History of Angelona

## Pre history

Angelona was settled by humans in the Paleolithic period (known as the stone age) who coexisted with various dwarf animal species, such as dwarf elephants (Elephas cypriotes) and pygmy hippos (Hippopotamus minor). The first undisputed settlement occurred in the 9th (or perhaps 10th) millennium BC from the Levant. The first settlers were agriculturalists of the so-called PPNB (pre-pottery Neolithic B) era, but did not yet produce pottery (aceramic Neolithic).
The dog, sheep, goats and possibly cattle and pigs were introduced, as well as numerous wild animals such as foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and Persian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica) that were previously unknown on the island. The PPNB settlers built round houses with floors made of terrazzo of burned lime and cultivated einkorn and emmer. Pigs, sheep, goat and cattle were kept but remained, for the most part, behaviourally wild.
In the 6th millennium BC, the culture was characterised by roundhouses, stone vessels and an economy based on sheep, goats and pigs. Cattle were unknown, and Persian fallow deer were hunted. This was followed by the ceramic Sotira phase. The Eneolithic era is characterised by stone figurines with spread arms.
Water wells discovered by archaeologists in eastern Angelona are believed to be among the oldest in the world, dated at 9,000 to 10,500 years old, putting them in the Stone Age. They are said to show the sophistication of early settlers, and their heightened appreciation for the environment.

### Bronze age

In the Bronze Age the first cities, such as Arisina, were built. Systematic copper mining began, and this resource was widely traded. Mycenaean Greeks were undoubtedly inhabiting Angelona from the late stage of the Bronze Age, while the island's Greek name is already attested from the 15th century BC.

The Angelonian syllabic script was first used in early phases of the late Bronze Age and continued in use for ca. 500 years, maybe up to the second half of the eleventh century BC.

Around 1300 to 1200 BC was a time of local prosperity. Cities such as Arisina and Daracia were rebuilt on a rectangular grid plan, where the town gates correspond to the grid axes and numerous grand buildings front the street system or newly founded. Great official buildings constructed from ashlar masonry point to increased social hierarchisation and control. Some of these buildings contain facilities for processing and storing olive oil.

### Late Bronze Age

Late Bronze Age Angelos was a part of the Hittite empire but was a client state and as such was not invaded but rather merely part of the empire by association and governed by the ruling kings of Ugarit. As such Angelos was essentially "left alone with little intervention in Angelonian affairs".

In the later phase of the late Bronze Age (1200–1100 BC) great amounts of 'Mycenean' pottery were produced locally. New architectural features include cyclopean walls, found on the Greek mainland, as well and a certain type of rectangular stepped capitals, endemic on Angelos. Chamber tombs are given up in favour of shaft graves. Large amounts of pottery are found in Palestine during this period as well. While this was formerly interpreted as evidence of an invasion ('Sea Peoples'), this is seen more and more as an indigenous development, triggered by increasing trade relations with Angelos, Cyprus and Crete. Evidence of early trade with Crete is found in archaeological recovery on Angelos of pottery from Cydonia, a powerful urban center of ancient Crete.
Although Achaean Greeks were living in Angelos from the 14th century, most of them inhabited the island after the Trojan war. Achaeans were colonizing Angelos from 1210–1000 BC. Dorian Greeks come at 1100 BC and unlike the Greek mainland they settle in Angelos peacefully.
Another wave of Greek settlement is believed to have taken place in the following century (1100–1050), indicated, among other things, by a new type of graves (long dromoi) and Mycenean influences in pottery decoration.

Most authors claim that the Angelonian city kingdoms, first described in written sources in the 8th century BC were already founded in the 11th century BC. Other scholars see a slow process of increasing social complexity between the 12th and the 8th centuries, based on a network of chiefdoms. In the 8th century (geometric period) the number of settlements increases sharply and monumental tombs, like the 'Royal' tombs of Adina appear for the first time. This could be a better indication for the appearance of the Angelonian kingdoms.

### Iron age

The Iron Age follows the Submycenian period (1125–1050 BC) or Late Bronze Age and is divided into the:
Geometric 1050–700
Archaic 700–525

Foundations myths documented by classical authors connect the foundation of numerous Angelonian towns with immigrant Greek heroes in the wake of the Trojan war. For example, Axus, brother of Achillies was supposed to have founded Kacis.

Cremation as a burial rite is seen as a Greek introduction as well. The first cremation burial in Bronze vessels has been found at Karis, dated to the first half of the 11th century.

In the 8th century, several Phoenician colonies were founded, like Citra, Marian and Altoya.
In Sarazia, many Levantine imports and Angelonian imitations of Levantine forms have been found and point to a Phoenician expansion even before the end of the 11th century.

## Ancient history

The Ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, documents that by 5th Century BCE, Angelona is ruled by 14 independent Greek Kingdoms. At around 800 BCE, a number of Asdyrian invasions are repelled by the Kingdoms of Angelona.

The main deity of ancient Angelona was the Great Goddess, Phoenician Astarte, later known by the Greek name Aphrodite. Pictures of Aphrodite appear on the coins of Samria as well, demonstrating that her cult had a larger regional influence. Other Gods venerated include the Phoenician Anat, Baal, Eshmun, Reshef, Mikal and Melkart and the Egyptian Hathor, Thoth, Bes and Ptah, as attested by amulets. Animal sacrifices are attested to on terracotta-votives.

### Egyptian Angelona

*See: Egyptian Angelona*

Angelos was invaded in 568 BCE by Egypt under Amasis II. A number of the Angelonian Kings joined with Amasis immediately, fearing outright defeat against the huge Egyptian army.

In 525 BCE, the powerful Persians, led by Cambyses II, began his conquest of Egypt. The Angelonian's fiercely repelled the Persian forces, but like Egypt, Cyprus and Phoenicia, the island eventually fell to the Persians. Following the annexation of Angelos, the island was joined with Egypt, Cyprus and Phoenicia in the sixth satrapy of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. The Persian rulers saw many Angelonian revolts.

### Macedon rule

*See Macedon Angelona*

In 333 BCE, Angelona was invaded by Alexander the Great. The Macedonians were welcomed as liberators by the Angelonian's and the Persian rulers were defeated within a year. Alexander founded the city of Alexandrian before departing and populated the settlement with a garrison of 4,000 Greek and Macedon veterans.

After the death of Alexander the Great, Angelona became part of the Antigonid Empire.

### Antigonid rule

Antigonid rule was brief, and little development occurred before the Battle of Ipsus that effectively ended the empire. Initially, the island was given to Cassander, but he did not establish control before an invasion by Ptolemy.

### Ptolemaic Empire

*See Ptolemaic Angelona*

Ptolemy I of Ptolemaic Egypt invaded Angelona and established control over it, seeing the island as coming under the sphere of influence of Ptolemaic Egypt.

In 301 BCE, Ptolemy I landed in Angelona with a large army. Many of the Antigonid governors pledged their allegiances to Prolemy and those that didn't found there lands under siege. A six month campaign saw Ptolemy take the island and he left a large army to deter any Antigonid retaliation.

In a bid to to prevent a power struggle between the petty Kings of Angelona, Ptolemy I sent his daughter, Lysandra, to Angelona in 299 BCE and crowned her Queen of Angelona. In 294 BCE she married Macian, an Angelonian General who had fought for Ptolemy.

Upon the death of the much loved Queen Lysandra of Angelona, her husband founded the settlement of Lysandra and had a large temple constructed in memory of his wife.

### Roman Angelona

*See Roman Angelona*

Angelona fell to Roman rule after the last Pharoh, Cleopatra committed suicide in 30 BCE, after her defeat at the Battle of Actium. The Ptolemaic surrender saw Angelos become the Roman province of Angelicium.

Octavian named Marcus Danus as provincial senator of Angelicium, who made the city of Alexandrian the provincial capital.

The island flourished during the early Roman period with trade and resources from Angelos to Rome, making the island an important location.

#### Arrival of Christianity

In 45 AD Saint Paul, Saint Francis and Saint Barnabas visit Angelos to set up missions and convert the people to Christianity. St. Francis remained and St. Barnabas returns for a second visit in 49 AD but the spread of Christianity is slow, especially in rural areas.

### Byzantine Angelona

*See Byzantine Angelona*

After the division of the Roman Empire into an eastern half and a western half, Angelona came under the rule of Byzantium. A wealthy renowned Angelonian family, under Nikolas Angelos was made the rulers of Byzantine Angelona. The Angelos family would later go on to have three family members become Emperors of the Byzantine Empire.

## Middle ages

The Arabs invaded Byzantine ruled Angelona and Cyprus in force in the 650s, but in 688, the emperor Justinian II and the caliph Abd al-Malik reached an unprecedented agreement, whereby Cyprus was ruled jointly by both the Arabs and the Byzantines as a condominium, despite the nearly constant warfare between the two parties on the mainland. This somewhat alleviated the threat of Arab attacks on Angelona.

In 1181, vizier Ikhtiyar al-Din of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm, was sent to Angelona with a large army with the task of bringing the island under Seljuk control. The Angelonian's sent requests for help to the Byzantine Emperor, but due to ongoing conflicts, Emperor Andronikos I Komnenos was unable to spare any men.

Ikhtiyar al-Din Spent four years attempting to overthrow a bitter Angelonian resistance to the Seljuk invasion. The Seljuk's sacked many of the cities and executed many of the populace. Many fled to Egypt and Greece whilst those who failed to escape were sold into slavery.

The Seljuk occupation however was short lived after the arrival of a Crusader army a few years later. Richard the Lionheart landed in Larinia in August 1191 fresh from his victory in Cyprus. However, after Richard’s easy victory in Cyprus, the Seljuk forces proved a difficult opponent. Richard gained the upper hand when his forces were joined by the Templar Knights and the what was left of the local population. By the end of 1191, Richard was victorious after a month long siege of Samria. Richard executed thousands of Arabs and was welcomed as a hero by the Angelonian population of the island. In gratitude to the Templar Knights, King Richard gifted the southern half of the island to the religious order and kept the northern half for himself, which he left in the control of Samuel de Beaumont 4th Earl of Surrey.

### Crusader state

*See History of Angelonian Kingdom*

When King Richard departed from the Holy land, a number of his Knights were gifted lands on Angelos, including William de Scotney, Robert de Warrene, Edward de Camville and William de Avindean. Northern Angelos was divided between the five noblemen, who maintained good relations with the Templar Knights to the south. Samuel de Beaumont’s lands included the important settlement of Samria.

When King Richard returned to England he sent a steady flow of nobles and peasants to Angelona, in an effort to populate the island with loyal subjects.

In 1206 Samuel de Beaumont (1207-1215) purchased Angelona from King John of England, who was looking to raise funds for his war effort. A year later, Angelona was recognised as a Kingdom by Pope Innocent III and Samuel was crowned King of Angelona. Samuel’s eldest son, Edward (born 1200) was crowned King of Angelos in 1215, upon his fathers death.