Πληροφορίες τοπωνυμίου

Morphou

ΜΟΡΦΟΥ (Αρχαία πόλη) ΚΥΠΡΟΣ
  On the NW coast, 6-7 km from the sea. Remains of an extensive settlement can be seen on both sides of the main Morphou-Myrtou road due N of the village of Morphou. On the evidence of surface finds the settlement can be dated from the archaic period down to Early Byzantine times. A necropolis with tombs ranging in date from the Geometric to the Hellenistic period extends W from Ambelia. The sites of both the settlement and the necropolis are now planted with orange trees.
  Nothing is known of the founding of this important settlement or of its ancient name. It succeeded the nearby Late Bronze Age settlement at Toumba tou Skourou. Rescue excavations, carried out in recent years, have brought to light the remains of a Hellenistic sanctuary probably dedicated to Aphrodite. It may be noted that at Sparta Aphrodite bore the epithet Morpho and that the Lakonians, the traditional founders of Lapethos (q.v.), may also have settled in the area of Morphou.
  From the necropolis at Ambelia come a funerary inscription of the 4th c. B.C. in the Cypriot syllabary and some pottery of the Geometric to the Hellenistic periods. An alphabetic inscription of the 3d c. B.C. honoring a Ptolemaic official and his family is also reported to have been found at Morphou. And on a marble sarcophagus of the early 3d c. A.D., now in the Church of Haghios Mamas at Morphou, is an epigram of Artemidoros in hexameter.
  The finds are in the Cyprus Museum, Nicosia.

K. Nicolaou, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites, Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.

• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Per...