The Seleukid kingdom was the largest state in the world for a century and more between Alexander’s death and the rise of Rome. It was ruled for all that time by a succession of able kings but broke down twice before eventually succumbing to dynastic rivalries, simultaneous external invasions and internal grasps for independence. The first king, Seleukos I, established a pattern of rule which was unusually friendly towards his subjects, and his policies promoted the steady growth of wealth and population in many areas which had been depopulated when he took them over. In particular the dynasty was active in founding cities from Asia Minor to Central Asia. Its work set the social and economic scene of the Middle East for many centuries to come. Yet these kings had to be warriors too as they defended their realm from jealous neighbors.