Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / Armenia's Forgotten Kingdom: Cilicia and the Crusader Alliance
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked a lot about the Armenian heartland—the Ararat plain, Vaspurakan, the Bagratid kingdom. But there's another Armenian kingdom that flourished far from Mount Ararat, on the Mediterranean coast. I'm talking about Cilician Armenia, often called the Kingdom of Cilicia. Luna: Oh, right—I've heard of Cilicia, but mainly in the context of the Crusades. How did Armenians end up ruling down there? Lucas: That's exactly the link. After the Seljuk Turks overran the Armenian highlands in the eleventh century, many Armenian nobles and their followers fled south into Cilicia—a region that was then part of the Byzantine Empire. Over time, they carved out principalities, and by the late twelfth century, a dynasty called the Rubenids had consolidated power. In 1198, their leader Levon I was crowned king by both a papal legate and the Byzantine emperor, making Cilician Armenia a recognized kingdom. Lucas: Now, this kingdom was a fascinating hybrid. It was Armenian in language and faith, but it adopted Western feudal structures and even used Latin titles like 'baron' and 'constable'. The capital was at Sis, and the kingdom became a key ally of the Crusader states, especially Antioch and Edessa. Luna: So they were playing both sides—Byzantine and Crusader. Was that a delicate balance? Lucas: Extremely. The Armenian Church had to navigate pressure from the Latin Church to unify, while also maintaining its own traditions. There were real tensions. But the alliance brought tangible benefits: trade flourished with Italian city-states like Genoa and Venice, and Cilician ports like Ayas became major hubs. The kingdom also produced some of the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts of the era. Luna: Speaking of which—I've heard of the Hromkla scriptorium. That's in Cilicia, right? Lucas: Exactly. Hromkla, or 'Roman Castle', was the seat of the Armenian Catholicos for much of the Cilician period. There, master illuminators like Toros Roslin created gospel books that are masterpieces of medieval art. They combined Armenian iconography with Crusader and Byzantine influences. It's one of the great cultural legacies of that kingdom. Lucas: If you've been walking through Armenian history with us episode by episode, you'll know that these stories of survival often hinge on small, dedicated communities. And this show is made possible by listeners who chip in a couple of dollars a month at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It genuinely keeps these deeply researched episodes ad-free. Luna: Yeah, and it really does make a difference. Even small contributions let us keep digging into these overlooked corners of history. Lucas: Back to Cilicia—one of the most remarkable figures was King Hetum I, who ruled from 1226 to 1270. He allied with the Mongols, hoping to counter the growing Mamluk threat. He even traveled to the Mongol court in Karakorum, where he met Möngke Khan. The Mongol alliance brought a brief period of security and prosperity, but it ultimately backfired. Luna: Why did it backfire? Lucas: Because when the Mongols converted to Islam, Cilicia lost its most powerful ally. And the Mamluks, under Sultan Baybars, saw Cilicia as a Crusader client state. They launched devastating raids, sacking cities like Ayas and forcing the Armenian king to pay tribute. The kingdom slowly weakened. Lucas: The end came in 1375, when the Mamluks captured King Levon V. He spent years in captivity in Cairo, and after his ransom, he died in Paris. The kingdom was annexed by the Mamluks, and many Armenians fled to Cyprus, then to other parts of Europe. But the legacy of Cilician Armenia lived on in the diaspora—in the manuscripts, in the legal codes they developed, and in the memory of a time when Armenians were princes of the Mediterranean. Luna: It's almost like a prototype of the later Armenian diaspora—trading networks, cultural preservation, political maneuvering. Lucas: Absolutely. And one last thing: the historian Vardan Areveltsi, who lived in Cilicia in the thirteenth century, wrote a universal history that is one of our key sources for the period. He was a witness to both the Mongol alliance and the Mamluk threat. His work reminds us that Cilicia wasn't just a footnote—it was a vibrant, creative center of Armenian life. Luna: Thanks for bringing that into focus. I never realized how much was happening outside the highlands. Lucas: And that's the thing—Armenian history is full of these unexpected chapters, where a small people adapts, survives, and even thrives in the most unlikely places. Cilicia is a perfect example.