Pirates of the Aegean (1343-1347)
The demise of the Ottomans as a power in Anatolia did not directly benefit Cyprus and nor had Guy significantly enhanced his reputation during the conflict. He had however gained some new land and managed to secure his foothold on the mainland. Germiyan had been effectively neutralised by first the alliance with Ottoman and then the presence of Byzantium to the north (relations with whom were further improved with the marriage of Guy and Eirene Palaiologos) while the hard won peace with Eretnid would result in a lengthy truce. The next three years would see Cyprus solidify its control over southern Anatolia and rebuild both its treasury and armies. Despite constant low-level rebellion and troubles, many stemming from religious differences, there were no events of note until 1346.
That is not to say that the intervening years were in any way tranquil. The de Lusignan's had yet to quell the activity of pirates operating in the Eastern Mediterranean who, despite being deprived of many bases by the Christian advance, still operated in significant numbers from Lykim, Ephesos and Rhodes. While welcoming the advances of Byzantium, Cyprus and Germany; both the Italian merchants and clergy continued to call and pressure for an end to the pirate operations. As the one point of Outremer policy where the great Italian institutions of Papacy and trading houses were united, it bore significant resonance that Guy could not be deaf to.
The Plague Arrives in Cyprus
While the arrival of the bubonic plague in Limisol in 1342 delayed any further Frankish action, it is clear that by the beginning of 1346 Guy was becoming increasingly anxious to finish what his father had started in tackling the Turkish pirates. From the end of winter records show the acceleration of preparations for a fresh campaign in Asia Minor. The bulk of the new army, some 7,000 strong, would be drawn from the mainland territories. This would signal the "coming of age" of de Lusignan policy in Anatolia. The new lands were finally capable of fielding armies without the support of soldiers from Cyprus itself. This avoided the high financial cost of transporting armies across the sea as well as foreshadowing the decline of the island's importance in the region.
On 12 April 1346 Guy led his assembled host into the lands of the Sultan of Mentese. The great sweeping manoeuvre along the coast led to rapid victory in Lykim with the countryside fully secured by 5 June. The march along the sea resumed with Ephesos, ruled by the Sultan of Aydin, besieged on 3 July and falling just one month later. With skilful discipline Guy kept his army in the field and turned south, setting out by sea for Rhodes. On December 1346 he made landfall on the island and dispersed the Ottoman armies before investing the fortifications. The city fell to the Franks on 5 January 1347 with Murad Ottoman peacefully retreating to a holding in southern Greece while paying a token 51 gold in tribute. With the lightning campaign over the army was dispersed and returned home.
The Frankish "Coastal March" in 1346
In less than a year Guy's march had ended Muslim control of the Turkish coast and greatly accelerated the end of Muslim rule in Anatolia. Furthermore the Kingdom's new possessions would prove to be extremely lucrative with the Cypriot treasury greatly enriched by both the end of the piracy and the dominance of the new trade routes. This control would place Guy in position of strength when negotiating future trade concessions with Venice and Genoa while simultaneously making Cypriot cooperation vital to the supply and success of Papal crusades in the region.
Ironically the swift campaign also served to once again highlight the realities of Outremer politics. While he was in the midst of conquering Muslim rulers and loudly, in Europe, trumpeting his credentials as a "Christian warrior", Guy de Lusignan agreed to a military alliance with Sultan Tytys of Candar. The treaty served to pressure Kılıç of Eretnid into honouring his truce with Cyprus by not venturing west. As with all politics in Outremer, it was a triumph of pragmatism over piety.