HADRIAN (117-138)

"The Province of Cilicia" Cilicia is a historical region located at the border of Asia Minor and Syria-Palestine. In Roman times, it was divided into two parts: Cilicia Trachea and Cilicia Pedias. Cilicia Trachea was a rugged mountainous area, bordered to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, to the west by the Taurus Mountains, and to the east by the Amanus Mountains. The main route between Asia Minor and Syria, as well as the lands of Asia, passed through the Cilician Gates of Taurus and the Syrian Gates of Amanus, making it a region of significant strategic importance. Here, both Alexander the Great and Lucius Domitius Aurelian traveled eastward. The province achieved full independence in 72 CE when Vespasian established it as a separate province. Cilicia primarily supplied iron and silver.