Ruben III, Prince of Armenia

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Roupen III
Prince
Predecessor	Mleh
Successor	Levon I
Dynasty	Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia

Roupen III (Armenian: Ռուբեն Գ) (1145-1186) was prince of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1174 to 1186. He was the son of Stephen of Armenia and Rita of Barbaron. During the reign of Mleh, he took refuge with his mother's kinsmen in Barbaron. After Mleh's assassination, Ruben was invited by the barons to take the throne.

His generosity and good nature won him much good will, and he recaptured Mamistra, Adana, and Tarsus. He pretended to offer a great reward to the murderers of Mleh, but when they revealed themselves, he had them put to death, an episode reminiscent of King David's dealings with the murderers of Ishbosheth.

In 1181, he travelled to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, where he took to wife Isabella of Toron, sister of Humphrey IV of Toron. By her he had two daughters:

Alice (born 1182), who was married
- firstly to Hathum of Sasun and
- secondly to Raymond IV of Tripoli, eldest son of Bohemund III of Antioch (their son was Raymond-Roupen of Antioch)
Philippa of Armenia (born 1183), who married Theodore I Komnenos Laskaris, Emperor of Nicea.

Around 1185, he experienced trouble from the alliance of Hethum of Lampron, one of his barons, and Bohemond III of Antioch. His brother Leo was dispatched to besiege Lampron, but Ruben himself was taken prisoner by Bohemond, either by treachery or (according to Smbat Sparapet) while visiting prostitutes in Antioch. He was subsequently ransomed, but as part of the conditions of his release, had to surrender Saravantikar, T'il, and Chkar to Bohemond.

In 1185 Ruben retired to the monastery of Trazarg. On his death he was succeeded by his brother Leo I.

[edit] References

Boase, T. S. R. (1978). The Cilician Kingdom of Armenia. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. ISBN 0-7073-0145-9.
Chahin, M. (2001). The Kingdom of Armenia: A History, 2nd ed., Richmond, Surrey: Curzon. ISBN 0-7007-1452-9.