Crusading Warfare

Exploring the Military History of the Crusades

William James Hamblin
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Cilician Campaign 1
Tarsus
AD 1097/09
Philippopolis
Varna
Strategic Situation: Cilician Expedition 1097/09-11
Ardas a
Preslav Sinope Kur
Primary Sources: Cilician Expedition
Adrianople
Western
Albert 3.5-16
Constantinople
Rodosto William 3.19-25
Trebizond
Caffaro
is
Nicomedia Canso ps

ios
am

gar
Civetot Iris Ekkehard Ac
Neocaesarea

San
Y
Fulcher 1.14.3 h Aras
us Amasya e s ilirm Coru
c Cyzicus Nicaea ak
Sebenkarahisar Bartolf 9
ani
Abydos Gr Tokat Malmesbury Theodosopolis
Teleboas
Sank 1 Gesta 2/10d-e =24-25

dacus
arya

u)
Erzincan

S
Sebastea )Baldric 2.4c=35-36

at
a Su

ur
Rhyn
Ankyra ar
Divrigi(K Orderic 9.8i-=65-67

(M
Dorylaeum Guibert 3.13b=69-70
Peter 4.2c-f=39-40
k
Pergamum Amorium i rma Robertnias 3.20-23=116-117 Akhlat
Ha zi l Ars a
lys i
diz K Gilo
He Ge
rm
us Philomelium Melitene Letters
Smyrna Ralph 33-44
Comana
Antioch Caesarea Raymond
William 3.19-25
k
yu

Meander Iconium
Bu

han
Coxon Diyarbakir
Eastern Christian
1 n

Sey
Laodicea y ha Anna

Ti
Cilician Gates Ce

g
ris
Marash Mathew 2.113=166-167
Heraclea Michael

s
Saru
Adana s
mu Bar Hebraeus
yr2a
P Edessa
1 Syriac
Attalia
Goksu Tarsis
Mosul
Rhodes Cal
yca
Belen Pass Muslim
dnu
s Antioch AHC
Studies (Cilician Armenia) Ibn al-Athir
Seleucia Euphal-Qalanisi
Boase, T. The History of the Kingdom The Cilician St Simeon Aleppo Ibn rates {a490}

Zab
Kingdom of Armenia, ed. T. Boase (1978), 1-33. Studies Kamal al-Din

ater
Raqqa
Asbridge 140-147 Maqrizi {a490}
Charanis, P. The Armenians in the Byzantine Empire.

Gre
Latakia Sibt {a490} Rahba
(1963). France 193-195
Forse, J. Armenians and the First Crusade Journal of Frankopan 149-151 Nicosia
Hama
Medieval History 17 (1991): 13-22 Rubenstein 135-140
Ghazarian, J. The Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia During Runciman 1:195-202
Paphos Homs
the Crusades. (2015) Smail Tripoli
 Vahka
0 10 20 km Strategic Situation: Cilicia 1097/09
2- {9/early} Crusaders Anti-
Tauru
march towards Caesarea s Mts
Constantine I
2 3 {1095-1103}
Phrygia Pardzerpert
Heraclea 3- {08/??} Armenians, who had encountered the Marash
Cilician Gates crusader army of 500,000, send letters to the
ns Armenian princes Cilicia informing them of the crusader Thoros
1
t ai approach. [Matthew 2.113] Sis
n
ou Kogh
1- {9/01} Crusaders sM Vasil
arrive at Heraclaea. uru
Ta
Oshin
{1072-1097?}
Lampron 3

Aintab

Adana
Mamistra

Tarsus Ravendel

Alexandretta

Belen Pass

Antioch
Aleppo
Seleucia (Yaghi-Siyan)
(Ridwan)
{1086-1098}
{1095-1113}
Antioch
Aleppo
 Vahka
0 10 20 km Welf takes Adana 1097/09
Anti-
1- {08/late} A crusader adventure named
Tauru
s Mts
Welf with a small band breaks from the main Constantine I
groups a week or two ahead of Tancred and {1095-1103}
Phrygia Baldwin, and marches into Cilicia. Pardzerpert
Heraclea Marash
Cilician Gates
1 Thoros
ains Sis
n t
ou Kogh
sM Vasil
uru
Ta
Oshin
{1072-1097?} 2- {08/late} At the approach of Welf, the
Lampron
Turkish garrison flees.

Aintab
We 2
Adana
Mamistra
3

Tarsus 3- {08/late} the Christian inhabitants

Ravendel
open the gates and accept Welf as the
protector of the Adana. He probably
shares power with Armenian followers
of Oshin.
Note:
Why the Cilician Expedition?
Not made clear in the sources.
Invited by Armenians? Alexandretta
Strategic scouting expedition?
Desire for personal gain by Tancred and Baldwin?
Byzantine strategic goal to recover Armenian cities? Belen Pass
Cilician route was quicker [Ralph 33a]

Antioch
Sources Aleppo
Seleucia
Albert 3.11 (Yaghi-Siyan)
(Ridwan)
{1086-1098}
{1095-1113}
Antioch
Aleppo
 Vahka
0 10 20 km Crusader March to Cilicia 1097/09/mid
Anti-
Tauru
Rupenids s Mts

2- {9/mid} Crusaders march Constantine I
1a- {9/14} Tancred and through the Cilician Gates {1095-1103} Pardzerpert
Heraclea 1 Marash
Baldwin separate from Cilician Gates
the main crusader army. Thoros
ai ns Sis
1b- [Ralph 33b] 2 n t
Tancreds Army consisted of 100 men with breastplates ou Kogh
[= knights?]. [His] archers number barely 200 sM Vasil
uru
Turkish garrison is 500 men [Albert 3.7a]. Ta
Oshin 4- {9/mid} Baldwin gets lost on a more
{1072-1097?} Ba difficult route and faces supply
problems; he arrives at Tarsus three
Lampron 3 4 days behind Tancred. [Albert 3.6]
3- {9/mid} Tancred forms an alliance
with the Armenian Oshin, who Ta Aintab
encourages him to liberate Tarsus from
the Turks [Albert 3.5] 5 Adana
Mamistra
We
5- {9/mid} Tancred arrives at Tarsus
ahead of Baldwin [Albert 3.5] Tarsus Ravendel

Alexandretta

Belen Pass

Antioch
Sources Aleppo
Seleucia
Albert 3.5-6 (Yaghi-Siyan)
(Ridwan)
Ralph 34-35 {1086-1098}
{1095-1113}
Antioch
Aleppo
 Vahka
0 10 20 km Crusader March to Cilicia 1097/09/mid
Anti-
Tauru1b- Ralphs Description of the Battle at the Gate of Tarsus
Rupenids sM
[Ralphts34-35]
Note: Constantine I A troop of [Byzantine] Turcopole [horse] archers was sent out
Turcopoles here are probably Byzantine Pecheneg
{1095-1103} supported
Pardzerpert by some of our heavily armed mounted troops. The
Heraclea mercenaries, and thus are Turkish mounted archers. [Turks in the] city roused armed menMarash
and set them on their
Cilician Gates trail. They left very few men behind to guard the gates. The
s Thoros
[Turks] charged and then the Turcopoles retreated in feigned
ai n Sis flight. When the Turcopoles had reached the planned point,
n t
ou the heavily armed mounted [crusader knights] under Tancreds Kogh
s M command attack from their hidden positions. The force from the
ru city then turned and fled. Once the signal had been given
Vasil
u
Ta with a mirror, the valley, which was filled with heavily armed
Oshin
men, poured out these forces from their hiding places. At
{1072-1097?} first, [Tancreds men] began to shake their iron-tipped spears
Lampron
When the madly raging Turks caught sight of them, as was
Ba their custom, they turned about and shot [in the Parthian shot]
a huge torrent of arrows tipped with iron and backed with
feathers. The Turks could not resist them. They died first Aintab
from chest wounds and soon from those in the back. Some
Adana [Turks] lacked shields. Many [Turks] lacked protection for
Ta Mamistra
We their chests. They could not withstand the onrushing helmets,
shields and breastplates. The gate received those [Turks]
Tarsus 1 returning. the confused, terrified, mad and surrounded [Turks]
Ravendel
1a- {1097/09/late} rushed toward the edge of the gate. If the [Turkish] wall
[Gesta 2/10d + Ralph 34b] guard had not rained down a rocky hail and wrecked the
the Turks sallied from the city and wicker shield, the citizens and the enemy would have arrived at
came against them in one band, ready to the walls in one rush all together.
fight with the Christians, so our men
attacked them and fought with them
and put them to flight, and they rushed
back to the city as fast as they could." Alexandretta

Belen Pass

Antioch
Sources Aleppo
Seleucia
Albert 3.5-6 (Yaghi-Siyan)
(Ridwan)
Ralph 34-35 {1086-1098}
{1095-1113}
Antioch
Aleppo
 Vahka
0 10 20 km Siege of Tarsus 1 1097/09/late
Anti-
Tauru
Rupenids s Mts
Constantine I
{1095-1103} Pardzerpert
Heraclea Marash
Cilician Gates
Thoros
ai ns Sis
n t
ou Kogh
sM Vasil
uru
Ta
Oshin
{1072-1097?}
Ba 4- {9/late} Baldwin continues
Lampron his march towards Tarsus. His
4 force numbers 500 knights and
2- {9/late} Tancred
2000 infantry [Ralph 37c] Aintab
plunders the countryside
for supplies.
2 Adana
Mamistra

We

1- {9/late} Tancred and his Armenian 1 Tarsus 3 Ravendel

allies try to convince inhabitants of Ta
Tarsus to open the gates and let the 3a- {9/late} Tancreds crusaders begin a
crusaders in. They refuse. blockade of the city of Tarsus.

3b- {9/late} Tancred negotiates with the

Turks for the surrender of the city,
promising them safe conduct and many
Alexandretta
rewards

Belen Pass

Antioch
Sources Aleppo
Seleucia
Albert 3.5-6 (Yaghi-Siyan)
(Ridwan)
William 3.19d {1086-1098}
{1095-1113}
Antioch
Aleppo
 Vahka
0 10 20 km Siege of Tarsus 2 1097/09/late
Anti-
Tauru
Rupenids s Mts
Constantine I
{1095-1103} Pardzerpert
Heraclea Marash
Cilician Gates
1b- Crusaders had conquered the Turkish camp at Thoros
ai ns Dorylaeum,Sisand plundered their tents; after a couple
n t of years on the road crusader tents would have been in
ou bad condition, so most of them were using captured Kogh
sM Vasil
uru Turkish tents. (Along with clothing and equipment.)
Ta At a distance, it was often difficult to distinguish
Oshin Turks from crusaders at a distance.
{1072-1097?}
1a- {9/late} Baldwins armies arrive at Tarsus, but mistake Tancreds
Lampron tents for Turks, and fear Turkish reinforcements have arrived.
Tancred thinks Baldwins men are Turks coming to relieve Tarsus.
Tancreds army prepares for battle. [Albert 3.6; Ralph 37a].
1 Aintab

Ba Adana
Mamistra
We
3
3- {9/late} Tancreds army marches to Tarsus 2 Ravendel
fight Baldwin; when they see each others
crusader banners, Baldwins army joins Ta 2a- {9/late} Turkish garrison of 500
the siege of Tarsus [Albert 3.7b]. likewise thinks Baldwins troops are Turks
coming to relieve Tarsus. [Albert 3.7a].

2b- Note: The size of the Turkish garrison of Tarsus is 500

men, indicating that secondary cities generally lack
sufficient troops to undergo a long-term siege. Alexandretta
This
explains why many Turkish garrisons often flee from
smaller cities without fighting.
Belen Pass

Antioch
Sources Aleppo
Seleucia
Albert 3.6-7 (Yaghi-Siyan)
(Ridwan)
William 3.19f-h {1086-1098}
{1095-1113}
Antioch
Aleppo
 Vahka
0 10 20 km Dispute about Tarsus 1097/09/late
Anti-
Tauru
Rupenids s Mts
Constantine I
{1095-1103} Pardzerpert
Heraclea Marash
Cilician Gates
Thoros
ai ns Sis
n t
ou Kogh
sM Vasil
ru
5- {9/late} Another band of 300 Italian Normans
u
2- {9/late}
Ta
is approaching Tarsus [Albert 3.11-12]
Oshin
Baldwin is angry, believing the city should belong to
5
{1072-1097?}
him and Godfrey because of their superior status over
Tancred. [Albert 3.8]
Baldwin claimed the Turks fled in fear of the approach
Lampron 3- {9/late} The Armenian
of his larger army rather than in fear of Tancred. [Ralph No citizens are consulted, and select
38a] Tancred as their ruler; Baldwin is Aintab
Baldwin also wants to plunder the city, but Tancred outraged. [Albert 3.8-9].
refuses, since they are Christians and it surrendered on Adana
terms and were under his protection. [Gesta 2/10e] 2 3 Mamistra
Ba We
1
1- {9/late} After the arrival of Baldwins Tarsus Ravendel
4
reinforcements the Turkish garrison abandons
the city at night; Tancreds banner is raised over Ta 4- {9/late} Baldwin threatens to sack the city
the citadel according to the previous unless they submit to him and Godfrey. They
negotiations. [Albert 3.7b; Ralph 36]. remove Tancreds banner and replace it with
Baldwins [Albert 3.8-9].

Alexandretta

Belen Pass

Antioch
Sources Aleppo
Seleucia
Albert 3.7-9 (Yaghi-Siyan)
(Ridwan)
Gesta 2/10d-e {1086-1098}
William 3.20a-c
{1095-1113}
Antioch
Aleppo
 Vahka
0 10 20 km Tancred Moves to Adana 1097/09/late
Anti-
Tauru
Rupenids s Mts
Constantine I
{1095-1103} Pardzerpert
Heraclea Marash
Cilician Gates
Thoros
ai ns Sis
n t
ou Kogh
sM Vasil
uru
Ta 1- {9/late} The Armenian Christians of Adana, who
Oshin appear to have been linked to Oshin, with a Frank
{1072-1097?} named Welf in command of a garrison send
messengers to Tancred asking him to come to their
Lampron city as he had done for Tarsus. [Ralph 40a].

1
No Aintab

Adana
Mamistra
We
3 Ba
3- {9/late} A Turkish garrison of 300 Tarsus Ravendel
remains in the citadel until the arrival of 2
Godfrey to accept the surrender of the Ta
city. [Albert 3.12] 2- {1097/09/late}
[Albert 3.10a; +Ralph 37b]
Although Tancred was sad when he saw Baldwin's
standard put up and his own taken away and thrown
down, he bore it patiently. He realized dissension was
mounting between his and Baldwin's followers Alexandretta
because of this exchange of flags, and because his own
side was weaker in numbers and in weapons he did Belen Pass
not want to waste any more time in this disagreement,
but went across to a neighboring town, called Adana.
Antioch
Sources Aleppo
Seleucia
Albert 3.9-10 (Yaghi-Siyan)
(Ridwan)
Fulcher 1.14.3 {1086-1098}
{1095-1113}
Antioch
Aleppo
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