A dominion of the Church of Rome (early 13th century)

In the incipient 13th century the Armenian state of Cilicia emerged as one of the most powerful political entities in the Near East. In the reign of King Leo I plans there were even plans to unite it with the Principality of Antioch. Although they never materialised, Cilician Armenia was on the rise. The decline of the Latin states in the East enhanced its strategic rank. Not only did the pope and the princes of Western Christendom look to its military resources with expectation, but also treated it as a prospective base for new crusading expeditions. The Kingdom of Armenia saw the crusades as a means to reinforce its political status with respect to the vicinal, hostile Muslim states.Straight after the coronation in 1198 the king and the catholicos asked the pope to launch a new crusade and to send military reinforcement. Innocent III responded to Leo's request, which had been delivered by his envoy Robert de Margat, by sending Leo the standard of St. Peter, under which he was to fight against the enemies of the Cross and win thanks to the merits of the Prince of the Apostles. In his address to the princes, barons, and people of Cilicia Innocent treated them just as he would have done if they were Western European Christians, exhorting them to take part in the fighting to recover the Holy Sepulchre and granting them the right to the crusaders’ indulgence. In his reply the king thanked the pope for the gift, promising to fight against the enemies of the Cross under the standard he had received, and to stand firm in defence of Christianity; while the catholicos pledged to issue the crusaders’ indulgences granted by the pope. At this time Innocent was indeed making preparations for a new crusade, for which Soffred, cardinal priest of Santa Prassede, and Peter Capuanus, cardinal priest of San Marcelo, were created legates. The catholicos was notified that in Venice a force was rallying and would soon set off for the Holy Land. At the request of the Armenian chancellor, John, archbishop of Sis, the pope's legates brought the catholicos a pallium in acknowledgement of his services to establish Church unity.

In the summer of 1203 Peter Capuanus, one of the papal legates, arrived in Cilician Armenia.