Peter Bartholomew
Peter Bartholomew | |
---|---|
Born | Peter Bartholomew c. 1075 |
Died | April 20, 1099 (aged 23–24) |
Nationality | French |
Citizenship | France |
Occupation |
|
Years active | 1095–1099 |
Era | High Middle Ages |
Known for | First Crusade, Mysticism |
Peter Bartholomew (
Mysticism
In December 1097, during the
After the Crusaders captured Antioch, Peter and Raymond began excavating the floor of the church. On 14 June 1098, Peter apparently discovered the Lance and claimed to have been visited once more by St. Andrew that night, who told him to establish a feast day in honor of the discovery. Many people, including the papal legate Adhemar of Le Puy, believed Peter was a charlatan and had simply brought a piece of iron with him to "find." After Adhemar's death later in 1098, Peter said Adhemar visited him to confirm the authenticity of the Lance.[2]
The discovery of the Lance was at first considered to be a good omen, and it boosted the morale of the Crusaders when they were besieged by a Muslim army. The Lance was credited with ensuring the Crusader victory in this siege, just as Saint Andrew had promised. Nevertheless, Peter's reputation was tarnished because many of the nobles still did not believe him. Without the theological force of Adhemar to unify the Crusaders, their forces were split into groups with differing opinions, some of which supported the legitimacy of the miracles experienced on the way to the Holy Land and some who did not. In this time, charlatanry and false miracles were common.
On 8 April 1099, Peter went through an ordeal by fire by his own choice in an attempt to prove himself. It is very likely that he was severely burned in the process, although he claimed he was uninjured because Christ had appeared to him in the fire and that he had been hurt afterwards when a crowd rushed to him and was rescued by Raymond Pilet d'Alès. He died on 20 April.[5]
In film
In the 2001 film The Crusaders, Peter Bartholomew was portrayed by Flavio Insinna.
Notes
- ^ Runciman (1987), pp. 241–243.
- ^ Runciman (1987), p. 245.
- JSTOR 10.1163/j.ctt1w8h1gw.7.
- ^ Runciman (1987), p. 246.
- ^ Runciman (1987), pp. 273–274.
References
- ISBN 978-0-521-34770-9.
- Riley-Smith, Jonathan, The First Crusaders, 1095-1131, Cambridge University Press, London, 1997
Further reading
- Anonymi Gesta Francorum et Aliorum Hieorsolimitorum (ed. L. Bréhier as Histoire Anonyme de la première Croisade). Paris: 1924.
- Asbridge, Thomas. "The Holy Lance of Antioch: Power, Devotion and Memory on the First Crusade", Reading Medieval Studies 33 (2007), 3–36.
External links
- Media related to Peter Bartholomew at Wikimedia Commons