Queen Isabella of Armenia
Encyclopedia
Isabella I also Isabel I or Zabel I, ( 27 January 1216/ 25 January 1217 – Ked, 23 January 1252) was the queen regnant of Cilician Armenia (1219–1252).
She was proclaimed queen under the regency of Adam of Baghras. But he was assassinated; and Constantine of Baberon
(of the Hethumian family
) was nominated as guardian. At this juncture, Raymond-Roupen, grandson of Roupen III (the elder brother of Isabella’s father, King Leo I) set up a claim to the throne of Cilician Armenia
; but he was defeated, captured, and executed.
Constantine of Barbaron was soon convinced to seek an alliance with Prince Bohemond IV of Antioch, and he arranged a marriage between the young princess and Philip, a son of Bohemond IV. Philip, however, offended the Armenians
’ sensibilities, and even despoiled the royal palace, sending the royal crown
to Antioch
; 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, but in the end she relented. The apparent unification in marriage of the two principal dynastic forces of Cilicia (i.e., 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.
in 1218, but the betrothal later broken in favor of a more advantageous Russian marriage of her bridegroom.
King Leo I died on May, 1219. On his death-bed, he named Isabella as his heiress; 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
.
Isabella emerged as the favourite of the ruling Armenian nobles 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
(Stephanie). Pope Honorius III
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
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
. Raymond-Roupen found some Armenian support in and around Tarsus
, notably Vahram, the castellan of Corycus. Together they conquered from Tarsus to Adana
, 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
. This event left Isabella the sole and largely incontestable heir to her father’s throne.
: 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
. Philip agreed to adopt the Armenian faith, communion and customs and to respect the privileges of all nations in Cilician Armenia.
Philip married Isabell at Sis in June 1222, and he was accepted as prince-consort. The joint-rule of Isabel and Philip lasted only a short while; 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
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 a monastic life, and fled to Seleucia
. She sought refuge with the Hospitallers. 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, determined on war, although such a conflict had been expressly forbidden by the pope as harmful for all Christendom
. Bohemond IV called in as ally the sultan at Iconium
, Kai-Qobad I, and ravaged upper Cilicia in 1225. Constantine of Barberon arranged for the regent of Aleppo
, Toghril, to advance on Antioch. When the latter attacked Baghras, Bohemond IV had to return to his own lands.
for several years.
Constantine of Barbaron now thought it wise to reconcile Armenia with the Papacy: 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
were specifically forbidden by Rome to attack the Armenians.
The marriage was legalized by Rome in 1237.
She was buried in the monastery of Trazarg.
# (2) 14 May 1226: Hethum I, king of Cilician Armenia (1215 – 28 October 1270)
}}
She was proclaimed queen under the regency of Adam of Baghras. But he was assassinated; and Constantine of Baberon
Constantine of Baberon
Constantine of Baberon was a powerful Armenian noble of the Hetoumids family. He was the son of Vassag, the maternal uncle of king Levon I of Armenia...
(of the Hethumian family
Hethumids
The Hethumids , also known as the House of Lampron , were the rulers of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1226 to 1373...
) was nominated as guardian. At this juncture, Raymond-Roupen, grandson of Roupen III (the elder brother of Isabella’s father, King Leo I) set up a claim to the throne of Cilician Armenia
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...
; but he was defeated, captured, and executed.
Constantine of Barbaron was soon convinced to seek an alliance with Prince Bohemond IV of Antioch, and he arranged a marriage between the young princess and Philip, a son of Bohemond IV. Philip, however, offended 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....
’ sensibilities, and even despoiled the royal palace, sending the royal crown
Crown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
to 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...
; therefore, he was confined in a prison in Sis
Kozan, Adana
Kozan is a city in Adana Province, Turkey, 68 km north of the city of Adana, in the northern section of the Çukurova plain. The city is the capital of Kozan district. The Kilgen Stream, a tributary of the Ceyhan River , flows through Kozan crossing the plain south into the Mediterranean Sea....
(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, but in the end she relented. The apparent unification in marriage of the two principal dynastic forces of Cilicia (i.e., 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, Sybille of Cyprus. She was betrothed to Andrew, the third son of King Andrew II of HungaryAndrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
in 1218, but the betrothal later broken in favor of a more advantageous Russian marriage of her bridegroom.
King Leo I died on May, 1219. On his death-bed, he named Isabella as his heiress; 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
John of Brienne was a French nobleman who became King of Jerusalem by marriage, and ruled the Latin Empire of Constantinople as regent.-Life:...
.
Isabella emerged as the favourite of the ruling Armenian nobles 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
Stephanie of Armenia
Stephanie of Armenia , also known as Rita, was the only child of Leo I, King of Armenia by his first wife Isabelle, whose origins are uncertain. She was a member of the Rubenid dynasty.- Early Life and Family :...
(Stephanie). Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III , previously known as Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.-Early work:He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico...
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
Fifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt....
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
Damietta , also known as Damiata, or Domyat, is a port and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.-History:...
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
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
Pelagius
Pelagio Galvani
Pelagio Galvani was a Leonese Cardinal, and canon lawyer. He became a papal legate and leader of the Fifth Crusade....
. Raymond-Roupen found some Armenian support in and around 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...
, notably Vahram, the castellan of Corycus. Together they conquered from Tarsus to 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...
, 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
Helvis of Lusignan (1190–1218)
Helvis of Lusignan was the daughter of Amalric II of Lusignan, king of Cyprus, and his wife Eschive d'Ibelin.She was married twice.Firstly she was given in marriage to Eudes de Dampierre, a French knight, in about 1205...
to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. 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 AntiochPrincipality 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:...
: 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 Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
. Philip agreed to adopt the Armenian faith, communion and customs and to respect the privileges of all nations in Cilician Armenia.
Philip married Isabell at Sis in June 1222, and he was accepted as prince-consort. The joint-rule of Isabel and Philip lasted only a short while; 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
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
to Antioch, Constantine of Barbaron led a revolt (at the end of 1224). Philip and Isabella were seized at Tall Hamdun
Toprakkale, Osmaniye
Toprakkale is a town and district of Osmaniye Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. It is located at 10 km to the west of Osmaniye. Its name comes from an Abbasid castle near the city....
(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 a monastic life, and fled to 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...
. She sought refuge with the Hospitallers. 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, determined on war, although such a conflict had been expressly forbidden by the pope as harmful for all Christendom
Christendom
Christendom, or the Christian world, has several meanings. In a cultural sense it refers to the worldwide community of Christians, adherents of Christianity...
. Bohemond IV called in as ally the sultan at Iconium
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
, Kai-Qobad I, and ravaged upper Cilicia in 1225. Constantine of Barberon arranged for the regent of 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...
, Toghril, to advance on Antioch. When the latter attacked Baghras, 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 marriageConsummation
Consummation is the initial sexual act made within a marriage.Consummation can also refer to:* Consummation , 1970 recordingSee also:* Consummation of days, event predicted in Daniel Chapter 12, verses 1-4...
for several years.
Constantine of Barbaron now thought it wise to reconcile Armenia with the Papacy: loyal messengers were sent in the name of the young couple to the Pope and to the Emperor Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
. 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
Henry I of Cyprus, nicknamed the Fat, aka Henry of Lusignan or Henri I le Gros de Lusignan was King of Cyprus from 1218 to 1253. He was the son of Hugh I of Cyprus and Alice of Champagne of Jerusalem. When his father Hugh I died on January 10, 1218, the 8-month-old Henry became king...
were specifically forbidden by Rome to attack the Armenians.
The marriage was legalized by Rome in 1237.
She was buried in the monastery of Trazarg.
Marriages and children
# (1) 25 January 1221 – 24 January 1222: Philip of Antioch (? – Sis, 1225/1226)# (2) 14 May 1226: Hethum I, king of Cilician Armenia (1215 – 28 October 1270)
- Euphemia (? – 1309), the wife of Julian of SidonJulian GrenierJulian Grenier was the Count of Sidon from 1239 to 1260, then becoming merely titular. He was the son and successor of Balian I and Margaret of Brienne...
(? – 12 January 1275/ 11 January 1276) - Maria (? – Nicosia, after 1310), the wife of Guy of Ibelin (1235/1240 – after 1270)
- SybillaSibylla of ArmeniaSibylla of Armenia was the daughter of Queen Isabella of Armenia and king Hethoum I of Armenia and was a member of the Hetoumid family....
(? – 1290), the wife of Prince Bohemond VI of Antioch (c. 1237 – May/ 11 July 1275) - Rita (? – ?), the wife of Constantine of Saravantikar
- Leo II, king of Cilician Armenia ( 24 January 1236/ 23 January 1237 – 6 February 1289)
- Thoros (1244 – 24 August 1266)
- Isabella (? – c. 1268)
Ancestors
}}
Sources
- 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; ISBN 1-85043-977-x
- 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
- Nersessian, Sirarpie Der: The Kingdom of Cilician Armenia (in: Setton, Kenneth M.Kenneth SettonKenneth Meyer Setton was an American historian and an expert on the history of medieval Europe.- Early life, education and awards :...
: (General Editor) – Wolff, Robert Lee – Hazard, Harry W. (Editors): A History of the Crusades – Volume II: The Later Crusades, 1189–1311; The University of Wisconsin Press, 1969, Madison, Milwaukee and London; ISBN 978-0299048341) - Nickerson Hardwicke, Mary: The Crusader States, 1192–1243 (in: Setton, Kenneth M.: (General Editor) – Wolff, Robert Lee – Hazard, Harry W. (Editors): A History of the Crusades – Volume II: The Later Crusades, 1189–1311; The University of Wisconsin Press, 1969, Madison, Milwaukee and London; ISBN 978-0299048341)
- Runciman, Steven: A History of the Crusades – Volume III.: The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades; Cambridge University Press, 1988, Cambridge; ISBN 0-521-06163-6