[1] Al Makk., ii. 34.  “What are thirty barbarians perched upon
    a rock?  They must inevitably die.”

    [2] Carlyle’s “Hero Worship” ad finem.

    [3] Cardonne, i. p. 37; Gibbon, vi. 348, note.

In 688, that is, in a little more than a generation from the death of Mohammed, the Moslems undertook the siege of Constantinople.  Fortunately for the cause of civilisation and of Christendom, this long siege of several years proved unsuccessful, as well as a second attack in 717.  But by the latter date the footing in Europe, which the valour of the Byzantines denied them, had already been gained by the expedition into Spain under Tarik in 711.  The same year that witnessed the crossing of the Straits of Gibraltar in the West saw also in the East the passage of the Oxus by the eager warriors of Islam.

There seems to be some ground for supposing that the Saracens had attacked Spain even before the time of Tarik.  As early as 648, or only one year after the invasion of Africa, an expedition is said to have been made into that country under Abdullah ibn Sa’d,[1] which resulted in the temporary subjugation of the southern provinces.  A second inroad is mentioned by Abulfeda[2] as having taken place in Othman’s reign (644-656); while for an incursion in the reign of Wamba (671-680) we have the authority of the Spanish historians, Isidore of Beja and Sebastian of Salamanca, the former of whom adds the fact that the Saracens were invited in by Erviga, who afterwards succeeded Wamba on the throne—­a story which seems likely enough when read in the light of the subsequent treason of Julian.  These earlier attacks, however, seem to have been mere raids, undertaken without an immediate view to permanent conquest.

By way of retaliation, or with a commendable foresight, the Goths sent help to Carthage when besieged by the Arabs in 695; and, while Julian their general still remained true to his allegiance, they beat off the Saracens from Ceuta.  But on the surrender of that fortress the Arabs were enabled to send across the Straits a small reconnoitring detachment of five hundred men under Tarif abu Zarah,[3] a Berber.  This took place in October 710; but the actual invasion did not occur till April 30, 711, when 12,000 men landed under Tarik ibn Zeyad.  There seems to have been a preliminary engagement before the decisive one of Gaudalete (July 19th-26th)—­the Gothic general in the former being stated variously to have been Theodomir,[4] Sancho,[5] or Edeco.[6]

    [1] See De Gayangos’ note on Al Makkari, i. p. 382.

    [2] “Annales Moslemici,” i. p. 262.

[3] The names of Tarif ibn Malik abu Zarah and Tarik ibn Zeyad have been confused by all the careless writers on Spanish history—­e.g. Conde, Dunham, Yonge, Southey, etc.; but Gibbon, Freeman, etc., of course do not fall into this error.  For Tarif’s names see De Gayangos, Al Makk., i. pp. 517, 519; and for Tarik’s see “Ibn Abd el Hakem,” Jones’ translation, note 10.

    [4] Al Makk., i. 268; Isidore:  Conde, i. 55.