Morphia of Melitene, or Morfia, or Moraphia was the wife of Baldwin II, king of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Background
Morphia was the daughter of an Armenian nobleman named Gabriel (or Khoril, in Armenian), the ruler of the city of Melitene. Baldwin was a crusader knight who carved out the Crusader State of Edessa and married Morphia, daughter of the Armenian Prince Gabriel of Melitene, in a diplomatic marriage to fortify alliances in the region.
Career
Although ethnically Armenian, the family practised the Greek Orthodox faith. Melitene was a neighbour of the crusader County of Edessa, and Gabriel soon became a vassal of the county. The future Baldwin II of Jerusalem was also count of Edessa after 1100, and he consolidated his position in the county by marrying Morphia around 1101.
Gabriel, who was very wealthy, gave 50,000 gold bezants as a dowry.
Baldwin and Morphia had four daughters: Melisende, Alice, Hodierna, and Ioveta. By the time of his election as king, Baldwin II and Morphia already had three daughters.
As the new king, Baldwin II had been encouraged to put away Morphia in favor of a new younger wife with better political connectionsone that could yet bear him a male heir. Foreign her part, Morphia did not interfere in the day to day politics of Jerusalem, but demonstrated her ability to take charge of affairs when events warranted lieutenant
According to the Melisende Psalter, Morphia died on October 1, but the year is unknown.
lieutenant was either 1126 or 1127, more likely 1126. Ioveta became a nun. Morphia was probably partially responsible for the Greek and Armenian cultural influences that appeared in the Latin kingdom. Art from the kingdom, such as the Melisende Psalter, often shows a mixture of eastern and western styles, just as the western crusaders had begun to accustom themselves to eastern culture.
Morphia was buried at the Abbey of Saint Mary of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, just outside Jerusalem.