Army towards Hircania and the third day came near the City * From its 100 Gates Hecatompylon and there encamp'd Here he continu'd some Days to refresh his Army because the Country was exceeding Rich and abounded with every thing for Man's Use Thence he mov'd forward an Hundred and fifty Furlongs and encamp'd near a very high Rock at the foot of which is a Cave not unbecoming the Gods from whence as the Spring-head issues the great River Stiboetes Thence it runs with a fierce and violent Stream for the space of Three Furlongs 'till it dash it self upon a great Rock in shape like a Woman's Pap under which is a vast Gulph or opening of the Earth into which being now divided into two Channels it falls down with a mighty Noise turn'd all into Froth and Spume and there runs under-ground * About 43 Miles Three hundred Furlongs and then appears again as if that we e its Spring-head Having entred Hircania with his Army he gain'd all the Town and Cities as far as the Caspian Sea which some call likewise the Hircanian Sea It 's reported that in that Sea are many Serpents of Ant. Ch. 327. an extraordinary Bigness and Fish of all sorts much differing in Colour from those in our Parts When he entred further into Hircania he came to Towns call'd the Fortunate Towns The Fertility of Hircania which are so in Deed as well as in Name For this Country excels all the rest in fertility of Soil for every Vine they say affords a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about 49 Quarts Metrete of Wine And that some Fig-trees are so very fruitful that they 'll bear Ten †Every Medimna is about 18 Gallons Medimnas of dried Figs and that what are left upon the Tree after Harvest fall upon the Ground and spring up again of themselves and bring forth abundance of Fruit to perfection There 's a Tree in that Country much like to an Oak which distills Honey from its Leaves and this the Inhabitants gather in great plenty for their own use There 's likewise a little Insect in this Tract call'd an Anthredon less than a Bee but very remarkable it gets its living in the Mountains sucking the Flowers that grow here and there in those places It works its Combs within hollow Rocks or Trees shatter'd or made hollow by the Thunder-bolts and there makes a Liquor not inferiour to any for sweetness In the mean time Alexander while he was on his March through Hircania and the bordering Countries gain'd great Reputation and was highly honour'd for his Clemency in carrying himself with so much Humanity towards all those Commanders who fled away with Darius and afterwards submitted themselves to him So that Fifteen hundred brave and valiant Grecians who sided with Darius forthwith came unto him and laid themselves at his Feet whom he readily pardon'd and plac'd them in several of his Ant. Ch. 327. Regiments and allow'd them the same Pay with the rest Having run through the Sea-Coasts of Hircania he entred the Country of the Mardi who being a Warlike Nation slighted the growing Power of the King and shew'd him not the least Respect either by sending Ambassadors or otherwise but having possess'd themselves of the strait Passes of the Mountains with Eight thousand Men stood there waiting for the coming of the Macedonians Hereupon the King sets upon them kills many and drives the rest within the Straits But while he was burning up the Country all before him it fell out that some of the King's Boys who led his Horses being at some distance from the rest of the Army his best Horse by a sudden Incursion of the Alexander's Horse Barbarians was carry'd away This Horse was given him by Damarotus the Corinthian and the King had made use of him in all his Battels in Asia When he was bare-back'd he would admit only his Tender to mount him but when he had the King's War-Saddle and the rest of his brave Trappings upon him he would not suffer his former Rider to get upon his Back nor any other Person but Alexander and to him he would down upon his Knees for the King to get into the Saddle Because of these excellent Properties of the Horse the King was the more griev'd and troubled and therefore he order'd all the Trees in all parts of the Country as he went to be hewn down and caus'd a Proclamation to be made in their own natural Tongue That unless his Horse were restor'd he would waste and destroy all before him with Fire and Sword which he began presently to put in execution Upon which the Barbarians were so terrify'd that they Ant. Ch. 327. not only restor'd the Horse but brought along with them many rich Presents for the King and by Fifty Ambassadors begg'd his Pardon Upon which the King accepted some of the most Honourable among them for Hostages When he came back into Hircania Thalestris Queen of the Amazons met him whose Dominions lay between Phasis and Taermodon of an admirable Beauty and strong Body Thalestâ—is greatly honour'd in her own Country for here Brave and Manly Spirit She presented herself to the King with Three hundred Amazons in their Warlike Habit having left the rest of her Forces on the Borders of Hircania The King being struck with admiration at the sudden and unexpected approach of the Queen and the graceful appearance of the Women ask'd Thalestris what was the Reason of her Journey thither Who answer'd him That she came there to have Issue by him for she look'd upon him to transcend all other Men for Great and Noble Actions and she her self to exceed all other Women both in Body and Mind as to the Strength of the one and Courage of the other And therefore there was good ground to hope that the Issue of such Parents would excell all other Men in Valour The King was greatly pleas'd with what she said and gratisy'd her Request and after he had convers'd with her for the space of Thirteen Days he presented her with honourable Gifts and suffer'd her to return to her own Kingdom Alexander conceiving that he had now effected all that he design'd and that there was no Competitor with him for the Empire began to indulge the soft and effeminate Manners Alexander i 〈◊〉 the Persians of the Persians and to imitate the Luxury of the Asian Kings And therefore in the first place he order'd all the * The Lictors who carry'd Rods before the Magistrates Officers of the Court to be Asiaticks and the Nobility of Asia to be * ' Squires of the Body amongst whom Oxathres the Brother of Darius was one He put likewise the Persian Diadem upon his Head and wore the White Cassock and Belt after the manner of the Persian Kings and all the rest except the Persian Hose †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such carry'd Lances Ant. Ch. 327. and Vestment call'd the Candys He bestow'd
to whom the Authority of the chief Magistrate is committed by Divine Providence Being so elected he orders the Course of his Life according as the Law has P. 102. prescrib'd and governing in all other respects according to the Customs of the Country he neither confers Rewards nor inflicts Punishments upon any but according to the ancient Laws ratify'd and approv'd by his Ancestors from the beginning It is a Law among them That no Subject shall be put to Death nor Condemn'd to Dye though he be never so guilty But one of the †Sheriffs Lictors is sent to the Criminal bearing before him the Badge or Sign of Death upon sight of which the Party goes Home and kills himself It is not lawful to change his Punishment by wilful Banishment and flying into other Countries as it is the Custom of the Greeks And therefore they report that one once preparing to fly out of Ethiopia after the Sign of Death was sent to him by the King that his Mother discerning his Design fastned her Garter about his Neck and he never in the least lifted up his Hands to hinder her but underwent all till he was strangl'd to Death lest he should leave behind him a Blot and Stain upon his Kindred and Family And above all that Custom is most strange which relates to the Death of the Kings for those Priests that are imploy'd in the Service of the Gods at Meroe who are here of greatest Authority whensoever they please they send a Messenger to the King commanding him to put himself to death for that such is the pleasure of the Gods and that it is not lawful for any to despise the Commands of the Gods adding also other Reasons which a plain and honest Mind inur'd to an ancient and constant Custom and not being furnish'd with sufficient Arguments to evince the unreasonableness of the Commands is easily induc'd to believe And so in former Ages the Kings without force or compulsion of Arms but meerly bewitcht by a fond Superstition observ'd the Custom till Ergamenes a King of Ethiopia who reign'd in the time of Ptolomy the Second bred up in the Grecian Discipline and Philosophy was the first that was so bold as to reject and despise such Commands For this Prince assuming the Spirit and Courage becoming a King marcht with a considerable Body of Men to the Place very difficult of access where stood the Golden Temple of the Ethiopians and there cut the Throats of all the Priests and having abolish'd that ancient barbarous Custom reform'd what appertain'd to the Service of the Gods in such manner as he thought fit There is moreover a strange and wonderful Law amongst the great Officers of the King's Houshold which continues they say to this very day For it 's a Custom amongst the Ethiopians that if the King be maim'd or debilitated upon any occasion in any Member of his Body all his Houshold-Servants do the same thing to themselves For they hold it a base and unworthy thing that if the King be lame for his Servants to attend upon him with whole and sound Limbs and not all to be lame as well as he And that it 's a thing most unworthy of true and firm Friendship not to sympathize and bear a share both in Prosperity and Adversity in Sorrow and Sadness and in the pains and deficiencies of the Body They say moreover that it 's a Custom for the King 's Domestick Servants to put themselves to Death when their Kings dye and such Death they account honourable and as a Testimony of their sincere love to their Prince and therefore it 's no easie matter for the Ethiopians to assassinate any of the King's Friends being that both they and the King are careful and solicitous for the mutual preservation of each other These are the Laws of those Ethiopians that inhabit the Capital City and the Island Meroes and those Tracts that lye next unto Egypt But there are many other Ethiopian Nations whereof some dwell on both sides the River Nile and in P. 103. the Islands in the River others border upon Arabia and some are seated in the heart of Africa The greatest part of these especially those in and about the River are Blacks flat Fac'd of curl'd Hair exceeding fierce and cruel and in their Manners like Beasts not so much in their natural Temper as in their study'd and contriv'd pieces of wickedness Their whole Bodies are filthy and nasty and their Nails long like wild Beasts and cruel one towards another They have a shrill Voice and in regard they are never taught by any how to lead a more civiliz'd Course of Life in that way of Education as others are they mightily differ from us in all their Manners Some of them carry Shields made of the raw Hide of an Ox and short Launces Others Darts with forkt Points sometimes they use Bows of Wood * 8 Foot Four Cubits long and discharge their Arrows by forcing the Bow with the help of their Foot and when their Shafts are spent they fall on with †A great Stake burnt at one end Cloaths Clubs They arm likewise their Women till they attain to such an Age many of whom use to hang a Brass Ring at their Lips Some of them never wear any Cloaths but go naked all their Lives long and shelter themselves from the scorching heat of the Sun only with such helps and defences as in their way they can meet withal Some of them cut off Sheeps Tails and bind them about their Loyns to cover their Privities Others make use of Beasts Skins for this purpose Some there are that are cloth'd round their Loyns with Breeches made of the Hair of their Heads for the nature of the Ground is such that the Sheep carry no Fleeces Their Meat is a certain Fruit that grows about the Pools and Marishes Some pluck off the tender Branches of small Trees and with them cover themselves from the heat of the Southern Sun Some sow Sesamus and Lotus And others live upon certain tender Roots of Canes And many of them that are good Archers maintain themselves with abundance of Fowl they kill But most of them live upon Flesh Milk and Cheese Those that inhabit the Parts above Meroes have Two Opinions concerning the Gods Some of them say they are eternal and incorruptible Amongst which they Religion reckon the Sun Moon and the intire Universe Others they conceive were at first Mortal Men but for their Virtue and their Benefits procur'd to Mankind purchas'd immortal Honour They especially worship Isis Pan Hercules and Jupiter whom they account to be the greatest Benefactors to Mankind But some few of the Ethiopians are of opinion that there are no Gods at all And these fly to the Marishes from the Sun when it rises as from an implacable Enemy They have Laws likewise different from all other Nations about their Funerals Some throw their Dead into the River
have had them confirm'd yet the Ambition of Dinocrates rejected them for he affected an absolute Monarchy and therefore Ant. Ch 304. Dinocrates stâ—nds of from A 〈…〉 nt with Agathocles hated the Syracusian Democracy and was better pleas'd with the Command as General of the Army which he then enjoy'd For he had at that time under his Command above Twenty thousand Foot and Three thousand Horse and many of the largest and chiefest Cities so that though he was call'd only General of the Exiles yet in truth he had the Majesty and Authority of a King the chief and absolute Power of every thing being in his hands for if he return'd to Syracuse he concluded he must of necessity be no more than a private Man and be reputed but one of the many for Liberty loves Equality and subject to be undermin'd and degraded by the suffrage of every Demagogue in the publick Assemblies for the common People are ever Enemies to those that are rising Men and speak their Minds most freely And therefore a Man may justly say that Agathocles voluntarily Lower'd his Sails and that Dinocrates was the only cause of what ever Good was done by this Prince at any time afterwards For Agathecles often sent Agents to him to Sollicite and Treat about the Conditions of Peace still insisting upon having the Two Castles for his Subsistence and he as often contriv'd some specious pretence or another to dash and break all in pieces sometimes requiring that he should depart wholly out of Sicily and at others that he should give up his Children as Hostages Agathocles therefore smelling out his Design sent Agents to the Exiles to accuse Dinocrates of the Project he was carrying on to obstruct the Restitution of their ancient Liberties Ant. Ch. 304. He sent likewise an Ambassador to the Carthaginians and made Peace with them upon the following Conditions viz. That all the Cities the Carthaginians formerly enjoy'd should be forthwith surrender'd to them For which he receiv'd of the Carthaginians Three P. 774. hundred Talents of Gold according to the Account and Value of Silver But as Timaeus says a Hundred and Fifty Talents and Two hundred Thousand * Every Medi 〈…〉 is 18 〈…〉 ns and Eight Gallons make a Bushel so that 200 Thousand Medimnas make 500 Thousand 〈◊〉 is Medimnas of Wheat Thus stood the Affairs of Sicily at that time In Italy the Samnites took Sora and Atia two Confederate Cities of the Romans by Storm and sold all the Captives for Slaves Upon which the Consuls broke in with mighty Forces into Japygia and sate down before the City Sylvia a Garison of the Samnites which the Romans took by Assault after a few days Siege and carry'd away above Five thousand Prisoners and abundance of rich Spoil and Booty Then they harrass'd the Country of the Samnites cutting down all the Trees and making havock and spoil where-ever they came For Rome having for many years been in contest with this Nation for the supream Command hop'd at length that the Enemy being strip'd out of all they had all over the Country would be forcâ—d to sloop to the Stronger and to that end they continu'd Spoiling and Wasting the Country Five Months together within which time they burnt down to the Ground almost all the Towns and rooted up every Plant and Tree and whatever other thing that might yield any Fruit for Daily Food After this the * Anagnite or Anagnini in â—â—aly a City of the Hernicori Aeginetes proclaim'd War for the Injuries done them and took * Frutinum Olymp. 118. 4. Ant. Ch. 303. Antigonus at War with Rhodes Fr 〈…〉 by Assault and Sold the Territories belonging to it After the End of this Year Xenippus Govern'd at Athens and Lucius Posthumius and Tiberius Minucius bore the Office of Consuls at Rome About this time the Rhedians were at War with Antigonus upon the accounts following The City of Rhodes was very strong in Shipping and the best Govern'd of any City among the Greeks and therefore all the Kings and Petty Princes strove which should gain the greatest Interest in the Citizens every one endeavouring to have her for their Confederate But foreseeing afar off what would be most for her Advantage she secretly made Peace with all but would not meddle with any of the Wars wherein the Princes were ingag'd one against another so that she was courted and richly presented by every one of them and grew exceeding rich by the injoyment of a long Peace For she became so potent that in the Pyrattick War Ant. Ch. 303. undertaken for the Common good of all Greece she scowr'd the Seas and freed them from Pyrats at her own charge Alexander the most potent Prince of any that is recorded honour'd this City above all others for there he laid up his last Will concerning the disposal of his whole Kingdom and honouring her in other respects advanc'd her to the state of a Royal City The Rhodians thus in amity with all the Princes kept themselves with all the Art they could from giving any just offence by outward appearance though in their hearts they most favour'd Ptolemy for they were most inricht by the Merchants which traded thence into Aegypt and the whole City was maintain'd and supported by the Wealth of that Kingdom which being understood by Antigonus he did all he could to draw them off from siding with Ptolemy And therefore at first when he was ingag'd in a War against Ptolemy for the Island of Cyprus he sent Ambassadors thither to sollicit them them to send Aid and shipping to Demetrius which they denying he commanded one his Admirals to sail away with his Fleet against them and intercept and rifle all the Ships that made out of the Port at Rhodes for Aegypt But the Rhodians beating the Admiral he charg'd them to be the Aggressors and beginners of an unjust War and threatn'd to besiege their City with the strength of his whole Army upon which the Rhodians decreed him great Honours and sent Ambassadors to him to intreat him that he would not force them to ingage in a War against Ptolemy contrary to the League they had made with him But the King hereat growing more inrag'd sent Demetrius with the Army and all manner of Engines for a Siege against them who were thereupon so terrifi'd with the mighty power of the King that at first they signifi'd to Demetrius by their Ambassadors that they would assist Antigonus against Ptolemy But afterwards when he requir'd a P. 775. Hundred of the Nobility for Hostages and that his Fleet might be admitted into the Harbour they concluded that he design'd to surprize the City and therefore they prepar'd for War Demetrius on the other hand Rendesvouz'd all his Fleet in the Port at Elorymna and put all in readiness for an Expedition to Rhodes He had with him Two hundred Men of War of several dimensions a Hundred and seventy Ships of burthen
out to the end that none might see what they were doing lest it should be nois'd abroad and come to the Ears of the Indians Having therefore provided Shipping and Elephants in the space of two years in the third she randezvouz'd all her Forces in Bactria Her Army consisted as Ctesias says of three Millions of Foot * 500000 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in the margent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 200000. two hundred Thousand Horse and a hundred Thousand Chariots and a hundred Thousand Men mounted upon Camels with Swords four Cubits long The Boats that might be taken asunder were two Thousand which the Camels carry'd by Land as they did the Mock-Elephants as we have before declar'd The Souldiers made their Horses familiar with these feign'd Beasts by bringing them often to them lest they should be terrify'd at the Sight of them which Perseus imitated many Ages after when he was to fight with the Romans who had Elephants in their Army out of Africa However this Contrivance prov'd to be of no Advantage either to him or her as will appear in the Issue herein a little after related When Stabrobates the Indian King heard of these great Armies and the mighty Preparations made against him he did all he could to excel Semiramis in every thing And first he built of great Canes four Thousand River-boats For abundance of these Canes grow in India about the Rivers and Fenns so thick as a Man can scarce fathom And Vessels made of these Reeds they say are exceeding useful because they 'l never rot or be worm-eaten He was very diligent likewise in preparing of Arms and going from Place to Place throughout all India and so rais'd a far greater Army than that of Semiramis To his former Number of Elephants he added more which he took by hunting and furnish'd them all with every thing that might make them look terrible in the Face of their Enemies so that by their Multitude and the Compleatness of their * Breastplates Armour in all Points it seem'd above the Strength and Power of Man to bear up against the violent Shock of these Creatures Having therefore made all these Preparations he sent Embassadours to Semiramis as she was on her March towards him to complain and upbraid her for beginning a War without any Provocation or Injury offer'd her and by his private Letters taxed her with her whorish Course of Life and vow'd calling the Gods to witness that if he conquer'd her he would nail her to the Cross When she read the Letters she smil'd and said the Indian should presently have a Trial of her Valour by her Actions When she came up with her Army to the River Indus she found the Enemies Fleet drawn up in a Line of Battle whereupon she forthwith drew up her own and having mann'd it with the stoutest Souldiers joyn'd Battle yet so ordering the Matter as to have her Land-forces ready upon the Shoar to be assisting as there should be Occasion After a long and sharp Fight with Marks of Valour on both sides Semiramis was at length victorious and sunk a Thousand of the Enemies Vessels and took a great number of Prisoners Puffed up with this Success she took in all the Cities and Islands that lay in the River and carry'd away a hundred Thousand Captives After this the Indian King drew off his Army as if he fled for Fear but in Truth to decoy his Enemies to pass the River Semiramis therefore seeing things fall out according to her wish laid a broad Bridge of Boats at a vast Charge over the River and thereby passed over all her Forces leaving only threescore Thousand to guard the Bridge and with the rest of her Army pursu'd the Indians She plac'd the Mock-Elephants in the Front that the Enemies Scouts might presently inform the King what Multitudes of Elephants she had in her Army And she was not deceiv'd in her hopes for when the Spies gave an Account to the Indians what a great Multitude of these Creatures were advancing towards them they were all in amaze inquiring among themselves whence the Assyrians should be supply'd with such a vast number of Elephants But the Cheat could not be long conceal'd for some of Semiramis's Souldiers being laid by the Heels for their Carelesness upon the Guard through Fear of further Punishment made their Escape and fled to the Enemy and undeceiv'd them as to the Elephants upon which the Indian King was mightily encourag'd and caus'd Notice of the Delusion to be spread through the whole Army and then forthwith march'd with all his Force against the Assyrians Semiramis on the other hand doing the like When they approach'd near one to another Stabrobates the Indian King plac'd his Horse and Chariots in the Van-guard at a good distance before the main Body of his Army The Queen having plac'd her Mock-Elephants at the like distance from her main Body valiantly receiv'd her Enemies Charge but the Indian Horse were most strangely terrify'd for in Regard the Phantasms at a distance seem'd to be real Elephants the Horses of the Indians being inur'd to those Creatures prest boldly and undauntedly forward but when they came near and saw another sort of Beast than usual and the smell and every thing else almost being strange and new to them they broke in with great Terror and Confusion one upon another so that they cast some of their Riders headlong to the Ground and ran away with others as the Lot happen'd into the midst of their Enemies Whereupon Semiramis readily making use of her Advantage with a Body of choice Men fell in upon them and routed them forcing them back to their main Body And though Stabrobates was something astonish'd at this unexpected Defeat yet he brought up his Foot against the Enemy with his Elephants in the Front He himself was in the right Wing mounted upon a stately Elephant and made a fierce Charge upon the Queen her self who happen'd then to be opposite to him in the left And tho' the Mock-Elephants in Semiramis's Army did the like yet they stood the violent shock of the other but a little while for the Indian Beasts being both exceeding strong and stout easily bore down and destroy'd all that oppos'd them so that there was a great Slaughter for some they trampl'd under foot others they rent in pieces with their Teeth and toss'd up others with their Trunks into the Air. The Ground therefore being cover'd with Heaps of dead Carcases and nothing but Death and Destruction to be seen on every hand so that all were full of Horror and Amazement none durst keep their Order or Ranks any longer Upon which the whole Assyrian Army fled outright and the Indian King encountred with Semiramis and first wounded her with an Arrow in the Arm and afterwards with a Dart in wheeling about in the Shoulder whereupon the Queen her Wounds not being mortal fled and by the Swiftness of her Horse which far exceeded
ease Thus dividing themselves into Companies they finish their Pursuit and feed together upon the Prey they have caught Very rarely it is that any of them are kill'd even by the fiercest or strongest of them but by slight they overcome might If they miss of their Prey they wash the Skins of those they have formerly taken and lay them upon a Fire made for the Purpose and scorching off the Hair under the Ashes and dividing the Skin amongst themselves with this hard Fare they satisfy their Hunger They teach the Boys to cast Darts exactly to hit a Mark and if they miss they suffer them not to eat And by this Means through pinching Hunger they become excellent Archers Not far from these towards the West inhabit the Ethiopians that are call'd Elephant fighters Elephantomachies They dwell in large and woody Forests where from the Tops of the highest Trees they diligently observe the Motions and Walks of the Elephants But they set not upon the intire Troops at once for that were to little Purpose but with wonderful Courage single them out as they come near to them For when the Beast approaches to the right side of the Tree where he that watches for him lyes hid just as the Elephant passes by he catches hold of his Tail with his Hands and clasps his Feet close to his left Thigh Then with his Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist l. 8. c. 8. right Hand he lays hold of a sharp Ax bound upon his Shoulder and managable by one Hand and with that gives him one Wound after another whereby he cuts the Nerves and Sinews of the Elephant's right Ham guiding and governing his Body in the mean time by his right Hand This Feat is perform'd with that admirable Quickness and Activity as if the Combat had been design'd to be ended no otherwise than by the Loss of one of their Lives For what could be expected since the Nature of the thing cannot admit of any other Conjecture but either the Man must dye or the Beast be overcome The Beast being thus Hamstrung not able to turn himself round by reason of the Slowness of his Motion sinks sometimes on that side where he is wounded and falls down and together with himself kills the Ethiopian Sometimes the Elephant dashes the Man against a Tree or a Stone and with his Weight presses upon him till he has kill'd him Some of the Elephants overmaster'd through the Smart and Torment of their Wounds never regard him that wounds them but run so long up and down the Plain till the Ethiopian behind by his continual hacking and cutting in one and the same place cuts his Sinews in pieces and at length altogether disables him and brings him down Whereupon the Ethiopians run in flocking and cutting of Collops of his Flesh while he is yet alive feed and feast themselves merrily together P. 113. The Manner of taking Elephants Some of the neighbouring Ethiopians take the Elephants without any Danger of their Lives at all overcoming Force by Slight For this Creature when he is full after feeding differs from all other four-footed Beasts in disposing of himself to Sleep For he cannot bend his Knees and lye down but sleeps leaning his Body to the side of a Tree so that the Tree by his frequent resort to it and pressing upon it withers and rots there being therefore many Signs and Footsteps of the Elephant's Walks by which the Hunters of this Prey discover where he rests himself they having found out the Tree saw it a little above the Ground till it be almost ready to fall then rubbing out the Marks of their Feet they go away before the Elephant comes there who afterwards in the Evening being full fed makes to his usual Resting-place and as soon as he leans with the Weight of his whole Body to the Tree down it falls and the Beast along with it and there lyes all Night with his Heels upward for he cannot possibly rise As soon as it's day they that saw'd the Tree come to the Place and there kill the poor Creature without any Hazard and build themselves Huts where they stay till they have eaten him up Next to these Nations upon the West inhabit those Ethiopians call'd Simoes To the South lye the Nation of the Struthophages for among them is a sort of Bird Simoes of a mixt Nature partly a Fowl and partly a Beast and thence it has its Name Struthophages She 's little less than the greatest Hart Nature has form'd her with a long Neck a round Body with Wings but a tender and small Head yet she has strong Thighs Ostrich and Legs and her Feathers are forkt and she 's so heavy and unweldy that she cannot fly above the Earth but she runs along with that Swiftness that she scarce touches the Ground With a brisk gale of Wind she mounts up her Wings and makes forward as swift as a Ship with her Sayls spread under Sayl. Against the Pursuer she defends her self with flinging of Stones which she throws with that Violence out of her Feet as out of a Sling but when the Wind is low her Wings flag and so being depriv'd of that natural Help she 's easily taken There are a great Number of those Birds and by divers Arts and Devices the Barbarians easily take Multitudes of them and feed upon their Flesh and make use of their Skins both for Vestments and Coverlets for Beds But when these Struthophages are set upon by the Ethiopians call'd Simoes for Arms they use the Horns of the †The Oryx is a Beast as big as a Roe-buck which has a Horn as sharp as it will pierce Brass Oryxes with which they repel the Assaults of their Enemies For they are very great and sharp at the Ends and these sort of Beasts do there so abound that their Horns are found scatter'd up and down and so they become of special use to the Inhabitants A little distant from these are the Acridophages bordering upon the Deserts Acridophages Locust-eaters lesser they are than other Men of lean and meager Bodies and exceeding black In these Parts in the time of the Spring the South Winds rise high and drive an infinite Number of Locusts out of the Desert of an extraordinary Bigness furnish'd with most dirty and nasty colour'd Wings and these are plentiful Food and Provision for them all their days They have a strange and peculiar way of catching of them for in their Country there 's a large and deep Vale extending far in P. 114. length for many Furlongs together all over this they lay Heaps of Wood and other combustible Matter of which they have Plenty in every Place and when the Swarms of Locusts are by the Force of the Winds driven thither then some of the Inhabitants go to one Part of the Valley and some to another and set the Grass and other combustible Matter on Fire which was before thrown among
therefore they set upon the Enemy and Hercules by the Valour of the Arcadians whom he ever had with him as his Assistants routed them and slew the King himself and cutting off Multitudes of the Enemy forc'd the Lapithae out of the Territory which they contested for This being thus effected he gave up the third Part of the Country promis'd him to Aeginius to be kept by him in Trust in Order to be restor'd to Hercules his Posterity In his return to Trachinia he kill'd Cygnus the Son of Mars who challeng'd him to a Duel And as he passed through the Country of the Pelasgi from Itonus he met with King Hormenius and demanded his Daughter Astydamia in Marriage but because Deianira was his lawful Wife before he refus'd to give his Consent Upon which he made War upon him and both took the City and kill'd the King and so possessing himself of Astydamia by Force of Arms begat of her Câ—esippus Afterwards he made a second Expedition against the Sons of Eurytus for denying to give him Iole in Marriage And by the Help of the Arcadians took the City and slew Toxeus Molion and Pytius the Sons of Eurytus and carrying away Iole made to the Promontory Cenaeus in * Now N 〈…〉 poâ—t Eubaea where he appointed a solemn Sacrifice and sent Lichas his Servant to Trachine to his Wife Deianira with Orders to wish her to send him his Coat and Shirt he us'd to wear when he sacrific'd to the Gods Deianira being inform by Lichas of her Husband's Love to Iole and how he had a greater Love and Kindness for her than her self anointed the Coat and Shirt with the destructive Receipt given her by the Centaur which Lichas ignorant of the Matter carry'd to the Sacrifice But as soon as Hercules put on the Garment the Infection and Venom of the Receipt began by little and little to work which put him at last upon the Rack in most miserable Torment For the Poyson of the Arrow like a stinging Viper overspread the Garment and by its scorching Heat even eat up the Flesh of his whole Body Hercules being thus intolerably tormented forthwith kill'd his Servant Lichas and then dismiss'd his Army and return'd to Trachinia But his Torment more and more increasing he sent Lioymnion and Iolus to Delphos to inquire of Apollo how he might be â—â—'d Deianira amaz'd at the Extremity of her Husband's Misery and conscious of what she had done hang'd her self The Answer of the Oracle was That with a warlike Train they should carry Hercules away to Oâ—â—a and there raise up for him a great Pile of Wood and Jupiter would take great Care of the rest Iolus hereupon and those with him perform'd what was commanded suspecting what the Issue was like to be Hereupon Hercules despairing of his Recovery mounted the Pile and earnestly desir'd those present to set it on Fire When none would do it at length Philocletes observ'd his Order and put Fire under the Pile and for P. 1â—â— a Reward Hercules gave him his Bow and Arrows hereupon the Pile was presently on a Flame not only by the Fire but with Thunder and Lightning from Heaven and all was in an instant reduc'd to Ashes Iolus afterwards seeking for his Bones could find none at all whence arose an Opinion that Hercules as the Oracle had foretold was translated from Men to the Gods Iolus and the rest having therefore sacrific'd to him as a Demy-God and rais'd up a great Monument in Remembrance of him return'd to Trachinia Afterwards Menâ—alus the Son of Actor Hercules his special Friend instituted that in Opuntus there should be offer'd up to him every Year as to a Demy-God a Bull a Boar and a Goat The Thebans did the same and the Athenians were the first that offer'd Sacrifices to him as a God and their pious Example first induc'd all the Grecians and afterwards all other Nations as such to worship him To what we have said we must further add this that after his Translation to the Gods Jupiter persuaded Juno to adopt Hercules for her Son and ever after she bore towards him a Motherly Affection And they report that this Adoption was brought about in this manner Juno being gone to Bed and Hercules layd close to her Body she dropt down from under her Cloaths to the Ground which Rite and Ceremony the Barbarians use in adopting of a Son to this day They feign that afterwards Juno marry'd him to * The Goddess of Youth Daughter of Juno and Cupbearer to Jupiter At a Feast her Foot slipp'd and she shew'd all and was displac'd and Ganymed put in her room Servius She reâ—or'd Iolaus to his Youth See â—vid 9. Met. Hebe and in the Story of the Dead the Poet introduces his Ghost in these Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among the Gods he feasts with Hymns And in fair Hebe joys and sings But they report that when Jupiter would have him to be one of the * Amongst the Heathen there were Twelve Chief Gods Ovid calls them Deos Nobiles They enjoy'd Heaven by natural Right Juno Vesta Minerva â—eres Diana Venus Mars Mercury Jove Neptunus Vulcanus Apolio Goodw. Antiq. 36. Lib. 2. Sect. 1. Twelve Gods Hercules refus'd that Honour for that it was impossible for him to be taken into the Number unless one of the Twelve were rejected and it was an unseemly thing to accept such an Honour with the Disgrace of another God Altho' we have been long in our Relation concerning HERCVLES yet to make amends we have not omitted any thing material that is reported of him And now it 's time that we treat of the Argonauts for Hercules went with them in that Expedition CHAP. III. Of the Argonauts Medea and the Daughter of Pileus How the Argonauts gain'd the Golden Fleece The Pranks of Medea The Acts of Jason The Cruelty of Pelias towards Jason's Kindred how he was kill'd by his own Daughters through Medea's Charms Medea burns the King of Corinth's Palace and him in it The miserable End of Jason Of the Heraclidae and their Return to Peloponesus JASON they say was Son of Aeson and Nephew to Pelius King of Thessaly And being a Man of strong Body and of an high Spirit far above any of his Age was ambitious to perform some memorable and remarkable Action for knowing that Perseus his Ancestor and some This Expedition of the Argonauts was An. Mun. 2094. about the time of the Death of Abimelech Judg. 9. 23. before Christ 254. Helv. Chron. But Sr. Walter Rawleigh says it was the 9 Year of Gideon 34 Years before Lib. 2. I. Part C. 13. Sect. 6. others by their expeditious and admirable Atchievments in foreign Countries had purchased eternal Honour and Renown he resolv'd to imitate them in the like heroick Undertakings Acquainting therefore the King his Uncle with his Purpose he easily obtain'd his Consent not that Pelius thereby aim'd at the Honour and Glory
to be set up in the Temples of the Himereans What remain'd together with the Captives he distributed amongst his Souldiers proportionably to every one's Merit And those Captives that fell to the share of the Cities were in all those Places with their Legs shackl'd imploy'd in publick Works for the Common Good They of Agrigentum having gotten many Captives for their share enriched both their City and Country round about with their Labours for they had so many Prisoners that many of the private Citizens had Five Hundred a-piece And the Multitude of their Captives and Slaves was advanced not only because The Works at Agrigentum by the Captives they sent great Assistance to the War but likewise by reason many of the Barbarians when their Army was routed fled up into the Mid-land and Borders of Agrigentum who being all taken alive fill'd the City with Prisoners The greatest part were set apart for the Publick Service and appointed to cut and hew Stone of which they not only built the greatest of their Temples but made Water-courses or Sinks under-ground to convey Water from the City so great and wide that though the Work it self was contemptible yet when done and seen was worthy of Admiration The Overseer and Master of the Work was one Pheax an excellent Artificer from whom these Conduits were called Pheaces The Agrigentines likewise sunk a Fish-Pond with great Costs and Expences Seven Furlongs in Compass and Twenty Cubits in Depth Into this Water was brought both from Fountains and Rivers and by that means sufficiently supplied with Fish of all sorts both for Food and Pleasure P. 256. And upon this Pond fell and rested great Multitudes of Swans which gave a most pleasant and delightful prospect to the Eye but by neglect of succeeding Ages it grew up with Mud and at last through length of Time turned wholly into dry Ground But the Soil there being very fat and rich they have planted it with Vines and replenished it with all sorts of Trees which yields to them of Agrigentum a very great Revenue When Gelo had dismiss'd his Confederates he marched back with his Army to Syracuse And for his notable Victory he was not only had in great Honour and Esteem by his own Citizens but even by all the Sicilians For he got so many Prisoners and Slaves that the Island seem'd to have all Africa under her Dominion Ambassadors came continually from all the Cities and Princes of the Adverse Party begging Pardon for their Error and promising Observance to all his Commands for the future But as for Gelo he carry'd himself with great Complacency The praise of Gelo. towards all and enter'd into a League with them and in the time of his Prosperity behav'd himself with great Modesty and †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Humanity not only towards the Sicilians but even towards his most implacable Enemies the Carthaginians For when Embassadours came from Carthage with many Tears begging his Favour he receiv'd them very * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Courteously and made Peace with them upon Condition that they should pay Two Thousand Talents of Silver for the Expences of the War And that they should build †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sir Walter Rawleigh says Two Arm'd Ships as Pledges of the Peace which I rather incline unto Two Temples where the Articles of the League might be kept as Sacred The Carthaginians being thus safe beyond their hopes freely consented to the Demands and promised a Crown of Gold to Damareta the Wife of Gelo For by making their Addresses unto her she was chiefly instrumental for the procuring of the Peace And after she receiv'd the Crown from the Carthaginians which was of the value of an Hundred Talents of Gold Gelo coin'd it into Money and call'd it from her Damaretâ—â—um every Piece worth Ten * Three Pounds Fifteen Shillings Attick Drachmas called likewise of the Sicilians Pentecontralitrons from their being Fifty Pounds in weight Gelo carry'd himself thus graciously to all chiefly prompted thereunto by his own generous Disposition yet not without some Design to engage all by Kindness For he had a purpose to pass with his Army over into Greece and to joyn with them against the Persians But when he was ready to transport his Fleet Messengers from Corinth brought him the News of the Victory by the Grecians at Salamis and that Xerxes with a great part of his Army had left Europe Upon which News he altered his Resolution and commending the forwardness of his Souldiers called a General Assembly with a Command that all should meet Arm'd He himself when the Assembly was met came in amongst them not only without any Arms but without a †Tunick a Souldier's Coat Tunick covered only with a Cloak or Mantle and in a Speech set forth the whole Course of his Life and Actions to the Syracusians the People giving evident Testimony of their Approbation to every Word that he said and admiring that he should so expose himself amongst Armed Men to the Will of every Person that might have a Design against his Life every one was so far from offering him any Violence as a Tyrant that had oppressed them that all with one Voice proclaim'd him their Benefactor their King and the Deliverer of their Country After these things he built Two Magnificent Temples one to Ceres and another to Proserpina out of the Spoils And caused a * A Three-footed Stool or Chair Tripode to be made of Sixteen Talents of Gold which he dedicated as a Token of his Gratitude to Apollo at Delphos He afterwards determin'd to build a Temple to Ceres in Mount Etna which so far proceeded as that the Image of the Deity was placed in her Shrine but by Death he was interrupted in his Design and the Work left imperfect The Death of Gelo. Pindar the Poet. About this time Pindar the Lyrick Poet flourished And these are all the things that were done this Year worthy of any Remark CHAP. III. The Victory of the Greeks over Mardonius at Platea XAnthippus being Archon of Athens and Quintus Fabius Vibulanus and Serrius Cornelius Cossus Roman Consuls the Persian Fleet all but the Phaenicians after P. 257. the Battel at Salamis lay about Cuma And there continuing all Winter at the Spring passed over to Samos to guard the Coasts of Ionia The Fleet consisted of Four Hundred Sail and because they were jealous of the Ionians they kept a strict Eye upon the Cities there In Greece upon the great Success of Salamis which was chiefly owing to the Valour and Conduct of the Athenians all were of Opinion that the Athenians bering lifted up would now contend with the Lacedemonians for the Dominion of the Seas And this the Lacedemonians foresaw and therefore used all their Arts and Endeavours to keep them under And for that reason when they were to take notice of the Noble Actions in that Fight and to distribute Rewards accordingly
and Government by Treachery And they made Peace with them of Erbissa and so stood the Affairs of Sicily at that time CHAP. VIII Agesilaus made General against the Persians by the Lacedemonians goes to Ephesus They send to the King of Egypt for Assistance The Persians routed at Sipylus by Agesilaus Tissaphernes's Head cut off in a Bath at Larissa The War between the Phoceans and Baeotians IN Greece when the Lacedemonians foresaw the great War they were likely to have with the Persians they made Agesilaus one of their two Kings their General who raising Six thousand Men and chusing Thirty of the most eminent Citizens to be Members of the Senate pass'd over out of Europe to Ephesus There he rais'd Four thousand more and so march'd into the Field with an Army of Ten thousand Foot and Four Ush Ann. 174. rather Four thousand Horse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hundred Horse After the Camp follow'd a Rabble for the sake of Pillage and Plunder not inferior in Number to the Army it self He ran through the Plains of the Caystrions and wasted and spoil'd all that belong to the Persians as far as to Cumae Moving from thence he spent the greatest part of the Summer in spoiling and wasting Phrygia the Country next adjoyning and having loaded his Army with Pillage and Spoil about the latter end of Autumn return'd with his Army to Ephesus While these Things were acting the Lacedemonians sent Ambassadors to * Otherwise called Nepherites Nephreus King of Egypt in order to procure his Assistance in the War who sent to the Spartans Tackle and Furniture for a Hundred Gallies and Five hundred thousand Bushels of Wheat instead of Soldiers Pharax therefore the Lacedemonian Admiral loosing from Rhodes with a Hundred and twenty Sail arriv'd at Cassandra a Castle of Caria distant a Hundred Ant. Ch. 394. The King of Egypt sends Tackle for Ships and Wheat to the Lacedemonians and fifty Stages from Caunus Setting sail from thence he besieg'd Caunus and Conon the Persian Admiral who then lay there with a Fleet of Forty Sail. But Artaphernes and Pharnabazus approaching to the Relief of Caunus with a great Army Pharax rais'd his Siege and return'd with his Fleet to Rhodes After this Canon got together Fourscore Gallies and with these sails over the Chersones In the mean time the Inhabitants of Rhodes refuse to suffer the Peloponnesian Fleet to enter Rhodes revolts foom the Lacedemonians their Harbour and Revoit from the Lacedemonians and receive Conon with his Navy into their Port and City And presently after they who brought Corn out of Egypt design'd for the Lacedemonians not knowing any thing of the Defection of the Rhodians sail'd boldly to the Island Upon which Conon the Persian Admiral with the help of the Rhodians brought them and their Loading into the Port and stor'd the City with Corn. And there came likewise other Ships to Conon Ten from Silicia and Fourscore from Phenicia under the Command of the Lord Lieutenant of the Province of Sâ—don But afterwards Agesilaus drawing out his Army into the Plain of Caystrus and the Places Ant. Ch. 394. Agesilaus pâ—â—lages in Asia near to Sipylus plunder'd and spoil'd the Inhabitants Upon which Tissaphernes with an Army of Ten Thousand Horse and Fifty Thousand Foot came upon the Backs of the Lacedemonians and kill'd all the Stragglers as they were forraging and ranging about the Country But Agesilaus with a Phalanx drawn up in a Square possess'd himself of the rising Grounds at Sipylus watching his opportunity to set upon the Enemy and from thence over-ran all the Country as far as to Sardis and amongst others wasted and P. 439. destroy'd a * Paradise Garden belonging to Tissaphernes set with all sorts of Trees and other Things for Delight and Divertisement in time of Peace beautifi'd with very great Art and Cost Marching thence when he came half way between Sardis and Thyberne he sent Xenocles the Spartan in the Night with Fourteen hundred Men into a Wood to lie in Ambush in order to intercept the Enemy he himself about spring of Day marching forward with the Army As soon as he had passd the Ambuscade the Barbarians in great Routs Tissaphernes by an Ambuscade Fury on the sudden set upon his Rear upon which he forthwith wheel'd about and when they were hotly engag'd he lift up a Sign to them in Ambush who forthwith with a great Shout came in and fell upon the Enemy who seeing themselves surrounded in great Fear and Terror betook themselves to their Heels of whom Six thousand were kill'd in the Pursuit and a great number of Prisoners taken and the Lacedemonians seiz'd the Enemies Camp which was very rich Tissaphernes himself amaz'd at the Valour of the Spartans in a great Fright fled out of the Battel to Sardis Agesilaus was mov'd to march up higher into the other Provinces but because the Sacrifices did not point out to him any good Success he return'd with his Army to the Sea-side Artaxerxes King of Asia hearing of the routing of his Army was both Afraid and Angry Afraid of the Lacedemonians and Angry at Tissaphernes who was the occasion of the War And Parysatis the Queen-Mother had not long before pray'd Artaxerxes even upon her Knees to take Revenge upon Tissaphernes for she bare him a mortal Hatred Ant. Ch. 394. because he was instrumental to frustrate the Expedition of her Son against his Brother Artaxerxes therefore makes Tithraustes General and commanded him to seize Tissaphernes giving him likewise Letters directed to all the Cities and Governors of the Provinces ordering them to observe his Commands As soon as Tithraustes came to Colosse in Phrygia by the help of the Governor of Larissa he seiz'd Tissaphernes in a Bath and cut off his Tissaphernes kill'd by the King's Order Head and sent it to the King After which he made a Truce with Agesilaus for Six Months While Affairs went thus in Asia the Phoceans made War upon the Boeotians and pray'd War between the Boeotians and Phocian call'd the Boeotian War Aid and Assistance from the Lacedemonians Upon which Lysander was sent thither with a few Soldiers who rais'd more after he came to Phocis but not long after Pausanias King of Sparta was sent to Phocis with Six thousand whereupon the Boeotians drew out their Forces and being join'd by the Athenians their Confederates found Haliartus besieg'd by Lysander and the Phoceans Whereupon a Battel was fought in which Lysander and many of the Lacedemonians with their Confederates were kill'd The Boeotians pursu'd not far but Two hundred Thebans lost their Lives by falling down some steep Precipices through their own Carelesness This was afterwards call'd the Boeotian War But Pausanias hearing of the Defeat of the Lacedemonians enter'd into a Truce with the Boeotians and return'd with his Army into Peloponnesus In the mean time Conon the Persian Admiral committed the Care of the Fleet to
Turns of Messina The Thebans having dispatch'd all these things in the space of Eighty five Days leaving a strong Garrison for the defence of Messina return'd to their own Country And the Lacedemonians having now unexpectedly rid themselves of the Enemy sent some of the greatest men of their City to Athens and upon a Treaty concerning the Principality it was agreed that the Athenians should be Masters at Sea and the Lacedemonians have the chief Command at Land But afterwards both Cities executed the Sovereignty in Common About the same time the Arcadians Created Lycomedes General and sent him away Pallene taken by Sterm by the Arcadians with five thousand strong and lusty young Men to Besiege Pallene in Laconia who took it by Storm and put above Three hundred Lacedemonians there in Garrison to the Sword And having plunder'd the City and wasted and spoil'd the Country return'd home before the Lacedemonians could send them any Relief The Beotians likewise being desir'd by the Thessalians to Free them from the Tyranny of Alexander the Pherean then but feeble and almost broken sent Pelopidas with a Pelopidas sent into Thessaly strong Army into Thessaly with Orders to Manage affairs there to the advantage of the Beotians When he came to Larissa he possessed himself of the Castle then Garrison'd by Alexander thence he March'd into Macedonia and made a League with King Alexander and receiv'd Philip his Brother as an Hostage and sent him to Thebes And having perfected whatever he thought might be for the Service of the Beotians he return'd into his own Country Things standing thus the Arcadians Argives and Eleans unanimously agreed to make Several Countrys Confederate against Sparta P. 493. War upon the Lacedaemonians and to that end to send Ambassadors to the Beotians to persuade them to join with them in the War They accordingly Consented and sent forth an Army of Seven thousand Foot and Five hundred Horse under the Command of Epaminondas and the other Beotarchs The Athenians hearing of the preparations of the Beotians against Peloponnesus sent an Army against them under the Command of Ant. Ch. 367. Chabrias their General who when he arriv'd at Corinth rais'd Men out of Megera Pellene and Corinth and made up an Army of Ten thousand Men who being join'd with the Lacedaemonians and other Confederates at Corinth their whole Forces were no less than Twenty thousand They made it first their Business to guard all the Passages and to do all they could to prevent the Beotians from breaking into Peloponnesus To this The narrow Pass of Peloponnesus between two Seas Lechaeum lying on the West and Cenchrea on the East end they drew a Wall with a deep Trench from * Cenchrea to * Lechaeum to block up the entrance that Way The thing was done with that quickness and expedition through multitude of Hands and diligence of those Employ'd that the Place was Fortifi'd before the Beotians could reach thither As soon as Epaminondas came up to the Place upon diligent view of the Fortification he discern'd that that part kept by the Lacedaemonians was the Weakest and therefore did all he could to draw them out to a fair Field Battle tho' they were almost three times his Number But when he saw they would not stir but kept themselves within their Epaminondas breaks again into Peloponnesus Fortifications and Trenches he made a fierce Assault upon them Storming them in every Part But the Action was Hottest and Sharpest on both sides where the Lacedemonians were Posted for there the place was of easiest Entrance and most difficult to be kept But Epaminondas having with him the flower of Thebes with much ado beat off the Lacedaemonians and so clearing the Way broke in with his Forces and laid the passage plainly open into Peloponnesus which was an Action nothing Inferior to any he had done before Hereupon he forthwith March'd to Trezene and Epidaurus and Wasted Ant. Ch. 367. and Harrass'd the Country round about but could not take the Cities being very strongly Garrison'd but Sicyon * Pheâ— in Elis. Pheunte and some others submitted to him Then he March'd with his Army against Corinth And having routed the Townsmen in an Encounter he pursu'd them to the very Walls Where some of the Beotians puffed up with their good Success Rashly broke through the Gates into the City upon which the Corinthians in a great Fright shut themselves up in their Houses But Chabrias the Athenian General both Cordially and Faithfully made Head against the Beotians and Drove some of them out of the City making a great slaughter of the rest In the heat of this Action the Beotians approach'd to Corinth with their whole Army in Battalia to the great Terror of the Inhabitants Upon which Chabrias with his Athenians forthwith made a Sally out of the City and having possessed himself of the Hills Adjoyning there bore the brunt of the Enemies Charge On the other side the Beotians encourag'd being strong of Body and of long experience in Feats of Arms doubted not but to Rout the Athenians But the Chabrians by the advantage of the higer Ground and continual Succours coming in to them out of the City so defended themselves that they Kill'd and grievously Gall'd their Assailants and beat them off So that the Beotians after the Loss of a great Number of their Men not being able to do any thing drew off their Forces But Chabrias having thus Baffl'd the Enemy for his Valour Faithfulness and Military Conduct was Cry'd up and greatly Admir'd CHAP. VIII Dionysius sends Gauls and Spaniards to the assistance of the Lacedemonians Pelopidas and Istmenias clapt up by Alexander Tyrant of Pherea The Boeotians pursu'd by the Phereans brought off by Epaminondas then a private Soldier The Fight between the Arcadians and Lacedemonians Dionysius falls upon the Carthaginian Territories in Sicily Dionysius dyes The cause of his death The cruelty of Alexander the Pherean at Scotusa Epaminondas breaks again into Peloponnesus Coos Peopled and Wall'd The end of the Laconick and Beotick War by the Mediation of the Persian King ABout this time arriv'd at Corinth Two thousand Gauls and Spaniards sent by Dionysius the Tyrant to the Lacedemonians from Sicily who had Five Months Pay advance Olymp. 102. 4. Ant. Ch. 366. The Grecians to try their Valour drew them out against the Enemy who so far approv'd themselves stout and valiant Men as that they routed and kill'd many of the Beotians and their Confederates And after they had been very useful in the War and purchas'd Aids arriv'd at Corinth from Dionysius to themselves Praise and Esteem both for their Courage and Service and had been rewarded according to their Merits by the Lacedemonians they were sent back into Sicily at the end of the Summer After these things Philiscus Ambassador from Artaxerxes King of Persia came into Greece P. 494. Artaxerxes sends again to compose Matters in Greece but in
and Populous and upon that account was a Place of great advantage in time of War therefore those that were ambitious to enlarge their Dominion strove always to gain it So that both the Athenians and Philip earnestly contended which of them should prevail to have them for their Confederates But however Philip having taken Potidaea drew out the Athenian Garrison and us'd them with great Civility and suffer'd them to return to Athens For he bore a great Respect to the People of Athens because that City was eminent and famous for its Power and Grandeur He deliver'd up likewise * Pydna in Macedonia Ant. Ch. 356. Pydna which he had subdu'd to the Olynthians and gave them all the Grounds and Territories belonging to it Thence he march'd to †Crenidas in Macedonia call'd Philippi now Philippo Crenidas which he enlarg'd and made more populous and call'd it after his own Name Philippi Besides he so improv'd the Gold-Mines that were in those Parts which before were but inconsiderable and obscure that by building of Work-houses he advanc'd them to bring in a yearly Revenue of above a Thousand Talents So that heaping up abundance of Riches in a short time by the confluence of his Wealth he advanced the Kingdom of Macedonia to a higher Degree of Majesty and Glory than ever it was before For he coin'd Pieces of Gold call'd of him Philippicks and by the help thereof rais'd a great Army of Mercenaries and brib'd many of the Grecians to betray their Country Of all which a particular Account shall be given hereafter in the Course of the History And now we shall bend our Discourse to what follows CHAP. III. Dion's March and Entry into Syracuse Dionysius comes to the Island part of Syracuse Assaults the Wall erected from Sea to Sea Is beaten by Dion Alexander of Phaerea murdered by his Wife and his Two Brothers Philip relieves the Thessalians from the two Brothers A Gathocles was Archon at Athens and Marcus Fabius and Caius Publius or Poetelius were Consuls at Rome when Dion the Son of Hipparinus landed in Sicily to pull Olymp. 105. 4. Ant. Ch. 355. An. M. 3615. down the Tyranny of Dionysius This Dion to admiration overturn'd the greatest Dominion in Europe with the most inconsiderable Force that ever any did before him For who would ever believe that a Man who landed only with Two Ships of Burden should overcome a King who was furnish'd with Four hundred * Long Ships Gallies had an Army of an Hundred thousand Foot and Ten thousand Horse and was provided with Arms Money and Provision suitable and sufficient to supply so many and great Forces as we have related And who over and besides all that we have said was possess'd of the Greatest of all the Greek Cities so many Ports and Arsenals Castles so strongly fortify'd and unexpugnable and such a number of potent Auxiliaries But that which much forwarded the Successes of Dion was his great Spirit and valorous Resolution and the Good will and Kindness the People whom he came to set free bare towards him And that which was more than all these the Sloth and Esseminateness of the Tyrant and the Hatred of his Subjects All these things concentring in one Moment of Time they produc'd incredible Effects not to have been imagin'd But to leave off Prefacing we shall now come to relate Affairs more particularly Dion therefore loosing from Zazynthus near to Cephalenia arriv'd at Minoa as it 's call'd in the Territory of Agrigentum This City was built by Minos formerly King of Crete at such time as he was entertain'd by Cocales King of the Sicanians in his seeking after Daedalus At this time this City was in the hands of the Carthaginians whose Governour Paralus Dion's Friend was chearfully receiv'd by him Upon this Encouragement he unloaded his Ships of Five thousand Arms and intrusted them with Paralus desiring him to furnish him with Carriages to convey them to Syracuse And he himself with a thousand Mercenaries Ant. Ch. 355. that had join'd him makes to the same Place In his March he prevail'd with the Agrigentines Geloans some of the Sicanians and the Sicilians that inhabited the midland the Camarineans likewise and Madinaeans to join with him in freeing the Syracusians from their Slavery and with these he march'd forward to give a Check to the Tyrant In his March arm'd Men flocking in to him from all Parts in a short time he had an Army of above Twenty thousand Men. And besides these many Grecians and Messenians were sent for out of Italy and all with great chearfulness came readily to him As soon as Dion came to the Borders of the Syracusian Territories a Multitude of unarm'd Men both out of the City and Country met him For Dionysius out of Fear and Jealousie of the Syracusians had disarm'd many He was by chance at that time at the Cities he had lately built in * The Coasts of the Adriatick Sea Adria with a great Army In the mean time the Officers that were left to guard the City endeavour'd in the first place to retain the Citizens in their Duty and to prevent their Defection but when they saw they could not by all the means they could use bridle the impetuous Rage of the People they got together all the foreign Soldiers and all others within the City that favour'd the Tyrant's Party and having compleated their Regiments resolv'd to fall upon the Rebels Then Dion distributed the 5000 Arms among the Syracusians that were unarm'd and the rest he furnish'd as well as he could as Arms came to his hands He then call'd them all together to a Publick Assembly and told them that he was come to restore the Sicilians to their Liberty and to that end commanded such Officers to be created as were fittest to be made use of for that purpose and for the utter ruin of the Tyranny Upon which they all cry'd out with one unanimous Voice That Dion and his Brother Megacles should be chosen Generals and invested with absolute Power and Command And so without delay from the Assembly having first dispos'd the Army in order of Battel he march'd streight to the City and none appearing in the open Ant. Ch. 355. Field to oppose him he confidently entred within the Walls and through * One of the Four Parts of Syracuse the other are the Island thâ—n Tyche and Neapolis Achradina march'd on into the Forum and there encamp'd none daring to oppose him For there were no fewer with Dion in his Army than Fifty thousand Men. And all these with Coronets upon their Heads entred into the City led by Dion Megacles and Thirty Syracusians who alone of all the Exiles in Peloponnesus were willing to run the same common Fate with their Fellow-Citizens At this time the whole City exchang'd Slavery for Liberty and Fortune turn'd Sorrow the Companion of Tyranny into pompous Mirth and Jollity And every House was full of
Macedonians He brought along with him Six thousand Foot which Alexander had taken over with him at first into Asia and Four thousand of those that he had listed in the way as he march'd besides a Thousand Persian Darters and Slingers and Fifteen hundred Horse As soon as he came into Thessaly he join'd his Forces at the River Peneius to Antipater's yielding the chief Command of the Army to him The whole Army together with those that came with Leonnatus amounted to above Forty thousand Foot Three thousand Darters and Slingers and Five thousand Horse The Graecians at that time encamp'd over-against them being much inferior in Number to the Enemy For many by reason of the late Victory slighted the Macedonians Ant. Ch. 321. and were return'd to their several Countries to look after their own private Affairs For which cause there were many left in the Camp that observ'd no due Order or Discipline They were in the whole Five and twenty thousand Foot and Three thousand five hundred Horse in whom they plac'd great Confidence of Victory by reason of the Valour of the Men and the plain Champain Country that lay before them At length Antipater drew out his Forces every day into the Field to provoke the Graecians to fight who after they had waited some considerable time for the return of their Soldiers out of the Cities through the urgency of their present Circumstances were forc'd to venture all and ingage the Enemy Drawing up therefore into Battalia and designing to decide the Matter by the Horse they plac'd them in the Van before the Foot whereupon the Horse on both Sides presently fell to it And while they were thus hotly engag'd and the Thessalian Horse had the better of the Day Antipater broke in with his Battalion upon the Foot and made a great Slaughter among them so that the Graecians not being able to stand the Enemy's Shock who bore them down with their Multitudes pouring in upon them they retreated in all hast but in good order to the Fastnesses and difficult Passes near at hand And so having gain'd the higher Ground by that Advantage they easily repuls'd the Macedonians In the mean time the Graecian Horse though they had the better yet perceiving that their Foot was gone forthwith made after them And by this means the Horse leaving off the Fight were so broken and dispers'd that the Macedonians got the Day The Graecians routed There were slain of the Graecians in this Battel above Five hundred of the Macedonians an Hundred and thirty The next day Memnon and Antiphalus call'd a Council of War where it was debated Ant. Ch. 321. whether they should expect Aid from the Cities and wait to see if soldiers sufficient could be rais'd and so try it out to the last or yielding to the Time and bearing their present Disasters they should send away Agents to treat upon Terms of Peace At length they concluded to send * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cryers Heralds to treat accordingly who executing their Orders * Or rather those about Antipater Antipater answer'd them That he expected that every City should treat severally by its own Ambassadors and that he would not upon any Terms make a General Peace But the Graecians would not admit of any Treaty with the several Cities apart therefore Antipater and Craterus besieg'd the Cities of Thessaly and took them by Storm the Graecians not being able to relieve them This so terrifi'd all the rest that they transacted the Affairs of their several Cities by their own Ambassadors towards whom he carry'd himself with all Demonstrations of Courtesy and gaining Behaviour and made Peace with every one of them Every City therefore being desirous to provide for its own safety all The Cities make Peace except the Aetolians and Athenians of them by that means obtain'd Peace But the Aetolians and Athenians the implacable Enemies of the Macedonians though they were thus deserted by their Confederates consulted with their Commanders about carrying on of the War But Antipater having by this Artifice thus broken the Confederacy led his whole Army against the Athenians upon which the People being forsaken of their Confederates were greatly terrifi'd and Ant. Ch. 321. knew not which way to turn themselves and all having their Eyes upon Demades cry'd out That he should be sent Ambassador to Antipater to treat for Peace in their behalf But he refus'd to come into the Senate For he had been thrice condemn'd for violating the Laws and so become infamous and disabled by the Law to sit in Council But being restor'd by the People to his former Credit and Reputation he forthwith together with Phocion and others join'd with him in Commission undertook the Embassy When Antipater had heard what they had to say he told them That he would make Peace with the Athenians upon no other Terms but upon giving up all they had into his Hands For the same Answer the Athenians gave to Antipater when he sent Ambassadors to them at the time he was shut up in Lamia Hereupon the People being not able to resist were The Athenians submit brought to a necessity to give up all the Power and Government of the City into the dispose of Antipater who with great Humanity and Generosity granted their City their Estates and all other Things to them back again But he dissolv'd the Government by a Democracy and order'd that the Value of every Person 's Estate should be the Rule for the chusing of Magistrates as that those who were worth above Two thousand Drachma's might be capable of being Magistrates and giving of Votes for chusing of them As for those that were not of such Estates he remov'd them as Turbulent and Factious not suffering Ant. Ch. 321. them to have any thing to do in any publick Business and granted new Seats and Estates in Thessaly to any that would remove thither Upon which above Two and twenty thousand of that sort of Citizens were transplanted out of their own Country The Government of the City and Country belonging to it was given to the rest who had the Estates before limited and appointed of whom there were about Nine thousand And these govern'd the State for the future according to the Laws of Solon And all their Estates were left to them intire and untouch'd But they were forc'd to receive a Garison under Menyllus the Governor to keep them in aw and prevent new Stirs and Disturbances As for the Matter of Samos it was referr'd to the Decision of the * Arrideus and Alexander Kings And thus the Athenians beyond their Expectation were kindly us'd and were at Peace And for the future Governing the Commonwealth without Tumults and Seditions and quietly following their Husbandry they grew very rich in a short time Antipater being return'd into Macedonia honourably and bountifully rewarded Craterus according to his Desert and gave him Phila his eldest Daughter in Marriage and
knock'd on the Head The Ringleaders of the Sedition in Cyrene being terrify'd with the return of the Exiles Ophellas routs Thimbro made Peace with Thimbro and resolv'd to join with him against Ophellas But Ophellas routed Thimbro and took him Prisoner and recover'd all the Towns and deliver'd the Cities with their Territories into the Hands of Ptolemy And thus the Cyrenians and the Cyrene possessed by Ptolemy neighbouring Cities lost their former Liberty and became subject to Ptolemy Perdiccas and King Philip having overcome Ariarathes and deliver'd the Province to Eumenes and so departed out of Cappadocia When they came into Pisidia they determin'd to raze those two Cities one of the Larandians the other of the Isaurians For in the Laranda s 〈…〉 by Perdiccas life time of Alexander they had killed Balacrus the Son of Nicanor who was appointed to be their General and Governor of the Province Laranda therefore they took upon the first Assault and put all that were able to bear Arms to the Sword and sold all the rest Ant. Ch. 321. for Slaves and laid the City equal with the Ground As for the City of the Isaurians it was large and well fortify'd and mann'd with resolute and stout Men and therefore P. 640. after they had assaulted it two Days together and had lost a great number of Men they were forc'd to draw off For the Inhabitants being plentifully furnish'd with Weapons and all other Things necessary for the enduring of a Siege were resolute to undergo all Hazards and readily sold their Lives for the Defence of their Liberty But upon the third Day having lost many of their Citizens insomuch as they were not able sufficiently to man their Walls for lack of Men they put in execution a most Heroical Piece of Resolution worthy for ever to be remembred For perceiving that they were destin'd to inevitable Destruction and had not Force sufficient for their Defence they judg'd it not advisable to deliver up the City and all that they had to the Will of the Enemy insomuch as their certain Ruin with the most barbarous Usage was obvious before their Eyes Therefore they all unanimously resolv'd to die honourably together to that end in the Night they shut up their Wives Children and Parents in their Houses and set them on The sad Destruction of the City of the Isaurians Justin l. 3. c. 6. says This was done by the Cappadocians And Orosus says the same lib. 3. c. the last fire making Choice by that means to perish and be bury'd together When the Flame mounted up into the Air the Isamians threw all their Wealth and every thing that was Valuable or that might be of any advantage to the Enemy into the Fire The Besiegers were stricken with Admiration at the Sight and ran here and there seeking where to break into the City but those that remain'd upon the Walls for their Defence threw many of the Macedonians down headlong from the Battlements At which Perdiccas much more admir'd and enquir'd what was the Reason that having set all their Houses and every thing besides on fire they were so diligent and careful to defend the Walls At length when Perdiccas with his Macedonians were drawn off from the City the rest of the Isaurians cast themselves headlong into the Fire and so every one's House became a common Sepulchre for himself and all his Relations Perdiccas the next day gave the Ransacking Ant. Ch. 321. of the City to the Soldiers who when the Fire was extinguish'd found much Silver and Gold in the Rubbish the City having been Rich and Prosperous a long time together After this Destruction Perdiccas marry'd two Wives Nicea the Daughter of Antipater to whom he was contracted and Cleopatra Alexander's half Sister the Daughter of Philip Perdiccas marries two Wives by Amyntas Perdiccas indeed had entred into League with Antipater before he was establish'd in his Government and upon that account the Marriage was consummate But after he had gain'd the King's Forces and was possess'd of the Superintendency and Administration of the Affairs of the Kingdom he chang'd his mind For affecting the Affects the Kingdom of Macedon Kingdom his Design was to marry Cleopatra concluding that for her sake and by her Authority the Sovereign Power would be yielded up to him by the Macedonians But because he had no mind as yet to discover his Intentions to comply with the present Circumstances of Affairs he marry'd Nicea lest Antipater should oppose him in his Projects Ant. Ch. 321. But Antigonus smelling out what he was contriving and being one that had a great kindness for Antipater and the most active Man of all the Commanders Perdiccas resolv'd to dispatch him and take him out of the way Loading him therefore with false Accusations and unjust Aspersions his Design appear'd plainly to take away his Life But Antigonus being a crafty Man and of a bold Spirit made as if he would defend himself against those Things that were laid to his Charge But in the mean time he secretly prepar'd for his flight and in the Night with Antigonus secretly opposes him his Servants and his Son Demetrius went aboard some Ships that belong'd to Athens and sail'd into Europe on purpose to confederate with Antipater About that time Antipater and Craterus were in the Field against the Aetolians with Thirty thousand Foot and Two thousand five hundred Horse For they only remain'd unconquer'd of those that were P. 641. engag'd in the Lamian War But the Aetolians though they were press'd upon by such mighty Forces yet were not at all discourag'd but having got together Ten thousand brave sprightly Men betook themselves to the difficult Passes in the Mountains where they had before dispos'd and lodg'd much of their Wealth and all their Wives Ant. Ch. 321. Children and Old People And though they had quitted the Cities that was not Tenable yet they plac'd strong Garisons in those that were fortisied and so undauntedly waited for the approach of the Enemy Antipater and Craterus therefore having entered Aetolia when they saw all the Cities that were weak and untenable forsaken of their Inhabitants made towards them that were posted in the Fastnesses of the Mountains At the first Assault they made upon those dreadful and unaccessable Precipices they lost Multitudes of their Men for the Valour of the Aetolians being supported and confirm'd by the Strength of the Places easily repuls'd the Enemy that ran themselves upon Difficulties that were insuperable But afterwards when Craterus his Soldiers in the Winter had secur'd themselves by Huts and warm Tents the Aetolians were forc'd to abide in the depth of Winter in Places cover'd over with Snow where they remain'd in great lack of Provision so that they were reduc'd to a most desperate Condition For they were The great strait of the Etolians brought to that strait that they must of necessity either leave the Mountains
one left and the very Face of the Country was so chang'd that new Rivers and Ponds appear'd in the room of the Old CHAP. III. The Innundations at Rhodes Antigonus kills Pitho getting him into his power by Dissimulation Then marches into Persia Revolters from Antigonus cut off in Media He divides the Asian Provinces and contrives to destroy all the Argyraspides Gets great Treasure in Susa Cassander besieges Olympias in Pydna The great Distress to which it was reduc'd Amphipolis surrender'd to Cassander He kills Olympias Marries Thessalonices Builds Cassandra Imprisons Rhoxana and her Son Alexander His Expedition into Peloponnesus against Alexander the Son of Polysperchon The History of Thebes Cassander rebuilds Thebes ABout this time hapned a Flood near the City of Rhodes which destroy'd many of the Inhabitants The first Flood did little prejudice because the City was but Olymp. 116. 1. An. M. 3656. Ant. Ch. 314. then newly built and far larger in Compass But the second was more Mischievous and destroy'd Multitudes The last fell out at the Beginning of the Spring accompany'd with violent Storms of Rain and Hail-stones of an incredible Bigness for they were a Mina in weight and sometime more so that they not only beat down Houses but kill'd The 〈…〉 dations at Rhodes many Men. And in regard Rhodes was built in Form of a Theatre and that the Water ran for the most part into one Place the lower Parts of the City were presently fill'd with Water for that the Winter being now look'd upon to be over no care was taken to cleanse the Channels and Aqueducts and the Pipes likewise in the Walls were choked up so that the Waters flowing in altogether on a sudden all the Ground about the * Some Monument in the Town in Memory of some remarkable Event either Goâ—d or Bad. Deigma as it is call'd and the Temple of Bâ—cchuss was fill'd with Water and now it rising up like a standing Pond to the Temple of Esculapius all were in a Consternation and could not agree together what should be done in order to their Preservation Some were for making to the Ships and others for hasting to the Theatre Some now almost surrounded with the Evil that threaten'd them in great Terror and Amazement climb'd up to the top of the highest Altars and others to the top of the Pedestals of the Statues The City being in this Danger to be overwhelm'd and ruin'd with all its Inhabitants Ant. Ch. 314. on a sudden they were unexpectedly deliver'd For the Wall burst asunder in a large Breach and the Water that stood on an Heap made its way through and ran with a violent Current into the Sea and so every one presently had free passage to his own House It was of great advantage to these distressed People that this Inundation was in the day time For most of the Citizens ran to the highest parts of the City for shelter And another advantage was that the Houses were not built of Tile but of Stone so that they who got to the House-tops escap'd without any great Damage However there perish'd in this common Calamity above Five hundred Souls and some of the Houses were born down to the Ground and others very ill torn and shaken And in this danger was Rhodes Antigonus while he Winter'd in Media discover'd Pitho plotting to draw over the Soldiers then in their Winter-Quarters partly by Bribes and partly by fair Promises to his own Interest and to make a Turn and Defection in the Army But Antigonus cover'd and conceal'd his Design and made show as if he gave no Credit to the Informers but chid them as those that contriv'd only to set him and Pitho together by the ears In the mean while he caus'd it to be nois'd abroad That he intended to leave Pitho with a considerable Ant. Ch. 314. P. 696. Army for his Defence Lord-Lieutenant of the higher Provinces and he wrote likewise to him and desired him to hasten to him with all speed that after they had consulted together of some weighty Affairs they might forthwith march away into the Lesser Asia To the parts on the Sea-Coasts Thus he manag'd his Business whereby to remove all ground of Suspicion and to get the poor Man into his hands upon an expectation and hopes to be left Governor of those Provinces For it was a difficult matter to take one by force who was in so great Repute with Alexander and for his Valour advanc'd by him to Places of Honour and who being then Governor of Media was a help and support to the whole Army Pitho was at that time in the furthest Parts of all Media in his Winter-Quarters and had now corrupted many who had promis'd to join with him in the Defection His Friends likewise acquainting him by their Letters with Antigonus his Purpose possess'd him with an Expectation of mighty Things And thus guil'd to Antigonus he went who having now seiz'd his Prey brought him before a Council of War even of his own Antigonus kills Pitho Confederates where he was easily convicted and forthwith had his Head chopp'd off Hereupon Antigonus gathering all his Army together committed the Government of Media to Orontobates a Median born but made Hippostratus General of the Army who Ant. Ch. 314. had Three thousand 500 foreign Foot-Soldiers under his Command He himself taking with him the Body of his Army went to Ecbatana where receiving Five thousand Talents of massie Silver he march'd into Persia and it cost him twenty days march before Antigonus marches into Persia he arriv'd at the Capital City Persepolis In the mean time while Antigonus was on his march Pitho's Friends who were concern'd with him in the Conspiracy the chief of whom was Meleager and Menoetas and other Well-willers of Eumenes and Pitho who were scatter'd abroad into Corners met together to the number of Eight hundred Horse and in the first place wasted the Territories of the Medes who refus'd to join with them Then receiving Intelligence where Revolters from Antigonus cut off in Media Hippestratus and Orontobates lay encamp'd they broke in upon them in the night and were not far off from effecting what they design'd but being overpower'd by number and having only entic'd some of the Soldiers to run the same course with them they were forc'd to retreat yet some of the nimblest of them all being Horse-men made many sudden Incursions upon the Country and caus'd a great Consternation and Hubbub amongst them but were atlast inclos'd in a place compass'd about with Rocks and were there all kill'd or taken But Meleager and Cranes the Median and some of the better sort of them stood it out to the last and died with their Swords in their hands And this was the Condition of the Conspirators in Media As for Antigonus as soon as he came into Persia the People honour'd him as a King as he that was now undoubtedly absolute Lord of all
Water is very bitter and stinking so that neither Fish nor any other thing us'd to the Water can live in it And though many remarkable Rivers of very sweet Water empty themselves into it yet it remains as corrupt and unsavory both as to Tast and Smell as ever it did before Every Year rises out of the middle of it great massy pieces of Bitumen and Pitch sometimes bigger then Three * Every Plethra is 100 Foot Plethras and sometimes a little less then one And upon that account the Barbarous Inhabitants call the larger pieces Bulls and the less Calves These pieces of Pitch and Brimstone floating upon the Water seem at a distance to be as so many Islands There are evident Signs that sorgoe and give notice of the casting up of this Bituminous Matter at least Twenty Days before For a horrid smell of Brimstone and Pitch infects the Air round about the Lake at many Furlongs distance and all Metals whether of Gold Silver or Copper near the place change their natural Colour which presently returns again as soon as the Brimstone is exhal'd The places bordering upon it are so burning hot by reason of the Sulphur and Brimstone under ground and cast forth such an horrible stench that the Inhabitants are very unhealthy and short liv'd yet the Country thereabouts being water'd with many pleasant Rivers and refreshing Springs bears abundance of palm-Palm-Trees and in a certain Vale near to this place grows that they call * The Balm of Gilead P. 725. Balm from which they raise a great Revenue inasmuch as this Plant grows in no other part of the World beside and is of excellent use amongst Physitians for the healing and curing of Wounds and other Distempers The Inhabitants on both sides this Lake are so earnest to carry away this Brimstone that they fight one with nother and they bring it off in a strange manner without Shipping For they cast in huge Bundles of Butrushes fastned close together upon which Three or more of them place themselves two of which ply the Oars that are fastn'd to the Bulrushes and the third carrys a Bow and Arrows to defend themselves against such as attempt to make up upon them from the other side or that offer them any violence Assoon as they come to the Brimstone they get upon it and hew it in pieces with Axes as pieces of stone out of a soft Rock and so loading the Bulrish Boat they row back If any fall into the Water through the deficiency of the Boat yet he never sinks as in other waters tho' he knows not how to swim but lies upon the water as if he were the best swimmer in the World For this Lake naturally bears any thing that has either a vegetative or an animal Life except such things as are solid and seem to be without Pores as Silver Gold Lead or the like and these likewise are much longer and slower in sinking than when they are cast into other waters And this profit and advantage the Barbarians reap from it they Transport this Pitch into Egypt and there sell it for the use of embalming of the Dead for if they do not mix this with other Aromatick Spices the Bodies cannot be preserv'd long from putrefaction Antigonus at the Reign of Demetrius having heard the Relation of his Voiage blam'd him for his making Peace with the Nabatheans saying that those barbarous people having so escapt would thereupon grow more insolent than before concluding that they were not favour'd out of love or compassion of the Conqueror but in dispair of the Conquest but he commended him for discovering the Lake Asphaltes seeing that from thence he Ant. Ch. 310. might raise some yearly Revenue to himself and made Hieronimus Cardianus the Historian his Treasurer for that Revenue and commanded him to build Ships and gather together all the Bitumen or liquid Brimstone that could be gotten out of that Lake But Antigonus in the event was frustrated of his hope for the Arabians coming together to the number of Six thousand Men set upon them as they were in their Ships gathering this Brimstone and shot them almost all to death with their Arrows whereby Antigonus lost all hopes of making any standing Revenue that way and forbore all further prosecution of that design both upon the account of the miscarriage already and likewise for that he had matters of greater weight and concern then in his head For about that time a Courrier came and brought Letters to him from Nicanor Governor of Media and others how Seleucus was return'd and prosper'd in those parts Whereupon Antigonus being much concern'd for the upper Provinces sent his Son Demetrius with Five thousand Macedonian Foot and Ten thousand Mercenaries and Four thousand Horse with charge that he should march to the very Walls of Babylon and having recover'd that Province should from thence march down to the Sea Demetrius hereupon departed from Damascus in Syria and went vigorously on to fulfil his Fathers Command But Patrocles whom Celeucus had made President of Babylon so soon as he heard that Demetrius was falling into Mesopotamia not daring to stay his coming because he had but a smal power about him commanded the rest to leave the City and that passing the Euphrates they should flee some into the Deseart others over the Tigris into the Province of Susa and to the * The Red Sea in the Greek but mistook Ant. Ch. 310. Persian Sea and he himself with a company which he had about him trusting in the Barrs of the Rivers and Dikes of the Country thereabouts instead of so many Fortresses and Bulwarks for his defence kept himself still within the Bounds of his own Government and cast about how to intrap his Enemy sending ever and anon Tidings to Seleucus in Media how how things went with him and desiring aid to be speedily sent to him Demetrius when he came to Babylon and found the City it self void of Inhabitants fell P. 726. presently to besiege the Forts and Castles that were therein and having taken one of them gave the spoil thereof to his Soldiers But having besieg'd the other for some days together in hast he departed leaving Archelaus one of his trusty friends to maintain the Siege with Five thousand Foot and a Thousand Horse and himself seeing the time run out which his Father had appointed him to finish his work in return'd with the rest of the Army into the lesser Asia While those things were acting the Wars between the Romans and the Samnites continu'd still in Italy wherein there were daily excursions into one anothers Territories Besieging of Cities and Incamping of Armies on both sides For the Contest between the most warlike Nations of Italy was which should gain the Empire and Sovereign Wars in Italy Command of the whole upon which account many great Battles were fought At length the Consuls of Rome with a part of their Forces Incampt in the
they were not willing to venture all at once with Men that were desperate but by lying still in their Camp where they had plenty of Provision and by protracting of Time they hop'd to starve the Enemy and so be Masters of their Camp without fighting Agathocles therefore not being able to draw the Enemy forth to a Battel in the open Field and being necessitated by his present Circumstances to attempt something and Ant. Ch. 305. enter upon some desperate Action marches up with his whole Army close to the Enemy's Camp Thereupon the Carthaginians make out against him and though they had the advantage of Ground and far exceeded him in number of Men yet Agathocles prest hard on every side for some time resolutely bore up against them But his Mercenaries Agathocles routed in Africa and some others at length giving Ground he was forc'd to retreat to his Camp The Barbarians pursu'd them close but to gain the Good-will and Favour of the Africans they past by them without doing any execution But the Greeks whom they knew by their Arms they kill'd all along till they had driven the rest into their Camp There were slain of Agathocles his Men at that time Three thousand The next night a sudden and unexpected Disaster fell upon both the Armies For the Carthaginians when they were sacrificing the most eminent and considerable Persons among their Prisoners in Gratitude to their Gods for the Victory they had gain'd the Flame rising high that enwrapt the Bodies of the sacrific'd Captives a fierce Wind on a Carthaginian Camp burns sudden carry'd the Flame to the Sacred Tabernacle near the Altar where it catch'd and burnt it down to the Ground thence it proceeded to the General 's Pavilion and the Officers Tents next adjoining Upon which arose a mighty Consternation and Astonishment fill'd the whole Camp while some endeavouring to quench the Fire others striving to carry away Arms and rich Furniture were consumed by the Flames The Ant. Ch. 305 Tents were made of Reeds and Straw and therefore the Fire through the height of the Wind rag'd the more so that that by its quickness it prevented all help and assistance that the Soldiers could any ways contribute The whole Camp being presently in a Flame many in strait and narrow Passes were intercepted by the Fire and burnt to death And thus they presently paid for their Cruelty to the Captives suffering the like Punishment as a Retaliation of their Impiety And others who tumultuously with woful Cries got out of the Camp were pursu'd with another and greater Misfortune For those Africans that were in Agathocles his Army to the number of Five thousand deserted the Grecians and were flying to the Barbarians When those that went out to scout saw Their farther Misfortune those Deserters make towards the Carthaginians Camp thinking the whole Grecian Army were at hand ready to fall upon them they forthwith gave Intelligence to their own Party that the Enemy's whole Army approach'd Which being nois'd abroad Confusion and Dread of the Enemy's being just in the midst of them ran through the whole Camp Whereupon every one plac'd his own Safety in the Swiftness of his Heels and P. 768. in regard no Word of Command was given by any of the Officers nor any Order kept among the Soldiers the Run-aways fell down one upon another and some of them through the Darkness of the Night and others out of excess of Fear fell a fighting with their own Men not knowing who they were The Mistake still continuing and encreasing Ant. Ch. 305. a great Slaughter was made and some were kill'd hand to hand and others running away with the loss of their Arms in the height of a surprizing Fear in their hast fell down steep and craggy Rocks and were broken in pieces about Five thousand of them being destroy'd the rest at length got to Carthage The Citizens within the Town deceiv'd by the Report of their own Men believ'd they were routed and that the greatest part of the Army was cut off in this fright they open'd the Gates and receiv'd them with great Terror and Amazement into the Town fearing lest the Enemy should likewise break in at the Heels of them And though when it was full Day they came to understand the Truth of the matter yet they could scarce allay the Fears they had been in as if the Evils were still even at their Doors About the same time through a vain Fear and foolish Imagination Agathocles fell into a Misfortune something of the same kind For the African Deserters after the burning of the Carthaginian Camp and the Hurly-burly and Uproar that follow'd thereupon Misfortune to Agathocles his Camp durst not march forward but made their way back to the place from whence they came whom some of the Greeks espying to make towards them they took them to be the Carthaginian Army and thereupon gave Intelligence to Agathocles that the Ant. Ch. 305. Enemy was near at hand Upon which by the King's Order they cry'd out Arms Arms and forthwith the Soldiers came pouring out in great Tumult and Confusion out of the Camp And besides all this when they saw the Flame in the Enemy's Camp to mount up into the Air and heard the Shouts and Cries of the Carthaginians they were the more confirm'd in their Opinion that the Barbarians were making towards them with their whole Army But Excess of Fear leaving no room for due and serious Consideration Horror and Amazement fill'd the whole Camp and all of them took to their Heels And the Africans being presently mix'd among them the Night causing the Mistake every one oppos'd him that he met as an Enemy and being all the Night long dispers'd here and there and wandering up and down in a Panick Fear there perish'd of them above Four thousand The rest with much ado at length coming to understand the Mistake return'd safe to their Camp And in this manner both Armies deceiv'd by the Vanity of War as the common Proverb is fell into miserable Disasters After which Missortune being now deserted by the Africans and having not sufficient Forces lest to contend with the Carthaginians he resolv'd to leave Africa But he thought it impossible to transport the Soldiers with him because he both wanted Shipping and heard that the Carthaginians were Masters at Sea and lay to intercept his Passage And he concluded the Barbarians whose Forces far exceeded his would never make Peace with him but rather cut off every Man of them that first set footing upon Africa to deterr all others for the future from the like Attempt He determin'd therefore to slip away privately Ant. Ch. 305. with a few and take along with him his younger Son Heraclides for he fear'd lest his Son Archagathus being a daring Man and one that had been too familiar with his Stepmother would plot something against his Life But Archagathus smelling out his Design
Body they could invent 15. Ptolemy Physcon when he saw his Sister Cleopatra was so great an Enemy to him and Ptolemy Physco his barbarous Cruelty Justin c. 8. 39. Livy Olymp. 162. 4. Ant. Ch. 130. Val. Max. lib. 9. c. 2. This of Vales. Prag cited by Ush An. 494. Atheneus cited by Ush Ant. Ch. 128. Hegelocus Marsyas See Ush An. 495. Valesius his Fragments cited Ant. Ch. 139. could not revenge himself otherwise upon her contriv'd a most notorious piece of Villany for that purpose For he imitated the Cruelty of Medea Murdering her Son Memphites Begotten by himself who was then in Cyprus and a very young Boy And not content with this he committed a far more wicked Act For cutting off the Child's Limbs he put them in a Chest and deliver'd them to one of his Guard to be convey'd to Alexandria and whereas Cleopatra's Birth-day was then near at hand he commanded that in the Night next before that day he should set down the Chest at the Palace Gates which being accordingly executed Cleopatra made great lamentation and all the People were in a great Rage against Ptolemy 16. Atheneus Antiochus his General in a short time met with a just and due Reward for his Insolencies and Abuses in all places wherever he Quarter'd in his March For being the first that fled and forsook Antiochus in the heat of the Fight coming to some of the Towns where he had abus'd his Quarters all shut their Doors upon him and every one refus'd to help him either with Meat or Drink so that he wander'd up and down the Country till at length he was famish'd to death 17. Hegelochus General of Ptolemy Physco sent against Marsyas the Alexandrian General took him prisoner and cut off all his Army When Marsyas was brought before the King and all concluded that he would forthwith put him to some cruel death Ptolemy pardon'd him beyond all Mens expectation For now he began to repent of his former Cruelties and endeavour'd to regain the Peoples Love and Favour by acts of Clemency 18. Euemerus King of Parthia Born in Hyrcania exceeding all other Princes in Cruelty Euemerus omitted no sorts of Torments he could invent For many of the Babylonians upon slight grounds with their whole Families he made Slaves and sent them into Media to be Sold. He burnt likewise to the ground the Market-place and some of the Temples in Babylon and raz'd the fairest and most beautiful parts of the City 19. Alexander sirnam'd Zabinas when those Renown'd Captains Antipater Ponius and Alexander Zabinas cited Ush An. 498. Ant. Ch. 124. Aeropus * Revolted from him to Seleucus Demetrius Son of Nicanor Caius Sextius Revolted from him and seiz'd upon Laodicea he at length took the City However he Generously spar'd them all For he was of a mild and gentle Disposition and pleasing Temper and of a wonderful Affability in his Converse or Discourse and was therefore greatly Belov'd of every Body 20. When Caius Sextius had Taken the City of the Gauls and Sold the Inhabitants for Slaves One Crato who was led in Chains with the rest came up to the Consul as he sate upon the Tribunal and told him He had ever been a Friend to the Romans and for that reason had suffer'd many Injuries and had undergone many Stripes and Scourgings from his fellow Citizens Upon which Sextius forthwith with all the demonstration of Kindness as of a Kinsman Released him from his Bonds and Restor'd him his Goods And for his Good Will to the Romans gave him Power to set free 900 of the Citizens such as he himself thought fit For the Consul was more Generous and Bountiful to Crato than he expected to the end the Gauls might see how exactly Just the Romans were both in their Punishments and Rewards 21. Alexander not being very confident of the multitude both in regard of their Rawness Alexander Ush An. 498. this cited in Martial Affairs and their natural Inconstancy and hankring after Innovations would not adventure upon a pitcht Field but having got together as much Money as he could out of the Publick Treasuries and pillag'd the Temples resolv'd by Night to steal away into Greece But whilst he attempted by the help of some of his Barbarians to plunder Jupiter's Temple he was seiz'd upon and himself and whole Army had like to have been cut off but he soon escap'd out of their hands and made towards Seleucia But the Seleucians having heard before-hand the Brute of his Sacriledge shut their Gates against him Failing there of his purpose he went to Pisidium and never after departed from the Sea-Coast 22. After Caius Gracchus was kill'd by the hands of his own Servant Lucius Lucius Vitellius his Treachery to his Friend C. Gracchus Vitellius who had been one of his particular Friends was the first that got his Body and was so far from being troubl'd at his death that he cut off his Head and carry'd it to his own House thereby giving a remarkable Instance of his Cruelty and Covetousness For when Lucius * Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 33. c. 3. Opinius the Consul by Proclamation promis'd to Reward him that should bring to him Gracchus his Head with the weight of it in Gold Vitellius bor'd a hole in the Neck and drawing out the Brains poured in melted Lead in the room Then he brought the Head to Opinius and return'd with the promis'd Reward but was afterwards hated by all to the day of his death as a Betrayer of his Friend The Flacci were also all put to death 23. In Lybia the two Kings drew up their Armies one against another and Jugurtha Jugurtha and Adherbal Two Brothers Kings at War routed the Numidians in a great Battle slaying many of them whereupon Adherbal his Brother fled to Cirta where being straitly Besieg'd he sent Ambassadors to Rome to intreat them not to suffer a King that was their Friend and Ally to be utterly ruin'd Whereupon the Senate forthwith sent Messengers into Numidia with Orders to Jugurtha to raise his Siege which he disregarding they sent another Embassy vested with Power and Authority but that was as fruitless as the other and at length Jugurtha straitly blocking up the City round through extremity of Famine forc'd it to a Surrender and most unnaturally slew his Brother as he was going out of the City with his Children and leaving the Kingdom beseeching him only to spare his Life neither regarding the Laws of Nature and Consanguinity nor of Arms in sparing those that beg for Quarter He likewise scourg'd all the Italians to death that sided with his Brother 24. Publius Scipio Nasica the Consul was a Man renown'd both for his Virtue and Nobleness Scipio Nascica his Commendation of Birth for he was of the same Family with Africanus and Hispanicus of whom the first Conquer'd Africa the other Asia and the third Spain and from thence gain'd the several Sirnames
likewise the Son of Asclepâ—odorus Lord Lieutenant of Syria Epimenes the Son of Arseus and Anticles the Son of Theocritus together with Philotas the Son of Carsides the Thracian were all brought in by him to join in the same Treason The Night that it came to Antipater's turn to wait in the Bedchamber was the time pitch'd upon to kill Alexander when he was asleep But it hapned as some write that Alexander that very Night sate up Drinking till Morning But Aristobulus says That a certain Woman of Syria pretending to be divinely inspir'd still follow'd Alexander from place to place whom Alexander and his Courtiers at first ridicul'd but when what she had foretold was still verify'd by the Event she was no longer despis'd by Alexander but was freely admitted to the King both by night and by day and often was in his Bed-chamber when he was asleep 'T is said at that time this Prophetess by chance met the King as he came from his Cups and entreated him to return to his Companions and spend the whole Night in Drinking Alexander judging it might be a Divine Warning return'd and by that means disappointed the Traiterous Designs of the Pages The next day Epimenes the Son of Arseus one of the Conspirators discover'd the whole matter to his Friend Caricles the Son of Menander Caricles to Eurylochus the Brother of Epimeues Eurylochus going into Alexander's Tent reveal'd all to Ptolemy the Son of Lagus the Esquire of the King's Body and he to Alexander who forthwith order'd all that Eurylochus had nam'd to be seiz'd who being apprehended upon their Examination confess'd their Treason and discover'd some others Aristobulus indeed says that they declar'd Calisthenes stirr'd 'em up to undertake this piece of Villany which Ptolemy likewise confirms But there are some others that give another account of this matter viz. That Alexander perfectly hated Calisthenes and because there was a great Intimacy between him and Hermolaus he was easily wrought up on by the Informers to suspect Calisthenes Some likewise say That Hermolaus being brought beforethe Macedonians confess'd that he himself plotted the Treason and that it was not in the Power of any free-born Man to endure the Disgrace and Dishonour Alexander had brought upon him and then reckon'd up all that Alexander in that kind had done to wit the unjust Death of Philotas and with far more Injustice his putting to death Parmenio Philotas's Father and the rest that were then kill'd the Murder of Clitus through his Drunkenness his assuming the Habit of the Medes the Edict for his Adoration not yet recall'd his carousing and drunken Dozing which vile Courses he not able further to endure he was earnest to regain Liberty both to himself and the rest of the Macedonians Hereupon Hermolaus and the rest that were seiz'd were ston'd to death by the Standers-by But Aristobulus says That Calisthenes was carry'd about with the Army in Chains and died Ptolemy says he was first rack'd and afterwards hang'd So that these Authors though of great Credit and Repute and who were themselves present in the Army and attending upon Alexander at the very time when these things were acted yet cannot agree about a matter whereof there cou'd be no doubt at all at the time when it was done 10. The King's Expedition against those call'd Nauticans or Naurans and the Destruction of many of his Army by a great Snow Curtius lib. VIII c. 4. THese things being thus set in order the third Month he march'd * From Naura or Nautica out of his Winter-Quarters towards a Country call'd †In Sogdiana Gabaza The first day he had an easie March the next day was not as yet stormy or gloomy but something darker than the day before not without some threatning of a Storm at hand The third day the whole heaven flash'd with Lightning sometimes light then presently dark which not only amaz'd the Eyes but terrify'd the Hearts of the distracted Army The Air resounded with continual Thunder and Thunder-bolts up and down seem'd to be shot from the Clouds the Army even struck deaf with the Thunder as Men astonish'd durst neither march nor stand still Then on a sudden fell down a Storm of Hail like a violent Torrent At first they cover'd themselves with their Shields but presently their henumb'd and frozen Hands let fall their Arms neither did they know towards what Place or Country to move themselves the Violence of the Storm being greater than could possibly be avoided turn themselves which way soever they would Their Ranks and Order therefore being broke they wander'd through the * Oâ—r Forest Wood in Parties as they could and many fainting rather with Fear than through Weariness fell down upon the Ground although the Fierceness of the Cold had frozen the Hail others lean'd themselves to the Bodies of Trees which was to many both a Support and Defence Neither were they deceiv'd in chusing out a place to die in when their natural Heat overcome by the Cold left them immovable But it was a grateful Sloth to them that were tir'd out neither did they count it iâ—ksome to find Rest by Death for the Cold was not only vehement but also not likely to abate and the dark Shades of the Wood besides the Storm which was as the Night supprest and kept out the Light that common Comfort and Refreshment The King only was patient under this sad Misforttune and walk'd round his Camp and brought together the dispers'd and lifted up them that were down shewing them the Smoak that came from Chimneys afar off advising every one to take the highest Refuge Neither did any thing conduce more to their Safety than to see the King who had taken more Pains than they yet most unwearied of any and therefore were asham'd to leave him But Necessity more forcible than Reason in their Distresses found out a Remedy for the Cold For hewing down the Trees with their Axes they set the Heaps of Wood up and down on fire so that you would have thought all the Wood had been on a â—lame and scarce any place left for the Army to lodge This Heat presently enliven'd their benumb'd Limbs and by degrees their Spirits which the Cold had even clos'd up began freely to pass Some were entertain'd in the Houses of the Barbarians which hid from them in the late Wood but now their Necessity had discover'd others lodg'd in their Tents which though wet yet were more tolerable the Fury of the Storm being something abated This unhappy Accident swept away a thousand Soldiers and other mean * Scullions Horse-boys c. Attendants upon the Camp 'T is reported that some were found standing at the side of the Trees and seem'd not only as if they had been alive but as if they had been discoursing one with another in the same posture as they were in when they died 11. How Alexander falling in Love with Roxana marry'd her and induc'd many