Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Note: As a result of editorial shortcomings in the original, some reference letters in the text don’t have matching entries in the reference-lists, and vice versa.

THE HISTORIANS’ HISTORY OF THE WORLD

THE HISTORIANS’
HISTORY
OF THE WORLD

A comprehensive narrative of the rise and development of nations
as recorded by over two thousand of the great writers of all ages:
edited, with the assistance of a distinguished board of advisers
and contributors, by

HENRY SMITH WILLIAMS, LL.D.

IN TWENTY-FIVE VOLUMES

VOLUME VIII--PARTHIANS, SASSANIDS, AND ARABS
THE CRUSADES AND THE PAPACY

The Outlook Company
New York

The History Association
London

1904

COPYRIGHT, 1904,
BY HENRY SMITH WILLIAMS.

_All rights reserved._

Press of J. J. Little & Co.
New York, U. S. A.

Contributors, and Editorial Revisers.

Prof. Adolf Erman, University of Berlin.
Prof. Joseph Halévy, College of France.
Prof. Thomas K. Cheyne, Oxford University.
Prof. Andrew C. McLaughlin, University of Michigan.
Prof. David H. Müller, University of Vienna.
Prof. Alfred Rambaud, University of Paris.

Prof. Eduard Meyer, University of Berlin.
Dr. James T. Shotwell, Columbia University.
Prof. Theodor Nöldeke, University of Strasburg.
Prof. Albert B. Hart, Harvard University.
Dr. Paul Brönnle, Royal Asiatic Society.
Dr. James Gairdner, C.B., London.

Prof. Ulrich von Wilamowitz Möllendorff, University of Berlin.
Prof. H. Marnali, University of Budapest.
Dr. G. W. Botsford, Columbia University.
Prof. Julius Wellhausen, University of Göttingen.
Prof. Franz R. von Krones, University of Graz.
Prof. Wilhelm Soltau, Zabern University.

Prof. R. W. Rogers, Drew Theological Seminary.
Prof. A. Vambéry, University of Budapest.
Prof. Otto Hirschfeld, University of Berlin.
Baron Bernardo di San Severino Quaranta, London.
Prof. F. York Powell, Oxford University.
Dr. John P. Peters, New York.

Dr. S. Rappoport, School of Oriental Languages, Paris.
Prof. Hermann Diels, University of Berlin.
Prof. C. W. C. Oman, Oxford University.
Prof. I. Goldziher, University of Vienna.
Prof. W. L. Fleming, University of West Virginia.
Prof. R. Koser, University of Berlin.

CONTENTS

VOLUME VIII

PART XII. PARTHIANS, SASSANIDS, AND ARABS

PAGE

INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. THE SCOPE AND INFLUENCE OF ARABIC HISTORY.
By Dr. Theodor Nöldeke 1

HISTORY IN OUTLINE OF PARTHIANS, SASSANIDS, AND ARABS (250
B.C.-1375 A.D.) 25

CHAPTER I

THE PARTHIAN EMPIRE (250 B.C.-228 A.D.) 47

Justin’s account of the Parthians, 47. Their customs, 48.
Seleucus and Arsaces, 49. Wars with Rome, 51. Modern accounts
of Parthia, 53. The Parthian empire, 53. Arsaces and the
Arsacids, 54. Bactria and Parthia consolidate, 55. Conquests of
Mithridates, 57. Media and Babylonia conquered, 58. Parthian
“kingdoms,” 59. Scythian conquest of Bactria, 60. The Scythians
ravage Parthia, 61. First conflict with Rome, 62. Orodes
defeats the Romans, 63. Plutarch’s account of the battle of
Carrhæ, 63. Phraates IV repels Mark Antony, 68. Anarchy in
Parthia, 70. The Romans intervene, 72. The decay of Parthian
greatness, 74. Persia conquers Parthia, 75.

CHAPTER II

THE EMPIRE OF THE SASSANIDS (228-750 A.D.) 76

Sassanian power, 77. Sapor fights Rome, 78. The war with
Palmyra, 79. A new war with Rome, 81. Ardashir II to Bahram
IV, 82. The rule of Yezdegerd I, 83. The Arabs aid in war with
Rome, 84. War with the Hephthalites, 85. Kavadh I, 86. New
conflict with Rome, 86. Exploits of Mundhir, 87. Chosroes the
Just, 88. Chosroes attacks Rome, 88. Hormuzd IV, 91. Civil war,
91. Vices of Chosroes II, 93. Conflict with Heraclius; fall of
Chosroes II, 94. Successors of Chosroes II, 95. Anarchy and
chaos, 96. Arab incursions, 97. Arab conquest, 98.

CHAPTER III

EARLY HISTORY OF THE ARABS (_ca._ 2500 B.C.-622 A.D.) 100

Arab history before Mohammed, 105.

CHAPTER IV

MOHAMMED (570-632 A.D.) 111

Mohammed ben Abdallah ben Abdul-Muttalib, 111. Religious
unrest, 111. Mohammed’s life, 113. His marriage with Khadija,
113. Mohammed as a prophet, 115. Mohammed an outlaw, 116.
The Hegira, 117. Battle of Bedr, 120. Battle of Ohod,
121. Expedition against the Jews, 123. Siege of Medina,
extermination of the Jews, 123. Mohammed’s pilgrimage to Mecca,
125. Subjection of Mecca, 126. The victory of Honain and Autas,
128. The last years of Mohammed’s life, 130. Gibbon’s estimate
of Mohammed and Mohammedanism, 132.

CHAPTER V

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM (632-661 A.D.) 145

Abu Bekr, first caliph after Mohammed, 145. The caliph
Omar, 150. The conquest of Persia, 151. The Syrian conquest
completed, 156. Egypt captured, 160. The alleged burning of the
library, 163. Othman, the third caliph, 167. Ali, 170.

CHAPTER VI

THE OMAYYADS (661-750 A.D.) 175

Foundation of the Omayyads, 175. Yazid made caliph, 176. Siege
of Mecca, 177. Abdul-Malik, caliph, 179. Siege of Mecca, 180.
The eastern caliphate, 184. Suleiman’s ambitions, 185. The last
Omayyads, 186.

CHAPTER VII

THE ARABS IN EUROPE (711-961 A.D.) 191

The invasion of France, 198.

CHAPTER VIII

THE ABBASIDS (750-1258 A.D.) 209

Founding of Baghdad, 209. Harun Ar-Rashid, 210. Al-Mamun and
his successors, 211. Baghdad under the caliphs, 213. Gradual
decline of Arabian dominion in the East, 215. The various
religious sects, 220. The Seljuk Turks, 225. Arabs and Turks
unite against the Christians, 227. Saladin and his successors
against the crusaders, 228. The Mongols under Jenghiz Khan
invade western Asia, 230.

CHAPTER IX

THE DECLINE OF THE MOSLEMS IN SPAIN (961-1609 A.D.) 233

Almansor, 233. Decay of power, 235. End of the Omayyads, 238.
Independent kingdoms, 239. The Almoravids, 240. Dynasty of the
Almohads, 246. Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, 247. The decline
of Arab power, 248.

CHAPTER X

ARAB CIVILISATION 260

The Koran, 260. Doctrine of Islamism, 265. The pilgrimage to
Mecca, 267. The holy war, 270. Arab culture, 271. Commerce and
industry, 273. Paper, compass, and gunpowder, 274. Influence of
the Arabs on European civilisation, 276. Scholasticism, 277.
Mathematical science, 278. Medicine, 279. Architecture, 281.
Music, 282.

CHAPTER XI

TRIBAL LIFE OF THE EPIC PERIOD 284

CHAPTER XII

THE PRINCIPLES OF LAW IN ISLAM 294

BRIEF REFERENCE-LIST OF AUTHORITIES BY CHAPTERS 305

PART XIII. THE CRUSADES AND THE PAPACY

BOOK I. THE CRUSADES

INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. THE VALUE OF THE CRUSADES IN THE LIGHT OF
MODERN HISTORY. By the Reverend William Denton, M.A. 311

HISTORY IN OUTLINE OF THE CRUSADES (1096-1291 A.D.) 314

CHAPTER I

ORIGIN OF THE CRUSADES (306-1096 A.D.) 320

Early Christian pilgrimages, 322. Jerusalem under the Saracens,
324. Character of the pilgrims, 326. The Turks in power, 328.
Peter the Hermit, 330. The appeal of the emperor Alexius, 331.
Councils of Placentia and Clermont, 332. The frenzy of Europe,
334.

CHAPTER II

THE FIRST CRUSADE (1096-1147 A.D.) 338

Peter the Hermit and his rabble, 339. The leaders of the First
Crusade, 340. Alexius compels homage, 342. Numbers of the
crusaders, 343. The siege of Nicæa, 344. Battle of Dorylæum,
345. Principality of Edessa founded, 346. Siege of Antioch,
347. A typical miracle, 349. Jerusalem besieged, 351. The Arab
account, 352. Godfrey elected king, 353. Results of the First
Crusade, 356.

CHAPTER III

THE SECOND CRUSADE (1147-1189 A.D.) 358

St. Bernard, 358. Disasters of the Germans, 361. The French
failure, 362. The rise of Saladin, 364. Moslem accounts of the
battle of Tiberias, 374. The fall of Jerusalem, 376.

CHAPTER IV

THE THIRD CRUSADE (1189-1193 A.D.) 379

The Saladin tithe, 381. Barbarossa’s crusade and death, 382.
The siege of Acre or Ptolemais, 383. Geoffrey de Vinsauf’s
account of Acre, 383. Richard’s voyage, 386. The French sail
to Acre, 387. Dissension between the French and English kings,
388. Review of the siege, 390. The crusaders move on Jerusalem,
392. The enterprise abandoned, 396. Vinsauf’s account of
Richard at Joppa, 397. Peace between the kings, 402. End and
review of the Third Crusade, 404. Death of Saladin; Arab
eulogies, 407.

CHAPTER V

THE FOURTH TO THE SIXTH CRUSADES (1195-1229 A.D.) 410

Pope Celestine III promotes a crusade, 410. The Fourth (or
German) Crusade, 411. The Fifth Crusade, 413. Results of the
Fifth Crusade, 417. The Children’s Crusade, 419. The Sixth
Crusade, 422.