Definition: Founded by Alexander the Great's general Seleucus around 300 BC, Antioch on the Orontes also was the seat of a Roman governor after 64 BC.
Antioch on the Orontes is located on the Orontes River, near the Syrian border of modern-day Turkey. Its importance is primarily as the capital of the Seleucid empire. Antioch was one of the largest cities in the world in its day, with a population of about 500,000 by the 4th century AD.
Antioch and its suburb Daphne was excavated in the 1930s by an international team of archaeologists from Worcester Art Museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Louvre, and Princeton University, when a wealth of amazing mosaics was recovered. Many of the mosaics are on display at the Antakya Museum.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Antioch on the Orontes is located on the Orontes River, near the Syrian border of modern-day Turkey. Its importance is primarily as the capital of the Seleucid empire. Antioch was one of the largest cities in the world in its day, with a population of about 500,000 by the 4th century AD.
Antioch and its suburb Daphne was excavated in the 1930s by an international team of archaeologists from Worcester Art Museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Louvre, and Princeton University, when a wealth of amazing mosaics was recovered. Many of the mosaics are on display at the Antakya Museum.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Also Known As: Antakya (modern term)
