360 WARS OF THE CALIPHS. 



ous task of choosing a Commander of the Faithful. 

 The conclave assembled without delay, and for a 

 Avhile the balance of the Moslem succession trem- 

 bled between Othman and Ali. An insidious pro- 

 posal of Abdalrahman decided the contest : That 

 whoever was chosen should consent to rest the 

 basis of his government on the law of the Koran and 

 the traditions, and the virtuous example of his tivo pre- 

 decessors. This latter clause Ali rejected, as it 

 iniphed a tacit acknowledgment that he had no 

 inherent or preferable title to the throne. Oth- 

 man, who was afflicted with no such scruples, em- 

 braced the terms without limitation or restriction. 



Partial revolts, both in Egypt and Persia, threat- 

 ened to disturb the commencement of his reign ; but 

 they were suppressed by the prompt application of 

 the sabre. The Greeks on the frontier of Asia Mi- 

 nor, and the Tartars in Shirwan, and on the western 

 shore of the Caspian, were compelled to submit to 

 the yoke of Islam. In the Levant the arms of the 

 Arabs were equally successful. Moawiyah, the 

 heutenant of Syria, equipped a powerful armament, 

 and invaded the island of Cyprus. As neither the 

 inhabitants nor the imperial troops were able to 

 oppose him, they agreed to capitulate, on condition 

 that the whole revenues of the island, amounting to 

 14,400 ducats, should be equally divided between the 

 caliph and the Emperor Constance, grandson of 

 Heraclius. This tribute the Saracens enjoyed for 

 nearly two years, when they were dispossessed by 

 the Christians. On the reduction of Cyprus, Moa- 

 wiyah took Ancyra and Aradus (Ruad) ; a rocky 

 islet, 200 paces in the sea, but containing a populous 

 city and a fortress of great strength. Penetrating 

 as far as Rhodes, he seized that island, and destroyed 

 the famous brazen Colossus, a gigantic statue of 

 Apollo or the Sun, seventy cubits (105 feet) in height, 

 erected across the entrance of the harbour, to com- 

 memorate the fruitless siege of Demetrius, about 



