1.3.3–4

Godfrey of Bouillon

[1.3.3] Dux dēnique Godēfridus prīmus omnium seniōrum Cōnstantīnopolim vēnit cum magnō exercitū, duōbus diēbus ante Dominī nostrī Nātāle, et hospitātus est extrā urbem, dōnec inīquus imperātor iussit eum hospitārī in burgō urbis. Cumque fuisset hospitātus dux, sēcūrē mittēbat armigerōs suōs per singulōs diēs, ut paleās et alia equīs necessāria asportārent. Et cum putārent exīre fīdūciāliter quō vellent, inīquus imperātor Alexius imperāvit Turcopōlīs et Pinzinacīs invādere illōs et occīdere.

[1.3.4] Balduīnus itaque, frāter ducis, haec audiēns, mīsit sē in īnsidiīs, tandemque invēnit eōs occīdentēs gentem suam, eōsque invāsit fortī animō, ac, Deō iuvante, superāvit eōs. Et apprehendēns sexāgintā ex eīs, partem occīdit, partem ducī frātrī suō praesentāvit. Quod cum audīsset imperātor, valdē īrātus est. Vidēns vērō dux inde īrātum imperātōrem, exiit cum suīs dē burgō et hospitātus est extrā urbem. Sērō autem factō, īnfēlīx imperātor iussit suīs exercitibus invādere ducem cum Chrīstī gente. Quōs dux persequēns invictus, cum Chrīstī mīlitibus, septem ex illīs occīdit, persequendō aliōs usque ad portam cīvitātis. Reversusque dux ad sua tentōria mānsit inibi per quīnque diēs, dōnec pactum iniit cum imperātōre, dīxitque illī imperātor ut trānsfretāret Brāchium Sānctī Georgīī, permīsitque eum habēre omnem mercātum ibi sīcut est Cōnstantīnopolī; et pauperibus eleemosynam ērogāre, unde potuissent vīvere.

notes

(December 1096–January 1097) Godfrey of Bouillon arrives at Constantinople. While his men are gathering forage for their horses they are attacked by Byzantine mercenaries, on the orders of the emperor Alexius. Baldwin of Boulogne, Godfrey's brother, captures and kills some of the mercenaries. Godfrey takes his men out of the city and they camp outside the walls, After more violence between Franks and Byzantines the emperor has the Franks cross over to Asia, and promises that he will supply them them there.

1.3.3

dēnique: “meanwhile”; we have now returned to the story of Godfrey of Bouillon, introduced in the story of the first group of Franks (1.2.1).

seniōrum: senior is ML for “leader.”

duōbus diēbus ante Dominī nostrī Nātāle: December 23, 1096, two days before Christmas; ablative of time when.

quō: here introducing an indirect question

Turcopōlīs: the Turcopoli ("Turcopoles") were mercenaries in the service of the Byzantine emperor; they were ethnically Turkish, or half Greek and half Turkish.

Pinzinacīs: Patzinaks/Petchenegs, ethnic Mongolians serving as Byzantine mercenaries.

1.3.4

Balduīnus: The famous Baldwin of Boulogne.

mīsit sē in īnsidiīs: CL would be misit se in insidias.

gentem: Here gēns has its common ML meaning of “army.”

inde: “for that reason.”

Sērō autem factō: “But when it was late in the evening,” literally “but lateness having been created”; sērus –a –um “late” can be used as a neuter substantive (OLD 5a).

cum Chrīstī gente: i.e., with the noncombatants (also called the populus).

cum Chrīst mīlitibus: the Frankish knights.

pactum iniit: he swore an oath of allegiance to the Byzantine emperor, probably on Easter Sunday, 1096.

pauperibus eleemosynam: “alms to the poor.” Presumably this means that the emperor was supporting the poorest of the Franks, rather than helping the poor of Constantinople as an act of penance.

ērogāre: the infinitive is presumably dependent on dixitque illi imperator.

potuissent: CL would be possent.

vocabulary

1.3.3

hospitor (1): be put up as guest (OLD); to camp (ML)

secūrē: safely

burgus –i, m.: fort (CL); suburb (ML)

armiger armigerī, m.: armor bearer (CL); squire (ML)

palea –ae, f.: straw (in CL usually plural).

asportō (1): to carry off

fīdūciāliter: confidently

1.3.4