and Taric departed with four galleys and five hundred men, guided by the
traitor Julian. This first expedition of the Arabs against Spain took
place, according to certain historians, in the year of our Lord seven
hundred and twelve; though others differ on this point, as indeed they do
upon almost every point in this early period of Spanish history. The date
to which the judicious chroniclers incline is that of seven hundred and
ten, in the month of July. It would appear from some authorities, also,
that the galleys of Taric cruised along the coasts of Andalusia and
Lusitania, under the feigned character of merchant barks; nor is this at
all improbable, while they were seeking merely to observe the land, and
get a knowledge of the harbors. Wherever they touched, Count Julian
despatched emissaries, to assemble his friends and adherents at an
appointed place. They gathered together secretly at Gezira Alhadra, that
is to say, the Green Island; where they held a conference with Count
Julian in presence of Taric ben Zeyad. Here they again avowed their
readiness to flock to his standard whenever it should be openly raised,
and made known their various preparations for a rebellion. Taric was
convinced, by all that he had seen and heard, that Count Julian had not
deceived them; either as to his disposition or his means to betray his
country. Indulging his Arab inclinations, he made an inroad into the land,
collected great spoil and many captives, and bore off his plunder in
triumph to Muza, as a specimen of the riches to be gained by the conquest
of the Christian land.
On hearing the tidings brought by Taric el Tuerto, and beholding the spoil
he had collected, Muza wrote a letter to the Caliph Waled Almanzor,
setting forth the traitorous proffer of Count Julian, and the probability,
through his means, of making a successful invasion of Spain. 'A new land,'
said he, 'spreads itself out before our delighted eyes, and invites our
conquest: a land, too, that equals Syria in the fertility of its soil, and
the serenity of its sky; Yemen, or Arabia the happy, in its delightful
temperature; India, in its flowers and spices; Hegias, in its fruits and
flowers; Cathay, in its precious minerals; and Aden, in the excellence of
its ports and harbors! It is populous also, and wealthy; having many
splendid cities, and majestic monuments of ancient art. What is to prevent
this glorious land from becoming the inheritance of the faithful? Already
we have overcome the tribes of Berbery, of Zab, of Derar, of Zaara,
Mazamuda, and Sus; and the victorious standard of Islem floats on the
towers of Tangier. But four leagues of sea separate us from the opposite
coast. One word from my sovereign, and the conquerors of Africa will pour
their legions into Andalusia, rescue it from the domination of the
unbeliever, and subdue it to the law of the Koran.'
The Caliph was overjoyed with the contents of the letter. 'God is great!'
exclaimed he, 'and Mahomet is his prophet! It has been foretold by the
ambassador of God, that his law should extend to the ultimate parts of the
west, and be carried by the sword into new and unknown regions. Behold,
another land is opened for the triumphs of the faithful! It is the will of
Allah, and be his sovereign will obeyed!' So the Caliph sent missives to
Muza, authorizing him to undertake the conquest.
Upon this there was a great stir of preparation; and numerous vessels were
assembled and equipped at Tangier, to convey the invading army across the
Straits. Twelve thousand men were chosen for this expedition: most of them
light Arabian troops, seasoned in warfare, and fitted for hardy and rapid
enterprise. Among them were many horsemen, mounted on fleet Arabian
steeds. The whole was put under the command of the veteran, Taric el
Tuerto, or the one-eyed, in whom Muza reposed implicit confidence, as in a
second self. Taric accepted the command with joy: his martial fire was
roused at the idea of having such an army under his sole command, and such
a country to overrun; and he secretly determined never to return unless
victorious.
He chose a dark night to convey his troops across the Straits of Hercules;
and, by break of day they began to disembark at Tarifa, before the country
had time to take the alarm. A few Christians hastily assembled from the
neighborhood and opposed their landing, but were easily put to flight.
Taric stood on the sea-side, and watched until the last squadron had
landed; and all the horses, armour, and munitions of war were brought on
shore: he then gave orders to set fire to the ships. The Moslems were
struck with terror when they beheld their fleet wrapped in flames and
smoke, and sinking beneath the waves. 'How shall we escape,' exclaimed
they, 'if the fortune of war should be against us?' 'There is no escape
for the coward!' cried Taric: 'the brave man thinks of none: your only
chance is victory.' 'But how, without ships, shall we ever return to our
homes?' 'Your home,' replied Taric, 'is before you; but you must win it
with your swords.'
While Taric was yet talking with his followers, says one of the ancient
chroniclers, a Christian female was described, waving a white pennon on a
reed, in signal of peace. On being brought into the presence of Taric she
prostrated herself before him. 'Senior,' said she, 'I am an ancient woman;
and it is now full sixty years, past and gone, since, as I was keeping
vigils one winter's night by the fireside, I heard my father, who was an
exceeding old man, read a prophecy, said to have been written by a holy
friar; and this was the purport of the prophecy: that a time would arrive
when our country would be invaded and conquered by a people from Africa,
of a strange garb, a strange tongue, and a strange religion. They were to
be led by a strong and valiant captain, who would be known by these signs:
on his right shoulder he would have a hairy mole, and his right arm would
be much longer than the left; and of such length as to enable him to cover
his knee with his hand without bending his body.'
Taric listened to the old beldame with grave attention; and, when she had
concluded, he laid bare his shoulder, and lo! there was the mole as it had
been described; his right arm, also, was, in verity, found to exceed the
other in length, though not to the degree that had been mentioned. Upon
this the Arab host shouted for joy, and felt assured of conquest.
The discreet Antonio Agapida, though he records this circumstance as it is
set down in ancient chronicle, yet withholds his belief from the pretended
prophecy, considering the whole a cunning device of Taric to increase the
courage of his troops. 'Doubtless,' says he, 'there was a collusion
between this ancient sybil and the crafty son of Ishmael; for these
infidel leaders were full of damnable inventions, to work upon the
superstitious fancies of their followers, and to inspire them with a blind
confidence in the success of their arms.'
Be this as it may, the veteran Taric took advantage of the excitement of
his soldiery, and led them forward to gain possession of a stronghold,
which was, in a manner, the key to all the adjacent country. This was a
lofty mountain, or promontory, almost surrounded by the sea; and connected
with the mainland by a narrow isthmus. It was called the rock of Calpe,
and, like the opposite rock of Ceuta, commanded the entrance to the
Mediterranean Sea. Here, in old times, Hercules had set up one of his
pillars, and the city of Heraclea had been built.
As Taric advanced against this promontory, he was opposed by a hasty levy
of the Christians, who had assembled under the banner of a Gothic noble of
great power and importance, whose domains lay along the mountainous coast
of the Mediterranean. The name of this Christian cavalier was Theodomir,
but he has universally been called Tadmir by the Arabian historians; and
is renowned as being the first commander that made any stand against the
inroad of the Moslems. He was about forty years of age; hardy, prompt, and
sagacious; and had all the Gothic nobles been equally vigilant and shrewd
in their defence, the banner of Islam would never have triumphed over the
land.
Theodomir had but seventeen hundred men under his command, and these but
rudely armed; yet he made a resolute stand against the army of Taric, and
defended the pass to the promontory with great valor. He was, at length,
obliged to retreat; and Taric advanced, and planted his standard on the
rock of Calpe, and fortified it as his stronghold, and as the means of
securing an entrance into the land. To commemorate his first victory, he
changed the name of the promontory, and called it Gibel Taric, or the
mountain of Taric; but, in process of time, the name has gradually been
altered to Gibraltar.
In the mean time, the patriotic chieftain, Theodomir, having collected his
routed forces, encamped with them on the skirts of the mountains, and
summoned the country round to join his standard. He sent off missives, in
all speed, to the king; imparting, in brief and blunt terms, the news of
the invasion, and craving assistance with equal frankness. 'Senior,' said
he, in his letter, 'the legions of Africa are upon us, but whether they
come from heaven or earth I know not. They seem to have fallen from the
clouds, for they have no ships. We have been taken by surprise,
overpowered by numbers, and obliged to retreat; and they have fortified
themselves in our territory. Send us aid, senior, with instant speed; or,
rather, come yourself to our assistance.'
When Don Roderick heard that legions of turbaned troops had poured into
the land from Africa, he called to mind the visions and predictions of the
necromantic tower, and great fear came upon him. But, though sunk from his
former hardihood and virtue, though enervated by indulgence, and degraded
in spirit by a consciousness of crime, he was resolute of soul, and roused
himself to meet the coming danger. He summoned a hasty levy of horse and
foot, amounting to forty thousand; but now were felt the effects of the
crafty council of Count Julian, for the best of the horses and armour
intended for the public service had been sent into Africa, and were really
in possession of the traitors. Many nobles, it is true, took the field
with the sumptuous array with which they had been accustomed to appear at
tournaments and jousts; but most of their vassals were destitute of
weapons, and cased in cuirasses of leather, or suits of armor almost
consumed by rust. They were without discipline or animation; and their
horses, like themselves pampered by slothful peace, were little fitted to
bear the heat, the dust, and toil, of long campaigns.
This army Don Roderick put under the command of his kinsman Ataulpho, a
prince of the royal blood of the Goths, and of a noble and generous
nature; and he ordered him to march with all speed to meet the foe, and to
recruit his forces on the way with the troops of Theodomir.
In the mean time, Taric el Tuerto had received large re-inforcements from
Africa, and the adherents of Count Julian, and all those discontented with
the sway of Don Roderick, had flocked to his standard; for many were
deceived by the representations of Count Julian, and thought that the
Arabs had come to aid him in placing the sons of Witiza upon the throne.
Guided by the count, the troops of Taric penetrated into various parts of
the country, and laid waste the land; bringing back loads of spoil to
their stronghold at the rock of Calpe.
The prince Ataulpho marched with his army through Andalusia, and was
joined by Theodomir with his troops; he met with various detachments of
the enemy foraging the country, and had several bloody skirmishes; but he
succeeded in driving them before him, and they retreated to the rock of
Calpe, where Taric lay gathered up with the main body of his army.
The prince encamped not far from the bay which spreads itself out before
the promontory. In the evening he despatched the veteran Theodomir, with a
trumpet, to demand a parley of the Arab chieftain, who received the envoy
in his tent, surrounded by his captains. Theodomir was frank and abrupt in
speech, for the most of his life had been passed far from courts. He
delivered, in round terms, the message of the Prince Ataulpho; upbraiding
the Arab general with his wanton invasion of the land, and summoning him
to surrender his army, or to expect no mercy.
The single eye of Taric el Tuerto glowed like a coal of fire at this
message. 'Tell your commander,' replied he, 'that I have crossed the
strait to conquer Spain, nor will I return until I have accomplished my
purpose. Tell him I have men skilled in war, and armed in proof, with
whose aid I trust soon to give a good account of his rabble host.'
A murmur of applause passed through the assemblage of Moslem captains.
Theodomir glanced on them a look of defiance, but his eye rested on a
renegado Christian, one of his own ancient comrades, and a relation of
Count Julian. 'As to you, Don Greybeard,' said he, 'you who turn apostate
in your declining age, I here pronounce you a traitor to your God, your
king, and country; and stand ready to prove it this instant upon your
body, if field be granted me.'
The traitor knight was stung with rage at these words, for truth rendered
them piercing to the heart. He would have immediately answered to the
challenge, but Taric forbade it, and ordered that the Christian envoy
should be conducted from the camp. ''Tis well,' replied Theodomir; 'God
will give me the field which you deny. Let yon hoary apostate look to
himself to-morrow in the battle, for I pledge myself to use my lance upon
no other foe until it has shed his blood upon the native soil he has
betrayed.' So saying, he left the camp; nor could the Moslem chieftains
help admiring the honest indignation of this patriot knight, while they
secretly despised his renegado adversary.
The ancient Moorish chroniclers relate many awful portents, and strange
and mysterious visions, which appeared to the commanders of either army
during this anxious night. Certainly it was a night of fearful suspense,
and Moslem and Christian looked forward with doubt to the fortune of the
coming day. The Spanish sentinel walked his pensive round, listening
occasionally to the vague sounds from the distant rock of Calpe, and
eyeing it as the mariner eyes the thunder cloud, pregnant with terror and
destruction. The Arabs, too, from their lofty cliffs beheld the numerous
camp-fires of the Christians gradually lighted up, and saw that they were
a powerful host; at the same time the night breeze brought to their ears
the sullen roar of the sea which separated them from Africa. When they
considered their perilous situation, an army on one side, with a whole
nation aroused to re-enforce it, and on the other an impassable sea, the
spirits of many of the warriors were cast down, and they repented the day
when they had ventured into this hostile land.
Taric marked their despondency, but said nothing. Scarce had the first
streak of morning light trembled along the sea, however, when he summoned
his principal warriors to his tent. 'Be of good cheer,' said he: 'Allah is
with us, and has sent his prophet to give assurance of his aid. Scarce had
I retired to my tent last night, when a man of a majestic and venerable
presence stood before me. He was taller by a palm than the ordinary race
of men; his flowing beard was of a golden hue, and his eyes were so bright
that they seemed to send forth flashes of fire. I have heard the Emir
Bahamet, and other ancient men, describe the prophet, whom they had seen
many times while on earth, and such was his form and lineament. 'Fear
nothing, O Taric, from the morrow,' said he, 'I will be with thee in the
fight. Strike boldly, then, and conquer. Those of thy followers who
survive the battle will have this land for an inheritance; for those who
fall, a mansion in paradise is prepared, and immortal houris await their
coming.' He spake and vanished; I heard a strain of celestial melody, and
my tent was filled with the odors of Arabia the Happy.' 'Such,' says the
Spanish chroniclers, 'was another of the arts by which this arch son of
Ishmael sought to animate the hearts of his followers;' and the pretended
vision had been recorded by the Arabian writers as a veritable occurrence.
Marvellous, indeed, was the effect produced by it upon the infidel
soldiery, who now cried out with eagerness to be led against the foe.
The gray summits of the rock of Calpe brightened with the first rays of
morning, as the Christian army issued forth from its encampment. The
Prince Ataulpho rode from squadron to squadron, animating his soldiers for
the battle. 'Never should we sheath our swords,' said he, 'while these
infidels have a footing in the land. They are pent up within yon rocky
mountain, we must assail them in their rugged hole. We have a long day
before us: let not the setting sun shine upon one of their host, who is
not a fugitive, a captive, or a corpse.'
The words of the prince were received with shouts, and the army moved
toward the promontory. As they advanced, they heard the clash of cymbals
and the bray of trumpets, and the rocky bosom of the mountain glittered
with helms and spears and scimetars; for the Arabs, inspired with fresh
confidence by the words of Taric, were sallying forth, with flaunting
banners, to the combat.
The gaunt Arab chieftain stood upon a rock as his troops marched by; his
buckler was at his back, and he brandished in his hand a double-pointed
spear. Calling upon the several leaders by their names, he exhorted them
to direct their attacks against the Christian captains, and especially
against Ataulpho; 'for the chiefs being slain,' said he, 'their followers
will vanish from before us like the morning mist.'
The Gothic nobles were easily to be distinguished by the splendor of their
arms; but the Prince Ataulpho was conspicuous above all the rest for the
youthful grace and majesty of his appearance, and the bravery of his
array. He was mounted on a superb Andalusian charger, richly caparisoned
with crimson velvet, embroidered with gold. His surcoat was of like color
and adornment, and the plumes that waved above his burnished helmet were
of the purest white. Ten mounted pages, magnificently attired, followed
him to the field, but their duty was not so much to fight as to attend
upon their lord, and to furnish him with steed or weapon.
The Christian troops, though irregular and undisciplined, were full of
native courage; for the old warrior spirit of their Gothic sires still
glowed in their bosoms. There were two battalions of infantry, but
Ataulpho stationed them in the rear; 'for God forbid,' said he, 'that foot
soldiers should have the place of honor in the battle, when I have so many
valiant cavaliers.' As the armies drew nigh to each other, however, it was
discovered that the advance of the Arabs was composed of infantry. Upon
this the cavaliers checked their steeds, and requested that the foot
soldiery might advance and disperse this losel crew, holding it beneath
their dignity to contend with pedestrian foes. The prince, however,
commanded them to charge; upon which, putting spurs to their steeds, they
rushed upon the foe.
The Arabs stood the shock manfully, receiving the horses upon the points
of their lances; many of the riders were shot down with bolts from
cross-bows, or stabbed with the poniards of the Moslems. The cavaliers
succeeded, however, in breaking into the midst of the battalion and
throwing it into confusion, cutting down some with their swords,
transpiercing others with their spears, and trampling many under the hoofs
of their horses. At this moment, they were attacked by a band of Spanish
horsemen, the recreant partisans of Count Julian. Their assault bore hard
upon their countrymen, who were disordered by the contest with the foot
soldiers, and many a loyal Christian knight fell beneath the sword of an
unnatural foe.
The foremost among these recreant warriors was the renegado cavalier whom
Theodomir had challenged in the tent of Taric. He dealt his blows about
him with a powerful arm and with malignant fury, for nothing is more
deadly than the hatred of an apostate. In the midst of his career he was
espied by the hardy Theodomir, who came spurring to the encounter:
'Traitor,' cried he, 'I have kept my vow. This lance has been held sacred
from all other foes to make a passage for thy perjured soul.' The renegado
had been renowned for prowess before he became a traitor to his country,
but guilt will sap the courage of the stoutest heart. When he beheld
Theodomir rushing upon him, he would have turned and fled; pride alone
withheld him; and, though an admirable master of defence, he lost all
skill to ward the attack of his adversary. At the first assault the lance
of Theodomir pierced him through and through; he fell to the earth,
gnashed his teeth as he rolled in the dust, but yielded his breath without
uttering a word.
The battle now became general, and lasted throughout the morning with
varying success. The stratagem of Taric, however, began to produce its
effect. The Christian leaders and most conspicuous cavaliers were singled
out, and severally assailed by overpowering numbers. They fought
desperately, and performed miracles of prowess; but fell, one by one,
beneath a thousand wounds. Still the battle lingered on throughout a great
part of the day; and as the declining sun shone through the clouds of
dust, it seemed as if the conflicting hosts were wrapped in smoke and
fire.
The Prince Ataulpho saw that the fortune of battle was against him. He
rode about the field calling out the names of the bravest of his knights,
but few answered to his call; the rest lay mangled on the field. With this
handful of warriors he endeavored to retrieve the day, when he was
assailed by Tenderos, a partisan of Count Julian, at the head of a body of
recreant Christians. At sight of this new adversary, fire flashed from the
eyes of the prince, for Tenderos had been brought up in his father's
palace. 'Well dost thou, traitor!' cried he, 'to attack the son of thy
lord, who gave thee bread; thou, who hast betrayed thy country and thy
God!'
So saying, he seized a lance from one of his pages, and charged furiously
upon the apostate; but Tenderos met him in mid career, and the lance of
the prince was shivered upon his shield. Ataulpho then grasped his mace,
which hung at his saddle bow, and a doubtful fight ensued. Tenderos was
powerful of frame and superior in the use of his weapons, but the curse of
treason seemed to paralyze his arm. He wounded Ataulpho slightly between
the greaves of his armor, but the prince dealt a blow with his mace that
crushed through helm and skull, and reached the brains; and Tenderos fell
dead to the earth, his armor rattling as he fell.
At the same moment a javelin, hurled by an Arab, transpierced the horse of
Ataulpho, which sunk beneath him. The prince seized the reins of the steed
of Tenderos; but the faithful animal, as though he knew him to be the foe
of his late lord, reared and plunged, and refused to let him mount. The
prince, however, used him as a shield to ward off the press of foes:
while, with his sword, he defended himself against those in front of him.
Taric ben Zeyad arrived at the scene of conflict, and paused, for a
moment, in admiration of the surpassing prowess of the prince:
recollecting, however, that his fall would be a death-blow to his army, he
spurred upon him, and wounded him severely with his scimetar. Before he
could repeat his blow, Theodomir led up a body of Christian cavaliers to
the rescue, and Taric was parted from his prey by the tumult of the fight.
The prince sank to the earth, covered with wounds, and exhausted by the
loss of blood. A faithful page drew him from under the hoofs of the
horses, and, aided by a veteran soldier, an ancient vassal of Ataulpho,
conveyed him to a short distance from the field of battle, by the side of
a small stream that gushed out from among rocks. They staunched the blood
that flowed from his wounds, and washed the dust from his face, and laid
him beside the fountain. The page sat at his head, and supported it on his
knees; and the veteran stood at his feet, with his brow bent, and his eyes
full of sorrow. The prince gradually revived, and opened his eyes. 'How
fares the battle?' said he. 'The struggle is hard,' replied the soldier,
'but the day may yet be ours.'
The prince felt that the hour of his death was at hand, and ordered that
they should aid him to rise upon his knees. They supported him between
them, and he prayed fervently for a short time, when, finding his strength
declining, he beckoned the veteran to sit down beside him on the rock.
Continuing to kneel, he confessed himself to that ancient soldier; having
no priest or friar to perform that office in this hour of extremity. When
he had so done, he sunk again upon the earth, and pressed it with his
lips, as if he would take a fond farewell of his beloved country. The page
would then have raised his head, but found that his lord had yielded up
the ghost.
A number of Arab warriors, who came to the fountain to slake their thirst,
cut off the head of the prince and bore it in triumph to Taric, crying,
'Behold the head of the Christian leader!' Taric immediately ordered that
the head should be put upon the end of a lance, together with the surcoat
of the prince, and borne about the field of battle, with the sound of
trumpets, atabels, and cymbals.