Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 5.djvu/597

 ERTTHR^

527

ESAU

Leitschch, strassburg (Bielefeld, 1903); Debio, KirMiche it under the hegemony of Persia until 1514, when it

Baukunst des Abendlands (1S92-1901).

G. GlETMANN.

Erythrae, a titular see in Asia Minor. According to legend the city was founded by colonists from Crete. The name must have been derived from the red stone common in the country. Ruled by kings at first, the city passed through periods of oligarchy and democ- racy, became tributary to Croesus and Cyrus, sub- mitted to Athens, then to Sparta, and finally obtained

passed again to the Osmanlis. In 1828 and 1878 it was occupied by the Russians. In 1859 it was almost destroyed by an earthquake.

Erzerum is built at an altitude of over si.x thousand feet on a hill, which is surrounded by mountains of some ten thousand feet in height. The climate is healthful, but rigorous. Winter lasts eight and sum- mer only four months. The Western Euphrates (Kara Su) is about four miles from the city. Garin is the capi-

independence. After Alexander, it had various masters tal of a vilayet and has a population of about 40,000,

until 191 B. c, when it took sides with the Romans, of whom 27,000 are Turks, the rest Armenians, Greeks,

though still preserving its autonomy. Finally it was and a few Europeans (about 900 Catholics, mostly Ar-

incorporated with the province of Asia. Erythrae was menians). The city is divided into three parts: the

famous for its Sibyl Herophile and its temples of Her- citadel, near the centre of the city, the city proper

cules, .A-thena Polias, etc. At an early date it became a surrounded by a double wall, and four suburbs. There

suffragan of Ephesus; to the bishops mentioned by are 65 mosques, many churches, and several large

Lequien (Or. christ., I, 727): Eutychius (4.31), Dra- bazaars. The chief industries are blacksmiths' and

contius (451), Theoctistus (553), Eustathius (787), coppersmiths' work. Besides the Greek metropolitan,

Arsaphius (868), maybe added Michael in 1229 (Revue still subject to the Patriarch of Antioch, Gregorian and

des Etudes grecques, VII, 80). By the sixteenth cen- Catholic Armenian bishops reside at Erzerum. The

tury the see had disappeared, together with the city Dioceseof Theodosiopolis(Erzerum) wasre-established

and its port. A new village has arisen on its site, Litri in 1850 and on 10 July, 1883, divided into the Dioceses

or Rithri, not far from Tshesm^. in the vilayet of Aidin or Smyrna. The ruins include walls which are about three miles in circuit, a theatre, aqueducts, columns, and a Byzantine for- tress.

Texier, Asie Mineurf. 366-369; Lamprecht, De rebus ErythrcEorum pub- lids (Berlin, 1871); G.EB- LER, ErythrcF (Berlin, 1892); BuERCHNEH in Pauly-Wissowa, Rfnl- Encyc, s. v.; Smith, Diet of Gr. and Rom. Grna (London, 1878), I, 8.50-

of Erzerum and Mush. The former diocese has (1909) 10,000 faithful, 38 priests, 30 parishes, 66 churches or chapels, a seminary, 19 schools with about 1000 pupils, and a hospital. Armenian Sisters of the Im- maculate Conception have a monastery. Two Capuchins con- duct the Latin mis- sion.

CuRZON, A Year of Br^ zeroum (London, 1854); AIlLUNGEN. La Turquie mux Abd-ul-Aziz (1868). ch. xvi; CuiNET, La Tut- qinrd'Asie (Paris. 1892), I, lSO-191; Missinnes calholica: (Rome, 1907), 7 5 3; Weber, Kath. Kirche in A rme n i e n (Freiburg, 1903), 386. S. Vailhe.

Jacob Being Blessed by Isaac Raphael, Vatican Loggie

Esau (icy, hairy), the eldest son of Isaac and Rebecca, the twin-brother of Jacob. The struggle of the two brothers, when still within Rebecca's womb, was prophetic of the lifelong opposition, deepening at times into hatred, which marked the relations be- tween Esau and Jacob (Gen., xxv, 22 sq.). Esau,

S. Vailhe.

Erzerum (Theo- Dosioi'OLis), Diocese OF (Ehzeru.miexsis Armeniorum). The native name, Garin (Gr. KopTji/iTis; Arab. Kalikelah),is still used

by the Armenians. The kings of Armenia established here their summer residence. Later Garin fell into the power of the Byzantines, who named it Theodosiopo- lis (415), under which title it is still a Latin titular see.

It became then a Greek bishopric, suffragan to Cses-,. ..

area of Cappadocia. Three bishops are known at this who came forth first, when grown up, became a skilful period, Peter (448), Manasses (451), and another Peter hunter, and was much loved by Isaac, who ate of his (553). (See Lequien, Or. christ., I, 4.37.) This eccle- hunting (Gen., xxv, 24-28). "Coming faint out of siastical situation lasted at least until the ninth cen- the field", and much moved by the sight and savour tury. In the eleventh century, owing to a confusion of the pottage boiled by his brother, Esau said to with another Theodosiopolis in Mesopotamia, the see Jacob, "Give me of this red pottage". No doubt passed under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Anti- already informed as to the import of the oracle re- och. From 622 to 633, a great council, which brought vealed" to Rebecca, Jacob was quick to draw advan- about a temporary union of the Armenian and Greek tage from the greed of his famished brother. Con- Churches, was held at Garin; the Emperor Heraclius senting to the condition imposed, Esau not only ex- attended with the Armenian and (Jreek patriarchs and changed his first birthright for the red pottage, but many bishops of both Churches (Hefele, III, 73, even confirmed the sale by an oath, saying, "Lo, I die;

132). In 1201 the city w;is plundered by the Seljuk what will the first birthright avail me? And so

Turks, who named it Erzerum, which appears to mean taking bread and the pottage of lentils, he ate, and "the coimtry of the Romans", that is to say of the drank, and went his way; making little account of Greeks, though .some think that the name is acorrup- having .sold his first birthright" (Gen., .xxv, 29-.34). tion of Arzen er-Roum, Arzen being an ancient Ar- That this transaction was widely known is justly in- mcnian city in the neighbourhood. Erzerum was cap- ferred from the very name (Edom, red), which, though tured in 1214 by the sultans of Iconiura, in 1387 by rarely given to Esau himself, is almost universally ap- Timur-Leng, in 1400 by the Osmanli Turks. In 14.30 plied to his descendants. "E.sau, being forty years it fell into the power of local dynasties, which held old, married wives, Judith, the daughter of Beeri the