lated Antioch, killing or
carrying off into slavery almost the whole population; that he suffered
his prisoners in many cases to perish of hunger, and that he drove them
to water once a day like beasts, we may be sure that the guise in which
he showed himself to the Romans was that of a merciless scourge--an
avenger bent on spreading the terror of his name, not of one who really
sought to enlarge the limits of his empire. During the whole course of
this plundering expedition, until the retreat began, we hear but of one
check that the bands of Sapor received. It had been determined to attack
Emesa, one of the most important of the Syrian towns, where the temple
of Venus was known to contain a vast treasure. The invaders approached,
scarcely expecting to be resisted; but the high-priest of the temple,
having collected a large body of peasants, appeared in his sacerdotal
robes at the head of a fanatic multitude armed with slings, and
succeeded in beating off the assailants. Emesa, its temple, and its
treasure escaped the rapacity of the Persians; and an example of
resistance was set, which was not perhaps without important
consequences.

For it seems certain that the return of Sapor across the Euphrates was
not effected without considerable loss and difficulty. On his advance
into Syria he had received an embassy from a certain Odenathus, a
Syrian, or Arab chief, who occupied a position of semi-independence at
Palmyra, which through the advantages of its situation, had lately
become a flourishing commercial town. Odenathus sent a long train of
camels laden with gifts, consisting in part of rare and precious
merchandise, to the Persian monarch, begging him to accept them, and
claiming his favorable regard on the ground that he had hitherto
refrained from all acts of hostility against the Persians. It appears
that Sapor took offence at the tone of the communication, which was not
sufficiently humble to please him. Tearing the letter to fragments and
trampling it beneath his feet he exclaimed: "Who is this Odenathus, and
of what country, that he ventures thus to address his lord? Let him now,
if he would lighten his punishment, come here and fall prostrate before
me with his hands tied behind his back. Should he refuse, let him be
well assured that I will destroy himself, his race, and his land." At
the same time he ordered his servants to cast the costly presents of the
Palmyrene prince into the Euphrates.

This arrogant a