De destructione territorii Sudowie Meruniske.
The Master's Campaign in Meruniska
Brother Conrad, the master, leads a great force into the territory of Sudowia called Meruniska, killing eighteen of its famous lords and then slaughtering six hundred others while taking captives and laying waste to the land through fire and plunder.
Brother Conrad, the master, always concerned about the destruction of the infidels, once a great force of cavalry and infantry had been gathered, entered the territory of Sudowia called Meruniska, with horsemen and other fighters, before the entrance into the aforementioned land, and killed eighteen famous lords of this territory. Regarding another group of mixed sexes, he killed six hundred and took captives, and he laid waste to the aforementioned territory through fire and plundering.
The Deeds of Christian Brigands
The chronicle introduces the brigands — Christian warriors including Martin of Golin, Conrad Dywelb, Stovemel, Kudare of Sudowia, and Nakam of Pogesania — whose remarkable and countless deeds defy full recounting.
About the brigands. Wonderful and unusual deeds were done through Christian brigands — namely through Martin of Golin, Conrad called Dywelb, and a certain man called Stovemel, and Kudare of Sudowia, and Nakam of Pogesania, and several others, which no one could fully recount.
Martin's First Raid and Narrow Escape
Martin of Golin storms a Sudowian village with Teutonic men and Prussian allies, but on the return journey his company is ambushed while at table, losing many companions and all their weapons and provisions.
This Martin, with an unspecified number of Teutonic men and eleven Prussians, stormed a certain village in the land of Sudowia, after the people were captured and killed. And when he had arrived far along at such a place on his return, where, with all fear set aside, he was sitting at table with his companions to take refreshment after the labor, enemies suddenly rushed upon him, and after an unspecified number of his Teutonic companions were killed, the others escaped, leaving behind there all the things they had of weapons and provisions.
Martin's Revenge in the Night
After the ambush, Martin gathers his surviving companions, secretly steals back their weapons from the sleeping Sudowians, kills them all in their beds, and returns with recovered arms and booty.
After this had been done, the Sudowians rejoiced greatly. Martin, however, troubled, wandered around in the forest until he gathered his surviving companions, and because all their arms had been taken from them, he secretly, while the enemies were sleeping, successively stole from them shields, swords, and lances; and having obtained these, he approached secretly with his men, and killed all of them in their beds, except one, whom Martin, blocking the road by which he wished to escape, killed; and so with the booty and the arms and other goods of the aforementioned infidels, he returned. To the same.
Martin's Second Raid at Twilight
Martin and a few companions again enter a Sudowian village at twilight, attacking people in the bath, at dinner, and at various tasks, killing ten in the bath alone and carrying off horses, cattle, women, and children.
The same Martin and a few others again entered a village in the land of Sudowia, and at twilight — when some were in the bath, others at dinner, and the rest at various tasks — they attacked and killed them all. Martin, however, killed ten men in the bath, and so they led away horses and cattle and the rest, along with the women and children.
The Sudowite Retaliation and Defeat
Seeking vengeance, the Sudowites raid Nattangia but achieve little; the Teutonic brothers pursue them, killing and wounding very many, while the rest flee in disgrace.
About the flight of the Sudowites. At the same time, the Sudowites, wanting to take vengeance for the aforementioned deeds, entered the land of Nattangia with a small force, and having ravaged a certain part of it, withdrew with little to show for it. The brother, pursuing them violently with their own armored men, killed very many and fatally wounded others; the rest fled in disgrace.
Read the original Latin
Frater Conradus magister semper sollicitus circa destructionem infidelium, congregata magna potencia, exercitus equitum et peditum, intravit Sudowie territorium dictum Meruniskam cum equitibus, aliis rebetis ante introitum terre predicte, et occidit dominos hujus territorii famosos xvm. De alio populo promiscui sexus interfecit sexcentos et captivavit, et dictum territorium vastavit per incendium et rapinam. De latrunculis. wstm) Mira et insolita gesta sunt per latrunculos Cristianos, scilicet per Martinum de Golin, Conradum dictum Dywelb, et quendam dictum Stovemel, et Kudare de Sudowia, et Nakam de Pogesania, et plures alios, que nullus posset ad plenum perorare. Iste Martinus cum im viris Theutonicis, et xi Pruthenis quandam villam in terra Sudowie expugnavit, captis hominibus et occisis. Et cum longe in reditu pervenisset ad talem locum, ubi omni timore postposito sedens in mensa cum sociis suis refectionem sumeret post laborem, irruerunt repente in eum hostes, et occisis im sociis ejus Theutonicis, alii evaserunt, relictis ibi omnibus, que de armis et victualibus habebant. Hoc facto Sudowite gavisi sunt valde: Martinus autem turbatus circuivit in silva, quousque socios suos superstites convocavit, et quia omnia arma fuerant eis ablata, ipse secrete, dormienlibus hostibus, successive furatus fuit eis clipeos, gladios et lanceas, qui bus habitis accessit cuin suis occulte, et omnes in stratu suo occidit, preter unum, quem Martinus preoccupans viam, qua effugere voluit, interfecit, sieque cum spolio primo et dictorum infidelium armis et rebus aliis est reversus. Ad idem.
199 (194) Idem Martinus et pauci alii iterum intraverunt terre Sudowie quandam vil— lam, et in crepusculo cum aliqui essent in balneo, alii in cena, reliqui in diversis officiis, invaserunt eos, et occiderunt eos omnesa. Martinas autem x viros in balneo interfecit, sicque equos et pecudes et cetera cum mulicribus et parvulis deduxerunt. 200 dos) De fuga Sudowitarum. Eodem tempore Sudowite volentes vindictam sumere de premissis, cum modico exercitu intraverunt terram Nattangie, et depopulata quadam parte ipsius modica recesserunt. Quos fratres cum suis armigeris violenter insequentes occisis plurimis et letaliter vulneratis, alii cum verecundia effugerunt.
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