Crusading Warfare

Exploring the Military History of the Crusades

William James Hamblin
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Blue boxes reference primary
sources, and provide
quotations from primary
sources.

Gold boxes contains

references to secondary
sources.

White boxes are summaries

of primary sources.
Color coded
Green text boxes are my
analysis, notes, commentary,
and explanations.
text boxes
Brown text boxes provide
place and location names
1/11- Antioch Campaign
2b- Battle of Artah
1097 October 16-19
 Vahka ♜ Gerger
Main Army’s Marches
Behesni 1097/10/17-19
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk
ald
BSamosata
Constantine
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ ✝ Marash
Kaysun
Marash
Sis Thatoul
{1087-1104} Keysun Raban

2 2- {10/16} CrusadersKogh Vasil

March toward Antioch
{1087?-1112} ♜
Marzban Edessa
♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa
3
Aintab
♜ Bira
3- {10/17} Baldwin departs Saruj

4 on Edessa expedition.
s

Ravendel
4- {10/17} Crusaders
Mt

♜ Haran
March toward Antioch ♜
s
aeu

5- {10/16-17} Tancred Turbessel Jerablus

Am

crosses the Syrian Gates

Cyrrhus
(Belen
Ayas Pass) and enters the
plains north of the Orontes
and Iron Bridge.

Azaz
Aleppo
AlexandrettaTa
Darbsak
6 (Ridwan) Mosul
♜ 6- {10/18} Main Crusader {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
army marches toward Artah Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
{1095-1102}
♜ 5
Bagras
Iron
Bridge
Artah Tall Aghdi

1 RF
Tu Antioch Harim Aleppo

St Simeon Antioch
1- {10/17} Turks attempt to
relieve Artah.
(Yaghi-Siyan)
{1086-1098}
Mamistra
Strategic Situation 1097/10/16-19
Jerablus

s
Mt
✝

s
aeu
Am
Ayas
Cyrrhus

E up
hra
te s
3
3- {10/18} Crusaders
Azaz
Alexandretta Ta March toward Artah

Darbsak Manbij ♜

asu
♜ Qalat al-Najm

Kar
Syrian
Gates
2
Crusader and Turkish armies
♜
Baghras converge on Artah
2- {10/16-17} Tancred crosses f rin
A
the Syrian Gates (Belen Pass)
Tancred marches to Artah. Lake
Antioch

Artah
Onr
ante
RF Aleppo
Antioch s
1Iron Harim Aleppo (Ridwan)
Tu Bridge
{1095-1113}
Atharib
s
te
an
nr

St Simeon
O

1- {10/16} Turks
Antioch march to Artah
(Yaghi-Siyan) Qinnasrin Eu
{1086-1098} ph
ra
te
s

Balis

Jisr
al-Shughur
tes
Onran

Bourzey
♜
 Ta Turkish Reinforcements 1097/10/16

4- {10/16} Tancred arrives with a couple 3b- Ralph’s account of the skirmishes and siege of
of hundred men who reinforce the Artah [RC 45-47] is garbled, and exaggerates the role
garrison of Artah. [RC 45] of Tancred, but contains interesting combat details,
which probably reflect military reality.

4 1- {10/16} Robert of
Flanders secures Artah
[AA 3.28d →WT 4.7b]

RF Artah
Orantes

Iron
Bridge Tu
♜
2 2a- {10/16} Turkish reinforcements
from Antioch march from Antioch to 3
relieve Artah [AA 3.29a-b →WT 4.7e]

Ora
nte
s
Tu

2
2b- Albert says 20,000 Turks
came from Antioch [AA 3.29a],
an impossible figure, since the
garrison numbered only 5000.
Harim
Or
an
tes
 Battle of Artah 1097/10/17a

3c- 3b- {10/17} [RC 45e]

Albert claims that the Crusaders “knew nothing of the
[Turks’] tricks and hidden ambush” [AA 3.29c], which
makes sense of the course of the battle.
Ralph says Tancred used a ploy to see if the Turks had an
ambush [RC 45e]; this may not have happened at the battle
of Artah, but probably reflects an authentic tactics.
Orantes
[Tancred] realized that the bravery of those [Turks]
out in the open depended on others still in hiding …
In order to obtain evidence for this view, [Tancred]
sent out three turcopoles [Turcopolos]. If the
enemy retreated, they were afraid and alone. If
they fought, they had hope of reinforcements. But
not only did the five not retreat at the sight of their
attackers, they themselves went onto the attack.
Thus, it became even more clear to Tancred that
others were in hiding so he prepared for battle,
deployed his troops in battle lines and advanced.
3a- {10/17} [AA 3.29c→WT 4.7f]
The Gauls, of course, knowing
nothing of the [Turks’] tricks and
hidden ambush, went out on foot and
on horseback, armed and armoured,
and met them in the middle of the plain
RF Artah
to do battle with their enemies.

Iron 2
Bridge 3
♜

2- {10/17} Thirty Turk scout

the situation at Artah,
attempting to provoke a pursuit
by the crusaders. [AA 3.29b]
Ora
nte
s
Tu
1- {10/17} The main Turkish force 1
prepares an ambush behind the high
ground northeast of Harim. [AA 3.29a-b]

Harim
Or
an
tes
 Battle of Artah
2c- My interpretation is that the Turks
1097/10/17b
were beginning to surround the
Crusaders, who charged to the east to
break out of the encirclement, and fled
back to Artah. The “charge” was thus a
organized retreat. [→WT 4.7b]

2b-
“Dense Turkish battle lines” probably 2a- {10/17} [AA 3.29e] [Robert’s Crusaders] sped on a tight
refers to formed Turkish heavy cavalry rein from the level plain through the middle of the dense
rather than the skirmishing order of the Turkish battle lines, and charged the enemy with lances held
Turkmens. rigid [= couched lance]. The whole company also charged Artah
with such manly boldness that they escaped from the enemy's
Orantes hands unharmed inside the gates and ramparts.
Iron
Bridge 2
♜
RF
⚔

Ora Tu
nte 1- {10/17} [AA 3.29d] For the Turks, who lay in
s
ambush across their route, took the road before
them in a great horde, so that the Gauls, who had
come out and had no way of returning or taking
refuge in the city, would be killed instantly.

Harim
Or
an
tes
 Battle of Artah 1097/10/17b

3- {10/17} [AA 3.29f] But they were pushed back

from the threshold by a strong, though small, band, and
they were in no way allowed to enter the gates with
the Gauls. Many armed men, both cavalry and infantry,
were wounded on this side and that in the sudden
bombardment of arrows, also mules and horses.

3
1- {10/17} The Crusaders ⚔ Artah
Orantes flee back to Artah.

Iron 1
Bridge 2
♜ RF
2- {10/17} [AA 3.29f] The Turks pursued
Tu the men who had escaped inside the gates
with a hail of a thousand arrows,

Ora
nte
s

Harim
Or
an
tes
 Turks besiege Crusaders in Artah 1097/10/18

1- {10/18} [AA 3.30c →WT

4.7g] Turks assault the city, but
fail to break in

RF Artah
Orantes
Tu 2
Iron
Bridge 2- {10/18} [AA 3.29g] Turks
♜ begin a siege of Robert of
Flanders’ army in Artah.

Ora
nte
s

Harim
Or
an
tes
 Main Crusader army arrives; Turks withdraw 1097/10/19
✝
3- {10/19} The main crusader army
advances and relieves the fledgling
siege of Artah. [AA 3.30]
3

RF Artah
Orantes 2
Tu
Iron 2
1
Bridge
♜ 2- {10/19} On hearing of the advance 1- [AA 3.30a] [Turkish] spies were lurking
of the Crusaders, the Turks break off the among [the main Crusader army] who saw their
siege and withdraw across the Iron chance and withdrew themselves secretly from
Bridge. [AA 3.30b →WT 4.7h] the [Crusader] army. They reported to the Turks
what they had heard and found out about the
approach and the plans of the Christian army.
Ora
nte
s

Harim
Or
an
tes
 Crusading Warfare
Next = 1/11/2c: Lance vs Bow

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