Theodore Lascaris, who was warring against the Emperor Henry, took
messengers and sent them to Johannizza, the King of Wallachia and
Bulgaria. And he advised Johannizza that all the forces of the Emperor
Henry were fighting against him (Lascaris) on the other side of the
straits towards Turkey; that the emperor was in Constantinople with but
very few people; and that now was the time for vengeance, inasmuch as
he himself would be attacking the emperor on the one side, and
Johannizza on the other, and the emperor had so few men that he would
not be able to defend himself against both. Now Johannizza had already
engaged a great host of Comans, who were on their way to join his host;
and had collected together as large a force of Wallachians and
Bulgarians as ever he could. And so much time had now gone by, that it
was the beginning of Lent (7th March 1207).
Macaire of Sainte-Menehould had begun to build a castle at Charax,
which lies on a gulf of the sea, six leagues from Nicomedia, towards
Constantinople. And William of Sains began to build another castle at
Cibotos, that lies on the gulf of Nicomedia, on the other side, towards
Nice. And you must know that the Emperor Henry had as much as he could
do near Constantinople; as also the barons who were in the land. And
well does Geoffry of Villehardouin, the Marshal of Champagne and
Roumania, who is dictating this work, bear witness, that never at any
time were people so distracted and oppressed by war; this was by reason
that the host were scattered in so many places.
SIEGE OF ADRIANOPLE BY JOHANNIZZA—SIEGE OF SKIZA AND CIBOTOS BY
LASCARIS
Then Johannizza left Wallachia with all his hosts, and with a great
host of Comans who joined themselves to him, and entered Roumania. And
the Comans overran the country up to the gates of Constantinople; and
he himself besieged Adrianople, and erected there thirty-three great
petraries, which hurled stones against the walls and the towers. And
inside Adrianople were only the Greeks and Peter of Radinghem, who had
been set there by the emperor, with ten knights. Then the Greeks and
the Latins together sent to tell the Emperor Henry how Johannizza had
besieged them, and prayed for succour.
Much was the emperor distraught when he heard this; for his forces on
the other side of the straits were so scattered, and were everywhere so
hard pressed that they could do no more than they were doing, while he
himself had but few men in Constantinople. None the less he undertook
to take the field with as many men as he could collect, in the Easter
fortnight; and he sent word to Skiza, where most of his people were,
that they should come to him. So these began to come to him by sea;
Eustace, the brother of the Emperor Henry, and Anseau of Cayeux, and
the main part of their men, and thus only Peter of Bracieux, and Payen
of Orléans, with but few men, remained in Skiza.
When Theodore Lascaris heard tidings that Adrianople was besieged, and
that the Emperor Henry, through utter need, was recalling his people,
and did not know which way to turn—whether to this side or to that—so
heavily was he oppressed by the war, then did Lascaris with the greater
zeal gather together all the people he could,, and pitched his tents
and pavilions before the gates of Skiza; and many were the battles
fought before Skiza, some lost and some won. And when Theodore Lascaris
saw that there were few people remaining in the city, he took a great
part of his host, and such ships as he could collect on the sea, and
sent them to the castle of Cibotos, which William of Sains was
fortifying; and they set siege to the castle by sea and land, on the
Saturday in mid-Lent (31st March 1207).
Within were forty knights, very good men, and Macaire of
Sainte-Menehould was their chief; and their castle was as yet but
little fortified, so that their foes could come at them with swords and
lances. The enemy attacked them by land and by sea very fiercely; and
the assault lasted during the whole of Saturday, and our people
defended themselves very well. And this book bears witness that never
did fifty knights defend themselves at greater disadvantage against
such odds. And well may this appear, for of the knights that were
there, all were wounded save five only; and one was killed, who was
nephew to Miles the Brabant, and his name was Giles.