Peter I of Cyprus
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| Peter I | |
|---|---|
King of Cyprus | |
| Reign | 1358–1369 |
| Predecessor | Hugh IV |
| Successor | Peter II |
| Born | 9 October 1328 Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Died | 17 January 1369 (aged 40) Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Spouse | |
Poitiers-Lusignan | |
| Father | Hugh IV |
| Mother | Alice d' Ibelin |
| Religion | Catholicism |
Peter I (9 October 1328 – 17 January 1369) was
Early life and crowning
Peter was born in
In 1349 he traveled secretly to Europe with his brother John.[3] This upset their father who sent ships to find his sons and bring them back.[3] When they were brought back, Peter and John were imprisoned for leaving without his permission.[3] Despite Leontios Machairas stating Peter and John were held for three days, William of Machaut states that Peter was imprisoned for two months and nine days.[3]
Peter was crowned as titular
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Marriages
Soon after 28 June 1342 he married Eschiva de Montfort (d. before 1350),[6] only daughter and heiress of Humphrey de Montfort (1305 – 24 June 1326), Constable of Cyprus and titular Lord of Toron, and Eschive d'Ibelin. Eschiva died before 1350 while Peter was still a teenager and the marriage was childless.
In 1353 he married
His passion for his second wife was much remarked upon by chroniclers; the chronicle of Machairas tells how Peter always slept with Eleanora's night-dress in his arms:
- "[S]o for the love which [King Peter] had promised that, wherever he was, he would take [Queen Eleanora's] shift to lay it at night in his arms when he slept, and he made his chamberlain always bring with him the queen's shift, and had him put it in his bed."[8]
Children
Peter and Eleanor had:
- Peter II of Lusignan (c. 1357–1382),[9] succeeded him as King of Cyprus and Jerusalem
- Margaret of Lusignan (ca. 1360 – ca. 1397),Alix d'Ibelin, and had issue
- Eschiva of Lusignan (d. before 1369), died young[1]
As
Wars against the Turks
Neighboring Muslim powers were potentially a great threat to Cyprus, the last Christian Crusader stronghold on the mainland of the Near East having been wiped out with the
The royal family were the titular kings of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, who had fled to the island just off the coast of the Levant. Reduced as they were, this Crusader heritage continued in the form of sea-borne raids, and were remarkably successful given their limited resources.[citation needed]
Unlike his father, Peter decided to embrace this tradition and began with in a raid on
The siege of Korikos was seen as a threat by Muslim leaders of Asia Minor and they allied against Peter, planning to attack him on his home island. They attacked Cyprus with many ships but Peter obtained aid from the Knights of Saint John from Rhodes. Other help came from the Pope and from pirates. In July 1361, Peter mustered a fleet of 120 ships. With his force, Peter attacked Asia Minor, continuing his policy of preemptive attacks. On 23 August 1361, Cypriot forces landed in Antalya and Peter conquered the city after a siege on 24 August 1361. After this victory, the remaining emirs of the region offered Peter an annual tribute. Peter accepted the offer and sent his flags, coats of arms and symbols to be raised in many cities of Asia Minor. He stayed in Antalya until 8 September 1361. He went to other cities, some of whose emirs knelt to him, gave him presents, keys to castles and other gifts. He returned with his trophies to Cyprus on 22 September 1361.
The emir of Antalya, Teke, after he lost his city, took a large army and after many attacks tried to occupy his city. After hard fighting, Cypriots managed to keep the city and also to siege the guard in the region of Myrres.[citation needed]
Tour of Europe
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Meanwhile, Peter faced a serious problem of his recognition as holder of the throne of Cyprus, since his nephew Hugh went to the Pope to ask for the throne with the support of the
Taking advantage of his trip in Europe, he tried to convince powerful rulers to strengthen him by organizing a crusade to liberate the Holy Land and the Kingdom of Jerusalem which belonged to him. That issue was discussed with the newly elected Pope, after the death of the previous incumbent. For the same reason he travelled to England, Germany, and France. During his visit in England the historical Banquet of the Five Kings took place.
He visited some powerful cities like
Meanwhile, Cyprus was governed by Prince John, brother of Peter who remained as vice-King, and faced many problems, such as the epidemics of 1363, which killed many residents of Cyprus (one of them was Eschiva, Peter's sister). The Turks who heard that the Cypriot people were dying, began new raids and pillages on the island. At the same time an episode between Cypriots and Genoese navies in Famagusta became a political issue and resulted in fights and killings. Peter who happened to be in Genoa, negotiated and signed a treaty with the Genoese declaring what rights the Genoese colonists of Cyprus could have.
Alexandria Crusade
His father Hugh had attempted to stop his desire to lead a new crusade and retake
Attacks on Lebanon and Syria
 | This section relies largely or entirely upon a single source. (November 2021) ) |
Peter continued his crusade, this time aiming to attack Beirut. However his military operations ended after intervention of the Venetians willing to offer Peter high compensations for his military preparations, in order to not attack Damascus. He raided Tripoli in January 1366, before the terms of service of his European reinforcements could expire. He attempted to again raise a force in Europe in 1368, but was unsuccessful. Urban V again counseled peace, and Peter was compelled to join the Pope and the Venetians in making a peace treaty with Egypt.
The commerce with Middle East benefited Cyprus and because of Peter, Famagusta was one of the richest cities in the Mediterranean during his time. Some financier friends of Peter were rich tradesmen from Famagusta, who could influence him. The Sultan could no longer tolerate the insult of the capture of Alexandria and could not accept a friendly arrangement with Peter. The attack against Tripoli was a clear message to the Sultan; either he agreed a peace and could begin to trade, or he would suffer continued attacks. The sultan wanted to create a movement of distraction, so he strengthened the emirs of Asia Minor and assembled an army to attack Korikos. Peter reinforced the garrison in Korikos with new troops and they repulsed the Turkish attack. In May 1367, the garrison in Antalya revolted because of the delayed payment of their wages. Peter sailed there and imposed order, decapitating the ring leaders of the revolt.[citation needed]
After it was agreed to make peace with the Sultan of Cairo, although it proved impossible to be signed. In late September 1367, there were other attacks on the Syrian coast, recapture and pillaging of Tripoli and other cities across the Syrian coast including
Finances
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For his trips around Europe and of the wars, he needed money. Despite the high state income he needed to gain more money, thus he gave to Cypriot serfs the right to buy their freedoms. By this rule, many Cypriots benefited. Another source of income were his raids on the Islamic Levant.
Death
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While in
Despite the harshness that brought a premature end to his life, his knight-errantry and crusading zeal led him to be regarded as the epitome of chivalry. He was buried in the church of St. Dominic's of Nicosia, the traditional burial place of the Kings of Cyprus. He was succeeded by his son Peter II.
References
- ^ a b c Hill 2010a, p. table II.
- ^ Richard 1950, p. 98–133.
- ^ a b c d Edbury 1991, p. 147.
- ^ Lock 2013, p. 186.
- ^ Teule 2012, p. 8.
- ^ Edbury 1991, p. 146.
- ^ Hill 2010, p. 308.
- ^ Bolger & Serwint 2002, p. 157.
- ^ Hill 2010, p. 370.
- ^ Boulton 1987, pp. 241–249.
- ^ Setton 1976, p. 279.
Sources
- Bolger, Diane R.; Serwint, Nancy J. (2002). "Sainted Ladies and Wicked Harlots: Perceptions of Gender in Medieval Cyprus". Engendering Aphrodite: Women and Society in Ancient Cyprus. American Schools of Oriental Research.
- Boulton, D'Arcy Jonathan Dacre (1987). The Knights of the Crown: The Monarchical Orders of Knighthood in Later Medieval Europe, 1325–1520. The Boydell Press. ISBN 9780851157955.
- Edbury, Peter W. (1991). The Kingdom of Cyprus and the Crusades, 1191–1374. Cambridge University Press.
- Hill, George (2010). A History of Cyprus. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press.
- Hill, George (2010a). A History of Cyprus. Vol. 3. Cambridge University Press.
- Lock, Peter (2013). The Routledge Companion to the Crusades. Taylor & Francis.
- Setton, Kenneth Meyer (1976). The Papacy and the Levant, 1204–1571: The thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. American Philosophical Society. ISBN 9780871691149.
- .
- Teule, Herman G.B. (2012). "Christian-Muslim religious interaction 1200-1350. A historical and contextual introduction". In Thomas, David; Mallett, Alexander (eds.). Christian-Muslim Relations: A Bibliographical History. Vol. 4: (1200-1350). Brill.
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