Gabriel of Melitene

Gabriel started his career as an officer of the Byzantine general Philaretos Brachamios, who installed him in Melitene.

Most of Gabriel's life is known from Matthew of Edessa, an Armenian monk, as well as Michael the Syrian, Syriac patriarch of Antioch, as well as a few Frankish sources.

According to Michael the Syrian, Gabriel was a villainous figure who had come into power in by murdering the bishop of Melitene who wanted to surrender the town to the Seljuk Turks.

[5] He seems to have offered his other daughter, Morphia, to another crusader, Bohemond of Taranto, who had become the prince of Antioch, partially due to increasing pressure from the Turks of the Danishmends.

Gabriel asked the crusaders for support, but they did not send help because they were negotiating with the Danishmends emir at this time about the release of Bohemond.

Some sources state that Gabriel's wife was a daughter of Constantine I, Prince of Armenia; however, the dates simply do not allow for it.

In any case, he was presumably known by his contemporaries and subjects to be descended from a prominent family that was acceptable to both the Greeks and to the Armenians, which could suggest a mixed heritage.