Adonis Diaries

Archive for July 17th, 2011

Phoenicia: Who is Zenon of Kition?

The Lebanese author, Alexander Najjar, published a French novel “Phoenicia“.

I know most of the historical side stories of this novel:  It is an opportunity to disseminate what has been recounted of the siege of Alexander to Tyr on his way to conquer Egypt.

The mother of the philosopher Zenon was from Tyre, and his father from Sidon (City-States in current Lebanon, known as Phoenicia).  The family relocated to one of the Phoenician-built cities in Cyprus, Kition (current Larnaca).

The Phoenicians had built more than 70 coastal cities along the Mediterranean shores, from Cyprus, Sicily, Sardinia, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, to Libya…The merchant ships would follow the current going north to Cyprus, then westward to Sicily, Sardinia, before reaching Carthage and the other ports, and returning along the northern Africa coast of Libya, Egypt to Tyr.

For example, the City-State of Thebes in Greece was built by the Phoenician, 5 centuries before Athens was built:  Alexander destroyed completely Thebes, a preview savage act for eradicating the Phoenician civilization, culture, and language.

Actually, the Greek never attempted to translate the Phoenician manuscripts and plagiarized extensively their civilization.

(The Arabs did an excellent job translating all of Greek manuscripts, which saved Greek culture from oblivion…)

At the age of 30, Zenon was taking a cargo of goods to the Greek port of Piraeus and the boat was shipwrecked.  Zenon ended up in Athens.

He read the second book of Xenophon “Memorables” that included long discussions between Socrates and Aristippe on the themes of pleasure and temperance.

Zenon met the cynic philosopher Crates of Thebes and followed him as disciple.  Zenon also learned from Stilpon, Diodore Cronos, Xenocrates of Chalcedonia, and Ptolemon of Athens.

Zenon founded the Stoic philosophy.

He had many disciples such as Cleanthe, Philonide of Thebes, Chrisippe of Tarsus, Persee of Kition, and Apollonios of Tyr.   He recounted to his disciple Apollonios of Tyr the story of his mother during the siege of Tyr by Alexander.

Zenon was tall, slender, dark of complexion and led a sober life eating bread, honey, fig, and drinking a little wine on occasions. He gave priority to moral values and virtue, at a period people ceased to believe in Gods, in good and evil behaviors…

Thus, Zenon taught to submit to destiny.  He said:  “It is harder to hold a balloon filled of air under water than to change the mind of a philosopher if he is exempt of passion and vanity.

After defeating the Persian King in Issos (on the border of current Turkey and Syria), Alexander decided to conquer Egypt before tracking the Persian King in Babylon.  It is said that Alexander had to subjugate all cities and port-cities along the way to Egypt because the Persian fleet was dominating the sea and could cut his supply route and attack the read guard of his army.

All cities surrendered without fight except Tyr.

Powerful Tyr knew that Alexander’s goal was to eliminate Tyr dominance in the sea at any cost.  Why should Tyr support the savage and poor Macedonian conqueror when rich Persia lavished grants on Tyr and spared it any direct occupation?

Sidon and Byblos had surrendered without any fight to Alexander and even supported him by sea.

Alexander tried to build a land bridge to join land of Tyr to sea island Tyr, strongly fortified.  This land bridge was destroyed several times and Alexander was ready to give up after 7 months of siege.

Then, one morning, 250 ships converged to Tyr from Cyprus, Rhodes…to support Alexander, after they got news of the defeat of the Persian King.

Carthage declined to come to the rescue of Tyr because the emerging power of Rome was harassing its merchant routes and cities.

Alexander massacred 8,000 people in Tyr and totally ruined this proud city.

Israel is announcing to World Community: “I am ready for another preemptive war. Back me up!”

Do you believe the State of Israel had ever a positive, peaceful, and happy announcement to communicate to the outside world?  You have the impression that the successive governments in Israel are plagued with very depressive conditions:  The only way out for Israel’s governments to vent their anger and insecure internal situations is to have some fun waging another preemptive war; it does not matter who is the enemy.

You have this constant impression that Israel oligarchy ruling the military infrastructure, production of military hardware, and export of military materials is the supreme institution in the State of Israel.  When this military oligarchy (constituted of former defense ministers and Chief-of Staffs, and financial institution leaders), wants to test its products and encourage export of machines of death,  “civil” governments are just facade, and its sole role is disseminating lame excuses and preparing the world community to expect another preemptive war!

Have you noticed that only Israel and the superpowers with veto “rights” in the UN security council wage preemptive wars and never pay restitution for illegal aggressions and occupations ?  Is it why they keep waging “preemptive wars”?

In the last two months, Israel has been declaring its readiness to go to war.  Who is this Ban Kee Moon? Is he the secretary general of the UN who was re-appointed for another term to “lead” the world community and establish peace, preserving human rights, investigating the progress of the UN indicators for human development?

Shouldn’t Ban Kee Moon respond to Israel threats for destabilizing world community?   Shouldn’t Ban Kee Moon take the podium and warn Israel that “enough is enough!?”  That the Palestinians in Gaza are living in an open vast concentration camp, and this condition is not within the human rights obligation of a State recognized by the UN? Shouldn’t Ban Kee Moon work relentlessly to drum up a support campaign for the establishment of a Palestinian State?

Israel massacred over 100 peaceful Palestinians, using snipers, against Palestinian demonstrators on the borders for their rights of return, guaranteed by the UN in 1948.  What did this Ban Kee Moon said? “We urge all concerned parties to keep calm and refrain of violence”  Israel repeated its feat and killed 300 peaceful Palestinian demonstrators the next week .

What did this Ban Kee Moon said? “We urge all concerned parties to keep calm and refrain of violence!”  When Israel killed 9 peaceful civilians on “Freedom 1” boats heading to Gaza, what do you think this Ban Kee Moon said? “We are waiting for Israel “independent report” on the killing… and we urge all concerned parties to keep calm and refrain of violence”

Israel is serious about launching its nth preemptive war, early this September for several reasons:

First, Israel knows that war (the only activity that Israel did better than anything else, before the 2006 war) is the best diplomatic means to delaying the establishment of a Palestinian State:  A war before the UN vote will delay the issue and Israel will gain more time for proving that a Palestinian State is a geo-political non-feasibility…

Second, Israel will try again, using a different military strategy to weakening the military might of Hezbollah.  Hezbollah is the most scary enemy to Israel because no system can destroy short and medium-range missiles, landing by the hundreds on cities, towns, airfields, and military infrastructure and production complexes…

Third, Israel will coax Syria to respond and take the initiative to demolishing the regime security forces centers, and headquarter of Bashar al Assad.  Consequently, facilitating regime change and weakening the strategic links of Iran in that region.

Fourth, Israel is about to get the green light for that preemptive war from the US and Turkey.  This triumvirate has reached an agreement that the Moslem Brotherhood political parties sharing power in Egypt and Syria is good to business and stability.

Iran wishes that Israel will refrain from coaxing the Syrian regime into a war, simply because any war with Syria will change the name of the game with its strategic ally.  Iran wants to agree with the US, China, and Russia that the most plausible alternative in the short-term is a resumption of benign insurgencies, and the Syrian regime not going overboard with its repressions.

I believe Israel beg to foolishly differ with Iran’s wishes:  Israel military infrastructure and production is the strongest catalyst for engaging in preemptive wars:  It is good for business and for the military budget in periods of internal crisis.

Lebanon will endure harsh periods whether Bashar regime succeed or fail.  Especially, if a civil war sweeps Syria:  Lebanon social structure is so drastically divisive.  Would the new Lebanese government take seriously the imminent next preemptive war and vigorously coordinate the defensive strategy among the resistance, the army, and the people?

Frankly, what may delay the preemptive war in early September is a strong stand by Egypt (State and people) and a change of regime in Syria. No matter what Israel proclaim about its main enemy, it is Egypt that scares most Israel!  I believe, this time around, a preemptive war launched by Israel will be catastrophic to this Zionist State, economically, politically, and militarily.

Definite political and social changes will get roots in the Middle-East.  “An Arab Autumn Revolt” will spread its fire and seeds for freedom and democratic systems.  It is plausible that Israel might advance its D-Day if Syria tanks enter Hama:  Thus, fomenting a civil war that was not forthcoming.


adonis49

adonis49

adonis49

July 2011
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