Lecture 31: The Crusades
in the late 8th century, had invaded Spain in an effort to drive back
the Muslim armies and had established the Spanish March as a
buffer zone against Islam.• Further, some outlet was needed to channel the aggressive
militarism of the ascendant Normans.
o The Normans were descendants of the Vikings who settled
on the western coast of France; the duchy of Normandy dates
from 10th century.o The Norman leader Robert Guiscard had already conquered
the Saracens (Muslims) in Sicily and Malta—with the pope’s
blessing—and in 1038–1040, we find Normans serving as
mercenaries in the Byzantine army.o Again with the approval of the pope, William II of Normandy
(William the Conqueror) overcame the Anglo-Saxons in
England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Normans were
great warriors and were spoiling for a fight.• Another strong incentive to undertake a military expedition was the
loss of the eastern frontier of the Byzantine Empire to the Seljuk
Turks (who were Muslims) in 1071, which threatened not only
Byzantium but potentially also the West.• Religious incentives were offered, as well: The papacy promised
protection of property for participants, granted plenary indulgences,
and promised to regard those who fell in battle as martyrs.
o Indulgences were a feature of medieval Christianity that made
sense only within the framework of a highly evolved view of
the afterlife.o The theory was as follows: If Christians died in mortal sin,
they would be punished forever in hell; if they died in a perfect
state of grace, fully repentant of all their sins, they would go
to heaven.