▁of ▁Mes op ot am ian ▁troops . ▁The ▁ra ids ▁were ▁also ▁largely ▁conf ined ▁to ▁the ▁border lands ▁and ▁the ▁central ▁An atol ian ▁plate au , ▁and ▁only ▁rarely ▁reached ▁the ▁peri pher al ▁coast lands , ▁which ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁fort ified ▁heavily . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁more ▁ag gress ive ▁C ali ph ▁H ish am ▁ibn ▁Abd ▁al - Mal ik ▁( r . ▁ 7 2 3 – 7 4 3 ), ▁the ▁Arab ▁exped itions ▁intens ified ▁for ▁a ▁time , ▁and ▁were ▁led ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁C ali ph ate ' s ▁most ▁capable ▁gener als , ▁including ▁princes ▁of ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁dynast y ▁like ▁Mas l ama ▁ibn ▁Abd ▁al - Mal ik ▁and ▁al - A bb as ▁ibn ▁al - W al id ▁or ▁H ish am ' s ▁own ▁sons ▁Mu ' aw iy ah , ▁Mas l ama ▁and ▁Sul ay man . ▁This ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁By z ant ium ▁was ▁fighting ▁for ▁surv ival , ▁and ▁" the ▁front ier ▁provinces , ▁dev ast ated ▁by ▁war , ▁were ▁a ▁land ▁of ▁ru ined ▁cities ▁and ▁desert ed ▁villages ▁where ▁a ▁scattered ▁population ▁looked ▁to ▁rock y ▁cast les ▁or ▁im pen et rable ▁mountains ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁arm ies ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁minimum ▁of ▁security " ▁( K enn edy ). ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁renew al ▁of ▁Arab ▁invas ions , ▁and