
Over these centuries, Palmyra continued to prosper due to its position on the trade route that connected the Roman Empire with the East.
ANCIENT CITIES IN SYRIA FREE
( Public Domain )ĭuring the reign of Tiberius, Palmyra became part of Roman Syria, was proclaimed a free city by the Emperor Hadrian, and then transformed into a colony during Caracalla’s reign. This is also seen as an indication that at that point of time, the Palmyrenes were likely to have been nomads.īust of Mark Antony in Vatican City. This undertaking failed, however, as the Palmyrenes had received news about the impending attack, and were able to flee to the other side of the Euphrates. In 41 BC, an attempt was made by Mark Antony to conquer Palmyra. Tomoe Gozen - A fearsome Japanese Female Warrior of the 12th Century.Ten Powerful and Fearsome Women of the Ancient World.Zenobia, the Warrior Queen of Palmyra, Syria.Still Palmyra successfully maintained its independence, though it would eventually become part of the Roman Empire as well. ( CC BY SA 3.0 ) Palmyra and the Roman Empireįollowing the fall of the Seleucid Empire, the province of Syria was established by Pompey in 64 BC. During the Hellenistic period, Palmyra remained as an independent city and continued to prosper, thanks to its allegiance to the Seleucid Empire, the regional superpower at that time.Ī 2010 image of the Agora in Palmyra. As a consequence, Palmyra soon prospered. Being an oasis settlement in the middle of the desert, Palmyra provided shelter, rest, and sustenance for the travelling merchants and their caravans. Nevertheless, it was only around the 3rd century BC that the city started to acquire prominence.ĭuring this time, a road that passed through the city became one of the main trade routes that connected the East and the West. Additionally, Palmyra was mentioned in the Bible as a desert city fortified by King Solomon. Palmyra was first been mentioned in the archives of Mari, which date to the 2nd millennium BC. The city’s name is said to have been the Greek translation of its original Aramaic name, Tadmor, which means ‘palm tree’. Palmyra is located in the Syrian Desert to the northeast of the country’s capital, Damascus, in what is today the Homs Governorate. Preliminary assessments have revealed that the historical site is still largely intact, and authorities are now beginning to make more detailed evaluations regarding the damage the city has suffered over the last 10 months.Ī view of Palmyra in 2006. In late March 2016, Palmyra was recaptured by the Syrian Army. The group then proceeded to destroy a number of important ancient structures in the city, including the Temple of Bel and the Monumental Arch (known also as the Arch of Triumph or the Arch of Septimius Severus). In May 2015, this city made the headlines and grabbed the attention of the world when it was seized by the militant group known as ISIL/ISIS. Palmyra is an ancient city located in modern Syria which served as the capital of the Palmyrene Kingdom during the 3rd century AD.
