Syria

• Syria was a Roman Province located in approximately the same geographical region as modern Syria.

1. History

• Pre-Roman history:
  • For millenia there was an Ancient Trade route from the coast over the Homs Pass and across the Desert interior to The East.
  • Between 1500-300 BCE Syria formed part of the area of Phoenicia, along with Lebanon.
  • Between 312-64 BCE, Syria formed part of the Seleucid Empire.
  • It included an area known as the Decapolis, the ten cities, built by the Greeks, and considered important enough by the Romans to maintain.
• Acquisition by Rome:
  • 64 BCE Annexed by Pompey
• Timeline of this Province:
• Under The Republic:
• After Augustus reconstituted the Republic into an Empire (27 BCE):
  • 136 CE Renamed Syria Palaestrina and expanded to include part of Judaea after Bar Kokhba's Revolt (132-136 CE)
  • c. 198 CE Syria divided under Septimius Severus and Syria Phoenicia formed based on Raphanae.
  • Temporarily lost between 260-273 CE when it became part of the Palmyrene Empire.
• After Diocletian’s Reforms (297 CE):
  • Renamed Euphratensis, and became part of the Diocese of Oriens, and Syria Coele.
• After Death of Theodosius (395 CE):
  • Syria Coele subdivided into Syria I based on Antioch and Syria II based on Apamea on the Orontes.
  • It then became part of the Byzantine Empire until it fell to the Rashidun Caliphate in 637 CE.
• Famous Persons from this Province:
  • St. Luke, Claudius Pompeianus, Avidius Cassius.
• Chief Archeological Finds:
  • Baalbeck Roman Temples, Titus Tunnel, Aleppo, Damascus, Dura Europos.
• Historic Battle Sites:
  • Battle of Kadesh (c.1274 BCE)
• Main Historical Sources for this Province:

2. Geography

• Capital City:
  • Antioch (modern Antakya in Turkey)
• Chief Cities:
  • Aleppo (Beroa), Palmyra (the ‘Bride of the Desert’, Ruins at Tadmor), Tyre (Tyrus, Lebanon), Beirut (Lebanon), Raphanae (Ruins at Tell-Abila, Jordan, it was the main Legionary base), Damascus, Seleucia of Pieria, Latakia (Laodicea), Tartus (Antaradus: meaning the city opposite Aradus which referred to the island city of Arwad.
  • Baalbeck Roman Temples (Heliopolis).
• Location Today:
  • Syria, Turkey, Lebanon.
• Neighbouring Roman Provinces:
  • Arabia Petraea, Judaea, Cappadocia, Cilicia, Parthian Empire.
• Climate and Temperature Today:
• Main Geographical features:
  • Homs Pass (Location of the Medieval fortress of ‘Krak des Chevaliers’)
  • Syrian Desert:
    • The Desert extends across southeastern Syria, northeastern Jordan, northern Saudi Arabia and western Iraq.
• Main Rivers:
  • R. Euphrates, R. Barada, R. Yarmuk, R. Balikh, R. Khabu, R. Sinn
• Mountain Ranges:
  • North South coastal ranges of An-Nusayriyah Mountains and the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains.
  • The Homs Pass is an all year round Pass between the two mountain ranges and holds the Crusader castle Krak des Chevaliers.
• Islands:
  • Arwad
    • This is the only populated Island in Syria. Known to the Greeks as Arados.

3. Political Organisation

• Province Type:
  • Imperial Propraetorial
• Governor:
  • Propraetor
• Tribes and Population:
• Language:
  • Greek

4. Military Organisation

• Legions:
  • Four Legions at any one time, main bases were Raphanae (2 legions), Zeugma and Samosata.
• Raphanae: 2 Legions:
  • Located on the Euphrates at an equidistant point between Apamea and the Homs Pass.
    • Legio XII Fulminata (14-70 CE)
      • In 70 CE it moved to Melitene in Cappadocia.
    • Legio III Gallica from 70 CE onwards.
• Cyrrhus:
  • Legio X Fretensis 70 CE then moved to Jerusalem.
  • Legio VI Ferrata, (70-106 CE) Then it moved to Arabia Petraea.
• Zeugma: (on the Euphrates)
  • Legio IIII Scythica
• Samosata: (on the Euphrates
  • Legio XVI Flavia Firma
• Apamea: (Ruins, Syria)
  • Legio II Parthica (218-234 CE)
• Laodicea in Syria:
  • 88-91 CE The Auxiliaries numbered 18,500 and this figure varied little throughout the 2nd century CE.
  • Auxiliary units:
    • 6-12 Cavalry Wings of 500 men.
    • 22 Cohorts of 500 men. Some Cohorts and Wings numbered 1,000.
  • Roman Camel Corps:
    • Ala I Ulpia Dromedariorum Milliaria
• Dura Europos
  • Cohors XX Palmyrenorum

• Navy:
  • Classis Syriaca (Fleet of Syria)
    • Based at the Port of Seleucia of Pieria.
    • Troops and Goods had to be moved by road from the Port to the Capital at Antioch, as the river was unnavigable.
• Defensive Works:
  • Limes Arabicus
    • It ran from northern Syria down to the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea.
• Main Threats
  • Frontier Province with the Parthian Empire.

5. Economy

• Chief Exports:
  • Murex (Purple Dye from Tyre), Grain, Wool, Fruit, Cloth, Linen, Glass, Textiles, Pottery, Timber, Resin
• Agriculture and Fishing:
  • Forestry, Wheat, Fruit Orchards, Sheep
• Manufacturing:
  • Glass, Pottery, Textiles
• Mines: None
• Mints:

6. Transport

• Roads:
  • Via Maris
    • From Damascus to Egypt via the Megiddo Pass and Gaza.
  • King's Highway
    • From Resafa to Egypt.
  • Via Traiana Nova
    • It followed the King’s Highway and also ran east to the Euphrates and south to Egypt.
• Waterways:
  • River Orontes
• Ports:
  • Seleucia of Pieria
• Ancient Trade Routes:
  • The Homs Pass carried an ancient highway from the coast to the East.
  • It is famous today for the Medieval Crusader Fortress of the ‘Krak des Chevaliers’.
• Number of Days taken to travel from this Province to Rome:

7. Relationship with Rome

• Syria formed the Eastern Frontier against the Parthian Empire, and was used to launch attacks against it.
• Four Legions were stationed here as a deterrent to invasion.
• Antioch was a city on the Silk Road.

8. History of Christianity in this Province

• St. Luke
  • Resident of Antioch
• Ignatius of Antioch (Theophorus)
  • Bishop of Antioch, Martyr.
• John Chrysostom (347-407 CE)
  • He became Patriarch of Constantinople
• St. Paul
  • He received his vision of Jesus on the Road to Damascus, after which he accepted Jesus as the Messiah.

9. Roman Authors describing this Province

Syria