RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1441
year: 1199
initiator: King Leon I of Cilician Armenia
recipient: Pope Innocent III
text: May 23. Tarsus. Leon, per dei et Romani imperii gratiam rex omnium Armeniorum, writes to Pope Innocent III. He reports how, under instruction from the archbishop of Mainz he desires to bring all Armenians into unity with the Roman Church. The archbishop will relay to the pope all the troubles facing the Latin East and Cilician Armenia. Leon appeals for assistance.
May 23. Tarsus. Leon, per dei et Romani imperii gratiam rex omnium Armeniorum, writes to Pope Innocent III. He reports how, under instruction from the archbishop of Mainz he desires to bring all Armenians into unity with the Roman Church. The archbishop will relay to the pope all the troubles... more
sources: Innocent III, Die Register 2:408-9, no. 210 (RRH no. 755)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1443
year: 1199
initiator: King Leon I of Cilician Armenia
recipient: Pope Innocent III
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
additional institution: Templars
text: c. May 1-31. Leon, per Dei et Romani imperii rex Armeniorum, writes to Pope Innocent III. After expatiating on the threat posed to Cilician Armenia, he describes the death of Raymundus, the elder son of Prince Bohemond [III] of Antioch. Raymundus had married Leon’s niece Aaliza/Aelide and had had a son, called Rupinus, who had been baptized by the archbishop of Mainz. Before his death Raymundus had asked his father to assure the inheritance of Rupinus to Antioch. Bohemond had confirmed Rupinus as his heir in the presence of all his barones and had made all his liege men [homines ligii] swear liege homage [ligium hominium] to Rupinus. Leon sends the sealed record to the pope. But Count [Bohemond IV] of Tripoli, together with the magister et conventus Templi and the magister et conventus Hospitalis came to Antioch to drive Leon from his land and stayed for 3 months. Prince Bohemond [III] was expelled from Antioch by an alliance with the commune [communia], which declared that Count Bohemond was the legitimate heir. Leon appealed to the pope, after which the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers of St John began peace discussions. Leon sends his miles R[obertus] de Margat to the pope asking for his intervention.
c. May 1-31. Leon, per Dei et Romani imperii rex Armeniorum, writes to Pope Innocent III. After expatiating on the threat posed to Cilician Armenia, he describes the death of Raymundus, the elder son of Prince Bohemond [III] of Antioch. Raymundus had married Leon’s niece Aaliza/Aelide and had had a... more
sources: Innocent III, Die Register 2:462-5, no. 242 (RRH no. 756)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1492
year: 1201
initiator: King Leon I of Cilician Armenia
recipient: Pope Innocent III
institution: Templars
text: Oct. 1. Sis. King Leon I of Cilician Armenia assures Pope Innocent III of his devotion. He reports that the vexillum sancti Petri sent by the pope has arrived and will always be carried in his armies against enemies of the Cross. He is maintaining peace with the citizens of Antioch and the count of Tripoli, but he informs the pope that the count of Tripoli and the citizens of Antioch have sent messengers to Roconidinus [Rukn ad-Din Sulaiman of Konya] entering into an alliance against him. He has stationed himself on the borders of Antioch. He has committed the case of his nephew Rupinus to the papal legates, but asks for the archbishop of Mainz to be made judge in his cause. He is grateful to the pope for writing to the count of Tripoli. In July he led his army on campaign against the Muslims, who are divided among themselves, and asked the Knights Templar, whose possessions in his country are worth 20000 besants, to come to his aid. The Templars came to Antioch and Leon asked the magister to join with him and the patriarch of Antioch in sending messengers to the Holy See over the issue of Gaston, which the pope wanted him to surrender to the Knights Templar. Leon offered to hand over Gaston provided the Templars gave support to his nephew Rupinus and lodged him in that castle. He and Rupinus sought to become confratres and assist the Templars in recovering another of their castles called Trapesach, but the Templars refused. Leon assures the pope of his attachment to the Latin faith. He is sending to the pope as a representative his miles called Garnerius Teuton.
Oct. 1. Sis. King Leon I of Cilician Armenia assures Pope Innocent III of his devotion. He reports that the vexillum sancti Petri sent by the pope has arrived and will always be carried in his armies against enemies of the Cross. He is maintaining peace with the citizens of Antioch and the count of... more
sources: Innocent III, ‘Register’ 214:1003-6, no. 43 (RRH no. 785)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1534
year: 1204
initiator: King Leon I of Cilician Armenia
recipient: Pope Innocent III
institution: Templars
text: Sept.- Oct. Leon, per Dei et R. imperatoris gratiam rex Armeniorum, complains to Pope Innocent III about Cardinal Peter of St Marcellus. With the catholicos, his barones and many noble crusaders [peregrini], Leon had received the cardinal, who had come as papal legate to bring peace between his nephew and the count of Tripoli, the usurper of the principality of Antioch. After the catholicos had repeated his promises as a primate with respect to the Holy See, the discussion turned, in the absence of Cardinal Soffred who was in Acre, to the dispute over Antioch. Leon appealed to Cardinal Peter as legate, citing as witnesses the patriarch of Antioch, the Hospitallers of St John, the Knights Templar and the religious of Nigra Montana. But he discovered that Cardinal Peter had made a private arrangement with the count of Tripoli, the Templars and the citizens of Antioch. Leon went to Antioch to treat for peace, but the count of Tripoli failed to attend the meeting. Before the cardinal’s arrival, Leon and his forces had entered Antioch by force on the eve of the start of Advent, but the patriarch of Antioch intervened and the Templars, who were alllied to the count of Tripoli and the sultan of Aleppo, raising their vexillum Balzanum, had fortified the city towers and had attacked the Armenian forces in and outside the city. Leon had responded by confiscating all Templar possessions in his kingdom. Cardinal Peter ordered him to restore the Templar properties, but Leon demanded the Templars withdraw their opposition to his nephew. Without the agreement of Cardinal Soffred, Peter then summoned a council and imposed an interdict on Cilician Armenia. The catholicos J. and his suffragans refused to enforce this, on the grounds that the catholicos had not been involved, and appealed to the Holy See. At the demand of the cardinals, King Aimery of Jerusalem and Cyprus and all the noble crusaders [peregrini], Leon sent his relation Constantius de Camardesio to Acre in September to negotiate peace with the Templars. Leon asks Pope Innocent to order the Templars to cease their hostility. The Hospitallers and other religious are not hostile.
Sept.- Oct. Leon, per Dei et R. imperatoris gratiam rex Armeniorum, complains to Pope Innocent III about Cardinal Peter of St Marcellus. With the catholicos, his barones and many noble crusaders [peregrini], Leon had received the cardinal, who had come as papal legate to bring peace between his... more
sources: Innocent III, Die Register 8:211-17, no. 120 (RRH no. 795)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1536
year: 1204
initiator: King Leon I of Cilician Armenia
recipient: Pope Innocent III
text: Oct.- Nov. Leon, per Dei et Romani imperii gratiam rex Armeniorum, complains to Pope Innocent III about Cardinal Peter of St Marcellus the papal legate and his treatment of his dispute with the count of Tripoli. He has already described Peter as being openly his adversary. Peter has forbidden him to fight, in spite of the fact that the citizens of Antioch and the Templars are in alliance with the pagani to burn his tuguria of Gastum, and the count has seized Antioch against the orders of Cardinal Soffred. A meeting between King Aimery of Jerusalem, the comitissa Flandriae, the magistri of the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers of St John and the noble peregrini decided to proceed against any party that refused to be subject to the judgement of the cardinals. The dominus Cremonen. was sent to transmit this decision to the parties. Leon had delegated C. de Camardesio, his relative, to convey Leon’s agreement. The count of Tripoli did not arrive on the appointed day, did not excuse himself and refused to abide by the judgement, but Cardinal Peter, refusing to listen to Cardianal Soffred’s advice, did not give Leon justice. Leon, therefore, asks for new judge delegates, referring to the patriarch of Antioch, Cardinal Soffred, King Aimery of Jerusalem and the magister of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
Oct.- Nov. Leon, per Dei et Romani imperii gratiam rex Armeniorum, complains to Pope Innocent III about Cardinal Peter of St Marcellus the papal legate and his treatment of his dispute with the count of Tripoli. He has already described Peter as being openly his adversary. Peter has forbidden him... more
sources: Maleczek, Petrus, pp. 302-5 (RRH no. 798)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1609
year: 1209
initiator: King Leon I of Cilician Armenia
recipient: Pope Innocent III
institution: Templars
text: Early in the year [or autumn 1204]. King Leon of Cilician Armenia sends a gift of precious cloths to Pope Innocent III, carried by a brother of the Hospital of St Mary of the Germans. He tells the pope of presents he had sent before, carried by one of his milites called Sicardus, which had been taken by a Genoese pirate called Alamanus, as was witnessed by Galganus son of Risus, a shipmaster from Barletta, who owned the ship that was seized. Letters and presents for the pope had also been seized by the homines of the count of Tripoli. Leon begs the pope to forbid the Knights Templar to assist the count of Tripoli against him and his nephew over Antioch.
Early in the year [or autumn 1204]. King Leon of Cilician Armenia sends a gift of precious cloths to Pope Innocent III, carried by a brother of the Hospital of St Mary of the Germans. He tells the pope of presents he had sent before, carried by one of his milites called Sicardus, which had been... more
sources: Maleczek, ‘Ein unbekannter Brief’, p. 25
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1736
year: 1216
initiator: King Leon I of Cilician Armenia
recipient: Pope Innocent III
institution: Templars
text: Before Oct. [305] After describing the refusal of the count of Tripoli to abide by the papal legates’ judgement, the miseries of warfare, and the hopes for Raymond Rupen, his nephew and the legitimate prince of Antioch, Leon, per Dei et Romani imperii gratiam rex Armeniae, recounts for Pope Innocent III how he approached Antioch with his army and entered the city without any bloodshed. Raymond Rupen was received as legitimate prince at the cathedral by the patriarch, who gave him the vexillum principale and paid liege homage [ligium homagium] to him, as did the milites and clientes belligeri at the palatium. Then the barones, milites and burgenses who had been exiled were restored to their possessions. Leon agreed to restore [to the Latins] the church of Tarsus [Tarsensis Ecclesia], for which the patriarch had consecrated as archbishop the cantor Antiochen. Ecclesiae, and the church of Mamistra [Manustana Ecclesia], which he recognized to be a suffragan see of the patriarchate and to the archbishopric of which was elected the archidiaconus Antiochiae. The fons Gustoni was restored to the abbey of St Paul. The abbots of Nigra Montana had their casalia and holdings restored and the Knights Templar were given back the castellum of Gastum, which Leon had acquired from the pagani and had detained because of the needs of warfare. Leon reports that there is now peace in the land, as the pope will learn from the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John and other religious, should he enquire. Leon asks for aid and the promise of indulgences for those who come to the assistance of Cilician Armenia and Antioch.
Before Oct. [305] After describing the refusal of the count of Tripoli to abide by the papal legates’ judgement, the miseries of warfare, and the hopes for Raymond Rupen, his nephew and the legitimate prince of Antioch, Leon, per Dei et Romani imperii gratiam rex Armeniae, recounts for Pope... more
sources: Annales ecclesiastici 20:202-3 (RRH no. 817)