Raymond of Poitiers (c. 1105 – 29 June 1149) wasPrince of Antioch from 1136 to 1149. He was the younger son ofWilliam IX,Duke of Aquitaine,[1] and his wifePhilippa, Countess of Toulouse, born in the very year that his father the Duke began his infamous liaison withDangereuse de Chatelherault.
Following the death of PrinceBohemund II of Antioch in 1130, the principality came under theregency first of KingBaldwin II (1130–31), then KingFulk (1131–35), and finally PrincessAlice (1135–36), Bohemond's widow. The reigning princess was Bohemond II's daughter,Constance (born 1127). Against the wishes of Alice, a marriage was arranged for Constance with Raymond, at the time staying in England, which he left only after the death ofHenry I on 1 December 1135.[2]
Upon hearing word that Raymond was going to pass through his lands in order to marry the princess of Antioch, KingRoger II of Sicily ordered him arrested. By a series of subterfuges, Raymond passed through southern Italy and only arrived at Antioch after 19 April 1136.[2] PatriarchRalph of Domfront then convinced Alice that Raymond was there to marry her, whereupon she allowed him to enter Antioch (whose loyal garrison had refused him entry) and the patriarch married him to Constance. Alice then left the city, now under the control of Raymond and Ralph.[3]
The first years of their joint rule were spent in conflicts with theByzantine EmperorJohn II Comnenus, who had come south partly to recoverCilicia fromLeo of Armenia, and to reassert his rights over Antioch. Raymond was forced to pay homage, and even to promise to cede his principality as soon as he was recompensed by a newfief, which John promised to carve out for him in the Muslim territory to the east of Antioch. The expedition of 1138, in which Raymond joined with John, and which was to conquer this territory, proved a failure. The expedition culminated in the unsuccessfulSiege of Shaizar. Raymond was not anxious to help the emperor to acquire new territories, when their acquisition only meant for him the loss of Antioch. John Comnenus returned unsuccessful to Constantinople, after demanding from Raymond, without response, the surrender of thecitadel of Antioch.
There followed a struggle between Raymond and thepatriarch. Raymond was annoyed by the homage which he had been forced to pay to the patriarch in 1135 and the dubious validity of the patriarch's election offered a handle for opposition. Eventually Raymond triumphed, and the patriarch was deposed (1139). In 1142, John Comnenus returned to the attack, but Raymond refused to recognize or renew his previous submission, and John, though he ravaged the neighborhood of Antioch, was unable to effect anything against him. When, however Raymond demanded fromManuel, who had succeeded John in 1143, the cession of some of theCilician towns, he found that he had met his match. Manuel forced him to a humiliating visit toConstantinople, during which he renewed his oath of homage and promised to acknowledge aGreek patriarch.
In 1144, news of thefall of Edessa reached Europe, and Raymond of Poitiers had already sent a delegation includingHugh, Bishop ofJabala, to seek aid fromPope Eugene III.[4]
In the last year of Raymond's life,Louis VII and his wifeEleanor of Aquitaine (Raymond's niece), visited Antioch during theSecond Crusade. Raymond sought to prevent Louis from going south toJerusalem and to induce him to stay in Antioch and help in the conquest ofAleppo andCaesarea. Raymond was also suspected of having an incestuous affair with his beautiful niece Eleanor. According toJohn of Salisbury, Louis became suspicious of the attention Raymond lavished on Eleanor, and the long conversations they enjoyed.William of Tyre claims that Raymond seduced Eleanor to get revenge on her husband, who refused to aid him in his wars against the Saracens, and that "contrary to [Eleanor's] royal dignity, she disregarded her marriage vows and was unfaithful to her husband." Most modern historians dismiss such rumours, however, pointing out the closeness of Raymond and his niece during her early childhood, and the effulgent Aquitainian manner of behaviour. Also, as the pious Louis continued to have relations with his wife, it is doubtful that he believed his charge of incest.
Louis hastily left Antioch and Raymond was balked in his plans. In 1149 he was killed in theBattle of Inab during an expedition againstNur ad-Din Zangi.[5] He was beheaded byShirkuh, the uncle ofSaladin, and his head was placed in a silver box and sent to the CaliphAl-Muqtafi ofBaghdad as a gift.
Raymond is described byWilliam of Tyre (the main authority for his career) as "a lord of noble descent, of tall and elegant figure, the handsomest of the princes of the earth, a man of charming affability and conversation, open-handed and magnificent beyond measure"; pre-eminent in the use of arms and military experience;litteratorum, licet ipse illiteratus esset, cultor ("although he was himself illiterate, he was a cultivator of literature" – he caused theChanson des chétifs to be composed); a regular churchman and faithful husband; but headstrong, irascible and unreasonable, with too great a passion for gambling (bk. xiv. c. xxi.). For his career see Rey, in theRevue de l'orient latin, vol. iv.
WithConstance he had the following children:
| Preceded by | Prince of Antioch (withConstance) 1136–1149 | Succeeded by |
