The Norman Conquest, the Crusades, and Religious War: Medieval History Notes, pt 2.

Thanks for coming back!

This week’s class was really fun, and I enjoyed all of your questions and discussion. As always, please free to contact me with any questions or comments. I love feedback!

Here, again, are some fascinating primary sources in modern translation. The Alexiad and the collected Crusader letters are especially worth reading because of the dual perspective on similar events. I’ve also given the one Muslim account of the crusaders that I can find online in good translation for a further perspective.

Part Two: 1000-1250 CE

Presentation: (PDF)

Class Resources:

Speech at Clermont, by Pope Urban II. (Five versions!)

Peter the Hermit: Collected Accounts, by various chroniclers.

Crusader Letters, including one by Stephen of Blois. (Remember, when he wrote to Adela, he wasn’t fine!)

The Siege of Antioch, by various chroniclers. (This shows you how not fine Stephen was.)

The Alexiad, chapters 10 and 11, by Anna Comnena. (This was the Byzantine Emperor’s daughter.)

The Battle of Hattin, 1187, by Ernoul.

Autobiography, by Usmah ibn Munqidh. (A Muslim account of the European Crusaders, from about 1175.)

If you missed last week’s class…

…you can find the notes for part 1 and the notes for part 3 on the site as well. Enjoy!