Northern Syria

The limestone hills of Northern Syria

Alexander’s Syria at the advent of the Umayyad Dynasty

Between the death of Alexander and the arrival of the Abbasids, Syria has proven a coherent object of study because it possesses permanent features which distinguish this span of time from both the periods that preceded and the periods that followed.

These features are, first of all, the narrow ties (which were previously broader) that Syria maintained with the Mediterranean world, whereas for at least nine centuries (from the end of the second century BC to the beginning of the seventh century AD), its relations with the countries east of the Euphrates continued but were limited by the relative stability of the border.

Another feature is the predominance of the Hellenistic culture and Syria’s political and social domination by the Greeks and Hellenised Orientals. Initially, this predominance overshadowed the eastern cultures and those who transmitted them. Later, however, these cultures experienced a rebirth, thanks in part to the rise in eastern religions and in particular Christianity. In the second half of the sixth century, before Syria came under Muslim rule, oriental cultures acquired solid positions in Upper Mesopotamia, in monastic orders and in the countryside.

The third and final feature of this period in Syria’s history was the major economic and demographic expansion that continued uninterrupted until the decade 540-550 AD. In this context, the peasantry expanded into previously unoccupied or little occupied marginal lands, causing the grasslands to retreat, while the cities grew in size, number and activities.

Our team is not the only one in France doing research on Syria during the period of Hellenistic dominance; our objective is not to cover the entire field but rather to choose specific themes of study within the field. We do not hesitate, however, to call on researchers from other teams when necessary, nor to contribute our own expertise in the countryside and in city-country relations via our archaeological research in the limestone hills of Northern Syria.