|
|
|
|
1] a native of Cyrene (see map) (2957) Additional information: Greek occupation of the territory probably was begun by Battus I, first of the Battiadae, who founded Cyrene (now Shabbāt) about 630 B.C.. The Greeks later established four other notable cities: Teucheira, later named Arsinoë (now Al ‘qūrīyah); Barce (now Al Marj); Hesperides, later Berenice (now Banghāzī); and Apollonia (now Sūsah, or Marsá Sūsah, in present-day Libya). About 450 B.C. the monarchy was overthrown and Cyrenaica became a republic. It was conquered in 331 B.C. by Alexander the Great and annexed about 321 B.C. by Ptolemy I. Under the Ptolemies, Cyrenaica became known as Pentapolis, in recognition of its five major cities. These, however, gradually declined in commercial importance during the rule of the Ptolemies. In 96 B.C. Ptolemy Apion, in his will, left Cyrenaica to the Romans, who later established it as a Roman province. With the subsequent decline of the Roman Empire, the region gradually passed under the domination of its Hamitic natives. The Arabs seized it in A.D. 641, and early in the 18th century it became a possession of the Ottoman Empire, eventually known as Bengasi (now Banghāzī). In September 1911, with the outbreak of war between Italy and the Ottoman Empire, Cyrenaiac was occupied by the Italians. On the termination of the war in October 1912, the Ottoman Empire ceded Cyrenaica, along with Tripoli (renamed Tripolitania), to Italy, which merged them into the colony of Libya in 1934." Longer versions of the history are available, one here and another here. An explanation of the philosophy of Cyrenia is available here. A mention of the religion and coins of Cyrenia is available here. Acknowledgement: A link to each occurrence of this word in the homepage:
|
|