territory.
He returned to Jerusalem a few days before
Christmas. The Patriarch Daimbert had had time to reflect on his situation. He
bowed to the inevitable; and on Christmas Day, 1100, he crowned Baldwin King of
Jerusalem. In return, he was confirmed in the Patriarchate.
In the early spring of 1101 Baldwin heard that
a rich Arab tribe was passing through Transjordan. At once he led a detachment
across the river and fell by night on its encampment. Only a few of the Arabs
escaped. The majority of men were slain in their tents, and the women and
children were carried off into captivity, together with a great hoard of money
and precious stuffs. Amongst the captives was the wife of one of the sheikhs of
the tribe. She was on the point of bearing a child; and when Baldwin learnt of
her condition, he gave orders that she should be released with her
maid-servant, two female camels and a good supply of food and drink. She gave
birth successfully by the wayside, where her husband soon found her. Deeply
moved by Baldwin’s courtesy he hurried after him to thank him and to promise that
some day he would repay him for his kindness.
News of the raid added to Baldwin’s fame. In
March embassies came to Jerusalem from the coastal cities, Arsuf, Caesarea,
Acre and Tyre, bearing valuable gifts; while Duqaq of Damascus sent to offer
the sum of fifty thousand gold besants for the ransom of the captives that
Baldwin had made at the battle of the Dog River. Baldwin’s most pressing
financial problem was thereby solved.
1101: Capture of
Arsuf and Caesarea
Their tribute did not long benefit Arsuf or
Caesarea. In March a Genoese squadron was sighted off Haifa, and on 15 April it
put in at Jaffa. Amongst the passengers was Maurice, Cardinal-Bishop of Porto,
sent out as Legate by Pope Paschal. Hitherto Baldwin had been dependent for
sea-power on the small Pisan fleet that had accompanied the Pisan archbishop,
his enemy Daimbert, to the East. An alliance with the Genoese, chief rivals of
the Pisans, suited him better. He hurried down to Haifa to greet them and to
receive the Legate, and took their leaders with them to spend Easter at
Jerusalem. There they made an agreement to serve him for a season. Their
payment was to be one-third of all the booty that might be captured, of goods
as well as of money, and a street in the bazaar quarter of every conquered
town. As soon as the pact was signed, the allies moved against Arsuf, Baldwin
by land and the Genoese by sea. Resistance soon broke down. The authorities of
the town offered to capitulate on condition that the inhabitants might emigrate
safely with their families and their possessions to Moslem territory. Baldwin
accepted their terms. They were escorted by his troops to Ascalon. Baldwin then
garrisoned the town, after assigning their share to the Genoese.
From Arsuf the allies went to Caesarea, whose
siege began on 2 May. The garrison, relying on its old Byzantine walls, refused
to surrender; but on 17 May it was taken by assault. The victorious soldiers
were given permission to pillage the city as they pleased; and the horrors of
the sack shocked even their own leaders. The cruellest massacre took place in
the Great Mosque, which once had been the synagogue of Herod Agrippa. Many of
the citizens had taken refuge there and begged for mercy. But they were
butchered, men and women alike, till the floor was a lake of blood. In all the
city only a few girls and young infants were spared, and the chief magistrate
and the commander of the garrison, whom Baldwin himself saved in order to
obtain good ransom-money. The ferocity was deliberate. Baldwin wished to show
that he would keep his word to all that came to terms with him. Otherwise he
would be pitiless.
Baldwin had only time to divide the booty
according to his pact and to install a Frankish garrison before the news came
to him that an Egyptian army had entered Palestine.
The Fatimid vizier, al-Afdal, was eager to
avenge the disaster at
He returned to Jerusalem a few days before
Christmas. The Patriarch Daimbert had had time to reflect on his situation. He
bowed to the inevitable; and on Christmas Day, 1100, he crowned Baldwin King of
Jerusalem. In return, he was confirmed in the Patriarchate.
In the early spring of 1101 Baldwin heard that
a rich Arab tribe was passing through Transjordan. At once he led a detachment
across the river and fell by night on its encampment. Only a few of the Arabs
escaped. The majority of men were slain in their tents, and the women and
children were carried off into captivity, together with a great hoard of money
and precious stuffs. Amongst the captives was the wife of one of the sheikhs of
the tribe. She was on the point of bearing a child; and when Baldwin learnt of
her condition, he gave orders that she should be released with her
maid-servant, two female camels and a good supply of food and drink. She gave
birth successfully by the wayside, where her husband soon found her. Deeply
moved by Baldwin’s courtesy he hurried after him to thank him and to promise that
some day he would repay him for his kindness.
News of the raid added to Baldwin’s fame. In
March embassies came to Jerusalem from the coastal cities, Arsuf, Caesarea,
Acre and Tyre, bearing valuable gifts; while Duqaq of Damascus sent to offer
the sum of fifty thousand gold besants for the ransom of the captives that
Baldwin had made at the battle of the Dog River. Baldwin’s most pressing
financial problem was thereby solved.
1101: Capture of
Arsuf and Caesarea
Their tribute did not long benefit Arsuf or
Caesarea. In March a Genoese squadron was sighted off Haifa, and on 15 April it
put in at Jaffa. Amongst the passengers was Maurice, Cardinal-Bishop of Porto,
sent out as Legate by Pope Paschal. Hitherto Baldwin had been dependent for
sea-power on the small Pisan fleet that had accompanied the Pisan archbishop,
his enemy Daimbert, to the East. An alliance with the Genoese, chief rivals of
the Pisans, suited him better. He hurried down to Haifa to greet them and to
receive the Legate, and took their leaders with them to spend Easter at
Jerusalem. There they made an agreement to serve him for a season. Their
payment was to be one-third of all the booty that might be captured, of goods
as well as of money, and a street in the bazaar quarter of every conquered
town. As soon as the pact was signed, the allies moved against Arsuf, Baldwin
by land and the Genoese by sea. Resistance soon broke down. The authorities of
the town offered to capitulate on condition that the inhabitants might emigrate
safely with their families and their possessions to Moslem territory. Baldwin
accepted their terms. They were escorted by his troops to Ascalon. Baldwin then
garrisoned the town, after assigning their share to the Genoese.
From Arsuf the allies went to Caesarea, whose
siege began on 2 May. The garrison, relying on its old Byzantine walls, refused
to surrender; but on 17 May it was taken by assault. The victorious soldiers
were given permission to pillage the city as they pleased; and the horrors of
the sack shocked even their own leaders. The cruellest massacre took place in
the Great Mosque, which once had been the synagogue of Herod Agrippa. Many of
the citizens had taken refuge there and begged for mercy. But they were
butchered, men and women alike, till the floor was a lake of blood. In all the
city only a few girls and young infants were spared, and the chief magistrate
and the commander of the garrison, whom Baldwin himself saved in order to
obtain good ransom-money. The ferocity was deliberate. Baldwin wished to show
that he would keep his word to all that came to terms with him. Otherwise he
would be pitiless.
Baldwin had only time to divide the booty
according to his pact and to install a Frankish garrison before the news came
to him that an Egyptian army had entered Palestine.
The Fatimid vizier, al-Afdal, was eager to
avenge the disaster at
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