The trodUionary sacred placet of Damascus are the following: A " long, wide thoroughfkre"— leading di- rect ftom one of the gates to the castle or palace of the pasha— is " called by the guides ' Straight' " (Acts iz, 11); but the natives know it among themselves as ** the Street of Bazaars*' (Stanley, p. 404). The house of Judas is shown, but it is not in the street ** Straiglit'* (Pococke, ii, 119). That of Ananias is also pointed out. The scene of the conversion is confidently said to be *^ an open green spot, surrounded by trees," and used as the Christian burial-ground ; but this spot is on the eastern side of the city, whereas Paul must have approached from the south or west. Again it appears to be certain that *'four distinct spots have been pointed out at different times" (Stanley, p. 403) as the place where the " great light suddenly shined ftom heaven" (Acts ix, 8). The point of the walls at which St. Paul was let down by a basket (Acts ix, 26 ; 2 Cor. xi, 88) is also shown ; and it is a fact that houses are still constructed in Damascus in like manner over- hanging the wall. In the vicinity of Damascus cer- tain places are shown traditionally connected with the prophet Elisha; but these local legends are neces- sarily even more doubtful than those which have ref- erence to the comparatively recent age of the apostles. There are even spots pointed out as the scene of events in the life of Abraham (Stanley, p. 404).
The climate of Damascus is healthful except during July, August, and September, when fevers and opthal- mia are prevalent, engendered by filth and unwhole- some food. The thermometer ranges tr6m 80^ to 87^ Fahr. during the summer, and seldom falls below 45^ in winter. There is usually a little snow each year. The rain begins about the middle of October, and con- tinues at intervals till May. The rest of the year is dry and cloudless.
A full description of Damascus, with notices, plans, and drawings, is given in Porter's Five Tears m Da- mascus (Lond. 1855, 2 vols. 8vo) ; and in the Jour. Sac, lAi. July, 1858, p. 246 sq. ; Oct. 1868, p. 46 sq. ; see also Addison's Damascus and Pahnyra (ii, 92-196) ; Walch, AniiqmtaUs Damasc, iUustrata (Jen. 1767 [a copious treatise, giving all facts known in his day] ; also in his Acta Apostol, ii, 81 sq.) ; Kelly, Syria (chap, xv), and travellers in Palestine generally. See Stria.
Damascus, John of. See John of Damascus.
Damaeklos, one of the last eclectic philosophers.
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was a native of Damascus, studied In Alexmdri* Athens, and taught the Neo>PUtoiiic phikMS|>i| the latter dty. In consequence of the penecatis paganbm by the emperor JusHnisn, F 629, emigrated to Per;pia, where he was wcfl red by Khosroes, who, at the treaty of peeoe ia ^ tained for him permission to return and f his religions belief. He is the author at a works, the most important of whi^ is entideil dpx^ (edited by J. Kopp, Fiankibrt, 182$). a life and opinions, see Kopp, preface to the above i and Jules Simon in Dietioimaire de» Scimoes sophiques.—Uoeter^ Biog. GiniraU, xii, 842.
Damasus I, pope, bom in Spain (otfaert m\ Rome) A.D. 806, succeeded Liberios as bishop <tf ii A.D.B66. He was opposed by Ursicinos, wbodA ed the election, and in their disgracefnl strifes h people were murdered. He was a man of vigoroa i tellect, and extended the power of the see d" £4 very greatly. The emperor Gratian oonfcrwd ^ him, in 878, the right to pass judgment upoo Ai clergymen of the other party who had been ez^ from Rome, and, at the request of a Boman syogdbi in the same year, instructed the secular authskki give to him the necessary support. Damasos vv vigorous opponent of Arianism ; a synod hdd by ti in 868 condemned the two lUyrian bishops Unsd and Valens, and another, held in 370, passed tsAm against Auxentius of Milan. He alao exerted \ama^ for putting an end to the Antioch schism, snd ta part in the (Ecumenical Council of Constanlioopie { 881. One 4>f bis best acts was to make Jenoe i secretary, and to aid him in his version of the BU He died in 884, and after his death was soon emafc in the catalogue of saints, being commemorsted ^ Dec. 11. ^Q DsmniA Opera, e^ied by Mereada(psi 1764, fol. ; Paris, 1840, 8vo) ; Mosheim, CiLHisLyLi cent iv, pt. ii, ch. ii, note 40; Milman, Hi*L tflM ChrisHatdty, i, 108 sq.; Chrittian Bemembrtmeer,\Si 1864, 288 sq.
Damasus II, pope, originally Poppo, a natind Bavaria. He was bishop of C^ixen when he n elected pope in 1048, upon the recommendataon ^^ emperor Henry III, on the day of the abdicttke d Benedict IX, and died twenty-three days after b election, 1048.
Damian (Damiantts or Damiaki), Pkteb, b eminent cardinal and reformer in the Roman Ctfiik bom at Ravenna about 1007. His parents apfMrs have taken much pains with his education, ftr be ciH] excelled as mnch in piety as he did in learning. Wks he had completed his studies, be entered the isosa tery of the *' Holy Cross" at Avellana, in Umlrii. ^ high was his reputation that pope Stephen IX cn*^ him cardinal bishop of Ostia. In A.D. 1061 be rt signed all his preferments, which at the first ev« had been forced upon him, being unable to live vtf such a dissolute, debauched, and unholy crew is tl^ clergy of thoto parts and times were« In tla t«3 1069 he was sent as legate to prevent the fsa^ Henry from being divorced firom his wife Bcftin- His last public employment was in A.D. 107% vix^ he was commissioned to dissolve the excoanoivi^ tion under which his natal city Ravenna had laiB ^ several years. He died of a fever at Faensa, ffl February 23, 1072, aged 66 years. His acts vA^ writings, which are numerous, tended mnch to tiie «- largement and consolidation of the papal power; v^ he does not seem to have been at all a party nn.^ to have proceeded in a direct and honest coom, v^ led him, on the whole, to the support of that dooinNB which then prevailed. Not one of his least v^ with the Romish Church would be tiiat he was tk first who required his monks to recite the OiBce of th Virgin ; but that Church should also recollect tint be strongly deprecates the use of temporal weapoos if* ^