Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 1.djvu/387

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. S6S the Mediterranean, was soon frequented by the ca- CHAP, ravans which conveyed to the nations of Europe a ^^* considerable part of the rich commodities of India. Palmyra insensibly increased into an opulent and inde- pendent city; and, connecting the Roman and the Par- thian monarchies by the mutual benefits of commerce, was suffered to observe an humble neutrality, till at length, after the victories of Trajan, the little republic sunk into the bosom of Rome, and flourished more than one hundred and fifty years in the subordinate though honourable rank of a colony. It was during that peaceful period, if we may judge from a few re- maining inscriptions, that the wealthy Palmyrenians constructed those temples, palaces, and porticoes of Grecian architecture, whose ruins, scattered over an extent of several miles, have deserved the curiosity of our travellers. The elevation of Odenathus and Ze- nobia appeared to reflect new splendour on their coun- try ; and Palmyra, for a while, stood forth the rival of Rome : but the competition was fatal, and ages of prosperity were sacrificed to a moment of glory ^. In his march over the sandy desert between Emesa it is be- and Palmyra, the emperor Aurelian was perpetually 5^^J5i^Jf harassed by the Arabs; nor could he always defend his army, and especially his baggage, from those flying troops of active and daring robbers, who watched the moment of surprise, and eluded the slow pursuit of the legions. The siege of Palmyra was an object far more difficult and important ; and the emperor, who with in- cessant vigour pressed the attacks in person, was him- self wounded with a dart. " The Roman people," says Aurelian, in an original letter, " speak with contempt of the war which I am waging against a woman. They are ignorant both of the character and powder of Zeno- bia. It is impossible to enumerate her warlike prepa- about the end of the last century. Our curiosity has since been gratified in a more splendid manner by Messieurs Wood and Dawkins. For the his- tory of Palmyra, we may consult the masterly dissertation of Dr. Halley, in the Philosophical Transactions; Lowthorp's Abridgement, vol. iii. p. 618.
 * Some English travellers from Aleppo discovered the ruins of Palmyra,