Battle of Agridi
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Agridi was fought in 15 June 1232 between the forces loyal to Henry I of Cyprus
(such as those of the Ibelin
family) and the imperial army of Frederick II
, composed mostly of men from Lombardy
. It resulted in an Ibelin victory and the successful relief of the siege of Dieudamour, an Ibelin castle on Cyprus
.
Frederick II, as regent for his young son Conrad II of Jerusalem
, appointed five bailiff
s to govern Cyprus in much to the displeasure of to the local nobility. This was greatly opposed by the Ibelin family and they, supported by the government of the king of Cyprus (a feudatory of Jerusalem) and of Jerusalem, made war on the five bailiffs. Initially successful in controlling the chief fortresses of the island, in the first half of 1232, one of the bailiffs, Aimery Barlais, conquered most of Cyprus save Dieudamour and Buffavento
for the emperor. The Ibelins responded by trying to bribe the Genoese
into an alliance with them by offering them commercial privileges at Cypriot ports as well as land grants. This failed, however.
The Ibelins and Cypriots assembled a meagre force of 233 mounted men as opposed to the massive Lombard force of 2,000 horse. Their army was divided into five battles
. Four were lined up under the command of Hugh of Ibelin
, Anceau of Brie, Baldwin of Ibelin, and John of Caesarea. Balian of Beirut
, though he was supposed to be with the rearguard, lined up at the front beside Hugh and Anceau. The rearguard was commanded by John I of Beirut and Henry of Cyprus.
The Lombard vanguard was led by Walter of Manepeau, who charged as far as the Ibelin rearguard beforing turning around and leading his men at the fourth battle under John of Caesarea. They were repulsed and fled. The second Lombard battle made a successful charge at the force under Hugh's command, but the men of Anceau readily came to his rescue. After this, "battle subsequently developed as a series of confused individual combats, in which some great feats of arms were performed. . . . though carried out from a position of complete order, [the charge] had merely been the prelude to an untidy mêlée."
During the mêlée, Berart of Manepeau was dismounted by Anceau of Brie and seventeen comrades who dismounted to help him were killed by sergeants on foot before he recovered. The young Balian gained a reputation defending a pass from the Lombards. In the end, the arrival of between 50 and 60 sergans à pié (foot sergeants) from the town of Agridi was critical to their success. According to L'Estoire de Eracles empereur et la conqueste de la terre de Outremer:
Following the battle, John of Beirut, with funds from Henry of Cyprus, hired thirteen Genoese galleys to aid in the siege of Kyrenia
.
Henry I of Cyprus
Henry I of Cyprus, nicknamed the Fat, aka Henry of Lusignan or Henri I le Gros de Lusignan was King of Cyprus from 1218 to 1253. He was the son of Hugh I of Cyprus and Alice of Champagne of Jerusalem. When his father Hugh I died on January 10, 1218, the 8-month-old Henry became king...
(such as those of the Ibelin
Ibelin
Ibelin was a castle in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century , which gave its name to an important family of nobles.-The castle:...
family) and the imperial army of Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
, composed mostly of men from Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
. It resulted in an Ibelin victory and the successful relief of the siege of Dieudamour, an Ibelin castle on Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
Frederick II, as regent for his young son Conrad II of Jerusalem
Conrad IV of Germany
Conrad IV was king of Jerusalem , of Germany , and of Sicily .-Biography:...
, appointed five bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
s to govern Cyprus in much to the displeasure of to the local nobility. This was greatly opposed by the Ibelin family and they, supported by the government of the king of Cyprus (a feudatory of Jerusalem) and of Jerusalem, made war on the five bailiffs. Initially successful in controlling the chief fortresses of the island, in the first half of 1232, one of the bailiffs, Aimery Barlais, conquered most of Cyprus save Dieudamour and Buffavento
Buffavento
Buffavento Castle is located in Northern Cyprus. It means in Italian “Defier of the Winds”. The winds can reach quite high speeds in its exposed location at 950 metres above sea level....
for the emperor. The Ibelins responded by trying to bribe the Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
into an alliance with them by offering them commercial privileges at Cypriot ports as well as land grants. This failed, however.
The Ibelins and Cypriots assembled a meagre force of 233 mounted men as opposed to the massive Lombard force of 2,000 horse. Their army was divided into five battles
Battle (formation)
A battle or battaile was a medieval military formation, analogous and ancestral to the modern term battalion. In late medieval warfare, field armies were often drawn up into three main battles, also called guards: the vanguard, the middle guard, and the rearguard, often abbreviated to simply the...
. Four were lined up under the command of Hugh of Ibelin
Hugh of Ibelin (died 1238)
Hugh of Ibelin , called the Strong , was the third of five sons of John I of Beirut. He and his elder brother Balian were hostages at the court of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1228–1229. He led the first battaile at the Battle of Agridi in 1232 and thus withstood the brunt of the...
, Anceau of Brie, Baldwin of Ibelin, and John of Caesarea. Balian of Beirut
Balian of Beirut
Balian of Ibelin was the Lord of Beirut, the second of his family, from 1236, and a son of the famous "Old Lord" John of Ibelin, by his second wife Melisende of Arsuf. From his father he assumed the leadership of the nobility in the War of the Lombards, fought against the agents of the Emperor...
, though he was supposed to be with the rearguard, lined up at the front beside Hugh and Anceau. The rearguard was commanded by John I of Beirut and Henry of Cyprus.
The Lombard vanguard was led by Walter of Manepeau, who charged as far as the Ibelin rearguard beforing turning around and leading his men at the fourth battle under John of Caesarea. They were repulsed and fled. The second Lombard battle made a successful charge at the force under Hugh's command, but the men of Anceau readily came to his rescue. After this, "battle subsequently developed as a series of confused individual combats, in which some great feats of arms were performed. . . . though carried out from a position of complete order, [the charge] had merely been the prelude to an untidy mêlée."
During the mêlée, Berart of Manepeau was dismounted by Anceau of Brie and seventeen comrades who dismounted to help him were killed by sergeants on foot before he recovered. The young Balian gained a reputation defending a pass from the Lombards. In the end, the arrival of between 50 and 60 sergans à pié (foot sergeants) from the town of Agridi was critical to their success. According to L'Estoire de Eracles empereur et la conqueste de la terre de Outremer:
. . . une chose y ot, qui aida moult a Chypreis: ce que il avoient sergens a pié; dont il avenoit que, quant un de lor chevaliers estoit abatus, que li sergent le relevoient, et le remetoient a cheval. Et quant un des autres estoit abatus, piestant l'ocioient li sergent et prenoient . . .
. . . there was one thing which greatly helped the Cypriots: they had foot sergeants, which meant that when one of their knights was knocked down, the sergeants helped him up and remounted him on a horse. And when one of the Lombards was struck down, he was either killed or captured by the foot sergeants.
Following the battle, John of Beirut, with funds from Henry of Cyprus, hired thirteen Genoese galleys to aid in the siege of Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Kyrenia is a town on the northern coast of Cyprus, noted for its historic harbour and castle. Internationally recognised as part of the Republic of Cyprus, Kyrenia has been under Turkish control since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974...
.