Thesis on "Knights Templar"

Thesis 7 pages (1824 words) Sources: 5 Style: Chicago

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Arrest and dissolution of the Knights Templar is one of the most interesting topics related to medieval Christendom. The fall of the Order is surrounded by intrigue and mystery because of the original intent of the Templars and the reasons behind their arrests. Their fate is inextricably linked with the fall of the Holy City, which rendered them less important than they once were. In addition to this, their fate may be declared one that is marred by being at the wrong place at the wrong time because they had to contend with a powerful man, King Philip, who was greatly in debt and saw an opportunity to seize a portion of the debt without much trouble. Philip had the power to use the fall of the Holy Land and the discontent associated with that against the Templars and for himself. When rumors began to emerge about the Templars uncouth behavior, he decided to take the high road, call them on it, and benefit his own cause in the process. King Philip might have been successful in ruining the Order but it is questionable if the accusations against them hold any truth. We often hear that power corrupts and when it does, it generally does so completely. For whatever the Knights Templar ended up becoming in the minds of the people, it began as an Order that was to be respected and admired for it passion to defend and protect Christendom.

One event that undoubtedly lowered the significance of the Knights Templar was the fall of the Holy Land. The Templars often found themselves at odds with other Christian forces when attempting to secure land and after Holy Land fell, the Templars, as well as other forces, seemed to lose importance because they could not regain the land and Moslem influence was spreading faster then they could quell it. In researching the dissolution of the Knights Templar, Helen Nichols points out the Order was one of the very first military orders and quite possibly the most "far-flung" (Nicholson). But this did not prevent them from being "vulnerable when they failed in their duty" (Nicholson). Part of this failure, in Nicholson's opinion, can be traced to the fall of Acre, for which the Templars are recorded as "chiefly responsible for the defense of the city" (Nicholson). The most widely accepted account of this defeat claims that the Templars were "totally ineffective and only concerned to save their treasure" (Nicholson). This impression could come from the fact that they Templars simply were not as important as they were at one time but they still had businesses and were still active within communities. However, their presence was no doubt becoming less important because of the great loss. Karen Ralls agrees that the fall of the Order can be traced to the fall of Acre, noting that the fall was a terrible blow, "psychologically and otherwise" (Ralls 75) to not only the Templars but also all of Christendom. The fall meant that the Templars lost their home base in the Hole Land and with it military equipment and men. Demoralized and very few in number, there was still hope of retaining the Holy Land.

There are many theories regarding how the suspicion of the Knights Templar actually came to be with none being more certain then the other. Sophia Menache writes that the Templars' arrest begins with suspicion. For many years, their reputation was solid but she quotes Willelmi Tyronensis Archiepiscopi, who states that the Templars began to "neglect humility, the guardian of all virtues . . . They withdrew from the patriarch of Jerusalem, from whom they had received the establishment of their Order and their first privileges, and refused him the obedience which their predecessors had shown him" (Willelmi Tyronensis Archiepiscopi qtd. In Menache). She also writes that the Order withheld their tithes from the church and did not distribute their possessions properly. The wealth of the Order became a source of "resentment" (Menache), as the Templars were exempt from tithing. Other accounts speak of the Templars allowing themselves to become victims of bribery of the Moslems. In addition, they were accused of a "lust for spoils and plunder" (Menache). This is one aspect about the King's Templar that irritated many, especially King Philip. The Order's assets were large and Philip no doubt could see lots of revenue when he looked at the possessions.

Another series of rumors links the Templars with a circle of lust, sexual sin, and general immorality. Ridley maintains that part of the reason for the Templars arrest was the fact that they had become entwined in rumors that they "engaged in unnatural vices, including homosexuality, and that they indulged in satanic anti-Christian practices" (Ridley 24). Part of these practices included spitting on the crucifix and denying Christ. According to Ridley, two Templars confessed that they had indeed "indulged in immoral and satanic Practices" (24) to King Philip's authorities.

Ralls maintains that while denying Christ was one of the charges brought against the Templars, it seemed to be an absurd one for there are accounts of 80 captured Templars who were murdered through flaying or by being beheaded because they refused to deny Christ at Safed. Many of the charges, Ralls notes, were similar to the charges against accused witches in the European Witch Trials. Nevertheless, the councils and trials were underway. In 1308, Philip went to the Pope and with "several carefully hand-picked Templars" (85), convinced the Pope to support the arrests. It should be noted that the Pope did not want to believe these accusations and rejected the notion of any Templar wrong doing for two years. However, as more and more Templars began confessing, he simply had no reason not to allow an investigation into the order.

Those who survived years of imprisonment had "little to look forward to other than their death" (Sora 24). In 1310, 54 knights were bound on carts and then to fields near Saint-Antoine's convent where they were stripped and burned at the stake. It is said that more than 500 hundred knights were questioned. In addition, knights in London and Scotland were questioned as well. Steven Sora notes that King Philip of France decided to arrest the Templars in 1307 but by this time, spies reported the known plan to the Templars. The Templars had a large fighting force, a large navy, a merchant fleet, and possessed the "world's largest bank" (Sora 24), not to mention intelligence operations that were "certainly superior to those of the French king" (24). All of this, according to Sora, makes the "meek surrender" (24) of the Templars "intriguing" (24). Sora believes that the surrender came from the Templars believing that the king was strictly interested in money and once he had attained their fortune, the "suppression of the Order" (24) would not last long. Under this assumption, it makes sense that the members that stayed behind were "simply unprepared for the incredible horrors to which the arrested knights would be subjected" (24). This torture included the rack, the strappado, and the "burning of fat-smeared feet" (24). On top of this, since the Templars had been accused of heresy, the had no right to legal counsel. The Templars were even allowed an exception of torture in that it could be "carried out with a barbarity which even medieval men found shocking" (Sora 24). The tales of what these men endured are horrific. Sora reports that many knights were "confined to dungeons, sustained with bread and water, accused of the most heinous perversions, and tortured beyond endurance" (Sora 24) and, as a result, many "lost their ability to reason, several committed suicide, and most confessed to anything" (Sora 24). Not surprisingly, the Templars were found guilty of "most of the crimes of which they were accused' (Ripley 25). The Grand Master and three of his highest officers confessed after imprisonment for several months. When the four officials were brought to trial and condemned in 1312, it was assumed that this would be the end of the matter but it was not. Grand Master Jacques de Molay and his treasurer "bravely denied all confessions of guilt and defended the innocence and holiness of the Order" (Ralls 92). Immediately, Philip had them burned at the stake in 1314.

In 1312, The Order was not declared guilty but rather "so badly defamed that it could no longer properly defend Christendom" (Ralls 84). Ralls writes that "no fewer than 104 articles were brought against the Templars" (Ralls 84). They were based on Philip's informers and confessions obtained through torture. The charges included idolatry, heresy, sodomy, acquisition of property, and secret proceedings. While King Edward of Britain was slower to come around to arresting the Templar, he finally did not protect the Order from the demand of torture, which was forbidden in his country. He also allowed the Order's property to be seized. In Scotland, an inquisition of the Templars was allowed as well as in Spain and Portugal. Interestingly,… READ MORE

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