Incursions

782. In the meantime the king was informed that the Slavonic Sorbs, who inhabit the plains between the Elbe and the Saale, had entered the neighboring territories of Saxons and Thuringians to pillage, and by looting and burning had ravaged several places.1
789. From Aachen a campaign was launched with the help of God into the land of the Slavs who are called Wilzi. On the advice of Franks and Saxons [Charlemagne] crossed the Rhine at Cologne, advanced through Saxony, reached the River Elbe, and had two bridges constructed, on one of which he built fortifications of wood and earth at both ends. From there he advanced further and by the gift of God subjected the Slavs to his authority. Both Franks and Saxons were with him in this army. In addition, the Frisians joined him by ship, on the River Havel, along with some Franks. He also had with him the Slavs called Sorbs and Abodrites, whose chieftain was Witzin.2
795. [Charlemagne] entered Saxony with an army and reached the Elbe at Lüne. At that time, Witzin, the king of the Abodrites, was slain there by the Saxons.3
798. The Nordliudi were defeated in battle when they engaged Thrasco, duke of the Abodrites, and our envoy Eburis.4
805. [Charlemagne sent an army] with Saxons into Werinofelda and Daleminzia, and there they fought against their king, named Semela, and conquered him.5
806. After a few days [Charlemagne] came from Nijmegen to Aachen and sent his son Charles with an army into the country of the Slavs who are called Sorbs and live on the River Elbe. On this campaign Miliduoch, duke of the Slavs, was killed. The army constructed two castles, one on the bank of the River Saale, the other one on the Elbe. When the Slavs had been pacified, Charles returned with the army and came to the emperor at Seilles on the Meuse.6
808. But Charles, the son of the emperor, built a bridge across the Elbe, and moved the army under his command as fast as he could across the river against the Linones and Smeldingi. These tribes had also defected to Godofrid. Charles laid waste their fields far and wide and after crossing the river again returned to Saxony with his army unimpaired.7
810. …the castle of Hohbuoki on the Elbe, with Odo, the emperor’s envoy, and a garrison of East Saxons, had been captured by the Wilzi…8
811. Emperor Charles sent an army of Franks and Saxons hostilely across the Elbe against those Slavs who are named the Lanai [Linones?] and Bechelenzi, and they laid waste those lands and built for a second time a fortress in the place which is called 'Abochi'.9
812. A campaign was carried out against the Wilzi, and hostages were received from them.10
816. When the winter was over Saxons and East Franks were ordered to campaign against the Slavonic Sorbs who refused obedience. They carried out their orders energetically and without much effort suppressed the insolence of the rebels. As soon as a city had been captured, rebellious elements of the population promised submission and calmed down.11
819. [The Abodrite king Sclaomir was deposed by a Frankish army and his kingdom given to Ceadrag, son of Thrasco.]12
839. Two expeditions were mounted: a Saxon one against the attacks of the Sorbs and Wilzi who had recently left several villae of the Saxon March in flames; and a combined Austrasian-Thuringian one against the rebellious Abodrites and the people called the Linones ... Meanwhile the Saxons fought a battle at Kesigesburg against those Sorbs who are called the Colodici and thanks to heavenly help won the victory. The Sorbian king Czimislav was killed and Kesigesburg and eleven forts were captured. Another king was hurriedly made amidst all these upheavals, and oaths were taken from him and hostages too, and much of their land was confiscated.13
844. Louis crushed the Abodrites in battle, who had been preparing to defect from his allegiance; as their king Goztomuizli had been killed, he had the land and people which God had brought under his yoke ruled by duces.14
846. Louis went from Saxony against the 'Winidos' beyond the Elbe. He went with his army against the Bohemians, whom we call 'Beuwinitha', but very perilously.15
849. With King Louis sick, his army took the road from Bavaria against the Bohemians, but, with many of them killed there, they returned home very humilitated.16
851. The Sorbs violated the Frankish border with frequent attacks and incendiary raids. The king, angry at this, proceeded through Thuringia with an army, invaded their territory and oppressed them severely.17
858. Louis... returned to Frankfurt, and, after he had discussed and dealt with many things of importance for the kingdom with his men, decided that three armies should be sent to different frontiers of his kingdom. The first, under Carloman his eldest son, he sent against the Moravian Slavs and Rastiz; a second under Louis, his younger son, against the Abodrites and Linones; the third was sent under Thaculf against the Sorbs who refused to obey his commands.18
862. In the same year the king led an army against the Abodrites and compelled their dux Tabomuizli, who had rebelled, to be obedient and to give his son and others as hostages.19
867. Louis king of Germany sent his son Louis to campaign with the Saxons and Thuringians against the Abodrites.20
869. The Sorbs and Siusli joined with the Bohemians and the other peoples of the region and crossed the old Thuringian border.21
874. The Sorbs and the Siusli and their neighbors rebelled on the death of Thaculf. Archbishop Liutbert [of Mainz] and Ratolf, Thaculf’s successor, crossed the River Saale in January and by pillaging and burning crushed their insolence without battle and reduced them to their further servility.22
877. The Slavs called Linones and the Siusli their neighbors planned to rebel and refused to pay the usual tribute. King Louis sent certain of his faithful men there around mid-Lent, and they suppressed the rebellion without fighting; they took some hostages and not a few gifts and reduced these peoples to their former state of servility.23
880. The Slavs called Daleminzi, the Bohemians, and the Sorbs and the other tribes in the neighbourhood, when they heard of the slaughter of the Saxons by the Northmen, came together and threatened to invade the lands of the Thuringians, and attacked the Slavs around the Saale faithful to the Thuringians with plunder and burning. Count Poppo, dux of the Sorbian march, came against them with the Thuringians, and with God's help so defeated them that not one out of a great multitude remained.24
889. [King Arnulf] went against the Abodrites with a great army, but little was accomplished there, however, and the king gave the army leave to depart and returned to Frankfurt in great haste.25
902. The Slavs laid waste to Saxony.26
[906.] ... he dispatched Henry with a Saxon levy and the duke's military household against the Daleminzi, whom he himself had fought for many years. The Daleminzi were not able to withstand Henry's attack, and summoned against him the Avars…27
921. Meanwhile King Henry strongly persisted in stabilising peace and restraining the savagery of the Slavs.28
[929. Henry I campaigns successfully against Hevelli, taking Brandenburg29; against Daleminzi, taking Gana; against Bohemians, taking Prague; also made Abodrites, Wilzi, and Redarii tributary; Redarii rebelled, taking Walsleben; Saxons respond by besieging Lenzen, a battle described in detail.]30
931. King Henry subjugated the Abodrites.31
932. King Henry was in 'Lonsicin'.32
[933?] From here [Meissen], he compelled the Milzeni, already subject to his will, to pay tribute. Furthermore, after long besieging the burg Lebusa... he forced the residents to flee to a small inner fortress and then to surender. From that day, on which he justly destoyed it by fire, to the present, the burg has been uninhabited.
934. King Henry was in 'Wocronin' with an army.33
[936. King successfully attacks "barbarians"--likely the Redarii] September 25th.34
[939. mutual border incursions; king's campaign against Abodrites]35
[950.] At that time, the king campaigned against Boleslav, the king of the Bohemians. [continues with further detail] 36
[954.] In that year, the Slavs, who are called Ukrani, were defeated by Gero with great glory because Duke Conrad was dispatched to provide aid to him. They captured an enormous quantity of booty, and great happiness reigned in Saxony.37
955. King Otto contended most perilously against the Abodrites, whom Ekbert, the son of his maternal aunt, had gathered against him.38
[957.] A letter... was carried to the emperor while he was on campaign, fighting against the Redarii.39
[957. The final campaigns of Wichmann against Mieszko of the 'Licicaviki', the Liutizi, the Wagrians, and the Abodrites; he later joined with the Slavs called Wuloini (i.e., from Wollin) against Mieszko, who called in aid from Boleslav of Bohemia.]40
959. The king invaded the Slavs again, and Thietmar was killed there.41
960. In that same year the king proceeded against the Slavs again.42
963. Back home the Slavs called Lausitzer were also subdued.43
[972] The illustrious Margrave Hodo collected an army and attacked Mieszko though the latter was faithful to the emperor and paid tribute for territory extending to the river Warthe. Only my father, Count Siegfried, then a young man and unmarried, came to his aid with warriors of his own. When the battle began at Zehden, on the feast of John the Baptist, they were initially successful. But then Mieszko's brother, Cidibur, attacked and killed all the best warriors, with the exception of two counts. The emperor was very disturbed when he heard this miserable news and sent representatives from Italy who ordered Hodo and Mieszko to leave off their fighting and preserve the peace until he returned, or risk losing his favor.44
975. Emperor Otto burned up and laid waste the Bohemians.45
976. Henry, duke of the Bavarians, fled to Bohemia after being deprived of both his office and the communion of the church. While he was residing there, with Duke Boleslav, the emperor attacked with a strong army, but gained nothing at all against these two. Moreover, through the treachery of one of Boleslav's warriors, he lost a great troop of Bavarians who were coming to his aid and had just set up camp next to the burg Pilsen. In the evening, the Bavarians were washing themselves without having set a guard for security. Suddenly, the mailed enemy arrived and cut them down as they ran naked to their tents and through the meadow. The enemy returned with all of their booty, happy and unharmed. Hearing of the loss of so many men, and knowing that no other route of return was accessible to him, the emperor went directly to his burg at Cham.46
977. The emperor went with a large army against the Bohemians and burned up a large part of the land with fire. 47
[983. Peoples Christian and tribute-paying rose up in response to Margrave Dietrich's arrogance. On 29 July, they invaded Havelberg and destroyed the cathedral. Three days later, they attacked Brandenburg. Bohemians under Dedi took Zeitz. Other Slavs sacked the monastery of St. Laurence at Calbe. Duke Mistui of the Abodrites ravaged Hamburg. Thirty bands on horse and foot burned and pillaged as far as the Tanger river. A force annihilated some of the enemy; at night, some of these Slavs escaped.]48
[984. Duke Boleslav of Bohemia takes possession of Meissen, expelling the bishop; he return the next year after Boleslav went home.]49
985. The Saxons invaded Slavia. Mieszko came to them with a large army as reinforcements. They laid waste to that whole land with fire and much slaughter.50
986. King Otto while still a little boy came to Slavia with a large army of Saxons. Mieszko came to him there with a very great multitude, and obtained from him a camel and many other presents, and also put himself under his power. Proceeding together, they laid waste to that whole land with fires and much pillage.51
987. The Saxons again laid waste to Slavia. Whence compelled, they put themselves under the king’s control and the castles along the Elbe were restored.52
990. In this year the Saxons twice laid waste the Abodrites in a powerful attack. Many of them and especially the most noteworthy were killed, others were murdered in the river. By the grace of God, the Saxons returned with peace and victory. Mieszko and Boleslav, dukes of the Slavs, contended amongst themselves with serious hostility.53
991. King Otto with a large army of Saxons and reinforcements from Mieszko besieged and conquered Brandenburg54. When he was leaving there, a certain Saxon, Kizo, boldly invaded the same burg with the aid of the Liutizi rashly enough against the king’s command, and, with the perseverance of the aforesaid Slavs, altogether unjustly subjugated it to his control contrary to human or divine law. He attempted frequent attacks of robbery in Saxony along the river Elbe. By the grace of God he fled from them into hiding, not as a victor but a like a fugitive thief.55
992. King Otto with a strong force of his own men again went to Brandenburg56. Henry, duke of the Bavarians, came to him, as did Boleslav, prince of the Bohemians, with a huge multitude in aid to the king. But Boleslaw, the son of Mieszko, not at all able to come himself to the lord king (for indeed a powerful war against the Russians threatened him), sent his warriors sufficiently loyal to him in service to the king. Yet the lord king, trusting the promises of the Slavs to be good, and not wishing to resist his princes, again granted them peace and from there returned home. But they, in their customary way, lied in everything. 57
993. Kizo, who had previously been a rebel and a fugutive, voiding the faith formerly promised to the Slavs, subjected himself with his men and the aforesaid burg of Brandenburg58 to the king’s power. … In the same year, the Saxons prepared an expedition against the Slavs three times but they achieved nothing; by contrast, the Slavs wearied Saxony with frequent robberies.59
[994.] At this time, the Slavs were defeated.60
995. King Otto lay waste the Abodrites, and overthrew their burgs and fortresses. Boleslaw, son of Mieszko, brought him aid with a large army, and also the Bohemians came with the son of the other Boleslav. And the king took himself to Saxony with a vast army. … The Slavs lay waste to Saxony by frequent attack.61
997. The Slavs, with the treachery innate to them, broke the agreement of the peace that had been achieved and gnawed the Saxon borders with furtive robberies. Provoked against them, the emperor invaded with a large army, conquered, and pillaged Stodorania, which is commonly called Heneldum, a distinguished land among the Slavonic ones, and as a conqueror entered gloriously into Magdeburg, the preeminent burg of the Saxons. In the meantime however, while the august emperor, that is Otto III, passed through Hevaldum laying waste, the assembled Veletabi attacked unexpectedly the province of Bardengau with much plundering and burning. Seeing this, the Westphalians, whom the aforementioned emperor, proceeding on his campaign, had left to guard the province, swiftly and powerfully overtook the Liutizi and, although they were few, they laid low an innumerable multitude of pagans with such great slaughter and seized so much booty from them that the amount neither of that slaughter nor of the booty can in any way be set forth in human speech.62
[997. A Slav raid on Arneburg involving archbishop Giselher of Madgeburg.]63
998. War between the Saxons and the Slavs; but with God helping, the Saxons were made the victors.64
[1002.] Boleslav...assembled an army and seized Margrave Gero's march as far as the river Elbe. Then, with siege troops sent ahead, he captured the burg of Bautzen, with all its possessions, and immediately thereafter attacked Strehla.65 Secretly, he also tried to bribe the residents of Meissen... [more on this]. Elated by this success, Boleslav occupied the entire region up to the Elster and secured it with a garrison. [more on how Boleslav's claimed to do so with Henry's permission, on negotiations concerning the region after Henry's coronation, Boleslav's frustration] When he arrived at the city of Strehla, he immediately set fire to it and abducted a large part of the local populace.66
[1003. Boleslav Chrobry further negotiating for Meissen, moving an army to the region, sparing Strehla]67 In one day the whole fertile region of Lommatzsch was ravaged with fire and sword and had its inhabitants abducted. [also receive booty and several thousand captives from Mügeln]68
1003. King Henry subjugated Italy, Bohemia and Duke Boleslaw as well as all the people of the Slavs.69
[1004.] Boleslaw attacked the Bavarians... with a large force. In response, the king assembled an army and attacked the lands of the Milzeni.70
[1004. King Henry invades Bohemia to oust Boleslaw Chrobry from power there, taking Zatec by force and reinstating the Premyslid Jaromir as ruler in Prague. Afterward, Jaromir assists Henry in attacking the Milzeni and beseiging Bautzen--ultimately surrendered by Boleslaw.]71
[1005. Mid-August to mid-September, joined by the Bohemians and the Liutizi, Henry advances an army against the Poles, crossing through the region of Lausitz toward the Oder, where he puts Boleslaw and his forces to flight from Krossen and, laying waste, proceeds toward Poznan. Although Polish garrisons readily abandoned their burgs, Henry's army suffered privation and frequent ambush. Stopping short of Poznan, the two rulers made peace there and the armies returned home.]72
[1005. Jaromir, the Liutizi, and the residents of Wollin complain to King Henry about predations by Boleslaw as a result of the peace agreement; Henry agrees to renounce it. Boleslaw lays waste to Möckern, outside Magdeburg, and takes Zerbst. He then takes the regions of Lausitz, Sorau, and Selpuli and besieges Bautzen.]73
[1009.] The Slavs, who have no fear of God, pillaged both a church located outside the city of Metz and the congregation that served it [implicitly while under the command of the German marcher lord, Dietrich].74
[1009. A force of Poles tries to take Meissen but is easily repulsed, to Boleslaw's displeasure.]75
1010. Expedition to the Slavs, from which the king returned sick with a few men.76
[1012. Boleslaw takes Lebusa, with slaughter and booty, then sets it afire--on 20 August.]77
1015. The emperor again went with an army against the Poles.78
[1017.] Moravian soldiers of Boleslaw surrounded and killed a large but careless band of Bavarians.79
1017. That same year, he [the emperor] again entered Poland with an army.80
1031. The emperor, with a small army of Saxons, attacked the Slavs in autumn and compelled Mieszko, who had resisted him a long time, to restore the 'Lusizi' region with several burgs and the booty, which was taken in Saxony in previous years, and to confirm the peace by an oath.81
1032. ... the emperor [was] at Werben, where he resided for the sake of pacifying the realm against the Liutizi ...82
1032. ... while the emperor was leading an army against Miesco, the king of those Slavs who are called Poles, ...83
1033. In the same year, at the castle of Werben, Count Lutger, plus Theidof and Wolferad, were killed with forty others.84
1034. Many and unaccustomed wars arose between the Liutizi and our men at the fortress of Werben, in which some from our side were killed and many wounded.85
1035. In Lent the burg of Werben was captured from the Liutizi and the garrison of Count Dedi was led away captive. … [The emperor] spent Pentecost at Bamberg, where he ordered his expedition against the Liutizi. … The emperor with a most strong army entered the region of the Liutizi; he laid waste to it far and wide with fires and plundering.86
1036. Expedition to the Liutizi. … The emperor, returning from Liutizia, impatient with autumn pressing, went with an army to Italy and celebrated Christmas in Verona.87
1039. King Henry undertook and expedition to Bohemia, but when Bretislav, the duke of that people, had sent him his son as a hostage and had promised--although it was a feigned promise--that he himself would come and perform what was commanded of him, he at once returned.
1040. In autumn the king declared a war in the Bohemian realm, where he returned having lost many of his force without the outcome of success.
1041. King Henry, having entered Bohemia a second time, accepted the surrender of its duke, named Bretislav, and made his land tributary to him.88
1045. The Slavs who are call the Liutizi were troubling the borders of Saxony; but when the king came there with a force of vassals, they surrendered and promised the customary tribute.89
1050. The emperor prepared an expedition against Casimir, duke of the Poles, who was planning a rebellion. He was, however, held back by a serious illness and received him when he requested peace and a treaty and departed.90
1056. The Liutizi perpetrated a great slaughter against the Christians, some of whom perished by the sword and others by fleeing into the water. Among them Margrave William was killed.91
1057. The Saxons gathered an army, aggressively attacked the savage people of the Liutizi and inflicted various misfortunes upon them. They subjected them to Roman dominion and, accepting hostages and tribute, returned home.92
1069. On the Lord’s birthday, the king went to Mainz, and soon commanded that an expedition be prepared against the Liutizi that very winter.... The expedition, however suddenly it might have been commanded and undertaken, nevertheless was proven very profitable. For that land of the pagans was full of waters and swamps, but then—namely in the time of winter—it was very much frozen, and therefore an easy road was made for the army for entering and exiting. Consequently, with a light encounter they captured several burgs. Laying waste, they set innumerable villages on fire, and they led away with them immense booty and captives.93
1093. Magnus, duke of the Saxons, subjugated the rebelling Slavs, having captured 14 burgs.94
1100. Margrave Udo and many of the Saxons, attacked the barbarians who are called Liutizi and honorably triumphed.95
1109. [King Henry] led an army against the Poles, a distant people, and after he had laboured hard there for a long time he collected the long-denied tribute owed by that country.96
1110. The Slavs invaded the region of the Elbians and returned, with many killed and captured. Whence Duke Lothar, riled, hostilely attacked the land of the Slavs, travelled around the region pillaging, seized nine of the richer and more fortified burgs, and, with hostages received from them, returned a victor.97
1114. Duke Lothar, having attacked the Slavs with an armed force and progressed to the interior, subjugated a certain region. Since they despaired of salvation, having confessed themselves once tributaries of St. Vitus [i.e., Corvey], for the sake of his honor they were left with their lives by the duke. ... On that same expedition against the interior Slavs, Duke Lothar, had with him in aid Margrave Henry of Stade, who had brought together 300 horsemen of the "Scyrcipensian" Slavs, that is, 100 from each of his burgs. [continues to describe dispute between Henry and Lothar] 98
1136. Invasion of the Slavs in parts of Saxony. Moving an army against them, Margrave Adalbert more than once hostilely attacked and plundered their land.99
1137. In wintertime, Margrave Adalbert, having gathered a strong force, went around the land of the Slavs taking booty.100