Cyprus - Europhilex '02 Commemorative Issue

On the occasion of the preparation of Cyprus' accession to the European Union, the Cyprus Philatelic Society organisede, with financial support from the Department of Postal Services of the Ministry of Communications and Works, the Exhibition CYPRUS-EUROPHILEX 02 from 22 until 29 October 2002 in which all the countries of Europe participated. The Department of Postal Services will marked the Exhibition by issuing a special series of stamps with representations of the Myth of Europe from the Cyprus Antiquities. According to the Myth, Europe, daughter of the King of Phoenixia Aginoras, was kidnapped by Jupiter, who transformed himself in to a handsome white Bull and was carried through the ocean to Crete. Before the kidnapping, as Moshos says in his poem (2nd century BC) the Cypriot goddess Aphrodite sent a dream to princess Europe. In her dream Europe saw two women fighting over who would take her with her. The one was named Asia and the other had no name. The continent with no name won. For this reason she was called Europe. This minisheet is all about Aphrodite and her dream. My dear friend Merja sent it to me.