stayed
for ten days, 22 April to 1 May, recovering from his seasickness. Meanwhile one
of his ships was lost in a storm, and another three, including the ship
carrying Joanna and Berengaria, were swept on to Cyprus. Two of the ships were
wrecked on the south coast of the island, but Queen Joanna was able to reach an
anchorage off Limassol.
Cyprus had for five years been under the
rule of the self-styled Emperor Isaac Ducas Comnenus, who had led a successful
revolt against Byzantium at the time of Isaac Angelus’s accession, and who had
maintained his independence by volatile alliances, now with the Sicilians, now
with the Armenians of Cilicia, now with Saladin. He was a truculent man, who
hated Latins, and he was not popular on the island owing to the exorbitant
taxation that he raised. Many of his subjects still considered him a rebel and
an adventurer. The appearance of great Frankish fleets in Cypriot waters
alarmed him; and he faced the problem unwisely. When Richard’s shipwrecked men
made their way ashore he arrested them and confiscated all the goods that could
be salvaged. Then he sent a messenger to Queen Joanna’s ship, inviting her and
Berengaria to land. Joanna, who had learned from experience of her value as a
potential hostage, replied that she could not leave the ship without her
brother’s permission; but her request to be allowed to send ashore for fresh
water was rudely refused. Indeed, Isaac came himself to Limassol and built
fortifications along the shore to prevent any landing.
On 8 May, a week after Joanna’s arrival
off Limassol, Richard and his main fleet hove in sight. It had undergone a
ghastly passage from Rhodes; and Richard’s own ship had narrowly escaped
destruction in the Gulf of Attalla. Sea-sickness had not improved Richard’s
temper; and when he heard of the treatment given to his sister and his
betrothed he vowed vengeance. At once he began to land men near Limassol and
marched on the town. Isaac made no resistance but retired to the village of Kilani
on the slopes of Troodos. Not only did the Latin merchants settled in Limassol
welcome Richard, but the Greeks in their dislike of Isaac showed themselves
friendly to the invaders. Isaac therefore said that he was ready to negotiate.
On receiving a safe-conduct he came down to Colossi and went on to Richard’s
camp. There he agreed to pay compensation for the goods that he had stolen, to
allow the English troops to buy provisions free of customs dues and to send a
token force of a hundred men to the Crusade, though he refused to leave the
island himself. He offered to send his daughter to Richard as a hostage.
1191: Richard conquers Cyprus
Isaac’s visit to the camp convinced him
that Richard was not quite as formidable as he thought. So, as soon as he returned
to Colossi, he denounced the agreement and ordered Richard to leave his land.
He made a foolish mistake. Richard had already sent a ship to Acre to announce
his approaching arrival in Cyprus; and on 11 May, the day that Isaac saw
Richard and returned to Colossi, ships put in at Limassol with all the leading
Crusaders opposed to Conrad on board. There was King Guy and his brother,
Geoffrey, Count of Lusignan, one of Richard’s leading vassals in France, there
was Bohemond of Antioch with his son Raymond, there was the Roupenian Prince
Leo, who had recently succeeded his brother Roupen, there was Humphrey of
Toron, Isabella’s divorced husband, and there were many of the leading
Templars. As Philip had taken Conrad’s side, they had come to secure Richard’s
support for their party. This accession of strength decided Richard to
undertake the conquest of the whole island. His visitors doubtless pointed out
to him its strategic value for the defence of the whole Syrian coast and the
danger that might follow should Isaac enter into too close an alliance with
Saladin. It was an opportunity too good to be missed.
On 12 May Richard ceremoniously married
Berengaria in the chapel
for ten days, 22 April to 1 May, recovering from his seasickness. Meanwhile one
of his ships was lost in a storm, and another three, including the ship
carrying Joanna and Berengaria, were swept on to Cyprus. Two of the ships were
wrecked on the south coast of the island, but Queen Joanna was able to reach an
anchorage off Limassol.
Cyprus had for five years been under the
rule of the self-styled Emperor Isaac Ducas Comnenus, who had led a successful
revolt against Byzantium at the time of Isaac Angelus’s accession, and who had
maintained his independence by volatile alliances, now with the Sicilians, now
with the Armenians of Cilicia, now with Saladin. He was a truculent man, who
hated Latins, and he was not popular on the island owing to the exorbitant
taxation that he raised. Many of his subjects still considered him a rebel and
an adventurer. The appearance of great Frankish fleets in Cypriot waters
alarmed him; and he faced the problem unwisely. When Richard’s shipwrecked men
made their way ashore he arrested them and confiscated all the goods that could
be salvaged. Then he sent a messenger to Queen Joanna’s ship, inviting her and
Berengaria to land. Joanna, who had learned from experience of her value as a
potential hostage, replied that she could not leave the ship without her
brother’s permission; but her request to be allowed to send ashore for fresh
water was rudely refused. Indeed, Isaac came himself to Limassol and built
fortifications along the shore to prevent any landing.
On 8 May, a week after Joanna’s arrival
off Limassol, Richard and his main fleet hove in sight. It had undergone a
ghastly passage from Rhodes; and Richard’s own ship had narrowly escaped
destruction in the Gulf of Attalla. Sea-sickness had not improved Richard’s
temper; and when he heard of the treatment given to his sister and his
betrothed he vowed vengeance. At once he began to land men near Limassol and
marched on the town. Isaac made no resistance but retired to the village of Kilani
on the slopes of Troodos. Not only did the Latin merchants settled in Limassol
welcome Richard, but the Greeks in their dislike of Isaac showed themselves
friendly to the invaders. Isaac therefore said that he was ready to negotiate.
On receiving a safe-conduct he came down to Colossi and went on to Richard’s
camp. There he agreed to pay compensation for the goods that he had stolen, to
allow the English troops to buy provisions free of customs dues and to send a
token force of a hundred men to the Crusade, though he refused to leave the
island himself. He offered to send his daughter to Richard as a hostage.
1191: Richard conquers Cyprus
Isaac’s visit to the camp convinced him
that Richard was not quite as formidable as he thought. So, as soon as he returned
to Colossi, he denounced the agreement and ordered Richard to leave his land.
He made a foolish mistake. Richard had already sent a ship to Acre to announce
his approaching arrival in Cyprus; and on 11 May, the day that Isaac saw
Richard and returned to Colossi, ships put in at Limassol with all the leading
Crusaders opposed to Conrad on board. There was King Guy and his brother,
Geoffrey, Count of Lusignan, one of Richard’s leading vassals in France, there
was Bohemond of Antioch with his son Raymond, there was the Roupenian Prince
Leo, who had recently succeeded his brother Roupen, there was Humphrey of
Toron, Isabella’s divorced husband, and there were many of the leading
Templars. As Philip had taken Conrad’s side, they had come to secure Richard’s
support for their party. This accession of strength decided Richard to
undertake the conquest of the whole island. His visitors doubtless pointed out
to him its strategic value for the defence of the whole Syrian coast and the
danger that might follow should Isaac enter into too close an alliance with
Saladin. It was an opportunity too good to be missed.
On 12 May Richard ceremoniously married
Berengaria in the chapel
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