Sempad the Constable

This article is about the 13th century Cilician noble. For other uses, see Smbat.
A 14th century copy of the February 7, 1248, letter of Sempad to Henry I of Cyprus and John of Ibelin, stating that "If God hadn't brought the Tartars who then massacred the pagans, they [the Sarasins] would have been able to invade the whole land as far as the sea."[1] The letter was also shown to Louis IX.

Sempad the Constable (also Smpad and Smbat; Armenian: Սմբատ Սպարապետ, romanized: Smbat Sparapet or Սմբատ Գունդստաբլ, Smbat Gundstabl; 1208–1276) was a noble Cilician Armenia. He was an older brother of King Hetoum I. He was an important figure in Cilicia, acting as a diplomat, judge, and military officer, holding the title of Constable or Sparapet, supreme commander of the Armenian armed forces. He was also a writer and translator, especially known for providing translations of various legal codes, and the creation of an important account of Cilician history, called in French the Chronique du Royaume de Petite Armenie (Chronicle of the Kingdom of Little Armenia). He fought in multiple battles, such as the Battle of Mari, and was trusted by his brother King Hetoum to be a key negotiator with the Mongol Empire.

  1. ^ (in French) Mutafian. Le Royaume Armenien de Cilicie, p. 66