The History of Cyprus: The Island Every Empire Wanted — Fexingo History
Cyprus, the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, has been a coveted prize for empires for millennia. From the Bronze Age to the present, its strategic position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa made it a target for successive powers: the Mycenaean Greeks, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Venetians, Ottomans, and the British. In this series, Lucas and Luna explore how this small island shaped—and was shaped by—the ambitions of great empires. They delve into the ancient city-kingdoms like Salamis and Paphos, the rise of the cult of Aphrodite, and the pivotal role played by figures such as the Ptolemaic rulers and the Byzantine general Heraclius. The show covers the Lusignan dynasty's crusader kingdom, the Venetian fortifications, the Ottoman conquest, the British administration, and the island's division following the 1974 Turkish invasion.
Episodes
The Cypriot Revolt That Burned Salamis 116 AD
In 116 AD, Cyprus erupted in a violent revolt that nearly destroyed the island's ancient Greek cities. This episode explores the Kitos War, named after the Jewish rebel leader Artemion, and the Roman general Lusius Quietus who crushed the uprising. We examine the siege of Salamis, the destruction of Paphos, and the aftermath that reshaped Cyprus under Emperor Trajan. Drawing on the accounts of Cas
The Cypriot Mint That Struck Alexander's Gold
When Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, he needed an endless supply of coin to pay his army. The gold and silver he seized from Darius III had to be melted down and restruck in his own name. But Alexander didn't bring his own mint—he used existing royal mints across his new empire, including one on Cyprus. This episode follows the journey of a single gold stater from the mint at Sal
The Cypriot Revolt That Burned Salamis 116 AD
In 116 AD, the Roman province of Cyprus erupted in a Jewish-led revolt that left Salamis in ashes and nearly 240,000 dead according to Cassius Dio. This episode traces the uprising from its roots in the Kitos War under Trajan, through the destruction of the Temple of Zeus Olympios in Salamis, to the brutal Roman reconquest led by Lusius Quietus. We examine the evidence for the revolt's leader, Art
The Cypriot Queen Who Fought Rome: Cleopatra Selene's Desert Kingdom
After Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony fell at Actium, their daughter Cleopatra Selene II was paraded in Octavian's triumph — then given in marriage to Juba II of Mauretania. Far from a quiet exile, Selene transformed her husband's court into a Hellenistic cultural powerhouse, minted coins declaring herself queen, and built a lighthouse at Cherchell modeled on the Pharos of Alexandria. This episode t
The Cypriot Queen Who Poisoned a Roman General
In 58 BCE, Cyprus ceased to be an independent kingdom when Rome annexed it. But the last Ptolemaic ruler of the island, Ptolemy of Cyprus, didn't go quietly. When the Roman general Cato the Younger arrived to enforce the annexation, Ptolemy chose a dramatic end: he poisoned himself with his own gold. This episode explores the political maneuvering behind the Lex Clodia de Cypro, the role of Clodiu
The Cypriot Queen Who Poisoned a Roman General
In 57 BCE, the Roman censor Cato the Younger sailed into Cyprus with a clear mission: annex the island and remove its king, Ptolemy of Cyprus, brother of the Egyptian pharaoh. But Ptolemy had other plans. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life of Ptolemy of Cyprus, a king who chose suicide over submission and whose death sent shockwaves through the late Roman Republic. They trace his rei
The Cypriot Tin That Powered the Bronze Age Trade
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Cyprus's surprising role in the Bronze Age tin trade. While copper from the Troodos Mountains made Cyprus famous, tin — essential for making bronze — was scarce on the island. Yet Cypriot merchants became key intermediaries, trading copper for tin from distant sources like Cornwall, the Erzgebirge, and perhaps even Central Asia. The episode follows the journ
The Cypriot Gold That Bankrolled the Ptolemies
Long before Cyprus became famous for copper and commandaria, its mountains and riverbeds hid a quieter treasure: gold. In this episode, Lucas and Luna follow the trail of Cypriot gold from the ancient mines of the Troodos Massif to the royal treasuries of Ptolemaic Egypt. They explore how the island's gold deposits — small by global standards but strategically vital — helped finance Ptolemy I's wa
The Cypriot Princess Who Married the King of Hell
In 1194, a twelve-year-old princess named Alice of Champagne sailed from the crusader states to the island of Cyprus. Her marriage to Hugh I de Lusignan would shape the kingdom for generations, but her story is stranger than fiction. After Hugh's death, Alice married a man she believed was the King of Hell—or so the chronicles tell us. This episode follows Alice's journey from the Haute Cour of Je
The Cypriot Queen Who Brought Rome to Her Knees
When Queen Tryphaena of Cyprus married the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator in 89 BCE, she didn't just forge a royal alliance — she ignited a chain reaction that would draw Rome into a decades-long conflict. This episode dissects Tryphaena's life against the backdrop of the Mithridatic Wars: from her early years in Ptolemaic Cyprus to her flight from Pontus, her dramatic fall, and the legacy of
The Cypriot Queen Who Lost Cyprus: Berenice III's Final Stand
In 80 BCE, the Ptolemaic queen Berenice III ruled Cyprus from Salamis—until Rome's rising power demanded her surrender. Lucas and Luna explore how this twice-widowed queen, raised in the shadow of Cleopatra's Alexandria, navigated treacherous alliances between Ptolemaic rivals, Roman senators like Cato the Younger, and the violent ambitions of her own family. They examine the archaeological traces
The Cypriot Queen Who Allied with Cleopatra
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life of Arsinoe IV of Cyprus, the younger sister of Cleopatra VII who was exiled to the island and later executed on the orders of Mark Antony. They discuss her role in the Alexandrian war, her brief alliance with Julius Caesar, and her controversial death at the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. Along the way, they touch on Ptolemaic politics, the Siege of
The Cypriot Princess Who Married the King of Hell
In 1191, Richard the Lionheart conquered Cyprus and sold it to the Knights Templar, who promptly revolted. But the real story is the island's French queen: Alice of Champagne, who at age 11 married Hugh I de Lusignan, uniting the crusader Kingdom of Cyprus with the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This episode traces Alice's life—her wardship under the Ibelins, her regency after Hugh's death, and her fierce
The Cypriot Queen Who Defied Rome: Cleopatra Selene II
Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable life of Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony, who was taken to Rome as a child after her parents' defeat. Raised in the household of Octavian (Augustus), she later became Queen of Mauretania through a political marriage to Juba II. This episode focuses on her Cypriot connection: her mother's Ptolemaic control of Cyprus, how the island
The Cypriot Queen Who Ruled Between Empires
Before Cleopatra, before the Roman annexation, there was a woman who held Cyprus together through the violent shifts of the late Ptolemaic period. Queen Berenice III was the last legitimate Ptolemaic ruler of Cyprus, a queen who navigated the chaos of family assassinations, Roman expansion, and the rise of her own half-brother Ptolemy X. When Rome began absorbing client kingdoms, Berenice tried to
The Cypriot Archer Who Changed the Battle of Issus
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of a Cypriot archer named Onisilos, whose single arrow at the Battle of Issus in 333 BCE may have altered the course of history. They discuss the Cypriot contingent in the Persian army, the tactical role of archers from Salamis and Kition, and the political maneuvering of King Pnytagoras of Salamis, who switched sides to Alexander the Great. The ep
The Cypriot Navy That Defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Cephalonia
In 1292, the small fleet of the Kingdom of Cyprus, under the command of Admiral Jean de Lusignan, achieved a stunning victory over a much larger crusader armada off the coast of Cephalonia. This episode explores the forgotten Battle of Cephalonia, where Cypriot galleys used innovative tactics and local knowledge to repel an invasion by King Charles II of Naples, who sought to claim the Crusader Ki
The Cypriot Forest That Built the Ptolemaic Fleet
In this episode of The History of Cyprus, Lucas and Luna explore the island's ancient forests and their pivotal role in Mediterranean naval history. They focus on the timber trade during the Ptolemaic era, when Cyprus supplied the wood for the Egyptian fleet that challenged Rome. The conversation covers the species of trees used—Cedar of Lebanon, Aleppo pine, cypress—the logistics of logging in th
The Cypriot Salt That Preserved the Venetian Republic
Long before tourism, Cyprus had a commodity more precious than copper: salt. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the salt pans of Larnaca — the ancient salt lake of Aliki — and how the island's salt monopoly made Venice rich while feeding an empire. They trace the trade from the Phoenician and Roman eras through the Venetian occupation, when the Republic of Venice controlled Cypriot salt produ
The Cypriot Copper That Built the Bronze Age World
Before the Phoenicians, before the Greeks, before iron, Cyprus was known by a single name among the great empires of the ancient Near East: Alashiya. And Alashiya meant copper. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the island's copper trade from the first miners in the Troodos mountains to the ingots that sailed to Egypt, Ugarit, and beyond. They explore the technology of ancient smelting, the mys
The Cypriot Earthquake That Reshaped an Empire
In 1222, a massive earthquake devastated Cyprus, leveling cities like Paphos and Salamis and killing tens of thousands. Lucas and Luna explore how this seismic disaster reshaped the island's political landscape—from the fall of the old capital Salamis to the rise of Nicosia and the shifting fortunes of its ruling dynasties. They discuss the geological setting, the quake's estimated 7.0 magnitude,
The Cypriot Wheat That Fed the Roman Empire
Cyprus was known as the 'granary of the East' under Roman rule. This episode follows the journey of a single grain shipment from the fields of the Mesaoria plain to the port of Nea Paphos, through the eyes of a local landowner and a Roman procurator. We explore the logistics of the annona, the tax in kind that fed Rome's legions and its urban poor. Discover the role of the Cypriot elite in managin
The Cypriot Ship That Changed the Map: Paul's First Voyage
On this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the Apostle Paul's first missionary journey through Cyprus, beginning in Salamis and ending at Paphos. They examine the historical evidence for the Book of Acts account, including the confrontation with the magus Bar-Jesus and the conversion of the proconsul Sergius Paulus. The conversation explores what the island's Roman roads, Jewish communities, and imperi
The Cypriot Mint That Struck the Coin of Cleopatra
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Cyprus's role in the ancient Mediterranean economy through its mints. They focus on the Salamis mint under Ptolemaic rule, which produced some of the most iconic coins of the era, including silver tetradrachms bearing the image of Cleopatra VII. Lucas explains how Cyprus's copper and strategic location made it a hub for coinage, and how the island's mints re
The Cypriot Wine That Made the Ancient World Toast
We revisit Cyprus through its vineyards — from the Bronze Age to today. Lucas walks Luna through the island's ancient wine trade, the legendary Commandaria, and how a medieval sugar plantation accidentally produced one of history's most enduring wines. Along the way, we meet the Phoenicians who shipped it, the Crusaders who savored it, and the Ottoman tax collectors who couldn't get enough of it.
The Cypriot Monks Who Saved the Church of Cyprus
In the 5th century, the Church of Cyprus faced an existential threat from the Patriarchate of Antioch, which claimed jurisdiction over the island. Three Cypriot monks—St. Barnabas, St. Epiphanius, and St. Spyridon—became central to the Cypriot fight for autocephaly. But a lesser-known figure, Archbishop Anthemios of Salamis, used a miraculous discovery—the tomb of St. Barnabas with a copy of the G
The Cypriot Olive Oil That Lit the Ancient World
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Cyprus's ancient olive oil trade, from Bronze Age exports in pithoi to Roman amphorae stamped for Emperor Augustus. They trace how island groves supplied Athenian athletes, Egyptian embalmers, and Roman legions, and uncover the story of a forgotten olive press at Katalymata ton Plakoton. Along the way, they touch on Minoan connections, Phoenician merchants,
Cyprus's Venetian Fortress: Kyrenia's Walls That Defied Suleiman
In 1570, the Ottoman fleet descended on Cyprus, but one fortress refused to break. Kyrenia Castle, built on Hellenistic foundations and fortified by the Venetians, held out for months against overwhelming odds. This episode follows the siege through the eyes of its defenders—Venetian captain Antonio Bragadin, engineer Giovanni Girolamo Sammicheli, and the Cypriot militia who fought alongside them.
The Cypriot Icon That Survived Iconoclasm
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of the Kykkotissa, a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary at the Monastery of Kykkos in the Troodos Mountains. They discuss how this icon, attributed to Saint Luke, was brought to Cyprus under Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in the 11th century, just after the end of Iconoclasm. The conversation covers the legend of the hermit Isaiah and the emperor's dau
The Cypriot Silk That Dressed Byzantine Empresses
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Cyprus's forgotten role in the Byzantine silk monopoly. When the Eastern Roman Empire guarded the secret of sericulture as a state secret, Cypriot mulberry groves and weavers in Nicosia and Famagusta produced raw silk and luxurious fabrics that clothed empresses like Theodora and funded the imperial treasury. We trace the journey of silkworm eggs smuggled fr
The Cypriot Monk Who Tamed the Lion of Venice
In 1489, Cyprus became a Venetian colony. But the handover wasn't as smooth as the history books suggest. This episode follows the story of Ioannis of Kerynia, a Greek Orthodox monk who led a tax revolt against Venetian grain requisitions in the early 1490s. Ioannis, a literate monk from the monastery of Panagia Eleousa, wrote a chronicle that survives today, detailing the harsh Venetian impositio
The Cypriot King Who Became a Pirate
When the Lusignan dynasty crumbled and Cyprus fell under Venetian rule, one man refused to surrender. This episode tells the story of James II de Lusignan, the bastard son of a disgraced king who grew up in exile, became a pirate raiding Venetian ships, and then, against all odds, returned to claim the throne of Cyprus. We explore his alliance with the Mamluk Sultanate, his brutal siege of Famagus
The Cypriot Monk Who Stood Up to an Emperor
In the 7th century, the Byzantine Emperor Constans II tried to force the island of Cyprus to accept the Monothelite doctrine — a compromise between Orthodox and Monophysite Christianity that many saw as heresy. One man, a monk named John of Amathus, led a quiet but fierce resistance from his monastery near the ancient city of Amathus. This episode tells the story of John's defiance, the imperial f
The Cypriot Refugees Who Built a New Home: 1974 Aftermath
In the summer of 1974, a Turkish invasion shattered the island of Cyprus, displacing nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots from the north and 60,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south. This episode follows the human story of displacement and resilience: the refugee camps in Limassol, the Tent City at Kolossi, the makeshift schools, and the long road to rebuilding. We trace the personal account of a baker fro
The Cypriot Poet Who Defied the Inquisition: Loizos of Kyrenia
In 1571, Cyprus fell to the Ottoman Empire. But resistance took many forms. This episode tells the story of Loizos of Kyrenia, a Cypriot Greek poet and monk who used verse to preserve Orthodox identity under Ottoman rule. We explore how his poems — written in the Cypriot dialect — smuggled defiance through allegory and religious imagery. We also examine the little-known role of the Cypriot Church
The Cypriot Doctor Who Healed the Caliph
Episode 100 of The History of Cyprus turns to the unlikely story of Ibn Butlan, a Nestorian Christian physician from Baghdad who found refuge in 11th-century Cyprus. After fleeing theological persecution in the Abbasid capital, Ibn Butlan established a medical school in Nicosia that blended Greek humoral theory with Arabic pharmacology. His treatise, the Taqwim al-Sihha (Tables of Health), became
The Cypriot Queen Who Ruled Alone: Catherine Cornaro
In 1474, the last Lusignan king of Cyprus died, and the island passed to his Venetian wife, Catherine Cornaro. For fifteen years, she ruled as queen regnant, balancing the competing demands of Venice, the Mamluk Sultanate, and the Cypriot nobility. This episode tells the story of her reign: the political maneuvering that brought her to power, her struggle to maintain Cypriot autonomy as Venice tig
The Cypriot City That Disappeared: Enkomi and the Sea Peoples
Lucas and Luna explore the rise and mysterious fall of Enkomi, a wealthy Bronze Age city on Cyprus that vanished around 1200 BCE. They discuss the city's role in the copper trade, its elaborate tombs filled with gold and ivory, the undeciphered Cypro-Minoan script found on clay tablets, and the violent destruction layer that suggests an attack by the Sea Peoples. The episode also touches on the br
The Cypriot Archer Who Turned the Tide at the Battle of Khirokitia
In 1426, the Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus faced its greatest crisis when the Mamluk Sultan Barsbay launched a devastating invasion. The Battle of Khirokitia saw King Janus defeated and captured, but among the Cypriot defenders was a figure often overlooked: a master archer from the Troodos foothills named Phileas of Evretou. Drawing on the long tradition of Cypriot archery—honed in the island's rugg
The Cypriot Queen Who Defied the Mamluk Sultan
In 1426, Queen Charlotte de Bourbon and her husband King Janus of Cyprus faced the might of the Mamluk Sultanate under Sultan Barsbay. When Janus was captured at the Battle of Khirokitia, Charlotte took command, rallying Cypriot archers and fortifying Kyrenia Castle. This episode explores her leadership, the diplomatic aftermath involving a ransom and tribute, and how the Lusignan dynasty never fu
The Cypriot Queen Who Defied the Mamluk Sultan
In 1426, the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt launched a massive invasion of Cyprus, crushing the Lusignan army at the Battle of Khirokitia. King Janus was captured and humiliated in Cairo. But his wife, Queen Charlotte de Bourbon, did not surrender. From the fortress of Kyrenia, she organized the defense of the island, negotiated with the Mamluks, and kept the kingdom alive until her husband's ransom wa
The Cypriot Copper That Funded the Bronze Age Collapse
When the Bronze Age collapsed around 1177 BCE, empires toppled and trade routes died. But Cyprus — ancient Alashiya — had something the world still needed: copper. This episode traces the island's copper trade from the peak of the Late Bronze Age through the chaos of the Sea Peoples' invasions. We follow the oxhide ingots from the Troodos mines to the palace workshops of Enkomi and Kition, then to
The Cypriot King Who Chose Exile Over Submission
In 58 BCE, a Roman tribune named Clodius Pulcher was captured by Cilician pirates and sent a ransom demand to the King of Cyprus. The king's response set off a chain of events that ended with Cyprus annexed by Rome, its king dead by his own hand, and Cato the Younger marching into Salamis with a fortune in silver. This episode follows the final days of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Cyprus under Ptolemy
The Cypriot Princess Who Married the Pharaoh
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the diplomatic marriage between the Cypriot princess Ankhesenamun and Pharaoh Amenhotep III of Egypt, as recorded in the Amarna letters. They discuss how this union solidified trade routes for Cypriot copper, the political maneuverings of King Kushmeshuta of Alashiya, and the exchange of gifts like ivory and lapis lazuli. The episode also touches on the role
The Cypriot Copper Mines That Funded a Bronze Age Empire
Before the Roman aes Cyprium, before the Lusignan gigliati, Cyprus was already the Mediterranean's copper powerhouse. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the forgotten kingdom of Alashiya — the Bronze Age name for Cyprus that appears in Egyptian, Hittite, and Ugaritic texts. They trace the island's copper from the Troodos mines to the palaces of Pharaohs and Hittite kings, following the oxhid
The Cypriot Wine That Toasted Empires
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the forgotten history of Cypriot wine, from its Bronze Age origins to its role as a prized commodity across the Mediterranean. They delve into the ancient sweet wine known as Commandaria, said to be the world's oldest named wine still in production, which was celebrated at the courts of Byzantine emperors, Lusignan kings, and Venetian merchants. Lucas tells
Ep 89: The Cypriot Wheat That Fed the Caliphate
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the forgotten story of Cyprus under the Umayyad Caliphate—a period of coexistence known as the 'Condominium,' when the island was jointly ruled by Byzantines and Arabs for nearly 300 years. They focus on the figure of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, the caliph who minted the first Islamic gold dinar using Cypriot copper, and the Cypriot wheat that helped stabilize
The Cypriot Mint That Shaped Mediterranean Commerce
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the fascinating story of Cypriot coinage, from the ancient Greek city-kingdoms to the Lusignan period. They delve into how the island's strategic location and rich copper resources made it a hub for minting and trade. Specific topics include the silver staters of Salamis, the gold ducats of the Lusignan kings, and the famous gigliati of Famagusta. Lucas expl
The Cypriot Wheat That Saved a Byzantine Emperor
In the 7th century CE, as the Byzantine Empire reeled from Arab invasions and internal strife, a cargo of wheat from Cyprus became the unlikely lifeline that saved Emperor Constans II. This episode explores how the island's agricultural bounty, particularly from the plains around Salamis and Constantia, was leveraged by the patrikios Arkadios to stave off famine in Constantinople. We delve into th
The Cypriot Copper That Funded the Roman Empire
Lucas and Luna explore how Cyprus's copper mines became the economic engine of the Roman Empire. This episode focuses on the island's transformation under Roman rule, from the annexation in 58 BCE to the reign of Emperor Hadrian. They discuss the organization of copper mining in the Troodos Mountains, the use of Cypriot copper for Roman coinage and military equipment, and the role of the island as
The Cypriot Mint That Shaped Mediterranean Commerce
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the fascinating history of the Cypriot mint, from the early coinage of the city-kingdoms to the Lusignan deniers and Venetian ducats. They discuss how the strategic location of Cyprus made it a hub for currency exchange and trade, touching on the famous Famagusta mint, the introduction of the gigliati, and the economic policies of Hugh IV and Catherine Corna
The Cypriot Copper That Built Empires: Tamassos and the Bronze Age
Long before Cyprus became a crossroads of empires, its copper was the island's true treasure. In this episode, Lucas and Luna travel to Tamassos, the ancient city-kingdom whose mines supplied the Bronze Age world. They explore how the extraction and trade of Cypriot copper—known as 'chalkos' in Greek and 'ku-babbar' in Akkadian—shaped the economies of Egypt, Mycenae, and the Hittite Empire. Lucas
The Cypriot Archbishop Who Blessed a Secret War: Makarios and EOKA
In the 1950s, Cyprus became the stage for one of the most audacious anti-colonial insurgencies of the 20th century. At its head stood Archbishop Makarios III, a charismatic cleric who walked a tightrope between diplomatic negotiations and covert support for the guerrilla fighters of EOKA. This episode explores the intricate relationship between Makarios and General Georgios Grivas, the secret cell
The Cypriot Icon That Defied an Empire: The Kykkotissa
In the 12th century, a Byzantine emperor and a hermit clashed over a sacred icon of the Virgin Mary in Cyprus. This episode tells the story of the Kykkotissa, a miraculous icon that survived the Iconoclast controversy, the Lusignan conquest, and the Ottoman era. We trace its journey from Constantinople to the Troodos Mountains, the legend of its creation by Saint Luke, and its role as a symbol of
The Cypriot King Who Sold His Island: Ptolemy VIII's Betrayal
In 96 BC, Ptolemy Apion, the last Lagid king of Cyrene, bequeathed his kingdom to Rome. But less than a decade later, his cousin Ptolemy VIII Physcon pulled a far more audacious move: he willed Cyprus itself to the Roman Republic. This episode follows the twisted dynastic politics of the late Ptolemaic dynasty, where Cyprus was a bargaining chip in the power struggles of Alexandria. We trace the s
The Cypriot Monks Who Defied Iconoclasm: St. John Damascene and the Desert
In the 8th century, the Byzantine Empire was torn apart by iconoclasm — the destruction of religious images. While emperors in Constantinople outlawed icons, a group of monks from Cyprus, led by St. John Damascene (born in Damascus but active on the island), defended the use of icons with theological fire. This episode follows John's writings, the exile of monks from Mar Saba and the Holy Land to
The Cypriot Wheat That Saved a Byzantine Emperor
In 647 AD, a Byzantine fleet under the future emperor Constans II arrived off the coast of Cyprus to find the island in the grip of a famine. The Arab conquests had disrupted grain shipments, and the local harvest had failed. This episode tells the story of the Cypriot wheat shipment that broke a siege and saved Constans' throne, and the little-known naval battle of the Phoenix that followed. We e
The Cypriot Archer Who Defied the Mamluk Sultan
In 1426, a Cypriot peasant archer named John of Kythrea led a desperate rebellion against the Mamluk sultan Barsbay, who had just devastated the island. Drawing on the chronicles of Leontios Machairas and al-Maqrizi, this episode traces the revolt from its origins in the Troodos foothills to the brutal reprisals that followed. We explore how a crossbowman from a tiny village mobilised farmers and
The Ottoman Conquest of Cyprus: 1571 Siege of Famagusta
In 1570, the Ottoman Empire launched a full-scale invasion of Cyprus, then under Venetian rule. This episode follows the brutal 11-month siege of Famagusta, the island's last Venetian stronghold. We examine the strategic importance of Cyprus in the Ottoman-Venetian rivalry, the leadership of Venetian commander Marco Antonio Bragadin, and the Ottoman forces under Lala Mustafa Pasha. The siege ended
The Venetian Fortress That Held: Kyrenia's 16-Month Siege
In 1570, when the Ottoman fleet appeared off Cyprus, most of the island fell within months. But one fortress held out for sixteen months: Kyrenia Castle. This episode follows the remarkable resistance of its Venetian and Cypriot defenders under commander Marco Antonio Bragadin, who refused to surrender even after Nicosia and Famagusta had fallen. We explore the fortress's design built to withstand
The Cypriot Archbishop Who Led a Revolution
In Episode 75 of The History of Cyprus, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of Archbishop Makarios III, the religious leader who became the first president of an independent Cyprus. They trace his journey from a village near Paphos to the Archbishopric at just 37 years old, his early advocacy for enosis through education, and his transformation into a pragmatist who accepted independence un
The Cypriot Philosopher Who Shaped Early Christianity
Before Paul set foot on Cyprus, a philosopher from Kition had already planted seeds of Stoic thought that would subtly influence Christian ethics. This episode traces Zeno of Kition's journey from Phoenician Cyprus to the Stoa Poikile in Athens, where he taught that virtue is the only good and that all humans are citizens of a universal community. We explore how his ideas—logos, apatheia, cosmopol
The Cypriot Queen Who Defied the Mamluks: Helena Palaiologina's Siege
In 1456, Queen Helena Palaiologina, the Byzantine-born queen of Cyprus, faced a Mamluk siege that would test her mettle. When Mamluk Sultan al-Ashraf Inal demanded tribute and the surrender of a Cypriot prince, Helena refused—and prepared for war. This episode dives into the siege of Kyrenia Castle, the role of the Cypriot archers, and the diplomatic maneuvering that saved the kingdom. Along the w
The Bronze Age Shipwreck That Rewrote Cypriot Maritime History
In 1960, a sponge diver off the coast of Cape Gelidonya in southern Turkey stumbled upon an ancient shipwreck that would transform our understanding of Bronze Age trade. Among its cargo: copper ingots from Cyprus stamped with the unmistakable oxhide shape — the same ingots that had been whispered about in the Amarna letters and Hittite archives for centuries. But this was no ordinary merchant vess
Cypriot Usurpers and Ptolemies: The Siege That Sank a Kingdom
In 88 BCE, a usurper named Ptolemy Apion seized control of Cyprus from his half-brother Ptolemy IX Soter. The ensuing siege of Salamis brought the island to its knees, ending centuries of Lagid rule and paving the way for Roman annexation. This episode follows Apion's rebellion, the desperate defense of Salamis, and the brutal aftermath that reshaped Cyprus. We explore the political chaos of the l
The Cypriot Archer Who Defied the Mamluk Sultan
In 1426, a Cypriot archer from the Troodos foothills named John of Kythrea became an unlikely hero during the Mamluk invasion of Cyprus. When the Mamluks under Sultan Barsbay sacked Limassol and marched on Nicosia, John's single arrow struck the Mamluk standard-bearer, throwing the invaders into confusion and buying the Cypriot army precious time. This episode follows John's story, the brutal afte
The Enkomi Tusk: Ivory, Elephants, and Bronze Age Trade
Before the copper mines and the grain ships, Cyprus was a hub for one of the most luxurious goods of the ancient world: ivory. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the journey of a single carved tusk from the Bronze Age city of Enkomi — following it from the elephants of Syria to the workshops of Cyprus, then across the sea to the palaces of Mycenaean Greece. They explore the Cypriot ivories foun
The Cypriot Poet Who Defied a Dictator: Vasilis Michaelides
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and work of Vasilis Michaelides, Cyprus's national poet, who used his pen to challenge British colonial rule and the island's oppressive class structure. Born in 1849 in Lefkara, Michaelides wrote in the Cypriot Greek dialect, crafting epic poems like "The 9th of July 1821 in Nicosia"—a vivid retelling of the Ottoman execution of Cypriot notables. H
The Cypriot King Who Defied Alexander the Great: Idalion's Last Stand
When Alexander the Great swept through the eastern Mediterranean in 333 BCE, most Cypriot city-kingdoms quickly submitted. But one small inland kingdom dared to resist: Idalion, a center of Aphrodite worship that had already lasted centuries under Phoenician, Assyrian, and Persian overlords. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how King Pumayyaton of Idalion gambled on Alexander's rival, the Pe
The Cypriot Beach That Changed the Bronze Age
In this episode of The History of Cyprus, Lucas and Luna explore the 13th-century BCE beach at Pyla-Kokkinokremos — a fortified settlement that may have been a last stand against the mysterious Sea Peoples. They discuss the archaeological evidence for a multicultural enclave of Mycenaean, Minoan, and Cypriot refugees, the violent destruction of Enkomi and Kition, and the collapse of the Bronze Age
The Cypriot Mint That Shaped Mediterranean Commerce
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of Cyprus's own coinage — from the ancient city-kingdoms that issued silver staters bearing the horned ram of Paphos to the Lusignan deniers and Venetian ducats that circulated across the medieval Mediterranean. They focus on the mint of Famagusta under the Lusignan dynasty, the transition to Venetian rule, and how Cypriot coins became a trusted cu
The Cypriot Wine That Survived Empires: Commandaria's 5,000-Year Story
This episode traces the uncanny longevity of Commandaria, the Cypriot sweet wine that has been in continuous production since at least 2000 BCE. Lucas and Luna explore how the same vineyards in the hills above Limassol—the Commandaria region—outlasted Phoenician traders, Ptolemaic administrators, Roman emperors, Lusignan crusaders, Venetian merchants, Ottoman pashas, British colonial officers, and
The Cypriot Copper That Financed the Athenian Empire
In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the untold story of Cyprus's copper mines during the 5th century BCE. When Athens faced a silver shortage, they turned to the island's vast copper resources to mint their famous 'owl' tetradrachms. Discover how the city-kingdoms of Marion and Tamassos became vital suppliers, and how the Athenian general Cimon's final campaign in 449 BCE was as much about
The Cypriot Copper That Built the Bronze Age
Long before Aphrodite's island became a crusader kingdom or a Venetian fortress, Cyprus was the world's leading source of copper. This episode takes you deep into the Troodos mines, where ancient miners extracted the metal that gave the Bronze Age its name. We trace the trade networks that carried Cypriot copper to Egypt, Syria, and beyond — from ingots stamped with the Cypro-Minoan script to the
Ptolemaic Cyprus: The Lagid Queens Who Ruled an Island
When Alexander the Great's empire fractured, Cyprus fell to the Ptolemies of Egypt — a dynasty famous for its powerful women. This episode zooms in on two of them: Arsinoe II, who was deified and given her own city (Arsinoe, near modern Polis), and Berenice II, whose lock of hair became a constellation. We explore how these Lagid queens shaped Cypriot identity, religion, and politics. Lucas and Lu
The Cypriot Goddess Who Became a Roman Empress
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of the Cypriot goddess-worship that shaped Roman imperial cult. They focus on the cult of Aphrodite at Paphos and how it became intertwined with the deification of Roman empresses, particularly Livia and Julia Domna. The conversation covers the Sanctuary of Aphrodite at Palaipaphos, the role of Cypriot priests and priestesses in promotin
The Cypriot Grain That Fed the Roman Legions
When the Roman Empire needed grain, it turned to Cyprus. The island's fertile Mesaoria plain became a key supplier of the annona, the grain dole that fed Rome's legions and its capital. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Cypriot wheat was harvested, taxed, and shipped across the Mediterranean under Roman rule. They discuss the lex Hadriana, an imperial law that incentivized cultivation, a
The Cypriot Wheat That Fed the Roman Empire
This episode of The History of Cyprus takes you to the fields of ancient Cyprus, where wheat was more than a crop—it was the island's ticket to imperial favor. We trace how Cyprus became a key grain supplier for the Roman Empire, from the fertile Mesaoria plain to the granaries of Ostia. Lucas and Luna discuss the Cypriot contribution to the Roman grain dole, the administrative systems like the an
The Cypriot Mint of Richard the Lionheart
How did a brief stopover by Richard the Lionheart in Limassol lead to the creation of a unique Cypriot currency? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of the Cypriot mint that Richard established in 1191, producing silver deniers and gold bezants that blended Western and Byzantine traditions. They discuss the political background: Richard's conquest of the island from Isaac Komnenos, t
The Cypriot Bronze Age Collapse Famine That Toppled Alashiya
Episode 56 of The History of Cyprus: The Island Every Empire Wanted examines the catastrophic famine that struck Cyprus around 1200 BCE, during the Late Bronze Age collapse. Lucas and Luna explore how a prolonged drought devastated the island's copper-driven economy, led to the abandonment of cities like Enkomi and Kition, and may have triggered the fall of Alashiya itself. They discuss archaeolog
