by Hight, Jack
Against a lesser opponent, Richard might have succeeded. The first crusaders triumphed because in the face of their early victories, their enemies fell to squabbling amongst themselves. After the Lionheart’s successes at Acre and Arsuf, there was the very real possibility that history would repeat itself. But when the men of Egypt, of Syria and of Al-Jazirah wished to go their separate ways, Saladin would not let them. His greatest achievement was holding a fractious army together. It was an achievement that Richard could not match.
Nonetheless, it took its toll on Saladin. This was a man who had devoted his life to defeating the Franks and driving them from Jerusalem, only to see a new enemy come from overseas in overwhelming numbers. He suffered from repeated illnesses, and his collapse outside Mosul, and again during the siege of Acre, is attested by contemporaries. Yet he could not retreat to his palaces to recover. Knowing that his troops would not fight without him, he was forced to stay in the field for years on end in order to beat back his enemies. Had Saladin faltered, even for a moment, it is more than likely Richard would have succeeded.
Saladin’s legacy, therefore, is one of both great triumph and steadfastness in the face of adversity. He unified Egypt, Syria and Al-Jazirah, providing a model for a united Middle East. He turned the tide against the Franks, retook Jerusalem and left the Kingdom a shadow of its former glorious self. When England, France and the Holy Roman Empire brought their armies together against him, he fought them to a standstill. For all his military achievements, though, perhaps his greatest moment was one of compromise. In his peace with Richard, he made Jerusalem a city open to all. After a lifetime spent fighting the Franks, he nevertheless understood that the Holy Land had to be shared if there were ever to be peace. That is his greatest legacy of all.
