CINYRAS (founder of Paphos)

Kinyras arrived in Cyprus with a group of people and was enriched with riches there.^1,5 He founded the city of Paphos in Cyprus.¹ Cinyras married Metharme, the daughter of the Cypriot king Pygmalion.¹ He was the father of Oxyporus and Adonis.^1,2,6,7 He also fathered daughters named Orsedice, Laogore, and Braesia.¹ Cinyras was the father of Laodice, who bore children to Elatus.⁸ He was the father of a woman who was an ancestor of Evagoras.⁹ He was the father of the maiden Myrrha.¹⁰

Cinyras asked his daughter which suitor she preferred as a husband.¹⁰ He repeated the names of the suitors to his daughter.¹⁰ He wiped the tears from his daughter's face and kissed her.¹⁰ Cinyras praised his daughter's answer without understanding its true meaning.¹⁰ He supposes Myrrha's tears are caused by virgin bashfulness.¹⁰ A nurse found Cinyras in a state of drunkenness and revealed a hidden passion to him.¹¹ Cinyras inquired about the age of a maiden mentioned by the nurse.¹¹ Cinyras commanded the nurse to bring the maiden to him.¹¹ He was deceived by a nurse who presented his daughter to him.¹² Cinyras discovered his daughter's identity after bringing in lights.¹² The daughter bids farewell to Cinyras before attempting to hang herself.¹³

When news of the Achaean fleet's departure for Troy reached Cyprus, Cinyras presented a breastplate to Agamemnon as a guest gift.^14,15 Menelaus, Odysseus, and Talthybius attempted to persuade Cinyras to join the allies.¹⁶ Cinyras swore he would send fifty ships to the alliance.¹⁶ Cinyras actually sent only one ship commanded by the son of Mygdalion.¹⁶ An oracle was given to Cinyras regarding his son Adonis.²

He might have been considered happy if he had not had children.¹⁷ The temple steps he embraces are described as having once been the limbs of his daughters.¹⁸ He is shown lying on stone and weeping in the embroidered scene.¹⁸