Peter the Hermit (1050?-1115?) was a monk of Amiens, France, who is famous as a preacher of the First Crusade (1096-1099). Little is known of his life from the time of his birth in Amiens until 1095. At that time, he began to preach the necessity of a crusade to win back Palestine, also called the Holy Land, which was in Muslim hands. Peter rode about France on muleback, wearing the rough habit of a monk and bearing a crucifix. He hoped to inspire people to join him.
In 1096, Peter set out for Palestine with a band of undisciplined followers, chiefly from the poorer classes. After struggling through Europe and into Asia Minor, the majority of his followers were massacred by the Turks. Peter and the survivors joined the French crusader Godfrey of Bouillon and helped capture Jerusalem.
