The First CrusadeWhether the Crusades are regarded as the most romantic of Christian expeditions, or the last of the barbarian invasions, they remain one of the most exciting and colourful adventure stories in history. An army of mounted warriors, travelling with peasants, merchants and artisans, faced a journey over hostile terrain, meeting with unforeseen antagonism, desert heat, and the constant struggle to feed and water their troops and horses. Remittance from penance, a desire to see the Holy Places, or greed for the power and booty to be captured in the East spurred the crusaders on towards the prize, be it spiritual or temporal, of the Holy City of Jerusalem. Their journey's spectacular culmination was the long siege of Jerusalem, at the end of which the Crusaders, by a brilliant tactical manoeuvre, broke down its defences and poured into the city which erupted in a bloody massacre. Steven Runciman's History of the Crusades is justly acclaimed as the most complete and fascinating account of the historic journey to save the Holy Lands from the infidel. |
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Adhemar Aleppo Alexius already Antioch Arab Armenian arrived attack Baldwin battle began Bishop Bishop of Le Bohemond brother Byzantine Byzantium Caliph camp captured castle century Christendom Christian Church Cilician citadel coast command Constantinople Count Cross Crusaders Crusading army Danishmend deserted Duqaq Dyrrhachium East Edessa Emich Emir Emperor Empire enemy expedition Fatimids fighting fled forces fortress Frankish Franks frontier garrison Gate Godfrey Godfrey's Greek Holy Hugh Hugh of Vermandois imperial Italy Jerusalem Jews joined journey Kerbogha knights lands leaders Lorraine marched massacre Meanwhile Moslem Nicaea Normans oath Palestine Patriarch Petcheneg Peter Bartholomew pilgrimage pilgrims Pope princes probably raids Rainald Raymond Raymond of Aguilers reached Ridwan Ridwan of Aleppo river road Robert of Flanders Rome Saint Andrew Seldjuk sent siege soldiers soon St Symeon Stephen of Blois Sultan Syria Tancred Taticius Thoros took Toulouse town troops Turbessel Turkish Turks Urban village walls West western Yaghi-Siyan