A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

CANOBUS.
first member of the gens who obtained any of the
curule offices; but the first Caninius who was consul was C. Caninius Rebilus in B. c. 45. The chief
families are those of GALLUS and REBILUS: we
also meet with the surname of SATRIUS, and a
Caninius Sallustius is mentioned who was adopted
by some member of this gens. [SALLUSTIUS.]
C. CA'NIUS, a Roman knight, who defended
P. Rutilius Rufus, when he was accused by M.
Aemilius Scaurus in B. c. 107. Cicero relates an
amusing tale of how this Canius was taken in by
a banker at Syracuse, of the name of Pythius, in
the purchase of some property. (Cic. de Orat. ii.
69, de Off. iii. 14.)
CA'NIUS RUFUS. [RUFUS.]
CANNU'TIUS. [CANUTIUS.]
CANO'BUS or CANO'PUS (KdvcwGos or Ka'nw7ros), according to Grecian story, the helmsman
of Menelaus, who on his return from Troy died in
Egypt, in consequence of the bite of a snake, and
was buried by Menelaus on the site of the town of
Canobus, which derived its name from him. (Strab.
xvii. p. 801; Conon, Narrat. 8; Nicand. Ther. 309,
&c.; Schol. ad Aelian. V. H. xv. 13; Steph. Byz.
s. v.; Tac. Annal. ii. 60; Dionys. Perieg. 13; Amm.
Marcell. xxii. 16; Serv. ad Virg. Georg. iv. 287.)
According to some accounts, Canobus was worshipped in Egypt as a divine being, and was represented in the shape of a jar with small feet, a thin
neck, a swollen body, and a round back. (Epiphan. Ancorat. ~ 108; Rufin. Hist. Eccles. ii. 26;
Suid. s. v. Kdvworos.) The identification of an
Egyptian divinity with the Greek hero Canobus is
of course a mere fiction, and was looked upon in
this light even by some of the ancients themselves.
(Aristid. Orat. Aegypt. vol. ii. p. 359, &c. ed. Jebb.)
On the Egyptian monuments we find a number of
jars with the head either of some animal or of a
human being at the top, and adorned with images
of gods and hieroglyphics. (Discription de l'Egypte,
L pl. 10, ii. pl. 36, 92; Montfaucon, l'Antiquitde
eapliq. vol. ii. p. 2, pl. 132-134.) Such jars are
also seen on Egyptian, especially Canobian, coins.
(Vaillant, Hist. Ptolem. p. 205.) They appear to
have been frequently used by the Egyptians in
performing religious rites and sacrifices, and it may

CANTACUZENUS. 595
be that some deities were symbolically represented
in this manner; but a particular jar-god, as worshipped at Canobus, is not mentioned by any writer except Rufinus, and is therefore exceedingly
doubtful. Modern critics accordingly believe, that
the god called Canobus may be some other divinity
worshipped in that place, or the god Serapis, who
was the chief deity of Canobus. But the whole
subject is involved in utter obscurity. (See Jablonsky, Panth. Aegypt. iii. p. 151; Hug, Untersuchungen iiber den VMythus, &c.; Creuzer, Dionysius,
p. 109, &c., Symbol. i. p. 225, &c.) [L. S.]
CANTACUZE'NUS, the name of one of the
most illustrious of the Byzantine families. It is
probable that the Cantacuzeni belonged to the
nobility at Constantinople long before the time of
its supposed founder, who lived in the latter part
of the eleventh and the early part of the twelfth
century. There are at present several Greek nobles
who style themselves princes Cantacuzeni, but it is
very doubtful whether they are descended from
the imperial Cantacuzeni, of whom, however, there
are probably descendants living in Italy, although
they have dropt the name of their ancestors.
1. The first Cantacuzenus who became distinguished in history was the commander of the Greek
fleet in the reign of Alexis I. Comnenus. He besieged Laodiceia, and was victorious in Dalmatia
in the war with Bohemond in 1107.
2. JOANNES CANTACUZENUS, the son or grandson
of No. 1, married Maria Comnena, the daughter of
Andronicus Comnenus Sebastocrator and the niece
of the emperor Manuel Comnenus, and was killed
in a war with the Turks-Seljuks about 1174.
3. MANUEL CANTACUZENUS, son of No. 2,
blinded by the emperor Manuel.
4. JOANNES CANTACUZENUS, perhaps the son of
No. 3, blinded by the emperor Andronicus Comnenus, but nevertheless made Caesar by the emperor Isaac Angelus, whose sister Irene he had
married. He was killed in a war with the Bulgarians after 1195.
5. THEODORUS, perhaps the brother of the preceding, was one of the most courageous opponents
of Andronicus I. Comnenus; he was killed in
1183.

6. MANUEL CANTACUZENUS, dux under John Vatatzes, emperor of Nicaea; died subsequently
to the year 1261: his children probably were,

1. Cantacuzenus, praefect of the Peloponnesus; died
thirty years of age, during the reign of Androni<
II., the elder (1283-1328); married Theodora I
laeologina (Tarchaniota), who died in 1342.
1. Joannes VI. Cantacuzenus, emperor in 1347.
[JOANNES VI.] He married Irene, daughter of Andronicus Asan Protovestiarius, and
granddaughter of Joannes Asan, king of Bulgaria.

2. Cantacuzenus.
I
Nicephorus.

3. A daughter

2. Nicephorus 3. A daughter, married ConSebastocrator. stantinus Acropolita.

I A

1. Matthaeus Asanes Cantacuzenus, co-emperor in 1355,
and abdicated in the same
year. [MATTHAEUS.] He
died before his father. He
married Irene Palaeologina.
a

2. Thomas.
3. Manuel, duke
of Sparta, died
1380.
4. Andronicus,
died 1348.

5. Maria, married Nicephorus Ducas
Angelus,
despot of
Acarnania.

6. Theodora,
married
Urnhan,
sultan of
the TurksOsmanlis.

7. Helena,
maiTied
Joannes V
Palaeologus,
emperor.
2Q2