Sharp County record., 1879-01-02
THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS.
Interesting Facts and Traditions Concern
ing its Early History.
From the New York SUM-

From the New York SUM-
The attempt of the camel-driver Cal
cocerus to make himself King of Cyprus,
and thus revive the ancient independent
position of the island A. d. 334, was
frustrated, and the aspirant fayed alive.
At this period and during the first CEN
turies of Byzantine rule many circum-
stances cOnduced to the animation of
trade and vehement cultivation of the
fertile soil. Cyprus was long regarded
as a harbor of refuge not only by the in
haoitants of the war harried Asiatic
mainland, but by the victims of relig-
ious persecution everywhere. The in
PRODUCTION of the silk-worm was an i'm
portant factor of the islands prosperity.
In the year 557 A. d., two monks brought
from India a quantity of silk-worm's
eggs, which the Emperor Justinian or
dered to be distributed in various prov
incss. Nowhere, however, did their
culture succeed as well as in Cyprus,
and in very short time the southern
slopes were covered with mulberry trees,
and silk factories were established.
During the early Byzantine epoch the
management OF the island was intrusted
to the joint care of military and civil
Governors. But there was growing
tendency to combine these functions in
the hands of satrap, who, after the
reign of Phocas Ca. d. 6l0), bore the til
tie of Duke. Such supreme Governor
would naturally aim to make the success
sion hereditary in his family, and would
often for a time succeed-a result
which presently tempted him to declare
complete independence. For the most
part, however, his independence only
lasted until the Imperial forces could be
got together. The numerous attempts
on the part of the Arabs to acquire
Cyprus, which began soon after Mo-
hammed's death, were sometimes tenn
porarily successful, and had, in one in
stance, substantial results. Under the
Omyiad Caliphate the island was thrice
taken and recovered. Far more Incl
sive was the impress made by Arabian
civilization under the Abassids, for
Haroun Elraschid conquered Cyprus in
803, and his successors held it until S64.
From this date until 1871 the Dukedom
of Cyprus was commonly assigned by
way of appanage to some member of
the ruling dynasty at Byzantium, who
not seldom took advantage of the weak
ness or necessities of the Empire to
throw off the yoke, but these revolts were
never fortunate. Cyprus now became
frequent halting place for the crusad-
ers on their way eastward, and more
than one leader of these expeditions
here found a grave. Among them was
Guelph, fourth Duke of Bavaria, who
about the year 100 died in Cyprus. A
little later the same fate befel Eric, the
first King of Denmark, and in 1148
Amadeus, Count of Savoy, an ances-
tor OF the present King of Italy, was
laid in Cyp8pte ground -.-, ..-,.
We come now to the conquest of
Cyprus by an English King We have
arrived at the end of the twelfth GEN.
tury, when, for the fourth time, the
Western Continent has massed its forces
to do battle against the East. For a
century the coast of Asia, opposite to
Cyprus, from Cilicia to Egypt, has been
recovered to ChristendOm and fashion
ed into feudal kingdom, whose seat is
at Jerusalem, and whose supports are
the principalities of Tripoli, Odessa and
Antioch, and the lordshlps of Caesarea,
Beyrut, Sidon, and Tyre. In this quar-
ter Cyprus alone remains under the By
zantine yoke, being ruled in 1870 by
Isaac Comnenos, fated TO be the last By
zantine Duke, man of such notorious
cruelty chat his suzerain, the Greek
Emperor, had more than once been
driven to demonstrate with his vassal.
1t happens presently that Richard, King
of England, touching at Cyprus on his
way to the Holy Land, learns that some
of his soldiers, shipwrecked on the coast,
have been robbed by the subjects of
Comnenos, and that his sister and Ber-
engaria, his betrothed bride, have been
insulted by the Duke. Richard lands
troops near Amethus, takes that city
withou: much difficulty, and RACES it to
the ground. A few days later the En-
glish and the Cypriotes meetin battle on
the plains of Mesaoria, where the
latter are defeated and the
Duke made prisoner. The Greek
Prince is loaded with silver chains,
solemnly deposed from his dignity, and
sent into captivity. Cyprus is sold by
the cOnqueror to the Knights Templar,
but these soldiers of the Cross used
their appanage with so little discretion
and self-restraint that in compliance
with the prayers Of the natives the En-
glish King resumed his rights to the is
land. But he could not stay to govern
it, and sold it once more for 100, 900 du-
cats to Guy Of Lusignan wha had just
lost his kingdo6l,o OF Jerusalem at the
hands Of SaIadin1 ID yho now, in 1872,
prus, Destined to Mire 500 years.