Palmyra

Palmyra, ancient city, Syria

Palmyra (pălmī`rə), ancient city of central Syria. A small modern village known as Tudmur is on the site. An oasis N of the Syrian Desert, 130 mi (209 km) NE of Damascus, Palmyra was important in Syrian-Babylonian trade by the 1st cent. B.C. Palmyra became of true importance only after Roman control was established (c.A.D. 30). Local tribes vied for control, which fell to the Septimii by the 3d cent. A.D. Septimius Odenathus built Palmyra into a strong autonomous state that practically embraced the Eastern Empire, including Syria, NW Mesopotamia, and W Armenia. After his death his widow, Zenobia, briefly expanded the territory, but her ambition brought on (A.D. 272) an attack by Aurelian, who was victorious and partly destroyed (273) the city. In decline, Palmyra was taken by the Arabs and sacked by Timur. It fell into ruins, and even the ruins were forgotten until the 17th cent. The great temple dedicated to Baal and other remains show the ancient splendor of Palmyra at its prime.

---

Palmyra, atoll, Pacific Ocean

Palmyra, atoll (2 sq mi/5.2 sq km), central Pacific, one of the Line Islands, c.1,100 mi (1,770 km) SW of Honolulu. Palmyra has no permanent inhabitants. First visited by Americans in 1802, and later claimed by the Hawaiian kingdom (1862) and Great Britain (1889), it was annexed by the United States in 1898. Palmyra was under the jurisdiction of the city and county of Honolulu until Hawaii was granted statehood in 1959. The atoll is now under the control of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior.

---

Palmyra

 biblical Tadmor

Temple of Bel, Palmyra, Syria.

(credit: H. Roger-Viollet)

Ancient city, Syria, northeast of Damascus, at the modern city of Tadmur. Said to have been built by King Solomon, it became prominent in the 3rd century BC, when the Seleucid dynasty made the road through Palmyra one of the routes of east-west trade. Under Roman control by the reign of Tiberius, it briefly regained autonomy in the 3rd century AD under the Arab queen Zenobia. The main military station on the road that linked Damascus to the Euphrates River, it was conquered by the Muslims in 634. Inscriptions in the Aramaic language supply information on the city's trade with India via the Persian Gulf and with Egypt, Rome, and Syria. Ancient ruins reveal the city's plan.

---

Palmyra

1. an ancient city in central Syria: said to have been built by Solomon

2. an island in the central Pacific, in the Line Islands: under US administration