Leo II was the tenth lord of Armenian Cilicia, ruling from 1187 to 1219, and the first king to be crowned, in 1198/9. During his reign, Leo succeeded in establishing Cilician Armenia as a powerful and unified Christian state with a pre-eminence in political affairs. Leo eagerly led his kingdom alongside the armies of the Third Crusade and provided the crusaders with provisions, guides, pack animals and all manner of aid. Under his rule, Armenian power in Cilicia was at its apogee: his kingdom extended from Isauria to the Amanus Mountains.
Leo as depicted on his coin
The ruins of Baghras Castle
Triumphant entry of Leo the Magnificent into Antioch. Juliano Zasso, 1885
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, also known as Cilician Armenia, Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia, was an Armenian state formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia. Located outside the Armenian Highlands and distinct from the Kingdom of Armenia of antiquity, it was centered in the Cilicia region northwest of the Gulf of Alexandretta.
Baldwin of Boulogne receiving the homage of the Armenians in Edessa.
Fortress of Korikos in Cilician Armenia built c. the thirteenth century.
A young Cilician Armenian knight.
Ghazan ordering King Hetum II to accompany Kutlushah on the 1303 attack on Damascus.