RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1804
year: 1218
initiator: James of Vitry
recipient: Pope Honorius III
institution: Templars
text: After Aug. 24. [314] James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister] writes to Pope Honorius III. He describes how in 1217 the kings of Hungary, Cyprus and Jerusalem, the duke of Austria, the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John, princes and counts, knights [equites] and footsoldiers, in a greater army than any since the city’s fall [in 1191], gathered at Acre and decided to launch a destructive raid against Damascus, but was ambushed by the Sarraceni and lost many men. It then made unsuccessful assaults on Mons Thabor [without siege engines], Belfort and Belinas. After Epiphany [6 January 1218] the king of Hungary left, travelling by way of Tripoli, Antioch and Constantinople. He was accompanied as far as Tripoli by the king of Cyprus, who died there, and by the count of Tripoli, betrothed to the sister of the king of Cyprus, who was forced by Muslim pressure to make a truce with the Sarraceni. The king of Jerusalem, the duke of Austria, the patriarch, James of Vitry himself [episcopus Acconensis], the Hospitallers of St John and most of the diminished Christian force refortified the castle of Caesarea. The Knights Templar spent an enormous sum of money building a new castle [Castrum Peregrinorum]. After returning to Acre, the Christian army was joined by Oliver of Paderborn [magister Oliverus Coloniensis ecclesie canonicus], authorized to preach the cross, who brought a fleet of cogs [cogones] containing major reinforcements. The decision was made to invade Egypt [Babylonia] and the army left Acre by sea on 24 May, reaching the Egyptian city of Damietta. The Christians established a siege camp and took a great tower in the middle of the river Nile on 24 August. They are planning to attack Damietta in spite of its strength.
After Aug. 24. [314] James of Vitry [I. Acconensis ecclesie minister] writes to Pope Honorius III. He describes how in 1217 the kings of Hungary, Cyprus and Jerusalem, the duke of Austria, the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers of St John, princes and counts, knights [equites] and footsoldiers, in a... more
sources: James of Vitry, Lettres, pp. 98-100, no. 3 (RRH no. 913)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1806
year: 1218
initiator: Oliver of Paderborn
recipient: Archbishop and clergy of Cologne
institution: Templars
additional institution: Hospital of Saint Mary of the Germans
text: Sept. 14. In the siege of Damietta. Oliver of Paderborn [Oliverus peccator, dictus Coloniensis scolasticus] records for the archbishop and clergy of Cologne, what he has heard and seen. He recounts the actions of the Fifth Crusade before his arrival: the stationing of the patriarch and the True Cross outside Acre [in castra Domini] on the other side of Recordana; the first campaign by way of the plain of Faba to the fons Tubanie, and from there to Betsaida, then across the Jordan, around the east side of the Sea of Galilee, and back to Acre by way of Capharnaum; the second campaign to Mons Thabor and the failure to attack it; and the third expedition to Sarepta on the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He describes the departure of the kings of Hungary and Cyprus, the second of whom died in Tripoli; the trepidation of many crusaders who gathered in Acre to wait for the next passage home; the expedition of the king of Jerusalem, the duke of Austria, the Monasteriensis episcopus and the Traiectensis episcopus to Caesarea; and the construction between Haifa and Caesarea, on the site of the Castrum filii Dei called Districtum, by the Knights Templar, together with some peregrini and Hospitallers of St Mary of the Germans, of Castrum Peregrinorum, although a Muslim assault had to be driven off. He records the castle in detail and the expenses needed to build it. He reports that the Knights Templar intend to move their headquarters there, away from the sinful distractions of Acre. He goes on to describe the invasion of Egypt, the establishment of the Christian camp opposite Damietta, the attacks on the tower built in the middle of the Nile and their lack of success until Oliver’s Germans and Frisians constructed an ingenious floating siege engine. He records their eventual success, the final assault being led by a young knight from Liège.
Sept. 14. In the siege of Damietta. Oliver of Paderborn [Oliverus peccator, dictus Coloniensis scolasticus] records for the archbishop and clergy of Cologne, what he has heard and seen. He recounts the actions of the Fifth Crusade before his arrival: the stationing of the patriarch and the True... more
sources: Oliver of Paderborn, ‘Briefe’, pp. 288-95, no. 3
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
1963
year: 1224
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Magister and brothers of the Knights Templar
institution: Templars
text: Mar. 29. Lateran. Pope Honorius III informs the magister and brothers of the Knights Templar that he has received their letter, delivered by frater Petrus Alvitus. He is assured that the money which, without his knowledge, was deposited with Petrus, will be repaid soon after 1 August next.
Mar. 29. Lateran. Pope Honorius III informs the magister and brothers of the Knights Templar that he has received their letter, delivered by frater Petrus Alvitus. He is assured that the money which, without his knowledge, was deposited with Petrus, will be repaid soon after 1 August next.
sources: Claverie, Honorius, pp. 397, no. 83
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
2307
year: 1237
initiator: Pope Gregory IX
recipient: King of Cyprus, the prince of Antioch, the bajulus regni Jerosolimitani, the barones of the kingdoms of Cyprus and Jerusalem, the patriarch of Jerusalem, the bishop of Lydda, the patriarch of Antioch, all prelates in Syria, the magister and brothers of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, and the preceptor and brothers of the Knights Templar
institution: Templars
text: Dec. 22. Lateran. Pope Gregory IX writes to the king of Cyprus, the prince of Antioch, the bajulus regni Jerosolimitani, the barones of the kingdoms of Cyprus and Jerusalem, the patriarch of Jerusalem, the bishop of Lydda, the patriarch of Antioch, all prelates in Syria, the magister and brothers of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, and the preceptor and brothers of the Knights Templar. He informs them that he has proclaimed a new crusade. He asks for assistance in the deliverance of many Knights Templar and others, who are held in prison by persecutors, through exchanges, involving the freeing of all slaves - Sarraceni or Turchi - held by the Christians. His appeal will be reinforced by the patriarch of Jerusalem and the bishop of Lydda [episcopus Lidensis] to whom he has written.
Dec. 22. Lateran. Pope Gregory IX writes to the king of Cyprus, the prince of Antioch, the bajulus regni Jerosolimitani, the barones of the kingdoms of Cyprus and Jerusalem, the patriarch of Jerusalem, the bishop of Lydda, the patriarch of Antioch, all prelates in Syria, the magister and brothers... more
sources: Schabel, Bullarium 1:323-5, no. d-28; Gregory IX, Les Registres 2:833, nos. 3991-4000
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
2400
year: 1241
initiator: Hermannus Petragoricensis, master of the Knights Templar
recipient: Pope Gregory IX
institution: Templars
text: Before Jun. 6. Pope Gregory IX has received a letter from the magister of the Knights Templar certifying that he has received the money left to the Holy Land by the late papal chaplain Egidio Veragli/Verraclio.
Before Jun. 6. Pope Gregory IX has received a letter from the magister of the Knights Templar certifying that he has received the money left to the Holy Land by the late papal chaplain Egidio Veragli/Verraclio.
sources: Gregory IX, Les Registres 3:519, no. 6050
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
2459
year: 1244
initiator: Hermannus Petragoricensis, master of the Knights Templar
recipient: Brother Robert de Sanford, Templar praeceptor in England
institution: Templars
text: Apr. or May. [372] Offensive alliance against Egypt made by the Christian leaders with the sultan of Damascus and the Muslim ruler of Kerak. Frater Hermannus Petragoricensis pauperis militia Templi minister humilis writes to Brother Robert de Sanford, Templar praeceptor in England. He describes how the sultan of Egypt and Nasserus offered them all the land to the west of the River Jordan. But the sultan of Egypt retained the Christian emissaries, including Knights Templar, for more than 6 months, went back on his words and held on to Gaza, Hebron, Nablus and Darannum. The Christians then turned to the sultan of Damascus and made a truce with him and with Nasserus the lord of Kerak. The sultan of Damascus and lord of Kerak would return all the land west of the River Jordan, except for Hebron, Nablus and Bossanum and agreed to the expulsion of all Sarraceni from Jerusalem, so that after 56 years the Christian liturgy could be celebrated throughout the city. This agreement was controversial, so that on the Knights Templar, the prelates and a few barons rest the defence of the Holy Land. The Knights Templar guard the entry to the land at Gaza, with the assistance of the sultan of Damascus and Nasserus lord of Kerak. They also propose to build a powerful castle near Jerusalem above Toronum.
Apr. or May. [372] Offensive alliance against Egypt made by the Christian leaders with the sultan of Damascus and the Muslim ruler of Kerak. Frater Hermannus Petragoricensis pauperis militia Templi minister humilis writes to Brother Robert de Sanford, Templar praeceptor in England. He describes how... more
sources: Matthew Paris, Chronica maiora 4:288-291 (RRH no. 1119)