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to make for Aulon, having departed with the other dukes, he diligently guarded the strait of Aulon and, having stationed scouts on the ridge of the hill called Jason, in order to survey the sea and observe the ships. 12.8.8 But a certain Celt who had just crossed over from there was confirming to them that the crossing of Bohemond was imminent. The Contostephanoi, having learned this and shrinking from a naval battle with Bohemond (for his mere reputation terrified them), pretended to be ill and for this reason to need the baths. And Landulph, who was in command of the entire fleet, possessing from long ago much experience in naval ambushes and warfare at sea, was strongly urging them to be ever vigilant and to watch for Bohemond's attack. But the Contostephanoi, on their way to Chimara for the sake of the baths, left the so-called second drungarius of the fleet with the monoreme of the Excoussatos as a scout at Glossa itself, situated not far from Aulon. But Landulph remained at Aulon with some moderately sized ships.

12.9.1 With these arrangements made, some went away either to bathe or to pretend to bathe; but Bohemond, having arranged twelve pirate ships around himself, all of them being biremes and possessing many oarsmen, so as to make a resounding and rhythmic noise with the continuous striking of the oars, and having arranged round ships in a circle on either side of such a fleet like an enclosure, enclosed the war fleet within. And upon seeing it, and viewing it from afar from a lookout point, you would have said that this sailing fleet was a sea-going city. For fortune also contributed something to his cause. For the sea was indeed calm, except that towards the south it rippled as a light breeze blew, just enough to swell the sails of the transport ships. For it made the latter run before the wind, and the rowed ships to sail straight with the sailing ones, and a loud din to echo to both continents in the middle of the Adriatic sea. Such a sight, worthy of amazement, was this barbarian fleet of Bohemond, and if the party of the Contostephanoi feared it, I would not blame them nor would I indict the men for cowardice. For even that Argonautic fleet would have feared this fleet so constituted, let alone the Contostephanoi and Landulphs and such men. 12.9.2 For Landulph, seeing Bohemond sailing across so fearsomely with ten-thousand-carrying transports, as the account already has shown more precisely, since he was not able to fight against so many, turned aside a little from Aulon and gave Bohemond clear passage. And taking advantage of his good fortune, having crossed from Barium to Aulon and disembarked his entire overseas army on the opposite shore, he first plundered the entire coastline, leading an untold army of both Franks and Celts, and as many from the island of Thule as campaign for the Romans, who had then indeed gone over to him due to the exigency of the moment, and also many of the German race and from the Celtiberians. For having gathered all these, he spread them over all the land this side of the Adriatic and, having plundered everything in his path, he attacked Epidamnus, which we call Dyrrachium, having as his objective to take this city and then to plunder the lands on this side all the way to the city of Constantine. 12.9.3 But Bohemond, being as skilled in siegecraft as any man, and even surpassing that Demetrius the Besieger, setting his whole mind on Epidamnus, set in motion every mechanical torment against this city. First, having encircled it with his own army and the

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Αὐλῶνος ποιήσασθαι, ἀπελθὼν μετὰ τῶν ἑτέρων δουκῶν ἐτήρει ἐπιμελῶς τὸν ἀναμεταξὺ πορθμὸν τοῦ Αὐλῶνος καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀκρολοφίαν τοῦ καλουμένου Ἰάσονος βουνοῦ σκοποὺς ἐπιστήσας ἐφ' ᾧ τὴν θάλασσαν περιαθρεῖν καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἐπισκοπεῖν. 12.8.8 Κελτὸς δέ τις ἐκεῖθεν ἄρτι διαπεραιωθεὶς ἐβεβαίου τούτοις τὴν τοῦ Βαϊμούντου ἐπὶ ξυροῦ εἶναι διαπεραίωσιν. Τοῦτο οἱ Κοντοστέφανοι μεμαθηκότες καὶ ἀποδειλιῶντες πρὸς τὴν μετὰ τοῦ Βαϊμούντου ναυμαχίαν (καὶ γὰρ καὶ φήμη μόνη τούτους κατέπληττε) νοσεῖν ἐσκήψαντο καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δεῖσθαι βαλανείων. Καὶ ὁ Λαντοῦλφος καὶ τοῦ ναυτι κοῦ παντὸς ἐξηγούμενος, ἐμπειρίαν πολλὴν τῆς ναυλοχίας καὶ τοῦ κατὰ θάλασσαν πολέμου ἐκ πολλοῦ κεκτημένος, πολλὰ τούτοις παρηγγυᾶτο ἐγρηγορέναι διὰ παντὸς καὶ τὴν τοῦ Βαϊμούντου καραδοκεῖν ἔφοδον. Οἱ δὲ Κοντοστέφανοι, ἐν τῷ πρὸς Χιμάραν ἀπιέναι βαλανείου χάριν, τὸν καλού μενον δεύτερον τὸν δρουγγάριον τοῦ στόλου μετὰ τοῦ Ἐξκουσσάτου μονήρους κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν Γλῶσσαν σκοπέα κατέλιπον οὐ πόρρω που τοῦ Αὐλῶνος διακειμένην. Ὁ δέ γε Λαντοῦλφος κατὰ τὸν Αὐλῶνα προσέμενε μετά τινων συμμέτρων νηῶν.

12.9.1 Τούτων οὕτω διατεθέντων οἱ μὲν ἀπῄεσαν ἢ λου σόμενοι ἢ κατὰ σχῆμα λουσόμενοι· ὁ δὲ Βαϊμοῦντος δώδεκα μὲν λῃστρικὰς νῆας τάξας ἀμφ' αὐτὸν διήρεις ἁπάσας οὔσας καὶ εἰρεσίαν πολλὴν κεκτημένας, ὡς καὶ ἠχητικόν τι καὶ κατάκροτον ἐπικτυποῦσαν ταῖς. τῶν κωπῶν συνεχέσιν ἐπεμβολαῖς, κύκλῳ δὲ τοῦ τοιούτου στόλου συντάξας στρογγύλας νῆας ἐξ ἑκατέρου μέρους καθάπερ περίβολον ἐντὸς τὸν πολεμικὸν συνέκλειε στόλον. Καὶ εἶπες ἂν ἰδὼν καὶ πόρρωθεν ἀπὸ σκοπιᾶς θεασάμενος πόλιν εἶναι δια πόντιον τὴν πλέουσαν ναυστολίαν. Συνεπέβαλε γάρ τι καὶ τὰ τῆς τύχης αὐτῷ. Καὶ γὰρ ἥ γε θάλασσα ἀκύμαντος ἦν, εἰ μὴ ὅσον κατὰ τὸν νότον ἐπέφρισσεν αὔρας λιγείας ἐπιπνεούσης καὶ ὅσον ἐξογκούσης τὰ τῶν ὁλκάδων ἱστία. Ἐποίει γὰρ ἐκείνας μὲν οὐριοδρομεῖν, τὰς δ' ἐρεσσομένας τῶν νηῶν ταῖς πλεούσαις εὐθυδρομεῖν καὶ κρότον ἐξά κουστον καὶ ἐν μέσῳ πελάγους τοῦ Ἀδριαντικοῦ ἑκατέραις ταῖς ἠπείροις ἠχεῖν. Οὕτως ἦν θέαμα θάμβους ἄξιον ὁ βαρβαρικὸς οὗτος στόλος τοῦ Βαϊμούντου, ὃν εἰ καὶ οἱ περὶ τοὺς Κοντοστεφάνους ὠρρώδησαν, οὐκ ἂν μεμψαίμην οὔτ' ἂν δειλίας τοὺς ἄνδρας γραψαίμην. Καὶ γὰρ ἂν τοῦτον καὶ τὸν οὕτως ἔχοντα στόλον καὶ ὁ Ἀργοναυτικὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐδεδοίκει στόλος, μὴ ὅτι γε Κοντοστέφανοι καὶ Λαντοῦλφοι καὶ τοιοῦτοί τινες. 12.9.2 Ὁ γάρ τοι Λαντοῦλφος τὸν Βαϊ μοῦντον θεασάμενος οὕτω φρικτῶς διαπλῳζόμενον μετὰ μυριοφόρων ὁλκάδων, ὡς ὁ λόγος φθάσας ἐδήλωσεν ἀκρι βέστερον, ἐπεὶ οὐχ οἷός τε πρὸς τοσούτους μάχεσθαι ἦν, μικρὸν τοῦ Αὐλῶνος παρεκκλίνας ἄδειαν τῷ Βαϊμούντῳ δίδωσι. ∆εξιᾷ δὲ τύχῃ χρησάμενος, ἐκ Βάρεως ἐπὶ τὸν Αὐλῶνα περαιωσάμενος ἅπαν τὸ διαπόντιον αὐτοῦ στρά τευμα εἰς τὴν περαίαν ἀποβησάμενος, πρῶτα μὲν ἐλῄσατο τὴν παραλίαν ἅπασαν, ἀμύθητον στράτευμα ἐπαγόμενος φραγγικόν τε καὶ κελτικὸν καὶ ὅσοι ἀπὸ τῆς Θούλης νήσου στρατεύονται Ῥωμαίοις τότε δὴ αὐτῷ προσχωρήσαντες διὰ τὴν τοῦ καιροῦ δυναστείαν καὶ δὴ καὶ πλείους τοῦ γερμανικοῦ γένους καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν Κελτιβήρων. Τούτους γὰρ ἅπαντας συλλεξάμενος <ἐπὶ> πάσης τῆς ἐντὸς Ἀδρίου ὑφήπλωσε γῆς καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς ἅπαντα λῃσάμενος τῇ Ἐπιδάμνῳ προσέβαλεν, ἣν ∆υρράχιον ὀνομάζομεν, ταύτην τὴν πόλιν σκοπὸν ἔχων ἑλεῖν κᾆθ' οὕτως τὴν ἐπὶ τάδε μέχρι τῆς Κωνσταντίνου λῄσασθαι. 12.9.3 ∆εινὸς δὲ ὢν εἴπερ ἄλλος τις εἰς πολιορκίαν ὁ Βαϊμοῦντος καὶ τὸν Πολιορκητὴν ἐκεῖνον ∆ημήτριον ὑπερβαλλόμενος τὴν Ἐπίδαμνον πᾶσαν ἐν νῷ βαλλόμενος πάσας ὠδῖνας μηχανικὰς κατὰ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης ἐκίνησε. Πρῶτα μὲν κύκλῳ περι βαλόμενος τὸ ἑαυτοῦ στράτευμα καὶ τὰ