I read something today about how the Crusades were brought about through the simple greed of christians who wanted to steal from the muslims. The crusades were ugly and thousands died over a long period of time. Massacres were committed by both Christian and Muslim armies and those who suffered the most during those years were jews and pagan tribes. Christians acted under the command of monarchs, popes and powerful church leaders who turned a blind eye to the true teachings of Jesus in order to achieve a wide variety of goals (some being for private gain). I want to set the record straight in regards to the origins of the Crusades. It began with Islamic greed and europe almost fell, repeatedly, under islamic rule. Here are the events: 633 – Mesopotamia falls to Muslim invasion, followed by the entire Persian Empire 635 – Damascus falls 638 – Jerusalem capitulates 643 – Alexandria falls, ending 1,000 years of Hellenic civilization 648-49 – Cyprus falls 653 – Rhodes falls 673 – Constantinople attacked 698 – All of North Africa lost 711 – Spain invaded 717 – Muslims attack Constantinople again; repelled by Emperor Leo the Isaurian 721 – Saragossa falls, Muslims sights on southern France 720 – Narbonne falls. 732 – Bordeaux was stormed and its churches burnt down 732 – Charles Martel and his Frankish army defeat Muslims, turning back the Muslim tide 732 – Attacks on France continued 734 – Avignon captured by an Muslim force 743 – Lyons sacked 759 – Arabs driven out of Narbonne. 838 – Marseilles plundered 800 – Muslims incursions into Italy begin, Islands of Ponza and Ischia plundered 813 – Civitavecchia, the port of Rome sacked 826 – Crete falls to Muslim forces 827 – Muslim forces begin to attack Sicily. 837 – Naples repels a Muslim attack 838 – Marseilles taken 840 – Bari falls 842 – Messina captured and Strait of Messina controlled 846 – Muslims squadrons arrived at Ostia, at the Tibers mouth, sack Rome and St. Peter’s Basilica 846 – Taranto in Apulia conquered by Muslim forces 849 – Papal forces repel Muslim fleet at the mouth of the Tiber 853 – 871 – Italian coast from Bari down to Reggio Calabria controlled, Muslims terrorize Southern Italy. 859 – Muslims take control of all Messina 870 – Malta captured by the Muslims. 870 – Bari recaptured from the Muslims by Emperor Louis II 872 – Emperor Louis II defeats a Saracen fleet off Capua 872 – Muslim forces devastate Calabria 878 – Syracuse falls after a nine-month siege 879 – Pope John VIII forced to pay tribute of 25,000 mancuses (AUD$625,000) annually to the Muslims 880 – Byzantine Commanders gain victory over Saracen forces at Naples 881 – Muslims capture fortress near Anzio, plunder surrounding countryside with impunity for forty [40] years. 887 – Muslim armies take Hysela and Amasia, in Asia Minor. 889 – Toulon captured 902 – Muslim fleets sacked and destroyed Demetrias in Thessaly, Central Greece, 904 – Thessalonica falls to Muslim forces 915 – After three months of blockade, Christian forces victorious against Saracens holed-up in their fortresses north of Naples 921 – 934 – Genoa attacked by Muslim forces 935 – Genoa taken 972 – Saracens finally driven from Faxineto 976 – Caliphs of Egypt send fresh Muslim expeditions into southern Italy. Initially the German Emperor Otho II , who had set up his headquarters in Rome, successfully defeated these Saracen forces 977 – Sergius, Archbishop of Damascus, expelled from his See by Muslims 982 – Emperor Otho’s forces ambushed and his army defeated 1003 – Muslims from Spain sack Antibes 1003-09 – Marauding bands of Saracens plunder Italian coast from Pisa to Rome from bases on Sardinia 1005 – Muslims from Spain sack Pisa 1009 – Caliph of Egypt orders destruction of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Tomb of Jesus 1010 – Saracens seize Cosenza in southern Italy. 1015 – All Sardinia falls 1016 – Muslims from Spain again sack Pisa 1017 – Fleets of Pisa and Genoa sail for Sardinia, find Saracens crucifying Christians, drive Saracen leader out. Saracens try to re-take Sardinia until 1050 1020 – Muslims from Spain sack Narbonne 1095 – The First Crusade
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 01:04:27 +0000
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