climate of this upland plateau. In the late 330s, the eastern half of the province was split off to form the provinces of Armenia Prima and Armenia Secunda. In 371, emperor Valens split off the south-western region around Tyana, which became Cappadocia Secunda under a praeses, while the remainder became Cappadocia Prima, still under a consularis. Cappadocia during this period saw a generation of Christian thinkers, the most prominent of whom were Basil of Caesarea, his close friend Gregory of Nazianzos, his younger brother Gregory of Nyssa, and a cousin of the former, Amphilochios of Iconium. Later developments In the period 535–553, under emperor Justinian I, the two provinces were rejoined into a single unit under a proconsul. Throughout late Roman times, the region was subject to raids by the Isaurians, leading to the fortification of local cities. In the early 7th century, the region was briefly captured by the Sassanid Empire. Following the eruption of the Muslim conquests, repeated raids devastated the region, which became a frontier zone under the new Byzantine themata of Anatolikon and Armeniakon. See also Roman governors of Cappadocia References Raymond Van Dam, Kingdom of Snow, University of Pennsylvania Press, Provinces of the Roman Empire States and territories established in the 10s States and territories disestablished in the 7th century Roman Pontus 10s establishments in the Roman Empire 7th-century disestablishments in the Byzantine Empire