The rule of Levon II coincided with the time of the Third Crusade led by Frederick I Barbarossa. His contemporary was another major figure of this era – Salah ad-Din.
During the reign of Levon the Great, Cilicia has experienced an era of economic and cultural flourishing, being one of the most significant Christian countries in the Middle East. World forces such as the Holy Roman Empire, the papacy, and even the Abbasid Caliph vied for influence over Cilicia.
Everyone wanted to be the first to recognize the Prince of Cilicia Levon II as the legitimate king. As a result, on January 6, 1198, in the city of Tarsus, he was crowned and proclaimed the king of Cilicia.
Representatives from both Christian and several Muslim countries attended the coronation of Levon II, thus highlighting the significant position that Cilicia das acquired.
In 1187, Jerusalem was taken by Saladin, which caused a new crusade. Frederick Barbarossa who led the German militia marched through Cilicia. The crusaders lost their way in the mounts of the Taurus, and the Armenians came to help.
Frederick then sent three honorary embassies to Levon II. In his speech before his army, as the Armenian historian Vardan reports, Frederick announced that Cilicia deserves to have its king.
Левон Великий Рубинян Levon the Great Rubinyan
Image Source: 301.am For years, Ankara and Baku publicly denied that Syrian fighters had any…
Long before Armenia's kings raised churches over pagan sanctuaries, before Hellenism folded Vahagn into Herakles…
Introduction Long before Urartian kings inscribed their names in cuneiform on the cliffs of Van,…
A Coalition Beneath the Mountain Among the oracles of judgment collected in the Book of…
If you have ever climbed the Cascade in Yerevan and looked up at the tall,…
On a rocky promontory above the southwestern shore of Lake Sevan, at an elevation of…