ABSTRACT
This chapter traces Godfrey’s exploits on the First Crusade. The early part of the chapter describes his army’s journey to Constantinople, and examines how he and the other leading crusaders interacted with Alexios Komnenos during their stay at the Byzantine capital. The chapter charts Godfrey’s role in the major military set pieces of the First Crusade, focussing above all on his involvement in the sieges of Nicaea, Antioch, and Jerusalem. It examines how Godfrey’s status and influence on the crusade developed over the course of the expedition in relation to those of the other chief participants, particularly Bohemond and Raymond of Toulouse. It argues that while Godfrey fought well during the military encounters of the crusade, for the most part he remained in the shadow of those two men. He only came to the fore of the expedition in its closing months, during which time he strove to act in tune with the interests of the rank and file participants. At the same time, Bohemond and Raymond of Toulouse had ruled themselves out of the running to lead the crusade, leaving Godfrey with a clear path to becoming its most prominent leader. Another recurrent thread of the chapter focusses on how Godfrey coordinated his efforts with those of his two brothers, Eustace and Baldwin, during the course of the expedition.
