Mounted in an 18 karat gold pendant.

Antiochus VII, son of the Seleucid king Demetrius I Soter, was born in a time of trouble and conflict. As a boy he was sent, for safety reasons, to the city of side on the coast of turkey, which is how he acquired his nickname. Away from the intrigues of the court at Antioch, Antiochus grew up to have a strong and moral character. In 139 B.C., the capture of his elder brother Demetrius II by the parthians left the throne open for Antiochus, who strengthened his position by marrying Cleopatra Thea, his brother's wife. She bore him five children during the ten years of his reign. Antiochus set about to reunite the Seleucid empire, which was beset by numerous usurpers and revolts. He met with considerable military success and in 130 B.C. Marched on the Parthian empire with the ostensible aim of rescuing his brother from captivity. Through treachery, however, his strength w as undermined and he died in battle in 129 B.C.