26 CALIPHS OF BAGDAD. 



misces, the two heroes of the age, form the most 

 splendid period of the Byzantine annals. In a series 

 of bloody combats, they extended their victories 

 from the mountainous defiles of Cappadocia to the 

 deserts of Bagdad. The conqest of Cilicia may be 

 said to have been achieved by the surrender of Ma- 

 sifia or Mopsuestia, and Tarsus. In the siege of the 

 former city, which was taken by assault, 200,000 

 Moslems, including probably the inhabitants of the 

 dependant districts, were predestined to death or 

 slavery. Tarsus was reduced by the slow progress- 

 of famine. The besieged held out in the hope of 

 succour from Egypt ; and no sooner had the Sara^ 

 cens yielded on honourable terms, than they were 

 mortified by the distant view of their supplies, the 

 arrival of which by sea was too late to avail them. 

 The Mohammedan population were dismissed in 

 safety to the confines of Syria, and their places 

 replenished with a colony of Christians. 



Having forced and secured the narrow passes of 

 Mount Amanus, the Greeks repeatedly carried their 

 arms into the heart of Syria. Antioch and Aleppo 

 were once more restored to the faith of Christ and 

 the dominion of the Caesars. Nicephorus, with a 

 strong army, invested the latter place, and having 

 applied his military engines to the walls, he made 

 his attack with great fury. After a fruitless assault 

 of three days, a dissension of the inhabitants left the 

 gates unguarded, and afforded the Greeks an oppor- 

 tunity of entering the town. Vast multitudes of 

 men and women were put to the sword. In the 

 palace the victors seized a well-furnished magazine 

 of arms, a stable of 1400 mules, and 300 bags of sil- 

 ver and gold. Ten thousand youths of both sexes 

 were led into captivity ; the weight of the precious 

 spoil exceeded the strength and number of the 

 beasts of burden ; the remainder was consumed with- 

 fire, and after a licentious possession of ten days, 

 the Romans abandoned the scene of desolation. In. 



