De morte duodecim fratrum et quingentorum virorum et de destructione civi.
The Raid into Culm
Diwanus and Linkoc lead a devastating raid into the land of Culm, plundering Tranpered and ravaging as far as the Island of Saint Mary.
…the capture of Cristburgk, the castle of the Pomesanians and the brothers' suburb, and the killing of many Christians. Diwanus, called Clekineb, captain of the Bartians, and Linkoc the Pogesanian, entered the land of Culm with a great army. And while the brothers from Cristburgk and others had gathered at the cry of this army and come to the land of Culm, the Pogesanians — as Diwanus had planned in advance — came with a strong force of cavalry and infantry to the castle called Tranpered, situated between Cristburgk and Mergenburgk, and they plundered it. But the cavalry rode all the way to the territory called Algent, in which the castle of Mergenburgk now stands, and as far as the Island of Saint Mary, killing, seizing, and burning whatever crossed their path along the way.
The Prussian Rout and the Death of Colte
The brothers of the Teutonic Order march to relieve Cristburgk, the Pruthenians flee, and their captain Colte is slain in the pursuit.
When this was learned, the brothers from the forts of Pusilia and Vischdvia came with their armed men to the aid of the brothers and citizens of Cristburgk, who were already equipped and ready for battle. And as the brothers, advancing, drew near the besieged castle, the Pruthenians stopped their assault and turned to flight. In this assault on the castle and in the rout that followed, many Pruthenians were killed and mortally wounded. Their captain Colte also fell, struck down by the sword. And so the fleeing foot soldiers ran straight into the cavalry.
The Ambush at the Sirgune
Both armies camp on opposite banks of the Sirgune, and the Pruthenians exploit the Christians' lack of watch to cross the river and launch a surprise attack, killing twelve brothers and five hundred men.
Terrified by this, they gathered themselves together — cavalry and infantry alike — and pitched camp on the shore of the Sirgune, while the brothers positioned themselves on the opposite side with their army. The Pruthenians, seeing that they could not escape without a fight, seized their opportunity: the Christians, fearing almost nothing, had posted no proper watch — in fact they had even taken the saddles off their horses. So the Pruthenians secretly allowed the middle part of their army to cross the river called Cristia behind them, while others crossed ahead, and then they attacked with a fierce battle. Before the Christians could prepare any defense, twelve brothers and five hundred men were killed near the village of Poganste.
The Fall of Christburg
The Pruthenians destroy Christburg, its castle, and the brothers' suburb, leaving only a handful of survivors within the fortress.
They pursued the rest as they fled toward the city, and after a brief assault they forced their way in powerfully, and they completely destroyed the city and the castle of the Pomesanians and the brothers' suburb, after capturing and killing everyone except those who had been able to flee for refuge to the brothers' castle. At this time there remained in Christburg Castle no more than three brothers and three servants, and a certain Pomesanian called Sirenes, who on account of certain offenses he had committed was bound in chains.
The Prisoner at the Bridge and the Boys Set Free
The chained Pomesanian Sirenes breaks his fetters and single-handedly holds the castle bridge until the gate is closed, and a brother kills the Prussian guard to free forty captive Christian boys.
This man, having broken his fetters, stood on the bridge of the brothers' castle with sword and spears like a fearless lion, and he blocked the entrance from the enemies until the gate could be closed.1 When this had been done, a certain brother killed a certain Prussian with a weapon — the one to whom forty Christian boys, captured and bound together, had been entrusted for guarding — and the boys, running toward the castle, escaped perpetual slavery.2
Read the original Latin
tatis Cristburgk, castri Pomesanorum et suburbii fratrum, et occisione plurium Cristianorum. Diwanus dictus Clekineb capitaneus Barthorum et Linkoc Pogesanus cum magno exercitu intraverunt terram Colmensem, et dum ad clamorem hujus exercitus fratres de Cristburgk et alii convenissent ad terram Colmensem, Pogesani, ut Diwanus preordinaverat, cum valido exercitu equitum et peditum venerunt ad castrum dictum Tranpered, situm infra Cristburgk et Mergenburgk, in cu prefecerunt. Sed equites transiverunt usque ad territorium dictum Algent, in quo nunc situm este castrum Mergenburgk, et usque ad Insulam sancte Marie occidendo, capiendo et cremando, quicquid in via eis occurrit. Quo intellecto fratres de castris Pusilia et Vischdvia cum suis armigeris venerunt fratribus et civibus de Cristburgk jam in armis paratis in auxilium. Et dum fratres proce dentes appropinquarent Castro obsesso, Prutheni cessantes ab impugnacione conversi sunt in fugam. In hac fuga et impugnacione castri multi Prutheni occisi fuerunt, et letaliter vulnerati, et Colte capitaneus eorum eciam cecidit gladio interfectus, sicque pedites fugientes occurrerunt equitibus. De quo territi, congregaverunt se et equites et pedites, et in litore Sirgune castra metati sunt, fratribus ex opposito se locantibus cum suo exercitu. Prutheni videntes, quod sine bello evadere non possent, considerata opportunitate, dum Cristiani quasi nihil timentes sine custodia debita essent, imo eciam sellas de equis posuissent, mediam partem exercitus sui occulte permiserunt transire fluvium, qui Cristia nos retro, alii ante, bello durissimo invaserunt, et antequam Cristiani se possent preparare ad defensionem, occisi fuerunt xn fratres et quingenti viri circa villam Poganste.
Reliquos fugientes ad civitatem secuti sunt, et post modicam impugnacionem potenter intraverunt, et civitatem et castrum Pomesanorum et fratrum suburbium penitus destruxerunt, captis et occisis omnibus preter illos, qui ad castrum fratrum confugere potuerunt. Hoc tempore non remanserunt in Castro Cristburgk, nisi tres fratres et tres famuli et quidam Pomesanus, dictus Sirenes", qui propter quedam delicta, que commiserat, fuit vinculis mancipatus. Hic fractis compedibus cum gladio et lanceis tanquam leo intrepidus stetit in ponte castri fratrum, et prohibuit introitum hostibus, quousque porta clauderetur. Quo facto, quidam frater telo occidit quendam Pruthenum, cui xl puerib Cristiani capti et ligati simul commissi fuerant custodiendi, et pueri currentes ad castrum evaserunt perpetuam servitutem.
Notes
Chronicon Terrae Prussiae (Chronicle of the Prussian Land) companion
Keep reading the sources for yourself
The full 428-chapter chronicle — and 78+ other historic works — readable daily in the free Chosen Portion iOS app
The knights kept fixed daily hours of prayer alongside their campaigns; Chosen Portion keeps the fixed daily reading and drops the campaigning.
- The complete chronicle in modern English, in portions under 5 minutes
- Pericope headings that let you navigate 428 chapters by theme
- A daily reading habit that outlasts the 5-week course