The Road to Antioch

[4.11.1]  Maior vērō exercitus, scīlicet Raimundus comes dē Sānctō Egidīō, et doctissimus Boamundus, duxque Godefridus, et aliī plūrēs, in Armeniōrum intrāvērunt terram, sitientēs atque aestuantēs Turcōrum sanguinem. Tandem pervēnērunt ad quoddam castrum, quod tam forte erat, ut nihil eī possent facere. Erat autem ibi homō quīdam nōmine Symeon, quī in illā ortus fuit regiōne, quīque hanc petiit terram, quō eam dē manibus dēfenderet inimīcōrum Turcōrum; cui sponte illī dedērunt terram, quīque remānsit ibi cum suā gente. Nōs dēnique exeuntēs inde pervēnimus fēlīciter, usque Caesaream Cappadociae.  

[4.11.2]  Ā Cappadociā autem ēgressī, vēnimus ad quandam cīvitātem pulcherrimam et nimis ūberrimam, quam paululum ante nostrum adventum obsēderant Turcī per trēs hebdomadas, sed nōn superāverant. Mox illūc advenientibus nōbīs, continuō trādidit sē in manū nostrā, cum magnā laetitiā. Hanc igitur petiit quīdam mīles, cui nōmen Petrus dē Alpibus, ab omnibus seniōribus, quātinus eam dēfenderet in fidēlitāte Deī et Sānctī Sepulchrī, et seniōrum atque imperātōris. Cui cum nimiō amōre gratis concessērunt eam. 

(September 1097)  The main army advances through land largely populated by Armenians. One town is so strong that the crusaders accept the offer of a local leader to defend it against the Turks. Another town had been beseiged by the Turks, but willingly submits to the crusaders.

4.11.1

Armeniōrum intrāvērunt terram: Southeast Asia Minor, controlled by the Turks since 1085, had been an Armenian principality. In 1096 the population was still largely Christian.

ad quoddam castrum: apparently unidentified (see France, 191).

ut nihil eī possent facere = ut eī possent nihil facere, i.e., the crusaders could not capture it.

Symeon: apparently an Armenian prince, though the name is Greek.

quīque hanc petiit terram: "and who asked for this place"; terram = quoddam castrum.

dē manibus: CL would be ā manibus.

cui sponte illī dedērunt terram: i.e., the crusaders (illi) willingly entrusted the city to Symeon. Presumably Symeon was already in the city, and instead of trying to capture it the crusaders left him in charge.

Caesaream Cappadociae: Modern Kayseri.

 

4.11.2

nimis: in ML nimis can modify a superlative, and simply means “very.”

quandam cīvitātem pulcherrimam … ūberrimam: Probably Comana, in Cappadocia, near modern Sar, in Adana Province (see France, 191 and n. 127).

trādidit: sc. illa civitas.

in manū nostrā: CL would be in manum nostram.

Petrus dē Alpibus: Peter d’Aups. Originally a Norman fighting with Robert Guiscard, he was now in the service of emperor Alexius.

quātinus eam dēfenderet: "that he would defend it." quatinus, in CL "how," is often used in our text where we might expect ut.

concessērunt: the subject is omnes seniores.

4.11.1

sitiō sitīre: to thirst for

aestuō (1): to burn for

fēlīciter: successfully, with good results (OLD 2)

 

4.11.2

quātinus: how far; how (CL); that (ML)

gratis: for no reward, for nothing (OLD gratia 8)

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