Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

This moderated forum is for discussion of Alexander the Great. Inappropriate posts will be deleted without warning. Examples of inappropriate posts are:
* The Greek/Macedonian debate
* Blatant requests for pre-written assignments by lazy students - we don't mind the subtle ones ;-)
* Foul or inappropriate language

Moderator: pothos moderators

Post Reply
Testicles_the_Greek
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:49 pm

Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

Post by Testicles_the_Greek »

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
Alexias
Strategos (general)
Posts: 1082
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:16 am

Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

Post by Alexias »

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.
Testicles_the_Greek
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:49 pm

Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

Post by Testicles_the_Greek »

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?
Alexias
Strategos (general)
Posts: 1082
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:16 am

Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

Post by Alexias »

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.
Testicles_the_Greek
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:49 pm

Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

Post by Testicles_the_Greek »

Anyone?

Image
Testicles_the_Greek
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:49 pm

Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

Post by Testicles_the_Greek »

Thought you guys were Alexander experts? :D :P
Alexias
Strategos (general)
Posts: 1082
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:16 am

Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

Post by Alexias »

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.
User avatar
SpartanJKM
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2017 12:25 am

Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

Post by SpartanJKM »

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.
Alexander in the Ba’albek Valley, 332 BCE
Alexander in the Ba’albek Valley, 332 BCE
58FE9BFC-B0D2-4B31-ABEE-4252AB45D920.jpeg (194.03 KiB) Viewed 5195 times
"A ship is safe in the harbor, but that's not why ships are built"
Alexias
Strategos (general)
Posts: 1082
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:16 am

Re: Alexander sacked the city of Baalbek?

Post by Alexias »

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.
Post Reply