equality of his sources, sometimes
superabundant, sometimes defective, partly perhaps to the somewhat hasty
condensation of his original draft. Nevertheless the value of the book
is very great: the author's selection of traditions is usually happy,
and the episodes of most importance are treated with most fulness of
detail, so that it deserves the high reputation it has enjoyed from the
first. This reputation rose steadily; there were twenty copies (one of
them written by Tabari's own hand) in the library of the Fatimite caliph
'Aziz (latter half of the 4th century), whereas, when Saladin became
lord of Egypt, the princely library contained 1200 copies (Maqrizi, i.
408 seq.).

The _Annals_ soon came to be dealt with in various ways. They were
published in shorter form with the omission of the names of authorities
and of most of the poems cited; some passages quoted by later writers
are not found even in the Leiden edition. On the other hand, some
interpolations took place, one in the author's lifetime and perhaps by
his own hand. Then many supplements were written, e.g. by Ferghani (not
extant) and by Hamadhani (partly preserved in Paris). 'Arib of Cordova
made an abridgment, adding the history of the West and continuing the
story to about 975.[6] Ibn Mashkawaih wrote a history from the creation
to 980, with the purpose of drawing the lessons of the story, following
Tabari closely, as far as his book is known, and seldom recurring to
other sources before the reign of Moqtadir; what follows is his own
composition and shows him to be a writer of talent.[7] In 963 an
abridgment of the _Annals_ was translated into Persian by Bal'ami, who,
however, interwove many fables.[8] Ibn al-Athir (d. 1234) abridged the
whole work, usually with judgment, but sometimes too hastily. Though he
sometimes glided lightly over difficulties, his work is of service in
fixing the text of Tabari. He also furnished a continuation to the year
1224. Later writers took Tabari as their main authority, but sometimes
consulted other sources, and so add to our knowledge--especially Ibn
al-Jauzi (d. 1201), who adds many important details. These later
historians had valuable help from the biographies of famous men and
special histories of countries and cities, dynasties and princes, on
which much labour was spent from the 4th century from the Flight
onwards.

The chief historians after Tabari may be briefly mentioned in
chronological order. Razi (d. A.D.