HUGH IV OF CYPRUS

'Hugh IV' (c. 1295 – October 10, 1359) was King of Cyprus from 1324 to 1358 and, nominally, King of Jerusalem, as Hugh II. The son of Guy of Lusignan, Constable of Cyprus, and Eschiva of Ibelin, Hugh succeeded to the throne of Cyprus on the death of his uncle Henry II, in 1324, since Henry II had no son. Hugh appears to have been content to rule Cyprus, as he prevented his son, Peter I, from going to Western Europe to recruit support for a new crusade to recover their Kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1344, he joined a league with Venice and the Knights Hospitallers which burnt a Turkish fleet in Smyrna and captured the city. In 1345 the allies defeated the Turks at Imbros by land and sea, but Hugh could see little benefit for his kingdom in these endeavors and withdrew from the league.
He was crowned as King of Cyprus in Nicosia, April 25, 1324. In the same year, on May 13, he was crowned in Famagusta as King of Jerusalem. As a leader, the King Hugh, signed an agreement with Venice, which had to do with the activities of the Venician merchants who were settling in Cyprus. That caused problem with the Republic of Genoese who were contestors with Venicians, however he negotiated with them and had agreement in 1329. The Genoese demanded from Hugh to pay the debit of his uncle Henry II.
Hugh married twice, both times to ladies of the house of Ibelin, firstly to Maria (d. 1318), daughter of Guy, Count of Jaffa and secondly on June 18, 1318, to Alice (d. 1386), daughter of Guy, Seneschal of Cyprus.
He had eight children.
By his first marriage:

★ Guy (c. 1316–1343), Constable of Cyprus (1336–1338) and titular Prince of Galilee. He left one son, Hugh, who succeeded him as Prince of Galilee.
By his second marriage:

★ Eschiva (c. 1323–1363), married Ferran, Viscount of Aumelàs.

★ Peter I (1328–1369), succeeded him as King of Cyprus and Jerusalem.

★ John of Lusignan (c. 1329 or 1329/1330–1375), Regent of Cyprus and titular Prince of Antioch, murdered, married twice, firstly in 1343 to Constance, daughter of Frederick III of Sicily and Eleanor of Anjou, without issue, and secondly in 1350 to Alice d'Ibelin (-after 1373), by whom he was the father of Jacques, married to her cousin Marguerite or Marie, daughter of his brother Peter I.

★ James I (1334–1398), succeeded his nephew Peter II of Cyprus.
Uncertan filiation:

★ Thomas (d. 1340)

★ Perrot (d. 1353)

★ Margaret, married Walter of Dampierre, Seneschal of Cyprus.
During his reign, he was strict in issues about justice. When his two sons left wthout his permission for trip in Europe, he arrested the man who helped them to leave the island, he imprisoned and turtured him and he cut the one hand of him and the one foot of him and finally he hanged him in April 1349. He achieved to bring back his two sons and he imprisoned them, while he was crying for them out of the jail.
Other sources show that he was well educated and had a lot of interest in arts, literature and philosophy and had a lot of knowledfe in Latin literature. He had his sumer villa in Lapithos and organised philosophical meetings. The Italian writer Vocacious, while to his book wrote about Cyprus and its king, had written about Genealogy of Gods after the pleasure of
Hugh IV.
Hugh resigned the crown to his son, Peter I (rather than his grandson Hugh) in 1358, and died on October 10, 1359 in Nicosia.