SELEUCIDÆ, in chronology. Era of the Seleucids, or the Syro-macedonian era, is a computation of time commencing from the establishment of the Seleucids, a race of Greek kings, who reigned as successors of Alexander the Great in Syria, as the Ptolemies did in Egypt. This era we find expressed in the book of the Maccabees, and on a great number of Greek medals struck by the cities of Syria, &c. The Rabbins call it the era of contracts, and the Arabs, Therik dilkarnain, that is, the era of the two horns. According to the best accounts, the first year
year of this era falls in the year 311 before Christ, being twelve years after Alexander's death.