Gaius Popillius Laenas was a politician and general of the Roman Republic. He was consul two times, once in 172 and once in 158 BC.
Popilius sent as ambassador to Antiochus Epiphanes to stop the course of his ravages in Egypt. 1779
Antiochus IV Epiphanes was a Greek Hellenistic king who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. He was a son of King Antiochus III the Great. Originally named Mithradates, he assumed the name Antiochus after he ascended the throne. Notable events during Antiochus's reign include his near-conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, his persecution of the Jews of Judea and Samaria, and the rebellion of the Jewish Maccabees.
Bust of Antiochus IV at the Altes Museum in Berlin.
Sidon coinage of Antiochos IV, depicting a victorious galley.
Coin depicting Antiochus IV adorned with a radiate crown, Greek inscription reads ΘΕΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ (King Antiochus, God manifest, bearer of victory)
Punishment of Antiochus, engraving by Gustave Doré