Two years before the 3rd crusade was the Battle of Hattin (1187) where Saladin dealt a devastating blow against the enemy. The relic of the TRue Cross felled into Muslims' hands.
The battlefield of the Horns of Hattin, so-called from the two low hills seen in the background, site of the great victory by Saladin over the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in July 1187.
The dramatic impression of the Battle of Hattin (1187) depicts Saladin, on the left wresting '… sacra' from the contorted grasp of King Guy of Jerusalem, 'Guido rex', despite the efforts of companions. The True Cross apparently still bears the label with Pilate's superscription 'Jesus' at its top, even after a lapse of 1150 years!
The 3rd crusade, inspired by the fall in 1187 of Jerusalem to Saladin and his armies. Participants included the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick (I) Barbarossa, Richard (I) the Lion-hearted of England, and Philip (II) Augustus of France.
The first to mobilise for the Third Crusade were the Germans under Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. This illustration designates him 'Roman Emperor and he bears the Cross sign of the cruceignati. As befits his great power, he dwarfs the cleric presenting him a history of the First Crusade.
Numbers 1 to 8 indicates routes of the various crusades. 3rd crusade (shown in solid blue line) sailed from Marseilles to Crete, Cyprus to Acre.
The Christians laid siege on Acre held by Saladin's army for more than 2 years finally surrended in July 1191. The True Cross to be returned to the crusaders, payment of 20,000 bezants ransom as part of the terms of surrender. Richard took nearly 3000 prisoners.
The Muslims did not meet the terms of surrender. Richard in his anger slaughtered 2,000 of the prisoners. So much for the so-called The Lion Heart!
Richard marched to Jerusalem and after Christmas 1191 was at Beit Nuba 12 miles short of the Holy City. There, he made the decision to retreat anticipating that he could hold on the city if captured for long against Saladins' forces. In the following summer the Christians marched to Jerusalem but again stopped at Beit Nuba and retreated!
After capturing Jaffa in August (1192), Richard left Palestine in October 1192. His ship was wrecked by a severe storm by the coast of the Adriatic and decided to go via Germany but was imprisoned by the Holy Roman Emperor, King Henry VI of Germany; ransomed for 150,000 marks of silver that had to be raised through swingeing taxes and the sale of English silver and gold church plates.
Richard died in April 1199 of an arrow wound during a siege of a rebel castle in England.
Saladin died earlier in 1193 at Damascus, aged 54.
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