As an expert in historical geography and ancient civilizations, I can provide a comprehensive answer to your question about the name of the region that is now known as Syria before it was called by that name. The history of the region's nomenclature is quite complex, reflecting the various cultural, political, and linguistic influences that have shaped the area over millennia.

The region that is now Syria has been known by many names throughout history, reflecting its strategic location at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe. It has been inhabited by a diverse array of peoples and has been subject to the rule of numerous empires and civilizations. The name "Syria" itself has a rich and complex etymology.

Step 1: English Answer

The term "Syria" has its origins in the ancient world, with its use predating the common era. The name "Syria" is derived from the Greek word "Συρία" (Syría), which was a term used by the Greeks to describe the region. As you mentioned, the Greeks were not the first to use a name for the region; they adopted and adapted the term from earlier sources.

Originally, the term was an Indo-European corruption of the name "Assyria," which referred to the ancient kingdom located in northern Mesopotamia. The Assyrians were a powerful and influential civilization, and their empire at its height stretched across much of the Near East, including the lands that the Greeks would later call "Syria." The Greeks used the term "Syria" to describe not only the Assyrian heartland but also the lands to the west that had been under Assyrian control for centuries.

Before the Greeks, the region was known by various names depending on the culture and language of the people who inhabited or ruled it. For instance, the ancient Egyptians referred to the region as "Retenu," while the Hittites, another significant power in the Near East, called it "Hatti." The Phoenicians, who were prominent maritime traders and settlers in the eastern Mediterranean, did not have a specific name for the region but were known to refer to it by various terms that reflected their own cultural and linguistic perspectives.

The region's history is marked by a succession of empires and kingdoms, each leaving its own mark on the land and its people. The Arameans, who were a Semitic people, established a number of small kingdoms in the area during the Iron Age, and their language, Aramaic, became widely spoken and influential throughout the region. The term "Aram" or "Aramaeans" was sometimes used to describe the region and its people, and this name has historical and cultural significance to this day.

During the Hellenistic period, following the conquests of Alexander the Great, the name "Syria" became more widely used and was applied to a larger area that included not only the lands of the former Assyrian Empire but also parts of modern-day Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine. The Seleucid Empire, one of the successor states to Alexander's empire, controlled this region and further Hellenized the local culture and administration.

With the rise of the Roman Empire, the name "Syria" continued to be used, and the region became the Roman province of Syria. The Romans further developed the infrastructure and urban centers of the region, and the name "Syria" became more firmly established in the Western lexicon.

Throughout the medieval period, the region was subject to the rule of various Islamic caliphates and empires, and it was known by different names, such as "al-Sham" in Arabic, which encompassed a larger area that included modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine.

In summary, the region now known as Syria has been called by many names throughout its history, reflecting the diverse cultural and political influences that have shaped it. The name "Syria" itself is a product of the Greek adaptation of the term "Assyria," which was used to describe the lands under Assyrian control. Before the Greeks, the region was known by various names depending on the culture and language of the people who inhabited or ruled it, such as "Retenu" by the Egyptians, "Hatti" by the Hittites, and "Aram" by the Arameans. The name "Syria" became more widely recognized and established with the Hellenistic and Roman periods and has continued to evolve through the medieval period and into modern times.

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Thus, it was the Greeks who introduced the name "Syria" to the region. Originally an Indo-European corruption of "Assyria" in northern Mesopotamia, the Greeks used this term to describe not only Assyria itself but also the lands to the west which had for centuries been under Assyrian dominion.read more >>