The name Syria is latinized from the Greek Συρία (Suría). In toponymic typology, the term Syria is classified among choronyms (proper names of regions and countries). The origin and usage of the term has been the subject of interest, both among ancient writers and modern scholars. In early Greek usage, the terms Συρία (Suría) and Ασσυρία (Assuría) were used almost interchangeably to describe Assyria in northern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq, but in the Roman Empire, the terms Syria and Assyria came to be used as names for distinct geographical regions. "Syria" in the Roman period referred to the region of Syria (the western Levant), while Assyria (Asōristān, Athura) in Mesopotamia was part of the Sasanian Empire and only very briefly came under Roman control (AD 116–118, marking the histori