Overview
Here is a complete account of one of the strangest phenomena of Medieval history: The Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ, the Knights of The Temple of Solomon- more popularly known as The Knights Templar. In their brotherhood, the Knights united two conflicting medieval ideals, for they were both monks and warriors, committed to God and commited to war. Charting the rise and fall of The Order, tracing the lives and deaths of its members, examining the motives of its supporters and opponents, Stephen Howarth cuts through the myths and legends and sets out the true historical facts.
Synopsis
This is an account of one of the strangest phenomena of medieval history: the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ, the Knights of The Temple of Solomon, more popularly known as the Knights Templar. Charting the rise and fall of the Order, tracing the lives and deaths of its members, and examining the motives of its supporters and opponents, Stephen Howarth cuts through the myths and legends and sets out the true historical facts.
He describes how the Knights united two conflicting medieval ideals, for they were both monks and warriors, committed to God and committed to war. The Templars obeyed no one except the Pope and, acquiring land and castles by gift, conquest and purchase in every part of Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, they became a church within the Church, a state within the State. They were bankers, merchants, diplomats and tax gatherers and, though themselves poor, the wealth of their order was legendary. Individually and as a group they were accused of heresy, treachery, sodomy, usury, blasphemy, idolatry and other unspeakable sins. Even Pope Clement to whom the Order owed complete allegiance described them as 'horrible, wicked and detestable', and when the order was destroyed in 1314 it was by other Christians.