SYRIA: Although its dominion over Europe is likely better known, the Roman Empire also held sway over much of the Near East. The emperors Septimius Severus (reigned A.D. 193–211) and Diocletian (reigned A.D. 284–305) invested heavily in infrastructure along the empire’s eastern borders. Satellite photographs revealed 396 previously unknown Roman forts across western Syria and northern Iraq. Scholars believe these remote outposts weren’t defensive but instead were used by travelers and traders as stops to acquire food, water, and shelter.