T H E   L A D I E S '   R E P O S I T O R Y .

CINCINNATI, NOVEMBER, 1844.

      THE geography of any country can only prove interesting in proportion to the historical interest which lingers around and is identified with it; and though it may seem strange, yet it is no less true, that lands, wild and barren, on account of some noble spirit, some mighty achievement, may become worthier objects of admiration than those upon which nature has lavished her richest gifts. But Asia Minor is deficient neither in the charms which the hand of nature so lavishly bestows, nor in the circumstances which are calculated to rescue a country from the night of oblivion. Nay, so far is this from being the case, the fact of its being the land of Homer, and the scene of his matchless songs, is amply sufficient to insure its claims to at least an earthly immortality. The chief difficulty, then, which presents itself to the writer who would desire attentively to consider this part of the world, is not what he shall speak of, or where he may find materials for his description, but what he shall select from the mass of materials which are spread out before him. In one word, it is a country the richness of whose history, in all that can delight and interest, is surpassed by none that meets the sun in its course. Here princes have reigned, who, in extent of territory, number of armed legions, and courtly magnificence, have never been equaled. Historians have here lived, whose faithful delineations have rendered them the teachers of all succeeding time--lawgivers and statesmen, poets and orators, at once the wonder and imitation of the world. Indeed, there is scarcely a mountain in the whole region, a river which glides through its pleasant valleys, a promontory that stretches into its blue waters, or an island that gems its coast, that is not deeply and intimately associated, in the mind of the lover of classic lore, with some great exploit, some valiant hero, or renowned bard. For example, we look at Mount Ida, and the sorrowful flight of the daring son of Anchises from the ruins of Troy starts up with life-like vividness before us: at Scio, and its blind bard is present to the imagination: at the Granicus, Xanthus, and Meander, and we see the snowy tents of Rhesus and the embattled hosts of the fierce Macedonian. [338]

      But if it be pleasing to the lover of ancient story thus, as it were, to live over the past, how much more so will it be to the Christian who looks upon this land as the scene of some of the greatest triumphs of his religion, and the fulfillment of some of the most remarkable prophecies recorded in holy writ. It was one of its cities which gave birth to the illustrious apostle to the Gentiles, who once despised the Christian faith, but who, by the power of that truth, was completely subdued, and became one of the most zealous advocates of the faith he once so bitterly opposed. Here paganism received a deadly blow, its fanes soon were deserted, its temples and altars crumbled to the dust, and its unmeaning ceremonies and useless rites yielded before the simple yet powerful doctrines of the cross. Here, too, in the early ages of Christianity, the fierce hatred of heathenism was exhibited--here persecution lighted its baleful fires, and thousands of noble and devoted spirits were found who sealed the testimony they gave with their blood.

      But perhaps there is nothing in the history of this country which attracts such mournful interest as the seven cities once the location of the seven Asiatic Churches, in which religion pure and undefiled once flourished; and here thousands of sincere and humble devotees once crowded to the Christian temples to offer up the pure sacrifices of their hearts; and here the loftiest praises were sung by those who had turned away from their idols to serve the living God. But the fate of these cities is worthy of more than a mere passing notice. The first, Ephesus, was the site of the great temple of Diana, at whose shrine it was said that all Asia and the world worshiped, and which, on account of its size and magnificence, was called one of the seven wonders of the world. We learn from the Acts of the Apostles that Paul dwelt in this city for the space of three years. He established a flourishing Church there, to which one of his epistles was addressed. The apostle John, in the book of Revelation, accuses this Church of being in some degree indifferent, and it is made the subject of some fearful threats on account of its continued neglect. These declarations have all been most signally fulfilled. This city has been utterly destroyed: its proudest structures have been leveled to the earth: the plough has been passed over its prostrate grandeur; and in the year 1826 it was described, by some eastern travelers, as having corn growing above its moldering ruins. Such has been the fate of this once famed city, where all was once life and activity: the proud arches and columns which once heard the cry, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" now hear the scream of the eagle and the moan of the prowling jackal.

      But our limits will not permit us to speak of all the rest in detail. Suffice it to say, that Pergamus, once the residence of proud monarchs, has very much degenerated from its former greatness. Sardis, once celebrated for its beauty and opulence, is now the site of a few mud huts, the dwellings of Turkish herdsmen. Laodicea has fallen to utter decay: not a single Christian remains where thousands once worshiped; but ruined arches, decaying columns, and moldering friezes serve only to mark the spot where the city stood.

[The Ladies' Repository 4 (November 1844): 338-339.]

      William Baxter's "Asia Minor" was first published in The Ladies' Repository, and Gatherings of the West: A Monthly Periodical Devoted to Literature and Religion, Vol. 4, No. 11, November 1844, pp. 338-339. This volume, edited by E. Thomson, was published in Cincinnati by L. Swormstedt and J. T. Mitchell for the Methodist Episcopal Church.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 7 April 2000.
Updated 28 June 2003.