Leo I "the Magnificent" king of Armenia

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_I,_King_of_Armenia

- http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ARMENIA.htm#LeoIIMountainsIArmeniaB

LEWON I 1199-1219, ZABEL 1219-1252

LEWON of Armenia, son of STEPANE of Armenia [Armenia-Rupen] & his wife Rita of Barbaron [Armenia-Hethum] (1150-May 1219, bur (entrails) Agner and (body) Sis[531]). He is named as son of Stepane, brother of Rupen, by Vartan[532]. The Lignages d'Outremer name "Rupin et Leon" as the two sons of "Stephane", stating that they had been brought up by "leur oncle Paguran seigneur de Baberon"[533]. William of Tyre (Continuator) names him, specifying that he was brother of Rupen[534]. The Lignages d'Outremer names "Rupen et Livon" as the two sons of "Melih"[535]. The Lignages d'Outremer name "Livon" as brother of "Rupin de la Montaigne qui estoit seignor d'Ermenie"[536]. He fled to Tarsus, then Constantinople, fearing for his life during his brother's reign but returned in 1183 and was rewarded with Gaban[537]. He attacked Antioch after his brother was arrested there in 1185 by Prince Bohémond III[538]. He succeeded his brother in 1187 as LEWON II Lord of the Mountains. The Chronicle attributed to King Hethum II records that "Ruben paron of the Armenians" died in [3 Feb 1186/2 Feb 1187] and was succeeded by "his brother Lewon"[539]. After his accession, he negotiated an alliance with Bohémond III Prince of Antioch, accepted Antioch's suzerainty and married the niece of the prince's wife. The alliance broke down after Prince Bohémond failed to repay a large loan which Lewon had paid him. Lewon II recaptured the fortress of Baghras from Saladin in 1191[540]. The Chronicle attributed to King Hethum II records that "Lewon paron of the Armenians seized Bohemond prince of Antioch" in [1 Feb 1194/31 Jan 1195] and imprisoned him "in the citadel of Sis", and that in [1 Feb 1195/31 Jan 1196] the prince was freed from prison "through the intercession of Count Heri" (Henri de Champagne King of Jerusalem) and that "marriage relations were established between Lewon and the prince" (the betrothal of Bohémond's eldest son to Lewon II's niece)[541]. In return for having helped the German troops of Emperor Friedrich "Barbarossa" through Cilicia on the Third Crusade, Emperor Heinrich VI promised Lewon a royal crown, provided he accept imperial suzerainty over Armenia. This alliance also resulted in the Teutonic Knights being given land near Tarsus in Armenia[542]. He was also awarded an even more precious crown, and a royal standard decorated with a lion which was to become the heraldic symbol of the kings of Armenia, by Emperor Alexios III, and was crowned with it before 14 Jul 1198[543]. The Chronicle attributed to King Hethum II records that "paron Lewon received coronation with a crown and became first king of Cilicia" in [31 Jan 1197/30 Jan 1198][544], although this date appears to be incorrect. He was crowned LEWON I King of Armenia at Sis 6 Jan 1199 by the Armenian katoghikos, Grigor Abirad, in the presence of Konrad von Querfurt Bishop of Hildesheim and imperial chancellor (representing the German emperor) and Konrad von Wittelsbach Archbishop of Mainz (representing the Pope)[545]. Rüdt-Collenberg emphasises that the coronation took place in Jan 1199 rather than in 1198, the latter being specified by Runciman. This appears corroborated by Sempad, who records the event under 1198/99, as the first report of the events of the year, presumably reflecting its importance rather than chronological accuracy. The known parts of the itinerary of Konrad von Wittelsbach Archbishop of Mainz appear to have been as follows: (1) in Cyprus until Sep 1197, (2) arrived at Acre 20 Sep 1197, remaining in the kingdom of Jerusalem until Jan 1198 when he crowned Amaury I King of Cyprus as king of Jerusalem, and (3) in Armenia in Jan 1199. King Lewon established his capital at Sis and adopted a feudal constitution similar to that of the neighbouring crusading states in Palestine. "Leo…rex Armeniorum filius Stephani et de potenti genere Rupinorum" granted privileges to the Genoese by charter dated Mar 1201 and to the Venetians by charter dated Dec 1201[546]. The Chronicle attributed to King Hethum II records that "Lewon king of the Armenians took Antioch" in [30 Jan 1203/29 Jan 1204][547]. The Chronicle attributed to King Hethum II records that "Lewon king of the Armenians seized the sebastos Henri, who was a duke, Kostants Kamartias, Joscelin and Baudouin" in [29 Jan 1207/28 Jan 1208][548]. He supported the Knights Hospitaller against the Knights Templar in the war of succession in Antioch, for which he was excommunicated in 1214. "Leo…rex Armenie" granted property to the Knights Hospitaller with the consent of "domini Rupini principis Antiochie…nepotis et heredis mei" by charter dated 23 Apr 1214, and declared having received a loan from the Knights Hospitaller by charter dated the same date, both documents specifying that these financial transactions formed part of the arrangements for the marriage of "mee filie" and "regi Iherosolimitano"[549]. The Chronicle attributed to King Hethum II records that "Lewon king of the Armenians took Antioch at night through treachery and installed there as prince Ruben, his brother's grandson" in [27 Jan 1216/25 Jan 1217][550]. King Lewon had promised the succession to his nephew Raymond Rupen of Antioch, but on his deathbed he named his younger daughter as his successor[551]. The Chronicle attributed to King Hethum II records that "King Lewon" died in [26 Jan 1219/25 Jan 1220][552]. The Lignages d'Outremer records that Lewon was buried "dans la ville de Sis, et une de ses reliques fut enterrée au couvent d'Akner qu'il avait fondé"[553]. The History of Armenia of Guiragos of Kantzag records the death of King Lewon in the year [26 Jan 1219/25 Jan 1220], stating that his body was buried at Sis but his heart and entrails were buried at the convent of Agner[554].

m firstly ([3 Feb 1188/4 Feb 1189], divorced 1206) ISABELLE, niece of SIBYLLE (third wife of BOHEMOND III Prince of Antioch), daughter of --- (-murdered 1207, bur Vaghka). The Chronique du Royaume de la Petite Arménie of Constable Sempad records that Lewon married "la niece (fille du frère) de la femme du prince d'Antioche" in [3 Feb 1189/4 Feb 1190][555]. Sempad records that katoghikos Jean reported "injurious information" about the queen to her husband, who had numerous members of her suite put to death and attacked her personally before imprisoning her in the fortress of Vahga in [27 Jan 1205/28 Jan 1206][556]. She was poisoned.

m secondly (Cyprus [28 Jan 1210/27 Jan 1211]) SIBYLLE of Cyprus, daughter of AMAURY King of Cyprus and Jerusalem & his second wife Isabelle Queen of Jerusalem ([1199/1200]-after 1225). The Chronique du Royaume de la Petite Arménie of Constable Sempad records that King Lewon married "la sœur du souverain de [Chypre] Sibylle" in Cyprus in [28 Jan 1210/27 Jan 1211][557]. The Chronicle attributed to King Hethum II records that "Lewon king of the Armenians went to Cyprus and married the king's sister Sybil, who is Elisabeth" in [28 Jan 1210/27 Jan 1211][558]. The Chronicle of Amadi names "uno filiolo…Almerico et due figlie…Sybilla…et…Melisena" as the children of "il re Almerico" and his queen, specifying that "Sybilla" married "Livon re de Armenia"[559]. The Lignages d'Outremer name "Sebille, la fille dou rei Heymeri et de la reyne Ysabiau" as wife of "Livon" brother of "Rupin de la Montaigne qui estoit seignor d'Ermenie"[560]. She claimed the throne of Armenia for herself after the death of her husband, but was exiled by the regent Kostandin Lord of Barbaron and Partzerpert [Hethumid].

King Lewon I & his first wife had one child:

1. RITA [Stephanie] of Armenia (after 1195-Jun 1220). ... m ([23/30] Apr 1214) as his second wife, JEAN de Brienne King of Jerusalem, son of ERARD [II] de Brienne & his wife Agnès de Montfaucon (-27 Mar 1237). King Lewon I & his second wife had one child:

2. ZABEL of Armenia ([27 Jan 1216/25 Jan 1217]-Ked 23 Jan 1252, bur Trazarg). ... She succeeded her father in 1219 as ZABEL Queen of Armenia, under the regency of Adam de Baghras and, following his murder by the Assassins in [1220], that of Kostandin Lord of Barbaron and Partzerpert [Armenia-Hethumid]. ... m firstly ([25 Jan 1221/24 Jan 1222]) PHILIPPE of Antioch, son of BOHEMOND IV Prince of Antioch & his first wife Plaisance of Jebail (-murdered Sis [1225/26]). m secondly (14 May 1226, legalised Rome 1237) HETHUM, son of KOSTANDIN Lord of Barbaron and Partzerpert [Armenia-Hethumid] & his second wife Alix of Lampron [Armenia-Hethumid] (1215-28 Oct 1270, bur Trazarg).

http://genealogy.euweb.cz/crus/armenia1.html#QI