Wood, Robert [Editor]: The ruins of Balbec, otherwise Heliopolis in Coelosyria (London, 1757)

OF B A L B E C. n

Julius Capitolinus, 'tis true, who writes the life of this emperour, enume-
rates his buildings; amongft which we do not find this mentioned, though fo
much more confiderable than others of which he takes notice.

Had we any regular judicious account of that emperour's reign, in which
the temples of Heliopolis were not to be found, it would, no doubt, weaken
the teftimony of Malala: but the trifling colle&ion of anecdotes, chofen with-
out judgment, and put together without any order by the author we are fpeak-
ing of, fcarce deferves the name of hiftory.

Heliopolis having been conftituted a colony by Julius Caefar, according f^™
to fome^, and having received part of the veterans of the fifth and the eighth
legion from Auguftus, was made Juris Italici by Septimius Severus; as we are
informed by Ulpian ||, a native of this country: and we accordingly find it's
temple, for the firft time, on the reverfe of this emperour's coins.

At the fame time that we meet with Heliopolis on the coins of Tulia Juiiapomna

A *^ unci C >)i*si<b

Domna and Caracalla, vows in favour of that emperour and emprefs are re- *fi*.
corded in the two following imperfe£fc infcriptions, copied from the pedeftals of
the columns of the great portico, which are reprefented in plate iv. letter G»

MDI.IS HELIVPOL PRCXSAL.'

ANTONINIFIIFFMy(lliy;MMVOWrmyON(AfTR5lJWTP>llft ...:_.......■_________

C0LyM/VAl<.VMDW1IMNMVR-0INiyMINA;v^PECyNUFXVGT0 L A S.T.....-

i.

II

h

■-

MD1IS HELIVP....... _......_____

■

' omommmpiiimummwm\ )5 dncas ________.______.■*-.

wmi/iMmmomAmwm vmnivminata5im k........:~.~-

I,

Magnis Diis Heliupolitanis pro falute

Antonini Pii Felicis Augufti et Juliae AuguftaeMatris Domini Noftri caftrorum
fenatus Patriae— ^ ' . • ^
— columnarum dum erant in muro inluminata fua pecunia ex voto libenti
animo folvit.______________________________

Magnis Diis Heliupolitanis ——

*____oriis Domini Noftri Antonini Pii Felicis Augufti & Juliae Auguftae Matris

Domini Noftri caftrorum-----

».____toninianae capita columnarum dum erant in muro inluminata fua pecunia.-—

f See the pages 8 and 9.
|| EJt et lleBopolitana, qua a Divofevera per Belli chilis occqfionem Italia colonic rempuhlicam accefit* Ulpianus Lib. I

de cenfib.
* Upon comparing our copies of thefe infcriptions with thofe taken by the Rev. Mr. Thomas Crofts, who has vifited

Balbec fince we were there, we found his were mod fatisfactory, and we acknowledge ourfelves obliged to that

gentleman for the liberty he gave us to make ufe of them.

f We