Getting Away with Murder: Runciman and Conrad of Montferrat’s Career in Constantinople

Gilchrist, Marianne McLeod

Abstract

In his 'History of the Crusades' vol. 2 (1952), Steven Runciman claimed that Conrad of Montferrat arrived in Tyre in 1187 after involvement in ‘a murder’ in Constantinople. This alleged murder was Conrad’s defeat in battle of the rebel general Alexios Vranas, described by Niketas Choniates and other chroniclers. Runciman’s use of sources is examined, together with possible reasons for misrepresenting the incident. Questions are raised about the relationship between academic and popular historiography through the uncritical repetition of the murder accusation in later popular works, and Conrad’s stereotyping in English-language fiction.

Citation

Gilchrist, M. M. (2012). Getting Away with Murder: Runciman and Conrad of Montferrat’s Career in Constantinople. The Mediaeval Journal, 2(1), 15-36. https://doi.org/10.1484/j.tmj.1.102770

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2012-01
• Deposit Date: Oct 13, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 10, 2022
• Journal: The Mediaeval Journal
• Print ISSN: 2033-5385
• Electronic ISSN: 2033-5393
• Publisher: Brepols
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 2
• Pages: 15-36
• Series ISSN: 2033-5393
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1484/j.tmj.1.102770
• Keywords: historiography, Conrad of Montferrat, AlexiosVranas, Third Crusade, Byzantium, Steven Runciman, Niketas Choniates, Walter Scott, William Stubbs
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4094507
• Publisher URL: https://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/abs/10.1484/J.TMJ.1.102770