Seleucis of Syria

{{Short description|Region of the Seleucid Empire}}

{{Infobox Former Subdivision

|native_name = Seleucis of Syria

|era = Hellenistic era

|subdivision = Region

|nation = Seleucid Empire

|image_map = Asia minor-Shepherd 1923 Syria.jpg

|today = {{plainlist|

• Syria
• Turkey}}

|s1 = Roman Syria

}}

Seleucis of Syria ({{langx|grc|Σελευκίς τῆς Συρίας}} {{transl|grc|Seleukís tês Surías}})Strabo, Geography, 16.2.2 was a region of the Seleucid Empire located in northern Syria. It was also known as the Syrian Tetrapolis,

{{quote|on account of its four most important cities, for it had many. These four were, Antioch, Seleuceia in Pieria, Apameia, and Laodiceia (xvi. p. 749). It also comprehended, according to Strabo, four satrapies; and it is clear that he uses the name in a much wider sense than Ptolemy, who places the four cities of the tetrapolis of Strabo's Seleucis in so many separate districts; Antioch in Cassiotis, Apameia in Apamene, Laodiceia in Laodicene, while he only implies, but does not state, that Seleuceia lies in Seleucis."[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0064%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DS%3Aentry+group%3D10%3Aentry%3Dseleucis-geo Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), William Smith, LLD, Ed.]|sign=|source=}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZrJ5DwAAQBAJ|title=The Early Seleukids, their Gods and their Coins|isbn=9781351811071|last1=Erickson|first1=Kyle|date=12 November 2018}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6dgC37IqYW0C&dq=%22Syrian+tetrapolis%22&pg=PA244|title=The Social and economic history of the Roman empire, Volume 2|author=Mikhail Ivanovitch Rostovtzev|edition=Paperback|publisher=Biblo-Moser|year=1926|isbn=0-8196-2164-1|page=244}}Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., s.v. 'Seleucia'.

The four cities had been founded by Seleucus Nicator;{{cite book|author=Strabo|authorlink=Strabo|title=The geography of Strabo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dsdfAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA161|year=1889|publisher=Bell|page=161|quote=[https://books.google.com/books?id=dsdfAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA161 p. 161] at Google Books}}{{cite web|title=Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) William Smith, LLD, Ed.|url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0064:entry=seleuceia-geo|website=Perseus|accessdate=5 June 2015|quote=Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, illustrated by numerous engravings on wood. William Smith, LLD. London. Walton and Maberly, Upper Gower Street and Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row; John Murray, Albemarle Street. 1854.}}

• Antioch—named after his father and the largest city.
• Laodiceia—after his mother.
• Apameia—after his wife Apama.
• Seleuceia in Pieria—eponym of Seleucus.{{cite book|author=Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (Great Britain)|title=Penny cyclopaedia of the Society for the diffusion of useful knowledge|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qlYMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA476|year=1842|publisher=C. Knight|pages=476–|quote=Antient Divisions of Syria. –Under the Macedonian kings Syria was divided into four parts (tetrarchies), which were named after their capitals, Antioch, Seleuceia, Apamea, and Laodicea. (Image of [https://books.google.com/books?id=qlYMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA476 p. 476] at Google Books)}}

File:Map of the Orontes river.png. White lines are country borders, river names are italic on a blue background, current cities or major towns on white backgrounds, other places of significance on orange backgrounds.]]