European Kingdoms

Cyprus

According to archaeological investigation and conjecture, the aboriginal inhabitants of Cyprus were an 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 parts of 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 / Alasiya (Enkomi)

The eastern Cypriot state of Alashiya (Alasiya) with its capital at Enkomi appeared by the mid-fifteenth century 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. Its coastline was subjected to various raids, however, notably by the tribal Lukka, and later by the Hittites.

fl 1430s BC

Madduwattas

Defeated by Ahhiyawa. Fled to Hittites.

c.1430 BC

Attarsiyya of Ahhiyawa conquers Madduwattas' territory, and the latter flees to the protection of the Hittite king, Tudhaliya II (I). With Hittite support, Madduwattas later conquers the kingdom of Arzawa.

c.1420s BC

The Hittites under Arnuwanda take Alashiya for themselves, but how long they hold it is unknown.

c.1370s BC

The Lukka are mentioned in the Armana letters from Egypt, in which they are accused of attacking the Egyptians in conjunction with the Alashiyans. In their defence the latter state that the Lukka are seizing their villages.

fl 1300s BC

?

Name unknown.

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.

fl c.1182 BC

Eshuwara

King, or high steward/grand supervisor.

c.1182 BC

The king of Alashiya advises Ugarit to defend itself in the face of continuing attacks on Syria by the Sea Peoples. The advice comes too late and, with Ugarit's fleet away and probably lost, many sites in Alashiya are sacked and burned, including Enkomi, Kition, and Sinda (perhaps twice) before being abandoned. A number of other sites are also abandoned, leaving behind hidden caches of wealth which suggest that their owners are enslaved or killed. This event separates the Late Cypriot (LC) II period from the LCIII period. However, despite this setback, the state is one of the few to actually recover and 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.1050 BC

Hatiba

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

774 - 750 BC

The Phoenician city state of Tyre founds a trading colony on Cyprus called Kition (Biblical Kittim, Latin Citium, or modern Larnaca).

709 - 669 BC

The Assyrian empire under Sargon II conquers the island. They know it as Yadnana.

670s BC

There are ten kings of Yadnana in this decade, shortly before it reclaims its independence.

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.

499 - 494 BC

The Persians under Darius re-conquer Salamis, but it's a drawn-out process, and leads to the Persian invasion of Greece in 490 in revenge.

480 - 465 BC

Philaon

465 - 450 BC

Nicodemus

Lacharidas

fl c.450 BC

Eventhes

? - c.415 BC

?

Name unknown, and of Phoenician origin.

c.415 BC

The Phoenician ruler of Salamis is killed by Abdemon, who rules both Salamis and Tyre. Evagoras, who is a Greek, is forced to leave the island at the same time, heading into exile on Soloi.

c.415 - 411 BC

Abdemon / Avdimon

King of Salamis & Tyre, and of Phoenician origin.

411 BC

Evagoras returns to Salamis with his followers and deposes Abdemon. Then he declares independence from Persia and unifies Cyprus. He also retains control of the Phoenician city of Tyre.

411 - 374 BC

Evagoras I / Eugoras

King of Salamis & Tyre.

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

1421

Janus attacks Egypt. Unable to capture the island, Egypt nevertheless forces the Cypriots to acknowledge the overlordship of Sultan Barsbay.

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 - 1570

Cyprus is handed over to the republic of Venice by Queen Caterina.

1570 - 1573

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 First World 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.