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Why did Emperor Alexius require Crusade leaders to take an oath of loyalty?

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

Emperor Alexius I Comnenus required the leaders of the First Crusade to swear an oath of loyalty and promise to restore any conquered towns or territories that had previously belonged to the Byzantine Empire before the Turkish invasions.12

This requirement was driven by the need to protect imperial interests, which diverged from the Crusaders' primary objective of reaching the Holy Land. As the massive Crusading forces arrived at Constantinople, Alexius sought to ensure that the expedition would effectively return former Byzantine lands to his control. By securing these oaths, the Emperor aimed to maintain authority over his domain and reclaim territories lost to the Turks, while providing the Crusaders with necessary guides, military escorts, and supplies.21

While some leaders, such as Bohemond, took the oath willingly, others did so under duress, and Raymond of Saint-Gilles offered only a limited pledge to respect the Emperor's person and property.2