Studying contacts between besieged and besiegers illuminates relations among enemies and the norms of war during the first century of the crusades. Contact could be either official or unofficial: this article focuses on unofficial relations between enemies, from the siege of Antioch by crusaders in 1097 to the death of Saladin in 1193.
Verbal and physical abuse
Most known interactions were hostile and consisted of verbal and physical abuse, as well as religious humiliations. This is evident during the sieges of Antioch in 1097-1098, Jerusalem in 1099, Acre in 1189-1191, and many other moments of conflict.
The sieges of Aleppo in 1123 and 1124-1125 are particularly revealing: religious humiliations – such as mocking the holy figures and sacred books of the enemy – regularly took place.
