Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1919-09-04

VIC" W sNsSfF~
A LEPPo, the capture of which
A by General Allenby on Octo-
4 "a Der 20, 1918, was the culmina'
ton Of the conquest OF Syria,
8. like Damascus and Konieh, one OF
The ancient cities Of the world. II
may, indeed, be older than either; GER
tainIy 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 1880 B. c., and thereafter IS
Of frequent occurrence in the agitated
annals of those early times, says
writer in the Sphere. Under Roman
rule it enjoyed long period OF pros
perity. It's ancient Syrian name Oh
Halban, or Khalban, was corrupted
by the Greeks into Chalybop, but 1t 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 ana
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 a
3D." and added in the arbitrary fashion
Of Romans, Greeks and Italians their
termination 80"
The secret of Aleppo's long prosper
ity, which endured even under Turkish
rule, is it's splendid commercial posi-
ton 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 q
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 Constantinople by
the ancient route through Taurus
In Romano-P 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
istence was a life Of stormy magnifi
cence. During the earlier wars Of thu
Saracens with the eastern Roman EN-
pire 1t was more than once taken ant
retaken. In the tenth century 1t be
came the seat of brilliant local dy
nasty from Hamadan in Persia. Tn
most noted ruler of this family wa
Seyf-ed-Din, whom the Byzantine his
torians call "Khabdanos," |. e., tn
Hamadanite. Seyf-ed-Din kept grea
state at Aleppo, and probably the chic
portions of the present Notifications 0
the citadel were built by him, thong
it is quite possible that they are oldel
He was, a patron of art and literatur
and also a mighty warrior, who lie
many expeditions against the easter
Roman empire with alternate success
and defeat.
After much success he sustained
terrible defeat in 961 in the Taurt
passes, and himself escaped only by
breakneck scramble up precipic
Next year his fate was upon him, K
the great Byzantine marshal, Mic
phoros Phokas, soon to be EMPEROR
gent, marched against Aleppo with o
the available forces Of the East Sey
ed-Din made desperate efforts; he lie
led all the citizens Of Aleppo and ]
trenched himself to guard the a
proaches to his capital, while In Nc
opotamia holy war was proclaime
and the troops of Mosul, Odessa, Ma
din and many other places marched
the relief of Aleppo. Gould all the
forces unite the Byzantine gener
must have been defeated, but he "
SO prompt that he reached his goal
, fore the Mesopotamians could arriN
BY one of those mastery turning moN
ments which in those days only !
zantine generals and Byzantine troo
: could achieve, Phokas fianked Seyf-t
Din out Of his intrenchments a
forced him to fight in the open beft
/, the city gates. He was utterly defe
! ed, and as his beaten troops pour
back into Aleppo sedition broke Q
The citizen soldiers laid the blame
the rout upon the Arab and Turk
' mercenaries; they turned their swol
y against one another, and amid this
ternecine strife the Byzantine CUR
siers st0rmed the walls and came pc
IN ing into the streets, sweeping the l
army Of .Khabdanos's before them
rout and ruin. For three days the, !
torious army wrought its viii on
happy Aleppo. while upon the sack |
Z destruction the fallen emir and r
z rant Of his army looked down from
walls OF the impregnable citadel. I
Y, haps those self-same piles Of tawny
y acnry which crown the fortress hill
II III