Manasses of Hierges was an important crusader and constable of the

Kingdom of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem ( la, Regnum Hierosolymitanum; fro, Roiaume de Jherusalem), officially known as the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem or the Frankish Kingdom of Palestine,Example (title of works): was a Crusader state that was establish ...

. He was lord of Ramla from 1150 to 1152.

Biography

Early years

He was the son of Hodierna of Rethel and Héribrand II of Hierges; Hodierna was daughter of Hugh I of Rethel and sister of King

Baldwin II of Jerusalem Baldwin II, also known as Baldwin of Bourcq or Bourg (; – 21August 1131), was Count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and King of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death. He accompanied his cousins Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin of Boulogne to th ...

. He arrived in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

around 1140 and was appointed

constable of Jerusalem A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

, the highest office of the kingdom, by his cousin

Queen Melisende Melisende (1105 – 11 September 1161) was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153, and regent for her son between 1153 and 1161, while he was on campaign. She was the eldest daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, and the Armenian princess M ...

, after the death of Melisende's husband King Fulk in 1143. As constable he was in command of the army, and was sent to relieve the siege of Edessa in 1144. He did not arrive in time and the city fell to Zengi.

Jerusalem

In response to the fall of Edessa, the Second Crusade arrived in Jerusalem in 1148. Manasses was present at the

Council of Acre The Council of Acre met at Palmarea, near Akko, Acre, a major city of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, on 24 June 1148. The Haute Cour of Jerusalem met with recently arrived crusaders from Europe, to decide on the best target for the crusade. The ...

that year, in which it was decided to attack Damascus, but the siege of Damascus was a failure and the crusade dispersed. Probably around 1150, he married Helvis of Ramla, widow of

Barisan of Ibelin Barisan of Ibelin (french: Barisan d'Ibelin; died 1150) was an important figure in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, and was the founder of the Ibelin family. His name was later written as "Balian" and he is sometimes known as Balian the Elder, B ...

, thus establishing himself in the east not only with the favour of his royal relatives, but also with much land and money; in right of Helvis he ruled Ramlah and Mirabel, and virtually the entire southern part of Palestine, except the

Lordship of Ibelin The Crusader state of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, created in 1099, was divided into a number of smaller seigneuries. According to the 13th-century jurist John of Ibelin, the four highest crown vassals (referred to as barons) in the kingdom prope ...

, which passed to Helvis and Barisan's son Hugh of Ibelin. According to

William of Tyre William of Tyre ( la, Willelmus Tyrensis; 113029 September 1186) was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from his predecessor, William I, the Englishman, a former ...

, Manasses "is said to have conducted himself very haughtily. He assumed an insolent attitude of superiority towards the elders of the realm and refused to show them proper respect." With his newfound power, he made many enemies among the more established older nobles, and Melisende's son Baldwin III especially hated him for keeping him out of government and alienating him from his mother. Manasses supported Melisende against Baldwin III when Baldwin attempted to claim full power in 1152. Baldwin had himself crowned separately and the kingdom was divided between him and Melisende, with Melisende keeping Jerusalem and Nablus in the south and Baldwin ruling from Acre and Tyre in the north. Baldwin appointed a constable of his own,

Humphrey II of Toron Humphrey II of Toron (1117 – 22 April 1179) was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was the son of Humphrey I of Toron. Humphrey had become lord of Toron sometime before 1140 when he married the daughter of Renier Brus ...

, and soon invaded the south. He forced Manasses to surrender his castle of Mirabel, and captured Jerusalem from Melisende. Manasses was exiled and permanently replaced as constable by Humphrey.

Personal life

The dates of his birth and death are unknown, as indeed are the details of his life outside the period spent in Jerusalem. With Helvis he had two daughters, one of whom may have been born after his exile in 1152.

References

Sources

, ''A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea'', trans. E.A. Babcock and A.C. Krey.

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by Jennifer Crewe (2014–present) and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fiel ...

, 1943 * Steven Runciman, ''A History of the Crusades, vol. II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem''.

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pre ...

, 1952 *Hans E. Meyer, "Studies in the History of Queen Melisende of Jerusalem", Dumbarton Oaks Papers 26 (1972) {{Authority control Christians of the Second Crusade Lords of Ramla 12th-century deaths