Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?
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Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?
Hi
I'm new here (hope the user name's ok?), have read quite an amount regarding Alexander et al. This is my first post- go easy as my knowledge isn't as extensive as that which I've read on here already!
I was intrigued by the following quote which is all I can find on the web about it-
''Alexander first sacked the city of Baalbek, renaming it Heliopolis''
Does anyone know more, or was this one of those events that the sources barely covered?
Cheers
I'm new here (hope the user name's ok?), have read quite an amount regarding Alexander et al. This is my first post- go easy as my knowledge isn't as extensive as that which I've read on here already!
I was intrigued by the following quote which is all I can find on the web about it-
''Alexander first sacked the city of Baalbek, renaming it Heliopolis''
Does anyone know more, or was this one of those events that the sources barely covered?
Cheers
Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?
Hi, the name does seem like a spammer , but whatever we're grown ups.
Where is the quote from? Heliopolis is in Egypt and would seem to mean in Greek 'city of the sun', the sort of name Alexander would give a city, but I don't think he sacked any cities in Egypt. Baalbek is in the Lebanon, so maybe the city reverted back to its original name and would seem to be associated with the god Baal so maybe Alexander associated him with Helios. He may well have sacked the city to stop them sending support to Tyre and to make sure he hadn't got an enemy in his rear.
Where is the quote from? Heliopolis is in Egypt and would seem to mean in Greek 'city of the sun', the sort of name Alexander would give a city, but I don't think he sacked any cities in Egypt. Baalbek is in the Lebanon, so maybe the city reverted back to its original name and would seem to be associated with the god Baal so maybe Alexander associated him with Helios. He may well have sacked the city to stop them sending support to Tyre and to make sure he hadn't got an enemy in his rear.
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Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?
Hi Alexias, thanks for replying.
I'm no spammer, but a genuine guy that loves history. This seems to be quoted across the net if you try it.
There is a Baalbek in Lebanon, 40km East of Byblos (which was also taken by Alexander), but no source gives any more information?
I'm no spammer, but a genuine guy that loves history. This seems to be quoted across the net if you try it.
There is a Baalbek in Lebanon, 40km East of Byblos (which was also taken by Alexander), but no source gives any more information?
Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?
I've done an online search through the Alexander sources and there is no mention of Baalbek. The only Heliopolis mentioned is the one in Egypt.
I have no idea of the history of Baalbek, but maybe some destruction around the time of Alexander has been attributed to him. However, it doesn't seem to have harmed the city as it is quite important in subsequent centuries.
I have no idea of the history of Baalbek, but maybe some destruction around the time of Alexander has been attributed to him. However, it doesn't seem to have harmed the city as it is quite important in subsequent centuries.
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- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:49 pm
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- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:49 pm
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- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:49 pm
Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?
Thought you guys were Alexander experts?
Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?
Hi, I am not quite sure what you want from us. I don't know where your quote is from, but if Alexander sacked the city, it doesn't seem to have done its subsequent history any harm. So what is it you actually want to know? Short of finding an expert who specialises in the history of Lebanese cities, whatever you can find on the internet is probably the best you will find. Unless you can access archaeological reports of any excavations of the city, probably in a library.
- SpartanJKM
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Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?
Hi all. Thanks for the sources there, Alexias. It must have been occupied by Alexander’s forces; Baalbek was located amid the action after Issus, and enviably situated in a fertile valley with a flowing nearby water-source. During Greek and Roman times, broadly identified, it was indeed known as Heliopolis (not an uncommon name for many settlements). But we read of no military action undertaken on the city. This is from Hammond’s Alexander the Great: King, Commander and Statesman, p. 119 (1980 edition). Notes 85 and 86 have no relevance.
"A ship is safe in the harbor, but that's not why ships are built"
Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?
Thanks a lot for that, Spartan. It makes a lot of sense of course that Alexander would have secured the hinterland for Tyre and Sidon, but knowing where to find the information is difficult.