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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter October 10, 2014

Of ‘Pious Traitors’ and Dangerous Encounters. Historiographical Notions of Interculturality in the Principality of Antioch

  • Kristin Skottki EMAIL logo

Abstract

The principality of Antioch is often seen as a major example of peaceful and fruitful cross-cultural relations between Christians and Muslims in the crusader states. This article asks if and how Antioch’s multicultural character is also reflected in Western medieval historiography. Two examples are in the focus of consideration: the story of the betrayal of a certain man named Fîrouz who helped the crusaders capture the city in 1098; and the way(s) Walter the Chancellor depicted and judged the coexistence of Franks, Oriental Christians and Muslims in the principality in his chronicle of the so-called Antiochene Wars. The question is whether the Latin historiography acted to silence and gloss over the positive surplus value of cultural and religious exchange processes in the Middle Ages. Also it will be asked how we can interrelate the evidence from these texts with other research results to arrive at a persuasive image of the historical reality in the crusader society of Antioch.

Published Online: 2014-10-10
Published in Print: 2014-9-1

© 2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston

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