The capture of Antioch: rivalries, strategies and atrocities (OCR GCSE History B (Schools History Project)): Revision Notes
The capture of Antioch: rivalries, strategies and atrocities
Raymond IV proposed an immediate attack of Antioch while the crusaders were opposed to the idea. Also, Yaghi-Siyan, the Turkish garrison commander of Antioch, managed to alienate him from the city.
Raymond IV
Yaghi-Siyan
The crusaders built towers and began to conduct a blockade, which is the type of warfare usually seen in Western Europe. However, the garrison remained in no position to surrender. As winter approached, the crusaders began to suffer as much as they did during their journey across Asia Minor.
Bohemond I
Throughout the siege, Bohemond I proved himself a courageous leader. He rallied the crusaders to beat the relief armies coming from Damascus and Aleppo.
In February 1098, Bohemond led 700 mounted men in the camp, marched east, and trapped the relief army from Aleppo into an ambush attack as they crossed over a bridge.
Bohemond of Taranto Alone Mounts the Rampart of Antioch by Gustave Doré (1871)
Rivalries and Strategies
Behemond I
In May 1098, Turkish commander Kerbogha had gathered an army which greatly outnumbered the crusaders. However, Kerbogha's troops were delayed for three weeks as they tried to take Edessa.
The capture of Antioch
During that delay, Bohemond negotiated an agreement with a lesser official of Antioch named Firouz. On the second day of June, the crusaders would march west, giving a false impression that they had surrendered. And as the Turks rested their defences, the crusaders marched back into the city.
The events at the Tower of the Two Sisters
At the Tower of the Two Sisters, the knights ascended the tower through a ladder Firouz had set up for them. There, the crusaders overpowered the garrison. Other crusaders stumbled up, got one of the gates open, and eventually broke their way into the city and captured it. The usual massacre ensued. On 3 June, the city was theirs.
Raymond IV proposed an immediate attack of Antioch while the crusaders were opposed to the idea. Also, Yaghi-Siyan, the Turkish garrison commander of Antioch, managed to alienate him from the city.
Battle as the knights ascended the tower via ladders