1.2.3

(August–September 1096) Entering Turkish territory ("Romania"), the crusaders seize an unoccupied fort.

Rōmāniam: i.e., the “Land of the Romans” (“Rum”) was territory in Asia Minor/Anatolia formerly held by the Byzantines and now held by the Turks.

per quāttuor diēs iērunt ultrā Nīcēnam urbem: It would have been odd for the crusaders to go beyond Nicaea (modern Iznik), then still in Turkish hands; capturing it, as we shall see, was essential to the crusader advance.  Our author perhaps wrote (or should have written) ultrā Nicomēdiam.

castrum: castrum in ML is often “fort" or "fortified settlement," usually permanent.

Exerogorgō: Called Xerigordos in Greek. Clive Foss identifies the site as Çobankale, at a strategic point on the road from Helenopolis (Kibotos) to Nicaea. 

vacuum gente: "devoid of people.” In ML gens often means “army,” but it may not have that meaning here.

in quā: CL would be either quā (“where”) or in quō (castrō).

satis frūmentī et vīnī et carnis: three partitive genitives with satis.

quod…essent: quod + subj. occasionally in CL can express indirect statement (OLD 5); in ML the construction is common.

obsidere: infinitive of purpose (AG § 460); rare in CL but common in ML.

īnsīdiārī: infinitive of purpose

in fēstō sānctī Michahēlis: Michaelmas, September 29, 1096.