The Romans were great builders. They built a lot of cities from scratch, or added many important buildings in existing ones, such as temples, theaters, arenas, porticos, and public baths. They also established a network of roads, spotlighted by milestones, throughout their provinces.

Heliopolis in Roman -or Baalbeck, in Phoenician- was founded at a crossroads of the caravan routes, in the Beka’a. Heliopolis is the "City of the Sun", and was constructed using the biggest man-made stones of the world. Some of the stones used were so big, that story-tellers started referring to Baalbeck as the city built by the giants. In reality, Baalbeck was originally designed to be a retirement center for Roman Warriors. But the Romans had to impress the local citizens of their empire, as the Phoenicians were also renown builders in antiquity.

The city of Beryte -Beirut- became the capital of the entire coastal region. Beirut was a famed University center of the Roman empire. It is not by accident that the first Law School ever was founded in Beirut.

During this period, Jesus was born in Palestine. The Phoenicians of Sidon and Sur were amongst the first Christians.

Byzantian Empire:

Most Phoenicians became Christians during the first centuries of our Era. However, the Roman Empire was still pagan, and Christianity was not recognized by the officials of the Empire.

Legend has it that Empress Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine was a devout Christian, and that he promised her to convert to Christianity if she were to find the Cross of Jesus in Jerusalem and tell him the same day. Jerusalem is far from Constantinople (Istanbul, in Turkey), so Empress Helen traveled by land through today’s Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon to reach Galilee and Judea. On her way, she posted guards on high points. On the day the Cross was found, a bonfire was lit from Jerusalem as a signal. The guards she posted followed her example, and served as relays until the message reached the Emperor. Not only did Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, but he made it the official state religion of the Empire. With his conversion, a new calendar was adopted, with the first year estimated to be the one of the birth of Jesus-Christ.

In 395, the Roman Empire split into a Western and Eastern Empire. The Eastern Empire became known as Byzantine, and was the only part of the former Roman Empire that lasted. Its capital was Constantinople, and religion was known as Orthodox. Lebanon was part of this Empire, and continued to enjoy a period of prosperity brought on by its strategic location on the Silk Route. That famed road brought on silk and spices from as far away as China into Europe.

Early in the 4th century, a series of earthquakes and tidal waves ravaged Lebanon, destroying many buildings and cities both on the shore and in the Beka’a. Beirut so far has been destroyed 6 times by the sea, and rebuilt again.

At that time, a hermit named Marun lived in the mountains north-east of Antioch. After his death, his followers became known as the Maronites.

Here are some pictures of lebanon during the roman empire: