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150 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Third Crusade

The period surrounding the Third Crusade has been documented from a fairly astonishing number of perspectives. The significance of the events and the personalities involved contributed to the compilation and preservation of nu- merous eye-witness accounts, providing detailed records of Saladin’s cam- paigns of conquest in 1187-88 and the crusade these precipitated. The prestige and resources of the figures involved provide the opportunity to assess what may have been some of the most powerful mechanical stone-throwers of the period and examine their role in broader siege operations. ‘Imad al-Din al-Isfahani, who had achieved a certain level of significance in Damascus under Nur al-Din, later joined Saladin’s service and acted as his sec- retary. This position provided him with considerable access to information and the histories that he wrote following Saladin’s death form the basis of most of the subsequent Arabic narratives relating to this period. While his al-Fath al- Qussi fi’l-Fath al-Qudsi has survived, only sections of his Kitab al-Barq al-Shami remain, preserved in part in Abu Shama’s composite history and the works of later historians who similarly drew from it. Baha’ al-Din ibn Shaddad was a contemporary of ‘Imad al-Din and another respected scholar. He too found himself attached to Saladin when he was summoned to the sultan’s service in early 1188. Whereas ‘Imad al-Din’s account was composed in deliberately am- biguous verse, often allowing passages to carry two quite different meanings, Baha’ al-Din used clear prose. Although the influence of ‘Imad al-Din’s writings are quite apparent at times, especially relating to events before the Third Cru- sade, Baha’ al-Din contributes considerable original information. The third critical Muslim account is that provided by Ibn al-Athir, at this point a contem- porary but the youngest of the three authors. Although this section of his work is based heavily on the writings of the former historians, he appears to add his own perspective at times and may even have accompanied Saladin on cam- paign in 1188.1

1 For discussions of ‘Imad al-Din, Baha’ al-Din and Ibn al-Athir, their works and sources, see Richards, “A Consideration of Two Sources,” pp. 46-65; Baha’ al-Din, al-Nawadir, trans. Richards, pp. 1-7; Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, trans. Richards, 1:1-5; Richter-Bernburg, “‘Imad al-Din al-Isfahani,” pp. 29-51; Micheau, “Ibn al-Athir,” pp. 52-83. See also Little, “Historiography,” pp. 418-21.

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Third Crusade 151

From a Frankish perspective, William of Tyre’s account ends in 1184 but is continued in the Ernoul and subsequent Eracles continuations.2 The author of the De expugnatione terrae sanctae, who appears to have been among those besieged in Jerusalem in 1187, provides another eyewitness account.3 To these can be added the narratives provided by participants of the Third Crusade. An original versed account was penned by Ambroise and this was rendered into prose by the author of the Itinerarium peregrinorum et gesta regis Ricardi. Both men appear to have travelled to the Holy Land with elements of Richard I’s army. Roger of Howden provides a third crusader account of the siege of Acre. Although Roger arrived at the siege with Richard I, he left the Holy Land fol- lowing the city’s capture in the company of Philip II. Back in England, Ralph of Diceto did not take part in the crusade but was nevertheless well informed of its progress, as is revealed in his chronicle.4 The number of accounts and their relative detail allow for a close examina- tion of the artillery used during this period. Most sieges were observed and later described by multiple eye-witnesses, often providing perspectives from both sides. While most sources mention the continued use of fairly light anti- personnel engines, notions of increasingly powerful machines become appar- ent. Besieging forces were probably experimenting with counterweight trebu- chets by at least the late twelfth century; however, the real impact of these weapons was yet to be appreciated. By the Third Crusade, these engines had almost certainly developed into practical and effective weapons, but were still far from the behemoths that would be built in later decades.

The Hattin Campaign

While Saladin was passively besieging Kerak, his son, al-Afdal, coordinated a raid into Galilee. The success of this party, which defeated a force of Franks near the Springs of Cresson, and the arrival of his Egyptian forces compelled Saladin to break the siege. Having invested Kerak for less than a month, Saladin

2 For a discussion of the Ernoul account and its relation the Eracles continuation, see Edbury, “Ernoul, Eracles and the Fifth Crusade.” 3 For a discussion of the Libellus de expugnatione de terrae sanctae per Saladinum, an analysis of those sections dealing with the events of 1187, a brief examination of its author, and its rela- tion to the Ernoul and Eracles continuations of William of Tyre’s account, see Kane, “Wolf’s Hair,” pp. 95-112. My thanks to James Kane for sharing some thoughts on the Libellus as he, John Pryor and Keagan Brewer prepare a new edition and translation of the text. 4 For a discussion of these crusader accounts, see Ambroise, Estoire, trans. Ailes, pp. 1-23; Itinerarium, trans. Nicholson, pp. 1-15.