ABSTRACT
The role of Cyprus as a stepping stone in the eastern Mediterranean cultural and economic communication chain had been enhanced since its annexation to the Roman Empire in 58 bce. Regarding Cyprus, the Life of Saint John aimed to enhance the religious prestige of Cyprus following a possible compromise between the local Archbishop Arcadius and the Monothelite movement. The Life of Saint John is crucial because it refers to the role of Cypriot elites in the political, military, and religious administration of the island. However the road to ultimate triumph was difficult, and though the Persians seem never to have raided Cyprus, troubles on the island certainly hastened the collapse of Egypt. According to Eleni Procopiou, the building, which boasted a T-shaped plan, should be pictured against the historical backdrop of Emperor Heraclius's wars and a passage of the Life of Saint John concerning a divine church built to lodge the relics of Saint Stephen Protomartyr in Cyprus.
