Marion, Cyprus

Marion was one of the ten city-kingdoms of ancient Cyprus, located near modern Polis in the northwest of the island. The city prospered from the Cypro-Archaic period onward, enriched by nearby copper and gold mines, and developed important trade connections with the East Aegean, Attica, and Corinth. In 312 BC, Marion was destroyed by Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt, and later Ptolemy II founded the successor city of Arsinoe nearby around 270 BC. Archaeological excavations begun by the Swedish Cyprus Expedition (1927-1931) and continued since 1983 by Princeton University have revealed tombs and artifacts illuminating ancient Cypriot daily life.