DEEDS OF THE FRANKS ON THEIR

PILGRIMAGE TO JERUSALEM

T H E P R O L O G U E O F T H E F O L L O W I N G WORK O F
FULCHER THE CLERIC

1. It is especially pleasing to the living, and it is even beneficial

to the dead, when the deeds of brave men, (particularly of
those serving as soldiers of God ), are either read from writings
or soberly recounted from memory among the faithful. For,
after hearing of the deeds of faithful predecessors who re-
jected the beauties and pleasures of the world and clung to
God, and in accordance with the precept of the Gospel, left
their parents and wives and possessions, however great, to fol-
low Him, those here on earth are inspired to serve Him more
eagerly in that same spirit. It is beneficial to the dead, espe-
cially to those dead in the Lord, when the living, upon hearing
of their good and devoted works, bless their faithful souls, and
out of love bestow alms with prayers on their behalf whether
they were known to them, or not.
2. Therefore, induced by the promptings of certain of my
companions on several occasions, I carefully arranged the deeds,
most distinguished in the Lord, of the armies of the Franks
who, by God's ordination, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. I
have recorded in my unpolished style, as truthfully as possible,
what is worth remembering and what I saw with my own eyes
on that journey.
3. Although I do not dare to compare this labor with that
of the Israelites or Maccabees 1 or any other chosen people
1 A family of Jewish patriots, the five sons of Mattathias the Hasmonean,

who headed a religious revolt in the reign of Antiochus IV, 175-164 B. C.,
which led to a period of freedom for Judea. The most important of the
five sons was Judas Maccabeus.
9

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10 F U L C H E R OF CHARTRES

whom God has blessed with many and brilliant victories, yet I
have taken care to record it, since it is not to be judged greatly
inferior, because often, in this labor, too, God's miracles are
evident. Indeed, these [Franks] are not unequal to those Israel-
ites or Maccabees. In the very lands [of the Israelites and
Maccabees], we ourselves actually saw, or heard, how the
Franks were dismembered, crucified, excoriated, shot with
arrows, cut to pieces, and consumed by diverse means of mar-
tyrdom. Neither could they be overcome by any threats or
temptations; nay, rather, if the assassin's sword had been pres-
ent, many of our people would not have refused to be destroyed
out of love for Christ.
4. Oh, how many thousands met a martyr's blessed death
on this expedition! Is there anyone with heart so stony who
hears of these acts of God and is not moved by bowels of com-
passion to burst forth in praises to Him? Can there be anyone
who does not marvel how we, a few people in the realms of
so many of our enemies, could not only remain but could even
thrive? Who has ever heard of such things? Here Egypt and
Ethiopia, here Arabia and Chaldea and Syria, here Assyria and
Medea, here Parthia and Mesopotamia, here Persia and
Scythia,2 here, even, the great sea shut us off from Christian-
ity; and just as God permitted it, enclosed us in the hands of
the butchers. However, out of pity, He protected us in His
strong arm. "For blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!" 8
5. The history which follows will reveal how this work was
begun, and how all the people of the West, aroused to perform
such a great journey, very willingly extended hand and mind
to it.
End of the Prologue.

2Historical and biblical names; not accurate for this medieval period.
Psalms 33:12.

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 COUNCIL O F CLERMONT 11

T H E COUNCIL O F CLERMONT

1. In the year 1095 from the Lord's Incarnation, with Henry

reigning in Germany as so-called emperor, 1 and with Philip as
king in France, 2 manifold evils were growing in all parts of
Europe because of wavering faith. In Rome ruled Pope Ur-
ban II, 3 a man distinguished in life and character, who always
strove wisely and actively to raise the status of the Holy Church
above all things.
2. He saw that the faith of Christianity was being destroyed
to excess by everybody, by the clergy as well as by the laity.
He saw that peace was altogether discarded by the princes of
the world, who were engaged in incessant warlike contention
and quarreling among themselves. He saw the wealth of the
land being pillaged continuously. He saw many of the van-
quished, wrongfully taken prisoner and very cruelly thrown
into foulest dungeons, either ransomed for a high price or,
tortured by the triple torments of hunger, thirst, and cold,
blotted out by a death hidden from the world. He saw holy
places violated; monasteries and villas burned. He saw that no
one was spared of any human suffering, and that things divine
and human alike were held in derision.
3. He heard, too, that the interior regions of Romania, where
the Turks ruled over the Christians, had been perniciously sub-
jected in a savage attack. 4 Moved by long-suffering compassion
1 Henry IV ( 1 0 5 6 - 1 1 0 6 ) . Fulcher uses the term "so-called emperor",

since Henry was not recognized as rightful emperor by adherents of

Gregory VII and Urban II.
2 Philip I (1060-1108). One of the reasons Urban called the Council

was to excommunicate Philip for his relationship with Bertrade de Mont-

fort. Because he was excommunicated, Philip could not participate in
the Crusade.
3 Urban II, Otho of Lagny, Bishop of Ostia, succeeded to the papal

throne in 1088. The Papacy was contested by Wibert, the anti-Pope,

who had been made Clement III by Henry IV and whose adherents dis-
puted the control of the Holy City.
* This refers to the Seljuk conquest of Anatolia, probably to Manzikert,
1071.

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12 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

and by love of God's will, he descended the mountains to Gaul,

and in Auvergne he called for a council to congregate from all
sides at a suitable time at a city called Clermont. 5 Three hundred
and ten bishops and abbots, 6 who had been advised beforehand
by messengers, were present.
4. Then, on the day set aside for it, he called them together
to himself and, in an eloquent address, carefully made the cause
of the meeting known to them. In the plaintive voice of an
aggrieved Church, he expressed great lamentation, and held a
long discourse with them about the raging tempests of the
world, which have been mentioned, because faith was under-
mined.
5. One after another, he beseechingly exhorted them all, with
renewed faith, to spur themselves in great earnestness to over-
come the Devil's devices and to try to restore the Holy Church,
most unmercifully weakened by the wicked, to its former hon-
orable status.

II

T H E D E C R E E O F P O P E U R B A N IN T H E COUNCIL

1. "Most beloved brethren," he said, "by God's permission

placed over the whole world with the papal crown, I, Urban,
as the messenger of divine admonition, have been compelled
by an unavoidable occasion to come here to you servants of
God. I desired those whom I judged to be stewards of God's

8 Clermont-Ferrand, Department of Puy de Dme ( Auvergne ). Date of

the Council was November 18-28, 1095. The great speech was delivered
November 27.
6 Ferdinand Chalandon, Histoire de la Premire Croisade jusqu'
lection de Godefroi de Bouillon (Paris, 1925), p. 75, states that the
number of higher church officials present at the Council, as given by
various accounts, ranged from 190 to 463. With a reminder that the
number attending different sessions varied, Chalandon accepts as most
nearly correct the number given by Urban in a Bull concerned with the
Primacy at Lyons, which is the smallest, because it was an official state-
ment, and because afterwards reporters of the Council were inclined to
stress its importance by raising the figures.

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 DECREE OF POPE URBAN 13

ministries to b e true stewards and faithful, with all hypocrisy

rejected. 1
2. " B u t with t e m p e r a n c e in reason and justice b e i n g remote,
I, with divine aid, shall strive carefully to root out any crooked-
ness or distortion which might obstruct God's law. F o r the L o r d
appointed you temporarily as stewards over His family to serve
it nourishment seasoned with a modest savor. Moreover, blessed
will you b e if at last the Overseer find you faithful. 2
3. "You are also called shepherds; see that you are not occu-
pied after the m a n n e r of mercenaries. B e true shepherds, al-
ways holding your crooks in your hands; and sleeping not,
guard on every side the flock entrusted to you.
4. " F o r if through your carelessness or negligence, some wolf
seizes a sheep, you doubtless will lose the r e w a r d prepared for
you b y our L o r d . 3 Nay, first most cruelly b e a t e n by the whips
of the lictors, you afterwards will b e angrily cast into the keep-
ing of a deadly place.
5. "Likewise, according to the evangelical sermon, you are
the 'salt of the earth'. 4 B u t if you fail, it will b e disputed where-
with it was salted. O how m u c h saltiness, indeed, is necessary
for you to salt t h e people in correcting t h e m with the salt of
wisdom, people who are ignorant and panting with desire after
the wantonness of the world; so that, unsalted, they might not
b e rotten with sins and stink w h e n e v e r the L o r d might wish to
exhort them.
6. " F o r if b e c a u s e of the sloth of your m a n a g e m e n t , H e
should find in them worms, that is, sin, straightway, H e will
order that they, despised, b e cast into the d u n g h e a p . And be-
cause you could not make restoration for such a great loss,
H e will banish you, utterly c o n d e m n e d in j u d g m e n t , from the
familiarity of His love.
7. " I t behooves saltiness of this kind to b e wise, provident,
temperate, learned, peace-making, truth-seeking, pious, just,
equitable, pure. F o r h o w will the u n l e a r n e d b e a b l e to m a k e
men learned, t h e intemperate m a k e t h e m t e m p e r a t e , the impure
1 Reference to I Corinthians 4:1 and 2.
- Reference to Matthew 24:45 and 46.
3 Reference to John 10:12-16.
4 Matthew 5:13.

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14 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

make them pure? If one despises peace, how will he appease?

Or if one has dirty hands, how will he be able to wipe the filth
off another one defiled? For it is read, 'If the blind lead the blind,
both shall fall into a ditch.' 5
8. "Set yourselves right before you do others, so that you can
blamelessly correct your subjects. If you wish to be friends of
God, gladly practise those things which you feel will please
Him.
9. "Especially establish ecclesiastical affairs firm in their own
right, so that no simoniac heresy will take root among you. Take
care lest the vendors and moneychangers, flayed by the scourges
of the Lord, be miserably driven out into the narrow streets of
destruction.
10. "Uphold the Church in its own ranks altogether free
from all secular power. See that the tithes of all those who culti-
vate the earth are given faithfully to God; let them not be sold
or held back.
11. "Let him who has seized a bishop be considered an out-
law. Let him who has seized or robbed monks, clerics, nuns and
their servants, pilgrims, or merchants, be excommunicated. Let
the robbers and burners of homes and their accomplices, ban-
ished from the Church, be smitten with excommunication.
12. "It must be considered very carefully, as Gregory says,
by what penalty he must be punished who seizes other men's
property, if he who does not bestow his own liberally is con-
demned to Hell. For so it happened to the rich man in the well-
known Gospel, who on that account was not punished because
he had taken away the property of others, but because he had
misused that which he had received.
13. "And so by these iniquities, most beloved, you have seen
the world disturbed too long; so long, as it was told to us by
those reporting, that perhaps because of the weakness of your
justice in some parts of your provinces, no one dares to walk
in the streets with safety, lest he be kidnapped by robbers by
day or thieves by night, either by force or trickery, at home or
outside.
Matthew 15:14.
Reference to John 2:15.

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 T H E POPE'S EXHORTATION 15

14. "Wherefore the Truce, 7 as it is commonly called, now for

a long time established by the Holy Fathers, must be renewed.
In admonition, I entreat you to adhere to it most firmly in your
own bishopric. But if anyone affected by avarice or pride breaks
it of his own free will, let him b e excommunicated by God's
authority and by the sanction of the decrees of this Holy Coun-
cil."

Ill

T H E POPE'S E X H O R T A T I O N CONCERNING
THE EXPEDITION TO JERUSALEM

1. T h e s e and many other things having been suitably dis-

posed of, all those present, both clergy and people, at the words
of Lord Urban, the Pope, voluntarily gave thanks to God and
confirmed by a faithful promise that his decrees would be well
kept. B u t straightway he added that another thing not less than
the tribulation already spoken of, but even greater and more
oppressive, was injuring Christianity in another part of the
world, saying:
2. "Now that you, O sons of God, have consecrated your-
selves to God to maintain peace among yourselves more vigor-
ously and to uphold the laws of the Church faithfully, there
is work to do, for you must turn the strength of your sincerity,
now that you are aroused by divine correction, to another af-
fair that concerns you and God. Hastening to the way, you must
help your brothers living in the Orient, who need your aid for
which they have already cried out many times. 1
3. "For, as most of you have been told, the Turks, a race of
7 Truce of GodCessation of all feuds from Wednesday evening to

Monday morning in every week and during church festivals, ordered

by the Church in 1041. This was proclaimed anew at the Council of
Clermont. Reference was made to this Truce in paragraph 11.
1 Alexius Comnenus called on Urban for help in January 1095, and

at the Council of Piacenza in 1095, March 1 - 7 , where Alexius' legates

asked Urban and Western Christians for help against the Infidels.

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16 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

Persians, 2 who have p e n e t r a t e d within the boundaries of Ro-

m a n i a 3 even to the M e d i t e r r a n e a n to that point w h i c h they call
t h e A r m of Saint George, 4 in o c c u p y i n g more and more of the
lands of the Christians, h a v e o v e r c o m e them, already victims of
seven battles, and have killed and captured them, have over-
thrown churches, and h a v e laid w a s t e God's kingdom. I f you
permit this supinely for very long, God's faithful ones will b e
still further subjected.
4. " C o n c e r n i n g this affair, I, w i t h suppliant prayernot I,
b u t the L o r d e x h o r t you, heralds of Christ, to persuade all of
w h a t e v e r class, b o t h knights and footmen, both rich and poor,
in numerous edicts, to strive to help expel that wicked race from
our Christian lands b e f o r e it is too late.
5. "I speak to those present, I send word to those not here;
moreover, Christ c o m m a n d s it. Remission of sins will b e granted
for those going thither, if they end a shackled life either on land
or in crossing t h e sea, or in struggling against the heathen. I ,
b e i n g vested with that gift from God, grant this to those who go.
6. " O w h a t a shame, if a people, so despised, degenerate, and
enslaved by demons would thus overcome a people endowed
with the trust of almighty G o d , and shining in t h e n a m e of
Christ! O how m a n y evils will b e imputed to you b y the L o r d
H i m s e l f , if you do not h e l p those who, like you, profess Chris-
tianity!
7. " L e t those," h e said, " w h o are accustomed to w a g e private
wars wastefully even against Believers, go forth against the In-
fidels in a battle worthy to b e undertaken now and to b e fin-
ished in victory. N o w , let those, w h o until recently existed as
plunderers, b e soldiers of Christ; now, let those, w h o formerly
c o n t e n d e d against brothers and relations, rightly fight b a r b a r -
ians; now, let those, w h o recently w e r e hired for a f e w pieces
of silver, win their eternal reward. L e t those, who w e a r i e d them-

2 Really Seljuk Turks who conquered lands from east to west by way

of Persia.
3 Fulcher uses the term Romania to refer to the Anatolian as well as

to the European provinces of the Byzantine Empire, but here, of course,

he means the Anatolian. The Seljuks called the state which they founded
here Rum.
* Brache de Saint George = Hellespont Bosporus.

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 EVENTS A F T E R T H E C O U N C I L 17

selves to the detriment of b o d y and soul, labor for a twofold

honor. Nay, more, the sorrowful h e r e will b e glad there, t h e
poor here will b e rich there, and the enemies of the L o r d h e r e
will be His friends there.
8. " L e t no delay postpone the journey of those about to go,
b u t when they have collected t h e m o n e y owed to them a n d
the expenses for the journey, and when winter has ended a n d
spring has come, let them e n t e r the crossroads courageously
with the L o r d going on b e f o r e . " 5

IV

T H E BISHOP O F PUY AND T H E EVENTS

AFTER THE COUNCIL

1. After these words w e r e spoken, the hearers w e r e fer-

vently inspired. Thinking nothing m o r e worthy than such an
undertaking, m a n y in the a u d i e n c e solemnly promised to go,
and to urge diligently those w h o w e r e absent. T h e r e was
among them one Bishop of Puv, A d e m a r b y name, 1 who after-
wards acting as vicar-apostolic, ruled t h e w h o l e army of G o d
wisely and thoughtfully, and spurred them to c o m p l e t e their
undertaking vigorously.
2. Si, the things that w e have told you w e r e well established
and crnfirmed by everybody in the C o u n c i l . W i t h the blessing
of absolution given, they departed; and after returning to their
homes, they disclosed to those not knowing, w h a t had taken
place. As it was decreed far and wide throughout the provinces,
5 See D. C. Munro, "The Speech of Pope Urban II at Clermont, 1095,"

Americin Historical Review, X I ( 1 9 0 6 ) , pp. 2 3 1 - 2 4 2 , for a comparison

of the versions of the speech.
1 Ackmar de Monteil, Bishop of Puy, was the first to take the cross

after Urban's crusading message. Having made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem

in 108f-1087, he was the only person of any repute and experience to
take th? cross at this time, and thus Urban appointed him as leader of
the expedition, November 27, 1095. He appointed him as his representa-
tive December 1095, when he set August 15, 1096, as the day of de-
parture

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18 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

they established the peace, which they call the Truce, to be up-
held mutually by oath.
3. Many, one after another, of any and every occupation,
after confession of their sins and with purified spirits, conse-
crated themselves to go where they were bidden.
4. Oh, how worthy and delightful to all of us who saw those
beautiful crosses, either silken or woven of gold, or of any
material, which the pilgrims sewed on the shoulders of their
woolen cloaks or cassocks by the command of the Pope, after
taking the vow to go. To be sure, God's soldiers, who were
making themselves ready to battle for His honor, ought to have
been marked and fortified with a sign of victory. And so by
embroidering the symbol [of the cross] on their clothing in rec-
ognition of their faith, in the end they won the True Cross itself.
They imprinted the ideal so that they might attain the reality
of the ideal.
5. It is plain that good meditation leads to doing good work
and that good work wins salvation of the soul. But, if it is good
to mean well, it is better, after reflection, to carry out the good
intention. So, it is best to win salvation through action worthy
of the soul to be saved. Let each and everyone, therefore, re-
flect upon the good, that he makes better in fulfillment, so
that, deserving it, he might finally receive the best, which
does not diminish in eternity.
6. In such a manner Urban, a wise man and reverenced,
Meditated a labor, whereby the world florescenced.

For he renewed peace and restored the laws of the Church

to their former standards; also he tried with vigorous instiga-
tion to expel the heathen from the lands of the Christians. And
since he strove to exalt all things of God in every way, almost
everyone gladly surrendered in obedience to his paternal care.

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 POPE URBAN AND W I B E R T 19

T H E D I S S E N S I O N B E T W E E N POPE URBAN
AND VVIBERT

1. But the Devil, who always persists in the detriment of

man and goes about like a lion seeking to devour him, stirred
up, to the confusion of the people, a certain man stimulated
by pride, by the name of Wibert, 1 Urbans adversary. Re-
cently supported by the impudence of the aforementioned
emperor of the Bavarians, 2 while Urban's predecessor, Greg-
ory,3 who was Hildebrand, 4 was held on the throne rightly,
this man began to usurp the papal office after that same Greg-
ory was excluded from the threshold of Saint Peter's Church.
2. Because he acted thus perversely, the better people did
not wish to recognize him. When Urban was lawfully elected
and consecrated by bishops and cardinals after the death of
Hildebrand, the greater and more pious part of the people
favored obedience to him.
3. But Wibert, spurred by the support of the emperor and
by the encouragement of most of the Roman citizens, forced
Urban to become an exile from the monastery of Saint Peter's
as long as he could. While Urban was thus separated from the
Church, in going through the provinces, he united with God
those people who had wandered somewhat astray.
4. Wibert, puffed up because of his preeminence in the
Church, was inclined to favor sinners, and exercising the office
1 Wibert, Archbishop of Ravenna, installed as Clement III, in 1084,

by Henry IV in place of Gregory VII.

2 Henry IV was called emperor of the Bavarians, probably because the

Saxons and many parts of Germany had revolted against him.

8 Urban did not immediately succeed Gregory. There was an eleven

months' vacancy; then the short pontificate of Victor III in 1087; another
vacancy of six months; then Urban II in 1088.
* Hildebrand, Gregory VII, had plans to recapture the Holy Places,
but was so involved in the struggle with Henry IV that it was left to
Urban to launch the movement. Expelled from Rome by Henry in 1084,
he was freed from the Castle of St. Angelo by Robert Guiscard. He died
in Salerno in 1085.

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20 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

of the Apostolate among his sympathizers, although unjustly,

he disparaged the acts of Urban as vain.
5. However, in that year when the first Franks going to
Jerusalem passed through Rome, Urban obtained the entire
papal power with the aid of a certain most noble matron by
the name of Mathilda, 5 who was then powerfully active in
Rome.
6. Wibert was then in Germany. So two popes were over
Rome; but whom to obey, or from whom to seek advice, or
who cured illnesses was a question to many. Some favored
this one; some, the other.
7. But it is evident to the minds of men that Urban was the
more just; for he who subdues his passions as he would ene-
mies, must rightly be considered the better man.
8. As Archbishop of Ravenna, Wibert, mighty in honor and
riches, was exceedingly illustrious. It is a wonder that such an
abundance was not sufficient for him. Why did he, a pompous
one, who should have been considered by all as the model of
justice, presume to usurp the scepter of the authority of God?
Certainly this should not be seized with force, but accepted
with fear and consecration.
9. Nor is it surprising that the whole world was disquieted
and disturbed. When the Roman Church, from which all
Christendom must obtain correction, is in disorder, it happens
that all the subordinate members, being affected by the dis-
eased fibers of the head, become weakened.
10. To be sure, the Church, our mother, on whose milk we
were reared, by whose example instructed, and by whose
prudence protected, was violently struck by that proud Wibert.
Whenever the head is so bruised, at once the members of the
body are hurt.
If the head ail, the rest of the members suffer pain.
11. The head was thus hurt, and already the members lan-
guished with pain, since in all parts of Europe, peace, good-
ness, and faith were forcibly trod upon by both the high and

5 Countess Mathilda of Tuscany, supporter of the Roman See, espe-

cially of Gregory VII and Urban II. It was at her favorite residence at
Canossa that she persuaded Gregory to see Henry.

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 DEPARTURE OF THE CHRISTIANS 21

lie low within the churches and without. But when all these
nils had been renounced because of the warning of Pope
Urban, it was necessary to substitute war against the pagans
: or wars between Christians.

12. I must now turn my pen to history: so that those who

ave not heard of them may learn about the deeds of those
made the journey to Jerusalem, what happened to them,
iiow great was the enterprise, and how, little by little, the
labor brilliantly progressed with the help of God. I, Fulcher
.if Chartres, going with the other pilgrims, afterwards col-
lected it diligently and carefully in writing for posterity, just
is I saw it with my own eyes.

VI

T H E D E P A R T U R E O F T H E CHRISTIANS AND
T H E NAMES O F T H E C H I E F PILGRIMS

1. In March of the year 1096 from the Lord's Incarnation,

after Pope Urban had held the Council, which has been de-
scribed, at Auvergne in November, some people, earlier pre-
pared than others, hastened to begin the holy journey. Others
followed in April or May, June or July, and also in August,
September, or October, whenever the opportunity of securing
expenses presented itself.
2. In that year, with God disposing, peace and a vast abun-
dance of grain and wine overflowed through all the regions of
the earth, so that they who chose to follow Him with their
crosses according to His commands did not fail on the way for
lack of bread.
3. Since it is appropriate that the names of the leaders of
the pilgrims at that time be remembered, I name Hugh the
Great, 1 brother of Philip, King of France. The first of the
1 Hugh of Vermandois, leader of northern Franks, the younger son of

Henry I. His influence on the Crusade was important, because Philip,

being excommunicated, was unable to go. Hugh's route: Lyons, Turin,
Genoa, Rome, Bari, Durazzo, Ochrida, Thessalonica, Constantinople.

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22 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

heroes crossing the sea, he landed at the city of Durazzo in

Bulgaria 2 with his own men, but having imprudently departed
with a scant army, he was seized by the citizens there and
brought to the Emperor of Constantinople, 3 where he was de-
tained for a considerable time not altogether free.
4. After him, Bohemond, 4 an Apulian of Norman race, the
son of Robert Guiscard, 5 went along the same route with his
army.
5. Next, Godfrey, 6 Duke of Lorraine, went through Hungary
with many people.
6. Raymond, Count of the Provenals, 7 with Goths and Gas-
cons; also, Ademar, Bishop of Puy, crossed through Dalmatia.
7. A certain Peter the Hermit, 8 after many people on foot
and a few knights had joined him, first made his way through
Hungary. Afterwards, Walter, called the Penniless, 9 certainly a
very good soldier, who later with many of his companions was
slain by the Turks between Nicomedia and Nicaea, was the
commander of these people.
2 Durazzo was not in Bulgaria but in the Byzantine Empire, com-

manded at this time by John, the son of Isaac, the Sebasticrator.

3 Alexius Comnenus, Emperor of Constantinople, 1081-1118. See

Elizabeth A. S. Dawes, Alexiad of the Princess Anna Comnena ( London,

1928).
4 Bohemond, son of Robert Guiscard by Alberade. See R. B. Yewdale,

Bohemond I, Prince of Antioch (Princeton University, 1924). Bohe-

mond's route: Brindisi, Devol, Ochrida, Thessalonica, Constantinople.
5 Robert Guiscard, son of Tancred de Hauteville and father of Bohe-

mond. He was the founder of the Norman principality in Apulia and the
ally of Gregory.
Godfrey, Duke of Lower Lorraine, was accompanied by his brothers,

Baldwin and Eustace.. They led the contingent from the lower Rhine.
Godfrey's route: Hungary, Semlin, Belgrade, Nissa, Sardica, Philip-
popolis, Adrianople, Constantinople. Departed August 15, 1096.
7 Raymond of Saint Gilles, Count of Toulouse, had considerable ex-

perience with wars in Spain. Raymond's route: Lyons, Geneva, Milan,

Aquilaea, Spalata, Ragusa, Durazzo, Ochrida, Thessalonica, Constanti-
nople.
8 Peter of Amiens preached the Crusade and was one of the leaders

of the Peasants' Crusade. Hagenmeyer's biography reduced the legend-

ary Peter to the historical.
8 Walter of Perejo. The standard treatment of this expedition is Fred-

eric Dun calf, "The Peasants' Crusade," American Historical Review,

XXVI, 440-453.

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 DEPARTURE OF THE CHRISTIANS 23

8. In October, Robert, Count of the Normans, 10 son of Wil-

liam, King of the English, began the journey, after collecting
a great army composed of people of Normandy, England, and
Brittany; and with him went Stephen, the noble Count of
Blois, 11 his brother-in-law, and Robert, Count of Flanders, 1 2
with many other nobles. 13
9. So with such a great band proceeding from western parts,
gradually from day to day on the way there grew armies of
innumerable people coming together from everywhere. Thus a
countless multitude speaking many languages and coming from
many regions was to be seen. However, all were not assembled
into one army until we arrived at the city of Nicaea.
10. W h a t more shall I tell? T h e islands of the seas and all
the kingdoms of the earth were so agitated that one believed
that the prophecy of David was fulfilled, who said in his Psalm:
"All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship
before Thee, O L o r d " ; 1 4 and what those going all the way there
later said with good reason: " W e shall worship in the place
where His feet have stood." 15 W e have read much about this
in the Prophets which it is tedious to repeat.
11. Oh, how much grief there was! How many sighs! How
much sorrow! How much weeping among loved ones when the
husband left his wife so dear to him, as well as his children,
father and mother, brothers and grandparents, and possessions
however great!
12. But however so many tears those remaining shed for
those going, these were not swayed by such tears from leaving
10 See David, Robert Curthose.
11 Stephen, husband of Adle of Normandy, daughter of William the
Conqueror, father of Stephen of Boulogne who became King of Eng-
land. Stephen's letters to his wife are the most human documents of
the First Crusade. See Heinrich Hagenmeyer, Die Kreuzzugsbriefe aus
den Jahren 1088-1100 (Innsbruck, 1901).
12 For the crusading career of Robert of Flanders, see M. M. Knappen,
"Robert II of Flanders in the First Crusade," The Crusades and Other
Historical Essays ^L. J. Paetow, editor; New York, 1928).
As Fulcher went on this expedition, its route will be given in detail
in the text below.
i* Psalms 86:9.
"Psalms 132:7.

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24 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

all that they possessed; without doubt believing that they

would receive an hundredfold what the Lord promised to
those loving him.16
13. Then the wife reckoned the time of her husband's re-
turn, because if God permitted him to live, he would come
home to her. He commended her to the Lord, kissed her, and
promised as she wept that he would return. She, fearing that
she would never see him again, not able to hold up, fell sense-
less to the ground; mourning her living beloved as though he
were dead. He, having compassion, it seems, neither for the
weeping of his wife, nor feeling pain for the grief of any friends,
and yet having it, for he secretly suffered severely, unchanging,
went away with a determined mind.
14. Sadness to those remaining, however, was joy to those
going away. What, then, can we say? 'This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes." 17

VII

THE JOURNEY OF T H E COUNT OF NORMANDY, 1

AND T H E EVENTS AT ROME AT THAT T I M E

1. After leaving Gaul and going through Italy, we Western

Franks came as far as Lucca, a most renowned city. Near there
we met Pope Urban; and Robert the Norman and Stephen,
Count of Blois, and others of us who wished spoke with him.
Having received his blessing,2 we went on our way joyfully to
Rome.
2. When we had entered the Church of Saint Peter, we met,
1 8 Compare this statement with that of Guilelmis Monachi Malmes-

buriensis, De Gestis regum Anglorum, adapted translation by John Sharpe

(London, 1815), Bk. IV, Chap. 2, p. 416: "Then the Welshman aban-
doned his forests and neglected his hunting; the Scotchman deserted the
fleas with which he is so familiar; the Dane ceased to swallow his in-
toxicating draughts; and the Norwegian turned his back upon his raw
fish."
17 Psalms 118:23.

1 Date of departure was 1096, September or October.

2 October 25, 1096.

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 DROWNING O F T H E PILGRIMS 25

before the altar, men of Wibert, the pseudo-Pope, who, with

swords in their hands, wrongly snatched the offerings placed
on the altar. Others ran up and down on the roof of the church
itself, and from there threw stones at us as we were prostrate
praying. For when they saw anyone faithful to Urban, they
straightway wished to slay him.
3. In one of the towers of the church were Lord Urban s
men, who carefully guarded it in fidelity to him, and withstood
their adversaries as well as they could. W e were very grieved
when we saw such a great atrocity committed there, but we
earnestly wished for nothing to be done except as punishment
by the Lord. Thereupon, without hesitation, many who had
come this far with us, now weak with cowardice, returned to
their homes.
4. We, on the other hand, going through the middle of Cam-
pania, came to Bari, 3 a wealthy town situated on the edge of
the sea. There in the Church of Saint Nicholas, we prayed to
God effusively. Then, approaching the harbor, we thought to
cross the sea at that time. But since opposition of the sailors,
fickle fortune, and winter weather, even then bearing down
upon us, all exposed us to danger, it was necessary that Count
Robert of Normandy withdraw to Calabria and spend the severe
winter weather there. Yet, at that time, Count Robert of Flan-
ders with his cohort crossed the sea.
5. Many of the people, deserted by their leaders and fear-
ing future want, sold their bows, took up their pilgrims' staves,
and returned to their homes as cowards. For this, they were held
worthless by God as well as by man, and they became utterly
disgraced.

VIII

T H E D R O W N I N G O F T H E P I L G R I M S AND
T H E DIVINELY MANIFEST MIRACLE

1. In the year of the Lord 1097, with spring weather accom-

panying March, immediately Robert the Norman and Count
3 Arrived at the end of November or the beginning of December, 1096.

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2 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

Stephen of Blois, who had been waiting for favorable weather,

accompanied by their men, again turned seaward. The fleet
was prepared, and on the Nones of April, which at that time
fell on the Holy Day of Easter, they embarked at the port of
Brindisi.
2. "How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past
finding out!" 1 For we saw one boat among the others, which,
while near the shore and apparently unhindered, suddenly
cracked apart in the middle. Whereby four hundred of both
sexes perished by drowning, concerning whom joyful praise
to God immediately sounded.
3. For when those who were standing around had collected
as many of the dead bodies as they could, they discovered
crosses actually imprinted in the flesh on the shoulders of some
of them. For what those living bore on their garments, it was
fitting, with the Lord willing, that the same victorious sign re-
main with them thus preoccupied in His service under a pledge
of faith. And at the same time, reason made it plain to those
reflecting on it, that it was appropriate that, by such a miracle,
those dead had already by God's mercy obtained the peace of
everlasting life in the clearly evident fulfillment of the prophecy
which had been written: "The just, though taken prematurely
by death, shall find peace." 2
4. Of the others now wrestling with death, only a few lived.
Horses and mules were destroyed by the waves, and much
money was lost, too. When we saw this misfortune, we were
confused with so great a fear that very many of the weak-hearted
ones, not yet aboard the vessels, went back to their homes,
having abandoned the pilgrimage, and saying that never would
they place themselves on the deceptive water.
5. But placing our hope on almighty God deep within us,
with topsails raised again, and with a great trumpet sound,
we thrust ourselves upon the sea, when the wind was blowing
slightly. After we had been detained on the high seas for three
days by the failing wind, on the fourth day 3 we reached land

1 Romans 11:33.
2 Wisdom of Solomon 4:7.
April 9, 1097.

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 DROWNING OF T H E PILGRIMS 27

about ten miles, I judge, from the city of Durazzo. T w o harbors

received our fleet.4 Then, joyfully we resumed our dry-land
journey, and we approached the aforementioned city.
6. W e proceeded over the land of the Bulgars, over moun-
tain precipices and rather desert places. T h e n all of us c a m e
to the rapid river which is called the Demon by the inhabitants
of the place, and deservedly. For there we saw many people,
submerged unexpectedly by the strong current, perish when
they hoped to wade through it step bv step, and not one of the
onlookers could help them. There we shed many tears out of
pity over this, and if knights with dexterous horses had not
brought assistance to those on foot, many others would have
lost life in like manner. Then our camp was laid out close to
the bank of the river, wh< re wc stopped for one night. Vast
mountains on which no inhabitant was visible, towered over us
on all sides.
7. In the early morning at daybreak, with the trumpet signals
sounding, we began to climb the mountains which they call the
Bagulatus [Bagora]. After passing the mountainous cities of Lu-
cretia, Botella, Bofinat, and Stella, w e reached a river which
was called Bardarius [Vardar]. It was customary to cross it only
in boats, but with God's aid we forded it, and rejoiced. Having
crossed it, we pitched our tents on the following day before
Thessalonica, a city abounding in all goods.
8. After a delay of four days there, 5 and from there going
over into Macedonia, through the Valley of P h i l i p p i 6 and
through Crisopolis, we came to Christopolis, Praetoria, Mes-
sinopolis, Macra, Traianopolis, Neapolis, Panadox, Rodosto,
Heraclea, Salumbria, Natura, and Constantinople. 7 After
stretching our tents before this city, we rested for fourteen days.
9. Because we were not able to enter that city, since it was
not pleasing to the emperor (for he feared that by chance we
might plot some injury to h i m ) , it was necessary that we buy
outside the walls our daily supplies, which the citizens brought

* The other harbor was ancient Epidamnus. Both of these harbors are
in modern Albania.
April 2 2 to 26.
" Valley of the S try mon River.
7 Arrived in Constantinople, May 14, 1097. See map for this itinerary.

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28 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

to us by his order. Only five or six of us at the same time were

permitted to go into the city each hour; thus some were coming
out and others were going in to pray in the churches.

IX

T H E CITY O F CONSTANTINOPLE AND T H E

J O U R N E Y O F T H E P I L G R I M S T O NICAEA

1. Oh, what an excellent and beautiful city! How many mon-

asteries, and how many palaces there are in it, of wonderful
work skilfully fashioned! How many marvelous works are to b e
seen in the streets and districts of the town! It is a great nuisance
to recite what an opulence of all kinds of goods are found
there; of gold, of silver, of many kinds of mantles, and of holy
relics. In every season, merchants, in frequent sailings, bring
to that place everything that man might need. Almost twenty
thousand eunuchs, I judge, are kept there continuously.
2. When we had sufficiently refreshed our fatigued selves,
then our leaders, after counsel, agreed upon a contract under
oath with the Emperor, upon his demand. Already Lord Bohe-
mond and Duke Godfrey, who had preceded us, had taken it.
However, Count Raymond at that time refused to do so. T h e
Count of Flanders, just as the others did, took that same oath. 1
3. It was necessary for all to confirm friendship with the
Emperor, without whose counsel and aid we could not have
completed our journey, nor could those who were to follow
us on that same road. To these, then, the Emperor himself
offered as many coins and silken garments as he pleased; also
1 Raymond's refusal to take the oath is attested by both the Cesta and

Raymond of Aguilers, but it is not mentioned by Anna, who talks of the

close relation between Raymond and her father. On the whole matter of
the oath, see A. C. Krey, "A Neglected Passage in the Gesta and Its Bear-
ing on the Literature of the First Crusade, ' in Paetow : The Crusades
and Other Historical Essaus, 57-58.
Bohemond took the oath November 1096; Godfrey, January 21, 1097;
and Raymond's refusal but assurance of peace was given April 26, 1097.

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 SIEGE O F NICAEA 29

some horses and some money, which they needed to complete

such a great journey.
4. After this was completed, we crossed the sea which they
call the Arm of Saint George. W e hastened then to the city of
Nicaea, which Lord Bohemond, Duke Godfrey, Count Ray-
mond, and the Count of Flanders had already surrounded in
siege by the middle of May. The Oriental Turks, 2 very keen
archers and bowmen, then possessed this city. These Turks
from Persia, after they had crossed the Euphrates River fifty
years before, subjugated the whole land of Romania for them-
selves as far as the city of Nicomedia. 3
5. Oh, how many severed heads and bones of the dead lying
on the plains did we then find beyond Nicomedia near that
seal In the preceding year, the Turks destroyed those who were
ignorant of and new to the use of the arrow. Moved to compas-
sion by this, we shed many tears there. 4

T H E S I E G E O F NICAEA 1 AND T H E
S U R R E N D E R O F THAT C I T Y

1. When those who were besieging Nicaea had heard, as it

was told, that our princes, the Count of the Normans and
Stephen of Blois, had come, 2 they came joyfully to meet them
and us on the way, and escorted us to the place where we
stretched our tents before the city on the south side.
2. Once already, the Turks had gathered in force and had
2 Oriental Turks : This is not, as might be expected, a reference to the

Sultanate of Bagdad to distinguish it from that of Iconium, but merely

a reference to the eastern origin of the Seljuks.
3 In the Seljuk conquest, they crossed the Euphrates in 1047, but did

not reach Nicomedia until 1081.

4 Here the Turks had killed many of the followers of Peter the Hermit:

the people of the Peasants' Crusade who had met disaster in October
of 1096.
1 The siege was begun May 14, 1097.

2 June 3, 1097,

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MEDITERRANEAN
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 BLACK SEA

Dopnniolfs^Of^ihe
// Sel
j u k Turns ^
ania/ Ti/e^nianf a? i
#
$i lmtdfegi
s.
Xj r* -

SEA
W-- -. s^a. S
^ -
A ^^

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32 FULCHER O F CHARTRES

prepared either to break the blockade if they could, or to better

fortify the city with their soldiers. But repulsed fiercely by our
men, almost two hundred of theirs were killed. When they had
seen the Franks so furious and mighty in strength, they fled
into the interior of Romania, until they should feel that the time
was opportune to attack them.
3. We, who were the last to come, arrived at the siege in
the first week of June.
4. Then the many armies there were united into one, which
those who were skilled in reckoning estimated at six hundred
thousand strong for war. Of these, there were one hundred
thousand full-armed with corselets and helmets, not counting the
unarmed, that is, the clerics, monks, women, and little chil-
dren.
5. And what more? If all those, who had departed from
their homes on the consecrated journey, had been present at
one time, without doubt six million warriors would have been
there. But some, refusing hardships, had returned to their
homes at Rome, Apulia, Hungary, or Dalmatia, and thousands
had been killed on the way. Others, going on with us, though
weak, died upon arrival. You could see the many cemeteries
where our pilgrims were buried along the footpaths, on the
plains, and in the woods.
6. It must be explained, since we besieged the city of Nicaea
for a long time, that we could buy food which with the Emperor's
permission was brought to us by boat. Then our heroes had ma-
chines made: battering-rams, sows, wooden towers, and petra-
riae. 3 Arrows were stretched on bows, and stones were hurled by
3 The battering-ram was a large beam or log suspended from perpen-
dicular beams. By swinging it, the wall was shaken down or a hole was
made through it. A sow was a machine for undermining the wall and
served as a cover for the manipulators also. The tower was made of
wood and equipped with wheels or rollers which made it movable; gen-
erally it was two-storied, the lower one containing a battering-ram, and
the upper serving as a platform for archers and hurling machines. Some-
times the tower was covered with skins to protect the manipulators.
Usually a drawbridge was attached to the tower, which enabled the
warriors to have access to the wall. The petraria was a machine for
throwing stones, and the tormentum hurled missiles by the use of
twisted cords. ( Duncalf, The Capture of Jerusalem, p. 17, n. 5 and p. 20,
nn- 11 and 12.)

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 SIEGE O F NICAEA 33

the tormenta. Our enemy and we retaliated alternately with all

our might in the struggle. Often, armed with our machines, we
dashed on the city, but with the strong wall obstructing us, the
assault was brought to nought. Often, some of the Turks; often,
some of the Franks, struck by arrows or by stones, died.
7. Truly, you would have grieved and sighed with compas-
sion, to see them let down iron hooks, which they lowered and
raised by ropes, and seize the body of any of our men that they
had slaughtered in some way near the wall. None of our men
dared, nor could, take the body from them. Having robbed the
corpse, they threw the carcass outside.
8. Then we drew some large skiffs overland with oxen and
ropes from Civetot as far as Nicaea. 4 W e placed them on a lake 5
near the city to guard the entrance, so that the city might not be
supplied with food.
9. W e had harassed the city in siege for five weeks, 6 and
many times had terrified the Turks by assaults. Meanwhile,
they parleyed with the Emperor through mediators, and slyly
returned the city to him, when already it had been greatly en-
compassed by force and cleverness.
10. Then the Turks let in the Turcoples, 7 sent there by the
Emperor, who guarded the city with the money in it on behalf
of the Emperor just as he had commanded them. Because he
kept all of that money in his possession, the Emperor gave some
of his own gold and silver and mantles to our nobles; he also
distributed some of his copper coins, which they call tartarons,"
to the footsoldiers.
11. The summer solstice came on the day in June when
Nicaea was thus seized or restored. 9
* June 17, 1097.
6 Lake Isnik.

May 14 to June 18.

7 Greek mercenary soldiers, light-armed cavalry, recruited from half-

breeds and natives.

8 Tartarons : Eastern cheap copper coin of varying value.

June 19, 1097.

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34 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

XI

T H E FATAL BATTLE OF T H E CHRISTIANS

WITH T H E TURKS 1

1. When our soldiers had received permission from the Em-

peror to leave, three days before the Kalends of July,2 we left
Nicaea to go into the interior regions of Romania. But when we
had proceeded on our journey for two days, it was announced
that the Turks, after laying ambushes for us on the plains over
which they thought we would go, awaited battle.
2. When we had heard this, we lost no courage. But on that
evening, when our scouts had seen many of them from a dis-
tance, they immediately warned us; because of that, we had
our tents guarded on all sides that night by watchmen. In the
early morning, which fell on the Kalends of July, 3 after arms
were taken up, and being arranged in wings facing them with
the tribunes and centurions properly leading the cohorts and
centuries, with a warning horn and with banners flying, we be-
gan to advance in battle formation.
3. In the second hour of the day, lo, their advance guards
approached our scouts! When we heard this, we pitched our
tents near a certain marsh, so that having removed the pack
saddles, we should be more readily prepared for fighting.
4. After this was done, behold! there were the Turks whose
emir and prince * was Sulaiman 5 who held Nicaea and Ro-
mania under his power. The Turks, heathen Persians, who,
commanded by him, had come for a journey of thirty days and
more to his aid, were with him; also many emirs or princes,

1Battle of Dorylaeum.
2June 29.
8 July 1, 1097.

* Emir was the commander of a regiment and incorrectly translated

prince by the Westerners, according to H. A. R. Gibb, Damascus Chroni-
cles of the Crusades, extracted and translated from the Chronicle of Ihn
Al-ualnist (London, 1932), p. 33.
6 Sulaiman II, Kiliz Arslan Daud, Sultan of Iconium or Rum, 1092-

1107.

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 BATTLE WITH THE TURKS 35

namely, Admircaradigum and Miriathos, and many others.

All of these together numbered three hundred and sixty thou-
sand warriors, that is, archers. 7 For it is their custom to use such
arms. They were all cavalry. We, on the other hand, were both
infantry and cavalry.
5. At that time, Duke Godfrey and Count Raymond and
Hugh the Great were not with us. For two days, I know not for
what reason, they, with a large number of our people, had
withdrawn from us at a forked crossroad. On account of this,
irreparable harm befell us, because our men were slain, and
because the Turks were not killed nor repulsed. Since they re-
ceived our messengers late, they brought aid to us late.
6. The Turks, with clashing of weapons and shrieking,
fiercely let loose a shower of arrows. Stunned and almost dead
and with many injured, we straightway turned our backs in
flight. Nor is this to be wondered at since such fighting was
unknown to any of us.
7. Directly from another part of the marsh, a large band of
them fiercely forced their way as far as our tents. Having en-
tered, they were snatching our things and were killing some of
our people, when, with God arranging, the advance guards of
Hugh the Great, of Count Raymond, and of Duke Godfrey
came upon this disaster from the rear. When our men had re-
treated to our tents, the Turks, who had entered them, left, for
they thought our men had returned to fight them. But what
they took for boldness and courage, was, if they had been able
to know, really great fear.
8. What shall I tell next? All of us, huddled together like
sheep in a fold, trembling and terrified, were fenced in by the
enemy on all sides, so that we could not tum in any direction.
It was evident that this had befallen us because of our sins. For
dissipation had polluted certain ones, and avarice or some other
iniquity had corrupted others. There was a vast cry smiting the
heavens, of men and women and little children, and also of the
9
Admircaradigum = al amir Kordja; Miriathos = mir Atsiz. The
identification of these rather obscure Turkish emirs is discussed at length
by Hagenmeyer, Historia, Bk. I, Ch. XI, 4, . 1.
7
'Ash ir is the term used for these mounted archers, according to Cibb,
Damascus Chronicles of the Crusades, 33.

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38 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

heathens who rushed in upon us. No hope of life remained.

9. Then we confessed that we were culprits and sinners,
humbly begging mercy from God. The Bishop of Puy, our
Protector, and four other bishops were there. There were many
priests present, clothed in white vestments, who besought the
Lord most humbly to overthrow the strength of our enemy and
pour gifts of His mercy on us. They sang weeping; they wept
singing. Many, fearing immediate death, ran to them and con-
fessed their sins.
10. Our leaders, Robert, Count of Normandy, Stephen,
Count of Blois, Robert, Count of Flanders, and also Bohemond,
resisted them with all their might, and often strove to attack
them. These, likewise, were strongly assailed by the Turks.

XII

THE FLIGHT OF THE TURKS AND T H E

VICTORY OF THE CHRISTIANS

1. The Lord does not give victory to the pomp of nobility

nor to brilliance in arms, but out of pity He aids the pure in
heart who are fortified by divine strength in time of need.
Therefore the Lord, perhaps pleased with our supplication, lit-
tle by little restored vigor to us, and more and more weakened
the Turks. When our allies, who were hastening to help us,
were seen, praising God we resumed our courage and in troops
and cohorts we strove to resist further.
2. Alas! How many of our men straggling slowly behind us
did they kill that day! Even from the first hour of the day, as I
have said, up to the sixth, difficulties encompassed us; but then,
little by little, after we were spurred on and strengthened by
union with some of our allies, divine grace was miraculously
present. Suddenly, we saw the backs of the Turks as they
turned in flight.1
1 For other accounts of Dorylaeum, see Charles W. C. Oman, History

of the Art of War ( Middle Ages from the Fourth to the Fourteenth Cen-
tury), (London, 1898), pp. 271-275.

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 THE WANT OF THE CHRISTIANS 37

3. Shouting fiercely, we pursued them over mountains and

through valleys. Nor did we cease to rout them, until our swift-
est men came to their tents. There, some of them loaded camels
and many horses with the Turks' possessions and the tents
themselves which they, out of fright, had left. Others followed
the fleeing Turks until nightfall. Because our horses were hun-
gry and tired, we kept a few of theirs.
4. It was a great miracle of God that on the morrow and on
the third day they never stopped their flight, although no one
except God put them to flight any longer.
5. Happy over this outcome, we unloosed our thanks to God,
because He was not willing that our journey be altogether
brought to nought, but had indicated that it would succeed
more honorably than usual and would bring honor to His
Christianity. As a result, the story shall sound from East to
West forever.
6. Then, we pressed on our journey carefully. One day, we
endured a very severe thirst, which so oppressed some men and
women that they died. The Turks, fleeing before us in troops,
sought hiding places for themselves all over Romania.

XIII

T H E WANT O F T H E CHRISTIANS

1. Then we came to Antioch, which they called the Lesser, 1

in the province of Pisidia; thence to Iconium. 2 W e very often
suffered the lack of enough bread and other food in these
places; for we found Romania, which is very good land and
especially fertile for all crops, excessively devastated and
ravaged by the Turks.
2. Yet ever so many times, you would see such a great mul-
titude of people well refreshed by what was found on the scat-
tered farms, which we found here and there in this region,
with the aid of God who fed five thousand men with two loaves
July 31, 1097.
2 August 15, 1097.

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38 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

and five fishes. We were very glad for this and, rejoicing, ac-
knowledged that these were gifts of the mercy of God.
. Truly, either you would laugh or perhaps shed tears out
of compassion, when many of our people lacking beasts of
burden, because many had died, loaded wethers, she-goats,
sows, or dogs with their possessions, such as garments, loaves
of bread, or whatever pack is necessary for the use of pilgrims.
We saw the backs of these small beasts chafed by the heavy
loads. Occasionally armed knights even used oxen as mounts.
4. Who ever heard of such a mixture of languages in one
army, since there were French, Flemings, Frisians, Gauls, Al-
lobroges, Lotharingians, Allemani, Bavarians, Normans, Eng-
lish, Scots, Aquitanians, Italians, Dacians, Apulians, Iberians,
Bretons, Greeks, and Armenians? If any Breton or Teuton
wished to question me, I could neither understand nor answer.
5. But we who were diverse in languages, nevertheless
seemed to be brothers in the love of God and very close to being
of one mind. For if one lost any of his possessions, he who found
it would keep it carefully for many days, until by inquiry he
found the loser and returned the article to him. This is fit and
proper for those who make the pilgrimage in the right spirit.

XIV

T H E ACTS AND COURAGE OF COUNT BALDWIN,

BROTHER O F GODFREY, AND T H E RETURN
OF T H E CITY OF EDESSA, WHICH WAS
CALLED ROHAS

1. When we approached the city of Heraclea, 1 we saw a cer-

tain sign in the sky shining with a whitish brilliance, which
appeared in the shape of a sword with the point stretching
toward the East. We knew not what it promised for the future,
but committed things present and things future to the Lord.
2. Next we came to a certain very good city, which was
September 10, 1097.

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 T H E ACTS O F COUNT B A L D W I N 39

named Marasch,- where we rested for three days. When we had

trudged a day's march from this place and were no more than
three days from Antioch of Syria, 3 1, Fulcher, departed from the
army and with lord Count Baldwin, 4 brother of Duke Godfrey,
turned into the country on the left.
3. He was, to be sure, as good a soldier as possible. Having
left the army earlier, accompanied by those whom he had
brought with him, he had captured with great daring the city
which they call Tarsus, in Cilicia. He took it away from Tan-
cred, 5 who by agreement with the Turks had already put his
own men in the city. Having left a garrison there, he returned
to the army.
4. Then, trusting in the Lord and in his own strength, he
collected a few soldiers, and set out toward the Euphrates
River, and there seized many forts both by force and clever-
ness. Among these, he took the very best one, which was called
Turbezel. 7 The Armenians who lived there granted it to him
peaceably, and many others were subjected to him.
5. When the report of this had already been spread far and
wide, the prince of the city of Edessa 8 sent a legation to him. 9
This city is most renowned and is in a very fertile region. It is
in Mesopotamia of Syria, nearly twenty miles across the Eu-
phrates River, and about a hundred or more from Antioch.
6. Baldwin was invited to go there, so that they would be-
come mutual friends like father and son as long as both should
live. If, by chance, the Edessan duke should die, immediately
2 October 13, 1097.
> October 17, 1097.
4 Baldwin appears for the first time in Fulcher's chronicle.
6 See Robert Nicholson, Tancred, (University of Chicago, 1 9 4 0 ) .
6 Tancred and Baldwin were both sent to Tarsus as scouts. Tancred

arrived first, but Baldwin came during the night. By morning, natives
of the city had fled, and the question arose as to whose capture it was.
It was ceded to Baldwin, because he had the larger army. See Krey,
First Crusade, 291, n. 8, and Nicholson, Tancred, 385.
7 Tell bashir.
8 The prince was Thoros (Theodoras), son of Hethun, an Armenian,

who helcl the city in fief from the Byzantine emperor. For a good study
of these Armenian principalities, see Ren Grousset, Histoire des Croi-
sades et du Royaume Franc de Jrusalem (Paris, 1 9 3 6 ) , Volume I, In-
troduction.
Beginning of February, 1098.

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40 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

Baldwin, as if he were his son, would possess the city and his
whole land in inheritance forever. For he had neither son nor
daughter. And because they were unable to defend themselves
from the Turks, that Greek 10 wished to have himself and his
land defended by Baldwin and his soldiers, who he had heard
were very brave warriors. 11
7. After hearing this and believing it on the oath of the am-
bassadors, with his very small army (actually eighty soldiers),
he continued across the Euphrates. Having crossed it, we very
hastily proceeded all night in great fear close to the camps of
the Saracens, but avoided them here and there.
8. When those who lived in Samosata, 12 a strong town, had
heard this, they set ambushes before us on the way over which
they thought we would go. But the next night, a certain Ar-
menian carefully lodged us in his castle, and he warned us to
beware of those enemies lying in ambush. Because of this, we
concealed ourselves there for two days.
9. On the third day, wearied by such a long delay, they sud-
denly rushed forth from the place of ambush and, with their
banners aloft, ran before the castle where we were, and before
our eyes drove off the cattle which they found there in the
pastures for booty.
10. W e went out against them, but since we were few, were
not able to fight them. They shot arrows at us, yet wounded
none of us. They left one of their men, slain by a lance, on the
field. T h e man who unseated him kept the horse. Then they
went away, but we remained there.
11. On the following day, we resumed our journey. When we
passed by the villages of the Armenians, it was astonishing to
see them advancing toward us with crosses and standards, kiss-
ing our feet and our garments most humbly for love of God,
because they had heard there that we would defend them from
the Turks under whose yoke they had been oppressed for a
long time.
Armenian, although a vassal of the Greek Empire as noted above.
10

Matthew of Edessa, Recueil des Historiens des Croisades, Docu-

11
ments Armniens (Paris, 1869), Volume I, 35-36, confirms the account
in this part of the story, but says sixty knights.
12 About five miles northwest of Edessa.

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 SIEGE O F ANTIOCH 41

12. Finally we arrived at Edessa, 13 where the aforementioned

prince of the city and his wife, together with his subjects, re-
ceived us joyfully, and they fulfilled their promise to Baldwin
without delay.
13. After we had been there fifteen days, the citizens of the
city wickedly plotted to kill their prince, whom they hated, and
to elevate Baldwin in the palace to rule the land. It was said,
and it was done. Because of this, Baldwin and his men were
especially saddened, for they were unable to obtain mercy for
him. 14
14. Once Baldwin had received as the gift of the citizens the
power of this man who had been so basely killed, he immedi-
ately made war on the Turks who were in the country. He
either conquered or killed many of them. It happened, too,
that many of ours were slain by the Turks.
15. I, Fulcher of Chartres, was chaplain of this Baldwin. I
wish now to resume the discourse, which I stopped, about the
army of God.

XV

T H E ARRIVAL O F T H E FRANKS AT ANTIOCH

AND T H E S I E G E O F T H A T C I T Y

J . In the month of October, 1 after crossing the river which

they call the Fernus or Orontes, the Franks came to Antioch in
Syria, the city which Seleucus,- son of Antiochus, founded and
made the capital of Syria. It was formerly called Reblata. 3 Tents
February 20, 1098.
11 Cf. Matthew of Edessa, 37-48, who says that Baldwin was a party
to the plot against Thoros, and lays much of the blame for the rebellion
on him.
October 20, 1097.
2 Antioch was founded on the Orontes c. 300 B. C. by Seleucus Nicator
(312-280 . c. ), the general of Alexander the Great. The new city was
named after Antiochus, Seleucus' father, who had been an officer of
Philip of Macedn.
3 Reblata or Ribleth was confused with Antioch by St. Jerome in his

Onomastikon, and Fulcher followed Jerome in this error. Reblata is actu-

ally a little south of Horns.

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42 FULCHER O F CHARTRES

were ordered to be pitched within the first milestone before the

city, where later fierce encounters were often made by both
sides. For when the Turks darted forth from that city, they
killed many of our men. But retaliation having been made, they
mourned for the men they had lost also.
2. Antioch is an extensive citv, has a strongO wall, and is well
7 7

situated for defense. It could never be captured by outside

enemies if the inhabitants, supplied with bread, wished to de-
fend it long enough. In the city there is a church worthy to be
revered, dedicated to the Apostle Peter. Elevated to the epis-
copate, he sat on the throne here after he had received dominion
of the Church and the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven from the
Lord Jesus.
3. Also there is another church, round in form, built in honor
of the Blessed Mary, and several others fittingly constructed.
Although these had long been under the Turks, yet God, know-
ing all things beforehand, saved them intact for us, so that at
some time or other He would be magnified by us in them.
4. The sea is about thirteen miles, I judge, from Antioch.
Since the Fernus [Orontes] River happens to flow into the sea,
boats loaded with all goods come from far distant parts almost
to Antioch through the channel of this river. Thus the city,
fortified by sea as well as by land, abounds in manifold riches.
5. When our princes had seen the great difficulty of over-
coming it, they swore mutually by oath to work together in
siege until, with God favoring, they would capture it either by
force or by ruse.4
6. They found some boats on the aforementioned river,
which they seized, and out of them fashioned a bridge for
themselves. They were able to cross over this to carry on their
work, whereas before they had to wade over with difficulty.
7. When the Turks saw that they were besieged by such a
great Christian multitude, they feared that they could in no way
shake them off. After a plan was mutually formed, Aoxian,
prince and emir of Antioch,5 sent his son, Sensadolus by name,"
* Siege of Antioch lasted from October 20, 1097, to June 3, 1098.
5 Aoxian is Fulcher's version of Yagi Siyan of Antioch, 1086-1098,

formerly sent by Sultan Malik Shah as governor of Antioch.

Sensadolus, Shams-ad-Daula.

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 SIEGE OF ANTIOCH 43

to the Sultan, 7 that is, the emperor, of Persia, to get his help
most quickly, since they held hope for aid from no other except
Mohammed, their advocate. Thus directed, he conducted this
legation there very hastily.
8. Meanwhile, those who remained, awaiting the requested
aid, guarded the city, and frequently plotted many kinds of
harm to the Franks. Nevertheless the Franks resisted their cun-
ning with all their power.
9. It happened on a certain day that the Franks killed seven
hundred Turks; and the Turks, who set ambushes for the
Franks, were overcome by the Franks lying in ambush. T h e
strength of God was present there. All of our men retreated un-
injured, with the exception of one whom they wounded.
10. Alas! how many Christians, Greeks, Syrians, and Arme-
nians, who lived in the city, were killed by the maddened Turks.
With the Franks looking on, they threw outside the walls the
heads of those killed, with their petrariae and slings. This es-
pecially grieved our people. Holding these Christians in hatred,
the Turks feared lest by some chance they give the Franks in-
formation to their own detriment.
11. W h e n the Franks had besieged the city for some time,
and had pillaged the surrounding region for food necessary for
themselves and had devastated it on all sides, bread could be
bought nowhere, and they endured excessive hunger. As a re-
sult, everybody was especially desolate and many secretly con-
sidered withdrawal from the siege in flight, either by land or
by sea.
12. T h e y had no supplies on which they could live. It was
with great fear that they sought food far away, in going dis-
tances of forty or fifty miles from the siege, that is, in the
mountains, where they were often killed by the Turks lying in
ambush.
13. W e believed that these misfortunes befell the Franks, and
that they were not able for so long a time to take the city be-
cause of their sins. Not only dissipation, but also avarice or
pride or rapaciousness corrupted them.
14. After holding council, they drove out the women from
"Sultan of Persia, Bark-yarok ( 1 0 9 4 - 1 1 0 4 ) , son of Malik Shah.

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44 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

the army, both married and unmarried, lest they, stained by

the defilement of dissipation, displease the Lord. Those women
then found places to live in the neighboring camps.
15. Both the rich and the poor were desolate from hunger as
well as from the daily slaughtering. It seemed that unless God,
like a Good Shepherd, would bind His sheep together in flocks,
then without doubt all of them would flee, even though they
had sworn to maintain the siege. Because of the lack of bread
for many days, many sought those things necessary for their
nourishment in the neighboring castles; and not returning to the
army afterwards, they entirely deserted the siege.
16. At that time, 8 we saw an astonishing glow in the sky,
and, in addition, we felt a great movement of the earth, which
made us all quake. Many at that time also saw a certain sign
in the shape of a cross, whitish in color, advancing toward the
East in a straight path.

XVI

T H E W R E T C H E D POVERTY O F T H E CHRISTIANS
AND T H E FLIGHT OF T H E COUNT OF BLOIS

1. In the year of the Lord 1098, after the region all around
Antioch had been wholly devastated by the multitude of our
people, the strong as well as the weak were more and more har-
assed b y famine.
2. At that time, the famished ate the shoots of beanseeds
growing in the fields and many kinds of herbs unseasoned with
salt; also thistles, which, being not well cooked because of
the deficiency of firewood, pricked the tongues of those eating
them; also horses, asses, and camels, and dogs and rats. T h e
poorer ones ate even the skins of the beasts and seeds of grain
found in manure.
3. T h e y endured winter's cold, summer's heat, and heavy
8 December 30, 1097.

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 POVERTY OF THE CHRISTIANS 45

rains for Goc T h e i r tents b e c a m e old and torn and rotten from
the continuaion of rains. B e c a u s e of this, many of them w e r e
covered b y cily the sky.
4. So like ^old thrice proved and purified sevenfold by fire,
long predestned by God, I believe, and weighed by such a
great calamiv, they were cleansed of their sins. F o r even if t h e
assassin's swird had not failed, many, long agonizing, would
have voluntrily completed a martyr's course. Perhaps they
borrowed t h grace of such a great example from Saint J o b ,
who, purifyLg his soul b y the torments of his body, ever held
G o d fast in mind. T h o s e who fight with the heathen, labor
b e c a u s e of G)d.
5. Grantir that G o d w h o creates everything, regulates
everything ceated, sustains everything regulated, and rules b y
virtuecan lestroy or renew whatsoever H e wishes, I feel that
H e assented o the destruction of the heathen after the scourg-
ing of the Clristians. H e permitted it, and the people deserved
it, b e c a u s e s many times they cheaply destroyed all things of
G o d . H e pemitted the Christians to b e killed by the Turks, so
that the Chistians would have the assurance of salvation; the
Turks, t h e prdition of their souls. It pleased God that certain
Turks, alrealy predestined for salvation, were b a p t i z e d by
priests. " F o r t h o s e whom H e predestined, H e also called and
glorified." 1
6. So w h a then? T h e r e were some of our men, as you heard
before, w h o eft the siege because it brought so much anguish;
others, becatse of poverty; others, because of c o w a r d i c e ; oth-
ers, b e c a u s e >f fear of death; first the poor and then the rich.
7. StepheL Count of Blois, withdrew from the siege and
returned hone to F r a n c e by sea.'-' T h e r e f o r e all of us grieved,
since he wasa very noble man and valiant in arms. O n t h e day
following hiideparture, the city of Antioch was surrendered to
the Franks. 3 f he had persevered, he would have rejoiced much
in t h e v i c t o r with the rest. T h i s act disgraced him. F o r a good

Romans 8:0.
2 June 2, 108.
3 June 3, 108.

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46 F U L C H E R OF CHARTRES

beginning is not beneficial to anyone unless it be well consum-

mated.4 I shall cut short many things in the Lord's affairs lest I
wander from the truth, because lying about them must be
especially guarded against.
8. The siege lasted continuously from this same month of
October, as it was mentioned, through the following winter and
spring until June. The Turks and Franks alternately staged
many attacks and counter-attacks; they overcame and were
overcome. Our men, however, triumphed more often than
theirs. Once it happened that many of the fleeing Turks fell
into the Femus River, and being submerged in it, they drowned.
On the near side of the river, and on the far side, both forces
often waged war alternately.
9. Our leaders constructed castles before the city, from
which they often rushed forth vigorously to keep the Turks
from coming out [of the city ]. By this means, the Franks took the
pastures from their animals.5 Nor did they get any help from
Armenians outside the city, although these Armenians often did
injury to our men.

XVII

THE SURRENDER OF THE CITY OF ANTIOCH

1. When it pleased God that the labor of His people should

be consummated, perhaps pleased by the prayers of those who
daily poured out supplications and entreaties to Him, out of
His compassion He granted that through a fraud of the Turks
the city be returned to the Christians in a secret surrender. Hear,
therefore, of a fraud, and yet not a fraud.
2. Our Lord appeared to a certain Turk,1 chosen beforehand
by His grace, and said to him: "Arise, thou who sleepest! I com-
4 Fulcher here ignores Stephen's return in 1101 when he met delayed

martyrdom.
5 One of these fortresses was constructed on a bridge over which the

Turks were accustomed to lead their animals to pasture.

1 This was Pirus or Firouz whom the Christian sources call a Turk,

although the Moslems prefer to consider him as an Armenian.

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 SURRENDER OF AXTIOCH 47

mand thee to return the city to the Christians." The astonished

man concealed that vision in silence.
3. However, a second time, the Lord appeared to him: "Re-
turn the city to the Christians," He said, "for I am Christ who
command this of thee." Meditating what to do, he went away
to his ruler, the prince of Antioch, and made that vision known
to him. To him the ruler responded: "You do not wish to obey
the phantom, do you, stupid?" Returning, he was afterwards
silent.
4. The Lord again appeared to him, saying: "Why hast thou
not fulfilled what I ordered thee? Thou must not hesitate, for I,
who command this, am Lord of all." No longer doubting, he
discreetly negotiated with our men, so that by his zealous plot-
ting they might receive the city.
5. He finished speaking, and gave his son as hostage to Lord
Bohemond, to whom he first directed that discourse, and whom
he first persuaded. 2 On a certain night, he sent twenty of our
men over the wall by means of ladders made of ropes. With-
out delay, the gate was opened. The Franks, already prepared,
entered the city. Forty of our soldiers, who had previously
entered by ropes, killed sixty Turks found there, guards of the
tower. In a loud voice, altogether the Franks shouted: "God
wills it! God wills it!" For this was our signal cry, when we
were about to press forward on any enterprise.
6. After hearing this, all the Turks were extremely terrified.
Then, when the redness of dawn had paled, the Franks began
to go forward to attack the city. When the Turks had first seen
Bohemond's red banner on high, furling and unfurling, and the
great tumult aroused on all sides, and the Franks running far
and wide through the streets with their naked swords and
wildly killing people, and had heard their horns sounding on
the top of the wall, they began to flee here and there, bewil-
dered. From this scene, many who were able fled into the
citadel situated on a cliff.

2 According to other accounts, Bohemond secretly contrived with

Firouz to hand over the towers of the city, promising him rewards. Then
Bohemond asked the other Christian leaders to let tne one who took the
city first be given control over it.

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48 F U L C H E R O F CHARTRES

7. Our rabble wildly seized everything that they found in

the streets and houses. But the proved soldiers kept to war-
fare, in following and killing the Turks.
8. The fleeing emir of Antioch, Aoxian, was beheaded by a
certain rustic Armenian.
He, thereupon, brought the severed head to the Franks.

XVIII

T H E FINDING OF THE LANCE 1

1. After the city was taken, it happened that a Lance was

found by a certain man.2 When it was discovered in a pit in
the ground of Saint Peter's Church, he asserted confidently
that, according to the Scriptures, it was the one with which
Longinus pierced Christ in the right side. He said that this
had been revealed by Saint Andrew the Apostle.
2. When it had been found, and he himself had told this to
the Bishop of Puy and to Count Raymond, the Bishop thought
it was false, but the Count hoped it was true.
3. Upon hearing this, all the people, rejoicing, glorified God
for it, and for almost a hundred days it was held in great venera-
tion by all, and handled gloriously by Count Raymond, who
guarded it. Then it happened that many of the clergy and the
people hesitated, thinking it was not the Lord's Lance, but an-
other one deceitfully found by that foolish man.
4. A plan was formed, and a three-day fast was fixed and
executed with a supplication in prayer to God. After this, they
set fire to a heap of wood in the middle of the plain before the
town of Archas. This was in the eighth month after the cap-
ture of Antioch. After an invocation asking for judgment was
made over the fire by priests, the finder of the Lance spontane-
ously crossed quickly through the middle of the blazing pyre, as
he himself had earnestly requested to prove his own truthful-
1 For a detailed study of this question of the Lance, see L. F . Sheffy,

" T h e Use of the Holy Lance in the First Crusade" ( unpublished Master's
thesis, the University of Texas, Austin, 1 9 1 5 ) .
2 Peter Bartholomew.

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 S I E G E BY T H E T U R K S 49

ness. After he crossed it, they saw him going forth from the
flames as a culprit, burned on the skin, and they knew that he
was mortally injured within, just as the end of the affair showed,
for on the twelfth day, being burned, he died in anguish. 3
5. Since everybody had venerated that Lance for the honor
and love of God, after judgment was thus accomplished, those
who formerly appeared credulous of this culprit, now especially
saddened, remained incredulous. Nevertheless, Count Raymond
kept it for a long time after that.

XIX

T H E S I E G E O F T H E CHRISTIANS BY T H E T U R K S
IN T H E C I T Y O F ANTIOCH

1. On the day after Antioch had been taken, as has been told,
an innumerable multitude of Turks surrounded the city in siege.
The Sultan, that is, the King of the Persians, had been told by a
legation that the Franks were besieging Antioch, and after col-
lecting many people, immediately he sent an army against the
Franks. Corbagath 1 was the leader and commander of this
people.
2. He had besieged the city of Edessa, which Lord Baldwin
possessed at that time, for three weeks; - but accomplishing
nothing there, he hastened to Antioch to aid Prince Aoxian.
3. Seeing this army, the Franks were more desolate than ever,
because punishment for their sins was doubled. For when they
had entered the city, many of them had sought out unlawful
women without delay.
4. Almost sixty thousand Turks entered by way of a fort on
the top of a cliff. These exerted pressure on our men most fiercely
in repeated attacks. There was not a pause; filled with great
3 The trial of Peter Bartholomew did not occur until April 1099. Fulcher

anticipates in order to finish the episode of the Lance.

1 Kiwam ed-Daula Kerboga, Atabek of Mosul, was the lieutenant of

Bark-yarok-Ibn-Malik-Shah, and seems to have exercised a vague suze-

rainty over the other lesser Turkish emirs of northwestern Syria.
2 May 4 to 25, 1098.

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50 F U L C H E R O F CHARTRES

trembling, after leaving the city, they went forth to the siege.
The Franks, shut in, remained unbelievably anxious.

XX

T H E VISIONS APPEARING BELOW T H E CITY

1. Yet the Lord, not unmindful of the Franks, appeared to

many. Often they asserted this. Being present, in comforting
them, He promised that the people would rejoice in victory.
The Lord appeared to a certain cleric fleeing away in fear of
death, saying: "Whither, brother, dost thou run?" "I flee," he
responded, *lest being unfortunate, I perish. Many flee thus,
lest they perish in cruel death."
To him the Lord said: "Flee not, but hasten back and tell
the others that I shall be present with them in battle. For, pleased
by the prayers of My Mother, I shall propitiate them; but be-
cause they have sinned, they shall nearly perish. However, let
their hope be strong in Me, and I shall make them to triumph
over the Turks. Let them repent and be saved. I am the Lord,
who speak to thee." Soon the cleric, having returned, told what
he had heard.
2. Meanwhile, many wished to descend by ropes from the
wall during the night, and to flee, since many who feared to
perish either from starvation or from the sword did this. A
certain man, descending, envisioned his dead brother standing
near and saying to him: "Whither do you flee, brother? Wait;
fear not; for the Lord will be with you in your battle; and your
comrades, who have already died on this journey, will fight
with you against the Turks." He, astonished at the words of
the dead man, stopped and recounted to the others what he
had heard.
. They could no longer bear such anguish. They now had
3 The terror of the Turks and Franks was caused by a meteor which

Fulcher neglects to mention.

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 THE FRANKS ASK BATTLE 51

nothing to eat, and they, as well as their horses, were excessively

weakened by this. When it pleased the Lord to consummate the
labor of His servants, they agreed upon a three-day fast to be
carried out with prayers and offerings, so that God might be
propitiated by their being penitent and suppliant.

XXI

T H E B A T T L E W H I C H T H E FRANKS A S K E D O F
T H E TURKS

1. Meanwhile, after holding council, they announced to the

Turks through a certain Peter the Hermit, that unless they peace-
fully evacuated the region which at one time belonged to the
Christians, they would surely begin war against them on the
following day. But if they wished it to be done otherwise, war
could be waged by five or ten or twenty or by one hundred
soldiers chosen from each side, so that with not all fighting at
the same time, such a great multitude of people would not die,
and the party which overcame the other would take the city
and kingdom freely without controversy.
2. This was proposed, but not accepted by the Turks, who,
confident in the large number of their people and in their cour-
age, thought that they could overcome and destroy ours.
3. In number, they were estimated to be three hundred thou-
sand altogether, both cavalry and infantry. They knew our
knights had been forced to become footmen, weak and helpless.
4. After Peter, the ambassador, returned, the answer was
given. After they heard it, the Franks prepared to fight, stop-
ping at nothing, but placing their hope wholly in God.
5. There were many Turkish princes whom they called emirs
present. These are: Corbagath, 1 Maleducat, 2 Amisoliman, 3 and
many others whom it takes too long to name.
1 Kerboga of Mosul
2 Shams el-Muluk Dukak of Damascus.
3 Emir Sulaiman, governor of Aleppo and son of Ilgazi.

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52 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

XXII

T H E PREPARATION FOR BATTLE

1. T h e Frankish princes were: Hugh the Great, Robert,

Count of the Normans, Robert, Count of Flanders, Duke God-
frey, Count Raymond, Bohemond, and others of lesser rank.
May God bless the soul of Ademar, Bishop of Puy, an apostolic
man, who always kindly comforted the people and strength-
ened them in the Lord.
2. Oh, pious circumstance! On the preceding evening, he
ordered by heralds to all the soldiers of the army of God, that
each one lay out as much grain as he could, considering the
dearness of it, to supply his horse, so that those carrying the
riders on the morrow might not become weak from hunger in
the hour of battle. It was ordered, and it was done.
3. All having been thus prepared, they went forth to battle
from the city in the early morning, which fell four days before
the Kalends of July. 1 T h e banners of the squadrons and lines,
conveniently divided into troops and phalanges, went first.
Among these were the priests clothed in white vestments, who,
weeping for all the people, sang hymns to God, and poured out
many prayers devoutly.
4. When a certain Turk, Amirdal by name, 2 a well-proven
soldier, had seen our people with standards raised coming forth
against them, he was exceedingly astonished. And when he had
carefully regarded our nobles' standards, which he saw advanc-
ing one by one in order, he supposed that the battle would
shortly ensue.
5. He had reconnoitred frequently in Antioch, where he had
learned this about the Franks. He immediately hastened to
Corbagath, and informed him what he had seen, saying: " W h y
do you amuse yourself with chess? Behold, the Franks are com-
ing!" Corbagath responded to him: "Are they coming to fight?"
June 28, 1098.
2 Probably merely emir and not personally identifiable.

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 VICTORY OF T H E CHRISTIAN'S 53

Amirdal responded: "Up to the present time, I do not know, but

wait a little while."
6. When Corbagath also saw the banners of our nobles car-
ried before them in order and the divisions of men, properly
ordered, following them, returning quickly, he said: "Behold,
the Franks! What do you think?" Amirdal responded: "It is war,
I believe, but it is still doubtful. I shall soon recognize to
whom these standards, which I see, belong."
7. Looking more closely, he recognized the standard of the
Bishop of Puy advancing in the third squadron.
Without waiting any longer, he told Corbagath:
"Behold, the Franks are coming; either flee now, or fight well;
for I see the standard of the great Pope advancing. Today you
may fear to be overcome by those whom you thought could be
entirely annihilated."
8. Corbagath said: "I shall send word to the Franks, that
what they asked of me yesterday, today I shall grant." Amirdal
said: "You have spoken too late." Although he demanded it, he
did not obtain what he asked. Amirdal presently
Withdrawing from that place, drove his horse with spurs.
He reflected whether or not to flee; yet he told his comrades
That everybody should fight bravely and hurl arrows.

XXIII

T H E B A T T L E AND T H E V I C T O R Y O F T H E
CHRISTIANS AND T H E F L I G H T O F T H E TURKS

1. Behold, Hugh the Great and Count Robert the Norman,

and also Robert, Count of Flanders, were stationed in the first
line of battle for the attack. In the second, Duke Godfrey
followed with the Germans and Lotharingians. After those
marched the Bishop of Puy and the people of Count Raymond,
Gascons and Provenals. Count Raymond himself remained in
the city to guard it. Bohemond skilfully led the last division.
2. When the Turks saw that they were being fiercely attacked

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54 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

by the whole army of the Franks, they began to dart out in a

scattered fashion, as was their custom, and to hurl arrows. But
fear having been let loose from heaven against them, as if the
whole world had fallen, all of them took to unrestrained flight,
and the Franks chased them with all their might.
3. But because the Franks had few horses and these weak
from hunger, they did not take as much booty as they should
have. Nevertheless, all the tents remained on the plains, and
they found many kinds of things in them, such as gold, silver,
coverlets, clothing, utensils, and many other things, which the
Turks, in great flight, had left or flung away in their flight,
namely, horses, mules, camels, asses, the best helmets, and bows
and arrows with quivers.
4. Corbagath, who had slain the Franks many times with
such cruel words and threats, fled more swiftly than a deer. But
why did he, who had a people so great and so well equipped
with horses, flee? Because he strove to fight against God, and
the Lord seeing him afar, entirely broke his pomp and strength.
5. Because they had good and swift horses, they escaped, al-
though the slower ones fell into the hands of the Franks. Many
of them and of the Saracen infantry were killed. A few of ours
were injured. When their women were found in the tents, the
Franks did nothing evil to them except pierce their bellies with
their lances.
6. Everybody, placed in such great need and distress, blessed
and glorified God in a voice of exultation, God, who in the
righteousness of His compassion liberated those trusting in Him
from such savage enemies. He powerfully scattered them in
defeat, after the Christians were almost conquered first. Made
wealthy with the substance of those people, they returned
pleased to the city.
7. When the venerable city of Antioch was taken,
Eleven times a hundred, if you subtract therefrom twice
one,
Then so many were the years of our Lord born of the
Virgin
Under the star of Phoebus, twice nine times risen from
Gemini.

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 L E T T E R OF T H E PRINCES 55

8. At that time Ademar the Bishop, may his soul enjoy eter-
nal rest, died on the Kalends of August.1 Amen! Then Hugh the
Great, with the good will of the princes, went away to Constan-
tinople; thence to France. 2

XXIV

T H E L E T T E R O F T H E PRINCES A D D R E S S E D TO
T H E ROMAN P O N T I F F 1

1. "To the \'enerable Urban, Lord and Pope: Bohemond;

Raymond, Count of Saint Gilles; Godfrey, Duke of Lorraine;
Robert, Count of Normandy; Robert, Count of Flanders; and
Eustace, Count of Boulogne, in true subjection to Christ send
greetings as faithful servants and sons to their spiritual father.
2. "We desire that everything be made known to you: how
with the great mercy of God and His most evident support,
Antioch was captured by us; how the Turks, who had brought
many insults on our Lord Jesus Christ, were captured and killed;
how we pilgrims of Jesus Christ avenged the harm to Highest
God; how we, who besieged the Turks first, were afterwards
besieged by Turks coming from Khorassan, Jerusalem, Damas-
cus, and from many other places; 2 and how we were liberated
through the mercy of Jesus Christ.
3. "After the capture of Nicaea, we subjugated that very
great multitude of Turks, as you have heard, on the Kalends of
July, as they met us in the Valley of Dorylaeum. W e put to
flight that great Sulaiman and plundered everything of his, both
land and possessions, and all of Romania was acquired and
pacified. After these things were done, we came to besiege An-
tioch. W e endured many evils in the siege. Because of the bat-
tles with the neighboring Turks and heathen rushing in on us
August 1, 1098.
2 Beginning of July, 1098.

1 The letter was written September 11, 1098.

2 Pure rhetoric. They never fought the Turks of Khorassan and had
little dealings with the Damascenes, and as yet they had had no fighting
with the Egyptians of Jerusalem.

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56 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

so frequently in great numbers, we were more truly said to be

besieged by those whom we had besieged in Antioch.
4. "At length, after all the battles were over, the Christian
faith was exalted at their fortunate outcome in this manner: I,
Bohemond, after a compact was made with a certain Turk, who
handed over that city to me, placed the ladders on the wall
shortly before daybreak three days before the Nones of June.
Thus we took the city which had formerly resisted Christ. W e
killed Aoxian, the tyrant of that city, with many of his soldiers,
and kept their wives, sons, and households, along with their
gold and silver and all their possessions.
5. "However, we were not able to take possession of the cit-
adel of Antioch fortified by the Turks. When, on the morrow,
we had wished to attack that citadel, we saw the countless mul-
titude of Turks that we had awaited outside the city for many
days to come to wage war with us, running to and fro across the
plains. On the third day, they besieged us, and more than a
hundred thousand of them entered the aforementioned citadel.
From the gate of the citadel, they hoped to get down into the
city, part of which was held by them, and part by us.
6. " W e , however, by standing on another height opposite
this citadel, guarded the path descending to the city between
both armies, so that they, far more numerous than we, might
not break through, and by fighting within and without by night
and day, forced them to renter the citadel gates and return to
camp.
7. "When they had seen that they were not able to injure us
from that side, they so surrounded us on every side that none of
our men could leave nor come to us. W e were all desolate and
discouraged about this. Dying from hunger and many other
worries, many of our men killed our famished horses and asses,
and ate them.
8. "Meanwhile, with the kindest mercy of almighty God
coming to our aid and watching over us, we found in the Church
of Saint Peter, the first of the Apostles, the Lord's Lance by
which our Savior's side was pierced by the hands of Longinus.
Saint Andrew, the Apostle, thrice revealed it to a certain serv-
ant of God, even showing the place where the L a n c e lay. W e

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 LETTER OF THE PRINCES 57

were so comforted and strengthened by his discovery and by

so many other divine revelations that some of us who had been
discouraged and fearful beforehand, then became courageous
and resolute to fight, and encouraged others.
9. "Besieged for three weeks and four days, on the eve of the
feast day of Apostles Peter and Paul, 3 trusting in God, and con-
fessing all our sins, we went out of the gates of the city with
all our war equipment. W e were so few that they were assured
that we were not fighting against them, but were fleeing.
10. "All of our men having been prepared, and certain ranks
both of footsoldiers and knights have been arranged in order
for battle, with the Lord's Lance we boldly sought where their
greater courage and strength lay, and forced them to flee from
their most advanced positions. As was their custom, they began
to scatter on all sides, occupying hills and paths, and wherever
they could they wished to surround us. For they thought they
could kill all of us in this manner. But our men having been
trained in many battles against their trickery and cleverness,
God's grace and mercy so came to our aid that we, who were
very few in comparison to them, drove them all close together.
Then with God's right hand fighting with us, we forced them so
driven together to flee, and to leave their camps with everything
in them.
11. "Having totally conquered them, having put them to
flight for a whole day, and having killed many thousands of their
soldiers, we returned to the city glad and cheerful. A certain
emir, 4 who was in the citadel with a thousand men, surrendered
it to Bohemond, and by his own hand cordially yoked himself to
the Christian faith. And so our Lord Jesus Christ transferred all
Antioch to the Roman religion and faith.
12. "Since it is always customary for some gloom to intervene
on happy occasions, that Bishop of Puy, whom you committed
to us as your vicar, died on the Kalends of August, after the
battle, in which he nobly participated, was finished, and after
the city was restored to peace.
13. "Now, we, thy sons, deprived of the father committed to
a June 28.
* Ahmed ibn Meruan. ( "Chronologie," 292. )

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58 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

us, ask of you, our spiritual father, who initiated this enterprise,
and by your sermons made us leave everything, both our lands
and whatever was in them, and bade us take up our crosses to
follow Christ, and charged us to exalt the Christian name above
every name; in order to complete what you urged, we ask you
to come to us, and urge whomsoever you can to come with you.
For it was here that the name Christian was first employed.
After Saint Peter was enthroned in his church which we see
daily, those who formerly were called Galileans here first and
originally were called Christians. Therefore, what in the world
would seem more appropriate than that you, who stand as the
head and father of the Christian religion, should come to the
principal city and capital of the Christian name, and that you
should finish the war, which is yours, in person?
14. "We have overcome the Turks and heathens; heretics,
however, Greeks and Armenians, Syrians, and Jacobites, we
have not been able to overcome. Therefore we enjoin you again
and again, our dearest father, that you, the father and head,
come to the place of your fatherhood; that you, who are the
vicar of Saint Peter, sit on his throne; that you keep us, thy
sons, obedient in doing all things rightly; and that you eradicate
and destroy all heresies, of whatever nature they be, with your
authority and with our strength. And thus with us may you
bring about the way of Jesus Christ begun by us and suggested
first by you; may you even open the gates both to Jerusalem and
to the liberated Sepulchre of the Lord for us; and may you make
the Christian name be exalted above every name. If you come to
us and accomplish with us the course begun through you, the
whole world will be obedient to you. May God who lives and
reigns in ages without end suffer you to do it. Amen."
5 Syrians are Greek Orthodox who celebrate service in Syriac. Jacobites
are a raonophysite sect in Syria, much like the Copts of Egypt, and are
named for their founder Jacobus Baradaeus.

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 JOURNEY TO J E R U S A L E M 59

XXV

T H E INVASION O F T H E C I T I E S . T H E S I E G E
U N D E R T A K E N AT ARCHAS AND T H E J O U R N E Y
AND ARRIVAL O F T H E FRANKS AT J E R U S A L E M

1. When our men and their horses, who had been wearied
by much labor for many days, were refreshed by food and rest
for four months at Antioch, they resumed their former strength.
Having arranged a plan, one part of the army went into inner
Syria, desiring to delay the march to Jerusalem. In this, Bohe-
mond and Count Raymond were the leaders. 1 Other princes re-
mained in the vicinity of Antioch.
2. These two men, with their people, seized Barra - and
Marra, 3 by a courageous attack. After the former city had been
captured quickly and completely depopulated by the slaughter
of its citizens and everything which they found there had been
seized, they hastened to the other city. Here, when the siege
had lasted twenty days,4 our people suffered excessive hunger.
I shudder to tell that many of our people, harassed by the mad-
ness of excessive hunger, cut pieces from the buttocks of the
Saracens already dead there, which they cooked, but when it
was not yet roasted enough by the fire, they devoured it with
savage mouth. So the besiegers rather than the besieged were
tormented.
3. Meanwhile, after they had made what machines they
could, and moved them to the wall, in an assault of great bold-
ness, with God favoring, the Franks entered over the top of the
wall. On that day and the following, they killed all the Saracens
from the greatest to the least, and plundered all their substance.
4. This city having been thus destroyed, Bohemond returned
1 According to the Cesta, Chapter 30, this expedition was begun by

Raymond Pilet, one of Count Raymond's men, but Count Raymond had
to rescue him.
2 Barra ( Albara ) was taken September 25, 1098.

3 The Franks arrived at Marra (Ma'arrat al-Nu'man) November 27,

1098.
4 The siege ended December 11, 1098, but the Franks remained there

until January 13, 1099.

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60 F U L C H E R O F CHARTRES

to Antioch, from which he drove out the men whom Count Ray-
mond had left there to guard his section of the city. Afterwards
he possessed this city with the whole province. For he said that
it was through his promises and through his negotiations that
it had been acquired.
5. Count Raymond, after Tancred joined him, continued the
journey to Jerusalem already begun. Also the Norman Count
joined this army on the second day after the departure from
captured Marra.
6. In the year 1099 from the Incarnation of the Lord, they set
out to the aforementioned town of Archas,5 situated at the foot
of Mount Lebanon, which Aracaeus, the son of Canaan, the
nephew of Noah,6 founded. But because it was most difficult to
take, after laboring for almost five weeks in its siege, they ac-
complished nothing.
7. Duke Godfrey and Robert, Count of Flanders, followed
not far after the army. They were besieging Gibellum,7 when,
upon the arrival of messengers, they had to hasten to the others.
For this reason, they left Gibellum immediately, and because of
the call for aid, they hastened to join the army. But the battle
for which they had been summoned did not materialize. They
stayed to take part in the siege [of Archas].8
8. In that siege, Anselm of Ribemont, a vigorous soldier,
died of a blow from a stone.
9. Having held council, they decided that to stay there and
not take the town would do great harm to the whole army. It
would be advantageous, some said, to abandon the siege and
take up the march at a time when the road was not crowded

February 14, 1099.

Reference to Genesis 10:15-17.
7 Gibellum = Gabala, port in Northern Syria near St. Simeon, and not

to be confused with Gibelet ( Djubail ) south of Tripoli.

8 While besieging Archas, Raymond and Robert of Normandy heard

that a Turkish army was coming to attack them; so they requested God-
frey to come to their aid. The alarm turned out to be a false rumor, and
Godfrey was angry because he had given up the siege of Gibellum for
nothing.
Anselm of Ribemont, vassal of the Archbishop of Rheims; his letters to
his lord Menasses are among the most important sources for the Crusades.
He died February 25, 1099.

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as FULCHER OF CHARTRES

with merchants, and during the harvest season. For as they

inarched along, they could live on the ripened harvests pre-
pared for their subsistence by God, under Whose leadership
they would reach the much desired end of their pilgrimage.
This plan was accepted and undertaken.
10. The tents having been packed, they went away and
crossed through the city of Tripoli. After they had passed
through this city, they came to the town of Gibelet.10 It was
April, and already they were living off the harvests. Thence,
going forward and passing near the city of Beirut,11 they came
upon another city which we read as Sidon 12 by its name in the
land of Phoenicia; which Sidon, a son of Canaan, founded,
whence came the Sidonians. From Sidon to Sarepta. From here,
they came to Tyre,13 a very excellent city, from which Apollo
came, about whom we have read. About these two cities, the
Gospel says: "into the provinces of Tyre and Sidon." 14 Now, the
inhabitants of the region called the former Sagitta, and the
other Sur. For it was called Soor in Hebrew.
11. Thence to the fortress named Ziph, in the sixth mile from
Ptolemais. After this, they crossed over to Ptolemais, formerly
called Accon,15 which certain mistaken ones of our men thought
to be Acharon. But the city of Acharon is in the land of the Phil-
istines near Ascalon, between Jamnia Je and Azot. In truth Ac-
con, that is Ptolemais, has Mount Carmel on the south. Crossing
next to it, they left to the right the city called Caypha.17 After
these, we came close to Dora, then to Caesarea of Palestine,
which in ancient times was called by another name of Turris
Stratonis. Here Herod, named Agrippa, the nephew of that
Herod in whose time Christ was bom, died unhappily, con-
sumed by worms.
1 0 T h e y arrived in Gibelet (Djubail), ancient Byblos (whence Bible),

March 2, and the siege lasted until March 11.

1 1 The Franks arrived in Beirut, ancient Berytus, May 18 or 19, 1099.
1 2 They came to Sidon (Saida), ancient Phoenician city, May 20.
1 3 Tyre = Tyr, Sur, Phoenician city.
1 4 Matthew 15:21.
1 5 The Franks stayed May 24-25 in Acre (Accon), St. Jean d'Acre,

ancient Ptolemais.
1 6 Jamnia = Ibelin.
1 7 Caypha - Haifa.

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 JOURNEY T O J E R U S A L E M 63

12. Then they left the maritime region on the right and the
town of Arsur, and they proceeded through a city, Rama or
Aramathea by name, from which the Saracen inhabitants had
fled on the day before the Franks arrived. Here they found much
grain which they loaded on their beasts of burden and carried
all the way to Jerusalem.
13. After a delay of four days there, 18 when they had ap-
pointed the bishop of the Church of Saint George, 19 and had
placed men on guard in the citadels of the city, they went for-
ward on their journey to Jerusalem. On that day they marched
as far as the fortress, which was called Emmaus, 2 0 near which
was Modin, the city of the Maccabees.
14. On the following night, one hundred of the truest sol-
diers mounted their horses. When the dawn grew bright, they
came close to Jerusalem, and hastened all the way to Bethlehem.
Of these, one was Tancred, and another one was Baldwin. 21
When the Christians, evidently Greeks and Syrians, who fre-
quently reconnoitred there, found that the Franks had come,
they were especially filled with great joy. Yet at first they did
not know what race they were, thinking them to be either
Turks or Arabs.
15. But when they looked at them more closely face to face,
they did not doubt that they were Franks. Immediately, when
they had gladly taken up their crosses and banners, they pro-
ceeded to meet the Franks with weeping and pious singing:
with weeping, because they feared lest such a small number of
people at one time or other would be very easily slain by such
a great multitude of heathen, whom they knew to be in their
own land; with singing, because they wished joy to those whom
they had desired to come for a long time, those who they knew
would raise Christianity again to its proper and former honor,
after it had been ruined by the wicked for such a long time.
16. A consecrated public thanksgiving to God was performed
18 The Franks remained from June 2 to June 6, 1099, in Rama ( Ramleh ).
Fulcher errs in identifying Rama as Aramathea. ( Hagenmeyer, Historia,
Bk. I, Ch. XXV, 12, . 4 1 . )
Robert de Rouen. ("Chronologie," 382.)
2 0 Emmaus = Am was.
2 1 Baldwin de Bourg, cousin to Godfrey, later became Baldwin II.

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64 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

there in the Church of the Blessed Mary. When they had visited
the place where Christ was bom, and after they had given the
kiss of peace to the Syrians, they returned quickly to the holy
city of Jerusalem.
17. Behold! there was the army following. Gabaon,-- which
was about five and three-quarters miles from Jerusalem, had
been passed on the left. Here Joshua had commanded the sun
and the moon. They approached the city. When the advance
guard bearing the banners aloft had shown them to the citizens,
straightway the enemy within came out against them. But those
who had so hastily come out, were soon driven hastily back into
the city.
June was now warmed by the heat of its seventh sun,
When the Franks surrounded Jerusalem in siege.

XXVI

T H E SITUATION OF JERUSALEM

1. The city of Jerusalem is situated in a mountainous region,

lacking in streams, woods, and springs, with the exception of
the Pool of Siloam, which is a bowshot from the city. Here there
is sufficient water sometimes, but occasionally the supply is re-
duced by drawing off the water.1 This little pool is in the valley
at the foot of Mount Zion, in the course of the brook Cedron
which, in the winter time, is accustomed to flow through the
middle of the Valley of Jehosophat.
2. Many cisterns in the city, which are reserved for winter
rains, are kept filled with an abundance of water. Many, from
which man and beast are refreshed, are found outside the city
also.
3. This city was made of modest size in its extent, so that
neither because of its smallness nor because of its magnitude
does it offend anyone. Within, it is as wide from wall to wall
" Gabaon = Gibeon.
1 Concerning the Pool of Siloam, see Duncalf, Capture of Jerusalem,
1, n. 9.

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 SITUATION OF JERUSALEM 65

as a bow can shoot an arrow four times. On the west there is

the T o w e r of David, at the angle of two walls of the city; on
the south is M o u n t Zion, a little closer than a bowshot; to the
east is the M o u n t of Olives, a mile from t h e city.
4. T h e T o w e r of D a v i d is of solid masonry up to t h e middle,
constructed of large s q u a r e stones sealed with molten lead. I f
it were well supplied with rations for soldiers, fifteen or twenty
m e n could d e f e n d it from every attack of the e n e m y .
5. In this city is the T e m p l e of the L o r d , a round structure, at
the place w h e r e Solomon had formerly built one w h i c h was
m o r e wonderful. Although in no wise can this T e m p l e b e com-
pared to that former one, yet it is most beautifully m a d e and of
marvelous workmanship.
6. T h e C h u r c h of t h e Lord's Sepulchre, also round in form,
was never covered, but through a w i d e opening w h i c h was skil-
fully devised b y a wise architect, t h e S e p u l c h r e can always b e
seen from above. 2
7. I am not able, nor do I dare to assert, nor am I wise enough
to tell many things that are kept therein, some of w h i c h are
there now, and others already gone, lest I mislead those who
h e a r of or read about these things. In the middle of the T e m p l e ,
w h e n w e first entered it, and for almost fifteen years afterwards,
w e saw kept a certain native rock. T h e y claimed to know by div-
ination that the Ark of the C o v e n a n t of the L o r d with the urn
and with the tablets of Moses were inclosed and sealed in it.
Josiah, King of J u d a h , ordered it to b e p l a c e d there, saying:
"You will in no wise carry it from that p l a c e . " F o r h e saw its
future captivity.
8. B u t that is contrary to w h a t w e read in the writings of
J e r e m i a h in the second b o o k of the M a c c a b e e s , b e c a u s e Jere-
miah himself hid it in Arabia, saying that it was in no wise to
b e found, until many nations w e r e gathered together. H e was
a contemporary of the King Josiah; although the king's life c a m e
to an end b e f o r e J e r e m i a h died.
9. T h e y also said that an Angel of the L o r d had stood on the

2 Church of the Lord's Sepulchre was the most important church in all

Christendom. For a description of it, see "Felix Fabri, ' I, Part II, Palestine
Pilgrims' Text Society, edited by Aubrey Stewart (London, 1896).

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 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

aforementioned rock and that people had perished because of

an enumeration foolishly made by David and displeasing to the
Lord. Since that rock disfigured the Temple of the Lord, after-
wards it was entirely covered and encased in marble. Its pres-
ent position is under the altar where the priest performs the
rituals. All the Saracens had greatly revered this Temple of the
Lord. Here they made their prayers more gladly than elsewhere,
although they wasted them, since in idolatry they made them in
the name of Mohammed. They permitted no Christian to enter
there.
10. Another temple, which is said to be Solomon's, is large
and marvelous. However, it is not that same one which Solomon
built. Because of our poverty, it could not be maintained in the
state in which we found it; and because of this, it is now de-
stroyed in great part.
11. They had gutters in the streets of the city, in which all
dirt was washed away in the rainy season.
12. The Emperor Aelius Hadrian decorated this city wonder-
fully, and adorned the streets beautifully with pavements. Je-
rusalem was called Aelia in his honor. Because of these and
other such things, it is a venerated and glorious city.

XXVII

T H E SIEGE O F T H E CITY OF JERUSALEM

1. When the Franks viewed the city, and saw that it would
be difficult to take, our princes ordered wooden ladders to be
made. By erecting them against the wall they hoped to scale it,
and by a fierce attack enter the city, with God helping.
2. After they had done this, when the leaders gave the signal
and the trumpets sounded, in morning's bright light of the
seventh day following 1 they rushed upon the city from all sides
in an astonishing attack. But when they had rushed upon it
until the sixth hour of the day, and were unable to enter by
1 June 13, 1099.

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 SIEGE OF JERUSALEM 67

m e a n s of the scaling ladders b e c a u s e there w e r e f e w of t h e m ,

they sadly a b a n d o n e d the assault.
3. After consultation,- craftsmen w e r e ordered to m a k e ma-
chines, so that b v moving them to the walls they might, with
God's aid, obtain the desired end. So this was done.
4. M e a n w h i l e they suffered lack of neither b r e a d nor m e a t ;
but, because that place was dry, unirrigated, and without rivers,
b o t h the men and the beasts of burden were very m u c h in need
of water to drink. T h i s necessity forced them to seek water at a
distance, and daily they laboriously carried it in skins from
four or five miles to the siege.
5. After the machines were prepared, namely, the battering-
rams and the sows, they again prepared to assail t h e city. In
addition to other kinds of siege craft, they constructed a tower
from small pieces of wood, b e c a u s e large pieces could not b e
secured in those regions. W h e n the order was given, they car-
ried the tower p i e c e m e a l to a corner of the city. E a r l y in the
s a m e morning, when they h a d gathered the machines and
other auxiliar)' weapons, they very quickly e r e c t e d the tower
in c o m p a c t shape not far from the wall. After it was set u p and
well covered by hides on the outside, b y pushing it they slowly
m o v e d it nearer to the wall.
6. T h e n a f e w but b r a v e soldiers, at a signal from the h o m ,
c l i m b e d on the tower. Nevertheless the S a r a c e n s d e f e n d e d them-
selves from these soldiers and, with slings, hurled firebrands
dipped in oil and grease at the tower and at the soldiers, w h o
w e r e in it. T h e r e a f t e r death was present and sudden for many
on both sides.
7. F r o m their position on M o u n t Zion, C o u n t R a y m o n d and
his men likewise m a d e a great assault with their machines.
F r o m another position, w h e r e D u k e Godfrey, R o b e r t , C o u n t of
the Normans, and R o b e r t of Flanders, w e r e situated, an even
greater assault was m a d e on the wall. T h i s was w h a t was done
on that day.
8. On t h e following day, at the blast of t h e trumpets, they
undertook the same work m o r e vigorously, so that b y h a m m e r -
ing in one place with the battering-rams, they b r e a c h e d the wall.
2 June 15.

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6 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

The Saracens had suspended two beams before the battlement

and secured them by ropes as a protection against the stones
hurled at them by their assailants. But what they did for their
advantage later turned to their detriment, with God's provi-
dence. For when the tower was moved to the wall, the ropes,
by which the aforesaid beams were suspended, were cut by
falchions, and the Franks constructed a bridge for themselves
out of the same timber, which they cleverly extended from the
tower to the wall.
9. Already one stone tower on the wall, at which those work-
ing our machines had thrown flaming firebrands, was afire. The
fire, little by little replenished by the wooden material in the
tower, produced so much smoke and flame that not one of the
citizens on guard could remain near it.
10. Then the Franks entered the city magnificently at the
noonday hour on Friday, 3 the day of the week when Christ
redeemed the whole world on the cross. With trumpets sound-
ing and with everything in an uproar, exclaiming: "Help, Godi"
they vigorously pushed into the city, and straightway raised the
banner on the top of the wall. All the heathen, completely ter-
rified, changed their boldness to swift flight through the narrow
streets of the quarters. The more quickly they fled, the more
quickly were they put to flight.
11. Count Raymond and his men, who were bravely assail-
ing the city in another section, did not perceive this until they
saw the Saracens jumping from the top of the wall. Seeing this,
they joyfully ran to the city as quickly as they could, and helped
the others pursue and kill the wicked enemy.
12. Then some, both Arabs and Ethiopians, fled into the
Tower of David; others shut themselves in the Temple of the
Lord and of Solomon, where in the halls a very great attack
was made on them. Nowhere was there a place where the
Saracens could escape the swordsmen.
13. On the top of Solomon's Temple, to which they had
climbed in fleeing, many were shot to death with arrows and
cast down headlong from the roof. Within this Temple about
July 15, 1099.

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 SPOILS WHICH THE CHRISTIANS TOOK 69

ten thousand 4 were beheaded. If you h a d been there, your feet

would have been stained u p to the ankles with the blood of the
slain. W h a t more shall I tell? Not one of them was allowed to
live. They did not spare the women and children.

XXVIII

T H E SPOILS W H I C H T H E CHRISTIANS TOOK

1. After they had discovered the cleverness of the Saracens,

it was an extraordinary thing to see our squires and poorer
people split the bellies of those dead Saracens, so that they
might pick out besants 1 from their intestines, which they had
swallowed down their horrible gullets while alive. After sev-
eral days, they made a great heap of their bodies and burned
them to ashes, and in these ashes they found the gold more
easily.
2. Tancred rushed into the Temple of the Lord, and seized
much of the gold and silver and precious stones. But he re-
stored it, and returned everything or something of equal value
to its holy place. I say "holy," although nothing divine was
practised there at the time when the Saracens exercised their
form of idolatry in religious ritual and never allowed a single
Christian to enter.
3. With drawn swords, our people ran through the city;
Nor did they spare anyone, not even those pleading for
mercy.
The crowd was struck to the ground, just as rotten fruit
Falls from shaken branches, and acorns from a wind-
blown oak.
4
Albert of Aix says three hundred, and Hagenmeyer accepts this num-
ber, not Fulcher's.
1
Besants: gold coins, so called because they were originally Byzantine.
Saracen besants were dinars of the same value as the Byzantine coins.

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70 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

XXIX

T H E SOJOURN O F T H E CHRISTIANS IN T H E CITY

1. After this great massacre, they entered the homes of the

citizens, seizing whatever they found in them. It was done sys-
tematically, so that whoever had entered the home first, whether
he was rich or poor, was not to be harmed by anyone else in any
way. He was to have and to hold the house or palace and what-
ever he had found in it entirely as his own. Since they mutually
agreed to maintain this rule, many poor men became rich.
2. Then, going to the Sepulchre of the Lord and His glorious
Temple, the clerics and also the laity, singing a new song 1 unto
the Lord in a high-sounding voice of exultation, and making of-
ferings and most humble supplications, joyously visited the
Holy Place as they had so long desired to do.
3. Oh, time so longed for! Oh, time remembered among all
others! Oh, deed to be preferred before all deeds! Truly longed
for, since it had always been desired by all worshippers of the
Catholic faith with an inward yearning of the soul. This was the
place, where the Creator of all creatures, God made man, in
His manifold mercy for the human race, brought the gift of
spiritual rebirth. Here He was born, died, and rose. Cleansed
from the contagion of the heathen inhabiting it at one time or
another, so long contaminated by their superstition, it was re-
stored to its former rank by those believing and trusting in Him.
4. And truly memorable and rightly remembered, because
those things which the Lord God our Jesus Christ, as a man
abiding among men on earth, practised and taught have often
been recalled and repeated in doctrines. And, likewise, what
the Lord wished to be fulfilled, I believe, by this people so
dear, both His disciple and servant and predestined for this
task, will resound and continue in a memorial of all the lan-
guages of the universe to the end of the ages.
1
Reference to Psalms 33:3; 96:1.

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 KING AND PATRIARCH 71

XXX

T H E CREATION O F KING AND PATRIARCH OF

JERUSALEM AND T H E FINDING O F THE
LORD'S CROSS

1. In the thousand and one hundred year less one

F r o m the illustrious Lord's birth of the Virgin,
W h e n Phoebus h a d lighted J u l y fifteen times, 1
T h e Franks c a p t u r e d J e r u s a l e m b y strength of power;
And soon m a d e G o d f r e y the ruler of the land.

All the people of the army of the L o r d elected him b e c a u s e of

his noble excellence, the proven worth of his military service,
his patient temperance, and also the e l e g a n c e of his manners,
as t h e ruler of the kingdom in the H o l y City, to preserve and
govern it.
2. At that time canons w e r e appointed to serve in t h e
C h u r c h of the Lord's S e p u l c h r e and in His T e m p l e . T h e n they
decided not to elect a patriarch until they had asked the Ro-
man P o p e whom he wished to nominate.-
3. M e a n w h i l e about five hundred Turks, Arabs, and b l a c k
Ethiopians, w h o had fled into the T o w e r of D a v i d , requested
C o u n t R a y m o n d , w h o sojourned n e a r that tower, to permit
as many as were alive to go away provided they leave their
money in t h e tower. H e granted this, and from that place they
went to Ascalon.
4. It w a s pleasing to G o d at that time, that a small p i e c e of
the Lord's Cross was found in a hidden place. 3 F r o m ancient
times until now it had b e e n c o n c e a l e d by religious men, and
now, G o d b e i n g willing, it was revealed b y a certain Syrian.
H e , with his father as conspirator, had carefully concealed and
1 The date Fulcher gives here is that of the capture of Jerusalem; God-

frey was made prince on July 22.

2 Arnulf of Cnocques, the chaplain of Robert of Normandy was elected

Patriarch pro tern. (See David, Robert Curthose, 217-220.)

3 The particle was found August 5, 1099.

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72 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

guarded it there. This particle, reshaped in the style of a cross

and artistically decorated with gold and silver, was first carried
to the Lord's Sepulchre and then to the Temple joyfully, with
singing and giving thanks to God, who for so many days had
preserved this treasure, His own and ours.

XXXI

T H E ARRIVAL AND ATTACK OF THE PAGANS

AND T H E VICTORY OF THE CHRISTIANS

1. The king of Babylon 1 and the leader of his army, Lavedal

by name,2 heard that the Franks already had come into their
territory, and were subduing the Babylonian kingdom for them-
selves. After a multitude of Turks, Arabs, and Ethiopians had
assembled, they came to wage war on the Franks. When mes-
sengers reported that Jerusalem had been so fiercely captured,
the unworthy Babylonian leader hastened either to do battle
with them or to besiege them while they were within that city.
2. When the Franks learned this, they undertook a plan of
great boldness. Turning toward Ascalon and carrying with them
the wood of the aforementioned life-giving Cross, they directed
their army against the usurpers [of the land rightfully belong-
ing to the Christians].
3. On a certain day when the Franks were awaiting battle in
the vicinity of Ascalon, they found there a considerable booty
of oxen, camels, sheep, and goats. And with the sunset, when
they had assembled this quarry close to the tents, our leaders,
under edict, ordered them not to take it with them on the
morrow, when they thought the battle would take place, so
that they would be relieved of any burden and ready to fight.
1 Babylon always means Cairo, but according to Beatrice A. Lees,

Anonymi Gesta Francorum et Aliorum Hierosolymitanorum ( Oxford,

1924), p. 117, the name, strictly speaking, refers to the old fortress at
some distance from modern Cairo, which is said to have been built by one
of the later Pharaohs to receive the Babylonian mercenaries in the Egyp-
tian service.
2 Lavedal = Shah-an-Shah el-Afdal (1094-1121), Emir or Vizier of

the Egyptian Caliph, Mustali.

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 VICTORY OF THE CHRISTIANS 73

4. Morning came, and through scouts they learned that the

heathen were approaching. After knowing this, the tribunes
and centurions, with their men formed in wings and phalanges,
so as to carry on battle most skilfullv, advanced boldly, with
banners aloft, against the enemy.
5. You should have seen the animals which had been cap-
tured, as if at a signal from the leaders, march in a straight line
on the left and right of the battle lines, although herded by no
one, so that many of the heathens from a distance, seeing them
marchingO with our soldiers, thought
' O all were the Frankish
armv.
6. Our foes were countless. When thev advanced toward our
lines, the Arabs were spread out in a two-pointed formation like
the horns of a stag, for they intended to surround us in the rear.
Later, Duke Godfrey protected the rear guard by going to its
aid with a band of knights in close formation. The other lead-
ers went ahead, some in the first, some in the second line.
7. But when on both sides enemy had approached enemy
within a stone's throw or less, our footsoldiers shot arrows into
their extended lines. Most fittingly, lances soon followed the
arrows, and our horsemen, as if all had mutually agreed on it
under oath, rushed upon them in fierce attack. Their beasts were
not swift enough in the race, and thev constantly overturned
on their riders, so that in the space of a few hours manv corpses
were white in death.
S. Many of their frightened men climbed to the tops of the
trees. But there, too, they were shot with arrows and mortally
wounded, and unhappily fell to the ground. By penetrating
thrusts from all sides, the Saracens were annihilated. Their
tents were rent. Those who escaped fled as far as the walls of
Ascalon, which lies seven hundred and twenty stadia from
Jerusalem.
9. In the first line their leader, Lavedal, although he had pre-
viously held the Franks in contempt, turned his back in swift
flight. Against his will, he left them his tent, which was pitched
like the others and contained much money. The Franks, pleased
with victor\', returned and joined in giving thanks to the Lord.'
3 August 12, 1 0 9 9 .

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74 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

10. They entered the tents of the Saracens and found in them
great riches, gold, silver, mantles, clothes, and precious stones.
Twelve of these are named as follows: jasper, sapphire, chal-
cedony, emerald, sardonyx^ sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz,
Chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. They also found vessels and
many kinds of useful things, such as golden helmets, the finest
rings, wonderful swords, grain, flour, and many other things.
11. They spent the night there and, always on watch,
guarded themselves well. For on the following day they thought
the fighting would be renewed by the Saracens, but these, ex-
ceedingly terrified, had fled on the same night. The next morn-
ing, when scouts had discovered this, in voices filled with praise
they blessed and glorified God, who permitted so many thou-
sands of the heathen to be routed by a scant army of Christians;
"Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their
teeth!" 4 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!" 5
12. Had not those same Babylonians threatened, saying:
"Let us go and seize Jerusalem with the Franks enclosed
therein! After all of them have been killed, let us wipe out that
Sepulchre so precious to them and hurl the very stones of the
building outside the city, so that no further deceit can ever
come from that place!" But with God's mercy, this was turned
to nought. The Franks loaded the horses and camels with the
money of the Saracens. Since they could not carry the tents and
the many javelins and bows and arrows thrown on the fields,
they put them all in the fire. Thereafter, they returned to Jeru-
salem rejoicing.

XXXII

T H E RETURN O F T H E P R I N C E S T O T H E I R
NATIVE LANDS

1. After these things were done, it pleased certain men to

return to their native lands. And after they had been immersed
* Psalms 124:6.
5 Psalms 33:12.

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 JOURNEY OF THE COUNTS 75

in the Jordan River and had gathered branches of palms from

Jericho, in what was said to be Abraham's garden, Robert,
Count of the Normans, and Robert, Count of Flanders, sailed
to Constntinople. From there, they returned to France to their
own people. 1 Raymond returned as far as Laodicaea of Syria,
and leaving his wife 2 there, went on to Constantinople. Duke
Godfrey, keeping Tancred and several others with himself,
ruled the kingdom of Jerusalem, which he had undertaken to
maintain with the general consent of all.

XXXIII

BOHEMOND AND BALDWIN AND THEIR SOJOURN

IN OTHER PARTS

2. When Lord Bohemond, the prince of Antioch, who was

a wise and active man, and Lord Baldwin, brother of Godfrey,
who ruled the city of Edessa and the neighboring land across
the Euphrates River, had heard that Jerusalem had been cap-
tured by their colleagues who had preceded them, they were
very happy and gave praise and prayers to God.
2. Those who had preceded them with speed on the journey
had worked well and usefully, but there is no doubt that Bohe-
mond and Baldwin and their comrades, although they would
follow them later, would share the same glory.
3. It was now necessary for the land and the cities taken from
the Turks to be carefully guarded, because if everybody, in
going to Jerusalem, abandoned the land, it, perchance, might
be retaken in a surprise attack by the Turks, now driven back
as far as Persia. If this should happen, great harm would befall
all the Franks, both those going and those returning. Perhaps
divine providence delayed Bohemond and Baldwin, judging
that they would be more useful in what they were to do than in
what they had already done.
1
This was the end of August, 1099.
2
This was Raymond's third wife, who was Elvira, daughter of Alfonse
VI of Leon and Castile and his mistress, Ximene.

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76 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

4. Oh, how often, meanwhile, was that same Baldwin

wearied in battles with the Turks in the regions of Mesopotamia!
How many of their heads had been cut off there none could
say. Often it happened that with a few of his own people, he
fought against a great multitude of theirs and with the aid of
God rejoiced in triumph.
5. But when Bohemond had sent messengers to him sug-
gesting that both of them with their men finish the unfulfilled
journey to Jerusalem, Baldwin disposed of his affairs at the first
opportunity and prepared to go.1
6. Hearing that the Turks had invaded one corner of his
country, he put off the undertaking, and as he had not yet as-
sembled his small army, he approached the enemy with only
a few men. Thinking that he had departed on the journey, the
enemy were unconcerned in their tents on a certain day, when
they saw the white standard which Baldwin carried. They were
terrified and fled as quickly as possible. When he saw that he
had put them to flight with so few men, he returned to the
former undertaking.
7. Beginning the journey, with Antioch on the right, Baldwin
came to Laodicaea, where the supplies for the journey were
bought, and the pack saddles were reloaded. We went away in
the month of November. When we had passed by Gibellum, we
came upon Bohemond lodged in his tents before a certain town,
named Valenia.
8. There was with him a certain Archbishop of Pisa, Daim-
bert by name, 2 who had sailed to the port of Laodicaea with
certain Tuscans and Italians, and there they were waiting to
go with us. There was present a certain bishop from Apulia.3
With Lord Baldwin, there was a third bishop.4 We estimated

1
This was in November, 1099.
2
Daimbert was ordained by the anti-Pope, Wibert, but soon returned
to the side of Urban. Bohemond favored him, because he wished to win
the favor of the Pope against Alexius. Daimbert was the first Archbishop
of Pisa.
3
For a discussion of his identity, see Hagenmeyer, Historia, Bk. I,
Ch. XXXIII, 8, . 24.
4
This third bishop was Benedict, Archbishop of Edessa.

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 JOURNEY OF THE COUNTS 77

these gathered together in a friendly manner to be twenty-five

thousand of both sexes: both footsoldiers and knights.
9. When we had entered the lands of the Saracens, we could
secure neither bread nor anything edible from the inhabitants,
who were hostile to us. There was no one who would give or
sell, and because more and more of our supplies were consumed,
many were distressed by hunger. Also the horses and beasts of
burden, with insufficient grain, were especially troubled with
double painthey were moving, but were not eating.
10. Then we found certain crops, on the cultivated fields
through which we passed, that the people called "honey-cane"
[sugar-cane], almost like reeds. The name was composed of
"cane" and "honey"; whence came wood-honey ( I think it was
called ), because it was ingeniously procured from this crop. W e
hungry people chewed these stalks all day because of their
taste of honey, but with little satisfaction.
11. So, for love of God, we suffered these things and many
others, such as hunger, cold, and excessive rains. Some wanting
food ate even horses, asses, and camels. Also, we were very often
racked by excessive cold and frequent rainstorms. The sun's
heat was not great enough to dry thoroughly our drenched,
shabby clothes, since a continuation of rainstorms would harass
us for four or five days.
12. I saw many, without tents, die from the coldness of the
rainstorms. I, Fulcher of Chartres, who was present with them,
saw some of both sexes and very many beasts die from this most
frigid rain. It is long to tell and perhaps tedious to hear, since
no grief nor pain escaped the people of God.
13. Often some were killed by the Saracens lying in ambush
around the narrow passages, or were abducted by them when
they were seeking victuals. You would see soldiers of noble birth
become footsoldiers, their horses having been lost in some way.
Since they needed beasts of burden, you would see goats and
wethers, which they had taken from the Saracens, become very
tired from the packs placed on them and their backs chafed from
the weight of the load.
14. Only twice on the way, from the Tripolitans and the

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78 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

Caesareans, did we have grain, and that at a very dear price.

It is evident that no one can achieve anything great without
tremendous effort. It was a great event when we came to Jeru-
salem.
15. With the visit to this city, our labor of long duration was
consummated. When we had looked at the most desired Holy
of Holies, we were filled with an immense joy. Oh, how many
times we recalled to memory that prophecy of David in which
he said: "We shall worship in the place where His feet have
stoodl" 5 Doubtless the satisfaction which we enjoyed was like-
wise experienced by ever so many others. Truly, we went up
"whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord to testify in
His name, in His sanctuary." 8
16. On that day when we entered Jerusalem, its winter de-
scent being completed, the sun resumed its upward course.7
17. After we had visited the Sepulchre of the Lord and His
glorious Temple and all the other holy places, on the fourth
d a y 8 we went to Bethlehem, so that on the same night of the
annual celebration of the Lord's Nativity we might be present
and keep vigil with prayers in the stall where the reverend Mary
Mother gave birth to Jesus.
18. After the appropriate religious rites had been performed
that night and the third mass observed, in the third hour of the
day we left for Jerusalem.
19. Oh, what a stench there was at that time around the walls
of the city, within and without, from the dead bodies of the
Saracens rotting there until then. Our colleagues had massa-
cred them in the captured city, and wherever they had fol-
lowed them.
20. When we and our beasts of burden had been refreshed
for a rather long time with the necessary rest, and when the
Duke and the other leaders had chosen the patriarch, that is,
the aforementioned Lord Daimbert, in the Church of the Holy
6
Psalms 132:7.
Psalms 122:4.
1
December 21, 1099.
8
December 24.
December 26 to 31, 1099. Again, Fulcher fails to mention Amulf,
provisional patriarch.

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 R E T U R N O F T H E COUNTS 79

Sepulchre, our supplies were replenished and our beasts of

burden reloaded. On our way back, we went down to the Jor-
dan River.
21. It pleased certain ones in the army lately arrived to re-
main in Jerusalem, and certain ones of the first army to go with
us. Duke Godfrey, as formerly, actively governed the land of
Jerusalem.
22. Urban, the venerated pontiff of Rome,
When he was so ill on the third of the Ides of August,
passed away.10

XXXIV

T H E RETURN OF DUKE BOHEMOND AND COUNT

BALDWIN TO THEIR OWN PEOPLE

1. In the year 1100 from the Lord's Incarnation, on the first

day of the year, we cut palm branches in Jericho to cany with
us, as is the custom, and on the second day we commenced the
return journey.
2. It pleased our leaders to go through the city of Tiberias
close to the sea. This sea of fresh water is eighteen miles long
and five miles wide. Then we went through Caesarea Philippi,
which is called Banyas in the Syrian language, situated at the
foot of Mount Lebanon. Here two springs emerge, from which
the Jordan River rises, whose course runs through the Sea of
Galilee into the Dead Sea.
3. This sea, called Genesareth,1 is forty stadia in breadth and
one hundred stadia in length, according to Josephus. The bed of
the Jordan River carries it to the sea which is called the Dead,
because it produces no living thing. This sea, called Asphaltites,
is believed to be without a bottom, because cities, such as Sodom
and Gomorrha, were thrown into the abyss there.
4. I was making conjectures about these springs rather
1 0 Fulcher is in error here; most authoritative sources cite July 29 as

the day of Urban's death.

1 Sea of Galilee.

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80 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

shrewdly, in the manner of Saint Jerome, whose book on the

Prophet Amos I have read, and I concluded that Dan is in the
borders of the land of Judah, where Banyas is now, and that the
tribe of Dan built the city there, which they called Dan in his
honor. F o r this reason, I believe that that spring is called Dan
and the other, which joins it, Jor.
5. W e came to a very strong city, surrounded by remarkable
walls, which they called Baalbek, 2 founded by Solomon and
called Thadmor by him. 3 It is located a two days' journey from
upper Syria and six days' journey from the great Babylon and
about a day's journey from the Euphrates. T h e Greeks call it
Palmyra. Springs and wells are especially abundant in that
place, but on the land below water is found nowhere.
6. Here, nearly four hundred Damascene Turkish soldiers
came to meet us. And when they learned that we were unarmed
and especially weary from labor, they thought that we were
weak. If Lord Baldwin had not wisely and cautiously com-
manded the rear guard on that day, they would have killed
many of our men. On account of excessive rains, both bows and
arrows had failed them because, in those places, they were
fitted together with glue. Bohcmond commanded the first
phalanx. With God helping, they gained nothing from us.
7. Then we pitched our camp before Baalbek. On the follow-
ing day, 4 approaching the sea more closely, we passed through
the cities of Tortosa and Laodicaea. W e again met Count Ray-
mond, whom we had left there. Since grain was dear, we found
nothing there to buy on which we could live. Because of this,
we hastened without delay to Edessa. 5

- They arrived at Baalbek January 18, 1100.

3 As Krey, First Crusade, 298, n. 26, points out, Fulcher's identifying

Baalbek as Thadmor is an error. Thadmor is Palmyra, east from Damascus.

Krey says that Fulcher applied to Baalbek the descriptions he had heard
of Palmyra.
4 January 26, 1100.
6 They arrived at Edessa February 10, 1100.

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 CAPTURE O F DUKE BOHEMOND 81

XXXV

T H E CAPTURE O F D U K E B O H E M O N D

1. Bohemond first came to Antioch, where he was joyously

received by his own people. Then for six months he occupied his
kingdom, as formerly.
2. In the following month of July, with a few of his men, he
arrived at the city called Melitene, which Gabriel 1 gave to him
as its defender, after a compact of mutual friendship between
them was already made through messengers. There a certain
emir, Danisman by name, 2 met him with a great tribe of Turks
and strove to intercept Bohemond as he marched undefended.
3. Not far from Melitene these wicked people, concealed in
ambush, sprang on him from all sides. Our men, not daring
to fight, because they were few, immediately scattered and
fled. The Turks killed many of them and took all their money.
They also seized Bohemond and carried him into captivity. 3
4. When this misfortune was disclosed by those who had
escaped, the desolation of our people waxed great. But Duke
Baldwin of the city of Edessa, with as many Franks as he could
gather together from Edessa and Antioch, went off to find these
enemies at the place where he heard they were.
5. Having cut off a lock of his hair, a prearranged symbol
of identification between them, Bohemond entreated Baldwin
for love of God to help him as quickly as possible. When Danis-
man had heard this, fearing the animosity of these Franks, he
dared not stay before the city of Melitene, which he had sur-
rounded in siege, and fleeing before us little by little, he man-
aged to return to his own people. We, who had struggled so
willingly against them for those three days, were greatly grieved
when they escaped, after we had pursued them beyond the
aforementioned city.
1 Gabriel of Melitene, father-in-law of Baldwin I.
2 Malik Casi Ahmed Kumushtakin ibn Danishmend, emir of Sivas, lord
of Paphlvgonia and Cappadocia.
a August 15, 1100.

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82 FULCHER OF CHARTRES

6. When we had returned, Gabriel gave the city of Melitene

to Baldwin. After making an amicable arrangement and putting
his own guards there, Baldwin returned to Edessa, and the
people of Antioch, sad about their lord, returned to their homes.

XXXVI

T H E DEATH OF GODFREY

1. When Baldwin was enjoying good fortune, lo, a messenger

coming from the people of Jerusalem told him that Duke God-
frey, his own brother, had ended his last day on July eighteenth
at Jerusalem.
2. It is the end of the year since the capture of the city,
When the Lord bestowed on you, Duke Godfrey, the
highest reward, the rule of the city.
But not for long did you discharge this function,
For by nature's command, you passed away.
With the sun arising under Leo's sign, you, happy, rose
to Heaven with Michael coming to meet you.

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