Monthly Archives: May 2014

Good cops and bad ones: Caesarea in 1101

The Crusaders did not yet have a good port, since Antioch was actually inland a bit on the Orontes River. The ports in this area had all been fortified by Greek or Roman founders, so they had serious walls and … Continue reading

Posted in Crusades, Muslim Empire (old series) | Leave a comment

The first crushing loss: Melitene of Armenia

In 1100, Bohemund Prince of Antioch was called on to fulfill his feudal vows and help protect a northern part of Armenian Cilicia. A tribe of Turks called the Danishmends (after their leader, whose name “Danishmend” in Persian means “wise … Continue reading

Posted in Crusades, Muslim Empire (old series) | Leave a comment

King of Jerusalem

With Jerusalem conquered and slowly being cleaned up from the stench and disease of rotting body parts, the big question was who should become its ruler. The Princes’ Crusade set out with a number of ambitious aristocrats, but by three … Continue reading

Posted in Crusades, Muslim Empire (old series) | Leave a comment

Jerusalem conquered, 1099

The Crusaders besieged Jerusalem on June 7, 1099, exactly a year after their siege of Antioch. Between Antioch and Jerusalem, they had passed by Fatimid-ruled cities but these governors had permitted them to go without opposition. The Fatimids abandoned Jaffa … Continue reading

Posted in Crusades, Muslim Empire (old series) | Leave a comment

toward Jerusalem: 1098

With Armenian Cilician somewhat relieved of Turkish presence, the region of Armenian Edessa established as a Norman-ruled Christian “county”, and Bohemund acting as Prince of Antioch, the next step had to be Jerusalem. Many of the knights had sworn not … Continue reading

Posted in Crusades, Muslim Empire (old series) | Leave a comment

The Sieges of Antioch, 1098

Antioch had been the regional capital of Roman Palestine. It was a walled city, with the Orontes River dividing it into two parts connected by bridges. Each bridge had a tower and could be defended; there was also a separate … Continue reading

Posted in Castles, Crusades, Muslim Empire (old series) | Leave a comment