Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War. It remained under Roman, and subsequently Byzantine, rule for seven centuries, until 637 when it fell to the Islamic conquests.
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Principate
The Syrian army accounted for three legions of the Roman army, defending the Parthian border. In the 1st century, it was the Syrian army that enabled Vespasian's coup. Syria was of crucial strategic importance during the crisis of the third century.
From the later 2nd century, the Roman senate included several notable Syrians, including Claudius Pompeianus and Avidius Cassius. In 193, the province was divided into Syria Coele and Syria Phoenice. In the 3rd century, Syrians even reached for imperial power, with the Severan dynasty. From 260 to 273, Syria was part of the breakaway Palmyrene Empire.
Dominate
Following the reforms of Diocletian, the two provinces became part of the Diocese of Oriens.[1] Sometime between 330 and 350 (likely ca. 341), the province of Euphratensis was created out of the territory of Syria Coele along the western bank of the Euphrates and the former realm of Commagene, with Hierapolis as its capital.[2] After ca. 415 Syria Coele was further subdivided into Syria I, with the capital remaining at Antioch, and Syria II or Salutaris, with capital at Apamea on the Orontes. In 528, Justinian I carved out the small coastal province Theodorias out of territory from both provinces.[1] Syria Phoenice too was divided into Phoenice proper, with capital at Tyre, and Phoenicia Libanesia, with capital at Emesa.
The region remained one of the most important provinces of the Byzantine Empire, although in the 6th century it was plagued by Sassanid Persian incursions during the Roman-Persian Wars. It was occupied by the Sassanids between 609 and 628, when recovered by the emperor Heraclius, but lost again to the advancing Muslims after the battle of Yarmouk and the fall of Antioch.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Kazhdan, Alexander (Ed.) (1991). Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford University Press. p. 1999. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.
- ^ Kazhdan, Alexander (Ed.) (1991). Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford University Press. p. 748. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.
| Late Roman Provinces | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Empire (395–476) | |||
| Praetorian Prefecture of Gaul |
Diocese of Gaul: Lugdunensis I | Lugdunensis II | Lugdunensis III | Lugdunensis IV | Belgica I | Belgica II | Germania I | Germania II | Alpes Poeninae et Graiae | Maxima Sequanorum Diocese of Vienne (later Septem Provinciae): Viennensis | Alpes Maritimae | Aquitanica I | Aquitanica II | Novempopulana | Narbonensis I | Narbonensis II Diocese of Spain: Baetica | Baleares | Carthaginensis | Tarraconensis | Gallaecia | Lusitania | Mauretania Tingitana Diocese of Britain: Britannia I | Britannia II | Flavia Caesariensis | Maxima Caesariensis | Valentia (369) |
||
| Praetorian Prefecture of Italy |
Diocese of Suburbicarian Italy: Apulia et Calabria | Bruttia et Lucania | Campania | Picenum Suburbicarium | Samnium | Tuscania et Umbria | Valeria | Sicilia | Sardinia | Corsica Diocese of Annonarian Italy: Liguria et Aemilia | Flaminia et Picenum Annonarium | Venetia et Istria | Alpes Cottiae | Raetia I | Raetia II Diocese of Africa†: Africa proconsularis (Zeugitana) | Byzacena | Mauretania Caesariensis | Mauretania Sitifensis | Numidia Cirtensis | Numidia Militiana | Tripolitania Diocese of Pannonia (later of Illyricum): Dalmatia | Noricum mediterraneum | Noricum ripense | Pannonia I | Pannonia II | Savia | Valeria ripensis |
||
| Eastern Empire (395–ca. 640) | |||
| Praetorian Prefecture of Illyricum |
Diocese of Dacia: Dacia mediterranea | Dacia ripensis | Moesia I | Praevalitana | Dardania Diocese of Macedonia: Achaea | Epirus vetus | Epirus nova | Macedonia I | Macedonia II Salutaris | Thessalia | Creta |
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| Praetorian Prefecture of the East |
Diocese of Thrace: Europa | Thracia | Haemimontus | Rhodope | Moesia II§ | Scythia§ Diocese of Asia*: Asia | Hellespontus | Pamphylia | Caria§ | Lydia | Lycia | Lycaonia (370) | Pisidia | Phrygia Pacatiana | Phrygia Salutaria | Insulae§ Diocese of Pontus*: Bithynia | Galatia I* | Galatia II Salutaris* | Paphlagonia* | Honorias* | Cappadocia I* | Cappadocia II* | Helenopontus* | Pontus Polemoniacus* | Armenia I* | Armenia II* | Armenia Maior* | Armenian Satrapies* | Armenia III (536) | Armenia IV (536) Diocese of the East: Cilicia I | Cilicia II | Isauria | Cyprus§ | Syria I | Syria II Salutaris | Euphratensis | Osroene | Mesopotamia | Phoenice | Phoenice Libanensis | Palaestina I | Palaestina II | Palaestina III Salutaris | Arabia | Theodorias (528) Diocese of Egypt: Ægyptus I | Ægyptus II | Augustamnica I | Augustamnica II | Arcadia Ægypti | Thebais Superior | Thebais Inferior | Libya Superior | Libya Inferior |
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| Other territories | Taurica | Lazica (532/562) | Spania (552) | ||
| Notes | Provincial administration reformed by Diocletian, ca. 293. Praetorian prefectures established after the death of Constantine I. Empire permanently partitioned after 395. Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa established after 584. After massive territorial loss due to the Muslim conquests, the remaining provinces were superseded by the theme system in ca. 640–660 * affected (boundaries modified/abolished/renamed) by Justinian's administrative reorganization in 534–536 † re-established after reconquest by the Eastern Empire in 534, as the separate praetorian prefecture of Africa § joined together into the Quaestura exercitus in 536 |
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