Cyprus History

CYPRUS HISTORY - A GLIMPSE ON THE ISLAND'S LONG HISTORY

CYPRUS is the third largest island in the Mediterranean. It lies at its easternmost end in the gulf between Asia Minor and Syria.

During the period of the formation of the earth's crust, Cyprus formed part of the Asiatic mainland from which it was detached at the time of the great geological changes. The island was populated long before the historic times. There is ample evidence about man's existence on it during the Neolithic period. Such evidence has been revealed at Khirokitia, Phrenaros, Petratou Limniti, near ancient Aepia, and in the isle of Ayios Georghios near Peyia, Paphos.

Cyprus was one of the first countries in the world to mine copper. There are in the island several copper mines which have made her important during her long historic life and given her abundant wealth and a high standard of civilization.

Since the dawn of history Cyprus has developed commercial relations with the neighboring peoples of Crete, Egypt, Phoenicia and others. She had her own script, the "Cyprian Script", which derives from the Minoan script.

In the Cairo Museum there are tablets, belonging to the 15th and 14th century B.C., which were discovered at Telel Amarna in Egypt, containing the text of a letter from the King of Alasia, Cyprus, to the Pharaoh and referring to the exchange of Cyprus copper with Egyptian silver, as well as to various other property problems facing Cypriots residing in Egypt.

The Greeks appeared in Cyprus from the 15th century B.C., with the Myceneans as the first settlers. But after the fall of Troy (1180 B.C.) when the Greeks became masters of the Aegean Sea and the eastern basin of the Mediterranean, Cyprus was inundated with Greek colonies. Such colonies were Paphos, Kourion, Amathus, Kition, Salamis, Kyrenia, Lapithos, Idalion, Khytroi, Ledra, Aka-mantis, and others.

Constantly consolidating its position in Cyprus, the Greek element became the most prominent in the island long before the classical times; the Greeks imposed their language, script, civilization and customs and have ever since remained the predominating element on the island.

Throughout her historic life Cyprus developed a high standard of civilization which was certainly an extension of the Greek civilization. In the 8th century B.C. she could already boast of Stassinos, the eminent epic poet, who wrote the "Cyprian Epics" and is considered as equal to Homer. Cyprus could also boast of writers and poets in all branches, epic, lyric, dramatic, comedy-writers, philosophers, doctors and others. Unfortunately most of these works have been lost while only some extracts have been saved from others.

During the classical times and more particularly during the time of Evagoras, King of Salamis (405-373 B.C.), Cyprus had reached the apex of its glory. She had a high standard of civilization, literature and art and she was governed well. This period is warmly praised by Isocrates, the ancient Greek writer, who was at a time the teacher of Nicocles, the son of Evagoras.

However, because of her proximity to Asia and Africa, Cyprus became at times the prize of conquests by the neighboring peoples. Thus she was first conquered by the Assyrian King Sargon (721-705 B.C.) and subsequently by masis, Pharaoh of Egypt (550 B.C.), and by Kambyses, King of Persia and son of Cyrus the Great (525 B.C.).

In the London Museum there is a cylinder found in Larnaca in 1845, where the names of ten Greeks (Yatnana), Kings of Cyprus subjugated by the Assyrian King Sargon, are inscribed in cuneiform writing.

During the Alexander's expansion to Asia, the Cypriots helped in sending him ships and equipment for the conquest of Tyrus.

After the death of Alexander the Great, Cyprus became the apple of discord between his successors Antigonos and Ptolemy. In 309 B.C. a sea-battle took place in Cyprus waters outside Lefkolla (near Paralimni) between Demetrius the Besieger, son of Antigonos, and Ptolemy during which the latter was defeated. Eventually, however, the Ptolemies prevailed and Cyprus was united with Egypt under her scepter.

During the Ptolemaic period Cyprus experienced an epoch of prosperity, wealth, sublime art and civilization. At that time the island was Greek from one end to another. The Ptolemies built also many towns in Cyprus. Thus, Lefkos, the son of Ptolemy the Saviour, built Lefkotheon, the present Nicosia, on the ruins of ancient Ledra. He also built Lefka, near the ancient Soloi. The Ptolemies also built Arsinoe near Polistis Khrysochous, and another Arsinoe, where Famagusta now stands and some others. However, the various civil wars between the successors of Alexander the Great brought about the decline of all the Greek Kingdoms of the East which, one after the other, came under Rome's sovereignty. When Julius Ceasar rose to the highest office of Rome he passed a law whereby bread was distributed to all Roman citizens free. (Bread and recreation). However, because the granaries of Southern Italy and Cicily were not adequate for this purpose and Cyprus was renowned for her wheat production, Julius Ceasar sent Cato (57 B.C.) with a strong force to occupy her.

Strabo, the historian and geographer (23 B.C.—57 A.C.), gives figures of Cyprus wheat production which was by far bigger than present-day production. Among the Roman Governors of Cyprus was also Cicero, the great Roman statesman and eminent orator. Cyprus was among the first countries to adopt Christianity. Among those who taught in the island in person were St. Paul, St. Barnabas and St. Mark. At that time Cyprus was densely populated. Salamis, with its neighborhood, was said to have a population between 150,000 and 200,000 and the theatre at Salamis could accommodate between 10 to 15 thousand spectators. It appears that Cyprus, being the nearest Greek centre, had, following the decline of the Greek Kingdoms of the East, received the greater part of the Greek diaspora of Asia and Africa.

During the early Byzantine times Cyprus experienced successive earthquakes (330-343 A.D.) as a result of which Salamis was destroyed. It was rebuilt by Constantios, son of Constantine the Great, after whom it was named Constantia.

However, Constantia was also destroyed later but not as a result of earthquakes. Mohammed's successors had many and frequent disputes with Byzantium and had conquered several of its territories. Situated at the extreme end of Byzantium, Cyprus suffered many attacks by the Arabs. During one of those attacks in the reign of Khalif Moabia (647 A.D.), Constantia was completely destroyed and abandoned. The inhabitants who remained later moved south to another town, Arsinoe, the present Famagusta. Lambousa (now Lapithos, on the northern coast of the island) was also included among these coastal cities of Cyprus which suffered during the Arab raids.

Since the appearance of the Arabs (630-964 A.D.) Cyprus fell alternately under Byzantium and the Arabs. In 747 A.D. the Byzantine fleet destroyed completely an Arab fleet of 1000 ships off the south coast of the Island, near the village of Mazotos. The Arabs were finally driven out of Cyprus by the Emperor of the Byzantium, Nikiforos Phocas in 964 A.D.

The period of the Arab raids was the age of the gallant guards of the frontiers (Akrites), among whom most prominent was Dighenis. Most descriptive accounts of the gallant deeds of the Akrites are given in the so-called "akritika" songs, which constitute an excellent literary and historic document, charecteristic of the spirit prevailing at the time.

During the Byzantine times many churches and monasteries were built in Cyprus, which is predominantly a country of Saints. Every village has its patron Saint, born in the same village.

Cyprus was administered by the Byzantines until 1191 A.D. when Richard Coeur de Lion leading the army of the Third Crusade heading for the liberation of the Holy Land, took the Island from Isaakios Komnenos, nephew of Emperor Alexios Komnenos of Byzantium. Richard intended to use Cyprus as an advanced base against the Arabs of Salahedin. The following year, however, he sold it to the Lusignans, Knights of Poitiers of France, for one hundred thousand ducats. The Lusignans ruled Cyprus until 1489, when the Island was ceded to Venice by Catherine Cornaro, after her husband's death, Jacob H, who has been the last Lusignan King of Cyprus.

During the Lusignan times Famagusta> prospered and knew days of abundant richness. The town was an important port of commerce between East and West and it is said that the merchants of Famagusta gave their daughters as dowry more money than that given by kings and rulers to their daughters.

Cyprus remained in Venetian hands until 1571 A.D. when it was taken by the Turks during the reign of Sultan Selim II after a long siege of Famagusta in which more than 80 thousand Turkish soldiers were killed.

The Island remained in Turkish hands until 1878 when it was taken over by the British under an agreement between the two Governments. The Turks held Cyprus for 300 years. This period shows nothing note-worthy. Many Cypriot intellectuals left the Island after its seizure by the Turks and went abroad where they played a prominent part in the life of their new countries.

Despite the many conquests Cyprus did not change and remained Greek in character both in the days of its prosperity and in the difficult days that followed. The spirit of Greek civilization was deeply rooted. This spirit is still alive. This is proved by the island's archeological sites and monuments, and the numerous archeological treasures which are found in both private collections and Museums in many countries. Thus the New York Museum houses the invaluable treasures of Kourion and several statues from ancient Golgoi discovered by Cesnola who also uncovered two stone jars at Amathus, one of which is kept in the Paris Museum.

An exquisite ivory box discovered at Enkomi, is kept in the British Museum, which also houses a great number of antiquities from all over the island. Besides several important archaeological discoveries, the Cyprus Museum also contains statuettes, bracelets, figurines and other finds from excavations. Unfortunately various antiquity dealers have unearthed and sent abroad considerable numbers of valuable finds. But still a lot of treasures is undoubtedly hidden under the Cyprus soil awaiting the archeologist to bring them to light.

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