History of the Crusades.

the Crusades. episodes.

Episode 9, The First Crusade Roman numeral 5.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the Crusaders emerge victorious from the battle near Dorilayam.

This week we follow them as they march onwards to their next goal, the ancient city of Antioch.

On the 3rd of July 1097, the United Crusader Army set out in a south easterly direction to cross the arid plains of Anatolia. There are a few things you need to note here. Firstly, I didn't call

them the arid plains of Anatolia for nothing. They most certainly are arid.

There are few natural water sources

and the landscape is too inhospitable to support many edible

plants.

Secondly, it's summer. During the day, temperatures will be soaring to levels not experienced by the Crusaders or their animals in their native Europe.

Thirdly, the Selyork's have done a pretty good job of their scorched earth policy.

They have destroyed a number of wells, as well as quite a few of the old Byzantine cisterns by the side of the road,

which have been designed to provide water for thirsty travellers and their horses. and 20 years of warfare between the Selyok Turks and the Byzantine Empire had taken its toll on the region.

It would have been difficult to eke out a living in this inhospitable

landscape during peaceful times, but in the past few decades whole villagers had been abandoned, fields had been left to life

fellow and wells had dried up.

The combined crusader armies with their tens of thousands of mouths to feed were difficult to supply at the best of times.

But now, marching through this bleak landscape, there was barely anything for them to eat or drink.

This soon took its toll. Animals having marched with the Crusaders all the way from Latin Christendom began dying.

Hunting dogs, birds of prey used for hawking, mules, donkeys and oxen all started to fall by the wayside. Albert of Arken, a chronicler who was present at the time, reported that even some of the camels died. You know things are bad when your camels start

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