The Knights Templar: The Crusades Of The Middle Ages
The stories of the crusades of the middle ages are filled with tales of bravery, religious devotion, and of course, the battles of knights who crave fame, riches, and glory. One very famous group of knights was “The Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon”(Napier) also known as The Templars or The Knights Templar. These knights had an unforgettable end filled with misfortune.
The Templars formed around the start of the crusades in 1118 A.D. The jobs of the Templars included defending the holy land, protecting christians going on pilgrimages in the holy land, and fighting to conquer new territory for Christiandom. They took vows to commit themselves to a lifestyle of communality and poverty.The knights, such as Count Hugh of Champagne,
swore their allegiance to the Grand Master who founded them, Hugues de Payens . They were endorsed by Saint Bernard and were officially recognized in 1129 at the Council of Troyes. The Knights became well known for fighting around the second crusade, after 1144. As they gained fame through battle they gained in numbers and in riches through the donations of those who supported their cause.
The glory that the Templars gained over the years was not meant to last however. As time went on, the territory that the Christians of Europe had gained in the crusades was regained by the Muslims. The Templars also slowly lost their esteem because they reminded the Europeans of their failure in the Crusades, even as they continued to fight in the holy lands. The people’s resentment eventually grew to the point King Philip IV ordered the arrest of all the Templars in France on Friday, October 13, 1307 on the charges of heresy and “ of betraying the Christian cause”. Pope Clement V, who still supported the knights was, at first, furious. He attempted to delay the trials, but the majority of the knights had already been tortured into confessing. There was nothing he could do to help them. The call for the arrest of all the Knights was issued, and all of them were put on trial “in the name of the church”.
The Templars formed around the start of the crusades in 1118 A.D. The jobs of the Templars included defending the holy land, protecting christians going on pilgrimages in the holy land, and fighting to conquer new territory for Christiandom. They took vows to commit themselves to a lifestyle of communality and poverty.The knights, such as Count Hugh of Champagne,
swore their allegiance to the Grand Master who founded them, Hugues de Payens . They were endorsed by Saint Bernard and were officially recognized in 1129 at the Council of Troyes. The Knights became well known for fighting around the second crusade, after 1144. As they gained fame through battle they gained in numbers and in riches through the donations of those who supported their cause.
The glory that the Templars gained over the years was not meant to last however. As time went on, the territory that the Christians of Europe had gained in the crusades was regained by the Muslims. The Templars also slowly lost their esteem because they reminded the Europeans of their failure in the Crusades, even as they continued to fight in the holy lands. The people’s resentment eventually grew to the point King Philip IV ordered the arrest of all the Templars in France on Friday, October 13, 1307 on the charges of heresy and “ of betraying the Christian cause”. Pope Clement V, who still supported the knights was, at first, furious. He attempted to delay the trials, but the majority of the knights had already been tortured into confessing. There was nothing he could do to help them. The call for the arrest of all the Knights was issued, and all of them were put on trial “in the name of the church”.