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 118 THE DECLINE AND FALL devotion of Theodora, who restored the images to the Oriental church. Her inquisitors explored the cities and mountains of the lesser Asia, and the flatterers of the empress have affirmed that, in a short reign, one hundred thousand Paulicians were extirpated by the sword, the gibbet, or the flames. Her guilt or merit has perhaps been stretched beyond the measure ol truth ; but, if the account be allowed, it must be presumed that manj^ simple Iconoclasts were punished under a more odious name ; and that some, who were driven trom the church, unwillingly took refuge in the bosom of heresy. Eevoitofthe _.^The most furious and desperate of rebels are the sectaries of AJD^sSfflb a religion long persecuted, and at length provoked. In an holy cause they are no longer susceptible ot le^ir or remorse : the justice of their arms hardens them against the feelings of humanity ; and they revenge their fathers' wrongs on the children of their tyrants. Such have been the Hussites of Bohemia and the Calvinists of France, and such, in the ninth century, were the Paulicians of Armenia and the adjacent pro- vinces. -^ They were first awakened to the massacre of a governor and bishop, who exercised the Imperial mandate of converting or destroying the heretics ; and the deepest recesses of mount Argaeus protected their independence and revenge. A more dangerous and consuming flame was kindled by the persecution of Theodora, and the revolt of Carbeas, a valiant [General of Paulician, who Commanded the guards of the general of the Theme] East. His father had been impaled by the Catholic inquisitors ; and religion, or at least nature, might justify his desertion and revenge. Five thousand of his brethi-en were united by the same motives ; they renounced the allegiance of anti-christian Rome ; a Saracen emir introduced Carbeas to the caliph ; and the commander of the faithful extended his sceptre to the im- They fortify placable enemy of the Greeks. In the mountains between Tep ce Siwas -- and Trebizond he founded or fortified the city of Tephrice, -" which is still occupied by a fierce and licentious 21 Petrus Siculus (p. 763, 764), the continuator of Theophanes (L iv. c. 4, p. 103, 104), Cedrenus (p. 541, 542, 545 [ii. 153 sgq., ed. B.]), and Zonaras (torn. ii. 1. xvi. p. 156 [c. 2j) describe the revolt and exploits of Carbeas and his Paulicians. - [Sebastea.] ^ Otter (Voyage en Turquie et en Perse, torn. ii. ) is probably the only Frank who has visited the independent Barbarians of Tephrice, now Uivrigni [UevTik], from whom he fortunately escaped in ihe train of a Turkish officer. [The Paulicians first occupied and fortitied (with the help of the Emir of Meliiene) Argaiis and Amara (Theoph. Cont. , iv. 16, p. 166, ed. Bonn). Argaiis has been identified with Argovan, on a tributary of the J:,uphrates, due north 01 Mehtene, by Mr. J. (J. C.