Raimund Roger (Foix)

Raimund Roger ( French : Raymond Roger , Occit : Ramon Roger ; † March 27, 1223 ) was a Count of Foix from 1188 until his death . He became known as a staunch opponent of the Albigensian Crusade .

origin

Raimund Roger was the second son of Count Roger Bernard I (called the Fette ) and Cécile von Béziers from the Trencavel family . Since his older brother Roger died young, he succeeded his father, who died in November 1188 and who recognized the feudal sovereignty of the King of Aragon in 1185 , in the county of Foix.

His siblings were:

• Roger († 1182)
• Esclarmonde († around 1215), married to Jourdain II. De l'Isle
• Sister (name unknown), married to Arnaud Guillaume de Marquefave

First years

At the beginning of his reign, Raimund Roger probably went on the third crusade in the entourage of King Philip II of France, where he is said to have taken part in the siege of Acon . However, he is not mentioned in any chronicle. After his return from the Holy Land, Raimund Roger decided to extend his sphere of influence over the Pyrenees to the south and allied himself with the Vice Count Arnaud of Castelbon in 1196 . As a result, he came into conflict with Count Armengol VIII of Urgell and the Bishop of Urgell Bernat de Villemur. Raimund Roger was finally captured by his opponents together with his ally in February 1203, but was released again in September of the same year through the mediation of King Peter II of Aragon . The conflict was not settled until 1207. From 1200 onwards a dispute arose with the powerful Count of Toulouse after the Lord of Roquefixade and Montségur had paid homage to the Count of Foix, and the two Counts were in the dark about the feudal lordship of Saverdun . To this end, Raimund Roger allied himself with his nephew, Vice Count Raimund-Roger of Carcassonne, against Toulouse and in 1202 was able to decide the dispute for himself. In addition to these disputes, Raimund Roger was also in dispute with Count Bernard IV of Comminges over the possession of Volvestre, which Raimund Roger was also able to decide for himself until 1209.

Patron of the Cathars

Like the other important nobles of Languedoc , Raimund Roger was suspected of being a heretic because of his mild attitude towards the Cathars . Although the count himself belonged to the Catholic Church, his sister Esclarmonde and wife Philippa Perfectae (perfect ones ) were of the Catholic Church. When the Consolamentum was granted to his sister in Fanjeaux in 1204 by the Cathar bishop Guilhabert de Castres, Raimund Roger was a witness. In addition, a council of the sect in Mirepoix took place on his domains in 1206 in which more than 600 Cathars took part, as well as the last major dispute between the Cathar (including Esclarmonde de Foix and Benoît de Termes) and Catholic Churches (Diego d'Osma, Domingo de Guzmán ) in Pamiers instead of where Raimund Roger was also present. Furthermore, the expansion of Montségur, located in the county of Foix, by Raymond de Péreille as a retreat for the Cathars was of great importance.

The Albigensian Crusade

So also the county of Foix became a destination of Pope Innocent III in 1208 . proclaimed Albigensian Crusade, which Raimund Roger opposed from the beginning, in complete contrast to his mighty neighbor, Count Raimund VI. of Toulouse , who joined the crusade. After the crusaders, led by Simon IV. De Montfort , had taken Béziers and Carcassonne in 1209 , the crusade also reached the county of Foix. Vital, the head of the Abbey of St. Antonin de Frédélas, who was in conflict with Count Raimund Roger, offered Montfort, who was staying in Fanjeaux, to hand over Pamiers. On the way to Pamiers, Montfort first took Preixan and Saverdun, where he appointed Enguerrand de Boves as castellan. On September 22nd, 1209, Mirepoix also fell into the hands of the Crusaders, which Montfort entrusted to his Marshal Guy de Levis. Only the Roquefixade Castle successfully withstood several sieges in the years to come. The following year in Pamiers, an attempt by King Peter II of Aragon to reconcile the Count of Foix with Simon de Montfort failed.

The battle of Montgey

After conquering Minerve and Termes in 1210, the Crusaders began the siege of Lavaur in March 1211. The siege turned out to be difficult, so that in April Montfort had a stronger crusader army, consisting primarily of German knights, called in for support. Raimund Roger set a trap for this army, commanded by Nicholas de Bazoches, near Lavaur near Montgey. His army, consisting of peasants and a few knights, he hid in a forest and attacked the crusaders from an ambush. The crusaders were completely defeated, the count had the nose and ears cut off the few prisoners that were taken.

The first siege of Toulouse

Despite the victory, the fall of Lavaur could not be prevented a few days later, but then Count Raymond VII of Toulouse fell away from the crusaders and turned against them. Thereupon Montfort moved with his army directly to Toulouse in June 1211 , the Count of Toulouse hurriedly allied himself with Raimund Roger von Foix and Count Bernard IV. Von Comminges. At the bridge of Montaudran , which crossed the Hers 4 km southeast of Toulouse , the coalition of the Counts opposed the enemy. After several knights from both sides had drowned in the water in the ensuing battle, the counts retreated to the city, whose siege Montfort immediately took up. However, the defense of the city could not be overcome, so that the siege had to be broken after two weeks.

The battle for Castelnaudary

After this defensive success, the counts went on the offensive and in September 1211 enclosed Montfort in Castelnaudary . Montfort was able to defend the city well, not least because he was reinforced by Guy de Lévis and Bouchard de Marly . Another contingent was brought in by Martin d'Algai. Raimund Roger von Foix withdrew from the siege with his army to intercept d'Algai at the castle of St. Martin, 5 km from Castelnaudary. Montfort sent 40 of his knights to support d'Algai, but the Count of Foix surprised d'Algais's army, which fled. Instead of concentrating the fight on Montfort's knight, Raimund Roger's men began to plunder the crusaders who had stayed behind. Montfort, who could watch the action from the walls of Castelnaudary, recognized his chance and moved with 60 other knights, only five he left behind to defend the city, on the battlefield. There the knights of both sides could not force a decision despite the bitter struggle, whereupon Montfort withdrew with his knights into the city. Although Montfort, like the Count of Foix, claimed victory in this battle, he withdrew with his army from Castelnaudary. He left behind only a small crew who were strong enough to defend the city. The counts gave up the siege a few days later.

Fight in Foix

In November 1211, Montfort sacked the town of Foix, but the castle withstood a siege. He then seized the castle of Cher (Quié) which he gave to Guillaume d'Aure. An attempt by Raimund Roger to recapture the castle in the same year failed after two weeks of siege. A year later, Raimund Roger fended off another attack on Foix Castle and took Saverdun, which was conquered by Montfort a little later.

The battle of Muret

see main article: Battle of Muret

In 1213, at a council in Lavaur, King Peter II made one last diplomatic attempt to preserve the property of the Occitan princes. However, after Simon de Montfort refused to guarantee this, the king appointed himself patron of Toulouse and crossed the Pyrenees with an army in the summer of 1213. The counts of Occitania swore the feudal oath and immediately joined their forces with him. With their united army they marched on August 30th towards the Muret, which was held by the Crusaders. This city belonged to the Count of Comminges, who in turn was a vassal of the King of Aragon, and was captured by the Crusaders in October 1212. The city was defended by only 30 knights, who withdrew to the citadel of Muret. The first division of the Occitans under the leadership of Raimund Roger von Foix (400 knights of their own and 200 Catalans) penetrated the city through the west gate and took up the siege of the citadel. But the defenders were able to send a message to Montfort, who was staying in Fanjeaux, who immediately marched with around 900 knights to Muret at a rapid pace. Arrived there on September 11th, he crossed the Garonne, entered the city through the east gate and took up the fight against Foix's knights in the narrow streets of the city. Soon, however, the crusaders retreated and left the city, apparently in flight, south along the west bank of the Garonne. But to the surprise of the allies, Montfort now turns his army to the west, bypassed the city in the south and crossed the Louge, a tributary of the Garonne, and dispersed a detachment of the Toulouse city militia there. With this Montfort provided the army of Occitania, which now had the Garonne in the rear, for the battle which was to be fought the next day (September 12, 1213). King Peter II of Aragon, who allegedly celebrated the night in the camp, decided these with his impetuosity by rejecting the defensive plan of the Count of Toulouse as unchivalrous and rushing forward with his Aragonese knights. Montfort threw his first row against the king, which cut off the king from his allies, in the ensuing close combat, King Peter was killed by Alain de Roucy .

The king's death sealed the defeat of the counts of the south, whose army fell apart and fled. For Raimund Roger von Foix, this defeat was to have immediate effects, because Montfort immediately devastated the city of Foix again. Then Montfort turned back to Toulouse, which he was able to take this time.

submission

After the Count of Toulouse fled to the court of his brother-in-law, the King of England, Raimund Roger, like the Count of Comminges and the Vice Count of Narbonne, submitted to the Roman Church on April 18, 1214 in Narbonne. The papal legate Peter von Benevent temporarily withdrew Foix from the count and subordinated the castle to the abbot of St. Tibéri, who in turn appointed his nephew Berengar as castellan. Furthermore, Raimund Roger had to promise neither to support Cathars nor Faydits .

Diplomatic struggle

In the autumn of 1215, Raimund Roger accompanied the Count of Toulouse to Rome, where the fourth Lateran Council met from November 11th . The two counts intended to diplomatically oppose Montfort's claims to their inheritance before the Pope. Pope Innocent III showed himself accommodating the concerns of the counts, but his compromise proposal to give only the territories of the Trencavels to Simon de Montfort while the counts should keep their property, was rejected by the bishops of Languedoc under their spokesman Fulk of Toulouse . Instead, the Count Raimund VI. of Toulouse declared all his property forfeit, which should go to Montfort, and was also banished from his former domain. Raimund Roger tried to defend the House of Toulouse by arguing that one should not ignore the legacy of young Raimund VII , who was innocent of his father's actions. In addition, Raimund VI declared himself. ready to immediately abdicate in favor of his son, but this compromise was also rejected by the Montfort party. The son of the count was only allowed to receive the margravate Provence and the Agenais , the inheritance of his mother Joan of England. Raimund Roger's own defense, on the other hand, was more listened to when he countered allegations of heresy , especially by blaming his sister Esclarmonde for the presence of the Cathars on the Montségur.

The reconquest

Count Raimund VI landed in the summer of 1216. and his son, ignoring the judgment of the council, to the cheers of the population on the coast of Provence. While Raimund VI. then went south by land, the young Raimund VII took up the siege of the citadel of Beaucaire , which marked the beginning of the recapture battle against the Crusaders. Meanwhile, Raimund Roger von Foix was able to bind Simon de Montfort diplomatically by entering into an armistice with the crusade leader in St. Jean-de-Verges on September 14th, through the mediation of the Pope . Raimund Roger was able to achieve another success as Pope Honorius III. on November 27, 1216 instructed the Abbot of St. Tibéri to return the castle of Foix to its rightful owner. This led Montfort to break the armistice on the pretext that Raimund Roger had broken it himself. From February 6, 1217, Montfort besieged Montgrenier Castle, which was defended by Raimund Roger's son Roger Bernard . After a six-week siege and the rejection of a request from the Pope to end the siege, Montfort took the castle, but had to withdraw the defenders. The siege of Mongrenier had been able to bind Montfort long enough to give the Count of Toulouse time to lead an army from Aragon across the Pyrenees, with which he was able to take his capital on September 13, 1217 without a fight. Raimund Roger supported the upcoming defense of the city against the crusaders. On June 25, 1218 Simon de Montfort was fatally hit in the head by a catapult while trying to get his brother Guy, who was wounded in an attack on the city, to safety.

Montfort's eldest son Amaury now took over the leadership of the crusade, but this was to prove incapable in this position. When Amaury besieged the city of Marmande from December 1218 together with the French Prince Louis VIII , Raimund Roger, together with the Counts of Toulouse and Comminges as well as a contingent of Faydit , was able to join a large army of crusaders from Carcassonne to Amaury in the spring of 1219 Devastatingly beat near Baziège. Then Raimund Roger fought the crusaders in the Lauragais and in 1220 conquered Castelnaudary together with Raimund VII of Toulouse, whose defender Guy de Montfort, Simon's son, was killed in the process. Raimund Roger immediately organized the defense of the city that Amaury de Montfort wanted to recapture, and the defenders managed to smuggle the Cathar bishop Guilhabert de Castres out of the city, who then withdrew to the Montségur. Amaury was finally forced to break off the siege and retreat to Carcassonne in March 1221 after Roger Bernard von Foix conquered the cities of Limoux and Pieusse and other bases in Carcassès, at the same time Raimund Roger's bastard son Loup had brought the region around Razès under his control.

death

In March 1223, Raimund Roger conquered Mirepoix, one of the most important cities in his county, which was now completely liberated from the Crusaders. A few days later, on March 27th, the Count of Foix died of an ulcer. A year earlier, his long-time comrade was Count Raimund VI. died of Toulouse. The papal crusade against the Cathars, which began in 1209, was to outlive the count by less than a year. In January 1224 Carcassonne was conquered into which the young Raimund II Trencavel , whose father was the first prominent victim of this crusade, could move. Amaury de Montfort then gave up the fight and withdrew to his homeland.

Count Raimund Roger von Foix was known for his knightly virtues and loyalty as well as his affection for courtly culture and beautiful women. He was considered the patron saint of troubadours and was the author of several verses himself. He was sung about by the poet Raimon de Miraval as "Ramon Drut" (Raimund the much-loved).

The chronicler Pierre des Vaux-de-Cernay ( Historia Albigensis ), who was an ardent advocate of the Albigensian Crusade, condemned Raimund Roger and his son as vile defenders of the heretics. Together with Bernard IV of Comminges and Gaston VI. von Béarn he formed the "shameful and damned trio" in the opinion of the chronicler.

Marriage and offspring

Raimund Roger von Foix was married to Philippa de Montcada, who came from an influential Catalan family. From this marriage there were two children:

• Roger Bernard II († 1241), successor of his father as Count of Foix, ⚭ January 10, 1202 discretionary from Castelbon
• Cécile, ⚭ May 6, 1224 Count Bernard V of Comminges

He is also known to have two illegitimate children:

• Loup de Foix († 1259 or later), lord of Saverdun, co-lord of Mirepoix and royal seneschal of Carcassonne, progenitor of the house of Foix-Rabat.
• Esclarmonde, a Cathar parfait, ⚭ 1236 Bernard d'Alion, a Cathar who was burned in Perpignan in 1258 .

swell

• Guilhem de Tudèla and Anonymus: Canso de la crozada
• Pierre des Vaux de Cernay : Historia Albigensis (1212-1218)
• Guillaume de Puylaurens : Chronica

Web links

• "The Albigensian Crusades (1209-1255)"
• "Histoire Générale du Languedoc"

Remarks

1. ↑ Also called Frédélas, after the Visigoth Prince Friedrich, a son of King Theodoric I.
2. ↑ The abbey is dedicated to St. Antonin, a son of the Goth Prince Friedrich, who converted from Arianism to Catholicism and suffered martyrdom in his father's city around 506.
3. ^ According to Guilhem de Tudèla 5000 knights, while Aubry de Trois Fontaines gives 1500.
4. ↑ Paul Andraud: La vie et l'du auvre troubadour Raimon de Miraval (Paris, 1902)
5. ↑ The semi-legendary noblewoman Etiennette de Pennautier is often assumed to be Loup's mother, who went down in medieval poetry as " Loba de Pennautier ".

predecessor	Office	successor
Roger Bernard I.	Count of Foix 1188-1223	Roger Bernard II