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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 171

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was formerly found there in great-numbers: or because te sailors who see it from afar on the side of Fontana Amorosa its mountains seemed to have two horns. Then Aspellia, and Cripton, that is underground, because it is not visible to mariners until they come close under it, while other islands, on the contrary, are seen from afar. Next Collinia, from its hills, for its mountains, except Olympus, seem but hills. yErosa, from its veins of copper : Amati ι usi a (according to Strnbo), from the city Amathus, where copper was extracted of the best quality and in the greatest abundance. Paphia, from the god Paphos, and the city called by his name. Salaininia, from the city which, in the days of the nine kings, surpassed all the rest. Cytherea, an epithet for the island as the home of Venus, rather than a name : Macaria, or the blessed, for its great fertility and man}- delights : and lastly Cyprus, either because this Greek word means Venus, who was there held in great veneration, or because Cyrus had restored the ancient city Aphrodisia, and would have it bear his name, or from the tree Cypress, which is found in this island only, and of which I shall say more hereafter. It is of oblong shape and has a circuit of -five hundred and fifty miles, according to modern reckoning, although it is nlso confidently asserted that this should be six hundred and fifty. On the west it has three promontories or capes, C. San Pifani (1 use the common name), anciently called Acainas, Trapano, Cilidonio or Punta Meluuta, of old C. Zephyrion : these three look partly towards the Egyptian, partly towards the Pamphylian Sea. After Cilidonio on the south comes Drepanon, now C. Bianco ; then Phrourium, now C. delle Gatte : C. della Grotte, Masi ito, Cinti, the point of Salines, C. Da des or Pyla, and Pedalion or C. della G rea. Note that from Cilidonio to C. delle Gatte the sea is that of Egypt, and thence to C. della G rea that of Palestine or Judsea. Eastward the sea circles round from C. della Grea in the Syrian Sea to C. S. Andrea, or C. del Carpasso, opposite the gulf of Lain zzo. From C. S. Andrea on the north you come to the point called Aphrodision, or (after the village) Acathu, then to those of Ceraunia and Lapitho. C. Cormnchiti is next, and then Alexan-dretta, formerly Calinusie. The bay between these two is called Peudaia; that between Alexandret ta and San Pifani is Crnsoco or Fontana Amorosa, and between Cormachiti and San Pifani comes the gulf of Settalia, anciently the Pamphylian Sea. This is the beginning of that gulf of Settalia which nsed to be so formidable to mariners; it stretches for three hundred miles till it joins the Sea of Rhodes. In ancient times it was exceedingly perilous, especially from the feast of the Nativity of our Lord until the Epiphany; bnt S. Helena, the mother of Constantine, came, as we shall see below, to Cyprus, and seeing the terror generally inspired by this gulf threw into it one of the blessed nails with Which the Author of our Salvation was crucified, which she had brought from Jerusalem, and the frightful fury censed. So that the gulf is no longer dreaded as before. The length of the island from east to west is two hundred and twenty miles—another writer adds ten more—measuring from C. San Pifani straight across to C. S. Andrea, and its breadth, from C. della Gatta across the mountains to Cormachiti on the north, is sixty-six miles. The whole island is divided into eleven districts, thus arranged—On the west Buffo, anciently Paphos, Audimo, Limisso, Masoto, Saline and Mesa rea : these look to the south, and lie along the coast, divided from the other districts by α long line of hills. The others look to the north; Crusoco, Pendaia, Ceriues, Carpasso, formerly Car pa si a. The last is the Viscontado, lying between those of Saline and Cerine». That of Ceriues is itself divided by a chain of hills standing from α mile and a half to three miles from the northern sea : if the mountains in the other parts of the island had been similarly placed, the kingdom of Cyprus would perchance have had less need of the many works constructed for its defence, for this range begins at C. Cormachiti, and runs on in one unbroken line to C. S. Andrea; and the CALEPIO. PORCACCHIA

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