Raymond, prince of Antioch

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About Raymond, prince of Antioch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_of_Antioch


Described as 'a lord of noble descent, of tall & elegant figure, the handsomest of the princes of the earth, a man of charming affability & conversation, open-handed & magnificent beyond measure.' 'Although himself illiterate, he was a cultivator of literature.' Regular churchman & faithful husband; but headstrong, irascible & unreasonable, with too great a passion for gambling. Ruler of Antioch, Turkey. Beheaded during a Turkish attack in his city. The Turks sent his severed head in a silver casket to the Claiph of Baghdad.

Sources:

The book, 'Eleanor of Aquitaine'

The book, 'Medieval Queens'

The book, 'an Autobiography of Eleanor'



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_of_Poitiers

Raymond of Poitiers (c. 1115 – 29 June 1149) was Prince of Antioch 1136–1149. He was the younger son of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine and his wife Philippa, Countess of Toulouse, born in the very year that his father the Duke began his infamous liaison with Dangereuse de Chatelherault.

Assumes control

Following the regencies of Baldwin II of Jerusalem (1130–1131) and Fulk of Jerusalem (1131–1136), Raymond assumed control of the principality of Antioch by his marriage in 1136 to the heiress of Bohemund II of Antioch, Constance, a child of ten years of age. The marriage had the blessing of the Patriarch of Antioch, but not of Alice of Antioch, the mother of the bride, who believed that Raymond was intended to be her husband.

The first years of Raymond and Constance's joint rule were spent in conflicts with the Byzantine Emperor John II Comnenus, who had come south partly to recover Cilicia from Leo of Armenia, and to reassert his rights over Antioch. Raymond was forced to pay homage, and even to promise to cede his principality as soon as he was recompensed by a new fief, which John promised to carve out for him in the Muslim territory to the east of Antioch. The expedition of 1138, in which Raymond joined with John, and which was to conquer this territory, proved a failure. Raymond was not anxious to help the emperor to acquire new territories, when their acquisition only meant for him the loss of Antioch. John Comnenus returned unsuccessful to Constantinople, after demanding from Raymond, without response, the surrender of the citadel of Antioch.

Struggles

There followed a struggle between Raymond and the patriarch. Raymond was annoyed by the homage which he had been forced to pay to the patriarch in 1135 and the dubious validity of the patriarch's election offered a handle for opposition. Eventually Raymond triumphed, and the patriarch was deposed (1139). In 1142 John Comnenus returned to the attack, but Raymond refused to recognize or renew his previous submission, and John, though he ravaged the neighborhood of Antioch, was unable to effect anything against him. When, however Raymond demanded from Manuel, who had succeeded John in 1143, the cession of some of the Cilician towns, he found that he had met his match. Manuel forced him to a humiliating visit to Constantinople, during which he renewed his oath of homage and promised to acknowledge a Greek patriarch.

In the last year of Raymond's life Louis VII and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (Raymond's niece) visited Antioch. Raymond sought to prevent Louis from going south to Jerusalem and to induce him to stay in Antioch and help in the conquest of Aleppo and Caesarea. Raymond was also suspected of having an incestuous affair with his beautiful niece Eleanor. According to John of Salisbury, Louis became suspicious of the attention Raymond lavished on Eleanor, and the long conversations they enjoyed. William of Tyre claims that Raymond seduced Eleanor to get revenge on her husband, who refused to aid him in his wars against the Saracens, and that "contrary to [Eleanor's] royal dignity, she disregarded her marriage vows and was unfaithful to her husband." Most modern historians dismiss such rumours, however, pointing out the closeness of Raymond and his niece during her early childhood, and the effulgent Aquitainian manner of behaviour. Also, as the pious Louis continued to have relations with his wife, it is doubtful that he believed his charge of incest.

Louis hastily left Antioch and Raymond was balked in his plans. In 1149 he was killed in the Battle of Inab during an expedition against Nur ad-Din Zangi. He was beheaded by Shirkuh, the uncle of Saladin, and his head was placed in a silver box and sent to the Caliph of Baghdad as a gift.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Inab

Personality and family

Raymond is described by William of Tyre (the main authority for his career) as "a lord of noble descent, of tall and elegant figure, the handsomest of the princes of the earth, a man of charming affability and conversation, open-handed and magnificent beyond measure"; pre-eminent in the use of arms and military experience; litteratorum, licet ipse illiteratus esset, cultor ("although he was himself illiterate, he was a cultivator of literature" – he caused the Chanson des chétifs to be composed); a regular churchman and faithful husband; but headstrong, irascible and unreasonable, with too great a passion for gambling (bk. xiv. c. xxi.). For his career see Rey, in the Revue de l'orient latin, vol. iv.

With Constance, Raymond had three children, a son and heir Bohemund III of Antioch and daughters Maria of Antioch and Philippa of Antioch.



Raymond of Poitiers (c. 1115 – 29 June 1149) was Prince of Antioch 1136–1149. He was the younger son of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine and his wife Philippa, Countess of Toulouse, born in the very year that his father the Duke began his infamous liaison with Dangereuse de Chatelherault.

Following the regencies of Baldwin II of Jerusalem (1130–1131) and Fulk of Jerusalem (1131–1136), Raymond assumed control of the principality of Antioch by his marriage in 1136 to the heiress of Bohemund II of Antioch, Constance, a child of ten years of age. The marriage had the blessing of the Patriarch of Antioch, but not of Alice of Antioch, the mother of the bride, who believed that Raymond was intended to be her husband.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_of_Poitiers


Duke Guillaume IX had two [probably illegitimate] children by [Mistress (AMAUBERGE [Dangerose])]:

4. RAYMOND (Toulouse


-killed in battle near Inab 28 Jun 1149). William of Tyre records that "dominus rex" [referring to Foulques King of Jerusalem] who was guardian of "domino Boamundo principi jam defuncto…filiæ eius" proposed "adolescens…Raimundus…domini Wilelmi Pictavensium comitis filius", who was living "in curia domini Henrici senioris Anglorum regis" where he had been made a knight ("apud quem arma sumpserat militaria") while "domino Wilelmo fratre eius primogenito Aquitaniam jure hereditario gubernante"[638]. William of Tyre records in a later passage that ambassadors from Antioch were sent to "domino Raimundo Pictavensium comitis filio…adolescentem", "apud dominum Henricum seniorem Anglorum regem" who had made him a knight ("a quo et arma sumpserat militaria, moram facere"), and brought secretly from England to Antioch[639]. Orderic Vitalis names "Raimundus…Guillelmi Pictavensium ducis filius" when recording that "post mortem Henrici regis" went east and married "filiam Buamundi junioris"[640]. A primary source which identifies Raymond´s mother has not yet been identified. The Chronicle of Saint-Maxence records that Raymond was the son of Duke Guillaume IX, born later than his other children, in a passage which is strangely worded: the paragraph starts by recording the birth of Duke Guillaume´s son "æquivoce Guilelmus vocatus", proceeds by stating that from his wife ("ex supradicta conjuge", presumably the same wife who was the mother of Guillaume referring back to an earlier passage in which the duke´s marriage to "Philippam…filiam Willelmi comitis Tolosani…" is recorded[641]%29 he had five daughters ("quinque filias…"), then adds in a new sentence "Novissime genuit apud Tolosam uterinum, videlicet Raimundum, qui postea regnavit in Antiochia"[642]. Assuming that Raymond was the duke´s legitimate son, the more straight-forward way for the chronicler to have recorded his birth would have been to run the two sentences together: for example "ex supradicta conjuge habuit quoque quinque filias…et…Raimundum…". In addition, the chronicle refers to Raymond as "uterinum", a noun in the accusative case, so translatable as "the uterine one". This epithet makes little sense if it refers back to the same mother who is described earlier in the passage as "supradicta conjuge". So why does the chronicler distinguish between Raymond and the other children with this curious wording? The adjective "uterinum/uterine" of course normally describes children born from the same mother but who do not necessarily share the same father. This meaning makes no sense if applied to the passage in the Chronicle of Saint-Maxence. One possibility is that the accusative noun "uterinum" is used to describe "the one born from the woman", "the woman" representing a guarded reference to the duke´s mistress (to whom the Chronicle does not otherwise refer at any point) which distinguishes her from "supradicta conjuge". It is not certain that this is the correct interpretation. The passage highlights the difficulty of getting inside the mind of the medieval chronicler, and the danger of interpreting complex phrases in a way which strays from the author´s intent. Nevertheless, this passage in the Chronicle clearly conceals some meaning which is not obvious. One conclusion is that Raymond was born from the duke's relationship with Amauberge "Dangereuse". Another indication that this may be correct is the fact that Raymond is described as "adolescens" by William of Tyre (see above), which suggests his birth after [1115/20], by which time Duke Guillaume was probably separated from his wife. https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/AQUITAINE.htm#Eleonoredied1204

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Raymond, prince of Antioch's Timeline

1115
1115
Antioch, Turkey
1125
1125
Châtillon-sur-Marne, Champagne-Ardenne, France
1141
1141
Antioch, Antakya, Turkey
1145
1145
Antakya, Hatay, Turkey
1146
1146
Antioch, Antakya, Turkey
1149
June 27, 1149
Age 34
Anab, As Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
1149
Age 34
1187
July 4, 1187
Age 62
Hittin, Near Tiberius, Palestine, ~1097
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