in Ancient Geography, named Babylonia, because situated on its confines, at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris. Ptolemy places it in Mesopotamia. It is called also Seleucia ad Tigriem, (Polybius, Strabo, Isidorus Characenus); washed on the south by the Euphrates, on the east by the Tigris, (Theophylactus); generally agreed to have been built or enlarged by Seleucus Nicanor, master of the east after Alexander; by means of which Babylon came to be deserted. It is said to have been originally called Cochea (Amian, Eutropius); though others, as Arrian, differing with it, as a village, from Seleucia; and, according to Zosimus, the ancient name of Seleucia was Zochea. Now called Bagdad. E. Long. 44. 21. N. Lat. 33. 10. There were many other cities of the same name, all built by Seleucus Nicanor.

SELEUCIDÆ, in Chronology. Era of the Seleucidæ, or the Syro-Macedonian era, is a computation of time, commencing from the establishment of the Seleucidæ, 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 books 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 therib dikornain, that is, the "era of the two horns." According to the best accounts, the first year of this era falls in the year 311 B.C. being 12 years after Alexander's death.