Antioch in Syria The city of Antioch in Syria was created de novo in 300 BCE by Seleucus I, the founder of the Seleucid dynasty, which last 247 years; Seleucus named the city after his father, Antiochus. Antioch was situated on the Orontes River, which flowed into the Mediterranean Sea. It continued as the capital city of the Seleucid empire until it was captured by the Tigranes, king of Armenia, in 83 BCE, when all of Syria came into possession through military conquest. Fourteen years later, the Roman general Pompey defeated Tigranes, so that the city came into Roman possession in 65 BCE. Antioch View of the site of the ancient city of Antioch from the south, now occupied by the modern Turkish city of Antakya.     After Pompey's military conquests in the east, the Seleucid empire ceased to exist; Antioch became the captial city of the newly-formed Roman province of Syria (see Appian, Mithridatic Wars 114-19; Plutarch, Life of Pompey; Josephus, Ant. 14.2.3; 29; War 1.6.2; 127). Antioch was the third most important city in the Roman empire, after Rome and Alexandria. Christianity came to the city with the arrival of Christians fleeing persecution in Jerusalem; these early missionaries told the "good news," not only to Jews but also genitles (Acts 11:19-21); it was in Antioch that Christians were first called "Christians" (Christianoi) (Acts 11:26). Mosaics from Antioch The Roman-era city of Antioch lies several meters below the present ground level; some minor excavation work has brought to light mosaic floors from the Roman city, which are now on display in a local museum.