9.21.4

(June 1098)  Kerbogah's advance guard approaches Antioch, while his main army camps at the Iron Bridge. The Turks capture one of the towers defending the bridge, and take its captain prisoner; the crusaders find him later. Arriving in front of Antioch, Kerbogah puts a trusted emir in charge of the citadel. The emir tells him honestly that he will do his best to defend it, but will surrender if Kerbogah is defeated.

Tertiā vērō diē postquam intrāvimus cīvitātem: June 5, 1098.

eōrum praecursōrēs: the advanced troops from Kerbogah’s army.

expugāvērunt turrim: the Iron Bridge was defended by two towers.

dominus illōrum: the Frankish commander of the troops that had failed to defend the tower.

quem invēnimus ligātum in vinculīs ferreīs, factō māiōre bellō: they rescued him from captivity later, after the bigger battle about to be described. CL would avoid ending a sentence with an ablative absolute.

appropinquāvērunt urbī: The subject is “the enemy,” implied by motō exercitū paganōrum. In CL the subject of the main verb should not be associated so closely with the subject of the ablative absolute.

duo flūmina: the Orontes (Far) and the Qara-su, about 5 km north of Antioch.

Rēceptō itaque castrō: "and after the citadel had been received," i.e., after Kerbogah had taken formal authority over the citadel, as described at 9.21.2.

custodīre: infinitive of purpose (ML).

dē tālī … obedīre officiō:  “to obey such an order.” 

illō tenōre, ut: "on this condition, that ..."

sī Francī ēiēcerint vōs dē mortālī proeliō: “if the Franks drive you from the deadly battle(field).” vōs is either “Plural of Reverence” (ML), or the speaker has switched from the first person singular (tibi) to “you (and your soldiers).”

eīs continuō trādam hoc castrum: "I will immediately hand over this fort to them (the crusaders). This is exactly what happens (9.29.8)