 During the Roman civil war that followed the death of Julius Caesar, the city's inhabitants sided with Mark Antony against Octavian.Nonetheless, Arethusa became an independent city-state following Octavian's victory in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, but returned to Emesani control eleven years later.Thereafter, its status declined with the rise of nearby Emesa (modern-day Homs) as a religious and political center.