Raymond Pilet d’Alès

Raymond Pilet (Raymond de Narbonnne-Pelet) (1075-1120), the only child of Bernard I Pilet of Narbonne and his wife, whose name is unknown. Seigneur of Alès. Bernard was the son of Raymond II, Viscount of Narbone from 1066 to 1067. The name “pelet” refers to a fur that the nobility wore over their cuirass and coats-of-arms. Raymond distinguished himself as a great warrior during the First Crusade.

Many of the chroniclers of the Crusades, including William of Tyre, have praised the valor and piety of Raymond. Guibert of Nogent’s Dei Gesta per Francos goes so far as to describe him as a mythological hero. Raymond’s exploits in the crusade are recorded in the Chronicle of Raimond d'Agiles. Raymond was first under the command of Hugh the Great, Count of Vermandois, as part of his army and was present at the siege of Nicaea in 1097.

At the first siege of Antioch, from 21 October 1097 to 2 June 1098, Raymond was under the command of Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse. During the second siege, he commanded the 11th Corps of the Christian army, with Isoard I, Count of Die (Diois), Gérard de Roussillon, William V of Montpellier and Guillaume-Amanieu d'Albert.

Raymond also played a role in saga of the Holy Lance. After the discovery of the lance and questions about its authenticity, Peter Bartholomew went through an ordeal of fire to verify it as a holy relic. Raymond pulled Peter from the fire, saving his life temporarily (he died of his wounds twelve days later), and the lance was discredited.

Raymond constituted a small army of cavalry and infantry, and advance two days' march from Antioch, where they captured the castle of Talamania from the Syrians. He then implemented an ambitious raid on Ma'arrat al-Nu'man (Maarat), infamously known as the siege of Ma'arra, where he encountered a Muslim army under the command of Ridwan of Allepo, against whom he first prevailed despite of the inequality of numbers of troops. But his adversaries return at full strength, and he retreats and defend himself until the evening of July 27, 1098. His army, overwhelmed by overwhelming adversaries, loss of troops, thirst and weariness, his force decided to abandon the fight and regroup in the castle. Raymond and Peter I of Narbonne, Bishop of Albara, eventually abandoned their positions to travel with Raymond IV.

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