Spring 2016
The Destruction of Roman Ruins
The Roman Empire is one of the most well preserved
of all the ancient empires. However, many of the beautiful
remnants of the past are quickly disappearing. As ISIL’s
(Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s) influence spreads
across Middle Eastern countries, many ancient monuments
and ruins are being destroyed. Relics such as the cities of
Palmyra, Bosra, and Cyrene were destroyed for
propaganda.
Palmyra is an ancient relic located in the middle of
the Roman province of Syria. The city of Palmyra dates back
to the Neolithic Period close to the second millennium BC
and came under Roman control in the first century AD.
Palmyra was a wealthy trade hub near the Silk Road and
was conquered under the emperor Aurelian. Remains of a
many ancient buildings remained eminent structures in
modern-day Palmyra. On May 23, 2015, ISIL moved in and
destroyed the Temple of Bel for religious reasons. But, in
the process, they also damaged Septimius Severus’s
Monumental Arch and other prominent buildings.
A before and after picture of the Temple of Bel
In mythology, Cyrene was the city founded in honor of
Apollo’s lover Cyrene. Cyrene was a fierce female hunter
that captured Apollo’s attention when she wrestled a lion.
Cyrene was founded in 630 BC as a settlement from the
Greek island of Thera and became a trade route from inner
Libya to the Ancient Greeks. In 74 BC, it was officially made
a province of Rome and a center for the arts. ISIL forces
now occupy the surrounding cities, and archeologists and
historians fear that the temples of Cyrene will be destroyed
next.
As ISIL closes in on these historical wonders it is
particularly important that we, as classicists, continue to
remember and study the rich histories of these places, so
that even when the physical structure is destroyed, its
legacy continues.
A before and after picture of the Monumental Arch
Bosra was once the capital of the Roman province of
Arabia and still holds a Roman theater within the Old City’s
walls. During its days as the Roman capital of Arabia, it was
a center for trade along the route to Damascus and the Red
Sea. During the Syrian Civil War and even today there have
been looting and bombings. The theater and
accompanying buildings were used as a military stronghold
and sustained serious damage from firefights.
One of the most threatened of all Greco-Roman
architecture sights is in Cyrene, Libya. Cyrene was home to
a complex of temples that overlooked the Mediterranean.
ISIL blowing up the ancient ruins of Palmyra
Caroline Klette, OJCL Historian, Summit
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