In 1426, if but for a short while, Cyprus had two kings. King Janus of Cyprus and the ill-fated "Peasant King," Alexios, crowned by the people. The Peasant Revolt is a little known event in Cyprus' history but it is believed to have been triggered by the Mamluk invasion, the capture of King Janus and the sack of Nicosia. After the Muslim withdrawal, peasants revolted proclaiming the peasant Alexis as king. In short time, the rebellion was put down and Alexis was executed. The peasant revolt is one of the few times Cypriots peasants expressed dissatisfaction with Lusignan rule in Cyprus. Where was this rooted? How did it unfold? Join me with Dr. Chrysovalantis Kyriacou as we discuss the 1426 Peasant Revolt!

Merry Christmas! Enjoy this bonus episode! Amathus is a peculiar place. It's one of the few archaeological sites that has a relatively recent founding (i.e., the Iron Age). It boasts some peculiar customs and archaeological finds (e.g., Hathor capitals) and it is home to the famous Amathusian Bilingual (an epigraphic find that attests Cyprus' mysterious third language). My guest for this episode is Thierry Petit from the University of Laval in Quebec City, Canada. He is a former international member of the French School at Athens and has been the director of excavations at the Palace of Amathus for the past 30 years. His latest work, “The Palace of Amathus: From the Origins to the End of Kingdoms” has just been published in collaboration with Antigone Marangou.

This month's Primary Source is based on the "Strambal(d)i Chronicle" written at the end of the 16th century by Diomede Strambali -- a native of Cyprus -- who by the end of the Ottoman conquest, had fled to Rome as a refugee and had his work commissioned in Italian. The Chronicle recounts one of the infamous revolts in Cyprus whereby a peasant king, King Alexis, was crowned, if but for a short while. This is a relatively unknown chapter in Cypriot history that has seldom been written about. But it is the only time in Cypriot history where Cyprus had two kings. The tale recounted in this Primary Source is believed to be largely lifted from Leontios Machairas' work but provides us with a fascinating springboard into next month's episode: The Cypriot Peasant Revolt of 1426 with Professor Chrysovalantis Kyriacou!

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