1/11/ Siege of Antioch

6a- Struggle for Dog Gate

1097/11/early
0 50 100 150 k Varna
Route of the First Crusade 1097/05-11/
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Strategic Situation: Siege of Antioch 1097/11/early
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Lake
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 Early Crusader Blockade 1097/11/

Karasu
Iron
Bridge
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✝
3b- Numbers in the Crusader Army at Antioch.
The number of soldiers given by both Western
and Eastern sources are often very exaggerated.

On
♜

ran
YS Three hundred thousand Crusader combatants

tes
are far too many. Modern scholars generally put
the total number of Crusader combatants at
50,000-60,000 [France §5]. By the time they
reached Antioch they perhaps numbered around
s
te
an

35,000-40,000 combatants, of whom perhaps

nr
O

4000 were knights.

 Tt
The Dog Gate (#3) 1097/11/
BH Bo
0 250 500m RF Ta Gates
SB 1- Iron Gate
HV 2- St Paul’s Gate
2 3- Dog Gate
RN 4- Gate of the Duke
5- Bridge Gate
AP 6- St George Gate
1
RT Torrent of Parnenios 7- Citadel
3
Go Leaders
1
7 BH = Baldwin
of Hainaut
4
Bo= Bohemond
Go= Godfrey of
Boulogne
HV = Hugh of
Vermandois
YS
RF= Robert of
5 Flanders
RN= Robert of
Normandy
SB = Stephen of
Blois
Ta= Tancred
Tt= Tatikios
YS= Yaghi
Siyan
Marsh 1- The Dog Gate (gate #3)
The Dog Gate apparently has had several names throughout its history during
6 the era of the Crusades: Latin = Porta Canis; Old French = Porte du Chien;
Arabic = Bab al-Kalb. An older Arabic name was “Bab al-Jinan” (Gate of the
Gardens), meaning that it led to Gardens outside the city.
The illustration to the left of the “Tower of Antioch” may be the remains of the
Dog Gate as sketched in the nineteenth century. The photo above it is all that
remains of the area of the Dog Gate today.
http://libaniusredux.blogspot.com/2008/04/dog-gate.html
 Tt
The Dog Gate (#3) 2
1097/11/
BH Bo
0 250 500m RF Ta Gates
SB 1- Iron Gate
HV 2- St Paul’s Gate
2 3- Dog Gate
RN 4- Gate of the Duke
5- Bridge Gate
AP 6- St George Gate
1
RT Torrent of Parnenios 7- Citadel
3 3
Go Leaders
2- The area to the northwest of Dog Gate 2 7 BH = Baldwin
had once been a branch of the Orontes River, of Hainaut
and an island. Shifting river patterns caused 4
Bo= Bohemond
the river branch to disappear outside the gate Go= Godfrey of
into a marsh in the old river channel. Boulogne
3- The Torrent of Parmenios flowed west HV = Hugh of
through the city through the Dog Gate. In the Vermandois
YS
rainy season the torrent drained the mountain, RF= Robert of
5 Flanders
and ended in the marsh which probably
RN= Robert of
spread and contracted during the year. Normandy
SB = Stephen of
Blois
Ta= Tancred
Tt= Tatikios
YS= Yaghi
Siyan
Marsh
6
Leaders
AP = Adhemar Dog Gate: Hypothetical Map
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP Sources:
of Toulouse AA = Albert 3.39-42
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA
Crusader Camp Studies
Asbridge —
France 227-228
Frankopan —
RT Marsh Rogers 32
An Rubenstein —
cie Runciman —
nt Spring
Br
idg
eo
ve
ro
ld
co
urs
e of Torrent of Parnenios
O ran
tes (Dry river bed (wadi);
Marsh flows in rainy season)
Dog Gate
Garden Gate
“Waiferi” Gate
tes
an
Or
the

Albert 3.39a WT 4.14c

of

“The gate which is called At the upper gate also, which was
rs e

Waiferii by modern people [= the third beyond and known today

ou
dC

Crusaders of Antioch in 1110s], [1185] as the gate of the Dog, our

Ol

which is unconquerable.” troops were exposed to many perils.

Leaders
AP = Adhemar Dog Gate: Marsh and Bridge
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP Sources:
of Toulouse AA = Albert 3.39-42
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA

RT

Torrent of Parnenios

Albert 3.40b → WT 4.14c; CA 146a

In the same way, from that very Waiferii
gate which bishop Adhemar and
Raymond were watching, another [1]
bridge was also dangerous, built by the
genius of the ancients, stretching across
a certain marsh, muddy enough and very
deep from the rush and [2] flooding of a
spring which flowed incessantly next to
the city outside the walls.
Leaders
AP = Adhemar
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP
of Toulouse ⚔ AA = Albert 3.39-42
RT
WT 4.14c
By way of this bridge, frequent midnight sallies and
sudden day attacks were made upon the camp of the
count of Toulouse, who had been assigned to guard
that gate. It was the enemy's practice to throw open
the gate and let fly a sudden shower of arrows like
hail. The result of this was that many of the count's
men were killed or wounded…. after the sally had
been accomplished and the slaughter perpetrated they
could make good their escape over the bridge into
the city, whither the Christians could pursue them
only by the same way.
Dog Gate: Turkish Sorties
Sources:
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA
Albert 3.40b; CA §146b
Now and then the Turks would come out
across this bridge, either in daylight or in
the darkness of night, and would hurl
arrows at the army who had forgotten
their ambushes, or they would put some to
the sword in a charge, and would escape
by a hasty retreat across that same
bridge into the protection of the city.
Leaders
AP = Adhemar Dog Gate: Failure to undermine Bridge
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP Sources:
of Toulouse AA = Albert 3.39-42
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA

RT
🔥
🔥

🏹
🏹

WT 4.14c
[The Crusaders] procure mallets and iron implements
for the purpose of making a concerted effort to
demolish the bridge. On the day fixed, mailed
knights, protected by helmets and shields,
assembled at the bridge and tried with all their might
to destroy it. But the solid masonry, harder than
any iron, offered effective resistance. The citizens
also hindered their attempts by hurling forth stone
missiles and showers of arrows.
🏹
🏹 Albert 3.40d; CA §147a
[Bishop Adehmar] took counsel and
plotted for its destruction, and on the
appointed day they provided themselves
with iron hammers, mattocks, and axes
and left the camp. But their strength was in
no way powerful enough for the ruin of
this bridge. For it was an indestructible
piece of craftsmanship, built with the
masonry and skill of the ancients.
Leaders
AP = Adhemar Dog Gate: Crusader Siege Engine
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP Sources:
of Toulouse 1 AA = Albert 3.39-42
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA

RT

1- Albert 3.40e
When the army was thwarted here in its attempt
with hammers, the princes ordered them to
build a siege engine [machinam] from a pile of
timbers and interweave it with wickerwork. Its
ties were made of iron and connected; then they
covered them with the skins of horses, of bulls,
of camels, so that the engine would not be set
alight by the Turks throwing on fire with
pitch and sulphur
Leaders
AP = Adhemar Dog Gate: Siege Engine to Bridge
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP Sources:
of Toulouse AA = Albert 3.39-42
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA

1
RT

Note
The purpose of the siege tower
was twofold:
1- block the bridge so the
Turks could not make sorties;
2- provide protection so
WT 4.15a Crusaders could continue to try
They determined to set up a machine [1] over to destroy the bridge.
against the bridge and place on constant guard
therein armed men whose duty it should be to
restrain the sallies made by the besieged. … Albert 3.40e = WT 4.15a
within a few days the work was carefully finished When they had finished this engine they
in all its parts. With much toil as well as danger to brought it right down onto [2] the middle of the
the workers, it was drawn to its position and set bridge at the Waiferii gate by means of a force
up like a lofty tower before the bridge. It was of armoured men, and they appointed Count
then put under the watchful care of the count. Raymond guardian and master of the engine.
Leaders
AP = Adhemar
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP
of Toulouse
RT
CA §147c-148
The sergeants, crossbow men, armed infantry and
noble archers were there already. A fierce battle with
arrows and lances followed, the Turks making strenuous
efforts to hold the bridge. They defended themselves
fiercely with no concern for their losses, more than
1000 Turks in front of the gate. Picture how many heads
🏹
were smashed in by stones, how many helmets crushed
and shields shattered, how many wicked Saracens were
knocked over and sent flying from the bridge to fall into
the water and drown. It was a massive battle with
considerable slaughter, the catapults flinging stones
inside and out. The battle lasted the whole day until the
sun set and evening drew on to night.
Dog Gate: Battle for the Siege Engine
Sources:
AA = Albert 3.39-42
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA
🏹
Albert 3.41a = WT 4.15b
When they saw [the siege tower] the Turks
hurried to the ramparts and struck the Gauls
with arrows and by firing ballistas as they
struggled on the bridge, so that they could keep
the men off the bridge and the engine by thus
striking them. Similarly from the other side the
Christians were fighting back with arrows
and crossbows.
Leaders
AP = Adhemar
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP
of Toulouse
RT
CA §149-150
The greedy allies of the Devil [the Turks] defended
themselves stoutly with excellent quality Turkish
bows … and the arrows they had prepared, and
dipped the tips of the lances in sulphur. They shot so
many into the siege engine … For their next trick they
took some redoubtable Greek fire and flung it all in
flames into the siege engine. The flames shot up as far
as a manual bow could shoot, so that the planks and
joists were all alight: there was no chance of any
sergeant or knight being able to extinguish the flames.
Dog Gate: Turkish Assault
Sources:
AA = Albert 3.39-42
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA
🔥
🔥
🏹 Albert 3.41b = WT 4.15d
[The Turks] suddenly opened the gate and
sallied forth. Once out they vigorously leapt
upon the siege engine and at once pursued
🏹
and overcame the guards. They boldly hurled
into the machine fire and torches of pitch, and
warm sulphur, reducing the whole thing to
ashes. The guards of the machine, fearing for
their lives, were forced to come out, although
unwilling, and they only just managed to protect
themselves and escape in headlong flight.
Leaders
AP = Adhemar Dog Gate: Crusader Artillery Attack
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP Sources:
of Toulouse AA = Albert 3.39-42
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA

RT

Albert 3.41c
🏹
Seeing they were getting nowhere, on the next
day [the Crusaders] set the equipment of three
mangonels [mangenarum] before the bridge,
which would shatter and wear away the
🏹
Waiferii gate and its tower and its ramparts
Note with repeated bombardment and attacks with
rocks, and would weaken the outer walls,
Failure of Crusader artillery
which stood before the walls and which the
assault. The fortifications of Franks call barbicans, into very many pieces.
Antioch were too strong for But they were not able to break down the gate
mangonel assaults. in this way
Leaders
AP = Adhemar Dog Gate: Crusader Barricade
of Le Puy
RT = Raymond AP Sources:
of Toulouse AA = Albert 3.39-42
CA §146-150
WT 4.14c-15 → AA

RT

Crusader Strategic Goal: 🏹

Turks were no longer able to
Sortie out of the Dog Gate in
large numbers; Crusader camp
was thus secured.
🏹
Albert 3.41c-42a = WT 4.15e
Using the strength and effort of a thousand
armoured men, [the Crusaders] rolled across the
🏹 bridge to the gate some enormous oak trees,
scarcely movable, and boulders of
extraordinary weight and size as an obstacle to
the Turks who wanted to come out [of Dog
Gate] and do them harm. … the Waiferii gate
and bridge [were] filled and blocked by the
strength of timber and by enormous rocks,
 Crusading Warfare
Next = 1/11/6b
Crusader Pontoon Bridge
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