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When the ranks were drawn up and the arms distributed he made gifts of warhorses and scattered largesse, devoted himself to making donations and giving coveted prizes … distributed bundles of arrows, of which the soldiers received more than a quiverful. He made chargers gallop and brought forth an ample harvest of troops.
Imad al-Din at his hyperbolic best on Saladin’s preparations before the Battle of the Horns of Hattin.
The Crusader army marched to the relief of Tiberias. They knew that they would be passing through arid country without water sources, but were headed for Lake Tiberias, where they could restock and rest before attempting to break the siege. They never made it there, because Saladin used the tactics that had often brought victory in the past to their optimum effect. His Turks and Kurds harassed and harried the Crusader column with fast attacks and volleys of arrows, with the consistent aim of breaking up the Crusaders’ marching order and detaching their rearguard. Eventually, the Templars at the rear of the column could no longer sustain a defence against Saladin’s troopers while continuing with the march. It was also impossible for the infantry, who were suffering particularly badly in the summer heat, to up the pace of the march to escape the attentions of the raiders. Saladin’s men forced the Franks to a halt and the Crusaders could now see that their route to Tiberias was blocked by the sultan’s army. They made camp on a low hillside named the Horns of Hattin. In the Muslim camp, extra arrows were distributed to the men.
The next morning dawned with the Franj in a fearful condition. They were almost mad with thirst and any will to fight had been nearly extinguished by the gruelling march the day before. That said, the battle raged furiously, with both sides putting up a tenacious resistance. Muslim archers sent up clouds of arrows like thick swarms of locusts, and the Crusaders tried to fight their way toward Tiberias in the hope of reaching water. Saladin planted himself and his army in the way. He rode up and down the Muslim lines encouraging and restraining his troops where necessary. The Muslims then charged their enemy and almost broke through. Raymond of Tripoli made a charge, but only to bring his followers out of the battle as the Muslims set fire to the dry grass that covered the ground, and the Crusaders now had to endure smoke and flames, in addition to thirst, the summer heat, and the Muslim archery. Guy organised a series of charges, but each wave only diminished his numbers. He retreated up the hill and pitched his tent as a rallying point, the True Cross was captured but the king and 500 knights fought on.
Al-Malik al-Afdal, Saladin’s son, wrote of a Crusader charge that forced the Muslims back. His father became distraught and tugged at his beard as he went forward crying, ‘Away with the devil’s lie!’ Then the Muslims counter-attacked and drove the king back up the hill.
Al-Malik cried out, ‘We have conquered them!’ But then another courageous charge came that beat the Muslims back. Saladin urged his men back to the fight and Guy had to retreat once more.
Saladin’s son cried out again, ‘We have beaten them!’ His father turned and said, ‘Be quiet, we shall not have beaten them until the tent falls!’ As he spoke the tent fell and Saladin dismounted and prostrated himself in thanks to God, weeping for joy.