3rd century in Lebanon explained

3rd century in Lebanon
Key event(s):
Chronology:

This article lists historical events that occurred between 201–300 in modern-day Lebanon or regarding its people.

Administration

Tyre was the capital of Phoenice, but the Roman emperor Elagabalus (r. 218–222) raised his native Emesa (modern-day Homs) to co-capital, leading to a rivalry between the two cities as the head of the province.

Propraetorial Imperial Legates of Phoenicia

Date	Propraetorial Imperial Legates (Governors)
c. 207	Domitius Leo Procillianus
213	D. Pius Cassius
Between 268 and 270	Salvius Theodorus
Between 284 and 305	L. Artorius Pius Maximus
292 – 293	Crispinus^[1] ^[2]

Events

200s

• Domitius Leo Procillianus is Propraetorial Imperial Legate of Phoenicia .

• Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander, known simply as Severus Alexander, is born in 1 October 208, Arqa, in modern-day Lebanon.^[3]

210s

• The Phoenician-born Papinian, a celebrated Roman jurist, magister libellorum, attorney general (advocatus fisci) and, praetorian prefect is murdered in 212 AD.^[4]
• D. Pius Cassius is Propraetorial Imperial Legate of Phoenicia, 213 AD.

• Septimius Severus' wife Julia Domna and son Caracalla tour in Baalbek, 215 AD.
• Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus, native of Arqa and a Roman aristocrat and step-father of Severus Alexander, is murdered in 218 AD.^[5]

220s

• The Tyrian-born Ulpian, Latin: Gnaeus Domitius Annius Ulpianus; a Roman jurist and one of the great legal authorities, under Severus Alexander, serves as praetorian prefect from 222 AD.
• Ulpian is murdered in 228.^[6]

230s

• The Third century Crisis begins with the assassination of the Lebanese Roman emperor Severus Alexander, 21/22 March 235 AD.^[7]
• Porphyry of Tyre, a Neoplatonic philosopher, is born in Tyre, .^[8]
• Beirut is first mentioned in writing as a major center for the study of law in the works of Gregory Thaumaturgus, 238/239 AD.

250s

• Marinus is metropolitan bishop of Tyre, .^[9]
• Origen, an early Christian scholar, ascetic and theologian, dies in Tyre, (aged).^[10]

260s

• Salvius Theodorus is Propraetorial Imperial Legate of Phoenicia in 268 AD.

270s

• The Palmyrene empire is established in 270 AD with the start of Zenobia's expedition against the Tanukhids in the spring of the same year, leading to the occupation of Roman Phoenice by the Syrian Palmyrenes.^[11]

• Pagan temples are attested in a Greek inscription mentioning the date 272 AD found in the Mar Mama church in Ehden.^[12]
• The Palmyrene empire is reconquered by the Romans, 273 AD.
• A Roman mint is established in Tripolis, 273/274 AD.^{[13] [14]}

280s

• Saint Moura, an Egyptian Saint that is almost exclusively celebrated amongst Maronites, is martyred in 283 AD, Ansena, Egypt.^[15]
• The Third century Crisis ends with the ascension of Diocletian and his implementation of reforms in 284 AD.
• L. Artorius Pius Maximus is Propraetorial Imperial Legate of Phoenicia in 284 AD.
• The Roman mint in Tripolis closes down in 286/287 AD.

290s

• Crispinus is Propraetorial Imperial Legate of Phoenicia, 292 – 293.
• Aquilina, a native of Byblos and a christian child, dies in 293 AD, shortly before the executioner could carry out the decapitation sentenced on her for her religion.^[16]

• Ananias "of Phoenicia" the Presbyter, Peter the prison guard, and seven soldiers, get martyred in the form of drowning after lengthy torture for their Christianity, 295 AD, Phoenicia.^[17]
• Gelasinus is martyred in Baalbek, 297 AD.

Ecclesiastical administration

The ecclesiastical administration of Pheonice paralleled the political, but with some differences. The bishop of Tyre emerged as the pre-eminent prelate of Phoenice by the mid-3rd century.

Military

Since the time of Septimius Severus, it had been the practice to assign not more than two legions to each frontier province, and, although in some provinces one legion was sometimes deemed sufficient, the upper limit was not exceeded. This policy appears to have been continued during the third century AD, as seen in the case of Aurelian raising the garrisons of Phoenice to the normal strength of two legions.^[18]

Education

In 238 or 239 AD, Beirut was first mentioned in writing as a major center for the study of law in the panegyric of Gregory Thaumaturgus, the bishop of Neo-Caesarea^{[19] [20] [21]} The 3rd-century emperors Diocletian and Maximian issued constitutions exempting the students of the law school of Beirut from compulsory service in their hometowns.^{[22] [23]}

See also

• Palmyrene empire
• Canalizations of Zenobia

References

1. Linda Jones Hall, Roman Berytus: Beirut in late antiquity (2004)
2. [Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire|PLRE]
3. [Furius Dionysius Filocalus]
4. Book: Reed, Joseph J. . Outlines of Universal History: In Three Parts; with a Copious Index to Each Part, Showing the Correct Mode of Pronouncing Every Name Mentioned ... . 1862 . J.B. Lippincott & Company . en.
5. Birley, Septimius Severus: The African Emperor, p. 222
6. Web site: Ulpian Roman jurist Britannica . 2022-09-23 . www.britannica.com . en.
7. Web site: Severus Alexander (222–235 AD): The Calm before the Storm . The Saylor Foundation.
8. Book: Schott, Jeremy M. . Christianity, Empire, and the Making of Religion in Late Antiquity . 2013-04-23 . University of Pennsylvania Press . 978-0-8122-0346-2 . en.
9. [Eusebius]
10. The New Catholic Encyclopedia (Detroit: Gale, 2003).
11. Book: Bryce, Trevor . Ancient Syria: A Three Thousand Year History . 2014-03-05 . OUP Oxford . 978-0-19-100293-9 . en.
12. Yammine, Y.: Daleel Ehden, page 14.
13. Book: Sellars . Ian J. . The Monetary System of the Romans . 2013 . 355 . Nov 19, 2019.
14. Web site: Tripolis, Phoenicia (Tripoli, Lebanon) . Nov 19, 2019 . FORVM ANCIENT COINS.
15. Moubarac,Youakim (1984), Pentalogie Antiochienne / Domaine Maronite - Tome II - Volume I - page 39. Editor Cenacle Libanais - Beirut - Lebanon.
16. Web site: Martyr Aquilina of Byblos in Syria . 2022-09-23 . www.oca.org.
17. Web site: Martyrs Ananias the Presbyter, Peter, and seven soldiers, in Phoenicia . 2022-09-23 . www.oca.org.
18. Parker, "The Legions of Diocletian and Constantine," p. 177/178.
19. Sartre 2005, p. 289
20. Collinet 1925, p. 17
21. Thaumaturgus 239, pp. 45–46
22. Jidejian 1973, p. 65
23. Collinet 1925, pp. 29–30

Sources

• A.R. Birley, Septimius Severus: The African Emperor, Routledge, 2002
  • • Book: Jessup, Samuel . https://books.google.com/books?id=mzdQAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA453 . Picturesque Palestine, Sinai, and Egypt, Div. II . 1881 . . Wilson . Charles William . Charles William Wilson . New York . 453–476 . Ba'albek.
• Book: Collinet, Paul . Histoire de l'école de droit de Beyrouth . Société Anonyme du Recueil Sirey . 1925 . Paris . fr.
• Book: Jidejian, Nina . Beirut: Through the Ages . Dar el-Machreq . 1973 . Beirut.
• Book: Thaumaturgus, Gregory . Ante-Nicene Fathers . Ante-Nicene Fathers (book) . Christian Classics Etheral Library . Translated by S. D. F. Salmond . 1873 . Philip Schaff . 6 . Edinburgh . Oratio Panegyrica ad Originem . The Oration and Panegyric Addressed to Origen . Gregory Thaumaturgus . http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf06.pdf . 239.
• Yammine, Fr. Youssef, Daleel Ehden, Editor El, 2000.
• Book: Sartre, Maurice . The Middle East Under Rome . Harvard University Press . 2005 . 978-0-674-01683-5 . Cambridge, Mass..
• Encyclopedia: 1941 . Phoiniker (Phoinike) . . Eißfeldt . Otto . Band XX, Halbband 39, Philon-Pignus . 350–379.
• Martindale, J. R.; Jones, A. H. M, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. I AD 260–395, Cambridge University Press (1971)
• Linda Jones Hall, Roman Berytus: Beirut in late antiquity (2004)