Caenophrurium
Caenophrurium (also written as Cænophrurium or Cenophrurium) was a settlement in the Roman province of Europe (the easternmost part of Thracia), between Byzantium and Heraclea Perinthus. It appears in late Roman and early Byzantine accounts. Caenophrurium translates as the "stronghold of the Caeni", a Thracian tribe.
Location
The Barrington Atlas shows Caenophrurium as one of 24 komes (towns) and choria (villages) in the province of Europe.[1][2] These were smaller settlements than the 14 cities of the province listed by Hierocles in his Synecdemus (c. 527–528): the provincial capital (Heraclea Perinthus) and 13 others.[2]
Several routes in the Antonine Itinerary list Caenophrurium as a stage on the Via Egnatia, 18 miles east of Heraclea Perinthus and 27 or 28 miles east of Melantias (probably modern Yarımburgaz).[3][4] However, Caenophrurium lies inland, whereas the Via Egnatia ran 20 kilometres (12 miles) further south along the coast of the Sea of Marmara. Instead, it appears that Caenophrurium was on a smaller northern route from Byzantium to Bizye.[5]
Caenophrurium has been identified with the modern village of Sinekli, in Silivri district, Istanbul Province, in Turkey.[6][7]
Some writers have identified Caenophrurium with Çorlu, but this seems unlikely as the Antonine Itinerary lists Caenophrurium as two stages and 36 miles closer to Byzantium than Tzirallum,[3] and the Tabula Peutingeriana shows the locations separately.[8][9]
Murder of Aurelian
In 275, the Emperor Aurelian marched towards Asia Minor, preparing a campaign against the Sassanid Empire. However, Aurelian never reached Persia, as he was murdered while waiting in Thrace to cross into Asia Minor. As an administrator, Aurelian had been very strict and handed out severe punishments to corrupt officials or soldiers. A secretary of Aurelian (called Eros by Zosimus) had told a lie on a minor issue. In fear of what the Emperor might do, he forged a document listing the names of high officials marked by the emperor for execution, and showed it to collaborators. When Aurelain reached Caenophrurium in September 275 the notarius Mucapor and other high-ranking officers of the Praetorian Guard, fearing punishment from the Emperor, murdered him.[6]
Notes
- ^ Talbert 2000, p. 52 C2
- ^ a b Drakoulis 2013, p. 239
- ^ a b Cuntz 1929, Stages 138,3; 230,9; 323,6; 332,7.
- ^ Miller 1919, p. 539, 589
- ^ Drakoulis 2013, p. 238
- ^ a b The Life of Aurelian, Chapters 35–37
- ^ Drakoulis 2013, p. 241
- ^ Tabula Peutingeriana
- ^ Talbert 2010, p. 223,234,247,249
References
- Cuntz, Otto, ed. (1929), "Imperatoris Antonini Augusti Itineraria Provinciarum", [[Antonine Itinerary|Itineraria Romana: Volume I]] (in Latin), Leipzig: Teubner
{{citation}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help) - Drakoulis, Dimitris P. (2013), "The Bosporus: Gateway between the Ancient West and East (1st Millennium BC – 5th Century AD)" (PDF), Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities, Istanbul, 14th–18th September 2009, BAR International Series 2517, Archaeopress, pp. 237–247
{{citation}}:|contribution=ignored (help) - "The Life of Aurelian", [[Historia Augusta]] (in Latin with parallel English translation), c. 347–395
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|year=(help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - Miller, K. (1916), Itineraria Romana: Römische Reisewege an der Hand der Tabula Peutingeriana dargestellt (in German), Stuttgart: Stecker and Schröder
{{citation}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - Tabula Peutingeriana
- Talbert, Richard J.A., ed. (2000), Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, with Map-by-Map Directory, Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press
- Talbert, Richard J.A. (2010), Rome's World: The Peutinger Map Reconsidered, Cambridge University Press
41°14′N 28°13′E / 41.233°N 28.217°E
 | This Turkey location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article relating to archaeology in Turkey is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |