Wichmann
Components
Wid III.54
III.54. Indeed in Gero there were many good qualities:1 expertise in war, good counsel in civil matters, enough eloquence, much knowledge; he was someone who showed his prudence in deed as much as in word, energy in acquiring and generosity in giving, and—what is best—good zeal in divine worship. Therefore the praeses was greeting the barbarian beyond the swamp and the river to which the swamp was adjacent. The Slav responded to him with comparable words. To him the praeses said: “it should be enough for you, that you make war against one of us, one of the servants of my lord, but not also against my lord the king. What army do you have, what arms, that you presume so much? If there is any strength among you, or skills, or daring, give us a place to cross over to you, or vice versa, and let the valor of the fighter be visible on equal ground.” The Slav, gnashing his teeth in a barbarian manner and vomiting forth much scorn, laughed at Gero and the emperor and the whole army, knowing him to be aggravated by many troubles. Gero was provoked by this, as his spirit was very fiery. “Tomorrow,” he said, “day will prove whether you and your people are strong enough in force or not. Tomorrow without a doubt you will see us contending with you.” (Gero, although once considered renowned by many distinguished deeds, was now however proclaimed everywhere as great and celebrated because he had captured with great glory the Slavs who are called the Uchri.) Thereupon Gero, having returned to camp, reported what he had heard. The emperor, rising in the night, ordered the arrows and other machines summoned to battle, as if he wished to traverse the river and swamp by force. The Slavs, weighing nothing other than the threat of the previous day, prepared likewise for battle, defending the path with all their strength. But Gero, with his friends the Ruani, descending fully one mile from the camp, without the enemy knowing, quickly constructed three bridges and, with a messenger sent to the emperor, summoned the whole army. Once this was seen, the barbarians and they met in battle with their troops. The foot soldiers of the barbarians, because they ran the longer way, entered the battle dissipated by exhaustion and so fell more quickly to the soldiers; without delay, while they sought the aid of flight and were cut down.