Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 3 · Royal Society
FOOTNOTES:
A certain Prophecy of no small Authority runs in the Minds of all the People, and has gain'd great Credit and Belief among them, that their Empire shall be ruined by a Northern Nation, which has white and yellowish Hair. The Interpretation is as various as their Fansie. Some fix this Character on the _Muscovites_: And the poor _Greeks_ flatter themselves with foolish Hopes, that they are to be their Deliverers, and to rescue them from their Slavery, chiefly because they are of their Communion, and owe their Conversion to the _Christian_ Faith to the Piety and Zeal of the _Grecian_ Bishops formerly. Others look upon the _Swedes_, as the Persons describ'd in the Prophecy, whom they are most to fear. The Ground and Original of this fancy I suppose is owing to the great Opinion, which they have of the Valour and Courage of that Warlike Nation.
The great Victories of the _Swedes_ in _Germany_ under _Gustavus Adolphus_ were loudly proclaimed at _Constantinople_, as if there were no withstanding the shock and fury of their Arms: And their continued Successes confirmed the _Turks_ in their first belief, and their Fears and their Jealousies were augmented afterwards, when _Charles Gustave_, a Prince of as heroick a Courage, and as great Abilities in the Art and Management of War as the justly admired _Gustavus_, entred _Poland_ with his Army, and carried all before him, seized upon _Warsaw_ and drove _Casimire_ out of his Kingdom, and had almost made an entire and absolute Conquest, only a few Places holding out. This alarmed the Grand Signior and the Bassa's of the _Port_, as if the Prophecy were then about to be fulfilled, who did not care for the Company of such troublesome Neighbours, who might push on their Victories, and joyning with the _Cossacks_, advance their Arms further, and make their Country the seat of a War, which might draw after it fatal Consequences. To prevent which, Couriers are dispatch'd from _Constantinople_ to _Ragotski_, Prince of _Transylvania_, then in concert with the _Sweeds_, to Command him to retire with his Army out of _Poland_, as he valued the Peace and Safety of his own Country, and the Friendship of the Grand Signior, whose Tributary he was, and by whose Favour he had gain'd that Principality: And the _Crim-Tartars_, the Sworn Enemies of the _Poles_, who at that time lay heavy upon them, were wrought upon by the same Motives and Reasons of State, to clap up a Peace with them, that being freed from these Distractions, they might unite their Forces the better together, and make Head against the _Sweeds_.
The Ambassadors of _Christian_ Princes, when they are admitted by the Grand Signior to an Audience, (their Presents being then of course made, which are look'd upon as due, not to say, as an Homage) are dismiss'd in few Words, and referred by him to his _Wakil_ or Deputy, as he usually stiles the chief _Vizir_: And a small number of their Retinue only permitted the Honour of kissing his Vest, and then rudely enough sent away. The Grand Signiors keep up the State of the old _Asiatick_ Princes: They do not expose themselves often to the View of the People, unless when they ride in Triumph, or upon some such solemn Occasion; when they go to the Moschs, or divert themselves in the Fields, either in Riding or Hunting, they do not love to be stared upon, or approached. It is highly Criminal to pry into their Sports, such an Insolent Curiosity being often punished with Death. The Story is Famous of _Morad_ the Third, who baiting a Bear in the old Palace with a Mastiff, and espying three Fellows upon the Tower of _Bajazid's_ Mosch, who had planted themselves to see the Sport, commanded their Heads to be struck off immediately, and be brought before him, which was done accordingly. Instances of such Capricio's are frequent in the _Turkish_ History; this following happened during my stay at _Constantinople_.
Upon the return of Vizir _Achmet_ from _Candia_, after the Surrendry of that City, and a happy end put by him to that tedious and bloody War, he acquainting the present Emperor, then at _Adrianople_, with the History of that famous Siege at large, made such terrible Representations of their and the _Venetians_ Mining and Countermining one another, that the Emperor was resolved out of Curiosity to see the Experiment made of a thing, that seemed to him almost Incredible. A Work was soon raised and undermined, and above 30 Murderers and Robbers upon the High-Way and such like Villains were put into it, as it were to defend it. The Grand Signior stood upon an Eminence at some considerable distance, expecting the issue of it; upon a Signal given, the Mine was sprung, and the Fort demolished, and the poor Wretches torn piece-meal to his great Satisfaction and Amazement. The Moon is the auspicious Planet of the _Turks_: According to the course of which they celebrate their Festivals. They begin their Months from the first appearance of it, at which time they choose, except a delay brings a great Prejudice and Inconvenience with it, to begin their great Actions. The Crescent is the Ensign of the Empire, which they Paint in Banners, and place upon the Spires of their Moschs. Next to the Day of the appearing Moon, they pitch upon _Friday_, to fight upon, to begin a journey, and especially their Pilgrimage toward _Mecca_, or do any thing of great Consequence, as very lucky and fortunate.
A Relation of a Voyage from _Aleppo_ to _Palmyra_ in _Syria_; sent by the Reverend Mr. _William Hallifax_ to Dr. _Edward Bernard_ (late) _Savilian_ Professor of Astronomy in _Oxford_, and by him communicated to Dr. _Thomas Smith. Reg. Soc. S._ _D. Thomæ Smitho Edoardus Bernardus, S._ _Quanquam Epistolas tuas, O cor & medulla amicitiæ nostræ, & alia munera grato animo in finum hunc recipere soleo; eas tamen _Notitias_, quas tuo dono hodie accepi, tanquam germana & famæ nunquam marcescentis pignora, multo chariores habeo, &, dum vivam, reverenter adservabo. Sic enim Asianarum Ecclesiarum Pleiada e tenebris denuo excitas: sic antiquissimorum Episcoporum sedes instauras, ut candelabrum ἑπτάλοφον cum magno Theologo & Apocalypta iterum ardens ac fulgens videre mihi videor. Præterea, in descriptione urbis Constantini Silentiarios, Codinos, Gyllios, cæteros exsuperas. Fruere diu superstes hac laude, quam suam esse maluit Sponius, & præter morem ingenuum aut fas sibi abripere._ _Gaudeo tamen mihi jam novum adesse munus, quod tecum queam impertire volente spero, & læto. Id est Epigrapharum Sylloge, quas a columnis _Palmyrenis_ Charissimus amicus, _Gulielmus Hallifaxius_ pulchro studio descripsit. Utinam _Syriaca_ plura ipse addisset sub Græcis, & Epocham _Palmyrenam_ a _Seleuco_ victore, non ab _Alexandri_ magni obitu incepisset. Historiæ vero _Augustæ_ scriptores qui teruntur, & _Herodianus_ Grammaticus plerasque Inscriptionum istarum multum illustrant. Verum isthæc vix sunt nostri otii. Attamen si hæc commiseris _Philosophicarum Transactionum_, ut nunc loquuntur, conditoribus haud injucundum πρόπομα fuerit, donec vir illustris & adprime doctus _D. Cuperus_ uberiora forte ediderit de urbe _Solomonis_ ejusque reliquiis. Vale vir venerabilis._
Oxoniæ _Nonis_ Octobribus _A. D._ CIↃIↃCXCV. * * * * * _Reverend Sir_, [Sidenote: _Tadmor_ Castle.] [Sidenote: The Valley of Salt.] Having promised you an Account of my Voyage to _Tadmor_, I cannot now Excuse my self from being as good as my Word, whatever Censure I may incur of having misspent my Mony and Time in search of such unprofitable Curiosities; or what I more fear, of having made such poor Improvements, of which a Man of larger Reading and Understanding, might have afforded much greater Information. We departed _Aleppo_ on _Michaelmas-day_, 1691. and in six easie Days Travel over a Desart Country, came to _Tadmor_; Journying almost continually to the South, with very little variation to the Eastward. As we rode into the Town, we took notice of a Castle about half an Hours distance from it, and so situated as to Command both the Pass into the Hills, by which we entred, and the City too. But we could easily perceive it was no Old Building, retaining no Footsteps of the exquisite Workmanship and Ingenuity of the Ancients.
Upon Enquiry we were informed, that it was built by _Man-Ogle_, a Prince of the _Druces_, in the Reign of _Amurath_ the Third, _Anno D. N._ 1585. But I know not how to give much Credit to this Story, because I find not that either _Man-Ogle_, or any _Drucian_ Prince, was ever Powerful in these Parts, their strength lying on Mount _Libanus_, and along the Coast of _Sydon_, _Berytus_, _&c._ 'Tis a Work of more Labour than Art, and the very Situation alone is enough to render it almost Impregnable; standing on the top of a very high Hill, enclosed with a deep Ditch, cut out of the very Rock, over which there was only one sole Passage by a Draw-Bridge: This Bridge too is now broken down; so that there is no Entrance remaining, unless you will be at the Pains to clamber up the Rock, which is in one place feasible, but withal so difficult hazardous, that a small slip may endanger ones Life. Nor is there any thing within to be seen sufficient to recompence your Trouble of getting up to it, the Building being confused, and the Rooms very ill contrived.
Upon the top of the Hill there is a Well of a prodigious depth, as certainly it must be a great way to come at Water from the top of such a Rock, the Ditch that surrounds it, not having the least appearance of moisture therein; which made it therefore seem more strange that a Wild Boar should rush out thence among our Horses, when we rode up to take a more particular View of the Place. This Castle stands on the North side of the Town, and from hence you have the best Prospect of the Country all about. You see _Tadmor_ under you inclosed on three sides with long Ridges of Mountains, which open towards the East gradually to the distance of about an Hours Riding; but to the South stretches a vast Plain beyond the reach of the Eye. In this Plain you see a large Valley of Salt affording great quantities thereof, and lying near about an Hours distance from the City. And this more probably is the Valley of Salt, mentioned 2 _Sam._ 8. 13. where _David_ smote the _Syrians_, and slew 18000 Men, than another which lies but four Hours from _Aleppo_, and has sometimes past for it. The Air is good, but the Soil exceeding barren, nothing green to be seen therein, save some few Palm-Trees in the Gardens, and here and there about the Town. And from these Trees I conceive is obtained its Name, both in Hebrew (_Tadmor_) which signifies a Palm-Tree, and in Latin (_Palmira_;) and the whole Country is thence denominated _Syria Palmirena_; and sometimes _Solitudines Palmirenæ_: So that the Latins did not change but only Translate the old Name, which therefore still obtains in these Eastern Parts, and the more Modern is wholly unknown.
Within were to be seen the Foundations of another Wall, which probably might answer this Front, and that the _Mamalukes_, whose Workmanship it seems most likely to have been, built the Castle here for the Security of the Place. Before the whole length of this new Front, except a narrow Passage which is left for an Entrance, is cut a deep Ditch, the ascent whereof on the inner side is fac'd with Stone to the very Foot of the Wall, which must have render'd it very difficult to have assaulted it. The Passage to, and the Door it self is very narrow, not wider than to receive a loaded Camel, or that two Foot-men may well walk abreast. And as soon as you are within the first Door, you make a short turn to the Right, and pass on to another of the like bigness, which leads into the Court.
But all this is but a new Building upon an old, and by this outward Wall is quite shrouded that Magnificent Entrance, which belonged to the first Fabrick; of the stateliness whereof we were enabled to judge by the two Stones which supported the sides of the great Gate, each of which is 35 Foot in length, and artificially carved with Vines and clusters of Grapes, exceeding bold and to the Life. They are both standing, and in their Places, and the distance between them, which gives us the wideness of the Gate 15 Foot. But all this is now walled up to the narrow Door before mentioned. Over the little Door there is an Inscription in _Greek_, and also another in another Language and Character, which I never saw till in _Tadmor_, nor understand what to make of it. From that in _Greek_ we hoped for some Information; but it will be evident to any one that reads it, that the Stone was brought from another Place and casually put in there. 'Tis thus: ΤΟ ΜΝΗΜΕΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΤΑΦΕΩΝΟΣ ΕΚΤΙΣΕΝ ΕΞ ΙΔΙΩΝ ΣΕΠΤΙΜΙΟΣ ΟΔΑΙΝΑΘΟΣ Ο ΛΑΜΠΡΟΤΑΤΟΣ ΣΥΝΚΛΗΤ[ΙΚΟΣ] ΑΙΡΑΝΟΥ ΟΥΑΒΑΛΛΑΘΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΝΑΣΩΡΟΥΑΥ ΤΩΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΥΙΟΙΣ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΥΙΩΝΟΙΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΠΑΝΤΕΛΕΣ ΑΙΩΝΙΟΝ ΤΕΙΜΗΝ. Under this was the unknown Characters, which I shall here give you a Specimen of, it being as well as it could be taken, thus. _Vide Figuram._
The Letters between these [] Marks were not Legible, but I have ventured to supply the defect, as also you will see in some others following. Neither was the Ε in ΜΝΗΜΕΙΟΝ upon the Stone, but was doubtless omitted by mistake; and the Inscription is nothing else but the Inscription of a Sepulchre, the like to which we saw several, as I shall have occasion to mention some of them hereafter. And as for the other Character, it being added almost under every _Greek_ Inscription we saw, and rarely found alone, I am apt to believe it the Native Language and Character of the Place, and the Matter it contains nothing else but what we have in the _Greek_. As soon as you are entred within the Court, you see the Remainders of two Rows of very Noble Marble Pillars 37 Foot high, with their Capitals of most exquisite Carved Work; as also must have been the Cornishes between them, before by Rude and Superstitious Hands they were broken down. Of these there are now no more than 58 remaining entire; but there must have been a great many more, for they appear to have gone quite round the whole Court, and to have supported a most spacious double Piazza or Cloyster. Of this Piazza the Walks on the West side, which is opposed to the Front of the Temple, seem to have exceeded the other in Beauty and Spaciousness; and at each end thereof are two Niches for Statues at their full length, with their Pedestals, Borders, Supporters, and Canopies, carved with the greatest Artifice and Curiosity. The Space within this once Beautiful Enclosure, which is now filled with nothing but the dirty Huts of the Inhabitants, I conceive to have been an open Court, in the midst whereof stands the Temple, encompass'd with another row of Pillars of a different Order, and much higher than the former, being above 50 Foot high.
Of these remain now but 16, but there must have been about double that Number, which whether they enclosed an inner Court, or supported the Roof of a Cloyster, there being nothing now of a Roof remaining, is uncertain. Only one great Stone lies down, which seems to have reach'd from these Pillars to the Walls of the Temple. The whole Space contained within these Pillars we found to be 59 Yards in Length, and in Breadth near 28. In the midst of which Space is the Temple, extending in Length more than 33 Yards, and in Breadth 13 or 14. It points North and South, having a most Magnificent Entrance on the West, exactly in the middle of the Building, which by the small Remains yet to be seen, seems to have been one of the most glorious Structures in the World. I never saw Vines and clusters of Grapes cut in Stone, so Bold, so Lively, and so Natural, in any Place: And we had doubtless seen things abundantly more curious, if they had not been maliciously broken to pieces. Just over the Door we could make a shift to discern part of the Wings of a large Spread-Eagle, extending the whole wideness thereof.
The largeness whereof led me at first to imagine it might have been rather a Cherub over-shadowing the Entrance, there being nothing of the Body remaining to guide ones Judgment, and some little Angels or _Cupids_ appear still in the corners of the same Stone. But afterwards seeing other Eagles upon Stones that were fallen down, I conclude this must have been one likewise, only of a much larger size. Of this Temple there is nothing at present but the outward Walls standing, in which it is observable, that as the Windows were not large, so they were made narrower towards the top, than they were below; but all adorned with excellent Carvings. Within the Walls, the _Turks_, or more probably the _Mamalukes_, have built a Roof, which is supported by small Pillars and Arches; but a great deal lower, as well as in all other respects disproportionate and inferior to what the Ancient Covering must have been. And they have converted the place into a Mosque, having added to the South End thereof new Ornaments after their manner, with _Arabick_ Inscriptions and Sentences out of the _Alcoran_, wrote in Flourishes and Wreaths, not without Art. But at the North End of the Building, which is shut out of the Mosque, are Relicks of much greater Artifice and Beauty.
Having taken this Survey of the Temple, we went Abroad, where our Eyes were presently accosted with an amazing sight of a multitude of Marble Pillars, standing scattered up and down, for the space of near a Mile of Ground, this way and that, but so disposed as to afford no solid Foundation to judge, what sort of Structures they formerly framed. I pass by the Ruins of a Mosch, which directing our Course Northward, was the first thing occurr'd to our View, after we came out of the Court of the Temple, which though of a more Artificial Frame and Composure than many I have seen, yet is not worthy to stop us in the way to things both of greater Antiquity, and every way more noble and worthy our Consideration. Having therefore past this, you have the Prospect of such Magnificent Ruins, that if it be lawful to frame a Conjecture of the Original Beauty of the Place, by what is still remaining, I question somewhat whether any City in the World could have challenged Precedence of this in its Glory. But it being impossible as they now stand to reduce them to any regular Method, I must be forced to give you a rude Account of them as they came in sight; and which will fall much short of the Greatness and Stateliness which they shew to the Eye.
I perswade my self it would be but lost Labour to spend time in making Reflections upon this or the following Inscriptions; as for the Knowledge they may exhibit to the World, your own Conjectures will more happily lead you unto it, than any thing I am like to suggest. It seems however pretty evident they were a Free State, governed by a Senate and People, though perhaps under the Protection of great Empires, the _Parthians_, it is probable, first, and afterward the _Romans_, who for a long time contended for the Mastery here in the East. And this Government might continue among them till about the time of _Aurelian_, who demolished the Place, and led _Zenobia_, Wife of _Odenatus_, Captive to _Rome_: Who, though she be called Queen, yet I find not that ever her Husband had the Title of King; but was only one of the Chief Inhabitants, a Leading Man in the Senate (as 'tis probable this _Alilamanes_ and _Airanes_ were before him) who while the _Romans_ were busied in _Europe_, made himself great here, and by his own Force repelled the _Parthians_; who having Master'd whatever was held by the _Romans_ on the other side of _Euphrates_, made an Incursion into _Syria_, but were by _Odenatus_ driven back beyond the River.
In the course of these Wars _Odenatus_ was slain, but his Wife _Zenobia_, being a Woman of a Masculine Spirit, not only kept her Ground against her Enemies Abroad, but maintained her Authority at Home, keeping the Government in her Hands. Afterwards out of a desire to cast off the _Roman_ Yoke, she caused the whole Garrison, which was left there by _Aurelian_, to be barbarously cut off: Which bringing _Aurelian_ back with his Army, he quickly took the City, and destroyed it, putting the Inhabitants to the Sword, and carrying _Zenobia_ Captive to _Rome_; which was the Fatal Period of the Glory of the Place. This Custom of theirs of running up their Genealogies or Pedigrees to the fourth or fifth Generation, shews them to have borrowed some of their Fashions from their Neighbours the _Jews_, with whom it is not unlikely they had of old great Commerce; and perhaps many of them were descended from that People, _Zenobia_ her self being said to have been a _Jewess_; Or else this must have been the manner of all the Eastern Nations. Their _Æra_ or Account of Time they begin from the Death of _Alexander_ the Great, as the _Syrians_ generally do; the very Christians at this Day following the same usage.
Yet though they mark the Date of the Year by _Greek_ Letters, you may observe they place them a different way from the _Greeks_, setting the lesser Number first, as if they were to be read backward, from the right Hand to the left; as Ν Υ here, denoting 450. The third Letter Λ, I take to stand for the Day of the Month, _viz._ the last of _Xandicus_, which is with us _April_; this and other names of Months, which are found in other Inscriptions, being borrowed from the _Macedonians_ with very little variation. That they were Idolaters, is plain by the mention of their Country Gods, both here and in other Places: So that their Commerce with the _Jews_, did not, it seems, bring them to the Knowledge of the true God, or else they must have degenerated therefrom, and relapsed into Idolatry. The other Pillar towards the West in Height and Circumference answers this, and has upon the side the following Inscription engraved. Η ΒΟΥΛΗ ΚΑΙ Ο ΔΗΜΟΣ ΒΑΡΕΙΧΕΙΝ ΑΜΡΙΣΑΜΣΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΙΑΡΙΒΩΛΕΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΟΚΙΜΟΝ ΥΙΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΕΥΣΕΒΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΦΙΛΟΠΑΤΡΙΔΑΣ ΤΕΙΜΗΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ.
The Date of this is not legible, neither does one know what Judgment to make of the thing it self. That such a Pillar should be erected only to support the Inscription, and convey these Mens Names to After-Ages, without particularizing what they did to deserve that Honour, is something strange: unless we may suppose it was a prevailing Vanity in these Eastern Countries thus to endeavour to Eternize their Fame. An Instance whereof we have in Scripture, in _Absalom_'s setting him up a Pillar, 2 _Kings_ 18. 18. and perhaps before him, in _Saul_, 1 _Sam._ 15. 12. Otherwise it may appear no improbable Conjecture, that the Pillar was erected long before upon some other Occasion, and afterwards made use of to this end: And I look upon it as past all doubt that several other Inscriptions which we saw, were much more Modern than the Pillars, on which they were engraved. [Sidenote: The Piazza.]
Proceeding forward, directly from the Obelisk, about 100 Paces, you come to a Magnificent Entrance, vastly large and lofty, and for the exquisiteness of the Workmanship not inferior to any thing before described. I wish I could add, that it had not suffered the same Fate as the rest, and then we might have seen a rare Piece of the Ancient Beauty of the Place. This Entrance leads you into a Noble Piazza of more than half a Mile long, 938 Yards according to our Measuring, and 40 Foot in breadth, enclosed with two rows of stately Marble Pillars, 26 Foot high, and 8 or 9 about. Of these remain standing and entire 129, but by a moderate Calculate there could not have been less at first than 560. Covering there is none remaining, nor any Pavement at the bottom, unless it be buried under the Rubbish. But upon almost all the Pillars we found Inscriptions, both in _Greek_ and the Language unknown, of which we had time to take but very few, and those not very Instructive. But such as they are I'll present you them here, without observing any other Order, but as they happened to be transcribed. ΙΟΥΛΙΟΝ ΑΥΡΗΛΙΟΝ ΖΕΒΕΙΔΑΝ ΜΟΚΙΜΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΖΕΒΕΙΔΟΥ .......: ΑΣΘΩΡΟΒΑΙΔΑΟΙ ΣΥΝ Α(Υ)ΤΩ ΚΑΤΕΛΘΟΝΤΕΣ ΕΙΣ ΟΛΟΓΕΣΙΑΔΑ ΕΝΠΟΡΟΙΑΝ ΕΣΤΗΣΑΝ ΑΡΕΣΑΝΤΑ ΑΥΤΟΙΣ ΤΕΙΜΗΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ ΞΑΝΔΙΚΩ ΤΟΥ ΗΝΦ ΕΤΟΥΣ....
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