Antioch

Antioch (classic Antiochia ad Daphnen, from its proximity to the grove and temple of Apollo; Turk., Antakieh), a city on the river Orontes, in Syria (in Turkey), 57 miles from Aleppo. Founded by Antigonus I. 300 B.C., it was completed by Seleucus, and named after his father, Antiochus. It prospered exceedingly, and when taken by the Romans (64 B.C.) it had 700,000 inhabitants, and was called the "Queen of the East," being the capital of Syria. The name "Christian" first came into use here, and it was the birthplace of St. Luke and St. John Chrysostom. During the first eight centuries of the Church numerous councils were held at Antioch, and it became a patriarchate with widely extended authority in the East. Earthquakes devastated the city during the first five centuries A.D., but Justinian repaired it in 529 and called it Theopolis. After this the Persians twice captured and sacked it, and an earthquake in 588 destroyed 60,000 people. It fell into the hands of the Saracens in 638, and was held by them till Godfrey of Boulogne retook it after a bloody siege in 1098. The Sultan of Egypt annexed it finally to Turkey in 1268, and except during the brief occupation by Ibrahim Pasha in 1832, it has belonged to the Porte ever since. The shocks of earthquake were repeated in 1822 and 1872. Traces of the ancient walls exist, and modern Antioch occupies a mere corner in the vast enclosure. There are ruins of a great aqueduct, and of a fortress built by the Crusaders. Silk is the chief product, but earthenware, leather goods, and goat's wool tissues are made. Many other Antiochs were more or less famous in antiquity, e.g. Antioch in Pisidia or Caesarea (Acts xiii. 14), Antiochia ad Cragum, Antiochia ad Taurum (Mod. Ain-Tab), Antiochia Mygdoniae (Mod. Nisibia), and Antiochia Margiana.