Isabella ( hy, Զապել; 27 January 1216/ 25 January 1217 – 23 January 1252), also Isabel or Zabel, was
queen regnant
A queen regnant (plural: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank and title to a king, who reigns '' suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a "kingdom"; as opposed to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigni ...
of
Armenian 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, ...
from 1219 until her death in 1252.
She was proclaimed queen under the regency of Adam of Baghras.
After he was assassinated,
Constantine of Baberon Constantine of Baberon (died c. 1263) was a powerful Armenian noble of the Het‛umid family. He was the son of Vassag and the father of King Het‛um I, who ruled the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1226 to 1270. Constantine played a pivotal rol ...
(of the
Hethumid family) was nominated as guardian.
At this juncture,
Raymond-Roupen
Raymond-Roupen (also Raymond-Rupen and Ruben-Raymond; 1198 – 1219 or 1221/1222) was a member of the House of Poitiers who claimed the thrones of the Principality of Antioch and Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. His succession in Antioch was preve ...
, grandson of
Roupen III (the elder brother of Isabella’s father, King
Leo I
The LEO I (Lyons Electronic Office I) was the first computer used for commercial business applications.
The prototype LEO I was modelled closely on the Cambridge EDSAC. Its construction was overseen by Oliver Standingford, Raymond Thompson and ...
), attempted to claim to throne of Cilicia for himself, but he was defeated, captured, and executed.
Constantine of Baberon was soon convinced to seek an alliance with Prince
Bohemond IV of Antioch
Bohemond IV of Antioch, also known as Bohemond the One-Eyed (french: Bohémond le Borgne; 1175–1233), was Count of Tripoli from 1187 to 1233, and Prince of Antioch from 1201 to 1216 and from 1219 to 1233. He was the younger son of Bohemond III ...
,
and he arranged a marriage between the young princess and
Philip,
a son of Bohemond IV.
Philip, however, offended the
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diasp ...
’ sensibilities, and even despoiled the royal palace, sending the
royal crown to
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
; therefore, he was confined in a prison in
Sis (now
Kozan in Turkey), where he died, presumably poisoned.
The unhappy young Isabella was forced to marry Constantine of Barbaron’s son,
Hethum. Although for many years she refused to live with him, in the end she relented.
The apparent unification in marriage of the two principal dynastic forces of Cilicia (the
Roupenids and the Hethumids) ended a century of dynastic and territorial rivalry and brought the Hethumids to the forefront of political dominance in Cilician Armenia.
Early years
Isabella was the only child of King Leo I by his second wife,
Sybilla of Cyprus. She was betrothed to
Andrew
Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...
, the third son of King
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II ( hu, II. András, hr, Andrija II., sk, Ondrej II., uk, Андрій II; 117721 September 1235), also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1205 and 1235. He ruled the Principality of Halych from 11 ...
in 1218, but the betrothal was later broken in favor of a more advantageous Russian marriage for her bridegroom.
King Leo I died on May, 1219.
On his death-bed, he named Isabella as his heir;
and released the barons from their oath of allegiance to his great-nephew, Raymond-Roupen.
But the claim of his five-year-old daughter was contested by Raymond-Roupen and by
John of Brienne
John of Brienne ( 1170 – 19–23 March 1237), also known as John I, was King of Jerusalem from 1210 to 1225 and Latin Emperor of Constantinople from 1229 to 1237. He was the youngest son of Erard II of Brienne, a wealthy nobleman in Champag ...
.
Isabella emerged as the favourite of the ruling Armenian
nobles
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteri ...
and thus she was proclaimed queen by acclamation and placed under the regency of Adam of Baghras.
But Adam of Baghras was murdered after a few months;
and the regency passed to the only remaining influential Armenian house, that of the Hethumian family whose head was Constantine of Barbaron.
John of Brienne’s claim was based on his marriage to Leo I’s older daughter
Rita
Rita may refer to:
People
* Rita (given name)
* Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984)
* Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962)
* Rita (Japanese singer)
* Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita
Places
* Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...
(Stephanie).
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of impor ...
recognized John of Brienne’s claim that his wife or her son should succeed.
John of Brienne received the Pope’s permission to leave the
Crusade and visit Cilician Armenia in February, 1220.
But as he prepared to sail for Cilicia his Armenian wife died; and when their small son died a few weeks later, John of Brienne had no further claim on the Armenian throne.
Raymond-Roupen laid claim to the throne by virtue of lineage through his mother
Alice, the niece of King Leo I.
Moreover, he had long been considered as King Leo I’s heir.
Raymond-Roupen approached the crusaders at
Damietta
Damietta ( arz, دمياط ' ; cop, ⲧⲁⲙⲓⲁϯ, Tamiati) is a port city and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt, a former bishopric and present multiple Catholic titular see. It is located at the Damietta branch, an easter ...
in 1219 for support in claiming Cilician Armenia, and was able to return in 1221 with some of them and promises from the
Papal legate Pelagius
Pelagius (; c. 354–418) was a British theologian known for promoting a system of doctrines (termed Pelagianism by his opponents) which emphasized human choice in salvation and denied original sin. Pelagius and his followers abhorred the moral ...
.
Raymond-Roupen found some Armenian support in and around
Tarsus, notably Vahram, the castellan of Corycus.
Together they conquered from Tarsus to
Adana
Adana (; ; ) is a major city in southern Turkey. It is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the Mediterranean Sea. The administrative seat of Adana province, it has a population of 2.26 million.
Adana lies in the heart of Cilicia, wh ...
, but then met reverses and were forced to retire to Tarsus where Raymond-Roupen was captured and ended his days in prison in 1222;
his infant daughters retired with
their mother 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 ge ...
.
This event left Isabella the sole and largely incontestable heir to her father’s throne.
Wife of Philip of Antioch
Cilician Armenia, weakened by wars and in need of strong ally, found a temporary solution in a tie with the
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade which included parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria. The principality was much smaller than the County of Edessa or the Kingdom of Jerusalem. It exte ...
:
the regent suggested that Prince Bohemond IV should send his fourth son, Philip, to marry Isabella, insisting only that the bridegroom should join the separated
Armenian Church
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
.
Philip agreed to adopt the Armenian faith, communion and customs and to respect the privileges of all nations in Cilician Armenia.
Philip married Isabella at Sis in June 1222 and was accepted as king.
The joint rule of Isabella and Philip was brief; Philip’s disdain for the Armenian ritual, which he had promised to respect, and his marked favoritism to the Latin barons angered the Armenian nobility.
Philip spent as much time as possible in Antioch.
When it was rumored that Philip wanted to give the crown and
throne
A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mona ...
to Antioch, Constantine of Barbaron led a revolt at the end of 1224.
Philip and Isabella were seized at
Tall Hamdun (today ''Toprakkale'' in Turkey) on their way to Antioch and taken back to Sis, where Philip was imprisoned and probably poisoned at the beginning of 1225.
On the death of her husband, Isabella decided to embrace
monastic life
Christian monasticism is the devotional practice of Christians who live ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to Christian worship. It began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural ex ...
and fled to
Silifke Castle.
She sought refuge with the
Hospitallers
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
.
The latter were unwilling to give her up to Constantine of Barbaron, but feared the powerful regent; they eased their conscience by selling him the fortress with Isabella in it.
Bohemond IV, in anger, was determined on war, although such a conflict had been expressly forbidden by the pope as harmful for all
Christendom
Christendom historically refers to the Christian states, Christian-majority countries and the countries in which Christianity dominates, prevails,SeMerriam-Webster.com : dictionary, "Christendom"/ref> or is culturally or historically intertwine ...
.
Bohemond IV called in as ally the
sultan at Iconium,
Kai-Qobad I, and ravaged upper Cilicia in 1225.
Constantine of Barbaron arranged for the regent of
Aleppo, Toghril, to advance on Antioch.
When the latter attacked
Baghras
Bagras or Baghrās but realistically Bagdas/Bagdans or Bogd·apo, ancient Pagrae ( gr, Πάγραι) ( hy, Պաղրաս, translit=Paġras), is a town and its nearby castle in the İskenderun district of Turkey, in the Amanus Mountains.
Strabo's ' ...
, Bohemond IV had to return to his own lands.
Wife of Hethum of Barbaron
Isabella was forced into marriage with Constantine of Barbaron’s son who was subsequently crowned King Hetum I in Tarsus in June 1226.
She is said to have refused to
consummate the marriage for several years.
Constantine of Barbaron now thought it wise to reconcile Armenia with the
Papacy
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
: loyal messengers were sent in the name of the young couple to the Pope and to the Emperor
Frederick II.
Although Bohemond IV and later his son,
Bohemond V attempted to persuade the Pope to arrange a divorce between Isabella and Hethum, but both he and King
Henry I of Cyprus
Henry I of Cyprus, nicknamed the Fat (french: Henri de Lusignan; 3 May 1217 – 18 January 1253 at Nicosia) was King of Cyprus from 1218 to 1253. He was the son of Hugh I of Cyprus and Alice of Champagne. When his father Hugh I died on January 10 ...
were specifically forbidden by Rome to attack the Armenians.
The marriage was legalized by Rome in 1237.
There is evidence that Isabella shared a degree of royal power, for we learn from several sources that she co-signed with her husband an official deed transferring to the Knights of the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
the strategic castle and town of
''Haronie''.
She was buried in the monastery of Trazarg.
Marriages and children
# (1) 25 January 1221 – 24 January 1222:
Philip of Antioch
Philip of Antioch ( hy, Ֆիլիպ, french: Philippe; died 1225), also called Philip of Tripoli, was a member of the House of Poitiers who ruled as king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1222 to 1224 as the first husband of Queen Isabella.
...
(? – Sis, 1225/1226)
# (2) 14 May 1226:
Hethum I, king of Cilician Armenia (1215 – 28 October 1270)
*Euphemia
(? – 1309), the wife of
Julian of Sidon
Julian Grenier (died 1275) was the Count of Sidon from 1239 to 1260, then becoming merely titular. He was the son and successor of Balian Grenier and Ida of Reynel. He did not exhibit the wisdom of his father in his dealings with the Saracens.
...
(? – 12 January 1275/ 11 January 1276)
*
Sybilla (? – 1290), the wife of Prince
Bohemond VI of Antioch
Bohemond VI (–1275), also known as the Fair, was the prince of Antioch and count of Tripoli from 1251 until his death. He ruled while Antioch was caught between the warring Mongol Empire and Mamluk Sultanate. In 1268 Antioch was captured by t ...
(c. 1237 – May/ 11 July 1275)
*Rita (? – ?), the wife of Constantine of
Servantikar
Sarvandikar ( hy, Սարվանդիքար), also spelled ''Sarvanda k'ar'' ( tr, Savranda). It was the Frankish castle of ''Savranda'' and is officially known today as Savranda Kalesi. The site is a medieval castle in the former Armenian Kingdom ...
*
Leo II, king of Cilician Armenia ( 24 January 1236/ 23 January 1237 – 6 February 1289)
*Thoros (1244 – 24 August 1266)
*Isabella (? – c. 1268)
*Marie, who married Guy of Ibelin, son of
Baldwin of Ibelin, Seneschal of Cyprus
Baldwin of Ibelin (died 21 February 1267) was the fourth of five sons of John I of Beirut and his second wife Melisende of Arsuf.
He commanded the third '' battaile'' at the Battle of Agridi in 1232. In 1246, he was appointed Seneschal of Cyp ...
.
Ancestors
Footnotes
Sources
*
*Edwards, Robert W.: ''The Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: Dumbarton Oaks Studies XXIII''; Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, 1987, Washington, D.C.;
*Engel, Pál (Author) – Pálosfalvi, Tamás (Translator): The Realm of St Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary, 895–1526; I.B. Tauris, 2005, London and New York;
*Ghazarian, Jacob G: ''The Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia during the Crusades: The Integration of Cilician Armenians with the Latins (1080–1393)''; Routledge Curzon (Taylor & Francis Group), 2000, Abingdon;
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isabella Of Armenia, Queen
1210s births
1252 deaths
Armenian people of Cypriot descent
Queens regnant
Hethumid dynasty
13th-century women rulers
Year of birth unknown
Monarchs of the Rubenid dynasty
Armenian princesses
13th-century Armenian people
13th-century Armenian women