Coele Syria (Roman province)

Coele Syria (Latin: Syria Coele; Greek: Κοίλη Συρία, Koílē Syría, meaning "Hollow Syria") was a Roman province created in 194 AD during the reign of Septimius Severus. This followed the Roman victory in the Roman-Syrian War, part of the Year of the Five Emperors, where Pescennius Niger, who controlled Syria, was defeated.

The province was created by splitting the former province of Syria. Coele Syria encompassed the southern and eastern portions of the pre-existing province, while the northern part became Syria Phoenice. Antioch became the capital of Syria Phoenice, while Laodicea became the capital of Coele Syria.

The etymology of "Coele Syria" is debated. The term "Coele Syria" predates the Roman province, appearing in classical sources like Strabo and Polybius to refer to the Beqaa Valley, the large plain situated between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges. The Romans adopted the existing geographic term and applied it to the newly formed province, even though the province itself extended beyond just the Beqaa Valley. Some theories suggest the "hollow" refers to the topographic depression of the Beqaa Valley itself, while others argue for a broader geographic application covering a larger swathe of Syrian territory.

The creation of Coele Syria, along with Syria Phoenice, aimed to diminish the power of the single governor who had previously ruled the unified Syria province, making it more difficult for any single individual to amass the power and resources necessary for a rebellion against the emperor.

Coele Syria persisted as a Roman province until the administrative reforms of Diocletian in the late 3rd century AD. Diocletian reorganized the Roman provinces, and Coele Syria was incorporated into the larger province of Syria Prima, part of the Diocese of the East.