Battle of Guadalete

Today’s installment concludes Saracens Invade Spain,
our selection from History of the Mahometan Dynasties in Spain by Abu-l-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Mohammed al-Maqqari published in 1592.

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Previously in Saracens Invade Spain.

Time: 711 AD
Place: Guadalete, Spain

Tarik’s men were differently arrayed; their breasts were covered with mail armor; they wore white turbans on their heads, the Arabian bow slung across their backs, their swords suspended in their girdles and their long spears firmly grasped in their hands.

They say that when the two armies were advancing upon each other and the eyes of Roderic fell upon the men in the first ranks, he was horror-stricken and was heard to exclaim: “By the faith of the Messiah! These are the very men I saw painted on the scroll found in the mansion of science at Toledo;” and from that moment fear entered his heart; and when Tarik perceived Roderic, he said to his followers, “This is the King of the Christians,” and he charged with his men, the warriors who surrounded Roderic being on all sides scattered and dispersed; seeing which, Tarik plunged into the ranks of the enemy until he reached the King and wounded him with his sword on the head and killed him on his throne; and when Roderick’s men saw their King fall and his bodyguard dispersed, the rout became general and victory remained with the Moslems.

The rout of the Christians was complete, for instead of rallying on one spot, they fled in all directions and, their panic being communicated to their countrymen, cities opened their gates and castles surrendered without resistance.

The preceding account we have borrowed from a writer of great note but we deem it necessary to warn the readers that the assertion that Roderic died by the hands of Tarik has been contradicted by several historians, since his body, although diligently sought on the field of battle, could nowhere be found.

We shall proceed to recount in detail that memorable battle, when Almighty God was pleased to put King Roderic’s army to flight and grant the Moslems a most complete victory. Several authors who have described at large this famous engagement state that Tarik encamped near Roderic, toward the middle of the month of Ramadan of the year 92 (September, A.D. 711) and although there is some difference as to the dates, all agree that the battle was fought on the banks of the Guadalete. They say also that while both armies were encamped in front of each other, the barbarian King, wishing to ascertain the exact amount of Tarik’s forces, sent one of his men, whose valor and strength he knew and in whose fidelity he placed unbounded confidence, with instructions to penetrate into Tarik’s camp and bring him an account of their number, arms, accoutrements and vessels.

The Christian proceeded to execute his commission and reached a small elevation, whence he had a commanding view of the whole camp. However, he had not remained long in his place of observation before he was discovered by some Moslems, who pursued him; but the Christian fled before them and escaped through the swiftness of his horse.

Arrived at the Christian camp, he addressed Roderic in the following words: “These people, O King! are the same that thou sawest painted on the scroll of the enchanted palace. Beware of them! for the greatest part of them have bound themselves by oath to reach thee or die in the attempt; they have set fire to their vessels, to destroy their last hope of escape; they are encamped along the sea-shore, determined to die or to vanquish, for they know well that there is not in this country a place whither they can fly.” On hearing this account, King Roderic was much disheartened and he trembled with fear. However, the two armies engaged near the lake or gulf; they fought resolutely on both sides till the right and left wings of Roderic’s army, under the command of the sons of Wittiza, gave way. The center, in which Roderic was, still held firm for a while and made the fate of the battle uncertain for some time; they fled at last and Roderic before them. From that moment the rout became general and the Moslems followed with ardor the pursuit of the scattered bands, inflicting death wherever they went.

Roderic disappeared in the midst of the battle and no certain intelligence was afterward received of him. It is true that some Moslems found his favorite steed, a milk-white horse, bearing a saddle of gold, sparkling with rubies, plunged in the mud of the river, as also one of his sandals, adorned with rubies and emeralds but the other was never found; nor was Roderic, although diligently searched for, ever discovered either dead or alive, a circumstance which led the Moslems to believe that he perished in the stream, the weight of his armor preventing him from struggling against the current and he was drowned; but God only knows what became of him.

According to Ar-razi, the contest began on Sunday, two days before the end of Ramadan and continued till Sunday, the 5th of Shawal; namely, eight whole days; at the end of which God Almighty was pleased to put the idolaters to flight and grant the victory to the Moslems; and he adds that so great was the number of the Goths who perished in the battle that for a long time after the victory the bones of the slain were to be seen covering the field of action.

They say also that the spoil found by the Moslems in the camp of the Christians surpassed all computation, for the princes and great men of the Goths who had fallen were distinguished by the rings of gold they wore on their fingers, those of an inferior class by similar ornaments of silver, while those of the slaves were made of brass. Tarik collected all the spoil and divided it into five shares or portions, when, after deducting one-fifth, he distributed the rest among nine thousand Moslems, besides the slaves and followers.

When the people on the other side of the straits heard of this success of Tarik and of the plentiful spoils he had acquired, they flocked to him from all quarters and crossed the sea on every vessel or bark they could lay hold of. Tank’s army being so considerably reinforced, the Christians were obliged to shut themselves up in their castles and fortresses and, quitting the flat country, betake themselves to their mountains.

This ends our series of passages on Saracens Invade Spain by Abu-l-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Mohammed al-Maqqari from his book History of the Mahometan Dynasties in Spain published in 1592. This blog features short and lengthy pieces on all aspects of our shared past. Here are selections from the great historians who may be forgotten (and whose work have fallen into public domain) as well as links to the most up-to-date developments in the field of history and of course, original material from yours truly, Jack Le Moine. – A little bit of everything historical is here.

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