In Emesa, Aramaic and Greek were commonly spoken languages and later Latin was probably commonly spoken in the city.[1] Through the rule and influence of the Seleucid dynasty and Greek settlement in the Seleucid Empire, Emesa was assimilated into the Greek language and culture of the Hellenistic period.[1] Hence, Sampsiceramus I and his ancestors became Hellenized through the Greek rule of Syria and the surrounding territories.