Pompey and the Levant: Did He Conquer Syria and Palestine?

Yes, Pompey did conquer Syria and Palestine—contrary to the premise. In 63 BCE, Pompey the Great reorganized the Near East, bringing both regions under Roman control in one of antiquity's most consequential settlements.

The Historical Record

• 64 BCE: Pompey ends Seleucid Empire, makes Syria a Roman province
• 63 BCE: Pompey intervenes in Hasmonean civil war, captures Jerusalem, makes Judea a Roman client kingdom
• 63-62 BCE: Pompey's settlement creates Decapolis league, reorganizes coastal cities

Pompey's Eastern Settlement (63 BCE)

Key Events: Pompey in Jerusalem (63 BCE)

• Context: Civil war between Hasmonean brothers Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II
• Siege: 3-month siege of Temple Mount; Romans breach walls on Sabbath
• Temple entry: Pompey enters Holy of Holies (unprecedented for gentile)
• Outcome: Aristobulus captured; Hyrcanus restored as High Priest (not king); Judea loses coastal cities, pays tribute
• Josephus: Primary source (Jewish War 1.142-158; Antiquities 14.63-79)

Why the Confusion Exists

• Client kingdom vs. province: Judea not directly annexed until 6 CE (Archelaus deposed)
• "Palestine" name: Romans called it "Judea" until 135 CE (Hadrian renames "Syria Palaestina" post-Bar Kokhba)
• Pompey's broader conquests: Often overshadowed by Caesar, Augustus, or his own civil war defeat
• Source bias: Josephus (Jewish historian) portrays Pompey negatively; Roman sources emphasize organizational genius

Strategic Significance

• Eastern frontier secured: Buffer against Parthia
• Trade routes controlled: Silk Road termini, incense route, Mediterranean ports
• Client system established: Model for Roman frontier management for centuries
• Jewish-Roman trajectory set: Client kingdom → province → revolts → diaspora

Primary Sources

• Josephus: Jewish War, Antiquities of the Jews
• Cicero: Pro Flacco, Pro Lege Manilia (contemporary speeches)
• Plutarch: Life of Pompey
• Appian: Syrian Wars, Civil Wars
• Cassius Dio: Roman History (Books 37-38)
• Strabo: Geography (Book 16)

Pompey didn't just "conquer" Syria and Palestine—he architected the Roman Near East. His 63 BCE settlement lasted, in essential outlines, for four centuries. The region's modern borders, conflicts, and identities still echo his arrangements.