The Principality of Antioch was a crusader state in northern Syria that existed between 1098 and 1268.

Background

867 Late summer. Photios I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople condemns practices of the Latin Churchespecially the addition of the phrase "filioque" ("and from the Son") to the Nicene Creed and the liturgical use of unleavened breadand excommunicates Pope Nicholas I. 869 Late. Pope Adrian II achieves the denunciation of Photios at a council of the Byzantine prelates. 969 October. The Byzantines re-capture Antioch that they lost to the Arabs in 637. 1016 Melus, a Lombard nobleman from Bari, approaches Norman pilgrims at the shrine of Michael the Archangel on Mount Gargano (in southern Italy), seeking their assistance against the Byzantines. 1017 Summer. Norman warriors come to the Lombard Principality of Capua. 1046 Robert Guiscarda younger son of a petty Normandian baronsettles in southern Italy. 1050s The Normans introduce Latin practices in the Greek churches in southern Italy. 1052 Patriarch Michael I Cerularius closes all Latin churches in Constantinople. 1054 July 16. The late Pope Leo IX's three envoys excommunicate Patriarch Cerularius. The event develop into a lasting schism between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. 1059 Late August. Treaty of Melfi: Pope Nicholas II confirms Robert Guiscard as prince of Capua and authorizes him to conquer the Emirate of Sicily. 1071 August 21. Battle of Manzikert: the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan routes and captures the Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes. The Seljuks start invading Asia Minor. 1070s A Byzantine general of Armenian origin, Philaretos Brachamios, takes control of large territories in northern Syria. 1078 The Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates appoints Brachamios as duke (or governor) of Antioch and domestikos (or commander-in-chief) of the East, thus legitimizing Brachamios' hold of northern Syria and Cilicia. 1081 Early. Robert Guiscard sends his eldest son, Bohemond, to make preparations for his invasion of the Byzantine Empire. 1082 February 21. Robert Guiscard takes Dyrrachium (now Durrës in Albania) in the Byzantine Empire. 1083 Summer. The Byzantines and the Venetians chase the Normans from Dyrrachium. 1084 The Seljuks capture Antioch. 1085 July 17. Robert Guiscard dies. Bohemond is disinherited in favor of his half-brother, Roger Borsa. Autumn. Bohemond seizes the Principality of Taranto in southern Italy. 1095 March. The deputies of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos ask Pope Urban II at the Council of Piacenza to facilitate the recruitment of troops in Western Europe to fight against the Seljuks. November 27. At the Council of Clermont, Urban II proclaims the First Crusade for the liberation of the Holy Land. December 1. Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse is the first ruler to take the Cross in token of his decision to join the crusade. 1096 September. Bohemond assists Roger Borsa in besieging Amalfi, but he abandons the siege as soon as he is informed of the crusade. October 26. Bohemond departs from Bari, accompanied by hundreds of Norman warriors, including his nephew, Tancred. 1097 January–February. Clashes between Bohemond's troops and Byzantine communities during Bohemond's march towards Constantinople on the Via Egnatia. April 22. Bohemond cannot convince Alexios I to appoint him as the supreme commander of the crusader army, but he swears allegiance to the Emperor, also promising to return all former Byzantine territories to him. April 26. Bohemond's army crosses the Bosporus into Asia Minor. May 14. The crusaders lay siege to Nicaea (now Iznik in Turkey) only after Bohemond's army reaches the town. June 19. The Seljuk garrison of Nicaea surrenders to Alexios I's representatives. They do not allow the crusaders to enter the town, but distribute money among them. July 1. Battle of Dorylaeum: the crusaders route the army of the Seljuk sultan of Rum, Kilij Arslan I. September 14. Tancred and Baldwin of Boulogne leave the main crusader army to launch a military campaign in Cilicia. September 21. Tancred defeats the Seljuk garrison of Tarsus and starts negotiations about their surrender. September 22. Baldwin reaches Tarsus and talks the Seljuks into allowing his troops to enter the town. Outnumbered by Baldwin's troops, Tancred leaves Tarsus without resistance. Late September. The Armenian ruler of Adana, Oshin, provides Tancred with 200 Armenian troops. As soon as Tancred reaches Mamistra, the Seljuk garrison flees the town and the local Armenians acknowledge Tancred as their ruler. Baldwin arrives at Mamistra and the two crusader armies clash near the town. Tancred puts a garrison in Mamistra before leaving Cilicia through the Belen Pass and joins the main crusader army. October 15. The crusader leaders decide to lay siege Antioch without waiting for further reinforcements. Taking advantage of the crusaders' presence, the local Armenians expel the Seljuk garrison from Artah. Raymond IV occupies fortresses in the plains along the Orontes River. An English fleet in Byzantine service seizes Latakia. October 16. The governor of Antioch, Yağısıyan expels the Christians from the town. He sends envoys to the Seljuk rulers of Aleppo, Damascus and Mosul, seeking their assistance. October 21. The crusaders lay siege to Antioch. November. A Genoese fleet arrives at St Symeon. December 31. Duqaq, the Seljuk ruler of Damascus leads relieving forces to Antioch, but Bohemond and Robert II, Count of Flanders force him to retreat. 1098 January 31. The Byzantine general, Tatikios, leaves the crusader camp at Antioch. The crusaders regard his departure as a betrayal. February 9. Battle of the Lake of Antioch: Bohemond, Robert II and Stephen, Count of Blois defeat the relieving army of Ridwan, the Seljuk ruler of Aleppo. The crusaders capture Harim. March 4. English ships arrive at St Symeon. March 7. Yağısıyan's troops attack the crusaders across the Iron Gate on the Orontes River, but the crusaders annihilate them. April–May. Secret negotiations between Bohemond and a wealthy burgher of Antioch, Firouz, who is willing to give the crusaders access to the town. May 4–25. Kerbogha, the atabeg (or regent) of Mosul, besieges Baldwin of Boulogne at Edessa during his march towards Antioch. May 29. The crusader leaders accept Bohemond's claim to rule Antioch if he achieves the surrender of the town. June 3. Bohemond's troops enter Antioch with Firouz's assistance and the crusaders occupy the town. Yağısıyan's son, Shams ad-Daulah, resists them in the citadel. June 4. Kerbogha's army reaches Antioch and lays siege to the town. June 10. Crusaders start fleeing from Antioch because of starvation and fear. June 14. A Provençal visionary, Peter Bartholomew, claims to have miraculously found the Holy Lance in the Church of Saint Peter. The discovery of the alleged relic raises the crusaders' morale. June 15. Alexios I abandons his campaign towards Antioch after Stephen of Blois, who deserted the crusaders' camp, informs him about the crusaders' desperate situation. June 25. The crusaders elect Bohemond as commander-in-chief. June 28. The crusaders break out of Antioch and route Kerbogha's troops, forcing him to abandon the siege. Shams ad-Daulah surrenders the citadel to the crusaders.

Crusader state

Establishment 1098 Early July. The crusader leaders send Hugh, Count of Vermandois and Baldwin II, Count of Hainaut to Constantinople to inform Alexios I about the conquest of Antioch. Bohemond takes control of most parts of the town, because most crusader leaders cede the districts that they had protected during the siege to him. Raymond IV retains his district and Peter Bartholomew declares him the protector of the Holy Lance. July 14. Bohemond grants the Church of Saint John, 30 nearby houses and a warehouse to the Genoese in Antioch. July 17. An Aquitanian knight, Raymond Pilet, assemble an army and invades the plateau near Antioch. He forces the Muslim peasants to convert to Christianity. August 1. A plague decimates the crusaders. Their leaders retreat to the nearby regions to avoid infection. August. Bohemond stays in Cilicia. September 11. The crusader leaders urge the Pope in a letter to take over supreme command of their military expedition. In a separate document, Bohemond asks the Pope to annul the crusader leaders' treaties with Alexios I. September 25. Raymond IV takes Albara. The crusaders massacre or enslave hundreds of Muslims. Raymond IV establishes the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albara and appoints Peter of Narbonne as its first bishop. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, John the Oxite, consecrates Peter. November 18. The crusader leaders acknowledge Bohemond's right to rule Antioch, but he is required to promise to accompany them towards Jerusalem. December 12. Raymond IV, Robert II and Bohemond capture Maarrat al-Nu'man. The crusaders massacre the vast majority of the local Muslims. 1099 Early January. Raymond IV denies to cede Maarrat al-Nu'man to Bohemond who returns to Antioch. Bohemond expels Raymond IV's troops from Antioch. March. Alexios I's envoys demand Antioch from Bohemond, but he refutes. Summer. After Byzantine troops are garrisoned at Latakia, Bohemond besieges the town. Early September. 120 ships arrive at Latakia under the command of Daimbert, Archbishop of Pisa. The Pisans assist Bohemond against the Byzantines. September. After returning from Jerusalem, Raymond IV, Robert II and other crusader leaders persuade the Pisans to abandon the siege of Latakia, forcing Bohemond to also lift the siege. Raymond IV took possession of Latakia on behalf of Alexios I. December. Bohemond and Baldwin of Boulogne, who became the first crusader Count of Edessa, come to Jerusalem. December 25. Daimbert is installed as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Bohemond swears fealty to him for his lands. Daimbert appoints Latin priests to the sees of Edessa, Tarsus, Mamistra and Artah. 1100 Spring. A Byzantine fleet expels the crusader (or Frank) garrisons from the towns on the Cilician coast. June. Bohemond defeats Ridwan at Kella. August 15. The Armenian prince, Gabriel of Melitene, seeks Bohemond's assistance against the Danishmend emir Gazi Gümüshtigin. Bohemond hurries to Melitene (now Malatya in Turkey), but Gazi Gümüshtigin captures him. Baldwin of Boulogne relieves Melitene and garrisons his troops in the town. Summer. Raymond IV leaves Latakia for Constantinople to meet with Alexios I. After being accused of cooperating with the Byzantines, Patriarch John the Oxite leaves Antioch first for a nearby Orthodox monastery, then for Constantinople. Bohemond appoints Bernard of Valence as the first Latin Patriarch of Antioch. 1101 Spring. Tancred assumes regency for the captive Bohemond. He invades Cilicia and forces the Byzantines to abandon Tarsus, Adana and Mamistra. Summer. Tancred lays siege to Latakia. He grants the Genoese a share in the revenues collected at the harbours of St Symeon and Latakia. 1102 After his return to Syria, Raymond IV withdraws his troops from Latakia and marches to Tripoli to lay siege to the town. 1102–1103 The emir of Homs, Janah ad-Daula, captures the fortress of Asfouna and massacres its Frank garrison. 1103 April–May. Tancred occupies Latakia. May. Patriarch Bernard and the Armenian ruler of Raban and Kaisun, Kogh Vasil, ransom of Bohemond who returns to Antioch. Summer. Bohemond makes plundering raids in Aleppan territory and forces Ridwan to pay a tribute. Autumn. The Byzantines capture the Cilician coast. 1104 Spring. Jikirmish, the atabeg of Mosul, and the Artuqid emir, Sökmen, invade the County of Edessa. Bohemond leads a relieving army to Edessa.