(
1. King of Salamis in Cyprus. He was sprung from a family which claimed descent from Teucer,
the reputed founder of Salamis; and his ancestors appear to have been during a long period the
hereditary rulers of that city under the supremacy of Persia. They had, however, been expelled
(at what period we are not told) by a Phoenician exile, who obtained the sovereignty for
himself, and transmitted it to his descendants : one of these held it at the time of the birth
of Evagoras, the date of which there is no means of fixing with any degree of accuracy; but he
appears to have been grown up, though still a young man, when one Abdymon, a native of
Cittium, conspired against the tyrant, put him to death, and established himself in his place.
After this the usurper sought to apprehend Evagoras, probably from jealousy of his hereditary
claim to the government, but the latter made his escape to Cilicia, and, having there
assembled a small band of followers, returned secretly to Salamis, attacked the tyrant in his
palace, overpowered his guards, and put him to death. (Isocr. Evag. pp.
191-195; Phot.
p. 120a.; Evag. pp.
197-198.) He at the same time greatly increased the power of his subject city, and
strengthened his own resources, specially by the formation of a powerful fleet. Such was his
position in Evag. p.
199e.; Evag. pp. 199, 200; Phot. p. 44b.) For this distinguished service a statue of Evagoras was set
up by the Evag. p. 200c.)
We have very imperfect information concerning the relation in which Evagoras stood to the
king of Persia in the early part of his reign; but it seems probable that he was regarded from
the first with suspicion: the tyrants whom he had succeeded are particularly spoken of as
friendly to Persia (Phot. p. 44b.) that his quarrels with one of the other petty states of
Cyprus had already called for the interference of the great king before the battle of Cnidus.
The chronology of the succeeding events is also very obscure; but the most consistent view of
the matter appears to be that derived from Theopompus (apud Phot. p.
120a.), that Artaxerxes had previously determined to make war upon Evagoras, and had even
commenced his preparations, but was unable to engage with vigour in the enterprise until after
the peace of Antalcidas (F. H. vol. ii. p. 280; and comp. Isocr. Panegyr. p. 70a.; Evag. p. 201.) At length, however,
a great fleet and army were assembled under the command of Tiribazus and Orontes, and Evagoras
having ventured to oppose them with very inferior forces was totally defeated; all the rest of
Cyprus fell into the hands of the satraps, and Evagoras himself was shut up within the walls
of Salamis. But the Persian generals seem to have been unable to follow up their advantage,
and notwithstanding this blow the war was allowed to linger for some years. The dissensions
between his two adversaries at length proved the safety of Evagoras : Tiribazus was recalled
in consequence of the intrigues of Orontes, and the latter hastened to conclude a peace with
the Cyprian monarch, by which he was allowed to retain un controlled possession of Salamis,
with the title of king. (Phot. p. 120a.; Isocr. Evag. p. 201, Panegyr.
p. 70.) This war, which is said to have lasted ten yeas in all, was brought to a close in
F. H. vol. ii. pp. 278-281.) Evagoras survived it above ten years. He was
assassinated in 374, together with his eldest son Pnytagoras, by an eunuch named Thrasydaeus ;
but the murder was caused by revenge for a private injury, and he seems to have been succeeded
without opposition by his son Nicocles. (Theopomp. apud Phot. p. 120a,
b.; Arist. Pol. 5.10 ; ad loc.) Our knowledge of the character and administration of
Evagoras is derived mainly from the oration of Isocrates in his praise, addressed to his son
Nicocles; but this is written in a style of undistinguishing panegyric, which must lead us to
receive its statements with great caution.