Jezen. At the instigation of the Arabian nobles, who furnished him with money and other necessaries for his journey, Seif repaired to Constantinople to implore the assistance of the emperor in delivering his country from the Abyssinian yoke. He was liberally received by Maurice,[1] and is reported to have waited in patient expectation at the Byzantine court for some time,[2] but he was at length told that unity of faith prevented the emperor of the Romans from being hostile to the Abyssinian nadjash. Disappointed in his hopes, the Arabian prince left Constantinople and went to Hirah, where he was kindly received by Noman ibn Mondar, who offered to introduce him to the Persian monarch. Accordingly, Seif accompanied the king of Hirah soon after to the court of the Khosroës.
When Seif had obtained an audience of Noushirwan, after having gone through the accustomed ceremonies of adoration to the great king,[3] he de-
- ↑ The Arabians say it was Heraclius, but the Greeks are in this respect better authority. See Theophylact. Symocatta, Hist. Byzant. lib. iii. c. 3.
- ↑ Seven years سبعم سنين according to Mesoud, p. 144.
- ↑ "The Khosroës was accustomed" says the Arabian historian, "to give audience in a portico, in which his crown, which was as large as a great medimnus, and was composed of hyacinths, emeralds, pearls, gold, and silver, was suspended from the roof by a chain of gold, for the neck of the king was not able to sustain so great a weight. He was covered with a veil until he sat down and placed his head in this crown. Thus when he had ascended, and was sitting on the throne, the veil
