Culture grecque et tradition orientale à Paphos

Abstract

Paphos (Palaepaphos), since the beginning of its history, appears like a place divided between the Greek world and the oriental world. An important discovery made recently in the Paphos necropolis, a sculpted polychrome sarcophagus representing mythological scenes, is beyond its artistic value for Cypriot art, an exceptional piece because of the fields of studies it arouses. In fact, the iconography of the sarcophagus allows a new approach to such sensitive domains as religious ideology and the policy of a Classical Cypriot kingdom. At the same time, it brings us to examine the place of Paphos as a cultural centre during the Classical period, as well as its role in the transmission of Greek culture on the island and the adaptation of Greek models in local art through an oriental artistic tradition, which also remains very strong in the city.