History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 127, the Crusade against the Cathars, the Siege of Tam.

Hello again.

Last week we saw Simon de Monfor turn his attention towards Tam, a powerful rebel stronghold some 30

kilometers from Carcasson.

When we left last week's episode in late August 1210,

the Siege engines had arrived at Tam,

along with a sizable contingent of Crusaders from Brittany in northern France.

Soon other Crusaders started arriving and Simon's army was bolstered by men from Germany, Bavaria and Saxony, from

Provence and Normandy and even from northern and Southern Italy.

These men all arrived at different times,

with their 40 days of crusader service,

all starting from their varied days of arrival.

Now of course the arrival of these men was very much welcomed by Simon de Monfort.

When he had first arrived at Tam, his army was minuscule, much too small in fact to attempt a siege.

To make matters worse, the defendant to attempt a siege.

To make matters worse, the defenders of Tam shouted down insults from the safety of the castle

walls, mocking the small size of the army.

In his book A Most Holy War, Mark Peg reports that the defenders of Tam even engaged in sarcasm,

shouting,

flee from the sight of the army, flee from the sight of the army,

while running around the walls in mock terror,

...