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The Cinyps (Ancient Greek: Κίνυψ) or Cinyphus (Κίνυφος), was a small river in ancient Libya, and the site of a Greek colony of the same name, founded by the Spartan Dorieus. The town only existed for a short time, due to conflicts with the Carthaginians, and the local tribe of the Macae. Today the river is known as the Wadi Caam or Ka'am.^[1]^[2]

Sources

The source of the river is in the eighty-kilometer long Wadi Taraglat, at the coastal end of the Wadi. Herodotus erroneously stated that the source was near the Hill of Graces, some two hundred and sixty kilometers inland.^[3]

History

The Greek colony of Cinyps was established by Dorieus of Sparta around 515 or 514 BC. Angered by the choice of Cleomenes as king of Sparta, Dorieus left the Peloponnese with a group of like-minded Spartans, with the aide of guides from Thera. The new town was founded at the mouth of the Cinyps. Herodotus described this region as "the fairest part of Libya".^[4]

The colony was expelled by the Carthaginians, along with the local tribe of the Macae, after a short duration of about three years.^[5] The Phoenician colony of Leptis Magna was nearby, and the Greek town was probably seen as a threat.^[6] The Macae were a local Libyan tribe, and were employed as mercenaries by the Carthaginians.^[7]

At a later time, when Leptis Magna was part of the Roman Empire, springs in the Cinyps were the source of the water used in the Hadrianic baths. The water was diverted using an aqueduct built by Quintus Servillius Candidus from AD 119 to 120.^[3]

Mythology

In Greek mythology, Guneus, one of the surviving combatants from the Trojan War, is said to have gone to Libya and settled near the Cinyps, although other traditions have him drowning at sea.^[8]

Archaeology

Archaeologists have uncovered a Greek necropolis dating from the third century BC in the modern Wadi Caam. The cemetery consists of a series of box-shaped stone urns, with lids in the shape of a sloping roof, containing ashes and bones. Various types of ceramics have also been found.^[2]

References

^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Cinyps
^ ^a ^b "Wadi Caam: The Greeks in Tripolitania!". Temehu. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b G. Cifani; M. Munzi (2003). "Alle sorgenti del Cynips Tripolitania Libya". Libyan Studies. 34: 85–99. doi:10.1017/S0263718900003423.
^ Herodotus, The Histories, 5.42
^ "Histories". A.D. Godley. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
^ Cinyps (Wadi Qaam)
^ Andrea Salimbeti; Raffaele D’Amato (2014). The Carthaginians 6th–2nd Century BC. Bloomsbury. p. 21. ISBN 978-1782007777.
^ Bibliotheca, Epitome of Book 4, 3.11ff.; 6.15. Tzetzes on Lycophron, 899

32°32′N 14°27′E / 32.533°N 14.450°E / 32.533; 14.450

[1] Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Cinyps

[temehu-2] "Wadi Caam: The Greeks in Tripolitania!". Temehu. Retrieved 10 May 2012.

[sorgenti-3] G. Cifani; M. Munzi (2003). "Alle sorgenti del Cynips Tripolitania Libya". Libyan Studies. 34: 85–99. doi:10.1017/S0263718900003423.

[4] Herodotus, The Histories, 5.42

[Herodotus-5] "Histories". A.D. Godley. Retrieved 2016-11-27.

[6] Cinyps (Wadi Qaam)

[Salimbeti-7] Andrea Salimbeti; Raffaele D’Amato (2014). The Carthaginians 6th–2nd Century BC. Bloomsbury. p. 21. ISBN 978-1782007777.

[8] Bibliotheca, Epitome of Book 4, 3.11ff.; 6.15. Tzetzes on Lycophron, 899

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Ka'am''', '''Wadi Caam''' or '''Wadi Ka'am''' ('''Cinyps''') is a small [[river]] in [[Tripolitana]], site of a failed Greek attempt to build a city under the leadership of [[Dorieus]].<ref name = temehu>{{cite web|url=http://www.temehu.com/Cities_sites/museum-of-leptis-magna.htm|title=Wadi Caam: The Greeks in Tripolitania! |publisher=Temehu|accessdate=10 May 2012}}</ref>
+The '''Cinyps''' ({{langx|grc|Κίνυψ}}) or '''Cinyphus''' (Κίνυφος), was a small [[river]] in ancient [[Libya]], and the site of a [[ancient Greece|Greek]] colony of the same name, founded by the [[Sparta]]n [[Dorieus]].  The town only existed for a short time, due to conflicts with the [[Carthaginians]], and the local tribe of the Macae.  Today the river is known as the '''Wadi Caam''' or '''Ka'am'''.<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0064%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DC%3Aentry+group%3D16%3Aentry%3Dcinyps-geo Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Cinyps]</ref><ref name = temehu>{{cite web|url=http://www.temehu.com/Cities_sites/museum-of-leptis-magna.htm|title=Wadi Caam: The Greeks in Tripolitania! |publisher=Temehu|accessdate=10 May 2012}}</ref>
 ==Sources==
-The source of the river are in the 80&nbsp;km long Wadi Taraglat but they are all located at the coastal end of the Wadi in a part of the Wadi called Wadi Caam, whereas [[Herodotus]] had erroneously claimed that the source was near the Hill of Graces some 260&nbsp;km inland.<ref name = sorgenti>{{cite journal | author1 = G. Cifani | author2 = M. Munzi | year = 2003 | title = Alle sorgenti del Cynips Tripolitania Libya | journal = Libyan Sudies | volume = 34 | pages = 85–99}}</ref>
+The source of the river is in the eighty-kilometer long Wadi Taraglat, at the coastal end of the Wadi.  [[Herodotus]] erroneously stated that the source was near the Hill of Graces, some two hundred and sixty kilometers inland.<ref name = sorgenti>{{cite journal | author1 = G. Cifani | author2 = M. Munzi | year = 2003 | title = Alle sorgenti del Cynips Tripolitania Libya | journal = Libyan Studies | volume = 34 | pages = 85–99| doi = 10.1017/S0263718900003423 }}</ref>
 ==History==
+The Greek colony of Cinyps was established by Dorieus of [[Sparta]] around 515 or 514 BC.  Angered by the choice of Cleomenes as king of Sparta, Dorieus left the [[Peloponnese]] with a group of like-minded Spartans, with the aide of guides from [[Thera]].  The new town was founded at the mouth of the Cinyps.  [[Herodotus]] described this region as "the fairest part of Libya".<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126%3Abook%3D5%3Achapter%3D42 Herodotus, The Histories, 5.42]</ref>
-The springs in Wadi Caam were the source of the water used in the Hadrianic baths of [[Leptis Magna]] with the water diversion scheme using the aqueduct built by [[Quintus Servillius Candidus]] in 119-120A.D.<ref name = sorgenti/>
-The Greeks under Dorieus of [[Sparta]] who was said to be angry because Cleomenes was chosen to be king of Sparta ahead of him left the [[Peloponnese]] to found his own colony He chose to found his colony at the mouth of the Cinyps. After three years, around 515B.C. they were expelled by the [[Carthaginians]] from Leptis Magna, in alliance with local Libyan tribes.<ref name = Herodotus>{{cite web | url = http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hdt.+5.42&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126 | title = Histories | accessdate = 2016-11-27 | publisher = A.D. Godley}}</ref> It was said to be the home of the Libyan tribe of the Macae, who were used as [[mercenary|mercenaries]] by the [[Carthaginians]].<ref name = Salimbeti>{{cite book | author1 = Andrea Salimbeti | author2 = Raffaele D’Amato | year =  2014 | title = The Carthaginians 6th–2nd Century BC | publisher = Bloomsbury | ISBN = 1782007776 | page = 21}}</ref>
+The colony was expelled by the [[Carthaginians]], along with the local tribe of the Macae, after a short duration of about three years.<ref name = Herodotus>{{cite web | url = https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hdt.+5.42&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126 | title = Histories | accessdate = 2016-11-27 | publisher = A.D. Godley}}</ref> The [[Phoenicia]]n colony of [[Leptis Magna]] was nearby, and the Greek town was probably seen as a threat.<ref>[https://www.livius.org/articles/place/cinyps-wadi-qaam/ Cinyps (Wadi Qaam)]</ref>  The Macae were a local Libyan tribe, and were employed as [[mercenary|mercenaries]] by the Carthaginians.<ref name = Salimbeti>{{cite book | author1 = Andrea Salimbeti | author2 = Raffaele D’Amato | year =  2014 | title = The Carthaginians 6th–2nd Century BC | publisher = Bloomsbury | isbn = 978-1782007777 | page = 21}}</ref>
+At a later time, when Leptis Magna was part of the [[Roman Empire]], springs in the Cinyps were the source of the water used in the [[Hadrian]]ic baths.  The water was diverted using an aqueduct built by [[Quintus Servillius Candidus]] from AD 119 to 120.<ref name = sorgenti/>
-In Greek mythology one of the combatants in the [[Trojan War]], [[Guneus]] and went to [[Libya]] after the war where he settled near the Cinyps River, although other myths have Guneus drowning at sea.<ref>''[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]'', Epitome of Book 4, 3.11ff.; 6.15. [[Tzetzes]] on [[Lycophron]], 899</ref>
+==Mythology==
-Archaeologists have uncovered a Greek necropolis in Wadi Caam which dates to the 3rd century BC, it consists of a series of stone, box-shaped urns with the lids in the shape of a sloping roof and containing ashes and bones, as well as various types of ceramics.<ref name = temehu/>
+In Greek mythology, [[Guneus]], one of the surviving combatants from the [[Trojan War]], is said to have gone to [[Libya]] and settled near the Cinyps, although other traditions have him drowning at sea.<ref>''[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]'', Epitome of Book 4, 3.11ff.; 6.15. [[Tzetzes]] on [[Lycophron]], 899</ref>
+==Archaeology==
+Archaeologists have uncovered a Greek [[necropolis]] dating from the third century BC in the modern Wadi Caam.  The cemetery consists of a series of box-shaped stone urns, with lids in the shape of a sloping roof, containing ashes and bones.  Various types of ceramics have also been found.<ref name = temehu/>
 == References ==
 {{Reflist}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{coord|32|32|N|14|27|E|display=title|region:LY_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki}}
 [[Category:Rivers of Libya]]
 [[Category:Spartan colonies]]
+[[Category:Greek colonies in Libya]]
+[[Category:Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Libya]]