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Byzantine Recapture of Cyprus
In 965 CE, Byzantium under Nikephoros Phokas recaptured Cyprus from Arab control, ending divided rule and piracy on the island since the mid-7th cent…
Timeline
- 964–965Constantinople · ByzantiumAfter the recapture of Crete, Nikephoros Phokas shifted strategic focus to Cyprus, mobilizing fleet and army to remove the Arab strongholds on the island.
- 965Cyprus · CyprusByzantine forces landed on Cyprus, captured the island's main Arab fortresses, expelled Muslim rulers, and ended the long period of divided rule.
- 965–966Cyprus · CyprusByzantium rebuilt the island's administrative and ecclesiastical institutions; Cyprus was reintegrated into the empire, and security on Eastern Mediterranean sea lanes was further ensured.
Sources
- A History of the Byzantine State and Society — Warren Treadgold (1997)
- The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium — Alexander Kazhdan (ed.) (1991)