The Road to Antioch

[4.10.5]  Illīc dīvīsit sē ab aliīs Tancredus Marchisī fīlius, et Balduīnus comes frāter ducis Godefridī, simulque intrāvērunt vallem dē Botrenthrot. Dīvīsit quoque sē Tancredus, et vēnit Tharsum cum suīs mīlitibus. Exiērunt dēnique Turcī dē urbe, et vēnērunt obviam eīs, atque in ūnum congregātī properāvērunt ad bellum contrā Chrīstiānōs. Appropinquantibus itaque nostrīs et pugnantibus, dedērunt inimīcī nostrī fugam, revertentēs in urbem celerī gressū.

[4.10.6]  Tancredus vērō mīles Chrīstī pervēnit laxātīs lōrīs, et castramētātus est ante portam urbis. Ex aliā igitur parte vēnit vir inclitus comes Balduīnus cum suō exercitū, postulāns Tancredum, quātinus eum amīcissimē in societātem cīvitātis dignārētur suscipere. Cui ait Tancredus: “Tē omnimodō in hāc societāte dēnegō.” Nocte itaque superveniente, omnēs Turcī tremefactī fugam ūnā arripuērunt. Exiērunt dēnique habitātōrēs cīvitātis sub illā noctis obscūritāte, clāmantēs excelsā vōce: “Currite, invictissimī Francī, currite, quia Turcī, expergēfactī vestrō timōre, omnēs pariter recēdunt.”

(September 1097)  Tancred and Baldwin of Boulogne break off from the main part of the army to take a more direct but difficult route through Cilicia. Arriving at Tarsus, Tancred puts the Turks there to flight, and the local population—mostly Christian Armenians—welcomes him. Tancred refuses to share this victory with Baldwin.

4.10.5

vallem dē Botrenthrot: Identified as modern Bozanthra, in ancient Cilicia, but Bozanthra is not in Google Maps.

Tharsum: Tarsus, the most important city in Cilicia.

dedērunt ... fugam: fugam dare and similar expressions are CL, though mostly poetic (see OLD fuga 7). The normal CL would be dederunt (terga) fugae or dederunt (terga) in fugam (see OLD do 18d).

celerī gressū: ablative of manner.

 

4.10.6

laxātīs lōrīs: "with the reins released," i.e., at full gallop, at full speed (ML).

et castramētātus est: “and encamped.”

quātinus: quatinus (ML) = ut (CL). In CL quatenus (quatinus) means "how far? to what extent?”; in ML it is often used instead of ut in purpose clauses and clauses of volition.

cīvitātis dignārētur suscipere: Baldwin was asking to join in seizing the city.

ūnā: “as one, together.”

dēnique: dēnique “finally, at length” in CL can = “next” in ML.

illā: ille illa illud in ML can be used like a definite article; they become the definite articles in Romance languages (Italian il, Spanish el, French le > ille; French la > illa).

vestrō: CL would be vestri, objective genitive (AG § 347–8).

recēdunt: the present tense here is real, reflecting what the inhabitants said, not a historical present.

4.10.5

obviam: in the path of, face to face (with)

 

4.10.6

lōrum –ī, n.: bridle; reins (OLD 3b) 

societās –ātis, f.: partnership

itaque: accordingly, and so

expergēfaciō –facere –ffēci –factum: to stir up (emotionally)

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