The Knights Templar

The Templars were - at the height of their power - one of the strongest military and financial institutions in Europe - almost a separate kingdom operating within the various kingdoms - who held nominal allegiance to the Pope, but with actual allegiance only to their heirarchy.  There were many thousands of members scattered across Europe - full knights, brothers and lay members, along with those whose fealty belonged to the members.  They controlled vast tracts of land in many countries in Europe, using the profit from these to support their efforts in the Crusades.  The broad spread of their holdings was one of their military and political weaknesses - they were spread out across thousands of miles - and could not gather to support each other in times of crisis.

Following is a brief timeline of the activities of the Templars and some loose notes gathered from various sources:

1113 The Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (Hospitallers) - recognized by the pope

1118 - 19 Hugh of Payns - (Champagne) traveled with 8 companions - "to defend the pilgrim roads to Jerusalem" - The concept gained support of Baldwin II and Bernard of Clairveaux

1128 - Council of Troyes drew up a rule for the Templars.

Was controversial even then - raised the fundamental question - should an Order professed to religion engage in warfare?

1139 Templars Confirmed by papacy

soon the Templar endowments in Europe exceeded those of the Hospitallers

These two were the first truly centralized international Orders of the Church - freed from the authority of the local bishops - answerable to Rome directly

1187 spring - small combined force of Hospitallers and Templars defeated by Saladin at 'Afula - including Master of the Hospitallers and Marshall of the Templars

1187 July - Christian forces defeated at Hattin - near Tiberias in Galilee -

By October most of the area, including Jerusalem was under Saladin's control

1191  Third Crusade - they had wealth enough to buy Cyprus from Richard I -

1192 sold Cyprus to Guy of Lusignan

Templars were most powerful in France, Anjou, Acquitaine, Burgundy, Languedoc, Aragon, and England

Less influence in Leon, Castile, Portugal, Italy, Germany

Frederick vs Papacy caused a rift between Pope and France as well, undermined the power of the papacy

Innocent IV preaching a crusade against Conrad IV

Also supported Charles of Anjou in Sicily while Louis IX was in Palestine

1289 message from Templars to Pope Nicholas IV accused the Pope of playing politics - challenged the authority of the Pope  " You could have succoured the Holy Land with the power of kings and the strength of other faithful of Christ�but you have armed kings against a king, intending to attack a Christian king and the Christian Sicilians to recover the island of Sicily which, kicking against the pricks, took up just arms"  (Bartolomew of Neocastro - Historia Sicula)

Louis vs Papacy - the ongoing struggle for control of the papacy became one of the pivotal issues in European politics, and the Templars were dragged into the fray.

Both Templars and Hospitallers became Bankers, Lenders, Messengers for the Nobility of Europe

Had control of significant portions of some trade routes through the middle east - until mid 13^th century

Control of kingdom of Jerusalem - politically involved with several Royal Houses - they were the real powers behind the thrones in the Crusader kingdoms.

1274 In the belief that all military orders should be unified - proposed second Council of Lyon,

1290 - last Templar stronghold in Acre fell to the Mamluks - they held Arwad island until 1302

1291 Pope Nicholas IV ordered further discussion on the questions of the council of Lyon

1307  Charges of Heresy - 13 October all knights in France arrested

All but four of 138 questioned in Paris confessed under torture

Jacques De Molay - Grand Master - confessed (under torture - later recanted)

November 1307 - Pope ordered arrest of all Templars outside of France

1309 Order States: Teutonic knights in Prussia - Marienborg, Hospitallers in Rhodes - they saw the need to consolidate and exclusively control their holdings in order to protect themselves from similar charges

18 March 1314 de Molay and Geoffry de Charney (preceptor of Normandy) burned at the stake - both retracted their confessions

1304 Boniface VIII kidnapped (and Killed ?) by Philip IV

Clement V - weak pope and Gascon - born a French Subject of the English King - not trusted by the French

1309 Papal court moved to Avignon

1312 many Templar estates were granted to Hospitallers

Why did this play out as it did? Phillip IV was broke. They were very wealthy. They had used their power to challenge both the Pope and various kings - all were jealous of their wealth and power.

Roughneck - you're correct - I was imprecise. I should have said "Ottoman threat to Europe in the western Mediterranean.." Or something vague like that.

Back to the Templars:

Quote

The Templars had commanderies in every state. In France they formed no less than eleven bailiwicks, subdivided into more than forty-two commanderies; in Palestine it was for the most part with sword in hand that the Templars extended their possessions at the expense of the Mohammedans. Their castles are still famous owing to the remarkable ruins which remain: Saf�d, built in 1140; Karak of the desert (1143); and, most importantly of all, Castle Pilgrim, built in 1217 to command a strategic defile on the sea-coast.

As an army they were never very numerous. A contemporary tells us that there were 400 knights in Jerusalem the zenith of their prosperity; he does not give the number of serjeants, who were more numerous

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It has been computed that in less than two centuries almost 20,000 Templars, knights and serjeants, perished in war.

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At the apogee of its prosperity, it was said to possess 9000 estates.

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On the question of contemporary groups that claim descent from the Templars:

Many groups within the Freemasons also claim descent from the Templars; there are many references to the Order in Masonic texts and the youth organization of the Masons in the United States is called DeMolay - a reference to Jacques de Molay, the last Grand master of the order, who was executed by Phillip the fair in France.  http://www.thefreemason.com/library/degrees/the_templars_tra dition.asp

Quote:

Orders were sent that on Friday 13th of October, 1307, the King's men were to carry out mass arrests of the Knights, and torture them to extract confessions. Before that fateful day, however, 24 Knights took 18 ships out of their Atlantic port, La Rochelle, and were never heard of again.

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