History of Cyprus Volume 2
written by Hera Genakritou
Publisher Nikos Chr. Pattihis, Fileleftheros, Nicosia, Cyprus 2012
cover illustration by Kyriaki Costa
Volume 2 covers the period from Alexander the Great to The Knights Templar
Excerpts from the book, courtesy of Hera Genakritou & Publisher Nikos Chr. Pattihis, Fileleftheros.
alexander the great
Alexander the Great was born in Pella, the capital of the Kingdom of Macedon in 356 BC and died 323 BC. He is one of the finest strategists in human history. He estbalished a vast empire from Greece to Egypt and Libya in Africa, to the north as far as the Caspian Sea and to the east as far as India and the Himalayas.
Ptolemeos vs Antigonos
Both Ptolemy I, friend of Alexander the Great, and King Antigonus of Syria wanted to make the island of Cyprus their own. King Nicocreon of Salamis helped Ptolemy take Cyprus and was appointed governor of the whole island.
Demetrius I Poliorcetes Macedonian Greek nobleman and military leader
Demetrius the Besieger was the son of King Antigonus of Syria who still desired Cyprus. The King sent his 20 year old son to lay siege to Salamis. Demetrius build siege machines, great wooden towers that pounded the city walls until they submitted.
Ptolemy I retook the island 12 years later when Demetrius was busy with other wars.
The Romans in Cyprus
As soon as the Romans set foot in Cyprus, they collected the treasures of Ptolemy and all the riches of the island, loaded them on ships and sent them to Rome. They also took many Cypriots with them, whom they sold there as slaves. In general, the new conquerors treated the inhabitants very harshly. They taxed them heavily and made them pay for the upkeep of the Roman army.
'Cicero' Marcus Tullius Cicero a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, writer and Academic skeptic
Contrary to the harsh behavior of the rest, the orator Cicero was the only Roman governor who showed real interest in Cyprus. He ruled the island justly and protected its inhabitants as much as he could from the Roman commanders, who were always looking for a way to exploit them. That is why the Cypriots loved him so much.
Queen Cleopatra
Mark Antony, the Roman general who had quarrelled with Caesar and lived in Alexandria with a large part of the Roman army, gave the beautiful island of Cyprus to the Egyptian queen Cleopatra as a token of his love.
the Byzantine empire
During the period when Cyprus was part of the Byzantine Empire, many Christian churches were built on the island, which locals and foreigners admire to this day. Among them, the churches of Panagia Kanakaria in Lythrangomi and Panagia Aggeloktistis in Kiti stand out for their wonderful mosaics.
BYZANTIUM AND THE ARAB RAIDS
The first land and sea siege of Constantinople was made by the Moabites and lasted five years, during which the Byzantines succeeded in driving out the Arabs. But also in their second attack on Constantinople, the Arabs, after a year’s siege, were not only defeated, but suffered a great loss. Using liquid fire for the first time, the Byzantines burned the Arab fleet.
Digenes Akritas
Digenis Akrita’s mother was a noblewoman, Irene, daughter of the Byzantine general Andronikos Doukas, and his father was a brave Arab leader, who for the sake of the beautiful Greek woman gave up everything and became a Christian.
Everyone admired him and everyone talked about his boyishness and daring. His fame quickly spread far and wide and as he grew up he became one of the most manly figures. A new Hercules for the Greeks, fear and terror for the Saracens.
the knights templar buy Cyprus
Richard the Lionheart sold Cyprus to the Templars for 100 thousand Byzantine gold pieces. After only a year of Templar rule the Cypriots revolted, unarmed but in their thousands they surrounded the castle in Nicosia. The Templars put on arms and they slaughtered, not only those who had besieged them, but poured out with their horses into the streets of Nicosia and slaughtered men, women and children indiscriminately.
