Hippo Diarrhytus

HIPPO DIA´RRHYTUS or ZARITUS(Ἱππὼν Δίαρρος, Ptol. 4.3.6; H. Zaritus,Itin. Ant. p. 21, V.R. H. Zarrhytus; Ippons Diaritus, Tab. Pent.;and simply Ἵππου πόλις, Scyl. p. 30: Besnizertor Bizerta), a Tyrian colony in Zeugitana, close to the extreme N. headland of Africa [CANDIDUM PR.], 36 M. P. W. of Utica, and 126 M. P. E. of Hippo Regius. It stood on W. side of the entrance of a large lake which communicated with the sea, and which received the waters of another lake: the former was called HIPPONITIS PALUS(Ἱππονῖτις λίμνη), and the latter SISARA(Σίσαρα). Its situation exposed it to frequent inundatious, whence, as the Greeks said, the epithet Διάρρυτος.But it seems more probable that this is the remnant of some Phoenician title: the ancient writers were by no means agreed on the true form of the name, as is seen above, and of this uncertainty we have a further proof in the expression of Pliny, who is apparently attempting an etymology: oppidum quod Hipponem dirutumvocant, Diarrhytum a Graecis dictum.(Plin. Nat. 5.4. s. 3.) Polybius and Appian give the forms Ἱππακριτῶν πόλις (Plb. 1.82), and Ἰππάγρετα (Appian, 8.110).
The city was fortified and provided with a new harbour by Agathocles (Appian, l. c.): under the Romans it was a free city (Plin.); and it seems to have been raised to the rank of a colony, for the younger Pliny calls it Hipponensis colonia. ( Epist. 9.33; comp. Strab. 17. p. 832; Mela, 1.7.2; Plin. Nat. 9.8; Barth, Wanderungen, &.c. pp. 202, 211).
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