principality · Caucasus
Armenian Principality of Cilicia
Origins
After the Byzantine defeat at Manzikert in 1071 and the loss of Armenian lands to the Seljuks, Armenian lords established themselves in the Taurus mountains of Cilicia. Around 1080 Ruben, a follower of the last Bagratid king, created a lordship that became the base of the Rubenid dynasty.
Rule and society
Lords ruled from fortresses such as Vahka and later the plain cities of Sis and Anazarbus. Thoros I took the Cilician plain from Byzantium, and the Rubenids cooperated with the Crusader states of Antioch and Edessa. Its ports gave it a role in Mediterranean trade, while monasteries such as Drazark preserved Armenian learning.
Decline and legacy
Byzantium temporarily regained Cilicia and imprisoned Leo I in 1137, but Thoros II restored the principality. In 1198 Leo II was crowned king with the blessing of the Holy Roman Emperor and the pope, transforming it into a kingdom.
Lineage
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- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Armenian Principality of Cilicia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/armenian-principality-of-cilicia
- MLA
- “Armenian Principality of Cilicia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/armenian-principality-of-cilicia. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Armenian Principality of Cilicia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/armenian-principality-of-cilicia.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Armenian Principality of Cilicia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/armenian-principality-of-cilicia (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻