__NOTOC__ Lapathus, also recorded as Lapethus, Lepethis, and Lapithus, was an ancient Cypriot city-kingdom and town near present-day Lapithos and Karavas. Its origins were Phoenician and Greek.
Name Due to lack of evidence, researchers had not been sure whether the Phoenician name for the city was (with Teth) or (with Taw). Recent findings, such as inscriptions and coins with legends, provide the clear reading . The Greek and the Phoenician name record, each in its own way, a phoneme of a language prior to them both.
History
Pseudo-Scylax calls it a Phoenician city.Pseudo Scylax, Periplous, 2.103 Alexander of Ephesus states that Kition and Lapethos were founded by Belos.Stephanus of Byzantium, p.201, 41 Strabo mentions that it was founded as a Spartan colony headed by Praxander. He adds that it was situated opposite to the town of Nagidus in Cilicia and possessed a harbour and docks. Nonnus claimed the name derived from an eponymous Lapathus, a follower of Dionysus.Nonnus, Dionys. 13.447. It was situated in the north of the island, on a river of the same name and in a district called Lapethia (, Lapēthía).
The coins of the city from the 5th and 4th centuries BC record rulers of the city, in Phoenician: the first, , (shorted name), and the second. The coins of the first two depicted the head of Athena, and the coins of the last two depicted Athena standing and Heracles.
In the war between Ptolemy and Antigonus, Lapathus and its king Praxippus sided with the latter.
The Delphic Theorodokoi inscription records Lapethos among the Cypriot cities included in the Delphic network of sacred envoys.Delphic Theorodochoi Inscription (BCH45)
The name of the place became synonymous with stupidity.Suda s.v. Λαπάθιοι.
See also
Lapithos Larnakas tis Lapithou Anat Athena bilingual Larnakas tis Lapithou pedestal inscription
Notes
References Citations
Bibliography .