Battles of Heraclea

The battles of Heraclea were a series of battles fought during the Crusade of 1101 between Crusaders led by William II, Count of Nevers and the Sultanate of Rum led by Kilij Arslan I. Both battles resulted in a Turkish victory.

Battles of Heraclea
Part of the Crusades
Date1101
Location
Konya
Result

• First battle: Turkish victory[1][2]

• Second battle: Turkish victory[3][4]
Belligerents
Sultanate of Rum
Danishmend

Kingdom of France

Commanders and leaders
Kilij Arslan I
Gazi Gümüshtigin		 William II, Count of Nevers
William IX, Duke of Aquitaine
Strength
20,000 or 25,000 40,000–60,000
Casualties and losses
Minimal Heavy

The French that constituted the second group of the Crusade of 1101, could also escape wrath of Sultan Kilij Arslan I. William II, Count of Nevers who arrived in Istanbul in June 1101, moved fast to Ankara and then he moved to Konya the army suffered on the way Turkish raids. When they arrived the army were terrified by Turks, Kilij Arslan I attacked them which ended in a Turkish victory.[5][6][7]

The French and German that headed east under the command of William II, Count of Nevers arrived at Istanbul early June 1101, where they headed Konya through Nicomedia-Nicaea entering Seljuk lands near Aksehir. As Kilij Arslan had heard of their marching long time ago, they evacuated cities, including Konya and destroyed the field and water sources. Kilij Arslan and Gazi Gümüshtigin waited for them to get weaker and weaker, they saw the Crusaders running to a river, Kilij Arslan attacked them and it ended in a Turkish victory.[8]

  1. ^ Jaspert, Nikolas (2006), The Crusades, Londra: Routledge ISBN 0-415-35968-6 say. 42
  2. ^ Runciman, Steven (1987). A history of the Crusades, vol. 2: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East, 1100-1187. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 25–27. ISBN 052134770X. OCLC 17461930.
  3. ^ Cate, James Lea (1969). "The Crusade of 1101". In Setton, Kenneth M.; Baldwin, Marshall W. (eds.). A History of the Crusades: I. The First Hundred Years. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 343–352.
  4. ^ Savvides, Alexios G. C. (2006). "Qilij Arslān of Rûm (d. 1107)". In The Crusades - An Encyclopedia. p. 998.
  5. ^ Guillaume de Tyr, I, s.327-328
  6. ^ Foucher de Chartres, s.132-134
  7. ^ Albert d'Aix, s.32-35
  8. ^ Albertus Aquensis, Liber Christiane Expeditionis pro Ereptione et Restitutione Sanctae Hierosolymitanae Ecclesiae, RHC. occ, IV, VIII, 1 et seq, p. 559 et seq.