Greeks, Latins, and the Church in Early Frankish Cyprus

The studies here deal with the first half of the period of almost four centuries (1191-1571) when Greeks, Latins, and other groups coexisted on the island of Cyprus. Under the French-speaking Lusignan dynasty, the Kingdom of Cyprus gradually evolved from a fragmented cluster of indigenous and alien linguistic and religious communities to a more unified yet still multicultural society of Cypriots by the end of the reign of King Hugh IV (1324-59), a process that was redirected in the wake of the Genoese invasion in the 1370s. The ecclesiastical history of Early Frankish Cyprus has traditionally been seen as one long national (Greek) struggle against foreign (Latin) efforts at forced doctrinal and ritual assimilation. In this volume Dr Schabel presents a more nuanced view, with new interpretations of general trends and specific events in the history of the Greek and Latin clergies on the island, the involvement of the crown, the papacy, and the eastern and western emperors, and the relations among these groups and individuals.

Christopher D Schabel is Associate Professor at the University of Cyprus, Cyprus.