Antioch 1098 AD - Bohemond and Firuz

Antioch fortifications
Source: wikimedia commons

Early autumn 1097 - Crusaders army enter northern Syria and arriving at one of the great cities of the Orient, the fortified metropolis of Antioch. Yaghi-Siyan, Seljuk governor of Antioch well informed by his spies try to protect his city be expelling Christians from city:

"Yagi-Siyan, a man famous for his big hairy ears and thick, grey beard did his outmost to keep the enemy out [of Antioch]. But he knew any of the local Christians may be persuaded to let the Franks [Crusaders] in. When he heard about approach of the Franks he was not sure how the Christian people of the city would react. So he send all the Muslim outside the city walls to dig trenches, and the next day, he send the Christian by themselves to do the same task. When they are ready to return home at the end of the day, he refused to let them in" Source: THE CRUSADES: CRESCENT & THE CROSS, History Channel
 

But he wasn't consequent - still even in the army there were Christians. One of them , named Firuz (or Firouz) commander of few towers, will betray city. He was ambitious Armenian Christian who was fed up with Muslim governance as he cannot get promotions. Final impulse to betray was his wife seduced by Muslim officer. On crusaders side one especially motivated person was Bohemund, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, who desperately search for own dominion. As Firuz willing to betray Antioch, this was too good opportunity for him to be missed.

"With pressure for progress at a peak Bohemond made a proposition to the other leaders: if he could get the Christians into the city, they should agree that he could keep it. AAt first the others refused—they argued that everyone had toiled in front of its walls and that all should share its spoils. News of the imminent arrival of a large Muslim relief force from Mosul focused the minds of the nobles, however; Bohemond’s colleagues consented on condition that if Alexius came to help, the city would be given to him as they had promised." Source: Phillips, J. "Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades", Kindle edition

After receiving a bribe, Firouz allow Bohemonds knights to climbed into one of the towers that he commanded allowing the crusaders to storm the city:

Bohemund
Source: wikimedia commons

Just before dawn on June 3, 1098, a rope was lowered from one of the towers on the southern wall of the city. Before the first fingers of light crept over the citadel the crusaders clambered up ladders and began to take control of the walls; soon a gate was opened and the holy warriors flooded in. While they began to massacre the inhabitants and to seize as much booty as they could, the majority of the defenders simply withdrew to the safety of the citadel. In other words, the crusaders had taken only the outer shell of Antioch. Source: Phillips, J. "Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades", Kindle edition

They enter city however were trap between city walls - survived Antioch warriors and citizens escaped and fortified in city citadel and Seljuk army lead by Kerbogha outside city walls - only miracle may help crusaders and this happens as described in my earlier post - Holy Lance.

Related posts: Holy Lance.

Primary sources:

[1] Asbridge, T. "The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land", Kindle edition
[2] Phillips, J. "Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades", Kindle edition

Secondary sources:
[3] About.com Military History - First Crusade: Siege of Antioch
[4] Internet History Sourcebooks Project

Videos:
[5] THE CRUSADES: CRESCENT & THE CROSS, History Channel