[I] [30] On the day that the siege was resolved they arrived at a certain bridge, where the Christian army pitched their tents. Moreover they spent two days there. On the third day, before the morning star brightened, they hurriedly resumed their journey. And since the night was dark they were hesitant about keeping to an uncertain route. Therefore they separated from one another, and Bohemond and Tancreda and many others completed the two-day journey in one marching column. In the other were [the count of] Toulouse [31] and [the bishop of] Le Puy, and Duke Godfrey, and Hugh the Great, and [Robert of] Flanders, with great crowds of travellers. On the next after the second day, countless Turks, as many as the sands of the sea, assembled to confront Bohemond. Moreover, when they saw the Christians, the Turks were confident indeed in their great numbers and they attacked them fearlessly all together. For anger and rage were inspiring them. They were also indignant because the foreigners were destroying their possessions. Lastly, they really resented that they had dared to conquer Nicaea.

Bohemond, seeing the countless host of enemies threatening and jeering at his men with frenzied speech and barbarous sword, stood undaunted, and spoke to his comrades with due deliberation: ‘Most steadfast soldiers of Christ, behold, it is time to fight. Cast aside all fear, which emasculates even men, and act in manly fashion for your own protection. Endure the attackers’ blows without wearying, and since we have complete faith in assistance from Jesus, stretch forth warlike hands, and show the strength of your ancestry, for behold it is time. I do not want the glory of the Franks to be defiled on account of our negligence, or for the holy name of Christians to become worthless because of our failure to act. Our situation is critical, the war is going against us, many enemies are very near. But nothing has happened to you except by your hope and your will. Everything has happened to you as a result of prayer. You left your homelands for this; you came here for this; you have always longed for battle.