Amathus

The story of Amathus is a mixture of myths and history. ^[3] In the Bronze Age, there was no city in its place, and the first traces of human activity in this area date back to archaeologists in the early Iron Age around 1100 BC. e .. ^[4] Kinir , the father of Adonis and the founder of the cult of Aphrodite on the island, who named the city in honor of his late mother Amatus (Amatei), is considered the legendary founder of the city. There is also a legend according to which Theseus left his beloved Ariadne in a sacred grove called Amathus, where she died at the time of the birth of a child and was buried there. ^[5] In this grove there was the sanctuary of Aphrodite and her sacred forest, and subsequently the city that appeared appeared to be called by the same name. Also, according to legend, the ancient inhabitants of Amathus were representatives of the Pelasgian people.

Amathus was built on a coastal cliff with a natural harbor in the immediate vicinity, and in the early stages of its history was a thriving city. In the VIII century BC. e. a palace and port were built in the city, which contributed to the development of trade with Greece and the Levant . The city gained its wealth mainly due to the export of its grain, ^[6] as well as thanks to its copper mines and developed sheep breeding. ^[7]

The most ancient archaeological sites are the tombs of the early Iron Age ( 1000 - 600 BC ) of the period of Greco-Phoenician influence. Amathus is mentioned as one of ten city-states in the annals (tablets) of the Assyrian king Asarhaddon ( 668 BC ), where he was identified with the city of Kartihadasti (in Phoenician "New City") ^[8] .

The population of Amathus during the X-V centuries. BC e. she spoke mainly Etheocypric (however, Greek was used and had a high status), unlike the rest of the island, where Greek was spoken. However, there are no signs of ethnic separation of Amathus from the rest of Cyprus, and the names of the local rulers are Greek.

On a high rock near the city, the temple of Aphrodite was built, which became considered the patroness of the city under the name of Aphrodite Amatusa. In the 1st century BC e. construction of another Aphrodite’s temple began in the area where festivities were held in honor of Adonis , where athletes competed in hunting wild boars, as well as dancing and singing. But the construction of the temple was never completed and stopped at the final stage.

Amathus throughout its ancient history was mainly a Pro-Phoenician city, as demonstrated by its refusal to enter the Greek league of the governor Salamis Onesil, which soon led to a rebellion in Cyprus against the Achaemenid empire ( 500 - 494 BC ) ^[9] and Amathus even suffered an enemy siege, albeit an unsuccessful one. Soon, Amutus took revenge on Onesilos, and according to Herodotus ^{[10], the} inhabitants of Amathus cut off his head and hung over their city gates. During the time that she hung there, a swarm of bees settled in it. ^{[10] [11]} On the advice of the oracle, the inhabitants then removed their heads and buried her with honors, and also began to arrange annual honors in his honor as a hero.

Around 385 - 380 years BC. e. Amathus was opposed by Salamis , under the leadership of Evagor , as well as Kition and Solam . ^[12] In 332 BC e. Tsar Amatus Androclus went over to the side of Alexander the Great and took part in the siege of Tire. Even after the capture of Cyprus by Alexander the Great, he continued resistance against the annexation and power of the Seleucids . ^[13] At the same time, its political significance gradually faded away, but the cults of Aphrodite and Adonis that flourished there remained known for a long time. The epithet "Amatu" in Roman poetry was much more common than "Cypriot" , which indicates the great glory of the city. During the Roman Empire, the city ​​became the capital of one of the four administrative regions of Cyprus .

With the advent of Christianity on the island of Christianity, the cults of ancient deities accordingly disappeared, thus the city lost its once religious significance, known throughout the ancient world. Since the 4th century, there has been a Christian bishop in Amathus. After the death of Bishop Memnon, the bishop here was Tikhon of Amathus . In the 7th century, the city ​​was still full of life: in 616, the future Alexandrian Patriarch John the Merciful became its native, and in 640 Anastasiy Sinait .

In 1191 , when Richard I the Lionheart invaded Cyprus , the city was almost empty. Many ancient graves and burials were looted, and stones from the once beautiful temples and buildings were transported to the neighboring city of Limassol for the construction of new structures. In 1869, after many centuries, the remaining stones from the city were used to build the Suez Canal . Thus, the city is almost completely wiped off the face of the earth, with the exception of certain fragments of the city wall and some ruins on the local acropolis.

In the 1870s , Luigi Palma di Chesnola excavated in the necropolis of Amathus, and his findings replenished the collections of the British Museum and the Metro . More modern excavations began in 1980 and continue to this day. To date, archaeologists have discovered the acropolis, the temple of Aphrodite , the market, the city wall, the basilica and port. Many later finds were housed at the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia , as well as at the District Archaeological Museum in Limassol .

Currently, near the ruins of the ancient city is the village of , named after St. Tikhon , Bishop of Amathus.

• Amat // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Agios Tihanos Website (inaccessible link) . Archived on April 5, 2007.