Dium (Coele-Syria)
Dium or Dion or Dia was a city in ancient Coele-Syria mentioned by numerous ancient writers. According to Stephanus of Byzantium, the city was a foundation of Alexander the Great, and named after the city Dium in Macedon. It was also wrongly called Pella by some ancient writers.
Location
Dium is mostly identified with Tell el-Ash'ari from the Daraa Governorate in southwestern Syria. Some associate Dium with Aidoun south of Irbid. Some other have identified it falsely the later Capitolias, now Beit Ras in Jordan.The location of Dium is therefore not proven with certainty. According to Ptolemy, the city was positioned between Pella and Gadara which are both in Jordan, and quite close to it; but its latitude was quite uncertain. Josephus in his retelling of Pompey's march through the area, says he came from Damascus via Dium to Pella, thus putting Dium to the north of Pella. The Ruins of Tell Ashari fulfill the concept of a small greek City positioned at a Mount and around it. A Theatre high above the yarmouk river ravine is unfortunately due to the civil war in a really bad condition. At this time now, all facts speak for of the Decapolis.
As a small Remark is to notice that beside of the probably military fortress city of Raphana all other Decapolis Cities were after the second century A.D. also episcopal Sees. But Dium, which was normally inside the protected territories of these days, was not an episcopal see.