Crusading Warfare

Exploring the Military History of the Crusades

William James Hamblin
Alexios and the Crusaders
at Constantinople (part 1)
July 1096 - May 1097
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Primary Sources: Alexios and the Crusaders at Constantinople 1096-1097
Albert 2.8-21
0 10 20 m
Anna 10.9-11
Fulcher 1.9.1-4 0 10 20 30 km
Gesta 1/3-2/5 Black Sea
Ralph 2-7
Raymond 2
William 2.5-23

Asbridge 107-113
Frankopan 118-138
Harris 60-72
Rubenstein 89-99
Runciman 1:142-171
Salabria Pera
Chrysopolis

Constantinople
Rodosto Chalcedon

Pelekanon Nicomedia

Sea of Civitot

Marmara

Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
 Walter arrives at Constantinople 1096/07/20
0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
Black Sea

us
or
ph
s
Bo
Salabria Pera
Wa Chrysopolis

Al Constantinople
Rodosto
1- {c. 20 July}Walters army Chalcedon

arrives at Constantinople.
[Albert 1.6d]

Pelekanon Nicomedia

Sea of Civitot

Marmara

Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
Camped in Environs of Constantinople Peter the Hermit arrives at Constantinople 1096/08/01
Wa 0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
Black Sea

us
Pe

or
ph
s
Bo
2

Salabria Pera
Chrysopolis

Al Constantinople
Rodosto Chalcedon

2- {1 Aug} Peters army

arrives at Constantinople.
[Albert 1.15a].

Pelekanon Nicomedia

Sea of Civitot

Marmara

Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
0 500 1000 m Peter meets Alexios 1096/08/03-05
5b- Alexioss Warning [Baldric 1.9]
5a- Peter Meets the Emperor [Albert 1.15; Anna 10.6] Alexios said: If you do otherwise [than stay near the
Peter and Walter are graciously received at the
Blachernae Palace by the emperor Alexios, and is given Al 5 shore], the savage gentiles [Turks] will fall upon you and
crush your ineffectual legions.
financial support. Alexios advises them to stay in Blachernae
Constantinople and await the rest of the crusaders. Peter Palace
rus
h o
and Walter insist on sailing to Anatolia. sp
Bo

G
ol
s

de
all
Pera

n
)W

H
or
ian

n
os

e od
Th
Holy

t(

Ch
Apostles

ea

ain
4

Gr
4- {mid Aug} Crusaders Plunder [Gesta 1/2=3]
But those Christians [of Peters crusade] behaved
abominably, sacking and burning the palaces of the city,
and stealing the lead from the roofs of the churches and Forum of
selling it to the Greeks, so that the emperor was angry, Constantine
Pe
and ordered them to cross the Hellespont. Hagia
3 Sophia
Hippodrome Bucoleon
3- Peter and Walters men camp Palace
outside the walls of
Constantinople [Albert 1.15a].

Sea of

Marmara
 Peter and Walter sail to Civitot 1096/08/06
0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
Black Sea

us
or
ph
s
Bo
Salabria Pera
Chrysopolis

Al Constantinople
Rodosto Chalcedon

6- {6 Aug} Arrival at Civitot. 6 Pelekanon Nicomedia

Sea of Both because of the demands of Peter

Civitot
and Walter, and the indiscipline and
Marmara plundering by the crusaders, Alexios Pe
orders the Byzantine fleet to transport
the crusaders to Civitot. [Albert 1.15b]

Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
 The Disastrous Civitot Campaign 1096/08/06-08
0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
Black Sea

us
or
ph
s
Bo
Salabria Pera
Chrysopolis

Al Constantinople
Rodosto Chalcedon

Pelekanon Nicomedia

Sea of Civitot

7- {7 Aug - 21 Oct} Pe
Marmara Civitot Campaign. 7
(See Civitot Atlas).

Qi
Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
 Alexios rescues the Crusaders from Civitot 1096/08/22-23
0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
Black Sea

us
or
sph
Bo
Salabria Pera
Chrysopolis

Al Constantinople
Rodosto Chalcedon

8- {22-23 Oct} Alexios sends the 8 Pelekanon Nicomedia

Byzantine fleet to rescue the survivors
Sea of of the battle of Civitot [Albert 1.122c; Civitot

Anna 10.6c-d; Gesta 1.2d=5] Pe

Marmara

Qi

Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
Camped in Environs of Constantinople Peter and Survivors wait for five weeks 1096/08-11
Pe 0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
Black Sea

us
or
ph
s
Bo

Salabria Pera
Chrysopolis

9 Al Constantinople
Rodosto Chalcedon

9- {late Oct- late Nov} Peter and perhaps a few

thousand survivors of the Civitot campaign camp
for five weeks at Constantinople, awaiting the
arrival of the other crusaders. No other crusader
activity in the region. Pelekanon Nicomedia

Sea of Civitot

Marmara

Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
Camped in Environs of Constantinople Arrival of Hugh of Vermandois, first of the princes 1096/12/early
Pe 0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
Black Sea

Hu

us
or
ph
s
Bo

Salabria Pera
Chrysopolis
10
Al Constantinople
Rodosto Chalcedon
10a- {late Nov-Dec} Hugh of Vermandois arrives
in Constantinople where he is held under quasi-
house arrest as the guest of Alexios, perhaps as
a informal hostage for the good behavior of the
crusaders. [Anna 10.7.7; Guibert 2.19c; Fulcher
1.6.3b; Albert 1.9b; Robert 2.5-6] Pelekanon Nicomedia

Sea of 10c- Note: Civitot

Marmara 10b- [Anna 10.9c]
A false rumour reached [Godfrey] and
the others that the Counts had been
thrown into prison by the Emperor.
Anna here, probably accurately, says this
rumor, which will cause such trouble with
Godfrey and other crusaders, is false.

Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
Camped in Environs of Constantinople Godfreys arrival 1096/12/12
Pe Hu 0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
Black Sea
Go

us
11

or
ph
s
Bo
11- {12 Dec} Without imperial

Salabria
permission, Godfreys army Pera
Chrysopolis
marches to Salabria, where they Al Constantinople
Rodosto encamp. [Albert 2.8b] Chalcedon

Pelekanon Nicomedia

Sea of Civitot

Marmara

Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
Camped in Environs of Constantinople Godfrey Plunders the Countryside 1096/12/12-20
Pe Hu 0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
Black Sea

13
13

us
or
ph
s

Bo
Go
13
Salabria
Pera
Chrysopolis

12 Al Constantinople
13- {12-20 Dec}
Rodosto Chalcedon
[Godfrey] refused to give the emperor trust and
friendship any longer. And at once the duke [Godfrey] 12a- {13 Dec}
instructed that all the land was to be handed over Godfrey demands the
for the pilgrims and foreign soldiers to plunder; they release of Hugh;
delayed there for eight days and devastated all this Alexios refuses.
region. [Albert 2.8b] Pelekanon Nicomedia
12b- [Anna 10.9c]
Sea of A false rumour reached [Godfrey] and the others that Civitot
the Counts had been thrown into prison by the
Marmara Emperor.
Anna here, probably accurately, says this rumor, which
will cause such trouble with Godfrey, is false.

Ascanian Nicaea

Cyzicus
Camped in Environs of Constantinople Godfreys reconciles; marches to Constantinople 1096/12/12-20
Pe Hu 0 10 20 m
0 10 20 30 km
16- {late Dec} Robert of Flanders Black Sea
crusaders arrive at Constantinople.

16

us
or
RF

ph
s
Bo
15
Go

Salabria Pera
Chrysopolis

Al Constantinople
Rodosto Chalcedon
15a- {23 Dec} Godfrey moves his camp
to the outskirts of Constantinople, but, 14
still distrustful of Alexios, keeps his
camp under arms. [Albert 2.9b] 14a- {22 Dec} Alexios agrees to
Godfreys demand, and releases Hugh and
his comrades from quasi-hostage status.
15b- {23 Dec} [Albert 2.9a] Pelekanon Nicomedia
[Godfrey] forbade looting and moved camp,
withdrawing to the city Sea of
of Constantinople itself with Civitot
the whole company of pilgrims: there they pitched 14b- Note:
Marmara
tents, lodging in a strong and irresistible band, armed Although not formally prisoners, Hugh
with hauberks and every weapon of war. [Albert 2.9] and his comrades had probably kept
under elegant house arrest as quasi-
hostages in an attempt to insure good
15c- Note:
behavior from the other crusaders. Since
Anna [10.9a] says that Godfrey had army
the plan backfired, Alexios released them.
of ten thousand horsemen and seventy
thousand foot. The number is
undoubtedly exaggerated, but the
Ascanian Nicaea
proportion of cavalry to infantry is
probably accurate.
Cyzicus
0 500 1000 m The Wonders of Constantinople 1097/04/
Harris, J. Constantinople: Capital of
Byzantium. 2nd ed. 2017.
[history and culture]
Yerasimos, S. Constantinople:
Blachernae
Istanbul's Historical Heritage. 2012.
[photos of art and architecture.]
Palace
rus
h o
o sp
B

G
ol
s

de
all
Pera

n
)W

H
Fulcher on Constantinople [Fulcher 9.1.1].

or
ian

n
Oh what a noble and beautiful city is

os
od
Constantinople! How many monasteries and

e
Th
palaces it contains, constructed with wonderful Holy

t(

Ch
skill! How many remarkable things may be seen in Apostles

ea

ain
the principal avenues and even in the lesser streets!

Gr
It would be very tedious to enumerate the wealth
t~at is there of every kind, of gold, of silver, or
robes of many kinds, and of holy relics. Merchants
constantly bring to the city by frequent voyages all Forum of
the necessities of man. About twenty thousand Constantine
eunuchs, I judge, are always living there. Hagia
Sophia
Hippodrome Bucoleon
Palace

Bartolf on Constantinople [Bartolf 5]

Oh how great a City, how noble, how delightful and how filled with churches and palaces built with wonderful skill, what spectacles
and what marvels of engraving in brass and marble are contained within the city! On one side the sea and an impregnable wall
bound the city; on the other a valley and a double ditch, and a wall of immense size and strength with towers in its circuit. Frequent
voyages bring to the citizens at all time necessities in abundance. Cyprus, Rhodes and Mytilene, and Corinth and innumerable
islands minister unto this city. Achaia, Bulgaria and all
SeaofofGreece likewise serve the city and send to it all their choicest products.
Moreover the cities of Romania in Asia and in Europe, and also the cities of Africa never cease sending donatives to Constantinople .
Greeks, Bulgars, Alans, Cumans, Pechenegs, Italians, Venetians, Romans, Dacians, English, Amalfitans and even Turks and many
Marmara
gentiles, Jews and proselytes, Cretans, Arabs and people of all nations come to this great city. [translation by Ryan in Fulcher p 79]
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