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. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
^ 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.