(Go to the listed citation to view accompanying artwork.)
from
https://www.thecollector.com/greatest-medieval-battles-sieges/

Top 10 Most Important Medieval Battles and Sieges
Find out about 10 of history’s most iconic medieval battles.

Mar 2, 2022 • By Chester Ollivier, BA (Hons) History
siege antioch battle sluys and agincourt illustrations

The medieval period, sometimes referred to as the Middle Ages, was the
period that spanned just over a millennium from approximately 300 CE to
1500. During this period the world was transformed, and some of the most
famous battles in history took place in this era. There is not one
factor which characterizes a medieval battle or siege, as warfare
evolved over the centuries. This article will not simply describe the
types of warfare, it will explain the results and what they meant for
the medieval world.

1. The Dawn of the Middle Ages: The Medieval Battle For Rome, 24th
August 410

sack of rome sylvestre
Sack of Rome by the Visigoths on 24 August 410, by Joseph-Noël
Sylvestre, 1890, via Wikimedia Commons

A common misconception about the “Middle Ages” or “medieval” world is
that it was all knights in shining armour, chivalry, and ladies in
waiting. Part of it was — the period known as the “High Middle Ages”,
which spans from around 1000-1300 — but the reality is that the early
medieval period set the precedent for the High Middle Ages. One of the
most famous medieval battles is the Sack of Rome, conducted by Alaric
and his Visigoths in 410 CE.

For some time, the Roman Empire had been heading towards collapse.
Events during the Third Century Crisis which had been partially
rectified by Emperor Diocletian still stung the Roman population almost
two hundred years later. A disgruntled populace was there for the taking
when heavily armed enemies were outside the very walls of Rome.

thomas cole course of destruction painting
Course of Destruction, by Thomas Cole, 1836, via Google Arts & Culture

After besieging the city for weeks, the Visigoths devised a plan whereby
they would offer the Romans in the city some of their slaves, out of a
mark of respect for withstanding a siege for so long. Sure enough, the
Romans opened up the Salarian Gate, and the Visigoths poured into the city.

Alaric and his Visigoths besieged Rome for three whole days, murdering
aristocrats, burning buildings, and looting anything they could get
their hands on. In the space of three days, the ancient city of Rome —
which had not been sacked for over 800 years — had been completely
ruined within the space of three days. To make matters worse, the Romans
viewed the Visigoths as barbarians, or savages, and themselves as superior.

The reason that this medieval battle makes the list is because of the
impact it had not just on Rome itself, but on Roman thinking: they had
been completely obliterated by an army of savages. They realised that
they were not immortal, and their city was in fact penetrable. The
Visigoths had certainly played their part in ensuring its quick demise
after the Sack of Rome in 410.

2. The Battle For England: The Battle of Hastings, 14th October 1066

bayeux tapestry medieval battle
Section from the Bayeux Tapestry, c.1070, via Culturetrip.com

This next medieval battle is one that almost everybody has heard of. It
marked the end of Saxon rule in England, and the beginning of Norman
rule. The battle was so significant because the Royal Family in England
can be traced back over 1000 years to the Battle of Hastings, where the
Norman Dynasty were the victors and their descendants were to rule
England for over 1000 years.

The battle itself took place on the South-East coast of England in a
town called Hastings. The English king at the time, Harold II, had just
finished a battle at York and his troops marched down the country at an
extraordinary speed to meet with William of Normandy’s forces. Harold’s
troops were exhausted from the demanding march after days of fighting
over 300 miles away, and they were already at a disadvantage because of
this.

William’s forces took advantage of this and won a decisive victory, with
Harold II being killed, allegedly by an arrow that was shot into his
eye; an image which is depicted in the famous Bayeux Tapestry. William
was crowned as William I of England on Christmas Day 1066, and today is
better known by his eponym: William the Conqueror.

3. The Battle of Antioch, 28th June 1098

sieg of antioch drawing
The Siege of Antioch, from Sébastien Mamerot’s Les Passages d’Outremer,
c. 1474, via thegreatcoursedaily.com

The Battle of Antioch was part of the conflict known as the First
Crusade, in which Christian European forces rallied together after Pope
Urban II’s famous Council at Clermont in 1095 to aid their Byzantine
brethren in the East against Muslim forces.

After fighting at Nicaea and Dorylaeum, the Crusaders reached Antioch.
Their goal was to take Jerusalem (which they were eventually successful
at — to an extent), so why has the victory at Antioch been included in
this list of medieval battles?

For a start, where Antioch was situated was key for the Crusaders. It
was located in present-day Antakya, Turkey, east of the Orontes River.
This meant that supplies could be shipped from Europe, and through the
river systems of Greece and Turkey to reach the Crusaders. In addition,
the Battle of Antioch was the culmination of what became known as the
Siege of Antioch: an eight-month long siege of the city, which lasted
from October 1097 to June 1098.

The Christians had to defend Antioch, or all of their attempts to reach
Jerusalem — the Holy Land — would have been in vain. Eventually, six
divisions of the starving Christian troops emerged from the gates. The
Muslim leader, Kerbogha, ordered an immediate attack, but Bohemond of
Taranto — a Crusader leader — had planned for this, and a seventh
division of Christian soldiers managed to hold off the attack.

The Crusaders allegedly saw visions of St George which boosted their
morale, and eventually, the Muslim troops retreated, scattered in
numerous different directions and the Crusaders kept hold of their
precious city of Antioch.

4. The Fall of Jerusalem: The Battle of Hattin, 4th July 1187

hattin medieval battle manuscript
The Battle of Hattin, from Chronica Majora, by Matthew Paris, 13th
century, via the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Another battle from the Crusades makes this list of greatest medieval
battles. Yet this time the battle was not a victory in favor of the
Crusaders. After the Second Crusade — a disaster for the Crusaders — the
troops were faced with one of the Islamic world’s most formidable
military leaders: Al-Nasir Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, better known as
Saladin.

Saladin’s Muslim troops had positioned themselves carefully, in an arc
shape around Hattin, which cut off the water supply from Lake Tiberias
(known today as the Sea of Galilee). This not only ensured that the
Muslim troops could stay hydrated for as long as necessary, but it made
the Crusaders dehydrated and thus weaker.

The Muslims surrounded the Crusaders overnight, keeping them awake by
chanting prayers and beating drums. They also set fire to the dry grass
around the Crusader camp, which made their throats even drier.

On the morning of July 4th, the Crusader army was blinded by smoke from
the Muslim fires, which gave the Muslims the perfect excuse to open fire
with their archers. Thoroughly demoralized and disorientated, the
Crusaders broke formation and made for the springs of Hattin. However,
due to dehydration and their injuries, the vast majority of them were
simply picked off by Muslim soldiers and killed. Saladin had
successfully taken back Muslim lands, which is why this is one of
history’s greatest medieval battles.

5. Battle of Bouvines, 27th July 1214

battle of bouvines medieval battle
The Battle of Bouvines, 1214, by Horace Vernet, 1827, via Fine Art America

In 1212, King Philip II of France had planned to cross the English
Channel and take England for himself. This had scared the English king,
King John, enough to realize how vulnerable he was with less than 30
miles of water between the two feuding kingdoms.

As a response, John made peace with the Church (he had been effectively
placed under suspension by Pope Innocent III in 1208 for his constant
arguing with the Church). This came at a cost, though: he promised to
surrender his kingdom to the Pope as well as to pay an annual sum of
1000 marks to Innocent and his successors in perpetuity. A
fourteenth-century chronicler, Henry Knighton, noted that John had
“turned himself from a free man into a slave”.

As a result, John had no option but to go to war, and his forces (along
with those of the Holy Roman Empire under Otto IV) met at Bouvines. The
Allied army of 9,000 outnumbered Philip’s army by 2000. Nevertheless,
the French army destroyed John’s forces and completely destroyed any
hopes of John regaining his territory.

This was a hugely significant medieval battle for a number of reasons:
firstly, it signified the early collapse of the Plantagenet Empire — all
of the territory that had been won under John’s father, Henry II, was
now lost. Secondly, it ended the Anglo-French war of 1213-14. Thirdly,
it changed the course of English history forever. Realizing how weakened
he was, John’s barons forced him to sign the Magna Carta, a legal
document that still holds precedent in English law over 800 years later.

On 3/11/2022 12:28 AM, Surreyman wrote:
> On Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 9:49:08 PM UTC, a425couple wrote:
>> (Go to the listed citation to view accompanying artwork.)
>> from
>> https://www.thecollector.com/greatest-medieval-battles-sieges/
>>
>> Top 10 Most Important Medieval Battles and Sieges
>> Find out about 10 of history’s most iconic medieval battles.
>>
>> Mar 2, 2022 • By Chester Ollivier, BA (Hons) History
>> siege antioch battle sluys and agincourt illustrations
>>
----------------------
>>
>> 2. The Battle For England: The Battle of Hastings, 14th October 1066
>>
>> bayeux tapestry medieval battle
>> Section from the Bayeux Tapestry, c.1070, via Culturetrip.com
>>
>>
>> This next medieval battle is one that almost everybody has heard of. It
>> marked the end of Saxon rule in England, and the beginning of Norman
>> rule. The battle was so significant because the Royal Family in England
>> can be traced back over 1000 years to the Battle of Hastings, where the
>> Norman Dynasty were the victors and their descendants were to rule
>> England for over 1000 years.
>>
>>
>>
>> The battle itself took place on the South-East coast of England in a
>> town called Hastings. The English king at the time, Harold II, had just
>> finished a battle at York and his troops marched down the country at an
>> extraordinary speed to meet with William of Normandy’s forces. Harold’s
>> troops were exhausted from the demanding march after days of fighting
>> over 300 miles away, and they were already at a disadvantage because of
>> this.
>>
>>
>>
>> William’s forces took advantage of this and won a decisive victory, with
>> Harold II being killed, allegedly by an arrow that was shot into his
>> eye; an image which is depicted in the famous Bayeux Tapestry. William
>> was crowned as William I of England on Christmas Day 1066, and today is
>> better known by his eponym: William the Conqueror.
>>
---------------snip
>
> The Battle of Hastings did not take place in the town of Hastings, and Harold had not previously had a battle in York.

OK

Do you agree or disagree with the following excerpts?

from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hastings
" It took place approximately 7 mi (11 km) northwest of Hastings,
close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex, ---
--reported its arrival to William, who marched from Hastings
to the battlefield to confront Harold. ---
William founded a monastery at the site of the battle, the high altar
of the abbey church supposedly placed at the spot where Harold died."
"The name traditionally given to the battle is unusual – there
were several settlements much closer to the battlefield than
Hastings. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle called it the battle
"at the hoary apple tree". Within 40 years, the battle was described
by the Anglo-Norman chronicler Orderic Vitalis as "Senlac",[n] a
Norman-French adaptation of the Old English word "Sandlacu", which
means "sandy water".[o] This may have been the name of the stream
that crosses the battlefield.[p] The battle was already being
referred to as "bellum Hasestingas" or "Battle of Hastings" by 1086,
in the Domesday Book.[83]"
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Abbey
includes a map
"Battle Abbey is a partially ruined Benedictine abbey in Battle,
East Sussex, England. The abbey was built on the site of the Battle
of Hastings and dedicated to St Martin of Tours. It is a Scheduled
Monument.[1]
The Grade I listed site is now operated by English Heritage as
1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield, which includes the
abbey buildings and ruins, a visitor centre with a film and
exhibition about the battle, audio tours of the battlefield site,
and the monks' gatehouse with recovered artefacts."

So, meanwhile, have you ever taken a day trip, or
a weekend trip down to see?

Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux
4.6
6,327 reviews
Museum
Medieval tapestry museum containing the 69m long story of
William the Conqueror's English invasion.

13B Rue de Nesmond, 14400 Bayeux, France
Copy address
Open now: 9AM–6:30PM
Updated by this business 1 week ago
bayeuxmuseum.com
+33 2 31 51 25 50
Copy phone number
Call phone number
77FX+QQ Bayeux, France

We stayed at a bed and breakfast 3 or 4 days in Bayeux.
We toured the above museum. I found it quite interesting.
I especially enjoyed the scale models. You might be able to
see some of them at this shortcut:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mus%C3%A9e+de+la+Tapisserie+de+Bayeux/@49.2741159,-0.7007036,3a,75y/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipMr2NoU9diWCda1Wy0TWFZNrs_UmxZZxjN2gCwH!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMr2NoU9diWCda1Wy0TWFZNrs_UmxZZxjN2gCwH%3Dw205-h100-k-no!7i4032!8i1960!4m10!1m2!2m1!1sHastings!3m6!1s0x480bacad1e032729:0x533a3a3a2a4b0c16!8m2!3d49.2742009!4d-0.700646!14m1!1BCgIgARICGAI!5m1!1e4

(Above is the museum's 'latest' pictures.)

IMHO The tapestry itself was good to see,
although it can be very well viewed on the internet.