kingdom · Greece and the Aegean

Kingdom of Lapethos

1000 BCE – 312 BCE (approx.) · capital Lapethos

North Cypriot kingdom where Phoenician kings ruled a Greek population in the Classical age, until Ptolemy I deposed the last king in 312 BCE.

Origins

Lapethos lay on the north coast of Cyprus near modern Lambousa, facing Anatolia. Greek tradition said it was founded by Praxandros from Laconia after the Trojan War. A city-kingdom by the 7th century BCE, it had close ties with the Phoenician coast.

Rule and society

In the 5th and 4th centuries BCE Lapethos was ruled by a dynasty with Phoenician names, such as Sidqmelek, who issued coins with Phoenician legends; Phoenician inscriptions from the town honour Melqart and other gods. The economy rested on farming, fishing and trade, and the city had a good harbour.

Decline and legacy

Its last king, Praxippos, supported Antigonus against Ptolemy I, who removed him in 312 BCE and annexed the kingdom. Lapethos continued as a Ptolemaic and Roman town, later called Lambousa, abandoned after Arab raids in the 7th century CE.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Lapethos. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-lapethos
MLA
“Kingdom of Lapethos.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-lapethos. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Lapethos.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-lapethos.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Lapethos’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-lapethos (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻