“Esteemed brothers, comrades of mine…”: Constructing the Piety and Pugnacity of the Military Orders through Battle Rhetoric

The basis of this article was a paper entitled “The Representation of the Military Orders in Thirteenth-Century Battle Rhetoric,” presented at a panel on crusading, chaired by Bernard Hamilton for “The Military Orders: Piety, Pugnacity and Property, 7th International Conference” (St. John’s Gate, London, 7–10 September 2017).

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to outline the phenomenon of battle rhetoric in medieval historical writing within the context of the crusading movement. It explores several examples of this narrative convention which involve members of the military orders, specifically the Templars and Hospitallers, from two contemporary historical narratives: the Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi and the Libellus de expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum. In doing so, it will display the dynamic nature of battle rhetoric in this period and argue that the unique characteristics of the military orders made them ideal subjects for material that sought to engage with contemporary ideas of spirituality, virtue and the practice of violence. Furthermore, this article argues that the battle rhetoric of the Libellus de expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per Saladinum, examined in comparison with other contemporary crusade orations, provides evidence that this text was produced in a monastic, specifically Cistercian, environment.

Notes

The basis of this article was a paper entitled “The Representation of the Military Orders in Thirteenth-Century Battle Rhetoric,” presented at a panel on crusading, chaired by Bernard Hamilton for “The Military Orders: Piety, Pugnacity and Property, 7th International Conference” (St. John’s Gate, London, 7–10 September 2017).