12                                 Andrew B. .Myers

ing been prefixed out of veneration of his grandfather from whom
he received the crown. He was the first of the race of Omeya to
receive the title and honors of Caliph.

The first expedition of Abderahman III was to the territory of
Toledo against the rebel Caleb Aben Hassan who was in allegiance
to the King of Navarre and held sway over a great part of Spain.
He was now aided by two valiant sons Suleiman and Cjiafar, born
and brought up in the nurture of rebellion and amid the turmoils of
war. The King marched to the banks of the Tagus with forty
thousand men in shining steel and one hundred and twenty eight
banners. Hassan waited not his coming, but, leaving his son Giafar
in Toledo with a strong garrison and ample pro\'isions to stand a
long siege, hastened in search of assistance from his confederate
rebels of the mountains of Murcia and Granada.

Abderahman III soon possessed himself of the castles on the
Tagus and the strong holds of the neigliborhood. \\'ithout wast¬
ing time on the siege of the impregnable Toledo, he marched to¬
wards Eastern Spain in pursuit of Caleb ben Hassan. That veteran
rebel was already on his return with a powerful force of men sea¬
soned in warfare, and conmianded by intrepid chiefs of the eastern
mountains.

The two armies met on a spacious plain. Almundafar, uncle of
the King, directed the order of battle and led the advance, the
King commanding the main body. The light troops of either army
skirmished for a time, and then retreating the battalions of horse
and foot rushed to the encounter, with a fearful sound of drums,
trumpets and clarions. The battle raged throughout the day with
various success. At length the cavalry of the King broke the bat¬
talions of the rebels and threw them in disorder. Hassan flew from
rank to rank endeavouring to rally and enspirit his followers.
Wherever he went his scymitar shed death and stayed for a mo¬
ment the course of defeat, but, as he passed on confusion again
took place. Notwithstanding all the efforts of his captains, as the
sun went down the rebel army fled in confusion from the field