Description
Book SynopsisThis is the first English translation of the main contemporary accounts of the Crusade and death of the German Frederick I Barbarossa (ruled 1152-90). The most important of these, the ''History of the Expedition of the Emperor Frederick'' was written soon after the events described, and is a crucial, and under-used source for the Third Crusade (at least in the Anglophone world). The account begins with two letters describing the disaster of Hattin and Saladin''s subsequent conquest of most of the Holy Land (the second of these is addressed to the duke of Austria). It goes on to describe how the emperor took the Cross, the preparations and recruitment for the Crusade, the diplomatic contacts of Barbarossa with the Byzantine Emperor and the Sultan of Iconium in an attempt to secure a peaceful passage for the expedition, and the Crusade itself: the journey through the Balkans and the gruelling march through Asia Minor, beset by Turkish attack, until its arrival at Antioch on 21st July 1
Trade Review'... this will prove an extremely useful collection to those teaching the Third Crusade, the Reconquista, and the history of the late twelfth-century Empire.' Parergon ’... a godsend to teachers and others who want to concentrate on the Third Crusade... Loud’s introduction is a model of its kind... a significant scholarly contribution that builds on recent German research and ought to be read by anyone interested in the Third Crusade.' Jonathan Riley-Smith, in Journal of Ecclesiastical History 'Faisant partie d’une collection aussi prestigieuse qu’utile, le présent volume comporte la traduction anglaise de sept textes relatifs à la croisade de Frédéric Barberousse, sa préparation, son recrutement, la traversée de l’Anatolie et son arrivée à Antioche, onze jours après la noyade de l’empereur... Claire et précise, l’introduction d’une trentaine de pages donne une vision globale de l’histoire de l’expédition.' Cahiers de Civilisation Médiévale
Table of ContentsContents: Preface; Introduction; The history of the expedition of the Emperor Frederick; The history of the pilgrims; The chronicle of Magnus of Reichersberg; A letter concerning the death of the Emperor Frederick; The chronicle of Otto of St Blasien, 1187-1197; An account of the seaborne journey of the pilgrims heading to Jerusalem who captured Silves in 1189; Frederick I's imperial 'land peace' (issued at Nuremberg, 29 December 1188); Bibliography; Index.
