ARSUF, a town on the coast of Palestine, I2m. N.N.E. of Jaffa, famous as the scene of a victory of the crusaders under Richard I. of England over the army of Saladin (third Crusade). After the capture of Acre on July 12, 1191, and the departure for home of Philip of France, the army of the crusaders, under Richard Coeur-de-Lion and the duke of Burgundy, opened their campaign for the recovery of Jerusalem by marching southward towards Jaffa, from which place it was intended to move direct upon the holy city. The march was along the seashore, and, the forces of Saladin being in the vicinity, the army moved in such a formation as to be able to give battle at any moment. Richard thus moved slowly, but in such compact order as to arouse the admiration even of the enemy. The right column of baggage and supplies, guarded by infantry, was nearest the sea, the various corps of heavy cavalry, one behind the other. formed the central column, and on the exposed left flank was the infantry, "level and firm as a wall," according to the testimony of Saracen authors. The crusaders maintained for many days an absolutely passive de fence, and could not be tempted to fight ; Richard and his knights made occasional charges, but quickly withdrew, and on Sept. 7 this irregular skirmishing, in which the crusaders had scarcely suffered at all, culminated in the battle of Arsuf. Saladin had by now decided that the only hope of success lay in compelling the rear of the Christians' column to halt—and thus opening a gap, should the van be still on the move. Richard, on the other hand, had prepared for action by closing up still more, and as the crusaders were now formed a simple left turn brought them into two lines of battle, infantry in first line, cavalry in second line. Near Arsuf the road entered a defile between the sea and a wooded range of hills ; and from the latter the whole Muslim army suddenly burst forth. The weight of the attack fell upon the rear of Richard's column, as Saladin desired. The column slowly continued its march, suffering heavily in horses, but other wise unharmed. The first assault thus made no impression, but a fierce hand-to-hand combat followed, in which the Hospitallers, who formed the rear of the Christian army, were hard pressed. As Richard gave the signal for the whole line to charge, the sorely pressed Hospitallers rode out upon the enemy on their own initiative. At once the whole of the cavalry followed suit.
The head (or right wing) and centre were not closely engaged, and their fleeter opponents had time to ride off, but the rear of the column carried all before it in its impetuous onset, and cut down the Saracens in great numbers. Their loss was more than ten fold that of the Christians, who lost but loo men. The army arrived at Jaffa on Sept. 1o, unopposed, for Arsuf had broken the spirit of the Saracen army. The harvest—Jerusalem—was not reaped, owing to the internal dissensions of the crusaders. See C. W. C. Oman, Hist. of the Art of War in the Middle Ages, vol. i. (1924).