The Crusaders Besiege Antioch
[7.18.5] Illī quī vīvī nequīvērunt trānsīre pontem prae nimiā multitūdine gentium et caballōrum, ibi recēpērunt sempiternum interitum cum Diabolō et angelīs ēius. Nōs itaque illōs superāvimus, impellentēs in flūmen et dēicientēs. Vnda vērō rapidī flūminis undique vidēbātur fluere rubeā Turcōrum sanguine. Et sī forte aliquis eōrum voluisset rēptāre super pontis columnās, aut natandō ad terram mōlīrētur exīre, vulnerātus est ā nostrīs undique stantibus super rīpam flūminis. Rūmor quoque et clāmor nostrōrum et illōrum resonābat ad caelum. Pluviae tēlōrum et sagittārum tegēbant polum et clāritātem diēī. Mulierēs Chrīstiānae urbis veniēbant ad mūrī fenestrās, spectantēs misera fāta Turcōrum, et occultē plaudēbant manibus. Armēniī et Syrānī iussū māiōrum Turcōrum, invītī seu spontāneī, sagittās iaciēbant forās ad nōs.
[7.18.6] Mortuī sunt etiam in animā et corpore duodecim ammiraliī dē Turcōrum agmine in proeliō illō, et aliī prūdentissimōrum et fortiōrum mīlitum, quī melius cīvitātem pugnandō dēfendēbant; numerus quōrum fuit mīlle et quīngentī. Aliī, quī remānserant vīvī, iam amplius nōn audēbant clāmitāre vel garrīre, diē neque nocte, sīcut ante solēbant. Omnēs itaque nōs vel illōs sōlummodo sēparāvit nox, noxque dīvīsit utrōsque in proeliandō, iaculandō, spīculandō, sagittandō. Sīc superātī sunt inimīcī nostrī virtūte Deī et Sānctī Sepulchrī, et ulterius nōn valuērunt tālem virtūtem habēre, neque in vōce, neque in opere, sīcuti prius. Nōs itaque valdē fuimus refectī in illā diē multīs rēbus quae satis erant nōbīs necessāriae, et dē equīs.
notes
(March 1098) Many of the Turks trying to escape into the city are killed crossing the river. Christian women in the city secretly rejoice in the Turkish deaths; Christian men are ordered to shoot arrows at the crusaders, whether they like it or not. By the end of the day the Turks no longer have the will to utter their war cries. The two sides are separated only by the darkness.
7.18.5
et angelīs ēius: these are Satan's Fallen Angels.
columnās: Presumably the bridge had arches, not “columns.”
vulnerātus est: a mixed condition (CL); an iterative subjunctive in the protasis would typically have the imperfect indicative in the apodosis, AG § 518c.
iussū māiōrum Turcōrum, invītī seu spontāneī: i.e. the Turkish leaders ordered them to shoot: some were reluctant and others were willing.
7.18.6
ammiraliī: “emirs.” Under the Seljuks an emir was an essentially military commander.
melius: “well, rather well.”
Omnēs itaque nōs vel illōs sōlummodo sēparāvit nox: i.e., the fighting stopped only when get got dark.
quae satis erant nōbīs necessāriae: = quae satis necessāriae erant nōbīs.
vocabulary
7.18.5
interitus –ūs, m.: violent death
Diabolus –ī, m. the Devil
reptō (1): to crawl, creep
mōlior mōlīrī mōlītus: to strive
pluvia –ae, f.: a fall of rain
tēlum –ī, n.: weapon
polus –ī, m.: the sky (OLD 2)
forās: out, to the outside
7.18.6
quingentī –ae –ax: five hundred
dīvidō dīvidere divīsī dīvīsum: to make to cease, to stop (OLD 4)
ulterius: any more (OLD 2b)
