Pierre Basile

Pierre Basile was a French knight famous for shooting King Richard I of England with a crossbow at the siege of Châlus-Charbrol on March 26, 1199. King Richard, who had removed some of his chainmail, was not mortally-wounded by Basile's bolt; however, the wound resulted in gangrene, and Richard's subsequent death occurred on April 6 of the same year.

Basile was one of only two knights defending the castle and was reknowed amongst the English attackers for his appearance: the castle was so ill-prepared for King Richard's siege that Basile was forced to defend the ramparts with cobbled-together armour and a makeshift shield constructed from a frying pan, much to the mirth of the English besiegers. It is perhaps this dismissive attitude that led to Richard taking little precaution on the day he was shot.

It is said that King Richard ordered that Basile suffer no punishment (and, in fact, that he be paid a sum of money). Nevertheless, after Richard's death, Basile was flayed alive and then hanged.