Christian Society and the Crusades, 1198-1229

Sources in Translation, including "The Capture of Damietta" by Oliver of Paderborn

Edward Peters

• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9780812210248
• eBook ISBN: 9780812207361
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: European Medieval History
• Index: History

During the thirteenth century, the widespread conviction that the Christian lands in Syria and Palestine were of utmost importance to Christendom, and that their loss was a sure sign of God's displeasure with Christian society, pervaded nearly all levels of thought. Yet this same society faced other crises: religious dissent and unorthodox beliefs were proliferating in western Europe, and the powers exercised, or claimed, by the kings of Europe were growing rapidly.The sources presented here illustrate the rising criticism of the changing Crusade idea. They reflect a sharpened awareness among Europeans of themselves as a community of Christians and the slow beginnings of the secular culture and political organization of Europe.

III. The Fifth Crusade,

1217-1222

1. Signs and Portents: From the Chronicle of Roger of Wendover

The Crusade invoked by the Fourth Lateran Council began to move in 1217. These brief selections offer a flavor of men’s apprehensiveness and eagerness to answer Pope Innocent’s summons.

Of Signs in the Heavens by which the Province of Cologne Was Incited to Assist in the Crusade, 1217

In the month of May in this year, on the sixth day before Whitsuntide, the province of Cologne was awakened to its duty to the Saviour; for at the town of Bebon in Friesland there appeared in the sky the form of the cross in three places, one towards the north of a white colour, another towards the south of the same form and colour, and the third in the middle of a dark colour, with the form of the crucifix, and the figure of a man suspended on it, with uplifted and extended arms, with nails driven through the feet and hands, and with the head bent down; this one was in the middle between the two others, on which latter did not appear the image of a human body; at another time and place too, namely, at a town of Friesland called Fuserhuse, there appeared near the sun a cross of a blue colour, and more people saw this than those who had seen the former crosses: a third cross appeared at the town of Doctham, where saint Bonifacius was crowned with martyrdom; at this place on the feast of the said martyr, many thousand men having collected together, a large white cross was visible, as though two planks were placed artificially across one another; this cross moved gradually from the north towards the east, and many thousands saw it.

How the Inhabitants of Cologne and Friesland Prepared to March to the Holy Land, 1218

About that time there was a great movement of the brave and warlike men in the provinces of Cologne and Friesland, for since the commencement of the preaching of the crusade after the general council, they had with great eagerness built three hundred ships and having embarked in them, to fulfil to the Lord their vows of pilgrimage, they set sail, and the greater part of them, with a large array of soldiers, had arrived at Lisbon, where a disagreement arose amongst them about laying siege to a strong castle called Alchatia, some being anxious to proceed, and others wishing to winter where they were; so the fleet was divided, and one part of it wintered at Gaeta and Sorrento, and the other part under the command of two chiefs, namely, William duke of Holland, and George count of Weise, laid siege to Alchacia. Whilst they were still employed in the siege, a large force of Saracens was assembled against them, but the Christians bravely gave them battle, and, by the divine assistance, conquered the infidels. One king amongst the pagans was slain, and numbers of others were killed and made prisoners; the castle was at last taken by the Germans, and held by the Christians.

2. The Capture of Damietta, by Oliver of Paderborn, translated with notes by Joseph J. Gavigan

Oliver’s chronicle, written while he was on the Fifth Crusade during the years 1217–1222, is a complete eyewitness account of the response of Christendom to the crusading pleas of Pope Innocent III. It marks a major shift in Crusade strategy, since it was aimed at Egypt instead of Syria, and its near-success reflects the soundness of the change in tactics. The translation and notes printed here were first published in the University of Pennsylvania Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History, Third Series, Volume II (Philadelphia, 1948). The entire work, except for the editorial apparatus, is reprinted below.

Here begins the history of Damietta whereat Master Oliver, compiler of this work and preacher of the Holy Cross, was undoubtedly present.

Foreword

“Let Mount Sion rejoice, and let the daughters of Juda be glad because of Thy judgments, O Lord. Sing ye to the Lord for He hath done great things”;¹ writing and preaching, let them announce the wonders of the Lord² Who hath commanded His sanctified ones and hath called His strong ones in His wrath, them that exult not in their own strength, “not in the works of justice which they themselves have done,”³ but in the glory of His majesty, Who is blessed in all things in eternity. For “the land whence arose the bread that came down from heaven”⁴ in the place of His birth has been cut off by the sword, and by many fortifications which perfidious men occupy; “the stones of this land are the place of sapphires”⁵ because it was the possession of the patriarchs, the nursling of the prophets, the teacher of the apostles, the mother of faith. “The clods of it are gold,”⁶ because the guardians of religion have clung together by charity and have never failed therein. Freed at last after many groans and frequent sighs, it now exults in hope; and trusting in goodness of its deliverer, rejoicing, it will rejoice when “the rod of sinners has been taken away from the lot of the just.”⁷ Indeed what we have seen and heard and have truly understood, we write to all who are orthodox without any admixture of falsity, so that whatever merit there is may appear to the praise of God, and in gratitude to Him.

Chapter 1

In the year 1217, when the truce of the Christians and Saracens¹ had expired, in the first general passage after the Lateran Council,² a large army of the Lord assembled in Acre, with the three kings of Jerusalem,³ Hungary,⁴ and Cyprus,⁵ who, not bearing with them the mystic gifts, offered one not at all worthy of memory. The Duke of Austria⁶ was there, and the Duke of Meran⁷ with many companions and men of noble birth, and the great soldiery of the Teutonic king. There were present pilgrim bishops, the Archbishop of Nicosia,⁸ Raab,⁹ Erlau,¹⁰ Hungary,¹¹ Bayeux,¹² Bamberg,¹³ Zeitz,¹⁴ Münster,¹⁵ and Utrecht;¹⁶ with them was a powerful and noble man, Lord Walter of Avesnes,¹⁷ who, returning in the spring crossing, left forty soldiers in the service of the Holy Land, and provided them with funds sufficient for a year. The Bavarians conducted themselves insolently, and contrary to the law of pilgrims, by destroying the gardens and orchards of the Christians, even casting religious out of their hospices; when this did not satisfy them, they killed the Christians. The Duke of Austria, like a Catholic prince, fought for Christ throughout.

Chapter 2

The Patriarch of Jerusalem,¹ with great humility on the part of the clergy and the people, reverently lifted up the wood of the life-giving Cross, and set out from Acre on the sixth day after the feast of All Saints [Nov. 6, 1217], into the camp of the Lord which had moved to Recordane.² Now this sweet wood had been preserved up to this time, even after the loss of the Holy Land. When the conflict of the Saracens with the Christians was threatening in the time of Saladin, as we have learned from our ancestors, the Cross was cut in pieces; part was carried into battle and was lost there,³ and part was preserved, which now is displayed. With such a standard, we advanced in orderly array, through the plain of Faba⁴ as far as the fountain of Tubania,⁵ toiling much on that day; and when we had sent scouts ahead, seeing the dust that was being stirred up by our enemies, we were uncertain whether they were hastening to attack us or to flee. On the following day we set out through the mountains of Gilboa,⁶ which were on our right, with a swamp on the left, to Bethsan⁷ where the enemy had pitched camp; but fearing the arrival of the army of the living God, that was so numerous, and that was proceeding in so orderly a way, they broke camp and fled, leaving the land to be devastated by the soldiers of Christ. Thence, crossing the Jordan on the vigil of Saint Martin [Nov. 11], we washed our bodies at leisure in it, and we rested throughout two days in the same place, finding an abundance of food and fodder; then on the shore of the Sea of Galilee we made three days’ rest, wandering through places in which Our Savior deigned to work miracles, and conversed with men in His corporal presence. We looked upon Bethsaida,⁸ the city of Andrew and Peter, then reduced to a small casale; places were pointed out to us where Christ called His disciples, walked on the sea with dry feet, fed the multitudes in the desert, went up into the mountain alone to pray, and the place where He ate with His disciples after the resurrection; and thus we returned to Acre, carrying our sick and our needy brethren through Capharnaum⁹ on beasts of burden.

Chapter 3

In the second raid we approached the foot of Mount Tabor, finding first a lack of water, but afterwards plenty when we dug for it. Our leaders despaired of the ascent of the mountain until, after a Saracen boy had told them that the camp could be seized, they formed a plan. Indeed, on the first Sunday of the Advent of the Lord [Dec. 3], when the gospel was read—“Go into the town that is over against you”¹—the Patriarch went forward with the sign of the Cross, with bishops and clergy, up the ascent of the mountain, praying and singing psalms. Although the mountain was steep on all sides and high, and apparently impossible to ascend beyond the well-trodden footpath, nevertheless the knights and their attendants, horsemen and foot soldiers, ascended manfully. John, King of Jerusalem, with the army of the Lord, overthrew the chatelain and the emir together in the first attack; he reduced to flight and terror the defenders of the fort, who, to defend the mountain, fearlessly resisted the enemy outside the gates. But the King then lost as much in merit by descending as he had gained by ascending; for in descending on the same Sunday and making others descend, he gave courage to the infidel by the space of time that was granted to them; but we do not know by what judgment of God or by what plan of the leaders the army of the Lord descended then and withdrew ingloriously; this, however, we do know, that the eye of the human mind cannot penetrate the abysses of divine decrees. Now many Templars and Hospitallers and certain seculars were wounded in the second ascent of the mountain when they had received forces from the camp, but few died. We believe that Christ Our Lord reserved this triumph of the mountain for Himself alone, since He ascended it with a few disciples, pointing out there the glory of the future resurrection. Furthermore, in the first and second raids, the Christians carried off with them a very great multitude of captives, men and women, and even children. Now the Bishop of Acre² baptized the little ones, whom he could win over by a gift or by a prayer, and apportioning them among religious women, he arranged for them to receive instruction.

Chapter 4

On the third raid,¹ in which the Patriarch, with the sign of the Cross, and the holy pontiffs took no part, we sustained many losses and hardships, as much through highwaymen, as by the severity of the winter, especially on our journey on the vigil of the Nativity of the Lord [Dec. 24], when many poor men and beasts perished from cold, and on the holy night itself, when we endured a severe storm on land, produced by wind and rain in the country of Tyre and Sidon near Sarepta.

Chapter 5

After this, the army of the Lord was divided into four parts. The King of Hungary and the King of Cyprus set out for Tripoli, where the youthful King of Cyprus ended his days.¹ After a short delay, the King of Hungary withdrew, to the great detriment of the Holy Land;² he took away with him pilgrims also, and helmets, horses, and beasts of burden, with weapons, although he was repeatedly warned by the Patriarch that he should not retreat thus; finally, being excommunicated, he departed stubbornly with his retinue. Another division of lazy and cowardly pilgrims who, lying down, consumed the abundance of temporal things, remained in Acre. But the King of Jerusalem and the Duke of Austria, with the Hospitallers of Saint John³ and the bishops mentioned above, and certain others, in a short time manfully and faithfully strengthened the fort in Caesarea of Palestine, although the arrival of the enemy was frequently announced. Through this fort, God granting, the city itself will be restored. In the basilica of the Prince of the Apostles, the Patriarch with six bishops solemnly celebrated the feast of the Purification [Feb. 2, 1218]. Moreover the Templars⁴ with Lord Walter of Avesnes and some pilgrim helpers, and the Hospitallers from the House of the Teutons,⁵ began to refortify the Pilgrims’ Castle,⁶ which was formerly called Destroit. This is located in the diocese of Caesarea between Caiphas and Caesarea. Its location is as follows:

Chapter 6

A large and lofty promontory overhangs the sea, naturally fortified by cliffs to the north, the west, and the south; toward the east is a strong tower erected some time ago by the Templars, and held as well in war as in time of truce. Now the tower was placed there originally because of bandits who threatened strangers ascending to Jerusalem along the narrow path, and descending from it; it was not far from the sea, and on account of the narrow path it was called Destroit. When the fort of Caesarea was built and completed, the Templars, digging constantly crosswise through the promontory, and laboring for six weeks, finally came upon the first foundation, where the ancient wall appeared thick and long. Money also was fou...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• I. The Fourth Crusade, 1202–1207
• II. Crusade and Council, 1208–1215
• III. The Fifth Crusade, 1217–1222
• IV. The Emperor’s Crusade, 1227–1229