Peter I of Cyprus

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Peter I of Cyprus (9 October 1328 – 17 January 1369) was King of Cyprus and titular King of Jerusalem from his father's abdication in 1358 until his own death in 1369.

He was the second son of Hugh IV of Cyprus, the first by his second wife Alice of Ibelin. He also received the title Count of Tripoli when young.

In 1342 he married Eschiva de Montfort, daughter and heiress of Humphrey de Montfort, Constable of Cyprus and titular lord of Toron. Eschiva died before 1350 while Peter was still a teenager and the marriage was childess. In 1353 he married Eleanor of Aragon-Gandia, daughter of Infante Don Pedro of Aragon, Count of Ribagorza, and his wife Jeanne de Foix, and sister of Infante Don Alfonso, Duke of Gandia, pretender to the Aragonese crown.

Joanna l'Aleman was his long-time mistress.

His father Hugh attempted to stop his desire to lead a new crusade and retake Jerusalem, but upon his death Peter began his plans in earnest. He travelled through Europe attempting to garner support for his expeditions and on 11 October 1365 he led a mixed Cypriote and Western force of Crusaders to sack Alexandria (see Alexandrian Crusade). However, the European knights refused to follow him to attack Cairo, and he was obliged to return to Cyprus, the only permanent result of his expedition being the enmity of the Sultan of Egypt. Reprisals followed against Christian merchants in Syria and Egypt, and Pope Urban V advised Peter to make peace with the Sultan after unsuccessfully attempting to raise support among the European monarchs. Peter continued his crusade and raided Tripoli in 1366, before the terms of service of his European reinforcements could expire. He attempted to again raise a force in Europe in 1368, but was unsuccessful. Urban V again counseled peace, and Peter was compelled to join the Pope and the Venetians in making a treaty with Egypt.

While in Rome, he received an appeal from the barons of Armenia, nominating him as King and imploring him to deliver their country. He returned to Cyprus, but was rapidly plunged into domestic troubles. Queen Eleanor had been unfaithful during his long absences in Europe, and he retaliated by tyrannizing her favorite nobles, alienating even his brothers. On 17 January 1369 he was assassinated by three of his own knights, in his own bed at the Palace of La Cava, Nicosia.

Despite the harshness that brought a premature end to his life, his knight-errantry and crusading zeal led him to be regarded as the epitome of chivalry. He founded the chivalric Order of the Sword in 1347, which was dedicated to the recovery of Jerusalem. He was buried in the church of St. Dominic's of Nicosia, the traditional burial place of the Kings of Cyprus. He was succeeded by his son Peter II the Fat of Cyprus.

Guillaume de Machaut wrote a rhymed chronicle The Capture of Alexandria dealing with Peter's exploits.