two parasangs from Antioch, the troops of the enemy met him ; and he dispersed them and forced them to seek refuge in the city. Abu-ʿUbaidah invested the city at all its gates, most of the army being at the Bâb Fâris and Bâb al-Baḥr [sea gate]. At last they capitulated, agreeing to pay poll-tax or evacuate the place. Some of them did leave; but others remained, and to the latter abu-ʿUbaidah guaranteed safety, assessing one dînâr and one jarîb [of wheat] on every adult. Later, they violated the contract, which made abu-ʿUbaidah send against them ʿIyâḍ ibn-Ghanm and Ḥabîb ibn-Maslamah, who reduced the city and made terms identical with the previous ones. Some say, however, that they violated the contract after abu-ʿUbaidah's return to Palestine. So he sent from Jerusalem ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi who reduced it and returned to Jerusalem whose people, after a short time, sought to capitulate and make peace.
A garrison stationed in Antioch. Muḥammad ibn-Sahm al-Anṭâki from certain sheikhs of the frontier cities:—Antioch was highly esteemed by ʿUmar and ʿUthmân. When it was therefore reduced, ʿUmar wrote to abu-ʿUbaidah saying, "Station in Antioch Moslems of strong determination and good management. Let them be its garrison, and never stop their allowances." When he made Muʿâwiyah governor, ʿUmar wrote to him something to that effect. Later ʿUthmân instructed Muʿâwiyah to station in it troops that would never leave and to assign them fiefs, which Muʿâwiyah did. The following was said by abu-Sahm, "As a child, while I was standing on the bridge of Antioch spanning the Orontes [Ar. al-Urunṭ] I heard an aged man of Antioch say, 'This piece of land is a fief from ʿUthmân to certain men that were in the army sent by abu-ʿUbaidah. It was allotted them in the time in which Muʿâwiyah was, according to ʿUthmân's assignment, the governor of Syria.'"
