The Knights Templar: A History Strange and True

Begin your journey with an introduction to the Knight Templar, an order of monk-knights founded around 1119. Before delving into their rise to power,...

With the stage set, now it's time to explore what led to the founding of the Knights Templar. Here, dive into the First Crusade, beginning with Pope U...

Meet Hugues de Pans and Godfrey de Saint-Omer, two knights who recognized the need for a protective order and decided to do something about it. In the...

The Knights Templar gained papal support through Bernard of Clairvaux's advocacy at the Council of Troyes in 1128. This lecture walks through some of...

In 1144, the fall of Edessa to the Muslim leader Zengi sparked the Second Crusade from 1147-1148. In addition to playing a role as warriors, the Knigh...

After the Second Crusade, the daily life of Templar Knights highlighted their unique monk-warrior structure. In this lecture, Dr. Armstrong walks you...

Because the medieval world was largely illiterate, signs and symbols took on important meanings. One of the most widely recognized symbols of the 12th...

Starting in the 1120s, donations of land and goods fueled the expansion of the Knights Templar. Thanks to this growing wealth, they developed an innov...

Continue your study of Templar power with a look at their extensive fortress network, which spanned from England to Jerusalem and secured their bankin...

Toward the end of the 12th century, the Templars suffered a devastating defeat in the Battle of Hattin. This lecture explores the Crusaders' disunity,...

Examine the chaotic aftermath of the 1187 Battle of Hattin and the fall of Jerusalem. Medieval Europe was shocked, leading Pope Gregory VIII to call f...

After the 1192 Treaty of Jaffa, Jerusalem was under Muslim control while Crusaders were based in Acre. Here, with instability in Jerusalem, see how th...

Step into the 13th century, when new powers began to shape the Levant. After the Mongols displaced the Khwārezmian Turks, the latter people sacked Jer...

Shift your attention from battles in the Levant to Western Europe's response to Crusader losses. In France, King Louis IX's failures and Templar loans...

In the late 13th century, the city of Acre was one of the few remaining Crusader bastions in the Levant. Here, you will survey the stunning siege of t...

After the fall of Acre, the Templars relocated to Cyprus. Jacques de Molay, the new Templar Grand Master, faced hostile questions about the order's ro...

In this lecture, Dr. Armstrong takes you inside the astonishing arrest of hundreds of Templars in France on October 13, 1307, a day that marked a turn...

Following the events of October 13, King Philip IV clashed with Pope Clement V over Templar arrests, tortured confessions, and secret absolutions. Thi...

The Templar trials continue. Here, you will witness their defiant stand against Philip IV's persecution, the tragic burning of 54 knights, and the Ord...

In the wake of the Templars' dissolution in 1312, the Hospitaller knights benefited the most by inheriting property and membership from surviving Temp...

Although the Templars have been gone for centuries, rumors about the order continue to persist. What treasures did they uncover during the Crusades? D...

Continue your exploration of Templar myths and legends with a look at another "secret society." In the 18th century, conspiracies arose around possibl...

Fast forward to 1799, when a cache of hidden treasure was discovered on Oak Island in Nova Scotia. Despite no definitive link, certain artifacts resem...

In the 21st century, the Templar legacy took a dark turn when the order's legacy was co-opted by alt-right groups for racist agendas. In this final le...