The First Crusade: "The Chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres" and Other Source Materials

Edward Peters

University of Pennsylvania Press, Jun 3, 2011 - History - 336 pages

The First Crusade received its name and shape late. To its contemporaries, the event was a journey and the men who took part in it pilgrims. Only later were those participants dubbed Crusaders—"those signed with the Cross." In fact, many developments with regard to the First Crusade, like the bestowing of the cross and the elaboration of Crusaders' privileges, did not occur until the late twelfth century, almost one hundred years after the event itself.

In a greatly expanded second edition, Edward Peters brings together the primary texts that document eleventh-century reform ecclesiology, the appearance of new social groups and their attitudes, the institutional and literary evidence dealing with Holy War and pilgrimage, and, most important, the firsthand experiences by men who participated in the events of 1095-1099.

Peters supplements his previous work by including a considerable number of texts not available at the time of the original publication. The new material, which constitutes nearly one-third of the book, consists chiefly of materials from non-Christian sources, especially translations of documents written in Hebrew and Arabic. In addition, Peters has extensively revised and expanded the Introduction to address the most important issues of recent scholarship.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• Part I Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont November 27 I095: 25
• Part II The Chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres Book I 10951100: 47
• Part III Peter the Hermit and the Crusade of the People MarchOctober 1096: 102
• Part IV The Journey to Constantinople August 1096May 1097: 152
• Part V The Crusaders at Constantinople October 1096May 1097: 159
• Part VI The Siege and Capture of Nicaea MayJune 1097: 180
• Part VII The Siege and Capture of Antioch Kerboghas Attack and the Discovery of the Holy Lance October 1097July 1098: 187
• Part VIII The Siege and Capture of Jerusalem JuneJuly 1099: 238
• Part IX Letters of the Crusaders: 283
• Part X Three Problematic Texts: 298
• Bibliographlcal Essay: 309

About the author

Edward Peters is Henry Charles Lea Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania. His publications include The Magician, the Witch, and the Law; The First Crusade;Heresy and Authority in Medieval Europe; and, with Alan C. Kors, Witchcraft in Europe, 400-1700: A Documentary History, all available from the University of Pennsylvania Press.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The First Crusade: "The Chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres" and Other Source Materials; The Middle Ages Series
• Author: Edward Peters
• Edition: 2
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011
• ISBN: 0812204727, 9780812204728
• Length: 336 pages
• Subjects: History / Europe / Medieval