298 Crusades Lecture 10 Feb 26

Question 0

2. Crusading was extremely dangerous.

Only about fifty percent ever returned. Battle, disease.

Answer 0

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Question 1

1. Crusading required taking a quasi-clerical vow. Public vow. To go and pray at Holy Sepulchre. Arms blessed. No getting out of this vow.
   Church afforded various protections and privileges until the vow was completed: suspension of all interest on debts, protection of lands (those who attacked a crusader’s lands while he was away who subject to excommunication).
   Supposed to live pure lives; no sex.
   Knight becoming somewhat clerical during the crusade.

Answer 1

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Question 2

3. Very expensive.
   Estimates based on charters demonstrate it cost 3 to 6 times someone’s annual income to go on crusade. Because of this, crusade armies naturally crystalized around wealthy lords who could liquidate sufficient assets to support a large retinue.
   Vassals often joined their lords, sometimes at their own expense.

Answer 2

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Question 3

4. Tangible returns on the crusades were very scarce. Very rare to bring back any booty of any kind.

Answer 3

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Question 4

5. Armies of the Prince’s Crusade had more discipline, skill, diplomatic contacts, money.

Consisted of: great nobles and lords (no kings), important churchmen, large numbers of knights (free and dependent), footsoldiers, servants, camp-followers, subsidized pilgrims

Answer 4

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Question 5

6. Majority of the participants from between the Rhine and Atlantic, English Channel and Mediterranean: ie, mostly France.

Answer 5

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Question 6

7. Cohesion of the crusade: shared objectives, shared peril.

Answer 6

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Question 7

8. Godfrey of Bouillon, duke of Lower Lorraine

loyal and large military household lent him power

behaved as if he was Alexius’ equal

Answer 7

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Question 8

9. Godfrey of Bouillon, duke of lower Lorraine. Powerful noble. Liquidated much of his properly to afford this crusade. Not all; he left a nucleus from which to rebuild his power as he planned to return. Brought with him many followers, including his brother Baldwin of Boulogne. They crossed via Hungary and arrived in December of 1096.

Answer 8

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Question 9

10. Hugh of Vermandois. Brother to king of France. Thought highly of himself. Had already written a letter to the Turkish sultan telling him about the greatness of his power and how he would soon be there to crush him. Unfortunately, he lost almost all of his army as he was crossing the Adriadic due to a storm at sea. He was the first of the major nobles to arrive at Constantinople. Alexius gave him a nice place to stay.

Answer 9

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Question 10

11. Bohemond of Taranto. Son of the Norman leader Robert Guiscard. Robert had fought a number of wars against the Byzantines in Greece; initially rather successful. Gave his Greek properties to one son and the Italian ones to the other. When he died problem: Byzantines reconquered their lost lands.

Answer 10

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Question 11

12. Bohemond was supposed to get Greece and so ended up with very little. So he looked at Greece and the empire as in a way his own. Clear that he saw the crusade as an opportunity to add to his rather meager territorial holdings. Crossed Adriatic and marched on the old Roman Road through Greece. Same road taken a few years earlier when he and his father were conquering Greece. Greeks in the area remembered him. He was very careful to make sure that his men did not harm the locals.

Answer 11

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Question 12

13. Showing the emperor that he was his servant and would follow orders. Bohemond’s troops basically the best behaved of those going through Greek territory.

Answer 12

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Question 13

14. Bohemund of Taranto

Dominant personality in the crusade’s military leadership from April 1097 to January 1099.

He does not go to Jerusalem.

Staunch ally to Alexius

Answer 13

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Question 14

15. When Bohemund arrived at Consantinople, without his army, he was the least powerful magnate at the court.

2 months later, he was one of the undisputed leaders.

Part of this clearly due to his private diplomacy with Alexius.

Answer 14

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Question 15

16. Bohemond probably spoke Greek and read Greek.

Tancred apparently could speak Arabic

Answer 15

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Question 16

Tancred of Hauteville

Nephew of Bohemond of Taranto

Refused to swear to Alexius

Answer 16

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Question 17

17. Raymond of Toulouse

his army the largest and best funded
meticulous preparations

Answer 17

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Question 18

18. Raymond of Toulouse the most powerful of the crusade leaders. One of the most powerful and wealthiest barons in Europe. Controlled most of the (very rich) lands in southern Italy. He had more power and wealth than the king of France. Accompanied by the papal legate Adhemar Of Le Puy. Overland via Dalmatia. Difficult as repeatedly attacked by locals who did not like their presence. Problems with Greeks as well. Arrives in April 1097. 50s on 6Os. Saw this is a lost act of life. Common pilgrimage motif.

Answer 18

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Question 19

19. Robert of Normandy and his brother-in-law Stephen of Blois
    Robert the son of William the Conqueror
    Robert earned much renown on crusade
    He returned home a hero

Diastrous political career, however. Life ended with 28 years of incarceration by his youngest brother, Henry I, King of England

Answer 19

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Question 20

20. Stephen of Blois, count of Blois, had married William the Conqueror’s dauther Adela.

Reluctant crusader, but one of the wealthiest

Answer 20

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Question 21

21. Alexius saw his interests as eternal: the benefit of the empire.

Probably minimized the importance of the reciprocal nature of his agreement with the crusaders, seeing them as effectively mercenaries

Answer 21

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Question 22

22. Crusaders saw Alexius as a contractual lord with obligations and duties.

This would lead to trouble at Antioch

Answer 22

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Question 23

23. Alexius was not going to admit the crusaders unless there was a clear understanding of their relationship , namely that Asia Minor was his and any lands conquered were to be restored to the emperor.
    Because the crusade leaders arrived in a staggered fashion, he could bring each one into Constantinople and then negotiate individually. Each to swear on oath.

Answer 23

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Question 24

24. Hugh had at first tried to avoid the oath, but under strong pressure he took it.

Answer 24

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Question 25

25. Godfrey refused so Alexius refused to ferry him across the Bosphorus. Standoff. Came to blows. Eventually takes the oath.

Answer 25

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Question 26

26. Bohemond clearly began making signals as soon as he arrived that Alexius should put him in charge of the Byz forces that would he joining the crusade. So it was in Bohemond’s interest to give the emperor anything he asked for. Alexias was noncommittal, but B gladly took the oath.

Answer 26

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Question 27

27. Each subsequent arrival had the added pressure of the earlier nobles taking the oath and all knew the crusade could not begin until everyone had taken the oath.

Answer 27

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Question 28

28. Only Raymond held back. He saw the oath as below him, given his own wealth and power. He saw himself as having come to serve God, not the emperor. This caused a delay. After a lot of negotiation, he swore to kind of a lukewarm oath that he would respect Alexius’ rights wherever he went.

Answer 28

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Question 29

29a. The treaties/vows at Constantinople initially worked

Nicaea given to imperial control after its capture in June 1097

Answer 29

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Question 30

29b. Crusade first went to Nicaea. Still had a large Christian population. Laid siege. Turkish leader, Kilij Arslan I, not there at the time and brought his troops up to break the siege. He seems to have believed that he was dealing with another force like that of the people’s crusade. Crusaders all trained warriors and his force was badly defeated and had to retreat. Nicaea surrendered to Alexius.

Answer 30

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Question 31

29c. As Crusaders marched through Asian Minor and Syria, crusaders appeared well informed of their opponents’ alliances.

Exploitation of Muslim fragmentation through diplomacy and war

Answer 31

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Question 32

30. In the Muslim world, tensions had been raging and simmering, alternately, for a long time.

Made worse by a coincidence of death between 1092 and 1094, which swept away allt he major political figures of the Near East.

1092 the Vizier Nizam al-Mulk effective ruler of Seljuk empire died.
A few weeks later, so did the Sultan Malik Shah

Answer 32

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Question 33

31. 1094 Egypt death of Vizier Badr al-Jamali closely followed that of Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir

Answer 33

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Question 34

32. 1094 died Sunni caliph of Baghdad, al-Muqtadi.

Answer 34

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Question 35

33. These multiple deaths provoked succession struggles and political fragmentation.

Answer 35

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Question 36

34. A sever defeat of the Turkish forces of Seljuk Sultan Kilij Arslan undermined his authority.

Towns and cities across Anatolia repudiated the sultan, many welcoming the passing crusaders.

Answer 36

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Question 37

35. Crusaders marched across central Asia Minor to get to Antioch. Long march in desert summer.
    K .A. Had already destroyed most of the crops in the field. Few Byz troops with them and A had gone back to Constantinople but promised to and more troops.

Answer 37

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Question 38

36. Crusade army marched, like all armies, on its stomach.

Lack of supplies. Fatigue. Hunger. Thirst.

Non-stop loss of horses.
Goats, sheep, dogs, pressed into service as pack animals

Knights rode cows or walked

Answer 38

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Question 39

37. Hundreds died of thirst. Possibly actually thousands.

New-borns abandoned by their mothers.

Godfrey of Bouillon apparently was attacked and injured by a bear

Answer 39

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Question 40

38. Antioch almost destroyed the crusade

Answer 40

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Question 41

38b. Military decisions end up being made by a common council, over which Adhemar of Le Puy had a chariman’s control.

At Antioch, a common fund would be created to fund expensive projects like siege weaponry.

For battle, leaders were determined beforehand.

Answer 41

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Question 42

38c. On the other hand, at least 7 different currencies circulated in the army.

Reflecting regional variations and tensions. Outside the walls of Jerusalem, allegiance would shift to who had resources, food, horses.

Answer 42

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Question 43

39. October 1097 they get to Antioch. One of the ancient patriarchal sees of Christianity. One of the largest cities in Roman Empire. Enormous wall system around it.

Answer 43

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Question 44

40. Crusaders camp outside walls for the winter. Because the city was so large, it was hard to effectively blockade. Crusaders also had to keep foraging further and further away. Hunger and starvation rampant in crusades camp. Many died or deserted. Various visions of Christ, Mary, and the saints assuring them of victory if they would only keep the faith.

Answer 44

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Question 45

41. News arrived that the Turkish ruler of Mosul had assembled a very large army that was on its way.Said to have a larger force than the crusaders. Desertion soared. Even Peter the Hermit, who was later caught and returned. Begged to be forgiven for his loss of faith.

Answer 45

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Question 46

42. Another deserter was Stephen of Blois. He had mistakenly believed that the crusaders were in a hopelessly untenable position. He had fled across Asia Minor back to Constantinople. On his way, he met the emperor who was coming with a relief force. He told Alexius that the situation was hopeless. That probably the crusade had already been destroyed and that if A kept on he too would be destroyed. A ordered his troops to retreat.

Answer 46

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Question 47

43. When word came to the crusaders that A had turned around there was a lot of anger. Most of the leaders repudiated their vows to him and this began that became a feature of crusade history: the antagonism between the crusaders and the Latins generally and the emperors and eastern orthodox christians. Familiarity bred contempt.

Answer 47

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Question 48

44. One of the captains of the guard at Antioch a Christian. He was bribed by Bohemond to leave a gate open. June 1098 Bohemond and his men entered the city and took it over at night. Let the rest in.

Answer 48

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Question 49

45. When Kerbogha of Mosul arrived the crusaders were now besieged inside the walls. No food left inside the city. Seemed hopeless.

Answer 49

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Question 50

46. Provencal priest, Stephen of Valence, in terror at what he thought was the imminent fall of the city, was praying in the church of the Virgin Mary when he had a vision of Christ, the cross, Mary, and St Peter.

Promise of aid in 5 days if they did penance

Answer 50

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Question 51

47. Adhemar exploited the vision by instituting more morale-stiffening relgious ceremonies and persuading the princes to renew their oaths to stay with the expedition

Answer 51

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Question 52

48. A poor pilgrim, Peter Bartholomew, claimed to have had over several months visions from St Andrew, who urged penitence and who had shown him where the Holy Lance was buried in the cathedral of St Peter

Answer 52

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Question 53

49. Many thought Peter a fraud, but Raymond of Toulouse believed

Answer 53

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Question 54

50. “Lance” found 14 June 1098

Answer 54

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Question 55

51. Peter was required to go through the trial by ordeal culminating on Good Friday 1099 (April 8). Ordeal by fire.

Emerged alive from the corridor of flames (13 feet long, four feet high, one foot wide).
Died of his wounds a few days later

Answer 55

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Question 56

52. Other visions continued to accompany the crusade

Answer 56

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Question 57

53. Only hope was to sally forth and meet the Turks head on.
    Seems that the Turks had not expected the crusade to be as large as it was.
    As crusaders began to file out Kerbogha seems to have finally come to terms with their number. His lesser emirs began to dessert. Without much fighting, K’s forces disintegrated and crusaders got full control over Antioch and its region.

Answer 57

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Question 58

54. Decide that Bohemond would rule Antioch and its region. Principality of Antioch.
    Crusaders ignored their oath and claimed emperor had forsaken his claim due to his own cowardice.

Answer 58

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Question 59

55. Baldwin of Boulogne had gone to Edessa and had taken it. County of Edessa.
    Raymond given general command of the crusade. In January 1099 he led the army south into Syria.

Pressured to go to Jerusalem. Had been staying in Ma ‘arrat.

burns it as he leads them out barefoot as a penitent. 13 January 1099

Answer 59

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Question 60

56. As crusade on the march, the Fatimids of Egypt had launched an attack against Palestine and had thrown out the Turks and taken Jerusalem. The caliph in Egypt wrote to the crusaders saying that the Turks are also my enemies, I have taken Jerusalem, lets work together. Crusaders made no distinctions between Muslims and did not reply.

Answer 60

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Question 61

57. The towns the crusaders passed through and by in Syria were controlled by Turkish leaders. They had little interest in preventing the crusaders from proceeding to J, as it was now in the control of their enemies. The various coastal cities made deals with the crusaders: You don’t attack, then we will provision you.
    Only a few skirmishes before entering Fatimid territory.

Answer 61

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Question 62

58. June 1099
    Siege of Jerusalem begins
    Another bad supply situation: food, water, heat
    J very well fortified

Answer 62

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Question 63

59. They learn that Fatimids had raised on enormous force to relieve the city.
    More visions
    Peter the Hermit gave a sermon in which he told crusaders that if they did penance, walk thrice around the walls, God would deliver a victory. They do so.

Answer 63

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Question 64

60. July 13 they attack again with some new siege engines.
    July 15 Godfrey and some of his men got over the walls and into the city.
    No Christians left in the city: had been expelled by the Egyptian governor.
    Sack of Jerusalem: slaughter, but not as much as has often been said. Most allowed to ransom themselves or leave peacefully. The military defenders, however, were generally killed.

Answer 64

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