Evening star., 1912-11-03
1I+W The @alm Of f&ghn>Qhingyt /

became one of the most splendid in the
world. More than three thousand of the
choicest statues of Greek heroes and gods
adorned it's broad and palace-lined thor
oughfares. in addition to the colossus.
and its wealth and manufacturing inn
portance raised 1t to city of first rank.
Its political fortunes were those of all
that neighborhood, except that it with
stood siege by Demetrius Poliorcetes,
after his conquest of Athens, winning re
nown before all the world for it's resist
ance to this Macedonian conaueror. 1t
was in honor Of the great victory that
the famed colossus was erected.
great category of memory-stirring
names cluster about the fortunes of
Rhodes. Alexander Demosthenes. who
was their attorney before the court of
Athens; Protogenes, Chares of Indus
Pliny. Caius Cassius, who. slew Caesar:
Antiochus. Strabo, and since the begin
ming of the Christian era. Chosroes. the
Persian conqueror; Gilman. successor of
Mohammed and in its final conquest by
the Ottomans, it proved to be the last
stronghold of the Byzantine empire.
Who was Apollo? In Greek mythology
he is one of the twelve deities. who
rule the fortunes of mankind. Son OF
Jupiter and Latona, Apollo himself was
god of light and medicine, music and
poetry were under his care His infu-
ence upon the Rhodians was good, for
his worship was not as debasing as that
OF Venus and her ilk. His devotees were
SdiOfouS, IcNefeHt, StuuiOuS, ana tnuS
the island and city prospered with the
prosperity of the wise and brave. Ex-
cept for the true worship of the Christ
OF Jesus Saviour of the sons OF men, no
worship ever has been more worth while
than that paid by the Rhodians to A pol
10; for 1t made for clean and beautiful
bodies and studious. thoughtful minds
Before we leave this history,two names
remain for comment the one is that of
an individual. the other of an order The
fhaf W ha oad
on his way to Jerusalem. returning from
his answer to the Macedonian cry, stopped
for the last time at Rhodes Perhaps
his stay was brief, day or two at most;
time enough to comfort the little band
of faithful followers of Christ, who clus-
tered round him on the mole. to say
farewell forever to the great apostle to
the Gentiles, so soon to go to Rome in
chains. His faith, like theirs, was valiant
and serene. and chains or liberty were one
with them. SO long as He, their King,
was glorified.
Paul passes to his prison and his doom,
but after 1.2JO years the Emperor EN-
manuel gave the city to the knights of
St John. and they so altered, fortified and
moderniZed the city that il took on the
appearance of city of medieval ElI-
rope. The plazas and palaces; the tenn
pies and towers gave way to narrow
resses loomed from the hills. and for
215 years 1t stood impregnable. only to
yield at last to force of numbers, as the
famed knights passed in honorable and
orderly retreat to Malta
AS we visit the island today, and climb
Atairo for the wondrous view, seated
nearly 5000 feet above the sea, the eve
ranges from Mount Ida upon the Island
OF Crete to the bluff coast of Asia Minor
and away across the Mediterranean We
shall find the ruins the abandoned
cities of the long ago: we shall see the
famous harbor. now largely filed with
sand; We shall find few relics OF ancient
grandeur hidden among the hills and
gardens of the place. but the city is still
the city of the knights. and teens with
memories OF their occupancy
The Turk now holds a nominal sway
over the scattered population, but the
trade is largely in British hands and Eu-
rope more and more exerts an influence
upon the place. polio has passed for
ever from the thought of men; the Turk
must pass. branded unit by the arbi-
, ter of nations. and soon there must re-
| turn, the God and gospel of ST. Paul, and
OF those brave knights whose workman
ship is seen on every hand. and the men,
ory of whose courage and faith clings like
a rare aroma to the spot.