Citium
Citium, also known as Kition, was a significant ancient city located on the southeast coast of Cyprus. Its history traces back to the Bronze Age, with evidence of settlement from the Mycenaean period. Around 800 BC, it was colonized by Phoenicians from Tyre and rapidly became a center of Phoenician power and trade, leveraging its access to rich copper resources nearby. Citium played a notable role in regional politics, siding with the Persians against the Greeks and facing a siege by the Athenians in the 5th century BC. The city is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoic philosophy, who significantly influenced later philosophical thought.
Throughout its history, Citium experienced periods of Hellenization, particularly under Ptolemaic rule after the execution of its King Pumiathon in 312 BC. The city was marked by notable architectural achievements, including a large temple dedicated to Astarte dating back to before 800 BC, and it continued to thrive until an earthquake in AD 79 caused major destruction. Citium maintained its importance into the late ancient period, housing a bishopric as early as the 4th century and featuring a variety of archaeological sites, including substantial remnants of its ancient walls and tombs.
Subject Terms
Citium
Kition
One of the principal cities of ancient Cyprus, situated on its southeast coast. Remains go back to the Bronze (Mycenaean) Age, but c 800 BC, under the name of Keti, Citium was colonized by Phoenicians from Tyre (Es-Sur), and subsequently, as an independent city, became the center of Phoenician power and trading on the island, with easy access to the rich copper deposits near Tamassus (Politiko). After a period as capital of the Assyrian province of Cyprus (709–c 668), it habitually took the Persian side against the Greeks, and was besieged in 450/49 by the Athenian Cimon, who died there. Its greatest distinction was to have been the birthplace of Zeno (335–263), founder of the Stoic school of Greek philosophy, who was probably of Phoenician origin. Citium served as a mint of Alexander the Great, but in 312 its King Pumiathon was executed by the orders of Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt, under whose dynasty the city became gradually Hellenized. An earthquake of AD 79 caused serious damage, but Nerva (96–98) sponsored works of restoration. Citium remained important throughout ancient times, and possessed a bishopric from at least the fourth century.
Substantial remains of the Mycenaean (and later) walls survive, but the most important building is the large temple of Astarte (Ashtoreth); it was erected within a courtyard surrounded by wooden columns (with surviving stone bases), shortly before 800 BC, on the site of a Mycenaean shrine. During the five centuries of its existence (until Ptolemy burned the town's Phoenician sanctuaries) it experienced at least four major reconstructions. Massive chamber tombs of archaic date are to be seen in the western necropolis, and a Hellenistic bathhouse has lately been uncovered at Chrysopolitissa.