De destructione territorii Sudowie dicti Crasime.
The Master's Campaign Against Grasima
Brother Manegold, the master, leads the Teutonic army into the Sudovian territory of Grasima, burning the land and destroying the stronghold of the captain Scumandus, returning with captives and great booty.
Brother Manegold, the master, so that the war against the Sudovians begun so boldly by his predecessors would not lose momentum in his own time but advance from day to day, gathered the full strength of his army and on the day of the Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary entered the territory of Sudovia called Grasima, laying it waste with fire and plunder. He also reduced to ashes the dwelling of that powerful man Scumandus, captain of said territory, and with 150 men captured and killed, he returned with the greatest booty.
Divine Providence in the Army's Advance
The army's divinely ordained error in going astray led to its scattering, which paradoxically enabled it to occupy and destroy the entire territory.
This army, while it wished to enter the said territory, went astray; and in that error, brought about by God's providence, who is accustomed to do nothing without cause, it was scattered, and so, entering, it occupied and destroyed the whole territory.
The Cost of Victory
The campaign's toll is recorded: Brother Ulrich the Bavarian and two thousand men were killed, and Brother Ludwig was taken captive.
In this war Brother Ulrich the Bavarian, commander from Tapiow, and two thousand men fell killed, and Brother Ludwig from Libencele was captured.
Read the original Latin
Frater Manegoldus magister, ut bellum Sudowitarum per predecessores suos viriliter inceptum non tepesceret tempore suo, sed proficeret de die in diem, congregavit omnem virtutem exercitus sui, et in die purificacionis beate virginis Marie intravit territorium Sudowie dictum Grasimam, vastando per incendium et rapinam. Habitacionem eciam illius potentis viri Scumandi, capitanei dicti territorii, redegit in favillam et captis et occisis cl hominibus cum preda maxima est reversus. Iste exercitus dum dictum territorium intrare vellet, erravit, et in illo errore ex dei providencia facto, qui nihil solet agere sine causa, dispersus fuit, et sic intrans totuma territorium occupavit et destruxit. In hoc bello frater Ulricus Bauwarus commendator de Tapiow et ini viri ceciderunt interfecti et frater Lodewicus de Libencele captus fuit.
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