亞歷山大二世是趁著塞琉古王室分支的內鬥而崛起,這紛爭是塞琉古四世和其弟安條克四世的各自後裔為了王位繼承權,雙方爭鬥數十年,造成國家一次次的內戰。托勒密埃及與塞琉古帝國兩個繼業者王室會進行聯姻,塞琉古王室內部的鬥爭又會使托勒密埃及從外部進行干涉,而使情形更加複雜化,使衝突更為加速。如在前128年,作為塞琉古四世後裔代表的德米特里二世,為了幫助他的岳母克麗奧佩脫拉二世對付其夫托勒密八世,率軍入侵埃及介入托勒密王室內戰。托勒密八世對於德米特里二世的干涉相當憤怒,他反手策動敘利亞城市暴動,並選擇亞歷山大二世來代表安條克四世支脈後裔,舉他為對立國王(英语:Anti-king)。同年,在埃及托勒密八世的軍隊和資金幫助下,亞歷山大二世奪下塞琉古帝國首都安條克城登基,繼續擴大與德米特里二世的內戰,並在前125年決定性會戰擊敗他。德米特里二世被迫逃亡至王后克麗奧佩脫拉·特婭所控制的腓尼基的托勒邁斯(英语:Ptolemais in Phoenicia)處求助,但被她驅逐,他在逃往另一座城市泰爾尋求庇護中被殺。
在前127年8月到前126年8月期間某刻,托勒密八世在埃及內戰中重新奪回首都亞歷山卓[90],克麗奧佩脫拉二世帶著國庫的財寶逃往塞琉古德米特里二世處[91]。儘管亞歷山大二世成功獲取首都安條克城,但德米特里二世仍佔有奇里乞亞和塞琉西亞·佩里亞以及柯里敘利亞許多城市[92]。亞歷山大二世對此發動軍事行動意圖征服該地區[93],兩位國王的軍隊在猶地亞地區調兵遣將作戰,造成當地居民很大困擾,迫使猶太人派遣使者前往羅馬抱怨,希望羅馬「禁止國王的士兵們通過猶太人和他們屬國的領地[註 15][95]」,這次出訪羅馬約在前127年到前125年間[96]。到了前126年10月,亞歷山大二世攻陷亞實基倫,錢幣證據也顯示撒馬利亞也受到亞歷山大控制[96]。在前125年德米特里二世在大馬士革附近遭到擊敗,他逃往腓尼基的托勒邁斯(英语:Ptolemais in Phoenicia)尋求王后克麗奧佩脫拉·特婭庇護。王后拒絕讓德米特里二世進入城內,他只得繼續乘船逃往泰爾城。前125年春、夏季德米特里向泰爾城尋求庇護,但被該城守將所殺[97]。
^特洛古斯的《腓利史》殘篇被引用在數個古代作家的作品中,其中不知名作者在某個時間曾對44卷的《腓利史》做個各冊摘要序言,今稱為《〈腓利史〉序言》(Prologues of Trogus)亦同,這些保存殘存篇章的手稿與查士丁對原著的《概要》而可以留存到今世[27]。很有可能《〈腓利史〉序言》的句子是來自特洛古斯的原著[28]。
^這座拉塔基亞城很可能指的是大城市敘利亞的拉塔基亞,這點受到多位歷史學者如布謝-勒克萊爾、Getzel M. Cohen和John D Grainger認同[86]。另一位歷史學者埃德溫·貝文(英语:Edwyn Bevan)則認為是腓尼基的拉塔基亞(英语:Beirut),且叛亂發生在德米特里二世去世以後[87]。歷史學者Adolf Kuhn則把這件事和亞歷山大二世和德米特里二世之子安條克八世發生的戰爭連結,認為叛亂發生在前123年[88]。學者奧古斯都·布謝-勒克萊爾認同Adolf Kuhn的推論,但不認同埃德溫·貝文的論點[89]。
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