Publisher's Synopsis
Cyprus in antiquity was known as the island of Aphrodite, by virtue of the myth of her birth on the western coast and also the geographical and natural beauty of the island. However, following the arrival of Christianity and its flourishing it became known as the island of the saints. This is due to the countless number of saints the island continually produces even in the modern world. In this study, I will be exploring the tradition of the so-called Alamanoi, a group of 300 saints, who arrived on Cyprus from the east. Who are these saints and what exactly is their origin? Where were they active and venerated? What are the sources which testify about them and how reliable are these? When, how and why the legend of the Alamanoi saints was created? What does this legend reveal about medieval Cypriot identity? These are some questions we attempt to answer.MEDIEVAL HISTORY,
HAGIOGRAPHY,
HISTORY OF CYPRUS,
BYZANTINE HAGIOGRAPHY,
BYZANTINE AND MEDIEVAL CYPRUS (HISTORY AND ART),
HAGIOGRAPHY OF THE LATE BYZANTINE PERIOD (1204-1453).,
CYPRUS HAGIOGRAPHY
