Smbat (; 1277 – c. 1310) was king of the

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, also known as Cilician Armenia, Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia, was an Armenian state formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian ...

, ruling from 1296 to 1298. He was the son of Leo II of Armenia and Kyranna de Lampron and was part of the Hetoumid-family. Sempad seized the throne with the aid of his brother

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 ...

while his brothers

Hethum II Hethum II, OFM (; 1266– 17 November 1307) was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1289 to 1293, 1295 to 1296 and 1299 to 1303, while Armenia was a subject state of the Mongol Empire. He abdicated twice to take vows with the Franciscan ...

and Thoros were in the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

capital

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

. In 1297, on a volitional journey to the Ghazan's court, Sempad managed to receive recognition of his position as king from the Mongol ruler of Persia, which was necessary to legitimate his usurpation. He also received a bride from the Mongol khan in order to form a matrimonial alliance, perhaps a relative of the khan himself.Hornstein, p. 410 On Hethum's return, Sempad had Hethum blinded by

cauterization Cauterization (or cauterisation, or cautery) is a medical practice or technique of burning a part of a body to remove or close off a part of it. It destroys some tissue in an attempt to mitigate bleeding and damage, remove an undesired growth, o ...

and both brothers imprisoned at Partzerpert. Thoros was murdered there on Sempad's orders in 1298, but Constantine turned traitor again and helped Hethum overthrow Sempad, assuming the throne while Hethum's blindness healed. Sempad again plotted with Constantine to resume the throne soon after Hethum's restoration, and both were imprisoned for the rest of their lives.

Notes

References

* * Hornstein, Lilian Herlands
"The Historical Background of the King of Tars."
''

Speculum The term speculum, Latin for "mirror", and its plural specula, may refer to: * ''Speculum'' (journal), a journal of medieval studies published by the Medieval Academy of America * Speculum (medical), a medical tool used for examining body cavities ...

'', 16:4 (Oct. 1941), pp. 404–414. * * {{Armenian kings 1277 births 1310 deaths Kings of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Hethumid dynasty 13th-century rulers of Armenian Cilicia