he had to pass, Nonnosus performed his task successfully, and on
his return home wrote a history of his embassies.

The advantage gained to the Hexumitae by their invasion of the Homeritae
was soon lost, probably as soon as their forces were withdrawn. The
trade through the country of the Homeritae was again stopped; and such
was the difficulty of navigation from the incense coast of Africa to the
mouths of the Indus, that the loss was severely felt at Auxum. Elesbaes
therefore undertook to repeat the punishment which had been before
inflicted on his less civilised neighbours, and again to open the trade
to the merchants from the Nile. It was while he was preparing his forces
for this invasion that Cosmas, the Alexandrian traveller, passed through
Adule; and he copied for the King of Auxum the inscription above spoken
of, which recorded the victories of his predecessor over the enemies he
was himself preparing to attack.

The invasion by Elesbaes, or Elesthaeus as he is also named, was
immediately successful. The Homeritae were conquered, their ruler was
overthrown; and, to secure their future obedience, the conqueror
set over these Jewish Arabs an Abyssinian Christian for their king.
Esimaphaeus was chosen for that post; and his first duty was to convert
his new subjects to Christianity. Political reasons as well as religious
zeal would urge him to this undertaking, to make the conquered bear the
badge of the conqueror. For this purpose he engaged the assistance of
Gregentius, a bishop, who was to employ his learning and eloquence in
the cause. Accordingly, in the palace of Threlletum, in the presence of
their new king, a public dispute was held between the Christian bishop
and Herban, a learned Jew. Gregentius has left us an account of the
controversy, in which he was wholly successful, being helped, perhaps,
by the threats and promises of the king. The arguments used were not
quite the same as they would be now. The bishop explained the Trinity as
the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Mind or Father, and resting on
the Word or Son, which was then the orthodox view of this mysterious
doctrine. On the other hand, the Jew quoted the Old Testament to show
that the Lord their God was one Lord. It is related that suddenly the
Jews present were struck blind. Their sight, however, was restored to
them on the bishop's praying for them; and they were then all thereby
converted and baptised on the spot. The king stood godfather