Richard the Lionheart

Biography

Richard I of England, called Cœur de Lion — the Lionheart — was the warrior-king who led the Third Crusade and became the crusading age's most romantic figure. Far more a soldier than an administrator, he spent only months of his reign in England, raising vast sums to fund a great expedition to recover Jerusalem after Saladin's conquests. In the Holy Land he proved a brilliant and ferocious commander: he took Acre, won a model victory at Arsuf, and recaptured the coast — but also ordered the massacre of some 2,700 Muslim prisoners at Acre. Twice he came within sight of Jerusalem and twice judged that he could not hold it, finally concluding a three-year truce with Saladin that left the city in Muslim hands but secured Christian pilgrims' access. Returning home, he was captured and held for a colossal ransom by his enemies in Europe; he died in 1199 from a crossbow wound at a minor siege in France. His rivalry and mutual respect with Saladin became legend.

Key Battles