Bohemond's March to Constantinople

[1.4.1]  At bellipotēns Boamundus, quī erat in obsidiōne Malfī, Scafardī Pontis, audiēns vēnisse innumerābilem gentem Chrīstiānōrum dē Francīs itūram ad Dominī Sepulchrum, et parātam ad proelium contrā gentem pāgānōrum, coepit dīligenter inquīrere quae arma pugnandī haec gēns dēferat, et quam ostēnsiōnem Chrīstī in viā portet, vel quod signum in certāmine sonet. Cui per ōrdinem haec dicta sunt: “Dēferunt arma ad bellum congrua, in dextrā vel inter utrāsque scapulās crucem Chrīstī baiulant; sonum vērō ‘Deus vult, Deus vult, Deus vult!’ ūnā vōce conclāmant.
 

(Summer 1096)  Bohemond, while prosecuting the siege of Amalfi (in the summer of 1096), learns about the crusaders, their characteristic clothing, and their battle cry, 'Deus vult!'

Boamundus: Bohemond was mentioned in 1.3.2, as leader of the Franks in the third group. He was relatively late in joining the crusade.

Scafardī Pontis: “at the Wooden Bridge.” The siege, in the summer of 1096, was of the Duchy of Amalfi, which had rebelled against the Normans. The Normans were besieging a tower defending a bridge over the river Sarno, near the present village of Scafati.

itūram: “to go”; the future active participle can (rarely) express purpose in CL.

parātam: paratam (esse) agrees with innumerablem gentem Christianorum, and continues the indirect statement depending on audiens.

quae arma pugnandi: “what kinds of weapons”; literally “what weapons of fighting.” Bohemond, like our author, is interested in how many of the crusaders were heavily armed mounted warriors.

haec gēns: haec gens Christianorum de Francis, the Frankish crusaders.

signum: “battle cry.”

per ordinem: “one by one”; the answers come in the same order as the questions.

obsidiō –ōnis, f.: siege

 ostensiō –ōnis, f.:  the action of exposing to view (CL); display, emblem (ML)

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