Richard the Lionheart and Cyprus

 My current bedtime reading is Cypria, a history of Cyprus by Alex Christofi. It reminded me of a little-known excursion Richard the Lionheart made to Cyprus on his way to Acre and the Third Crusade. 

The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was launched to recapture Jerusalem, which had fallen to Saladin in 1187. Richard I and Philip II of France journeyed to the Holy Land by sea. Richard had already stopped off in Sicily and dabbled in the local politics there before sailing for Acre with a fleet of 150 ships and 53 galleys. 

In April 1191, Richard’s fleet encountered a storm near Cyprus. Several ships, including one carrying his fiancée, Berengaria of Navarre, and his sister, Joan of England, were blown off course and landed on the island. Cyprus was controlled by Isaac Komnenos, a Byzantine nobleman who had declared himself Emperor of the island. Isaac seized the opportunity to capture some shipwrecked Crusaders and their supplies. Richard unsurprisingly decided to intervene and landed at Limassol on May 6, 1191. He viewed the island as a helpful resource and a strategic base for the Crusade. The English chronicler Benedict of Peterborough says, "Then in great wrath, he sent messengers to the Emperor of Cyprus, once, twice, and yet a third time, making his request with mild entreaty, that his fellow pilgrims, whom the Emperor was keeping in durance, should be restored to him together with their belongings. To whom the Emperor made answer with proud words, refusing to surrender either the prisoners or their belongings, and saying that he had no fear of the king of England or of his threats." 

Limassol Castle today

The concept of Richard making a 'mild entreaty' is unlikely! Richard's forces quickly overwhelmed the defenders at Limassol in a contested amphibious landing. Many of the local nobility and merchants, dissatisfied with Isaac's oppressive rule, submitted to Richard, bolstering his position. Isaac initially conceded defeat and even promised to join the Crusade. However, he then retreated into the interior, hoping to rally resistance. Richard sailed around to the north of the island, leaving Guy of Lusignan in command of the army to pursue Issac. It is unclear how many actions were fought, but the evidence points to at least one significant battle, and Richard did capture the main castles. This included St Hilarion Castle, which was no mean feat. Just climbing to the top was enough for me.

 

Isaac eventually surrendered after being promised lenient treatment. Richard honoured his word but added a twist: Isaac was imprisoned in silver chains, as he had requested not to be shackled in iron. Richard sold the island to the Knights Templar later in 1191, who then resold it to Guy of Lusignan, the deposed King of Jerusalem, establishing the Kingdom of Cyprus. A vital stronghold for Christian powers in the Eastern Mediterranean for centuries.

This story formed the basis for our midweek game of To the Strongest in 15mm. The Crusader army lists work fine for Richard's forces. We used the later Byzantine Komenean list for Issac. The chroniclers mention men at arms and Turcoples, but there must have been local spearmen.

The battle initially went well for Richard, who seized the high ground in the centre and made good progress on the left wing.

However, the Byzantines rallied and, with some impressive shooting on the right, managed to win the game with one victory point left.

A good, close game and an interesting bit of history.

Happy New Year!

A Happy New Year to everyone! The weather has somewhat curtailed Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland, but a dram or two were still raised. My wife is suffering from the lurgy, and while I have largely recovered, my left ear is still blocked, making hearing challenging. Not always a bad thing 😉.

2024 was productive on the writing front. Two books were published, and two were written and are with the publisher, making six since I semi-retired. 

I have a couple of books planned for writing this year, with one just underway. This is irritating the cat, who has to manoeuvre his way past a large pile that constitutes the first research scan from my bookshelves. 

I also averaged two blog posts a week and kept the website updated. I wrote a few articles for journals and was very chuffed to receive the prize for the best overall article in Slingshot for my piece on the Young Alexander. I reviewed 60 books last year. My reading pile is relatively modest, although that is unlikely to last, with book tokens burning a hole in my wallet.

Some of my planned wargame projects, including Ruritania and the Indo-Pakistan War, never made it to the painting bench, and I still have the Starfighter kit from last Xmas to build. However, I finished the Montrose and Covenanters project in 15mm and made an excursion into Ireland. I finished more ships for the Black Seas, Falklands and WW1, and just the sails to finish some reinforcements for the Russian fleet. More Cyprus infantry and armour were completed in time for participation games at the Carronade and Targe shows. Strength and Honour bases were painted for the Young Alexander project, jet aircraft for Blood Red Skies, Border Wars, sci-fi, and some cowboys/girls. A book on the Caucasus started a project on the Persian army of the Napoleonic Wars in 15mm, which is now finished. Finally, in 28mm, I painted a Russian force for the late 18thC Russo-Ottoman Wars, although as my daughter bought me more figures for Xmas, that project has a way to run.

For the coming year, I have a pile of 6mm Ottomans for the 18thC wars, a modest force of WW2 Swiss (yes, another book impulse), and more 28mm Napoleonic Ottomans and Greeks. The Strength and Honour supplement has sparked a project on the Punic Wars, a return to my first wargame army. There are other bits and pieces to reinforce other projects, including my current Cold War dabble. I was remarkably disciplined about not being sidetracked with lots of new rules in 2024, but this is unlikely to be repeated! I have actually returned to some old favourites this year, including DBA. The Nigel Tranter re-reading project is getting perilously close to the Jacobite rebellions, but thankfully, I already have the figures.

Last year, my overseas trips took me to Vienna and Türkiye. Nothing has been finalised yet for 2025, but I haven’t been to Romania for a long time. I got to a few shows in England and many museums linked to the shows or following the mighty whites (Fulham FC), who are having a better-than-expected season. I will certainly be at the York show, conveniently after the Newcastle game; Hammerhead and Salute are pencilled in.

I hope everyone had a good holiday season, and I wish you all a happy and productive 2025.