Section 136 — McClintock & Strong Cyclopaedia

Table of the Roman Governors of Syria.

Names.

Titles of Office.

Date i.f Entering Office.

Date of Quitting Office.

M. .lEmilius Scaurus

L. Marcius Philippus

Leiilulus Marcelliuus. . . .

jQuiiestor pro) I Piajtoi-e.... )

Proprietor

Proconsul

B.C.62

" 61 " 59 " 56 " 55 " 53 " 51 " 47 " 46 )rity fr ossess ]

B.C.4S

" 41 " 40 " 3S " .S5 " 31 " 30 " 29 " 24 " 22 " I'.H?) " 15 " 11 " 7 " 3 A.D. 5

B.C. 61

" 59 " 57 " 55 " 53 " 51 " 47 " 46 " 44 im the Jassus,

B.C. 42 " 40 " 38 " 35 " 32 " 31

" """ "29

"'"'"26

" 7 " 3 A.D. 5

" 17 " 19

■""""3.S " 39

" 42 " 48 " 51 " 60 " 63

'""""67 " 69

Cassius

M. Calpnruius Bibulus..

Quaestor

Proconsul

Q. Cfficilius Bassus

PriEtor

(received auth( < Senate to disp ( but failed.)

Proconsul

Legatus

(L. Statius Murcus. . . .> (Q. Mai'cius Cri-spus. ..)

0. ('as>ius LongiDUS

L. Decidius Saxa

P. Ventidius Bassus

L. Munatius Plancus

L. Calpuruius Bibulus.. . Q. Didius

M. Valerius Messalla

M. Vipsanius Agrippa. . . M.Tullius

M. Vipsauius Agrippa. . . M. Titins

Legatus

C. Sciiiius Saturuiuus...

P. (^uiiiliiius Varus

P. Sulpicius (^uii'inus

Q. C:ecilius Metelhis^

Creticus Silanus )

M. Calpurnius Piso

Cu. Seutius Saturniuus.. L. Pompouius Flaccus. . . L. Vitelfius

T.egntus

Prolegatus

Proprietor

Legatus

" 17 " 19 " 22 " 35 " 39 " 42 " 4S " 51 " 60 " 63 " 65 " 67

Vibius Marsus

C. Cassius Longinus

T. Numidius* Quadratiis. Domitins Corbulo

C. CestiusGallus

P. LiciniusMuciainis

* Called " V

iniciius" by Tacitus.

SYRIA

103

SYRIA

5. A little earlier Christianity had begun to spread into it, partly by means of those who "were scattered" at the time of Stephen's persecution (Acts xi, 19), part- ly by the exertions of Paul (Gal. i, 21). The Syrian Church soon grew to be one of the most tiourishing (Acts xiii, 1 ; xv, 23, 35, 41, etc.). Here the name of "Cliristian" first arose — at the outset no doubt a gibe, but thenceforth a glory and a boast. Antioch, the cap- ital, became, as early probably as A.D. 44, the see of a bishop, and was soon recognised as a patriarchate. The Syrian Church is accused of laxity both in faith and morals (Newman, At-ians, p. 10) ; but, if it must admit the disgrace of having given birth to Lucian and Paul of Samosata, it can claim, on the other hand, the glory of such names as Ignatius, Theophilus, Ephraem, and Babylas. It suffered many grievous persecutions with- out shrinking; and it helped to make that emphatic protest against worldliness and luxuriousness of living at which monasticism, according to its original concep- tion, must be considered to have aimed. The Syrian monks were among the most earnest and most self-de- nying ; and the names of Hilarion and Simeon Stylites are enough to prove that a most important part was played by Syria in the ascetic movement of the 4th and 5th centuries.

(j. The country remained under Roman and Byzan- tine rule till A.D. 034, when it was overrun by the Mo- hammedans under Khaled. Sixteen years later Da- mascus was made the capital of the Mohammedan em- pire. In the 11th century the Crusaders entered it, captured its principal cities, with the exception of Da- mascus, and retained possession of them about a hun- dred years. For more than two centuries after the ex- pulsion of the Crusaders, Syria was the theatre of fierce contests between the warlike hordes of Tartary and the Mameluke rulers of Egypt. At length, in A.D. 1517, it was captured by the Turks under sultan Selim I, and became a portion of the Ottoman empire.

In 1798 Bonaparte landed in Egypt with a powerful armj', and, having subjected that country to the arms of France, marched into Syria, affecting the utmost re- spect for the Mohammedan doctrine and worship, and claiming a divine commission as regenerator of the East. He laid siege to Acre ; but, the Turkish garrison being animated by the presence of 300 British sailors under sir Sidney Smith, at the expiration of sixty days the French general was compelled to retire, after the sacrifice of a large number of his most gallant soldiers. A powerful army of Turks, who had advanced from Da- mascus to raise the siege of Acre, were next attacked by Napoleon at the base of Mount Tabor, and routed with great slaughter, thousands being driven into the Jordan. Jaffa (Joppa) fell into liis hands, and, con- trary to the usages of war, 1200 prisoners were shot or despatched with the bayonet. But the French cam- paign in Syria was of short duration. On June 15, 1799, the army under Bonaparte arrived at Cairo, hav- ing traversed the Great Desert; and after the battle of Aboukir, in the following month, when 18,000 Turks perished on the field, the general deputed the command to Kleber, and sailed for France.

Syria remained under the Turks till 1830, when Mo- hammed Ali, pasha of Egypt, declaring war with his sovereign, the sultan, sent an army into Palestine, un- der the command of his son Ibrahim, which speedily captured Acre, Tripoli, Aleppo, and Damascus, and, de- feating the Turks in various battles, crossed the Taurus, and prepared to march on Constantinople itself. The sultan was obliged to in\-oke the aid of Russia against the conqueror of Sj'ria; and 20,000 Russians, under count Orloff, hastily landed on the Asiatic territory, encamping between Ibrahim and the Bosphorus. The sultan then entered into negotiation with the Egyptian general, and solemnly confirmed to Mohammed Ali the viceroyalty of the whole territory from Adana, on the frontiers of Asia Minor, to the Nile. The Syrians soon discovered that their new masters were not a whit less