Balian of Ibelin
Balian of Ibelin (ca. 1144 - 1193) was an important Crusader nobleman of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Lord of Ibelin and Lord of Ramla. He is the youngest son of Balduino de Ibelín with Helvis de Ramla and brother of Hugo de Ibelín and Balduino de Ibelín. To distinguish him from his father, he is called Balian the Younger .
Biography
His father, Barisan of Ibelin, who was probably of Italian origin, had been a knight in the service of the Earl of Jaffa, and was rewarded with the lordship of Ibelin after Hugh II of Le Puiset's revolt against King Fulk.
After the death of his older brother Hugo around 1169, the castle of Ibelín passed to Baldwin, who ceded it to Balián, preferring to remain Lord of Ramalha (present-day Ramallah). Balian and Baldwin supported Raymond III of Tripoli against Miles de Plancy as King Baldwin IV's regent in 1174, and in 1177 the brothers took part in the Battle of Montgisard.
That same year Balian married Maria Comnena, widow of King Amalric I, and received the dominion of Nablus.
In 1183 Balian and his brother supported Raymond against Guy of Lusignan, husband of Sibylla of Jerusalem and regent of Baldwin IV. Balian was present at Baldwin V's coronation ceremony in 1183, while Baldwin IV was still alive, to prevent Guido from succeeding to the throne. Baldwin IV died in 1185 and the eight-year-old Baldwin V became king, although he died the following year. Raymond's option for the crown, Hunfred IV of Toron, rejected it and he joined Guido. Reluctant, Balián finally offered allegiance to Guido, while his sister refused to do so, going into exile in Antioch.
Balián remained in the kingdom and avoided defeat at the Battle of the Horns of Hattin in 1187. Together with Queen Sibilla and Patriarch Heraclius, he helped defend Jerusalem and negotiated its surrender to Saladin in October of that year. Ibelin, Nablus, Ramallah, and all other Balian territories were captured by Saladin after the battle, but Balian and his family were allowed to return to Tripoli. At first, Balian supported Guy in the uprising for the crown against Conrad of Montferrat, but later conspired with Maria so that Conrad would marry Isabel of Jerusalem, Maria's daughter from her marriage to Amalric, giving Conrad a greater right over the throne. After Conrad's death and Elizabeth's remarriage to Henry II of Champagne, Balian remained one of Henry's advisers, and in 1192 helped negotiate the treaty between Richard I of England and Saladin, ending the Third Crusade.. Ibelín was under Saladin's control, but Ricardo compensated Balián with a new lordship in Caymont.
Balián died in 1193. His son Juan de Ibelín was lord of Beirut and constable of Jerusalem.
A Balián scribe named Ernoul wrote an Old French continuation of William of Tire's Latin chronicle.
Balián became a common name in the Ibelín family during the 13th century. Balian, Lord of Beirut, son of John and Balian's grandson, succeeded his father as Lord of Beirut in 1236. Balian of Beirut's brother, also called John, had a son named Balian; this Balián was lord of Arsuf and married Plasencia de Antioquia.
Balián in fiction
A highly fictionalized version of Balian of Ibelin stars in Ridley Scott's 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven, where he is played by Orlando Bloom.