Venerable Peter the Hermit

Peter the Hermit (c. 1050 – 8 July 1115 or 1131), also known as Little Peter, Peter of Amiens (French: Pierre d'Amiens) or Peter of Achères (French: Pierre d'Achères), was a Roman Catholic priest of Amiens and a key figure during the military expedition from France to Jerusalem in 1096 known as the People's Crusade. Amongst Jews he is best remembered for the massacres of Jews that occurred under his leadership and the precedent they set for subsequent Crusades. He has sometimes been called "Blessed" Peter the Hermit, although he has not been beatified in the Catholic Church. After leading his followers through Europe, Peter’s armies were almost entirely annihilated by the Seljuk Turks, forcing him to winter in Constantinople and join up with the Prince’s Crusade. After that, he continued to have a leadership role in varying degrees of significance as the Crusaders invaded the Levant and took Jerusalem. He is called Pierre l'Ermite in French. The structure of this name in French, unlike its English translation, has led some francophone scholars to treat l'Ermite as a surname rather than a title. According to some authors, Peter was born around 1050, the son of Renauld L'Ermite of Auvergne and his wife Alide Montaigu, de Picardie. Others claim he was a member of the L'Hermite family of Auvergne in the Netherlands. These claims are disputed by still other authors, who argue that no evidence can confirm that "the Hermit" was an actual surname, and that surnames did not develop until after his time. According to Anna Komnene's Alexiad (1148), Peter attempted a pilgrimage to Jerusalem before 1096, but was prevented by the Seljuk Turks from reaching his goal and was reportedly mistreated. He was said to have witnessed scenes that disturbed him during this pilgrimage. When he finally reached the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, This experience caused Peter to preach inflammatory statements about the Turks to upset Christians.