Author Archives: Ruth

Second Crusade: Queen Eleanor

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

If you singled out just one person to stand for the Second Crusade, it should be not King Louis or King Conrad, but Queen Eleanor. She is one of the pivotal figures in European history. Eleanor was the grand-daughter of … Continue reading →

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Second Crusade: the Kings, 1147-8

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

The Second Crusade consisted mainly of a huge expeditionary force led by the French King Louis VII and the German King Conrad III. Its story is one of great initial promise and high theater, ending in disappointment and disaster. It … Continue reading →

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Second Crusade: Towns and Merchants, 1147

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

The fall of the County of Edessa to Zengi prompted Pope Eugenius to begin a new call for a Crusade. Although he and Bernard of Clairvaux intended their persuasion to influence kings and counts, many other people heard these arguments … Continue reading →

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Bernard of Clairvaux and the Templars

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

Bernard was a younger son in a noble family of Burgundy. His normal lot would have been war training for knighthood, but Bernard was clearly a scholarly, literary child who preferred the Church, so they sent him to school. As … Continue reading →

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Egypt: Another Ismaili Split, 1132-40

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

The Fatimid dynasty always tried to combine pragmatic secular rule with idealistic religion. The Caliph/Imam was not only the war leader and ruler, he was also the holiest descendant of Ismail. We’ve already seen one major split among Ismailis, when … Continue reading →

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The Komnenos Imperial Family, 1118-46

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

The Byzantine Empire was central to all of these events, but we often overlook their role in the Crusader kingdoms since the Franks were so often opposed to the Greeks. The Crusaders acted alone most of the time, after the … Continue reading →

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The Rise of Zengi, 1127-46; the Fall of Crusader Edessa, 1144.

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

The Crusaders put new pressure on the fractured Muslim world. The First Crusade clearly only succeeded because Baghdad’s power had been so shattered by infighting and Turkish conquest. In order to repel the invaders, the Turks had to unite and … Continue reading →

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Hodierna of Tripoli, 1137

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

Hodierna, Baldwin’s third daughter, didn’t marry until she was about 25 (in 1137). It’s not clear why she stayed home so long when her sister Alice was married off at 16. It may have just been a lack of opportunity; … Continue reading →

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Melisende and Fulk, 1129-43

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

Melisende was named after the Countess of Rethel, Baldwin II’s mother; it’s a variant of Millicent, an old Germanic compound name. Now it has become the name of a fairy-tale heroine of an opera, so it sounds fanciful, but when … Continue reading →

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Alice, Princess of Antioch, 1126-36

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Ruth

Alice, King Baldwin’s second daughter, was married to the son of Prince Bohemund, the baby who had been born while he was back in Sicily. Bohemund II grew up in Europe. Around age 18, he came to Antioch to take … Continue reading →

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