Ruben III of Armenia
| Roupen III | |
|---|---|
| Lord of Cilicia / “Lord of the Mountains” | |
| Lord of Armenian Cilicia | |
| Reign | 1175–1187 |
| Predecessor | Mleh I |
| Successor | Leo II |
| Born | 1145 |
| Died | May 6, 1187 (aged 41–42) Drazark monastery |
| Burial | Drazark monastery |
| Spouse | Isabella of Toron |
| Issue |
Alix Philippa |
| House | Roupenians |
| Father | Stephen |
| Mother | Rita of Barbaron |
Ruben III (Armenian: Ռուբեն Գ), also Roupen III,Rupen III, or Reuben III, (1145 – Monastery of Drazark, May 6, 1187) was the ninth lord of Armenian Cilicia or “Lord of the Mountains” (1175–1187).
Roupen remained always friendly to the Crusaders in spirit. He was a just and good prince, and created many pious foundations within his domains.
He was the eldest son of Stephen, the third son of Leo I, lord of Armenian Cilicia. His mother was Rita, a daughter of Sempad, Lord of Barbaron. Roupen’s father, who was on his way to attend a banquet given by the Byzantine governor of Cilicia, Andronicus Euphorbenus, was murdered on February 7, 1165. Following his father’s death, Roupen lived with his maternal uncle, Pagouran, lord of the fortress of Barbaron, protecting the Cilician Gates pass in the Taurus Mountains.
Roupen took up the reins of Cilicia following the assassination of his paternal uncle, Mleh who had been murdered by members of his own inner circle of Armenian nobles on May 15, 1175. He was a friend of the Franks (the Crusaders); for example, at the end of 1177, assisted Philip, Count of Flanders and Prince Bohemond III of Antioch at the ineffectual siege of Harenc.
He was an excellent prince, compassionate and kind; he ruled the country very well, and was praised by everybody.
In June 1180, Saladin, the sultan of Egypt, and Kilij Arslan II, the sultan of Iconium met on the river Sanja and there, apparently concluded an alliance. The first fruits of their alliance were a short and successful campaign against Roupen III, on the pretext of harsh treatment of the Turkoman tribes in his territories. Roupen made peace with Kilij Arslan II in the same year. In the course of the year, many of the nobles of the Principality of Antioch who hated Sybilla, the new wife of Bohemond III fled to Roupen’s court.
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Wikipedia