other · Greece and the Aegean
Cyprus under Isaac Komnenos
Origins
Isaac Komnenos, a great-nephew of Emperor Manuel I, had been governor in Cilicia and a prisoner of the Armenians. After his ransom he arrived in Cyprus in 1184 with forged imperial letters, took over the government and proclaimed himself emperor, refusing to recognise Andronikos I in Constantinople.
Rule and society
Isaac ruled from Nicosia with mercenaries and was remembered by Cypriots as harsh and grasping, seizing property and abusing local nobles. He secured his position by allying with William II of Sicily, whose fleet defeated a Byzantine expedition sent by Isaac II Angelos in 1186-1187, and reportedly with Saladin. The island remained Greek Orthodox and Greek-speaking.
Decline and legacy
In May 1191 ships of the Third Crusade carrying Richard I's sister and his betrothed Berengaria were stranded at Limassol. Isaac's mistreatment of them gave Richard a pretext: he conquered Cyprus within weeks and held Isaac in silver chains. Richard soon sold the island to the Knights Templar.
Lineage
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- Cyprus under Isaac Komnenos was conquered by Kingdom of England1191 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Cyprus under Isaac Komnenos. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cyprus-under-isaac-komnenos
- MLA
- “Cyprus under Isaac Komnenos.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cyprus-under-isaac-komnenos. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Cyprus under Isaac Komnenos.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cyprus-under-isaac-komnenos.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Cyprus under Isaac Komnenos’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cyprus-under-isaac-komnenos (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻