Balian II: Lord of Beirut
Balian, the Lord of Beirut’s eldest son and heir, was the head of the Ibelin family in the fourth generation of the House. He was a grandson of that Balian d’Ibelin who defended Jerusalem against Saladin in 1187, and the eldest son and heir of the leader of the baronial opposition to Frederick II, the “Old Lord” of Beirut. Yet according to his close friend and “compeer” Philip de Novare, he was a man of decidedly different temperament and personality from his more famous forefathers. Today I conclude my biographical sketch of Balian d’Ibelin II. Philip de Novare tells us that when making his testament, the “Old Lord” of Beirut “gave many fiefs to his children and ordered that they should hold them of their eldest brother and be his vassals.” [i] In short, Balian was to the senior and greatest beneficiary of his father’s estate. Clearly, Balian had been fully forgiven of any transgressions against his father. He assumed the leadership of the family. Yet we should ...