Editing Albert of Aix

'''Albert of Aix'''('''-la-Chapelle''') or '''Albert of Aachen'''; {{langx|la|Albericus Aquensis}}; ''fl.'' c. 1100) was a historian of the [[First Crusade]] and the early [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]]. He was born during the later part of the 11th century, and afterwards became [[Canon (priest)|canon]] (priest) and ''custos'' (guardian) of the church of [[Aachen]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Albert of Aix|volume=1|page=499}} Endnote: See
* F. Krebs, ''Zur Kritik Alberts von Aachen'' (Munster, 1881)
* B. Kugler, ''Albert von Aachen'' (Stuttgart, 1885)
* M. Figeonneau, ''Le Cycle de la croisade et de la famine de Bouillon'' (Paris, 1877)
* [[Heinrich von Sybel|H. von Sybel]], ''Geschichte des ersten Kreuzzuges'' (Leipzig, 1881)
* F. Vercruysse, ''Essai critique sur la chronique d'Albert d'Aix'' (Liege, 1889).</ref><ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Albert of Aachen|encyclopedia=The Crusades - An Encyclopedia|last=Edgington|first=Susan B.|pages=25–26}}</ref>

Nothing else is known of his life except that he was the author of a ''Historia Hierosolymitanae expeditionis'' (“History of the Expedition to Jerusalem”), or ''Chronicon Hierosolymitanum de bello sacro'', a work in Latin in twelve books, written between 1125 and 1150. This history begins at the time of the [[Council of Clermont]] in 1095, deals with the fortunes of the First Crusade and the earlier history of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, and ends somewhat abruptly in 1121.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Albert of Aix. Medieval Sourcebook, Fordham University|title=Historia Hierosolymita (Excerpts)|url=https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/albert-cde.asp|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209200033/http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu:80/source/albert-cde.asp |archive-date=2016-12-09 }}</ref>

The ''Historia'' was well known during the [[Middle Ages]], and was largely used by [[William of Tyre]] for the first six books of his ''Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum''. In modern times, it was accepted unreservedly for many years by most historians, including [[Edward Gibbon]]. In more recent times beginning with [[Heinrich von Sybel]],<ref name=":65">Sybel, H. von., Duff Gordon, L. (18--). [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012476975/Home The history and literature of the crusades]. London.</ref> its historical value has been seriously impugned, but the verdict of the best scholarship seems to be that in general it forms a true record of the events of the First Crusade, although containing some legendary matter.<ref>{{Runciman-A History of the Crusades|volume=1|page=331}}</ref>

Albert never visited the [[Holy Land]], but he appears to have had a considerable amount of discourse with returned crusaders, and to have had access to valuable correspondence.<ref name="EB1911"/> Unlike many other chronicles of the First Crusade, Albert did not rely on the ''[[Gesta Francorum]]'', but used his own independent interviews;<ref>Albert of Aachen,
 ''Historia Ierosolimitana'', i. I; i.24, 35; ii. 33, 65; iv. 53, 55; vi. 24; viii. 21</ref> he may also have had access to the ''[[Chanson d'Antioche]]'', as his work shares textual similarities with that poem.<ref>S. Edington (2007), pp. xxvi-xxvii</ref> The first edition of the history was published at [[Helmstedt]] in 1584, and a translation, with the original Latin, is in the ''[[Recueil des historiens des croisades#Volume 4 (1879)|Recueil des historiens des croisades]]'', Volume 4.iii (1879). A modern edition in Latin and English translation by Susan B. Edgington<ref>Bibliothèque nationale de France {BnF Data}. "[https://data.bnf.fr/en/13750322/susan_b__edgington/ Susan B. Edgington]".</ref> is available in the Oxford Medieval Texts series.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jay Rubenstein (2008). The Journal of Ecclesiastical History|title=Review: Albert of Aachen. Historia Ierosolimitana. History of the journey to Jerusalem. Edited and translated by Susan B. Edgington.|journal=The Journal of Ecclesiastical History |date=January 2008 |url=https://www.academia.edu/26599625|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213406/https://www.academia.edu/26599625/Albert_of_Aachen_Historia_Ierosolimitana_History_of_the_journey_to_Jerusalem_Edited_and_translated_by_Susan_B_Edgington_Oxford_Medieval_Texts_Pp_lxi_949_incl_5_maps_and_1_fig_Oxford_Clarendon_2007_120_0_19_920486_1_978_0_19_920486_1 |archive-date=2021-06-02 }}</ref> (cf. Volumes 24 and 25 of [[Crusade Texts in Translation|Crusader Texts in Translation]].)

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
*Susan B. Edgington, "Albert of Aachen and the Chansons de Geste" in ''The Crusades and their sources: essays presented to Bernard Hamilton'' ed. John France, William G. Zajac (Aldershot: Ashgate, 1998) pp.&nbsp;23–37. {{ISBN|978-0-86078-624-5}}
*Albert of Aachen, ''Historia Ierosolimitana'', ed. and trans. S. Edgington (Oxford: Oxford Medieval Texts, 2007).
{{refend}}

==Bibliography==
* Albert of Aachen, ''Albert of Aachen's History of the Journey to Jerusalem, vol.1: Books 1-6. The First Crusade 1095-1099'', trans. S.B. Edgington (Farnham, 2013). 
* Albert of Aachen, ''Albert of Aachen's History of the Journey to Jerusalem, vol. 2: Books 7-12. The Early History of the Latin States 1099-1119'', trans. S.B. Edgington (Farnham, 2013).  

==External links==
*[http://thelatinlibrary.com/albertofaix.html Albert of Aix] at [[The Latin Library]] (from the [[Patrologia Latina]] edition).

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albert Of Aix}}
[[Category:Medieval writers about the Crusades]]
[[Category:12th-century German historians]]
[[Category:12th-century writers in Latin]]
[[Category:11th-century births]]
[[Category:12th-century deaths]]