When the Roman power began to decline, Antioch suffered, more than any other city in the empire, from the incursions of the eastern nations. In 242, 253, and 261, it was repeatedly taken and pillaged by Sapor, king of Persia. In 333, it was afflicted with so severe a fa mine, that a bushel of wheat was sold for 400 pieces of silver ; but was relieved by Constantine I., who sent to the bishop 30,000 bushels of corn, with an immense quantity of other provisions. In 362, while the empe ror Julian was residing at Antioch, and preparing an expedition against the Persians, that city was again greatly distressed by famine. The ill-judged attempts of the emperor to remedy this evil, his endeavours to re-establish the Pagan worship in the grove of Daphne, and his general character as an enemy to Christianity, excited, in the luxurious and turbulent capital of Syria, the most seditious murmurs and insolent satires against his person and conduct. Julian contented himself with composing, in his turn, under the title of Misopogon, or the enemy of the beard, a satyrical invective against the licentious and effeminate manners of Antioch. At this period, indeed, the inhabitants of this city seem to have attained the highest extremity of luxury and dissipa tion. " Fashion," says Gibbon, " was the only law, pleasure the only pursuit, and the splendour of dress and furniture was the only distinction of the citizens of Antioch. The arts of luxury were honoured ; the se rious and manly virtues were the subject of ridicule ; and the contempt for female modesty and reverent age announced the universal corruption of the capital of the cast. The love of spectacles was the taste, or rather passion, of the Syrians ; a considerable share of the re venue was devoted to the public amusements ; and the magnificence of the games was considered as the hap piness and the glory of Antioch." In 384, it was de solated by a famine and pestilence, which gave occa sion to great disturbances ; and in 387, its inhabitants, amounting to about half a million, had nearly occasion od, by their riotous proceedings, the complete destruc tion of their city. They resisted the edicts of taxation issued by Theodosius the Great ; derided and defied their rulers; threw down the statues of the imperial fa mily; and treated these representations of majesty with the most outrageous contempt. The emperor had re solved, in the first moments of resentment, to level the offending city with the ground, and to massacre the in habitants, without distinction of age or sex. Multitudes sought a refuge in the adjacent mountains and deserts ; the noblest and wealthiest of the citizens were assembled, in chains, before the public tribunals, to receive their sentence ; a bloody execution was every moment ex pected to commence; and after a long and awful sus pense, which Chrysostom has represented as a lively image of the last judgment of the world, a free and ge neral pardon was obtained, by the intercession of Fla vian, their bishop, and of Hilarius, one of the most eminent of their senators. In 395, Rufinus, prxfect of the east, under Arcadius, exasperated the inhabitants of Antioch to such a degree, by scourging to death their governor Lucianus, that, in order to appease their fury, he ordered a magnificent portico to be built in the city, which was deemed the most stately edifice in all Syria. In 438, the Empress Eudocia, on her way to
Jerusalem, passed through Antioch ; pronounced a speech in praise of the city, in presence of the senate and the people ; and presented the magistrates with a considerable sum of money, for the relief of the indi gent citizens. The inhabitants expressed their grati tude, by erecting two statues in honour of their benefac tress. In 447, 458, 525, it suffered greatly from earth quakes ; many of its finest buildings were overturned ; and great numbers of its inhabitants perished. Rebuilt by the Emperor Justin, and recovering from its calami ties, it was, in 540, taken by Cosrhoes, king of Per sia, and given up to be plundered by his soldiers. It was completely stripped of its wealth and ornaments ; its noble buildings were laid in ashes ; and its inhabi tants were either put to the sword, or carried away into captivity. In 590 it was desolated by an earthquake, which destroyed 30,000 of its inhabitants ; and in 614 it was again taken by the Persians, under Cosrhoes II. In 638 it fell into the hands of the Saracens, and was compelled to pay 300,000 pieces of gold. At this pe riod, notwithstanding all its calamities, it was more than twelve miles in circumference, and contained such a profusion of delights, that the Saracen commander would not permit his troops to remain in it above three days. In 713, however, and in 859, it was almost completely ruined by repeated earthquakes ; and in 958, after hav ing been frequently attacked by the emperor Nicepho rus, it was taken by his general Burtzas. In 969, 974, 977, 1075, it was occupied alternately by the Turks and the Greeks. In 1098, after a siege of eight months, it fell into the hands of the crusaders, under Baldwin Duke of Normandy ; and in 1262, after having stood as Queen of the East for almost 1600 years, it was finally taken, and completely overthrown, by Bibaris, the Sul tan of Egypt.
Modern Antioch, called by the Arabs. Anthaltia, is situated 30 miles south of Scandaroon, 40 of Aleppo, and 20 east of the Mediterranean. E. Long. 36° 45', and N. Lat. 35° 17'. It is described by Volney as now no more than a ruinous town, with houses built of mud and straw, and with narro* miry streets, pre senting nothing that can interest the mind, but exhibit ing every appearance of misery and wretchedness. It stands on the southern bank of the Orontes, which is now called E1-aasi, or the rebel, at the extremity of an old decayed bridge, where the breadth of the river is not above forty paces. The surrounding soil, though excellent, is almost wholly uncultivated, except a few plantations of figs, olives, vines, and mulberry trees. See ./Inc. Univ. Hist. vol. ix. 177, 183, 323; xi. 33, 112, 138; xv. 138, 203, 242, 403, 429; xvi. 181, 392, &c. 459, 549, 621. Mod. Univ. Hist. vol. i. 455 ; ii. 180, 439 ; iii. 55, 70, 265, 301 ; iv. 137, 195. Pocoke, i. 1, 93, 188. Gibbon's Roman Hist. vol. i. 438; ii. 361 ; iv. 144, &c.; v. 59, &c. vii. 313; viii. 220; ix. 417; x.90; xi. 64. Volney's Tray. in Syria and Egypt, ii. 154, &c. (q)