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Selected and rare materials, excerpts and observations from ancient, medieval and contemporary authors, travelers and researchers about Cyprus.
 
 
 
 
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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 328

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philosophy, we know, is generally oat of touch with inen1» ideas, and is often diametrically opposed to the interests and combinations of political craft : with these last I am not familiar. 1 know no other interests bnt those of down-trodden humanity, a wisdom early acquired, for I find it innate in our inmost heart. A SYKOPSIS OF THE ASCIEST POLITICAL COKDITIOS OP CYPRUS UP TO ITS CAPTURE BY THE TURKS. We have given a concise account of the geography of an island which was first discovered by the Phoenicians. Its government was monarchical, divided botween nine Kings, each independent of the rest. This arrangement obtained until the days of Cyrus the Great, who overcame all these Kinglets, and made them tributary to the Kingdom of Persia. They bore this dishonourable yoke until the reign of Darius, son of Hystaspes, when they all revolted, at the instigation of the chief among them, Onesilans, King of Salamis. After this he and his successors by force of arms ruled over the othor Kinglets. Their names were Teucor Euolthon Siromes Cherses Gorges Onesilnos Neicocrates Timarchos Evagoras I. Protagoras, the Dynast Nicocreon Nicocles I., son of Timarchos Evagoras II. Nicocles II. Evagoras III. The founder of Salamis and its first King, B.c. 1170, was Teucer, son of Telamon, who distinguished himself iu the Trojan war. He Avas driven away by his father, and at last found refuge iu Cyprus, where he built Salamis. But before he and his companions reached these shores, Phoenician Kings had already reigned there, among whom Avas Cinyros, grand-son of Pygmalion, and father of the well beloved Adonis. The successors of Teucer are unknown to history, nntil Evelthon, who in B.c. 525 mode himself tributary to the Egyptians, and af tcrwards to the Persians, and sent men, money and ships in aid of the expedition led by Cambyses agaiiiBt Egypt. About B.c. -166, in the reign of the first Evagoras, the Athenians appointed Cimon, the son of Miltiades, their general, end bade him sail to Cypras. He reached the island with a strong force, fought bravoly by sea and land, and set up trophies of his victory over the Persians. After the death of its gallant defender Cimon, Cypras remained independent and at peace nntil the days of Artaxerxcs Meinnon, B.c. 3S8, when it agaiu submitted to the Persian yoke ; Kvagoras was expelled, and replaced by tho dynast Protagoras, who made terms with the Persians, and reigned quieti}' at Salamis. Under Evagoras II. the island took up arms, iu alliance with the Egyptians, against Artaxerxes, but failed to change their lot. About B.c. 351 the Cypriots made another unsuccessful attempt at revolt Evagoras II. Avas expelled by Artaxerxes Üchns, who gave him the government of an Asiatic province. He administered this also badly, and fled again to Cypras, where he was caught and punished. After the overthrow of the Persian Empire by Alexander Cyprus became subject to the Macedonians, then to the Egyptian Ptolemys, and to the Macedonian Kings of Syria; at last Demetrius Poliorcetes, son of Antigonos, overcame Ptolemy, and brought the whole island under Ms father's rule. About B.C. 56 Cyprus fell under the Romans. Cato, the Consul, sent thither by the Senate,,collected and despatched to Rome immense treasures of silver, 3111 EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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