Hethum II of Armenia
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Hethum (or Hetoum) II of Armenia (1266-August, 1307) was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1289 to 1293, 1295 to 1296 and 1299 to 1303. He was the son of Leo III of Armenia and Kyranna de Lampron.
In 1292 Armenia was invaded by Khalil, the Mamluk sultan of Egypt, who had conquered the Kingdom of Jerusalem the year before, and Hromgla was sacked. Hethum was forced to abandoned Behesni, Marash and Tel Hamdoun to the Turks. In 1293, he abdicated in favour of his brother Thoros III and entered the monastery of Mamistra.
However, Thoros asked Hethum to resume the throne in 1295 to help renew the Mongol alliance. This effort was successful, and in 1296, Hethum and Thoros went to Constantinople to bestow their sister Rita upon the Caesar Michael IX Palaeologus. During their absence, their brother Sempad usurped the throne with the aid of Constantine, and captured them in Caesarea as they returned. Hethum and Thoros were imprisoned in the fortress of Partzerpert, where Hethum was partially blinded. In 1298, Thoros was murdered in Partzerpert; but Constantine turned against Sempad and freed Hethum. Hethum resumed the crown in 1299 after recovering from his blindness, and Armenian troops fought on the side of the Mongols when the Ilkhanate defeated the Mamelukes at the Second Battle of Homs. However, the Mongol-Armenian forces were beaten in 1303 at the Battle of Marj es-Suffer, and Hethum resigned his crown to his nephew Leo and retired to a monastery, although he retained the office of Regent of Armenia.
In 1305, he and Leo led an Armenian army to victory over Mameluke raiders at Bagras. However, Hethum and Leo were both murdered in August, 1307 while visiting the Mongol emir Bilarghu at Anazarva.
Hethum married Helvis de Lusignan, the daughter of King Hugh III of Cyprus. Hethum's son and heir Thoros was murdered in 1296 by the usurper Sempad.
| Preceded by: Leo III | Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia | Followed by: Thoros III Sempad Leo IV |
Bibliography
- T.S.R. Boase, editor. The Cilician Kingdom of Armenia. Scottish Academic Press, 1978.