Arsinoe (Northwest Cyprus)
Arsinoe (Greek: Ἀρσινόη) was an ancient city in northwestern Cyprus built on top of the older city, Marion[1] (Greek: Μάριον);[2] some ancient writers conflate the two cities.
Ptolemy I Soter destroyed the town of Marion in 312 BCE and removed some inhabitants to Paphos.[3] The city was refounded by Ptolemy Philadelphus and named after his sister/wife Arsinoe.
According to Strabo there was a grove sacred to Zeus.[4]
Cyprus, from its subjection to the kings of the Lagid family, had more than one city of this name, which was common to several princesses of that house; see Arsinoe for other cities so named.
The site of Arsinoe is located near modern Polis Chrysochous.[5][6]
References
- "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, MAASTRICHT Limburg, Netherlands. , MARION later ARSINOE (Polis) Cyprus".
- T⊘nnes Bekker‐Nielsen (1999): Strabo and Ptolemy on the geography of western cyprus, Symbolae Osloenses: Norwegian Journal of Greek and Latin Studies, 74:1, 151-162, DOI: 10.1080/00397679908590960
- Diodorus Siculus. Bibliotheca historica (Historical Library). Vol. 19.89.
- Strabo. Geographica. Vol. xiv. p. 683. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
- Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 72, and directory notes accompanying.
- Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Arsinoe". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.