ABSTRACT

In the eleventh century legates were a common instrument of Papal policy and government. In crusading terms, legates were present on expeditions from the very beginning of the movement in the reign of Pope Urban II. In 1096 it was Bishop Adhemar of Le Puy who was appointed as legate to the army, commissioned to promote the crusade and to be one of the leaders of the armies in Europe as well as in the far-off Holy Land. In the fifteenth century, legates and nuncios were mostly concerned with two specific forms of crusade: one against the advancing Ottoman Turks, the other against the first successful heretics, the Czech Hussites of Bohemia. Crusading activity in central Europe is related to the 'heretical' movement of the Czech Hussites of Bohemia and Moravia. The Papal representatives had three basic functions in the crusading activity directed by King Matthias against King George.