Leo I (), also Levon I or Leon I, (unknown – Constantinople, February 14, 1140) was the fifth lord of Armenian Cilicia (1129/1130–1137). He expanded his rule over the Cilician plains and even to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

shores. In his time, relations between the

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

and the Franks (the

Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...

), two former allies, were not always as courteous as before: a major cause of dissension between them was the ownership of the strongholds of the southern

Amanus The Nur Mountains (, "Mountains of Holy Light"), formerly known as Alma-Dağ, the ancient Mount Amanus (), medieval Black Mountain, or Jabal al-Lukkam in Arabic, is a mountain range in the Hatay Province of south-central Turkey. It begins sout ...

, and on the neighboring coasts of the

Gulf of Alexandretta The Gulf of Alexandretta or İskenderun () is a gulf of the eastern Mediterranean or Levantine Sea. It lies beside the southern Turkish provinces of Adana and Hatay. Names The gulf is named for the nearby Turkish city of İskenderun, the cl ...

. Leo was captured after being invited to a meeting by the Byzantine Emperor

John II Comnenus John II Komnenos or Comnenus (; 13 September 1087 – 8 April 1143) was Byzantine emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as "John the Beautiful" or "John the Good" (), he was the eldest son of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Iren ...

, who had sworn a false promise of peace.

Early life

Leo's father was Constantine I, lord of Armenian Cilicia. After the death of Constantine I, Leo's brother Thoros I became the ruler. Sometime between 1100 and 1103, Leo married

Rule

Other authors (''e.g.'', Jacob G. Ghazarian, Vahan M. Kurkjian) suggest that Thoros I was directly succeeded by Leo.

Conflicts with the Franks

Leo paid 60,000 gold pieces and gave his son as a hostage. An alliance was then formed against the Emperor John II Comnenus, who was then pressing his claims against Antioch as well as Cilicia.Kurkjian 1958, p. 220

The (re-)occupation of Cilicia by the Byzantines

Eventually, John invited Leo to a meeting under a false promise of peace, where the prince was captured. Leo and two of his sons,

Roupen Roupen is a Western Armenian variant of Reuben. It may also refer to: * Roupenids or Rubenids, an Armenian dynasty who dominated parts of Cilicia ** Roupen I of Armenia (1025/1035 – 1095), the first lord of Armenian Cilicia or "Lord of the Mou ...

and Thoros, were subsequently taken prisoner.

Last years in exile

Leo and his two sons were sent to prison in Constantinople. They were soon allowed to live in the court under surveillance and John acted more honorably towards Leo, with the two dining and going on hunting parties together. Leo's son Roupen was later murdered by Byzantine grandees that were envious of his strength. Leo died in Constantinople.

Marriage and children

Orderic Vitalis states that Leo was "uncle to the wife of Bohemond II of Antioch". On this basis, some authors have proposed that Hugh I of Rethel or Gabriel of Melitene was her father. *(?) ''unnamed'' daughter, who was the wife of a ''“Frankish knight from Antioch”'', and mother of the Regent

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

*''unnamed'' daughter, the wife of

Vasil Dgha Vasil Dgha, or Dgha Vasil (''dgha'' meaning "child, boy"), was the Armenian ruler of Raban and Kaisun. He succeeded his adoptive father, Kogh Vasil, in 1112. Baldwin II, Count of Edessa The County of Edessa (Latin: ''Comitatus Edessanus'' ...

*(?)

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine g ...

(? – Edessa, 1138/1144) * Thoros II of Cilicia (? – February 6, 1169) *

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

(before 1110 – February 7, 1165) * Mleh I of Cilicia (before 1120 – Sis, May 15, 1175) *

(after 1120 – Constantinople, 1141)

Footnotes

Sources

*Bucossi, Alessandra; Suarez, Alex Rodriguez: ''John II Komnenos, Emperor of Byzantium: In the Shadow of Father and Son''; Routledge, 2016, Abingdon; *Ghazarian, Jacob G: ''The Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia during the Crusades: The Integration of Cilician Armenians with the Latins (1080–1393)''; RoutledgeCurzon (Taylor & Francis Group), 2000, Abingdon; *

External links

Smbat Sparapet's Chronicle
(Kurkjian's History of Armenia, Ch. 27) {{DEFAULTSORT:Leo I, Prince Of Armenia Year of birth unknown 1140 deaths Prisoners and detainees of the Byzantine Empire Monarchs of the Rubenid dynasty 1080s births 12th-century rulers of Armenian Cilicia