The Port of Seleucia Pieria in the 4th Century AD

The aim of this article is to attempt to locate and reconstruct the extent of the engineering work undertaken during the reigns of Emperors Diocletian (285–305 AD) and Constantius II (337–361 AD) at the seaport of Seleucia Pieria, Syria. Accordingly, the article also aims to determine the state of the port infrastructure and the utility of the port of Seleucia in the fourth century AD. The article analyses various ancient and Byzantine sources, with key texts by the rhetor Libanius, mainly Speech XI (“In the Praise of Antioch”) and Speech XX (“To Emperor Theodosius. On Reconciliation”), as well as selected letters by Libanius and rhetorical exercises. The article also discusses various hypotheses and theories of contemporary authors, thus providing an overview of the state of knowledge to date and identifying research perspectives

Byzantine architecture · Emperor · Praise · Rhetorical question · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Byzantine Studies and History