Fresh horses for an enemy king

By 1192, Saladin and Richard I of England had fought each other across the Holy Land for a year. They never met in person, but each had come to respect the other.

That August, Saladin launched a surprise attack on Richard’s small force outside Jaffa. Richard had only a handful of horses and fought on foot among his men, holding off charge after charge.

According to crusader chroniclers, Saladin’s brother al-Adil sent Richard two fine horses in the middle of the fighting, saying a king should not fight on foot. When Richard later fell ill with fever, Saladin reportedly sent him fresh fruit and snow from the mountains to cool his drinks.

Weeks later the two sides signed the Treaty of Jaffa: Jerusalem would stay under Saladin, but Christian pilgrims could visit freely. Richard sailed home and never returned. Saladin died the following March, having given away so much of his wealth that there was not enough left to pay for his funeral.