1098 CE
A critical year of the First Crusade as the crusaders endured a grueling siege at Antioch, captured the city through treachery, then survived a counterattack, while Fatimid Egypt seized Jerusalem from the Seljuk Turks.
The First Crusade
- The crusaders captured the great fortified city of Antioch on June 3 after a nearly eight-month siege, when an Armenian tower commander named Firouz opened a gate to Bohemond of Taranto's forces.
- Just days after taking Antioch, the crusaders found themselves besieged inside the city by a massive relief army under the Seljuk atabeg Kerbogha of Mosul.
- The discovery of what was claimed to be the Holy Lance beneath the Church of St. Peter in Antioch rallied crusader morale, and on June 28 they sortied out and routed Kerbogha's army in a chaotic battle.
- Bohemond of Taranto claimed Antioch for himself, breaking his oath to return it to the Byzantine emperor and establishing the Crusader Principality of Antioch.
- The Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt seized Jerusalem from the Seljuk Turks in August, hoping to negotiate with the approaching crusaders, but the crusaders had no intention of stopping short of the holy city.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 275 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
Population & Demographics
- World population is estimated to have been approximately 319 million.