---
title: Opening page of the Estoire d'Eracles (William of Tyre in French), with the Crucifixion and Pope Urban II preaching the First Crusade in the initial (Walters W.137, fol. 1r)
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/eracles-urban-ii-preaching-first-crusade-w137-1275/
description: Opening page of a late 13th-century French history of the crusades. The four-part initial L puts the Crucifixion beside a seated figure addressing a…
section: Collection
---

[Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/)

[![Opening page of the Estoire d'Eracles (William of Tyre in French), with the Crucifixion and Pope Urban II preaching the First Crusade in the initial (Walters W.137, fol. 1r)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/eracles-urban-ii-preaching-first-crusade-w137-1275.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/eracles-urban-ii-preaching-first-crusade-w137-1275.jpg)

# Opening page of the Estoire d'Eracles (William of Tyre in French), with the Crucifixion and Pope Urban II preaching the First Crusade in the initial (Walters W.137, fol. 1r)

Opening page of a late 13th-century French history of the crusades. The four-part initial L puts the Crucifixion beside a seated figure addressing a crowd, which the Walters catalogue identifies as Pope Urban II preaching the First Crusade, with an altar and a standing idol below; placing the preacher beside the Crucifixion is how the page ties the papal call to Christ's authority.

## Text on the object

Original (Old French) · checked against a source transcription

```
Les ancienes ystoires dient que Eracles fu moult boens crestiens
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
The ancient histories say that Heraclius was a very good Christian.
```

First words of the text (incipit) as given in the Walters manuscript description; the scribe abbreviates some words, and later marginal notes are omitted. The historiated initial itself carries no legible lettering.

[← Estoire d'Eracles page with Bernard of Clairvaux preaching the Second Crusade in the initial (Walters W.137, fol. 180v)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/eracles-bernard-preaching-second-crusade-w137-1275/) [Miniature of Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, Les Passages d'outremer (BnF Fr. 5594, fol. 19r) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passages-doutremer-council-of-clermont-colombe-1474/)

## Using the same techniques

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- [Tomb of Darius I at Naqsh-e Rustam: the king in relief beside his inscription DNa, c. 490 BCE](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/dna-inscription-darius-i-naqsh-e-rustam-490bce/) (Achaemenid Empire · 0000 · Testimonial, Card stacking)
- [Seated limestone statue of Hatshepsut as king, with feminine royal titles on the throne, reassembled from fragments broken up at Deir el-Bahri](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/hatshepsut-seated-statue-limestone-met-1458bce/) (New Kingdom Egypt · 0000 · Transfer, Testimonial)
- [Bronze sestertius of Gaius (Caligula), reverse S P Q R P P OB CIVES SERVATOS in an oak wreath](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/sestertius-caligula-ob-cives-servatos-0037/) (Roman Empire · 0037 · Testimonial, Transfer)
- [Bronze sestertius of Trajan, reverse S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, S C, the emperor on horseback riding down an enemy](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/sestertius-trajan-optimo-principi-0103/) (Roman Empire · 0103 · Testimonial, Glittering generalities)
- [Seljuq gold dinar of Sanjar, dated 493 AH, with the Abbasid caliph named on one face](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/seljuq-gold-dinar-sanjar-caliph-name-1099/) (Great Seljuk Empire · 1099 · Testimonial)
- [Estoire d'Eracles page with Bernard of Clairvaux preaching the Second Crusade in the initial (Walters W.137, fol. 180v)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/eracles-bernard-preaching-second-crusade-w137-1275/) (France · 1275 · Testimonial)
- [Miniature of Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, Les Passages d'outremer (BnF Fr. 5594, fol. 19r)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passages-doutremer-council-of-clermont-colombe-1474/) (France · 1474 · Testimonial, Fear appeal). Content note: Medieval religious imagery and a French text describing alleged killings and captivity of eastern Christians, as used to argue for the First Crusade; the text is shown as written.