Who was Peter the Hermit?

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Crusades Crusaders departing for the Holy Land, chromolithograph of a 15th-century illuminated manuscript.

Peter the Hermit (c. 1050–1115) was an ascetic and monastic founder who became one of the most influential preachers of the First Crusade. He is primarily recognized for leading the "People’s Crusade," a disorganized force that reached the East ahead of the main noble armies.1

After reportedly visiting the Holy Land around 1093, Peter began preaching following Pope Urban II’s call at the Council of Clermont in 1095. He led a large, enthusiastic following across Europe to Constantinople in 1096. However, his forces were largely annihilated by the Turks while he was away seeking aid from Emperor Alexius I.1

Though he briefly deserted the main First Crusade during the siege of Antioch, he returned to the army, eventually serving as almoner during the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. He later returned to Europe to lead the monastery he founded in Neufmoustier.1