According to Archimandrite Kyprianos, Cyprus has suffered numerous disasters throughout its history, with some of the most significant including:
- In 57 BC, Marcus Cato the Elder, a Roman senator and staunch opponent of Hellenization, plundered the island. According to Plutarch, he took over seven million talanta to Rome.
- In 117 AD, during the reign of Emperor Trajan, the Jewish population in Cyprus launched a revolt, reportedly killing over 240,000 people and destroying the city of Salamis. In response, a law was passed banning Jews from ever setting foot on the island.
- During the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great, Cyprus was nearly deserted following a devastating seven-year drought.
- In 1154, Reginald, Prince of Antioch, attacked Cyprus, pillaging towns and villages and leaving widespread destruction.
- In 1190, Richard the Lionheart invaded Cyprus, captured the ruler Isaac Komnenos, seized much of the island’s wealth, and later sold Cyprus to the Knights Templar.
- In 1374, under the reign of Peter de Lusignan, the Genoese launched a major assault on Cyprus. They sacked Famagusta and Nicosia, looting so extensively that six galleys were required to transport the treasure back to Genoa.
- In 1425, the Sultan of Egypt invaded, captured King Janus and many nobles, and took numerous Cypriots into slavery. After four years, the king was released upon payment of 100,000 ducats and an annual tribute of 8,000 ducats.
- In 1459, amidst a civil war with his sister Charlotte, James II invited an army of Mamelukes to support his claim to the throne. For three years, they ravaged the island, looting and destroying as they went.
- Finally, in 1571, Cyprus fell to Sultan Selim II after a brutal conflict between the Ottomans and the Venetians that left the island devastated.
© Costas and Rita Severis Foundation
The 'Did you Know' series is supported by The Hellenic Initiative Canada.
