many of thofe Marble Pillars were the Gift of that Em- 
peror, and particularly thofe of tiie Long Portiem ; for 
that none of the Infcriptions areberoie that date. And 
it was ufual for the Ccefars to prefent Cities that had 
obliged them, with Marble Pillars to adorn their publick 
Buildings. Theft here were not far to fetch, the neibour- 
iog Mountains affording MarhU'Ouarries : But the 
Magnitude of the Porphyry Columns is indeed very re^ 
markable, confidering how far thoft vaft Stones muft 
have been brought by Land- carriage to this Place,- it be- 
ing not known that any other Quarries yield it, except 
thofe of Egypt ^ which lie about raid-way between Cairo 
and Skna^ between the l^ile and the Red-Sea : the Stone 
being very valuable for its Colour and Hardnefi, and 
for that it rifts in blocks of any magnitude required • 
Qmntijlilet molihus €(Bdendu fuffictmt Lapidktnce^ {Vlin. 
lib, 56.) And it is a great miftake of thoft w ho fuppofe 
it fad:itious. 
From the time of Adrian to that of Aurettan^ for* 
about an hundred and forty years, this City continued 
toflourifli and encreafe in Wealth and Power, to that de- 
gree, that when the Emperor Valerian was taken Pri- 
fbner by Sapores King of Perjia^ Odcenathus one of the 
Lords of this Town (which Name occurs in feveral pf 
thefe Infcriptions) was able (whilft Gallienui negledled 
his Duty both to bis Father and Country) to bring a 
powerful Army into the Field, and to recover Me/ope- 
tamia from the Perfiafis^ and to penetrate as far as their 
Czpit2i\ City CteJiphoH. Thereby rendring fo confiderable 
Service to the Roman State, that Gallienus thought himftlf 
obliged to giue him a fliare in the Empire ; Of which 
A<Stion, Trehellius Pollio (in the Life of Gallienus) has 
theft words, Laudatur ejus (Gallienf) optimum faUum^ quty 
Odenatum participate Imperio Augufium vocavit^ ejufque 
monetam^ qua Perfm captos traheretj cudi jujfit : quod & 
ISenatus & Vrls & omnis etas gratanter accepit. The 
I C c z fame 
