Stelle Erant duo subreguli Herimanno duci,...; (Rerum gestarum Saxonicarum libri tres (967 - 973), iii.68 (p. 142)) [5046]

Basic Information
Keywords
ID 5046
Text Rerum gestarum Saxonicarum libri tres (967 - 973) Widukind of Corvey
Quotation Erant duo subreguli Herimanno duci, inimicitiae a patribus vicariae relicti; alter vocabatur Selibur, alter Mistav. Selibur preerat Waaris, Mistav Abdritis. Dum invicem quam saepe accusantur, victus tandem ratione Selibur condempnatus est quindecim talentis argenti a duce. Eam dampnationem graviter ferens arma sumere contra ducem cogitavit. Sed cum ei belli copiae non sufficerent, missa legatione postulat presidium ab Wichmanno contra ducem. Ille nichil iocundius ducens, quam aliquam molestiam inferre posset patruo, cito cum sociis adest Sclavo. Ut autem suscipitur in urbem Wichmannus, statim urbs obsidione vallatur ab inimico. Ductus quoque exercitus a duce urbem obsedit. Interim, casu nescio an prudenti consilio, Wichmannus cum paucis urbem est egressus, quasi ad extrahenda sibi de Danis auxilia. Pauci dies intererant, dum victus bellatoribus et pabulum iumentis defecerat. Fuerunt etiam qui dicerent Sclavum speciem quidem belli gessisse, non verum bellum. Incredibile omnimodis fore hominem a puero bellis assuetum bellicas res tam male preparatas habuisse; sed id consilii machinatum ducem, ut quoquo pacto posset nepotem vinceret, ut saltem in patria salutem recuperaret, quam inter paganos penitus perdidisset. Fame itaque urbani ac foetore pecorum aggravati urbe egredi sunt coacti. Dux Sclavum austerius alloquens de perfidia et nequam eius actibus arguit, hocque ab eo responsi accepit: "Quid me", inquit, "de perfidia arguis? Ecce, quos nec tu nec dominus tuus imperator vincere potuistis, mea perfidia inermes assistunt." Ad haec dux conticuit, eum suae ditionis regione privans, filio ipsius, quem antea obsidem accepit, omni ipsius potestate tradita. Milites Wichmanni variis poenis afflixit, urbis predam suis militibus donavit, simulacro Saturni ex aere fuso, quod ibi inter alia urbis spolia repperit, magnum spectaculum populo prebuit victorque in patriam remeavit.
Translation There were two minor kings under the jurisdiction of Duke Hermann who had inherited enmity toward each from their fathers. One was named Selibur and the other Mistav. Selibur ruled the Wagrians. Mistav ruled the Obodrites. They frequently brought accusations against each other. Finally, however, Selibur was convicted after an investigation by the duke, and condemned to pay fifteen talents of silver. Taking this fine very badly, Selibur decided to raise arms against the duke. But since he did not have sufficient forces to fight against him, Selibur sent a messenger to ask Wichmann for aid against the duke. Wichmann, who thought that there was nothing more pleasant than to have some means of troubling his paternal uncle, immediately set out with his companions to join with the Slav. However, as soon as Wichmann gained entry into the stronghold, it was immediately laid under siege by the enemy, who surrounded it with a wall. An army commanded by the duke also besieged the fort. In the meantime, whether by chance or by prudent counsel, Wichmann left the stronghold along with a few others, pretending as if they were going to seek aid from the Danes. Within a few days, the food for the fighting men and the fodder for the baggage animals began to give out. There were those who said that the Slav had only undertaken a sham rather than a true war. It seemed incredible that a man, who had been accustomed to war from his youth, could have made such bad preparations. They argued that this was, instead, a plan conceived by the duke so that he might be able to overcome his nephew by whatever possible means, so that he could recover him safely in his fatherland rather than allowing him to perish utterly among the pagans. So the garrison, burdened by hunger and by the stink of their cattle, was forced to exit the stronghold. The duke spoke bitterly to the Slav about his treachery, denounced him as wretched because of his actions. The duke then received this response from the Slav: “Why do you accuse me of treachery?” he said. “Behold, here are the men whom neither you nor your lord emperor were able to overcome. They stand here unarmed because of my treachery.” The duke was silent after receiving this answer. He deprived the Slav of the lands that he held under the duke’s authority. The duke then handed this territory with full authority to the son of the Slav, whom the duke earlier had received as a hostage. The duke imposed a range of punishments on Wichmann’s soldiers, and gave the booty from the stronghold as a gift to his own soldiers. On his victorious return to the fatherland, the duke brought forth an idol of Saturn made of bronze, which he had found among the other spoils in the fort, as a great spectacle for his people. (Trans. Bacharach, pp. 141-3)
Quotation source iii.68 (p. 142)
Temporal Coverage 965 - 967
Associated use case(s)
Comment