Memoirs or Chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the Conquest of Constantinople
Be it known to you that eleven hundred and ninety-seven years after the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the time of Innocent Pope of Rome, and Philip King of France, and Richard King of England, there was in France a holy man named Fulk of Neuilly—which Neuilly is between Lagni-sur-Marne and Paris—and he was a priest and held the cure of the village. And this said Fulk began to speak of God throughout the Isle-de-France, and the other countries round about; and you must know that by him the Lord wrought many miracles.
Be it known to you further, that the fame of this holy man so spread, that it reached the Pope of Rome, Innocent ; and the Pope sent to France, and ordered the right worthy man to preach the cross (the Crusade) by his authority. And afterwards the Pope sent a cardinal of his, Master Peter of Capua, who himself had taken the cross, to proclaim the Indulgence of which I now tell you, viz., that all who should take the cross and serve in the host for one year, would be delivered from all the sins they had committed, and acknowledged in confession. And because this indulgence was so great, the hearts of men were much moved, and many took the cross for the greatness of the pardon.
The other year after that right worthy man Fulk had so spoken of God, there was held a tourney in Champagne, at a castle called Ecri, and by God’s grace it so happened that Thibaut, Count of Champagne and Brie, took the cross, and the Count Louis of Blois and Chartres likewise; and this was at the beginning of Advent (28th November 1199). Now you must know that this Count Thibaut was but a young man, and not more than twenty-two years of age, and the Count Louis not more than twenty-seven. These two counts were nephews and cousins-german to the King of France, and, on the other part, nephews to the King of England.
With these two counts there took the cross two very high and puissant barons of France, Simon of Montfort , and Renaud of Montmirail. Great was the fame thereof throughout the land when these two high and puissant men took the cross.
Geoffroi de Villehardouin
Chronicle of The Fourth Crusade and The Conquest of Constantinople
Translated by Frank T. Marzials
THE FIRST PREACHING OF THE CRUSADE
OF THOSE WHO TOOK THE CROSS
THE CRUSADERS SEND SIX ENVOYS TO VENICE
THE ENVOYS ARRIVE IN VENICE, AND PROFFER THEIR REQUEST
CONDITIONS PROPOSED BY THE DOGE
CONCLUSION OF THE TREATY, AND RETURN OF THE ENVOYS
THE CRUSADERS LOOK FOR ANOTHER CHIEF
BONIFACE, MARQUIS OF MONTFERRAT, BECOMES CHIEF OF THE CRUSADE—NEW CRUSADERS—DEATH OF GEOFFRY COUNT OF PERCHE
FIRST STARTING OF THE PILGRIMS FOR VENICE, AND OF SOME WHO WENT NOT THITHER
OF THE PILGRIMS WHO CAME TO VENICE, AND OF THOSE WHO WENT TO APULIA
THE PILGRIMS LACK MONEY WHEREWITH TO PAY THE VENETIANS
THE CRUSADERS OBTAIN A RESPITE BY PROMISING TO HELP THE VENETIANS AGAINST ZARA
THE DOGE AND A NUMBER OF VENETIANS TAKE THE CROSS
MESSAGE OF ALEXIUS, THE SON OF ISAAC, THE DETHRONED EMPEROR OF CONSTANTINOPLE—DEATH OF FULK OF NEUILLY—ARRIVAL OF THE GERMANS
THE CRUSADERS LEAVE VENICE TO BESIEGE ZARA
THE INHABITANTS OF ZARA OFFER TO CAPITULATE, AND THEN DRAW BACK—ZARA IS TAKEN
THE CRUSADERS ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN THE CITYAFFRAY BETWEEN THE VENETIANS AND THE FRANKS
ON WHAT CONDITIONS ALEXIUS PROPOSES TO OBTAIN THE HELP OF THE CRUSADERS FOR THE CONQUEST OF CONSTANTINOPLE
DISCORD AMONG THE CRUSADERS—OF THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE PROPOSALS OF THE YOUNG ALEXIUS
OF THOSE WHO SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM THE HOST TO GO TO SYRIA, AND OF THE FLEET OF THE COUNT OF FLANDERS
THE CRUSADERS OBTAIN THE POPE’S ABSOLUTION FOR THE CAPTURE OF ZARA
DEPARTURE OF THE CRUSADERS FOR CORFU—ARRIVAL OF THE YOUNG ALEXIUS—CAPTURE OF DURAS
HOW THE CHIEFS OF THE CRUSADERS HELD BACK THOSE WHO WANTED TO ABANDON THE HOST
DEPARTURE FROM CORFU—CAPTURE OF ANDROS AND ABYDOS
ARRIVAL AT ST. STEPHEN—DELIBERATION AS TO PLAN OF ATTACK
THE CRUSADERS LAND AT CHALCEDON AND SCUTARI
THE FORAGERS DEFEAT THE GREEKS
MESSAGE OF THE EMPEROR ALEXIUS—REPLY OF THE CRUSADERS
THE CRUSADERS SHOW THE YOUNG ALEXIUS TO THE PEOPLE OF CONSTANTINOPLE, AND PREPARE FOR THE BATTLE
THE CRUSADERS SEIZE THE PORT
CAPTURE OF THE TOWER OF GALATA
ATTACK ON THE CITY BY LAND AND SEA
FIRST INCIDENTS OF THE ASSAULT
ASSAULT OF THE CITY
CAPTURE OF TWENTY-FIVE TOWERS
THE EMPEROR ALEXIUS COMES OUT FOR BATTLE, BUT RETIRES WITHOUT ATTACKING
ALEXIUS ABANDONS CONSTANTINOPLE—HIS BROTHER ISAAC IS REPLACED ON THE THRONE—THE CRUSADERS SEND HIM A MESSAGE
THE EMPEROR ISAAC RATIFIES THE COVENANTS ENTERED INTO BY HIS SON
ENTRY OF THE CRUSADERS INTO CONSTANTINOPLE—CORONATION OF THE YOUNG ALEXIUS
ALEXIUS BEGS THE CRUSADERS TO PROLONG THEIR STAY
DEBATE AMONG THE CRUSADERS—DEATH OF MATTHEW OF MONTMORENCY
PROGRESS OF THE YOUNG ALEXIUS THROUGH THE EMPIRE
CONFLICT BETWEEN THE GREEKS AND LATINS IN CONSTANTINOPLE-BURNING OF THE CITY
THE YOUNG ALEXIUS RETURNS TO CONSTANTINOPLIZHE FAILS IN HIS PROMISES TO THE CRUSADERS
THE CRUSADERS DEFY THE EMPERORS
THE WAR BEGINS—THE GREEKS ENDEAVOUR TO SET FIRE TO THE FLEET OF THE CRUSADERS
MOURZUPHLES USURPS THE EMPIRE—ISAAC DIES, AND THE YOUNG ALEXIUS IS STRANGLED
THE CRUSADERS CONTINUE THE WAR—DEFEAT OF MOURZUPHLES
OF THE PILGRIMS WHO HAD GONE TO SYRIA
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FRANKS AND VENETIANS BEFORE ATTACKING CONSTANTINOPLE
ATTACK OF THE CRUSADERS REPULSED—THEY MAKE READY FOR ANOTHER ASSAULT
THE CRUSADERS TAKE A PART OF THE CITY
FLIGHT OF MOURZUPHLES—SECOND FIRE IN CONSTANTINOPLE
THE CRUSADERS OCCUPY THE CITY
DIVISION OF THE SPOIL
BALDWIN, COUNT OF FLANDERS, ELECTED EMPEROR
BONIFACE WEDS ISAAC’S WIDOW, AND AFTER BALDWIN’S CORONATION OBTAINS THE KINGDOM OF SALONIKA
BALDWIN MARCHES AGAINST MOURZUPHLES
MOURZUPHLES TAKES REFUGE WITH ALEXIUS, THE BROTHER OF ISAAC, WHO PUTS OUT HIS EYES
BALDWIN MARCHES AGAINST ALEXIUS—HE IS JOINED BY BONIFACE
RUPTURE BETWEEN BALDWIN AND BONIFACE—THE ONE MARCHES ON SALONIKA, THE OTHER ON DEMOTICA
MESSAGE OF THE CRUSADERS TO BONIFACE—HE SUSPENDS THE SIEGE OF ADRIANOPLE
MESSAGE OF THE CRUSADERS TO BALDWIN—DEATH OF SEVERAL KNIGHTS
BALDWIN’S REPLY TO THE MESSAGE OF THE CRUSADERS
RECONCILIATION OF BALDWIN AND BONIFACE
THE KINGDOM OF SALONIKA IS RESTORED TO BONIFACE—DIVISION OF THE LAND BETWEEN THE CRUSADERS
EXECUTION OF MOURZUPHLES AND IMPRISONMENT OF ALEXIUS
CAPTURE OF ABYDOS, OF PHILIPPOPOLIS, AND OF NICOMEDIA—THEODORE LASCARIS PRETENDS TO THE EMPIRE
REINFORCEMENTS FROM SYRIA—DEATH OF MARY, THE WIFE OF BALDWIN
DEFEAT OF THEODORE AND CONSTANTINE LASCARIS
BONIFACE ATTACKS LEON SGURE; HE IS JOINED BY GEOFFRY OF VILLEHARDOUIN, THE NEPHEW
EXPLOITS OF WILLIAM OF CHAMPLITTE AND GEOFFRY OF VILLEHARDOUIN, THE NEPHEW, IN MOREA
SIEGE OF NAPOLI AND CORINTH; ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE GREEKS AND JOHANNIZZA
UPRISING OF THE GREEKS AT DEMOTICA AND ADRIANOPLE; THEIR DEFEAT AT ARCADIOPOLIS
THE CRUSADERS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STRAITS ARE RECALLED TO MARCH ON ADRIANOPLE—EXPEDITION OF GEOFFRY OF VILLEHARDOUIN
RENIER OF TRIT ABANDONED AT PHILIPPOPOLIS BY HIS SON AND THE GREATER PART OF HIS PEOPLE
BALDWIN UNDERTAKES THE SIEGE OF ADRIANOPLE
THE SIEGE OF ADRIANOPLE CONTINUED WITHOUT RESULT
JOHANNIZZA, KING OF WALLACHIA, COMES TO RELIEVE ADRIANOPLE
DEFEAT OF THE CRUSADERS—BALDWIN TAKEN PRISONER
THE CRUSADERS RAISE THE SIEGE OF ADRIANOPLE
RETREAT OF THE CRUSADERS
PETER OF BRACIEUX AND PAYEN OF ORLEANS MEET THE RETREATING HOST
THE HOST REACHES RODOSTO
SEVEN THOUSAND PILGRIMS LEAVE THE CRUSADERS
MEETING OF MANY OF THE CRUSADERS—HENRY, THE BROTHER OF BALDWIN, IS MADE REGENT
RETURN TO CONSTANTINOPLE—APPEALS FOR HELP SENT TO THE POPE, AND TO FRANCE AND TO OTHER LANDS—DEATH OF THE DOGE
THE REGENT OBTAINS CERTAIN ADVANTAGES OVER THE GREEKS
SERES SURRENDERS TO JOHANNIZZA—HE FORFEITS HIS WORD
THE REGENT BESIEGES ADRIANOPLE IN VAIN
DESTRUCTION OF PHILIPPOPOLIS BY JOHANNIZZA
THE REGENT SETS GARRISONS IN SUCH PLACES AS HE STILL HELD
DEFEAT OF THE FRANKS NEAR RUSIUM
NEW INVASION OF JOHANNIZZA; RUIN OF NAPOLI
DESTRUCTION OF RODOSTO
JOHANNIZZA CONTINUES HIS CONQUESTS AND RAVAGES
THE GREEKS ARE RECONCILED TO THE CRUSADERS—JOHANNIZZA BESIEGES DEMOTICA
THE CRUSADERS MARCH TO THE RELIEF OF DEMOTICA
JOHANNIZZA RETREATS, FOLLOWED BY THE CRUSADERS
RENIER OF TRIT RELIEVED AND DELIVERED
HENRY CROWNED EMPEROR—JOHANNIZZA RAVAGES THE COUNTRY AGAIN—THE EMPEROR MARCHES AGAINST HIM
THE EMPEROR MEETS JOHANNIZZA, AND RECAPTURES HIS PRISONERS
PROJECTED MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE EMPEROR AND THE DAUGHTER OF BONIFACE—THE CRUSADERS RAVAGE THE LANDS OF JOHANNIZZA
THE EMPEROR RESUMES THE WAR AGAINST THEODORE LASCARIS
ADVANTAGES OBTAINED BY BONIFACE—MARRIAGE OF HIS DAUGHTER WITH THE EMPEROR
THEODORE LASCARIS FORMS AN ALLIANCE WITH JOHANNIZZA
SIEGE OF ADRIANOPLE BY JOHANNIZZA—SIEGE OF SKIZA AND CIBOTOS BY LASCARIS
THE EMPEROR ATTACKS THE FLEET OF THEODORE LASCARIS, AND RESCUES CIBOTOS
JOHANNIZZA RAISES THE SIEGE OF ADRIANOPLE
SKIZA AGAIN BESIEGED BY THEODORE LASCARIS—THE EMPEROR DELIVERS THE CITY
THE EMPEROR TWICE DELIVERS NICOMEDIA, BESIEGED BY THEODORE LASCARIS
TRUCE WITH THEODORE LASCARIS—THE EMPEROR INVADES THE LANDS OF JOHANNIZZA
THE EMPEROR’S FORAGERS SUFFER LOSS
HOMAGE RENDERED BY BONIFACE TO THE EMPEROR, AND BY GEOFFRY OF VILLEHARDOUIN TO BONIFACE
BONIFACE IS KILLED IN A BATTLE AGAINST THE BULGARIANS