Citation with stable link: Philip A. Harland, 'Syrian and Phoenician diasporas: Inscriptional and archeological evidence,' Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World, last modified November 28, 2022, https://philipharland.com/Blog/?p=6798.
Comments: People migrated from Syria and Phoenicia (on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean sea, just north of Israel) to a variety of places, sometimes for military purposes but mainly for engaging in shipping and trade, it seems. Excavated tombs at Marissa in Idumea (south of Judea) show that there was a substantial Sidonian colony founded there (perhaps by the Ptolemies) in the latter part of the third century BCE, for instance (see Peters et. al. 1905). Among the more substantial Greek inscriptions on a family tomb is this one referring to the leader of the colony: “Apollophanes son of Sesmaios, who led the Sidonians at Marissa for thirty three years and was considered the best and most family-loving of all those of his time, died, having lived seventy-four years” (Peters et. al 1905, 37-38 [no. 1]). The names of those occupying the graves include Semitic (Phoenician), Judean (Sariah, Babas), and Idumean names (incorporating the god “Qos”, e.g. Kosnatanos, Kosbanos).
Much of our inscriptional evidence (linked below) pertains to Phoenicians or Syrians forming associations in their land of settlement. The inscriptions and monuments from Delos, an important trading centre, are most impressive. Quite often we find signs that such immigrants continued to honour the ancestral deities of their homelands while also finding a place for themselves in their society of settlement in other ways. The photo in the banner of this site is an example of this. It is a bilingual (Greek and Palmyrene) dedication from Rome to the Palmyrene “ancestral deities” Aglibol (Moon) and Malakbel (Sun) by Iahari (Heliodoros in the Greek) son of Haliphi from Palmyra in Syria (IGUR I 119-120; 236 CE).
Syrians was a term used as a self-designation, but “Phoenicians” was most often a Greek-outsider term for a variety of different peoples who would self-identify (by city of origin) as Tyrians, Sidonians, Byblians, and Berytians, as some of the inscriptions here show.
You can read more about Syrian diasporas, including many of the inscriptions linked below, in Harland’s article “Other Diasporas: Immigrants, Ethnic Identities, and Acculturation” (link).
Works consulted: J.P. Peters, H. Thiersch, and S.A. Cook, Painted Tombs in the Necropolis of Marissa (London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund, 1905) (link).
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Athens and the Piraeus
- Decrees Regarding a Kitian Temple for the Syrian Aphrodite (333/332 BCE)
- Honors by the People and Merchants for a Sidonian (332/331 BCE)
- Honors by the Sidonians for Shama-baal and Diopeithes (III BCE)
Delos Island
- Building: Sanctuary of Atargatis and Hadad (ca. 200 BCE)
- Dedication for a Society of the Syrian Pure Goddess (166-88 BCE)
- Honorary Decree of Tyrian Immigrants for a Member and Priest (153-152 BCE)
- Dedication of a Statue Group of Aphrodite and Pan by a Berytian Immigrant (153-88 BCE)
- Dedication of a Base by Zenon for Berytians [1] (153-88 BCE)
- Dedication of a Base by Zenon for Berytians [2] (153-88 BCE)
- Dedication of a Base by Demetrios for Berytians (?) (153-88 BCE)
- Dedication to Ancestral Deities by the Berytian Dionysios son of Zenon (153-88 BCE)
- Dedication of a Statue (?) Base by the Berytian Dionysios son of Zenon (153-88 BCE)
- Dedication of a Base by Dionysios son of Zenodoros for Berytians (?) (153-88 BCE)
- Dedication of an Altar by a Society Leader for Berytians (153-88 BCE)
- Dedication of a Base to Poseidon for Berytians (153-88 BCE)
- Honors for a Society Leader of the Berytians (153-88 BCE)
- Honors by Berytians for Two Benefactors with a Dedication of an Exedra (153-88 BCE)
- Honors by Berytian Poseidoniasts for Minatius the Roman Banker (ca. 150 BCE)
- Dedication to Ancestral Deities of Building and Stoa by Berytians (150-110 BCE)
- Dedication of Stoa Architraves by Mnaseas for Berytians (150-110 BCE)
- Dedication of Architraves by Mnaseas for Berytians (150-110 BCE)
- Dedication of Architraves by a Benefactor for Berytians (150-110 BCE)
- Dedication of an Altar to Roma by Berytians (130-125 BCE)
- Honors by Berytians for a Roman Praetor (ca.128 BCE or 87 BCE)
- Renovation of a Temple for the Pure Goddess by Syrians (200-166 BCE)
- Dedication to Apollo by Berytians (ca. 122-121 BCE)
- Dedication of a Temple to Syrian Pure Aphrodite for Therapeutists (118/117 BCE)
- Dedication of Arches to Syrian Pure Aphrodite by a Priest and Therapeutists (112/111 BCE)
- Dedication of a Shrine and Oracle to the Syrian Pure Goddess for Therapeutists (110/109 BCE)
- Dedication of Architraves for Therapeutists of the Syrian Pure Goddess (110/109 BCE)
- Dedication of a Throne to Syrian Pure Aphrodite for Therapeutists (107/106 BCE)
- Dedication to Syrian Pure Aphrodite for Therapeutists (106/105 BCE)
- Dedication (frag.) to the Syrian Pure Goddess by Therapeutists (105/104 BCE)
- Honors by Berytians for Demokles (153-88 BCE)
- Dedication of a Candle-holder to Syrian Pure Aphrodite by Therapeutists [1] (96/95 BCE)
- Dedication (frag.) of a Candle-holder to Syrian Pure Aphrodite by Therapeutists [2] (ca. 96 BCE)
Other Greek Islands
- Grave (frag.) of a Phoenician with Mention of Society-members (ca. 300 BCE) ║ Rheneia
- Decree of Syrian Immigrants Devoted to Atargatis (late III-II BCE) ║ Astypalaia