Editing Aimery of Cyprus (section)

== Early life ==

Aimery was born before 1155.{{sfn|Runciman|1989b|p=103}} He was the fifth son of [[Hugh VIII of Lusignan]] and his wife, [[Burgundia of Rancon]].{{sfn|Edbury|1994|p=23}}{{sfn|Painter|1957|pp=39–40}} [[House of Lusignan|His family]] had been noted for generations of crusaders in their native [[Poitou]]. His great-grandfather, [[Hugh VI of Lusignan]], died in the [[Battle of Ramla (1102)|Battle of Ramla]] in 1102; Aimery's grandfather, [[Hugh VII of Lusignan]], took part in the [[Second Crusade]].{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|p=97}} Aimery's father also came to the [[Holy Land]] and died in a Muslim prison in the 1160s.{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|p=97}}{{sfn|Painter|1957|p=41}} Earlier scholarship erroneously referred to him as Amalric (or Amaury, its French form), but evidence from documentaries shows he was actually called ''Aimericus'', which is a distinct name (although it was sometimes confused with ''Amalricus'' already in the [[Middle Ages]]).{{sfn|Hill|2010|pp=32 (note 3), 45 (note 1)}}{{sfn|Hazard|1975|p=108 (note 125)}} Runciman{{sfn|Runciman|1989b|p=506}} and other modern historians erroneously refer to him as Amalric II of [[Jerusalem]], because they confused his name with that of [[Amalric of Jerusalem|Amalric "I" of Jerusalem]].{{sfn|Hill|2010|pp=32 (note 3), 45 (note 1)}}{{sfn|Hazard|1975|p=108 (note 125)}}

Aimery joined a rebellion against [[Henry II of England]] (who also ruled Poitou) in 1168, according to [[Robert of Torigni]]'s chronicle, but Henry crushed the rebellion. Aimery left for the Holy Land and settled in the [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]]. He was captured in a battle and held in captivity in [[Damascus]]. A popular tradition (which was first recorded by the 13th-century [[Philip of Novara]] and [[John of Ibelin (jurist)|John of Ibelin]]) held, the [[King of Jerusalem]], Amalric, ransomed him personally.{{sfn|Edbury|1994|p=23}}{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|p=97}}

[[Ernoul]] (whose reliability is questioned) claimed Aimery was a lover of Amalric of Jerusalem's former wife, [[Agnes of Courtenay]].{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|pp=9, 97–98}} Aimery married [[Eschiva of Ibelin (died 1196)|Eschiva of Ibelin]], a daughter of [[Baldwin of Ibelin]], who was one of the most powerful noblemen in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|pp=35, 98}} Amalric of Jerusalem, who died on 11 July 1174, was succeeded by his thirteen-year-old son by Agnes of Courtenay, [[Baldwin IV of Jerusalem|Baldwin IV]] who suffered from [[Lepromatous leprosy|leprosy]].{{sfn|Lock|2006|p=61}} Aimery became a member of the royal court with his father-in-law's support.{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|p=99}}

Aimery's youngest brother, [[Guy of Lusignan|Guy]], married Baldwin IV's widowed sister, [[Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem|Sibylla]], in April 1180.{{sfn|Lock|2006|p=66}} Ernoul wrote, it was Aimery who had spoken of his brother to her and her mother, Agnes of Courtenay, describing him as a handsome and charming young man.{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|p=152}}{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=424}} Aimery, continued Ernoul, hurried back to Poitou and persuaded Guy to come to the kingdom, although Sibylla had promised herself to Aimery's father-in-law.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=424}} Another source, [[William of Tyre]], did not mention that Aimery had played any role in the marriage of his brother and the King's sister.{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|p=152}} Consequently, many elements of Ernoul's report (especially Aimery's alleged journey to Poitou) were most probably invented.{{sfn|Hamilton|2000|pp=152, 157}}