Seleucus I

1 9.9

A Macedonian general who accompanied Alexander the Great into Asia and started the Seleucid family of kings

proper noun

: Seleuco I

Seleucus I founded the Seleucid dynasty after the death of Alexander the Great.

Examples

The Seleucid dynasty, founded by Seleucus I, ruled a vast territory for centuries.
Many ancient coins from Asia Minor bear the image of Seleucus I.
Seleucus I played a key role in the division of Alexander the Great's empire.
Don't forget Seleucus I!
Was Seleucus I a great leader?
The battles fought by Seleucus I helped shape the future of the Hellenistic world.
Historians often study Seleucus I to understand the political dynamics of ancient Asia Minor.

Synonyms

Seleucus

vsSeleucus I

1 9.9

A Macedonian general who goes with Alexander the Great into Asia and becomes ruler of much of Asia Minor

is the version that adds the life dates and explicit ruling period

Seleucus I Nicator

vsSeleucus I

1 9.9

A Macedonian general under Alexander the Great who started a ruling family in western Asia

notes accompaniment into Asia and records the long ruling period with dates

Surface Forms

Seleucus I main

Morphology

Seleucus + I

This is a compositional named-entity: a proper name 'Seleucus' plus the regnal numeral 'I', so a learner who knows both constituents will interpret it as 'Seleucus the First' (a specific historical ruler). The pattern (name + ordinal/roman numeral) is cross-linguistically common and does not require idiomatic knowledge, making the expression transparent to learners who recognise the numeral.

Etymology

Seleucus I was the name of a Macedonian general who went with Alexander the Great into Asia and then started a large kingdom there. Imagine him putting his face on coins and naming cities after himself — that image helps you remember he was the 'founder' of the Seleucid dynasty that ruled much of Asia.