The Knights Templar Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1118

The Military and Religious Order of the Poor Knights of the Temple of Jerusalem, to give them their full title, was founded in 1118 by Hugo de Payens and Godfrey de St Omar. There were three classes of membership:

Knights - who were of noble birth.
Seargents - who were not noble and who were the Stewards and Grooms.
Clerics- who attended to Religious matters.

Later other classes were added, in particular Craftsmen and Artisans, who dealt with all the practical matters like cooking, blacksmiths, armour repairs, veterinary needs, seeing to provisions, and the smooth running of the Templars' various estates.

Answer: Protection of trade routes and pilgrims

The original function of the Knights was to protect the trade and pilgrim route from the Mediterranean to Jerusalem. The Knights Templar, as the military arm, protected the route, and the Knights Hospitaller, a separate order founded around 600AD, tended to the medical needs of the pilgrims, many of whom arrived in Jerusalem in an exhausted condition after their long pilgrimage.

Based in a wing of the Royal Palace of King Baldwin I of Jerusalem, they quickly became the mainstay of his private army as the armies who had liberated Jerusalem left to return to their own countries. This reliance led to rivalry between The Templars and The Hospitallers.

Answer: Benedictine

Although they began as part of the Benedictine Order, as interpreted by the Cistercians, they quickly became independent, answering only to the Pope. Throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries they built on their power base, and a series of Papal Bulls made them into Papal Princes.

At the same time they were granted huge amounts of land and property by monarchies and aristocratic families, especially in France, often in lieu of manpower. This made them financially independent, and they enjoyed a very high standard of living.

Answer: Cyprus

At the end of the thirteenth century the Saracens regained Jerusalem, and no European country was willing to commit the men and money needed to attempt to take it back, despite many calls from the Pope to do so. As a result of this the Knights were forced out of the Holy Land. The Templars established new Headquarters on Cyprus, while the Hospitallers went to Rhodes.

Answer: King Philip the Fair

By the beginning of the fourteenth century King Philip the Fair was in need of money. The Knights had refused him a permanent loan and he was jealous of their power and riches, and also feared that they could become a threat to his own position. In 1307 he invited the Grand Masters of the Templars and Hospitallers to France to discuss the future of the Orders, saying that as there was no likelihood of another Crusade he wanted to consider their future role. The Hospitallers failed to attend as they were fighting the Greeks on Rhodes at the time. Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of The Templars, arrived in Paris, was met with all appropriate honours and courtesy, but three days later was arrested. At the same time Philip also had all Templars in France arrested. He also obtained a Papal injunction to arrest all members of the Order throughout Europe, and to seize their lands and property. Jacques de Molay and all his followers were handed over to the Inquisition.

These actions meant that the French monarchy solved its financial problems for some considerable time to come.

Answer: Burnt at the stake

At his trial Jacques de Molay confessed under torture to perjury, idolatry, witchcraft and just about anything else the Inquisition wanted him to confess to. Even then King Philip was not sure enough of his ground to have him executed immediately. After about a year the Pope re-asserted his authority, and Philip agreed to return the Templar holdings to the Church, but levied a fee for "estate management" during the time the monarchy had held them, ensuring that the Templar's wealth remained under his control.

By this time public opinion had swung against the Templars, who had virtually ceased to exist as an Order, so the holdings were given to the Hospitallers, but the fee almost bankrupted them.

In 1314, seven years after his arrest, Jacques de Molay was burnt at the stake along with several of his former Preceptors. At his execution he recanted his confessions, and cursed both the King and the Pope, saying that they would follow him in death within the year - a prophecy which came true.

Answer: Cressing Temple Barns

Cressing was the first grant of land given to the Templars in England. The site now consists of the two finest Templar barns in Europe, the timbers of which have been carbon dated to the twelfth century. There is also a Templar Well, farm buildings and a later Tudor walled garden on the site, which is now owned by Essex County Council.

Answer: Sicily

In 1522 the forces of Suleiman took Rhodes from the Hospitallers and they were forced to flee to Sicily. They stayed there until 1530 when Pope Clement VIII and King Charles I of Spain ordered them to Malta. They changed their name to the Knights of Malta and fought the many pirates that plagued shipping in that area.

Answer: The Revolutionary Government

The French Revolutionary Government seized their assets in France to help finance the revolution. That was not the end of their troubles, Napoleon conquered Malta in 1798, and the Knights were forced to leave the island. They were offered refuge in St Petersburg by The Emperor of Russia, where they stayed until 1834.

Answer: Rome

In 1834 a revived Order called the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, establishd a new Headquarters in Rome. The Order has continued under that name ever since.