Lapithos or Lapethos (Greek: Λάπηθος; Turkish: Lapta) is a town in Cyprus. De facto, it is under the control of Northern Cyprus. Archeologists claim that Lapithos was founded by the Achean brothers Praxandros and Cepheus.According to Strabo, the ancient settlement of Lapathus, the site of which is nearby, was founded by Spartans. In Assyrian inscriptions, Lapithos is mentioned as one of the eleven Cypriot kingdoms. During the Persian rule, Lapithos was settled by Phoenicians for a while. The last independent king Praxippos was subdued by Ptolemy I in 312 BC.