Jerusalem Lost
For Discussion
These questions are intended to help you read the primary sources. They are not intended to make it so you don't have to come up with your own questions and comments. Rather, they are here because there are certain aspects of each reading that I wish to emphasize.
Nota bene: many of the sources in the Medieval Sourcebook were scanned from physical books. The OCR software generally got the words right, but you will find numerous mistakes, such as "bad" where "had" is obviously meant. Most of the time, though, the correct word is easy to figure out. Try not to be distracted by this, but don't hesitate to ask if there's something that seems important but ambiguous.
Letter from Aymeric
What are the arguments that Aymeric sets forward to try to persuade the king to send aid? Why would he be writing to Louis of France rather than to some other king, or to the pope?
Battle of Hattin
We have two accounts of the battle here, so the exercise is the same as in earlier units: compare the two accounts. Try writing a summary of each in two columns, side by side, making factual notes, reconciling the timeline, etc.
Richard Conquers Cyprus
This colorfulu account shows Richard in all his hot-headed glory. Note how much in the conquest happened by accident or at least without much planning, and how Richard disregarded pleas that he come to the siege at Acre.
Siege of Acre
Towards the end of this account is a description of the defeated Turks leaving the city. It is a clear statement of how many of the Latins felt about the Turks.
Muslim Hostages Slain at Acre
Another notorious event from the Crusades. Here's a description from the point of view of the English. There are Muslim accounts as well, but no translations that are out of copyright for us to read here. As you might expect, the Muslim version says that the terms had been kept but that Richard had planned the murder of his prisoners all along. The factual details are the same in all versions.
Richard Makes Peace with Saladin
When you read about truces and treaties during the Middle Ages, they rarely exist as a separate document. Rather, we know about them from various other sources, such as this exerpt from the Deeds of King Richard.
The German Crusade
I draw your attention to the final paragraph. Note that, despite the victories, the duke renews the constant call for reinforcements. Note the clear implication that there are people who had taken the vow but who had not gone—a phenomenon we find documented repeatedly from the First Crusade onward. And, finally, note that Outremer was not always a place where newcomers could find lands and titles; the duke has to promise "sufficient incomes" to those who might follow after.
Innocent III
By 1215 we have had several crusades. Note how formal are the terms of the call to crusade now. Compare this document with the call to the First and Second Crusades. What differences do you see? What elements have been constant?