Ruben I of Armenia
Encyclopedia
Ruben I, also Roupen I or Rupen I, (1025/1035 – Kormogolo, 1095) was the first lord of Armenian Cilicia or “Lord of the Mountains” (1080/1081/1082 – 1095). He declared the independence of Cilicia
from the Byzantine Empire
, thus formally founding the beginning of Armenian
rule there. The Roupenian dynasty ruled Cilician Armenia until 1219.
(582–602) onwards they were solidly incorporated into the military fabric of the Byzantine army
. The Armenian migration to the south-west, began when the Seldjuk invasions made life in the Araxes valley and by Lake Van
no longer secure. By the mid 10th century, large numbers of Armenian settlements were well underway in Cilicia.
Greater Armenia
was ruled by the Bagratids
in relative peace and prosperity from the 9th century until 1045 when their capital city of Ani
fell. In 1045, King Gagik II
was invited to Constantinople
; upon arrival there, he was taken captive and under duress was forced to abdicate his throne and relinquish all his right in Armenia in exchange for lands in Cappadocia
. Thus Ani was relinquished to Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos
who began the resettlement of large numbers of Armenians in Byzantine Cilicia. Gagik was killed by Byzantine orders in 1079, after his own peculiarly atrocious murder of the Archbishop of Caesarea
(today Kayseri in Turkey
).
The Seldjuks also played a significant role in the Armenian immigration into Cilicia. In 1071, Sultan Alp Arslan
put an end to Byzantine dominance in the east with his most convincing at the battle on the plains of Manzikert
where Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes was taken captive.
speaks of the Roupenians as ‘the sons and descendants of Gagik Artsruni
’. Another Armenian chronicler, Vahram, a personal secretary of King Levon II refers to Roupen as ‘a famous chief of the blood royal, Rouben by name’. On the other hand, the claims in these primary sources of a family relationship with the kings of the Bagratid dynasty are implausible. It is felt that, if such a connection had existed, the sources would have given specific details, given the otherwise reasonably complete genealogies
which can be reconstructed from the information which they contain.
Roupen, according to the general consensus of the Armenian chroniclers, was a commander in the king’s armies. After the surrender of Ani to Constantine IX, a number of King Gagik II’s princes and loyal adherents, among them Roupen faithfully followed the king’s court into exile and resettled in the district of Caesarea in Cappadocia. However upon the murder of Gagik II, Roupen gathered his family and fled to the Taurus Mountains
and took refuge in the fortress of Kopitar (Kosidar) situated north of Sis
(today Kozan in Turkey). The territory of the Armenians in the Taurus was hard of access and easy to defend.
(today Andırın in Turkey) which became a stronghold of the Roupenian dynasty.
At that time, Roupen were outshone by the Armenian Vahram
, called Philaretus by the Greeks
. Philaretus’ dominion stretched from Tarsus
to the lands beyond the river Euphrates
; and Roupen became his vassal
. They jointly expanded northward and eastward.
In 1086, Malik Shah I
conquered much of northern Syria
and eastern Anatolia
where he installed new governors who levied repressive taxes on the Armenian inhabitants. Thus the sufferings endured by the Armenians at the hands of the Seljuks became the impetus for many of the Armenians to seek refuges and sanctuaries in Byzantine Anatolia and Cilicia throughout the second half of the 11th century.
By 1090, Roupen was growing old; his command seems to have then passed entirely to his son Constantine, who in the same year conquered the strategic Cilician castle of Vahka (today Feke in Turkey).
Roupen died at the age of 70 (or 60); he was buried at the monastery of Castalon.
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...
from 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...
, thus formally founding the beginning of Armenian
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....
rule there. The Roupenian dynasty ruled Cilician Armenia until 1219.
Background
The Armenian voluntary immigrations into the Byzantine Empire began as early as the 6th century; from the reign of Emperor MauriceMaurice (emperor)
Maurice was Byzantine Emperor from 582 to 602.A prominent general in his youth, Maurice fought with success against the Sassanid Persians...
(582–602) onwards they were solidly incorporated into the military fabric of the Byzantine army
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
. The Armenian migration to the south-west, began when the Seldjuk invasions made life in the Araxes valley and by Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
no longer secure. By the mid 10th century, large numbers of Armenian settlements were well underway in Cilicia.
Greater Armenia
Medieval Armenia
-Prelude:Western Armenia had been under Byzantine control since the partition of the Kingdom of Armenia in AD 387, while Eastern Armenia had been under the occupation of the Sassanid Empire starting 428. Regardless of religious disputes, many Armenians became successful in the Byzantine Empire and...
was ruled by the Bagratids
Bagratuni Dynasty
The Bagratuni, Bagratid or alternatively Pakradouni royal dynasty of Armenia was a royal family whose branches formerly ruled many regional polities, including the Armenian lands of Sper|presently Ispir in Tayk Province of the Armenian Kingdom, Bagrevand in Ayrarat Province of the Armenian...
in relative peace and prosperity from the 9th century until 1045 when their capital city of Ani
Ani
Ani is a ruined and uninhabited medieval Armenian city-site situated in the Turkish province of Kars, near the border with Armenia. It was once the capital of a medieval Armenian kingdom that covered much of present day Armenia and eastern Turkey...
fell. In 1045, King Gagik II
Gagik II
Gagik II of Ani was the last Bagratuni King of Ani from 1042 to 1045.-Historical background:During the reign of John Smbat III, a feudal lord, David, who owned Taik during his battles against the Muslims, gained a large area which stretched all the way to Manzikert...
was invited to 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:...
; upon arrival there, he was taken captive and under duress was forced to abdicate his throne and relinquish all his right in Armenia in exchange for lands in Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
. Thus Ani was relinquished to Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos
Constantine IX Monomachos
Constantine IX Monomachos, Latinized as Constantine IX Monomachus , c. 1000 – January 11, 1055, reigned as Byzantine emperor from June 11, 1042 to January 11, 1055. He had been chosen by the Empress Zoe as a husband and co-emperor in 1042, although he had been exiled for conspiring...
who began the resettlement of large numbers of Armenians in Byzantine Cilicia. Gagik was killed by Byzantine orders in 1079, after his own peculiarly atrocious murder of the Archbishop of Caesarea
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
(today Kayseri 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...
).
The Seldjuks also played a significant role in the Armenian immigration into Cilicia. In 1071, Sultan Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan
Alp Arslan was the third sultan of the Seljuq dynasty and great-grandson of Seljuk, the eponymous founder of the dynasty...
put an end to Byzantine dominance in the east with his most convincing at the battle on the plains of Manzikert
Battle of Manzikert
The Battle of Manzikert , was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuq Turks led by Alp Arslan on August 26, 1071 near Manzikert...
where Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes was taken captive.
His descent and early years
The consensus appears to be that the Roupenians were the descendant of the Bagratids, and Roupen was a relative of the last Bagratid king, Gagik II. The Armenian chronicler Kirakos GandzaketsiKirakos Gandzaketsi
Kirakos of Gandzak was an Armenian historian of the 13th century and author of the History of Armenia, a summary of events from the 4th to the 12th century and a detailed description of the events of his own days. The work concentrates primarily on the history of Medieval Armenia and events...
speaks of the Roupenians as ‘the sons and descendants of Gagik Artsruni
Artsruni
Artsruni was an ancient Armenian noble family that claimed descent from Sennacherib, King of Assyria . Although it mirrors the Bagratuni claim of Davidic descent and the Mamikonian claim of descent from the royal Han Dynasty, it is usually interpreted as a piece of genealogical mythology...
’. Another Armenian chronicler, Vahram, a personal secretary of King Levon II refers to Roupen as ‘a famous chief of the blood royal, Rouben by name’. On the other hand, the claims in these primary sources of a family relationship with the kings of the Bagratid dynasty are implausible. It is felt that, if such a connection had existed, the sources would have given specific details, given the otherwise reasonably complete genealogies
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
which can be reconstructed from the information which they contain.
Roupen, according to the general consensus of the Armenian chroniclers, was a commander in the king’s armies. After the surrender of Ani to Constantine IX, a number of King Gagik II’s princes and loyal adherents, among them Roupen faithfully followed the king’s court into exile and resettled in the district of Caesarea in Cappadocia. However upon the murder of Gagik II, Roupen gathered his family and fled to the 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...
and took refuge in the fortress of Kopitar (Kosidar) situated north of 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....
(today Kozan in Turkey). The territory of the Armenians in the Taurus was hard of access and easy to defend.
The foundation of Armenian Cilicia
Roupen declared the independence of Cilicia from the Byzantine Empire in 1080. Relying mostly upon what was left of the loyal followers of King Gagik, he developed enough strength to descend gradually towards the heartland of the Cilician plain. He began leading bold and successful military campaigns against the Byzantines, and on one occasion he culminated his venture with the capture of the fortress of PardzerpertAndirin
Andırın is a town and district of Kahramanmaraş Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey.-External links:*...
(today Andırın in Turkey) which became a stronghold of the Roupenian dynasty.
At that time, Roupen were outshone by the Armenian Vahram
Philaretos Brachamios
Philaretos Brachamios was a distinguished Byzantine general and warlord of Armenian heritage, and for a time was a usurper against emperor Michael VII...
, called Philaretus by the Greeks
Byzantine Greeks
Byzantine Greeks or Byzantines is a conventional term used by modern historians to refer to the medieval Greek or Hellenised citizens of the Byzantine Empire, centered mainly in Constantinople, the southern Balkans, the Greek islands, Asia Minor , Cyprus and the large urban centres of the Near East...
. Philaretus’ dominion stretched from 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...
to the lands beyond the river Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
; and Roupen became his vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
. They jointly expanded northward and eastward.
In 1086, Malik Shah I
Malik Shah I
Jalāl al-Dawlah Malik-shāh was born in 1055, succeeded Alp Arslan as the Seljuq Sultan in 1072, and reigned until his death in 1092....
conquered much of northern 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....
and eastern Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
where he installed new governors who levied repressive taxes on the Armenian inhabitants. Thus the sufferings endured by the Armenians at the hands of the Seljuks became the impetus for many of the Armenians to seek refuges and sanctuaries in Byzantine Anatolia and Cilicia throughout the second half of the 11th century.
By 1090, Roupen was growing old; his command seems to have then passed entirely to his son Constantine, who in the same year conquered the strategic Cilician castle of Vahka (today Feke in Turkey).
Roupen died at the age of 70 (or 60); he was buried at the monastery of Castalon.
Marriage and children
# The name of Roupen’s wife is unknown.- Constantine I of CiliciaConstantine I of ArmeniaConstantine I or Kostandin I was the second lord of Armenian Cilicia or “Lord of the Mountains”...
(1050/1055 – February 24, 1102 / February 23, 1103) - (?) Thoros of MarashThoros of MarashThoros of Marash was the father of Arda of Armenia, the first queen consort of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.Thoros' allowing Baldwin I of Jerusalem, who was then Count of Edessa to marry his daughter gave Baldwin a legitimate claim to Edessa since it was within the traditional area of Armenia.Thoros...
(according to Rüdt-Collenberg, he was the brother of Constantine I; it is not known what evidence this claim is based on but it should be treated with caution)
External links
- The Barony of Cilician Armenia (Kurkjian's History of Armenia, Ch. 27)
- The Rupenids
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 I.: The First Crusade and the Foundation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem; Cambridge University Press, 1988, Cambridge; ISBN 0-521-06161-x