The village of Agios Tychonas, which lies on the border of the ruins of Ancient Amathus, boasts an interesting story behind its name, one that is connected to the course of this great kingdom many centuries ago.
Saint Tychonas was the Bishop of Amathus during the 4th century A.D., and he became known for the intense war he waged against pagan elements. According to his biography, he would enter pagan temples and destroy their altars and statues, including the statue of the goddess Aphrodite. He also baptized and converted many people to Christianity, among whom was the priestess of Artemidos.
The destruction of the statues was reported to the ruler of Cyprus, to whom Tychon apologized while preaching the Christian faith. Of course, the brutality with which he attached the pagan (‘Greek,’ as they were known at the time) temples is strongly condemned by modern-day historians.
The Kingdom of Ancient Amathus gradually began to lose its glory after the Roman period, and the battle between Christianity and the 12 gods of Olympus left its mark on the course of its decline. Today, we know that one of the 5 Christian basilicas excavated in the area had been built on the site of the Sanctuary of Aphrodite, using materials from the destroyed temple.
The oldest basilica is the cemetery basilica of Agios Tychonas, built outside of the walls, east of the city.
Amathus was repeatedly looted by raids, but the final blow was delivered by Richard the Lionheart, who conquered the island in 1191. That year, residents who survived the destruction formed a settlement that was named after the former Bishop of Amathus, Saint Tychonas.
Agios Tychonas and the village that was named after him, with a church dedicated to him in the center.* NOTE: The tributes of the Project "History of Limassol" present information that has emerged from historical research thus far. Any new data is embedded into the tributes, once it has been confirmed.
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