text:  Religion therefore and property once secured what more had the Syrians to seek? And if to these advantages for the Saracens we add the fact that a considerable Arab population was dispersed through Syria who became so many emissaries spies and decoys for their countrymen it does great honour to the emperor that through so many campaigns he should at all have maintained his ground which at last he resigned only under the despondency caused by almost universal treachery