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)