Libellus de expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum facts for kids
The Libellus de expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum (which means "Little Book about the Conquest of the Holy Land by Saladin") is a short, anonymous Latin book. It tells the story of how Saladin, a famous Muslim leader, conquered parts of the Holy Land between 1186 and 1191.
This book is also sometimes called the Chronicon terrae sanctae (or "Chronicle of the Holy Land"). The main part of the story was written soon after these events happened. Later, in the early 1200s, more was added about the Third Crusade. This extra part was likely added at Coggeshall Abbey in England. We don't know the names of the original author or the person who added to the book later.
Contents
About the Book's Names
The names we use for this book today, Libellus de expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum and Chronicon terrae sanctae, were not the original titles. They were given to the book much later by historians.
For example, the name Libellus de expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum was first used in 1729. The word libellus means "little book" or "treatise," which some experts think describes it better than chronicon (meaning "chronicle" or "history").
However, some older copies of the book do use the word chronicon or chronica in their titles. One old copy has "On the capture of Jerusalem" written on its side. Another copy from the 1600s or 1700s was titled "Chronicle of the Holy Land captured by Saladin." So, while it has a main modern name, it has been known by a few different titles over time.
Copies of the Book
The Libellus still exists today in several old copies. Four of these are medieval parchment manuscripts (written on animal skin), and three are more modern paper copies. Each copy is given a special letter code:
- C: This is the oldest copy. It's in London at the British Library. It was made at Coggeshall Abbey in the early 1200s.
- A: Also in London, this copy was made at Coggeshall Abbey in the early 1200s, copied from C.
- V: This copy is in Paris, France. It was made at Coggeshall Abbey in the 1200s, also copied from C.
- P: This copy is in Cambridge, England. It was made in the 1300s and copied from A.
- V1, V2, V3: These are three more modern copies from the 1600s. They were all copied from V at the Abbey of Saint-Victor, Paris.
What the Book is About
The Libellus is divided into 29 chapters. Historians usually see it as having three main parts, based on where the information came from.
Part One: Saladin's Conquests
The first 26 chapters make up the first part. This section tells the original story of events in the Outremer (the Crusader states in the Middle East). It covers the time from the death of King Baldwin V in September 1186 to when Saladin's army took over Jerusalem in October 1187. The book pays special attention to how many Christian holy places were lost during this time.
Part Two: The Third Crusade Begins
Chapter 27 is the second part. It includes parts from another book called the Itinerarium peregrinorum. This section continues the story up to the summer of 1191, when King Richard the Lionheart and King Philip II of France arrived at the siege of Acre.
Part Three: Letters Between Leaders
The last two chapters form the third part. They claim to be a letter from Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, to Saladin, and Saladin's reply. Since the second and third parts came from other books that were already circulating, historians are mostly interested in the first part of the Libellus as the original work.
The Story Told in the Book
The Libellus starts by addressing a "your excellency," which could be any important person, like a church leader or a ruler. The book's focus suggests it was probably written for a churchman.
The first part begins with the closing of the gates of Jerusalem after King Baldwin V died. This happened before Queen Sibylla and her husband, Guy of Lusignan, were crowned. There was a lot of disagreement between Guy and Raymond III of Tripoli, which almost led to fighting. When Saladin heard about this, he launched an attack into Galilee.
The Libellus describes the Crusaders' defeat in the battle of Cresson in May 1187. The author sadly mentions the deaths of brave knights like Roger des Moulins and others. This defeat convinced Raymond to finally accept Guy as king.
The book then describes Saladin's capture of Tiberias in July 1187. It criticizes King Guy's decision to march out and meet Saladin, even though Raymond advised against it. The book also makes the Patriarch Heraclius of Jerusalem seem cowardly for not carrying the True Cross himself into battle. Guy's decision to set up camp on July 3rd is also criticized.
During the important battle of Hattin, the foot soldiers refused to fight twice because they were so thirsty. The Crusader army was completely defeated, and King Guy was captured. The story then lists the places Saladin's brother, Saphadin, took after Hattin, often explaining their religious importance. Conrad of Montferrat is praised for bravely defending Tyre.
The first part of the book ends with Jerusalem surrendering. The author calls those who were responsible "traitors" because they paid money to Saladin for their own freedom, which meant they lost their lands. The poor people, however, could not pay and were left behind. Saladin then cleaned the Temple Mount in a special ceremony, removed the golden cross from the top of the Dome of the Rock, and took treasures from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The gates of Jerusalem were then closed to Christians. The story comes full circle: it started with the gates closing due to Christian disagreements and ends with Saladin closing them to all Christians.
The second part of the story, which has a different writing style because it came from another book, tells about:
- Joscius, Archbishop of Tyre, traveling to Europe to share the news that Jerusalem had fallen.
- The promises made by Emperor Frederick I, King Philip II, and King Henry II of England to join the Crusades.
- The death of Frederick I during the crusade.
- King Guy of Lusignan being released by Saladin.
- The siege of Acre, up until the main armies of the Third Crusade arrived.
