Unit 1- "The Speech of Pope Urban II at Clermont"

Author bio: Robert the Monk(1047-1122) was a latin historian of the first crusade. He was one of the Benedictine brethren at the monastery of St-Rémi in Reims. He is the author of influential history of the first crusade. He did not participate in it but wrote the accounts as a request of of his abbot.

Speaker: Robert the monk and Pope Urban II: he was pope from 1088-1099. He is the one that suggested the men take back the holy land. His speech essentially started the first crusade.

Date/context: this is a speech the was the start of the expedition to free the holy land from the museums. Catholicism was on the rise and trying to gain power. The speech was given in 1095 to call people to action against the muslims. This is the start of the first crusade(1096-1099) which is is the Middle Ages (1000-1300). The aim was to take back the holy land.

Summary: There was a great council held at clear mount where many cardinals bishops and princes from several countries attended. The pope is then quoted in for his speech that he gave. It starts out by describing the persons having the holy land and killing and torturing Catholics. This is said in a disgusted angry kind of tone, but the language is persuasive. He goes into detail about what was happening to exaggerate his next pint. The he goes on to say that they should fight for the holy land back. That it is their duty to god and if they love something more will get turned away by god. He says they will be forgiven for their sins and go to heaven. Then he goes on to say that they need more land for the population and for food. He really lays on the reasons out of the Bible to get the persuaded. He says they will succeed because god is on their side. The entire speech was a persuasive one and the tone towards the end was confident and excited. Robert monk goes onto explain that people thought the pope spoke the word of god and everyone rallied at that.

Key quotes: 
“The sass news has  from Jerusalem and Constantinople that the people of Persia, an accursed and foreign race, enemies of God, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with god, have invalided the lands of those Christian's and devastated them with sword, Rapine and fire.”

“There is not much wealth here, and the soil scarcely yields enough for you.”

“When pope urban had said this and much more of the same sort, all who were present were moved to cry out with one accord, it is the will of god, it is the will of god.”