THE LADIES' GARLAND. ANTIOCH IN SYRIA. DRAWN BY J. D. HARDING, FROM A VIEW BY M. DE CASAS. THERE were several cities in the east which bore the name of Antioch: but only two are mentioned in Scripture, viz: Antioch in Pisidia; and Antioch in Syria-once the capital of the Syro-Macedonian empire -of which a view is given in our engraving. It is situated on both sides of the river Orontes, about twenty miles from the place where it discharges itself into the Mediterranean, being about midway between Alexandria and Constantinople, and about seven hundred miles from each. Formerly, this "Queen of the East" was called Riblath, but it was not known under the name of Antioch until the reign of Seleucus Nicanor, who built it, and called it Antioch, from respect to his father, Antiochus, B.C. 301. For several hundred years it was the residence of the Macedonian kings of Syria, and afterwards of the Roman governors of that province. This city, which was anciently so beautiful, so flourishing and illustrious, is at present scarcely any thing but a heap of ruins, by the Arabs called Antakia. The walls are still standing; but within the city, which is approached by an old bridge over the river Orontes, there is nothing to be seen but ruins, gardens, the minarets of the mosques, and some wretched houses. The bishop of Antioch has the title of patriarch, and has constantly had a great share in the affairs of the eastern church. Antioch was almost square, having many gates; and much of it on the north side stood on a high mountain. It was adorned VOL. VI.-No. 7.-JAN. 1843. with galleries and fine fountains; its circumferance exceeded twelve miles, and its population was not less than half a million of souls. The fertility of its soil; the richness of its local scenery; the beauty of its fountains; the magnificence of its temples; the sumptuousness of its palaces; the extent of its commerce; and the learning, genius, and taste of its inhabitants, were celebrated throughout the world, and it was considered an honor to be one of its citizens. Hence, Cicero, in his oration for the poet Archias, who was a native of Antioch, introduces this fact in favor of his client, and commends the place of his birth as "a noble city, abounding in eminent men." Vespasian, Titus, and other emperors, granted very great privileges to this city; but it has likewise been exposed to great vicissitudes. It was almost demolished by earthquakes, A.D. 340, 394, 396, 458, 526, and 528. The emperor Justinian repaired it, A.D. 529: in his time it was called Theopolis, or the City of God, on account (it is said) of its inhabitants being mostly Christians. A.D. 548 it was taken by Chosroes, king of Persia, who massacred the inhabitants and reduced it to ashes. Four years afterwards it was rebuilt by Justinian: and in the year 574 Chosroes took it a second time, and destroyed its walls. A.D. 588, it suffered a dreadful earthquake, by which upwards of sixty thousand persons perished. It was again rebuilt, and again was exposed to new calamities. In the year 637 or 638, the Saracens took it: in 966 it was retaken by 201 Nicephorus Phocas; four years afterwards, remarked, that the inhabitants were chiefly an army of one hundred thousand Saracens Greeks. To these, in particular, it appears besieged it without success; but afterwards from Acts 11, 20, certain Cypriot and Cythey subdued it, added new fortifications, and renian converts, who had fled from the permade it almost impregnable. This city was secution which followed the death of Stephen, the first object to which the crusaders di- addressed themselves, "preaching the Lord rected their efforts. They held it from A.D. Jesus." The humble and faithful labors of 1098, till it was taken and destroyed in 1268, these persecuted men, were signally blessed by the sultan of Egypt, who demolished its in this idolatrous city; "and the hand of the splendid churches, and put most of the in- Lord was with them: and a great number habitants to death. It has, ever since, lost believed and turned unto the Lord." Some its reputation and magnificence, and has are of opinion, however, that the Gospel had groaned under the dominion of the Turk. been previously introduced into this city, by Antioch abounded with great men, and the the Jewish converts, soon after the day of Christian church in this city was long gov- Pentecost. Should this opinion be admitted, erned by illustrious prelates; but it suffered (and it is not improbable,) this season must much on several occasions, sometimes being be regarded as a very great and glorious reexposed to the violence of heresies, and at vival at Antioch; and hence arose one of the other times being rent by deplorable schisms. most illustrious of all the primitive Christian The greater part of the inhabitants were churches. When the apostles at Jerusalem, Greeks and Syrians; but Josephus says that were informed of the success of the Gospel in many Jews also settled in it. The kings of this populous capital of Syria, they sent BarSyria allowed the Jews the freedom of Anti-nabas to aid the infant church. His coming och equally with the Greeks, so that their was attended with the happiest results; numbers increased exceedingly, and they so fast did the field expand, and the harvest were always bringing over a great many of ripen, that he was soon forced to solicit the the Greeks to their religious worship. assistance of Paul, who was then residing among his friends at Tarsus. By means of their joint labors, the church was greatly enlarged, and this place became their future residence, the centre and rallying point of all their subsequent ministerial and missionary exertions. Here they were also joined by Peter; who, on one memorable occasion, for his unreasonable concessions to the Jews, respecting the observance of the ceremonial law, and consequent dissimulation, was firmly and publicly reproved by Paul, as putting to hazard the very substance of the glorious gospel. Acts 15: 22-35; Gal. 2: 11-14. and Antioch was sometimes called Antiochia Epidaphne, and Antiochia apud Daphnem, to distinguish it from other cities of the same name. It derived these appellations from its neighborhood to Daphne, a village mentioned in the history of the Maccabees, (2 Mac. 4. 32;) which stood about five miles from Antioch, and was accounted one of the suburbs of the city. Here Seleucus had planted an immense grove of laurels and cypresses, more than three miles in extent, in the centre of which was a temple dedicated to Apollo and Diana; the whole being consecrated as an asylum or sanctuary. To this place the inhabitants of Antioch were accustomed to resort for amusement, as the Romans did to Baie, and the Alexandrians to Canopus; but in process of time it was so much frequented by the dissolute, that it was avoided as infamous, by all who had any re-indicates, by divine authority, to the followgard for their reputation. Here the worship, ers of Christ; who, before this, were commonas among other idolatrous people, was, alas! ly styled Nazarenes, as being the followers worthy of its object. Hence, Daphnicis of Jesus of Nazareth, a name by which the moribus vivere, "to live after the manner of Jews, in scorn, call them to this day, with Daphne," became a proverbial expression, to the same intent that the Gentiles of old were denote the most dissolute course of life. It wont to call them Galileans. In the relief was, indeed, the general characteristic of the sent by this church to their suffering brethinhabitants of Antioch, in almost every pe- ren in Judea, during the famine foretold by riod of their history, to live after this manner; Agabus, which occurred in the fourth or fifth and to this, their voluptuous disposition, may year of Claudius, (as mentioned by Josephus, be ascribed many of the calamities which be-Eusebius, and others,) we see the generous fel this celebrated city, if not indeed its final catastrophe. Such was Antioch in the time of the apostles. Yet in this most unpromising soil did Christianity take root. It has been already Antioch was the birth-place of St. Luke; and also of Theophilus, to whom his two books of the evangelical history were addressed. In this city, also, the name of Christians was first given, and as the original word overflowings of their Christian charity. Acts 11: 27-30. And we have the testimony of Chrysostom, both of the vast increase of this illustrious church in the fourth century, and of the spirit of charity which then continued No. 7. Anecdote.-How to Make Wives Love their Home. 203 HOW TO MAKE WIVES LOVE THEIR HOMES. A great deal has been said, here and elsewhere, about the stay-at-home duty of wives; and the obligation under which they live, to make home pleasant and comfortable, attractive, and all that. The inference from this have nothing to do in the matter; and that one-sided preaching and caution is, that men comforts of what is intended to be the pleanothing depends upon them in relation to the rated for gadding, as if they had no right to sant place upon earth. Women are soundly their houses as mere cook-shops, and places be seen out of doors; while men may treat where lodgings are provided for them-coming in only to their food and to their beds, and nobody questions either their right thus to neglect their families, or the propriety and policy of such neglect. to actuate it. It consisted, at this time, of not less than a hundred thousand communicants, three thousand of whom were supported out of the donations of their brethren. It is painful to trace the progress of declension in such a church as this a church whose infancy was watched over by such a brilliant galaxy of eminent and inspired teachers, (Acts, 13: 1;)—whose maturity was adorned by the character and writings of the most distinguished of the early martyrs, Ignatius, for many years its venerable pastor-and which flourished for three centuries with increasing vigor, under the fires of persecution; yet from the age of Chrysostom, that is, from the close of the fourth century, must we date its decline and fall. It continued, indeed, outwardly prosperous; but superstition, secular ambition, and the pride of life; pomp and formality in the service of God, in the place of humility and sincere deWhen a man thus contemptuously treats votion; the decay of charity, and the growth his home, and evinces in every action his preof faction; showed that real religion was ference for any place except his own fireside, fast disappearing; and that the foundations what are we to expect of the rest of "the were already laid of that great apostacy, folks," but that they should emulate the fawhich, in two centuries from this time, overther of the family, and despise home to? If spread the whole Christian world; led to the they make it comfortable, it must be from almost entire extinction of the church of the selfish considerations; for nobody cares any East; and still holds dominion over the fair-thing about it more than an hour at a time. est portion of the West. All the efforts of the wife to call attention to improvements and alterations in the household being lost, or responded to in the language and tone of indifference, she becomes dispirited, and naturally learns to put a small estimate upon what receives but small consideration from others. Of course, she must 'gad," or be miserable. 66 Antioch, under its modern name of Antakia, is now but little known to the western nations. It occupies, or rather did till lately occupy, a remote corner of the ancient inclosure of its walls. Its splendid buildings are reduced to hovels; and its population of half a million, to ten thousand wretched beings, living in the usual debasement and Wives and religion are treated much alike insecurity of Turkish subjects. Such was in this world. Both, to use an Hibernicism, nearly its condition when visited by Pocock are considered the one thing needful, and about the year 1738, and again by Kinnico, both are neglected. To both a great deal of in 1813. But its ancient subterranean ene- lip worship is paid-and towards both, to do my, which, since its destruction in 587, human nature justice, there is a great deal never long together withheld its tremendous of warmth of heart. It is, however, but an assaults, has again triumphed over it. The abstract feeling-a sentiment by fits and earthquake of the 13th of August, 1822, laid starts, which comes over one when he is it once more in ruins. The Jewish mission-melted by adversity, or cheered by extraorary, Wolfe, who was present at the awful dinary good fortune. It comes out upon scene, transmitted to his friends a most vivid great occasions, but in the daily walks of life, description of this closing catastrophe. Everywhere its influence should be seen and felt, thing relating to Antioch is now past.-En- it is a hidden thing. If a man is dying himcyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. self, he calls upon his Maker with as much fervency as if he had never forgotten Him; and if his wife is at the point of death, he ANECDOTE.—A distinguished gentleman of|| makes himself as busy and anxious as if he Pennsylvania, whose nose and chin were both had never forgotten her. The same feeling very long, and who had lost his teeth, where-equalized through his life, would prevent a by the nose and chin were brought near to-man's terrible anxiety at the point of death; gether, was told, “I am afraid your nose and and proper and attentive care of his wife, at chin will fight, they approach each other very all times, and under all circumstances, would menacingly.""I am afraid of it myself," leave him no necessity to be over-anxious to replied the gentleman, "for a great many atone for usual remissness when she is in words have passed between them already."danger or distress. |