Cilician in the context of "First Servile War"

The name Syria is latinized from the Greek Συρία (Suría). In toponymic typology, the term Syria is classified among choronyms (proper names of regions and countries). The origin and usage of the term has been the subject of interest, both among ancient writers and modern scholars. In early Hittite, Luwian, Cilician and Greek usage between the 9th century BC and 2nd century BC, the terms Συρία (Suría) and Ασσυρία (Assuría) were used almost interchangeably, originally specifically referring to Assyria in Upper Mesopotamia.

Etymologically, the name Syria is linked to Assyria (Akkadian Aššur), which was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization founded in modern-day northern Iraq in the 25th century BC. It expanded to include parts of Southeastern Anatolia and Northeastern Syria by the late Bronze Age and its empire eventually conquered much of Western Asia during the Iron Age, reaching Cyprus to the west, Caucasus to the north, Persia to the east, and Egypt and Arabia to the south. During the Middle Assyrian Empire (1365–1050 BC), Syria (apart from the Assyrian northeast corner) was known as Amurru ('The Land of the Amorites'). During the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–605 BC) it was referred to as Eber Nari and Aram. These designations for modern Syria were continued by the Achaemenid Empire (539–332 BC), while Assyria remained known to the Achaemenids, Lydians and Armenians as Assyria.