Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and Its Crusader Legacy
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the Armenian highlands and the tragedies of the 20th century, but one of my favorite chapters in Armenian history is actually the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. It's this medieval Armenian state that existed way outside the traditional homeland, down on the Mediterranean coast. Luna: Wait, Armenians in the Mediterranean? How did that happen? Lucas: It's a classic story of migration and adaptation. After the Byzantine Empire annexed the Bagratid Armenian kingdom in the 11th century, many Armenian nobles — the nakharars — and their followers fled south and west. They ended up in the region of Cilicia, which is now southern Turkey, and gradually established their own principalities there. Lucas: The foundation was laid by the Rubenid dynasty, named after a prince named Ruben who broke away from the Byzantine grip around 1080. His successors, especially Toros I and Levon I, built a real kingdom that lasted for about three centuries. Luna: And this was during the Crusader period, right? Lucas: Exactly. The First Crusade had just rolled through the region, and the Cilician Armenians were natural allies for the Crusaders. They were both Christian powers surrounded by Muslim states. So you get this fascinating partnership where Armenian princes married Crusader nobles, Armenian knights fought alongside the Franks, and the Armenians adopted some Western feudal practices. Lucas: For example, the capital city of Sis became a real crossroads. The Armenian kings built a magnificent palace and cathedral there, and they hosted Latin patriarchs, Frankish ambassadors, and even a few European pilgrims passing through. Luna: But the Byzantines weren't exactly thrilled about this, were they? Lucas: No, not at all. The Byzantines saw Cilicia as part of their empire, and they considered the Armenians rebellious subjects. So the Armenians had to balance between the Crusaders, the Byzantines, and the Muslim powers like the Seljuks and later the Mamluks. It was a delicate dance. Lucas: One of the most remarkable figures was Levon I — or Leon I in Western sources — who was crowned king in 1198 with the blessing of both the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor. That coronation was a huge deal because it officially recognized Cilician Armenia as a sovereign kingdom in the eyes of Western Christendom. Luna: And the Pope was involved? That must have caused some tension with the Armenian Apostolic Church. Lucas: You've hit on a key point. The Armenian Church traditionally rejects the Council of Chalcedon, which is the basis for both Catholic and Orthodox doctrine. But the Cilician kings saw an advantage in aligning with Rome. So you get this period where the Armenian Church in Cilicia moved closer to Catholicism, even adopting some Latin rites and vestments. Lucas: This created a lasting split: some Armenians embraced the union, while others in the homeland saw it as a betrayal. Even today, there's an Armenian Catholic Church that traces its roots to Cilicia, while the majority of Armenians remain in the Apostolic tradition. Luna: It sounds like Cilicia was a totally different world from the Armenian highlands. Lucas: It really was. The landscape is Mediterranean — olive groves, citrus trees, warm beaches — completely unlike the snow-capped mountains of Greater Armenia. And the architecture reflects that. The castle at Anavarza, for instance, was built on a limestone outcrop overlooking a river, with Roman-era ruins nearby. The Armenians added their own fortifications and churches, creating a hybrid style. Lucas: The kingdom also had a vibrant trade economy. Cilician ports like Ayas and Tarsus connected the Silk Road to the Mediterranean. So you had Armenian merchants dealing in spices, silks, and even slaves, with Genoese and Venetian traders setting up shop in their cities. Luna: So how did it all fall apart? The Mamluks, I'm guessing? Lucas: Yeah, the Mamluks of Egypt and Syria were a relentless threat. Starting in the late 13th century, they launched repeated campaigns into Cilicia. The Armenian kings managed to hold on for a while by paying tribute and playing the Mongols against the Mamluks, but after the Mongols converted to Islam, that strategy fell apart. Lucas: The final blow came in 1375, when the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Khalil captured Sis and forced the last king, Levon V, into exile. The kingdom was annexed, and most of the Armenian nobility either fled or converted to Islam. The Catholicos, the head of the Armenian Church, moved his seat from Sis back to the old homeland, eventually settling in Etchmiadzin. Luna: It's remarkable that we're still talking about this today. I mean, it survived for three centuries outside the traditional homeland. Lucas: Exactly. And its legacy lives on in a lot of ways. The Cilician period produced a rich body of illuminated manuscripts, legal codes, and even a unique coinage. The Kingdom of Cilicia also played a role in the development of the Armenian national identity, showing that Armenians could adapt and thrive even far from Mount Ararat. Luna: That's a powerful thought, especially considering what came later. Lucas: It really is. And you know, something that strikes me when we cover these deeper historical threads is how we're able to do so because of listeners who support this show. A small number of people chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's what keeps this ad-free. It's a real privilege to explore these corners with you all. Luna: Yeah, it's humbling that people value this enough to help us keep going. And it lets us dive into topics like Cilician Armenia that don't get a lot of airtime elsewhere. Lucas: Exactly. So, back to the story — after the fall, the memory of Cilicia didn't disappear. When the Armenian Genocide happened in 1915, many survivors looked back at Cilicia as a lost homeland, and there were even efforts after World War I to re-establish an Armenian state there under French protection. But that didn't work out. Lucas: Still, the idea of a coastal Armenian kingdom with European allies lingered in the Armenian imagination. It's a testament to the resilience of a people who have repeatedly rebuilt their identity after catastrophe. Luna: I think that's a great note to end on — resilience, but also the adaptability to create something new in a new land. Lucas: Absolutely. So next time you see a map of Armenia, remember that the story stretches far beyond the modern borders. Thanks for walking through it with us.