Lexington dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1917-1919, 1919-10-01
LEPPO, the capture Of which
by General Allenby on Octo-
Der 26, 1918, was the culmina.



IA by General Allenby on Octo-
Der 26, 1918, was the culmina.
ton of the conquest of Syria,
ID, like Damascus and Konieh, one OF
the ancient cities of the world. 1t
may, indeed, be older than either; GER
tainly it appears in history as early
as Damascus and before Konieh. 1t
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 a
writer in the Sphere. UnSer Roman
rule it enjoyed long period Of pros
perity. It's ancient Syrian name of
Halban, or Khalban, was corrupted
by the Greeks into Chalybon, but it was
also known as Besea. When, after
seven centuries of Roman rule, it fell
into. the hands of the Arabs, It was
called by them Haleb, a nearer approx
imation to it's 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 AJeppo-that is, they
dropped the aspirate, as Latins 50
often do, sounded the final "b' as a
"p," and added in the 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 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
repro. 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-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 the
Saracens with the eastern Roman en-
pire it was more than once taken and
retaken. In the tenth century it be-
came the seat of 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," i. 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
it is quite possible that they are older.
He was q patron Of art and literature
and also 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
bleakneck scramble up precipice.
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-
proaches to his capital, while in Mes
opotamia q holy war was proclaimed,
and the troops of Mosul, Odessa, Mar
din and many other places marched to
the relief of Aleppo. Could ali 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 mastery turning move
1nents which in those days only By
zantine generals and Byzantine troops
could achieve, Phokas ianked 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 blame of
the rout upon the Arab and Turkish
mercenaries; they turned their swords
against one another, ahd amid this in
ternecine strife the Byzantine cutras-
siers stormed the walls and came pour
ing into the streets, sweeping the last
army Of .aKhabdanos" before them in
rout and ruin. For three days the vic
torious army wrought its will on un-
happy Aleppo. while upon the sack and
destruction the fallen .emir and rem
nant of his army looked down from the
walls of the impregnable citadel, per-
haps those self-same plies of tawny ma
sorry which crown the fortress hill to