ThecaptureofPalmyrabythegunmenoftheIslamicStatethreatenstheworldwiththemost

grievouslosstoitsculturalpatrimonysincetheSecondWorldWar.JustastheNazisfelt
themselvesperfectlyjustifiedindestroyingtheheritageofthosetheysawaslesserbreedsPoles,
Russians,andaboveallJewssoarejihadispledgedtoflattenanythingthatsmacksofidolatry.
DivinefiatandtheexampleoftheProphetMuhammadobligesthem,sotheytrumpet,tosmashinto
piecesanythingthatredoundstothegloryofpaganism.Itisnotonlytheirbrutallyliteralistreading
oftheQur'an,though,whichhasinspiredthemintheirvandalismoftheNearEast'sincomparable
archaeologicalheritage.TheIslamicStateisatleastascynicalasitisgodfearing.Anyantiquity
thatitcansellontheblackmarketisdulysmuggledtotheoutsideworld.Everythingelseisvery
ostentatiouslydemolished.Pietyandaneyeforaprofitmakeforalethalcombination.
Nooneshoulddoubt,then,themortaldangerthatnowthreatensPalmyra.Already,theIslamic
Statehaveshownthemselvesreadytousebulldozersandexplosivesonmonumentswhichstand
testimonytothepreIslamicworld.TheAssyriancitiesofNinevehandNimrud,capitalsofan
empirewhichruledmuchoftheNearEastbackinthedaysoftheOldTestamentprophets,lie
shatteredintheirwake.ExcavationswhichwereabandonedduringtheGulfWarwillnowneverbe
completed.ThelosstoourunderstandingofAssyriancivilisationisimmeasurable.Yetforallthat,
thevisualimpactoftheirdestructionwasmuted.TheAssyriansusedbricksfashionedoutofdried
mudtobuildtheircities,withtheresultthatmuchofthemhadalreadycrumbledintodustmillennia
beforetheIslamicStateturnedupwiththeirKalashnikovs.Palmyra,though,wasdifferent.
Foundedinadesertoasis,thecolonnadesandtemplesraisedduringitsgoldenagewerefashioned
outofstone.Itisthatwhichhasenabledthemtostandproofagainstthepassageofthecenturies.It
isthataswellwhichwouldmaketheirdestructionanunspeakablytragicspectacleofruin.
ThesignificanceofPalmyralieslessinthepromiseitholdsoffindsyettobemadethaninthe
incomparablebeautyofitscityscape.OnlyMachuPicchu,theIncastrongholdintheAndes,and
AngkorWat,thegreattemplecomplexdeepintheCambodianjungle,canrivalitsstatusasthe
mostromanticarchaeologicalsiteintheworld.Tellingly,allthreecitieswerelonglosttothe
knowledgeoftravellers.MachuPicchu,highinthemountains,wasneverdiscoveredbytheSpanish
conquistadors;AngkorWatvanishedforcenturiesbeneathcreepers;andPalmyra,afterrisingtoa
dazzlingpinnacleofsplendourandpower,declinedtobecomeaforgottenbackwater,halfburiedby
sand.OnlyintheseventeenthcenturydidadventurersbringbackthefirstreportstoEuropeofits
splendours;andonlyintheeighteenthcenturydidillustrationsoftheabandonedcityserveto
establishitintheWesternimaginationasaveritablearchetypeofdecayedgreatness.Thenotoriety
oftheAssadregime,whichestablishedaprisonwithaparticularlyevilreputationinthe
neighbouringtownofTadmor,helpedtoensurethatPalmyraneversuccumbedtotheembraceof
masstourism.Evenbeforetheoutbreakofthecivilwar,thesitewaslargelyempty.Theauraof
romancewhichhadsoinspiredGeorgianarchitectsandVictorianpoetsstillclungtotheruins.
Romancealone,though,isinsufficienttoexplainwhatcurrentlyliesatstake.Foranyonewitheven
apassinginterestinRomancivilisation,Palmyrastandsasanincomparabletreasure.Nomore
completeorimpressivepanoramahassurvivedfromclassicalantiquity.Ofthecolumnswhichlined
thecity'scentralcolonnade,asplendidthoroughfarejustoverakilometrelong,almosthalfarestill
standing.Deepinthedesertthoughitstood,ontheeasternmostlimitsofRome'sempire,Palmyra
boastedallthemostcuttingedgeappurtenancesofaRomanmetropolis:baths,theatres,arches.
Despiteaninitiallyfractiousrelationship,whichin41BChadpromptedMarcAntonytolaunchan
abortiveattackonthecity,itsannexationsomesixtyyearslatersoonsawitflourishingasaloyal
outpostoftheCaesars.WhentheEmperorHadrianvisitedPalmyrainAD129,hegraceditwith
signalandmagnificenthonours.Meanwhile,PalmyreansweretakingfulladvantageofthePax
Romana.Inparticular,theyflourishedasmerchantsandsoldiers.Somewereeventobefoundatthe

oppositeendoftheempire,onHadrian'sWall.Oneofthem,amerchantnamedBarates,marriedhis
Britishslavegirl,anderectedasplendidtombstonetoherwhenshedied.Itcanstillbeseen,
completewithmovingPalmyreneinscription,inArbeiaMuseum,inSouthShields.
YetthefascinationofPalmyraisthatitwasnevermerelyaRomancity.Itswealthwasdependent
ontrade;andthistrade,whichenabledthecity'srulerstoestablishitasthemostglitteringentrept
intheentireMiddleEast,theDubaiofitsday,wasinturndependentoncontactswithrivalempires
toRome.EastofPalmyralayMesopotamia,astheGreekscalledIraq:alandruledbyIranian
emperors.RelationsbetweentheseemperorsandtheCaesarswererarelygoodbutthatdidnot
stopthemostimpressivetempleinPalmyrabeingdedicatedtoagodwhosenamederivedfromthe
ancientMesopotamiancityofBabylon.Meanwhile,inanothertemple,Arabtribesmenestablisheda
sanctuarytoadeityoftheirown:agoddessnamedAllat.Hercultwouldproveanenduringone.In
duecourseshewouldendupcondemnedbynameintheQur'an.
Roman,Mesopotamian,Arab:Palmyrawasallofthese,andmore.Assuch,sheembodiedthe
authenticspiritofSyria,whichhadalwaysbeenateemingmeltingpotofcultures.Themost
spectaculardemonstrationofthiscameinthe3rdcenturyAD,whenZenobia,thequeenofPalmyra,
wasabletotakeadvantageofaRomancivilwartoestablishherselfastheeffectivemistressofthe
entireNearEast.PosingasadefenderofRomaninterests,shefirsttookpossessionofSyriaanda
chunkofAnatolia,thencoollyhadherselfproclaimedtheQueenofEgypt.Forafewshortyears,
Palmyrafounditselfgloriouslyandimprobablyelevatedtothestatusofanimperialcapital.Inthe
event,though,Zenobia'sruledidnotlastlong.Defeatedinbattle,shewastakentoRomeand
paradedthroughthestreetsingoldenchains.Accordingtotradition,shethenretiredtoacountry
villa,andlivedoutherdaysasaRomanmatron.Nevertheless,thebriefarcofhermeteoriccareer
wasaportentofthingstocome.Eventhoughitwasherdefeatthatprecipitatedthespectacular
declineofPalmyraitself,therewereothersoutinthedesertwho,overthecourseofthefollowing
centuries,daredtodreamofempiremuchasshehaddone.WhentheArabs,inthe7thcentury,
finallysucceededinendingRomanruleofSyriaforgood,theywerefollowinginZenobia's
footsteps.TheCaliphatetheyestablished,justasPalmyrahadbeen,wasaremarkablefusionof
manyculturesandallthericherforit.
HencethebitterironyofthedoomthatnowthreatensZenobia'scapital:thatitsconquerorsclaima
mandatetodestroyitinthenameofareconstitutedcaliphate.Intruth,theregimethattheIslamic
StateaspiretoestablishoverSyriaisallthemoreofanabominationfortramplingdowntraditions
ofpluralisminthecountrythataremillenniaold.Itisthiswhichmakesthethreateneddestruction
ofPalmyrasuchahumanaswellasaculturaltragedy:forthecityisthemostpotentsymbol
imaginableofthesocietythatSyriausedtobe.When,induecourse,thekillingstops,theblood
dries,andtheSyrianpeopleattempttorefashionsomethingoutoftherubbletowhichtheirlandhas
beenreduced,theywillneedsymbols.Tomutilateacountry'spastistocrippleitsfuture.Thatis
whythefateofPalmyramatters.Itisnotjustancientstonethatismenaced.
'Whatarewewaitingfor,assembledintheforum?'ConstantineCavafy,inhismostfamouspoem,
imaginedanemperorandhispeoplegatheringinacityverylikePalmyra,andwaitingforthe
barbarians.Intheevent,though,thebarbariansdonotshowandthecrowdswhohadgatheredto
greetthem,farfromfeelingrelieved,dissolveinsteadinasombremood.'Andnow,'thepoem
concludes,'whatsgoingtohappentouswithoutbarbarians?Theywere,thosepeople,akindof
solution.'
ButCavafydidnotlivetoseethedepredationsoftheIslamicState.Today'sbarbarians,asthe
worldhaslearnttoitsbittercost,arenokindofasolutionatall.