Tamassos
Ταμασσός | |
Location | Cyprus |
---|---|
Region | Nicosia District |
Coordinates | 35°02′06″N 33°15′00″E / 35.035°N 33.250°E |
Management | Cyprus Department of Antiquities |
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021) |
Tamassos (
An Assyrian inscription from ca. 673 BC (Prism of Esarhaddon) refers to it as Tamesi, described as a city-state which paid tribute to the Neo-Assyrian Empire.[2] As there were copper mines in the neighbourhood, it is very probably the Temese mentioned by Homer (Odyssey, I, 184), which was in his time the principal copper market of the island.[3]
Today the villages of Psimolofou, Episkopeio, Pera Orinis, Ergates, Politiko, Kampia, Analyontas, and Kapedes occupy the site of the city.
History
The city-state prospered mainly because of its mines, from which
in the ancient world) were extracted. However, it managed to survive despite exhaustion of its copper deposits.Foundations, inhabitants, and economy
Unlike other city-states on the island, there is no precise information from either history or tradition concerning the establishment of the city as a human settlement and later as an important trade city.
The area itself was in fact home to a number of small farmer settlements, which the city replaced after the discovery and exploitation of the copper that became the heart of the economy in the succeeding centuries. Studies of the
Writers such as
Phoenician and Greek influence
The King of Tamassos, Pasikypros, is said to have sold his kingdom to the Phoenicians of Kition for a price of 50 talents. Having received this amount of money, the King went to spend his last days in Amathus
Athenaeus claims that
and perhaps other public buildings were rebuilt at the beginning of the Hellenistic period. It is assumed that there was an alteration to the city character and political structure, and new public buildings built. During the same period, Greeks from various places of the empire came to live in Tamassos. One of these people was Aspendios from Asia Minor.Decline
With the spread of
Tamassos is referred to as a city of Cyprus until the 10th century AD, but by then it was already in decline. The mines were abandoned after their exhaustion, and the economy was destroyed. Much later on, the city was replaced by small settlements such as Politiko and Episkopeio. The name "Politiko" refers to the brilliant ancient city it has replaced, whereas the name "Episkopeio" is reminiscent of Tamassos's old diocese. "Ergates" has been thus named because it is the area where the mine workers lived, while "Pera Orinis" is named because it is opposite Politiko ("pera" being Greek for "yonder"), and because it is located in a hilly area ("oreinis" being Greek for "of the mountains" as opposed to the village "Pera Chorio Nisou" which is in the lowlands). It is believed that these settlements are a continuation of ancient Tamassos and that the inhabitation of this region has thus been continuous from the ancient Prehistoric times until present times.
Archaeological site
The centre of the town, which is believed to have been the location of various public buildings and
Sporadic
Necropolis
North-east of Aphrodite's temple lies the
Most of the Bronze Age cemetery is probably close to the Lambertes barrow (south-east of the Politiko village). South-west of the "Agios Herakleidios" monastery, a tomb belonging to the Middle Bronze era was dug up in 1963. Yet another tomb from the latter part of the Bronze Age was excavated south-east of the monastery, in the region between the present-day nunnery and the Lambertes barrow.
The Archaic era cemetery is located south-west of the village, between the region's two rivers, of which one is the torrential Pediaios, which waters most of
The Hellenistic/Roman cemetery is found on a slope north-west of Politiko, where the "Agios Mnason" monastery once existed.[dubious ]
Many shrines also seem to have existed around the ancient city of Tamassos. This can be proven by the presence of the Archaic earthen statue[clarification needed] and the famous bronze statue of Apollo found in the area.
Nowadays the two monasteries of St Herakleidios and St Mnason are believed to be important monuments of the region.[dubious ][citation needed]
Royal tombs
The two royal tombs discovered are proof of the city's wealth during the Archaic era, due to their fine construction.
Recently, six unique life-size,
-
Royal tomb entrance (Tomb 5) with volute (proto-Aeolic) capital, recessed door, lintel, stone imitation of rectangular roof beams[5]
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Lions from a royal tomb, Nicosia museum
-
Royal tomb, Tamassos
Tamassos today
The area where Tamassos once stood now is home to the villages of Psimolofou, Episkopeio, Pera Orinis, Ergates, Politiko, Kampia, Analyontas, and Kapedes are located. For the past few centuries, they have developed from being poor agricultural villages housing some 10 families, to populations of 1000 inhabitants. Pera Orinis and Politiko retain much of the older buildings of the older settlements at the centre of the villages, which are deemed to be of high cultural significance. Highlights of these include the church of Panagia Odigitria, the Old Mill, the Parthenagogion and Arenagogion, as well as the recently restore chapel of St George of Pera Orinis, and the famous Tombs of the Kings of the village of Politiko.
See also
References
- ^ Lewis & Short: Tămăsŏs
- ISBN 978-90-04-15576-3.
- ^ Sophrone Pétridès, "Tamassus" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1912)
- ^ M. Bonnet (ed.), Acta Barnabae, 17, in Acta apostolorum apocrypha, Leipzig, Hermann Mendelssohn, 1903, p. 298.
- S2CID 236257877. Retrieved 16 December 2021.)
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: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of April 2024 (link
External links
- Archeological Sites: Tamassos - Department of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus
- Archeological findings of Tamassos at the British Museum
- Rare Cypriot Sculptures found in Tamassos - archeology.org, a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America
- tamassos.org - History and culture of the area; list of churches etc.
- Weapons, Tools and Ritual Remains - Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
- Information Archived 2007-12-22 at the Wayback Machine and photos Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine of Tamassos