Hethum II of Armenia

Hethum II
King Hethum II, in Franciscan gown
King of Cilician Armenia
Reign	1289–1293
Predecessor	Leo II
Successor	Thoros III
King of Cilician Armenia
Reign	1295–1296
Predecessor	Thoros III
Successor	Sempad
King of Cilician Armenia
Reign	1299–1303
Predecessor	Constantine I
Successor	Leo III
Born	1266
Died	November 17, 1307 (age 40–41) Anazarba
Dynasty	Hethumids
Father	Leo II, King of Armenia
Mother	Keran, Queen of Armenia
Religion	Catholic

Hethum II (Armenian: Հեթում Բ; 1266 – November 17, 1307), also known by several other romanizations, was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1289 to 1293, 1295 to 1296 and 1299 to 1303, while Armenia was a subject state of the Mongol Empire. He abdicated twice in order to take vows in the Franciscan order, while still remaining the power behind the throne as "Grand Baron of Armenia" and later as Regent for his nephew. He was the son of Leo II of Armenia and Kyranna de Lampron, and was part of the Hethumid dynasty, being the grandson of Hethum I, who had originally submitted Cilicia to the Mongols in 1247. He was assassinated with his nephew and successor Leo III by the Mongol general Bilarghu, who himself was later executed for this by the Mongol Ilkhan ruler Öljaitü.

Since 1247, Cilician Armenia itself had been a vassal state of the Mongol Empire, from an agreement made by Hethum II's grandfather, Hethum I. As part of this relationship, Cilician Armenia routinely supplied troops to the Mongols, cooperating in battles against the Mamluks and other elements of the Islamic empire.

Hethum II took the throne in his early 20s, when his father Leon II died in 1289. At the time, Cilician Armenia was in a precarious position between major powers, balancing between friendly relations with the Christian Europeans and Byzantine Empire, aggression from the Turkish Sultanate of Rum to the west, a vassal relationship with the aggressive Mongol Empire in the East, and defending itself from attacks from the South, from the Muslim Mamluks out of Egypt. The Crusades had lost European support and were winding down, and Islamic forces were sweeping northwards from Egypt, re-taking land which had earlier been lost to the Crusaders, and pushing back against the Mongol advance.