Third Crusade, Saracen Hostage Massacre, 1191
In the aftermath of the Fall of Acre, during the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart attempted to negotiate terms of surrender with the Saracens. He wanted to exchange over 3,000 captured prisoners for the True Cross, as well as a hefty ransom and imprisoned Christians. After much delay by Saladin and the Muslims, Richard, frustrated and angered, personally marched his prisoners to a hill called Ayyadieh. There, in full view of the nearby Muslim army encampment, Richard ordered the slaughter of the over 3,000 prisoners, women and children. They were all mercilessly beaten to death, axed and cut down by swords and Third Crusade (1189-92) was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin. The campaign was largely successful, capturing the important cities of Acre and Jaffa, and reversing most of Saladin's conquests, but it failed to capture Jerusalem, the emotional and spiritual motivation of the Crusade. On September 2, 1192, King Richard I and Saladin finalized a treaty granting Muslim control over Jerusalem but allowing unarmed Christian pilgrims and merchants to visit the city. The successes of the Third Crusade allowed the Crusaders to maintain considerable crusader states in Cyprus and on the Syrian coast. However, the failure to recapture the ultimate prize, Jerusalem, would lead to the Fourth Crusade.
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