Page:The Greek and Eastern churches.djvu/614

588 When the Mohammedans began to make the shafts of pillars, they crowned them with stolen Christian capitals, and when they had entirely new work done this was executed by men of the Christian stock, although in many cases these men conformed to Islam. All along North Africa and even in Spain the Arabesque designs are largely of Coptic and almost entirely of Christian origin. Being adopted by Mohammedans, they are adapted to the principles of the Koran. The Alhambra may have reminiscences of the Bedouin tent in its domestic arrangements, but its architectural style is a direct descendant and development of the Alexandrian.

Cyrus died soon after the Arab conquest of Egypt. He was nominally succeeded by a Melchite patriarch named Peter, who found it convenient to retire to Constantinople, where he persuaded the Emperor Constans to substitute the Type for the Ecthesis. After his death there was no Melchite patriarch of Alexandria for more than seventy years ( 654–727). Such priests of the orthodox Church as still came to minister to its few Greek adherents in Egypt then obtained their ordination in Syria. Meanwhile the national Church, which had enjoyed a measure of favour under Amr', was not long in discovering the real significance of the rule of Islam. Benjamin was succeeded in the patriarchate by Agatho ( 659), who had to confine himself in his own house for a time to escape from the demands of a priest of the orthodox communion named Theodosius. This man had succeeded in obtaining from the Caliph Yezid a grant of contributions from the Coptic patriarchate. When Agatho died, Theodosius boldly took possession of the patriarch's residence and affixed his seal to all that it contained. This was going too far. Abdel-Aziz, the governor of Egypt, interfered, and the impudent priest was forced to beat a hasty retreat. The new Coptic patriarch was John Semnudæus, who took advantage of the temporary favour of the government to advance the interests of the Copts.