Messiah University Mosaic History Educator Scholarship History 2015 The Donation of Zeno: St. Barnabas and the Modern History of the Cypriot Archbishop'S Regalia Privileges Joseph P. Huffman Messiah University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/hist_ed Part of the History Commons Permanent URL: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/hist_ed/12 Recommended Citation Huffman, Joseph P., "The Donation of Zeno: St. Barnabas and the Modern History of the Cypriot Archbishop'S Regalia Privileges" (2015). History Educator Scholarship. 12. https://mosaic.messiah.edu/hist_ed/12 Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society. www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 The Donation of Zeno: St Barnabas and the Origins of the Cypriot Archbishops' Regalia Privileges by JOSEPH P. HUFFMAN This article explores medieval and Renaissance evidence for the origins and rneaning of the imperial regalia privileges exercised by the Greek archbishops of Cyprus, said to have been granted by the Ernperor Zeno ( c. 42 to 9- I), along with autocephaly, upon the discovery of the relics of the Apostle Barnabas. Though clairned to have existed ab antiquo, these imperial privileges in fact have their origin in the late sixteenth century and bear the characteristics of western Latin ecclesial and political thought. With the Donation of Constantine as their pmtotype, they bolster the case rnade to the Italians and the French for saving Christian Cyprus frorn the Turks.