Editing Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus (section)

===Rule of Cyprus===
From the time of his coronation, Isaac quickly started to plunder Cyprus, raping women, defiling virgins, imposing overly cruel punishments for crimes, and stealing the possessions of the citizens. "Cypriots of high esteem, comparable to [[Job (person)|Job]] in riches now were seen begging in the streets, naked and hungry, if they were not put to the sword by this irascible tyrant." Furthermore, he despicably ordered the foot of Basil Pentakenos, his old teacher, hacked and amputated.

Niketas Choniates, clearly not very partial to Isaac, describes him as an irascible and violent man, "boiling with anger like a kettle on the fire." Byzantine emperor [[Andronikos I Komnenos]] nevertheless bore responsibility for greater cruelties. A seeming league with [[William II of Sicily]], a powerful thorn in the side of the Byzantine Empire, helped Isaac to hold the island for the duration of his reign, and he was also closely connected to [[Saladin]], sultan of Egypt and Syria.