The role of Cyprus in Alexander’s campaign

Because of its copper mines, Cyprus was famous for producing armory, swords, and other objects in bronze since early antiquity. Another richness of the island was its shipbuilding and its navy, which made it the envy of many nations and kings. Besides, the island occupies a strategic position for those conquerors who aimed to control Asia Minor and Egypt. 

With more or less success, the Persians ruled over Cyprus since the 6th century BC. This situation changed after Alexander’s battle at Issus and his victorious campaigns on the coast of Asia Minor, Syria, and Phoenicia. The Cypriots realized that sooner or later, the Macedonian king would occupy their island too. They decided to make their fleet, which hitherto had been at the service of the Persians, available to Alexander. In exchange, they acquired their political independence. 

It is probably around this time that the King of Citium (the ancient name for Larnaca) gave Alexander a masterly executed sword, which Plutarch described as exceptionally light and well-tempered (see: Alexander’s battle outfit) 

As Alexander approached Tyre in 332 BC, he was not welcome to enter the city. He had no choice but to lay siege on Tyre, which was situated on an off-shore island. This would not stop Alexander, who built a mole of 750 meters to connect the island to the mainland. All that time, the Tyrenians continued to defend their city by all means available. Besides, they received help from the sea as the Persian fleet had free access to both the north and south harbors. 

Since Alexander’s own reduced fleet was no match against the Persians, he called upon his allies to assist him. Eighty Phoenician triremes arrived along with nine from Rhodes, three from Soli and Mallus, ten from Lycia, and fifty-oared vessels from Macedonia joined in. Cyprus dispatched 120 warships, a substantial number to efficiently swell Alexander’s naval force. With his fleet in position, the king was ready to launch his joint land and naval operation and he successfully captured Tyre. He thus ended a siege that had lasted for nine months. 

The seafaring experience of the Cypriots was a precious asset for Alexander, even during his later campaigns. He cut the ships into manageable sections and hauled them overland all the way to India. More than anywhere else, the crafts were handy to cross the many rivers of the Punjab and their tributaries. When the king decided to sail down the Indus to the Outer Ocean, he had his engineers (many of them from Cyprus) build ships of different sizes and shapes to transport troops and animals downstream. Shipbuilders and rowers from Egypt, Phoenicia, and Caria joined the Cypriot forces to create this flotilla led by the specially appointed admiral Nearchus. 

After the death of Alexander in 323 BC, Cyprus fell under Ptolemaic rule and eventually became fully Hellenized. 

[Picture from Heritage Daily, credit Anna Kubicka] 

Today, archaeologists have discovered a unique rock-cut banqueting site in Paphos. It is located close to a temple near the top of Fabrika Hill. Such a place would be used to share the meat of the animals sacrificed on the adjacent monumental altar. Such rituals were common in Cyprus and in other Mediterranean cultures like the Nabataeans in Petra, Jordan. However, this is the first such example unearthed in Cyprus. Religious banquets in the open air are usually held in semi-circular constructions and present a round depression in the center to drain the libations in honor of the gods. 

So far, archaeologists have not been able to identify with certainty which God was worshiped, but Aphrodite is the most likely candidate since she was born from the sea not far from Paphos. The banqueting site and the temple were used from the 2nd century BC onward. The city, however, was founded earlier, sometime during the 4^th century BC. It was abandoned probably after the earthquake of circa 150 AD.