Key Facts
- First siege duration
- 20 Oct 1097 – 3 Jun 1098
- Second siege duration
- 7–28 June 1098
- Relief force (Duqaq)
- Defeated 31 December 1097
- Relief force (Ridwan)
- Defeated 9 February 1098
- Crusader casualties (starvation)
- 1 in 7 dying from starvation in early 1098
Strategic Narrative Overview
The Crusaders arrived on 21 October 1097 and began a prolonged siege. Starvation and desertion weakened their ranks by early 1098, yet they repulsed two relief armies—one led by Duqaq of Damascus in December and another by Ridwan of Aleppo in February. Antioch fell on 3 June 1098, though the citadel held out. Kerbogha of Mosul then besieged the Crusaders inside the city for three weeks until they sallied out on 28 June and routed his army.
01 / The Origins
During the First Crusade, Antioch occupied a strategically vital position on the Crusaders' march toward Jerusalem, controlling the route through the Syrian Coastal mountain range. Its Seljuk governor, Yağısıyan, fortified the city with stockpiled supplies and called for relief armies. The Crusader leadership considered bypassing it too dangerous, as the city could threaten their supply lines and retreat, compelling them to besiege it despite its formidable Byzantine walls.
03 / The Outcome
The Crusaders' victory at the Battle of Antioch on 28 June 1098 broke Kerbogha's siege, and the citadel's remaining defenders surrendered on the same day. The city was secured as a Crusader stronghold, and Bohemond of Taranto established the Principality of Antioch, one of the first Crusader states. This outcome opened the path southward toward Jerusalem and demonstrated that Crusader forces could withstand and defeat major Seljuk relief efforts.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Bohemond of Taranto, Godfrey of Bouillon.
Side B
1 belligerent
Yağısıyan, Kerbogha of Mosul, Duqaq of Damascus, Ridwan of Aleppo.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.