Jun 2, 2026 · 43 min · 12 segments
After the failed revolt against Persian rule, Cyprus experienced a brief and uneasy calm. But that peace quickly unraveled, as the island was drawn into the heart of the renewed conflict between…
Christian KoernerGuestAndreasHost
I think, uh, the 5th century is not only for you a little bit of a dark age.
It's, uh, really, uh, if you look at the written sources, it's, uh... we do not know much about Cyprus in the 5th century.
Uh, archaeological finds is another thing, but, uh, with the texts from antiquity, you do not have too many sources you can rely on if you want to, uh, speak about Cyprus in the 5th century, and you cannot establish really a narrative, I think.
Well, okay, so the, the years between the Cyprus revolts and the accession of, uh, Evagoras I, those are the years that are somewhat shrouded.
So w- what are the challenges for historians like yourself-
... uh, in piecing it together?
Um, you know, maybe you can talk to us a little about, about that first.
Um, the major problem for the reconstruction of any, um, uh, period of Cypriot history is also you have not many texts surviving that help understand these developments.
Uh, for the 5th century, of course, we have Herodotus and, uh, Thucydides, two Greek historiographers from Athens.
Thucydides being an Athenian, Herodotus at least living for some time in Athens, so you always have this Athenian perspective.
And both have written works on the major 5th century conflicts, uh, Herodotus on the Persian Wars, uh, Thucydides on the Peloponnesian War.
Herodotus at least delivers some information on this Cypriot revolt, and, uh, Thucydides sometimes mentions Cyprus, but, uh, we have to rely on later sources.
So, uh, he also had to rely on, uh, older sources which now are lost to us.
Ephorus was a historian from the 4th century, and, uh, we do not have, um, his works, only a few fragments.
And Diodorus, um, obviously compiled many information from the... from Ephorus, but Diodorus often confuses things.
So it's, uh, really difficult to, uh, get to the real thing behind Diodorus.
At least we have one famous text I think we will talk about later, uh, the bronze tablet of Idalion.
I think, uh, the 5th century is not only for you a little bit of a dark age.
It's, uh, really, uh, if you look at the written sources, it's, uh... we do not know much about Cyprus in the 5th century.
Uh, archaeological finds is another thing, but, uh, with the texts from antiquity, you do not have too many sources you can rely on if you want to, uh, speak about Cyprus in the 5th century, and you cannot establish really a narrative, I think.
Well, okay, so the, the years between the Cyprus revolts and the accession of, uh, Evagoras I, those are the years that are somewhat shrouded.
So w- what are the challenges for historians like yourself-
... uh, in piecing it together?
Um, you know, maybe you can talk to us a little about, about that first.
Um, the major problem for the reconstruction of any, um, uh, period of Cypriot history is also you have not many texts surviving that help understand these developments.
Uh, for the 5th century, of course, we have Herodotus and, uh, Thucydides, two Greek historiographers from Athens.
Thucydides being an Athenian, Herodotus at least living for some time in Athens, so you always have this Athenian perspective.
And both have written works on the major 5th century conflicts, uh, Herodotus on the Persian Wars, uh, Thucydides on the Peloponnesian War.
Herodotus at least delivers some information on this Cypriot revolt, and, uh, Thucydides sometimes mentions Cyprus, but, uh, we have to rely on later sources.
So, uh, he also had to rely on, uh, older sources which now are lost to us.
Ephorus was a historian from the 4th century, and, uh, we do not have, um, his works, only a few fragments.
And Diodorus, um, obviously compiled many information from the... from Ephorus, but Diodorus often confuses things.
So it's, uh, really difficult to, uh, get to the real thing behind Diodorus.
At least we have one famous text I think we will talk about later, uh, the bronze tablet of Idalion.
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