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A quick history in the turning point between the West and
the Moslems: The Battle of Tours 732 AD.The
following opinion was expressed about the Franks by the emir who conquered
Spain, and who—had he not been recalled—might have commanded at Tours. It shows
what the Arab leaders thought of the men of the North up to the moment of their
great disillusionment by “The Hammer.”
From an Arabian Chronicler
Musa being
returned to Damascus, the Caliph Abd-el Melek asked of him about his conquests,
saying “Now tell me about these Franks—what is their nature?”
“They,” replied Musa,
“are a folk right numerous, and full of might: brave and impetuous in the
attack, but cowardly and craven in event of defeat.”
“And how has passed
the war betwixt them and thyself? Favorably or the reverse?”
“The reverse? No, by
Allah and the prophet!” spoke Musa. “Never has a company from my army been
beaten. And never have the Moslems hesitated to follow me when I have led them;
though they were twoscore to fourscore.”
Isidore of Beja’s Chronicle
The defeat of the
Saracen invaders of Frankish lands at Tours (more properly Poitiers) in 732 A.D.
was a turning point in history. It is not likely the Muslims, if victorious,
would have penetrated, at least at once, far into the north, but they would
surely have seized South Gaul, and thence readily have crushed the weak
Christian powers of Italy. It is very unfortunate that we do not possess
scientific accounts of Charles Martel’s great victory, instead of the
interesting but insufficient stories of the old Christian chroniclers.
Then Abderrahman, [the
Muslim emir] seeing the land filled with the multitude of his army, crossed the
Pyrenees, and traversed the defiles [in the mountains] and the plains, so that
he penetrated ravaging and slaying clear into the lands of the Franks. He gave
battle to Duke Eudes (of Aquitaine) beyond the Garonne and the Dordogne, and put
him to flight—so utterly [was he beaten] that God alone knew the number of the
slain and wounded. Whereupon Abderrahman set in pursuit of Eudes; he destroyed
palaces, burned churches, and imagined he could pillage the basilica of St.
Martin of Tours. It is then that he found himself face to face with the lord of
Austrasia, Charles, a mighty warrior from his youth, and trained in all the
occasions of arms.
For almost seven days
the two armies watched one another, waiting anxiously the moment for joining the
struggle. Finally they made ready for combat. And in the shock of the battle the
men of the North seemed like North a sea that cannot be moved. Firmly they
stood, one close to another, forming as it were a bulwark of ice; and with great
blows of their swords they hewed down the Arabs. Drawn up in a band around their
chief, the people of the Austrasians carried all before them. Their tireless
hands drove their swords down to the breasts [of the foe].
At last night sundered
the combatants. The Franks with misgivings lowered their blades, and beholding
the numberless tents of the Arabs, prepared themselves for another battle the
next day. Very early, when they issued from their retreat, the men of Europe saw
the Arab tents ranged still in order, in the same place where they had set up
their camp. Unaware that they were utterly empty, and fearful lest within the
phalanxes of the Saracens were drawn up for combat, they sent out spies to
ascertain the facts. These spies discovered that all the squadrons of the
“Ishmaelites” had vanished. In fact, during the night they had fled with the
greatest silence, seeking with all speed their home land. The Europeans,
uncertain and fearful, lest they were merely hidden in order to come back [to
fall upon them] by ambushments, sent scouting parties everywhere, but to their
great amazement found nothing. Then without troubling to pursue the fugitives,
they contented themselves with sharing the spoils and returned right gladly to
their own country.Chronicle of St. Denis
The Muslims
planned to go to Tours to destroy the Church of St. Martin, the city, and the
whole country. Then came against them the glorious Prince Charles, at the head
of his whole force. He drew up his host, and he fought as fiercely as the hungry
wolf falls upon the stag. By the grace of Our Lord, he wrought a great slaughter
upon the enemies of Christian faith, so that—as history bears witness—he slew in
that battle 300,000 men, likewise their king by name Abderrahman. Then was he
[Charles] first called “Martel,” for as a hammer of iron, of steel, and of every
other metal, even so he dashed: and smote in the battle all his enemies. And
what was the greatest marvel of all, he only lost in that battle 1500 men. The
tents and harness [of the enemy] were taken; and whatever else they possessed
became a prey to him and his followers. Eudes, Duke of Aquitaine, being now
reconciled with Prince Charles Martel, later slew as many of the Saracens as he
could find who had escaped from the battle.Source.
From: William Stearns
Davis, ed., Readings in Ancient History: Illustrative Extracts from the Sources,
2 Vols. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1912-13), Vol. II: Rome and the West, pp.
362-364.
Scanned in and
modernized by Dr. Jerome S. Arkenberg, Dept. of History, Cal. State Fullerton.
This text is part of the
Internet Medieval Source Book.
The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related
to medieval and Byzantine history.
© Paul Halsall, July
1998
halsall@murray.fordham.edu
~ by Ham on February 25, 2007.
http://mbatm27.wordpress.com/2007/02/25/arabs-franks-and-the-battle-of-tours-732-ad-three-accounts/
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