"Now the Frankish counts are by nature shameless and violent, naturally greedy of money too, and immoderate in everything they wish, and they also bear a great innate hatred for us. At that particular time they had with them a certain Latin priest who carried a bow and frequently engaged in fighting — a thing which is forbidden by their own canons and laws. He was the first to cross the Vardar and the others followed. The count himself also crossed and then all the other Counts with him. When my father saw that they were all across, he halted them, and questioned each count individually about his lineage, his country, and his rank. This he did not out of idle curiosity, but because he was a prudent man."

Anna Komnene, The Alexiad, c.1148 CE. Anna Komnene was the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and is widely regarded as the first female historian. The Alexiad is a biography of her father's reign, covering the period 1081-1118, including the First Crusade.