Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/613

Rh CANOBUS. first member of the gens who obtnined any of the oirule offices ; but the first Caninius who was con- sul was C. Caninius llebilus in B. c. 45. The chief families .ire those of Gallus and Rkbilus : we also meet with the surname of Satrius, and a Caninius Sallustius is mentioned who was adopted by some member of this gens. [Sallustius.] C. CA'NIUS, a Roman knight, who defended P. Rutilius Rufus, when he was accused by M. Aemilius Scaurus in B. c. 107. Cicero relates an amusing tale of how this Canius was taken in by a banker at Syracuse, of the name of Pythius, in the purchase of some property. (Cic. de Oral. ii. 69, rfe Of.'ni. 14.) CA'NIUS RUFUS. [Rufus.] CANNU'TIUS. [Canutius.] CANO'BUS or CANO'PUS {KivwSos or Kci- vuyiros)^ according to Grecian story, the helmsman of Menelaus, who on his return from Troy died in Egypt, in consequence of the bite of a snake, and was buried by Menelaus on the site of the town of Canobus, which derived its name from him. (Strab. xvii. p. 801; Conon, Narrat. 8 ; Nicand. Ther. 309, &c.; Schol. adAelian. V. H. xv. 13; Steph. Byz. s. v.; Tac. Annal. ii. 60; Dionys. Perieg. 13; Amm. Marcell. xxii. 16 ; Serv. ad Virg. Georg. iv. 287.) According to some accounts, Canobus was worship- ped in Egj'pt as a divine being, and was represent- ed in the shape of a jar with small feet, a thin neck, a swollen body, and a round back. (Epi- phan. Ancomt § 108; Rufin. Hist. Eccles. ii. 26 ; Suid. s. V. Kdvayrros.) The identification of an Egj-ptian divinity with the Greek hero Canobus is of course a mere fiction, and was looked upon in this light even by some of the ancients themselves. (Aristid. Orat. Aegypt. vol. ii. p. 359, &c. ed. Jebb.) On the Egyptian monuments we find a number of jars with the head either of some animal or of a human being at the top, and adorned with images of gods and hieroglyphics. {Dtsciiption de TEgi/pie, L pi. 10, ii. pi. 36, 92 ; Montfaucon, VAntiquite eapliq. vol. ii. p. 2, pi. 132-134.) Such jars are also seen on Egyptian, especially Canobian, coins. (Vaillant, //«,! I^iolem. p. 205.) They appear to have been frequently used by the Egyptians in I performing religious rites and sacrifices, and it may I CANTACUZENUS. 5.95 be that some deities were symbolically represented in this manner ; but a particular jar-god, as wor- shipped at Canobus, is not mentioned by any wri- ter except Rufinus, and is therefore exceedingly doubtful. Modem critics accordingly believe, that the god called Canobus may be some other divinity worshipped in that place, or the god Serapis, who was the chief deity of Canobus. But the whole subject is involved in utter obscurity. (See Jablon- sky, Panth. AegypL iii. p. 151 ; Hug, Urdersuch.~ unqen uher den Mythm, &c. ; Creuzer, Dionysitis, p. 109, &c., SymM. i. p. 225, &c.) [L. S.] CANTACUZE'NUS, the name of one of the most illustrious of the Byzantine families. It ia probable that the Cantacuzcni belonged to the nobility at Constantinople long before the time of its supposed founder, who lived in the latter part of the eleventh and the early part of the twelfth century. There are at present several Greek nobles who style themselves princes Cantacuzeni, but it is very doubtful whether they are descended from the imperial Cantacuzeni, of whom, however, there are probably descendants living in Italy, although they have dropt the name of their ancestors. 1. The first Cantacuzenus who became distin- guished in history was the commander of the Greek fleet in the reign of Alexis I. Comnenus. He be- sieged Laodiceia, and was victorious in Dalmatia in the war with Bohemond in 1107- 2. Joannes Cantacuzenus, the son or grandson of No. 1, married Maria Comnena, the daughter of Andronicus Comnenus Sebastocrator and the niece of the emperor Manuel Comnenus, and was killed in a war with the Turks-Seljuks about 1174. 3. Manuel Cantacuzenus, son of No. 2, blinded by the emperor flannel. 4. Joannes Cantacuzenus, perhaps the son of No. 3, blinded by the em.peror Andronicus Com- nenus, but nevertheless made Caesar by the em- peror Isaac Angelus, whose sister Irene he had married. He was killed in a war with the Bulga- rians after 1195. 5. Theodorus, perhaps the brother of the pre- ceding, was one of the most courageous opponents of Andronicus I. Comnenus ; he was killed in 1183. 6. Manuel Cantacuzenus, dux under John Vatatzes, emperor of Nicaea ; died subsequently to the year 1261 : his children probably were, 1. Cantacuzenus, praefect of the Peloponnesus ; died at 2. Cantacuzenus. thirty years of age, during the reign of Andronicus j II., the elder (1283 — 1328); married Theodora Pa- Nicephorus. keologina (Tarchaniota), who died in 1 342. 1 3. A daughter 1. Joannes VI. Cantacuzenus, emperor in 1347. [Joannes VI.] He married Irene, daugh- ter of Andronicus Asan Protovestiarius, and granddaughter of Joannes Asan, king of Bulgaria. 2. Nicephorus Sebastocrator. 3. A daughter, mamed Con- stantii us Acropolita. Matthaeus Asanes Cantacu- zenus, co-emperor in 1 355, and abdicated in the same year. [Matthaeus.] He died before his father. He married Irene Palaeologina. I I I 2. Thomas. 3. Manuel, duke of Sparta, died 1380. 4. Andronicus, died 1348. I. 5. Maria, mar- ried Nicepho- rus Ducas Angelus, despot of Acarnania. 6. Theodora, married Urnhan, sultan of the TurVs- Osmanlls. Helena, married Joannes V Palaeo- logus, emperor. 2q