The following are the chief personalities during the Wars against the Cathars:

Crusaders and Crusade Leaders and Crusader Allies

Pope Innocent III:   Called the crusade in 1208. Click here for more on Pope Innocent III

Arnaud Amaury:   Cistercian Abbot of Cîteaux.  Military commander of the crusade in its early stages. Click here for more on  Arnaud Amaury

Bernard of Clairvaux (Saint Bernard):   Cistercian Abbot who had tried to combat "heresy" in Toulouse and the Languedoc by preaching against it in the century before the Crusade. Click here for more on  Bernard of Clairvaux

Simon de Montfort:   Titular Earlof Leicester, and lord of Montfort.  Took over leadership of the Cathar Crusade after the initial victories at Béziers and Carcassonne. Click here for more on Simon de Montfort

Amaury de Montfort:   Earl of Leicester.  Took over leadership of the Cathar Crusade after the death of his father Simon. Click here for more on Amaury de Montfort

Dominic Guzmán (Saint Dominic):   A preacher who set up the religious order ("The Dominicans") which established and ran the first Papal Inquisition. Click here for more on Dominic Guzmán

Bernard Gui:   A Dominican Inquisitor who left a useful manual for identifying and punishing Cathars and other supposed "heretics". Click here for more on Bernard Gui

Louis VIII:   King of France. Joined the Cathar Crusade and later led it. Click here for more on Louis VIII

Blanche de Castile:   (1188-1252). Regent of France (1226-36) during the infancy of her son Louis IX, King of France. Click here for more on Blanche de Castile

Louis IX:   King of France, also known as Saint Louis, a Crusader King. Click here for more on Louis IX

Guy and Pierre Des Vaux-de-Cernay. A Crusading Cistercian Abbot (Guy) and his nephew (Peter), a monk who left an invaluable record of the Crusaders actions and their beliefs. Click on the following link for more on Pierre Des Vaux-de-Cernay and his Historia Albigensis

Fulk (or Folquet) de Marseille:   A troubadour who later became Bishop of Toulouse. Click here for more on Fulk de Marsielle

Jacques Fournier, Bishop of Pamiers: (c 1280 - 1342) Famous for his Inquitation records which survived in the Vatican Archives after he was elected Pope as Benedict XII. Click here for more on Jacques Fournier

 

Opponents and Victims of the Crusade, and their Partisans

Peter II:   (1174-1213) King of Aragon (1196-1213).  Close relative and ally of the Counts of Toulouse.  Recognised as the greatest Crusader in Christendom at the time, but opposed to the Crusade against his own vassals. Click here for more on Peter II:

Raymond VI:    (1156-1222),  Count of Toulouse (1196-1222). Click here for more on Raymond VI

Raymond VII:   (1197-1249),   Count of Toulouse (1222-1249). Click here for more on Raymond VII

Raymond-Roger Trencavel:   (1184-12093). Viscount of Carcassonne.  Relative of the Counts of Toulouse. Click here for more on Raymond-Roger Trencavel

Raymond Trencavel II:   (1204-126). Viscount ofCarcassonne.  Son of Raymond-Roger. Click here for more on Raymond Trencavel II

Raymond Roger:   Count of Foix (1188-1223). Click here for more on Raymond Roger

Roger Bernard II:   Count of Foix (1223-1241). Click here for more on Roger Bernard II

Roger IV:   Count of Foix (1241-1265). Click here for more on Roger IV

Savaric de Mauléon:   (  Mauléoun). (1181-1233) Vassal of King John of England and ally of the Counts of Toulouse. Click here for more on Savaric de Mauléon

Count of Comminges:   Vassal and ally of the Counts of Toulouse. Click here for more on Count of Comminges

Viscount of Béarn:   Vassal and ally of the Counts of Toulouse. Click here for more on Viscount of Béarn

Esclarmonde of Foix:   Parfaite. Click here for more on Esclarmonde of Foix

Guilhem Belibaste: (c 1280 - 1323) The last known Cathar Parfait in the Languedoc, burned at the stake in 1323. Click here for more on Guilhem Belibaste

 

Click on the following link for the heraldry of the Crusade leaders, and other nobles