i-do-.ber-zho-’rakV Savinien (b.
Cyrenaica or Cirenaica \,sir-o- ‘na-9-k3\ Northeastern region of present-day Libya. It was colonized by the Greeks (c. 631 bc), who estab¬ lished five cities there. It became a
Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac, engrav¬ ing after a painting.
H. ROGER-VIOLLET
Roman province in 67 bc. Arab armies conquered it in ad 642, as did the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Italy colonized it in the early 20th century, but Italian forces were expelled during World War II (1939-45). In 1963 it was incorporated into Libya.
Cyrenaics \,sir-9-'na-iks, ,si-r3-'na-iks\ Greek school of ethics. Cyrene was the centre of its activity and the birthplace of several of its members. Though the elder Aristippus (c. 435-366 bc), a pupil of Socrates, is gen¬ erally recognized as its founder, the school flourished only in the late 4th century and early 3rd century bc. The Cyrenaics held that the only good is the pleasure of the moment; the good life thus consists of the pursuit of such pleasures. The doctrines of the later Cyrenaics were eventually incorporated into Epicureanism.
Cyrene \sl-'re-ne\ Ancient city, North Africa. Located in modern-day Libya, it was founded c. 630 bc by a group of emigrants from the Aegean island of Thira. Their leader, Battus, became the first king; his dynasty ruled until c. 440 bc. Under the aegis of Ptolemaic Egypt (from 323 bc),
Cyrene became one of the great intellectual centres of the Classical world, boasting such scholars as Era¬ tosthenes and Aristippus, founder of the Cyrenaics. Taken by the Romans in 96 bc, it later declined and, with the Arab conquest of ad 642, ceased to exist. Areas of the old city have been excavated, revealing impres¬ sive ruins.
Cyril and Methodius Vsir-ol... mi-'tho-de-osV Saints (respectively b. c. 827, Thessalonica, Macedonia—d. Feb. 14, 869, Rome; b. c. 825, Thessalonica—d. April 6, 884, Moravia; feast day for both, Western church February 14; Eastern church May 11) Brothers who Christianized the Danubian Slavs. They began missionary work among the Slavs of Moravia in 863. Gifted schol¬ ars and linguists, they translated the holy scriptures into the language later known as Old Church Slavic (or Slavonic) and are credited with invent¬ ing the Glagolithic alphabet (see Cyrillic alphabet). In 868 they traveled to Rome to defend the use of a Slavic liturgy. When Cyril died, Methodius returned to Moravia as an archbishop. Known as the “apostles to the Slavs,” the two brothers influenced the religious and cultural development of all Slavic peoples.
Cyril of Alexandria, Saint (b. c. 375—d. June 27, 444; Western feast day June 27; Eastern feast day June 9) Christian theologian and bishop. He became bishop of Alexandria in 412. Zealously orthodox, he closed the churches of the Novatians, a heterodox sect, and expelled the Jews from Alexandria. His greatest doctrinal conflict was with Nestorius over the nature of Jesus; Cyril emphasized the unity of Jesus’ divine and human natures while Nestorius emphasized their distinctness. Cyril con¬ demned Nestorius at the Council of Ephesus (431), only to be condemned himself by bishops who supported Nestorius. Eventually Nestorius was declared a heretic and a compromise on Christ’s nature restored peace to the church (433).
Cyril of Jerusalem, Saint (b. c. 315, Jerusalem—d. 386?, Jerusa¬ lem; feast day March 18) Early leader of the Christian church. He became bishop of Jerusalem c. 350. He was exiled three times by the Arians but was suspected by the strictly orthodox many years later, at the Council of Constantinople (381), for his association with moderate Arians. He anticipated the doctrine of transubstantiation in his writings and promoted Jerusalem as a pilgrimage centre. He was named a Doctor of the Church in 1883.
Cyrillic \s9-'ril-ik\ alphabet Alphabet used for Russian, Serbian (see Serbo-Croatian language), Bulgarian and Macedonian, Belarusian, Ukrai¬ nian, and many non-Slavic languages of the former Soviet Union, as well as Khalka Mongolian (see Mongolian language). The history of the Cyril¬ lic alphabet is complex and much disputed. It is clearly derived from 9th- century Greek uncial capital letters, with the non-Greek letters probably taken from the Glagolitic alphabet, a highly original alphabet in which (along with Cyrillic) Old Church Slavonic was written. A commonly held hypothesis is that followers of Sts. Cyril and Methodius developed Cyril¬ lic in the southern Balkans around the end of the 9th century. The 44
Sanctuary of Apollo, Cyrene
JOSEPHINE POWELL, ROME
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
502 I Cyrus II ► Czech Republic
original Cyrillic letters were reduced in number in most later alphabets used for vernacular languages, and some wholly original letters intro¬ duced, particularly for non-Slavic languages.
Cyrus II known as Cyrus the Great (b. c. 585, Media or Persis—d. c. 529, Asia) Conqueror who founded the Achaemenian Empire (see Achaemenian dynasty). The grandson of Cyrus I (fl. late 7th century bc), he came to power by overthrowing his maternal grandfather, the king of the Medes. The empire he developed was thenceforth centered on Persia and included Media, Ionia, Lydia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. Cyrus conquered by diplomacy as well as by force. The subject of a rich legend in Persia and Greece (recorded by Xenophon and others), he was called the father of his people. He appeal's in the Bible as the liberator of the Jews held captive in Babylon. He died battling nomads in Central Asia. His legacy is the founding not only of an empire but of a culture and civilization that continued to expand after his death and lasted for two centuries. He exerted a strong influence on the Greeks and Alexander the Great. Awarded heroic qualities in legend, he has long been revered by Persians almost as a religious figure. In 1971 Iran celebrated the 2,500th anniversary of his founding of the monarchy.
cyst \'sist\ Enclosed sac within body tissues. It has a distinct membrane and generally contains liquid. Most cysts are benign, but several kinds may be malignant or precancerous. Benign cysts often press on nearby organs and require removal. Formed by overproduction of epithelium (surface tissue of anatomical structures), cysts may become detached from surrounding structures and move freely. They can contain natural secre¬ tions, abnormal breakdown products, or, in infections, bacteria, larval parasites, and microbial products. Some organs, including the kidney, liver, and breast, can become filled with cysts as a result of cystic diseases that may be dangerous or may hide more serious diseases. See also tumour.
cysteine \'sis-t3-,en\ Sulfur-containing nonessential amino acid. In pep¬ tides and proteins, the sulfur atoms of two cysteine molecules are bonded to each other to make cystine, another amino acid. The bonded sulfur atoms form a disulfide bridge, a principal factor in the shape and func¬ tion of skeletal and connective tissue proteins and in the great stability of structural proteins such as keratin.
cystic fibrosis (CF) Vsis-tik-fi-'bro-s3s\ or mucoviscidosis
V.myu-ko-.vis-o-'do-sosV Inherited metabolic disorder characterized by production of thick, sticky mucus. It is recessive (see recessiveness) and the most common inherited disorder (about 1 per 2,000 live births) in those of European ancestry. Concentrated mucous secretions in the lungs plug the bronchi, making breathing difficult, promoting infections, and producing chronic cough, recurrent pneumonia, and progressive loss of lung function, the usual cause of death. The secretions interfere with digestive enzymes and block nutrient absorption. Abnormally salty sweat is the basis for diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. Treatment includes enzyme supplements, a diet high in calories, protein, and fat, vigorous physical therapy, and antibiotics. Persons with cystic fibrosis once seldom survived beyond childhood; now more than half reach adulthood, though males are usually sterile.
cystitis \sis-'tl-t3s\ Inflammation of the urinary bladder (see urinary sys¬ tem). Infections with bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites usually spread from nearby sites. Symptoms include burning pain during and right after urination, unusually urgent or frequent urination, and lower back pain. Women, with a shorter urethra than men, are more susceptible to cystitis, most cases resulting from E. coli bacteria from the rectum. Acute cysti¬ tis, usually bacterial, causes swelling, bleeding, small ulcers and cysts, and sometimes abscesses. Recurrent or persistent infection can lead to chronic cystitis, with bladder-wall thickening. Diagnosis is made by find¬ ing bacteria or other organisms in the (normally sterile) urine. It is treated with drugs or surgery.