Editing Cinyras (section)

=== Trojan War ===
In the earliest testimony for this character in ancient Greek literature (the account of [[Homer]]), Cinyras was a ruler on [[Cyprus]] who gave a [[corselet]] to [[Agamemnon]] as a guest-gift when he heard that the Greeks were planning to sail to Troy.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' 11.20–23</ref> [[Eustathius of Thessalonica|Eustathius]] in his commentary on this passage relates that Cinyras promised assistance to Agamemnon, but did not keep his word: having promised to send fifty ships, he actually sent only one commanded by the son of [[Mygdalion]], while the rest were sculpted from earth, with figures of men (also made of earth) imitating the crew. He was cursed by Agamemnon and subsequently punished by [[Apollo]], who beat him in a musical contest (similar to that between Apollo and [[Marsyas]], to see who was a better musician with a [[lyre]]) and killed him, whereupon Cinyras' fifty daughters threw themselves into the sea and were changed into sea birds (alcyones).<ref>[[Eustathius of Thessalonica|Eustathius]] on ''Iliad'' p. 87; cf. also scholia on the same passage</ref>