Ancient history of Cyprus
The ancient history of Cyprus shows a precocious sophistication in the Neolithic era visible in settlements such as Khirokitia dating from the 9th millennium BC, and at Kalavassos from about 7500 BC.
Periods of Cyprus's ancient history from 1050 BC have been named according to styles of pottery as follows:
- Cypro-Geometric I: 1050–950 BC
- Cypro-Geometric II: 950–850 BC
- Cypro-Geometric III: 850–700 BC
- Cypro-Archaic I: 700–600 BC
- Cypro-Archaic II: 600–475 BC
- Cypro-Classical I: 475–400 BC
- Cypro-Classical II: 400–323 BC
Alexander's conquests accelerated the ongoing Hellenisation of Cyprus. His premature death in 323 BC led to a period of turmoil as Ptolemy I Soter and Demetrius I of Macedon fought together for supremacy in the region, but by 294 BC, the Ptolemaic Kingdom had regained control and Cyprus remained under Ptolemaic rule until 58 BC, when it became a Roman province. During this period, Phoenician and native Cypriot traits disappeared, together with the old Cypriot syllabic script, and Cyprus became thoroughly Hellenised. Cyprus figures prominently in the early history of Christianity, being the first province of Rome to be ruled by a Christian governor, in the first century, and providing a backdrop for events in the New Testament
Early history
Mycenaean settlement
The Ancient Greek historian Herodotus claims that the city of Kourion, near present-day Limassol, was founded by Achaean settlers from Argos. This is further supported by the discovery of a Late Bronze Age settlement lying several kilometres from the site of the remains of the Hellenic city of Kourion, whose pottery and architecture indicate that Mycenaean settlers did indeed arrive and augment an existing population in this part of Cyprus in the twelfth century BC. The kingdom of Kourion in Cyprus is recorded on an inscription dating to the period of the Pharaoh Ramses III in Egypt.Phoenician presence
The Phoenicians who came from Tyre, colonized some cities of Cyprus, such as Idalium, Kition, Marion, Salamis and Tamassos and founded the city of Lapathus.Egyptian and Hittite rule
Pharaoh Thutmose III of Egypt subdued Cyprus in 1500 BC and forced its inhabitants to pay tribute, which continued until Egyptian rule was replaced by the Hittites in the 13th century BC. After the invasion of The Sea Peoples, the Greeks settled on the island, acting decisively in the formation of their cultural identity. The Hebrews called Cyprus the Kittim Island.Assyrian conquest
A stele found in 1845 in Kition, commemorates the 709 BC victory of the Neo-Assyrian king Sargon II over seven kings in the land of Ia', in the district of Iadnana or Atnana. The land of Ia' is assumed to be the Assyrian name for Cyprus, and some scholars suggest that the latter may mean 'the islands of the Danaans', or Greece. There are other inscriptions referring to the land of Ia' in Sargon's palace at Khorsabad.The ten kingdoms listed on the prism of Esarhaddon in 673–672 BC have been identified as Soli, Salamis, Paphos, Kourion, Amathus and Kition on the coast, and Tamassos, Ledra, Idalium and Chytri in the interior of the island. Later inscriptions add Marion, Lapithos and Kyrenia.
Independent city-kingdoms
Cyprus gained independence after 627 BC following the death of Ashurbanipal, the last great Assyrian king. Cemeteries from this period are chiefly rock-cut tombs. They have been found, among other locations, at Tamassos, Soli, Patriki and Trachonas. The rock-cut 'royal' tombs at Tamassos, built, imitate wooden houses. The pillars show Phoenician influence. Some graves contain the remains of horses and chariots.The main deity of ancient Cyprus was, the Assyro-Babylonian goddess Ishtar, and Phoenician Astarte, later known by the Greek name Aphrodite. She was called "the lady of Kypros" by Homer. Paphian inscriptions call her "the Queen". Pictures of Aphrodite appear on the coins of Salamis as well, demonstrating that her cult had a larger regional influence. In addition, the King of Paphos was the High Priest of Aphrodite, and a great pilgrim temple of her, the Sanctuary of Aphrodite Paphia, was situated in Paphia. Other gods venerated include the Phoenician Anat, Baal, Eshmun, Reshef, Mikal and Melkart and the Egyptian Hathor, Thoth, Bes and Ptah, as attested by amulets. Animal sacrifices are attested to on terracotta-votives. The sanctuary of Ayia Irini contained over 2,000 figurines.
Egyptian period
In 570 BC, Cyprus was conquered by Egypt under Amasis II. This brief period of Egyptian domination left its influence mainly in the arts, especially sculpture, where the rigidity and the dress of the Egyptian style can be observed. Cypriot artists later discarded this Egyptian style in favour of Greek prototypes.Statues in stone often show a mixture of Egyptian and Greek influence. In particular, ceramics recovered on Cyprus show influence from ancient Crete. Men often wore Egyptian wigs and Assyrian-style beards. Armour and dress showed western Asiatic elements as well.
Persian period
In 525 BC, the Persian Achaemenid Empire conquered Cyprus. Under the Persians, the Kings of Cyprus retained their independence but had to pay tribute to their overlord. The city-kingdoms began to strike their own coins in the late-sixth century BC, using the Persian weight system. Coins minted by the kings were required to have the overlord's portrait on them. King Evelthon of Salamis was probably the first to cast silver or bronze coins in Cyprus; the coins were designed with a ram on the obverse and an ankh on the reverse.Royal palaces have been excavated in Palaepaphos and in Vouni in the territory of Marion on the north coast. They closely follow Persian examples like Persepolis. Vouni, on a hill overlooking Morphou Bay, was built around 520 BC and destroyed in 380 BC. It contained royal audience chambers, open courtyards, bathhouses and stores.
Towns in Cyprus during this period were fortified with mudbrick walls on stone foundations and rectangular bastions. The houses were constructed of mud-bricks as well, whereas public buildings were faced with ashlar. The Phoenician town of Karpasia, near Rizokarpaso, had houses built of rubble masonry with square stone blocks forming the corners. Temples and sanctuaries were built mainly in a Phoenician style. Soli had a small temple with a Greek plan.
A definite influence from Greece was responsible for the production of some very important sculptures. The archaic Greek art with its attractive smile on the face of the statue is found on many Cypriot pieces dating between 525–475 BC; that is, the closing years of the Archaic period in Greece. During Persian rule, Ionian influence on the sculptures intensified; copies of Greek korai appear, as well as statues of men in Greek dress. Naked kouroi, however, although common in Greece, are extremely rare in Cyprus, while women are always presented dressed with rich folds in their garments. The pottery in Cyprus retained its local influences, although some Greek pottery was imported.
The most important obligation of the kings of Cyprus to the Shah of Persia was the payment of tribute and the supply of armies and ships for his foreign campaigns. Thus, when Xerxes invaded Greece in 480 BC, Cyprus contributed 150 ships to the Persian military expedition.
Ionian revolt
Except for the royal city of Amathus, the Kingdoms of Cyprus took part in the Ionian Revolt in 499 BC. The revolt on Cyprus was led by Onesilus of Salamis, brother of the King of Salamis, whom he dethroned for not wanting to fight for independence. The Persians crushed the Cypriot armies and laid siege to the fortified towns in 498 BC. Soli surrendered after a five-month siege.Around 450 BC, Kition annexed Idalium with Persian help. The importance of Kition increased again when it acquired the Tamassos copper-mines.
Evagoras I of Salamis
of Salamis dominated Cypriot politics for almost forty years until his death in 374 BC. He had favoured Athens during the closing years of the Peloponnesian War, elicited Persian support for the Athenians against Sparta and urged Greeks from the Aegean to settle in Cyprus, assisting the Athenians in so many ways that they honoured him by erecting his statue in the Stoa Basileios in Athens. At the beginning of the 4th century BC, he took control of the whole island of Cyprus and within a few years was attempting to gain independence from Persia with Athenian help.Following resistance from the kings of Kition, Amathus and Soli, who fled to the great king of Persia in 390 BC to request support, Evagoras received less help from the Athenians than he had hoped for and in, a Persian force besieged Salamis and Evagoras was forced to surrender. In the end, he remained king of Salamis until he was murdered in 374 BC, but only by accepting his role as a vassal of Persia.
Evagoras I of Salamis introduced the Greek alphabet to Cyprus. In other parts of the island, the Phoenician script or the Cypriot syllabic alphabet were still used. Together with Egypt and Phoenicia, Cyprus rebelled against Persian rule again in 350 BC, but the uprising was crushed by Artaxerxes III in 344 BC.