[May 2] Leon II, king of Armenian Cilicia

True Name: Լեւոն Ա Մեծագործ (Lyewon A Myetsagorts)
Surname: The Magnificent
Parents: Stephen, marshal of Armenia, and Rita of Barbaron

Date of Birth: 1150

House: Roupenians
Spouse: Isabelle, then Sibylle, daughter of Amalric II, king of Cyprus, and Isabella, queen of Jerusalem

Predecessor: Roupen III

Reign: 1198 – 1219

Summary: Few today know of the Crusader kingdom of Cilicia yet for a brief moment in history it was one of the most powerful realms in the East Mediterranean. Leon was the principal actor in that play. His family descended from the kings of Armenia and his uncle, Mleh I, was the lord of Cilicia until he was assassinated by his own soldiers in 1175. Leon's brother, Roupen III, was chosen to replace him but during the new lord's reign, Cilicia was constantly under attack by other local principalities. Roupen was captured by the lord of Lampron and Leon negotiated his brother's release. When Roupen returned, he made Leon his successor and retired to a monastery. Lord Leon made alliances with his former enemies to secure his borders against the invading Turks led by Saladin and the Turkomans from the north. Leon became a crusader king, helping the Crusaders at the siege of Acre in 1190 and joining Richard the Lionheart in his invasion of Cyprus the next year. Leon turned against his nearest ally, Bohemond III of Antioch, and captured his entire family and retinue in order to conquer Antioch. Bohemond relented at first but resistance pushed Leon out of the city. To avoid open war, Leon released Bohemond and granted Antioch its freedom, but in return received recognition as a sovereign state separate from the suzerainty. With the aide and support of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI and Pope Celestine III, Leon was crowned king of Cilicia in 1198 and the Byzantine Emperor, Alexios III, provided the king his crown. Armenia had a kingdom once again and all the great world powers recognized it.

The remainder of Leon's reign was constant warfare between Crusader states and Muslims. Agreements made with the Catholic Church, Bohemond III, and the commune of Antioch all were broken by Leon who still aspired to dominance in the Near East. A tug-of-war for control over Antioch ensued as the city supported Bohemond's son, Bohemond IV, while Leon supported the father who had since become an Armenian-sympathizer. Outmatched, the Antiochene armies joined Muslim armies against Cilicia until a truce was finally signed in 1206. The truce only lasted two years. Bohemond IV proved to be an unpopular ruler and Leon arranged a revolt. The Patriarch of Jerusalem was encouraged to resolve the dispute but the Knights Templars, allies to Bohemond IV, got involved and Leon finally was forced to end his war against Antioch when he was attacked by Persians in the east. Tired of Catholic intrusions, Leon returned to the Armenian Orthodox faith in 1211 much to the praise of his people and the pope excommunicated him. He returned to Catholicism in 1213 and agreed to help in a new Crusade. Meanwhile, his intrigues in Antioch finally came to fruition as Armenian troops secretly captured the city at night. Leon acted quickly, installing his favorite, Raymon-Roupen, on the throne, appeasing the Templars by returning to them a fortress he had captured, and paying homage to the local patriarch. But Cilicia was at last the undisputed overlord of Antioch. Leon died in 1219. He named his daughter, Isabelle, his heiress thereby eventually handing the claim to Cilicia and Antioch over to the descendants of Bohemond IV in the next generation.

Date of Death: 2 May 1219

Successor: Isabelle I

Other Monarch Deaths:

Athanasius, patriarch of Alexandria (373)

Shomu, emperor of Japan (756)

Boris I, tsar of Bulgaria (907)