Leo I, King of Armenia


Leo I was the tenth lord of Armenian Cilicia, ruling from 1187 to 1219, and the first king to be crowned, in 1198/9. 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.
He was consecrated as king in January 1198 or 1199.

Early years

He was the younger son of Stephen, the third son of Leo I, [Prince of Armenia|Leo I, lord of Armenian Cilicia]. His mother was Rita, a daughter of Sempad, Lord of Barbaron. Leo's father, who was on his way to attend a banquet given by the Byzantine governor of Cilicia, Andronicus Euphorbenus, was murdered on 7 February 1165. Following their father's death, Leo and his elder brother Roupen lived with their uncle.
Their paternal uncle, Mleh I, lord of Armenian Cilicia had made a host of enemies by his cruelties in his country, resulting in his assassination by his own soldiers in the city of Sis in 1175. The seigneurs of Cilician Armenia elected Leo's brother, Roupen III to occupy the throne of the principality. Roupen III sent Leo to surround Hethum's mountain lair. But Bohemond III, rushing to the aid of Hethum, treacherously made Roupen prisoner. During 1187, he became the ruler.

His rule

In 1187, he was forced to engage in a war against Aleppo and Damascus, an arduous war in which he actually forced the allied forces to retreat. This first success of Leo is of great significance from a historical perspective, for at the same time that Saladin had begun his decisive battle against the Latin state of Jerusalem, the forces of Leo drew away the attention of some part of his forces and this way easing the pressure on the crusaders.

Coronation

Leo was crowned on 6 January 1198 at Tarsus,

Antiochene War of Succession

In Cyprus between 28 January 1210/27 January 1211 Leo married Sibylle, the half-sister of King Hugh I of Cyprus.

Marriages and children

# 3 February 1188 – 4 February 1189, divorced 1206: Isabelle, a daughter of a brother of Sibylle, the wife of Bohemond III of Antioch
# 28 January 1210 – 27 January 1211: Sibylla, a daughter of King Amalric I of Cyprus and Isabella I of Jerusalem