The Principality of Antioch and its Frontiers in the Twelfth Century

298 Pages·2017·10.337 MB·English

by  Andrew D. Buck

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Situated in northern Syria, on the eastern-most frontier of Latin Christendom,
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the principality of Antioch was a medieval polity bordered by a host of rival
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powers, including the Byzantine Empire, the Armenian Christians of Cilicia,

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the rulers of the neighbouring Islamic world and even the other crusader states,
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the kingdom of Jerusalem and the counties of Edessa and Tripoli. Coupled a
with the numerous Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities who populated en
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the region, Antioch’s Frankish settlers - initially installed into power by the t
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military successes of the First Crusade - thus faced numerous challenges to i
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their survival.
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This book examines how the ruling elites of the principality sought to manage ch
these competing interests in order to maintain Antioch’s existence during the
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troubled twelfth century, particularly following the death of Prince Bohemond n
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II in 1130. His demise helped to spark renewed interest from Byzantium and
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the kingdom of Jerusalem, and came at a time of both Islamic resurgence under d
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the Zengids of Aleppo and Mosul, as well as Armenian power growth under the
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Rupenids. An examination of Antioch’s diplomatic and military endeavours, yt
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its internal power structures and its interaction with indigenous peoples can

therefore help to reveal a great deal about how medieval Latins adapted to the
demands of their frontiers.
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Andrew Buck is an Associate Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London,
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from where he received his PhD in 2014.
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Cover image: Emperor John II Komnenos of
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Byzantium enthroned at Antioch in 1138, with
Count Joscelin II of Edessa at his feet. Below, a riot B
of the city’s populace rages against John, eventually u
forcing him to depart. London, British Library, Yates
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Thompson 12, f. 90. © The British Library Board.
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Cover design: riverdesign.co.uk
Andrew D. Buck
THE PRINCIPALITY OF ANTIOCH AND ITS
FRONTIERS IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY

THE PRINCIPALITY OF ANTIOCH
AND ITS FRONTIERS IN THE
TWELFTH CENTURY
ANDREW D. BUCK
THE BOYDELL PRESS
© Andrew D. Buck 2017
All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner
The right of Andrew D. Buck to be identified as
the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
First published 2017
The Boydell Press, Woodbridge
ISBN 978 1 78327 173 3
The Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF, UK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc.
668 Mt Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620–2731, USA
website: www.boydellandbrewer.com
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
The publisher has no responsibility for the continued existence or accuracy of
URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate
or appropriate
This publication is printed on acid-free paper
Contents
List of Maps vi
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations ix
Introduction 1
1. The Extent of the Principality 21
2. The Rulers of Antioch 62
3. Central Governance and Military Service 86
Appendix 1: The Officers of the Principality, 1127–1201 123
4. Lordship in the Principality 128
Appendix 2: The Noble Families 160
5. A Frontier Society? The Nature of Intercultural Relations 164
6. Relations with Byzantium 189
7. Antioch and the Latin East 218
Conclusion 245
Bibliography 253
Index 277
Maps
Map 1. Northern Syria and Cilicia 2
Map 2. Northern Syria and Cilicia, 1130 23
Map 3. Northern Syria and Cilicia, 1135 28
Map 4. Northern Syria and Cilicia, early summer, 1138 32
Map 5. Northern Syria and Cilicia, 1149 40
Map 6. Northern Syria and Cilicia, 1165 47
Map 7. Northern Syria and Cilicia, 1193 58
Acknowledgements
The creation of this book has incurred a great many debts. None more so than
to my former PhD supervisor, Tom Asbridge, whose guidance, knowledge, fierce
questioning and mutual enthusiasm for the history of the principality of Antioch
made the handling of its difficult history both possible and enjoyable. Without
his support this book would not exist. I would also like to express my gratitude
to Peter Edbury and Andrew Jotischky, for their important suggestions on how to
better my work and to further my ideas, as well as for their continued support;
to Susan Edgington, for her feedback and for easing the burden of medieval Latin
for me and many others; and to Bernard Hamilton, for his unfailing kindness,
erudite criticism and guidance. I also wish to make known my thanks to Stephen
Church and Nicholas Vincent, who first introduced me to medieval history as an
undergraduate and cultivated a passion and interest for the period that continues
unabated. I must also express a vast debt of appreciation to Stephen Spencer. A
friend, drinking buddy and comrade in arms, I cannot imagine a better colleague.
The products of his generous support and advice can be seen throughout this book.
I am also grateful for the advice and help offered over the years by Phil Baldwin,
David Bates, Stephen Bennett, Betty Binysh, Jochen Burgtorf, Paul Cobb, Taef
El-Azhari, Catherine Hanley, Jonathan Harris, Martin Hall, Konrad Hirschler,
Melissa Julian-Jones, Ioanna Karakatsani, Hubert Kaufhold, Benjamin Kedar, Max
Lau, Kevin Lewis, Rickelt Lutz, Balazs Major, Alex Mallett, Jean-Marie Martin,
Benjamin Michaudel, Alan Murray, Agnès Ouzounian, David Parnell, Simon
Parsons, Mathias Piana, Jonathan Phillips, Eyal Poleg, Yossef Rapoport, Dan
Roach, Catherine Rose, Miri Rubin, Antonella Liuzzo Scorpo, Carol Sweetenham,
Steven Tibble, Klaus-Peter Todt, Ian Wilson, James Wilson and Sam Wilson. I
would also like to thank the staff at the libraries of Queen Mary University of
London, the University of New York, Senate House, the Institute of Historical
Research, the Warburg Institute, the School of Oriental and African Studies, the
British Library, as well as Philip Skingley and the Spink Numismatic Society, who
very kindly answered and fulfilled requests for obscure texts. The Isobel Thornley
Bequest to the University of London provided invaluable financial support for this
publication and its maps. Likewise, my thanks go to Cath d’Alton for creating
the maps, to Caroline Palmer, Rob Kinsey and Nick Bingham at Boydell for so
patiently guiding me through the publication process and to the anonymous reader
for their useful suggestions.
Also, to my friends who have provided laughs, alcohol, patience, food and their
time. I cannot truly express the extent of my gratitude for having put up with me
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
over the last few years. Perhaps the most significant thanks, however, is owed to my
family: my parents, my Nan, my brother, my great aunt Silvy and my grandparents,
some of whom are sadly no longer with us. Through their unfailing enthusiasm
and support, I have incurred debts I will never truly be able to repay. It is to them
that this book is dedicated.
viii
Abbreviations
1234 Anonymi auctoris Chronicon ad A. C. 1234 pertinens, ed.
and trans. A. Abouna, J.-M. Fiey and J.-B. Chabot, 4 vols
(Louvain, 1916–74)
Al-Azimi Monot, F., ‘La chronique abrégée d’al-Azimi années
518–538/1124–1144’, Revue des études islamique 59 (1991),
101–64
AOL Archives de l’orient latin
AS Abu Shama, ‘Le livre des deux jardins’, RHC Or. IV, 3–522;
V, 3–206
BD Baha al-Din Ibn Shaddad, The Rare and Excellent History of
Saladin, trans. D. S. Richards (Aldershot, 2002)
CCSSJ Le cartulaire du chapitre du Saint-Sépulchre de Jérusalem, ed.
G. Bresc-Bautier (Paris, 1984)
CGOH Cartulaire général de l’ordre des hospitaliers de S. Jean de Jéru-
salem (1100–1300), ed. J. Delaville Le Roulx, 4 vols (Paris,
1894–1906)
CGT Continuation de Guillaume de Tyr (1184–1197), ed. M. R.
Morgan (Paris, 1982)
Chartes Josaphat Chartes de Terre Sainte provenant de l’Abbaye de N.-D de Josa-
phat, ed. H.-F. Delaborde (Paris, 1880)
Constantine Aerts, W., ‘A Byzantine Traveller to one of the Crusader
Manasses States’, East and West in the Crusader States: Context–
Contacts–Confrontations III, ed. K. Ciggaar and H. Teule
(Leuven, 2003), pp. 165–221
Deeds Done Edgington, S., and H. Nicholson (ed.), Deeds Done Beyond
Beyond the Sea the Sea: Essays on William of Tyre, Cyprus and the Military
Orders Presented to Peter Edbury (Farnham, 2014)
DOP Dumbarton Oaks Papers
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