CYPRUS, an island situated in the Levant, or most easterly part of the Mediterranean Sea, between the thirty-third and thirty-sixth degrees of east longitude, and the thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth of north latitude. In ancient times this island was known by the names of Aca-mis, Cerastis, Aspalia, Amathus, Macaria, Cryptos, Colinia, Sphecia, Paphia, Salaminia, Aerosa, and Cyprus. The etymologies of these names are neither very easily found, nor are they of much importance. The name by which it was most generally known is that of Cyprus, said to be derived from cypros, the name of a shrub or tree with which the island abounds, and which is supposed to be the cypress.

Cyprus, according to Eratosthenes, was first discovered by the Phoenicians, two or three generations before the days of Asterius and Minos, kings of Crete; that is, according to Sir Isaac Newton’s computation, about 2006 years before the Christian era. It was at that time so full of wood that it could not be tilled, and the Phoenicians first cut down the wood for smelting the copper, with which the island abounded; and afterwards, when they began to sail without fear on the Mediterranean, that is, after the Trojan war, they built great navies of the wood produced on this island. Josephus, however, informs us that the descendants of Cittim or Chittim, the son of Javan, and grandson of Japhet, were the original inhabitants of Cyprus. According to his account, Chittim, seeing his brother Tarshish established in Cilicia, where he built the city of Tarsus, settled with his followers in the opposite island; and either he or his descendants laid the foundation of the city of Chittim, which, according to Ptolemy, was the most ancient in the island. As Cyprus was too narrow to contain the great numbers who attended him, he left there as many as served to people the country, and with the rest passed over into Macedonia.

The island of Cyprus was divided among several petty kings till the time of Cyrus the Great, who subdued them all, but left each in possession of his kingdom, obliging them only to pay him an annual tribute, and to send supplies of men, money, and ships when required. The Cyprian princes lived thus subject to the Persians till the reign of Darius Hystaspes, when they attempted to shake off the yoke, but without success, their forces being entirely defeated, and themselves again obliged to submit. They made another more successful attempt about the year before Christ 357; but, notwithstanding, they could never totally free themselves from subjection. It is very probable that they submitted to Alexander the Great, though historians are silent as to such an event. On the death of the Macedonian conqueror, the dominion of Cyprus was disputed by Antigonus, and Ptolemy the son of Lagus. At last Antigonus prevailed, and the whole island submitted to him about 304 years before Christ. He and his son Demetrius kept possession of it for eleven years, when it was recovered by Ptolemy, and quietly possessed by him and his descendants till fifty-eight years before Christ, when it was most unjustly seized by the Romans. 1 In the time of Augustus it began to be ranked amongst the proconsular provinces, and to be governed by magistrates sent thither by the senate. In the year 648 it was conquered by the Saracens, but recovered by the Romans in 957. The latter, however, held it but for a very short time, and the barbarians kept possession of it till the time of the crusades. It was then reduced and given by Richard I. of England to the princes of the Lusignan family, who held it till the year 1570, and divided it into twelve provinces, in each of which was a capital city, from which the province was denominated. So considerable was the island at this time, that besides the cities above mentioned, and others of less note, it contained about eight hundred villages. In 1570 it was taken by the Turks, and, though it has ever since continued under their yoke, is still so considerable as to be governed by a beglerbey, and seven sangiacs under him.

Knights of Cyprus, an order instituted by Guy of Lusignan, titular king of Jerusalem, to whom Richard I. of England, after conquering this island, made over his right to it.