“Vakaenda Kupro Nechikepe”

NDIWO matangiro anoita bhuku raMabasa nhoroondo yaro yezviitiko zvevaKristu vaiva mamishinari Pauro, Bhanabhasi, naJohani Mako pavakashanyira Kupro munenge muna 47 C.E. (Mabasa 13:4) Panguva iyoyo, sezvachiri nanhasi, chitsuwa cheKupro chaiva nechinzvimbo chinokosha chaizvo muMediterranean yokumabvazuva.

VaRoma vakachiva chitsuwa chacho, uye chakava pasi poutongi hwavo muna 58 B.C.E. Zvisati zvadaro, chitsuwa cheKupro chaiva nenhoroondo inonakidza. Chakadzorwa nevaFenikiya, vaGiriki, vaAsiriya, vaPezhiya, nevaIjipiti. Varwi vechiKristu, vanhu vokuWest Germany, vanhu vokuItaly vakavamowo munguva yokuma500 C.E. kusvika kuma1500 C.E., ndokuzoteverwa nevokuTurkey. Muna 1914 Britain yakatora chitsuwa chacho ndokuchitonga kusvika chazosununguka muna 1960.

Panguva ino kushanya ndiko kunonyanya kupa mari chitsuwa ichi, asi munguva yaPauro Kupro yainge yakapfuma nezviwanikwa, zvakatorwa nevaRoma kuti vapfumise Roma. Mhangura ndiyo yakatanga kuwanikwa pachitsuwa chacho, uye zvinofungidzirwa kuti pakazopera utongi hweRoma, matani 250 000 emhangura akanga acherwa ipapo. Zvisinei, indasitiri yakatora nzvimbo yakakura yemasango nechinangwa chokunyungudutsa mhangura. Panguva  yakazosvika Pauro, masango akawanda echitsuwa chacho akanga atsakatika.

Kupro Ichitongwa nevaRoma

Maererano neEncyclopædia Britannica, Ijipiti yakapiwa Kupro naJulius Caesar uye pashure pacho naMark Antony. Zvisinei, pakutonga kwaAugustus, yakadzokerazve kuvaRoma uye yaitongwa—nomudzori woruwa, uyo aimiririra vaRoma zvakananga—semanyorerwo azvakaitwa zvakarurama naRuka, munyori webhuku raMabasa. Pauro paakaparidzira ikoko, Segiyo Paurosi ndiye aiva mudzori woruwa.—Mabasa 13:7.

Pax Romana, rugare urwo vaRoma vakamanikidzira kuti ruve munyika dzakawanda, rwakakurudzira kuwedzera kwemigodhi nemaindasitiri muKupro, zvichiita kuti kutengeserana kuwedzere. Imwe mari yakawanikwa nokuvapo kwemauto eRoma nevanhu vaiuya kunzvimbo tsvene kuzonamata Aphrodite, mwari airemekedzwa wechitsuwa chacho. Somugumisiro, migwagwa mitsva, zviteshi zvechikepe, uye zvivako zvevanhu vose zvoumbozha zvakavakwa. ChiGiriki chakaramba chiri mutauro unonyanya kushandiswa pazvinhu zvizhinji, uye—pamwe namambo weRoma—Aphrodite, Apollo, naZeus vainamatwa nevanhu vakawanda. Vanhu vairarama muumbozha uye vaiva noupenyu hwakasiyana-siyana hunofadza.

Izvi ndozvakanga zviripo Pauro paakasvika muKupro achidzidzisa vanhu nezvaKristu. Zvisinei, chiKristu chakasvika kuKupro Pauro asati asvikako. Nhoroondo yaMabasa inotiudza kuti pashure pokufa kwaStefani, munhu wokutanga kufira chiKristu, vamwe vevaKristu vekare vakatizira kuKupro. (Mabasa 11:19) Bhanabhasi, shamwari yaPauro aiva wokuKupro, uye sezvo ainyatsoziva chitsuwa chacho, hapana mubvunzo kuti akatungamirira Pauro zvakanakisisa murwendo urwu rwokuparidza.—Mabasa 4:36; 13:2.

Kudzokorora Nzendo dzaPauro

Hazvisi nyore kudzokorora nzendo dzaPauro paakafamba muKupro. Zvisinei, vanochera matongo vanenge vane karuzivo nezvenzira dzakanaka chaizvo dzaishandiswa munguva yevaRoma. Nemhaka yezvakaita chitsuwa chacho, kunyange migwagwa mikuru yemazuva ano ingangove yakagadzirwa ichitevedza migwagwa yakashandiswa nemamishinari ekare iwayo.

Pauro, Bhanabhasi, naJohani Mako vakafamba nechikepe kubva kuSerukiya kuenda kuchiteshi cheSaramisi. Nei vakaenda Saramisi, nepo guta guru uye chiteshi chengarava chikuru zvakanga zviri kuPafosi? Kutanga, chiteshi cheSaramisi chaiva kumhenderekedzo yokumabvazuva, makiromita 200 bedzi kubva kuSerukiya, panyika. Kunyange zvazvo chiteshi cheSaramisi chakatsiviwa pakuva guta guru nePafosi, pakudzora kwevaRoma, chakaramba chiri nzvimbo yezvetsika, dzidzo, nezvokutengeserana yechitsuwa chacho. Chiteshi cheSaramisi chakanga chiine vaJudha vakawanda uye mamishinari akatanga “kuzivisa shoko raMwari mumasinagogi evaJudha.”—Mabasa 13:5.

Nhasi, matongo eSaramisi ndiwo angosara bedzi. Kunyange zvakadaro, zvakawanikwa pakuchera matongo zvinopupurira mukurumbira nepfuma  zvaimbova nechiteshi chacho. Musika wacho, musimboti wezvematongerwe enyika nezvechitendero, ndiwo une mukurumbira wokuti zvimwe ndiwo musika weRoma mukuru kupfuura mimwe yose yati yambocherwa munharaunda yeMediterranean. Matongo acho, anotangira munguva yaAugustus Caesar, anoonesa uriri hwakagadzirwa nemabwe emavara akasiyana-siyana, dzimba dzokurovedzera muviri, nzvimbo dzinoshamisa dzokugezera, nhandare, nhandare yakavakirirwa yemitambo, makuva emachinda, neimwe nhandare hombe chaizvo yaigara vanhu vanokwana 15 000! Nechepedyo pane matongo etemberi hombe yaZeus.

Asi Zeus haana kugona kudzivirira kuti Saramisi isaparadzwe nokudengenyeka. Kudengenyeka kukuru kwakaitika muna 15 B.C.E. kwakaparadza chikamu chikuru cheSaramisi, kunyange zvazvo chakazovakwazve naAugustus. Chakaparadzwa muna 77 C.E., nokudengenyeka kwepasi, chikavakwazve. Muzana remakore rechina, Saramisi yakaparadzwa nokudengenyeka kwepasi kunotevedzana, uye haina kuzombova nomukurumbira wayo wekare. Pakazosvika Nguva yokuma500 C.E. kusvika kuma1500 C.E., chiteshi chayo chengarava chakanga chazara nejecha uye chisisashandiswi.

Kuti vanhu veSaramisi vakaita sei pane zvavakaparidzirwa naPauro, hazvitaurwi. Asi Pauro aifanira kunoparidzirawo kune dzimwe nzvimbo. Paakabva muSaramisi, mamishinari aya aigona kusarudza imwe yenzira huru nhatu: imwe yokuenda nokumhenderekedzo yokuchamhembe, vachiyambuka mudungwerungwe wemakomo eKyrenia; imwe yokuenda nokumavirira vachiyambuka mapani eMesaoria nepakati pachitsuwa chacho; uye yechitatu yokuenda nokumhenderekedzo yokumaodzanyemba.

Vanotaura vanoti Pauro akaenda nenzira yechitatu. Inopfuura nomuminda yakaorera ine ivhu dzvuku. Nzira yacho inosvika muguta reLarnaca, anenge makiromita 50 nechokumavirira, yobva yazonanga kuchamhembe nechomukati menyika.

“Nomuchitsuwa Chose”

Nokukurumidza mugwagwa mukuru waizosvika kuguta reLedra. Nhasi panzvimbo iyi pakavakirwa Nicosia, rinova ndiro guta guru. Uchapupu hwose hweguta rekare hwakanyangarika. Asi muzana remakore rechi16, rusvingo rweVenice rwaipoterera pakati peguta reNicosia paiva nomugwagwa waiva nezita rokuti Ledra Street. Kuti Pauro akasvika kuLedra kana kuti haana, hatizivi. Bhaibheri rinongotiudza kuti vakapfuura “nomuchitsuwa chose.” (Mabasa 13:6) Bhuku rinonzi The Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible  Lands rinoti “zvimwe kutaura uku kunoreva kutenderera nzanga dzose dzechiJudha dzomuKupro.”

Zvechokwadi Pauro aifarira kutaura nevanhu vakawanda muKupro sevaaikwanisa. Saka, angangove akaenda nenzira yokumaodzanyemba achibva muLedra ndokupfuura nomuAmathus neKourion—maguta makuru ainge akabudirira aigara vanhu vakawanda.

Guta reKourion rainge rakavakirwa panzvimbo yakakwirira rakafuratira mawere anodzika semadziro kundosvika kumahombekombe aiva pasi. Iri guta revaRoma nevaGiriki rainge rakanaka chaizvo rakaparadzwawo nokudengenyeka kwepasi kwakaparadza Saramisi muna 77 C.E. Mune masvingo etemberi yainge yakatsaurirwa kuna Apollo yomuna 100 C.E. Nhandare yacho yaigona kukwana vanhu 6 000. Mararamiro oumbozha evazhinji vomuKourion anogona kuonekwa nemabwe emavara akasiyana-siyana aishongedza kunyange misha yevanhuwo zvavo.

Kuenda kuPafosi

Kubva kuKourion nzira ine zvokuona zvakawanda inonanga nokumavirira yokwidza nomunyika inorimwa mazambiringa, kusvikira yave kuzvongonyoka ichidzika mawere anonosvika mumahombekombe azere nehurungudo. Maererano nengano dzechiGiriki, panzvimbo iyi ndipo pakabuda mwarikadzi Aphrodite mugungwa achangozvarwa.

Aphrodite ndiye mwari wevaGiriki akanga akakurumbira kwazvo muKupro uye ainamatwa chaizvo kutozosvikira muzana remakore rechipiri C.E. Muzinda wokunamatwa kwaAphrodite waiva muPafosi. Matsutso oga oga kwaiva nomutambo mukuru waiitwa imomo vachimukudza. Vanoenda kunzvimbo tsvene vachibva kuAsia Minor, Ijipiti, Girisi, uye kure sokuPersia vaiuya kuPafosi kumitambo iyi. Apo Kupro yaitongwa nevatongi vokuIjipiti, vagari vokuKupro vakajairana nokunamatwa kwavanaFarao.

Pafosi ndiro raiva guta guru reKupro yeRoma uye ndimo maigara mudzori woruwa rwacho, uye ndimo maigadzirwa mari yemhangura. Nairowo rakaparadzwa nokudengenyeka kwepasi kwomuna 15 B.C.E., uye sezvakaitwa kuSaramisi, Augustus akapa mari yokuti guta racho rivakwezve. Kucherwa kwaro kwakaratidza mararamiro oumbozha noupfumi hwaivamo muPafosi muzana remakore rokutanga—migwagwa yakafara, dzimba dzakashongedzwa, zvikoro zvemimhanzi, dzimba nenhandare zvemitambo.

Iri ndiro guta rePafosi rakashanyirwa naPauro, Bhanabhasi, naJohani Mako, uye muguta rino umo mudzori woruwa Segiyo Paurosi—“murume akachenjera”—“akada kunzwa shoko raMwari nemwoyo wose” pasinei nokushorwa zvakasimba nomuroyi ainzi Erimasi. Uyu mudzori woruwa aka“shamiswa nokudzidzisa kwaJehovha.”—Mabasa 13:6-12.

Apedza basa rawo rokuparidzira zvinobudirira muKupro, mamishinari aya akaenda kunoita basa rawo muAsia Minor. Rwendo rwokutanga rwoumishinari urwu rwakaitwa naPauro rwaikosha pakupararira kwechiKristu chechokwadi. Bhuku rinonzi St. Paul’s Journeys in the Greek Orient rinodana rwendo urwu kuti “kutanga chaiko kwebasa rechiKristu uye . . . kwebasa raPauro roumishinari.” Rinowedzera kuti: “Sezvo Kupro yakanga iri panosangana migwagwa inobva kugungwa ichipinda muSiria, Asia Minor, neGirisi, zvaingova pachena kuti ndipo paifanira kutanga umishinari.” Asi kwaingova kutanga. Mazana emakore makumi maviri gare gare, basa remamishinari echiKristu richiri kuenderera mberi, zvinogona kutaurwa zvechokwadi kuti mashoko oUmambo hwaJehovha chaizvoizvo asvika “kurutivi rwuri kure zvikuru rwepasi.”—Mabasa 1:8.

[Mepu dziri papeji 20]

(Kana uchida mashoko azere, ona bhuku racho)

KUPRO

NICOSIA (Ledra)

Saramisi

Pafosi

Kourion

Amathus

Larnaca

KYRENIA MTS.

BANI REMESAORIA

TROODOS MTS.

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 21]

Azere nomudzimu mutsvene, Pauro akapofumadza muroyi ainzi Erimasi paaiva muPafosi