Syrian Influences in the Roman Empire to AD 300

284 Pages·2018·1.26 MB·English

by  John D. Grainger

Syrian Infl uences in the
Roman Empire to AD 300
The study of Syria as a Roman province has been neglected by comparison with
equivalent geographical regions such as Italy, Egypt, Greece, and even Gaul. It was,
however, one of the economic powerhouses of the empire from its annexation until
after the empire’s dissolution. As such it clearly deserves some particular consider-
ation, but at the same time it was a major contributor to the military strength of the
empire, notably in the form of the recruitment of auxiliary regiments, several dozens
of which were formed from Syrians. Many pagan gods, such as Jupiter Dolichenus
and Jupiter Heliopolitanus, Dea Syra, and also Judaism, originated in Syria and
reached the far bounds of the empire. This book is a consideration, based on original
sources, of the means by which Syrians, whose country was only annexed to the
empire in 64 BC, saw their infl uence penetrate into all levels of society from private
soldiers and ordinary citizens to priests and to imperial families.
John D. Grainger is an independent scholar working in both ancient and
modern history. He is the author of several books including Nerva and the Roman
Succession Crisis of AD 96 –99, G reat Power Diplomacy in the Hellenistic World , a
biography of Seleukos Nikator, and a three-volume history of the Seleukid
Empire.

Syrian Infl uences in the
Roman Empire to AD 300
John D. Grainger
First published 2018
by Routledge
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© 2018 John D. Grainger
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Grainger, John D., 1939– author.
Title: Syrian infl uences in the Roman empire to AD 300 /
John D. Grainger.
Description: Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY :
Routledge, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2017013025| ISBN 9781138071230 (hardback :
alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315114774 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Syria—History—To 333 B.C. | Rome—History—
Empire, 30 B.C.–476 A.D. | Rome—History, Military—30 B.C.–476 A.D. |
Rome—Army—History. | Syria—Religion—History. | Rome—
Religion—History.
Classifi cation: LCC DS96 .G74 2017 | DDC 939.4/305—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017013025
ISBN: 978-1-138-07123-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-11477-4 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
Map, Figure, and Tables viii
Abbreviations ix
I ntroduction 1
1 Roman Syria: the Syrian scene 4
The land 4
The land the Romans acquired 5
The Roman province 6
Syrian survival – language and gods 9
The Roman army 15
Roman citizens 18
Syrian antipathy towards Rome 19
Syrians abroad 20
2 Syrians take over the empire 25
Emperors 25
Senators 27
Equites 36
Intellectuals 39
Conclusion 40
3 Syria as a Roman base 45
4 The Roman army in Syria 59
The legions in Syria 60
The auxilia in Syria 69
vi Contents
5 Syrians in the Roman army 77
Auxiliary regiments from the client kingdoms 77
Auxiliary regiments from the cities 98
Other Syrian regiments 121
Reinforcements and other Syrian soldiers outside Syria 132
The third-century army and after 135
6 The export of the gods 146
Palmyrene gods 146
Jews 149
Jupiter Optimus Maximus Heliopolitanus 158
Dea Syra – the Syrian goddess 167
Jupiter Optimus Maximus Dolichenus 172
Other Syrian deities 197
Christianity 200
7 Civilians 216
Egypt 216
Asia Minor 219
Greece and Thrace 220
The northern frontier 221
Italy 221
Africa and Spain 222
Britannia 223
Summary 223
8 Concentrations 226
Egypt 226
Africa, Numidia, and Mauretania 229
Asia Minor 232
Greece 233
Moesia and Thrace 234
Dacia 235
Dalmatia 236
Italy 237
Pannonia 240
Raetia and Noricum 241
Germania 241
Hispania and Gallia 242
Contents vii
Britannia 243
Summary 244
C onclusion: Syrian participation in the Roman Empire 247
Bibliography 255
Index 261
Map, Figure, and Tables
Map
1 Syria: gods, lands, and legions 12
Figure
2.1 The Severan dynasty 27
Tables
4.1 The stations of the legions 63
4.2 The a uxilia of Syria – alae 70
4.3 The a uxilia in Syria – cohortes 71
Abbreviations
AAAS Annales archeologiques arabes syriennes.
AAASH Acta Archaeologica Academicae Scientiae Hungaricae.
AE L’Annee Epigraphique.
ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt.
BAR British Archaeological Reports.
Barbieri Guido Barbieri, L’Ordo Senatorio da Septimio Severo a
Carino, 193–285 , Rome 1952.
BGU Ulrich Wilcken et al., A gyptische Urkunden aus den Konigli-
chen Museen zu Berlin: Griechische Urkunden , Berlin 1903.
BRGK Bericht der Romisch-Germanischen Kommission der deutschen
archaologischen Instituts.
CCID Corpus Cultus Iovis Dolicheni.
Cheesman, Auxilia G. Cheesman, The Auxilia of the Roman Army , Oxford 1914.
CHJ Cambridge History of Judaism.
ChLA Chartes Latinae Antquiores.
CIJ Corpus Inscriptionum Judaicum.
CIL Corpus Inscriptionarum Latinarum.
C. Pap. Lat. Corpus Papyrorum Latinarum.
DHA Dialogues d’Histoire Anciennes.
Dura C. Bradford Welles et al., T he Excavations at Dura-Europus,
Final Report: The Parchments and Papyri , 1959.
Fasti Sacerdotum J. Rupke, Fasti Sacerdotium, a Prosopography of Pagan, Jewish,
and Christian Religious Offi cials in the City of Rome, 300 BC
to AD 499 , trans. David M. B. Richardson, Oxford 2008.
HA Historia Augusta.
Halfmann, Senatoren H. Halfmann, Die Senatoren aus dem ostlichen Teil des Imperium
Romanum bis zum Ende des 2Jh. n. Chr., Gottingen 1979.
Holder, Auxilia Paul A. Holder, T he Auxilia from Augustus to Trajan , BAR
S 70, 1980.
I.Byzantion Die Inschriften der Byzantion.
I.Ephesos Die Inschriften von Ephesos.
IG Inscriptiones Graecae.
IGLS Inscriptions grecques et latines de la Syrie.