the-scarlet-crown:Cyprus Meme Folk Songs [1 / 4] - The True Story of Arodafnousa [1 / 4]Peter I of C

the-scarlet-crown:Cyprus Meme Folk Songs [1 / 4] - The True Story of Arodafnousa [1 / 4]Peter I of Cyprus  (1328 – 1369) was King of Cyprus and titular King of Jerusalem from his father’s abdication in 1358 until his own death in 1369. He was the second son of Hugh IV of Cyprus and the first by Hugh’s second wife, Alice of Ibelin. Peter was the greatest King of Cyprus on a military basis and the most popular King during the Frankish rule on the island which lasted from the 12th to the 14th centuries. He’s mostly known for his travels to the West, his Egyptian crusade, and his assassination by his knights.Upon the expulsion of the Holy Roman Empire from Palestine 100 years prior, Cyprus became the stronghold of Christianity in the Middle East. Due to its strategic geographical position, Cyprus faced a permanent danger from the Turks and the Malmuk Egypt. Peter was aware of Cyprus’ importance and believed that his mission was to fight Islam. He began his reign by bringing the important Turkish city Adalia (Antalya) in the southern Asia Minor under his rule. Then he began to promulgate the idea of a crusade against the Mamluks. In 1362–65, with the support of Pope Urban V, he paid visits to many European rulers, hoping to win them over to his purpose. His French ancestry and the attractiveness of Cyprus as a trade centre were important assets. But the Kings of England and France were not interested in a crusade, since they were at war against each other. Other European monarchs, such as the Kings of Bohemia and Hungary, also turned down his proposal. Only the Venetians supported him, who wanted to profit from Cyprus. Following the sack of Alexandria in 1365, he renewed his raids against the Muslims. When he set off to Europe again in 1367 to ask Italy for assistance, he once again left empty-handed. Those political ups and downs changed his personality: he was dogged by constant mood swings and he became unpleasant and cruel.  Peter’s wife second wife was Eleanor of Aragon, a member of the royal House of Barcelona. To prove his affections to her, he traveled with her nightdress in his luggage, which he then laid out on his bed while he was away. The pair had two children: Peter II of Lusignan, who succeeded his father and Mary (or Margaret) of Lusignan. Eleanor, however, was aware of his many mistresses, particularly Eschiva de Scandelion and Joanna l’Aleman, who also conceived his child. When Eleanor found out, she had Joanna tortured in order to miscarry. Peter, who was on another tour of Europe at the time, wrote a strong-worded letter to Eleanor threatening her and ordering her to release Joanna at once. Upon his return to Cyprus, he visited the nunnery of St. Claire, where he found Joanna and released her. It’s not known what became of the baby.  Once he was back home, he heard the rumours about Eleanor’s affair with John of Morphou, Count of Edessa. Certain of his wife’s infidelity, he kept demanding that she was judged accordingly. Eleanor was brought to trial before the Haute Cour and conviction meant death for her and her lover. The nobles, however, felt that convicting the Queen would cause the Spanish to conquer Cyprus and, in any case, conviction would increase the King’s power, whereas the opposite would leave him saddled with the ‘dishonour’ of an unfaithful wife. Because of that, Queen Eleanor was exonerated. Mad at the Haute Cour and at Eleanor, Peter retaliated by tyrannizing his nobles and their families. When his once-loyal knights had had enough, they conjured up a plan. Finding him in his own bed at the Palace of Nicosia on 17 January 1369, they killed him by castration. He was succeeded by his son, Peter II of Cyprus. Faceclaim: Stefanos Michail (Στέφανος Μιχαήλ)Sources: Małgorzata Dąbrowska: A Cypriot Story about Love and HatredPeter I of Cyprus, Wikipedia article -- source link

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