Cyrrhestica

CYRRHE´STICA(Κυρρηστική, Ptol. 5.15; Plb. 5.10; Dio Cass.: the readings Κυρριστικήand Κυριστικήare errors of the tran scribers; Cic. ad Att. 5.18; Plin. Nat. 5.23; Tac. Ann. 2.57: Eth. Κυρρησταί), a district of Syria which appears to have owed its name to the Macedonian occupation of the country. It lay between the plain of Antioch, and was bounded on the E. by the Euphrates, and on the W. by Amanus and Commagene; to the S. it extended as far as the desert. This fertile, well-watered, and thickly peopled district (Strab. 16. p. 751) occupied the right bank of the Euphrates, where the river inclines rather eastward of S. It was the scene of the campaign in which Ventidius defeated the Parthian Pacores and avenged the manes of Crassus and the Roman army which had fallen at Carrhae. Constantine united it with COMMAGENE under the name of EUPHRATENSIST he chief towns of CYRRHESTICA were HIERAPOLIS, ZEUGMA, EUROPUS, BIRTHA, BEROEA, BATNAE,and CYRRHUS(Ritter, Erdkunde, vol. 10. p. 928.)
[E.B.J]