The Conquest of Constantinople (Medieval Academy Reprints for Teaching, 36)

By Robert de Clari and Tr. Robert of Clari. McNeal, Edgar Holmes

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• ISBN: B001TZGPVI
• Release Date: January 1936
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Primary sources are fabulous.

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.

Family History

This review is biased, since the subject is family history, but Robert's contribution to world history is significant with his document because he does not seek personal glory with his narrative, but instead wishes to chronicle events as he experienced them. While others wrote of their greatness during the Fourth Crusade, Robert's avoided such self-bestowed platitutes and described actions, events, and experiences in a manner similar to a documentary. While some "historians" have disputed the accuracy of Robert's writing, there are some facts that can not be disputed:1.) Robert de Claris existed2.) He participated in the Crusade3.) Those historians were not there at the time.The narrative gives the reader - a view of the style of story telling used during that time;- a window into the daily life of a knight;- an average man's view of an event im history that shaped the world.It is exciting reading!

A great history of Byzantium by a Westerner

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

An Interesting account of the 4th Crusade

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.