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

912 CYPRIANUS.
CY'NT111A and CY'NTHIUS (KyvOla and
Ki6,01os), surnames respectively of Artemis and
Apollo, which they derived from mount Cynthus
in the island of Delos, their birthplace. (Callim.
Hyvmn. in Del. 10; Hor. Carm. i. 21. 2, iii. 28.
12; Lucan, i. 218.) [L. S.]
CYNULCUS. [CARNEIUS.]
CYNUS (Kiaos), a son of Opus, and father of
Ilodoedocus and Larymna, from whom Cynus in
Locris derived its name. (Paus. ix. 23. ~ 4;
Eustath. ad Hoen. p. 277.) [L. S.]
CYNU'RUS (Kvdvovpos), a son of Perseus, who
is said to have led colonists from Argos into Cynuria, a valley between Argolis and Laconia. (Paus.
iii. 2. ~ 3.) [L. S.]
CYPARISSUS (Kur'dp'o--os), a youth of Cea,
a son of Telephus, was beloved by Apollo and
Zephyrus or Silvanus. When he had inadvertently
killed his favourite stag, he was seized with immoderate grief, and metamorphosed into a cypress.
(Ov. Met. x. 120, &c.; Serv. ad Aen. iii. 64, 680,
Eclog. x. 26, Georg. i. 20.) Another Cyparissus
is mentioned by Eustathius. (Ad Horn. II. ii.
519.) [L. S.]
CY'PRIA, CYPRIS, CYPRIGENEIA, or
CYPRO'GENES (Kvrrp'a, Kvr-pis, Kvrrpyiveia,
Kur-po'yivss), surnames of Aphrodite, who was
born in the island of Cyprus, which was also one
of the principal seats of her worship. (Ho0m. II. v.
458; Pind. 01. i. 120, xi. 125, Pyth. iv. 383;
Tibull. iii. 3. 34; IHor. Carm. i. 3. 1.) [L. S.]
CYPRIA'NUS, THA'SCIUS. This celebrated prelate was a native of Africa, born, although the exact year cannot be ascertained, about
the beginning of the third century. We are not
acquainted with the particulars of his life as long
as he remained a Gentile; but it is evident from
his writings that he must have been educated with
no common care. St. Jerome and Lactantius assure us, that he practised the art of oratory, and
taught rhetoric with distinguished success, and by
this or some other honourable occupation he realised
considerable wealth. About the year A. D. 246, he
was persuaded to embrace Christianity by the exhortations of Caecilius, an aged presbyter of the
church at Carthage, and, assuming the name of the
spiritual patron by whom he had been set free from
the bondage of Paganism, was henceforward styled
THAscIus CAECILIUS CYPRIANUS. At the same
period he sold all that he had, and distributed the
price among the poor. The popularity acquired by
this liberality, combined probably with the reputation he had previously enjoyed, and the pride naturally felt in so distinguished a proselyte, secured
his rapid elevation. In A. D. 247 he was raised
to the rank of a presbyter, and in the course of the
following year the bishopric of Carthage was forced
upon his reluctant acceptance by a large majority
of the African clergy, not without strenuous opposition, however, from a small party headed by
Novatus [NovATUS] and Felicissimnus, whose obstinate resistance and contumacy subsequently
gave rise to much disorder and violence.
When the persecution of Decius burst forth
(A. D. 250), Cyprian, being one of the first marked
out as a victim, fled from the storm, in obedience,
as he tells us (Epist. xiv.), to an intimation from
heaven that thus he might best discharge his duty,
and remained in retirement until after Easter of
the following year. (A. D. 251.) During the whole
of this period he kept up an active correspondence

CYPRIANUS.
with hiis clergy concerning various matters of discipline, much of his attention being occupied, as
the violence of the persecution began to abate, by
the fierce controversies which arose with regard to
the readmission of the Lapsi or apostates, who,
according to the form and degree of their guilt,
were designated Sacrtiicati, or Thurificati, or Libellatici, and were seeking, now that the danger had
passed away, the restoration of their ecclesiastical
privileges. Cyprian, although not perfectly consistent throughout in his instructions, always manifested a disposition to follow a moderate course;
and while on the one hand he utterly rejected the
extreme doctrine of Novatianus, who maintained
that the church had no power again to admit the
renegades to her communion, so he was equally
opposed to the laxity of those who were willing to
receive them at once, before they had given evidence of their contrition by lengthened penitence,
and finally decided that full forgiveness should not
be extended to any of the offenders until God
should have granted peace to his servants. Novatus and Felicissimus, taking advantage of these
disputes, endeavoured to gain over to their faction
many of the impatient and discontented Lapsi.
Novatus actually appointed Felicissimus his deacon
without the permission or knowledge of his diocesan, who in his turn caused Felicissimus to be
excommunicated; while the latter, far from submitting to the sentence, associated with himself
five seditious presbyters, who breaking off in
open schism, elected Fortunatus, one of their own
number, bishop, and ventured to despatch an epistle to Cornelius, bishop of Rome, announcing their
choice. This cabal, however, soon fell to pieces;
Cornelius refused to listen to their representations,
their supporters gradually dropped off, and their
great bond of union was rudely snapped asunder
by the defection of their great champion, Novatus,
who, upon his visit to Rome at the commencement
of A. D. 251, not only ceased to plead the cause of
the Lapsi, but espoused to the full extent the
views of Novatianus. Scarcely were these troubles happily allayed, and Cyprian once more securely seated in his chair, when fresh disturbances
arose in consequence of the acrimonious contest
between Cornelius and Novatianus [CORNELIUS;
NOVATIANUS] for the see of Rome, the former
finding a warm supporter in the bishop of Carthage,
by whose exertions his authority was acknowledged
throughout nearly the whole of Africa. In the month
of June, A. D. 252, began what is commonly termed
the persecution of Gallus, but which in reality
originated in an unauthorized popular movement
excited by the refusal of the Christians to join in
the prayers and sacrifices offered up on account of
the deadly pestilence which was devastating the
various provinces of the Roman empire. On this
occasion, as formerly, the mob of Carthage loudly
demanded that Cyprian should be thrown to the
lions; but the danger does not appear to have been
imminent, and while in Italy Cornelius was banished to Civita Vecchia, where he died on the
14th of September, and his successor Lucius suffered martyrdom a few months afterwards (5th
March, 253), Africa remained comparatively undisturbed, and the political confusion consequent
upon the assumption of the purple by Aemilianus
restored to the church external tranquillity, which
continued uninterrupted for nearly four years. But
in proportion as there was repose from without, so