[1] Al Makkari, vol. i. p. 297. (De Gayangos’ translation).

    [2] “Chron.  Sil.,” sec. 17, “recesserat ab Hispania manus
    Domini ob inveteratam regum malitiam.”  See above, p. 7, note 2.

    [3] Arianism lingered on till the middle of the eighth century
    at least, since Rodrigo of Toledo, iii., sec. 3, says of
    Alfonso I., that he “extirpavit haeresin Arianam.”

    [4] For Julian, or, more correctly, Ilyan, see De
    Gayangos’ note to Al Makkari, i. p. 537, etc.

[5] Called Ghittishah by the Arabs.  For the Witizan party see “Sebast.  Salan,” sec. 7; “Chron.  Sil.,” sec. 15.  The daughter of Witiza married a noble Arab.  The descendants of the King, under the name Witizani, were known in Spain till the end of the eighth century at least.  See Letter of Beatus and Etherius to Elipandus, sec. 61; “Multi hodie ab ipso rege sumunt nomen Witizani, etiam pauperes.”  See also Al Makkari, ii. 14.

[6] The Jews garrisoned the taken towns (Al Makkari, i. pp. 280, 282, and De Gayangos’ note, p. 531).  Even as late as 852 we find the Jews betraying Barcelona to the Moors, who slew nearly all the Christians.

Yet in spite of all these disadvantages the Goths made a brave stand—­as brave, indeed, as our Saxon forefathers against the Normans.  The first decisive battle in the South[1] lasted, as some writers have declared, six whole days, and the Arabs were at one time on the point of being driven into the sea.  This is apparent from Tarik’s address to his soldiers in the heat of battle:  “Moslems, conquerors of Africa, whither would you fly?  The sea is behind you, and the foe in front.  There is no help for you save in your own right hands[2] and the favour of God.”  Nor must we lay any stress on the disparity of forces on either side, amounting to five to one, for a large proportion of Roderic’s army was disaffected.  It is probable that only the Goths made a determined stand; and even after such a crushing defeat as they received at Guadalete, and after the loss of their king, the Gothic nobles still offered a stubborn resistance in Merida, Cordova, and elsewhere.[3] One of them, Theodomir, after defending himself manfully in Murcia for some time, at last by his valour and address contrived to secure for himself, and even to hand down to his successor Athanagild, a semi-independent rule over that part of Spain.

    [1] Generally called the battle of Guadalete (Wada Lek, see De
    Gayangos on Al Makk. i. pp. 524, 527), fought either near Xeres
    or Medina Sidonia.

    [2] “Una salus victis nullam sperare salutem.”  See Al Makk. i.
    p. 271; Conde i. p. 57 (Bohn’s Translation).

    [3] We must not forget also that the mild and politic conduct
    of the Saracens towards the towns that surrendered, even after
    resistance, marvellously facilitated their conquest.