earnestly to his Lord in a loud voice. And when
they drew near, and saluted him, he raised his head,

professing his own religion. Saif then repaired to the court of
the Persian monarch, Kesra Anowshirwan, whoJ^gave him pro-
mises of assistance, but owing to other wars delayed their fulfil-
ment. In the meanwhile Saif died, but his son, Maady-Karib,
animated by the same zeal as his father, once more sought
Kesra's presence. The latter armed all the malefactors in the
prisons, amounting to 3,600 men, organized them into an army,
and placed them under the command of Horzdd-ibn-Narsee,
surnamed Wahrdz, one of themselves, but superior to them by
birth and education. This party, together with M4ady-Karib,
sailed for el- Yemen ; the courage of the native Arabs was excited
by the sight of the troops, and the presence of a descendant of
their ancient kings ; and those who had suffered from the perse-
cution of Masruk, a cruel and tyrannical prince, flocked to the
standard of Maady-Karib, who soon found himself at the head
of an army of 20,000 men. Masruk prepared to oppose their
advance with a force of 120,000 men, but during the battle which
ensued was killed by an arrow shot by Wahrdz, the Abyssinian
army was thrown into the utmost confusion, and finally routed
with great slaughter. Miady-Karib was, by order of Kesra, in-
stalled as viceroy of el-Y^men, agreeing to pay tribute as a
vassal of the Persian monarch. These events occurred about
A.D. 575, and thus was the Christian power in el-Ydmen over-
thrown, though many Abyssinians still remained there. These,
Maady-Karib began by persecuting, but afterwards changed his
policy and surrounded himself with Abyssinian guards. One
day, however, when he was out hunting, these guards fell upon
him and slew him, and thus finally extinguished the dynasty of
Himyar. An Abyssinian, whose name is not mentioned, then
seized the supreme power, and el-Ydmen was for some time filled
with violence and bloodshed. In a.d. 595, however, Wahraz,



i82 'ilAm-en-nAs.
