The area is called the Horns of Hattin for the two rocky peaks that rise over the brush covered slopes behind Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee. It was here that Saladin aligned 12,000 of his knights plus an army carrying regular provisions at Tiberius. An army as well mounted and armed as anything that could be assembled by the combined forces of the Templar and Hospitaller orders. On the other side of the battlefield were the crusading forces comprised of 20,000 foot soldiers but only about 1,000 knights. This force, small by comparison, was assembled by depleting the forces of many surrounding cities thus leaving the unarmed cities open to attack.
By morning, Saladin's men had completely enclosed the crusaders. So secure had they trapped them that a chronicler of the event claimed, "not a cat could have slipped through the net." The tired crusaders were outnumbered by ten to one and as dawn approached, the Moslem horns blew heralding the coming attack. Before the crusaders lay certain death and they fought that way, charging recklessly into the battle. Seeing the Christians charging, Saladin's army did not meet the attack but instead opened up his forces allowing the crusaders to charge through. Once in Saladin closed the opening, in the process sealing the crusader's fate.
The Saracen forces then began charging up the hill in endless droves. The Christians fought back silently as more and more of the crusading force met with the death of Saladin's blades. As the day fought on, there remained but a few hundred Christian knights huddled around King Guy's tent. Saladin's son, seeing the small pack of crusaders rallied around Guy's tent cried out to his father that the infidels had been routed. His father, who said as long as the tent stood the battle had not been won, chastised him. In the tent, the trembling Guy held onto the True Cross. Another Moslem charge soon brought the tent to the desert dirt.
By morning, Saladin's men had completely enclosed the crusaders. So secure had they trapped them that a chronicler of the event claimed, "not a cat could have slipped through the net." The tired crusaders were outnumbered by ten to one and as dawn approached, the Moslem horns blew heralding the coming attack. Before the crusaders lay certain death and they fought that way, charging recklessly into the battle. Seeing the Christians charging, Saladin's army did not meet the attack but instead opened up his forces allowing the crusaders to charge through. Once in Saladin closed the opening, in the process sealing the crusader's fate.
The Saracen forces then began charging up the hill in endless droves. The Christians fought back silently as more and more of the crusading force met with the death of Saladin's blades. As the day fought on, there remained but a few hundred Christian knights huddled around King Guy's tent. Saladin's son, seeing the small pack of crusaders rallied around Guy's tent cried out to his father that the infidels had been routed. His father, who said as long as the tent stood the battle had not been won, chastised him. In the tent, the trembling Guy held onto the True Cross. Another Moslem charge soon brought the tent to the desert dirt.
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