What does Daniel 11:19 mean?

History records that between 192 and 188 BC, Antiochus the Great of the Seleucid Empire pushed across Asia Minor into Greece. This advance was stalled by naval defeats and the efforts of the Roman commander Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus. Antiochus was eventually forced to cede territory gained in Asia Minor, pay restitution, and leave one of his sons as a political prisoner. Those events match the predictions recorded in 536 BC (Daniel 10:1; 11:2) as given to the prophet Daniel by an angel. Prior verses included straightforward forecasts of those events and their origins (Daniel 11:14–18).

Here, the prophet speaks about the final fate of Antiochus III, also known as Antiochus the Great; he has been labeled in these passages as the "king of the north." Daniel says this figure will turn towards home, only to fall and disappear.

Once again, history indicates that the prediction was fulfilled. After his defeat in Asia Minor, Antiochus returned to Seleucid territory. Some months after, he was dead, assassinated by an enraged mob while plundering a temple in modern-day Iran. Antiochus III had earned his title of "Great" because of his military victories prior to the war against Rome. Had he stopped there, his reputation would have been stellar. However, his overreach and failure in Asia Minor caused further rebellions among conquered territories, and greatly reduced the power of the empire he left behind.