Balian from Beirut

Balian of Ibelin (* 1209/10; † September 4, 1247 in Askalon ) was lord of Beirut and a member of the noble family Ibelin .

Career

He was the son of Johann von Ibelin , Lord of Beirut , and his second wife Melisende von Arsur .

During the crusade of Frederick II. 1228/29, he and his brother Johann were hostages in the suite of Emperor Frederick II , with which the latter briefly curtailed the opposition of Balian's father. After Frederick's return to Europe in 1229, Balian took part in the violent expulsion of the imperial governors from Cyprus on the side of his father in the Lombard War. He took part in the Battle of Nicosia in 1229, held out a siege by Richard Filangieri as commander of the Citadel of Beirut in 1231/32 and took part in the Battle of Agridi in 1232.

In 1236 he inherited his father's rule in Beirut, while his brother Johann received his mother's rule in Arsuf . He also took over the leadership of the local nobles in the civil war against the governors of Emperor Frederick II from his father.

From 1239 to 1240 he took part in Theobald's crusade of Champagne before resuming the civil war against the emperor with the siege of Tire in 1242 .

King Henry I of Cyprus appointed him as a constable of Cyprus and as Bailli .

Marriage and offspring

In 1229 he married his cousin Eschiva von Montfaucon, widow of Gerhard von Montaigu, daughter of Walter von Montbéliard . Because of the close relationship, he was temporarily banned from church . He had the following children with her:

• Balian († young)
• John II (* 1230; † 1264) Lord of Beirut ⚭ Alice of Athens († after 1277), daughter of Guido I of La Roche , Duke of Athens
• Hugo (* 1231; † 1254) ⚭ 1251 Maria von Montbéliard, daughter of Odo von Montbéliard
• Isabella († 1271) ⚭ 1250 Heinrich I. Embriaco , Lord of Gibelet

Web links

• Balian Ibelin at fmg.ac (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Johann I.	Lord of Beirut 1236-1247	Johann II.