CALIPHS OF BAGDAD. 21 



of their house. During the sanguinary feuds that 

 followed, and confirmed their elevation to the 

 throne, the Greeks had stolen the opportunity of 

 avenging their wrongs and enlarging their limits. 

 With an army of 100,000 men they had invaded 

 Syria, and defeated a body of Arabs, of whom they 

 killed 2000, with five emirs or principal officers. 

 But a severe retribution was exacted by Mahadi, 

 who despatched a force of 95,000 Persians and 

 Arabs to the shores of the Bosphorus, under his 

 second son the renowned Haroun al Raschid. A 

 body of the imperial troops was defeated, and seve- 

 ral of the provinces laid waste with fire and sword. 

 A woman then occupied the Byzantine throne ; and 

 the encampment of the Saracens on the opposite 

 heights of Scutari informed Irene, in her palace at 

 Constantinople, of the loss of her troops and the 

 devastation of her territories. The helpless sove- 

 reign, or her ministers, consented to sign an igno- 

 minious peace ; nor could the exchange of some 

 royal presents disguise the annual tribute of 70,000 

 pieces of gold, which was imposed on the Roman 

 empire. 



Fifteen years afterward (A. D. 796), when Ha- 

 roun had ascended the throne, he renewed his incur- 

 sions into the imperial dominions, and ravaged Lydia 

 and Lycaonia, whence he carried oflf an immense 

 quantity of booty. Eight times were these preda- 

 tory inroads repeated ; and as often as the Greeks 

 declined the regular payment, they were taught to 

 feel that a month of depredation was more costly 

 than a year of tribute. On the deposition and ban- 

 ishment of the empress, her successor Nicephorus 

 resolved to obliterate this badge of servitude and 

 disgrace, which, in his epistle to the caliph, he 

 ascribed to the weakness of a female reign. " The 

 queen," said he, borrowing his allusion from the 

 game of chess, " considered you as a rook, and her- 

 self a pawn. That pusillanimous woman submitted 



