Syria passed into Roman control as a result of the conquests of the Roman general Pompey the Great, in the 60s BC. During the first decades of Roman rule, the cities and peoples of the region suffered from the extortians of Roman governors and generals, themselves caught up in the death throws of the Republic. Since 31 BC, however, the standards of government and administration have risen significantly under the guiding hand of the first Roman emperor, Augustus; and the region benefits from the peace Augustus has given the Roman world.
Most of Syria is under the direct control of the Roman imperial government. Syria is an immensely strategic province for Rome, with its great wealth and its military importance as the frontier with Parthia. Syrian governors tend to be senior senators with long administrative and military careers behind them. Judaea, on the other hand, has been entrusted to the local family of Herod the Great, whose great political skills allowed him to find favour, first with Julius Caesar, then with Marc Antony, and now with Augustus.
Related Timelines:
Timeline of Middle East History
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