Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 4 (1897).djvu/566

 542 APPENDIX supposed (though hardly with good reason) that it was before the end of the fifth century that the king (or "negus ") of Abyssinia was converted.^ In the reign of Justin, a Homerite prince named Dhu-Xovas (Gibbon's Dunaan) threw off the Axiimite yoke, restored the dominance of the Jewish religion, and massacred Christians at Xejran. The king sent an embassy to Al-Mundir, the chief of the Saracens of Hira, to announce his success against Axum and Chris- tianity. The message happened to come at a moment when envoys of the Emperor Justin had arrived on business to Al-Mundir (Jan. 20, 524). The news of the massacre, which was soon carried to Svria, created a great sensation, and John Psaltes (abbot of a monastery near the Syrian Chalcis) wrote a hymn iu honour of the martyrs. ( Published by Schroter, Ztsch. der morgenl. Gesellschaft, 31. There is also extant a letter of one Simeon Beth-Arsam, on the massacre : Syriac text with Italian translation, by J. Guidi, in the Memoirs of the Academia dei Lincei, 1880-1. It is also possible, as M. Duchesne thinks, that the Marturiian Ardhar. Acta Sanctorum. Oct. x., was drawn up by a contemporary.) On the intervention of .Justin, the king of the Axumites, Elesbaas or Chaleb,-* reconquered Yemen, overthrew Dhu-Xovas, and set up Esimphaeus in his stead.-* But the revolt of a Christian named Abramos soon demanded a second intervention on the part of Elesbaas. This time the negus was unlucky. One Abyssinian army deserted to the rebel, and a second was destroyed. Abramos remained in ]>ower, and after the death of Elesbaas recognized the overlordship of his successor. The embassy of Xonnosus to Elesbaas jjrobably took place in the year a.d. 530.^ In the year a.d. .542-3 we find, according to Theophanes (p. 223. ed. de Boor), Adad. king of the Aximiites, and Damian. king of the Homerites. Damian put to death Roman merchants who entered Yemen, on the groimd that they injured his Jewish subjects. This policy injured the trade between Abyssinia and the Empire, and Adad and Damian fell out. Then Adad, who was still a heathen, swore that, if he conquered the Homerites, he would become a Christian. He was ^^cto^ious and kept his vow, and sent to Justinian for a bishop. A man named John was sent from Alexandria. This notice of Theophanes was derived from John Malalas, who however apparently placed it in the first year of Justinian (a.d. 527-S). This date cannot be right, as Elesbaas was king of the Axumites in that year. 31. Duchesne thinks that the episode of Adad (who in Malalas is called Andau) and Damian {Diiniios, in Malalas, more correctly) was anterior to the reign of Elesbaas. This may seem a hazardous conjecture. There is no reason why a successor of Elesbaas (whether his son or not) must needs have been a Christian ; and it is hard to believe that Theophanes acted purely arbitrarily in placing xmder the year a.d. 542-3 an event - This involves the hypothesis that the story of the victory of the Axumite king Andan (or Adad) over the Homerite king Dimnos (or Damianus) is not to be assigned to a.d. 527-8, in which vear Malalas who records the story (ed. Bonn, p. 433-4) appears to place it. Theophanes, who takes the notice from Malalas, places it however still later, in a.d. 542-3 (A.M. 6035). Andan swore that he would become a Christian, if he were successful against the Homerites, and he kept his vow. ■i Elesbaas. Nonnosus. Theophanes ; Elcsboas. O.icford Ms. of Malalas ; Ellisthacus. Procopius ; Ellatzbaao, Cosraas. Ludolf gives the Ethiopian original as Ela Atzbeha. ■•For these events the Martyriiim Arethae and Procopius, B.P. i. 20, are the chief sources. Theophanes briefly mentions the episode under the right year, a.d. 523-4. Procopius gives the name of the new prince or viceroy Esimphaeus, and records the revolt of Abramos. .Kt the end of the Maiiyr. Arethae Elesbaas is represented as investing Abramos with the kingship ; but this part is not contained in the Armenian version of the Mariviium, and it is therefore safer to follow Procopius. (Cp. Duchesne, p. 326, 32S.) Malalas (p. 457. ed. Bonn) gives Anganes as the name of the king of the Homerites who was set up by Elesbaas. The form Esimphaeus represents 'Xa-a-niiaxd. which is found on a coin (Rev. Numism. 186S, ii. 3). See further the account of Ibn Ishaq (Xoldeke, Tabari. 197 sgg.). 5 We know from Nonnosus himself (ap. Phot. Bibl. Cod. 3 = Muller, iv. p. 179) that he was sent to Elesbaas ; and it seems justifiable to identif- this embassy with that described by Malalas (p 457). From the previous dates in Malalas, it seems probable that the year was A.D. 530. The date a.d. 533 (given by Gibbon, Miiller, &c.) is too late ; for the mission must have been previous to the conclusion of the peace.