Today, October 13, is one of the most infamous dates in Templar history.
On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the mass arrest of the Knights Templar throughout his kingdom.
It is important to remember that this was not initially a Europe-wide arrest ordered by the Pope. It was a French royal operation, carefully planned in secrecy by Philip and his government. Other rulers were far more hesitant, and the arrests only spread beyond France later.
Philip IV is a fascinating and deeply troubling figure.
He had already challenged the authority of Pope Boniface VIII who later died of stress having been held captive by the king’s men. His expensive wars had placed enormous pressure on the French treasury. In 1306 he expelled the Jews from France and seized their property and financial assets. His manipulation of the currency had caused such anger that, ironically, the Templars themselves sheltered him in their fortified Paris Temple when riots broke out.
Less than a year later, Philip turned on them.
The charges were explosive: heresy, denial of Christ, spitting upon the cross, secret rituals and idolatry. Many confessions followed under torture.
But the question I find increasingly interesting is not simply, “What happened to the Templars?”
It is: *What kind of man was Philip IV?*
Cold, highly controlled, politically ruthless and capable of destroying institutions that stood in his way, Philip displays characteristics that make it tempting to examine him through a modern psychological lens.
Could Philip IV have possessed psychopathic traits?
Because perhaps the most frightening possibility is not that Philip believed himself evil. It is that he believed himself completely justified.
Friday, October 13, 1307…
A date the Knights Templar would never forget… Nor will we…
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