Diocese of the East

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(Redirected from
Diocesis Orientis
)
Roman Diocese of the East
Dioecesis Orientis
Ἑῴα Διοίκησις
Diocese of the Roman Empire
314–535/536

The Diocese of the East c. 400
CapitalAntioch
Historical eraLate Antiquity
• Established
314
• Diocese abolished by Justinian I
535 or 536
Succeeded by
Bilad al-Sham

The Diocese of the East, also called the Diocese of Oriens, (

Sassanid Empire and the nomadic tribes gave it exceptional military importance.[1]

History

The capital of the diocese was at Antioch, and its governor had the special title of comes Orientis ("Count of the East", of the rank vir spectabilis and later vir gloriosus) instead of the ordinary "vicarius". The diocese was established after the reforms of Diocletian (r. 284–305), and was subordinate to the praetorian prefecture of the East.[1][2]

The diocese included originally all Middle Eastern provinces of the Empire:

Palaestina II and Palaestina Salutaris (or Palaestina III). The last creation of a new province dated in the reign of Justinian I (r. 527–565), when Theodorias, the region around Laodicea, was split off from Syria I. At about the same time, Cyprus was split off and became part of a new super-province, the quaestura exercitus.[2]

In 535, as part of his administrative reforms, Justinian I abolished the diocese, and the comes Orientis became the provincial governor of Syria I, while retaining his previous rank of

vir spectabilis and his salary.[3]

The entire area of the former diocese came under

Muslim conquests: by the 640s, Cilicia formed the border (Al-Awasim) between Byzantium and the new Arab Rashidun Caliphate and its successors, while Cyprus became a disputed territory. From the old provinces of the Diocese of the East, only Isauria and parts of the two Cilicias remained under Byzantine rule, grouped under the new Anatolic Theme.[2]

List of Comites Orientis

Original dioceses of the Roman Empire, created by emperor Diocletian (284-305).

References

  1. ^ .
  2. ^ a b c Giftopoulou, Sofia (2005). "Diocese of Oriens (Byzantium)". Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor. Foundation of the Hellenic World. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  3. .