102 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by Maynard Owen Williams 



RUINS OF JERASH, ONCE ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST AND MOST FLOURISHING CITIES 



OF PALESTINE, WHOSE COLONNADED STREET IS SUPPOSED TO 



HAVE BEEN COPIED FROM THAT OF ANTIOCH 



Situated among the mountains of Gilead. 20 miles east of the Jordan, Jerash once had a 

 "naumachia" as big as the Yale Bowl, in which miniature ships fought naval battles for the 

 delight of amusement seekers. Despite the ravages of time and of earthquakes and the 

 depredations of a colony of Circassians which now inhabits the site and finds the ruins of 

 temple, theater, and palace an inexhaustible quarry from which to take material for modern 

 houses, more than 230 columns still stand as monuments to a glorious past. 



never again arose to its former beauty 

 or importance. 



In the House of Seleucus there are 

 three names that are especially known to 

 readers of history — Seleucus Nicator, the 

 founder of the dynasty ; Antiochus III. 

 sometimes called "The Great" ; and An- 

 tiochus Epiphanes, best known, probably, 

 for his persecution of the Jews and their 

 rebellion under the Maccabees. 



Seleucus Nicator extended his power 

 until he ruled over practically the whole 

 of Alexander's empire with the exception 

 of Egypt. He met his death by assassina- 

 tion, when journeying to his old home in 

 Macedonia. He was really the greatest 

 ■of all the kings of Syria, both as a soldier 

 and as an administrator. But Antiochus 

 III, who ruled about 223 B. C. bore the 

 title of "Great." 



The latter was a combination of daring 

 ability, personal valor, and inexcusable 



indecision. A happy combination of cir- 

 cumstances extended his empire to the 

 Far East, over all Asia Minor, Greece, 

 and Macedonia. But there he encoun- 

 tered the power of Rome. Hannibal ap- 

 peared as his friend, seeing in Antiochus 

 an opportunity of avenging himself on 

 Rome. But the Scipios were completely 

 victorious and Asia Minor was forever 

 lost to Antioch. 



ANTIOCHUS IV PROCLAIMED HIMSELF A 

 DIVINITY 



Antiochus IV, or Epiphanes, came to 

 the throne in 175 B. C. with a Roman 

 training. He was a genius, a profligate, 

 and a spendthrift. Under him the city 

 of Antioch was rebuilt, beautified, and 

 adorned. Olympian games were intro- 

 duced on a most extensive scale. A 

 whole month was given to sports and 

 feasts. To carrv out all of his extrava- 



