De expugnacione castri Sassowie.
The Storming of Sassowiama and the Submission of Scalowia
Brother Conrad of Tirbergk leads a powerful assault on the fortress of Sassowiama, captures and destroys it, after which the Prussian lords and common people of Scalowia submit to the Christian faith, leaving their land desolate.
Brother Conrad of Tirbergk, the master, when he learned of this, was roused and — after assembling an army of fifteen hundred horsemen, with others advancing in fifteen ships — they gathered around the fortress of the Scalowitani at Sassowiama, and pressing the attack with real grit, after a long and fierce struggle they stormed it powerfully; then, with some of the enemies captured and others cut down by the sword, they reduced it to ashes. On the desolation of the land of Scalowia. There are other deeds carried out by the brothers against the Scalowitani — but it would be tedious even to write about them. Afterward, then, the more powerful lords of that land — namely Surbancz, Swisdeta, and Surdetad — saw that God had been terribly offended against them and was wonderfully favorable to the brothers, and not daring any longer to resist divine power, they withdrew to the Christians, leaving behind their paternal inheritance, and one after another, with their entire household and family, they departed. The common people, hearing that the leaders of their own army through whom the war was being waged had withdrawn, also submitted themselves to the Christian faith. And so that land was left without an inhabitant for many years.
Apostasy and the Captivity of the Commanders
After a hard-won peace, the devil stirs the Prussians to rebel again; the Pogesanians capture the commanders of Christburg and Elbing, kill their chaplain, but Powida frees the commanders, while Brother Theodoric recalls the Samlanders from error and the Natangians and Warmians pledge renewed faithfulness.
On the apostasy among the Prussians and the captivity of the commanders of Cristburgk and Elbing with their families. When, therefore, under countless expenses and labors, and amid infinite hardships, the brothers had — not without the greatest slaughter of the faithful — subjected that fierce and untamed people of the Prussians to the yoke of the faith a second time, and believed that there was peace and safety, sudden destruction came upon them. For the enemy of the human race, the foe of the faith, the rival of peace — the devil — entering into their hearts, provoked them so that they would raise the heel of rebellion again, and kick with hardened wickedness against the goad. Yielding to his counsel, all but the faithful Pomesanians intended, having formed a conspiracy, to commit the crime of apostasy. Still, no one dared openly to oppose the brothers except the Pogesanians, who attacked with armed force the commander from Elbing and Helwig, the commander from Goltbach and Christburg, and their associates, and when captured led them away. But a certain man called Powida immediately freed them. They hanged their chaplain, the priest, by the throat from a tree, and killed a certain servant of theirs; the rest of the household, turned to flight, barely escaped. 190 — Of the slaughter of many Pogesanians. At this time Brother Theodoric of Lidelow, advocate of Samland, returned from Germany, and recalled the Samlanders, who had loved him most tenderly, from such error. When the Natangians and Warmians perceived this, they too desisted from the malice they had conceived, and pledged in good faith to remain faithful to the brothers.
The Devastation of Pogesania and the Execution of Bonseb
The master and brothers ravage Pogesania with fire and sword, capture women and children, and execute the Sambian Bonseb who incited apostasy over the issue of bigamy; the land is reduced to desolation, while Brother Bertold of Northusen proves unable to defend Culm.
Having gathered a great army, Brother Conrad of Tirbergk, the master, and the brothers entered the land of Pogesania; and after killing men without number, and laying waste the land with fire and plunder, they captured the women and children and led them away. While these things were being done, both men and women cursed a certain Sambian named Bonseb, a chamberlain from the territory of Pubeten, asserting that he himself had been the author, the first motive, and the origin of this abominable crime. This Bonse wanted openly to have two wives, and because the brothers forbade it, he was provoked to anger and incited everyone, as if they were Prussians, to apostasy. Wherefore, since he deserved it, he was condemned to the death he merited. To the same effect. That same year, in autumn, the brothers again entered the aforesaid land of Pogesania by armed force, and after it had been laid waste once more with fire and plunder, and after all had been captured and killed except for a few who withdrew with their households toward Lethowia to the territory of the castle of Garthe, they reduced it to desolation. On the devastation of the land of Colmens and the territories of the castles of Grudencz, the Island of Saint Mary, Santirii, Cristburgkc, and the destruction of the castle of Clement. At this time there was in the land of Colmens a certain Brother Bertold of Northusen, a provincial commendator, who, although he was a prudent steward in domestic management, was nonetheless less capable in war (because the understanding is weaker when stretched over many things), and so he did not resist the assault of the infidels as he ought to have.1
The Sudovite Invasions and the Defense of Culm
The Sudovites repeatedly raid Culm with slaughter and fire until Brother Hermann of Schönenberg is appointed commander and defeats them in battle so decisively that they dare not return without a large army; provoked, Scumandus leads a thousand Sudovites and Lethonians into Culm on the feast of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, besieging castles and burning suburbs before withdrawing from Turnitz upon learning of reinforcements.
So the Sudovites repeatedly invaded the land of Culm, and after carrying out a great slaughter among God's people, laying waste to the land with fire and plunder, they withdrew. And when they realized that no one would resist them, they dared to invade the land of Culm with a small force. Eventually the master appointed Brother Hermann of Schönenberg, a man experienced in warfare, as provincial commander of that land. He resisted them manfully, because whenever the Sudovites would invade the land of Culm with a small force, he boldly met them with his men-at-arms, attacked them in battle, and defeated them. After killing many, he put the rest to flight. This was repeated so many times by him, and so many were killed, that the Sudovites no longer dared to come without a large army. Provoked, then, by such a great slaughter of their own men and by the many different losses they had suffered in the land of Culm, Scumandus, captain of the Sudovites, with a thousand men of his own people and the military strength of the Lethonians, forcefully entered the land of Culm on the feast of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, to avenge their dead. They avenged themselves in many ways throughout October. At their first assault they attacked a certain vassal's castle called Plowist, situated on the river Osse, and pressed the attack hard. They would certainly have destroyed it, but eventually the following terms were agreed upon: the garrison was to hand over two experienced men who would lead the army of the infidels and escort them back through Christian territory, and in this way they themselves would remain unharmed. After this was done, they advanced against the fortifications — namely Redin and Lippe — and then against the castle of Welsaisf, whose suburb they burned to the ground. After this they fiercely attacked a certain vassal's castle called Turnitz, while the garrison resisted them from the opposite side. Although they accomplished nothing by attacking that day, they nevertheless remained there that night besieging it. But the next day, when they learned that the castle had been reinforced with more men-at-arms than before, they withdrew without a second assault.
The Burning of Clement and the Lament over Christian Suffering
The Sudovites burn the castle of Clement, killing a hundred Christian men, then advance through Grudentz, the Island of Saint Mary, Santirium, and Cristburgk, killing, capturing, and reducing all to ashes before withdrawing with vast plunder; the chronicler laments the deep shame brought upon the sacraments of the Church.
After this they came to the castle of Clement, which belonged to a certain vassal, and surrounding it from every side they attacked it; at last, when fire was applied, they burned it to the ground, and a hundred Christian men were killed inside it, except for the women and children, whom they captured and led away. Finally they advanced against these castles and towns — namely Grudentz, the Island of Saint Mary, Santirium, and Cristburgk — and whatever lay in their path along the road, they either killed, or captured, or reduced to ashes. Then, after plundering countless Christian people and other goods, they withdrew. What great evils and what a vast slaughter among God's people, and what deep shame this army brought upon the sacraments of the Church and her ministers — truly, no one of sound mind could think of it without tears.
Read the original Latin
Frater Conradus de Tirbergk magister, hoc intellecto, commotus est, et congregato exercitu mille quingentorum equitum, aliis cum xv navibus procedentibus, circa castrum Scalowitarum Sassowiama convenerunt, et ad impugnacionem ejus viriliter accedentes, ipsum,post longam altercacionem potenter expugnaverunt, et partim captis hostibus, aliis gladio trucidatis, in cinerem redegerunt. De desolacione terre Scalowie. iss (t83) Mulla Hella alia sunt gesta per fratres contra Scalowitas, que tediosum es set scribere. Postquam ergo pociores terre hujus domini scilicet Surbancz', Swisdeta etSurdetad viderunt sibi deume terribiliter offensum, et fratribus miro modo propicium, non audentes ultra divine potencie resistere, ad Cristianos, relicta paterna hereditate, successive cum omni domo et familia sua secesserunt. Communis autem populus audiens, quod duces exercitus sui, per quos bellum gerebaturf, recessissent, subjecit eciam se fidei cristiane. Sicque terra illa fuit sine habilatore multis annis. De apostasia in Pruthenorum et captivitate commendatorum de Cristburgk im <is4) et Elbingo cum familia eorum. Cum igitur sub innumeris expensis et laboribus, infinitisque angustiis ferocem illam gentem et indomitain Pruthenorum non sine maxima strage fidelium, fratres jugo fidei vice altera subjeeissent, et crederent, quod esset pax et securitas, repentinus supervenit interitus.
Nam inimicus humani generis, hostis fidei, pacis emulus dyabolus, intrans in corda ipsorum, provocavit eos, ut iterum rebellionis calcaneum erigerent, ac contra stimulum indurata nequicia calcitrarent. Cujus consilio acquiescentes omnes preter fideles Pomesanos, facta conspiracione, apostasie vicium committere intendebant. Nullus tarnen publice audebat se fratribus opponere, preter Pogesanos, qui commendatorem de Elbingo et Helwicum de Goltbach commendatorem de Cristburgk, et eorum socios armata manu invadentes, captos deduxerunt. Sed quidam dictus Powida statim ipsos liberavit. Capellanum ipsorum sacerdotem per gulam ad arborem suspenderunt, et quendam famulum ipsorum interfecerunt, reliqua pars familie in fugam conversa vix evasit. 190 d85) j)e occisione multorum Pogesanorum. Hoc tempore frater Theodoricus de Lidelow advocatus Sambiensis de Alemania reversus, Sambitas, qui ipsum tenerrime dilexerunt, ab errore hujusmodi revocavit. Quod cum Nattangi et Warmienses perciperent, et ipsi a concepta malicia destiterunt, prominentes bona fide fratribus fideliter adherere.
Congregato itaque magno exercitu frater Conradus de Tirbergk magister et fratres intraverunt terram Pogesanie, et viris sine numero interfectis, vastataque terra incendio et rapina, mulieres et parvulos captos deduxerunt. Dum autem hec agerentur, tarn viri quam mulieres maledixerunt cuidam Sambite dicto Bonseb, camerario de territorio Pubeten, asserentes, quod ipse hujus nefandi criminis auctor fuisset, motivum primum et origo. Hic Bonse voluit habere manifeste duas uxores, et quia fratres hoc prohibuerunt, provocatus in iram, omnes quasi Pruthenos ad apostasiam incitavit. Unde exigentibus ejus demeritis, morte, quam meruit, est damnatus. 191 (186> Ad idem. Eodem anno, tempore autumni fratres iterum armata manu intraverunt predictam terram Pogesanie, et vastata iterum incendio et rapina, captis et occisis omnibus, preter paucos, qui cum familia sua versus Lethowiam ad territorium castri Garthe secesserunt, ipsam in solitudinem redegerunt. 192 (187) J)e vastacione terre Colmensis et territoriorum castrorum Grudencz, Insule sancte Marie, Santirii, Cristburgkc et destructione castri Clementis. Hoc tempore fuit in terra Colmensi quidam frater Bertoldus de Northusen provincialis commendator, qui licet esset providus dispensator in cura domestica, tarnen ad bellum minus fuit valens (quia minor est ad singula sensus), quare nona obstitit insultacioni infidelium, ut debebat.
Unde Sudowite sepius intraverunt terram Colmensem, et facta magna strage in populo dei, vastataque terra incendio et rapina, recesserunt, et cum sentirent, quod nullus resisteret eis, ausi fuerunt cum modico exercitu dictam terram Colmensem hostiliter subintrare. Tandem magister fratrem Hermannum de Sconenbergk virum in bellis exercitatum constituit in commendatorem provincialem dicte terre, qui eis viriliter restitit, quia quocienscunque Sudowite cum parvo exercitu intrarent ter ram Colmensem, ipse cum armigeris suis audacter occurrit eis, et aggrediens eos in bello vicit, et occisis plurimis, alios in fugam convertit, et hoc tociens reiteratum fuit ab eo, totque occisi fuerunt, quod Sudowite amplius venire sine magno exercitu non audebant. Provocati ergo de tanta strage suorum, et tarn variis damnis, que incurrerant in terra Colmensi, Scumandus capitaneus Sudo witarum cum im milibus gentis sue et virtute exercitus Lethowinorum potenter intraverunt terram Colmensem in die xi milium virginum, et mortem suorum 21. october multipliciter vindicabant *. In primo ingressub castrum cujusdam feodatarii, dictum Plowist*32, situm supra fluvium Osse, graviter impugnaverunt, et utique destruxissent, sed tandem hec pacta intervenerunt, ut castrenses duos viros expertos concederent, qui exercitum infidelium ducerent et reducerent per terminos Cristianorum, et sic salvi permanerent. Quo facto processerunt ante castra scilicet Redinum, Lipame, deinde ad castrum Welsaisf, cujus suburbium funditus cremaverunt. Posthec castrum dictum Turnitz 2 3 cujusdam feodatarii durissime impugnaverunt, castrensibus e contra se opponentibus, et licet illa die nihilg proficerent impugnando, manserunt tarnen illa nocte in obsidione ejus. Sed crastina die dum sentirent castrum firmatum pluribus armigeris, quam ante, sine impugnacione altera recesserunt.
Post hec venerunt ad castrum Clementis, quod fuit cujusdam feodatarii et undique vallantes impugnaverunt; tandem igne apposito penitus combusserunt, et centum homines cristiani fue runt in eo extincti, preter mulieres et parvulos, quos captos deduxerunt. Ul timo processerunt contra hec castra et civitates, scilicet Grudentz, Insulam sancte Marie et Santirium et Cristburgk, et quicquid occurrit eis in via, vel occiderunt, aut ceperunt, vel in cinerem redegerunt. Deinde cum inestimabili preda hominum cristianorum et aliarum rerum recesserunt. Quanta mala et quam magnam stragem in populo dei, et quantam verecundiam fecerit iste exercitus sacramentis ecclesie et ministris, nullus sane mentis posset sine lacrimis cogitare.
Notes
- 1 ↩The word 'nona' in the source is likely a scribal error for 'non' (not). The translation assumes the intended sense is 'he did not resist' rather than any reading involving 'nona' as a numeral or adverb.
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