ARSUF, BATTLE OF

Arsuf also spelled Arsouf, famous victory won by the English king Richard I the Lion-Heart during the Third Crusade. Richard, having taken Acre in July 1191, was marching to Joppa (Jaffa), but the Muslim army under Saladin slowed down the crusaders' progress when they advanced from Caesarea, which they left on September 1. On September 7, after the crusaders had left Arsuf, the Muslim attacks became more intensive and were concentrated against the Hospitalers, Richard's rear guard, whom Richard forbade to counterattack until the evening. He then launched a general charge that overwhelmed Saladin's army and inflicted heavy losses on the forces attacking to the rear. Seven hundred crusaders and several thousand Muslims were killed. The victory at Arsuf enabled the crusaders to occupy Joppa but was not a crushing blow to the Muslims. Saladin was able to regroup his forces, which the crusaders had not pursued for fear of ambushes. From September 9 the Muslims renewed their harassing tactics, and Richard did not dare to push on to Jerusalem.