Nikiu Kroniği Yahya (ö. Yaklaşık 690)
Nikiû'lu Yuhanna (y. 680-690) Nil Deltası'ndaki Nikiû'nun (Paşati)
Mısırlı bir Kıpti piskoposu ve 696'da Yukarı Mısır manastırlarının genel
yöneticisiydi. Hayatı hakkında çok az bilinmektedir. Hakkındaki bilgiler
Aşmunein'li Severus/İbn-i Mukaffa’nın (ö.987) “Patriklerin Tarihi”de
toplanmıştır. 696'da Yukarı Mısır manastırlarının genel yöneticisiydi. Âdem'den
Müslümanların Mısır'ı fethinin sonuna kadar uzanan bir kroniğin yazarıdır.
Kronik büyük olasılıkla Yunanca yazılmıştır Etiyopya/Ge’ez
versiyonu bize ulaşmıştır. 1602'de Arapça aslının tercümesi yapılmıştır.
John’un kroniğinin en önemli bölümü, Amr b. el-Âs’ın Müslüman orduları
tarafından Mısır'ın fethi ile ilgili bölümleridir. Muhtemelen bir görgü tanığı
olmasa da, John büyük olasılıkla fetihten hemen sonraki yaşamıştır.
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(766), ed., tr. B. Evetts, Patrologia Orientalis, 5/1 (Paris: FirminDidot et
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am Main, London, München, Oxford, Paris und Wien, ed., tr. H. F. Fuhs, Bonner
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sovremennyh im istoričeskih sobytij” (‘Written sources on Bulgars of the
IV–VII centuries in the light of historical circumstances’), in S. Nikitin,
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sbornik statej i materialov (‘Balcan and Slavic studies: historiography and
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sur le texte de Jean de Nikiu”, in E. Cerulli, ed., IV Congresso
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della Biblioteca, 9 (Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, 1976); Claude
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(Addis Ababa: Ministry of Culture and Sports–Commercial Printing Press, 1981);
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Sammlung christlicher Stätten in Ägypten in arabischer Zeit, unter Ausschluß von
Alexandria, Kairo, des ApaMenaKlosters (Dēr Abū Mina), der Skētis (Wādi nNaṭrūn)
und der SinaiRegion” III: G–L, Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen
Orients, Reihe B, Geisteswissenschaften, 41/3 (Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert,
1985); Hugh Kennedy, “Egypt as a province in the Islamic caliphate, 641–868”,
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(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), 62–85; Tito Orlandi, “Elementi
di lingua e letteratura copta: corso di lezioni universitarie” (Milano: La
Goliardica, 1970). — 1998. “Koptische Literatur”, in M. Krause, ed.,
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Sprachen und Kulturen des christlichen Orients, 4 (Wiesbaden: Reichert, 1998),
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NY: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991); Terry G. Wilfong, “The nonMuslim
communities: Christian communities”, in Carl F. Petry, ed., The Cambridge
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the Prophet Micah”, Aethiopistische Forschungen, 52 (Wiesbaden:
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III: He–N; in cooperation with A. Bausi, ed., IV: O–X (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz
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B. Roggema, eds, Christian– Muslim Relations: A Bibliographical History, I:
600–900 (Leiden–Boston, MA: Brill, 2009), 209–218; Serge A. Frantsouzoff, “Hronika
Ioanna Nikiuskogo: nekotorye osobennosti yazyka i soderžaniya” (‘The
Chronicle of John of Nikiu: some peculiarities of its languages and contents’),
Vestnik PSTGU, Seriya III, Philologiya, 4 (22) (2010), 77–86; Phil Booth, “Shades
of Blues and Greens in the Chronicle of John of Nikiou”, Byzantinische
Zeitschrift, 104/2 (2011), 555–601; Shamil Kubrat Mingazov, pravitel’ Velikoy Bolgarii i Ketrades “personaž
Ioanna Nikiusskogo” (‘Kubrat, the ruler of Great Bulgaria, and Qetrades, a
character from the Chronicle of John of Nikiu’) (Kazan’: Iydatel’stvo Yaz,
2012); Martin Heide, “Secundus Taciturnus: Die arabischen, äthiopischen und
syrischen Textzeugen einer didaktischen Novelle aus der römischen Kaiserzeit”,
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Version, Aethiopistische Forschungen, 81 (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag,
2014), Columba Stewart, “A Brief History of the Ethiopian Manuscript
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Harrassowitz Verlag, 2017), 447–472;
https://archive.org/details/CharlesTheChronicleOfJohnBishopOfNikiuTranslatedFromZotenbergsEthiopicText (13.09.2022).
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John Bishop of Nikiu: Chronicle
CHAPTER CX (CXI). Concerning the appearance of the
Moslem on the confines of Fîjum and the defeat of the Romans who dwelt there.
CHAPTER CXI (CXII). Concerning the first encounter of ‘Amar
with the Romans at the city of ‘Awn (i. e. Heliopolis).
CHAPTER CXII (CXIII). How all the Jews assembled in the
city of Manûf owing to their fear of the Moslem, the cruelties of ‘Amar and the
seizure of their possessions till (at last) they left the gates of Misr open
and fled to Alexandria. And how wicked men multiplied in the beginning of
wickedness and began to help (‘Amar) to destroy the people of Egypt.
CHAPTER CXIII (CXIV). How the people of Samnûd so flouted ‘Amar
as to refuse to receive him: and concerning the return of Kalâdî to the Romans:
and how they seized his mother and his wife -now he had hidden them in
Alexandria- because he had joined and helped the Moslem.
CHAPTER CXIV (CXV). How the Moslem took Misr in the
fourteenth year of the cycle and made the fortress of Babylon open its gates in
the fifteenth year.
CHAPTER CXV (CXVI). Concerning the death of the emperor
Heraclius and the return of Cyrus the Patriarch from exile and his departure
for Mesr to pay tribute to the Moslem.
CHAPTER CXVI (CXVII). How God gave the Romans into the
hands of the Moslem and rejected them because of their incredulity and their
divisions and the persecution which they had brought on the Christians of Egypt.
Chapter CXVII (CXVIII). How 'Amar got possession of Absâdi,
that is, Niqîjûs : and (concerning) the flight of the general Domitian and the
destruction of his army in the river, and the great massacre which took place
in the city of Absâdi, and in all the remaining cities — till 'Amar came to the
island of Sawnâ — which were under the sway of Absâi and its island on the
eighteenth day of the month Genbot, in the fifteenth year of the cycle.
Chapter CXVIII. How the Moslem got possession of
Caesarea in Palestine and the trials that overtook it.
Chapter CXIX. Concerning the great earthquake and
the loss of life in Crete both in their island and in all their cities round
about.
Chapter CXX. Concerning Cyrus the Patriarch of
the Chalcedonians — the same who went to Babylon and to 'Amar the chief of the
Moslem and took the tribute in a vessel and paid it into his hands. And further
how 'Amar increased the taxes of the Egyptians: and concerning the death of
Cyrus the Chalcedonian after he had repented of having delivered the city of
Alexandria into the hands of the Moslem.
Chapter CXXI. Concerning the return of Abbâ
Benjamin the patriarch of Egypt from his exile in the city of Rîf (where he had
been) fourteen years, and of these (he had been there) ten years because the
Roman emperors had exiled him, and four under the dominion of the Moslem. And
concerning the remaining history with the conclusion of the work.
Chapter CXXII. A second epilogue concluding this
history….
…
Chapter CXI. 1. Now Theodore was
commander-in-chief in Egypt. And when the messengers of Theodosius the prefect
of Arcadia informed him regarding the death of John, general of the local
levies, he thereupon turned with all the Egyptian troops and his auxiliary
forces and marched to Lôkjôn, which is an island. 2. Moreover he feared lest,
owing to the dissensions prevailing amongst the inhabitants of that district,
the Moslem should come and seize the coast of Lôkjôn and dislodge the
communities of the servants of God who were subjects of the Roman emperor. 3.
And his lamentations were more grievous than the lamentations of David over
Saul when he said: “How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”
For not only had John the general of the forces perished, but likewise John the
general, who was of. the city of Mârôs, had been slain in battle and fifty
horsemen with him.
4. I will acquaint you briefly with what befell the former in
habitants of Fajûm.
5. John and his troops, the warriors
whom we have just mentioned, had been appointed by the Romans to guard the
district. Now these posted other guards near the rock of the city of Lâhûn in
order to keep guard continually, and to give information to the chief of the
forces of the movements of their enemies. 6. And subsequently they got ready
some horsemen and a body of soldiers and archers, and these marched out to
fight the Moslem, purposing to prevent the advance of the Moslem. 7. And
subsequently the Moslem directed their march to the desert and seized a large
number of sheep and goats from the high grounds without the cognizance of the
Egyptians. 8. And when they reached the city of Bahnasâ, all the troops on the
banks of the river came (to the succour) with John, but were unable on that
occasion to reach Fajûm.
9. And the general Theodosius,
hearing of the arrival of the Ishmaelites, proceeded from place to place
in order to see what was likely to befall from these enemies. 10. And these
Ishmaelites came and slew without mercy the commander of the troops and all his
companions. And forthwith they compelled the city to open its gates, and they
put to the sword all that surrendered, and they spared none, whether old men,
babe, or woman. 11. And they proceeded against the general John. And he took
all the horses : and they hid themselves in the enclosures and plantations lest
their enemies should discover them. Then they arose by night and marched to the
great river of Egypt, to Abuit, in order to secure their safety. Now this
matter was from God.
12. And the chief of the faction who
was with Jeremiah informed the Moslem troops of the Roman soldiers who were
hidden. And so these took them prisoners and put them to death. 13. And tidings
of these events were brought to the general Theodosius, and to Anastasius, who
were then twelve miles distant from Nakius. And they betook themselves
immediately to the citadel of Babylon, and they remained there, sending the
general Leontius to the city of Abûit. 14. Now he was obese in person, quite
without energy and unacquainted with warlike affairs. And when he arrived he
found the Egyptian troops and Theodore fighting with the Moslem and making
sorties every day from the city of Fajûm in order to (re)take the city. And
taking half the troops he returned to Babylon in order to acquaint the
governors (with the state of affairs), and the other half of the troops
remained with Theodore.
15. And Theodore sought with great
diligence for the body of John, who had been drowned in the river. And with
much lamentation he had the body drawn forth in a net, and placed in a bier and
sent to the governors, who also (in turn) sent it to Heraclius.
16. And such (of the Romans) as were
in Egypt sought refuge in the citadel of Babylon. And they were also awaiting
the arrival of the general Theodore in order to join with him in attacking the
Ishmaelites before the rise of the river and the time of sowing, when they
could not make war lest their sowings should be destroyed (and) they should die
of famine together with their children and cattle.
Chapter CXII. 1. Moreover, there prevailed great
indignation between Theodore the general and the governors owing to the charges
brought by the emperor. 2. And both 2 Theodosius and Anastasius went forth to
the city of Ôn, on horseback, together with a large body of foot soldiers, in
order to attack ‘Amr the son of Al-âs. Now the Moslem had not as yet come to
know the city of Misr. 3. And paying no attention to the fortified cities they
came to a place named Tendunias, and embarked on the river. 4. And ‘Amir showed
great vigilance and strenuous thought in his attempts to capture the city of
Misr. But he was troubled because of his separation from (a part of) the Moslem
troops, who being divided into two corps on the east of the river were marching
towards a city named 'Ain Shams, i. e. Ôn, which was situated on high ground.
5. And ‘Amr the son of Al-âs sent a letter to Omar the son of Al-Khattâb in the
province of Palestine to this effect: ‘If thou dost not send: Moslem
reinforcements, I shall not be able to take Misr.’ 6. And he sent him 4,000
Moslem warriors. And their general's name was Walwârjâ. He was of barbarian
descent. 7. And he divided his troops into three corps. One corps he placed near
Tendunias, the second to the north of Babylon in Egypt; and he made his
preparations with the third corps near the city of Ôn. 8. And he gave the
following orders: “Be on the watchl, so that when the Roman troops come out to
attack us, you may rise up in their rear, whilst we shall be on their front,
and so having got them between us, we shall put them to the sword.’ 9. And thus
when the Roman troops, unaware (of this design), set out from the fortress to
attack the Moslem, these Moslem thereupon fell upon their rear, as they had
arranged, and a fierce engagement ensued. And when the Moslem came in great
numbers against them, the Roman troops fled and betook themselves to the ships.
10. And the Moslem army took possession of the city of Tendunias; for its
garrison had been destroyed, and there survived only 300 soldiers. And these
fled and withdrew into the fortress and closed the gates. But when they saw the
great slaugbter that had taken place, they were seized with panic and fled by
ship to Nakius in great grief and sorrow. 11. And when Domentianus of the city
of Fajûm heard of these events, he set out by night , without informing the
inhabitants of (A)bûît that he was fleeing to escape the Moslem, and they
proceeded to Nakius by ship. 12. And when the Moslem learnt that Domentianus
had fled, they marched joyously and seized the city of Fajûm and (A)bûît, and
they shed much blood there.
CHAPTER XIII. 1. And after the capture of Fajûm
with all its territory by the Moslem, ‘Amr sent Abâkîrî of the city of Dalâs
requesting him to bring the ships of Rîf in order to transport to the east bank
of the river the Ishmaelites who were upon the west. 2. And he mustered all his
troops about him in order to carry on a vigorous warfare. And he sent orders to
the prefect George to construct for him a bridge on the river of the city Qaljûb
with a view to the capture of all the cities of Misr, and likewise of Athrîb
and Kuerdîs·. And people began to help the Moslem. 3. And -(the Moslem)
captured the cities of Athrib and Mamlf, and an their territories. And he had
moreover a great bridge constructed over the river near Babylon in Egypt to
prevent the passage of ships to Nakius, Alexandria, and upper Egypt, and to
make it possible for horses to cross from the western to the eastern bank of
the river. And so they effected the submission of all the province of Misr. 4.
But ‘Amr was not satisfied with what he had already done, and so he had the
Roman magistrates arrested, and their hands and feet confined in iron and
wooden bonds. And he forcibly despoiled (them) of much of (their) possession,
and he doubled the taxes on the peasants and forced them to carry fodder for
their horses, and he perpetrated innumerable acts of violence. 5. And such of
the governors as were in the city of Nakius fled and betook themselves to the
city of Alexandria, leaving Domentianus with a few troops to guard the city.
And they sent orders also to Dares the chief officer in the city of Samnûd to
guard the two rivers. 6. Then a panic fell on all the cities of Egypt, and all
their inhabitants took to flight, and made their way to Alexandria, abandoning
all their possessions and wealth and cattle.
Chapter CXIV. 1. And when those Moslem,
accompanied by the Egyptians who had apostatized from the Christian faith and
embraced the faith of the beast, had come up, the Moslem took as a booty all
the possessions of the Christians who had fled, and they designated the
servants of Christ enemies of God. 2. And ‘Amr left a large body of his men †in† the citadel of Babylon in Egypt, and
marched in person towards the two rivers in the direction of the east against
the general Theodore. 3. But the latter dispatched Jeqbarî and Satfârî to seize
the city of Samnûd (and) fight with the Moslem. And when they came to the body
of local levies, they all refused to war against the Moslem. And they indeed
gave battle and put to the sword many of the Moslem (and of those) who were
with them. 4. And the Moslem were not able to inflict any injury on the cities
which lay on the two rivers; because the water served as a rampart, and the
horses could not enter them because of the deep water which surrounded them. 5.
And so leaving them they marched towards the province of Rîf and arrived at the
city of Bûsîr. And they fortified this city and likewise the approaches which
they had previously seized.
6. And in those days the general
Theodore went to Kalâdji, and besought him saying: “Come back to us, come back
to the side of Rome” And Kalâdji, fearing lest they should put to death his
mother and wife, (who) were concealed in Alexandria, gave Theodore a great sum
of money. 7. And the general Theodore prevailed on Kalâdji, and the latter
arose in the night, while the Moslem were asleep, and marching on foot with his
men he came to the general Theodore. 8. And thence he proceeded to the city of
Nakius and formed a junction with Domentianus in order to war against the
Moslem.
9. And subsequently Sabendîs devised
an excellent plan and so escaped out of the hands of the Moslem by night. And
he betook himself to Damietta to the prefect John. 10. And he indeed sent him
to Alexandria with a letter . . . confessing his fault to the governors with
many tears in these words: “I have done this deed because of the blow and the
ignominy which John inflicted upon me without showing any consideration for
(my) old age. For this reason I joined the Moslem. Heretofore I was a zealous
servant of the Romans”
Chapter CXV. 1. And ‘Amr the chief of the Moslem
spent twelve months in warring against the Christians of Northern Egypt, but
failed nevertheless in reducing their cities. 2. And in the fifteenth year of
the cycle, during the summer, he marched on the cities of Sakâ, and Tûkû-Dâmsis,
2 being impatient to subdue the Egyptians before the rise of the river. But he
was unable to do them any hurt. 3. And in the city of Damietta they also
refused to admit him, and he sought to burn their crops. 4. And he began to
march back to the troops that were in the fortress of Babylon in Egypt. And he
gave them all the †booty which lie had taken from the city of Alexandria. 5.
And he destroyed the houses of the Alexandrians who had fled †, and he took
their wood and iron and gave orders for the construction of a road from the
fortress of Babylon to the city of the two rivers, in order that they might
burn that city with fire. 6. And the inhabitants of that city on hearing of
this project took to flight with their possessions, and abandoned their city,
and the Moslem burned that city with lire. But the inhabitants of that city
came by night and ex- tinguished the fire. 7. And the Moslem marched against
other cities to war against them, and they despoiled the Egyptians of their
possessions and dealt cruelly with them. 8. But the generals Theodore and
Domentianus were unable to do any injury to the inhabitants of the city on
account of the Moslem who were amongst them.
9. And ‘Amr left lower 1 Egypt and
proceeded to war against Rîf. He sent a few Moslem against the city of Antinoe.
And when the Moslem saw the weakness of the Romans and the hostility of the
people to the emperor Heraclius, because of persecution wherewith he had
visited all the land of Egypt in regard to the orthodox faith, at the
instigation of Cyrus the Chalcedonian patriarch, they became bolder and
stronger in the war. 10. And the inhabitants of the city (Antinoe) sought to
concert measures with J ohn their prefect with a view to attacking the Moslem;
but he refused, and arose with haste with his troops, and, having collected all
the imposts of the city, betook himself to Alexandria; for he knew that he
could not resist the Moslem, and (he feared) lest he should meet with the same
fate as the garrison of Fajûm. 11. Indeed, all the inhabitants of the province
submitted to the Moslem, and paid them tribute. And they put to the sword all
the Roman soldiers whom they encountered. And the Roman soldiers were in a
fortress, and the Moslem besieged them, and captured their catapults, and
demolished their towers, and dislodged them from the fortress. 12. And they
strengthened the fortress of Babylon, and they captured the city of Nakius and
made them- selves strong there.
Chapter CXVI. 1. And Heraclius was grieved by the
death of John the chief of the local levies, and of John the general who had been
slain by the Moslem, as well as by the defeat of the Romans that were in the
province of Egypt. 2. And in accordance with the decree of God who takes away
the souls of rulers, 2 and of men of war as well as of kings, Heraclius fell
ill with fever, and died in the thirty-first year of his reign in the month Yakâtit
of the Egyptians, that is, February of the Roman months, in the four- teenth
year of the lunar cycle, the 357th year of Diocletian. 3. And some said: “The
death of Heraclius is due to his stamping the gold coinage with the figures of
the three emperors — that is, his own and of his two sons on the right hand and
on the left — and so no room was found for inscribing the name of the Roman
empire.” And after the death of Heraclius they obliterated those three figures.
4. And when Heraclius the elder died,
Pyrrhus, the patriarch of Constantinople, passed over Martina (the daughter of)
his (i. e. Heraclius's) sister and her children, and nominated Constantine the
son of the empress Eudocia, and made him head of the empire in succession to
his father. And the two princes were treated with honour and distinction. 5.
And David and Marinus seized Pyrrhus, the Roman Chalcedonian patriarch, and
banished him to an island in the west of Africa, without any one being
cognizant of what had been fulfilled; for no word of the saints falls (to the
ground). 6. Now it happened that the great Severus, patriarch of Antioch, wrote
to Caesaria the patrician to the following effect: “No son of a Roman emperor
will sit on the throne of his father, so long as the sect of the Chalcedonians
bears sway in the World.”
7. And Constantine, the son of
Heraclius, oh his accession to the empire mustered a large number of ships, and
entrusted them to Kîrjûs and Salâkriûs, and sent them to bring the patriarch
Cyrus to him that he might take counsel with him as to the Moslem, that he
should fight, if he were able, but, if not, should pay tribute; and that he
should meet him in the imperial city on the festival of the holy Resurrection,
and to cause all the inhabitants of Constantinople to assemble to carry out the
same object. 8. And next he sent orders to Theodore to come to him and leave Anastasius to guard the city of
Alexandria and the cities on the coast. And he held out hope to Theodore that
he would send him a large force in the autumn in order to war with the Moslem.
9. And when in conformity to the command of the emperor they had prepared the
ships for setting out, the emperor Constantine forthwith fell ill, and was
attacked by a severe malady, and he vomited blood, and when the blood was
exhausted he forthwith died. And this malady lasted a hundred days, that is,
all the days of his reign wherein he reigned after his father Heraclius. And
people mocked at Heraclius and his son Constantine.
10. And the members of the party of Gainas assembled in the church in the city of Dafâshîr
near the bridge of the Apostle S. Peter. Now Cyrus the patriarch had robbed the
church of large possessions in the time of the persecution, without any
authorization on the part of the magistrates. 11. And when the Gainites
sought to lay hands on the patriarch Cyrus, Eudocianus, the brother of the
prefect Domentianus, being immediately apprised (of their purpose), sent troops
against them to shoot them with arrows and prevent them from carrying out their
intention. Some of them were so severely smitten that they died, while two had
their hands cut off without legal sentence. 12. And proclamation was made
throughout the city by the voice of a herald in these terms: “Let every one of
you withdraw to his own church, and let no one do any violence to his neighbour
in defiance of the law.” 13. But God, the Guardian of justice, did not neglect
the world, but avenged those who had been wronged: He had no mercy on such as had
dealt treacherously against Him, but He delivered them into the hands of the
Ishmaelites. 14. And the Moslem thereupon took the field and conquered all
the land of Egypt. And after the death of Heraclius, the patriarch Cyrus on his
return did not cease (his) severities and persecution against the people of
God, but rather added violence to violence.
Chapter CXVII. 1. And ‘Amr the chief of the Moslem
forces encamped before the citadel of Babylon and besieged the troops that garrisoned
it. 2. Now the latter received his promise that they should not be put to the
sword, and on their side undertook to deliver up to him all the munitions of
war — now these were considerable. 3. And thereupon he ordered them to evacuate
the citadel. And they took a small quantity of gold and set out. And it was in
this way that the citadel of Babylon in Egypt was taken on the second day after
the (festival of the) Resurrection. 4. Thus God punished them because they had
not honoured the redemptive passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who
gave His life for those who believe in Him. Yea, it was for this reason that
God made them turn their back upon them (i. e. the Moslem). 5. Now on that day
of the festival of the holy Resurrection they released the orthodox that were
in prison; but, enemies of Christ as they were, they did not let them go
without first ill-using them; but they scourged them and cut off their hands.
6. And on that day these (unhappy ones) wept and their tears poured down their
faces and they were spurned, even as it is written regarding those unclean
persons: “They have defiled the Church by an unclean faith, and they have
wrought apostasies and deeds of violence like the sect of the Arians, such as
neither pagan nor barbarian has wrought, and they have despised Christ and His
servants, and we have not found any that do the like amongst the worshippers of
false idols. 7. But God has been patient with the apostates and heretics who
have undergone baptism a second time in submission to despotic emperors. Yet it
is the same God who recompenses every man according to his deeds and does
justice to him that has been wronged. 8. How then, is it not far better for us
to endure patiently the trials and punishments which they inflict upon us? They
indeed think to honour our Lord Christ by so doing, whereas they are found to
be perverted in their faith. They have not indeed voluntarily apostatized, but
they persecute those who agree not with them in faith. God forbid (such
agreement)! for they are not servants of Christ: yet they think they are such
in their thoughts.”
Chapter CXVIII. 1. Now the capture of
the citadel of Babylon and of Nakius by the Moslem was a source of great grief
to the Romans. 2. And when ‘Amr had brought to a close the operations of war he
made his entry into the citadel of Babylon, and he mustered a large number of
ships, great and small, and anchored them close to the fort where he was.
3. And Menas, who was chief of the
Green Faction, and Cosmas the son of Samuel, the leader of the Blues, besieged
the city of Misr and harassed the Romans during the days of the Moslem. And
fighting- men had gone up with fear-inspiring boldness from the western bank of
the river in ships, and these made expeditions by night.
4. 'Amr and the Moslem army, on
horseback, proceeded by land till they came to the city of Kebrias of Abâdjâ.
And on this occasion he attacked the general Domentianus. 5. But when the
latter learnt of the approach of the Moslem troops, he embarked on a ship and
fled [in a ship] and abandoned the army and their fleet. And he sought to enter
the small canal which Heraclius had dug during his reign. But finding it closed
he returned and entered the city of Alexandria. 6. Now when the soldiers saw
that their commander had taken flight, they cast away their arms and threw
themselves into the river in the presence of their enemies. 7. And the Moslem
troops slaughtered them with the sword in the river, and none escaped save one
man only, named Zechariah, a doughty man and a warrior. 8. And when the crews
of the ships saw the flight of the troops, they too took to flight and returned
to their own country. And thereupon the Moslem made their entry into Nakius,
and took possession, and finding no soldiers (to offer resistance), they
proceeded to put to the sword all whom they found in the streets and in the
churches, men, women, and infants, and they showed mercy to none. 9. And after
they had captured (this) city, they marched against other localities and sacked
them and put all they found to the sword. And they came also to the city of † Sa†,
and there they found Esqûtâws and his
people in a vineyard, and the Moslem seized them and put them to the sword. Now
these were of the family of the general Theodore. 10. Let us now cease, for it
is impossible to recount the iniquities perpetrated by the Moslem after their
capture of the island of Nakius, on Sunday, the eighteenth day of the month
Genbôt, in the fifteenth year of the cycle, and also the horrors committed in
the city of Caesarea in Palestine.
11. And the general Theodore, who was
in command of the city, even the city of Kîlûlnâs, quitted (this) city and
proceeded to Egypt, leaving Stephen with the troops to guard the city and contend
with the Moslem. 12. And there was a certain Jew with the Moslem, and he betook
himself to the province of Egypt. And when with great toil and exertion they
had cast down the walls of the city, they forthwith made themselves masters of
it, and put to the sword thousands of its inhabitants and of the soldiers, and
they gained an enormous booty, and took the women and children captive and
divided them amongst themselves, and they made that city a desolation (lit.
destitute). 13. And shortly after the Moslem proceeded against the country
(city?) of †Côprôs† and put Stephen and his people to the sword.
Chapter CXIX. 1. And Egypt also had become
enslaved to Satan. A great strife had broken out between the inhabitants of
Lower Egypt, and these were divided into two parties. Of these, one sided with
Theodore, but the other wished to join the Moslem. 2. And straightway the one
party rose against the other, and they plundered their possessions and burnt
their city. But the Moslem distrusted them.
3. And ‘Amr sent a large force of
Moslem against Alexandria, and they captured Kariûn, which lies outside the
city. And Theodore and his troops who were in that locality fled and with- drew
into Alexandria. 4. And the Moslem began to attack them but were not able to
approach the walls of the city ; for stones were hurled against them from the
top of the walls, and they were driven far from the city.
5. And the inhabitants of Misr were
at variance with those of Lower Egypt, and their strife ran high, but after a
short time they made peace. 6. But when their discord came to an end, Satan
stirred up another in the city of Alexandria; for Domentianus the prefect and
Menas the general were at variance with each other through lust for office and
other motives. 7. Now the general Theodore took the side of Menas: he was
moreover hostile to Domentianus because of his flight from Nakius and his
abandonment of the troops. 8. And with Eudocianus, the elder brother of
Domentianus, Menas was very wroth, because he had practised cruelties against
the Christians during the season of the holy Passion in regard to the faith. 9.
And Domentianus mustered a large force of the “Blues”. And when Menas was
apprised of this movement, he too mustered a large force of the f Greens ' and
of the troops in the city. And thus these two kept up their hostility…
…
22. And subsequently he appointed him
(Cyrus) a second time to the city of Alexandria) and the priests who were with
him. He gave him power and authority to make peace with the Moslem and check
any further resistance against them, and to establish a system of administration
suitable to the government of the land of Egypt. And he was accompanied by
Constantine, a general of the army, who was master of the local levies. 23. And
he had the army from the province of Thrace brought to the city of
Constantinople, and he banished Philagrius the treasurer to the province of
Africa where Pyrrhus had previously been in banishment. 24. And there were
great dissensions, and the inhabitants of the city rose up against Martina and
her children because of the banishment of Philagrius the treasurer; for he was
greatly beloved.
Chapter CXX. 1. Now not only Cyrus the
Chalcedonian patriarch desired peace with the Moslem, but also all the people
and the patricians and Domentianus, who had enjoyed the favour of the empress
Martina— (and so) all these assembled and took counsel with Cyrus the patriarch
with a view to making peace with the Moslem.
2. And all the clergy began to stir
up odium 2 against the empire of Heraclius the younger, declaring: “It is not
fitting that one derived from a reprobate seed should sit on the imperial
throne: rather it is the sons of Constantine, who was the son of Eudocia, that
should bear sway over the empire” And they rejected the will of the elder
Heraclius.
3. And when Valentinus was apprised
that all men were united against Martina and her sons, he took large sums of
money out of the treasury of Philagrius, and distributed them amongst the
soldiers and officers, and prevailed on them to act against Martina and her
sons. 4. And some of them gave over warring against the Moslem, and turned
their hostilities against their own countrymen. 5. And thereupon they sent an
envoy secretly to the island of Rhodes with this message to the troops with the
patriarch Cyrus: “Return to the imperial city and do not take sides with him.” 6.
And they sent also to Theodore, the prefect of Alexandria, the following
message: “Do not hearken to the voice of Martina, and do not obey her sons.” And
they sent likewise to Africa, and to every province under the sway of Rome.
….
17. And subsequently the patriarch
Cyrus set out and went to Babylon to the Moslem, seeking by the offer of tribute
to procure peace from them and put a stop to war in the land of Egypt. And ‘Amr
welcomed his arrival, and said unto him: “Thou hast done well to come to us.”
And Cyrus answered and said unto him: “God has delivered this land into your
hands let there be no enmity from henceforth between you and Rome: heretofore there
has been no persistent strife with you." 18. And they feed the amount of
tribute to be paid. And as for the Ishmaelites they were not to intervene in
any matter, but were to keep to themselves for eleven months. The Roman troops
in Alexandria were to carry off their possessions and their treasures and
proceed (home) by sea, and no other Roman army was to return. But those who
wished to journey by land were to pay a monthly(?) tribute. 19. And the Moslem were
to take as hostages to one hundred and fifty soldiers and fifty civilians and
make peace. 20. And the Romans were to cease warring against the Moslem, and
the Moslem were to desist from seizing Christian Churches, and the latter were
not to intermeddle with any concerns of the Christians. 21. And the Jews were
to be permitted to remain in the city of Alexandria.
22. And when the patriarch had
concluded this negotiation, he returned to the city of Alexandria, and he
reported to Theodore and the general Constantine (the conditions of peace), to
the intent that they should report them to the emperor Heraclius and support
them before him. 23. And straightway all the troops and the people of
Alexandria and the general Theodore came together to him and paid their homage
to the patriarch Cyrus. And he acquainted them with all the conditions which he
had made with the Moslem, and he persuaded them all to accept them. 24. And
while things were in this condition, the Moslem came to receive the tribute,
though the inhabitants of Alexandria had not yet been informed (of the treaty).
And the Alexandrians, on seeing them, made ready for battle. 25. But the troops
and the generals held fast to the resolution they had adopted, and said: “We
cannot engage in battle with the Moslem : rather let the counsel of the
patriarch Cyrus be observed.” 26. Then the population rose up against the
patriarch and sought to stone him. But he said unto them: “I have made this
treaty in order to save you and your children.” And plunged in much weeping and
grief he besought them. 27. And thereupon the Alexandrians felt ashamed before
him, and offered him a large sum of gold to hand over to the Ishmaelites
together with the tribute which had been imposed on them.
28. And the Egyptians, who, through
fear of the Moslem, had fled and taken refuge in the city of Alexandria, made
the following request to the patriarch: “Get the Moslem to promise that we may
return to our cities and become their subjects. And he negotiated for them
according to their request. And the Moslem took possession of all the land of
Egypt, southern and northern, and trebled their taxes.
29. Now there was a man named Menas,
who had been appointed prefect of Lower Egypt by the emperor Heraclius: he was
a presumptuous man, unlettered and a deep hater of the Egyptians. Now after the
Moslem had got possession of all the country, they established him in his
(former) dignity: and a man named Sinôdâ, they appointed prefect of the
province of Rîf: and another named Philoxenus as prefect of the province of
Arcadia, that is, Fajûm. 30. Now these three men loved the heathen but hated
the Christians, and compelled the Christians to carry fodder for the cattle,
and they forced them to †carry† milk, and honey, and fruit and leeks, and other
things in abundance: Now all these were in addition to the ordinary rations.
31. (The Egyptians) carried out these orders under the constraint of an
unceasing fear. (The Moslem) forced them to excavate (anew) the canal of
Trajan, which had been destroyed for a long time, in order to conduct water
through it from Babylon in Egypt to the Red Sea. 32. And the yoke they laid on
the Egyptians was heavier than the yoke which had been laid on Israel by
Pharaoh, whom God judged with a righteous judgement, by drowning him in the Red
Sea with all his army after the many plagues wherewith He had plagued both men
and cattle. 33. When God's judgement lights upon these Ishmaelites may He do
unto tbem as He did aforetime unto Pharaoh! But it is because of our sins that
He has suffered them to deal thus with us. Yet in His longsuffering our God and
Saviour Jesus Christ will look upon us and protect us: and we also trust that
He will destroy the enemies of the Cross, as saith the book which lies not. 34.
And ‘Amr subdued the land of Egypt and sent his men to war against the
inhabitants of Pentapolis. And after he had subdued them, he did not permit
them to dwell there. And he took from thence plunder and captives in abundance.
35. And Abûljânôs the prefect of Pentapolis and his troops and the rich men of
the province withdrew into the city of Dûshera — now its walls were strongly
fortified — and they closed the gates. So the Moslem after seizing plunder and
captives retired to their own country.
36. Now the patriarch Cyrus was
greatly grieved on account of the calamities which had befallen the land of
Egypt. For ‘Amr had no mercy on the Egyptians, and did not observe the covenant
they had made with him, for he was of a barbaric race. 37. And on the festival
of Palm Sunday the patriarch Cyrus fell ill of a fever owing to excessive
grief, and he died on the fifth day of Holy Week, on the twenty-fifth of the
month Magâbît. 38. Thus he did not live to see the festival of the holy Resurrection
of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Christians had predicted regarding him. Now
this event took place in the reign of the emperor Constantine the son of
Heraclius (II).
…
62. And forthwith they seized him and
conducted him before the emperor Constans. And he sware a terrible oath to this
effect: “I have not done this with any evil intent, but in order to contend
against the Moslem.” 63. And when they heard this statement, they set him free
and made him commander-in-chief of the army, and arranged with him that he
should give his daughter in marriage to the emperor. And on that occasion they
had her proclaimed through the voice of the herald by the imperial name of
Augusta…
…
67. And for these reasons he wept
unceasingly; for he feared lest he should suffer the same fortune that had
befallen him previously. And in the midst of this grief he died according to
the law of nature. And his chief grief was due to the Moslem, who had refused
his request on behalf of the Egyptians. 68. And before he died he wrought the
works of the apostates and persecuted the Christians; and for this reason God,
the righteous Judge, punished him for the evils he had wrought.
69. And the general Valentine and his
troops were not able to give any assistance to the Egyptians; but the latter,
and par- ticularly the Alexandrians, were very hard pressed by the Moslem. And
they were not able to bear the tribute which was exacted from them. And the
rich men of the city (country ?) concealed them- selves ten months in the
islands.
70. And subsequently Theodore the
governor and Constantine the commander-in-chief of the army, and the remaining
troops, and likewise those which had been hostages in the hands of the Moslem,
set out and embarked, and came to Alexandria. 71. And after the festival of the
Cross they appointed Peter the deacon to be patriarch on the twentieth of Hamlê,
on the festival of the holy Theodore the martyr, and placed him on the
patriarchal throne.
72. On the twentieth of Maskaram, Theodore
and all his troops and officers set out and proceeded to the island of Cyprus,
and abandoned the city of Alexandria. And thereupon ‘Amr the chief of the
Moslem made his entry without effort into the city of Alexandria. And the
inhabitants received him with respect; for they were in great tribulation and
affliction.
Chapter CXXI. 1. And Abba Benjamin, the patriarch
of the Egyptians, returned to the city of Alexandria in the thirteenth year
after his flight from the Romans, and he went to the Churches, and inspected
all of them. 2. And every one said: “his expulsion (of the Romans) and victory
of the Moslem is due to the wickedness of the emperor Heraclius and his
persecution of the Orthodox through the patriarch Cyrus. This was the cause of
the ruin of the Romans and the subjugation of Egypt by the Moslem.
3. And 'Amr became stronger every day
in every field of his activity. And he exacted the taxes which had been
determined upon, but he took none of the property of the Churches, and he
committed no act of spoliation or plunder, and he preserved them throughout all
his days. And when he seized the city of Alexandria, he had the canal drained
in accordance with the instructions given by the apostate Theodore. 4. And he
increased the taxes to the extent of twenty-two batr of gold till all
the people hid themselves owing to the greatness of the tribulation, and could
not find the wherewithal to pay. And in the second year of the lunar cycle came
John of the city of Damietta,
5. He had been appointed by the governor
Theodore, and had lent his aid to the Moslem in order to prevent their
destruction of the city. Now he had been appointed prefect of the city of
Alexandria when ‘Amr entered it. And this John had compassion on the poor, and
gave generously to them out of his possessions. And seeing their affliction he
had mercy upon them, and wept over their lot. 6. ‘Amr deposed Menas and
appointed John in his stead. Now this Menas had increased the taxes of the
city, which ‘Amr had fixed at 22,000 gold dinars, and the sum which the
apostate ' Menas got together was 32,057 gold dinars — he appointed for the
Moslem. 7. And none could recount the mourning and lamentation which took place
in that city: they even gave their children in exchange for the great sums
which they had to pay monthly. And they had none to help them, and God
destroyed their hopes, and delivered the Christians into the hands of their
enemies. 8. But the strong heneficence of God will put to shame those who
grieve us, and He will make His love for man to triumph over our sins, and
bring to naught the evil purposes of those who afflict us, who would not that
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords should reign over them, (even) Jesus Christ
our true God. 9. As for those wicked slaves, He will destroy them in evil
fashion: as saith the holy Gospel: “As for Mine enemies who would not that I
should reign over them, bring them unto Me.” 10. And now many of the Egyptians
who had been false Christians denied the holy orthodox faith and lifegiving
baptism, and embraced the religion of the Moslem, the enemies of God, and
accepted the detestable doctrine of the beast, this is, Mohammed, and
they erred together with those idolaters, and took arms in their hands and
fought against the Christians, li. And one of them, named John, the Chalce-
donian of the Convent of Sinai, embraced the faith of Islam, and quitting his
monk's habit he took up the sword, and persecuted the Christians who were
faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ.
…
Chapter CXXIII.
We have translated this book with
great care from Arabic into Ge'ez, even poor I, the most worthless amongst men
and the vilest amongst the people, and the deacon Gabriel the Egyptian, son of
the martyr John Kolobos, by the order of Athanasius commander-in-chief of the
army of Ethiopia, and by the order of the queen Mârjâm Senâ. 10. God grant that
it may serve to the salvation of the soul and the preservation of the body. And
praise be unto Him, who has given us power to begin and to finish (this work),
for ever and ever. Amen and amen. So be it.
