UME3-3

In the late eleventh century, Western Europe had also left Rome long behind. The territories that had once comprised the European provinces of the Western Roman Empire were now splintering into the early prototypes of the nation-states of Western Europe. In this medieval world where national identity was still vague, the Church exercised a considerable degree of political clout. So when the Byzantine emperor Alexius I decided to call on the West for help in 1095, he addressed his call to Pope Urban II, rather than to the secular leaders of the nation-states of Western Europe.

In 1095, relations between Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire were civil but chilly. For centuries, the Byzantines had continued to acknowledge the Roman papacy. However, there were a series of disputes between church leaders in Rome and Constantinople during the 900s and early eleventh century. In 1054, Pope Leo IX of Rome and Patriarch Michael Cerularius of the Byzantine church officially “excommunicated” each other. The result was a Christian schism between East and West, which continues to this day. (The Byzantine church eventually became the Greek Orthodox Church; the Western Roman branch of Christianity is today the Roman Catholic Church.)

Despite the division of the church some four decades earlier, Pope Urban readily agreed to provide Alexius with assistance. This was not only a chance to help other Christians---it was also an opportunity to make the Byzantine church indebted to Rome. If the forces of Western Christendom successfully drove the Turks back from the gates of Byzantium, then the influence of Rome would no doubt be increased in Constantinople.

In November 1095, Pope Urban sent out the call to the men of Christendom. He spoke at the Council of Clermont, a gathering held in southern France. Because of his location, Urban anticipated that most of the men called to arms would be Franks; he therefore made several appeals to the Frankish sense of honor. He even went so far as to suggest that the Franks were a race somewhat elevated above the rest of mankind. Needless to say, this message was well received by the local audience.

Who were the Franks?

The Franks were a bellicose Germanic tribe that lived in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Their territory included the old Roman province of Gaul---modern-day France.

Urban outlined two goals: First, the Crusaders would drive back the Muslim forces that were threatening the very existence of Byzantium. Then they would free the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from Muslim domination. (Recall that one of the early Muslim caliphs---Umar---had conquered Jerusalem in 637.)

Urban proposed the First Crusade as a “pilgrimage” rather than a Crusade. (The term “crusade” was not used to refer to the expeditions until much later.) From the beginning, the Crusades contained an odd mix of religion and politics that most Westerners alive today would find unpalatable. For example, Urban promised the remission of all sins for any who died in combat or during the journey. A conflict that should have been a straightforward defensive war to check Seljuk Turk aggressions became imbued with the absolutism of religious belief---which in turn led to the dehumanization of the perceived “enemies of Christ.”

Urban’s decision to call the First Crusade a “pilgrimage” can be understood in the context of medieval Christianity. The pilgrimage was a very important aspect of Christian religious life during the Middle Ages. The most common destination for a pilgrimage was a church or cathedral that housed holy relics---usually the remains of an early Christian saint or martyr. Whereas contemporary Christians view holiness as a state to be achieved through good works and prayer, medieval Christians perceived holiness as an almost physical, impersonal force. They believed that the tomb of a martyr or the remains of a saint emanated a beneficial spiritual aura. And a visit to a holy relic could not only help to save one’s soul----it could also provide assistance with more mundane matters. Relics therefore attracted the sick, the impoverished, and others with pressing worldly problems.

In the hierarchy of holy places, no location was as sacred as Jerusalem----the city where Christ had been crucified and risen from the dead. Long before the Crusades, pilgrimages to Jerusalem were very popular among European Christians. During the medieval era, thousands of believers throughout Europe made the dangerous and expensive journey to the Holy Land.

Around 1000 A.D., public enthusiasm for visiting Jerusalem was intensified by the arrival of the first millennium, which many believed would mark the Second Coming and the Apocalypse. In 1033, a severe famine in Europe caused the widespread belief that the end of times was at hand. As many as seven thousand Europeans responded by traveling to Jerusalem. Another massive wave of pilgrims followed around 1060. This was more than thirty years before the start of the crusades.

Interest in Jerusalem was also fueled by the revival of an old prophecy from Christian Roman times: supposedly, a Western king would be crowned in the city of Jerusalem; and his coronation would goad the antichrist into making an appearance. It was believed that an apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and evil would follow.

The expeditionary forces that set out from Europe in 1096 were not comprised solely of fighting men. The Crusaders were accompanied by priests, civilian pilgrims, and sundry individuals who would today be called “support personnel”: tailors, cooks, and servants. The Crusaders’ first destination was Constantinople. Some chose to make the journey by sea. Others decided to go by land, thereby retracing the steps of Charlemagne, who---according to legend----once traveled to the Holy Land on horseback.




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	UNDERSTANDING THE MIDDLE EAST: History, Religion, and the Clash of Cultures 400 pages Copyright © 2007 by Beechmont Crest Publishing First edition, 2007 0-9748330-6-1 Table of Contents C H A P T E R 3: Understanding the Crusades Pope Urban hears the call In the late eleventh century, Western Europe had also left Rome long behind. The territories that had once comprised the European provinces of the Western Roman Empire were now splintering into the early prototypes of the nation-states of Western Europe. In this medieval world where national identity was still vague, the Church exercised a considerable degree of political clout. So when the Byzantine emperor Alexius I decided to call on the West for help in 1095, he addressed his call to Pope Urban II, rather than to the secular leaders of the nation-states of Western Europe. In 1095, relations between Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire were civil but chilly. For centuries, the Byzantines had continued to acknowledge the Roman papacy. However, there were a series of disputes between church leaders in Rome and Constantinople during the 900s and early eleventh century. In 1054, Pope Leo IX of Rome and Patriarch Michael Cerularius of the Byzantine church officially “excommunicated” each other. The result was a Christian schism between East and West, which continues to this day. (The Byzantine church eventually became the Greek Orthodox Church; the Western Roman branch of Christianity is today the Roman Catholic Church.) The First Crusade Despite the division of the church some four decades earlier, Pope Urban readily agreed to provide Alexius with assistance. This was not only a chance to help other Christians---it was also an opportunity to make the Byzantine church indebted to Rome. If the forces of Western Christendom successfully drove the Turks back from the gates of Byzantium, then the influence of Rome would no doubt be increased in Constantinople. In November 1095, Pope Urban sent out the call to the men of Christendom. He spoke at the Council of Clermont, a gathering held in southern France. Because of his location, Urban anticipated that most of the men called to arms would be Franks; he therefore made several appeals to the Frankish sense of honor. He even went so far as to suggest that the Franks were a race somewhat elevated above the rest of mankind. Needless to say, this message was well received by the local audience. Who were the Franks? The Franks were a bellicose Germanic tribe that lived in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Their territory included the old Roman province of Gaul---modern-day France. Urban outlined two goals: First, the Crusaders would drive back the Muslim forces that were threatening the very existence of Byzantium. Then they would free the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from Muslim domination. (Recall that one of the early Muslim caliphs---Umar---had conquered Jerusalem in 637.) A war and a pilgrimage Urban proposed the First Crusade as a “pilgrimage” rather than a Crusade. (The term “crusade” was not used to refer to the expeditions until much later.) From the beginning, the Crusades contained an odd mix of religion and politics that most Westerners alive today would find unpalatable. For example, Urban promised the remission of all sins for any who died in combat or during the journey. A conflict that should have been a straightforward defensive war to check Seljuk Turk aggressions became imbued with the absolutism of religious belief---which in turn led to the dehumanization of the perceived “enemies of Christ.” Urban’s decision to call the First Crusade a “pilgrimage” can be understood in the context of medieval Christianity. The pilgrimage was a very important aspect of Christian religious life during the Middle Ages. The most common destination for a pilgrimage was a church or cathedral that housed holy relics---usually the remains of an early Christian saint or martyr. Whereas contemporary Christians view holiness as a state to be achieved through good works and prayer, medieval Christians perceived holiness as an almost physical, impersonal force. They believed that the tomb of a martyr or the remains of a saint emanated a beneficial spiritual aura. And a visit to a holy relic could not only help to save one’s soul----it could also provide assistance with more mundane matters. Relics therefore attracted the sick, the impoverished, and others with pressing worldly problems. In the hierarchy of holy places, no location was as sacred as Jerusalem----the city where Christ had been crucified and risen from the dead. Long before the Crusades, pilgrimages to Jerusalem were very popular among European Christians. During the medieval era, thousands of believers throughout Europe made the dangerous and expensive journey to the Holy Land. Around 1000 A.D., public enthusiasm for visiting Jerusalem was intensified by the arrival of the first millennium, which many believed would mark the Second Coming and the Apocalypse. In 1033, a severe famine in Europe caused the widespread belief that the end of times was at hand. As many as seven thousand Europeans responded by traveling to Jerusalem. Another massive wave of pilgrims followed around 1060. This was more than thirty years before the start of the crusades. Interest in Jerusalem was also fueled by the revival of an old prophecy from Christian Roman times: supposedly, a Western king would be crowned in the city of Jerusalem; and his coronation would goad the antichrist into making an appearance. It was believed that an apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and evil would follow. The expeditionary forces that set out from Europe in 1096 were not comprised solely of fighting men. The Crusaders were accompanied by priests, civilian pilgrims, and sundry individuals who would today be called “support personnel”: tailors, cooks, and servants. The Crusaders’ first destination was Constantinople. Some chose to make the journey by sea. Others decided to go by land, thereby retracing the steps of Charlemagne, who---according to legend----once traveled to the Holy Land on horseback. Continue reading.... Copyright 2005 Beechmont Crest Publishing