History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 125, the crusade against the Cathars, the Siege of Manev.

Hello again.

Last week we saw a resurgent Simon de Monfort slowly start to claw back some of his lost territory

following the arrival in southern France of his wife Alice and a contingent

of knights from northern France.

We left last week's episode with the Papal Legate Arnold Armory arriving in Toulouse in March

1210 and along with King Peter the second of Aragon seemingly taking a renewed interest in the politics of the region.

Now as we mentioned last week the city of Toulouse at this time was becoming more and more divided and more and more violent.

The Bishop of Toulouse had formed a militia, the White Brotherhood, to attack

heretics and support the position of the church within the city. Other citizens who didn't agree with this stance had formed

themselves into the Black Brotherhood and the rival groups had been clashing on the streets of the city.

Now you may remember as part of the concessions provided to Count Raymond the sixth of Toulouse, Pope Innocent the 3rd had directed that both

people legates must travel to Toulouse and lift the interdict which Arnold Armory had imposed on the city.

The Pope specifically ordered that Arnold Armory was not to meet with the citizens of Toulouse by himself, but must be accompanied

by Thadysius, his co-Pable legate.

Yet in March 1210 Arnold Armory strode into Toulouse alone without Thurgisius.

It was not a good start to the negotiations.

Not surprisingly, the members of the Council who had clashed with Arnold Armory before

refused to meet with him, stating that they would only negotiate with

Thaddisius.

The Bishop of Toulouse intervened and brokered an agreement in which the Council would pay 1,000 pounds to

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