league with Agathocles by his ambassadoures and bad conditioned with him that when the Carthaginenses were ones ouercome Agathocles should take thempire of Sicil and he thempire of Affrick Therfore when Tphel las was come with a great host to aid him in the warres Agathocles entertaining him with fair words and counterfet curtesy very lowly and humbly because Ophellas had adopted him his sonne after they had manye times often dined and supped together he slewe him vnwares and entring vpon his armye in an other sore encounter vanquished the Carthaginenses nowe comminge to the fielde withal the power and furniture they were hable to make not without great slaughter and bludshed on both partes Through the discomfiture of this ouerthrow the Carthaginenses wer brought to such an after deale that if there had not risen a mutiny in Agathocles camp Bomilcar the captaine of the Carthaginenses had wyth hys army reuolted vnto him For the whiche offence the Carthagi nailed him vpon a crosse in the mids of the market place to th entent that the same place might be a monument and remembraÌ„ce of his punishment whiche had befâ—…re times bene an aduauncement of his honor But Bomilcar toke very stoutlye the cruelty of his country in so muche that from the toppe of the crosse as if it had beene from the iudgement seate he preched against the wickednesse of his citizens obiectynge to them somtime their vnrightfull entrapping of Hanno vpon malice and enuy falsely surmising that he went about to make himself king someitme the banishment of innocent Gysgo without cause why sometime theyr seacrete verdits against his vncle Hamilcar because he sought to make Agathocles their frende rather then theyr enemy WheÌ„ he had vttred these things with a loud voyce in a great audiens of people he gaue vp the ghost In the meane season Agathocles hauing put his enemies to the worse in Affricke deliuering the charge of his host to his sonne Archagathus returned himself with spede into Sicill thincking that all that euer he had doone in Aâ—…ricke was to no purpose if Syracuse were still beâ—…ieged For after that Hamilcar the sonne of Gâ—…go was slayne the Carthaginenses sent thither a new hoste of men Therfore assoone as Agathocles was come into Sicil all the cities hearing of his doings in Affâ—…icke yelded them selues to him who mighte yelde fasâ—…est by meanes wherof haâ—…ing driuen the Carthaginenses out of Sicill he toke vppon him as kingdome of all the whole Ilande When he came into Affrick again his souldiours welcomed him with a mutiny For his sonne had delayed y â— paiment of their wages vntill the comming of his father Wherfore he called them before him and entreted them with gentle words saying they ought not to demauÌ„d wa ges at his hand but to seke it at their ennemies hand for as the victory shuld extend to thâ—…m al so the pray shuld be common to them all in likewise Desiringe them to playe the men and take pain a litle while vntil the remnant of the warres wer dispatched considering they knew wel â—…nough y â— if Carthage were ones taken it were able to satisfy al their desires w t more then they could â—…ope for Ha uing thus appeased the vprour in his caÌ„pe within a fewe daies after he led his army to the camp of his ennemies There by setting vpon them vnaduisedly be lost the grea ter part of his army Being therfore retired into his caÌ„pe when he perceiued howe his souâ—…diers grudged maligued at him for aduenturing so rashly vâ—…aduisedlye fearing moreouer thold displesure for nonpaimeÌ„t oâ—… their wa ges â–ª in the dead of the night he fled out of the campe taking no mo with him but onlye his sonne Archagathus The which thing wheÌ„ his souldiers vnderstode they qua ked for fear as if they had bene taken prisoners by theyr enemies crying out that their king had now twise forsaken theÌ„ in the mids of their enemies and that he had left theÌ„ in danger of their liues whome he ought not to haue left vnburied As they would haue pursued the king they wer stopped by the Minidians and so returned into their caÌ„pâ—… hauing taken archagathus who had lost hys father by reason of the darknesse of the night agathocles in the same ships that he came in out of Sicil with suche as he had left in them to kepe them was transported vnto Syracuse a singuler example of wickednesse a kyng to be a forsaker of his own army and a father to be a betrayer of his own children In the meane time in affrike after the flying away of the king his souldiours falling to composition with their ennemies slue agathocles sonnes yelded theÌ„ selues to the Carthaginenses archagathus when he shuld be put to deth by arcesâ—…laus one that before time had bene his fathers frend asked him what he thought agathocles woulde doo to his children by whome he was made childelesse Then he answered it was inoughâ—… for him that he knewe they were a liue after the children of agathocles after this the Carthaginenies sent captains into Sicil to pursue the remnaunt of the war with whoÌ„e agathocles made peace vpon indifferent articles ¶ The. xxiii Booke AGathocles king of Sicil hauynge made peace with the Carthaginienses subdued certaine of the Cities whiche vppon truste of theyr owne strengthe rebelled agaynste him Here vpon as thoughe he had bene enclosed in a straight wythin the Ilande of the Empire where of at the first beginning he looked not for any part at all he passed in to Italye following the ensample of Dennis which subdued manye cities of Italy The first therfore whome he proclaimed his enemies were the Brutians whiche seemed to be bothe of mooste puissaunce and of most wealth and also rediest to do their neyghboures wrong For they had erpulsed many cities of the Greke discent out of Italye Furthermore they hadde also vâ—…nquished theâ—…r owne founders the Lucanes and made peace with them vppon equall conditions So cruell harted were they that they spared not euen theyr owne fyrste founders The Lucranes did bring vp theyr children after the same maneâ—… that the Lacedemonians are wont to doo For from the verye fyrst time they began to grow past childreÌ„ they wer kept in the country among shepherdes and grasiers wythout attendans or seruice without garmentes to put on theyr backes or bed to lie vpon to th entent y t from their tender yeres they might enure theÌ„ selues without help of y e city to away with hardnesse and sparinge Their meate was such as they could get by huntinge theyr drynke was eyther methe milcke or elsse faire water of the sprynge so were they hardened to endure the paynes of warrefare of this sort of people fifty at the first being wont to steal cattel out of their neighboures grounde and afterwarde growing to a greater noumber by the resort of such persons as were allured
great prowesse and redoubted for theyr chyualrye throughe e◅eminate cowardnesse and ryot lost all theyr puyssaunce and strength and they whyche before Cyrus time cculde by no warres be vanquyshed nowe fallynge to all kynd of ryot excesse are ouercome with slouth ydlenesse There were before Cresus manye kynges in Lydia for diuers chaunces worthye to be spoken of but none had lyke fortune as had Candaules who hauyng a wife whō for her excellent beau tie he loued out of all measure not contēt with the secrete knowledge of hys pleasures praysed her to euery body and bewraied the priui ies of wedlock as though that silēce had bene an hinderance to her beautie at the last to make good his wordes he shewed her naked to his companion Gyges By the which dede on the one side he so entyced and allured his frende to committe aduoutrie with his wife that he made him his enemie and on thother side he withdrew his wiues loue from him selfe as ye would saye surrendred it to another man For ere it was long after Gyges slewe Candaules maried his mistres for his labour The wife beyng endowed with the bloud of her husbande yelded bothe her selfe and the kingdome into his handes that committed aououtry with her When Cyrus had conquered Asye and pacified the whole East he made warre agaynst the Scithions The same time reigned ouer the Scithians Queene Thomyris who not abashed like a woman at the commynge of her enemy whereas she might haue stopped their passage ouer the riuer Araxes suffred thē to come ouer thinkings that she should fight more to her owne aduauntage within her owne countrey that her enemies should the hardlyer escape if they were put to the worse bicause of the riuer be twene them and home Cyrus therfore hauing ferried ouer his carmy when he had gone a litle way into Scithia pitched his campe the next day counterfetting a feare as though he would haue retyred back againe forsooke his campe the which he left sufficiently furnished with plenty of wine all kinde of delicate viandes meete for feastynge whyche thyng being declared to the Queen she sent her yong sonne with the thyrd parte of her hoste to folowe after Cyrus When they were come to Cyrus campe the yong man being ignoraunt in feates of warre as though he had come to banquet and not to battell leauyng the pursuyte of his enemies suffered his barbarous countreymen to ouercharge them selues with wine by meanes whereof they were so drunken that they could not fyght Cyrus hauinge knoweledge thereof by his espyalles retourned secretelye in the nyght and fallyng vpon them vnwares slewe all the Scithians and the Queenes sonne among them Thomiris hauing lost so great an army that which shuld haue greued the worse her onely sonne fell not a wepynge for sorrowe but deuised with her selfe howe she myghte he reuenged and wyth like pollicie and deceypte begyled her enemies now beyng in their chiefe ruffe for theyr now got thenvictory Wherupon feyning a mistruse for the slaughter in the laste ouerthrowe she gaue backe so longe till she had brought Cyrus into a strait and there enuironing hym with a bushement of souldiers layd before in the mountaynes for the same purpose she slewe 200000 Persians and y ◠kyng him selfe In the which conflycte this thing is worthy to be noted that there was not so muche as one man left to beare home tidinges of so great a slaughter The Queene commaūded the head of Cyrus to be cut of and throwen in to a boll of mannes bloud castyng him in the teeth in thys wyse with hys crueltye Nowe fyll thy selfe with bloud which thou hast euer thyrsted Cyrus reigned thirty yeres being maruaylous notable not only in the beginning of his reygne but also during all the continuaunce of the same After him succeded Cambisis which to his fathers empire by conquest annexed Egipte But being offended with the suspersticion of the Egiptians he commaunded the Temples of Apis and other their Goddes to be beaten downe Furthermore also he sent an army to destroy the renowmed Temple of Ammon which being ouerwhelmed with tempestes and heapes of sand was vtterly destroyed These thynges beynge done he dreamed that hys brother Smerdis shuld reygne after him the whiche dreame made him so afrayed that he sticked not after sacrilege to commit most vnnaturall murder in killing his owne brother For it was a hard an vnlikely matter that he should take any pitie vpon his owne which in spight of religion did violētly set vpon the Goddes As an instrument to bring this cruell act to passe he chose a frend of his one of the Magiās called Comaris In the meane while he him selfe beyng sore woū ded in the thygh with his sworde fallyng out of the sheathe by it selfe dyed and so suffered worthye punyshemente whether it were for the murther commaunded or for the sacrylege already committed When tidynges here of came to the wyso man or ener it was openlye knowen that the kynge was dead he dispatched his purpose and hauynge slayne Smerdis which by ryght shuld haue bene kynge set vp his owne brother Oropastes in his steade For he was very lyke the kynges brother in makyng and fauour By reason whereof uo man misdeemynge any suche treason to be wrought in steade of Smerdis Oropastes was made king The which thing was the easier to be brought to passe and to be kept from knowledge bycause that amonge the Persians for the more honoure and reuerence of his person the kyng showeth not him felfe bare faced The wyse men therfore thereby to winne the fauour of the comminaltye released vnto them three yeares tribute exempted them frō the warres during all the said terme to thentente they myght establyshe by briberye and flatterye the kyngdome that they had gotten by treason and pollicye The whyche thyng was fyrst suspected by one Orthanes a noble man one that had a great foresight in coniecturyng Therfore he sent to his doughter whyche was one of the kynges concubynes to knowe yf he that was kyng were kynga Cyrus sonne or no She sent hiw word that she her selfe could not tell nor yet learne the truthe at onye of her followes han des bycause euery one of them were kepte alone in a house by them selues Then he sente her worde agayne that she should fele about his head when he were a slepe For Cambyses had cut of both the wyse mans cares before Her father beyng certified that the kyng had no eares bewrayed the matter to the noble men of the realm◅ and compelled them to bynde theym selues with an oth◅ that they should confound the wrongful kyng There were no mo but seuen priuye to this conspiracye the whych incontinentlye leaste yf they had time and space to bethynke theym the matter myght be by some of the companye bewrayed with
ended whiche waye so euer the gole went he should be compelled to haue warre with the conquerors Wherfore it wer good to suffer the Grekes to busy them selues in wasting their own country to the entent they haue no leisure to inuade forain countries To the performance wherof either parte oughte to be maintained in strength able to match his aduersari and the weaker to be aided with new succors For it was not to be thought that the Lacedemonians would be in rest if they might get the vpper hand considering they had professed and proclaimed them selues all redy the defenders of the liberty of Grece This Oration liked Tissaphemes very well whervppon he allowed them not so liberall expenses neither sent he forth all the kings flete least he shuld either geue them the victorye oute of hande or elsse constraine them to breake vp the warres In the meane season Alcibiades did thus muche for his country men that when the Atheniens sente their ambassadors vnto him he promised to get them the kinges fauor if so be it that the administration of the common welth wer remoued from the people and put into the senatours handes Hopinge there by that if the Citye agreed well he shoulde be chosen captaine of the warre by their common assent or els if there arose any variaunce betwene the two estates he shoulde be called to the ayd of the one part But the Atheniens seinge the daunger of the warre that they were wrapped in had more respect of their safegarde then of their honoure Therfore with the good wil of the people the gouernance of the common wealth was put into the hands of the senators The which because that through a certain pride natu rallye engraffed in that estate they dealed with the people â—…om what cruelly euery man taking vpon him to be a lord the souldioures called home the banished alcibiades made him admirall of the Sea Whervppon immediatly he sent woord to Athens that he woulde incontinently come thither with an host of menne and take the gouernment out of the CCCC Senatoures handes whether they woulde or no onlesse they surrendred it vp of their owne accorde before he came The greate menne of the City being sore froâ—…hled with this message first attempted to betraye the Towne to the Lacedemonians whiche thing being not able to bringe to passe they willinglye forsoke their Countrye and became as banished men alcibiades therfore hauinge deliuered hys countrye from inwarde sedition furnished his ships wyth all diligence possible and so proceded into warfare against the Lacedemonians Nowe Mindarus and 〈◊〉 the Captaines of the Lacedemonians with their shippes furnished likewise awaited his comminge The battell being soughte the victorye fell to the Atheniens In thys conflicte the greater parte of the armye and almooste all the captains of their enemies wer slain and lxxx shippes takeÌ„ Within a fewe daies after the Lacedemonians remouing from the Sea vnto the lande were eftsones in another encounter put to the worse The which discomfiture beynge greatly afflicted and discouraged they sued for peace The which was letted to be graunted through their mean es had aduaÌ„tage and gain by the warres In the mean season the Carthaginenses made war in Sicil by reason wherof the Siracusanes wer fain to call home their succors to defeÌ„d their own The LacedemoniaÌ„s being therby destitute of al aid comforte Alcibiades with his victorious nauye wasted and spoiled the coaste of Asia foughte battels in diuers places and euery wher getting the victorye recouered the Cityes whiche were tourned from the Atheniens and diuers he won of newe and subdued them to the dominion of the Atheniens also And so hauinge recouered his auncient renowne and honor in battel on the sea with thencrese and augmentation therof by his conquestes on the land he returned to Athens to the great reioycement of all his Citezens In all these battels were taken of their enemies two C. shippes and a great pray To beholde this triumphante retourne of the army all the people came out of the Citye by heapes praising highlye all the souldioures but in espetially wondring at Alcibiades On him all the City gased on him they earnestlye fastned their eies as thoughe they could neuer haue seene inough of him him they behelde as one sent from heauen and as it wer the victory it self they praised his noble actes done for his countrye no lesse extolling the thinges which he did against the same in the time of his banishment makinge his excuse them selues as that he did them in his anger and prouoked there vnto It is a meruelous thing to see that there should be in one manne suche power and valure as to be the onlye cause of the ouerthrowe of so mighty a kingdome and of the settinge vp of the same againe victory euer folowing that side that he tooke and that fortune should so wonderfully alwaies encline that way that he went Wherfore they honored hym not as a man but as a God they striued with them selues whether they had banished him more spitefullye or called him home again more honourablye They broughte theyr Goddes with them for ioy to welcom him home by which not long before they had accursed hym And whome of late they had forbidden all mannes help now and if they could they would haue set him in heauen Recompensing the despite with honour his harmes and losses with giftes and rewardes and his curses with blessings There was no wordes among them of the battels that he loste in Sicil but of the victories that he woâ—…e in Grece There was no speaking of the shippes that he hadde lost but of the shippes that he had taken The Syracusanes were forgotten and there was no talke but of his conquestes in Ionia and Hellespont Thus was Alcibiades neuer meanely hated nor meanely honoured and exalted of his country men While theese thinges were a doing amonge the Lacedemonians Lysander was made Captaine generall of the warres bothe by sea and by land and in steade of Tissaphernes Darius kinge of Persians hadde made his sonne Cyrus lieuetenant of Ionia and Lydia who aided the Lacedemonians in such wise both with men and mony that they doub ted not to recouer their former estate Beinge therfore thus encreased in strength and hearing that Alcibiades was gon into Asia with a nauye of a C. shippes whiles he was there wasting and spoiling the country which was grown riche by reason there had bene no warre of a long time be fore and toke no hede to his souldioures but suffred them for couetousnesse of booties to disperse them selues where they lifted as thoughe there had bene no treason to be feared they sodenlye came vppon them and assailed them ere they could gather them selues together And they made suche a slaughter amonge them as they were skatred that the Atheniens toke more losse and hurt in that one battel then they had done to their ennemies in all the
battels before wherwith they were brought to luche a dèspaire that forthwith they put away alcibiades chose conon to be theyr captain in his stead Thincking them selues to haue beene vanquished not by the chaunce of warres but through the treson of their captaine whiche more regarded the old displesure then the benefits newly bestowed vpon him And that he had vanquished his ennemies in the former battels for ndne other purpose but only to shewe vnto them what a captain they had despised and to th entent to sel them the victory the derer And to say the truthe alcibiades had so suttle a hed was therwith so muche geuen to vice and lasciuious liuing that it was like inough he wold worke such a thing Fering therfore the displesure of the people in their rage of his own wil he banished him self againe Then Conon beinge put in the roume of Alcibsades hauinge before his eies what a captaine he had sucâ—…eded furnished his nauy with all diligence and circumspectinesse tha tmyght be But there wanted men to furnish the shippes for the â—…ou test and strongest souldiours wer lost in the forraginge of Asia Yet notwithstanding old menne and berdlesse boyes wer armed and so filled vp the nomber of souldiers without any strength of the host Yet for al that they letted not to encounter with their enemies by whom like weak and vnable soldiers they were euerye where beaten downe or els taken running away And there was suche a destruction what of them that were slaine and what of them that were taken that not only the Empire but euen the verye name of the Atheniens semed to be vtterly extinct By the which battel they wer brought to so low an ebbe and lefte so bare by reson all their warlike men wer consumed and spent that they were driuen folet their city to straungers to set their slaues bondmen fre and to geue pardoÌ„ to such as were condempned to die And with this rout of raskals wherof their army was compact they which lately before wer lords of al Grece were now skarse able to maintaine their owne libertye Neuerthelesse they determined yet once again to try their fortune vpon the sea So stout were their stomakes so coragious wer their harts that wheras a litle before they wer in despair of their own safegard they were now in good hope to get the victorâ—…e But these were not the souldioures that were able to vphold the honor of Athens nether was that the power wherwith they wer wont to geue their ennemies the ouerthrow neyther was there suche knowledge of feats of armes in those that had bene kepte in prison and not in the campe Therefore they were all either slaine or taken prisoners The captain Conon which eskaped alone froÌ„ the battel fering the cruelty of his country men toke viii ships and sailed to Euâ—…goras king of cyprus But the captaine of the Lacedemonians hauing atcheued al thinges prosperously and according to his own desire proudly reioysig at thaduersity of his enemies sent the ships that he had taken withall the boty gotten in the warres decked garnished in maner of a triumph vnto Lacedemon receiued by composition all the cities that wer tributary to the Atheniens which as yet continued in their due obedieÌ„ce because they knew not to what end the war wold come leuing nothing vnder the dominion of the Atheniens sauing only the bare city Of al the which mise ries wheÌ„ tidings came to Athens all the people forsakyng their houses ran vp and down the city amased one askyng an other what tidings seking for him that brought vp first the newes not the children their waÌ„t of discretion not the old men want of strength not the women the weaknesse delibity of nature could kepe at home so sore did the feling of that misfortune perce vnto alages They met together in the market sted and ther al night long lameÌ„ted and bewailed their coÌ„mon misfortune some made mone for theyr brothers some for their sonnes some for their fathers som for their kinsfolk other some for their frends which wer derer to them then their kinsfolk and amoÌ„g theyr priuate mischances was alwaies repeated the coÌ„mon misfortune loking for none other but present vtter destruction both to them selues to their country esteming them that were aliue to be in worse case then them that were deade Eche person setting before their eies besiegement hunger and the arrogant enemy hauing them in his haÌ„d to worke hys plesure vpon theÌ„ And therwith cam to their remeÌ„braÌ„s the ouerthrow burninge of their city the captiuitye of them selues the most miserable seruitude boÌ„dage which they were all like to be brought vnto Thincking the first ouerthrow of the city by the Per. to be couÌ„ted hapy in coÌ„parisoÌ„ in the which their wiues childreÌ„ pareÌ„ts kinsfolk remaining in safegard they lost nothiÌ„g but their houses wheras now they had no ships left whervnto thei might fly for suâ—… had no army of souldiours through whose help they might be defended til they were able to builde a fairer Citye And as they werthus bewailing their misfortune and misery their enemies coÌ„ming vpoÌ„ them enuironed the town with a strong siege and constrained them greatly with huÌ„ ger For it was wel knowen that there were not many of the soldioures left aliue within the towne and they wer so straightly loked to that no new succors could be broughte in By which mischeues the Atheniens being brought low after long famin and daily pestilence desired peace There was longe debatinge betwene the Lacedemonians their adherentes whether it was to be graunted or no. When many gaue counsel vtterly to rote out the name of the Atheniens to put the city to the fire the Spartanes sayde they would not in any wise condiscend that if the two eyes of Grece the one shoulde be put out And so they graunted theÌ„ peace vpon condition they should cast down the armes of the walles that stretched toward the hauen of Pyreum de liuer vp all their ships that were left and receiue at theyr hand xxx rulers to gouern their coÌ„mon welth Upon these articles the city was yelded to the Lacedemonians who coÌ„ mitted thordering therof to the discretion of theyr captaine Lysander This yeare was worthy to be noted bothe for the winning of Athens for the deth of Darius king of Persia also for the banishment of Dyonise tiraunt of Sicil. The estate of Athens being thus altered the estate of the people was altered also The xxx rulers of the common welth fel to tiranny For at their firste comminge they chose them a gard of thre M. men wheras in al the city remained skarse as manye moo they were so wasted and consumed by the warres afore And yet not so content as though this bande were to weake to keepe the Citye in awe they borowed DCC souldiours of
of his prisoners 3000. talents Here vnto Alexander made answer that thank at his enemies hād was more then neded and y ◠he had not done any thing to flatter him withall nor for y ◠he sought a defens against thuncertain end of war or for articles of peace but of his own noble hart whiche taught him to contend with the power of his enemies and not with their calamities promising to perform all Darius request if he wold take himselfe as next vnto him and not as his coequal for like as the world could not be ruled if there wsr ii sonnes so the world cannot without preiudice be go uerned by ii souerain kings therfore either yeld hym selfe the same day or els prepare him self to battel the next day and flater not himself with hope of any other victory thē he had tried alredy The next day they brought their men into the field Sodenly before the battel Alexander being he ◅y with cares fel a slepe Al his men being in a redinesse to geue the charge vpon their enemies the king was missing Who being with much a do waked by Parmenio beyng asked how it chanced y ◠he slept so soundly in so dangerus a time seing he was wōt to sleepe but litle euen whē he was most at his harts ease said he was deliuered of a great fear and y ◠he slept vpon a sodain quietnes that came vpon him because he should encoūter withal the whole power of Da rius together for he was afraid leasts the war should haue ben prolonged if the Persians had deuided their hoste Before the battel eche armye stode in the sighte of other The Macedones wōdred to so the great nōber of their enemies their goodly personages their rich costli armor On the other side the Persians wer amased to thinke how so fewe shuld ouercome so many thousandes as they had The captaines went busely about to viewe their bandes and see euery man kepe good order Darius told his souldiers that if they were deuided they wer mo then ten to one of theyr ennemies Alexander willed the Macedones not to be abashed at the multitude of their ennemies at the hugenesse of their bodies nor at the straungenesse of theyr couloure onlye he wolde haue them to remember that this was the iii time they foughte with them and that they shoulde not think them to be become better men by reson of runnyng away cōsidering they shuld bring into the battel with the ◅o sorowful a remembrans of their own discomfitures and of so muche bloudshed as they had gon away with in the ii former conflicts And as Darius had the greater nomber of men so had he himself the greater strength Wherfore he exhorted them to despise that host y ◠glistered so with golde and siluer in the which there was more gaine to be gotten then danger seing that victory is not gotten by y ◠glistering of habilments but by the sharpnesse of wepons After thys cōmunication the onset was geuen The Macedones layd about them with their wepons as in disdain of their ennemy whom they had vanquished so often before On the cōtrarye parte the Persians chose rather to die then to be ouercome Which caused so much bludshed as hath not light ly bene sene in any battel Darius when he saw his mē put to the worse would gladly haue died in the fielde but that suche as were about him compelled him to flie whether he would or no. Afterwarde when some gaue him counsell to breake the brydge ouer the riuer Cydnus to the entent to stop his enemies from pursuing him any further he sayde he set not so much by him self that for the sauegard of him self alone he wold cast so many of his companye into theyr enemies hands and therfore it shuld be away for other to eskape as wel as it had beene for him selfe Alexander enterprised such thinges as were most daungerous where he saw his enemies thickest and fighting sharpest thither would he euer thrust himself in among them to break the prease desirous alwaies to take such things as were most dangerous to himself and not to leaue thē to his souldiers By this battel he toke away thempire of all Asia the fifth yere after he began to raign Whose felicity was so great that no man hereafter durst rebel and the Persians them selues after so many yeres continuance of their monarchie paciently receiued the yoke of bondage When he had rewarded and refreshed his souldiers he did nothing xl dais after but take a vew of the spoil of his ennemy He founde xl M. talents locked vp in the city Also he wan Persepolis the hed city of the kingdome of Persia a city that had continued famous and notable many yeres together and stuffed with the spoiles of y ◠who le world which was not sene before the taking therof While these thinges were a doing about viii C. Grekes came to Alexander whiche in the time of their captiuitye besides other greuous punishments had had certain of their limbes and members of their bodies cut of requestring him that as he had reuenged Grece so he would also reuenge them of the cruelty of their enemies and set them at liberty When he would haue geuen them licence to return home into their countries they chose rather to tary still and take certayne landes least they shuld not so much reioyce their frends as make them abhorre to loke vpon them In the meane season to win the conquerors fauor withall Darius own kinsmen bound him in fetters and chains of gold in a village of the Parthians called Tane I think it was euen the ordinaunce and disposition of God that the Monarche of the Persians should take his end in the lande of them that should succede in the Empire Alexander also the next morow folowing after vpon the spurre had intelligence that Darius was conueied out by night in a lyter whervpon commaunding the residue of his hoste to folow after with as much spede as they coulde conuenientlye he tooke vii M. of his horsmen and pursued him In his iourney he fought many daungerous battels and when he had ridden many a mile and could hear no inklinge of Darius as his horses were a baiting one of his souldioures goyng down to a watering therby founde Darius in a litter striken through with many woundes but as yet a liue Who callinge to him the Souldioure when he perceyued by hys speche that he was one of his owne countrye men he sayde it was a comfort to him being in the case that he was that he should speake to one that could vnderstand him and not vtter his last wordes in vaine He had him say vnto Alexāder in his name that he died a great dettor of his without any desert of his owne parte for as much as he had foūd him like a king and not like an enemy towards his wife and children
and that it was hys chaunce to be better entreated of his ennemy then of hys owne kin For wheras his enemy had geuen his wyfe and children life his kinsfolk to whome he had geuen both lyfe and kingdoms had vnnaturally bereft him of his life For the which his doinges he rendred him suche thankes as he himself hauing the victory listeth to accept This onlye one thing which lay in his power to do for him nowe lyinge at the poynt of death would he do for Alexander as inrecom pence of his good turnes that is to pray to the powers celestiall and the powers infernall and the Gods of kinges to geue him victory and dominion of the whole worlde As for himself he desired nothing but that it might be his plesure to graunte him buriall as of righte he oughte to haue without grudge And as touching the reuengement of hys death it was now no parte of his care but for exāples sake the common case of all kinges the whiche to neglecte as it should be dishonorable to him so might it turne to hys vtter perill For on the one part this case concerneth his Iustice and on the other it toucheth his owne vtility and profit In token wherof as an only pledge of the faith and honor of a king he gaue his right hand to cary vnto Alexander At those words he stretched out his hand and gaue vp the goste The which when Alexander hard of he came to see his body as he lay dead and he wept to beholde so worthye an estate come vnto so vnworthye a death Wherfore he caused his body to be entred with all solempnitye like a kinge and his reliques to be conueyed into the Sepulthres of his auncestoures The twelfthe Booke ALexander bestowed great cost in buryinge of his souldiours that were slaine in pursuing Darius to the residue of his companye he departed wyth xv M. talēts The greater part of his horses was foundred with heat and such as remained were able to do no seruice The whole summe of the mony gotten alate by this victory was a hundred and thre and fifty thousand talents wherof Parmcnio was made treasurer Whyle theese things wer a doinges letters were brought from Antipater out of Macedone the tenor wherof contained y ◠wartes of Agis king of the Spartans in Grece of Alexander king of Epire in Italy and of his lieuetenaunt Sopyron in Scithia The which made him somewhat to muse Neuerthelesse when he had wel disgested the natures of the ii kings his enuiers he was more glad of the losse of them then sorye for the losse of his armye and his captaine Sopiryon For after that Alexander had taken his iourney almoos◅e all Grece fell to rebellion in hope to recouer their liberty ensuinge the ensample of the Lacedemonians whyche alonelye forsooke the peace and despised the orders taken bothe by Phillip and Alexander Captaine and ringleader of thys Commotion was Agis kinge of the Lacedemonians The whiche tumulte Antipater suppressed with suche power as he had raised euen in the very risinge therof Yet notwithstandinge there was great slaughter on both partes King Agis when he saw his mē put to flight to the entent that all be it he coulde not haue as good fortune as Alexander he mighte not seeme inferioure to him in courage sent awaye his garde and him selfe alone made suche slaughter of his ennemies that sometime he put to flyghte whole bandes at ones At the laste althoughe he were oppressed by the multitude yet he wan the glory and renoun from them all Furthermore Alexāder king of Epyre being set into Italy for to aid the Tarentines against the Brutianes toke y ◠viage vppon him with so good a will as thoughe the whole worlde should haue beene deuided and that Alexander the sonne of his sister Olympias shoulde haue had the East for his part and himself the West entendinge to haue no lesse a doo in Italy Affrike and Sicil then the other shuld haue to do in Asia amonge the Persians And besides thys lyke as the Oracle at Delphos had prophesied vnto great Alexander that his destruction shuld be wrought in Macedone euen so the Oracle of Iupiter of Dodone had told this Alexander that the city Pandose and the riuer acheruse shoulde be his fatall end Nowe for as much as bothe of them were in Epyre not knowing that they were in Italy also to th entent to auoyd the daunger of his desteny he gladly enterprysed warre in a straunge land Therfore when he came into Italye the firste warre that he had was with the Appulians but when he vnderstode the destenies of their City he entred a leage and amity with their king For at that time the head City of Appulia was Brunduse the which was founded by the Aetolians vnder the conducte of Dyomedes that famous captaine for hys renowmed actes at the battell of Troye But being expulsed by thappulians they asked counsell of the Oracles Where answer was made that they shoulde possesse the place that they required for euer Here vppon they required thappulians by their ambassadors to render their Citye againe or elsse they threatned to make sharpe warre vpon them The Appulians hauynge knowledge of the answer of the Oracle slew the ambassadoures and bucied them in the Citye there to haue their dwellinge for euer and so hauing dispatched the meaninge of the Oracle they enioyed the City a great time The which dede when Alexander of Epyre knew of for reuerēce to the destinies of so long continuaunce he made no more warre to the Appulians Then made he warre with the Brutians and Lucanes won many cities of theirs Also he concluded a peace and frendship with the Metapontines Rutilians and Romains But the Brutians and Lucanes hauing gotten hope of their neighbors fiersly renewed the warres againe There the king neare vnto the citye Pandose and the riuer Acheruse was wounded to deathe not knowing the name of his fatall place besore he was slaine and when he should die he perceiued that in his own country was no nead for him to fear death for the whiche cause he had forsaken his countrye The Tyrians raunsomed his body at the charges of their city and buried it honorably While these things wer in doing in Italy Zopyrion also whome Alexander the great had lefte president of Pontus thinking himself dishonored if he laye still and attempted nothinge raised an army of xxx M. souldiers and made war to the Scythians Where being ◅aine wythal his hoste he suffred due punishment for making war so rashly againste an vnhurtfull kinde of people When tidinges of these thinges were brought vnto Alexander into Parthia he made himself very sory for the death of his cosen Alexāder and commaunded al his host to morne for him by the space of iii. daies After this as though the warre had ben ended in the death of Darius when all men loked to returne into their
countries all readye after a sort embrasinge in theyr mindes their wiues and children Alexander sommoned his souldiers together perswading with them that al those battels were to no effect that were paste if the barbarous nations of the East should eskape vntouched for he desired not Darius body but his kingdome and all suche ought to be pursued as forsoke their obedience to the kingdome When he had by this oration quickned the mindes of hys souldioures a new he subdued Hyrcanie and the Mede◅ In y ◠same countrye met him Thalestris otherwise named Mynoshaea the Quene of the Amazones with CCC M. womē whiche had come a xxv daies iourny through the sauage countries and through the middes of her ennemies of purpose so haue issue by Alexander The sight comming of whom was wondered at both for the straūge attire of the womē and also for the request that they made to companye wyth Alexander his men For this occasion wer xxx dais spent in idlenesse whē she thought her self with child she depar ted home again After this Alexander as though he hadde had made himself subiect to their lawes customes whom he had vanquished tok◅ vpon him thattire and diademe of the kings of Persia which thing was neuer known amōg the kings of Macedone before that time And because they shuld not disdain him y ◠more for doing these things alone to th entent he might counterfet the Persians aswell in excesse of apparel as in excesse of fare he also commaūded hys frends to wear lōg robes of cloth of gold of skarlet More ouer he spent the nights in daliance among the kings cōcubines which wer women of most excellent beuty eft with one and eft with another as their turnes came about And for fear least through wāt of delitious fare he shuld not be able to hold with his venerus daliāces pastimes he made sumptuous feasts bankets and thervnto deuised princely showes pageants quite forgetting y ◠by suche meanes riches are wont to be consumed wasted not gottē or preserued Upon this his doing arose a great grudge through al the camp y ◠he held so sore degenerate frō his father Philip y ◠in manner he disdained ones to heare his country named shuld take vpon him the maners customes of the Persians whō for such maners customs he had subdued But for because he would not seme to haue yelded him self to the vices of them whōe he had subdued by battell alone he gaue his souldiers licens if any of thē wer delited with the cōpany of their prisoners to mary them to their wiues thinking that they would haue lesse minde of home if they had in their tents as it were an image or representation of their houshold gods dwelling places also that thei wold make les accōpt of their trauel in y e warres for the delite plesure they had in their wiues Besides this he thought y ◠Macedone should not nede to be spent so muche in sendyng forth soldiers to supply the nomber of them that wer slam If the yong nouices might succede the old and expert souldiers their fathers learning to playe the men of war euen in the same trenche that they were born in And that they should proue the bolder and hardier if they were not onlye trained vp to the Warres but also broughte vp from the shel in the camp The which custome remained also among the successors of Alexander Therfore there was a stipend appoynted to finde the Children with all and when they came to mannes estate they had apparel of house and harnesse geuen them and the fathers had wages alowed thē according to the nomber of their sonnes If any of their fathers died or were slain the Orphanes neuerthelesse toke their fathers wages whose childhode amonge so many viages was euen a very warfare For being from their tender yeares endured and hardened with continuall trauell and pearils they made the host inuincible accompting the campe for noone other then their countrye nor the battell for anye other then their assured victorye The people that were thus begotten were called Epigones Afterwarde when he had conquered the Parthians he made ruler ◅uer them one of the mooste noble men of all Persia named Andragoras from whome the kings of Parthia did afterward descend In the mean seson Alexander began to outrage with his own men not like a king but like an enemy In especially it displeased him that some of them tolde him and rebuked him for breaking the customes of his offences the ancient father Parmenio next vnto the king in estate and dignity with his sonne Ph◅otas after inquisition had vpon them were bothe put to death Whervppon al the campe began to be on a rore bewailinge the mischaunce of the innocent old man and his sonne not letting sometime to saye that it was not for them to loke for any better The whiche thinges when they came to Alexanders eare fearing that if the brute hereof should be blowen into Macedone the glory of his conquests should be distained with the spot of cruelty he made as thoughe he were minded to send certain of his frends into Macedone to beare hōme tidings of his conquests exhorting his souldiers to wryte to their frends for it wold be long or they had the like occasion again because they should make warre further of The whiche being doone he caused the packets of letters to be brought priuely vnto him by the whiche vnderstanding euerye mannes iudgement of him he put all those together into one band that had any ill opinion of him entending either to consume them by battel or els to distribute them in to new townes that he purposed to build in the vttermoste partes of the world Then he subdued the Dracans the Euergets the Parimans the paropamissadanes the Hydaspians and the other kindes of people that inhabite the fote of Caneasus In the meane time was broughte vnto him faste bounde Bassus one of Darius frendes who had not only betraied the king his master but also slain him Whom in reuengement of his traiterous act he deliuered to Darius brother to punish him as he thought good accompting not Darius so much his enemy as the frend of Darius that had slayne his own master And to th entent he might leaue his name behinde him in those countries he builded a City vpon the riuer Tanais and named it Alexandria the wall whereof beinge vi miles in compasse he finished within xvii daies remouinge into it the people of iii. other cities that Cyrus had builded Amonge the Segdians and Bactrians also he builded xii cities destributing into thē all such as he knew to be seditious personnes in his hoste These thynges thus brought to passe vpon a certain solempne holye day he bad hys frendes to a feast wher after the time they had taken in their cuppes mention being made
fell downe headlonge to the grounde neuerthelesse his garde stept about him and saued him Porus beinge ouercharged with manye woundes was taken prisoner Who sorowed so greatlye for his beinge vanquished that all be it he founde fauor at hys enemies hand yet woulde he not receiue anye sustenaunce nor suffer hys woundes to be dressed and they had muche a doo to obtain so muche at hys hande as that he woulde liue Whome Alexander in honoure of his valiaunt courage sent home in safetye into his owne kingdome againe Then builded he two Cities the one he called Nicea thother after the name of his horse he called Bucephala After that he conquered by force the Adreâ—…ies the Strathenes the Passides and the Gangarites and slewe all theyr armies When he came to the Enfyts where his ennemies awaited his comminge with two hundred thousande horsemen all hys whole armye being wearied as well wyth the nomber of their victories as with their continuall trauels and labours with weping besought him at length to make an ende of his warres and remember to returne into hys owne countrye againe hauing regarde to the yeres of hys souldioures whych wer 〈◊〉 able to liue so long as while they might retourne home One shewed hys graye heade another his woundes another his leane carkase wytheced with age another his bodye full of skarres and maimes Sayinge that they alone were the men that had endured oute the continuall warres of two kinges Phillip and Alexander Wherfore they besoughte him yet at lengthe to restore that fewe that wer left to the graues of their forefathers who nowe fainted not for wante of harte or for wante of good will but for want of yeres And if he would not regarde his souldioures yet haue a respecte to himself and wearye not his good fortune with takinge to muche vpon her Being moued with these iust petitions as it wer to winde vp his victories withall he caused his camp to be furnished more royally then it was wont to be through the costlinesse whereof he mighte bothe put his ennemyes in terror and alfo leaue somewhat for them that shuld come after him to talke of â–ª His souldioures neuer did woorke in all these liâ—…es with better wils Therfore when they had â—…laine their ennemies they retired into them againe wyth great recompence Alexander went from thence to the riuer Acesine and by the same he sailed to the Ocean there he tooke to mercye the Gessones aud Asybanes which wâ—… fovnded by Hercules From thence be sailed to the Ambres and Sycambres which met him with foure skore thousande footemen and threskore thousand horsmen when he had gotten the vpper hand of them he led his host against their city y â— which he finding destitute of defendants as he loked from y e wal the which he first of his men had skaled vp vnto he lept into the plain of the city without any of his gard about him When his enemies sawe him there alone they ran at him on all sides with a great shout and noise endeuoring them selues if they could to finish the warres of y â— who le world in one mannes deathe and to be reuenged vpon him for so many nations Alexander on the contrary part as manfully withstode them and being but one man alone fought against so many thousands It is not almoste to be spoken y e neither the multitude of his ennemies nor the force and aboundaunce of their weapons nor their confused noyse as they assailed him could make him afraid and that beynge but one aâ—…e he shuld beat down and put to flighte so many thousands But when he perceiued himself to be oppressed with the multitude he withdrue himself to a block that stode by the wal by help wherof standing in sauegarde he held theÌ„ all tack so long vntil his frends knowing in what peril he stode leped down vnto him Of the whiche many wer slain and the battel â—…ong in dout vntil the time y â— all his army hauing ouerthrowen the wals cam to his reskue In y â— conflict being striken with an arrow vnder the right pappe when he had bled so sore that he could not stand for feblenesse he kneled on his kne and neuer left fighting vntil he had slain him of whom he was wounded The heling of the wound was greuouser then the wound it self Ther fore when at the length contrary to all hope and expectation he had recouered his health he sent Polyperchon with his host to Babilon and he himself with a noumber of the most picked and chosen souldiers toke shippinge and skoured the Ocean seas keping still vppon the coast When he came at the city of king Ambiger the townesmen hearing that he could not be ouercom by no iroÌ„ dipped their shafts in poyson so with double wound of deathe repulsed the enemy from their wals â—…lue very manye of them WheÌ„ as among many others Ptolomy was deadlye wounded and was like to haue died out of hand an herbe was shewed to the king in his slepe that shoulde remedy the poyson The which being geuen him in drink he was forthwith deliuered froÌ„ thimminent danger and the most part of his army was by this meanes preserued Afterwarde when he had won the town by force he returned into his ships made an offring to y e Ocean making supplication for safe return into his country And as though he had driueÌ„ his chariot about the mark established the boundes of his Empire as far as ther was any land habitable or as far as the sea was able to be sailed with prosperous winde he entred into the mouth of the riuer Indus Ther is a momument of his coÌ„ quests he builded the city Barce and set vp alters leuing one of his frends for lieuetenant of the Indians y â— inhabite the sea coast From thence intendinge to iourney by lande when he heard saye that in his waye were drye places he commaunded pits and pondes to be made in places conuenient as he shuld go wherin finding great plenty of swete water he returned to Babilon There many of the natioÌ„s that he had subdued accused their rulers the whiche Alexander withoute respecte of frendship or fauor caused to be put to death in the presence of the ambassadors After thys he toke to wife Satir the daughter of kinge Darius Furthermore he chose out the noblest and beutifullest ladies gentlewomen of al nations and gaue the to his noble men in mariage the which he did to th entent that by a commoÌ„ fact his own offence shuld seme the lighter Then summoned he his army to a sermon wherin he promised to pay al their dets of his own purss to th entent they mighte carye home clere their boties and rewards This liberality was notable not only for the great sum but also in consideratioÌ„ of the fre geuing therof And it was as thaÌ„kfully receiued of the creditors as of the dettors because it was
his sonne that he shoulde not truste anye man sauing Thessalus and his brothers For this cause therfore was the bankette prepared and dressed in the house of 〈◊〉 Philip and 〈◊〉 which wer wonte to be the kynges cuppe bearers and his tasters had the poyson in colde water the whiche water they tasted and caste it vpon the drinke The fourthe daye after Alexander perceiuing there was no way with hym but death sayde he acknowledged the desteny of the house of his 〈◊〉 For the Aeacides for the mooste parte dyed 〈◊〉 they came to xxx yeres of age Then he appeased hys souâ—… dioures whiche began to make an vprore mistrusting the kinge to be killed by treason and beinge borne vp into the highest and openest place that could be founde in all the cityâ—… and there laide for the vpon a couch he admitted them all to his presence and put forthe his righte hand to them to kisse as they stode wepinge about him And wheras all the company wept to beholde him in that case he not onlye shed forthe neuer a teare but also was withoute any kinde of token ofsorowe or 〈◊〉 in so much that he comforted certayne of them that made greate sorowe and lamentation for the matter Unto some he gaue commaundements and errands to doo to their frendes from him So that like as hys harte was inuincible toward the enemy so was it inuincible also againste deathe When he had sente awaye his souldioures he demaunded of hys frendes as they stode about hym whether they thought they shuld finde the like kynge againe or no. Euerye man holdynge his peace he sayde that as he knew not that so he perfectly knew and prophesied yea and in maner saw it presently before his eies how much bloud Macedone shoulde spende in that quarel and with how greate slaughter occision of men it should do obsequies for him after his departure At the last he willed his body to be buried in the Temple of Hammon When hys frendes sawe him drawe on they asked who shoulde be heir of hys Empyre He aunswered the worthiest So greate was the courage of hys harte that wheras he left behinde him hys sonne Hercules hys brother Arideus and his wife Roxanes great with chylde for gettinge all 〈◊〉 and aliaunce hee denounced him to be his heire that was worthyest As thoughe it hadde not beene lawfull for anye man to succeade a valiaunt manne then as valiaunte a man as he or to leaue the richesse of so great a kingdome to any other then to such as were tride men with thys word as though he had blowen a trompet among his noble men or sowne the sede of mischief and delate euery one became enemy to other in his hart wyth colourable flattery priuely sought the good wils and fauor of the men of warre The vi day wheÌ„ his speche was gon he tooke a ringe of his finger and deliuered it to Perdicas the which thinge appeased the dissention of his frendes all ready beginning to bud For allbeit he were not pronounced heir by word by mouthe yet notwithstanding it semed it was his minde he should be his heire Alexander deceased of the age of xxxiii yeares and one monthe a man endued with stoutnesse of courage aboue the power of mannes fraile nature The same nighte that his mother Olympias conceiued him she dreamed she had to do with a great dragon neither was she deceiued of God in her dreame for out of all dout she bare in her wombe a piece of worke exceding the frailnesse of mannes nature And althoughe she were renowmed bothe for the house of Aeacus froÌ„ whence by auncient descent of so many C. yeres â—…he was lineallye â—…xtract and also because her father her brother her husbaÌ„d and all her auncestors and progenitoures were kinges yet was she in none of all those respectes so muche to be estemed as for her owne sonne Many wondrous foretokens of his greatnesse appered euen at his birth For the same day that he was borne two Egles stode all day vpon the toppe of his fathers house representing a token of his dowl Empire of Europe and Asia And the very same daye also hys father had tidâ—…nges broughte him of two victories the one of a battell against the Illyrians the other of the gamynge at the mountaine Olympus vnto the which he hadde sent his chariots The whyche was a token that the child shuld be conqueror of all countries Duringe hys childehode he was brought vp straightly to his learning when he grew towarde mannes estate he encreased in knowledge vnder Aristotle the 〈◊〉 teacher of al Philosophers Aâ—…terward when he had taken the kingdome vpon him he proclaimed himself king of all landes and of the whole world and so behaued himself among his souldiers that if he 〈◊〉 with them there was no enemy could make them afraide although they had beane naked them selues Therfore he neuer encountred with any enemy but he ouercame him he neuer besieged city but he wan it nor neuer entred any country but he subdued it And yet at the last he was ouercome not by force of the enemy but by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 treason of his owne subiectes The thirtenthe Booke ALexander y â— great being dispatched out of the way in the very floure of his age and of his conquests al men were striken in so heauye dumpes and in especially all the citye of Babilon But the nations whome he had subdued could not geue credite to the reporte because that as they beleued him to be inuincible so also they thoughte him to be immortall calling to remembraunce how often he had bene deliuered from present death and how oftentimes when he had loste his weapon sodainly he shewed himself amonge hys men not only safe and sound but also gettinge the vpper hande But when they were throughlye perswaded that he was dead in dede all the barbarous nations whom he had conquered a litle before mourned for him not as for an ennemye but as for a father Moreouer the mother of Darius whome after the losse of her sonne beinge her selfe fallen from the stage of so highe estate it repented not of her lyfe vnto that day for the great clemency and fauoure that she found in â—…er conqueror when she hard of AlexaÌ„ders death did rid herselfe oute of this life not because she sette more by her ennemy then by her own sonne but because she had found the naturall loue of a sonne in him whome she toke for her enemy On the other part the Macedones cleane coÌ„trary mour ned not for him as for their countryman or as for a kinge of such a maiesty but reioysed as if they had lost an enemy cursing his ouergreat seueritye and continuall ieoperdies that he put them vnto by his warres Besides this the princes gaped for the pertition of his kingdomes and prouinces and the common souldioures for his treasures and for a great masse of gold as a
into his handes Emnenes hearing of this practise attempted wyth a few to eskape by flight But being set backe againe seynge no hope of recouery as the multitude flocked aboute him he made request that he might yet ones ere he dyed speke vnto his army Being willed to say his minde when â—…lence was made and his bondes losed â–ª he stretched forthe his hande fettered as he was and shewed it them saying Beholde my souldiours the apparel and ornaments of your captaine whyche none of his enemies hath put vppon him For that were a comfort to him But euen you your selues you haue made me of a conqueror a vaÌ„quished persoÌ„ you haue made me of a captain a captiue four times within this twelue month you haue sworn to be true to me but I will let that passe For it is not mete for â—…en in aduersity to vpbraid others This only one thing I require at your hands that if Antigenus be so fullye bent to take my heade from me as in whose death al his affaires and purposes shuld be finished you wil let me die among you For I am sure he cares not after what sort or where I die so I be dead neyther doo I passe greatly for my life so I might be deliuered froÌ„ thys slaunderous death If you will graunt me this request I discharge you of your othe wherby you haue bound your selues so often vnto me Or if ye be ashamed to slea me your selues then reach me a weapon and geue me leaue to do that thing for you without conscience of breaking of your othe which you haue sworne so oftentimes to do for your captain When he saw he coulde not obtaine his request he left intreatance and fel to anger Now the Gods quod he the iust reuenger of periury looke vpon you you false forsworne kaitiues and geue such endes vnto you as you haue geuen vnto your captaines For it is not longe a go since you polluted your selues with the bloude of Perdicas practising to haue done the like with Antipater yea and that that is worst of all you oftentimes troubled euen Alexander himself with your seditions and mutinies doing your best to haue slain him if it had beene possyble for him to haue died of mannes hand And nowe I laste of all whiche shal be offered as a sacrifice by you false forsworne wretches do pray God that these curses maye lighte vpon you that being beggers and outlawes you may spend all your life time in this warfare like banished people neuer to retourne to your country againe and your owne weapons deuour you with the which you haue consumed mo captaines of your owne then of your ennemies This spoken in a greate rage and anger he commaunded hys keners to go before him to Antigonus campe The army fâ—…lowed after to betray their own captain and he being prisoner led as it were a triumphe of him self vnto the camp of his conquerour Deliuering vp into the conqueroures handes both them selues and all the antesignes of kynge Alexander together with the honour and renowne of so many conquestes And for because there shoulde want no pompe the Elephantes also and the suc câ—…urs of the East folowed after So much more glorious wer these thinges to Antigonus then vnto Alex ander all the conquests he atcheued in that where as Alexander conquered the East Antigonus ouercame them by whom the East was conque red Antigonus therfore dispersed those conquerours of the world into his host making restitution vnto them of such things as he had takeÌ„â—…m them at the time of their ouer throw And for because he had in times past had familyer acquaintaunce frendship with Emnenes he would not for shame suffer him to come in his sight but assigned him ii kepers In the mean season Eurydice the wife of king aride us vnderstanding that Polyperchon was retourninge out of Grece into Macedone and that he had set for Olympias being thervpon striken with womanly malice abusyng y â— weaknes of her husband whose office authority she toke vpon her wrate to Polypercbon in the kings name that he should deliuer vp the host to Cassander as into whose hand the king had put the whole order and gouernment of the Empire The like coÌ„maundement she sent also to antigonus into asia By which benefite Cassander being bound vnto her did euery thing after her rash vnaâ—… uised coÌ„maâ—…nde ment Then went he into Grece made war against ma ny cities at the â–ª destruction of whiche as of a fire neare at hand the spartanâ—…s being afraid both contrary to the aunswers of the oracles contrary to 〈◊〉 renown of their ancestors distrusting their owne chiualry enclosed their city with a strong wall the whiche euer before that time they had ben wont to defend by force of armes and not by strength of wals So much wer they degenerated froÌ„ their aâ—…cestors y â— wheras many C. yeres before the prowesse of the citezens was the wal of the city now they thought they might not liue in safety onlesse they myght hide their heds within walles While these things wer a doing the estate of Macedone was so troubled y â— Gassander was fain to return thither out of Grece For when Olym pias the mother of king Alexander the great came out oâ—… Epyre into Macedone accompanied with acacida kynge oâ—… the Molosses and that Eurydice and arideus the king went about to prohibit her from entring into the realm the Macedones whether it wer for remembrance of her husbaÌ„d king Phillip or in respecte of the greatnesse of her sonne Alexander or that they were moued at the vnworthy demeanor gathered them selues vnto Olympias at whose commaundement Eurydice and the king were both slaine wheÌ„ he had raigned vi yeres after Alexander â–ª But Olympias her self raigned not long For when she prâ—…ceaded to make slaughter of her noble men peres more like a tirant then like a Quene she turned her fauor into hatred Therfore when she hard of Cassanders coÌ„ming putting distrust in the Macedones with Roxane her daughter in law Hercules her nephew she conueyed her self into the citye Pictua She had also in her traine deidaâ—…ia the daughter of king aeacidâ—… and her daughter in law Thessalonice a Ladye much set by for her father Philips sake with many other noble mennes wiues a company more gorgious the profitable When these things wer reported to Cassander immediatly he cam in al hast to Pictua enuironed the town with a strong siege Olympias being constrained w t sword famin wery of the long continuance of the siege yelded her selfe the liues of her hers onlye saued But Cassander assembling the people together to aske theyr aduise what they woâ—…d haue don with Olympias priuely suborned y â— pareÌ„ts of such as she had put to death who putting on moâ—… ning apparel shuld come complain of her great cruelty by whom
shut vp the temples of the Goddes were shut vp all ceremonies were omitted all priuate duty was laide aside they went out all to the gate and made inquisition for their frendes of those few that remained from the plague as they came oute of the shippes after the time they perceiued what was become of them for vntil then they hung betwene hope and feate not knowing of certaintye whether theyr frendes were all dead or no then a man might haue hard ouer all the coast the sorowâ—…ull sighes and sobbes of suche as lamented the pitifull howling and shriking of the vnhappye mothers and the lamentable outcries of all men on all sides Amonge these thinges comes out of his ship the poore captaine Hamilco in a filthy and beggerlye cloke girte aboute him at the sight of whome the mourners as they stoode in rankes clustered about him He him self also holding vp his hands to heauen bewailed eft his own misfortune and eft the misfortune of his countrye sometime he cried out vpon the Goddes which had taken from him so great honour attained by his warres and so great ornaments of his victories which they them selues hadde geuen him whiche after the winning of so many Cities and after the vanquishing of so many ennemies so oftentimes both by sea and by land had destroyed that victoryous army not by battel but by pestilens Wherin yet not withstanding he said he brought no small 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 countrymen in that their enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vaunt them selues of their calamities For thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to say that they that were dead were â—…lain by them nor that they that were retourned were put to flyghte by them As for the praye that they founde in their desolate camp and caried away it was no suche that they myghte bost of it as of the spoyl taken from the vanquished ennemy but as of thinges falling into their mouthes vnloked for which they entred vpon hauinge none owner by the sodain deathes of the right owners In respect of the enemy they had come away conquerors in respect of the pestilence they wer come away vaÌ„quished And yet nothing greued him more then that he might not die amoÌ„g those most valiant men that he had bene reserued not to liue plesantly but to be as a gâ—…sing stocke for his calamities How beit assone as he had conueyed home the remnaunt of his wretched hâ—…ste vnto Carthage he wold also foloâ—… his fellowes that were gon before Wherby his counâ—…ry should perceiue that he had not liued to that daye because he was desirous of life but to the entent he wouâ—…d not by his death betray those few that the vnspeakable pestilens had spared by leauing them without a guide as besieged in the mids of the hostes of their enemies Entring into y â— city with suche an outcry â—…one as he came home to hys owne house he dismissed the multitude as the laste time that euer he purposed to speake to them and barringe in the dores to him suffring no man to come at him no not so much as his own sonnes he killed himselfe The. xxi Booke DEnnis hauinge expulsed the Carthaginenses oute of Sicill and taken the gouernment of al the whole Iland into his hand thinking it both a burtheÌ„ to the realme to kepe so many men idle and also a daungerous matter to suffer so great an army to lie stil slouthfully and do nothing conueyed hys hoste into Italy partly of purpose to quicken the strength of his souldioures by continuall laboure also to enlarge the bouÌ„ds of his Empire The first war that he had was against the Grekes that inhabited the next sea cosâ—…e of Italy The which being subdued he assailed euer the nexte vnto them and finally he proclaimed opeÌ„ war against all that bare the name of Grekes dwelling in Italy the whi che sort of people held not one part but almost al Italy at that time And ther be many cities which after so long coÌ„tinuaunce do yet at this day shew manifest tokens of the Grekish cuâ—…ome For the people of Thuscane which possesse the coast of the nether sea came out of Lydia And y t Uenetians who as we se are inhabiters of the vpper sea came vnder Antenor from Troy after the taking and destruction therof Adria also whiche is next to the Illyrian sea which gaue the name to the Adriatick sea is a greke city so is Apros the which Diomedes builded after the ouerthrow of Troy being cast vp in the same pâ—…ace by ship wrack Moreouer Pise in Lumbardy had Grekes to their founders And among y â— Thuscanes the Tarquines fetch their beginuing from the Thessalians and Spinambres And the Perusines from the Acheans What shall I say of the city Cere what shall I speake of the latine people which seme to be founded by Eneas Now the Falisces the Iapygians the Nolanes the Abelanes wer they not somtime enhabiters of Chalcis what is all the coaste of Campanie what are the Brutians Sabines what are the Sabines what are the Tarentines who as it is left in wrytinge came from Lacedemon and were called bastardes They say that Philâ—…ctetes builded the city of the Thurines whose tombe is to be sene ther at this day and the shafts of Hercules in the temple of Apollo which wer the destiny of Troâ—…e The Metapontâ—…es also haue yet to shewe in the people of Minerua the iron tooles of Epeus their firste founder wherwith he made the horse that destroyed Troy For the which cause all that parte of Italy is called the greater Grece But in the beginning of these foundations the Metapontines with the Sybarites and Crotoniens wer determined to driue all thother Grekes out of Italy Assone as they had taken the city Siris in y â— winning therof they killed before the very aultare of Minerua fifty yongmen embracing her image and her priest veiled in thattire accustomed in her ceremonies Herevpon being â—…exed with pestilens and ciuil sedition the Crotonienses went first to thoracâ—…e of Dâ—…lphos Answer was made to them that the mischief shoulde cease if they had ones appeased Minerua for working so wickedly against her Godhed and the ghostes of them that they had slaâ—…n Therfore when they had begon to carue images to set vp to the yongmen of the same bignesse that they wer being aliue and in especially vnto Minerua The MetapoÌ„tines knowing of the Oracle of the Gods thinkinge it good to work spedely in the pacifying of their ghostes and in pacifying of the gods set vp litle images of stone to the yoÌ„g men and appeasedthe Goddes with bread sacrifices And so while the one parte striued in costlinesse and the other part in swiftnesse the pestilence was ceased on both parties The Crotoniens hauing recouered helth abode not long in quiet Therfore taking displesure that in the siege of Siris the Locrines came to fighte againste them they entred vpon them by force of armes The
liberty all the bondmen that were of yeres mete for the warres and toke an othe of them and put them with the mooste part of his other souldiours into his ships thinking that forasmuche as he had made them all one in estate and degre there wold be strife among them who might behaue himself most manfully All the reast he left to the defence of his country This done the seuenth yere of his raigne hauinge in hys companye his two sonnes Archagathus and Heraclida noone of his souldioures knowinge whether he wold go he directed his course into Affrick wher as all his men supposed they shuld haue gon a forraging either into Italy or elsse into the Isle of Sardinia he neuer made them priuy where about he went vntill he had set his host a land in Affricke and then he tolde theym all what he was mineded to doo He shewed theym in what case Syracuse stode for the helpe wherof there remayned none other meane but to do to their enemy as he had don to them For warres wer to be haÌ„dled otherwise at home then abrode At home a man could haue none other help then his country is able to auorde him abrode the enemy myghte be vanquished by his owne power by reason the adherents and partakers being weary of their long continued Empire would commonlye faile them and looke for the helpe of forayne Princes And to the furtheraunce hereof the cities and castels of Affricke were not enuironed with walles nor situatein mountaines but set vpon the plaine ground in open and champion fieldes without any munition or defence all the whych for feare of being destroyed woulde easely be entreated to take theyr parte in the warre Wherfore the Carthaginenses should haue whotter warres at theyr owne dores out of Affrick then oute of Sicâ—…l and aide woulde assemble from all partes against that one city grâ—…ater in name then in power wher fore he should finde the strength there which he broughte not with him Moreouer the sodain fear of the Carthaginenses shoulde be no small furtheraunce to his victorye which being amazed at the wonderful audacitye of theyr enemies wold tremble and quake for feare Besydes this to thencrease of the same they should behold the burning of their villages the beatinge downe of theyr castles and holdes the sacking of the stoburne cities and finallye the besiegement of Carthage it selfe by all the which things they should well fele that they them selues laye as open to the warres of other men as other men lay open to the warres of them By the which meanes not only the Carthaginenses might be vanquished but also Sicill be sette at liberty For their ennemies woulde not lie styll at the siege there when they should hear that theyr owne were in ieoperdy Wherfore they could not haue deuised where to haue founde a more easy warfare nor a more ryche and 〈◊〉 praye For had they ones taken Carthage the conqueroures shoulde haue all Affricke and Sicill in reward for their labour And the glorye and renowne of so honourable a warfare shuld be so great as that it might neuer be forgâ—…tten while the world stands so that it shuld be said that they only hade beene the men whyche hadde turned the warre vpon their enemies heades which they could not out stand at home in theyr own country which of theyr owne accord had perased and pursued vpon theyr conqueroures and whiche had besieged the besiegeâ—…s of their citye Therfore they oughte all with valâ—…aunte and chearfull harts enterprise that â—…atre then the whiche there could a neither any greater rewarde be geuen them if they wan the victorye nor more honorable monument if they were ouercome With these and suche like enforcementes the harts of his souldiers were greatlye encoraged But the sight of a wonder that happened troubled theyr mindes because that as they sailed the Sunne was Eclipsed Of the which thing the kinge was as carefull to geue them a due reason as of the warre affirmynge that if it had hapned before theyr setting forth it might haue bene thought that the wonder had manased them that wer to set forth But now for as much as it chaunced after they wer com forthe it threatned them againste whome they wente Furthermore the Eclipsing of the naturall Planets dyd alwaies alter the present estate of thinges Wherefore there was none other thinge mente but that the estate of Carthage florishinge in welth and richesse and his estate oppressed with aduersitye muste suffer an alteration and exchaunge When he had thus comforted his souldiours by the consent of his army he set all his shippes on fire to th entent they might all knowe that seinge there was no helpe in running away they must either win or elsse dye Afterwarde when that they bare downe all that came in their way which way so euer they went settinge townes and castels on fyre Hanno captaine of Carthage met theÌ„ with thirty thousand Afres in the which encounter was slain of the Sicilians two and of the Carthaginenses iii. M and the captain him self through his victory the harts of the Sicilians were strengthened and the hartes of the Carthaginenses discouraged Agathocles hauing vanqui shed his enemies wan cities and holdes toke greate booties and prayes and slue many thousand of his enemies Then he pitched his campe about v. miles of from Carthage to th entent they might behold from the vâ—…ry wals of the city the losse of their dearest thinges with the wasting of their fieldes and the burning of theyr villages In the meane time there went a great brute ouer all Affricke of the ouerthrowe and slaughter of the Carthaginien army and of the cities that were won Wherat euery man was amased and wondered how so great an Empire should haue so sodain an ouerthrow in espetially by an enemy all ready vanquished This wonderment turned by little and little into disdaine of the Carthaginenses For ere it was long after not onlye Affricke but also the chefest cities there aboutes folowing this sodain alteration reuolted to Agathocles and aided hym both with victual and monye Besides these aduersities of the Carthaginenses to the augmentation of their miserable cala mities it hapned that their captain withal his army was vtterly destroyed in Sicil. For after the departure of Agathocles oute of Sicill the Carthaginenses became more siouthful and negligent in their siege at Syracuse which thing Antander the brother of king Agathocles espyinge issued out vpon them and sâ—…ue them vtterlye euerychone wherof sorowful tidinges were broughte to Carthage Therefore for as muche as the Carthaginenses had like misfortune abrode as at home here vpon not only the tributary cities but also the kings that were in league and amity with them waying freship by fortune and not by faithfulnesse reuolted from them Amonge others there was one Ophellas king of Cyrene who vpon a wycked hope gapinge for the dominion of all Affricke entered in
frenchmen as they skaled headlong from the top of the mountaine While the two parties wer thus striuing one with a nother sodeÌ„ly the prtestes of all the temples the Prophets them selues also w t their heare aboute their eares with the reliques in theyr hands and their miters on their heds like men straught out of their wits came running forth preased into the forefront of the battel crying oute that God was come among them and that they had sene him leape down into the temple at the open rofe top Moreouer while they â—…er all makinge their humble supplications to God forayde they said they met a yonge man of beauty and personage far excelling anye mortall creature and in his companye with him ii virgins in armor which came vnto hym out of the. ii temples of Diane and Minerua therby y â— which thing they not onlye had perfectlye scene with their eyes but also more ouer had harde the clatteringe of their harnesse and the sounde of theyr bowes Wherfore they earnestly hartely besought them seing the Gods theÌ„ selues did gard their standerd they should not sticke to dispatche their ennemies and to ioyne them selues as partakers w t the Gods of the victory With which words being greatly encouraged they preased forth whâ—… might be formoste in the flight And there withall they forthwith perceyued that God was presente on their side For bothe a piece of the mountaine being broken of by a sodaine earthquake ouerwhelmed the Frenche hoste and the thiâ—…st of theyr enemies not without great slaughter were 〈◊〉 put to â—…ight In the necke wherof there ensued a tempest w t hail thonder and lightning consumed as many as were any thing sore wounded The captaine Brenne himselfe being not able to abide the smarte of his woundes toke a â—…word and killed himself Another of the captaines when he saw how greuously thautors of the war had ben punished with x. M. of his retinue departed in post hast out of Grece But they sped neuer the better for theyr flying a way For they were so afraid that they durste neuer lye a night in any house they passed no day without 〈◊〉 Moreouer continuall raine frost and snow hunger and wearinesse and thervnto continual watching worse then all the rest consumed and broughte to nothinge the wretched remnaunt of this vnfortunate warre The people al so and the nations through whiche they trauelled lycked them vp as they sâ—…attered abrode as a praye Where by it came to passe that of that so huge and populous army which lately before vpon trust of their own strength dyd despise euen the very gods there was not so much as one man left that mighte saye hereafter he had beene at that slaughter and eskaped The. xxv Booke PEace beinge established betwene the ii kinges Antigonus and Antiochus assone as Antigonus retourned into Macedone sodenly there arose a new enemy against him For the French men whome Brenne at his settynge forth into Grece had left at home for the defence of his country to th enteÌ„t they onlye woulde not seeme to sytte at home lyke cowardes armed fiftene thousand foote men and thre thousand horse men and hauing chased the hostes of the Getes and Tribols when they approched nere vnto Macedone sent ambassadors to the king partly to offer him peaceto sale and partly to view the order and demeanor of his â—…ampe Whom Antigonus like a royall prince inuited the same night to a sumptuous banket But the frenchmen wondering at the great plenty of plate bothe of golde and siluer that was set before theym and there wythall beynge entised with the richnesse of the pray returned more hys ennemies then they came to him Furthermore the king to 〈◊〉 to put them in feare as at the sight of so vgly shapes wher with the barbareus people wer not acquainted coÌ„maunded his men to shew them his elephants and his ships laden with â—…tuall and artillery not knowing that they whome by 〈◊〉 setting forth his power richesse he wold haue discouraged were therby the rather encouraged as 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The ambassadours therfore when they came agayne to their company did set out all things to the vttermoste made more of them then they were in dede Declarynge both the kings richesse and his negligence how his camp was stuffed with gold siâ—…uer and nâ—…ther for 〈◊〉 with diche nor trenche and that euen as thougâ—… their 〈◊〉 wer a sufficient defice for them they kept nether watch nor ward â–ª nor anye other warlike order as if they had no nede at all of help of the sword because they wallowedin gold This report was inough to stir vp the minds of the couetâ—…s frenchmen to the pray Besides that they toke example 〈◊〉 Belgius who not long time before had 〈◊〉 the host of Macedone and the kinge also Therfore wyth one assent they assailed the kings camp in the night who foreseing the greate mischiefe that was like to ensue had geuen his men warning the day before to conuey awaye all their stuffe and to aide them couertly in the wode by For there was none other meane for them to saue theyr campe but only by forsaking it The frenchmen â—…ineding all thinges void and not only without defenders but also without kepers mistrusting that they were not fled but rather withdrawen or that they kepte them selues close for some policy durst not a good while enter 〈◊〉 at y â— gates At the laste leauinge all the fortifications whole and vntouched they entered the campe rather searchinge then riffling And hauing taken suche as they founde turned them selues to the sea side There as they 〈◊〉 â—…sedly riffeling of the shippes â–ª the watermen and parte of the army that were fled thither with 〈◊〉 wiuâ—…s chyldren â—…odainly fel vpon them and flue them or they feared any suche matter And there was made suche a slaughter of the Frenchmen that the fame of this victorye purchased Antigonus peace not only of the Frenchmen but also of the fierce and sauage people that bordered on hys kingdome How be it the frenche men multiplied so sore at that time that they spread ouer Asia as it had beene a swarme of Bees In so muche that the kinges of the East made not any warres but they hired the French men to serue them nor if they were put from their kyngdomes they resorted not to anye other then the frenche men for helpe So sore was the name of the frenche men redoubted or rather they had continuallye so prosperous successe in theyr warres that the kyngs thought them selues not able to maintain their estate or to recouer it beinge ones lost without the prowesse and aid of the French men Therfore being called to the helpe of the kinge of Bythinia after the time they had gotten the victorye they parted his kingdome with him and named the 〈◊〉 french greke While these thinges were a doinge
th one estate he was like to displese the other that he gate like fauor at bothe theyr handes Amongst the noble actes of this man whiche were many this is in especially worthy to be remembred The Atheniens and Megarenses had fought together for the chalen ging of the I le of Salamine almost to their vtter destructioÌ„ After many great slaughters it begaÌ„ to be taken for a heinous matter among the Atheniens if any man shuld go about to make any claim or title to the Iland Solon therfore being sorowful least by holdinge his peace he should not so greatly further the common wealth as he ought to doo or by putting forth his counsell bring him self in daunger sodenly fained himself mad vnder pretens wherof he might not only say but also doo thinges forbidden He ran abrode in a foles cote like a disard and in a great company of men that gathered aboute him the more to cloke his pretensed purpose in rimes and meters to him vnaccustomed he begaÌ„ to moue the people to that thing which was vnlawful wherin he so perswaded them all that forthwith they proclaimed warre against the Megarenses in the which they vaÌ„ quished their enemies and reduced the Iland vnder theyr subiection In the meane season the Megarenses being mindful of the warres that the Atheniens made against them and bâ—…ing lothe to leaue without some gain toke shipping of purpose to take the noble women and matrones of Athens as they wer celebrating the sacriâ—…ces vnto Ceres in the night time at Elensis The which thing beinge knowen Pisistratus captain of the Atheniens laid bushments of men in places conuenient commaundinge the women to celebrate their ceremonies with like noise and hurly burly as they were wont to doo euen when their ennemies came to th entent they should not suspecte that their commynge was heard of When the Megarenses were come out of their shippes he sodainly brake vpon them and â—…ue them euery one and forthwith entring into their ships the whiche he entermedled with women to make a show as though thei had bene the matrones taken prisoners he went straighte to Megara The townes men seing their owne shippes and the women in them whiche they supposed to be the â—…ootye that they soughte for wente forthe to the hauen to meete them the whiche company Pysistratus â—…ue and missed but little of winninge the City So by their owne pollicye the Megarenses gaue their ennemies the victory But Pysistratus as though he had won to his owne behoofe and not to the behoofe of his Country by craft and pollicy made him selfe king For at home at his owne house when he hadde of set purpose caused his body to be rent and maÌ„gled with scourging and whipping he came abrode and ther sommoning the people together shewed them his woundes makynge exclamation of the crueltye of the Noble menne at whose hands he surmised himself to haue suffered this hurte As he spake he wept and with his spiteful wordes set the light people on fire assuringe them that for the loue he bare to them he was hated of the Senate 〈◊〉 hervpon he obtained a garde of menne for the safetye of his personne by whose meanes he vsurped the Luperioritye and raigned xxxiiii yeares After his deathe Diocles one of his Sonnes as he rauished a maiden perforce was by the brother of the same maide slaine His other sonne named Hyppias possessynge his fathers kingdome commaunded him that slue his brother to be apprehended who being compelled by tormeÌ„ts to appeale such as were necessarye to the murder named all the Tyrannes frendes whiche being put to deathe and the Tyran demaunding if there were yet anye moo a Counsell or preuye to the deede there is no moo quod he aliue whome I would gladly see die sauing the Tyran hym selfe by whiche sayinge he declared him selfe bothe to haue the vpper hand of the Tyran and also to haue reuenged the cha stity of his sister The city through his stoutnesse being put in remembraunce of their liberty at length deposed Hyppias from his kingdom and banished him their couÌ„try Who taking his iourny into Persie offred him self to Darius making warre againste the Atheniens as is before specified as a captain against his own country Wherfore the Atheniens hearing of Darius approche sent for aid to the Lacedemonians who at that time were in leage with them But perceiuing that they were busied aboute matters of religion for the space of iiii daies they thought not good to tary the coÌ„ming of their succors but with x. M well apoynted of their own citizens and one thousaÌ„d of the 〈◊〉 which came to their aid they went forth to battell against vi C. M. of their enemies in the plains of Marathon Melciades was Captain of this war counseller not to tary 〈◊〉 their succors Who was of such corage that he thought ther was 〈◊〉 aduantage in spedy settinge forward then in lingering for succor Therfore they ran into the battell with wonderful cherefulnesse In so muche that when the ii armies wer a mile a sondre they hasted forwarde as fast as they could â—…un to ioyn with their ennemies before they mighte discharge their arowes Neither wanted this boldnesse good successe For the battell was fought wyth suche corage that a man wold haue thought the one side to haue ben men and thother to haue ben beasts The Persians be ing vanquished fled to their ships wherof many wer drow ned and many wer taken In that battel the prowesse and manhode of euery man was so great that it were harde to iudge who deserued most to be praised How be it amongst all other brast forth the glory of a yonge man called Themistocles in whom euen then appered such towardnesse as it was like he should for his valiauntnesse hereafter be made their chiefe captain gouernor The glory of one Cynaegirus also a souldior of Athens is highly commended set for the with great praises among wryters who after innumerable slaughter in the battel when he had pursued his ennemies to their shippes as they fled he caught holde of a ship that was laden with his right hand and would not let goo his holde till he had loste his hande His righte hand being cutte of he laid holde on it with his left hande the whyche also beinge loste in likewise at the laste he held the shyppe with his teethe Suche was his courage that being not wearied with so manye slaughters nor discouraged with the losse of bothe his handes at the last being vtterly maimed like a sauage beast he fought with his teethe The Persians loste in that battell two hundred thousand menne beside their shippes Hyppias also the Tyran of Atbens the author and stirrer of this warre through the iust vengaunce of God whyche punished him for his country sake was there slayne In the meane time Darius as he was aboute to renewe the warre
the conquerors Then they began the slaughter of the citizens at aicibiades least vnder pretens of restoring their liberty he might inuade the coÌ„mon wealth again For hauing intelligens that he was goyng towarde Art axeâ—…xes kinge of Persia they sent certaine after hym in post to cut him of by the way by whom he was ouertakeÌ„ But because they coulde not kill him openlye they set fyre on his chamber where he slept and burnte him vp quicke The tirauntes being deliuered oute of feare of this reuenger of his country with their slaughter extorcion and rauishmentes made euen a spoile of the miserable and wretched outcastes that were left in the City the whiche theyr doinge when they vnderstoode to displease one of their fellowes whose name was Tbemeranes to the terror of all the reast they put him to death Whervpon glad was he that might get himself out of the city insomuche that all Grece was ful of banished men of Athens and yet euen that one only reâ—…uge and comfort was taken from the poore wretches For the Lacedemonians had geuen straight charge commaundemeÌ„t that no city shuld be so bold as to receiue or harbrough the banished men of Athens Neuerthelesse they withdrew them selues al vnto Argos Thebes wheras they not only liued out of daÌ„ger During the time of their exile but also receiued hope of recouering their Country Ther was among the banished men one Thrasibulus a stout man one that came of a noble house who thinckinge that a man was bound to aduenture for his country sake thoughe it were to his own peril and ieoperdy of his life assem bled a company of his banished country men and toke the castle Phyle in the territory of Athens And he wanted not the fauour and helpe of certaine Cities that had pitye and compassion of their miserable estate and cruell handlynge For Ismenias the prince of the Thebanes although he could not aide them openlye with the power of his countrye yet notwithstanding he helped them with suche goodes as he had of his owne And Lysias an Orator of Syracuse being at the same time also a banished man sent CCCCC Souldioures well furnished at his owne proper â—…ostes and charges to the aid of the country of all eloquens therfore anon after was a sharpe encounter But forasmuchas the one part fought earnestly for the recouery of their country and the other parte negligently as they that 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 of other mennes tiâ—… the 〈◊〉 were put to the worse and retiring into the City which they had in manner wasted and made desolate with their murderinges 〈◊〉 extortion and sacked it This done hauing all the Atheniens in a gelouly of treson they 〈◊〉 them euery one to remoue out of the city dwel in tharmes of the waâ—… that wer woken down defending their superiority doâ—…ions with souldiours â—…aunts Afterward they went about to corrupt 〈◊〉 promising to make him 〈◊〉 partaker of their Empire which thing wheÌ„ they could not bring to effect they sent for aid to the Lacedemonians at whose comming they made a new encounter In the whiche Critios and Hyppomaâ—…us the cruellest 〈◊〉 of them all were 〈◊〉 The residue also being vanquished when their army wherof the most part wer Atheniens fled toward the city 〈◊〉 callinge to them as loud as â—…e could cry demaunded why they should flie from him hauing obtained the victorye and not rather helpe him as the defendor and reuenger of the libertye of them all bidding them remember that his souldiours wer their owne neighboures and Citizens and not their ennemies And that he had not taken wepon in hande to thenâ—… to take anything from them being vanquished but to the entent to restore theÌ„ such things as haue ben taken froÌ„ them by others professing that he made war agaynste the 〈◊〉 and not against the city Moreouer he put them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 affinitye betwene them of their lawes of their rites ceremonies common amongst them of the felowship and coÌ„pany that had bene betwixt them in so many battels in times paste beseching them to haue pity vppon their banished countrye men And if they could finde in their hartes to â—…eare the yoke of bondage so paciently them selues he besought them to restore him his country and he would set them at liberty again He dyd so much with this perswasion that when tharmy was retur ned into the city they coÌ„maunded the xxx tirants to depart vnto Elâ—…sis and in their stead they substituted others to goâ—… the 〈◊〉 welth Who nothing abashed at the ensaÌ„ple of their predecessors fell to the same cruelty that they had exercised While these thinges wer a doing word was brought to Lacedemon that the Atheniens were very destrous of warre the which to represse they sent their kyng Pansanias who hauing compassion vpon the banished peo ple restored the wretched citizens to their country agains 〈◊〉 the x. tirants to remoue out of the City vnto Elensis to the reâ—…due of their company Peace being by this meanes established within a few daies after the Tirans disdaining as much the restitution of the banished citizens as their own deposinges banishment as though a nother mannes liberty â—…ad ben their bondage made war against the 〈◊〉 But as they came forth to commu 〈◊〉 as though they wold haue taken vpon them their preheminency souerainty again they wer by a policye taken 〈◊〉 a sacrifice for peace The people whiche they had coÌ„maunded out of the city wer called in again And so the city which was dispersed into diuers members was at length brought into one body corporation againe And to th entent no dissention might grow vpon things past they wer al sworn to forget and bury vnder fote all old debate grudge In the meane while the Thebanes and the Corinthians sent ambassadors to the Lacedemonians demauÌ„dyng their portion of the praise and botles taken in the warres wherof they had helped for their part to bear out the charges dangers Hauing denial of their requestes they dyd not immediatly proclaim open war against the Lacedemo nians but they conceiued suche an inwarde displeasure in their harts that it might wel be vnderstand that they mened no lesse to make war wheÌ„ they saw their time About the same time almost died Darius kyng of Persia leauing behinde him his two sonnes Artaxerxes and Câ—…rus He bequethed by his last wil vnto Artaxerxes the kingdom and vnto Cyrus the rities wherof he was that time ruler But Cyrus thought his father did him wronge in that bequest and therfore he coÌ„spired priuely against his brother 〈◊〉 hauing knowledge therof set for him and not regarding his counter fait pretence of innocencye nor hys fained excuses as that he was not priuy to the conspiracye bound him in fetters of gold and woulde haue put hym to deathe had not his mother letted him Cyrus
therfore being set at large prepared not warre as now anye more secreatly but openlye nor by dissimulation but by open de◅aunce and raised a great power bothe of his owne and of his frendes and complices as manye as he coulde hire for mony or for fauoure The Lacedemonians remembrynge that by his meanes they were greatly aided in their warres wyth the Atheniens like men ignorant against whom the war◅e was raised determined to sende aide vnto Cyrus when occasion shuld require seking bothe for thank◅ at Cyrus hand and also for pardon at Artaxerxes hande if he should get the victory in as muche as they had attempted nothing against him openlye But in the battell suche was their chance that the two brothers meting together encountred th one with thother wheras Artaxerxes was wounded by Cyrus but by the swiftnesse of hys horse he was deliuered from daunger and has brother Cyrus was ouerthrowen by the kings band and so slain And so Artax erxes getting the victory obtained the spoil of his brothers warre and his armye also In that battell there were x. M. Grekes that came to the aide of Cyrus the whyche in the winge wher they stede gate the vpper hand and after the death of Cyrus could neither be ouercome of so greate an host perforce nor yet be entrapped or taken by policy ◅ut in their retourne homewarde throughe so manye wylde and sauage nations so long a iourny defended them selues by their manhode and prowesse euen vnto the borders of their country The syxthe Booke THe Lacedemonians as the nature of man is the more they haue the more they couet not content that their power by conqueringe the Atheniens and annexinge their power to their owne was now doubled began to deuise how to attain thempire of all Asia the most parte wherof was vnder the dominyon of the Persians Therfore Dercillides being appoynted lieue tenant generall for these Warres when he sawe that he must haue to doo against two of Artaxerxes lieuetenauntes Pharnabazus and Tyssaphernes which had about them in a redinesse the whole power of the mightiest Countries in all the world he thoughte it good to make peace with the one of them The meeter for his purpose seemed Tyssaphernes a man bothe of more experience and actiuity then the other and also better furnished with the souldioures that belonged sometime to kinge Cyrus After communication had agrement was made vpon certain conditions that he shuld not intermeddle him selfe with the warres Pharnabazus being herewith agreued complained therof to the king their master declaring how he withstoode not the Lacedemonians by force when they entred into Asia but nourished thē there at the kinges charges and that he bargained wyth them to delaye the warres whiche they tooke in hande as though the domage therof should not equally redounde to the displeasure of the whole Empire He said it was an vnsemely thing that the warre was not gone through wythall but bought of and that the enemy was hired of for mony and not rather driuen away by dint of sword When he had by this complaint brought the king in displesure wyth Tyssaphernes he exhorted him to make his Admirall of the sea in steade of Tyssaphernes Conon of Athens who synce the the time he had in battel lost his countrye liued in exile at Cyprus For though the Atheniens were bereft of power and richesse yet notwithstanding their experience in ordering and guiding a nauy remaineth still vnto them And if one were to be chosen amonge them all there was not a better then Conon Herevpon he hadde deliuered vnto him CCCCC talentes with commission to make Conon admirall of the kings flete The Lacedemonians hauing intelligence hereof sent an ambassade to the king of Egipt requi ring him to send Hercymones to their aid with a noumber of ships Who sent them a C. galeis and DC bushels of corn Other of their confederates also sent them greate succors But vnto this great army and against so great a captaine there wanted a mete gouernor Therfore when as the con federates of the Lacedemonians demaūded to their graūd captain agesilaus at that time kinge of the Lacedemonians The Lacedemonians debated the matter a greate while whether they might make him lieuetenant general or no by reson of the aunswer of the Oracle at Delphos the effect wherof was that their Empire shoulde come to an ende at suche time as the royall estate halted for agesilaus was lame of one foote At the lengthe they determined that it were better for their king to hault in his goinge then the kyngdome to hault for want of a meete gouernoure When Agesilaus was sent into Asia with a great host of men I can not thinke that euer any couple of Captaines were so well matched together as they two wer For both in yeares in prowesse in counsel ▪ in wisdome and in pollicy they wer in maner all one and in honor for their enterprises they wer both a like And althoughe fortune had made them equall in all thinges yet she preserued eche of them vnconquered of other Greate was the furniture of them bothe to the warres and great were both their attempts enterprises But the souldiers of Conon raised a mutiny against him because the kinges lieuetenaunts before time had ben wont to abridge and defraud them of their wages Demaunding their duties so much the earnestlier in that they toke vpon them to serue in so greate warres vnder so noble a chiefetaine Conon therfore hauing long time sued in vayne to the kinge by his letters at the lengthe went vnto him him self Whose presence and speache he mighte not be suffered to come vnto because he would not worshippe him after the manner of the Persians Neuerthelesse he entreated wyth him by messengers lamenting that the warres of so rich a prince as he was shuld be forslowed for want of mony and that hauing as puissaunt an armye as his enemies had ◅e shuld be ouercome in richesse wherof he had more aboundans then they that he shuld be found weak in that kind of strēgth wherin he far exceded thē Wherfore he demaū ded to haue the disbursing of the mony him selfe because it wold be very pernitius hurtful to put the doing therof in to many mens hāds When he had obtaind the tresure he returned to his flete immediatly set his matters abroch Many things he aduētred valiātlye many thinges he at cheued luckely He wasted his enemies landes won their townes cities as a tempest bare down al things before him With which his doings the Lace being a fraid determined to cal home agesilaus out of Asia to the defence of his own coūtry In the mean seson Lisāder whom Agesilaus at his setting forth had substituted his vicegerent to defende the coūtry at home ▪ collecting a great nauy rigged furnished it withal the power he could purposing to try the fortune
of battel Conon also forasmuch as it was the first tyme that he shuld encounter with the hoste of his ennemy toke great pain care in ordring apoynting of his men thys contention was not all only among the captaines but also euen among the common Souldioures For the Captaine hym selfe Conon was not so carefull of the Persians as of his own country desirous that in likewise as in theyr aduersitye he hadde beene the cause that the Atheniens loste all their dominion and Empire euen so now to be the raiser and setter vp of the same again by conquest to recouer his countrye whiche by beinge vanquished he hadde loste the whyche shoulde redownde so muche the more to hys honoure in that he should not haue the Atheniens his couÌ„trimen to fighte vnder him but the power of a forrayne prince so that the peril and daunger of the losse shoulde be the kinges and the gaine and reward of the victory should be his Countries In which his doing he should attaine to honoure after a nother sorte and in manner cleane contrary then other that had bene Captaines in his countrye before times For wheras they defended the country by vanquishinge the Persians he shoulde restore it to her former estate by makinge the Persians conquerors On the other side Lysander beside that he was neare of kin to Agesilans he was also an earnest folower of his vertuous endeuouring by all meanes possible not to steppe a side from his noble examples and from the brightnesse of his renowne and glorye but so to behaue him selfe that the Empire gotten in so many battels and in so many C. yeres mighte not be ouerthrowne through his default in the turning of a hand The kinges and all the Souldioures also were in the lyke perplexity not so greatly disquieted for the kepynge of the richesse that they them selues had all readye gotten as for fear least the Atheniens should recouer their owne again But the sorer that the battel was the more glorious was the victory of Conon The Lacedemonians being put to the worse tooke them to flight and their garrisons were led away to Athens The people were restored to their former estate and their bondage taken awaye from them manye cities also were recouered to their Empire This was vnto the Atheniens a beginning of the recouery of their auncient preheminens and vnto the Lacedemonians an ende of reteining that they had For as though that wyth theyr Empire they had loste their prowesse also their neighbors began to haue them in disdaine First of all therfore the 〈◊〉 wyth help of the Atheniens rered warre agaynste them The whyche citye oute of innumerable encreasementes Through the prowesse of their Duke Epaminondas began to aspire to the Empire of al Grece There was therfore betwene them a battel on the land in the which the Lacedemonians had like successe as in the encounter vpon the Sea against Conon In the same conflict Lysander who was Captain the same time that the Lacedemonians subdued the Atheniens was slaine Pansanias also a nother of the Captaines of the Lacedemonians beinge appeached of treason fledde into exile The 〈◊〉 therfore hauinge gotten the vppe â–ª hande led theyr whole host to the city of Lacedemon thincking easly to haue won it because they were abondoned of al their aiders and com fortors The which thing the Lacedemonians fearing sent for their king Agesilaus whiche atcheued many great enterprises in Asia home to the defence of his Countrye For after time that Lysander was slain they had none other cap tain in whome they durst put their truste and confidence Neuerthelesse because it was long ere Agesilaus came they raised a power and went to mete their enemy But nether their courages nor their streÌ„gth was able to stand against them of whome they had beene put to the worse so latelye before and therfore at the first encounter they wer put to flight As the hoste of his country men was thus discomfited and in maner vtterly destroyed Agesilaus the king cam sodainly vpon them Who with his freshe souldioures hardened in many viages and encounters before with little a do wrested the victory out of his enemies hand How be it he him selfe was sore wounded When newes therof came to Athens the Atheniens fearing leaste if the Lacedemonians should get the vpper hande againe they shoulde be brought to their olde estate of seruitude and bondage raised an host and sent it to the aid of the Beotians by Iphicrates a yong â—…ripling not aboue xxi yeres old but of wonderfull towardnesse The prowesse of this yong man was maruelous and farre aboue his yeres For amongst all the noble and valiaunt Dukes and captains that the Atheniâ—…ns had before him there was neuer none either of greater likelihode or of more ripe towardnes theÌ„ he was In whose person wer plaÌ„ted not only the feats of cheualry which ought to be an expert graund captain but also knowledge belonging to a perfect orator Conon also hearing of the return of Agesilaus out of Asia returned himself likewise from theÌ„ce to wast the country of Lacedemon And so the 〈◊〉 being enclosed on euery side rouÌ„d about with fear of the war that continually rong in their eares wer brought to vtter despair But Conon when he had forraged the fields of his enemies made toward Athes wher being welcomed with great ioy of his country men yet notwithstanding he toke more sorow to se how his country had bene burned defaced by the Lacedemonians then plesure of the recouery of the same after so long a time Therfore such things as wer burnt down he builded a new of the spoiles of the Lacedemonians at the charges of the army of the Persians and such things as wer defaced he repaired again Suche was the desteny of AtheÌ„s that being before burned by the Persians it was repaired with the boties of the Persians and being now defaced by the Lacedemonians it was repaired with the spoiles of the Lacedemonians also euen cleane contrary to haue them now their felowes which theÌ„ were their enemies to haue them now their vttermost ennemies with whom they were then knit in most straightest bonds of league and frendship While these thinges were a doing Artaxerxes kinge of Persia sente ambassadoures into Grece commaunding all parties to cease from war who so enterprised to the coÌ„trary shuld be taken as his enemy He restored vnto the cities their liberty and all that was their own The which thing he did not so muche in regard of the continual labours daily battels of the cities for the hatred malice they bare one to another as least while he were occupied about his warres in Egipt the whyche he moued for sending aid to the Lacedemonians agaynst hys lieuetenaunts his hoste should be deteined in Grece The Grekes therfore being weried with so many battels were content to obey withal their harts
This yere was notable not only because peace was so sodenlye made throughe all Grece but also because the same time the Citye of Rome was taken by the frenchmen But the Lacedemonians being now at rest lying in await for aduaÌ„tage â—…spying the Arcadians from home surprised their castle put a garrison of their owne men therin The Arcadians therfore with the helpe of the Thebaâ—…es came into the field well armed and in good aray to recouer that that they had lost by the sword In the which conflict Archidamus captain of the Lacedemonians was wounded who seing his men beaten downe as vanquished demaunded by an heralt to haue the deade bodies of such as were slain to th entent he might bury them For this is a token amoÌ„g the Grekes of geuing the victory with the which confession the Thebanes being contented blew to the retreit pursued no further with a few daies after neither party atteÌ„pting any displesure when a man wold haue thought they had ben at a truce as it were by a secret consent and agrement amoÌ„g them selues while the Lacedemonians wer busied in other warres against their neighbors the Thebanes vnder the conduicte leading of their captain Epaminondas purposed to haue won their citie ere they wer aware of it Where vpon in the beginning of the night they setforth as closelye as they coulde deuise toward Lacedemon But yet they coulde not take them vnwares For thold men other persoÌ„s vnmeâ—…e for the wars by reson of their yeres hauing vnderstaÌ„ding ofthapproche of their enemies armed theÌ„ selues met them in the very entrance of the gates against xv M. souldiers not aboue a C. old forgrown men put theÌ„ selues to thencounter So much corage strength doth the present sight of a mannes country houshold geue a man so much doth â—…he preseÌ„ce of things geue men 〈◊〉 stomackes theÌ„ the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of theÌ„ being away For when theysaw within what â—… for what they stode at defence they determined either to win 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 die A few old men therfore helde them playe whome ere the next morning all the youth they had was not able to withstand In that battell two of the captains of their enemies were slain In the meane while word was brought that agesilaus was come where vppon the Thebanes retired and it was not longe after but they encountred againe For the yong men of Lacedemon being incensed with the prowesse and valiaÌ„t demenor of the old men could not be with held but that they would nedes try the matter immediatlye in open field when as the victory was all ready the Thebanes And Epaminondas whiles he executed the dutye and office not only of a stout captain but also of a valiaunt souldiour was greuously wounded The which thing being hard of the one party was so striken in feare and the other partye for ioy was so amazed that bothe parties as it were by a peaceable consent departed the field Within a fewe daies after Epaminondas deceased with whom the strength of the common welth decayed For in like manner as if ye break of the edge of a wepon the rest of it is able to doo no great harme euen so this Duke being dead who was as it were the edge of the common wealthe of Thebes the strengthe therof was appalled and in manner dulled in so much that they semed not so muche to haue lost him as altogether to haue died with him For neither before this Dukes time atcheued they any notable conquest nor afterwarde deserued to be spoken of for any famous attempt by them accom plished but only for the slaughters that were made of theÌ„ So that it appereth manifestly that the glory and renown of his country did bothe spring vp with him and die wyth him And a manne is not able to iudge whether he were a better captain and souldiour or a better man of his liuing For alwaies he sought preheminence to his countrye rather then to him self and he was suche a sparer of monye that be wanted wherwith to bury him according to his estate And he was euen as couetous of praise as of monye For authority and offices wer laid vpon him euen vtterly against his wil. And he behaued him self in such wise in his authority that he semed not to receiue but rather to geue honor to the same Furthermore he was so studious of lerning so instructed in the knowledge of philosophy that it was a woÌ„der to se how a maÌ„ bred brought vp in lerning shuld come by such sight experience in feats of war Neither did his death dissent from this his trade of liuing For being brought into his tent half dead when he was come to him self again had receiued his speache he demaunded this one thing of such as stode about him whether his ene mies had taken his shield from him when he was felled or no when he vnderstode it was saued he commaunded it to be broughte to him as the partaker of all his trauels and glory he kissed it Then he enquired again which parte had won the field and hearing that the Thebanes had gotteÌ„ it he said all was wel and so as it wer reioysing for his couÌ„tries sake he gaue vp the ghoste By the deathe of this man the prowesse of the Atheniens also decayed For after the time that he was once gon whose fotesteps they wer wont to fo low now geuing the selues all together to slouth idlenes they lashed out the common reuenues not vpon ships and men of warre as they had don in times past but in feastful daies and holy daies in making preparation for pagiants enterludes gathering theÌ„ selues together into the theaters to behold the famous stage players Poets visitinge oftner the stage then the campe setting more by versifiers and oratoures then by Captaines Then the common tresure wherwith men of war and mariners wer wont to be maintained began to be deuided amonge the people of the city By meanes wherof it came to passe that whyle the Greekes gaue them selues to idlenesse The name of the Macedones which before time was â—…ile and obscure sproÌ„g vp and grew to great honour that Philip who was kept iii. yeres as an hostage at Thebes being enstructed in all feates of armes and cheualry by 〈◊〉 and the Peloâ—… after his returne into his country laid the kingdoÌ„ of Macedony as a yoke of bondage vpon the neckes bothe of Grece and of â—…sia The seuenth Booke MAcedonie in auncient time was called â—…inathia after the name of emathio king of the couÌ„try who was the firste that gaue anye notable profe of his prowesse in those parts As this country encreased slowly by little and little so the boundes therof were very narowe The inhabitauntes were called Pclascians and the Country it self Bcotia But afterwarde throughe the prowesse of the kinges and industry of the people first by subduinge theyr
were they inflamed with hatred againste the Phocenses that vtterly forgetting their owne slaughters they had rather pearishe them selues then to suffer them vndestroyed and had rather to abide the cruelty of Philip which they knew all redy by experience then by anye meanes to for bear their enemies On the contrary part the 〈◊〉 wyth thambassadours of Lace and Athens besought hym that he would not make warre the whyche they hadde all ready iii. times bought of at his hand with their monye Surely it was a foule and miserable sight to behold Grece which euen yet at that time bothe in strength and dignity was princesse of the whole world alwaies a conqueresse of kinges and countries and as yet the Lady of many cities daunsing attendaunce in a forain land and there entreting for warre or peace to put her hed vnder a nother mannes girdle And that the reuengers of the whole world should be brought to that poynte through their own discorde and ciuil warres that they were glad to fawne and hang vpon their sleues who not longe before were accompted as the vilest part of their retinue and hangers on ▪ and that in espe cially to be don of the Thebanes and Lacedemonians who lately before ruled the whole rost betwixt them and now in the time that Grece bare the souerainty wer enemyes one of anothers estate Philip in the meane season for the aduauncement of his owne glory debated as concerninge the preheminence and estate of so mighty cities deuising of which he were best to make most accompt And therfore when he had seacreatly heard thambassades of both partes seuerally he promised the one to discharge them of the warres taking an othe of them not to bewray his answer to anye man On the contrary part he promised the other to come and helpe them geuing both parties straight charge and commaundemēt not to fear or prepare for any warre Through this variable answer it came to passe that while euerye man kepte him self in quiet he toke the straightes of Thermopile Then first of all the Phocenses perceiuing them selues entrapped by the pollicy of Philip fearfully tooke them to their weapons But they had no leisure either to surnish their owne battels or to send for succor to their neighbors And Philip threatned he would vtterly destroy them onlesse they yelded incontinent Being therfore ouercome with necessity they yelded them selues simply their liues only saued But euen of as muche force was this composition as was hys promise before to discharge them of the warres Therfore they were euery wher slain and spoiled The children wer not left to their parents nor the wiues to their husbands nor the Images of the Goddes in the temples One onlye comfort had this wretched people that wheras Philip defrauded his owne companions of their parte of the praye they saw nothing of theirs in their enemyes hands When he was returned into his kingdome like as Grasiers shift their cattel somtime into one layer sometime into another according as the season of the yere requireth euen so remo ued he at his owne pleasure whole countries and Cityes according as he thought the places mete to be replenished or forsaken It was a miserable sight to behold in al places and in respect euen like to a desolation For this feare was not like as when the ennemy approcheth or when men of warre run vp and downe a Citye or when two hostes encounter vielently in the fielde nor when men are slaine in the stretes their goods taken away perforce but a secret sorow mourning fearing leaste euen their forced teares shuld be taken for contimacy the grief encresed by the cloking therof so much the depelier persing the hart as it had lesse liberty to vtter it selfe Somtime they considered the sepulchres of their ancestors somtime their old housholde gods somtime the houses wher they were begotten had begotten children them selues Bewailing eft their owne case in that they had liued to that day eft the state of their children y ◠it had not bene their fortune to be borne after y e time Some people he placed in the vtmost boundes of his kingdom euen in his enemies mouthes other he set in the furthermost borders of all his realme other some that wer mete for the warres he put in garrison in cities as nede required And so of many kindes of people manye nations he made one entire kingdom one people The affaires of Macedonie being set at a stay through fraud pollicy he toke the chief of the Dardamans other borders and subdued their coūtries Nether withheld he his hand frō his own kinred For he determined to put Arymba king of Epyrus his wife Olympias neare kinsman from his royalty And thervpon he sent for Alexander his sonne in law brother of his wife Olympias a boy of excellent beuty in his sisters name to com vnto him into Macedonie And ther by al meanes possible ha uing entised him with hope of the kingdom vnder pretens of counterfet loue abused him in most filthy buggery thin king that either shame and remorse of his own conscience or elsse the making of him king should cause him to be the more at his commaundement Therefore when the chylde was come to xx yeres of age he toke the kingdom from Arymba and gaue it to him being a very boy playinge a wicked part with them bothe For neither delt he like a natural kinsman with him from whome he toke the kingdome and him to whome he gaue it he made a harlot before he made him king The ninthe Booke VUhen Philip was come into Grece allured with the sacking of a few cities the spoil of a few smal townes ther vpō gathering in his minde how great wer the richesse of them all he determined to make warre against all Grece To the furtherance wherof he thought it wold greatlye aduauntage him if he myghte bring in his subiection the noble hauen town of Byzance as a refuge for his hostes both by-sea lād The same because they shut their gates against him he besieged This Citye was builded at the first by Pansanias kinge of the Spartanes by him was possessed by the space of vii yeres ▪ Afterward as victory enclined to either part it belonged eft to the Lacedemonians and eft to the Atheniens The which vncertain possession made it to stand stiflye in the defence of her own liberty forasmuch as neither partye succored or rescued it as their owne Phillip therfore hauing spent his treasure with the long continuaunce of his siege made a shifte to get mony by rouing on the Lea. And hauing taken lxr shippes laden with marchaundise he refreshed his gready necessity for a while Furthermore because so great an army shoulde not be deteined aboute the siege of one city he went with a nomber of the stoutest of his souldioures and wan manye cities of Chersonesus Moreouer he sente for hys
sonne Alexander of the age of xviii yeares to the entent he mighte trade him vp in the warres vnder him He made a rode into Scythia also to fetch some boty from thence enten ding after the manner of merchantmen to bear out y â— char ges of one war to the gain of another The same time was king of the Scythians Matthey who being ouercharged with the warres of y â— Istrias desired help of Philip by y e Apollonienâ—…s promising him to adopt him to be the king of Scythia But in the meane season the king of the Istriâ—…es departyng oute of this life deliuered the Scythians bothe from feare of battel and from neade of help Matthey therfore â—…ending y e Macedones home again willed them to bear word to their master that he neither requested him of succoure nor yet gaue the Apollonienses commission to adopte him For neyther had the Scythians neade of the reskues of the Macedones seinge they were better men then they were and as for heir he wanted none nor none wold adopt as longe as he had a sonne of his owne in health Upon the receyte of this message Philip sent ambassadours to kinge Matthey requiring somwhat towarde the charges of his siege least he be constrained through pouerty to breake vp his camp To the which request he ought of reason so much the willinglier to condescend in that he did not allowe the souldiers that he sent to his aid so much as their costes and spendinge monye by the waye nor gaue them any rewarde for their trauel and paines taking Matthey alledging for hys excuse that his countrye was so vnmercifullye colde and so barrain that no Scythian had any patrimonye to enryche him no nor skarse wherwith to finde him meat and drink aunswered that he had no richesse wherwith to satisfye so great a king and therfore he thought it a greater dishonor to reward him with to little then to geue him nothinge at all For the Scythians were estemed according to the courage of the minde and hardinesse of the bodye and not according to their substaunce Philip seing him selfe skorned in this wise brake vp his siege at Byzance bent his whole power againste Scâ—…thia And for beâ—…ause he woulde make them the more carelesse he sent his ambassadoures before him to declare vnto kinge Matthey that while he besieged Byzance he vowed an Image vnto Hercules the whych he was coÌ„ming to erect in the mouth of the riuer of Danow desiringe to haue peaceable accesse to the performaunce of his vow to God warde for he would not come otherwyse then as a frend to the Scythians The king sent him word that if he wold performè his vow he shuld send him the Image promising that it shoulde not onlye be set vp but al so should remaine and stand safe and vnuiolated But as to suffer any army to come within his borders that he denied vtterly And if he woulde attempte to place the Image whether the Scythians would or no he should not be so sone gone but he woulde pull it downe againe and tourne the brasse of it into spear heads and arowe heads The mindes of bothe parties being in this wise stirred they encountred in open fielde The Scythians wheras they were of greater power and mo in nomber were neuerthelesse by the pollicy of Phillip ouercome Twenty thousande women children were taken prisoners and a great booty of cattel but of golde and siluer nothing at al which was a sufficient triall and profe of the pouerty of the Scythians Twenty M. fayre Mares were sent into Macedone to brede But as Philip returned out of Scytbia the Tribals met him by the way denying him passage through their couÌ„try onlesse he wold geue them part of his boty Herevpon they fel to wordes and sone after to hand strokes In the which skirmish Philip was so sore wounded in the thighe that hys horse was slain vnder him and he left for dead by meanes wherof y â— boty was lost So the boty of Scythia being as it were forespoken had like to haue tourned the Macedones to greate sorowe Yet notwithstandinge assone as he was recouered of his wound he made warre against the Atheniens y â— which he hadde so longe time before dissembled Whose parte the Thebanes toke for fear least if the Atheniens were ouercome the brunt of the warre lyke as when one neighbors house is on fire should ensue vpon them A league therfore being taken betwene these two cities which a little before were at most mortal hatred they sent ambassade vpon am bassade ouer all Grece perswading that the common enemy ought to be remoued by the common force of the country For if Philip shuld happen to spede wel at the first He would neuer cease vntill he had subdued all Grece Some being moued herewith ioyned theÌ„ selues to thattheniens other some for fear of the war toke part with Phillip WheÌ„ it came to thenâ—…ounter Although the Atheniens were far mo in nomber then their ennemies yet not withstandinge the Macedones were so hardened with continual warsare that they put them to the worse Howe be it they died not vnmindfull of their auncient glorye For looke what place euery man tooke of his Captaine to kepe the same beynge first wounded in diuers places of his foreparte he couered with his carkase when he died This daye ended the renown of the Empire and the auncient liberty of al Grece The ioy of this victory was pollitikelye cloked and dissembled For that daye Phillip made not sacrifice as he â—…as as wont to doo he laughed not at the table he would not suffer any enterludes at his banket he ware no Crowne nor anoynted him selfe with swete oyntmentes and as muche as lay in his power he so vsed the victory that no maÌ„ could perceiue by him that he had won the victory Moreouer he would not suffer him self to be called the king but the captain of Grece And so through his secret reioysâ—…ng with him self he so mitigated the sorow of his enemies that it semed not that he either bosted him self among his owne men or proudly reioysed at the ouerthrow of his ennemies For as touching the Atheniens whom he had tried to be his most vtter enemies he let go their prisoners skotfre and deliuered the bodies of such as were stain to be buried and of hys own accord erhorted them to carye home their bones and bestow them in the sepulchres of their ancestors Besides all this he sent his sonne Alexander with his frend Antipater to Athens to conclude a smal peace and frendship with them But as concerninge the Thebanes he did not onlye put their prisoners to raunsome but also made them paye for the burying of their dead men The princes of the city some he beheaded some he banished and the goods of them all he toke by force suche as had beene wrongfullye driuen out of their country he called home
sonne in law of antipater whome he had left his vicegerent in Macedone went about to worke treson against him For which cause fearing that if he should put him to death there wold rise summe commotion in Macedone he put hym in safekeping This doone he marched towarde the citye Gordis the which is situate betwene the greater and the lesser Phrygia The desire that Alexander had to get this city into his possession was not so muche for the spoyle of it as for because he hard say that in that City in the temple of Jupiter was the yoke of Gordius waine the knot wherof whosoeuer could vndoo should be king of all Asia as the auncient Oracles had prophesyed The occasion and originall hereof was this As one Gordius was going to plough in the country with Oxen that he had hired birdes of all sorts began to flie about him Whervppon as he went to aske counsell of the Southsayers of the city therby in the gate he mette with a maid of excellent beautye and demaundynge of her what Southsayer he were best to goo to When she heard thoccasion wherfore he woulde aske counsell beinge seene her selfe in the science by thenstruction of her Father and mother she answered that it meaned he should be a kinge and there vpon offred her selfe to be his partaker bothe of wedlock and of the kingdom y â— was behighted He thought himself happy to haue suche a faire offer at the first entrye of his kingdome After the marriage the Phrygians fell at discord among them selues And when they asked counsell of the Oracle how they mighte bringe it to an end answer was made that they could not end their controuersies with out the healpe of a king Demaunding again as touchinge the person of their king what manner of man he should be commaundement was geuen them to marke whom they saw first after their returne ridinge into the temple of Iupiter in a cart and to take him for their king The first man that they met was this gordius where vppon immediatlye they saluted him by the name of king The cart whâ—…rin he rode when the kingdome was laid vppon him he set in the temple of Iupiter and consecrated it for an offeringe as kinges are wont to doo at their coronation After this man raigned his sonne Midas who being traded vp by Orpheus in manye superstitious Ceremonies filled all the realme full of sectes of religion by the whyche he liued more in safegarde all his life then by his chiualry Alexander therfore hauinge taken the Towne when he came into the temple of Iupiter immediatlye enquired for the yoke of the Waine the whiche being broughte before him when he sawe he coulde not finde the end of the thonges that wer bidden within the wrethes constraining the Oracle to the vttermooste he cutte the wrethes a sonder with a sworde and so when he had losed the wreathes he found the endes of the knottes wythin the braides As he was a doing this tidinges was broughte him that Darius approched with a great hoast of men Whervpon fearyng to be enclosed within the straightes he passed the mountaine Taurus with all spede possible in the whiche haste he ran CCCCC furlonges When he came to Tarsus beinge muche delighted wyth the plesantnes of the riuer Cydnus which runneth through the mids of the city he cast of his harnesse and full of duste and â—…wet as he was threw him self naked into the cold wa ter wherwithall suche a nomnesse and stifnesse by and by strake through all his finewes that he lost his speche in so much that men thought he should not only neuer recouer it but also loked he shuld haue died presently Onlye there was one of his Phisitians named Philip which wold take vpon him to warrant to make him whole again And yet the same Phisition was had in great mistrust by reason of the letters sent the daye before oute of Cappadocia from Parmenio Who knowing nothing of Alexanders mischaunce wrote vnto him to beware of Philip the Phisition for he was corrupted by Darius for a great summe of mony Yet notwithstanding he thought it more for his safegard to coÌ„mit himself to the phisition though he more then halfe suspected him of treason then to abide the daunger of his disease wherof ther was no way but death Therfore be toke the drinke that the Phisition had made him and deliuered him the letter and as he drank he beheld his face stedfastly to se what countenance he wold make at the reding of it When he sawe him vnabashed he was glad of it and the iiii day after recouered his healthe Darius therfore wyth CCC M. fotemen and a C. M. horsmen proceded into battel This huge nomber of his enemies somwhat moued Alexander when he beheld howe fewe in respect he had hym self But then again he called to minde what great enterprises he had atcheued how mighty countries he had sub dued with that smal nomber Wherfore when hope had ex pulsed fear he thought it daungerous to delay the battell And to th entent his men shuld not be discoraged he rode a bout from band to band with sondry orations spake vnto eche kinde of people He encoraged the Illirians 〈◊〉 with promesse of richesse and substance The Grecians he set on fire with putting theÌ„ in mind of their batels in time past of the continual hatred that they had with the Persi sians The Macedones he admonished of Europe by theÌ„ all redy coÌ„quered of Asia now chalenged bosting of theÌ„ that there wer not y â— like men of power strength as they wer in al y â— world Of al which their trauels this battell should be y â— final end to their high renown estimatioÌ„ As he had said these words he coÌ„mauÌ„ded his battels to staÌ„d stil again to th entent y e by this pausing they might enure theÌ„ selues to behold y â— huge noÌ„ber of their enemies with opeÌ„ eies Da rius also was not behinde the haÌ„d in ordring of his battels For wheras it beloÌ„ged to the duty of his captains to haue don it he weÌ„t himself in proper person froÌ„ rank to raÌ„k exhorting theÌ„ al to play the men putting the in remeÌ„braÌ„ce of thanciet renown of the PersiaÌ„s of the perpetual possession of thempire geuen theÌ„ by the gods immortal This don both tharmies with great corage buckled together In the which battell both kings wer wouÌ„ded the victory huÌ„g in doutful balaÌ„ce so loÌ„g vntil Darius forsoke the field Then ensued the slaughter of y â— Persians ther were slain of fotemeÌ„ lx one M. of horsmen x. M. and xl M. wer taken prysoners Of the Macedones wer killed a C. xxx fotemen a C. l. horsmen In the teÌ„ts of the Persians was fouÌ„d much gold other riches AmoÌ„g others wer takeÌ„ prisoners Dari us mother his wife which also was his sister and ii of hys daughters WhoÌ„ when
among them as concerninge the actes of kinge Philip he began to prefer hym self before his father extolling the greatnesse of hys owne dedes aboue the skies where vnto the greater parte of his gestes assented Therfore when Clytus one of the old men vpon trust of the kinges frendship as one that in that respect was the chiefest about him toke vpon him to defende the fame and renowne of Phillip standing in the prayse of his noble actes he offended the kinge so sore that he snatched a weapon out of one of his gardes hand and slue hym at the table At the which murther trimling he cast him in the teth as he laye deade with his defendinge of Phillip and wyth the praise and commendation of his fathers warres But after his minde beinge satisfied with the slaughter began to quiet it selfe in steade of anger entred aduisemente and considering sometime whome he had slaine and sometime vpon what occasion he slue him he began to repent him of that he had doone that he had taken his fathers prayses in suche displesure as he ought not to haue taken reprochfull wordes lamenting that he should be so much ouersene as to kil his frend being an old mā and hauing not trespassed against him as he was making mery Thervppon beynge turned with like rage to repentaunce as he was cuē now vnto anger he wished himself out of the world First he fel a weping then he toke vp the dead body in his armes searched his woundes confessed his madnesse to him as if he coulde haue hearde him pulled out the weapon setting it to his owne harte and had slaine him selfe if his frendes had not wrasted the weapon out of his hande He continued in this wilfuluesse to die certain daies after For the more to augment his sorow and repentans came to his minde the remembraunce of Clytus sister who was his nourse of whom allbeit she was not there yet was he moost ashamed in himself that he had so shamefully rewar ded her for noursing of him as now being man grown and a conqueror to present her that had borne him in her armes all the time that he was a childe with the corse of her brother in recompence of her good turnes Moreouer he thought with himselfe what tales and slaunders he had raised of himself in his armye and amonge the nations that he had conquered what a fear and secreat hatred toward himself he had striken into the harts of his other frends how bitter and lothsom he had made his own table being not so terrible armed in the field as sitting naked at his meate Then came to his remembraunce Parmenio and Phylotas then came Amyntas his Sisters sonne then came his mother in lawe and her brothers that were put to death then came attalus Eury◅ochus pansanias and other noble men of Macedone whose liues he had taken away Herevpon he obstinatlye forsoke his meate iiii daies together vntil his whole host came and intreted him beseching that he would not so lament the death of one man as ther by to cast them all away hauing broughte them to the vttermoste of the barbarous nations there to be lefte destitute among the middes of their enemies that moste hated them and whome they had stirred thervnto by battell Greatly herevnto profited the intretaunce and perswasion of the Philosopher Callysthenes who had ben familier with him when they were both scholers vnder Aristotle and as then lately sent for to put his actes in wrytinge Therfore when he had set his minde againe to the warres he receyued the Chorasmians and Dracans by composition Afterward to th entent all thinges should be more spiteful the whiche one poynte of statelinesse taken of the custome of the Persians he had hitherto delayed he gaue commaundemente they should no more salute him but adore him Callysthenes was one of them that stoode sti◅iest againste his purpose The which thing was the confusion of himselfe and of many of the noble men of Macedone For vnder the colour of treson they wer all put to death Neuerthelesse the Macedones held stil their custom of saluting their kings vtterly casting away reiecting the manner of adoring After this he marched toward Inde to th entent he might bound hys Empire at the Ocean sea thuttermost parte of the East To the which renown y ◠thornaments of his army myght be agreable he ouerlaid the trappers of the horses tharmor of his soldiers with siluer after their siluer shieldes he named his whole hoste argyraspides When he cam to the City Nisa for as muche as the men of the towne vppon a certain superstitious confidens that they had in their God Bacchus who was the founder therof made no coūtenans of resistence he cōmaunded his men should do no harme to it greatly reioysing that he had not only folowed y ◠warres but also the verye fotesteppes of the God From ◅ence he led his host to see the holy Mount the which of it owne nature was beset with vines and Iuye in suche order as if it had bene dressed with mannes hande and set by conning of workmen Assone as his host came at the mountain beinge moued through a sodain instinct of the minde to the hollye howlings of the God they skattered here and there without any harm taking to the great admiration of the king Wherby he might perceiue that in sparing the town◅mē he did his own army as great plesure as he did them Thē went he to Daedalus hils and to the kingdom of Quene Cleo phis who yelding her selfe receiued her kingdome againe paying for the raunsome therof certaine nightes lodgynge with Alexander at whose hand she obtained throughe her pleasaunt daliaunce and enticements the thing she coulde neuer haue gotten by force of armes The sonne that she conceiued by him she named Alexander who afterwarde enioyed the kingdom of Inde Cleophis the Quene for defiling of her chastitye was euer after called of the Indians the kinges Concubine When he had trauelled throughe Inde he came to a rocke os meruelous bignesse and rough nesse into the which many people wer fled from winning wherof it was told him that Hercules was prohibited by an earthquake Being therfore inflamed with desire to sur mount the doings of Hercules with great labor and peril he obtained the rock Whervpon al the people roūd about yelded them selues vnto him whome he tooke vnto grace There was one of the kynges of Inde whose name was Porus a man of meruelous strength of body and of wonderfull stoutnesse of stomacke who hearinge of the fame of Alexander prepared for the Warre agaynste hys comminge Therfore when it came to the encounter he willed his men to set vppon the Macedones and to let him alone with their kinge for he woulde fight hande to hande wyth him himself And Alexander made no tariance to the combate But at the firste encounter his horse beinge wounded vnder him he
in armour in the field by the consente of them all he called certaine seditious personnes oute of euerye bande and caused them priuelye to be put to death The whiche done he returned againe and deuided the prouinces amonge the princes to the entent he myght send out of the way suche as wer his backe frendes and al so make them all to thinke that it was throughe hys goodnesse that they obtained suche authority First of all Egipt with a part of Affricke and Arabie fell by lot vnto Ptolomy whome Alexander for his manhode and valia◅tnesse had promoted from a raskall souldioure And to pntte him in his office was appoynted Cleomenes which builded Alexandria The next prouince adioyninge thervnto which was Syria was cōmitted to Laomedō of Mytilene Phylotas his son toke Cylicia Sclauonie Ouer the greater Media was made ruler Acr◅pat ouer the lesser Alcet the brother of Perdicas The country of Susa nie was assigned to Syno the greater Phrygia vnto Antigonus the son of Philip Learchus chaunced by lot vpon Lycia and Pamphylia Cassander vpon Caria and Menan der vpon Lydia Unto Leonatus happened the lesser Phri gia vnto Lysymachus Thrace the countries bordering vpon y ◠sea of Pontus Cappadocia with Paphlagonia wer geuen vnto Emnenes The marshalship of the campe fortuned to Seleuchus the sonne of Antiochus Cassander the sonne of Antipater was made captain of the kings garde In the further Bactria and in the countries of Indie the former lieuetenants wer cōmaunded to kepe their offices stil sauing that Taxilles had the gouernaunce of all y ◠lays betwene the two riuers of Hydaspes and Indus And that Phyton the son of Agenar was sent to haue the rule of the new townes that were builded in Indie Ariarches tooke vpon him the gouernment of the Parapomenians people that inhabite the vttermost parts of the mountain Cancasus Statener toke to gouern the Dracans and Argeans Amyntas the Bactrians Scythens obtained the Sogd◅ās Nicanor the Parthians Phillip the Hyrcanians Phrataphernes the Armenians Neoptolemus the Persians Pēcestes the Babylonians Arthius the Pelasgians and Archesilaus Mesapotamia This pertition like as it chaunced to euery one of them as his fatall charge so was it vnto ma nye of them the grounde and foundation of their encreasement and prosperity For ere it was any longe time after as though they hadde deuided kingdomes and not lieuetenauntships so being made kings of lieuetenaūts they not only got greate richesse to them selues but also lefte them to their posterity While these things were a doing in the Ea◅te the Atheniens and the Aetolians renued y ◠warres in Grece withall the power they wer able to make which they had all redy begon while Alexander was aliue The occasion of this warre was because that Alexander at hys retourne from Inde wrote his letters into Grece by the whiche all suche as were banished out of their natiue coun tries of what city so euer they were suche as were attainted of murder onlye excepted were restored to their countries againe The which being openly red in the presens of all Grece at the marte of Olympus caused much busines because that diuers of them were banished not by order of law but through discord and partaking of the princes fearing y ◠if they shuld be reuoked again they might bear grea ter sway autority in the common welth thē they Whervpon euen then many cities murmured saying opely that it wer mete to set them selues at liberty by the sword But the chefe doers and ringleaders in this quarell wer the Atheniens and the actolians Wherof assone as alexander had knowledge he enioyned his confederates to finde hym a thousande gallies to make warre withall in the West pur posing by the way to make a rhode againste athens and to destroy it vtterly The atheniens therfore hauinge raysed an army of thirty thousande souldiers two hūdred ships made warre with Antipater to whome the gouernmente of Grece fel by lot whom for as much as he durst not geue them battel in the field but kept himself within the walles of the city Hiraclea they besieged The very same time De mosthenes the orator of athens who beinge before banished his country for his offence in taking a bribe of Harpa lus that fled for fear of alexanders crueltye because he had moued the city to warre againste him by chaunce liued as an outlaw at Megara hearing that the atheniens had sent Hyperides of ambassade to moue the Pelopomiesians to take their part in these warres folowed him and with hys eloquens perswaded Sycion argos and Corinthe and all the other cities to ioyne them selues with the atheniens For the which his doing the Atheniens sent a ship for him and called him home out of exile In the meane season at the siege of Antipater Leosthenes captaine of the Atheniens was slaine wyth a Darte throwne at him from the wall as he passed by The which thinge gaue suche encouragemente to Antipater that he burste open his barriers and aduenture into the Trenche of his enemies Neuerthelesse he was fain to send his messengers to Leonatus for succour The Atheniens hearing that he was comminge towarde them with an hoste went to meete him in order of battell where amonge the horsemen he receiued so sore a wounde that he died for thwyth Antipater allbeit he sawe his reskowes put to flyghte yet notwithstanding he was gladde that Leonatus was dead For by meanes therof he was bothe rid of a backe frende and also encreased in strengthe by attaininge of his hoste Therfore assone as he had receiued his armye being nowe able to matche with his ennemies in plaine field they raised their siege and he departed into Macedone The Grekishe hoste also hauinge driuen the enemy oute of the borders of Grece went home euerye man to his owne citye In the meane while Perdicas making warre againste the innocent Ariarathes king of Cappadocia and gettinge the vpper hand in the field won nothing therby but woundes and pearils For his enemies retiring out of the battel into the city slue their wiues and children and set their houses and all that euer they had on fire Moreouer when they had throwen there into all theyr richesse they caste them selues also hedlong after them to the entent their enemy hauing gotten the victory shoulde enioy nothing of theirs more then the beholdyng of y ◠fire After this to th entent that to thestablishment of his strēgth he might get himself thautority of a king he entended to mary Cleopatra the sister of great Alexander and some time the wife of the other Alexander not without the con sent of her mother Olympias But first of al he coueted to surprise antipater vnder pretence of ioyninge aliaunce with him And therfore he pretended to desire his Daughter in mariage to th entent he might the more easly obtain a sup plement of yong souldiers oute of
newes of it might cause them to take the matter worse then it was in deede or the straungenesse therof discourage their harts And also to the entent to try whether their mindes were bent any thing against him or no enteÌ„ding to take councel by thaduise of them all Neuerthelesse boldly protesting amonge them that if anye mannes harte failed him he shuld haue licence to depart with the which word he allured them all to fauor his procedings that they all bad him be of good comforte promisinge to repeale the decrees of the Macedones by force of armes Then remoued he with his hoste into Actolia where he raised a taxe of the cities and suche as refused to bestow it vpon hym he sacked like an ennemy From thence he went to Sardis to Cleopatra the sister of great Alexander to the entent that by her wordes the captaines and chiefe officers mighte be the more strengthened to stande in his quarel For he was of that opinion that the maiestye and fortune of the kyngdome should turne vnto that side that the sister of Alexander held with So muche reuerence was attributed to the greatnesse of Alexander that men soughte for the fauor of his sacred and renowned name euen by the fotesteppes of women When he was returned into his tente ther wer letters found strawed throughe all the campe wherin were promised greate rewardes to him that would bring Emnenes â—…ed vnto Antigonus Emnenes hauing knowledge hereof sommoned his souldiers before him first of all gaue them thankes that there were none of them founde that preferred the hope of a bloudy reward before his faithful oth and fidelity Afterward he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vp the matter saying that those letters wer 〈◊〉 by himself to try his soldiers mindes withall and â—…at it lay in all their handes to saue him or cast him a way neuer thelesse y â— nether antigouus nor any other of the captains coueted to get the vpperhaÌ„d in suche sort as therby to geue wicked ensample to others to doo the like by him By this dede he bothe strengthened the wauering mindes of hâ—…s souldiers for the present time and prouided before hande that if the like chaunce shoulde happen hereafter his souldioures should not thincke them selues to be corrupted by their ennemye but rather tried what they would doo by their captaine Euery man theresore stroue who might be most for his security safegarde In the meane season came antigonus against them with hys boste and reastinge himselfe in his campe for that nyghte brought forthe his men in battell raye the next morninge Neither did Emâ—…eties detract the encounter who being put to the worfe fled into a certaine strong holde Where perceiuing that he was driuen to abide thee aduenture of the siege he dismissed the greater parte of his army for doubt leaste by the consent of suche a multitude he mighte be betrayed to his ennemye or elsse be pestered with the noumber of men and so not be able to holde out the siege Then sent he ambassadoures humbly to Antipater who only semed of power able to matche Antigonus Antigonus hearinge that Antipater had sent to reskue Emnenes brake vp his siege and went his waye Thus was Emnenes deliuered from feare of deathe for a while but it was not for him to hope to continue longe in safetye seing he had sent awaye his men of warre Therefore when he had loked wel aboute him he thought it best for him to resorte to the Argiraspides that inuincible host of great Alexander glistering with the renowme of so many victories But the argiraspides after that Alexander was ones gone disdained all captaines thinckinge them selues dishonoured to serue vnder any other considerynge vnder what a prince they had serued so late before Emnenes therfore entreated them with faire wordes and spake gently to euery of them calling them somtimes his fellowes and companions in armes sometimes his patrones and defendoures other whiles his partakers of all daungerous attemptes and enterprises in the Easte and other whiles the only refuge and staye of his life and safegard boastinge that they onlye were those by whose puissaunce the East was subdued which alonely had surmâ—…un ted the warfare of liber pater and the monumentes of Hercules that by them Alexander was made greate by them he obtained to deuine honoures and immortall glory beseching them to receiue him amongst them not so muche for a captain as for oâ—…e of their felowes and that they would geue him leaue to be as it were one of their bodye Beyng vpon this condition enterteined by litle and litle first with admonishing euery man apart and afterward with gentle correcting suche thinges as were doone amisse he vsurped authority ouer them Nothing could be done in the campe without him nothing could be attempted withoute his aduice At the lengthe when it was tolde him that antigonus came against him with an army he compelled them to put them selues in order of battell there whiles they disdained to be ruled by their captaine by force of their ennemies they were ouercome In that battell they lost not onlye all their glory and renowne won in so manye battels before but also their wiues and children and all the goodes they had gotten in so long continued warre so far from home Emnenes thauthor of this their losse and discomfiture hauing none other comfort or refuge to flie vnto began to en courage them when they were vanquished affirming that they wer superior as touching their prowesse puissance For they had slaine fiue thousand of their enuemies and iâ—… they were minded to sticke to it to the vttermooste they should see their ennemies be faine to sue to them for peace As for the losses and domage wherby they thoughte them selues so much vndone were but two thousand women a few children and bondmen the which they might better recouer by getting the victory then by forsaking the victorye for wante of courage The Argyraspides made aunswer they would neither attempt to run away with the losse of their wiues and bedfellowes â–ª nor yet make warre agaynst their own children And with that they beganne to reuile him in that after so many yeres when they wer returned home with their wages whiche they had well and dearlye earned and with the rewardes of so many battels being at rest and hauing geuen ouer the warrs he had egged them forth to a newe warfare and endlesse encounters and leadinge them in manner from their houses and natiue country had deluded them with his vaine promises yea now also after they had lost the gaines of their prosperous warfare could not be content to suffer them beinge thus vanquished to lead the rest of their wretched olde age in quietuesse Here vppon without knowledge of their captaynes they sent messengers to antigonus forthwith desiringe restitution of their goodes He sent them word again he would restore euery whit so that they would yeld Emnenes
his person that in hautinesse of courage in knowledge of Philosophy and in strength of body he farre excelled all them by whome the Easte was conquered For when Alexander the greate being very fore moued to anger against Callysthenes the Philosopher for speaking agaynste the adoring of him after the manner of the Persians had appeached the said Callysthenes of treason and there vpon cruelly mangled him by cuttinge of his eares hys nose his liâ—…pes that all menne pitied and lamented to behold howe miserablye he was handled and moreouer caried him about with him shutte vp with a dogge in a cage to the terrible ensample of all other Then Lysimachus who was wont euer before to hear Callysthenes and to receiue enstructions of vertue at his hand taking pity and compassion to see so worthye a manne punished not for anye fault but for vsinge his libertye in speakinge gaue hym poyson to ridde him out of his calamities Wherwith Alexander was so sore agreued that he commaunded hym to be cast vnto a fierce Lion But when the Lion at the first sight of him came running with open mouthe vpon him Lysimachus wineding his arme in a Towell thruste his hand into the Lyons mouth and pulling out his tong killed the beast The which thing when it was declared to the kyng he thought it such a wonder that he was appeased towardes him and euer after sette more store by him for his so great stedfastnesse in vertue Lysimachus also with a noble courage toke the despight that the kynge had doone to him as mekely as if it had bene done by his owne father Finally putting quite oute of his minde the rememberaunce of this displeasure Afterwarde in Inde as the kyng pursued certaine of his ennemies that were dispersed when he hadde throughe the swiftnesse of hys horse lost the companye of all his gard This Lysimachus alone ran foote by foote with him and kepte him company by his horse side through vnmeasurable fieldes of dry sande The whiche thinge his brother Philippe attempting before to haue doone died betweene the Kynges handes But as Alexander alyghted from his horse hee wounded Lysimachus so sore in the fooreheade wyth the poynt of his speare that the bloude coulde not otherwise be stopped but that to bynde vp the wound wythall the kyng was fain to take the Drademe from hys own hed and set it vpon his the which was then firste of all a fortunate fortoken that Lysimachus should after aspire to the estate of a kinge And after the death of Alexander when the prouinces were deuided among his successoures the cruellest natyons were assigned to Lysimachus as to the valiantest person of all others for farre did he by the consent of al men excede all the residue in manhoode and prowesse Before the battell shoulde be foughte betwene Ptolomy and hys adherentes against Antâ—…onus Seleuchus departing sodenly out of the greater Asia became a new ennemye vnto antigonus This mannes prowesse also was notable and his begetting wonderfull For his mother Laodice beinge maried to Antiochus a noble manne among the captaynes of king Philip dreamed in her sleepe that she conceyued and was greate with childe by apollo and that in recom pence for lying with him the God gaue her a Kynge in the stone wherof was engraued the lykenesse of an Aâ—…ker commaundinge her to geue it to her sonne whome she should bryng forth This vision was wonderful both for the ringe of the same engrauinge that was feunde in her bedde the next morning and for the figure of the anker which was founde in the thighe of Seleuchus beinge a little Babe when he was newly borne and so continued and grewe with him Wherfore Laodice when Seleucus should go with great Alexander to the warfare agaynste the Persians enforming him of the maner of his begetting gaue him the ringe Wheras after the deathe of Alexander obtaining the Empire of the East he builded a City and there consecrated the memoriall of the original of the stone For he both called the Citye Antioche after the name of hys father and also dedicated the fieldes about the city to Apollo The token of his begettinge remained also with his posterity For his children and childrens children had an Anker in their thigh as a naturall marke of their linage He made many battels in the Eastafter the deuision of the kingdome of Macedone amonge the pieres of the realme First he toke Babilon by force then being encrease din power by reason of that victory he conquered the Bactrians Afterwarde he made an enteraunce into Inde whiche after the deathe of Alexander hauing as it were caste of the yoke of bondage from their neckes had slaine all his lieuetenauntes The author of this libertye was one Sondrocotte but after the victorye he turned this pretence of libertye into seruitude For by vsurping vppon him the kingdome he oppressed wyth hys owne tiranny the people whome he had deliuered from foraine subiection This man was borne of lowâ—…degree but driuen to take the kingdom vpon him by the present aid of God For when he had vpon a time offended Alexander with his malapertnesse and that the king had com maunded him to be put to death he saued his life by swift nesse of his fete After the which being very wearye and lying fast a sleepe A Lyon of maruelous hugenesse came to him as he slept â–ª and with his tounge licked of the swet that issued from him and when he awaked went gentlye away Bâ—…ing by this wonderfull foretoken firste moued to hâ—…pe of the kingdome he gathered together anoâ—…ber of robbers and stirred the Indians â–ª to rebellyon Afterward as he was makinge preparation for the warres against â–ª Alexanders lieuetenaunts a wylde Elephant of maruelous bignesse offred hymselfe to him of hys owne accord and as though he had bene tame mekely receyued hym vppon hys backe â–ª and he became a valiaunt captain and a notable warryoâ—…re Sandrocotte hauynge thus gotten the kyngdome the verye same time that Seleucus layed the foundation of the greatnesse that he after grew vnto held all Inde â–ª with whome Seleucus enteryâ—…ge a league and hauing set his affaires at a stay in the Easte came to the warres set against Antigonus The armyes therfore of the confederates beinge assembled together there was a field fought In the whyche Antigonus was slayne â–ª and hys sonne Demetrius put to flyghte But the confederates after they had by battell dispatched theyr â–ª enemies fell together by the eares againe amonge them selues and for because they could not agree in parting of the pray they sundred them selues into two partes Seleucus ioyned himselfe with Demetrius and Ptolomy with Lisimachus Cassander being deceased his sonne Philippe succeded him And so new warres sprong vp a fresh agayn in Macedone ¶ The. xvi Booke AFter the deathe of Cassander and hys sonne Philip one immediatly ensuinge the other Thessalonice the Quene and wife
weale And like as Pyrrhus fyrste gaue the people their dwelling so Arymba brought them first to the trade of ciuil ordinaunce and liuing This mannes sonne was Neoptolemus who did beget Olympias the mother of great Alexander and Alexander that after hys decease enioyed the kingdome of Cpyre and dyed in the warres of Italy among the Brutians After his departure his brother Aeacides succeaded in the kingdome who by wearying his subiectes with daily and continuall war againste the Macedones gate â—…uche a displesure among them that they banished him y e reaâ—…me leauing behinde him in the kingdome a childe of 〈◊〉 yeres old called Pyrrhus who being sought for also by the people to be put to death for y â— hatred they bare to his father was priuely conueyed awaye and borne into Illyria and deliuered vnto Beroe the wife of king Glaucia to be kept vp the which Beroe also was extract of the house of Aeacus There the kinge whether it were that he pityed hys misfortune or that he weâ—… allured with his childish flateringes did defend him a great while againste Cassander king of Macedone demaunding him with great threats that he would make sharpe warres vppon him onlesse he deliuered him and besides this protection of him he also adopted him to be his sonne With the which thinges the Cpyrotes being moued tourninge their hatred into compassyon called him into the realme againe beinge of the age of eleuen yeres appoynting protectoures to haue the ouersight and gouernment of him and his kingdom vntill he came to mannes estate Afterwarde when he was ones past childhode he sought manye battels he began to be counted of suche power wisdome and pollicye that men thoughte no man able to maintain the Tarentines against the Romaines but only him The. xviii Booke PIrrhus king of Epyre therfore when as the Tarentines had sent their ambassadors to him the second time and that the Samuits Lucanes who al so had then neade of aide againste the Romaines made earnest sute and request vnto him for succor not so much moued with the entretance of his suters as induced with hope to inuade the Empire of Italy promised to come with an armye Unto the whiche thing after that his minde was ones enclined the examples of his auncestoures draue him hedlonges forwardes to the entent he wold not seme inferior to his vncle Alexander who hadde defended the sayde Tarentines agaynste the Brutians or to be of lesse courage then great Alexander who hadde made warre so sarre from his owne countrye and subdued the East Where vppon leauinge his sonne Ptolomy of the age of xv yeres as regent of his kingdome he landed his armye in the hauen of Tarent leadynge with him hys two yonger sonnes Helen and Alexander to beare him company in his farre expedition Of whose arriuall the Romaine consull Valerius Leunius hearing making haste to encounter with him before the aides of his confederates were assembled broughte hys men into the field neither did the king although he had nothing so many men of warre as his ennemies detracte the encounter But where as the Romaines had gotten the vpper hand and were at the poynt to haue putte hym to flight he constrained them at the vglye shape of the Elephants first to stande as amased and by and by after to forsake the field and so the straunge monsters of Macedone sodainly vanquished them hauinge all readye gotten the victory Neuerthelesse he obtained not the victorye without much bloudshed For Pyrrhus himselfe was sore woun ded and a great part of his Souldioures slaine so that he gate by that victory more honoure then cause to reioyce Many cities following the fortune of this battell yelded them selues to pyrrhus Amongest others also the Locrines betraying the Romaine garrison reuolted to pyrrhus Of that pray Pyrrhus sent home two hundred Romaine souldioures scotfree to Rome to the entente that as the Romaines had knowen of his puissaunce so they might also knowe of his liberalitye Within a few daies after when the hostes of his confederates were come he foughte an other battell with the Romaines in the whiche the fortune was like vnto the former battell In the meane season Mago captaine of Carthage beynge sent to the ayd of the Romaines with a hundred and tweÌ„ty shyppes came before the Senate sayinge it greatlye greued the Carthaginenses that a foraine kynge shoulde be suffred to make warre in Italy For whiche consideration he was sent that for as much as they were assailed by a foraine ennemy they mighte be rescued by for raine succoures The Senate gaue the Carthaginenses hartye thankes and sent away their succoures againe But Mago accordinge to the nature of a man of affricke wythin a fewe dayes after as though he ment to procure peace for the 〈◊〉 went secreatly to pyrrbus entending to feele his minde and to learne what he purposed as concerning Sicill whether it was reported he was sent for For the Carthaginenses sent aid to the Romaines For noone other occasion but that Pyrrhus mighte haue so muche to doo with the Romaines in Italy that he myghte haue no leysure to passe into Sicill While theese thinges were in doing Fabritius Lucinus being sent ambassadoure from the Senate of Rome coÌ„cluded a peace with Pirrhus for the confirmation wherof Cyneas beinge sent from Pirrhus with great giftes and rewardes could finde no man that would ones open his doore to receiue a reward Another example like vnto this continency of the Romaines hapned almost the very same time For the Senate sent ambassadoures into Egipte to whome Ptelomy the kynge sent riche presentes the which they vtterly refused with in a day or twaine after they were bidden to supper and crownes of goulde sent them the which at that time they receiued for honour of the kinge and the next daye after they set them vpon the kinges Images Cyneas therfore when he had brought word howe the peace with the Romains was infringed by â—…ppius Claudius being demauÌ„ ded of Pyrrhus what maner of thiâ—…g Rome was he aunswered that it semed to him to be a City of kinges After this came vnto him the ambassadoures of the Sicilians rendering into his handes the right and 〈◊〉 of the whole Iland whiche was then vexed with the continuall warres of the Carthaginenses Therfore leauynge his sonne Alexander at Lorres and hauynge well manned the other Cities with strong garrisone he wasted ouer his army into Sicill And for as much as we be come to entreat of the Carthaginenses I must speake a 〈◊〉 as concerning theyr originall repeting somewhat what deper the dedes of the Tyrians whose chaunces also wer much to be lamented The nation of the Tyrians was founded by the Phenicians who being troubled with an earthquake forsaking their natiue soyle inhabited fyrst the lake of Assyria and anone after the neâ—…te â—…ea coaste buildinge in the same place a Citye whiche of the aboundaunce of Fyshe
Millain Come Brixia Uerone Bergome Trident and Uincent The Thuscanes also with their captain Rhetus hauing losâ—…e their owne countrye tooke the Alpes and after the name of their captaine founded the nation of the Rhetians But Dennis by meanes of the tomming of the Carthaginenses into Sicil was dryuen to retuâ—…ne home for they had repaired their army wyth a greater power renued the warres which they had brokeÌ„ vp by constrainte of the pestilence The captaine of this war was Hanno of Carthage whose enemy Suniator a man at that time of the greatest power one of them in all Affricke in despyte of him wrate familierly in Greke vn to Dennis aduertising him of the comming of the army and of the cowardise of the captain but his letters were taken by the way whervpon he was condemned of treason and an act of Parliament was made that no man of Carthage should here after learne Greke letters or study the Greke tounge to the entent he should not talke wyth the ennemy or wryte vnto him without an interpretor ere it was longe after Dennis whome a litle before neither Sicilie nor Italye were able to hold being ouercome with continuall warres in battel and brought lowe at laste was slayne by the treson of hys owne subiectes The. xxi Booke AFter the time that â—…he Tiran DeÌ„ 〈◊〉 was sâ—…aine in Sicill the men of warre placed in his roume hys eldest sonne named Dennis also bothe because he was a man growen also because they thoughte the kingdome should be the stronger if it remained stil inone mans hand rather then if it shuld be deuided among his sonnes in many portions But Dennys in the beginnyng of hys raygne coueted sore to haue put to deathe hys brothers vncles as enuiers of his estate and prouokers of the children to demaund a partition of the kingdome Where vppon he dissembled his desyre a while setting his mynde to procure the fauoure of his commons thincking to doo it with lesse blame if all menâ—…e shâ—…ulde fyrste conceiue good opinyon of his doinges And therfore he let three hundred offenders out of prysonne and released the people three yeares subsidie alluringe theyr mindes by all kynde of counterfet gentlenesse that he was hable to deuise Then goynge in hande with the mischiefe he had so longe purposed he slewe not onlye his brothers kynsfolke but also hys brothers them selues in so muche hat whome he ought of righte to haue made partners of his kingdome he suffred not to be partakers of life and breth beginning to execute his tiranny vpon his owne kinred ere he proceded to worke it against straungers When he hadde dispatched hys brothers of whome as of his enemies he stode in fear he fell to slouthfulnes and throughe excessiue â—…edynge he became fatte and coarsye and gate suche a disease in his eyes that he was not able to abide the Sunne nor the dust nor finally the glistering of any light For the which causes beleuing himselfe to be had in disdaine of all men he executed moste extreme cruelty not filling the gails with prisoners as his father did but replenishing the city with slaughters for the whychthinges he was not so muche disdained as hated of al meÌ„ Therefore when he perceiued that the Syracusanes were mineded to rebel against him and bid him battel he was in doubte a great while whether it were better to depose him selfe or to withstande them by force but his men of warre in hope to haue the spoyle and sacking of the citye compelled him to stand to the triall of it by battel where beinge vanquished and attemptinge fortune the seconde time with like successe he sent ambassadoures to the Syraâ—… promising to depose himselfe from his tirannye if they would send their commissioners vnto him authorysed to conclude an agrement with him They sent y â— chief men of their City for the same purpose whome be put in custody and so sodainly ere any man 〈◊〉 therof or feared that he ment any such mischiefe against them he sent his army to destroy the city Whervppon ensued a sore and doubtfull encounter euen within the verye Citye but by reason the townes men were farre mo in noumber Dennis and his men were put backe Who fearing to be beseged if he abode in the Castle priuely fled into Italy with all his princely apparell treasure and houshold stuffe being in his banishmente receiued by his confederates the Locrines as though he had bene their rightfull kyng he tooke their fortresse and there exercised his accustomed cruelty He commaunded the noble mennes wiâ—…es to be broughte from their husbandes perforce that he myghte haue his pleasure of them the maidens when they shuld be maryed he fetched away and when he had abused theÌ„ sent theym to their spouses againe The richest and welthiest personnes eyther he draue out of the Citye or elsse caused them to be put to deathe and seised theyr goodes And when he sawe there was no more for him to catche conueniently he compassed all the whole city by a subtle inuention At such time as the Locrines were oppressed w t the warres of Leophron king of Rhegiâ—…n they made a vow that if they wan the vpper hand they wold vpon a feastfull daye of Venus set their virgins in the open stewes for all men to abuse The which vow being left vnperfourmed hauing vnfortunate warres with the Lucanes Dennis called them together before him and there exhorted them to send their wiues daughters as gorgeously apparelled decked as they could into the temple of Venus out of the which ther should be a hundred drawen by lot to perfourme the common vow the whiche for religions sake should stand in the stewes for the space of one month all their husbandes being before sworn not to haue to do with any of them And to th entent the maidens thus per forming the common vow should not be hindred therby they should make a decre that none other maid should be ensured to any husband before those other were maryed This counsel was wel alowed as in the which prouision semed to be made both for the performans of their superstitious vow allo for the preseruation of the chastity oâ—… their virgins Whervpon al the women asseÌ„bled into the teÌ„ple of Venus so gorgeously costly attired as who might be best among whom Dennis sent his men of war stripped them euery one conuertinge their iewels sumptuous ornameÌ„ts to his own gain and proâ—…it som of their hus bands being very welthy men he killed and some of the women he put to the torture to make the confesse where their husbands mony lay When he had with these such like suttleâ—…ies raigned by the space of vi yeres the Locrines conspired against him and draue him out of the city from whence he returned into Sicil and there by treson no man mistrusting any thing after so long continuauns oâ—… peace
to make a show of the frailty of man throwinge downe the thinges she had builded besides the losse of Sicil she paid him home with shipwracke on the sea wyth a shamefull ouerthrow against the Romaines and with a dishonorable departure out of Italye After the departure of Pyrthus oute of Sicil Hiero was created chiefe officer who was a man of such modesty that by the fauorable consent of all the Cities he was first made captayne agaynste the Carthaginenses and afterwarde kinge Of this royall estate to come his bringing vp when he was a very babe was as it were a foreteller For he was begotten of a noble man called Hieroclytus whose pedegre was fet from Gelus an auncient king of Sicil. But by his mothers side he was borne of a base and verye dishonorable stocke for he was be gotten of a bondwoman and therefore caste away by his father as a dishonor and reproch to his stock But the Bees fineding the litle babe without healpe of man wroughte their combes aboute him and nouryshed him with honny many dayes together Uppon which occasion his father at theÌ„ warnynge of the southsayers which tolde him that the childe shoulde be a king toke the childe to him and brought him vp wythall diligence in hoope of the state that was be highte him As the same childe sate at his boke in the schole among other of his felowes sodainly there came in a wolfe among theÌ„ and snatched the boke out of his hande Moreouer beyng a yongman when he went firste to the warres an Eagie came and â—…ate vppon his target and an Owle vppon hys speare The whiche wonder betokened that he should be aduised in councel ready of hand and also that he shuld be a king Finally he fought hand to hand agaynst many chalengers and euer went away with the victory Kyng Pyrrhus rewarded him with many rewardes of châ—…alry He was of personage exceding beautiful of strengthe wonderfull as mighte be in a man gentle to talke vnto iust in his dealinges in his gouernment vprighte and indifferent so that nothing in the world wanted in him appertaining to a king saue only a kingdome ¶ The. xxiiii Booke WHile these thinges were a doing in Sicil in the meane time in Grece through the dissention and warres of Ptolomeus Ceraunicus Antiochus Antigonus amonge them sâ—…lues almoost all Grece at the instigatyon of the Spartanes the ringe leaders therof encouraged with hope of liberty as if occasion had ben geuen to pul their neckes oute of the yoke of bondage sendynge ambassadoures one to another to knit them selues togetogether in aliance and society fel to rebellyon And least they might seme to haue taken wepon in hande agaynste Antigonus vnder whose gouernaunce they were they assailed the Aetolians his confederates pretendynge the cause of their warre to be for that the said Aetolians had entred held by force the feld Cyreus which by y â— who le consent of Grece was consecrated to Apollo As captaine of this war they chose one Aran. Who assemblynge hys whole power together spoyled the townes foraged the corne that was situate and growinge in the forenamed fields such as they could not carye away with them he set on fire The which thing the shepherds of the Aetolians beholding out of the mountaines gathered them selues to the nomber of fiue hundred and fell vpon theyr enemies as they were skattered and not knowinge how many there were of them by reson that the sodaine feare together with the smoke of the fyres had takeÌ„ their sight from them and hauing slaine nine thousand of them put the residue of the foragers to flighte Aftâ—…rwarde when the Lacedemonians went aboute to renue the warres again many cities denied them aid because they thoughte they sought the souerainty and not the liberty of Grece In the meane season the warre was â—…yshed among the kynges For Ptolomy hauinge expulsed Antigonus and seised the whole kingdome of Macedone into hys hande tooke a truse with Antiochus and ioyned aliaunce wyth Pyâ—…hus by geuing him his daughter in mariage Afterward being rid of outward fear he turned his vngodly wicked mind to deuising mischief against his own house â–ª imagining treson against his sister â–ª 〈◊〉 to the entent to depriue her children of their liues and her of the possession of the city Cassanoria The fyrst â—…ynte of his crafty conueyâ—…nce was vnder the pretence of couÌ„terfet loue to desire his 〈◊〉 in mariage For otherwise then vnder colour of concord he coulde not compasse to get her chyldren into his handes whose kingdome be hadde wrongefully taken front them But his â—…ister knewe his wicked entent wel mough Whervpon perceiuinge that she trusted him not he sent her word that he wold make her chil dren felowes in Empire with him Against whom he had made warre not because he was minded to take the king dome from them but because he desired that they should haue it of his free gift and mere liberty For the more assuraunce wherof he willed her to send some trusty frend of hers to receiue an othe of him and he woâ—…ld in the presence of the party before the Gods of his countrye bynde himself with what othe or curse she wold desire in all the world Arsinoe being in doubte what she were best to do for if she sent she knew she should be deceiued by forsweringe of himselfe and if she sent not she was a frayde shâ—… should prouoke her cruel brother to rage taking more care for her children then for herselfe whome she partlye hoped to saue by meane of this marriage sent one of her frendes called Dyon Whome Ptolomy brought into the most holy temple of Jupiter the auncâ—…test place of religion of greatest reuâ—…rence in all Macedone there laying his handes vpon the aultares and touching the very images of the goddâ—…s as they stode in their shrines sware before him with suche terrible othes extreme curses as neuer wer hard of that he desired his sisters marriage w t out any fraud craft deceipt or dissimulation and that he wold proclaim her Duene not purposinge to take any other wife to spite her withall or to haue any other childreÌ„ then her sonnes Arsinoe after the time she was thus fulfilled with hope and deliuered from fear came and commoned with her brother her self Whose smilinge lâ—…s flattering countenaunce pretending as much good â—…ayth as he promised by his othe brought her into such a fooles paradise that she consented to marrye with her brother contrary to the minde of Ptolomye her sonne who euer tolde her there was deceite in the matter The maryage was solempnised with great sumptuousnesse and ioye Furthermore he sommoned all his hoste before him anâ—… there himself setting the crown vpon his sisters hed proclaimed her Duene Whervpon arâ—…noe being exceadynge glad and ioyful for as much as she had recouered y â— which she had lost by the
aduersitye whome the wilfull rage and rashnesse of Ptolomy their kyng had wel nie destroyed All men standinge thus in despaire â–ª 〈◊〉 one of the princes of Macedone perceiuing it auailed not to trust to praying only raised a noumber of lusty yong men and bothe asswaged the courages of the Frenche men then in theyr ruffe for theyr late victorye and defended Macedâ—…ne from wasting and destroying by the enemy In recompence of which his valiant dede wheras in any noble men sued to haue the kingdome of 〈◊〉 he being no noble man born was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them all And at suche time as his men of warre 〈◊〉 hym king he compelled them to swere to him â–ª not by the name of king but by the name of captaine In the meane season Brennus captaine of that portion of the Frenche menne that bent them selues into Grecehearinge of the victorye of his countrye men whiche had vanquished the Macedones vnder the conducte of Belgius freatynge for anger that so fatte a booty and so laden with the spoyles of the East was so lightly forgone after they had gotten the vpper hand raised an hooâ—…t of a hundred and fiftye thousande footemen and fiftene thousand horsemen and inuaded Macedone again When Sosthenes sawe how they wasted the countrye and the villages he met them with his hoâ—…te of Macedones wel appoynted and in good order of battel But by reson they were few and their enemies manye they halfe discouraged and the other strong and lustye they were sone put to the worser Wherfore while the Macedones being beaten kept them selues within the walles of their cities Brennus lyke a conqueror against whome no man durst shewe hys heade to make resistence forraged all the fieldes of Macedone From thence as thoughe those boties and spoyles semed to base and simple in his eie he tourned hys mynde to the temples of the Goddes immortall malapertlye scoffynge that the Goddes were ryche and ought to depart liberally to men Thervppon immediatly he tooke his iourney toward Delphos setting more by the gaine of the gold that had bene offered to the Goddes then by their displesure whome he affirmed to haue no neade of richesse as they that are wont to bestow them vppon men The temple of Apollo at Delphos is situate in the mount Parnasus vp on a cliffe on euerye side fallinge stepe downe There the confluens of men whiche vpon trust and confidens in the maiesty of that God resorting thither from diuers places builded them houses in that rocke hath made a populous city And moreouer both the temple and the town are enclosed not with walles but with the stepenesse of y â— rocke neither are they defended with fortifications made by mannes hand but with fortifications growen by nature So that there is no man in the world able to say whether the strength of the place or the maiesty of the god be more to be wondered at The middle part of the rocke inwarde is in fashion like a Theatre By meanes where of when men make anye shoutinge or hallowinge or when anye trompet is blowen the sound beateth and reboundeth in suche wise vppon the stones from one to another that the Echo is hard double and treble and the noyse resoundeth farre louder and greater then it went forth The whyche thyng causeth the simple and ignorant folke to stande in more fear thincking it to be the presence of the godhead and oftentimes maketh them to stand wonderinge at it as if they were straught In this wineding of the rocke almost midway to the top of the hil there is a litle playn and in the same a depe hole into the grounde whiche serueth to geue Oracles Out of tâ—…e whiche a ceâ—…tayne colde breth driuen vp as it were in a certain winde ascendyng vpward stirreth the mindes of the Prophets into a madnesse and so hauing filled them with the spirit of the god compelleth them to geue answer to suche as come for couÌ„sel In the same place therfore there are to be sene many riche giftes of kings and peoples which by their cost and sumptuousnesse do well declare the thankfulnesse of such as receiued aunswers in performing of theyr vowes Wherfore when Brennus came within the view of the temple he was in doubte with him selfe a greate while whether he were better to attempt the matter forthwith or geue his souldiers that nightes respite to rest them and gather theyr strength to them Euridanus and Thessalonus who for couetousnesse of the pray had ioyned theym selues with him willed to cutte of all delaye while theyr enemies were vnprouided and no dout but theyr sodayne approche shoulde be a great terror vnto them Where as by geuinge theym that nightes respite theyr ennemyes should perchaunce get both courage and succoure and the wayes that nowe lay open mighte be stopped vp But the common souldiers of the frenchmen when as after longe penury and skarsity they then found a countrye replenyshed with wyne and all other kynde of victualles beynge as glad and ioyfull of the aboundaunce as of a victorye they dispersed them selues in the fields and leuyng theyr standerd ran abrode making hauocke of all thynges lyke conqueroures the whiche thinge was a meane that the Delphians had respite to lay for them selues For at such time as it was firste reported that the Frenchmen were comminge thither the husband men and men of the country were prohibited by the Greke oracles to conuey their corne and wines out of the villages The wholsome meaning of which commaundement was not vnderstanded before that the aboundaunce of wine and other victualles being cast as a stop in the frenche mennes waies the succoures of theyr neighboures had leisure to resorte thither together The Delphians therfore had manned strengthened the towne by the helpe of theyr neighboures or euer the french men who were as greadye of the wine as of a bootye coulde be called from the wine fatte to theyr standard Brenne had three skore and fiue thousande chosen footemen of the best in all his hoste wheras the Delphians and their aiders were in all but foure thousande fighting men In disdaine of whiche fâ—…al handful Bren to the entent to sharpen the mindes of his menne shewed theym all what a riche and plentifull praye they shoulde haue affirminge that the Images with the chariottes where of they might behold greate store a farre of were made all of massye golde wherefore the booty shoulde be better in the hande then it seemed to the eye The frenche men being by this vouching of their captain or rather by theyr owne beholding stirred vp and also wounded wyth the wine they had poured in the day before wythoute respecte of any danger ran 〈◊〉 to the encounter On the contrary part the Delphians putting more truste in God then in their owne strength resisted their ennemies euen with a contempt and what with stones and what wyth theyr wepons threw the
certain of his most trusty frends exhorted them to the deliuerance of their country from bondage When he perceiued how they stoke to put them selues in daunger for the sauegard of the whole realme and that they demaunded leisure to take aduysement in the matter he called his seruaunts to him commaunding them to lock in the dores and to bear word to the Tirant that he shuld send immediatly to his house to apprehend traitors that had coÌ„spired against him threatning vnto each of them that seing he could not be the author of deliueraunce of his country he wold at least wise finde the meanes to be reuenged vppon them for wythdrawing their helpe from it Then they being circumâ—…ted with the doutful danger chuâ—…ing the honeâ—…er way of both sware the death of the Tyrant and so Aristotimus was dispatched the fifth moneth after he had vsurped the kingdome In the meane season Antigonus beinge wrapped in many warres at ones bothe of king Ptolomy and the Spartanes besides the hoste of the Frenche grekes which newly became his enemies left a few souldioures in his campe for a shew against the other two and went himself with his whole power against the Frenche men The French men hearinge therof made them selues redy to the battel and slue sacrifice for thobtaining of good successe in that encounter By the inwardes of the which beastes perceiuing that there was toward them a great slaughter and the vtter destruction of them all they wer there vpon turned not into feare but into madnesse For in hope to pacify the wrath of the Gods by the bloudshed of theyr owne people they killed their wiues and chyldren beginning to perfourme through their own slaughter the euill lucke that was manased them by y e warres So extreme a madnesse was entred into their cruell hartes that they spared not the yonge children whome euen the enemy would haue spared but that they made deadly and mortall warre with their childreÌ„ and the mothers of them in defence of whome menne are wonte to make warres Therfore as though they had by their vnspeakeable wickednesse purchased them selues bothe lyfe and victory bloudy as they were after the freshe slaughter of theyr wiues and children they proceded into battel with as good successe as foretoken For as they were fighting the remorse of their owne consciences for their vnspeakable slaughter the ghostes of theÌ„ that they had murdered wauing before theyr â—…ies first and formost discouraged them ere they were oppressed by the enemy and so they were â—…aine euery mothers chiid There was made so great a slaughter that it shuld seme the Goddes had conspired with menne to the vttâ—…r destruction of those murderers After the good and fortunate chaunce of this battell Ptolomy and the Spartanes eschuing the victorious army of their ennemy Antigonus retired into places of saue garde and defence Antigonus when he saw they were retired while his meÌ„ wer yet freshe and couragious by reason of their late victory made warre to the Aâ—…heniens Nowe whiles he was occupied in the same in the meane time Alexander kyng of Epire coueting to reuenge the death of hys father kinge Pyrrhus inuaded the borders of Macedone Againste whome when Antigonus was retourned oute of Grece all his souldioures reuolted from him and so he lost both the kingdome of Maâ—…done and his army His sonne Demetrius being a verye childe leuyinge a power in the absence of his father not only recouered Macedone that his father had lost but also berest Alexander of his kingdom of Epire. So great was either the vnstedfastnesse of the souldiours or elsse the 〈◊〉 of fortune that kinges by course euen now banished men and anene kinges againe Alexander therfore beinge fled to the arcadians was as wel by the fauor of the Epyrotes as by the healpe of hys confederates restored into his kingdome againe Aboute the same time deceased agas kyng of Cyrene who before his last infirmity to the entent to cease and end all stryfe with his brother Ptolomy betrouthed his only daughter Beronice to his sonne But after the deathe of kinge Argas Arsinoe the mother of the maid to th entent to breke the mariage that was contracted against her wil sent for Demetrius the brother of king Antigonus out of Macedone to take vpon him the mariage of the maide and the kingdome of Cyrene who also was begotten of one of Ptolomies daughters And Demetrius made no taryaunce Therfore when as through prosperous wynde he was spedely arriued at Cyrene vpon trust of his beauty through which he began to like his mother in law to wel by and by after his comming he bare himself very proud ly and outragiously in the courte and against the men of warre and he cast his desyre of pleasing from the daughter to the mother The which thing being espted was ill taken first of the maid and also of the commoÌ„ people and of the greate noumber of the souldioures Wher vpon all mennes mindes were tourned to the sonne of Ptolomy and the deathe of Demetrius was conspired For as he was in bed with his mother in lawe men were sent in to kil him But Arsinoe when she hard the voyce of her daughter standing at the chamber dore and geuinge theÌ„ charge to spare her mother couered and defended her peramour a while with her own body Neuerthelesse he was slaine and so Beronice with safetye of her naturall loue and duty did bothe reuenge the dishonourable aduoutry committed with her mother and also followed the determination of her father in taking of her husband ¶ The. xxvii Booke AFter the decese of Antiochus king of Syria his sonne Seleucus succeding in his roume by the inâ—…igation of his mother Laodice whi che ought to haue with helde hym from doing any suche thinge began his raigne with murder For he put to death his mother in law Beronice the sister of Ptolomye king of Egipt with his little brother begotten vpon her By doing of the which wickednesse he both brought him selfe in a foule slaunder and infamye and also entangled himself in the warres of Ptolomye Furthermore when Beronice vnderstode that men were sente to kill her she kept herself close in a pleasaunt manor of her fathers called Daphnâ—… When the cities of Asia harde that she her litle sonne were there besieged in remembraunce of the dignity of her father and of her ancestors and for pitye to se her so vnworthely intreated they sent aid vnto her Her brother Ptolomy also being stirred with the pearil of his sister left his owne kingdome and came in all haste to her reskue withall the power he was able to make But Beronice before her rescowes came at her where as she could not be taken by force was surprised by pollicye and put to death It semed a cruel and horrible act to all men Wherfore when al the cities that made iniurrectyon had made a great nauy sodainly beinge
was not any man that spared his life in the battel there was not any woman that wept for the losse of her husband The olde men commended the deathe of theyr sonnes and the sonnes reioysed that theyr fathers were slaine in the fielde Euery man lamented hys owne chaunce that they had not died for the libertye of theyr countrye The fathers and mothers receyued into theyr houses all suche as were wounded healed suche as were wounded healed suche as were hurte and recomforted suche as were stricken downe And in all thys busynesse there was not in the city any outcry or any wringyng of handes there was not any trembling for feare euery maÌ„ bewailed more the common misfortune then hys owne priuate case While these thinges were in doinge Cleomenes theyr king after he had made a great slaughter of his enemies being all on a gore bloude as well with hys owne woundes as with the bloud of his enemyes came among them and â—…hen he was entered the citye he sate not downe to rest him he called not for meat nor drinke no nor ones put of his harnesse but leaninge hys backe to a wall when he saw there remained no mo but only iiii thousand of his men from the battel he exhorted them to reserue themselues to some other time when thei might be able to doo theyr countrye better seruice And then with his wife and children He went his way into Egipt to king Ptolomy of whome he was honorably entertained and liued a long time in great fauor and estimatyon with him like a king But at the last after the decease of Ptolomy he and all his houshold were slain by his sonne Antigonus hauing made so greate a slaughter of the Lacedemonians toke pity of the misfortune of so worthye a city and therfore would not suffer his souldiours to sacke it but pardoned all that remained aliue protâ—…stynge that he made the warre against Cleomenes and not agaynst the Lacedemonians whome for as muche as he had dyscomfited and put to flight all his wrathe was at an ende wherfore he thought it should stand more with his honor to saue their city then to destroy it Nowe seing there remained no mento shew his mercy vpon he said he wold shew it vpon the soyle of the Citye and vpon the houses It was not longe after but that Antigonus dyed and left his kingdome to Phillip a childe of xiiii yeres of age The. xxix Booke ABout the very same season there happened an alteration almost in all the kingdomes of the worlde by the successyon of yong kynges For in Macedone Philippe after the decease of his protector Antigonus who also was his father in law toke the kingdome vpon him being but. xiiii yeres olde In Asia Seleucus being slaine Antiochus as yet vnder the age of xiiii yeares was made kynge The kingdome of Cappadocia was surrendred by his father to Ariarathes beinge a verye childe Ptolomy who for the wickednesse of his offence was in derision surnamed Philopater slue his father and mother and vsurped the kingdome of Egipt But the Lacedemonians in stead of Cleomenes subrogated Lycurgus And for because there shoulde be store of alterations in those times Hannibal being as yet skarse manne growen was made captaine of Carthage not because there was skarsity of men of more yeres and experience but for the natural hatred that was knowen to be rooted in him againste the Romaines euen from his verye childhode born to the vtter destruction not so muche of the Romaines as of his own countrye of affricke Nowe allbeit theese children kinges had no auncient and graue protectors appoynted to haue the 〈◊〉 of them â—…et notwithstanding euery one of them so ententiuely pursued the steps of their auncestors that there was great likelihode of prowesse and actiuity in them Only Brolomy as he was wicked in vsurping the kingdome so was he also â—…outhful and negliget in gouerninge of the same The Dardanians other people that were borderers who â—…are as it were an immortal hatred to the kinges of 〈◊〉 disdaining Phillip by reason he was so yong troubled him continuallye On the contrary part Phillip when he had put his enemyes to flight being not content to haue defeded his own purposed to make war against the aetolians As he was imagining and deuisinge howe to enterprise the matter Demetrius king of Iliyria being lately vanquished by Paul câ—…nsul of Rome came to him as an humble suter making complaint of the wrong that the Romaines had done vnto him who being not content to kepe them sclues within the boundes of Italy but of a wicked desire coueting thempire of the whole world made war withal kinges Alledging that for the like couetousnesse of the Empyre of Sicil of Sardinia of Spain and consequently of all affricke they had entered into war with Hannibal and the Carthaginenses and that they had made war vpon hym also for none other occasion but only y â— he was next neigh bor vnto Italy as though it were not lawful for any king to dwell neare the borders of their Empire Wherfore it was good for antiochus to take ensample how to beware by other men whose kingdome the nobler and nearer it was to the Romaines so muche should he finde them his fiercer enemies Moreouer he professed that he was contented to surrender his right and title to him of the king dome whiche the Romaines hadde by force taken from him Saying it should lesse greue him and that he coulde better finde in his hart to se his neighbour and his frend rather then his enemy enioy the possession of his kingdoÌ„ With this and suche other like talke he perswaded Phillip to leaue the aetolians and to tourne the brunte of the warre against the Romaines so much the rather because he thought they shoulde be the lesse able to resist him by reason as he hard say they had lately before bene vanqui shed by Hannibal at the lake of Thrasymenus Therfore because he would not be charged with manye warres at ones he made peace with the aetolians not as that they shoulde thincke he did it to the entent to make warre in another place but as thoughe it had bene for some great regard that he had of the quietnesse of all Grece y e which he affirmed was neuer in the like pearill and ieoperdye by meanes of the newe Empires of the Romaynes and Carthaginenses latelye risen vp in the west whyche had none other let or stop to kepe them out of Grece and Asia but only this while they were trying by the sworde which of them should beare the soueraintye For whiche party so euer gate the vpper hand the same would imme diatlye vpon the victorye passe directly into the East Therfore he saw suche a cloude of cruel and bloudye war rising out of Italy he saw suche a roring and thundering storme comming out of the west that into what parte of the world so euer
them a woorke and he himselfe was better acquaynted with Italy now then he had beene in foretimes Moreouer he knewe that Carthage woulde not syt at reast but adi◅yn herself as partaker of his enterprises out of hand The king lyked the counsel wel and there vppon one of Hanniballes retinue was sente vnto Carthage to stirre them to the warre beinge of them selues all readye desirous there of declarynge vnto them that Haniball wold shortlye come thither with an army Neuerthelesse he was charged to saye nothinge to the factions but only that the Carthaginenses wanted hart for asia shoulde fynde them bothe men and mony When newes hereof came to Carthage the messenger was apprehended by the enemies of Hanibal and being brought into the Senate and there examined to whome hee was sent he aunswered like a suttle afre that he was sente to the whole Senate In as muche as this matter was not the peculier case of anye one of them but appertained in generall to them all While they were debating of the matter in coūsel many daies together whether it were best for dischargynge of their own consciences to send him to Rome ther to make his purgation or no he toke ship priuely and returned to Hannibal Whervpon the Carthagi immediatly sent an ambassador to Rome The Romaines also sent ambassadors to antiochus the which vnder the coloure of ambassade should bothe marke and note the kynges furnyture for the warres and also eyther reconcyle Hannibal to the Romaines or elsse through their daily and continuall cōmoning with him bring him in suspitiō and hatred with the king Thambassadors therfore when they were come before y e king antiochus at Ephesus de◅yuered him the◅r commission from the Senate Duringe the time they laye there geuing attendaunce for theyr answer daye by daye they were euer in hand with Hannibal saying that there was no cause why he should haue fled so fearfullye out of his country ▪ seing the Romains withall faithfulnesse obserued the peace concluded not so muche with the body of the common weale of Carthage as with him cōsideryng they knew he had made war againste the Romaines not so much for ill wil he bare towardes them as for the loue he bare towardes theym as for the loue he bare towarde his owne country in the whiche quarell euery good man ought to spend his life For the occasyon of those warres grew vpon the displesure that the one country bare openly against the other and not vpon anye priuate quarell of the captaines amonge them selues Herevpon they too◅e occasyon to commend his noble actes the which communication so greatlye delighted him that hee was desyrous to talke with the ambassadors oftner not foreseinge that for the familiarity he had with the Romaines he shoulde purchase himself the kings displesure For antiochus vpon this ◅is daily communication thinking hym to be reconciled and faln in fauor with the Romaines wold not aske his deuise as he was wont to do nor make him preuy to any part of his doinges but hated him as an ennemy and abhorred him as a traytoure The whiche thing laide a water all that great furniture for the warres after the time that the policy of the graūd captaine was thus dashed out of countenaunce Theffect of the commissyon was to commaund Antiochus in the name of the Senate to be contente with the boundes of Asia onlesse he would driue them to enter into asia whether they would or no. Antiochus making light there of answered howe he was fullye resolued before not to receiue warre at theyr handes but to make warre vppon them When he had oftentimes debated with hys counsell and his captaines as concerning this warre not making Hannibal preuy there to at the last he sent for him not to th entent to doo any thinge after his deuise but to th entent he wold not seme to haue vtterly despysed him and there vpon when euery man had said his minde lastly he asked him ◅is aduise The whiche thing Hanniball vnderstanding wel inough said that he perceiued he was called not because the king thought himself to haue nede of his counsel but onlye to supply the noumber of sentences Neuerthelesse for the hatred he bare to the Romains and for the good will hee bare to the kinge as in whose courte onlye he had had safe refuge in the time of hys banishment he wold discusse what way he were best to enterprise his warres Thervpon he desired pardon in that he should speake so largely for he said he liked no part of their counsels nor opinions in that behalf as that Grece should be appoynted the place of the warre seing that Italye was better for the maintenaunce of the same For the Romains might not be vanquished but by their own weapons nor Italye otherwise bee subdued then by her owne power For those kinde of people were of a cleane contrary nature from all other menne and therefore the warres were to be ordered farre otherwise against them then agaynst all other men In other warres it is wonte to be a great furtheraunce and healpe for a man to haue taken some aduauntage of the place or of the tyme to haue wasted the fieldes or to haue wonne some Cityes But with the Romain whether ye haue gotten anye aduauntage before or whether ye haue ouercome him ye must be faine euen then to wrestle with him when he is vanquished and lyeth at your fote Wher◅ore if a man assaile them in Italy he might ouercome them with theyr owne weapons their owne richesse and theyr owne power like as ◅e himselfe had doone But if anye man shall suffer them to enioye Italye as the well springe of theyr strength he shal be as sore deceiued of his purpose as if a man woulde goo aboute to driue backe a riuer agaynste the streame or to dry it vp not beginninge to stoppe it at the heade but at suche place as the waters were deep◅st and mooste encreased This he saide was his opi◅yon in himself whervpon he was mineded to haue offered hys seruice and aduise vnrequested the which he now hadde vttered in the presence of al his frendes to th entent they mighte all vnderstande howe to make warres with the Romaines who out of theyr own country were inuincible and at home at their owne doores weake and easy to be ouercome In so much that it was an easyer matter to set them beside Rome then beside their Empire and to driue them out of Italy then out of their prouinces For their city had bene sacked by the frenchmen they them selues almost vtterly destroyed by him and yet he neuer vanquished before he departed out of their country But assone as he was retourned to Carthage immediatlye w t the place was also aultered the fortune of the warres ▪ The kings councel held as muche against this aduyse as could be not waying the vtility of the mater but for
prepared before hande by hys father By meanes whereof being puffâ—…d vp with pride and forgettynge what chaunce hys father had before hym he willed his men to consider the auncient renoune of Alexander The first encounter was of horsmen in the which Perses getting the vpper hand procured himselfe the fauor of all men which before stode in doubte what way to encline because they wist not which way the world wold go Neuertheles he sent Ambassadors to the Romain Con sull to request peace as they had before graunted to his father beyng vanquished promisyng to pay the charges of the warre as yf he had ben ouercomme But the Consull Sulpitius propounded as sore condicions as if he had ben vanquished in dede While these thynges were a doyng the Romaynes for dread of so dangerous a warre created Aemilius Paulus Consull and made him extraordinarily Lieuetenaunt of the warres in Macedone Who assone as he came to the armie made no longe delay ere he encountered with his enemies The night before the battell should be fought the Moone was Eclypsed All men iudged it to be a sorowfull for token to Perses as the which signified that Th empyre of Macedone drew fast to an ende In that conflict M. Cato the sonne of Cato the Drator as he was feightyng among the thickest of his enemies fell of his horse and was faine to feight a foote for when he was downe a band of his enemies enclosed him about w t an horrible nâ—…yse to haue killed him as he lay on the grounde But he recouered himself quicklye and made a great slaughter among them the whyle his enemies came clusteryng about him on all sydes to oppresse him being but one man alone as he strake at one of their noble men his sword flew oute of his hand into the mids of his enemies to recouer the which he couered himself with his target and in thopen syght of both the armies thrust himself in among his enemies weapons and hauyng recouered his sworde with the receipte of manie woundes returned to his owne fellowes with a greate showte of all the whole fielde The residewe of his compaâ—…e ensewyng his bold example wan the victorie King Perses fled out of the field and with tenne thousand Talentes sayled to Samothrace Whome Cneus Dâ—…auius being sent by the Consul to pursewe hym toke him with his two sonnes Alexander and Philippe brought them ners to the Consull Macedone from the tyme of Caranus who first reigned there vnto Perses who was the last had thirtie kynges vnder whose gouernaunce it con tiâ—…ued by the space of nyne hundred twentie and three yeres but it helde the Souerayne Monarchie no lenger then a hundred 〈◊〉 and twelue yeres When it was once brought in subiection to the Romaynes Officers were appoynted in euery Citie and it was set at libertie receyuyng of Paule the Lawes which they vse at this day The Senetours of all the cyties of Aetoly with their wyues and children which hitherto had remayned as neuters were sent to Rome and there they were deteyned a long tyme to th entent they should not worke anie alteracion in their countrie vntill at length after manie yeares entreatans by often Ambassades sent from the Cities to the Senate of Rome euery man was dismissed into his owne countrie The. xxxiiii Boke THe Carthaginenses and Macedones beyng subdued and the power of the Aetolians weakened by the captiuity of their noblemen the Acheans onely of all Grece semed as yet to the Romayns to be at that tyme of to much power and authoritie not for the ouer great wealthe of euery citie by themself but for the earnest agrement of them all togither For although the Acheans be deuided by Cyties as it were into members yet they haue one Corporacion and one kynde of gouernement and yf anie wrong be offred to anyone cytie straight wayes all the 〈◊〉 make all power they can to redresse it Therfore as the Romaines sought to finde some quarell to make warre against them by fortune a coÌ„plainte was brought against them in due season by the LacedemoniaÌ„s whose fieldes for a mutual hatred betwene the two peoples the Acheans had forraged The Senate made answer to the Lacedemonians that they wold send ambassadors into Grece to se how their confederates were delt wythall and to defend them from taking any wronge But thambassadors had priuely in charge besides to dissolue the agreable consent of the Acheans and to set euery city fre from other to th entent they might the easlier be brought in subiection and if anye cities shewed theym selues so stout that they woulde not they should be compelled by force The ambassadoures therfore callinge the princes of all the cities before them to Corynthe recyted the decree of the Senate declaryuge what they woulde counsell them to do They said it was expedient for them all that euery Citye shoulde be gyuerned by their owne lawes and by theyr owne customes When thys was ones notifiee to them all they were in suche a rage that lyke mad men they kylled all the forreine people within the realâ—…e Yea and they had doene as muche to the Romaine Ambassadours them selues also yf they had not had intelligens of the hurlye burly and shyfted for them selues by flight Assone as tydinges her of came to Rome forth with the Senate appoynted Mnmmius the Consull to make warre against the Acheans Who without further delaye conueyinge thyther his armie and hauinge vigilantly puided for all thinges before hand offered his enemies battell But the Acheans as though they hadde take a matter of no importans in hand by making warre against the Romains so they loked and cared for nothing at all for they were so myndfull of the pray and so careles for the battel y â— they brought chariots wagous witâ—… them to lade home with the spoile of their enemies set their wiues children in y â— mouÌ„tains to behold y e conflict But when they came to hande strokes they were slayne ryghte downe before theyr frendes faces where by they gaue them a sorowfvll sight the rememberaunce wherof might greue them all the dayes of theyr life after Theyr wiues and children also beinge of lookers on made captiues were a pray to the enemy The chiefe citye Corinth was beaten downe Al the people were sold by the drum to the entent that by the ensample therof the other cities myghte be a fraid to make any trouble or insurrection While these thinges were a doinge Antiochus kinge of Syria made warre vppon Ptolomy the elder hys syslers sonne king of Egipt geuen all together to slouthe and so feble and vnlusty through daily and continuall ryot that he not only committed all thinges appertaining to the estate and office of a king but also by meanes of ouer much pamperinge vp of him selfe was in manner voide of that reason whiche oughte to be in man Being therfore driueÌ„ out of his kingdome
but of loue Whervppon callyng to her the souldiers she sent certayn of them herself to thrust her syster through Who enteryng into the temple when they could not pull her oute they cut of her handes as she had clasped them about the Image of the Goddesse Then Cleopatra cursyng those wicked murderers besechyng the Goddes whose sanctuary they had defyled to reuenge her vppon them dyed It was not long after but Cyricenus encountered again with his brother where gettyng â—…hupper hand he tooke Gryphin the wyfe of Grypho prysoner which latelie had put her syster to death with execucion of whome he dyd obsequies to his wyues Ghoste But in Egypt Cleopatra beyng greued that her sonne Ptolomy should be partener with her in the kyngdome incensed the people agaynste him and hauyng taken his wyfe Seleuce awaye from him which was so much to more griefe to him bycause he had begotten two sonnes by her bannished him the Realme sendyng for her yonger sonne Alexander whome she crowned kyng in his brothers stead And yet beyng contented to haue banished her sonne she pursued him with battell where he kept as a bannished man in Cyprus When she had dryuen him from thence also she put the Capitayn of her host to death bycause he had suffered him to escape alyue out of his handes Albeit to say the truthe Ptolomy departed oute of the Ilande rather because he was ashamed to fyghte with his mother then that he was not of power able to encounter her Alexander therefore dreadyng this his mothers crueltie departed his waye and left her alone desyring rather to lyue meanely in quiet saufegarde then to reygne as a kyng alwayes in daunger of his lyfe Cleopatra fearyng least Cyricenus should helpe her elder sonne Ptolomy to recouer the kyngdome of Egypt sent great ayde to Grypho and her daughter Seleuce to be his wyfe to th entent he should persyst enemie to her fyrst husband as he had ben before and also sent Ambassadors to her sonne Alexander to call him to the kyngdome agayne Agaynst whome as she was practisyng of mischief to bryng him to destruccion she was by him preuented and put to death and so she ended her lyfe not by naturall destynie but by deserued murder Surelie she was well worthie of such a slaunderous death which had defyled her owne mothers bed and put her besyde her husband whiche had made two of her daughters so oftentymes wydowes by choppyng and chaungyng of their husbandes which had banished th one of her sonnes pursewyng him with battell when she had done and hauyng wrested the kyngdome from thother had practised also to bryng him to his ende through treason Neuerthelesse Alexander himself escaped not altogyther vnpunished for committyng so abhominable a murder For assone as it was knowen that the mother was slayne by the wickednesse of her sonne the people rose agaynst him and draue him into exyle and callyng home Ptolomy agayne set him in possession of the kyngdome who was of that modestie that he would neyther make warre agaynste his mother nor yet chalenge that of his brother by force which was his before by right of inheritance Whyle these thynges were a doyng a bastard brother of his to whome his father had by his laste will bequeathed the kyngdome of Cyrene deceased and lefte the people of Rome to be his heyre For by this tyme the fortune of Rome was such â–ª that beyng not content with the boundes of Italie it began to stretche itselfe to the kyngdomes of the East By meanes whereof that part of Lybie was at that tyme made a prouynce and shortlie after Candy and Cilicia beyng subdued in the warres agaynst the Pyrates were brought in lykewyse in order of prouynces By the which dede bothe the kyngdomes of Syria and Egypt were streightned by the neyboured of the Romaynes and whereas before tymes they were wonte to encrease their Dominion by warryng vppon their borderers now beyng abridged of their lybertie to roue whâ—…r they lyst they turned their power to their own confusion In so much that beyng coÌ„sumed through coÌ„tinuall feightyng they were had in despight of their next neighbours and were as a praye to the Arabians whiche before that tyme were neuer knowen to be menne of warre Whose kyng Herotymus vppon trust that he had in his syx hun dred sonnes whiche he had begotten of his concubynes with sundrie Armies made rodes somtimes into Egypt and sometyme into Syria by meanes whereof within a while through the weaknesse and feblenesse of his neighbours he made the name of the Arabians famous and redoubted The. xl Boke THe kyng kyngdome of Syria being consumed through the natural hatred of the brothers and through the deadlie enmytie of their children succedyng in their fathers steppes one after an other with so mortal warre as neuer could be appeased the people resorted to straungers for refuge and be gan to loke about them for some forreyn kyng Therfore when as some thought it good to sende for Mithridates kyng of Pontus and some for Ptolomy kyng of Egypt and that it came to their remembraunce that Mithridates on th one syde was entangled with the warres of the Romayns and that Ptolomy on thother syde hadde euer ben an enemie to the kyngdome of Syria they consented all vppon Tygranes kyng of Armenia who besydes the power of his owne countrie was also supported by confederacie with the Parthians and by aliance with Mythridates Beyng therfore crowned king of Syria he enioyed the kyngdome excedyng quietlie by the space of eyghtene yeres hauyng no nede at all eyther to assayle others him selfe or to repulse others that assayled him But as Syria was in sauftie from forreyne 〈◊〉 â—…o was it greatlie wasted with an erthquake in the which ther perisshed an hundred threskore ten thousand men besydes the ruine of manie cities The whiche wonder the soothesayers interpreted to betoken a great alteracion of thynges For when Lucullus had ouercome Tygranes he proclaymed Antiochus the sonne of Cyricenus kyng But that which Lucullus had gyuen Pompeius afterward toke awaye who tolde him that he would not haue made him kyng of Syria no though he had sewed for it and muche lesse put it in his mouthe without chalengyng it Consyderyng that duryng the eyghtene yeres that Tygranes held Syria he had lyen lurkyng in a corner of Sylicia but assone as the Romayns had ouercome the sayde Tygranes he put himselfe forthe to sue for the reward of other mennes trauell Therfore lyke as yf he had had the kyngdome before he would not haue taken it from him euen so seyng he coulde fynde in his hart to suffer Tygranes to enioye it peaceablie so long he would not bestowe the thyng vppon him which he knew not howe to defende for doubte lest he might be an occasion that the Jewes and ArabiaÌ„s should enterprise to robbe and spoyle the countrie of Syria agayn So
captayn general agaynst them who as he lay at siege before the cytie with a great host of the best men that could be chosen in all the countrie saw in his slepe the likenesse of a womaÌ„ with a grim terrible contenance which saide she was a Goddesse at her syght he was so astraught that of his own mynde vn requested he made peace with y â— Massiliens And making request y â— he might enter into their cytie to worship their Goddes when he came into the teÌ„ple of Minerua espiyng in the porches the ymage of the Goddesse whiche he had sene in his dreame he cryed out sodaynlie that is was eueÌ„ she y â— had feared him in the night it was she that câ—…maun ded him to raise his siege Wheruppon greatly reioysing with the Massyliens bycause he perceyued that the Goddes immortall had suche care and regarde ouer them he gaue the Goddesse a chayne of Golde for an offering and made abonde of frendshyp and amitie with the MassilieÌ„s to coÌ„tinue for euer After that they had thus gotteÌ„ peace and established quietnesse the Massilieu 〈◊〉 returnyng from Delphos whether they had ben to carie presents vnto Apollo heard say that the Citie of Rome was taken and burnt by the Frenchmen The which â—…dynges when they had brought home the Massiliens pro claymed an vniuersall mournyng as if it had ben for the deathe of some especiall frendes and gathered all their Golde togyther as well priuate as publike the whiche they sent to make vp the Summe that the Frenchmen demaunded of the Romaynes for their raunsome and for to graunt them peace In recompence of whiche good turne they were made free of the Citie of Rome and placed amonge the Senatoures at all showes and pageantes And Alyance was knytte with them to be contynuallye reputed as Romaynes In his laste Booke Trogus declareth that his Auncestours fetche their Pe tegrie from the Uolces that his Graundfather Trogus Pompeius in the warres againste Sertorius dyd saue the Citie to Eneus Pompeius that his vncle hadde the leadynge of the Horsemen vnder the said Pompey in the warre againste Mythridates and that his father also serued in the warres vnder C. Caesar in the roume of Secretarie Lieuetenaunt and keper of his Seale The xliiii Boke SPayne lyke as it is the vttermost bownd of Europe so shall it also be th end of this woorke Men in olde tyme called it Iberia after the Ryuer Iberus and afterwarde they called it Spayne after the name of Hispalus This Countrey lyeth betwene affrike and Fraunce and is enclosed with thocean Sea the mountaines Pyrenei Lyke as it is lesser then anye of bothe those landes so is it more fertile then them bothe For neyther is it scorched with the outrageous heat of the sonne as Affrike is nor infèsted with contynuall windes as Fraunce is But as it is mydde betwene them both so on th one syde through temperate heat and on thother through the moysture os pleasaunt shoures fallynge in due season it becoÌ„meth fertilie of all kynde of fruite and graine in so muche that if not onely suffiseth thinhabytants therof but also sendeth abundaunce of all thynges into Italye and euen vnto Rome it selfe For there coÌ„meth from thence not onely great plentie of Corne and graine but also of wine hoÌ„ny and Oyle Besydes that there is not onely the best yron and steele that can be but also many races of most swifte horses neyther are the coÌ„modities that growe aboue the ground to be praysed onely but also the plentyfull riche Mynes of Mettalles hydden deepe within the grounde Of Flaxe and Baste there is great store and as for Uermilion there is no lande hath more plentie of it In this land are running Ryâ—…ers not violently outragiously flo wing to do any harm but gently moisting the vineyards and cornefieldes and where they ebbe and flow with the Oceane very full of all kynde of fysâ—…hes wherof many al so are riche of gold whiche they carrye to their great coÌ„mendacion Onely by the rydge of the mouÌ„tains Pyrenei is it parted froÌ„ Fraunce being on all other partes besyde enuironed rownd about with the Sea The platte of the land is almost fouresquare sauing that the Sea beatyng on both sydes doth gather it somewhat narrower at the mountaynes Pyrenei Moreouer whereas the Mountaynes Pyrenei ronne it is in bredth syx hundred myles The aire is holsome throughe all Spayne and the winde so coole in a temperate that there ryseth no stynkynge miâ—…tes out of the lowe groundes and marisses to infect it Besydes this the continuall ayre of the saltwater rysyng from the Sea round about on all sydes perseth throughe the whole countrie the whiche beyng qualyfied with the open aire of the land do chiefly preserue al men in health The bodies of the men are readie to endure hunger and payne their myndes readie to abyde deathe They liue all very nigardly and hardly they couet rather war then peace If they want a foreyn enemie they will seke one at home Oftentymes haue they dyed vpon the racke for concealyng thinges put to them in secret So much dooe they esteme more their secresie theÌ„ their lyues the which may well be perceyued by the sufferance of that seruaunt in the warres of Carthage who hauyng reuenged the death of his Master in the mids of his torments laughed reioysed with a mery and gladsome countenance vanquished the crueltie of his tormentours The people of that contrie are excedyng swift of foote vnquiet of mynd and many of them set more by their horses and armour then by their owne blood They make not anye preparature for feastyng but onely vppon high solemne dayes to washe in warme water they lerned of the Romayns after the second warres with Carthage Duryng the con tinuance of so many hundred yeres they neuer had anye worthie captayne sauyng Uiriatus Who by the space of tenne yeres togither helde y e Romains at the staues end sometime to his gain sometime to his losse so much wer they of nature more like brute beastes then like men the which forenamed captayn they followed not as one chosen by the discretion of men but onely bycause he was pol litique connyng in auoidyng eschewyng of daungers Yet notwithstandyng he was of that vertuous behauior modestie that albeit he oftentmies vanquished the consuls with their armies yet after so greate enterprises atcheued he neither changed the fashioÌ„ of his armour neyther altered the fashion of his apparell nor brake he thor der of his dyet but loke in what sorte he began fyrste his warres in the same he continued to the last so that there was neuer a coÌ„mon souldier but semed welthier then the Captayn It is reported of diuers writers y e about the riuer Tagus in Portingal mares doe coÌ„ceiue w t the wind The which fable sprang fyrste of the frutefulnesse
them about but assone as night shoulde serue their turn to set vpō their enemies making mery without care in their tēts For conquerors could no where die more honorably then in the camp of their enemies It was no hard matter to perswade thē that wer al redy bent to die Forth with they armed them selues being but vi C. men in all brake into the cāp of v. C. M. and forthwith went vnto the kings pauilion of purpose either to die with him or elsse if they wer ouerlaid to die in especialli in his tent Al the cāp was on a rore The Lacedemonians when they could not find the king ranged through all the camp like cōquerors slaying throwing down al things as men that knew that they fought not in hope of victory but to reuēge their own death The battel was prolonged frō the beginning of the nighte vntill the more parte of the next day was spent At the last not vanquished but wery of vanquishing they fell down dead amōg the heapes of their dead ennemies Xerxes hauing receiued two iosses in battell on the land entended to try his fortune But Themistocles the captain of the Atheniens when he vnderstode that the Ion◅s in whose quarel the king of Persie made all this war wer come to the aid of the Persians with a nauy of shippes he entended to draw thē to his part if he could And because he could haue no opportunity to talke with the he caused these words to be engraued in stones set at the places wher they shuld ariue How mad are ye O ye Ionians what mischief intend you now to do purpose ye to make war against your first founders now of late your new reuengers haue we builded your wals to th entent they shuld destroy oures I put the case we had not this occasion of war firste with Darius and now with Xerxes seinge we forsoke you not when ye rebelled why do ye not come out of that siege into this our cāp Or if ye thinke ye may not do so without danger when the battel shal be ioyned step you aside draw back your ships depart out of the battel Before they shuld encoūter vpon the sea Xerxes had sent iiii M. men to Delphos to spoil the tēple of apollo as though he had made warre not only with the Grekes but euen with the gods immortal which bād of men was vtterly destroid with tempest lightnynge to th entent he might vnderstande that the more that God is wroth displesed with man the lesse power or rather none at all hath man against god After this he burned the cities of Thespie Plate Athens but ther wer no men in them because he could not haue the men to kil in his displesure he wreked his teme vpon their houses For the Athenies after the battel of Barathon by the counsell of Themistocles which gaue the warning that victory won of the Persians was not at end but rather a cause of greater warre made them a flcte of two hundred shippes Therfore when Xerxes was comming toward them they asked counsell of the Oracle at Delphos wher it was aunswered that they must prouide for their sauegard in wodden walles Themistocles deming it to be spoken and ment of shippes perswaded all the people that their Countrye was not the walles but the men and that the Citye was not the houses and buildinges but the Citizens and inhabitauntes Wherfore it was better for them and more for theyr safegard to betake them selues to shippes then to abyde in the towne whervnto God himself semed to counsel them The counsell was well liked and thervpon abandoning the Citye they conueyed their wiues and children with all theyr preciousest stuffe and iewels into secrete Ilands and there bestowed them in safety whiche beinge doone they armed them selues and tooke shipping Other Cities also folowed the example of the Atheniens Therfore when all the whole fiete of their complices and parrakers were assembled together in the narow seas by the I le of Salamine to th entent they mighte not be enclosed of Xerxes greate multitude as they were consulting how to maintaine the warres vpon the sea sodenly sprang a variaunce betwene the princes of the Cities euery man deuising how to breake vp priuely to steale home to defend his own Themistocies fearing least by the departure of his Companions his strength shoulde be abated sent woorde vnto Xerxes by a trustye seruaunte that now was the time that he myght easly take al Grece together in one place wheras if euery man were dispersed home to his owne Citye as they wer about to doo it shuld be more to his paine to pursue them one by one Thorough this pollicy he caused the king to geue a sign of battel The Grekes also being preuented with thapproche of their ene mies layed their power together ioyned battell During the time of thencounter the king as a loker on no medler with certaine shippes lay still at the roode But Artemysia the Queene of Halicarnassus whyche came to the ayde of Xerxes foughte fierslye euen amonge the formest Captayne in the battell So that as in Xerxes was to be sene a kinde of femine fearfulnesse so in her was to be seene the kynde of manlye couragiousnesse In the whottest of the battell the Ionians according to the commaundement of Themistocles began by litle and litle to withdraw them selues out of the prease Whose departure discouraged al the rest The Per sians loking about which way to eskape were put out of a ray sone after being vanquished were put to open flight In the whiche discomfiture manye shippes were drowned and many were taken But mo fearing more the kinges cruelty then their ennemy stale away and went home The king Xerxes beinge striken in great feare by reason of this slaughter and knowing not what to do Mardonius cam vnto him counselling him to depart into his kingdōe with as muche spede as might be least the brute of the discomfiture might cause any insurrection or he cam there which commonly is wont to make more of thinges then they be in dede Leauing him 0000. thousand of the tallest men picked souldiers of all his host with the which company he promised either to his great honour to subdue al Grece or if it were his misfortune to be ouercome he woulde wythout infamy or dishonor to his Maiesty geue place to his ennemies The counsel of Mardonius was well allowed Whervpon the said nomber of men wer to him deliuered and the remnaunt of his hoste the king him selfe purposed to conuey home again But the Grekes hearing of the kinges flight consulted together to breake the bridge whyche he as Lord of the sea had made at Abydus to the entent that his passage being cut of he might either with his army be vtterlye destroyed or elsse be brought to suche an exigent that as clerely ouercome
he should be compelled to desyre peace at their handes But Themistocles fearing least his enemies being stopped of their passage should tourn theyr despair into hardines and seing none other remedy make them selues way with their swordes told them that there were enemies ynough and to many all ready in Grece the nomber wherof ought not to be encreased by keping them against their wils ◅ut when he perceiued his counsel pre uailed not be sent the same seruaunt againe vnto Xerxes aduertising him of their entent purpose and willing hym to get him away with spede if he entended to eskape The king being striken in fear with this message deliuered his souldiers to be conueied home by their captains he with a few went toward abydos wher finding the bridge broken with the tēpests of the winter he feried ouer fearfully in a fishers bote It was a thing worth the beholding and as in consideration and valewing of mannes ◅ckle welth prosperity a thing to be wondred at to beholde him now lurking in a litle boat whome lately before skarse all the Sea was able to receiue and to se him destitute of all attendās seruice whose army by reson of the huge multitude therof was euen a burden to the earth Neither had the army whom he had assigned to captains any luckier or more for tunate iournying by land For besides their daily trauell as surely there is no rest to such as be in fear they were al so afflicted with hunger Furthermore the ◅ant of victels brought vpon them the pestilence by meanes wherof they died so thicke that the waies were couered with their dead carkasses in so muche that the beastes and foules allured with desire of pray followed the hoste In the meane tyme Mardonius toke Olynthus in Grece by assault Also he entreted with the Atheniens to sue to the kinge for peace and frendship promising to build vp their city which he hadde burnt larger and fairer then euer it was before When he saw they wold not sel their liberty for any worldly good he set on fire that which they had begō to build again from thence he passed with his army into Bo◅ thither folowed also the host of the Grekes which was a hundred M. men there was a battel fought But the chaunging of the captain chaunged not the kinges fortune For Mardonius being ouercōe eskaped with a few as it wer out of shipwrak His ◅entes replenished withall kinde of richesse after the princeliest sort that could be wer taken riffled Whervp on first of al among the Grekes when they had parted the gold of the Parsians among them grew excesse and riot By chaunce the same day that Mardonius host was destroyed there was another battell fought vpon the sea against the Persians in Asia hard by the mountaine Mycale Ther before the encounter as the two fleetes stoode in order of battaile one againste another a fame came vnto bothe the armies that the Greekes had gotten the vpper hande and vtterly slaine all Mardonius host So great was the swiftnesse of fame that the battel being foughte in Boetia in the mornynge by noone tidinges was broughte of the victorye into Asia ouer so many seas and ouer so muche grounde in so short a moment of time When the warres were fynished and that consultation was had how euery Citye shoulde be rewarded by iudgement of them all the Atheniens were demed to haue don mooste valiantlye Amonge the Captaines also Themistocles was by the verdite of all the Cities iudged chefe and soueraigne to the great renowne of his countrye The Atheniens therfore beinge increased as well in richesse as in honor began to builde their City new oute of the grounde When the Lacedemonians heard how they had enlarged the walles of their Citye and sette them further out then they were before they beganne to haue them in a gelowsye wiselye forecastinge what they were like to growe vnto hauinge ones made their Citye stronge and defensyble whiche by the decaye of their Citye had gotten so much as they hadde Wherefore they sent Ambassadoures admonishynge them not to buylde Fortresses for theyr ennemyes and holdes for the Warres that were lyke to ensue hereafter Themistocles perceiuing them to grudge and to repine at the raising of his city thinking that it stode him in hand to beware that he did nothing vnaduisedly answeared the ambassadors that there shuld certain go with them to La◅mon fully authorised to entreat and conclude with thē as concerning that matter So when he had dispatched the ambassadours of Sparta he exhorted his Citezens to make spede in their work and he him selfe within a while after went of ambassade In the which iourny what by faining him self sicke and what by putting fault in the slacknesse of suche as were in commission with him without whome he saide he was able to doo nothing by vertue of his commissyon he draue of still from day to day and all to th entent that they might haue leisure to furnish their woorke During which time it was reported at Lacedemon that the woorke went f◅r warde a pace at Athens Wherevpon they sente Ambassadoures agayne to see if it were so or no. Then Themistocles by a Seruaunte of hys sente a letter to the hyghe Magystrates of Athens willing them to hold the Spartane ambassadours in safe keping as pledges least otherwise then wel might be doon or committed against him at Lacedemon Then he wēt boldly before the Lacedemonians declaring that Athens was now throughly fortified and that it was able to withstand the force of enemies not only by the sword but also by the strengthe of their walles and if they entreated him otherwise then wel for the matter their ambassadors were kept as pledges for the same purpose at Athens Then he gaue them a great rebuke in that they soughte to make them selues strong and to obtain seueraignty not by their own power but by the weaknesse of their fellowes So beinge dismissed in manner triumphing ouer the Lacedemonians he was ioyfully receiued o◅ his own Citezens After thys the Spartanes least their strength shuld decay through idlenesse and to reuenge them selues vppon the Persians whyche twise before hadde made warre vpon the Grekes of theyr owne accord in◅aded the borders of their Empire They chose for captaine bothe of their owne army and of the army of the adherents one Pansanias who beinge not content with the Captainship but coueting in stede therof to make him self king of all Grece priuely conspired with Xerxes In reward wherof he should haue the kinges daughter in mariage and because the king should haue the more confidens in him he sent home the prisoners skot free without raunsome Moreouer he wrote vnto Xerxes that what messengers so euer he sent vnto him he shoulde putte them to death to the entent their purpose should not by talk be bewrayed But Aristides the
then and moste readye and forwarde to doo all kinde of mischiefe For he was counted strong of hand and in talking to the people verye eloquent Therfore within shorte space he was made captaine of a hundred men and anone after marshall of the hoste In the firste battell whiche was against the AetneaÌ„s he gaue the Syracusanes great profe of his towardnesse In the nexte followinge agaynste the Campaines he made all men concâ—…iue so good opinion of him that he was substituted in the roume of the graunde captaine Damasco deceased whose wife with whome he had committed aduoutry in the life of her husband afteâ—… his decease he toke in mariage And beinge not content that of a begger he was sodainly made riche he exercysed rouing on the sea againste his owne country But it was his chaunce to be saued because when his mates wer taken and putte to the torture they confessed nothynge of him Twise he went abouâ—… to vsurpe the Empire of Syâ—…acuse and twise he was banished for hys laboure The Murgantines amonge whome he liued in the time of his exile for hatred they bare to the Syracusanes created him first their Pretor and afterwarde their captayne In that warre he bothe tooke the city of the Leontines and besieged the city of Syracuse To the râ—…ue wherof Hamilcar captaine of the Carthaginenses beinge requested to come laying a side all emnity and hatred sent thither a crew of souldioures And so at one time and instant the City Syracuse was defended louingly and frendly by the enemy and â—…ye assailed by her owne Citizen But Agathocles when he sawe that the towne was more manfullye defended then assaulted he sent a pursiuant to Hamilcar desiringe hym to doo so much for him as to take vp the mater betwene him and the Syracusanes and to bee as an indifferente iudge for the determination of some peace betwixt them promisyng to doo the best that laye in him to recompence hys gentlenesse Where vppon Hamilcar beinge fulfilled with hoope and partly fearinge his power entred a league of frendshippe with him vppon condition that looke howe much he furthered Agathocles in strength agaynste the Syracusanes so muche shoulde Agathocles recompence hym withal againe to the furtheraunce of his aduauncement at home in his owne natiue country By meanes of this composition Agathocles was not only reconciled and brought to attonement with the Syracusanes but also hee was made Pretor of the Citye Then the holy fyre and the tapers were brought forthe whervpon agathocles laying his hand sware before Hamilcar to become true subiectes to the Carthaginenses Herevpon receiuing of him fiue thousand afres he put to death al the noble men that were of greatest power and authority and so as it were to th entent to refourme the state of the common welth he commaunded the people to assemble before him in the Theatre gathering the Senatours into the counsell house as thoughe he mineded to make some ordinaunce or decree before When he had brought his matters to this poynt he sent his souldiers to besiege the people and he him selfe slue the senators the whyche slaughter being finished he put to deathe also all suche of the commons as were the welthiest and forwardest persons These thinges beinge thus compassed he mustered souldiours and raised an army with the whyche beynge strengthened he sodainly inuaded the next cities lokyng for no hostility Furthermore by the sufferance of Hamilcar he wrongfully entreated and shamefully handled the confederates of the Carthaginenses For the whiche cause they made complainte to the Senate Carthage not so muche of agathocles as of hamilcar accusinge the one as a Lordly Tirant and the other as a traytoure by whome they were sold by composition and bargain betwene theÌ„ two to the vttermost enemy of their estate to whome at the beginning in coÌ„firmation of the said composition and agrement was deliuered Syracuse the city that had euer bene most enemy to the Afres and an enuier of the Carthaginenses alwayes contending with them for the Empire of Sicil and now moreouer were betrayed to y e same person the cities of their confederates vnder a counterâ—…aite pretence of peace Wherfore they gaue them warning that if they loked not to these matters in time with in a while they would light vpon their owne heades and soone after they shoulde feele what damage they shoulde bring as wel vpon their owne country of Affricke as vp 〈◊〉 the pore Iland of Sicil. By meanes of these coÌ„plaints the Senate was sore moued to displesure against Hamilcar But forasmuch as he was in Office they gaue theyr iudgement secretely vpon him commaundinge their verdits before they shuld be red to be cast into a pot together and there â—…o be sealed vppe vntill the other Hamilcar the sonne of Gysgo wer returned out of Sicil. But the death of Hamilcar preuented the suttle deuises and vnknowen verdites of the Carthaginenses and he was deliuered by the benefite of death whome his owne countrymen had wrongfully condempned without hearing of his answer The which thing gaue Agathocles occasion to moue war against the Carthaginenses The first encounter that he had was against Hamilcar the sonne of Gisgo Of whoÌ„e being vanquished he retired to Syracuse to raise a great power and to renue the battel again But he had like for tune in the second encounter as he had in the first Therfore when the Carthaginâ—…nses hauing the vpper hande had besieged Syracuse and that Agathocles perceiued he was neither of power to encounter them nor sufficiently furnished to endure out the â—…iege and â—…hat moreouer hys owne confederates being offended with his crueltye had forsaken him he determined to transfer the warres into Affricke I assure you it was a wonderful audacitye that he should enterprise to make warre agaynste the Citye of them whome he was not able to match in the soile of his owne city and that being not able to defend his owne he should geue the aduenture vppon other mennes and that being vanquished he should proudly vaunt him selfe ouer the conqueroures The keping secrete of this enterprise was as wonderfull as was the deuise therof for the people could learne nothinge at his hande but that he hadde found away to get the victorye Willing them to doo no more but take good harts to them to abide the siege whiche shoulde not be long or elsse if there were any that had â—…ot the harte to abide the aduenture of the present estate he gaue him fre liberty to go his way whether he would Whervpon when he had discharged a thousand and syâ—… hundred he furnished the reast that remained with vietuall artillerye and wages accordinge as the estate of the siege required He tooke with him no more but fifty Talents toward his charges to spend at that time thinking it better to get the reast if neade shoulde require more of his ennemies then of his subiects Then he set at