The Conquest of Constantinople (Medieval Academy Reprints for Teaching) [Paperback]

Robert of Clari (Author), Robert De Clari (Author), Robert De Clari (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1997 | Series: Medieval Academy Reprints for Teaching (Book 36)

In His Own Words, Without Partisan Bias or Self-glorification, Robert of Clari recorded his observations of the Fourth Crusade as an eyewitness and participant caught up by events, rather than making them. Recording the events of the journey, as well as the sights, miracles, and people that he saw, the account is an important historical and literary, as well as human document.

'Among the many remarkable episodes of the crusading age, perhaps the most astounding was the exploit of those French knights and Venetian seamen who set out to rescue the Holy Land and ended by capturing Constantinople. This expedition, known to modern historians as the Fourth Crusade, is memorable also for the number of contemporary accounts which it inspired. One of these is the story dictated by Robert of Clari, a simple, obscure knight of Picardy, who was a member of the crusading host and shared its experiences.' -- From the introduction by Edgar Holmes McNeal

Editorial Reviews

Review

Very ably translated with introduction and notes by Edgar Holmes McNeal, The Conquest Of Constantinople is told in his own words (without partisan bias or self-glorification) by Robert of Clari who recorded his observations of the Fourth Crusade as an eyewitness and participant caught up by events rather than making them. Recording the events of the journey, as well as the sights, miracles, and people that he saw, the direct account of Robert of Clari is a critically important historical and literary record -- as well as a fascinating human document. The Conquest Of Constantinople is an essential contribution to any medieval studies reference collection or reading list. -- Midwest Book Review

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802078230
• ISBN-13: 978-0802078230
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,233,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting account of the 4th Crusade, April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Conquest of Constantinople (Medieval Academy Reprints for Teaching) (Paperback)

The Conquest of Constantinople Robert of Clari Trans. Edgar Holmes McNeal

Robert of Clari's The Conquest of Constantinople as a chronicle of the fourth crusade presents an interesting perspective to the modern reader of the men who were responsible for the sack of Constantinople in 11th century Clari's account gives us a view of events taken from a different angle than that with which we are most familiar in a variety of ways. First, and perhaps most valuable to a broader view of history is Clari's position as a lesser knight. He is neither a leader of the events at hand nor a heroic or active individual involved with them. Clari is instead a follower, who's brother, a cleric displays more of the cinematic bravery that the present day appreciates. Clari's view however is valuable for this very reason. He is not wraped up in the glorification or even the justification of the seemingly random sacking of Constantinople in the name of the cause of saving the Holy Land. Rather, Clari's account concentrates more one revealing the events that led up to that point, his text covers the facts of the journey to the Holy Land and takes stock of the hardships that the crusaders had to overcome - the finegaling in Italy over ships ( the sack or near sack of Venice), the general headaches caused by dealing with Doge. The Excommunication of the entire body of the Crusaders, hunger, battle, and other terrors. Clari's account is also reflective of the mindset of the crusader involved in the greatest journey of his generation. We are provided through his account with pictorial desciptions of the sights and sounds of Constantinople, one of the greatest cities on Earth at the time. His recollections of the things that he saw while he was there give the impression that even long after his return from the East, this was the greatest event of his life. It probably, we can assume from the lists of the treasures he brought back and enterred in the Church, provided him with some degree of added status, to have made the journey of a thousand miles, and returned enriched. Clari account also stands to represent as McNeals' brief history of the chronicle points out, the accidental nature of the survival of this manuscript. That such an account was nearly lost through desintigration and age make it important that the most is made from what we are provided with in this chronicle, and was deemed only just

barely important enough to be copied out. Clari's words ar important because he chose to have them set down. Obviously he felt that the events of his time on Crusade was important enough to be put down on paper, and as probably the high point of his life shows the prominence of the Crusading ideal in the mind of the middle ages. A good first hand account for anyone interested in studying the fourth crusade.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great history of Byzantium by a Westerner, April 7, 2000

By 

M. Stone (ARIZONA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Conquest of Constantinople (Medieval Academy Reprints for Teaching) (Paperback)

In the year 1204 the Crusaders launched their fourth expedition to the Holy Land. The Crusaders never made it that far, instead, turning towards Constantinople and sacking the capital of the Byzantine Empire. This tramatic event sealed the rift between the Eastern and Western churches, as well as forever tainting relations between Venitians and Greeks which would later prove critical in 1453.

Hitherto, the only primary source that I had consulted for information on 1204 is that of Niketas Choniates (O City of Byzantium). He was a Greek present during the siege of 1204. His history begins in 1118 (where Anna Comnena leaves off) and goes through 1208. However, his chapters on the siege itself are outstanding in their descriptions of the destruction that ensued once the Crusaders had taken the city. The most well known Western history of 1204 is by Geoffrey of Villehardouin. As for Robert of Clari, he was but a humble knight who otherwise is obscure to history. His history should not be taken lightly however. His descriptions are often just as vivid as Choniates', and remarkably honost. However, as one might expect, he is unfair in his treatment of the Greeks.

If you are interested at all in Byzantian History, or the Crusades in general, this is a must read. It is a fresh perspective on a often overlooked event.

matt

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Primary sources are fabulous., October 28, 2005

By 

C. Harmon "medievalist in training" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Conquest of Constantinople (Records of Western Civilization Series) (Paperback)

I just recently finished reading The Conquest of Constantinople for my War in the Middle Ages class, and I found it extremely helpful in my studies. The translation is very clear and is full of footnotes to explain some strange translation issues as well as to expound further on specific events in the 4th crusade. While the subject matter can be quite grueling, it's a great resource for medievalists studying this period of time. As an historian who does not focus on war history, I found that the source was even helpful in a social history context.