Nea Paphos in Graeco-Roman Times
Nea Paphos is a popular site among archaeologists seeking insights into Cyprus’s rich historical past. At various times, the island was occupied by the Mycenaean Greeks , the Assyrians, the Persians, the Egyptians, the Romans, and the Ottoman Empire .
Cyprus is strategically located in the eastern Mediterranean, and made an attractive target for Middle Eastern, southern European, and Western Asian powers looking to control the sea lanes in the region. Consequently, it has produced archaeological finds from multiple cultures and empires.
At the time when the temple complex on Fabrica Hill was built, Nea Paphos had assumed its identity as a Graeco-Roman city. After Alexander the Great conquered the island in 333 BC, Cyprus remained under the authority of the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt until the year 58 BC. The island was then acquired by the Roman Republic, and it remained under Roman Empire or Eastern Roman ( Byzantine) Empire rule until