Tricomia

Titular see, suffragan of Caesarea in Palaestina Prima. It is mentioned in George of Cyprus (Descriptio orbis romani, ed. Gelzer, 1024) and, according to the other cities preceding or following its name, would seem to have been situated in southern Palestine. Malalas (Chronographia, V, in P.G., XCVII, 236) relates an ancient legend regarding Tricomia, which he calls Nyssa and confounds with Scythopolis. According to his account it was the site of a famous temple of Artemis. It was never a Greek see, and Le Quien (Oriens Christ., III, 677) is at fault in his complaint of being unable to find any bishops. The Roman Curia, taking the "Descriptio orbis romani" of George of Cyprus, a civil document, for a "Notitia episcopatuum", has made Tricomia a titular see. It is now a Mussulman village called Terkoumieh on a high hill between Hebron and Bet-Djibrin. It must not be confused with another Tricomia in Arabia which was the camping place of the equites promoti Illyriciani.

S. VAILHÉ