Tancred of Huateville
Tancred of Hauteville, Prince of Galilee (circa 1075 – 1112), one of the Italo-Norman leaders of the First Crusade, was a maternal grandson of Robert Guiscard and a nephew of Bohemond I of Antioch. He became Prince of Galilee, and when his uncle Bohemond was captured, Tancred became regent of the Principality of Antioch until Bohemond’s release in 1103.
During the Crusaders march on Syria, Tancred had distinguished himself and demonstrated his tactical brilliance by seizing 5 important strong points whose capture secured passage through the Cilician Gates – a vital pass through the Taurus Mountains. After the Crusaders passed through and reached Antioch, he also played a prominent role in that city’s capture.
While his uncle Bohemond stayed behind to secure Antioch, Tancred accompanied the rest of the Crusaders to Jerusalem and took part in its siege. When the city was stormed on July 15th, 1099, Tancred was one of the first two Crusaders to enter Jerusalem. After the city was captured, its population massacred, and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem founded, Tancred was made Prince of Galilee.
When Bohemond was captured by the Turks in 1100, Tancred became regent of the Principality of Antioch until his uncle’s release in 1103, and resumed the regency when Bohemond left for Europe in 1104. As regent of Antioch, as well as Edessa from 1104 – 1108, Tancred became the chief Crusader lord of northern Syria. In that capacity, he warred continuously with both the Muslims, as well as the Byzantines, until his death.
