Nearly three years after leaving their homes in the west, on 7 June 1099 the crusader forces finally reached their objective, Jerusalem. Fulcher of Chartres, who would live there for more than a quarter of a century after 1100, describes the Holy City as he knew it.
The city of Jerusalem is located in a mountainous region which is devoid of trees, streams, and springs excepting only the Pool of Siloam, which is a bowshot from the city. Sometimes it has enough water, and sometimes a deficiency due to a slight drainage. This little spring is in the valley at the foot of Mount Sion in the course of the Brook Kedron which, in wintertime, is accustomed to flow through the centre of the valley of Josaphat.*
The many cisterns inside the city, reserved for winter rains, have a sufficiency of water. More, at which men and beasts are refreshed, are also found outside the city.
It is generally conceded that the city is laid out in such proper proportion that it seems neither too small nor too large. Its width from wall to wall is that of four bowshots. To the west is the Tower of David with the city wall on each flank; to the south is Mount Sion a little closer than a bowshot; and to the east, the Mount of Olives a thousand paces outside the city.
The aforesaid Tower of David is of solid masonry half-way up, of large squared blocks sealed with molten lead. Fifteen or twenty men, if well supplied with food, could defend it from all assaults of an enemy.
In the same city is the Temple of the Lord, round in shape, built where Solomon in ancient times erected the earlier magnificent Temple. Although it can in no way be compared in appearance to the former building, still this one is of marvellous workmanship and most splendid appearance.*
The Church of the Lord’s Sepulchre is likewise circular in form. It was never closed in at the top but always admits the light through a permanent aperture ingeniously fashioned under the direction of a skilful architect.†
I cannot, I dare not, I know not how to enumerate the many objects which it now contains or contained in the past lest in some way I deceive those reading or hearing about the matter. In the middle of the Temple, when we first entered it and for fifteen years thereafter,‡ was a certain native rock. It was said that the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant along with the urn and tables of Moses was sealed inside it, that Josiah, king of Judah, ordered it to be placed there, saying, ‘You shall never carry it from this place.’ For he foresaw the future Captivity.
But this contradicts what we read in the descriptions of Jeremiah, in the second Book of the Maccabees, that he himself hid it in Arabia, saying that it would not be found until many peoples should be gathered together. Jeremiah was a contemporary of King Josiah; however, the king died before Jeremiah.
They said that the angel of the Lord had stood upon the aforesaid rock and destroyed the people because of the enumeration of the people foolishly made by David and displeasing to the Lord. Moreover this rock, because it disfigured the Temple of the Lord, was afterwards covered over and paved with marble. Now an altar is placed above it, and there the clergy have fitted up a choir. All the Saracens held the Temple of the Lord in great veneration. Here rather than elsewhere they preferred to say the prayers of their faith although such prayers were wasted because offered to an idol set up in the name of Muhammad. They allowed no Christian to enter the Temple.
Another temple, called the Temple of Solomon, is large and wonderful, but it is not the one that Solomon built. This one, because of our poverty, could not be maintained in the condition in which we found it. Wherefore it is already in large part destroyed.*
There were gutters in the streets of the city through which in time of rain all filth was washed away.
The emperor Aelius Hadrian† decorated this city magnificently and fittingly adorned the streets and squares with pavements. In his honour Jerusalem was called Aelia. For these and many other reasons Jerusalem is a most renowned and glorious city.
The siege of Jerusalem lasted from 7 June until the city was taken by storm on 15 July. The crusader army divided into two main groups: Raymond and the Provençals camped before the Sion Gate to the south of the city while the rest, under Godfrey of Bouillon and Robert of Normandy, laid siege first to the north-western corner of the city before transferring to positions opposite the Damascus Gate in the northern walls. The two eyewitness accounts – the Gesta Francorum and Raymond of Aguilers – reflect this division, even though both seem to have most information from the Provençal army.
Early assaults failed to make an impression on the city walls. Only after timber and engineers arrived from a Christian fleet that had put in at Jaffa could effective siege engines be constructed. After a religious procession around the walls on 8 July, preparations for a major attack began, fuelled by rumours of an Egyptian relief army. The final assault was launched on two sides of the city at once, the crusaders keeping in touch by means of signallers on the Mount of Olives. A breach in the northern wall on 15 July soon led to the capitulation of the city and one of the most grotesque massacres in medieval warfare, ‘the wine press of the Lord’, as Raymond of Aguilers, quoting from the Book of Revelation, described it.
We, rejoicing and exulting, came to the city of Jerusalem on Tuesday 6 June* and established a very thorough siege. Robert the Norman took up his station on the north, next to the church of St Stephen the Protomartyr, who was stoned there for the name of Christ, and Robert count of Flanders was next to him. Duke Godfrey and Tancred besieged the city from the west. The count of St Gilles was on the south, that is to say on Mount Sion, near the church of St Mary the mother of the Lord, where the Lord shared the Last Supper with his disciples.
On the third day some of our men – Raymond Pilet, Raymond of Turenne and many others – went off to fight, and found two hundred Arabs. The knights of Christ fought against these misbelievers, and by God’s help bravely defeated them, killing many and capturing thirty horses. On the Monday† we pressed upon the city in such a vigorous assault that if our scaling-ladders had been ready we should have taken it. We did indeed destroy the curtain wall, and against the great wall we set up one ladder, up which our knights climbed and fought hand-to-hand with the Saracens and those who were defending the city, using swords and spears. We lost many men, but the enemy lost more. During this siege we could not buy bread for nearly ten days, until a messenger arrived from our ships,‡ and we suffered so badly from thirst that we had to take our horses and other beasts six miles to water, enduring great terror and apprehension on the way. The Pool of Siloam, at the foot of Mount Sion, kept us going, but water was sold very dearly in the army.
After the messenger from our ships arrived, our leaders took counsel and decided to send knights who might provide a faithful guard for the men and ships who were in the harbour of Jaffa. At dawn a hundred knights set out from the army of Raymond, count of St Gilles. They included Raymond Pilet, Achard of Montmerle and William of Sabran, and they rode confidently towards the port. Then thirty of our knights got separated from the others, and fell in with seven hundred Arabs, Turks and Saracens from the army of the amir.* The Christian knights attacked them bravely, but they were such a mighty force in comparison with ours that they surrounded our men and killed Achard of Montmerle† and some poor foot-soldiers. While our men were thus surrounded and all expecting death, a messenger reached the others, saying to Raymond Pilet, ‘Why are you staying here with your knights? Look! All our men are trapped by the Arabs and Turks, and perhaps at this very moment they are all dead, so bring help, bring help!’ When our men heard this they rode at once as hard as they could, and came quickly to where the others were fighting. When the pagans saw the Christian knights they split up into two bands, but our men called upon the name of Christ and charged these misbelievers so fiercely that every knight overthrew his opponent. When the enemy saw that they could not stand up to the brave attack of the Franks they turned tail, panic-stricken, and our men pursued them for the space of nearly four miles, killing many of them, but they spared the life of one so that he could give them information. They also captured 103 horses.
During this siege, we suffered so badly from thirst that we sewed up the skins of oxen and buffaloes, and we used to carry water in them for the distance of nearly six miles. We drank the water from these vessels, although it stank, and what with foul water and barley bread we suffered great distress and affliction every day, for the Saracens used to lie in wait for our men by every spring and pool, where they killed them and cut them to pieces; moreover they used to carry off the beasts into their caves and secret places in the rocks.
Our leaders then decided to attack the city with [siege] engines, so that we might enter it and worship at our Saviour’s Sepulchre. They made two wooden siege towers and various other mechanical devices. Duke Godfrey filled his siege tower with machines, and so did Count Raymond, but they had to get the timber from far afield. When the Saracens saw our men making these machines, they built up the city wall and its towers by night, so that they were exceedingly strong. When, however, our leaders saw which was the weakest spot in the city’s defences, they had a machine and a siege tower transported round to the eastern side one Saturday night.* They set up these engines at dawn, and spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday† in preparing the siege tower and fitting it out, while the count of St Gilles was getting his engine ready on the southern side. All this time we were suffering so badly from the shortage of water that for one penny a man could not buy sufficient to quench his thirst.
On Wednesday and Thursday‡ we launched a fierce attack upon the city, both by day and by night, from all sides, but before we attacked our bishops and priests preached to us, and told us to go in procession round Jerusalem to the glory of God, and to pray and give alms and fast as faithful men should do.§ On Friday at dawn¶ we attacked the city from all sides but could achieve nothing, so that we were all astounded and very much afraid, yet, when that hour came when Our Lord Jesus Christ deigned to suffer for us upon the Cross, our knights were fighting bravely on the siege tower, led by Duke Godfrey and Count Eustace his brother. At that moment one of our knights, called Lethold [of Tournai], succeeded in getting on to the wall. As soon as he reached it, all the defenders fled along the walls and through the city, and our men went after them, killing them and cutting them down as far as Solomon’s Temple,** where there was such a massacre that our men were wading up to their ankles in enemy blood.
Count Raymond was bringing up his army and a siege tower from the south to the neighbourhood of the wall, but between the wall and the tower there was a deep pit. Our leaders discussed how they should fill the pit, and they had it announced that if anyone would bring three stones to cast into that pit he should have a penny. It took three days and nights to fill the pit, and when it was full they took the siege tower up to the wall. The defenders fought against our men with amazing courage, casting fire and stones. But when the count heard that the Franks were in the city he said to his men, ‘Why are you so slow? Look! All the other Franks are in the city already!’ Then the amir who held David’s Tower* surrendered to the count, and opened for him the gate where the pilgrims used to pay their taxes,† so our men entered the city, chasing the Saracens and killing them up to Solomon’s Temple, where they took refuge and fought hard against our men for the whole day, so that all the temple was streaming with their blood. At last, when the pagans were defeated, our men took many prisoners, both men and women, in the temple. They killed whom they chose, and whom they chose they saved alive. On the roof of the Temple of Solomon were crowded great numbers of pagans of both sexes, to whom Tancred and Gaston of Béarn‡ gave their banners.
After this our men rushed round the whole city, seizing gold and silver, horses and mules, and houses full of all sorts of goods, and they all came rejoicing and weeping from excess of gladness to worship at the Sepulchre of our Saviour Jesus, and there they fulfilled their vows to him. Next morning they went cautiously up on to the Temple roof and attacked the Saracens, both men and women, cutting off their heads with drawn swords. Some of the Saracens threw themselves down headlong from the Temple. Tancred was extremely angry when he saw this.
Our leaders then took counsel and ordered that every man should give alms and pray that God would choose for himself whomsoever he wished, to rule over the others and to govern the city. They also commanded that all the Saracen corpses should be thrown outside the city because of the fearful stench, for almost the whole city was full of their dead bodies. So the surviving Saracens dragged the dead ones out in front of the gates, and piled them up in mounds as big as houses. No one has ever seen or heard of such a slaughter of pagans, for they were burned on pyres like pyramids, and no one save God alone knows how many there were. Count Raymond, however, caused the amir and those who were with him to be taken to Ascalon, safe and sound.
We packed our camels, oxen and other beasts of burden and left for Jerusalem after taking leave of the bishop and his garrison. In the mad scramble caused by our greed to seize castles and villas, we failed to remember and held valueless the command of Peter Bartholomew that we were not to approach within two leagues of Jerusalem unless barefoot. It was customary that no one seized a castle or town flying one of our standards and first touched by one of our men. So driven by ambition, many got out of bed at midnight and, unaccompanied by their comrades, captured all of the mountain forts and villas in the plains of the Jordan. But a few who held God’s command dear marched along barefoot, sending up deep sighs to God because of the flouting of his will, but they recalled not one friend or comrade from the vain course. When we approached Jerusalem on this haughty march, the townspeople struck our vanguard, wounded some horses seriously as well as many men, and killed three or four from our ranks.
In turning to the siege we note that Godfrey, the count of Flanders, and the count of Normandy encamped to the north and invested Jerusalem from the centrally located church of St Stephen to the angular tower adjacent to the Tower of David.* Raymond along with his army established himself on the west and laid siege to the city from the duke’s line to the foot of Mount Sion. However, a ravine between his camp and the walls prevented an even approach and caused the count to wish to change his camp and location.
One day while Raymond was encircling Jerusalem he stopped and visited the church of Mount Sion, where he heard of God’s miracles there and was so impressed that he addressed the princes and those present: ‘What would happen to us if we abandon these sacred gifts of God and the Saracens should seize them, and, perhaps, defile and break them because of their hatred of the crusaders? Who knows that these gifts of God may not be tests of the intensity of our love for him? This I do know, namely, failure to guard the church of Mount Sion zealously will cause him to withhold like spots in Jerusalem.’
Thereupon in contradiction of the wishes of the princes the count of Toulouse ordered the moving of his camp to Mount Sion. This move caused him to suffer such ill will from his people that they neither wished to change camp nor to keep watch through the night, and so with the exception of a few who went to Mount Sion all the others remained in the original camp. But the count daily garrisoned his stand by paying his knights and footmen large sums of money.
I shall now digress by listing some of the sacred things there: the tombs of David, Solomon and the protomartyr, St Stephen. There the blessed Mary died; Christ ate there, and following his Resurrection appeared to his disciples and to Thomas. In that very same place the apostles were aroused by the coming of the Holy Spirit.
One day following the investment of Jerusalem a hermit on the Mount of Olives told some princes there, ‘The Lord will give you Jerusalem if you will storm it tomorrow until the ninth hour.’
The Christians replied, ‘We do not have any siege machinery.’
Then the hermit said, ‘God is so omnipotent that if he wishes, you could scale the wall with one ladder. He is with those who work for the truth.’
So they stormed Jerusalem the next morning until the third hour with such siege weapons as they could improvise during the night. They broke the outer wall, forced the Saracens back to the inner wall, and a few crusaders climbed atop the inner fortification. At the very moment capture was imminent, the assault was broken off by sloth and fear.*
Following this reverse the Christians went foraging in the neighbourhood and ignored preparations for a new attack, each preferring to gratify his palate and belly. Even more detestable was the fact that they failed to pray to God to deliver them from the many great evils threatening their very existence. New threats came from the Saracens who had covered the mouths of wells, destroyed the cisterns and choked the flow of springs, all of which brings to mind the Lord, who ‘turneth rivers into a wilderness and water springs into dry grounds … for the wickedness of them that dwell therein’.† So for the above reason water was very scarce.
The Pool of Siloam,‡ a great fountain at the foot of Mount Sion, flows every third day; but formerly, according to the natives, it flowed only on Saturday and was on other days marshy. Certainly, we offer no explanation of this phenomenon other than God’s will. According to reports, when it gushed forth on the third day the frantic and violent push to drink the water caused men to throw themselves into the pool and many beasts of burden and cattle to perish there in the scramble. The strong in a deadly fashion pushed and shoved through the pool, choked with dead animals and filled with struggling humanity, to the rocky mouth of the flow, while the weaker had to be content with the dirtier water.
The weak sprawled on the ground by the fountain with gaping mouths made speechless by their parched tongues, and with outstretched hands begged for water from the more fortunate ones. In the fields stood horses, mules, cattle, sheep and many other animals too weak to take another step. There they shrivelled, died from thirst and rotted in their tracks, and filled the air with the stench of death.
This unfortunate turn forced the Christians to lug water from a spring some two or three leagues away and to water their cattle there. But the Saracens learned that our unarmed men passed back and forth through rough terrain and so ambushed, killed and captured many of them and led away their cattle and flocks. Water brought in for sale in containers was sky-high, and 5 or 6 nummi [pennies] was an inadequate sum for a day’s supply of pure water for one person.
The mention of wine was seldom if ever made. The thirst, already unbearable, was made worse by the searing heat, the choking dust and the strong winds. But why should I waste time on these mortal things? Only a few thought of God or the essentials of the siege. The crusaders did not pray for God’s mercy and so we ignored God in our chastisement, and he in turn did not provide for ingrates.
At this time news of the anchoring of six of our ships at Jaffa came to us as well as demands from the sailors that we send a garrison to protect the towers of Jaffa and their ships in the port. Jaffa is almost one day’s journey away and is the nearest port to Jerusalem, but little remains of the demolished place except one intact tower of a badly wrecked castle. The crusaders gladly sent Count Geldemar Carpinel with twenty knights and some fifty footmen; then in his wake Raymond Pilet with fifty knights, and last William Sabran and his entourage. Four hundred crack Arab troops and two hundred Turks stood in the way when Geldemar arrived at a plain near Ramleh.*
Geldemar drew up his knights and archers in the front ranks because of his small numbers, and confident in God’s help immediately marched against the enemy. The opposition, sure that they could annihilate the Christians, rushed forward, shot arrows, and circled around. They killed four knights as well as Achard of Montmerle, a noble young man and well-known knight. They also wiped out all of our archers and wounded others from Geldemar’s force, but not without heavy losses to themselves.
Despite these casualties neither did the pagan attack diminish nor did the strength of our knights, truly Christi militia, weaken. Rather, inspired by wounds and even death, they carried the attack more energetically as they underwent greater pressure. Finally, beset by fatigue rather than fear, the leaders of the small band noticed a cloud of dust on the horizon at a time when they were about to break away. This sight was caused by Raymond Pilet and his men who gave spurs to their horses, and in the mad charge kicked up so much dust that the enemy believed there was a large approaching force.
So by God’s grace the enemy was routed and put to flight and around two hundred were killed and great booty was captured. The spoils may be accounted for by a custom among pagans; namely, if they were in flight and hotly pursued they would fling down their arms, then their garments, and finally their saddlebags. Thus our small number of knights slew the enemy until weary and kept the spoils of those who fled.
Following the fight and the collection and division of the booty, our knights went to Jaffa where the sailors joyously received them with bread, wine and fish. Now heedless of danger they neglected their ships and posted no seaward look-outs in the crow’s nest. Soon the happy and heedless sailors found themselves surrounded from the sea by their enemies, largely through their negligence in posting watchers. At daybreak they saw they had no chance to fight the superior force, so they left their ships and bore only the spoils. Thus in a fashion our force returned to Jerusalem both victorious and vanquished. One plundering ship, absent at the time, escaped capture. Laden with booty upon its return to Jaffa, it saw the Christian fleet surrounded by a superior force. Reversing its course, it returned by oar and sail to Latakiah and reported to our associates and friends the true state of affairs at Jerusalem.
We know that we got our just deserts, because we had no faith in God’s messages. Consequently, the crusaders gave up hope of God’s mercy and so marched down to the plain of Jordan. There they gathered palms, and were baptised in the Jordan river; and since they had viewed Jerusalem, they planned to give up the siege, go to Jaffa and, in whatsoever manner they could, return home; but the Lord took care of the ships for his unbelievers.
We now called a meeting because of the general quarrels among the leaders and specifically because Tancred had seized Bethlehem.* There he had flown his banner over the church of the Lord’s Nativity as if over a temporal possession. The assembly also posed the question of the election of one of the princes as a guardian of Jerusalem in case God gave it to us. It was argued that it was common effort which would win it, but it would be common neglect that would lose it if no one protected it.
But the bishops and the clergy objected by saying: ‘It is wrong to elect a king where the Lord suffered and was crowned. Suppose that in the elected one’s heart he said, “I sit upon the throne of David, and I possess his dominion.” Suppose he became a David, degenerate in faith and goodness, the Lord would, no doubt, overthrow him and be angry with the place and the people. Moreover, the prophet cries out, “When the Holy of Holies shall have come, unction will cease,” because it was made clear to all people that he had come. But let us select an advocate to guard Jerusalem and to divide the tributes and rents among the protectors of the city.’ As a result of these and other reasons, the election was not held until eight days after the fall of Jerusalem. Nothing good came from this quarrel, and only work and grief doubled each day upon the people.
Finally, a compassionate and kind Lord, both for his respect and for preventing the pagans from mocking his laws by questioning, ‘Where is their God?’, told us through a message from Adhemar, bishop of Le Puy, how to appease him and gain his mercy. But we spread God’s commands publicly without connecting them with his name in fear that the people would disobey them and so be punished more severely because of their guilt. The gracious Lord sent numerous messengers to us but, since they were our brothers, their testimony was held worthless.
At this time Adhemar instructed Peter Desiderius:* ‘Command the princes and the public, “Crusaders from distant lands, now here to worship God and Lord of all armies, free yourselves from the filthy world, and each one of you turn your back on sin. Then take off your shoes and in your naked feet walk around Jerusalem and don’t forget to fast. If you follow these orders, at the end of nine days the city will fall after a violent assault; but if not, the Lord will increase all the misfortunes of the past.” ’
Following this report of Peter Desiderius to his lord, Count Isoard, to Adhemar’s brother, William Hugh, and to some clerks, these confidants called a general assembly and spoke as follows:
‘Men, fellows, you know the causes of the journey and our great weariness, and also that we heedlessly procrastinate in building weapons to besiege Jerusalem. Further, we not only neglect to make God friendly with us but even displease him in every way imaginable in all things; also we even drive him out and make him an outcast because of our filthy deeds. Now if you think it proper, let bygones be bygones, and let a spirit of forgiveness pervade the Christian brotherhood. Following this let us lose our pride in the sight of God, walk around the Holy City barefoot, and implore the loving kindness of God through the intercession of the saints.
‘Pray, we say, that Almighty God, who abdicated his heavenly lordship and became human for us and of us, his servants, and who humbly sitting upon an ass entered Jerusalem in a procession flanked by crowds waving and paying great honours only to suffer the Passion on the Cross as a sacrifice for us; pray, we say, that he may throw open the gates of Jerusalem and yield it to us to the glory and honour of his name, while he makes judgement of his enemies, who gained it unjustly, defiled the place of his Passion and burial, and who now work hard to exclude us from the great benefits of the shrine of his divine degradation and our redemption.’
The above instruction met with general approval, and an order went out that on the sixth day of the week clergymen with crosses and relics of saints should lead a procession with knights and the able-bodied men following, blowing trumpets, brandishing arms and marching barefoot. We gladly followed the orders of God and the princes, and when we marched to the Mount of Olives we preached to the people on the spot of Christ’s Ascension after the Resurrection. At this time we exhorted them: ‘We followed the Lord to the spot of Ascension and since we can do no more, let us forgive those who have hurt us so that Almighty God can be merciful to us.’
I need not say more on this topic. A spirit of forgiveness came over the army and along with liberal donations we implored God’s mercy. We urged that he should not forsake his people at the last moment after he had brought them gloriously and marvellously thus far in their quest of the Holy Sepulchre. God now was on our side because our bad luck now turned to good and all went well.
Despite many omissions of events, I cannot overlook this one: during the noisy march around Jerusalem, the Saracens and Turks walked along the top of their walls poking fun at us, and they blasphemed with blows and vulgar acts crosses placed on yoked gibbets along the walkways. We, in turn, confident of the nearness of God’s compassion, because of these very abuses pressed forward by day and night the final assault preparations.*
Godfrey and the counts of Normandy and Flanders appointed Gaston of Béarn to supervise the labourers who were building wattles, ramparts and siege instruments. The assignment fell to this nobleman because of ability and honesty. It proved to be a wise choice, because Gaston instituted a division of labour and speeded the job while the princes attended to the hauling of wooden materials. Count Raymond also put William Ricau† in charge of similar operations on Mount Sion and gave the bishop of al-Bara the job of supervising the Saracens and other workmen hauling timbers. Raymond’s men forced the Saracens from captured castles and towns to work as serfs. You could see fifty or sixty of them carrying on their shoulders a building beam too heavy for four pairs of oxen to drag. But I shall not bother you with more details.
Collectively, we pressed the work, we laboured, built and cooperated, and neither sloth nor unwillingness retarded our work. Only the artisans, who were paid from public collections, and the men of Raymond, who got wages from his treasury, worked for money. Certainly, the hand of the Lord was in our work. Soon preparations were completed and after a council the leaders ordered: ‘The fifth day will be the zero hour.* In the mean time devote yourselves to prayers, vigils and alms, and give your beasts of burden and servants to the artisans and carpenters for the work of dragging in beams, poles, stakes and branches necessary for the construction of mantelets. Knights, the construction quota of two of you shall be one crooked mantelet or one ladder. Work hard for God, because our job is almost ended.’ All gladly turned their shoulders to the task, and orders went out for the attack position of princes and the disposition of siege machinery.
The besieged Saracens observed the completed siege weapons and so bolstered the weak spots that a successful attack seemed hopeless. Godfrey and the counts of Flanders and Normandy now noted the Saracen build-up, and consequently throughout the night before the set day of attack shifted their siege weapons, both wattles and towers, to a position between the church of the blessed Stephen and the valley of Josaphat. Believe me, the disjointing, transporting over a mile and erecting of these machines was no small job. The Saracens were thunderstruck next morning at the sight of the changed position of our machines and tents, and, I hasten to add, so were we, the faithful, who saw the hand of the Lord in this.
To brief you on the move to the north, I must say that two factors motivated the change of position. The flat surface offered a better approach to the walls by our instruments of war, and the very remoteness and weakness of this northern place had caused the Saracens to leave it unfortified. The count of Toulouse laboured no less at Mount Sion to the south and received aid from William Embriacus and his Genoese sailors, who, as I related earlier, lost their ships at Jaffa, but had salvaged ropes, hammers, nails, axes, mattocks and hatchets, all indispensable tools.* Now I shall leave off any more details and go on with the story of the storming of Jerusalem.
The day of the fight dawned and the assault began. But at this point we wish to add these statistics. To the best of our and other estimates there were sixty thousand combatants in Jerusalem, and women and children without number. On our side we had not more than twelve thousand able-bodied men, along with many disabled and poor people; and as I think, no more than twelve to thirteen hundred knights. We introduce these figures and contrasts to show you that all affairs, be they great or small, undertaken in the Lord’s name will succeed, as the following pages of my book will prove.
First, we began to push our towers against their walls and then all the hellish din of battle broke loose; from all parts stones hurled from tormenta and petrariae flew through the air, and arrows pelted like hail.† But God’s servants, resolute in their faith regardless of the outcome of death or immediate vengeance on the pagans, endured this attack patiently. The fight was indecisive at this point, and as the machines came close to the walls defenders rained down upon the Christians stones, arrows, flaming wood and straw, and threw mallets of wood wrapped with ignited pitch, wax, sulphur, tow and rags on the machines. I wish to explain that the mallets were fastened with nails so that they stuck in whatever part they hit and then burned. These projectiles of wood and straw thrown by the defenders kindled fires which held back those whom swords, high walls and deep ditches had not disconcerted.
The deeds performed in the day-long battle were so marvellous that we doubt that history recorded any greater. We, assured of divine mercy, again prayed to our leader and guide, all-powerful God. With the coming of night, fear settled down on both camps. With the outer wall broken and the ditch filled, speedy access was open to the inner wall, and the Saracens feared the fall of Jerusalem that night or the following day. The crusaders, in turn, were apprehensive lest the Saracens would strengthen their cause by finding a way to burn the nearby machines. Alertness, labour and sleepless anxiety prevailed in both camps, and on our side confident hope, but on theirs gnawing dismay. The Christians besieged the city willingly for the Lord, and the pagans resisted reluctantly for Muhammad’s laws.
Incredible activity in both camps went on during the night. At the break of dawn* our men eagerly rolled their siege weapons into place only to be met by the Saracens, who blocked us with their machines which outnumbered ours nine or ten to one. I shall not linger on this detail because this was the ninth day, the day which the priest had predicted would mark the fall of Jerusalem. Despite the splintering of our siege engines by the rain of stones and the lagging spirits of our bone-tired troops, the always dominant, unconquerable mercy of God was ever present in our travail. However, I cannot pass by this interesting incident. When two women tried to cast a spell over one of our petrariae, one of the stones from the same machine hurtled whistling through the air and smashed the lives out of the two witches as well as the lives of the three nearby small girls, and thus broke the spell.
At midday we were in a state of confusion, a phase of fatigue and hopelessness brought on by the stubborn resistance of many remaining defenders, the lofty and seemingly impregnable walls, and the overwhelming defensive skill of the Saracens. As we wavered and the pagans took new heart, the ever-present healing compassion of God came to us and changed our melancholy to gladness. At the very moment when a council debated the wisdom of withdrawing our machines since many were burned or badly shattered, a knight, whose name is unknown to me, signalled with his shield from the Mount of Olives to the count and others to move forward.* This had a psychological effect on our spent forces, and some revitalised crusaders renewed the attacks against the walls while others began to climb ladders and ropes. At the same time a youth shot arrows ablaze with cotton pads against the ramparts of the Saracens which defended against the wooden tower of Godfrey and the two counts. Soon mounting flames drove the defenders from the ramparts. Hurriedly Godfrey lowered the drawbridge which had defended the tower, and as it swung from the middle of the tower it bridged the wall, and the crusaders, unafraid and undaunted, poured into the stricken city.
Tancred and Godfrey in the vanguard spilled an incredible amount of blood, and their comrades, close at their heels, now brought suffering to the Saracens. Now I must tell you of an astonishing circumstance; namely, in one part of the city resistance had practically ceased, but in the area near Mount Sion the Saracens fought fiercely with Raymond’s forces as if they had not been defeated. With the fall of Jerusalem and its towers one could see marvellous works. Some of the pagans were mercifully beheaded, others pierced by arrows plunged from towers, and yet others, tortured for a long time, were burned to death in searing flames. Piles of heads, hands and feet lay in the houses and streets, and indeed there was a running to and fro of men and knights over the corpses.
Let me tell you that so far these are few and petty details, but it is another story when we come to the Temple of Solomon, the accustomed place for chanting rites and services. Shall we relate what took place there? If we told you, you would not believe us. So it is sufficient to relate that in the Temple of Solomon and the portico crusaders rode in blood to the knees and bridles of their horses.† In my opinion this was poetic justice that the Temple of Solomon should receive the blood of pagans who blasphemed God there for many years. Jerusalem was now littered with bodies and stained with blood, and the few survivors fled to the Tower of David and surrendered it to Raymond upon a pledge of security. With the fall of the city it was rewarding to see the worship of the pilgrims at the Holy Sepulchre, the clapping of hands, the rejoicing and singing of a new song to the Lord. Their souls offered to the victorious and triumphant God prayers of praise which they could not explain in words.
A new day, new gladness, new and everlasting happiness, and the fulfilment of our toil and love brought forth new words and songs for all. This day, which I affirm will be celebrated in the centuries to come, changed our grief and struggles into gladness and rejoicing. I further state that this day ended all paganism, confirmed Christianity and restored our faith. ‘This is the day which the Lord has made; we shall rejoice and be glad in it,’* and deservedly because on this day God shone upon us and blessed us.
Many saw Lord Adhemar, bishop of Le Puy, in Jerusalem on this day, and many also asserted that he led the way over the walls urging the knights and people to follow him. It is also noteworthy that on this day the apostles were thrown out of Jerusalem and dispersed throughout all the world. On this day the children of the apostles freed the city for God and the Fathers. This day, the ides of July, shall be commemorated to the praise and glory of the name of God, who in response to the prayers of his Church returned in faith and blessing to his children Jerusalem as well as its lands which he had pledged to the Fathers. At this time we also chanted the office of the Resurrection, since on this day he, who by his might, arose from the dead, restored us through his kindness.
Fulcher of Chartres, although not an eyewitness to the siege, constructed his account from the experiences of others, basing it on the Gesta and Raymond of Aguilers.
When the Franks beheld the city and realised that it would be difficult to take, our leaders ordered wooden ladders to be made. By carrying these to the wall and erecting them, and climbing with fierce energy to the top of the wall, they hoped with the help of God to enter the city.
These ladders were made, and on the seventh day after the arrival our leaders gave the command for the attack. At the sound of the trumpets at daybreak our men attacked the city on all sides with remarkable energy. But when they had continued the attack up to the sixth hour of the day and were not able to enter by means of the ladders which they had prepared because the ladders were too few, they reluctantly gave up the assault.
Then after consultation our leaders ordered the engineers to make machines of war. They hoped when these were moved up to the walls to attain the desired result with the help of God. Therefore this was done.
Meanwhile, however, our men did not suffer from lack of bread or meat. Yet because the area was dry, unwatered and without streams our men as well as their beasts suffered for lack of water to drink. Wherefore, because necessity demanded it, they brought water daily to the siege from four or five miles away, laboriously carrying it in the skins of animals.
When the machines were ready, namely battering rams and scrofae, our men again prepared to attack the city. Among those contrivances they put together a tower made of short pieces of timber because there was no large stuff in that area. When the command was given they transported the tower, in sections, by night to a corner of the city. In the morning they quickly erected it, all assembled, not far from the wall, together with petrariae and other auxiliary weapons which they had prepared. After they had set it up and well protected it on the outside with hides, they pushed it little by little nearer the wall.
Then some soldiers, few it is true but brave, climbed upon the tower at a signal from the trumpet. The Saracens nevertheless set up a defence against them. With fundibula they hurled small burning brands soaked in oil and grease against the tower and the soldiers in it. Therefore many on both sides met sudden death in this fighting.*
From the side where they were located, namely Mount Sion, Count Raymond and his men launched a heavy attack with their machines. From the other side where Duke Godfrey, Count Robert of Normandy and Robert of Flanders were stationed there was a still greater assault upon the wall. These were the events of that day.
The next day at the sound of the trumpets they undertook the same task with still more vigour. As a result they made a breach in the wall by battering it in one place with rams. The Saracens had suspended two timbers in front of the battlements and tied them there with 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, by divine providence. For when the Franks had moved the aforesaid tower up to the wall they used falchions to cut the ropes by means of which the two beams were suspended. With these timbers they contrived a bridge and skilfully extended it from the tower to the top of the wall.
Already one stone tower on the wall, at which those working our machines had thrown flaming brands, was afire. This fire, gradually fed by the wooden material in the tower, caused so much smoke and flame that none of the city guards could remain there any longer.
Soon therefore the Franks gloriously entered the city at noon on the day known as dies Veneris [Friday], the day on which Christ redeemed the whole world on the Cross.† Amid the sound of trumpets and with everything in an uproar they attacked boldly, shouting ‘God help us!’ At once they raised a banner on the top of the wall. The pagans were completely terrified, for they all exchanged their former boldness for headlong flight through the narrow streets of the city. The more swiftly they fled the more swiftly they were pursued.
Count Raymond and his men, who were strongly pressing the offensive in another part of the city, did not notice this until they saw the Saracens jumping off from the top of the wall. When they noticed it they ran with the greatest exultation as fast as they could into the city and joined their companions in pursuing and slaying their wicked enemies without ceasing.
Some of the latter, Arabs as well as Ethiopians,* fled into the Tower of David, and others shut themselves up in the Temples of the Lord and of Solomon. In the courts of these buildings a fierce attack was pressed upon the Saracens. There was no place where they could escape our swordsmen.
Many of the Saracens who had climbed to the top of the Temple of Solomon in their flight were shot to death with arrows and fell headlong from the roof. Nearly ten thousand were beheaded in this Temple. If you had been there your feet would have been stained to the ankles in the blood of the slain. What shall I say? None of them were left alive. Neither women nor children were spared.
How astonishing it would have seemed to you to see our squires and footmen, after they had discovered the trickery of the Saracens, split open the bellies of those they had just slain in order to extract from the intestines the bezants which the Saracens had gulped down their loathsome throats while alive! For the same reason a few days later our men made a great heap of corpses and burned them to ashes in order to find more easily the above-mentioned gold.†
And also Tancred rushed into the Temple of the Lord and seized much gold and silver and many precious stones. But he restored these things, putting them or their equivalent back into the Holy Place. This was in spite of the fact that no divine services were conducted there at that time. The Saracens had practised their rule of idolatry there with superstitious rite and moreover had not allowed any Christian to enter.
With drawn swords our men ran through the city
Not sparing anyone, even those begging for mercy.
The crowd fell just as rotten apples fall
From shaken branches and acorns from swaying oaks.*
After this great slaughter they entered the houses of the citizens, seizing whatever they found in them. This was done in such a way that whoever first entered a house, whether he was rich or poor, was not challenged by any other Frank. He was to occupy and own the house or palace and whatever he found in it as if it were entirely his own. Thus they mutually agreed upon this right of possession. In this way many poor people became wealthy.
Then the clergy and laity, going to the Lord’s Sepulchre and his most glorious Temple, singing a new canticle to the Lord in a resounding voice of exultation, and making offerings and most humble supplications, joyously visited the Holy Places as they had long desired to do.
O day so ardently desired! O time of times the most memorable! O deed before all other deeds! Desired indeed because in the inner longing of the heart it had always been hoped by all believers in the Catholic faith that the place in which the Creator of all creatures, God made man, in his manifold pity for mankind, had by his birth, death and resurrection, conferred the gift of redemption, would be restored to its pristine dignity by those believing and trusting in him. They desired that this place, so long contaminated by the superstition of the pagan inhabitants, should be cleansed from their contagion.
It was a time truly memorable and justly so because in this place everything that our Lord God Jesus Christ did or taught on earth, as man living amongst men, was recalled and renewed in the memory of true believers. And this same work which the Lord chose to accomplish through his people, his dearly beloved children and family, chosen, I believe, for this task, shall resound and continue memorable in the tongues of all nations until the end of time.
On 22 July the conquerors elected Godfrey of Bouillon as ruler of the captured city. More or less his first duty was to lead the western army against the expected Egyptian relief force under the vizier al-Adil which was destroyed outside the walls of Ascalon on 12 August, consolidating the newly won Christian hold over the Holy City. Following this triumph, most of the surviving crusaders, a tiny fraction of those who set off three years earlier, embarked for home, the light of their extraordinary achievements shining brightly on their helms, as it has shone for nine hundred years.
With the passage of six or seven days the princes on the eighth day, according to their custom, solemnly turned to the election of a king to run the government, collect the taxes of the region, protect the countryside from further devastation, and to serve as a counsellor to the people. In the course of these discussions some of the clergy came together and gave their views to the princes. ‘We applaud your move, but since spiritual matters precede temporal ones, righteous and proper procedure demands that you first elect a spiritual leader and after that elect a secular ruler; and if you do not we shall not recognise your choice.’ This only angered the princes and hastened the election.*
I must add that the clergy was weakened at this time, first by the death of Lord Adhemar, bishop of Le Puy, who had restrained the army, consoling them with admirable acts and sermons, just as did Moses. Then William of Orange, a respected man and bishop dedicated to our protection, soon died in Ma’arrat al-Numan. Thus with the death of these good men only the bishop of al-Bara and a few others stood up to the princes. The bishop of Martirano,† who followed a crooked course when he fraudulently gained the church of Bethlehem, was captured in three or four days by the Saracens, and thereafter never made his appearance among us.
Disdainful of our advice and protest, the princes encouraged Raymond of St Gilles to accept the kingship; but he confessed that he shuddered at the name of king in Jerusalem; however, he said that he would not stand in the way of its acceptance by another. So they elected Godfrey and gave him the Holy Sepulchre. Then Godfrey demanded the Tower of David from Raymond, and the count countered by saying that he planned to remain in the region until Easter, and during that time he wished himself and his men to be treated properly. The duke replied that he would abandon the Tower last of all, and so an impasse between the two developed. The counts of Flanders and Normandy favoured Godfrey as well as almost all of Raymond’s entourage. Raymond’s men thought that the count would return to Languedoc as soon as he lost the Tower of David. This was not the only opposition of the Provençals to Raymond, because earlier they spread malicious lies to block his election as king.
Abandoned by comrades and friends, Raymond surrendered the tower to the bishop of al-Bara for judgement, only to find that the bishop surrendered it to Godfrey without waiting for a decision. Upon being accused of breaking trust, the bishop charged that he had done so under duress and had been manhandled. I learned that many weapons were carried into the quarters of the bishop, namely the house of the patriarch which was located near the church of the Holy Sepulchre. The bishop talked about the use of physical force against him and secretly blamed Raymond’s men.
Following the loss of the tower, the count, in a huff at his followers, flared out, saying that he had been dishonoured and would leave the country. So we travelled from Jerusalem to Jericho, gathered palms, and came to the Jordan. Following the instructions of Peter Bartholomew, we made a raft of small branches, placed Raymond on it, and paddled across the river. We then ordered the assembled crowd to pray for the lives of the count and the other princes. With Count Raymond clad only in shirt and new breeches, we carried out the order concerning baptism, but why God’s man, Peter Bartholomew, issued such an order we have not the slightest idea until the present time.
Upon our return to Jerusalem after this task, Arnulf, chaplain of the count of Normandy, was elected by some as patriarch contrary to the wishes of the good clergymen, who objected on the grounds that he was not a subdeacon and was of priestly origin.* To cap it all he was accused of being a philanderer on the journey, even to the point that he was the object of smutty stories. Needless to say, the ambitious Arnulf ignored canonical decrees, his disgraceful birth and lack of conscience, berated the good clergy, and had himself elevated to the patriarchal seat to the accompaniment of hymns, chants and great applause of the people. Arnulf was not frightened by the divine punishment of the bishop of Martirano, the inciter and director of Arnulf’s elevation, for he continued to take benefices from clergymen who had altars in the Lord’s Sepulchre or from those who received fees for its care.
Once in power Arnulf sought to locate, with the help of the inhabitants, the Cross worshipped by pilgrims before the Turkish capture of Jerusalem. They knew nothing of its location, going so far as to prove their words by oath and other signs, but they were finally forced to say, ‘Revelation shows that you are God’s chosen people, that you have been freed from trials and given Jerusalem and many other cities not by your great strength but by a wrathful God who blinded the blasphemers. The Lord, your leader, threw open the gates of impregnable cities and won terrifying battles for you. Since God is on your side why should we obstinately hide his relics from you?’ Then after leading the crusaders to a hall in the church, they uncovered and surrendered the Cross.† So we were glad and praised and thanked Almighty God who not only restored to us the city of his Passion but the symbols of his crucifixion and victory so that we might clasp him more closely in the arms of faith, surer because we now saw the relics of our salvation.
At this time, as we have previously reported, Godfrey held Jerusalem by agreement, and Raymond was exasperated by grief and injustice over the loss of the Tower of David, undoubtedly the key to the kingdom of Judaea. As a result he made plans to return with a great part of his Provençals. However, news came that the king of Babylon [al-Afdal, vizier of Egypt] had arrived in Ascalon with a large force of pagans with the purpose of storming Jerusalem, killing all of the Franks twenty years of age and above, and capturing the rest along with their women. He would, so rumour held, mate the young Frankish males with women of his race and the Frankish women with young males of his land and thereby breed a warrior race from Frankish stock.
His grandiose schemes led him to boast he would give the same treatment to Antioch and Bohemund; further, that he would wear the crown of Damascus and the remaining cities. Moreover, upon due consideration of his mighty hosts of soldiers and knights, he held the Turks were nothing and the Franks, conquerors of the Turks, were nothing. Still unsatisfied, he blasphemed God by saying that he would destroy the Lord’s birthplace, the manger where the Lord had lain, the place of the Passion and Golgotha, purportedly the spot where blood gushed from the crucified Lord, the Lord’s burial grave, and all other sacred spots in Jerusalem and its environs. He further boasted that he would unearth these relics, break them into small pieces, and scatter their dust over the sea so that the Franks would no longer search beyond their lands for relics of the Lord now lost in the oblivion of the sea.
Our princes and clergy assembled upon news of this and other rumours concerning the vast hordes of this tyrant gathered at Ascalon, a city removed from us by a journey of a day and one-half. The assembled crusaders marched barefoot before the Holy Sepulchre and tearfully begged mercy from the Lord, asking him to free his people whom he had made conquerors in the past. They also besought him not to permit the further profanation of the place of his sanctification, which had just been purified for his name’s sake. Then we came to the Temple of the Lord [the Dome of the Rock] barefoot, imploring his mercy with songs, hymns and saintly treasures, and there in soul and body poured forth our prayers before God. We urged that he remember the pouring forth of his blessing in the same place: ‘If your people have sinned against you and changing have done penance and coming have prayed in this place, listen to them from heaven, O Lord, and free them from the hands of their enemies.’
Following the blessing of the bishop, the leaders drew up the battle plans and means of protection of Jerusalem. Then Godfrey and his knights departed to verify the rumours regarding the amir, and upon arriving at the plains of Ramleh despatched the bishop of Martirano to report to the counts in Jerusalem on the state of affairs. Now certain of a battle, the leaders issued a call to the able-bodied, prayed to God, marched out of Jerusalem in full armour carrying the Holy Lance, and on the same day came to the plains. On the following day our united armies moved forward in squadrons with guards drawn up on all sides.*
At sundown we approached a river which is on the road from Jerusalem to Ascalon, and we saw Arabs pasturing flocks of sheep and large herds of cattle and camels. So we sent two hundred knights to reconnoitre, because the large number of Arabs and livestock made us believe that a fight would ensue. In the mean time, as we have written, we marched in nine ranks, three to the rear, three to the front and three in the middle so that attack would be met in three ranks with the middle one always available to bolster the others. The Arab herdsmen fled at the sight of our knights, but had God favoured them as he did us they, no doubt, would have defended their animals. Actually they numbered three thousand while our army possibly had twelve hundred knights and no more than nine thousand footmen. Following their flight we seized unbelievable amounts of booty, and killed and captured a few Arabs. Since it was late in the day we pitched camp, and then we compelled the captives to reveal their plans, state of preparations and their numbers. The captives stated that the Arabs wished to invest Jerusalem and drive out, take captive or kill the Franks. They added that the amir, who camped five leagues away, would march against us the next day. The herders ventured no absolute estimate of the size of their army since it increased daily. Regarding their role, they said that they were herders who planned to sell their animals to the Babylonian army.
The crusaders, ready for the ensuing conflict, forgave one another sins of commission and omission, and became so stirred that they hardly credited reports of the preparedness of the enemy. In their assurance they believed the Arabs to be more timid than deer and more innocuous than sheep. This assurance was born from our belief that God was with us as in other trials and that on account of the pagans’ blasphemy he would on his own initiative punish them even if our cause was weak. Thus we preferred to think of God as defender and ourselves as his helpers.
Orders then were given throughout the army that all be prepared for battle at dawn, that each one join the forces of his leader, and that no one should touch booty until after the battle, under pain of excommunication. We spent a wretched night with no tents, little bread, no wine, very little grain and salt; but at least the meat supply was plentiful as sand, and so we ate meat and used mutton for bread.
At the crack of dawn the alert army was called to battle ranks by the blare of trumpets and horns. Thus we set out at daybreak with guards arranged on all sides as previously reported and moved towards the camp of Muhammad. The Arabs remained in their camp in the belief that at news of their coming we would remain close to our walls. Reports had come to them of the slaughter and flight of the herders and brought this response: ‘The Franks came for booty and will now return.’ Actually they had daily reports on the desertions in Jerusalem, the small size of our army, and the enfeebled state of our people and horses. Confident in their size and strength, they were sure that they could drown us and our camp in their spit. Their stargazers and soothsayers, so we heard, advised against moving camp or fighting until the seventh day of the week, with the warning that an earlier date would be disadvantageous.
We moved forward in nine ranks, as stated above, and God multiplied his army to the point that we seemed to equal the Arab forces. This miracle came when the animals we had freed formed herds, and without a directing hand followed us, stood when we stood, ran when we ran, and marched forward when we marched forward. We could neither estimate the amount of costly goods nor compute the sum total of arms and tents seized. The Arabs, upon seeing the slaughter of many of their comrades, the eager and secure ransacking of their camp, gave up the fight and decided, ‘Since we must flee, why delay? If today, these Christians, exhausted from the march and almost dead tired from hunger and thirst, smashed our forces with one attack, what could they do refreshed, restored and victorious against us half-alive, weakened and terrified?’
Consequently, with morale broken the Arabs with a few exceptions returned to Ascalon, which lay about a mile from our camp. Raymond decided to send Bohemund, a Turk, to the amir with a plan for peace but reminded him that he had been reluctant to free Jerusalem and had fought us. Bohemund, at the same time, was to size up the situation, and to see whether the amir planned to flee or to fight, and how he reacted to his defeat. Bohemund, although a Turk, was multilingual, clever and shrewd as well as loyal to us. He was called Bohemund because the great Bohemund received him at the baptismal font when he turned apostate and came to us with his wife and arms.
On the eighth day after the city was taken* they chose Duke Godfrey as its ruler, so that he might fight against the pagans and protect the Christians. Likewise a most experienced and distinguished man called Arnulf was chosen as patriarch, on the feast of St Peter’s Chains.* (This city was captured by God’s Christians on 15 July, which was a Friday.)
While all this was happening, a messenger came to Tancred and Count Eustace, asking them to make ready and go to receive the surrender of the town of Nablus; so they set out, taking with them many knights and foot-soldiers, and came to the city, the inhabitants of which surrendered at once. Then Duke Godfrey summoned them to come quickly, for the amir of Cairo was getting ready to fight with us at Ascalon, so they went quickly into the mountains, looking for Saracens to fight, and came to Caesarea, from whence they came along the coast towards Ramleh, where they found many Arabs who had been sent as scouts before the main army. Our men chased them and captured several, who gave us a full report as to where their army was, and its numbers, and where it was planning to fight with the Christians. When Tancred heard this, he sent a messenger straight off to Jerusalem to Duke Godfrey and the patriarch and all the other leaders, saying, ‘There is going to be a battle at Ascalon, so come quickly with all the forces you can muster!’ Then the duke had everyone summoned so that they might go faithfully prepared to fight our enemies at Ascalon. He himself, with the patriarch, Robert count of Flanders and the bishop of Martirano,† went with them on Tuesday,‡ but the count of St Gilles and Robert the Norman said that they would not go unless they knew for certain that there would be a battle, so they ordered their knights to go out and see whether the battle was really going to take place, and to come back as soon as possible, for they themselves were all ready to set out. The knights went out, saw the preparations for the battle and came straight back to report what they had seen with their own eyes. The duke at once summoned the bishop of Martirano and bade him go to Jerusalem to tell the knights there to get ready to come to the field of battle.
On Wednesday those lords went out and rode to battle. The bishop of Martirano was returning from Jerusalem, bearing messages to the duke and the patriarch, when the Saracens met him, and they captured him and took him away with them. Peter the Hermit stayed in Jerusalem to admonish and encourage all the Greek and Latin priests and the clerks to go in procession devoutly to the honour of God, and to pray and give alms, so that God might grant his people victory. The clerks and priests put on their holy vestments and led the procession to the Temple of our Lord,* where they sang masses and orisons, praying that God would defend his people.
Meanwhile the patriarch and the bishops and the other leaders were assembled at the river which lies on this side of Ascalon. They carried off from thence many animals, oxen, camels and sheep, and other goods. About three hundred Arabs came up, and our men attacked them and captured two, driving the rest back to their own army. When evening came, the patriarch had it announced throughout all the host that every man should be ready for battle at dawn, and that anyone who turned aside for plunder before the battle was finished should be excommunicated, but that thereafter they might return with great joy to take whatever the Lord should grant.
At daybreak on Friday† our men entered a beautiful valley near the coast and drew up their lines of battle. The duke, the count of Normandy, the count of St Gilles, the count of Flanders, Count Eustace, Tancred and Gaston each drew up his own men, and foot-soldiers with archers were ordered to precede the knights. All this was thus arranged, and they joined battle at once in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Duke Godfrey with his men fought on the left wing, the count of St Gilles on the right (near the sea), while the counts of Normandy and Flanders, with Tancred and all the rest, rode in the centre, and thus our men began gradually to advance. The pagans, for their part, stood ready for battle. Each of them had, hanging round his neck, a bottle from which he could drink while he was pursuing us, but by God’s grace this was not to be.
The count of Normandy, seeing that the amir’s standard had a golden apple on the top of the pole, which was covered with silver, rushed straight at its bearer and gave him a mortal wound. The count of Flanders made a determined attack from the other side, and Tancred charged straight into the middle of the enemy camp. When the pagans saw this, they began to flee at once. (There was an innumerable multitude of pagans, and nobody knows how many there were save God alone.) The battle was terrible, but the power of God was with us, so mighty and so strong that we gained the victory at once. The enemies of God stood about blinded and bewildered; although their eyes were open they could not see the knights of Christ and they dared not stand fast against them, for they were terror-stricken by the power of God. Some in their panic climbed up trees, hoping to hide, but our men killed them with arrows and spears and swords, and cast them down to the ground. Others threw themselves flat on the ground, not daring to stand up against us, so our men slaughtered them as one slaughters beasts in a shambles. The count of St Gilles, who was near the sea, killed any number of them. Some jumped into the sea and others fled hither and thither.
So the amir reached the city [Ascalon], grieving and lamenting, and saying as he wept, ‘O spirits of the gods! Who has ever seen or heard of such things as these? Such power, such courage, such an army as has never been overcome by anyone, to be defeated by such a wretched little force of Christians! Woe’s me, sad and miserable man that I am! What more can I say? I have been beaten by a force of beggars, unarmed and poverty-stricken, who have nothing but a bag and a scrip. And this is the army which is now pursuing the Egyptians, who often used to give alms to these people when they went round our country begging. I led two hundred thousand soldiers hither to battle, and now I see them all fleeing with slack reins down the road to Cairo, and they have not the courage to rally against the Franks. I swear by Muhammad and by the glory of all the gods that I will never raise another army, because I have been defeated by a strange people. I brought all sorts of weapons and engines to besiege these men in Jerusalem, and it is they who have attacked me two days’ march outside the city. Woe’s me! What more can I say? I shall be held up to everlasting scorn in the land of Cairo.’
Our men captured the amir’s standard, which the count of Normandy redeemed for twenty marks of silver and gave to the patriarch in honour of God and the Holy Sepulchre. The amir’s sword was bought for 60 bezants. So by God’s will our enemies were defeated. All the ships from the lands of the pagans were there, but when the crews saw the amir fleeing with his army they hoisted sail at once and made for the open sea. Our men went back to the enemy camp and found innumerable spoils of gold and silver, piles of riches, and all kinds of animals, weapons and tools. They took what they wanted and burned the rest.
Then our men came back to Jerusalem rejoicing, bearing with them all sorts of provisions which they needed. This battle was fought on 12 August, by the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory, now and for ever, world without end. May every soul say ‘Amen’!
All the people of the Lord’s army in the Holy City chose Godfrey prince of the realm* because of the nobility of his character, military skill, patient conduct, no less than for his elegance of manners, to protect and govern it.
Then, too, they placed canons in the church of the Lord’s Sepulchre and in his Temple to serve him. Moreover they decided at that time that a patriarch should not be created as yet until they had enquired from the Roman pope whom he wished to place in authority.*
Meanwhile some Turks and Arabs and about five hundred black Ethiopians who had taken refuge in the Tower of David begged of Count Raymond, who was quartered near that citadel, that on condition they leave their money there, they be allowed to depart with their lives. He conceded this, and they withdrew to Ascalon.
At that time it pleased God that a small piece of the Lord’s Cross should be found in a secret place. It had been hidden in ancient times by holy men. And now by the will of God it was discovered by a certain Syrian who with the knowledge of his father had carefully concealed and preserved it. This piece, fashioned in the form of a cross, partly covered by gold and silver work, they all carried aloft to the Lord’s Sepulchre and thence to the Temple, singing triumphantly and giving thanks to God, who through all this time had preserved for himself and us this, his treasure and ours.
Moreover the king of Babylon and the commander of his forces, Lavedalius [al-Afdal] by name, when they heard that the Franks had already entered their territories for the purpose of subjecting the Babylonian kingdom to themselves, gathered by edict a multitude of Turks, Arabs and Ethiopians and hastened to go to fight against them. And when they had heard through another set of messengers that Jerusalem had been captured with such fury the aforesaid commander waxed wroth and hurried to do battle with the invaders or besiege them confined within the city.
When the Franks learned this they adopted a plan of great boldness. They marched their forces towards Ascalon against those tyrants, taking with them the wood of the life-bearing Cross mentioned above.†
One day* when the Franks were scouring around Ascalon and awaiting battle they discovered considerable booty in oxen, camels, sheep and goats. When our men had gathered these beasts near their tents at the end of the day, our leaders decreed by strict proclamation that the men should not drive their quarry with them on the morrow, when battle was expected, so that they should be unencumbered and the more free to fight.
The next morning the Franks learned from the scouts that had been sent out that the pagans were advancing. When this was known the tribunes and centurions at once formed their men into wings and phalanxes, arranged them in the best way for battle and proceeded boldly against the enemy with banners aloft.
You might have seen the animals mentioned above advancing of their own will to the right and left of our formation as if by command; yet they were driven by no one. In this way many of the pagans, at a distance seeing the animals proceeding with our soldiers, concluded that the whole array was the army of the Franks.
However, the pagans, an innumerable multitude, approached our formations like a stag thrusting forward the branches of his horns. They divided their advance formation, uncovering a flying wing of Arabs and managing to encircle our rear. As a result Duke Godfrey went back with a heavy body of mailed knights and rescued the rear line. The other princes advanced, some in the first line, others in the second.
When foe had approached foe at a distance of a stone’s throw or less, our footmen began to shoot arrows into their opponents, whose lines were extended. Soon the lance took the place of the arrow as our knights, as if mutually agreed under oath, made a violent onslaught. In the slaughter the slower of the horses of the enemy were thrown over on their riders. In the short space of an hour many bodies became pale and lifeless.
Many of the enemy in their flight climbed to the tops of trees. Yet here they were shot with arrows and, mortally wounded, fell miserably to earth. In the sweeping attack the Saracens perished on all sides. Those who escaped fled through their camp to the walls of Ascalon. This city is 720 stades from Jerusalem.
Lavedalius, their leader, who had hitherto despised the Franks, now in the very first encounter turned his back in precipitate flight. He thus involuntarily abandoned his tent, which was pitched among the rest and was stored with much money. Thither the Franks returned, joyous in victory, and, reunited, gave thanks to God.
Then they entered the tents of the enemy and found vast princely wealth: gold, silver, long cloaks, other clothing, and precious stones. These latter were of twelve kinds, jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth and amethyst.* They also found many vessels and many kinds of things such as helmets decorated with gold, the finest rings, wonderful swords, grain, flour and much else.
Our men spent the night there and, by being very watchful, guarded themselves well. For they thought that on the following day the fighting would be renewed by the Saracens, but these latter, exceedingly terrified, all fled that same night. When in the morning this fact was ascertained by scouts, the Franks, in voices overflowing with praise, blessed and glorified God, who had permitted so many thousands of infidels to be scattered by a tiny army of Christians. ‘Blessed therefore be God who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth!’ ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!’†
Had not these very Babylonians threatened, saying, ‘Let us go and capture Jerusalem with the Franks enclosed therein. After slaying them all let us tear down that Sepulchre so dear to them, and cast the stones of the building out of the city, and let no further mention of the Sepulchre ever be made again!’ But with God’s mercy this was brought to naught. Instead the Franks loaded the very horses and camels with the money of the Saracens. Not being able to carry to the Holy City the tents and all the spears, bows and arrows thrown on the ground, they committed them all to the flames and then returned rejoicing to Jerusalem.
After these things were accomplished, some of the people wished to return to their native lands. As soon as they had bathed in the waters of the Jordan and had collected palm branches near Jericho, in what was said to be the Garden of Abraham,* Robert, count of the Normans, and Robert, count of Flanders, set out by ship for Constantinople and from there returned to France to their possessions. Raymond, however, returned to Latakiah in Syria, left his wife† there, and went on to Constantinople, expecting to return.‡ Duke Godfrey, keeping Tancred and several others with him, ruled the government at Jerusalem which, with the consent of all, he had undertaken to maintain.