Reading
Please read Part 2 (“doc James Aragon Chronicle 2”) of The Chronicle of James I, King of Aragon. This section includes the pages numbered from 124 to 151. You can leave pages 149-151 to next meeting, though.
Course Themes
As always, you should think about the course themes (innovation, capacity, calculation, and culture) and how they relate to today’s reading. You should also consider the 5 C’s of historical thinking (change over time, causality, context, complexity, and contingency) and how you can apply them to what you just read.
What We are Doing Today
Today we are continuing with James I’s Chronicle.
Potential Quiz Questions
1) At the beginning of today’s reading, the Aragonese land on Mallorca (you might want to look at the very end of Part 1 to get the full story), and a brief skirmish ensues. James gets involved and kills several enemy horsemen. Why, then, is En Remon de Moncada angry with him? How does En Guillen de Moncada defend James’s behavior?
2) The next morning, the Bishop of Barcelona preaches a short sermon. What is the main point of this sermon?
3) Once the Aragonese started besieging the town of Mallorca, they they build a number of weapons and tools. James also makes passing reference to an important technique. What were these various weapons, tools, and techniques the Aragonese used to pursue the siege? See pages 138-142.
4) For their part, what did Infantilla and other “Saracens” attempt to do to lift the siege? What did James do with Infantilla’s head?
5) Who was Beanabet, and why was he so important to the Aragonese? What do you think were Beanabet’s motives?
6) When it came to sieges, how was mining supposed to work? How did the Saracens seeks to counter the Aragonese mines?
7) And how did the Aragonese try to deal with the moat that surrounded the fortifications of Mallorca? How did the “Saracens” counter them?
History 103: War and Innovation (HR) 