Odo de St Amand
Eudes de Saint- Amand or Odo of St. Amand, also Odon († 1180) was the eighth Grand Master of the Knights Templar.
Eudes was born into a family from Saint- Amand- de -Coly in the then British West part of France. In the Holy Land he was Marshal of Jerusalem 1155-1156, and later, in 1160 Viscount and castellan, 1164-1167 cupbearer. In April 1171 he was elected Grand Master of the Knights Templar.
He sat down confidently for the interests of his order a, which thus put both hatred and admiration to himself. An example has survived from 1172: As the time a Knight Templar, Gauthier Le Maisnil, King Amalric I was accused of murdering a Muslim dignitaries, Eudes refused his extradition, referring to a papal bull, for which the Templars alone the jurisdiction of the Holy See are located.
During his time as Grand Master Eudes took part in several battles. In the battle against the Muslims his Templars were often the spearhead and were thus able to but famous in Nablus, Jericho and Jerasch brilliant victories. Perhaps his greatest finest hour was on 25 November 1177 Battle of Montgisard, as his knights were involved in beating a numerically much superior army of Saladin devastating. His victories were the order also beneficial in that they helped him to advertise in the European home for cash donations as well as supplies of men and material.
Until the summer of 1179 Saladin ventured back from an invasion of the kingdom of Jerusalem, the times of Damascus. On June 10, 1179, there was between him and a Crusader army at the Battle of Marj Uyun. The Crusader army consisted of the quotas of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, Count Raymond III. of Tripoli, the Hospitallers under Roger de Moulins and the Templars under Eudes de Saint- Amand. After the Crusaders a large section of Muslims had been defeated and is mentioned as a winner, they were themselves surprised and caught off guard by the regrouped main army of Saladin. Eudes was captured, King Baldwin could only manage to escape.
Eudes eventually died in 1180 in one of Saladin's prisons. His release in exchange for a nephew of Saladin was indeed still being negotiated, the agreement was for him but too late. Already in October 1179 Arnaud de Toroga was chosen as his successor to the Grand Master of the Knights Templar.