HISTORY OF DOR DURING THE GREEK, MACCABEAN 

 AND ROMAN PERIODS. 



POLTBIUS, HISTORIAE 5 : G6. 



In the course of his early campaigns against Ptolemy Philopator 

 of Egypt, Antiochus III (" the Great ") besieged Dor without 

 result. The strength of the place and the reenfoi'cements sent 

 by Nicolaus, together with the approach of winter, made him 

 abandon his attempt. This was in the year 219 B.C. Polybius 

 thus records the incident' : 



AvTLO)(^o<; 8k (Tvvt<JTaix(.vo<i TToXiopKLav wepl ttjv KaXovfxevrjv ttoXiv Aovfya^, koI 

 irepaivuv ovhtv 8vva/i,evos 8ta re tt;v o-^vpoTrjTa rov tottov koL ra'i twv Trept tov 

 NtKoAaov Trupal3orj0€ia<;, avvdirTOVTO^ ^8rj tov ^^et/xuivos, avv^^wprjae rais Trapa 

 TOV UToXcfMJLLOv TTpetr/^ttais dvo)(d<; re TrotTycrao'^at Tf.Tpafxrjvov<; koI twv oXojv eis 



TrdvTa avyKaTa^yjaeadaL to (fnXdvOpdiira TuvTa S' iirpaTTC, TrXelaTov 



fxiv diri^^wv Trj'i dXrj6€La<; ■ cnrevowv oe fxr] ttoXvv ^povov aTToaTrdaOaL Tcov 

 otKEtwv TOTTWV, dXX iv Trj SeAev/ccta iroLrjcracrOaL ttjv rwr Svvdfxciov irapa^et- 

 aaaiav. 



" But Antiochus had begun a siege against the city named Dor, 

 and could accomplish nothing because of the strength of the place 

 and because of the reenforcements they received from Nicolaus\ 

 Since winter was already drawing near he agreed with the ambas- 

 sadors of Ptolemy (Philopator) to observe an armistice of four 

 months duration and to enter into friendly relations in everything 

 that concerned the war. And this he did although he was far 

 from sincerity in the matter. He was eager, rather, not to be long 

 sepai'ated from his own lands, but instead to pass the winter with 

 his troops in Seleucia." 



Whether Dor fell into Antiochus' hands the following year 

 (218 B.C.) on his way to the defeat at Raphia is not recorded. 



^ Historiae, 5:66, ed. Biittner-Wobst II, p. 185 f.; Reland, Palaestina, p. 

 744; cp. Noris, Annus et Epochae Syromacedotuim , on Polyb., V:66; 

 Schtirer, II, 139. 



2 In Sol'pa, ov is, as remarked above, simply the confusion of ov with w, a 

 comnion phenomenon. 



^ An Aetolian, one of Ptolemy's generals { PoZ?/&. 5:61, 68, 70). Later he 

 fights with Antiochus the Great against Arsaces {Polyb. 10:39). 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. XX. 5 1915. 



