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Itinerary
31
cruel tyrant cast them into prison, daring to violate the sanctity of an
ambassador, which, even among barbarians, has been respected from all
antiquity by the sanction of usage and the laws of honour. Afterwards,
however, influenced more by fear than a regard for right, he released the
ambassadors from prison; for he feared the destruction of his capital if he
should not speedily pacify our wrath. It would have been right, indeed,
that the city should have been razed, even to the ground; for, if we believe
report, it was polluted by new mosques, which its perfidious emperor
allowed to be built, that he might strengthen the league which he had
entered into with the Turks. The season of the year was now ripening
towards autumn, and the constellation Libra was balancing the day and
night in nearly equal lengths. The magnificent emperor of the Romans
marched to take up his winter-quarters at Adrianople, which he found
empty and deserted by its inhabitants. Here he took up his position, and
waited for the season when he should lead his army forwards.
Chapter XXII. Ñ Of the emperor FredericÕs wintering in Greece, and of the peace
between him and the emperor Isaac: of the deceitful embassy sent to him by the
sultan of Iconium, and of his passage through St. GeorgeÕs Arm.
The duke of Suabia, son of the emperor, fearing lest ease should
produce luxury, and luxury generate indolence, determined to find
employment for the army during the inactivity of winter; and for this
purpose, he formed a plan to storm a fortress which was situated at no
great distance from the aforesaid city. The Greeks had assembled together
in it, trusting in its fortifications, that they might from thence direct their
schemes against the Latins; but in this expectation they were confounded,
for they were speedily defeated and vanquished, thrown into chains and
kept prisoners. When the Byzantine emperor heard of these things, he
feared that something still worse would happen; and, apprehending the
destruction of all his empire, he hastily sent ambassadors to our emperor,
promising hostages for peace, a market for the sale of provisions, and ships
to transport all who wished to cross. The emperor, although many of them
thought it dangerous to make peace at all with a tyrant, yet preferred to

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Itinerary
32
accept the offered treaty rather than longer delay his expedition. And now
that Easter was approaching, he crossed over the narrow sea, generally
called by the name of ÒSt. GeorgeÕs Arm.Ó Although but a narrow strait,
this sea enjoys no little reputation, because it washes so great a city, and
flows between the two divisions of the world, Asia and Europe. The sultan
of Iconium, a deceitful man, and thirsting after Christian blood, under a
fraudulent pretext professed friendship towards us, and concealing the
malignant venom of his heart, sought thereby to destroy us when off our
guard. He had sent frequent messengers to the emperor, whilst still in
Greece, entreating him to cross over; and whilst he accused the Greeks and
their prince of treachery, he promised that he would be a devout and
faithful servant to the Christians, and that he would place himself and all
that he had at their disposal, and furnish to all of them a market to buy
provisions, and a safe passage through his dominions. The emperor, too
credulous, and estimating others by his own knowledge of himself, made a
proclamation, in which he threatened all with punishment who, when they
entered the territories of the Turks, should commit depredations, or fail to
observe the peace which had been concluded. Thus then it happened, that
our men passed on without touching the great booty which the sultan had,
intentionally, left at the very entrance of his dominions. Alas, how blind are
men and ignorant of the future! If they could have foreseen the famine
which they were about to suffer, the difficulties of the road, and the
deceitfulness of the tyrant! Chance had thrown in their way the means of
providing for themselves against these great and imminent dangers.
However, our people did not so far listen to the words of that faithless
prince, as, neglecting their own security, to march in disorder, or without
their arms. When, therefore, they were about to enter Parthia, all of them
seized their arms, in number 3,000 knights; of the rest there were about
80,000. There were seven bishops, one archbishop, two dukes, nineteen
counts, and three marquises; and this splendid army seemed neither to
have had its like before or after. But to prevent disaffection or confusion in
so large a mass, the whole army was divided into three bodies Ñ the first
was led by the duke of Suabia, the last by the emperor, that in the centre
was charged with the care of the sumpter-horses and baggage. The army

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