The Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, popularly known as the Knights Templar, was the most famous and infamous of the crusading military orders. Formed between 1118 and 1120 AD, the Templars had the mandate of protecting the many Christian pilgrims who ventured to the Holy Land to see the sites sacred to their faith.
The Templars were an unusual Order in that they lived both an active and contemplative life, making them effectively the first warrior-monks in the western world. As such, the Templars quickly expanded beyond their role as protectors of pilgrims and played a vital role in many battles of the Crusades. Although they suffered more defeats than they celebrated victories, the Templars are nonetheless remembered as Christendom's most fearless military force.
Through innovative financial techniques that could be considered the foundation of modern banking and the use of a well-established network of land holdings, the Templars, in many ways, resembled today's multi-national corporations. The Order's highly organised infrastructure, coupled with influential patrons, allowed the Order to gain great wealth and power in a relatively brief period of time.
This rise in power and prosperity continued until the Templars ran foul of King Philip IV of France, who arrested the Templars on October 13, 1307 on a variety of heretical charges. Philip had the Templars tortured in order to extract confessions of guilt and many of their number were ultimately burned at the stake. Under the influence of King Philip, Pope Clement V disbanded the Order on March 22, 1312.
In Nobly Born: An Illustrated History of the Knights Templar, noted expert Stephen Dafoe explores the Order from its origins through to its dissolution, set against the complex political and sociological backdrop that was the middle ages; a period of history where enemies could become allies at the drop of a hat.
Individual chapters examine:
Alongside the author's well-researched and comprehensive text is a superb illustrative content, vividly portraying the life of the Templars during this remarkable period of history.
