first crusade

The First Crusade Ep 3: Jerusalem in Flames

The Crusaders narrowly escape annihilation when they attempt to fight their way out of Antioch.  Some men credit the miracle of the Holy Lance for their amazing escape.  Divisions emerge amongst the nobles, while the army starves.  Some Crusaders turn to cannibalism, and a fiery trial by ordeal ends the career of a peasant preacher. …

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The First Crusade Ep 2: Siege of Antioch

As Western knights and nobles ride toward Jerusalem, there are many other cities they must take along the way.  Their first battlefield encounter with the Turks leaves a lasting impression on both sides, but they are soon occupied with besieging fortified cities.  Heads are brandished on spears and bodies hang on display from the ramparts….

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The First Crusade: Call to Arms

The First Crusade became the stuff of legend soon after it finished.  Western knights headed to Constantinople and ultimately to Jerusalem, to rescue pilgrimage sites from the control of Muslim invaders.  The crusade involved close to 100,000 people from Western Europe heading east, in a journey that would cover thousands of miles, mostly on foot. …

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