1307 October Friday 13th. Knights Templars.

Knights Templar

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This article is about the medieval military order. For the Knights Templar associated with Freemasonry.

Knights Templar Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici
A Seal of the Knights Templar
Active	c. 1119–1312
Allegiance	The Pope
Type	Western Christian military order Christian finance
Role	Protection of Christian Pilgrims
Size	15,000–20,000 members at peak, 10% of whom were knights.
Headquarters	Temple Mount, Jerusalem
Nickname	Order of the Temple
Patron	St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Motto	Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam (Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give glory)
Attire	White mantle with a red cross
Mascot	Two knights riding a single horse
Engagements	The Crusades, including: Siege of Ascalon (1153), Battle of Montgisard (1177) Battle of Marj Ayyun (1179) Battle of Hattin (1187), Siege of Acre (1190–1191), Battle of Arsuf (1191), Siege of Al-Dāmūs (1210) Battle of Legnica (1241), Siege of Acre (1291) Reconquista
Commanders
First Grand Master	Hugues de Payens
Last Grand Master	Jacques de Molay

This article is part of or related to the Knights Templar series

Knights Templar History of the Knights Templar Knights Templar legends Knights Templar Seal Grand Masters of the Knights Templar Knights Templar in England Knights Templar in Scotland List of Knights Templar List of Knights Templar sites Modern associations Knights Templar (Freemasonry)

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Latin: Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici), commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple (French: Ordre du Temple or Templiers) or simply as Templars, were among the most wealthy and powerful of the Western Christian military orders and were among the most prominent actors of the Christian finance. The organisation existed for nearly two centuries during the Middle Ages.

Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favoured charity throughout Christendom and grew rapidly in membership and power. Templar 

knights, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, were among the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades. Non-combatant members of the Order managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom, innovating financial techniques that were an early form of banking, and building fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land.

The Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded. Rumours about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created mistrust and King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Order, took advantage of the situation. In 1307, many of the Order's members in France were arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, 

and then burned at the stake. Under pressure from King Philip, Pope Clement V disbanded the Order in 1312. The abrupt disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the "Templar" name alive into the modern day.