Arnaud de Cervole

Arnaud de Cervole, also "de Cervolles", "de Cervolle", "Arnaut de Cervole" or "Arnold of Cervoles" ("c." 1300 - 25 May, 1366), known as l'Archiprêtre (The Archpriest), was a French mercenary soldier during the Hundred Years' War.

He was born in Lot-et-Garonne in the Périgord somehere around the year 1300. Even though a layman, he possessed the ecclesiastical fief of Velines in Dordogne; because of it he was called the Archpriest of Vélines ("Archiprêtre de Velines").

In 1358, Arnaud and his troops laid siege to Avignon and forced Pope Innocent VI to pay him a thousand gold florins. After the Pope paid the ransom, Arnaud discharged his troops on the spot, pocketed the money and left, leaving his men ever more furious and dangerous.

In 1362, he was hired by the French king John II to deal with English brigands, dispatching him with a small royal army led by the Comte de Tancarville and the Comte de la Marche. [http://www.maisonstclaire.org/timeline/1361.html]

He was once approached by King Charles V to lead a new Crusade to the Holy Land.

In 1366, he was assassinated by his own lieutenants after pillaging Champagne and Lorraine.

In popular culture

Arnaud (as "Arnaut") appears as a character in Michael Crichton's novel "Timeline" and its film adaptation, where he is played by Lambert Wilson.