Wichmann
Components
Wid III.68
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.