The Hawaiian gazette., 1878-09-25
Historical Sketch of Cyprus.

Cyprus. so rich in poetical associations, has
had an eventful history and been the scene Of
many fierce wars which belong more to the do
main of politics than of romance. Long before
Aphrodite took up her abode at Paphos and
was washed there by the Graees the time the
gallant Mars. bearing that Vulcan had broken
his chains and was coming to claim restitution
OF conjugal rights absconded to Thrace-long
before the occurrences, or at least long before
the description given to them in the eighth book
of 0dyssey-Cyprus was held By the Ph9uicans
who had some trouble 10 keeping it. Perhaps the
Temple of the Cytherean goddess. which rose
there after the conquest of the island by Pausan.
ias. B. c.. AT. was built on the ruins of one
which had been devoted to the worship of As
tarte. Anyhow at the time when Homer wrote
the Greeks had no footing in the place, and
Paphos was not vet celebrated for the love rites
which brought to it such crowds of pilgrims.
As early as the ninth century. B. c., Cyprus
enjoyed the mythical qneenship of the seas aud
it's ships sailed more free than welcome among
the islands of the Fgesn where they did as
much piracy as lawful commerce. About 720, B.
O.. the Gyprians rehelled against Tyre, and the
island became divided into a number of petty
kingdoms-Paphos. Salamis. Citium, etc, which
wsrred among themselves during nearly two cen
tufit> uUtii III tHhF all Tell prey 10 Ald.lS
l., of Egypt. Twenty-Five years later CambTses,
of Persia, wrested the island from the Egyptians
and his countrymen ruled there. with the inter-
mission of one years revolt and anarchy until
All. when they were driven out by Pausanias.
The ensuing eighty years of Greek dominion
NAV be reckoned as the halcYon period in the
history of Cyprus. II obeyed the rule OF its
Spartan eonquerors. who yet do not seem to have
introduced their rigid morals among the people;
and it traded extensively in the products of its
Eoil-wine. olives. corn, timber and copper The
ancient writers agree with the modern in de-
scribing the fertility of Cyprus as inexhaustible
Its cypress trees we're so renowned for ship
building that Biblical writer's have stated that
the ark was built Of gopher wood (Hebrew for
expressly while Its mines yielded copper in large
quantities. and its coasts the large whelk known
to a. az the murex, from which the Tyrian pnr-
pie dye was obtained When one adds that the
island contains above 1000 600 acres of tiIIable
soil, that the climate is exquisitely mild during
eight months of the year, and that its geographic
cal position makes it most suitable as an empo-
rum for trade or rs basis for conducting war
operations in Asia Minor. Greece and Egypt it
is not to be wondered at that Persians and
Greeks should have fought for its ownership with
extraordinary ardor. In 39l. B. c.. the great
Cyprian war broke out and lasted four years
EVagoras, Of SaIamis. who had shaken off the
Spartan yoke. was attacked BY the Persans, and
assisted by the AtheBians. who sent him two
fleets. the second of which was commanded BY
Thrasybulus. The defeat Of Evagoras in a naval
battle of Constaniia. and the subsequent capitu-
lation Of this city after desperate siege put an
end to the war. and By the peace Of Antatslki-
das. Cyprus was made over to Persia; but il took
the conquerors fully seven years more to thor
oughly subdue the independent rebel bands who
had fortified the different towns, and who, when
driven therce. entrenched themselves in the hills.
Il would seem that in those days the assiduous