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Arwad
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- The Persian Era:
The
Persian began to establish a very wide empire and Kurash destroyed the baileys
of Babel. And Arwad became, in 539 B.C .the 5th Nome of the Persian
Empire and the Phoenician fleet became the spine of the Persian marine. Arwad
grew, flourished, stamped silver coins of in its name, and was allowed to
practice a self –rule. Aryan narrates that Arwad was a Kingdom inferior to the
Persian. Also, Sharitoon, the Persian king, had a grand palace on the island
as in all the cities of his empire.www.tartoos.com
The fleet of
Arwad participated, under the leadership of Marbaal Ibn Ajbal with the fleets
of Saidoun and Sour next to the Persian, in Kezrex raid against the Greek
King, Timosetkil, in the marine battle, Sallamini, in 480B.C.
The
tale of Diodorus about the events of ( 351 – 350 B.C ) assured that the
Phoenician organized a raid against Arteshta the 3rd – Okhus ,
including the Phoenician cities which were holding its military council in
Tripoli ( the three cities ) to take the important decisions , as mentioned
in Askialkes' book about this period .
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The Macedonian
Invasion:
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In 333 B.C,
Alexander overcame the Persian in Isus battle. He followed the coast-line to
provide the dominance of the sea to subject Phoenicia. Maratos surrendered to
him, and Astrabon, the son of Arwad King, presented himself in front of the
victor, showed subjection, and handed the island and its dependent Kingdom,
and a crown of gold. King Jiro Strath (Arwad King) was leading his fleet and
serving Darius together with Anilus, king of Jbeil, he soon put away the
Persian admiral and joined the Macedonian who got help from the fleet of Arwad
besides the boats which he brought from Saidoun and Jbeil during his fierce
siege of Sour. What calls attention is that Alexander, might, didn't want to
face the feelings and sensitivity of the people of Arwad. So he abstained from
entering the island despite his existence in Maratos where he received there
the delegates of King Darius who asked him to send back the King's mother,
wife, and sons.
What
was mentioned in Rekoky and his colleague's book calls for questioning. Is the
son of the King more accessible and behaved by himself, or his father complied
with what happened? Or had the prince submitted compulsively relying on the
directions of Jiro Strath? Anyway, this certifies that the Greek, especially
the marines, had frequented our coast, and left, sometimes, traces of their
residence, their spread in the east. The island stopped stamping its own coins
at the beginning of the Greek's dominance.
A factory for
stamping coins was established in the name of Alexander, in addition to
Maratos which was one of greatest stamp factories.www.tartoos.com
After the death
of Alexander, the coins held the name of Prince Philip Everhidy for a short
time, and then the name of Alexander appeared again.
At the
beginning of the 3rd century B.C, Arwad was under the authority of
a royal officer as it was written in Pitosisy copy. The eras of Soloks the 1st
and Antiochus the 1st were void of events, and there was no text
concerning these eras.
On any account,
when the change of the political system of Arwad took place is unknown. For
instance, Sour became a republic about / 275 B.C /. In /235 – 234 B.C/, the
statistics of Dilus temple registered the gift of Astraton, the Arwads
(Astarte) who headed the celebrations of Apollo's festivals (as mentioned by
Rekoky and his colleague).www.tartoos.com
But
the continuity of stamping the bronze coins from 167 /166 till 126 / 125 B.C,
unceasingly, and stamping the silver coins from 174 /173 till 110 / 109 B.C,
supposes a kind of flourishment which was practiced by the Arwads. But, the
inhibition of stamping the Titra-Drakhmat, the sign of Kingship, might be to
kill the pride of the city and to limit its potency, or there might be uneven
degrees of autonomy or freedom which were practiced. Anyhow, the much- ness of
these coins refer to the flourishment of Arwad: political and
economical,enjoying an almost independence facing the Solokies. And it was the
only Syrian city which received letters from Rome by the Consul, Metlus, in /
142 B.C /, when Syria had a conflict with the Jews (the Maccabean). As time
passed, the conflicts began to split the Solokian empire, as Joseph (the
historian),refers to the conflicts between Antiochus the 10th and
his cousin Solokus the 6th , Arwad sided the first , Antiochus ,
who sailed to the island , crowned there , and walked toward his opponent and
took " the whole Syria away from him .www.tartoos.com
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Arwad the Solokian Conflict:
Astrabon mentioned the Arwads stand during the war between Solokus the 2nd,
Kalinkos, and his brother, Antiochus Heirax, in the third century B.C. He
wrote (The Arwads, like the other Phoenician, were under the rule of the
Syrian kings, also they were their allies at the same time). This is how Arwad
knew how to keep its advantages during the days of conflict between the
Solokians themselves. The Arwads had sided to
kalinkos and made a deal that Arwad will be a refuge for rebels, not
delivering then against their will, and the banished can't leave the island
and sail without the permission of the king. In normal circumstances, the
subjection of Arwad allowed the king to order the stop of the wanted and the
accused of conspiracy against the state, and extradited them. So, the
threatened people were pleased of the existence of a secure refuge. Whereas
the king made sure of seeing serious and unable opponents who were
neutralized. This may lead to the increasing of the dominance of Arwad and its
private properties on land. A lot of silver coins were stamped in its name. At
the mid of the 2nd century B.C. King Antiochus the 4th
was coerced to submit the Arwads who resisted him, and then he allied with
them.
www.tartoos.com
In
170 / 169 B.C, the stamping of Titra-Drakhmat, which was resumed in 138 / 137
during the era of Antiochus the 7th who was in conflict with the
krigon, the ruler of the southern part of the kingdom, and returned it its
freedom in order to win its assistance, yet it was stripped of freedom during
the era of Antiochus the 4th.
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