LAPATHUS
LAPATHUS,
LAPETHUS (
Λάπαθος,
Strab. xiv. p.682;
Λάπηθος,
Ptol. 5.14.4;
Plin. Nat. 5.31;
Ληπηθίς, Scyl. p.41;
,Λάπιθος Hierocl.: Eth.
Λαπηθεύς, Eth.
Λαπήθιος:
Lapitho,
Lapta), a town of Cyprus, the foundation of which was assigned to the Phoenicians (
Steph. B. sub voce and which, according to Nonnus
[p. 2.124]（
Dionys. 13.447), owed its name to the legendary Lapathus, a follower of Dionysus. Strabo (
l.c.) says that it received a Spartan colony, headed by Praxander.
He adds, that it was situated opposite to the town of Nagidus, in Cilicia, and possessed a harbour and docks.
It was situated in the N. of the island, on a river of the same name, with a district called LAPETHIA (
Λαπηθία, Ptol. 5.14.5).
In the war between Ptolemy and Antigonus, Lapathus, with its king Praxippus, sided with the latter. (
Diod. 19.59.)
The name of this place was synonymous with stupidity. (Suid. s. v.
Λαπάθιοι.) Pococke (
Trav. in the East, vol. ii. pt. l. p. 223) saw at
Lapitho several walls that were cut out of the rock, and one entire room, over the sea: there were also remains of some towers and walls. (Mariti,
Viaggi, vol. i. p. 125; Engel,
Kypros, vol. i. pp. 37, 78, 174, 224, 364, 507.)
[
E.B.J]
