72 NIC 
formance of ufelefs aufteritiesj he employed himfelf in 
compiling a regular feries of Ruffian annalifts, from 
Neftor, the earlieft hiftorian of that country, to the reign 
of Alexey Michaelovitch. After comparing and collating 
numerous manufcripts, he digefted the whole collection, 
in chronological order, into a work which is called fome- 
times, from its author, “The Chronicle of Nicon j” and 
fometimes from the place where it was begun and depofi- 
ted, “ The Chronicle of the Convent of Jerufalem.” 
This compilation, the labour of twenty years, is juftly 
efteemed by the beft Ruffian hiftorians, as a work of the 
greateft authority ; and was confidered by the venerable 
author as of fuch importance to the hiftory of his country, 
that, in the true fpirit of enthufiafm, he begins the per¬ 
formance by anathematizing all thofe whofhould attempt 
to alter the minuteft expreflion. The innocent manner 
in which he pafl'ed his time could not proteft him from the 
perfecution of his enemies, who were apprehenfive that 
while he retained the name of patriarch he might be rein- 
ftated in his former dignity. Repeated complaints were 
therefore urged again ft him, and new crimes were inven¬ 
ted to render him ftill more obnoxious. He was accufed 
of difrefpeftful expreffions in regard to the czar, in a let¬ 
ter written to the patriarch of Conftantinople, and of 
holding a treafonable correfpondence and receiving bribes 
from the king of Poland. The czar, continually befet by 
the patriarch’s enemies, was prevailed on to proceed to 
the moll violent meafures. He convoked, in 1666, a ge¬ 
neral council of the Greek and Ruffian clergy at Mofcow, 
who, after a fliort deliberation, formally depofed Nicon 
from the patriarchal office, and banifhed him to a diftant 
convent. The principal cauf’e affigned for this meafure 
was, that Nicon, by a voluntary abdication having meanly 
defected his flock, was unworthy to fill the patriarchal 
chair. In conformity to this fentence, Nicon was degra¬ 
ded to the condition of a common monk, and imprifoned 
in the convent of Therapont, in the government of Bie- 
lozoro. His confinement was for fome time exceedingly 
rigorous, becaufe, confcious of his own integrity, he per- 
fifted in a denial of his guilt, and refufed to accept a par¬ 
don for crimes which he had never committed ; but on the 
death of Alexey in 1676, Feoder, his fuccefl'or, permitted 
Nicon to remove to the convent of St. Cyril, where he 
enjoyed complete liberty. In 1681 he obtained permiffion 
to return to the convent of Jerufalem, that he might end 
his days in that favourite fpot; but expired upon the road 
near Yaroflaf, in the fixty-fixth year of his age, having 
furvived his depofition fifteen years. His remains were 
conveyed to the convent of Jerufalem, and buried with 
all the folemnities ufual at the interment of patriarchs. 
Core's Travels in Poland, Rujfia, fyc. Gen. Blog. 
NICO'NIA, in ancient geography, a town lituated on 
the EuxineSea, at the mouth of the Ifter.—A town placed 
by Strabo on the northern bank of the Tyras, or Dniefter, 
about 140 ftadia from its mouth. It was probably the 
fame with the preceding. 
NI'COP, a town of European Turkey, in Bulgaria: 
forty-two miles north-north-weft; of Ternova, and forty- 
five eaft-fouth-eaft of Nicopoli. 
NI'.COPHRON, a comic poet of Athens, fome time 
after the age of Arillophanes. 
NICOP'OLI, a town of European Turkey, in Bulgaria, 
on the Danube ; faid to have been built by Trajan, after 
a victory over the Dacse. It is the fee of a bifhop, fuf- 
fragan of Sophia, and the refidence of a fangiac: 164 
miles north-weft of Adrianople, and 276 north-weft of 
Conftantinople. Lat. 43.45 N. Ion. 24. 8. E. 
NICOP'OLI, a town of European Turkey, in Roma¬ 
nia, on the Melto: ninety miles eaft-north-eaft of Salo- 
niki, and feventy-four fouth of Filippopoli. 
NICOP'OLI, or Gianich, a town of Turkifh Armenia, 
built by Pompey : fifteen miles fouth of Erzerum. 
NICOP'OLIS, or Nicotoli, in ancient geography, a 
town of Greece, in Epirus ; founded by Auguftus as a 
monument of the vi&orv obtained at Adtium over An- 
N I C 
tony. Pliny reprefents it as a free town : Tacitus gives it 
the title of a Roman colony. Strabo informs us that 
Auguftus, havingcolle&ed into this place the inhabitants 
of the deferted towns in its vicinity, gave it the name of 
Nicopolis; and, by way of diftinguifhing it from feveral 
other towns of the fame name, called it Achaice Nicopolis, 
or A cl hi Nicopolis. 
NICOP'OLIS, a town of Paleftine, previoufly called 
Emniaus. It was burnt, after the death of Herod the 
Great, by Quintilius Varus, after having taken part in 
the revolt of the Jews. This town was abandoned by 
its inhabitants, and reduced to the condition of a village: 
fixfy ftadia from Jerufalem. It was granted to 800 vete¬ 
ran foldiers by the emperor Vefpafian, after the ruin of. 
Jerufalem, A. D. 71. The town was called Nicopolis, in 
commemoration of the vidtory of the Romans over the 
Jews. Under the reigns of Trajan and Antoninus Pius, 
this town was celebrated, and ftruck feveral medals. The 
name of Emmaus is given to this town by Ptolemy in his 
Geography, and it was called Nicopolis by the Romans. 
It was ruined after the reign of Antoninus, but re-efta- 
blifhed under Elagabalus and Alexander Severus; and 
the name of this latter emperor was added to its own. 
NICOP'OLIS, a town of Egypt, in the environs of 
Alexandria. Jofephus places it at twenty ftadia from 
Alexandria, in Judaea. According to Dion Caflius, Au¬ 
guftus was its founder, who gave it the fame name, and 
conferred upon it the privilege of the fame games with 
the town of Nicopolis in Epirus.—Alfo, a town of Alia, 
in Cilicia, fituated in the mountains, on the river Pina- 
rus, north-eaft of its mouth.—A town of Armenia Minor, 
built by Pompey, according to Strabo. Ptolemy places 
it in the interior of the country, at a diftance from the 
Euphrates, and in the vicinity of the mountains. By 
way of diftindfion from other towns, it was called Nico¬ 
polis Pompeii .— A town of Alia Minor, in Cilicia Propria, 
between Ceftabula and Epiphania, according to Ptolemy. 
Strabo places it in the number of towns which are fituated 
on the coaft of the gulf of Iflus. 
NICOP'OLIS, or Nicopolis ad Hje'mum, a town of 
Thrace, at the foot of Mount Haemus, towards the fonrce 
of the river latrus 3 placed by Ptolemy between Prafidiuin 
and Oftaphos. 
NICOP'OLIS, or Nicopolis ad Is'trum, a town of 
Lower Moelia, at the mouth of the river latrus, on the 
Danube. In order to diftinguilh it from Nicopolis upon 
the Haemus, built alfo upon the latrus, it was called Ni¬ 
copolis ad Danulium, or Nicopolis ad Ijirnm. Ammianus 
Marcellinus fays, that itwas founded byTrajan, after his 
victory over the Dacians. See Nicopoli. 
NICOP'OLIS, or Nicopolis ad Nes'sum, a town of 
Thrace, founded by Trajan, fome leagues from the mouth, 
and to the left, of the river Neflus. Ptolemy places it 
between Pantallia and Topiris. Whether this was the 
place where Paul informs Titus he was determined to 
winter, or whether it was Nicopolis in Epirus, on the 
Ambracian gulf, we cannot pofitively determine; though 
we chiefly incline to the former. See Tit. iii. 12. 
NICO'SIA, a town of Sicily, in the valley of Demona: 
twelve milesl outh of Cefalu, and thirty-two north-weft 
of Catania. 
NICO'SIA, a town and capital of the illand of Cyprus, 
fituated in the centre of the illand, in the middle of a 
vaft plain ; and furrounded by hills and mountains, which 
bound it on all fides at the diftance of ten miles. Here 
are ftill to be feen, the foundations of a citadel, eredted 
by king James, the firft of the Lufignans; and the remains 
of a conventual church, dedicated to St. Dominic, in 
which are buried feveral fovereigns; and, among others, 
Hugo IV. to whom Boccace dedicated his book on the 
genealogy of the gods. The city of Nicofia, under the 
family of the Lufignans, was the refidence of the kings, 
and the fee of an archbilhop, eredled by Innocent III. in 
the year 121a, at the requelt of Alicia, wife to Hugo, firft 
king of Cyprus. It contained a great many monafteries, 
no 
4 
