King Janus of Cyprus is succeeded by his son John II, whose reign is marked by dissension and intrigue.

The most important event in the reign of John II is his marriage to Helena Palaiologina, a Greek who is a granddaughter of a Roman emperor and a follower of the Orthodox faith.

Queen Helena, stronger in character than her husband, takes over the running of the kingdom and brings Greek culture out of the oblivion in which it has languished for three centuries.

Her actions in favor of the Orthodox faith and Greek culture naturally disturb he Franks, who come to consider her a dangerous enemy, but she has become too powerful to attack.

Greek Cypriots will always revere Queen Helena as a great heroine because of her boldness.

John II and Helena die within a few months of each other in 1458 and are succeeded by their seventeen-year-old daughter Charlotte, but the succession is contested by John's illegitimate son.

James, after six years of treachery and conniving (even with the Mamluks), ousts his half sister and ascends the throne as James II.

He is generally known as James the Bastard and is renowned for his political amorality.

The weakened Kingdom of Cyprus, after years of enduring rapacious forays by neighboring states, is forced to turn to its ally Venice to save itself from being dismembered.

The royal house of Cyprus is formally linked with Venice in 1468 by virtue of a marriage between James II and Caterina Cornaro, daughter of a Venetian noble family.

James dies in 1473, and the island comes under Venetian control.

Queen Caterina reigns as a figurehead until 1489, when Venice formally annexes Cyprus and ends the three hundred-year Lusignan epoch.

For ordinary Cypriots, the change from Lusignan to Venetian rule is hardly noticeable.

The Venetians are as oppressive as their predecessors and aim to profit as much as possible from their new acquisition.

One difference is that the wealth that had been kept on the island by the Frankish rulers is taken to Venice—Cyprus is only one outpost of the far-flung Venetian commercial empire.

During the long Lusignan period and the eighty-two years of Venetian control, foreign rulers unquestionably change the Cypriot way of life, but it is the Cypriot peasant with his Greek religion and Greek culture who withstands all adversity.

Throughout the period, almost three centuries, there are two distinct societies, one foreign and one native.

The first society consists primarily of Frankish nobles with their retinues and Italian merchants with their families and followers.

The second society, the majority of the population, consists of Greek Cypriot serfs and laborers.

Each of these societies has its own culture, language, and religion.

Although a decided effort is made to supplant native customs and beliefs, the effort fails.

Ottoman Turks raid and attack at will throughout the period of Venetian rule.

Turks attack the Karpas Peninsula in 1489, the first year of Venetian control, pillaging and taking captives to be sold into slavery.

The Turkish fleet attacks and destroys Limassol in 1539.

The Venetians, fearing the ever-expanding Ottoman Empire, have fortified Famagusta, Nicosia, and Kyrenia, but most other cities are easy prey.

Janus de Lusignan had succeeded to the throne of Cyprus at twenty-four upon the death of his father James I in 1398.

Born in Genoa, where his father had been a captive, his mother had named him after the god who founded Genoa, according to a mythological tradition.

Janus in 1402 attempts to recover Famagusta, which is under Genoese rule.

The administrator of Famagusta, the Genoese Antonio de Karko, is (according to the writings of Amati), Janus’ godfather.

Janus conspires de Karko’s confessor, one Gregory, promising him the Bishopric of Famagusta.

Creating hidden keys for the city gates, the plan is for Gregory to assassinate de Karko and to open the gates for Janus' soldiers.

The plan is betrayed at the last moment, however.

The conspirators in Famagusta are arrested and twenty-eight of them are executed.

Famagusta remains in Genoese hands.

Janus continues his effort to regain Famagusta from the Genoese, who also control Kyrenia.

In 1403, the Governor of Genoa, de Mengre, negotiates with Janus' representative George Billi and the talks end with an agreement.

The conflicts end but the two cities remain under Genoese hands.

Shortly afterward, Janus again attempts to take over Famagusta, forcing the Cypriot people to pay special taxes to assemble an army and build siege machinery, using these to invest Famagusta.

A new epidemic had arrived in Cyprus in 1419–20, which probably caused the death of Janus' second wife, Charlotte on January 15, 1422.

Because Cyprus remains a permanent base of campaign for pirates and adventurers, after raids around the Cypriot coasts, Janus had had repeated discussions with the Sultan of Egypt via the sultan's representatives.

Janus has been unable to stop the raids, which gives the Muslims a reason to attack Cyprus.

Cypriot nobles and officials of the kingdom participate in the raids.

Barsbay, the Sultan of Egypt, has sent military forces to Cyprus several times.

A small force, around 1424, had attacked Limassol, and in 1425 the Egyptian army had attacked Famagusta, then pillaged Larnaca together with the nearby area, including Kiti, Dromolaxia, Kellia, Aradippou and Agrinou.

After Larnaca, they had gone to Limassol, which was also sacked, including the city's castle.

The Mamluks launch a large-scale attack against the island in the summer of 1426.

Led by Tangriver Mohamed and Inal el Kakimi, their army contains over three thousand men and included Mamluks, Turks and Arabs and arrives at the island with one hundred and eighty ships near Avdimou.

Limassol is again occupied.

Janus musters his army and moves from Nicosia to Limassol.

He asks in vain for help from the forces in Europe: the Genoese are his enemies, and the Venetians and others do not want to destroy commercial relations with the sultan.

Following the Battle of Chirokitia against the Mamluks on July 7, 1426, King Janus is captured by the Egyptian forces.

He will be ransomed after ten months of captivity in Cairo.

During his captivity his brother Hugh of Lusignan, Archbishop of Nicosia, takes charge of Cyprus.

After their victory the Mamluks pillaged Larnaca again, then the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia.

The royal family retreats to fortified Kyrenia and are rescued.

The invaders take a great deal of loot and captives before they leave the island.