There is also a brief description of the provincial organisation of the Order, with particular reference to the houses in Aragon, where it is most likely that the manuscript was used; a summary of clauses; and a concordance with both de Curzon's 1886 edition of the French Rule and Delaville Le Roulx's partial transcription of the Catalan Rule. Footnotes to the English translation elucidate the text; give biographical information on the named officers of the Order where possible; and indicate significant differences from the French Rule."--BOOK JACKET.

This book presents for the first time an English translation of henri de Curzon's 1886 edition of the French Rule, derived from the three extant medieval manuscripts. Both monastic rule and military manual, the Rule is a unique document and an important historical source. The Rule is divided into seven main sections: the Primitive Rule, Hierarchical Statutes, Penances, Conventual life, the Holding of Ordinary Chapters, Further Details on Penances, and Reception into the Order. There are details of the clothing, amour and equipment to which each brother was entitled; instructions to the brothers as to their conduct while on campaign, and information on the daily life of the members of this most influential military order, and on the monastic discipline which made it a formidable fighting force. The Rule evolved over almost one hundred and fifty years of the Order's history, and is thus a dynamic piece of work showing how the Templars adapted to political change and formulated their disciplinary code. An Introduction gives the historical background to the Rule and summarises the various sections. -- from back cover.

By the bloody fall of Acre in 1291, the Knights Templar had amassed a fortune rivaling the kings of Europe. Their castles, wealth, and military prowess were in notorious contrast to their humble origins. On Friday, October 13th, 1307, Philip had all of the Templars arrested in one surprising blow throughout all the domains of France. Lamenting "a thing terrible to contemplate, horrible to hear," Phillip charged the Templars with heinous heresy, blasphemy, and homosexuality. After years of imprisonment and severe torture, many of the French Templars confessed to these crimes. Because their reputation was irrevocably damaged, Clement disbanded them and gave their property to their rivals, the Knights Hospitaller. To help understand the "guilt" of the Templars, it is necessary to look beyond the absolutes of guilt and innocence and find solace in a lovely shade of grey. By examining the heritage and tradition of Templar monasticism, the initiation ritual, and the charges made at the time of Philip's suppression, it is possible to come to a better understanding of Templar initiation rite and open new discussion on the Templar's guilt. Templar initiation rites did exist. By studying them, it is possible to see how real rituals and symbols might have been pejoratively interpreted by hostile outsiders. The resulting propaganda would lead to the destruction of one of the most powerful institutions in medieval history.

Seven hundred years after the dissolution of the order, the trial of the Templars still arouses enormous controversy and speculation. In October 1307, all the brothers of the military-religious order of the Temple in France were arrested on the instructions of King Philip IV and charged with heresy and other crimes. In 1312, Pope Clement V, at the Council of Vienne, dissolved the order. Since the 1970s, there has been increasing scholarly interest in the trial, and a series of books and articles have widened scholars' understanding of causes of this notorious affair, its course and its aftermath. However, many gaps in knowledge and understanding remain. What were the Templars doing in the months and years before the trial? Why did the king of France attack the Order? What evidence is there for the Templars' guilt? What became of the Templars and their property after the end of the Order? This book collects together the research of both junior and senior scholars from around the world in order to establish the current state of scholarship and identify areas for new research. Individual chapters examine various aspects of the background to the trial, the financial, political and religious context of the trial in France, the value of the Templars' testimonies, and consider the trial across the whole of Europe, from Poland and Cyprus to Ireland and Portugal. Rather than trying to close the discussion on the trial of the Templars, this book opens a new chapter in the ongoing scholarly debate.