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Mythology and Ancient History of Cyprus

Ancient Mythology says the Uranus was the first ruler of Cyprus.
Uranus being the God of the sky married Gaia the goddess of Earth and had impressive sons by her.  Uranus hated his monster son having fifty heads and hundred hands, hid them away as soon as they were born. After this Gaia gave birth to Cyclops monsters having only one eye. Uranus repeated his deeds with Cyclops as well and cast them in the underworld.

By now Gaia was very angry at her husband and gave birth to Titians. She persuaded Titians to attack their father and she armed Cronos a titian with a sickle. Cronos cut off his father’s genitals and threw them into the sea behind his back. The genitals, the Cronos, threw away were swept up by the sea and from the foam of the sea Aphrodite was born.

 According to the Greek mythology Cyprus is the birth place of goddess Aphrodite who is the goddess of beauty and love. Mythology says that Aphrodite emerged in a fully grown state from the sea where Cronos, son of god Uranus, had placed the severed genitals of his father. The legendry site of birth of Aphrodite is known as Aphrodite’s rock and is a large sea stack placed close to the costal cliffs near Paphos.

There are other mythical and legendary characters in Cyprus such as King Cinyras who is the founder of Salamis, Pygmalion the mythical sculptor and Adonis. According to the legend, Pygmalion I mythical King of Cyprus, created an ivory statue of the most beautiful maid and fell in love with the statue. He was so engrossed by its beauty that he desired to have it as a wife. Pygmalion prayed to Goddess Aphrodite on the festival day and the goddess understood his desire of having the statue as his wife and imparted life to it. Pygmalion later married the statue, now a beautiful lady and lived happily.