South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-24
Greece May Get
Enchanted Isle
REGARD of War

Cyprus. fairy land OF the Mediter-
! ranean. which Great Britain has
/ been reported as standing ready to
turn over 10 Greece. exemplifies a
I bromide, for the fiction in Shake
speares 'Othello' for which the
island in part, is the setting. is no
stranger than the vivid drama OF
actual history enacted there" says
bulletin from the National Geo
graphic society.
Richard Occur de Lion wrested il
from a ruler who had won it by
forging letters in his monarch's
name, after that ruler. Isaac Com
menus, had refused TO let the crus-
aders shipwrecked and seasick lady
/ love land there the first time she
asked.
Richard married Berengaria there
and went his way after turning over
! the island 10 a penniless adyenturer,
| Guy de Lusignan. who founded
feudal state amongst spice gardens
and sill1en luxury and thus estab-
lished a dynasty which has been
described as the most romantic in
European history.
Cyprus bulks large in the crotch
Of Asia Minor, like a huge fist with
a lean finger pointing straight at
Antioch. Historically. one may
imagine. the finger should be crook
ed a bit more, in perpetual accusa-
ton OF the 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. GeOgraph-
ically. the promontory marks the
line Of Cyprus prehistoric connec-
ton with Asia's 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.
Yankees of the Levant
Early came to Cyprus those yam
KEGS Of the Levant." the Phoenicians.
Sargon, the king of Assyria who. as
Isaiah prOphesied, led the Egyp-
tians prisoners. and the Ethopians
captives," also conquered Cyprus.
| Esar- haddon, the Caesar and earn
| egie of Assyria, who left at Nineveh
an indeXed library OF many thou
sands of clay tablets. received
tributes from 10 Cyprian kings.
Pausanias. Benedict Arnold of
! Sparta. liberated Cyprus from Pers-
ian dominion, and Evagoras. one Of
the island kings, hero of the worlds
first known biography, penned by
Isocrates, united the scattered prin-
cipalities, is the King Arthur of
| island tradition.
Thus Cyprus wreaks with COM
/ posite memories of eastern, Grecian,
Roman and even Anglo-Saxon civil
! ization. No less was it a focal point
| for religions.
At Kouklia, where certain tides
still pile passes of foam along the
shore, Aphrodite is supposed to have
! been born of the waves. Here are
ruins Of a temple for her worship,
where originally fetes were held
which, as one writer puts it, were
the scenes Of a too liberal worship
Of Venus" and where. until recently
1t was the custom to immerse a maid
in honor OF the goddess birth.
Where 81. Paul Struck SOrccrcr.
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 Paul
tho
The present day Larnaka is on the
site of the Biblical Chittim, whose
ships are mentioned by Daniel and
whose ivory is referred 10 by Eze-
kiel. In Larnaka is the tomb Of
Lazarus. who. after being raised
from the dead, became bishop Of the
renowned city
The area Of Cyprus is about equal
10 that Of Delaware and Rhode
Island while its total population is
about half that of the latter state.
Greek of almost classic purity is
spoken.
The people follow agricultural
pursuits, along primitive lines. and
until recently the famed Cyprian
wine had its flavor affected unpleas-
antly b. the use Of tarred skins as
carriers. Among the other products
are grains. vetches, and carohs. the
locust beans which John the Baptist
is supposed 10 have eaten wnHe in
the wilderness. Marble is Quarried.
| asbestos is found, salt is produced,
and there are sponge fisheries. but
the copper. from which the island
derived its name, has been exhaust
ed