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being able to contribute great things to you and to demonstrate it more wonderfully. These things are again about the difference of other nations, both their genealogy and customs and way of life and position and climate of the land inhabited by them and its description and its measurement in stadia, as has been more broadly interpreted in what follows. 14 Concerning the genealogy of Muhammad. The impious and unclean Muhammad, whom the Saracens say is their prophet, is genealogized, being descended from the most general tribe of Ishmael, son of Abraham. For Zinaros, the descendant of Ishmael, is proclaimed the father of them all. This one therefore begets two sons, Moundaros and Rhabias, and Moundaros begets Kousaros and Kaïsos and Thememes and Asandos and certain other nameless ones, who, having been allotted the desert of Midian, raised cattle, dwelling in tents. And there are those more inland than these, not from their tribe, but from Joktan, those called Homerites, that is, Amanites. And it is shown thus. When this Muhammad was poor and an orphan, it seemed good to him to be hired by a certain rich woman, a relative of his, called Khadija, to be a camel-driver and to trade in Egypt with foreigners and in Palestine. Then, little by little, having grown bold and having won over the woman, who was a widow, he takes her as his wife. And so, staying in Palestine and associating with both Jews and Christians, he hunted for certain words and scriptural interpretations. But having the affliction of epilepsy, his wife was greatly grieved, being distinguished and rich and having joined with such a man, not only poor, but also epileptic, whom he deceived, saying: "I see a terrible vision of an angel named Gabriel, and not being able to bear the sight of him, I faint and fall," and he was believed, with a certain falsely-named Arian monk bearing false witness with him for sordid gain. And so the woman, having been deceived and having proclaimed to other women of her tribe that he was a prophet, the lie of deception went forth even to a phylarch named Boubachar. The woman therefore died and left this man as successor and heir of her property, and he became distinguished and exceedingly wealthy, and his wicked deceit and heresy took hold of the parts of Ethribos. And this madman and imposter taught those who obeyed him that he who kills an enemy or is killed by an enemy enters paradise, and other things, as much as he babbles. And they also pray to the star of Aphrodite, which they call Koubar, and they cry out in their prayer thus: "Alla oua Koubar," which is "God and Aphrodite." For they call God "Alla," and they put "oua" instead of the conjunction "and," and they call the star "Koubar," and they say thus: "Alla oua Koubar." 15 Concerning the race of the Fatemites. It should be known that Fatem was the daughter of Muhammad, and from her the Fatemites are born. But these are not from Fatemeh from the country of Libya, but they dwell towards the more northern parts of Mecca, deeper than the tomb of Muhammad. They are an Arabian nation, precisely trained for wars and battles; for with such a race Muhammad waged war, and he sacked and subjugated many cities and countries. For they are valiant and warlike, for if up to a thousand of them are found in an army, such an army becomes invincible and unconquerable. They do not ride horses, but camels, and in time of war they do not wear breastplates, nor coats of mail, but rose-colored cloaks, and they have long spears and man-sized shields and enormous wooden bows, almost unable to be drawn by a few men. 16 From the canon, in which Stephen the mathematician laid down the theme concerning the exodus of the Saracens, at what time of the world's creation it occurred, and who was wielding the scepters of the kingdom of the Romans. The Saracens came out on the third of the month of September, in the tenth indiction, in the twelfth year

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μεγάλα σοι συμβαλέσθαι δυναμένης καὶ θαυμαστότερον ἀποδεῖξαι. Τὰ δέ ἐστιν περὶ διαφορᾶς πάλιν ἑτέρων ἐθνῶν, γενεαλογίας τε αὐτῶν καὶ ἐθῶν καὶ βίου διαγωγῆς καὶ θέσεως καὶ κράσεως τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν κατοικουμένης γῆς καὶ περιηγήσεως αὐτῆς καὶ σταδιασμοῦ, καθὼς ἑξῆς πλατύτερον διηρμήνευται. 14 Περὶ τῆς γενεαλογίας τοῦ Μουχούμετ. Γενεαλογεῖται ὁ δυσσεβὴς καὶ ἀκάθαρτος Μουχούμετ, ὃν λέγουσιν οἱ Σαρακηνοὶ προφήτην αὐτῶν εἶναι, ἐκ φυλῆς γενικωτάτης Ἰσμαήλ, υἱοῦ Ἀβραάμ, καταγόμενος. Ζιναρὸς γάρ, ὁ τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ ἀπόγονος, πατὴρ αὐτῶν ἀναγορεύεται πάντων. Οὗτος οὖν γεννᾷ υἱοὺς δύο, Μούνδαρον καὶ Ῥαβίαν, ὁ δὲ Μούνδαρος τίκτει Κούσαρον καὶ Κάϊσον καὶ Θεμίμην καὶ Ἄσανδον καὶ ἄλλους τινὰς ἀνωνύμους, οἳ καὶ τὴν Μαδιανῖτιν ἔρημον κληρωσάμενοι, ἐκτηνοτρόφουν ἐν σκηναῖς κατοικοῦντες. Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἐνδότεροι τούτων οὐκ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Ἰεκτάν, οἱ λεγόμενοι Ὁμηρῖται, τουτέστιν Ἀμανῖται. Ἀναδείκνυται δὲ οὕτως. Ἀπόροὄντος αὐτοῦ τοῦ Μουχούμετ καὶ ὀρφανοῦ, ἔδοξεν αὐτῷ μισθωτεύσασθαι γυναικί τινι πλουσίᾳ καὶ συγγενεῖ αὐτοῦ, καλουμένῃ Χαδιγᾷ, πρὸς τὸ καμηλεύειν καὶ πραγματεύεσθαι ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ μετὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων καὶ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ. Εἶτα κατὰ μικρὸν παρρησιασάμενος καὶ ὑπελθὼν τῇ γυναικὶ χήρᾳ οὔσῃ, λαμβάνει αὐτὴν εἰς γυναῖκα. Καὶ δὴ ἐπιχωριάζων ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ καὶ συναναστρεφόμενος Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Χριστιανοῖς, ἐθηρᾶτο λόγους καὶ γραφικὰς λύσεις τινάς. Ἔχων δὲ τὸ πάθος τῆς ἐπιληψίας, ἐλυπεῖτο σφόδρα ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, ὡς περιφανὴς καὶ πλουσία καὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ ἀνδρὶ συναφθεῖσα, οὐ μόνον ἀπόρῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιληπτικῷ, ἣν καὶ τροπωσάμενος φάσκων, ὅτι· "Φοβερὰν ὀπτασίαν ἀγγέλου θεωρῶ Γαβριὴλ ὀνόματι, καὶ μὴ ὑποφέρων αὐτοῦ τὴν θέαν ὀλιγωρῶ καὶ πίπτω", ἐπιστεύθη, συμψευδομαρτυροῦντος αὐτῷ Ἀρειανοῦ τινος μοναχοῦ ψευδωνύμου δι' αἰσχροκέρδειαν. Καὶ οὕτως ἡ γυνὴ πλανηθεῖσα καὶ ἄλλαις γυναιξὶν ὁμοφύλαις κηρύξασα προφήτην αὐτὸν εἶναι, προῆλθεν τὸ ψεῦδος τῆς ἀπάτης καὶ εἰς ἄνδρα φύλαρχον τοὔνομα Βουβάχαρ. Ἡ οὖν γυνὴ θανοῦσα καὶ τοῦτον διάδοχον καὶ κληρονόμον καταλείψασα τῶν ἑαυτῆς, ἐγένετο περιφανὴς καὶ ἄγαν ὑπερούσιος, καὶ κατέσχεν ἡ πονηρὰ πλάνη τε καὶ αἵρεσις αὐτοῦ τὰ μέρη τῆς Αἰθρίβου. Καὶ ἐδίδαξεν οὗτος ὁ παράφρων καὶ πεφενακισμένος τοὺς αὐτῷ πειθομένους, ὅτι ὁ φονεύων ἐχθρὸν ἢ ὑπὸ ἐχθροῦ φονευόμενος εἰς τὸν παράδεισον εἰσέρχεται καὶ ἄλλα, ὅσα φλυαρεῖ. Προσεύχονται δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἄστρον, ὃ καλοῦσι Κουβάρ, καὶ ἀναφωνοῦσιν ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ αὐτῶν οὕτως· "Ἀλλὰ οὐὰ Κουβάρ", ὅ ἐστιν "ὁ θεὸς καὶ Ἀφροδίτη". Τὸν γὰρ θεὸν "Ἀλλά" προσονομάζουσι, τὸ δὲ "οὐά" ἀντὶ τοῦ "καί" συνδέσμου τιθέασιν, καὶ τὸ "Κουβάρ" καλοῦσι τὸ ἄστρον, καὶ λέγουσιν οὕτως· "Ἀλλὰ οὐὰ Κουβάρ." 15 Περὶ τοῦ γένους τῶν Φατεμιτῶν. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ἡ Φατὲμ θυγάτηρ ἦν τοῦ Μουχούμετ, καὶ ἀπ' ἐκείνης γεννῶνται οἱ Φατεμῖται. Οὐκ εἰσὶ δὲ οὗτοι ἐκ τοῦ Φατέμη ἀπὸ τῆς Λιβύης χώρας, ἀλλὰ κατοικοῦσι πρὸς τὰ βορειότερα μέρη τοῦ Μέκε, βαθύτερα τοῦ τάφου τοῦ Μουχούμετ. Εἰσὶ δὲ ἔθνος Ἀραβικόν, πρὸς πολέμους καὶ μάχας ἀκριβῶς ἐξησκημένον· μετὰ γὰρ τοῦ τοιούτου γένους ἐπολέμησεν ὁ Μουχούμετ, καὶ πολλὰς πόλεις καὶ χώρας ἐπόρθησεν καὶ καθυπέταξεν. Εἰσὶ γὰρ ἠνδρειωμένοι καὶ πολεμισταί, ὅτι εἰ εὑρεθῶσι μέχρι μιᾶς χιλιάδος εἰς φοσσᾶτον, τὸ τοιοῦτον φοσσᾶτον ἀήττητον καὶ ἀκαταμάχητον γίνεται. Οὐ καβαλλικεύουσι δὲ ἵππους, ἀλλὰ καμήλους, ἐν δὲ τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ πολέμου οὐκ ἐνδύονται θώρακας, οὔτε κλιβάνια, ἀλλὰ περιβόλαια ῥοδωτά, καὶ ἔχουσι δόρατα μακρὰ καὶ ἀσπίδας ἀνδρομήκεις καὶ τόξα ξύλινα παμμεγέθη, σχεδὸν μὴ δυνάμενα τείνεσθαι παρ' ὀλίγων ἀνδρῶν. 16 Ἐκ τοῦ κανόνος, οὗ ἐθεμάτισεν Στέφανος ὁ μαθηματικὸς περὶ τῆς τῶν Σαρακηνῶν ἐξόδου, ἐν ποίῳ χρόνῳ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου συστάσεως ἐγένετο, καὶ τίς ὁ τὰ σκῆπτρα τῆς βασιλείας Ῥωμαίων διέπων. Ἐξῆλθον οἱ Σαρακηνοὶ μηνὶ Σεπτεμβρίῳ τρίτῃ, ἰνδικτιῶνος δεκάτης, εἰς τὸ δωδέκατον ἔτος