This book is the first critical edition of the Latin poem Historia Vie Hierosolimitane by Gilo of Paris and a second anonymous author, translated for the first time into English and provided with a detailed historical and linguistic commentary. The poem illustrates how quickly a theological and cultural understanding of the first crusade developed after the events themselves and shows how soon the leaders of the crusades came to be regarded as `heroes'. The poem is important because of its similarity to other narrative treatments of the crusades from the early twelfth century and its links with the vernacular Chanson d'Antioch.

This book is the first critical edition of the Latin poem Historia Vie Hierosolimitane by Gilo of Paris and a second anonymous author, translated for the first time into English and provided with a detailed historical and linguistic commentary. The poem illustrates how quickly a theological and cultural understanding of the first crusade developed after the events themselves and shows how soon the leaders of the crusades came to be regarded as `heroes'. The poem is important because of its similarity to other narrative treatments of the crusades from the early twelfth century and its links with the vernacular Chanson d'Antioch.