Antiochia, City

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Antioch, Antiochia, call'd by the Turks Antachia; by the Arabians, Anthakia. It was built by Seleucus, the Son of Antiochus King of Syria, one of the Successors of Alexander the Great, and call'd after his Fathers Name. This City was, during the times the Greeks and Romans were possessed of it, the Capital of Syria, or rather of the East; here the Disciples and Followers of our Saviour Jesus Christ were first called Christians; and accordingly, the Bishop of this City was accounted the Third Patriarch of the World, Rome being the First, and Alexandria the Second: others count it the Second Patriarchate. As it had these great Honors, so it was excellently built, strongly fortified both by Art and Nature, and very Populous, till it fell into the hands of the Arabians, Mamalucks and Turks, who have made it desolate, and suffer'd all its stately, and most of its common Buildings, to fall into decay. June 3. 1098. it was recovered by the Christians, but in 1188. it was again betrayed into the hands of the Mahometans, who have been the Masters of it ever since: it is incompassed with a double Wall, one of Stone and the other of Brick, with 460 Towers within the Walls: the greatest part of these Walls remain with a most impregnable Castle at the East end of the City, but almost all the Houses are falling down; so that the Patriarch has remov'd his Dwelling to Damascus. This City is built on both sides of the River Orontes over which there was a Bridge. It stands about 12 Miles from the Mediterranean, the River Pharpar passing on the South side of it. This place is called in the Prophets, Ri•lah, and was memorable in those times for the Tragedies of •ec•nias and Zedechias, Kings of Judah. It stands about 20 Miles from Scanderone, South, and 22 from Aleppo: in 68. d. 10. m. Long. and 36. 20. Lat. //Paris Meridian was used in the book

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Antiochia now Antachia, once call'd the Great, and esteem'd the 3d City of the World. It is the Capital of Syria, and has the Title of a Patriarchate, situated partly upon a Hill, and partly in a Plain, divided by the River Orontes, in Scripture call'd Pharpar. It has been often destroy'd by Fire and Earthquakes, and as often rebuilt by the Roman Emperors, who admir'd it's Situation. The Saracens who had subdu'd all Syria took it An. 637 or 38, in Heraclius's Reign, but being retaken from 'em again by Nicephorus Phocas in 966, the Saracens besieg'd it again with 100000 Men, and took it in 970, fortifying it so, that it was thought impregnable. Yet the Christians under Godfrey of Bouillon besieged it in 1097, and after a long and bloody Siege took it on the 3d of June 1098. The Saracens after many Attacks carried it again on the 29th of May 1268, under Conduct of the Sultan of Egypt, who demolish'd it. Since that time it has lost its Reputation and Grandeur, there being now scarcely any thing standing but the Walls, which in 1594 had 360 Turrets upon 'em. Strabo. Pliny. It was in this City about An. 41, that the Disciples were first call'd Christians; and Popish Authors say, that St. Peter made it a Patriarchal See in his own Person, An. Chr. 38. and was succeeded by St. Evadus, St. Ignatius, and above 70 more, of whom they give a Catalogue, besides many others of whose names they profess Ignorance; and add, that several of those in the said Catalogue, which they bring down to the year 1242, were intruded by Arians and others, and that the Saracens having taken the City about the 7th Age there was a long Vacancy; but the famous Calvin says, Instit. l. 4. c. 4. Sect. 4. that Patriarchs were first constituted by the Council of Nice; and though the Scriptures speak of St. Peter's being at Antioch, they are silent as to the Patriarchate. This Church was infested by the Arians in the 4th Century, who occasion'd the Exile of their Patriarch Eustathius, whereupon the People were about taking Arms in his Defence, but forbore because the Emperor Constantine approv'd his Deposition. Hence followed a Schism, the Orthodox refusing to Communicate with the Arians, several Prelats and Councels attempted a Reconciliation, but in vain, till about 412, that they agreed with the Church of Rome in the Papacy of Innocent I. The Councels of this City are said to be once held by the Apostles An. 56. whose Canons are asserted as genuine by some, and denied by others. Moreri owns them to be uncertain. An. 253. a Councel was held here against the Novatians. In 265 another Condemned the Errors of Samosatenus. In 270 another was held against the Heretical Patriarch, who denied the Divinity and Eternity of Christ. In 335 some Heterodox Bishops condemned and deposed the Patriarch Eustathius because he opposed them, but under pretext of Adultery, whereof the Woman who accus'd him, clear'd him afterwards. In 341, 90 Bishops being Assembled there, and mostly Arians, deposed St. Athanasius, and publish'd divers Confessions of Faith, in one of which the Son was own'd to be Consubstantial with the Father. In 345 they Assembled again, and publish'd a new Formulary, which was rejected by the Bishops of the West. In 357 Eudoxius the Patriarch held another, and confirmed the Doctrine of the Anomeans. In 361 the Emperor Constance called another, designing to condemn the Doctrine of Consubstantiality, and banish'd St. Melecius just then chosen Patriach, for maintaining it, setting up Euzoius an Arrian in his room. About 363, in the time of the Emperor Jovian, St. Melecius call'd a Councel of 27 Bishops, who wrote to the Emperor, owning the Consubstantiality of the Word, and the Councel of Nice. In 378 a Councel was call'd to Heal the Schism betwixt the Melecians and Eustathians, where they also condemned the Errors of Appollinaris. In 383 another was call'd for that same end, and against the Messalians. Several other Petty Councels were held here, and the last mention'd was held by Innocent the 2d's Legate, against Rodolphus Mamistan, a Frenchman, who denied the Popes Supremacy over his See, whereupon he was Depos'd, and put into a Monastery, and coming afterward to Rome to solicite his Re-establishment, he was poyson'd as about to return to Antioch. Euseb. Epiph. Chrysostom. Baronius. The Epocha of Antioch, which some Historians use, begun in the 48 or 49 before Christ, and 4664 or 4665 of the Julian Period. Scaliger. Petau.