World History
Born in France to a noble family, Urban II was elected pope in 1088 when the papacy was still in exile from Rome. He did not enter Rome as pope until 1094.
Urban had been educated in church doctrine and had served the church in France and Germany as a papal legate. Urban supported reforms to draw the clergy away from worldly pursuits and toward monasticism.
When Alexios I Komnenos, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire based in Constantinople, sent an urgent plea for military help in fighting the Seljuk Turks who had taken the holy sites in Jerusalem, Urban responded with a rousing speech at the Council of Clermont I 1095.
Addressing his audience in French, Urban called for the Franks, a “race chosen and beloved by God,†to take arms against the Muslim infidels. Urban directed his request to French Christians; Spanish Christians were expected to fight in Spain against Muslim control of the Iberian Peninsula.
Urban promised immediate remission of sins to all those who fought on the land or sea against “the pagans.†Reflecting the religious intolerance of the time, Urban cursed the Muslims as “a despised and base race, which worships demons†and urged those “who have been fighting against their brothers and relatives now to fight in a proper way against the barbarians.â€
Thus Urban II launched the first of many Christian crusades against Muslim control over Palestine and the holy sites and set in motion a protracted period of conflict and, ironically, trade and transmission of ideas and culture, between Christian Europe and the mainly Muslim east.
- Crusades
Crusades In 1095 Pope Urban II incited the Crusades with a speech urging Christian armies to free the holy sites, especially Jerusalem, from Muslim control. The Crusades sparked a fire of religious fervor among thousands of young knights and other Christian...
- Schism Of 1054
Schism of 1054 The Schism of 1054 marks the official breach that separated Roman Catholic Christianity from Orthodox Christianity. It occurred when delegates of Pope Leo IX (1049–54) excommunicated Michael Keroularios, patriarch of Constantinople...
- Rural And Urban Elites In England During The Later Middle Ages
Rural and urban elites in England during the later Middle Ages - Transcript of a lecture that largely deals with the interaction between rural and urban elites in Medieval England. It touches on aspects of the daily lives of these classes such as incomes,...
- The Urban History Association
The Urban History Association. Purpose is to stimulate interest and research in the history of urban life in all periods and geographical areas. Includes organization information, online newsletter, conference announcements, and internet links. From the...
- Making A Community Interesting To Itself: Providing A Social Education Through Urban History And Neighborhood Studies.
Making a Community Interesting to Itself: Providing a Social Education through Urban History and Neighborhood Studies. This is an interesting essay which gives tips and advice on how teach a community about itself with a focus on cities. From the site: ...
World History
Pope Urban II
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| Urban II launch first crusade |
Urban had been educated in church doctrine and had served the church in France and Germany as a papal legate. Urban supported reforms to draw the clergy away from worldly pursuits and toward monasticism.
When Alexios I Komnenos, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire based in Constantinople, sent an urgent plea for military help in fighting the Seljuk Turks who had taken the holy sites in Jerusalem, Urban responded with a rousing speech at the Council of Clermont I 1095.
Addressing his audience in French, Urban called for the Franks, a “race chosen and beloved by God,†to take arms against the Muslim infidels. Urban directed his request to French Christians; Spanish Christians were expected to fight in Spain against Muslim control of the Iberian Peninsula.
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Urban promised immediate remission of sins to all those who fought on the land or sea against “the pagans.†Reflecting the religious intolerance of the time, Urban cursed the Muslims as “a despised and base race, which worships demons†and urged those “who have been fighting against their brothers and relatives now to fight in a proper way against the barbarians.â€
Thus Urban II launched the first of many Christian crusades against Muslim control over Palestine and the holy sites and set in motion a protracted period of conflict and, ironically, trade and transmission of ideas and culture, between Christian Europe and the mainly Muslim east.
- Crusades
Crusades In 1095 Pope Urban II incited the Crusades with a speech urging Christian armies to free the holy sites, especially Jerusalem, from Muslim control. The Crusades sparked a fire of religious fervor among thousands of young knights and other Christian...
- Schism Of 1054
Schism of 1054 The Schism of 1054 marks the official breach that separated Roman Catholic Christianity from Orthodox Christianity. It occurred when delegates of Pope Leo IX (1049–54) excommunicated Michael Keroularios, patriarch of Constantinople...
- Rural And Urban Elites In England During The Later Middle Ages
Rural and urban elites in England during the later Middle Ages - Transcript of a lecture that largely deals with the interaction between rural and urban elites in Medieval England. It touches on aspects of the daily lives of these classes such as incomes,...
- The Urban History Association
The Urban History Association. Purpose is to stimulate interest and research in the history of urban life in all periods and geographical areas. Includes organization information, online newsletter, conference announcements, and internet links. From the...
- Making A Community Interesting To Itself: Providing A Social Education Through Urban History And Neighborhood Studies.
Making a Community Interesting to Itself: Providing a Social Education through Urban History and Neighborhood Studies. This is an interesting essay which gives tips and advice on how teach a community about itself with a focus on cities. From the site: ...