Peter I (Cyprus)

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The assassination of King Peter I of Cyprus. Illumination of Jean Froissart , Chroniques , Bruges, 15th century. (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France)

Peter I ( October 9, 1328 , † January 16, 1369 ) was King of Cyprus from 1359. He was the son of King Hugo IV and his second wife Alice von Ibelin.

Peter was Titular Count of Tripoli from 1347 to 1358 and Titular King of Jerusalem from 1360 . Due to the conquest of the Cilician coastal cities, he called himself King of Armenia from 1360 .

Peter planned to resume the Crusades. In 1362 he went on a trip to Europe with his chancellor Philippe de Mézières and the papal legate Peter Thomas to promote his idea. He met with Pope Urban V , King John II of France and Emperor Charles IV and actually brought together an army that gathered in Rhodes on August 30, 1365, the largest since the Third Crusade . It was only after setting sail that the destination was announced: it was Alexandria . The crusade against Alexandria led to the conquest and sacking of the city (October 10, 1365), accompanied by a massacre that was in no way inferior to that of the conquest of Jerusalem (1099) and Constantinople (1204) and which Peter tried in vain to prevent. The booty was brought to safety in Cyprus, after further attacks on Tripoli and Tartus the army dispersed.

The military operations had put a heavy strain on the island's finances, the barons became increasingly rebellious, and the king's brothers and wife, Eleanor of Aragon , were also suspected of conspiracy. In January 1369 the king and his lover Johanna l'Aleman were surprised in their sleep by Johannes von Gaurelle, Heinrich von Gibelet and Philipp von Ibelin, emasculated and beheaded.

Peter was married to Eschiva von Montfort († before 1353), the daughter of Ruben and Maria von Ibelin, in his first marriage since 1342, in his second marriage from 1353 to Eleanor of Aragon († December 26, 1416/17 in Barcelona ), daughter of Infants Peter of Aragón and Johanna von Foix and co-regent in Cyprus from 1369 to 1379.

He had children from both marriages, but today only two of them - from his second marriage - more extensive information exists:

  1. Peter II. (* Around 1357 † 1382), was his successor
  2. Margarete († around 1397) ⚭ 1385 Jacques de Lusignan, titular count of Tripoli († before 1397) ( House of Lusignan )

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predecessor Office successor
Hugo IV King of Cyprus
1359-1369 		Peter II
personal data
SURNAME Peter I.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Cyprus
DATE OF BIRTH October 9, 1328
DATE OF DEATH January 16, 1369