an ancient kingdom of Africa, corresponding to the present kingdom and desert of Barca and Tripoli. It was originally inhabited by a number of barbarous nations, differing little from great gangs of robbers. Afterwards some colonies from Greece settled here, and Cyrenaica became so powerful a state, that it waged war with Egypt and Carthage, often with success. In the time of Darius Hystaspes, Arcefilas, the reigning prince in Cyrenaica, was driven from the throne; on which his mother Pheretima applied for assistance to the king of Cyprus. Her son afterwards returning to Barca, the chief city of Cyrene, was there assassinated, together with his father-in-law. Pheretima finding herself disappointed by the king of Cyprus, applied to Darius Hystaspes, and by the assistance of the Persians reduced Barca. Here she behaved with the utmost cruelty, causing all those who had been concerned in her son's death to be impaled, and the breasts of their wives to be cut off and affixed near them. She is said to have been afterwards devoured by worms; which was looked upon as a divine judgment for her excessive cruelty. The prisoners in the mean time were sent to Darius, who settled them in a district of Bactria, from them called Barca. Cyrenaica, however, seems to have remained free till the time of Alexander the Great, who conquered it along with Egypt. Soon after his death the inhabitants recovered their liberty; but were in a short time reduced by Ptolemy king of Egypt. Under these kings it remained till Ptolemy Physcon made it over to his bastard son Apian, who in the 658th year of Rome left it by will to the Romans. The senate permitted all the cities to be governed by their own laws; and this immediately filled the country with tyrants, those who were most potent in every city or district endeavouring to assume the sovereignty of it. Thus the kingdom was thrown into great confusion; but Lucullus in a good measure restored the public tranquillity on his coming thither during the first Mithridatic war. It was found impossible, however, totally to suppress these disturbances till the country was reduced to the form of a Roman province, which happened about 20 years after the death of Apian, and 76 before Christ. Upon a revolt, the city of Cyrene was ruined by the Romans; but they afterwards rebuilt it. In process of time it fell to the Arabs; and then to the Turks, who are the present masters of it.