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Syria: Ancient Syria
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Due to its unique position at the point three continents meet each other Syria has been the focal point of ancient civilization. It was the crossroad between the Caspian Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Black Sea, and the Nile River. For thousands of years Syria controlled the silk route which led from China to Doura Europos (Salhiyeh), from Palmyra and Homs to the Syrian ports on Mediterranean, where Syrian seafarers had ridden the wave in their enormous fleets with their famous white sails. Up to this day silk is an important industry in Syria. In Damascus, Hama and Aleppo the silk weavers still work at the same sort of wooden handlooms their ancestors used in Ebla four thousand years ago.
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Syria is an ancient land. Damascus, the capital, has occupied the same site since 2500 B.C. Long a stop on ancient trade routes for traders carrying goods and foods between the east and west, the city today is still the economic center of the country. Even so, most Syrians live in the country, growing fruits and vegetables along the fertile coast, raising barley, wheat and cotton in irrigated river valleys or herding goats and sheep in the Syrian desert. The cuisine is predominately Middle Eastern, with some Mediterranean influences. The majority of the country is Muslim, but there are Christians there as well.
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Ethnographically, the modern inhabitants of Syria consist of Arabs, Turks, Jews, and Franks or Europeans. (1) The Syrians are direct descendants of the ancient Arameans who inhabited the country from about the first millennium B.C. and who spoke Aramaic. Most of these embraced Christianity and spoke Aramaic until about the seventh century, when Arab invasion forced the Arabic language to become the vernacular tongue of the country. Aramaic... held its ground for a considerable time and traces of it are still to be found in the liturgy of the so-called Syrian, Chaldean, and Maronite Churches, as well as in three villages of the anti-Libanus. (2) The Arabian population consists of hadari, or settles, and bedawi (p. bedu) or nomadic tribes.
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Ancient Syria's cultural and artistic achievements and contributions are many. Archaeologists have discovered extensive writings and evidence of a brilliant culture rivaling those of Mesopotamia and Egypt in and around the ancient city of Ebla. Later Syrian scholars and artists contributed to Hellenistic and Roman thought and culture. Zeno of Sidon founded the Epicurean school; Cicero was a pupil of Antiochus of Ascalon at Athens; and the writings of Posidonius of Apamea influenced Livy and Plutarch. Syrians have contributed to Arabic literature and music and have a proud tradition of oral and written poetry. Although declining, the world-famous handicraft industry still employs thousands.
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Much like Syria's entire ancient history, it did remain a battleground territory during the Roman era. Serving as a launching point against Parthia, into Judaea and elsewhere, as many as 4 legions were garrisoned in Syria at any one time. Legio III Gallica, VI Ferrata, X Fretensis, XII Fulminata, IIII Scythica and XVI Flavia all saw service prior to the split of the eastern and western empires. With that split, and the eventual fall of the West, Syria fell under Byzantine authority, but was under constant pressure from Persians. Eventually, in the 7th century AD, despite strong Christian Orthodox roots, Syria fell to Arab invasions and grew into an Islamic cultural center.
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Syria was occupied successively by Canaanites, Hebrews, Arameans, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Nabataeans, Byzantines, Arabs, and, in part, Crusaders before finally coming under the control of the Ottoman Turks. Syria is significant in the history of Christianity; Paul was converted on the road to Damascus and established the first organized Christian Church at Antioch in ancient Syria, from which he left on many of his missionary journeys.
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Ancient Syria