Berytos

Berytos is the ancient Greek name for the city that corresponds to the modern city of Beirut in Lebanon. Located on the eastern Mediterranean coast, Berytos developed as a major Phoenician port and urban center, benefiting from a natural harbor and a strategic position on sea routes linking the Levant with the inland regions.

In the first millennium BCE, Berytos was part of the Phoenician city-states and later found itself under successive regimes that controlled Phoenicia, including empires such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and, after the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic kingdoms. Under the Seleucids and, later, the Romans, Berytos remained an important urban center within the broader Phoenician region.

During the Roman period, Berytus gained particular fame for its law school, established in the 2nd century CE, which became one of the leading centers of Roman jurisprudence. The associated scholarly activity and library attracted students from across the empire, contributing to the city’s reputation in legal studies. The city also featured typical Roman urban characteristics, including a grid of streets and public buildings.

The city was dramatically affected by the earthquake of 551, which caused extensive damage and disrupted the law school and its archives. Afterward, the site experienced rebuilding and continued habitation, with Beirut emerging as a major urban center in the medieval and subsequent periods under various rulers.

Today, Berytos is identified with the site of Beirut. The ancient city’s memory persists in literary sources and archaeological remains, reflecting its role as a key Phoenician and Roman hub on the Levantine coast.