The historian Theopompus, when entering upon the history of
Evagoras, seems to have related many legendary tales respecting
the Greek Gentes in Cyprus, and to have represented Agamemnon
himself as ultimately migrating to it (Theopompus, Frag. 111, ed.
Wichers; and ed. Didot. ap. Photium).
The tomb of the archer Teukrus was shown at Salamis in Cyprus.
See the Epigram of Aristotle, Antholog. i, 8, 112.
[32] Movers, in his very learned investigations respecting the
Phœnicians (vol. iii, ch. 5, p. 203-221 _seq._), attempts to
establish the existence of an ancient population in Cyprus,
called Kitians; once extended over the island, and of which the
town called Kitium was the remnant. He supposes them to have
been a portion of the Canaanitish population, anterior to the
Jewish occupation of Palestine. The Phœnician colonies in Cyprus
he reckons as of later date, superadded to, and depressing these
natives. He supposes the Kilikian population to have been in
early times Canaanitish also. Engel (Kypros, vol. i, p. 166)
inclines to admit the same hypothesis as highly probable.
The sixth century B.C. (from 600 downwards) appears to have been
very unfavorable to the Phœnicians, bringing upon Tyre severe
pressure from the Chaldeans, as it brought captivity upon the
Jews. During the same period, the Grecian commerce with Egypt was
greatly extended, especially by the reign of the Phil-hellenic
Amasis, who acquired possession of Cyprus. Much of the Grecian
immigration into Cyprus probably took place at this time; we know
of one body of settlers invited by Philokyprus to Soli, under the
assistance of the Athenian Solon (Movers, p. 244 _seq._).
[33] Herodot. v, 109.
Compare the description given by Herodotus of the costume and
arms of the Cypriots in the armament of Xerxes,—half Oriental
(vii, 90). The Salaminians used chariots of war in battle (v,
113); as the Carthaginians did, before they learnt the art of
training elephants (Diodor. xvi, 80; Plutarch, Timoleon, c. 27).
[34] See Vol. V. of this History, Ch. xlv, p. 335.
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