When ethnarchy emerged as an institution in Syria, the Cypriots were federated under the Koinon and continued to do so during the next five centuries. Well-known Roman personages were connected to the island including Marcus Cato and Cicero. The first religious leaders, Saint Paul, Barnabas, and Lazarus came one century later. Christian emissaries came in the fourth century, starting from Saint Helena. Later, Spyrido, Epiphany and others implemented the imperial orders issued by the emperors up to the time of Justinian. These emissaries abolished the Koinon, and the Synod convened by the Church took over temporal authority.

The Crusaders, as from the end of the 12th century, established a feudal rule under Kings Guy, Aimery, Hugh I, Henry I [the fat], Hugh II, Hugh III, John I, Henry II, Hugh IV, Peter I, Peter II, James I, Janus, John II, James II, and Katerina Cornaro. During their reign, they were under the suzerainty Frederic II, Emperor of Germany, replaced by the Pope, as from 1233.

From the time of King John II, in 1432, a second embassy left for Kairo, recognizing one more servitude to the Mamluk Sultan and the payment of tax. Venice took over in 1489 and the Ottomans in 1571. The quasi-ethnarchy under Constitutio Cypria came to an end and was replaced by the Oath of Submission to the Ottoman Sultan enforced up to 1927; however, Archbishop Makarios III retained the ethnarch title during his lifetime up to the year 1977.