Kerbogah Tries to Retake Antioch
[9.24.1] Quōdam vērō diē, stantibus nostrīs māiōribus sūrsum ante castellum trīstibus ac dolentibus, vēnit quīdam sacerdōs ante eōs et dīxit: “Seniōrēs, sī vōbīs placet, audīte rem quandam, quam in vīsiōne vīdī. Cum, nocte ūnā, iacērem in ecclēsiā Sānctae Mariae mātris Dominī nostrī Iēsu Chrīstī, appāruit mihi Salvātor mundī cum suā genitrīce et beātō Petrō apostolōrum prīncipe; stetitque ante mē et dīxit mihi: ‘Agnōscis mē?’ Cui respondī: ‘Nōn.’ Hīs dictīs, ecce appāruit integra crux in capita ēius. Iterum ergō interrogāvit mē Dominus dīcēns: ‘Agnōscis mē?’ Cui dīxī: ‘Tē aliō modō nōn agnōscō, nisi quia crucem in capite tuō cernō sīcut Salvātōris nostrī.’ Quī dīxit: ‘Ego sum.’ Statim cecidī ad pedēs ēius, rogāns humiliter ut subvenīret nōbīs in oppressiōne illā quae super nōs erat. Respondit Dominus: ‘Bene adiūvī vōs, et āmodo adiuvābō. Ego permīsī vōs habēre Nīcēam cīvitātem, et omnia dēvincere bella, et condūxī vōs hūc usque, et condoluī vestrae miseriae in obsidiōne Antiochīae. Ecce, in auxiliō oportūnō, mīsī vōs sānōs et incolumēs in cīvitātem, et ecce multam prāvamque dīlēctiōnem operantēs, cum Chrīstiānīs et prāvīs pāgānīs mulieribus, unde immēnsus foetor ascendit in caelum.’
notes
(June 1098) A priest tells the crusader leaders about a vision.
quīdam sacerdōs: His name was Stephen, according Raymond d’Agiles.
hūc usque: “this far.”
quam passī fuistis: the antecedent of quam is vestra miseria.
in auxiliō oportunō: “providing timely assistance.”
et ecce multam prāvamque dīlēctiōnem operantēs: “and, look (at you) busying yourselves with much wicked enjoyment.”
unde immēnsus foetor ascendit in caelum: a physical stench was taken as a sign of moral corruption.
vocabulary
āmodo: henceforth
prāvus –a –um: crooked; corrupt, debased
dīlēctiō –ōnis, f: enjoyment
operor (1): to busy oneself (CL; intransitive); to busy oneself with (ML; transitive)