Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/99

 70 The Byzantine army was under the command of Theodore (Tadhariḳ), brother of the Emperor; and the two hosts met on the fatal field of Ajnādain, between Ramleh and Beit Jibrīn (Eleutheropolis), on Saturday, the 28th Jumādà I., in the year 13 (31st July 634 ). This date may be regarded as certain. It is otherwise with the situation of Ajnādain, which is variously stated to be in the Ḥaurān on the east of the Jordan, or nothing but another name for Lejjūn (Megiddo); for Lejjūn is the Latin Legionum, and Ajnādain is from the Arabic jund (army). The latter supposition would imply that the south of Palestine had already been won and that the combatants were now fighting for central Palestine—what was later called the Jordan province; whilst to the former the main objection is that the Greeks would not have devoted such an immense host merely to defend outlying districts peopled for the most part by nomads. It was evidently destined to protect a vital part of the Imperial dominions. The position of Ajnādain, as lying in Palestine between Ramleh and Beit Jibrīn, is required by the military situation at the moment, and is confirmed by some contemporary verses, according to which the fugitives after the battle fled for shelter to the walls of Jerusalem.

One early Arabic author (Al-Bilādhuri, d. 279, 892 ) gives the number of the Greeks in this engagement as 100,000, which may be exaggerated. Theodore, the Emperor's brother, was in supreme command, but Arṭabūn (Aretion) the commandant of Palestine is also mentioned, for example, in the verses referred to above, as well as some others. Almost all the Arabic authors mention an incident of the defeat, which they considered very curious. One of the generals, determined not to survive the defeat, covering his head with his mantle, awaited his end. Theodore fled to Emesa where the Emperor was. He was