History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 157, the Crusade

the Crusade against the Cathars, early 1216.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the Ecumen. Hello again.

Last week we saw the Ecumenical Council meet and determine the future of Long dock.

Pope Innocent had intended the Council to restore the rebel counts of

Fwa and Toulouse to their lands, while confirming Simon de Monfor's rule over the

two Vai Counties of Bezier and Carcasson. However, in a by now familiar move, Simon's supporters

were able to alter the outcome in Simon's favour. In the end, the Council ruled that Count Raymond the

sixth of Toulouse should lose his county and be permanently exiled from his lands.

His son, young Raymond, would inherit only a fraction of the land previously held by his father,

while the Count of Vois fate was placed on hold while he was

investigated for war crimes. The new Count of Toulouse was Simon de Monfor,

meaning Simon had achieved his aim of becoming the ruler of most of southern France.

The happy news reached Simon in January 1216 when his brother Ghee returned triumphantly from Rome.

However, as always, just because you are the ruler of territory in southern France didn't mean

that the southern French would just lay down submissively and accept your rule. So Simon moved slowly and it wasn't until March 1216 that

he began calling himself the Count of Toulouse and the Duke of Narbon.

Now just before we move on there is one person of course in the church hierarchy who is not happy to see Simon de Monfort installed as the Duke of Narbonne.

And that of course is Arnold Armery.

Arnold Armery had been calling himself the Duke of Narbon for some time now in addition to the

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