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Greek Mythology > People, Places, & Things > Cyprus
C to Celaeno Celeos to Chthonios Chthonios to Confusion Copais to Cymatolege Cyme to Cyzicos
An island in the northwestern corner of the Mediterranean Sea with an area of 3,572 square miles (9,251 square kilometers).
The Egyptians, under the rule of king Amasis (circa 525 BCE), were the first to conquer the island of Cyprus and demand a tribute (tax).
When the Persians, under the leadership of Kambyses (Cambyses) circa 522 BCE were expanding their dominion over Egypt and the western Mediterranean Sea, the inhabitants of the island of Cyprus voluntarily submitted to the Persians; as part of the Persian Empire, the island of Cyprus was lumped together with Palestinian Syria and Phoenicia and the three nations were required to pay a total of 350 talents of gold, i.e. 19,950 pounds of gold, to support the Empire.
When the Greek colonies in Ionia revolted against the Persians they asked the Athenians and the Spartans for help; the Athenians agreed but the Spartans declined; the Greeks, led by Aristagoras of Miletus, burned the city of Sardis (circa 498 BCE); as the revolt was gaining momentum, an ambitious man named Onesilos used the tumult to usurp the leadership of the city of Salamis from his brother, King Gorgos (Gorgus), and forced most of the people of Cyprus to join in the revolution; the city of Amathus was the only city to reject Onesilos and stay loyal to the Persians.
Circa 497 BCE, the Persians, assisted by the Phoenician navy, mounted an attack on the island of Cyprus; it was decided that the navy of the Ionian nations would meet the Phoenician navy and that Onesilos would face the Persian army; the Phoenicians were defeated but the Persians won the land battle and decapitated Onesilos; Gorgos was reinstated as the king of Salamis; the Ionian navy retreated and left Cyprus to the Persians; the inhabitants of Cyprus were, after one year of freedom, returned to the status of slaves of the Persian Empire.
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