Evagoras I facts for kids
Evagoras (pronounced Ee-VAG-or-as) was a famous king of Salamis, an ancient city on the island of Cyprus. He ruled from 411 to 374 BC. Many people, including a writer named Isocrates, thought he was a great leader and a good example for others to follow.
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Evagoras: King of Salamis
Early Life and Rise to Power
Evagoras believed his family came from Teucer, a legendary hero from ancient Greece. His family had ruled Salamis for many years. However, when Evagoras was a child, the city of Salamis was taken over by the Phoenicians, who were a powerful group from the Middle East. This forced Evagoras to leave his home.
While he was away in a place called Cilicia, Evagoras gathered a small group of 50 loyal friends. In 410 BC, he secretly returned to Salamis. With the help of his followers, he managed to take back the throne and become king.
Building Alliances
Evagoras knew that the powerful Persian Empire might try to take control of Cyprus again. To prepare for this, he decided to make friends with the Athenians, who were strong allies. After the Athenian general Conon faced a big defeat in a battle, Evagoras offered him a safe place to stay.
For a while, Evagoras also kept good relations with Persia. He even convinced the Persian king, Artaxerxes II, to help Athens in its fight against Sparta. Evagoras played a key role in the Battle of Cnidus in 394 BC. He provided many ships and resources, which helped defeat the Spartan fleet. Because of his help, the Athenians honored him by placing his statue next to Conon's.
Facing the Persian Empire
Over time, the relationship between Evagoras and the Persians became difficult. By 391 BC, they were almost constantly at war. With help from the Athenians and the Egyptian king Hakor, Evagoras expanded his rule. He took control of most of Cyprus and even captured several cities in Phoenicia, including Tyre. He also encouraged people in Cilicia to rebel against Persia.
However, a peace treaty called the Peace of Antalcidas was signed in 387 BC. Evagoras refused to agree to it because it said that Persia had control over Cyprus. Because of this treaty, Athens stopped supporting Evagoras. For the next few years, Evagoras fought the Persians mostly on his own, with only occasional help from Egypt, which also felt threatened by Persia.
While Evagoras was in Egypt seeking more help, his younger son, Pnytagoras, was in charge of Salamis. In 385 BC, two Persian generals, Tiribazus and Orontes, invaded Cyprus with a huge army. Evagoras cleverly cut off their supplies, causing the Persian troops to run out of food and rebel.
But the war turned against Evagoras when his fleet was destroyed in the Battle of Citium. He had to escape back to Salamis. Even though he was surrounded, Evagoras managed to defend his city. He used a disagreement between the two Persian generals to make peace in 376 BC. Evagoras was allowed to remain king of Salamis, but he had to become a vassal of Persia, meaning he was under their rule and had to pay them a yearly tribute.
The exact timeline of the end of his reign is not fully clear. In 374 BC, Evagoras was killed by someone who had a personal grudge against him. His son, Nicocles, became the next king.
His Legacy
The writer Isocrates praised Evagoras greatly. He described him as a perfect ruler who wanted to improve his state and help his people. Isocrates said that Evagoras encouraged Greek culture and civilization. He even claimed that many people moved from Greece to Cyprus because Evagoras was such a good ruler.
Other historical writers, like Diodorus Siculus and Xenophon, also wrote about Evagoras. While they didn't praise him as much as Isocrates, they still recognized his importance.
Cypriots were Greeks and spoke a Greek dialect, but they used an older, more complex writing system called the Cypriot syllabary. Evagoras is known for being a pioneer in bringing the simpler Greek alphabet to Cyprus, replacing the older system.
See also
In Spanish: Evágoras I para niños
