RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1812
year: 1218
initiator: Petrus plebanus ecclesiae S. Marci de Tyro
text: Dec. 8. Acre. In the street near the church of St Mark. Petrus plebanus S. Marci de Tyro confirms in the presence of Gerardus capellanus episcopi Mantuani, presbiter Henricus plebanus ecclesie S. Marci de Accon and Azzo confallonerius de Mantua, that he has the letter from Cardinal Pelagius of Albano [sent from Damietta on Nov. 25]. Mancius sacri palatii notarius was present and wrote this document on the orders of the plebanus.
Dec. 8. Acre. In the street near the church of St Mark. Petrus plebanus S. Marci de Tyro confirms in the presence of Gerardus capellanus episcopi Mantuani, presbiter Henricus plebanus ecclesie S. Marci de Accon and Azzo confallonerius de Mantua, that he has the letter from Cardinal Pelagius of... more
sources: Venezia, Arch. di stato, miscell. atti diplom., busta III a, no. 85, recorded by Röhricht (RRH no. 918)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1776
year: 1218
initiator: King Andrew of Hungary
recipient: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Jan. 12-18. Cratum? After praising the merits of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in Acre, King Andrew of Hungary describes how he travelled into the county of Tripoli and saw the castle of Cratum, witnessing how much work and expense had been spent on it. He therefore makes a sealed eleemosynary grant of a rent in Hungary to frater Raymundus de Pignano Crati castri castellanus and the Hospitaller brothers residing there. Witnesses: Johannes Strigoniensis archiepiscopus; Bertholdus Colocensis archiepiscopus; Calanus Quinqueecclesiensis episcopus; Desiderius Cenadiensis episcopus; Symon Waradiensis episcopus; Wilhelmus Transilvanus episcopus; Robertus Vesprimiensis episcopus; Petrus Joriensis episcopus; Jacobus Vaciensis episcopus; Stephanus Zagabriensis episcopus; Thomas Agriensis electus; Jula palatinus; Dionisius magister tavarnicorum et comes Novi Castri; Razaim voyvoda; Ocus curialis comes; Bancon banus; and others. The charter was drawn up by magister Huguerinus aule regie cancellarius.
Jan. 12-18. Cratum? After praising the merits of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in Acre, King Andrew of Hungary describes how he travelled into the county of Tripoli and saw the castle of Cratum, witnessing how much work and expense had been spent on it. He therefore makes a sealed... more
sources: Delaville Le Roulx, Cart Hosp 2:238-9, no. 1602 (RRH no. 908)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1785
year: 1218
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Archbishop of Tyre
institution: Saint Mark in Tyre
text: May 7. Rome. St Peter’s. Pope Honorius III reassures the archbishop of Tyre that he had no intention, when he wrote to Giacomo Barbo [March 8 1217] about the recovery of the Venetian church of St Mark in Tyre, of permanently infringing the archbishop’s rights.
May 7. Rome. St Peter’s. Pope Honorius III reassures the archbishop of Tyre that he had no intention, when he wrote to Giacomo Barbo [March 8 1217] about the recovery of the Venetian church of St Mark in Tyre, of permanently infringing the archbishop’s rights.
sources: Claverie, Honorius, pp. 328-9, no. 29 (RRH no. 893)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1815
year: 1219
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Cardinal Pelagius of Albano and the magistri of the Knights Templar and Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Jan. 23. Lateran. Pope Honorius III informs Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, and to the magistri of the Knights Templar and Hospital of St John that he has sent Pelagius 5000 marcae in 2 consignments of 2,500 marcae each, to be spent in aid to the Holy Land as they judge appropriate.
Jan. 23. Lateran. Pope Honorius III informs Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, and to the magistri of the Knights Templar and Hospital of St John that he has sent Pelagius 5000 marcae in 2 consignments of 2,500 marcae each, to be spent in aid to the Holy Land as they judge appropriate.
sources: Claverie, L’ordre du Temple 2:411-12, no. 1
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1816
year: 1219
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: King Andrew of Hungary
text: Mar. 4. Lateran. Writing to King Andrew of Hungary, Pope Honorius reports that he has heard both from Andrew and from King Leon of [Cilician] Armenia, who have sought the pope’s approval of the marriage of Andrew’s son to Leon’s daughter with rights to the throne of Armenia.
Mar. 4. Lateran. Writing to King Andrew of Hungary, Pope Honorius reports that he has heard both from Andrew and from King Leon of [Cilician] Armenia, who have sought the pope’s approval of the marriage of Andrew’s son to Leon’s daughter with rights to the throne of Armenia.
sources: Tautu, Acta, pp. 81-2, no. 56; also ed. Claverie, Honorius, pp. 336-7, no. 35
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1826
year: 1219
initiator: James of Vitry
recipient: Pope Honorius III
institution: Templars
additional institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: May - Sept. 1-30. [317] James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister] writes to Pope Honorius III. He continues his narrative of the Fifth Crusade, describing how the Christian army reached Damietta, took the strong tower in the middle of the river Nile, breaking the iron chains that stretched across the river and prevented ships passing up stream, although the Sarraceni sank ships to impede any progress. Cardinal Pelagius had his cog hauled into the upper river, as had James of Vitry himself, although with losses, including his barbota with 20 men on board, and the cog of the Knights Templar, which had to fight its way upstream with heavy losses. He describes galley battles [galeae] with losses on both sides and the attempt by the Sarraceni to build a bridge up-river, the sufferings during the winter from storms, floods, cold and disease, the deaths of Cardinal Robert de Courçon and the bishop of Paris, the building of a canal round the Christian camp, the fasting and liturgical processions decreed by Cardinal Pelagius of Albano and the patriarch of Jerusalem, and their expulsion of malefactors, the passage of ships up the canal, the flight of the sultan of Egypt, the building of a pontoon by the Christians, their occupation of the bank on which the city stood, its encirclement and the preparation of siege-engines, the arrival of major Muslim reinforcements under Coradinus rex Damasci [al-Mu‘azzam], the brother of the sultan of Egypt, and their withdrawal after an unsuccessful assault on the Christians, because of threats to Aleppo and Damascus from the sultan of Konya, the king of Cilician Armenia and one of Saladin’s sons. James returns to his letter, the early part of which had been written at the time of the Easter passage. He describes attacks on the city, a break down in discipline and a Muslim attack that resulted in heavy Christian losses. He reports the deaths or captivity of 200 milites of the Knights Templar and the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem and others, among whom were the electus Belvacensis, domnus Walter regis Francie camerarius, filius eius vicecomes de Bellomonte, domnus Iohannes de Archies, domnus Andreas de Espoisse and domnus Andreas de Nantuel, the brother of the electus. He reports desertions from the Christian army, but also that the Muslims in Damietta face starvation. He hopes that once Damietta is taken the crusade will advance into Egypt and will then recover Jerusalem.
May - Sept. 1-30. [317] James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister] writes to Pope Honorius III. He continues his narrative of the Fifth Crusade, describing how the Christian army reached Damietta, took the strong tower in the middle of the river Nile, breaking the iron chains that stretched... more
sources: James of Vitry, Lettres, pp. 112-22, no. 5 (RRH no. 924)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1828
year: 1219
initiator: R. patriarcha, J. rex Hierosolymitanus, Burdegalensis aarchiepiscopus, Nicosiensis archiepiscopus, P. Albanensis episcopus, J. Acconensis episcopus, Lucanensis episcopus, hospitalis Sancti Johannis magister, Templi magister, hospitalis Alemannorum magister, comes Cestrie, comes de Salesburges, comes de Guado, S. de Jovisvilla, S. de Maloleone, E. de Casten, the leaders of the crusade [consules communitatuum]
recipient: Pope Honorius III
text: Nov. 11. Damietta. R. patriarcha, J. rex Hierosolymitanus, Burdegalensis aarchiepiscopus, Nicosiensis archiepiscopus, P. Albanensis episcopus, J. Acconensis episcopus, Lucanensis episcopus, hospitalis Sancti Johannis magister, Templi magister, hospitalis Alemannorum magister, comes Cestrie, comes de Salesburges, comes de Guado, S. de Jovisvilla, S. de Maloleone, E. de Casten, the leaders of the crusade [consules communitatuum], write to Pope Honorius III, announcing the fall of Damietta. They describe the capture of the city on 4-5 November, the dreadful conditions they discovered within, the flight of the Muslim leaders and the distress of the sultan. Now that the entry to Egypt is open, they beg for reinforcements in men and money. Cairo should be easily taken and as a result the kingdom of Jerusalem, which is maintained with Egyptian resources, will be liberated. They are concerned that a large part of the present army will return home on the next passage. They ask the pope to compel the emperor Frederick II and other crusaders [crucesignati] to fulfil their vows. They question whether the crusade twentieth has been diverted to other uses.
Nov. 11. Damietta. R. patriarcha, J. rex Hierosolymitanus, Burdegalensis aarchiepiscopus, Nicosiensis archiepiscopus, P. Albanensis episcopus, J. Acconensis episcopus, Lucanensis episcopus, hospitalis Sancti Johannis magister, Templi magister, hospitalis Alemannorum magister, comes Cestrie, comes... more
sources: Röhricht, Studien, pp. 43-6, no. 6 (RRH no. 925)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1829
year: 1219
initiator: John of Brienne
recipient: Emperor Frederick II
text: Nov. 12. John, dei gratia Hierosolymitanus Rex, informs the emperor Frederick II of the course of the Fifth Crusade, stressing the importance of an invasion of Egypt to the recovery of the Holy Land. The reaction of the Muslims to the invasion had been the destruction of the castles of Mons Tabor and Planentiu and other places, which will make the reoccupation of the Holy Land easier. John has heard that they have also dismantled the walls of Jerusalem on hearing that the Christians had crossed the Nile before Damietta. They offered a truce, involving the return of the relic of the True Cross and all the kingdom of Jerusalem, except for the 2 castles [of Cracum and Petrensis]. They promised to pay tribute, to return the Christian prisoners held in their 2 kingdoms of Syria [Egypt?] and Damascus, and to pay for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The Christians met, but discussion was overtaken by the fall of Damietta on 4 November, as the bearer of the letter will inform the emperor.
Nov. 12. John, dei gratia Hierosolymitanus Rex, informs the emperor Frederick II of the course of the Fifth Crusade, stressing the importance of an invasion of Egypt to the recovery of the Holy Land. The reaction of the Muslims to the invasion had been the destruction of the castles of Mons Tabor... more
sources: Perry, John of Brienne, pp. 198-200
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1830
year: 1219
initiator: Hermannus, master of the Hospital of Saint Mary of the Germans
recipient: Cardinal L. of Santa Croce
text: c. Nov. 15. Damietta. H. magister domus Teutonicorum in Ierusalem informs Cardinal L. of Santa Croce of the capture of Damietta. He describes the deaths found in the city, the attempts at looting that followed and the decree that all money should pooled, the vast amount of treasure found, the attempt by the sultan to reinforce the garrison 2 days before its fall and the repulse of the reinforcements near a trebuchet [Trebucheta] [set up by the Hospital] of St John. He also provides details about the Christian entry and describes the withdrawal of the army of the sultan of Egypt, who before Damietta’s capture had offered to return the Holy Land to the Christians, keeping only the castles of Crac and Muntreal, for which rent would be paid.
c. Nov. 15. Damietta. H. magister domus Teutonicorum in Ierusalem informs Cardinal L. of Santa Croce of the capture of Damietta. He describes the deaths found in the city, the attempts at looting that followed and the decree that all money should pooled, the vast amount of treasure found, the... more
sources: Chronica de Mailros, pp. 135-7 (RRH no. 926)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1813
year: 1219
initiator: Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate
recipient: S. archiepiscopus Tyrensis
institution: Saint Mark in Tyre
text: Before Jan. 8. Tyre. Above the palatium of the archbishop. Hen. episcopus Mantuanus and I. abbas Montis Sion send S. archiepiscopus Tyrensis the letter from Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, [sent from Damietta on Nov. 25 1218] and order him to respond within 10 days of its reception over the case of the church of St Mark in Tyre. Mancius sacrus palatii notarius was present and wrote the document on the orders of Petrus presbiter.
Before Jan. 8. Tyre. Above the palatium of the archbishop. Hen. episcopus Mantuanus and I. abbas Montis Sion send S. archiepiscopus Tyrensis the letter from Cardinal Pelagius of Albano, the papal legate, [sent from Damietta on Nov. 25 1218] and order him to respond within 10 days of its reception... more
sources: Venezia, Arch. di stato, miscell. atti diplom., busta III a, no. 85, recorded by Röhricht (RRH no. 919)