Paul Matisz at 14:23, 17 July 2008

2008-07-17T14:23:33Z

New page

'''Peter the Hermit''' was a notable figure in the [[First Crusade]], particularly in the disasterous [[People's Crusade]] which preceded the main force from Europe.

In 1095 Pope [[Urban II]], in response to a plea for help from the [[Byzantine]] Emperor [[Alexius I]], called on all [[Christians]] to travel to the [[Holy Land]] and free it from the [[Muslim]]s. His call for what became known as the [[Crusade]] was wildly successful, partly because it was spread widely by itinerant preachers. Peter, a priest of [[Amiens]], was one such preacher who gathered a huge following. With a red [[cross]] [[sew]]n to their clothes to mark them as [[pilgrim]]s, thousands of [[peasant|common people]] left their lives in Europe and followed him east.

With little food and almost no money, this horde of peasants was forced to live off the land as they passed, and caused enormous damage to the countryside as they passed. In [[Hungary]], the Peasant's Crusade earned the enmity of King [[Coloman]] by sacking the town of [[Semlin]], and when they crossed into the Byzantine Empire they [[fire]]d the city of [[Belgrade]]. Under the orders of [[Alexius I]], Byzantine troops attacked the peasant army, but the survivors were allowed to approach (but not enter) [[Constantinople]].

Peter the Hermit successfully negotiated passage across the [[Bosphorus]], where his "army" met with a smaller, more professional force under [[Walter Sans-Avoir|Walter the Penniless]]. Rather than wait for the armies which were making their way east, Peter and Walter marched blindly inland and attacked the [[Turk]]s. While Walter invested the castle of [[Xerigordon]], Peter's mostly [[French]] force, striking from the Byzantine garrison of [[Civetot]], ravaged the lands around [[Nicaea]], which they lacked the engines to besiege. After returning to Civetot and selling their plunder to the Byzantines, Peter led his men back into Turkish territory.

Only a few miles from camp, Peter's poorly-armed and undisciplined force were ambushed by Turkish soldiers and slaughtered. A handful of survivors, including Peter himself, managed to escape to Civetot and eventually made their way back to Constantinople, where they waited for the rest of the Crusaders.

Peter the Hermit resumed the crusade in the councils of the lords, but was of little importance. Except for a notable speech boosting morale at the siege of [[Antioch]], he is little-mentioned in the histories afterwards. It appears that, after the fall of [[Jerusalem]], he returned to France and founded a church of the [[Holy Sepulchre]], where he served as prior until his death in 1131.

[[category:People (medieval)]]

Peter the Hermit - Revision history

Paul Matisz at 14:23, 17 July 2008