Frederick of Swabia avenged an attack by Byzantine robbers at Adrianople

Summary:
When the crusaders reached Adrianople, they kept to the route through the city set for them. But a rich German noble fell ill and had to be hospitalised with his possessions in a monastery. Some villainous Byzantines attacked the monastery and burned it down, killing all inside but gaining the money. Conrad sent Frederick of Swabia to exact revenge: the guilty were executed. Manuel I's commander on the spot, Prosouch, had been shadowing the crusaders at a distance, but now intervened with calming words and force where necessary to bring the situation under control [Choniates emphasises his words, Kinnamos the force]. The Germans learned greater respect for the locals 
Dates:
1147 
German noble at Adrianople in 1147 (Anonymus 17020)
  • Was hospitalised in a monastery in Adrianople with money and possessions; Byzantine infantrymen set fire to the monastery and killed him for the money, giving Frederick 51 a motive for revenge (:) τινες ῾Ρωμαίων τῶν ἐκ πεζικῶν καταλόγων Kinnamos 71.11-21
  • He was ill, and forced to camp in a monastery in Adrianople; there some villainous Byzantines attacked the monastery and burned it down with all those in it; he was avenged by Frederick 51 (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 63.36-43
Conrad III Hohenstaufen, king of Germany (Conrad 53)
  • When he reached Adrianople, he kept to the set route through the city, but Anonymus 17020, who was ill, was forced to stay in a monastery - and was killed when it was burned by some Byzantines; Conrad sent Frederick 51 to avenge him (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 63.36-39
  • At Adrianople (Orestias) he had significant losses, and realised that he would be fighting against skilled and powerful forces under divine protection (:) Manganeios Prodromos 20.101-129
Frederick III of Swabia, later Frederick I Barbarossa, western emperor (Frederick 51)
  • Hearing of the attack on a sick noble (Anonymus 17020) at a monastery he turned back to Adrianople, destroyed the monastery, giving a pretext for war, but was soundly defeated by Prosouch 17001, bringing him to reason (:) Kinnamos 71.11-72.1
  • He went back, destroyed the monastery, executed those responsible for the murder of Anonymus 17020 and held an enquiry into the lost money; but despite the casus belli, peace was restored, as he was calmed by Prosouch 17001 (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 63.43-64.53
Prosouch, Turkish military commander in service of Manuel I (Prosouch 17001)
  • Sent by Manuel 1 to watch the Crusaders from near Adrianople, at first he shadowed them at a distance, then more closely, after the fight over the sick noble (Anonymus 17020) and Frederick 51. He defeated and chastened Frederick (:) Kinnamos 71.5-72.1
  • While other Byzantines sought to calm the situation, he left his horse at the bridge in Adrianople (under which three rivers flow) and went to calm Frederick 51, who was furiously angry (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 64.47-53