Originally a fortified Phoenician port named Strabo's (or Straton's) Tower, Caesarea became part of the Roman province of Syria under Pompey and would serve as the seat of Roman government in Palestine for over 600 years. Herod the Great was responsible for expanding the city in 10 BCE and naming it Caesarea Maritima after Caesar Augustus (Octavian). The name Caesaria Maritima (Ceasaria on the Sea) was used to distinguish it from Caesaria Philippi, another of Herod's cities. Read Article: Caesarea (Maritima) - History, Geography, Religion