. The historians' history of the world; a comprehensive narrative of the rise and development of nations as recorded by over two thousand of the great writers of all ages:. der, who commanded the united forces of the Romans andBerbers, captured the newly founded city of Kairowan, which at a subsequentperiod became renowned as the capital of the Fatimite calij^hs. The ambition of the caliph Moawyah induced him to aspire at the con-quest of the Roman Empire; and the military organisation of the Arabianpower, which enabled the caliph to direct the whole resources of his domin-ions to any single o
. The historians' history of the world; a comprehensive narrative of the rise and development of nations as recorded by over two thousand of the great writers of all ages:. der, who commanded the united forces of the Romans andBerbers, captured the newly founded city of Kairowan, which at a subsequentperiod became renowned as the capital of the Fatimite calij^hs. The ambition of the caliph Moawyah induced him to aspire at the con-quest of the Roman Empire; and the military organisation of the Arabianpower, which enabled the caliph to direct the whole resources of his domin-ions to any single object of conquest, seemed to promise success to the enter-prise. A powerful expedition was sent to besiege Constantinople. The timerequired for the preparation of such an armament did not enable the Saracensto arrive at the Bosporus without passing a winter on the coast of AsiaMinor; and on their arrival in the spring of the year 672, they found that theemperor had made every preparation for defence. Their forces, however,were so numerous that they were sufficient to invest Constantinople by seaand land. The troops occupied the whole of the land side of the triangle. Saracenic metal work Brazier 188 THE HISTORY OF THE EASTERN EMPIRE [672-678 ] on which the city is constructed, while the fleet effectually blockaded theport. The Saracens failed in all their assaults, both by sea and land; but the Ro-mans, instead of celebrating their own valour and discipline, attributed theirsuccess principally to the use of the Greek fire, which was invented shortlybefore this siege, and was first used on this occasion. The military art haddeclined during the preceding century, as rapidly as every other branch ofnational culture; and the resources of the mighty empire of the Arabs wereso limited by the ignorance and bad administration of its rulers, that thecaliph was unable to maintain his forces before Constantinople during thewinter. The Saracen array was nevertheless enabled to collect
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