Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-14
CYPRUS THE Scene
OF VIVID DRAMA
'FairyIand of Mediterranean"
Described by National
Geographic Society.

T, been reported as standing ready to
turn over to Greece. exempli1es
bromide. for the fiction in Shape
speares 'Othello.' for which the is
land, in part. Is the setting. is no
stranger than the vivid drama of
actual history enacted there" says a
bulletin from the National Geographic
Society.
Richard Occur de Lion wrested 1t
from a ruler who had won it by
forging letters in his monach's name,
after that ruler. Isaac Commenus, had
refused to let the Crusaders ship
wrecked and seasick lady love land
there the first time she asked.
Richard married Berengaria there
and went his way after turning over
the island to penniless adventurer,
Guy de Lusignan. who founded
and silken luxury and thus estab-
lished a dynasty which has been de-
scrfbed as the most romantic in
European history.
Bulked Like Huge Fist.
Cyprus bulks large in the crotch
of Asia Minor. like huge fist with
Antioch. Historically. one may i'm
agine the finger should be crooked a
bit more. in perpetual accusation of
TIE sultan. the degenerate Selim II,
whose generals captured the island,
impelled in part, at least, by the fact
that Selim's favorite wine came from
there. Geographically, the promon-
tory marks the line of Cyprus pre-
historic connection with Asia's MAIN
land.
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
child.
early came to Cyprus those
Yankees of the Levant.' the
Phoenicians, Sargon. the King of
sled. 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 indexed library OF
many thousands of clay tablets. re-
/ ceived tributes from ten Cyprian
| kings.
"Pausanias, Benedict Arnold of
| Sparta, liberated Cyprus from Persian
dominion, and Evagoras. one of the
known biography, penned by Isocra-
| ties, united the scattered principali
ties. is the King Arthur of island ira
dition.
Affords Composite Memories.
Thus. Cyprus affords composite
memories of eastern, Grecian. Roman
and even Anglo-Saxon civilization.
No less was it a focal point for re-
ligions.
"At Kouklia. where certain tides
still pile masses of foam along the
shore. Aphrodite is supposed to have
been born of the waves. Here are
| H.. lit
where originally fetes were held
which. as one writer puts it. 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 goddess birth.
"Kouklia is on the site of the an
cient Paphos; the Paphos of today
was the one-time Neapaphos, where
| st. Paul struck blind the sorcerer.
Elymas. and converted Sergius Paulus.
| the Roman deputy.
THE present day Larnaka is on the
site Of the Biblical Chittim, whose
| ships are mentioned by Daniel and
whose ivory Is referred to by Ezekiel.
In Larnaka is the tomb of Lazarus,
| who. after being raised from the dead.
| became bishop of the renowned city.
Area Of Cyprus.
The area Of Cyprus is about equal
| to that Of Delaware and Rhode Island.
while it's total population is about
| half of the latter state. Greek of
almost classic purity Is spoken
THE people follow agricultural pur-
suits, along primitive lines. and until
recently the famed Cyprian wine had
! it's flavor affected unpleasantly by the
! use Of tarred skins as carriers. Among
the other products are grains. vetches
and carobs. the locust beans, which
John the Baptist is supposed to have
eaten while in the wilderness. Marble
| is quarried, asbestos is found. salt is
produced, and there are sponge fish
cries. but the copper. from which the
island derived its name, has been
| exhausted"