Abstract

In ancient Cyprus no one could have hesitated to point out the spot in question. But in the present day we have nothing to guide us except a hint of the famous Καινὴ ἰστορία of Ptolemy Hephaestion, as recorded by Photius in chap. cxc of the Myriobiblos.The mythographer deals in the seventh book with the Λευκὰς πέτρα which had the miraculous power of curing those who, when afflicted with love, dared to jump from it. It was this extreme remedy that Apollo counselled to Aphrodite, disconsolate at the death of Adonis: Μετὰ τὸνΑδώνιδός φασι θάνατον περιερχομένη καὶ ζητοῦσα ἡ Αφροδίτη εὖρεν αὐτὸνἐν Αργει πόλει τῆς Κύπρον ἐν τῷ τοῦ ἐριθίου Απόλλωνος ἰερῷ καὶ ἀνείλεναὐτόνWhereabouts in Cyprus was this πόλις Αργος? None of the ancient geographers tells us, and, so far as I know, no modern scholar has elucidated this point. All of them mention ᾿´Αργος among the towns in Cyprus not yet identified.A short while ago I expressed the opinion (in ᾿Αθηνᾶ vol. xviii, p. 343) that this ᾿´Αργος was ᾿´Αρσος and I now explain the reasons which appear to me sufficient to justify my conjecture.

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