Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/752

 734 CTREKE. ^L ' oonaideraMy to tbe E., oo the S. firontier, tiie Bac- coLicus 11 (rh BoMcoAiic^ jpof : Ptol. 2. c. § 8). The oasis of Auoila wis ledconed as belonging to Cjrenaica. (Delia Cells, Vioffgio da TripoU di Bar- beria aUe Frontit-ri OccidentaU delV EgittOy Genoa, 1819 ; Beechej, Expedition to explore the N. coast of A/ricay from Tripoli E,-wardy ^, London, 1828, 4to.; Pacho, Relation dun Voyage dona la Mamnarique, la Cyrenaiquey ^. Paris, 1827 — 1829, 4to.; Barth, Wanderungen dutch das iV nitcke und KgrenaXsche Kustenland, c. 8, Berlin, 1849: and for the coins, Eckhel, voL iv. pp. 117, &c) ^ [P. S.] GYRE'NE or CYRENAE (v Kvp^: Etk and Adj. as those of Cyrknaica : GArennah, raj large Ro.), the chief city of Cyrbnaiga, and the most important Hellenic colony in Africa, was founded in B. G. 631 by Battos and a body of Dorian colomsts from the island of Thera. (The date is yarionsly stated, bat the evidence preponderates greatly in favonr of that now given; Clinton, F, ff, vol. i. «. a. : for the details of the enterprise, and of the sabseqamt bistnry of the house of Battos, see Did, ofBiog, s,v. BattuSj and Grote,J7«f to/* (rreeoe, ToLiv. p. 39, seq.) The colonists, sailing to the then almost nnknown shores of Libya, in obedience to the Delphic oracle, took possession first of the island of Platea, in the ChdfofBomba, which they seem to have mistaken for the mainland. Hence, after two yean of snflfer- ing, and after again consnlting the oracle, they removed to the opposite shore, and resided in the well- wooded district of Aziris for six years, at the end of which time some of the native Libyans per- anaded them to leave it finr a better locality, and condncted them throngh the region of Irssa, to the actoal site of Cyrene. Though Irasa was deemed 80 delectable a region that the Libyan guides were said to have led the Gredcs throngh it in the night lest they should settle there, the spot at which their journey ended is scarcely inferior for beauty and fertility to any on the surface of the globe. In tJie very middle of that " projecting bosom of the African coast" (as Groto well calls it), which has been de> scribed under Cyrenaioa, on the edge of the upper of two of the terraces, by which the toble-land sinks down to the Mediterranean, in a spot badEod by the mountains on the S. and in full view of the sea towards the N., and thus sheltered from the fiery blasto of the desert, while open to the cool sea breezes, at the dbtance of 10 miles from the shores and at the height of about 1800 feet, an inexhaustible spring burste forth amidst luxuriant vegetetion, and ponn its waters down to the Mediterranean throngh a most beautiful ravine. Over this spring which they con- secrated to Apollo, the great deity of their race (hence ^Kw6xXMVot Kpffyni, Callim. m ApolL 88), the coloniste built their new city, and called it Cyrene from Cyre the name of the fountain. At a later period an elegant mythology connected the fountain with the god, and related how Cyrene, a Thessalian nymph, l^oved of Apollo, was carried by him to Africa, in a chariot drawn by swans. (MUlIer, Do- rians, Bk. iL c 3. § 7.) The site of Cyrene was in the territory of the Libyans named Asbtstab; and with them the Greek settlers seem from the firFt to have been on terms of friendship very similar to those which sub- sisted between the Carthaginians and their Libyan neighbours. The Greeks had the immense advantage of commanding the abundant springs and fertile nji&uljws to which the Libyans were compelled to CTBENE. Mort When tfa« supplies of the ka fknoored icgiaBi further inland began to faiL A ckse oonneetkn sooa grew up between the natives and the Greek settlci*; and not only did the fbraior imitate the custaDui «f the latter (Herod, iv. 170); but the two noes co- alesced to a much greater extent than was nsoal in such cases. It is very important to remember tliia fact, that the population of Cyrene had a veiy lavge admixture of Libyan blood by the marriagea of the early settlera with Libyan wives (Herod, iv. 186 — 189; Grote, vol. iv. p. 53). The remark appiiea even to the royal frunily; and, if we were to believe Herodotus, the very name otBaUmSj which was bone by the founder, and by his successon alternately, with the Greek name AioesilaQs, was Libyan, dgm- fying kmg; and we have another example in diat of Alaar^ Idng of Baroa. For the rest, the Libyans seem to have formed a body of subject and tributa ry Perioeci (Herod, iv. 161). They were altogether excluded from political power, which, in strict con. formity with the oonstitutioB of the other states of Spartan origin, was in the hands exclnaivelj of the descendanto from the original settlers, or imthcr of those of them who had already been anxng the ruling class in the mother state of Thera. The dynasty of the Battiadae lasted during &e greater part of two centuries, from B.C. 690 to somewhere between 460 and 430; and comprised eight kings bearing the names of Battua and Aroe- silans alternately; and a I>elphio arade was quoted to Herodotus as having defined both the names and numbere. (Herod, iv. 163.) Of Battos L, b. c. 630 — 590, it need only be said that his menaocy was held in the highest hoooor, not only as the foonder of the city, but also for the benefite he cunfeiied upon it during his long reign. He was worshipped as a hero by his snbjecte, who showed his grave, apart from those of the succeeding kings, where the J^gaa^ was joined by the road (o-m^pcvH^ ^'X wUcb he made finr the procession to the temple of Apolkn (Pind. Pgth. v.; Callim. Hymn, m ApoiL 77; Pans, iu. 14, X. 15; CatulL viL 6; Died. EaooorpL de Ftrl et ViL p. 232.) Nothing of importance is recorded in the reign of his son, Aroesilafis I., about b. c 590 — 574; but that of his successor, Battns IL (about B. G. 574 — 554), sumamed the Prosperoos, marks the most important period of the monarchy; nothing less, in feet, than a new colonization. An invitetion was issued to all Greeks, without distinc- tion of race, to oome and settle at Cyrene, on the promise of an allotment of lands. It seems probable that the atj of Apollonia, the port of Cyrene, owed ite foundation to this accession of inunigrsnts, who arrived by sea direct, and not, like the first colonislSy by the circuitous land route from the GuffofBomba^ (Grote, p. 55.) The lands promised to the new settlers had of course to be taken from the native^ whose general position also was naturally ahoed for the worse by tbe growing power of the city. The Libyans, therefore, revJted, and transferred their allegiance to Apries, king of Egypt, who sent an army to their aid ; but the Egyptians were met by the Cyrenaeans in Irasa, and were alnxxt entirely cut to pieces. This conflict is memorable as the first hostile meeting of Greeks with Egyptians, and also as the proximate cause of the overthrow of Apries. Under Amaais, however, a doee alliance waa formed between Egypt and Cyrene, and the Egyptian king took his wife Ladice firom the house of Baittas. (Herod. iL 180-^181.) The misfoiiunes of the monarehy began in the reign of Aroesilafis II., the