Battle of Alcazarquivir

The Battle of Alcacer Quibir took place on August 4, 1578 by Alcazarquivir in Morocco between a Portuguese army and the troops of the Moorish Sultan.

Related Topics:
August 4 - 1578 - Alcazarquivir - Morocco - Portuguese - Moorish - Sultan

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The battle had been King Sebastião of Portugal's dream since he was a child. He wanted to fight the Moors and force them to convert to Christianity.

Related Topics:
King Sebastião of Portugal's - Moors - Christianity

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The Portuguese army was small. According to the battle legend, young King Sebastião promised to his men that the cross would win against the crescent and that they didn't need to fight: He could kill every Moor on Earth by himself. The soldiers ran away from the Plaza of the city, and after a couple of hours, when they came back to Alcacer Quibir, neither their king nor the Moors were there. The battle was won by the Moors.

Related Topics:
Legend - Cross - Crescent - Plaza - Moors

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During the Spanish dominion over Portugal, many people believed that the 24-year old monarch was still alive, perhaps taken as prisoner by the Moors. They hoped that he would come back to his homeland and claim the Portuguese throne once again. The believers in this theory where called "Sebastianists". Several pretenders to the Portuguese throne, claimed to be King Sebastião. All of them were impostors. The last one of them, an Italian, was hanged in 1619.

Related Topics:
Spanish - Monarch - Prisoner - Moors - Throne - Sebastianists - Impostors - Italian - 1619

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