Certainty: 3 Baldwin of Edessa demanded aid from Baldwin I outside Beirut against a Turkish siege Certainty: 3
1111
Certainty: 2 Huge but unsuccessful attack by Sharaf al-Din Mawdud on the county of Antioch Certainty: 2
1115
Certainty: 2 Tughtakin of Damascus helped forge a coalition against Bursuq Certainty: 2
1119
Certainty: 2 Ilghazi attacked the principality of Antioch
Najm al-Din Ilghazi, the Urtuqid, together with Tughtakin of Damascus and the Bedouin chief Dubais, made the attack on Antioch which would lead to the massacre of the Field of Blood. Roger of Salerno, the Prince of Antioch, had been proud of victory by his own strength in 1115: now for his sins, especially adultery, he was cast down into inexpressible pain and misery, leading to death in battle or by torture for him and most of his men. This contrast and sign of God's power forced Walter the Chancellor to make Roger the centre of his narrative. When he heard of the Muslim attack, he sent for help to Joscelin of Edessa, Pons of Tripoli and Baldwin II, but moved out alone against the enemy
Certainty: 3 Preliminary skirmishing & reconnaissance before the battle of the Field of Blood Certainty: 3
Certainty: 2 Battle of the Field of Blood (general factoids) Certainty: 2
Certainty: 3 Roger of Antioch & most of his forces killed at the Field of Blood Certainty: 3
Certainty: 3 Developments before the arrival of Baldwin II Certainty: 3
Certainty: 3 Baldwin II & Pons of Tripoli arrived in Antioch to stabilise the situation after death of Roger Certainty: 3
Certainty: 3 Second battle of Danith: no victory to either side Certainty: 3
Certainty: 2 The fate of Christian prisoners in Aleppo
Some prisoners from the Field of Blood were still held at Aleppo at the time of the second battle of Danith, and new prisoners were added. The first news reaching Sulayman ibn Ilghazi, castellan of Aleppo, was that Ilghazi and Tughtakin had been defeated and killed. This caused rejoicing among an opposition group in Aleppo - thus puzzling the Frankish prisoners. Later, Christian heads were thrown into their cell to confirm a Muslim victory, but the truth became known secretly. Then Ilghazi and Tughtakin themselves arrived, exhausted and without weapons, and began to drink, while spreading news that there had been a great victory and seeking to terrify the prisoners. Robert fitzFulk was passed between the two, each asking the other to kill him. Finally Tughtakin beheaded him and had a cup made from his skull. [Usama claims that Ilghazi asked Tughtakin to scare Robert into raising his ransom price, and Tughtakin replied that beheading was a good way to scare him.] Tughtakin wanted to slaughter all the prisoners in a kind of purification ritual, but Ilghazi reminedd him that they still needed money and ways to put pressure on the Franks. But death by mutilation continued. As the two got more intoxicated martyrdoms became more bizarre, in front of most of the people of Aleppo. A man they thought was a priest was killed at once. 37 were killed at the same time. Sanson of Bruera saw a vision of 24 comrades, and all these were killed. The killing was interrupted by the arrival of a horse, a gift to Ilghazi. One corpse moved itself from one place to another, astounding everybody. Much of the narrative is written as an eyewitness report by Walter the Chancellor
1121
Certainty: 3 Defeat by David IV of Georgia of a massive Muslim invasion led by Ilghazi Certainty: 3
1122
Certainty: 2 Joscelin went to protect Antioch from Ilghazi; but the latter died before any battle Certainty: 2