კონსტანტინოპოლის დაპყრობა

by Robert de Clari, მანანა ჯავახიშვილი (translator)

რობერ დე კლარის (დაახლ. 1170-1216) „კონსტანტინოპოლის დაპყრობა" XIII საუკუნის დასაწყისში შეიქმნა და IV ჯვაროსნული ლაშქრობის (1202-1204) ქრონიკას წარმოადგენს, უფრო ზუსტად, 1203-1204 წლებში ევროპელი ჯვაროსნების მიერ კონსტანტინოპოლის აღების ისტორიას მოგვითხრობს.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Military History, France, European History

175 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1966

About the author

Robert de Clari was a knight from Picardy. He participated in the Fourth Crusade with his lord, Count Peter of Amiens, and his brother, Aleaumes de Clari, and left a chronicle of the events in Old French. Robert's account of the crusade is especially valuable because of his status as a lower vassal; most other eyewitness accounts are from the leadership of the crusade, such as nobles like Villehardouin. Robert's descriptions often shed light on some of the crusader activities that are otherwise glossed over by the nobler sources.

Robert's brother, Aleaumes, was an armed cleric who distinguished himself during the final siege of Constantinople, when the usurping emperor Alexius V "Murzuphlus" Ducas was routed by the crusaders. Robert included in his chronicle a brief account of his brother's apparently foolhardy bravery during the final capture of the city, when Aleaumes was the first man within the walls, and later mentioned a dispute concerning the division of spoils which Aleaumes deserved. One of the prominent noble leaders of the crusade, Count Hugh of Saint-Pol, judged in favor of Aleaumes.

Robert may be one of the few documented witnesses to the Shroud of Turin before 1358. He reports (1203) that the cloth was in Constantinople, in the church of Blachernae: "Where there was the Shroud in which our Lord had been wrapped, which every Friday raised itself upright so one could see the figure of our Lord on it." The historians Madden and Queller describe this part of Robert's account as a mistake: Robert had actually seen or heard of the sudarium, the handkerchief of Saint Veronica (which also purportedly contained the image of Jesus), and confused it with the grave cloth (sindon). As there is no mention of this "shroud" in any other source, the historian Andrea Nicolotti suggests that Robert’s account is quite a confused description of the famous miracle that occurred every Friday in the church of Blachernae: the so-called “habitual miracle”, that consisted in the prodigious elevation of a cloth before an icon of the Virgin.

Reviews

[Allegra Gulino · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, not so much for the writing itself, which had many repeated incidental phrases, but for its historical account. The trails and tribulations of the French crusaders making/breaking deals with the Venetians, the frequent changes in who was Emperor of Constantinople after the crusaders took it over, the difficulties of war, and the account of the relics stored in various holy places within Constantinople were what kept me reading.
However, I was left with the impression that there was very little statecraft or forethought in the events. The plotting, killing and striving for power were just so naked -- it was depressing to me. I had to keep reminding myself that the events happened in 1204, a time when illiteracy, disease and strife over ruler-ship was rampant, and that this account was written by a French knight of middling rank, who wasn't privy to discussions of the decision-makers.

[Andrew Varga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to read an "everyman's" perspective of the 4th Crusade. The author was not in on the major planning and decision making of the 4th Crusade, he was just one of the many knights following their lords into battle. So it is very interesting to read what sort of justification was passed down to the regular knights of the army to explain the bypassing of the Holy Land as a target and the focus instead of sacking of Constantinople. Robert of Clari does seem kind of gullible at times, but this was a knight in the 1200's, who thought he was on a mission doing God's work, so he can be excused for his naivete.

[Solange]

J'ai lu ce livre dans le cadre d'un cours sur la littérature médiévale sur le thème de la guerre et du voyage. Le livre est une chronique rapportée par Robert de Clari, un chevalier Picard qui a participé à la IVème croisade. C'était assez rapide à lire et est un texte intéressant pour comprendre la croisade mais si je n'avais pas dû le lire pour un cours, je ne m'y serais jamais intéressée.

[Nikolaos Papadakis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ειλικρινά από τα ιστορικά βιβλία που δυσκολεύτηκα παρά πολύ να το διαβάσω και δεν ξέρω αν οφείλεται στην κακή οργάνωση του υλικού από τον Φράγκο συγγραφέα ή στην μετάφραση του έργου στα ελληνικά. Η γραμματοσειρά επίσης δεν βοηθά ιδιαίτερα.

[Elodie Drt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lecture realise dans le cadre de la fac et je dois dire que les chansons de geste me plaisent. L'action y est soutenue, les thématiques et enjeux sont intéressants. C'est toujours une belle découverte

[Temo Sikharulidze · Rating 5 out of 5]

ისააკ II ანგელოსი >

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent primary source, but not worth reading outside of a class.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is the difference between 1204 and 2004? Not much when you consider we still go to war for all the wrong reasons -- and change our objective in mid-war to suit our purposes. This point is not made in the narrative or its introduction, but it is easily apparent. In this book, the original picard dialect is given next to the modern French translation, which does add some interest. Robert de Clari's eye-witness account of the 4th crusade is somewhat lively and entertaining for its age.

[Jonathan]

None

[William Borgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great account of the worst crusade.

[ihsan yeniceri · Rating 5 out of 5]

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