RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1868
year: 1220
initiator: Ricardus de Jerico
recipient: ‘Manasses’
text: † *(1220). A letter, said to have been written by Ricardus de Jerico to ‘Manasses’, reports that the crusade army, accompanied by the patriarcha [of Jerusalem], who carried the relic of the True Cross, episcopus Acconensis, legatus papae, Bethleemitanus episcopus, Nazarenus episcopus, Damiatinus episcopus, magister Oliverius, prior de valle Josaphat and Aquilejensis patriarcha, heavily defeated the rex Barbariae on Ascension Day, killing 148000 enemies and imprisoning the rex Barbariae with 100 satrapi in castellum Meregardi. The Christians were offered tribute, 8 castles and Christian captives held in 6 cities. At Pentecost the queen of Persia, together with 400000 women and the wife of the caliph in Baghdad, and Sephadinus with 300 princes were baptized. Alexandria was besieged 8 days before Pentecost. The bishop of Damietta has a revenue of 1000 talenta and has established 40 canons, each prebend being worth 100 talenta. [The monastery of] St Catherine was taken on the Feast of SS.Philip and James.
† *(1220). A letter, said to have been written by Ricardus de Jerico to ‘Manasses’, reports that the crusade army, accompanied by the patriarcha [of Jerusalem], who carried the relic of the True Cross, episcopus Acconensis, legatus papae, Bethleemitanus episcopus, Nazarenus episcopus, Damiatinus... more
sources: Röhricht, Studien, pp. 48-9, no. 9 (RRH no. 939)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1840
year: 1220
initiator: James of Vitry
recipient: Pope Honorius III, master John of Nivelles, the abbess and convent of Aywières
text: Spring. [319] James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister/Acconensis episcopus] informs Pope Honorius III, master John of Nivelles, the abbess and convent of Aywières and others of the fall of Damietta to the crusaders. He narrates how the Sarraceni offered to return the relic of the True Cross, and all the land, together with Jerusalem and all captives, and promised to subsidize the refortification of Jerusalem and to return the castles of Turo, in the territory of Tyre, Sephet, Beaufort and Belinas, the walls of which thay had destroyed. They wished to retain Craccus and Mons Regalis, for which they would pay an annual rent. Many of the peregrini wanted to accept this offer, but others suspected fraud, especially the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, the Hospitallers of St Mary of the Germans, the papal legate, the patriarch, archbishops, bishops and all the clergy, who feared that the withdrawal of the crusaders would encourage the Muslims to recover the land, Jerusalem, Mons Thabor and other castles. And they did not believe that the Muslims had the True Cross. James describes how in the midst of these debates the city was entered and surrendered to the crusaders without resistance. He describes the dreadful conditions in Damietta and its purification. A basilica and churches were established [out of mosques], but because of looting, the withdrawal of money by the Muslims or its casting into the river, only 400000 besants could be collected for division. 400 of the more eminent Muslims were kept in captivity to be ransomed, but others were sold into slavery and more than 500 were baptized. With the agreement of the peregrini, the papal legate incorporated the city into the kingdom of Jerusalem and its houses and towers were divided among the peregrini according to nationhood. The city of Thanei with its castle also fell into Christian hands, to be granted suffragan status under Damietta. James eulogizes the crusaders. He returns to a Muslim assault that he had described in an earlier letter, in which there were more than 1000 Christian losses and the electus Belvacensis, frater eius Andreas de Nantuel, Iohannes de Archies miles strenuus, Andreas de Espoisse, Galterus camerarius regis Francie, filius eius vicecomes Bellimontis, frater Andegavensis episcopi, Odo de Castellione and many others were captured. James himself had joined a Christian sortie, unarmed and accompanying the papal legate who carried the relic of the True Cross, but was unharmed. He dwells on the difficulty of besieging Damietta. He asks for prayers. In the copy of his letter to the pope he tries to estimate the number of defenders and inhabitants of Damietta. In the copies of his letter to John of Nivelles and the abbess of Aywières he reports that Dominus Reinerus prior sancti Michaelis, Colinus Anglicus clericus noster and two of James’s companions, magister Michael and domnus Matheus, to whom James had given care of the church of the Holy Cross [in Acre], have joined the Order of Friars Minor [Franciscans]. With difficulty James has retained the services of [I. de Cameracho] the cantor, Henricus [senescalcus ecclesie Acconensis] and others. He describes the spread of the Order of Friars Minor and how the magister and founder of the Order [Francis] preached to the Muslims and to the sultan of Egypt himself. In the copy of his letter to John of Nivelles he adds greetings from his companions O. de Dionanto, I. de Cameracho his cantor and Henricus senescalcus ecclesie Acconensis. He reports that he is ill and sends 2 little boys, saved from a fire in Egypt, together with silk cloth and other letters. He asks John to show his letter to the abbot of Villers and other friends.
Spring. [319] James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister/Acconensis episcopus] informs Pope Honorius III, master John of Nivelles, the abbess and convent of Aywières and others of the fall of Damietta to the crusaders. He narrates how the Sarraceni offered to return the relic of the True... more
sources: James of Vitry, Lettres, pp. 123-33, no. 6 (RRH no. 928)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1848
year: 1220
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate
text: Jul. 24. Orvieto. Pope Honorius III informs cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, of the sums of money he is sending out, drawn from the redemption of vows and the crusade tax levied on the church. He specifies very large sums, carried, or to be carried, by the following named individuals: [321] Cardinal Pelagius, himself, the brothers of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and the Knights Templar, the bishop of Bethlehem, the brothers of the Hospital of St Mary of the Germans, Matheus de Sancta Cecilia scriptor papae et camerarius Pelagii, the patriarch of Antioch, comes Iacobus marescalcus papae, Otto de Machilon, Iohannes de Gizo canonicus Sancti Petri Romae, frater Octo domus sancta Marie Theotonicorum Ierosolimitane, Hugo de Sancto Georgio, Iohannes de Novill, Gerardus de Soturririo frater militie Templi, Rogerius Anglicus de vico Angli frater militie Templi, magister Accontius capellanus papae and the bishop of Lausanne. The pope hopes that the emperor Frederick II, to be crowned at Michaelmas, will leave for the East soon afterwards.
Jul. 24. Orvieto. Pope Honorius III informs cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, of the sums of money he is sending out, drawn from the redemption of vows and the crusade tax levied on the church. He specifies very large sums, carried, or to be carried, by the following named individuals... more
sources: Rodenberg, Epistolae 1:88-91, no. 124
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1878
year: 1221
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John, the magister and brothers of the Hospital of St Mary of the Germans and the archbishop of Bordeaux
text: Jun. 20. Lateran. Pope Honorius III informs Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John, the magister and brothers of the Hospital of St Mary of the Germans and the archbishop of Bordeaux that the emperor Frederick has promised to cross to the East in the following March passagium and that further men and money, including a force led by the marquis of Montferrat, are expected.
Jun. 20. Lateran. Pope Honorius III informs Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John, the magister and brothers of the Hospital of St Mary of the Germans and the archbishop of Bordeaux that the emperor Frederick has promised to cross to the... more
sources: Claverie, Honorius, pp. 366-8, no. 54
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1880
year: 1221
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Archbishop and chapter of the church of Apamea
text: Jul. 9. Lateran. Replying to an appeal from the archbishop and chapter of the church of Apamea, Pope Honorius III commiserates with them over the loss of their possessions. They fear that in the legal cases they bring against Christian clergy and laity, who are occupying their properties, the evidence of Suriani or Armeni will be inadmissable in the face of evidence from Franks [Francigenae]. He allows the chapter to make use of Graeci, Suriani, Armeni and generally all Christian faithful as witnesses. He writes in the same way to the patriarch and chapter of the church of Antioch.
Jul. 9. Lateran. Replying to an appeal from the archbishop and chapter of the church of Apamea, Pope Honorius III commiserates with them over the loss of their possessions. They fear that in the legal cases they bring against Christian clergy and laity, who are occupying their properties, the... more
sources: Claverie, Honorius, pp. 369-70, no. 56
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1885
year: 1221
initiator: P. de Albeneio
recipient: Earl of Chester
text: After Sept. 10. P. de Albeneio [325] writes to his friend the earl of Chester [comes Cestriae et Lincolniae]. After a sea-voyage from Marseille to Damietta, he arrived to hear of the disastrous campaign, undertaken by the king of Jerusalem, who, he had heard, was opposed to it, the papal legate, the duke of Bavaria, the Knights Templars and Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, who led 1000 milites crucesignati, another 5000 milites and 40000 foot soldiers [pedites]. He describes how the army became trapped between Damietta and Cairo [Babylonia], how, under attack from the sultan and his brother Conradinus, it was forced to withdraw with the Nile in flood, how it lost many dead and captured and was compelled to exchange hostages and make a truce of 8 years with the sultan, involving the return of Damietta and all captives. He decided to journey to Acre, which he reached on 9 September. Damietta was formally surrendered on the following day. He reports that the king of Jerusalem intends to visit the West for assistance.
After Sept. 10. P. de Albeneio [325] writes to his friend the earl of Chester [comes Cestriae et Lincolniae]. After a sea-voyage from Marseille to Damietta, he arrived to hear of the disastrous campaign, undertaken by the king of Jerusalem, who, he had heard, was opposed to it, the papal legate,... more
sources: Roger of Wendover 4:75-7
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1886
year: 1221
initiator: Petrus de Monteacuto, master of the Knights Templar
recipient: Frater A. Martel, locum praeceptoris militum Templi tenens in Anglia
text: Mid Sept. Acre. Frater P. de Monte-acuto militum Templi magister informs frater A. Martel, locum praeceptoris [militum Templi] tenens in Anglia, of the disastrous events in Egypt that followed the fall of Damietta. A council, comprising the papal legate, the duke of Bavaria, who represented the emperor and wanted to advance, the magistri of the Knights Templar, the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and the Hospital of St Mary of the Germans, counts, barones and all the rest unanimously agreed to go on to the offensive. The king of Jerusalem, who had been summoned, came with his barones and armed galeiae and naves. On 30 June the king, the legate and the army marched to meet the sultan. They reached his camp, established in the middle of the Nile, and prepared to build bridges, but their numbers were reduced by 10,000 men or more by crusaders leaving without permission. The sultan’s galeiae, taking advantage of the flooding of the Nile, cut of the Christians’ line of communication and provisions. The Christians decided to retire, but were blocked by the forces of the sultan’s brothers, Seraph sultan of Aleppo and Coradinus sultan of Damascus, together with the sultans of Homs, Hamah,and Coilanbar. The Christians, deprived of provisions that had been lost in the river, and impeded by the Nile flood, were forced to make a truce. They surrendered Damietta and any prisoners [esclavi] that could be found in Tyre and Acre in return for the relic of the True Cross and Christian prisoners [esclavi] in the kingdoms of Egypt and Damascus. When the Christian leaders disclosed the terms, the bishop of Acre, the cancellarius and Henricus comes de Malta were displeased and wished to defend Damietta, but this proved to be impossible. The Christians agreed to a truce of 8 years with the sultan of Egypt, who supplied them with food.
Mid Sept. Acre. Frater P. de Monte-acuto militum Templi magister informs frater A. Martel, locum praeceptoris [militum Templi] tenens in Anglia, of the disastrous events in Egypt that followed the fall of Damietta. A council, comprising the papal legate, the duke of Bavaria, who represented the... more
sources: Roger of Wendower 4:77-9 (RRH no. 946)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1887
year: 1221
initiator: Oliver of Paderborn
recipient: Sultan of Egypt [rex Babilonis] al-Kamil
text: Sept. 1-30. Oliver of Paderborn writes to the sultan of Egypt [rex Babilonis] al-Kamil, trying to convert him to Christianity and persuade him of the Christian right to the Holy Land, reminding him that he had been prepared to negotiate its surrender. He refers to a miracle at Beirut, celebrated each year in the cathedral, and of a mass baptism of Jews; to the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary at casale Sardenaum near Damascus that exudes oil; and to the images of 2 cherubim in the Templum Domini in Jerusalem, dressed in gold, placed there on God’s orders. He praises al-Kamil’s generosity to Christian prisoners and the army after defeating them.
Sept. 1-30. Oliver of Paderborn writes to the sultan of Egypt [rex Babilonis] al-Kamil, trying to convert him to Christianity and persuade him of the Christian right to the Holy Land, reminding him that he had been prepared to negotiate its surrender. He refers to a miracle at Beirut, celebrated... more
sources: Oliver of Paderborn, ‘Briefe’, pp. 296-307, no. 5; also ed. Röhricht, ‘Die Briefe’, pp. 195-202, no. 5 (RRH no. 947)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1888
year: 1221
initiator: Oliver of Paderborn
recipient: Egyptian theologians
text: Sept. 1-30. Oliver of Paderborn tries to persuade Egyptian theologians of the truth of Christianity.
Sept. 1-30. Oliver of Paderborn tries to persuade Egyptian theologians of the truth of Christianity.
sources: Oliver of Paderborn, ‘Briefe’, pp. 307-14, no. 6; also ed. Röhricht, ‘Die Briefe’, pp. 202-6, no.6 (RRH no. 948)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1872
year: 1221
initiator: James of Vitry
recipient: Pope Honorius III, Abbot Walter of Villers, Master John of Nivelles, his brothers and friends at and near Oignies, Duke Leopold of Austria, Stephen dean of Paris, Philip chancellor of Paris, all the masters and scholars living in Paris
text: Apr. 18. [323] James of Vitry [Iacobus Acconensis ecclesie minister/Acconensis episcopus] writes to Pope Honorius III, Abbot Walter of Villers, Master John of Nivelles, his brothers and friends at and near Oignies, Duke Leopold of Austria, Stephen dean of Paris, Philip chancellor of Paris, all the masters and scholars living in Paris, and his friends everywhere. He continues his account of events at Damietta. He dwells on bad behaviour in the Christian army, dissensions, the departures of the king of Jerusalem, the magister of the Knights Templar with most of his brothers, nearly all the French [Francigene] milites, the patriarch of Jerusalem, the Cypriots and nearly all the settlers in the Latin East, which gravely weaken the crusade, although comes Matheus from Sicily remains with milites retained at his own expense. The Christians remain in Damietta. The sultan of Egypt and his army are not far off and threaten them. James describes the dangers attached to the raiding expeditions of milites and Turcopoles, particularly from Beduini, the imprisonment of more than 3000 Christian captives, taken not only in battle but by Muslim pirates at sea, in Alexandria, Cairo and Damascus, combats between Christians and Muslims, Christian deserters and their treatment by the Sarraceni. He records how the sultan of Egypt persuaded his brother Coradinus, the sultan of Damascus, to besiege the new castle near Acre called Castrum Peregrinum, leading to many leaving Damietta to go to the castle’s relief and the refusal of those in Acre to travel to Egypt. The sultan also ordered another brother called Saleph, who was prince of Calaph in terra Assyriorum, to raid Antioch and Tripoli, with the result that no help is to be had from the principality or county, while Muslim galleys impede the transport of peregrini and merchandise and deprive the crusade of assistance from Cyprus. Muslim attacks on Thaneos and Damietta have increased. There has been an outburst of Christian fervour, so that the army has become like a monastery [quasi claustrum monachorum], and moral and sumptuary sanctions have been imposed, including the expulsion, whipping and branding of prostitutes and fines for tavern drinking or gambling. James describes the enormous efforts made at port and fortification construction, especially as suitable stone can only be found in Cyprus and Syria. The Christians now have 4 fortifications in Egypt: Damietta, Thanis, Turonum in sabulo and castrum Butavant, which is surrounded by water. Meanwhile the Sarraceni are weakened by dissension and fear the approach of David rex Indorum, commonly known as Prester John [presbyter Iohannes]. James incorporates a history of the deeds and conquests of David/Presbyter Iohannes, which he says has been translated from Arabic into Latin and had been brought to the count of Tripoli by merchants carrying spices and precious stones from the East. He has heard that David, who intends to subdue all the Muslim lands, has sent 3 armies, one to the land of Calaph [Aleppo] held by the brother of the sultan of Egypt, one to Baldach [Baghdad] and the third towards Mausa [Mosul], which used to be called Nineveh and is only 15 days’ march from Antioch. James had heard that some Christian prisoners were sent to Baghdad and on to King David, who, when he knew they were Christians, returned them to Antioch. James describes the consternation among the Muslims, the release to the crusade of the electus Belvacensis, frater eius, vicecomes Bellimontis, Iohannes de Archies, Odo de Castellione, Andreas de Espoisse and some Knights Templars, Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and Hospitallers of St Mary of Germans, with renewed offers of a truce. The crusaders are also glad to hear that the emperor Frederick II was arriving with a large army in the following August. James writes that an Arabic book of prophecy, which has come into his possession, prophesies the successes of Saladin and the Third Crusade and foretells future Christian successes in Egypt and Syria and the liberation of Jerusalem. For him this message is reinforced by an apocryphal gospel, provided by the Suriani, containing similar prophecies. James has used it, the news of King David and the planned arrival of the emperor Frederick, to preach a comforting sermon to the crusaders in Egypt.
Apr. 18. [323] James of Vitry [Iacobus Acconensis ecclesie minister/Acconensis episcopus] writes to Pope Honorius III, Abbot Walter of Villers, Master John of Nivelles, his brothers and friends at and near Oignies, Duke Leopold of Austria, Stephen dean of Paris, Philip chancellor of Paris, all the... more
sources: James of Vitry, Lettres, pp. 134-53, no. 7 (RRH no. 941)