William of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. He grew up in Jerusalem at the height of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He spent twenty years studying the liberal arts and canon law in the universities of Europe. He was passed over for the prestigious Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and died in obscurity, probably in 1186.
About William of Tyre in brief
William of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. He grew up in Jerusalem at the height of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He spent twenty years studying the liberal arts and canon law in the universities of Europe. He was passed over for the prestigious Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and died in obscurity, probably in 1186. He is considered the greatest chronicler of the crusades, and one of the best authors of the Middle Ages. The chronicle is sometimes given the title Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum or Historia Ierosolimitana, or the Historia for short. It was translated into French soon after his death, and thereafter into numerous other languages. It is the only source for the history of twelfth-century Jerusalem written by a native, but historians have often assumed that William’s statements could be taken at face value. He wrote an account of the Lateran Council and a history of the Islamic states from the time of Muhammad. Neither work survives, but William composed his chronicle in excellent Latin for his time, with numerous quotations from classical literature. His family probably originated in either France or Italy, since he was very familiar with both countries. His parents were likely merchants who had settled in the kingdom and were \”apparently well-to-do\”, although it is unknown whether they participated in the First Crusade or arrived later. He had at least one brother, Ralph, who was a non-noble leader of the city’s burgesses.
Nothing more is known about his family, except that his mother died before 1165, and that his father was a burgesses as well as a Prior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Historia was written in Latin, but it is clear that he also knew French and possibly Italian, but there is not enough evidence to determine whether he learned Greek, Persian, and Arabic, as is sometimes claimed. He also spent time studying under Robert Melunrée and Gilbert de la Porrée, among others, who had been students of Thierry Chartres and Adam Ponte de Parvoont. He studied liberal arts, theology and theology in Paris and Orléans for about ten years, with professors who were masters of their field of study from all over Europe. In 1179 William led the eastern delegation to the Third Council of the lateran. His importance waned when a rival faction gained control of royal affairs, and he was passedover for the coveted position of Patriarchal Archbishop of Jerusalem in 1185. He later became chancellor and archbishop of Tyrne, two of the highest offices in the city, and led a delegation to The Lateran in 1179. His son Baldwin IV was tutor to the king’s son, the future King Baldwin IV, whom William discovered to be a leper. William was also ambassador to the Byzantine Empire in 1165. Around 1145 William went to Europe to continue his education in the schools of Paris and Bologna, especially in those of France and Italy.
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