the terminological problem dates from the seleucid empire (323–150 bc), which applied the term "syria", the greek and indo-anatolian form of the name "assyria", which had existed even during the assyrian empire, not only to the homeland of the assyrians but also to lands to the west in the levant, previously known as aramea, eber nari and phoenicia (modern syria, lebanon and northern israel) that later became part of the empire. this caused not only the original assyrians, but also the ethnically and geographically distinct arameans and phoenicians of the levant to be collectively called "syrians" and "syriacs" in the greco-roman world.