demanded his son-in-law Balas hand over his chief minister on likely faked charges. Possibly Demetrius II had offered to legitimize long-term Ptolemaic rule of Coele-Syria if he switched to aiding his faction. Ptolemy VI now marched on Antioch; Alexander abandoned the city, apparently disliking his chances in a siege, and left north for Cilicia in Asia Minor. Ptolemy VI had conquered the capital of Syria, with Demetrius II as a puppet ruler; his daughter Cleopatra Thea had her marriage with Balas annulled, and she was remarried to the new king. Battle Ptolemy VI and Demetrius II worked on securing the loyalty of the notable Greek citizens of Antioch. Meanwhile, Balas left Cilicia and re-entered Syria; his supporters pillaged the countryside around Antioch to put pressure on the Egyptian invaders. The joint army of Ptolemy VI and Demetrius II rode out north to attack Alexander and put an end to his raids. The coalition army clashed with Alexander's army by the Oenoparus river near Antioch. The Ptolemaic army prevailed, forcing Balas to flee. Aftermath While the Ptolemaic army won, both Balas and Ptolemy VI lost. Ptolemy VI was mortally wounded in the battle, despite his side winning; his horse fell on him, apparently after being frightened by an elephant. He did not perish immediately; he was protected by his guards and sent back to Egypt in a dazed stupor. Alexander Balas fled to Nabataea for refuge where he had sent his son for safekeeping earlier, but was betrayed by his allies there. Ancient sources disagree as to exactly who; he was either murdered by a Nabataean prince named Zabdiel, who cut off his head to curry favor with Ptolemy VI, or by two of his own officers named Heliades and Casius to gain the favor of Demetrius II. The unexpected winner of the battle was thus the young Demetrius II who suddenly found his potential rivals for authority both dead. With the Seleucids briefly unified, Demetrius II turned on his former Egyptian allies and was able to banish the Ptolemaic occupation force out of Antioch and Coele-Syria. Ptolemaic Egypt - which had seemingly made major territorial gains and reduced its long-time rival to a client state - was back controlling the same territory it had in 152 BC. While Ptolemy VI's allies briefly ruled as regent, his brother Ptolemy VIII Physcon was eventually invited back to Alexandria to succeed him. See