RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1858
year: 1220
initiator: Petrus de Monteacuto, master of the Knights Templar
recipient: Bishop N. of Ely
text: Sept. 20. Acre. Frater Petrus de Monteacuto magister militum Templi informs Bishop N. of Ely [Elimensis episcopus] [322] that enough peregrini reached Egypt on the passage after the capture of Damietta and the castle of Taphneos to defend Damietta and the castles. The papal legate and the clergy wanted to launch a campaign against the infidel, but the secular leaders of the army [barones exercitus] refused, because they did not believe there were enough troops both to engage the enemy and garrison the cities and castles. Meanwhile the sultan of Egypt has fortified a camp not far from Damietta and has built bridges to obstruct any Christian advance. The Saraceni armed galeiae and in September began to obstruct the Christian lines of communications at sea. In spite of a lack of funds, which made it hard for the Christians to maintain their fleet, the Christians armed galeiae, galiones and other vessels [vasa] to resist them. Coradinus, the sultan of Damascus, knowing that the cities of Acre and Tyre were denuded of warriors and people, launched an assault and besieged and took castrum Peregrinorum, although there were many peregrini in Acre. Meanwhile Seraph, the son of Saphadinus and the brother of the sultans of Egypt and Damascus, has prevailed in warfare against eastern Saraceni, although he could not overcome all of them easily. Given the threat he poses to Antioch and Tripoli, Acre and Egypt, and the Templar castles, the dissension among the Saraceni is a comfort to the Christians. The emperor has been expected, but if he does not come during the next summer, either Syria or Egypt will be threatened. Help is desperately needed soon.
Sept. 20. Acre. Frater Petrus de Monteacuto magister militum Templi informs Bishop N. of Ely [Elimensis episcopus] [322] that enough peregrini reached Egypt on the passage after the capture of Damietta and the castle of Taphneos to defend Damietta and the castles. The papal legate and the clergy... more
sources: Roger of Wendower 4:72-5 (RRH no. 936)
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)