Gozelo II (died 1097), presumed Count of Montaigu, son of Conon, Count of Montaigu, and Ida of Boulogne, sister of

Godfrey Godfrey may refer to: People * Godfrey (name), a given name and surname * Godfrey (comedian), American comedian, actor Places In the United States * Godfrey, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Godfrey, Illinois, a village * Godfrey, Kansas, an ...

, first ruler of the

Kingdom of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem, also known as the Crusader Kingdom, was one of the Crusader states established in the Levant immediately after the First Crusade. It lasted for almost two hundred years, from the accession of Godfrey of Bouillon in 1 ...

. As the eldest son of Conon, it is assumed that he became the count upon his father's death in 1096. As reported by both

Albert of Aix Albert of Aix(-la-Chapelle) or Albert of Aachen; ; ''fl.'' c. 1100) was a historian of the First Crusade and the early Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was born during the later part of the 11th century, and afterwards became canon (priest) and ''custos'' ( ...

and

William of Tyre William of Tyre (; 29 September 1186) was a Middle Ages, medieval prelate and chronicler. As Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tyre, archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from his predecessor, William I of Tyr ...

, Gozelo and his brother Lambert (the heirs of the count of Mortagne) took a major role in the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

, participating in the

Siege of Nicaea The siege of Nicaea was the first major battle of the First Crusade, taking place from 14 May to 19 June 1097. The city was under the control of the Seljuk Turks who opted to surrender to the Byzantines in fear of the crusaders breaking into the ...

in 1097. They then joined the army of

Robert II, Count of Flanders Robert II, Count of Flanders ( 1065 – 5 October 1111) was Count of Flanders from 1093 to 1111. He became known as Robert of Jerusalem (''Robertus Hierosolimitanus'') or Robert the Crusader after his exploits in the First Crusade. Early lif ...

, marching on

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

. Gozelo never made it to the subsequent siege, dying of disease in

Artah Artah (; modern-day Reyhanlı) was a medieval town and castle located 25 miles east-northeast of Antioch, to the east of the Iron Bridge on the Roman road from Antioch to Aleppo. History After the loss of Syria to the Arabs during the 7th century ...

. Gozelo left no heirs and was succeeded by his brother Lambert as Count of Montaigu.

References

Bibliography

* *{{citation, last=Runciman , first= Steven , series=A History of the Crusades , volume =1, title= The First Crusade and the Foundation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem , publisher=Cambridge University Press , place= Cambridge , year= 1951

Primary sources

*Albert of Aix (Albertus Aquensis), ''Liber Christianae Expeditionis pro Ereptione, Emundatione et Restituitione Sanctae Hierosolymitanae Ecclesiae'', in R.H.C.Occ., vol. iv *William of Tyre, ''Historia Rerum in Partibus Transmarinis Gestarum'', in R.H.C.Occ, vol. i, parts i and ii

External links

11th-century counts in Europe 1097 deaths Christians of the First Crusade Counts of Montaigu