and several strongholds in the mountains conquered.  Laden with rich booty, the Moslem army set out for Hemessa.  From here Beybars proceeded towards Hamah and divided the army into three divisions; one division, under the Emir Bedr ed-Din Khaznadar (treasurer), was to take the direction of Suwaidiya, the port of Antioch; the second, under Emir Izz ed-Din Ighan, struck the route towards Der-besak; the third, which he led himself, proceeded in a straight line over Apamaa and Schoghr towards Antioch, which was the meeting-place for the two other emirs, and would so be shut in from the north, the west, and the south.  On the 16th May the sultan found himself in front of the town, which contained a population of over one hundred thousand.  Fighting soon ensued between the outposts of the sultan and the constable who advanced against him at the head of the militia.  The latter was defeated, and the constable himself taken prisoner.  On the 3d of Ramadhan the whole army had united and preparations were made for the siege.  Meanwhile the sultan had already attempted to persuade the imprisoned constable to return to the town and enduce them to surrender, and to leave his own son behind as a hostage.  But when several days had passed in fruitless discussions, at last the sultan gave the word for the attack.  In spite of the resistance of the Christians, the walls were scaled on the same day, and the garrison retired thereupon into the citadel; the inhabitants were massacred or taken prisoner and all the houses plundered.  No one could escape, for Beybars had blocked all the entrances.  On the next day the garrison, women and children included, which numbered eight thousand, surrendered on account of lack of water and meal.  The chiefs apparently made their escape during the confusion and fled into the mountains.  The garrison only saved their lives by surrendering.  Beybars had them chained and distributed as slaves amongst his troops; he then had the other prisoners and the rest of the booty brought together, and proceeded with the lawful distribution.  When everything had been settled, the citadel was set on fire, but the conflagration was so great that the whole town was consumed.

Beybars died soon after his return from Asia Minor (July 1, 1277).  According to some reports his death was occasioned by a violent fever; other accounts say that he died in consequence of a poison which he had prepared for an Ayyubid and which he accidentally took himself.  He had designated the eldest of his sons as his successor, under the name of El-Malik es-Said, and in order to give him a strong support he had married him to the daughter of the Emir Kilawun, one of his best and most influential generals.  In spite of all this, however, es-Said was not able to maintain himself on the throne for any length of time.