Ταμασσός | |
 Map showing theancient city-kingdoms of Cyprus | |
  Shown within Cyprus | |
| Location | Cyprus |
|---|---|
| Region | Nicosia District |
| Coordinates | 35°02′06″N33°15′00″E / 35.035°N 33.250°E /35.035; 33.250 |
| Management | Cyprus Department of Antiquities |
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Tamassos (Greek: Ταμασσός) orTamasos (Greek: Τἀμασος)[1] – namesLatinized asTamassus orTamasus – was a city-kingdom inancient Cyprus, one of theten kingdoms of Cyprus. It was situated in the great central plain of the island, south-east ofSoli, on the road from Soli toTremithus. It is an archaeological site bordering thevillage ofPolitiko, about 21 kilometres southwest ofNicosia.
AnAssyrian inscription from ca. 673 BC (Prism of Esarhaddon) refers to it asTamesi, described as acity-state which paid tribute to theNeo-Assyrian Empire.[2] As there werecoppermines in the neighbourhood, it is very probably the Temese mentioned by Homer (Odyssey, I, 184), which was in his time the principal copper market of the island.[3]
Today the villages ofPsimolofou,Episkopeio,Pera Orinis,Ergates,Politiko,Kampia,Analyontas, andKapedes occupy the site of the city.
The city-state prospered mainly because of its mines, from whichmetals (mostly copper,Cyprus's chiefexport in the ancient world) were extracted. However, it managed to survive despite exhaustion of its copper deposits.
Unlike other city-states on the island, there is no precise information from eitherhistory ortradition concerning the establishment of the city as a human settlement and later as an importanttradecity.
The area itself was in fact home to a number of small farmer settlements, which the city replaced after the discovery and exploitation of the copper that became the heart of the economy in the succeeding centuries. Studies of thearchaeologicalartefacts suggest that the region was inhabited sinceprehistoric times, more specifically since theChalcolithic Age. Villages such asKampia,Margi,Kotsiatis, andMathiatis in the wider region were densely populated from the EarlyBronze Age. The population increased significantly following exploitation of the copper mines. Tombs and copper-processing installations discovered in the area date back to the Late Bronze Age.
Writers such asClaudius Ptolemy andStephanus of Byzantium mention the city. Stephanus describes the city as "mesogeia" (inland) with copper of excellent quality. Its inland location and lack of aport kept it from becoming a major trading post such asSalamis andPaphos. The city also lacked thecosmopolitan character of the island'scoastal cities. It resembled an "industrial" city of mines and workshops, though it had without doubt also developed theagricultural and stock-breeding potentialities of the surrounding fertile land, enriched by one of the most important rivers of Cyprus, thePediaios, and its tributaries.
The King of Tamassos, Pasikypros, is said to have sold his kingdom to thePhoenicians ofKition for a price of 50talents. Having received this amount of money, the King went to spend his last days inAmathus
Athenaeus claims thatAlexander the Great gave the same city to Pnytagoras, the King of Salamina, as he had assisted him with the invasion and capture ofTyros. Thetemple ofAphrodite and perhaps other public buildings were rebuilt at the beginning of the Hellenistic period. It is assumed that there was an alteration to the city character and political structure, and new public buildings built. During the same period, Greeks from various places of the empire came to live in Tamassos. One of these people was Aspendios from Asia Minor.
With the spread ofChristianity throughoutsouthern Europe, Tamasos became one of the firstGreek Orthodoxdioceses in Cyprus. The presence of its two firstbishops, Saint Herakleidios and Saint Mnason, was prominent. ThepseudepigraphicalActs of Barnabas mention Tamasus as the meeting point ofBarnabas and Heraclide, made bishop by Barnabas.[4]
Tamassos is referred to as a city of Cyprus until the 10th century AD, but by then it was already in decline. The mines were abandoned after their exhaustion, and the economy was destroyed. Much later on, the city was replaced by small settlements such as Politiko and Episkopeio. The name "Politiko" refers to the brilliant ancient city it has replaced, whereas the name "Episkopeio" is reminiscent of Tamassos's old diocese. "Ergates" has been thus named because it is the area where the mine workers lived, while "Pera Orinis" is named because it is opposite Politiko ("pera" being Greek for "yonder"), and because it is located in a hilly area ("oreinis" being Greek for "of the mountains" as opposed to the village "PeraChorio Nisou" which is in the lowlands). It is believed that these settlements are a continuation of ancient Tamassos and that the inhabitation of this region has thus been continuous from the ancient Prehistoric times until present times.
The centre of the town, which is believed to have been the location of various public buildings andshrines, is thought to be under thevillage ofPolitiko and the nearby Greek Orthodoxmonastery of "Agios Herakleidios".[clarification needed] This overlap of modern inhabited sites and ancient remains also means that large-scale archaeological excavations cannot be conducted.
Sporadicexcavations between 1970 and 1990 in the outer area resulted in the discovery of many artifacts as well as parts of the originalcity dating from theArchaic,Classical, andHellenisticeras. The visible sections of this large and important archaeological site also include the site of the temple of Aphrodite, the two majestic royal tombs, and other graves.
Fortifications which surrounded the city during the Archaic period have also been unearthed, as well as, copper-processing installations,clay and stone statuettes, and variousoblationvessels,censers, andoil lamps. Alimestonealtar was found nearby[clarification needed]Aphrodite'stemple as well as a temple devoted to Kiveli (the Mother of Gods). The latter was discovered alongside an epigraphic testimony regarding the goddess' worship. In addition, there are various literary references proving the worshipping ofApollo,Aesculap, andDionysus.
North-east of Aphrodite's temple lies thenecropolis of Tamassos. In addition, threecemeteries[clarification needed] are located in the region. One dates back to theBronze Age /Copper, another to the Archaic period, whilst the third belongs to the Hellenistic era and the times ofRoman rule.
Most of the Bronze Age cemetery is probably close to the Lambertesbarrow (south-east of the Politiko village). South-west of the "Agios Herakleidios" monastery, a tomb belonging to the Middle Bronze era was dug up in 1963. Yet another tomb from the latter part of the Bronze Age was excavated south-east of the monastery, in the region between the present-day nunnery and the Lambertes barrow.
The Archaic era cemetery is located south-west of the village, between the region's two rivers, of which one is the torrential Pediaios, which waters most ofNicosia District and particularly the fertile area ofMesaoria (now part ofNorth Cyprus).
The Hellenistic/Roman cemetery is found on a slope north-west of Politiko, where the "Agios Mnason" monastery once existed.[dubious –discuss]
Many shrines also seem to have existed around the ancient city of Tamassos. This can be proven by the presence of the Archaic earthen statue[clarification needed] and the famousbronze statue of Apollo found in the area.
Nowadays the two monasteries of St Herakleidios and St Mnason are believed to be important monuments of the region.[dubious –discuss][citation needed]
The two royal tombs discovered are proof of the city's wealth during the Archaic era, due to their fine construction.
Recently, six unique life-size,limestone, undamagedsculptures were discovered in the royal necropolis, of which two representedsphinxes and four representedlions in a crouching position. The exquisitesculptures date from the 6th century BC.
![Royal tomb entrance (Tomb 5) with volute (proto-Aeolic) capital, recessed door, lintel, stone imitation of rectangular roof beams[5]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aTamassos_Royal_tomb_1.jpg)
The area where Tamassos once stood now is home to the villages of Psimolofou, Episkopeio, Pera Orinis, Ergates, Politiko, Kampia, Analyontas, and Kapedes are located. For the past few centuries, they have developed from being poor agricultural villages housing some 10 families, to populations of 1000 inhabitants. Pera Orinis and Politiko retain much of the older buildings of the older settlements at the centre of the villages, which are deemed to be of high cultural significance. Highlights of these include the church ofPanagia Odigitria, theOld Mill, theParthenagogion andArenagogion, as well as the recently restore chapel ofSt George of Pera Orinis, and the famousTombs of the Kings of the village of Politiko.
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