Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean and in antiquity was rich in natural resources, including its namesake copper, and a major economic and cultural nexus of exchange. This thematic history of the island from the fourth through seventh centuries CE draws on written, archaeological, and environmental evidence to demonstrate the uniqueness of Cyprus as a locus of Mediterranean connectivity and a compelling case study in the historiography of late antiquity.

In this book, Young Richard Kim presents a series of historiographical experiments that use Cyprus to reconsider the development and contours of the field of late antiquity, showing how scholars deploy a diverse range of methodologies to make sense of this period of profound change. In so doing, he presents an island, its people, and their culture in a time of transition and transformation.