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force, who were often forced to eat their own horses, or, as legend has it, the bodies
of their fellow Christians who had not survived.
Bohemond convinced a guard in one of the towers, an Armenian and former
Christian named Firouz, to let the Crusaders enter the city. He did so on June 3,
1098, and a massacre of the Muslim inhabitants ensued.[citation needed] Only four
days later, a Muslim army from Mosul, led by Kerbogha, arrived to besiege the
Crusaders themselves. Alexius I Comnenus, the Byzantine emperor, was on his way
to assist the Crusaders; but upon hearing rumors that the city had fallen to the
Muslims, Alexius turned back.
The Crusaders withstood the siege, with help from a mystic named Peter
Bartholomew. Peter claimed he had been visited by St. Andrew, who told him that
the Holy Lance, which pierced Christ's side as he was on the cross, was located in
Antioch. The cathedral of St. Peter was excavated, and the Lance was discovered by
Peter himself. Although Peter most likely planted it there himself (even the papal
legate Adhemar of Le Puy believed this to be the case), it helped raise the spirits of
the Crusaders.[citation needed] With the newly discovered relic at the head of the
army, Bohemond marched out to meet the besieging Muslim force, which was
miraculously defeated — as according to the Crusaders, an army of saints had
appeared to help them on the battlefield.
There was a lengthy dispute over who should control the city. Bohemond and the
Italian Normans eventually won, and Bohemond named himself prince. Bohemond
was already Prince of Taranto in Italy, and he desired to continue such
independence in his new lordship; thus he did not attempt to receive the title of
Duke from the Byzantine Emperor (in whose name he had taken an oath to fight),
nor any other title with deep feudal obligations.
Prince of Antioch
Our history of Antioch of our family begins with Federico (Frederick) of Antioch d'
Hauteville von Shwaben Hohenstaufen son of the Emperor Frederick II of Swabia
and therefore a descendant of Frederick I Barbarossa. Born in Palestine in 1228, to
Maria Matilde (or Beatrice) of the House of the princes Bohemond of Antioch of
Altavilla (Hautville) and Constance, daughter of Philip I, King of France. The
House of Antioch has origin Italo-German-French. Bohemond of Altavilla, son of
Robert Guisgardo (Guiscard). Bohemond conquered Antioch in the first crusade on
June 3, 1098, of which he was appointed prince. Federico of Antioch married the
noble roman Margherita Poli, daughter of Giovanni of Poly Romano; therefore
Margherita was nephew of Pope Innocent III.
The Hohenstaufen Dynasty - Page 118 of 200