The fate of Christian prisoners in Aleppo

Summary:
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 
Dates:
1119 
Christian prisoners held in Aleppo at the time of the second battle of Danith (Anonymi 202)
  • A further 24 of them were martyred by Ilghazi 4001 after they had been seen by Sanson 101 in a dream as marked by Christ; they were killed the following day - including Sanson himself and Anonymus 856 (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.16
  • After the second battle of Tall Danith, they were dismayed by rejoicing outside their prison: at first this came from an opposition group, when it was said that Ilghazi 4001 and Tughtigin 4001 had been killed; later, when the inconclusive result of the battle was known, public rejoicing was held to hide the truth (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.13
  • After a time of puzzlement, they heard true news of the battle by secret messages, but were also threatened by the Turkish authorities, who delivered several Christian heads to their cell, saying they would soon add the head of Baldwin 52 and his banner; they continued praying and were not deceived (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.13
  • They were mutilated, tortured and killed; later, despite the need (stated by Ilghazi 4001) to pressurise Baldwin 52, 37 prisoners were executed at once in public, after summoning all of them to the front of the palace before most of the population of Aleppo (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.15
  • They were all asked, via Anonymus 855, whether they were willing to abjure their faith; none answered positively (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.15
prisoner at Aleppo whom Ilghazi thought was a priest (Anonymus 852)
  • As Anonymi 202 were gathered before Ilghazi 4001, he thought that one of them was a priest, ordered him to be seized and struck off his head with his own hand cujus caput ipse idem manu propria gladio succidit Walter the Chancellor 2.15
interpreter between Ilghazi and his Frankish prisoners (Anonymus 855)
  • Ilghazi 4001 asked the surviving Antiochene prisoners (Anonymi 202), through him, if they were willing to abjure their faith; none answered positively (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.15
son of viscount of Acre (Anonymus 856)
  • He was one of 24 prisoners in captivity in Aleppo, seen in a vision by Sanson 101 as marked by Christ, and executed the following day; his dead body, on the evidence of all present, miraculously transferred itself from one place to another (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.16
Arnulf, seneschal of Mar'ash (Arnulf 101)
  • He was marked for death by Ilghazi 4001, who gave his sword to Anonymus 853 to kill him; however the qadi (?) passed the sword to Anonymus 854 (who carried out the execution), saying that so great a warrior should be killed by a soldier of equal prominence (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.15
Najm al-Din Ilghazi, the Urtuqid (Ilghazi 4001)
  • He was beginning more executions (Anonymus 852 and Arnulf 101), when (providentially) he was brought a gift of a beautiful horse, splendidly harnessed, from Dubais 4001; he threw aside his sword and had his nobles discuss with the remaining prisoners their possibilities for ransom (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.16
  • He was shocked by the miracle of Anonymus 856 and completely paralysed by alcohol; he was removed by his men; after consulting Tughtigin 4001 went home to Mardin, slighting the castle of Zerdana and ransoming the remaining prisoners to pay for troops to guard his own possessions (:) prostrato castello Sardonas Walter the Chancellor 2.16
  • After the second battle of Tall Danith, Sulayman 102 heard that Ilghazi and Tughtigin 4001 were dead, which delighted the opposition party (?) in Aleppo; later, when the the indecisive result of the battle was known, the authorities ordered public rejoicing to hide it, puzzling Anonymi 202 (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.13
  • He and Tughtigin 4001 reached the area of Aleppo exhausted and without weapons; there they took to drinking, while spreading news that the battle had been a great victory, and seeking without success to terrify Anonymi 202 (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.13
  • When Tughtigin 4001 proposed to torture and slaughter all of Anonymi 202 as a kind of purification ritual, Ilghazi reminded him that they needed to recapture ´Azaz, and needed all possible means of pressuring Baldwin 52 to give it up; the prisoners should be saved for this reason (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.14
  • Despite the need to pressurise Baldwin 52, he continued to mutilate, torture and execute Anonymi 202, including the public execution of 37 prisoners at once, after summoning all of them to the front of the palace before most of the population of Aleppo (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.15
  • Having captured Robert 104 at Antioch while fighting Baldwin 52, he sent him to Tughtigin 4001 to try to terrify him into raising the ransom; Tughtakin beheaded him, and at Ilghazi's protestations said that this was the best way of scaring him (:) Usama 120
Robert fitzFulk, Lord of Sihyawn, Balatunus etc. (Robert 104)
  • When captured near Antioch in the battle between Baldwin 52 and Ilghazi 4001, he fixed his ransom at 10,000 dinars; Ilghazi sent him to Tughtigin 4001 to see if he could scare him into raising the ransom but the latter beheaded him immediately - the best way of terrifying him (:) Usama 120
  • He was regarded by Tughtigin 4001 as a special prize [presumably taken at Zerdana], because he had caused the Muslims so much trouble; but after gloating over him, Tughtakin sent him to Ilghazi 4001 for execution; but Ilghazi returned him; when he refused to abjure his faith, he was beheaded (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.13
Sanson of Bruera, Latin captive at Aleppo (Sanson 101)
  • One night in captivity in Aleppo he saw a vision of Christ marking him and 24 of his companions, but not others - Christ stated that he needed no more than 24; that day all were slaughtered by Ilghazi 4001 (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.16
Tughtakin, atabeg of Damascus (Tughtigin 4001)
  • He planned to torture and slaughter all of Anonymi 202 as a kind of purification ritual; but Ilghazi 4001 reminded him that they needed to recapture ´Azaz, and needed all possible means of pressuring Baldwin 52 to give it up; the prisoners should be saved for this reason (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.13
  • He and Ilghazi 4001 reached the area of Aleppo exhausted and without weapons; there they took to drinking, while spreading news that the battle had been a great victory, and seeking without success to terrify Anonymi 202 (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.13
  • Was sent Robert 104 by Ilghazi 4001 to see if he could scare him into raising his ransom price, but as soon as Robert arrived, he beheaded him; he responded to Ilghazi's protests saying that this was much the best way of scaring him (:) Usama 120
  • After the second battle of Tall Danith, Sulayman 102 heard that Tughtakin and Ilghazi 4001 were dead, which delighted the opposition party (?) in Aleppo; later, when the the indecisive result of the battle was known, the authorities ordered public rejoicing to hide it, puzzling Anonymi 202 (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.13
Walter, chancellor of Antioch, historical writer (Walter 101)
  • His narrative of the suffering of old and new prisoners after the second battle of Tall Danith is nearly all (but not quite all) written to show that he was still in prison in Aleppo (:) Walter the Chancellor 2.13