DLH VI.43

English, pp.

Extraordinary events now occurred in Galicia. I must go back to the beginning to explain these. As I have already told you, Hermangild quarrelled with his father. He took refuge with his wife in one of the cities of Spain, relying upon support from the Emperor and from Mir, King of Galicia. When he learned that his father was marching with his army to attack him, he made plans to repel the invader and even to kill him if necessary. Poor prince, he did not realize that the judgement of our God hangs over anyone who makes such plans against his own father, even if that father be a heretic. He debated what he could best do, and then picked out three hundred armed men from the many thousands under his command and stationed them inside the fortress of Osser, where the springs in the church are made to flow at God's will. His idea was that his father would be alarmed and weakened when this band attacked him and then would concede victory to the bulk of Hermangild's troops, who were numerous but not well trained. When King Leuvigild heard of this stratagem, he hesitated as to what he could best do. 'If I attack with my entire army,' be said, 'this solid mass of soldiery will suffer cruelly from the enemy's javelins. If, on the other hand, I advance with only a few men, I shall find it impossible to overcome a force of defenders handpicked for their fighting qualities.' In the end he marched his entire army forward, attacked the fortress, defeated the garrison and burned the place down, as I told you in a previous chapter.

Latin, pp.

43. De Galliciensibus regibus.

In Gallitia quoque novae res actae sunt, quae de superius memorabuntur. Igitur cum Herminichildus, sicut supra diximus, patri infensus esset et in civitate quadam Hispaniae cum coniuge resediret, de imperatoris solatio fretus atque Mironis Galliciensis regis, patrem ad se cum exercitum venire cognovit consiliumque iniit, qualiter venientem aut repelleret aut negaret, nesciens miser , iudicium sibi inminere divinum, qui contra genitorem, quamlibet hereticum, talia cogitaret. Habitu ergo tractatu, de multis virorum milibus trecentos veros elegit armatus et infra castrum Osser, in cuius eclesia fontes divinitus conplentur, includit, ut scilicet primo impetu ab his pater territus ac lassatus, facilius ab inferiore manu, quae erat plurima, vinceretur.

Notes:

• 'honour your mother and father'

• biblical number.