medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On Monday, July 27, 2009, at 2:23 pm, Jim Bugslag wrote:
> To reinforce John's claim here, it might be pointed out that many priests,
> and especially
> bishops, were active in the Crusades, particular the Albigensian Crusades.
The number of bishops occupying military roles in the Third Crusade (esp. at the siege of Acre, which many did not survive) is also rather striking. A personal favorite is Theoderic (Thierry) II de Montfaucon (d. 1191), bp. of Besançon, the failure of whose covered battering ram constitutes a colorful episode in Monachus of Florence's narrative poem on the siege. Another warrior bishop from the French-speaking part of the empire with comital status was Pierre de Brizey (d. 1192), bp. of Toul; he was succeeded by Eudes (Odon) I de Vaudémont, who also died on this Crusade. Italians from the empire were led by the archbishop of Ravenna and the bishop of Verona. One of the French leaders at Acre was the bishop of Beauvais, Philippe de Dreux, who not only survived but lived long enough to take part in the battle of Bouvines in 1214. Baldwin of Forde, abp. of Canterbury (d. 1191), commanded the English forces at Acre until Richard I's arrival.
The late thirteenth-/early fourteenth-century hostilities between England and Scotland is another good place to look for warrior bishops. Antony (I) Bek, bp. of Durham, took part in the English victory at Falkirk in 1298. Robert Wishart, bp. of Glasgow (d. 1316), personally managed the capture by force of Cupar castle in 1306; captured later that year, he spent the next eight years under guard in England, being released only in the exchange of prisoners following. the Scottish victory at Bannockburn.
Best,
John Dillon
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