The Ancient City Kingdoms...

The Bronze Age in Cyprus which began around 3000 BC created and developed trade in Cyprus with other peoples of the area around the Mediterranean. As is explained in 'Brief History of Cyprus in Ten Chapters' by Dr Dick Richards, Cyprus was added to Egypt in 1500 BC and "the island acquired its very first mention in the archives of history." Cyprus belonged to the Egyptians who "came to conquer and rule" but it wasn't long before other surrounding countries and peoples influenced the island. The Phoenicians came to trade and "they built considerable sized settlements and towns at Kitium, Amathus and Lapithos. The Aegean peoples came to settle and remain."

When the city of Knossos in Crete was destroyed, as well as other sites in Crete and Mycenae, there was a massive migration of Greek-speaking peoples from the area. More and more Greek speaking settlers reached Cyprus. As is described "The early Iron Age saw the Greek-speaking peoples, the Hellenes, divided into different branches- Aeolians, Dorians, Lydians and Ionians. The surplus of their swiftly expanding populations spread out to Italy, Asia Minor, the shores of the Black Sea and eastward into Cyprus." The city states created included Marion, Salamis, Soli, Curium, Paphos/Kouklia  as well as Tamassos. By the start of the 5th century BC, Cyprus had ten kingdoms, the existing ones having been joined by Kyrenia, Idalion, Amathus and Kitium. As is further explained, "Marion, Salamis and Soli were Ionian cities. Curium was Dorian, Paphos/Kouklia and Kitium were of Mycenean affiliation. Cyprus was by this time predominantly Greek speaking. It remained however a colony of the Egyptian pharaohs.

As is further described, "The individual city-states that were established on the island emulated the greater cities of their originators. They were true 'democracies' in the original sense. That is, they were not like modern, so-called democracies where every citizen of age is enfranchised. Only the native citizens and the wealthy people had the right to vote. The economy was thus based on the availability of a large slave labour force. There was thriving trade from Cyprus in corn, wine, oil and copper. The trading cities thrived and prospered."

Cyprus had been ruled by the Egyptians but in 546 BC Egypt was conquered by the Persians. Cyprus thus fell under the control of the Persians. The Cypriot kingdoms were forced to pay tributes to them and to supply battleships in the event of war. During the Greek-Persian Wars (499-449 BC), some kingdoms supported the Greeks, while others supported the Persians, such as the Phoenician inhabitants of Kitium, Amathus as well as Marion, Curium and Salamis. In 381 BC King Evagoras of Salamis tried to unify the city kingdoms but the states were constantly divided amongst themselves. Persia remained the great power and Cyprus remained part of its empire. Despite the political situation, language and cultural influences remained Greek.

In 325 BC Alexander the Great attacked the Persian Empire and the Cypriot kingdoms welcomed him as a liberator, however this wasn't to last. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, Cyprus became a battleground for his successors and the Greek-Egyptian Ptelemy I Solter was victorious. Kitium, Kyrenia, Lapithos and Marion were destroyed. Cyprus became part of the kingdom of Egypt and the new capital was Nea Pafos. Cultural life combined Hellenism and the Egyptian gods. 

It is believed that the city states were further destroyed by earthquakes, revolts, raids and pillaging. In his book 'Journey Into Cyprus,' Colin Thubron visits Idalion but finds nothing there. As he describes, "Graves, walls, temples-all had been rattled empty and the city gone to join a hundred other places which earthquake and the soft local stone have returned to powder."