Nicholas Costa
Published: 2022-12-30
Total Pages: 122
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The focus of this work is the love affair between Pierre I Lusignan and one of his courtiers by the name of Joanna L’Aleman. The primary source for this affair is the work entitled Recital concerning the sweet land of Cyprus entitled 'Chronicle' by Leontios Macheras. It was written in the Cypriot Greek dialect sometime between 1426 and 1432, approximately 50 to 60 years after the events it describes. The story of the affair and Queen Eleanor’s revenge also appears in later documents, although they have relatively little of substance to add other than noting that the composite Chronicle of Amadi names Joanna’s deceased husband as Thomas instead of Macheras’ Jean/John. Pierre was effectively the last Crusader, he toured Europe between 1362 and 1365 to raise money and troops in a bid to recover Jerusalem. He launched a successful attack against Alexandria in 1365 and was heralded throughout the western world for his deed. Yet within 4 years he lay dead, murdered in bed by his own people.