ABSTRACT
Philip Augustus was certainly more concerned with the crusades than any former king of France. In order to obtain an accurate and fair picture of Philip II’s place in history, one must examine his role in the crusades. In 1185 Henry II of England and Philip declared a joint tax for the crusade. The French role in the Second Crusade was again arguably the main one. This was the first crusade made by kings, Conrad III the Holy Roman Emperor and Louis VII of France. The crusaders had been delayed in Sicily until better weather returned in the spring, and overcame their boredom by engaging in ‘friendly’ tournaments, using canes instead of lances. Philip arrived in Acre on 20 April 1191 and was immediately recognized as the leading figure by the Christians there. He had good cause to think he was needed in France.
