ABSTRACT
Glaudeôs, who when he was made emperor called himself Atanâf Çaguêd, began to reign when he was eighteen in the land of Damô, with counsel from Abba Cerça Denguîl, the emperor’s tutor, and from Abba Açaratâ Mariâm and Abba Samuel, and on the advice of the great men of the empire, such as Guelhân and Fanuêl. Four months after he came to the throne, he marched on Amîr Ozmân and, giving him battle, defeated him, but this victory was not perfect because the Moor then turned on him and routed him. And so he took the road towards Xâoa with great difficulty, taking with him no more than seventy or eighty people, and on arriving in Xâoa he overwintered twice in Guêndbarât. Leaving aside many things that happened to him at this time, we shall recount what happened in the third year of his emperorship, when God’s spirit raised him up to preach freedom to the captives and to set free those who were suffering force. Then his empire began to rise like the house of David and the power {[f. 322v]} of the Moor to fall like the house of Saul, because it is God’s custom often to change hands, making the victor become the vanquished, and the vanquished the victor. So he broke camp from where he had overwintered and took the road to Badlâ, over towards Begmêder. Hearing that he was <[f. 266v/256v]> coming, Cid Mahamed, Amîr Ozmân, Oacîr Muîd and Talilâ and nine other captains united against him with their men, all well versed and experienced in matters of war, 700 horse and so many foot that they were beyond count. Passing through Oagrâ, they came with great presumption and pride to where the emperor was, but his spirit was not broken to see the multitude of those men or the strength of their arms, because he had placed his hope in God, who casts down the proud and raises up the humble; and so, giving battle, he defeated them and celebrated victory, giving thanks to God for handing him the strong who trusted in their power and boasted of the vastness of their riches. After that, he went to Xoadâ, where his mother was, and she received him with great joy and contentment and held great celebrations for him, because she had already counted him among the dead.
