| Levon II Լևոն Բ | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King of Armenian Cilicia | |
| Reign | 1198/1199–1219 |
| Coronation | 6 January 1198/1199 Church of Holy Wisdom (Tarsus) |
| Successor | Isabella |
| Lord of Cilicia | |
| Reign | 1187–1198/1199 |
| Predecessor | Roupen III |
| Born | 1150 |
| Died | 2 May 1219 (aged 68–69) |
| Burial | Sis (his body) Convent of Akner (his heart and entrails) |
| Spouse | Isabella Sibylla of Cyprus |
| Issue | Stephanie of Armenia Isabella, Queen of Armenia |
| House | Roupenians |
| Father | Stephen |
| Mother | Rita of Barbaron |
| Religion | Armenian Apostolic |
| Signature | .jpg){kind=small} |
Leo II (Armenian: Լեւոն Ա Մեծագործ, romanized: Levon I. Metsagorts; 1150 – 2 May 1219)[a] was the tenth lord of Armenian Cilicia,[4] ruling from 1187 to 1219,[5] and the first king to be crowned, in 1198/9 (sometimes known as Levon I the Magnificent[4]).[b][5][4] During his reign, Leo succeeded in establishing Cilician Armenia as a powerful and unified Christian state with a pre-eminence in political affairs.[4][6] Leo eagerly led his kingdom alongside the armies of the Third Crusade and provided the crusaders with provisions, guides, pack animals and all manner of aid.[3] Under his rule, Armenian power in Cilicia was at its apogee: his kingdom extended from Isauria to the Amanus Mountains.[2]
In 1194–1195, when he was planning to receive the title of king, he instituted a union of the Armenian church with Rome.[1] With the signing of the Act of Union, his coronation proceeded without delay.[4] He was consecrated as king on 6 January 1198[5] or 1199, in the Church of Holy Wisdom at Tarsus.[4] His accession to the throne of Cilicia as its first Armenian monarch heralded into reality not merely an official end to Cilicia's shadowy umbilical connection to the Byzantine Empire, but also a new era of ecclesiastical co-operation with the West.[4] A skilled diplomat and wise politician, Leo established useful alliances with many of the contemporary rulers; he also gained the friendship and support of the Hospitallers and the Teutonic Knights by granting considerable territories to them.[2][6]
He envisioned annexing the Principality of Antioch to his kingdom, thus reinforcing his authority along much of the northeastern Mediterranean coastline.[4] Levon first put this plan into action in 1194 by seizing the strategic fortress of Baghras after Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria,[5] had abandoned it.[4] His greatest triumph was achieved at the beginning of 1216 when at the head of his army he occupied Antioch and installed his grandnephew, Raymond-Roupen as its head.[4] Raymond-Roupen remained in power until Leo's death.[4] The transformation of the Armenian court, following the pattern of the Frankish courts, proceeded at a more rapid pace after Leo came to power.[2] Many of the old names of specific functions or the titles of dignitaries were replaced by Latin ones and the changes in nomenclature were often accompanied by changes in the character of these offices.[2]
Commerce was greatly developed during the reign of Leo:[2] he granted charters regarding trade and commercial privileges to Genoa, Venice and Pisa.[4] These charters provided their holders with special tax exemptions in exchange for their merchandising trade.[4] They encouraged the establishment of Italian merchant communities in Tarsus, Adana and Mamistra, and became a large source of revenue for the growth and development of Cilician Armenia.[4]
- ^ a b Nickerson Hardwicke, Mary. The Crusader States, 1192–1243.
- ^ a b c d e f Nersessian, Sirarpie Der. The Kingdom of Cilician Armenia.
- ^ a b Vahan M. Kurkjian (2005-04-05). "A History of Armenia". Website. Bill Thayer. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Ghazarian, Jacob G. The Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia during the Crusades: The Integration of Cilician Armenians with the Latins (1080–1393).
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
Runcimanwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Edwards, Robert W. The Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia.
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