Directory

1285 CE

Archbishop Jakub Świnka organizes a synod in Łęczyca. During the meeting, he orders all priests who are subject to his bishopric to deliver their sermons in Polish rather than German. This further unifies the Catholic Church in Poland and fosters a national identity. Pope Martin IV dies after a 4-year pontificate in Perugia. He is succeeded by Honorius IV, who becomes the 190th pope of the Catholic Church. Marinid forces under Sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq cross the straits from Alcácer Seguir to Tarifa. From there they advance to Jerez de la Frontera, where they besiege the city. Marinids detachments are dispatched to devastate a broad area from Medina-Sidonia to Carmona, Vejer de la Frontera, Écija and Seville, cutting down trees, orchards, and vineyards, destroying villages, and killing or capturing many inhabitants.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • The County of Champagne is integrated into the kingdom of France; the region loses its haven characteristics for foreign merchants, and the Fairs of Troyes quickly dwindle into economic insignificance.source
  • The Second Statute of Westminster is accepted in parliament, reforming various laws; it includes the clause de donis conditionalibus, considered one of the fundamental institutes of medieval law.source

Conflict & Security

  • April – Marinid forces under Sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq cross the straits from Alcácer Seguir to Tarifa. From there they advance to Jerez de la Frontera, where they besiege the city. Marinids detachments are dispatched to devastate a broad area from Medina-Sidonia to Carmona, Vejer de la Frontera, Écija and Seville, cutting down trees, orchards, and vineyards, destroying villages, and killing or capturing many inhabitants.source
  • May 22 – Marinid forces under Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq prolong their siege at Jerez de la Frontera. He sends his son Abu Yaqub Yusuf an-Nasr with 5,000 regulars, 2,000 cavalry, some 13,000 infantry and 2,000 archers to raid Seville and its environs on June 1. During June and early July, the Marinids assault daily Jerez while raiding parties pillage the countryside at Carmona, Niebla, Écija, Seville and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.source
  • May – King Sancho IV (the Brave) assembles his army at Seville and sends the Castilian fleet (some 100 ships) led by Admiral Benedetto I Zaccaria to blockade the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. Meanwhile, a Marinid detachment of 1,000 cavalry moves against Seville, routing the Castilians send out to oppose them. Turning eastward against Carmona and Alcalá de Guadaíra, the Marinids burn the suburbs, harvest and ruin orchards.source
  • June 24 – Battle of Chương Dương: Joint forces of Champa and Đại Việt defeat the Mongol-led Yuan fleet on the Red River. Most of the Yuan warships are burned during the battle, and the Mongol army retreats to China in late June. The Vietnamese royal court returns to the capital in Thang Long following a six-month conflict.source
  • August – Castilian forces led by Sancho IV (the Brave) march against the Marinids at Jerez de la Frontera. Meanwhile, Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq with his army of 18,000 cavalry and faced with dwindling supplies, decides to lift the siege after five months, on August 2. He withdraws his army to the safety of Algeciras and opens negotiations with Sancho while the Castilian fleet arrives at El Puerto de Santa Maria (or "The port of Saint Mary").source
  • September 4 – Battle of Les Formigues: An Aragonese-Sicilian fleet (some 40 galleys) under Admiral Roger of Lauria defeats French and Genoese ships near the Formigues Islands. According to Johan Esteve de Bezers, a French troubadour, all prisoners but one have their eyes gouged out, and that one is left with one eye to guide the others. After the battle, Roger captures about 15 to 20 French galleys, and others are sunk or burnt.source
  • Winter – The Mongol Golden Horde led by Nogai Khan and Talabuga attacks Hungary for the second time. They successfully subdue Slovakia and sack territory north of the Carpathian Mountains.source

Religion & Belief

  • January 6 – Archbishop Jakub Świnka organizes a synod in Łęczyca. During the meeting, he orders all priests who are subject to his bishopric to deliver their sermons in Polish rather than German. This further unifies the Catholic Church in Poland and fosters a national identity.source
  • The writ Circumspecte Agatis, issued by King Edward I (Longshanks), defines the jurisdictions of church and state, thereby limiting the church's judicial powers to ecclesiastical cases only.source
  • The Mor Bar Sauma Monastery, one of the most important monasteries of the Syriac Orthodox Church, is destroyed. Though a monastic community remains, the patriarchal seat is moved to Sis.source
  • Council of Blachernae: The Eastern Orthodox Church repudiates the Union with the Catholic Church, declared in the Second Council of Lyon.source
  • The English romantic poem The Lay of Havelok the Dane is written (approximate date).source

Science & Discovery

  • The first record is made of an emission of life annuities, by the city of Lübeck. It is the first instance of issue of public debt in Germany, and it confirms a trend of consolidation of local public debt over north-western Europe (see 1228).source

Health & Medicine

  • Aragonese Crusade: French forces led by King Philip III (the Bold) entrench before Girona, in an attempt to besiege the city. Despite strong resistance, the city is eventually taken on September 7. Philip's son, the 15-year-old Charles of Valois, is crowned as king of Aragon (under the vassalage of the Holy See) but without an actual crown. Shortly after, the French camp is racked by an epidemic of dysentery and Philip is forced to retreat.source

Births

  • March 9 – Go-Nijō (or Nijō II), Japanese emperor (d. 1308)source
  • March 23 – Al-Mustakfi I, Mamluk ruler (caliph) of Egypt (d. 1340)source
  • March 24 – Al-Nasr Muhammad, Mamluk ruler of Egypt (d. 1341)source
  • April 9 – Ayurbarwada Buyantu Khan, Mongol emperor (d. 1320)source
  • May 1 – Edmund Fitzalan, English nobleman and knight (d. 1326)source
  • December 6 – Ferdinand IV, king of Castile and León (d. 1312)source
  • William of Ockham, English monk and theologian ( d. 1347)source
  • Ziauddin Barani, Indian historian and philosopher (d. 1358)source
  • Richeza Magnusdotter, Swedish princess and abbess (d. 1348)source
  • Margaret of Artois, French noblewoman and regent (d. 1311)source
  • Euphemia of Pomerania, queen consort of Denmark (d. 1330)source
  • Patrick V de Dunbar, Scottish nobleman and knight (d. 1369)source
  • John of Jandun, French philosopher and theologian (d. 1328)source
  • Gerardus Odonis, French cardinal and theologian (d. 1349)source

Deaths

  • March 25 – Pope Martin IV dies after a 4-year pontificate in Perugia. He is succeeded by Honorius IV, who becomes the 190th pope of the Catholic Church.source
  • March 28 – Martin IV, pope of the Catholic Church (approximate date)source
  • May 13 – Robert de Ros, English nobleman and knight (b. 1235)source
  • May 20 – John I, king of Cyprus (House of Lusignan) (b. 1268)source
  • June 19 – Yekuno Amlak, Ethiopian ruler (House of Solomon)source
  • July 28 – Keran of Lampron, queen of Cilician Armenia (b. 1260)source
  • July 30 – John I, German nobleman (House of Ascania) (b. 1249)source
  • August 16 – Philip I, French nobleman (House of Savoy) (b. 1207)source
  • August 18 – William Reade, English bishop and theologian (b. 1183)source
  • August 22 – Philip Benizi, Italian monk and religious leader (b. 1233)source
  • August 27 – William de Wickwane, English cleric and archbishopsource
  • September 9 – Kunigunda of Halych, queen of Bohemia (b. 1245)source
  • November 2 – Peter III (the Great) dies after a 9-year reign at Vilafranca del Penedès. He is succeeded by his 20-year-old son Alfonso III (the Liberal), who becomes king of Aragon. Peter's other son James II (the Just), is crowned ruler of Sicily. His third son, the 13-year-old Frederick, becomes co-ruler and regent of Sicily.source
  • December 21 – Ordoño Álvarez, archbishop of Braga (b. 1198)source