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Exploring
the History of Cyprus
Cyprus is the last
border island of Europe and lies in the far eastern
end of the Mediterranean sea. It is the third
largest island (some 3,572 square miles or 9,250
square kilometres) in the Mediterranean after
Sicily and Sardinia. Cyprus has been the watchtower
and outpost of three continents: Europe, Africa
and Asia. The island’s strategic location
has made her the envy her neighbours, who have,
from most ancient times, practiced a policy of
territorial expansion at her expense. Many settlers
and conquerors have left their imprints on Cyprus.
Yet, no matter who ruled the island, one constant
has remained throughout its 9,000 years of history;
the overwhelming majority of the population was
Greek.
Main Prehistoric
and Historic Period of Cyprus
Neolithic Age circa 7,000-2,500
- BC inhabitants lived in low, circular, domed,
stone houses similar to igloos near the coast;
they used stone and later, copper tools.
Bronze Age circa 2,500-1050 BC
- The Achaean-Mycenaean invasion transformed
the island’s civilization; it turned towards
the west and began to draw from the east.
Iron Age 1050-58 BC
- Settlement of the Phoenicians
- Domination by the Assyrians
- Reign of Egypt
- Rule of the Persians
- Liberation by Alexander the Great
Roman Period 58 BC-330 AD
- Mark Antony presented Cyprus as a gift to
his wife, Cleopatra, and her sister Arsinoe
because it was, he explained “Supreme in
beauty and well above all other pleasures”
- Travelers described the island as “an
earthly paradise”
- Christianity was introduced in Cyprus (AD
45) by the Apostle Paul,Barnabas. The island
was thereafter deeply affected by the new religion,
a land hitherto Greek in its institutions and
Orthodox in its religious beliefs
Byzantine Period 330-1191
- Seismic convulsions ruined cities and brought
drought and famine
- Arab raids of 7th and 10th centuries brought
great destruction to the island as it became
the object of dispute between the Byzantines
and the Muslims.
Lusignan Period 1192-1489
- Richard the Lionheart, King of England and
great crusading warrior, reached the waters
of Limassol, Cyprus, on May 6,, 1191. He defeated
the independent ruler of the island, Isaac Ducas
Comnenos. Then on May 12, Richard married Berengaria
in the chapel of St. George, at Limassol, where
she was crowned Queen of England. For many years
Cyprus proved indispensable to the Christian
armies as a staging post and supplier
of provisions
- King Richard induced Guy de Lusignan to acquire
the island as compensation for the loss of his
kingdom of Jerusalem. Thus, as of May 1192,
Cyprus was divided into two separate and distinct
sections: the ruling class of French origin
belonged to the Catholic Church and the masses
of serfs and labourers of Greek descent to the
Greek
Orthodox faith.
Venetian Occupation 1489-1571
- Cyprus yielded to the misrule of Venetian
senators characterized by the persecution of
the persecution of the church and people. Culture
on the island sank to very low depth.
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