Recap
In 58 B.C. Cyprus was annexed
to Rome by the Roman General Marcus Portius Cato. Thus bringing
the entire area of the Mediterranean under Roman rule.Rome was in
a state of transition at the time, from the old republican oligarchy
in which the senate had predominated, to the triumvirate led by
the powerful generals Caesar, Crassus and Pompey, and later by Octavian,
Mark Anthony and Lepidus.Although Cyprus was at one time governed
by the renowned orator Cicero, it gained a better indication of
its position in the new order when Mark Anthony gave it to Cleopatra
as a declaration of his love for her.
Starting with the rule of Emperor Augustus Cyprus remained peaceful
for two centuries with Paphos becomming the seat of the roman goverment.
The origins of the name Cyprus
are not truly known but it is widely belived that the name comes
from the Latin word Cyprium meaning copper.Another explanation given
is that Homer called it Kypros which may come from the Greek word
for the henna plant that flourished on the island.
Some 90 million years ago,
Cyprus lay under an ocean called Tethys that stretched from northern
Europe to Asia.The magestic ryythms of geological time witnessed
the formation of limestone and sandstone layers which were forced
upwards by the slow collision of Africa with Eurasia.Mountains and
volcanoes formed two chains of islands, todays Troodos and Kyrenia
(Bespararmak) ranges, while erosion gradfually laid down the Mesaoria
Plain and the coastal flatlands.Water from melting Ice Age glaciers
then poured into the Mediterranean basin and isolated Cyprus from
Asia. Thus the scene was set for the arrival of mankind.
Palaeolithic man must have stood on the shores of present day Turkey
and Syria, gazing thoughtfully at the green haze of Cyprus, some
65kms away across the sea. It was an immense journey to undertake,
but the lure of a new land far outweighed the risks involved.Using
dug-out canoes the Stone Age migrants set out across the sea.The
first traces of human habitation date back to the mesolithic period,
around the 6th and 7th millennia B.C.at Kastros in the Karpas Peninsula
and at Choirokotia between Larnaca and Limassol.
As early as 3000 B.C. Cyprus with its copper mines was at the forefront
of metal technolgy. Trading with the middle east, brought the Egyptians,
Babyloniains and the Assyrians.Tablets found in Egypt that date
back to the 18th century B.C. refer to the copper production on
Cyprus.
The Phoenicians, saliors
from Palestine and Lebanon set up trading in and around the cities
of Cyprus.The Minoas from Crete also traded here at that time and
a lot of them settled as well. As Cyprus was now viewed as a prosperous
place invasions started to take place .Earthquakes were also prevalant
at this time.
In 1400 B.C. trade with the Mycenaen Greeks began.Their main trading
was in pottery and as their homeland was being invaded by Dorian
tribes the Greeks began to settle in Cyprus thus founding new cities
that make up the island of today.At this time Cyprus was still under
intermittent rule by either the Assyrians Egyptians and possibly
the Hittites. Due to the fact that Cyprus was one of the first places
that the expanding imperialistic powers reached as they moved from
either east to west or visa versa the history of Cyprus was set.
In 540 B.C.the Cypriot rulers
joined the Persian Empire thus ending the Egyptian hegemony. The
Persians led by Darius 1 rampaged throughout the Middle East devouring
all in her path. Cyprus became part of the Persian Empires Fifth
Satrapy which included present day Syria, Lebanon and Israel.The
standard of Persian rule is judged by the fact that in 499 B.C.
the Cypriots in conjunction with the Ionian Greeks of Asia Minor
revolted and staged war against the Persians. The Persians reacted
swiftly and regained control and then went on to invade mainland
Greece in both 480 B.C. and 490 B.C. So thoroughly cowed was Cyprus
that when Greece was fighting for its life in the great battles
at Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis and Platea, Cypriot navel forces
served under the banner of the invader.
The golden age of classical
Greece passed Cyprus by, running its course far beyond a horizon
circumscribed by the islands role as a Persian naval base. King
Evagoras 1 of Salamis succeded in uniting Cyprus and kicked the
Persians out.With the death of Evagoras in 374 B.C. Persia regained
control.
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