The Problem of Hellenistic Syria relations and ‘‘modes of production,’’ it will have been in the territories sur-
rounding the new cities of the north Syrian tetrapolis.
Elsewhere concrete evidence for new city foundations of the earlier Hel-
lenistic period is remarkably sparse. There were none along the Phoenician
coast or in Idumaea or Judaea. Late sources record that a Macedonian settle-
ment was established by Alexander or Perdiccas on the site of Samaria.^24 In
this case there is substantial archaeological evidence which can be brought
into relation with this settlement. The round towers added to the existing
wall of the acropolis are dated to the late fourth century; an outer circuit
of walls, with square towers, perhaps belongs to the second century..^25 It
seems certain that this small fortified town on a hill-top is that of the Mace-
donian settlers and their descendants, to be distinguished from the Samari-
tans proper, who in the later fourth century had established their own temple
on Mount Gerizim.^26
The cults followed by the settlers are illustrated (if no more than that) by
a finely cut inscription of the third century..from Samaria with a dedi-
cation by Hegesander, Xenarchis, and their children to Sarapis and Isis.^27 But
in many places we cannot becertainwhat social changes are implied by the
appearance of cities with Macedonian place-names, like Beroea, Cyrrhus,
or Gindarus in the north-east, or Pella or Dium in Jordan.^28 Excavations at
Pella have revealed some evidence of the earlier Hellenistic period.^29 But
Cyrrhus, for example, makes no appearance at all in our sources until ,
‘‘Cyrrhestian’’ soldiers are recorded as mutinying against Antiochus III in
.^30 It is reasonable to believe that it was a Macedonian settlement of the
early period, like Dura-Europos on the Euphrates. But again, very little is
known of the social character of Hellenistic Dura except the vital item that
. Schürer, Vermes, and Millar,HistoryII, .
. J. W. Crowfoot, K. M. Kenyon, and E. L. Sukenik,Samaria-SebasteI:The Buildings
(), –.
. Schürer, Vermes, and Millar,HistoryII, ; see further text to n. below.
. J. W. Crowfoot, G. M. Crowfoot, and K. M. Kenyon,Samaria-SebasteI:The Objects
(London, ), , no. ; illustrated in M. Avi-Yonah,The Holy Land(), .
. For toponyms in Syria, see the illuminating survey by E. Frézouls, ‘‘La toponymie
de l’Orient syrien et l’apport des éléments macédoniens,’’ inLa toponymie antique: actes de
colloque de Strassbourg (), –.
. R. H. Smith, ‘‘Preliminary Report of the Season of the Sydney/Wooster Joint
Expedition to Pella,’’ADAJ (): ff.
. Polyb. , , –; , ; see E. Frézouls, ‘‘Recherches historiques et archéologiques sur
la ville de Cyrrhus,’’AAAS– (–): –; E. Frézouls, ‘‘Cyrrhus et la Cyrrhestique
jusqu’a la fin du Haut-Empire,’’ANRWII. (), –.