But it is to the Egyptian successors of Alexander that we must look for the
systematic extension of commerce; towards which they were in a manner
impelled by the highly favourable situation of Alexandria. It has justly
been observed by Harris, in his Collection of Voyages, that most of the
cities founded by the Syrian kings existed little longer than their
founders; and, perhaps, with the exception of Antioch, on the Orontes, and
Seleucia, on the Tigris, none of them, from the situation in which they
were built, and the countries by which they were surrounded, could under
any circumstances be of long duration. With respect to the cities founded
by Alexander it was quite otherwise. The Alexandria of Paropamisus may
still be traced in Candahar; and the Alexandria on the Iaxartes, in Cogend:
and the Alexandria of Egypt, after surviving the revolutions of empires for
eighteen ages, perished at last, (as a commercial city,) only in
consequence of a discovery which changed the whole system of commerce
through the world.
On the destruction of Tyre, Alexander sought for a situation on which he
might build a city that would rival it in the extent of its commerce; and
he quickly perceived the advantages that would be derived from the seat of
commerce being established near one of the branches of the Nile. By means
of this river his projected city would command at once the commerce of the
Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
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