| Leo II Լէոն Բ | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Prince Levon byToros Roslin, 1250. | |
| King of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia | |
| Reign | 1269/1270 – 1289 |
| Predecessor | Hethum I |
| Successor | Hethum II |
| Born | 1236 |
| Died | 1289(1289-00-00) (aged 52–53) |
| Spouse | Keran of Lampron |
| Issue among others | |
| House | Lambron |
| Father | Hetoum I, King of Armenia |
| Mother | Isabella, Queen of Armenia |
| Religion | Armenian Apostolic |
Leo II orLeon II (occasionally numberedLeo III;Armenian:Լէոն Բ,Levon II; c. 1236 – 1289) was king of theArmenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1269[1]/1270 to 1289. He was the son ofKing Hetoum I andQueen Isabella and was a member of theHouse of Lampron.
Leo was born in 1236, the son of King Hetoum I and Queen Isabella. Hetoum and Isabella's marriage in 1226 had been forced on them by Hetoum's fatherConstantine of Baberon, who had cleared the way for Hetoum by arranging the murder of Queen Isabella's first husband. They had six children, of which Leo was the eldest. One of his sisters wasSibylla of Armenia, who was married toBohemond VI of Antioch to bring peace between Armenia and Antioch.
In 1262, Leo marriedKeran (Kir Anna),[2] the daughter of Prince Hetoum ofLampron. Thus, he solidified himself as a member of theHouse of Lampron.
In 1266, while their father king Hetoum I was away to visit the Mongol court, Leo and his younger brother Thoros fought to repel a massive army ofMamluk invaders, at theBattle of Mari. Thoros was killed in combat, and Leo was captured and imprisoned. Following the disaster, the cities ofAdana,Tarsus, andAyas were assaulted and the capital ofSis was sacked and burnt. Thousands of Armenians were massacred and 40,000 taken captive.[3] When King Hetoum returned, he paid a large ransom to retrieve his son, including a large quantity of money, handing over several fortresses, and accepting to intercede with the Mongol rulerAbagha in order to have one ofBaybars's relatives freed.
Hetoum I abdicated in 1269 in favour of his son, and entered the Franciscan order. He died a year later. The new king Leo II was known as a pious king, devoted toChristianity. He pursued active commercial relations with the West, by renewing trade agreements with the Italians and establishing new ones with theCatalans. He also endeavoured to reinforce the Mongol alliance,[4] as his father Hetoum I had submitted Armenia to Mongol authority in 1247.
In 1271,Marco Polo visited the Armenian harbour ofAyas and commented favourably about Leo's reign and the abundance of the country, although he mentions his military forces were rather demoralized:
"The king [Leo II] properly maintains justice in his land, and is a vassal of the Tartars. There are many cities and villages, and everything in abundance.(...) In the past, men were courageous at war, but today they are vile and chetive, and don't have other talents than drink properly."
— Marco Polo "Le Livre des Merveilles"[5]
In 1275, the Mamluk sultanBaybars invadedCilicia for a second time. The following year, Armenia fought off an invasion by theTurkoman tribes, but the ConstableSempad, Leo's uncle, was killed in combat.
In 1281, Leo joined the Mongols in their invasion of Syria, but they were vanquished at theSecond Battle of Homs. Leo had to sue for peace, and in 1285 obtained a 10-year truce in exchange for important territorial concessions in favour of the Mamluks.[6]
Leo died in 1289 from arsenic, and was succeeded by his sonHetoum II.
During twenty-one years of marriage Leo had sixteen children by his wifeKeran, ten sons and six daughters. Five of his children reached the throne. The eldest,Hethum II of Armenia, abdicated after four years in favor of his younger brotherThoros III of Armenia, but was placed back on the throne in 1294. In 1296, their brotherSempad of Armenia blinded Hetoum and in 1298 he strangled Thoros, in order to seize power. Sempad was then overthrown in 1298 by their younger brotherConstantine I of Armenia, who was replaced by older brother Hethum II, who then abdicated in 1305 in favor of Thoros III's sonLeo III of Armenia,[1] who was murdered in 1307 with his uncle Hethum II at the hands of theMongol generalBilarghu, being succeeded by one of the youngest surviving children of Leo and Keran,Oshin of Armenia. Eventually, the inheritance of the Armenian Kingdom was passed to the descendants of Leo and Keran's eldest surviving daughterIsabella of Armenia, wife ofAmalric of Lusignan, Lord of Tyre.
Leo II, King of Armenia Born:c. 1236 Died: 1289 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Armenia 1270–1289 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
