WILLIAM OF TYRE. — He probably belonged to an Italian family, perhaps Roman, but he was born in Jerusalem about 1130-35. He pursued his literary and theological studies in the West; the wide classical culture demonstrated by his work is shown by the many references to ancient writers. He also knew Greek and Arabic. Around 1160 he reappeared in Jerusalem at the court of King Amalric I, who held him in high esteem and made him a canon and later archdeacon of the church of Tyre; he then became tutor to Baldwin, who, upon becoming king in 1174, appointed him his chancellor and in 1175 secured for him the archiepiscopal see of Tyre. He played a notable part in the political life of the Kingdom: he was repeatedly sent as ambassador to Constantinople and also to Rome, where he was later present for the Council of 1179.
His last documentary record dates to 1185, but he was still alive in 1184. His principal work is the *Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum* in 23 books, which, however, remained unfinished. It is a truly monumental work: the first books synthesize what was provided by historiographical tradition on the First Crusade, while the later books are an original and authoritative source. Balanced in his judgments, especially regarding relations with the Byzantine Empire, he avoided the fantastical elements of early Crusade writers and also refrained from the fanaticism of others. His historical vision of the Crusades was a synthesis that long dominated until the critical revision of the 19th century. William wrote with grace, even elegance: he may be considered one of the finest medieval historians. Another work on the history of the Eastern princes, in which he may have drawn on Arab historians, has not survived; however, it was used by William of Tripoli and James of Vitry.
