Citharizum

Citharizum

Citharizum

Town and fortress

Citharizum (Greek: Κιθαρίζων) was a town and fortress on the south arm of the Euphrates[1] in the Roman province of Armenia III. It was a place of great strength which was built by the emperor Justinian and was the residence of one of the five prefects whom that emperor placed over Roman Armenia with the title of “Dux.”[2]

Roman-Persian Frontier in Late Antiquity. The Roman fortress is designated as "Citharizum".

According to Procopius of Caesarea, the city was located in the Asthianene region.[3] The fortress was separated from Theodosiopolis (ancient Armenia) by a journey of four days.[4] Balabitene, a region between Masius and Anti-Taurus, north of Commagene and Mesopotamia, is also discussed as a possible location. Citharizum is often associated with the modern village of Keteriz.[5][6][7]

Although only a small town, it was an important point of defence for the Byzantine Empire against the Persians. Justinian built a castle there, in which he stationed a garrison under the command of a duke.[5][8][9] In 613, it was taken by Ashot, a general of the Persian king, Chosroes II.[5]

Bishopric

The only diocesan bishop of the see whose name is recorded is Marcian, who attended the Trullan Council of 692.[5][8][10][11]

No longer a residential bishopric, Citharizum is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see.[12]

References

  1. [1]
    "The Classical Gazetteer". Archived from the original on 2007-03-05. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  2. [2]
    Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Citharizon
  3. [3]
    Procopius, Buildings Book III, University of Chicago
  4. [4]
    Procopius, History of the Wars Book II, Chapter XXIII, en.wikisource.org
  5. [5]
    Sophrone Pétridès, "Citharizum" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1908)
  6. [6]
    Titular Episcopal See of Citharizum, gcatholic.org
  7. [7]
    Others associate ancient Kitharizon with the present-day location Yeni Köy. Map 89 Armenia, princeton.edu
  8. [8]
    Raymond Janin, v. Citharizum, in Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques, vol. XII, Parigi 1953, col. 997
  9. [9]
    Antoine-Augustin Bruzen de La Martinière, Le Grand dictionnaire géographique, historique et critique (1768), p. 436
  10. [10]
    Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Leipzig 1931, p. 441
  11. [11]
    Michel Lequien, Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus, Paris 1740, Vol. I, coll. 453-454
  12. [12]
    Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 871
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