Albert of Aix(-la-Chapelle) or Albert of Aachen; Latin: Albericus Aquensis; fl. c. 1100) was a historian of the First Crusade and the early Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was born during the later part of the 11th century, and afterwards became canon (priest) and custos (guardian) of the church of Aachen.[1][2]
Nothing else is known of his life except that he was the author of a Historia Hierosolymitanae expeditionis (“History of the Expedition to Jerusalem”), or Chronicon Hierosolymitanum de bello sacro, a work in Latin in twelve books, written between 1125 and 1150. This history begins at the time of the Council of Clermont in 1095, deals with the fortunes of the First Crusade and the earlier history of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, and ends somewhat abruptly in 1121.[3]
The Historia was well known during the Middle Ages, and was largely used by William of Tyre for the first six books of his Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum. In modern times, it was accepted unreservedly for many years by most historians, including Edward Gibbon. In more recent times beginning with Heinrich von Sybel,[4] its historical value has been seriously impugned, but the verdict of the best scholarship seems to be that in general it forms a true record of the events of the First Crusade, although containing some legendary matter.[5]
Albert never visited the Holy Land, but he appears to have had a considerable amount of discourse with returned crusaders, and to have had access to valuable correspondence.[1] Unlike many other chronicles of the First Crusade, Albert did not rely on the Gesta Francorum, but used his own independent interviews;[6] he may also have had access to the Chanson d'Antioche, as his work shares textual similarities with that poem.[7] The first edition of the history was published at Helmstedt in 1584, and a translation, with the original Latin, is in the Recueil des historiens des croisades, Volume 4.iii (1879). A modern edition in Latin and English translation by Susan B. Edgington[8] is available in the Oxford Medieval Texts series.[9] (cf. Volumes 24 and 25 of Crusader Texts in Translation.)
^ abOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Albert of Aix". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 499. Endnote: See
F. Krebs, Zur Kritik Alberts von Aachen (Munster, 1881)
B. Kugler, Albert von Aachen (Stuttgart, 1885)
M. Figeonneau, Le Cycle de la croisade et de la famine de Bouillon (Paris, 1877)
H. von Sybel, Geschichte des ersten Kreuzzuges (Leipzig, 1881)
F. Vercruysse, Essai critique sur la chronique d'Albert d'Aix (Liege, 1889).
^Edgington, Susan B. "Albert of Aachen". The Crusades - An Encyclopedia. pp. 25–26.
^Albert of Aix. Medieval Sourcebook, Fordham University. "Historia Hierosolymita (Excerpts)". Archived from the original on 2016-12-09.
^Sybel, H. von., Duff Gordon, L. (18--). The history and literature of the crusades. London.
^Runciman, Steven (1951). A History of the Crusades, Volume I: The First Crusade and the Foundation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 331.
^Albert of Aachen,
Historia Ierosolimitana, i. I; i.24, 35; ii. 33, 65; iv. 53, 55; vi. 24; viii. 21
^S. Edington (2007), pp. xxvi-xxvii
^Bibliothèque nationale de France {BnF Data}. "Susan B. Edgington".
^Jay Rubenstein (2008). The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (January 2008). "Review: Albert of Aachen. Historia Ierosolimitana. History of the journey to Jerusalem. Edited and translated by Susan B. Edgington". The Journal of Ecclesiastical History. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
brothers or one of his blood", according to AlbertofAix. Warner of Grez, Godfrey's most influential retainer, took possession of the Tower of David in Jerusalem...
result of a gradual development. Godfrey's role in the crusade was described by various authors, including Raymond of Aguilers and AlbertofAix, anonymous...
record. AlbertofAix records that he died in 1131, as prior of a church of the Holy Sepulchre which he had founded in France. AlbertofAix in his Historia...
to Nicaea to assist the Crusaders in their siege of the city. The Frankish chronicler AlbertofAix says that Tatikios acted as an envoy between the Turks...
was short, but AlbertofAix states that the battle went on for some time with a fairly well prepared Egyptian army. The two main lines of battle fought...
Turks or because their fathers were Turks and their mothers christians. AlbertofAix writes that their fathers were Turks and their mothers Greeks. From...
Kirchengeschichte des Rheinlandes. 44. 1995. AlbertofAix and Ekkehard of Aura: Emico and the Slaughter of the Rhineland Jews. The Jewish Encyclopedia:...
death of Fulcher to his own time, drawn mainly from the writings ofAlbertofAix and Fulcher himself. From the Muslim perspective, a chief source of information...
pertinent to the identity of Tancred's father, since they mention his relation to Bohemond through the latter's sister Emma. AlbertofAix, a contemporary, confirms...
considered an age of great Christian heroes. Expanding on the accounts ofAlbertofAix, Peter the Hermit is given prominence in the preaching of the First Crusade...
August 2012 AlbertofAix (RHC), Liber XI, Cap. IV, p. 664. Runciman (1978), Vol. 2, p. 68. Runciman, S. (1951, 1952 and 1954) A History of the Crusades...
Cambridge University Press. p. 29. ISBN 052134770X. OCLC 17461930. AlbertofAix, Historia Hierosolymitana Cate, James Lea (1942–1943). "A Gay Crusader"...
front of the Sultan. Historians are sceptical of Florine's existence, as only one chronicle mentions her name, which was written by AlbertofAix. William...
The 2024 Open Aix Provence (also known as the Open Aix Provence Crédit Agricole for sponsorship reasons) was a professional tennis tournament played on...
accounts of Fulcher of Chartres, AlbertofAix, Matthew of Edessa, Orderic Vitalis, and William of Tyre.) Geoffrey Hindley, The Crusades: a history of armed...
144. W. Treadgold, A History of the Byzantine State and Society, 626 Theotokis 2014, pp. 206–207, 212–213. AlbertofAix records his death at Bari (Albericus...
accuse Eastern Christians of sabotaging the crusade include Raymond of Aguilers, AlbertofAix, Baldric of Dol, and the author of the Gesta Francorum. Alexios's...
the Fatimid Caliphate, is dismissed and imprisoned by Caliph al-Amir. AlbertofAix, German historian and writer, begins his Historia Hierosolymitanae expeditionis...
historian of Scandinavia, Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum AlbertofAix (fl. c. 1100), historian of the First Crusade Alured of Beverley (fl...
Frisians as part of the troops led by Godfrey at the Siege of Antioch in 1097–1098. According to AlbertofAix, there was also a fleet of pirates, hailing...
The Archdiocese ofAix-en-Provence and Arles (Latin: Archidioecesis Aquensis in Gallia et Arelatensis; French: Archidiocèse d'Aix-en-Provence et Arles;...
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