AN'TIOCH (Gk. 'Arrt6xeta, : Lat.
latioehra, or A nliorhia). The ancient capital of the Ilellenistie kings of Syria. on the Orontes, and the most marmitieent of the sixteen eities of that name built by Seleucns Nivat or, and named for his father, Antiochus. Its situation was ad. mirably chosen. The river Orontes, issuing iron the mountaius of 1.c.dianon, flows north as far as the thirty-sixth parallel of latitude, and then southwest into the Mediterranean. On the left bank of the river, and at a distance of twenty miles from the sea. lay the famous city, in the midst of a fertile and beautiful plain, ten miles long by five broad. By its harbor, Seleucia, it had communicathm with all the maritime cities of the West, while it became, on the other hand, an emporium for the merchandise of the East. Behind it lay the vast Syrian desert, across which traveled the caravans from Mesopotamia and Arabia. On the north. the plain of Antioch is bounded by the mountain chain of Amanus, con nected with the southeastern extremity of Mount Taurus; and on the south, which is more rocky, by the broken declivities of Mount Cash's, from which the ancient town was distant less than two miles. In early times, a part of the city stood upon an island, which has now disappeared. The rest was built partly on the plain, and partly on the rugged ascent toward Mount Casius. The slopes above the city were covered with vineyards, while the banks of the river displayed, as they do even at the present day, a gorgeous profusion of eastern fruit-trees. The ancients called it "Antioch the lleautiful."and the "Crown of the East." It was a favorite residence of the Selencid princes and of the wealthy Romans, and was famed throughout the world for its luxury. It received from Strata, the name of Tetrapolis, on account of three new sites having been suc cessively built upon, and each surrounded with a wall. Pounded by Self-liens Nicator about 300 MC., it received its first addition from him; its second from Seleneus Callinieus (246-220 'Lc.) ; and its third from Antioolius Epiphanes (175 1114 B.C.). Its public edifices were magnificent. The priaripal were the palace, the senate house, the temple of Jupiter, burnished with gold, the theatre, amphitheatre, and Cwsarium. It had an aqueduct. a public promenade, and innumerable baths. After the founding of Constantinople it ceased to In• the first city of the East, but it rose to new dignity as a Christian city, for Antioch was in fact the mother church of Gentile Chris tianity, the home of the first ministry of Paul, the spot from which lie set out on his missionary journeys through Asia and Greece. and
the scene of the first conflict between Jewish and Gentile Christianity, the result of which was the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem about 51 A.D. Ten councils were held at Antioch. Churches sprang up, exhibiting a new style of architecture, which soon became prevalent: and even Constantine himself spent a considerable time here, adorning the town and strengthening its harbor, Selencia.
The Antiochians themselves, however. brought about the ruin of their beautiful city. They were famous. above all other people in ancient times, for their biting and scurrilous wit, and for their ingenuity in devising nicknames. When the Per sians. under Chosroi;s. invaded Syria in 53S A.D., the inhabitants could not refrain from jesting at them. The Persians took ample revenge by the total destruction of the city, which, however, was by Justinian. The next important event in its history was its conquest by the Sara cens in the seventh century. In the ninth cen tury it was recovered by the Greeks under Niue phorus ]'Lucas, but in IWO it again fell into the hands of the Mohammedans. The Crusaders be.
sieged and took it in 1098. and it was held by the Christians until 1268. ( See ANTiOCIn, PRINCIPAL cry oF.) Since then Antioch has undergone a variety of vicissitudes. Its population at the height of its grandeur is estimated to have been 400,000. Probably no other great city in the world has suffered so frightfully from earth quakes as Antioch. It was destroyed by one in A destructive visitation occurred in 1872.
The modern town of Antakiyeh, in the vilayet of Aleppo, is situated on the site of the ancient Antioch (Map: Turkey in Asia, G 4). It is poorly built, and presents a striking contrast to the magnificent walls of the old city, which arc still partly preserved. It takes up only a small portion of the ancient city, the remainder being covered with olive trees and date palms. The inhabitants carry on some trade in olives, silk, and grain. The population is variously estimated at from 18.000 to 2S,000, including only a few Christians.