John of Lusignan (French: Jean de Lusignan; 1329-1330, c. 1329 or 1329/1330 – 1375) was a regent of the Kingdom of Cyprus and later Constable of Cyprus and titular Prince of Antioch in 1345. He was son of King Hugh IV of Cyprus and his second wife Alice of Ibelin. He was a member of the House of Lusignan.
Contents
Life
While being a regent of Cyprus, John launched an attack on Mamluk ports. He attacked Sidon on 5 June 1369, but after a day of skirmishes, his fleet was diverted by a storm. He later avoided fortified Beirut, but managed to pillage both Botron and Tartus. He went further north to Latakia, Ayas and Antalya, before attacking Alexandria on 9–10 July, where the Cypriots tried in vain to seize a large Moroccan merchant ship.They returned to Sidon on 19 July, where they managed to land and defeat the garrison, but were forced to evacuate due to a storm. They cast anchor at Famagusta on 22 July.
John was murdered in Nicosia on the instigation of Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Cyprus, and the Genoese as a result of his involvement in the murder of his elder brother, King Peter I of Cyprus. Tradition says that he killed the two Bulgarians that constituted his personal guard, by throwing them one by one from the windows of that particular tower.
Legacy
The historian Stefano Lusignan was his descendant.