Demonassa – The True Story of an Ill-Fated Queen of Cyprus

Abstract

This article examines the probable roots and origins of the legend about Demonassa, the unknown queen of Cyprus. The story is told solely in the discourse Peri Tyches by Favorinus of Arelete and seems to be a rhetorical exemplum invented by the author. The detailed analysis of the individual parts of the story presents its complexity and eclectic character.