the other not able to succeed his father in the kingdom therfore Tarquinius a man of good seruice before time knowen and in great friendship with Anc. Martius was by consent of the Senators and of the people elected the 5. king of the Romans In the beginning of whose raigne Thales Periander and Terpāder euen then the 17. Iubilee after Moses began in the 41. Olympiad But first I must set downe what kings raigned in other countreis before I speake of Tarquinius Priscus In the beginning therefore of Ancus Martius raigne raigned king of Egypt Necho by whom Iosias king of Iuda was then slaine and in Media Ciaxeres in Daniel called Darius Medus This time raigned in Babylon Nabuchodonosor by whom Ioakim king of Iuda was caried captiue vnto Babylon and in Lidia raigned Sadaites their seuenth king Then the Prophet Ieremie prophecied the 70. yeeres of captiuitie to the Iewes in the time of Ancus Martius after whom Tarquinius Priscus by election and not by succession became the fift king of Rome Of whose countrey parentage and friends and how he came to be king of Rome reade Halicarnassaeus where you shal finde the whole historie therof Against this king the Latins had diuers aydes frō the Hetruscans specially from fiue great cities inhabited by people called Clusini Arretini Volaterani Rusellani and Vetulonenses And in like maner as before to Ancus Martius so now they began with Tarquinius Priscus one that had good cause to knowe them for that he had tried them before and therefore vsed them as his predecessors did ouerthrew them and subdued them so that their cities their townes and their countreys were made euen to the ground By this king were the Fidenats the Latins and the rest of those nations about Rome subdued and destroyed the Hetruscans which kept Tarquinius in warres nine yeeres were ouerthrowen in so much that they made Tarquinius prince of Hetruria so the Hetruscans after nine yeres warres being broken and weary thought good with one consent to send ambassadors from all the cities of Italy to Tora to entreate for peace which was graunted vnto them vpon condition that they would make Tarquine their prince and to haue the name of their chiefe magistrate in euery city which were called Lucumones to hold of him This being of meere force consented Tarquinius Priscus granted them their owne lawes customes and liberties in all points as they had before After this he gouerned in peace after he had triumphed with great pompe and solemnitie as then the time serued He went dayly most sumptuous inapparel he ware a crowne of gold vpō his head and had on Togam pretextā with a scepter of Iuory in his hand which was then strāge to see in Rome for Romulus had his scepter but of wood he sate in a chaire of Iuory and his Serieants about him where he gaue lawes to the people he was admonished of this good fortune whē yet he was a stranger in Rome by an Egle who toke his hat frō his head in his claw and flew so hie in the aire that scant the Egle could be seene and in the sight of al his people the Egle brought the hat againe and let it fall vpon Priscus head he was by this perswaded that it signified good and therefore expected the kingdome after Ancus Martius though a stranger and that Ancus had 4. sonnes to succeed him The Sabines which held the Romanes play for 5. yeres were also by Tarquinius ouerthrowen In these warres against the Sabines Ser. Tullius was made general this for his good seruice and wise policie afterward succeeded Tarquinius in the kingdome for he was esteemed of the people in much fauour with Tarquinius in the like fauour was Tarquinius before with Ancus Martius whose seruice seemed such that he was elected king ouer the Romanes though he was a stranger Now after that Tarquinius had subdued al townes and cities about Rome and had made the confines of Rome larger then before yet as Eutropius saith all the warres victories and triumphes which Romulus T. Hostilius Anc. Martius and this Tarquinius Priscus these 5. kings had ouer many people extended not aboue 15. miles from the citie of Rome so hard were the Romans kept in warres on all sides applied with their neighbours and so long were they augmenting their Empire But to returne to Tarquinius who made the city of Rome farre more famous then before by building the walles thereof by doubling the nomber of the Senators the first beginning of the capitol this king also builded a place for playes called Circus and instituted diuers games there betwixt mount Auētine and mount Palatine he made sinks to auoyd the filth and ordure of the citie and with great expences made it to be caried into the riuer of Tiber. This Tarquinius was the first that entred the citie of Rome with any triumph on chariot though some say that Romulus some Valerius Publicola but Tarquinius Priscus by cōmon consent was the first that set forth triumphs in so stately and magnificent shew and hee himselfe the first that triumphed on triumphant chariot and that three seueral times ouer the Latines Sabines and Hetruscanes and when hee had ◅aigned 38. yeeres he was slaine by the sonnes of Ancus Martius his predecessour During his gouernment raigned in other countreys these kings in Lydia Haliactes their 8. king in Macedonia Europus their 7. king in Egypt raigned Apries whom Ieremy calleth Hophra at what time Ierusalem was destroied by Nabuchodonosor and the Iewes broght captiue vnto Babylon In this kings raigne the warres grew betwixt the Lydians the Medes when Astiages raigned king ouer the Medes This time florished in the last yeres of this king many wise men as Solon in Athens Thales in Miletū and others called the 7. sages Likewise about the last yeeres of this king Nabuchodonosor was by repentance for his transgressions against the Lord restored to his kingdome againe Now after this the 6. king of the Romans was named Seruius Tullius of whom you heard before how he was a captaine vnder Priscus and now elected king in the 50. Olympiad in the beginning of the 18. Iubilee being maried to Tarquinius his own daughter a noble womā borne yet a captiue and a handmaid This time liued Accius Nauius a great soothsayer of great fauour and credite in the citie of Rome this man before the king who scoffed the art of Nauius and caried in his bosome a hard flint stone onely to trie the skill of Nauius which he with a knife did cut through the midst and therfore the king commaunded his statue or image to be made and to be erected vp in that very place where he vsed this feat before Priscus Tarquinius in memorie of his arte with his flint stone and knife in his hand His fathers name was Tullus his mother was named Ocrisia
was commanded by Samuel to take armes against the Amalekites to spare neither man woman or child cattell or beasts but for sauing of Agag the king and few of the fattest beasts for sacrifice Saul lost his kingdome disobedience was the cause thereof Some may thinke the cause to be small that Saul did to be reiected from his kingdome the sparing of a kings life So likewise may they iudge of the men of Bethshemesh who because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord he slew 50. thousand three score and ten men for it was not lawfull for any either to touch the Arke or to looke within it saue only to Aaron the high priest and to difobey GOD and to breake Gods commaundement is a thing most terrible Now though Saul spared Agag disobeying God yet Samuel most zealously without any further delay hewed him in pieces After this Samuel returned to his house to Bethleem where he was commaunded to annoint one of the sonnes of Ishai king of Israel and hauing all the seuen sonnes of Ishai before him saue the yongest which was Dauid who kept his fathers sheepe in the fieldes Samuel commaunded Dauid to be sent for at whose comming the Lord said to Samuel Arise annoint him for this is hee And Samuel tooke the horne of oile and annointed him king in the middest of his brethren and the spirite of the Lord came vpon Dauid from that time forward and the spirite of the Lord departed from Saul And now though Dauid was annointed king by Samuel the Prophet yet GOD would haue Dauid to be exercised in many things before hee should haue the vse of the kingdome After this Samuel went to Ramah to his house and came no more to see Saul vntill Saul died Samuel loued Saul much and mourned much for him and God therefore reprooued Samuel Samuel was a godly Iudge ouer Israel who with great care and diligence serued God and gouerned his people keeping his circuite once euery yeere from Bethel to Galgala and from Galgala to Masphat and from Masphat to all townes vpon his wayes to Ramah where Samuel dwelt and there hee set vp an altar vnto the Lord and iudged Israel Euen so did Debora sit vnder a Palme tree betweene Ramah and Bethel iudging and determining causes of the people This Prophet gouerned Israel fortie yeeres Saul being deposed and throwen from his kingdome hee fell vnto great melancholie imagining how he might compasse and bring things to passe with troubled minde for the euill spirite of the Lord came vpon him that hee oftentimes was molested and vexed with troublesome thoughts And to ease the king of these agonies instruments of Musike with all kind of harmonie were thought very necessarie of his counsell Dauid was called and sent for by Saul to plaie vpon the harpe before Saul for hee was skilfull in Musike so Saul loued Dauid and made him his armour bearer While Saul was in this melancholie moode the Philistines were againe in armes against Israel wasted their countrey destroyed their Cities and prouoked the Hebrewes to warre Saul made readie his hoste but while yet they were preparing for the battell Goliah a mightie huge man a great Giaunt vaunted forward from the hoste of the Philistines by himselfe cried and called for a combate if any one man of the Hebrewes durst defying Israel and blaspheming their God But GOD prepared Dauids heart mightie and valiant and with a sling to bee able to ouerthrowe this Giant for Dauid by the experience which hee had in time past by Gods helpe nothing doubteth the danger of Goliah sithence hee killed a Lion and a Beare before this time being but a shepeheard in the field Hee was fullie perswaded by Gods spirite to haue the victorie ouer Goliah being mooued with a feruent zeale to be reuenged vpon this blasphemer But true it is Comes virtuti inuidia Here Saul began to enuie Dauid and to laie snares to kill him for great actions are full of dangers But there is no danger where God defendeth and saueth the vertues of Dauid purchased much enuie much daunger which Dauid escaped by the prouidence of God But Saul still deuised his destruction vsing all policies and inuenting many stratagemes to ouerthrow Dauid promising Dauid his daughter Michol to wife seeking at Dauids handes nothing but valiant courage and seruice agaynst the Philistines But the more victories Dauid wanne the more danger ensued him the greater seruice he did the more he was enuied and hated for Saul feared Dauid seeing the Lord was with him and Ionathan the sonne of Saul told Dauid the wicked purpose of his father so that Dauid was driuen to flee from Saul and to hide himselfe in a Caue Samuel the Prophet about this time died and was buried in Ramah his owne citie Dauid being still persecuted of Saul wandred and fled from Saul to Achis king of Gath where hee should haue a charge vnder the king to fight against Israel which troubled him not a litle yet such was the infirmitie of Dauid that he durst not denie the king Now Saul all this while following his wicked purpose consulted with a witch to know of Samuels spirite the successe of his kingdome by whom I meane not Samuels spirit but the spirit of Satan he was fully certified of his ruine and of the end of his kingdom which happened to Saul and to his children for it fell out that Saul killed himselfe and his children were slaine in the battell a cruell life hath a desperate end After the Philistines found Saul Ionathan Abinadab and Malchishua his three sonnes lying dead in mount Gilboa after the victorie and the Philistines cut off Sauls head and stripped him out of his armour and they laied vp his armour in the house of Ashtaroth their idole and hanged his bodie on the wall of Bethshan in token of victorie and triumph Saul died after the deliuerance of Israel from Egypt 473. yeeres after the calling of Ioseph into dignitie in Egypt 660. yeeres and after the flud 1234. yeeres Thus the wicked in their pompe and pleasure consider not the iudgement of God During this time raigned Dircillus ouer the Assyrians the 31. king and Aeneas Siluius the 4. king of the Latines In Athens this time raigned Codrus the last king of the Athenians betweene whom and the Peloponesians grew great warres and continued vnto the last destruction of all Greece In the time of Saul certaine people were driuen out of Thessalia called Boeotij they found a land to inhabite which at this day is called Boeotia before named Cadmeia The The kings of Sicyonum called otherwise Peloponesus ended in Sauls dayes euen when Israel began their kingdom About this time the kingdom of Lacedemonia began where first raigned Euristhenes of whom descended Leonidas and Cleomenes two valiant captains which ouerthrew the Persians in the great battell at Thermophila About this time descended the stocke of
who caried them prisoners vnto other strange countreies and set strangers to dwell in Samaria CHAP. VI. Of the continuance of the kings of Iuda after the kingdome of Israel was destroied Samaria taken and the 10. tribes of Israel carried captiue by Salmanassar into Assyria THis time reigned in Ierusalem Ezechias a godly zealous king who destroied idols and brake in peeces the brasen serpent he tooke away the high places cut downe the groues the altars their images and idols and walked before God vprightly and in the 14. yeere of his reigne came Senaherib with an huge host to Iuda spoiling and destroying Libna Lachis and other cities laide siege to Ierusalem threatned the king and blasphemed God most horribly challenging the gods of the nations and defying the God of Israel preferring the armies of flesh and the strength of his hoste But his bragging boasting was sharply punished by the Angel of God who slew at that time of the Assyrians an hundreth foure score and fiue thousand and Senacherib him selfe before his idoll Niseroch whom he worshipped preferred before the liuing God was slaine of his owne sonnes Adramelech Sarezer the iust iudgement of God for blasphemie After this Ezechias fell sicke and was restored to health in signe whereof God brought the Sunne 10. degrees backe in Achas diall this good king repaired the Temple instructed the Leuites in the religion he and all his princes of Iuda frequented the Temple sacrificed daily to their God oblations of thanks giuing and he commanded all the Nobles of Israel and Iuda from Dan to Bersheba to repaire to Ierusalem to keepe the Passeouer to the Lorde which Passeouer was so great that the like was not in Israel This Passeouer vnder Ezechias was 775. yeeres after the Passeouer of Moses and 775. yeeres before the Passeouer of Christ our Sauiour in the Newe Testament Now after that Ezechias had destroied idolatrie and had appointed Priestes and Leuites according to the commandement of God praied for his people and prouided for the Leuites liuings and ordained ouerseers to distribute to euery Leuite his portion Israel prospered all the daies of Ezechias and all things went well with Iuda But Ezechias being deade Manasses his sonne succeeded him not in religion nor in godlines for he followed not his father Ezechias in vertue but his Grandfather Achas in all kinde of vices for this most wicked king restored idolatrie in Israel vsed great crueltie and he erected altars to Baal and set vp images in groues he practised witchcraft and sorcerie and frequented the companie of them that had familiar spirits and those that were soothsayers This king did much euill in the sight of God he martyred the Prophet of God Esay and consecrated his sonne in fire to his idoll he shed innocent blood and filled Ierusalem with iniquitie Beholde such a good father to haue such a wicked sonne But the Lord God stretched ouer Ierusalem the line of Samaria the plummet of the house of Achab and promised to destroy Iuda as he had destroied Israel so he did with Manasses and gaue him to Assur and to his Captaines who brought him in fetters and bound in chaines to Babylon But when he was in tribulation in Babylon he called then vpon God and God heard him and deliuered him and restored him to his kingdome so merciful is God when he is called vpon for by this God instructed him to know him selfe and to humble him selfe before God whome he much abused You may read in the bookes of the Kings in the Chroniches the histories of the kings of Israel at large Manasses died and left behind him Amon his sonne who reigned 2. yeeres in Ierusalem he forsooke God also walked in the waies of Achas and he was slaine by his owne seruants which conspired against him in his owne house the people made Iosias his sonne king ouer Iuda who beganne to reigne in Ierusalem in the 8. yeere of his age and in that age he was instructed by God to haue care ouer the people of Israel he sent messengers vnto all the townes cities and countries territories to cal the Priests the Leuits the Nobles and all men of what degree soeuer to come to Ierusalem where he him selfe read the bookes of Moses vnto the people with oblations and sacrifices vnto God for the sinnes of Israel and those Priests that were not of Aarons stocke that serued idols and images he commanded them to be slaine and whatsoeuer he found in Israel of the reliques of Ieroboam he destroied and burned the bones of the false prophets vpon the altars that Ieroboam erected his zeale was prophesied of by Iaddo 300. yeeres before Iosias was borne Iosias hauing repaired the Temple and hauing found the booke of the Law he maketh a couenant with the Lord that he and his people should walke before God vprightly and iustly After that he killed their Priestes he brought downe their idols he slew the coniurers sorcerers and soothsayers and he burned the Priestes of Baal called Chemarims whome the kings of Iuda had founded to burne incense in high places euery place of Iuda to the Sunne to the Moone to the planets and to all the hostes of heauen His zeale encreased more and more he threw downe the altars of Achas and the altars of Manasses hee had put also downe the horses the charets which the idolatrous kinges had dedicated to the Sunne he ouerthrewe the abominable idolatrie of Salomon in the mount of Oliues called also in the Chronicles the mount of corruption where Salomon builded vp altars and groues to Ashtaroth the idoll of the Sidonians for Chemosh the idol of the Moabites for Milchom the idol of the Ammonits In Iosias time all Iudea flourished with the seruice of God and the lawes of the Countreies were put in practise for there was in euery citie among the Hebrewes a chiefe Magistrate as a Prince or Iudge to determine causes in equitie iustice among the people But in the Metropolitane Citie which was Ierusalem were 70. wise graue men whose court or consistorie was kept in Gazith The Iewish Talmudists named these Sanhedrin these passed both in nomber in dignitie other Magistrates these first gouerned in Silo after in Ierusalem elected by Moses by the expresse word of God these were Iudges for life death according to the custome lawes of the Hebrewes they were to condemne offendors 4. kind of waies by running vpon a man to death by stoning by burning and by strangling That day that these iudged any offender to death they obstained from meate These Councellers continued vntill Herods time and kept their Court at Gazith Beside these Sanhedrioth which were 71. were also twelue Princes ouer the people of euery tribe of Israel one which gouerned the whole twelue tribes of the people Some write that in euery Citie were
neither by warre with the which hee often asfailed his Countriemen neither with treacherie which hee practised with the families of the Vitellians and the Aquillians hee coulde any way profite Then Publicola gaue himselfe fully to looke vnto Rome which was so impouerished by ciuill warres that collection of money was made for the buriall of Valerius the Consul his fellowe in office Hee first redressed thinges decayed in Rome in supplying the number of the Senators that were slaine in the warres of Tarquine in whose places hee chose newe Senators to the number of a hundred sixtie foure after he defended the Citie against Porsenna and destroyed the Countrie round about and slue of the Thuscanes fiue thousand he also vanquished the Sabines and triumphed ouer them and he subdued the Latines who were most busie against the Romanes this time for Rome was found in the time of this Publicola sore vnpeopled and poore by reason of the ciuil warres of Tarquinius and therefore all the Nations which the kings of Rome before had subdued beganne to reuoult and to wage warre freshly against the Romanes againe but they were by this valiant Romane brought to their first state and Rome much enriched by the spoyles of the Sabines Latines Thuscans and others This Publicola was Consul foure times seuerally he was a good man and a iust Romane hee made lawes and decrees within the Citie first hee ordeyned by lawe that all offendours being condemned by the iudgement of the Consuls might appeale vnto the people Hee likewise decreed that no man might exercise any office vnlesse hee came to it by the gifte of the people and he also made a lawe in the fauour of the poore Citizens that they should pay no custome nor impost whatsoeuer This hedid to winne the peoples fauour and to keepe them in hande many women then in Rome esteemed little of their life in respect of their Countrie as Cloelia Valeria and diuers others whose statues are erected vp on horsebacke in the holy streete Appius Claudius a very riche man of the Sabines came to Rome this time to dwell and brought with him fiue thousande families with their wiues and children of the most peaceable and esteemed men of the Sabines In the ninth yeere after the banishing of Tarquinius there was a newe office created in Rome called Dictatura which farre excelled in authoritie the office of the Consuls In this office Titus Largius was first instituted Dictator and in the same yeere an other newe officer called magister equitum an officer deputed to bee attendant vpon the Dictator in the which office Spurius Cassius was appointed The Dictator was not to continue in his office aboue sixe moneths for such was the authoritie of the Dictator that hee might deale in all causes and iudge of life and death without any appeale eyther to the Senate Consul or to the people and therefore the people much complaining beganne to make vproares and fel to dissension and to require for an officer to aide and defende the people and for that the Senators and Consuls as the people pretended the cause woulde haue them oppressed a cōmocion was thereby in Rome by the commons and therefore they created two men whom they called Tribuni Militum Tribunes of the people they were assigned to bee peculier Decisers and Determiners in causes belonging to the people This office continued vntil Sillas time by whom the office of Tribuneshippe was abrogated but after by Pompey the great restored In Rome dwelt a rare man of great seruice in the warres of Tarquine whom Largius the first Dictator knewe to be such as deserued great prayse then being a young man for hee was crowned with Oken leaues according to the Romanes maners in Tarquinius dayes and sithence profited Rome in diuers seruices in subduing the Volscans in winning the citie Corioles he inuaded the Antiates and often repressed the insolencie of the people insomuch that the Romanes hauing many warres in those dayes this Corolianus was at them all for there was no battell fought no warre enterprised but Coriolanus returned from thence with fame and honour But his vertue and renowme gate him much enuie for hereby hee was banished Rome by the Ediles Tribunes of the people against the Patricians will but the Romanes made a rodde to beate them selues when they banished Coriolanus for he came in armes against his owne Countrie and Citie with the Volscans being at that time their generall hee with great furie inuaded the Territories of Rome hee caused the communaltie of Rome and Nobilitie to fall to ciuill dissension hee so plagued the Romanes diuers wayes vnto the very gates of Rome he was so much moued against them that hee refused three seuerall Embassadours to heare them being his chiefe friendes sent vnto him by the Senate to entreate for peace hee refused to heare the Bishops and the Priestes Feciales He likewise denied the Augurers the sacrificers and the ministers of the goddes vntill Volumnia his mother and Virgillia his wife with their two young sonnes gotten by Coriolanus with Valeria the sister of Publicola and diuers other Ladies of Rome came to meete Coriolanus to entreate for peace vnto the Volscans campe and what time hee had compassion of his mother of his wife and of his two sonnes and of the other Ladies being his neere kinswomen then hee withdrewe his armie from Rome and yeelded to the teares of his mother but the fickle mindes of the people by the conspiracie of Tullus Aufidius were such that Coriolanus was murthered in the Citie of Antium at his very returne from that voyage What shall I say of Caius Mutius Sceuola of his noble attemptes against king Porsenna of Horatius Cocles and of diuers others whose statues at Rome and whose histories in euery booke written and in euery mans mouth can witnesse for in this very time in Rome when Cresius Fabius and Titus Virginius were Consuls three hundred noble men of the house and stocke of the Fabians tooke vpon them alone to wage battell against the Veientines offering themselues to the Senators and to the people of Rome to fight from this battell not one scaped of three hundred Fabians but one and another which was young at home not able to goe to warrefare for all the males of the Fabiaus were slaine in that battell These warres were extremely handled and prosecuted by the Hetruscans Fidenats and the Falascies against the Romanes when Rome was in most aduersitie and pouertie aswell for the late ciuill warres of Tarquine the proude as also diuers other forreigne enemies which on euery side assaulted Rome These 300. Fabians full of prowesse and valure vndertooke this warre against the Veients but being ouer charged with multitudes were all slaine sauing one to their great fame yet this followed after their death presently the Fasiliscians yeelded them selues to the Romanes the
of any things worth the memory After whom succeeded Probus a singuler souldier a man most expert in warfare for he subdued the Germanes the Sarmatians the Illyrians He ouercame the Gothes in Thracia he vanquished in sundry skirmishes diuers which attempted to vsurpe the state imperial as Saturninus in the East couÌ„trey Bonosus and Proculus which affected much the kingdome of Fraunce and Agrippina that claimed a title to Hispanie and Brytaine he vanquished them and triumphed ouer them this emperor licenced the Frenchmen and the Hungarians to haue vineyards This emperour was a iust and a stoute man equall in all pointes to Aurelianus his predecessor was slaine also in an iron towre at Sirmium in an vprore which grew amoÌ„gst the souldiers after he had reigned 6. yeres and 3. moneths After this emperour was Carus elected to gouerne the Romane empire who presently after he had obtained the empire made his 2. sonnes Carinus and Numerianus Caesars and commenced that warre against the Persians againe which Probus thought before he died to haue taken in hand which Carus perfourmed and subdued Mesopotamia and atchieued thinges manfully against the Persians He wanne Seleucia the chiefest citie of Syria and Ctesiphontes a towne in Persia. And when he had raigned two yeeres he was stricken with lightning and his sonne Numerianus was slaine being very yong with his father in the warres of Persia by the perswasion of Aper his father in lawe The other sonne of Carus called Carinus being deputed Caesar ouer Illyria Fraunce and Italie defloured noble women put innocents to death and practised all kind of mischiefe vntill he was ouerthrowne by Dioclesian the emperour who next succeeded his father Carus During which time Rome was in great trouble and the empire in great danger at what time these Magistrates and noble men flourished and some of them became emperors Patrenus Volisianus Pomponius Bassus Flauius Aclianus Annius Tacitus afterward Emperour Lucius Ragonius Vrinatus Gallius Hostilius afterward Caesar. Numus Albinus Maximius Dexter and Arcesilaus Iunius Tiberianus Pomponius Victorinus Aurelius Probus after made Caesar. Iunius Messula Oniuius Paternus Iunius Maximus Lurius Orphitus Pomponius Ianarius These bare most sway in Rome during the â—…e of these seuen Emperours which raigned no more but 18. yeeres All these seuen Claudius Florianus Quintilus Probus and Aurelianus Carus Tacitus  So short a time the Emperours of Rome then reigned that any Caesar was slaine sooner then any common souldier At the which time Germanie and Fraunce waxed so strong that the Romanes had their handes full to resist them and to keepe theÌ„ from Italie now they had entred Italie with great force spoyling and wasting the countries about vntil they came to Rauenna and Valerianus possessed Pannonia and Carausius gouerned the Brytaines which he detained by force when he fledde for feare of Maximianus CHAP. X. Of the rest of the Emperours of Rome after Dioclesians time at what time their Empire at Rome beganne to decay for that the dignitie of the old Emperours were diminished by reason that Constantinople whom Constantine the great had so enriched and beautified with their ancient monuments of Rome that olde Rome was hereby defaced and new Rome thereby flourished so that the Empire was deuided betweene two Emperours the one to be at Constantinople the other at Rome NOwe to Dioclesianus who beganne his reigne after that Carus Augustus was stricken with lightnings and his sonne Numerianus slaine by treason he was created Augustus he was borne at Dalmatia a Scriueners sonne as Eutropius saith but others affirme he was a bondman to Amulinus the Senator This Emperour assoone as he had obtained the Empire to his hande he reuenged the death of Numerianus slue Aper his sonne in lawe after subdued Carinus least he would claime the Empire being Carus his eldest sonne he associated to himselfe in the Empire Maximianus surnamed Herculius and made him Augustus who was before but Caesar. Beside he created other two Caesars Constantius Clorus and Maximianus Gabrius borne in Dacia for that in diuers countreies warre waxed hote and that Dioclesian of necessitie must needes appoynt these two Caesars and take Maximianus to be his fellow in the Empire This Dioclesianus caused Galerius to take to wife his daughter Valeria and caused Constantius to marry Theodora daughter in law to Herculius This time gouerned in Egypt Achilleus whom Dioclesian subdued and after tooke Busiris and Copon two cities of Egypt slue a number of their nobles and gaue Achilleus to be deuoured of wilde beastes In the eight moneth of his warre in Egypt he tooke Alexandria and after he had pacified Egypt hee returned to Rome at what time Herculeius returned froÌ„ Affrike and after he had finished his warres where he had subdued the QuinquagentiaÌ„s concluded peace with them afterward these two emperors liued and reigned together twentie yeres they ouercame Narses king of Persia they subdued the Caspians and the Basternes and coÌ„quered the Sarmatians and did triumph ouer them After this triumph DioclesiaÌ„ waxed so proud that he would be worshipped like a god and would be called brother to the sunne to the moone he had his shooes wrought with gold and precious stones caused people to come kneeling and kisse his feete Yet Eutropius writeth that after these great triumphs which both Dioclesian Herculeius had at Rome ouer Narses concubines his sisters and his children they resigned vp the imperial state and liued a priuat life the one in the citie of Solona and the other in Lucania for the which cause Dioclesianus was canonised after his death though he dyed a priuate man which was neuer graunted in Rome to any priuate man Then ConstaÌ„tius and Galerius which were but Caesars during the reigne of Dioclesian were both made emperours and the whole gouernment was deuided betweene them both Fraunce and Italie and Affrike were coÌ„mitted to Constantius Illyria Asia and the East partes to Galerius but Constantius a man of great modestie declared his worthinesse refused the trouble and toile of warres that he should haue in Affrike Fraunce and Italie and contented himselfe with the name of Augustus and after hee had reigned two yeeres deceased at Yorke in Britaine where Constantius had a base sonne that became gouernour in his fathers roome in Britaine Galerius when hee heard that Constantius his fellowe in the Empire died in Britaine he substituted vnder him two Caesars This time some commotion began at Rome where they nominated Maxentius sonne to Herculeus late Emperour which when his father heard of he came in all haste from Lucania to Rome and by all meanes possible perswaded Dioclesian to resigne the Empire into his hand againe which hee refused to doe Then Seuerus Caesar was sent to appease the commotion which the gard had made where he was slaine then Herculeus seemed as though he woulde depose his sonne
countrey to florish beside themselues and therefore the Romanes sent Marcus Crassus one of the greatest men of Rome to Parthia who had such conceiptes in his head that the victorie of Lucullus against Tigranes king of Armenia and all that Pompei did against Mithridates king of Pontus were but trifles to that which hee entended for hee thought to conquer the Bactrians the Indians and the great Ocean sea For in his decree and commission to him giuen by the Senate there was no mention made of the Parthians which the Parthians knewe and therefore sent Embassadours vnto Crassus opening vnto him that hee offered warres vnto the Parthians against his decree by the Senate but Crassus more bold then wise saide that Horodes king of Parthia shoulde answere him in Seleucia One of the Parthian Embassadours fell a laughing shewing to Crassus the palme of his hande saying Haires shall sooner growe in the palme of my hand before you come to Seleucia and so with defiance of Crassus the Embassadours returned to their king telling him that he was to prepare for warres By this time Artabazes king of Armenia came to the campe of Crassus with sixe thousand horsemen promising Crassus tenne thousand more horsemen and thirtie thousand footemen but that promise was not kept for hee was assaulted by the Parthians in his countrey beside Crassus had in his armie fiftie thousand Horodes king of Parthia made ready for Crassus and appointed one named Surena his lieutenant the second man in all Parthia next to the king in experience value reputation and riches for Plutarch saith that when Surena remooued with his owne houshold onely he had a thousand Camels to carie his sumpters and two hundred Coches of Curtizans a thousand men of armes armed from toppe to toe beside another thousand more lightly armed his whole traine Court made aboue ten thousand horse Crassus thought long to giue battell vnto the Parthians but the miserable sight of the ouerthrowen Romanes which were so martyred with such torments shewing vnto their captaines their handes fast nayled to their targettes with arrowes and their feete likewise shotte through and nayled to the ground the forked arrowes fast in their bodies and so wounded with speares and pikes that the most part of the Romane gentlemen slue themselues for so did Censorinus and Publius Crassus himselfe commaunded one of his gentlemen to kill him whose head was cut off after by the enemie and brought to his father for a present whose sight killed the Romanes hearts Yet the olde Crassus shewed greater courage at that time then euer hee had done before hee made an oration to his souldiers when his heart was full of sorowe brought them examples howe Lucullus ouercame not Tigranes neither Scipio Antiochus the great without blood Thus hee comforted his people and perswaded them to turne their sorowes into furie and to shewe themselues worthie Romanes for the reuenge of his sonnes death but the inconstancie of Crassus fortune was no better then his sonne after many vnlucki◅ battels to bee slaine and his head to be cut off as his sonnes was and twentie thousand Romanes slaine beside Surena did send Crassus vnto Herodes the king his master into Armenia After Crassus and his sonne were thus shamefully slaine in Parthia the Parthians so triumphed of this in feastes and playes making rimes and iestes as Plutarch saith of both Crassus heads About this enuie beganne a quarrell in Rome first betweene Lucullus and Pompei and after betweene Pompei and Caesar nowe the Romanes hauing susteined such foile in Parthia and the Parthians such victorie ouer the Romanes that Horodes king of Parthia and his sonne Pacorus conceiued great pride therein but pride will haue a fall and so it fell to the Parthians After diuers great victories of many Countries Ventidius a Romane lieutenant of Marcus Antonius who fully reuenged the death of Crassus with such a slaughter of the Parthians that in the first battell that he had with Horodes he slue Pharnabates Labienus which two encreased much the Parthians fame while Labienus was in Syria two of the chiefe captaines he had in the second battell he farre excelled the first and slue many more of the Parthians in this battell Pacorus the kings owne sonne was slaine This made the victorie of Ventidius more notable this exploit was a full requitall of Crassus death so that Ventidius a meane man borne was the onely man that euer triumphed ouer the Parthians vnto the very last day of them when newes of these victories came to Horodes that his sonne Pacorus was slaine with all his armie of whom hee heard before so well of in vanquishing and ouerthrowing diuers armies both in Asia and Syria hee suddenly fell to such a furie that hee became beside himselfe that for many dayes hee was dumbe without speach and when hee spake any worde hee spake nothing but Pacorus hee thought that hee sawe him that he heard him and that he spake with him But in time after hee had recouered his former state hee imagined of thirtie sonnes he had who should be king after him at length hee bequeathed his kingdome vnto his sonne Phrahartes this was the last king of Parthia About this time much trouble was in Rome betweene Caesar and Pompei the great the ciuill warres whereof had almost ouerthrowen the state of the Romanes the which I will write of in the Romane historie nowe when Phrahartes had slaine his father Horodes and had possessed the kingdome of Parthia hee doubting lest the like murther might happen to him hee made sure woorke After hee had slaine the king his father hee also slue his thirtie brethren this tyrannie in the beginning of his gouernment made diuers gentlemen of Parthia to forsake him to flee vnto Antonius to whō as Plutarch saith Antonius gaue diuers cities as Larissa Arethusa others After this hee tooke a generall muster of all his armie and of his confederates that were come by commaundement to aide him from Armenia and other places so that Antonius had threescore thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen beside thirtie thousand of other Nations This puissant armie made all Asia to tremble and yet no worthy exploite done but besieging the Citie of Phrata in Media the loue hee bare to Cleopatra was thought to be the cause of his ill lucke In the meane time Phrahartes king of Parthia being aduertised where Antonius left his engines of battell hee sent a number of horsemen to fight with Tatianus who was in that conflict slaine with tenne thousand more at that time this troubled all Antonius armie notwithstanding Antonius hasted to battell with them at what time hee put the Parthians to flight without any great slaughter of the Parthians Antonius lingering still and doing no great acte in Parthia determined to giue ouer such craftie people and though Antonius had ouercome the Parthians in eighteene
enuied so much Athens that they sent a great companie of souldiers with Gilippus their captaine to bring downe the victories of the Athenians at what time the Athenians were ouerthrowen and the Syracusans triumphed In this warre died that noble fellow Nicias the generall of the Athenian armie with many mo famous Athenians which shal be more at large in another place when we speake of Greece be declared The Rhodians this time did reuolt from the Lacedemonians whereupon the Lacedemonians sent ambassadours to Persia to this Darius to haue his friendship and to ioyne with the Lacedemonians in a league of peace for the Medes likewise as the Egyptians did before them reuolted from Darius for at that time Egypt and Media began to rebel against Darius About this time Alcibiades who succeeded Nicias in Athens had gotten a great victorie at Chalcedon ouerthrew the captaine Pharnabazus taken by Zantium and was thereby made chiefe captaine of the Athenians being absent from Athens Now when Darius had raigned nineteene yeeres in Persia he left behind him two sonnes Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon to whom he bequethed the kingdome of Persia being his eldest sonne and Cyrus his second sonne to whom likewise he gaue certaine cities and prouinces vnder his gouernment Cyrus not well contented with his fathers will hee secretly rose in armes against his brother his father yet liuing who commaunding Cyrus to be brought vnto him layd him for a time in prison and kept him in fetters of golde But after Darius time it grew to further malice and to open warres for Cyrus bearing the name of the former auncient Cyrus which was a deare name among the Persians was the bolder to fall out with his brother supposing that the Persians would the more fauour him for the names sake which in trueth among the Persians was much honoured Cyrus was from his cradle of a hot stirring minde Artaxerxes milde and gentle in all his actions hee was named first Arsicas and is with many writers so called Now when Artaxerxes was consecrated king at Pasargardes in the temple of Minerua by the priestes of Persia reports were made vnto him that Cyrus his brother had conspired his death and had layed waite to kill him of the which Artaxerxes was by his counsell perswaded to trie out the treason of Cyrus which being found out yet by the meanes of his mother Parysatis who loued Cyrus dearely hee was of that fault pardoned Notwithstanding the great courtesie of Artaxerxes towards Cyrus he after this thirsted more for the kingdome of Persia then before for this king Artaxerxes Mnemon following his grandfathers steps Artaxerxes the long handed in all goodnes and vertue hee was much beloued of his subiects honoured of his countrey and of all countreys much esteemed he gaue himselfe to heare suiters causes and to let his poore subiects to haue accesse vnto him to open their causes Now such as desired innouations and change gaue out that the greatnes of the Empire of Persia stood in neede of a king that should be alwayes in armes such a prince as Cyrus was these people stirred vp Cyrus to open warre against his brother who leauing the gouernment of Lydia being also generall lieutenant of all Asia giuen vnto him by his father Darius sent messengers vnto Lacedemonia for helpe gathered of Greece and of barbarous nations to the nomber of thirteene thousand beside his owne force and marched boldly forwarde vntill hee heard that Artaxerxes had an armie of nine hundred thousand fighting men yet Cyrus went forward and gaue him battell and diuers sore assaults but preuailed not this warre is of Xenophon excellently described and set foorth in all points In this battell was Artaxerxes hurt by Cyrus his owne hand but afterwarde the miserie and the extremitie of Cyrus was such as by Plutarch is set in the life of Mnemon The cause of this warre was ambition and the desire of Cyrus to the kingdome but as Melancthon saith the rather moued hereunto by his mother Parysatis who hated Statira Artaxeres wife to the death The great magnanimitie iustice modestie liberalitie and other singular vertues which shined in this Cyrus is of Xenophon not forgotten in his booke de Cyriminoris expeditione for after Cyrus death all those that boasted to haue slaine him were by Parysatis meanes Cyrus mother so persecuted that they died most miserably as Artasyras and Mithridates To be short this Parysatis the kings mother found no rest vntil she had poisoned the Queene Statyra her daughter in law In the meane season Agesilaus king of Lacedemon maketh warres with the Persians Artaxerxes wisely looking to the warre sendeth Hermocrates to the most part of the cities of Greece with great treasures of gold and siluer to raise the rest of the Grecians against the Lacedemonians During this garboile betweene Artaxerxes and Agesilaus Parysatis was sent to Babylon to come to the Court for the king kept not his anger long against his mother After this Artaxerxes tooke a iourney against the Caduceans sent an armie to Egypt who had reuoulted from his father and thought to recouer both Media and Egypt Nowe the King entering into some yeeres hearing of some sturre and contention betweene his two sonnes Darius and Ochus either of them aspiring into the kingdome the yonger being Ochus a valiant man but of a hot nature had some in the Court that wrought both with the king with his sister Atossa who loued him dearely as Plutarch saith too dearely by a crime betweene them both suspected Notwithstanding Artaxerxes proclaimed Darius his eldest sonne to be king to see whether the like contention and rebellion would grow betweene his children as fell betweene him and his brother Cyrus to put Ochus his younger sonne out of all hope to succeede in Persia a king after his father he commaunded according to the lawe of Persia that his sonne Darius should weare the point of his hatte right vp in token of his succession for it was not lawfull to any sauing to the king or to his successour to weare his hatte with the point vpward There was likewise a custome in Persia that when any should be proclaimed successour or heire apparant to the crowne he should request any one thing at the kings hand and haue it there was a very faire gentlewoman taken after Cyrus death in the campe by Artaxerxes who had beene in great fauour with Cyrus a Grecian borne in Ionia named Aspasia called for witte and beautie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This woman did Artaxerxes so esteeme as when his sonne Darius craued this woman for his gift he was much offended thereby and yet must of force depart from her according to the lawe of Persia but it cost Darius his life for after Aspasia was taken againe from Darius by his father he began to be moued herein and to conspire the kings
furie of Cyrus souldiers and Artaxerxes himselfe had a wound giuen him by Cyrus his one hande but afterwarde Cyrus was taken and was bound with fetters of golde and had at that time died if his mother had not most earnestly entreated for him Cyrus by his mothers meanes being let at libertie with great furie followed his first purpose gathered a farre greater armie wherein were tenne thousand Grecians vvell and strongly furnished which came out of Greece to ayde Cyrus To be short it was in vaine Cyrus was slaine in that battell and his armie ouerthrowen yet Iustine saith that the Grecians valiantly stoode to it vnconquered in that wing of the battell where they stood Of this warre doeth Xenophon most amplie entreate with whom Cyrus the yonger himselfe was brought vp of this Cyrus and of his actes Xenophon wrote sixteene bookes eight of discipline militarie and other eight of his warres Now to Athens againe where tyrannie all this while gouerned but Thrasibulus was not carelesse how to represse these tyrants whome Ismenias a prince of Thebes secretly ayded and when that Sparta had made a decree that no citie of Greece should suffer any exiled Athenians to enter into it the Thebans resisted the decree and they also made not onely a decree within Thebes and in all Boetia that no house should be shut to the Athenians but ayded them with men and money Likewise Lysias an oratour of Syracusa bestowed 500. readie and well furnished souldiers to ayde Athens When this preparation was heard of in Athens the Tyrants sent to Pausanias king of Sparta to defende them which hee with some conscience refused for the which afterwarde Pausanias was accused by the Lacedemonians In the meane season Thrasybulus gaue battell to the thirtie Tyrants ouerthrewe them and tooke the citie of Athens restored libertie to the citizens at what time hee brought in Solons lawe to forget the iniuries past of friendes of parents and of children which were slaine in Athens vnder these thirtie Tyrants This lawe of Thrasybulus was reuiued by the Senatours of Rome which were in the time of Trium viri which were Octauius Augustus Marcus Antonius Lepidus Aemilius when Iulius Caesar was slaine to forget the reuenge of Caesars death to auoyde ciuill warres within Rome A litle after this Conon againe scattered the force of Sparta and after much hurt to the Lacedemonians he came to Athens and ioyned with Thrasybulus by whose courage and valure Athens by degrees reuiued for yet the ciuill warres in Greece were not ended for as these afflictions and miseries happened to Athens by ciuill warres so after to euery citie of Greece the like happened that of the onely countrey of the worlde it was brought into a most miserable destruction And for that you may reade the strength and force of Greece while they held together I wil set downe the warres and the victories which the Grecians haue had ouer the Persian kings and ouer all other barbarous princes in Asia and in all partes of the East at that time when that the Persians were lords and princes of the whole worlde and helde the Monarchie onely without resistance of any king or countrey yet in the most flourishing time of the Persians the Grecians had these victories of them which are layde downe before you viz. THe great battell at Marathon where Miltiades got the victorie ouer Darius Histaspis the thirde king of Persia. The famous enterprise and victorie of Leonidas at Thermopila where hee slewe twentie thousande Persians with three hundred Grecians The two terrible battels at Salamina where Themistocles and Aristides had the victorie against Xerxes both by sea and land The battell fought before Platea against Mardonius where was slaine sixe and twentie thousande and Mardonius the king of Persias lieutenant The victorie hereof was giuen to the Athenians yet the honour of the victorie by common report yeelded to the Plateans at what time Aristides was generall of Athens and Pausanias king of Sparta was generall of all Greece The warres of Chalcedon against Pharnabasus where Alcibiades wanne the victorie The warres betweene Ptolomey king of Egypt and Alexander king of Macedon the sonne of Amintas pacified and ended by Pelopidas and tooke the kings brother called Philippe which was Alexander the great his Father and thirtie more of the noblest mens sonnes in Macedon to Ostage and brought them to Thebes to let the worlde see the reputation of Greece then The victorie of Aristides gotten at Psittalia where he tooke three Persian lordes sonnes to Sandauce king Xerxes sister and the Grecians were of one minde and thought with such courage to bring Asia vnder the Empire of Greece The victorie of Cimon in the countrie of Thracia where he vanquished certeine great men of Persia allied to the king himselfe and kept the Citie of Eronea vpon the riuer of Strymon ouerthrewe the barbarous people inuaded the Thracians droue the Persians away and possessed al Thracia and appointed Grecians to inhabite the Countrie thus had the Greekes victorie out of Greece before their ciuill warres began this Cimon plagued the Persians past into Asia and returned with diuers victories into Greece againe When Nicias wanne the hauen of Syracusa and besieged the Citie in such sort that Euripides made an Epitaph vpon the graue of Nicias and had gotten eight seuerall victories ouer the Cicilians The victorie which Agesilaus had of Sardis the chiefe Citie of Lydia and the victorie ouer Tisaphernes lieutenant of all Persia who gaue battell to the Nation that dwell in Acarnea ouerthrewe them and destroyed them and had victorie and after went to Egypt being an olde man to Tachos king of Egypt where hee vsed a Stratageme that hee gote victorie of Tachos vnto Nectanebus nowe when Persia Asia Egypt Lydia felt the force of Greece then was Greece renowmed The victorie of Phocion in the Isle of Naxes in a battell by sea and another victorie of the Macedonians in a battell that Phocion had with Antipater where Leonatus who came out of Asia to ioyne with Antipater was killed The battell at Mantinea the chiefe Citie of Arcadia the victorie hereof fell to Epaminondas and to the Thebans CHAP. VII Of the last destruction of Greece by the Macedonians by meanes of ciuill discorde and the Peleponesian warres the onely cause of their ruine and confusion at what time king Philip brake their backes and his sonne Alexander their neckes and after them the Romanes kept them in perpetuall seruitude WHat should I write of the victories of Epaminondas Agis Cleomenes or of others which fell before the ciuil dissension of Greece I meane chiefely the Peloponesian warres though some of those victories were after the warres of Peloponesus yet certeinely while the Grecians helde as some time they woulde then was Xerxes driuen out of Greece and beaten in his owne
frō the citie of Rome then Veiena and Fidena the one 6. miles the other 18. miles distant from Rome had enlarged the citie with these confines and territories more then Romulus did he was striken with lightning that both hee his wife and all his house were burnt when he had raigned 32. yeres in the 35. Olymp. When this king raigned in Rome Zaleucus gouerned the Locresiās who for his law making law keeping is much mentioned in histories for in that law against adulterie his owne sonne first offending should haue lost both his eyes but his nobles made great intercessiō for the kings sonne the king to satisfie their requests shewing himselfe a naturall father to his sonne and a iust king to his people caused one of his sonnes eyes and another of his owne eyes to be taken out to performe the lawe which he made In the time of Tul. Hostilius Manasses king of Iuda was conuerted vnto his God and thereby restored to his kingdome when he expelled idolatry and serued God the rest of his life In Chaldea raigned Nabuchodonosor the father of the great Nabuchodonosor and in Media Phaortes the 6. king of the Medes During the time of this king in Rome raigned in Lydia Ardis their 6. king and in Macedonia Philip their 6. king also for the Medes the Macedonians the Lydians and the Romanes began their Empires within 60. yeres together Tullus Hostilius the third king appointed two Quaestors as it were two Treasurers to sease by the pole euery citizen of Rome to leauie and to keepe the same money to the vse of the citie he created also 2. Iudges which were called Duum viri these should determine causes for life and death In like sort of Ancus Martius with his lawes Tarquinius Priscus and his decrees you may reade in Pomp. Laetus and Fenestella Euen so Seruius Tullus the 6. king of Rome perceiuing that the Senators had more to doe then they could well accomplish especially in priuat causes of the citie he instituted two men called Censors to record and to write the nomber of all men in seruice to take view of such offenders within the citie and to punish crimes and offences and if any Senators should not execute iustice he should be depriued out of the Senate If any of the magistrats created by Romulus should not imitate and liue within the lawe of Romulus they should be by the Censors punished If any of the religious officers and the priests which Numa instituted should transgresse the lawe of Numa he should also by these Censors be reformed this office cōtinued 5. yeres and vpon the fift yere new Censors were made this was called Lustrū at what time althe citie was visited all faults opened vnto them and all iniuries done reformed by them as C. Fabritius being Censor remoued frō the Senate P. Cornelius Ruffinus for the expences of 10. pound more then was allowed by these Censors and so M. Cato banished C. Flaminius brother from the Senators for the fauouring of a prisoner at the request of a woman The auctoritie of those Censors were such as might reforme all things by law The old Romanes vsed to accompt their actions to nomber their yeeres euery fift yeere which they called Lustrum as the Greciās vsed to nomber the yeres by their Olympiad which the Greekes named Penterides This office of Censors continued for a time in Rome being renued euery fift yeere which was a great day in Rome and appointed by Seruius Tullus the sixt king of Rome and endured vntil Vespatian the Emperours time the last conquerour of Ierusalem 650. yeeres yet I reade not but of 75. Lustrums which is 360 yeres For Eutropius saith that both Lustrum and the Olympiad endured no longer then Sillas time But yet compted vntil Constantines time Tarquinius the proud appointed 3. men to keepe the Sibillas books after they were augmented from 3. to 10. and at last frō 10. to 15. These were chosen out aswel of the Patricians as of the vulgar people they should once a yere in the moneth of Februarie reade these bookes and after they should see the bookes safelie kept vntil Februarie againe Now after that Tullus died succeeded in Rome Anc. Martius the 4. king one in nature like vnto his grandfather Numa Pompilius and one that in the beginning of his gouernment imitated Numa in all points commanding the people to obserue the lawes and ceremonies of his grandfather thinking therby to haue the like successe of quietnes and peace commaunded Numas lawes to be written in tables and be set on postes and pillars in the market place studied diligently to keepe his people in peace thoght to liue quietly with that litle territorie that then the city of Rome gouerned But it happened otherwise for scant he had established himselfe in his kingdom whē the Latins vnder their gouernour there waged warres against the Romans and brought an army to the very towne of Medullia which they tooke and possest for 3. yeres in spite of Ancus Martius Now this king was forced to forsake Numa which liued in peace and to folow Tullus his predecessor in warres and therefore he altered his minde and gathered force together and began stoutly to answere the Latins and to giue them so many battels that he destroyed vanquished and wan their chiefe cities as Politoriū Telena Ficania and diuers others he recouered Medullia gaue diuers ouerthrowes to the Latins then straight he was much troubled with the Sabines and Fidenats the Veients and the Volscanes these people euer warred against the kings of Rome for yet Rome was not come to any greatnes But when they had quite conquered the Sabines Latines Veients Volscanes Fidenats and other nations next vnto them which oftentimes they did and they stil reuolted then the citie of Rome began to looke vnto other kingdomes but during the time of their kings their owne neighbours annoyed them most This king Ancus Martius had no rest during his whole gouernment vntill he had brought these people before spoken vnto subiection then he began to build to enlarge the city of Rome by taking mount Auentine vnto it and the hil Ianicula a large ground of 18. furlongs about ful of diuers yong trees specially laurel but by An. Martius made habitable and populous there vpon the hil Auentine a faire temple was builded vnto Diana and to this moūt Martius brought frō Telena and Politorium and other townes men and women to dwell there After this the king builded a towne fast vpō the sea shore called Hostia 6. miles frō Rome made a bridge ouer the riuer of Tiber which ranne by Rome he also builded a prison house to punish offenders diuers other monumēts which you may read in Halicarnasaeus whē he had raigned 24. yeres he died leauing behind him 2. sōnes the one an infant and
then though banished by the Romanes saued and rescued Rome at that time But Camillus remoued them put them to flight and pursued them with such a slaughter of them that hee recouered the golde and treasures and ensignes of warres which the French men had gotten and returned to Rome and so entred the Citie with his third triumph and was called the seconde Romulus for that hee recouered his Countrie from the enemies for in the time of his Dictatorshippe hee ouerthrewe the Phalissians Capenats the Veients tooke diuers Cities and wasted their Territories ouer whom he triumphed After this Camillus besieged the Falerians ouerthrew the Latines and the Volscans hee wanne the fielde of the Prenestines and slue the great armie of the Thuscans at Sutrium Camillus gaue diuers repulses to the Gaules and resisted stoutly the furi◅ of Brennus their king for in the time of this Camillus Rome was destroyed and quite burnt and againe built and by him afterwarde as by a seconde Romulus defended for hee was chosen Censor first hee was chosen twise Tribune of the souldiers and hee was fiue times chosen Dictator for then the Romanes had altered their gouernment from Kings to Cōsuls frō Consuls to Dictators frō Dictators to Decemuiri which Decemuiri continued not long and then againe to Consuls for in the first yeere after Rome was taken by the Gaules for in those daies they were not named French men but Gaules which is a more generall name two men were created which were called Tribunes of the souldiers in steade of the two Consuls which were of no lesse authoritie then the Consuls Howe be it the dignitie of the Tribunes endured not long for that office ceased for the people of Rome were so seditious in the time of Camillus that nothing coulde please them neither Kings Counsellers Dictators Praetors Tribunes or any other officer for now the Consuls were caused to be banished as the kings were and in their roumes were placed the tenne men called Decemuiri which continued but two yeres and out the third yeere then were placed magistrates named Tribuni Militum which gouerned 43. yeeres and then againe Consuls were placed in their authorities after Rome had bene without Consuls 45. yeres Thus the people put vp and put downe whom they list insomuch that Sex Ruf. saith that Rome was without any magistrate for foure yeeres for they stoned Posthumus the generall banished Coriolanus Camillus that such a furie reigned in the people that foure seuerall seditions grew in Rome by mutuall discord The first in Sacro Monte where the Romane people came armed in the 71. Olymp. against vsurers where at that time Menenius Agrippa an eloquent Romane appeased the furie and rage of the people with the fable betweene the belly and all members of the body by the which oration hee brought them to quietnes The second discord at Rome was in moūt Auentine 302. yeeres after the building of Rome in the time of Decemuiri whose insolencie and tyrannie were such that they forgote the destruction of their kings the arrogancie of Tarquine in rauishing of Lucretia they committed all offences iniuries full of filthy lustes without respect of lawe or conscience that Virginius seeing his daughter so oppressed by Appius Claudius slue her in the market place with his owne hand to auoide the present infamie and shame that his daughter Virginia was at hand to come vnto The third sedition at Rome on mount Ianiculū vnder Carmilius then being Tribune of the people and generall ouer them in the dāgerous seditions the cause was for the indignitie of mariages betweene the Patritiās the cōmon people which Liui at large setteth downe in his fourth booke The fourth sedition in Rome and the cause thereof was ambition desire ofhonor that the cōmonpeople would haue magistrates created ioyntly with the Patricians here grewe mutinie discord betweene the Patricians and the vulgar people this discorde fell in the seconde age of Rome called Adolescentia Romae About this time florished in Greece Pericles who succeeded Themistocles in his roume and gouerned Athens fourtie yeeres with great fame at what time hotte warres were betweene the Athenians and the Peloponesians During these broyles at Rome Xerxes the great king of Persia was slaine by Artabanus after whose death Artaxerxes surnamed the long handed did sende Esdras to Ierusalem from Babylon to repaire the Citie to builde the Temple and to reforme the common wealth of the Iewes destroyed by the Chaldeans before Cicilia was plagued by the Carthaginians and often oppressed by the common people Nowe reigned in Macedonia Perdicas the eleuenth king this time florished in Greece 1 Heraclitus 2 Empedocles and 3 Parmenides and after 4 them Aristophanes and 5 Hypocrates that famous physicion at what time also the great Philosopher 6 Soorates Platoes master kept his schoole at Athens This time reigned in Sparta Agis king of the Lacedemonians in Macedonia Archelaus their twelfth king About this time the originall of the kings of Fraunce beganne to spring in Germanie who at that time were driuen out of Scythia to the number of foure hundred eightie nine thousande first being called Neumagi secondly called Sicambri and the last time called Franci About this time the whole states of Greece were by the eares and beganne the warres of the Peloponesians which endured twentie seuen yeeres of whome Thucidides wrote a whole volume of eight bookes The Egyptians reuoulted from the Persians and rebelled vntill Darius Ochus time the eight king of Persi◅ Let vs returne to the historie of the Romanes for as soone as Camillus dyed the French men arriued and camped in Italie against whome Quintus Cicinatus being then elected Dictator was sent with an armie against the Frenchmen where Titus Manlius prouoked one of the French army to fight with him hand to hand whō he slue after he had slaine him he pluckt a chaine of gold frō his enemies necke put it about his owne necke for the which he his posteritie were called Torquati for a perpetuall memorie of that fact This was done 30. yeeres after that Camillus had expulsed the Frenchmen The like historie is written of Marcus Valerius who being chalenged by a Frenchman to a combate accepted the challenge and came readie armed vnto the fielde where a crowe lighted vpon his right arme and sate there still vntill his aduersarie came to handie gripes The crow flew and smote the Frenchman vpon the eye with his wings that he could not see to fight by meanes whereof he was slaine whereby hee was sirnamed Coruinus as Torquatus was At what time the Frenchmen were put to flight and againe by Sulpitius the Dictator they were subdued and the Thuscans likewise were the very same time vanquished by Caius Martius who then ledde prisoners with him to Rome in one triumph 7000 captiues By this
and Catabria the two temples dedicated to Neptune the temple of Apollo in Actiū the tēple of Aesculapius in Epidaurū and so of others The greatnes of Pompey grew to be such in Rome as Silla who was the first that called him by the name of Pompey the great enuied his fame Lucullus who much hated the pride and insolencie of Pompey called him in scorne Agamemnon regem regū king of kings and Pompey in like sort called Lucullus Xerxem togatum This enuie bred hidden hatred in Rome and made the people to become factious sometime with Silla sometime with Marius now betweene Lucullus Pompey and after betweene Pompey and Caesar. They were so factious at that time in Rome that then Iulius Caesar a man of great prowesse and of a singuler dexteritie whose seruice was such that it seemed from the beginning of his birth that hee shoulde growe great in Rome and therefore Pompey looking into the disposition of Caesar maried his daughter Iulia and ioyned in the beginning with Caesar. While Pompey stood to Caesar his father in lawe they were too strong to be resisted either by Lucullus or by Crassus though Crassus before hee was slaine in Parthia was equall to any of them both But when Iulia Caesars daughter and Pompeis wife died and the other third champion Crassus was slaine at Carras in Parthia by Surena some square fell betwixt Caesar and Pompey for Pompey would haue no equall man with him in Rome and Caesar could abide no superiour and thus for a little demaunde made by Caesar to become Consul in Rome once for his great seruice in Fraunce and in other places being denied by Marcellus then Consul by the meanes of Pompey grewe this great ciuil warres thirtie yeeres after Sillas death Caesar hauing both friendes and enemies in Rome who became factious his enemies Marcellus Lentulus and others ioyned with Pompey and perswaded to keepe Caesar from being Consul his friendes made much meanes to the Senators and to the people to haue Caesar to be Consul as Marcus Antonius and Quintus Cassius Caesar was much agreeued to see such in gratitude shewed to him that well deserued to be Consul and came in armes against the Citie of Rome Much feare was in Rome and great tumult in Italie vpon the comming of Caesar some ranne out of the Citie to Caesar and some ranne from Italie vnto Rome vnto Pompey the maner and order of this ciuill warre betweene Caesar and Pompey frō the beginning vnto the ending is set forth in Oros. most briefely lib. 6. cap. 15. Cicero traueiled much to pacifie these quarrels but to no effect Pompey with all the Senators and noblemen of Rome departed foorth of the Citie and went to Brundusium When Caesar came in armes before he entred into Rome he besieged Brundusium Pompey secretly by night escaped Caesar and fled the Citizens yeelded to Caesar who marched to Rome without resistance entred to the Senate opened the cause of his comming not as Silla or Marius to destroy his Countrie or to murther his countriemen but perswaded the Senate to send Embassadours vnto Pompey for peace After this he committed Rome to Lepidus and Italie vnto Marcus Antonius and hee himselfe went into Spaine and forced the armie of Pompey to yeeld Lepidus made labour to the Senators to haue Caesar Dictator while Caesar was absent in Spaine Caesar at his returne to Rome made himselfe Consul and Scruilius Ismaricus the other Consul to whom he committed Italie and Rome Caesar tooke sea and sailed after Pompey to Epirus and from thence to Dyrachium where Pompey was and where also Caesar had the ouerthrowe by Pompey Caesar departed to Thessali Pompey folowed being puft vp with some pride of the last ouerthrow of Caesar and a great battell was fought in Pharsalia where Caesar gote the victorie slue fifteene thousand of Pompeis souldiers Caesar crying out vpon his captaines to spare the Citizens of Rome whereby twentie foure thousand were taken prisoners and Pompey himselfe put to the flight But while Caesar Pompey were thus in Pharsalia Celius and Milo began to quarell and make sedition against the Consul Seruilius but they were both slaine But Pompey being thus discomfited fled into Alexandria where he thought to haue certaine aide of the king of Egypt ouer whō Pompey was appointed Tutor by the Senate during the minoritie of the king But Pompey was deceiued of his expectatiō for he was killed and his head cutte off and sent to Caesar from Egypt which when Caesar sawe hee wept to see the head of so worthie a man as Pompey Melancthon sayeth that Pompey was slaine by the councell of Photinus an Eunuch and by Theodotus the kings schoolemaster Achillas and Septimius were sent from the king to kil Pompey this Septimius had beene a captaine vnder Pompey and had charge in seruice Pompey knew him spake to him As Pompey was reading of a greeke oration which he had to speake with the king Septimius thrust him through with the sword behind and brought him to Ptolomy the king the sonne of Auletes and brother to Cleopatra in the ◅ght of Cornelia Pompeis wife and his two sonnes who fled to Aphrica to Scipio and Cato Pompeis friends after whom Caesar followed and in a great battelfoure yeres after his father was ouerthrowen at Pharsalia he was slaine in Spaine The other sonne of Pompey called Sextus Pompeius liued eight yeres after Caesar was slaine Not long after Pompeis death Caesar came to Alexandria where certaine conspired his death by the aduise of Ptolome Caesar hereupon made warres vpon the king whom hee ouercame and put to flight and so drowned himselfe in the riuer Nilus Melanct. saith that those very men Achillas Photinus Septimius which slue Pompey conspired against Caesar who vnderstanding of this commaunded them to be slaine The king for feare also of Caesar fled was amōgst others drowned seeking to escape Egypt was giuē by Caesar to Cleopatra the kings sister whom hee after vsed as his paramour and returned from Egypt after Pompeis friends who fled to Affrica where Caesar had sharpe warres and very doubtfull battels for in the last battel fought at Munda with Pompeis sonne Caesar was driuen to so neere a straight that his men fled from him thirtie thousand were slaine and Caesar thought to slay himselfe Cato and Scipio Afranius and Portreius fought so desperatly that they feared no danger yet Caesar gote the victorie This Scipio which was of the stocke of Scipio Affricanus and father in lawe to Pompey slue himselfe so did M. Cato M. Petreius and Iuba king of Mauritania But Quintus Varus Pompeis lieutenant Lu. Cornelius Faustus Sillas sonne the Dictator Afranius and Cneus Pompeius the eldest sōne of Pompey the great were slaine in battel While Caesar was in Affrike in these warres Marcus Antonius made him Dictator in Rome CHAP. VII Of the alteration
their conquests were great their victories infinite but after the dignities of the Cōsuls were eclipsed by the greatnesse crueltie of the Emperours the state of Rome also beganne by a little and a little to loose her former fame and to decaye in credite for that they esteemed money more then men This vice of auarice excluded all kinde of vertues out of Rome and receiued into the Citie hidden hatred priuate wealth and yong councell whereby the lady of the whole worlde sometime is become now by auarice to be the handmaid of Spaine and Fraunce yea to be led by euery citie of Italie Thus was the glory of Rome brought vnder her owne seruants to be a captiue euen as Babylon Ierusalem Egypt and other kingdomes of whom the Prophets haue spoken prophecied the reward of their wickednesse idolatrie and horrible superstition The like destruction the Romanes must looke to haue as the Affricanes had after them the Chaldeans the Hebrewes and the Egyptians for their idolatrie and contempt of God The like ende and destruction as had the Persians the Medes the Macedonians and the Greekes must the Romanes by the prophesie of Daniel expect for I will the Reader to reade Daniel Esai Ieremie and Ezechiel of these great kingdoms before time for some destroyed and consumed and I will returne to the historie Now after that good Emperor Cocceius Nerua had reigned but one yeere foure moneths and nine dayes hee adopted Traiane to the Empire a Spaniard and not an Italian as many would haue it a godly Emperor a good man of whom many good things are written amongst the which he is most commended in two principal things sanctitas domi fortitudo for is he was patient in all traueiles and in all aduersities hee was very diligent in ciuill causes and very expert in militarie discipline hee was most liberall to his souldiers and beneficiall vnto all men he much honoured all learned men he onely of all other Emperors obserued iustice and practised the same to his people hee gouerned the weale publique in such sort that hee ought worthely to bee preserued aboue all other princes hee enlarged the borders and marches both in length and breadth of the Romane Empire which frō the time of Augustus was but defended and conserued by other Emperors vntil this time he is thus cōmended in Eutropius that his courtesie and sobrietie farre excelled his martiall feates hee was so familiar that he would ride goe and sit with his familiars hee would also banquet amongst them without esteeming of himself more then of another he openly and secretly enriched not onely his friendes but those whom he well heard of and aduaunced them to honors with whom he had small acquaintance hee infranchised many cities hee did so many great good things aswell in repairing ruinous Townes and Cities as also in building newe Cities Townes in diuers coūtries that in a maner he builded a new world againe for he builded sixe great Temples 1 To Apollo 2 To Mars 3 To Iupiter 4 To Aesculapius 5 To Ceres 6 To Berecynthia And therefore he was reputed in al the whole world of all men and likened vnto some god which had some diuine power to finish and to perfect a ruinous cōmon wealth being by his predecessors Nero Caligula Heliogabolus Domitianus and others welnigh wholy destroyed and defaced So much preuailed in him the fame of perfect goodnesse that at the election of any prince in Rome after Traians dayes the Senators and the people would wish him to be as fortunate as Augustus and in behauiour of vertue and goodnesse to be like the good Traiane who both for his goodnes vertue was also called Pater patriae as Augustus was for that hee subdued Dacia recouered Armenia which the Parthians had wonne he reduced vnder the obeysance of Rome Spaine Moscouia Arabia and the inhabitants of Cholcos hee had great warres in all the East countries and brought Assyria and Mesopotamia vnder his hand He reduced many kingdomes to be prouinces vnder the Romanes hee wanne Seleucia and Babylon and prepared a nauie for the redde Sea that thereby hee might spoyle and destroy the borders and coastes of Iudea About this time the Temple of Pantheon in Rome was burned he triumphed ouer the Danes and ouer the Scythians and brought Rome againe to her former fame and glory as it was in the time of Octauius Augustus The two mirrors of Rome liued in Rome and dyed with the like loue and fame after they had purchased great glory and renowme both for ciuill and marciall policie Traiane was canonised and was the first emperour buried within the Citie his bones were put in a golden cuppe and set vnder a pillar which mounted in height to an hundred fourtie foure foote Hee reigned nineteene yeeres whose facts and worthinesse are rife in memorie If you list to reade further of them looke in Capitolinus amongst all the emperours this you shall finde to excell the rest In Traianes time fell the fourth persecution of the Christians in whose time also dyed Iohn the Euangelist after whose death florished his scholers and disciples Papias and Polycarpus and Ignatius In Traians time happened such an earthquake that foure great Cities in Asia fell flatte to the grounde three in Galatia and two in Greece Traiane dyed of the flixe at Seleucia a towne of Isauria whē he had liued sixtie three yeeres after whom succeeded Aelius Adrianus the fifteenth emperour an Italian borne he was sisters sonne to Traiane and yet not adopted to the Empire by Traiane but by meanes of Plotina Traians wife hee was singularly learned both in the Greeke and in the Latine hee was excellently seene in Musicke and Geometrie and was so expert in Astronomie that hee made yerely Prognostications for him selfe hee excelled in diuers artes as in caruing grauing paynting cutting eyther in brasse or in marble Iustine writeth of this emperour that hee coulde write talke with his friendes aske questions and answere matters at one time hee gaue him selfe wholly to purchase peace and quietnesse and woulde often say that hee did more good in Rome by idlenesse then his predecessours by weapons for hee purchased peace during the whole time of his Empire In his time the Christians were sore persecuted vntill certeine learned of the Christians wrote bookes vnto the Emperour Adrian for mercie in sparing of Christian blood whereupon the Emperour wrote diuers Epistles to Iudea and to all prouinces belonging to the Empire of Rome that no Christian should be apprehended for religion sake at what time Ierusalem was named Aelia after that he had quieted the Iewes by his Sendrus and slue of them fiue thousand The Emperours name Aelius Adrianus for after that the Emperor Adriā wrote his letter to Minutius to stay his persecution certeine heretikes began to trouble the Church as Saturnius
Basilides and Menander the successor of Simon Magus of whom in Ecclesiasticall historie you may reade more The fault of this Adrian was that hee enuied the glory of Traianus and was most ambitious of honor and fame otherwise he aduauntaged the common weale of Rome more then any for as I saide he was called the father of the Countrie and his wife Sabina was also called Augusta hee ordeyned lawes to the Athenians which hee himselfe pickt out of Draco and of Solons lawes hee in person traueiled all the Empire of Rome hee builded a faire Temple vnto Venus hee was very circumspect about the treasurie and when hee had reigned twentie two yeeres hee died in most miserable paines in Campania about the age of threescore offering himselfe to bee slaine to any of his deare friendes These were the chiefe men in Rome when Adrianus reigned Amilius Aelianus Lucius Verus Acilius Auiola Cornelius Pasna C. Bellicius Torquatus Catilius Seuerus Titus Aurelius Fuluius which succeeded Adri anus in the Empire Titus Appronianus Quintus Agulinus Salinator and Rusticus Att. Titianus M. Acilius Glabriotus Auius Libo Iuuentius Celsus and Neratius Marcellinus Lenas Pontianus Antoninus Ruffinus Sergius Seruianus Seruilius Hasta and Valerius Messala With many other great men which then gouerned as officers and magistrates in Rome when Adrianus raigned in whose time such earthquakes fel that Nicopolis and Caesarea 2. great townes in Palestina fell to the very grounde in the one and in the other earthquake in Macedonia a great city and the most part of Nycena lay prostrate on the ground which was rebuilded by Adrianus This time reuolted the Brytanes from the Romanes but were by Trebelius as Spartianus writeth mitigated and brought againe to subiection Titus Aurelius Fuluius succeeded Adrianus in the Empire by adoption This was also called Antoninus Pius for the great pitie and gentlenesse which he vsed towardes all men A good Emperour compared of writers to that religious king Numa Pompilius in like sort as Traianus was likened to Romulus he was beloued as a father and feared as a king He was borne in Gallia Transalpina in a citie named Nemesa which in the time of Iulius Caesar was established a Colonie of Rome The Indians Hircanians and Bactrians sent Embassadours with giftes and presents to honour him He was wont to say that he had rather saue one friende then destroy a thousand enemies The people woulde often call him by these names Lord King Emperour Iudge Patrone and father he endeuoured himselfe rather to defend then to amplifie and the Empire he assigned to the most honest men the graue the learned and the iust men to haue offices and to beare rule in the citie he aduanced good men and detested euill men and vsed no rigour nor crueltie to them Kings and captaines in his time laide aside their warres and would bring their controuersies and quarels to be decided by the Emperour Antoninus Pius he was so iust and so pitifull in all causes towards all men that therein he farre excelled all the Emperours he much honoured learned men and had in his dayes many of them in his Court with him In his time was Alexander Seuerus borne which after was Emperour of Rome During the time of his whole gouernment which was 23. yeeres and 3. moneths there was neither warres nor quarels in Rome In this time flourished many excellent men as these vnderwritten Galenus the mirrour of Phisitions Ptolomeus the great Astrologer Apolonius Basilides 2. great Philosophers and scholemaster to the Emperour Verus Nesomedes a Musition Taurus a Philospher of Platoes sect Arrianus a Philosopher in Nicomedia Maximus surnamed Tyrus likewise a great Philosopher At this time the Iewes beganne to fall into a furie to kill both the Greekes and the Romanes and to practise much tyrannie both in Egypt and Alexandria and in Palestina at what time gouerned Tinius Rufus in Iudea vnder the Romanes but they were soone pacified and quieted CHAP. IX Of the good Emperour Ma. Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher and of his sonne Comodus of the difference in their gouernment of the loue which the father had in Rome and of the hatred and contempt which the sonne had of the murther and slaughter of diuers Emperours from M. Antoninus the 17. Emperour vntil the time of Dioclesian the 38. Emperour AFter Titus Antoninus succeeded Marcus Antoninus Verus in the Empire a man of rare vertues borne of a great stocke for his descent was by the fathers side from Numa Pompilius and by his mothers side from king Salentinus This Emperor was a very learned man and he raigned ioyntly with Lucius Antoninus for in his dayes the Romanes began to haue two Emperours of equall authoritie to gouerne the common weale These two were as Eutropius saith brethren and they waged battell against the Parthians which neuer rebelled from Traianus time by whom they were conquered vntill Marcus Antoninus time But they also conquered the Parthians rounde and brought a triumph and did solemnize the same with his brother This Verus Antoninus atchieued sundrie victories he wan Seleucia a famous citie of Assyria by meanes of these noble captains Statius Priscus which subdued Armenia that then rebelled and Auidius Cassius which likewise kept Media and Babylon in subiection But as this Lucius departed from the citie Concordia he died of an issue of blood after whome againe Marcus Antoninus gouerned as Emperour more to be maruei led at for his rare vertues then to be commended for his singuler learning This professed not in outwarde shew to be a Philosopher but in liuing He was had in such admiration euen from his infancie for his graue behauiour and sober life that Adrianus purposed then he being but a childe to leaue him as his successor In philosophie he was instructed by Apollonius a Chalcedonian Philosopher and he was brought vp in the Greeke tongue by Sextus Cherronesus nephewe to Plutarch the Emperour in the Latine tongue he was brought vp with Frontus a very great Orator so that Marcus Antoninus excelled all other Emperours in all kinde of knowledge he was exceeding liberall as at his warres which he had against the Marcomenes where the Vandales the Sarmatians and al Barbarie were ready to mainteine warres against the Romanes were seene for he made open sale of his plate he solde all his apparell and solde diuers iewels and ornaments of precious stones he solde all his substance to auoyde the exactions of his subiects But the victorie which then he obtained repayed all his debtes and brought againe his plate his iewels and all other his substance home for it is written that these warres continued three yeeres and were the most terrible warres and equall to the warres of Carthage And when he had reduced Rome to a most fortunate state and had raigned to the contentation of all men 18. yeeres and had liued 61. yeeres
from the Consuls time vntill this time for the glorie of the Romanes excelled all the nations of the worlde in power and fame vntill tyrannie murther and persecution filled the streetes of Rome with blood whereby their glorie decayed and their state diminished Licinius Valerianns of whome I made mention a little before beganne his Empire in the yeere after Christes incarnation 256. who had the gouernement then of Rhoetia and Noricus being made by the souldiers Caesar soone after Augustus At what time Galienus also was created Caesar at Rome by the assent of the Senate and this was the onely occasion why so many Emperours of Rome were murthered to haue two Emperours at one time of equall authoritie to gouerne which kingdomes principality could neuer wel abide For after the authoritie of the Consuls ceased they created in the place of 2. consuls two Caesars which should gouerne ioyntly the one in the citie the other abroad These 2. Caesars practised more cōspiracy one to destroy another to haue sole gouernment ouer the empire then they vsed diligence care together to saue the empire for euery Caesar had great desire and was much ambicious howe hee might be created Augustus which was the greatest name of dignitie among the Romanes Thus the state of Rome by ambitious mens gouernement became at length to haue so many Caesars in the field as then pleased the souldiers and to haue so many Augustus in Rome as pleased the Citizens vntill the Germanes Gothes Vandales Hungarians Frenchmem with other nations might as well come with an armie into Italie and beard the Romanes in their Countrey as the Romanes might come out of Rome to commence warre any where out of Italie For nowe in the time of these two Caesars Licinius and Galienus the Germanes grewe so bolde that they entred within Italie and approched into the Citie Rauenna at what time the other Caesar Licinius was discōfited taken prisoner by Constantine at Nicomedia a city in Bythinia was slaine contrary to the oth promes which Constantiine made him yet had espoused Constantia Constantines sister Nowe the Almanes had spoyled France and inuaded Italie Greece Macedonia Pontus and all Asia were ouer runne by the Germanes and the Gothes These which were brought before by Traianus by Augustus vnder the Romane Empire are nowe by foreiners vanquished the cause was the Romanes anoied the Romanes euen as Pyrrus sayd or as Hanibal vnto Antiochus that the Romans must be conquered with Romanes which is now seene in the time of these Caesars for now the Parthians base people and seruants sometime of the Macedonians after they had gottē Mesopotamia they pretended to claime a title to Syria For nowe the strength of Romanes began to faile and their kingdomes and their teritories reuolted from them and went to wrecke For at that very time a base Frenchman called Posthumius intruded into the Romane Empire and gouerned the same by the space of tenne yeeres but he was slaine by the souldiers in a tumult by the snares of Lollianus After Posthumius a man of a meane occupation a handy craft man named Marius got the empire into his hand the next day after was slaine This time Lollianus also began another cōspiracy at what time Victorinus gouerned France who was slaine in the city Agrippa through the treason of one Acturius for that he defloured many maides matrons and gaue himselfe altogether to a filthie life See and marke the state of Rome in Lycinius Gallienus time First Posthumius his sonne were slaine by the conspiracie of Lollianus Lollianus slaine by the treason of Marius Marius also dispatched out of the way by Victorinus Victorinus killed by Acturius after whō succeeded Tetricus the Senator who in like sort as others were was by Aureolus slayne Aureolus after he had concluded peace with Gallienus and Valerianus who were both slaine at Millaine reigned alone See the murther slaughter of Emperors in Rome in those dayes for an Emperour was no sooner made but he either was killed violently or murthered secretly For Rome in those dayes was the onely Theater of tyrannie and so continued vntill a great part of the Empire was taken into Constantinople and within a while after it was fully gone into Germanie so they kept the name of an Emperour onely for a time but the dignity was decayed in Rome and beganne to flourish in other places After that time Aureolus in the 9. yere of his raigne was likewise slaine by Flauius Claudius a very good Emperour for he recouered againe many things which were gone to decay during the reigne of Licinius and Gallienus he was chosen Caesar by the souldiers created Augustus by the Senate a iust man and fitte to gouerne the weale publike he brought againe the Gothes the Macedonians and the Illyrianes vnder the Romane yoke and wanted but time onely to bring the other countreyes which were lost by his Predecessors vnder the Romanes but he died too timely when he had reigned but 19. moneths after whome succeeded Quintilius brother vnto Claudius and was nominated Emperour by the consent of the souldiers and for that he was a man of singular fobriety worthy to be compared with his brother Claudius he was by the Senate created Augustus and he continued but 17. dayes but he was slaine Eutropius saith that Flauius Claudius the Emperour had a golden Target hanged vp in the Councell house and had also in the capitoll a golden Image set vp for a perpetuall memorie of him and he appointed before he died that Aurelius Valerianus should reigne after him a stout Emperour and one that subdued the Marcomanes which then did spoile waste Millaine and the countreyes about He also subdued the Thracians the Illyrians he ouercame the Gothes and slue their captaine Cannaba beyond the riuer of Danubus After this he commenced wars in the East countreyes where Odenatus king of Palmirea had gotten many prouinces out of the Romanes hands but he was subdued and his wife Zenobia taken prisoner ouer whome Aurelianus the Emperour triumphed and after his triumphes he inuironed the citie with stronger walles he founded a Temple in Rome which he dedicated to the Sunne vpon the which Temple he bestowed an infinite deale of golde and precious stones Aurelianus after he had reigned 6. yeres he was slain through the treason of his own seruants in the mid way betwene Constantinople and Heraclea in a place called Cenophrurium but his death was not vnreuēged after that this Aurelianus was slain Rome was without an Emperor for 7. monethes vntill Annius Tacitus was elected Caesar a man of such good conuersation as was meet to gouern an empire Howbeit he deceased within 6. moneths was by death preuented as his successor Florianus who in like maner as Tacitus raigned but 2. moneths 20. daies died without any mentiō made