Chapter 7: The fortune of Joscelin and the victory of Roger against the Turks
After this, famine arose in the countryside around Edessa. Joscelin, indeed, had an
abundance of food, however, he did not assist the Count, his lord and brother, in
the slightest. To a messenger sent by the Count the familia of Joscelin replied that
however up-right and prudent he might be Joscelin was fitted for lordship, so the
Count should behave circumspectly if he accepted money he might hand over the
whole government of the land to him. On hearing this, the, messenger reported to
his lord, who was in bed apparently ill but not from falsehood. For he was greatly
incensed, thinking rather that the words of the familia came from the intentions of
their lord, by whom he had experienced such ingratitude. And so having summoned
his nephew, the Count accused him first of ingratitude and then of treachery and
condemned him to prison in chains. Nor would he remit the sentence unless he
returned all those things that he had formerly accepted freely and renounced all
jurisdiction that he had had. The King had pity on him and granted him the city of
Tiberias. [Joscelin] made many raids against Tyre, notwithstanding the mountains
that lay between.
In 1114 a huge earthquake shook the Orient especially in Cilicia
where it damaged Mamistra and all the fortifications round about. Elsewhere other
cities were destroyed, so that no trace of the temple remained and men wandering
through the fields were afraid that they would be sucked down by the earth. In
the following year Borges,
1 the most powerful leader of the Turks, with a large
number of warriors invaded the principality of Antioch, and advancing he marched
between Aleppo and damascus, planning to harm the Christians as seriously as he
could. Meanwhile, dodequinus,
2 King of damascus, suspecting an invasion of his
kingdom made truces with King Baldwin and the Prince of Antioch. With great
exchange of gifts they made solemn promises of mutual support. This treaty was
renewed each year with the Christians and 40 years after the conquest of Jerusalem
it is still in place. And so the Prince of Antioch, to counter perceived dangers,
sought the help of the Kings of Jerusalem and damascus and got it. Then Borges
pretended to return to his homeland and the kings, not pretending, went home. On
learning this, Borges, alias Bursequin, returned to the principality of Antioch and
did whatever he wished, stealing animals, burning places and slaughtering men.
Angered by these things the Prince of Antioch, supported by the count of Edessa,
followed him as far as Castrum rubeum.
3 With battlelines drawn up a battle was
fought between the two. The courage of the faithful warrior prevailed against the
multitude. The effusion of innocent blood was avenged, the plunder recovered and
3,000 Turks were slain. The Christian people were rich in everything.
Footnotes
1 Aqsonqor il-Bursuqi governor of Mosul, 1113–26.
2 Toghtechin.
3 Chastel rouge. This is the battle of Tel-danith, 14 September 1115
