RRR: Chronicle entry/narrative sources
1537
year: 1204
initiator: Cardinals Soffred of St Praxedis and Peter of St Marcellus, papal legates
recipient: Pope Innocent III
text: Late Autumn. [279] The papal legates, Cardinal Soffredus of St Praxedis and Cardinal Peter of St Marcellus, report on their mission to Pope Innocent III. (1) Soffred begins the account. When he reached Acre there was a truce with the Sarraceni, but there was warfare between the king of Armenia and the count of Tripoli and the citizens of Antioch, because, it was said, the count had unjustly occupied Antioch and expelled the nobles, who refused fealty on the grounds of their support of the other heir by primogeniture [Raymond Rupin]. Soffred took counsel often with the magistri of the Knights Templar and the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and made for Antioch, warning the count of Tripoli and the citizens of Antioch that he was on his way and asking them to send representatives to meet him. He reached Tripoli on Martinmas, but no one responded to his summons or replied to his letters. Remaining in Tripoli, because sailing was hard in winter, he sent to each side the bishops of Tortosa [Anteradensis] and Bethlehem. On the Feast of the Purification the prince of Tripoli [Bohemond] arrived, but only to settle his own affairs and not in response to the summons, because he objected to having been excommunicated by the patriarchs of Jerusalem and Antioch, and other bishops. By Passion Sunday negotiations between him and the Hospitallers of St John, on whose behalf he had been excommunicated, had broken down. Exhausted, Soffred returned to Acre, which was expecting a fleet [of crusaders] from the West. The French nobles, the king of Jerusalem, the magister of the Temple and others persuaded Soffred to sail to the port of Antioch. With him went the magister of the Temple, the generalis praeceptor of the Hospital, Stephanus de Pertico, comes Moncia de Hungaria and an emissary of the marquess of Montferrat. Soffred met the king of Armenia and waited with him for 9 days for the arrival of the king of Jerusalem. Leon denied the right of the legates and papal authority in this matter. Meanwhile the prince had not responded to the appeals. The king of Armenia promised to raise 20000 armed men in the service of Christianity if his nephew’s rights were recognized. Frustrated, Soffred went to Margatum. While he was there Cardinal Peter reached Cyprus and then Acre, before travelling to Antioch and Cilician Armenia. (2) Cardinal Peter continues the account. He called many times for the parties - the king of Armenia, the count or prince of Tripoli, and the citizens of Antioch - to resolve their differences according to the terms already laid down by Soffred. Leon refused to negotiate before [Bohemond] had been expelled from Antioch. He wanted the legates to have custody of his nephew. Peter was unable in law to agree and, on the advice of the patriarch of Antioch, the archiepiscopus Borsensis/Tharsensis, the bishops, chapters and abbots of the province of Antioch, dominus [episcopus] Cremonensis and others who were with him, forbade the waging of war and repeated that he was ready to give justice to both sides. Soffred, who had returned to Acre, urged Peter to collaborate with the countess of Flanders and other crusaders [peregrini] to negotiate peace. After a discussion with the king of Jerusalem, the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John and the noble crusaders [peregrini], Peter summoned all sides to submit to his judgement. His letters were carried by the king of Jerusalem, the barones peregrini [leading crusaders] and the episcopus Cremonensis, threatening the parties with excommunication. The king of Armenia offered a truce of 40 days, but the other side would not accept this. The king also agreed to submit to the legates’ judgement on the dispute he had with the Templars, on account of which his land had been placed under an interdict, but he did not send a satisfactory answer. The count of Tripoli did not come or send anyone because of his objection to excommunication. The bishop of Tripoli, most of his canons and a notary of the count came but gave no reasonable excuse. Peter had to leave for Constantinople. Soffred appointed as judge delegates in Peter’s place, Caesariensis archiepiscopus, episcopus Cremonensis and the Acconensis electus, while at the same time recognizing, along with the king of Jerusalem, the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John, the barones, the crusaders [peregrini] who had come to Acre, that his mission had failed.
Late Autumn. [279] The papal legates, Cardinal Soffredus of St Praxedis and Cardinal Peter of St Marcellus, report on their mission to Pope Innocent III. (1) Soffred begins the account. When he reached Acre there was a truce with the Sarraceni, but there was warfare between the king of Armenia and... more
sources: ‘Gesta Inocentii’, cols. cli-clix (RRH no. 794)