Soli, Cyprus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Soli or Soloi (Greek: Σόλοι) is an ancient city on the island of Cyprus, located south-west of Morphou and on the coast in the gulf of Morphou. It dates back to about the 6th century BC, and was one of the ten city-kingdoms into which Cyprus was divided at the time.

What remains today is mainly from the Roman period, most notably the mosaic floor of the basilica with its wealth of birds, animals and geometric designs and a picture of a swan. There is a theatre but it has been restored so much that it no longer has any atmosphere of its original age.

The dialect of the colonists of Soloi was considered uncultured by the Athenians, who used σολοικος to refer to incorrect speech, hence the English word solecism.^[1]

Famous people from Soli:

• Nicocles, son of Pasicrates, who accompanied Alexander to India (Arrian, Indica 18.8).
• Stasanor, 4th century BC general of Alexander the Great and later governor of Drangiana, Bactria and Sogdiana, following the settlement of Triparadeisos (Arrian, Successors 35).
• Hiero of Soloi, who was sent by Alexander to circumnavigate the Arabian peninsula, and went as far as the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
• Clearchos of Soloi, 4th century BC peripatetician philosopher, thought to have been to Alexandria on the Oxus, in Bactria.

[edit] References

1. ^ (1988) Robert K. Barnhart: Chambers Dictionary of Etymology. New York: Chambers Harrap. ISBN 0-550-14230-4.