E 99-
3E 120
Previous Ruler Pelagius II
Next Ruler Kintyra II

Antiochus Septim (sometimes enumerated as Antiochus I)[1] was the seventh emperor of the Septim Dynasty, ruling the Third Empire for twenty-one years, from 3E 99 to 3E 120. His reign was plagued by civil wars and discontent among some of the provincial kings and queens. The most notable event of his reign occurred in 3E 110, when the Maormer nearly conquered the province of the Summerset Isles in the War of the Isle, but a freak storm enabled the Imperial Navy and royal navies of the Summerset Isles to defeat the Pyandonean Armada. He was preceded by his father, Pelagius II, and was succeeded by his daughter, Kintyra II.[2]

BiographyEdit

Antiochus Septim was born in 3E 51 to Pelagius Septim (later Emperor Pelagius II) and his unnamed first wife.[nb 1][3][4][5] He was the older brother of Potema, Cephorus, and Magnus.[3][5][6] Antiochus was one of the most flamboyant members of the usually austere Septim family.[2] By the time Antiochus was sixteen, he had the reputation of a drunkard and womanizer, which made him infamous in the Empire.[3] He was renowned for his grandness of dress and his good sense of humor.[2] On 15 Evening Star, 3E 98, Pelagius II died, and Antiochus attended his funeral in the Imperial City.[7][5]

As the eldest child of Pelagius II, Antiochus was the heir presumptive to the Ruby Throne.[5] The Elder Council delayed Antiochus' coronation for at least six weeks, presumably due to their aversion to his father.[5] Finally, in 3E 99, the Elder Council crowned Antiochus Emperor of Tamriel.[nb 2][3][8][6]

At some point, Antiochus married his unnamed first wife, and later he married his second wife, Gysilla.[nb 3][6] He had many other wives and many mistresses.[2] In 3E 104, his daughter, Kintyra, was born.[6] He also had several other children.[3][9]

Antiochus' reign was rife with civil wars, surpassing even the number of wars that occurred during the reign of his grandfather, Uriel II.[2] By 3E 109, Antiochus' rule had dissatisfied many of the kings and queens of Skyrim, Morrowind, and High Rock.[3][6] By 3E 109, Antiochus was quite fat, and he had many venereal diseases.[6] In 3E 110, the province of the Summerset Isles was nearly lost to the Maormer in the War of the Isle.[2][7][10] The united alliance of the royal navies of the Summerset Isles and the Imperial Navy only managed to defeat the Pyandonean Armada, commanded by Orgnum, King of the Maormer, due to a freak storm.[2][9] Legend credits the Psijic Order with the magic behind the storm.[2][10][11] The destruction of the Pyandonean Armada was the Emperor's greatest victory.[9]

In 3E 119, during a visit from Potema and his nephew Uriel, Antiochus lapsed into a coma.[3][9] For months, he lingered in between life and death while the Elder Council prepared for the accession of Kintyra to the Ruby Throne.[9] In 3E 120, Antiochus died and was succeeded by Kintyra.[nb 4][2][9][1] He was an able and popular ruler, despite his "moral laxity".[3][9]

NotesEdit

  • 1  Sources give different years for Antiochus' birth. Biography of the Wolf Queen states that Antiochus was 16 years old in 3E 67 and 48 years old at the time of his coronation in 3E 99, putting his birth year in 3E 51. However, The Wolf Queen states that he was 43 years old in late 3E 98, putting his birth year in 3E 55. 3E 51 is most likely the correct date, as The Wolf Queen directly contradicts itself by stating that Antiochus was eleven years old in the autumntide of 3E 63, putting his birth year in 3E 51 or 3E 52. Additionally, The Wolf Queen states that Pelagius had been a widower for eleven years by 3E 63, putting the death of Antiochus' mother in 3E 51 or 3E 52.
  • 2  The Wolf Queen, The Third Era Timeline, and Biography of the Wolf Queen state that Antiochus was crowned in 3E 99. The Daggerfall Chronicles states that he was crowned in 3E 98. And Brief History of the Empire states Antiochus assumed the throne twelve years prior to 3E 110, which also places his accession in 3E 98.
  • 3  The Wolf Queen states that the name of Antiochus' wife was Gysilla, while Biography of the Wolf Queen states that her name was Magna.
  • 4  The Wolf Queen, v5 states that Antiochus fell into a coma in 3E 119 and that his funeral was in 3E 120. The Madness of Pelagius states that Antiochus died when Pelagius was just over a year old (Pelagius was born in 3E 119), which places Antiochus' death in 3E 120. Both books are contradicted by the Biography of the Wolf Queen, which explicitly places his death in 3E 112. The year 3E 120 can be assumed to be correct, since more sources state that to be the correct year.
  • Magnus was Antiochus' favorite brother.[1]

ReferencesEdit