European Kingdoms

Cyprus

According to archaeological investigation and conjecture, the aboriginal inhabitants of Cyprus were Indo-European people who had a written language. Extensive excavation has shown that during the Neolithic and Bronze ages the Cypriots had an advanced civilisation. The recorded history of Cyprus begins with the occupation of part of the island by Egypt. In subsequent centuries seafaring and trading peoples from the Mediterranean countries set up scattered settlements along the coasts. The first Mycenaean colony is believed to have been founded by traders from Arcadia about 1400 BC. The Phoenicians began to colonise the island from about 800 BC.

Beginning with the rise of Assyria during the eighth century BC, Cyprus was under the control of each of the empires that successively dominated the eastern Mediterranean. Assyrian authority was followed by Egyptian, then Persian. For almost a thousand years thereafter control of the island passed from empire to empire until a Crusader kingdom was set up in the twelfth century AD.

c.10, 000 BC

Hunter-gathers become active on the island.

c.8200 BC

The first settled village communities start to appear.

c.1600 BC

Mycenaean culture appears.

1450 BC

Egypt takes control of Cyprus during the reign of Thutmose III.

Kingdom of Alashiya (Enkomi)

The eastern Cypriot state of Alashiya (Alasiya) appeared by 1350 BC, near modern Famagusta, although evidence points to it having occupied the entire island during at least part of its existence. A contributor to the Amarna letters, it played an important role in trade with the great states of the period, the Hittites, Mitanni, Egypt, Babylon and Elam, with goods being shipped from a prosperous port protected by massive stone walls. Its rulers were counted amongst the 'great kings' of the day, mainly because the island controlled the region's copper trade - vital to all of the major states.

fl 1300s BC

?

The king refers to himself as the 'brother' of the Egyptian king in the Amarna letters, revealing that he is considered to be a ruler of equal standing.

c.1250? BC

Later Hittite kings invade the kingdom and establish pro-Hittite rulers, but they never fully control the island.

c.1200 BC

Alashiya is sacked by the Sea Peoples at the same time as they contribute towards the fall of the Hittites and the destruction of many Syrian cities. However, despite this setback, the state is one of the few to actually prosper during this period, perhaps due to the removal of Mycenaean dominance in the region. There is increased urban expansion and metal production, improved contacts with Egypt, the Levant, and the central Mediterranean.

fl c.1195 BC

?

c.1195 BC

The king of Alashiya advises Ugarit to defend itself in the face of continuing attacks on Syria by the Sea Peoples.

fl c.1050 BC

Hatiba

The kingdom is mentioned in the Chronicle of Wenamun, an eleventh-century Egyptian priest who journeyed throughout the Levant.

709 BC

The Assyrian Empire conquers the island.

550 BC

Egypt re-occupies the island after the Assyrian collapse. Client kings continue to govern the city state of Salamis.

Kingdom of Salamis

Cypriot Salamis was to the north of modern Famagusta, on the east coast, with the city state kingdom legendarily being founded by Teukros. Most of the client kings of this and the other Cypriot cities are relatively poorly documented.

During the late fifth century Persian occupation, Evagoras, pro-Hellenic ruler of the Cypriot city of Salamis, made the first recorded attempt to unify the many city states of Cyprus. In 391 BC Evagoras, with the aid of Athens, led a successful revolt against Persia and temporarily made himself master of the island. However, Cyprus soon became a Persian possession again.

Teukros

569 - 525 BC

Evelthon

525 BC

Persia conquers Cyprus.

fl c.525 BC

Siromos

fl c.515 BC

Hersis

500 - 499 BC

Gorgos

499 - 498 BC

Onysilos

498 - 480 BC

Gorgos

Restored, and declared independence from Persia.

c.490 BC

Persia re-conquers Salamis.

480 - 465 BC

Philaon

465 - 450 BC

Nicodemus

Lacharidas

fl c.450 BC

Eventhes

Name unknown.

fl c.411 BC

Avdimon

411 - 374 BC

Evagoras I

Son. Declared independence from Persia and unified Cyprus.

391 - 381 BC

Persia regains control in 381 BC, and Salamis continues to be governed by Evagoras as client king. In 374 BC he is murdered by a eunuch who is seeking revenge for personal reasons.

374 - 368 BC

Nikocles

368 - 351 BC

Evagoras II

351 - 332 BC

Pnytagoras

333 - 310 BC

Alexander the Great's Greek Empire takes control, although the island's various client kings are retained.

331 - 310 BC

Nicocreon

Forced to commit suicide by Ptolemy I.

310 - 306 BC

Menelaos

Last king of Salamis, claimed independence during Greek wars.

306 - 301 BC

Cyprus falls under the control of the Empire of Antigonus. When Antigonus is killed at the end of the Fourth War of the Diadochi, the island again becomes an Egyptian possession, under the Ptolemies.

58 BC

Cyprus passes to Rome.

AD 383

It comes under Byzantine control at the division of the Roman Empire.

c.820

The island is conquered by the Arabs for the Islamic Empire, who sack and destroy Salamis.

965

The Byzantine Empire recovers Cyprus.

1192

Cyprus is seized by Richard the Lionheart and a Catholic Christian kingdom is founded there.

Christian Kingdom of Cyprus
AD 1192 - 1489

On his way to the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart of England seized Cyprus from the Byzantine Empire and handed it to the king and queen of Jerusalem, who were by this time residing at Acre.

1192 - 1194

Guy of Lusignan

King of Jerusalem (1186-1192).

1194 - 1205

Amalric I de Lusignan

Almaric II of Jerusalem (1197-1205).

1205 - 1218

Hugh I

1218 - 1253

Henry I of Cyprus

1253 - 1267

Hugh II of Cyprus

1267 - 1284

Hugh III of Cyprus

King of Jerusalem (1269-1284).

1284 - 1306

Cyprus is united with the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

1284 - 1285

John I

King of Jerusalem.

1285 - 1306

Henry II

King of Jerusalem, which was lost at this time.

1306 - 1310

Amalric II of Tyre

Usurped Henry II. Father of Guy of Armenia.

1310 - 1324

Henry II

Restored.

1324 - 1359

Hugh IV

Hugh II of Jerusalem.

1359 - 1369

Peter I

1369 - 1382

Peter II

1382 - 1398

James I

1398 - 1432

Janus

1432 - 1458

John II

1458 - 1464

Queen Charlotte

1464 - 1473

James II the Bastard

1473 - 1474

James III

Son.

1474 - 1489

Queen Caterina Cornaro

Wife of James II. d.1510.

1489

Cyprus falls under the control of the Republic of Venice.

1571

Cyprus is conquered by the Ottoman Empire.

1878

The island is leased to Britain as a result of the Cyprus Convention, which grants control of the island to Britain in return for support of the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War.

1913

The island is formally annexed by Britain in the run-up to the Great War, as the Ottoman Empire had already joined the German-led Central Powers.

1960

Cyprus achieves independence from Britain, becoming a Commonwealth republic the following year. Britain retains administrative authority over the districts of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

1974

Following a period of violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and an attempted Greek Cypriot coup sponsored by the Greek military junta, Turkey invades the island and occupies the north-eastern third of its territory.