Ruben II, Prince of Armenia

Who was Ruben II, Prince of Armenia?

Ruben II, also Roupen II or Rupen II, was the seventh lord of Armenian Cilicia or “Lord of the Mountains”.

Roupen was the son of Thoros II, lord of Armenian Cilicia, by his second wife whose name is unknown. Thoros II abdicated in favour of his young son Roupen in 1169, and placed Roupen under the guardianship of the Regent Thomas. However, Thoros II’s brother, Mleh disputed the succession; Mleh had fled to Nur ed-Din and become Moslim after quarreling with Thoros II and attempting to assassinate him.

Mleh refused an amicable settlement with Regent Thomas regarding the succession to the leadership of Cilicia and invaded the country with a force provided by Nur ed-Din. Fearing for Roupen’s life, Thomas entrusted the young child into the care of the patriarch Nerses IV Shnorhali in Hromkla and fled to Antioch. This measure of caution, however, did not save the life of the young Roupen, who was followed by his uncle’s men and murdered at Hromgla.