The Battle of Harran 1104

Bohemond after imprisonment

With his liberty and authority restored, Bohemond sought to expand his power and influence in northern Syria;

Alliance with Baldwin II of Edessa

Bohemond strengthened ties with Count Baldwin II to coordinate military campaigns against Muslim-controlled territory;

Joint campaigns 1103-1104

Over twelve months, Bohemond and Baldwin launched campaigns to subdue land between Antioch and Edessa and to isolate Aleppo;

Strategic aim east of the Euphrates

Control of territory east of the Euphrates would secure Edessa's southern frontier and disrupt Aleppan communications with Mesopotamia;

Expedition of spring 1104

Bohemond and Baldwin launched an expedition east of the Euphrates to weaken Aleppo's strategic position;

Muslim opposition at Harran

A large Muslim army led by the Seljuq Turkish rulers of Mosul and Mardin confronted the Franks;

Date and location of the battle

The battle took place around 7 May 1104 on the plains south of Harran;

Frankish battle formation

Bohemond and Tancred commanded the right flank, while Baldwin II led Edessa's forces on the left;

Joscelin of Courtenay

Baldwin's cousin, a northern French aristocrat who arrived after 1101 and held a lordship centred on Tell Bashir;

Edessene overcommitment

Edessa's troops overextended themselves during a charge and became separated from the main Frankish army;

Seljuq counter-attack

Muslim forces launched a ferocious counter-attack that routed the Edessene troops;

Who were captured by the Muslims

Baldwin II and Joscelin of Courtenay

Frankish losses

Thousands of Frankish soldiers were killed or imprisoned during the battle;

Retreat of Bohemond and Tancred

They led a demoralised retreat toward Edessa after the defeat;

Tancred at Edessa

Tancred was left in charge of defending the city of Edessa following the retreat;

Significance of Harran

Harran represented a shocking reversal for the Franks and a major psychological blow;

Psychological impact on the Franks

The defeat shattered the belief in Frankish invincibility in northern Syria;

Shift in regional confidence

Indigenous Syrian populations realised the Latins were not indomitable;

Muslim contemporary reaction

A Muslim writer from Damascus described Harran as an unparalleled victory that weakened Frankish power and strengthened Muslim morale;

Wider regional response

Muslims, Greeks, and Armenians exploited Frankish weakness after Harran;

Impact on Antioch

Antioch suffered more than Edessa from the consequences of the defeat;

Byzantine reoccupation of Cilicia

The Byzantines retook Cilicia following Frankish weakness;

Byzantine reoccupation of Latakia

Latakia was reoccupied by Byzantines, though its citadel may have remained in Frankish hands;

Summaq region revolt

Towns in the Summaq region expelled their Latin garrisons and turned to Aleppo for leadership;

Loss of Artah

The strategically vital town of Artah expelled its Latin garrison soon after;

Strategic importance of Artah

Artah guarded the main Roman road inland and lay one day's march north-east of Antioch, acting as the city's "shield";

Condition of Antioch by late summer 1104

The principality was decimated, reduced to a small core of territory around Antioch itself;

Bohemond's decision to leave the Levant

In early autumn 1104, Bohemond unexpectedly chose to depart Syria;

Recall of Tancred

Bohemond summoned Tancred back from Edessa before leaving;

Council at St Peter's Basilica

Bohemond convened a council in Antioch to announce his intentions;

Public justification for departure

Bohemond claimed he would recruit a new Frankish army in western Europe to save Latin Syria;

Vow to St Leonard

Bohemond may have stated his intention to fulfil vows by making a pilgrimage to Noblat in France;

Private intentions

Bohemond likely had little intention of returning quickly to Outremer;

Planned attack on Byzantium

He planned to raise an army to attack the Byzantine Empire in the Balkans;

Strategic aim against Alexius I

An attack on Byzantium could distract the emperor and delay a Greek assault on Antioch;

Personal ambition

Bohemond sought conquest in the Adriatic and Aegean and dreamed of ruling Constantinople;

Disenchantment with Antioch

Bohemond's actions showed his loss of faith in Antioch's long-term survival;

Appropriation of Antioch's wealth

Before leaving, Bohemond took much of the city's remaining wealth and manpower;

Ralph of Caen's criticism

Even a pro-Bohemond writer noted that he stripped the city of resources and left Tancred without protection or pay;

Bohemond's departure

Bohemond sailed from Syria around September 1104;

Contrast with First Crusade

During the First Crusade, Bohemond focused all his ambition on conquering Antioch;

Abandonment of Antioch

By leaving the Levant, Bohemond knowingly abandoned Antioch to an uncertain and bleak future