Peter the Hermit was a French priest and preacher who became a central figure in the People's Crusade of 1096. Born in Amiens around 1050, he gained fame as an emotional revivalist, recruiting thousands of peasants and serfs for an armed pilgrimage to Jerusalem. His followers, often referred to as the Crusade of the Paupers, traveled through Europe toward the Levant. While he played a role in the subsequent military successes of the First Crusade, his earlier leadership was marked by significant violence and heavy losses during the journey toward Constantinople.