DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45588#0047
44θ
Division II Section A Part 7
that separate baths may have been provided for the sexes. There is little doubt, judging
from the stone cutting and the methods of construction employed, that the baths were
erected in the second or third century after Christ.
151. MISMIYEH (Phaena).
The ancient city of Phaena which commanded the northern end of the Ledja retains
hardly a remnant of its former beauty. It is now occupied by large Turkish barracks,
in the building of which the old buildings were preyed upon for material and were removed
even to their foundations. Only a few poor houses on the outskirts of the town remain
to suggest that the place was the site of an ancient city. No vestige remains of the
interesting Praetorium, built under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus between 160 and
169 a. d., and published by M. de Vogue1 and M. Rey. 3 Near its original position
lie three fragments of sculpture, published in drawings by M. Dussaud,3 which are
interesting to compare with some sculptures found at Sahr and published herewith below.
Roman Road. The subject of the Roman road which crossed the Ledja presents
itself once more at Mismiyeh; for this place was the starting-point of its course across
the lava fields. This ancient road is given upon all the maps of the region, beginning
with the one first made by Wetzstein, and is always described as part of the highway
from Damascus to Bosra. The map presented herewith gives the road substantially
the same course as Wetzstein’s map, i. e. from Mismiyeh to Mdj^dil to Brekeh. Wad-
dington 4, who saw the road, describes it as passing a short distance to the east of il-cAhreh.
We found well preserved sections of the road at Mdjfedil, about four miles to the
northeast of il-cAhreh, as described on page 416; but did not encounter it nearer il-cAhreh.
We crossed it between Hamman and Tubbeh at a point southeast of Mismiyeh, and
saw a few fragments of it near Br£keh. It is therefore quite plain that a Roman road
crossed the Ledja from northwest to southeast, turning due south at Mdjedil. But the
question as to whether this was a part of the main Damascus-Bosra road is another
matter. We saw indisputable remains of an ancient road west of Siem, and north and
south of Suwfeda, which are probably parts of this Ledja road extending toward Bosra.
Farther south this road is easily traced near cIreh, as far as the bridge over the Wadi
Zedi just above Bosra. But this is not the only road leading out of Bosra to the north.
The road which passes over the bridge at Kharaba was traced by following ancient
remains for several hundred yards to the northwest. It seems probable that this road
passed around the southwest angle of the Ledja and then turned northward toward
Damascus. The route through the Ledja was of course the shorter one, and would
be a far more direct road from Damascus to Kanawat, Shakka, and other important
Roman towns in the Djebel Hauran. It is quite possible that the Ledja road belongs
to a later period of Roman road building, and that it was built to afford a direct
approach to Philippopolis, when the Arab Emperor was converting a small mountain
village into a Roman city.
152. TAFF.
Near the middle of the north end of the Ledja, and at some distance within the
lava fields, is the small ruin of this name. It consists of a small group of poorly
’ 5. C., p. 45, Pl. VII.
2 Voyage dans le Hauran etc. Pl. III.
3 M. S. M. p. 13.
4 Wadd. 2438.
Division II Section A Part 7
that separate baths may have been provided for the sexes. There is little doubt, judging
from the stone cutting and the methods of construction employed, that the baths were
erected in the second or third century after Christ.
151. MISMIYEH (Phaena).
The ancient city of Phaena which commanded the northern end of the Ledja retains
hardly a remnant of its former beauty. It is now occupied by large Turkish barracks,
in the building of which the old buildings were preyed upon for material and were removed
even to their foundations. Only a few poor houses on the outskirts of the town remain
to suggest that the place was the site of an ancient city. No vestige remains of the
interesting Praetorium, built under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus between 160 and
169 a. d., and published by M. de Vogue1 and M. Rey. 3 Near its original position
lie three fragments of sculpture, published in drawings by M. Dussaud,3 which are
interesting to compare with some sculptures found at Sahr and published herewith below.
Roman Road. The subject of the Roman road which crossed the Ledja presents
itself once more at Mismiyeh; for this place was the starting-point of its course across
the lava fields. This ancient road is given upon all the maps of the region, beginning
with the one first made by Wetzstein, and is always described as part of the highway
from Damascus to Bosra. The map presented herewith gives the road substantially
the same course as Wetzstein’s map, i. e. from Mismiyeh to Mdj^dil to Brekeh. Wad-
dington 4, who saw the road, describes it as passing a short distance to the east of il-cAhreh.
We found well preserved sections of the road at Mdjfedil, about four miles to the
northeast of il-cAhreh, as described on page 416; but did not encounter it nearer il-cAhreh.
We crossed it between Hamman and Tubbeh at a point southeast of Mismiyeh, and
saw a few fragments of it near Br£keh. It is therefore quite plain that a Roman road
crossed the Ledja from northwest to southeast, turning due south at Mdjedil. But the
question as to whether this was a part of the main Damascus-Bosra road is another
matter. We saw indisputable remains of an ancient road west of Siem, and north and
south of Suwfeda, which are probably parts of this Ledja road extending toward Bosra.
Farther south this road is easily traced near cIreh, as far as the bridge over the Wadi
Zedi just above Bosra. But this is not the only road leading out of Bosra to the north.
The road which passes over the bridge at Kharaba was traced by following ancient
remains for several hundred yards to the northwest. It seems probable that this road
passed around the southwest angle of the Ledja and then turned northward toward
Damascus. The route through the Ledja was of course the shorter one, and would
be a far more direct road from Damascus to Kanawat, Shakka, and other important
Roman towns in the Djebel Hauran. It is quite possible that the Ledja road belongs
to a later period of Roman road building, and that it was built to afford a direct
approach to Philippopolis, when the Arab Emperor was converting a small mountain
village into a Roman city.
152. TAFF.
Near the middle of the north end of the Ledja, and at some distance within the
lava fields, is the small ruin of this name. It consists of a small group of poorly
’ 5. C., p. 45, Pl. VII.
2 Voyage dans le Hauran etc. Pl. III.
3 M. S. M. p. 13.
4 Wadd. 2438.