The Connecticut labor press., 1919-09-13

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 tfon of the conquest of Syria, Is, like Damascus and Konieh, one of the ancient cities of the world. Ii may, indeed, be older than either; cer- tain1y 1t appears in history as early as Damascus and before Konieh. It was one of the Syrian towns captured by the Egyptian conqueror, Thothmes III, about 148O B. C., and thereafter is of frequent occurrence in the agitated annals of those early times, says a writer in the Sphere. Under Roman rule it enjoyed long period of pros perity. Its, ancient Syrian name of Halban, or Khalban, was corrupted by the Greeks into Chalybon, but it was also known as Berea. When, after seven centuries of Roman rule, 1t fell into the hands of the Arabs, 1t was called by them Haleb, nearer approx imation to its ancient name than the Greek Chalybon. The Venetian and other Italian visitors, of whom there were many in the middle ages, blum dered Haleb into Aleppo-that is, they dropped the aspirate, as Latins so often do, sounded the final 'b" as ''p," and added in the arbitrary fashion of Romans, Greeks and Italians their termination "O."
 The secret of Aleppo's long prosper ity, which endured even under Turkish rule, is its splendid commercial posi- tion at the junction of at least four great trade routes. This was perhaps largely due to the destruction of Pal myra (Tadmor) by Aurelian, after which the bulk of the trade which had passed through the city of Solomon and Zenobia now diverted itself by a more northerly route through AL eppo. By caravan it traded with Persia and India through Mesopota- mia, with Egypt by way of Damascus, with Asia Minor and Constantinop1e by the ancient route through Taurus. In Romano-Persian times the caravans passed by Ctesiphon, but after the Sara cen conquest was the halfway station on the way to Persia.
 Byzantine Versus Hamadanite.
 During the middle ages Aleppo's ex- fstence was a life of stormy magnif1- cence. During the earlier wars of the Saracens with the eastern Roman en- pire 1t was more than once taken and retaken. In t&e tenth century 1t be- came the seat of a brilliant local dy- nasty from Hamadan in Persia. The most noted ruler of this family was Seyf-ed-Din, whom the Byzantine his torians call "Khabdanos," 1. e., the Hamadanite. Seyf-ed-Din kept great state at Aleppo, and probably the chief portions of the present Notifications of the citadel were built by him, though 1t is quite possible that they are older. He was a patron of art and literature ] and also a mighty warrior, who led many expeditions against the eastern Roman empire with alternate success and defeat.
 After much success he sustained a terrible defeat in 961 in the Taurus passes, and himself escaped only by a breakneck scramble up a precfpice. Next year his fate was upon him, for the great Byzantine marshal, Nice phoros Phokas, soon to be emperor-re- gent, marched against Aleppo with all the available forces of the East. Seyf- ed-Din made desperate efforts; he lev led all the citizens of Aleppo and in- trenched himself to guard the ap- breaches to his capital, while in Mes ! opotamia a holy war was proclaimed, and the troops of Mosul, Edessa, Mar din and many other places marched to the relief of Aleppo. Could all these forces unite the Byzantine general must have been defeated, but he was so prompt that he reached his goal be- fore the Mesopotamians could arrive. By one of those masterly turning move ments which in those days only By zantine generals and Byzantine troops could achieve, Phokas f1anked Seyf-ed- Din out of his intrenchments and forced him to fight in the open before the city gates. He was utterly defeat ed. and as his beaten troops poured back into Aleppo sedition broke out The citizen soldiers laid the blanc of the rout upon the Arab and Turkish