Jacob I (King of Cyprus)

Jacob (Jacques) I Cypriot or Jacques I de Lusignan ( fr. Jacques I ; 1334 - September 9, 1398 , Nicosia ) - King of Jerusalem and Cyprus from 1382 , King of Cilicia Armenia from 1393 to 1398 . One of the representatives of the Lusignan dynasty of Poitou (France), ruling after the Crusades in Cyprus and other Christian states of the Middle East . The fourth son of King Hugo IV and Alice d'Ibelin , one of the younger brothers of King Peter (Pierre) I , inherited the throne from his nephew of King Peter (Pierre) II , who left no heir.

Jacques was married to his cousin Elvis or Elise Braunschweig-Grubenhagen of the House of Welf ^[2] , (1353 - 15/25 January 1421) in 1365, when the bride was 12 years old. Her elder brother Johann Braunschweig-Grubenhagen (died on June 11, 1414 without a wife and no offspring) was the admiral of Cyprus, and her father Philip Braunschweig-Grubenhagen was a constable of the Jerusalem kingdom. Her father married the first time around 1352 to Eliza Dampier, daughter of Ed de Dampier, who was her mother, and the second time in 1368 to Alix de Ibelin, her stepmother. After the death of his father-in-law, Jacques became the constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and in this position, he led the struggle against the Genoese in 1373 .

After the murder of King Peter I (second son of Hugo IV ) by his entourage, Jacques and his elder brother Jean de Lusignan (third and fourth sons of Hugo IV) became regents for the minor son of King Peter II . At that moment, the war of Cyprus and Genoa ensued . There are different versions of the cause of the war, some cite the reason for the murder of members of the Genoese delegation at the coronation ceremony of Peter II, others see this as the intrigue of the widow of Peter I, Eleonora of Aragon , who either suspected of her mothers of involvement in the murder, and called on Genoa to intervene.

During the invasion, the other two sons of Hugo, Jacques and Jean, led the struggle against the Genoese. Jacques successfully defended in Cyrene, repelling the attacks of the Genoese, and this resistance brought him victory in the end. However, his nephew Peter II signed a treaty with the Genoese, who held Famagusta, and under this treaty, Jacques had to leave Cyprus. Jacques ceased hostilities and left the island on the ship from Kyrenia in 1374 with his wife, leaving for Europe. But first he visited Rhodes , where he not only received no help, but was arrested by the Genoese and sent to Genoa as a hostage with his wife.

Being held hostage, he confirmed his marriage to Elvis, who was originally contracted when she was only 12 years old. Most or all of his children from this marriage were born in Genoa, where he was held hostage. For this reason he could not be crowned until the year 1385. In Genoa, he was with his wife in difficult conditions for almost 9 years.

When Peter II died in 1382, leaving no heirs, and his elder brother Jean also died in 1375, the Cyprus parliament chose Jacques as king when he was in Genoa. The Genoese let him go to take the throne, after conducting negotiations with him and signing a peace treaty on February 2, 1383. Under this contract, Genoa received new privileges for commercial activities. Famagusta remained under Genoa control.

Before his return, Cyprus was governed by 12 nobles. After his return in 1383, he was not accepted and, in accordance with the message of the historian Leontios Makyros, returned to Genoa. These nobles, led by the brothers Perott and Wilmond Montolive, prevented Jacques from returning, considering the situation favorable for seizing power in the kingdom. They continued to resist until 1385. In April 1385, Jacques returned to Cyprus and landed in Nicosia, where he was received with great enthusiasm. He was crowned in May 1385 in the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Nicosia . After the coronation, he arrested and punished his opponents.

He was crowned king of Jerusalem in 1389, and in 1393, after the death of King of Armenia Levon VI , he joined the title of King of Armenia. This kingdom has now been reduced to the city of Korikos , which was dominated by the Cypriots under Peter I.