Page:Lesser Eastern Churches.djvu/256

234 see p. 97) the Selǵūk Turks nominate and depose Khalifs as they please. In Egypt, too, Turks and Berbers are employed to guard the Fatimid's throne. From this time the Turkish guard play a great part in Egyptian history.

Under the Fatimids the Christians enjoyed on the whole rather more toleration than before. But their condition was still wretched, they were no less subject to outbursts of frightful persecution. Al-'Azīz (975-996), son and successor of Al-Mu'izz, was a good ruler, specially tolerant to his Christian subjects. He had a Christian wife; he made her two brothers Melkite Patriarchs of Alexandria and Jerusalem. The Coptic Patriarch Ephraim (977-980) was a favourite at court; he obtained leave to rebuild the church of St. Mercurius (Abū-sSaifain) by Fusṭāṭ. Ephraim was a zealous bishop, and took steps to put down the simony and concubinage which were then rampant among his clergy.

After Al-'Azīz followed his son, the fiendish lunatic Al-Ḥākim (996-1021). This man has left the reputation of being the most appalling tyrant who ever sat on even a Moslem throne. He became quite mad, and persecuted his Moslem subjects almost as cruelly as the Christians. His mad laws and examples of his ghastly cruelty may be read in Stanley Lane-Poole. To Christians, both Copts and Orthodox, his reign marks the height of their long persecution. He is said to have been excited against them by a disappointed Coptic monk who had wanted to become a bishop. Moreover, till he declared himself a god, he was a fanatical Moslem. Under him degrading laws about dress, which occur earlier, are enforced relentlessly. First he made them wear yellow stripes on their clothes; then they were to dress entirely in black. Christian men had to carry a heavy wooden cross around their necks; they were not to ride a horse, their asses must have black trappings. They could possess no slaves, were not to be rowed by Moslem boatmen, must dismount whenever they met a Moslem. Then Ḥākim began to destroy all churches, or to turn