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Saracens,

At this time the Conftantinopolitan Emperors had fome part of Africa remaining in their Hands, but the Majefty of the Empire was now fo much diminished, that the Governours they fent thither looked on themfelves more as Kings than Subjects. Gregorius the Patrician was he who now ruled the Province of Carthage for Oiinan sends the Emperor Conftans, against whom Ofman fent his Emir Hucba, his Troops 4who defeating Gregory, took and deftroyed Carthage, and feized Tu- gainst Carnis, which afterwards became the Head of a particular Government, as it continues to this Day. About the fame time Muhavias, another Emir of Ofman's, proceeded from Egypt with a Fleet of feventeen hundred Sail for Cyprus, and having laid waste that Ifland, Cyprus laid landing in Syria, he took up his Quarters at Damafcus. The next waste by the Spring he repaired again to Cyprus, and having wholly reduced the Ifland to Obedience, failed over to Phanix, a Port of Caria, where lay the Emperor Conftans with a Fleet, which Muhavias attacking, gained an entire Victory, with fuch a prodigious Destruction of the they overGreeks, that the Sea was faid to be dyed, to a confiderable Distance, come the Emwith the Blood of the flain: and the Emperor, in Disguise, escaped in Caria. with Difficulty, in a fmall Boat to Conftantinople. The Conqueror hereupon invaded Rhodes, where he demolished the celebrated Co. A. D. 654. Leffus, and thence proceeding towards Sicily, wafted that Ifland with waste Rhodes Fire and Sword, as he had done feveral of the Cyclades in his Way. and Sicily, Hither Olympius the Exarch of Italy repaired against him, and co- but ming to an Engagement at Sea, at length gained the Victory, but their Fleet is fo bloody a one, and fo dearly bought, that he landed in the Ifland Exarch of 1more like the Vanquished than the Conquerour.

peror's Fleet

beaten by the

taly.

A. D. 673.

Muhavias by the Death of Ofman, and his Succeffor Aly, becoming Caliph, fo confiderably encreased his Power that he rendered the Emperor Conftantine Pogonatus his Tributary; in the fifth Year of which Prince's Reign, the Saracens coming up with a great Fleet and Army to Conftantinople, they feized on all that lay between the Hebdomum and Cyclobium, two Suburbs of that City; whereupon Conftantine brought out his Fleet, and they fought every Day The Saracens from Morning till Night in the Port there. From the Month of A. and Greeks fight off of pril till September they continued their Siege, when defpairing of ConftantinoSuccefs, they departed to, and wintered at Cyzicum, and in Spring ple. renewed the War. This they continued to do for four Years fucceffively; but at length their Courage being quite fpent, they in great grief retired, having loft a very great Number of their Men, after which followed the Destruction of their whole Fleet, which was in the Winter Scafon caft away off the Promontory of Scyllaum, * Cape Schill:. where perished thirty thoufand Men. There was a new Invention of Sea-Fire, as they called it, which would burn under Water, and The Saracens was of great Service to the Defendants in the Siege; with which Fleet destroyed Secret Callinicus, an Heliopolitan of Egypt, the Author of it, fled to the Romans. While one Party of the Saracens thus employed themselves against Conftantinople, another Captain of theirs, Suphianus, the Son of Aphus, engaged with the Roman Forces com- Are again manded by Florus, Petronas, and Cyprianus, but to no other Effect than that he loft thirty thousand of his Followers: And now grants them Would Peace.

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by Tempest.

beaten, but the Emperor

4

would the Majefty of the Roman Empire have revived and flourishA. D. 676. ed, if the Emperor had not ingloriously granted Peace to Muhavias, and thereby faved the Saracens, whofe Power (if he had profecuted his Succeffes) might have been then eafily crufhed in its Cradle, the Remains of which is to this Day to formidable in their Succeffors the Turks. Presently after the Conclufion of this Peace, Muhavias died at Damafcus, then the Seat of his Empire, having increased the Saracen Dominions on the Weft with Egypt and Africk, Eastward with Mefopotamia, and to the North with great Part of Afia Minor.

Juftinian II.

Saracens.

A. D. 688.

ple.

After Gizid and Marvan, who next fucceeded, Abdelmelich became Caliph, in whofe time the Emperor Juftinian the fecond beaten by the broke the Peace with the Saracens, with whom coming to a Battel, he received a great Defeat, and foon after was difpoffeffed of his Leontius af Dignity by Leontius, who banishing him to Cherfona, in the Taufumes the Pur- rican Cherfonefus, affumed the Purple himself. Abdelmelich encouraged by his late Succeffes, fent an Army to Thrace under the Conduct of Moamed, and at the fame time gave Orders for a Fleet to be got ready to fcour the Sea, and defend the Coafts of Africa, with which John, Leontius's Officer, who was fent with a Squadron against them, durft never come to an Engagement. Abdelmelich dying, he was fucceeded by Vlit, who fent Muza, then EThe Saracens mir, or Governor of Mauritania, against Roderic, King of the Goths invade Spain. in Spain, at the Inftigation of Count Julian, a Man of great Pow. er and Authority in that Country, whofe Daughter Roderic had ravished. The Succefs of this Expedition was the Reduction of all A. D. 713. Spain, from whence they penetrated into Gaul, and poffeffed themfelves of the greatest Part of Gallia Narbonenfis.

Provence and Languedoc.

Gaul.

Under Zullimin, or Soliman, the Succeffor of Vlit, the SaraReduce Spain, cens again befieged Conftantinople both by Sea and Land, with an and Part of Army commauded by Maffalnias, and a Fleet by Haumar. Their Infolence was a little repreffed by Leo, then Prætor of Armenia, but Zullimin himfelf repairing to the Siege with a Fleet of three thousand Sail, had gone near to have taken the City, but that he dyed before the Place, leaving his Son Haumar his Succeffor; and the Siege having continued two Years, the greatest Part of the Ships were funk by Tempefts, or burnt by artificial Fires, most of the Men perishing with their Veffels; to repair which Lofs Gizid advanced ftantinople, with a new Fleet of three hundred and fixty Sail to Bithynia, where he was entirely defeated and put to Flight.

But are 0verthrown before Con

A. D. 721.

and in diverse other Places.

A D. 800.

We purpofely omit the great Overthrows the Saracens received fome time after in the Weft from Charles Martel, Pipin, and Charles the Great, before Avignon, Narbonne, and other Places in France, where Abderames, Atinus, and others of their Leaders were cut off, together with their vaft Armies: The Turks at the fame time rushing down from Scythia through the Pafs of Caucafus, and attacking them in the Eaft. But the Saracens did not fall unrevenged, though vanquished in fo many Places, nor could they foon be rooted out who had acquired fo extenfive a Dominion; the Dif fenfions that reigned in the eastern Empire yielding them too good

an

come

of the Empe

comes them.

an Opportunity to retrieve their Affairs. Being called to the Affiftance of Thomas, who endeavoured to gain the Empire from Mi- They overchael Balbus, they gave a fignal Overthrow to that Emperor's Fleet Com the Flee off Abydus, and foon after defeated his Army commanded by Albi- ror Michael anus and Catacella, as alfo another confiderable Fleet that was fit- Balbus. ted out against them. About the fame time a great Body of them failing over from Mauritania to Corfica and Sardinia, in order to A. D. 807. fettle in those Islands, they were beaten in a Sea Fight by Boniface, Admiral to Pipin (Son of Charles the Great) King of Italy, Pipin's Adand forced to retire from thence. They foon after made another miral overAttempt on Sardinia, but were again defeated, off of that Ifland, by are beaten off Charles, Pipin's Brother, affifted by Count Buchard; but about the of Sardinia. fame time a numerous Body of them putting to Sca, over-ran Crete, but over-run where they built the City Candia, which now gives Name to the build Candia. whole Ifland. There Craterus, the Emperor Michael's Admiral, after an obftinate and bloody Difpute, gave them a great Overthrow, killing and taking Prifoners a vaft Multitude of them. Thofe that escaped, retired into the Town of Candia, who finding Craterus Michael the carelcfs after the Victory, and his People taken up in drinking and Admiral, and revelling, made a general Sally the enfuing Night, and cut him off the Saracens with his whole Army; to retrieve which Misfortune Oryphas was alternately fent out with a Fleet, who haraffed them in feveral Engagements and Skirmishes by Sea.

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About this time Euphenius, a Sicilian, fearing the Emperor's Re- A. D. S28. fentments for fome Crimes by him committed, went over to the Saracens, and offered to make them Mafters of Sicily, provided they would let him enjoy the Sovereignty there, who accordingly, under his Conduct, poffeffed themselves of that Ifland; and as Ambulacus, The Saracens one of their Leaders, who had ravaged the Coasts of Calabria, and master Sicily, Corfica, was returning to Africa laden with Spoils, Ermengarius, but are beaten Governor of the Baleares Iflands for Bernard King of Italy, fell in by the Italian with, and defeated him, fetting at liberty a great Number of Chriftian Slaves. The Saracens, however, did not yet defift from their Depredations, but fhortly after furprized Centumcella, which they burnt and deftroyed, when ravaging the Coaft of Gallia Narbonen chia. fis, they made another Attempt on Sardinia, where Ermengarius They take Cifalling unexpectedly upon them, gave them fo great a Defeat that ve- vita Vecchia, ry few of their Ships returned to Africk; and Boniface, Count of but are beaten Corfica, giving them chace, but not being able to come up with A. D. 830. them, landed a Body of Troops between Utica and Carthage, with which he fo harrafs'd and fatigued them, that they were forced to withdraw their People from Sicily to their Relief. Bonifacius then returning home with his victorious Fleet, the Saracens refolved to revenge their late Difgraces, and putting to Sea, again feized and plundered They plunder Centumcelle, and laid Siege to Rome it felf, where they burnt the CentumcelVatican, with all the Churches thereabouts, and having laid waste, and bethe Suburbs and neighbouring Towns, repaired on board their Ships. After this, under the Conduct of one Saba, they came over to Tarentum, and laid Siege to that Place, which being fomewhat dif- A. D. 843. treffed, the Greek and Venetian Fleets were fent to its Relief;

whercupon

off of Sardinia.

fiege Rome.

d Cotrone. The Greeks

and Venetians beaten at

Sea by the Sa

racens.

e Trieste.

A. D. 867.

The Fleets of

whereupon Saba making a Shew of Fear, withdrew from before the Place into the Bay of Crotona, where falling upon the Enemy's Fleet, he presently forced the Greeks to fly, and the Venetians, bravely fighting on board their Ships, were all flain to a Man. The fame Saba foon after, cruifing with a Squadron in the Adriatick, fell in, off Tergefte, with a rich Fleet of Venetian Merchant Ships bound home from Syria, all which he took, putting to Death the Merchants and Sailers; and in his Way down the Gulph feized and plunA. D. 846. dered Ancona. After this Bafilius Macedo, Emperor of the East, making War on the Saracens in Candia, received a great Defeat in a Sea Fight, and narrowly miffed being taken Prisoner: But not long after the Emperor's Fleet, in another Engagement in the Egaan, burnt or funk almost all their Ships. Thofe few who escaped from this Battel, in Rage and Despair ravaged the Coafts of Peloponnefus, and the neighbouring Islands, till at length they were all cut off by the Emperor's Admiral in three other Skirmishes off Methone, & Pylus and Patra. The Saracens in Mauritania hearing of thefe Loffes, and Manuel the Patrician being fent into Sicily with a strong Squadron, they there attacked and entirely routed him, beat Manuel with great Slaughter of his Men, whence they proceeded up the the Patrician Adriatick to Dalmatia and Iftria, where, as they were befieging Grado, they were attacked and defeated by Vrfus Particiatus, then Doge of Venice. They foon after received another Overthrow from Narfanes, the Emperor Bafilius's Admiral, who profecuting his Victory, took in feveral Towns of Calabria and Apulia that were garifonned by the Enemy.

the eastern Emperor and Saracens alternately beaten.

e Modon.

f Navarino. g Patras.

The Saracens

at Sea,

but are over

come by the Doge of Ve

nice,

A. D 872.

The Saracens

great Loffes.

A. D. 1031.

pe

Romanus, coming to be Emperor, made a Peace with the Saracens, on whose Side Fortune had long continued, but now, inconstant as fhe is, began to declare against them, for a vaft Multitude of them rished as they were croffing out of Italy from Rhegium to Messana, drowned, and which Misfortune was foon after followed by another as fignal; receive other for Hugh King of Italy burnt a great Fleet of theirs on the Coast of Provence; and, in the Eaft, the Provinces of Natolia and Cilicia, with the City of Antioch, were taken from them. After this they received a great Defeat among the Cyclades from Nicephorus Carantenus, the Conftantinopolitan Emperor's Admiral; a confiderable time before which they had loft the Inland Crete, and been stript of almost all they had in Italy by Otho the firft, Emperor of Germany. The Source of thefe Misfortunes were the Divifions amongst themselves, with which weakening one another, they at length became an eafy Prey to their Enemies. In Perfia, Syria, Egypt and Africk they were forced to give way to the Turks; and in Calabria and Apulia to the Norman Princes, They held out longeft in Spain, where they flourished after this for feveral Centuries, till the time of Ferdinand V. King of Caftile, who conquered Muley Boabdelin, King of Granada, the only Kingdom they had remaining, and an End to their Power in that Country.

A. D. 1492.
They are dri-
ven out of
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CHAP.

T

CHA P. III.

Of the Naval Wars of the Normans.

Oward the Decline of the Saracen Power, the Normans began to grow confiderable, who were a People of Norway, that had for many Ages before been used to Piratical Depredations in the Northern Seas, which they chiefly made ufe of against their Neighbours of Denmark and Sweden, wherein fometimes the one, and fometimes the other got the better. It was in the Times of the Emperors Charlemagne, Louis the Pious, and Lotharius, that these People began to make their Excurfions to the Southward; when mixing with the Danes, they came down in Swarms, under the Conduct of a Son of Regnerus, one of their Kings, and ravaged the Coafts of Saxony, Friesland, Holland, and Flanders, whence The Normans coafting along, they entered the Seine, the Loire, and the Garonne, feizing and plundering the Towns upon those Rivers.

After this, Addingus, one of their Leaders, fatiated with the Spoils of Gaul, began to caft his Eyes on Italy, (poffefs'd by the Longobardi or Lombards, originally their Neighbours, having come from Schonen in Sweden) who putting to Sea, failed round to the Mediterranean, and coming on the Coaft of Tuscany, took the Ci

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ty of Luna, ignorantly fuppofing it to be Rome. Hence proceed- Sarzana, ing Weftward to the Iflands on the Coast of Provence and the Mouth near Porto of the Rhone, Charles the Bald, King of France, thought fit to A. D. 857. offer a Place of Habitation for himself and his Followers, which was the City of Chartres, and the adjacent Country. There he lived Settle at Charquietly till the time of Rollo, who coming from Norway with a tres, and the great Fleet to Neuftria (fo all the North Part of France was then Country. called) landed his People, and fettled himself there, giving the Name A. D. 895. of Normandy to Part of the Country, and affuming the Title of Norway SetDuke. About thefe times there reigned in Norway Harold Graa- tles in Nor field, of whom it is related that the Emperor Otho fending a Naval mandy. Force against him, either to reprefs his Piracies, or attempt the Converfion of his Country to Chriftianity, he advanced with his Fleet to fight them, but before the Battel, facrificed his two Sons to the Winds and Tempests, and the Gods of the Sea, whereupon (fay the Norwegian Hiftorians) the Dæmons of the Air, pleafed with the impious Offering, raised such a Storm as entirely deftroyed the Em- The Emperor peror's Fleet.

Otho's Fleet destroyed by Tempeft.

William

From this Rollo beforementioned fprang a double Race of Normans, of which one, in the Mediterranean, poffeffed Apulia and Calabria; and the other, in the Ocean, the Kingdom of England. Rollo was fucceeded in the Duchy of Normandy by his Son Willi am, firnamed Longford, who interpofing in the Affairs of the Longfword North, overcame Sueno King of Denmark, and fettled Harold in overcomes the that Kingdom. William was fucceeded by Richard, who being af mark. fifted by a great Body of Danes against Lotharius King of France, he,

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