 CHAPTER XVIII. A life of prayer and contemplation had not chilled the martial activity of Ali, but in a mature age, after a long experience of mankind, he still betrayed in his conduct the rashness and indiscretion of youth. In the first days of his reign he neglected to secure, either by gifts or fetters, the doubtful allegiance of Talha and Zobir, two of the most powerful of the Arabian chiefs. They escaped from Medina to Mecca and thence to Basra, erected the standard of revolt and usurped the government of Iraq or Assyria, which they had vainly solicited as the reward of their services. The mask of patriotism is allowed to cover the most glaring inconsistencies, and the enemies, perhaps the assassins of Othman, now demanded the vengeance for his blood. They were accompanied in their flight by Aisha, the widow of the prophet, who cherished, to the last hour of her life, an implacable hatred against the husband and posterity of Fatima. The most reasonable Muslims were scandalized that the mother of the faithful should expose in a camp her person and character, but the superstitious crowd was confident that her presence would sanctify the justice and assure the success of their cause. At the head of 20,000 Visloyal Arabs and 9,000 Valiant Auxiliaries of Kufa, the Caliph encountered and defeated the superior numbers of the rebels under the walls of Basra. Their leaders, Talha and Zobir, were slain in the first battle that stained with civil blood the arms of the Muslims. After passing through the ranks to animate the troops, Aisha had chosen her post to miss the dangers of the field. In the heat of the action, seventy men who held the bridle of her camel were successively killed or wounded, and the cage or litter in which she sat was stuck with javelins and darts like the quills of a porcupine. The venerable captives sustained with firmness the reproaches of the conqueror, and speedily dismissed to her proper station at the tomb of Muhammad with the respect and tenderness that was still due to the widow of the apostle. After this victory which was styled the day of the camel, Ali marched against a more formidable adversary, against Mohawiyah, the son of Abu Sofyan who had assumed the title of Caliph and whose claim was supported by the forces of Syria and the interests of the House of Omia. From the passage of Thapsikus, the plain of Sofyan extends along the western bank of the Euphrates. On this spacious and level theater the two competitors waged a desertiary war of one hundred and ten days. In the course of ninety actions or skirmishes, the loss of Ali was estimated at twenty-five, that of Mohawiyah at forty-five thousand soldiers, and the list of the slain was dignified with the names of five and twenty veterans who had fought it better under the standard of Muhammad. In this singuinary contest, the laufal Caliph displayed a superior character of valor and humanity. His troops were strictly enjoined to await the first onset of the enemy, to spare their flying brethren, and to respect the bodies of the dead, and the chastity of the female captives. He generously proposed to save the blood of the Muslims by a single combat, but his trembling rival declined the challenge as a sentence of inevitable death. The ranks of the Syrians were broken by a charge of a hero who was mounted on a piebald horse, and wielded with irresistible force his ponderous and two-edged sword. As often as he smote a rebel, he shouted the Allah Akbar, God is victorious, and in the tumult of an external battle he was heard to repeat four hundred times that tremendous exclamation. The Prince of Damascus already meditated his flight, but the certain victory was snatched from the grasp of Ali by the disobedience and enthusiasm of his troops. Their conscience was awed by the solemn appeal to the books of the Quran, which Mahawiya exposed on the foremost lances, and Ali was compelled to yield to a disgraceful truce and an insidious compromise. He retreated with sorrow and indignation to Kufa. His party was discouraged. The distant provinces of Persia, of Yemen, and of Egypt were subdued or seduced by his crafty rival, and the stroke of fanaticism, which was aimed against the three chiefs of the nation, was fatal only to the cousin of Muhammad. In the temple of Mecca, three cherogeits or enthusiasts discoursed on the disorders of the church and state, and they soon agreed that the deaths of Ali, of Mohawiya, and of his friend Amru, the vice-region of Egypt, would restore the peace and unity of religion. Each of the assassins chose his victim, poisoned his dagger, devoted his life, and secretly repaired to the scene of action. The resolution was equally desperate, but the first mistook the person of Amru and stabbed the deputy who occupied his seat. The Prince of Damascus was dangerously hurt by the second. The lawful Khalif in the mosque of Kufa received a mortal wound from the hand of the third. He expired in the sixty-third year of his age, and mercifully recommended to his children that they would dispatch the murderer by a single stroke. The sepulchre of Ali was concealed from the tyrants of the house of Omia, but in the fourth age of the Hageera, a tomb, a temple, a city arose near the ruins of Kufa. Many thousands of the Shiites repose and holy ground at the feet of the vicar of God, and the desert is vivified by the numerous and annual visits of the Persians who esteem their devotion not less meritorious than the pilgrimage of Mecca. The persecutors of Muhammad usurped the inheritance of his children, and the champions of idolatry became the supreme heads of his religion and empire. The opposition of Abu Sofyan had been fierce and obstinate. His conversion was tardy and reluctant. His new faith was fortified by necessity and interest. He served, he fought, perhaps he believed, and the sins of the time of ignorance were expiated by the recent merits of the family of Omia. Bohuea, the son of Abu Sofyan, and of the cruel Hinda, was dignified in his early youth with the office or title of secretary of the prophet. The judgment of Omar entrusted him with the government of Syria. He administered that important province above 40 years, either in a subordinate or a supreme rank. Without renouncing the fame of valor and liberality, he affected the reputation of humanity and moderation. A grateful people was attached to their benefactor, and the victorious Muslims were enriched with the spoils of Cyprus and Rhodes. The sacred duty of pursuing the assassins of Othman was the engine and pretense of his ambition. The bloody shirt of the martyr was exposed in the mosque of Damascus. The Amir deplored the fate of his injured kinsmen, and 60,000 Syrians were engaged in his service by an oath of fidelity and revenge. Amru, the conqueror of Egypt, himself an army, was the first to salute the new monarch and divulge the dangerous secret that the Arabian caliphs might be created elsewhere than in the city of the prophet. The policy of Mohuea eluded the valor of his rival, and after the death of Ali he negotiated the abdication of his son Hassan, whose mind was either above or below the government of the world, and who retired without a sigh from the palace of Kufa to a humble cell near the tomb of his grandfather. The aspiring wishes of the caliph were finally crowned by the important change of an elective to an hereditary kingdom. Some murmurs of freedom or fanaticism attested the reluctance of the Arabs, and four citizens of Medina refused their oath of fidelity. But the designs of Mohuea were conducted with vigor and address, and his son Yezid, a feeble and disillute youth, was proclaimed as the commander of the faithful and the successor of the apostle of God. A familiar story is related of the benevolence of one of the sons of Ali. In serving at table a slave had inadvertently dropped a dish of scalding broth on his master. The heedless wretch fell prostrate to deprecate his punishment, and repeated a verse of the Qur'an. Paradise is for those who command their anger. I am not angry. And for those who pardon offenses, I pardon your offense. And for those who return good for evil, I give you your liberty and 400 pieces of silver. With the equal measure of piety, Hossain, the younger brother of Hassan, inherited the remnant of his father's spirit, and served with honor against the Christians in the siege of Constantinople. The pre-mogenitor of the line of Hashim, and the holy character of the grandson of the apostle, had centered in his person. And he was at liberty to prosecute his claim against Yazid, the tyrant of Damascus, whose vices he despised, and whose title he had never deigned to acknowledge. A list was secretly transmitted from Kufa to Medina, of 140,000 Muslims who professed their attachment to his cause, and who were eager to draw their swords as soon as he should appear on the banks of the Euphrates. Against the advice of his wisest friends, he resolved to trust his person and family in the hands of a perfidious people. He traversed the desert of Arabia, with a timorous retinue of women and children. But as he approached the confines of Iraq, he was alarmed by the solitary or hostile face of the country, and suspected either the defection or ruin of his party. His fears were just. Obey Adala, the governor of Qafu, had extinguished the first sparks of an insurrection, and Hossain, on the plain of Kerbala, was encompassed by a body of 5,000 horse who intercepted his communication with the city and the river. He might still have escaped to a fortress in the desert that had defied the power of Caesar and Cosseris, and confided in the fatality of the tribe of Ty, who would have armed 10,000 warriors in his defense. In a conference with the chief of the enemy he proposed the option, of three honorable conditions, that he should be allowed to return to Medina or be stationed in a frontier garrison against the Turks, or safely conducted to the presence of Yazid. But the commands of the caliph or his lieutenant were stern and absolute, and Hossain was informed that he must either submit as a captive and criminal to the commander of the faithful, or expect the consequences of his rebellion. Do you think, replied he, to terrify me with death? And during the short respite of a night he prepared with calm and solemn resignation to encounter his fate. He checked the lamentations of his sister Fatima, who deplored the impending ruin of his house. Our trust, said Hossain, is in God alone. All things, both in heaven and earth, must perish and return to their creator. My brother, my father, my mother were better than me, and every muslim has an example in the prophet. He pressed his friends to consult their safety by a timely flight. They unanimously refused to desert or survive their beloved master, and their courage was fortified by a fervent prayer in the assurance of paradise. On the morning of the fatal day he mounted on horseback with his sword in one hand and the Quran in the other. His generous band of martyrs consisted only of thirty-two horse and forty foot, but their flanks and rear were secured by the tent ropes and by deep trench, which they had filled with lighted faggots according to the practice of the Arabs. The enemy advanced with reluctance, and one of their chiefs deserted with thirty followers to claim the partnership of inevitable death. In every close onset or single combat, the despair of the Fatimites was invincible, but the surrounding multitudes galled them from a distance with a cloud of arrows, and the horses and men were successively slain. A truce was allowed on both sides for the hour of prayer, and the battle at length expired by the death of the last of the companions of Hossain. Alone, weary and wounded, he seated himself at the door of his tent. As he tasted a drop of water he was pierced in the mouth with a dart, and his son and nephew, two beautiful youths, were killed in his arms. He lifted his hands to heaven, they were full of blood, and he uttered a funeral prayer for the living and the dead. In a transport of despair his sister issued from the tent, and abjured the general of the Kufians, that he would not suffer Hossain to be murdered before his eyes. A tear trickled down his venerable beard, and the boldest of his soldiers fell back on every side as the dying hero threw himself among them. The remorseless Shamer, a name detested by the faithful, reproached their cowardice, and the grandson of Mohammed was slain with three and thirty strokes of lances and swords. After they had trampled on his body, they carried his head to the castle of Kufa, and the inhuman Obi-Adola struck him on the mouth with a cane. Alas! exclaimed an aged Muslim, on those lips I have seen the lips of the apostle of God. In a distant age and climate the tragic scene of the death of Hossain will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader. On the annual festival of his martyrdom, in the devout pilgrimage to a sepulchre, his Persian vocaries abandoned their souls to the religious frenzy of sorrow and indignation. When the sisters and children of Ali were brought in chains to the throne of Damascus, the Caliph was advised to extirpate the enmity of a popular and hostile race, whom he had injured beyond the hope of reconciliation. But Yazid preferred the consuls of mercy, and the mourning family was honorably dismissed to mingle their tears with their kindred at Medina. The glory of martyrdom superseded the right of primogenitor, and the twelve imans, or pontiffs, of the Persian creed are Ali, Hassan, Hossain, and the lineal descendants of Hossain to the ninth generation. Without arms, or treasures, or subjects, they successively enjoyed the veneration of the people, and provoked the jealousy of the reigning Caliphs. Their tombs, Emeka, or Medina, on the banks of the Euphrates, or in the province of Kosoran, are still visited by the devotion of their sect. Their names are often the pretence of sedition in civil war. But these royal saints despise the pomp of the world, submitted to the will of God and the injustice of man, and devoted their innocent lives to the study and the practice of religion. The twelfth and last of the imans, conspicuous by the title of Madahi, or Guide, surpassed the solitude and safety of his predecessors. He concealed himself in a cave near Baghdad, the time and place of his death are uncertain. And his votaries pretend that he still lives, and will appear before the Day of Judgment to overthrow the dynasty of Dajjal, or the Antichrist. In the lapse of two or three centuries, the posterity of Abbas, the uncle of Muhammad, had multiplied to the number of 33,000. The race of Ali might be equally prolific. The meanest individual was above the first and greatest of princes, and the most eminent were supposed to excel the perfection of angels. But their adverse fortune, in the wide extent of the Muslim empire, allowed an ample scope for every bold and artful imposter who claimed affinity with the holy seed. The scepter of the Amohades, in Spain and Africa, of the Fatimates in Egypt and Syria, of the Sultans of Yemen, and the Sophists of Persia, had been consecrated by this vague and ambiguous title. Under their reigns, it might be dangerous to dispute the legitimacy of their birth, and one of the Fatimate caliphs silenced an indiscreet question by drawing his scimitar. This, said Moes, is my pedigree, and these, casting a handful of gold to his soldiers, and these are my kynrit and my children. In the various conditions of princes, or doctors, or nobles, or merchants, or beggars, a swarm of the genuine or fictitious descendants of Muhammad and Ali is honored with the appellation of sheikhs, or sherifs, or amirs. In the Ottoman Empire, they are distinguished by a green turban, receive a stipend from the treasury, are judged only by their chief, and, however debased by fortune or character, still assert the proud preeminence of their birth. A family of three hundred persons, the pure and orthodox branch of the caliph Hassan, is preserved without taint or suspicion in the holy cities of Medina and Mecca, and still retains, after the revolutions of twelve centuries, the custody of the temple, and the sovereignty of their native land, the fame and merit of Muhammad would ennoble a oblivion race, and the ancient blood of the Khoriesh transcends the recent majesty of the kings of the earth. The talents of Muhammad are entitled to our applause, but his success has, perhaps, to a strongly, are we surprised that a multitude of proselytites should embrace the doctrine and the passions of an eloquent fanatic? In the heresies of the church, the same seduction has been tried and repeated from the time of the apostles to that of the reformers. Does it seem incredible that a private citizen should grasp the sword in the scepter, subdue his native country, and erect a monarchy by his victorious arms? In the moving picture of the dynasties of the east, a hundred fortunate usurpers have arisen from a baser origin, surmounted more formidable obstacles, and filled a larger scope of empire and conquest. Muhammad was alike instructed to preach and to fight, and the union of those opposite qualities, while it enhanced his merit, contributed to his success. The operation of force and persuasion, of enthusiasm and fear, continually acted on each other, till every barrier yielded to the irresistible power. His voice invited the Arabs to freedom and victory, to arms and rapane, to the indulgence of their darling passions in this world and the other, and the restraints which he imposed were requisite to establish the credit of the Prophet, and to exercise the obedience of the people. And the only objection to his success was his rational creed of the unity and perfections of God. It is not the propagation, but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder. The same pure and perfect impression which he engraved at Mecca and Medina is still preserved after the revolution of 12 centuries by the Indian, the African, and the Turkish proselytites of the Quran. If the Christian apostles, Saint Peter or Saint Paul, could return to the Vatican, they might possibly inquire the name of the deity who was worshipped with such mysterious rites in that magnificent temple. At Oxford or Geneva, they would experience less surprise, but it would still be incumbent on them to peruse the catechism of the church, and to study the orthodox commentators on their own writings and the words of their master. But the Turkish dome of Saint Sophia, with an increase of splendor and size, represents the humble tabernacle erected at Medina by the hands of Muhammad. The Muhammadans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man. I believe in one God, and Muhammad is the apostle of God, is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the deity has never been degraded by any visible idol. The honors of the Prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue, and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion. The votaries of Ali have indeed consecrated the memory of their hero, his wife and his children, and some of the Persian doctors, pretend that the divine essence was incarnate in the person of the Amman's. But their superstition is universally condemned by the Sonites, and their impiety has afforded a seasonable warning against the worship of saints and martyrs. The metaphysical questions on the attributes of God and the liberty of man have been agitated in the schools of the Muhammadans as well as those of the Christians. But among the former they have never engaged the passions of the people or disturbed the tranquility of the state. The cause of this important difference may be found in the separation or union of the regal and sacramental characters. It was the interest of the caliphs, the successors of the Prophet and the commanders of the faithful, to repress and discourage all religious innovations. The order, the discipline, the temporal and spiritual ambition of the clergy are unknown to the Muslims, and the sages of the law are the guides of their conscious and the oracles of their faith. From the Atlantic to the Ganges, the Quran is acknowledged as the fundamental code not only of theology, but of civil and criminal jurisprudence, and the laws which regulate the actions and the property of mankind are guarded by the infallible and immutable sanction of the will of God. This religious servitude is attended with some practical disadvantage. The illiterate legislator has been often misled by his own prejudices and those of his country, and the institutions of the Arabian desert may be ill-adapted to the wealth and numbers of Isfahan and Constantinople. On these occasions, the Qadi respectfully places on his head the holy volume and substitutes a dexterous interpretation more opposite to the principles of equity in the manners and policy of the times. His beneficial or pernicious influence on the public happiness is the last consideration in the character of Muhammad. The most bitter and most bigoted of his Christian or Jewish foes will surely allow that he assumed a false commission to inculcate a salutary doctrine, less perfect only than their own. He piously supposed as the basis of his religion the truth and sanctity of their prior revelations, the virtues and miracles of their founders. The idols of Arabia were broken before the throne of God, and the blood of human victims was expiated by prayer and fasting and alms, the laudable or innocent arts of devotion, and his rewards and punishments of a future life were painted by the images most congenial to an ignorant and carnal generation. Muhammad was, perhaps, incapable of dictating a moral and political system for the use of his countrymen, but he breathed among the faithful a spirit of charity and friendship, recommended the practice of social virtues, and checked by his laws and precepts, the thirst of revenge, and the oppression of widows and orphans. The hostile tribes were united in faith and obedience, and the valour which had been idly spent in domestic quarrels was vigorously directed against a foreign enemy. Had the impulse been less powerful, Arabia, free at home and formidable abroad, might have flourished under a secession of her native monarchs. Her sovereignty was lost by the extent and rapidity of conquest. The colonies of the nation were scattered over the east and west, and their blood was mingled with the blood of their converts and captives. After the reign of three caliphs, the throne was transported from Medina to the valley of Damascus, and the banks of the Tigris, and the holy cities were violated by impious war. Arabia was ruled by the rod of a subject, perhaps of a stranger, and the Bedouins of the desert, awakening from their dream of dominion, resumed their old and solitary independence. Chapter 51 Part 1 of the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Volume 5 Chapter 51 Conquests by the Arabs Part 1 The revolution of Arabia had not changed the character of the Arabs. The death of Muhammad was the signal of independence, and the hasty structure of his power and religion tottered to its foundations. A small and faithful band of his primitive disciples had listened to his eloquence and shared his distress, had fled with the apostle from the persecution of Mecca, or had received the fugitive in the walls of Medina. The increasing myriads who acknowledged Muhammad as their king and prophet had been compelled by his arms, or allured by his prosperity. The polytheists were confounded by the simple idea of a solitary and invisible god. The pride of the Christians and Jews disdained the yoke of a mortal and contemporary legislator. The habits of faith and obedience were not sufficiently confirmed, and many of the new converts regretted the venerable antiquity of the law of Moses, or the rites and mysteries of the Catholic Church, or the idols, the sacrifices, the joyous festivals of their pagan ancestors. The jarring interests and hereditary feuds of the Arabian tribes had not yet coalesced in a system of union and subordination, and the barbarians were impatient of the mildest and most salutary laws that curbed their passions or violated their customs. They submitted with reluctance to the religious precepts of the Quran, the abstinence from wine, the fast of the Ramadan, and the daily repetition of five prayers, and the alms and tithes which were collected for the treasury of Medina could be distinguished only by a name from the payment of a perpetual and anonymous tribute. The example of Muhammad had excited a spirit of fanaticism or imposture, and several of his rivals presumed to imitate the conduct and to defy the authority of the living prophet. At the head of the fugitives and auxiliaries, the first caliph was reduced to the cities of Mecca, Medina, and Taif, and perhaps the Koreanish would have restored the idols of the Qaba if their levity had not been checked by a seasonable reproof. Ye men of Mecca will ye be the last to embrace and the first to abandon the religion of Islam. After exhorting the Muslims to confide in the aid of God and His Apostle, Abu Bakr resolved, by a vigorous attack, to prevent the junction of the rebels. The women and children were safely lodged in the carities of the mountains, the warriors, marching under eleven banners, diffused the terror of their arms, and the appearance of a military force revived and confirmed the loyalty of the faithful. The inconstant tribes accepted with humble repentance the duties of prayer and fasting and arms. And after some examples of success and severity, the most daring apostates fell prostrate before the sword of the Lord and of Calid. In the fertile province of Yemenar, between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Persia, in a city not inferior to Medina itself, a powerful chief, his name was Muselama, had assumed the character of a prophet, and the tribe of Hanifa listened to his voice. A female prophetess was attracted by his reputation. The decencies of words and actions were spurned by these favourites of heaven, and they employed several days in mystic and amorous converse. An obscure sentence of his Quran or book is yet extant, and in the pride of his mission Muselama come descended to offer a partition of the earth. The proposal was answered by Muhammad with contempt, but the rapid progress of the impostor awakened the fears of his successor. Forty thousand Muslims were assembled under the standard of Calid, and the existence of their faith was resigned to the event of a decisive battle. In the first action they were repulsed by the loss of twelve hundred men, but the skill and perseverance of their general prevailed. Their defeat was avenged by the slaughter of ten thousand infidels, and Muselama himself was pierced by an Ethiopian slave, with the same javelin which had mortally wounded the uncle of Muhammad. The various rebels of Arabia, without chief or a cause, were speedily suppressed by the power and discipline of the rising monarchy, and the whole nation again professed and more steadfastly held the religion of the Quran. The ambition of the Caliphs provided an immediate exercise for the restless spirit of the Saracens. The valour was united in the prosecution of a holy war, and their enthusiasm was equally confirmed by opposition and victory. From the rapid conquests of the Saracens a presumption will naturally arise that the Caliphs commanded in person the armies of the faithful, and sought the crown of martyrdom in the foremost ranks of the battle. The courage of Abba Beka, Ammar and Othman had indeed been tried in the persecution and wars of the Prophet, and the personal assurance of paradise must have taught them to despise the pleasures and dangers of the present world. But they ascended the throne in a venerable or mature age, and esteemed the domestic cares of religion and justice, the most important duties of a sovereign. Except the presence of Omar at the Siege of Jerusalem, their longest expeditions were the frequent pilgrimage from Medina to Mecca, and they calmly received the tidings of victory as they prayed or preached before the sepulchre of the Prophet. The austere and frugal measure of their lives was the effect of virtue or habit, and the pride of their simplicity insulted the vain magnificence of the kings of the earth. When Abba Beka assumed the office of Caliph, he enjoined his daughter Aisha to take a strict account of his private patrimony, that it might be evident whether he were enriched or impoverished by the service of the state. He thought himself entitled to a stipend of three pieces of gold, with the sufficient maintenance of a single camel and a black slave. But on the Friday of each week he distributed the residue of his own and the public money, first to the most worthy, and then to the most indigent of the Muslims. The remains of his wealth, a coarse garment and five pieces of gold, were delivered to his successor who lamented with a modest sigh his own inability to equal such an admirable model. Yet the abstinence and humility of Omar were not inferior to the virtues of Abba Beka. His food consisted of barley bread or dates, his drink was water. He preached in a gown that was torn or tattered in twelve places, and the Persian satrap, who paid his homage to the conqueror, found him asleep among the beggars on the steps of the Mosque of Medina. Economy is the source of liberality, and the increase of the revenue enabled Omar to establish a just and perpetual reward for the past and present services of the faithful. Careless of his own emoliment, he assigned to Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet, the first and most ample allowance of twenty-five thousand drams or pieces of silver. Five thousand were allotted to each of the aged warriors, the relics of the field of Bader, and the last and meanest of the companions of Muhammad was distinguished by the annual reward of three thousand pieces. One thousand was the stipend of the veterans who had fought in the first battles against the Greeks and Persians, and the degreasing pay, as low as fifty pieces of silver, was adapted to the respective merit and seniority of the soldiers of Omar. Under his reign, and that of his predecessor, the conquerors of the East were the trusty servants of God and the people. The mass of the public treasure was consecrated to the expenses of peace and war. A prudent mixture of justice and bounty maintained the discipline of the Saracens, and they united, by a rare felicity, the dispatch and execution of despotism with the equal and frugal maxims of a Republican government. The heroic courage of Ali, the consummate prudence of Moawea, excited the emulation of their subjects, and the talents which had been exercised in the School of Civil Discord, were more usefully applied to propagate the faith and dominion of the Prophet. In the sloth and vanity of the Palace of Damascus, the succeeding princes of the House of Amir were alike destitute of the qualifications of statesmen and of saints. Yet the spoils of unknown nations were continually laid at the foot of their throne, and the uniform ascent of the Arabian greatness must be ascribed to the spirit of the nation, rather than the abilities of their chiefs. A large deduction must be allowed for the weakness of their enemies. The birth of Muhammad was fortunately placed in the most degenerate and disorderly period of the Persians, the Romans, and the barbarians of Europe. The empires of Trajan, or even of Constantine or Charlemagne, would have repelled the assault of the naked Saracens, and the torrent of fanaticism might have been obscurely lost in the sands of Arabia. In the victorious days of the Roman Republic it had been the aim of the Senate to confine their councils and legions to a single war, and completely to suppress a first enemy before they provoked the hostilities of a second. These timid maxims of policy were disdained by the magnanimity or enthusiasm of the Arabian Caliphs. With the same vigor and success they invaded the successors of Augustus, and those of Arta Xerxes, and the rival monarchies of the same instant became the prey of an enemy whom they had been so long accustomed to despise. In the ten years of the administration of Omar, the Saracens reduced to his obedience thirty-six thousand cities or castles, destroyed four thousand churches or temples of the unbelievers, and edified fourteen hundred mosques for the exercise of the religion of Muhammad. One hundred years after his flight from Mecca, the arms and the reign of his successors extended from India to the Atlantic Ocean over the various and distant provinces, which may be comprised under the names of one Persia, two Syria, three Egypt, four Africa, and five Spain. Under this general division I shall proceed to unfold these memorable transactions, dispatching with brevity the remote and less interesting conquests of the East, and reserving a fuller narrative for those domestic countries which had been included within the pale of the Roman Empire. Yet I must excuse my own defects by a just complaint of the blindness and insufficiency of my guides. The Greeks, so loquacious in controversy, have not been anxious to celebrate the triumphs of their enemies. After a century of ignorance, the first annals of the Muslims were collected in a great measure from the voice of tradition. Among the numerous productions of Arabic and Persian literature, our interpreters have selected the imperfect sketches of a more recent age. The art and genius of history have ever been unknown to the Asiatics. They are ignorant of the laws of criticism, and our monkish chronicle of the same period may be compared to their most popular works, which are never vivified by the spirit of philosophy and freedom. The Oriental Library of a Frenchman would instruct the most learned Mufti of the East, and perhaps the Arabs might not find in a single historian so clear and comprehensive a narrative of their own exploits, as that which will be deduced in the ensuing sheets. In the first year of the First Caliph, his lieutenant Khalid, the sword of God and the scourge of the infidels, advanced to the banks of the Euphrates, and reduced the cities of Anbar and Hira. Westward of the ruins of Babylon, a tribe of sedentary Arabs had fixed themselves on the verge of the desert, and Hira was the seat of a race of kings who had embraced the Christian religion, and reigned above six hundred years under the shadow of the throne of Persia. The last of the Mundars was defeated and slain by Khalid. His son was sent a captive to Medina. His nobles bowed before the successor of the Prophet. The people were tempted by the example and success of their countrymen, and the Caliph accepted as the first fruits of foreign conquest, an annual tribute of seventy thousand pieces of gold. The conquerors, and even their historians, were astonished by the dawn of their future greatness. In the same year, says El-Masin, Khalid fought many signal battles. An immense multitude of the infidels was slaughtered, and spoils infinite and innumerable were acquired by the victorious Muslims. But the invincible Khalid was soon transferred to the Syrian War. The invasion of the Persian frontier was conducted by less active or less prudent commanders. The Saracens were repulsed with loss in the passage of the Euphrates, and, though they chastised the insolent pursuit of the Magians, their remaining forces still hovered in the desert of Babylon. The indignation and fears of the Persians suspended for a moment their intestine divisions. By the unanimous sentence of the priests and nobles, their queen Azima was deposed, the sixth of the transient usurpers, who had arisen and vanished in three or four years since the death of Chosrose, and the retreat of Heraclius. Hatiyara was placed on the head of Yezdegard, the grandson of Chosrose, and the same era which coincides with an astronomical period, has recorded the fall of the Sasanian dynasty and the religion of Zoroasta. The youth and an experience of the prince, he was only fifteen years of age, declined a perilous encounter. The royal standard was delivered into the hands of his general Rustam, and a remnant of thirty thousand of regular troops was swelled in truth, or in opinion, to one hundred and twenty thousand subjects or allies of the great king. The Muslims, whose numbers were reinforced from twelve to thirty thousand, had pitched their camp in the plains of Cadizia, and their line, although it consisted of fewer men, could produce more soldiers than the unwieldy host of the infidels. I shall here observe what I must often repeat, that the charge of the Arabs was not, like that of the Greeks and Romans, the effort of a firm and compact infantry. Their military force was chiefly formative cavalry and archers, and the engagement, which was often interrupted and often renewed by single combats and flying skirmishes, might be protracted without any decisive event to the continuance of several days. The periods of the Battle of Cadizia were distinguished by their peculiar appellations. The first, from the well-timed appearance of six thousand of the Syrian brethren, was denominated the day of Saka. The day of concussion might express the disorder of one, or perhaps of both, of the contending armies. The third, a nocturnal tumult, received the whimsical name of the Night of Barking, from the discordant clamours which were compared to the inarticulate sounds of the fiercest animals. The morning of the succeeding day determined the fate of Persia, and a seasonable whirlwind drove a cloud of dust against the faces of the unbelievers. The clanger of arms was re-echoed to the tent of Rustam, who, far unlike the ancient hero of his name, was gently reclining in a cool and tranquil shade amidst the baggage of his camp, and the train of mules that were laden with gold and silver. On the sound of danger he started from his couch, but his flight was overtaken by a valiant Arab, who caught him by the foot, struck off his head, hoisted it on a lance, and instantly returning to the field of battle carried slaughter and dismay among the thickest ranks of the Persians. The Saracens confess a loss of seven thousand five hundred men, and the battle of Cadizia is justly described by the epithets of obstinate and atrocious. The standard of the monarchy was overthrown and captured in the field, a leaven apron of a blacksmith, who in ancient times had arisen the deliverer of Persia, but this badge of heroic poverty was disguised and almost concealed by a profusion of precious gems. After this victory the wealthy province of Iraq, or Assyria, submitted to the Caliph, and his conquests were firmly established by the speedy foundation of Bessora, a place which ever commands the trade and navigation of the Persians. As the distance of four score miles from the gulf, the Euphrates and Tigris unite in a broad and direct current, which is aptly styled the river of the Arabs. In the midway, between the junction and the mouth of these famous streams, the new settlement was planted on the western bank. The first colony was composed of eight hundred Muslims, but the influence of the situation soon reared a flourishing and populous capital. The air, although excessively hot, is pure and healthy. The meadows are filled with palm trees and cattle, and one of the adjacent valleys has been celebrated among the four paradises or gardens of Asia. Under the first Caliphs, the jurisdiction of this Arabian colony extended over the southern provinces of Persia. The city has been sanctified by the tombs of the companions and martyrs, and the wrestles of Europe still frequent the port of Bessora as a convenient station and passage of the Indian trade. End of chapter 51 part 1. Chapter 51 part 2 of the history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, volume 5. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Dick Durett. Chapter 51. Conquests by the Arabs. Part 2. After the defeat of Khadesia, a country intersected by rivers and canals might have opposed an insuperable barrier to the victorious cavalry and the walls of Tessipon or Maiden which had resisted the battering rams of the Romans would not have yielded to the darts of the Saracens. But the flying Persians were overcome by the belief that the last day of their religion and empire was at hand. The strongest posts were abandoned by treachery or cowardice and the king with a part of his family and treasures escaped to a whole one at the foot of the median hills. In the third month after the battle, Said the Lieutenant of Omar passed the Tigris without opposition. The capital was taken by assault and the disorderly resistance of the people gave a keener edge to the sabers of the Muslims who shouted with religious transport, this is the White Palace of Korsos. This is the promise of the apostle of God. The naked robbers of the desert were suddenly enriched beyond the measure of their hope or knowledge. Each chamber revealed a new treasure secreted without or ostentatiously displayed the gold and silver, the various wardrobes and precious furniture. Surpassed, says Abu Feta, the estimate of fancy or numbers and another historian defines the untold and almost infinite mass by the fabulous computation of three thousands of thousands of thousands of pieces of gold. Some new though courier's facts represent the contrast of riches and ignorance. From the remote islands of the Indian Ocean, a large provision of camphor had been imported, which is employed with a mixture of wax to illuminate the palaces of the east. Stranges to the name and properties of that odiferous gum, the Saracens, mistaking it for salt, mingled the camphor in their bread and were astonished at the bitterness of the taste. One of the apartments of the palace was decorated with a carpet of silk, 60 cubits in length, and as many in breadth. A paradise or garden was depicted on the ground. The flowers, fruits and shrubs were imitated by the figures of the gold embroidery and the colors of the precious stones and the ample square was encircled by a variegated and verdant border. The Arabian general persuaded his soldiers to relinquish their claim in the reasonable hope that the eyes of the caliph would be delighted with the splendid workmanship of nature and industry. Regardless of the merit of art and the pomp of royalty, the rigid Omar divided the prize among his brethren of Medina. The picture was destroyed, but such was the intrinsic value of the materials that the share of valley alone was sold for 20,000 drams. A mule that carried away the tiara and curis, the belt and the bracelets of Kostros was overtaken by the pursuers. The gorgeous trophy was presented to the commander of the faithful and the gravest of the companions condescended to smile when they beheld the white beard, the hairy arms and uncool figure of the veteran who was invested with the spoils of the great king. The sack of Tessiphon was followed by its desertion and gradual decay. The Saracens disliked the air and situation of the palace and Omar was advised by his general to remove the seat of government to the western side of the Euphrates. In every age, the foundation and ruin of the Assyrian cities has been easy and rapid. The country is destitute of stone and timber and the most solid structures are composed of bricks baked in the sun and joined by a cement of the native bitumen. The name of Kufa describes a habitation of reeds and earth, but the importance of the new capital was supported by the numbers wealth and spirit of a colony of veterans and their licentious was indulged by the wisest Caliphs who were apprehensive of provoking the revolt of a hundred thousand swords. Ye men of Kufa said Ali who solicited their aid you have been always conspicuous by your valour. You conquered the Persian king and scattered his forces till you had taken possession of his inheritance. This mighty conquest was achieved by the battles of Jalula and Nihavend. After the loss of the former, Yazdegerd fled with Hulwan and concealed his shame and despair in the mountains of Farsistan from whence Cyrus had descended with his equal and valiant companions. The courage of the nation survived that of the monarch. Among the hills to the south of Ekbatana or Hamadan, 150,000 Persians made a third and final stand for their religion and country and the decisive battle of Nihavend was styled by the Arabs the victory of victories. If it be true that the flying general of the Persians was stopped and overtaken in a crowd of mules and camels laden with honey the incident however slight and singular will denote the luxurious impediments of an oriental army. The geography of Persia is darkly delineated by the Greeks and latins but the most illustrious of her cities appear to be more ancient than the invasion of the Arabs. By the reduction of Hamadan and Isfahan of Qaswin, Taurus, and Reyi they gradually approached the shores of the Caspian Sea and the orators of Mecca might applaud the success and spirit of the faithful who had already lost sight of the northern bear and had almost transcended the bounds of the habitable world. Again turning towards the west and the Roman Empire they repassed the Tigris over the bridge of Mosul and in the captive provinces of Armenia and Mesopotamia embraced their victorious brethren of the Syrian army. From the palace of Medan their eastern progress was not less rapid or extensive they advanced along the Tigris and the Gulf penetrated through the passes of the mountains into the valley of Estashar or Percipolis and profaned the last sanctuary of the Magian Empire. The grandson of Kostros was nearly surprised among the falling columns and mutilated figures a sad emblem of the past and present future of Persia. He fled with accelerated haste over the desert of Kermin, implored the aid of the warlike suggestions and sought and humble refuge on the verge of the Turkish and Chinese power. But a victorious army is insensible of fatigue the Arabs divided their forces in the pursuit of a timorous enemy and a caliph Othman promised the government of Corazon to the first general who should enter that large and populous country the kingdom of the ancient Bactrians the condition was accepted the prize was deserved the standard of Muhammad was planted on the walls of Herat, Miru and Balch and the successful leader neither halted nor reposed till his foaming cavalry had tasted the waters of the Oksus. In the public anarchy the independent governors of the cities and castles obtained their separate capitulations the terms were granted or imposed by the esteem the prudence or the compassion of the victors and a simple profession of faith established the distinction between a brother and a slave. After a noble defense Hamozan the prince or citrap of Awaz and Suza was compelled to surrender his person and estate to the discretion of the caliph and their interview exhibits a portrait of the Arabian manners. In the presence and by the command of Omar the gay barbarian was the spoiled of his sunken robes embroidered with gold and of his tiara bedecked with rubies and emeralds are you now sensible said the conqueror to his native captive are you now sensible of the judgment of God and of the different rewards of infidelity and obedience alas replied Hamozan I feel them too deeply in the days of our common ignorance we fought with the weapons of the flesh and my nation was superior God was then neuter since he has espoused your quarrel you have subverted our kingdom and religion oppressed by this painful dialogue the Persian complained of intolerable thirst but discovered some apprehension lest he should be killed whilst he was drinking a cup of water be of good courage said the caliph your life is saved till you have drunk this water the crafty citrap accepted the assurance and instantly dashed the vase against the ground Omar would have avenged the deceit but his companions represented the sanctity of an oath and the speedy conversion of Hamozan entitled him not only to a free pardon but even to a stipend of two thousand pieces of gold the administration of Persia was regulated by an actual survey of the people the cattle and the fruits of the earth and this moment which attests the vigilance of the caliphs might have instructed the philosophers of every age the flight of Yazdegerd had carried him beyond the oxus and as far as the Jazakites two rivers of ancient and modern renown which descend from the mountains of india towards the caspian sea he was hospitably entertained by Tarkhan prince of Fargana a fertile province on the Zartis the king of Samarkand with the Turkish tribes of Sogdiana and Scythia were moved by the lamentations and promises of the fallen monarch and he solicited by a suppliant embassy the more solid and powerful friendship of the emperor of china the virtuous tidesong the first of the dynasty of the Tang may be justly compared with the antonynes of Rome his people enjoyed the blessings of prosperity and peace and his dominion was acknowledged by 44 hordes of the barbarians of Tartary his last garrisons of kaskar and kotan maintained a frequent intercourse with their neighbors of the jazatis and oxus a recent colony of persians had introduced into china the astronomy of the meji and tidesong might be alarmed by the rapid progress and dangerous vicinity of the Arabs the influence and perhaps the supplies of china revived the hopes of Yazdegard and the zeal of the worshipers of fire and he returned with an army of Turks to conquer the inheritance of his fathers the fortunate muslims without unsheathing their swords were the spectators of his ruin and death the grandson of Kosros was betrayed by his servant insulted by the seditious inhabitants of mirroo and oppressed defeated and pursued by his barbarian allies he reached the banks of a river and offered his rings and bracelets for an instant passage in a miller's boat ignorant or insensible of royal distress the rustic replied that four drams of silver were the daily profit of his mill and that he would not suspend his work unless the loss were repaid in this moment of hesitation and delay the last of the sassatian kings was overtaken and slaughtered by the Turkish cavalry in a 19th year of his unhappy reign his son feroz and humble client of the chinese emperor accepted the station of captain of his guards and the magian worship was long preserved by a colony of loyal exiles in the province of bulkaria his grandson inherited the regal name but after a faint and fruitless enterprise he returned to china and ended his days in the palace of sigan the male line of the sassanides was extinct but the female captives the daughters of persia were given to the conqueror in servitude or marriage and the race of the caliphs and imans was ennobled by the blood of the royal mothers after the fall of the persian kingdom the river oxus divided the territories of the saracens and the turks this narrow boundary was soon over leaped by the spirit of the arabes the governors of corazon extended their successive inroads and one of their triumphs was adorned with a buskin of a turkish queen which he dropped in a precipitate flight beyond the hills of bulkaria but the final conquest of transorcinia as well as of spain was reserved for the glorious reign of the inactive walled and the name of catibah the camel driver declares his the origin and merit of his successful lieutenant while one of his colleagues displayed the first mohabitan banner on the banks of the indus the spacious regions between the oxus the jazatis and the caspian sea were reduced by the arms of catibah to the obedience of the prophet and of the caliph a tribute of two millions of pieces of gold was imposed on the infidels their idols were burnt or broken the musselman chief pronounced a sermon in the new moche of charisma after several battles the turkish hoids were driven back to the desert and the empires of china solicited the friendship of the victorious arabes to their industry the prosperity of the province the soggiana of the ancients may in a great measure be ascribed but the advantages of the soil and climate had been understood and cultivated since the reign of the macedonian kings before the invasion of the saracens charisma bocara and sammelkhand were rich and populous under the yoke of the shepherds of the north these cities were surrounded by double wall and the exterior fortification of a larger circumference enclosed the fields and gardens of the adjacent district the mutual wants of india and europe was supplied by the diligence of the soggian merchants and a inestimable art of transforming linen into paper had been diffused from the manufacture of sammelkhand over the western world no sooner had abu becker restored the unity of faith and government than he dispatched a circular letter to the arabian tribes in the name of the most merciful god to the rest of the true believers health and happiness and the mercy and blessing of god be upon you i praise the most high god and i pray for his prophet muhammad this is to acquaint you that i intend to send the true believers into syria to take it out of the hands of the infidels and i will have you know that the fighting for religion is an act of obedience to god his messengers returned with the tidings of pious and marshal ardor which they had kindled in every province and the camp of medina was successively filled with the intrepid bands of the saracens who panted for actions complained of the heat of the season and a scarcity of provisions and accused with impatient murmurs the delays of the caliph as soon as their numbers were complete abu becker ascended the hill reviewed the men the horses and the arms and poured forth a fervent prayer for the success of their undertaking in person and on foot he accompanied the first day march and when the blushing leaders attempted to dismount the caliph removed their scoops by a declaration that those who rode and those who walked in the service of religion were equally meritorious his instructions to the chief of the syrian army were inspired by the warlike fanaticism which advances to seize and affects to despise the objects of earthly ambition remember said the successor of the prophet that you are always in the presence of god on the verge of death and in the assurance of judgment and the hope of paradise avoid injustice and oppression consult with your brethren and study the preserve the love and confidence of your troops when you fight the battles of the lord acquit yourselves like men without turning your backs but let not your victory be stained with the blood of women or or children destroy no palm trees nor burn any fields of corn cut down no fruit trees nor do any mischief to cattle only such as you kill to eat when you make any covenant or article stand to it and be as good as your word as you go on you will find some religious persons who have who live retired in monasteries and propose to themselves to serve god that way let them alone and neither kill them nor destroy their monasteries and you will find another sort of people that belong to the synagogue of satan who have shaven crowns be sure you'll cleave their skulls and give them no quarter till they either turn Mohammedans or pay tribute all profane or frivolous conversation all dangerous recollection of ancient quarrels were severely prohibited among the Arabs in the tumult of a camp the exercises of religion were assiduously practiced and the intervals of action were employed in prayer meditation and the study of the Koran the abuse or even the use of wine was chastised by forescores strokes on the soles of the feet and in the fervor of their primitive zeal many secret sinners revealed their fault and solicited their punishment after some hesitation the command of the Syrian army was delegated to Abu Obidah one of the fugitives of Mecca and companions of Mohammed whose zeal and devotion was assuaged without being abated by the singular mildness and benevolence of his temper but in all the emergencies of war the soldiers demanded the superior genus of Caled and whoever might the choice be of the prince the sword of god was both in fact and fame the foremost leader of the Saracens he obeyed without reluctance he was consulted without jealousy and such was the spirit of the man or rather of the times that Caled professed his readiness to serve under the banner of the faith though it were in the hands of a child or an enemy glory and riches and dominion were indeed promised to the victorious musselman but he was carefully instructed that if the goods of his life were his only incitement they likewise would be his only reward end of chapter 51 part 2 recording by Dick Duret Manchester, New Hampshire chapter 51 part 3 of the history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire volume 5 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Dick Duret chapter 51 conquests by the Arabs part 3 one of the 15 provinces of Syria the cultivated lands to the eastward of the Jordan had been decorated by Roman vanity with the name of Arabia and the first arms of the Saracens were justified by the semblance of a national right the country was enriched by the various benefits of trade by the vigilance of the emperors it was covered with a line of forts and the populous cities of Jurassic Philadelphia and Bosra were secure at least from a surprise by the solid structure of their walls the last of these cities was the 18th station from Medina the road was familiar to the caravans of Hezads and Iraq who annually visited this plenteous market of the province and the desert the perpetual jealousy of the Arabs had trained the inhabitants to arms and 12 000 horses could selly from the gates of Bosra an appellation which signifies in the syriac language a strong tower of defense encouraged by their first success against the open towns and flying parties of the borders a detachment of 4 000 Muslims presumed to summon and attack the fortress of Bosra they were oppressed by the numbers of the Syrians they were saved by the presence of Khaled with 1500 horses he blamed the enterprise restored the battle and rescued his friend the venerable Sergebel who had vainly invoked the unity of God and the promises of the apostle after a short repose the Muslims performed their ablutions with sand instead of water and a morning prayer was recited by Khaled before they mounted on horseback confident in their strength the people of Bosra threw open their gates drew their forces into the plane and swore to die in the defense of their religion but a religion of peace was incapable of withstanding the fanatic cry of fight fight paradise paradise that re-echoed in the ranks of the Saracens and the uproar of the town the ringing of the bells and the exclamations of the priests and monks increased the dismay and disorder of the Christians with the loss of 230 men the Arabs remained masters of the field and the ramparts of Bosra in expectation of human or divine aid were crowded with holy crosses and consecrated banners the governor Romanus had recommended an early submission despised by the people and degraded from his office he still retained the desire and opportunity of revenge in a nocturnal interview he informed the enemy of a subterranean passage from his house under the wall of the city the son of the caliph with a hundred volunteers were committed to the faith of this new ally and their successful in trepidity gave an easy entrance to their companions after Caled had imposed the terms of servitude and tribute the apostate or convert avowed in the assembly of the people is meritorious treason i renounce your society said romanus both in this world and the world to come and i deny him that was crucified and whosoever worships him and i choose god for my lord islam for my faith mecca for my temple the moslems for my brethren and mohammed for my prophet who was sent to lead us into the right way and to exalt the true religion in spite of those who joined partners with god the conquest of basra four days journey from damascus encouraged the arabs to besiege the ancient capital of syria at some distance from the walls they encamped among the groves and fountains of that delicious territory and the usual option of the mohammed and faith of tribute or of war was proposed to the resolute citizens who had been lately strengthened by a reinforcement of 5000 greeks in the decline as in the infancy of the military art a hostile defiance was frequently offered and accepted by the generals themselves many a lance was shivered in the plane of damascus and the personal prowess of kellid was signalized in the first sally of the besieged after an obstinate combat he had overthrown and made prisoner one of the christian leaders a stout and worthy antagonist he instantly mounted a fresh horse the gift of the governor of palmyra and pushed forward to the front of the battle repose yourself for a moment said his friend dirar and permit me to supply your place you are fatigued with fighting with this dog oh dear replied the indefatigable saracen we shall rest in the world to come he that labors today shall rest tomorrow with the same unabated ardor kellid answered encountered and vanquished a second champion and the heads of his two captives who refused to abandon their religion were indignantly hurled into the midst of the city the event of some general and partial actions reduced the damascenes to a closer defense but a messenger whom they dropped from the walls returned with a promise of speedy and powerful succor and their tumultuous joy conveyed the intelligence to the camp of the arabs after some debate it was resolved by the generals to raise or rather to suspend the siege of damascenes till they had given battle to the forces of the emperor in the retreat kellid would have chosen the more perilous station of the rear guard he modestly yielded to the wishes of abu obidah but in the hour of danger he flew to the rescue of his companion who was rudely pressed by a sally of six thousand horses and ten thousand foot and few among the christians could relate at damascenes the circumstances of their defeat the importance of the contest required the junction of the saracens who were dispersed on the frontiers of syria and palestine and i shall transcribe one of the circular mandates which was addressed to amru the future conqueror of egypt in the name of the most merciful god from kellid to amru health and happiness know that thy brethren the moslems designed to march to asnadin where there is an army of 70 000 Greeks who purpose to come against us that they may extinguish the light of god with their mouths but god persevere his light in spite of the infidels as soon therefore as this letter of mine shall be delivered to thy hands come with those that are with thee to asnadin where thou shalt find us if it please the most high god the summons was cheerfully obeyed and the 45 000 moslems who met on the same day on the same spot ascribed to the blessing of providence the effects of their activity and zeal about four years after the triumph of the persian war the repose of heraclius and the empire was again disturbed by a new enemy the power of whose religion was more strongly felt than it was clearly understood by the christians of the east in his palace of constantinople or anti-arc he was awakened by the invasion of syria the loss of basra and the danger of Damascus an army of 70 000 veterans or new levies was assembled at hems and emissar under the command of his general warden and these troops consisting chiefly of cavalry might be indifferently styled either syrians or greeks or romans syrians from the place of their birth or warfare greeks from the religion and language of this sovereign and romans from the proud appellation which was still profaned by the successes of constantin on the plain of asnedin as warden rode on a white mule decorated with gold chains and surrounded with ensigns and standards he was surprised by the near approach of a fierce and naked warrior who had undertaken to view the state of the enemy the adventurous valor of deraille was inspired and has perhaps been adorned by the enthusiasm of his age and country the hatred of the christians the love of spoil and a contempt of danger with the ruling passions of the audacious sarasen and the prospect of instant death could never shake his religious confidence or ruffle the calmness of his resolution or even suspend the frank and marshal pleasantry of his humor in the most hopeless enterprises he was bold and prudent and fortunate after innumerable hazards after being thrice a prisoner in the hands of the infidels he still survived to relate the achievements and to enjoy the rewards of the syrian conquest on this occasion his single lands maintained a flying fight against 30 romans who were detached by warden and after killing around horsing 17 of their number deraille returned in safety to his applauding brethren when his rashness was mildly censured by the general he excused himself with the simplicity of a soldier ney said deraille i did not begin first but they came out to take me and i was afraid that god should see me turn my back and indeed i fought in good earnest and without doubt god assisted me against them and had i not been apprehensive of disobeying your orders i should not have come away as i did and i perceive already that they will fall into our hands in the presence of both armies a venerable greek advanced from the ranks with a liberal offer of peace and the departure of the saracens would have been purchased by a gift to each soldier of a turban a robe and a piece of gold 10 robes and 100 pieces to their leader 100 robes and a thousand pieces to the caliph a smile of indignation expressed the refusal of calid you christian dogs you know your option the koran the tribute or the sword we are a people whose delight is in war rather than in peace and we despise your pitiful arms since we shall be speedily masters of your wealth your families and your persons not withstanding this apparent disdain he was deeply conscious of the public danger those who had been in persia and had seen the armies of kosros confessed that they never beheld a more formidable array from the superiority of the enemy the artful saracen derived a fresh incentive of courage you saw you see before you said he the united force of the romans you cannot hope to escape but you may conquer syria in a single day the event depends on your discipline and patience reserve yourselves till the evening it was an evening that the prophet was accustomed to vanquish during two successive engagements his temperate firmness sustained the dots of the enemy and the murmurs of his troops at length when the spirits and quivers of the adverse line were almost exhausted calid gave the signal of onset and victory the remains of the imperial army fled to andioc or cesaria or damascus and the death of 470 muslims was compensated by the opinion that they had sent to hell above 50 000 of the infidels the spoil was inestimable many banners and crosses of gold and silver precious stones silver and gold change and innumerable suits of the richest armor and apparel the general distribution was postponed till damascus should be taken but the seasonable supply of arms became the instrument of new victories the glorious intelligence was transmitted to the throne of the caliph and the arabian tribes the coldest or most hostile to the prophet's mission were eager and important to share the harvest of syria the sad tidings were carried to damascus by the speed of grief and terror and the inhabitants beheld from their walls the return of the heroes of isnedin amru led the van at the head of 9 000 horse the bands of the saracens succeeded each other in formidable review and the rear was closed by calid in person with a standard of the black eagle to the activity of dirah he entrusted the commission of patrolling around the city with 2 000 horse of scouring the plane and of intercepting all sucker or intelligence the rest of the arabian chiefs were fixed in their respective stations before the seven gates of damascus and the siege was renewed with fresh bigger and confidence the art the labor and the military engines of the greeks and romans are seldom to be found in the simple though successful operations of the saracens it was sufficient for them to invest a city with arms rather than with trenches to repel the allies of the besiege to attempt a stratagem or an assault or to expect the progress of famine and discontent damascus would have equest in a trial of asnedin as a final and peremptory sentence between the emperor and the caliph her courage was rekindled by the example and authority of thomas a noble greek illustrious in a private condition with the alliance of heraclius the tumult and illumination of the night proclaimed the design of the morning sally and the christian hero who affected to despise the enthusiasm of the arabs employed the resource of a singular superstition at the principal gate in the site of both armies a lofty crucifix was erected the bishop with his clergy accompanied the march and laid the volume of the new testament before the image of jesus and the contending parties were scandalized or edified by a prayer that the son of god would defend his servants and vindicate his truth the battle raged with incessant fury and a dexterity of thomas and an incomparable archer was fatal to the boldest saracens till their death was revenged by a female heroine the wife of eban who had followed him to the holy war embraced her expiring husband happy said she happy at thou my dear thou art gone to the to thy lord who first joined us together and then part of this asunder i will revenge thy death and endeavor to the utmost of my power to come to the place where thou art because i love thee henceforth shall no man ever touch me more for i have dedicated myself to the service of god without a groan without a tear she washed the corpse of her husband and buried him with the usual rites then grasping the manly weapons which in her native land she was accustomed to wheel the intrepid widow of eban sought the place where his murderer fought in the thickest of the battle her first arrow pierced the hand of his standard bearer her second wounded thomas in the eye and the fainting christians no longer beheld their ensign or their leader yet the generous champion of demascus refused to withdraw to his palace his wound was dressed on a rampart the fight was continued till the evening and the syrians rested on their arms in the silence of the night the signal was given by a stroke on the great bell the gates were thrown open and each gate discharged an impetuous column on the sleeping camp of the saracens kellyd was the first in arms at the head of 400 horse he flew to the post of danger and the tears trickled down his iron cheeks as he uttered a fervent ejaculation oh god who never sleepest look upon thy servants and do not deliver them into the hands of their enemies the valour and victory of thomas were arrested by the presence of the sword of god with the knowledge of the peril the muslims recovered their ranks and charged the assailants in the flank and rear after the loss of thousands the christian general retreated with a sigh of despair and the pursuit of the saracens was checked by the military engines of the rampart after a siege of 70 days the patience and perhaps the provisions of the damascenes were exhausted and the bravest of their chiefs submitted to the hard dictates of necessity in the occurrences of peace and war they had been taught to dread the fierceness of kellyd and to revere the mild virtues of abu obaida at the hour of midnight 100 chosen deputies of the clergy and people were introduced to the tent of that venerable commander he received and dismissed them with courtesy they returned with a written agreement on the faith of a companion of mohammed that all hostilities should cease that the voluntary immigrants might depart in safety with as much as they could carry of their effects and that the tributary subjects of the kellyd should enjoy their lands and houses with the use and possession of seven churches on these terms the most respectable hostages and the gate nearest to his camp were delivered into his hands his soldiers imitated the moderation of their chief and he enjoyed a submissive gratitude of a people whom he had rescued from destruction but the success of the treaty had relaxed their vigilance and in the same moment the opposite quarter of the city was betrayed and taken by assault a party of a hundred Arabs had opened the eastern gate to a more inex honorable foe no quarter cried the rapacious and sanguinary kellyd no quarter to the enemies of the lord his trumpets sounded and a torrent of christian blood was poured down the streets of Damascus when he reached the church of saint mary he was astonished and provoked by the peaceful aspect of his companions the swords were in a scabbard and they were surrounded by a multitude of priests and monks abo obaida saluted the general god said he has delivered the city into my hands by way of surrender and has saved the believers the trouble of fighting and am i not replied the indignant kellyd am i not the lieutenant of the commander of the faithful have i not taken the city by storm the unbelievers shall perish by the sword fall on the hungry and cruel Arabs would have obeyed the welcome command and the mascus was lost if the benevolence of abo obaida had not been supported by decent and dignified farmers throwing himself between the trembling citizens and the most eager of the barbarians he adjured them by the holy name of god to respect his promise to suspend their fury and to wait the determination of their chiefs the chiefs retired into the church of saint mary and after a vehement debate kellyd submitted in some measure to the trees to the reason and authority of his colleague who urged the sanctity of a covenant the advantage as well as the honor which the muslims would derive from the punctual performance of their word and the obstinate resistance which they must encounter from the distrust and despair of the rest of the syrian cities it was agreed that the sword should be sheathed that the part of the mascus which had surrendered to abo oba obaida should be immediately entitled to the benefit of his capitulation and that the final decision should be referred to the justice and wisdom of the caliph a large majority of the people accepted the terms of toleration and tribute and the mascus is still people by 20 000 christians but the valiant thomas and the freeborn patriots who had fought under his banner embraced the alternative of poverty and exile in the adjacent meadow a numerous encampment was formed of priests and laymen of soldiers and citizens of women and children they collected with haste and terror their most precious movables and abandoned with loud lamentations or silent anguish their native homes and the pleasant banks of the far prior the inflexible soul of calid was not touched by the spectacle of their distress he disputed with the damascenes the property of a magazine of corn and devoured to exclude the garrison from the benefit of the treaty consented with the reluctance that each of the fugitives should arm himself with a sword or a lance or a bow and sternly declared that after a respite of three days they might be pursued and treated as the enemies of the moslems the passion of a syrian youth completed the ruin of the exiles of damascas a nobleman of the city of the name of jonas was betrothed to a wealthy maiden but her parents delayed the consummation of his nuptials and their daughter was persuaded to escape with the man whom she had chosen they corrupted the nightly watchman of the gate kaisan the lover who led the way was encompassed by squadron of arabs but his exclamation in the greek tongue the bird is taken admonished his mistress to hasten her return in the presence of calid and of death the unfortunate jonas professed his belief in one god and his apostle Muhammad and continued till the season of his martyrdom to discharge the duties of a brave and sincere musselman when the city was taken he flew to the monastery where eudosia had taken refuge but the lover was forgotten the apostate was scorned she preferred a religion to her country and the justice of calid though deft to mercy refused to detain by force a male or female inhabitant of damascas four days was the general confined to the city by the obligation of the treaty and the urgent cares of his new conquest his appetite for blood and rapine would have been extinguished by the hopeless computation of time and distance but he listened to the importunities of jonas who assured him that the weary fugitives might yet be overtaken at the head of four thousand horse in the disguise of christian arabs calid undertook the pursuit they halted only for the moments of prayer and their guide had a perfect knowledge of the country for a long way the footsteps of the damascenes were plain and conspicuous they vanished on a sudden but the saracens were comforted by the assurance that the caravan had turned aside into the mountains and must speedily fall into their hands in traversing the ridges of the libanas they endured intolerable hardships and the sinking spirits of the veteran fanatics were supported and cheered by the unconquerable order of a lover from a peasant of the country they were informed that the emperor had sent orders to the colony of exiles to pursue without delay the road of the seacoast and of constantinople apprehensive perhaps that the soldiers and people of anti-art might be discouraged by the sight and the story of their sufferings the saracens were conducted through the territories of gabala and leo ducia at a cautious distance from the walls of the cities the rain was incessant the night was dark a single mountain separated them from the roman army and calid ever anxious for the safety of his brethren whispered an ominous dream in the ear of his companion with a dawn of day the prospect again cleared and they saw before them in a pleasant valley the tents of demascus after a short interval of repose and prayer calid divided his cavalry into four squadrons committing the first to his faithful deraille and reserving the lasts for himself they successively rushed on the promiscuous multitude insufficiently provided with arms and already vanquished by sorrow and fatigue except a captive who was pardoned and dismissed the Arabs enjoyed the satisfaction of believing that not a Christian of either sex escaped the edge of their cemeteries the gold and silver demascus were scattered over the camp and a royal wardrobe of 300 load of silk white cloth an army of naked barbarians in the tumult of the battle Jonas sought and found the object of a pursuit but her resentment was inflamed by the last act of his perfidy and as judo she has struggled in his hateful embraces she struck a dagger to her heart another female the widow of thomas and the real a supposed daughter of heraclius was spared and released without a ransom but the generosity of calid was the effect of his contempt and the haughty saracen insulted by a message of defiance the throne of the ceaseless calid had penetrated above 150 miles into the heart of the roman province he returned to demascus with the same secrecy and speed on the accession of omar the sword of god was removed from the command but the caliph who blamed the rashness was compelled to applaud the vigor and conduct of the enterprise end of chapter 51 part 3 recording by dikteret manchester new hampshire usa chapter 51 part 4 of the history of the decline and fall of the roman empire volume 5 this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox.org the history of the decline involved the roman empire by edward gibbon volume 5 chapter 51 part 4 another expedition of the conquerors of demascus will equally display their avidity and their contempt for the riches of the present world they were informed that the produce and manufacturers of the country were annually collected in the fair of abilia about 30 miles from the city that the cell of a devout hermit was visited at the same time by a multitude of pilgrims and that the festival of trade and superstition would be ennobled by the nuptials of the daughter of the governor of tripply abdulla son of jafar a glorious and holy martyr undertook with a banner of 500 horse the pious and profitable commission of dispoiling the infidels as he approached the fair of abilia he was astonished by the report of this mighty concourse of jews and christians greeks and armenians of natives of syria and of strangers of egypt to the number of 10 000 besides a guard of 5 000 horse that attended the person of the bride the saracens paused for my own part said abdulla i dare not go back our foes are many our danger is great but our reward is splendid and secure either in this life or in the life to come let every man according to his inclination advance or retire not a musliman deserted his standard lead the way said abdulla to his christian guide and you shall see what the companions of the profit can perform they charged in five squadrons but after the first advantage of the surprise they were encompassed and almost overwhelmed by the multitude of their enemies and their valiant band is fancifully compared to a white spot in the skin of a black camel about the hour of sunset when their weapons dropped from their hands when they panted on the verge of eternity they discovered an approaching cloud of dust they heard the welcome sound of the tech beer and they soon perceived the standard of khalid who flew to their relief with the utmost speed of his cavalry the christians were broken by his attack and slaughtered in their flight as far as the river of triply they left behind them the various riches of the fair the merchandises that were exposed for sale the money that was brought for purchase the gay decorations of the nuptials and the governor's daughter with forty of her female attendants the fruits provisions and furniture the money plate and jewels were diligently laden on the backs of horses asses and mules and the holy robbers returned in triumph to demascus the hermit after a short and angry controversy with khalid declined the crown of martyrdom and was left alive in the solitary scene of blood and devastation end of chapter fifty one part four