Listed 12 sub titles with search on: Biographies for wider area of: "ALEPPO Town SYRIA" .
KYRROS (Ancient city) SYRIA
Andronicus (Astronomer, Engineer, Architect). A native of the Syrian city of Cyrrhus,
Andronicus is cited by Pausanias, Vitruvius and Varro. He constructed celestial
spheres and astronomical instruments, which were often variations and improvements
on existing devices; but he is perhaps best known for two more substantial works.
The first of these was the white marble sundial he built for the sanctuary of
Poseidon and Amphitrite on the island of Tinos, which is now on display in the
Museum of Tinos. This sundial became so famous that Andronicus was invited to
Athens, where he erected a magnificent horologium on the eastern side of the Roman
marketplace. One of the very first "town clocks", this was an octagonal structure
of Pentelic marble, 3.2 metres long on each side and 12 metres high. The tower
housed a water clock, while atop the conical roof was a bronze statue of Triton,
rod in hand, that turned to indicate the direction of the wind. On each facade
was a sundial and a winged figure carved in relief, representing one of the eight
principal winds. Each of these figures carried its own particular symbol, and
its name was engraved on the lower part of the cornice beneath it: (anti-clockwise
from the North) Boreas, Sciron, Zephyr, Lips, Notos, Euros, Apeliotes, Caecias.
Andronicus incorporated into this construction a number of inventions of earlier
clock-makers, including Archimedes, Ctesibius and Philo.
Vitruvius called the monument the "Tower of the Winds", and described
it in considerable detail; it is also mentioned by Varro. A cylindrical reservoir
on the south side held water piped in from the spring on the north side of the
Acropolis. The tower itself, with its Doric interior and its Corinthian exterior,
is still in relatively good condition.
This text is based on the Greek book "Ancient Greek Scientists", Athens, 1995 and is cited Sep 2005 from The Technology Museum of Thessaloniki URL below.
Andronicus Cyrrhestes, (so called from his native place, Cyrrha), was the builder of the octagonal tower
at Athens, vulgarly called "the tower of the winds". Vitruvius (i. 6.4), after
stating, that some make the number of the winds to be four, but that those who
have examined the subject more carefully distinguished eight, adds, "Especially
Andronicus Cyrrhestes, who also set up at Athens, as a representation thereof
(exemplum), an octagonal tower of marble, and on the several sides of the octagon
he made sculptured images of the several winds, each image looking towards the
wind it represented", (that is, the figure of the north wind was sculptured on
the north side of the building, and so with the rest), "and above this tower he
set up a marble pillar (metam), and on the top he placed a Triton in bronze, holding
out a wand in his right hand: and this figure was so contrived as to be driven
round by the wind, and always to stand opposite the blowing wind, and to hold
the wand as an index above the image of that wind". Varro calls the building "horologium"
(R. R. iii. 5.17, Schn.). It formed a measure of time in two ways. On the outer
walls were lines which with gnomons above them, formed a series of sun-dials,
and in the building was a clepsydra, supplied from the spring called Clepsydra,
on the north-west of the Acropolis. The building, which still stands, has been
described by Stuart and others. The plain walls are surmounted by an entablature,
on the frieze of which are the figures of the winds in bas-relief. The entrances,
of which there are two, on the north-east and the north-west, have distyle porticoes
of the Corinthian order. Within, the remains of the clepsydra are still visible,
as are the dial lines on the outer walls.
The date of the building is uncertain, but the style of the sculpture
and architecture is thought to belong to the period after Alexander the Great.
The clepsydra also was probably of that improved kind which was invented by Ctesibius,
about 135 B. C. (Dict. of Ant. s. v. Horologium.) Muller places Andronicus at
100 B. C.
From the words of Vitruvius it seems probable that Andronicus was
an astronomer. The mechanical arrangements of his "horologium" were of course
his work, but whether he was properly the architect of the building we have nothing
to determine, except the absence of any statement to the contrary.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
CHALKIS (Ancient city) SYRIA
Herodes, king of Chalcis, was son of Aristobulus, the ill-fated son of the Asmonean
Mariamne, and brother of Herod Agrippa I. (Joseph. Ant. xviii. 5.4.) He obtained
the kingdom of Chalcis from Claudius at the request of his brother Agrippa (A.
D. 41): he was at the same time honoured by the emperor with the praetorian dinity;
and after the death of Agrippa (A. D. 44), Claudius bestowed upon him the general
superintendence of the temple and sacred treasury at Jerusalem, together with
the right of appointing the high-priests. Of the latter privilege he availed himself,
first to remove Cantheras, and appoint Joseph, the son of Camus, and again, subsequently
to displace Joseph, and bestow that high dignity upon Ananias, the son of Nebedeus.
These are all the events that are recorded of his reign, which lasted less than
eight years, as he died in A. D. 48, when his petty kingdom was bestowed by Claudius
upon his nephew, Herod Agrippa II. (Joseph. Ant. xix. 5.1, xx. 1. 3, 5.2, B. J.
ii. 11.5, 6; Dion Cass. lx. 8.) He was twice married, first to Mariamne, daughter
of Olympias, the daughter of Herod the Great, by whom he had a son, Aristobulus;
secondly, to the accomplished Berenice, daughter of his brother Agrippa, who bore
him two sons, Berenicianus and Hyrcanus. (Joseph. Ant. xviii. 5.4, xx. 5.2.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Nov 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
KYRROS (Ancient city) SYRIA
Cassius, Avidius, one of the most able and successful among the generals of M. Aurelius, was a native of Cyrrhus in Syria, son of a certain Heliodorus, who in consequence of his eminence as a rhetorician had risen to be praefect of Egypt. While Verus was abandoning himself to all manner of profligacy at Antioch, the war against the Parthians was vigorously prosecuted by Cassius, who closed a most glorious campaign by the capture of Seleuceia and Ctesiphon. He subsequently quelled a formidable insurrection in Egypt, organized by a tribe of marauders who dwelt among the fens; and having been appointed governor of all the Eastern provinces, discharged his trust for several years with fidelity and firmness. The history of his rebellion and his miserable death are narrated under M. Aurelius. If we can believe in the authenticity of the documents produced by Gallicanus, the conduct of Cassius excited the suspicion of Verus at a very early period, but Antoninus refused to listen to the representations of his colleague, ascribing them doubtless, and with good cause, to jealousy. (In addition to the notices contained in Dion Cassius lxxi. 2, 21, &c., we have a formal biography from the pen of one of the Augustan historians, named Vulcatius Gallicanus, but the style of this production is not such as to inspire much confidence in its author.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Nov 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
CHALKIS (Ancient city) SYRIA
Iamblichus (Iamblichos). A NeoPlatonic philosopher, a native of Chalcis
in CoeleSyria. He died about A.D. 330. He was a pupil of Porphyry and a follower
of Plotinus; but pushing their teachings to the point of absurdity, became a mere
charlatan and impostor, seeking the reputation of a magician and wonder-worker.
His writings include (i.) a life of Pythagoras (Peri tou Puthagorikou Biou) in
ten books, of which four parts are extant, edited by Nauck (1884); (ii.) a work
on mathematics (Peri Koines Mathematikes Epistemes), edited by Fries (1790); (iii.)
two treatises on mystical arithmetic (Peri Nikomachou Arithmetikes Eisagoges and
Ta Theologoumena tes Arithmetikes), the latter edited by Ast (1817); (iv.) a treatise
on the Egyptian mysteries (Peri Musterion), and intending to prove their divine
origin, edited by Parthey (1857); and (v.) a sort of introduction to the study
of Plato (Protreptikoi Logoi eis Philosophian), edited by Kiessling (1813). The
treatise on the mysteries and those on arithmetic are possibly not the work of
Iamblichus.
This text is from: Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Iamblichus, a celebrated Neo-Platonic philosopher, was born at Chalcis in Coele-Syria,
and was perhaps a descendant of the poet Iamblichus. He was a pupil of Anatolius
and Porphyrius. Respecting his life we know very little beyond the fact that he
resided in Syria till his death, making every year an excursion to the hot springs
of Gadara. He died in the reign of Constantine the Great, and probably before
A. D. 333 (Suidas, s.v. Iamblichos; Eunapius, Iamblich). He had studied with great
zeal the philosophy of Plato and Pythagoras, and was also acquainted with the
theology and philosophy of the Chaldaeans and Egyptians. The admiration which
he enjoyed among his contemporaries was so great that they declared him to be
equal to Plato himself, and that the difference of time was the only one existing
between them (Julian, Orat. iv., Epist. 40). We cannot join in this admiration,
for although he pretended to be a follower of Plato, his Platonism was so much
mixed up with notions and doctrines derived from the East, and with those of other
Greek philosophers, especially Pythagoras, that it may justly be termed a syncretic
philosophy. By means of this philosophy, which was further combined with a great
deal of the superstition of the time, he endeavoured to oppose and check the progress
of Christianity. He did not acquiesce in the doctrines of the earlier New Platonists,
Porphyrius and Plotinus, who regarded the perception and comprehension of the
Deity, by means of ecstasies, as the object of all philosophy; but his opinion
was that man could be brought into direct communion with the Deity through the
medium of theurgic rites and ceremonies, whence he attached particular importance
to mysteries, initiations, and the like.
Iamblichus was the author of a considerable number of works, of which
a few only have come down to us. The most important among them are:
1. Peri Puthagorou haireseos, on the philosophy of Pythagoras. It was intended
as a preparation for the study of Plato, and consisted originally of ten books,
of which five only are extant. The first of them, entitled Peri tou Puthagorikou
Biou, contains a detailed account of the life of Pythagoras and his school, but
is an uncritical compilation from earlier works; as howeverthese works are lost,
thecompilation of Iamblichus is not without its peculiar value to us. This life
of Pythagoras was first edited by J. Arcerius Theodoretus in Greek and Latin,
Franeker, 1598. The most recent and best editions are those of L. Kuster (Amsterdam,
1707) and Th. Kiessling (Leipzig, 1815). The second book, entitled Protreptikoi
logoi eis philosophian, forms a sort of introduction to the study of Plato, and
is, like the former, for the most part compiled from the works of earlier writers,
and almost without any plan or system. The last chapter contains an explanation
of 39 Pythagorean symbols. The first edition is that of Arcerius Theodoretus,
and the best that of Th. Kiessling, Leipzig, 1813. The third book is entitled
Peri koines mathematikes episteus, and contains many fragments of the works of
early Pythagoreans, especially Philolaus and Archytas. It exists in MS. in various
libraries, but for a long time only fragments were published, until at length
Villoisonin his Anecdota Graeca (vol. ii.) printed the whole of it, after which
it was edited separately by J. G. Fries, Copenhagen, 1790. The fourth book, entitled
Peri tes Nikomachou arithmetikes eisagoges, was first edited by Sam. Tennulius,
Deventer and Arnheim, 1668. The fifth and sixth books, which treated on physics
and ethics, are lost; but the seventh, entitled TΓ Deologoumena tes arithmetikes,
is still extant, and has been published by Ch. Wechel (Paris, 1543) and Fr. Ast
(Leipzig, 1817). With regard to the other books of this work, we know that the
eighth contained an introduction to music, the ninth an introduction to geometry,
and the tenth the spheric theory of Pythagoras.
2. Peri musterion, in one book. An Egyptian priest of the name of Abammon is there
introduced as replying to a letter of Porphyrius. He endeavours to refute various
doubts respecting the truth and purity of the Egyptian religion and worship, and
to prove the divine origin of the Egyptian and Chaldaean theology, as well as
that men, through theurgic rites, may commune with the Deity. Many critics have
endeavoured to show that this work is not a production of Iamblichus, while Tennemann
and others have vindicated its authenticity; and there are apparently no good
reasons why the authorship should be denied to Iamblichus. The work has been edited
by Ficinus (Venice, 1483, with a Lat. translation), N. Scutellius (Rome, 1556),
and Th. Gale (Oxford, 1678, with a Lat. translation).
Besides these works, we have mention of one. Peri psuches, of which
a fragment is preserved in Stobaeus (Flor. tit. 25, 6), Epistles, several of which
are quoted by Stobaeus, on the gods and other works, among which we may notice
a great one, Peri tes teleiotates Chalkidaikes philosophias of which some fragments
are preserved by Damascius in his work, Peri archon. Iamblichus further wrote
commentaries on some of Plato's dialogues, viz., on the Parmenides, Timaeus and
Phaedon, and also on the Analytica of Aristotle.
(Comp. Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. viii.; G. E. Hebenstreit, Dissertatio de Iamblicho,
philos. Syr. Lipsiae, 1764)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Jan 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Dexippus (Dexippos), a commentator on Plato and Aristotle, was a disciple of the Neo-Platonic
philosopher Iamblichus, and lived in the middle of the fourth century of the Christian
era. We still possess a commentary of Dexippus on the Categories of Aristotle,
in the form of a dialogue, which, however, is printed only in a Latin translation.
It appeared at Paris, 1549, under the title of "Quaestionum in Categorias libri
tres, interprete J. Bernardo Feliciano", and again at Venice, 1546, after the
work of Porphyry In Praedicam. The Greek title in the Madrid Codex is, Dexippou
philosophou Platonikou ton eis tas Arostotelous Kategorias Aporion te kai Luseon
kephalaia m.
In this work the author explains to one Seleucus the Aristotelian
Categories, and endeavors at the same time to refute the objections of Plotinus.
(Plotin. Ennead. vi. 1, 2, 3; comp. Simplic. ad Arist. Categ. fol. 1, a.; Tzetzes,
Chiliad. ix. Hist. 274).
Specimens of the Greek text are to be found in Iriarte, Cod. Bibl.
Matrit. Catalog., and from these we learn that there are other dialogues of Dexippus
on similar subjects still extant in manuscript.
CHALKIS (Ancient city) SYRIA
Iamblichus (Iamblichos), a Syrian who lived in the time of the emperor Trajan.
He was educated at Babylon, and did not become acquainted with the Greek language
till a late period of his life. After having lived at Babylon for a number of
years, he was taken prisoner and sold as a slave to a Syrian, who, however, appears
to have set him free again. He is said to have acquired such a perfect knowledge
of Greek, that he even distinguished himself as a rhetorician (Suidas, s.c. Iamblichos;
Schol. ad Phot. Bibl. Cod. 94). He was the author of a love story in Greek, which,
if not the earliest, was at least one of the first productions of this kind in
Greek literature. It bore the title Babulonika, and contained the story of two
lovers, Sinonis and Rhodanes. According to Suidas, it consisted of 39 books; but
Photius (Bibl. Cod. 94), who gives a tolerably full epitome of the work, mentions
only 17 (Comp. Phot. Bibl. Cod. 166; Suid. s. vv. garmos, phasma). A perfect copy
of the work in MS. existed down to the year 1671, when it was destroyed by fire.
A few fragments of the original work are still extant, and a new one of some length
has recently been discovered by A. Mai (Nov. Collect. Script. Vet. vol. ii.).
The epitome of Photius and the fragments are collected in Chardon de la Rochette's
Melanges de Critique et de Philologie, and in Passow's Corpus Erotic. vol. i.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Jan 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
BEROEA (Ancient city) SYRIA
According to an Arab tradition, Abraham lived in it, and distributed some milk to every comer, whence the town's name, Haleb.
Strato, the tyrant of Berea, the confederate of Philip, called in Zizon, the ruler of the Arabian tribes, and Mithridates Sinax, the ruler of the Parthians, who coming with a great number of forces, and besieging Demetrius in his encampment, into which they had driven them with their arrows, they compelled those that were with him by thirst to deliver up themselves
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