The Templars were members of a monastic order established in 1099 after the success of the First Crusade. Enjoying the support of both the Church and the laity and vowed to poverty, chastity and obedience, these "fighting monks" were the vital defenders of the holy places of the Latin States in Palestine and Syria. This collection of translated sources documents the origins of the Order and the circumstances of its suppression and dissolution. It offers a valuable insight into the lives of those who joined, supported, and attacked this most fascinating and enigmatic of institutions, and examines the many and varied facets of the Order's activities during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
