Gabriel von Melitene

Gabriel von Melitene (also called Choril ; Armenian : Ghavril Malatyatsi ) (* 1055 ; † 1103 ) was the Armenian ruler of Melitene , today's Malatya .

Life

Ascent to ruler

Gabriel was Armenian , but in contrast to most of his people, he did not belong to the Armenian Church , but instead professed himself to be part of the Byzantine State Church , the Orthodox Church of Constantinople . His religion made him unpopular with his compatriots, but improved his career opportunities in the Byzantine Empire .

Like many Armenians, Gabriel began a military career with the Byzantine army , became an officer in the entourage of the general Philaretos Brachamios and was appointed governor of Melitene by him . Since the Byzantine rule in Asia Minor collapsed after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 and the empire sank in civil war , Philaretos Brachamios ruled almost independently of Constantinople. When he died around 1090, Gabriel von Melitene made himself completely independent of Byzantium with the help of the Turkish Danishmends . However, Emperor Alexios I Komnenos confirmed him in office despite his secession and appointed Gabriel Proto kuropalates . On Byzantine seals he referred to himself as Gabriel, Proto nobelissimos and Dux von Melitene .

He allegedly married a daughter of the Rubenids Constantine I , the Armenian ruler of Cilicia .

In order to maintain his independence from the two large Turkish tribal associations, the Danischmenden and the Rum Seljuks , Gabriel - in the spirit of Byzantine diplomacy - created conflicts between the two powers through intrigues. He also married one of his daughters to his former comrade in arms , Thoros , who now ruled Edessa . In order to further consolidate his still insecure position - he was unpopular with his people and attacks were threatened by the Turks - Gabriel sent his wife to Baghdad to seek political recognition from the highest Islamic authorities.

Time of the crusades

In 1095 Pope Urban II called on the European princes to crusade . Although the army of the First Crusade passed Melitene far south, two crusader states soon emerged in the immediate vicinity of Gabriel's lands: the county of Edessa under Baldwin of Boulogne and the principality of Antioch under the Normans Bohemond of Taranto . Gabriel was also troubled by the fact that his son-in-law Thoros was murdered in Edessa, the involvement of the crusaders was considered likely.

Gabriel's relations with the Danischmenden Turks deteriorated significantly at this time and Melitene soon threatened attacks. Gabriel had to seek help from the crusaders. Malik Gümüştekin Danischmend Ghazi , the Danishmendian emir of Sebaste , and his troops had raided Gabriel's lands every summer for three years, now it was likely that he wanted to conquer Melitene himself. Since Baldwin of Boulogne was suspected of having caused his son-in-law to be murdered, Gabriel did not appeal to him for help, but to Bohemond of Taranto , the prince of Antioch. Bohemond promised support, but demanded rule over Melitene. With the mediation of the Armenian bishops Zyprian of Antioch and Gregory of Maraş , it was agreed that Gabriel would cede the city to Bohemond if the latter could end the threat from the Turks once and for all.

In 1100 Bohemond set out for Melitene, accompanied by his cousin Richard von Salerno , the two bishops and three hundred knights and foot soldiers. He had deliberately kept his army small, on the one hand because he did not want to leave Antioch unprotected, and on the other hand because he greatly underestimated the Turks. But in a narrow mountain pass near Melitene Gümüştekin Danischmend Ghazi set an ambush, the Franks were surrounded and almost completely killed in the following battle. The bishops fell in battle, and Bohemond and Richard were captured. Gümüştekin Danischmend Ghazi then began the siege of Melitene. Shortly before his capture, Bohemond had sent a messenger to Baldwin of Boulogne, who - concerned for the security of his county - came to Gabriel's aid in Melitene with a small army. Gümüştekin Danischmend Ghazi withdrew because his scouts had reported a much larger army to him.

Gabriel welcomed Baldwin as liberator and placed Melitene under his suzerainty. Baldwin left fifty knights (and their usual entourage) behind to defend the city, with whom Gabriel was later able to repel a Turkish attack.

After Baldwin of Boulogne became king of Jerusalem , Baldwin of Bourcq succeeded him in Edessa. In 1101 he married a younger daughter of Gabriel, Morphia von Melitene . Gabriel paid 50,000 gold coins as a dowry . Baldwin of Bourcq managed to get an additional 30,000 Hyperpyra (Byzantii) from Gabriel by claiming to have pawned his beard. Since the beard was an important part of male dignity for the Armenians and a beardless son-in-law would have been a humiliation for Gabriel, he paid Balduin's alleged debts and made him swear never to pawn his beard again.

At the beginning of 1103 the Danischmenden attacked Melitene again. Gabriel asked the crusaders for support, but they did not send any help, as they were negotiating with the Danishmenden emir about the release of Bohemond and did not want to anger the emir. Melitene was conquered, Gabriel captured. But one of Gabriel's castles resisted the Turks. Gabriel was forced to order the castle's crew to surrender. But since his troops no longer obeyed him, he was executed under the walls of the castle by the Danischmenden.

His daughter Morphia later became Queen of Jerusalem.

The chronicler Wilhelm von Tire described Gabriel as "Greek by religion, Armenian by race, language and custom."

Individual evidence

1. ↑ genealogy.euweb - The Rupenids
2. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades , 75
3. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades , page 167/68
4. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades , pp. 75, 185
5. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades , 186
6. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades , page 195/96
7. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades , 192
8. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades , pp. 306-309
9. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades , p. 349
10. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades , 351

literature

• Steven Runciman : History of the Crusades CH Beck, Munich 2001, ISBN 3406399606 .
• WH Ruedt-Collenberg: The Rupenides, Hethumides, and Lusignans. Klincksieck, Paris 1963.