Print

Print


Dear listmembers,


As part of my thesis, I am writing on the impact of the prophecies 
circulating in the crusader camp before Damietta during the Fifth 
crusade.  I possess some proof that prophecies concerning the success 
of a crusade led by an emperor possessed some impact upon the planning 
of Frederick's crusade even after the loss of Damietta in 1221 (since 
two clergymen enamored of these prophecies, Oliver of Paderborn and 
James of Vitry, were also involved in promoving Frederick's crusade in 
the 1220s).  However, I have also encountered passing references to 
prophecies concerning a Christian emperor attached to Frederick 
Barbarossa which may have separately influenced Frederick II's 
conception of his role as leader of a crusade.  Alas, there were no 
footnotes!  

My query is: apart from the Joachimist and Sybilline prophecies 
already circulating during the Third crusade which were applied to 
both Philip Augustus and Richard the Lionheart, does anyone know of a 
prophetic tradition applied to Frederick Barbarossa?  I would also be 
interested in concrete evidence for prophecies being applied to 
Frederick II and his crusade in the 1220s and 1230s (I'm already aware 
of the venerable prophetic tradition regarding Frederick and German 
emperors in general prevalent in the later thirteenth century).  I've 
already looked at various appropriate chronicles, Caesarius of 
Heisterbach, and some of the standard works on Frederick (Kantorowicz, 
Van Cleve, Abulafia), but have drawn blanks.

All contributions will be gratefully acknowledged in print.



%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%