Diocese of the East
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of the East was a diocese
of the later Roman Empire
, incorporating the provinces of the western Middle East
, between the Mediterranean Sea
and Mesopotamia
. During late Antiquity
, it was one of the major commercial, agricultural, religious and intellectual areas of the Empire, and its strategic location facing the Sassanid Empire
and the unruly desert tribes gave it exceptional military importance.
Its capital was at Antioch
, and its governor had the special title of comes Orientis
("Count of the East", of the rank vir spectabilis and later vir gloriosus
) instead of the ordinary "vicarius
". The diocese was established after the reforms of Diocletian
, and was subordinate to the Praetorian prefecture of the East
. It presumably lasted until its territories were finally overrun by the Muslim conquest in the 630s.
The diocese included originally all Middle Eastern provinces: Isauria
, Cilicia, Cyprus (until 536), Euphratensis, Mesopotamia
, Osroene
, Syria
, Phoenice, Palaestina, Arabia
, as well as the provinces of Aegyptus, Augustamnica
, Thebais, Libya Superior
and Libya Inferior
which were grouped into the separate Diocese of Egypt under Valens
. During the course of the 4th century, the several provinces were split, resulting in the new provinces of Cilicia I and Cilicia II, Syria I and Syria Salutaris, Phoenice Libanensis (east of the Mt. Lebanon), Palestina I, Palestina II and Palestina Salutaris (or Palestina III). The last creation of a new province dated in the reign of Justinian I
, when Theodorias
, the region around Laodicea
, was split off from Syria I.
Roman diocese
A Roman or civil diocese was one of the administrative divisions of the later Roman Empire, starting with the Tetrarchy. It formed the intermediate level of government, grouping several provinces and being in turn subordinated to a praetorian prefecture....
of the later Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, incorporating the provinces of the western Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, between the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
. During late Antiquity
Late Antiquity
Late Antiquity is a periodization used by historians to describe the time of transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in both mainland Europe and the Mediterranean world. Precise boundaries for the period are a matter of debate, but noted historian of the period Peter Brown proposed...
, it was one of the major commercial, agricultural, religious and intellectual areas of the Empire, and its strategic location facing the Sassanid Empire
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
and the unruly desert tribes gave it exceptional military importance.
Its capital was at Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
, and its governor had the special title of comes Orientis
Comes
Comes , plural comites , is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus, especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" +...
("Count of the East", of the rank vir spectabilis and later vir gloriosus
Vir gloriosus
Vir gloriosus or gloriosissimus was the highest rank available to the senatorial aristocracy of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire in the 6th century...
) instead of the ordinary "vicarius
Vicarius
Vicarius is a Latin word, meaning substitute or deputy. It is the root and origin of the English word "vicar" and cognate to the Persian word most familiar in the variant vizier....
". The diocese was established after the reforms of Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
, and was subordinate to the Praetorian prefecture of the East
Praetorian prefecture of the East
The praetorian prefecture of the East or of Oriens was one of four large praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided...
. It presumably lasted until its territories were finally overrun by the Muslim conquest in the 630s.
The diocese included originally all Middle Eastern provinces: Isauria
Isauria
Isauria , in ancient geography, is a rugged isolated district in the interior of South Asia Minor, of very different extent at different periods, but generally covering what is now the district of Bozkır and its surroundings in the Konya province of Turkey, or the core of the Taurus Mountains. In...
, Cilicia, Cyprus (until 536), Euphratensis, Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia (Roman province)
Mesopotamia was the name of two distinct Roman provinces, the one a short-lived creation of the Roman Emperor Trajan in 116–117 and the other established by Emperor Septimius Severus in ca. 198, which lasted until the Muslim conquests of the 7th century....
, Osroene
Osroene
Osroene, also spelled Osrohene and Osrhoene and sometimes known by the name of its capital city, Edessa , was a historic Syriac kingdom located in Mesopotamia, which enjoyed semi-autonomy to complete independence from the years of 132 BC to AD 244.It was a Syriac-speaking kingdom.Osroene, or...
, Syria
Syria (Roman province)
Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War. It remained under Roman, and subsequently Byzantine, rule for seven centuries, until 637 when it fell to the Islamic conquests.- Principate :The...
, Phoenice, Palaestina, Arabia
Arabia Petraea
Arabia Petraea, also called Provincia Arabia or simply Arabia, was a frontier province of the Roman Empire beginning in the 2nd century; it consisted of the former Nabataean kingdom in modern Jordan, southern modern Syria, the Sinai Peninsula and northwestern Saudi Arabia. Its capital was Petra...
, as well as the provinces of Aegyptus, Augustamnica
Augustamnica
Augustamnica or Avgoustamnikai was a Roman province of Egypt created during the 5th century and was part of the Diocese of Oriens first and then of the Diocese of Egypt, until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 640s...
, Thebais, Libya Superior
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
and Libya Inferior
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
which were grouped into the separate Diocese of Egypt under Valens
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 364 to 378. He was given the eastern half of the empire by his brother Valentinian I after the latter's accession to the throne...
. During the course of the 4th century, the several provinces were split, resulting in the new provinces of Cilicia I and Cilicia II, Syria I and Syria Salutaris, Phoenice Libanensis (east of the Mt. Lebanon), Palestina I, Palestina II and Palestina Salutaris (or Palestina III). The last creation of a new province dated in the reign of Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
, when Theodorias
Theodorias (province)
Theodorias was a Byzantine province created in 528 by Emperor Justinian I and named in honour of his wife, the Empress Theodora. It comprised a small coastal territory taken from the earlier provinces of Syria Prima and Syria Secunda. The new province remained part of the Diocese of the East. Its...
, the region around Laodicea
Latakia
Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
, was split off from Syria I.
List of Comites Orientis
- Lollianus MavortiusLollianus MavortiusQuintus Flavius Maesius Egnatius Lollianus signo Mavortius was a politician of the Roman Empire.In the 18th century an acephalous statue of Mavortius was discovered in Puteoli, then Pozzuoli ; after a restoration, this statue entered in the local folklore as "Saint Mamozio".-Life:A pagan,, he was...
(330-336) - Felicianus (335-?)
- Nebridius (354–358)
- Domitius ModestusDomitius Modestus- Life :Of Arab origin, Modestus was comes Orientis from 358 to 362, succeeding to Nebridius and serving under the Emperors Constantius II and Julian...
(358–362) - Iulianus (362–363)
- Aradius Rufinus (363–364)
- Eutolmius TatianusEutolmius TatianusFlavius Eutolmius Tatianus was a politician of the Late Roman Empire.- Initial career :The family of Eutolmii originated in Syria; Tatian was born in Sidyma, son of Antonius Tatianus, praeses of Caria from 360 to 364 circa. He had a son, Proculus, who followed his footsteps choosing a political...
(ca. 370) - Tuscianus (381)
- Flavius Eparchius Philagrius (ca. 382)
- Proculus (383–384)
- Icarius (ca. 384)
- Irenaeus (431–435)
- Ephraim of AmidaEphraim of AntiochEphraim of Antioch or of Amida |Amida]] in Mesopotamia; d. in 545) was Patriarch of Antioch and a Church Father. He was one of the defenders of the Faith of the Council of Chalcedon against the Monophysites. He is an Orthodox saint.-Life:...
(ca. 522-ca. 525) - Asterius (587–588)
- Bacchus (588–589)
- Bonosus (ca. 609–610)