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Incursions
AHild
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.1
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.2
902. The Slavs laid waste to Saxony.3
931. King Henry subjugated the Abodrites.4
932. King Henry was in 'Lonsicin'.5
934. King Henry was in 'Wocronin' with an army.6
955. King Otto contended most perilously against the Abodrites, whom Ekbert, the son of his maternal aunt, had gathered against him.7
[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.]8
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.9
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.10
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.11
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.12
991. King Otto with a large army of Saxons and reinforcements from Mieszko besieged and conquered Brandenburg13. 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.14
992. King Otto with a strong force of his own men again went to Brandenburg15. 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. 16
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 Brandenburg17 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.18
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.19
1017. That same year, he [the emperor] again entered Poland with an army.20
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.21
1032. ... the emperor [was] at Werben, where he resided for the sake of pacifying the realm against the Liutizi ...22
1033. In the same year, at the castle of Werben, Count Lutger, plus Theidof and Wolferad, were killed with forty others.23
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.24
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.25
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.26
1100. Margrave Udo and many of the Saxons, attacked the barbarians who are called Liutizi and honorably triumphed.27
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.28