Geoffroy de Villehardouin was a French nobleman born in the mid-12th century who participated in the Fourth Crusade. After the crusade, he wrote the Chronicles of the Crusades which covers not only the founding of the Fourth Crusade and the events up to the conquest of Constantinople, but also the conflicts that followed. Before the Crusade he was Marshal of Champagne and, although this did not give him direct experience of war, he probably took part in the conflicts in Champagne. This position probably gave him an administrative and military orientation which explains the general statesmanlike tone throughout the book, as well as his choice to describe strategies. Throughout the book, Villehardouin clearly sets out his religiosity. This is hardly surprising given the status of the religion at the time and the fact that Villehardouin was a crusader. The respect for the Crusaders among European nobles probably also contributed to its values. Very early on, he speaks in the typical vocabulary of the Crusades, speaking of acting "in the name of God" or "by the grace of God." More interestingly, he repeatedly connects the days of their events to religious days. He observes that the day of agreement between the Venetians and the envoys was Lent, the day the siege of Zara began was St. Martin's Day, the day Scutari left was St. John's Day -Baptiste, the day of the capture of Constantinople was Saint Martin's Day. Monday before Palm Sunday, and so on. This suggests the level of importance he attributes to the events of the Fourth Crusade. This is not simply conquest, personal pilgrimage, or military glory, but something deeply connected to the history and health of Christianity in Villehardouin's eyes. ..... noble nobles, so that noble families who read the chronicle can learn how their relative died in these events, instead of simply being missing in action. Villehardouin's background as a French nobleman as well as his apparent admiration for the French nobility likely led him to write in a way that used religious and other imagery to sanctify the Fourth Crusade and its participants. The religious themes, glorious descriptions, and focus on nobles can explain a lot about both Villehardouin himself and his book's target audience, which was likely the nobles of France. Works cited Villehardouin, Geoffroy de and Jean de Joinville. Chronicles of the Crusades, translated and edited by MRB Shaw. London: Penguin, 1963. Madden, Thomas F. The New Concise History of the Crusades. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2006.