although he had invested several private persons in great Governments and Kingdoms and bereaved many Kings of theirs as Antigonus of Judea whose head he caused to be struck off the first crown'd head that ever suffer'd that opprobrious death Yet nothing was so grievous to the Romans as the vile profusions he made upon that Woman and their dissatisfaction was much augmented by giving the Sirnames of the Sun Moon to Alexander and Cleopatra Twins born to him by her But he who knew how to varnish over the most dishonest Action with specious colours would say that the greatness of the Roman Empire consisted more in giving than in taking Kingdoms and that the Noble Blood of Kings was communicated to all the World when they left their Off-spring in every place they came and that by this means he had the honour to descend from Hercules who never recommended the hopes of his Posterity to the guard of any one Woman nor feared to transgress the Laws of Solon in order to observe the great Dictates of Nature which gives such lively instruction towards the continuance of our Race After Phraortes had killed his Father Herod and taken possession of his Kingdom many of the Parthian Nobility left their Country among the rest Moneses a Nobleman of great Authority who making his application to Antony was received with great kindness for he look'd upon him as one in the Circumstances of Themistocles and his own Fortune considering his great Wealth was comparable to the Persian Kings for he gave him three Cities Larissa Arethusa and Hierapolis which was formerly called Bombyce But the King of Parthia did soon recall him giving him his Word and Honour for his Safety and Antony was not unwilling to give him leave to return hoping thereby to surprize Phráortes for he sent him word he would remain his Friend upon condition he would send back the Roman Standards and Ensigns which were taken hy the Parthians when Crassus was slain and withall the Prisoners that remained yet alive of that Battel This done he sent Cleopatra into Egypt and gathering his Forces together and joyning the associate Kings for there were many of them the most considerable was Artuasdes King of Armenia who came at the head of six thousand Horse and seven thousand Foot he made a general Muster there appeared sixty thousand Roman Foot ten thousand Horse consisting of Spannâ—rds and Gauls who were esteem'd of as Romans of other Nations horse and Foot thirty thousand and these great Preparations that made India tremble and put all Asia into a consternation were of no use to him because of Cleopatra for in order to pass the Winter with her every thing was done in haste he was so charm'd and bewitch'd with the Thoughts of his Mistress that his Soul was employ'd in overcoming the Difficulties that kept him from her more than in any design of vanquishing the Enemy for whereas he should have taken up his Winter-Quarters in Armenia to refresh his Men who were tired with long Marches having come at least five hundred Leagues and then to have taken the advantage in the beginning of the Spring to invade Media before the Parthians were drawn out of Garrison he had not patience to expect his time but march'd into the Province of Atropatene leaving Armenia on the right hand and laying waste all that Country his haste was so great that he left behind all the Engines of Battery which follow'd the Camp in three hundred Chariots among the other Engines there was a Ram of fourscore foot long which was of great use in his Designs and it was impossible if they were either lost or endamaged to repair them or make the like for the Proâ—inces of the upper Asia produce not Trees long or strait enough for such Uses nevertheless he left them all behind as a great impediment to the Designs he had then projected so that he had left a Party commanded by Tatianus to guard them and he himself laid Siege to Phraata the principal City of the King of Media wherein were that King's Wife and Children Here it was that he was soon made sensible of the Errour he committed in leaving the battering Rams behind him for not having wherewithal to make a Breach he was constrained with infinite pains to cast up a Mount of Earth against the Wall during the Siege Phraortes arrives with a great Army who understanding that the Chariots were left behind with the battering Engines he sent thither a strong Party of Horse by which Tatianus with ten thousand Horse are flain the Engines all broke in pieces many taken Prisoners and among the rest King Polemon This great Miscarriage in the opening the Campagne did much discourage Antony's Army and Artuasdes King of Armenia despairing of any better Success withdrew himself with all his Forces from the Roman Camp although he had been the chief Promoter of the War The Parthians encouraged by this Success came up to the Romans at the Siege of their Royal City and gave them many Affronts upon which Antony fearing that the Souldiers might lose Courage or have a less esteem of him if he lay idle he with all the Horse three Pretorian Cohorts and ten Legions was resolved to go out and forrage designing by this means to draw the Enemy with more advantage to a Battel and to effect this he marched a Day 's Journey from hiâ— Camp which did bring the Parthians to a Battel who were drawn up in readiness to charge him so soon as he should march he orders therefore the Tents and Baggage to be pack'd up as if his intention were to decline the giving Battel and only to lead his Men back to the Camp The Enemy was drawn up in a Half-Moon and Antony had given order to the Horse to charge them briskly so soon as the Legions were come up nigh enough to second them The Parthians standing still while the Romans march'd by them were in great admiration of their man-like Behaviour and exact Discipline nothing could be more just than the distance which was kept between the Ranks and the shaking their Pikes as they pass'd by in a profound silence was very graceful but when the Signal was given the Horse turn'd short upon the Parthians and with loud Cries charg'd them home they were bravely receiv'd at first but the Legions coming up with loud shouts and ratling of their Arms did so frighten the Horses and soon the Parthians themselves that they could keep their ground no longer Antony press'd them hard in great hopes that this Victory should give an end to the War the Foot had them in pursuit three Leagues and the Horse nine and the Advantage summ'd up they had but thirty Prisoners and there was but fourscore slain This was a great discouragement to them to consider that when they were victorious their Advantage was so small and that when they were beaten they lost so great a number of Men as it happened when the
Carriages were taken The next day having put the Baggage in order they marched back to the Camp before Phraata in the way meeting with some scattering Troops of the Enemy and as they marched further with greater Parties at length with the Body of the Enemies Army fresh and in good order who charg'd them and broke their Ranks that it was not without great difficulty that they reach'd the Camp There Antony finding that his men had in a great consternation deserted the defence of the Mount upon a Sally of the Medes resolved to proceed against them by decimation which is done by dividing the Legions by Tens and out of every Ten to put one to death as it happens by Lot and for them that escape they have instead of Wheat their proportion of Corn in Barley The War was now become grievous to both Parties but was more dreadful to Antony in respect that he was threatned with Famine for he could no longer forrage without great hazard and slaughter of his Men. And Phraortes on the other side who was not ignorant of the humour of his men did more than suspect that if the Romans did obstinately persist in their resolution of carrying on the Siege the Autumnal Equinox being past and the Rains threatning him he should be deserted by his Souldiers who would suffer any thing rather than wintering in open Field to prevent which he gave order to his chief Officers not to pursue the Romans too close when they met them forraging but to suffer them to carry off some Provision that they should praise their Valour and declare that it was not without just reason that their King look'd upon the Romans as the bravest men in the world and that they should upon opportunity of more familiar Discourse blame Antony for his obstinacy that whereas Phraortes desiring nothing more than Peace and an occasion to shew how ready he was to save the lives of so many brave Souldiers he on the contrary should defeat all his generous Designs and trust himself rather to Winter and Famine two Enemies that must of necessity destroy them though the Parthians should use all friendly endeavours to preserve them Antony having these Reports from many hands began to be in some hopes but he would not send any Ambassadors to the Parthian till he was informed by these kind Enemies whether what they said was of their own head or by order of their King receiving answer that this was the sence of their Master and new encouragement to believe them Antony sent some of his Friends to demand the Standards and Prisoners that were yet remaining in his hands since the defeat of Crassus lest if he should ask nothing he might be supposed to be too much overjoy'd with leave to make his retreat in quiet The Parthian King made answer That as for the Prisoners he need not trouble himself but if he thought fit to retreat he might do it when he pleas'd in peace and safety Some few days therefore being spent in ordering the Baggage he resolv'd upon his March and here it was that Antony the man in the world the fittest to harangue the Army finding himself oppress'd with shame and grief could not find in his heart to speak himself but employed Domitius Aenobarbus many of the Souldiers resented it as an undervaluing of them but the better sort saw the true cause and thought this rather an argument why they on their side should treat their General with more respect than ordinary Antony having resolved to return by the same way he came which was thro' a plain flat Country a certain Mardian came to him one that was very conversant with the Manners of the Parthians and whose fidelity to the Romans had been tried at the Battel where the Machines were lost and advis'd him to leave the Mountains on his right hand and not to expose his Men heavy armed in an open Country to the Assaults of a numerous Army of light Horse and Archers that Phraortes with fair promises had perswaded him from the Siege that he might with more ease cut him off in his Retreat but if so he pleased he would conduct him a nigher way where he should find the Necessaries for his Army in greater abundance Antony upon this began to consider what was best to be done he was unwilling to seem to have any Mistrust of the Parthians after their Treaty but being more desirous to march his Army the nighest and most convenient way he demanded of the Mardian some assurance of his Faith who offered himself to be bound until the Army came safe into Armenia Two days he conducted the Army bound and on the third when Antony little expected the Enemy but marched in no very good order the Mardian perceiving the Banks of a River broken down and the Water over-flowing the way by which they were to pass did imagine that this might be done by the Parthians to hinder their March and did therefore advise Antony to be upon his Guard for that the Enemy was nigh and no sooner had he put his men in order disposing of the Slingers in the Front to make the on-set but the Parthians came pouring upon them thinking to encompass the Army they were receiv'd by the light Horse which were sore gall'd by their Javelins but they themselves being warmly entertain'd and many wounded made their retreat but soon after rallying up afresh they were beat back by a Battalion of Gallick Horse and appear'd no more that day By their manner of Attack Antony being instructed what to do did not only place the slings and javelins in the Front but lin'd both the wings with the same and so march'd in a square Battel giving order to the Horse to charge and beat off the Enemy but not to follow them too far as they retir'd So that the Parthians not doing much more Mischief for the four ensuing days than they receiv'd began to abate in their heat and complaining that the Winter-Season was much advanc'd press'd for returning home On the fifth Day Flavius Gallus a brave Officer who had a considerable Command in the Army came to Antony desiring of him some Troops of light Horse out of the Rear and some other Horse out of the front with the which he would undertake to do some considerable service Which when he had obtain'd he beat the Enemy back not retiring as was usual to the Gross of the Army but making his ground good and pressing on with great obstinacy the Officers who commanded in the Rear of this Detachment perceiving how far he had got from the Body of the Army sent to warn him back but he took no notice of them 'T is said that Titius the Questor snatch'd the Colours and retreated telling Gallus that he did very ill to lead so many brave men on to certain destruction he on the other side reviling him again and commanding the men that were about him to stand firm Titius made his retreat
Brutus written by Bibulus Porcias's Son Brutus took Ship from hence and sail'd to Athens where he was receiv'd by the People with great demonstrations of kindness which they expressed in their loud Acclamations and the Honours that were decreed him by the Publick He liv'd there with one that had been formerly his Guest and was a constant Auditor of Theomnestus the Academick and Cratippus the Peripatetick with whom he was so engaged in a Philosophical Conversation that he seem'd to have laid aside all thoughts of publick Business and that he might be wholly at Leisure for Study and Philosophy But all this while being unsuspected he was secretly making preparation for War in order to which he sent Herostratus into Macedonia to bring over the Commanders that were there to his side and he himself caress'd and won upon the Affections of all the young Roman Gentlemen that were then Students at Athens Of this number was Cicero's Son whom he every where highly extol'd and said that Whether sleeping or waking he could not choose but admire a young Man of so great a Spirit and such a Hater of Tyrants At length he began to act openly and to appear in publick Business and being inform'd that there were several Roman Ships very richly Laded that in their course from Asia were to touch at Athens and that they were Commanded by one of his Friends he went to meet him about Carystus Finding him there and having perswaded him to deliver up the Ships he made a very splendid Entertainment for it happen'd to be his Birth-day Now when they came to drink somewhat briskly and were making Libations for Victory to Brutus and Liberty to Rome Brutus to animate them the more call'd for a larger Bowl and holding it in his hand upon no occasion or Fore-thought on a sudden pronounc'd aloud this Verse Fate and Apollo against me Conspire Some Historians write that in the last Battle which he fought at Philippi the Word that he gave to the Soliers was Apollo and from thence conclude that this sudden unaccountable Exclamation of his was a Presage of the great Overthrow that he suffered there Antistius the Commander of these Ships at his parting gave him 500000 Sesterces of the Mony that he was conveying to Italy And all the Remains of Pompey's Army which after their General 's Defeat wandred about Thessaly readily and joyfully joyn'd themselves to Brutus Besides this he took from Cinna five hundred Horse that he was carrying to Dolabella into Asia After that he sail'd to Demetrias and there seiz'd a great quantity of Arms that had been provided by the command of Julius Caesar for the Parthian War and were now design'd to be sent to Antony Then was Macedonia put into his hands and deliver'd up by Hortensius the Pretor and all the Kings and Potentates round about willingly offer'd themselves to joyn with him When news was brought that Caius the Brother of Antony having passed through Italy was marched on directly to joyn the Forces that Gabinius Commanded in Dyrrachium and Apollonia Brutus design'd to prevent him and to seize them first and in all haste mov'd forwards with those that he had about him his march was very difficult through rugged places and in a great Snow but so swift that he had left those that were to bring his Provisions a great way behind And now being very near to Dyrrachium with weariness and cold he fell into a Distemper call'd Bulimia or Violent Hunger This is a Disease that seizes both Men and Cattle after much labour and especially in a great Snow Whether it is caus'd by the natural Heat which when the Body is seized with cold is forc'd all inwards and suddenly consumes all the Nourishment laid in or whether the sharp and subtil Vapour which comes from the Snow as it dissolves cuts the body as it were and destroys the Heat which is thence dispersed throw the Pores for the Sweatings which are frequent in this Distember seem to arise from the Heat metting with the cold and being quencht by it in the Superficies of the Body But of this I have in another place discoursed more at large Brutus growing very faint and there being none in the whole Army that had any thing for him to eat his Servants were forc'd to have recourse to the Enemy and going as far as to the very Gates of the City begg'd Bread of the Sentinels that were upon Duty As soon as they heard of the sad Estate of Brutus they came themselves and brought both Meat and Drink along with them for which act of Humanity Brutus when he took the City shew'd all Kindness and Civility not to them only but to all the rest of the inhabitants for their Sakes Caius Antonius being now arriv'd at Apollonia summon'd all the Soldiers that were near that City to joyn him there but finding that they nevertheless went all to Brutus and suspecting that even those of Apollonia were enclin'd to the same Party he quitted that City and come to Buthrotus having first lost three Companies of his Men that in their march thither were cut to pieces by Brutus After this he attempting to make himself Master of some strong places about Byllis which the Enemy had first seiz'd he was overcome in a set Battle by young Cicero to whom Brutus gave the Command of the Army that day and whose Conduct he made use of often and with great Success Caius Antonius was surpriz'd in a Marshy Place from whence he could not retire and Brutus having him in his Power would not suffer his own Soldiers to fall upon those of the Enemy but encompassing them with his Horse gave command that none of them should be kill'd for that in a little time they would all be of his side which accordingly came to pass for they surrendred both themselves and their General So that Brutus had by this time a very great and considerable Army He shew'd all Marks of Honour and Esteem to Caius Antonius for a long time nor took any of his Titles or Dignities away tho' as some report he had several Letters from Rome and particularly from Cicero advising him to put him to Death But at last Brutus perceiving that he began to hold private Consults and corrupt his Officers and was raising a sedition amongst the Soldiers he put him aboard a Ship and kept him close Prisoner In the mean time the Soldiers that had been corrupted by Caius had retir'd to Apollonia and sent word to Brutus desiring him to come to them thither He answer'd that this was not the custom of the Romans but that it became those who had offended to come themselves to their General and beg forgiveness of their Crimes which they did and accordingly receiv'd their Pardon As he was preparing to pass into Asia there was an account brought to him of the Alteration that had happen'd at Rome where the young Caesar assisted by the Senate in opposition to Antony
themselves bravely in the next Engagement he would give them up two Cities to spoil and plunder Thessalonica and Lacedaemon This is the only inexcusable fault in the Life of Brutus though Antony and Caesar were much more cruel in the Rewards that they gave to their Souldiers after Victory For they drove out almost all the old Inhabitants of Italy to put their Souldiers in possession of other Mens Lands and Cities but indeed their only design and end in undertaking the War was to obtain Dominion and Empire But Brutus for the reputation of his Vertue could not either overcome or save himself but with Justice and Honour especially after the death of Cassius who was generally accus'd of putting Brutus upon several violent and cruel Actions But now as in a Ship when the Rudder is broken by a Storm the Mariners fit and nail on some other piece of Wood instead of it striving against the danger not so well as before but as well as in that necessity they can So Brutus being at the Head of so great an Army and engaged in such weighty Affairs and having no Commander equal to Cassius was forc'd to make use of those that he had and to do and to say many things according to their Advice which he chiefly follow'd in whatever might conduce to the bringing of Cassius's Souldiers into better Order For they were very head-strong and intractable bold and insolent in the Camp for want of their General but in the Field cowardly and fearful remembring that they had been beaten Neither were the Affairs of Caesar and Antony in any better posture for they were streightned for Provision and the Camp being in a low Ground they expected to endure a very hard Winter For being encompass'd with Marshes and a great quantity of Rain as is usual in Autumn having fallen after the Battel their Tents were all fill'd with Mire and Water which through the coldness of the Weather immediately froze And while they were in this condition there was News brought to them of their loss at Sea For Brutus's Fleet fell upon their Ships which were bringing a great supply of Souldiers out of Italy and so entirely defeated 'em that but very few escaped being slain and they too were forc'd by Famine to feed upon the Sails and Tackle of the Ship As soon as they heard this they made what hast they could to come to the decision of a Battel before Brutus should have notice of his good Success For it happen'd that the Fight both by Sea and Land was on the same day But by some misfortune rather than the fault of his Commanders Brutus knew not of his Victory till twenty days after For had he been informed of this he would not have been brought to a second Battel since he had sufficient Provisions for his Army for a long time and was very advantageously posted his Camp being safe from the injuries of the Weather and almost inaccessible to the Enemy And his being absolute Master of the Sea and having at Land overcome on that side wherein he himself was engag'd would have mightily encourag'd him But it seems the state of Rome not enduring any longer to be govern'd by Many but necessarily requiring a Monarchy Providence that it might remove out of the way the only Man that was able to resist him that was destin'd to this Empire cut off this good Fortune from coming to the ears of Brutus Tho it came but a very little too late For the very Evening before the Fight Clodius a deserter from the Enemy came and told him that Caesar had receiv'd advice of the loss of his Fleet and for that reason was in such hast to come to a Battel This Relation met with no Credit neither would Brutus so much as admit him to his Presence but utterly despis'd him as one that had had no good Information or one that had invented Lyes to please him and bring himself into favour The same Night they say the Vision appear'd again to Brutus in the same shape that it did before but vanish'd away without speaking But Publius Volumnius a Man given to the study of Philosophy and one that had from the beginning born Arms with Brutus makes no mention of this Apparition but says that the first Standard was cover'd with a swarm of Bees and that there was one of the Captains whose Arm of it self sweated Oyl of Roses and though they often dryed and wiped it yet it would not cease And that immediately before the Battel two Eagles falling upon each other fought in the space between the two Armies that the whole Field kept incredible silence and all were intent upon the Spectacle till at last that which was on Brutus's side yielded and fled But the story of the Ethiopian is very famous who meeting the Standard-bearer at the opening the Gate of the Camp was cut to pieces by the Souldiers that took it for an ill Omen Brutus having brought his Army into the Field and set 'em in Array against the Enemy he paus'd a long while before he would fight for examining his Army he began to have some suspicions of some of them and others were accus'd to him Besides he saw his Horse begin the Fight not with any great Vigour or Resolution but still expecting what the Foot would do then suddenly Camulatius a very good Souldier and one whom for his Valour he highly esteem'd riding hard by Brutus himself went over to the Enemy the sight of which griev'd Brutus exceedingly So that partly out of Anger and partly out of fear of some greater Treason and Desertion he immediately drew on his Forces upon the Enemy after Three of the Clock in the Afternoon Brutus on his side had the better violently charging the Enemies lest Wing which gave way and retreated and the Horse too fell in together with the Foot when they saw them amaz'd and in disorder But the other Wing when the Captains order'd them to march on to the Fight fearing to be encompass'd being fewer in number than their Adversaries spread themselves and widen'd the middle of their Battel by which being weakned they could not withstand the Charge but at the first On-set fled After their defeat the Enemy surrounded Brutus behind who all the while performed all that was possible for an expert General and valiant Souldier shewing in the greatest danger a Courage and a Conduct that deserv'd to Overcome But that which was advantageous to him in the former Fight was much to his prejudice in this second For in the first Fight that part which was beaten was presently cut in pieces but in this of Cassius's Souldiers that fled few were slain and those that escaped daunted with being beaten put the greatest part of the Army when they came to joyn with them into Despair and Confusion Here Marcus the Son of Cato was slain fighting and behaving himself with great bravery in the midst of the Youth of the greatest Quality
the Power and Titianus only the Name Celsus and Paulinus had the Title of Coucellors and Friends but shared nothing of the management All things likewise were full of confusion among the Enemies paticularly in Valens's Camp who hearing of the Rencounter at the Ambuscade grew out of all patience that they should not be there to relieve so many brave persons as fell upon the spot So that Valens having much ado to perswade and keep them from revenging it upon himself was sorced to dislodge and join with Caecinna Hereupon Otho arrived at Bebriacum a Village near Cremona to consult about giving Battel Proculus and Titianus were for fighting while the Souldiers were in heart with their late success and not by sitting still to blunt their Courage and give Vitellius leisure to come upon them out of Gaul Paulinius on the contrary affirm'd that the Enemies whole force was there without the least recruit whereas Otho might expect an Army out of Mysia and Pannonia no whit inferiour to that in the Field if he would but stay his own time and not serve his Enemies occasions neither was it likely that the Spirit of those few Souldiers should be lessened by the encrease of more Forces but rather that the supply would add to their assurance Over and above this delay made for the Othonians who lived at home in absolute plenty while the Vitellians lodging in an enemies country must encrease their wants with their stay Celsus concurr'd with Paulinus Annius Gallus was absent and under cure by a fall from his Horse Yet Otho consulting him by Letter received the same advise not to be forward but wait the Mysian Forces which were already on the March However Otho deaf to these inclined to that side which held for a Battel There are several Reasons given for this Result in which few men agree this is plainly one The Praetorians and the Life-guard having then a taste of War in good earnest and so much the more lingring after the delicacies and quiet diversions of Rome could not be kept in clamouring for a Fight as if at the very first course they had been able to over-run their Enemies Neither did Otho himself seem tough enough to hold out in such uncertainty or so soft so little us'd was he to struggle with thoughts of such danger but quite broke with care he shut his eyes as one that leaps from a Precipice and spurr'd on to trust Fortune with his All. This Account gives Secundus the Orator and Secretary to Otho According to some other Relations it was more than once moved in both Armies to joyn and especially that with one consent they might elect the best of the Captains then present or in case of disagreement to call a Senate upon the place and submit the choice of the Emperour to them Neither is it unlikely that the right experienced and understanding Souldiers having no extraordinary favour for either of the contesting Emperours might fall upon such projects For what could be more detestable and grievous than wilfully to embrace those miseries which the Romans groan'd under long ago while they were cutting of Throats for Sylla and Marius and since that for Caesar and Pompey only that the Empire might serve the Gluttony and Drunkenness of Vitellius or the Luxury and Tenderness of Otho It is supposed that Celsus out of some such meaning sought to spin out the time as hoping to decide the point without the pains of an Encounter as on the contrary that Otho suspecting his Design made haste to engage Upon this Resolve Otho himself returned back to Brixillum by another grand Mistake not only in withdrawing his presence from the eyes of his Champions who did even adore and dote on him but in carrying back for his Horse and Foot-Guard the stoutest and most resolute of his Men he plainly cut off the Body of his Army About that time there happened a skirmish at the River Po which Caecinna sought to pass by a Bridge of Boats Otho's Men to oppose yet gaining little by plain force they threw Fire-brands daub'd with Pitch and Brimstone into the Vessels which the Wind taking as they fell suddenly kindled and blew into the Faces of the Enemies who being first troubled with the Smoke and then with the Flame leap'd into the Water overturning the Floats and exposing their Bodies with derision to the Enemy But the Germans attacking Otho's Gladiators in a small Island upon the River defeated and cut off a great Party Whereupon the Othonians that-were at Bebriacum being transported with fury to revenge it Proculus led them forth about fifty furlongs before he encamped and withall so inconsiderately and ridiculously that even in the Spring and the Fields round about full of Rivalets and Currents yet they were distressed for Water On the morrow when he would have led them at least twice as far against the Foe Paulinus put a stop declaring in his opinion that they ought rather to keep their Station and not harrass themselves nor just upon a long March with their Baggage to engage the Enemy that would be armed and ranged at leisure In the midst of this Dispute among the Commanders a Numidian came post from Otho bringing Orders without stop or stay to lead strait upon the Enemy which incontinently they did Caecinna was surprized at the News of their approach and leaving hastily his Works at the River he return'd into the Camp Valens having posted great part of his Army and given the Word sent out a choice forlorn of Horse to amuse the Enemy whilst he drew up the Legions Otho's Van were possess'd with belief from a flying Report that Vitellius his Captains would come over to them Therefore when they drew near they saluted them by the friendly Term of Fellow-Souldiers which not being answered by the others with Civility but with an angry hostile Murmur both discouraged them that had given the Salute and fill'd the rest with suspicion of Treason This began a disorder at the very first Charge which was spread throughout the Field not a little confounded by the cumbersome Carriages they receiv'd also no small disadvantage from the place of Battel full of Ditches and Trenches to avoid which they were forc'd to change their Order and fight one among another as they could compass it in little Parties Two only Legions that called Rapax for Vitellius and Adjutrix for Otho being drawn out in a Champaign fought fairly a long time Otho's Men were lusty and valiant but in their Apprenticeship Vitellius's old and experienced Souldiers Otho's Men therefore charged hotly gained ground knock'd down the formost and took one of their Eagles Shame and Rage drave the others back upon them again and with the death of Orphidius the Collonel they surprized divers of Otho's Eagles in revenge for their own The Gladiators Men of no small credit for Courage and Address were attack'd by Varus Alphenus's Batavians the Flower of the German Horse which were drawn from
Father King Antigonus and assembling their united strength Demetrius was constrained to abandon Greece and to joyn with his Father to weather the storm which was gathering from all Quarters and threatned to discharge its violence upon their Heads Antigonus upon the occasion of this War shewed a Courage and Fierceness much disproportionate to his Years he was a Prince of an undaunted Spirit and could he but have preserved a little Temper in his vain Ambition in aspiring at an absolute Sovereignty over others he might in all probability not only have continued in the first Rank of the Princes of his Age but have left that Honour to his Descendants but he was of a violent and haughty Spirit much addicted to undervalue all other Princes and to treat them both in his Words and Actions more insolently than was either consistent with his Interest his Prudence or the Honour due to Kings and though by this rash freedom of his Language he had drawn a most formidable Power of the most considerable Princes against him yet when he first heard of the Confederacy he could not forbear despising the Confederates by a Vanity peculiar to him Oh! said he are they flocking I 'll make no more to disperse them than a Company of Rooks in a Corn-field with throwing a Stone among them and crying Hush So soon as the Troops which composed the Gross of his Army could be brought together Antigonus took the Field at the Head of seventy thousand Foot and ten thousand Horse and seventy five Elephants His Enemies were little inferiour to him in number of Men for they had sixty four thousand Foot and ten thousand five hundred Horse but they far surpassed him in Elephants of which they brought four hundred into the Field and a hundred and twenty Chariots of War When these two mighty Armies approached near there happened an odd kind of alteration in the Humour of Antigonus and though his Courage and Resolution received no great abatement yet his Hope and Confidence seemed something to flag and hang their Wings for whereas formerly there was wont to be a certain joyous Fierceness dwelling in his Eyes that he used to speak boldly and bravely and even in his Encounters to drop some witty Ralleries to encourage his Souldiers to contemn their Enemies he now became very thoughtful silent and retired One Day above all the rest taking Demetrius along with him he shewed him to the Captains and the whole Army which was drawn out upon this occasion and recommended him to them as his declared Successor these uncustomary Actions occasioned some admiration in those who observed them but that which increased the Wonder was that now he took Demetrius into his most secret Counsels whereas formerly he never used to communicate his Designs to any Person but when he had resolved any thing to give out his peremptory Commands for the execution in so much that it is reported that when Demetrius was a youth he enquiring of the King what time the Army should decamp He answered him in a little Passion What do you trouble your self Are you the only Person that are afraid you shall not hear the Trumpet But there were other very ominous Presages besides this Change in the Humour of Antigonus which according to the Superstition of those Times abated the hopes and courage of the Army For in his Dream the Great Alexander compleatly armed seemed to appear to Demetrius and demanded of him what Word they intended to give in the time of the Battel And Demetrius answering That he intended the Word should be Jupiter and Victory Well then I see said Alexander turning short from him with an Air of Displeasure you have no Service for me I will go over to your Enemies who I am assured will entertain me with Joy And the very Morning of the Combat as the Armies were drawing up Antigonus going out of the door of his Tent by some Accident or other stumbled so that he fell flat upon the Ground and bruised himself very sorely this he as well as others took for no good Augury and therefore so soon as he had recovered his Feet lifting up his Hands towards Heaven O ye immortal Gods cried he if you so please I beg a Victory from you this day but if that cannot be granted let me obtain the Favour of death at your hands and that I may not live to blush to see my self vanquished and with shame survive my dying Glory When these two great Armies had for some time faced one the other the Signal being given after whole Showers of mortal Arrows which obscured the very Sun had been exchanged as the first Complements of Death they quickly came to handy-blows and Demetrius who commanded the greatest and best part of the Cavalry gave such a furious Charge upon Antigonus the Son of Seleucus that unable to endure the Shock he and the Body which he commanded turned their Backs and fled and Demetrius transported with the Success pursued them so eagerly and so far as that it fatally lost him the Day for when perceiving his Errour he would have come in to the assistance of his own Infantry he was not able the Enemy with their Elephants having cut off his Retreat and on the other hand Seleucus observing the main Battel of Antigonus left naked of their Horse he made an Offer of charging them in Front but then suddenly by wheeling about as if he intended to attack them in the Flank and Rear he thereby gave opportunity to those among them who had before resolved it perfidiously to revolt from Antigonus and come over to his Party as great numbers of them did and this put the rest into such a consternation no man knowing who were Friends and who Enemies that the whole Army was instantly put to the Rout. In this amazing state of his Affairs the old King Antigonus still kept his Post and when a strong Body of the Enemies drew up to charge him one of those about him seeing it cried out to him Sir consider with your self what you will do do you not see that Party which are coming down upon you to which he only replied And how shall they know me Demetrius will come in to my rescue and assistance There was his last Hope But alas it was in vain for after he had looked on every side to see if he could perceive Demetrius coming to his relief he was with a Storm of Arrows Darts Javelins born down dead upon the earth where being fallen there remained with him of all the numerous Company of his flattering Followers not one to take care of his Body after his Death besides only Thorax of Larissa the Thessalian thus ended this fatal Battel and thus the Life of the unfortunate Antigonus After the unlucky event of this deciding Combat the Kings who had gained the Victory tore all the Empire which Antigonus and Demetrius before possessed â—â—to pieces and shared those large Territories among themselves
deceased Lady who brought along with her Ptolemaida the Daughter whom she had by King Ptolomy which young Lady had before been affianced to Demetrius and with whom he now consummated his Nuptials but he was too intent upon his other Designs to be diverted from them by his new Amour and therefore he presently began the Campagne and was so fortunate in the beginning that many Cities revolted to him and others as particularly the City of Sardis he took by force divers Troops of Lysimachus also came over to him with a considerable Sum of Money But his Fortune which was never constant was now never lasting for Agathocles the Son of Lysimachus with a powerful Army made head against him which obliged him with his Army to divert into Phrygia with an intention to pass into Armenia for he had an imagination that if he could persuade the Medes or Armenians to revolt he should thereby gain many convenient Sea-Ports and Places of Retreat to secure him against any ill Accident or Disaster that might befall him Agathocles pressed very hard upon him and many Skirmishes and Conflicts passed between Parties wherein Demetrius had still the Advantage But Agathocles being much superiour in number straightned him so much in his Forage that his Souldiers were forced to conflict more with Famine than with their Enemies and shewed a great unwillingness to go into Armenia and Media so that for fresh Quarters he was obliged to pass over the River Lycus and in the passage many of his Men by the rapidness of the Torrent were carried down the Stream and drowned This Mischance exasperated the Souldiers to that degree that one of them fixed this Paper upon the Door of his Pavillion taken out of Oedipus with a little variation of the Name Thou Son of blind Antigonus Whither dost mean to hurry us And to add to his Misfortune the Pestilence as is usual when Armies are driven to such Necessities as to subsist upon unwholsom Diet began to assail them as well as the Famine so that he lost eight thousand of his Men and with the rest he retired to Tarsus and because that City was under the Dominion of Seleucus he strictly prohibited his Souldiers the committing any manner of outrages or violence being unwilling to create himself a new Enemy of Seleucus but when he perceived it was impossible to keep the Souldiers in order they being reduced to extreme necessity and Agathocles having block'd up all the Avenues of Mount Taurus to prevent their foraging in his Territories he resolved to write to Seleucus to appease him in this Matter The Letter contained a long and tragical Relation of the miserable state to which he was reduced and passionate Intercessions for his commiseration to a distressed King and Relation who was fallen into such a deplorable condition as might extort Tenderness and Pity from his very Enemies These Letters did so mollifie the Heart of Seleucus that he gave out positive Orders to the Governours of those Provinces that they should furnish Demetrius with all Accommodations suitable to his Royal Quality and with sufficient Provisions for his Troops But Patrocles a Person of great Authority and the Confident of Seleucus persuaded him that this entertainment of Demetrius especially of his Souldiers within his Dominions was not at all agreeable to the sound Maxims of Policy in regard that of all the Kings of his time Demetrius was the most violent in his Inclinations and addicted to bold and daring Enterprizes and that now being driven to Extremities by his adverse Fortune a Condition which many times tempted Persons of the greatest Temper and Moderation to the most desperate Attempts he could not with any Security to himself afford him this Retreat or Entertainment Seleucus animated with this Discourse advanced with a powerful Army towards Cilicia and Demetrius astonished at this sudden alteration betook himself for safety to the Strengths and most inaccessible places of Mount Taurus from whence he sent Envoys to Seleucus to request from him that he would permit him the liberty with his Army to seek to repair his broken Fortunes among the barbarous Nations and there to establish a Kingdom where he might pass the remainder of his Life in quiet and repose and not in that rigorous Season of Winter to expose him in this distressed naked condition to the fury of his implacable Enemies but to allow him a competent Time and Maintenance for the support of his small Army till he might with convenience depart But Seleucus whose Jealousie was now the governing Passion of his Soul sent him this peremptory Answer That he would permit him to stay two Months and no longer in Cataonia provided he presently sent him the principal of his Friends and Officers as Hostages for his departure then and in the mean time he shut up all the Passages into Syria So that Demetrius who saw himself thus encompassed as in a Toil like an enraged Lion flew upon the Prey and fell to wasting the Territories of Seleucus and in many Encounters had the advantage of him and particularly when he was assailed by the Armed Chariots he entirely defeated them and thereby opened his passage into Syria And now finding his Souldiers animated by these Successes he was resolved to push at all and to have one deciding Blow for the Empire with Seleucus but that crafty Prince having refused the assistance of Lysimachus whom he both mistrusted and hated made no great haste to the Encounter but chose rather to weary Demetrius and waste his Power by Delays for there was nothing that he dreaded more than the perpetual vicissitude of that Prince's Fortune which he had so often known to have been raised from the most deplorate state to the greatest excess of Glory But now all things seemed to conspire to the Ruine of this miserable Prince for he was seized with a violent Distemper which did not only endanger his Life but deprived him of his Reason so that his Army began to moulder away insensibly some deserting and others stealing away from the Service which they concluded desperate after forty days he began to be so far recovered as to be able to rally his Forces and marched as if he directly designed for Cilicia but in the Night in great silence he took a Counter-March and passing the Mountain Amanus he forraged all the Country as far as Cyrrhestica Whereupon Seleucus advanced towards him and encamping at no great distance Demetrius took a resolution to surprize him in his Camp but the Design being by some Fugitives discovered to Seleucus he had but just time in great consternation to leap out of his Bed and give the Alarm to his men as he was putting on his Boots to mount to Horse Sirs said he to the Officers about him Look well to your Charges for we must now expect to combat with a furious and enraged wild Beast But Demetrius by the Noise and Murmur he heard in the Camp finding they had taken the Alarm
drew off his Troops and began to retreat in the best order that he could but the Morning quickly appearing Seleucus followed hard upon his Rear and obliged him to a disadvantageous Encounter Demetrius having drawn his Army into Order and given the Command of one half of his Troops to one of his most expert Captains with the other he in Person charged so furiously that he forced his Enemies to give Ground But Seleucus lighting from his Horse and covering his Arm with a Target advanced to the foremost Ranks and having put up the Vizor of his Helmet that he might be known he addressed himself to the Souldiers of Demetrius exhorting them to lay down their Arms and not desperately throw away their Lives telling them withal that it was for their sakes only that he had so long forborn coming to Extremities And thereupon without a Blow more these perfidious Mercenaries submitted and saluted Seleucus as their King Demetrius who in the whole course of his Life had been accustomed to strange Turns from thence drew a hope that he should weather this Storm also and therefore with the slender attendance of his Friends he fled to the Mountain Amanus where in a thick and spacious Wood he secured himself resolving under the Mantle of the Night to make his Escape towards Caunus where he hoped to find his Shipping ready to transport him But upon Enquiry finding that they had not provisions for more than one day that Design was quash'd and he began to think of some other Project whilst he was rowling over a thousand irresolute Thoughts his Friend Sosigenes arrived who had four hundred Pieces of Gold about him and with this little Relief he again re-assumed his first Resolution and Hopes to recover the Coast so soon as it began to be dark he set forward towards the Mountains but perceiving by their Fires that the Enemies had possessed themselves of all the Passages and that it was impossible for him to pass undiscovered he retreated to his old Station in the Wood but not with all his Troop for divers had deserted him and the little Remainder were extremely dejected and disheartned so that some of them began to talk of rendring themselves and Demetrius to Seleucus as the only Means left them for their Safety Which Demetrius over-hearing he drew out his Sword and had infallibly passed it through his own Heart but that some of his Friends interposing prevented the fatal Attempt and began to persuade him that it was much more manly to try the Generosity of Seleucus and to reserve his Life for a better Destiny and â—uture Hopes and with these Arguments but principally by irresistable necessity he suffered himself to be overcome and therefore dispatched some of his Attendants to Seleucus to let him know that he was willing to surrender himself and his Friends to his Generosity and Mercy Seleucus transported at this News cried out It is not the good Fortune of Demetrius which hath found out this Expedient for his Safety but my own which I esteem the greatest favour she ever did me since thereby she hath given me opportunity to shew my Clemency and Generosity And instantly he gave Order to his Domestick Officers to prepare a Royal Pavillion and all things suitable for the splendid Reception and Entertainment of Demetrius There was in the Court of Seleucus one Apollonides who formerly had been intimately known to Demetrius he was therefore as the fittest Person dispatched from the King to attend Demetrius and to desire him to dissipate all manner of fear and distrust and to give him assurance that Seleucus was resolved to treat him with all the Honour due to a King and the kindness of a Relation No sooner was this message known but all the principal Courtiers and Officers of Seleucus thinking Demetrius would presently become a great favourite with the King made hast to congratulate with Demetrius and kiss his hand but this ill tim'd application and over officiousness proved very mischievous to that poor Prince for it gave occasion to his Enemies to insinuate to Seleucus that this Usage of Demetrius was a most dangerous Civility and that his presence might have very fatal influences upon the Army the Officers shewing more inclination to him already than was consistent with their Duty or the safety of Seleucus which representations made such impressions upon the spirit of Seleucus as produced different sentiments and resolutions from the former For whilest Apollonides and after him many others were relating to Demetrius the kind expressions of Seleucus and the Orders he had given and that poor Prince who before thought this Rendition of himself the greatest misfortune of his Life now began in his thoughts to applaud the Action and to flatter himself with vain hopes Pausanias with a Guard of a thousand Horse and Foot amidst all the Caresses of his Friends came and by order from the King seized him and carried him not as he hoped as a Prince to the Presence of Seleucus but a Prisoner to the Castle of Chersonesus in Syria where he was committed to the safe Custody of a strong Guard It is true he wanted nothing but Liberty for by the command of Seleucus he had a most liberal allowance for himself and retinue he had the liberty of a curious Garden and delightful Walks and was for his Exercise permitted the Freedom of hunting in a large Park excellently stored with Game of all sorts and had Horses likewise provided for his diversion and for his Chariots and to make his life more easie such of his Servants as were willing to follow his Fortune had the freedom of attending upon his Person continual messages of kindness also from time to time were brought him from Seleucus requesting him to support the present Restraint of his Liberty chearfully assuring him that so soon as Antiochus and Stratonice should arrive at the Court the Conditions and Articles of restoring him to his Liberty should be perfected But Demetrius had learnt to give little credit to these deluding pretences and therefore so soon as he was fallen into the misfortune of this Captivity he sent Express command to his Son Antigonus and to his Captains and Friends at Athens and Corinth that they should give no manner of credit to any Letters written to them in his name though they were sealed with his own Signet but that looking upon him as if he were already dead they should reserve what was left of his Empire for Antigonus and esteem him as their lawful King As for Antigonus he received the sad news of his Father's Captivity with all the Testimonies of a most afflictive sorrow he put himself into deep mourning and writ the most passionate and tender Letters to Seleucus and the rest of the Kings that his grief could dictate he offered not only whatever they had left in the World but himself to be a Hostage for the Liberty of the King his Father Several other Princes and divers
advance any further the Army marching very leisurely they at last came in sight of the River where Antony upon the Banks drew up the Horse in a posture to receive and oppose the Enemy and to favour the passage of his Army o'er the River he first past over the sick and wounded and then all the rest those that were left drawn up on th' other side had leisure to drink at their ease for the Parthians being now come to the River which was to be the bounds of their pursuit unbent their bows and told the Romans they might pass over freely and made them great complements in praise of their valour and conduct At length the Horse pass over too without being in the least molested by the enemy and when they were on the other side the river they drank their fill as the others had done before and joyn'd the rest of the Army not giving any credit to the fair words of their deceitful enemies It was six days after the last skirmish that they arrived at the River Araxes which divides Media and Armenia and seemed both by its deepness and the violence of the current to be very dangerous in passing and a report had crept in amongst them that the Enemy was in ambush ready to set upon them as soon as they should be amus'd in their passage But when they were got over on the other side and found themselves in Armenia just as if they were come into harbour after a tempest they worship'd the Land and shedding tears for joy every one embraced his friend but taking their journey through a Land that abounded in all sorts of plenty and having suffer'd great want they eat with that excess of every thing they met that they fell into Dropsies and Dysenteries Here Antony making a review of his Army found that he had lost twenty thousand Foot and four thousand Horse of which the better half perished not by the Enemy but by Diseases their march was of twenty seven days from Phraata in which the Parthians were worsted in eighteen Battels by which it is manifest that Artuasdes was the cause why Antony could not bring this War to a happy end for had the sixteen thousand Median Horse skilful in the Discipline of the Parthians and accustomed to their manner of fight been present the Romans having put them once to flight and the pursuit left to the Medians it is impossible they could have rallied after their defeat and appear again as they did in a posture to receive the Enemy for which reason the whole Army was very earnest with Antony to march into Armenia but he taking advice of his necessities did not upbraid him with his dissertion nor in the least abate of the usual civility with which he was wont to treat him for he found the Army wearied out and in want of all manner of necessaries but upon another occasion coming into Armenia with invitations and fair promises he prevail'd with Artuasdes to meet him where he seized him bound him and carried him to Alexandria there to be led in triumph by which he very much offended the Romans in that he carried into Egypt the triumphal Ornaments due unto his Country only to ingratiate himself with Cleopatra But these matters happen'd afterwards For the present marching his Army in great haste in the depth of Winter through continual storms of Snow he lost eight thousand of his Men and came very ill accompany'd to a place called Leucocome situated betwixt Sydon and Beryte nigh the Sea side where he sate down in expectation of Cleopatra and being impatient of the delay she made he bethought himself of short'ning the time in drink and debauchery and not being able to endure the tediousness of a Meal he would start from Table and run to see if she were coming and this lasted till she came into Port. She brought with her Cloaths and Money for the Soldiers Some say that Antony having received the Cloaths of her distributed his own Money in her name About this time a difference happen'd 'twixt the King of Media and Phraortes King of Parthia about division of the booty that was taken from the Romans which caused great apprehension in the Median least he should lose his Kingdom he sent therefore Ambassadors to Antony with offers of entring into a confederat War against Phraortes which gave Antony great hopes of obtaining his desire seeing that by this means he should have such horse as was necessary to reduce the Parthians and upon this consideration he return'd into Armenia and joyning the King of Media nigh Araxes they began the War Octavia having a desire to see Antony easily obtained leave of Caesar not so much to gratifie her humour as to find a good pretence to begin the War upon her ill reception She no sooner arrived at Athens but in Letters from Antony she understood his new expedition and his will that she should attend him there though she were much displeas'd not being ignorant of the ground of this usage yet she writ to him to know to what place he would be pleas'd she should send the things she had brought with her for his use for she brought cloaths for his Soldiers many horses money and presents for his Friends and Officers and two thousand chosen Soldiers well arm'd to recruit the Praetorian Cohorts This Message brought Niger from Octavia to Antony in the relation speaking much of her praise insisting much upon her merit Cleopatra being inform'd that Octavia was coming and fearing least that her easiness of behaviour and observance of Antony's humour joyn'd with her discretion and powerful alliance should render her charms irresistible she betook her self to die for love of Antony bringing her body down with a slender opening Diet when he entred the room she fix'd her eyes upon him in a rapture and when he took his leave she never fail'd to swound when she design'd to cry she would turn about and wipe her eyes as being unwilling to let him know the greatness of her concern all this was acting while he prepar'd for Media and Cleopatra's Creatures that were to help forward the design upbraided Antony with his insensibility who could basely see a Lady perish whose soul depended upon him and him alone they added that it was true Octavia was his Wife and did enjoy that honourable Title because it was found convenient for the Affairs of her Brother that it should be so but Cleopatra the soveraign Queen of many Nations must be contented with the name of his Mistress nor did she shun or despise the character whilst she might see him whilst she might live with him and enjoy him if she were bereav'd of this she would not survive the loss Antony was so well perswaded that Cleopatra must die if he forsook her that he put off all thoughts of the War and return'd to Alexandria deferring his Median expedition till next Summer though he were inform'd of great seditions among
but Herod was not able to protect him for he was presently bound in Fetters and sent into his own Country where by Caesar's order he was put to death this reward of his Treason did Alexas receive while Antony was yet alive Caesar denying Antony's request made answer to Cleopatra that there was no manner of favour which she might not reasonably expect if she put Antony to death or banish'd him He sent back with the Ambassadors his own Servant Thyreus a Man of no ordinary parts and not unlikely to succeed coming from an Emperour in his youth to a vain Woman easily pust up with her own praises and putting so great trust in her Charms This Man making his audience much longer than ordinary and receiving great honours from her made Antony very jealous so that he order'd him to be first whipp'd and then sent back to Caesar writing him word he had been provok'd by his proud insolent Carriage and that a Man in his Circumstances was no great Master of his passions but that if he took it ill he had his Servant Hipparchus by him whom he might use after the same manner that they might be upon even Terms But Cleopatra that she might make atonement for her own indiscretion and lay his jealousie made all the submission imaginable When her Birth-day came she kept it as was suitable to their deplorable Fortune but his was observ'd with great splendor and magnificence so that many of the Guests sate down in great want and went home wealthy Men. After the defeat of Antony Agrippa writ many Letters to Caesar to let him know how necessary his presence was at Rome for which reason the War was deferr'd for a season but the Winter being over he began his march he himself by the way of Syria and his Captains through Africk Peleusium being taken there went a report as if that Town had been delivered to Caesar by Seleucus not without the consent of Cleopatra but she to justifie her self gave up into Antony's hands the Wife and Children of Seleucus She had caused to be built joyning to the Temple of Isis several Tombs and Monuments of a stupendious height and very considerable for the workmanship thither she removed her Treasure her Gold Silver Emeralds Pearls Ebony Ivory Cinnamon and after all of Torches and Flax a great quantity upon which Caesar began to fear least she should in a desperate fit set all these riches on fire therefore while he was marching towards the City with his Arms he omitted no occasion of giving her assurance of his respect Caesar having incamped in the Court where they used to manage their Horses Antony made a fierce Sally routed the Horse and beat them back into their Trenches and so return'd with great satisfaction to the Palace where meeting Cleopatra arm'd as he was he kist her and recommended to her favour a brave Fellow that had signaliz'd himself in this engagement to whom she made a present of a Coat of Armour and Helmet made of Gold which he having received went that very Night and rendred himself to Caesar After this Antony sent a Challenge to Caesar to fight him hand to hand who made him answer that he might find several other ways to end his Life and he considering with himself that he could not die more honourably than in Battel resolved to fight Caesar both by Land and Sea As 't is reported he commanded his Servants to treat him chearfully and fill him his Wine plentifully that to morrow they should not do the same but become Servants to a new Master when he should lie extended on the ground a poor dead Corps a very Nothing His Friends that were about him wept to hear him talk on this manner which he perceiving he told them he should not leâ—d them out to fight with greater expectation of an honourable Death than of a glorious Victory At the dead of Night when the whole City was in a deep silence and consternation it expecting the event of the next day on a sudden was heard the sound of all manner of Instruments and a horrible noise like to that which is made at the Feasts of Bacchus this tumultuous Procession seem'd to have broke in at one Gate of the City to have quite travers'd it and have gone out at the Gate which the Enemy lay before and this did signifie to them that understand Prodigies that Bacchus the God whom he had always a particular inclination for and whom he did study to imitate had now forsaken him Assoon as it was light he march'd his Foot out of the City and posted them upon a rising ground from whence he saw his Fleet make up to the Enemy There he stood in expectation of the Event but as soon as ever the Fleets came nigh to one another his first saluted Caesar's which having returned the Complement they presently joyn'd and with all their force row'd up to the City Antony had no sooner seen this but the Horse deserted him and rendred themselves to Caesar and his Foot being defeated he retired into the City roaring out that Cleopatra had betrayed him when he had fought only for her sake She being afraid lest in his fury and despair he might do her a mischief sled to her Monument and making it as fast as she could with Bars and Bolts she sent to make Antony believe she was dead He believing it cries out Now Antony what hast thou to do in this World Fate now has snatch'd away the only cause for which thou could'st endure to live Going into his Chamber and opening his Coat of Armour I am not says he troubled Cleopatra to be at present bereaved of you for I shall soon be with you but this does much afflict me that so famous a General should be inferiour in greatness of Mind to a Woman He had a faithful Servant whose Name was Eros he had engaged him formerly to kill him when he should think it necessary and now he put him to his Promise Eros drew his Sword as designing to kill him but when his back was turn'd he slew himself and falling dead at his Feet Well hast thou done my Eros who since thou hadst not the heart to dispatch thy Master hast taught him what he ought to do and so he ran himself into the Belly and laid himself upon the Couch He died not presently of the Wound and by reposing himself the Blood being a little stopp'd he came to himself and intreated those that were about him to put him out of his pain but they all fled out of the Chamber and left him bewailing and tormenting himself whilst Diomedes Secretary to Cleopatra came to him having been commanded to bring him to her in the Monument when he understood she liv'd with a great deal of Vigour he gave order to his Servants to take him up and in their Arms was carried to the door of the Monument Cleopatra would not open the door but looking
Men. The Leontines received Dion very Honourably rewarded his Men and made them free of their City sending Envoys to the Syracusians to require them to do the Soldiers Justice and give them their Pay who in return sent back other Agents to accuse Dion But when in a full Assembly of the Leontines the matter was heard and debated the Syracusians appear'd plainly to be in fault but they refus'd to stand to the award of their Confederates huffing and disdaining to hearken to any thing but what their cajoling Leaders and popular Sycophants advis'd them to About this time Dionysius sent a Fleet under the Command of Nypsius the Neopolitan with Provisions and Pay for the Garrison The Syracusians fought him had the better and took four of his Ships but they made very ill use of their good success and for want of good Discipline to express their Joy sell to Drinking and feasting in an extravagant manner with so little regard to their main concern that when they thought themselves sure of taking the Castle they were very near losing their City Nypsius seeing all the Citizens in this disorder spending Day and Night in their drunken Revels and Debauches and their Commanders well pleas'd with the Frolick or at least not daring to contradict the riotous Crew who were Pot-valiant and not to be controul'd taking advantage of this Opportunity made a descent and storm'd their Works which having gain'd and ruin'd he attacqued the City leaving the ravage of it to the Will and Mercy of his Soldiers The Syracusians quickly saw their Folly and Misfortune but could not in the distraction they were in so soon redress it The Soldiers made miserable havock in the City putting the men to the Sword demolishing the Fortifications dragging the Women and Children with lamentable shrieks and cries Prisoners into the Castle The Commanders giving all for lost were not able to put the Citizens in any tolerable posture of defence who were confusedly mixt with the Enemy While they were in this condition and the Acradina in danger to be taken in which was all the hope they had left and every one was sensible what they wanted but no man for shame durst name Dion whom they had so ungratefully and basely dealt with Necessity at last forcing them some of the Auxiliary Troops cryed out Send for Dion and his Peloponnesians from the Leontines or we are utterly undone No sooner had they the confidence to mention his Name and it was heard among the People but they gave a shout for joy and with tears in their Eyes wished him there that they might once again see that Hero at the Head of them whose Courage and Bravery in the worst of dangers they could never forget remembring not only with what undaunted Gallantry he always behaved himself but also what courage and confidence he inspir'd them with when he led them against the Enemy They immediately therefore dispatched Archonides and Telesides of the Auxiliaries and Hellanicus with five more of the Horse who posting with all the speed they could make reach'd the City of the Leontines in the close of the Evening The first thing they did was to leap from their Horses and fall at Dion's feet with tears relating the sad condition the Syracusians were in Many of the Leontines and Peloponnesians began to throng about them guessing by their speed and the manner of their Address that there was something extraordinary in the business Dion presently call'd an Assembly and the People being gathered together in a very little time Archonides and Hellanicus came in among them and in short declared the misery and distress of the Syracusians begging the Foreign Soldiers to forget the injuries they had received and ashst the distressed who had suffered more for the wrong they had done than they themselves who received it would had it been in their power have inflicted upon them When they had made an end there was a profound Silence in the Theatre Dion then stood up and began to speak but a flood of Tears stopt his words his Soldiers were sensibly troubled at his Grief praying him to moderate his Passion and proceed When he had therefore recovered himself a little Gentlemen says he and fellow-soldiers I have called you here together to take care of your own Concerns for it will ill become me to consult my self if Syracuse be lost which tho' I cannot save from Destruction I will nevertheless hasten thither and be buried in the Ruines of my Country yet if you can find in your hearts to assist us the most inconsiderate and unfortunate of Men you may to your eternal Honour again retrieve this unhappy City But if the Syracusians can obtain no more pity nor relief from you may the Gods reward you for what you have formerly valiantly done for them and for your constant fidelity and kindness to Dion who you must remember as he deserted you not when injur'd and abus'd so he cannot now forsake his fellow-Citizens in their Afflictions and Misfortunes Before he had well ended his Speech the Soldiers with a great shout testified their readiness for the Service crying out To march immediately to the Relief of the City The Syracusian Courriers hugg'd and embrac'd them praying the Gods to shower down Blessings upon Dion and his valiant Peloponnesians When the noise was pretty well over Dion gave Orders that all should to their Quarters to prepare for their March and having resreshed themselves come compleatly Armed to their Rendezvous in the very place they now were resolving that very night to hasten to their Succour Now at Syracuse Dionysius's Soldiers as long as day continued ransacked the City and did all the mischief they could but when Night came on they retir'd into the Castle missing very few of their number at which the factious Ring-leaders taking heart and hoping the Enemy would rest content with what they had done and make no further Attempt upon them perswaded the People again to reject Dion and if he came with the Foreign Soldiers not to admit him advising them not to yield as inferior to them in point of Honour and Courage but to save their City and defend their Liberties and Properties themselves The Populacy therefore and their Leaders send Messengers to Dion to forbid him to advance but the Nobility and the Horse sent others to him to desire him to hasten his March For which reason he slack'd his pace and came forward but slowly and in the middle of the Night the Faction that was against him set a Guard upon the Gates of the City to hinder him from coming in But Nypsius made another Salley out of the Castle with a far greater number of Men than before who quite ruined what of the Rampart was left standing and fell in pell-mell to sack and ravage the City The slaughter was now very great not only of the Men but of the Women also and Children for they
regarded not so much the Plunder as to destroy and kill all they met For Dionysius despairing to re-gain the Kingdom and mortally hating the Syracusians resolved to bury his lost Empire in the utter Ruin and Desolation of Syracuse The Enemy therefore to prevent Dion's Succours resolved upon the most terrible and ready way of destruction to lay the City in ashes firing all at hand with Torches and other Combustibles and at distance with flaming Arrows and other Fire-works shot from their Bows and Engines The Citizens in great distraction fled every way before them They who to avoid the Fire forsook their Houses were taken in the Streets and put to the Sword They who betook themselves for Refuge into the the Houses were forced out again by the flames Many were burnt and many kill'd by the fall of Houses and Ruines of Walls and Towers This fresh misfortune by general Consent opened the Gates for Dion It hapned that he made no extraordinary hast when he received advice that the Enemies were retreated into the Castle but early in the Morning some Horse brought him the news of another Assault and soon after some of those who before oppos'd his coming fled now to him to entreat him he would hasten his Relief The Fire and Desolation increasing Heraclides sent his Brother and after him his Uncle Theodotes to beg him to help them for that now they were not able to make any longer Opposition that he himself was wounded and the greatest part of the City was either in ashes or in flames When Dion met this sad News he was about sixty furlongs distant from the City When he had acquainted the Soldiers with the Exigency and exhorted them to behave themselves like men the Army no longer marched but ran forwards and by the way were met by several who begged them to quicken their pace By the wonderful eagerness of the Soldiers and their extraordinary Speed Dion quickly came to the City and entered at the Gate Hecatompedon sending his Vanguard presently to charge the Enemy that seeing them the Syracusians might take Courage In the mean time he drew up in good Order his main Body and all the Citizens that came in and joyn'd him forming his Battalions long and setting over them double Officers that he might as occasion required make Detachments and to amuse and terrifie the Enemy fight them in several Quarters at once As they saw him in the Streets advance at the Head of his Men to engage the Enemy a confused Noise of Shouts congratulations Vows and Prayers was rais'd by the Syracusians who now called Dion their Deliverer their Tutelar-Deity and his Soldiers their Friends Brethren and Fellow-Citizens none seem'd to regard themselves or value their safeties but to be concerned more for Dion's Life than for all their own together So daringly he marched before them to meet the danger first through Blood and Fire and over heaps of dead Bodies that lay in his way And indeed the Posture of the Enemy was in appearance terrible for they were flush'd with Victory enrag'd and had posted themselves very advantageously along the demolish'd Works which made the approach to them very hazardous and difficult yet that which discouraged Dion's Men most was the apprehension they were in of the Fire which made their march very troublesome and difficult for the Houses being in flames on all fides they were surrounded with them and treading upon burning Ruines every minute in danger of being overwhelm'd with falling Houses through clouds of Ashes and Smoak they labour'd hard to keep their Order and maintain their Ranks When they came near to the Enemy by reason of the advantage of their Post and the inconvenience of a Defile they were to pass but few of them could engage at a time but at length fighting with great Bravery and the Syracusians with shouts encouraging their Party Nypsius's Men were beaten off and routed most of them escaped into the Castle which was near at hand all that could not get in were pursued and pick'd up here and there by the Soldiers and put to the Sword The present Exigence did not suffer the Citizens to reap the benefit of their Conquest in such mutual Congratulations and expressions of Joy as become the Victorious for now all were busily employed to save what Houses were left standing labouring hard all Night and could scarce master the Fire The next day not one of the Popular Haranguers durst stay in the City but all of them knowing their own Guilt by their flight confessed it and secured their Lives Only Heraclides and Theodotus voluntarily surrendred themselves to Dion acknowledging that they had wrong'd him and begging he would be kinder to them than they had been just to him adding how much it would be for his Honour who was Master of so many excellent Accomplishments to moderate his Anger and be generously compassionate to the ungrateful confessing that they who were formerly his professed Enemies were now absolutely overcome by his Vertue Tho' they humbly addressed to him his Friends advised him not to pardon those turbulent and ill-natured Men but to leave them to the mercy of his Soldiers and utterly root out of the Common-wealth the ambitious Affectation of Populacy a Disease as pestilent and pernicious as the most Arbitrary Power whatever Dion endeavoured to satisfie them telling them That other Generals employed their thoughts and designs chiefly about warlike Acquists but that he had long studied in the Academy how to conquer his Passions and not let Emulation and Envy conquer him That to do this it is not sufficient that a Man be obliging and kind to his Friends and those that have deserved well of him but also indulgent and favourable to those from whom he has received Injuries and Affronts That he was resolved to let the World see that he valued not himself so much upon excelling Heraclides in Ability and Conduct as he did in out-doing him in Justice and Clemency herein to have the Advantage is to excell indeed The Honour of Victory in War is never entire for Fortune will be sure to claim her share tho' no man pretend to rival the Conqueror What if Heraclides be perfidious malicious and base must Dion therefore sully his Honor or injure his Vertue by a passionate Concern for it For tho' the Laws determine it juster to revenge an Injury than to do an Injury Yet it is evident that both Originally proceed from the same deficiency and weakness of Humane Nature The malicious Humor of Men tho' perverse and refractory is not so savage and invincible but it may be wrought upon by Kindness and habitually altered by repeated Obligations Dion making use of these Arguments pardon'd and dismiss'd Heraclides and Theodotes And now resolving to repair the Blockade about the Castle he commanded all the Syracusians to cut Palisado's and bring them to the Works and then dismissing them to refresh themselves and take
surround and encompass the rest of the Enemy Besides this by his own delay and slowness more than by the briskness and conduct of the Captains of the other side he found himself hem'd in by the Right Wing of the Enemy and all his Horse making with all hast their escape and flying towards the Sea the Foot also began to fly which he perceiving labour'd as much as ever he could to hinder their flight and bring them back and snatching an Ensign out of the Hand of one that fled he stuck it at his Feet though he could hardly keep even his own Praetorian Band together So that at last he was forc'd to fly with a few about him to a little Hill that over-looked all the Plain But he himself being weak sighted discover'd nothing only the destruction of his Camp and that with much difficulty but they that were with him saw a great Body of Horse sent by Brutus moving towards him Cassius believ'd these were Enemies and in pursuit of him and sent away Titinius one of those that was with him to learn what they were As soon as Brutus's Horse saw him coming and knew him to be a Friend and a faithful Servant of Cassius those of them that were his more familiar Acquaintance shouting out for joy and alighting from their Horses saluted and embraced him and the rest rode round about him in great Triumph and Noise through their excess of gladness at sight of him But this was the occasion of the greatest mischief that could be For Cassius really thought that Titinius had been taken by the Enemy and cry'd out Through too much fondness of Life I have liv'd to endure the sight of my Friend taken by the Enemy before my face After which words he retir'd into a private Tent taking along with him only Pindarus one of his freed-men whom he had reserved for such an Occasion ever since the unhappy Battel against the Parthians where Crassus was slain But he escaped that Misfortune but now wrapping his loose Garment about his Head he made his Neck bare and held it forth to Pindarus commanding him to strike and his Head was found lying severed from his Body but no Man ever saw Pindarus after this Murther from which some suspected that he had kill'd his Master without his Command Soon after they perceived who the Horse-men were and saw Titinius crown'd with Garlands making what hast he could towards Cassius But as soon as he understood by the Cries and Lamentations of his afflicted Friends the unfortunate error and death of his General he drew his Sword and having very much accused and upbraided his own long stay that had caused it he slew himself Brutus as soon as he was assur'd of the Defeat of Cassius made haste to him but heard nothing of his Death till he came near his Camp Then having lamented over his Body calling him The last of all the Romans saying That it was impossible that the City should ever produce another man of so great a Spirit He sent away the Body to be buried at Thassus lest celebrating his Funeral within the Camp might breed some disorder He then gathered his Souldiers together and comforted them and seeing them destitute of all things necessary he promis'd to every Man 2000 Drachma's in recompence of what he had lost They at these words took courage and were astonish'd at the Magnificence of the gift and waited upon him at his parting with shouts and praises magnifying him for the only General of all the four who was not overcome in the Battel And indeed he prov'd by his Actions that it was not without reason he believ'd he should Conquer for with a few Legions he overthrew all that resisted him and if all his Soldiers had fought and the most of them had not past beyond the Enemy in pursuit of the Plunder it is very likely that he had utterly defeated them all There fell of his side eight thousand Men reckoning the Servants of the Army whom Brutus call'd Brigas And on the other side Messala says his Opinion is that there were slain above twice that number for which reason they were more out of Heart than Brutus till a Servant of Cassius named Demetrius came in the Evening to Antony and brought to him the Garment which he had taken from his Master 's dead Body and his Sword At the sight of which they were so encouraged that as soon as it was Morning they drew out their whole Force into the Field and stood in Battel-Array against Brutus But Brutus found both his Camps wavering and in disorder for his own being fill'd with Prisoners requir'd a Guard more strict than ordinary over 'em and that of Cassius was much discontented at the change of their General besides some Envy and Hatred which those that were conquer'd bore to that part of the Army which were Conquerours wherefore he thought it convenient to put his Army in Array but to abstain as much as he could from fighting All the Slaves that were taken Prisoners of which there was a great number that behav'd themselves not without suspicion among the Souldiers he commanded to be slain but of the Free-men and Citizens some he dismiss'd saying That among the Enemy they were rather Prisoners than with him for with them they were Captives and Slaves but with him Free-men and Citizens of Rome Others he was forced to hide and help them to escape privately perceiving that some of his Friends and Commanders were implacably bent upon Revenge against them Among the Captives there was one Volumnius a Mimick and Sacculio a Buffoon of these Brutus took no manner of notice but his Friends brought them before him and accused them that even then in that condition they did not refrain from their abusive Jests and scurrillous Language Brutus having his Mind taken up with other Affairs said nothing to their Accusation but the judgment of Messala Corvinus was That they should be whip'd publickly upon a Scaffold and so sent naked to the Captains of the Enemy to shew 'em what sort of Fellow-drinkers and Companions were fit for such Warriours At this some that were present laughed but Publius Casca he that gave the first Wound to Caesar said That it was not decent to jest and make so merry at the Funerals of Cassius But thou O Brutus says he will shew what esteem you have for the memory of that General in punishing or preserving those that scoff'd and spoke abusively of him To this Brutus with great indignation reply'd Why then Casca do you tell me of this and not do your self what you think fitting This Answer of Brutus was taken for his consent to the death of these wretched Men so they were carried away and slain After this he gave the Souldiers the Reward that he had promis'd them and having slightly reprov'd 'em for having fallen upon the Enemy in disorder without the Word of Battel or Command He promis'd 'em that if they behav'd
and Valour He would neither fly nor give the least ground but still fighting and declaring who he was and naming his Father's Name he fell upon a heap of dead Bodies of the Enemy And several others of the bravest Men in the Army were there slain who ran in to save Brutus There was in the Field one Lucilius an excellent Man and a Friend of Brutus who seeing some of the Barbarian's Horse taking no notice of any other in the pursuit but directly making towards Brutus resolv'd to stop them though with the hazard of his Life and being left a little behind told them that he was Brutus They believ'd him the rather because he prayed to be carried to Antony pretending that he fear'd Caesar but durst trust him They over-joyed with their Prey and thinking themselves wonderfully fortunate carried him along with them in the Night having first sent Messengers to Antony of their coming He was extremely pleas'd and came to meet them and all the rest that heard that Brutus was taken and brought alive flock'd together to see him some pitying his Fortune others accusing him of a meanness unbecoming his former Glory that out of too much love of Life would be a Prey to Barbarians When they came near together Antony stood still considering with himself in what manner he should receive Brutus But Lucilius being brought to him with great confidence said Be assur'd Antony that no Enemy either has or ever shall take Marcus Brutus alive forbid it ye Gods that Fortune should ever so much prevail above Vertue but he shall be found alive or dead as becomes himself As for me I am come hither by a cheat that I put upon your Souldiers and am ready upon this occasion to suffer whatever Torments you will inflict All were amaz'd to hear Lucilius speak these words But Antony turning himself to those that brought him said I perceive my Fellow-souldiers that you are concern'd and take it ill that you have been thus deceiv'd and think your selves abus'd and injur'd by it But know that you have met with a Booty better than that you sought For you were in search of an Enemy but you have brought me here a Friend For indeed I am uncertain how I should have us'd Brutus if you had brought him alive but of this I am sure that 't is better to have such Men as Lucilius our Friends than our Enemies Having said this he embrac'd Lucilius and for the present commended him to the care of one of his Friends and ever after found him a steady and a faithful Friend Brutus had now past a little Brook encompass'd with Rocks and shaded with Trees and it being Night would go no farther but set down in a hollow place at the foot of a great Rock with a few of his Captains and Friends about him At first looking up to Heaven that was then full of Stars he repeated two Verses one of which Volumnius writes was this Punish great Jove the Author of these ills The other he says he has forgot Soon after naming severally all his Friends that had been sâ—ain before his face in the Battel he fetch'd a deep sigh especially at the mentioning of Flavius and Labio whereof one was his Lieutenant and the other Master of his Workmen in the Camp In the mean time one of his Companions that was very thirsty and saw Brutus in the same condition took his Helmet and ran to the Brook for Water when a noise being heard from the other side of the River Volumnius taking Dardanus Brutus's Armour-bearer with him went out to see what it was They return'd in a very short space and enquir'd about the Water But Brutus very calmly smiling said to Volumnius It is all drunk but you shall have some more fetch'd But he that had brought the first Water being sent again was in great danger of being taken by the Enemy but having receiv'd a Wound with much difficulty escaped Now Brutus guessing that not many of his Men were slain in the Fight Statilius undertook to pass through the Enemy for there was no other way and to see what was become of their Camp and promis'd that if he found all things there safe to hold up a Torch for a Signal and then return The Torch was held up for Statilius got safe to the Camp but he after a long time not returning Brutus said If Statilius be alive he will come back But it happen'd that in his return he fell into the Enemies hands and was slain The Night now being far spent Brutus as he was sitting lean'd his Head towards his Servant Clitus and spoke to him he answer'd him not but fell a weeping After that he drew aside his Armour-bearer Dardanus and had some Discourse with him in private At last speaking to Volumnius in Greek he conjur'd him by their common Studies and former Conversation that he would take hold of his Sword with him and help him to thrust it through him Volumnius refus'd it and several others did the like and one of them saying that there was no staying there but they needs must fly Brutus rising up said Yes indeed we must fly but not with our Feet but with our Hands Then taking each of them by the Hand with a chearful Countenance he said That he found an infinite Satisfaction in this That none of his Friends had been false to him That as for Fortune he was angry with That only for his Countries sake As for himself he thought he was much more happy than they who had overcome not only in regard of what was past but even in his present Condition since he was now leaving behind him such a Reputation of his Vertue as none of the Conquerours with all their Arms and Riches should ever be able to acquire no more than they could hinder Posterity from believing and saying That being unjust and wicked Men they had destroy'd the Just and the Good and Vsurp'd an Empire to which they had no Right After this having exhorted and beseech'd all about him to provide for their own safety he withdrew from them with two or three only of his peculiar Friends Strato was one of these with whom he had contracted an Acquaintance when they both study'd Rhetorick together Him he plac'd next to himself and taking hold of the Hilt of his Sword and directing it with both his hands he fell upon it and kill'd himself But others say that not he himself but Strato at the earnest entreaty of Brutus turning aside his Head held the Sword upon which he violently throwing himself it pierc'd his Breast and he immediately dyed This same Strato Messala a Friend of Brutus being after reconcil'd to Caesar brought to him once at his leisure and with Tears in his Eyes said This O Caesar is the Man that did the last Friendly Office to my beloved Brutus Upon which Caesar received him kindly and had good use of his Service among the rest of
within his private Station and offering besides great treasure the freedom of the City where he might repose the rest of his days in pleasure and security This at first was answered only in raillery but being heated they fell to downright railing and libelling 'T was idle and ridiculous though not without ground to object those faults from which neither could be excused For which of these two exceeded in rioting and wantonness which of them had least experience in Arms or which of them before they usurped had been most oppressed with Poverty and Debt was a question not easie to determine Of the Prodigies and Apparitions that went about at this time some were vouched only by report But these were generally taken notice of how the Statue of Victory Triumphant in the Capitol had let loose the reins of her Chariot as unable to hold them And how that other of Caius Caesar in the Island of Tiber without either Earthquake or Whirlwind turned it self from West to East which by conjecture fell out near the time when Vespasian publickly took upon him the Government But none of these presages moved the multitude like the accident of Tyber It was indeed the season when Rivers use to be full but now it so swelled above its Banks and made such desolation over-flowing and covering great part of the City especially about the Corn-Market that it occasion'd a sore dearth for many days When it became known that Vitellius his Captains Caecinna and Valens had possess'd themselves of the Alpes Dolabella a Patrician then in Rome was suspected by the guard of attempting some innovations therefore whether fearing him or any other Otho sent him with assurance of his favour to the City of Aquiâ—um Among the Magistrates which were chosen to attend him in his journey he pitched upon Lucius the Brother of Vitellius whom he confirmed altogether in his former Station And took exceeding care of Vitellius's Mother and Wife that they might not apprehend any danger from him Rome he left in the hands of Flavius Sabinus Brother to Vespasian either out of Honour to Nero by whom he had been placed in that Command and outed by Galba or by Sabinus's advancement to evidence his esteem and reliance on Vespasian Otho himself staid at Brixillum a City on the River Po but he sent out the Army under the Conduct of Marcus Celsus Suetonius Paulinus Gallus and Spurina Men of Conduct and Valour but they had no Forces to put their own Counsels in Action because of the disorders and insolency of the Souldiers who owning no other Captain than Caesar thought it beneath their quality to be commanded by any but himself Neither were the Enemies Troops much better disciplined or more tractable to their Officers but heady and proud upon the same account Only they were well train'd and accustomed to labour which they could away with But these Praetorians were grown perfectly effeminate by Idleness and want of exercise having spent most of their time in Sights Entertainments and Plays And yet they were so puffed up with conceit and arrogance that they challenged their Reward as the best when their Service was of the worst Spurina once would have forced them upon Duty but it brought his person in danger and had almost cost him his Life Besides they spared for no sort of outrage and ill language calling him Traitor and charging him with ill Conduct to the ruine of Caesar and his Affairs some of them moreover in a Debauch press'd into his Tent demanding a Pass while they went to make complaint against him to the Emperour But the Reproaches of the Vitellians at Placentia did not a little help the Cause and Spurina too for the present For they marching strait up to the works upbraided Otho's Men upon the Walls terming them expert Actors Dancers and Spectators of harmless Exercises but strangers to martial Discipline and the Art of War Men that valued themselves for beheading a naked gray-Beard meaning Galba but had not the Heart to enter the open Field with Men at Arms Which Scoffs so nettled and heated them that falling down at Spurina's feet they besought him to make use of them and command them that would stick at no pains or peril So when the Walls were assaulted very strongly and many Engines of Battery were brought up Spurina's men got the day and having beat off the Enemy with great slaughter preserved one of the most flourishing and renowned Cities in Italy As to all other points Otho's Commanders were much less burdensome both to Cities and private Men than those of Vitellius of whom Caecinna was no ways acceptable in speech or behaviour but uncouth and disagreeable of a monstrous bigness dress'd after the Gallick mode in Doublet and Breeches and after that fashion he convers'd with the Roman Officers His Lady too in a magnificent Equipage follow'd the Camp on horseback with a choice Guard of Cavaliers As to Fabius Valens the other General neither the Enemies Spoil nor Countries Plunder nor the Confederates Contribution were able to satisfie his Avarice Yet for the Collection hereof he was by some concluded so to slacken his March that he could not come up at the former skirmish while others blame Caecinna of charging too soon that he might have the honour of the day to himself and whereas before he had given distaste by some miscarriages now by joyning Battel with so little Conduct and Courage he had almost ruin'd his Party Caecinna after this repulse from Placentia carried the Siege to Cremona another flourishing and large City while Annius Gallus in his March to relieve Spurina in Placentia meeting upon the way with intelligence both of that Action and the distress of Cremona wheel'd about and pitch'd down close by the Enemy and after that every one came into aid the General But when Caecinna had laid a strong party in wait among certain uneven Coverts ordering the Horse to advance and after the first Charge to make a slow Retreat till they might draw the Enemy within the Ambuscade certain Deserters discover'd it to Celsus who charging them briskly and pursuing them warily came upon the Ambuscade which he surrounded and broke in pieces sending away for the Infantry out of the Camp Which if it had arrived in time to second the Horse it is more than probable that the Enemies could not have saved a man of Caecinna's whole Army from being cut off or trodden under foot But Paulinus coming up late and slowly with his Succours was not undeservedly taxed of too much circumspection for one of his Character The common Souldiers openly accused him of absolute Treason exasperating Otho against him and boasting that the Enemy was defeated but if the Victory was not entire he might thank his Captains Otho though he gave Credit to these Suggestions yet would not seem to distrust his Commanders therefore he sent to the Army his Brother Titianus as General with Proculus Captain of the Guard who indeed had
defeat the Roman Army nor in no wise break the order of their Battel and that withal they had been so often worsted began to treat the forragers with a great deal of humanity they came up to them in all appearance of friendship with their Bows unbended telling them that they were going home to their houses that they had quite given o'er the pursuit and that only some Median troops would follow them for two or three days not with any design to annoy them but only for the defence of some scattering Villages and saying this they saluted them and embraced them with a great shew of friendship Antony who had all along a great desire to march through the flat Country hearing these discourses was almost resolv'd to march the open way and so much the more in regard that no water was to be hoped for in those Mountains But while he was deliberating Mithridates arriv'd in the Camp he was first cousin to Moneses of whom we related that he came for refuge into the Roman Army and receiv'd in gift from Antony three Cities Upon his arrival he desired some body might be brought to him that could speak Syriack or the Parthian Tongue One Alexander of Antioch a friend of Antony's was brought to him to whom the stranger declar'd that he was sent to Antony from Moneses in acknowledgment of the favours and honours he had received from him and to make him a return if it were possible he asked Alexander if he saw those high Hills pointing at some distance He told him yes 'T is there said he the whole Parthian Army attend your passage the great Plains behind those Hills will be very advantageous to you in your march and therefore there they do expect you in ambush being perswaded you will confide in their promises and leave the way of the Mountains 't is true that in passing o'er the Mountains you will suffer the usual inconveniences for want of water and the fatigue will be somewhat the greater but if you pass through the plains Antony must in all appearance run the fortune of Crassus This said he departed Antony calling his friends in Council sent for the Mardian guide who was of the same opinion He told them that the way through the plain was a great way about and very difficult to find that the other indeed was rough but then it was but for a day Changing therefore his mind he march'd away that night and commanded that every one should carry water sufficient for his own use but most of them being unprovided of vessels they made shift with their helmets those that had bottles fill'd them for their own use The Parthians were no sooner acquainted that the Romans were on their march but they followed them contrary to their custom the same night and by break of day they fell in with the rear which was quite tired with marching and want of sleep that they were not in condition of making any considerable defence for they had march'd fifteen leagues that night and at the end of their journey found the enemy at their heels which put them out of all patience besides being to fight for every step of the way they made in their retreat their thirst was increased beyond all sufferance Those that were in the front of the Army were come up to a River the water of which was extremely cool and clear but brackish and medicinal and being drank caused an unquenchionable thirst and acute pains in the Bowels of this the Mardian had forewarn'd them but their thirst was so great that beating back them that oppos'd them they drank largely of it Antony ran from one place to another begging they would have a little patience that not far off there was a River of wholesom water and that the rest of the way was so difficult for the Horse that the Enemy could pursue them no further and saying this he order'd to sound a retreat to call them back that were engaged and commanded the Tents should be set up that the Soldiers might refresh themselves in the shade but the Tents were scarce well put up and the Parthians retired according to their custom when Mithridates came again to them and inform'd the Interpreter with whom he had before spoken that he should do well to advise Antony to stay where he was no longer than needs he must that after having refresh'd his Troops he would endeavour with all diligence to gain the next River that the Parthians would pursue them no further but so far they were resolv'd to follow them Alexander who was the Interpreter made his report to Antony who order'd a good quantity of Gold Plate to be presented to Mithridates who taking as much as he could well hide under his Gown went his way Upon this advice Antony decamp'd while it was yet day and the whole Army march'd without receiving any molestation from the Parthians but they themselves were the cause that that night was the most terrible of any they had yet past for some of the Army had robb'd and kill'd such as they suspected to have any Money ransack'd the Baggage and seiz'd on the Money which was to pay the Army in the end they laid hands on Antony's own equipage broke all his inlaid Tables and Cups of precious Stones dividing the fragments amongst them Antony hearing so great a confusion could not imagine any thing less than that the Enemy falling upon his Troops had utterly routed them upon which he sent for one of his 〈…〉 ards called Rhamnus to whom he had formerly given his liberty and made him swear that whensoever he should give him orders he should run his Sword through his body and cut off his head that he might not fall alive into the hands of the Parthians nor dead be known to be their General While he was in this consternation and all his friends about him in tears the Mardian came into the Tent and gave them all new Life he did convince them that by the coolness of the Air and the fresh gales that blew so temperately the River which he spoke of could not be far off and consequently the difficulties of their retreat and the danger of the Enemies pursuit were now at an end the which he was the more assured of because they had marched a great while and the night almost spent he was inform'd at the same time that the great confusion which was in the Camp did proceed from the avarice of some few Soldiers that were pillaging one another In order to compose this unruly tumult he made a halt and commanded the Signal to be given for incamping the day began to break before the tumult was well appeas'd and the Parthians bore hard upon the Rear with their Arrows the light arm'd Troops were order'd to make head against them and being seconded by the Legions who covered one another with their Shields they bravely receiv'd the onset of the Enemy who did not think convenient to