Leo IV of Armenia
Encyclopedia
Leo III (occasionally numbered Leo IV; , Levon III) (1289–1307) was a young king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
, ruling from 1303 or 1305 to 1307, along with his uncle Hethum II. A member of the Hethumid dynasty
, he was the son of Thoros III of Armenia
and Margaret of Lusignan
, who was the daughter of King Hugh III of Cyprus
.
In 1303, while still a minor, he was crowned King of Armenia upon the retirement of his uncle Hethum II, who became Regent. Cilician Armenia at the time was in a volatile situation, maintaining a fragile relationship as a vassal state of the Mongol Empire, while defending from attacks by the Muslim Mamluks from the south. The throne of Armenia had changed hands multiple times during Leo's brief lifetime, being held variously by his uncle Hethum II in 1295, passed peacefully to his father Thoros III in 1296, then usurped by another uncle Sempad, who was usurped by his brother Constantine III of Armenia
, who himself was deposed by his brother Hethum II in 1299. Thoros III having been killed in 1298, Hethum then passed the crown to Thoros's son, Leo, in 1303.
In 1305, Hethum and Leo led the Armenian army to defeat a Mamluk
raiding force at Bagras
.
On November 17, 1307, Leo and Hethum were murdered with their retinue while visiting the Mongol general Bilarghu
at Anazarva
. Bilarghu, a Mongol who had converted to Islam, had sought to build a mosque in the capital city of Sis
, but Hethum had blocked the move and complained to the leader of the Mongol Ilkhanate, Oljeitu. Bilarghu invited Hethum, Leo, and many other Armenia nobles to a meeting at Anazarva, presumably for discussions, but then his forces attacked, and all of the nobles were killed. Bilarghu was later executed by the Mongol ilkhan for his actions.
Leo was succeeded as king by another of his uncles, Oshin.
and Amalric de Lusignan, without issue.
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
, ruling from 1303 or 1305 to 1307, along with his uncle Hethum II. A member of the Hethumid dynasty
Hethumids
The Hethumids , also known as the House of Lampron , were the rulers of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1226 to 1373...
, he was the son of Thoros III of Armenia
Thoros III of Armenia
Thoros III or Toros III was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1293 to 1298. He was the son of Leo II of Armenia and Kyranna de Lampron, and was part of the Hethumid dynasty. In 1293 his brother Hethum II abdicated in his favour; however, Thoros recalled Hethum to the throne in...
and Margaret of Lusignan
Margaret of Lusignan
Margaret of Lusignan was Queen consort of Armenia as the first wife of King Thoros III. She was Queen from 1293 until her death, three years later. She had two sons, Leo, who ruled for four years as king, and Bohemond, whose fate is unknown....
, who was the daughter of King Hugh III of Cyprus
Hugh III of Cyprus
Hugh III of Cyprus , born Hughues de Poitiers, later Hughues de Lusignan , called the Great, was the King of Cyprus from 1267 and King of Jerusalem from 1268 . He was the son of Henry of Antioch and Isabella of Cyprus, the daughter of Hugh I...
.
In 1303, while still a minor, he was crowned King of Armenia upon the retirement of his uncle Hethum II, who became Regent. Cilician Armenia at the time was in a volatile situation, maintaining a fragile relationship as a vassal state of the Mongol Empire, while defending from attacks by the Muslim Mamluks from the south. The throne of Armenia had changed hands multiple times during Leo's brief lifetime, being held variously by his uncle Hethum II in 1295, passed peacefully to his father Thoros III in 1296, then usurped by another uncle Sempad, who was usurped by his brother Constantine III of Armenia
Constantine III of Armenia
Constantine I was briefly king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1298 to 1299...
, who himself was deposed by his brother Hethum II in 1299. Thoros III having been killed in 1298, Hethum then passed the crown to Thoros's son, Leo, in 1303.
In 1305, Hethum and Leo led the Armenian army to defeat a Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
raiding force at Bagras
Bagras
Bagras or Baghras is the name of a town and nearby castle in İskenderun district of present-day Turkey, in the Amanus Mountains.The castle, properly known as Gastun provided a base for a force to cover the Syrian Gates, the passes between İskenderun and Antioch...
.
On November 17, 1307, Leo and Hethum were murdered with their retinue while visiting the Mongol general Bilarghu
Bilarghu
Bilarghu, also Pilargh'ou, was a Mongol general of the ruler Ghazan during the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century.During the Mongol campaigns of 1299 in Syria, Bilarghu was put in charge of the rear-guard on the Euphrates, in command of 10,000 men.In 1303, following the Mongol...
at Anazarva
Anazarbus
Anazarbus in Ancient Cilicia was an ancient Cilician city, situated in Anatolia in modern Turkey, in the present Çukurova about 15 km west of the main stream of the present Ceyhan River and near its tributary the Sempas Su.A lofty isolated ridge formed its acropolis...
. Bilarghu, a Mongol who had converted to Islam, had sought to build a mosque in the capital city of Sis
Sis, Armenia
Sis is a town in the Ararat Province of Armenia.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, but Hethum had blocked the move and complained to the leader of the Mongol Ilkhanate, Oljeitu. Bilarghu invited Hethum, Leo, and many other Armenia nobles to a meeting at Anazarva, presumably for discussions, but then his forces attacked, and all of the nobles were killed. Bilarghu was later executed by the Mongol ilkhan for his actions.
Leo was succeeded as king by another of his uncles, Oshin.
Family
He was married to his cousin Agnes (Marie) de Lusignan (died 1309), daughter of Princess Isabella of ArmeniaPrincess Isabella of Armenia
Princess Isabella, Isabelle or Zabel of Armenia was the daughter of Leo II of Armenia. Originally she was promised in marriage to the King Andrew II of Hungary when he was returning home from the Fifth Crusade, but the wedding plan was eventually abandoned.She was married at Nicosia in 1292/1293...
and Amalric de Lusignan, without issue.