M. Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher and of his sonne Cōmodus 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 murthers and slaughter of diuers Emperours from M. Antoninus the 17. Emperor vntill the time of Dioclesian the 38. emperor 562. 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 olde Emperours were diminished by reason that Constantinople whom Constantine the great had so enriched and beautifiedwith their auncient monuments of Rome that olde Rome was hereby defaced and newe Rome thereby florished so that the Empire was diuided betweene two Emperours the one to be at Constantinople the other at Rome 576. Liuius Trogus Pomp. Florus Valerius Max. Eutropius Suetonius Egnatius Tacitus Voriscus Cassiodorus Blondus Iosephus Plinius Appianus Sabellicus Orosius Beroaldus Polybius Dionys. Halicar Herodianus Fūctius with others THE TRYALL OF MARTYRS OF the try all of the Martyrs of God in the primitiue Church from the first persecution vnder Tiberius the third Emperour in the which Stephen was stoned Iames beheaded Philip hanged with infinite more tormented and persecuted vntill the third persecution which began vnder Domitian the twelfth Emperour of Rome Fol. 587. From the third persecution vnder Domitian the 12. Emperour vnto the sixt persecution vnder Sept. Seuerus the 22. Emperour of the constancie of faithfull Martyrs euery where in the Church of God of their godly liues their deaths and their glorious victorie ouer Satan 593. Of the tyranny of time frō the sixt persecution vnder Seuerus vntil the ninth persecution vnder Dioclesian the Emperour of the zeale and constancie of the godly in their martyrdome and of the tyranny and wickednesse of the kings of Persia and of the Emperours of Rome at that time in the persecution of the Church 600. From Dioclesian vnder whom the vehementest persecution of any reigned vntill the reigne of Alexander Seuerus by whose good meanes and great traueile persecution somewhat sla◅kt at what time diuers heresies began fresh in many places of Asia and Europe 608. Eusebius Euagrius Ireneus and Functius table OF SPAINE OF the antiquitie of Spaine and of the originall of their kings and of their continuance from Tubal vntill Hispanus during which time they were called by diuerse seuerall names as Caetubales Hiberi Celtiberi and Hispani Fol. 617. From the time of Hispanus by whom they were called Hispaniards vntil the monarchie and the names of kings ended after what time Spaine was diuided into peculiar prouinces and seuerall dominions after the reigne and gouernmēt of 24. kings frō Caetubal the first vnto Mellicola the last 626. From the dissolution and change of the kingdome of Hispaine into prouinces and dominions vntill they were subdued by the Carthagineans and Affricanes vnder whom they were subiects vntill Scipio Affricanus time at what time both Affrica Carthage and Hispaine were made tributaries vnto Rome 633. From the time that the Romanes conquered Hispaine vnto the time of the Vandales the third conquest of Hispaine and from the Vandales vnto the Gothes victorie ouer Hispaine the fourth conquest from the Gothes vnto the Saracens the fift conquest of Hispaine 641. From the time that the Saracens possessed Hispaine vntill the time of Ferdinandus the great and Alphonsus king of Aragon which were the onely first two kings that possessed all Hispaine from the first monarchie of their kings which was 2400. and odde yeeres so base a countrie was Spaine and conquered so many times vntill Ferdinandus time 647. For the histories of old Hispaine fewe haue written of it as Annius Manethon but since they were conquered by the Romanes all Romane writers speake of them by the reason of the Affricane warres as Liui. Trogus Pomp. Lu. Florus Blondus Beroaldus Functius and many more of late But of olde Hispaine Io. Annius Manethon Diodorus Siculus Ritius Iornandus Boufinus OF GALLOGRAECIA OF the beginning and original of the natiō which was called Galgreekes or Gallograecians of their inuasions spoile and slaughter in many countries in Asia and of their ouerthrowe by Cn. Manlius who with great pompe triumphed ouer them at Rome 655. From Francus the 16. king of Fraunce then called Sicambri vntill the time of Farabertus the 12. in number after Francus of the warres inuasions and victories of the enlargement of their kingdome from one king to another vntill Farabertus gouernment during which time they were called Franci after the name of Francus 669. Of the continuall warres which the Frenchmen had still in seeking for the quiet possession and the whole gouernment of all Fraunce from the time of Farabertus vntill the time of Pharamundus during which time they were called Franci for as they were before called Sicambri from Marcomirus vnto Francus foure hundred and odde yeeres so nowe from Francus vnto Pharamundus they were called Franci foure hundred and odde yeeres that wellnigh nine hundred yeeres they were before they coulde possesse the kingdome of Fraunce 675. From Faramundus the first king that had all Fraunce in his hand and from whom al Historians and Chronographers beginne the historie of Fraunce who beganne his reigne in Fraunce in the yeere of our Lorde and Sauiour 420. of the lawes gouernment and warres from that time vnto Clodouaeus the first Christian king of Fraunce and so vnto Clodouaeus the second of that name and the 12. king after Pharamundus 684. From Clodouaeus the second who began his reigne 645. vntill the reigne and gouernment of Charles the great the patrone and onely mirror of France by whom chiefely the Frenchmen florished in famous renowme and in whō all the lawes relikes and monuments are established 697. From Charles the great the onely king of Fraunce in fame of whome all the states of Fraunce holde their lawes monuments and other ceremonies belonging to their inaugurations crowning and their seuerall pompe of his warres and victories against the Saracens of his diuers conquests euery where and of the taking of the Empire into Germany 703. Tritemius Pau. Aemilius Arnol. Ferronus Io. Tilius Ritius Blondus Beroaldus Plutarch Functius T. Liuius Diodor. Siculus The briese for Britaine I gathered out of these Authors Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Diodorus Siculus Strabo Gildas Giraldus Guidonius Ponticus Verrunnius Iu. Caesar. OF THE CREATION OF the world and of the continuance of the first age therein from Adam vnto Noah IN the beginning of all beginnings when GOD had made the vniuersal frame of the whole world of nothing the earth being without forme or shape couered with water and the water couered with darkenesse The first creature that was made was light of some learned men supposed to bee the creation of Angels for the Sunne the Moone and the Starres were created the fourth day the rest of the sixe daies workes is set
bloodshedding of brethren brought all Iudea frō a kingdome to a prouince againe by this meanes strange magistrates gouerned them and forren strength feared them that since the time that Aristobulus Hircanus sonne became the first king after the captiuitie nothing prospered with him as by the familie stocke of Hircanus may appeare one brother killing another as before you haue read Now Alexander and Antigonus prisoners at Rome with Aristobulus their father their fortune was thus that Alexander hauing escaped frō Rome to Cilicia came to Iudea and tooke a part of Galilee where hee thought to haue more force he spoiled that which Pompey spared he tooke not only the 2000. talents which was left of Pompeius but also spoiled robd ransackt the temple of treasures to the value of 8000. pounds But he was taken with Gabinius sent to Rome and after slaine of Scipio Pompeius sonne in law in Antiochia This was the end of Alexrnder one of Aristobulus sonnes Antigonus the other sonne was let loose by Iulius Caesar after the ciuil warres betwene Pompey and him he gathered an army of the Parthians thought to recouer Iudea the rather that Antipater was dead and that the Iewes had rather haue Antigonus to be their king then any of the sonnes of Antipater he toke the old man Hircanus his vncle to whom Antipater stood a friend while he liued stirring the Iewes against this Antigonus father So likewise the king of Arabia Areta to whō Hircanus fled for aid Antigonus after he had taken his vncle being high Priest had cut off both his eares had caried him prisoner to Parthia euen hee was slaine by Marcus Antonius within 3. yeeres after Herod was made king that was Antigonus ende And Herod after that called Hircanus from Parthia and caused him to bee slaine being 80. yeeres of age This was the tragical ende of the Machabees whome God endued with great haps and singular fauour to rule his people for the Iewes neuer prospered vnder kings neither before the captiuitie at what time raigned 22. kings in Iuda of the which nomber there were but seuen vnder whome Iuda flourished Dauid Salomon Abia Asa Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias Neither prospered they vnder kings after the captiuitie during the time ofseuen kings as Aristobulus Alex. Iamnaeus Hircanus Aristobulus 2. Antigonus the sonne of the last Aristobulus and last of the line of the Machabees Herod the great whome the Romanes created king And Archelaus Herods sonne After the Machabees race Antipater the Idumean and his posteritie became great in Iudea by the fauour of Iulius Caesar who at that time was in Egypt with an armie of souldiers to whome Antipater stoode in steade by good seruice at that time done vnto Caesar for he brought Memphis the great citie with all the countrey about to obey Caesar and therefore Caesar gaue him the regiment of Iudea not yet as a king but as chiefe gouernour The Iewes could not well disgest the gouernement of strangers which knewe by Moses and by the Prophets that the tribe of Iuda should rule Israel vntill the Messias were borne therefore they were mutinous and full ofsedition Antipater perceiuing the enuie and malice to strangers ruled discreetely and behaued himselfe wisely and yet hee was poysoned by a Iewe named Malchus whome afterwarde Herod the sonne of Antipater slew at Tirus this Herod sirnamed Astalomites grewe great in his fathers dayes for the Iewes thought after Antipaters death to shake off his children and not to admit any of them to gouerne Now they had called Antigonus Aristobulus sonne from the Parthians to Ierusalem but Herod ouerthrewe their purpose and forced Antigonus to flee from Ierusalem Marcus Anthonius returning from the citie Philippos where he and Augustus ouerthrewe Brutus and Cassius the murtherers of Iulius Caesar came to Bythinia where Herod and Phasaelus his brother were accused by the Ambassadors of Iudea that Hircanus the high Priest gouerned as a sipher and they as kings yet notwithstanding Herods fortune and his brothers so encreased that he and his brother were named by Marcus Anthonius the Tetrarches of all Iudea and within a while after Herod came to Rome in 185. Olympiad where he was created king of all Iudea and hee was solemnly brought to the Capitol in the midst betwene Octauius and Marcus Anthonius with al the magistrats and Consuls of Rome accompanying him In the 30. yeere of Herods raigne was our Sauiour Christ borne Herod had three sonnes Archelaus whom he left king by wil to gouerne Iudea Herodes Antipas which he appointed Tetrarche to gouerne Galilee by whome Iohn Baptist was beheaded and Philippe which gouerned Ituria or Trachenitida Herod after hee had raigned 37. yeeres and had sent infinite treasure to Caesar and to his wife Iulia died was with great pompe buried in a towne of his own name called Herodium But though Herods testament was by Caesar first confirmed and pronounced Archelaus king of Iudea afterward altered he appointed to Archelaus halfe Iudea for his regiment and the other halfe betwene Herod Antipas his brother Philip. Now while Archelaus was a gouernour of this people they were much offended with him and sent to Caesar great complaints with letters frō Sabinus that he was seditious cruel and vnobedient to Caesar which being thorowly wayed and found true by Caesar Archelaus was banished and his part of Iudea was made a prouince for Romane magistrates the other two brethren Herod and Philippe gouerned their Tetrarchies with some care and feare of Caesar and therefore to get the more fauour at the Emperours hand either of them builded a towne Philip to flatter Caesar builded a towne and named it Caesarea and Herod Antipas builded another and named it Tiberias for that the Emperours name was Tiberius Caesar two townes for one name The Romanes againe brought Iudea in subiection of the Empire and sent these deputies folowing 1 C. Coponius the first lieutenant one yeere These 3. were sent by Octauius Augustus 2 Marcus Ambinius 1. yeere 3 Annius Rufus 1. yeere 4 Valerius Gratus 2. yeere 5 Pontius Pilatus 10. yeere Vnder whom our redeemer and Sauiour suffered his last passion vpon the Crosse he was sent by Tiberius Caesar. 6 Marcellus 3. yeere Herodes was made king of the Iewes by C. Claudius the Emperour which raigned 10. yeeres After Agrippas time raigned ouer the Iewes Romanes deputies againe as after Marcellus Caspius Fadus was 7. deputie and gouerned Iuda 3. yeeres 8 Tiberius Alexander 2. yeeres 9 Cumanus 3. yeeres 10 Antonius Felix 10. yeeres 11 Portius Festus 11. yeeres 12 Albinus 3. yeeres 13 Gersius Florus being the last deputie ouer Iuda at what time Ierusalem was destroyed by Titus When Vespatian layed siege to Ierusalem euen the last ouerthrow and conquest of the Iewes at what time Caius Anthonius Marcus Cicero were consuls at Rome Hierusalem was three moneths besieged by Pompey the great but taken at
Of this queene and of her doings her warres and her great workes you shall reade in Diodorus and Annius how she became so great so terrible and so luckie in any warre she tooke in hand that she excelled farre all the Assyrian and Caldean kings in victories and triumphs vntil Nabuchodonosors time but slaine at last by her sonne called Nynus or Nynias as Melancthon and Annius and Ruffinus writeth the 5. king of the Assyrians who liued with his mother and had no gouernment for that he was a simple man and who succeeded his mother being neither like to his father nor to his mother a king giuen to slouthfulnesse full of idlenesse of whom we reade nothing worth the writing sauing that he repaired beautified the temples of their idols and made much of the Chaldean magi which were accompted wise men obseruing the turne of Astrologers who began then in those dayes to vse diuination he reigned 38. yeeres who a litle before he died Camesenus being forced to flee frō all the partes of the world came to Bactria and there strengthened himselfe with the Bactrians that he prepared a great army to inuade the Assyrians but he was slaine and his armie ouerthrowen euen of this king Ninias as Berosus affirmeth yet Diodorus Iustinus Orosius say that this was done by Nynus the father of Ninias Let the reader beleeue whō hee list I had rather follow Berosus though he is supposed not to be Berosus yet the best writer vseth him in this historie for he is best to be beleeued for that hee knoweth better the Chaldean histories being a Chaldean borne then others This Ninias or Ramisninias is takē to be that king which is called Amraphel in Genesis king of Shinar which is Babylon for in the daies of Amraphel came Arioch king of Ellasar who came with the king of Shinar against the kings of Sodom Gomorrha together with two other kings Chedor king of Elam and Tidal king of the nations gathered of diuers countries These foure kings made warre with Bera king of Sodom with Byrsha king of Gomorrha with Shemeber king of Seboim and with the king of Bela in the vale of Siddim At this very warre Lot the nephew of Abraham for hee dwelt then at Sodom was taken with the king of Sodom the rest was rescued by Abraham his vncle he all his goods al his substance men women Abraham recouered frō Amraphel king of Shinar his company By this time Egypt began to florish and the kings of Egypt beganne to be strong they were all named Pharaohs as the Romanes called their Emperors Caesars names of great dignitie While this conflict and these great armies of fiue kings against foure were in the field you must vnderstand they were but gouernors of cities for in these daies skant the names of kingdoms were knowen but a kind of gouernment called Oligarchia by reason it was within 350. yeres of the flood At that time Abraham comming backe with Lot Melchisedec king of Shalem came to meete him blessed him to whom Abraham gaue tithe of al that he had This Melchisedec is taken to be Sem the sonne of Noah king of Shalem afterward called Ierusalem After this Ninias succeeded his sonne Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians as Functius writeth but Ruffinus the fourth and yet they vary not but in this that Functius beginneth from Nimrod which Ruffinus saith began in Babylon not in Niniue Againe Functius numbreth Semiramis reigne for that she reigned 40. yeres after her husband Nynus which Ruffinus omitteth coumpting Nynus reigne for both for both the gouernment of Semiramis and Ninus forward stil of the rest of the kings of Assyria Ruffinus omitting these two Nimrod Semiramis maketh Functius to say sixe and Ruffinus to accoumpt foure but in this I will follow Functius This Arius after that his father Ninias was dead hee gathered a great host of souldiers against the Bactrians and the Caspians with whom his father and his forefathers were enemies alwayes hee inuaded them againe spoyled their countrey slue their king and brought Bactria and Caspia subiect to the Assyrians in this kings time died Noah about twelue yeres after Abraham was called from Vr in Chaldea and came to Haran where hee staied foure yeres Thus florished the kingdome of the Assyrians being still augmented with more Prouinces Cities and Countries by Arius and his predecessors and when hee had reigned 30. yeeres he died and after him succeeded Aralius the seuenth king of the Assyrians a warlike prince a man of great prowesse skilfull in militarie discipline full of martiall exploites of whom Berosus affirmeth that it was he that first vsed triumphs and pompes with great honor dignitie and rewards to souldiers that deserued praise began to be delicious in bankets and feastes and inuented many engins of warres that then were not knowen In this kings fathers time there dwelt in Celtiberia a great wise man expert in many things whose name was Druyas of whom as Berosus writeth the auncient priests and wise men were called Druyades so doth Plinie write and Caius Iulius Caesar in his booke de bello Gallico This Aralius ruled Assyria fourtie yeeres and died Then beganne in Niniue the reigne of Baleus surnamed Xerxes the eight king of the Assyrians this surmounted farre his predecessour Aralius for hee brought vnder the scepter of Assyria twise asmuch people Nations and Countries as his predecessour did and therefore he was called Xerxes that is the conquerour the triumpher which long after were names of great dignitie among the Persians This king was both fierce and fortunate and enlarged the confines of his kingdome with many Nations he conquered al Countries vnto India he made the kings to bee feared so much of all kingdomes that he was named of the Assyrians Xerxes victor triumphator this reigned as Berosus doth write thirtie yeeres In this Baleus dayes Inachus the first king of the Argiues and their first kingdome began After Baleus reigned in Assyria a king named Armatrites the ninth of him there is no great thing to bee read to his commendation hee was giuen much to wicked lust and slouthfulnesse consuming his time in feasting and banquetting from one pleasure vnto another more cōuersant with women then with men and more delicious in apparell then hardie in warres and more giuen as Berosus saith to a lewde life then to vertuous exercise he reigned 38. yeeres In these dayes Sem the sonne of Noah died and the king of Salem being sixe hundred yeeres olde for Sem was a hundred yeere olde when the flood began and hee liued before the flood with three of his olde fathers with Noah Methusalem and Lamech and after the flood he liued in the second age vntill Iacobs time and died in the fiftie yere of Iacobs age seuen hundred yeeres iust before Dauids birth
hee liued thirtie fiue yeeres after Abrahams dayes The tenth king of the Assyrians was Belochus Priscus and he reigned 35. yeres a righteous king of whō writers make no great mention for most of the kings of Assyria be so ancient their histories by Berosus set forth so doubtfull that authorities sufficient cannot be found to write much sauing those ten kings which are mentioned in Scripture in whose time the Assyrians and the Chaldeans florished most their histories and their tyrannies done in the Church is set downe in the Prophetes by the Spirite of God the touchstone of all trueth and reserued by the holy Ghost to the vse of his Church and the members thereof the keyes of all knowledge of whom al prophane histories haue their beginning Baleus Iunior succeeded to be the eleuenth king of Assyria hee reigned two and fiftie yeeres and was amongst the Assyrians of great fame hee excelled the rest in all his warres for his predecessors euenthe best kings as Baleus Xerxes Aralius Ninus or Belus himselfe entred not so farre conquered not so much as this king did whom all writers so cōmended and specially after Semiramis next in fame and greatnes for shee conquered vnto India this conquered India and brought the Indians vnder the gouernment of the Assyrians paying yerely tribute vnto the kings of Assyria committing themselues and their countries vnder the tuition of this king Baleus Iunior In this Baleus Iuniors time Osiris being very aged returning from all the Countries where hee had traueiled into Egypt erected vp a triumphant pillar with this inscription set vpon it I am King Osiris the sonne of Saturnus that taught in all partes of the world the vse of those things which I Osiris first found out This Trophe was kept a long time by the Priestes of Egypt in memorie of Osiris About this time Iacob and his children went to Egypt 215. yeeres after Abrahams being in Egypt and they continued so long after Abraham 215. yeeres which was the whole time of the children of Israels bondage in Egypt for from Abrahams being first in Egypt where he left to dwell in Egypt some Hebrewes after his departing vntill the comming of Moses is 430. yeeres After this reigned Altad◅s the 12. king of the Assyrians this aboue the rest became epicureall applying his whole studie to seeke out vaine men that could well instruct him to degenerate from his predecessours for hee sawe so much wealth in Niniue where the treasures of the kings of Assyria were that he could by no meanes know how to spend them hee gaue himselfe to all kind of vices and to followe young councel and moreouer he thought it a most miserable thing to toile to traueile himselfe with continuall warres hauing so much substance that hee coulde not foresee howe to consume them but by a decree of his young councelours so it was deuised that the huge treasure great substance which his predecessours by their conquestes had obteined should be with most ease and lesse danger consumed for this was Altades opinion hee thought it most fit to liue in pleasure and to enioy the benefites of his predecessours noting the miserie to bee such of his elders as coulde not spende them selues but spare them to others and therfore suum institutum fuit saith the historie to feede delicately to vse insolent attires to followe riotous company to frequent all kinde of pleasures and to liue viciously while he liued In this time liued Prometheus of whom the Poets make mention much as Ruffinus in his comentarie doth note This Altades reigned 32. yeeres Berosus writeth that one Hercules king of Celtiberia in the 19. of Altades brought his sonne named Thuscus vnto Italie where hee was created king After this Hercules returned backe from Italie vnto Celtiberia where hee died being very olde hee was honoured with statues and images after his death as a demie god this was before Hercules Amphitrion 500. yeeres this reigned in the yere of the world 2275. When Altades had ended his riotous life one succeeded him named Mamitus the 13. king of Assyria a man of a cleane contrary disposition to Altades This king againe assoone as he came to his kingdom exercised himselfe with care diligence to foresee the state of his kingdome lothing detesting idlenes bent himselfe to warres kept garisons had diuers armies abroad himselfe ready to performe in persō that which Altades his predecessor had neglected This king grewe so great so strong that Egypt al Syria stood in awe of him which Syria as Sabellicus affirmeth was once the largest kingdom of the world hauing within it self Palestina Arabia Iudea Phoenicia Coelosyria for the Syrians are people very anciēt for so Plinie saith that they were before the Assyrians Strabo would haue Syria to be al one as Assyria is for so the Grecians called them This king Mamitus reigned 30. yeres was the first king of the Assyrians that began this warre in Syria Egypt for in his dayes Syria Egypt florished There is mention made of the Syrians in Genesis where Moses saith that the Syrians descended from Charmel the sonne of Nahor Abrahās brother called also by the kings of Aram. Nowe after Mamitus succeeded Mancaleus the 14. king of the Assyrians this king did nothing worth the memorie for we reade of no warre in his time for the kings of Assyria being the first nations which had kings in the world grew frō time to time so great so mighty that they held the Monarchie of Assyria from Nimrod to Sardanapalus 1240. yeeres and more during which time fewe kings or none coulde hurt them or stand in field against them for in the East part no king of any puissance was able to encounter with the Assyrian kings for then the Assyrians onely ruled other countries were not as yet populous sauing Egypt who began to be likewise strong in processe of time none coulde resist the strength of the Assyrians but the Egyptians When Egypt grew strong these two kingdomes began to warre one with another and therefore vntill the time of Phul Belochus Salmanasser Senaherib and Nabuchodonosor mentioned in the Ecclesiasticall history no great histories are written of the Assyrian kings and then it was called new Assyria therefore nothing may be read of the first kings of Assyria for they helde their kingdome all this while without any great dangers for yet the engins of war◅es were ◅ot knowen for as Berosus began to write his histories from the going of Noah out of the arke so he continueth his histor◅ vn◅ the childrē of Israel going out of Egypt few could writ◅◅erteinly of this time being of such antiquitie for from Ninus the third king of the Assyrians vntill Spherus the fifteenth king which nowe I haue in hand as Archilochus doth gather there is 451. yeeres This Spherus after 20. yeeres gouernment died the 16. king called of
cities and countreis hauing 24. kings by succession which continued vntil 75. yeeres after the destruction of Troy continued so vntil the Carthaginians began to flourish whom the Romanes afterward cōquered At this time one Pypinus gouerned the Thuscanes and raigned as Manethon writes 56. yeres In the last yeres of this king Tyneus the Prophet Dauid was borne 407. yeres after the children of Israels going out of Egypt and in the 7. Iubile after Moses then began to raigne in Assyria Dercillus he raigned 40. yeres In his dayes began the kingdome of Lacedemonia 83. yeres after Troys destruction the first king of Lacedemonia was called Euristenes who raigned 42. yeeres of him came lineally 2. noble and valiant captains Cleomenes and Leonidas who in their time were most famous for they inuaded the Persians and ouerthrew them at Thermophila About the same yere the Corinthians began likewise to establish a kingdome for the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians began at one time to raigne the first king of Corinth was Alethes and he raigned 35. yeres In the 10. yere of king Dercillus the Arke of the Lord was taken by the Philistines and caried vnto Ashdod one of their fiue principal cities they kept the Arke 7. moneths For when the Israelites were ouercome by the Philistines and the arke taken away Ely the priest hearing that the Israelites were ouerthrowen the arke taken and his two sonnes slaine fel down frō his stoole brake his necke for so the Lord told Samuel before what should become vpō Ely his house Israel stil offended God now not contented with the gouernmēt which God appointed them but cried out for a king God cōmanded Samuel to anoint Saul their king About this time great warres grew betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenians Codrus at that time liued was the last king of Athens for after Codrus there was no king there but gouernours called Metontidae Codrus sonne called Medon was the first Iudge in Athens after the kings Codrus according to the Oracle giuen that the Athenians should haue no victories vnlesse their king were slaine in the battell he disguised himselfe like a common souldier rushed into the midst of the battaile purposely to be slaine that his countrey might haue victorie being the last of the 17. kings hauing ruled Athens 21. yeeres ended his life and his kingdome About this time Samuel was commanded to anoint Dauid king ouer Israel and many learned men would haue Homer about this time to be borne some controuersie is of Homers time Eratosthenes thought it within 100. yeeres after the destruction of Troy and so saith Aristarchus and Cornelius Nepos both affirme that Homer flourished 100. yeeres before the first Olympiad Budaeus saith that Homer liued in the latter yeres of king Dauid so they square about 80. yeres of Homers birth During this time raigned ouer the Latines AEneas Siluius their fourth king After this raigned in Assyria Eupales 38. yeeres in whose time the Peloponesians againe mooued warres against the Athenians Now about this time the promise is made to Dauid that the continuance of his kingdome should for euer endure but with crosses and afflictions for Absalon killed his brother Amnon a litle after and fled vnto the king of Gessur and taried there three yeere By this time Salomon was borne of Bethsaba the wife of Vrias Nathan and Gad were in those dayes Prophets of the Lord. Now raigned in Athens Medon the first Iudge the sonne of Codrus the last king of Athens in Lacedemonia Argis the second king raigned one yeere Arcestratus succeeded the third king of Lacedemonia and gouerned the Lacedemonians 35. yeeres in Corinth likewise Ixon the second king raigned 37. yeeres for both these kingdomes had one beginning and therefore their kingdome is accordingly to be handled for in the last yeres of the kings of Assyrians histories the Grecians began for this vnderstand that the Caldeans Assyrians Egyptians and all the East part of the world which were first inhabited after the flood were euen consumed with sworde and fire before the Grecians or the Romanes were acquainted with the world and therefore the lesse to be spoken of these olde auncient people for want of authorities and had not the holy Ghost lightened prophane histories with true records of the Scripture all antiquities had almost bene put to obliuion for all that are in trueth learned in histories take their light from Moses he is the grand scholemaster of all writers About this time Nicius Fesulanus gouerned the Thuscanes 47. yeres he expelled the people called Phocenses out of Corsica and Nicius builded a towne and named it Nicea after his owne name By this time Salomon grewe great in Gods fauour began to make the temple in Ierusalem excelled all the princes of the world in wisdome gouernment Hiram king of Tyrus at that time sendeth to Salomon and Salomon to him purposing to builde the house of God which temple began to be builded the fourth yeere of Salomons raigne and the 12. of Hiram king of Tyre Salomons friend who procured workemen to worke in Libanon and after the going of Israel out of Egypt 480. yeeres Some thinke that Carthage was builded by Charcedon at that time some thinke of Dido others say otherwise both of the building of Carthage and of the time of building as in the building of Troy and in the building of Rome the like controuersie is that sub iudice lis est Laosthenes the 33. king of the Assyrians is the next king after Eupales and is now in hand to be spoken of in whose time Alba Siluius gouerned the Latines the sixt king for the sirnames of the Latin kings were called Siluij as the kings of Alexandria were called Ptolomei as before I told you of the Caesars of Rome and Pharaos of Egypt About this time the kingdome of Israel for the idolatrie of Salomon was deuided and the ten tribes caried from Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon king of Iuda vnto Ieroboam king of Israel who inuented many wicked things in Israel idolatrie new religion contempt of the true God putting vp for their god the golden calfe thus he and his posterities continued from the fourth yeere of Rehoboam vntil the 19. yeere of Nabuchodonosor which was 390. yeeres at what time the last destruction of Ierusalem and the captiuitie of Iuda was Archippus the third Iudge atthis time ruled Athens where he gouerned 19. yeeres vnder whom flourished Sextus Homerus a citizen of Athens this man gaue new lawes to the Athenians The Thracians were strong by this time and became great on land and seas Smendes king of Egypt to whom Ieroboam fled and with whome he staied vntil Salomon died this Smendes is named in Scripture Sesac this came vp against Ierusalem the fift yere of Rehoboam destroyed the citie spoiled the temple and
honor he gaue him princely apparel did set his throne aboue the throne of the kings that were then in Babel he had allowance in the Court for his diet he had rest quietnes continued in fauour with the king all the daies of his life Thus by Gods great prouidēce the seede of Dauid which in king Zedechias was extinguished yet in Iehoiakin was reserued euen vnto Christ for after 37. yeeres imprisonment so long was Iehoiakin his wife his children in Babylon by the councell of the Prophet Ieremie he was of king Euilmerodach so esteemed that hauing a sonne named Mesezabel surnamed Salathiel who likewise had a sōne borne in Babylon his name as Philo Iudaeus saith was Mesezebel this Salathiel had a sonne called afterward Barachias or Zorobabel a great man of authoritie amongst the Iewes beloued of God and by whom God brought his people againe to reedifie his temple This Euilmerodach is called in Herodot Labynitus where you shall reade that his wife Nitochris being a discreete wise woman and of such commendations for her diligence policie and wonderful great workes buildings in Babylon that she was coūted another Semiramis did much aduance her husbands fame for her great actions that she did in Babylon farre otherwayes then Zenophon Zonaras or Iosephus writes reade the first of Herodot There reigned after this Euilmerodach the last king of Assyria a great Idolater named Balthasar this contemned God despised his commandements disdained the instructions of Daniel though hee sawe the workes of God dayly and heard by Daniel of the wonders hee shewed vpon Nabuchodonosor yet he feasted he banqueted and commaunded to bring him the golden and siluer vessels which his graundfather Nabuchodonosor had brought from the Temple in Ierusalem that hee his wiues and his concubines might drinke therein This Balthasar did in great contempt of God commit all euill and all idolatrie which for his ingratitude and forgetfulnesse Daniel tolde him what should become of his kingdome repeating the great goodnesse of God vnto Nabuchodonosor the maiestie honour glory and many kingdomes which God gaue him yea all people nations and languages trembled and feared Nabuchodonosor vntill he puft vp himselfe in pride and hardened his heart against God then his glory fell his honor forsooke him his kingdomes lost himselfe made like a beast and his dwelling was with wilde asses All this did Balthasar knowe and yet he humbled not himselfe to God for the which Gods iudgement fell vpon him and vpon his kingdome for he was slaine and his kingdome had Cyrus king of Persia for that was the full effect of this sentence Mene Thekel Phares written vpon the plaister of the wall of the kings palace by the finger of God the last destruction of the Chaldeans and the end of the seuentie yeeres captiuitie before told of Daniel and prophecied by the rest of the Prophets here Nabuchodonosor and his posteritie ended and the kingdome of Chaldea translated first vnto the Medes and afterward to the Persians OF THE ORIGINALL beginning of the Egyptians and of their continuance of their Kings and gouernments why Egypt was called Oceana or Nilea NOwe I will goe from Assur the sonne of Sem and followe Mizraim the sonne of Cham into Egypt for from Chus and Mizraim came the Ethiopians and the Egyptians After that Chus and Mizraim and their children at the building of Babel in the land of Shinear had come into Afrike Chus went to Ethiopia with his companie Mizraim possessed Egypt with all his familie this Mizraim is called in histories Oceanus after whose name Egypt was first named Oceana though in the Scripture and in the Hebrewe histories it was named Mizreia after the name of Mizraim the sonne of Cham. I reade in Manethon and in others that from the first comming of Mizraim into Egypt vnto Osiris time which was 280. yeeres Egypt had three seuerall names first Oceana after the name of Oceanus in Berosus in Scripture Mizraim the second name was Aeria after the name of the riuer Nilus the third Aeria which continued vntill Osiris time and after Osiris time named Osiriana according to his name at what time Abraham was in Egypt vntill Ramesses time surnamed Egyptus about the time that the Israelites left Egypt after Abrahams being in Egypt foure hundred and thirtie yeres During which time of these foure seueral names Egypt was gouerned by states and potentates of Dynasteia a forme of a common wealth like vnto the state of the Hebrewes gouernment by the councel of Sanhedrin or like the Grecians ruled by their Amphictions But first to speake of the fertilitie of the soile the maners of the people the antiquitie of the countrey the greatnes of their gouernment specially of many rare wonders which are in Egypt more then in any kingdome of the world for the description of Egypt I referre you as you haue read before of other coūtries to Strabo Pomponius Mela and Solinus Egypt was diuided i◅to sixe seueral kinds of people the first three which were kings priests and souldiers gouerned the state and cōmon wealth of Egypt the other three serued in the countrey to vse things necessary for the kingdome for the state which were husbandmen craftesmen shepheards Concerning the antiquitie of the Egyptians they contended therein with the Scithians and with the people of Phrygia for this opinion the Egyptians hold of their antiquitie and that registred in ancient chronicles that during their cōtinuance in Egypt the starres haue foure times altered their courses and the sunne twise likewise they haue recorded 330. kings to haue reigned in Egypt before king Amasis time which was king of Egypt when Cyrus was king of Persia. The vaine assertion that the Egyptiās held of their antiquitie was of continuance aboue 13 thousand yeeres you must vnderstand Lunares annos Of their superstitious religion to their gods it is set foorth by Herodot in all pointes howe two blacke pigeons the one flying to Libya cōmanded them to builde a temple vnto Iupiter surnamed Hamon to receiue oracles and to be instructed thereby aswell by ceremonies in the religion of their gods as also in maners liuing of their countrey the other pigeon in Thebes a Citie of Egypt in like sort cōmanded an other temple to be builded where the like oracles also should be deliuered to them of Thebes The olde priestes of Egypt hauing these warnings as they supposed by some power diuine being of greater authoritie in the beginning then the kings of Egypt were they began to worship as many gods as they thought good and yet not to erect images idols in their temples for in the greatest ancientest cities of Egypt the princes nobles of the countrie contended sundry times in the yeere to offer sacrifice and to celebrate feastes to these gods with such solemne rites and ceremonies as were by the oracles commaunded these
Epiphanes the sonne and heire of Philopator was young and not able to resist so great a King hee entred into Phoenicia and into other partes of Syria which yet liued subiect vnder the king of Egypt They of Alexandria sent to Rome to the Senators for ayde against Antiochus and against Philippe king of Macedonia for both these two kings affected the kingdome Ambassadors were sent from the Senators vnto Antiochus willing him to auoyde out of Egypt and not to doe iniurie to the yong king This messenger was litle esteemed of Antiochus and therefore the Senators pronounced him an enemie of the Romanes Antiochus being aduertised of this agreed with Ptolomey Epiphanes and gaue him Cleopatra his daughter in mariage supposing thereby the easier to get the kingdome of Egypt hee gaue Coelosyria Iudea Samaria and Phoenicia with his daughter to Epiphanes but he was deceiued and mist his purpose For he was preuented by the Romanes and kept off from Egypt hee was ouerthrowen and vanquished at Thermopila by Attilius and Glabrio Romane Consuls and the next yeere after he was quite driuen out of Syria and Asia by Lucius Cornelius Scipio at the citie of Magnesia Of this Antiochus the great and of his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes another monster Daniel before shewed their tyranny for during the time of these two kings Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria and Ptolomey Epiphanes king of Egypt the Iewes were most miserably afflicted Reade Iosephus how also the Samaritanes molested them and sore vexed them And for that I spake of these kings before in the history of Assyria I will briefly runne ouer the rest of these kings Now after that Ptolomey Epiphanes had raigned 24. yeeres hee died leauing two sonnes behinde him the elder called Philometor the yonger called Phiscon the elder brother raigned king in Egypt 35. yeeres of whom his vncle Antiochus Epiphanes a subtile king vnder the pretence of loue and care of his nephew became his ouerseer and tutour rather aspiring the kingdome then respecting the king for hee furnished Egypt with men of armes hauing the strongest townes of Egypt in his owne hand as Pelusium and others The king being yet yong idle slow and of no courage addicted to all filthie vices without respect of himselfe or of his kingdome fled to his brother Phiscon to Alexandria where both were besieged by Antiochus vntill Popilius the Romane was sent from the Senators of Rome to commaunde Antiochus out of Egypt without further delay which hee was constrained to obey though he did much harme before his departure out of Egypt Philometor hauing recouered his kingdome into his hand and the Romanes to be his friends to auoyde further braules and to stablish himselfe strong in Egypt he maried his daughter Cleopatra to Alexander who had then obtained the kingdome of Syria but this friendship continued not long for Demetrius Nicanor the sonne of that Demetrius vanquished by Alexander came to Syria got certaine townes into his handes appointed Apollonius captaine of Coelosyria who trusting too much to himselfe was quickly vanquished by Ionathas Philometor vnderstanding of these warres in Syria betweene his sonne in law Alexander and Demetrius he also hasted with an armie to Syria thought to preuent both and to haue Syria with Egypt he tooke his daughter Cleopatra away from Alexander and gaue her to Demetrius and both wickedly and falsly dealt with his sonne in law But Demetrius had Syria and Alexander was slaine by Zabdiel the king of Arabia and his head sent to Ptolomey Philometor to Egypt who then was king both of Egypt and Syria but for three dayes for within three dayes after Alexander was slaine in Arabia Philometor died in Egypt and Demetrius Nicanor was receiued king into Syria This time gouerned in Ierusalem prince Iannaeus the last gouernour of Iudea of the house of Dauid he with many battel 's discomfited the Arabians In Parthia raigned now Mithridates the fift king and in Macedonia raigned Perseus the last king In Philometors dayes Ariarathes king of Thracia sought the Romanes fauour and made a league of peace with them Aristobulus a Iewe borne a great Philosopher of the sect of the Peripatetiks expounded the bookes of Moses to Ptolomey Philopator In the beginning of this kings raigne died two of the most famous warriours of the world Scipio Affricanus the Romane and Hannibal the Carthaginian It is supposed that they both died in one yeere and both banished from their countreis But to Egypt againe After Philometor raigned Ptolomey Euergetes the second of that name and as Functius saith sirnamed Phiscon for the deformitie of his body but others as Manethon and Iustine say that this Euergetes was the seuenth king of Egypt and that Phiscon was the eight king It is not much material and therefore I will follow Functius who setteth downe in his table this Phiscon by the name of Euergetes whom Epiphanius called Philologon he raigned 29 yeres king of Egypt a monstrous and incestuous beast farre passing all other his predecessours in filthie wickednesse he was not so foule in the shape of his body as he was filthy in his minde for he kept his owne sister of whom he got a daughter and after with that daughter borne of his sister committed abominable incest He muthered his owne children and cut them in small pieces and made his wife their owne naturall mother to eate them but he had the reward due for such offences he was thrust out of his kingdome and died a banished slaue hated and abhorred of all men After Phiscon was banished raigned his brother Ptolomey sirnamed Alexander as Melancthon saith but Alexander raigned not long but was likewise banished as his brother was Then succeeded in Egypt Ptolomey Lathurus who in the 3. yere of Alexander king of Iuda was expelled out of his owne kingdom by his mother Cleopatra who fauoring more her yonger sonne named Alexander intended to make him king of Egypt she taking Lathurus wife maried her vnto Alexāder yet he mistrusting the great cruelty which he saw in his mother fled secretly letting the gouernment to his mother and to his wife This Cleopatra after that both her sonnes were thus banished raigned 10. yeres Ptolomey Lathurus being now in Cyprus and sent for by the citizens of Ptolomais to defend them from Alexander king of Iuda which hearing of Lathurus cōming left his purpose raised his siege returned to Ierusalem fearing the great armie of Ptolomey who had thirtie thousande in the fielde The citizens of Ptolomais when Alexander departed changed their purpose and kept Lathurus out of the towne whereby he was thus mooued to send some of his armie to oppresse Iudea some to lay new siege againe to Ptolomais Alexander being aduertised that Lathurus with al his armie spoyled and wasted his kingdome he returned and met at the flood of Iordan where Lathurus gaue a very great ouerthrow to the king of Iuda and
epitaph and also the crueltie of Thomiris to Cyrus being dead I will write in the historie of Persia. After this great victorie of Tomyris the Scithians had peace vntil Lanthinus time king of Scithia After Cyrus time Darius Histaspis came to Scithia who being denied of king Lanthinus daughter in mariage he returned his loue to hatred he waged battel against Lathinus and brought to Scithia seuen hūdred thousand Persians of whom he left behind him slaine in Scithia fourescore tenne thousand and Darius himselfe constrained to take his flight with no lesse feare then danger into Persia againe In like sort the Scithians vsed Zopirona a general of Alexanders the great in a battel giuen by the Macedonians to the Scithians with such slaughter that the whole armie of Zopirona was ouerthrowen and himselfe hardly by flight escaped as Vexores king of Egypt Darius king of Persia had done before of such inuincible courage the Scithians were being frō their birth acquainted brought vp in hardines that life and death were esteemed alike they made no accompt of victory for wealth and treasure but for honour Alexander the great who had better successe in Scithia then any of his predecessors liked the people so wel for their hardy and valiant enterprises that he builded a city and named it Alexandria which was the first citie that he builded in Scithia which name was after raced by the Barbarians and repaired againe by Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus who according to his progenitors name called it Seleucia Into this citie saith Solinus Orodes king of Parthia conueyed the Romans that were taken at the slaughter of Crassus Strabo writeth that Alexander the great builded 8. great townes amongst the Bactrians and amongst the Sogdians two large countreys of Scithia also he saith that Alexander destroyed certaine cities in Bactria a citie called Cariata where Callisthenes the Philosopher was imprisoned by Alexander in Sogdiana he destroyed a citie which Cyrus builded after his owne name called Cira hard by the riuer Iaxartes I reade of none sauing of Alexader which ventured so much in Scithia as the Scithians haue done in other countreis you shall reade that the Scithians haue thrise inuaded Asia haue driuen the Cimerians out of Europe haue giuen to the Medes diuers ouerthrowes specially in a great battell at Mount Caucasus and after came into Media their owne countrey wasted it spoyled it and did possesse it as lords and rulers thereof vntill by a stratagem of the Medes the Scithians were slaine being drunken After the Medes the Egyptians were ouerthrowen with their king Vexores and put to flight After the Egyptians Phrahartes king of Parthia with all his Parthian armie and almost all the countrey of Parthia were at that time wellnigh conquered by the Scithians The Persians were twise by the Scithians ouercome vnder Darius Histaspis who was discomfited with all his armie and himselfe glad to take his heeles and vnder Cyrus the great king who also after two or three battels was slaine amongst the Scithians It was thought a thing most renowmed to make an armie and to enter Scithia Liber Pater was the first that trauailed into Scithia as farre as Panda a citie of the Sogdians where the first altar was erected in testimonie of so famous an enterprise The second altar was made euen in that place by Hercules The thirde by Semiramis Queene of Assyria The fourth and last altar was erected by Cyrus and therefore it was compted one of the greatest commendations of Alexander the great to make his voyage so farre whereby hee had the name of the fift that also erected his monument so inuincible were the nations of the Scithians that they would take no iniurie at home neither offer iustice abroade The antiquitie of the Scithians is such that there is no great certaintie of their time nor no sounde histories haue declared any thing formally neither of their kings nor of themselues and therefore I wil briefly ende their historie in this place onely setting downe the names of such kings as I found scattered in diuers histories of other kingdomes 1 Scytha the first king of Scythia of whose birth and beginning the Scythians do much bragge Reade Diodorus 2 Napis 3 Pluto 4 Sagillus 5 Targitaus 6 Plinos 7 Scolopithus 8 Penaxagora filius Sagilli 9 Tanais 10 Indathirsus 11 Saulius This king killed the Philosopher Anacharsis for that hee found him in Grecian robes executing the rites and ceremonies of the Greeks in a sacrifice to Berecynthia against the customes and lawes of Scythia 12 Spargapithus 13 Aripethes 14 Sciles This king was in like maner driuen out of his kingdom for imitating the Grecians in their sacrifice to Bacchus for the Scythians did mocke and floute the Greekes to alter themselues like faunes or Satires some like men some like women and some like beasts with darts in their hands and Yuie crownes on their heades after the maner of the Grecians which the Scythians could not abide 15 Octomasades 16 Lanthinus which raigned in Scythia when Darius king of Persia came with an army of seuen hundreth thousand and was ouerthrowen of the Amazones Sogdians Hircanians and of diuers other nations which dwel in Scythia which to write itwere but labour in vaine But a few of the Amazones Queenes I will set downe as Pēthisileia which came to the Troyan warres against the Grecians Menalippe that gaue battell to Hercules Hippolite that gaue battel to Theseus Tomiris that gaue battell to Cyrus and ouerthrew him Antiopia and Marpesia Otrera and other warlik Queenes But of Tamberlanes greatnes of his armie and victories against the Turke how he toooke him caried him in a cage with him to all his warres and howe he vsed to tread vpō his necke as a blocke to mount on horsebacke lute histories euery where are written OF THE ORIGINAL OF the Parthians and of the beginning of their kingdome and how long it continued of their kings gouernment and last destruction by the Romanes in the time of Augustus Caesar. THe Parthians were sometime people of Scythia and driuen frō thence as banished men weried and ouerthrowen and after by long warres they came to the deserts of Hircania and possessed the cōfines of those nations called Daces and Maiani for in the Scythian tongue the Parthians doeth signifie banished men so that the Parthians were first obscure and base people banished out of their countrey of Scythia in the time that the Asyrians the Medes flourished and long after that the Persians had gotten the monarchie from the Medes The Parthians were very rude without lords or lawes to rule them vntil the empire of Macedonia had gotten the masterie ouer the Persians for at what time Alexander the great died no Maccdonian would vouch safe to be king in Parthia the successors of Alexander made no accompt of the Parthians but as rude people and mercenarie souldiers neither esteeming them
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
seuerall battels yet they gaue him diuers repulses and such ouerthrowes as Antonius was most willing to let them alone and to depart from them whome they followed in his returne at the hard heeles to his great losse and shame This made Phrahartes king of Parthia so proude that Antonius the great Romane tooke his flight from Parthia that hee vsed such murther and tyrannie in his Countrie that his owne subiects threwe him out of his countrie and kingdome and placed in his seate Tiridates to bee king vntill Phrahartes after hee had beene thus banished was ayded by the king of Scythia to bee restored vnto his kingdome againe Then Tiridates hearing that the Scythians came with a great armie to restore Phrahartes he fledde into Spaine vnto Octauius Caesar thither likewise did Phrahartes send Embassadors when Caesar had heard both the parties the complaintes of the banished king Phrahartes and the request of Tiridates saying that Parthia was fitte to be subiect to the Romane Empire affirming also that if it should please Caesar to substitute him lieutenant vnder the Romanes in Parthia that he would with all Parthia holde with Rome Notwithstanding Caesar vsed in this great clemencie both wisdome and iustice he commaunded that Phrahartes sonne shoulde bee king in Parthia and that Tiridates if it pleased him should continue in Rome vpon Caesars charges vntill his returne from Spaine at which time Caesar hauing occasion after he came home to Rome from Spaine to go to Syria and to dispose of those kingdomes which his predecessours had conquered in the East countries and to set all things in order he charged then that Phrahartes should make no warres against the Parthians promising that hee and his posteritie should gouerne Parthia vnder the Romanes willing and commanding him and the king his sonne to send those ensignes to Rome which Marcus Crassus lost at Parthia and cōmanded them to be true friends to the Romanes The fortune of this Caesar was such that he could then cōmand with a word more then Antonius who sought it with blowes or Crassus that sought it with his death This Caesar afterward called Augustus brought parthia to be a prouince vnto the Romanes and ended without warres which other could not do with warres Thus the kingdome of Parthia which beganne in the hundred thirtie three Olympiad and ended in the beginning of the Monarchie of Augustus Caesar in the hundred eightie eight Olympiad after hee had conquered his friend Marcus Antonius There reigned in Parthia eleuen kings whose names are here vnder written 1 Arsaces the first king by whom the kinges of Parthia were all called Arsaces 2 Mithridates the second king of Parthia 3 Pampatius the third king of Parthia 4 Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia 5 Mithridates the fift king of Parthia 6 Phrahartes the sixt king of Parthia 7 Artabanus the seuenth king of Parthia 8 Mithridates the great the eight king of Parthia and sonne to Artabanus 9 Horodes the ninth king of Parthia 10 Phrahartes the tenth king of Parthia 11 The eleuenth and last king of Parthia sonne to Phrahartes and supposed to be called Phrahartes after his fathers name OF THE ANTIQITIE OF Media of the originall of their Kings and of their common wealth gouernment and continuance THough the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Egyptians were conquered by the Persians yet I wil touch the historie of Media before I handle Persia for that the Medes likewise were made subiect vnto the Persiās for al these kingdoms came at length to Cyrus hand For as the kingdome of Media began atone time with the newe kingdome of Assyria after Sardanapalus time so they ended about one time and both these kingdomes by Cyrus taken vnto Persia and euen so of Lydia the next historie to this was also by the Persians subdued of the which also I meane briefely to speake before I handle Persia for so the course of time and the order of the histories doe require but now of the Medes For Strabo in the description of the kingdome of Media sayth that Parthia is bordered vpon the East side of Media and on the South it is inhabited with people called Cadusij and as Strabo writeth it hath other nations dwelling about the Sea of Hircania the riuer Halis as Herodote doth write is the Confines of both Media and Lydia And hee sayth further that the Medes were called Arij before and then long after that Medea came from Cholchos vnto Athens from Athens vnto this people then called Arij changed the name of the countrey after her owne name Media whō the Greekes called after that Medi by the name of Medea but otherwayes confirmed by Iosephus and by Zonaras in his first booke who say that Medi had their originall from Madai the sonne of Iaphet and of him as Melancthon sayth named Madei first and after of the Greekes called Medi. There were many Townes in Media first builded by the Macedonians inhabited by the Grccians as Laodicea Apannia Rhaga which Nicanor builded The Medes in times past florished a kingdome that gouerned many Countries and had vnder their Empire the most part of Asia vntill the Persians vanquished the Assyrians by king Cyrus which Cyrus afterwarde subdued the Medes and brought both Assyria and Media vnto the Empire of Persia. The chiefe Pallace of the kings of Media is called Eobatana where the kings of Media kept their Court euery winter Herodote which wrote his historie in the time of Xerxes sayth that after the Medes had conquered the Assyrians the Medes had no kings of long time after but euery Citie by popular state was then gouerned vntill Deiocis time who being wise and withall very ambitious plausible in his speach and gentle in his dealings wanne the peoples hearts to affect him much who by secrete meanes aspiring to the kingdome hauing many great friendes by councell to further him and with power to aide him vntill by common consent of the whole Estate hee was chosen King in the fourtie fiue yeere after the building of Rome and in the seuenth yeere of Numa Pompilius reigne the second king of Rome in the eighteene Olympiad For after that Arbaces then chiefe Gouernour of the Medes had ioyned in friendshippe with Bellochus lieutenant of Babylon and both conspired as you heard before in the historie of the Assyrians against Sardanapalus whom after they had with three or foure battels conquered the Assyrians with their Empire was translated vnto the Medes by Arbaces which Medes yet had no king created but were ruled and gouerned by Arbaces as Babylon was by Bellochus Nowe after that Arbaces had gouerned the Medes twentie eight yeeres at what time Procas Siluius reigned king ouer the Latines and at Athens Thespeius liued their tenth Iudge after their kings It is written that one Phidon of Argiue found about this time the vse of measures and weights This Arbaces began to reigne ouer the Medes
fourtie two yeeres before the Olympiads at the which time the kingdome of Macedonia began so that the Medes Macedonians began fourtie two yeeres before the Lydians and the Lydians twentie foure yeeres before the Romanes Ctesias a great antiquarie of the Persians who wrote in Artaxerxes time presently after Herodot saith that after Arbaces time a sonne of his succeeded him named Madanes who reigned 50. yeres and then followed Sosarmus which reigned 30. yeeres after him succeeded Aristeus who held long warres with the Cadusians by whom he was at length slaine but before he died he cōmanded by will that the Medes should neuer be in league with the Cadusians but with sworde and fire to persecute them vntill they were brought subiect vnto the Medes After the death of this Aristeus reigned in Media Artines 22. yeeres after him Artelanus gouerned the Medes fourtie yeeres in whose time the Parthians were subdued and brought vnder the Empire of the Medes after they had yelded them selues and the Countrey vnto the king of Saca which king both he and his Countrey after two yeeres great warres had betweene them and the Medes were vanquished both they and the Parthians when the Medes had brought the king of Parthia and the king of Saca vnder the yoke of Media at what time Artabanus reigned king ouer the Medes after whom succeeded Astiages which with some writers is named Apanda This was the last king of Media which was conquered both he his countrey by Cyrus king of Persia whose historie is at large set foorth in the Empire of Persia Diodorus with others which write of these kings as Herodot and Ctesias Great cōtrouersie there is betweene writers about the kings of Media of their succession of their reigne and of their gouernments though Strabo and Pomponius Mela doe fully describe the situation of Media yet the best Chronographers varie much of their gouernment Iustinus affirmeth that the Medes reigned 350. yeres others say 304. making their computations from Sardanapalus time whom the Medes conquered vntil the time of Cyrus by whom the Medes were vanquished so long the Empire stood Againe they vary much in the names of their kings for as I named from Arbases the first king vntill Astiages the last king and the ninth king of the Medes so some againe after this sort doe set downe the lynes of the kings of Media After Arbases reigned Sosarmus the second king of Media he reigned thirtie yeeres at what time reigned in Egypt a king of singular wisedome very courteous and gentle much commended of Herodot for many rare vertues named of Functius Osorus and of Eusebius Nicerinus About this time was Achas king of Iuda borne and Coenus the second king of Macedonia beganne with Sosarmus the second king of Media to reigne Marke the order of time for both the Macedonians and the Medes at one time began their kingdomes euen then the Lacedemonians ended their kingdomes for so God worketh by order of nature and time The Peloponesians the Athenians were so plagued one of another by continuall ciuill warres the slaughter so great on both sides the warres so long as men cōquered on neither parties yeelded at last vnto necessitie and were forced to forsake the fields to withdraw themseles from destroying of both their coūtries for the warres that was betweene the Athenians the Lacedemonians frō time to time was the ouerthrow of all Greece the cause arysing frō so little a quarell as hereafter shal be mentioned in the historie of Greece While these warres endured in Greece Romulus and Rhemus were borne and the third king of Media beganne to gouerne the Medes his name was Medidus in the first Olympiad at which time the king of Tyre which was named Elulaeus as Menander testifieth a writer of their owne Chronicles was besieged by Salmanassar king of Assyria who after he hee had spoiled Phoenicia Samaria he turned his force against Tyre After great slaughter he tooke Sidon Arce and Paletire with many other Cities from the king of Tyre and brought the spoyle thereof vnto Niniue And yet sayth Menander for all his victorie he was the second time discomfited his Nauies so scattered that fiue hundred of his best souldiers were taken by the Cananites and by the king of Tyre whereat Salmanassar waxed full of wrath and commaunded his souldiers to stoppe all conduites and all passages of waters that for fiue yeeres they were forced to digge out water and to make welles and springes to susteine themselues withall and this historie is written in the Chronicles of Tyre About this time liued that good and learned Poete Archimus that wrote of the warres of Troy Coelius king of the Thuscans ayded Romulus the first king of Rome with men and money against the people called Cennienses and the Antenates of this kings name mount Coelius one of the seuen hilles of Rome was called Plutarch sayth that Numa Pompilius the second king of Rome was borne about this time and in the twentie eight yeere of the third king of the Medes was that wicked king Sancherib with his horrible blasphemies with a hundred foure score fiue thousand of his souldiers slaine by the Angel of the Lord. After this Medidus the third king of Media had reigned fourtie yeeres succeeded him Cardiceas the fourth king who reigned thirteene yeeres During this kings gouernment the Empire of Assyria was brought by Merodach the sonne of Baladan vnto Babylon where Merodach reigned fourtie yeeres the first king of Babylon Nowe in Iudea gouerned a wicked king a great idolater a murtherer of the Prophetes and a most contemptuous despiser of God This Manasses filled all Ierusalem with blood hee martyred Esai the Prophet commaunding him to bee cutte in two pieces with a sawe for the which tyrannie God gaue him ouer to the handes of the Babylonians In Ethiop reigned about this time a king named Tarachus of whome Iosephus maketh mention that hee came to ayde Spethon king of Egypt against Senaherib in the sixteenth Olympiad About this time Nicomedia was builded Gela a Towne of Sicilia and Phaselis a Towne in Pamphilia were likewise builded All this while the Medes had no king crowned nor allowed but as a supreme Gouernour of all Media but were as you heard from Arbaces time vntill this time gouerned by a Magistrate or chiefe Gouernment euen vntill Deiocis which was the chiefe gouernour and the first king for Arbaces Sosarmus Medidus Cardiceas these foure were but gouernours though for order sake they were named kings CHAP. II. Of the first King of Media of their gouernment lawes and continuance from Deiocis vntill Astyages the last King of the Medes BVt Deiocis nowe after hee had gouerned wisely and discreetely the Medes hee through his owne pollicie and his friends councell became the first King by consent and by election When he
was sure of the kingdome and had setled himselfe as a King hee straight commaunded Townes and Cities to be builded and erected many strong Fortes made good lawes and gouerned the Medes with equitie and iustice for the space of fiftie three yeres as both Herodot and Diodorus Siculus affirme This Deiocis likewise appointed a certeine garde for his person for change of state is dangerous for nowe Deiocis from a Magistrate was made a king and therefore with greater care and feare he foresawe things belonging to his person hee had his garison and his garde to attend his person and prouided that the Medes who both loued him and honoured him so much shoulde bee in all seruice at his becke he commaunded then to builde one great Towne a chiefe Citie and to bee the onely seate of the king as in all kingdomes the Palace of the king is the chiefest Nowe the Medes hauing this commaundement beganne with one consent to builde one great Towne aboue the rest fortified with walles and strengthened with garisons This citie was great and large and was called Ecbatana where this king Deiocis liued vsing such iustice and seueritie as hereby no man might haue accesse vnto him but by meanes hee grew so seuere that no man might haue sight of him no man might laugh cough or spit before him This was the onely king that brideled the Medes and asmuch commended for his seuere punishment of iniuries as for his sounde iudgement of iustice and equitie praysed There were many nations subiect vnto the Medes as Buse Paretaceni Arezantij Budi and others In his time reigned in Macedonia Perdiccas in Iudea Ezechias and his sonne Manasses in Rome reigned Romulus in the later ende of his reigne and in Lydia Candaules the fourth king of Lydia This time reigned in Egypt 12. gouernours of equal authoritie these ruled Egypt as supreame magistrates 15. yeres vntill Psammeticus one of these 12. Iudges had gotten the kingdome vnto his owne hands who reigned 54. yeeres king in Egypt You shall reade in Herodot and in Diodorus Siculus the whole historie euen from this king Psammeticus vntill the time of Cambyses As Kingdomes and Countries florished and became mightie strong in armes so they inuented militarie discipline to defende themselues their Countries euery Kingdome had their proper and seuerall order of fighting with varietie and change of their marching into battell with sundry and diuers kindes of Trumpets and ensignes The Egyptians had Crocodiles and cattes in their ensignes for those which they honoured as goddes in the Citie they vsed them in their warres in their ensignes and a Trumpet made of a horne The Indians had in their ensignes the picture of Hercules caried before them into battell with many little Belles and Timbrels for their Trumpets The Persians preferred in their ensignes the image of the sunne and burning lampes which should be caried in the middest of the armie The old Athenians caused an owle to be set in their ensignes and the Thebans the image of Sphinx with shaulmes flates for trumpets The Macedonians had a wolfe caried in their ensignes The ancient Romanes before they grew to their greatnes vsed a handfull of hay tied to the ende of their speares which should be caried before them as ensignes and thereby called manipulares miliets they had not yet vsed in their ensignes the picture of a horse which they vsed after the hay or of a bore or of Minotaurus or of the eagle which nowe they vse for their ensignes The Cimbrians had in their ensignes a brasen bull The olde auncient Germanes vsed to paint in their ensignes the likenesse of shining light The Parthians tied little brasen belles to their speares and infinite number of hornes hauing before them caried in their ensigne a flagge of red leather painted ouer ful of keies And so I might speake of more that vsed their coūtrie orders and maners in warres but mightie Emperours and Kings had in their seuerall ensignes what pleased them as Hanibal had a red flagge with a naked sword for his ensigne Old Osiris had the dogge Anubis in his ensigne Great Porus king of India had the image of Hercules caried before him in his ensigne Cyrus king of Persia a cocke Iulius Caesar an Elephant Eumenes king of Asia had in his ensigne the image of Ceres and the statue of Alexander the great Neoptolemus the image of Minerua Ca. Marius in the Cymbrian warres vsed to cary in his ensigne a siluer eagle and so vpon their tents they vsed the like And so of their secret watchword which the Emperours and great kings vsed in their warres I thought good to set downe some briefe examples of mightie great conquerours and captaines which they vsed in the fielde in the time of warre to their officers and souldiers Cyrus king of Persia would vse this for his watch-word Iupiter belli Dux Antiochus sirnamed Soter vsed this watchworde Bene valere Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome vsed this word Faelicitas sometime Victoria M. Antonius in his warres vsed this worde Lar Deus Pompey the great vsed Invictus Hercules Caius Caligula the Emperour vsed Priapus and Venus for his watcheword Demetrius king of Macedonia had for his watchworde Iupiter Victoria The Emperour Septimus Seuerus vsed this word Laboremus As Pertinx the emperour vsed Militemus for their watch-words in their campe Claudius Caesar neuer missed this watchworde Virum vlcisci decet The watchworde of Silla was but Apollo The sixt king of the Medes was named Phaortes a man of great promesse and of great fortune who much encreased the state of Media with winning of many countreys and adding of many nations to the kingdome of Media he moued warres first against the Persians and brought them at length vnder his hand and vanquished them who became subiects vnder Phaortes to the Empire of Media After that he passed further vnto Asia destroying and vanquishing many stoute nations in so much that he brought all Asia vnder the Medes Againe he went with great force against the Assyrians layde siege to Niniue where he was slaine and all his armie vanquished he raigned in Media 22. yeeres about the 33. Olympiad 105. yeeres after the building of Rome At this time raigned in Iudea the good king Iosias who destroied idolatrie restored religion cōmanding the groues the altars and other superstitious places to be had in pieces he caused all the wickednes which raigned among the Iewes in his fathers dayes king Amon to be quite taken away Now in Lydia gouerned Ardeis the 6. king of the Lydians In Rome gouerned Tullus Hostilius the 3. king of the Romanes in Agrigentū at this time the great tyrant Phalaris exercised his tyrannie After Phaortes had brought all Asia vnder the Empire and had vanquished the Persians and now the monarchie was in Media the Medes grew so strong that they subdued
Tarquinius Priscus was the first king of Rome This time ruled in Lydia Cressus which within foureteene yeere after was likewise vanquished by Cyrus and his kingdome translated vnto Persia. It is in Zonaras and in Iosephus otherwise written about Cyrus and Astiages they affirme that Cyaxeres was the sonne of Astiages this was of Daniel called Darius Medus of Iosephus Zonaras Zenophon and others This was vncle vnto Cyrus and heire vnto Astiages hee together with Cyrus gouerned for a time afterwarde hauing but one daughter he bequethed his daughter and the kingdome vnto Cyrus his nephew his sisters sonne who was married vnto Cambyses While this Cyaxeres liued he honoured much Daniel and had him in great reuerence Herodotus writeth in the historie of Cyrus and sayeth that Cyrus married Cassandanes the daughter of Pharnaspis so doeth Zenophon and so doeth Zonaras write The Egyptians affirme that Cyrus married a wife in Egypt and by her got Cambyses ◅but howe foeuer Chronographers agree it is certaine that hee beganne a monarchie vpon the conquering of Lydia and Media as shall bee more at large written in the historie of Persia. The Medes fed on fruites Ex amigdalis tostis panes ex malis siccis ac tritis massas conficiunt They make their drinke of certaine rootes and they vse wilde beastes and wilde fowles for their foode for they nourish no tame beast And this is the propertie of the Medes and of their king to haue as many wiue's as they woulde they might not haue vnder seuen And so their women thought it a great praise and fame to haue many husbands but they might not liue without fiue husbands as Strabo doeth write in his eleuenth Booke OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF Lydia of the originall of their Kings and of their common wealth and gouernment THE kingdome of Lydia being before called as Herodotus writeth Maeonia beganne to take name of one Lydus the sonne of Artis but that seemeth to be fabulous as Herodotus is in many of his histories Lydia is named of Lud the fourth sonne of Sem as Iosephus Zonaras and Philo Iudaeus affirme This countrey is situate in this sort it hath Eastward Phrigia on the Southside Caria and on the Northside Misia as both Strabo and Plinie affirme The riuer Meander runneth through Lydia and compasseth the most part of Lydia Eusebius in his histories faith that the kingdome of Lydia beganne in the first Olympiad and in the beginning of the 14. Iubilee about which time Romulus the first king and builder of Rome was borne of whose birth as Dionysius and Plutarch write many strange things are read Lydia was before Rome 24. yeres and after the destruction of Troy 405 yeeres When I speake of the Romanes and of their kingdome you shall haue it fully set downe The kings of Lydia the kings of Rome and the kings of Media are almost of one time for assoone as the Medes began to set vp their kingdome the Assyrians which gouerned so long all the East part of the worlde decayed Likewise the Lacedemonians ended their gouernment and their kings failed in Alcanes time the ninth king of the Lacedemonians at which time the Macedemonians elected their first king called Cranaus so some countreys nations and kingdomes beginne others ende some rise and some fall as time giueth them licence by Gods appointment But nowe of the kings of Lydia where I finde in Eusebius their first king to be named Arsidius this Functius doeth call Ardisus at what time iudged the Athenians Aesculus the twelft Iudge of Athens after the kings who had gouerned from Cecrops their first king which began in Moses time vntill Codrus the last king of Athens which ended his kingdome in the time of Dauid where raigned that while 17. kings When Arsidius raigned in Lydia Ioathan was king in Iudea and in Samaria Pecah the 17. king of Israel These people of Lydia were first very warlike stoute and a couragious nation but Cyrus brake their backs and compelled them to be caupones institores as Iustine saith to leaue off armes for that oftentimes they rebelled against Cyrus and to vse such trafiques as were of the meanest credit hereby these stoute and strong nations before came now by Cyrus pollicie to be very idle and slouthfull whereby they inuented many vnthriftie games diuers playes at dice tenise and such like and hauing nothing to doe neither durst they doe any thing for feare of Cyrus they fell as Plinie saith to exercise Artes ludicras lenocinia and so became from a strong and stoute people the most slouthfull and idle people of the world Budaeus thinketh that this region Lydia is now called Anatolia after Arsidius had raigned in Lydia 36. yeeres succeeded him Aliagtes the second king of the Lydians at the which time grew great warres of twentie yeeres continuance betweene the Lacedemonians and the Messanians the cause thereof you shall reade in Orosius Catina a citie in Sicilia at this time was builded and Messana one of the chiefest cities of the Messanians was taken then by the Lacedemonians Now raigned in Rome Romulus the first king in Phrygia Mydas in Egypt Sacalion and in Macedonia Perdicas the fourth king of that countrey of whom Herodotus doth set forth how he from a meane state became king of the Macedonians Titus Liuius writeth and so doeth Dionysius that Romulus about this time did triumph ouer the Sabines whose warres continued two yeeres with whom after hee had furnished Rome with the spoyles of the Sabines and had taken their daughters and virgins by force to the nomber of 683. he suffred Tacius Sabinus at that time king of the Sabines to gouerne with him in Rome fiue yeeres at which time the citie of Rome was much increased and more amplified by adding thereunto Mount Coelius and Mount Quirinal Now ruled in Iudea Ezechias about the 12. Olympiad and the 15. Iubilee There fell about this time in Athens a thirde alteration of their gouernment after this sort After their 17. kings gouernment then gouerned in Athens Iudges to the nomber of 13. After the Iudges there was another state agreed vpō that euery 10. yeeres there should be a new magistrate in Athens and they were called Decennales principes and this gouernment endured 70. yeres which was the whole time of 7. princes and then againe changed vnto a popular state But let vs returne to the kings of Lydia the historie that I haue in hande After that this Aliagtes had raigned 14. yeeres he died and Meles succeeded him the thirde king of the Lydians of whom Herodotus doeth make mention that he was the first that triumphed ouer the people called Sardei This Meles had a bastard borne vnto him a stoute man a great souldiour and so great that he with his posteritie ruled the Sardeans vntil Cyrus time In this Meles time
fire vestall virgines and religious men and priestes of diuers orders as Salij Faeciales and Flamines which he instituted to serue his gods for hee was vertuous and good for when Rome was builded by Romulus Numa was borne The Cimmerians were now at this time ouerthrowen by the Scythians the Scythians entred vnto Asia and tooke Sardis the chiefest citie of the Medes and came conquering countreys and regions as farre as Palestina About this time Necho king of Egypt who a little before ouerthrewe the good and godly king Iosias is now by Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians vanquished by the riuer of Euphrates CHAP. II. Of the rest of the kings of Lydia from Ardis the sixt king vntill Craesus the last king of Lydia and of their destruction by Cyrus and the kingdome brought subiect to Persia. NOw succeeded Ardis his sonne named Sadaites the 7. king of the Lydians who as Herodot saith raigned 12. yeres but Functius saith 15. yeres Of this king nothing is mentioned with Historiographers but that in his time Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome brought a huge armie against the Veientines which being by Martius ouerthrowen had his triumph graunted vnto him by the Senators This Martius made vpon Tiber a hauen called Hostia foure or fiue leagues from Rome and a passage frō thence to the sea The Sabines were ouerthrowen by this king as before oftentimes by his predecessors This time was Dirachium builded and Perosina Aulus Gelius an ancient writer reporteth an historie of one Arion a Lesbian borne a man of great skil in musicke a deare friend of Periander king of Corinth trauailing Sicilia and Italy he grew in great fauour with all men in all countreys and hauing in time heaped great wealth by his arte longed againe to be with Periander in Corinth Now being shipped and well forward toward Greece the mariners vnderstanding that he had much money spoyled and robbed him of his money and after being ready to kill him he befought them with teares to spare him so much time vntil he had attired himselfe in his best apparell and to licence him to play vpon his lute and to sing two or three songs before he died to the Muses which being graunted he prepared to play and sing very loude and in the midst of his song he leapt as farre as he could into the sea where the great Dolphine a fish as histories record very much entised with musicke greatly delighted with mans voyce caried him cleane vpon his backe from the water and brought him vnto an hauen of Lacedemonia called Tenarum from whence he trauailed to Corinth and opened to Periander the king the whole course of his fortune About this time Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of Rome began his gouernment in the 41. Olympiad as Dionysius writeth in the which Olympiad Cleonides a captaine of Thebes got the victorie in the games of Olympia After Sadaites folowed Haliates the 8 king of Lydia he raigned 49. yeeres in whose time though he himselfe did nothing worth the writing yet the most part of the kings of the worlde were busie the king of Assyria was in warie with the king of Egypt This time raigned in Babylon Nabuchodonosor to whose gouernment not only Assyria but al the East kings were broght vnder his becke Likewise about this time a great band of the Scythians were driuen to flee to the Medes where they were kindly harboured much made of and well intertained vntil such time as by some cōspiracie they were found rebellious vnto the king of the Medes then they fled from thence vnto Lydia to this king Haliates and being by him there succoured great warres grew thereof betweene the king of Media and the king of Lydia and continued vntil Astiages maried the daughter of Haliates vpon the which peace and great affinitie began to be betweene the Medes and the Lydians Herodotus who writeth this historie is thought of Functius and others to erre in the time In Egypt there raigned Apries whom Ieremie calleth Hophra whose name he ought to knowe for by this king Ieremie was put to death in Egypt In the 7. yeere of this king Haliates this Apries king of Egypt in the middest of his tyrannie God gaue him into the hands of his enemies so the Lord said I wil giue Pharao Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies as I gaue Zedechias king of Iuda And in another place the Lord saith I will giue the land of Egypt vnto Nabuchodonosort king of Babylon and Egypt shal be the wages for his armie to spoyle her spoyle and to take her praye For to Egypt flead Iuda for succour where they were put to the sword and not one escaped Now againe in Rome beganne Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of the Romanes he on the other side beganne to lay on about him with the Latins and with the Sabines that after he had brought the Latines with long warre to seeke fauour at his hande and being driuen out of the countrey by Tarquinius were forced to intreate for peace and to craue the Romanes friendship who by this time waxed so strong that all the West part of the world began to heare of the Romanes Now after that the Latins were vanquished the Sabines againe being olde auncient enemies of Rome a very warlicke nation with all force came against Tarquinius at what time their bridge was burned their tentes taken and themselues slaine and forced to intreat for truce for six yeres After the Sabines the Hetruscanes armed them against Tarquinius whose warre continued 9. yeres About this time the seuen sages of Greece florished whose names I thought good to put downe together for that they liued at one time Solon of Athens Thales of Milesia Pitacus of Mitilena Periander of Corinth Bias of Prienna Chilo of Sparta and Cleobulus of Lindia These singular wise men were in those dayes esteemed the rarest men of the world In this time the kingdome of Corinth failed in Periander the last king or rather the last tyrant and the gouernment was altered to a popular estate About that time Polymnestor a very yong man and as the historie hath termed him a boy being a feeding his fathers goats a hare by chance rūning by the boy folowed ranne so swiftly that he ouertooke the hare and brought her home to his father declaring the race the running betweene him and the hare to his father The matter being spread abroad the yong man was brought to the games Olympical where he wanne the victory in running and had a garland on his head as Solinus doth write Ciaxeres sōne vnto Astiages some say his father as Zonoras in his first booke but Zenophon likewise affirmeth with Iosephus that this Ciaxeres was Astiages sōne called by the name of Darius Medus of Daniel and of Iosephus but the Grecians named
him Ciaxares Cyrus vncle for when Astiages died he left behind him as his heire Ciaxares and a daughter named Mādanes which was maried to Cambyses I wil not molest the reader with variety of auctorities sometime disagreeing in computation of time or varying of the place or of the person but howsoeuer it is this Ciaxares became a great and a strong king for after he had conquered many countreis he went in armes against the Assyrians besieged Niniue tooke the spoyle thereof by ayde of Cyrus who afterward shortly sub dued it and became cōquerour of al Assyria and brought them subiect to the Medes About this time Solon made lawes to the Athenians and Milo Crotoniensis a Romane of a wōderful strength is reported by Solinus that he could cary vpon his backe an oxe that with a stroake of his bare hand he killed that oxe This Ciaxares at what time Harpagus layed siege to a towne in Phocea called Ionia the extremitie of his warre being such that they were forced to flee forsaking their towne and countrey towarde the West part where they builded a towne which they named Massilia of whom Eusebius in his chronicles maketh mention and in Iustine you shal reade the whole historie Diuers write of this Towne as Melancthon Strabo and Budeus that in Massilia Frenchmen in whose border this Towne was builded by frequenting the Towne and by exercising of the Grecians societie in the Towne grew in time to vnderstād the Greeke tongue the traffique their order their lawes and gouernment which in these dayes excelled in vertue and maners where of a long time the Greekes tongue florished the auncient customes and maners of Ionia were kept Nowe Tarquinius Priscus after he had triumphed ouer the Latines or Albans ouer the Sabins ouer the Hetruscans three seuerall triumphes hee was conspired and laide in waite for by Ancus Martius children his predecessors in Rome three yeeres before he was slaine after he had reigned thirtie eight yeeres and in the fourtie one Olympiad hee died Then followed by succession after Aliactes Croesus the ninth and last king of Lydia being thirtie fiue yeeres of age and being before hand growen vnto great force power and hauing heaped a great abundance of treasure began to warre vpon these Grecians which dwelt in Asia vpon the Ionians Aeoliās and the people called Doreans hee receiueth the Lacedemonians because they were stoute and a warlike nation into his societie Croesus thus following in pompe and pride of fortune hearing that Cyrus king of Persia had laid siege to Babylon and that Balthasar then king of Babylon had endured two or three ouerthrowes and most like to lose his kingdome vnlesse with some speede hee were ayded Croesus hasted to Babylon with more haste then good speede After his best done Balthasar was slaine Babylon taken and the Monarchie thereof caried vnto Persia by Cyrus Croesus being ouerthrowen and narowly escaping fled from whence he came to Lydia againe where after that Cyrus had layd all things in order and had disposed the victorie to his minde hee returned after Croesus vnto Lydia layde siege vnto Sardis the chiefe Citie and palace of the king where Croesus after his flight hearing of Cyrus comming and hauing felt his force before at Babylon he was not a little troubled but abiding the brunt thereof vntill Cyrus tooke the towne vanquished his power and brought the kingdome of Lydia subiect vnto the Persians thus was Croesus twise ouercome by Cyrus When Cyrus had brought these great kingdoms vnder the scepter of Persia he tooke an order with Croesus that he being depriued of his crowne and spoyled of his substance should yet haue a towne in his possession where hee might liue not as before a riche king but as a poore man In Croesus time reigned in Rome Seruius Tullus the sixt king of Rome in the 51. Olympiad and foure yeeres before the 18. Iubilee This king did adorne Rome and the common wealth thereof much and as Dyonisius Halicar reporteth of him he brought within 20. yeres space the Hetruscans to his becke he tamed al the countries about Rome and excelled in gouernment By this time Cyrus had subdued the Medes after Astyages was conuicted and the Medes made subiect to the Persians Ciaxerxes whose sonne as you heard before was called of some Darius Medus who reigned ioyntly with Cyrus 2. yeeres as Astyages here for a time The temple of Apollo at Delphus was now the second time set on fire the Lacedemonians with the Argiues were in armes about this time who were setled on eyther side with all the power they could make to make of one partie a conquest but before they ioyned in battell being better aduised by some councell they agreed to auoid the destruction of so many men that 300. chosen men of the Lacedemonians and likewise 300. chosen men of the Argiues should make an ende of the battell and they which shoulde haue the victory of these chosen men should be cōquerors and the others to yeeld where the victorie happened which being fought out the victorie fell to the Lacedemonians hauing but three of their 300. left aliue all the rest on both sides stood to it vnto the last man as Herodot doth write In Croesus time happened in Athens a great sedition betweene the Citizens about vsurie the crueltie whereof grew to be such as the vsurers claimed free mens sonnes daughters to be solde or otherwise as captiues or slaues to serue them vntill paiment were made This was one of Dracos lawes which as Demades sayth was written with blood To mitigate this crueltie Solon by consent of the whole Citie was chosen an vmpire whose Edict was that free mens children should not be sould or brought vnto any bondage for vsurie and further he decreed that all creditours should forgiue their debt vntill that time And Solon himselfe which made the lawe first performed the lawe therein for hee forgaue fiue talents himselfe which amounted to 2400. crownes for euery talent is sixe hundred crownes He added to the twelfth moneth called Lunaris annus the Epact which is eleuen dayes to make an equall number of dayes with the yeere of the sunne He gathered all the writings of Homer being 300. yeeres before vnto one volume hee made many good lawes in Athens So likewise at that time did Thales in Miletum a great Philosopher who did to many Cities in Greece as Solon did in Athens for they were in Croesus time In this time florished Pythagoras borne in Samos brought vp in Egypt and taught philosophie in Tarentum he was the first among the Italians that read philosophie whose sect after him were called Pythagoreans who farre differed from others in his doctrine It is written that Croesus bragging much of his substance and so preferring thereby himselfe to be the most fortunate happy king of the
kings of Sparta Heraclides And so the Emperors of Rome named first Caesares then were they called Augusti and the third time they were named Antonini Thus in these coūtries none might be king elected but of these houses families yet in other kingdoms they were otherwayes elected as The Ethiopians made choise of the most likeliest man in sight The Medes in like maner vsed to make choise of no king but such as excelled in talenesse of person and strength of body In Libya none should be king but he that could winne it with running for he that was most swift should be king in Libya and so according to custome and to the maners of euery Countrey or kingdome any prince or king was elected and chosen Againe there be in Persia two other nations called Cirtij and Marai beside a sect of people named Magi. The chiefe Cities of Persia before Babylon was by Cyrus wonne to bee a Persian Citie were Susa Parsagardia Persepolis and Gaza for there the Persian kings had their monuments in Gaza there lay there treasure and wealth Beroaldus in his Chronicles Suetonius and Tranquillus in August say that the Persians were called of the Greekes in ancient time Cephenes but they bragged and boasted of a more auncient name and called them selues Artaei But after that Perseus the sonne of Iupiter and Danaes had maried Andromada the daughter and heire of Cepheus and had by his wife a sonne named Perses after whose name then they being called Cephenes are nowe called Persis after the name of their king Persis This region of Persia was diuided vnto a hundreth twentie Prouinces in the time of Darius Hystaspis the third king of Persia appointing to euery Prouince a gouernor that should pay certeine tribute vnto the king Iosephus saith Elam the eldest sonne of Sem was the first original of the Elamites now called Persians a countrie most fertile and most florishing which had soueraigntie ouerall Asia After that Cyrus from a priuate man brought vp by a heardman in an obscure place in Media became lord of all Asia king of the greatest part of the Eastkingdomes and the conquerour of Astyages king of the Medes and of Croesus king of the Lydians and last of Balthasar the last king of Babylon and the last successour of Nabuchodonosor the great hee fortified himselfe with strength of munitions commanded garisons readie in euery great citie of Persia appointed races of horses to bee had in all the Empire of Persia and euery gouernour of euery Prouince to furnish the king with horses and men necessarie to defende the countrie for the Medes Assyrians Chaldeans Lydians and Egyptiās were by this time brought subiects vnder the Persiās And therefore their wealth must be infinite for in Artaxerxes time there was an hundreth and twentie Prouinces vnder the Monarchie of Persia as Iosephus writeth Ctesias and Dionisius two great writers of Persian histories affirmed that the king of Persia was woont to haue in his Pallace fifteene thousand euery day to dinner and supper for they receiued out of Asia euery yeere fourtie thousand and fiftie talents For when Alexander the great had conquered Persia and had taken Babylon he found a hundred fiftie and seuen thousand talents and yet not so much as Cyrus left behind him as Strabo saith and no maruell for Cyrus had all the wealth of Iudea and the treasure had in the Temple at Ierusalem which was infinite of Assyria Chaldea Lydia and Media and therefore Herodot called him Cyrus the great king and after Cyrus time all the kings of Persia would be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great kings For in all the histories you shall not reade that the Romanes who afterward likewise mastered the whole worlde had so much treasure at one time as either Cyrus had left in Persia or as Alexander had found in Persia yet Persia before Cyrus time was obscure and of no fame subiect vnto the Medes for Cyrus had long warres many battels with Euilmerodach in Assyria with Croesus in Lydia with Astyages in Media with many kings before he had rest and before hee had brought the Monarchie vnto Persia and to be called the great king Cyrus began his Empire at Babylon at what time Seruius Tullius the sixt king of the Romanes reigned in Rome and Amasis gouerned Egypt In Cyrus time the temple of Apollo was burned in Delphos the second time Cyrus obteined the kingdome of Persia in the beginning of the eighteene Iubilee and in the third yeere of the eightie Olympiad which much differ from Diod. Siculus who affirmeth that Xerxes the fourth king after Cyrus tooke his voiage into Greece in the seuentie fiue Olympiad from Polybius that affirmeth Xerxes went into Greece in the 74. Olympiad in the like error is Halicarnasseus Herodot and others some affirming Cyrus to begin his Empire in the 50. Olympiad some in the 54. some in the 57. some in the 60. Olympiad thus they erre some 30. Olympiads some 20. some more and some lesse of the true time of Cyrus for in the sacred historie by sound testimonie it was laid downe by Daniel and in Nehemias the very time of Cyrus Now after that Cyrus had brought all these kingdoms vnder the monarchie of Persia he tooke Armenia in hand hauing conquered the king the countrie of Armenia Tigranes the kings sonne of Armenia a familier old friend of Cyrus hearing of Cyrus victorie ouer his father he then being farre frō Armenia returned home with all haste and besought Cyrus not to thinke of the warres betweene his father and him but to remember the amitie familiaritie which was betweene them both and therefore Tigranes entreated Cyrus to haue the crowne after his father paying vnto Cyrus such tribute as he would appoint to which request Cyrus consented appointing fiftie talents yerely to be paid to the kings of Persia which is three thousand crownes After the conquest of Armenia Cyrus passed with his army vnto Phrygia Cappadocia and Arabia who coulde not long hold out but partly yeelded and partly conquered were brought subiect and to pay tribute vnto Cyrus Cyrus was woont before he entred into battell to sing a song to Castor and Pollux and to march as the olde Spartanes with hymnes and odes to the muses to solace their hearts and to auoide feare that might occupie their heads otherwayes Cyrus his garde or chiefe souldiers about him were called Homotimi as the best souldiers vnder Alexander the great were call Argyraspides vnder Achilles named Myrmidones vnder Pyrrhus called Dolopes and so of other great conquerors which had a peculiar name of their chiefe souldiers Nowe the last and the greatest victorie was ouer the Babylonians which he attempted not before he grew great and strong by other victories for truely before Babylon was wonne the monarchie was in Assyria We reade of no king that conquered so
and Herodotus Greece began to florish in philosophie and in all knowledge about this time In this kings time the Romanes sent to Athens for the lawes of the twelue tables at what time the Romanes created tenne men named Decemuiri to interprete the lawes About this time Titus Liuius writeth that the Frenchmen came out of Scythia first with one Marcomirus to the nomber of 489. thousand to the confines of Germanie where they were called first Nemmagi by the Saxons the second name they had of Cambra the Queene and were called Sicambri and the third name of Francus a king they were named Franci as you may reade more in the history of France But to returne to Artaxerxes whose zeale to the Church was such that he commaunded the Edict of Cyrus to be performed which was hindred by Cambyses and by Darius Histaspis his owne grandfather who after once he had permitted the Iewes to haue Cyrus decree performed a good king yet he was letted to doe that which now his sonne doeth by reason of the warres which hee had in Egypt and Greece for then warres were put to silence in Asia and in the East part At this time Artaxerxes did send Esdras with great treasures and substance to Ierusalem in the seuenth yere of his raigne to build vp againe Ierusalem to repaire the temple to restore to the Iewes their common wealth This Artaxerxes is named in Esdras to be Darius by the prophet Aggeus and Zacharie at what time a great multitude of the Iewes came from Babylon with Esdras to Ierusalem though Sisines the gouernour of Syria and Phoenicia would had hindered them had not Artaxerxes commanded to helpe them All this time Artabanus mused how he might destroy Artaxerxes to haue the kingdom for to that end before he slew Xerxes this kings father that imagination was strong with Artabanus laying the like snares to murther Artaxerxes but Artaxerxes hauing intelligence of the same and fearing Artabanus sonnes seuen stout and gallant gentlemen he gathered an armie of souldiers as though he had some secret voyage in hand amongst whom Artabanus was soonest and readiest armed and as Artaxerxes vewed his armie he spied Artabanus in armes of whom stil he stood in feare vntil he preuēted the danger with Artabanus death to saue his owne life The Iewes toke this Artaxerxes to be Darius Histaspis sonne whom they called Assuerus by queene Esther By this good king Nehemias was sent after Esdras to Ierusalem with the like rewards as before From the seuenth yeere of this Artaxerxes sirnamed the long hand some do beginne the seuentie weekes of Daniel concerning the comming of Messias About this time Pericles died a noble Captaine of Athens that succeeded Themistocles and Plato was borne whose master Socrates flourished at that time Thucydides which liued in the time of Artaxerxes saith Themistocles was driuen from Athens and banished vnto Persia yea to come to serue this king whose father he anoyed so much and whose people he vanquished in foure great battels so vngrateful Athens was towards Themistocles Aristides Alcibiades and others of whom I do speake in the historie of Greece The Iewes had some quietnes from Artaxerxes time the fift king of Persia vntill the time of Ochus the eight king of Persia. Likewise the Grecians were in rest and had the cities countreis to vse with free libertie by meanes of this king Artaxerxes for the Athenians and the Peloponesians were made friends for fourteene yeeres of whose warre afterwarde Thucydides continueth his history and writeth the calamitie of Greece which ensued the ciuill warres of the Grecians After folowed the Peloponesian warres which continued 27. yeeres to the ouerthrowe of all Greece In the seuenth yeere of this warre died Artaxerxes after he had raigned fourtie and foure yeres this warre began before Augustus Caesar foure hundreth yeres About this time Capua was taken of the Samnits and Macedonia was in many places wasted and burned by a Thracian captaine called Sitalices Agis was king in Lacedemonia this time and Archidamus raigned in Sparta There liued more learned men in Artaxerxes time then in any one kings time and that in euery part and coast of the world and therefore it is not amisse to put them in one place for that they were at one time I meane one age especially of Romanes Grecians Esdras and Nehemias two noble Iewes Aggeus and Zacharias two godly Prophets Empedocles and Parmenides two great Philosophers Phericides an Historiographer of Syria Cratinus a great writer of Tragedies and Comedies Sophocles and Euripides the Tragaedians And Proclitus a Philosopher Democritus and Heraclitus two Philosophers Hippocrates a famous Phisition attendant vpon king Artaxarexes Ctesias a Persian Chronographer and one of Artaxerxes houshold Socrates flourished this time and Plato his scholer was yet but yong Herodotus and Thucydides two great writers Aristophanes and Protagoras whose bookes were burned in Athens by a publique Edict And a litle after Pindarus and Diogoras the Philosopher Zeuxes and Phidias two renowmed cunning men in cutting or grauing Images statues in painting most excellent which skill amongst the Grecians was much esteemed In Artaxerxes time liued Miltiades Themistocles Cimon and Pericles foure famous Athenians In Rome Lucius Sicinius dentatus a very strong man Tribune of the people of whose strength Plinie in his seuenth booke Cap. 28. and Solinus Cap. 6. In Artaxerxes time the Romanes sent to Athens for the twelue Tables which Solon had made to be had in great reuerence amongst the Grecians In Persia after Artaxerxes succeeded Darius Nothus this maried Artaxerxes sister Bibliander thought him to bee Xerxes sonne others named him Xerxes the seconde others affirming him to be Artaxerxes sonne but it is not much material for Chronographers omit to put him amongst the kings of Persia so Ctesias himselfe a Persian writer who liued in his dayes and serued his predecessour Artaxerxes While this Darius raigned in Persia the Egyptians againe began to reuolt at what time Amartheus gouerned Egypt and Orestes raigned king in Macedonia The Athenians made this time a league with the Lacedemonians likewise they concluded a peace with the Argiues and with the people of Mantinea by the counsell of Alcibiades This time gaue the Lacedemonians a great ouerthrow to the Argiues whereupon peace was concluded Agis being then king in Lacedemonia and himselfe generall in the fielde at Tegaea The state of Greece was to be lamented from time to time for as they did thinke all the world to be barbarous beside themselues so of themselues they could not agree vntil all Greece was through ciuil warres destroyed and wasted one countrey bickering at another and one citie enuying an other that they who triumphed oft ouer the strong Persians are now troden vnder foote of their next neighbours For in this Darius Nothus time when the Athenians had giuen an ouerthrow to the Syracusans the Lacedemonians
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
time the Hunnes people from Scythia made seuen seuerall iournies from Scythia to Pannonia and at last seated themselues whose chiefe captaine was named Arpat of this reade more in Ritius and in Bonfinus Now in Arabia reigned Muhamat the 18. Amiras at what time gouerned in Constantinople Constantine surnamed Copronimos as Emperor and Aistulphus reigned king of Lumbardie was at that time the thirtie one king in number the which had reigned kings in Lumbardie This Lumbardie is a pleasant fertil countrie called of some the Paradice of all Eorope which reacheth from the Alpes to the riuer of Rubicon But to Arabia againe where nowe reigned Habdallias the ninetenth Amiras of the Saracens this reigned twentie one yeeres and gathered an armie of eightie thousand inuaded Cappadocia vnder captaine Salimie who was appointed Generall ouer the Saracens This Amiras vexed the Christians sore the Arabians waxed so mightie at home and abroade that almost no place was free from the Arabians they had warres this time with the Armenians and with the Turkes who yet had not erected their Empire vp but were such scattering infidels and like in all maner of life and liuing to these Saracens and to the Scythians which dispearsed them selues ouer all the whole worlde as Caterpillers to destroy and spoyle all Nations and Countries one succeeding the other Mady succeeded Habdallias this was the twentie Amiras who reigned nine yeeres in the which time hee prepared an armie for warres against Asia but hee was then intercepted and returned into Arabia without any thing done howe be it Aaron his sonne inuaded Armenia and Ithuma entred Asia and was slaine with all his armie by the Romanes Againe Aaron the sonne of Mady entred into Asia and gote diuers victories and constreined Eirene with her sonne Constantine the Emperour to seeke peace and to pay tribute vnto the Arabians After Mady succeeded his sonne Moses and reigned Amiras one yeere after whom folowed Aaron the brother of Moses he reigned twentie three yeeres during which time the Arabians inuaded Cyprus subdued Cappadocia tooke two notable Fortes and strong Castles Amachan in Armenia and Sebasan this time florished in Fraunce Charles the great to whom this Amiras sent many rich presents withal a mighty huge Elephant This Arabian prince had such great victories that Nicephorus the Emperour had much adooe to escape from his hand in Crason which is a Towne in Phrygia besides the Arabians had spoiled Sardinia and destroyed Corsica and also the Saracens that were nowe dispersed into al Countries specially into Spaine where they gouerned as kings and in Fraunce where likewise they bare such great sway and soueraigntie that Charles the great was well contented for the time to conclude a peace with Abumalach king of the Saracens Well to finish shortly his great exploites of long histories I passe to the 23. Amiras Muhamad the sonne of this Aaron the twentie three Amiras of the Arabians in whose time great ciuill warres began in many Countries that hee had much a dooe to keepe his owne Countrie from ciuill inuasion for fiue yeeres After him succeeded in Arabia Habdallias the third of that name and the twentie foure Amiras this reigned 17. yeres During this time the Saracens gaue two great ouerthrowes to the Greciās at what time they tooke the Isle of Creete spoiled Palestina possessed many Regions diuers countries wasted much the countrie betweene Vtica and Carthage so that the Arabians waxed the only nation in strength force in all the East kingdomes for by this time Africa which was ful of the Saracens was forced to yeeld to them aswel as Spaine for still came from Arabia supplies to euery Countrie and place where the Saracens had planted them selues aswell in Europe and Africke as they did in Asia for nowe Abderana king ouer the Saracens in Africa was not contented to liue quietly ouer his people in Africa neither Abumalach nor yet Aigolandus with whom Charles the great had long and terrible warres could be satisfied with any one kingdome of the world vntill at length God so strengthened the Christians that they were sore afrighted and amazed by the meanes of these infidels that they ioyned together their power and force and were by Gods prouidence after 800. yeeres deliuered from the tyrannie of these cruell Saracens Now reigned king in Fraunce Lewes surnamed The holie sonne to Charles the great who succeeded his father both in the kingdom of Fraunce in the Empire of Rome which was taken away into Constantinople vntill the time of Charles the great at what time Leo the 3. of that name and the 30. Pope of Rome renued the Empire and was called Imperium Romanorum nouum Nowe in Arabia reigned Muhamat the twentie fiue Amiras for fourtie yeeres during which time the Saracens rushed into Italie spoyled and destroyed the countrie with sword and fire at what time they came to the suburbes of Rome and did great harme spared no place but as Blondus affirmeth Ferro flamma totam deuastarunt Italiam this time the Danes inuaded England in the time of Edelbertus who valiantly resisted the Danes and constreined them with great losse and slaughter to retire reade more in Polidore of this After this time the Saracens began in many places to bee slacke and specially in the most part of Europe though in Spaine they continued vntill the great Ferdinandus time but for that the Saracens are sufficiently spoken of in the historie of Spaine I will therefore here no further proceede therein onely laying downe so many as reigned kings in Arabia called by the name of Amiras from Mahumet the first prophet and prince vntill Muhamat the twentie fiue Amiras which continued 253. yeeres these names followe in this sort as you see set here downe Mahomet reigned nine yeeres the first Amiras of the Saracens Ebubezer 2. Amiras three yeeres Haumar 3. Amiras twelue yeeres Hoaman 4. Amiras tenne yeeres Muhamias 5. Amiras 24. yeeres Gizud 6. Amiras three yeeres Habdalla 7. Amiras one yeere Maruan 8. Amiras one yeere Habemelech his sonne twentietwo yeres Vliud nine yeeres Zulzimim three yeeres Haumar the 2. of that name two yeeres Gizud the 2. foure yeeres Euelid his sonne eighteene yeeres Gizud the 3. one yeere And his sonne Eices after him reigned one yeere Maruan the second sixe yeeres Abubalas fiue yeeres Haldalla twentie one yeeres Mady nine yeeres Moses the sonne of Mady reigned after his father one yeere Aaron the younger sonne of Mady reigned after his brother Moses twentie three yeeres Muhamad the sonne of Aaron reigned fiue yeeres Habdalla the 3. reigned 17. yeeres Muhamat the 25. Amiras reigned fourtie yeeres Thus farre I thought good to write the beginning of Mahomets kingdome and his successours in Arabia and of the Saracens spread from Arabia vnto Africke and vnto Europe and nowe a litle of the Turkes historie and that briefely OF THE GREAT TURCKE
and of his kingdome from Othoman the first vntil Selimus the eleuenth of the two Empires of Constantinople and Trapezumtium which now the Turckes doe gouerne of their beginning and of their first seruice vnder Basilius Macedo Emperour of Constantinople THe Turckes historie is like the Saracens or like the Scythians people without guide or gouernours vntil of late time they inhabited first about mount Caucasus from thence to the Caspia sea a nation mingled of the Scythians of the Hunnes which nowe are called Hungarians obscure and base people without any mencion made of them any where but of their bare names in Plinie a people scattered in Scythia and after into other Countries rather called Latrocinantes quà m belligerantes as Egnatius nameth them of whom as I saide Pomponius Mela maketh but little more mencion then Plinie did The first seruice which they did was vnder Basilius surnanamed Macedo then Emperour at Constantinople in the yere of our Sauiour eight hundred fourtie at what time they inuaded Armenia and within a while after gaue a battell to the Arabians vnder their first captaine called Mucaletius After twise or thrice good successe had against the Arabians and the Saracens they gathered together vnder a head at Tangrolipix where diuers more heaped and flocked to them from the streight of Caspia and from Caucasus there they waxed strong and began to inuade Asia vntill the time of Ottoman the first a man base and obscure borne cuius parentes agrarij but very valiant wise and fortunate he first beganne to aduaunce the name of the Turckes and to set foorth his force and power being much inflamed with desire of soueraigntie and very ambitious of honour and dignitie After hee had subdued a part of the kingdome of Bythinia and had taken certeine Cities and strong Townes towards the Sea Euxinus at what time reigned in Constantinople Michael surnamed Paleologus Emperour in the yeere of our Sauiour Christ a thousand three hundred this Ottomanus within twentie eight yeres which he reigned had strengthened his Cities Townes and had builded many strong Fortes and specially one inuincible Castle which hee named after his owne name Ottomanni Castrum This Othoman left behinde him a sonne named Orchanes in whose time contencion grewe betweene Paleologus and Cantachuzenus about the Empire of Greece whereby Orchanes power and force so encreased that while these two contended about the Empire hee tooke Prusia out of their handes a large strong Citie and finding his father in lawe Caramanus false and deceitfull hee ouerthrewe him and killed his sonne a young gallant youth but after that Orchanes had reigned twentie two yeeres hee was slaine in Bythinia After him succeeded his sonne Amurathes a man of singular courage and fortune who forgetting not his father nor graundfather Othoman imitated them in all manly exploites and presently armed him selfe against his owne graundfather Caramanus whose daughter was his naturall mother This Amurathes was solicited by the Emperour Paleologus being nowe a very olde man to aide him against the Bulgarians hard olde souldiers brought vp alwayes in warres to this hee quickely consented and prepared an armie of twelue thousand Turkes and brought them into Europe and did great seruice to the Emperour ouerthrewe the Bulgarians and reuenged the Emperour vpon the enemie but being after these victories tickled with the wealth and pleasures of Europe hauing giuen the repulse to Cantachuzenus which affected the Empire while he fained this seruice hee passed ouer the sea Helespont tooke Callipolis with other cities as Adrianopolis Bydus and Philippolis ouerthrewe and conquered euery prouince as he traueiled hee entred Bulgaria inuaded Seruia and slue the princes of the countrie named Lazarus with a great slaughter of his people but Amurathes escaped not long for hee was slaine by a seruaunt of Lazarus prince of Seruia who reuenged his masters death stoutly Thus Amurathes died after he had reigned twentie three yeeres after whom liued two sonnes of his the one named Paizates the other Soliman These two brethren coulde not agree they fel at such variance that Paizates slue his brother Soliman and presently after tooke in hand to reuenge his fathers death vpon Marcus Craienicius prince of the Bulgarians whom he subdued and after slue him in the fielde by which conquest he obteined the most part of Bulgaria And yet not therewith contented hee inuaded Bossina Croatia and other partes of Illyria wasted and spoyled all places into Thracia yet he could not quiet himselfe but laid siege to Constantinople and continued the same for eight yeeres and had at that time taken the Citie if hee had not beene preuented by two great armies of Frenchmen and Vngarians to whom this Pazaites gaue such a terrible battell that hee ouerthrewe both the armies and tooke the most part of the French captaines with their Generall the Duke of Burgundie with an infinite slaughter of the souldiers and had also at that time taken Sigismundus king of Hungaria vnlesse he had bene saued by the Venetian nauie From this great victorie hee againe returned to Constantinople endured his siege and laide hard at it When newes came that Tamberlanes the Scythian inuaded his Countrie he remoued his siege at these newes and made more haste then good speede for in that battell betweene Tamberlanes and Pazaites two hundred thousande Turkes were slaine at mount Stellum in the confines of Bythinia the Turke taken and set in fetters of gold and bound in chaines of gold and so kept all the dayes of his life in a Cage which Tamberlanes caried into euery forreigne warre out of his Countrie and vsed as some write as a blocke to mount on horsebacke This time reigned in Constantinople Andronicus as Blondus affirmeth this great victorie of Tamberlanes fell in the yeere of our Sauiour Christ 1397. at what time Charles the sixt surnamed Beneamatus was king in Fraunce and Vladislaus had taken the Empire of Germanie into his hand In Rome Pope Bonifacius the ninth of that name reigned This Pazaites had two sonnes the elder named Orchanes of some called Calepinus the younger named Mahomet which was also named Moses this by conspiracie and treacherie slue his brother Orchanes within two yeeres after his fathers death and reigned alone recouered and possessed all that Tamberlanes had gotten of his father This Mahomet had spite to the Bulgarians and to the Valaches and began with no lesse good successe to aduaunce the name of the Turkes then his father did hee waxed mightie and after hee had brought all these Prouinces and Regions about to be vassalles of the Turkes and had quieted himselfe after many victories hee made Adrianopolis to be his chiefe Citie where hee all his life kept his Court where after hee had reigned seuenteene yeeres hee dyed at what time Emanuel gouerned as Emperour in Constantinople and Sigismundus king of Hungaria reigned
fourtie eight yeeres and had diuers times many victories and as many ouerthrowes for first hee lay de siege to Rhodes tooke Alba Graeca by treacherie and deceipte but Virtus an Dolus quis in hoste requirit hee subdued Corsica and ouerthrewe a great armie of the Germanes by the Citie of Buda in Vngarie being betrayed and sould into the Turkes by Catzianerus and by the like treachery of a Spaniard the Turkes gote a very strong fort in Vngarie called Granensis Arx. After this Soliman laide siege to Vienna in Austrich and to diuers Townes in Sicilia but they were manfully resisted and repulsed from both Austrich and Sicilia His armies in the East Countries were so slaine and scattered by the Sophy of Persia that Soliman lost in two battels an infinite number of hia Turkes After these two great victories had ouer the Turkes by the Persians he was by the Germanes resisted at the hauen of Hercules he was by the Rhodians driuen out of the Isle of Militea he entred into a league with the Persians concluded peace with diuers princes of Asia came into Vngaria laid siege to Segethum where he died in his tents before he could win Segethum After his death his sōnes fought for the Empire Baiazetes was compelled to flee into Persia being by this ciuill warre ouerthrowen by his brother Selimus who of all the sonnes of Soliman was left aliue and succeeded his father in the Empire Vnder this Selimus the Turkes tooke warres in hand against the Saracens and prepared a nauie into Cyprus which had reuoulted from the Turkes After hee made a voyage against the Moscouians at the riuer of Tanais where Selimus lost more then hee wanne then he laide siege to Nicosia and to Famagusta two noble cities in Cyprus for Famagusta is the chiefe Citie of Cyprus Two yeeres after this the Persians gaue two great ouerthrowes to the Turkes in Mesopotamia at what time the Tartarians which in olde time were called Scythians wasted and spoyled Russia and Moscouia but I leaue the Soldane of Egypt the Sophi of Persia the Saracens the Turkes and those infidels and ende their historie in this Selimus laying their names downe as they reigned from Othoman the first vnto Selimus the eleuenth 1 Othoman reigned 28. yeres 2 Orchanes 22. 3 Amurathes 23. 4 Pazaites hauing slaine his brother Solimanus 26. 5 Mahomet 17. 6 Amurates the 2. of that name Mahomets sonne 34. 7 Mahomet the 2. which tooke the Empire from the Greekes 32. yeeres 8 Pazaites the 2. 31. 9 Selimus 7. 10 Soliman 48. 11 And after Soliman his sōne Selimus OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF Greece of the beginning of their Cities and Common wealth of their lawes and gouernments by degrees during yet the infancie of Greece NOwe I leaue Asia and come to Europe to that noble and famous Countrie of Greece though by order of historie I shoulde passe from Persia with Alexander the great into Macedonia whither the Empire from Persia was brought nowe by Alexander yet for that Greece is vpon the way and that Alexander the great subdued all the Prouinces of Greece and was by consent of all the Countrie made Emperour of Greece where his father Philip was made but a Duke or a Gouernour of Greece I will therefore first speake of Greece for that Macedonia and Greece were but one Empire and vnder the great Alexander for so hee was called in the sacred historie the King of Greece and so after Alexanders death they compted their yeeres after the reignes of the Kings of Greece and therefore I will passe first ouer Greece before I come to Macedonia To this Countrie came the third sonne of Iaphet named Iauan or Iaon of whom this Countrey nowe called Greece was then named Ionia for all Countreys had their names by the first inhabitants therin as in the 10. of Genesis is mencioned the first ground and originall from whence the nations of the world had their beginning by the description of the sonnes of Sem the sonnes of Cham and the sonnes of Iaphet After that Iaon the third sonne of Iaphet possessed Greece a Countrey for the situation thereof most delectable and fertile wherein many things of great accompt are most worthy to be remembred This Countrey of Greece is diuided vnto twelue regions The first and principall part of Greece is the region of Morea The 2. the Countrie of Athens The 3. of Corinth The 4. of Lacedemon The 5. of Messenia The 6. of Achaia The 7. of Boetia The 8. of Thessalia The 9. of Arcadia The 10. of Ionia The 11. and 12. of Dorica and Aeolica Although Strabo saieth that these two last are Countries within Peloponesus which is nowe called Morea which was the greatest and chiefest Countrey of Greece inhabited first by the Barbarous for so all Greece was inhabited first the Countrie of Athens onely excepted The platte forme of Peloponesus is like the leafe of a Plane tree with creekes and nookes and conteineth in length from the West vnto the East a thousand foure hundred furlongs and almost so much in breadth The coast of Peloponesus is on the north side with the Ionian sea on the West with the Sicilian sea on the South with the Candian sea all these Shires or Countries are situated within Morea Achaia Elis Messenia Laconia which is also named Lacedemonia and Arcadia which is enuironed rounde about with Peloponesus In euery countrey of these are very famous townes and cities named at large in Pomponius Mela and in Strabo Next Peloponesus beginneth the countrey of Hellas which is called and taken for true Greece In this Hellas is the region of Phocis where the temple and Oracle of Apollo in Delphos and the famous mount Parnassus here is also in that part of Greece Boetia where Thebes a most famous citie is and mount Cytheron much spoken of in Poetrie then is the countrey of Locris Megaris and of Athens more famous of it selfe then it neede to be commended as well for chiualrie and magnanimitie as also for learning and knowledge being the fountaine and nourse of Philosophie This countrey of Athens doeth Strabo describe in his ninth booke that he bestoweth all that booke in the setting forth onely of Athens with commendations of Boetia and Thessalia as the chiefest and rarest countreis of Greece for Thessalia cōtayning within it the renowmed mount Olympus which by meanes of the wooddie bottoms of the hill with a very pleasant riuer running through the same maketh a most delectable and pleasant soile called Tempe Thessalica vnto Thessalia belong the plaines of Pharsalia where Pompey was ouerthrowen in the last battell betweene Caesar and him In Thessalia are many notable riuers and cities many Isles lie ouer against the maine land of Athens as Salamis Sunim Cos and Ceos not farre from Athens is the plaine Marathon where was a bloodie battell betweene the Persians and the Athenians Greece
from Moses vntill Samsons time 400. yeeres and after Samsons death 40. yeeres kings began to raigne in Israel After that the kings ended in Sicyonum priestes raigned in that countrey of Peloponesus called Carnij which gouerned vntill the comming of that strong and ancient people called Heraclides who afterwarde grew of great force that the long ciuill warres which continued 27. yeeres to the last destruction of all Greece as more at large in Thucydides is mentioned and shal be spoken of me when the time of these ciuil warres shall come to be handled in this historie I in the meane season will returne to the state of Athens which by this time grewe to some fame though before as other parts of Greece obscured by reason of no action done worth the writing vntill Theseus time which raigned as you heard before in Poliphedes time the 24. king of Pelopones he brought vnto Athens al the whole prouince of Attica and dispersed people from other parts of Greece and made them all one corporation which were before dispersed vnto diuers villages he erected a council hall and made a towne house which the Athenians called Asti he instituted great feasts and sacrifices vnto Minerua called Panathaenea this was for all the countrey of Attica and he ordeined another feast which they called Metaecia for strangers and forreners that should come to dwel at Athens That done he began to set vp an estate of a common wealth he made distinctions of degrees and difference of states moreouer Theseus coyned money marked the coyne thereof with the stampe of an oxe in memorie of the bul of Marathon or of Taurus chiefe captaine of king Minos which Theseus subdued by combate appointed The stampe of the oxe continued in Athens vntill Pericles time at what season the owle was stamped in the coine of Athens The renowne of this Theseus was marueilously blowen through all Greece after diuers victories gotten against the Amazones the slaughter of king Deucaleon king Minos sonne of the vanquishing of the huge monster Minotaurus of the warres of Lapithes of the ouerthrowe of Captaine Taurus and of infinite more victories so that all Greece rang of Thesius fame that his acts came to certaine prouerbs in all parts of Greece Hic alter Theseus this is another Theseus Hoc sine Theseo nōfit This was not done without Theseus He discharged Athens of their tribute vnto king Minos appointed certaine games called Isthmia after the imitation and order of Hercules that euen as the Grecians did celebrate the games of Olympia in the honour of Iupiter by Hercules ordinance so they should likewise celebrat the feast of Isthmia games which Theseus made in the honour of Neptune for he imitated Hercules in all his actions The great admiration which Theseus had of Hercules courage made him in like sort with Themistocles to say that as the victories and triumphes of Miltiades would not suffer Themistocles to sleepe so the renowme and fame of Hercules could not keepe Theseus backe from the imitation thereof for they both were neere kinsmen He was so great a benefactor vnto Athens that on the 8. of October the Athenians doe most solemne sacrifice in remembrance of his returne frō Creete with the children of Athens after the killing of king Deucaleon and Minotaurus in the honor of Neptune as Plutarch saith The Athenians honour the name of Theseus which of some is supposed to be the sonne of Neptune euery 8. day of euery moneth so much Greece was beholden vnto Theseus Plutarch in the life of Theseus saith that Aegeus his father descended of the linage of the great Erictheus of the first inhabitants which occupied the coūtrey of Attica for there is no mention made that they came out of any other countrey but they were called Autochthones borne of themselues in the lande of Attica for so the Athenians would haue it This was the first that erected Athens and hauing ioyned the citie of Megara and all the territories thereabout vnto Attica he caused as Plutarch affirmeth foure square pillars to be set vp for the confines within the streight of Isthmis in Peloponesus with this sentence written on the pillars All from these pillars Eastwarde is in Ionia which is Attica and all from thence Westward was in Peloponesus to separate the countrey of Attica from Peloponesus for in Ionia Attica lay After this Theseus succeeded in Athens Mnestheus the eleuenth king which raigned foure and twentie yeeres This time gouerned Agamemnon in Mycena when Helen Menelaus his brothers wife was rauished and taken away by Paris who likewise being very yong was before rauished by Theseus I will briefly rehearse the rest of the kings of Athens for after Mnestheus Demophon succeeded in Athens the twelfth king ouer the Athenians and raigned 33. yeeres In whose time Aeneas maried Lauinia king Latinus daughter who gouerned them three yeeres and died and left to Ascanius his sonne the kingdome after him he raigned after his father thirtie eight yeeres This time raigned in Assyria Tauteus the twentie and ninth king of the Assyrians Eli the priest now iudged Israel and Samuel the Prophet was borne Oxintes the thirteenth king of Athens raigned twelue yeeres about which time Ascanius began to build a towne and named it Alba longa where he with all his Court remooued leauing Lauinium to his fathers wife Lauinia thirtie yeeres after his father Aeneas had builded the citie of Lauinium In this kings raigne the Amazones burned the temple of Diana in Ephesus Now followed in Athens the foureteenth king ouer the Athenians who raigned but one yeere after him raigned Thimoetes the 15. king he raigned eight yeeres This was the last king of the stocke of Erictheus after this time raigned Siluius the thirde king of the Latins here of all the kings of Alba were afterward called Syluij In the 70. yeeres after the destruction of Troy and foureteene yeeres after the kings failed in Peloponesus came certaine people from Greece vnto Peloponesus and possessed a great part of the countrey which were called Dores of this Thucydides onely can best report for it is his proper historie Now was Melanthus the sixteenth king ouer the Athenians which raigned 37. yeeres in this kings time raigned in Assyria Dercillus the 31. king About this time Samuel the Prophet iudged Israel with whom gouerned afterward king Saul during which gouernment the prophet Dauid was borne when Aeneas raigned the sixt king of the Latins at what time the stocke and familie called Heraclides entred Peloponesus who waxed so strong and fierce that they waged warres against the Athenians with whom they had diuers battels CHAP. III. Of the originall beginning of the kings of the Lacedemonians and of the kings of Corinth who at one time beganne their gouernment vnder the state of Monarchie and also ended about one time of
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
Demosthenes to exclaime in these wordes Noctua populus Draco tria monstra Athenis for in Athens they esteemed more the seruants poore people straungers and specially mariners more then their Magistrates noble men officers or their chiefe Citizens The people grewe so strong and so headie in Athens that it was not lawfull to banish straungers or to punish seruaunts to be short of the common wealth of Athens and of Sparta reade Xenophon Nowe againe to the victorie at Cheronea the last and the sorest battell which brake the backe of the Citie of Athens Philip king of Macedon called together all the States of Greece into Corinth where by common consent hee was chosen and named Prince or rather Generall of all Greece against the Persians All Greece being nowe quiet in peace Philip beganne warres against the Persians and with great celeritie hee sent an armie into Asia While these things were doing Philip was slaine by Pausanias when hee was of the age of fourtie sixe yeeres after hee had reigned king twentie fiue yeeres Greece thought by the death of Philip againe to recouer their former libertie they little doubted Alexander being then but young neither Arideus which was Philips base sonne by Laryssea which for a time reigned after Alexander but according to their wonted maners full of innouations ambitions contencions and hatred neuer quiet but one Citie or other would be iarring the Persians power grewe great and the Greekes beganne to reuoult from Alexander which by succession after his father shoulde bee their chiefe Generall The Thebans offered themselues to ioyne with those Cities that woulde defende the libertie of Greece and exclude those Macedonian souldiers which Philip placed in the castle of Thebes called Cadmea Hereby Alexander tooke occasion to enter in armes ouerthrewe Thebes vnto the grounde wasted and spoyled diuers Cities in Boetia for at one time the Athenians the Lacedemonians and the Thebans reuoulted from Alexander by perswasion of Demosthenes being corrupted with rewardes of the Persians But when Thebes was destroyed Alexander sent to Athens offering peace vnto the Athenians vpon the yeelding vp of Demosthenes Lycurgus and others by the Citizens vnto Alexander Vnto this demaund of Alexander Demosthenes brought in the fable of the Woolfe who offered peace vnto the Shepheardes vpon condicion to haue the shepheards dogges away applying the morall hereof vnto the Oratours of Athens who by continuall barking to the people kept Greece frō forraine soueraigntie but the Athenians standing much in feare of Alexanders force and beside knowing their owne weakenes they sent Demades the Orator to entreate for peace which being obteined of Alexander by the meanes of Demades the Athenians the Lacedemonians the Thebans and the rest of the Cities of Greece hauing obteyned peace likewise by one consent they appointed Alexander their captaine and chiefe generall against the Persians At what time reigned Darius the tenth king of Persia to whom many of Philips children by other mariages fledde to see the euents and sequell of the warres betweene Alexander and Darius This last yeelding vp of Greece vnto Alexander was three yeeres after the great battell of Cheronea and after the warres of the Peloponesians three score yeeres Of this warre Thucydides diuided his eight bookes concerning the ciuill warres of the Grecians which continued twentie seuen yeeres euery booke comprehending three yeeres warres vntill twentie one yeeres expired at what time Thucydides died then Xenophon beganne where Thucydides ended Thus ended the glorie of Greece which florished in wisedome and knowledge from Solons time vntill Plato two hundred yeeres and from Platoes birth vntill this last conquest of Greece a hundred and twentie yeeres Though yet Greece brought many learned men after Alexanders time yet the fame and renowme of Greece was caried vnto Macedonia their Empire translated their libertie lost and all Greece made subiect vnto Macedonia at what time the Monarchie of Persia was lost and brought by Alexander vnto Macedonia OF THE KINGDOME OF Macedonia of the continuance lawes and gouernment of their Kings and of their warres vntil the time of Alexander the great AFter I haue briefely entreated of Greece and haue abridged many things which might haue beeue well in the histories of Greece yet I haue many times occasion to speake of Greece in handling of Macedonia neither neede I long to stay in Macedonia for of all the kings of Macedonia before Philips time little or nothing is to bee spokē of them so obscure a kingdom Macedonia was before Philpis time for that the warres of Philip of his sonne the great Alexander are mencioned in the Persian and in the Grecians historie I neede not much to write of them therefore I will begin with the descents of the kings of Macedon of the first names of the countrie which was called Emathia of one Emathius which was the first that obteined soueraigntie in Emathia which name continued vntil the time of Deucaleons nephew named Macedo he chā◅ged the name of Emathia called it after his owne name Macedonia Melacthō saith that the name of Macedonia is come of Kittim the sonne of Iauan the sōne of Iaphet Herodot other auncient writers affirme that the kings of Macedonia take their originall from Hercules Nowe the land which before was called Pieria Migdonia or Emathia is nowe called the Realme of Macedonia a countrie bounded on the East side with Thracia on the South with Thessalia on the West with the Illyrians hauing on the North side Peonia as Pomponius Mela saith the Macedonians inhabited many Cities of the which Pella was the most renowmed The kingdome of Macedonia in the beginning was of◅o great fame vntill Philips time which was Amyntas sonne and Alexanders father who first brought the name of Macedonia to be spoken of though before of sclender renowne and obscure fame rather deseruing the name of a Prouince then of a kingdome as Ruffinus writeth for as Cyrus reigne doeth much lighten the whole historie of the Persians and the very time of their kings in respect of Cyrus his decree and dealings with the Iewes by the meanes and traueile of Zorobabel Esdras and Nehemias mencioned in Scripture euen so doeth the name of the great Alexander reforme many errors in Xenophons histories for that the certeintie of the Macedonian historie depēdeth vpon the time of Alexāder which of necessitie must be within a 130. yeeres of Cyrus though many of the best writers erre much in this After Macedo succeeded Cranaus a captaine of certeine Peloponesians hee was the first that had the name of a king hee builded a Citie according to the Oracle that hee should followe a heard of goates and where they stand there to builde a Citie which he named Aegea others say that he came vpon a tempest to a towne named Edissa there beholding goates together he changed the name of Edissa vnto Egea there he builded and
maried Statira Darius daughter hee married in Susa eightie and two nohle men of Macedonia vnto the Ladies of Persia and Media vpon one day and made a braue large tent of foure furlongs about and appointed an hundreth gorgeous riche beds where also the kings bed was furnished with too much riches to be spoken of I will they should reade Quin. Curtius and Diod. Siculus of the riche and sumptuous solemnitie of this feast of the regall magnificence of Alexander of the pompe and glorie of these Macedonian mariages with these Persian Ladies After these great mariages of himselfe and of his nobles and of his sumptuous feast which continued fiue dayes hee made also a solemne feast of cōmon mariages where 9000. were maried to whom Alexander gaue a cup of gold to euery one to honour the feast He became from a famous conquerour a voluptuous man a drunkard furious and fell at last in his rage to kill and to murther his dearest friendes as Hermolaus Parmenio yea Clitus his owne foster brother who saued Alexanders life at the battel at Granicus at what time Rhosaceris a Persian captaine had slaine Alexander had not Clitus bene he slewe Calisthenes the Philosopher for his good counsell Alexander saide Odio qui sibi non sapit he could not abide to heare any praise of his owne father Philip he would be called the sonne of Iupiter disdained his noble men and olde souldiers of Macedonia that serued his father he forgote to doe good as Pindar truely said and gaue himselfe to be a tyrant after Babylon was taken Alexander was modest discreet wise iust in iudgment temperat in diet for a time but the reward of sinne fel vpon him many hated him and many conspired his death as Sostratus Philota Antipater Epimenes Nicostratus and Anticles but Epimenes disclosed his conspiracie to his brother named Eurilochus to whom Alexander gaue 50. talents for these newes and pardoned Epimenes but the rest he executed Yet still more conspiratours grewe in so much that Antipater his lieutenant in Macedonia yea as some do suspect by Aristotles counsell poyson was sent from Macedonia vnto Babylon and deliuered to Cassander which was Antipaters sonne to Iolla and to Philippe which were Antipaters brethren which were of the kings priuie Chamber and these when they sawe their time bestowe a cuppe of drinke vpon Alexander for his last farewell which when he perceiued that there was no helpe he tooke his ring from his finger and gaue it to Perdica with a commandement giuen that his body should be caried to Iupiter of Ammon Yet some write that he died of a hot feuer A little before hee died he was demaunded who should raigne king after him he answered euen he that is most worthie to come after me And then being againe asked at what time he would haue his body buried he answered when you are at rest and quietnesse And so it came to passe that hee was left vnburied in Babylon vntill Olympias his mother came from Macedonia and caused his bodie to be caried to Alexandria for assoone as Alexander died they contended to bee kings and so forgot to burie Alexander according to his commaundement Thus Alexander after hee had liued thirtie two yeeres and raigned twelue he died at what time happened the saying of Demades to be true that the kingdomes and souldiers of Alexander should be like a Ciclope without an eye surely so it came to passe that after Alexanders death the most part of the worlde was without a king for Alexander had so many kingdomes that when hee died hee left no king behinde him vntill againe they beganne with the sworde to claime kingdomes After Alexanders death who died two hundreth and eight yeeres before Iulius Caesar was slaine during twelue yeeres which Alexander the great raigned in the whole hee raigned sixe of these twelue yeeres king ouer the Chaldeans and the Assyrians ouer the Medes and the Persians leauing Roxana king Darius daughter great with childe for the which the Macedonians did her great honour for king Darius had three daughters Statira Roxana and Bersene who were all married vnto Alexander This time beganne the Romanes to flourish and had conquered the Sabins the Samnits the Latines the Fidenats the Hetruscanes the Volscanes and diuers other countreys and beganne to looke further from Rome vnto other kingdomes of the worlde For nowe had triumphed in Rome during the raigne of Alexander these many gallant fellowes 1 Marcus Valerius Corinus 2 C. Mar. Corolyanus 3 Tit. Manlius Torquatus 4 Lucius Papyrius 5 Fabius Maximus 6 Mar. Curius 7 Lucius Voluminus 8 Caius Sulpitius And 9 Caius Decius And as Liuie saith al these seemed in courage and prowesse to be yong Alexanders CHAP. III. Of the diuision and parting of the kingdomes of Asia and Syria after the death of Alexander betweene his captaines for hee left no king to succeede after him but the sworde so many kingdomes were voide by his death that his captaines that fought then vnder Alexander for wages and spoyles fought nowe for kingdomes and Empires of their warres and of their continuance BVt to come to Macedonia againe where these great captaines fell at variance after the death of Alexander howe the kingdomes of Alexander might bee diuided sixe dayes they were in discoursing of these causes who should succeede Alexāder in the kingdome of Macedonia some greedie of praie some of ease some after long warres some of one thing and some of another the noble men and chiefe captaines they had an eye to the treasure of Alexander which was one hundred thousand talents beside his reuenues yerely which was three hundred thousande talents Perdiccas thought Roxana being great with childe by Alexander if it should be a sonne that he should be king of the Macedonians Meleager contraried Perdicas saying That Alexāder had a gallant youth to bee his sonne by Arsine named Hercules more fitter for the crowne of Macedonia then to expect a doubtfull chaunce by Roxana others thought that Aridaeus a bastard brother of Alexanders shoulde succeede in the kingdome Reade Q. Curtius of the orations and perswasions of seuerall Dukes and captaines concerning the succession after Alexander in the kingdome of Macedonia After long debates seuerall opinions touching Alexanders posteritie it came at last to the murthering of his wife Roxana being great with childe by Alexander to the killing of young Hercules Alexanders sonne by his wife Arsine to the slaughter of his mother Olympias and of his base brother Aridaeus it came in fine to bloodie ciuill discord that the calamitie and miserie of Macedonia after Alexanders time passed farre the felicitie and iollitie of Macedonia during the time of Alexander for after that Antipater had murthered all Alexanders stocke his wife children mother brother and all Alexanders nigh kinsemen hee armed himselfe against Lysimachus by whom Antipater was slaine
leade his armie against the Boetians laide siege to Thebes and tooke it after that hearing that Lysimachus king of Thracia was taken prisoner by a barbarous nation hee went with his armie to inuade Thracia he was skant in Thracia but Lysimachus came home and beside hearing that Pyrrhus had forraged all Thessalia and had entred alreadie into the streightes of Thermopiles Demetrius was constreined to leaue both Thracia and also Thebes and to returne against Pyrrhus and for all that Pyrrhus sought Demetrius with his armie to giue him battell and Demetrius sought also Pyrrhus yet they mist both at that time but after Demetrius his lieutenant named Pantarchus a strong man and of great courage gaue to Pyrrhus battell which victorie fell to Pyrrhus the onely king that imitated Alexander the great and to him by all mens report most like in courage and prowesse After this victorie of Pyrrhus hee againe inuaded Macedonia being aduertised that Demetrius was sicke in the which iourney Pyrrhus came as farre as the citie Edissa without resistance yet Pyrrhus was driuen out of Macedonia that time with all his force Demetrius wanting leasure to fight with Pyrrhus hauing many warres in hand beside concluded a peace with Pyrrhus for then Demetrius was troubled diuers wayes Lysimachus king of Thracia inuaded the high countrie of Macedon next vnto Thracia and Ptolomei king of Egypt entred with his armie into Greece and Pyrrhus though there was a peace concluded yet stept in with Lysimachus entised the Macedonians partly through faire meanes and partly through flatterie to forsake Demetrius by this meanes Macedonia was diuided betweene Pyrrhus and Lysimachus and Pyrrhus was proclaimed king in Macedonia after they had chased Demetrius Pyrrhus reigned in Macedonia seuen moneths Againe Lysimachus made warre on Pyrrhus and after many battels Lysimachus gote the victorie and reigned king in Macedonia seuen yeeres Iustine praiseth this Lysimachus to be the rarest man of his time valiant and wise and a great Philosopher of a noble house borne of Macedonia where nowe he is become king It is written that this Lysimachus slue a lyon with his owne hand but I leaue him king of Macedonia and returne to Demetrius who for three yeeres had beene tossed with extreme hard fortune nowe for recouering of his kingdome againe hee had leuied a great armie of one hundred thousand footemen of twelue thousand horsemen and had gotten fiue hundred shippes together part in the hauen of Piraeus part at Corinth part at the Citie Chalcis and part about the Citie Pella His enemies hearing of these newes I meane three kings Seleucus Ptolome and Lysimachus ioyned themselues there together against Demetrius and beside they sent to Pyrrhus that poore Demetrius miserie from princely happinesse so ouerthrowen that his armie forsooke him himselfe yeelded vnto Seleucus his wife named Phila for very griefe poysoned her selfe and so kept as prisoner in Syria by Seleucus where Demetrius turned captiuitie into pleasure vnto his dying day who after hee had reigned sixe yeeres dyed in Cherronesus leauing behinde him by his wife Phila two children Antigonus and Stratonice and other two sonnes both named Demetrius of whom you shall heare more hereafter both Plutarch Iustine and Ruffinus affirme that the posteritie of Demetrius succeeded kings in Macedonia vntill the last king named Perseus this time also died Ptolomei Lagi king of Egypt with great fame and report Nowe Lysimachus reigned this while in Macedonia vsing such tyrannie and practising such crueltie against his owne subiects that they reuoulted from him and fledde to Seleucus then warre grewe betweene them that Lysimacus lost what hee wanne fifteene of his children and his life also by Seleucus this was the last battell fought amongst them that were of Alexanders successours Seleucus not long liued but within seuen moneths after was by Ptolomei surnamed Cheraunos brother to Ptolomeus Philadelphus the seconde king of Egypt after Alexander the great slaine for Lysimachus had maried the sister of this Ptolomei and reigned after his brother in lawe in Macedonia the space of one yeere after this Macedonia was continually plagued vntill their last king of Macedon named Perseus whom the Romanes ouercame by Paulus Aemilius and so brought Macedonia a Prouince vnder Rome Nowe this while Perdica vsed another way to bee king of Macedonia hee made meanes to marrie Cleopatra the sister of Alexander the great and thought so to ouerthrowe Aridaeus but hee was preuented by Antipater and slaine by his owne souldiers some thinkes that the ambition of Perdica was the first cause of all ciuil warres in marying Cleopatra Polybius saith that all these iolly captaines Ptolomie the sonne of Lagi Seleucus Lysimachus Ptolomie Cerannus died in the 124. Olympiad Macedonia had little good successe of their kings as you heard of Cassanders two sonnes Antipater and Alexander who reigned but foure yeeres Demetrius sixe Pyrrhus seuen moneths Lysimachus seuen yeeres and Ptolomei Cerannos one yeere after whom succeeded Meleager two moneths Antipater fourtie fiue daies yet Iustine saith he reigned one whole yeere and Sosthenes two yeeres After these kings the kingdome fell to the house of Demetrius as I saide before to Antigonus the sonne of Demetrius borne of Phila the daughter of Antipater and sister to Cassander This Antigonus was called the second Antigonus for the first Antigonus which was this Demetrius father was supposed and taken to be a base sonne of Philip and a brother of Alexander the great for so he himselfe in his decrees and statutes named himselfe Philips sonne of whose warres against Emmenes when he was king of Asia I spake in the historie of the kings of Asia and Syria The second Antigonus which was Demetrius sōne is much praysed for his iustice gouernment modestie and of such good vertuous disposition that he was surnamed of the Grecians Euergetes Of this second Antigonus issued foorth the second Demetrius which reigned tenne yeeres I will speake of the troubles in Macedonia during the reigne of Ptolomei Cerannius the seuēth king after Alexander of Meleager the eight king of Antipater the ninth and of Sosthenes the tenth king these foure kings reigned not aboue foure yeeres After Lysimachus by this false treacherie of his brother in lawe Ptolomei was deceiued and setled himselfe king in Macedonia hee concluded a peace with Antiochus and entred in friendship with Pyrrhus and by these meanes he was farre frō any feare of forraine enemies he mused howe he might destroy his owne sister Lysimachus wife and his children who of right ought to bee heires to the crowne of Macedonia hee sware that he would marie his sister and make her children by Lysimachus his owne to inherite the kingdome but he was no sooner within the Citie of Cassandria where he should marie Arsinoe the Queene but he commanded that both her sōnes the elder named Lysimachus after his fathers name of sixteene
yeeres of age and Philip three yeeres younger then his brother to be killed and their mother forced to steale away by night into Samothracia but hee was wel requited by Belgius hackt and slaine and his head cut off caried vpō a speare in opē sight of the Macedoniās which put them in no litle feare Sosthenes was proclaimed king of Macedonia a man of great courage hee resisted the furie and rage of the Frenchmen which wasted the countrie and spoyled the Cities vntill that Brennus another captaine of the Frenchmen ioyned with Belgius with a hundred fiftie thousand footemen and fifteene thousand horsemen and easily being so many might ouerthrowe so fewe Sosthenes was faine to take a holde for that time Brennus and Belgius spoyled Cities and Countries robbed their temples and had infinite treasure from the temple of Apollo Thus the Macedonians were sore plagued and had these two great ouerthrowes by Belgius and Brennus but the third ouerthrowe fell to the Frenchmen in such extreame sort that Brennus slue himselfe After this the Frenchmen againe inuaded Macedonia while Antigonus which was Demetrius brother reigned where they were vanquished ouerthrowen in most miserable sort this gote to Antigonus great credit vntil Pyrrhus gote the victorie of him and forced him to take his flight So poore Macedonia was still by one or other put to worse Pyrrhus mocking Antigonus for his brauerie to goe in purple like a king apparelled being chased out of his countrie by him and by others yet it was Antigonus chaūce to haue Pyrrhus head brought vnto him by Alcioneus his owne sonne from the siege of the citie of Argos where this great king after many victories ouer kings was slaine at a womans hand by throwing of a tyle stone When king Antiochus sawe Pyrrhus head throwen before him by his sonne in such contempt hee layed his staffe about his sonnes backe calling him a cruell murtherer and an vnnaturall barbarous beast and turning his eyes from the sight thereof weapt remembring Demetrius hard fortune which was his father and also the miserie and ende of the first Antigonus his graundfather he most honourably caused his head and his body to be burned his ashes burned Thus thestate of princes is changed sometime in the height of good lucke and fauour and sometime forsaken of their owne friends Antigonus hauing this great victorie of Pyrrhus vsed all clemencie towardes Pyrrhus sonne named Helenus sent him vnto his Realme of Epirus with honourable conuoye seasing all Pyrrhus campe and armie vsed his friendes courteously and receiued many of Pyrrhus souldiers preferred them Thus Pyrrhus who helde out against three kings Lysimachus Demetrius and Antigonus beside his magnanimitie and prowesse shewed against the Illyrians the Cicilians the Carthagineans and against the stoute Romanes and yet neuer conquered This Pyrrhus was preferred by Hanibals iudgement to be the second souldier of the worlde next to the great Alexander after whose death Greece fell to contencions as Macodonia by Antigonus florished but a short time for assoone as Pyrrhus dyed the Peloponesians yeelded to Antigonus Pyrrhus had a sonne named Alexander who burned in furie to reuenge his fathers death beganne vpon the confines of Macedonia to quarrell with Antigonus hee was no sooner returned from Greece into Macedonia but Antigonus had both lost his kingdome and himselfe by a faire battell giuen to him by Alexander the sonne of Pyrrhus Antigonus had a brother named Demetrius after his fathers name a very young man who so reuenged likewise the ouerthrowe of his brother that hee recouered not onely Macedonia from Alexander but forced him after a great ouerthrowe to flie from his owne kingdom of Epyrus so variable is the chaunce of warre and so mutable the state of man that sometime they be kings and conquerours and straight banished men Nowe Alexander fled to Arcadia from whence hee was restored to his kingdome within short space for Demetrius after the death of his brother Antigonus continued not long king in Macedonia for by time Agas king of Cyrena died and had left for his heire one daughter named Beronices whom her father espoused to king Ptolomeis sonne of Egypt but nowe Arsinoe king Agas her husband being dead and also hearing that king Antigonus was dead shee made meanes to send for Demetrius who came with all speede from Macedonia to Cyrena and hauing a sight of Arsinoes beautie hee fell more in desire of the mother then of the daughter This Demetrius being a proud insolent young king and giuing great cause to Beronice the young ladie to hate him he little esteeming that folowed his fancie to winne Arsinoe which when it was well knowen to the daughter and to many of the Court after howe Demetrius vsed himselfe Beronice and all men beganne mortally to mallice Demetrius and to turne their mindes againe towards Ptolomeus sonne They hated him in such sort that snares were inuēted for Demetrius and watches appointed to find him in the fault and so it came to passe then when he was in bedde with the mother the daughter brought certeine armed men into the chamber cōmaunded them to kill Demetrius Beronice entred not the chamber but stood at the doore spake vnto them that they should spare her mother which when Arsinoe heard after she had done what she could to saue Demetrius cōcerning his body with her body of force she was taken from him he slaine thus Beronice reuenged the wrongs spite of Demetrius done against her selfe and her mother after maried Ptolomeis sonne according to his father king Agas cōmandement this was the end of king Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius About this time Megasthenes a Persian Chronographer wrote his histories some call him Metasthenes this time the Romanes began to florish in all kind of excesse as in wearing of rings costly tires which as Plinie saith were skant before this time seene in Rome this time also was the Bible translated by the 70. interpreters into the Greeke tongue CHAP. IIII. Of the Romane warres with king Philip and his sonne Perseus the two last kings of Macedonia of their ouerthrowe by Paul Aemilius and of the ouerthrowe of false Philip and counterfaite Andriscus by Q. Metellus in the last conquest of Macedonia NOwe to returne to Macedonia after that Demetrius was slaine as you heard Philip Demetrius nephewe and sonne to Antigonus succeeded in Macedonia You must take heede least you be deceiued in the names of diuers Demetrius for the first and the greatest was called Demetrius Antigonus whose life Plutarch doeth write at large another Demetrius surnamed Poliorcetes who in his time destroyed a towne of Samaria which Perdicas builded vp againe and the third named Demetrius Phalerius which was gouernour of Athens vnder Cassander and the fourth Demetrius Antigonus sonne of whose death for adulterie with Queene Arsinoe you read of
stone of the same ring was an Ancre imprinted which afterward was the cognizance of all Seleucus posteritie This ring did Laodice deliuer to her sonne Seleucus at that time when great Alexander tooke his conquest to Persia vnder whom Seleucus was then a souldier for hee was but base borne as in that historie ye may reade further yet this Seleucus after that Alexander died had growen to be the onely great king of all Alexanders successours and builded a great citie and named it Antiochia after his fathers name which was Antiochus a captaine vnder king Philip Alexanders father The elder that Seleucus waxed the more ambitious hee was euen so was Lysimachus as olde as hee the one seuentie and foure and the other seuentie and seuen and yet both giuen to seeke more kingdomes and at last seeking one to conquer the other as it came to passe after many battels Lysimachus was ouerthrowen and slaine by Seleucus Of this great victorie he waxed so proude that he forgate the frailenesse of fortune and the inconstancie of time not thinking that his death should be within seuen moneths after for Ptolomeus sirnamed Cerainon whose sister Lysimachus had maried reuenged the death of his brother in lawe This battell betweene Lysimachus and Seleucus was the last battell of all those that serued Alexander in his conquest for as Lysimachus ouerthrew Pyrrhus so Seleucus ouerthrew Lysimachus and now Ptolomeus ouerthrew Seleucus and that as I said before within seuen moneths after Lysimachus ouerthrow But Iustine saith Seleucus was slaine by snares and falshood By this time died the most part of those that were Alexanders princes and in his iourneyes with him chiefe captaines as Perdicca Craterus Emmenis Antigonus Antipater Cassander and his two sonnes Polibius saith that Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi Lysimachus Seleucus and Ptolomey Cerainon died in the hundreth twentie and foure Olympiad which was after Alexanders the great tenne Olympiads which is fourtie yeeres for he died in the hundreth and fourteene Olympiad All writers doe agree of this Olympiad for the Greekes compted their yeeres from Alexanders death forward for before Alexanders time the Greekes histories erred much and specially by their Olympiads which made Chronographers to erre for al chronicles crie out vpon the Olympiads Seleucus after he had gotten so great fame that all Asia and Syria obeyed him he beganne to builde townes and cities as Antioch Laodicea Seleucia Apamia Edissa Berouea and Pellum and brought the Iewes to inhabite these cities he gaue them equall lawes and ordinances together with the Grecians to liue and to enioy their libertie thereby and after he raigned one and thirtie yeeres he died After him succeeded Antiochus Soter the second king of Syria hee raigned 19. yeeres after whom succeeded Antiochus sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This king played his part hee was the cause of all the warres betweene the Egyptians and Syrians he had great spite vnto Philadelphus the king of Egypt wasted and spoiled much of his countrey this king Philadelphus was adicted more to peace then to warre more giuē to his books then to brawles he tooke greater care to furnish Egypt with the lawes and ordinances of the Iewes then to prouide preparations against Antiochus and therefore to auoyde warre whereby he might finish many good things which he tooke in hande and specially the translation of the Bible from the Hebrew vnto the Greeke tongue by 70. graue wise and learned men for that cause he gaue his daughter Berenices in mariage to Antiochus This king Antiochus had before maried Laodices by whom hee had two sonnes the elder named Seleucus sirnamed Gallinicus and the yonger Antiochus sirnamed Ierax The mother of these two was diuorced for a time from king Antiochus Now after he had maried Berenices he liued in quiet and in fauour with his father in lawe Philadelphus as long as he liued but when Philadelphus died he called Laodices his first wife againe and turned Berenices aside for a time Laodices being returned vnto her husband deuised a way to kill Berenices Philadelphus daughter but first she imagined to requite her husbands courtesie for calling her home and fearing he would do the like againe she gaue him a cuppe of drinke and dispatched him quite then shee called both her sonnes and made them with speede onely to feede her furie to put Berenices out of the way Hence grew the cause of all the warres as I said betweene the kings of Egypt and the kings of Syria and not onely betweene those but also poore Iudea was so beaten and afflicted betwene these as they often times made a spoile of Ierusalem of the temple and of Gods flocke Of this Daniel spake that Berenice the kings daughter of the South should be matched with the king of the North which was Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 king of Syria which is in the North in respect of Ierusalem for that the Prophet gaue the situation of that place to be betweene the South and the North. When Philadelphus died and his sonne Ptolomey Euergetes succeeded he thought to reuenge the murthering of his sister and made a great armie readie to giue battel to Seleucus and tooke from him the most part of Syria wasting and spoyling all Asia beside and hearing of sedition and mutinie in Egypt his own kingdom he returned hauing done great harme to Seleucus to answere those which rebelled in Egypt In the meane season Seleucus thoght not only to recouer his losse by Ptol. Euergetes but also to requite him with the like After this litle stay Seleucus came with a nomber of nauies and thought to haue againe those townes and cities which he lost to Ptolomey but a sudden tempest ouerwhelmed that enterprise and left nothing to Seleucus of al his preparation but nudum corpus spiritum himselfe with few others frō shipwracke he staied by these repulses and could not reuenge the wrōg he had by Ptolomey vntil he saw his time conuenient at which time as a man borne to be ouerthrowen he fled from the battell with losse and shame to Antioch and from thence he sent for ayde to his brother Antiochus to Silicia Ptolomey vnderstanding of Antiochus ayd he presently concluded a peace betweene Seleucus and himselfe for 10. yeeres Antiochus perceiued how the matter went and where he came to ayd his brother he now turneth his force and power against his brother and hauing many of the Celtes which were Frēchmen his hired souldiers ouer whom Brennus had the charge not Brēnus that sackt Rome for he was before 108. yeres but he gaue the ouerthrow to his brother Seleucus he was met againe with Eumenes king of Bythinia who saw a platforme layd before his face to possesse Asia if these two brethren might be conquered and therefore Seleucus being ouerthrowen by his brother Antiochus Eumenes againe ouerthrew Antiochus and droue him out of
Asia euen to flee to Ptolomey where he was claptin prison frō whom he secretly stale away and fled but being taken by theeues was slaine About that very season his brother Seleucus by a fall he had frō his horse lost both his life and kingdom after he had raigned king of Asia and Syria 20. yeeres and so these two brethren by discord lost both Syria and Asia After this Seleucus came succeeded his sonne Seleucus Ceraunos the 5. king of Asia and Syria he after he had raigned 3. yeeres was slaine by one of his owne noblemen named Nicanor Then followed Antiochus surnamed the great the 6. king of Syria who indeed was so great that he wanne to his kingdome more then any of his predecessors and hauing long warres in Egypt with Ptolome Philopater by him for all his greatnes he had an ouerthrow or two But this Philopater died and left behind him a young sonne whom he committed for the safegard of his kingdome to the Romanes commending both his sonne in his minoritie his kingdome into the fidelity of the Senators for all kings in their distresse fled vnto the Romanes as to a sanctuary of refuge Now Antiochus the great in his minde contemned the Romanes made warres in Egypt vpon this yong king to whom the Senators sent Embassadors commanding him to auoyde Egypt not to warre vpō the yong king whom the Senators of Rome tooke to their tuition Antiochus esteemed not much the threatning of the Senators but rather despised the messengers making his armie ready against the Romanes hauing by this time Hannibal who by Scipio Affricanus was ouerthrowen at the battel of Zama which was the last ouerthrow of Hannibal for the Carthagineans had lost Sicilia Sardania Spaine and Hanibal was driuen out of Italy to Affrike and frō Affrike to Asia vnto king Antiochus where he was with great curtesie receiued By this time the Senate had intelligence that Nabis the tyrant had inuaded diuers countreies of Greece subdued manie cities and therefore they wrote vnto Titus Flaminius that Greece should be set at libertie from Nabis as Macedonia was from Philip. The greatnes of the Romanes was such that they thought to execute all warres by their commandement yet the name of Hannibal caried great reputation with all men and specially with the Romanes who had for 16. yeeres well tried his valure Antiochus at the first made much account of Hannibal for had he followed Hannibals aduise in his warres against the Romanes afterward as he did at the first Antiochus had done farre better for Hanibals counsell was that Antiochus should make warre with the Romanes in Italy for said he Italians must ouercome Italy and Romanes must conquere Rome Hanibal hated the Romanes and therefore he studied how to set forward Antiochus and perswaded Antiochus who trusted still in peace that as the Romanes had gotten the most part of Europe and Affrike so would they not giue ouer vntill they would get Asia if they might The authoritie and credit of Hanibal made Antiochus so to yeeld that Hanibal himself was sent to Syria to leuie a great nomber of ships he was made general of Antiochus army by sea together with one Apollonius This battel by sea had no good successe the victory fel to the Romans Apollonius fled and as Plutarch saith we find that Hanibal did nothing worth the memory After this battel assoone as Antiochus was ouercome by the Romans Hanibal fearing he should be deliuered to the Romans fled to Prusias king of Bythinia at whose hands he was required againe by Tit. Flaminius Now king Antiochus hauing lost 50. thousand footmen and 4000. horsmen was forced to desire peace which the Senate graunted him vpon conditions that he should auoid forth of Europe and Asia and medle no further but within the precinct of Taurus and also that hee should pay to the Romanes tenne thousand talents and 30. pledges for the assurance of his prouinces and lastly that hee should deliuer Hanibal who had bene the only procurour of the battel These conditions being performed by Antiochus the Senate gaue all those cities of Asia which Antiochus had lost to Eumenes king Atalus brother they gaue also to the Rhodians diuers other cities for that they had assisted the Romanes against Antiochus After this great victorie Lucius Cornelius Scipio returned to Rome and with great glory triumphed and then obtained the like name in Asia as his brother had before in Affrike which was to be called Scipio Asiaticus for that he conquered Antiochus the great at Magnesia had driuen him out of Asia euen as his father the elder Scipio was called for subduing of Hanibal and the driuing out of Hanibal of Affrike Scipio Affricanus All this while the Iewes were so much troubled betweene the kings of Egypt and the kings of Syria that they found that same true but specially by the king of Syria and therefore the Iewes rather did ioyne their force to the Egyptians against the kings of Syria for while Antiochus held warres with the Romanes Scopas king Ptolomey Epiphanes general was in Coelosyria possessed Samaria other cities of Iudea and molested the Iewes at that time much vntill Antiochus ouerthrew Scopas at the flood Iordan destroyed his army got those cities which Scopas had and entred into Ierusalē where he was fully pleased with rewards and satisfied with money with whom they had peace for Iudea as I said before had peace and quietnes frō Alexander the great vntil Antiochus the great which was 100. yeres and odd About this time 3. notable triumphes were at Rome the one by Scipio forth of Affricke before whose chariot Asdrubal was led the other by Metellus foorth of Macedonia before whose chariot Andriscus was led this was that false named and coūterfaited Philip the thirde triumph was by Metellus sirnamed Mummius ouer the Corinthians before whom were caried the brasen ensignes and painted tables and other sumptuous ornaments of that famous citie CHAP. II. Of that wicked and most blasphemous king Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus the great and the type of Antichrist of his vsurpation and tyrānie of the kingdom of his sacking and crueltie in Ierusalem of his bloody warres and persecutions of Christians DVring the warres of Antiochus the great with the Romans ciuil warres began in Greece againe betweene the Athenians and the Aetolians Of these warres reade Polibius and Plutarch in the life of Philopomen Likewise Mithridates king of Parthia waged battel with the Sinopians About this time Siphax king of Numidia was after sundrie battels by Masinissa ouerthrowen and driuen out of his kingdome This time Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia conquered those people called Mardi astoute nation as Iustine saith In the time of Antiochus the great there happened in one yeere 57. earthquakes insomuch that Rhodes and Caria were so shaken thereby that the
huge idole of Phaebus called Colossus solis fell In these dayes an infant was borne hauing a head like a sow and many other mōstrous things fel in the time of Antiochus as Liui reporteth Eratosthenes the philosopher florished in this time The Romans were so strong in these dayes as Carthage Numidia and all Affricke were subdued Greece Macedonia Pontus and all Asia were conquered all kings of the world almost came then to Rome to see the maiestie of the Romanes to behold their triumphes and to offer themselues in seruice The end of this great king was to be slaine by rude countrey people as he would rob the temple of Belus he that thought to conquere the stoute Romanes was conquered by silie and simple men of Syria he that brought all Greece and Asia vnder his becke had this his death by his rashnesse and folly and as Melancthon saith of Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of an ill beginning proceedeth an ill ending When this Antiochus so was killed he left behinde him 3. sonnes and one daughter maried to Ptolomey of whom Philometor was borne his sonnes were named in this sort Seleucus sirnamed Philopater was the eldest who raigned 12. yeeres of whom we reade nothing worth the memory a man giuen to all vices to all idlenes lust wickednes and powling of his subiects This history is onely written in the Macabees where Simon vttereth what treasure was in the temple and how Heliodorus was sent by the king to take them away but hee was striken of God and had the repulse with such terrible sightes and strokes that Heliodorus wished death rather then life vntill the high Priest Onias prayed for him Of this Seleucus Daniel saide In loco Antiochi stabit vilis questor c. for there was nothing left vnspoken by Daniel before hand which should happen afterward This Seleucus beganne to raigne after his father in the 125. yeere of the Grecians raigne in Syria after the building of Rome 566. After this Seleucus died Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes the second sonne of Antiochus the great being a pledge then in Rome with Demetrius hearing that his father was dead hee secretly fled from Rome and came with al force vnto Syria vsurped the kingdome and draue Seleucus sonne out of his countrey this began his gouernment in the 130. yeere after Alexander the great his death Polibius affirmeth this man to bee such as no wickednes escaped him craftie and subtile furious and ful of al mischiefe and of the best writers named the type of Antichrist Of the furie of this Antiochus and of other kings of Syria Daniel doth fully describe them and doth foreshewe their tyrannie against Iudea Reade the 11. of Daniel where he prophecieth against the kings of Syria together with the Persians Grecians Egyptians and Romanes howe all these should afflict Iudea This Antiochus in the beginning of his raigne beingfully acquainted with the Romanes power hauing bene so long in Rome a pledge for his father dissembled with the Senators and bare himselfe a friend vnto the Romanes for feare more then for loue after that he had filled Ierusalem with blood and had killed Onias the high priest a holy godly man he tooke money of Iason which was Onias brother and made him high priest who receiued Antiochus with al reuerence duetie into Ierusalem who slew the best citizens spoiled the towne and robbed the temple this was his first voyage to Ierusalem the high priest Iason which Antiochus had made plaied the tyrants part slew his owne citizens and made hauocke in Ierusalem of his owne countreymen friends and kinsmen but this king and this priest had the like reward by God appointed shame and confusion Read the Machabees and you shal haue the historie before you that Iason after he had wandered from citie to citie like a vagabond hated of all people and beloued of none being banished from Ierusalem died most miserablie in Arabia being accused before the king then named Areta Some write that he fled from Arabia to Egypt But I wil returne to that cruel monster king Antiochus who after he had dissembled with the Romans pretended care and gouernment ouer the yong Philometor king of Egypt being his sisters sonne for Cleopatra the daughter of Antiochus the great was married to Epiphanes who had giuen her for her dowrie Coelosyria Samaria Iudea and Phenicia by whom this Philometor was gotten This yong king being yet in his minoritie and tender of yeeres and by his father when he died committed to the fidelitie of the Senators of Rome whom he made tutors ouer his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes clayming some title to ouersee the yong king his nephew led an armie frō Syria vnto Egypt vnder pretence of loue care towards his nephew the yong king but he more thirsted for the kingdom then he esteemed the king he laied garisons in Memphis and filled all the cities of Egypt with souldiers specially Pelusiū and other strong cities Philometor misdouted these endeuors of Antiochus and so suspecting his vncle to be one that waied more the kingdom then the king he fled to his yonger brother to Alexandria sent to the Romans for aide against Antiochus who perceiuing that they were put in trust to haue some care of this king by his fathers last wil and testament to them cōmitted they determined to send Popilius frō the Senators to cōmand Antiochus as his father before him was cōmanded to depart out of Egypt and to suffer king Philometor to enioy his kingdom quietly While this Romane ambassador was preparing to come Antiochus hasted his purpose in folowing fast at the heeles of Philometor which was the elder brother therfore by succession king of Egypt he shipped in Cyprus and from thence to Coelosyria thēce to Egypt and so passing ouer Nilus to Leusnies a citie not farre from Alexandria where the Romane ambassador Popilius met him and deliuered the minde of the Senators in writing to him which being read he paused and said that he would consider further and cōsult with his friends to answere the Senators Popilius hauing a white sticke in his hand made around circle about king Antiochus saying Answer the Romans before thou go out of this circle that I may declare to the Senators thy words Antiochus was so amased at the stoute words of Pōpilius that he was constrained to say I will doe that which the Senators would haue me to doe And so he was forced in great furie to depart out of of Egypt but hee reuenged his wrath vpon the poore Iewes hee so plagued Iudea with spoile and slaughter and caused them to forsake their true and ancient religion which they had from Moses hee burned the bookes of Moses and of the Prophets he made the idole of Iupiter Olympus to be set vp and to be worshipped and commaunded all idolatrie and wickednes to be had in Ierusalem
ambition was such to the kingdom of Syria that they forgate fraternitie in blood fel to strokes one persecuting the other with cōtinual warres sundry battels vntil at lēgth Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the treacherie of Herodianus in the 662. yere after the building of Rome in the 29. yere of his reigne I remēber a history in Dionisius Halicarnassaeus in the which historie Rome is much commended in respect of other countries as Persia Greece Maccdonia Syria Asia kingdoms of ciuil warres the very cause of their ruine but in Rome no ciuil warre was knowen no mutinie no discord was seene for 620. yeres frō the time of Romulus the first king of Rome vntill the time of Tiberius Gracchus which was the first that died in an vprore which he himselfe beganne But while these ciuill warres endured in Syria Masinissa king of Numidia was occupied in Affrike hauing great wars betweene the Carthagineans the Numidians Aristonicus also the sonne of Attalus king of Pergamus brother to that valiant king Eumenes inuaded Asia as his owne kingdom fallen to him by succession of his father At that time reigned in Bythinia Nicomedes in Pōtus Mithridates the sōne of that great Mithridates who held warres with the Romanes of a long time About this time began the sects of people in Iudea the Pharises the Saduces and Esseni Of these Iosephus writeth beside we reade of them in the new Testament In the time of Antiochus Griphus Mecypsa king of Numidia died who left 3. sonnes behind him named Adherbalis Hiempsalis Iugurtha of this Salust maketh mention in the warres of Iugurth which warre happened in this time of Griphus for Marius the Romane Consul about this time triumphed ouer Iugurth Pompey the great was borne about the time of that triumph Lucretius the Poet also But I will come to Syria where after king Antiochus was slaine his sonne Seleucus succeeded him this prepared to reuenge his father vpon his vncle gathered his force gaue him battel and slue his vncle Antiochus Cizicoenus whose sōne reuēged vpō his cousin his fathers death he gaue him battel ouerthrewe him droue him out of Syria to Cicilia where hee was burned in his owne house and all his friendes with him Skant was this mischiefe done but straight another folowed Seleucus brother named Antiochus folowed fast Cizioenus sōne and slue him with all his armie Then Philip the third brother of Seleucus tooke much of the kings treasure and went priuately and dwelled in a part of Syria vntill that Ptolome who by his owne mother before that time was expelled out of Egypt though afterwarde hee was receiued king againe in the 663. yeere after the building of Rome This I say brought the fourth brother of Seleucus named Demetrius Eucerus to Damascus where hee was crowned king who ioyned with Philip ouerthrew Antiochus their brother and the eldest after Seleucus This murthering one another in Syria with such tyrannie and bloody treason betweene brethren and brethrens children that all the kings of Syria euen from Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king of Syria vntill Philip the seuenteenth king no forraine enemies needed to inuade Asia but one king destroyed an other by ciuill warres About this time Cneus Pompeius father to the great Pompe subdued the Picents and the Marsies and Silla ouercame the Samnites Betweene this Silla and Marius beganne a great quarrell about the warres of Mithridates these two though they did much good to their Countrie and were equal to the best yet they past al men in offence and harme towards Rome so that they onely were the two fire brandes of Italie Mithridates king of Pontus inuaded Asia obiected himselfe against the Romanes but Silla who at that time triumphed ouer all the countries and almost ouer Rome staied Mithridates Lucullus waged warres this time with the Parthians Nicomedes king of Bithinia in those dayes died and made the Romanes his heire as Attalus king of Asia did Mithridates Nowe Philip and Demetrius two brethren reigned the last kings of Syria of the blood of Seleucus which reigned not long for Demetrius went against Alexander king of the Iewes by whom he and his company were vanquished and driuen out of Iudea Demetrius being thus expulsed gathered those scattered souldiers which Alexander king of Iudea dispearsed and laid siege to the citie of Berea where his brother Philip lay where Demetrius was taken by the Parthiās sent to Parthia to be kept as a prisoner where he died After that Demetrius was sent to Parthia Philip came out of Beroea entred into Antioch and obteined the whole kingdom of Syria into his owne hand but he was shortly vanquished ouerthrowen by Gabinius the Romane The Syrians were cōpelled by this ciuil warre to cōmit themselues to forraine kings to auoid the tyrāny which lōg endured betweene the kings of Syria so that both the kings the kingdom of Syria were at the last breath some willing to call Mithridates king of Pontus some Ptolome king of Egypt and some Tygranes king of Armenia At length they made a choise of Tygranes to be their king the rather for the societie of the Parthiās the affinitie of Pōtus which were the next kingdōs vnto Armenia While these brethrē Philip Demet. were at variance such an earthquake was in Syria that 170000. men perished thereby many cities laid prostrate to the groūd Tygranes gouerned the Syrians 18. yeeres quietly without any warre or busines though in deede diuers there were that hoped for a day specially Antiochus Cizicoenus which all this time lay close in Cicilia Tygranes had thought to subdue Palestina and so after some leasure to warre vpō Iuda but hearing that Lu. Lucullus after that Mithridates was by the said Lucullus conquered marched forward into Armenia Tygranes was driuē to forsake Syria in al haste to returne to defend his owne coūtrie where he was ouercome in two or three great battels and at length taken in his chiefe citie called Artaxa Nowe Tygranes could not returne to Syria but he was led captiue to the Romanes by Pompei the great who after that wēt in person into Syria brought it to the forme gouernment of a prouince for that Syria as Plutarch saith wanted a lawfull king He made a prouince of Syria to the Romane Empire he cōquered al Iurie builded certeine cities in Iudea this very time M. Crassus with his sonne with all his armie was ouerthrowen and slaine in Parthia Likewise Iulius Caesar came into England called then Brittaine and conquered it at what time reigned in Brittaine Cassibelane who after two or three repulses giuen to Caesar yeelded consented to pay tribute At the cōming of Pompe into Syria Diodorus Siculus a great writer wēt to Egypt where he wrote in a booke of his the antiquitie of the Egyptiās About this time Titus Liuius the historiographer
discharge his vowe made to Iupiter made his triumph ouer these nations hanging the armour weapons of king Acron about the bowe of a yong oke which Romulus caried on his right shoulder marching on foote before the army towards the citie with a royal song of victory This was the first triumph of Romulus the first entry giuē into other triumphs that folowed presētly After this triumph of Romulus the Sabines could not forget their iniurie for their daughters and virgines rauished by Romulus but elected Tatius a gallant gentleman to be Generall of the Sabines and to reuenge the wrong done by Romulus Tatius besieged Rome that time one named Tarpeius was appointed captaine of the Castle whose daughter named likewise Tarpeia betrayed the whole Citie for a reward which Tatius promised some say that Tarpeia was Tatius daughter By this treason of Tarpia the Sabines entred Rome and great warre continued betwixt the Sabines the Romanes 3. yeres But in time betwixt Romulus and Tatius peace was concluded and they both together reigned ioyntly and gouerned Rome fiue yeeres Tatius dwelling by mount Tarpeius afterwarde called the Capitoll and Romulus on mount Palatium but within a while in this fiue yeere Tatius was slaine and Romulus gouerned himselfe and ouercame the Antenates the Veients and other nations triumphed ouer them the second time And when that Romulus had reigned thirtie seuen yeres after three seuerall triumphes he died of whose death diuerse opinions are of Romulus assencion into heauen in the sight of Proclus and of a voyce heard he should be called Quirinus after his death reade Plutarch concerning his vanishing away and concerning his whole life Romulus strength his whole force exceeded not aboue two thousand footemen and not three hundred horsemen when he beganne his kingdome in Rome but when Romulus died hee left fourtie sixe thousand footemen and a 1000. horsemen During the time of Romulus gouernment reigned in Assyria Salmanasser 10. yeres by whō Samaria was subdued the 10. tribes of Israel caried captiue into Babylon Also Senaherib his sonne reigned after his father seuen yeeres he likewise wasted and spoyled Iudea in the time of king Ezechias vntill hee was vanquished al his armie to the number of a hundred twentie sixe thousand In Lydia reigned two kings during Romulus time Haliagtes the 2. king and Meles the 3. king In the beginning of the Romans kingdom the third kind of gouermēt begā in Athens after 17. kings gouernment then after 13. Iudges Now beganne the thirde alteration of the state called Decennales principes a magistrate that should continue tenne yeeres in office and then another elected into his roume Now in that time that Romulus raigned beganne in Rome diuers kinds of magistrats and officers lawes and orders were by Romulus appointed for the better gouernment of the citie of Rome as Senators Tribunes Aediles Celeres and diuers other sacred and religious offices as Flamines Bishops Foeciales Salij vestal Nunnes southsayers and others the right vse of their offices being not knowen to the reader vnlesse he be wel read in histories I haue orderly as they were appointed by Romulus here set downe as many magistrates officers and offices as were in Rome by Romulus first instituted during his raigne After that Romulus had builded Rome after the death of his brother Remus he made these many lawes 1. First he deuided the whole company of the multitude into three tribes and hee deuided the three tribes into 30. partes which were called Curiae 2. Then he elected one chiefe magistrate to gouerne Rome in his absence which was named Praefectus vrbis as Viceroy or as lieuetenant to Romulus as Iulius Caesar and Augustus 750. yeeres after Romulus time vsed the like 3. Romulus made a choise of 300. stoute and valiant souldiours called Celeres and a captaine ouer them called Tribunus Celerum these were Romulus gard the Tribune was as Esquire of the body or as captaine of the gard to defend him from any sudden assault and readie to execute the kings commandement 4. Romulus appointed 12. men officers called Lictores that should carie tipstaues or rods to make roume and way before the king 5. Hee also appointed after them 12. othermen called Caduceatores which were appointed next the kings person before him to carie axes or mases as Serieants at armes an office of great antiquitie in all countreys of the world for we reade in Homer that Agamemnon sent a Serieant at armes called Talthubius to arrest Achilles for his absēce in the warres and for his disobedience to Agamemnon being then appointed generall for the Grecians against the Troyans 6. When Romulus had prouided these officers for the sauegard of his person he likewise erected counsellers and made choise of a hundreth graue and wise men who for the honour of their place and dignitie of their calling should be named Senators to gouerne and to foresee the dangers and perils of the citie to punish vice and to reward vertue These were called by strangers princes of Rome to whom the king committed the whole direction and correction of the citie The familie and stocke of the Senators were called Patricij for all Senators were elected out of the Patricians 7. Hee appointed the place and the time where the Augurers and Southsayers should vse their diuination touching the euents and proceedings of Rome which should be before Sunne rising and after sunne setting for Romulus himselfe caried the Augurers crooked staffe for his skill in diuination 8. Then hee erected three Augurers with their orders and authorities by whom all sacrifices and religious ceremonies were solemnized These three hee elected out of the three tribes 9. He instituted that no man might enter into the Senate to heare any cause pleaded or consulted before hee were 25. yeres of age he seemed to be of Aristotles opinion that held Iuuenem non esse Philosophiae idoneum 10. After that Romulus had inuented these many good and seemely decrees to set foorth that little kingdome of Rome Now last of all he made lawes for setting foorth the dignitie of a king as to weare purple colours for Romulus ware a coate of purple in graine and vpon that a long robe of purple colour for this princely and riche colour was onely esteemed of the olde Romanes and so honoured that none might weare it but the kings of Rome and after the kings time onely the Dictators and Consuls 11. Romulus instituted a feast in memorie of Hersilia and other Sabine virgines which were rauished by whose meanes peace was concluded betwene Romulus and Tatius king of the Sabines These feasts were called Matronalia 12. He also instituted the feast called Lupercalia which was celebrated in Rome in memory of Romulus escape when that he slew Aemilius his father vnknowen but taken for his vncle he ranne with a naked sword in his hand from Alba
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
who appointed him his lieutenant general ouer his garisons for Cneus Carbo the Consul which fought with young Marius together against Silla which Marius was slaine by Silla in Preneste At what time Carbo fledde and was slaine by Pompey and after that Pompey slue Domitius a captaine of Marius his side and withall slue Hiarbus king of Mauritania being of Domitius side and therefore triumphed Pompey ouer Affrike being but twentie foure yeeres of age which was neuer earst graunted to any Romane and hauing not bene Consul While this ciuill warre continued in Rome little or nothing was done in other countries for nowe all places were made quiet by the Romās sauing some of Marius friends who fled after Marius death held out and did what they could to trouble the Romanes as Hirtulius Sertorius and others of Maririus friends that stirred wars in Spaine in Cicilia Pamphylia against these Q. Metellus sonne to that Metellus which subdued king Iugurth was sent with him Cneus Pompeius was sent to aide him for Sertorius was a valiāt approued captaine Apius Claudius was then sent after his Consulship was expired to Macedonia where hee died without any harme done to the enemies in his place succeded Scribonius Curio who for his good seruice merited a triumph Then was sent into Cilicia Pamphylia Publius Seruilius a passing good captaine for hee wanne the worthiest cities of Licia and subdued Cilicia hee wanne Phasilides Olympus Coritum three great cities and finished his warres in three yeeres and returned to Rome and had a triumph graunted him ouer the Isaurians So had Metellus ouer Spaine Scribonius Curio ouer Macedonia Pompeius againe ouer Spaine which was his second triumph so at that time were foure triumphs in Rome together Againe Mithridates infringed the league before made and renued warres with the Romanes and would haue inuaded Asia and Bythinia had not Lu. Lucullus the Consul and his fellowe M. Aurelius Cotta come in time for before this time hee pretended warre against Bythinia and their king Nicomedes and after that inuaded Capadocia and Paphlagonia and draue both Nicomedes king of Bythinia and Pilemenes king of Paphlagonia to exile and from thence he went to Ephesus killing and flaying the Romanes friends and withall he was so cruell that he sent letters through all Asia that wheresoeuer any Citizen of Rome might be found he shoulde be killed though he was discomfited by Silla and Lucullus and at last driuen to flee for succour to Tigranes king of Armenia a captaine of great renowme in those dayes for this Tigranes was so mightie a king that he had subdued the Persians and Mesopotamia hee also wanne Syria and a peece of Phoenicia yet still Mithridates renued warres called his armie from Scythia and ioyned them with Tigranes force But Lucullus followed Mithridates hard to Armenia and required Tigranes to deliuer him Mithridates which being denied Lucullus foorth with inuaded king Tigranes realme and gaue him a great ouerthrowe and passed from place to place as conqueror destroying of countries and taking cities vntil he came to the riuer Danubius he destroyed Appolonia Parthenopolis and other cities of Pontus and returned to Rome a conqueror of many coūtries both he his cousin germaine M. Lucullus and triumphed with great glory but yet he missed of king Mithridates he plaied still the tyraunt with the Romanes vntil Pompey the great came who ouercame Mithridates in Armenia sackt his tents and slue fourtie thousand of his armie and forced Mithridates to flee when hee poysoned himselfe and died after hee had kept warres with the Romanes fourtie yeeres for this warre of Mithridates began with Silla and was ended by Pompey Thus the Romanes at last conquered the great king Mithridates who had not continued so long had not ciuill warres bene in Rome betweene Marius and Silla and after that the conspiracie of Cateline and after Cateline the ciuill warres betweene Pompey and Caesar of this you shall reade hereafter In the meane season there was no warre in other kingdomes for Syria Egypt Libya and all other places were friendes and subiects to the Romanes for nowe the Romanes were in their greatnes and in their most glory and fame Such men liued then in Rome as did conquer the whole world Now assoone as Mithridatates was by Pompey ouerthrowē he addressed his battell against Tigranes who yeelded vnto Pompey without battell and came to Pompeis tent fell prostrate before him and deliuered vp his crowne vnto Pompeius After the yeelding of king Tigranes Pompey made warres with the Albanes and ouercame Orodes king of the Albanes in three sundrie battels he also subdued Arthaces king of Iberia and receiued him vnder the allegeance of the Romanes To be briefe Pompey was the onely man that not onely augmented the glory of Rome but also enriched Rome with infinite treasures gotten by his conquest of Cilicia Syria Phoenicia Iudea Mesopotamia Capadocia Armenia Iberia Albania and a great part of Arabia By these kingdomes whom Pompey conquered the reuenues of Rome were augmented three thousand and fiue hundred Myriades The glory of Pompey grew to be such in Rome that hee was elected to be a Consul alone himselfe without a fellowe for Pompey at his triumph ouer Mithridates his sonne for Mithridates him selfe as you heard died before the triumph had Tigranes also and his sonne and Aristobulus king of the Iues ledde before his chariot for at that time he triumphed ouer two kings and ouer two kings sonnes The pompe and pride of that triumph farre excelled other triumphes for Eutropius saith that at that very triumph Pompey had vanquished certeine pirates on the seas when Lucius Metellus had triumphed ouer Creete and therefore surnamed Metellus Cretius After that Pompey had finished these wars in the sixe hundred eightie nine yeere after the building of Rome Lucius Catiline a man of a noble stocke descended but of an euill disposition conspired with diuers other rash young men like himself but yet were they noble men and many gentlemen but by Ciceros meanes then Consul Cateline was expulsed foorth of the Citie and shortly slaine in a battell by Caius Anthonius fellowe Consul with Cicero some of his confederates were apprehended and thratled in prison others as Lentulus Cethegus with the rest slaine About this time Horace the Poet was borne and within fewe yeeres after Octauius which was called Augustus was borne afterward This time reigned in Egypt Alcetes the father of Cleopatra after whome Cleopatra with her brother reigned vntill Marcus Anthonius time with whome shee liued and died for nowe reigned in euery kingdome lieutenants and gouernours vnder the Romanes all kingdomes and countries were made prouinces vnder Rome These pirates nauies as Plutarch saith were about a thousand in number they had takē aboue 400. Townes they had spoiled many temples as in Samos the temple of Iuno in Tenaria
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
17. Dynasteia of the Egyptians which endured 103. yeeres During which time the shepherds had gouernment 7 Gerion surnamed Deabus raigned 35. yeeres he inuented the vse of many good things found first the vse of mynes of gold siluer and other mettals 8 After whom succeeded his three sonnes surnamed Lomuini which builded a towne after their owne name Lomuinia they also raigned 42. yeeres after their father 9 Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Libyus and the 9. king of the Celtiberians he raigned 11. yeeres he beganne his gouernment in the 36. yeere of Baleus Iunior the II. king of the Assyrians he did nothing but builded a towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis 10 After Hispalus succeeded the tenth king named Hispanus which raigned 32. yeeres by whom the whole countrey was called Hispania This time Iacob with his children went to Egypt when the great famine was almost ouer the whole world so long the name of Hispaine continued 11 Hercules after the death of Hispanus being verie aged raigned 19. yeeres at what time Mamitus the 13. king of the Assyrians gouerned at Niniuie 12 Hesperus raigned after Hercules 11. yeeres In Egypt began this time to raigne Mispharmutosis about which time Ioseph being an hundred yeres old died in Egypt Narbon raigned in that part of Fraunce which was called Celta after whome the countrey was after called Narbon 13 Kittim called in some places Atlas after hee had forced his brother Hesperus to forsake the kingdome and to flie into Italie raigned in Spaine 11. yeeres With this Kittim beganne to raigne in Assyria Maucaleus the 14. king and ouer the Argiues Crassus the fiftking 14 Sicorus raigned after Kittim Atlas who raigned 45. yeres for Kittim hauing his sonne in his steede to gouerne Spaine went to Italie and raigned there and was called for his great vertue and excellencie of minde of that countrey Italus This maried his daughter Electra to Cambo Blaston a Prince of the Ianigenes During the time of Sicorus Kittims sonne in Spaine raigned in Egypt Amenophis a cruel king who made a lawe that all the male children of the Israelites which then were in great cruell bondage in Egypt should be drowned in the riuer Nilus at which time Moses beyng borne then in Egypt was throwen to Nilus but he was preserued by the appoyntment of God This time reigned in Assyria Spherus the 15. king 15 Sicanus the sonne of Sicorus raigned after his Father 12. yeres king of Hispaine Phorbas the sixt king of the Argiues began in his kingdome to raigne and Sparetus the 17. king of the Assyrians 16 After Sicanus succeeded Siceleus which raigned in Spaine 44. yeeres this king came with the Sicilians to aide Iasius against Dardanus who both were in armes for the kingdome of Italie and did no other great thing In the beginning of this Siceleus raigne the kingdome of Athens beganne vnder Cecrops their first king in the fourth yeere of Sparetus the seuenteenth king of the Assyrians and in the sixte yeere of Marathus the thirteenth King of Peloponesus At what time Troyphas raigned the seuenth king of the Argiues and Acengeres raigned king of Egypt Functius sayeth that Mercurius Trismegistus an Egyptian Philosopher flourished about this time a great learned Priest whose bookes yet are to this day extant though some doe doubt of the same as in so ancient a thing men may easily doubt I thinke there was not so much diuinitie then in Egypt as Trismegistus seemeth to write in his bookes 17 After that Siceleus had raigned 44. yeeres his sonne named Lusus succeeded him and reigned thirtie yeeres this dwelt in that part of Spayne which he called after his owne name Lusitania thither he brought manie from Italie and other places to inhabite This Lusus beganne to reigne in Spayne in the thirteenth yeere of Ascatades the 18. King of the Assyrians in the verie yeere that Dardanus slue by deceit his brother Iasius and after fledde to Samothracia In the beginning of the reigne of this King the Israelites were deliuered from their bondage and great miserie vnder Pharao in Egypt after they had continued foure hundred thirtie yeeres there in seruitude This time reigned in Athens Cranaus their seconde king and ouer the Argiues Crotopus their eight king 18 Siculus the eighteenth king of Spayne succeeded Siceleus and reigned 64. yeeres That time that he beganne to gouerne Spaine then Dardanus beganne to erect a kingdome in Dardania which afterwarde was called Troy which was in the last yeere of Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria 830. yeeres after the flood of Noah This Dardanus after he was fledde to Samothracia for the killing of his brother Iasius for the gouernment of Italie he sought no right in Italie but resigned the same to Turrhenius who sailed into that part of Italie called Ianigena and possessed it and reigned 51. yeeres and Dardanus began his kingdome and was the first king of Dardania after called Troy This time Faunus Priscus reigned ouer the Latines then called Aborigenes for Latinus was the fift king after Faunus after whom they were called Latins after Latinus name their first king 19 Testa succeeded Siculus in Spaine and reigned seuentie yeeres During which time Manethon which onely writeth of the first 24. kinges doeth set downe nothing worth the writing for these kings were not heard of any way out of Spaine they liued so simply vnpeopled without any war or other exploits done the best is the noting of time thereigne of other kings the histories of the East coūtreys are by this historie briefly passed ouer During the 70. yeres of these kings Bellopares the 21. king and Lamprides the 22. king of the Assyrians reigned at Niniue Menophis gouerned Egypt Minos in Creete Abas ouer the Argiues Erictheus the sixt king of the Athenians In the latter yeeres of this king Samgar which succeeded Ehud iudged Israel after Samgar Debora and Barac 20 Romus the twentieth king that gouerned in Spaine he raigned three and thirty yeeres at what time raigned in Assyria Lampares the 24. king and ouer the Argiues Agrisius their fourteenth and last king In Dardania raigned Tros their thirde king who enlarged the citie of Dardania verie much and altered the name of Dardania after his owne name and called it Troia I take little heede to Manethon for hee doeth much differ from others in manie thinges and I make as much haste as I can to come to an ende Nowe after that Romus dyed Palatinus succeeded and raygned eighteene yeeres in whose time the kingdome of the Argiues was translated into Mycena where for a long time it continued 21 This time raigned in Troy Ilus after whose name Troy was called Ilion and in Assyria gouerned Paninas their 25. king Gedeon iudged Israel This Palatinus beyng a young man was driuen out of his kingdome by Cacus into Italie from whence
kept the Saracens in some awe and gaue diuers ouerthrowes vnto them during his time After whom succeeded Raimiris the first of that name and 9. king of Astura and Legio he raigned sixe yeres In his time Abderana king of the Saracens sailed with a nomber of ships from Affrica and inuaded many places in Italie and vsed great crueltie of whose tyrannie and spoiles euery where you may reade in the Historie of the Saracens I name none here but such as troubled Spaine whose historie I haue in hande during the time that they raigned in Spaine This time Theophilus helde the Empire at Constantinople and Lewes sirnamed the Godly the sonne of Charles the great was king of France and Emperour of Rome as his father was Now succeeded in Spaine Ordonius the first of that name who raigned king after Amiris 10. yeres During which time the Normanes and the Danes rushed into France and annoyed the countrey much burnt Antwerpe and afflicted the Friseans most miserablie All this while the cruel Saracens were no where quiet especially in Italy where they spoiled and killed all that they came vnto with sword and fire euen vnto the very gates of Rome burning all the suburbes of the citie About this time Anno 838. the Danes inuaded England but they were to their great losse ouerthrowen and vanquished by Egbertus at which time died Lewes king of Fraunce sirnamed the Godly After this Ordonius succceded Alphonsus the thirde of that name sirnamed the Great he raigned as a wicked cruel king who to auoyde suspition of his tyrannie fained a conspiracie to bee done of his owne brethren against him and therefore caused that all his three brethrens eyes should be plukt out thinking thereby with lesse danger to gouerne his kingdome Then succeeded Garsia who raigned 3. yeres after whom Ordonius the second of that name folowed king of Astura and Legio This king also vsed crueltie and caused 4. of the chiefe noblemen in the Prouince of Castile to be imprisoned and in prison to be slaine for which cruel fact the Prouince of Castile reuolted from Ordonius and they elected foure Iudges to gouerne the Prouince of Castile since which time which was 900. yeeres after Christ kings beganne a kingdome in Castile for now was Spaine gouerned as England was by 7. kings the gouernment whereof was called Heptarchia and therefore I wil passe ouer the time and infinite quarels and toiles which continued for a long rime in Spaine First betweene the Vandols and the Spaniards after betweene the Gothes and the Spaniards and then last betweene the Saracens and the Gothes CHAP. V. From the time that the Saracens possessed Hispaine vntill the time of Ferdinandus the great and Alphonsus king of Arragon which were the onely first two kings that possessed all Hispaine from the first Monarchie of their kings which was 2400. and odde yeeres so base a Countrey was Hispaine and conquered so many times vntill Ferdinandus time AT what time in diuers Prouinces of Hispaine dwelt seuerall kings which then gouerned and possessed Hispaine whose names are these that follow The first king after the inuasion of the Saracens which was driuen out of the kingdome was Pelagius who raigned twentie yeeres in Astura Phafilla Pelagius sonne raigned two yeres and was slaine by a beare in hunting Alphonsus sirnamed Catholike the first of that name raigned 19. yeeres His sonne Phroilla succeeded his father in Astura and Legio and raigned twelue yeeres and after was by his brother Aurelius slaine Veramundus Phroillas sōne succeeded but was forced to flie by Sillo which gouerned the kingdome after Phroilla 6. yeeres Mauregatus a base sonne of Alphonsus the Catholike tooke the kingdome of Austria by the meanes of the Mauritanes and raigned three yeeres Veramundus the sonne of Bilmarus which was sonne to Alphonsus raigned two yeeres Alphonsus the seconde sirnamed the Chaste raigned thirtie and six yeres This king raigning the Saracens spoiled and wasted all Sardinia and Corsica After him succeeded Raimirus the first of that name and raigned sixe yeeres in whose time Abderana king of the Saracens with an huge armie vsed great crueltie and tyrannie in many places After him Ordonius the first which raigned also tenne yeeres after whom Alphonsus the thirde sirnamed the great which raigned 46. yeeres Then succeeded Carsia the first of that name and raigned three yeres After whom succeeded Ordonius the second who vsed tyrannie in Castile the onely cause of their reuolting and of the change of their gouernment in chusing first to them foure Iudges and after erected kings At what time the kingdome of Castile beganne Reade Ritius more of this historie Then succeeded Ordonius Phroilla the seconde which raigned two yeres and after him Alphonsus the fourth which gouerned in Astura and Legio fiue yeeres Raimirus the second of that name raigned nineteene yeres this caused his brother Alphonsus eyes to be pluckt out and after to bee in close prison for that Alphonsus denied to become a Christian. In this Raimirus time the Hungarians ouercame Lodowicke king of Germanie and both Luitboldus duke of Bauaria and Burgardus duke of Thuringia were slaine at that time of the Hungarians Ordonius the thirde of that name raigned fiue yeeres and Sanctius the first of that name raigned 11. yeeres king of Astura Raimirus the thirde being a childe obtained the kingdom and raigned 25. yeeres by whome Abdera then king of the Saracens in Spaine was vanquished but Luiterus saith that one Ramirus king of Galatia vanquished the Saracens and their king whome he named Abdamara This time Enechus Countie of Bigora gaue a great ouerthrow to the Saracens and made the Saracens to forsake their cities and to flie from many partes of Spaine This Enechus founded then the kingdome of Nauarra as Ritig affirmeth Then succeeded in Spaine Veramundus the third who raigned 17. yeere This king after he had once or twise vanquished the Saracens yet they so preuailed that he was vāquished and ouerthrowen his citie of Legio assaulted and taken Lusitania possessed againe and the most places of Spaine wonne againe which the Saracens lost before This time the kingdom of Polonia beganne Alphonsus the 5. reigned 37. yeeres during which time the Saracens entred into Italie tooke Capua assaulted Barū destroyed many places and spoiled cities In this Alphonsus time the kingdome of Hungarie beganne in whose time reigned in Fraunce Hugo Capetus the first king of the Gaules Veramūdus the 3. of that namereigned after Alphōsus 6. yeres and Ferdinandus gouerned at Astura and Castile 40. yeeres Sanctius the 2. king of Castile and Alphonsus the 6. king of Astura the one reigned 13. yeres the other seuen yeeres but Sanctius being not contented with the kingdome of Castile draue Alphōsus out of his kingdome and possessed both Legio and Astura who fledde to Toletum to the king of
at Rome 1463. when Lewys the 11. raigned king of Fraunce Ferdinandus surnamed the great succeeded king of Spaine and raigned 41. yeres In this kings time the whole kingdom of Spaine was deuided betweene Ferdinandus and Alphonsus king of Portingal and Iohn king of Tarracon Nauarre Sicilia and of the yle Maiorica and of al that parte of Spaine when he died hee gaue to this Ferdinandus Alphonsus sonne who for his often great victories against the Saracens and many other good successes in other warres was thereby named Ferdinandus the great and also surnamed the Catholike for he had gotten the kingdome of Granata by the sword and excluded all infidels and Saracens thence and in their roome planted religion and placed Christians This was the first time that all Spaine was gouerned by two kinges the one in Portingall the other in Spayne for vntill Ferdinandus and Alphonsus time Spaine was as you heard by the Saracens possessed before the Saracens by the Gothes before the Gothes by the Vandales before the Vandales by the Romanes before the Romanes by the Carthagineans so long to so many kingdoms was Spaine subiect for of all nations in the world they were onely the longest in slauery and bondage vnder strange forraine kings They were from Hispanus time the 9. king of Spaine after Tubal after whose name the countrie was first called Hispaine 2200. yeeres past Spaine continued that name vnder bondage for the space of 2100. yeeres which was from Hispanus vnto the time of Ferdinandus and Alphonsus king of Portingal who first began to be acquainted with the Indians This Alphonsus king of Portingal dyed of a fall which he had from his horse afterward his brother named Emanuel succeeded who made great preparation to saile to India About this time dyed Philip Archduke of Austria father to Charles the fift at Bruggis in Spaine and Frederike the third Archduke of Austria was elected Emperour of Germany After Ferdinandus the great had reigned 41. yeres succeeded Charles Archduke of Austria to be king in Spaine who also was elected Emperour of Germany for he was crowned king of Spaine and of Sicile the seuenth day of Februarie 1518. and reigned 43. yeeres Vnder this king Charles the fift the Spaniards gote many victories in diuers countries they tamed the Affricanes and subdued Holand Flanders and places in Germanie they were skant knowen for all their vauntes and bragges before Charles the fifts time then they beganne to trauaile countries and to finde prayes and spoyles so that nowe a world cannot conteyne them forgetting that they were vassales and subiects first to the Affricanes then to the Carthagineans next to the Romanes after to the Gothes and last of all to the Saracēs who possessed well nigh al Spaine for many yeres they are so glorious of their enterprises so proude of their victories But as we reade one kingdome to rise by the ruine of another as the Assyrians began to florish by the decay of the Chaldeans the Persians by the fall of the Assyrians the Macedonians by the Persians the Romanes by the Macedonians and now Germany by the ruine of Rome euen so ma◅y a man speak of Spaine By the late decay of Naples Hierusalem Sicile and other countreies Spaine beginneth to flourish being wel aided thereunto by the Indians they which were as dead men bond slaues and subiects in the worlde neither knowne nor heard of for the space of 2000. and odde yeeres became so sudenly great and mighty that they thinke wel of no nation but them selues by their furie and wicked rage It seemeth that they should not long endure vnlesse God raised them for scourges and plagues for the punishment of sinne to punish other as they were before punished of the Saracenes and infidels But consider the time howe after 600. yeeres the pope the Romane bishop and Mahomet the prophet of the Saracenes began at one time the one in Arabia the other in Rome This priest in Rome and this false prophet in Arabia brought all the world welnigh to commitidolatry and to liue in awe and feare of them and now of late the Turkes and the Spaniards reuiue the memorie of the tyranny of the Saracenes the one mainteining the idolatry of the Pope the other defending the wickednes of Mahomet Thus much I write of Spaine during the time of their long bondage vnder so many nations as you hearde I haue put downe the names and the numbers of their first kings which were 24. at their first comming into Spaine and then of their seueral gouernment vnder particular magistrates then of their subiection vnder the Carthagenians after vnder the Romanes then vnder the Gothes and last vnder the Saracens so long the Saracens gouerned as kings in Spaine as 40. seuerall kings of Spaine liued and gouerned as mean and simple kings in few places of Spaine as in Astura Legio and Castile But now from the time of this Ferdinandus which raigned king in Spaine 41. yeeres their chiefe credite renowme appeared but specially vnder Charles the fift who gouerned the kingdome of Spaine 43. yeeres the Empire of Germanie for 39. yeeres with great glory fame After whom succeeded in the Empire his brother Ferdinandus to whom he resigned the empire aliue at Frankford after went with both his sisters Mary and Leonora into Spaine where he died in a Monasterie vpon the 20. of September where succeeded him his sōne Philp that now liueth of whose large territories great possessions mynes treasures of India bookes are full and set onely foorth for that purpose so that I neede not to speake thereof OF THE BEGINNING and the originall of the Nation which was called Galgreekes or Gallograecians of their inuasions spoile and slaughter in many Countries of Asia and of their ouerthrow by Cn. Manlius who with great pompe triumphed ouer them at Rome GAllograeci a French nation mingled with the Grecians as both Iosephus Zonaras agree This people dwelled sometime in Galatia being from the beginning Frenchmen and by the reasō they were in so many places skattered after they were driuen frō Rome by Camillus and after that Brennus their chiefe captaine died that at one time all Asia was full of Frenchmen by the name of Galli Iustine saith that no king of the East Countrie would take battell in hand without a French armie Againe if any king were by force driuen out of his kingdome they fled no where for aide but to Brennus captaine of the Gaules These people bearing such sway in diuers places of Asia that the king of Bythinia hauing occasion to craue some ayde for the defence of his kingdome who hauing wonne the victorie the king diuided the kingdome of Bythinia betweene him and the Frenchmen and therefore the Bythinians and the Frenchmen for that they dwelled in one Countrie being two seuerall nations were
with the Sicambrians as they had a litle before that time with the Affricans so much the Romanes were fearefull of these people that they appoynted Caius Marius Consul against the lawe being absent which was neuer seene before in Rome but once in the time of Cornelius Scipio in the warres of Affrike But to benefite a common weale lawes may well be infringed and specially when necessitie forceth the same as at that time Marius was appoynted against these stoute and strong people whom the Romanes called Cimbri but I referre you to Tritemius who onely wrote of these sixteene kings and of the people called Sicambri Likewise reade Plutarch in Marius and you shall knowe what strong warres what sharpe battels and with what inuincible courage they fought against the Romans Caius Marius Catulus Luctatius and other Romane captaines can well witnesse of the hardinesse of this nation for since the first time that this people came out of Scythia which was 400. and odde yeeres before our Sauiour Christ was borne they gaped alwayes for the Countrey of France being then inhabited with Gauls the people Celtae and the countrey it selfe called Gallia They held the warres with the Gaules nine hundred yeeres sometimes conquerours and sometime conquered they ceased not vntill they wearied all the Countrie about them and diuers places of Germanie and of Gallia waxed weake and feeble so the Frenchmen began to bee strong and to winne that which the Romanes had lost After that this Marcomirus had expulsed and vanquished the people that dwelt about Rhene and had committed to his brother Sunno the possession of that countrey hee went and passed ouer the riuer of Rhene in the foure and twentieth yeere of his raigne with a very huge armie of Sicambrians and Saxons wasted and spoyled with sworde and fire many townes and countreys in the West Gallia and after hee had made a great slaughter of the Gauls he entred in league with Britaines and returned a conqueror to see how the Germanes behaued and vsed Sunno where he died after he had reigned eight and twentie yeeres This Marcomirus was so famous had done such worthie feats in armes that thē his people after his death were called Marcomanni for so Plinie doth name them lib. 12. cap. 4. While this Marcomirus helde warres with the Gaules ciuill warres began in Greece which continued seuen and twentie yeeres Darius Nothus gouerned the Persians at what time in Rome a law was made that it should be lawfull for the Patricians and Senators to ioyne in marriage with the common people This time florished in Greece Pericles the Athenian and Socrates the Philosopher After Marcomirus his sonne builded townes and cities and made strong holdes and castles hee taught the vse of many things to his noble men and hee also taught the women which earst were rude and ignorant in Scythia to sowe flaxe and hempe and to weaue silke and other like things He made lawes to his people which neuer before heard of any law in Scythia brought them from rude and wild men to knowledge ciuilitie for this Antenor was taught by his wife Cambra Bellinus daughter king of Britaine She was wise modest and vertuous brought vp her sonne Priamus in ciuill knowledge and made him acquainted with orders and lawes insomuch that when his father Antenor died hee was able to gouerne his people with lawes for in the eight yeere of his reigne he his mother Cambra builded about the riuer of Rhene two great townes the one he named Neopagus where long the kings palace stoode and the other Neomagus in memorie of his name The Sicambrians this time beganne to speake the Saxons tongue for the maner and order of this people at that time whersoeuer they were scattred in any place of Europe or Asia they were named after the name of the place as I tolde you At their first comming into Germanie from Scythia they were of the Germanes named Neumagi after they were called Marcomani after the name of Marcomirus Then Sicambri after the name of Cambra Bellinus daughter for so long as they taried in Scythia they were named Scythians in Armenia they were called Armenians in Gallia they were called Gaules who when they had sacked Rome and taken it for seuen moneths they were constrained by Camillus to goe from thence to Galatia Macedonia or to any part of Greece they were called Gaulgreekes and so bare they as many names as those countreys had where they dwelt vntil Francus time by whom they were called Franci which to this day they holde Nowe after that Antenor had reigned thirtie yeeres and his sonne Priamus after him 27. succeeded Helenus the 4. king of Sicambria which reigned 19. yeeres This king had the Gaules in hand and plagued them he gaue them diuers repulses and in battell slue of them sixteene thousand wasted and subdued Gallia vnto the riuer Mosa for this was the countrey that they gaped and thirsted for During which time of 16. kings which gouerned after Cābra Bellinus daughter they persecuted the countrey of Gallia one king after another successiuely vntill Francus time In the time of this Helenus his father Priamus raigned in Persia Artaxerxes Mnemon surnamed the great and in Caria raigned king Mausolus a countrey in Greece In Macedonia raigned nowe king Philip. king Alexander the great his father the sonne of Amyntas this time Marcus Manlius conspired against Camillus and moued sedition in Rome and therfore he was adiudged to be throwen headlong downe from the rocke Tarpeia In the time of this Helenus Plato died in whose place succeeded Speusippus the Philosopher Aristotle the Philosopher and Demosthenes the Orator flourished and Iaddua was high priest in Iudea and continued 27. yeeres vntill Alexander the great his time Diocles the eldest sonne of Helenus succeeded the fourth king and raigned 39. yeres a seuere man bold and much giuen by nature to warres hee followed his predecessors in commencing warre in Gallia hauing like affection to the kingdome of Fraunce as his father and grandfather had before him he raigned king amongest the Cicambrians when king Alexander the great was in warre against Darius king of Persia and after Alexanders death 30. yeeres for in Diocles time the kingdomes of Egypt Asia and Syria began to flouri◅h againe vnder new kings which were souldiers and captaines vnder Alexander the great of whose ciuill warres you may reade in the histories of their kingdoms for Darius surnamed Codomanus the last king of Persia was slaine and his kingdome subdued the monarchie taken into Greece vnder the kings of Macedonia About this time the Romans begā their great wars with the Samnites when Pyrrhus king of Epirus had sailed with great nauie and entred Italie of whose warre there at that time Liui speaketh of and called it Bellum Ausonium when Pyrrhus was driuen out of Italie
and Lu. Papirius Cursor triumphed ouer the Samnites at what time he was Dictator in Rome after whome Quintu◅ Fabius being Dictator ouerthrewe the Samnites in a great battell Tritemius writeth that the Gothes commenced warre this time against the Saxons wasted and spoyled manie townes in the confines of the Saxons for at that time fiue kinges ioyned in a league of amitie with the Saxons and gaue a great ouerthrow to the Gothes to the number of a 100000. Gothes After this victorie Diocles was all the dayes of his life in fighting and wasting of Gallia and did much harme vnto them and when he had raigned 39. yeres died after whō succeeded his eldest sonne named Helenus the 2. of that name and the 6. king of Sicambria who was neither beloued of his people nor profitable to the kingdome for he was foolish in time of peace and peeuish in warre and therfore he was remoued from his kingdome for that he was not found sufficient to gouerne and his younger brother Bassanus was crowned king in Sicambria a man of great stoutnesse wisedome and iustice in so much hee spared neither friend kinne brother or sonne that violated his lawes wheresoeuer he would trauell he commanded two things to be caried before him the booke of the lawe and the sworde of punishment Tritemius writeth this historie of Bassanus that hee had a sonne named Sedanus who committed adulterie against the law was of his own father thus punished although his nobles and great men made much meanes to the king for his life yet Bassanus executed the lawe saying to his noble men in this sorte I haue made a lawe with your consent and to your contentation will you bee against your selues and against me in per◅urming of the same and turning his speech to his sonne he said My sonne I doe not kill thee but the lawes of the countrey which thou hast willingly violated and therewithall tooke him by the haires of his head with his owne hand beheaded him So iust a king was this Bassanus so seuere to wicked men so gentle to good men and so well esteemed of his people that as Amerodacus a Philosopher of their owne nation sayeth he was Appetentissimus diuinitatis Reade more of this king in Tritemius he raigned sixe thirtie yeeres and builded in memorie of his victory had ouer Taborinus king of the Tegurans a strong castle and named it Montabur While this Bassanus flourished in Sicambria Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus gouerned in Macedonia Lysimachus in Thracia and Philadelphus in Egypt at what time the Hebrew Bible was translated from Hebrew into Greek by the means of Philadelphus In the time of king Bassanus began the first warre betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes Zeno the Stoike Philosopher died this time and Eustratus the phisition flourished Nowe when Bassanus died his countreymen can onized him amongst the number of the gods and did of long time worshippe him after his death calling him Basangor after whom followed his owne sonne named Clodomirus raigned 18. yeeres in whose daies the feastes called Floralia were celebrated in Rome at what time the Romanes had peace with the Affricanes but were occupied in Bello Lygustico The Parthians which before were obscure and base people banished out of their countrey began to stablish a new kingdome and became so strōg that their kings were named Arsaces a name of dignitie as the Egyptians by their Pharoes and the Romanes by Caesars I see I shoulde bee long to speake seuerally of the rest of the kinges of Sicambria which are yet nine to write of therefore I will onely lay downe the names of these kinges from Marcomirus the first king of the Sicambrians vntil Francus the last king to auoyd tediousnes 1 Marcomirus the first king raigned 28. yeeres he made the first warres in Fraunce subdued vnto the riuer of Mosa 2 Antenor who maried Cambria the Brittaine Belinus daughter raigned 27. yeeres 3 Priamus the sonne of Antenor by Cambria raigned 27. yeere in this Kinges raigne the Sicambrians began to vse the Saxons tongue 4 Helenus the fourth king raigned 19. yeeres 5 Diocles the sonne of Helenus reigned 39. this king liued in the time of Alexander the great 6 Helenus the seconde of that name and the sonne of Diocles raigned 14. yeeres this king was abstracted and therefore he was forced to forsake his kingdome 7 Basanus the brother of Helenus reigned 36. yeeres at what time Philadelphus raigned in Egypt and Antiochus Soter in Syria This Bessanus builded a famous strong castle in memory of his victory had ouer Taborinus king of the Tegarenes and he named the castle Montabur At what time Heligastus a Priest and a Prophet amongst the Sicambrians flourished 8 Clodomirus the sonne of Basanus raigned in Sicambria 18. yeeres 9 His sonne Nicanor raigned 34. yeeres in what time the second warres of the Romanes began against the Affricanes 10 Marcomirus the second of that name and the 9. king raigned 28. yeeres 11 Clodius the tenth king of Sicambria raigned 10. yeeres 12 Antenor the eleuenth king raigned sixteene yeeres in the time of this king and his predecessor Terentius made his Comedies 13 Clodomirus the 2. of that name and the 12. king raigned 20. yeeres in whose time beganne the thirde and last warre betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes 14 Merodacus the 13. king raigned 28. yeeres this king inuaded Italie with 3000000. reade more in Plutarch of this people in the life of Marius 15 Cassander the 15. king of Sicambria raigned 21. yeeres this king ioyned with Arathius king of the Saxons and Borbista king of the Gothes entered into Germany and made a great slaughter of the Teutones 16 Antharius the sixteenth king he raigned fiue and thirty yeeres this king also played his part with the Romanes and wan Moguntia and made it euen to the grounde In whose time Iulius Caesar made his voyage to Britaine CHAP. II. From Francus the sixteenth king of Fraunce then called Sicambri vntill the time of Farabertus the 12. in number after Francus of the warres inuasions and victories of the enlargement of their kingdome from one king to another vntill Farabertus gouernement during which time they were called Franci after the name of Francus IN the yeere before the birth of Christ 245. Francus the eldest sonne of Antharius after that his father was slaine by the Gaules by the aide of the Romans succeeded in the kingdome of Sicambria became such an enemie to the Gaules that hee destroyed their townes and cities wasted their territories and spoyled the people not only the Gaules but also the Gothes and other nations insomuch that the Romanes hearing of this Francus courage and stoutnesse sent Lollius with a Romane armie who in the first battel that he gaue in Germany slue of thē 18. thousand Francus sent his sonne Clogio to aide his
shee was a Christian who laboured much with the king her husband to become a Christian and with as great care shee dayly solicited the king to reuenge her father and vncles death The thirde warre was against the Almanes at what time he vowed if God would giue him the victorie hee would become a Christian which he performed and obtained the victory and was baptized by Remigius bishop of Rheme The fourth warre was against Alaricus king of the Gothes whom he slew in the fielde and discomfited all his armie By these foure great victories Clodoueus had brought all Gallia to be all Fraunce for during his bastards sonnes time he subdued Turingia and enlarged his countrey from the riuer of Rhein vnto the riuer Sequana Theodoricus being by his father Clodoueus sent as President to Aquitania at what time he brought diuers people by the sworde vnder his fathers subiection as Albios Rhatenes Tolasates and the people called Auerni He subdued Vastonia and other places Reade more of the warres of Clodoueus of his vowes and conuersion to the faith and of his victories in Paul Aemilius and in Tilius who after he had raigned thirtie yeeres he died and was buried in Paris Hitherto reacheth Hunibaldus historie of the antiquitie of Fraunce which he wrote and deuided into 18. bookes conteyning the history of all the kings from the first Marcomirus which came from Scythia vntill the time of Clodoueus death which were 47. kings which raigned by sundry names for the space of 950. yeeres While this Clodoueus raigned the Saracens inuaded Phoenicia Syria and Thracia and did great harme This time raigned in Persia Lambases whom Procopius named Blasen and about this time Anastatius the Emperour builded a most strong citie in Mesopotamia and named it after his owne name Anastasia and walled the citie of Theodocia in Armenia which the Emperour Theodosius had builded In the time of this Clodoueus Arthur raigned in Britaine who did much annoy the Saxons and had if he had long liued restored the Britaines againe to their former libertie But to returne to the successors of Clodoueus who left behinde him foure sonnes Theodoricus Clodomirus Childebertus and Lotharius amongst whom the kingdome of Fraunce was deuided the whole kingdome made a Tetrarchia and so in processe of time the whole kingdome fell to Childebertus hand frō whom the lines of the kings of Fraunce descende vntill Hildericus though some say it doth descend from Lotharius yet raigned these 4. brethren in seueral Prouinces of Fraunce as foure Tetrarches for a time During which time reade Procopius and Paul Aemilius and see the euents of fortune the vncertaintie of states and change of earthly dignitie and how Theodoricus and Clodomirus two of the brethren with all their children died then Childebertus deuided the whole kingdome betweene him and his brother Clotarius In the meane season let vs see what was done in other countreys for while these foure brethren gouerned Fraunce Rome was taken being besieged by the Gothes and destroyed and left desolate by Totila king of the Gothes he also vanquished the Brutians and the Lucans hee tooke Apulia and Calabria and besieged Placentia This warre of the Gothes cōtinued 18. yeeres during which warre raigned 3. kings ouer the Gothes the first Vitiges who destroyed Rome in his time but reedified and builded againe by Belisarius the second king Alaricus who was slaine within few moneths so that the most time of this 18. yeeres were continued vnder Totila who plagued so sore Italy and Rome that after that time Rome was so decayed and possessed with strangers that sooner you should finde in Italy a Germane then a Romane and in Rome it selfe tenne Vandols tenne Gothes or tenne Longobards for one citizen in so much that they were not able to appoint a Consul to gouerne them who had gouerned them for the space of 447. yeres so long the Consuls of Rome gouerned the citie which was vntill the Emperours time and then they gouerned the whole worlde But now not onely the dignitie of Consuls was lost which were of long time languishing and decaying since ciuil warres betwene themselues with persecution of the godly and tyrannie of the wicked Emperors but the name it selfe vtterly perished and quite abolished by those nations of Germanie who were scant knowen in Augustus Caesars time and therefore valeat Roma cum Papa who entred into Rome and tooke possession thereof within 40. yeeres of Clotarius gouernment At what time he erected vp his Papacie in Rome when Mahomet aduaunced vp the kingdome of the Saracens The Pope beganne his Papacie in Rome 14. yeres before Mahomet beganne his kingdome ouer the Saracens in Arabia Nowe a Pope for an Emperour gouerned Rome a prophet for a king raigned in Arabia of whome I spake in the historie of the Church and in the historie of the Saracens And now I will make mention of Iustinianus who gouerned then as Emperour vnder whome Bellisarius annoyed Italy subdued Siracusa and tooke Catina and in the last yeere of his Consulship subdued Sicilia After that he passed into Affrica and deliuered Carthage from the siege of Stoze and appointed one Salomon gouernour ouer the towne This Bellisarius prooued so excellent a captaine vnder Iustinianus the Emperor that he aduanced the name of the empire through his victories gotten in diuers battels that some write that Bellisarius had a triumph graunted him at Rome appointed by the Emp. Iustinian much is writtē of this Bellisarius in the wars called Persicum which Iustinianus begā but Bellisarius ended This Bellisarius toke Catina Siracusa and subdued al Sicilie Rauenna Naples and was made generall vnder Iustinian in the East empire where he merited the name of a good souldier Iustinianus made the 4. bookes of the Institutes and other 50. bookes of ciuill lawe called the Pandects which Tribonianus ended and brought to perfection This time Cosroes king of Persia inuaded Cilicia and Syria he tooke Antiochia and now againe the fourth time after he had concluded peace with Iustinianus he inuaded the territories of the Romanes but he was now driuen thence by Bellisarius at what time Arethus king of the Saracens came and yeelded to Iustinianus both his kingdome and his children Totila king of the Gothes this time gaue an ouerthrow to Demetrius vpon the sea and tooke Neapolis During these 45. yeres Hunni inuaded Europe spoyled and wasted into Bizantium which is Constantinople in Britaine died Arthur the sonne of Vter Pendragon after whome succeeded Constantius a wicked lewde Prince about which time Narses a Persian with a great armie entred into Italie vanquished the Gothes at Tagira and againe the Gothes ouerthrowen by Narses at Necerium and at last driuen out of Italie and their king Totila slayne Thus farre Procopius writeth of the warres of the Gothes Nowe to Clotharius which raigned in Fraunce 5. yeeres after the death
Romane religion and allowing of the dignitie of the Pope into Fraunce for the which Pope Steuen created king Pipine one of the Romane Patricians this king grewe so great in Fraunce that the Saxons sought his friendship promisig to ayde him at all times with three hundred horsemen to any exploite In the time of king Pipine Salim a great Prince of the Saracens with eight hundred thousand Saracens inuaded Cappadocia without any great exployt done this time the Turkes issued foorth of their Caspian holdes and inuaded Armenia and after commenced warre with the Arabians in Fraunce After that Pipinus had quieted the state of Fraunce and was confirmed by the Pope to his kingdome for he was the first that allowed the authoritie of the Pope in Fraunce and after that Thassillo king of Bauaria had yeelded himselfe to the crowne of Fraunce and that the warres of Aquitania was ended when Nauserius their gouernour was slaine by his owne souldiers then Pipinus died after whom succeeded Carolus the great who raigned in Fraunce sixe and fourtie yeeres It is read that in euery countrie or kingdome some men are noted chiefe one excelling another and among these fewe gallant and famous one is euer preferred in all countries of whome they holde and bragge of their antiquitie their lawes kingdoms their chiefe conquests and victories generally they doe attribute to one aboue another as for example here I set downe Among the old Assyrians Nymrodes Belus But specially Ninus Among the old Egyptiās Vexores But specially Sesostris the Hercules of Egypt Among the old Persians Darius Histaspis Artaxerxes Mnemon But especially Cyrus Among the Greekes Miltiades Phocion biades Pelopidas Pericles and diuers others aboue all Themistocles Among the Romanes Titus Manlius Val. Coruinus Coriolanus and Camillus with others yet one Iulius Caesar aboue them all In Spaine Amongst all other iolly fellowes Viriatius most commended of late Charles the fift And so in Fraunce Francus Marcomirus and Pharamundus Yet Charles the great the onely man that aduaunced the name of Fraunce This king after his first entrie into Fraunce tooke Aquitania and Vastonia vnder his hand and after went into Italie being thereto requested by Hadrian then Pope of Rome where he waged sharpe warres with the Longobardes whom he vanquished and quite destroyed both them and their gouernment out of Italie where they reigned 204. yeeres after their first entring into Italie in the which voyage he not only confirmed that which king Pipinus his predecessor had before graunted to the Pope Stephen but also chargeth and cōmandeth that all the rites and ceremonies of the Romane religion shoulde bee vsed and solemnized within all the kingdome of Fraunce After this he returned into Fraunce made a voiage with an army into Spaine and tooke many townes and cities of the Saracens wasted and spoiled and did great harme in Spaine and did the like annoyance after his cōming home into Germanie for he subdued the Saxons and brought the Bohemians vnder the crowne of Fraunce After this hee made warres against the Hunnes which endured well nigh eight yeres This king ended many broiles and quarrels in diuers coūtries and withall hee had so enlarged the kingdome of Fraunce and brought all places and all nations subiect to Fraunce that hee was by his good successe and great victories had ouer diuers regions called Carolus the great and for that the gouernment of Carolus the great was such that almost all the Northwest kingdomes were eyther made fearefull of Fraunce or paying tribute or some seruice to Fraūce so that Carolus by his greatnesse euery where and by his fauour with Pope Leo was by the meanes of Leo created Augustus and made Emperor and the Empire brought from Rome into Fraunce from thence into Germany where it remaineth by the name of the Emperour of Almania the third remoue of the Empire for first frō Rome to Constantinople where it continued for a long time and frō thence remoued to Germany and last into Fraunce I wil set downe the names of all the kings of Fraunce from Clodouaeus the 2. the 12. after Faramundus vntill this Charles the great the 12. king of Gallia as I founde them in Functius and in Beroaldus table for Pharamundus began his reigne in Fraunce in the 299. Olympiad and in the yere of our Sauiour 420. and reigned as here you may reade in this table 1 Clodouaeus 2. reigned after his father 17. yeeres 2 Lotarius 3. succeeded and reigned 4. yeeres 3 Hildericus the 2. reigned 14. yeeres 4 Theodoricus succeeded his brother Lotarius and reigned 14. yeeres 5 Clodouaeus 3. 4. yeres 6 Hildebertussucceded his brother Clodouaeus reigned 18. yeeres 7 Dagobertus the 2. called alsoin Functius Clodouaeus reigned 4. yeeres 8 Lotarius 4. of that name and brother to Dagobertus reigned 7. yeeres 9 Theodoricus surnamed Cala sonne to Dagobertus the 2. reigned 15. yeeres 10 Hildericus surnamed Stupidus 9. yeeres 11 Pipinus surnamed the short came after Hildericus being deposed from his kingdome and reigned 18. CHAP. VI. From Charles the great the onely king of Fraunce in fame of whom all the states of Fraunce holde their lawes monuments and other ceremonies belonging to their inaugurations crowning and their seuerall pompe of his warres and victories against the Saracens of his diuers conquests euery where and of the taking of the Empire into Germany CHarles the great the twentie three king of Fraunce who was made Emperour and created Augustus by Pope Leo and the Empire brought thereby to Fraunce and into Germany for vntill this time the Empire remained in the East part called imperium Orientale which was Constantinople and remoued into Fraunce and Germany where it is called imperium Occidentale Hitherto I haue set downe the names of the kings of Fraūce lineally frō Pharamundus the first king of Gallia which reigned in the yere of Christ our Sauiour 420. vntill Carolus the great the 23. king after Pharamundus who being both Emperour and king gouerned Fraunce fourtie sixe yeeres This succession of kings continued 408. yeeres so that from the first comming of the Frēchmen out of Scythia which was in the 85. Olympiad twētie yeeres before the twentie one Iubilee vntill this Charles the great which was in the 814. yeere of Christ from Marcomirus vnto Francus 106. Olympiad whhich is 424. yeeres during which time they were called Neumagi Marcomanni and after Sicambri vntill Francus from Francus vnto Pharamundus 113. Olympiad which is 452. yeeres during which time they were called Franci from Pharamūdus to Charles the great 393. yeeres at what time they were first called Galli so that from Antenor who maried Cambra the daughter of king Belinus the Britaine vntill Charolus the great are 1270. yeeres By this time the kingdome of Fraunce waxed so mightie that Carolus was made Emperour by Leo the Pope as I said before Nowe Fraunce by meanes of his great fortune fauoured so
were al martyred in Persia vnder king Sapores The Emperor Constan. wrote to Sapores king of Persia in fauour of the Christians Melanct. lib. 1. Baetica now called Andolosia The Romanes made but two Prouinces of Hispaine Reade of Hispaine Strabo lib. 2. 3. Pomp. Mela lib. 2. cap. 6. Liui lib. 2. All writers are to holde by Moses Controuersie Contentions among Historians From whence came the people after the flood to seeke dwellings The time of Tubals comming to Hispaine Celtiberia called now Byskaâ—… The simplicitie of the first kings not only of Hispaine but euery where Berosus in Nino Annius de reg Hispaniae Tubal died Coniectures in old antiquities allowed Berosus Sabatius Saga The monument of Isis â—…n Egypt Manethon de reg Hispanâ—…e Noah died in Iubaldas time The towne of Babylon Noth died after hee had seene in the world more miserie then any man for that he sawe before the flood and after the idolatrie of the people Genesis 12. Pentapolis fiue cities destroyed Stagnum Asphaltidis Brigus the 4. king The Numidians would be called Hyarbae Drius Druydes priests The simplicitie of the first age after the flood Aureum seculum Consent of time the touchstone of trueth Genesis 22. A temple builded and dedicated to Ianus Tagus the fift king The old kings of Hispaine are set downe by Manethon as the kings of Assyria are by Berosus Abraham died Belus the sixt king Sem liued 600. yeeres Plato in Timâ—…o Herodot lib. 2. and 3. Deabus found the first mines of golde Mena is supposed to be Osiris which Moses calleth Mizraim and whom Berosus calleth Oceanus Triphon Anteus Gerion Busiris sound tyrants Annius de regibus Hispaniâ—… Med called gods The kings of Celtiberia were called kings of Hispaine about that time that the kings of Egypt were called Pharaones Nothing among the old kings of Assyria and of Hispaine worth the writing Manethon would fayne haue had cause to write of old Hispaine The 17. Dynasteia of Egypt which endured 103. yeres Lomuini From this Hispanus the couÌ„trey of Hispaine was named Narbon Annius de reg Hisp. Kittim Atlas Manethon de reg Hispaniae 〈◊〉 Sicanus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Spaine Siceleus Hermes Trismegistus Lusius 17. king of Hispaine The onely vse of this history is for consent of time 〈◊〉 kings of â—…ria and the â—…nges of Hispaine gouerned about one time Faunus Priscus Romus 20. king Manethon doeth write more of these historâ—…es Palatinus Cacus founde first the vse of yrons Manethon de reg Hispan Erythrus 23. king of Hispaine Aborigenes Gargorus Mellicola the last king of Hispaine Halicar lib. 1. The kings of Hispaine end their monarchie about the time that the Greciaus destroyed Troy Hispaine deuided into prouinces after the raigne of 24. Kings Ioseph lib. 2. cont Apio Strab. lib. 3. Strab. lib. 3. Turdetani were wise men of Hispaine The oracles of Mnestheus The commoditie of Hispaine not well knowen before the Romanes time Mines found by the Romans in Hispaine The auarice of the Romanes Hispaine was gouerned by seueral Magistrates in diuers prouinces for nine hundred yeres after their kings The first subiection vnder the Carthagineans The two Scipioâ—… Asdrub Mago The great victories of Pub. Scipio ouer the Hispaniardes and Carthagineans Bigerra the valure of the two Scipios Three great captaines of Africa Reade Liui. lib. 5. dec 3. The two Scipios slaine were much mourned for in Hispaine The praise of Scipio Scipio sent to Hispaine New Carthage assaulted and subdued by Scipio Asdrubal ouercome Mago Hanibals brother taken by Scipio Asdrubal slain The victories of Scipio ouer Asdrubal Hanno slaine King Syphax taken by Scipio Liui. 4. Scipios commendation of Iugurth Micipsa adopted Iugurth for his sonne Viriatus called the Hercules of Hispaine Vitilius and Q. Pompeius two Consuls ouerthrowen by Viriatus The names of Scipio knowen in Hispaine Famea and Asdrubal Sertorius Carthage aided by the Hispaniardes Sertorius a noble valiant Romane Metellus Cn. Pompeius sent to Hispaine against Sertorius Pompey and Metellus triumphed ouer Hispaine vpon one day at Rome M. Cato Spaine last conquered by Iul. Caesar. Augustus Caesar so honoured that the Spaniarâ—…s compted their yeres from Augâ—…stus time A Er. A. Hegyra Indictiones What time the Gentiles began to accompt their yeeres Hispaine vnder the Romanes 420. yeeres The time that Râ—…me flourished Germanie of no name before Augustus time Blondus Ritius Gundericus began in Hispaine when Faramundus beganne in Fraunce Reade â—…idus lib. 10. cap. 26. Pelagius Rodericus Muza Foure hundreth thousand Saracens inuaded Fraunce Saracens inuaded France the thirde time Car. Martellus had diuers victories ouer the Saracens Aygolandus king of the Saracens Abumalach 1 Pelagius the first king of Astura 2 3 4 alphonsus sonne named Catholike Phroilla the 4. king 5 6 Certaine noÌ„ber of yong virgins payed for tribute 7 8 Lusitania is now Portingale 9 Raimiris The spoile and wast of the Saraâ—… in Italy Alphonsus tyrannie Castile reuolted from Ordonius 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Luiterus lib. 5. cap. 1. 20 21 22. 23. 24 25 26. 27. 28. 29 30 Tolyd lib. 5. Illomamolinus 31 Hispaine set much at libertie by FerdinaÌ„dus 32 The force of the Saracens tryed 33 34 35 Alphonsus victorie ouer the Saracens Saracens ouerthrowen in Hispaine 36 Petrus slaine by Henry the second Reade Polyd. more 37 38 39 Lib. 20. The French writers can omit English victories Henry the fift crowned king of Fraunce in Paris 40 1475. 41 The first time that Hispaine was deuided betweene two kings Hispaine fiue â—…euerall times â—…onquered Hispaine first acquainted with India Hispaine began to florish this time and not before Hispaine got her greatest glory by Charls the fift The insolencie of Hispaine of late The decay of one countrie is the aduancing vp another The Hispaniards seifeloue The Pope and Mahomet com pared The long bon dage of Hispaine Ferdinandus sharles the fift Strab. 4. Ioseph lib. 1. cap. 6. Zona lib. 1. cap. 4. Iustine lib. 15. King of Bythinia Lu. Florus lib. 2. cap. 11. Iustine lib. 25. Gallograeci Brennus the Britaine inuaded Italie and tooke Rome Ambigatus Bellenosus and Sigonesus Brennus generall Lomnorius Lutarius The kings of Asia and Syria payed tribute to the Gaulgreekes 15000. talents of the gold of Tolossa Gellius lib. 3. cap. 9. lib. 32. The temple at Tolossa robbed by the Romans Sacriledge reuenged Diod. lib. 5. The sauage and cruell tyranny of the Gallograecians Ruffinus de Origine Gallograec Cneus Manlius triumphed ouer the Gaulgreekes Florus lib. 2. Liuius lib. 8. decad 4. The first comming of the Frenchmen into Germany Gomer Beroal lib. 4. Strab. lib. 4. 5. Mela lib. 2. 5. Solinus cap. 22. Marcomirus slaine by the Gothes The Frenchmen forced to seeke dwellings by the sword They dwelt about the riuer of Rhene and after in Bohemia and about Witenberge Gens aspera bellicosa Brennus driuen from Rome by Camillus
figure thereof he said by the spirite of prophesie that vvhen his sonne Noah vvas borne this should comfort vs concerning our vvorke and sorovv of our hands as concerning the earth vvhich the Lord hath cursed The last man of the first age vvas Noah a iust and vpright man in his time before God hee likevvise vvalked vvith and obeied GOD in all things and therefore found fauour vvith God vvith vvhom God made his couenant established the same vvith a signe for thee only haue I found iust and righteous in this age vpon the earth for Noah vvas called the righteous preacher preaching vnto the vvicked for amendment of life and because they vvere luld in all kind of securities and feared not God Noah departed from them and vvent to another land for hee vvas vvarned of God of things that vvere not seene as yet concerning the Arke God vvas so much offended vvith the vvickednesse of the vvorld that his vvrath vvas kindled to see such iniquitie vpon earth for the whole world was corrupt before God and vvas filled with crueltie all flesh had corrupted his way and all imaginations of mans thoughts were so euil and wicked that it repented the Lorde to haue made man and as it were disauowing man to be his creature they were so addicted to intemperancie lust gluttonie and securitie the foure principall causes of the flood which for sinne destroied man and beast and yet in mercie God spared man 120. yeeres to repent before he woulde destroy the worlde No dout many things haue bene written of the olde Patriarches in the first age and thought of many writers that Adam and his sonne Seth had made two tables of stone wherein they wrote many goodly things to their posterity The best warrant is read in Iosephus for that he trauailed much in the historie of the Iewes and their other histories called Drash for their Rabbies heape many fables beside the historie of Moses in their Chronicles called Drash so Philo Iudaeus Herodot and Melancton from them affirme It is written againe that Adam and Seth foreseeing the deluge of the world caused two pillars to be set vp the one of brickes the other of brasse one to resist the violence of the water the other to endure the rage of the fire but I see no reason that Adam should prophecie the same to be from God and yet he being man sought meanes by naturall reason and waies by arte to preuent the euerlasting decree of the Almighty Iosephus might wel erre in that I thinke that many things are written of the Iewes which doe not agree with the purpose of Gods prouidence nor his counsell for the Iewes recorded in their bookes of histories called Drash any thing that might be coniectured true and which they themselues supposed in opinion to be true as the maners of their Talmudists were Iosephus a great writer of the Iewes antiquities the best Historiographer of Chaldean histories who wrote more and is more to be commended then any other and because he thinketh much amisse for any man to seeke recordes of antiquities amongest the Graecians men of late knowledge hauing their beginning and first originall from Egypt and Chaldea specially Assyria and Chaldea the first seate of man after the flood for the Greekes began to flourish in the declining age of the world when that Assyria Chaldea Egypt and other places of the East were wasted consumed with sword and fire for so it seemeth by the Philosopher Calisthenes report then being with Alexander the Great at the siege of Babylon writing vnto his cosin Aristotle who had bene his preferrer vnto Alexander to that purpose he might search out the Libraries of Babylon and to certifie Aristotle of those antiquities specially of Astrologie wherein the Chaldeans past and of their monuments wherein the Greekes were ignorant for Calisthenes sent vnto Aristotle howe that Babylon was farre more famous for all kind of learning and knowledge twelue hundred yeeres past then it was when Alexander the Great did besiege it certifying him with recordes of 19. hundred yeeres before Alexanders time Berosus an ancient writer and a man of great authoritie amongst the Chaldeans saith that Arphaxad one of the sonnes of Sem whose birth vvas 2. yeeres after the flood christened the first name of this Countrey after his ovvne name aftervvarde it vvas called Cephem and novve last named Chaldea of the situation of this Countrey and the seate of Babylon I vvill let the reader reade of it in Ptolom◅us and in Pomponius Mela. I vvill goe on vvith my historie When C ham the second sonne of Noah had begotten a sonne named Chus and Chus had begotten a sonne named Nemrad this began to take armes and to become great in his doings he became mightie in earth vsing violence and force against all people framing himselfe to be first Emperour of the vvorlde so full of crueltie and tyrannie that it grevve vnto a prouerbe as it is in the Genesis as Nemrod the mightie hunter before the Lorde his oppression vvas such that he passed not to commit crueltie euen in Gods presence This Nemrad began to rule in Babel in the land of Shinear aftervvard called Chaldea vvhere he and his companie returning from Armenia vvhere they after the flood began to build vp an high tower whose top should reach vnto heauen to get them a name vpon earth least they should be scattered ouer the whole earth thinking through pride and ambition to preferre their owne glory before Gods honor but vaine is the helpe of man their wicked enterprise was ouerthrowen for God sawe their follie and so confounded them in their deuises in their speach that one could not vnderstand another Then were they deuided and scattered then confusion of tongues began which was then in the house of Heber onely the Hebrew tongue then began people to seeke out countries and to inhabite the earth The posteritie of Sem to great Asia Persia Assyria and Chaldea and all the regions about Euphrates towards the East part of the world The posteritie of Cham went to Egypt Aethiope Libya and possessed all places about Nilus and reached towards the South vnto the furthest part of Affrica and the posteritie of Iaphet possessed all the Westcountrey the lesser Asia and all Europa of whom all the Gentiles sprang out Thus much for the first age from Adam vnto Noah 1656. Now I meane particularlie to follow my historie as the reason is offered vnto me by following the sonnes of Noah their children and posterities frō the land of Senaah vnto euery part of the earth CHAP. I. Of the most ancient and true historie of the Hebrewes after called Israel of their lawes and originall gouernment called Oligarchia from Abraham vnto Moses THE historie of the Hebrewes for that it is most ancient from Hebers time the fourth from Noah and most true for that it is written by Moses and confirmed by the
of Cyrus which he also established by the meanes of Zorobabel in pleasing the king for his probleame as it is written in Esdras But God still exercised his people with some crosses because of their stubbernes for from the time they came home vnder Zorobabel they had maried with the Gentiles and offended God vntill the comming of Esdras from Darius with authoritie to build to repaire and to inhabite Ierusalem for so doth Bucholcerus in his Chronicles write saying that Daniel doeth comprehend in two words Ierusalem inhabitabitur aedificabitur the whole summe of Esdras bookes Nowe in the time of Darius of Cambyses before him and of Cyrus before Cambyses God stirred vp diuers excellent men to helpe his people to restore his Church and to builde his city againe as Zorobabel Esdras Nehemias with others whose care delight and zeale are extant in their owne bookes which they wrote For after their returne from Babylon there was peace and tranquilitie in Iudea vntil Ochus time for Nehemias liued 130. yeres and saw being very old a new broile and a greater calamitie of his coūtrey for though the posteritie of Dauid cōtinued vntil the time of the Machabees as gouernors Iudges of the people not naming themselues kings for the reuerence and feare which they bare vnto the kings of Persia. Salathiels sonne first gouernor of the Iewes after the captiuitie of Babylon Zorobabel of whom mention is made in Zacharie ruled Israel wisely discreetly 50. yeres Resa Mesulla the 2. gouernour in whose time Nehemias and Esdras came from Babylon to Ierusalem After him succeeded Iohanna Benresa the third Iudge who gouerned Israel 53. yeres The 4. was Iudas Hircanus the first of that name and thought of Melancthon to be so called for that Ochus king of Persia brought with him a nomber of the Iewes to Hircania and therfore Iudas was sirnamed Hircanus This iudged Israel when Alexander conquered Darius raigned 14. yeres Then Ioseph the first ruled the Iewes 7. yeeres The 5. ruler after Ioseph came Abner to gouerne the Iewes in whose time Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi the first king of Egypt after Alexander the great vnder pretence to do sacrifice vpon the Sabboth day tooke the towne spoiled the temple slew imprisoned the Iewes and brought to Egypt infinite treasure Now after this Abner the 6. Iudge since the time of Alexāder succeeded of Dauids stock frō Abner to Ianna Hircanus the 2. who was the last of 15. gouernors ouer the Israelites after the captiuitie for they cōtinued euen vnto the time of the Machabees After this Haman plaied his part and thought to haue al the Iewes slaine cōmanded a gallowes to be made for Mardocheus the historie hereof is found in the booke of Esther for about the time of Cyrus death the gouernment was then altered in Rome Consuls were made after the building of Rome 244. yeres in the 67. Olympiad in the beginning of the 9. Iubilie at what time Cambises had subdued Egypt brought them subiects to the lawes of Persia After Cambises Darius went against the Getes and ouerthrew them and his chiefe captaine Zopirus sonne Megabisus vanquished the Thracians and subdued the Peonians and tooke Perinthus During this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Policrates the tyrant of Samos The Philosopher Pythagoras and Hippocrates the Phisition liued this time While the Iewes as you heard were in planting themselues in Ierusalem againe the Graecians were busie one with another Tyrants ruled Greece and gouerned by the bloodie law of Draco for Hipparchus and Hippias vsed tyrannie in Athens and were slayne both by Hermodius and Aristogiton Aristagoras a tyrant reuolted and rebelled against Darius which mooued Darius in armes against the Ionians and ouerthrew them and tooke their chiefe citie called Miletum A litle after Miltiades the chiefe captaine of Athens by the councel of Callimachus the famous Graecian ouerthrewe Darius king of Persias lieutenant called Hippias in the battell of Marathon where he slewe 6300. Persians as both Thucidides and Iustine doe report This ouerthrow of the Persians was at that very time when Tarquinius superbus made his last battel with the Romane Dictator Posthumius where he was put to flight and after died in exile Aristides surnamed the Iust was banished this time from Greece and Alcibiades called backe to Athens from his banishment Now Nehemia causing the law of Moses to bee read as an ordinance to serue God and reproouing them for their disobedience in ioining themselues with strangers they were in some quietnesse for a time though sometime murther and slaughter were betweene themselues committed for the which cause Bagoses the generall of Artaxerxes armie vnderstanding that the high Priest slewe his brother in the Temple being a deare friend to Bagoses he plagued the Iewes againe for the space of seuen yeeres and reuenged his death with slaughter and tribute he placed Iaddus in the office of the priesthood in his fathers place This high priest had to his brother one named Manasses which was sent to Samaria by Darius the last king of Persia. A little while after this Alexander the great after that his father Philip died hauing brought his armie ouer the Grecians sea called Helespont vnto the riuer of Granicus hauing subdued the Lydians Tyre besieged and taken Thebes wasted and spoiled al Asia he ouerthrew Darius the king of Persia carying his souldiers through Caria inuaded Pamphilia came ouer Euphrates vnto Syria tooke Damascus besieged Tyre and Sidon and he wrote to Hierusalem to the hie Priest Iaddus that his souldiers might haue passage without interruption and also requiring the tribute that was paied to Darius to be paid to him and to the crowne of Macedonia for that Alexander had vanquished Darius and had caried the Empire of Persia vnto Greece they of Hierusalem were frighted and much amased what to doe But cōcluding among themselues they opened the gates and the hie Priest came out with all the Priestes the Elders and Nobles of the Citie in most solemne sort to meete Alexander out of Hierusalem vnto a place named Sapha and saluted Alexander most humbly being in precious garments and pontifical robes with his sacred mitre whereupon was written the name of the God Iehoua The solemnitie and state whereof made Alexander to light from his horse and to yeelde to the hie Priest more honour and reuerence then his countreymen the Macedonians thought wel of so great a king so mightie a cōquerour euen Alexander the great to humble himselfe to a silie priest Parmenio demaunding the cause of Alexander why he honoured the priest somuch he answered that he reuerenced God whom the hie Priestrepresented at that time for I dreamed of these men euen as I behold them nowe when I was yet in Macedonia This Priest exhorted me then to be of good courage and bade me goe forward with my armie to Persia. Thus with great honor
Therefore Pompei the great being a heathen man and driuen to flight in the the battell at Pharsalia by Iulius Caesar desirous to know of Cratippus the Philosopher the euents of the warres betweene Iulius Caesar and himselfe demaunded of him an sit prouidentia whether the decree and purpose of God is vnchangeable Cratippus answered him though a heathen Philosopher yet like a true Christian saying Fatales esse imperiorum periodos the prouidence of God is most sure and certeine for then the Romane Monarchie beganne by Iulius Caesar the first Emperour of Rome which Pompei founde true within a while after and so Chaldea first and Assyria after so the Medes so the Persians so the Grecians and last of all the Romanes came to destruction by not confessing God neither acknowledging his prouidence as you shall reade in their seuerall histories But nowe to speake of the rest of the kings of Assyria for that they were at one time and gouerned together Belus the sōne of Nimrod after he had as you haue heard laid the fundations of Babylon by his father Nimrod before appointed a peaceable prince quiet gentle curteous vnto his subiects vntil about the latter end of his reigne hee became to bee ambitious most cruelly giuen to enlarge the Empire of Babylon and as Berosus saith to bring all Nations vnder the Chaldeans he went about first to destroy a mightie great king in those dayes which much hindred Belus purposes named Sabatius king of Saga This Sabatius perceiuing that Belus laid secret snares euery way for him and seeing that he could by no meanes escape the hads of Belus he hid himself in a secret place with the Caspiis Annius saith in the 5. booke vpon Berosus that this Sabatius was Saturnus Now Belus being old hauing reigned 62. yeeres grew so great and so mightie that al the nations about honored him as a god he commanded Nynus his sonne a little before he died by al meanes possible to destroy Sabatius Saga and by the sword to compell all nations and countries and al people to be vnder the Empire of Babylon for that it was the first kingdome after the flood When he had reigned king 62. yeeres he died to whom the Assyrians after his death erected his statue or image they made so many monumēts to Belus after his death that thereby they began to commit idolatry to put vp images naming them Baal Bel after the name of Belus Nynus succeeded his father Belus the third king of the Assyrians imitating his father both by nature and by cōmandement lost no time but streight in armes where his father subdued the most part of Assyria and Asia this king went further hauing conquered euery where vntill the coasts of Libya finding the people yet not able to resist him not acquainted with wars but seeking meanes to fortifie their kingdomes being as yet weake and tender without any great force not so strong as to resist Nynus being at that time the greatest king in the worlde which ouercame Aricus king of Arabia but some say king of Ellasar and after conquered Barzanes king of Armenia as Berosus affirmeth After he returned to Media where Pharnus king of the Medes and his seuen sonnes were slaine with their armie thence proceeded forward to Bactria where Zoroastres remained as king to whom Iustine ascribeth the first obseruations of the starres naming him the first Astrologer of the worlde after the flood this gaue Nynus a great ouerthrowe in the first battell putting the enemies to flight after he had slaine 100000. of the Assyrians Nynus hauing this foile returned with greater force ioyned againe in battel ouercame the Bactrians slue their king possessed the kingdome by the pollicie of Semiramis whō afterward he maried which historie you shall finde in Diodorus Siculus at large This Nynus excelled his father augmenting the Empire of Assyria by the conquestes hee did of all Asia and of all the East kingdomes vnto the Indians hee amplified the Citie of Niniue which Assur the sonne of Sem began to builde as Iosephus and Philo Iudaeus doe affirme but Melancthon saith that Nynus two hundred yeeres after builded Niniue after Assur began it that Nynus enlarged it beautified and made it so great that it conteined foure hundred furlongs of ground which is fiftie miles after our accompt it had a thousand and fiue hundred wonderfull great towres vpon the walles it had the onely soueraignetie of the worlde and there Nynus and all the kings of Assyria kept their Courtes this was called by Nynus after his owne name Niniue it was builded in the valley of Aturia not farre from the riuer Tygris this Niniue was farre greater then Babylon as you may reade in Herodotus at large and was the chiefe seate of the kings of Assyria a thousand and two hundred yeeres some write one thousand three hundred and more Howe true Berosus writes of the pilgrimage and iourneys of Noah I referre it to the reader but hee sayeth that in the tenth yeere of Nynus the third king of Babylon after that Noah had trauailed many Countries had giuen them lawes he came to Africa from Africa after that heehad taught the people for a time he came into Italie in the nineteenth yeere of Nynus at what time Noah was eight hundred and three score yeeres olde and liued after in Italie and in Hetruria 92. yeeres for so long liued Noah which was in all 950. Many Monuments and Townes builded by Noah in diuers Countries are set written by Berosus lib. 5. and by Annius in his Comentarie Abraham was 57. when Noah died After this Nynus had reigned 52. yeeres he died and was buried in his owne Citie of Nynus where his wife Semiramis buried him so honorably with such a sumptuous Toumbe that it was the onely paterne which Artimesia the queene of Caria made for her husbande Mausolus and counted for the rarenes thereof one of the seuen woonders of the worlde Wee reade in Zenophon that Semiramis caused an Epitaph to bee set vpon one of the pillars of this graue with these wordes Mihipater Belus Iupiter Auus Saturnus Babylonicus proauus Chus Saturnus Ethiops Abauus Saturnus Aegyptus atauus Caelus Phoenix Ogiges repeating the petigree of Nynus to be the sonne of Belus the sonne of Nimrod the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham the sonne of Noah Archilogus writeth that he beganne to reigne a king ouer the Assyrians 250. yeeres after the flood In this Nynus time Abraham was borne Semiramis after her husband was dead beganne to fortifie the walles of Babylon ruled and gouerned most stoutly the Assyrians and the Caldeans 42. yeeres adding to the Empire more Regions and Countries after her husbands dayes subdued the Ethiopians ouercame the Indians and their king Staurobates which neuer was done or by any enterprised beside Semiramis but onely by Alexander the great
that the olde Assyrian Empire possessed but a litle part of Assyria Modicam quandam Assyriae partem obtinuit as Dionysius affirmeth for during the time and gouernment of the first kings of Assyria euen from Nynus the first king vntill Sardanapalus their last king was fabulosum tempus the trueth of their historie and the glory of their Empire appeared from the time of Phul Belochus which was father to Phul Assur and in the sacred Scripture named Tiglat Assur This Phul Assur was father to Salmanasser and Salmanasser was father to Senaherib At this time it was called newe Assyria whose Empire was againe after the death of Saneherib by Merodach brought into Babylon for in Babylon the first Empire began after translated from Babylon to Niniue and now from Niniue to Babylon againe where it ended in Balsaar as it shall be shewed when the historie commeth to it In this kings time the Midianites preuailed much against the children of Israel for seuen yeres and they were sore oppressed vntill Gedeon was sent to be their deliuerer and to be their iudge Then Pannias or otherwise Pannas was the 25. king of Assyria in whose time the kings of Argiues ended their kingdome their Empire was translated into Mycena after they had gouerned as kings 540. yeeres In this time reigned in Athens Pandion and Mydas gouerned in Phrygia About which time Abimelech the tyrant vsurpeth the kingdome of Israel and putteth seuentie of his brethren to death Habuit mercedem for at Thebes as Abimelech was besieging a high strong Towre a woman did cast a piece of a milstone vpon his head and brake his braine panne after he had bene a iudge in Israel three yeeres In the 24. of Pannias happened the fourth Iubilee after Moses In this kings time likewise ruled in Israel Thola a iudge of the tribe of Isachar and gouerned the people of Israel 23. yeres After this reigned Sosarmus 19. yeeres in Assyria It is written that Orpheus the Thracian the most famous and most auncient musitian liued at this time Iair the Gileadite gouerned Israel 22. yeeres this iudge had thirtie sōnes that rode on 30. asse coltes men of great authoritie for they had thirtie Cities in the land of Gilead and they kept the land in peace 22. yeeres Now Faunius Iunior gouerned Italie to whom Euander came from Arcadia and had giuen him certaine lands in Italie which Euander called afterward Palatinum Manethon writeth that Hercules Amphitrions sonne was borne about this time of whom the Poets faine that he was the sonne of Iupiter of this man more shal be spoken amongst the Grecians when I speake of their histories But againe to the Assyrians who had after Sosarmus a king called Mytreus the 27. king and raigned 27. yeeres in the latter ende of this kings raigne Hercules killed Cacus the great giant in mount Auentine after Hercules ouerthrew Troy and killed the king called Laomedon and made Priamus his sonne king of the Troyans who againe repaired and builded vp Troy to be one of the strongest townes of the worlde This Hercules came to Italie fiftie and fiue yeeres before AEneas comming and gaue to the Italians lawes Reade of this more in Halicarn lib. 1. In Israel after Iudge Iair died it was 18. yeres interregnum without a Iudge and they wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord againe and serued Baalim and Ashtaroth the gods of Syria and the gods of Sidon the gods of Moab the gods of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines and God was angrie with them and deliuered them to the handes of their enemies who vexed and oppressed them 18. yeeres vntill the time they put away the strange gods and serued the true God with great repentance Ishai the father of the Prophet Dauid was borne about this time three hundreth yeere after the Israelites going out of Egypt Nowe with the Assyrians Tautanes the 28. king beginneth to rule about which time Hercules appointed the games of Olympia where all the Grecians came to exercise feates of armes running and wrastling with all other kinde of exercise 430. yeeres before the Olympiads began This time happened in Egypt in the Isle of Pharao a great deluge called Diluuium Pharaonicum which did ouerflowe the whole countrey which was seldome seene in Egypt for that they haue no raine but onely the ouerflowing of Nilus which once a yeere happeneth vnto them By this time Iephtah was made Iudge in Israel a valiant man but for that hee was a bastard sedition grewe in Israel against Iephtha by the Ephraimites his brethren thrusted him out and Iephtha fled to the land of Tob but hee was made afterward captaine ouer Israel and hee subdued the Ammonites from Aroer to Abel 20. cities and slew 42. thousand of the Ephraimites and for the victorie here of he sacrificed his daughter vnto the Lord according to his vow though it was rash vnlawful In this Tautanes time raigned 4. Iudges Iephtha 6. yeres Ibzan gouerned 7. yeres some thought this to be Boas the husband of Ruth the grandfather of Dauid this had 30. sonnes and 30. daughters After him Elon of the tribe of Zabulon iudged Israel 10. yeeres and after Elon ruled Abdon this Iudge had 40. sonnes and thirtie sonnes sonnes that rode on 70. assecolts and he gouerned Israel 10. yeres and died About this time Theseus rauished Helen the wife of Menelaus which being by Adoneus king of the Molosseans taken was rescued by his felow and alwayes his companion Hercules In the kingdome of Assyria succeeded Tautanes who raigned 40. yeres of which we reade nothing worth the writing At this time Samson the sonne of Manoah of the tribe of Dan gouerned Israel 20. yeeres he plagued the Philistims who had kept Israel vnder hand for their sinnes wickednes for God was angrie with them for notwithstanding all his goodnes his mercy towardes them and his miracles amongst them yet they still rebelled and moued the Lord to wrath this Samson was the last Iudge of Israel Then the state of the Israelites gouernment was altered and they were vnder Ely the priest At this time raigned a king that gouerned the Thuscanes named Ocnus Beanor this builded Mantua the coūtrey where Virgil was borne which the Romans called after Hethruscanes Now that the race of the Iudges of Israel is ended which continued from Moses death vntil Samuel 357. yeres God suffred kings to gouerne his people and appointed his Prophets to direct his kings this came to passe in Samuels time who anoynted Saul king ouer Israel and they both together raigned 40. yeeres By this time Tyneus the 30. king of the Assyrians raigned in Niniue 30. yeres and in the 13. of his raigne the 7. Iubilee of the Iewes began The kingdome of Hispane before called Iberia before that time Celtiberia is in this time deuided into prouinces into seueral gouernmēts of
Cranaus the second king And ouer the Argiues Crotopas their eight king CHAP. II. Of the kings of Egypt after Ramesses time sirnamed Aegyptus ' at what time Oceana was called Egypt after the name of Aegyptus before Mizreia NOw after the great ouerthrowe of the Egyptians in the red sea after a while began to raigne in Egypt Ramesses sirnamed Aegyptus after whose name Egypt was then called as Manethon writeth for at the first Egypt was named Oceana or Mizreia and the second time it was named Aerea and nowe the thirde time called Egypt as you reade before This Aegyptus after hee had vanquished his brother Danaus he vsurped vpon the Egyptians and raigned king of Egypt 68. yeeres for Egypt had not recouered her former state as yet since the ouerthrowe of Chencres and all the states of Egypt who perished in the red Sea pursuing the Israelites Of this Manethon seemeth most ignorant saying that the shepheards were driuen out of Egypt for some natural foule filthie disease as leprosie which the Israelites had affirming that Moses was an Egyptian borne in the citie of Heliopolis and that he was named Onarsiphus and became leprous and then went to the Israelites which euery where Manethon nameth Hicsos shepheards or captiues and became conuersant with them and was driuen out of Egypt with them In the beginning of this Aegyptus raigne Moses died after whom succeeded Iosua the second Iudge of Israel This time raigned in Assyria Amintes their 19. king Also Dionysius otherwise Bacchus whom the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subdued India and builded a towne after his owne name called Nisa in remembrance of his great victories that he had ouer the Indians Now succeeded in Egypt Myris or Moeris as Herodotus doth call him this king restored Egypt againe and recouered strength and great power and builded many notable and famous monuments worthy to be remembred he brought the riuer Nilus being out of hope to be repaired in course againe he made the lake Miris of such wonderfull bignes that he farre excelled the rest of the kings before him This Myris made the Labirinths of Egypt which after Dedalus taking an example of those Labirinths made the like in Creete imitating Myris in all points he builded such monuments for Vulcan in Egypt as Herodotus calleth them Digna Vulcano vestibula where you may reade more This king raigned fourtie yeeres in Egypt and had a sonne succeeded him of no lesse fame then himselfe named Sesostris of whom the priestes of Egypt spake much he began to augment the kingdome of Egyyt with diuers victories ouer the Syrians Phoenicians Thracians Scithians and the most part of Asia This king onely conquered Aethiopia and was king proclaimed both of Egypt and Aethiopia this king waxed strong on land and sea he made more monuments of his victories in diuers strange kingdoms leauing behinde him his statues and Images erected vp in forraine countreys some of them Herodotus doeth affirme to haue seene in his dayes which liued about Xerxes time one he saw in Palestina cut in a large stone with letters written round about his picture And about Ionia he saw two statues or pictures of this king Sesostris the one betweene Ionia and the citie of Ephâ—…sus the other as men goe from Sardinia into Smirna he was cut in two great high stones of fiue cubites length holding in his right hand a speare and in the left hande a bow being in all points of his apparell armed like an Egyptian with this sentence written betweene his two shoulders in the Egyptian tongue I haue caried this Countrey vpon my shoulders Some take these statues to be Memnon but the priestes of Egypt affirmed that it was Sesostris in his returne from his victories into Egypt euen he that caried kings captiues bound to his chariot from towne to towne from countrey to countrey In Aethopia and Egypt he had many of these pictures and many statues set vpon pillars and arches according to the maner of Egyptian triumphes This king was so honoured in Egypt and his statues after his death so esteemed that wheÌ„ Darius Histaspis long after that time came into Egypt being by his predecessor Cambyses conquered brought into subiection vnder the Persians yet he was not suffred by the priests of Vulcan to put his statue aboue the picture of Sesostris in Memphis affirming that Sesostris had conquered as many countreis and gotten as many victories as Darius had and beside Sesostris had ouerthrowne the strong and inuincible Scithians which Darius neuer could which speaches Darius tooke in good part and would not reuenge though well he might This Sesostris is named in Functius table Amenophis imitating Manethon the Egyptian writer where he is set downe to be the thirde in that gouernment Dynastia Larthes is a name likewise of dignitie as were Pharaos before the gouernours and potentats for in the first gouernment of Larthes which endured 194. yeres Zetus was the first as Manethon affirmeth and raigned 55. yeres After Zetus succeeded in this kinde of gouernment Ranses Larthes which gouerned 66. yeres after whom succeeded this king Sesostris the thirde Larthes which raigned 40. yeeres The fourth Larthes was named Phero the sonne of this Sesostris of which I spake last Herodotus reciteth a historie of this Phero that it happened to him to become blinde and so continued 11. yeeres at what time he was instructed by the oracle of Butis to finde out a temperat chaste woman which had neuer knowen carnalitie but onely one man and that hee should wash his eyes with this womans vrine and hee should receiue againe his sight This Phero Larthes making great speach and search for such a woman after many vaine trials he found one woman whose vrine healed him whom after he had his sight hee maried and caused all those women whose water could not helpe him to bee brought into the citie called Rubragleba red clay where both they and the citie were commaunded by the king to be burned After this Phero Larthes succeeded Thuoris the fift and last Larthes of those Potentates this king is named in Diodorus Cetes which the Greekes as Melancthon saith called Proteus for diuers illusions which he vsed in magicke whose temple was long seene after his death in Memphis To this king came Paris Priamus sonne at what time hee rauished Helen Menelaus wife from Sparta to Greece and was driuen of force into Egypt of his hard welcome there and of the kings-commandement to Alexander to depart from Egypt with threatning of death vnlesse he would be gone within three dayes with all Grecians with him sauing that the king stayed Helen in Egypt where Menelaus came after the siege of Troy and was honourably receiued by Proteus the king and welcoÌ„med of his wife Helen Others write that Menelaus and Helen went both together after Troy was destroyed by force of tempest into
idolatrous superstition giuen to all errours onely acquainted with the Egyptian tongue Now Philadelphus with greater care and zeale of his countrie then any of his predecessours had before kept with him diuers and sundrie learned men as Aratus Callimachus Apollonius Theocritus Hipparchus the Mathematician and Demetrius Phalerius the Philosopher which at that time was banished from Athens and receiued in Egypt Philadelphus a prudent and a learned prince and cōuersant with learned men knewe well that the Iewes religion their lawes their maners and their seruice of God did farre excell all the nations of the world he sent great presents and giftes to Eleazr the hie Priest then being at Ierusalem entreating him to send learned men of the Hebrewes that coulde translate the bookes of Moses and the Prophets into the Greeke tongue that Egypt might be acquainted with the worde of God aswell as Iuda to whom Eleazar sent seuentie two learned men to interprete and to translate the Bible After this hee prouided in Alexandria such a famous Librarie to the common vse of learned men as farre excelled all other Libraries And as Melancthon sayth hee caused many other thinges to bee translated into the Greeke tongue hee restored the poore Iewes that dwelt captiues in Egypt into libertie hee sent for learned men into all Regions hee honourably mainteined them and louingly vsed them that Egypt florished with sound doctrine and vertuous men for euen then Iesus the sonne of Sirach gathered in Egypt together many wise sentences and godly speaches many learned and vertuous lessons which his graundfather before had written in Ierusalem which hee nowe augmented with care and diligence and compiled in a booke which is reserued in the Church to great vse This king excelled all the Pharaos before him and all the Ptolomeis after him and during his reigne he studied to mainteine peace and to auoide warre and therefore bestowed his daughter Berenices to Antiochus surnamed Theos who offered diuers iniuries to mooue warres against Egypt but while Philadelphus liued Egypt prospered florished with all good successe but after that Philadelphus died his sonne Ptolomei Euergetes reigned twentie sixe yeeres of whom Daniel saide that the kings daughter of the South which was Berenices Philadelphus daughter and this king Euergetes sister shoulde come to the king of the North to make agreement but Daniel saide it shoulde not continue for shee shoulde bee deliuered to death and out of the budde of her rootes shall one stande vp named Euergetes and shall enter with an armie into the fortresse of the king of the North which is called Antiochus Theos and doe what hee list and shall preuaile Hee plagued the Syrians and reuenged Berenices his sister with diuers victories for hee caried captiues into Egypt their goddes with their moulten images and their precious vessels of siluer and golde for after Seleucus had lost his Nauies by a tempest on the sea hee geathered an armie by lande and gaue battaile to Ptolomei but the like misfortune fell then vnto him and the victorie happened to Ptolomei for hee was driuen to flee to Antiochia and from thence to craue his brother Antiochus helpe which then gouerned Cicilia Ptolomei hearing of these newes concluded a peace with Seleucus and returned into Egypt after he had fully requited his sisters death vpon the Syrians During Euergetes reigne the Parthians beganne their kingdome who were all named Arsaces as nowe the kings of Egypt were called Ptolomei this time the warres of Africke beganne betweene the Carthagineans and the Numidians at that time Amilcar was sent captaine generall into Spaine for Carthage in this Euergetes time certeine enterludes were appointed by the oracle of Sibilla in Rome named Floralia the fourth kalends of May in the honour of the goddesse Flora for faire weather and fruites of the earth like vnto the feast named Rubigalia which Numa Pompilius instituted the seuenth kalends of May in Rome After this Ptolomei Euergetes had reigned twentie sixe yeres he died whom succeeded his sonne Ptolomei surnamed Philopater a cruell beast and not a king but a monstrous tyrant a murtherer both of his wife and his sister Euridices whose filthy and lewde life is better to passe with silence then to expresse in writing of whome Iustine saide Noctes in stupris dies in conuiuijs consumsit letting his strumpet Agathocles and her mother Euanthea to rule and gouerne Egypt as pleased them for none might lesse commaunde in Egypt then the king nor none might doe more in Egypt then women for nothing delighted Philopator but women and dauncing and whatsoeuer Agathocles would that also Philopator would Against this king Antiochus the great king of Asia and Syria came towarde Egypt and beganne to take and spoile those Cities of Syria which held with Philopator the king of Egypt Antiochus comming forwarde towarde Egypt Ptolomei Philopator mette him and gaue him battell at Raphia a Towne in the Confines of Palestina where Antiochus the great was ouerthrowen and put to flight and forced to intreate for peace at Philopators hande and so Philopator king of Egypt gotte the victorie ouer Antiochus and recouered those Townes of Syria which Antiochus had woonne before This victorie was well gotten but not well vsed for Philopator was so puffed vp with pride and insolencie that hee thought hauing ouerthrowen Antiochus the great hee might well also ouerthrowe IEHOVAH the great entred Ierusalem spoyled the Temple slue the Citizens and made hauocke of Gods people some to bee deuoured of beastes and some to bee quartered by men Reade the Machabees further of this but specially reade the eleuenth of Daniel where the whole historie of the kings of Syria and Asia of Egypt of Persia of Greece and of the Romanes are before spoken by the Prophet There it said was by Daniel that Antiochus and all his armie should be deliuered into the handes of Philopator and after that victorie it was by the Prophete saide that Philopator shoulde waxe arrogant and proude and that he shoulde contemne and blaspheme the Lorde of Israel and the God of Iacob that hee shoulde prophane the Temple destroy the people and in his furie excell in tyrannie but at length hee shoulde not preuaile for hee was poysoned and so died after his most wicked and incestuous life leauing behinde him a sonne by his sister Euridices of fiue yeeres olde when hee had reigned seuenteene yeeres I passe briefely these Histories of Egypt for that in the historie of the kings of Syria and Asia the kings of Egypt are likewise spoken of and in the Machabees also you may reade further of this Antiochus for since the death of Alexander the great the kings of Syria and Asia could not agree with the kings of Egypt vntill the last destruction of both the kingdomes by the Romanes and therefore assoone as euer Philopator died Antiochus streight againe sought to inuade Egypt vnderstanding this Ptolomei
much the more the Scithians were more ignorant then the Greekes so much the more the Scithians excelled the Greekes in vertue their hardinesse and courage in warres was such that they were accompted amongst all other nations the most inuincible people of the worlde that it is doubtfull as Iustine saith whether the men or the women of Scithia be more famous they attempted no lesse Signiories then the whole Empire of Asia which Empire they so tamed with often inuasions that the Scithians were lords of Asia eight and twentie yeeres For at what time Ciaxares otherwise called by the Prophet Daniel Darius Medus layde siege to Niniue the chiefest citie of Assyria and being euen then readie to take Niniue the king of Scithia whose name was Madies came with a great armie of Scithians set vpon the Medes ouerthrew them spoyled and wasted at that time in their returne to Scithia all Asia and kept Asia vnder the kingdome of Scithia for the space of eight and twentie yeeres And againe before this time the Scithians brought Asia to pay them tribute at what time Tanais king of the Gothes was their general and againe before that time the Egyptians who with an armie set forward toward Scithia at what time Vexores raigned king in Egypt the Scithians hauing intelligence of their ambassadors comming answered in this sort that they marueiled much that so famous a prince as the king of Egypt should come to fish with golden hooks to Scithia so barren a countrey saying further that the Scithians had rather come to offer warres into Egypt then to welcom them into Scithia but such rude welcome as rude people can yeelde the king of Egypt shall haue and therewithall gaue to Vexores such a battell that he was ouerthrowen and cōstrained to take his flight to Egypt againe and was so folowed at the hard heeles that if bogs and marish ground had not stayed the Scithians they would haue giuen him battel in Egypt as they did comming home through Asia spoiling wasting and destroying it the thirde time Iustine writeth this historie at large That time the Scithians absented themselues from their countrey in Asia so long vntill their wiues sent vnto them threatning them that vnlesse they would out of hande returne home they would take their next neighbours for their husbandes and further they should not come when they would for after they did marrie their seruants that were left as shepheards and swineheards at home which resisted their owne masters to haue their wiues their houses and their owne countreis The like historie is written of the Amazones women of Scythia who gouerne and rule their coūtrey without men with such fame as Hercules Cyrus and Alexander the great can witnes of them The custome of these Amazones lest their stocke should perish was once a yere to accompany with people of their next confines for multiplication sake And thereby being with child if it should be a male child they presētly kil him or send him to his father if it should be female she was exercised frō her cradle in al martial exploits both on horsebacke and on foote she had the right dug or breast cut off wherby they might exercise their bowes Two Queenes raigned of the Amazones of passing great reports named Marpesia Lampedo of whom both Asia Europe haue tasted of their darts these two Queenes after they had won diuers townes in Asia and also had builded other townes in Asia they died vncōquered in their countrey After them succeeded Otrera the daughter of Marpesia who raigned together with her sister Antiopa Otrera or Oreithia hauing an armie out of Scythia leauing her sister Antiopa to defend Scythia the fame and renowne of these two Ladies kindled Hercules and his felow Theseus with diuers yong gallants of Greece to saile to Hircania a part of Scythia who vpon the sudden vnlooked for of Antiopa with some slaughter of the Amazones Hercules tooke Menalippe and Theseus tooke Hippolite both the Queenes sisters Otrera hearing of these newes returned home with all hast asked ayde of Sagillus king of Scythia to reuenge the wrong done by Hercules and Theseus against both her sisters saying also that the Amazones were Scythians aswel as he therfore not to deny ayde promising the king that women should be as wel in the foreward of the battel as men but Hercules restored Menalippe to the Queene her sister againe and Theseus married the other by whom he got Hippolitus After Otrera succeeded Penthesileia whose valiant acts and deedes in the Troyans warres against the Greekes who knewe them not After Penthesileia they succeeded orderly vntil the time of Alexander the great at what time Thalestris raigned Queene of the Amazones I will leaue this part of Scythia thus much commended by the Amazones and will briefly speake of other nations in Scythia as the Massegits a people of wōderful courage as by their warres against Cyrus might appeare for after that Cyrus had brought the Medes Chaldeans Assyrians Lydians and all Asia vnder the Empire of Persia hearing of the great harme and the inuasions that the Scythians had often done in Asia and Europe hee leuied a huge armie and passed towards Scythia at what time Tomiris raigned Queene ouer the Massegites who hearing of Cyrus cōming though he was then the onely monarch and conquerour that brought all the East kings vnder Persia yet she permitted him with al his armie to passe the riuer of Oraxis and to come and to make choise to set his campe as pleased him best Cyrus at that time vsed a stratagem left his tents full of all delicate and daintie banquets with all maner of wine and fained to take his flight for feare of the enemies The Queene hearing of Cyrus flight cōmanded her sonne named Spargapises out of hand to follow Cyrus with an armie of Massegetes The yong Scythian being not acquainted with such galant banquets in Scythia began to assaile Cyrus wine but hee and all his armie were ouerthrowen without any sword drawen or a blow giuen When Cyrus had returned and found the Scythians some drinking some sleeping some dauncing and all drunken he slew them with the sword and thought thereby that God fauoured much his cause to haue such a victorie ouer the Scythians without blood of the Persians and therefore he erected a temple to the goddesse of that countrey appointed that day a solemne feast called Sacaea which Cyrus consecrated in remembrance of his happie victorie When Queene Tomyris heard that her sonne Spargapises was slaine by Cyrus and al his army she leauied a great nomber of the Massegetes together and went in person her selfe to the battell that to the only battell that euer was in Scythia the greatest and the terriblest for two hundreth thousand Persians were slaine and Cyrus himselfe killed in that battel Of Cyrus burial his graue and his
nor their countrey so simple a beginning the Parthians had vntill they scattered themselues to serue as mercenarie souldiers then beganne the Parthians to haue some fame by their seruice which were as I saide before scant knowen It is written by Solinus that Parthia grew into so large an Empire that it conteined 18. kingdomes these kingdomes are deuided into two partes eleuen of the eighteene called the vpper kingdomes beginning from the borders of Armenia passing along the Caspian sea coast to Scithia the other seuen kingdomes haue on the West the Medes on the South Carmania on the North Hircania the language of the Parthians is mingled partly with the Medes and partly with the Scithians their apparel after the custome of Scithia their souldiers in fight were their seruants of whom the Parthians had as great care as of their children teaching them in their youth to ride to shoote and to doe all other martiall exploits for of fiftie thousand souldiers which they had against M. Antonius were none free men but 450. all the rest were seruants The Parthians began to erect a kingdome at what time raigned in Egypt Euergetes the thirde king and in Macedonia raigned king Demetrius likewise in Asia and Syria raigned Seleucus Gabinius the forth king About this time the Carthagineans had great warres with the Numidians which endured foure yeeres of these warres Polibeus writeth In the time of the first king of Parthia which was named Arsaces Eumenes king of Bithynia inuaded Asia This king Arsaces deserued no lesse fame by his great prowesse and valiant deedes by his fortun at warres and good successe amongst the Parthians then Cyrus did amongst the Persians or Alexander the great amongst the Macedonians The Parthians so loued this Arsaces aliue and so honoured him dead that all the kings of Parthia after him were called Arsaces with no lesse dignitie then the Caesars of Rome or Pharaoâ—…s of Egypt and yet a meane man in the beginning who might more bragge of vertue knowledge then of dignitie or parentage for before these Parthians followed Eumenes in the warres of Asia after Eumenes they followed Antigonus after Antigonus they followed Seleucus Nicanor after him Antiochus At what time the Parthians reuoulted and made a choise of this king named Arsaces who brought such renowne to the Parthians such credite to the countrey as enlarged their confines and augmented their Empire This time one Theodotus being but then President ouer 1000. Townes and Cities in Bactriana proclaimed himselfe king of the Bactrians with this king Theodotus Arsaces entred in societie and with his sonne after him nowe when Arsaces had setled himselfe quietly in Parthia he gaue them lawes to liue by he did set and frame all things in order hee builded Townes and Cities and one chiefe Metropolitane Citie and named it Daram This king had a sonne named Mithridates who after his father reigned in Parthia with no lesse fame then his father he leauied an armie of a hundred thousand footemen and twentie thousand horsemen fought with Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus king of Syria with such inuincible courage that Antiochus thought it his best way to haue peace with him When this king died succeeded him Pampatius the third king in Parthia who when he had reigned twelue yeeres left behinde him two sonnes the one named Pharnaces the other Mithridates the elder brother after the Parthian maner enioyed his fathers seate and his father surnamed Arsaces as the other kings were This king ouerthrew a very stout Nation called Mardi and did as his predecessors had done adde some people or wanne some countrey to Parthia who hauing many children when hee died and hauing more care of his countrey then of his children appointed his brother Mithridates to be king of Parthia a man of great courage and singular vertues The same very time when Mithridates entred into Parthia as king did Encratides likewise enter to the kingdome of the Bactrians but these two kings prospered not alike for Encratides after diuers and sundry battels giuen to him by the Sogdians Dranganites and Indians wherein he gaue diuers repulses vnto his enemies but at length so wearied with continuall warres hee was ouerthrowen and vanquished In Parthia with better successe fought Mithridates with the Medes whom after many doubtfull battels Mithridates subdued the Medes and brought them subiect vnder the Parthians and appointed in Medea Bachasus to be lieutenant and went himselfe into Hircania and then waged warres with the king of Elymees which he vanquished and all his countrey and ioyned them to the Parthians so that Parthia was so strengthened by the Medes the Elimees other nations that they gouerned from mount Caueasus to the riuer Euphrates so that poore Parthia before a base people and a rude countrey are nowe become lords ouer the stoute Medes so by Gods appointment kingdomes and Empires doe both flowe and ebbe during this time Masinissa was by sundry battels driuen out of his kingdome by Syphax king of Numidia At that time reigned in Syria Seleucus Philopator their seuenth king and in Egypt reigned Ptolomei Philometor the sixt king Cornelius Scipio about this time triumphed ouer Asia After this Mithridates death succeeded his sonne Phrahartes who had not the fortune which his father had for Phrahartes was sore vexed by the Scythians who at the first came to aide the king of Parthia against Antiochus king of Syria the souldiers fell to mutinie for want of pay and therefore wasted and spoiled the Confines of Parthia burned townes and robbed countries that Phrahartes was constrained to leauy an armie and to make warres vpon the Scythians whose lucke had beene better if hee had taried in Parthia where hee left behinde him Himerus too young a man to gouerne a kingdome who lost at home in Parthia asmuch as Phrahartes lost in Scythia After Phrahartes was ouerthrowen by the Scythians Artabanus succeded who likewise shortly was slaine in the warres at Colchata after whom succeeded his sonne Mithridates the second of that name who for his noble deedes and valiant actes was named Mithridates the great and yet not so great as infortunate for when he had reuenged the death of his father vpon the Scythians plagued the Armenians and had gotten diuers Nations subiect vnto Parthia yet hee was banished from Parthia and his kingdome giuen to Horodes his brother Horodes hauing the kingdome of Parthia in his hand hearing that his brother Mithridates had fledde into Babylon to auoide further feare hee besieged Babylon vntill by famine they were compelled to yeelde the Citie Mithridates hoping for pardon yeelded himselfe to his brother but Horodes supposing that he would prooue rather an enemie then a brother commaunded him to be slaine before his face By this time the Parthians grewe so great and waxed so strong that their fame extended into Rome a Citie that coulde neuer abide no kingdome nor no
death being wel set forward by Tiribazus for ill councell easely takes place as Sophocles saith But Artaxerxes had intelligence of this treason and layde waite to take them in that place where they had appointed to murther the king and thus they being preuented were adiudged to die according to the lawe both Darius and Tiribazus Nowe Darius being dead Ochus Darius brother stood in good hope to be next heire to the crowne and the rather by the meanes of his sister Atossa of whom some suspition was spread abroad of incontinencie betweene Artaxerxes her owne father and Atossa whom hee maried afterward yet hee feared the succession of his brother Ariaspes for the Persians honored him mst Artaxerxes had another sonne named Arsames a very wise and a valiant man whom his father loued dearely which Ochus well vnderstood and therefore hee determined to entrappe them both his malice and crueltie was such for that he knewe his brother Ariaspes to be simple and plaine he sent some secrete messengers with threatning wordes from the king forging terrible newes to terrifie his brother telling him howe the king was determined to execute extreme iustice vpon him for diuers pretended treasons proued against him poore Ariaspes was put in such dispaire of his life that he ended all with a cuppe of drinke King Artaxerxes vnderstanding of his sonnes death in such sort tooke it very heauily and beganne to suspect Ochus the more he then laid his loue altogether vpō Arsames one of his bastard sonnes for he had sixe score children by cōcubines and he had but three onely legitimate Ochus hauing brought to passe al his purpose sauing Arsames who being in the greatest fauor with the king could no longer abide to deferre his intent entised Harpaces Tiribazus sonne to make an ende of this tragedie to kil his brother which he performed which whēit was told the king being very weake almost gone for age he tooke it to his hart consumed the few daies which were behind of his life in great anguish sorow after he had liued foure score foureteene yeeres had reigned in Persia 62. yeres Thus the house stocke of noble Cyrus ended CHAP. IIII. Of the tyranny of Darius Ochus of his sōne Arsames and of the vtter confusion and last ruine of the Persians in the time of the last king Darius surnamed Codomanus by Alexander the great IT was found that this Artaxerxes Mnemon surnamed with the Grecians the great was a noble wise discreete prince in respect of the succession that reigned after him Eusebius tooke this to be Assuerus which maried Esher as the Hebrues did but Zonaras Bibliander Melancthon with others affirme Darius Hystaspis as before is spoken During the long reigne of this king reigned in Macedonia foure kings one after another Pausanias Amintas Argeus and the fourth Amintas againe in Egypt gouerned Nectanebus and in Sparta after the death of Agis gouerned Agesilaus a wise valiant prince who inuaded Phrygia scattered the armie of Tisaphernes the Persian and put him to flight at the riuer Pactolus In this kings time was Lysander that so much plagued the Athenians slaine by the Thebans a man of great fame amongst the Lacedemonians diuers are of opinion that he reigned not so long as Plutarch saith some attributing fourtie as Ruffinus others 36. as Functius doth but it is not materiall hee was a iust modest and a wise king Persia Asia and all Greece and specially Iudea might so say when they sawe the tyrannie of Ochus who succeeded him About this time in Rome Camillus triumphed ouer the people called Veyans when M. Manlius and Lu. Valerius were Consuls In this Artaxerxes time liued Mausolus king in Caria of whose wife named Artimesia it is thus reported that when the king her husband died she made him such a sumptuous tombe so worthie a monument so braue a building that it was compted for the rarenesse thereof one of the seuen wonders of the world for Artemesia had the most skilfullest cunning men of that age as Timotheus Scopas Brixias and Leocharas Likewise reigned in this time in Thessalia a great tyraunt Alexander Pheraeus who was wont to burie men aliue and to put others in the skinnes of beares and wilde bores and then to set houndes vpon them to teare them in pieces others hee would binde to a post naked and woulde himselfe both shoote and throwe dartes to kill them In a battell against this tyraunt Pelopidas that valiant Theban captaine was slaine and afterward the tyraunt was killed by his owne wife In this Artaxerxes time Rome was laid siege vnto and taken by the Frenchmen but by Camillus the Romane dictator manfully rescued to the ouerthrowing of the Volcos and the Hetruscans hee subdued their people wasted their townes and afterward builded vp Rome againe repaired the Capitoll after that he had repulsed the Frenchmen and made them most willing to flee from Rome About this time two great Townes in the Countrey of Poloponesus in Greece were swallowed vp by an earthquake called Helice and Burae Plato the Philosopher about this time florished Aristotle was yet a yong man Platoes scholler fourtie and foure yeeres yonger then his master Diogenes liued this time so farre doeth Xenophons historie of the Grecians reache for hee began where Thucydides left Socrates Platoes master was nowe in Athens poisoned Demosthenes borne in the one yeere with Aristotle a famous Orator afterward Ctesias a Persian Historiographer serued this king Artaxerxes in his house Artaxerxes Ochus after he had killed his two brethren Ariaspes and Arsames succeeded his father not in iustice but in tyrannie not in gouerning of his subiects but in murthering of princes of all the kings of Persia most cruell yea Cambyses coulde not match him for after hee had played the beare at home with his owne people he plaied like the lion abroade amongst other nations specially with the Iewes who liued all this time in tranquilitie enioying Halciones dayes in building vp Ierusalem in repayring the Temple in rearing vp the walles in planting againe religion and inhabiting Iudea and so possessing the libertie of the Countrey graunted first by Cyrus cōfirmed by Darius but fully permitted by Artaxerxes surnamed Longhanded Esdras Nehemias Zorobabel being instrumēts thereunto appointed authorised by these good kings But this cruel Ochus after he had destroied the stocke of Cyrus in the beginning of his gouernment he laid siege to Sidon kept them most miserably without any hearing of peace or offering of mercie though it was by the best and grauest citizens humbly entreated for whom hee most cruelly slue without respect to the lawe of armes whereat the citizens being desperate to see his tyrannie they burned the towne and themselues to the number of fourtie thousand After this Ochus tooke his voiage to Ciprus where reigned at that time a familiar friend of his named Euagoras whō he after
and to sticke and to staie with Darius The Thebanes began to forsake the Macedonians saying they would fight with the Persians which had often defended the libertie of Greece Demosthenes traueiled as much as lay in him to bring the Athenians to ioyne with the Thebanes and so to stand with the Persians for Demosthenes so hated Alexander that he called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aeschines sayth This moued Alexander to some anger he returned to Greece began with the Thebans destroyed and brought the citie of Thebes euen to the ground after he had slaine sixe thousand Thebans and taken captiues thirtie thousand Then Alexander sent to Athens required those men which perswaded this warre to be sent vnto him which was Demosthenes Lycurgus and others Here Demosthenes perswaded the Athenians with a fable of the wolfe who offred peace to the shepheards vpon condition to banish their dogges opened the meaning of Alexander and the danger ensuing and therefore Demades an eloquent Orator one that loued peace was sent vnto Alexander to entreate for peace which was graunted by Alexander in such gentle sort that he wan great fauour in all Greece such was the clemencie and liberalitie of this prince that all Greece with one consent made him the generall defender of their liberties Now hauing laid al things quiet in Greece he came in the second yere of his reigne toward Asia In the meane seasō Darius king of Persia hauing leauied a great armie sent his captaines lieutenants to tarie Alexander at the riuer Granicus and there to giue battell where Alexander must fight of necessitie that riuer being the only barre to stop his entrie vnto Asia Darius had two captaines named Rosases Spithridates who being valiant men began the battell did set vpon Alexander both together Alexander was in great daunger had not Clitus his foster brother saued him at that time for many came at once vpō him yet Darius in the endhad the worst for the Persians stood not to it but turned their backes and fled and Darius armie was put to flight This was the first battell fought betweene Darius Alexander at the riuer of Granicus In the second battell Darius himself comes in person against the great Alexander hauing leauied in Susa a great power of sixe hundred thousand fighting men trusting much in the multitude of his souldiers the rather further emboldened by a dreame which Darius sawe Beside all this hee waxed more bould for that Alexander staied so long in Cicilia supposing him to be afraid so partly by his great army partly by his dreame which was that he saw all the Macedonian army on a fire partly for that he thought Alexander durst not come he waxed proud vsed contemptuous words against Alexander saying hee feared nothing so much as that Alexander would flee before he would come at him but he was satisfied by one Amintas a banished man of Macedonia who knewe wel the disposition of Alexander This second battell happened in Cicilia where Darius was put to flight howbeit Alexander was hurt in one of his thighes with a blowe of a sword Chares writeth that Darius himself hurt him saith also that Darius Alexander fought hand to hand in this battel Darius lost a hundred ten thousand of his men yet scaped Darius and fled but his wife Statira and his mother Sisigambis and two of his daughters were taken by Alexander Darius hauing two ouerthrows already seeing the great nes of Alexanders inuincible courage hauing but 30000. Grecians in his armie with which smal number he conquered all Asia all the East countries Darius sent Embassadors to Alexander with letters to diuers of his friends about him to entreate of peace offering Alexander 10000. talents with Mesopotamia all the countries signories and lands on the one side of Euphrates with one of his two daughters in mariage that they might be kinsemen friendes but it would take no place with Alexand. except Darius submitted himselfe in person vnto the curtesie of Alexand. Now Statira Darius wife died in trauell of child being captiue with Alexander after the second battell which encreased much the misfortune of Darius When Darius Embassadors tooke no effect for peace then he gathered a greater armie then the second had gottenne hūdred thousand fighting men against Alexander at the riuer of Euphrates making his praier vnto his gods that if the kingdome of Persia must needes haue an end either through diuine reuenge or by naturall change that none but Alexander might sit in Cyrus throne after him Alexander with his armie went to meete with Darius the battell was fought at Arbelles by report of most writers though Plutarch others named it Gausameles the victorie happened vnto Alexander vnto the ouerthrowe of Darius and last destruction of Persia. Thus the great Empire of Persia the glory and renowne whereof all the world spake of is brought to an end by Alexander in three battels with 30. thousand men The treasure which Alexander caried away from Persia vnto Macedonia loded tenne thousand Moyles and fiue thousand Camels The kingdome of Persia continued from Cyrus vnto Alexander the great for as Cyrus gate Chaldea and Assyria vnto Persia from Balthasar the last successour of Nabuchodonosor so Alexander got Persia from this Darius which was none of Cyrus posteritie vnto Macedonia though in trueth Arsames the sonne of Ochus Darius predecessor was the last of Cyrus house and yet Melancthon sayth that Darius was Arsames sonne and so doeth Eusebius Thus ended the great kingdome of Persia in like sort as they had by Cyrus woone it so nowe by Darius they lost it therefore I thought it necessarie to set downe the names of the kings of Persia howe many they were and how long they reigned from Cyrus the first vntill Darius the last king of Persia. 1 Cyrus the first king of Persia reigned twentie and nine yeeres 2 Cambyses his sonne the second king of Persia reigned seuen yeeres and more 3 Darius the sonne of Hystaspis the third king of Persia reigned 36. yeeres maried to Atossa Cyrus daughter 4 Xerxes Darius sonne reigned twentie one yeeres 5 Artaxerxes long handed reigned 44. yeeres 6 Darius Nothus reigned nineteene yeeres 7 Artaxerxes Mnemon reigned fourtie yeres Functius saieth thirtie sixe yeeres Plutarch doeth write that he reigned sixtie two yeeres 8 Ochus his sonne after he had killed both his brethren Ariaspes and Arsames reigned twentie sixe yeres 9 Arsames the sonne slaine by Bagoas reigned 4. yeeres 10 Darius the last king of Persia ouerthrowen by Alexander the great reigned sixe yeeres Thus the Greekes laye them downe in their Cataloge though Eusebius otherwaise sets them downe Darius Medus of whom mention is made in Daniel is here of the Grecians omitted Iosephus thinkes him to be Ciaxeres Astyages sonne and so Xenophon agreeing with Iosephus placeth Darius Medus before
to Rauenna Trebellius setteth downe the spoile that the Gothes haue done in Greece in Pontus and in Macedonia But to returne to Sapores king of Persia who in the seuenteenth yere of his reigne got a great armie of souldiers entred into Syria Cilicia Capadocia committed great crueltie and slaughter vntill Valerian the Emperour met him in Mesopotamia and gaue him battel where the king of Persia was ouerthrowen and taken by the Emperour by whom he was kept captiue in miserable seruitude all his life afterward in Persis Odenatus held then the whole Empire of the East in his hand at this time which being slaine by his coosin Maeonis Zenobia Odenatus wife a famous woman reuenged her husbands death after the king her husband had vanquished the Persians and had put the king Sapores to flight and pursued him vnto the citie of Ctesiphon where he besieged him and brought him to great extremitie This Zenobia ruled the Palmyrians with her two yong sonnes Herreminianus and Timolaus and as Trebellius writeth of her she sent an armie of souldiers against Egypt vnder two valiant captaines Sarba and Timogenes she was wise learned and stoute and compted for her courage and magnanimitie a second Semyramis In the last yeres of Sapores king of Persia was Paulus Samosatenus in the last council had at Antioche cōdemned as heretike and put from his bishopricke by Aurelian the Emperor The third king of Persia was called Ormisdates this raigned but one yeere and did nothing worth the writing But Aurelianus hauing asswaged the furie and sedition which then was at Rome sent his armie to Thracia and to Illyria where he vanquished the Barbarous nations slewe the grand captaiue of the Gothes by the riuer Danubius ouerthrew the Sue◅ians Sarmates and Germanes and slew of the Almanes fifteene thousande thence he returned his force vnto the East vanquished the Palmireans and their famous Queene zenobia and after he inuaded Egypt and triumphed ouer these nations in Rome After this he began to persecute the Christians and to send his commissions abroad vnto all places with great crueltie to vexe and to molest the Church but in the middest of his tyrannie he was slaine by conspiracie of his owne seruant betweene Bizantium and Heraclea the heresies of Manichees began in Aurelianus time Now in Persia began Vararanes their fourth king and another of that name succeeded him the fift king of Persia of whom there was nothing done during nine yeeres which they raigned worth the reciting After these succeeded in Persia Narses the sixt king of the Persians this began to flourish and to waxe strong gathered force about him and began to warre in Mesopotamia and in Armenia wasted subdued and vanquished all the prouinces thereabout tooke Galerius in hand and gaue him in battell the ouerthrow This Maximinus Galerius being elected together with Constantius Chlorus both Emperours for two yeeres the Romanes had then their handfull to do diuers nations reuolted from them and many countreis were in armes against them and they much weakened from the force and power of the olde Romanes by reason of the treason and murther one Emperour finding meanes to kill another therefore Constantius was made a gouernour of a great armie of Romanes to resist the force of Fraunce Hispaine Affricke and Italy Galerius appointed generall against Greece Illyrica Persia and the East countreys either of these two had the name of Caesar giuen them and well worthie For Constantius discomfited the Germanes made free the Frenchmen subdued and slewe threescore thousand of the Almanes Maximinus hee on the other side vanquished the whole armie of the Assyrians gaue the ouerthrowe to Narses king of Persia after the first battell and at that time brought vnder the Romane Empire fiue prouinces Misdates the eight king of the Persians raigned seuen yeres and nine monethes in whose raigne happened in Tyre and Sydon such an earthquake that innumerable people were slaine thereby that houses and whose streetes fell downe to the grounde in the yeere of CHRIST three hundreth and sixe In the which time Dioclesian the Emperour in the ninetenth yeere of his raigne began extremely to persecute the Christians which cōtinued most cruelly for thirteene yeres Of such persecution shall you scant reade in all the Ecclesiastical histories this Emperour was so proude that after hee had done his triumph in Rome with such pompe and magnificence he commaunded his subiects to adore him and to worship him with some diuine seruice Fratrem solis lune se nuncupans putting golden shoes on his feete wrought with pearles and precious stones with an edict giuen that his nobles and great men should kisse his feete By this time Sapor the ninth king of the Persians had raigned seuentie yeres he was crowned as Functius saith in his mothers wombe hee plagued those Christians that dwelt then in his territories with taxes tribute and with all crueltie at length persecuted them with open murther and slaughter for he slew Simeon Archbishoppe of Seleucia with a hundreth more in one day of Christians hee layed siege to Nisibis and got Singara Bizabda and Amyda three great townes from Constantius that were vnder the Romanes tooke them scattered and destroyed the Romane armie that peace was offered to Sapor at that time by the Romanes Of this king Sapor and of his great warres called Persicum bellum of his long gouernment and of his often persecution against the Christians reade Eutropius and Pomponius Laetus During his raigne Constantine the great was made Emperour of the Romanes the sonne of Constantius the last before him sirnamed Chlorus a good Emperor he sought peace and restored peace specially to the Christians which were before so persecuted by Dioclesian by Valerian by Sapor and by the Emperour Licinius which presently succeeded his vncle Constantine Eusebius sayeth that Helena the wife of Constantius Chlorus and mother to Constantine the great founde the Crosse vpon the which our Sauiour CHRIST died in Ierusalem Of this the Romane Papists make much more adoe then of the Sonne of GOD who died thereon for the Messias our Sauiour they robbe of his glory and honour and the Crosse of wood they worship and adore This Constantine builded two famous great cities the one named Helenopolis after his mothers name being before called Drepana an auncient citie in Bythinia the other hee builded and named it after his owne name Constantinopolis before called Bizantium a very auncient citie in Thracia At this time died in Syria and Cilicia a great multitude of people of famine and hunger This time was Athanasius called from exilement by the Emperour Constantine and was sent vnto Alexandria where hee was sore vexed by the Arrians a secte of heresies sprong vp in those dayes by one Arrius of whome the rest were named Arrians Donatius an arch heritike a beginner of other heresies
many countreys out of Asia as in Spaine with such armies by long warres with the Gothes who at that time mastred all Spaine After the Romans time and now after the Gothes the Saracens possessed the West part of Spaine and from Spaine such an infinite nomber entred into Fraunce in the time of Martellus and Charles the great that made all Europe to be in feare of these monstrous infidels these spoiled and destroied countrels kingdomes and vsed great tyrannie in euery place of Europe in like sort as they did before to the Hebrewes and to the Church of God at what time they were Agareni or Ismaelites after the name of Ismael and his mother Agar and nowe from Agareni are called Saraceni continuing their tyrannie euen from Abrahams time vnto this day the name of Turkes which in the yeere of our Sauiour 1299. tooke the Empire of Constantinople and began to set his Empire there And for that the Saracens and the Turkes after them haue their histories in the chronicles at large set forth in Aug. Caelius Egnatius Blōdus and others I will set downe as in a table some fewe of these Saracens Amiras for that they followed the Persian historie whom they the fourth time haue conquered as before is written first by Cyrus the second time by Alexander the great the thirde by Alexander Seuerus being long before by the Romanes kept vnder and now the fourth time by Haumar the third Amiras of the Saracens and so the Persians endured the bondage vntil the time of Sophi came who gaue diuers repulses to the Turkes and to the late Egyptians called Soldani recouered Persia that now againe Persia is very populous and inhabited and strongly defended by the Sophie which is now the generall name of all their kings But to returne to Habdimelech the ninth Amiras who had now concluded a league with Iustinian the Emperour and had also subdued Armenia and Mesopotamia and ended the ciuill warres which this time grewe betweene the Princes of Arabia this hauing done great exploits ended his life after he had raigned two and twentie yeeres This time raigned in France Clodoueus the thirde foure yeeres and after him his brother Hildebertus raigned king in France 18. yeeres During the raigne of Habdimelech a huge nomber of Egyptians inuaded Affrica and destroyed Carthage After this succeeded the tenth Amiras of the Saracens this turned many of the Christians Churches to be temples for Mahomet as the Church of Damascus and others this time Masalmas a Barbarian captaine gaue a great ouerthrowe to the Romans at the assaulting of Tyrannia and after spoiled the countrey of Galici in his returne and died in the ninth yeere of his raigne Zulzimin the eleuenth Amiras folowed he raigned three yeeres during which time Haumar the second of that name and the 12. Amiras that succeeded after Zulzimin subdued Cilicia and Masalmas another prince of the Saracens inuaded Asia tooke the citie of Pergamum layde siege to Constantinople which siege endured three yeeres at what time Zulzimin died Haumar the second that succeeded him raigned two yeeres after him who was glad to haue escaped the great famine cold and plague which then raigned among his armie during the siege of Constantinople beside his whole nauie vpon the sea were burnt vp with wilde fire and monstrous great hailestones this Haumar persecuted the Christians most extremely Gizid the second of that name the 13. Amiras succeeded Haumar and raigned 4. yeres this was by a Iewe perswaded to destroy images About this time Muza a Saracen captaine inuaded Spaine and conquered diuers prouinces and cities setled himselfe and inhabited as a king ouer the Saracens in Spaine after whom succeeded 15. kings of the Saracens within 20. yeeres after Muza at what time Rodericus the last king of the Vestgothes which raigned in Spaine the Christians were forced to flee and to keepe Asturum and Legio for their principall strength after which time they were called the kings of Legion This time the cities of Italy beganne to elect in euery citie a chiefe Magistrate which they nowe call by the names of the Duke as the Duke of Millaine the Duke of Florence and so of the rest all Italy being before gouerned by Hexarchies from the which the cities reuolted into this new order and election of Dukes in euery citie after the time of foureteene Hexarchies which gouerned Italy before it was deuided into dukedomes Euelid the 10. Amiras and the sonne of Gizid raigned after his father 18. yeres during which time Masalmas a prince of the Saracens tooke Caesarea a citie in Cappadocia This time the Saracens strength force were great for they inhabited euery coast of the world they were strong in many and in diuers partes of Asia they ruled as kings in Africke and in Spaine they possest many places in Fraunce and of the Romane territories for now the glorie of the Romanes and their power decaied after whom the Saracens and the Turkes beganne to be mightie After this Euelid died in the 18. yeere of his reigne After him succeeded Gizid the 3. of that name and the fifteenth Amiras this was slaine by his owne people the same yeere that he became Amiras after whome Eyces his sonne reigned one yeere after his father the 16. Amiras this time reigned in Fraunce Carolus Martellus with his brother Pipinus this Martellus made a great slaughter of the Saracens at what time Eudo their general brought to the number of foure hundred thousande Saracens of men women and children from Spaine to Fraunce and was subdued by Martellus with the most of his people ouerthrowen and their king Abdimarus slaine In the time of this valiant Martellus the Saracens inuaded Fraunce sundry times and tooke Narbon and Anemon two of the chiefest cities of that part of Fraunce but they wer assaulted by Martellus so that they fled from place to place were vanquished and slaine in heapes for Martellus slue three Saracen kings Abdimarus Athinus and Armoreus but they wanted no kings the best captaines tooke vpon them the names of kings when any king died or was slaine in the field for in Spaine fifteene kings of the Saracens were slaine within twentie yeres and yet the Saracens continued and preuailed from 200. yeeres before Martellus time vntill the time of Ferdinandus the great 800. yeeres well nigh after During which time the Saracens as I write in the historie of Spaine much preuailed This time Maruan the second of that name and the seuenteenth Amiras inuaded Cyprus with an armie of Saracens but such ciuill warres began betweene the princes of Arabia that Maruan was constrained to forsake Arabia and to flee to Egypt after he had reigned Amiras 4. yeeres and from thence forced to take the like flight towards Spaine to rest among his Countriemen but hee was preuented and slaine by Salim prince of Chorasimia About this
life of Agesilaus for it is set foorth in Plutarch euen from his youth his maners his warres his victories in such sort that Epaminondas though then his enemie at the battell at Leuctres before and after wondred much at his magnanimitie and commended much his agilitie courage and wisedome reade Plutarch of this and Zenophon where hee wrote an noble oration in the prayse of Agesilaus yet I will leaue the warres betweene them both concerning the libertie of the Boetians vntill some other place where more shal be spoken Zenophon was great with Agesilaus and in person present in all the warres whom he much loued and honoured to be short Sparta thought themselues happie to haue such a king but I omit vntill better occasion be offered to speake further of Agesilaus Nowe to the Lacedemonians againe whose kinges ended in Alcanes the ninth king being the last after that the Lacedemonians had a Monarchie vnder kings for three hundred and odde yeeres and nowe at the fall of the kings of Lacedemonia in the time of this king Egemnon which was the ninth king of Corinth diuers kingdomes sprang vp together as the kingdome of Assyria at what time Sardanapalus the last king there raigned of thirtie eight kings nowe translated vnto the Chaldeans by Phul Belochus The Medes this time beginne a kingdome vnder Arbaces and the Macedonians their newe kingdome vnder Caranus their first king and within fourtie yeeres after beganne the kingdome of Lydia and within thirtie yeeres after beganne Romulus his Empire in Rome so that within one hundred yeeres one after another sprang these fiue kingdomes The kingdom of new Assyria The kingdome of Media The kingdome of Macedonia The kingdome of Lydia And the Romanes beganne to haue footing and kings beganne to flourish about which time the kingdome of Corinth decayed after the raignement of twelue kings which gouerned wel nigh three hundred yeeres Now that the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians had a fall in their kings and that the state of their gouernment was altered to an other forme as before the Argiues and the Peloponesians the Athenians the Thessalians whereof that gouernment I meane of kings translated to another forme so likewise nowe the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians together were changed from Kings to Iudges and other popular Magistrates And as in Greece one countrie began with the other so one fell with the other and so I hasten to the historie of Greece whereof nothing yet is spoken but the accompting of time sauing the warres that the Grecians had with the kings of Persia and with the kings of the Medes for the first tribute that euer was paid out of Greece vnto any barbarous king was vnto Croesus the last king Lydia so long Greece florished as long as they had not ciuill warres betweene them selues which was the onely cause of the whole destruction of Greece otherwayes Asia Persia Media Lydia and Scythia felt the value of Greece enuied their fame and sought to ouerthrow their glorie and could not For Plutarch in the life of Solon sayth that Licurgus was the eleuenth person that descended from the right line of Hercules great controuersie there is amongst Historiographers concerning Licurgus time of his parentage and of his trauell out of his countrie they haue written diuersly of his gouernmēt of his lawes of his death but specially they vary of the time he liued in some will haue him in Iphitus time Aristotle is of that opinion others say that he was long before any of the Olympiads as Eratosthenes but Zenophon affirmeth that hee was of great antiquitie he was in the time of Heraclides which were neerest of blood vnto Hercules but howe so euer it is agreed it seemeth it should not be long from Homers time for that he was the first that brought the vnknowen poemes of Homer to light in Greece Chronographers varie much about the time of these men vnder written for in antiquitie of time they seeme more fabulous then historicall Hermes Tris. Homer Pythagoras Linus Orpheus Lycurgus Cyrus Romulus With infinite more which I omitte here to name CHAP. IIII. Of the generall gouernment in all the Cities of Greece from Lycurgus time the king and the lawmaker in Sparta vntill the comming of Xerxes the great the fourth king of Persia into Greece of Lycurgus lawes among the Lacedemonians and of Solons lawes among the Athenians THus Lycurgus being singular rare and wise in his doings first consulted with the oracles of Apollo at Delphus changeth the estate of the common wealth instituteth a Senate of the Lacedemonians to the number of twentie eight who should pul downe the furie of the people if neede so required by any innouations against the kings and againe to bridle the tyrannicall gouerment of the kings against the people and a litle after that a supreame authoritie was instituted and giuen to certaine Magistrates called Ephori who should likewise controule the Senate and the kings in their faults Lycurgus made lawes for the women of Lacedemonia and instituted disciplines for the maides to exercise therein as to runne to wrastle to cast the dart to throwe the barre hee made lawes touching mariage and appointed order for education of children they were taught after seuen yeeres of age howe to obey to susteine paine to endure labour and to continue in fight they were cōpelled to shaue their heads to goe bare legged to vse all kinde of exercise naked they laye together on a bedde of strawe which they them selues made of the toppes of reedes or canes that growe in the riuer Eurotas Licurgus also appointed them streight diet taught them short speach little meate and fewe wordes hereby grewe the Lacedemonians to be the onely famous people of the world the most endured souldiers and the most able men of body The like lawe Bochoris made in Egypt for the education of their children they might not exceede in expences vpon any male childe borne aboue twentie drachmes then either streight hee shoulde bee exercised a souldier in the fielde or with the priestes in Astronomie and Arithmetike or else if he were not a likely childe of limme and body fitte for a souldier he should be put with shepheards husbandmen or with some craftesmen for he might not be idle in Egypt It seemed that both Lycurgus and Solon brought from Egypt their lawes into Greece for all confesse that Egypt was mater artium Lycurgus appointed an order for buriall amongst the Lacedemonians hee did cut off all superstition of places but onely to lappe the corps within a red cloth and spread it ouer with oliue leaues commaunding by his law that they should not mourne for the dead past eleuen dayes on the twelfth day to doe sacrifice to Proserpina and to giue ouer mourning This streight kind of gouernment bred due obedience in Sparta that of Sparta none should traueile without licence And amongst the
most ambitious man in the world Nowe when hee had wonne the Citizens to bende their force to the sea while this preparation was in Greece newes came howe that king Leonidas was killed in the countrie of Thermopilis of whose courage and exploites you heard a little before and that Xerxes had nowe that entrie into Greece by land and had Embassadours to demaunde the Empire of Greece both by sea and by land and that all Greece shoulde acknowledge obedience to king Xerxes but Themistocles hanged vp the interpretour that came with Xerxes Embassadour for that hee being a Grecian woulde vse the Greeke tongue in the seruice and commandement of the barbarous king This stoutnesse of Themistocles pleased more the Athenians then the suffering of Eurybiades the Lacedemonian to be Admirall of all Greece for the Athenians woulde not set saile vnder any other Admirall then their owne aswell because they had the greatest number of shippes in their armie as also they thought them farre more worthie then any other Countrie of Greece but Themistocles foreseeing the daunger that was likely to fall out betweene themselues did willingly yeelde the whole authoritie vnto Eurybiades and gote the Athenians to agree thereunto This time Aristides after he had bene banished fiue yere by meanes of Themistocles was nowe by a decree of Themistocles called home againe for Aristides was a good iust man and well beloued in Athens By this time the fleete of Xerxes shewed on the coastes of Attica and couered all the seas and Xerxes in person came with an army by land to campe by the sea side The Grecians hauing the sight of so monstrous an armie both by sea and by lande forgate all Themistocles perswasions and beganne to retire to the Peloponesians and there to recouer the gulfe of Peloponesus Themistocles perceiuing their determination was in his mind angrie that the Grecians would thus disperse themselues asunder leauing the aduauntage which both lande and seas offered them he suddenly vsed this stratageme to sende to king Xerxes a trustie friende of his owne named Sicinus a Persian borne taken in the warres before by Themistocles and kept by him as a scholemaster in his house for his children this hee sent secretly to Xerxes to aduertise him that Themistocles generall of the Athenians was very desirous to become Xerxes seruaunt and for that the Grecians were determined to flie hee wished the king not to let them scape but to set vpon them while they were farre from their armie by land Xerxes being glad of Themistocles message the next morning by breake of day placed himselfe on a huge hill where hee might beholde his whole fleete and discerne the ordering of his armie by sea there did Xerxes set vp a throne of golde and had about him many secretaries to write all that was done in the battell Themistocles with no lesse skill had chosen his time and place the gallies drewe neere to the other armies Xerxes Admirall a man of great valure bestowed arrowes and dartes charging the Grecians gallies hotely they ioyned and grappled together the battell beganne so fiercely that the dead bodies being thrust ouer boorde into the sea altered the collour of the water into blood The Grecians by reason of the streightnesse of the sea wherein they fought preassed sore vpon the Persians who with ouer great a multitude hindred them selues much being so many laide one an other a boorde in such disorderly sort that they were constrayned to flie by night in which flight many of their gallies were drowned and many taken more running secretly into Persia for feare of Xerxes being a cruell man This famous victorie gotten by the Grecians made Xerxes starke madde his losse was so great and his shame was more Being thus amazed what to doe Mardonius his lieutenant did perswade him to returne to Persia and to leaue him with three hundred thousand souldiers behind Xerxes resolued to followe Mardonius councell and was forced to scape in a poore fisher mans bote most cowardly and shamefully who before thought that land and seas had not roome sufficient for his armie The victorie which the Greekes had ouer Xerxes at Salamina was the greatest that euer Greekes had for in trueth the Greekes this time florished being after this great victorie much enriched with the golde of Persia for Mardonius Xerxes lieutenant had the like successe as his master had for he was ouerthrowen in a battell in Boetia leauing behinde him all the kings treasures which was infinite and did more hurt to Greece then good This Mardonius was driuen with like shame to followe his master into Persia. Among the Greekes which euer contended more for vaine glory then for profit as by this victory appeareth grew great enuie the Lacedemonians affirming that they their Admirall Euribiades deserued the glory and honour of this victorie the Atheniās chalenging the praise fame to thēselues to their generall Themistocles of whō all Greece spake much honour who by common iudgement deserued most praise Skant was Xerxes in Persia but ciuil discentiō began in Greece and Themistocles by whose seruice principally the glorie of Greece shined at the victorie of Salamina was banished from Athens and went from place to place vntill he came to Persia to this king Xerxes whom hee made to flee from Greece as both Heraclides and Clitarchus affirme yet Thucydides saith Xerxes was dead before Themistocles comming but he meant to his sonne Artaxerxes surnamed the long handed Herodot ended his historie in Xerxes time where Thucydides beginneth and therefore is best herein to be beleeued Nowe Themistocles in Persia by drinking bulles blood did poyson himselfe to auoide the seruice which Artaxerxes appointed him against Greece he knowing the valour of Cimon and fearing his courage who lay with an armie there at Cyprus to haue giuen battell to Themistocles but Themistocles preuented that with death for after this great victorie of the Grecians ouer the Persians at Salamina Greece florished vntill ciuill discord beganne within Greece and so continued one Citie contending with another vntill it brake out into publike warres which began fiftie yeeres after the ouerthrow of Xerxes After him succeeded in Athens Pericles a man of great valure but he had an associate ioyned with him a singular rare man he was the sonne of that valiant captaine Miltiades who ouercame Darius Xerxes father in the battell at Marathon Of his seruice and courage you shal heare more for as Themistocles had Aristides surnamed the iust his collegue as a touchstone to reprehend Themistocles for his ambition so nowe Pericles had Phocion surnamed the good called home being banished from Athens fortenne yeeres to ioyne in gouernment with Pericles for when Aristides died and Themistocles was banished Cimon had bene of long time in seruice as generall in forreine countries out of Greece Then Pericles beganne to deale in the
common weale of Athens for that Cimon was inclined to take part with the best men and with the honestest causes he was the more esteemed not onely in Athens but in all Greece and specially of the Lacedemonians who could not brooke so well Pericles who tooke a contrary course euery way to Cimon of whose seruice abroade farre from Greece somewhat I wil recite for neither Themistocles nor his successour Pericles bridled more the crueltie of that mightie Persian king then Cimon did not only in chasing him out of Greece but folowing him hard at the heeles to Persia and brought him against his wil to conditions of peace After this he entred Thracia subdued them forced those Persians that dwelt in Coronesus an Isle in Thracia to flight Cimon was made general of Athens at which time he conquered the citie of Ionia and the citie of Amphipolis and wanne the Isle of Syros he subdued Asia from Ionia vnto Pamphylia and brought them in subiection vnder the Grecians Cimon after this went against the Faselits who were Grecians borne and yet enemies vnto Greece destroyed their countrey and wanne their chiefe citie called Faselis Againe Cimon had two great victories against the Persians in one day one victorie on sea where he tooke 200. sailes prisoners at the riuer Eurymedon Ariomandes being the kings lieutenant the other victory on land with great slaughter of the barbarous people al their tents and their pauilions he caried away Plutarch saith that these victories excelled the victorie of Salamia which the Grecians wanne by sea and the other which they wan by land before the citie of Platea By this valiant man Cimon the name of Athens was reuiued for Cimons only study and care was to haue Greece not to halt and therefore his secret desire and traueile was that Greece should stand vpon two legs which was Athens and Sparta He alwayes sought meanes to keepe the Athenians and the Lacedemonians in peace for the Athenians thought themselues to be the only light of al Greece affirming them only to be bread and borne in the countrey as Indigenae seditious people vnquiet and euer desirous of soueraigntie and therefore Cimon followed the Lacedemonians maners for their sobrietie and temperancie of life and wished alwayes their prosperitie This Cimon while he liued was the onely man that Greece was beholden vnto for vnder Cimon it flourished most and specially the Athenians which Demosthenes affirmeth in diuers of his orations that they had the soueraigntie of al Greece for the space of 73. yeeres compting from the time of Cimons victories at Euridemon vntill the yeelding of Athens vnto Lisander for after Cimons death no famous acte was done by any Grecian to the barbarous people sauing that Agesilaus king of Lacedemon came fiftie yeeres after Cimons death with an armie of Grecians into Asia and beganne a small warre of no notable exploit for that hee was called home againe to Greece by occasion of newe troubles and ciuill warres risen among the Grecians Now when Cimon had brought into Greece as it were an other golden worlde such as was in Saturnus raigne and hauing brought with him to Athens the bones of Theseus 700. yeres after Theseus death for the which he wanne exceedingly the Athenians hearts he died at the siege of the citie Citium in Cyprus after whom continued Pericles his colleague in gouernment of Athens for a time About this time in Rome tenne Magistrates were appointed and first created within a while after the putting downe of Tarquinius the last king of Rome called Decem viri from whom ambassadours were sent to Athens for the lawes of the 12. tables I will now leaue to speake of Athens and I will write what other cities of Greece did what kings raigned and what gouernment they had for at this time the chiefest cities of Greece were in an vprore for Xerxes after his shameful flight from Greece to Asia slew his brother Mancistes vsed abominable incest with both his brothers wife and his daughter and himselfe was after slaine by Artabanus Now while his sonne Artaxerxes raigned he was vertuous good and liberall and fauoured peace more then warre he liued vntil the seuenth yere of the warres of the Peloponesians Agesilaus raigned king in Lacedemon The Thebans waxed strong and beganne to haue the better of the Lacedemonians Sparta was now in the declining state had sustained much losses and harmes by the Boetians and by the Thebans by meanes of Epaminondas and Pelopidas therefore they sent for Agesilaus into Asia for while hee was in Asia Lisander lost againe two great battels and in the last Lisander himselfe was slaine CHAP. VI. Of the ciuill discention in Greece after Xerxes time howe euery citie was in armes one against another of their Peloponesian warres which continued 27. yeeres to the ouerthrow of Greece by Philippe and after by his sonne Alexander which shal be set downe in the next Chapter THus the Thebans ioyning with the Athenians through the great courage of Cimon hauing wonne these two victories the one by land the other by sea Cimon by his prowesse and valure recouered now Athens which before hee had lost Athens beganne to lift vp her selfe and being well refreshed by the spoyles of the Lacedemonians and encouraged by the death of Lisander and by the banishment of Pausanias it was hie time for Agesilaus to returne from Asia vnto Greece for Epaminondas the Thebane captaine vsed great celeritie in his warres and many Stratagems against Sparta Conon hearing of Agesilaus comming armed himselfe and as Iustine saith was then in Asia and came that time from Asia when Agesilaus came Agesilaus was scant come into Sparta but Epaminondas came spoyling and wasting and sacking all the countrey of Lacedemon with a great armie of fourtie thousande Thebans to the riuer of Eurotas which was a great terrour vnto Sparta hauing but sixe thousande which Agesilaus disposed in secret places of the towne for Sparta was not walled and therefore the more doubted of Epaminondas Now both Agesilaùs and Epaminondas stood on either side of the riuer Eurotas one beholding another a sight not pleasant to Sparta and readie to be brought to that ruine which happened thirtie yeeres before to Athens Now after Epaminondas had continued by Sparta 4. dayes and saw that he could not enter the citie after few battels on both sides of equall losse he departed and went to Arcadia such was the magnanimitie of the Spartās though they were brought to that calamitie by the Athenians before yet they held out while these flourished in Sparta namely Euristhenes Leonidas Eurybiades Pausanias Agesilaus Lysander Cleomenes Argestratus Doristus Archelaus Agis Archidamus Cleombrotus Brasidas Metagenes Clearchus Gilippus With many like but chiefly with Lycurgus who made Sparta most famous in discipline by his lawes Epaminondas and Pelopidas were chiefe gouernours of
much eclipsed from her glorie for this warre of the Peloponesians brake the backe of all Greece Alcibiades rashnesse was much giuen to pricke forwarde this warres for hee was ioyned with Nicias who fauoured the Lacedemonians and sought meanes to keepe the Athenians in friendship with the Lacedemonians which purchased Nicias great loue and fauour of the people which spited much Alcibiades to see Nicias in such credite with the people and therefore he studied how to infringe this peace and to diminish the fame of Nicias no other wayes then you heard before of Themistocles and Aristides the one enuious and glorious the other good and iust and so sirnamed Aristides the iust one finding fault with the other to the great danger and trouble of Athens After these succeeded two great men Pericles and Cimon the one factious and stubburne the other meeke and gentle and euen so now Alcibiades yong and ambitious Nicias sober and temperate for Alcibiades being the authour of the warres of Sicilie alluring the people with his pleasant toÌ„gue to make warres in Sicilia a beginning to further enterprise Nicias perswading to the contrary with all meanes possible affirming plaine that the citie of Syracusa was too great a matter for Athens to take in hand Alcibiades brought the Athenians much attentiue vnto him promising them to bring to passe great wonders hee assured the Athenians that if Syracusa might be conquered Lybia and Carthage might soone be conquered and so passe to Italy The Athenians people most desirous to enlarge their Segniorie who much coueted in Pericles life to haue Syracusa in hand now being perswaded by Alcibiades they are most willing to set him forward hauing 140. gallies and 5000. footemen very well armed and appointed besides archers and other light armed men to the nomber of thirteene hundreth but Alcibiades did no great exploit sauing the winning of the citie Catana for hee was called home immediatly by the Athenians to answere certaine accusations layd to his charge he returned from Sicilia not daring well for feare of his enemies to come vnto Athens he sent vnto Sparta to haue safe coÌ„duct and licence of the Lacedemonians to dwell in their countrey his request being obtained hee practised vpon his first comming seruice against his owne citie he counselled the Spartans speedily to send ayd to the Syracusans whom they had of long time before delayed Gylippus was sent from Sparta to Sicilia to ouerthrowe the Athenian armie His second counsell was that the Lesbians and they of Chios which were not in league with the Athenians should begin to warre vpon them The thirde counsell was that the Lacedemonians should fortifie the citie of Decelia which was within the territories of Attica Alcibiades himselfe would saile vnto Ionia to perswade those cities to ioyne with Sparta By this time Athens was on euery side troubled and the Athenians force diminished whereby grew great warres and ciuill discorde among the citizens of Greece The authoritie of Alcibiades his credite and his fame got him both enuie and malice and that of the best they feared his fauour with the people and as Plutarch saith he had such entertainment of Timea the Queene king Agis wife of Sparta that the king being abroad in the warres Alcibiades got the Queene at home with childe and therefore the chiefe magistrats of Sparta called Ephori wrote letters vnto certaine captaines of the warre to kill Alcibiades But hee hauing some intelligence hereof by the Queene practised with Tisapharnis the king of Persias lieutenant to withdrawe his fauour from the Lacedemonians and to ioyne with the Athenians For by this time Alcibiades had some hope by his friendes meanes to be called home againe to Athens for true it was he went to Samos 〈◊〉 was an armie of the Athenians readie to saile to Athens there Alcibiades was honourably receiued and by meanes of Thrasybulus hee was shortly after most louingly receiued into Athens at what time hee did some good seruice to Athens and requited the spite and enuie which the Lacedemonians shewed him in Sparta For now Myndarus the Admirall of the Lacedemonian armie by sea hauing threescore shippes and hauing giuen the ouerthrowe once or twise to the Athenians with this Myndarus ioyned also Pharnabasus the king of Persias 〈◊〉 with a bande of footemen for now Tizapharnes 〈◊〉 good friend died and in his place came this captaine â—…arnabassus being throughly stirred to reuenge the malice of Sparta hee went with a small nomber of gallies to the Isle of Cos there he was aduertised that the Athenians and the Lacedemonians were in battell by sea before the citie of Abydos and being in the midst of their fight Alcibiades discouered his galleis and commaunded straight to set vp his flagge in the toppe of the galleis of his Admirall and in the very heate of the battell when that the Athenians were at the worst Alcibiades freshly did set vpon the Peloponesians brake their shippes chased them to flight and got the victorie ouer the Lacedemonians by sea and after this victory straight the Peloponesians with an other armie and Pharnabasus with Mindarus were together in the citie of Cizicum Of this Alcibiades hauing intelligence hasted towards them for he had not forgotten the letters of the Ephores to the captaines for the killing of him Mindarus the Admirall and Pharnabasus the generall were no sooner on the maine sea but Alcibiades with his Athenians gaue them battell and ouerthrewe them scattered them and slewe a great nomber of them drowned more and killed Mindarus the Admirall in the fielde fighting valiantly and forced Pharnabasus to flie cowardly and to take the citie of Cizicum their losse was so great and their strength so diminished that Sparta hearing of this great victorie of the Athenians fell in great dispaire and doubted much of their state and gouernment for by this victorie the Athenians had the possession of the whole countrey of Helespont After this Alcibiades went againe against Pharnabasus spoiled his countrey tooke diuers of his townes and gaue the ouerthrow to the generall in his owne territories Alcibiades thence went and made warres against the Chalcedonians who were now reuolted from the Athenians and had receiued a gouernour and a garison of the Lacedemonians into their citie hee layed siege to Chalcedon Pharnabasus came to ayde the Chalcedonians but hee was with shame as before put to flight and Hyppocrates the Lacedemonian gouernour slew before the citie a great nomber of his men and tooke many of them prisoners and at that time made the Bythinians to make a league with the Athenians yeelding their towne and their possession into Alcibiades hand After this victorie of Chalcedon hee tooke the citie of Selybrea and went in armes against Byzantium where after a terrible battell hee wanne the citie and got the victorie with three hundreth prisoners of the best
countrie then was Pyrrhus not onely resisted but also slaine at Argos then was Philip king of Macedon kept out of Greece vntill they beganne to be factious and seditious one citie against another and some had sought helpe of Philip to suppresse their owne Countrie men vntill hee was made gouernour of Greece Greece was not altogether conquered though in deede they were sore oppressed by the Peloponesian warres but nowe by Philip king of Macedon it was brought againe to ruine and the way left open to his sonne Alexander the great who after brought all Greece subiect to Macedonia whither the Monarchie of the Persians was translated and vnder whom all the worlde almost was subdued Nowe that I opened fewe victories vnto you which the Grecians with fame and great honour wanne if I shoulde set downe the victories which one Citie wanne of an other or one Countrie of an other they should be infinite for within twentie seuen yeeres all the Gities of Greece which were not for their number to be numbred and for their strength not to be spoken were destroyed for I dare speake it that Greece had more annoyance by two battels then all the gaines of the victories which the Greekes had ouer all the barbarous nations The first was at the riuer of goates giuen by Lysander against Athens called the battell at Aegos Potamos the other giuen by Epaminondas against Sparta called the battell of Leuctres These two Cities being the two eyes and the two legges of Greece could neuer agree the one enuying the state of the other vntill both were destroyed and by their occasion all Greece also destroyed About this time Camillus florished in Rome who both gaue the repulse to the French men euen at the gates of Rome when they had taken Rome and also triumphed ouer the Volscans ouer the Veiens ouer the Hetruscans for which good seruice he was the next yeere following made Dictator in Rome This fell in Rome when Mausolus king of Caria died and had by his wife Artemesia his tombe made so gorgeous that it was reputed as one of the seuen wonders of the world In Athens now after the thirtie tyrants were ouerthrowē gouerned tenne men of equall authoritie by Thrasibulus and Conon appointed called Decennales principes these two lifted Athens on foote againe for Conon had fiftie talents which he had gotten in Cyprus by king Euagoras this hee bestowed to raise vp the walles of Athens which Lysander made euen to the grounde for yet florished in Athens after these Peloponesian warres though not great captaines yet famous Philosophers and eloquent Orators which kept Greece in memorie and by whose meanes many monuments in Greece were reserued For now florished Plato and after him his scholler Aristotle Alexander the great his scholemaster for whose sake Athens was had before other Cities in reuerence in like sort as Augustus Caesar spared Alexandria in Egypt for Arius the Philosophers sake who then dwelt there yet Alexander made all meanes possible to take such Orators as did perswade the Athenians in armes against him and against his father before which were Lycurgus the Orator Demosthenes Aesc◅nes Demades and others which like barking dogges kept these wolues from Athens in perswading the people to be in armes against foreigne princes in the defence of Greece but when they had no enemie they became enemies within themselues When Greece was by reason of these ciuill warres made weake and not able to resist any great strength for after the death of Epaminondas greater warres and more seditious stirring fell in Greece then before Philip king of Macedon hauing full intelligence of the state of Greece howe by long warres betweene themselues they were easely to be ouerrunne hee secretly kindled a seconde fire in Greece by stirring of secrete captaines to encrease the hatred of the Grecians one against an other which could neuer be extinguished such was their desire to rule and to triumph one ouer another Philip king of Macedonia Alexander the great his father as yet like a foxe hiding himselfe in a denne watched oportunitie of time vntill contention grewe betweene the Phoceans and the Thebans about the sacriledge which the Phocians cōmitted in the temple of Apollo at Delphos of this occasion beganne the warres called bellum sacrum of the which mencion is made often in histories and specially with the Orators of Greece who cried crucifige vpon the Phocians for so execrable a thing before the Iudges Amphictions which were appointed generall Iudges for the whole state of Greece This warre beganne in the time of Ochus the eight king of Persia the Iudges laide a great fine vpon the Phocians which they grudged to pay beside the secrete perswasions of the Lacedemonians promising them aide to stand in armes against the Thebans who had before accused them Philomelus a Phocean captaine gathered a great armie brake the decree of the Iudges burned the tables where they were written and ouerthrewe the iudgement seate of the Amphictions By this occasion great warres grewe betweene the Phoceans and the Lacedemonians of the one side the Thebans and the Thessalians of the otherside About the beginning of this warre Alexander the great was borne Philomelus being killed in the fourth battell after hee had done some harme to the Thebans Onomarchus was appointed in his roome who likewise ouercame the Boetians and tooke one of the chiefe Cities called Coronea he ouerthrewe the Thessalians in two battels and slue a number of the Macedonians which Philip had sent to ayde the Phoceans The Thebans being thus weakened by the Phoceans they sent to Philip for aide and besought him to be their Generall in this warre This delighted much the king of Macedon for nowe he sawe an easie way to conquer the Phoceans the Athenians and the Lacedemonians and to bring all Greece subiect vnder Macedonia Philip came with great force not to reuenge the Thebans as he saide but to reuenge the sacriledge which the Phoceans did in Delphos for it is written that they spoyled the temple of tenne thousand talents which as Melancthon saith is threescore tunnes of gold In the third battell one Narchus was taken by Philip and hanged and sixe thousand of his souldiers slaine the Phoceans had wonne three principall Cities in Boetia Orchomenon Coronea and Corsia whereby they might easely subdue all Boetia at their owne will This warre of the Phoceans beganne fifteene yeeres after the battell of Mantinea where the worthie and valiant Epaminondas was slaine with whō this Philip king of Macedonia dwelt in house when Philip was taken an ostage by Pelopidas of Antipater as you reade before Philip seemed to haue obserued many good instructions which hee no doubt learned at Thebes in Epaminondas house and yet as great difference betweene the two men as is betweene golde and siluer for Epaminondas left not his fellowe behinde in Greece after him so
made his Court and gathered together the scattered Macedonians into one place and began to reigne there as a king At what time Procas Siluius reigned ouer the Latines Ozias reigned ouer the Hebrewes Ieroboam in Israel was king and Alexander reigned king in Corinth this time Arbaces translated the Monarchie of Assyria vnto the Medes hauing giuen the ouerthrow to Sardanapalus whereby both the kingdomes of the Medes and of Macedonia beginne at one time for nowe the kings of Lacedemonia ended 〈◊〉 gouernment and these kingdomes beganne to florish 37â—… yeeres after the destruction of Troy in the beginning of the thirteene Iubilee of the Iewes before the Olympiads the space of one whole Iubilee which is fiftie yeeres This Cranaus the first king of the Macedonians reigned twentie eight yeeres whose successor I reade in Eusebius and Glareanus was Caenus he reigned the second king of Macedonia twelue yeeres at what time Amulius Siluius the fifteene king of the Latines reigned this Amulius the yonger sonne of Procas Siluius draue Numitor his elder brother out of his Countrie and also Numitor had a daughter whom hee caused to be a vestall virgine to auoyde mariage but notwithstanding shee was gotten with childe of two children in steade of one which were called Romulus and Remus of whose education and strange bringing vp how they slue Amulius and restored their graundfather Numitor to the kingdome againe and howe they both builded Rome you may reade in the histories of the Romane kings after whom succeeded the Romane kings In Egypt reigned this time Sabachus this is named in Scripture Sech the third king of Macedonia was Tyrimas who succeeded in the kingdome in the time of the second Olympiad as Eusebius and Glareanus do witnesse whom I folow chiefely in placing the kings of Macedonia though Iustine Sabelicus say otherwaies that one Telegonus reigning in Paeonia which is a piece of Macedonia and one Europus who likewise on the other side of Paeonia gouerned These two bare most sway in Macedonia vntil Caranus came with a great number of Greekes by the Oracle commaunded to seeke a seate in Macedon who by force expelled Mida which gouerned in a part of Macedon and forced other gouernours which then ruled diuers countries about Macedonia which was no large kingdome in the beginning but Caranus by this meanes augmented much the Countrie of Macedon After this Caranus Iustine setteth downe Perdiccas with whom agreeth Soliâ—… and saith that this Perdiccas was the first that bare the 〈◊〉 of a king in the twentie two Olympiad who liued in such liking and loue of his subiects that his life seemed a lawe and his death an oracle for which hee died being an olde man hee called his sonne named Argeus and shewed him a secrete place where hee woulde haue his body buried and his successours the kings of Macedonia after him This superstitious buriall the kings of Macedonia helde as by an oracle commaunded vntill the time of Alexander the great who was the ninteenth king after this Perdiccas Argeus succeeded his father and was a modest prince hee did minister iustice to his subiectes and liued in Ioue and fauour with his people leauing behinde him to gouerne the Macedonians his heire Philip who died in his youth and left the kingdome to Europus a young childe in whose time the Thracians and the Illyrians had continuall warres with the Macedonians The Illyrians vexed and ouerthrewe the Macedonians in a great battel despising the infancie of their king and litle waiing the Macedonians in respect of their king they were hereby much mooued to fight againe and gathered a huge hoste brought their king in his cradle to the field and gaue battell to the Illyrians ouerthrewe them vanquished them and slue the most of them for the sight of their young king made them like lyons hungrie of their praye with double courage to fight But I will returne to Eusebius and Glareanus where I beganne and whom I chiefely imitate though Solinus and Iustine wrote otherwaies for it is no rare thing to haue writers to varie specially in histories of long time for here Perdiccas is placed to be the fourth king which both Iustine and Solinus wrote to be the first king of Macedonia in this Functius in his table of the kings of Macedon a singular Chronographer following the best learned and next agreeing with the Scripture doth set this Perdiccas to be the 4. king who came of a meane state to be a king of Macedon where he reigned 51. yeeres This time Romulus had great warres with the Sabines which continued three yeeres with whom Tatius Sabinus reigned in Rome together with Romulus fiue yeeres About this verie season Saneherib was ouerthrowen for his great blasphemie against God with a hundred fourescore and fiue thousand slaine in one night by the Angel of the Lord while this Perdicas reigned in Macedon Merodach the sonne of Baladan after hee had gouerned Babylon twelue yeeres and ouercame the Assyrians and brought the Monarchie againe to the Chaldeans about the thirtie yeere of Perdicas Egypt was gouerned by twelue Magistrates of equall authoritie After Perdicas succeeded Argeus his sonne the fifth king of Macedonia of whom you reade before by Iustine set downe to be the second king Philip the sixt king of Macedon reigned thirtie eight yeeres in the 34. Olympiad in whose time happened in Rome great warres betweene Tullius Hostilius the third king of Rome and the Sabines The Latines likewise beganne warres with the Romanes which continued fiue yeeres this time reigned in Egypt Necho who had warres with the Chaldeans at what time hee ouercame the Syrians and slue Iosias in Mageddo the Messenians reuoulted from the Lacedemonians and the rude barbarous Scythians entred into Asia spoyled and wasted all the Countrie vntill they came vnto the land of Palestine This time Periander reigned in Corinth whose life you may reade in Herodot of whom is also written a historie of this time of Phaortes the sixth king of the Medes who was slaine at the siedge of Niniue by the Assyrians with all his companie In these dayes Tullius Hostilius with al his familie were burned in his owne house in the thirtie fiue Olympiad many great warres and blooddy battels fell in the time of this Philip for both Ieconia with all his friendes likewise Daniel with his fellowes were caried away captiue vnto Babylon and within a while after Ierusalem was besieged and made euen to the ground and the Iewes caried captiues vnto Chaldea Againe Ciaxeres which is by Daniel and others named to be Darius Medus had great warres thus the Assyrians tooke the citie of Niniue and reuenged the death of Phaortes and so the Assyrians were quite destroyed brought the monarchie vnto the Medes All the warres that Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome had with the Latins Fidenats the Sabins the Veiens the Volscans and
others were in this kings time After this Philip succeeded Europus the 7. king of Macedonia of whom as of the rest nothing is to be written worth the memorie for yet the name of Macedonia was no further knowen then to their neighbours which were the Thracians Illyrians Thessalians for all the fame and report of the whole world the Chaldeans and the Assyrians had for they helde the monarchie so long that though the Egyptians flourished at one time and gaue them sundrie battels at their noses in Assyria and likewise the Hebrewes gaue diuers ouerthrowes in Iosaphats time Ezechias and Iosias kings of Iuda yet they continued welnigh thirteene hundreth yeres lords and monarches of the world vntil the Medes began to plague them and had taken the monarchie from them And then the Persians tooke it frō them of whom al writers were busie to write their warres their battels and of their conquest vntill the time of Alexander the great which is yet to come in the hundreth and fourteene Olympiads and now I entreat of histories of those kingdomes done in the 43. Olympiad which is 300. yeres for so long was betweene the first of Nabuchodonosor which was in the 17. Iubilee and the last of Alexander which was in the 23. Iubilee which is sixe Iubilees which is 300. yeeres for euery Iubilee is 50. yeeres It doeth agree with the Olympiads so farre am I behind to speake any great matter of the Macedonians sauing of Philippe Alexanders father a historie of two hundreth yeeres and therefore I will hasten to runne ouer the names of the first kings Alcetas the 8. king of Macedonia raigned 29. yeeres after whom succeeded Amintas the ninth king of Macedonia which raigned 50. yeeres Of this Amintas Iustine writeth a historie that when the Persians had sent ambassadours into Macedonia to entreate of peace in their wine they began wantonly and rudely to handle certaine ladies and gentlewomen of Macedonia Alexander the sōne of Amintas a yong galant prince being hereby much moued entreated his father an old man to take his rest that night said he would entertaine and keepe company with the ambassadors of Persia who were wel whittled with wine the ladies being desirous to depart were kept against their will vnder Alexander the yong prince promised other ladies to beare them company the rest of the night Now Alexander got certaine yong gentlemen in the habit forme of women hauing vnder their long clothes their naked daggers and commanded them that when the Persian ambassadours should abuse them or offer them any villany they should out of hand stabbe them which was accordingly brought to passe vpon this occasion warre was proclaimed betweene the Persians and the Macedonians Bubares was sent with an armie of Persians into Macedonia who after hee had seene Cygaea the daughter of king Amintas he was more prone to loue then bent to warre he maried Cygaea thereby peace was had betweene the Macedonians and the Persians About this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Polycrates the tyrant of Samos of this Polycrates successe happines and great fortune of his raigne read Herodotus The same time were the most part of kings called tyrants they were so ful of blood Tarquinius superbus the seuenth and last king of the Romanes for his great tyrannie and outragiousnes and for the wicked abuse of Lucretia by his sonne was odious hatefull to the Romans and became an enemie to Rome Cyrus was in his greatnes this time the only great man of the world for he wanne the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Medes and brought them vnder the Empire of Persia he ouercame also the great and mightie Croesus king of Lydia In Macedonia raigned after Amintas his sonne Alexander this king was accompted riche and not without cause for he had so good successe in encreasing his substance that he first of al sentimages of cleane gold for a gift one to Apollos at Delphos another to Iupiter at Elis. He was greatly giuen to delite his eares in so much that he entertained many that were cunning vpon instruments amongst whom was Pindarus the harper Iu. Solinus saith that Archelaus had the kingdome of Macedonia at this mans hand he was politike in feates of warre and iudged the first deuiser of battel vpon the sea This Archelaus affected the companie of learned men hee so much delighted in learning that hee called Euripides the tragical Poet to be one of his priuie council for whose death afterward Archelaus long mourned and shaued both his head and beard at his funerall After this king the state of Macedonia being much troubled with dissention by the space of 10. kings gouernments was stayed at last in the raigne of Amintas which was father vnto Philip who was father vnto Alexāder the great and for that there is not much to be written of the most part of the kings of Macedonia vnto Philips time I haue set down their names according to Eusebius and Herodot The names of the kings of Macedon according to Eusebius The names of the kings of Macedon according to Herodotus Cranans and Caenus Alexāder the sonne of Amintas Tyrimas and Perdicas Amintas the sonne of Alceta Archaeus and Philippus Aloeta the sonne of Aeropus Europs and Alcetas Aeropus the sonne of Philip. Amintas Alexander Philip the sonne of Argaeus Perdicas and Orestes Argaeus the sonne of Perdicas Archelaus and Pausanias  Armintas and Argaeus  Alexander and Ptolomeus  And Philip Alexand. father  Of these are not much to be spoken as I said before therefore I will begin here with the raigne of Philippe of whom Macedonia had such expectation that they saw in him a light and such readie proofe of him as of one brought vp for three yeeres for an ostage of the king of the Macedonians in one of the chiefest cities of Greece and that in the house of Epaminondas the rarest Philosopher and the greatest captaine of those dayes Now the cities of Greece being full of ciuil warres some of them made meanes to Philip to ayde them and thereby elected him their chiefe generall in short time the occasion being thus offered to Philip he encreased his owne kingdome of Macedonia with the ruine of Greece for first he beganne to make warre vpon the Athenians the second citie of Greece a famous citie and full of ciuill discord which Philip well perceiued and therfore he vsed great celeritie to winne Athens and great policie to keepe Athens being wonne for he fauoured them when he could haue spoiled them he let them goe free without ransome that he tooke in the warres After he had brought Athens to his bow he tooke the most noble citie of Larissa and subdued all the countrey of Thessalie being the next ioyned countrey to Macedonia he fedde diuers captaines secretly in Greece to mooue ciuill seditions knowing that diuision in a kingdome
before so likewise you shal reade of diuers Seleucus of diuers Antiochus and of diuers Ptolomeis where I speake of the kings of Asia Syria and Egypt much errour may growe hereby without heede taking Philip reigned now in Macedonia and hauing no long time to rest but at his first entrie had warres by the Romanes for whom Ti. Quintus Flaminius the Consul was in person to offer battell in the defence of Greece the rather for that Philip king of Macedon ayded Hannibal against the Romanes with all the force he could Philip prouided all things ready a man might thinke that Philip had force and power sufficient against a Consul of a citie being a king of a whole Realme and surely so he had had not Titus by his eloquence wonne al Greece against Philip and yet before this time the Grecians bare no great good will to the Romanes as Plutarch affirmeth Diuers times Flaminius offered battel to Philip but still refused by Philip auoided fearing such hard fortune as his predecessors had he kept the top of the mountaines with his armie that when the Romanes forced to gette vp the hilles they were receiued with dartes slings and shotte that lighted vpon them from the toppes of the hilles that the Romanes were sore anoyed But after they found meanes to winne the hilles by the aduise of Charopus a great man of Epirus Titus diuided his armie into three troupes and himselfe went with one of the three Philip lost then about two thousand souldiers the Macedonians fled and the Romanes spoiled their campe tooke all that they found in their tents Titus had some aduertisement that Philip fledde by Thessalia the Consul with great modestie did forbeare the spoyling and wasting of the Countrie hereby he wanne many friendes Philip was most desirous to haue peace with Titus and it was offered him vpon condition that he would that Greece should be at their libertie and remoue his garisons out of their Citie this Philip refused and thereupon all Greece came in and offered themselues vnto Titus without compulsion Nowe hauing Greece on his side he went towardes Thessalie with great hope to ouercome Philip Titus had in his armie about sixe and twentie thousande fighting men as Plutarch writeth king Philip on the other side had no lesse in number they beganne to march the one towardes the other neere the Citie of Scotusa there they determined to trie the battell where Titus gaue the ouerthrow and slue eight thousand in the fielde and tooke fiue thousand prisoners in the chase Philip was driuen to entreate for peace which was graunted vnto him vpon the condition before offered and taking one of Philips sōnes in hostage sent him to Rome to the Senate for then Hannibal of Carthage a great enemie of the Romanes was ouercome by Scipio Affricanus and banished out of his Countrie and commen to king Antiochus whom hee perswaded with all diligence to followe his good fortune and the encrease of his Empire Hanibal sought still to finde occasion to make warres with the Romanes and went about to bring Antiochus to ioyne with Philip two mightie kings against the Romanes In the meane time Titus had commissioners sent from Rome to ayde him and to assist him in the affaires of Greece willing him to looke to the Cities of Corinth of Chalcides and of Demetriade and to make sure that they should not enter into league and allyance with Antiochus and all the rest of Greece to set at libertie this was done by Titus and proclaimed by the Heralde and authorised by the Senate of Rome that all Greece should be free from all taxes impositions and subsidies After that Titus had sent Lentulus into Asia to set the Bargilians at libertie and Titillius into Thracia and Publius Iulius sent to king Antiochus to set the Grecians at libertie Titus himselfe went to the Prouince of Magnesia and from thence to Argos to set the Greekes at libertie which were vnder Philip and Antiochus from Argos returned into Rome after foure yeeres warre with Philip sauing that Pu. Sulpitius had the charge against Philip the first yeere being then Consul of Rome before Titus time who for the time of his being in Macedonia gaue two ouerthrowes vnto Philip king of Macedon and forced him to flee in great danger of his life But to returne to Titus who being called to Rome by the Senate came in solemne triumph with king Philips sonne before his chariot brought at that time saith Plutarch infinite treasures and leauing Philip to pay to the Romanes a thousand talents beside and not to molest and vexe the Cities of Greece and that it was not lawfull for Philip to warre or to fight out of his owne kingdome vnlesse he should be required thereunto by the Romanes Thus Philip being daunted of his great courage and much weakened in strength by the Romanes hauing two sonnes the one named Perseus the other Demetrius betweene them both grewe secret seditions and proceeded so in malice that though Demetrius was in Rome in hostage with Titus as you heard and Perseus in Macedonia with his father accusing his brother of his secrete treacherie towardes his father Philip and his countrey that the king was in offence against Demetrius and grewe more and more by Perseus soliciting the cause to doubt Demetrius hee coulde not quiet himselfe vntill Demetrius was had out of the way by poyson as Ruffinus sayeth but it was not long after but Philip had knowledge of the iniurie hee had done to his sonne Demetrius by the false accusation of his sonne Perseus hee studied howe to take reuenge vpon Perseus for the death of Demetrius and sawe no way vnlesse hee would leaue Macedonia without a king for then Perseus was the last of the line of Antigonus Thus poore king Philip being plagued by the Romanes for his kingdome and brought to a full weerinesse of his life at home by his two sonnes fell to a consumption and dyed afterhe had reigned king of Macedonia fourtie two yeeres Plutarch reciteth a historie of one Antigonus surnamed Doson that was cousin to the other Antigonus surnamed Gonates this Antigonts Doson reigned before Philippe fifteene yeeres As I toulde you before of the names of so many Demetrius so nowe the names of so many Antigonus may trouble the reader and therefore I will shewe the order of it The first Antigonus was taken to bee base brother to Alexander the great who after Alexanders dayes was taken to be the greatest and mightiest of all his successours This Antigonus had a sonne called Demetrius of whome came this seconde Antigonus surnamed Gonatas the third Antigonus surnamed Doson and after this Antigonus reigned Philip who dyed for sorowe and griefe for Demetrius death Nowe Perseus the last king of Macedonia succeeded his father Philip king of Macedonia in the fiue hundred seuentie fiue yeeres of the building of
Rome and in the hundred and fiftie Olympiad at what time reigned king in Egypt Ptolomeus Philometor the sixth king and in Syria reigned Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king and also this time ouer the Parthians reigned Mithridates Arsaces who succeeded his brother Pharnachus this did great exploites of whom you shall reade in the histories of the Parthians written by Iustine in Rome Lucius Manlius and Quintus Fuluius were Consuls This Perseus succeeded Philip his father found the strength of his kingdome so great and so well prouided that hee had in his armorie to arme thirtie thousand he had in his fortes and strong places eight million bushels of corne safely lockt vp and hee had ready as much money as would serue to enterteine tenne thousand strangers in paye for tenne yeeres this also he found ready men leauied a great number which his father had prepared for the second warres of Macedonia Perseus being thus furnished tooke that in hand which was Philips purpose to warre against the Romanes and he mainteined warres a long time and had in the beginning good successe against the Romanes that in the first battell he made hee gaue the ouerthrow to Pu. Lucius the Consul and at that time generall for the Romanes he slue 2500. of his horsemen and tooke sixe hundred prisoners and beside he did suddenly set vpon their armie by sea riding at anker before the citie of Oren he tooke twentie of their great shippes and sunke the rest which were loden all with corne Thus Perseus began very hotly with the Romanes and gaue the ouerthrowe to the first Consul the second battell which Perseus fought was with Hostilius the second Consul and generall of Rome whom he likewise repulsed and when that Hostilius attempted by force to inuade Macedonia Perseus offered him battell in Thessalie and he refused him Perseus seemed so proud of these two victories against the two Consuls of Rome that hee little esteemed the Romanes went and fought a battell in the meane time with the Dardanians where hee slue tenne thousand of these barbarous people and brought a marueilous great spoyle away beside this hee gote the Gaules that dwelt about the riuer of Danubie to ioyne with him and practised with Gentius king of the Illyrians to ioyne also in this warre with him The Romanes being of these newes aduertised they thought good to send a skilfull souldier and a wise captaine as Paulus Aemilius was whom the Romans chose now the second time to be their consul and captaine in this second warre to whom they gaue the whole charge of Macedon Aemilius prepared an armie of an hundreth thousand against Perseus and when he had arriued into Macedon being aduertised how Perseus lay at the foote of mount Olympus with 4000. horsmen and with fourtie thousand footemen beside he had Gentius king of the Illyrians to whom Perseus promised thirtie thousand talents to ayde him against the Romanes Now Scipio sirnamed Nasica the adopted sonne of the great Scipio the Affricane and Fabius Maximus of whom Cicero said Cunctando restituit rem two yong valiant Romanes offered to take the straights offered to do diuers seruices but old Aemilius hauing wonne many victories hee could stay leasure and oportunitie of battel Now Perseus hauing pitched his campe before the citie of Pydne where Aemilius in hast marched and met in battell Polibius writeth this storie and saith so soone as the battel was begun Perseus withdrew himselfe and got into the citie of Pydne out of the battell vnder pretence to doe some sacrifice vnto Hercules but Aemilius with his sworde in hand lay on vpon the enemies The slaughter was so great on Perseus side that Plutarch saith that the riuer of Leucus ranne all bloodie the battell was so fierce on both sides that it continued not aboue two houres the victorie fel to the Romanes with the losse of 25. thousand Macedonians This victorie was heard of in Rome the very day that it was wonne saying that Castor and Pollux brought these newes to Rome In this battel I note one rare historie of Mar. Cato the sonne of great Cato and sonne in law to Aemilius who most valiantly fighting in the midst of the Macedonians by chance his sword fell out of his hande the which he tooke so grieuously that he ranne to the Romane armie where he told them what had befallen vnto him praying some of his friends to helpe him to recouer his sword saying that he thought more honour for him to die there then liuing to suffer his enemies to enioy any spoile of his whereupon a nomber of lustie valiant souldiers rushed in straight amōg their enemies about the place where the sworde fell their force and furie was such that it made a lane through the enemies and as yong raging lions with such force cleared the way in such sort that the sworde was found this happened in the middest of the battell Againe in this battell of Pydne a great feare tooke Aemilius after the victory who being very late in the night broght to his tent with torches and links missing his sonne beholding how his souldiers after this victorie decked themselues with crownes and garlands of laurell became sad and heauie supposing his sonne to be cast away vntil Scipio returned frō following the enemie then Aemilius ioy was doubled but that shortly followed which then missed Now Perseus fled from Pydne to Pella After this victory Aemilius made a progresse into Greece and cōming to Delphos there he saw king Perseus image of golde set vp vpon a great pillar of 4. square Aemilius commanded that image of him being conquered to be taken downe and his owne image being the conqueror to be set vp thence he went to the city of Olympia to visit the temple of Iupiter Olympian after he redeliuered to the Macedonians their countrey and townes againe to liue at libertie paying to the Romans for tribute yerely 100. talents After he went to Epirus hauing put al things at stay in Macedonia that the Macedonians submitted themselues to Aemilius Aemilius sent his lieutenant by sea to take king Perseus who fled to Samothracia where he and his children yeelded vnto Cneus Octauius lieutenant to Aemilius Of this great victorie newes came to Rome from Macedonia in one day some say 4. dayes This king Perseus was a very couetous prince hated of his subiects of no man beloued noted to be such a coward that Aemilius mocked him for it This Perseus lost in 2. houres in the battel of Pydne to the Romans great glory praise the fame renowne which Alexander the great had brought and wonne to Macedonia Of these 2. warres of Macedonia with the Romanes and of their last king conquered reade Liuie and Appianus in that booke entituled Mithridaticus This is that Macedonia which then Alexander had augmented with these many kingdoms Persia Media Armenia Albania
things and will as I haue promised onely set downe the names of the kings of the Latines 2 Ascanius Aeneas sonne reigned after his father the second king of the Latines this Ascanius had a sonne named Iulus of whome doeth Gens Iulia spring out Ascanius is called in Halicar Eurilion who reigned twentie eight yeres 3 After Ascanius succeeded Syluius a brother of Ascanius a sonne vnto Aeneas by Lauina king Latinus daughter whom Aeneas left great with childe when he died she for feare of Ascanius hidde her selfe in mountaines and in wooddes vntill she was brought to bed and therefore her sonne was named Syluius after which name all the kings of the Albans were named Syluij this reigned king after Ascanius Iulus which was Ascanius sonne who became a priest and a religious man vnto the gods which vntill the time of Augustus the familie and stocke of Iulia remained and continued as great Bishops named mag ni Pontifices or else as high priests named summi Sacerdotes amōg the Romanes the onely men of great renowme and fame This Syluius reigned twentie nine yeeres and dyed and left behinde him Aeneas Syluius 4 Aeneas Syluius reigned thirtie one yeeres and left behind him a sonne named Latinus Syluius the fifth king of the Latines 5 Latinus reigned after his father fiftie yeeres and left behind a sonne named Alba Syluius which was the sixt king of the Latines 6 Syluius Alba reigned thirtie nine yeeres 7 After him succeeded Capetus Syluius the seuenth king of the Latines 24. yeeres Eusebius named this king Atyn Eutrop. lib. 1. doeth call him Epidum so doeth Ouid in Metamorph lib. 14. 8 Capetus left behind him Capis Syluius the 8. king of the Latines who reigned 28. yeeres of this king Capua a Citie in Italie was first builded 9 After this succeded Calpetus Syluius the ninth king of the Latines who reigned thirteene yeeres and left behinde him a sonne named Tiberinus 10 Tiberinus the tenth king of the Latines reigned 8. yeres and was slaine in a battell fought by the riuer Albula some say that he was drowned in Albula and therefore the riuers name was altered and named Tiber after the name of Tiberinus which is that riuer that runneth through Rome this Tiberinus left a sonne to succeede him called Agrippa Syluius 11 Agrippa Syluius reigned fourtie yeeres being the eleuenth king of the Latines 12 Alladius Syluius the twelfth king of the Latines succeeded Agrippa and reigned nineteene yeeres whom Eutrop doeth call Remus Syluius a wicked man and a cruell tyraunt vsing many horrible attempts against God therefore was worthely slaine by a thunder boult for he went about to make the people beleeue that hee was a God hee would gape and receiue the lightning into his mouth but he and all his house was therewith consumed 13 After him succeeded the thirteenth king of the Latines which was named Auentinus Syluius which reigned thirtie seuen yeeres of this king mount Auentine one of the seuen hilles in Rome was named for that this king Auentinus was buried there This time reigned Amazias king of Iuda brother to Amos Isaiah his father at what time reigned in Assyria Sardanapalus their last king 14 Procus Syluius succeeded the fourteenth king of the Latines which reigned twentie three yeeres who left the kingdome to his eldest sonne Numitor Syluius and left to his other younger sonne money and great wealth but this Amulius draue his elder brother Numitor out of his kingdome and Numitor was constrained like a priuate man to leade his life in the Countrie Amulius hauing vsurped vpon his brother studied to roote out and to make an end of his brothers house to bee the surer in his kingdome but hee was slaine in the Towne of Alba by Romulus who came of the body of Numitor by his daughter Rhea and as Annius doeth write begotten of Amulius his vncle by whom the kingdome of Alba descended vnto Romulus and was the seuenteenth king from Aeneas This I haue laide downe as I founde in Annius and Halicarnassaeus worde by word whereunto agree Fabius Pictor and M. Cato in his fragments CHAP. I. Of the first building of Rome by Romulus of his gouernment lawes and appointing of Magistrates after he had founded the citie of his warres with the Sabines of his conquestes and victories ouer these Sabines Fidenats and of his triumph ouer king Acron IWill omit to write of the prophane antiquitie of the Tuscans and of their chiefe citie Hetruria of whom you may reade Sempronius M. Cato Fabius Pictor and many others where you may satisfie your selues of many such fables as are to bee founde in prophane histories and therefore I will begin the historie of Rome frō the Latines and so briefly passe vnto Romulus the first builder and first king of Rome whose lineall race descended from the kings of the Latines in the which kingdome reigned successiuely sixteene kings before Romulus builded Rome from Aeneas time as in the histories of the kings of the Latines is declared And nowe in what Olympiad Rome was builded the Chronicles crie out one against another in such sort that some say that Rome was builded in the fift Olympiad some in the sixt Olympiad some in the eight some in the ninth and some in the twelfth Olympiad But the best agree that Rome was builded in the seuenth Olympiad for yet prophane histories were not acquainted with the actions of time for fewe or none wrote in those dayes or within three hundred yeeres after for Rome in the beginning was but a little towne and so frō time to time encreased her Territories and enlarged her Confines first by Romulus pollicie in warres and secondarily by Numa Pompilius wisedome in religion and peace At what time Phul Assur reigned the second king of newe Assyria for now the monarchie of the Assyrians was takē away into Babylon after Sardanapalus time by Phul Belochus the father of this king for the kingdomes of newe Assyria or of Babylon of the Medes and of Macedonia began before the kingdome of Rome the space of one Iubilee which is but fiftie yeres and the kingdom of Lydia began 26. yeres before Rome in the first Olympiad Thus at one time almost fiue kingdomes begā their gouernment About the name of Rome diuerse opinions are some say that the Pelagians after they had ouercome the greatest part of the world and had subdued many nations in the end did stay there and named it Rome first some say that after the destructiō of Troy certaine Troians to saue themselues frō the sword with their wiues tooke sea were driuē by winde to the Thuscan shore neere to the riuer Tiber that one Roma a Troiane lady named Rome after her owne name others hold opinion that it was Romanus the sonne of Vlisses and of Circes that first named Rome other say otherwayes Reade Plutarch Fabius Pictor
After this triumphs Scipio was sent to Spaine to the Numantines who had a little before discomfited Q. Pompeius the Consul ouer whom he had his second triumph but shortly by Scipio the citie of Numantia was subdued hee had triumphed ouer Affrike About this time Attalus king Eumenes his father some say his brother died and made the people of Rome his heire and so by testament Asia was annexed to the Romane Empire notwithstanding warre ensued in Asia by Aristonicus a base sōne of Eumenes in that warre Pub. Lucius Crassus was slaine his head cut off and brought to Aristonicus and his body buried at Smirna It is written of this Crassus that he might brag of 5 principal great gifts To be most noble The most wealthiest The most eloquent To be the most learned ciuillian And to be the most high Bishop About this time Carthage in Affrike was reedified by the cōmandemēt of the Senat after that it was subdued by Scipio 22. yeres and as writeth Polib diuers Citizens of Rome went to dwel in Carthage Not long after this Scipio was found dead in his house not without great suspiciō of Caius Graccus now warre was by the Romanes cōmenced against the Thraciās at what time triumphed in Rome the two brethrē Metelli in one day the one ouer Thracia the other ouer Sardinia the wars of Iugurth immediatly after this ensued of whō Salust maketh menciō This was the sōne of Micipsa king of Numidia who hauing two other brethrē beside himselfe named Adherbalis and Hiemsalis these Iugurth slue and vsurped the kingdome for this fact the Romanes sent Lucius Calphurnius then Consul against Iugurth but hee did no good for hee was corrupted with money After Spurius Albinus Posthumus was sent by the Senators who fought with Iugurth but with great dishonour The thirde time Quintus Cecilius Metellus was sent who vanquished Iugurth and subdued Numidia at last tooke him and brought him prisoner to Rome Of this Iugurth you shall reade more in the Affricane historie and I will lay downe the names of the Romane Consuls captaines and generals that triumphed from the ende of the second Affricane warre which was from Scipio Affricanus the elder vntill the time of Scipio Affricanus the yonger which was 56. yeeres 1 Ti. Quin. Flaminius 2 Lu. Flamin his brother 3 Lu. Cornelius Scipio surnamed Affricanus 4 Lu. Valerius Flaccus 5 M. Portius Cato 6 Lucius Manlius 7 Scipio Nasica 8 Ti. Sempronius Longus 9 Spu. Posthu Albinus 10 Quintus Martius 11 M. Aemilius Lepidus 12 M. Sempro. Tuditanus 13 Lucius Anitius 14 Au. Manl. Torquatus 15 C. Lu. Crassus 16 Quintus Opimus 17 Sci. Affrica the yonger 18 Q. Cecilius Metellus 29 C. Cecilius Metellus 20 Lu. Cornelius Cnima 21 M. Liuius Drusus 22 C. Papirius Carbo 23 Lu. Celius Metellus 24 Cneus Octauius These with many other noble Romanes florished in those dayes for nowe the Romanes after all their wars in Affrika brought all kingdoms vnder the Empire of Rome for frō that time forward the glory of Rome did excel sauing for some ciuill wars that grew beeene Marius Silla after beweene Pompey Caesar els Rome was in her greatnes for in the 646. yeere after the building of Rome Caius Marius a man of great seruice amongst the Romanes in consideration that he had bene seuen times Consul in Rome was the onely cause of the first ciuil warre in Rome vpō indignation taken that Silla was preferred in the wars then against Mithridates king of Pontus who had already done good seruice in Asia Achaia though Mithridates had perswaded the Atheniās to resist Silla for at that time Mithridates held a great part of Asia in his hand and of Thracia so that many thought that Mithridates should in time conquer the Romane Empire for he was eager and cruell against those that loued the Romanes But Silla in spite of Mithridates his philosopher Athenius his successor Aristo the tyrant besieged Athens and wanne it where he killed a number of the Citizens many before were famished for a measure of wheate called Medinus was sold in Athens then for a thousand Drachmes which doe mount to a hundred crownes which before in time of peace was sold for fiue Drachmes After he had taken Athens he marched to Beotia and ouerthrewe Archilaus Mithridates generall slue a hundred thousand of his men and from thence to Thebes and did much harme both to the Citie and Citizens Marius disdaining the good successe of Silla made meanes to the Senate to haue that warre into his hand which Silla had against Mithridates This was graunted to Marius whereupon Silla in a great furie with all his armie returned backe to Rome entred the Citie killed Sulpitius slue many and draue Marius to flight and secretly went to Apheca Silla and Marius beganne nowe both to neglect the warres abroade against Mithridates and like two furious enemies of Italie spoyled their countrie and gaue libertie to the enemie to vanquish and subdue in this time Armenia the lesse and all the sea coastes called Ponticum and Bosphorus Silla by consent of the Senate tooke his iourney against Mithridates recouered Greece as you heard and other prouinces But to be short Silla ouercame Marius after many hotte broiles in Italie concluded peace with Mithridates returned to Rome at what time Lu. Scipio and Norbanus were Consuls in Rome These both thought to resist Sillas comming to Rome but Lu. Scipio with all his armie went and yeelded to Silla and the other Consul fled to Rhodes where for feare to come to Sillas hand hee slue himselfe That yeere Silla was made Dictator in Rome sixe hundred seuentie three yeeres after the building of Rome at what time he tyrannized against the Citizens of Rome so that Silla after much good seruice first done to his countrie afterwarde fell to such slaughter and tyrannie that he had beene better vnborne then borne And so of Marius may be spoken who plaied the like part before Silla and were both called faces faeces Italiae for their bloodshed in their coūtrie for Marius before Sillas slaughter and murthering of the Citizens of Rome hee killed Cneus Sulpitius and others so Sulpitius and others slue in Rome Cneus Octauius and many of the best of Rome aswell Noble men Senators Consuls as others This ciuil warre in Rome as Eutropius and Melancthon affirme endured tenne yeeres in the which were slaine aboue fiue hundred thousand souldiers twentie foure Consuls seuen Pretors fourtie Tribunes and as they write three hundred Senators beside Reade Melancthon of this warre Now after that Silla had these tenne yeres fomed in blood and had subdued both Marius and his sonne the yonger Marius hee triumphed ouer Mithridates with great glory In the latter yeeres of Silla young Pompey afterwarde surnamed the great for his prowesse courage was much honored of Silla
and change of the common wealth of Rome from Aristocratia to Monarchia againe as before from Kings to Consuls so nowe from Consuls to Emperours The state was altered by Iu. Caesar the first Emperour and the last Dictator of Rome and so from Iu. Caesar vnto the ende of Nero which was the last of the progenie of Augustus POmpeis friendes and adherents being thus subdued the ciuill warres cleare appeased Caesar returned to Rome with great triumph where he was chosen to be perpetuall Dictator and named of the people Emperour hee vsed great clemencie towards Pompeis friends and caused Pompeis Images being throwen downe before to be set vp againe hee raised the children of those parents which were slaine in the ciuil warres betweene Silla and Marius and therefore the Romanes dedicated the Temple of clemencie to Caesar for his courtesie Caesar was not idle after the ciuill warres and after many daungerous battels for in October hee entred with his triumph to Rome at what time he reformed the inequalitie of the yeere and brought to perfection the Kalender so that Caesar did what it pleased him in Rome without regard of the Senators or Consuls which was the onely cause of Cassius and Brutus conspiracie and yet Caesar saued Brutus life once or twise after Pompeis death This conspiracie being concluded betweene Brutus and Cassius with many Senators and gentlemen of Rome more the time was appointed and the place diuerse strange impressions were seene in the ayre also strange markes founde in Caesars sacrifice the Southsayers warned Caesar of the Ides of March his wife Calphurnia certified Caesar of a dreame she sawe and with teares desired him that day not to goe to the Senate the conspiracie was deliuered to him in writing vpon the way as hee went to the Senate but destinies may be easier foreseene then auoyded Caesar was that day slaine and so murthered that hee had 23. wounds on his bodie Thus the great Caesar had butfrom October to March to liue in Rome as Emperour all the rest of his life was 56. yeeres his warres his dangers all the toile and traueile he tooke was to come to be Emperour of Rome which he enioyed not 5. moneths Caesar had fiue triumphes very solemnly the first hee had ouer the Frenchmen the second ouer the king of Egypt the third ouer Pharnaces Mithridates sonne king of Pontus the fourth ouer Affrica of Cato Scipio and Cneus Pompeius the fift of Spaine Thus farre the glory of Rome florished their fame and dignitie extended to al parts of of the world as by their victories and triumphes ouer all nations may appeare for during the raigne of the Consuls which gouerned Rome 467. yeres for frō Iu. Brutus and Publicola the first Consuls after the time of the last king vntill Pausa and Hirsius the last Consuls vnder Iulius Caesar the first Emperour raigned in Rome 936 Consuls all which time the Romanes encreased from the very beginning their Empire as may appeare by the victories and triumphes ouer so many countreys and kingdomes as here I lay downe to your view FIrst Sicilia was subdued by Marcellus then Consul ouer which hee triumphed with pompe and brought Sicilie a prouince vnder Rome 2 Sardinia and Corsica were by Metellus conquered and made by him a prouince vnder the Romanes 3 All Affrica and Carthage was by Pub. Cornelius Scipio brought subiect vnder the Romans and after againe by Scipio sirnamed the yonger Affricanus 4 Numidia and their king Iugurtha was by Marius then Consul after many sharpe battels ouerthrowen and subdued and Iugurtha brought prisoner into Rome where he pied in prison 5 Mauritania was in like maner held by Bochus and Iuba but both were vanquished and all Mauritania by Iu. Caesar then generall for the Romanes in the West brought vnder the Empire of Rome 6 Hispaine was brought vnder by Decius Brutus and made a prouince vnder the Romanes and after by Metellus and last by Pompey the great who vtterly subdued Spaine 7 After that all Affrica and Spaine was made subiect to the Romanes the kingdome of Macedonia and all Greece were subdued and brought to Rome first by Tit. Flaminius and after by Paulus Aemilius 8 The Illyrians which ayded the Macedonians were by Lucius Manilius conquered and their king Gentius caried captiue into Rome ouer whom he solemnly triumphed 9 The Thracians were by Lucullus vanquished and subdued and so made seruants to the Romanes 10 Asia was destroyed sundrie times but last by Scipio sirnamed Asiaticus so named for his victorie ouer Antiochus the great and ouer Asia so that neere al Asia and all Affrica were made subiects vnder the Romanes 11 All the countrey about mount Taurus was subdued and brought vnder the Empire of Rome by Seruilius who also conquered the Isaurians and therefore sirnamed Isauricus for his victorie therein 12 Lucius Silla subdued the Parthians and constrained their king Arsaces to pay tribute to the Romanes 13 Lucius Lucullus vanquished the king of Armenia and brought him to hold of the Romanes 14 Pontus Mesopotamia Arabia Iudea and diuers other kingdomes and countreys were made prouinces vnder Rome by Pompey the great Frenchmen were first by Camillus and after by Marius vanquished the thirde time all Fraunce was conquered by Iulius Caesar. Creete was by Metellus subdued and therefore Metellus was sirnamed Creticus Cyprus by Marcus Cato was made a prouince of the Romanes Pub. Ventidius triumphed ouer the Persians and brought them subiect to Rome Egypt vnder diuers Consuls kept vnder the Romans Empire and at last made a prouince vnto Rome and was appointed to be the treasurer of Rome and called Horreum Romae the barne of Rome For while Pompey flourished in Rome Caesar was also of great credite and had bene Questor and Tribune of the souldiers and after was sent Pretor to Spaine for Caesar was a valiant souldier and a skilfull captaine his prowesse and deedes of armes excelled Silla Marius Crassus Lucullus and Pompey Reade his life in Plutarch and you shall finde how many nations and howe many townes Caesar conquered in the warres with the Gaules he brought welnigh all Fraunce to subiection After hee warred vpon the Illyrians and Heluetians at what time Cassius Lopanus raigned king and soone after vpon the Britaines which at that time neuer heard of the Romanes whose prowesse and great courage Caesar in his owne Commentarie doeth much commende Caesar waged battell with diuers nations of Germanie as with the Tigurians the Belges and the Neruians for in Germanie are sundrie sorts of people as Sicambri Tenterides which Caesar subdued These conquests of Caesar made Pompey much to feare the greatnesse of him if hee should once come to be a Consul in Rome and therefore Pompey laboured to keepe Caesar still occupied in Fraunce in Spaine and in Germanie the onely souldiers of the worlde But Caesar could not bee kept backe but would be a Consul for
time Piso was Praetor in Syria and Pontius Pilate was President in Iudea This very time the Parthians required of the Romanes king Phraartes sonne named Vonones which was by his owne father put to the Romanes in pledge of loyaltie to come againe to his kingdome which being graunted hee shortly after was despised and driuen out of his kingdome by Artabanus Mithridates waged warre and died in the Isle of Thiae banished from Rome for at that time there was a lawe made in Italy for the banishing of Sooth sayers and Mathematicians Within a litle while after fell sharpe and cruel warre of this warre betweene the Parthians and Hiberians Reade Tacitus At this time many great terrible earthquakes chaunced and many great wonders were seeene a little before Christ Iesus suffered his death and passion for after the last earthquake spoken of before fell againe thirteene great and famous townes by another earthquake whose names Eusebius setteth downe in this sort as in the margent you may reade Our Sauiour Christ died in the Emperour Tiberius his raigne at what time were finished the seuentie weekes spoken of in Daniel about which time Philo Iudaeus was sent from Alexandria to Rome to entreate the Romanes to bee friendes to the Citizens of Alexandria This Philo Iudaeus was of great authoritie in those dayes being a Iewe borne his first comming to Rome was accepted the fifteenth yeere of the raigne of Tiberius the seconde comming was in the second yeere of the raigne of Caius Caligula where hee was but litle welcome and with threatning wordes of Caligula he returned backe to Alexandria In the time of this C. Caligula came Herode the Tetrarche from Iewrie to Rome and was by Caligula then banished from Iudea to Lugdunum a towne in France and Pontius Pilate who gaue sentence of death vpon the Sonne of God our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST in Ierusalem this time fell into such miseries and calamities that hee with his owne hande killed himselfe Matthewe the Euangelist wrote his Gospell in Iudea in the Hebrewe tongue in the last yeere of the Emperour Caligula at what time Simon Magus the Sorcerer flourished and was honoured as a god in Rome and in many other places I will returne to the successour of Caligula Tiberius Claudius hee sawe Drusus an vncle by the father side to Caligula and brothers sonne to Tiberius Nero this made warres vpon the Britaines which is now called England ouer whom he triumphed at Rome and at that time hee annexed certaine Ilands situate beyond Britaine called Orcades to the Empire of Rome he appointed playes in Rome at what time ciuil warres grew amongst the Parthians In the time of this Claudius diuers and sundry great famines were in many countreys great famine was in Iudea and the Apostles suffered much persecution but they were comforted by the brethren Of this famine spake Agabus in the Acts of the Apostles In Rome also was great famine and in Greece This Claudius Tiberius had a wife named Messalina a woman most vntemperate giuen to much filthie lust neuer satisfied with venerie nor neuer wearie by this lewde Empresse many were destroyed Many things did this Claudius very quietly and many things hee did very cruelly without discretion and behaued himselfe very courteously towards diuers of his friendes and therefore was thought of many not to be wise Eutropius saith that there was a most honorable tombe made to him at Mentz in Germanie This Emperour liued 64. yeeres and raigned in Rome Emperour foureteene yeeres after whome succeeded Claudius Domitius Nero who was sonne in lawe vnto Claudius Drusus who adopted him to be his successour in the Empire after the building of Rome 807. yeeres some say 809 and after that Christ died 57. This was the sixt Emperour of Rome who excelled all good Emperours for fiue yeeres gouernment for Traian the Emperour was wont to say Omnes principes procul à Neronis quinquennio distare for hee builded the Anephitheaters and founded Bathes and named them after his owne name at Rome he ordeined certaine places euery fiue Quinquenale imitating the Greekes in their Olympiads and named them Neronea the playes of Nero hee much resembled his vncle Caligula a man much giuen to all kinde of riot charges and expences hee poysoned the sonne of Claudius whom his father sirnamed Britanicus in remembrance of his victorie ouer the Britaines hee married Octauia and slew her husband and as Eusebius saith slewe her also hee married a courtezane named Poppea and slew her hee had carnall copulation with Agrippina his owne naturall mother and after slew her he also slewe a great nomber of the Senate and diuers other worthie citizens This Emperour exceeded all tyrants in crueltie hee committed diuers murthers vpon his owne kinsefolkes and slewe his scholemaster that graue and learned man Seneca When that this Nero had giuen himselfe wholy to all tyrannie and became an enemie to all good hee would daunce and sing openly with strumpets in the apparell of a cōmon minstrell Now when hee had murthered Senators citizens and diuers gentlemen and had slaine his owne brother his wife and his mother he set the citie of Rome on fire and let it burne for 6. dayes to make him know how the citie of Troy burned when it was on fire by the Grecians And when he had left no euill thing vndone on earth hee beganne to persecute the Church and to murther the saincts of God as shal be spoken in the History of the Church of Paul Peter and others Reade Tacitus of this wicked Emperour While he fomed in blood at Rome the Parthians bereft him of Armenia and he had almost as Eutropius saith lost Britaine he durst do nothing in feates of armes for these cruel facts he was abhorred of all men and cleane forsaken of his owne friends he was adiudged of the Senate to be an enemy of the weale publike Nero hearing that he should be drawen naked through the citie and be whipt til he were dead hee fled secretly forth of his Pallace by night with his Eunuch Sporus and slew himselfe 4. miles from Rome In the time of Nero fell by an earthquake three townes in Asia called Laodicea Hieropolis and Colossa Diuers earthquakes and many wonders were seene in Rome murther and slaughter in Iudea battels and blood At what time Albinus gouerned the Iewes vnder the Romans In Neroes time gouerned in Britaine Aruiragus in whose dayes many Britaines were conuerted to the faith by Ioseph of Arimathea a Iew borne and one of them that buried our Sauiour Christ. Thus the tyrant Nero which wished that all the citie of Rome had but one necke that he might with one stroke cut it off died after hee had raigned fourteene yeeres Emperour and liued one and thirtie yeeres CHAP. VIII From Nero the tyrant the sixt Emperour of Rome vntill the time of Lu. Antoninus Comodus the
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
much as the Image of Iupiter This could not be suffered and therefore Caesars Image was taken away for this cause and others which Caligula supposed against the Iewes for that he hated them extreemely Great slaughter was in Ierusalē Agrippa being cast into close prison by Tiberius is now not onely released and set at libertie but also made king of Lysania and chiefe in the Tetrarchie in the place of Herode before him but both Herod and Agrippa were exalted into these great honours as scourges and tortures to the Christians whom they persecuted to the death for now the Apostles were dispersed preaching the Name of Iesus in all countreys Iohn in Asia Andrew in Scythia Thomas in Parthia Peter in Gallatia Bythinia Pontus and Cappadocia Paul also after his conuersion doubted no danger feared no death but boldly and constantly preached In omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum that many godly men were stirred by their preaching to followe Christ first at Caesarea and then at Antioch for there were first Christians conuerted Many wonders were done by the Apostles through the name of Iesus the more that tyrants persecuted them the more increased the doctrine of the Church the more they were slaine by the sworde the more they increased in nomber by the word for at the stoning of Stephen the first Martyr many dispersed themselues into sundrie places At the beheading of Iames the brother of Iohn at the hanging of Philip the Apostle at Hieropolis at the martyring of Iames sirnamed the Iust called also the brother of Christ in Iudea these with infinite more Martyrs in the first persecution made the whole worlde amazed at their constancie and faith though the deuil stirred his apostles and sent them abroade likewise as aduersaries to the Church of God Simon Magus the Samaritane sorcerer flourished at Rome vnder Claudius the Emperour hauing all diuine honours attributed vnto him with his Image set vp and his Epigram Simoni deo sancto hauing before seduced many in Samaria and in other places from the trueth This Simon Magus the first causer of heresie after whom succeeded a monster likewise of Samaria professing himselfe to be the Messias whom the Iewes looked for saying that he came from heauen to earth to saue mankinde with such other blasphemies as Eusebius setteth forth at large Of these and of others I shall speake when I entreate of heretiques among whom Simon was the first fountaine and chiefe head of heresie so that Satan did set forward his church with al care and trauaile obiecting himselfe with his disciples against our Sauiour in all doctrine as long as it pleased God to licence him This time Tiberius Claudius raigned the first Emperour in Rome and in like order as his predecessor Caligula persecuted the Church Vnder this Emperour great famine happened in all parts of the world at what time Paul and Barnabas relieued the brethren at Ierusalem and in other places persecution grew more and more euen then in somuch that Paul and Peter were pursued from place to place vntill they came to bee martyred at Rome the one beheaded and the other hanged yet had they established the Church before their death Marcus the Euangelist and the disciple of Peter preached Christ in Egypt and taught in Alexandria so that many were conuerted and beleeued Hee was the first bishop of Alexandria and taught in the regions about vntill Pentapolis and after was lead with a halter about his necke and burned by Idolaters vnder Traiane the Emperour Matthewe being before one of the 70. disciples and after ioyned by drawing of lots into the nomber of the twelue Apostles in the place of Iudas the traitor taught and preached to the sauage people in Aethiopia about the riuer Phasis where hee left his bones in testimonie of the Gospel in the citie of Sebastopolis by the temple of the Sunne Euen so Luke borne in Antioch a Phisition by profession a follower of Paul by whose admonition hee wrote the Actes of the Apostles preaching and teaching the Gospel euery where died at Ephesus So that in those dayes the Apostles and the other disciples which then followed the Apostles were so persecuted by tyrants that mightily trauailed among the people of God to reduce them from the Church as Aegyptus a false prophet who by subtiltie and craft of the deuill seduced thirtie thousande Iewes and brought them from the wildernesse where hee taught them into mount Oliuet thinking thereby to laye siege and to take the citie by the sworde but hee was preuented by Felix the Romane Of this Aegyptus Paul was cried out vpon when the sedition was in Hierusalem Reade the one and twentieth of the Actes when Paul was brought before Felix And now in the time of Domitius Nero vnder whome the second persecution beganne they were more wearie of their slaughter of Christians and of their tyrannie towardes the Church then able to wearie those whome God raised as defenders and gouernours of his people for while this cruel Emperor Nero raigned Felix ruled in Iudea at what time beganne betweene the bishops and the hie Priestes against the people and against the chiefe Citizens of Hierusalem a newe sedition in the which many of the Iewes perished amongst whome Ionathas was slaine The like happened as you heard in the time of Claudius about the feast of Easter that thirtie thousand Iewes were slaine This Nero armed against God and settled to some in Christian blood first charging Felix to kill to murther and to persecute all sort of people but specially the Iewes After he sent Festus to succeede Felix and after Felix Albinus a cruel man by whom much blood was lost was sent from Rome to Ierusalem all persecuters and tormenters of the faithfull in somuch that the congregation of the faithfull at that time in Ierusalem were warned to remooue to Pella a village beyonde Iorden to auoyde the furie and hot persecution of that time for this cruel Nero was not onely contented to be a tyrant farre from Rome but also in the citie of Rome he would see the people of God so martyred before his face some with the sword some with fire and some otherwayes that he was most meerie when he saw much blood and yet was not satisfied vntil he saw Rome on fire it selfe he is named amongst some writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for while this Emperour raigned in Rome Peter and Paul were martyred But his tragicall actions had their iust reward euen in Rome where hee was Emperour after that he had raigned almost 14. yeeres The contempt of Christ Iesus grew such in Iudea though the Prophets before he was borne preached vnto them the danger of their incredulitie and the Apostles after he was borne taught them and shewed the workes of Christ and Christ him selfe while yet hee liued among them wrought miracles and wonders yet the Iewes in
to bee martyred yea some from the Emperours Court of his familie as Dor theus Gorgonius and other Courtiers yea they of the Emperours chamber his owne cousins being some but very young of great honour and great fauour loue and liking with the Emperor made more choise of this seruice and cruell death then of that Courtly and gallant life among whome I finde one named Petrus a young lustie prince who refused to bowe to Idoles or to doe any sacrifice vnto them hee was commaunded to bee lifted vp naked and there to be whipped and scourged vntill hee woulde willingly sacrifice to Idoles ◅hee stoode stout and constant vntill by beating vnto the very bones his fiesh from his body fell by pieces and then they tooke salt and vineger mingled together and powred it in purulentis corporis partibus as the historie sayth and yet hee yeelded not then th◅ brought him to the fire where they pinche◅ him with hote irons and pricked him with sharpe bodkins and perceiuing that hee would not recant he was commanded to be burned In this Dioclesians time all prisons were full of Christians and all Townes and Cities full of persecutions In Arabia multitudes of Martyrs were tormented with sundry inuentions as breaking of their legges pulling out their eyes cutting of their nostrels and their lippes knocking out their teeth and such vnchristian like torments In Antiochia with burning coles they tortured the Martyrs of Christ Iesus In Pontus the Martyrs were thus tortured with sharpe long and strong needles thrusting them vp vnder the nailes of their fingers and vnder the nailes of their toes To bee short in some places their right eye was put out and the left knee was cutte off in some other places in boyling leade they were by little and little tormented and in other places with all tortures in their priuie members most terrible to be spoken punished and martyred In all places all kinde of torments were most cruelly vsed against the Saintes and people of God When Dioclesianus had reigned twentie yeeres and had fomed like a bloody bore against the Church hee dyed in whose time the Christians multiplied by his tyrannie more then reason or sence can alleadge After him succeded Maxentius an Emperor who though hee dissembled for a while to gette the Romanes good will yet he shortly proued a tyraunt and so hatefull to good men that betweene Maximinus in the East coūtries with his hypocrisie and superstition and Maxentius in Rome with his filthinesse and tyrannie the Church againe and the members thereof were most miserably afflicted in such sort that neither Mazentius in Rome nor Maximinus abroade coulde neither stoppe nor staye the multitude that dayly came into Gods Church neither their murthering and killing in euery countrie could feare them any thing at all Maximinus one of the greatest persecutors sauing Dioclesian who in thirtie daies slue and martyred 1700. Christians by some diuine iustice of God fell grieuously sicke at Tarsus where despairing of his life feeling his cōscience accusing him for the great slaughter he vsed against the Christians he caused by an edict persecution to stay and to loose prisoners out of prison to set captiue Christians at libertie but this cōtinued not but while the emperor was sicke liketo die for whē he recouered his health he waxed more cruel thē before sparing neither man woman nor childe vsing all kinde of torments on the Byshops and learned men in all Countries so that his tyrannie ouer the Christians might bee well compared to the rage and furie of Pharao ouer the Israelites But he was cutte offrō this murthering slaughter of the Christians by Licinius the Emperour who then had maried Constantia sister to Constantine the great for at this time foure emperors were at once gouernors of Rome so a litle before Maxentius the other persecutour was discomfited and vanquished by Constantine the great at Miluius bridge Thus farre fomed tyraunts in Christian blood and the Church was sore afflicted euery where where the Romane Emperours gouerned And thus farre doth Eusebius his tenne bookes handle and set forth of those kingdomes and Countries where this persecution and affliction of the Church remained euen from the Apostles time vntill Constantine the great This Constantine was a godly Emperor who defended the Christians and the Church of Christ that in steade of persecution brought libertie to the Church and in steade of warre peace for after that Constantine the great had vanquished Licinius had gotten the Empire into his owne hand he established first religion and caused a Synod of Byshops at Rome to determine and to agree concerning the agreement in religion he wrote to Miltiades Byshop of Rome he sent to Affrike to his lieutenant Anilinus that Cecilianus Byshop of Carthage with the other tenne Byshops that accused him should be sent to Rome there further to examine the faults and errors of Cecilianus and to auoide that controuersie betweene these byshops that then in diuers places liued Hee wrote that bishops out of Fraunce and out of Affrike should againe come together to reason in causes of the Church and to moderate the same for during the time that Licinius his Collegue in the Empire reigned specially in the end Licinius beganne to hate Constantine and to persecute the Church waxed cruell against good byshops persecuted them most vehemently and threwe their Churches downe slue and murthered the people most miserably for then Licinius commenced not onely warre against Constantinus but also against God and his Church Hee caused Basilius Byshop of Amasia in Pontus to bee slaine with the sworde and a hundred other His furie continued not long and therefore God raysed vp this good Emperour to reuenge his people not onely nowe vpon Licinius but also vpon Maxentius and Maximinus two great persecutours of the Christians After this as you heard Constantinus studied howe hee might benefite the Church establish religion and ayde the afflicted members that long suffered sharpe persecution and were nowe scattered into wildernesses into mountaines and into such places where they might hide themselues from the sworde and from the fire This time florished Egypt with sundry learned and godly Philosophers Also in Mesopotamia the like godly men liued some in wildernesses and in mountaines as these whose names I lay downe as I founde them in Rufinus 1 Marcereus and another of that name liued in the wildernesse 2 Isidorus in a place called Scithi 3 Pembus in the desert of Egypt Moyses and Beniamin in a place called Nitria 4. 5. 6. Scyron and Helias and Paulus liued and hid themselues in Apeliote 7. 8. Poemen and Ioseph in Pispirihill these with many others that liued in diuers partes of Egypt true and sound Christians Nowe when Constantine the great had by his greatnesse enlarged the Empire of Rome farre more then any of his
slew the great giant called Lycurgus in Thracia Of this Osiris whom the Egyptians named Serapis to whom they vsed much diuine honour and solemne sacrifice as to one of their principal gods read Herodot more of this god there you shal find how king Cambyses Cyrus sonne secōd king of Persia gaue a blow and wounded him in his temple whereat the Egyptians were more offended then for al the crueltie tyrannie which Cambyses did to them It made them to reuolt from Cambyses and to be in armes against the Persians to reuenge the blow which Cambyses gaue to their god Serapis Deabus in Celtiberia he is also named Geriō vsed this time great crueltie and tyrannie he found then one of the first mines of golde and after he found many other mines of gold siluer and of other mettals This time Mena raigned in Egypt the first king who instructed them in many things in Egypt as to woorship their gods to do sacrifice with diuers other ceremonies wher in Egypt excelled all other kingdoms he taught thē the vse of beds to lye on tables to sit at meat This Mena is supposed to be Mizraim Osyris which of Berosus is called Oceanus About this time dyed Ismael the base sonne of Abraham by his maide Agar after he had liued 137. yeeres he left behind him twelue sonnes princes ouer the people ouer his tribes In this tyraunt Deabus time otherwise called Gerion Ioseph was sold into Egypt and the Indians brought presents committed themselues vnto the Chaldeans for by this time many parts of the world were well inhabited and some kingdomes began to be populous and kings grew strong and mightie on the earth for now raigned in Assyria Baleus Iunior who flourished by his prowes courage augmented the territories of the Assyrians into the confines of India and excelled in fame nexte vnto Semiramis Queene of Assyria Osiris also had nowe gotten all Italie into his hand and held it for ten yeeres Typhon became a great tyrant killed his brother Osiris the iust vsurped the kingdome of Egypt So I might say of Anteus in Lybia of Busiris in Phoenicia and so of this Gerion in Celtiberia and of diuers others who forsooke to be kings being not contented with one kingdome became tyrants and vsed all kinde of cruelty deceites and treason to enlarge their dominions When this tyrant Gerion died in Celtiberia his 3. sonnes succeeded after him called Lomuini they builded a great town in Celtiberia named it after their names Lomuinia These brethrē after they iointly gouerned the Celtiberians for the space of 52. yeeres they left the countrey to bee gouerned by one Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Lybius This gouerned the Celtiberians for seuenteene yeeres and builded a strong towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis In his time the kinges of Egypt became first to be called Pharaoes a name giuen to them of dignitie for in the beginning of kingdoms men were yet simple contented with one Towne for diuers cities with a small territorie in steede of a great kingdome which shortly grew to that pride that kings would not be contented with a kingdome neither with 2. or 3. kingdomes they woulde faine get the whole worlde and some weepe with Alexander because there were no more but one world to winne So grew the intollerable insolencie of princes in short time vpon the earth that they would be called gods commanded by edicts that they should be so worshipped as Belus among the Assyrians Nabuchodonosor among the Caldeans Osiris among the Egyptians Alexander the great among the Persians and Dioclesian among the Romanes Idolatrie superstition vainglorie and selfe loue entred into mens hearts and possessed their mindes in such sort in steede of trueth simplicity iustice contentation and quietnes which yet raigned among men dum aureum seculumfloruit During the reigne of Hispalus in Celtiberia that gouernement called Dynasteia Politanorum beganne in Egypt which continued 348. yeeres Argus the fourth king of the Argiues gouerned after Hispalus had gouerned 11. yeres Hispanus succeeded king of Celtiberia which gouerned them for 32. yeres of this king Hispanus Celtiberia was named Hispaine for in Egypt beganne the names of Pharoes when the kings of Celtiberia were named kings of Hispaine CHAP. II. From the time of Hispanus by whom they were called Hispaniards vntill the monarchie was dissolued and the names of kinges ended after what time Hispayne was deuided vnto particular Prouinces and seuerall dominions after the raigne and gouernement of foure and twentie kings euen from Cetubal the first vnto Mellicola the last HItherto you reade howe that the first inhabitauntes were called by diuers names first of Tubal their first king by whome they were called Cetubals at the seconde change they were called Hiberi and the countrey Hiberia after the name of Hiberus their seconde king the thirde time they were called Celtiberi and the countrey Celtiberia the fourth time the countrey was called Hesperia and the fifte time nowe of Hispanus the countrey is called Hispayne This time in the East kingdomes nothing was done woorth the writing Forkinges were scant yet knowen no great warres yet heard of for at this time reguli non Reges fuere and therefore I thought it the best course to set downe the names of the first Kinges that then inhabited in Hispayne for all this while and of long time after no warre no victorie no martiall exploites were in anie part of the worlde sauing in the East among the Chaldeans and the Assyrians which grewe by this time so mighty that they held betwene them the first monarchie and yet their dominion seemed not to extend farre by the sequele I wil therefore bee briefe for that I cannot finde during the time of these 24. kings anie historie woorth the writing nor of long time after these foure and twentie kinges raigned in Spayne one after another 1 Tubal their first king by whom they were called Cetubals which raigned 155. yeeeres and had setled some seates and builded some townes and died 2 Iberus his sonne and their second king raigned 37. yeres he also died 3 Iubalda the third king and the sonne of Iberus raigned 66. yeeres and dwelt hard by a mount of his owne name called Iubalda which vnto this day is of the Spaniards named Gibralta 4 Brigus succeeded Iubalda in the 20. yere of Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians and gouerned in Celtiberia 51. yeeres 5 After him Tagus which is called Orma gouerned the Celtiberians and raigned 30. yeeres hee beganne to gouerne his kingdome with Baleus Xerxes the eight king of the Assyrians and at what time the Argiues reared first there and Phaeton came to Italie Phaetontis incendium 6 Then succeeded in Celtiberia Betus their sixth king which beganne his raigne when Armatrites the ninth king beganne in Assyria and raigned one and thirtie yeeres this time Eusebius setteth downe the
well in all this warre that Scipio after Numantia was destroyed wrote to king Micipsa in commendation of Iugurth to will him to esteeme of such a one as in all chiualrie and manhood resembled his graundfather Masinissa Iugurth by this meanes was adopted by Micipsa to be his sonne to ioyne with his other two sonnes Adherbal and Hiempsal whome he exhorted to be true to the Romanes and to hold with his brethren But of this I wrote in the Affrican Historie When Scipio had conquered all Affrica and brought all Hispaine subiect to the Romanes he returned into Rome with his great triumphes and left all things in quiet vntill Viriatus time a meane Spaniard but a shepheard in the beginning and after became a captaine among robbers and thieues This Spaniard grewe in time to bee called Protector of Spaine against the Romanes This Viriatus stirred many battels and raysed the Spaniardes for the space of fourteene yeeres against the Romanes They hearing of this at Rome Quintus SeruiliusC epio was sent foorth with a Romane armie against this Viriatus The battell was waged in Lusitania nowe called Portingal where Viriatus was slaine by his owne souldiers yet all Spaine was in an vprore by this Viriatus and many cities of Spaine reuolted from the Romanes and were at that time in armes for Viriatus had giuen a great ouerthrow to Caius Vetilius and all the Romane armie and Q. Pompeius then Consul was discomfited by the citizens of Numantia the worthiest Citie of Spaine And after him Caius Hostilius Mancinus had the like reproch and was forced to make infamous league with the Spaniardes so that the stout Romanes were twise discomfited by the Numantines and Spaine againe beganne to spite the Romanes This Viriatus kept playe with the Romanes and gaue them many hard battels and vanquished many great Romanes vntill another Scipio came and brought Spaine as lowe as his predecessors did and thereby was called Scipio Affricanus the yonger for of long time after the two Scipios the brethren and after Scipio Affricanus the elder that Pub. Scipios sonne that died in Spaine by whome all Spaine was subdued quietnesse was in Spaine and they payed tribute vnto the Romanes vntill the third Affrican warres which beganne two and fiftie yeeres after the second warre and in the sixe hundreth yeere after the building of Rome Then Famea and Asdrubal for this name was among them as Scipio was among the Romanes were appoynted lieutenants for Spaine who held out for a time vntill by Scipio the yonger they were vanquished for still Spaine was ayded by the Carthagineans and Affricans and both Carthage and Affrike were strengthened by the Spaniardes After Famea and Asdrubal were ouercome Sertorius a noble Romane who tooke part with Marius against Silla in the ciuill warres at Rome doubting the fortune and force of Silla fledde to Spaine stirred the Spaniardes to battell against the Romanes This warre was great and bloodie for the time that it continued for Romanes fought against Romanes for Metellus who was sent from Rome to Spaine against Sertorius for all that Metellus was an approued souldier yet hee was ouermatched by Sertorius The Senate sent Cn. Pompeius to ayde Metellus yet Sertorius assailed them and kept sharpe and eagre warre with equall fortune This warre en dured eight yeeres vntill Sertorius was slaine by his owne souldiers At that time Spaine againe submitted themselues to the Romanes the warre nowe ceased in Spaine and both Metellus and Pompeius had their seuerall triumphes ouer ◅aine in one day in the which day two other great triumphes were at Rome the one by Curio ouer the Macedonians the other by Seruilius ouer the Isaurians so that in one day foure triumphes entred into the Citie of Rome together so great and so famous was the glorie of Rome Then wee reade of nothing done in Spaine vntill Sextus Pompeius who after his fathers death Pompeius the great at Egypt fledde into Spaine to whome fledde M. Cato and diuers other noble Romanes they tooke certaine Cities in Spaine stirred the Spaniardes to withstand the Romanes opening the violence and ciuill warres of Rome the crueltie and slaughter of their friendes and the vtter destruction of their countrey This warre was appeased by Iulius Caesar after many sharpe and doubtfull battels betweene Sextus Pomepius and Caesar at what time Iulius made his triumph with great glorie and pompe ouer Spaine which was the last conquest of Spaine for by this time Caesar had triumphed ouer the Frenchmen ouer the Egyptians ouer Pontus ouer the Affricans and ouer Spaine last of all and brought Spaine subiect to the Romanes CHAP. IIII. From the time that the Romanes conquered Hispaine vnto the time of the Vandols the thirde conquest of Hispaine and from the Vandoles vnto the Gothes victorie ouer Hispaine the fourth conquest and from the Gothes vnto the time of the Saracens the fift conquest of Hispaine AFter which time Spaine was so obedient to the Romanes and so seruiceable that when Caesar died and good Augustus had taken the Empire in hand the Spaniards so honoured Augustus that they began to make their accompts and to nomber their yeres from the raigne of Augustus for as the Romanes vsed to nomber their yeeres from the first building of Rome the Grecians from their Olympiads the Saracens and the Arabians from Mahomet and the Christians from the birth of our Sauiour Christ so the Spaniards numbred their yeeres from Augustus whom they so esteemed and loued that they builded certaine townes and cities and named them after Augustus name so continued vntill the time of the Vandols and Gothes and after them the Saracens So long was Spaine vnder Augustus and vnder the Empire of Rome for as in Augustus time the Spaniards endeuoured euery way to please the Romanes in accompting the yeeres from Augustus by these foure letters A. Er. A. which signified Annus erat Augusti as the Arabians made their accompt by the worde Hegyra which Mahomet commanded of late dayes to be kept And of late dayes among the Romanes they nombred their yeeres per Indictiones which Constantine the great had made by Law to be obserued for the old accompts and nombring of yeeres of the Egyptians frō the flood of the Chaldeans from Adam the olde Greekes from Ninus and long after from the Olympiads so the ancient Romanes from the building of Rome and so diuers others from the destruction of Troy and the Christians from the time that our Sauiour Christ was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgine But now all Spaine was brought a Prouince by the Romans vnder whom Spaine was gouerned by the space of 420. yeres vntill the Empire was taken from Rome to Constantinople at what time the kingdome of the Gothes Vandols Hunnes and Lumbards beganne to flourish in the West countreys for during the glorie of the Romanes which was
called Gallograeci for so Liuius agreeing with this history of Iustine saith that wheÌ„ any French naâ—…on dwelt in any part of old Greece those people were called Gaulgreekes by reason of their mingling with other they were called gens mixta adultera for after they had diuided themselues into diuers couÌ„tries after Brennus their captaine was slaine as I said before they spoyled Greece and the most part of Asia the number of these Galgrecians were such as all Asia stood in great feare and doubt of them These Frenchmen florished vnder Brennus a captaine fitte for such mercenary souldiers and as Liui saith Gens auidissima auri spared neither Towne nor Temple for at that time when the Frenchmen inuaded Italie and had taken Rome and had spoyled and destroyed cities and countries being such number together 300000. as saith Iustine diuiding theÌ„selues some to Macedonia some to seeke one way and some to seeke another way that the Frenchmen were a terrour in Asia some of these dwelt in Galatia some went to Phrygia there in many places inhabited Now both these countries Bythinia Galatia are called Gallograecia and as many as dwelt in any part of Greece they were called Frenchgreeks for at what time CoÌ„suls reigned after the kings in Róme reigned likewise in a part of Gallia called Celta a king named Ambigatus whose couÌ„trie was so populous that skant the soile was able to entertaine them he sent two nephews of his being brethreÌ„ the one called Bellencsus the other Sigonesus furnished them with men and munitions willed them to seeke some countrie and to trauell for a kingdome by the sword hauing Brennus their chiefe generall they as men greedy of spoile wasting and destroying townes and countries besieged Rome tooke it wanne the Capitol After the spoile of Rome they passed into Thracia where they possessed many cities thence they passed into Asia into Helespont where braules contentions grewe betweene their coÌ„pany that Lomnorius returned againe with his men into Byzantium in Thracia and Lutarius into Macedonia After this Nicomedes king of Bythinia did leuie a great armie of these bastard Frenchmen that these 2. great captaines Lutarius and Lomnorius the one came from Macedonia and the other from Thracia and met in Bythinia and they of Celta hearing of the treasures great spoyles which their countreymen had came more in heapes daily from their countrey vnto them that the French armie waxed so strong and so great that they were a terror vnto all Asia in so much that the kings of Aisa of Syria paied yerely stipends vnto them so continued these Gallogrecians so named by their seueral dwellings amongst the Greekes vntill the time of Antiochus the great who became so strong in Asia and Syria that he began to warre vpon the Romanes for at that time some of them dwelled in Bithynia some in Galatia some remained of them amongst the Tectosageans Tolossa a wealthie countrey full of golde and siluer in that countrey is Tolossa from whence the Romanes as both Strabo and Possidonius affirme had 15. thousand talents at one victorie the gold of Tolossa grewe to a prouerbe Aurum Tolossanum of this Cicero in his 3. booke de natura Deorum make mencion of this Tolossanum aurum doth Gellius repeate an Historie which doth agree with Trogus Pompeius who saith that when Caepio the Romane Consul had robbed and spoyled the temple of Tolossa the sacriledge seemed such vnto the Tectosageans that they were warned by their oracles that vnlesse they would reuenge the sacriledge done by the Romanes vnto their Temple they should be all consumed with the plague for the Romanes had taken ten hundred thousand pound of gold and fiftie hundred thousand pounds of siluer from the temple of Tolossa and it is written in that Historie that the Romane Consull and his armie were ouerthrowen by the Tectosageans but when Antiochus was forced to flee from Asia being ouerthrowen by the Romanes at what time Mar. Fuluius and Cneus Manlius were made Consuls at Rome these Gallogrecians were so scattered after the taking of Rome that they possessed many places in Asia in Europe being named according to the places where they dwelt Gallogreeks for so were they called being mingled with the Greeks dwelling in diuers partes of Greece and about Greece they brought al Asia and much of Europe to be afraid spoiling and robbing all kingdoms countreis where they came and for a long time plagued theÌ„ that they seemed lords of al places beyng hardy and rude barbarous people able to suffer anie hardnes apparelled in skinnes of beasts and lying vpon the ground a shamelesse and filthy nation in beastly lust wicked and most cruell in all their dealings insomuch that they sacrificed those captiues and prisoners taken in the warres vpon long stakes and sharpe poules vnto their goddes vsing the greatest tyrannie that they might inuent against those whom they subdued and conquered Thus much and more doeth Dio. Siculus write of them concerning their manners and liuing of their garmentes weapons and order of fighting but they were in time vanquished by the Romanes and quite subdued in all parts of Asia These Frenchmen otherwise called Gallograecians flourishing in many places the Romanes had an eye vnto them fearing they should be put to greater force they sent Cneius Manlius then Consul to war vpon the Gallograecians where they had a terrible battel by mount Olympus and there were slaine of the Gallorgecians fourty thousand After this battel the Consul did leade his army to the Tectosageans and laid siege to Amyra the chiefest countrey and tooke it and after gaue a great battel to the Gallograecians where they were all ouerthrown ouer whoÌ„ after he had brought those cities townes about mount Olympus vnder the Romane empire and had againe brought the Tectosageans and Tolossa after he had subdued conquered the Gallograecians he returned to Rome and triumphed when Quint. Faminius Marcus Aemilius Lepidus were consuls after the building of Rome 567. yeres Thus ended the time of the Gallograecians by Ruffinus and by Liuius writing I might of this haue written more but by reason of the history of Fraunce where they shal be touched againe I cease OF THE OLDE GAVLES CALLED now Frenchmen of their first arriuall and continuance in warres before they were seated in France by the name first of Newmagi secondly by the name of Marcomanni thirdly Sicambri And first from Marcomirus vnto Francus time during which time they were called Sicambri for 400 and odde yeeres I Need not long stand in Fraunce neither in describing the couÌ„trey neither much trouble my selfe with the late histories which are knowen to the most part this only as I haue done of other countreyes set downe their antiquitie of their first comming into Fraunce of their continuaunce vnder
neighbors by whom the Romanes were put to flight with a great slaughter of Lollius souldiers In the mean time Francus when he had driuen out the Gothes from Germany after he had plagued the Gaules and had most miserably wasted and spoyled the countrey vnto the riuer Mosa as histories affirme slue 200000. Gaules which newes frighted much the Romanes In the 24. yeere of his raigne after he had concluded peace with diuers nations in Germany he made a decree that Sicambria shoulde be called Francia after the name of Francus which to this day continueth a strong and a stoute nation and the onely kingdome of the world for all commodities During which time ciuill warres waxed hoate betweene Iulius Caesar Pompeius the great which being soon extinguished both by the murthering of Pompey in Egypt and by the like murther of Caesar at Rome in the Senate after which began another new ciuil warre betweene Augustus Caesar and Marcus Antoninus which endured 12. yeeres at what time Ianus Temple was shut the third time and peace was then graunted to all nations by Augustus But the antiquitie of the name of Fraunce beginning from Francus time in the 190. Olympiade and in the beginning of the 29. Iubilee at what time Augustus Caesar subdued all Spayne and brought them vnder the Romane Empire Nowe the names before named Neumagi Marcomani Cimbri Celtae Sicambri and Samothei are now changed to be called Franci after this Francus succeeded his sonne Clogio the seconde king of Fraunce which raigned 30. yeeres a wise man and a great Astrologer a Southsayer and for skill and knowledge in many thinges he was named Magus In the fourth yeere of Clogios raigne Tiberius was sent by Augustus to Germanie with a very high hoste of Romanes who destroyed all places where they came into Clogio with an armie gaue vnto Tiberius a battell in the which Tiberius wanne no great conquest but rather losse and at that time departed from field without victorie yet the name of Fraunce was skant knowen a farre off for the newnesse and late change of the name and therefore the nations rounde about called Clogio a Germane and not a Frenchman Notwithstanding Clogio beyng growen to so great a name that he was feared as his father was before him of the verie Romanes he made his sonne named Phrisus a king and named the region where he gouerned Phrysia which at this day is called Frizeland this was made subiect to Fraunce at that very time paying yeerely tribute vnto Fraunce 260. oxen this was done by consent of all Fraunce for this Phrysus was the second sonne of Clogio Nowe Fraunce beganne to bee knowen by the name of Fraunce for Clogio hauing some ayde of the Saxons ouerthrew the Romanes armie and slue Marcus Lollius their generall in the fielde and after vanquished still the Gaules vntill hee became so mightie that hee left behinde him his second sonne king of Phrysia and his eldest sonne and heyre king of France named Herimerus who raigned after his father twelue yeres whose successe was neyther like to his father Clogio nor to his brother Phrysus who flourished in his newe kingdome and gaue diuers expulses to the Romane force insomuch that Friselande beganne to be spoken of through the prowesse and martiall feates of Phrisus their first king For Herimerus the elder brother fighting against his enemies very vnfortunately was slayne when he had raigned twelue yeres he died in the 32. yeere after Christes birth at what time gouerned in India Pontius Pilatus President to the Romane Empire About this time Herodes builded a citie in the honour of Tiberius Caesar the Emperor of Rome and named it Caesarea which was before called Turris Stratonis In the time of this Herimerus in the citie of Fidena a Theater fell downe at the play of an enterlude which the Romane Attilius builded for sword players where fiftie thousand were sore bruised maimed and slaine The fourth king of Fraunce was Marcomirus which raigned eighteene yeeres and had the like dealings within Gallia as his predecessors had In the seuenth yeere of Marcomirus raigne was Caius Caesar Caligula made Emperour in Rome Reade Tritemius of this Marcomirus and of his sonne Clodomirus who helde sharpe warre with the Romanes in Maguntia and manie sore battels within Gallia This time Guidericus king Bellinus sonne raigned king in Brytaine after whome succeeded by force of armes in Britayne Armiracus whome Claudius Caesar vanquished and triumphed ouer but let vs returne to the kings of Fraunce After Clodomirus succeeded his sonne Antenor the 2. of that name raigned 6. yeres who in the last yere of his raigne hauing occasiō to passe ouer the riuer of Mosa the bridge thereof being broken with the weight of the kinges companie hee more of his Princes were at this instant drowned threescore noble men more of Fraunce beside other Gentlemen and Captaines after whom followed Rhaterus the eldest sonne of Antenor who raigned in Fraunce 21. yeeres hee also did handle the Gaules in like sorte for before his predecessors had won that countrey which lay beyond the riuer Mosa had brought the Gaules most miserably vnder foote yet stil they held long wars and many sharpe battels with the French men vntill Faramondus time who was the first king named of Gallia which was 400. yeeres and odde After Francus time this Rhaterus after he had bestowed 21. yeeres in warres against the Gaules they renued the league which his predecessors had made with the Germanes Saxons and an other nation called the Dorings he builded a towne and named it Rhaterodamum and died This kings life and doings is set forth by Arebaldus in verse and after augmented by Hunibaldus In the second yeere of this Rhaterus raigne Nero then Emperour of Rome played his bloody tragedies against the Christians persecuted and tormented them and slue them with diuers kindes of death this time Alani a people of Scythia inuaded Media and made hauocke vnto the confines of Armenia at what time all the Philosophers and Mathematicians were banished from Rome and Italie in this kinges later time was Quintilianus brought to Rome by the Emperor Galba from Spaine After Rhaterus succeeded his sonne Richimerus which raigned 24. yeeres and had great warres both against the Gaules and against the Romanes and beyng ayded by the Germanes gaue a sharpe battell both to the Romanes and to the Gaules not farre from the citie of Basana Tritemius affirmeth that in that very yeere the Gothes had inuaded the coastes and confines of Germanie and were by this Richimerus king of Fraunce and Fernefrides kinges of the Dorings Turings and by Vidikindo king of the Saxons ouercome But in trueth the crie of Chronicles is against it and sayeth that these kinges of the Saxons and the king of Turings were long after Richimerus time but it is most
the Frenchmen and named it Francofordia and builded another Towne hard by the riuer Suenus and named it after his owne name Sunnia which is nowe called Sunda About the twelfth yeere of Farabertus king of Fraunce reigned in Britaine Lucius the sōne of Coilus who in the thirteenth yeere of his reigne as both Beda and Gildas affirme receiued the Christian faith from Eleutherius then twelfth byshop of Rome for Lucius king of Britaine sent to Rome for that purpose Embassadors with whom Eleutherius sent two bishops the one named Faganus the other Diuianus in the 239. Olympiad and in the 179. yeere after our Sauiour Christ. Tritemius and Hunibaldus two French writers at large doe handle the historie of Farabertus and therefore I will passe to Sunno his sōne who succeeded him in the kingdome reigned twentie eight yeeres This king reigned in Fraunce when Lucius Septimius Seuerus held warres in Britaine for after the death of Lucius the Barons of Britaine fel to ciuil wars at what time hee caused a trench to be cast from sea to sea along the length of 22. miles as Eutropius saith but Functius affirmeth it was in length 131. miles but here Polydor criethin his chronicle and saith that this was done 200. yeres after The next king that succeeded Sunno was Heldericus his sonne of whom Tritemius writeth much and saith that the Frenchmen before his time were not so ciuil neither in behauiour nor in clothing before Heldericus time they were rude and barbarous and at that time they had no sumptuous buildings no braue dwellings being brought to ciuill order by Hildegastus a man of great fame amongst the Frenchmen In the time of this Hildericus the kingdome of Persia beganne againe vnder Artaxerxes who slue at that time Artabanus king of the Parthians and hee was the first king in Persia since the conquest of Darius Codomanus by Alexander the great which was sixe hundred yeeres In Rome this time reigned Emperour Alexander Seuerus in whose dayes the Citie of Rome florished with wise men and learned in all knowledge This Hildericus had a sonne named Batherus who reigned eighteene yeeres at what time reigned in Rome that idle and lasciuious Emperour Gallienus hee was so carelesse of his Empire that thereby oportunitie was giuen to Batherus who euer lay in watch as his predecessours did before him to annoy the Romanes and to subdue the Gaules hee I say brought an armie of souldiers into Italie being ayded by the Germanes who beganne to thirst for the Empire of Rome which dayly fell at that time to a declining state Batherus spoyled and wasted all the Countrie of Italie with sworde and fire vntill Rauenna and hauing done much harme hee returned backe to his Countrie with great spoyle who after his returne from Italie leauied an armie of Saxons and of Germanes and passed the riuers of Rhene and Mosa and entred into Gallia where hee made great slaughter of the Gaules and subdued Gallia vnto the riuer of Sequana which is called Sene and from thence to the confines of Spaine This ouerthrowe both of the Romanes and the Gaules was in the thirteenth yeere of Batherus reigne who liued after fiue yeeres and dyed After whome succeeded Clodius the eldest sonne of Batherus he reigned king ouer the Frenchmen twentie seuen yeres during which time reigned in Rome thus many Emperors Aurelianus which reigned 6. yeeres Annius Tacitus and Florianus his brother and Aurelius Probus these foure Emperours reigned in Rome while this Clodius reigned in Fraunce For in the thirde yeere of this Clodius the Romanes being mindfull of their late iniuries by Farabertus and Batherus they sent a Romane armie into Almania where Tritemius sayth that many a Romane lost his life for at that time the Frenchmen inuaded the countrie of Gallia and subdued a great part thereof and possessed the same for the space of seuen yeeres For Gallia was the onely Countrie that the Frenchmen shotte at for all this while their Territories about the riuer of Rhene and from thence to the riuer of Mosa and had some part of Gallia gotten A little before this time reigned king of the Saxons Marbodus whose two sonnes named Antharius and Luterus were in that voyage made into Gallia in the time of Batherus this Clodius father Now this king Clodius after he had reigned twentie seuen yeeres hee dyed during which time many Countries were in an vprore as Archileus in Egypt Narseus in the East part rebelled the Quingentians molested Affrike aed Caransius detained Britaine with the sworde neglecting the charge of Maximianus the Emperour and his duetie and allegiance to the Romane state fledde to Britaine to auoide the Emperours wrath where hee was slaine by his companion Alectus after he had gouerned Britaine seuen yeres with force Alectus after hee had slaine Carausius tooke vpon him the gouernment of the Britaine 's for three yeeres vntill he againe was slaine by Asclepiadotus a Romane who gouerned the Britaines tenne yeeres peaceably After this succeeded in Fraunce Gualterus he reigned eight yeres after whom succeeded Dagobertus or as Functius sayth Degenbertus who reigned 11. yeres after him reigned his sōne Clogio two yeeres in whose time the Romanes and they of Gallia inuaded that part of Fraunce where Clogio and his auncestours did possesse and made great spoile waste of townes and people Many sharpe battels were commenced by the Romanes at what time this Clogio the 19. king of Fraunce was slaine in the field whose body being dead his owne brother Clodomirus withdrew out of the field and armed himselfe with Clogio his armour lest he might be knowen to be kild came to the field armed in all points like vnto the king his brother and was taken both of his owne souldiers and also of the Romanes Gaules to be Clogio entred into the midst of his armie encouraged them with his person māfully fighting as though he had bin a cōmon souldier whereby he kindled the hearts of the Frenchmen againe that they recouered their courage and put both the Romanes and the Gaules to flight and got the second victorie by Clodomirus though they lost the first and their king Clogio and though Clogio had two sonnes the elder called Helinus of twentie yeeres of age the yonger Richimerus of eighteene yet for that it was enacted that none should be king in Fraunce vntill hee were twentie foure yeeres of age as Tritemius affirmeth This Clodomirus their vncle and brother vnto Clogio succeeded in the gouernment of Fraunce and reigned 18. yeeres during whose reigne the Switzers called Sueni and the Dorings had such hote ciuil wars betweene them that no peace by no meanes could be had of neither parts therfore the Dorings to auoide these continuall sharpe wars offeredthis large territorie coūtrie for the which this strife grew to Clodomirus The Frenchmen
Empire decayed For as the Romanes were strengthened by the subduing of the Latines and Albanes Crescit Roma Albae ruinis euen so Fraunce became strong by the ruine of Rome 1 After Farabertus succeeded his sonne Sunno and raigned 28. yeeres 2 Hildericus the sonne of Sunno 40. yeeres 3 Batherius the sonne of Hildericus 18. yeeres 4 Clodius the sonne of Batherius 27. yeeres 5 After Clodius succeeded his sonne Walterius and raigned 8. yeeres 6 After Walterius raigned his sonne Dagobertus or Degenbertus 11. yeeres 7 After him his sonne Clogio 2. yeeres 8 After Clogio his brother Clodomirus raigned after him 18. yeeres 9 After Clodomirus his sonne Richimerus raigned 13. yeeres 10 After him raigned Theodomirus 10. yeeres 11 After him raigned Clogio 18. yeeres 11 After Clogio Marcomirus the thirde of that name CHAP. IIII. From Faramundus the first king that had all Fraunce in his hand and from whom all Historians and Chronographers beginne the historie of Fraunce who beganne his raigne in Fraunce in the yeere of our Lord and Sauiour 420 of the lawes gouernment and warres from that time vnto Clodouaeus the first Christian king of Fraunce and so vntill Clodouaeus the second of that name and the 12. king after Faramundus NOw this Faramundus the sonne of Marcomirus the great when hee was made king of Fraunce he cōmitted the charge of his former gouernment which hee had in the East Fraunce to his brother Marcomirus he gouerned the Frenchmen in Gallia 7. yeeres and he augmented the crowne of Fraunce with more territories as Mosellana Augusta and other places He instructed the rude people and brought them from rudenesse to ciuilitie taught them to liue vnder a lawe made decrees and statutes to gouerne his countrey Here the crie of Chronicles for Pau. Aemilius writeth this historie farre otherwise so doeth Langaeus and hee saith that the Frenchmen were named Franci of one Francio the sonne of Hector But the trueth of this historie is found rather in Tritemius and Hunebaldus with whom both Functius and Lazius doe agree In this they agree all that from Faramundus time the kings of Gallia were nombred Iulius Caesar who long serued vnder the Romans in France deuided Gallia into three countreys from the riuer of Rhein vnto the riuer Sequana and that countrey is called Gallia Belgica from the riuer of Sein vnto Garumna that countrey is called Celtica and from Garumna vnto the mountaines Pyrenei which is called Aquitania which was before called Amorica With this Plini doeth accord All these people were in ancient time called Celtae Reade Strabo and Plini in the description of Gallia from mount Pyrenei to the riuer Garumna lieth Aquitania from thence to Sequana dwelt the Celtes and frō thence to the riuer Rhein the Belgians I will passe to the kings who beginne in this Faramundus time to be kings of Gallia after 870. yeeres warres by his predecessors before he raigned seuen yeeres and others affirme 11. yeeres In this Faramundus time the Lawe called Salica was made After whome succeeded Clodius his sonne sirnamed Crinitus or Comatus the second king of all France which was called then Gallia he raigned 28. yeeres and plagued the remnant of the Gaules which dwelt in Gallia vnconquered He gaue diuers sharpe battels to the Romanes and commaunded by an Edict that the Frenchmen should let their beards and the haires of their head grow and so to combe keepe it without cutting because they might bee knowen hereby to be the Frenchmen and to make a difference betwene them and others that dwelled within Gallia wherefore he was sirnamed Clodius Crinitus In the sixt yeere of his raigne he ouercame those people called Senouenses and Aurelionenses which dwelt about Lutetia and ioyned them to the kingdome of Fraunce He likewise in the ninth yeere of his raigne subdued the Saxons the Trentones the Doringes and brought all that part of Fraunce bordering vpon the sea into subiection and in the thirtieth yere of his raigne he also brought Bataui Tungri Menaxij and diuers other people that were cōmorant in the edge of France at what time the Gothes had done great harme in that part of Fraunce called Aquitania and also the Burgundians subdued much in Lugdunum This time the Scots and the Pictes inuaded Britaine and spoiled the countrey and did much harme About this time Atala king of that nation called Hunni in Germanie had much to doe with the Romanes and both gaue and tooke diuers repulses This Clodius when hee had enlarged the kingdome of Fraunce with the most part of Gallia and had raigned twentie yeeres some say 17. yeeres hee died in whose time Valentinianus had married Eudoxia the daughter of Theodosius the Emperour by whom Valentinianus was made Augustus This time Theodosius waged warres against the Vandols who had a king named Giezirichus who had license by Valentinianus to dwel in Affrica who had dwelt there in despite of the Romans for the space of 95. yeeres vntil by Iustinianus the Emperour they were thence expelled and driuen out and at that very time the Hunnes entered and spoiled Thracia and Illyrica and subdued with sword and fire vntill they came to Thermopila Likewise in the foureteenth yeere of this Clodius the Gothes brake their league against Spaine and possessed with the sworde the next territories to Spaine and besieged the citie of Narbon This time Patricius was sent from Celestinus then bishop of Rome to Ireland to instruct the Irishmen in the Christian faith of this Patricke the Irishmen bragge much In the time of this Clodius Vortigerus with the Saxons by deceit and craft inuaded Britaine for hitherto the Britaines kept tacke with the Romanes sometime in warre with them and sometime in peace Reade more of this in Beda This was in the yere after Christ 446 at what time great persecution was in Affrike vnder king Giezirichus the Vandole and the heresie called Eutichiana beganne to rise in Constantinople This time raigned in Persia Vararanes the fift of that name and fifteenth king of Persia. After this time we reade of no mention made of any Olympiad though long before they were little vsed for the Olympiads flourished vntill the time of Lucius Silla the Dictator yet vsed for computation sake but with most absurd and grosse errours both of Zenophon and Thucydides who little vsed them and yet erred in them though they liued and wrote then when the Olympiads most flourished and it made me also oftentimes to auoyd the Olympiads in my histories for that I found great errors in them But I will come to the thirde king of Fraunce Meroueus the sonne of Clodius who succeeded his father and raigned 12. yeeres others say but 10 and so the errour which was in the yeeres of Faramundus is corrected and amended This king lost nothing which his father got He did not onely defend and maintaine all
chronicles is set downe by the Prophet in describing the 4. beastes and their natures signifying thereby the Monarchies of the worlde their gouernment and their continuance the onely grounde from whēce all writers make good their histories But let no man write of his coūtrey with more affection then trueth wil warrant him for his proofe as it seemeth Berosus did of Chaldea Manethon of Egypt Ctesias of Persia for that they may easily be corrected by any late writer that is seene in the Sacred histories and yet they were men of singular authoritie and credite in histories of their countreys who by conferring Prophetical histories with their prophane writings men find nothing more then fables of antiquities and errors in lieu of true histories not knowing the Centre of all certaine Chronicles I meane the Prophetical histories But haue with them for my countrey also being cōtented to be excused with them by Liui In tanta rerum vetustate multi temporis errores implicātur c. For no doubt as Greeke histories are more vncertaine then the Latins of whom Iosephus saith that they had nothing to bragge of but their lies euery man setting downe in writing his opinion rather then studying the trueth of the historie But as occasion shall serue me so shal I speake of them and of others In the meane time I marueile much howe some men are more bent without either reason or authoritie to reprooue that which in true Histories is approoued Many of the best Romane writers seemed to be ignorant of that which they knew and yet would take no notice thereof they woulde not haue vrbem omnium gentium Imperiorum dominam to bee builded by any of Aeneas stocke or any ofsprings of the Troyans neither would they allow any part of Italy to be inhabited with the Grecians whome the Romanes mortally hated They claime their antiquitie frō Noah by the name of Ianus who came from Scythia Saga presently after the flood into Italy and after Ianus from Saturnus and from Cameses This Sempronius Mar. Cato and Fabius Pictor seeme fully to prooue and they stand to it stoutly notwithstanding they haue as many Greeke writers against them in proouing the contrary affirming that the Grecians Arcadians Lacedemonians Achaians and Pelasgians first inhabited Italy So Myrsilus in the whole booke which beginneth thus Italiam primùm coluere Graeci c. prooueth the Grecians to be the first inhabitants in Italy After Myrsilus followeth Dionysius Halicarnassaeus in like order and proofe as he that readeth Halicarnassaeus readeth Myrsilius and after Dionysius Herodotus who doeth not onely fully warrant Myrsilus and Dionysius but also concludeth with more warrants of his owne This cōtrouersie riseth betweene the Grecians and the Romanes about the antiquitie of Italy the Greekes calling Italy Spurcam spuriam nouitiam and the Romanes naming Greece Mendacem fabulosam The like controuersie grewe betweene the Egyptians and the Scythians in those dayes and the like nowe about the comming of Brute vnto this countrey whose cōming hath bene receiued and confirmed by succession of kings from Brutus to Cadwalader And after the kings the line and stocke of Brutus vnto this day 2700. yeeres sed nihil magnum somnianti for they can reprooue without authoritie but they wil not allow proofs with authorities such is their credite with some people as Pythagoras was with his owne schollers who thought Pythagoras speach a sufficient warrant to proue anything only alleaging 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I doubt there be many Pythagoreans that stand too much in their owne conceites some dreaming the word Britania to be Pritania some imagining the Britaines to to be Picts and that the originall of the Britaines shoulde bee from the Picts and many such other reasons rather fables wherein there is neither agreement of time which is to bee noted nor affinitie with speache neither likenesse of names nor any things else like for the Pictes came but the last day to Armorica which is little Britaine in Fraunce with one Rodericke their captaine from Scythia and not with Aeneas from Phrygia to seeke where they might haue place to inhabite I confesse that these Pictes and Scots inuaded Britaine and made often irruptions into Britaine in the time of Constantine the great Iouinianus Theodosius and many other Emperours but they were repelled and compelled with many a good beating to retire I should better allowe the opinion of those that say that the Pictes are Scots for with the Britaine 's the Picts by no likenesse may bee resembled neither by time nor by tongue I will leaue the Picts for the Scots whose kingdome was subdued and translated into Scotland by Kenedus king of the Scots where I leaue them Many licencious writers haue bene and are in the world not only in matters of antiquities but in other matters also Who will beleeue Polidor a strāger in Britaine before Giraldus a singular learned man borne in Britaine who had traueiled as many countries as Polidor did and therefore was in great credite with Rich. the second who who will beleeue a forreine late writer before Gildas the Britaine that wrote of his coūtrie in Claudius Caesars time If neither Giraldus nor Gildas nor any other ex bardis Britannis are allowed let Ponticus Virunnius let Iu. Caesar in his Comment whosaid they were ex eadem prosapia be allowed For the trueth thereof I doubt not but I shall write as true as the Frenchmen shall doe of Fraunce the Hispaniard of Hispaine and so of the rest I meane of the Saxons of the Greekes and of the Romanes and my reason shall be as probable for the landing of Brutus in this Island from Italie as the Italians shall prooue Ianus to come from Chaldea into Italie or as the Frenchmen shall prooue Marcomirus to come from Scythia into Germany and so in time to come into Fraunce and so to holde the name of Francus I will not speake of Caetubales Hiberians Hesperians nor of the olde Celtiberians afterwarde called Spaniards who had their name of Hispanus neither will I speake of the auncient stocke of Brutus while yet they dwelt in Creete and after in Phrygia and after that in Albalonga and last in Rome but of the comming of Brutus vnto this land the sonne of Syluius the sonne of Ascanius the sonne of Aeneas and from the name of the Britaine 's since that time of the which if any man doubt he may aswell doubt of the antiquitie of the Latines of the Albanes and last of the Romanes which al did issue and proceede of the house of Aeneas for imperij Romaniorigo Aeneas as is prooued by Halicarnassaeus which affirmeth that Romulus the first king of the Romanes was the seuenteenth king out of the body of Aeneas lineally descending for after Aeneas died being at his death king of the Latines three yeeres after whom succeeded his sonne Ascanius and builded a
towne hard by the hill Alba and named it Albalonga leauing his fathers wife Lauina in that Citie which Aeneas builded thirtie yeres before Ascanius builded Albalonga where during his life Ascanius kept his Court and it became the king of Albans Pallace at what time the names of the Latines were changed to the kings of Alba which endured foure hundred yeeres and odde vntill Tullus Hostilius the third king of Rome conquered them so that the right line and blood of the kings of Alba descended also from Aeneas by succession from the father vnto the sonne vntill Romulus time as Halicarnassaeus saith whose names are set downe orderly in Annius chronicles and in Berosus with whom Dyonis Halicar doeth in all points agree as well for the continuance of time as also for their sure naming of their kings which reigned betweene Aeneas and Romulus So doeth M. Cato in his fragments men of great credite in other histories to be skant in the Britaine historie allowed hinc liuor the cause thereof I take it in some rather negligence then ignorance for in trueth the Phisicion must study to ease his patients the Lawyer to please his client the Diuine to feede the soules so that few haue time to studie histories Yea many that read histories are to seeke in histories other wayes then the histories of Englād but I wil returne to Aeneas which is as Annius saith Imperij Romani origo and therefore I will begin from the comming of Aeneas into Laurentum in Italie Nowe as concerning the comming of Aeneas into Italie his toyles and trauailes reade Helanicus an olde auncient writer My onely purpose is to set downe the true histories of the Britaines hauing that name from Brutus euen as the Frenchmen were named of Francus and the Hispaniards from Hispanus If you reade Fab. Pictor de aureo seculo and Portius Cato you shall finde the kindred and predecessours of Romulus the first king of Rome so plainely to come out of the very house and stocke that Brutus the first king of the Britaine 's came out of so that the last king of the Latines I meane Aeneas and his sonne Ascanius the first king of Albalonga are of that antiquitie and continuance in Italie as Brutus is in Britaine now called Englande For as Romulus and the kings of Rome and after the Emperours and the Romanes were offsprings of the kinges of the Albanes and Latines and the Albanes and Latines offsprings of the kings of Troy so is it prooued that the Romanes came from Troy for Ascanius was graundfather vnto Brutus who first came into this Isle named then Albion but by Brutus after named Britaine Some take this for fables certeine it is that the beginning of antiquities seeme fabulous for that the errors of time haue obscured many things as is proued of the Romane histories whom the Grecians neuer knewe nor neuer heard of for neither Thucydides nor Xenophon two of the greatest writers in the florishing state of Greece yea and late after the foundation of Rome 360. yeeres neither Herodot after them made any mencion of Rome Euen so the Grecians were to the Persians and the Persians to the Grecians most ignorant not one knowing another before Xerxes with his huge armie thought to inuade Greece for these be the words of Strabo Nec Graeci Persas nec Persae Graecos agnorunt And as for Fraunce and Spaine they were taken but for two cities the one named Gallia the other Hesperia as Iosephus affirmeth Many men write very fables of their countries as Berosus if it be Berosus being a Chaldean priest wrote of the Chaldeans meere fables and more licencious of the kings of Assyria without any warrant of trueth not knowing the Scriptures where the best and soundest warrant of Chaldean histories are to be found In like sort Ctesias the Persian wrote of his countrie 23. bookes both vaine and foolish in setting foorth the antiquitie gouernment and greatnesse of the king of Persia then is truely prooued by true accompt of time as Plutarch affirmeth So Manethon an Egyptian priest wrote so many lies of his countrie of Egypt that accompteth 340. Pharoes successiuely from Amasis the first Pharao vnto Amasis the last Pharao but he is reprooued to his face by Iosephus in both his bookes against Appion the Egyptian and a scholemaster of Alexandria yet Manethon founde great fault in Herodot for his fables and lies of Egypt But let controuersies passe all countries haue their fables mingled with trueth and so I will returne to the histories of the Britaines whose certeintie and trueth is as sound and as true to bee prooued as either Fraunce Spaine or any other countrie whose continuance was without change of name for lōger time then many bragging kingdoms whose lawes whose kings whose countrie vnconquered longer then any of them both easie to be prooued by all sound writers for Spaine was conquered and subdued first by the Carthagineans and Affricanes secondly by the Romanes thirdly by the Vandales fourthly by the Gothes and fiftly by the Saracens who possessed almost all the kingdome of Spaine for 800. yeeres So may it be said of the change of their names as Catubales Iberians Celtiberians Hesperians and Spaniards which during the time of this change serued the Carthagineans the Romanes the Grekes the Gothes and the Saracens The Britaines neuer changed their names since Brutus time which is 2700. and odde yeeres which no one kingdome of the worlde can say so much though in some part it was subdued by the Romanes and then by the Danes and last by the Normanes yet they reserued their names vnchanged all the whole countrie of Camber the second sonne of Brutus vncōquered which of late is called Wales their auncient name vnchanged and their language vncorrupted So may I speake of the Frenchmen which were called at their first arriuall from Scythia into Germany Neumagi then were they called Sicambri thirdly Franci and fourthly Galli So were the Persians Elamites Artaeans and after Cephancs and last of all Persians so Egypt was called Oceana Nilea Aerea and last of all Egypt To conclude there is no nation that I can reade of but were subiect to diuers names therby knowē sauing onely the Britaines which continue vnto this day though the Danes beganne to call them Welsh as they call all strangers Welsh which was 1800. yeres odde as the reignes and gouernmēt of the kings of Britaine do manifestly proue whose names I neede not to write for that they be set downe to your viewe in tables printed with the pictures of all the kings of the Britaines Now after 1 Brutus 2 Locrinus 3 Madan 4 Mempricius 5 Ebrancus and 6 Brutus surnamed Viridescutum and so forward vntill Rudacus time the 20. king after Brutus at what time the kingdome was diuided into foure parts and gouerned by foure seuerall kings for fiftie yeeres Rudacus
king of Cambria which is Wales Pinnor king of Loegria which is England Saterus king of Albania which is nowe Scotland and Clotenus king of Cornubia nowe Cornewall all the kingdome after fiftie yeeres came to Dunwallus Clotenus sonne about 700. yeeres after Brutus and continued vntill Elidurus the third for the space of a 182. yeeres And after Elidurus the third it continued the reigne of thirtie three kings from Elidurus vntill Belinus the great 185. This Belinus was vncle vnto Cassibelane who reigned king in Britaine when Iulius Caesar came into Britaine about a thousand and thirtie yeeres after Brutus so long was Britaine vnconquered which as I said before for the spite of Androgeus to Cassibelan he wrote his letters to Caesar after the first great ouerthrowe of Caesar of which Lucan the Poet saith Territa quaesitis ostendunt terga Britannis Romani c. This Androgeus then Duke of Troinouant nowe called London since king Luds time promised his aide and helpe with all the Britaines which he coulde make if after the conquest he should by Caesar be restored to gouerne the Britaines but Caesar by this meanes brought the Britaines to paye tribute to the Romanes yet reigned kings in Britaine from Cassibelan lineally vnto Cadwallader for seuen hundred yeres and odde so that Britaine was gouerned from the first king vnto the last for a thousand eight hundred and odde yeeres as Guidonius affirmeth But for that the kings of Britaine are by all their names named their successiōs continuance of time writtē in diuers Chronicles of Englande beside Doctor Powel of late hath written of their ciuill warres of their kings their lawes and gouernments that I neede not further to write herein my desire is no lesse to satisfie those that will with reason and authorities bee satisfied then was M. Coruinus a learned Romane Orator willing to please Augustus Caesar for the setting foorth of his familie and his house in proouing gens Iulia which was the stocke of the first Emperour Iulius Caesar his vncle to descende lineally from Ascanius The historie is written in Coruinus de progenie Augusti in whose time Coruinus florished whome Augustus desired to traueile and to set downe the genealogie of his stocke that being so fortunate an Emperour as hee was in subduing almost all the kingdomes of the worlde and captiuating them as Prouinces vnder the Empire of Rome hee might knowe also whence gens Iulia came that hee might assure him selfe of the certeintie of his house To satisfie this Emperor Augustus being thereunto by him intreated Coruinus briefely diuided the whole earth into three seuerall partes Asia Europe and Affrike In this Asia the great is Asia the lesse conteyned in the which Countrie is a Region named Phrygia into the which one Dardanus a great prince of Creete that had the daughter of one Teucer giuen him in mariage came with a great multitude of young men and souldiers to inhabite about the time that Moses dyed where hee builded a great Citie and named it after his owne name Dardania and the inhabitants therein were called Dardanians The fame of this king Dardanus grewe so great that Teucer his father in lawe came from Creete with a number of gentlemen to visite his daughter vnto Dardania in Phrygia where Dardanus reigned three yeres after whom succeeded Ericthonius 75. yeres after Ericthonius succeded Tros the king of Dardania which reigned sixtie yeres by whom Dardania was named Troy after the kings name after Tros succeeded Ilus who reigned 54. yeres after whom succeeded Laomedon and reigned 36. yeres and after him reigned his sonne Priamus named Alexander in histories the sixt and last king of Troy in whose time Troy was destroyed by the Grecians This Messala setteth downe in his historie how Aeneas after the warres came into Italie and maried king Latinus daughter succeeded as heire of the king in his kingdom from whose body lineally descēded these many kings whose names onely I wil set downe for that I haue in the historie of the Latines written of their continuance and of the time of their gouernment vntill Romulus 1 Aeneas 2 Ascanius 3 Siluius 4 Aeneas Siluins 5 Latinus Siluius 6 Alba Siluius 7 Capetus Siluius 8 Capis Siluius 9 Calpetus Siluius 10 Tiberinus Siluius 11 Agrippa Siluius 12 Alladius Siluius 13 Auentinus Siluius 14 Procas Siluius 15 Amulius Siluius 16 Numitor Siluius which was both grādfather by the mother side vncle by the father side vnto Romulus M. Coruinus wrote vnto Augustus the whole historie of the kings of Alba vntill Romulus time and prooueth plaine in his booke that the noble Emperour Augustus proceeded from the house of Aeneas that gens Iulia came lineally from the body of Iulo which was the surname of Ascanius some affirme the contrary Yet Coruinus an auncient antiquarie liuing in the time of Augustus and writing his booke to Augustus at the earnest request of the Emperour Augustus affirmeth all this to be which Halicarnas in all pointes alloweth but what is to proue the Britaines to come from the Troians or to proue Brutus to come to Englād as much more it maketh proofe that Brutus came to this land as Aeneas came to Italie the one is prooued by a number of Romane writers the other by so many of both Romane and Britaine authours and yet Aeneas is by some enrious writers denied to come to Italie as Brutus is to come to Britaine of whom Dionys. Halic saith Scriptores partim ignorati partim inuidia dissimulati de aduentu Aeneae in Italiam The historie of Aeneas and the historie of Brutus after the destruction of Troy is one of the most auncient histories of the Gentiles though in some it bee fabulous as all prophane histories be in many pointes yet from these Troians as from the first originall of their kings and Emperours both the Romanes and the Frenchmen are by some of their owne best writers proued of whom Aemilius writes of their antiquitie It is most likely that euery Countrie hath more care of it selfe then of other countries and rather French writers are to be beleeued in the histories of Fraunce then forreigne writers so of the Romanes of the Grecians and of all other countries as Myrsillus saith Plus vicinis quà m remotis multò plus genti ipsi quà m extremis credatur and yet who seeth not but both the Romanes the Grecians the Frenchmen and all nations aduaunce their countries with best histories and passe lightly ouer many histories that makes against their Countries But as Diodorus Siculus describeth Britaine by the name of Britaine to be fertill and plentifull in corne cattell iron with diuers other commodities so doeth Strabo commende the Britaines to bee people farre bigger and taller then the Frenchmen are in these wordes Britannorum statura supra Gallos procera c. and after he reporteth of certaine Britaines which he
is written in Li◅i lib. 1. Eutrop. lib. 1. Halicar lib. 3. Horatius Curiatius Alba longa destroyed Oros. 2 lib. Eutrop. lib. 1. Halicar lib. 3. Zaleucus histor Rare iustice Two Quaestors by Tullus Hostilius appointed Two Censors by Ser. Tullius Pomp. Laetus Lustrum The iustice of the Censors Fenestella de mag Rom. Beroaldus lib. 1. The Olympiads continued vntil Constantine the great Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome Numas lawes in tables Halicar lib. 3. All this historie is read in Liui lib. 1. Oros. lib. 2. Mount Auentine ioyned ◅o Rome A bridge made by Ancus Martius ouer the riuer Tiber. Ancus died a king Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of Rome Errors in the Olympiads What kings raigned this time in other Countreys Priscus an olde souldier of Anc. Martius Priscus made prince of Hetruria Meanes made to Priscus for peace Lucumones olde magistrates among the Hetruscans Priscus Scepter of Iuory Diuination by an Egle. Ser. Tullius generall vnder Priscus The great benefits of Priscus to the citie of Rome The first triumph with Chariot Priscus slaine Seruius Tullus the 6. king of Rome Liui. decad 1. Cicero 3. de diuina Halicar lib. 3. The errour of Fabius Pictor Ser. Tullius the sixt king of Rome ◅trop lib. 1. The first muster of Rome Halicar lib. 4. Seruius Tullus slaine by his daughter Lu. Tarq superbus the last king Hab◅ar lib. 4. Herodot lib. 1. Lu. Tarq. super and the last king Halicar lib. 4. Oct. Mamilius The differēce of two brethrē maried two sisters of contrary disposition Tarqui wife a vertuous lady Liui. lib. 4. Dionys. Halic lib. 4. Tarqui deposed from his kingdome Rape the cause of putting downe kings in Rome Tarqui deposed from his kingdome Eutrop. lib. 1. Romes gate shut against Tarqui Reade Plut. in Publ. Reade the 4. b◅oke of Hali. of the two last kings of Ser. Tullius and Tarqui super All Italie was inhabited lōg before Rome was builded The Persians conquered Egypt at what time the Romanes banished their kings Herodot lib. 5. Consuls reigned in Rome 464. yeeres Eutrop. lib. 1. Dionys. lib. 5. Brutus slaine M. Horat. Pul. made Consul Liui. lib. 2. Valerius Publi his rites and lawes The victorie of Publicola Public foure times Consul Plutarch in Publ. Cloelia Valeria Appius Claudius A newe office in Rome called Dictator No appeale from the Dictators Tribuni Miletum appointed in Rome Eutrop. lib. 1. Corolianus his due prayse Coriolanus banished Coriolanus stomake against Rome Liui saith that Volumnia was his wife and Votaria his mother Coriola slaine in the citie Antium Halicar lib. 4. 300. Fabians slaine T. Liui. lib. 2. 306. Fabians slaine Oros. lib. 2. cap. 5 Camillus reuēged the Fabiās Magistrates of Rome Herodot lib. 7. The two wars in Thermopila and in Artimesia Cimon a noble captaine Q. Cicinatus Decemuiri created Eutrop. lib. 1. Decemuiri depriued Dionys. Halic lib. 10. Decemuiri cōpted tenne Tarquines The names of the Decēuiri Fidena Veiena The French men inuaded Rome T. Liui. lib. 5. Geese saued the Capitol frō the Gaules Florus lib 1. Rome taken by the Gaules Camillus restored Rome being banished from Rome Camillus rescued the Romans frō the Frēchmen and saued Rome The office of Camillus Halicar lib. 10. 11. Liui lib. 3. 4. Tribuni Militum created The office of Consulship put off Dionys. 6. Lib. 2. Val. cap. 9. Dionys. 10. Liui. 3. The third sedition in Rome Lib. lib. 4. Adolescentia Romae Thucidides lib. 1. Liui. lib. 4. The originall of the French men Camillus died Oro. lib. 3. cap 6. A sirname T. Liui. lib. 7. Val. Max. cap. 16. lib. 8. M. Valerius sirnamed Coruinus C. Martius his triumph ouer the Thuscanes The praise of the olde Romanes The discipline of the olde Romanes Statues and images Of this warre writs Liui lib. 9. and Oros. ◅ib 3. cap. 21. 22. Fabius Max. The seueritie of the Romanes in militarie discipline Tit. Liui. lib. 9. To creepe vnder ◅he yoke a great reproch Eutrop. lib. 2. Liui. lib. 9. The Samnits quite vanquished Pyrrhus came to ayde the Tarentines Hanibals saying of Pyrrhus Pyrrhus victorie of Leuinius the Consul Eutrop. lib. 2. Eus. ◅ib temp Plutarch in vita Pyrrhi Plutarch in vita Pyrrhi Liuius lib. 7. The Romanes victorie ouer Pyrrhus Eutrop. lib. 2. Cineas saying of Rome Reade Polibeus of this warre lib. 2. Pyrrhus armie slaine Florus lib. 1. cap. 18. Val. Max. cap. 12. Reade Plutar. in Pyrrho Pyrrhus driuen out of Italy Fl◅ lib. 15. Oros. 4. cap. 6. Who flourished this time in other countreys Artaxerxes Mnemon Philip. The Egyptians reuolted from the Persians Alexander the great The greatnes of the Empire of Macedonia by the meanes of Alexander the great 300000. Citizens mustered in Rome before the first warres of Affrike Polibius lib. 1. The first Affricane warres Eutrop. lib. 2. Hamilcar the general of the Carthagineans discomfited by Regulus The noble victorie of Attibus Regulus Halicar lib. 1. The great ouer throw of the Romanes Florus 2. cap. 2. Eutrop. lib. 2. Aemilius victorie Great shipwracke of the Romanes Oros. lib 4. cap 10. C. Luctatius and Aulus Posthumus Consuls victorie These captaines flourished in Rome in the first Punike warre All the kings of Parthia were named Arsaces The name of Rome was not heard of out of Italy in the time of Alexander the great Certaine noble Romanes compared to Alexander the great for their worthines and valure T. Liuius praise of the Romans lib. 9. Pyrrhus saying of Rome Hanibals words of Rome Eutrop. lib. 3. Virodomarus slaine Plutarch in Marcel The Romane ambassadour slaine by Tenca Ticium Polibeus lib. 3. Flaminius the Consul slaine by Hanibal Eutrop. lib. 3. Liui. lib. 22. Florus lib. 2. The most part of Italy reuolted from the Romanes The victories of both Scipios in Spaine ouer Asdrubal and Mago Cunctando re◅ restituit Fabius the target of Rome Marcellus being the sworde of Rome Pub. Scipio Cneus Scipio Hanibal droupt Tarentum recouered by Fabius Max. Pub. Scipio The Consul Marcellus slaine Asdrubal which was Hanibals brother slaine Scipio tooke Syphax king of Numidia All writers make mention of this second Punicke warre Hanibal and Scipio talke together Conditions of peace to the Affricans Yeerely reuenues out of Affrike to the Romanes These triumphed with great pompe in Rome sauing fewe of them that were slaine in these warres The fame of the Romanes after the ouerthrow of Hanibal Hanibal the whip of Rome Consuls of Rome Wars against the Macedonians Flaminius sent to Greece Condiciōs of peace graunted to king Philip. Val. lib. 7. cap. 5. Libertie proclaimed in Greece The warres of Syria by Anticchus the great The victorie of Lu. Scipio Eumenes Nabides submitted him to Flaminius Antiochus sought peace Plinij lib. 33. cap. 11. Scipio surnamed Asiaticus The words of Scipio of his countrie Perseus the last king of Macedon takē Emilius his triumph ouer Perseus C Anitius triumphed ouer Gentius king of the Illyrians The Romanes had
Alex. Opilius Macrinus 24. Marcus Aurelius Heliogabolus 25. Emperour Herod lib. 5. Vnhappy are those empires where tyrants raigne for kings Alex. Seuerus made Emperour at twelue yeres of age Seuerus Court florished with learned men Reade Egnati and Suetonius of this Emperour Maximinius slaine and his sonne Oros lib. 7. Cap. 19. Gordianus 27. Emperour Pupienus and Balbinus two Emperours slaine at Rome in their Palace Eutrop. lib. 9. M. Philip. 28. Emperour Reade Iuli. Capitol of these places Hactenus Iu. Capito Herodianus Oros. lib. 7. cap. 21. Gallus Hostil 30. Emperor Licinius Valerianus 31. Of 30. Emperours not 3. escaped free from murther Tyrannie and murther the cause of destruction Galienus Two Caesars hardly agree in one towne or countrey Sext. Aureliâ—… Eutrop. lib. 8. Galienus read of this more in Trebellius Rome fell to variance in these dayes The glory of Rome decaied Eutrop. lib. 9. Reade Trebellius of the miserable murthering and killing of Romane Emperours Flauius Claudius 32. Emperour Claudius had a golden target set vp in the Councell house Au. Valerianus a stout valiant Emperour Eutrop. lib. 9. Annius Tacitus 34. Florianus 35. Probus 36. Ann. Dom. 279. Read of these Sex Aurelius Victor Oros lib 7. cap. 23. 24. Carinus Numerianus two Caesars Eutrop. lib. 9. Carus stricken withlightning Orosius lib. 7. cap. 22. Carausius held Britaine by force Dioclesia the 38. Emperour Reade An. Victor of this Dioclesian Galerius maried Dioclesians daughter Aurelius victor Reade Oros. lib. 7. cap. 26. The pride of Diocles. Eutrop. lib. 9. Dioclesian canonised The Empire diuided betweene Galerius and Const. Galerius after the death of Const. substituted 2. Caesars vnder him Warre began betweene Maxentius Constantinus Foure Emperours at once in Rome Const. would haue no companion in the Empire Oros. lib. 7. cap. 〈◊〉 The sayings of the old Romanes Cerausius slaine Eutrop. lib. 10. Constantine the great made his three soÌ„ns three Caesars Euselius of CoÌ„stantinus life reade more there Constantinus praysed 318. Bishops in the couÌ„cell at Nice Euseb. Tripa lib. 2. cap. 18. Constantine slaine in Thracia Constans two sonnes slaine Magnentius made Emperour Nepotianus Pau. Oras lib. 7. cap. 29. Eutrop. lib. 10. Eutrop. lib. 10. Sex Aurel. Constantius died and Iulianus made Augustus These florished as chiefe magistrates in Rome at that time Iulianus slaine Iulian likened to M. Antonius Oros. lib. cap. 30. Iouinianus Iouini a good Emperour a fauourer of the Christians Eutrop. lib. 10. Valentianus Reade Oros. lib. 7. cap. 32. The glory of the Empire went by Constantine to Thracia Theodosius Iunior This time began the Vandales the Huns and Longbards their kingdoÌ„s A Pope ruleth Rome in the stead of an Emperour Rome compared to Babylon in greatnes of glorie and pompe Rome was the fourth deuouring and terrible beast that stamped all kingdomes vnder his feete by Daniel expounded The first persecution vnder Tiberius Nero the third Emperour of Rome The first persecution vnder Tib. Nero the thirde Emperour of Rome The Senators of Rome canonized whom they would to be gods The stubborne and rebellious Iewes Philo came to Rome the 2. time in Caligulas raigne Sedition in Alexandria Euseb. lib. 6. Petronius President in Hierusalem Ioseph cap. 15. The Apostles dispersed in to euery countrey to preach More Martyrs then Tyrants The first persecution Simon Magus had his â—…mage set vp with this title Simoni Deo Sancto Euseb. 3. cap. 23. Heretikes are Satans souldiours Acts 11. Euseb. 2. cap. 25. Marke the Euangelist died a martyr vnder Traiane the Emperor Mà thew the Apostle taught and preached in Ethiops Aegyptus a false prophet seduced 30â—…0 Iewes Acts. 21. Paul brought before Felix The second persecution Felix ruled in Iudea Ionathan slaine They fled from Hierusalem to Pella a village beyond Iorden The insolencie of the Iewes Ananias a hie Priest God vseth all things by meanes Titus the scourge of Ierâ—…salem Euseb. 3. cap. 8. Ioseph lib. 6. cap. 31. The 3. persecution Euseb. 3. cap. 29. The fourth persecution in Traianes time Euseb. Eccle. lib. 10. cap. 32. Plini wrote to Traiane Fire and blood the Enfignes of tyrants All the Iewes were driuen out of Egypt The Iewes banished from their countrey by the commandement of Adrian the Emperour Euseb. cap. 6. Hierusalem named Aelia Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 9. Gentiles commended the Christians Menander the Samaritan Simon Magus scholer Three great heretiques Euseb. 4. cap. 15. The fift persecution vnder Antoninus siranmed Verus Anno Christi 170. Godly Martyrs feared nothing Vetius Zacharias Luke 1. The glory of God is in his Saints Euseb. 4. cap. 21. Simon Magus The shifts of Satan is in vaine Eusebius 5. cap. 6. Godly bishops in Ierusalem after Vespatians time During the time of Comodus the Emperour many godly bishops flourished Euseb. 5. cap. 19. Apol. the Philosopher martyred The bishops of Rome in the beginning good constant Martyrs Leonides the father of Origen beheaded Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 1. Eccl. Diuers Martyrs in the time of Origin A good verse for a faire woman Tertulian was in the time of Origen Nicopolis before was called Emaus Metra a priest tortured Appollonia a zealous maid much tormeÌ„ted The infinite number of Martyrs Sauage wilde beasts spared the people of God The multitude of Martyrs The zeale of Martyrs in those dayes Many coÌ„uerted vnto the faith The Iudges were amased to see such coÌ„stancie in the Christians Euseb. 6. cap. 41. and 42. Theophilus Cheremon Origen dyed Many godly and good Byshops Cyprian bishop of Carthage The 8. persecution vnder Valerianus Martyrs encrease in euery countrie The crowne of Martyrs is eternitie The historie of Marinus a Romane knight The new Testament and the naked sword Alexandria a very seditious towne Dionysius A Synod at Rome Samosatenus confuted Persecution slacketh heresie reigned Euseb. cap. 27. Euseb. 8. booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The tyrannie vnder Dicclesiâ—… ouer the martyrs of God Persecution in Egypt 1700. Martyrs in 30. dayes A most vehement persecution The blood of godly Martyrs are precious in the Church of God A rare example in Micomedia Euseb. cap. 6. Courtiers Christians Courtiers Martyred The tyrannie of persecut oÌ„ All prisons in Townes and Cities full of Christians Perillus schollers inuent tortures to destroy Christians In Dioclesians time hell was opened to let the furies out Maximinus Tenth persecution 1700. Christians Martyred Maximinus sicke The tyrannie of this time might well be compared to the rage of Pharao ouer the Israelites The great clemencie of Constantine the great towards the ChristiaÌ„s Const. caused a Synod at Rome Licinius persecuted the Christians Licinius tyraÌ„nie against the Christians Rufinus lib. 2. cap. 8. Constantine the great compared to Cyrus and to Alex. Sozomenus 2. cap. 2. The Oke of Mambre Herma Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 3. Athanasius by the Arrians persecuted The Armenians and the Indians became Christians The Sunne worshipped in Persia. Pusices Zozam lib. 2. cap. 12. 250. Bishops executed by Sapores who reigned 70. yeeres These
all countreis and became the only kingdom of force power whose fame and renowne was spread ouer the whole world After him succeeded Ciaxares the 7. king of the Medes this passed all the kings of Media before him and obscured the fame of his predecessors this king is named in Daniel Darius Medus as Melancthon doeth note This was he that subdued Asia and deuided Asia into nations countreys prouinces and kingdoms and the first among the Medes that deuised spearemen bowmen and horsemen and taught the Medes many warlicke feates he vanquished all the regions about Media and gathered all the force hee could against the Lydians and after brought all his armies ouer the riuer Halis and went to reuenge his fathers death Phaortes vpon the Assyrians besieged Niniue and as Eusebius testifieth he tooke the citie of Niniue and conquered the most part of Assyria except Babylon and fewe prouinces about Babylon It is written in Ruffinus that while Ciaxares layed siege to Niniue Madies king of Scythia came with great power against this Ciaxares with whom he encountred and put him to the worst scattered his armie and wan the field and remoued their siege frō Niniue in so much that the Scythians ruled gouerned al Asia for 28. yeres but afterward slaine and ouerthrowen by the Medes About this time Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon layed siege to Ierusalem tooke Zedekias the king burned the citie and destroyed the temple and the most part of the best Iewes were caried captiue into Babylon where Ezechiel began to prophecie both against Egypt and Babylon where likewise he prophecied the rebuilding of Ierusalem and the restoring of the Iewes after 70. yeres captiuitie There folowed in Media Astiages the 8. and last king of the Medes who raigned ouer the Medes 35. yeeres hauing onely one daughter named Mandanes of this her father thought so wel that he iudged no man among the Medes worthy of his daughter but gaue her in mariage to Cambyses king of Persia which then payed tribute vnto the Medes and were broght vnder their monarchie by cōquest Now Astiages the king being in his town Ecbatana dreamed of his daughter Mādanes in this sort he thought in his dreame that his daughter made so much water at one time as filled al the streets of the city Ecbatana that it did ouerflow all Asia who when he awaked mused much at this dreame fearing the successe thereof tooke order with one Harpagus a friend of his that when his daughter Mādanes should be brought to bed the child should presently be killed This cōmandement of the king troubled Harpagus insomuch that he himself detested so foule an act caused one named Mitridates a heardman of Astiages to come to his house to whō he imparted the kings cōmandement charging him to take the child and to bring him to some place where the childe might die to auoyde the displeasure of the king This poore man obeying Harpagus tooke the child delighted much in his fauour thinking in his heart that he was of some great parentage tooke it with him and hauing that time by his wife a childe borne dead hee tooke it and made as though it were Cambyses sonne buried him in a desart place and cōmanded his wife to bring vp Cyrus as her owne childe Now when Harpagus was throughly certified that Cyrus was killed buried by this his trusty friēd who saw the place where the dead childe was buried supposing it to be Cyrus Harpagus therof was very glad told the king that in al things his cōmandement was executed The king was merie al things very quiet and he doubted nothing While this Astiages was lustie and frolike Cyrus grew in the meane while to some stature being about tenne yeeres of age hauing some cause to be brought before Astyages he had some impression in his head and conceiued by imagination considering the time that Cyrus should haue bene killed and the age of Cyrus then present hee beganne to examine the matter with Harpagus and Harpagus with Midridates vntill the trueth was found Astiages being much disquieted with this Harpagus was troubled in minde fearing some mischance should happen vnto him by the meanes of this Cyrus of whom he dreamed as you heard commaunded him out of his sight and to goe vnto Persia to his father Cambyses and to his mother Mandanes and there vpon his allegeance to stay Cyrus began to feele his stomacke being very young to be very great yet for that time he obeyed the king and went to Persia where he consulted with Harpagus about the recouerie of the kingdome of Media For when Cyrus had heard how that Astiages had commaunded Harpagus to kill him and to haue him out of the way hee thought now being in yeeres fully to reuenge the said wrong he gathered his power together and had his souldiers in armes and was ready with his force to march against Astiages The bruite and great report of Cyrus preparation came to the eares of king Astiages who not being therewith a little frighted sent messengers vnto Cyrus commanding him vpon his allegeance to repaire to king Astiages To whom answere was made by Cyrus that Astiages should see Cyrus before hee wished to see him and that Cyrus would come before Astiages would haue him to come This answere of Cyrus being giuen to the king he straight commanded all Media to be in armes and with great hast with no lesse feare made his souldiers readie Nowe Harpagus hauing determined to flee from his charge being generall of the Medes vnto Cyrus When both the armies came to ioyne in battell Harpagus perfourmed promise with Cyrus forsooke the Medes and came to the Persians This first battell by reason of Harpagus and diuers noble men more of Media which reuolted was ouerthrowen by Cyrus Astiages againe gathered his force renewed his armie and came in field himselfe being general in person against Cyrus where hee was with all his souldiers ouerthrowen and his kingdome taken from him and the Empire of Media which before gouerned Persia is nowe againe brought by Cyrus vnto Persia. This was the vncertaine state of the worlde then sometime conquerours and sometime straight conquered as before you haue read of Assyria and Chaldea sometimes the Assyrians mastered the Chaldeans and againe the Chaldeans ouercame the Assyrians and so of the Medes and of the Persians for now the Persians are become lords of Media Lydia Chaldea Assyria all Asia and the most part of the East which the Medes hitherto for the space of an hundreth and thirtie yeres gouerned Asia about the riuer Halis Thus Media after it had in all continued three hundreth and fiftie yeeres from Sardanapalus vntill Cyrus time by Cyrus was ouerthrowen in the thirtie and fifte yeere of the raigne of Astiages two hundreth yeeres after the building of Rome at what time
were the Camerines subdued hauing once or twise before reuolted against the Romanes ouer whom Romulus the second time triumphed their cities taken and their countrey made a prouince to the Romanes By this time the people of Vienna mooued warres against Romulus but being ouerthrowen Romulus made his third and last triumph of these three triumphes reade Dionysius Romulus died to whom many townes cities and prouinces yeelded themselues vnto Romulus for the fame and report they heard of him for he was both religious and vertuous Hippomenes the fourth prince or magistrate then gouerned Athens After that Meles had gouerned the Lydians 12. yeeres there folowed the fourth king named Cādaules a foolish and a vaine king of whom this historie is of Herodotus written This Candaules whō the Greciās called Mirsilus had a passing faire woman to his wife of whom he ioyed much esteeming her to be the onely woman of the world for beautie and hauing a deare friend and one of his owne seruants named Giges from whom he could conceale nothing he perswaded this Giges to be an eye witnes of his wife whose perfection in al points he could not with tongue expresse vnto Giges but willed him to be in some secret place where and when he had appointed him to behold the rarenesse of her beautie Giges after three or foure denials being vrged thereunto by the king his master cōsented to the kings request secretly came to the place where the king had appointed him where he saw the queene naked as shewent to bed to whom Candaules when he knew that Giges suffficiently had viewed his wife he saide Esto fidelis Giges at the which wordes the Queene looked backe being amazed of his speach and saw the backe of Giges by chaunce as he went away requesting the king to tell who hee was after much entreatie he saide it was his seruant Giges The Queene dissembling the matter that night said nothing but in the morning shee did send for certaine of her chiefe friendes and told the cause and willed them to be in a place appointed ready against Giges came whom she sent for to whom she said these words Giges thou hast to chuse of two offers either to kill the king my husband and to marrie me and become king thy selfe in Lydia or els to be killed and lose thy life presently for in that place where he shewed me naked thou shalt destroy him there shalt thou haue a dagger ready which being perfourmed by Giges he married the Queene and became the fift king of the Lydians according to the oracle of Delphos who had afore told that Cādaules should be the last king of the stocke of Heraclides and Giges the sonne of Dascilus of the house of Memnades the fift king of Lydia which gouerned not long without due reuenge which fell in the time of Cyrus Thus the ancient stocke and the long succession of Heraclides euen from Hercules vntill Candaules the sonne of Mirsus was of fiue hundreth and two yeres continuance during which time raigned 22. kings one after another of the line of Hercules reade Herodotus Taurentum was builded by Philautus in the time of this Candaules by the Parthians reade Iustinus the thirde booke After that Giges had by wicked meanes obteined the kingdome of Lydia and had sent to Delphos great presents and rich rewards to Apollo for the oracles giuen he went in armes against Miletum and Smyrna two cities in Greece besieged Colophonem and subdued it No other action of any importance hath bene written of him he died when he had raigned 36. yeeres In Giges time Bizantium otherwise called Constantinople was builded About this time the tyrant Phalaris gouerned the Agrigentines Tullus Hostilius raigned thirde king of Rome in the last yeeres of Giges In Iuda raigned Amon. And amongst the Egyptians Psammeticus this Psammeticus when he had obtained Egypt into his owne handes being before but one of the twelue that gouerned Egypt he ioyned with the people of Caria and Ionia and thereby he much augmented the state of Egypt From this king vnto Cambyses time the historie is set foorth very plaine in Herodotus The Grecians about this time first frequented the oracle of Iupiter called Dodonaeū oraculum Archilocus the historian Aristoxenes the musition Simonides florished in these dayes In the seuenth yeere of Giges the state of Decennales principes ended and the common wealth of Athens was gouerned after-terward by a popular state called Democratia Now Ardis the sixt king of Lydia and sonne to Giges succeeded in the kingdome of whom there is litle or nothing mentioned In the beginning of this kings raigne in the 29. Olympiad and in the 16. Iubilee Zaleucus king of the Locresians decreed a lawe to his subiects concerning adulterie that whosoeuer should be found faultie in this offence should lose both his eyes His sonne violating this law was of his owne father the king iudged to loose both his eyes his nobles and his great men entreated for the yong mans fault but the king not neglecting to do iustice according to the law by him made and according to his sentence giuen vpon his sonne by the lawe he caused his sonne to be brought before him where in presence of his subiects the king shewed both mercie and iustice for hee commaunded first that one of his owne eyes should be put out and the other eye to be taken from his sonne A rare example of Iustice and mercie and the like not to be found in our dayes At this time in Rome triumphed Tullus Hostilius ouer the Fidenans the Vients and entred Rome triumphantly the ninth yere of his raigne Now raigned in Iudea Iosias a godly king who purged Ierusalem and all Iewrie from abominations and idolatrie and brought them to knowe the Lorde againe in whose time the Prophet Ieremie began to prophecie the destruction of Ierusalem and other kingdomes In Corinth raigned at this time Cipselus and amongst the Medes gouerned Phaortes their sixt king whom the Assyrians ouerthrew as Herodotus doeth affirme In the realme of Pontus there was this time builded a towne called Hystris and in Asia two other townes called Chautus and Stagera Terpander an excellent mufition at this time liued and Thales Milesius a great Philosopher whom Eusebius affirmeth to haue liued from the 30. Olympiad vntill the 58. Olympiad About this time the Sabines after much slaughter were againe vanquished by Tullus Hostilius then the Latins made warre against the Romanes which continued fiue yeres about which time Tullus Hostilius the thirde king of the Romanes with all his familie was burned in his owne house Solinus saith that he died in the 35 Olympiad Numa Pompilius a Sabine borne in the city of Cures the second king of Rome was consecrated by the soothsayers called Augures in his time bishops called Pontifices were created in Rome holy