384 CONQUEST OF AFRICA AJTD SPAIN. 



remotest regions of the East and the West. When 

 the Ommiades had fixed themselves with hereditary- 

 order on the throne, and cemented the irregular 

 fabric of their authority with the best and holiest 

 blood of Arabia, the campaigns of plunder and pros- 

 elytism were renewed ; fresh squadrons issued from 

 the Desert to tread in the footsteps and rival the 

 glory of their predecessors. 



In Africa the victories of Abdallah had been at- 

 tended with no decisive result ; the troops returned 

 with their spoil to Medina, and it was not till after 

 u lapse of twenty years (A. D. 648-668) that the 

 cries of the oppressed inhabitants recalled them to 

 that quarter. The Greek emperor was not igno- 

 rant of the tribute which the Arabs had exacted 

 from his African subjects ; but, instead of pitying 

 or relieving their distresses, he imposed, by way of 

 fine, a second tax of an equal amount. In the pro- 

 vocation of despair, they abjured the religion of the 

 Roman government, and declared their preference 

 of a Mohammedan to a Christian tyranny. The_ 

 caliph, Moawiyah, equipped an expedition of 10,000 " 

 men, commanded by Bashar and another general of 

 his own name, who penetrated as far as the territory 

 of Carthage, took several important towns, defeated 

 a force of 30,000 Greeks, and carried away 80,000 

 captives, together with immense spoil. 



But the title of conqueror of Africa more justly 

 belongs to Akbah, the succeeding lieutenant, and 

 one of the governors of Egypt. He left Damascus 

 at the head of a brave though not numerous army, 

 and pushed his victories far into the interior. Of his 

 Numidian conquest we have no certain account ; 

 for little credit is due to the oriental writers, who 

 have peopled those regions with fictitious multitudes, 

 and planted them with imaginary citadels and towns 

 to the extravagant number of 360. Towards the 

 seacoast his progress was defined by the well-known 

 cities of Bujia and Tangier, the latter of which the 



