Jump to content

Olbia, Libya: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 32°38′N 21°24′E / 32.633°N 21.400°E / 32.633; 21.400
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
(23 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Human settlement}}
[[Image:Theodorias(libya).jpg|thumb|300px|right|Mosaic commemorating the refounding of Olbia by [[Theodora (6th century)|Theodora]] (eastern church)]]
[[Image:Theodorias(libya).jpg|thumb|300px|right|Mosaic commemorating the refounding of Olbia by [[Theodora (6th century)|Theodora]] (eastern church)]]


'''Olbia''' or '''Theodorias''' was a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] / [[Byzantine]] town between [[Marj]] and [[Bayda, Libya|Bayda]] in the [[Cyrenaica]] region of modern [[Libya]].<ref>Denis Roques, [http://www.persee.fr/doc/etaf_0768-2352_1987_mon_1_1 ''Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire''], Paris 1987.</ref><ref>G. Ambrosetti, [http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/qasr-el-lebia_%28Enciclopedia-dell%27-Arte-Antica%29/ ''Qasr el-Lebia''], ''Enciclopedia dell'Arte Antica'', 1965.</ref><ref>[https://www.livius.org/q/qasr_libya/qasr_libya1.html ''Theodorias (Qasr Libya)''] sul sito Livius.Org.</ref> Olbia is now mostly the archaeological site. The location's modern name is [[Qasr Libya]], after the Islamic period castle (Qasr) on the site and [[Libya]] or Lebia as a corruption of the ancient name [[Olbia]].
'''Olbia''' or '''Theodorias''' ({{lang-grc-gre|Ὀλβία, Θεοδωριάς}}) was a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] / [[Byzantine]] town between [[Marj]] and [[Bayda, Libya|Bayda]] in the [[Cyrenaica]] region of modern [[Libya]].<ref>Denis Roques, [http://www.persee.fr/doc/etaf_0768-2352_1987_mon_1_1 ''Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire''], Paris 1987.</ref><ref>G. Ambrosetti, [http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/qasr-el-lebia_%28Enciclopedia-dell%27-Arte-Antica%29/ ''Qasr el-Lebia''], ''Enciclopedia dell'Arte Antica'', 1965.</ref><ref>[https://www.livius.org/q/qasr_libya/qasr_libya1.html ''Theodorias (Qasr Libya)''] sul sito Livius.Org.</ref> Olbia is now mostly an archaeological site. The location's modern name is [[Qasr Libya]], after the Islamic period castle (''[[wikt:qasr|qasr]]'') on the site and Libya or Lebia as a corruption of the ancient name Olbia.


==History==
==History==
After destruction by the [[Vandal Kingdom|Vandals]] and incursions by [[Ancient Libya#Name|Laguatan (Lwatae)]] nomads, it was refounded in 539 CE as ''polis nea'' ("new city") '''Theodorias'''<ref>Beckwith, John (1993) ''Early Christian and Byzantine Art'' Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, [https://books.google.com/books?id=1kSpN3Kfgc0C&pg=PA74 p. 74], {{ISBN|0-300-05296-0}}</ref> by the Byzantine empress [[Theodora (6th century)|Theodora]].<ref>Roques è cauto nell'identificazione dell'antica Olbia con Polis Nea Theodorias e dunque con Qasr el-Lebia, dove si trovano le rovine della città bizantina costruita da Teodora. Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire, pp. 106–107.</ref>
The ancient city of '''Olbia''', after destruction by the [[Vandal Kingdom|Vandals]] and incursions by [[Ancient Libya#Name|Laguatan (Lwatae)]] nomads, was refounded in 539 CE as ''polis nea'' ("new city") '''Theodorias'''<ref>Beckwith, John (1993) ''Early Christian and Byzantine Art'' Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, [https://books.google.com/books?id=1kSpN3Kfgc0C&pg=PA74 p. 74], {{ISBN|0-300-05296-0}}.</ref> by the Byzantine empress [[Theodora (6th century)|Theodora]].<ref>Roques is cautious in identifying the ancient city of Olbia with the ''new city'' of Theodorias and therefore with Qasr el-Lebia, where the ruins of the Byzantine city, built by Theodora, are found. See: Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire, pp. 106–107.</ref>


[[File:Mosaic Ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Mosaic of the ancient lighthouse of [[Alexandria]] in Olbia, Libya]]
[[File:Mosaic Ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Mosaic of the ancient lighthouse of [[Alexandria]] in Olbia, Libya]]


All that remains of the town are two Byzantine churches. One is integrated into the Qasr, which now houses the Qasr Libya Museum. The other church was excavated by [[Richard Goodchild]] in the mid 1950s.<ref name="LPFL">Pliez, Olivier (ed.) (2009) "Qasr Libya (Olbia-Theodoria)" ''Le Petit Futé Libye'' Petit Futé, Paris, [https://books.google.com/books?id=L1MOcid9oCYC&pg=PA241 p. 241], {{ISBN|2-7469-2276-2}}; in French</ref><ref>Richard Goodchild: The Great, newly discovered mosaic floor of Qasr el-Lebia. ''[[The Illustrated London News]]'', 14. December 1957.</ref><ref>Gwyn Williams: ''Green Mountain - an informal guide to Cyrenaica and its Jebel Akhdar''. (Faber and Faber, 1963).</ref>
All that remains of the town are two Byzantine churches. One is integrated into the Qasr,{{clarify |"in the Qasr" can mean "the ''qasr''", meaning: an Early Islamic castle, whose existence is not mentioned anywhere; or "in Qasr el-Lebia", without the article "the". Pls clarify & correct. |date= March 2024}} which now houses the Qasr Libya Museum. The other church was excavated by [[Richard Goodchild]] in the mid 1950s.<ref name="LPFL">Pliez, Olivier (ed.) (2009) "Qasr Libya (Olbia-Theodoria)" ''Le Petit Futé Libye'' Petit Futé, Paris, [https://books.google.com/books?id=L1MOcid9oCYC&pg=PA241 p. 241], {{ISBN|2-7469-2276-2}}; in French.</ref><ref>Richard Goodchild: The Great, newly discovered mosaic floor of Qasr el-Lebia. ''[[The Illustrated London News]]'', 14. December 1957.</ref><ref>Gwyn Williams: ''Green Mountain - an informal guide to Cyrenaica and its Jebel Akhdar''. (Faber and Faber, 1963).</ref>
Only the floor plan remains, but fifty beautiful [[mosaic]] panels depicting the known world and the refoundation and adornment of the city by Theodora are on display in the museum.<ref>Azema, James (2000) "East of Barce" ''Libya Handbook: The Travel Guide'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=lLfnDg7ybjIC&pg=PA163 p. 163], Footprint Travel Guides, Bath, England, {{ISBN|1-900949-77-6}}</ref> In one of these, two mosaics reveal the names of Makarios and Theodoros, the bishops, the latter being qualified as a "new bishop," presumably Makarios's successor.<ref>Roques, ''Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire'', pp. 338 e 340.</ref>
Only the floor plan remains, but fifty beautiful [[mosaic]] panels depicting the known world and the refoundation and adornment of the city by Theodora are on display in the museum.<ref>Azema, James (2000) "East of Barce" ''Libya Handbook: The Travel Guide'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=lLfnDg7ybjIC&pg=PA163 p. 163], Footprint Travel Guides, Bath, England, {{ISBN|1-900949-77-6}}.</ref> In one of these, two mosaics reveal the names of Makarios and Theodoros, the bishops, the latter being qualified as a "new bishop," presumably Makarios's successor.<ref>Roques, ''Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire'', pp. 338 e 340.</ref>


==Bishopric==
==Bishopric==
There are five known ancient [[bishop]]s of this [[classical antiquity|ancient]] [[diocese]].<ref>[[Pius Bonifacius Gams]], [http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/doccontent?id=65154&dirids=1 ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae''], (Leipzig, 1931), p.&nbsp;462</ref><ref>[[Michel Le Quien]], [https://books.google.it/books?id=86weAemI-e4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false ''Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus''], (Paris, 1740),volII, coll. 629-630.</ref> The first two are mentioned in the letter written by [[Synesius of Cyrene]] to [[Pope Theophilus of Alexandria|Theophilus of Alexandria]] in 412, in which the author communicates to the Archbishop of Alexandria that after a long ministry and a long life died "the very best Father Athamas"; That the faithful of Olbia unanimously chose as his successor Antonios, an honest and just man.<ref name="Roques">Roques, Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire, pp. 106, 335, 340, 359, 362.</ref>
There are five known ancient [[bishop]]s of this [[classical antiquity|ancient]] [[diocese]].<ref>[[Pius Bonifacius Gams]], [http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/doccontent?id=65154&dirids=1 ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae''], (Leipzig, 1931), p.&nbsp;462.</ref><ref>[[Michel Le Quien]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=86weAemI-e4C ''Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus''], (Paris, 1740),volII, coll. 629-630.</ref> The first two are mentioned in the letter written by [[Synesius of Cyrene]] to [[Theophilus I of Alexandria|Theophilus of Alexandria]] in 412, in which the author communicates to the Archbishop of Alexandria that after a long ministry and a long life died "the very best Father Athamas"; that the faithful of Olbia unanimously chose as his successor Antonios, an honest and just man.<ref name="Roques">Roques, Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire, pp. 106, 335, 340, 359, 362.</ref>


Bishop Publius took part in the [[Council of Ephesus]] 431.
Bishop Publius took part in the [[Council of Ephesus]] 431.


Since 1933 Olbia has been included among the bishopric holders of the Catholic Church; The title is no longer assigned from May 26, 1978.<ref name="Roques"/><ref>[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/former/t1304.htm Entry] at www.gcatholic.org.</ref>
Since 1933 Olbia has been included among the bishopric holders of the Catholic Church; the title is no longer assigned from May 26, 1978.<ref name="Roques"/><ref>[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/former/t1304.htm Entry] at www.gcatholic.org.</ref>
<ref>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/d2o12.html ], at Catholic-Hierarchy.org.</ref>
<ref>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/d2o12.html], at Catholic-Hierarchy.org.</ref>


===Known bishops===
===Known bishops===
Line 27: Line 28:
* Theodoros (fl. 539/540)
* Theodoros (fl. 539/540)


====Modern times====
====Modern times (Catholic Church)====
* [[Tihamér Tóth]] (1938–1939)
* [[Tihamér Tóth]] (1938–1939)
* [[James Colbert]] (1939–1955)
* James Colbert (1939–1955)
* [[Elie Vandewalle]] (1958–1960)
* [[Elie Vandewalle]] (1958–1960)
* [[Arcângelo Cerqua]] (1961–1978)
* [[Arcângelo Cerqua]] (1961–1978)
Line 47: Line 48:
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Libya]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Libya]]
[[Category:Roman sites in Libya]]
[[Category:Roman sites in Libya]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Libya]]
[[Category:Populated places in ancient Cyrenaica]]
[[Category:Ancient Cyrenaica]]
[[Category:Populated places of the Byzantine Empire]]
[[Category:Populated places of the Byzantine Empire]]

Revision as of 13:53, 24 October 2024

Mosaic commemorating the refounding of Olbia by Theodora (eastern church)

Olbia or Theodorias (Template:Lang-grc-gre) was a Roman / Byzantine town between Marj and Bayda in the Cyrenaica region of modern Libya.[1][2][3] Olbia is now mostly an archaeological site. The location's modern name is Qasr Libya, after the Islamic period castle (qasr) on the site and Libya or Lebia as a corruption of the ancient name Olbia.

History

The ancient city of Olbia, after destruction by the Vandals and incursions by Laguatan (Lwatae) nomads, was refounded in 539 CE as polis nea ("new city") Theodorias[4] by the Byzantine empress Theodora.[5]

Mosaic of the ancient lighthouse of Alexandria in Olbia, Libya

All that remains of the town are two Byzantine churches. One is integrated into the Qasr,[clarification needed] which now houses the Qasr Libya Museum. The other church was excavated by Richard Goodchild in the mid 1950s.[6][7][8] Only the floor plan remains, but fifty beautiful mosaic panels depicting the known world and the refoundation and adornment of the city by Theodora are on display in the museum.[9] In one of these, two mosaics reveal the names of Makarios and Theodoros, the bishops, the latter being qualified as a "new bishop," presumably Makarios's successor.[10]

Bishopric

There are five known ancient bishops of this ancient diocese.[11][12] The first two are mentioned in the letter written by Synesius of Cyrene to Theophilus of Alexandria in 412, in which the author communicates to the Archbishop of Alexandria that after a long ministry and a long life died "the very best Father Athamas"; that the faithful of Olbia unanimously chose as his successor Antonios, an honest and just man.[13]

Bishop Publius took part in the Council of Ephesus 431.

Since 1933 Olbia has been included among the bishopric holders of the Catholic Church; the title is no longer assigned from May 26, 1978.[13][14] [15]

Known bishops

Late antiquity[13]

  • Athamas (fl. 412)
  • Antonios (fl. after 412 )
  • Poplios (Publius) (fl. 431)
  • Makarios (fl. 539/540)
  • Theodoros (fl. 539/540)

Modern times (Catholic Church)

Notes

  1. ^ Denis Roques, Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire, Paris 1987.
  2. ^ G. Ambrosetti, Qasr el-Lebia, Enciclopedia dell'Arte Antica, 1965.
  3. ^ Theodorias (Qasr Libya) sul sito Livius.Org.
  4. ^ Beckwith, John (1993) Early Christian and Byzantine Art Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, p. 74, ISBN 0-300-05296-0.
  5. ^ Roques is cautious in identifying the ancient city of Olbia with the new city of Theodorias and therefore with Qasr el-Lebia, where the ruins of the Byzantine city, built by Theodora, are found. See: Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire, pp. 106–107.
  6. ^ Pliez, Olivier (ed.) (2009) "Qasr Libya (Olbia-Theodoria)" Le Petit Futé Libye Petit Futé, Paris, p. 241, ISBN 2-7469-2276-2; in French.
  7. ^ Richard Goodchild: The Great, newly discovered mosaic floor of Qasr el-Lebia. The Illustrated London News, 14. December 1957.
  8. ^ Gwyn Williams: Green Mountain - an informal guide to Cyrenaica and its Jebel Akhdar. (Faber and Faber, 1963).
  9. ^ Azema, James (2000) "East of Barce" Libya Handbook: The Travel Guide p. 163, Footprint Travel Guides, Bath, England, ISBN 1-900949-77-6.
  10. ^ Roques, Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire, pp. 338 e 340.
  11. ^ Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, (Leipzig, 1931), p. 462.
  12. ^ Michel Le Quien, Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus, (Paris, 1740),volII, coll. 629-630.
  13. ^ a b c Roques, Synésios de Cyrène et la Cyrénaïque du Bas-Empire, pp. 106, 335, 340, 359, 362.
  14. ^ Entry at www.gcatholic.org.
  15. ^ [1], at Catholic-Hierarchy.org.

References

  • Goodchild, Richard. The Great, newly discovered mosaic floor of Qasr el-Lebia. London Illustrated Evening News , Dec. 14th 1957
  • Williams, Gwyn. Green Mountain - an informal guide to Cyrenaica and its Jebel Akhdar. Faber and Faber 1963

32°38′N 21°24′E / 32.633°N 21.400°E / 32.633; 21.400

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Olbia,_Libya&oldid=1253128968"