Bohemond VII of Antioch facts for kids

Bohemond VII (born 1261 – died October 19, 1287) was an important ruler in the Middle East. He was the Count of Tripoli and the official prince of Antioch from 1275 until he died. At this time, the only part left of the Principality of Antioch was the port city of Latakia. Bohemond spent much of his time as ruler fighting against the Templars, a powerful group of warrior monks, from 1277 to 1282.

This silver coin was made when Bohemond VII was ruler (1275–1287). It was one of the last coins made in the 'crusader states' before Tripoli was taken over in 1289.

Becoming a Young Ruler

Bohemond VII was the son of Bohemond VI of Antioch and his wife Sibylla of Armenia. When Bohemond VII's father died, Bohemond was still too young to rule on his own. So, his mother Sibylla became his regent. A regent is someone who rules for a child until they are old enough.

King Hugh III of Cyprus also tried to become regent, but he wasn't successful. Sibylla chose Bishop Bartholomew of Tortosa to help her rule. He was called a bailli. Bohemond spent his younger years safely with his uncle, King Leo III of Armenia, in a place called Cilicia.

In 1277, Bohemond returned to Tripoli. He quickly made peace with Qalawun, the powerful Mamluk sultan. He also agreed that Roger of San Severino would rule at Acre for Charles I of Anjou. Bohemond also gave special treatment to traders from Venice, which upset traders from Genoa and their friends.

Trouble with the Templars

When Bohemond came back, he made enemies with the strong Embriaco family. This family ruled the city of Byblos through Guy II. Tripoli was not very strong at this time. It was divided into different groups. One group was led by Paul of Segni, the bishop of Tripoli. Another group was led by Bohemond's mother, Sibylla, and Bartholomew.

Paul became friends with William of Beaujeu, the new leader of the Knights Templar. Then, he also became friends with the Embriacos, who usually didn't like the Templars. This led to the first of many wars between Bohemond and the Templars.

First, Bohemond burned down a Templar building in Tripoli. The Templars fought back by destroying the castle of Botron and attacking Nephin. Bohemond marched towards Byblos, but he was defeated. He had to agree to a truce, which is a temporary stop to fighting.

More Conflicts

In 1278, Guy of Byblos and the Templars attacked Tripoli. Bohemond met them outside the city walls. Bohemond was defeated, but a big storm scattered the Templar fleet of twelve ships. Bohemond's own fleet of fifteen ships then attacked and damaged Templar ships near Sidon. After this, a new truce was arranged by Nicolas Lorgne, the leader of the Hospitallers.

The last big fight started in January 1282. The Embriaco family tried to take Tripoli by surprise. They found that the Templar leader was away. So, they went to the Hospitallers for safety. The Hospitallers handed them over to Bohemond. They asked him to spare their lives. However, Bohemond treated them very harshly, which led to their deaths. This act made the Genoese and John of Montfort even more against Bohemond. But Bohemond managed to take control of Byblos from John of Montfort.

End of His Rule

In 1287, the city of Latakia was taken by Sultan Qalawun. He said that because Latakia was part of Antioch, it was not covered by their peace treaty. Bohemond died soon after this, on October 19, 1287. He did not have any children with his wife, Margaret of Beaumont.

After Bohemond's death, Tripoli faced a problem of who would rule next. This problem continued until his sister, Lucia, arrived from Europe to take control of the county.

Images for kids

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  Silver coin issued during the reign of Bohemond VII (1275–1287). This coin weighs exactly the same as the French gros tournois. These intricate and beautiful coins were not long in circulation until Tripoli was surrendered to the Mamluks in 1289 and thus, were the last coins to be struck in the 'crusader states'.