Philip Augustus and the Norman Church

Historians generally agree that the conquest of Normandy by Philip Augustus in 1204 initiated the rise of Capetian forttines in the thirteenth century. The French invasion of the duchy followed the path of the Seine towards the sea. Although Philip gained no ground against King Richard in the sharp fighting of 1194-99, he achieved his first measure of success against the Plantagenets after the accession of King John. In exchange for recognizing John's title to the duchy, the treaty of Le Goulet of 1200 gave Philip lvreux, his first Norman bishopric, part of the Pvrecin, a new base of operations, and a relief of 20,000 marks sterling which fueled his war machine for the final drive against the duchy.l When Chateau Gaillard fell to Philip in March 1203 after an intensive siege, the major Norman defense against French penetration of the Seine valley was removed. When Rouen, the chief city of the duchy, capitulated in June 1204, the rest of Normandy offered scant resistance. During this brief campaign Pope Innocent III acted in behalf of the English. In May 1202 he ordered Walter, Archbishop of Rouen, to excommunicate those who rebelled against King John, presumably in support of the French.2 Later in October 1203 and April 1204 he pressed the French king to make peace, a move favorable to the English, since Philip was the actual aggressor.3 Sometime towards the end of 1204 or the beginning of 1205, the Archbishop of Rouen and his suffragan bishops of Avranches, Lisieux, Coutances, and Sees4 in

History · Medieval Literature and History

• Henry II as a Founder of Monasteries

  Open Access•Elizabeth M Hallam•The Journal of Ecclesiastical…•1977

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