Constantine I, Prince of Armenia
| Constantine I Կոստանդին Ա | |
|---|---|
| Lord of Cilicia | |
 | |
| Lord of Armenian Cilicia | |
| Reign | 1095 – c. 1100 |
| Predecessor | Roupen I |
| Successor | Thoros I |
| Born | 1045–50 |
| Died | 1102/1103 |
| Burial | Monastery of Castalon |
| Spouse | An unnamed great-granddaughter of Bardas Phokas |
| Issue | Thoros I Beatrice Leo I |
| House | Roupenians |
| Father | Roupen I |
Constantine I or Kostandin I (Armenian: Կոնստանտին; 1035–1040[1] – c. 1100[2]) was the second lord of Armenian Cilicia from 1095 to until about 1099.[3]
Early years
[edit]He was the son of Roupen I;[1]
By 1090, Roupen was not capable of leading his troops, therefore his son Constantine inherited his command and conquered the castle of Vahka.[1] The mastery of this mountain defile made possible the assessment of taxes on merchandise transported from the port of Ayas towards the central part of Asia Minor, a source of wealth to which the Roupenians owed their power.[citation needed]
His rule
[edit]After his father’s death in 1095,[1] The crusaders, for their part, duly appreciated the aid of their Armenian allies.[2]
The Chronographie of Samuel of Ani records that Constantine died soon after a lightning bolt struck his table in the fortress of Vahka. He was buried in Castalon.[2]
Marriage and children
[edit]According to the Chronicle of Aleppo, his wife was descended from Bardas Phokas.
- Beatrice (? – before 1118), the wife of Count Joscelin I of Edessa[4]
- Thoros I, Lord of Armenian Cilicia (? – February 17, 1129 / February 16, 1130)[2]
- Leo I, Lord of Armenian Cilicia (? – Constantinople, February 14, 1140)[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Ghazarian 2000, p. 47.
- ^ a b c d e Ghazarian 2000, p. 49.
- ^ Ghazarian 2000, p. 127.
- ^ Morton 2020, p. 86.
Sources
[edit]- Ghazarian, Jacob G. (2000). The Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia during the Crusades: The Integration of Cilician Armenians with the Latins (1080–1093). Taylor & Francis.
- Morton, Nicholas (2020). The Crusader States and Their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099-1187. Oxford University Press.
External links
[edit]- The Barony of Cilician Armenia (Kurkjian's History of Armenia, Ch. 27)