Originally published on April 15, 2016 (Episode 54)
Introduction
In 1285, five Muslim riders crossed into the Kingdom of Aragon. Instead of swords, they carried letters of safe conduct. Instead of raiding, they offered their service. These mercenaries were part of a fascinating class of Muslim warriors who fought for Christian kings while still seeing themselves as serving Allah.
In The Mercenary Mediterranean, Hussein Fancy untangles the paradoxes of these men and their employers, and what they reveal about the complexities of medieval Spain. His work challenges modern engravings that obscure the hybrid, contradictory, and interconnected world of the Mediterranean.
About the Guest
Hussein Fancy is Associate Professor of History at Yale University and the author of The Mercenary Mediterranean. His work focuses on medieval Spain, interreligious contact, and Mediterranean history.
For Further Investigation
The Song of the Cid, trans. Burton Raffel
Richard Fletcher, The Quest for El Cid (OUP, 1991)
David Nirenberg, Communities of Violence (Princeton, 2015)
Brian Catlos, Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors (Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 2024)
Maria Menocal, Ornament of the World (Back Bay Books, 2003)
Allen J. Fromherz, The Almohads: The Rise of an Islamic Empire (I.B. Tauris, 2003)
Listen & Discuss
What does it mean to fight for a ruler whose faith is not your own? Share this episode with anyone who thinks the medieval world was neatly divided along religious lines.
