6.17.1–2 | Dickinson College Commentaries

The Lake Battle

[6.17.1] Itaque, audiēns dominus Boamundus innumerābilem gentem Turcōrum venientem super nōs, cautē vēnit ad aliōs, dīcēns: “Seniōrēs et prūdentissimī mīlitēs, quid factūrī erimus? Nōs namque tantī nōn sumus ut in duābus partibus pugnāre valeāmus. Sed scītis quid faciēmus? Faciāmus ex nōbīs duās partēs. Pars peditum remaneat iūgiter cūstōdīre pāpiliōnēs, et quīlibet nimis obsistere hīs quī in cīvitāte sunt. Alia vērō pars mīlitum nōbīscum veniat obviam inimīcīs nostrīs, quī hīc hospitātī sunt prope nōs, in castellō Aregh ultrā pontem Farreum.”

[6.17.2] Sērō autem factō, exiit ē tentōriīs vir prūdēns Boamundus cum aliīs prūdentissimīs mīlitibus, īvitque iacēre inter flūmen et lacum. Summō dīlūculō iussit prōtinus explōrātōrēs exīre et vidēre quot sunt Turcōrum turmae, et ubi sint, aut certē quid agant. Exiērunt illī, coepēruntque subtīliter inquīrere, ubi essent aciēs Turcōrum reconditae. Vīdērunt tandem Turcōs innumerābilēs sēgregātōs venīre ex parte flūminis, dīvīsōs per duās aciēs; maxima vērō virtūs illōrum veniēbat retrō. Reversī sunt namque celeriter speculātōrēs, dīcentēs: “Ecce, ecce veniunt! Igitur estōte omnēs parātī, quia iam prope nōs sunt.” Dīxitque vir sapiēns Boamundus aliīs: “Seniōrēs et invictissimī mīlitēs, ordināte adinvicem bellum.” Respondēruntque illī: “Tū sapiēns et prūdēns, tū magnus et magnificus, tū fortis et victor, tū bellōrum arbiter et certāminum iūdex: hoc tōtum fac; hoc tōtum super tē sit. Omne bonum quod tibi vidētur, nōbīs et tibi operāre et fac.”

notes

(February 1098) Bohemond learns that a large army of Turks is approaching, and suggests that, rather than fight on two fronts, the foot soldiers should guard the camp and the mounted warriors should attack the arriving Turks. Bohemond learns from scouts that there are two advance guards, with a large army coming after them. The other crusader leaders defer to Bohemond.

6.17.1

innumerābilem gentem Turcōrum: This army was led by Ridwan of Aleppo; Yaghisiyan had sent his son from Antioch to ask for help.

venientem: sc. esse, depending on audiens in a ML form of indirect statement, audiens gentem venientem esse; CL would be audiens gentem venire.

super nōs: CL would be in nos.

Nōs namque tantī nōn sumus ut in duābus partibus pugnāre valeāmus: he means that there are not enough mounted knights to fight in two groups. There were only about 700 knights and they were short of capable horses. Normally the knights and their foot soldiers would have fought together with their leaders, but Bohemond suggests creating one army of mounted knights and one army of foot soldiers. The latter would be purely defensive.

Sed scītis quid faciēmus?: The indicative in an indirect question is rare in CL.

in castellō Aregh ultrā pontem Farreum: the fort of Harem (Harim) was the site of Bohemond's ambush at 5.12.3.

6.17.2

iacēre: “to take a position, lie in wait” (ML); in CL iacēre means “to lie” (i.e., to be lying down); “be inactive” (OLD 9).

inter flūmen et lacum: between the Orontes River and the Lake of Antioch. See map.

sunt: CL would be sint, in an indirect question (AG § 574), the next two indirect questions do use the subjunctive (ubi sint ... quid agant).

ubi sint … quid agant: CL would be an imperfect subjunctive in secondary sequence.

sēgregātōs: i.e., in the two groups about to mentioned.

illōrum veniēbat retrō: This was a third, much bigger group.

estōte: fut. imperat.

tū bellōrum arbiter et certāminum iūdex: the other leaders took the unusual step of entrusting Bohemond with supreme command. Our author, as a devoted follower of Bohemond, makes much of this moment.

omne bonum quod tibi vidētur: = omne quod tibi videtur bonum.

nōbīs et tibi operāre et fac: “see to it that we and you both do it”; the et before fac seems to be merely an intensive.

vocabulary

6.17.1

iūgiter: (CL) continually; (ML) all together, in a body

quīlibet quaelibet quodlibet: each one (ML)

nimis: to an unbelievable extent, very much (OLD 3)

6.17.2

turma –ae, f.: squadron (of cavalry)

virtūs virtūtis, f.: strength, i.e., “largest part”

namque: for (CL); but (ML)

prope: (prep. + acc.) near