D.
I
The most celebrated of all Mohammedan caliphs was Harun-al-Rashid,
which means, in English, Aaron the Just. Harun is the hero
of several of the stories of the "Arabian Nights," a famous book,
which perhaps you have read. There are many curious and wonderful
tales in it.
When Harun was only eighteen years old he showed such courage and
skill as a soldier that his father, who was then caliph, allowed
him to lead an army against the enemies of the Mohammedans; and he
won many great victories.
He afterwards commanded an army of ninety-five thousand Arabs and
Persians, sent by his father to invade the Eastern Roman Empire,
which was then ruled by the Empress Irene (i-re'-ne). After defeating
Irene's famous general, Nicetas (ni-ce'-tas), Harun marched his
army to Chrysopolis (Chrys-op'-o-lis), now Scutari (skoo'-ta-re),
on the Asiatic coast, opposite Constantinople. He encamped on the
heights, in full view of the Roman capital.
The Empress saw that the city would certainly by taken by the Moslems.
She therefore sent ambassadors to Harun to arrange terms; but he
sternly refused to agree to anything except immediate surrender.
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