Author Archives: Ruth

Containers, weights and measures

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Ruth

Even more than tournaments, taxes, tolls, fees and fines characterized daily life in medieval Europe. One method of levying taxes and fees was by regulating the size of containers. Containers that didn’t define the amount of something purchased didn’t have … Continue reading →

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Medieval recipes brought to life

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Ruth

I’ve written about the use of spices and sauces in preparing medieval meat dishes. Recipes of the time were quite vague, assuming a common training base and palate for cooks. Here, modern chefs try to work out what medieval recipes … Continue reading →

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Good cops and bad ones: Caesarea in 1101

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Ruth

The Crusaders did not yet have a good port, since Antioch was actually inland a bit on the Orontes River. The ports in this area had all been fortified by Greek or Roman founders, so they had serious walls and … Continue reading →

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The first crushing loss: Melitene of Armenia

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Ruth

In 1100, Bohemund Prince of Antioch was called on to fulfill his feudal vows and help protect a northern part of Armenian Cilicia. A tribe of Turks called the Danishmends (after their leader, whose name “Danishmend” in Persian means “wise … Continue reading →

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King of Jerusalem

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Ruth

With Jerusalem conquered and slowly being cleaned up from the stench and disease of rotting body parts, the big question was who should become its ruler. The Princes’ Crusade set out with a number of ambitious aristocrats, but by three … Continue reading →

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Jerusalem conquered, 1099

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Ruth

The Crusaders besieged Jerusalem on June 7, 1099, exactly a year after their siege of Antioch. Between Antioch and Jerusalem, they had passed by Fatimid-ruled cities but these governors had permitted them to go without opposition. The Fatimids abandoned Jaffa … Continue reading →

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toward Jerusalem: 1098

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Ruth

With Armenian Cilician somewhat relieved of Turkish presence, the region of Armenian Edessa established as a Norman-ruled Christian “county”, and Bohemund acting as Prince of Antioch, the next step had to be Jerusalem. Many of the knights had sworn not … Continue reading →

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The Sieges of Antioch, 1098

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Ruth

Antioch had been the regional capital of Roman Palestine. It was a walled city, with the Orontes River dividing it into two parts connected by bridges. Each bridge had a tower and could be defended; there was also a separate … Continue reading →

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Three Armenian rulers, 1097-8

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Ruth

When the Princes’ Crusade arrived in Armenian Cilicia, the Armenian Prince of Cilicia welcomed them with enthusiasm. Until a few decades earlier, Armenia’s capital city was Ani, now a ruin near the borders of Turkey, Georgia and Armenia. Ani was … Continue reading →

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Geography of Paul’s Asia Minor

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Ruth

Names and borders in the area now known as Turkey have changed so many times that it’s difficult at first to understand the region that the Crusaders were approaching. The few educated priests among them probably knew the New Testament … Continue reading →

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