History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 190. Episode 119, the Crusade Against the Cathars, to Karkason.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the first military engagement of the Crusade, culminating in a victory for the

Crusaders who sacked the city of Bezier and killed its entire population, men, women, children,

Cathars and Catholics alike.

The Papal Legates Arnold Armory and Milo wrote to Pope Innocent to inform him of the result.

Interestingly, they didn't downplay the fact that so many innocent lives had been lost, most of them of the Catholic faith.

On the contrary, they actually inflated the figures.

He's an excerpt from the letter that Pope Innocent received concerning the attack on Bézier.

The letter uses the term ribalds and by this the

legates mean the vulgarium numerous infinitus or the Crusading Rabel.

Okay, and here's the excerpt from the letter and I quote.

The Ribalds as well as other villainous and unarmed persons attach the city without waiting for

orders from their noble leaders.

To our wonderment, within the space of two or three hours they surmounted ditches and

walls and the city of Bezier was captured and these ribalds of ours spared no

order of persons whatever their rank, sex or age, and put to the

sword almost 20,000 people. After this great slaughter the whole city was despoilt and burnt as divine vengeance raged

marvelously."

Modern historians now believe the number of people killed at Bezier was more in the

vicinity of 15,000 people, meaning the people legates added around 5,000 people to the body count.

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