"when those who have written histories about the syrian empire say that the medes were overthrown by the persians and the syrians by the medes, they mean by the syrians no other people than those who built the royal palaces in ninus (nineveh); and of these syrians, ninus was the man who founded ninus, in "aturia" (assyria) and his wife, semiramis, was the woman who succeeded her husband... now, the city of ninus was wiped out immediately after the overthrow of the syrians. it was much greater than babylon, and was situated in the plain of aturia." although the mention of ninus as having founded assyria is inaccurate, as is the claim that semiramis was his wife, the salient point in strabo's statement is the recognition that the greek term syria historically meant assyria. it was the assyrian empire, not the "syrian empire", that was overthrown by the medes and built palaces in ninevah. however, while this statement provides insight into how "syrian" was used "by the greeks" (supporting the "lost a" theory), claims that syria and assyria were considered synonymous "to non-greeks", including syrians themselves, as alleged by herodotus, are cast in doubt considering his remark in "geographika": “poseidonius (a celebrated polymath and native of apamea, syria) conjectures that the names of these nations also are akin; for, says he, "the people whom we call syrians are by the syrians themselves called arameans... for the people in syria are aramaeans"”.