The “ʿasākir al-Shām”: Medieval Arabic Historiography of the Siege, Capture and Battle of Antioch during the First Crusade 490–491/1097–1098

ABSTRACT This article discusses accounts in medieval Arabic source material of the siege, capture and battle of Antioch during the First Crusade. It begins with an overview of how the reporting of the crusaders’ conquest of Antioch varied between the regional Arab historiographical traditions. This is followed by an assessment of the importance Arabic chronicles placed on developments at Antioch from 490/1097 to 491/1098 by contrasting their coverage of these events with that of comparable episodes in Syrian history. Focus then shifts to how accounts of the Frankish conquest of Antioch changed over time, outlining attempts to attribute blame to individuals. Additionally, developments at Antioch during the First Crusade are placed in the context of comparable military activity in northern Syria during the late fifth/eleventh century, removing the siege of Antioch and the defeat of the “'asākir al-Shām”, the Muslim relief force, from the traditional narrative structure of the First Crusade. The final section outlines instances of potential cross-pollination between Arabic and Latin source material.