Bohemond II of Antioch

http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00080247&tree=LEO

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemond_II_of_Antioch

Bohemond II (1108 – 1131) was the Prince of Taranto and Prince of Antioch from 1111. He was the son of the founder of the principalities, Bohemond I, and Constance, daughter of Philip I of France. Taranto was lost to Roger II of Sicily in 1128.

When his father Bohemond I died, absent from Antioch, Bohemond II was a child living in Apulia. His cousin Tancred took over the regency of Antioch until he died in 1112; it then passed to Roger of Salerno, with the understanding that he would relinquish it to Bohemond whenever the latter arrived. Roger, however, was killed at the Battle of Ager Sanguinis in 1119, and the nobles of Antioch invited King Baldwin II of Jerusalem to govern the Principality.

In 1124, at the age of sixteen, he reached his majority. He spent the next two years attending to affairs of state in the Mezzogiorno. Finally, in October 1126, after his eighteenth birthday, he finally left Apulia for Antioch. According to William of Tyre, he reached an agreement beforehand with his cousin William II, Duke of Apulia, that whichever of them died first, would leave his lands in Italy to the other. This is flatly contradicted by Alexander of Telese, who states that Bohemond left his lands under the governance of the Pope, and by Romuald of Salerno, who states that the regency of Taranto went to a relative of Bohemond's, Alexander, Count of Conversano. To whomever the principality of Taranto was left or promised, as part of his agreement to come to Antioch, Bohemond also married Baldwin II's daughter Alice. According to Matthew of Edessa Baldwin supposedly also promised him the crown of Jerusalem, but Matthew might be confusing Alice with her elder sister Melisende of Jerusalem, who also married a westerner, Fulk V of Anjou, around the same time.

Principality of Antioch, 1135.

In 1127, Bohemond besieged and captured Kafartab, killing all the inhabitants. He also attacked Shaizar, and Usamah ibn-Munqidh supposedly met the prince himself in battle (and frightened him off, if Usamah is to be believed). The next years of his rule were marked by conflicts with Joscelin I of Edessa and skirmishes in the northern border. Both Bohemond and Joscelin attacked Aleppo individually, but refused to cooperate in a larger siege against the city. Roger of Salerno had given away territory to Joscelin, but Bohemond did not consider these donations legitimate as they had been made without his authority, even though he had been a minor at the time. The dispute came to open conflict between Antioch and Edessa, with Joscelin allying with the Muslims against Bohemond. The Latin Patriarch of Antioch placed an interdict over the County of Edessa.

In 1128, his cousin Roger II invaded and conquered Taranto, claiming it as the heir of William II of Apulia. Being away, Bohemond could do nothing to prevent this. That year, Baldwin II marched north to mediate in the dispute, and Joscelin abandoned his claims. Meanwhile, the atabeg Zengi consolidated his power over Aleppo and Mosul and the crusaders would never again have a chance to impose their authority over Aleppo.

After the dispute was settled, Bohemond joined Baldwin II in attacking Damascus but the crusaders were defeated at the Battle of Marj es-Suffar. Bohemond then turned to the north to recover Anazarbus and other territories lost to the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Leo I of Armenia allied with the Danishmend Emir Gazi Gümüshtigin against him, and Bohemond's army was lured into an ambush in February of 1131. Bohemond died in the struggle, and his blond head was embalmed, placed in a silver box, and sent as a gift to the caliph.

From his marriage to Alice, only one daughter, Constance of Antioch survived. Alice took over the regency of Antioch for two-year-old Constance, until Baldwin II forced her to relinquish it to Joscelin. Both Baldwin II and Joscelin died some months later.

William of Tyre describes him as "rather tall and of fine figure. He had blond hair and well-made features. His whole bearing plainly showed the prince to those who did not know him. His conversation was agreeable and easily won the favor of those who listened to him. He was of a generous nature and, like his father, truly magnificent."

Usamah ibn-Munqidh calls him ibn-Maymun, the "son of Bohemond."

- http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ANTIOCH.htm#BohemondIIB

BOHEMOND of Antioch, son of BOHEMOND I Prince of Antioch & his wife Constance de France ([1107/08]-killed in battle near Anazarbus, Cilicia Feb 1130). His parentage is recorded by William of Tyre and Orderic Vitalis, the latter specifying that his mother brought him up at Tarento[109]. The Lignages d'Outremer name "Beymont" as the son of "Beymont" son of "Robert Guichart qui conquest Puille" & his wife[110]. He succeeded his father in 1111 in his Italian possessions, under the regency of his mother. He appointed as administrator of his Italian lands either the Pope or Alessandro Conte di Conversano[111], and sailed from Otranto for Palestine in Sep 1126. The Chronicle of Romualdo Guarna records that "Boamundis juvenis" left for Antioch in Sep 1127 (error for 1126) and appointed "comiti domino Alexandro consanguineo suo" as "vice sua" in "omnes civitates suas Apuliæ"[112]. He was invested as BOHEMOND II Prince of Antioch in Oct 1126 by Baudouin II King of Jerusalem. He captured Kafartab from the Emir of Homs end-1126[113]. William of Tyre records that Bohémond II invaded the territories of Lewon I Lord of the Mountains [Armenia - Rupen] in Feb 1130, but that he and his forces were massacred near Mamistra by the Danishmend Emir Ghazi (Gümüştekin) with whom Lewon had entered an alliance. The Danishmend emir had Prince Bohémond's head embalmed and sent as a gift to the Caliph[114].

m (Betrothed 1119, Autumn 1126) ALIX of Jerusalem, daughter of BAUDOUIN II King of Jerusalem & his wife Morfia of Melitena [Armenia] ([1110]-after 1136). She is named "Haalis" by William of Tyre who records her parentage and also her marriage in Autumn 1126[115]. The Lignages d'Outremer name "Aalis la fille au roy Bauduin de Jerusalem" as wife of "Beymont…prince"[116]. Her marriage was arranged when her father became regent of Antioch, on behalf of her future husband, in 1119. The marriage took place when her father invested her husband as Prince of Antioch on his arrival at Antioch in Oct 1126[117]. Her husband settled Latakieh and Jabala on Alix as her dower[118]. She assumed the regency of Antioch in Feb 1130 for her infant daughter immediately on the death of her husband, without waiting for her father to appoint a regent. To protect her position, she sent an envoy to Zengi atabeg of Aleppo requesting him to become her overlord provided he guaranteed her continued possession of Antioch, but the envoy was intercepted by King Baudouin. When the king entered the city in May 1130, he removed his daughter from the regency and banished her to Latakieh and Jabala. King Baudouin assumed the regency himself, leaving Joscelin de Courtenay Count of Edessa as guardian in Antioch when he returned to Jerusalem[119]. After her father's death in 1131, she reasserted her claim to the regency of Antioch, but her forces were defeated by Foulques d'Anjou King of Jerusalem[120]. She was allowed to return to Antioch in 1135, but forced into exile in May 1136.

Prince Bohémond II & his wife had one child: