Mercenaries. Cypriots abroad and foreigners in Cyprus before the Hellenistic period

International audienceAmong the vectors of cultural interaction, mercenary activities are particularly well documented in the ancient Mediterranean. Epigraphic evidence concerns Cypriot mercenaries abroad but also foreign mercenaries in Cyprus, especially but not exclusively during the Hellenistic period. Before the end of the 4th century, Cypriots servingas mercenaries are documented in the Near East and in Egypt in literary sources, administrative texts and inscriptions. Foreign soldiers in Cyprus are sporadically attested before the second part of the Classical period, but their number increases during the 4th century. A turning point seems to be represented by the Cypriot War, during which Evagoras I opposed the Great King and his allies