Theme of Cyprus θέμα Κύπρου théma Kýprou
965–1191
Cyprus shaded within the Byzantine Empire, AD 1000
Status	Theme of theByzantine Empire (965–1185) Rump state (1185–1191)
Capital	Nicosia
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Establishment as a theme	965
• Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus proclaims independence	1185
ISO 3166 code	CY
Preceded by Succeeded by Byzantine province of Cyprus Cyprus under the Knights Templar(1191–1192)
Today part of	Cyprus Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Cyprus (Ancient Greek:Κύπρος,Kýpros) or theTheme of Cyprus (Ancient Greek:θέμα Κύπρου,théma Kýprou) was aByzantineprovince located in the island ofCyprus, established in 965 after the reconquest of Cyprus by theByzantine navy. Prior to this the island had been a Byzantine-Arabcondominium for three centuries, except occasional short periods where it was occupied by either power.^[1] Important cities on the island at this time includedNicosia,Limassol, andFamagusta.

Rebellions by the thematic governors,Theophilos Erotikos in 1042 andRhapsomates in 1091, failed, quickly subdued by imperial forces.^[1] The island 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.^[2]

In the spring of 1156, the island was attacked byRaynald of Châtillon andThoros II, Prince of Armenia.^[2] The island was the 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.^[3] 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.^[4] The destruction was compounded by the effects of the1157 Hama earthquake, and by aFatimid naval raid in 1158.^[4]

Proclaiming himself "emperor",Isaac Komnenos established control over the island in 1185.^[1] However, storms plaguing theThird Crusade wrecked two ships ofRichard I ofEngland's fleet off Cyprus in 1187. A third—carrying his sisterJoan and betrothedBerengaria—reached the port of Limassol but Isaac's known hostility to all "Franks" meant it sat at anchor in the harbor, Joan fearing that coming ashore would mean capture and being held forransom. Richard's ships arrived a week later on May 8th and, outraged at the women's conditions and treatment, he invaded the island.^{[5][citation needed]} He laid siege to Nicosia, defeated Isaac atTremetousia, and became ruler of the island but sold it to theKnights Templar in 1191 to fund his debts and further action in the Crusade.

• Gregory, Timothy E. (1991). "Cyprus". InKazhdan, Alexander (ed.).The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 567–569.ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
• Runciman, Steven (1952).A History of the Crusades, Volume II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Themes of the Byzantine Empire
• States and territories established in the 10th century
• Byzantine Cyprus
• States and territories disestablished in 1185
• States and territories disestablished in the 1190s

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