Page:Early Christianity in Arabia.djvu/161

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IN ARABIA.
149

seized an arrow, and aimed it at the hyacinth which glittered on the monarch's brow, directing his attendants, when they saw Mesrouk fall, to commence the attack on his army. The arrow of Wehraz reached its destination, the king of Haniyar was slain, and the Abyssinian army, confounded by the death of their leader, made but a feeble resistance. After the defeat and death of the Abyssinian king, Seif was placed on the throne of Hamyar, as the vassal and tributary of Noushirwan, and all the Abyssinians that were found in Yaman were either put to death or reduced to slavery.[1]

On the arrival of Seif at Sanaa, the capital of the kingdom of his forefathers, his return was welcomed by the Arabian chiefs, and the regal hall of the Gamadan, or palace of the kings of Hamyar, re-

  1. Nuweir, p. 96. Mesoud, pp. 146—148. According to the latter it was Maadi-Carb, the son of Seif, who was assisted by Noushirwan; Seif himself having died in Persia. The invasion of Hamyar by the Persians is briefly related by a Greek historian, who calls Wehraz, Mêranês—Διο και ὁ Κοσροης επ’ Αιθιοπας, φιλους οντας Ρωμαιοις, τους παλαι μεν Μακροβιους, νυν δε Ὁμηριτας καλουμενους, εστρατευσε· και τον βασιλεα των Ὁμηριτων Σανατουρκην, δια Μηρανους του Περσων στρατηγου εζωγρητε· την τε πολιν αυτων εξεπορθησε, και το εθνος παρεστησατο. Theophanes Byzant. ap. Phot. Biblioth. no. lxiv. p. 79. The history is also recorded in the Persian historians; see, for example, Ommia Jahhia Ad-Ullatifi fil. Lubb-It Tavarich, Hist. Pers. in Büschings Magazin für die neue Historie und Geographie, band xvii. pp. 40, 41, and Nikbi ben Massoud, in the Notices et Extraits des Manuscrits de la Bibliothèque du Roi, tom. ii. p. 340.