c. 1150–1194 · King of Jerusalem and Cyprus
Guy of Lusignan
King of Jerusalem captured at Hattin in 1187, later founder of the Lusignan dynasty in Cyprus.
BIOGRAPHICAL DOSSIER
Life and historical role
Life and political setting
Guy came from the Lusignan family of Poitou. His marriage to Princess Sibylla placed him at the centre of the Jerusalem succession, and in 1186 he was crowned with her after the death of Baldwin V. Many native barons disputed his authority, making command of the kingdom politically fragile before Hattin.
Role in the Crusades
During the crisis caused by Reynald's attack on a caravan, Guy led the army away from the water sources at Saffuriya toward Tiberias. Captured at Hattin on 4 July 1187, he was later released. He opened the siege of Acre, lost the claim to Jerusalem to Conrad of Montferrat and eventually purchased Cyprus from Richard.
Biographical information is linked to the sources shown on the page and to the connected event records. Disputed dates are given as approximate, gaps are not filled by conjecture, and later literary or visual depictions are not treated as contemporary portraits.