The Republic of Cyprus, simply known as Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, about 40 miles south of Turkey. Its capital is Nicosia and the official languages are Greek and Turkish, though notable minorities also speak Armenian and Arabic.

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Deities

*Due to the early occupation of Cyprus by the Greek, many deities in Cypriot mythology are the same as the Greek.

Achilles - Hero of Troy most commonly known for his heel - his only weak point. He is the child of Peleus and Thetis, raised by the centaur Chiron. His weak point is a result of his mother having held him by his heel when she dipped him in the river Styx to make him immortal.

Apollo - God of the arts and healing. He is the twin brother of Artemis and the son of Zeus and Leto.

Kyprida Aphrodite - Goddess of love and fertility, Aphrodite is especially connected to the island as it is said that she was born near the coast from the sea foam, therefore, Cyprus is considered her homeland.

Ares - God of war.

Artemis - Goddess of the hunt, animals, and the wilderness. She is the twin sister of Apollo, daughter of Zeus and Leto. Artemis is also known as one of the maiden goddesses.

Idalion Athena - Goddess of wisdom, crafts, and warfare. She is the daughter of Zeus, said to have been born from his forehead, and was the main deity in the ancient Cypriot city state of Idalion.

Demeter - Goddess of agriculture. Often associated with her daughter Persephone, whose capture by Hades affected her so much it led to the seasonal cycle where plants do not grow when Persephone is in the underworld.

Dionysus - God of winemaking and festivity.

Golgos - A demi-god, son of Aphrodie and Adonis. He is the founder of the city of Golgi in the modern-day Larnaca District.

Hephaestus - God of fire and metalwork. Husband of Aphrodite.

Hera - Goddess of marriage, women, and family. Queen of the gods and Mount Olympus.

Hermes - God of travel, often seen as the messenger of the gods.

Poseidon - God of the seas.

Thetis - Goddess of water.

Zeus - God of the sky and thunder. King of the gods and Mount Olympus.

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Notable Figures

Agapinor - King of Tegea, leader of the Arcadians. Founder of the city of Paphos.

Adonis - Aphrodite's lover, said to have met Aphrodite and died in Cyprus.

Acamas - Considered one of the heroes of the Trojan War and founder of the ancient city of Soli.

Alexander the Great - King and commander of the Macedonian empire. He freed Cyprus from Persian rule.

Alphesiboea - A nymph coveted by Dionysus.

Amathus - A Cypriot king that built the Temple of Aphrodite in the city of Amathus. This became one of her major seats of worship.

Anaxarete - A cruel princess who turned to stone at the funeral of the man who loved her so much he committed suicide at her rejection. Her statue stood in the city-state of Salamis on the east coast.

Ariadne - The scorned lover of Theseus. She is said to have been cared for by Cypriot women and revered by the cult of Aphrodite-Ariadne. Cyprus holds the festival of Ariadneia in her honor.

Ayios Vasilis aka Christian saint Basil of Caesarea - An archbishop and theologian of the Cappadocian Church known for hiding Cypriot wealth from the Romans and giving it to the poor.

Cinyras - King of Paphos and, according to Ovid, the father of Adonis. On the island, he was said to have created art and musical instruments. It is thought that the city of Cinyreia was named after him.

Cyparissus - the son of Telephus.

Demophon - Son of Theseus and Phaedra, and brother of Acamas. He was the king of Athens, founder of Apea, and a hero of the Trojan War.

Dido - The Queen of Carthage. She is said to have stopped in Cyprus where she kidnapped 80 women.

Digenis Akritas - A Greek epic hero and freedom fighter. He became a symbol of Christian faith during Cyprus' fight against invading barbarians during the middle ages.

Euclus - A native of Cyprus, he is the prophet known for predicting the birth and fate of Homer

Eurydice - a nymph who was attracted by Orpheus' beautiful music and ended up being bitten by a snake, causing her death.

Evagoras - a king of Salamis, descendent of Teucer, who attempted to unite all of Cyprus.

Galatea - Originally a statue created by Pygmalion, she was brought to life by Aphrodite and eventually had three children: Paphos, Cinyras, and Metharme.

Hyacinth - the son of King Sparta, known for his otherworldly beauty. He was one of Apollo's lovers. When he died, his blood turned into a flower known as the hyacinthus.

Lapithos - Founder and ruler of the eponymous city that became the main city-state of the region under Roman rule.

Myrrha - Princess of Paphos, daughter of Cinyras and mother of Adonis. She was punished for her mother's boasting of her beauty by falling in love with her father for which she was then turned into a tree.

Nicocreon - One of the kings of Salamis, a city-state in Cyprus. He was known as a tyrant.

Orpheus - a prophet and musician who fell in love with Eurydice. He went to the Underworld to try to save her, but failed. When instructed to not look at her until they left the Underworld, he couldn't help but turn to look at her to see if she was still following him, trapping her soul in the Underworld.

Peleus - the king of the island of Aegina and grandson of Zeus. He is also the father of Achilles.

Pygmalion - A sculpture that fell in love with his statue, Galatea. Aphrodite, touched by his feelings for Galatea, brought the stature to life. Their marriage bore the Cypriot kings Paphos and Cinyras, and Queen Metharme.

Praxander - a Laconian who moved to Cyprus and founded the city of Golgos in honor of Golglos, the son of Aphrodite and Adonis

Queen Rigena - A queen from the Middle Ages, said to have lived in Paphos and lover of Digenis Akritas.

Teucer - founder of the Cypriot city-state of Salamis after her was expelled from the island of Salamis.

Thamir - A Cilician who introduced the art of haruspicy, the art of making predictions and seeing omens from the insides of sacrificial animals, to Cyprus.

Themisto - The mother of Homer, a native of Cyprus.

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Check out the next upcoming chapter for Cypriot mythical creatures.