Hethum I of Armenia
King Hetoum (right) and Queen Zabel (left) on a silver tram
Hethum (or Hetoum) I of Armenia ruled
Armenia from
1226 to
1270. He was the son of Constantine, Lord of Babaron and Partzapert (a cousin of
Leo II of Armenia).
In 1226 he became the second husband of Isabella of Armenia (died c.1252). The marriage, which was against Isabella's will, took place on June 14, 1226 and resulted in Hethum becoming co-ruler of Armenia. The couple had six children:
- Leo III (died 1289)
- Thoros (died in 1266 fighting the Mamluks)
- Sibylle (died 1290), who married Bohemund VI of Antioch
- Euphemie (died 1309), who married to Julien Grenier, Lord of Sidon
- Rita
- Maria, who married Guy d'Ibelin
During Hethum's reign, he formed an alliance with the
Mongols. However, during the last years of his reign the Kingdom battled against the Mamluks, with
Antioch (virtually an Armenian dependency) being overrun in May
1268. He abdicated in
1270, and lived out the rest of his life in a monastery.
Bibliography
- T.S.R. Boase, editor. The Cicilian Kingdom of Armenia. Scottish Academic Press, 1978.