am pos ▁( pop : ▁ 5 3 ) ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁town ▁Cy par iss ia ▁() ▁was ▁already ▁mentioned ▁by ▁H omer ▁in ▁his ▁I li ad . ▁ ▁An cient ▁writers ▁took ▁note ▁of ▁Cy par iss ia ' s ▁beautiful ▁situation ▁upon ▁the ▁sides ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁off sh o ots ▁of ▁the ▁range ▁of ▁mountains , ▁which ▁run ▁along ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁M essen ian ▁coast . ▁Upon ▁the ▁narrow ▁sum mit ▁of ▁the ▁rocks ▁later ▁occupied ▁by ▁a ▁castle ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁stood ▁the ▁ancient ▁ac ropol is . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁har bour ▁upon ▁the ▁M essen ian ▁coast ▁north ▁of ▁P yl os ; ▁but ▁Le ake ▁remarks ▁that ▁the ▁road st ead ▁at ▁Cy par iss ia ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁best ▁on ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁coast ; ▁and ▁in ▁ancient ▁times ▁the ▁town ▁probably ▁possessed ▁an ▁artificial ▁har bour , ▁since ▁traces ▁of ▁a ▁mole ▁may ▁still ▁be ▁seen ▁upon ▁the ▁sea - sh ore . ▁This ▁was ▁probably ▁constructed ▁on ▁the ▁rest oration ▁of ▁Mess ene ▁by ▁Ep amin ond as ; ▁for ▁it ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁provide ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁state ▁with ▁a ▁port , ▁and ▁no ▁spot ▁was ▁so ▁suitable ▁for ▁this ▁object ▁as ▁Cy par iss ia . ▁Hence ▁we ▁find ▁Mess ene ▁and ▁the ▁har bour ▁Cy par iss ia ▁mentioned ▁together ▁by ▁S cy lax ▁P aus an ias ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁a ▁temple ▁of