Joscelin III, Count of Edessa

Joscelin III or Joscelyn III (French: Jocelyn or Josselin; c.1134 –c.1191/1199), also called Joscelin of Courtenay, was titular count of Edessa, but largely a statesman and baron of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, who managed to consolidate his own lordship centred around Acre. The County of Edessa collapsed during his adolescence and his father was captured by Nur ad-Din Zengi in 1150. After some initial resistance, Joscelin fled with his mother to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. His position was improved by the marriage of his sister Agnes to Amalric, the younger brother of Baldwin III of Jerusalem, in 1157. Joscelin slowly built up his power base in Jerusalem during the 1150s and early 1160s.

Joscelin was captured in 1160–1161 or 1164 in battle. Agnes was able to ransom him in 1176 but he was left with no lands. The new king, Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, was now his nephew and Agnes' son. Joscelin was made seneschal with her aid and married to Agnes of Milly in 1176. Her dowry of Chateau du Roi and Montfort Castle made the basis for his new lordship, which he steadily expanded over the next 11 years until the Battle of Hattin. Joscelin and Agnes supported Guy of Lusignan to marry Sibylla, Agnes' daughter and Baldwin's sister, making him the heir presumptive and regent. Guy fell out with the king and Baldwin replaced him as regent with Raymond III of Tripoli in early 1185. Agnes died sometime between 1185 and 1186.

Baldwin died soon afterwards and was for a time succeeded by Sibylla's son with an earlier, now dead husband, Baldwin V. Joscelin became the boy's guardian and Raymond his regent. Baldwin died in 1186 and Joscelin orchestrated a coup that allowed Sibylla to claim the throne, but was part of the bloc that forced her to annull her marriage with Guy, now seen as incompetent by some. She nevertheless remarried Guy after her coronation.

The kingdom fell under worsening threat from Saladin during this time and was weakened by factional infighting, being decisively defeated at the battles of Cresson and Hattin in 1187. Joscelin fought at Hattin and managed to escape, but lost his lands to Saladin. He was present throughout the siege of Acre, and may have died there. He was much less prominent afterwards, and was certainly dead by 1200. Among historians, Joscelin has been criticised for greed and his unwavering support for Guy, but is also respected as a competent administrator, for his loyalty to his nephew Baldwin, and for his ability to establish "one of the greatest seigneuries in the East" over the course of a decade.

Early life

Joscelin III was the son of Joscelin II and Beatrice of Saone. Young Joscelin may have been born around the mid-1130s, most likely 1134, and was at least seven years old by 1141. Over the course of Joscelin's childhood and adolescence, the County of Edessa gradually degraded under Zengid pressure and internal mismanagement. The city of Edessa fell in December 1144 to Imad al-Din Zengi, but continued clashes took place between Joscelin II and Zengi until Zengi's death in September 1146, with Joscelin defending the remainder of his county west of the Euphrates. The count attempted to recapture Edessa after hearing of Zengi's death and broke into the city, but Zengi's son, Nur ad-Din, attacked him and destroyed his army. In 1149, the Battle of Inab saw the deaths of Young Joscelin's brother-in-law, Reginald of Marash, and Prince Raymond of Antioch.

Early career

Joscelin II was captured in Spring 1150 as he was travelling to the Principality of Antioch, allowing the remainder of his county to be rapidly invaded by rival Muslim powers. Beatrice, Joscelin II's wife, organized a resistance and her supporters raised up Young Joscelin as Count Joscelin III in his father's place. Mesud I of Rum and Nur ad-Din invaded the county, and Mesud seized Kaysun, Raban, Behesni, and Marzban. Joscelin successfully defended Turbessel alongside the citizens and his father's men, causing them to retreat.

The situation remained untenable, and Beatrice sold most of the remnant county to the Byzantine emperor, Manuel I, with Baldwin III of Jerusalem assisting in the exchange. The deal was confirmed by Joscelin III. One castle, Ranculat, was instead sold to Gregory III Pahlavuni, on the condition that it would be returned to Joscelin if he ever returned to power. Shortly afterwards, Beatrice and her children, including Joscelin, travelled to Jerusalem and entered Baldwin's protection. Despite the Greek garrisons, the towns fell to Mesud and Nur ad-Din.

There is scant evidence for Joscelin's life between 1151 and 1164. Although his father died in 1159, still a Christian despite conversion attempts, his fortunes improved, and he gradually acquired prestige and influence. His elder sister, Agnes, married Baldwin's younger brother Amalric in 1157, having been widowed from her first husband, Reginald, when he died at Inab. She fought to improve Joscelin's fortunes, and the historian John La Monte characterized her view of Joscelin as "that ambitious affection which caused her to push his interests at every occasion and to secure for him his great position in Jerusalem".

Baldwin enfeoffed Joscelin as early as 1150 with lands outside of Acre and revenue from its harbor. From 1156 to 1157 he militarily recovered Burj ar-Risas, but it fell back into Nur ad-Din's hands soon after. Joscelin became marshal of Jerusalem sometime after 7 June 1156, and sometime before 1163, possibly around 1158, he was made the bailli of Harim. In response to his father's death, Joscelin raided towards Aleppo. However, Andrew Buck believes that he only used Harim as a base to launch raids, and never truly governed it. He may have been recognized as titular count of Edessa after his father's death. Joscelin was deemed one of the most illustrious and brave Franks by Muslim chroniclers. He was named godfather to his nephew, Agnes' son Baldwin, at his baptism in 1160, a sign of his influence.

In November 1160 or 1161, Reynald of Châtillon, the new Prince of Antioch, was ambushed and captured in battle by Nur ad-Din's brother. Emperor Manuel, the technical suzerain of Antioch, was supposed to address this, but instead King Baldwin named Constance's young son Bohemond III as prince, and entrusted the principality's government to Aimery of Limoges, the Latin Patriarch of Antioch. Baldwin himself died on 10 February 1162, and was succeeded by Amalric. The members of the High Court of Jerusalem felt threatened by the Courtenays–the house of Joscelin and Agnes–and forced Amalric to annull his marriage to Agnes on the grounds of consanguinity to take up rule. Agnes was thus never queen, but kept the rank of countess, and her children kept their royal status.

Captivity

In 1163, Nur ad-Din was defeated by a united Christian army at the Battle of al-Buqaia. He retaliated in 1164, taking advantage of Amalric's absence in Egypt and besieged Harim. This provoked a northern coalition which included Bohemond III of Antioch, Raymond III of Tripoli, Joscelin III, and Hugh VIII of Lusignan, which initially managed to drive off Nur ad-Din. The coalition overeagerly pursued and was crushed, with every leader captured including Joscelin, except for Thoros II of Armenia. Harim fell to Nur ad-Din two days later. According to William of Tyre, Joscelin was captured a few months before Reynald of Châtillon in 1160 or 1161, and this is accepted by Steven Runciman.

By the time that Joscelin had been released he was probably around 42, but nothing is known about his life while he was captive. Multiple of Joscelin's co-captives were released before him, with Bohemond III being the earliest, released after less than a year, and Raymond III by 1174 at the latest. Shirkuh, Nur ad-Din's lieutenant, conquered Egypt in 1169, but died soon after, and was succeeded by his nephew, Saladin, with a joint Jerusalemite-Byzantine attempt to dislodge him being unsuccessful. Amalric's death in 1174 and Nur ad-Din's death in the same year allowed Saladin to advance into Syria without significant resistance.

Agnes, now married to Reginald of Sidon, sought her brother's release until 1176. Negotiations between Bohemond III and Gumushtekin, atabeg of Aleppo, who had allied with Bohemond against Saladin, saw Gumushtekin release the last of his Christian prisoners, including Joscelin and Reynald of Châtillon, in exchange for significant sums. Agnes paid part of Joscelin's ransom of 50,000 dinars, and Joscelin also agreed to an alliance with Gumushtekin.

Baron and seneschal

First years

Without any lands, Joscelin returned to the Kingdom of Jerusalem and entered the court of the new king, his nephew Baldwin IV, complicating court politics. Raymond III of Tripoli had served as regent since his marriage to Eschiva of Bures in 1174. Joscelin and Reynald took up leadership of a rival, militarily aggressive party to that of Raymond composed of newcomers and Templars. As the king reached the age of majority, Raymond was dismissed as regent, and Joscelin received the kingdom's seneschalship. Seneschalship included charge over the royal castles, bureaucracy, finances, and ceremonies including the proceedings of the High Court. The seneschal was generally below the constable, but Joscelin was chief minister. The historian Bernard Hamilton views the decision as prudent; Joscelin proved a loyal and competent administrator.

Joscelin was married to Agnes of Milly, which netted him as a dowry Chateau du Roi and Montfort Castle, northeast of Acre. He received a fief from Bohemond III which included the revenues of multiple towns and abbeys, which would be returned if he ever regained his Edessan lands. Saladin invaded in autumn of 1177, but his army became relaxed. Baldwin marched against the threat with as many men as he could find but the army, of which Joscelin was a part, was outnumbered. After initially indecisive fighting, the Muslims were routed at the Battle of Montgisard in November.

The seneschal's new lands made up the nucleus for the so-called Seigneury of Count Joscelin, a scattered lordship. Over the course of 1179, he rounded out his estates in the Acre area. In April, he purchased the fief of John de Bellême for 7,500 bezants. His purchase of further lands from Petromilla, the viscountess of Acre, was for 4,500 bezants and was confirmed by 22 October. Joscelin also purchased the territory of St George de Labanea in November. Many Jerusalemite barons held mixed fiefs, and Joscelin was no exception, with rents in Acre, Tyre, and elsewhere. Otherwise, little is known of Joscelin's actions between 1176 and 1180. He appears on nine charters between 1176 and 1180, and his growing importance is reflected in his position as second on witness lists after Reynald of Châtillon.

Factional politics

As Baldwin's leprosy advanced, so did the issue of Sibylla's marriage. She was Baldwin's sister and Agnes' daughter, and her husband could succeed Baldwin as king. Her first husband, William Longsword of Montferrat, died in June 1177 less than a year after their marriage in October 1176. According to Ernoul, who served Balian of Ibelin, Sibylla fell in love with Baldwin of Ibelin (Balian's brother), but he was captured at the Battle of Marj Ayyun. As he travelled to Constantinople to seek aid in paying his ransom, Agnes supported Guy of Lusignan, the younger brother of Amalric of Lusignan, and betrothed him to Sibylla.

This has been accepted by multiple historians including Steven Runciman. However, the story is in the genre of a courtly love narrative, and William of Tyre, who arrived in Jerusalem some weeks after the events, gives a different narrative. According to him, Bohemond of Antioch and Raymond of Tripoli jointly marched to Jerusalem with an army, and as his condition was worsening Baldwin feared a coup. He hastily married Sibylla to Guy in response. This alternative narration is accepted by Robert L Nicholson and the more recent Bernard Hamilton, who suggests that they came to choose a husband for Sibylla to decrease the influence of Agnes' relatives. In Malcolm Barber's view, Ernoul "is not a sober writer in the manner of William of Tyre (...) he chose to weave an elaborate and romantic story around this rejection".

Sibylla's marriage split the nobility, establishing a court party centred around the Courtenays including Joscelin and Agnes, allied with the Lusignans and Reynald of Châtillon, which also seems to have opposed Byzantine cooperation. Against them were Bohemond, Raymond, and the Ibelins. Pressing their advantage, the court party siblings promoted Heraclius, the Archbishop of Caesarea, to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. William of Tyre opposed Heraclius' appointment and was excommunicated by Heraclius in April 1181. He travelled to Rome, to appeal to the papal court in 1182 or 1183, and died there before more action was taken.

Meanwhile, Joscelin was sent on a diplomatic mission to Constantinople in 1180, essentially as an ambassador. Baldwin was eager to confirm that the Franks still needed Byzantine protection and to relay to Manuel the events of the year, and possibly to coordinate Frankish and Byzantine policy against Saladin and the Seljuks. Manuel died during the course of the visit, and was succeeded by his young son Alexius II. The mission was ultimately successful, as Alexius' mother and regent, Mary of Antioch, renewed the alliance. Joscelin did not return until the summer of 1181, which left an absence in government that was partially filled by the king himself and Joscelin's sister Agnes.

Joscelin's power continued to clearly rise, and in a charter from 8 November 1181, he is first on the witness list. In two other charters he appeared as third witness. On 6 February 1182, Baldwin confirmed Joscelin's grant of a hundredweight of sugar to the Hospitallers, and Joscelin received multiple grants of revenue from the king in 1181 and 1182, including the fief of Saint Elias. An intentional effect of Baldwin's grants was to leave Joscelin in control of the area around Acre and Tyre.

With the consent of Sibylla and Guy, Joscelin exchanged Saint Elias with the important fiefs of Maron and Chastel Neuf (except for the town of Iazun), in what Nicholson called "an apparent plan (...) to bolster his power by a policy of trading lands far removed from his main fief for those closer by and thereby securing the allegiance of his near neighbours". By another exchange, Joscelin received the fealty of John de Lumbres and St George de Labanea in exchange for two towns, Labanie and Carrubie, securing a significant area west and south of his lands. On 19 March 1183, Joscelin purchased 11 towns from Geoffrey Le Tor, and acquired suzerainty over Geoffrey's remaining lands. He also exchanged his fief of Maron for one thousand bezants from the revenues of Acre and the town of Jeth.

Regency of Raymond

Alarm spread when Saladin conquered Aleppo by 11 June 1183, effectively encircling the Franks. As Baldwin's illness suddenly rapidly worsened, he appointed Guy as bailli (regent) with the promise he would not attempt to take power during the king's lifetime. When Saladin invaded, a new tax had allowed the Christians to raise a significant army, and all the major leaders were present, including Joscelin. In 9 days of fighting, the Franks refused to attack and instead adopted a defensive position, ultimately forcing Saladin to retreat for lack of supplies. The army then returned to its base at Saffuriyah.

Saladin was not long deterred and attacked Kerak after a short rest at Damascus, defended by Reynald, Joscelin, and others. Guy's perceived cowardice damaged his reputation, and on 10 November 1183 his hopes of succeeding Baldwin were dashed when he was dismissed as regent, with Baldwin taking up responsibility, and the young Baldwin V was crowned co-King. Joscelin and Reynald were absent at Kerak. At Kerak, the defenders were at a serious disadvantage, but a relief mission led by Raymond of Tripoli repulsed Saladin, as Baldwin was too sick to command and he was an experienced general. Guy's relationship with the king collapsed around this time. Baldwin sought to deprive Guy of his lordship and successfully seized his land at Jaffa by breaking into the city, but as it was clear that Guy would not surrender without a fight. Heraclius and the masters of the military orders attempted to intercede with Baldwin for Guy to avoid a civil war, but were not heard, and withdrew in anger.

Raymond was appointed as regent probably around early 1185 for Baldwin V until he reached the age of majority, which would be in 10 years. He refused to serve as Baldwin V's guardian, for fear that if the boy died he would be blamed, and that position instead went to Joscelin, the boy's great-uncle, who took care of him "as well as he could" in Acre. Another stipulation was that if Baldwin V died prematurely, Raymond would remain regent with the barons' support until the Pope, the Holy Roman Emperor, and the kings of England and France could decide on his successor. All castles were given to the military orders, but Raymond was left with Beirut to pay for his expenses.

The leper-king, Baldwin IV, died a few weeks later in March 1185, sometime before 16 March. Agnes also died around this time, sometime between September 1184 and 21 October 1186. Joscelin was the executor of her will, and he was acknowledged to have discharged its provisions "satisfactorily". Saladin renewed his attacks and attacked Kerak and other towns, but after failing to take the castle, he agreed to a truce. Baldwin V was able to succeed to the throne without incident after his uncle's death. The peace allowed Joscelin to continue enlarging his territory, helped by favors from his royal ward. Joscelin purchased two fiefs from Guy and Sibylla in February 1185, which had originally belonged to the late Agnes. In a charter from 16 May 1185, Joscelin was the second witness behind Reynald of Châtillon.

Road to Hattin

Queenmaker

Baldwin V died in Acre, in August 1186. Joscelin saw his opportunity and reacted by seizing power; he visited Raymond of Tripoli and convinced him to travel to Tiberias while Joscelin and the Templars took the body to Jerusalem, where it would be buried. With Raymond gone, Joscelin occupied Tyre, Raymond's fief of Beirut, and Acre for Sibylla, securing most of the royal domain. However, more recent historians have pointed out that the story, as presented by Ernoul's Eracles, would require Raymond to have acted with "unbelievable political ineptitude," as "Both Raymond and Joscelin were practised political campaigners and neither had any reason to trust the other’s ambitions". Alternatively, Raymond may have agreed to travel to Tiberias muster his own supporters. Sibylla, Guy, and their supporters, including Joscelin, stayed at the king's funeral. Reynald of Châtillon successfully won popular support in Acre.

Contemporaries believed that Raymond was maneuvering to claim the throne himself. As lawful regent, he summoned his supporters to Nablus. Those present included the Ibelins, Raymond's stepsons, Balian's stepdaughter Isabella, and her husband Humphrey of Toron. Based on Ernoul's account, Sibylla's supporters were largely centred on Joscelin and Reynald, but the two figures were powerful enough to establish a political base with the allegiance of the Templars, Hospitallers, and Patriarch Heraclius. Hamilton suggests that Sibylla's support base was significantly larger than that and that Raymond had underestimated her.

Sibylla was forced by her supporters to divorce Guy if she was to accede to the throne, possibly with the hope that her candidacy would be more acceptable without Guy. Sibylla agreed on the condition that Guy retained his counties of Jaffa and Ascalon, their children were legitimised, and that she had the right to choose her new husband herself. Perhaps believing that they had won good-faith by ousting Guy, Sibylla's party invited the nobles at Nablus to her coronation. They refused, and even sent two Cistercian monks to forbid it.

Raymond continued to claim the right to act as regent until the western rulers could select a king as prescribed under Baldwin. Roger of Moulings, the Grand Master of the Hospitallers, held out for a few hours in Acre. He ultimately gave in and swore off responsibility, allowing Sibylla to be crowned late in the summer, possibly in September. Although Guy remained unpopular even among Sibylla's supporters, she outwitted and surprised those assembled by having Guy crowned with her; having claimed the right to choose her husband, she simply chose Guy again. Joscelin was the driving force behind Sibylla's accession, and Nicholson calls him "[the coup's] prime mover and author".

Consolidation and internal dissent

The Nablus faction attempted to crown Humphrey of Toron, whose wife, Isabel, was the younger half-sister of Sibylla, but he instead fled to Sibylla and did homage to her. At the site of this, almost the entire baronage save for Raymond and Baldwin of Ibelin surrendered to Sibylla. Shortly afterwards, Guy held his first assembly at Acre. Baldwin of Ibelin was summoned to pay homage, but he instead saluted the king, and left his lands at Ramla to his son Thomas, who would pay homage when he came of age. He himself travelled to Antioch and was welcomed by Bohemond III, an enemy of Guy's party.

On 21 October 1186, as a reward for bringing him to power, the king granted Joscelin the fiefs of Banias and Toron, currently under Muslim occupation. They were formerly held by Humphrey of Toron, but he exchanged them in 1180 for a money-fief of 7,000 bezants. If the High Court returned them to Humphrey, Joscelin would be compensated with the revenues that Humphrey had traded for them. As a result of his several exchanges in the past decade, Joscelin was left with the entire mountainous territory from Acre, which he held, to Tyre, and additional wealth from his many money-fiefs.

Joscelin essentially allied himself with Guy, allowing the king to choose the guardians of his two daughters if he died prematurely, and marrying them to Guy's family members. The political situation deteriorated, which threatened Joscelin and his gains. Gerard de Ridefort, the Master of the Templars and a personal enemy of Raymond of Tripoli, advised Guy to besiege him in his stronghold of Tiberias and force his surrender. Raymond responded by placing himself under Saladin's protection and allowing Muslim troops into Tiberias, causing Guy to retreat so as to not renew the war. The Estoire d'Eracles attempted to paint Raymond's action as a legitimate defence against Guy's oppression. Marshall W. Baldwin, following this, called Raymond's action an act of defence, and "neither an act of treason nor particularly unusual", and Runciman viewed this action as wise, though still treasonous, but this view was not held by contemporaries; Kamal al-Din, a Muslim chronicler, was shocked, and others reported that Saladin promised to make Raymond king. In Hamilton's view, "the plain name for Raymond's action is treason (...) by allowing Saladin's troops to invade Tiberias he was betraying his fellow Franks".

Hattin and consequences

Hattin campaign

Reynald of Châtillon attacked a merchant convoy in 1186 or early 1187, and went away with considerable booty. This action ended the truce, as when Saladin complained to Guy, Reynald was not punished. This put pressure on Raymond, who could no longer claim that Saladin was simply assisting him against Guy. As it became clear that Saladin would not renew the truce, set to expire on 5 April 1187, Guy met with the High Court after Easter (29 March 1187). By the time the meeting had ended Saladin had already declared war. Saladin launched a full-scale invasion of the kingdom and besieged Kerak and Montreal, trapping Reynald in his castle. Saladin's son Al-Afdal sent a force to raid around Acre, and a severely outnumbered force from the military orders led by Gerard of Ridefort was crushed at the Battle of Cresson on 1 May 1187.

Shortly afterwards, there was a general reconciliation. On 1 May, Raymond fell to his knees before King Guy at the Hospitaller castle of St. Job, and was lifted up by the king. Raymond also agreed to send away all the Muslim troops in Tiberias, and all parties mustered their armies at Saffuriyah. Bohemond of Antioch also sent aid in the form of 50 knights under the command of his son, Raymond, but he was prevented from assisting further due to Turkmen bands on his frontiers. Despite the sudden unity, the situation remained severe; Gerard of Ridefort relayed it to the Pope, and he relayed it to Henry II of England, but by then it was too late. There remained a suspicion of Raymond III, which Joscelin likely held as well.

Guy summoned all of the tenants-in-chief of the Kingdom of Jerusalem to his side, including Joscelin. Using the money deposited by Henry II of England, the crusaders assembled "the largest army ever mustered by the Franks" near Nazareth, with 12,000 men including 1,200 knights. A disagreement took place among the Frankish high command, as Saladin had now invaded Tiberias, placing Raymond of Tripoli's wife Eschiva under great threat. Raymond advocated a defensive strategy under the summer heat, hoping that Saladin would either retreat or advance, opening himself up to counterattack. By contrast, Reynald and Gerard successfully convinced Guy to attack and relieve Tiberias by questioning Raymond's loyalty.

The difficult march, almost entirely without water, and persistent Muslim harassment weakened the army, and Saladin's generals prevented the Franks from reaching another source of water further on. The Franks reached the Horns of Hattin by the afternoon of 3 July. Saladin and his army was able to surround the Franks and kill all those in search of water by Saturday, 4 July, as well as lighting fires to create blinding smoke. At the Battle of Hattin, Raymond of Tripoli, his stepsons, and Raymond of Antioch (Bohemond's son), commanded the vanguard, while Joscelin and Balian of Ibelin commanded the rearguard. Either on his own initiative or Guy's command, Raymond charged with his stepsons, Joscelin, Raymond of Antioch, Reginald of Sidon, and Balian of Ibelin. They were let through and made their way to Tyre after stopping at Safed, but the rest of the army was crushed, and all of its main leaders captured. Although Ernoul's Eracles claims that Joscelin managed to escape with this group, all other primary sources report his capture; he may be identified with a "Count Gabula" that was caught in the battle, but he was apparently free shortly afterwards.

Sieges of Tyre and Acre

Joscelin managed to make his way to Acre as Taqi ad-Din, Saladin's general, was ordered to seize it on 7 July. Joscelin took counsel with the burgesses. On their advice, he surrendered the stronghold to Taqi ad-Din two days later with the understanding that the population could depart freely. Historians have criticised Joscelin for his failure to put up a defence, though other crusader strongholds that held fell as well. Shortly afterwards, the rest of Joscelin's holdings, alongside most of the kingdom's inland fortresses, were overrun by Saladin.

Joscelin participated in the defense of Tyre, alongside the rest of the refugee barons and the acting heads of the religious orders. The city quickly proved too difficult and Saladin moved on to easier targets. Joscelin was a witness and signatory to the agreement with the Genoese in July 1187, who alongside the Pisans had agreed to support the crusaders for economic benefits. That, and the strengthening of its fortifications allowed the defenders of Tyre to hold out again when Saladin returned in November.

Guy was freed by Saladin in 1188, and immediately he rallied all the available Crusader forces and launched a siege of Acre, which began to drag on. He was reinforced by crusaders from the west, as well as Crusader barons including Joscelin. Saladin led a relief attempt that was repulsed by Conrad of Montferrat, but his naval forces choked the crusaders and caused a shortage of food and water, causing the rivalry between Conrad and Guy to be put aside. The seneschal Joscelin attested a charter of Guy on 10 April 1190, giving rights within Acre to the citizens of Amalfi. Guy and Sibylla gave out several grants to western groups, and Joscelin was witness to these on 25 October and mid-September 1190.

Illness spread through the Frankish camp, not only killing Sibylla and her daughters, but creating new conflict. Guy's claim to the throne was through Sibylla, and without it Conrad could again challenge him for the title of king. Sibylla's half-sister, Isabel's claim to the throne, was tied down by her husband Humphrey of Toron, but their marriage was annulled. She soon remarried to Conrad. Conrad refused to be called king until his expected coronation. A new illness spread throughout the 1190-1191 winter that killed many of the barons. Weakened by illness and starvation, the crusaders failed to scale the walls of Acre in December, and failed to capitalize on a breach in January. The situation was made worse by news of a Muslim relief force.

The arrival of a grain ship in March 1191, and the arrival of Richard I of England and Philip II of France in April, and Acre fell soon afterwards. Joscelin's later career is unclear to the point that "the date of his death cannot be determined with certainty". He may have died during the siege of Acre, identified with a comes Ioscelinus reported to have fell. If he lived, Joscelin's political situation would have been fatally undermined by Guy leaving to rule the Kingdom of Cyprus, leaving Isabel and her new husband Henry of Champagne, and ending the Lusignan-Courtney alliance. Nicholson's estimate of his death is around 1199–1200 based, and by this view he would have lived to be replaced as seneschal in January 1194. After an absence in any record, he may have been the Joscelin (with no title) who witnessed a 26 August 1199 charter.

Assessment

During his stay as seneschal under Baldwin IV, he was seemingly chiefly responsible for royal finances, and in this position he was both highly competent and loyal, in Hamilton's view. Robert Nicholson calls his tenure "not outstanding," but "certainly respectable".

In Nicholson's view, Joscelin had the potential to perform as well in war as his grandfather, Joscelin I, and was respected as a military leader during the 1150s and 60s, before his capture at Harim. However, after 1181, Nicholson also points to an increasing "lack of clarity" in judgement based on his support of the "patently incompetent" Guy of Lusignan; he contrasts Joscelin's "pathetic" later career with his "outstanding military and political record" earlier on. Jean Richard, following William of Tyre, openly accused Joscelin and Agnes as openly appropriating funds from the royal treasury. He called Joscelin "the most grasping of them all" and accused him of enriching himself at the expense of the crown.

The characterization of Joscelin and his sister Agnes as "ignorant warmongers," has recently been criticised by Helen J. Nicholson. In her view, Joscelin was an experienced and respected political actor, and having experienced its privations was "under no illusions about the costs of war". Part of the reason for Joscelin's reputation was William of Tyre, who was completely opposed to his political faction. This negative reputation also extended to his sister, Agnes, who Hamilton alternatively characterizes as "a worthy daughter-in-law of Queen Melisende" and "clearly a remarkably clever woman".

In the view of Hans Eberhard Mayer, Joscelin began as a "count without a county", but rose to become seneschal and, "through sheer greed," succeeded in building up the Seigneury of Count Joscelin in the region of Acre. John LaMonte called Joscelin's lordship "one of the greatest seigneuries in the East", but without the traditional cohesive structures of other lordships, "only the shrewd and ambitious policy of Count Joscelin gave it unity". Joscelin's ambitions, in La Monte's view, may have been largely fulfilled by 1186, having attained control of the area between Acre and Tyre in "a most noble fief," but his gains were washed away by Saladin.

Marriage and children

After his release from captivity in 1176, Joscelin married Agnes of Milly, third daughter of Henry "the Buffalo" of Milly, Lord of Petra, (and a sister of Stephanie of Milly and Helvis de Milly[es]); by whom he had two daughters:

1. Beatrix de Courtenay (d. aft. 1245), betrothed to William of Valence, brother of Guy of Lusignan, in 1186, but married Otto von Botenlauben
2. Agnes de Courtenay, betrothed to a nephew of Guy of Lusignan in 1186, but married, by 1200, William of Amandolea, a Norman from Calabria, who became Lord of Scandeleon

Notes

Sources

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• Hamilton, Bernard (2000). The Leper King and his Heirs:Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge University Press.
• Gibb, H.A.R. (1969). "Zengi and the Fall of Edessa". In Setton, Kenneth M. (ed.). A History of the Crusades. Vol. I. University of Wisconsin Press.
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