Raymond II, Count of Tripoli

Raymond II of Tripoli (Latin: Raimundus; c. 1115 – 1152) was Count of Tripoli from 1137 to 1152.

He was the son of Pons of Tripoli and Cecile of France. In 1137, he married Hodierna of Rethel, daughter of Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem. Later that year, he succeeded his father, after Pons was killed in a battle with the army of Damascus. Raymond was present at the battle, and considered the Syrian Christians of Tripoli responsible for the treachery which led to his father's defeat and death. Therefore, after the battle he took many of them prisoner, and as William of Tyre says, "visited upon them divers tortures in the presence of the people, and, in just proportion to the enormity of the crime which they had committed, he caused them to suffer death in its most cruel forms." This act was praised by the Latin Christians of the county; "Such", William continues, "were the first proofs of valor which were given by the young count, whereby he won the affection of all his people and universal approval."

Later that year, Zengi, the atabeg of Aleppo and Mosul, besieged the castle of Barin in the territory of Tripoli. Raymond called for help from King Fulk of Jerusalem, but Zengi defeated them in a pitched battle outside the castle, and Raymond was taken prisoner. Zengi continued the siege, but began negotiations with the besieged when he heard that further relief was on its way from Raymond of Antioch, Joscelin II of Edessa, and Byzantine emperor John II Comnenus, who was in Antioch at the time. Those besieged in Barin did not know of these movements but readily agreed to hand over the castle to Zengi in exchange for the release of Raymond and an end to the siege.

...
Wikipedia