Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-10-09
THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS
Eastern. Grecian, Roman ana Angle
Saxon Civilization Influenced II

saxon CIVILIZATION Influenced II
Cyprus. fairy land of the Mediterra-
mean. exemplifes d bromide, for the flo
ton in shakespcare's 'Othello' for which
the island. in part is the setting, 10 no
stranger than the vivid drama of actual
history enacted there" says n bulletin
from the National Geographic society~
Richard Occur de Lion wrested it.
from ruler who had won it by forging
letters In his monarch's name, after that
ruler, Isaac Connenus, had refused to let
the crusaders shipwrecked and seasick
lady love land there the first time she
asked.
Richard married Berengara there and
went his way after turning over the is
land to a penniiess adventurer. Guy de
Lusignan. who founded 'feudal State
amongst spice gardens ana silken luxury
and thus established a dynasty which has
been described as the most romantic in
European history.
Cyprus bulks large in the crotch OF
Asia Minor, like huge fist with lean
finger pointing straight at Antioch. His
torically, one may imagine. the finger
should be crooked a bit more, In perpet-
ual accusation of the Sultan. the degen-
crate Seim H., whose generals captured
the island. impellcd in part at least, by
the fact that Selims favorite wine came
from there. Geographically, the promon-
tory marks the line Of Cyprus's pre-his-
! toric connection with Asias mainland.
There. too. reigned the beautiful Queen
Catherine Cornaro. adopted daughter OF
Venice who. though grief stricken by
her husbands death. struggled against
intrigue that the throne might be saved
for his unborn child.
I vl1 Va t-
Of the Levant.' the Phoenicians. Sargon.
the king of Assyria who. as Isaiah had
prophesied. led the Egyptians prisoners.
and the Ethopians captives,' also con-
Quered Cyprus Esar-haddon. the Caesar
and Carnegie OF Assyria. who left at
Nineveh an indcxed library of many thou
sands of clay tablets. received tributea
from 10 Cyprian kings.
"Pausanias. Benedict Arnold Of Sparta.
liberated Cyprus from Persian dominion.
and Evagoras. one Of the island kings.
hero OF the worlds first known biogra-
ply penned by Isocrates. united the scat
tered principalities. is the king Arthur Of
island tradition.
Thus Cyprus wreaks with composite
memories of eastern, Grecian. Roman
and even Ang!o-Saxon civilization. No
less was 1t focal point for religions.
AT Kouklia, where certain tides still
pile masses Of foam along the shore Aph-
rodite is supposed to have been born OF
the waves. Here are ruins Of temple
for her worship, where originally fetes
were held which, as one writer puts II,
were the scenes of too literal worship
Of Venus, and where. until recently 1t
was the custom to immense a maid In
honor Of the godd<'s's birth.
"Kouklia is on the site of the ancient
Paphos; the Papros of to-day was the
one-time Neapaphos where st. Paul struck
blind the sorcerer. Elymas. and convert
ed Sergius Paulus. the Roman deputy.
| 1.-THE present day Larnaka Ia on the
site of the Biblical Chittim. whose ships
are mentioned by Daniel and whose ivory
, Is referred to by Ezekiel. In LarnaN il
the tomb of Lazarus. who. after being
raised from the dead, became bishop OF
the renowned city.
! THE area of Cyprus is about equal to
that OF Delaware and Rhode Island while
! its total population is about half that OF
the latter State. Greek Of almost classic
purity 10 spoken.
| The people follow agricultural pur-
suits along primitive lines, and until re-
Gently the famed Cyprian vino had its
flavor affected unpleasantly by the use OF
tarred skins as carriers. Among the 9TH
| err products are grains. vetches. and car
obs. the locust beans which John the
Baptist Ia supposed to have eaten whila
in the wilderness. Marble is quarried, as
bestos Is found, salt IL produced, and thers
! are sponge fisheries. but the copper, from
which the island derived its name. haS
| been exhausted"