The Diplomatic Mission of the Crusaders to Egypt in 1167: the Language of “Gestures”

Abstract

The article analyzes a well-known episode in the history of diplomatic relations between the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and Fatimid Egypt — the conclusion of a treaty on military assistance in 1167. The procedure of concluding the agreement itself vividly revealed the differences in Western and Eastern etiquette of diplomacy and provoked a cultural shock that was overcome with the help of symbolic gestures. A passage translated in the article from the chronicle of William of Tyre allows for a clear understanding of how the language of diplomacy functioned in Latin East in the mid-12th century.