Alexius was under no delusion about the crusaders.They were now engaged against his enemies the Seljuk Turks, but their long-term ambitions were not so certain.They had made clear their dislike of the Byzantines and the feeling was mutual. It was one matter to allow a foreign – if ostensibly friendly – army into the empire, it would be a great deal harder to get it out again.
To Sultan Kilij Arslan, the crusaders were no more a threat than the rabble of the People’s Crusade.This fatal error was based on assumptions that the Ifranj (derived from ‘Varangian’, the word came to cover all ‘foreigners’ as well as the Franks) were still the primitives who had made up isolated bands of mercenaries in the region for some time.The crusaders quickly laid siege to the Turkish regional capital Nicaea, and Arslan brought up his army, intent on defeating the besiegers. But the Seljuks had no troops capable of defeating heavily armoured knights in close combat.
Since one face of Nicaea was protected by Lake Iznik, Alexius assisted the siege by supplying several boats, which were transported overland and then floated on the lake, completely cutting off the city. He also sneaked a diplomatic embassy into Nicaea by water to persuade the defenders of their hopeless position, and on 19 June 1097 the garrison surrendered. Alexius lavished gifts on the crusaders for returning western Asia Minor to Byzantine control.
On 1 July the combined forces of Bohemund and Raymond of Toulouse smashed Arslan’s army at Dorylaeum.The cost of the victory was high – almost 4,000 crusaders killed or wounded; Turkish losses were significantly higher. However, the battle of Dorylaeum broke Seljuk resolve and the crusaders faced no further serious opposition as they marched through the rest of Anatolia.
On 3 June 1098 Antioch fell after a bitter siege that lasted seven months, and finally on 15 July 1099, amid scenes of unbelievable carnage, the crusaders fought their way into Jerusalem. Muslims were cut down, irrespective of gender or age.The Jewish population took refuge in the city’s principal synagogues, but the victorious Christians had little time for religious niceties. The synagogues were burned to the ground and those inside were immolated in the fires.The slaughter continued until only Christians remained alive in Jerusalem. Bishop Daimbert of Pisa wrote to the pope, saying: ‘If you desire to know what was done with the enemy who were found there, know that in Solomon’s Porch and in his Temple our men rode in the blood of Saracens up to the knees of their horses.’
Arms of the crusaders, swords, bows, etc..
