Cynopolis (Greek:Κυνόπολις and Κυνῶν πόλις for "city of the dog"[1]) was theHellenistictoponym for two cities inancient Egypt. Both Cynopolis superior and Cynopolis inferior werebishoprics in Christian times.[2]
Cynopolis was the Greek name for the ancient Egyptian town of Saka (or Hardai?); (Coptic:Ⲕⲁⲓⲥ or Ⲕⲟⲉⲓⲥ[5]) in the seventeenthnome ofUpper Egypt,[6] was home to the cult ofAnubis,[7] a canine-shapeddeity. According toClaudius Ptolemy, the town was situated on an island in the river.[8] The modern settlement ofEl Kays now stands on the site.[9] The nome of Cynopolis extended to both banks of theNile.[10]
A burial ground for dogs was discovered on the opposite bank of the Nile, near Hamatha.[11][12] The neighbouring cities were rivals according toPlutarch, who wrote (De Iside, 72) that when a Cynopolis resident ate an Oxyrhynchos fish, the people ofOxyrhynchos started attacking dogs in revenge, which resulted in a minor civil war.[13]
Cynopolis was destroyed by the viceroy of NubiaPinehesy during the reign ofRamses XI: the survivors were enslaved.[6]
The diocese, which became obscure under Islam, was nominally restored in 1933 as a Latin Catholictitular bishopric. It was named Cynopolis in Aegypto. The see has been vacant for several decades, having had the following incumbents, both of the lowest (episcopal) rank:
The diocese was nominally restored in 1922 as a Latin Catholictitular bishopric under the name Cynopolis. In 1933 the name of the see was changed to Cynopolis in Arcadia. The see has been vacant for several decades. The incumbents from 1922 to 1968 were:
Robert Dobson (1922.08.22 – 1942.01.06)
Angel Maria Ocampo Berrio,Jesuits (S.J.) (1942.06.23 – 1947.07.19) asCoadjutor Bishop ofSocorro y San Gil (Colombia) (1942.06.23 – 1947.07.19), succeeding as bishop (1947.07.19 – 1950.12.06), later Bishop ofTunja (Colombia) (1950.12.06 – 1964.06.20), promoted first Metropolitan Archbishop of Tunja (1964.06.20 – 1970.02.20), on emeritateTitular Archbishop ofCastulo (1970.02.20 – 1973.03.10)
Joseph Zhang Run-bo (張潤波) (1947.11.20 – 1949.08.10)
Bingham, Joseph (2005).The Antiquities of the Christian Church Part 1. Kessinger Publishing.
Černý, J. (1975). "Egypt: from the death of Rameses III to the end of the Twenty-First Dynasty". In I. E. S. Edwards; C. J. Gadd; N. G. L. Hammond; E. Sollberger (eds.).The Middle East and the Aegean Region,c. 1380–1000 BC. The Cambridge Ancient History. Vol. 2, Part 2 (3rd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 606–657.ISBN978-0-521-08691-2.
Hardouin, Jean; Pihan Delaforest, Ange Augustin Thomas, eds. (1828).Historiae naturalis libri XXXVII By the Elder Pliny. N. E. Lemaire.
Helck, Wolfgang (1974).Die altägyptischen Gaue. L. Reichert.
Lane, Edward William (2000).Description of Egypt: Notes and Views in Egypt and Nubia. American University in Cairo Press.ISBN977-424-525-3. The text was written in the 1830s.
Müller, Karl Otfried (1877).Strabonis Geographicorum tabulae XV by Strabo, Editore Ambrosio Firmin Didot.
Room, Adrian (2006).Placenames Of The World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features and Historic Sites. McFarland & Company.
Sayce, Archibald Henry; Maspero, Gaston; McClure, M. L.; King, L. W.; Hall, H. R. (1904).History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria. Grolier Society.
