their mistress.[41] Between Tyre and Sidon there was especial jealousy,
and the acceptance by either of the leadership of the other, even
temporarily, was a rare fact in the history of the nation.

According to the geographers, the cities of Phoenicia, from Laodicea
in the extreme north to Joppa at the extreme south, numbered about
twenty-five. These were Laodicea, Gabala, Balanea, Paltos; Aradus,
with its dependency Antaradus; Marathus; Simyra, Orthosia, and Arka;
Tripolis, Calamus, Trieris, and Botrys; Byblus or Gebal; Aphaca;
Berytus; Sidon, Sarepta, and Ornithonpolis; Tyre and Ecdippa; Accho and
Porphyreon; Dor and Joppa. Of the twenty-five a certain number were,
historically and politically, insignificant; for instance, Gabala,
Balanea, Paltos, Orthosia, Calamus, Trieris, Botrys, Sarepta,
Ornithonpolis, Porphyreon. Sarepta is immortalised by the memory of its
pious widow,[42] and Orthosia has a place in history from its connection
with the adventures of Trypho;[43] but the rest of the list are little
more than "geographical expressions." There remain fifteen important
cities, of which six may be placed in the first rank and nine in the
second--the six being Tyre, Sidon, Aradus, Byblus or Gebal, Marathus,
and Tripolis; the nine, Laodicea, Simyra, Arka, Aphaca, Berytus,
Ecdippa, Accho, Dor, and Joppa. It will be sufficient in the present
place to give some account of these fifteen.

There are some grounds for considering Sidon to have been the most
ancient of the Phoenician towns. In the Book of Genesis Sidon is called
"the eldest born of Canaan,"[44] and in Joshua, where Tyre is simply a
"fenced city" or fort,[45] it is "_Great_ Zidon."[46] Homer frequently
mentions it,[47] whereas he takes no notice of Tyre. Justin makes it the
first town which the Phoenicians built on arriving at the shores of the
Mediterranean.[48] The priority of Sidon in this respect was, however,