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- Title
Reconstructing the History of the Cypriot Maronites.
- Authors
Paturel, Simone
- Abstract
The origin of the Maronite community of Cyprus has long been a matter of debate amongst scholars, from Jerome Dandini in the sixteenth century to the present day. In this paper, I will raise four key questions concerning the traditional picture of Cypriot Maronite history. Firstly, did the Maronite community arrive on Cyprus to escape religious persecution in their homeland? Secondly, can we clearly identify the four waves of migration that the traditional history assumes and links with episodes of persecution of Maronites in their homeland? Thirdly, was the Maronite community in Cyprus purely agricultural or was it also involved in trade. Finally, the population of Maronites in Cyprus is supposed to have fallen dramatically between the twelfth century and the present day: this paper will ask how we can explain this and whether or not it was the result of mass conversion. The paper concludes that there is little evidence for four waves of migration to Cyprus following religious persecution and that economic migration is a more likely explanation for the movement of population. Maronites in Lebanon were heavily involved in the silk trade and with Maronite communities present in the cities of Cyprus as well as rural villages, so there is no reason to exclude the possibility of a merchant community. Evidence for population decline is less certain than previously supposed and mass conversion is not required to explain it.
- Subjects
LEBANON; CYPRUS; MARONITES; SYRIAC Christians; PERSECUTION; IMMIGRATION &; religion; ECONOMIC impact of emigration &; immigration; MARONITE monasticism &; religious orders; RELIGION; HISTORY
- Publication
Journal of Cyprus Studies, 2009, Vol 15, Issue 37, p19
- ISSN
1303-2925
- Publication type
Article