The First Crusade, otherwise known as, The Peasants’ Crusade began in 1095 A.D. and was allegedly led by a humble, hermit monk by the name of Peter the Hermit. With the help of a letter received from God and the blessings of the Pope, Peter the Hermit began his journey to the holy land accompanied by a rabble of peasants, monks, priests, and noble laymen who wished to do their part in reclaiming Jerusalem for Christ. Peter’s controversial role in the first crusade has created a historical interest to discover why the people of France were so eager to follow such an ordinary man into the unknown world of the Middle East.[i] There were many religious leaders appealing to all persons to join in the crusade for Christ; however, none stood out like Peter of Amiens, otherwise known as Peter the Hermit.
In the year 1095 A.D., the Christian world was violently opposed to the Muslim control of Jerusalem and the holy places sought out by Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, nearly one thousand years before. For years Christian pilgrims had been making the long, arduous journey to the holy city of Jerusalem in order to visit the many places that Jesus Christ was said to have visited and performed miracles. Since the rise of Islam in 663 A.D., Muslims had retained control of Jerusalem and the surrounding holy places. They began attacking the Christian pilgrims, robbing, beating and sometimes killing them. Once safe places to visit, places such as Golgotha, the Mount of Olives, and other equally important holy sites, were no longer places Christians could visit safely due to the Muslims’ presence. Holy relics such as, the spear that pierced Christ’s side and a piece of the cross that Jesus was said to have been crucified upon were in danger of being lost forever at the hands of the infidel Muslims.
Around this time, a hermit monk called Peter paid a visit to Jerusalem. Peter was born in Amiens, France around 1052 A.D. and had given up the sins of the world to become a hermit monk. He was a small man and had a stern, contemptible visage. Those who met him described him as being an intelligent man with a heart for God. William of Tyre described Peter as, “sharp witted, his glance was bright and captivating, and be spoke with ease and eloquence.”[ii] Upon entering the city and visiting fellow Christians, he learned of the atrocities and injustices dealt to the Christians by the Muslims in Jerusalem. The Patriarch of the city, one called Simeon, spoke with Peter, disclosing all of the abuses the Christians of Jerusalem suffered at the hands of the Muslims. Peter convinced Simeon and the Christians to write to the Pope regarding the issues of abuse saying, “Write them zealously both to the lord Pope and the Roman church and to the kings and princes of the West, and confirm your letter by the authority of your seal.”[iii] Armed with these letters, Peter set out for Rome and upon gaining an audience with Pope Urban II, he delivered the letters as promised.[iv]
In the meantime, Emperor Alexis I of Constantinople appealed to the Roman Pope, Urban II for help in fighting off the Seljuk Turks who were attempting to claim Constantinople for themselves. The Turks had been capturing Byzantines and were threatening the safety of the inhabitants of Constantinople. This threat, accompanied by the growing concern for the Christian pilgrims’ safety, gave Urban II reason to call for war. The official departure day was set after harvest time on August 15, 1096. The call for holy war by Pope Urban II and his promise of plenary remission of sin appealed to the masses of Europe and the response was immediate.
Pope Urban and holy men, such as Peter the Hermit, preached to people in the street, petitioning knights, soldiers, and any able-bodied men to come to the aid of Constantinople and to redeem themselves in the name of Christ and reclaim Jerusalem. Urban promised complete forgiveness of all sins to any man who lost his life while journeying to the holy land or any who died in battle. The idea that an individual could obtain complete forgiveness for their sins combined with the potential for glory was appealing. The Crusades were an excellent opportunity for advancement for 2nd and 3rd sons of wealthy nobles. Because Europe was primarily a primogeniture society, only 1st sons inherited the land of their fathers. This left the younger siblings few choices in life. Only by joining the military orders of the day or becoming a member of the clergy could a younger son make something of themselves. A fortunate, younger son could marry well, thereby securing his future. [v]
Prior to the call for war, Europe was reeling from the devastating effects of floods, pestilence and famine which occurred in 1094-95. When Pope Urban II called for a holy war he expected well trained knights and soldiers to respond; however, unfortunately, the first wave of crusaders was comprised of poor men armed with planting tools, their wives and children, and a few trained men. These individuals had little or no skill in war and by bringing their entire families along, they compromised the unit. The women and children needed to be cared for and this also added extra mouths to feed. Poor planning and lack of funding caused many first crusaders to perish from hunger, thirst, illness, or the elements.[vi]
Peter, after hearing the Pope’s sermon at Clermont in 1095 and believing in the Pope’s cause for war, preached to thousands of individuals who were destitute, hopeless, hungry, and desperate for anything that would help their plight. He claimed to have a letter from Simeon, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, affirming his earlier claims of having “experienced a vision of Christ asking him to preach in favor of an expedition to rescue the Christians in the East and to liberate the Holy Spulchre,”[vii] even before Urban’s call to war![viii]
Peter “captivated audiences” everywhere he spoke, promising glory for all who participated. He claimed to have a letter written by God which gave Peter and his followers permission to slay the enemy in His name. Peter was so revered by the people that even the hairs of his donkey were considered holy relics and sought after.[ix] By the time he reached the city of Colongne, he had gathered an army of 15,000 comprised of peasants and common nobles eager to help.[x] The journey to the holy land was long and due to inadequate preparations, the people began to pillage along the way in order to feed themselves or simply to take the riches of others for themselves. Many innocent Christians, Muslims, and Jews were raped or killed in the process. It was clear early on that Peter had little control over the massive mob.
According to Albert of Aix, the army of Walter the Penniless travelled through Hungry and Bulgaria on their way to Constantinople. A contingent of sixteen soldiers stayed behind in the city of Malevilla in order to purchase weapons and supplies. The soldiers were accosted by the Hungarians and robbed of everything they carried and were then returned, naked and bruised to their commander, Walter the Penniless. Because it would take too long to return to Malevilla, no action was taken to avenge the soldiers; however, Peter’s army followed close behind. He had heard the rumors of the attack but, did not believe them because the Hungarians were Christians and could not be capable of such a crime. However, upon reaching the walls of Maleville, Peter “saw banging from the walls the arms and spoils of the sixteen companions of Walter”[xi] and he appealed to his army to avenge the “injury to his brethren.” The sheer number of soldiers within Peter’s army was able to force the Hungarians out of the city and the army remained there for five days in order to gather the plethora of supplies available to them within the conquered city.[xii]
By the end of July 1096, Peter and his ragtag army arrived in Constantinople where they met up with another equally deficient army, that of Walter the Penniless. With the help of Alexis I, the peasant army crossed the Bosporus into Asia Minor in order to continue their journey to the holy places. Peter warned the army not to provoke the Turks or cause undue alarm in the region. There were few, if any, knights in the first wave of crusaders and the army was without proper war equipment, therefore, the army was vulnerable to attack and defeat. Despite his warnings, the mob began provoking the Turks and in despair, Peter returned to Constantinople for possible help from Alexis I. His so-called army was in need of life-sustaining resources and he was hopeful that the emperor would assist him; however, his army was utterly defeated while he was away and he remained in Constantinople to await the arrival of the princes and knights whom he believed followed close behind.[xiii]
In May 1097, while awaiting reinforcements near Nicaea, Peter gathered what was left of his army and joined with the army of Godfrey of Bouillon. The army marched on to Antioch and after gaining the city, was placed under siege by the Turkish emir, Karbughu. Peter was allegedly apprehended by a well known soldier of the Crusades, Tancred, while attempting to flee Antioch while under siege; however, despite his show of cowardice, he was sent to Karbughu as an envoy.[xiv] His purpose was to negotiate with Karbughu and convince him to “settle all differences by a duel,” which was not heeded. The emir attacked the city and was soundly defeated by the Crusaders in June 1098.[xv]
In 1099, Peter is said to have been with the army that ultimately retook the city of Jerusalem. He resided within Jerusalem for a time and he was given the important task of collecting and distributing tithes given for the poor. He was also given the “responsibility of organizing, among the Latin and Greek clergy in Jerusalem, the processions and propitiatory prayers that they hoped would bring them victory.”[xvi] This was an important task and one that kept Peter from the front lines of the Crusade. It is also rumored that he “preached an eloquent sermon on the Mount of Olives” before departing Jerusalem.[xvii]
Peter was never held accountable for any of the atrocities his army is said to have inflicted on the natives of the holy land. There is little proof that Peter was with the insurrectionists within his army that laid waste to the land and killed everything in sight. Peter played a detrimental role in the beginning stages of the Crusades; however, he seems to disappear from history shortly after the conquest of Jerusalem. It is known that he did leave Jerusalem shortly after the conquest in order to return to Europe and he founded the monastery of Neufmoutier in France. It is said that he lived and worked at the monastery until his death in 1115 A.D.[xviii]
[i] Nogent, Guibert of. Peter the Hermit and the Popular Crusade.
[ii] Tyre, William of. Peter the Hermit and the Popular Crusade.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Jegen, Mary Evelyn. Preaching the First Crusade. P. 1277-80.
[vi] This information was obtained while in class and is in my own words.
[vii] Flori, Jean. Peter the Hermit. In The Crusades: an encyclopedia. P. 946-48.
[viii] Ibid.
[ix] Author Unknown. NNDB.
[x] Jegen, Mary Evelyn. Preaching of the First Crusade.
[xi] Aix, Albert of. Peter the Hermit and the Popular Crusade.
[xii] Ibid.
[xiii] Author Unknown. NNDB.
[xiv] Knight, Kevin. Peter the Hermit.
[xv] Flori, Jean. Peter the Hermit. In The Crusades: an encyclopedia. P. 946-48.
[xvi] Ibid.
[xvii] Unknown. Peter the Hermit. The Middle Ages.
[xviii] Flori, Jean. Peter the Hermit. In The Crusades: an encyclopedia. P. 946-48.
Bibliography
Aix, Albert of. "Peter the Hermit and the Popular Crusade." Medieval Sourcebook. December 1997. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/peterhermit.html (accessed May 10, 2010).
Flori, Jean. "Peter the Hermit." In The Crusades: an encyclopedia, by Alan V Murray, 946-48. Oxford: ABC Clio, 2006.
Jegen, Mary Evelyn. Preaching of the First Crusade. Vol. 3, in Great Events from History: Ancient and Medieval Series, by Frank Magill, 1277-80. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Salem Press, Incorporated, 1972.
Knight, Kevin. "Peter the Hermit." New Advent Catholic Encylopedia. 2010. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11775b.htm (accessed May 10, 2010).
Nogent, Guibert of. "Peter the Hermit and the Popular Crusade." Medieval Sourcebook. December 1997. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/peterhermit.html (accessed May 10, 2010).
"Peter the Hermit." NNDB. 2010. http://www.nndb.com/people/588/000095303/ (accessed May 10, 2010).
Tyre, William of. "Peter the Hermit and the Popular Crusade." Medieval Sourcebook. December 1997. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/peterhermit.html (accessed May 10, 2010 ).
Unknown. "Peter the Hermit." The Middle Ages. 2010. http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/peter-the-hermit.htm (accessed May 10, 2010).
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