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Cyrenaica

Encyclopedia : C : CY : CYR : Cyrenaica

The Roman Empire ca. 120 AD, with the province of Cyrenaica highlighted
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The Roman Empire ca. 120 AD, with the province of Cyrenaica highlighted

Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.

Contents

Ancient history

Cyrenaica was a Roman province on the northern coast of Africa between Egypt and Numidia; it had been formerly Greek. That area is now the eastern part of the Mediterranean coast of Libya.

The east of the province was called Marmarica (no major city), but the important part was in the west, comprizing five cities, hence known as the Pentapolis— Cyrene (near the village of Shahat) with its port of Apollonia (Marsa Susa), Arsinoe (Tocra), Berenice (modern Benghazi) and Barca (Merj)— of which the chief was the eponymous Cyrene. After the earthquake of 365 the capital was moved to Ptolemais. In the south Cyrenaica faded into the Saharan tribal areas, including the pharanoic oracle Ammonium.

Conquered by Alexander the Great, it passed to the diadoch dynasty of the Lagids, better known as the Ptolemaic dynasty. It briefly gained independence under Magas, stepson of Ptolemy I Soter, but was reabsorbed into the Ptolemaic empire after the death of Magas. It was separated from the main kingdom by Ptolemy VIII and given to his son Ptolemy Apion, who, dying without heirs in 96 BC, bequeathed it to the Roman Republic. It became a senatorial province in 20 BC, like its far more prominent western neighbour Africa proconsularis, unlike Egypt itself which became an imperial domain sui generis (under a special governor style Praefectus Augustalis) in 30 BC.

Although some confusion exists as to the exact territory Rome inherited, by 78 BC it was organised as one administrative province with Crete.

The kings of Cyrenaica were:

The Tetrarchy reforms of Diocletian in 296 changed all of the administrative structure. Cyrenaica was split into two provinces: Libya superior comprized the abvementioned Pentapolis, Libya Inferior Marmarica (only significant city now the port Paraetonium), each under a governor of the modest rank of praeses. Both belonged to the same diocesis (originally as part of Oriens) as Egypt itself (from the start three provinces, later more), within the praetorian prefecture of Oriens (also comprizing Oriens proper -mainly Syria- and, both in Asia Minor, Asiana and Pontiana). Its western neighbour Tripolitania, the largest split-off from Africa proconsularis, became part of Africa, a diocesis of the western emperor's home prefecture "Italia et Africa"

Under Byzantium it remained the westernmost regular area in North Africa, while Tripolitania was part of the more militarized prefecture -later exarchate- Africa (reconquered from the Arian Vandal kingdom).

Muslim and Modern history

Marble statue found in Cyrene, Libya
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Marble statue found in Cyrene, Libya

In modern times it was conquered by Arabs for Islam by the first caliph, Abu Bekr, in 643/44, and became known henceforth as Barka after its new provincial capital, the ancient Barca. After the breakdown of the Ummayad caliphate it kept that name, essentially as an annex to Egypt, under the Fatimid caliphs (till 1171) and next under the Ajjubid (till 1250) and Mamluk sultanates

Ultimately it was annexed by the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1517 (it was mentioned in the full style of the Great Sultan as the vilayet, i.e. province, of Barka, alongside Tripoli, with which it has also been joined); its main cities became Bengazi and Derna.

It was a heartland of the Muslim Sanusiya order, and was to end up being amagalgamated with Tripolitania (in the west) and Fezzan (in the south) into Libya. An Italian protectorate, spelled Cirenaica, was declared on 15 October 1912 (occupied since 1911; Rome sends (vice-)governors since 15 October 1912), three days later it was ceded by the Ottoman High Porte, from 17 May 1919 as a colony; on 25 October 1920 the Italian government recognizes Sheikh Sidi Idriss as the leader of the Sanusiya (Senussi), who was hence granted the rank of Emir until in 1929 Italy derecognizes the Order.

On 1 January 1934, Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan unite as Libya, still Italian, till the British take over in 1940-41 and appoint Military governors and Administrators, finally a Resident for the decolonisation in 1951, as independent kingdom (it had two of the four new provinces: Bengazi and Derna), finally a republic in 1969.

See also

External links and references


Roman Imperial Provinces (120)

Achaea | Aegyptus | Africa | Alpes Cottiae | Alpes Maritimae | Alpes Poenninae | Arabia Petraea | Armenia Inferior | Asia | Assyria | Bithynia | Britannia | Cappadocia | Cilicia | Commagene | Corduene | Corsica et Sardinia | Creta et Cyrenaica | Cyprus | Dacia | Dalmatia | Epirus | Galatia | Gallia Aquitania | Gallia Belgica | Gallia Lugdunensis | Gallia Narbonensis | Germania Inferior | Germania Superior | Hispania Baetica | Hispania Lusitania | Hispania Tarraconensis | Italia | Iudaea | Lycaonia | Lycia | Macedonia | Mauretania Caesariensis | Mauretania Tingitana | Moesia | Noricum | Numidia | Osroene | Pannonia | Pamphylia | Pisidia | Pontus | Raetia | Sicilia | Sophene | Syria | Thracia
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