Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 5 (1897).djvu/562

 540 APPENDIX 20. MOKAUKAS— (P. 379, 448) Papyri discovered in Egypt throw some interesting light on the position of the Copt Mokaukas (al-Mukaukis), famous for his correspondence with Mohammad and for the part he played in the Saracen conquest. Mokaukas had been the subject of a monography by the Dutch orientalist de Goeje (1885), and had engaged the special attention of Ranke (Weltgeschichte, vol. v., p. 140 sqq.) ; but the investi- gation of Prof. J. Karabacek, the editor of the Mittheilungen from the collection of the Archduke Rainer'a papyri, puts new evidence at our disposal (Der Mokaukis von Aegypten ; Mittheil., pt. i., p. 1 sqq.). The results briefly are : — The proper name of Mokaukas (al-Mukaukis) was George, and he was the son of Menas Parkabios, an instance of a Copt with a double name (Greek and Coptic), of which there are constant examples in papyri. At this time Egypt had three eparchies, each under a dux ; each eparchy was divided into several nomes under strategoi. The financial administration of the nome was in the hands of a pagarch. Sometimes the offices of the strategos and pagarch were united ; and Mokaukas combined the double functions. But it seems that though he was always connected with the eparch3' of Lower Egypt, he was not throughout his whole career pagarch of the same nome. For we find him at Alexandria as well as at Misr (Babylon). In A.D. 628 Hatib, the envoy of Mohammad, found him governor of Alexandria. In Biladhuri he appears as governor first of Alexandria and afterwards of Misr. Eutychius and Elmacin represent him as an Aniil set by Heraclius over the taxes in Misr. There is no question that at the time of the Saracen invasion his official residence was Misr. Karabacek thinks that the name Mokaukis is a corruption of /jLeyavxvs, which might have been one of his titles, since we find applied to pagarchs such titles as fxtyaKoTrpfireaTaTos, ivSo^Sraros. But fifyavxvs seems a very unlikely titular epithet. We can now see what is meant by the " prefects " mentioned by John of Nikiu (p. 559, 577), according to Zotenberg's translation. Thus John's Abakiri can be identified with "AirTro Kvpos, who is found in a papyrus as pagarch of Heracleo- polis magna. For the position of Mokaukas as head of the Copts see John of Nikiu. 21. CHRONOLOGY OF THE SARACEN CONQUEST OF SYRIA AND EGYPT— (P. 415-451) The discrepancies in the original authorities (Greek and Arabic) for the Sara- cen conquests in the caliphates of Abu Bekr and Omar have caused considerable uncertainty as to the dates of such leading events as the battles of the Yermuk and Cadesia, the captures of Damascus and Alexandria, and have led to most divergent chronological schem.es. I. CoNQUE.ST OF Syria. Gibbou follows Ockley, who, after the false Wakidi, gives the following arrangement : — A.D. 633. Siege and capture of Bosra. Siege of Damascus. Battle of Ajna- dain (Julj-). ,, 634. Capture of Damascus. ,, 635. Siege of Emesa. ,, 636. Battle of Cadesia. Battle of the Yermuk. ,, 637. Capture of Heliopolis and Emesa. Conquest of Jerusalem. ,, 638. Conquest of Aleppo and Antioch. Flight of Heraclius. Clinton (Fasti Romani, ii., p. 173-5) has also adopted this scheme. But it must certainly be rejected. (1) Gibbon has himself noticed a difficulty concerning the length of the siege of Damascus, in connexion with the battle of Ajnadain (see p. 424, n. 73). (2) The date given for that battle, Friday, July 13, a. d. 633 (Ockley, i., p. 65), is inconsistent with the fact that Jul}- 13 in that year fell on Tuesday. (3) The battle of the Yermuk took place without any doubt in August, 634. This is proved by the notice of Arabic authors that it was synchronous with the death of Abii Bekr ; combined with the date of Theophanes (sub a.m. 6126), "Tuesday,