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The Medieval history ofCyprus starts with the division of theRoman Empire into an Eastern andWestern half.
After the division of theRoman Empire into an eastern half and awestern half, Cyprus came under the rule ofByzantium.[1] The cities of Cyprus were destroyed by two successive earthquakes in 332 and 342 AD and this marked the end of an era and at the same time the beginning of a new one, very much connected with modern life in Cyprus. Most of the cities were not rebuilt, saveSalamis which was rebuilt on a smaller scale and renamed Constantia after theRoman EmperorConstantius II, son ofConstantine the Great, residing inConstantinople. The new city was now thecapital of the island. It was mainlyChristian and due to this, some alterations were made during the rebuilding. The palaestra was turned into a meeting place and many architectural elements was used to erect spacious churches decorated with murals, mosaics, and coloured marble.
The main event in Cyprus in this period was the spreading of the Christian faith. At that time, itsbishop, while still subject to theChurch, was madeautocephalous by theFirst Council of Ephesus. People were engaged very much in matters of faith, especially fighting the effort of theEastern Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch to put theChurch of Cyprus under his control. They were finally successful in 488, when ArchbishopAnthemius guided by a dream discovered the tomb ofBarnabas with the saint's body lying in a coffin and on his chest a copy of theGospel of Matthew in Barnabas' own writing. Having the relics with him, Anthemius dashed to Constantinople and presented them toEmperor Zeno. The latter was very much impressed and he not only confirmed the independence of the Church of Cyprus but he also gave to the Archbishop in perpetuity three privileges that are as much alive today as they were then, namely to carry a sceptre instead of a pastoral staff, to sign with red ink and to wear a purple cloak during services. By the beginning of the 7th century, the patriarch of Alexandria wasJohn the Merciful from Amathus. Another important Cypriot of the time is the church writerLeontios of Neapolis.
In 649 AD theArabs made the first attack on the island under the leadership ofMuawiyah I. They conquered the capital Salamis - Constantia after a brief siege, but drafted a treaty with the local rulers. In the course of this expedition a relative ofMuhammad, Umm-Haram, fell from her mule near the Salt Lake atLarnaca and was killed. She was buried at that spot and theHala Sultan Tekke was built there inOttoman times.[2] UnderAbu'l-Awar, the Arabs returned in 650 and installed a garrison of 12,000 on part of the island, where they remained until 680.
AfterUthman ibn al-Affan became caliph after Umar's death, Mu'awiya requested that the caliph allow him to build a navy to attack Cyprus, as Mu'awiya reasoned that Cyprus had become a satellite island of Byzantine forces which could threaten the caliphate on the western banks of Palestine.[3] 'Ubadah, along with veteran companions of Muhammad such as Miqdad Ibn al-Aswad,Abu Dhar GhiFari,Shadaad ibn Aws, Khalid bin Zayd al-Ansari, andAbu Ayyub al-Ansari, all participated in building the caliphate's first Naval armada, led by Mu'awiya.[4][5] Before he joined Mu'awiya's project to build first naval forces of the caliphate, 'Ubadah joined forces with Muslim general,Abd Allah ibn Qays. Together with Mu'awiya, they built the first caliphate armada with permission from ibn al-Affan. Abu Dharr mentioned that Miqdad ibn Amr al-Aswad participated in this project.[6] Shortly later, Mu'awiya and 'Ubadah departed fromAcre and headed toCyprus.[7] According toal-Baladhuri andKhalifa ibn Khayyat, Mu'awiya and 'Ubadah led the attack and were accompanied by their wives Katwa bint Qaraza ibn Abd Amr of the QurayshiteBanu Nawfal and Umm Haram.[8] Umm Haram died in an accident during the campaign.[3] The Muslim forces accepted Cyprus' surrender under the condition that they refrain from hostility to the Muslims, inform the caliphate of any Byzantine movements, pay 7,200 dinars annually forJizya, and never reveal information to outsiders regarding the caliphate's military operations.[3]
Mu'awiya and 'Ubadah forces pacified almost every Byzantine garrison. This is evidenced by two Greek inscriptions in the Cypriot village of Solois that note those two offensives.[9] The entire island of Cyprus surrendered after their capital,Salamis, was surrounded and besieged.[3] At least 50 military operations occurred in Cyprus between this first campaign in 648 until the last one in 650.[3]
In 688, the emperorJustinian II and thecaliphAbd al-Malik reached an unprecedented agreement. The Arabs evacuated the island, and for the next 300 years, Cyprus was ruled jointly by both theCaliphate and the Byzantines as acondominium, despite thenearly constant warfare between the two parties on the mainland. The collected taxes were divided among the Arabs and the emperor.[10]
UnderBasil I the Macedonian (r. 867–886) Byzantine troops recaptured Cyprus, which was established as atheme, but after seven years the island reverted to the previousstatus quo. Once again, in 911, the Cypriots helped a Byzantine fleet under admiralHimerios, and in retaliation the Arabs underDamian of Tarsus ravaged the island for four months and carried off many captives. The isolation of Cyprus from the rest of the Greek-speaking world assisted the formation of a separateCypriot dialect. This period of Arab influence lasted until the 10th century.
In the year 965 or slightly earlier, the Byzantines reconquered the island and installedtheme. The generalNiketas Chalkoutzes led the reconquest, of which no details are known, and was probably the first governor of Cyprus after that.[11]
A rebellion by governorTheophilos Erotikos in 1042, and another in 1091 byRhapsomates, failed as they were quickly subdued by imperial forces.
In 1185, the last Byzantine governor of Cyprus,Isaac Komnenos, from a minor line of theKomnenos imperial house, rose in rebellion and attempted to seize the throne. His attempted coup was unsuccessful, but Komnenos was able to retain control of the island. Byzantine actions against Komnenos failed because he enjoyed the support ofWilliam II of Sicily. The emperor had agreed with thesultan of Egypt to close Cypriot harbours to theCrusaders.
Cyprus was spared the destruction of the loss ofAnatolia and remained peaceful and relatively prosperous during turn of the 12th century. During theSiege of Antioch, a battle of theFirst Crusade, the Crusader army received supplies from Byzantine-controlled Cyprus.[12]
In the spring of 1156, the island was attacked byRaynald of Châtillon andThoros II, Prince of Armenia.[12] The island was then governed byJohn Doukas Komnenos, who remained with part of the local garrison at Nicosia, while the generalMichael Branas led a force to confront the invaders. Branas was driven back towards Nicosia, and John led a sally to rescue him. The Byzantines were again defeated, with both John and Branas taken prisoner.[13] The victorious Franks and Crusaders then conducted widespread plundering of the island, not sparing churches or convents. In the words of the historianSteven Runciman, "The crops were burnt; the herds were rounded up, together with all the population, and driven down to the coast. The women were raped; children and folk too old to move had their throats cut". The rape of the island lasted for three weeks, before Raynald and Thoros boarded their ships with their loot and prisoners, and departed.[14] The destruction was compounded by the effects of the1157 Hama earthquake, and by aFatimid naval raid in 1158.[14]
Richard the Lionheart landed inLimassol on 1 June 1191 in search of his sister and his brideBerengaria, whose ship had become separated from the fleet in a storm. Upon her arrival, the rulerIsaac Comnenus of Cyprus requested that Berengaria deboard, which she refused, and upon her own refusal was denied supplies from Comnenus. Richard took this as an insult and attacked the island which was easily subdued. Comnenus was bound to lend aid to Richard in his crusade against Saladin, an oath which he later broke, and Richard had him bound in silver chains (as he swore not to bind Comnenus in iron) and kept prisoner till his death in 1194 or 1195. The Cypriot chroniclerNeophytus gave Richard the epithet of "the wretch". Richard married Berengaria in Limassol on 12 May 1192. She was crowned asQueen of England byJohn Fitzluke,Bishop of Évreux. The crusader fleet continued toSt. Jean d'Acre on 5 June.
The army of Richard the Lionheart continued to occupy Cyprus and raised taxes. After local revolts he decided to sell the island to theKnights Templar, who were unable to hold the island because of further hostility among the local population due to tax raising. A rebellion which took place on April 6, 1192 made the Templars sell the island toGuy de Lusignan (1192–1194) who established himself in May 1192.
Richard saw this sale as advantageous to himself, as the island wasn't worth the trouble to him, as Guy had been captured bySaladin atJerusalem. Though released later, in 1192 he was ousted in favor ofHenry II of Champagne as a result, and was willing to buy Cyprus. The crusaders described him as "simplex et minus astutus", though he did set the foundation of Cypriot society in the Lusignan period. He invited Palestinian barons, disenfranchised bySaladin to move on the island, granting themfeudal rights over huge estates, using the Cypriots as serfs.
Geoffrey of Lusignan passed up the position of ruler, so Guy was succeeded by his older brother Aimery (1194–1205). During his reign, the Latin church took over the dioceses of the Orthodox, creating a long-standing dispute that also characterized theLusignan period.Aimery also got Cyprus recognized as "kingdom", a title granted to him byHoly Roman Emperor Henry VI. He then regained officially the title of theKing of Jerusalem by marryingHenry II of Champagne's widow,Isabel. Though in name only, this title was something the Lusignan kings were very proud of as it appears on the Cypriot coat of arms. After some skirmishing in Acre with theSultan of Egypt al-Malkikal-Adil, a treaty was granted in 1204 giving him some advantages inPalestine. It is said that his eating too much fish in one sitting was his cause of death in 1205.
The kingship then passed to his son,Hugh I (1205–1218). He participated in the useless 5th crusade, and died suddenly in Tripoli. Maria Komnene, dowager queen of Jerusalem, and a daughter of a former Byzantine dux of Cyprus, conducted the negotiations for the marriage of her granddaughter Alisia of Jerusalem to Hugh I of Cyprus, king Aimery's eldest surviving son and successor, in accordance with the agreement their fathers had reached. Champagne's regentess, Blanche of Navarre, supplied Alisia's dowry as she sought to ensure that Alisia would stay in Cyprus rather than attempting to lay claim to Champagne and Brie. Alisia and Hugh I married in the first half of 1210, with Alisia receiving the County of Jaffa as the agreed dowry. Hugh's marriage withAlisia of Jerusalem (daughter of Henry of Champagne and queen Isabella I of Jerusalem) produced only one son, Henry I (1218–1253), but also two daughters.
Henry I became king at the age of 8 months, when his father died. The official regency was undertaken by Henry's mother Alice, but the acting regent was Henry's uncle Philip of Ibelin, who had Henry crowned at the age of 8, to ward off advances fromFrederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. When Philip died, the regency passed to Philip's brotherJohn of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut, who maintained it until Henry came of age at 15.
When Henry was 12, Emperor Frederick seized the regency, taking it by force from John of Ibelin. However, when Frederick left the island of Cyprus, the popular John of Ibelin rallied forces from the Outremer, and retook the island, which began theWar of the Lombards. In theBattle of Aghirda, the much smaller force of Ibelins won a surprising victory over the imperial forces, and the efforts of Frederick, known as theStupor Mundi proved unsuccessful. KingHenry ("the fat" as he was called, for his easy going manner) played no part in these struggles, but when of age he participated in the 7th crusade underLouis IX of France to destroy the power ofEgypt. His forces left behind were forced to surrender in 1250.
At about that time, a Cypriot youngster in search of a better education would travel to the empire of Nicaea and eventually become Patriarch of Constantinople asGregory II. Gregory's autobiography gives valuable information on the transition from Byzantine to Lusignan rule and its impact on the local population and especially education.
Meanwhile, Henry takes as his 3rd wifePlaisance of Antioch, who finally bears him a sonHugh II (1253–1267) who came upon the throne while only a few months of age. Plaisance acted as his regent, and is described by one chronicler as "one of the most valiant women in the world". She appeared at Acre, now erupting into virtual war between theVenetians,Pisans, andKnights Templar and the Genoese,Spanish, and the Hospitallers. By backing the Venetians, she hoped to have her son recognized as the King of Jerusalem, but the title had little value.
When Plaisance died, Hugh of Antioch became regent.
Hugh II died childless, and Hugh ofAntioch changed his name toHugh III, (1267–1284), taking from his mother's side in order to revive the Lusignan dynasty. The Christian-friendlyMongols were pushing from the east and offered a chance of alliance against the Egyptian Sultan, but the eternally feuding powers of MedievalEurope threw this chance away, while Hugh tried to mediate with them inSyria. He died inTyre, succeeded by his oldest sonJohn I (1284–1285), and then by his other sonHenry II (1285–1324). His reign and reputation suffered from hisepilepsy, and in 1286 he was crowned at Tyre for the kingdom of Jerusalem only to see it fall to Egyptian Mameluk sultan. In 1306, Henry's brotherAmaury seized power and exiled Henry inCilicia, but Henry was restored in 1310. He is mentioned inDante's Paradiso, but it is not a nice reference.
Rule passed on to his nephewHugh IV (1324–1359), who found himself in a new privileged position. The fall of the last coastal strongholds of theKingdom of Jerusalem made it unnecessary for the island to waste its money on its defense. It also made the island the center for Oriental trade, andFamagustan merchants became notoriously rich, and the island as a whole became known for its wealth. Hugh enjoyed a peaceful reign, and preferred to stay on the island.
Peter I (1359–1369), son of Hugh IV, may perhaps be the best known king of Cyprus. He is mentioned inChaucer's canterbury tales. He led an expedition toAlexandria that upset theItalian merchants, but proved successful (at least in gathering booty). He toured Europe in order to gather support for his love of crusading, but found their promises unfulfilled. He sackedAlexandria again regardless, and in destroying the gates found it impossible to hold against theMameluks. He was driven out, but had he held it would have been a very valuable outpost. He was murdered by his nobles, but left a very devoted wifeEleanor of Aragon (supposedly he took her nightgown with him on his campaigns), who with the help of theItalians pursued the assassins.
Upon the ascension ofPeter II "the fat", (1369–1382), because of his lethargy, a riot broke out the coronation ceremony at the Cathedral ofSt. Nicholas inFamagusta between the Venetians and the Genoese. The dispute arose over who would lead the king's horse on the right side; traditionally it belonged to the Genoese but now the Venetians took it. Many Genoese were killed in the riot, and the Italian city responded harshly. In 1374, the island surrendered to the Genoese under terms of tribute, payment for damages, and loss of Famagusta to the Genoese, effectively ending prosperity.
Peter succumbed to his lethargy, and the rule passed on toJames I (1382–1398), his uncle and now prisoner inGenoa. He was released on harsh terms, including the proviso that all ships coming into Cyprus land in now GenoeseFamagusta. The king also had to raise taxes in order to pay. He added the title the King ofArmenia in 1393, though it was useless as well.
He was succeeded by the son of Peter the II.,Janus (1398–1432), though also called the fat was described as "tall and good looking". He unsuccessfully tried to drive the Genoese from Famagusta. In 1426 theMameluks raided the island, and Janus met them atKhirokitia. Apparently the troops had no water, so they drank wine instead and became rather intoxicated. When a Mameluk embassy was sent, it was treacherously killed by Janus' men. The outraged mameluks slaughtered the inebriated, enfeebled, soldiers under Janus. They then proceeded to expose the hoax of the levitating cross at themonastery atStavrovouni, containing a piece deposited bySt. Helena in the 4th century. Janus was taken to Egypt and paraded around backwards on a donkey in humiliation. At the same time according to the chronicle ofLeontios Makhairas Cypriot serfs rebelled against the Franks and established "Re Alexis" as a king in Lefkonoiko (the word Re means king inProvençal andItalian), and "captains" in Morphou, Limassol, Lefka and Peristerona. It took the Frankish nobility more than 6 months to defeat the rebels and Re Alexis was eventually hanged. Ten months after the battle at Khirokitia, Janus was ransomed back, and Cyprus was now ruled by theMameluks as a tributary state.
His sonJohn II (1432–1458), was described as "effeminate, but not unattractive" and was reviled byPope Pius II as a vile evil sloth. He was dominated by two women in his life, bothGreek;Helena Palaiologina his wife andMarietta de Patras, his mistress. Supposedly in a fight between these two in the king's presence, the queen bit off her adversary's nose. As the queen was Greek, she was well loved by the Cypriots and theorthodox church.
Her daughter Charlotte and her opponent's sonJames would play huge roles in the collapse of theLusignan dynasty. James "the bastard", as he was called, was well loved by John, who made him archbishop of the island at a very young age. YetCharlotte in 1458 was recognized as Queen regent, and James fled to Egypt. The two were said to have had a fairly good relationship, and it is probably very much due to the church that this political conflict arose between them. James convinced the Egyptian Sultan to aid him, promising loyalty to Egypt, and landed, armed, in 1460.
James won victories over the major forts, including GenoeseFamagusta, and was solidly placed on the throne in 1464. Charlotte had unsuccessfully tried to secure aid from outside, including from the pope. According to legend, James fell in love with his wifeCaterina Cornaro while walking with her uncle who purposely dropped an image of her. The two were wed by proxy, and Caterina was adopted by the Venetian state, securing the passage of the island to the signory. James died in 1473, and his short-lived son the next year, and the Venetians were eyed with suspicion. In 1473, theCatalans on the island formed a revolt supportingFerdinand II of Aragon, that was put down by the Venetians. In 1479, the party of Queen Charlotte plotted to assassinate the queen, but it was betrayed and quashed. Due also to the looming threat of theOttoman Turks, Venice used the Queen's brother to convince her to abdicate the throne in 1489, ushering in the Venetian period.