Leo V or Levon V (occasionally Levon VI; hy, Լևոն, ''Levon V''; 1342 – 29 November 1393), of the House of Lusignan, was the last Latin king of the

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (Middle Armenian: , '), also known as Cilician Armenia ( hy, Կիլիկեան Հայաստան, '), Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia ( hy, ...

. He ruled from 1374 to 1375. Leo was described as "Leo V, King of Armenia" on his own personal seal (),Mutafian, p.90 and as "Leo of Lusignan the Fifth" in the

Middle French Middle French (french: moyen français) is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the 14th to the 16th century. It is a period of transition during which: * the French language became clearly distinguished from t ...

inscription on his cenotaph: .

Family and early life

Leo was the son of

John constable of Armenia John of Poitiers-Lusignan (french: Jean de Poitiers-Lusignan; died 7 August 1343) was constable and later regent of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. He was son of Amalric, Prince of Tyre, and Isabella of Armenia. His siblings were Guy (Const ...

, Constable and Regent of Armenia. According to the contemporary chronicler

Jean Dardel Jean Dardel was a Friar Minor of the French province of the Franciscan order, chronicler of Armenia in the fourteenth century, and adviser and confessor to King Leo V (or VI) of Armenia. Nothing is known regarding him except what he himself tells u ...

, Leo's mother, Soldane, was the daughter of a Georgian king. Soldane is otherwise unknown from the medieval sources, and scholars such as Rüdt-Collenberg have cast doubt on the credibility of Dardel's genealogy. Surviving documentary evidence suggests that Jean de Lusignan never married Leo's mother and she was, rather, his concubine. Were this identification to be true, this would make Leo the only Armenian king to not just be the descendant of the

Rubenid The Rubenids ( hy, Ռուբինեաններ) or Roupenids were an Armenian dynasty who dominated parts of Cilicia, and who established the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The dynasty takes its name from its founder, the Armenian prince Ruben I. The R ...

Hethumid The Hethumids ( hy, Հեթումյաններ Hethumian) (also spelled Hetoumids or Het'umids), also known as the House of Lampron (after Lampron castle), were an Armenians, Armenian dynasty and the rulers of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1 ...

, and Lusignan dynasties on his father's side, but also the descendant of the Bagratid, Artsruni, Arsacid, Artaxiad, and Orontid dynasties on his mother's side. Constantine V, in order to wipe out all claimants to the throne, had given orders to kill Leo and his brother Bohemond, but they escaped to

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

before the murder could be carried out. He was made a

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

of the Chivalric Order of the Sword in 1360 and Titular

Seneschal of Jerusalem The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...

on October 17, 1372.

King of Armenia

Leo was elected to the throne on the death of his distant cousin

Constantine VI of Armenia Constantine IV (also Constantine VI; hy, Կոստանդին, Western Armenian transliteration: ''Gosdantin'' or ''Kostantine''; died 1373) was the King of Armenian Cilicia from 1362 until his death. He was the son of Hethum of Neghir, a nephew o ...

in 1373. After a short regency by Mary of Korykos, widow of Constantine, Leo left

Famagusta Famagusta ( , ; el, Αμμόχωστος, Ammóchostos, ; tr, Gazimağusa or ) is a city on the east coast of Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia District, Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. Duri ...

in spite of the ongoing conflict between Cyprus and

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

. Landing at Korykos, he managed with difficulty to reach Sis, which was already being besieged by the Muslim emir of

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

. Leo and his wife, whom he married at

in May 1369, Marguerite of Soissons, daughter of Jean de Soissons and wife, were crowned at Sis on July 26 or September 14, 1374, according to both the Latin and Armenia rites. His right to the throne was challenged by Ashot and Leo's short reign was marked by numerous disputes between the various factions. After several battles against superior

Mamluk Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...

forces, he locked himself in the fortress at Gaban (modern Geben) and eventually surrendered in 1375, thus putting an end to the last Armenian state until the establishment of the short lived

First Republic of Armenia The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն), was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle ...

(1918–1920) and the

Republic of Armenia A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

in 1991. The Mameluks took Leo to

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

with his family, where he was placed under surveillance for several years.Mutafian, ''Leon V'' In August 1377, he met with

, a Franciscan who was on his way for a pilgrimage to

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. Leon befriended him and employed him as his secretary. Dardel returned to Europe to plead the case of Leon V, and managed to convince King John I of Castile to pay a ransom of precious stones, silks, and birds of prey in 1382. His wife had died in

, between 1379 and July 4, 1381.

Life in Europe

Leon de Lusignan arrived ill and poor to Medina del Campo. In 1382 or 1383, the King of Castile named Leon Lord of

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

. John I granted him for life the town of

, Andújar,

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...

and Villareal (today

Ciudad Real Ciudad Real (, ; en, "Royal City") is a municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha, capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It is the 5th most populated municipality in the region. History It was founde ...

) and a yearly gift of 150,000 maravedis. Leon rebuilt the towers of the Royal

Alcázar An alcázar, from Arabic ''al-Qasr'', is a type of Islamic castle or palace in the Iberian Peninsula (also known as al-Andalus) built during Muslim rule between the 8th and 15th centuries. They functioned as homes and regional capitals for gover ...

. According to father Juan de Mariana, Leon left Castile for France after the death of his protector in 1390. Federico Bravo, however, states that he left after two years of ruling, and five years later, the Madrilenians were conceded the revocation of the lordship by John. Leon V apparently went to Paris in June 1384, and received the

Saint-Ouen castle Saint-Ouen may refer to: * Ouen, Saint Ouen, a Catholic and Orthodox saint Places France Saint-Ouen is the name of several communes in France: * Saint-Ouen, Loir-et-Cher, in the Loir-et-Cher ''département'' * Saint-Ouen, Somme, in the Somme ''d ...

and a sizable pension from King

Charles VI of France Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...

. He attempted to reconcile the French and the English (at the time fighting the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

) in order to set up a new Crusade and obtain help to recover his lands, but the meeting he organized in 1386 between

Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...

and

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

were unsuccessful. Leon continued his diplomatic mission to England in 1389 and in 1392.

Death

Leon V never recovered his throne, and died in Paris on November 29, 1393. His remains were laid to rest in the

Couvent des Célestins The Couvent des Célestins (In English: ''Convent of the Celestines''), was an ancient convent located near the Place de la Bastille in Paris, France, active between 1254 and 1790. It was the second most important burial site for royalty after th ...

, the second most important burial site for royalty after Saint-Denis, located near what is now the Place de la Bastille in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. The prestigious convent was located nearby Leon's residence of

Hôtel des Tournelles The hôtel des Tournelles () is a now-demolished collection of buildings in Paris built from the 14th century onwards north of place des Vosges. It was named after its many 'tournelles' or little towers. It was owned by the kings of France for ...

, itself near

Hôtel Saint-Pol The Hôtel Saint-Pol was a royal residence begun in 1360 by Charles V of France on the ruins of a building constructed by Louis IX. It was used by Charles V and Charles VI. Located on the Right Bank, to the northwest of the Quartier de l'Arsenal ...

, the favourite residence of Charles V and Charles VI in the area of Le Marais. Leon received lavish funerals and had a lavish tomb, located in the choir of the church. However, the convent was profanated during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. After the revolution, his tombstone was recovered by

Alexandre Lenoir Marie Alexandre Lenoir (27 December 1761 – 11 June 1839) was a French archaeologist. Self-taught, he devoted himself to saving France's historic monuments, sculptures and tombs from the ravages of the French Revolution, notably those of Basiliqu ...

who placed it in his Musée des monuments Français in the

Saint-Denis Basilica The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...

. In 1815, during the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

, a new cenotaph was established for Leon V at the royal Saint Denis Basilica where most representatives of the French monarchy lie. The effigy on the tombstone, by an anonymous artist, is of a high realism and quality, and it is thought that it was made while Leon was still alive. Leon V is depicted holding a scepter (now broken) and gloves, symbol of great princes. The tombstone bears the following inscription in

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

: English translation:Translation by Pierre-Yves Le Pogam, ''Tomb of Leon V de Lusignan'' He had one legitimate daughter, Marie de Lusignan (ca 1370 –

, before July 4, 1381, who predeceased her mother and father), and two illegitimate sons, Guy de Lusignan or Guido de Armenia (died 1405), a Canon in Autun,

Bayeux Bayeux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in northwestern France. Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts ...

and

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

and Captain de la Tour d'Amblay, and Stephan or Etienne de Lusignan, a

in Sis. Upon his death the title of King of Armenia was claimed by Leo's distant cousin

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

Notes

References

* * *Claude Mutafian
''Leon V of Lusignan, last king of Armenia''
(PDF) *Pierre-Yves Le Pogram
''Tomb of Leon V de Lusignan''
(PDF)

External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Leo V, King Of Armenia House of Poitiers-Lusignan 1342 births 1393 deaths Roman Catholic monarchs Kings of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia History of Madrid