Unsuccessful siege of Arsuf by Godfrey of Bouillon

Summary:
Arsuf paid Godfrey no tribute, and the hostage from the town guaranteeing their treaty escaped, while Gerard of Avesnes, the crusader hostage, was imprisoned in Arsuf. Godfrey decided to attack the town with the few soldiers left after the mass departures. They included William of Montpellier, Garnier of Grez, Galdemar Carpinel, Wicher the German and Franco of Mechelen. After six weeks of siege, Gerard of Avesnes and Lambert were raised on masts, taunted by the besieged and forced to plead for their lives with the besiegers: they would be spared if Arsuf was spared. Godfrey refused, claiming he would refuse such a plea from his own brother. The pair were both shot. The collapse of a tower killed Franco of Mechelen and others, and left Rothold and Peter the Lombard (knights from Jerusalem) dangerously exposed near the town's wall. They succeeded in escaping the enemy fire and returned to their comrades. Godfrey reproved his men for effeminacy and Arnold of Choques blamed everybody for hard-heartedness over Gerard and Lambert, urging remorse and confession. But the siege made no progress. In December Godfrey returned to Jerusalem, leaving a small force at Ramla to harry Arsuf. They did no good, and soon followed him. During the siege, Godfrey was humbly sitting on the ground; asked why he did not have a more luxurious seat, he answered that the ground was enough for a mortal, for whom, after death, it will be a permanent home 
Dates:
1099 October-November 
Arnulf of Choques, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem (Arnulf 4001)
  • He blamed Godfrey 51 and the Christian people for the hard-hearted way in which they treated Gerard 26104 and Lambert 26103, urging remorse and confession; but another siege machine was destroyed (:) Albert of Aachen VII.5
Geldemar Carpinel (Galdemar 4001)
  • He stayed in the Holy Land, and was involved in Godfrey 51's attack on Arsuf (:) Albert of Aachen VII.1
Garnier (Warner), count of Grez (Garnier 4001)
  • He stayed in the Holy Land, and was involved in Godfrey 51's attack on Arsuf (:) Albert of Aachen VII.1
  • One of the greatest barons left in Palestine after the departure of the major crusaders (: ) William of Tyre bk. 9, 13.39-41
Gerard of Avesnes (Gerard 26104)
  • The treaty with Arsuf collapsed, and he was detained, while Arsuf's hostage escaped; after six weeks of siege, he was raised on a ship's mast to plead for his life if Arsuf were spared; Godfrey 51 refused, and Gerard was shot in the assault (:) Albert of Aachen VII.2
  • He was sent as crusader hostage to Arsuf, in an exchange of hostages to secure a treaty made with the town by Godfrey 51 (:) Albert of Aachen VI.53
Godfrey of Bouillon, duke of Lower Lorraine, first Latin ruler of Jerusalem (Godfrey 51)
  • He came to an agreement with Arsuf over its tributary status, exchanging hostages: the crusader hostage sent to Arsuf was his own knight Gerard 26104 (:) Albert of Aachen VI.53
  • His treaty with Arsuf broke down, the city's hostage escaped while his own, Gerard 26104 was detained, and no tribute was paid; so he gathered William 4005, Garnier 4001, Galdemar 4001 and Wicher 26101, with the rest of his men, to attack it (:) Albert of Aachen VII.1
  • When Gerard 26104 was raised on a ship's mast to plead with him to spare Arsuf in return for his life, he refused, as his death would be for the common good, and he would decide the same for his own brother; Gerard was shot in the assault (:) Albert of Aachen VII.2
  • As his siege of Arsuf was failing, partly due to the December cold and snow, he went to Jerusalem, leaving a small force at Ramla to harry Arsuf; since these soldiers also failed to change the situation, they too returned to the capital (In mid-December:Decembri mense mediato) Albert of Aachen VII.6
  • After taunts over Gerard 26104 and the collapse of a tower which killed many of his men and sent Rothold 26101 and Petros 10201 scurrying back to their comrades, he reproved his men for effeminacy and sinfulness; but another tower was burned (:) Albert of Aachen VII.4-5
  • [A flashback from the capture of Arsuf in 1101]: Arsuf had caused problems for Godfrey and many losses; the Franks by fierce fighting captured part of the wall, but lost it when a siege-tower collapsed, crushing many beneath it; some captured attackers were crucified and shot with arrows or imprisoned (:) Fulcher of Chartres 2.8.5-7
Lambert, taunted at Arsuf (Lambert 26103)
  • Like Gerard 26104, he seems to have been raised on a mast to plead for his life with the besiegers of Arsuf, and to have been shot by them; Arnulf 4001 reproved the crusaders for this (:) Albert of Aachen VII.5
Peter the Lombard, knight of Jerusalem (Petros 26101)
  • After the collapse of a tower in the attack on Arsuf, he and Rothold 26101 were left exposed near the wall, but they managed to escape the enemy bombardment and return to their Christian comrades (:) Albert of Aachen VII.4
Rothold, knight of Jerusalem (Rothold 26101)
  • After the collapse of a tower in the attack on Arsuf, he and Petros 26101 were left exposed near the wall, but they managed to escape the enemy bombardment and return to their Christian comrades (:) Albert of Aachen VII.4
Wicher the German (Swabian) (Wicher 26101)
  • He stayed in the Holy Land, and was involved in Godfrey 51's attack on Arsuf (:) Albert of Aachen VII.1
William of Montpellier (William 4005)
  • He stayed in the Holy Land, and was involved in Godfrey 51's attack on Arsuf (:) Albert of Aachen VII.1