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The race yields to both Dionysus and Eros and is most prone to all kinds of unions, not circumcising their passions along with their flesh, and it is nothing other than a slave and thrice-slave of the evils of Aphrodite. For this reason indeed they themselves worship and revere both Astarte and Ashtaroth and hold the image of the star in higher esteem, as well as the golden Chobar among them. The wheat, however, was understood in these symbolic ways in Christianity because it is both sober and most nourishing. Thus, then, the seers interpreted the vines and the wheat. 10.5.8 But let matters concerning the seers be so; but the events concerning the attack of the barbarians had proceeded thus, and it was possible for those with understanding to perceive something new. For since the arrival of so many was not happening together or at the same time (and for how could so many multitudes, setting out from different places, possibly swim across the strait of Lombardy all together?) some first, others second, others behind these, and so in succession all of them, making their voyage thus, passed through the mainland. And an innumerable locust went before each of these armies, as we said. At any rate, all who saw this once and twice recognized these as the forerunners of the Frankish regiments. 10.5.9 But as some were already crossing the strait of Lombardy sporadically, the emperor, summoning some of the leaders of the Roman forces, sent them out to the regions of Dyrrachium and Aulon, instructing them to receive kindly those crossing over and to provide lavish markets from all the regions along the road, and then to lie in ambush, following them closely, and whenever they should see them making any sallies, running out to plunder the neighboring regions, to check them with moderate skirmishes. And with them were also some who were skilled in the Latin dialect, so that they might quell the battles arising between them. 10.5.10 But so that I may narrate the matter more clearly and in detail, when this rumor had spread everywhere, Godfrey was the first who, having sold his own land, took to the aforementioned road. This was a man of great wealth, and one who prided himself greatly on his nobility, his courage, and the distinction of his family; for each of the Celts was eager to outrun the others. And there occurred a movement of both men and women such as no one ever remembers, the simpler ones truly hastening to venerate the Lord's tomb and visit the holy places, but the more wicked ones, and especially such as Bohemond and those of like mind with him, having another hidden thought, if perhaps in passing through they might be able to seize the queen of cities herself, having found it as a kind of windfall. But Bohemond was disturbing the souls of the majority and of the nobler sort, as he nourished an old wrath against the emperor. So Peter, after proclaiming these things, went ahead of all and crossed the strait of Lombardy with eighty thousand infantry and one hundred thousand cavalry and reached the queen of cities through the regions of Hungary. For the race of the Celts is, as one might guess, in other respects very hot-headed and quick, but whenever it also gets an opportunity, it is uncontrollable.

10.6.1 But when the emperor, knowing what Peter had previously suffered at the hands of the Turks, advised him to await the arrival of the other counts, he was not persuaded, trusting in the multitude of his followers, and having crossed over, he pitched his camp at a small town named Helenopolis. And since Normans also followed him, numbering ten thousand, having separated from the rest of the army, they plundered the region around Nicaea, treating everyone most cruelly. For of the infants, some they dismembered, while others they impaled on wooden spits and roasted over a fire,

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τὸ γένος ∆ιονύσῳ τε ὑπείκει καὶ Ἔρωτι καὶ πρὸς παντοίας μίξεις καταφορώ τατον καὶ μὴ συμπεριτεμνόμενον τῇ σαρκὶ καὶ τὰ πάθη, καὶ ἔστιν οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ δοῦλον καὶ τρίδουλον τῶν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης κακῶν. Ἔνθεν τοι καὶ τὴν Ἀστάρτην αὐτοὶκαὶ τὴν Ἀσταρὼθ προσκυνοῦσι καὶ σέβονται καὶ τοῦ ἄστρου τὸν τύπον περὶ πλείονος τίθενται καὶ τὴν χρυσῆν παρ' ἐκείνοις Χοβάρ. Ὁ μέντοι σῖτος εἰς τὸν χριστιανισμὸν τοῖς συμβολικοῖς τούτοις ἐξελαμβάνετο διὰ τὸ νηφάλιόν τε καὶ τροφιμώτατον. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν οἱ μάντεις τὰς ἀμπέλους καὶ τὸν πυρὸν ἐξεδέξαντο. 10.5.8 Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν περὶ τῶν μάν τεων οὕτως ἐχέτω· τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἔφοδον τῶν βαρβάρων οὕτω παρηκολουθήκει καὶ καινόν τι κατανοεῖν τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσιν ἐνῆν. Τῆς γὰρ τῶν τοσούτων ἐλεύσεως οὐχ ὁμοῦ οὐδὲ κατὰ ταὐτὸν γινομένης (καὶ πῶς γὰρ τοσαῦτα πλήθη ἐκ διαφόρων τόπων ἐξορμήσαντα ὁμαδὸν τὸν τῆς Λογγι βαρδίας πορθμὸν διανήξασθαι ἐνῆν;) οἱ μὲν πρῶτοι, οἱ δὲ δεύτεροι, οἱ δὲ τούτων ὄπισθεν καὶ καθεξῆς οἱ ἅπαντες τὸν ἀπόπλουν οὕτω ποιούμενοι διὰ τῆς ἠπείρου διήρχοντο. Προηγεῖτο δὲ ἑκάστου στρατεύματος τούτων ἀκρὶς ἀμύθη τος, ὡς ἔφαμεν. Ἅπαντες γοῦν ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς τοῦτο θεασά μενοι προδρόμους ταύτας τῶν Φραγγικῶν ταγμάτων ἐγνώ ρισαν. 10.5.9 Ὡς δὲ σποράδην τινὲς τὸν τῆς Λογγιβαρδίας διεπέρων ἤδη πορθμόν, ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ μετακαλεσάμενός τινας τῶν ῥωμαϊκῶν δυνάμεων ἀρχηγοὺς ἐκπέμπει τού τους πρὸς τὰ μέρη ∆υρραχίου καὶ Αὐλῶνος ἐντειλάμενος δέχεσθαι μὲν προσηνῶς τοὺς διαπερῶντας πανηγύρεις τε δαψιλεῖς ἐξ ἁπασῶν τῶν χωρῶν κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐξάγειν, εἶτα ἐνεδρεύειν παρακολουθοῦντας διόλου καὶ ἐπὰν ἐκδρο μάς τινας τούτους θεάσοιντο ποιουμένους εἰς προνομὴν τῶν παρακειμένων χωρῶν ἐκτρέχοντας, ἀναστέλλειν διὰ μετρίων ἀκροβολισμῶν. Συμπαρῆσαν δὲ τούτοις καί τινες τῆς λατινικῆς διαλέκτου εἰδήμονες, ἵνα τὰς ἀναφυομένας μεταξὺ μάχας καταστέλλωσιν. 10.5.10 Ἀλλ' ὅπως σαφέστερον ἀφηγησαίμην τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ κατὰ μέρος, ταύτης τῆς φήμης διαδραμούσης ἁπανταχοῦ πρῶτος ὁ Γοντοφρὲ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀπεμπολήσας χώραν τῆς προκειμένης ὁδοῦ εἴχετο. Ἀνὴρ δὲ οὗτος πολυχρήματος καὶ ἐπὶ γενναιότητι καὶ ἀνδρείᾳ καὶ γένους περιφανείᾳ μεγάλως αὐχῶν· ἕκαστος γὰρ τῶν Κελτῶν ἔσπευδε προτρέχειν τῶν ἄλλων. Καὶ γέγονε συγκίνησις οἵαν οὐδέπω τις μέμνηται ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναικῶν, τῶν μὲν ἁπλουστέρων ὡς τὸν τοῦ Κυρίου προσκυ νῆσαι τάφον καὶ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἱστορῆσαι τόπους ἐπειγομένων ἐπ' ἀληθείᾳ, τῶν δέ γε πονηροτέρων καὶ μᾶλ λον ὁποῖος ὁ Βαϊμοῦντος καὶ οἱ τούτου ὁμόφρονες ἄλλον ἐνδομυχοῦντα λογισμὸν ἐχόντων, εἴ που ἐν τῷ διέρχεσθαι δυνηθεῖεν καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν βασιλεύουσαν κατασχεῖν καθάπερ πόρισμά τι ταύτην εὑρηκότες. Ἐτάρασσε δὲ τὰς τῶν πλειόνων καὶ γενναιοτέρων ψυχὰς ὁ Βαϊμοῦντος ὡς παλαιὰν μῆνιν κατὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος τρέφων. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Πέτρος μετὰ τὸ ταῦτα διακηρυκεῦσαι πάντων προη γησάμενος τὸν τῆς Λογγιβαρδίας διεπέρασε πορθμὸν μετὰ πεζῶν μὲν χιλιάδων ὀγδοήκοντα, ἱππέων δὲ χιλιάδων ἀνδρῶν ἑκατὸν καὶ διὰ τῶν μερῶν τῆς Οὐγγρίας τὴν βασι λεύουσαν κατέλαβεν. Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ τὸ τῶν Κελτῶν γένος, ὡς εἰκάσαι τινά, καὶ ἄλλως λίαν θερμότατον καὶ ὀξύ, ἐπὰν δὲ καὶ ἀφορμῆς δράξοιτο, ἀκάθεκτον.

10.6.1 Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ἅπερ ὁ Πέτρος προεπεπόνθει παρὰ τῶν Τούρκων γινώσκοντος καὶ συμβουλεύοντος αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν τῶν λοιπῶν κομήτων καρτερῆσαι ἔλευσιν, οὐκ ἐπεί θετο θαρρῶν εἰς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν συνεπομένων αὐτῷ καὶ διαπεράσας ἐπήξατο τὸν χάρακα εἴς τι πολίχνιον Ἑλενούπολιν ὀνομαζόμενον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ Νορμάνοι τούτῳ συνεί ποντο εἰς δέκα χιλιάδας ποσούμενοι, ἀποκριθέντες τοῦ λοιποῦ στρατεύματος τὰ κατὰ τὴν Νίκαιαν ἐλῄζοντο πᾶσιν ὠμοτάτως χρησάμενοι. Τῶν τε γὰρ βρεφῶν τὰ μὲν ἐμέλι ζον, τὰ δὲ ξύλοις περιπείροντες ὤπτιζον ἐν πυρί,