Justifying Cross-Cultural Friendship: Bohemond, Firuz, and the Fall of Antioch
Rebecca L. Slitt
The friendship between Bohemond, one of the leaders First Crusade, and Firuz, a Muslim resident city Antioch, was militarily important, but philosophically difficult from perspective Latin Christian chroniclers writing in eleventh twelfth centuries because it did not conform to Western ideals friendship. Therefore, order make this relationship more palatable them their audience, used two main strategies. Either they asserted that Firuz’s social class and/or religion were same as Bohemond’s, thus making him closely chroniclers’ idea an acceptable choice friend; or enhanced image Bohemond’s power, turning relationship, like military victory, into triumph Christians over Muslims.
Viator