With Respect To The Cities Founded
By Alexander It Was Quite Otherwise.
The Alexandria of Paropamisus may
still be traced in Candahar; and the Alexandria on the Iaxartes, in Cogend:
and
The Alexandria of Egypt, after surviving the revolutions of empires for
eighteen ages, perished at last, (as a commercial city,) only in
consequence of a discovery which changed the whole system of commerce
through the world.
On the destruction of Tyre, Alexander sought for a situation on which he
might build a city that would rival it in the extent of its commerce; and
he quickly perceived the advantages that would be derived from the seat of
commerce being established near one of the branches of the Nile. By means
of this river his projected city would command at once the commerce of the
Red Sea and the Mediterranean. It was, however, necessary to select a spot
near the mouths of the Nile, which would secure these advantages in the
highest degree, and which would at the same time be of the highest
importance in a military point of view, and afford a harbour constantly
accessible. The site of Alexandria combined all these advantages: on three
sides it has the sea, or the lake Mareotis, which, according to Strabo, was
nearly 300 stadia long, and 150 broad; the country adjoining this lake was
fertile, and by means of it, and natural or artificial channels, there was
a communication with the Delta and Upper Egypt. Between this lake and the
Canopic branch of the Nile, Alexander built his city: to less sagacious
minds this site would have appeared improper and injudicious in some
respects; for the sea-coast from Pelusium to Canopus is low land, not
visible at a distance; the navigation along this coast, and the approach to
it, is dangerous, and the entrance into the mouths of the Nile, at some
seasons, is extremely hazardous. But these disadvantages the genius of
Alexander turned to the benefit of his city, by the erection of the Pharos,
and the plan of a double harbour, which was afterwards completed by the
Ptolemies; for he thus united in a single spot the means of defence and
facility of access.
Denocrates, a Macedonian architect, who proposed to Alexander to cut Mount
Athos in the form of a statue holding a city in one hand, and in the other
a bason, into which all the waters of the mountain should empty themselves,
was employed by that monarch to build and beautify Alexandria. Its site was
on a deep and secure bay, formed by the shore on the one side, and the
island of Pharos on the other; in this bay numerous fleets might lie in
perfect safety, protected from the winds and waves. The form in which the
city was built was that of a Macedonian chlamys, or cloak; the two ports,
one of which only was built by Alexander, though both (as has been already
observed) were projected by him, were formed and divided from each other by
a moat a mile long, which stretched from the isle of Pharos to the
continent: that harbour which lay to the north was called the Great
Harbour, and the other, to the west, was called Eunostus, or the Safe
Return. In order to secure the vessels from the storms of the
Mediterranean, even more effectually than they could be by the natural
advantages of these harbours, the piers on each side were bent like a bar,
so that only a small space was left for the entrance of vessels.
The successors of Alexander in the Egyptian empire followed his example, in
nourishing commerce and improving Alexandria. Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, as
soon as he took possession of Egypt, established the seat of government
there, and succeeded, partly by harsh and despotic measures, and partly by
offering great advantages, and by his just and humane character, to draw
thither a great number of inhabitants. He began, and his son completed, the
famous watch-tower in the island of Pharos; the causeway which united it to
the main land, already mentioned, was built by Dexiphanes. Sostratus, the
son of this architect, was employed to erect the watch-tower: the design of
this tower was to direct the vessels which entered the harbour, and it was
justly reckoned one of the wonders of the world. It was a large and square
structure of white marble, on the top of which fires were constantly kept
burning for the direction of sailors. The building of this tower cost 800
talents, which, if they were Attic talents, were equivalent to 165,000_l_.
sterling, but if they were Alexandrian, to double that sum. This stupendous
and most useful undertaking was completed in the fortieth year of the reign
of Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, and in first year of the reign of Ptolemy
Philadelphus; and at the same time that Sostratus finished it, his father,
Dexiphanes, finished the mole, which united the island of Pharos to the
continent. The inscription on the tower was, "King Ptolemy to the Gods, the
saviours, for the benefit of sailors;" but Sostratus put this inscription
on the mortar, while underneath he cut, in the solid marble, the following
inscription, "Sostratus the Cnidian, son of Dexiphanes, to the Gods, the
saviours, for the benefit of sailors." In process of time the mortar wore
off, the first inscription disappeared along with it, and the second
inscription became visible.
The erection of the tower of Pharos was by no means the only service the
first Ptolemy did to commerce; throughout all his reign he manifested great
attention to it and maritime affairs, as well as to those sciences by which
they might be improved and advanced. As soon as he had made himself master
of Palestine, Syria, and Phoenicia, he turned his thoughts to the conquest
of Cyprus: this island abounded in wood, of which Egypt was almost
destitute; and on this account, as well as on account of its situation, in
the bosom, as it were, of the Levant, it was of the utmost importance to a
maritime power.
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