Antioch on the Orontes(/ˈæntiˌɒk/; alsoSyrian Antioch)[note 1]was an ancientGreco-Romancityon the eastern side of theOrontes River. Its ruins lie near the modern city ofAntakya,Turkey, and lends the modern city its name.
Antioch was founded near the end of the 4th century BC bySeleucus I Nicator, one ofAlexander the Great's generals. The city's geographical, military, and economic location benefited its occupants, particularly such features as thespice trade, theSilk Road, and thePersian Royal Road. It eventually rivaledAlexandriaas the chief city of the Near East. It was also the main center ofHellenistic Judaismat the end of theSecond Temple period. Most of the urban development of Antioch was done during theRoman Empire, when the city was one of the most important in the eastern Mediterranean area of Rome's dominions.