The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-12-12
General Di Cesnola's Researches on
the Island of Cyprus.
ANCIENT CITIES AND TEMPLES
Graphic History of the In
sular Kingdom.
A TEN YEARS ART LABOR

Lovers OF art objects and antiquarians will hail this
work with delight, for II is complete and compre-
hensivc history OF Cyprus, and contains immense
amount OF information concerning tho ANTIGUA
ties unearthed by General Di Cesnola during
his excavations the island The book Will also DO
attractive ono for tho general reader the facts
presented In interesting form that they arc
robbed OF the technical difficulties annoying to
those who have made the subject OF deep and
thorough study. General Di Cesnola Is naturally mod
est IN his estimate OF his abilities n writer, for he
makes tho following explanation In his preacc:-
Many American and English trends have repeatedly
asked me 70 publish an account Oh my researches IN
request, but not without grave fears IN con-
sequence of my literary incxpcrience and i'm
some extent, also, the publication OF this mar
ratve was imposed upon me as duty by the TACT that
several distinguished scholars had expressed their
Tears as to whether my excavations had been con
Quoted IN systematic manner, whether the ruins had
been lett IN sutaoc condition Tor future study and
Investigation and whether such journal Of tho dis
coveres had been kept as would IRON its details OF
how and where Ill the most important monuments
had been found, prove OF interest to science.
With assistance and cooperation as hi Cesnoa
enjoyed It would DO strange IL ardent an antigua
rian aud student did not succeed in producing
book which justlAes the authors hopes that IKE tho
iusirious dscovcrer OF Nineveh, "they will add o
ana very important chapter to the history Of art
and archaeology"
The book opens with an introduction consisting Of a
graphic sketch Of the history of Cyprus in which tho
author traces the principal events In n rapid and
forcible manner General Di Cesnoa tells US in tho
opening that
Besides the natural advantages arising Its size
fertility aud wealth. Cyprus derived from position
within day sail Of the coast OF SYRIA great impor
lance In the remote ages when civilization had only
begun 10 dawn IN Greece but had already advanced to
u nigh degree IN Assyria and Egypt In later times
this position between tho East and the West gives it's
history checkered character OF war and conquest
But We must first 20 back 10 period when Greece and
the Western nations were oil no political importance
and were only OF value to the East Tor the OF
trade The great traders OF this period the Phn-
ncans, anu Is beyond doubt that In the of this
early commerce the Greeks obtained several important
elements their later civilization; their alphabet
and systems OF weights and measures APP pear have
been derived from this source, End III recent years 1t
has been argued with great show OF reason that tho
Greeks had also learned from the Phmnclans
been called the alphabet OF art; that Is knowledge
Of tho technical processes oil such Industrial arts
as weaving, embroidery, pottery, metal working aud
wood carving 10 people confined as tho Phenicians
originally to narrow strip OF coast skilled and
to nave in the time Of Homer, Cyprus, with It's
unlimited wealth OF copper, must have presented an
attraction which It's close proximity would enable thcm
to easily crafty. At what time they may have nrst
settled the island u Is impossible 10 ascertain iron
tho OF legends which has gathered round
and obscurcd original iacts This much has been
established that Cyprus was the Chittm OF the Old
Testament, though no doubt this name also at
times extended TO the Western nations generally.
Copper mining and the production OF swords ar
NOR and other articles in bronze formed the staple
trade OF Cyprus from the heroic ages down to tue
times oil the Romaus That the quality OF the armor
was highly priced IN Homer's time may be gathered
to Agamcmnon, already quoted, and 1t re-
tanned its reputation. Alexander tue Great
had . Cyprus sword given him by tho King
OF Ctiuni, and praised Tor Its lightness and
good quality, while Demetrus Peliorcetes, when be-
sicgng Rhodes, received two suiis OF armor from
Cyprus, which, according TO tradition, the maker
by exposing hcm at twenty PAGES TO darts shot
from an engine tor this purpose. The metal stood
this test so successfully that Demetrius took one Of
tho suits for his wear The copper OF Cyprus
was IN demand IN most places OF tho ancient world.
In literature the reputation Of tho island stood
higher thar IN art Ii boosted OF the earliest oil tho
Greek prophetic Singers Eucios, some OF whose verses
known as late as the time OF Pausanias IL was
the native place OF tho author OF one Of the celebrated
epic poems OF antiquity, the Cyprian HAD,
as was called; Or simply ana generally gene
Cyprus, that he the author OF the "Rypria,"
that he gave his daughter in marriage to tho
Cyprian poet Stasn os doubtless idle The
two real claimants the authorship OF the poem IN
question are Sasinos and Hegesas, but the claims OF
tne former seem to be the stronger oil the two ana
probably II was from his being the acknowledged au-
thor that he was brought into relationship with
Homer.
With reference to the colonization OF the island, II
will be- that the Ph9nicilns had settled tho
Tor trade with the mother country, and had founded
tho three towns Of Paphos, Amathus and Citium, of
which Paphos with It's greater celebrity In hstor cal
timrs claimed TO be tue Oldest; but probably this
claim would be better allowed to Amathus, which
traced Its foundation TO Amath, grandson OF Canaan,
aud retained such Pbenician pcculiarIiies as the
worship Of MelKart, the Tyran Hercules, aud human
sacrifice to KroBos OF which there rs no evidence IL
Paphos. IL was IRON Amathus and not Paphos that
Agamcmnon drove the CinyraGB, and their seat must
have been the chiel and probably the first settlement
IN the island Citium was always merely commercial
city, as II Is TO this day, under The name OF larnaca
Whether Lapetb ana Carpassiu in the north
rhGnican towns Is doubtful, though, from the re-
mans discovered at those places. the former would
appear Greek, while the latter Is Enthusiastically PhG-
nician.
Cyprus frequent hating place OF the Crusa-
ders their way from the West To the East, and
more than one leader Of these expeditions found
grave IN this island. Among them was Guelph,
the fourth Duke of Bavaria, who IN ll0l died in
Cyprus; four years later the same tate be-
foil Eric, the nrst Kins, Of Denmark, and IN
joned this company OF the dead. In 1890 Isaac Com
nenos, ated 10 DC tho last Duke OF Cyprus, was SO
VIGOROUSLY cruel that the Byzantine Emperor Isaac
Aneelus, more than one occasion strongly remon-
stra,ed with MS harsh vassaI put with nttlc or
success.
new figure now appeared in Cyprus, in tho person
OF Richard l., King OF England, who. while on his
way TO the Holy LAID III 1871, asccrtaincd that
some OF his soldiers, shpwreckcd on tue island had
been robbed by the subjects OF Commences and that hs
sister ana Bcrcngaria his berothed bride, had been
insuted by the Duke. Richard landed with troops
near Amathus took that city WITHOUT much diinCuty
and entirely destroyed IT, lew days later the Eng
isn and the Cyprotes met IN battle IN the pam Of
dceated and tho Duke was taken prisoner. Rich
ard loaded his prisoner with silver chains, deprived him
OF his dignity, and, carrying him away "a captivity
sold tho island to the knights Tempiars Theso sol
diers Of the Cross used their appanage with ttlo
wisdom and restraint that, induced by the complaints
the natives. King Richard resumed his rights to
the Island aud sofa II again TO Guy OF Lusignan, n
French Crusader who hercupon. in 1892 founded the
new Kingdom OF Cyprus, having not long before this
event lost his Kingdom OF Jerusalem at tho hands OF
Saladin
These extracts Will afford our readers a fair idea OF
tho interest that Is attached TO this ancient island
The author recitcs the part taken by the kings OF
Cyprus in the wars OF Alexander. and closely follows
the fortunes Of this island KDgdom to tho end when
tho Turks conquered It, Tho closing picture In tue
series rs iul Of horror, and shows that tho Turks
IN 1870 icrocious and cruel IN tho present
generation.
General ID Ccsnola next proceeds 10 give outline
OF his nrst impressions OF Cyprus when he arrived at
the town OF Lamaca American Consui, lac having
received his appointment from President Lincoln a
few days before lis tragic death. The consul arrived
Chr stnQs Day. 1863. and he relates IN a genial