Salamis, Cyprus in the context of "Battle of Salamis (306 BC)"

⭐ In the context of the Battle of Salamis (306 BC), Salamis, Cyprus, served as a crucial location because it was…

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⭐ Core Definition: Salamis, Cyprus

Salamis (Ancient Greek: Σαλαμίς; Greek: Σαλαμίνα; Turkish: Salamis) was an ancient Greek city-state on the east coast of Cyprus, at the mouth of the river Pedieos, 6 km (3.7 mi) north of modern Famagusta. According to tradition, the founder of Salamis was Teucer, son of Telamon, king of the Greek island of Salamis, who could not return home after the Trojan War because he had failed to avenge his brother Ajax.

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👉 Salamis, Cyprus in the context of Battle of Salamis (306 BC)

The Battle of Salamis in 306 BC took place off Salamis, Cyprus between the fleets of Ptolemy I of Egypt and Antigonus I Monophthalmus, two of the Diadochi, the generals who, after the death of Alexander the Great, fought each other for control of his empire.

Cyprus had been seized by Ptolemy, and was used as a base for operations against the Antigonid territories in Asia Minor and the Levant. In 306 BC, Antigonus sent his son Demetrius to invade the island, which was defended by Ptolemy's brother Menelaus. After landing on the northeastern part of the island, Demetrius marched to Salamis, defeated Menelaus in a battle, and laid siege to the city. This was the first time where Demetrius demonstrated his flair for siege warfare, which would later earn him the sobriquet Poliorcetes, "the Besieger". Nevertheless, Menelaus held off Demetrius' attacks until the arrival of reinforcements. Ptolemy led a large-scale rescue expedition in person, hoping to catch Demetrius between his own forces and those of Menelaus, sallying forth from Salamis. Demetrius took a calculated risk by leaving only a small force to impede Menelaus, and focusing the bulk of his forces against Ptolemy. The ensuing battle was a complete victory for Demetrius, who destroyed or captured much of Ptolemy's fleet and army. After the battle, Menelaus and his men surrendered, and the rest of Cyprus was captured by Demetrius. In the wake of this victory, Antigonus assumed the royal title that had been vacant since the murder of Alexander's underage son. This act influenced the other Diadochi to follow and imitate Antigonus and Demetrius. Soon after the battle, most Diadochi officially assumed the kingship.

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Salamis, Cyprus in the context of Church of Cyprus

The Church of Cyprus (Greek: Ἐκκλησία τῆς Κύπρου, romanizedEkklisia tis Kyprou) is one of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox churches that form part of the communion of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Based in Cyprus, it is one of the oldest Eastern Orthodox autocephalous churches; it claims to have always been independent, although it may have been subject to the Church of Antioch before its autocephaly was recognized in 431 at the Council of Ephesus. The bishop of the ancient capital, Salamis (renamed Constantia by Emperor Constantius II) was constituted metropolitan by Emperor Zeno, with the title archbishop.

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Salamis, Cyprus in the context of Cypriot syllabary

The Cypriot or Cypriote syllabary (also Classical Cypriot Syllabary) is a syllabic script used in Iron Age Cyprus, from about the 11th to the 4th centuries BCE, when it was replaced by the Greek alphabet. It has been suggested that the script remained in use as late as the 1st century BCE. A pioneer of that change was King Evagoras of Salamis. It is thought to be descended from the Cypro-Minoan syllabary, itself a variant or derivative of Linear A. Most texts using the script are in the Arcadocypriot dialect of Greek, but also one bilingual, the Amathus bilingual, a Greek and Eteocypriot, was found in Amathus.

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Salamis, Cyprus in the context of Evagoras I

Evagoras or Euagoras (Ancient Greek: Εὐαγόρας) was the king of Salamis in Cyprus from 411 to 374 BC, and was known especially from the work of Isocrates, who presents him as a model ruler.

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Salamis, Cyprus in the context of Ancient ruins

Ruins (from Latin ruina 'a collapse') are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate destruction by humans, or uncontrollable destruction by natural phenomena. The most common root causes that yield ruins in their wake are natural disasters, armed conflict, and population decline, with many structures becoming progressively derelict over time due to long-term weathering and scavenging.

There are famous ruins all over the world, with notable sites originating from ancient China, the Indus Valley, ancient Iran, ancient Israel and Judea, ancient Iraq, ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, ancient Yemen, Roman, ancient India, sites throughout the Mediterranean Basin, and Incan and Mayan sites in the Americas. Ruins are of great importance to historians, archaeologists and anthropologists, whether they were once individual fortifications, places of worship, ancient universities, houses and utility buildings, or entire villages, towns, and cities. Many ruins have become UNESCO World Heritage Sites in recent years, to identify and preserve them as areas of outstanding value to humanity.

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Salamis, Cyprus in the context of Epiphanius of Salamis

Epiphanius of Salamis (Ancient Greek: Ἐπιφάνιος; c. 310–320 – 403) was the bishop of Salamis, Cyprus, at the end of the 4th century. He is considered a saint and a Church Father by the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic Churches, and some Presbyterians. He gained a reputation as a strong defender of orthodoxy. He is best known for composing the Panarion, a compendium of eighty heresies, which included also pagan religions and philosophical systems. There has been much controversy over how many of the quotations attributed to him by the Byzantine Iconoclasts were actually by him. Regardless of this, he was clearly strongly against some contemporary uses of images in the church.

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Salamis, Cyprus in the context of Stratonice (wife of Antigonus)

Stratonice (Ancient Greek: Στρατoνίκη, romanizedStratoníkē; fl. 4th century BC) was daughter of Corrhaeus (Κορῥαῖος, Korrhaĩos, a Macedonian otherwise unknown), and wife of Antigonus I, king of Asia, by whom she became the mother of two sons, Demetrius Poliorcetes and Philip, who died in 306 BC.

In 316 BC, she is mentioned as entering into negotiations with Docimus, when that general was shut up with the other adherents of Perdiccas, in a fortress of Phrygia: but having induced him to quit his stronghold, she caused him to be seized and detained as a prisoner. After the battle of Ipsus she fled from Cilicia (where she had awaited the issue of the campaign) with her son Demetrius to Salamis in Cyprus, 301 BC. Here she probably died, as nothing is mentioned of her when the island fell into the power of Ptolemy some years afterwards.

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Salamis, Cyprus in the context of Menelaus (son of Lagus)

Menelaus (/ˌmɛnɪˈləs/; Ancient Greek: Μενέλαος, Menelaos), son of Lagus and brother of Ptolemy I Soter (ruler of Egypt), served as priest of the eponymous state cult of Alexander, and for a time was king in Cyprus, under his brother.

His name does not occur among the officers or generals of Alexander the Great (336–323 BC) during Alexander's lifetime, though it is incidentally mentioned by Phylarchus in terms that would seem to imply that he then already occupied a distinguished position. The earliest he appears in history is 315 BC, when he was appointed by his brother to the chief command of the forces dispatched to Cyprus, where they were destined to co-operate with the fleet of Seleucus, and with Nicocreon, king of Salamis. By their combined efforts, they soon subjugated all cities on Cyprus, with the exception of Kition; and that also, it would appear, must have ultimately submitted. Menelaus remained on the island, which he governed with almost absolute authority, the petty princes of the several cities being deposed, imprisoned, or assassinated at the slightest sign of disaffection.

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Salamis, Cyprus in the context of Pedieos

The Pedieos (also Pediaios or Pediaeus or Pithkias; Greek: Πεδιαίος/Πηθκιάς, Turkish: Kanlı Dere) is the longest river in Cyprus. The river originates in the Machairas Forest in the Troodos Mountains close to Machairas Monastery and flows northeast across the Mesaoria plains, through the capital city Nicosia. It then steers east, meeting the sea at Famagusta Bay close to the ancient Greek city of Salamis. Maximum depth is 10 meters.

The river has a total length of 98 km. An 18 km stretch of the river banks, in and around Nicosia, has been turned into pedestrian walkways.

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