Libellus de expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum
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The ''Libellus de expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum'' (Little Book about the Conquest of the Holy Land by Saladin), also called the ''Chronicon terrae sanctae'' (Chronicle of the Holy Land), is a short anonymous
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
account of the conquests of
Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سه‌لاحه‌دین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt and ...
(Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn) in the
Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
between 1186 and 1191. The core of the text was written shortly after the events it describes and then supplemented by the addition of an account of the
Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...
early in the thirteenth century. This probably took place at
Coggeshall Abbey Coggeshall Abbey, situated south of the town of Coggeshall in Essex, was founded in 1140 by King Stephen of England and Matilda of Boulogne, as a Savigniac house but became Cistercian in 1147 upon the absorption of the order. History In 121 ...
in England. Neither the original author nor the continuator/compiler is known by name.


Naming

Both of the Latin names for the chronicle—''Libellus de expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum'' and ''Chronicon terrae sanctae''—are modern inventions and neither the original title of the work. The former was coined by
Edmond Martène Edmond Martène (22 December 1654, at Saint-Jean-de-Losne near Dijon – 20 June 1739, at Saint-Germain-des-Prés near Paris) was a French Benedictine historian and liturgist. In 1672 he entered the Benedictine Abbey of St-Rémy at Reims, a ho ...
and
Ursin Durand Ursin Durand (20 May 1682, Tours – 31 August 1771, Paris) was a French Benedictine of the Maurist Congregation, and historian. He took vows in the monastery of Marmoutier at the age of nineteen and devoted himself especially to the study of dipl ...
in 1729. It has been retained by the work's most recent editors, who argue that ''
libellus A ''libellus'' (plural ''libelli'') in the Roman Empire was any brief document written on individual pages (as opposed to scrolls or tablets), particularly official documents issued by governmental authorities. The term ''libellus'' has particular ...
'', which in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
usually referred to a polemical or exegetical treatise, is a better descriptor than ''
chronicon In historiography, a ''chronicon'' is a type of chronicle or annals. Examples are: * ''Chronicon'' (Eusebius) * ''Chronicon'' (Jerome) *''Chronicon Abbatiae de Evesham'' *'' Chronicon Burgense'' *'' Chronicon Ambrosianum'' *''Chronicon Compostellan ...
''. Later manuscripts do, however, use the term ' and its variant, '. The earliest is manuscript P, which contains the title ''De captione Jerusalem'' (On the capture of Jerusalem) added to the margin by a late medieval hand. The same manuscript also contains the more conventional title ''Cronica de terra sancta'' added by a modern hand. In the 16th or 17th century, somebody added the title ''Chronicon terrae sanctae expugnatae a Saladino'' (Chronicle of the Holy Land captured by Saladin) to manuscript V, which was copied also in V2. V3, on the other hand, entitles it ''Chronica de Captione Jerusalem a Sarracenis'' (Chronicle of the capture of Jerusalem by the Saracens). In the 17th or 18th century, the title ''Cronicon terrę sanctę'' was added to manuscript A, probably by Bishop Thomas Tanner.


Manuscripts

The ''Libellus'' survives complete in four medieval
parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves, and goats. It has been used as a writing medium for over two millennia. Vellum is a finer quality parchment made from the skins of ...
manuscripts and another three modern paper ones. Each has been assigned a letter (''
siglum Scribal abbreviations or sigla (singular: siglum) are abbreviations used by ancient and medieval scribes writing in various languages, including Latin, Greek, Old English and Old Norse. In modern manuscript editing (substantive and mechanica ...
''): *C : London,
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
, Cotton MS Cleopatra B. I, fols 2r–23r
Earliest manuscript, copied at Coggeshall in the early 13th-century. *A : London,
College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
, Arundel MS XI, fols 1r–15v
Early 13th-century manuscript copied at Coggeshall from C. *V : Paris,
Bibliothèque nationale de France The Bibliothèque nationale de France (, 'National Library of France'; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository ...
, MS lat. 15076, fols 1r–22v
13th-century manuscript copied at Coggeshall from C after 1216. *P : Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 343, fols 72v–83r
14th-century manuscript copied from A. *V1 : Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS lat. 14359, fols 44r–79r
17th-century manuscript copied from V at the
Abbey of Saint-Victor, Paris The Abbey of Saint Victor, Paris, also known as Royal Abbey and School of Saint Victor, was an abbey near Paris, France. Its origins are connected to the decision of William of Champeaux, the Archdeacon of Paris, to retire to a small hermitage near ...
. *V2 : Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS lat. 15077, fols 1r–34r
17th-century manuscript copied from V at the Abbey of Saint-Victor, Paris, possibly in 1612. *V3 : Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS lat. 17802
17th-century manuscript copied from V at the Abbey of Saint-Victor, Paris. Contains only the ''Libellus''.


Synopsis


Structure

The ''Libellus'' is divided into 29 chapters, which historians group into three parts based on their source. The first part consists of the first 26 chapters, which contain an original account of events in
Outremer The Crusader States, also known as Outremer, were four Catholic realms in the Middle East that lasted from 1098 to 1291. These feudal polities were created by the Latin Catholic leaders of the First Crusade through conquest and political int ...
between the death of King
Baldwin V Baldwin is a Germanic name, composed of the elements ''bald'' "bold" and ''win'' "friend". People * Baldwin (name) Places Canada * Baldwin, York Regional Municipality, Ontario * Baldwin, Ontario, in Sudbury District * Baldwin's Mills, ...
on 13 September 1186 to the Ayyubid occupation of Jerusalem on 2 October 1187. Special attention is paid to the loss of various Christian holy places. The second part consists only of chapter 27, which consists of extracts from the ''
Itinerarium peregrinorum The ''Itinerarium Regis Ricardi'' (in full, ''Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi'') is a Latin prose narrative of the Third Crusade, 1189-1192. The first part of the book concentrates on Saladin's conquests and the early stages of the ...
'' that bring the narrative down to the summer of 1191, when King Richard of England and King
Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), byname Philip Augustus (french: Philippe Auguste), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, but from 1190 onward, Philip became the first French ...
arrived at the
siege of Acre Siege of Acre may refer to: * Siege of Acre (1104), following the First Crusade *Siege of Acre (1189–1191), during the Third Crusade * Siege of Acre (1263), Baibars laid siege to the Crusader city, but abandoned it to attack Nazareth. *Siege of A ...
. The final two chapters form the third part. They purported to be a letter from
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...
, to Saladin and the latter's reply. Since the final three chapters—the second and third parts—are derivative of works that circulated independently, historians are mainly interested in the first part alone.


Narrative

The ''Libellus'' begins with an address to "your excellency" (''uestra excellentia''), which could refer to any high-ranking person ecclesiastical or secular. The focus of the work suggests that the original recipient was a churchman. The first part begins with the closure of the gates of Jerusalem following Baldwin V's death and before the coronation of Queen Sibylla and her husband,
Guy of Lusignan Guy of Lusignan (c. 1150 – 18 July 1194) was a French Poitevin knight, son of Hugh VIII of Lusignan and as such born of the House of Lusignan. He was king of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1192 by right of marriage to Sibylla of Jerusalem, and King o ...
. The discord between Guy and
Raymond III of Tripoli Raymond III (1140 – September/October 1187) was County of Tripoli, count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187. He was a minor when Order of Assassins, Assassins murdered his father, Raymond II of Tripoli. Baldwin III of Jerusalem, who was staying in Tri ...
almost leads to violence. When Saladin learns of it, he launches a raid into
Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...
. The ''Libellus'' gives a description of the crusaders' defeat in the
battle of Cresson The Battle of Cresson was a small battle between Frankish and Ayyubid forces on 1 May 1187 at the "Spring of the Cresson." While the exact location of the spring is unknown, it is located in the environs of Nazareth. The conflict was a prelude ...
(1 May 1187). The author laments the martyrdoms of Roger des Moulins, a certain
Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
named Jakelin de Mailly and a
Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
named Henry of the Hospital. This defeat convinces Raymond to recognize Guy as king. The ''Libellus'' describes Saladin's capture of
Tiberias Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's Fo ...
(2 July 1187) and criticises Guy's decision, against Raymond's advice, to march out to meet Saladin. Patriarch
Heraclius of Jerusalem Heraclius or Eraclius ( 1128 – 1190/91), was archbishop of Caesarea and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Origin and early career Heraclius was from the Gévaudan in Auvergne, France. Like his later rival William of Tyre he studied law at the Univ ...
is made to look cowardly for delegating the responsibility to carry the
True Cross The True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was said to have been crucified, particularly as an object of religious veneration. There are no early accounts that the apostles or early Christians preserved the physical cross themselves, althoug ...
out to the army. Guy's decision to pitch camp on 3 July is also criticised. At the ensuing
battle of Hattin The Battle of Hattin took place on 4 July 1187, between the Crusader states of the Levant and the forces of the Ayyubid sultan Saladin. It is also known as the Battle of the Horns of Hattin, due to the shape of the nearby extinct volcano of t ...
, the foot soldiers twice refuse Guy's order to fight citing their thirst. The army is routed and Guy is captured. The next part of the narrative lists the places Saladin's brother
Saphadin Al-Adil I ( ar, العادل, in full al-Malik al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Abu-Bakr Ahmed ibn Najm ad-Din Ayyub, ar, الملك العادل سيف الدين أبو بكر بن أيوب,‎ "Ahmed, son of Najm ad-Din Ayyub, father of Bakr, the Just K ...
took after Hattin, usually explaining the Biblical or spiritual significance of the places.
Conrad of Montferrat Conrad of Montferrat (Italian: ''Corrado del Monferrato''; Piedmontese: ''Conrà ëd Monfrà'') (died 28 April 1192) was a nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the ''de facto'' King of Jerusalem (as Conrad I) by vi ...
is praised for his defence of Tyre. The first part ends with the surrender of Jerusalem. The author labels as traitors those responsible, since they paid their own ransom to Saladin and hence paid to be disinherited. The poor are unable to pay. Saladin ritually cleanses the
Temple Mount The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compoun ...
, the golden cross atop the
Dome of the Rock The Dome of the Rock ( ar, قبة الصخرة, Qubbat aṣ-Ṣakhra) is an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, a site also known to Muslims as the ''al-Haram al-Sharif'' or the Al-Aqsa Compound. Its initial ...
is removed, the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, hy, Սուրբ Հարության տաճար, la, Ecclesia Sancti Sepulchri, am, የቅዱስ መቃብር ቤተክርስቲያን, he, כנסיית הקבר, ar, كنيسة القيامة is a church i ...
is plundered and the gates of Jerusalem are closed to Christians. The narrative has come full circle: from the closing of the gates amidst the discord between Christians to the closing of the gates to all Christians by Saladin. The second part of the narrative, which, being extracted from a different chronicle, differs in style, relates the voyage of
Joscius, Archbishop of Tyre Joscius (also Josce or Josias) (died 1202) was Archbishop of Tyre in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the late 12th century. Background He was a canon and subdeacon of the church of Acre, and became Bishop of Acre on November 23, 1172. He was ...
, to bring the news of Jerusalem's fall to Europe; the crusader vows of the Emperor Frederick I, King Philip II and King
Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...
; the death of Frederick I on crusade; the release of Guy of Lusignan by Saladin; and the siege of Acre down to the arrival of the main armies of the Third Crusade.


Notes


Bibliography

* * * * * {{Authority control Crusade chronicles Medieval Latin histories 1190s works 1200s works Third Crusade Saladin