TADMOR or Palmyra, a ruined city, known to the Bedouins as Sulaymania. It is three days' journey from the Euphrates. It attained to great splendour froin its position, being for centuries a depot for the merchandise brought frorn the East Indies and up the Persian Gulf, and which was forwarded from Tadrnor into Phcenieia and Asia Minor. Solomon took this town under his pro tection, erected some fortifications for its defence, and gave it a garrison of his soldiers. During the reign of Mark Antony, its inhabitants were noted for their riches and. their COMMeITC with the east. Pliny notices it as a fertile oasia in the desert. It Ls 337 miles distant from Seleucia on the Tigris, 203 from the sea, and 176 from Damascus. The city attained to its greatest grandeur under the rule of Odenatus and Zenobia, but it was besieged and taken by the emperor Aurelian, and Zenobia was led captive to Rome, where she formed part of the display in his triumph.
Zenobia, widow of Odenatus, htul been per mittted by Gallienus to participate in the title of Augustus, and had extended her sway over the greater part of Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt. The army of Aurelian encountered the forces of Zenobia. on the banks of the Orontes, not far
from Antioch, and drove the Palmyrenes from their position. They retreated to Edessa, where they were a second time defeated in. a bloody battle, and compelled to fall back on Palmyra, followed by Aurelian, who invested the city. Zenobia was taken prisoner in attempting to escape into Persia, and, after a long defence, Palmyra fell. Aurelian then set out on his return to Italy, and had reached Byzantium when tidings overtook him that the Palmyrenes had revolted, murdered the governor and Roman garrison, and proclaimed a relation of Zenobia Augustus. He immediately turned back to Palmyra, which he entered unopposed, massacred the whole popu lation, and razed the city to the ground, leaving orders, however, to restore the temple of the sun, which had been pillaged by the soldiers. While yet in Mesopotamia, it became known that Egypt had risen in rebellion, and Aurelian hastened to Alexandria, put the usurper Firmus to death, and then returned to Rome. The temple of the sun at Tadmor is on a grander scale than that at Balbec.