The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-08-06
ALEXANDRIA.
The history aud SIcgcs ora Famous
d'tty.

the history aud SIcgcs ora Famous
CITY.
From our Army and Navy Edition.
After the fall Of Tyre in $50 Alexander
pushed on his conquest into Egypt. on the north
coast he found small village built by the earlier
king ot tho country for rendezvous ot the coast
guard detailed 90 defend the adjacent shores against
the Tiratca descents Of creek advonturers. Tho
youthful conquorer perceived the advantages which
the village possessed for great metropolis. vast
washed the iowa on the upper side, alarge lake
lay below IT, and a multitude Of natural canals ran
out into the adjoining districts, The annual rising
Ut the Nile cleaused the take, says strabo from ITS
Impurities, white the Etesin winds rendered the
climate peculiarly delightful So Alexander rested
here, sent or famous architect OF Greece, aud In
vted 10 his new capital multitude Of artinCers mer
chants and wotkmcn from all quarters OF his domIn-
ions The city shortly rose to be the great CONNER
Cal city Of those days, and possessed large aud in
creaSnG population. Magnificent palaces were built
the great squares, and tho orderly streets were
thronged with gay and animated people, The trade
of Arabia and India conferred In Alexandria, whore
idlonoss was unknown and every citizen employed.
quantities, and for two aud twenty centuries the city
has continued ohe n highway for the commerce OF
three nations. Hut rs the Inhabitants became assiml
lated they were found 10 combine the superstition OF
the Greeks with the ubsnacy Of the Egyptians They
were known rs seditlous and innsmmabe people,
aud riots were common In the Streets In later wears
no place IN the world more famous for disputes
between Christians and Jews nor for more frequent
bloody conflicts,
Alexandrians, during the sway OF the ptOlomies, Is
given by the slclian poet rheoctltus lie represents
two women dressing for the play. Gorge has called
FOR her friend, PraNinw, and says;
'oh my unhrokon spirit with dlmcuy have /
reached you III safety, rraNnn, tho crowd being
great and tho Chaiiots many. On every side are SOL
dlcfs and men OF fashion The road Is toilsome and
You are fat from mo-
praxinw; ''For this reason, that mailman rler
Inns hauO to the of tnnk IA
den, not house. In order that gt not he neigh
bors to each other he's Jealous pest, always ready
Gorgo' "Don't say such things, my dear, about
your good man, Demon, before the little one SEQ
child I don't mean papa
Gorgo: "Byr Lady, the infant understands you.
rretypapai"
Gorge; "rraSinw, that cloak becomes You OK
ceedingy Tell mo how much YOU had TO pay for
rraxlnU Don't mention It. Uofgo More
Than two pounds OF solid silver. Hut | had SGT my
life on the bargain
rraxlnm to slave: "n,ng me my cloak and par
asol. Tut II on hecOmingly. I won't take YOU
child. Bughoar The horse bites. Cry rs much as
You please, We mustn't have you lmcd Let's lie
moving, PhiyGian slave take and play with the
little man. eau In tho dog. shut tho hall door ~
such was life among the common people Of city
that nfty years before Christ numbered FREQ popu-
latlon Of 500 900 souls and many slaves Charles
Kingsley In "lypatia' aud Georgs Ebers In
1.-The Emperor ~ have presented charming and ac -
curato portraits OF the AleNandrians under the o-
man ompelnrs Writers on philosophy have pointed
out the subtle spcculatons Ut the Nro- Platonsts
and theological writer's have found abundant sub
iecis for comment In the various church councils held
there by origen, st. Alexander, and St. Athan-
asins against bemetrins In Arlans aud other So
called heiecs.
Alexandria, though founded under propitious
omens, according to the tradition, was not dcs-
tined to enjoy peaceful existence. Again ana
again mas u been hesiege and again and again have
the streets been filled with rlclous Inhabitants As
early AS ~ II. e. Antochus Epiphanes, King OF
syria, laid Siege to tho city but was compelled by
tho Homans to abandon his undertaking.
Forty years later the Aiexandrans reyolted against
rtoemy fhyscon, In consequence of his intolorable
cruelties, and drove him Ia Cyprus whence he wa
restored after brief struggle.
In 50 II. g. Ptoleiny Alexander diol aud be-
queathcd his capital 10 Rome. A few years later
when Cesar had defeated Pompey at pharsalla, the
victor pursued him into Egypt and hesieged Alaxan-
dra This was the first great siege the city had suf
ered. The conflict Is known the AleNandrne war.
Cesar gained portion of tho town after desperate
struggle, but the AlCxandrinns were protected Inv
triple walls forty In height built of snuare stones
aud manned by an 'innumerible host ~ OF soldiers.
At Intervals towers ten stories In height built.
from which 1avens, darts, and huge stones cast
upon the besegers. Moving towers of the same height
had also been constructed aud these moved from
place TO place, through the level and paved streets.
occasion demanded Workshops for the manufacture
OF arms had been erected In great numbers, while
host of slaves were busy within. Caesar summoned
his ships from Rhodes, Syria, and Ciicia, archers
from Crete, and the cavalry of Malchus. Batering
rams were placed against the walls aud the siege
Logan. Meanwhile there was sharp naval fight in
the haTbOr, In which the AleNanlrians lost one hun.
dred and ten ships, and Caesar narrowly escaped witt
his life at tho capture of Pharos The Roman sol
ders at this time were using water from clsterns
and aquelucts OF private houses wherein they were
quartered. The Alexandrians cOntrived wheels and
filled the sources of supply with water. unseen by
| tue Romans, who, finding all their drinking water
turning salt became panic stricken. Finally they
were calmed and ultimately won the city. There was
desperate lighting In the streets but Caesar
AS he entered the city preceded by tho blare OF rum.
pets, the whole multitude threw down their arms and
forsook the Notifications. Before them they carried
those sacred symbols of religion wherewith they had
been accustomed to appeaso offended kings and mel
tile conqueror on his arrival Caesar placed his royal
mistress, the beautiful Cleopatra. the thtone and
| finally withdrew to other scenes. In 20 A. -. the
city occupied by the forces of Augustus, who
clared 1t an Imperial city, and for many years after
| Alexandria was governed by Roman project.
| Two hundred years later Caracalla, ''the savage
beast OF Ausonia AS Dion calls him. ordered mas
| sacre OF all the AleNanlrlan youths OF military age.
The slaughter was as inhnman as 1t uucalled for,
but can add no infamy to the name Of this abandoned
| wretch. who has been Justly called the common
| enemy of mankind.n Caracalla hal levied the heav-
lest taxes and authorized the cruelcst c0nscations
The murmured complaints of the people aroused hi,
| anger, and human sacrifice was demanded l,y hi,
devilish spirit. From this period Alexandria was
tile scene of seditons and ciyil Jew and Chris
tian slaughtered each other inhumany to the
| ment OF the refined AMI Witty pagans, deyOteea oI
| philosophy and science. DiOCletian bssisgel and
captured the city in 1913 and again Alexandra was
| blood drenched.
| 10 the horrors of tumuuous riots at length was
added an humiliation that swept away 40, 900 people
and devastated the coast. great earthquake oC-
CURED and the shores of Egypt forsaken by the
rotreathg sea, leaving the bottom of the Mediter-
ranean visible for many miles around. Aud when thu
returning tide swept resstlessly the country wa,
covered for two miles inland 1t was at this time a.
the ious tradition goes, that st. IIaron. monk o
Egypt stationed himself upon the beach at Epdauru,
| and raised cross, before which the muuntainou.
waves stopped, bowed, and returned.
In GIG Chosr0es King OF Persia, at the head of a
host OF 90 600 soldiers, after pag'ng Jerusalem AM
carrying OF tho patriarch Zacharia and the true
cross into his own d0minlons, marched into Egypt
and The venerable city became the property of III,
| rersians
| twenty years later Alexandria suffered the mos
| memorable of her sieges. For fourteen months
AmIu, valOr0us lieutenant of the Caiiph Omar, OF
| Medina, lay before Its gates with q host of MOsuu
| warriors. Tho brave inhabitants made frequent sal
lies but the Saracens ropnlsol them with tic fury
| lions. In one of these engagements Amru was cap
nred by the Christians and taken before the prefect
The naughty commander, the lieutenant Of the Caliph
| him aud suspected his identity. So imperions wal
| his demeanor that q slave, his fellow pa iaOner
slapred him In the face and reminded him that h
| was speaking 10 an olcer anu "aptOr. The Greak'
| wera hlcked and Amrn escaped. Twenty thIs,
| tl"nsand saracens had been slain before tho cit,
Yielded, anu then the standard of MahOmm med noatsI
| from the walls of Egypt capital. Amrn sent word /,
tho calph that he had taken The great city tina west
the variety Of whose riches aud beauty IL was limos
siDe TO enumerite. 81 shah content myself said
he, with observing that 1t contains 600 palaces
| 900 booths 100 theatres places OF amlse Inent
~ 600 shops for the sas 0f vegetable food 40
| tributary Jews Tbs M0sloms are impatient TO sie2e
the fruits of Victory Hut Omar would permit NJ
| piiiiElHs. NtNSilhclthsI NHen ANlIU begged Tilt
| royal library for John the GrammaTian a famou,
perlpaetic philosopher thsn In Alexandria Omar Is
said Ia have replied that II the books contained the
same doctrines AS the Koran they could be OF no use
since tho Koran contained all tho necessary truths;
but II they contained anything contrary to that book
they ought Ia bc destroyed. Consequently The calipt
ordered them Ia he burned and were distIibu fol
fuel among tho four hundred public baths Of tho city
whose fires they are said Ia have kept burning for 81,
| months. This was the remnant Of the famous
| "Alerandrlan library Of ?00, 900 volumes. gu,
| story of the caph, however, rests on doubtful
| evidence within four years the Romans twice oc-
cupled the city and the defenses, and twice ex-
| PEELED by Amru. Ciyil feuds continued and there
| were frequent outbreaks against the captOis.
| Two centuries later "a band OF AndalusIan cor,
slirs were lot into Alexandria by faction OF its cti-
Gems, who paid dear price for their reachery. Tie
Spanish cut Threats slaughtered friend and alike
piiiaged churches aud mosques, sold 900 Christians
| into captivity, aud held theclty for some time.
In O2i aud during several subsequent years the cit,
| sustained repeated attacks by tho MOgrobins. la
G6 saadin sultan of Egypt defended II against thu
| Franks The next year II fell into the hands 0
| Amaury, Of Jerusalem. Ia 1910, Peter of cyprus
storned II, aud IN 1853 John II OF Cyprus gained I
| successful entry.
| Hut AleraRdra's decline had long begun The
founding Of Cairo, la 026, had suDtractod much OF
1 lpFu oh nh al ~