HIPPO

either of two ancient ports on the coast of North Africa. Hippo, later called Hippo Regius, located near the modern town of Annaba (formerly Bne) in Algeria, was probably first settled by Carthaginians in the 4th century BC. It later became the home of Numidian rulers. Under Roman control it was first made a municipium (a community that exercised partial rights of Roman citizenship) and later a colonia (Roman settlement with full rights of citizenship). The city's most important personage, later a Father of the Church, St. Augustine, was bishop there from AD 395 to 430. The ancient port of Hippo Diarrhytus, or Hippo Zarytus, is now occupied by the city of Bizerte (Banzart) on the coast of Tunisia. Settled at least as early as 350 BC, it achieved particular prominence during Roman and later times.