Tageno facts for kids

Tageno was a clergyman from Bavaria who lived a long time ago, in the 1100s. He was part of the church in a city called Passau. Later, he became a leader in the church there, known as a dean.

In 1189, Tageno joined a big journey called the Third Crusade. This was a huge adventure where many people traveled to the Middle East. Tageno went with the army led by Frederick Barbarossa, a powerful emperor.

Tageno wrote down what he saw and experienced on this journey. His writings were in Latin, the language used by scholars back then. His work was called Descriptio expeditionis Asiaticae Friderici, which means "Description of Frederick's Asian Journey." It covered events from 1189 until June 1190. Tageno passed away in Tripoli in 1190.

Tageno's Amazing Journey

Tageno's journey on the Third Crusade was a very important part of his life. He joined Emperor Frederick Barbarossa's army. This army traveled a long way from Europe to the Middle East.

Tageno saw many things during this expedition. He wrote about the places they visited and the challenges they faced. His writings give us a special look into what it was like to be on a crusade in the 12th century.

What He Wrote About

Tageno's book, the Descriptio, was like a diary of his experiences. He wrote about the events of the crusade from 1189 to June 1190. It was a firsthand account, meaning he wrote about what he personally saw and did.

His writings are very valuable to historians today. They help us understand the daily life and big events of the Third Crusade. He described the journey and the people involved.

How We Know Tageno's Story

We don't have Tageno's original book today. But his story was so important that other writers copied parts of it into their own works. This is how we know what Tageno wrote.

One important book that used Tageno's work was called the Historia de expeditione Friderici imperatoris. This book copied many parts of Tageno's Descriptio almost exactly. It even kept Tageno's own words, like "I saw" or "we did."

Another writer named Magnus of Reichersberg also included Tageno's entire story in his own chronicle. Magnus lived around the same time as Tageno. He sometimes changed Tageno's "I" to "he" but kept most of the original text. Thanks to these other writers, Tageno's amazing account of the crusade was saved for history.