Palmyra, in ancient times, from about 100 A.D. to the 14th century, more especially in the 2d and 3d centuries, a wealthy and magnificent
Arabic settlement, planted at a spot that formed a convenient station on the great caravan route between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. At all events, after the decline of Petra (q.v.; also NABATEANS) in 105 A.D., Palmyra took its place as the chief commercial centre in northern Arabia. Its merchant aristocracy reaped great advantage from the long-protracted wars between Rome and Parthia by acknowledging the supremacy of Rome. From both Hadrian and Septimius Severus it received special favours and privileges. One of its chiefs, Odenathus, husband of the more famous Zenobia (q.v.), extended his power over most of the adjoining countries, from Egypt to Asia Minor. Aurelian at length crushed in 272 the attempt of the Palmyrenes to found an independent empire. After the Roman empire became Christian Palmyra was made a bishopric. When the Moslems conquered Syria Palmyra also submitted to them. From the 15th century it began to sink into decay, along with the rest of the Orient. Magnificent remains of the ancient city still exist, chief among them being the great temple of the Sun (or Baal); the great colonnade, nearly a mile long, and consisting originally of some 1500 Corinthian columns; and sepulchral towers, overlooking the city. The ancient Palmyrenes, besides conducting and controlling the caravan trade across the desert, extracted salt, tanned leather, and worked in gold and silver.
See Wood, Bouverie, and Dawkins, Ruins of Palmyra (1753); Seiff, Reisen in der Asiatischen Türkei (1875); a Russian work by Prince Abamelek-Lasareff (1885); and Dr W. Wright, Palmyra and Zenobia (1895).