Leo I of Armenia
Encyclopedia
Leo I also Levon I or Leon I, (unknown – Constantinople, February 14, 1140) was the fifth lord of Armenian Cilicia or “Lord of the Mountains” (1129/1130-1137).
He learned to exploit the open, yet restrained, hostilities between the Byzantine Empire
and the Frankish principalities of Edessa and Antioch. Most of his successes benefitted from Byzantium’s pre-occupation with the threats of Zengi
(the atabeg
of Mosul
) from Aleppo
and the lack of effective Frankish rule, especially in the Principality of Antioch
.
He expanded his rule over the Cilician plains and even to the Mediterranean shores
. In his time, relations between the Armenians
and the Franks (the Crusaders
), 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 (today Nur Mountains in Turkey
), and on the neighboring coasts of the Gulf of Alexendretta
(the Gulf of İskenderun in Turkey).
Leo was defeated decisively by the Byzantine Emperor John II Comnenus who successfully laid siege to his fortresses. Leo and two of his sons were taken captive and imprisoned in Constantinople
where Leo died shortly thereafter.
.
When Constantine I died, Leo’s brother Thoros I succeeded him; Leo may have ruled in the eastern part of “the Mountains” during the lifetime of his brother (although the basis of this proposition is not known). Sometime between 1100 and 1103, Count Baldwin II of Edessa
gave his sister in marriage to Leo; but the name and origin of his wife are not known with certainty. It is also possible that his wife was Baldwin II’s sister-in-law, a daughter of the Armenian Gabriel of Melitene
.
In 1111, Sultan Malik Shah of Iconium
entered Armenian territories, and two of the commanders of Leo’s brother were killed in battle. Saddened by this lost, Leo was so enraged that he launched a savage attack against the Turks
and drove them into retreat. In 1118, Leo assigned by his brother brought a contingent to help Prince Roger of Antioch
at the siege of Azaz (today A'zāz in Syria
).
Thoros I died in 1129 (or in 1130), and his son Constantine II died a few months later, in the course of a palace intrigue. Other authors (e.g., Jacob G. Ghazarian, Vahan M. Kurkjian) suggest that Thoros I died without a male heir and was directly succeeded by Leo.
(a former Antiochene
town which had fallen into the possession of Thoros I). He marched with a small force up the river Jihan towards his objective. Leo was alarmed and appealed for help to the Danishmend emir, Ghazi
. As Bohemond II progressed carelessly up the river, meeting only light resistance from the Armenians, the Danishmend Turks fell on him and massacred the whole of his army. However, it was due to Byzantine intervention that the Turks did not follow up their victory; and Anazarbus remained in Armenian hands – Michael the Syrian
says that John II Comnenus at once started an offensive against the Turks.
Soon after Bohemond II’ death, Leo protected in his rear by an alliance with the Danishmend emir, descended into the plain; after a brief unsuccessful siege of Seleucia
, he seized the three cities of Mamistra, Tarsus
and Adana
in 1131. In 1133, Leo captured Sarventikar, on the slopes of the Amanus Mountains, from Baldwin of Marash. But the Armenian hold over Cilicia
was weak: bandits found refuge there, and pirates hung about its costs.
In 1136, the new prince of Antioch, Raymond I decided that his first action must be to recover Cilicia. With the approval of King Fulk of Jerusalem
he marched with Baldwin of Marash against Leo. But Leo, with the help of Count Joscelin II of Edessa
(who was his nephew), drove back the Antiochene army. Triumphant, Leo agreed to have a personal interview with Baldwin of Marash, who treacherously made him prisoner and sent him off to captivity in Antioch
.
In Leo’s absence his three sons quarreled: the eldest, Constantine, was eventually captured and blinded by his brothers. Meanwhile, the Danishmend emir, Mohammed II ibn Ghazi, invaded Cilicia, destroyed the harvest. Shaken by these disasters, Leo bought his freedom by offering to give up the Cilician cities (Sarventikar, Mamistra and Adana) to Raymond I; in addition he paid 60,000 gold pieces and gave his son as a hostage; but on his return home he forgot his promise. A desultory war broke out again, till, early in 1137, Joscelin II patched up a truce between the combatants. An alliance was then formed against the Emperor John II Comnenus, who was then pressing his claims against Antioch as well as Cilicia.
, Tarsus, Adana and Mamistra, which all yielded to him at once.
Leo relied on the great fortifications of Anazarbus to hold him up. Its garrison resisted for 37 days, but the siege engine
s of the Byzantines battered down its walls, and the city was forced to surrender. Leo retreated into the high Taurus Mountains
; the Emperor, after mopping up several Armenian castles in the neighborhood, led his forces southward into the plain of Antioch.
After the Emperor had asserted his authority over the Principality of Antioch, he returned to Cilicia to finish off its conquest. The family castle of Vahka (today Feke in Turkey) held out for some weeks, but after its fall Leo and two of his sons, Roupen and Thoros, were captured.
Leo died in Constantinople.
(Leo’s second marriage proposed by Rüdt-Collenberg is speculative.)
He learned to exploit the open, yet restrained, hostilities between the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and the Frankish principalities of Edessa and Antioch. Most of his successes benefitted from Byzantium’s pre-occupation with the threats of Zengi
Zengi
Imad ad-Din Zengi was the atabeg of Mosul, Aleppo, Hama and Edessa and founder of the Zengid dynasty, to which he gave his name.-Early life:...
(the atabeg
Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince...
of Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
) from Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
and the lack of effective Frankish rule, especially in the Principality of Antioch
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
.
He expanded his rule over the Cilician plains and even to the Mediterranean shores
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. In his time, relations between the Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
and the Franks (the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
), 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 (today Nur Mountains in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
), and on the neighboring coasts of the Gulf of Alexendretta
Gulf of Iskenderun
The Gulf of İskenderun is a gulf or inlet of the Levantine Sea, the easternmost part of Mediterranean Sea, of which it forms the easternmost tip, on the southern coast of Turkey near its border with Syria. It also contains the northernmost point of the Levantine Sea...
(the Gulf of İskenderun in Turkey).
Leo was defeated decisively by the Byzantine Emperor John II Comnenus who successfully laid siege to his fortresses. Leo and two of his sons were taken captive and imprisoned in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
where Leo died shortly thereafter.
His early life
Leo was the younger son of Constantine I, lord of Armenian Cilicia. It is likely that his mother was the great-granddaughter of Bardas PhokasBardas Phokas the Elder
Bardas Phokas was a notable Byzantine general in the first half of the 10th century, and father of Byzantine emperor Nikephoros II Phokas and the kouropalates Leo Phokas the Younger....
.
When Constantine I died, Leo’s brother Thoros I succeeded him; Leo may have ruled in the eastern part of “the Mountains” during the lifetime of his brother (although the basis of this proposition is not known). Sometime between 1100 and 1103, Count Baldwin II of Edessa
Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Baldwin II of Jerusalem , formerly Baldwin II of Edessa, also called Baldwin of Bourcq, born Baldwin of Rethel was the second count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and the third king of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death.-Ancestry:Baldwin was the son of Hugh, count of Rethel, and his wife Melisende,...
gave his sister in marriage to Leo; but the name and origin of his wife are not known with certainty. It is also possible that his wife was Baldwin II’s sister-in-law, a daughter of the Armenian Gabriel of Melitene
Gabriel of Melitene
Gabriel of Melitene was the ruler of Melitene . Along with Thoros of Edessa, Gabriel was a former officer of Philaretos Brachamios. Philaretos had installed Gabriel as the ruler of Melitene. Following the death of Philaretos in 1086 Melitene became completely independent of Byzantine control with...
.
In 1111, Sultan Malik Shah of Iconium
Melikshah
Malik Shah or Malek Shah or Melik Shah was the sultan of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm between the years 1110 and 1116. Prior to Melikshah's accession, the throne had remained vacant for three years following the death of Kilij Arslan I in 1107. Melikshah was held prisoner in Isfahan until 1110 when...
entered Armenian territories, and two of the commanders of Leo’s brother were killed in battle. Saddened by this lost, Leo was so enraged that he launched a savage attack against the Turks
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
and drove them into retreat. In 1118, Leo assigned by his brother brought a contingent to help Prince Roger of Antioch
Roger of Salerno
Roger of Salerno was regent of the Principality of Antioch from 1112 to 1119.He was the son of Richard of the Principate and the 2nd cousin of Tancred, Prince of Galilee, both participants on the First Crusade. He became regent of Antioch when Tancred died in 1112; the actual prince, Bohemund II,...
at the siege of Azaz (today A'zāz in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
).
His rule
Conflicts with the Franks
In February 1130, Bohemond II, Prince of Antioch, whose ambition was to restore his principality, thought that the moment had come to recover AnazarbusAnazarbus
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...
(a former Antiochene
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
town which had fallen into the possession of Thoros I). He marched with a small force up the river Jihan towards his objective. Leo was alarmed and appealed for help to the Danishmend emir, Ghazi
Gazi Gümüshtigin
Emir Gazi Gümüshtigin was the second ruler of the Danishmend state which his father Danishmend Gazi had founded in central-eastern Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert. He is sometimes called Emir Ghazi II....
. As Bohemond II progressed carelessly up the river, meeting only light resistance from the Armenians, the Danishmend Turks fell on him and massacred the whole of his army. However, it was due to Byzantine intervention that the Turks did not follow up their victory; and Anazarbus remained in Armenian hands – Michael the Syrian
Michael the Syrian
Michael the Syrian , also known as Michael the Great or Michael Syrus or Michael the Elder, to distinguish him from his nephew, was a patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1166 to 1199. He is best known today as the author of the largest medieval Chronicle, which he composed in Syriac...
says that John II Comnenus at once started an offensive against the Turks.
Soon after Bohemond II’ death, Leo protected in his rear by an alliance with the Danishmend emir, descended into the plain; after a brief unsuccessful siege of Seleucia
Seleucia (Pamphylia)
Seleucia – also transliterated as Seleukeia or Seleukheia – was an ancient city on the Mediterranean coast of Pamphylia, in Anatolia, approximately 15 km northeast of Side; the site is currently about 1k north of the village of Bucakşeyhler , approximately 12 km northeast of...
, he seized the three cities of Mamistra, Tarsus
Tarsus (city)
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
and Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
in 1131. In 1133, Leo captured Sarventikar, on the slopes of the Amanus Mountains, from Baldwin of Marash. But the Armenian hold over Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
was weak: bandits found refuge there, and pirates hung about its costs.
In 1136, the new prince of Antioch, Raymond I decided that his first action must be to recover Cilicia. With the approval of King Fulk of Jerusalem
Fulk of Jerusalem
Fulk , also known as Fulk the Younger, was Count of Anjou from 1109 to 1129, and King of Jerusalem from 1131 to his death...
he marched with Baldwin of Marash against Leo. But Leo, with the help of Count Joscelin II of Edessa
Joscelin II, Count of Edessa
Joscelin II of Edessa was the fourth and last ruling count of Edessa.The young Joscelin was taken prisoner at the Battle of Azaz in 1125, but was ransomed by Baldwin II, king of Jerusalem. In 1131, his father Joscelin I was wounded in battle with the Danishmends, and Edessa passed to Joscelin II...
(who was his nephew), drove back the Antiochene army. Triumphant, Leo agreed to have a personal interview with Baldwin of Marash, who treacherously made him prisoner and sent him off to captivity in Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
.
In Leo’s absence his three sons quarreled: the eldest, Constantine, was eventually captured and blinded by his brothers. Meanwhile, the Danishmend emir, Mohammed II ibn Ghazi, invaded Cilicia, destroyed the harvest. Shaken by these disasters, Leo bought his freedom by offering to give up the Cilician cities (Sarventikar, Mamistra and Adana) to Raymond I; in addition he paid 60,000 gold pieces and gave his son as a hostage; but on his return home he forgot his promise. A desultory war broke out again, till, early in 1137, Joscelin II patched up a truce between the combatants. An alliance was then formed against the Emperor John II Comnenus, who was then pressing his claims against Antioch as well as Cilicia.
The (re-)occupation of Cilicia by the Byzantines
In the spring of 1137, the imperial army, with the Emperor and his sons at its head, assembled at Attalia (today Antalya in Turkey) and advanced eastward into Cilicia. Leo moved up in an attempt to check its progress by taking the Byzantine frontier fortress of Seleucia, but was forced to retire. The Emperor swept on, past MersinMersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, Tarsus, Adana and Mamistra, which all yielded to him at once.
Leo relied on the great fortifications of Anazarbus to hold him up. Its garrison resisted for 37 days, but the siege engine
Siege engine
A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some have been operated close to the fortifications, while others have been used to attack from a distance. From antiquity, siege engines were constructed largely of wood and...
s of the Byzantines battered down its walls, and the city was forced to surrender. Leo retreated into the high Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
; the Emperor, after mopping up several Armenian castles in the neighborhood, led his forces southward into the plain of Antioch.
After the Emperor had asserted his authority over the Principality of Antioch, he returned to Cilicia to finish off its conquest. The family castle of Vahka (today Feke in Turkey) held out for some weeks, but after its fall Leo and two of his sons, Roupen and Thoros, were captured.
His last years in exile
Leo and his two sons were sent to prison in Constantinople, where Roupen was soon put to death. Leo and Thoros gained the favor of the Emperor and were allowed to live under surveillance at the Court.Leo died in Constantinople.
Marriage and children
# (1100–1103) The name and the origin of his wife are not known with certainty. It is possible that his wife was a daughter of Count Hugh I of Rethel, or she may have been the daughter of Gabriel of Melitene.- (?) unnamed daughter, who was the wife of a “Frankish knight from Antioch”, and mother of the Regent Thomas
- unnamed daughter, the wife of Vasil Dgha
- (?) Constantine (? – Edessa, 1138/1144)
- Thoros II of Cilicia (? – February 6, 1169)
- StephenStephen of ArmeniaStephen of Armenia was the Marshal of Armenia, the son of Leo I, Prince of Armenia and Beatrice de Rethel.His father made him Marshal in 1138, due to the invasion of John II Comnenus, and escaped capture by sheltering in Edessa...
(before 1110 – February 7, 1165) - Mleh I of Cilicia (before 1120 – Sis, May 15, 1175)
- Roupen (after 1120 – Constantinople, 1141)
(Leo’s second marriage proposed by Rüdt-Collenberg is speculative.)
External links
- Smbat Sparapet's Chronicle
- The Barony of Cilician Armenia (Kurkjian's History of Armenia, Ch. 27)
Sources
- 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; ISBN 0-7007-1418-9
- Runciman, Steven: A History of the Crusades – Volume II.: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East: 1100–1187; Cambridge University Press, 1988, Cambridge; ISBN 0-521-06162-8