Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/930

Rh 912 CYPRIANUS. rVNTIIIA and CY'NTHIUS (KwO'ia and KuiPicj), surnames respectively of Artemis and Apoilo, which they derived from mount Cynthus ill the island of Delos, their birthplace. (Callim. /fi/mn. in Del. 10; Hor. Carm. i. 21. 2, iii. 28. 12; Lucan, i. 218.) [L. S.] CYNULCUS. [Carneius.] CYNUS (Kvvos), a son of Opus, and father of Ilodoedocus and Larymna, from whom Cynus in Locris derived its name. (Paus. ix. 23. $ 4 ; i:ustath. ad Horn. p. 277.) [L. S.] CYNU'RUS (Kvvovpos a son of Perseus, who is said to have led colonists from Argos into Cynu- ria, a valley between Argolis and Laconia. (Paus. iii. 2. §3.) [L. S.1 CYPARISSUS (Kwdpiacros), a youth of Cea, a son of Telephus, was beloved by Apollo and Zephyrus or Silvan us. When he had inadvertently killed his favourite stag, he was seized with immo- derate grief, and metamorphosed into a cypress. (Ov. Met. X. 120, &c.; Serv. ad Aen. iii. 64, G80, J'Ji'loff. X. 26, Georg. i. 20.) Another Cyparissus is mentioned by Eustathius. {^Ad Horn. II. . .'iig.) [L. S.] CY'PRIA, CYPRIS, CYPRIGENEIA, or CYPRO'GKNES (Kun-pio, KuTrpjs, Ku7rpt7c»'€JO, KuH-po76i^$), surnames of Aphrodite, who was l)orn in the island of Cyprus, which was also one of the principal seats of her worship. (Hom. //. v. 4.58; Pind. 01. i. 120, xi. 125, Pyth. iv. 383; Tibull. iii. 3. 34; Ilor. Carm. . 3. 1.) [L. S.] CYPRIA'NUS, TIIA'SCIUS. This cele- brated prelate was a native of Afiica, born, al- though the exact year cannot be ascertiined, about the beginning of the third century. We are not acquainted with the particulars of his life as long as he remained a Gentile ; but it is evident from his writings that he must have been educated with no common care. St. Jerome and Lactantius as- sure us, that he practised the art of oratory, and taught rhetoric with distinguished success, and by this or some other honourable occupation he realised considerable wealth. About the year A. d. 246, he was persuaded to embrace Christianity by the ex- hortations of Caecilius, an aged presbyter of the church at Carthage, and, assuming the name of the spiritual patron by whom he had been set free from the bondage of Paganism, was henceforward styled Thascius Cabcilius Cyprianu.s. At the same period he sold all that he had, and distributed the price among the poor. The popularity acquired by this liberality, combined probably with the reputa- tion he had previousl}-^ enjoyed, and the pride na- turally felt in 80 distinguished a proselyte, secured his nipid elevation. In a. d. 247 he was raised to the rank of a presbyter, and in the course of the following year the bishopric of Carthage was forced upon his reluctant acceptance by a large majority of the African clergy, not without strenuous oppo- sition, however, from a small party headed by Novatus [NoVATUs] and Felicissimus, whose o> stinate resistance and contumacy subsequently gavt' rise to much disorder and violence. When the persecution of Decius burst forth (a. d. 250), C^'prian, being one of the first marked out as a victim, fled from the storm, in obedience, as he tells us {Kpist. xiv.), to an intimation from heaven that thus he might best discharge his duty, and remained in retirement until after Easter of the following year. (a. d. 251.) During the whole of this period he kept up an active correspondence CYPRIANUS. with his clergj' concerning various matters of dis- cipline, much of his attention being occupied, as the violence of the persecution began to abate, bv the fierce controversies which arose with regard to the readmission of the Lapsi or apostates, who, according to the form and degree of their guilt, were designated Sacrifwaii^ or Thuriftcati, or JAbcl- latici, and were seeking, now that the danger had p.assed away, the restoration of their ecclesiastical privileges. Cyprian, although not perfectly con- sistent throughout in his instructions, always ma- nifested a disposition to follow a moderate course ; and while on the one hand he utterly rejected the extreme doctrine of Novatianus, who maintained that the church had no power again to admit the renegades to her communion, so he was equally opposed to the laxity of those who were willing to receive them at once, before they had given evi- dence of their contrition by lengthened penitence, and finally decided that full forgiveness should not be extended to any of the offenders until God should have granted peace to his servants. No- vatus and Felicissimus. taking advantage of these disputes, endeavoured to gain over to their faction many of the impatient and discontented Lapsi. Novatus actually appointed Felicissimus his deacon without the permission or knowledge of his dio- cesan, who in his turn caused Felicissimus to be excommunicated ; while the latter, far from sub- mitting to the sentence, associated with himself five seditious presbyters, who breaking off in open schism, elected Fortunatus, one of their own number, bishop, and ventured to despatch an epis- tle to Cornelius, bishop of Rome, announcing their choice. This cabal, however, soon fell to pieces ; Cornelius refused to listen to their representations, their supporters gradually dropped off, and their great bond of union was rudely snapped asunder by the defection of their great champion, Novatus, who, upon his visit to Rome at the commencement of A. D. 251, not only ceased to plead the cause of the Lapsi, but espoused to the full extent the views of Novatianus. Scarcely were these trou- bles happily allayed, and Cyprian once more se- curely seated in his chair, when fresh disturbances arose in consequence of the acrimonious contest between Cornelius and Novatianus [Cornelius ; Novatianus] for the see of Rome, the former finding a warm supporter in the bishop of Carthage, by whose exertions his authority was acknowledged throughout neariy the whole of Africa. In the month of June, A. D. 252, began what is commonly termed the persecution of Gallus, but which in reality originated in an unauthorized popular movement excited by the refusal of the Christians to join in the prayers and sacrifices offered up on account of the deadly pestilence which was devastating the various provinces of the Roman empire. On this occasion, as formerly, the mob of Carthage loudly demanded that Cyprian should be thrown to the lions ; but the danger does not appear to have been imminent, and while in Italy Cornelius was ba- nished to Civita Vecchia, where he died on the 14th of September, and his successor Lucius suf- fered martyrdom a few months afterwards (5th March, 253), Africa remained comparatively un- disturbed, and the political confusion consequent upon the assumption of the purple by Aemilianus restored to the church external tranquillity, which continued uninterrupted for nearly four years. But in proportion as there was repose from without, so