Lemesos: A History of Limassol in Cyprus from Antiquity to the Ottoman Conquest eds. by Angel Nicolaou-Konnari and Chris Schabel (review)

Abstract

This extensive volume is exemplary in terms of its structure, content, and editorial adequacy. It takes a sound academic approach to the history of one of the most important cities of the eastern Mediterranean, one that played a special role in the development of the region during the Middle Ages. Six scholars describe Limassol’s history from prehistoric times to the conquest of Cyprus by the Ottomans, presenting much hitherto unknown information. Antoine Hermary, emeritus professor of the University of AixenProvence, who was for many years the head of the excavations of the French archaeological mission at Amathus, Cyprus, makes a comprehensive analysis of the history of that city from the eleventh century BC to the seventh century AD, when the city was abandoned because of Arab raids. He presents Amathus as the predecessor city of Limassol — the latter evolved into a major city only after the decline and the abandonment of Amathus, as was the case with Palepaphos and Paphos, Engomi and Salamis, as well as other cities of Cyprus that succeeded more ancient predecessors. To begin, Hermary surveys the topography of the ancient city and makes a short presentation of the history of the successive excavations of the French mission under Melchior Vogue in 1862, the excavations of Luigi Palma di Cesnola around 1875, the excavation in the necropolis by a mission of the British Museum in 1893 – 94, and finally the excavation of the Swedish archaeological mission under Einar Gjerstad in 1930. Hermary then focuses on the excavation of the acropolis by the archaeological mission of the French School of Athens under the supervision initially of Pierre Aupert and