Editing Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus (section)

===From prison to Cyprus===
In 1185, the Armenians released Isaac, clearly tired of the imperial service. He used leftover ransom money to hire a troop of mercenaries and sailed to Cyprus, where he made himself ruler with the help of falsified imperial letters ordering the local administration to obey him in everything.

Because Isaac Komnenos failed to return to imperial service, Andronikos I ordered Constantine Makrodoukas and Andronikos Doukas arrested for treason. A mob stoned them to death on 30 May 1185, incited by the courtier [[Stephen Hagiochristophorites]]. A water-oracle conducted by Hagiochristophorites had given the letter I (iota) as the initial of the succeeding emperor, leading Andronikos I to fear that Isaac would usurp the throne. A subsequent oracle ruled out this possibility, placing the start of the new reign on an imminent date that would leave Isaac no time to make the crossing from Cyprus.

Meanwhile, Isaac took many other [[Names of the Greeks#Romans (Ῥωμαῖοι)|Romans]] into his service. He created an independent patriarch of Cyprus,{{who?|date=April 2025}} who crowned him as emperor in 1185.

Andronikos I was killed in a popular uprising at [[Constantinople]] on 12 September 1185. His successor, [[Isaac II Angelos]], raised a fleet of 70 ships to take back Cyprus. Its commanders were [[John Kontostephanos (son of Isaac)|John Kontostephanos]] and [[Alexios Komnenos (died 1188)]], a nephew once removed of the emperor. Neither man was ideally suited for this responsibility, John being of advanced age and Alexios having been blinded by order of Andronikos I.

The fleet landed in Cyprus, but after the troops had disembarked, the ships were captured by [[Margaritus of Brindisi]], admiral of King [[William II of Sicily]]. Subsequently, Isaac or more likely Margaritus won a victory over the Byzantine troops and captured their commanders, who were carried off to Sicily. The rest of the sailors on Cyprus tried their best to survive and to fend off the enemy. "Only much later did they return home, if they had not perished altogether."