Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1919-09-05


~ by General Allenby on Octo-
4 "A Der 30, 1918, was the cuImina-
ton 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; GER
tainly II appears In history as early
as Damascus and before Konieh. II
was one of the Syrian towns captured
by the Egyptian conqueror, Thothmes
III, about 1880 u. c.. and thereafter is
of frequent occurrence i'm the agltated
annals of those early times, says n
writer in the Sphere. Under Roman
rule 1t enjoyed long period Of pros
perity. It's ancient Syrian name Of
Halban, or Khalban, was corrupted
by the Greeks into Chalybon. hut 1t was
also known MS Berea. When, after
seven centuries of Roman rule, 1t fell
into the hands of the Arabs. 1t was
called by them Haleb, n nearer approx
imation tn its ancient name than the
Greek Chalybon. The Venetian and
other Italian visitors, of whom there
were many in the middle ages, blum
dered Haleh into Aleppo-that is they
dropped the aSpirate, as Latins so
often do. sounded the final "b" as II
'p," and added in tnc arbitrary fashion
of Romans, Greeks and Italians their
termination Co."
The secret of Aleppo's long prosper
ity, which endured even under Turkish
rule, is It's splendid commercial posi-
ton ct the junction of at least four
largely due To the destruction of Pal
myra (Tadmor) by Aurelan, after
which the bulk of the trade which had
passed through the city of Solomon and
Zenobia now diverted itself by n
more northerly route through Al
eppO. BY caravan 1t traded with
Persia and India through Mesopota-
mia, with Egypt by way of Damascus,
with Asia Minor and Constantinople by
the ancient route through Taurus
In Romano-Persia, 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 cy'
cence. During the earlier wars of the
Saracens with the eastern Roman en-
pire II was more than once taken and
retaken. In the tenth century ii he
came the seat of brilliant local dy
nasty from HamadaB in Persia. The
most noted ruler of this family was
Seyf-ed-Din, whom the Byzantine his
torians call "Khabdanos," |. e., the
Hamadanite. Seyf-ed-Din kept grcH
state at Aleppo, and probably the chief
tportions of the present Notifications al
the citadel were built by him, though
IT is quite possible that they are older
He was patron Of art and literature
and also mighty warrior, who lee
many expeditions against the eastern
Roman empire with alternate success
and defeat.
After much success he sustained {
passes, and himself escaped only by {
breakneck scramble up II precipice
Next year his fate was upon him, fo
the great Byzantine marshal, Nice
phoros PhOkas, soon 10 be cmperor-re
gent, marched against Aleppo with al
the available forces of the East Seyf
ed-Dln made desperate efforts; he lev
led all the citizens of Aleppo and In
trenched himself to guard the mp
proaches 10 his capital, while I'm Mes
Opotamia holy war was proclaimed
ana the troops of Mosul Odessa, Mar
din and many other places marched Il
the relief of Aleppo. Could all thes
forces unite the Byzantine genera
must have been defeated, but he wa
so prompt that he reached his goal he
fore the MeSopotamians could arrive
BY one of those mastery turning move
ments which in those days only by
zantine generals and Byzantine troop
could achieve, Phokas flanked Seyf-ed
Din out of his Entertainments an,
forced him to fight In the open befor
the city gates. He was utterly defeat
cd. and as his beaten troops poure
back into Aleppo sedltlOn broke out
The citizen soldiers laid the blame q
the rout upon the Arab and Turks
mercenaries they turned their sword
against one another, and amid this IN
ternecine strife the byzantine cuiras
siers stormed the walls and came pOul
Ing into the streets, sweeping the las
amy of "Khabdanos" before them /
rout and ruin. For three days the viz
tOrious army wrought its will on III
happy Aleppo, while upon the sack an
destruction the fallen emlr and rem
nant of his army looked down from tn
walls of the impregnable citadel, PEI
haps those self-same piles Of tawny ma
sCnry which crown the fortress hill