AMATHUS

ancient city located near Limassol, Cyprus, among sandy hills and sand dunes, which may explain its name (Greek amathos, sand). Founded by the Phoenicians (c. 1500 BC), Amathus maintained strong sympathies with the Phoenician mainland and refused to join various Cypriot revolts against Persia. When the rest of Cyprus was annexed to Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great, Amathus resisted annexation. It derived its wealth from grain and from copper mines. Its temple of Adonis and Aphrodite was famous in Roman times, hence the Latin epithet Amathusia applied to Venus. The city still flourished in the 7th century AD but was almost deserted by the 12th century.