Raid by Count Peter of Brittany against Muslim lands in 1239
From: Crusader Syria in
the Thirteenth Century
Translated by Janet Shirley
The famous Historia Hierosolymitana of William of Tyre and its translation into French inspired many later writers to continue this work and note down events in and affecting the Holy Land in their own time. One of these works was the Rothelin Continutation of the History of William of Tyre, which is named after Abbe Rothelin, owner of one of the manuscripts. This work covers events from 1229 to 1261, and includes a lengthy description of Jerusalem. and several military engagements, including the crusade of Louis IX. In the section republished below, the chronicler describes a crusade led by Theobald, king of Navarre and count of Champagne, in 1239. Prior to this section, the chronicler describes how Muslim forces, having heard of the arrival of the Crusaders at Acre, went off to Jerusalem and destroyed its only fortification, called the Tower of David.
Chapter 22: How Christian forces went to fortify Ascalon
The Christian forces in Acre heard that the unbelievers had torn down the Tower of David and were all very angry at the news. When they had rested briefly and recovered from all their sufferings at sea, it was agreed at the wish of all the leaders that they should appoint a day to meet in the city of Acre. Then all the noblemen who had taken the cross, all the prelates and all the nobles of the land of Syria would assemble and consider how they could best help Christendom. The agreed day came, and all the great men who could do so attended. These were: Theobald, king of Navarre and count of Champagne, and all the French lords we mentioned above except John of Braine, count of Macon, who was dead. From the land beyond the sea came the patriarch [probably Gerold, patriarch of Jerusalem], the archbishop of Tyre [Peter of Sergines], and the bishop of Acre [Ralph of Tournai], Count Walter of Jaffa, the grand commander of the Temple and the grand master of the Hospital of Our Lady of the Germans [Conrad of Thuringia, grand master of the Teutonic Knights 1239-1240]. There were many others, whose names we cannot give.
When all were assembled, many words were spoken, many arguments put forward, but no agreement was reached that day. Orders were given that all should return the following day. Next day when they reassembled, they agreed, after much discussion, on one thing, that they would all go together and lay siege to the city of Damascus, which was large, rich, full of people, well supplied and contained great wealth. But first of all they would go and make secure a castle which stood where once had been the noble city of Ascalon, before it was destroyed. When they had rebuilt this castle's defences, they would all go together and besiege Damascus. Proclamation was made that everyone must be ready on All Saints' Day [November 1]. Then in all the streets and lodgings you would have seen men checking their amour, greasing their hauberks, polishing helmets, sharpening swords and daggers, shoeing horses and fitting horse–armour and covers onto their mounts. Everyone made the best preparations he could.
Then on the day after All Saints,
the feast of All Souls, the entire force set off and travelled towards Ascalon,
using the coast road. Once out in the open, with the companies all arrayed, they
formed a huge army. Some said it included at least 4000 knights. Besides these
there were so many other troops that the whole country was covered with people
and horses, with carts, men, pack animals and other equipment. But there were
not nearly enough horses for such a large army. Very many valiant knights and
good sergeants went on foot, and hard going they found it, for they were not
used to it. Many great lords were only too happy to find a donkey to ride or to
load their equipment on. All together they went to Chateau Pelerin. Robert Malet
and other pilgrims were forced to remain there, as they were too ill to go any
further. So they travelled on day after day to the castle of Jaffa, where they
stayed four days.
CHAPTER 23: How Count Peter of Brittany went raiding
The sultan of Damascus [Al-Salih' Isma'il] knew very well what was happening, for his spies had told him that when the Christians had fortified Ascalon, they intended to besiege his noble city of Damascus. He did not fail to provide for this as well as he could, like a man who expected to be besieged at any moment. Food, weapons, engines, and everything that people under siege could need, he collected it all into his city. He was careful to beg the townspeople to do their utmost themselves for their own defence. Then you would have seen the neighbouring towns stripped bare and everything brought into the city - wheat, oats, peas and beans, barley, wine, oil, vinegar, salt meat, iron and steel, and a great deal of livestock. The town was wonderfully well provisioned. Many went into it from the strongholds round about because they feared the Christians and did not dare remain, and they took ail their possessions into the city. The sultan of Damascus had sent messages to all his friends requiring them to help him and to provision his city against the Christian army that was on its way. Each one did all he could to help him. Amongst the rest there was an important man, rich and powerful, who got together a great quantity of oxen, cows, ewes, sheep, camels, buffaloes and other livestock. He took armed men on foot and on horseback with him and went with all his plunder towards Damascus, staying one night in a castle.
While the Christian forces were resting in Jaffa, Peter Mauclerc, count of Brittany, was informed that he could reap great profit in that place. He left the army very privately one evening, taking with him two hundred knights and the other armed men he knew he would need. They had plenty of people with them to guide them, and they travelled all night and in the morning reached a place through which this booty would have to pass. Here he placed part of his force in ambush. Then the count himself and the rest of his men laid in wait at another spot where the convoy would pass, so that if one attack failed, the other must succeed. They made careful arrangements for coming to each other's help if necessary. When the sun had risen, the Turks came out of the castle with all their booty and made straight for the place where the count was, waiting. As soon as Count Peter Mauclerc of Brittany saw them, he and his men mounted quickly and rode in good array to attack the unbelievers.
As soon as the emir and the Turks who were with him escorting this booty saw the ranks of Christians, they were sure they meant to attack them and seize their plunder. They discussed what they should do. Some said it would be best to abandon the convoy and move off, fast; perhaps the Christians would concentrate on rounding up the cattle and so they would avoid a conflict. If the Christians did attack, they could put up a better defence if they were not encumbered with livestock. Others said that they had a much stronger force than the Christians and would set a very poor example if they abandoned their convoy without striking a blow. For this reason they recommended moving on, while continuing to protect their plunder. If God was on their side, they would all get safely past, in spite of the handful of Christians ahead of them. The unbelievers could not see all their opponents and had no idea that the count had laid an ambush. They could only see the men with the count and of course supposed that that was his entire force. Their lord the emir, who was a good knight, valiant and courageous, upheld the second opinion, and so they quickly arrayed their men, putting the livestock in the centre and themselves all around it. They placed their archers in the front, to make the first encounter. The emir addressed all his men generally, and spoke to the bravest and most daring, knowing where they were in the ranked companies, and begged and exhorted them to do well and to fight hard. It was a mere nothing, he told them, for so many brave men as they were to kill and cut to pieces the handful of riffraff now approaching them. As the archers drew near the Christians, they attacked at a brisk gallop, shooting thick and fast. But the count of Brittany and our men spurred hard against them and forced them back onto the companies following them, penning them into a narrow place where they could not ride to and fro to shoot or fight. They had to give up their usual spurring technique and fight with swords and maces, which was not nearly so easy for them. But the two sides met in sharp conflict, hitting out with swords and maces, none holding back. The unbelievers made a united attack upon ours and almost compelled them to turn and run. Now Ralph of Soissons and his men proved their worth: if they had not been there, the count of Brittany would have been taken or killed.
The men lying in ambush knew nothing about this conflict. The count saw that his men were suffering and the unbelievers were doing as they liked with them; then he had a horn sounded. The men in ambush heard it and knew they were needed. They mounted at once and spurred hard towards the battle, charging into the melee with such fury that the Turks were all astounded. Hand to hand they fought and it was some time before anyone could tell which side would be victorious. Soon, however, the unbelievers were completely crushed and they turned and fled, not towards Damascus but to the castle where they had spent the night. They never gave a thought to their plunder ox their convoy. Our men pursued them and kept so close and so hard on their heels that a good many rode into the castle along with the fugitives. They killed many of the men inside it, captured and bound the rest, and took everything they could find. They rounded up the livestock, all the plunder and all their prisoners, and returned in perfect safety to Jaffa where the army was lying. Great was the delight of the rank and file when they arrived with so much livestock, for there was such a scarcity of food in the army that a man could not get his fill of bread for two pence of Tours. The count gave many of his beasts to the commanders of the host; some were very pleased and others were scornful and jealous because he had won so much plunder. This led them to do things that brought great shame and harm upon Christendom. Poor people were helped for a time, as the count and his companions gave them plenty of meat, which had been in very short supply. This happened in the same year, the month of November, on the Friday after Martinmas [November 11, 1239 - the text may be in error and should be the Friday before Martinmas].
This translation is from Crusader Syria in the Thirteenth Century: The Rothelin Continuation of the History of William of Tyre with part of the Eracles or Acre text, translated by Janet Shirley (Aldershot: Ashgate, 1999). We thank Janet Shirley and Ashgate Publishing for their permission to republish this section.