Chronicles of the First Crusade: Understanding the Events at Antioch
Madison A. Corley
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The First Crusade was a unique and tumultuous time in medieval history marking the beginning of a series of religious wars fought in the hope of recovering Holy Lands from Islamic rule. Intertwining Church and state politics, this series of fascinating conquests attracted princes and peasants alike, their experiences recorded in Latin chronicles by those who witnessed these events. One such instance was the conquest of Antioch, consisting of a long siege and counter siege which culminated in victory on the part of the Christians, but only after eight months of starvation and brutal fighting. This comparison of epistemology of eye-witness accounts of the events at Antioch in 1097 and 1098 seeks to provide a more complete picture of an unlikely Crusader victory. Through careful analysis of available translations, it is argued that discrepancies among the primary source materials have contributed to the varied perspectives held by modern scholars. Reflection on these discrepancies establishes that factors such as author bias, time of publication, and even alleged divine intervention have impacted the way in which these events are remembered today.
Madison Corley is a senior history major and European studies minor from Oak Grove, South Carolina. She is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, a national history honors society. Expressing her passion for public history, Madison has been an intern and volunteer with the National Park Service since 2020.