The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-09
Sketch OF tho City of Antioch.

The city OF Antoch-or as IL Is now called, Anita
kieh now again, for The fourth or fifth ilme de-
'troyed by an earthquake. was IN ancient times
Of the most famous In Syria, and at one period was
even more wealthy and splendid and populous than
either OF It's 81 eat rivals, Aeppo ana Damascus. 1t
ID situated on the river Aazl Qnc ancient Oronles).
about twenty miles from its mouth, and thrry-four
miles west OF Aleppo. 1t was founded about 800
B. Q. by Seeucus Nlcator, and named by HIM in
honor OF his father Antiochus, fifteen other cities
none OF which have however. SO successfully sur.
vived the attacks OF time, enjoying at abont
the same period a like distinction. Situated
directly In the track OF the caravans
from Mesopotamla and Persia III beautiful valley
ut the foot Of the mountains which rise at this
point from narrow fringe OF low ying shore, with
abundance OF water and slnguarly fertile soil, the
city soon became wonderfully prosperous, and the
wares OF Bagdad and Mosul, Of Cashmere ana
Benares halted in Its caravansares on their way to
the bazaafs of Byzantlum and the markets OF Rome.
One cause Of Its wealth and greatness was no doubt
the energy and industry or the colony OF Greeks. OF
Athenan ancestry, by whom it wss peopled, ana
who had been removed from the neighp0ring city Of
Antironum by Seleucus 1t was for several gener.
aons the favorite residence OF the Scleucid Princes
and became the capital Of Syria. Splendid palaces
and baths and amphitheatres ana temples were
built by the municence OF It's rulers until It was as
celebrated ali over the Eastern world for the grand
eur OF It's architecture as for the wealth and luxury
and devotion to pleasure OF It's inhabitants. NO
doubt 1t fairly carned the compliment OF being
termed .Antiocn the Beautiful and the "Queen OF
the East.' At the height OF its splendor 1t num-
bored 100000 inhabitants, aud was the scene
or almost uninterrupted spectacles and J6tes
Its suburbs were especially ioted fer
their beauty. ring OF verdure surrounded It's
Oh &c frufn n
sacred fountains and groves OF Daphne and "a world.
famous temple of Apollo. II fell into the hands OF
the Romans In "a Is. g., and was planted with Il
Latin colony, whose members enjoyed the especial
privileges OF Roman citizens. Soon after the death
OF Christ the Gospel was preached by the Apostles
and o fourlshing Christian Church was founded.
Indeed 1t was at Antioch that the followers OF Jesus
first assumed the name OF Christians. About lis A.
u. 1t suffered terribly from an earthquake, but was
restored by the Emperor Trajan. In los A. ID. II
was destroyed by fire, but was again rebuilt. A.
the Christian religion spread over the Roman en-
pire It's inhabitants gradually became exclusively
Christian and ia the second, third and fourth cen
turles 1t the principal seat OF the true faith In
the East, ten councils being held within ITS walls
between the years 25l and $780, When the Latin
power waned 1t suffered greatly from the attacks OF
Persia, and about the same period endured three
great anines, one OF which, in 33l, was so severe
that wheat rose TO the price Of 400 pieces OF
d
centuries the city was three tunes destroyed
by earthquakes. In the sixth century IT was made
the seat OF a patrlarchaIe, which included Ia It's
province the Syrian, Mesopotan,an and Cilican
Churches. II was taken By the Saracens III 635,
together with the rest OF Syria. and from that time
has steadily declined IN importance. In $40 II was
again annexed TO the western Roman empire, and,
having been retaSen by ane aoso an 1od was vas
seat OF a little Christian Kingdom, under fohemond,
the son of Robert Gulscar1. IL renamed In
lJnrislan hands Tor nearly two centuries, and was
then taken, after terrible losses by Bioaro
sultan OF Egypt. since thea us history
mas been one OF constantly waning pros
perity. The Christian religion almost diel
out, and, though II nal fourteen lao,lm ri !,
American missionary was sent there lew year i
ago to round q now church. In this nc met WIZ.
signal success, ana the missionary Journals occa
sionally contain very interesting accounts o. th
revival OF tue influence OF the cross. IN 1872 i wa
again destroyed by terrible earthquake. III az
pearance Antaklek Is at present mlserabe nt.l
Arab city oil about seven thousand iGhaoilMi's
butt OF square muu houses, with Sloplng ana ma
ro0fSDy the way an unus ua feature Tor an Eastern
city-ana with narrow little streets, nosome VIII
sla2nant pools Oh water and alive win troops .
hungry, NANCY ours. Strange az il may seem IN
American clyil war somewhat improved Tor tin
the prospects OF this ruined cry. stimulated b
the high price or cotton, the incident owners
the soil In the neehpornooi, which y very We
1ited 1or such culture became industrious cotto
ralsers, and there even cotton mi
founded by an English company Inc la ter cute
prise. however, dld not LAY, an was abandone
aoout n coupe OF years ago. and since cotlon HI
gone down the landed proprietors have subside
into their natural state OF needy Id!eness
From the preceding sketch II VIII % seen thi
there have previously been dccrue!Ye eart
ana 1922 II Is curious TACT That THIS city is wih
a thousand or fifteen hundred lnies OF the antIpoa
al California, where cur last earthquake sensatiC
Occufrco