CALIPHS OF SPAIN. 69 



the North. The citizens of Bari had invited the 

 Normans (A. D. 1016) to assist in shaking off the 

 Grecian yoke. These ferocious auxiliaries soon esta- 

 blished themselves permanently in the dukedom of 

 Naples, and ultimately assisted such of the petty 

 princes as appealed to their sword. In every enter- 

 prise of war or danger they promptly volunteered 

 their aid, and Sicily at that time opened an inviting 

 scene for their services. In their first efforts against 

 that island the Latin emperors had been unsuccess- 

 ful ; 20,000 of their best troops were lost in a single 

 expedition, and the victorious Moslems ridiculed 

 the policy of a nation which intrusted eunuchs, not 

 only with the custody of their women, but with the 

 command of their armies. 



Internal divisions, however, effected what the 

 Byzantine armaments had attempted in vain. The 

 emirs aspired to independence ; the people rebelled 

 against the emirs, and the cities and castles were 

 usurped by their respective chiefs. In these do- 

 mestic quarrels the weaker of two rival brothers 

 implored the friendship of the Christians; and a 

 band of 500 Norman warriors, knights on horseback, 

 landed in Sicily under the standard of the Governor 

 of Lombardy. The valour of the Arabs quailed 

 before the ponderous swords of this new and untried 

 foe. In three successive engagements they were 

 defeated ; in the second their leader fell ; and in the 

 last 60,000 of their troops were left dead on the 

 field. Thirteen cities, and the greater part of the 

 island, after a possession of 200 years, were reduced 

 to the obedience of the Greek emperor. 



Twenty years afterwards, Sicily felt the prowess 

 of a new conqueror, the famous Count Roger, the 



