Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 3 · Royal Society
FOOTNOTES:
I give you, Sir, these Inscriptions, as those before, just as I found them, without any Amendments, so much as of litteral Faults, only where a Letter, or piece of a Word was not legible, if I could make a probable Conjecture what it should be, I have ventured to add it. The last seems to have been put up in Memory of an Embassy, performed by those Men that are named therein, for settling a Commerce and Traffick, which was to their Satisfaction accomplish'd: But with whom, till I can find out what Place is meant by[15]ΟΛΟΓΕΣΙΑΔΑ, I must remain Ignorant. I am unwilling to entertain any Thoughts of _Getia_ in _Macedonia_, or of _Olgassus_, a Place mentioned by _Strabo_ in _Bythinia_, which comes a little nearer the Name, being both so remote, and the City of _Tadmor_ ill contrived for a Place of Trade, being far from the Sea, and without the Advantage of any River. Yet the Magnificence of the Place shews they have not wanted Riches among them: And their Salt is a Commodity which still brings them in a considerable Advantage. The Order of the Numeral Letters you may take notice is again inverted; but taking them the right way, the Year 558 falls in with the last Year of the Reign of _Alexander Severus_, which is of our Lord 234.
About the middle of the Piazza, upon another Pillar, was this following Inscription. Η ΒΟΥΛΗ ΚΑΙ Ο ΔΗΜΟΣ ΙΟΥΛΙΟΝ ΑΥΡΗΛΙΟΝ ΖΗΝΟΒΙΟΝ ΤΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΖΑΒΔΙΛΑΝ ΔΙΣΜΑΛΧΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΝΑΣΣΟΥΜΟΥ ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΗΣΑΝΤΑ ΕΝ ΕΠΙΔΗΜΙΑ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΥΠΗΡΕΤΗΣΑΝΤΑ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑ ΔΙΗΝΕΚΕΙ ΡΟΥΤΙΛΛΙΟΥ ΚΡΙΣΠΕΙΝΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΗΓΗΣΑΜΕΝΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΕΠΙΔΗΜΗΣΑΣΑΙΣ ΟΥΗΞΙΛΛΑΤΙΟΣΙΝ ΑΓΟΡΑΝΟΜΗΣΑΝΤΑΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΟΥΚΟΝΙΣΩΝΑ ΦΕΙΔΗΣΑΝΤΑ ΧΡΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΛΩΣ ΠΟΛΕΙΤΕΥΣΑΜΕΝΟΝ ΩΣ ΔΙΑ ΤΑΥΤΑ ΜΑΡΤΥΡΗΘΕΝΤΑ ΥΠΟ ΘΕΟΥ ΙΑΡΙΒΩΛΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΥΠΟ ΙΟΥΛΙΟΥ ....... ΤΟΥ ΕΞΟΧΩΤΑΤΟΥ ΕΠΑΡΧΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΙΕΡΟΥ ΠΡΑΙΤΩΡΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΔΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΦΙΛΟΠΑΤΡΙΝ ΤΕΙΜΗΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ ΕΤΟΥΣ ΔΝΦ. This is as perfect an Inscription as any I met with, by the help of which we may make a Judgment of all the rest; at least thus far, that they were put up in Memory of some, who had behaved themselves, in those publick Offices they bore, either in their own Republick, or under the _Romans_, with Commendation; this being a Publick Place, where their Names and worthy Actions were Recorded and Transmitted to Posterity. What I further observed particularly in this, was the want of the Name after ΙΟΥΛΙΟΥ, and took notice of the like space vacant in the other Language under it; and in both places it seemed to be not worn out with Time, but voluntarily scratch'd out. Which confirms me in the Opinion that they are both one, and that the unknown was the Vulgar, as the _Greek_ was the learned Language of the Place. Upon another Pillar in the same Walk was this.
This affords a sufficient confirmation of what I before observed, that these were Honorary Inscriptions in Memory of those that had behaved themselves well in Publick Offices; of which we have several mentioned here, whereof some are very well known, but the others not easie to be met with in Books. By the Word ΜΗΤΡΟΚΟΛΩΝΕΙΑΣ, we may be assured that though the City was reduced by the _Romans_ into the form of a Colony, yet it had a peculiar mark of Honour set upon it, to signifie that it was the chief of their Colonies in these Oriental Parts. That the Authority also of their Senate and People was continued to them. And besides that there was a Society of Men, either Curators of the Temple of _Jupiter Belus_ (to whom the Temple before described perhaps was dedicated,) or Overseers of the Sports and Festivals that were celebrated in Honour of him; of which Sodality this _Septimius_ was, when this Inscription was made, a _Symposiarch_, perhaps their Chief and Governour. By this too we find they did not wait for the Deaths of those they thus honoured, before they provided for the Preservation of their Memories; but Famous Men were thus Registered for After-Ages even while they were alive. Upon one of these Pedestals before described, not far from the former, was the following Inscription; which I valued the more for the little remainder it has preserved of the Name of _Palmyra_, by which the Place was known to the _Romans_.
The Palace it self is so entirely ruined, that no Judgment can be made what it was in its Ancient Splendor, either for the Figure or Workmanship thereof. There is only here and there a broken piece of a Wall remaining, beat into pieces by Violence, and consumed by Time to that degree, that without the help of Tradition we could hardly be well assured, that a Royal Palace did once fill that Space. We may guess however that it fronted the Famous Piazza before mentioned, and was surrounded with rows of Pillars of different Orders, many of which are still standing, some plain, and some wrought and channell'd, as those immediately encompassing the Temple. And upon those little Pedestals which stood out of the middle of some of them, I observed several Inscriptions, but could not conveniently take more than one, which together with the Pillar that supported it was fallen to the Ground. 'Twas this. ΜΑΡΘΕΙΝ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΠΑΔΗΤΟΥ ΟΥΑΒΑΛΛΑΘΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΣΥΜΩΝΟΥ ΣΟΡΑΙΧΟΣ ΑΙΡΑΝΟΥ ΑΝΗΡ ΑΥΤΗΣ ΜΝΗΜΗΣ ΕΝΕΚΕΝ ΜΗΝΕΙ ΔΥΣΤΡΩ ΤΟΥ Ϟ Υ ΕΤΟΥΣ. If the rest were of a like Nature with this, we have lost no great matter by not taking them, this being only a Memorial, which a kind Husband caused to be set up in Honour of his Wife. The Month _Dystrus_, answers our _March_, and the Year 490 from the Death of _Alexander_ the Great, the Year of our Lord 166.
I omitted to mention before, that under the long Walk runs a Current of hot Sulphureous Waters; and there is a Well and other Passages down to them. But whatever they may have been of old, they are not now so convenient as another about half a Mile Westward from hence; where there is a very good Descent into the Water, and it is still used by the People to Bath in. Near to which, upon the Pedestal of a broken Pillar, (or perhaps it might be an Altar) remains this following Inscription. ΔΙΙ ΥΨΙΣΤΩ ΜΕΓΙΣΤΩ ΚΑΙ ΕΠΗΚΟΩ ΒΩΛΑΝΟΣ ΖΗΝΟΒΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΡΑΝΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΜΟΚΙΜΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΜΑΘΘΑ ΕΠΙ ΜΕΛΕΤΗ ΣΟΗ ΑΙΡΕΘΕΙΣ _ΕΦΚΑΣ_ ΠΗΓΗΣ ΥΠΟ ΙΑΡΙΒΩΛΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΤΟΝ ΒΩ [forsan ΒΩΜΟΝ] ΕΞ ΙΔΙΩΝ ΑΝΕΘΗΚΕΝ ΕΤΟΥΣ Δ Ο Υ ΜΗΝΟΣ YΠΕΡΒΕΡΕΤΑΙΟΥ Κ.
I am pretty confident that the Word I have mark'd with a Line under it, is rightly taken, and therefore know not what to guess it to be, unless the proper Name of the Fountain. And upon that Supposition the Inscription is easily Intelligible, shewing that _Bolanus_, Son of _Zenobius_, &c. being elected Overseer or Curator of this Fountain, under _Jaribolus_, built this Altar to _Jupiter_, in the Year of _Alexander_ 474. _i. e._ of our Lord 150. and on the 20_th_ of _October_, if the last _Kappa_ be a Numeral, as I suppose it must. But who this _Jaribolus_ was, on whom they bestow, as generally upon the _Roman_ Emperors, whose Names occur in the Inscriptions, the Title of ΘΕΟΣ, is not so facile a Conjecture. They were under the _Parthians_, before the _Romans_ fell in amongst them; but the Date shews this to be after the time of _Hadrian_, and so after their coming. Nay, and in an Inscription before mentioned, which is of a later Date than this by 88 Years, we have the Name of the same Person. Hot Sulphureous Baths are things very frequent in this Country; and thence it was that it obtained the Name of _Syria Salutifera_. The scent of the Waters here is much like those of _Bath_ in _England_, but not so strong, neither is the Taste so offensive. On the contrary, when they have run so far from the Fountain, as to become cold, they are very potable, and are the only Waters the Inhabitants use. But we, during our stay there, sent to a Fountain of very excellent Water, about an hour distant from the City.
But as great a Curiosity as any were their Sepulchers, being Square Towers, four or five Stories high, and standing on both sides of a hollow way, towards the North part of the City. They stretch out in length the space of a Mile, and perhaps formerly might extend a great way further. At our first view of them, as we entred the place, we could not conjecture what they were; some thought them the Steeples of ruined Churches, and were in hopes we should have found some footsteps of Christianity here. Others took them to have been Bastions, and part of the Old Fortifications, tho' there is not so much as any Foundation of a Wall to be seen. But when we came a Day or two after, more curiously to enquire into them, we quickly found their use. They were all of the same Form, but of different Splendor and Greatness, according to the Circumstances of their Founders. The first we viewed was entirely Marble; but is now wholly in Ruins, and nothing but a heap of broken Stones, among which we found the pieces of two Statues, one of a Man, and another of a Woman, cut in a sitting, or rather leaning posture; and the Heads and part of the Arms of both being broken off, but their Bodies remaining pretty entire; so that we had the Advantage of seeing their Habits, which appeared very Noble, but more approaching the _European_ Fashion, than what is now in use in the East; which inclined me to believe they might be _Romans_. Upon broken pieces of Stone tumbled here and there, we found some as broken Inscriptions, but not affording any perfect Sense, they are not worth the Transcribing.
Many other Sepulchers there were, as much gone to decay as this, which therefore we past by, to go to two, which stood almost opposite to one another, and seemed most perfect of any, though not without marks of the _Turkish_ Malice. They are two square Towers, rather larger than ordinary Steeples, and five Stories high, the outside being of common Stone, but the Partitions and Floors within of good Marble; and beautified too with very lively Carvings and Paintings, and Figures both of Men and Women, as far as the Breast and Shoulders; but miserably defac'd and broken. Under these Statues, or by their sides, are in the unknown Character, the Names probably of the Persons there buried, or by them represented; or else some other Memorials of them. We entred one of these by a Door on the South side, from which was a Walk cross the whole Building just in the middle. But the Floor was broke up, and so gave us a sight of a Vault below, divided after the same manner. The Spaces on each Hand were again sub-divided into six Partitions by thick Walls, each Partition being capable of receiving the largest Corps: And piling them one above another, as their way appears to have been, each of those Spaces might contain at least six or seven Bodies. For the lowest, second and third Stories, those Partitions were uniform, and altogether the same; save from the second Floor, which answered the main Entrance, one Partition was reserved for a Stair-Case. Higher than this, the Building, being something contracted towards the top, would not afford space for the continuation of the same Method: Therefore the two uppermost Rooms were not so parted, nor perhaps ever had any Bodies lain in them. Unless it was that of the Founder alone, whose Statue wrapt up in Funeral Apparel, and in a lying Posture, is placed in a Nich, or rather Window in the Front of the Monument, so as to be visible both within and without. Near to this Statue was the following Inscription.
And now I believe I have wearied you sufficiently by leading you up and down the Ancient and Famous City of _Tadmor_, and giving you so dry an Account of our Employment there. After 4 Days stay we returned, not the way that we came, but proceeding Eastward towards the River _Euphrates_. In our way to which, the third Day, passing though a Village called _Tieve_, upon a Stone set wrong End upwards, in the midst of the Wall of the Mosch, we met with the following Inscription. ΔΙΙ ΜΕΓΙΣΤΩ ΚΕΡΑΥΝΙΩ ΥΠΕΡ ΣΩΤΗΡΙΑΣ ΤΡΑ: ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΥ ΣΕΒ... ΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΟΥ ΑΓΑΘΑΝΓΕΛΟΣ ΑΒΙΛΗΝΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΔΕΚΑΠΟΛΕΟΣ ΤΗΝ ΚΑΜΑΡΑΝ ΩΚΟΔΟΜΗΣΕΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΚΛΙΝΗ.... ΕΞ ΙΔΙΩΝ ΑΝΕΘΗΚΕΝ ΕΤΟΥΣ ΕΜΥ ΜΗΝΟΣ ΛΩΟΥ. And under this was another in the same Language and Character we had seen at _Tadmor_; I was surprized to find such an Inscription in this Place, nor can any way guess how they should come by it: And the mention of _Decapolis_ makes me still more in the Dark. If one might extend the Bounds of _Decapolis_, as some are said to have done, as far as _Cælosyria_, and comprize under this Name again all _Syria_, _Phænicia_ only excepted, then need it not be brought from elsewhere, but first set up in this Village. But this will not be allowed by those who make _Decapolis_ only a part of _Palestine_. The Matter of Fact it contains is only an Account of the Magnificence of this _Agathangelus Abilenus_, whoever he was; who for the safety of the Emperor _Hadrian_, erected at his own Charges, and Dedicated to _Jupiter_ the Thunderer, a Royal Banquetting-House, (for so I take [17]ΚΑΜΑΡΑ to signifie) and a Bed of State; for after ΚΛΙΝΗ there is doubtless a Letter omitted, and it ought to be ΚΛΙΝΗΝ. The Date 445 agrees to the Year of our Lord 123. which was the seventh of the Reign of _Hadrian_. And the Month ΛΩΟΣ is our _August_.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.