Knights of Templar

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Knights of Templar

The Knights Templar were the manifestation of a "new chivalry" which united the seemingly incompatible roles of monk and warrior. As the first religious military order, these dedicated men were models for successive orders including the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, later known as the Hospitallers, and the Teutonic Knights of the Hospital of St. Mary, two contemporary, rival brotherhoods. These and other orders, flourishing during the 12th-14th centuries as protectors of the Holy Land, were the first standing troops to be properly trained and commanded in Western Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire (Seward 17). The extraordinary story of the Knights Templar ranges from its humble establishment to a period of extreme prosperity, and, finally, to a tragic, haunting conclusion.

In 1118 a French Crusader named Hugues de Payens and seven companions appointed themselves protectors of pilgrims in the Holy Land. Jerusalem's King Baldwin II joined the Patriarch of Jerusalem in support of this small band of men dedicated to Christ, providing them a home in the temple adjoining the royal palace. Living on alms, they became known as the Poor Knights of the Temple.

Ten years after its establishment, however, the order's modest fortunes changed. Seeking new recruits, Hugues traveled to France where he met Bernard de Clairvaux, a learned monk who profoundly influenced the Templar order. Bernard shared Hugues' vision of pious warriors and pledged to help him develop a holy knighthood. Following Bernard's recommendation, the Templars vowed to lead obedient, simple lifestyles in accord with the Rule of St. Benedict. They donned the distinctive white vestments of Bernard's Cisterc...

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Sources Consulted:

Bernard de Clairvaux. De Laude Novae Militiae. S. Bernadi Opera. Trans.

David Carbon. Eds. J. Leclercq and H.M. Rochais. Rome, 1963. Online.

Southern Methodist University. 9 Nov. 1998. Available FTP:

www.smu.edu/~bwheeler/chivalry/bernard.html.

Howarth, Stephen. The Knights Templar: Christian Chivalry and the

Crusades: 1094- 1314. New York: Atheneum, 1982.

"Knights Templars." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Online. Infotrack. 9 Nov.

1998. Available FTP: www.knight.org/advent/cathen/14493a.htm.

Nicholson, Helen. "Saints or sinners? The Knights Templar in medieval

Europe." History Today 44.12 (1994): 30-37.

Seward, Desmond. The Monks of War: The Military Religious Orders. London:

Penguin, 1972.

"Templar." Britannica Online. Infotrack. 9 Nov. 1998. Available FTP:

www.eb.com.

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