Peter (Pierre) Tudebode
Peter (Pierre) Tudebode a French chronicler, was born at Civray (Poitou) near the beginning of the 11th century. Like so many other priests who engaged in the first crusade, he departed in 1096 with Hugues de Lusignan, lord of Civray; his two brothers, Herve and Arnaud, chevaliers (optimi milites), took the cross at the same time with himself, and were both killed in the East. Peter was present at the siege of Nice, and followed Bohemond when the crusaders were divided into three different bodies. He shared equally the fatigues that the long siege of Antioch cost the Christians, and assisted at the taking of Jerusalem. After that period no more mention is made of him. He died at the close of the year 1099. "The history of the first crusade which he has left," says Dom Rivet, "carries with it all the characteristics of an authentic, true, and sincere writing. He had been present at almost all that he re.lates, and seems to have written it upon the spot. . . . Raimond d'Agiles has made use of it. There is found so much conformity between these two historians that one can scarcely believe that they did not comrmunicate their productions to each other." This narrative is given in a simple but rude style; it is divided into five books (1096-1099), and is entitled Historia de Hierosolymitano itinere; the most correct edition is that by Duchesne, in volume 4 of the Historiens de France. See Hist. Litt. de la France, 8:629- 640. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 40:187.
