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Cyrene was founded by settlers from Thera in 631 BC and became a major center of culture, trade, and philosophy in North Africa. It was part of the Pentapolis and the province of Crete and Cyrenaica, and was destroyed by Jewish rebels in AD 115.
- Early History & Name
- Early Kings & Egypt
- Decline, Democracy, & Persia
- Hellenistic Period
- Aristippus of Cyrenepasicles
- Conclusion
The region was originally occupied by the Imazighen people (later known as the Berbers) but, it seems, not the area that would become Cyrene. According to Herodotus (l. c. 484-425/413 BCE), the island of Thera became overpopulated, and after consulting the Oracle at Delphi for advice, they were told to send some of their people south to colonize No...
Aristoteles chose the throne name Battus (thought to be a Greek version of the Imazighen term for "king"), but the name sounded similar to the Greek for "stammerer" and so gave rise to the legend that Battus had been troubled by a speech impediment and went to the Oracle at Delphi for advice on how to cure it. Apollo instead told him to leave Thera...
Battus II was succeeded by his son Arcesilas II (the Harsh, r. c. 560-550 BCE), and Herodotus notes that "the first thing Arcesilas did on becoming king was fall out with his brothers" (Book IV. 160). The quarrel seems to have arisen due to Arcesilas II's domineering personality and distrust of others, which resulted in the brothers leaving Cyrene ...
Cyrene supported Sparta in the Peloponnesian Wars, but a growing faction admired the Athenian democracy. The earlier constitution of Demonax had resulted in an imbalance of power between the elite and the working class, who were increasingly oppressed and abused. Around 401 BCE, the working class revolted. Freeman comments: How this democracy worke...
While Alexander's generals fought over his empire in the infamous Wars of the Diadochi, one of the lesser-known commanders, Thibron, assassinated the Macedonian governor, Harpalus, who had been placed over Babylon by Alexander. He then took the considerable sum of the treasury, outfitted a fleet, and at the urging of disaffected Cyrenean exiles, he...
The city remained under Ptolemaic control until the death of Ptolemy Apion in 96 BCE, who left Cyrenaica to Rome. Under the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire, Cyrene continued to flourish. During the reign of Roman emperor Vespasian(69-79 CE), however, the Jewish community of Cyrene revolted against the loss of the civil rights they had known u...
- Joshua J. Mark
Cyrene, ancient Greek colony in Libya, founded c. 631 bce by a group of emigrants from the island of Thera in the Aegean. Their leader, Battus, became the first king, founding the dynasty of the Battiads, whose members, named alternately Battus and Arcesilaus, ruled Cyrene for eight generations.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Cyrene, also spelled Kyrene (Ancient Greek: Κυρήνη, romanized: Kurḗnē, pronounced variously as / s aɪ ˈ r iː n i / sy-REE-nee or / k aɪ ˈ r iː n i / ky-REE-nee) is a figure in Greek mythology considered the etymon of the Greek colony of Cyrene in eastern Libya in North Africa.
Jul 24, 2021 · Cyrene is a Greco-Roman site in Libya that was founded by Greeks in 631BC and became a major centre of the Greek world. Learn about its history, monuments, and current state of preservation.
- Sarah Roller
Cyrene, in Greek mythology, a nymph, daughter of Hypseus (king of the Lapiths) and Chlidanope (a Naiad). One day Cyrene wrestled a lion that had attacked her father’s flocks. Apollo, who was watching, fell in love with her and carried her off from Mount Pelion, in Thessaly, to Libya.
Cyrene was a major city in the ancient Mediterranean, founded by Greeks and later ruled by Romans. Explore its impressive remains, such as the sanctuary of Apollo, the Acropolis, and the Agora, and learn about its myths and legends.
