River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-10-28

Of communication commercial and military enterprises
bein used in turn by the of Xerxe Alexander the
Great Frederick Barbarossa and many otners Inc o
of Laodicea upon commanding eleVauon "niGn $50
fine view of the surrounding country About eight nes
distant stands Mcxat Cadmus white with snow wnle all
that is left of CocAsee rests at its base
On the other hanS beyond the fertile valley OF he ycus
NAV be seen gmmer0G the sunlight the huge cascades
which plunge the plateau where the city Oh 4
Is situated Nesting foot of the HILL upon whlch Se
acropos once stood the little village OF GonJe Whe
away to the SOUTH with the mountain range OF baoa Das
in the background is the larger Turkish town u D
Both of these places have been placucaly Ouii' W W
ruins of Laodicea. ,4
In the spring the valleys and slopes apou'
Iaodcea green with verdure and the surrounding
tv as viewed from the ruins presents picture not un
friendly to the eye fact the fields are cultivated up 10
the walls the city But within the city hmts "h'h p
abv cover an area miles there not enough
vegetation feed hungry goat 1t IS scene OF ueso
lion where onlv snakes lizards turtles and proving jack
ais now refuge in subterranean caverns Inc 'onD
stone cutter Deniz is regular visitor occasohay
a camel caravan be seen vending It's way Slowly
through the streets But otherwise 1t Is place long
since rejected and shorn OF every Symool OIL FORMER se
&c ,+ro,
Asia Minor the seat of one of the Seven Churcnes
For something like years this city was deemed one OF
the most important to possess, not only from military
point of view, also from the STANDPOINT Oh e slne"S
wherewith to conduct The opuent citizens OF Lao
dicea often fell prey the greed of Roman Iartr ana
Turkish conquerors times of the hardshlps caused
nv earthquakes were severely was the pestence
of war Yet the people attached to their CITY he
they rebuilt repeatedly out of their own means ana eac
amerane scarcely left stone upon the other ana W
the Turks about d. slaughtered or sold the nhaO
tants into slavery that the city became what II IS to-day
one vast field studded with heaps of ruins
Considering ravages caused by earthquakes, tme
and war Laodicea however, at present is st IN
remarkable state of preservation The stadium is almost
intact The steps repose in the sides of h which forms
natural for this monument The plan OF the gylna
m is so well preserved that almost the entire building
can be SEEN theaters of which was devoted TO
music are practically complete Scattered over the held
in one mass entanged ruins no end OF temples win
The base of columns still in place The ancient aqueduct
nartlv shows clearly how the water was
conducted long distance upon the hydostauc prl
chile of it's seeking level The aqueduct is not
lofty archway characterize those OF Roman origin
throughout and Italy but is QUILT close 10 the
ground and conducted to the city IN massive
stone mines I'D hill from distant mountain range
Tn the bed the little river OF Asopos stand the broken
niers of bridge which led to Christian cemetery on
neighboring hill opposite the city The ancient pagan
necropos just outside the city limits near
where the village Gonje stands Many interesting
earcophag have removed to various mu-
seums Laodcea had three gateWays whlch pierced
the solid which extended around the circumference