Peter I of Cyprus - Attacks To Lebanon and Syria

Attacks To Lebanon and Syria

Peter continued his crusade this time aiming to attack Beirut. However his military operations ended after intervention of the Venetians willing to offer Peter high compensations for his military preparations, in order to not attack against Damascus. He crusaded and raided Tripoli in January 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 peace treaty with Egypt.

The commerce with Middle East, benefited Cyprus a lot, and because of Peter, Famagusta was one of the richest cities in the Mediterranean during his time. Also some befriended financiers of Peter were rich tradesmen from Famagusta, who could influence him. But the Sultan could not tolerate any more his insult by the capture of Alexandria and could not accept a friendly arrangement with Peter. So the attack against Tripole was a clear message to the Sultan; either he signed peace and could begin again the trade or to suffer continued attatacks. The sultan wanted to create a movement of distraction, so he strengthened the emirs of Asia Minor and assembled an army to attack Korikos. Peter reinforced the garrison in Korikos with fresh troops and they repulsed the Turkish attack. In May 1367, the garrison in Antalya revolted because the delayed payment of their wages. Peter immediately sailed there and imposed the order, decapitating the ring leaders of the revolt.

After all of this it was finally agreed peace with the Sultan of Cairo, which didn't become possible to be signed. So in 1367 there were other attacks to the Syrian coasts, capture and pillage again of Tripoli and other cities across the Syrian coast. As Leontios Makhairas writes, the reason that Peter could not keep Tripoli was because the city did not have walls. Among the other pillaged cities by Cypriots was Latakia. So the peace with Sultan seemed difficult.