Cyrrhus

CYRRHUS


1. （Κύρρος,Thuc. 2.100; Κύριος. Ptol. 3.13.39), a town in Macedonia. Sitalces penetrated into Macedonia to the left of Cyrrhus and Pella. (Thuc. l. c.) Hence it would seem that Cyrrhus was at no great distance from the latter city. It is probably the same place as the Scurio of the Jerusalem Itinerary, and the present Vistritza. (Tafel, Via Egnat. Part. Occid. p. 51.) In Leake's map a Paleökastro, a little to the right of the road between Pella and Edessa, occupies the site of Cyrrhus. (Comp. Leake, North. Greece, vol. 3. p. 269.)


2. A town of Syria situated on the slopes of the Taurus, 80 M. P. to the NE. of Antioch ( Peut. Tab. ), and 44 M. P. to the NW. of Beroea ( Anton. Itin. ). Though of no great importance, except as connected with the worship of the deity whom Strabo (16. p. 751) calls Athena Cyrrhestica, it was the quarters of the tenth legion (Tac. Ann. 2.57). Procopius ( de Aed. 2.11), who with the ecclesiastical and Byzantine writers writes the name Κύρος (an error which gave rise to the fable of its having been founded by Cyrus for the Jews on their return from the Captivity), mentions that it was rebuilt by Justinian. The ruins near the village of Corus, which correspond very nearly with the distance given in the Itinerary, represent the ancient Cyrrhus. (Chesney, Exped. Euphrat., vol. 1. p. 422; Ritter, Erdkunde, vol. x. pp. 928, 1035, 1049, 1052). [E.B.J]