Chief city of the province of Cilicia, Tarsus was a large and important city in the days of the Roman Empire (Acts 21:39; for map see ACTS, BOOK OF). It was famous for its educational institutions, and was considered the centre of learning in Asia Minor (as Athens was in Greece and as Alexandria was in Egypt). Tarsus was Paul’s home town (Acts 9:11; Acts 9:30; Acts 11:25; Acts 22:3) and this may have had some influence on his education. Paul’s style of systematic thinking suggests a Greek educational background of the kind available in Tarsus.