The Capture of Antioch
[8.20.6] Vidēns hoc, Pirrus—quod tam paucī ascendissent ex nostrīs—coepit pavēre, timēns sibi et nostrīs, nē in manūs Turcōrum incīderent, dīxitque: “Micró Francōs echomé (hoc est: 'paucōs Francōs habēmus'). Ubī est ācerrimus Boamundus? Ubī est ille invictus?” Interim dēscendit quīdam serviēns Longobardus deorsum, et cucurrit quantōcius ad Boamundum, dīcēns: “Quid hīc stās, vir prūdēns? Quamobrem hūc vēnistī? Ecce: nōs iam trēs turrēs habēmus!” Mōtus est ille cum aliīs, et omnēs gaudentēs pervēnērunt usque ad scālam. Videntēs itaque illī quī iam erant in turribus, coepērunt iōcundā vōce clāmāre: “Deus vult!” Nōs vērō īdem clāmābāmus.
[8.20.7] Nunc coepērunt īlicō mīrābiliter ascendere: ascendērunt tamen, et cucurrērunt festīnanter in aliās turrēs. Quōs illīc inveniēbant, mortī trādēbant, frātrem quoque Pirrī occīdērunt. Intereā forte rupta est scāla, per quam noster erat ascēnsus, unde inter nōs orta est immēnsa angustia et trīstitia. Quamquam autem scāla fuisset frācta, tamen quaedam porta erat, iuxtā nōs, clausa, in sinistrā parte, quae quibusdam manēbat incognita. Nox namque erat, sed tamen palpandō et inquīrendō invenīmus eam, omnēsque cucurrimus ad illam, et, ipsā frāctā, intrāvimus per eam.
notes
(June 1098) Firuz is upset to see that there are only sixty crusaders, and that Bohemond is not among them. One of the sixty runs back to Bohemond and urges him to come with more men. More men ascend the ladder; they kill Firuz's brother (presumably by accident) and others. The ladder breaks, causing great distress, forcing the attackers to find a gate and break it down. Our author seems to have been part of this second attack.
8.20.6
Micró Francōs echomé: Firuz was speaking Greek: “Mikrous Frangkous echomen.”
Longobardus: man from southern Italy.
Quamobrem hūc venisti?: “Do you remember why you came here?” The question is rhetorical.
Mōtus est ille cum aliīs: Bohemond and his troops got moving.
Nōs vērō īdem clāmābāmus: Bohemond's men still on the outside, including our author, also said "Deus vult!"
8.20.7
mirabiliter: “in an amazing way” or “in amazing numbers.”
in sinistrā parte: "on our left."
quae quibusdam manēbat incognita: "which remained unknown to some of us." Presumably this was a door or postern gate into one of Firuz's towers, and they could break it down because it was no longer guarded by Turks.
ipsā fractā: in CL the subject of the ablative absolute (ipsā) should be different from the rest of the sentence (ad illam ... per eam).
vocabulary
8.20.6
paveō pavēre: to be frightened
deorsum: down, in a downward direction
quantōcius: as quickly as possible (LL)
8.20.7
īlicō: on the spot; at that moment, at once
ascensus –ūs, m.: ascent
claudō claudere clausī clausum: to shut, close
namque: for, because
palpō (1): to stroke, caress
