Excerpt from Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, to Titus, and to Philemon Philip himself, in memory of a victory which he obtained over the armies of Thessaly. In the time of Brutus and Cassius it was a city of so much importance that the promise of being permitted to plunder the city, as the reward of victory, infused new courage into their armies. The city was inhabited by Greeks, Romans, and Jews. It adored many gsod, but paiticularly J uniter, as the father of Hercules, the alleged founder of its ancient royal family. It had a celebrated amphitheatre, where gladiatorial shows were exhibited for the amusement of the citi zens, and a circus for public games. The Roman part of the population was, of course, introduced after the conquest, and it IS impossible now to estimate the relative number of the Greeks and the Romans in the time when the gospel was preached there. In common with most of the other cit1es of Greece, a considerable number of Jews resided there, who had a synagogue at the time when the city was visited by Paul. Acts xvii. 1. Little is known of the morals of the place, but there is reason to believe that it was somewhat distinguished for dissoluteness of manners. The females, particularly, could claim little credit on the score of modest, re tiring demeanour; for this virtue was in so low estimation in the city, that the place was selected as the scene of the wanton fancies of the satirist. (lucian) See Hug. Intro. The name of the 1place now is Saloniki. It is a Turkish commercial town, and contains about 70, 000 inhabitants. Its situation and appearance are thus described by Dr. Clarke. The walls of Salonica give a very remarkable appearance to the town, and cause it to be seen at a great dis tance, being white washed, and what is st1ll more extraordinary, they are painted. They extend in a. Semi-circular manner from the sea, enclosing the whole of the buildings within a peribolus, whose circuit is five or six miles; but a great part of the space within the walls is void. It is one of the few remaining cities which has preserved the ancient form of its fortifications; the mural turrets yet standmg, and the walls that support them, being entire. Their antiquity is, perhaps, unknown, for, though they have been ascribed to the Greek emperors, it is very evident they were constructed in two distinct periods of time, the old Cyclopean ma sonry remaining in the low er parts of them, surmounted by an upper strue ture of brickwork. Like all the ancient and modern cities of Greece, its wretched aspect within is forcibly contrasted with the beauty of its exter nal appearance. The houses are generally built of unburnt bricks, and, for the most part they are no better than so many hovels It is, how ever, a flourishing commercial town, from which Is exported the corn, cotton, wool, tobacco, bees' -wax, and silk of Macedonia. It is the seat of a Pasha, and has still among its population a considerable proportion of Jews. Rab bi Benjamin of Tudela, who visited it in A. D. 1160, describes it, under the name of Salunkz', an d says that it was built by Seleucus, one of the four Greek nobles who arose after Alexander, and that when he Visited it, it was a large city containing about five hundred Jewish inhabitants. The Jews, says he are much oppressed in this place, and live by the exercise of handicrafts. Itinerary, vol. 1. 49, 50. Ed. 1840. He de scribes it as having at that time more Jewish inhabitants than any other town in Greece, Thebes alone excepted. It is said at present to contain about 20, 000 Jewish inhabitants. Its favourable situation for commerce s probably the cause of the numerous assemblage of the Jews there See Asher's Ed. Of Benjamin of Tudela, vol. Ii. P. 012. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com