3.9.5–6 | Dickinson College Commentaries

The Battle of Dorylaeum

[3.9.5] Continuō fuērunt ōrdinātae nostrōrum aciēs. In sinistrā parte fuit vir sapiēns Boamundus, et Rotbertus Nortmannus, et prūdēns Tancredus, ac Robertus dē Ānsā et Richardus dē Prīncipātū. Epīscopus vērō Podiēnsis vēnit per alteram montānam, undique circumcingēns incrēdulōs Turcōs. In sinistrā quoque parte equitāvit fortissimus mīles Raimundus comes dē Sānctō Egidīō. In dexterā vērō parte fuit dux Godefridus, et ācerrimus mīles Flandrēnsis comes, et Hugō Magnus, et aliī plūrēs, quōrum nōmina ignōrō.

[3.9.6] Statim autem, venientibus mīlitibus nostrīs, Turcī et Ārabēs et Saracēnī et Agulānī omnēsque barbarae nātiōnēs dedērunt vēlōciter fugam, per compendia montium et per plāna loca. Erat autem numerus Turcōrum, Persārum, Pūblicānōrum, Saracēnōrum, Agulānōrum, aliōrumque pāgānōrum trecenta sexāginta mīlia, extrā Ārabēs, quōrum numerum nēmō scit nisi sōlus Deus. Fūgērunt vērō nimis vēlōciter ad sua tentōria, ibique eōs diū morārī nōn licuit. Iterum vērō arripuērunt fugam, nōsque illōs persecūtī sumus occīdentēs, tōtā ūnā diē. Et accēpimus spolia multa, aurum, argentum, equōs et asinōs, camēlōs, ovēs, et bovēs et plūrima alia quae ignōrāmus.

notes

(July 1097) The main crusader army gets organized and forces the Turks to retreat. The crusaders kill many of the Turks and plunder their camp.

3.9.5

Robertus Nortmannus: Robert of Normandy.

Richardus dē Prīncipātū: Richard of the Principality.

Robertus dē Ānsā: Robert of Anse

ācerrimus mīles Flandrēnsis comes: Robert of Flanders.

Hugō Magnus: Hugh of Vermandois.

per alteram montānam: one of the “glacial drumlins” to be found at the site of the battle.

circumcingēns: ML frequently uses the present participle for action subsequent to that of the main verb.

3.9.6

Agulānī: their identity is unknown; they are mentioned again at 8.20.2 and 9.21.1, where they are said to be mounted warriors wearing plate armor.

dedērunt ... fugam: CL would probably be fūgērunt.

Pūblicānōrum: "Paulicians,” i.e., Christian dualist heretics, associated with Armenia (see also 1.4.4); though our author may use the term for any Christians he regarded as heretical.

trecenta sexāginta mīlia: the figure is an absurd exaggeration.

extrā Ārabēs: "not counting Arabs."

ignōrāmus: the “royal we."

vocabulary

3.9.5

continuō: forthwith, immediately

aciēs aciēī, f.: battle-line (OLD 6b)

incrēdulus –a –um: disbelieving (here in a religious sense)

3.9.6

compendium –iī, n.: pass; (in plural) short cut

licet licēre licuit: it is permitted (+ acc. and inf.)

occīdō occīdere occīdī occīsum: to kill