HIPPO DIA´RRHYTUS
HIPPO DIA´RRHYTUS or
ZARITUS (
Ἱππὼν Δίαρρος,
Ptol. 4.3.6; H. Zaritus,Itin. Ant. p. 21,
V.R. H. Zarrhytus; Ippons Diaritus, Tab. Pent.; and simply
Ἵππου πόλις, Scyl. p. 30:
Besnizert or
Bizerta), a Tyrian colony in Zeugitana, close to the extreme N. headland of Africa [CANDIDUM PR.], 36 M. P. W. of Utica, and 126 M. P. E. of Hippo Regius.
It stood on W. side of the entrance of a large lake which communicated with the sea, and which received the waters of another lake: the former was called
HIPPONITIS PALUS (
Ἱππονῖτις λίμνη), and the latter
SISARA (
Σίσαρα). Its situation exposed it to frequent inundatious, whence, as the Greeks said, the epithet
Διάρρυτος. But it seems more probable that this is the remnant of some Phoenician title: the ancient writers were by no means agreed on the true form of the name, as is seen above, and of this uncertainty we have a further proof in the expression of Pliny, who is apparently attempting an etymology: “oppidum quod Hipponem
dirutum vocant, Diarrhytum a Graecis dictum.” (
Plin. Nat. 5.4. s. 3.) Polybius and Appian give the forms
Ἱππακριτῶν πόλις (
Plb. 1.82), and
Ἰππάγρετα (Appian, 8.110).
The city was fortified and provided with a new harbour by Agathocles (Appian,
l.c.): under the Romans it was a free city (Plin.); and it seems to have been raised to the rank of a colony, for the younger Pliny calls it Hipponensis colonia. (
Epist. 9.33; comp.
Strab. xvii. p.832; Mela, 1.7.2;
Plin. Nat. 9.8; Barth,
Wanderungen, &.c. pp. 202, 211).
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P.S]
