Wichmann
Components
Third Rebellion
III.64. Wichmann, given to his fatherland, contained himself calmly as long as he expected the arrival of the emperor. Since however his return was put off, [Wichmann] removed himself to northern parts, as if about to invent from scratch a war with Harald, king of the Danes. But that one [Harald] commanded him: if he were to have killed the dux or any other of the principes, he would know that he wished to ally with him without trickery, otherwise he would not doubt him to have done the thing deceitfully. Meanwhile his robberies were revealed by a passing merchant and some of his comrades, arrested and condemned by the dux as if acting against the res publica, lost their lives by hanging. [Wichmann] himself, however, barely escaped with his brother.
III.66. Therefore Count Gero, not unmindful of the oath, since he had seen Wichmann be accused and had recognized his guilt, restored him to the barbarians from whom he had received him. Received by them gladly, he ground down with frequent battles the barbarians living further away. He twice overcame king Mieszko, in whose power were the Slavs who are called Licicaviki and killed his brother, and wrenched great booty from him.
III.68. There were two subreguli under dux Hermann, who inherited mutual enmity from their fathers; one was called Selibur, the other Mistav. Selibur was ruling the Wagrians, Mistav the Abodrites. While they accused each other equally often, Selibur, finally conquered by reason, was condemned by the dux for fifteen talents of silver. Taking this condemnation badly, he thought about taking up arms against the dux. But since his forces were not sufficient for war, he sent a legation sent and requested aid from Wichmann against the dux. He [Wichmann], considering nothing more pleasant than if he might be able to inflict some trouble on his uncle, quickly went to the Slav with comrades. However, just as Wichmann was received into the burg, the burg was immediately surrounded by the enemy in a siege. An army led by the dux also besieged the burg. Meanwhile, I do not know whether by chance or prudent counsel, Wichmann left the burg with a few men, as if for the purpose of extracting aid for himself from the Danes. A few days passed, and meanwhile the provisions for the warriors and the fodder for the animals had run out. There were also those who were saying that the Slav had in fact carried out a pretense of war, not a true war. It was unbelievable to every sort of person that a man accustomed to war1 from boyhood would have prepared so badly for warlike matters; but [they said that] the dux devised a plan, so that he might be able to conquer his nephew by some agreement, so that he might at least restore him to safety in his fatherland, rather than for him to have perished inwardly among the pagans. And so the burgers, weighed down by hunger and the stench of cattle, were forced to leave the burg. The dux, addressing the Slav sharply, accused him of treachery and being wretched in his actions, and received from him this in response: “Why do you accuse me of treachery?” he said; “Look, where neither you nor your lord emperor were able to conquer, they stand unarmed because of my treachery.” At this the dux was silent, depriving him of the region of his authority and handing all his power over to his son, whom he had earlier accepted as a hostage. He punished Wichmann’s soldiers with various penalties, and granted the booty of the burg to his own soldiers. The image of Saturn cast from bronze, which he had found there among the other spoils of the burg, he displayed as a great spectacle for the people. And he returned a victor to his fatherland.
III.69. Hearing that the burg had been captured and his comrades punished, Wichmann turned toward the east, again immersed himself among the pagans, and spent time with the Slavs who are called Vuloini.2 How they had been provoking the emperor’s friend Mieszko to war, that was by no means hidden from him. He [Mieszko] sent to Boleslav, king of the Bohemians—for he was his son-in-law—and recieved from him two units of cavalry. When Wichmann had led an army against him, he first sent in foot soldiers against him. And when, by order of the dux, they were gradually fleeing before Wichmann, he was drawn further from his encampment; then, with the cavalry having been sent in from the rear, [Mieszko] gave those fleeing a sign to reverse against the enemy. Since he was being pressed from the rear and the front, Wichmann attempted to enter into flight. But he was accused of wickedness by his comrades, because he himself had urged them to the fight, and then, trusting his horse,3 he easily entered into flight, when it became necessary. Thus compelled, he gave up his horse, entered the battle with his comrades on foot and, fighting courageously that day, was defended by [his] arms. But now exhausted with hunger and the long way, on which he fought armed through the whole night, in the early morning, with just a few men, he entered the place of a certain man. When leading men of the enemy discovered him, they recognized from his arms that he might be a distinguished man. Asked by them who he might be, he acknowledged himself to be Wichmann. They encouraged him to lay down his arms. Next they gave their faith that he would be presented safe to their lord and that, at his place, he would bring it about that he would restore him uninjured to the emperor. He, though he might be situated in his final need, was not unmindful of his former nobility and strength and disdained to give his hand to such men. But he nevertheless asked that they relate this to Mieszko from him: that he wished to lay down his arms to him, that he wished to give him his hand. While they were going to Mieszko, an innumerable crowd surrounded him and assailed him violently. But, although exhausted, having vanquished many of them, nevertheless he grasped his sword and gave it, with these words, to one of the enemy more capable: “Take,” he said, “this sword and bring it to your lord, so that he may hold it as a sign of victory and send word to his friend the emperor, so that he [the emperor] might know for sure to mock a dead enemy or lament a dead kinsman.” Having said these words, turned toward the east, insofar as he was able, he prayed to the Lord in the speech of his fatherland and poured out his soul, replete with many miseries and troubles, to the mercy of the Creator of all things. This was the end for Wichmann, and so it might be for all those who took up arms against your father the emperor.