The Battle of Ascalon
[10.39.7] Summō vērō dīlūculō in sextā fēriā intrāvērunt in vallem nimis pulchram secus lītus maris, in quā suās ōrdināvērunt aciēs. Dux īnstrūxit suam aciem, et comes Nortmanniae suam, comes Sānctī Egidī suam, comes Flandrensis suam, comes Eustachius suam, Tancredus et Gaston suam. Ōrdināvērunt quoque peditēs et sagittāriōs quī praecēderent mīlitēs; et sīc ōrdināvērunt omnia, statimque coepērunt mīlitāre in nōmine dominī Iēsu Chrīstī. In sinistrā vērō parte fuit dux Godefridus cum suā aciē; comesque Sānctī Egidīī equitāvit iuxtā mare in dexterā parte, comes Nortmanniae et comes Flandrēnsis et Tancredus omnēsque aliī equitābant in mediō. Tunc nostrī coepērunt paulātim ambulāre. Pāgānī vērō stābant parātī ad bellum. Ūnusquisque suum habēbat vāsculum pendēns collō, ex quibus pōtārent persequentēs nōs; sed illīs nōn licuit, grātiā Deī.
notes
(August 1099) The crusaders array their army. The enemy are equipped with water bottles, so that they can pursue the crusaders after defeating them.
in sextā fēriā: Friday, August 12, 1099.
in vallem nimis pulchram secus lītus maris: a valley between Gaza and Rama.
comesque Sānctī Egidīī equitāvit iuxtā mare in dexterā parte: The troops of Raymond of Toulouse attack from the north, with the sea on their right.
Ūnusquisque suum habēbat vāsculum pendēns collō, etc.: Our author says that the Egyptians were planning to defeat the crusaders and chase after them when they ran away, so they had water bottles. In fact, soldiers would surely bring water as a matter of course; presumably our author is looking for a way to be smug and ironic.
vocabulary
secus: beside, along
lītus –oris, n.: strand, shore, beach
pedes –itis, m.: a foot-soldier
sagittārius –ī, m.: an archer, bowman
vāsculum –ī, n.: a small vessel
collum –ī, n.: neck
potō (1): to drink
