Curium, Ancient City. History and Culture

The hill of Kourion, on which the ancient city was developed, is located 4 kilometers southwest of the village of Episkopi in Limassol. It is one of the most important archaeological sites of Cyprus and, according to Herodotus’ residential myth, it was founded by Achaeans who came from Argos in the Peloponnese. Archaeological finds from the neighboring hill of Pamboula place the arrival of the Achaeans on the site in the 13th and 12th centuries. e.g.

The oldest remains of the settlement in the wider area of ​​Kourion date from the Neolithic period (4500-3900 BC). On the hill of Kourion there are remains dating from the end of the classical period, most of the Hellenistic (325-50 BC) and mainly Roman (50-330 AD) and Early Christian (330-late) periods. 7th AD).

Systematic excavations at Curio began in 1933 with the University Museum of Pennsylvania and continued, with vacations, until 1954. In 1964 he began excavations at the Department of Antiquities. During the years 1974-1979 the American Mission of the Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies undertook the excavation of the Episcopal Early Christian Basilica. During the period 1980-1983, the American Mission of the Walters Art Gallery and the Universities of Missouri and Maryland excavated on Curry Hill. The Department of Antiquities has recently set up an archaeological park and a visitor center.

The most important monuments of Kourion are:

The Roman Agora: in its present form it is a building from the early 3rd century. AD, with additions of the Early Christian period. At the center of the market was a huge building, which was in use by the end of the 4th century. e.g. until the end of the Hellenistic period. The Roman market was surrounded on both sides by columns arcades. In its northwestern part was incorporated an imposing set of buildings, including bath complexes and a nymph, dating from at least the 1st century AD. These buildings have undergone various modifications and additions over time.

Achilles House: today only part of the house is preserved, on the southwestern side of the hill, next to the old Limassol-Paphos road. It is a Roman house of the 4th century. A.D. with central peristyle courtyard. Many of her rooms were adorned with mosaic floors. The most interesting of these is the mosaic depicting the scene where Achilles reveals his identity to Odysseus, who is disguised as a merchant, in the court of King Skyros Lycomedes. Excavators have speculated that this site served to accommodate high visitors.

The House of the Gladiators: Roman house, dating to the 3rd century. A.D. and is a few meters east of the “House of Achilles”. This house has a central courtyard surrounded by arcades and rooms of various uses. This building was destroyed by the earthquakes that struck Kourion in the 4th century. A.D. The house was named after the gladiator mosaics that adorned the central courtyard. Two shows are preserved today. The former depicts gladiator training, while the second depicts combat. The unobtrusive figure with the rich political environment depicted in the center is the referee of the duel. Of particular interest is the fact that in both shows the names of the protagonists are saved.

Curium: Theater. The Theater: is built on the south end of the hill. It was originally built in the 2nd century. BC, and during the 2nd century BC. A.D. expanded and took its present form. Around the end of the 2nd-early 3rd c. some modifications were made, such as the placement of a metal railing, to accommodate a popular sight of the time, the beast fights. In the hollow of the theater were the stands, which seats 3,500 spectators. The structure of the stage, rising behind the stage where the performances took place, mirrored the semicircular orchestra towards the sea. Today only the foundations of the scene are preserved. After its restoration, the theater is now used for cultural events.

Eustoli House: is in a dominant position at the southeast end of the hill. It is a monumental house, dating to the late 4th- early 5th century AD. It consists of many rooms, centered around two inner courtyards, and a cluster of baths. Of particular interest are the mosaic floors that cover most of the building. The inscriptions reveal the name of the owner of the house, Eustoli, as well as his Christian identity. It is worth noting that the inscriptions also mention Apollo, the oldest patron of Kourion.

This building appears to have been originally built as a palace house, which turned into a public place, a kind of club.

The Episcopal Early Christian Basilica: south of the Market are the remains of the large complex of a three-aisled Early Christian Basilica. This is the bishopric of Kourion. It was built in the early 5th century. AD, and in the 6th c. some modifications were made and new mosaic and marble floors were installed. In its western part, the basilica communicated, through the narthex, with a complex edifice containing the diaconate, where the offerings of the faithful were placed, and possibly the bishop’s home, the bishopric. To the north of the basilica there was the patio and the baptistery in the form of a small three-aisled basilica with a narthex. This basilica, like many others on the island, was destroyed around the middle of the 7th century due to the Arab invasions.

The Sanctuary of Apollo Ylatis: located about 2.5 km west of the site of the ancient city, along the old Limassol-Paphos road. It was one of the major religious centers of ancient Cyprus, and there Apollo was worshiped as the god of the forests (Hylates). It seems that Apollo’s worship in this area began as early as the 8th century BC. and continued until the 4th century AD. The site has undergone many extensions and transformations at different times.

The sanctuary is surrounded by a courtyard and the entrance in antiquity was made either by the Kourion Gate or by the Paphos Gate. Visitors followed the Sacred Road, heading south to north, and were led to the temple of Apollo. The temple has two phases: the oldest dates to the end of the classical or early Hellenistic period and the second phase to the 1st century. A.D. Then the temple is rebuilt in a different form. Part of this phase has been restored. The destruction and abandonment of the church dates to the end of the 4th century. A.D.

In archaic times the sanctuary was open air, with its enclosure and altar. The site of the archaic sanctuary was disturbed during the Roman period. There they found the remains of a circular cobblestone monument that could be used for processions or dances around a sacred tree garden.

To the southeast of the sanctuary is the palaestra: a central courtyard surrounded by colonnades, which was the area where the athletes trained. There are also Roman baths in the sanctuary. Both the baths and the palace are outside the main sanctuary.

The Stadium: located to the east of the sanctuary of Apollo Ylates. It was built in the 2nd century. A.D. and remained in use until the end of the 5th century. It has a horseshoe-shaped floor plan and three entrances. Part of the seats have been restored so that the visitor can see that there were 7 rows of seats above the level of the track. The stadium has a capacity of around 6,000 spectators.

The Little Basilica Outside the Walls: Just a short distance east of the stadium is a small three-aisled basilica with a narthex and peripheral patio. It was built around the end of the 5th century. A.D. In the middle of the patio there was a fountain that was destroyed by a subsequent limestone quarry. There, the marble architectural members of the basilica were converted to lime. On the north side of the basilica there was a small chapel. During the excavation of the basilica, an votive inscription was found on Demetra and Koris, dating from the 4th century BC. c. This suggests that there, or somewhere nearby, there may have been a sanctuary of Demeter and Daughter, associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries. This reminds us of the residential myth of Kourion, according to which the first settlers of the city were the Argians.

The Vassiliki Beach: As the name implies, it is located on the beach at the foot of the Acropolis of Kourion. It is a three-aisled basilica of the early 6th century. A.D. with a large patio. Its floors adorn multicolored mosaics with geometric motifs, while excavating revealed mosaic walls. After its destruction in the 7th century by Arab raids, the basilica was quickly covered with sand and forgotten. This saved almost all of its architectural members made of quilted marble. Due to its location and orientation, it is speculated that this basilica had something to do with the sea and possibly the port of Kourion.