Abstract

At the time of the First Crusade, numerous factors fed the tension between the Byzantines and those Western Europeans who traveled through imperial lands. However, one of these factors - the supply of food - is often assumed or taken for granted. The purpose of this article is to examine the impact that the acquisition of food had on relations between the purported allies. It seems that during the First Crusade, at a critical juncture in their ongoing social and political relationship, the supply of food seriously undermined relations between the crusaders and the Byzantines, gravely tarnishing political and military negotiations, and setting a precedent that clouded future interaction. Further, logistical issues appear to shed light on divisions among the social classes, namely, how individuals in the same army, but of different backgrounds, might interpret a similar event in distinctive ways