Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 5 (1897).djvu/419

 OF THE EOMAN EMPIRE 397 CHAPTEK LI The Conquest of Persia, Syria, Egi/pf, Africa, and Spain, by the Arabs or Saracens — Empire of the Caliphs, or Successors of Ma- homet — State of the Christians, S^-c. under their Government The revolution of Arabia had not changed the character of the ^^°^^ °f^^ Arabs : the death of Mahomet was the signal of independence ; 632 ' and the hasty structure of his power and religion tottered to its foundations. A small and faithful band of his primitive disciples had listened to his eloquence and shared his distress ; had fled with the apostle from the persecution of Mecca or had received the fugitive in the walls of Medina. The increasing myriads, who acknowledged Mahomet as their king and prophet, had been compelled by his arms or allured by his prosperity. The poly theists were confounded by the simple idea of a solitary and invisible God; the pride of the Christians and Jews disdained the yoke of a mortal and contemporary legislator. Their habits of faith and obedi- ence were not sufficiently confirmed ; and many of the new con- verts regretted the venerable antiquity of the law of Moses, or the rites and mysteries of the Catholic church, or the idols, the sacrifices, the joyous festivals, of their pagan ancestors. The jarring interests and hereditary feuds of the Arabian tribes had not yet coalesced in a system of union and subordination ; and the barbarians were impatient of the mildest and most salutary laws that curbed their passions or violated their customs. They submitted with reluctance to the religious precepts of the Koran, the abstinence from wine, the fast of the Ramadan, and the daily repetition of five prayers ; and the alms and tithes, which were collected for the treasury of Medina, could be distinguished only by a name from the payment of a perpetual and ignomini- ous tribute. The example of Mahomet had excited a spirit of fanaticism or imposture, and several of his rivals presumed to imitate the conduct and defy the authority of the living prophet. At the head of the fugitives and aua'iiiaries, the first caliph was