Salamis (3)Salamina

An ancient city on the island of Cyprus located on the eastern coast of the island; originally settled by colonists from the Greek island Salamis.

The city was ruled by a series of unremembered men until the reign of Euelthon; the linage from Euelthon was: Siromos, Khersis (Chersis), Gorgos, Onesilos and Gorgos again.

Euelthon was noted for the remarkable censer (an incense burner) he dedicated to the temple at Delphi and also as the ruler who rebuked the requests of the refugee from Libya, Pheretime, when she asked Euelthon to supply her with an army so that her son might reclaim his throne in Kyrene (Cyrene).

Euelthon gave Pheretime many gifts but would not give her an army; to make his point perfectly clear, he finally gave her some wool, a golden spindle and distaff thus informing her that these were the proper gifts for a woman.

Four generations later Onesilos took control of the city from his older brother, Gorgos, and led a revolt against the Persian Empire; after the Persians returned to reclaim the island of Cyprus, Onesilos was killed and beheaded; Gorgos was, again, placed on the throne as the satrap of the Persian king.

Approximate east longitude 33.90 and north latitude 35.17.

• Histories, book 4, chapter 162; book 5, chapters 104-105 and 108-115