Cynewulf or Kynewulf \'kin-3-,wulf\ or Cynwulf Vkin-,wulf\ (fl. 9th century ad, Northumbria or Mercia) Anglo-Saxon poet. He is the author of four Old English poems from late 10th-century manuscripts: Elene, about St. Helena; The Fates of the Apostles, on the mission and death of each Apostle; The Ascension, part of a trilogy by different authors; and Juli¬ ana, a life of St. Juliana. Nothing is known of the poet outside of the text;
its evidence suggests he was a learned cleric of Northumbria or Mercia. Runic characters woven into the text are thought to spell his name.
Cynics \'si-niks\ Greek philosophical sect that flourished from the 4th century bc to the 6th century ad. Antisthenes (c. 445-365 bc), a disciple of Socrates, is considered the founder of the movement, but Diogenes of Sinope was its paradigm. Named principally for their meeting place, the Cynosarges, the Cynics considered virtue—including a life of poverty and self-sufficiency and the suppression of desires—to be the sole good, but they were distinguished more for their unconventional manners and way of life than for any system of thought. The Cynics influenced the devel¬ opment of Stoicism.
cypress Any of about 20 species of ornamental and timber evergreen conifers constituting the genus Cupressus of the family Cupres- saceae, which includes more than 130 species found throughout the world. The leaves are usually paired or in threes and are small and scale¬ like. A few of the many economi¬ cally important genera in the cypress family are Cupressus, Thuja (arbor- VlTAE), Calocedrus (incense cedar), and Juniperus (juniper). Arborvitae, cypress, and juniper are especially important as timber sources or orna¬ mentals. They also contain useful oils, resins, and tannins.
cypress, bald See bald cypress
Cyprian Vsip-re-onV Saint Latin Tnascius Caecilius Cyprianus
(b. c. 200, Carthage—d. Sept. 14,
258, Carthage; Western and Eastern feast day September 16; Anglican feast day September 26) Early Chris¬ tian theologian and Church Father. He converted to Christianity c. 246 and within two years was elected bishop of Carthage. In 250 he went into hiding to escape the Decian persecution, when many Christians aposta¬ tized. The following year he returned; bishops in council supported his assertions that the church could remit the sin of apostasy, that bishops in council had final disciplinary authority, and that even unworthy laity must be accepted. In disputes with the bishop of Rome, Cyprian asserted that the people and their bishop constituted the church, that there was no “bishop of bishops” in Rome, that all bishops equally possessed the Holy Spirit, and that their consensus expressed the church’s unity. He was mar¬ tyred under Valerian.
Cyprus officially Republic of Cyprus Island and country, eastern Mediterranean Sea. Area: 3,572 sq mi (9,251 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 968,000 (whole island). Capitaclass="underline" Nicosia. Cyprus is currently divided into two de facto states. The Republic of Cyprus, the internationally rec¬ ognized government, occupies the southern two-thirds of the island. Its population (2005 est.: 747,000) is predominantly Greek. Languages: Greek, Turkish (both official). Religion: Christianity (predominantly East¬ ern Orthodox). Currency: Cyprus pound. The Turkish Republic of North¬ ern Cyprus occupies the northern third of the island. Its population (2005 est.: 221,000) is overwhelmingly Turkish. Languages: Turkish (official), English. Religion: Islam. Currency: Turkish lira. The third largest island in the Mediterranean, Cyprus lies about 40 mi (65 km) off the southern coast of Turkey. It is largely mountainous, with a fertile heartland and coastal plains. Mount Olympus is its highest peak, 6,401 ft (1,951 m) above sea level. The climate is Mediterranean. Cyprus has a free-enterprise economy based mainly on trade and manufacturing, and it ranks high in the world in merchant shipping. The internationally recognized government is a multiparty republic with a unicameral legislature; its head of state and government is the president. Cyprus was inhabited by the early Neolithic Period; by the late Bronze Age it had been visited and settled by Mycenae- ans and Achaeans, who introduced Greek culture and language, and it became a trading centre. By 800 bc Phoenicians had begun to settle there. Ruled over the centuries by the Assyrian, Persian, and Ptolemaic empires, it was annexed by the Roman Republic and Empire in 58 bc. It was part of the Byzantine Empire in the 4th-12th centuries ad. It was conquered by the English king Richard I (the Lionheart) in 1191. A part of the Venetian
Pair of modern hand-held symphonic orchestral cymbals
COURTESY OF AVEDIS ZILDJIAN COMPANY
Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervi- rens)
W.H. HODGE
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
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trading empire from 1489, it was taken by the Ottoman Empire in 1571. In 1878 the British assumed control, and Cyprus became a British crown colony in 1925. It gained independence in 1960. Conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots led to the establishment of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in 1964. In 1974, fearing a movement to unite Cyprus with Greece, the Republic of Turkey sent troops to occupy the northern third of the island. Turkish Cypriots established a functioning government, which obtained recognition only from Turkey. The UN peacekeeping mission has remained in place. Negotiations to reunify the island under a single government in 2004 were not successful, but border restrictions were relaxed by both sides.
Cypselus Vsip-so-bsV (fl. 7th century bc) Tyrant of Corinth (c. 657-627 bc). Though his mother belonged to the ruling Bacchiadae dynasty, clan members attempted to kill him at birth because his father was an outsider. When he grew up, he overthrew them and set up the first tyrant dynasty. He was encouraged in his quest for power by the oracle at Delphi. He founded colonies in northwestern Greece, administering them through his bastard sons, including his successor, Periander. Though he achieved power through demagoguery, he was reputedly so popular that he did not need a bodyguard.
Cyrano de Bergerac Vsir-o-.n March 6, 1619, Paris, France—d. July 28, 1655, Paris) French satirist and dramatist. He was a soldier until 1641 and studied under the philoso¬ pher Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655). He wrote plays as well as fantastical works combining science-fantasy and political satire that inspired such later writers as Jonathan Swift. He became the basis of many romantic legends, including Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac (1897), in which he is portrayed as a gallant and brilliant but shy and ugly lover, with a remarkably large nose (which in fact he had).