“Third Crusade” 820th Anniversary Series: Envoys Discuss Acre Surrender Terms August 2, 2011
Posted by rwf1954 in Acre, Acre hostages, Acre ransom, crusades, history, medieval period, Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, the crusades, third crusade.Tags: Acre, Acre hostages, Acre ransom, Crusades, medieval history, Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, Third Crusade
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(This post is the 31st of what will be approximately 70 posts following 820th anniversary highlights of what history now calls the “Third Crusade.” My novel, The Swords of Faith, tells the story of this legendary clash between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin.)
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It became quickly evident that the Acre surrender terms would be difficult to meet within a quick time frame. Envoys met to try to agree to some precise procedures for the terms to be met. Were the terms so overwhelmingly difficult that Saladin was put in an impossible position? Was Saladin deliberately stalling to hold Richard in Acre and delay any moves down the coast toward Jerusalem? The truth was probably somewhere in between. These are questions that arose at the time, and are still asked today. One aspect of the interaction is agreed by all—a mood of mutual suspicion infected the process. With trust lacking, ironing out the complex issues involved in the specifics of meeting the terms became difficult and prone to misunderstandings. 820 years ago today, an important meeting took place among envoys. They addressed details of payments of installments, precise identifications of requested prisoners and that some hostages had been transferred to Tyre. But this was no more than an intermediate step, and serious unresolved issues remained.
Previous 820th Anniversary Posts:
July 4th – The 820th Anniversary of the Launch of the “Third Crusade”
October 4th – Richard the Lionheart Sacks Messina
November 3rd – Queen Sibylla Dies
November 11th – Richard the Lionheart Signs a Treaty with King Tancred of Sicily
November 15th – Queen Isabella’s Marriage to Humphrey of Toron is Annulled
November 19th – Archbishop of Canterbury Dies
November 24th – Conrad of Montferrat Marries Queen Isabella
December 25th – Richard the Lionheart Feasts at Christmas
December 31st – Shipwreck at Acre; Muslim Defenders Lose Resupply
January 5th – A Wall Comes Down, Presenting an Opportunity
February 2nd – A Playful “Joust” Gets Out of Hand in Sicily
February 13th – Saladin’s Forces Relieve the Garrison at Acre
March 3rd – Richard the Lionheart Settles the Alice Marriage Controversy—Sort Of
March 30th – Philip II Leaves Sicily; Berengeria Arrives
April 10th – Richard the Lionheart Leaves Sicily for “Outremer”
April 20th – Philip II of France Lands at Acre
April 22nd – Richard the Lionheart Lands at Rhodes After His Fleet Scatters
May 1st – Richard the Lionheart Leaves Rhodes to Rescue His Sister and Fiancée
May 8th – Richard the Lionheart and His Troops Storm Limassol
May 11th – Crusaders Opposed to Conrad Visit Richard the Lionheart on Cyprus
May 12th – Richard the Lionheart Marries Princess Berengeria
May 30th – Fighting Intensifies at Acre
June 5th – Richard Leaves Famagusta for the Eastern Mediterranean Coast/Saladin Moves his Camp
June 6th – Richard the Lionheart Refused Admittance to Tyre
June 8th – Richard the Lionheart Arrives at Acre
June 11th – Saladin’s Relief Ship Sinks
June 25th – Conrad of Montferrat Leaves Acre; Saladin’s Receives Reinforcements
July 31st – Philip II of France Makes a Promise and Leaves for Home
To review a comprehensive catalog of historical fiction set during the medieval time period, go to http://www.medieval-novels.com:80/.
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