Gladiatorial Games in Ancient Rome

Gladiatorial Games in Ancient Rome Little doubt the gladiatorial games at Rome’s Colosseum would have been blood-fuelled, brutal spectacles. The knowledge of the games has been left through stories, letters and poems of great Roman politicians and writers. This essay will briefly examine how various Roman writers responded to the games, and how those reactions were similar or different. The conclusion will identify reasons why these writers may have held their opinions about the games. Seneca, a politician who died around 65 CE, has the same attitude as Cicero, displaying no satisfaction in the Roman gladiatorial shows. However, Seneca condemns the shows in a direct fashion. First, he declares no trust in one’s ability to retain their moral character when one is engulfed in a crowd. One’s moral character becomes damaged, becoming â€Å"more greedy, more ambitious, more self-indulgent†¦more cruel and inhuman.†[6] Second, Seneca proclaims that one does not find entertainment in the shows, only â€Å"sheer butchery.†[7] As any victor in one challenge is simply offered in the next fight, the shows teach lessons in cruelty to those who cannot benefit from it.[8] Martial, on the other hand, glorifies the gladiatorial games. Martial lived from 40 -103 CE and might have been connected to Seneca’s family. Martial’s â€Å"On the Spectacles† exalts Rome’s Colosseum to the highest level, comparing its greatness to the wonders of the world, such as Babylon’s gardens.[9] Martial believes that the fallen in the arena have a just end as only guilty criminals or animals fall in the arena. â€Å"On the Spectacles† vividly describes the gore and encourages those from far away to witness the spectacle for themselves, almost like a tourist advertisement.[10] Statius, who wrote around the same time as Martial, has a different view on the games in â€Å"The Tame Lion.† This poem mourns the death of one lion in the arena. So tragic is it that the king of hunters has been tamed that even Caesar sheds a tear for the fallen lion.[11] This directly contrasts Martial’s image of a â€Å"treacherous lion† that had dared to violate and harm his master.[12] Statius views the loss of the beast as tragic, Martial as deserved. â€Å"The Tame Lion† shows that Statius believes that the gladiatorial games diminish the glory of hunters. In a letter to Valerius Maximus, Pliny the Younger praises the politician for putting on a great spectacle for the people of Verona. Pliny was a politician who lived from 61-112 CE. Pliny declared it a suitable event for a funeral tribute to Valerius Maximus’s wife.[13] Pliny’s attitude about the games is neutral, expressing neither dislike nor affection for the spectacles, which is unsurprising in a document addressed to one who holds the games. What the letter does reveal is that Pliny believes the games are necessary gestures of generosity when the public demands such events. Thus, unlike many of the other Roman writers, Pliny finds value in the games in that they satisfy the desires of the public. St. Augustine lives much later than the other writers featured in this essay, between 354-430 CE. By this time Christianity had been accepted as a religion in the Roman Empire. St. Augustine was one of the great Christian philosophers. In â€Å"The Story of Alypius†, St. Augustine reveals a similar reaction to the games as Seneca’s reaction, that is, once surrounded in a crowd, one’s character will be irreparably damaged. In the story, Alypius attends the games believing he is strong enough to resist temptation of the cruel games. The problem, according to St. Augustine, is that Alypius trusted in himself instead of God, and he too falls prey to the savage games.[14] As St. Augustine was a Christian philosopher, there is little wonder that he declared those who viewed â€Å"the wickedness of fighting† as ones filled with â€Å"savage passion.†[15] St. Augustine would have linked the games with Rome’s Pagan past. Thus, most of the Roman writers believe that the games are bloodthirsty events, offering entertainment of little value. Pliny the Younger’s belief that the games are necessary for public goodwill stands out from the others. Many of them critique the games in a negative way, focusing on how being part of a crowd may harm one’s moral character. Martial is one of the few writers who directly praises the spectacles. Perhaps he was trying to gain favour from the Emperor, as â€Å"On the Spectacles† reads like a tourist advertisement for the games at the Colosseum. St. Augustine’s view on the games is not surprising. As a Christian philosopher, he would have wanted the Roman Empire to distance itself from events that were notable in its former Pagan past. Clearly, the writings show that the spectacles at the Colosseum were controversial affairs. References Augustine, St., â€Å"The Story of Alypius† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Cicero, â€Å"Pompey’s Shows† in Resource Book 1, Open University. _____. â€Å"Philosophical Discussion† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Martial, â€Å"On the Spectacles† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Pliny the Younger, â€Å"Letter to Valerius Maximus† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Seneca, â€Å"Letter 7† in Resource Book 1, Open University. Statius, â€Å"The Tame Lion† in Resource Book 1, Open University. 1 Footnotes [1] Cicero, Philosophical Discussion, 98. [2] Ibid. [3] Cicero, Pompey’s Shows, 97. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [6] Seneca, Letter 7, 99. [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] Martial, On The Spectacles, 91-92. [10] Ibid., 93. [11] Statius, The Tame Lion, 98. [12] Martial, On The Spectacles, 92. [13] Pliny, Letter to Valerius Maximus, 96. [14] St. Augustine, The Story of Alypius, 100. [15] Ibid.

Industry Analysis Paper

Athletic Footwear Industry Analysis When you think of athletic footwear what are your first thoughts? Nike? Under armor? Skechers? K-Swiss? All these companies have a common type of product/category called athletic footwear that they all sell and make a huge profit from. Throughout our analysis we will focus primarily on the United States Market industry compared to the International industry in athletic footwear/ running shoes. Within the United States there is a wide variety of different types of shoes but one of the most trend setting shoes that provide the most income are athletic footwear/ running shoes.The United States has over 10 billion dollars of revenue of profit that the athletic footwear industry provides and is one of the largest markets for athletic apparel and footwear in the world, which will provide a sufficient analysis for us to determine (Athletic Shoe Stores in the US: Market Research Report, IBISWorld 1999). This will allow us to focus on a market that we are f amiliar with and will penetrate the industry down to make a more accurate analysis on the industry athletic footwear/ running shoes. We will be analyzing women and men’s retail running shoes through their industry activities.This will declare an accurate competition level between different competitors throughout the industry’s products. Athletic running footwear has had an extreme demand of athletic apparel due to increasing number of athletes and the growing health awareness among the people of the US (Ken Research in Footwear, Market Research 2013). There is more of a demand for women’s running shoes compared to men with the increase of interest to jogging/running for the women population (Ken Research in Footwear, Market Research 2013). We will be analyzing all aspects of the United States industry within the men and women’s attire of running footwear.Some of the trends in the general environment of the athletic footwear industry are the economic clima te, healthy and active lifestyle, and fashion trends. In every retail industry the current state of the economy can greatly affect the environment. If the economy is in a depression that effects the shopping patterns of their consumers and as a result becomes a threat to the industry. The athletic footwear industry took a hit when the recession decelerated the US economy in 2008 (Smith). Many American’s were struggling financial which led to the athletic footwear industry to take a hit in their profit margins as well.Companies had to discount their products to keep a high volume of sales (Smith). The economic climate also plays a role in the rising population and disposable income levels of consumers. In 2010, consumers felt more confident financially by having more disposable income and began purchasing items like athletic footwear more frequently (Smith). The industry was able to gain leverage to increase prices and focus the consumer on quality and not price (Smith). The i ncreased level of income allows consumers to afford a premium-priced shoe which is driving the industry’s profit margins today (Smith).Both income levels and general population are continuously growing which becomes an opportunity for the industry to capture as much of the market as possible. Another trend that is affecting the industry is the healthy and active lifestyle. Obesity is at an all-time high and the lifestyle of healthy living is becoming a major part of our culture (Smith). This trend has encouraged consumers to exercise more and therefore need athletic shoes (Smith). This is a major opportunity for the industry because their product is directly related to the culture change we are headed in.Finally fashion trends have become a big role in the footwear industry. The market is in demand for innovative designs, styles, and celebrity endorsements. Some consumers in the industry are looking for footwear that is specifically made to help them perform better while othe rs look for shoes as a fashion trend. The current trend of light weight footwear is attractive to runners because it helps them perform better. The industry is currently thriving on profit from running shoes (Townsend). And in 2010 sales surged when the trend of light weight shoes with styles of neon hues hit the market (Townsend).Consumers are now wearing those bright colored shoes as a fashion trend whether it be on the track or on the city sidewalks (Adams). They are not afraid to pay up for shoes that are comfortable and trendy (Townsend). The industry also uses celebrities in marketing their products to reach consumers. Athletes like Michael Jordan and Lace Armstrong contributed to the success of athletic shoe companies. Many consumers look up to these athletes for motivation and in return will buy shoes because they are wearing the same style or brand of shoe.These trends are an opportunity for the industry because it allows companies to fill the need of consumers and in retur n they become profitable. The first threat identified by the five forces framework is the threat of new entrants. New entrants are firms that have either recently started operating in an industry or that threaten to begin operations in an industry soon. The athletic footwear industry is a very difficult industry to come into. This is because of the market in which the footwear industry operates, is highly saturated.This saturated market combined with the economies of scale in production, research and development, and marketing make a company have to operate in large scale to be cost effective in the industry (Athletic Footwear: Industry Analysis). Also, the main companies in this industry have major cost advantages independent of scale. Their management know-how that they have developed over the years united with their learning curve allows them to dominate this industry (Athletic Footwear: Industry Analysis). The second threat is the threat of rivalry, which is the intensity of com petition among a firm’s direct competitors, is high for this industry.The main factor of the competitiveness of the industry is due to the fact that industry rivals compete aggressively against one another for vital market share. The athletic shoe industry is very old and companies must focus on market share rather than concentrating on market growth. The athletic footwear market is expected to grow at a continual annual growth rate of 1. 8% from 2011 to 2018 to reach 84. 4 billion by 2018 (PRWeb). Non-athletic footwear is the largest market segment and is expected to grow faster than the athletic footwear sector.Various fashion trends in the market, such as demand for innovative designs and styles and celebrity endorsement, is driving the non-athletic footwear market (PRWeb). This new trend in the footwear industry makes the way companies compete vary vastly from company to company. Innovative companies such as Nike strive for product differentiation as well as massive marke ting strategies, but other brands such as Sketchers attempt to capture the low budget appeal. 70% of the market share is made up of the top five players which include Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Puma and New Balance (PRWeb).Other key companies are Asics, Converse, Sketchers and K-Swiss. The popularity of local manufacturers and growing piracy in developing countries remains the major challenge for global footwear manufacturers (PRWeb). With the new trend of switching from athletic footwear to non-athletic footwear, it makes the threat of substitution very high. The consumers’ ability to buy a non-athletic shoe is effortless, especially due to the increased focus on value for money and looking for simple, hard-wearing shoes that last (Report Linker). When it comes to the suppliers in the athletic shoe industry it has a low threat to the companies.There are a large number of firms that are able to supply the materials and basic needs of the companies. To add onto the limited threat c aused by the suppliers, their industry is not dominated by a small number of firms. The athletic footwear companies are able to exert their extensive power over their suppliers on the three homogeneous raw materials of cotton, rubber, and foam needed to make a shoe (Athletic Footwear: Industry Analysis). Even though the threat of suppliers is not an issue for this industry, the buyers can play a key factor when it comes to the decision making process.Buyers have a low threat risk because of the vast number of individual buyers, but there are few switching costs for them to switch to a new shoe brand. This causes companies in this industry to focus on the buyer’s needs and wants when it comes to designing a shoe. The five forces model shows that overall profitability can be high for this industry. The cost it takes to produce the actual shoe itself is very low, but the limited amount of major companies that are continually rivaling one another allow them to dominate this indus try and make it extremely difficult for new comers to last.The knowledge and skills that companies such as Nike have acquired over the years allow them to stay on top as well. The companies low production costs and high markup costs allow those firms in this industry to thrive to the point of their limits. But because these companies have grown so large, they must compete viciously against one another for the same customers. The main competitors of Nike in the shoe industry are K-Swiss, Skechers, and Under Armour. These are the publicly traded companies and are in direct competition in shoes. Nike dominates the market and has 42% of domestic market share in the United States (Articlebase).Recent net sales reports Nike at $24. 12 billion (Market Watch), K-Swiss at $268. 36 million, Skechers at $1. 56 billion, and Under Armour at $1. 83 billion. Nike has been the leader the shoe industry since 1980 when it gained 50% of United States market share (MyBizIQ. com). They have maintained t he position as leaders in the shoe industry. Nike has become experts in segmentation and targeting their market (NikeRepository. com). Works Cited â€Å"A Marketing Case Study on Nike. † Articlebase. (2012): n. page. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. . Adams, Brittany. â€Å"Running Shoes Get The High Fashion Treatment. †Ã‚  Style File RSS. Style. com, 19 July 2012. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. < http://www. style. com/stylefile/2012/07/running-shoes-get-the-high-fashion-treatment/>. â€Å"Annual Financials for Nike Inc. Cl B. † Market Watch (2011): n. pag. Web. 13 Feb 2013. . â€Å"Athletic Shoe Stores in the US: Market Research Report. †Ã‚  Athletic Shoe Stores in theUS Market Research. N. p. , n. d.Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Athletic Footwear: Industry Analysis. 1 May 2006. 16 February 2013 . â€Å"Nike, Inc. History and Information. † NikeRepository. com. N. p. , 2010. Web. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. . PRWeb. Global Athletic Footwear Industry Analyzed by Transparency Market Research. 26 October 2012. 13 February 2013 .Report Linker. Footwear Industry: Market Research Reports, Statistics and Analysis. 12 February 2013 . Smith, Gavin. â€Å"Athletic Shoe Stores in the US Industry Market Research Report Now Available from IBISWorld. † Athletic Shoe Stores in the US Industry Market Research Report Now Available from IBISWorld. PRWeb, 30 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. . â€Å"Swooshing to Success. † MyBizIQ. com. (2013): n. page. Print. . The US Athletic Apparel and Footwear Industry Outlook to 2015 – Evolving Niche Segments in Sportswear. †Ã‚  By Ken Research in Footwear, Sports Apparel, Apparel. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Feb. Townsend, Matt. â€Å"Fashion Spurs Sales of Athletic Shoes. †Ã‚  Bangor Daily News RSS. Bloomberg News, 26 May 2012. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. .

Why Does Plato Argue That Rulers Must Be Philosophers?

Within this essay I Intend to examine Plates reasoning and justification for his belief in philosopher rulers and question whether they are, in fact, the best people to govern society. The current democratic method of organization of the â€Å"polis† was not suitable for Plato as he considered ruling far too vital a role in society to be left to the untrained. Instead, it should be left to those who have the knowledge and more crucially, the wisdom required to comprehend such a task.It Is, however, at this point, we should consider that a significant factor In Plat's opposition to democracy was that the Athenian democracy had condemned Socrates o death. It is important to remember that the liberal democracy which we currently experience is very recent and not at all the concept of democracy that Plato speaks. In fact, the idea of all adults over the age of 18 being able to vote would indeed be absurd to someone such as Plato.The democracy, of which he speaks, would be of great er equivalence to a modern day referendum, In which all those eligible to vote gather to debate and eventually vote. Plato thus set out to craft a new structural form for the polls, in simple, an Ideal society. This constituted three general social lasses and indirectly three separate polio's within the whole Solipsism. At the lowest end of this, was the â€Å"producers†, although Plato pays little attention to this class, it compromises people who were engaged in economic activities, such as, farmers and manufacturers.Although of no political importance, they served the crucial function of providing the economic and material requirements of the community. Primarily, Plato places them as obedient workers under the control of the axillaries. This constitutes the first polls, â€Å"one In which money lovers, and only money lovers are made as happy as possible† (Reeve C. D. C IPPP 1984), and thus becomes a â€Å"luxurious polis† (Plato The Republic IPPP e). The sec ond level on Plates ideal society was that of the auxiliaries.It was the auxiliaries who, in current times, would complete the actions of the military civil service and public offices I. E. Police. Consequently, it was their occupation to enact the decisions made by the ruling class. It would be from the elite of the auxiliaries that a philosopher guardian would emerge, as they had worked their way through the education and training. Therefore, this emerges as the second polis in which â€Å"unnecessary appetites† (Reeve C. D. C IPPP 1984) are removed this is the part of the Solipsism in which honor-lovers are made as happy as possible. (Reeve C. D. C IPPP 1984) However, it must be pointed out that the auxiliaries also shared this second polis with the guardians who were not chosen as â€Å"pensioner Kilns. † Hymnal, It was ten Guardians won were let at ten top AT ten society, as the rulers. This was the elite group above the rest of society, only those who completed a ll the statutes laid out during their training would be able to become a recognized philosopher guardian at the age of 50. These would be the people who had a true understanding of the forms and ultimately, of what is good ND Just.With this Plato has set out his â€Å"dodos† for the ideal society and his belief that those most suited to govern this society were his â€Å"Philosopher Kings† who were chosen from this Guardian class. It is at this point, that I believe we must further engage with what in fact it means to be a philosopher, and how you reach such a position. Plato sets an initial screening process, â€Å"the one who is willing to taste every kind if learning with gusto, and who turns to learning with enthusiasm, and cannot get enough of it, he is the one we shall rightly call a philosopher. (Plato The Republic 474 c) â€Å"Those who have reached that goal are philosopher kings at last. The polis over which they rule, and which contains the elaborate educa tional apparatus necessary to reliably produce them, is the third polis. † (Reeve C. D. C. P 195, 1984). During Plat's explanation of his philosopher-king, he uses three analogies, the sun, the line and finally the cave, in order to depict the reason for the philosopher's irreplaceable role in politics.The central element in each of these is the concept of the forms. In my opinion, Plato most aptly explains the transition to a philosopher with his simile of the cave. Plato classes this as â€Å"the enlightenment or ignorance of our human condition† (Plato The Republic IPPP a). The allegory of the cave is to illustrate that the philosopher is the one who sees things as they really are. The philosopher is able to see the truth, whereas, the masses see, merely, shadows.The arduous process of education which draws the philosopher from the state of ignorance and belief to the enlightened state of knowledge and wisdom is comparable with the difficult Journey from a dark cave up a long path to the open light of the sun. Whilst explaining the Journey of the philosopher's education he also attempts to show why it is that the masses reject the philosopher once their knowledge has been gained. Primarily, Plato says that the philosopher is misunderstood by the ignorant masses and that the knowledge which they attempt to impart threatens the beliefs of their UN-enlightened minds.It is clear upon examination of Plat's society, that it is indubitably a totalitarian regime; however, this point must be critically examined as it is clear that there are distinct and separate ways to critique this point. Naturally, there are those who would say that the restriction of freedom from a dictatorial power is inherently wrong. Conversely, though it must be considered that restriction of freedom for the good of people is no bad thing. In theory a system which imposes â€Å"The Good† on all people, would be one which benefits all and enhances the chance of maximum hum an development and freedom from evil. Until philosophers rule as kings, or those who are now called kings and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophies, that is, until political power, authority and philosophy entirely coincide, while the many natures who at present pursue either one exclusively are forcibly prevented from doing so, cities will eve no rest from evils,†¦ Nor, I think, will the human race. † (Simon Blackburn IPPP c- D 2006) Obviously the counter argument to that and the very basis of Plat's critics, is that whether human nature being as it is, would ever allow it in reality?Especially when compared Walt previous totalitarian regimes, experience Allocates Tanat teen have rarely brought good to the majority, and predominantly have indeed brought the opposite. In reality, it could be argued that there has been a historical dominance of state dictatorships in comparison with the relatively recent liberal democracies. Citizens who are raised within the l iberal western tradition are taught to be convinced of the faultlessness of democracy and thus find it challenging to comprehend that any other system could be better, or even to see the weaknesses in democracy.Due to the inability to acknowledge the failings of democracy, Plato creates two illustrations to depict them; these are the similes of the beast and the ship. Plato utterly rejects two common modes of thought in democratic societies, Just because everyone believes it to be true and good does not make it so, and that Just cause someone is a convincing speaker and persuades the masses to his view – it does not mean he is speaking the truth or that his ideas are good. The foundation of these illustrations is that the Philosophers simply know â€Å"The Good†.Plat's debate is clearly rejecting some of the foundational ideas within Democracy. Within the simile of the beast, the large and powerful animal in this story is the general population who make up the democrac y. In this tale, Plato is depicting a clear division between, what the majority like and think is good, what pleases them, and unbeknown to them, what actually is â€Å"The Good†. The Good (I. E. The dodos or form of the good) is good whether people think it is good or not. The Good is the predetermined standard against which the pleasures and desires of the masses must be Judged to determine whether they are good or bad.Plato is saying that the Sophists of his time were merely concerned with remaining in power and thus would bow to the appeasement of the masses that were ill educated. Fiscal and devoid of the knowledge of what is truly important in life and were subsequently unfit to rule the polis. They were no more than manipulators and responders to popular opinion without any standard tit which to work. The Sophists were relativists. For them ‘good' meant no more than what the people want, what will keep them happy, and what society thinks are good.This approach to politics is recognizable within the contemporary use of opinion polls and pressure groups. â€Å"All those individuals who make their living by teaching, and whom the public call â€Å"Sophists† and new for their skill, in fact teach nothing but the conventional views held and expressed by the mass of the people, when they meet; and this they call a science† (Plato The Republic IPPP a-b) This forever, does not entirely show why Plato is convinced that it is philosophers who should rule.Socrates proposes the notion that the study of philosophy results in the unearthing of objective truths about what is good, from this grounding this knowledge can be used as an unique;coal platform for policy-making. Plato believes that in contrast with his idea of the world of matter, the world of sense , which he classes as a mere world of shadows, is in fact â€Å"world of final, immutable, changeless, objects of contemplation, at the summit of which stands the ultimate object of a facial kind of knowledge independent of sense experience.This is ultimately a real and ultimately fitting object of love and desire, a constantly radiant eternal source of light, the form of good itself. † (Blackburn S. Pop, 2006). Subsequently, it has the natural progression that the people most suited to rule, are the people who have the wisdom of this higher realm, so Justifiably this would be the philosophers. â€Å"If pensioners nave ten capacity to grasp ten eternal Ana Immutable, Wendell tense won have no such capacity are not philosophers and are lost in multiplicity and change, which of the two should be in charge of a state? (Plato The Republic p 484 b). At no point, has it ever been empirically verified that those who have studied philosophy will all agree on that which is good and right. Even those who do agree that there are moral facts do not agree on exactly what they are – nor do they agree on what is the best way to act in the light of those facts. Eve n if we do agree with Plato and accept that a true understanding of goodness and Justice is both possible and agreement can be reached between philosophers, it still leaves the question whether this is all that a politician needs.

Battle of Arsuf in the Crusades

The Battle of Arsuf was fought September 7, 1191, during the Third Crusade (1189-1192). Armies Commanders Crusaders King Richard I the Lionheart of Englandapprox. 20,000 men Ayyubids Saladinapprox. 20,000 men Battle of Arsuf Background Having successfully completed the siege of Acre in July 1191, Crusader forces began moving south. Led by King Richard I the Lionheart of England, they sought to capture the port of Jaffa before turning inland to reclaim Jerusalem. With the Crusader defeat at Hattin in mind, Richard took great care in planning the march to ensure that adequate supplies and water would be available to his men. To this end, the army kept to the coast where the Crusader fleet could support its operations. In addition, the army only marched in the morning to avoid the midday heat and campsites were selected based on the availability of water. Departing Acre, Richard kept his forces in a tight formation with the infantry on the landward side protecting his heavy cavalry and baggage train to seaward. Responding to the Crusaders movements, Saladin began shadowing Richards forces. As Crusader armies had proven notorious undisciplined in the past, he began a series of harassing raids on Richards flanks with the goal of breaking up their formation. This done, his cavalry could sweep in for the kill. The March Continues Advancing in their defensive formation, Richards army successfully deflected these Ayyubid attacks as they slowly moved south. On August 30, near Caesarea, his rearguard became heavily engaged and required assistance before escaping the situation. Assessing Richards route, Saladin elected to make a stand near the town of Arsuf, just north of Jaffa. Arraying his men facing west, he anchored his right on the Forest of Arsuf and his left on a series of hills to the south. To his front was a narrow two-mile wide plain extending to the coast. Saladins Plan From this position, Saladin intended to launch a series of harassing attacks followed by feigned retreats with the goal of compelling the Crusaders to break formation. Once this was done, the bulk of Ayyubid forces would attack and drive Richards men into the sea. Rising on September 7, the Crusaders needed to cover a little over 6 miles to reach Arsuf. Aware of Saladins presence, Richard ordered his men to prepare for battle and resume their defensive marching formation. Moving out, the Knights Templar were in the van, with additional knights in the center, and the Knights Hospitaller bringing up the rear. The Battle of Arsuf Moving onto the plain north of Arsuf, the Crusaders were subjected to hit-and-run attacks beginning around 9:00 AM. These largely consisted of horse archers dashing forward, firing, and immediately retreating. Under strict orders to hold formation, despite taking losses, the Crusaders pressed on. Seeing that these initial efforts were not having the desired effect, Saladin began focusing his efforts on the Crusader left (rear). Around 11:00 AM, Ayyubid forces began increasing the pressure on the Hospitallers led by Fra Garnier de Nablus. The fighting saw mounted Ayyubid troops dash forward and attack with javelins and arrows. Protected by spearmen, the Crusader crossbowmen returned fire and began exacting a steady toll on the enemy. This pattern held as the day progressed and Richard resisted requests from his commanders to allow the knights to counterattack preferring to husband his strength for the right moment while allowing Saladins men to tire. These requests continued, particularly from the Hospitallers who were becoming concerned about the number of horses they were losing. By mid-afternoon, the lead elements of Richards army were entering Arsuf. At the rear of the column, the Hospitaller crossbow and spearmen were fighting as they marched backwards. This led to the formation weakening allowing the Ayyubids to attack in earnest. Again requesting permission to lead his knights out, Nablus was again denied by Richard. Assessing the situation, Nablus ignored Richards command and charged forward with the Hospitaller knights as well as additional mounted units. This movement coincided with a fateful decision made by the Ayyubid horse archers. Not believing that the Crusaders would break formation, they had stopped and dismounted in order to better aim their arrows. As they did so, Nablus men burst from the Crusader lines, overran their position, and began driving back the Ayyubid right. Though angered by this move, Richard was compelled to support it or risk losing the Hospitallers. With his infantry entering Arsuf and establishing a defensive position for the army, he ordered the Templars, supported by Breton and Angevin knights, to attack the Ayyubid left. This succeeded in pushing back enemys left and these forces were able to defeat a counterattack by Saladins personal guard. With both Ayyubid flanks reeling, Richard personally led forward his remaining Norman and English knights against Saladins center. This charge shattered the Ayyubid line and caused Saladins army to flee the field. Pushing forward, the Crusaders captured and looted the Ayyubid camp. With darkness approaching, Richard called off any pursuit of the defeated enemy. Aftermath of Arsuf Exact casualties for the Battle of Arsuf are not known, but is estimated that Crusader forces lost around 700 to 1,000 men while Saladins army may have suffered as many as 7,000. An important victory for the Crusaders, Arsuf boosted their morale and removed Saladins air of invincibility. Though defeated, Saladin quickly recovered and, after concluding that he could not penetrate the Crusaders defensive formation, resumed his harassing tactics. Pressing on, Richard captured Jaffa, but the continued existence of Saladins army prevented an immediate march on Jerusalem. Campaigning and negotiations between Richard and Saladin continued over the next year until the two men concluded a treaty in September 1192 which allowed Jerusalem to remain in Ayyubid hands but permitted Christian pilgrims to visit the city. Resources and Further Reading Military History Online: Battle of ArsufHistory of War: Battle of Arsuf