Ruben II

Ruben II (Ռուբեն Բ), also Roupen II or Rupen II, (c.1165–1170) was the seventh lord of Armenian Cilicia (1169–1170).

Roupen was the son of Thoros II, lord of Armenian Cilicia, by his second wife (and great niece) 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 (Thomas was the child’s maternal grandfather). However, Thoros II’s brother, Mleh disputed the succession; Mleh had fled to Nur ad-Din (the emir of Aleppo) and become a Muslim 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 Armenian Cilicia and invaded the country with a force provided by Nur ad-Din. Fearing for Roupen’s life, Thomas entrusted the young child into the care of the patriarch Nerses IV Shnorhali in Hromkla (today Rumkale in Turkey) 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.

"Thoros left a child under age, whom he committed, together with the country, to the care of a certain Baron and Baillie Thomas, his father-in-law, with an injunction to deliver to him the country as soon as the child should have attained his majority. Mleh (…) was with the Sultan of Aleppo, and hearing of the death of his brother he came with an army into the country, and dealt very cruelly with its inhabitants. Not being able to conquer the possessions of his brother he returned to Aleppo, and came back with still greater forces. Receiving a message from the Armenian Barons that they would freely acknowledge him as their sovereign, he sent back the Turks, and governed in peace for some time. But he soon drove into exile the Baillie Thomas, who went afterwards to Antioch. The child of Thoros was killed by the command of Mleh by some wicked people."

- Smbat Sparapet: Chronicle