History

31 Aug 1839

George Summer, an American traveller, wrote to his sister about his visit to Cyprus

George Summer, an American traveller, wrote to his sister about his visit to Cyprus:

From Rhodes I went to Cyprus, the island so famous of old as the birthplace of Venus, the Paphian queen. Paphos still stands, a miserable Greek village with a few houses built of mud, where near by are the fallen columns of the temple that once stood there for the goddess. All around the island which is about 500 miles in circumference, are ruins of ancient temples and cities. Laonica, where we stopped for one day, is near (the site) of ancient Citium, which was the birthplace of Zeno the stoic. You see Mary, how completely I have been for some time past mixed-up with those who flourished in antiquity. I shall become an antique myself almost, if I poke about in this way much longer, stumbling over old ruins, measuring columns and climbing into tombs, etc. From Cyprus I went down upon the coast of Syria…