DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32867#0353
CHAPTER X
PAGAN ARCHITECTURE IN THE DJEBEL
HAURAN
PRE-ROMAN PERIOD (60 b.c.—105 a.d.)
THE pre-Roman architecture of the Hauran includes successively three general
divisions of style—one that is distinctly classic, one that represents a mixture of
the first with Oriental elements, and, finally, a purely Oriental style. Of the first, only
one complete example of a building, and a fragment of another, are preserved in the
existing remains, so far as the explorations of this expedition extended, and so far as
the discoveries of MM. Laborde, Rey, and de Vogiie were carried. Of the second,
fragments at St‘, with the inscriptions, and a comparatively well-preserved temple at
Suweda, afford abundant illustrations. Of the third, a few fragments at Si‘, with several
inscriptions, are the only remains.
On the face of it the order of succession given above would seem strange,—an
imported style preceding an indigenous one and native elements introduced into the
imported style and dominating it completely within a century,—but that this sequence
runs parallel to the historical career of the Hauran. The Nabatasans figured in his-
tory as early as the founding of the Seleucid kingdom (312 b.c.). They had been
brought into contact with European civilization two hundred and fifty years before
the building of the first monument in the Hauran which bears their stamp, two centu-
ries, perhaps, before they had established themselves in Syria, and there is no valid
reason for supposing that they had not developed some sort of building style of their
own in their capital at Petra, even before we first hear of them in history, when Antig-
onus, the Seleucid king, sends his son Demetrius to besiege that city. The Greeks,
indeed, reported them as “ uncivilized nomads,” yet they seem to have had a city that
was fruitlessly besieged by Demetrius; and if a city, why not an architecture of some
sort? Two hundred years after this (110-100 b.c.) a Nabataean dynasty was in exis-
tence, and a little later, about 85 b.c., Aretas III, the Nabataean king, defeated the
Greek Syrians in a battle in which Antiochos XII was slain. The Nabataeans then
took possession of Damascus and Coele-Syria. Although their possession of these
321
PAGAN ARCHITECTURE IN THE DJEBEL
HAURAN
PRE-ROMAN PERIOD (60 b.c.—105 a.d.)
THE pre-Roman architecture of the Hauran includes successively three general
divisions of style—one that is distinctly classic, one that represents a mixture of
the first with Oriental elements, and, finally, a purely Oriental style. Of the first, only
one complete example of a building, and a fragment of another, are preserved in the
existing remains, so far as the explorations of this expedition extended, and so far as
the discoveries of MM. Laborde, Rey, and de Vogiie were carried. Of the second,
fragments at St‘, with the inscriptions, and a comparatively well-preserved temple at
Suweda, afford abundant illustrations. Of the third, a few fragments at Si‘, with several
inscriptions, are the only remains.
On the face of it the order of succession given above would seem strange,—an
imported style preceding an indigenous one and native elements introduced into the
imported style and dominating it completely within a century,—but that this sequence
runs parallel to the historical career of the Hauran. The Nabatasans figured in his-
tory as early as the founding of the Seleucid kingdom (312 b.c.). They had been
brought into contact with European civilization two hundred and fifty years before
the building of the first monument in the Hauran which bears their stamp, two centu-
ries, perhaps, before they had established themselves in Syria, and there is no valid
reason for supposing that they had not developed some sort of building style of their
own in their capital at Petra, even before we first hear of them in history, when Antig-
onus, the Seleucid king, sends his son Demetrius to besiege that city. The Greeks,
indeed, reported them as “ uncivilized nomads,” yet they seem to have had a city that
was fruitlessly besieged by Demetrius; and if a city, why not an architecture of some
sort? Two hundred years after this (110-100 b.c.) a Nabataean dynasty was in exis-
tence, and a little later, about 85 b.c., Aretas III, the Nabataean king, defeated the
Greek Syrians in a battle in which Antiochos XII was slain. The Nabataeans then
took possession of Damascus and Coele-Syria. Although their possession of these
321