352 WARS OF THE CALIPHS. 



as they are indifferently called), was intrasted by 

 the caliph"s commands to Amru, whose valour had 

 already been tried in most of the battles and sieges 

 in Syria. 



Farmah or Pelusium, the key of Egypt, was re- 

 duced after a siege of thirty days ; and by this con- 

 quest the country was laid open as far as the modern 

 Cairo. Following the course of the Nile, the Sara- 

 cens marched directly to Misr or Misra, the Memphis 

 of the old geographers, situated on the western bank 

 of the river, fifteen miles above the Delta, and occu- 

 pying the spot where the village of Ghizeh at present 

 stands. This important city Amru invested with 

 4000 men; and after a fruitless siege of seven 

 months, he was obliged to solicit a reinforcement 

 from the caliph, who instantly despatched a force of 

 equal amount, under the command of Zobeir. Even 

 this supply, with all their experience in the Syrian 

 wars, would have proved insufficient to carry the 

 place, but for the religious hatred between the Jacob- 

 ites and the ISIelchites, and the treachery of Ma- 

 kawkas the governor. This person, though the 

 prefect or lieutenant of Heraclius, was a mortal 

 enemy to the Greeks ; and having amassed an im- 

 mense fortune by embezzling the tribute of Egypt, 

 he resolved to betray the interests of his master in 

 order to secure the vast treasures he had so unjustly 

 accumulated. The city capitulated on the usual 

 terms, each male of age being rated at two dinars 

 yearly. The number of taxable persons Elmacin 

 computes at 6,000,000 ; consequently the sum annu- 

 ally collected must have amounted to 12,000,000 

 dinars of gold (5,550,000/.). -^ v ''' 



The Greeks had assembled a considerable force in 

 the Delta, where the natural and artificial channels 

 of the Nile afforded a succession of formidable de- 

 fences. To that quarter Amru immediately directed 

 his attention; trusting his safety to the zeal and 

 gratitude of the Egyptians, who" had promised, in 



