Page:Early Christianity in Arabia.djvu/196

vanced to Muta, in the domain of Balka; the Roman army which opposed them was composed chiefly of Arabs.^[1] The battle of Muta was obstinately disputed, and three of Muhammed's favourite generals fell, but the faithful believers were led back in safety to Yatreb, by Khaled, the future conqueror of Syria.^[2] The hostile intentions of Muhammed towards the Greeks were now no longer disguised; it was reported that the emperor was preparing to stop the career of the impostor, and the latter, immediately after the conquest of Mecca, publicly declared war against the empire of Roum, and collected an army for the invasion of Syria. He proceeded as far as Tabuc, on the road to Damascus, but the perils of the expedition and the discontent of his followers obliged him to retreat, and he declared himself satisfied of the peaceable intentions of his enemies.^[3] But the failure of his Syrian expedition was compensated by the reduction of the territory on the Euphrates, and the kingdom of Hirah fell finally beneath the sword of Khaled Ebno'l Walid.^[4] The impostor was now less scrupulous towards the Christians; another revelation urged the making war on

1. Abulfeda, p. 101.
2. Abulfeda, p. 100. Gagnier, tom. ii. pp. 327, 431. The Greek writers who mention the battle of Muta, call the castle he went against Μουχεων, the battle that of Μοθους. Theophanes, Chronograph. p. 278.
3. Abulfeda, p. 123.
4. Pococke, Spec. Hist. Arab. p. 75. Theophanes, p. 279.