and the former Kingdom of Commagene, with Hierapolis as its capital. Syria in the Byzantine Empire After c. 415, Syria Coele was further subdivided into Syria I (or Syria Prima), with its capital remaining at Antioch, and Syria II (Syria Secunda) or Syria Salutaris, with its capital at Apamea on the Orontes. In 528, Justinian I carved out the small coastal province Theodorias out of territory from both provinces. The region remained one of the most important provinces of the Byzantine Empire. It was occupied by the Sasanians between 609 and 628, then reconquered by the emperor Heraclius, but lost again to the advancing Muslims after the Battle of Yarmouk and the fall of Antioch. The city of Antioch was reconquered by Nikephorus Phocas in 963, along with other parts of the country, at that time under the Hamdanids, although still under the official suzerainty of the Abbasid caliphs and also claimed by the Fatimid caliphs. After emperor John Kurkuas failed to conquer Syria up to Jerusalem, a Muslim "reconquest" of Syria followed in the late 970s undertaken by the Fatimid Caliphate that resulted in the ouster of the Byzantines from most parts of Syria. However, Antioch and other northern parts of Syria remained in the empire and other parts were under the protection of the emperors through their Hamdanid, Mirdasid, and Marwanid proxies, until the Seljuk arrival, who after three decades of incursions, conquered Antioch in 1084. Antioch was captured again during the 12th century by the revived armies of the Comnenii. However, by that time the city was regarded as part of Asia Minor and not of Syria. Episcopal sees Ancient episcopal sees of the late Roman province of Syria Prima (I) listed in the Annuario Pontificio as titular sees: Anasartha (Khanasir) Barcusus (Baquza or Banqusa) Beroea (Aleppo) Chalcis in Syria (Qinnasrin) Gabala (Jableh) Gabula (at the marsh of Al-Jabbul) Gindarus (Jandairis) Laodicea in Syria (Latakia) Salamias (Salamiyah) Seleucia Pieria Ancient episcopal sees of the late Roman province of Syria Secunda (II) listed in the Annuario Pontificio as titular sees: '''Apamea in Syria, the Metropolitan Archdiocese Arethusa (Al-Rastan) Balanea (Baniyas) Epiphania in Syria (Hama) Larissa in Syria (Shaizar) Mariamme (Maryamin) Raphanea Seleucobelus (Seleucopolis) See also History of Syria Ottoman Syria Assyria (Roman province) List of governors of Roman Syria References Sources External links Seleucid Empire successor states Former countries in Western Asia 60s BC establishments 1st-century BC establishments