1347: Not the Six Burghers of Calais

ExecutedToday.com ^ | August 4th, 2012 | Headsman

[CheshireTheCat]

On this date in 1347, the city of Calais yielded to an English siege.

Edward III had proceeded to invest Calais directly after the previous year’s staggering win at Crecy. The crippled French leadership could not relieve the city, and after fruitlessly probing for an opening, the relief army marched away at the start of August 1347.

By this time reduced to eating vermin and ordure, the starved city had little choice but to capitulate. According to Froissart’s account, the king declared that “the Calesians have done him so much mischief, and have, by their obstinate defence, cost him so many lives and so much money, that he is mightily enraged.” He wasn’t only sore about the city’s holding out over the preceding year: Calais was notorious as a refuge for English Channel pirates who had long bedeviled the commerce of Edward’s realm.

As a condition for sparing the rest of the town, Edward demanded that six of its leading citizens present themselves to him, “with bare heads and feet, with ropes round their necks, and the keys of the town and castle in their hands.” Edward seems truly to have meant (much against the conscience of his own nobles) to put these men to death “for that the Calesians had done him so much damage, it was proper they should suffer for it.”....

[Ken H]

So did he fry the Burghers?

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

“By this time reduced to eating vermin and ordure”

I had to look up what “ordure” is. It’s dung. Damn, now THAT is starving! They ate doody, EEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!! I wonder if we will reach that level when the Biden food shortage hits.

[GaltAdonis]

No!

[jocon307]

Very interesting!

[Republicanprofessor]

Wish I could remember how to post pictures. Rodin’s sculpture of the Burghers of Calais is amazing.

[Hiddigeigei]

"Rodin’s sculpture of the Burghers of Calais"

[Republicanprofessor]

Thank you! That’s it!