what is Cypriot literature?
Cyprus has quite a surprising, multilingual literature, progressing by interesting, quite unpredictable bonds from the Antiquity, through the Middle Ages, to early modernity and beyond.
The oldest Cypriot literature is inaugurated in the late 7th century by the semi-legendary poet Stasinus; unfortunately, his epic poem Cypria is lost. Nonetheless, what survived to our times is the oldest stock of Cypriot ideas are connected with the founder of Stoicism as a school of philosophy, Zeno of Citium.
Later on, Cyprus participated in the history of early Christianity, contributing to the Acts of the Apostles. All along Middle Ages, various Christian authors of the Byzantine circles, such as Leontios of Neapolis (7th c.) and the Patriarch Gregory II (13th c.) were coming from the island.
Originally, the language of Cyprus was Greek, yet the situation changed with the Frankish rule in the crusader Kingdom of Cyprus (1192-1489). The medieval chronicles of the kingdom, although still kept in Greek by Leontios Makhairas and Georgios Boustronios, reveal a strong Romance influence. Later on, there was also a Venetian Cyprus where most of the Othello took place.
The modern history of writing on Cyprus is divided between Greek, Turkish, and other languages such as English (illustrated by Lawrence Durrell's Bitter Lemons). A curiosity is also a Cypriot Armenian contribution, represented by the contemporary writer Nora Nadjarian.
The oldest Cypriot literature is inaugurated in the late 7th century by the semi-legendary poet Stasinus; unfortunately, his epic poem Cypria is lost. Nonetheless, what survived to our times is the oldest stock of Cypriot ideas are connected with the founder of Stoicism as a school of philosophy, Zeno of Citium.
Later on, Cyprus participated in the history of early Christianity, contributing to the Acts of the Apostles. All along Middle Ages, various Christian authors of the Byzantine circles, such as Leontios of Neapolis (7th c.) and the Patriarch Gregory II (13th c.) were coming from the island.
Originally, the language of Cyprus was Greek, yet the situation changed with the Frankish rule in the crusader Kingdom of Cyprus (1192-1489). The medieval chronicles of the kingdom, although still kept in Greek by Leontios Makhairas and Georgios Boustronios, reveal a strong Romance influence. Later on, there was also a Venetian Cyprus where most of the Othello took place.
The modern history of writing on Cyprus is divided between Greek, Turkish, and other languages such as English (illustrated by Lawrence Durrell's Bitter Lemons). A curiosity is also a Cypriot Armenian contribution, represented by the contemporary writer Nora Nadjarian.
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