New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-28
THE LECTURE.


on CypriOte character.
THE LECTURE.
Amid constant wars, with victory now on
one side now on the other there are three turning
nonts IN the ancient history Of Cyprus. First, during
the great Persian when the Greeks TOOK the part
of the Cyprfotes; secondly. when Alexander the Great
included Cyprus in his Macedonian Kingdom ana
thirdly, when the Romans annexed the island AS re-
CARDS have already spoken IN my third lecture
The second interesting except as an example OF
the readiness with which the Cypros Joined the win
ming side. Wnen Alexander the Great laid siege to
Tyre and found it very heavy undertaking. the as
sstanoe rendered him by the Cyprus fleet which con-
sisted of $50 ships Of the greatest moment ana he
never forgot it, On the contrary, Alexander seems 10
have been willing to grant Cyprus any favor, Omor-
tunatey his life was too short, and when his empire
came TO be broken up between his generals the Island or
Cyprus again became the scene OF contention Inc
saports were harassed by fleets sent now by tn one can
didate for supremacy by the other Naval engage
ments were fought battles were lost and wonon land
and long sieges laid None, however were 20 re-
markable as that OF saams, when DemetTius obtained
the title Of POlorcetes through the skill and stratagens
with which he conducted 1t. With more orless varying
fortunes this state Of things continued for over
century, when the last king OF the
Ptolemac dynasty bequeathed Cyprus to the
Romans OF course he had no right to 90
anything of the sort The sovereignty OF the island be-
loDged his legal and Is oredtabe 10 the
Romans at least that of their best men at that
time publicly insisted on the Illegally OF the act and
declared that Rome should no account ac-
Cept the be1uesr. Foremost among those men
were Cicero and Cato, but in particular Cicero,
who always had true affection for cyprus
which had withstOod much and yet was
rich and which could be powerful at short
notice. great its But all that Cicero
or Cato could say do nothing compared with the
influence of their enemy Codus when he danged before
the eyes of the Roman people the idea OF the untold
wealth which had thus fallen TO their lot The cupdliy
awakened 0y these tales judciously spread had the
effect Of compelling the Senate OF Rome to accept the
bequest
The officer chosen to proceed to Cyprus to make the
necessary arrangements was Cato, AS was expected,
Cato found quantities of gold and silver YES
ses costly furniture and embroidered robes, which had
been the family heritage in the old kings houses. These
articles Cato proceeded to sell at public auction TO the
highest bidder with his characteristic scrupulousness
Altogether the realized about million dollars-an
enormous sum those times-which Cato handed over
to the treasury Rome In Of shpwreck on his way
back is SAID that Cato had placed this in num-
Der of vases made this purpose attached them to-
gether and fastened them 10 cork buoy so that should
It become necessary to throw these vases overheard the
buoy would mark the place No accident happened.
however and when Cato reached Rome the populace
turned out all tho wealth from Cyprus, 1t was
displayed in the Forum. With all this rejoicing 1t
illegal proceedings. A oill was passed by the Roman
Senate which declared Cyprus Roman province in So
D. O. The first Governor chosen for 1t was Lentulus
particular friend Of Cicero.
A few years afterward Cicero was himself appointed
Governor-Genera Of the Province of Ciiica, aud Adj
mnisrator of the Deighboring Island OF Cyprus do
not believe thst Cicero visited Cyprus bat IL is
well known that during his term Of office he
stanty anxious alleviate the burdens OF the people
II true that he did always succeed against the
deep laid plans OF the taxfarmers and insurers but he
did much in the way OF actually redressng wrongs,
while bis uniform sympathy with the people OF Cyprus
gained their confidence and led to great increase Of
happiness and prosperity Thus at last Cyprus had
tered upon period of peace under the rule of the
Romans, and during this time Of peace very little is
known of the history OF the island.
After the Romans came the ByZantines, and Cyprus
under the rule of the latter, and in fact for nearly
1000 years aerward unheard Of and to
have had existence 1t is curious that during my
long and excavations Cyprus has yielded
architectural remains, not even OF the Roman PERIOD
which are worth mentioning The only monu-
ment that has some architectural characters, Is
q sepuchral STEELE (Cut No. O., which found
at Golgos in the same tomb with the sculptured
sarcopbagus described in my former lecture How the
sphinx came be associated in Cyprus with sepuchra
monuments not very easily explained. No doubt the
sphinx creature which, as was believed, de-
stroyed vast number OF human lives; but that alone
would not tit IL for an emblem OF death. On the con-
trary such character would be against 1t for this
purpose 1t appears. however, that 1t was the life Of
young people which the sphinx delighted most to take
away; and hence 1t has been supposed that to the
Greeks the sphinx was the en- blem Of life cut of
IN its prime and beauty In the of this STEELE the
relief Is again low fat and delicate the
phagus from the same tomb. Everywhere is desire
FOR enrichment IN the vOlutes OF the capital In the
curling leaves which form a framework for the
sfhin nd In ne RI hem Rut
you will that this adornmen is very far from being
fOrid bold. Rather it Is timld, as II the Cypriote
afraid of introducing too much novelty; as
no doubt they at tho period in which this STEELE
was scuptured, 500 years b. c., when, have
seen, there was very little occasion for anything
~ n,n .ruI-u l,E