at some distance, another 100,000 of Imperial troops were in reserve; but of his being vastly outnumbered there can be no doubt.

The first battle on Roman ground took place at Muta, at the south-east end of the Dead Sea, the country of the ancient Moabites. In coming upon the enemy, the Moslems first retired to a favourable position and there awaited the attack in close lines. Their leaders dismounted, and Jafar, Ali's brother, is reported to have hamstringed his horse with his own hands, in token that he had discarded every thought of fleeing. The banner was held by Zeid, and as he was soon struck down, Jafar took it up after him, but met with the same fate. Then, Abd Allah Ibn Rawaha seized it, and having both his hands cut off, pressed it to his body with the stumps of his arms, till he likewise fell. The Moslems were beaten and put to flight. They lost their bravest men, and would have suffered still more severely, had not the celebrated Khalid, though but a recent convert, taken the command, and with great dexterity somewhat restored the fight, so as to secure an orderly retreat.

The defeated army was coldly received by the people of Medina, who called them runaways; but Mohammed, who had been the first to make known the disaster, as soon as the news had reached him, defended them and expressed the conviction that they would resume the conflict in the future and amply make up for their late repulse. He much felt the loss of the slain who had so bravely defended themselves, and showed kindness to their bereaved families; but, to be able to avenge their death, it was plain that he would first have greatly to increase the number of his army. For the present he could only despatch a few hundred chosen men, under Amr Ibn As, the future conqueror of Egypt, who, by rapid night-marches, surprised and scattered the tribes on the Syrian border, and thus restored the Mussulman prestige in those quarters which had been dangerously shaken by the reverse of Muta.

Effectually to cope with the Roman power in the north, it was clearly necessary first to give greater strength and wider dimensions to the new Arab empire at home. This object was accomplished by the conquest of Mecca, whereby

that primitive barrier to Islam was converted into its lasting bulwark, and the way opened for the Arab tribes throughout the Peninsula to join Mohammed's cause in rapid succession. According to the agreement of Hodeibia, the peace between Medina and Mecca was to last for ten years. But two years had not yet fully elapsed, when a pretext conveniently offered itself to the Prophet for breaking it.

The Khozaite Bedouins, near Mecca, who, as has been already noticed (p. 192), had allied themselves with Mohammed, were attacked by the Beni Bekr, allies of the Koreish, because of some existing blood-feud, and lost a score of men in. the encounter. They applied to Mohammed for assistance and accused the Koreish, against whom their alliance with the Prophet was mainly directed, of having abetted the Beni Bekr in the late fight. He now felt strong enough to deal a decisive blow against the city which had persecuted him, and therefore welcomed such an opportunity for reaching his goal. He promised the help which the Khozaites demanded, and at once made preparations for a war-expedition, on a larger scale than any previous one. Abu Sofyan went to Medina in person, to confer with the Prophet, who was now his son-in-law, and to smooth over matters, but, as might be anticipated, without success.

In January 630 we find Mohammed on the march against Mecca with an army of 10,000 men, all of them professed believers and including many Bedouins. We are not told, but can form our own surmises, whether Abu Sofyan's late diplomatic mission had resulted in a secret understanding with his son-in-law, to facilitate his taking the coveted city. In any case, we must allow due weight to the fact that in Medina he was the guest of his daughter, Om Habiba, one of the Prophet's wives. Thus it came to pass that the Moslem army, on its arrival, found the sacred city so little guarded and so little on the alert, that its approach was not known till it encamped at Marr el Zahran, close by, and its ten thousand watch-fires startled the deluded city from its false security. Mohammed's uncle, Abbas, is represented as having set out, at this very time, to emigrate to the city of his nephew; but he conveniently met him on the way, marching with his army, and therefore came back in his company.