Tiddis (also known as ''Castellum Tidditanorum'' or ''Tiddi'') was a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

city that depended on

Cirta Cirta, also known by various other names in antiquity, was the ancient Berber and Roman settlement which later became Constantine, Algeria. Cirta was the capital city of the Berber kingdom of Numidia; its strategically important port city ...

and a bishopric as "Tiddi", which remains a Latin Catholic

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

. It was located on the territory of the current commune of Bni Hamden in the

Constantine Province Constantine ( ar, ولاية قسنطينة) is one of the 58 provinces ('' wilayas'') of Algeria, whose capital is the city of the same name. History In 1984 Mila Province was carved out of its territory. Administrative divisions The provin ...

of eastern

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

History

Tiddis was built by the Romans as a "vicus" & defensive castellum of the Confederatio Cirtense, initially administered by

's Roman colonists and successively arranged according to their system of urbanization. This prosperous town, established on a plateau, had a monumental gate, baths, industrial facilities (tanneries), a sanctuary to

Mithras Mithraism, also known as the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman mystery religion centered on the god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian worship of the Zoroastrian divinity (''yazata'') Mithra, the Roman Mithras is link ...

dating back to the 4th century BC, and also a Christian chapel. Castles and water tanks of all forms remind us that the city has gradually been abandoned because it lacked sources. One can admire the mausoleum that

Quintus Lollius Urbicus Quintus Lollius Urbicus was a Numidian Berber governor of Roman Britain between the years 139 and 142, during the reign of the Emperor Antoninus Pius. He is named in the ''Historia Augusta'', although it is not entirely historical, and his name ...

built, a native of Tiddis (and son of a romanised Berber landowner) who then became prefect of Rome. The local romance speaking community probably disappeared with the Arab conquest in the second half of the 7th century, but some pottery remains showed the survival of a small village -with some christian inhabitants- inside the ruins of Tiddis until the XI century. Today, Tiddis is an authentic Roman site called ''Res eddar'' or the "peak of the House" located in the Gorge of the Khreneg, just north of Cirta. It marks the presence of a Roman civilization through rock art inscriptions and Roman pottery.

Ecclesiastical history

Under

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

control, Castellum Tidditanorum had two small churches and was the see of a diocese. Four bishops are assigned by Morcelli to this see, but Mesnage and Jaubert believe they were bishops of

Tisedi Tisedi was an ancient city and episcopal see, which remains a Latin Church titular see within the Catholic Church. History Tisedi, located near modern Aziz-Ben-Tellis in present Algeria, was one of many towns in the Roman province of Numidia wh ...

, leaving only * Abundius, attending the Council of Carthage called in 484 by king

Huneric Huneric, Hunneric or Honeric (died December 23, 484) was King of the (North African) Vandal Kingdom (477–484) and the oldest son of Gaiseric. He abandoned the imperial politics of his father and concentrated mainly on internal affairs. He was m ...

of the Vandal Kingdom, afterwards exiled like most Catholics, unlike their

Donatist Donatism was a Christian sect leading to a schism in the Church, in the region of the Church of Carthage, from the fourth to the sixth centuries. Donatists argued that Christian clergy must be faultless for their ministry to be effective and the ...

schismatic heretic-counterparts. 20171124 111027 mix01-01

Titular see

In 1925 was established the "Titular Episcopal See of Tiddis" *''Titular Bishop''. Titular Archbishop (1985.09.14 – ...): Archbishop Eugenio Sbarbaro *''Former Titular Bishops''. Titular Bishop: Bishop Cesar Benedetti, O.F.M. (1951.02.08 – 1983.04.04); Titular Bishop: Bishop Joseph Brendan Whelan, C.S.Sp. (1948.02.12 – 1950.04.18); Titular Bishop: Archbishop Mecislovas Reinys (1926.04.05 – 1940.07.18)

Famous locals

Lollia (gens) The gens Lollia was a plebeian family at Rome. Members of the gens do not appear at Rome until the last century of the Republic. The first of the family to obtain the consulship was Marcus Lollius, in 21 BC.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biogra ...

References

Sources and external links

GCatholic - Tiddi

Bibliography

* André Berthier ''Tiddis. Antique Castellum Tidditanorum'' Academie des Belles lettres. Paris, 1951 * Bonifacius Gams, ''Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae'', Leipzig 1931, p. 469 * Stefano Antonio Morcelli, ''Africa christiana'', Volume I, Brescia 1816, pp. 320–321 * J. Mesnage,'' L'Afrique chrétienne'', Paris 1912, p. 315 * H. Jaubert, ''Anciens évêchés et ruines chrétiennes de la Numidie et de la Sitifienne'', in ''Recueil des Notices et Mémoires de la Société archéologique de Constantine'', vol. 46, 1913, p. 93 {{coord, 36, 27, 48, N, 6, 29, 02, E, region:DZ_type:city_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Roman towns and cities in Mauretania Caesariensis Roman towns and cities in Algeria Constantine, Algeria Archaeological sites in Algeria Populated places established in the 1st millennium Former populated places in Algeria Buildings and structures in Constantine Province Catholic titular sees in Africa