Bohemund IV of Antioch
Encyclopedia
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
le Cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
), was ruler of the Principality of Antioch
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
(a crusader state) between 1201 and 1205, again between 1208 and 1216, and again from 1219 until his death. He was also Count of Tripoli
County of Tripoli
The County of Tripoli was the last Crusader state founded in the Levant, located in what today are parts of western Syria and northern Lebanon, where exists the modern city of Tripoli. The Crusader state was captured and created by Christian forces in 1109, originally held by Bertrand of Toulouse...
from 1187.
Biography
Bohemond IV was the son of Bohemond III of Antioch by his first wife Orguilleuse d'Harenc. The first part of his rule was marked by internal dynastic conflicts.Starting around 1201, a dispute had arisen about the succession of Antioch. Bohemond III had a grandson, Raymond-Roupen of Antioch
Raymond-Roupen of Antioch
Raymond-Roupen of Antioch or Raimond Rupen de Poitiers was Prince of Antioch between 1205 and 1208 and between 1216 and 1219/1221 and "Rex Iunior" of Armenia between 1199 and 1221/1222....
, from his eldest son Raymond of Antioch, who was considered by many to be the rightful heir to Antioch. Bohemond IV won the title, at the time, and ruled over both Tripoli and Antioch, though their legal and administrative systems remained distinct. However, conflict continued for generations, and involved nobles from Antioch, Tripoli, and Cilician Armenia. Bohemond chose to live in Tripoli, and while he was absent, Antioch became heavily influenced by the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
communities.
Raymond-Roupen was excluded from the succession, but even so Bohemond IV still lost the principality to his nephew, supported by Leo II of Armenia
Leo II of Armenia
Leo II , also Leon II, Levon II or Lewon II was the tenth lord of Armenian Cilicia or “Lord of the Mountains” , and the first king of Armenian Cilicia .During his reign, Leo succeeded in establishing Cilician Armenia as a powerful and a unified Christian...
, between 1216 and 1219.
Bohemond proved to be an erratic ally, changing his vows of fidelity in whichever way he considered the best interest for his principality. An example was first the alliance then desertion of the troops of Frederick II Hohenstaufen
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
, during the Sixth Crusade
Sixth Crusade
The Sixth Crusade started in 1228 as an attempt to regain Jerusalem. It began seven years after the failure of the Fifth Crusade. It involved very little actual fighting...
of 1228/1229. He was also a fierce enemy of the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
and due to this he was excommunicated in 1230 by Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
.
Family
His first marriage occurred some time before 21 August 1198 to Plaisance Embriaco de Giblet (d. 1217). They had four sons and two daughters:- Raimond de Poitiers (1195 – murdered at Tartus, 1213), Bailiff of Antioch.
- Bohemond V de Poitiers, who succeeded him.
- Philippe I de Poitiers (d. of poisonPoisonIn the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ing while in prisonPrisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, 1226), King Consort of ArmeniaArmenian Kingdom of CiliciaThe Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
(1222–1224), who married in 1222 Queen Isabella of ArmeniaQueen Isabella of ArmeniaIsabella I , also Isabel I or Zabel I, was the queen regnant of Cilician Armenia ....
. - Orgueilleuse de Poitiers, who died young.
- Marie de Poitiers , who may have married in 1220 Thoros of Armenia (d. 1266), son of Queen Isabella of ArmeniaQueen Isabella of ArmeniaIsabella I , also Isabel I or Zabel I, was the queen regnant of Cilician Armenia ....
and her second husband Hethum I of ArmeniaHethum I of ArmeniaHethum I ruled the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1226 to 1270. He was the son of Constantine, Lord of Baberon and Partzapert and was the founder of the dynasty which bears his name: the Hetoumids...
, King Consort of Armenia. - Henri de PoitiersHenry of AntiochHenry of Antioch , alternately known as Henri de Poitiers or Henry of Poitiers, was the son of Bohemond IV of Antioch, Prince of Antioch and his first wife Plaisance Embriaco de Giblet....
(married to Isabelle de LusignanIsabella of AntiochIsabella of Cyprus, also known as Isabelle de Lusignan , was the Princess of Antioch by her marriage. She was also Regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.-Family:...
and father of king Hugh III of CyprusHugh III of CyprusHugh III of Cyprus , born Hughues de Poitiers, later Hughues de Lusignan , called the Great, was the King of Cyprus from 1267 and King of Jerusalem from 1268 . He was the son of Henry of Antioch and Isabella of Cyprus, the daughter of Hugh I...
and I of Jerusalem).
After the death of his first wife, he married again at Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
in January 1218 Melisende de Lusignan (c. 1200 – after 1249), Princess of Cyprus, daughter of Amalric II of Jerusalem
Amalric II of Jerusalem
Amalric II of Jerusalem or Amalric I of Cyprus, born Amalric of Lusignan , King of Jerusalem 1197–1205, was an older brother of Guy of Lusignan....
and his second wife Isabella of Jerusalem
Isabella of Jerusalem
Isabella I was Queen regnant of Jerusalem from 1190/1192 until her death. By her four marriages, she was successively Lady of Toron, Marchioness of Montferrat, Countess of Champagne and Queen of Cyprus....
. From this marriage, Bohemond had three daughters:
- Isabelle of Poitiers, who died young.
- Marie de PoitiersMary of AntiochMaria of Antioch , daughter of Prince Bohemond IV of Antioch and his second wife Melisende de Lusignan, was the pretender to the throne of Jerusalem from 1269 to 1277...
(Castello de Canosa, ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
, after 10 December 1307), Pretender to the throne of JerusalemKingdom of JerusalemThe Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
(1269–1277) - Helvis de Poitiers, who died young.