May – June 1191 · Limassol – Nicosia
Richard's conquest of Cyprus
In May 1191, some of Richard's ships, caught in a storm on the way to Acre, were driven onto the coast of Cyprus. When the island's self-proclaimed emperor Isaac Komnenos mistreated the shipwrecked, Richard conquered the island within weeks; Cyprus later became a lasting Latin kingdom.
RESEARCH DOSSIER
Historical analysis of the event
Background
Since 1184 Cyprus had been ruled by Isaac Komnenos, who had proclaimed himself emperor and had effectively broken away from Byzantium. Isaac was said to be on friendly terms with Saladin. Richard's fleet was caught in a storm between Crete and Rhodes in April 1191; several ships, including the one carrying his sister Joan and his fiancée Berengaria of Navarre, were driven off Limassol.
Course of events
The crews and passengers of the ships wrecked on the shore were arrested by Isaac's men and their goods seized. Richard arrived at Limassol on 6 May, landed and took the town. On 12 May he married Berengaria at Limassol, and she was crowned queen of England.
Isaac first came to terms with Richard, then fled and continued the war. Guy of Lusignan, seeking Richard's support for the throne of Jerusalem, also came to Cyprus and joined him. Richard's forces took Nicosia and Kyrenia; Isaac's daughter was captured. Isaac surrendered in early June; according to the sources, because Isaac asked not to be put in iron chains, Richard had him bound in silver ones.
Outcome and significance
Richard collected great booty and taxes from the island; these resources were important for the siege of Acre and the wars that followed. The island was sold for a time to the Templars, but after a popular uprising it was transferred to Guy of Lusignan in 1192. Guy's brother Aimery took the title of king in 1197, and the Latin Kingdom of Cyprus lasted until 1489.
Cyprus became a lasting rear base for the Latin East and an important gathering point for later expeditions.
Sources and debates
The Itinerarium peregrinorum, Ambroise and Roger of Howden describe the conquest with eyewitness testimony from Richard's side, depicting Isaac as a cruel ruler. Niketas Choniates criticises Isaac's rule from a Byzantine perspective. The chronology of the conquest and the date of Isaac's surrender vary by a few days in the sources.
Dates, places and figures in this record compare the principal narrative sources with modern scholarship. Where the sources disagree this is stated in the text; for a thesis or publication, consult the relevant edition and page reference.