The Capture of Antioch
[8.20.4] Dein Boamundus iussit celeriter ad sē vocārī quendam servientem suum, vidēlicet Malam Corōnam, eīque praecēpit ut, quasi praecō, commonēret Francōrum maximam gentem, quātinus fidēliter preparāret sē in Saracēnōrum itūra terram. Factumque est ita. Crēdidit itaque Boamundus hoc cōnsilium dūcī Godefrīdō, et Flandrēnsī comitī, comitī quoque dē Sānctō Egidiō, atque Podiensi epīscopō, dīcēns quia: “ Deī favente gratiā, hāc nocte trādētur nōbīs Antiochīa.”
[8.20.5] Ōrdināta sunt dēnique haec omnia. Mīlitēs tenuērunt plāna et peditēs montāneam: tōtā nocte equitāvērunt et ambulāvērunt usque prope aurōram, ac deinceps coepērunt appropinquāre ad turrēs quās ille, vigil, cūstōdiēbat. Cōnfestim dēscendit Boamundus et praecēpit omnibus, dīcēns: “Ite sēcūrō animō et fēlīcī concordiā, et ascendite per scālam in Antiochīam, quam statim habēbimus, sī Deō placet, in nostrā cūstōdiā.” Vēnērunt illī usque ad scālam quae iam erat ērēcta et fortiter ligāta ad cīvitātis moenia, et ascendērunt per illam hominēs ferē sexāgintā ex nostrīs; ac dīvīsī sunt per turrēs quās ille observābat.
notes
(June 1098) Bohemond tells the other commanders to lead the army into enemy territory (so that they would be on hand for the attack on the city). At dawn, Bohemond sends sixty of his men to climb up the city wall by ladder and occupy Firuz's towers.
8.20.4
quendam servientem suum Malam Corōnam: "a certain sergeant of his, Bad Crown." He is not otherwise known, but is thought to have been a Norman from South Italy. On the meaning of serviēns see 8.19.2.
quātinus fidēliter preparāret sē in Saracēnōrum itūra terram: "that it (the gens Francorum) should faithfully prepare itself to to into the land of the Saracens." CL would be ut ... praepararet and ire in terram Saracenorum.
dicēns quia: quia in ML can be used like quotation marks; omit in translation.
8.20.5
quās ille vigil cūstōdiēbat: “which he (Firuz) was guarding, wide awake.”
Cōnfestim dēscendit Boamundus: he dismounted.
ad scālam: apparently there was only one ladder.
quās ille, vigil, observābat: sc. Firuz.
vocabulary
8.20.4
praecō –ōnis, m.: herald
crēdō crēdere crēdidī crēditum: to entrust
8.20.5
ordinō (1): to organize (OLD 3)
ambulō (1): to walk; march
usque: right up, to
prope: almost
aurora ae, f.: dawn
vigil vigilis: awake; watchful
scāla –ae, f.: ladder (in CL usually plural)
ligō (1): to fasten, bind
