The Book of Raymond of Aguilers: Historia Francorum qui Ceperunt Iherusalem [Hardcover]

Introduction

The Need for a New Translation

The Life and Character of Raymond of Aguilers

Raymonds Book as a Historical Source

Raymond and Other First Crusade Accounts

Notes on Translation

Translation of the Book of Raymond of Aguilers

Bibliography

The Book of Raymond of Aguilers?is one of a handful of eyewitness accounts of the First Crusade. This new translation is the first to be based on the critical edition of the Latin text produced by John France and is intended primarily for the benefit of undergraduates and to make Raymond more accessible in the classroom.?

The Book of Raymond of Aguilers, also called the Historia Francorum qui Ceperunt Iherusalem, is one of a handful of eyewitness accounts of the First Crusade, the name given to an armed expedition called for by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont in 1095 that journeyed and fought its way to the Holy Land, culminating in the conquest of Jerusalem in July 1099. Raymonds account primarily follows the journey of Count Raymond IV of Toulouse, also called the count of St. Gilles, which makes it a useful counterpart to the anonymously written Gesta Francorum, another eyewitness account that focuses on the Italian Normans that followed Bohemond. Raymond became the count of St. Gilles chaplain during the crusade, and through that proximity to one of the crusades leaders, Raymonds account offers a ringside seat to the leadership dynamics of the crusade. Furthermore, his deliberate focus on the contingent from Proven?e provides insight into their social dynamics and the concerns of some of the common people, which is a rarity among medieval narratives.

This new translation is the first l3Ž