DEMETRIUS II. furnished Nicator, or Conqueror, was son of Soter, to whom he succeeded by the assistance of Ptolemy Philometor. He married Cleopatra, the daughter of Ptolemy, who was before the wife of the expelled monarch Alexander Bala. Demetrius gave
himself up to luxury and voluptuousness, and suffered his kingdom to be governed by his favourites. At that time a pretended son of Bala, called Diodorus Tryphon, seized a part of Syria; and Demetrius, to oppose his antagonist, made an alliance with the Jews, and marched into the east, where he was taken by the Parthians. Phraates, king of Parthia, gave him his daughter Rodogyne in marriage; and Cleopatra was so incensed at this new connection, that she gave herself up to Antiochus Sidetes her brother-in-law, and married him. Sidetes was killed in a battle against the Parthians, and Demetrius regained the possession of his kingdom. His pride and oppression rendered him odious; and his subjects asked a king of the house of Seleucus from Ptolemy Physcon king of Egypt; and Demetrius, unable to resist the power of his enemies, fled to Ptolemais, which was then in the hands of his wife Cleopatra. The gates were shut up against his approach by Cleopatra; and he was killed by order of the governor of Tyre, whither he had fled for protection, A. U. C. 627. He was succeeded by Alexander Zebina, whom Ptolemy had raised to the throne.