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they seized the heights of Lebanon; and many slaves and natives fled to them, so that in a short time they became many thousands. And when Muawiya and his counselors learned this, they were greatly afraid. And he sends ambassadors to the emperor Constantine seeking peace. On this pretext, John, surnamed Pitzigaudes, was sent by the Emperor Constantine, the Orthodox, son of Pogonatus. When he arrived in Syria, Muawiya received him with great honor, and it was agreed by both sides that a written peace treaty be made with an oath, on the basis of an agreed annual pact, that there be provided to the emperor of the Romans by the Hagarenes three thousand pieces of gold and 800 captive men and 50 noble horses. At this time, the rule of the Arabs was divided into two parts. And in Athribis, Ali held the rule, while Muawiya ruled Egypt and Palestine and Damascus. And those who inhabited Athribis campaigned with the sons of Ali against Muawiya. But Muawiya armed himself against them, and joined battle by the Euphrates river, and the party of Ali was defeated, and Muawiya took Athribis and all the land of Syria. And his dynasty ruled for 85 years. And after him came forth those called the Black-robed from Persia, who rule until today, and they warred against the dynasty of Muawiya and destroyed it. And they also slew Marwan, their head. And a few of Muawiya's men were left, and they were pursued by the Black-robed as far as Africa with one of Muawiya's descendants. And this same descendant of Muawiya with a few men crossed over to Spain in the days of Justinian Rhinotmetos, but not of Pogonatus. This, however, is not written by our historians. For since great Rome was taken by the Goths, Roman affairs began to be curtailed, and none of the historians of the parts of Spain made mention, either of the dynasty of Muawiya. But the history of the blessed Theophanes has it thus. So Muawiya, the leader of the Saracens, died, having been a general for 20 years, and an emir for 24 years. And Yazid, his son, held the rule of the Arabs for 3 years. When he died, the Arabs of Athribis were thrown into confusion, and rising up they appointed for themselves as leader Abdallah, the son of Zubayr. When the Hagarenes inhabiting Phoenicia and Palestine and Damascus heard this, they come to Usan, emir of Palestine, and they put forward Marwan, and establish him as leader, and he holds the rule for 9 months. And when he died, Abimelech, his son, succeeds to the rule, and he reigns for 22 years and 6 months. And he subdues the usurpers, and kills Abdallah, son of Zubayr, the successor. During these events, Constantine the emperor died, the son of Pogonatus, having held the rule of the Romans for 17 years; and Justinian, his son, reigned in his place. It is to be known that the leader of the Arabs, who as the fifth from Muhammad held the rule of the Arabs, was not of the family of Muhammad, but from another tribe. And first he was appointed general and admiral by Uthman, leader of the Arabs, and was sent against the Roman state with a strong force and 1200 decked ships. And he came as far as Rhodes, and from there having armed himself he went up to Constantinople, and having spent a considerable time, and having plundered the areas outside of Byzantium, he returned unsuccessful. And having come to Rhodes he pulled down the colossus that stood there. It was a bronze statue of the sun, gilded from head to feet, having a height of 80 cubits and a width in proportion to the height, as the epigram written at the base of its feet testifies, which runs thus: The colossus in Rhodes, eighty cubits high, Laches the Lindian made. And he took its bronze and transported it to Syria, and set it in the marketplace for everyone

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ἐχειρώσαντο τὰς τοῦ Λιβάνου περιωπάς· καὶ πολλοὶ δοῦλοι καὶ αὐτόχθονες πρὸς αὐτοὺς κατέφυγον, ὥστε δι' ὀλίγου χρόνου εἰς πολλὰς χιλιάδας γενέσθαι. Καὶ τοῦτο μαθὼν Μαυίας καὶ οἱ σύμβουλοι αὐτοῦ, ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα. Καὶ ἀποστέλλει πρέσβεις πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Κωνσταντῖνον ζητῶν εἰρήνην. Ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ προφάσει πέμπεται παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου, τοῦ ὀρθοδόξου, υἱοῦ τοῦ Πωγωνάτου, Ἰωάννης ὁ ἐπίκλην Πιτζηκαύδης. Τούτου δὲ καταλαβόντος ἐν Συρίᾳ, Μαυίας ἐδέξατο αὐτὸν μετὰ μεγάλης τιμῆς, καὶ συνεφωνήθη πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους ἔγγραφον γενέσθαι εἰρήνης μεθ' ὅρκου λόγον ἐπὶ συμφώνου ἐτησίου πάκτου, παρέχεσθαι τῷ τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλεῖ παρὰ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν χρυσίου χιλιάδας τρεῖς καὶ ἄνδρας αἰχμαλώτους ωʹ καὶ ἵππους εὐγενεῖς νʹ. Ἐπὶ τούτου διῃρέθη ἡ τῶν Ἀράβων ἀρχὴ εἰς μέρη δύο. Καὶ εἰς μὲν τὴν Αἰθρίβου ἐκράτησε τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ Ἀλή, τὴν δὲ Αἴγυπτον καὶ Παλαιστίνην καὶ ∆αμασκὸν ἐκράτει ὁ Μαυίας. Καὶ οἱ μὲν τὴν Αἴθριβον οἰκοῦντες μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ Ἀλὴ ἐστράτευσαν κατὰ τοῦ Μαυίου. Ὁ δὲ Μαυίας ἀνθωπλίσατο κατ' αὐτῶν, καὶ συνῆψεν πόλεμον παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν Εὐφράτην, καὶ ἡττήθη τὸ μέρος Ἀλή, καὶ παρέλαβεν ὁ Μαυίας τὴν Αἴθριβον καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τῆς Συρίας. Ἐκράτησεν δὲ ἡ αὐτοῦ γενεὰ ἔτη πεʹ. Καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν ἐξῆλθον οἱ λεγόμενοι Μαυροφόροι ἀπὸ Περσίδος, οἱ κρατοῦντες ἕως τῆς σήμερον, καὶ ἐπολέμησαν τὴν γενεὰν τοῦ Μαυίου καὶ ἠφάνισαν αὐτήν. Ἔσφαξαν δὲ καὶ Μαρουάμ, τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν. Ὑπελείφθησαν δὲ ὀλίγοι τοῦ Μαυίου, καὶ ἐδιώχθησαν παρὰ τῶν Μαυροφόρων ἕως τῆς Ἀφρικῆς μετὰ καὶ ἑνὸς ἐκγόνου τοῦ Μαυίου. Ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς ἔκγονος τοῦ Μαυίου μετ' ὀλίγων τινῶν διεπέρασεν εἰς τὴν Ἱσπανίαν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἰουστινιανοῦ τοῦ Ῥινοτμήτου, οὐχὶ δὲ τοῦ Πωγωνάτου. Τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἱστορικοῖς οὐ γέγραπται. Ἀφ' οὗ γὰρ παρελήφθη ἡ μεγάλη Ῥώμη παρὰ τῶν Γότθων, ἤρξατο ἀκρωτηριάζεσθαι τὰ Ῥωμαϊκὰ πράγματα, καὶ οὐδεὶς τῶν ἱστορικῶν τῶν τῆς Ἱσπανίας μερῶν ἐποιήσατο μνείαν, οὔτε τῆς γενεᾶς τοῦ Μαυίου. Ἔχει δὲ τοῦ μακαρίου Θεοφάνους ἡ ἱστορία οὕτως. Ἀπεβίω οὖν ὁ Μαυίας, ὁ τῶν Σαρακηνῶν ἀρχηγός, γεγονὼς στρατηγὸς ἔτη κʹ, ἀμηρεύσας δὲ ἔτη κδʹ. Καὶ ἐκράτησεν τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν Ἀράβων Ἰζίδ, ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, ἔτη ʹ. Τούτου τελευτήσαντος, ἐταράχθησαν οἱ Ἄραβες τῆς Αἰθρίβου, καὶ διεγερθέντες κατέστησαν ἑαυτοῖς ἀρχηγὸν Ἀβδελᾶν, τὸν υἱὸν Ζουβέρ. Τοῦτο ἀκούσαντες οἱ τὴν Φοινίκην καὶ Παλαιστίνην καὶ ∆αμασκὸν κατοικοῦντες Ἀγαρηνοί, ἔρχονται πρὸς Οὐσάν, ἀμηρᾶν Παλαιστίνης, καὶ προβάλλονται Μαρουάμ, καὶ ἱστῶσιν αὐτὸν ἀρχηγόν, καὶ κρατεῖ τῆς ἀρχῆς μῆνας θʹ. Τούτου δὲ τελευτήσαντος, Ἀβιμέλεχ, ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ διαδέχεται τὴν ἀρχήν, καὶ κρατεῖ ἔτη κβʹ καὶ μῆνας ʹ. Καὶ χειροῦται τοὺς τυράννους, καὶ ἀποκτέννει τὸν Ἀβδελᾶν, υἱὸν Ζουβὲρ καὶ διάδοχον. Ἐν τούτοις τελευτᾷ Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ βασιλεύς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Πωγωνάτου, κρατήσας τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς ἔτη ιζʹ· καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἀντ' αὐτοῦ Ἰουστινιανός, ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ὁ τῶν Ἀράβων ἀρχηγός, ὃς πέμπτος ἀπὸ τοῦ Μουάμεθ ἐκράτησεν τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν Ἀράβων, οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ γένους ἦν τοῦ Μουάμεθ, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἑτέρας φυλῆς. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐχειροτονήθη στρατηγὸς καὶ ναύαρχος παρὰ Οὐθμάν, ἀρχηγοῦ τῶν Ἀράβων, καὶ ἀπεστάλη κατὰ τῆς Ῥωμαίων πολιτείας μετὰ χειρὸς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ καταφράκτων νηῶν ασʹ. Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ἕως τῆς Ῥόδου, κἀκεῖθεν ἐξοπλισάμενος ἀνῆλθεν ἕως Κωνσταντινούπολιν, καὶ διατρίψας χρόνον ἱκανόν, λεηλατήσας τε τὰ ἔξω τοῦ Βυζαντίου, ὑπέστρεψεν ἄπρακτος. Ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐν τῇ Ῥόδῳ καθεῖλεν τὸν κολοσσὸν τὸν ἐν αὐτῇ ἱστάμενον. Ἄγαλμα δὲ ἦν τοῦ ἡλίου χαλκοῦν, κεχρυσωμένον ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς ἕως ποδῶν, ἔχον ὕψος πήχεις πʹ καὶ πλάτος ἀναλόγως τοῦ ὕψους, καθὼς μαρτυρεῖ τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ πρὸς τὴν βάσιν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένον, ἔχον οὕτως· Τὸν ἐν Ῥόδῳ κολοσσὸν ὀκτάκις δέκα Λάχης ἐποίει πηχέων, ὁ Λίνδιος. Ἔλαβεν δὲ τὸν χαλκὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ διεπέρασεν αὐτὸν ἐν Συρίᾳ, καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτὸν εἰς ἀγορὰν παντὶ