The Cathar Martyrs
Ville Beziers
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Beziers
This town in
Herault Department, it was a Celtic and
later Roman town known in Latin as Baeterrea. There was
a Roman amphitheatre.
It was also the first town to attract the attentions of the
crusaders forces under Simon de Montfort in July
1209.
There were believed to be around 200 Cathars in
the town at the start of the crusade, but many of the Catholics were
sympathetic to them and far from wishing to cooperate with the crusaders
who were mainly from northern France.
The city had excellent natural defences and was
walled. But in a reckless act, a force went out from the city
to meet the crusader army and was soundly defeated. The crusaders
were then easily able to overcome the city and slaughtered the
inhabitants.
Arnaud-Amaury, the Cistercian Commander
supervising the campaign when asked how the solders were meant to
identify Catholics from Cathars issued the infamous
order:
'Kill them all, the Lord will know his
own' (Coedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius). This was recorded
by Caesarius of Heisterbach.
There were reportedly 20 000 people slaughtered
with not a man, woman or child knowingly left alive. 7 000 were
reported murdered in the church of Mary Magdalene alone. The
cathedral of St Nazsaire was burned and those who fled there for safety;
murdered. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the
Cathedral history sheet I picked up inside mentioned
the burning of the church, but not the slaughter of the town's people
inside.
     The Cathedral is interesting. The present
Gothic structure was built on top of the older Romanesque building which
was burned. Four old columns are still visible and it's possible
to discern the position of the older and lower arches. The present
building has increased the height of the roof
substantially.
It is possible to gain access to the tower and
it provides fine views of the area. There are operative
masons marks on stonework of the
tower.
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