Editing Eleanor of Aquitaine (section)

=== Second Crusade (1145–1149) ===
{{see also|Second Crusade}}

==== Taking the Cross (1145–1147) ====
[[File:LouisVIIatVezelay.jpg|thumb|Louis VII taking the cross, by [[Sébastien Mamerot]], {{c.|1490}}|alt=Illustration of Louis taking of the cross at Vezelay]]
[[File:Deuxième croisade-it.svg|lang=en|thumb|Route of the Second Crusade|alt=map showing the route the Second Crusade took]]
Louis remained obsessed over the massacre at Vitry and considered a [[pilgrimage]] to the [[Holy Land]], but events overtook this desire. The [[First Crusade]] (1096–1099) had succeeded in capturing the Holy Land from the Turks and establishing a system of four (largely [[Franks|Frankish]]) [[crusader states]] to administer the region, known as the Outremer.{{efn|[[:wikt:Outremer|Outremer]]: Literally "overseas"}} But this was threatened, when on 24 December 1144, [[Imad al-Din Zengi|Zengi]] and the [[Saracen]] Turks [[Siege of Edessa (1144)|captured Edessa]], capital of one of the crusader states, making the adjacent states of [[Principality of Antioch|Antioch]], [[County of Tripoli|Tripoli]] and [[Kingdom of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]] vulnerable.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=45}} Of these, Antioch was the most vulnerable, and of particular concern since the [[Prince of Antioch]] was [[Raymond of Poitiers]], Eleanor's uncle. On 1 December [[Pope Eugene III]] issued a [[papal bull|bull]] requesting that Louis and all faithful French Christians mount a [[crusade]] to rescue the remaining States. Louis and Eleanor were at Bourges when the message arrived, and Louis responded enthusiastically on Christmas Day that he would lead a crusade. Noting a lack of enthusiasm among the French nobility, Louis postponed further action till Easter 1146.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=47–48}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Owen|1996|p=21}} Final planning took place at Saint-Denis over Easter that year, at which Pope Eugene attended. Louis delegated administration of his kingdom to Eugene, who appointed Abbot Suger and Ralph of Vermandois as co-regents.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

Eleanor also formally [[:wikt:take the cross|took the cross]] during Bernard's sermon, which meant leaving her daughter behind. Eleanor recruited some women of the Aquitainian nobility for the campaign as well as some 300 other women who volunteered to help.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=49}} It was not unusual for women to take part in crusades. From Louis's perspective, there were advantages in including her. As [[regent]] to an absent monarch, she could have created problems for Suger, Louis's choice as his administrator, and he needed the support of the Aquitainian nobility. Furthermore, the crusade was ostensibly to come to the aid of her uncle.{{sfn|Owen|1996|pp=21–22}} The presence of women was not without its critics, particularly among clerics, though this may have been influenced by hindsight, given that William of Newburgh's account was written well after the actual crusade.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=49–51}} Eleanor's taking the cross provided the next opportunity for her detractors to construct her legend, with claims that she and her ladies set off for the crusades as [[Amazons|Amazonian]] warriors.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=49–51}}

==== Road to Ephesus (1147) ====

On 11 June 25,000 to 50,000 crusaders and [[Pilgrim]]s gathered at Saint-Denis and began their march, first to [[Metz]] and then crossing the Rhine at [[Worms, Germany|Worms]], and pressing on to [[Regensburg]] and the [[Danube river]]. There they were met by envoys from Byzantine Emperor [[Manuel Komnenos]] ({{r.|1143|1180}}),{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=55–56}} and followed the river via [[Klosterneuburg]] and through Hungary, reaching the [[Eastern Empire]] by mid-August and then, crossing the Danube, to [[Adrianople]] and finally [[Constantinople]], five days later, on 4 October 1147.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=56–57}}

In Constantinople, the French crusaders were obliged to await the arrival of those of their forces that were travelling by sea. While there they received the hospitality of the Emperor, Louis and Eleanor staying in the [[Philopation]] palace just outside the city walls. Meanwhile, the German crusaders had gone ahead and crossed the [[Bosphorus]] into [[Asia Minor]].{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=57–59}} Once all their forces were gathered together, the French crossed into Asia on 15 October and proceeded south to their first stop at [[Nicaea]]. Continuing south down the [[Aegean sea|Aegean]] coast, they discovered that the Germans had suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Turks, at the battle of [[Battle of Dorylaeum (1147)|Dorylaeum]]. The French, together with the remnants of the Germans continued south on the safer coastal route to [[Ephesus]], via [[Pergamus]] and [[Smyrna]], which they reached on 20 December. After camping at Ephesus, most of the Germans left for Constantinople.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=59–60}}

==== Ephesus to Jerusalem (1148–1149) ====
[[File:RaymondOfPoitiersWelcomingLouisVIIinAntioch.JPG|thumb|Crusaders welcomed at Antioch (Marmerot)|alt=Illustration of the crusaders being welcomed at Antioch, by Marmerot]]
In January 1148, Louis decided to travel inland towards [[Laodicea on the Lycus|Laodicea]] in [[Phrygia]], to reach [[Antalya]] on the south coast and thus Antioch more quickly. They reached Laodicea on 6 January and then their route took them across the mountains. On the day of their crossing of [[Topçambaba Mountain|Mount Cadmus]], Louis took charge of the rear of the column, where the unarmed pilgrims and the baggage trains were, while the [[vanguard]] was commanded by the Aquitainian, [[Geoffrey de Rancon]], and instructed to set camp on the plateau before the next pass. They reached the summit of Cadmus, one of the highest in their path, but Rancon, in concert with Louis's uncle [[Amadeus III of Savoy]], chose to continue on through the pass to the next valley.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=60–61}}{{sfn|Marvin|2019}} Accordingly, when the main part of the column arrived, and approached the pass, separated from both the vanguard and rearguard, they were ambushed by the Turkish forces. In the ensuing [[Battle of Mount Cadmus]], the Turks inflicted great losses on the French, while Louis barely escaped.{{sfn|Berry|1948|pp=118–119}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

The chronicler [[William of Tyre]], writing between 1170 and 1184 and thus perhaps too long after the event to be considered historically accurate, placed the blame for this disaster firmly on the amount of baggage being carried, much of it reputedly belonging to Eleanor and her ladies, and the presence of non-combatants.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}} Louis was a weak and ineffectual military leader with no skill for maintaining troop discipline or morale, or of making informed and logical tactical decisions.{{sfn|Marvin|2019}}{{sfn|Phillips|2003|p=91}} Official blame for the disaster was placed on Geoffrey de Rancon, who had made the decision to continue. Since Geoffrey was Eleanor's vassal, many believed that it was she who had been ultimately responsible for the change in plan, and thus the massacre. This suspicion of responsibility did nothing for her popularity in [[Christendom]]. She was also blamed for the size of the baggage train and the fact that her Aquitanian soldiers had marched at the front and thus were not involved in the fight. The survivors reached Antalya on 20 January.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Marvin|2019}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=61–62}}

[[File:2nd Crusade council at Jerusalem.jpg|thumb|[[Council of Acre]]: [[Conrad III of Germany]], [[Louis VII of France]], and [[Baldwin III of Jerusalem]]|alt=Illustration showing Conrad, Louis and Baldwin at the Council of Acre]]
[[File:Siege of Damascus, second crusade.jpg|thumb|[[Siege of Damascus (1148)|Siege of Damascus]]|alt=Illustration showing the siege of Damascus in 1148]]
In Antalya, the crusaders found there was a limited number of ships available, and those that were required more money than they were willing to pay. Consequently, the royal party sailed from the port with a relatively small group of followers, arriving in Antioch on 19 March, well behind schedule. The remainder attempted to complete the journey with great hardship and much loss, only about half of them completing the journey.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=62–63}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

While the crusaders were initially welcomed, tensions grew between them and Raymond. Raymond's agenda was to attack [[Aleppo]] and regain control of Edessa, and hence gain some security, while Louis was determined to press on to Jerusalem, despite the original papal decree being to recapture Edessa.{{efn|The crusade had been prompted by the [[Siege of Edessa (1144)|siege and subsequent capture]] of the crusader state of Edessa in 1144 by the Turkish ruler [[Imad al-Din Zengi|Zengi]]}} Louis was not keen to fight in northern Syria, and his forces were badly depleted. Furthermore, he had a personal agenda to journey in pilgrimage to [[Jerusalem]].{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=62–63}}

Eleanor's loyalty to her uncle created conflict between her and Louis.{{sfn|Chambers|1941}} Eventually the French, now only a tenth of their original strength, left Antioch abruptly on 28 March, despite Eleanor's protests and attempts to remain with Raymond. These conflicts once again led to the question of consanguinity being raised.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=63–67}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Hodgson|2007|pp=131–134}} According to [[John of Salisbury]], it was Eleanor who prompted this.{{sfn|Chibnall|1986|pp=52–53}} The crusaders reached Jerusalem in May, entering by the [[Jaffa Gate]], where they were greeted by [[Queen Melisende]] and [[King Baldwin III]]. A [[Council of Acre|conference]] was then held at [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] on 24 June, to discuss strategic plans. This resulted in the disastrous [[siege of Damascus (1148)|siege of Damascus]] on 24 July. The crusaders' forced withdrawal after only four days effectively ended the crusade and many of the survivors started making plans to return, but Louis vowed to celebrate Easter 1149 in the Holy Land, despite the pleas of Suger.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=67–70}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

The sojourn in Antioch, the conflict between the rulers and the resulting rift between the royal couple led to chroniclers, such as John of Salisbury and William of Tyre, hinting at an adulterous and incestuous affair between Eleanor and Raymond. Such an affair would become an enduring part of her legend, which in some versions also depicted her as having an affair with a Saracen leader. Contemporary accounts suggest it was her attention to political affairs that was considered the greatest stain on her character.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=65–66}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Crawford|2012}}

==== Return to France (1149) ====

After celebrating Easter, Louis and Eleanor set sail from Acre for Italy in separate ships on 3 April but were delayed by both hostile naval forces off the [[Peloponnesus]] in May and storms which drove Eleanor's ship as far south as the [[Barbary Coast]], and for a while their whereabouts were unknown. Louis arrived in [[Calabria]] on 29 July and eventually discovered Eleanor had reached [[Palermo]], Sicily, where she was sheltered by agents of [[King Roger II]] at his palace. It took some time before Eleanor and Louis could be reunited.{{efn|Both destinations were part of the [[Norman Kingdom of Sicily]]}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=67–70}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

At King Roger's court in [[Potenza]], Eleanor had learned of the death of her uncle Raymond, who had been beheaded by [[Nur al-Din Zengi|Nureddin]]'s Muslim forces at the [[Battle of Inab]], on 29 June. Nureddin then overran most of Raymond's territories in Antioch, setting back the goals of the crusade even further. Instead of returning directly to France, Louis and Eleanor headed north towards Rome, stopping at the Abbey of [[Monte Cassino]] on 4 October after Eleanor fell ill. Pope Eugenius invited them to stay at his palace at [[Tusculum]], south of Rome, where they arrived on 9 October. Eugenius had been informed by Suger of the couple's marital problems, and that they were no longer having sexual relations. The question of consanguinity, and hence possible annulment was again raised, but was denied by Eugenius, who declared the marriage legitimate by [[canon law]] and urged reconciliation. It is likely that Eleanor's second child was conceived at this time.{{sfn|Chibnall|1986}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=71–72}} From Tusculum, the couple travelled north through Italy, visiting Rome and then crossing the Alps to reach France and finally arriving in Paris around 11 November 1149, after an absence of two and a half years.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=72}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}