as harde a matter for th one to haue demaunded it as for the other to haue paid it Thre and twenty thousand talents were bestowed here abouts Furthermore he cashed the old souldiers and supplied their roumes with yong beginners But such as wer reteined stil grudging at the dismissing of the old souldiers required to be cashed thē selues also biddinge him pay thē their wages not to tel them of their yeres for seing they wer chosen into warfare together they thought it but right and duty to be discharged together And nowe they came not to him with entretance and humble sute as by the way of petition but with fasing and bracinge Bidding him finish his warres alone with his father Hammō and then go set lighte by his souldioures On the contrarye part somtime he chastised them sometime he admonyshed them with gentle wordes that they should not obfuscate darken their famous conquests and acts of cheualry with rebellion at the latter end At the length when he saw his words could nothing auail he rose out of his chair vnarmed as he was and stepte into them being all armed to fetch out thauthors of that rebellion And no man durst be so bolde as ons to let him of hys purpose but that he pulled out xiii of them and led thē to execution with his owne handes So greate a pacyence in suffering death did the fear of a king cast vpon them or els the customable enuringe in the feates of warre gaue hym boldnesse to put them to execution Then called he the Per sians aside and spake to them praising their cōtinual faith and obedience bothe to him and to their kynges in tymes past rehersing his benefites towardes them howe he neuer accompted them as vanquished but as partakers of his victory and to be short how he hadde passed into theyr lawes and customes and not they into the customes of his country and that by ioyning affinitye and aliaunce he had made the conquerors and the conquered a like And nowe he said he would betake the custody of his own person not onlye to the Macedones but also vnto them Whervpon he chose a thousande of their lusty yonge men into hys garde another sort of them he gaue armor and wepon vnto and dispersed them into his owne host to th entent they should learn thorder of the warres of Macedone the which thing the Macedones toke sore to hart that the king shuld subrogate in their roumes weping vnto him desiring him to satisfy himself with punishing thē rather then wyth puttyng thē to suche reproche By the which submission they obtained y ◠axi M. of thold souldiers were discharged and of hys frends wer dismissed because they wer old men Polyperchō Clytus Gorgias Polydamas Antigonus Craterus had the charge of theese that were sente awaye with Commissyon to take vppon him as regent of Macedone in steade of Antipater And Antipater was commaunded to come with a noumber of yonge souldioures to supplye hys roumē They that retourned home had allowance of wages as well as they that folowed still the warres While these thinges were in doing one of his frendes named Ephestion whome he loued entirely first for his excel lent beuty when he was a boy and secondlye for his humble obedience deceased For whome the kinge mourned a long time more then stode with his honor to doo beinge a king and bestowed xii M. talents vppon a tombe for hym Geuing commaundement to honoure him nowe after hys death as a God As he was in his way returning towards Babilon from the furthest landes that bordered vpon the Ocean tidinges were brought him that the ambassadours of Carthage and other Cities of Affrik and also of Spain Sicil Fra◅nce Sardinia and many of Italy did await for his comming at Babilon So greate a terror had the fame of his name striken into the harts of all the world that all nations as if they had determined to make him acknowledge him for their soueraigne Lord and king wer glad to humble them selues vnto him For this cause therfore as he was making spede to Babilon as it were to hold a parliament of the whole world One of the wisemen told hym that it was not good for him to come there affirming that it was the place where he should die There vppon he lefte Babilon and went to the city Byrse beyond the riuer Euphrates which ere whiles lay desolate There the Philosopher Anaxarchus through his perswasion compelled hym to despise the foresayinges of the wisemen as false and vncertaine forasmuche as if they were determined by desteny men were not priuye to them or if they were ordained by the lawe of nature it was not possible for a manne to breake them or auoid them Returninge therfore to Babilon when he had spent many daies in idlenesse the festing and banketting which he had left of now for a good while he set vp fresh again and being altogether geuen to mirth and pastime spending day and night in reuelling and making chere euen immediatly vpon a banket the Phisition Thassalus made a rere supper and desired the kinge and his Lordes vnto it Alexander toke a cuppe in his hande hande and as he was in the middes of his draughte sodenlye he gaue a greate sighe as thoughe he hadde beene striken to the harte with a dagger and being caryed from the banket halfe deade he was tormented with so intollerable paine that he desired to haue a sworde to ridde hym selfe out of it wythall and when anye man touched him it was as greuous to him as if they had wounded him His frendes caused it to be noised that his excessiue dronkennesse was the cause of his disease But in verye deede it was the treason of them selues the slaunder wherof was by the power of them that succeded suppressed The authoure of this treason was Antipater who seing his moost entier deare frendes murdered his sonne in lawe Alexander of Lyncestes put to death and himself after his noble enterprises atcheued in Grece not so muche accepted for his laboure as had in disdaine and ther vnto tickled with diuers complaints made by his mother Olympias besides all the which considering what straight iustice and cruel execution was lately before doone vpon the lieuetenaunts of sondry countries could gather no lesse by the circumstauns of the premisses but that he himselfe also was sent for out of Macedone not to attende vppon hym in his warres but to be punished as other had bene Therfore to the entent to preuent the kinges purpose he sent his sonne Cassander priuely with poyson the which Cassander wyth Phillip and Iolla his brothers were wonte to serue the kynge at his Table And the force of the poysonne was so greate that there was neyther brasse yron nor earthen vessell that was able to holde it nor it coulde not be caryed any otherwise then in the hofe a horse laying strait charge vpon
captain of the Atheniens elected his fellow in the warre what by working againste his enterprises and what foreseing wiselye what was like to ensue disclosed the entent and purpose of his treason Whervpon ere it was long after Pansanias was arrained and condemned Xerxes therfore when he perceiued that his secrete conspiracies were disclosed determined to proclaime open warre againe The Grecians also appoynted for their captaine Cymo of Athens the sonne of Milciades their graundcaptaine at the battell of Marathon a noble yong gentleman whose naturall and godly disposition declared before hand what great honor he was like to come vnto For when his father being cast in prison for robbing of the common tresure was there departed and could not be buried he by taking his fathers irons vppon him redeamed his body and buried it Neither wer they any thing at all deceiued that chose him to be their soueraign Captain For being a man of no lesse prowesse then was his father he vanquished Xerxes both vpon the sea and vppon the land and compelled him fearfully to retire into his own kingdome The third Booke XErxes king of Persia of whome all nations a litle before stode in feare after he had sped so vn fortunatelye in his warres in Grece began to be had in contempt euen of his own subiectes For Artabanus his lieuetenaunt perceiuing the kings estate dailye to decaye beinge therwith broughte in good hope to obtain the kingdom one euening wyth vii of his sonnes all men growen and stout men of their handes entred the kings palace For he was so well be trusted and beloued with the king that he might come in whenso euer he wold Wherfore whē he had slain the king he wrought by pollicy to destroy his children whome he knewe to be a lette to his enterprise As for Artaxerxes whiche was but a childe to speake of he toke no great thought and therfore the sooner to compasse his matters he surmised that Darius which was a tall strippling had slaine his father to the entent he might the soner possesse the kingdom Wherby he compelled artaxerxes to reuenge murder with murder When they came to Darius lodginge they founde him as it were neither sleping nor waking and there killed him Afterward artabanus perceiuing that for all the mischief he could deuise there was yet one of the kinges sonnes aliue and fearing that the peres of the realme wold stand in con tention with him for the kingdome made of his Counsell one Baccabassus who being content with his present estate bewrayed the whole matter to artaxerxes howe his Father was slain how his brother vpon false presumption of murder was put to death and finallye howe there was treason a woorking againste his owne personne When artaxerxes knew that fearing to attempt any thing rashly or agaynst artabanus because he had so many of his sonnes about hym he commaunded his army to be in a readinesse in their armour before him the next day sayinge that he woulde take musters of them him selfe and see a trial of euery mannes behauioure howe he coulde handle his weapon Therfore when as among the rest artabanus himselfe stoode by in his harnesse the kinge fained that his Curet was to shorte for him commaundinge artabanus to chaunge with him As he was putting it of the king espying him naked thrust hym throughe with his sworde and ther with all commaunded all his sonnes to be laide hande on And by this meanes the worthy yong Prince reuenged the death of his father and the murder of his brother and saued him selfe oute of the bandes of traitoures While these things were a doing among the Persians in the mean season all Grece deuiding it self in ii parts wherof the one folowed the Lacedemonians thother the Atheniens turned their wepons from forain enemies agaynste their owne bowels Of one people was made two bodies the souldiers of one campe wer parted into ii hostes of deadly and mortall enemies On th one side the Lacedemonians drue to their parte all suche as were before times waged at the common charges of al the cities for the defēce of the whole country On thother side the Atheniens being renowmed as wel for their antiquity and long continuance as also by their dedes of cheualry trusted all to their own strength And so two of the mightiest people of all Grece egall by the statutes of Solon and lawes of Lycurgus throughe enuy one at anothers estate fel together by the eares amonge them selues For Lycurgus succeadinge his brother Polybita in the kingdome of Sparta when as he might lawfullye haue chalenged it to him selfe surrendred the same with as muche faithfulnesse as mighte be vnto his sonne Charilans whyche was borne after the deathe of hys father assone as he came to mannes estate To the entent that all men myghte vnderstande howe muche good men doo set more by rightuousnesse then by al the richesse in the world In the meane while therfore that the childe grew of whom as protector he had the gouernment he deuised lawes for the Spartanes whiche hetherto hadde none in whyche doing he deserued not more renowne for inuenting of them then for geuyng example in keeping them For certainlye he ordayned no law for any other man wherof he gaue not ensample first of all by him selfe He taughte the people due obedience to their Princes and the Princes to minister iu◅ice indifferently to al their subiectes He counselled all estates to vse temperance and frugalitye thincking that throughe the dailye and accustomable vse therof the trauell and penye of warfare should seeme much more light and easy he commaunded all things to be bought not for mony but for exchaunge of wares The vse of golde and siluer as the occasion of all mischief he vtterly toke away The gouernment of the publike weale he distributed to certain estates and degrees Unto the kinges he gaue power absolutely in all matters concerning the warres vnto the magistrates authority in iudgementes and matters of lawe whome he would to continue in office but one yeare at ones vnto the Senatoures to see the lawes executed and kept to the cōmons power to chuse the Senatoures or to create what officers they listed He parted all their landes equallye amongste them portion and portion like to the entent that euery man hauing like liuelihode no man shuld take more vpon him then other He ordained that they should all eate and drinke together openlye to the entent that no manne should secreatly vse any excesse or super◅uitye he permitted not the yong men to weare anye moo garmentes then one all the yere nor one to go gayer then another nor one to fare better then an other leaste by followinge one anothers example they should fall to riot Children vnder xv yeares age were not suffred to come into the Courte but were commaunded to keepe in the Country to the entent they might
ended whiche waye so euer the gole went he should be compelled to haue warre with the conquerors Wherfore it wer good to suffer the Grekes to busy them selues in wasting their own country to the entent they haue no leisure to inuade forain countries To the performance wherof either parte oughte to be maintained in strength able to match his aduersari and the weaker to be aided with new succors For it was not to be thought that the Lacedemonians would be in rest if they might get the vpper hand considering they had professed and proclaimed them selues all redy the defenders of the liberty of Grece This Oration liked Tissaphemes very well whervppon he allowed them not so liberall expenses neither sent he forth all the kings flete least he shuld either geue them the victorye oute of hande or elsse constraine them to breake vp the warres In the meane season Alcibiades did thus muche for his country men that when the Atheniens sente their ambassadors vnto him he promised to get them the kinges fauor if so be it that the administration of the common welth wer remoued from the people and put into the senatours handes Hopinge there by that if the Citye agreed well he shoulde be chosen captaine of the warre by their common assent or els if there arose any variaunce betwene the two estates he shoulde be called to the ayd of the one part But the Atheniens seinge the daunger of the warre that they were wrapped in had more respect of their safegarde then of their honoure Therfore with the good wil of the people the gouernance of the common wealth was put into the hands of the senators The which because that through a certain pride natu rallye engraffed in that estate they dealed with the people â—…om what cruelly euery man taking vpon him to be a lord the souldioures called home the banished alcibiades made him admirall of the Sea Whervppon immediatly he sent woord to Athens that he woulde incontinently come thither with an host of menne and take the gouernment out of the CCCC Senatoures handes whether they woulde or no onlesse they surrendred it vp of their owne accorde before he came The greate menne of the City being sore froâ—…hled with this message first attempted to betraye the Towne to the Lacedemonians whiche thing being not able to bringe to passe they willinglye forsoke their Countrye and became as banished men alcibiades therfore hauinge deliuered hys countrye from inwarde sedition furnished his ships wyth all diligence possible and so proceded into warfare against the Lacedemonians Nowe Mindarus and 〈◊〉 the Captaines of the Lacedemonians with their shippes furnished likewise awaited his comminge The battell being soughte the victorye fell to the Atheniens In thys conflicte the greater parte of the armye and almooste all the captains of their enemies wer slain and lxxx shippes takeÌ„ Within a fewe daies after the Lacedemonians remouing from the Sea vnto the lande were eftsones in another encounter put to the worse The which discomfiture beynge greatly afflicted and discouraged they sued for peace The which was letted to be graunted through their mean es had aduaÌ„tage and gain by the warres In the mean season the Carthaginenses made war in Sicil by reason wherof the Siracusanes wer fain to call home their succors to defeÌ„d their own The LacedemoniaÌ„s being therby destitute of al aid comforte Alcibiades with his victorious nauye wasted and spoiled the coaste of Asia foughte battels in diuers places and euery wher getting the victorye recouered the Cityes whiche were tourned from the Atheniens and diuers he won of newe and subdued them to the dominion of the Atheniens also And so hauinge recouered his auncient renowne and honor in battel on the sea with thencrese and augmentation therof by his conquestes on the land he returned to Athens to the great reioycement of all his Citezens In all these battels were taken of their enemies two C. shippes and a great pray To beholde this triumphante retourne of the army all the people came out of the Citye by heapes praising highlye all the souldioures but in espetially wondring at Alcibiades On him all the City gased on him they earnestlye fastned their eies as thoughe they could neuer haue seene inough of him him they behelde as one sent from heauen and as it wer the victory it self they praised his noble actes done for his countrye no lesse extolling the thinges which he did against the same in the time of his banishment makinge his excuse them selues as that he did them in his anger and prouoked there vnto It is a meruelous thing to see that there should be in one manne suche power and valure as to be the onlye cause of the ouerthrowe of so mighty a kingdome and of the settinge vp of the same againe victory euer folowing that side that he tooke and that fortune should so wonderfully alwaies encline that way that he went Wherfore they honored hym not as a man but as a God they striued with them selues whether they had banished him more spitefullye or called him home again more honourablye They broughte theyr Goddes with them for ioy to welcom him home by which not long before they had accursed hym And whome of late they had forbidden all mannes help now and if they could they would haue set him in heauen Recompensing the despite with honour his harmes and losses with giftes and rewardes and his curses with blessings There was no wordes among them of the battels that he loste in Sicil but of the victories that he woâ—…e in Grece There was no speaking of the shippes that he hadde lost but of the shippes that he had taken The Syracusanes were forgotten and there was no talke but of his conquestes in Ionia and Hellespont Thus was Alcibiades neuer meanely hated nor meanely honoured and exalted of his country men While theese thinges were a doing amonge the Lacedemonians Lysander was made Captaine generall of the warres bothe by sea and by land and in steade of Tissaphernes Darius kinge of Persians hadde made his sonne Cyrus lieuetenant of Ionia and Lydia who aided the Lacedemonians in such wise both with men and mony that they doub ted not to recouer their former estate Beinge therfore thus encreased in strength and hearing that Alcibiades was gon into Asia with a nauye of a C. shippes whiles he was there wasting and spoiling the country which was grown riche by reason there had bene no warre of a long time be fore and toke no hede to his souldioures but suffred them for couetousnesse of booties to disperse them selues where they lifted as thoughe there had bene no treason to be feared they sodenlye came vppon them and assailed them ere they could gather them selues together And they made suche a slaughter amonge them as they were skatred that the Atheniens toke more losse and hurt in that one battel then they had done to their ennemies in all the
neighbors and shortly after other forrain people nations thempire therof was dilated euen to the vttermooste borders of the East In the region of Peonic whiche nowe is a portion of 〈◊〉 raigned by report 〈◊〉 the father of astriopeus whose name we here spoken of in the battel of Troy among the chiefest and moste â—…aliaunt defendours of the Citye And on the one side of Hellespont in Europe raigned a kig called Europe Caranâ—… also with a great multitude of Grekes being commaunded by thaunswer of the Oracle to seeke an habitation in Macedony when he came into emathia following a heard of Goats that â—…ed out of the shour of rain entred wan the â—…eld of edissa ere the meÌ„ of the town perceiued his coÌ„ming by reson of the greatnesse of the storm whervpon calling to minde the answer of the Oracle by which he was commaunded to seke a kingdome wher gotes should be his guides he appoynted it to be the seat of his kingdom And euer after he obserued deuoutlyâ—… that whether so euer he led any hoste he woulde haue the same gotes before his standerde to the entent that as they wer thautors of his kingdom so might they be also as leaders in all his enterprises And in remembraunce of thys benefit he chaunged the name of edyssa and called it 〈◊〉 the people therof 〈◊〉 Afterward when he had expulsed Midas for he also held a parte of Macedonie diuers other kings in the stead of theÌ„ all he succeded alone â—…irst of al gathering knitting together soÌ„dry sorts of people made as it wer one entire body of Macedonie laid a strong fouÌ„datioÌ„ for his kingdom hereafter to grow vpon After him raigned Perdicas whose life was notable the warnings at his last departure which wer as thanswer of an oracle worthy to be remebred For when he drue toward his end by reason of age he shewed his sonne Argeuâ—… the place in the which he wold be buried willing not only his owne body but also all the bodies of theÌ„ that shuld succede him in the kingdoÌ„ to be buried in the same place prophecying before that as long as the bones of his posterity were buried there so long the kingdoÌ„ shuld coÌ„tinue in his line family And vpon this superstition it is beleued that his ofspringe failed in great Alexander because he chauÌ„ged the place of burial argeus hauing gouerned the kingdoÌ„ with iustice and loue of his people left to succede him his soÌ„ne Philip who being surprised by hasty death substituted his heir Europe a very babe But the Macedones wer at continuall debate strife with the Thracians Illyrians by whose warres as by daily exercise being hardened they grew so famous redouted in feats of armes that all their neighbours were afraid of theÌ„ The Illirians therfore despising thinfancy of the yong king assailed the Macedones with battel who be ing put to the worse brougbt forth their king in his cradel set him before the battel beginning the field new againe as thoughe they had bene vanquished before vpon none other occasion but because they wanted y â— good luck of their king in the battell thincking to get the vpper hand and it were for none other cause elsse then that vpon this superstition they had perswaded them selues they shoulde win Moreouer they had pity compassion of the infant whome it was none other like but they should make a captine of a king if they should happen to be ouercome In the meane season Darius king of Perfia beinge put to shamefull flighte and driuen oute of Sâ—…ythia because he wold not seme to be dishonored euery wher by his losses in the warres sent 〈◊〉 with part of his army to subduâ—… Thrace thother kingdoms of that climat among the which for the slender regard estimation therof he should take Macedonie for one who shortly executing his masters coÌ„maundement sent ambassadors to Amyntas king of Macedonie demaunding hostages for performance of the peace that shuld be concluded betwene theÌ„ But thaÌ„bassadors be ing gently enterteined as they began to be somwhat ouer come with drink desired Amyntas that forasmuch as he had made them such a suÌ„ptuous feast he wold also grauÌ„t them the rights duties of familiarity that is to say that theyr sonnes their wiues their daughters mighte come kepe them coÌ„pany at the banket for it was counted amonge the Persians as a sure token pledge of hospitality frendlye entertainment Who comming in to bear them company the Persians began to daly with more wantonly then was semely conuenient Wher vpon AlexaÌ„der the son of amino tas desired his father to haue respect to his age grauity to withdraw himselfe from the banket promising to fynde meanes to delay the dalians of his quests wel inough wheÌ„ â—…yntas was gone Alexander called out the women one by one as though it had ben to dresse attire theÌ„ more gorgeously so to bring them in again In whose sted he dressed in womens apparel he sent yong men commauÌ„ding them to represse the waÌ„tonnes of thambassadors with their we pons that they caried vnder their garmeÌ„ts The which being done al thambassadors killed Mogabyzus knowing nothing hereof when he saw his ambassadors returned not a gaine sent thither Bubares with a parte of his hoste as to a war so easy so mean as that he disdained to troble himself therwith least men should speke dishonor of him for fighting against so base vile a kinde of people But 〈◊〉 be fore the battel being taken in loue with Amintas daughter leauing of the warres solempniled the marriage laying a side all rancor and emnity ioyned him self in aliaunce with his enemy After the departure of Bubares out of Macedone the kinge Amyntas deceased Unto whose sonne successor Alexander this affinity of Bubares did great ple sure For by meanes therof he not onlye liued in peace all the time of Darius but also grew in greate fauor wyth Xerxes In so muche that when like a tempest he inuaded all Grece he gaue him the seniory royalty of al the couÌ„tries betwene the mountaines of Olympus and Hemus Yet notwithstanding he enlarged his kingdom as much by his own prowes as by the liberality of the Persians At leÌ„gth by order of succession the kingdom of Macedone cam vnto Amyntas the sonne of his brother Menelaus This man al so was notable for his actiuity and endowed with al royall and warlike qualities He begate of his wife Eurydice thre sonnes AlexaÌ„der Perdicas and Philip the father of great Alexander and a daâ—…ghter named Euryone And of a nother wife called Cygea he engendred Archilaus Aridens 〈◊〉 who had sore warres first with the Illyrians and after wyth the Olyntâ—…ans But he had ben cut short by the treson of his wife Eurydice who concluding priuely a mariage wyth her sonne
died in the preparation therof leauinge many sonnes behinde him wherof some were begotten before he was king and other some in the time of his raigne Of the whyche Artobazanes the eldest claimed the Crowne by prerogatiue of hys age alledginge that by order of lawe by order of birthe by order of nature and by custome of all Countryes he oughte to haue it Xerxes replied and sayde that their controuersye was not as concerninge the order of their birthe but as concernyng the nobilitye and worthinesse of theyr byrthe For hee graunted that Artobazanes was in deede the first that was borne vnto Darius but Darius was then a priuate person and that he him selfe was the firste that was borne to Darius being king Wherfore his brothers that were borne durynge the time his father was a subiect might lawfully claime suche priuate inheritaunce as Darius then had but not the kingdom which apperteined to him being the first whome his father begat in his kingdoÌ„ This also made for his purpose in that artobazanes was borne a priuate person not only by the fathers side but also by the mothers side and also 〈◊〉 his graundfathers side by the mother Wherâ—… he himself had a Queene to his mother and he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his father but king and he hadde a kinge 〈◊〉 his grauâ—…father by the mother namelye kinge Cyrus who was not an inheritor but the first founder of that greate Empyre And therfore if theyr father had left them 〈◊〉 like right to the 〈◊〉 yet notwithstande in consideration of his Mother and hys graundfather he oughte to be preferred They putte thys controuersy quietly and gently with a good will to the discretion of their vncle Artapheâ—… as to a housholde iudge who discussing the matter at home preferred Xerxes And this contention betwene them was so brotherly that neither he that had the vpper hand vaunted him self neyther he that was ouercome was sorye for the matter And euen in the chiefest time of all their strife they sente giftes and presentes one to another aud merely banketted together wythout mistrust of treason or deceit and the matter was ended wythout dayes men or without reprochful wordes betwixt them So muche more modestly could brothers in those daies deuide the greatest kingdomes then they can nowe deuide a small inheritaunce Xerxes therefore by the space of fiue yeares together made preparatyon for the warres whiche his father had begon against the Grekes The which thing when Demeratus kinge of the Lacedemonians who at that time beinge banished his Countrye liued in king Xerxes Courte vnderstode being more frendlye to his countrye after his banishment then to the kyng for all his benefites to the entente they shoulde not be oppressed with sodaine warre wrate all thinges in tables of wode to the Magistrates of Sparta and couered the letters ouer with ware least that ether the wryting without a couer might bewray it self or the newe ware disclose hys deuise WheÌ„ they wer finished he toke theÌ„ to a trnsty seruaÌ„t commaunding him to deliuer to the magistrats of the Spartanes When they were brought to Lacedemon the matter hong long in question what it shoulde meane because they saw no wryting again they thought the tables were not sent for nothing the closer the thinge was so muche they iudged it to be of greater importaunce Whiles the menne with sondrye opâ—…nions slacke in the matter the Syster of Lâ—…oindas the kynge founde out the intent and meanynge of the wryter The ware therfore being skraped of it appeared was wrought against them By this time had Xerxes armed seuen hundred thousand of his owne kingdome and hired thre hundred thousand Mercenaries So that it hath not without good cause bene reported that his army dronke the riuers dry and that al Grece was skarse able to receiue his hooste It is also said that he had ten hundred thousand shippes To this huge host wan ted a mete Captaine For if ye haue respect vnto the king ye may praise his riches but not his good guidans or know ledge requisite in a Captain of which there was so greate aboundaunce in his realme that when riuers were not able to finde his huge multitude drinke yet had he treasure more then could be spent He would be sure to be the laste that shoulde come to encounter and the firste that shoulde run away In danger he was fearful out of daunger proud and ful of bosting Finally before he should come to the triall of battell he gloried so much in his owne strength that as if he had beene euen a Lord ouer nature and had beene able to rule it at his pleasure he broughte mountaynes to plaine ground and filled vp the valleis made bridges ouer the sea and cut through the main land to make nerer way for his shippes to passe Whose comming into Grece as it was terrible so his departure was as shameful and dishonorable For when that Leonides kinge of the Sartanes wyth four thousand men had taken the strengthe of Thermopyle Xerxes in disdaine of his small noumber commaunded that none shoulde assaile them but they whose kinsfolke were slain at the battel of Marathon the which while they soughte to reuenge the deathes of their frends wer the beginning of the slaughter that ensued In their places succeded stil mo and mo to the great encrease of their owne slaughter Three daies the Persians fought there to their greate anguish displesure and sorow The fourth daye when it was tolde Leonides that twentye thousande of his ennemies had taken the toppe of the hill then he began to exhort his partakers to depart and to reserue them selues till some better time might come wherin they might do seruice to their country for he hys Spartanes wold staÌ„d to thadueÌ„ture of fortune saying that he set not so much by his life as by his country that the resi due ought to be spared for the defice of Grece wheÌ„ the kin ges plesure was published the rest departed all sauing the Lacedemonians which taried stil with him In the beginning of this war whé counsel was asked of apollo at Delphos answer was geueÌ„ that either the king of thes partanes must be slain or els the city be destroid And therfore wheÌ„ the king Leonides shuld go forth to the war he had so encoraged his souldiers that euery man went with a willing hart to dye with their maister He tooke the straites for this purpose that with his small noÌ„ber he might either win with more honor or die with les domage to the coÌ„moÌ„ welth wherfore when he had dismissed his partakers he exhorted the Spar tanes to remeÌ„ber theÌ„ selues that how so euer they fought they must be slaine warning them to take hede that they gaue no cause to baue it reported of them hereafter that their harts serued them better to tary then to fight saying that it was not for theÌ„ to stand stil til their enemies should enclose
y â— Alexander came to visit coÌ„fort when they saw the harnessed men they embraced one another made great lamentation as though they shuld haue died by and by Then they fel flat at Alexanders fete beseching him not for pardon of their liues but only respite of their deathes for a time to th entent they might bury Darius body Alexander being moued with pity at the tender affection of the women told theÌ„ that Darius was yet aliue and bad them be of good comfort for they shuld not die coÌ„maunding that they shuld be estemed as Quenes so to be called Furthermore he willed Darius daughters to trust to him that he would see them bestowed in mariage to no persons of baser estate then was for their fathers honor After this when he saw Darius richesse his precious orna ments his iewels and apparel they were so muche that he wondred to behold them Then began he first to make riotous bankets sumptuous feastes then began he for her beauty and fauor to fall in loue with one of his prisonners called Bersine of whom afterward he begat a sonne whom he named Hercules Notwithstandinge remembringe that Darius was yet a liue he sente Parmenio to inuade the Persian flete and other of his frendes to receiue the Cityes of Asia Which hearing of his great victory came with their lieuetenaunts that were appoynted by Darius who with a greate summe of golde yelded them selues vnto the conqueror and submitted them selues vnder his subiection Then set he forward into Syria wher he met with many kings of the East with crownes on their heads Of whom as eche of them had deserued some he toke into fauor and some he deposed setting vp kings in their steads Amongst all other Abdlominus whom Alexander made king of Sydon is worthy to be spokeÌ„ of Him wheras before time he was wont to be hired to cast ponds and water gardens leadyng his life miserably Alexander created king setting aside the noble men least for their birth linage they might rather haue semed to chalenge it of duty and not accept it as a fre gift The citezens of Tyre sent their ambassadoures wyth a crown of gold of great waighte vnto Alexander for ioye of his good successe who thankfully acceptinge their present said he wolde go to Tyre to performe his vowes to Hercules Thambassadors said he might do that better in olde Tyre in the old temple desiring he wold not enter into the new towne Wherat he toke so sore displeasure that he threatned to destroy the citye and there vpon forthwith he brought his army to the Iland whome the couragious Tyrians for the trust they had in the Carthaginenses entertained with battel For thexample of Dydo greatly encoraged the Tyrians who after that she had builded Carthage conquered the thirde parte of the worlde Thinkinge that it were a foule shame for them if their women shuld haue more hartes in conquering then they had in defending of their liberty Wherfore they sent away all such as wer not mete for the warres to Carthage and brought succors in their stâ—…ad Neuerthelesse ere long time after they wer surprised taken by treson Here vpon Alexander receiued the Rhodes Egipt and Cilicia without any stroke striking Then tooke he hys iourny to Iupiter 〈◊〉 of purpose to enquire of the chaÌ„ce of thinges to come and as concerning his own birthe For his mother Olympias confessed to Philip her husbande that she conceiued not Alexander by him but by a Serpente of wonderful bignesse And Philip him selfe a little before he died did openlye report that he was not his sonne Uppon which cause as though he had known her to haue plaid the miswoman he put away Olympias Alexander therfore be ing desirous to fetch his pedegre from God and also to deliuer his mother from slaunder of the world sent messengers priuelv before to the priestes to geue them instructions what answer he would haue them make Assone as he entred into the temple the prelates saluted him by y e name of the sonne of Hammon He being glad of this adoption of the God gaue commaundement that all men shoulde take him for his father Then he demaunded whether he had punished all suche as were gilty of the murderinge of hys father or no. They made him answer that his father could neither be killed nor die but as for the death of king Phillip he had sufficiently punished all the doers therof To his third demaund they answered that he shuld get the vpper hand in all battels and shoulde be owner of all the whole worlde To suche also as attended vppon him they gaue charge to honor Alexander as a God and not as a kyng Herevpon he grew to suche an hautinesse and so wonderful an arrogancy was rooted in his stomacke that the gentlenesse which he had learned by the literature of y â— grekes and the enstructions of the Macedones was quite rased out of his thought As he returned froÌ„ HaÌ„mon he builded AlexaÌ„diâ—…a and peopled it with Macedones ordeining it to be the hed city of Egipt Darius being eskaped to Babilon sent his letters to Alexander desiring him of liberty to ransome the women that wer his prisoners and for their raunsom he profered him a great sum of mony Howbeit Alexander would not take a piece of mony for their ransome but the whole kingdome Within a while after came a nother letter froÌ„ Darius to Alexander wherin he proferred him one of his daughters in mariage a portion of his kingdoÌ„ Alexander wrot vnto him again y â— those things that he offred him wer hys own alredy wherfore he willed him to come submit himself to put thordering of his kingdom to the discretion of his so uerain Then being past al hope of peace Darius adressed himself again to the warres and with 40000 fotemen a 10000. horsmen marched toward Alexander In his iourny newes was brought him that his wife was departed of de liuerance of a childe before her time and that Alexander wept for her death and also followed courteously after her corse to burial the which thing he had done not for that he was in loue with her but only for curtesy and humanities sake For he neuer saw her but ones in all his life wheras he wold ofteÌ„times visit his mother his litle daughters to coÌ„fort them Then Darius thinking himself clerely vaÌ„qui shed seing y â— after so many battels his enemy had ouercom him With kindnesse also thought it did him good sythe he could not get thupper hand y â— it was his chance to be vanquished of so worthy a conqueror Wherfore he wrate the iii. letter vnto him geuing him thankes y â— he had not shewed any extremity against his prisonners Offring hym the greater part of his kingdom euen vnto the riuer Eufrales with a nother of his daughters to wife and for the reast
Millain Come Brixia Uerone Bergome Trident and Uincent The Thuscanes also with their captain Rhetus hauing losâ—…e their owne countrye tooke the Alpes and after the name of their captaine founded the nation of the Rhetians But Dennis by meanes of the tomming of the Carthaginenses into Sicil was dryuen to retuâ—…ne home for they had repaired their army wyth a greater power renued the warres which they had brokeÌ„ vp by constrainte of the pestilence The captaine of this war was Hanno of Carthage whose enemy Suniator a man at that time of the greatest power one of them in all Affricke in despyte of him wrate familierly in Greke vn to Dennis aduertising him of the comming of the army and of the cowardise of the captain but his letters were taken by the way whervpon he was condemned of treason and an act of Parliament was made that no man of Carthage should here after learne Greke letters or study the Greke tounge to the entent he should not talke wyth the ennemy or wryte vnto him without an interpretor ere it was longe after Dennis whome a litle before neither Sicilie nor Italye were able to hold being ouercome with continuall warres in battel and brought lowe at laste was slayne by the treson of hys owne subiectes The. xxi Booke AFter the time that â—…he Tiran DeÌ„ 〈◊〉 was sâ—…aine in Sicill the men of warre placed in his roume hys eldest sonne named Dennis also bothe because he was a man growen also because they thoughte the kingdome should be the stronger if it remained stil inone mans hand rather then if it shuld be deuided among his sonnes in many portions But Dennys in the beginnyng of hys raygne coueted sore to haue put to deathe hys brothers vncles as enuiers of his estate and prouokers of the children to demaund a partition of the kingdome Where vppon he dissembled his desyre a while setting his mynde to procure the fauoure of his commons thincking to doo it with lesse blame if all menâ—…e shâ—…ulde fyrste conceiue good opinyon of his doinges And therfore he let three hundred offenders out of prysonne and released the people three yeares subsidie alluringe theyr mindes by all kynde of counterfet gentlenesse that he was hable to deuise Then goynge in hande with the mischiefe he had so longe purposed he slewe not onlye his brothers kynsfolke but also hys brothers them selues in so muche hat whome he ought of righte to haue made partners of his kingdome he suffred not to be partakers of life and breth beginning to execute his tiranny vpon his owne kinred ere he proceded to worke it against straungers When he hadde dispatched hys brothers of whome as of his enemies he stode in fear he fell to slouthfulnes and throughe excessiue â—…edynge he became fatte and coarsye and gate suche a disease in his eyes that he was not able to abide the Sunne nor the dust nor finally the glistering of any light For the which causes beleuing himselfe to be had in disdaine of all men he executed moste extreme cruelty not filling the gails with prisoners as his father did but replenishing the city with slaughters for the whychthinges he was not so muche disdained as hated of al meÌ„ Therefore when he perceiued that the Syracusanes were mineded to rebel against him and bid him battel he was in doubte a great while whether it were better to depose him selfe or to withstande them by force but his men of warre in hope to haue the spoyle and sacking of the citye compelled him to stand to the triall of it by battel where beinge vanquished and attemptinge fortune the seconde time with like successe he sent ambassadoures to the Syraâ—… promising to depose himselfe from his tirannye if they would send their commissioners vnto him authorysed to conclude an agrement with him They sent y â— chief men of their City for the same purpose whome be put in custody and so sodainly ere any man 〈◊〉 therof or feared that he ment any such mischiefe against them he sent his army to destroy the city Whervppon ensued a sore and doubtfull encounter euen within the verye Citye but by reason the townes men were farre mo in noumber Dennis and his men were put backe Who fearing to be beseged if he abode in the Castle priuely fled into Italy with all his princely apparell treasure and houshold stuffe being in his banishmente receiued by his confederates the Locrines as though he had bene their rightfull kyng he tooke their fortresse and there exercised his accustomed cruelty He commaunded the noble mennes wiâ—…es to be broughte from their husbandes perforce that he myghte haue his pleasure of them the maidens when they shuld be maryed he fetched away and when he had abused theÌ„ sent theym to their spouses againe The richest and welthiest personnes eyther he draue out of the Citye or elsse caused them to be put to deathe and seised theyr goodes And when he sawe there was no more for him to catche conueniently he compassed all the whole city by a subtle inuention At such time as the Locrines were oppressed w t the warres of Leophron king of Rhegiâ—…n they made a vow that if they wan the vpper hand they wold vpon a feastfull daye of Venus set their virgins in the open stewes for all men to abuse The which vow being left vnperfourmed hauing vnfortunate warres with the Lucanes Dennis called them together before him and there exhorted them to send their wiues daughters as gorgeously apparelled decked as they could into the temple of Venus out of the which ther should be a hundred drawen by lot to perfourme the common vow the whiche for religions sake should stand in the stewes for the space of one month all their husbandes being before sworn not to haue to do with any of them And to th entent the maidens thus per forming the common vow should not be hindred therby they should make a decre that none other maid should be ensured to any husband before those other were maryed This counsel was wel alowed as in the which prouision semed to be made both for the performans of their superstitious vow allo for the preseruation of the chastity oâ—… their virgins Whervpon al the women asseÌ„bled into the teÌ„ple of Venus so gorgeously costly attired as who might be best among whom Dennis sent his men of war stripped them euery one conuertinge their iewels sumptuous ornameÌ„ts to his own gain and proâ—…it som of their hus bands being very welthy men he killed and some of the women he put to the torture to make the confesse where their husbands mony lay When he had with these such like suttleâ—…ies raigned by the space of vi yeres the Locrines conspired against him and draue him out of the city from whence he returned into Sicil and there by treson no man mistrusting any thing after so long continuauns oâ—… peace
commyng of Tygranes Ariobarzanes conueying away all his stuffe gat him streight to Rome so by y â— meanes of Tygranes Cappadocia was again vnder y â— dominioÌ„ of Mithridates Thesame time died Nicomedes whose son named Nicomedes also was dryuen out of his kingdom bi Mithridates who resorted to Rome for succor vpoÌ„ whose huÌ„ble sute it was decreed by y e Senate y â— both be Ariobarzanes should be set in possessioÌ„ of their kyngdomes agayne For the perfourmaunce whereof Aquilius Manlius and Malthinius were sent to be Lieuetenauntes of the warre Mythridates hauyng knowledge hereof and enteÌ„dyng to make warre with the Romains alied himself with Tygranes And it was couenaunted betwixt them that Mythridates should haue for his parte the cyties and landes and Tygranes should haue for his share the men and cattell and whatsoeuâ—…r els was moueable After this Mithridates 〈◊〉 what a warre he had taken in hande sent out his Ambassadours some to the Cymbrians some to the Frenchegrekes some to the Sarmatians and some to the Bastarnes to request them of their ayde and help For all these Nations had he allured a good while before by shewyng them â—…endshyp and pleasure diuers wayes euer synce he fyrste purposed warre agaynst the Romayns Moreouer he raysed an host of men in Scythia and armed all the East agaynste the Romayns It was no great matter for hym therefore to ouercome Aquilius and Malthyne hauyng none but the men of Asia about them after the discomfiture of whome and of Nicomedes all the cyties were glad to seke his fauor There he found great plentie of gold and syluer laid vp in store by the kynges in tymes past and much furniture for the warres the which for as muche as they made greatlie to his furtherance he released the cyties all their dettes as well publike as priuate and exempted them frelie from all charges as well of the warres as of trybutes and taxes for fyue yeres space Then assembled he his souldiours before him and encouraged them with â—…iuers exhortacions to the warres of y e Romains otherwise cald the wars of Asia The copi of which Oracion I haue thought worthie to be put into this worde albeit I coâ—…et to be short in the same maner as PoÌ„peius â—…rogus hath indirectly set it forth because he fyndeth fault with â—…iuie Salust for putting Oracions in their works directly as they were spokeÌ„ so doyng exceded y â— bouÌ„ds of an history He said he would gladly haue wished that he might haue consulted vpon this poynt whether it wer better to haue warre or peace with the Romaines but nowe there was no remedy but to go through with the matter and not to feare them yea thoughe there were no hope of victorye at all For all men would draw their wepons vpon theues thoughe they were not able to defende them selues yet to reuenge theyr deathes But for as muche as he purposed not to debate whether it were mete to be in quiet considering they were not only ennemies in hart but also had encountered like enemies in open field he woulde fayne knowe by what meanes and vpon what hope they shuld maintaine the warres that they had begone Neuerthelesse he had good hope of the victorye if so be it they hadde good hartes That the Romaines might be ouercome his souldiers that vanquished Aquilius in Bythinia and Mal thinius in Cappadocia knewe as well as he But if hee thoughte the examples of other menne could moue them more then theyr owne triall and experiens â—…e harde saye that Pyrrhus king of Epyre hauyng no mo but fiue thou sand Macedones in his host vanquished the Romaines in thre pitched fieldes He heard saye that Hanniball by thâ—… space of xvi yeres abode in Italy like a conqueroure and â—…ad taken the city of Rome it selfe had not the preuy malice and enuy of his owne country men ben a greater hinderaunce to him then the power of the Romaynes He hard say that the Frenchmen inhabiting on the other side of the Alpes entered into Italye and there placed theym selues in moste of the welthiest cityes of all the countrye seisynge into theyr possession somewhat a larger piece of ground euery way then that which they had gotten in Asia for all it is counted so weake and cowardly Moreouer that the said French men hadde not onlye vanquished the Romaines but also taken their city in so muche that they left theÌ„no more in all the world but one hill from whens whence they were saine to remoue theyr ennemye not by battel but by raunsome The which Frenchemen whose name had alwaâ—…es ben so terrible to the Romaynes he had to strenghten him in his host For there was no differeÌ„ce betwene the Frenchmen that inhabit Asia and the Frenchmen that inhabit Italy but onely the distance of their dwellyngs asunder As for their originall their prowesse and their maner of feightyng was all one sauyng that these in Asia musâ—… nedes be of so much more pollicie and witte as they haue comme a wore longe and â—…edious youâ—…ney through Sclauany Thrace beyng a farre paynfuller matter to make themselues waye through those countries then to place themselues where they nowe inhabit Furthermore he heard say that Italy it selfe was neuer yet well pleased with Rome synce it was fyrst buylded but that continuallie froÌ„ yere to yere incessant warre had ben made by some for their libertie and by other sâ—…m for the right right of th empyre insomuch that by report manie cyties of Italie had vtterlie destroyed the Romain Armies by the sworde and some with a new kynde of reproche had compelled them shamefullye to crepe vnder a yoke And forbycause he should not seme to make long tarians in matters of old tyme euen the very same present all Italy was rysen to warre ioyntlie togyther with the marses not to demaund lybertie but Societie in Th empyre and in the Cytie itself Neyther was the Cytie oppressed more by the warres of their neighbours in Italie then by the partakyng of her owne noblemen at home so that the Ciuil warres were farre more dangerous then the forren warres of Italy besydes that the Cymbrians that vnmeasurable and moste fyltierable of sauage and vnmercifull rascalles were swarmed oute of Germanie and ouerwhelmed all Italy lyke a storm Of al the which forenamed nacions although the Romayns mighte perchaunce be able to withstande the brunt one after an other yet by all at once they must nedes be oppressed and that so sone that they should haue no leasur at al to think vppon his warres wherfore occasion ought to be taken when iâ—… was offered and good holde ought to be layed with spede vppon the iucreasment of their strength least yf they now sate still whiles thother were busie and had their handes full anone after they haue might haue more a doe with them when they were in quiet had nothyng els to dooe For it was not in question whether
recouered the city Syracuse While these thynges were a doâ—…ng in Sicil in the meane time in Affricke Hanno prince of Carthage began to employe his richesse by the which he surmounted the power of the coÌ„mon weal about compassing of the souerainty entendynge to haue slaine the Senate and to haue made himself king To the perfourming of the whiche mischeuous enterprise he had chosen a certain day in the whiche he should marry his daughter solempnly to the entent that vnder the coloure of perfourming hys vowes he might the easyer woorke his wickednesse and the 〈◊〉 brynge hys mischeuous deuises to effecte vnespied And therfore he prepared a feaste for the people in the open porches and galleries of the Citye and for the Senate in his owne house To the entent that hauing couertly and wythout witnesses killed the Senatoures with poysonâ—…d drinkes he might with the more ease vsurpe vppon the common weale being destitute of her patrones and defendoures The whiche thynge beynge by the seruauntes bewrayed to the Magistrates the mischief was auoided but not punished least in a man of so great power the matter being knowen might putte them to more trouble then beinge but only surmised Being therfore contented to haue restrained him of his purpose they made a decree wherein was limited what coste shoulde be bestowed vpon mariages straightly charging and commaundinge the same to be obserued not of any one man but of all men in generall to the entent the person should not seme to be noted but the vices rebuked Beinge by this dâ—…uise preuented he stirred the bondmen to rebellion and hauing appoynted a day againe for the slaughter when he sawe himselfe the second time bewrayed fearing to be arraigned of treson he tooke a certaine stronge hold with twentye thousand bondmen well armed There whiles he sollicited the Afres and the kynge of Mauritane he was taken and beinge sore whipped and hys â—…yes pulled oute and hys armes and legges broken as thâ—…ughe euerye member were seuerally punished he was put to death in the open sight of the people and hys body being torne with whippinge was hanged vppon a gibbet Moreouer his sonnes and kinsmen euerychone of them were they neuer so giltlesse were all put to execution to th entent there should not of so wicked a stocke remaine any impe either to ensue his example in doynge the like mischiefe or to reuenge his death In the meane time Dennis being receiued Syracuse persisting euery daye more cruell then other toward the Citye they conspired against him again and besieged him Then seinge no remedy he deposed himselfe and yealded to the Syracusanes bothe his holde and his hoste and receiuinge no more but his owne priuate stuffe went his way as a banished man to Corynthe There thinkinge the basest to be the surest estate he fell to a most filthy and lothsome trade of liuing For he thought it not inough to loyter vp and down the streates onlesse he wer bibbing in euery tippling house nor to be sene in Tauernes and houses but to sytte stil in them all day from morning to night Moreouer he would braule with euerye raskall and varlet for moone shine in the water goo all to ragged and slouenlye prouoke men to laughter rather then laugh himself stande gaping and gasing in the shambles deuouring with his eies the thinges he could not bye with his monye skolde with baudes before the Wardens and in fine doo all thinges in suche wise that he might sâ—…me rather to be despised theÌ„ feared Last of all he professed himself a scholemaster and taught children in a threwaylet to th entent he might eyther be openly sene of them that feared him or els might the easier bring himselfe in contempt of them that feared hym not For all be it he alway abounded in tirannous vices yet notwithstanding this was but a counterfetting of vices and no naturall disposition and he did theese thinges of a pollicye then for that he had forgotten his royall and princely behauiour because he knew by profe how hatefull the name of a Tyran is yea thoughe they haue no â—…chesse nor power at all And therfore he labored to take a way the enuy of thinges past by bringing himself in contempt for his present demeanor hauing not so muche regarde what was for his honor as what was for the sauegard of his life Yet notwithstanding among al these couÌ„terfet dissimulations and policies he was thrise accused to haue sought meanes to make himself kyng again and nothing auailed so muche to his acquitall as that all men had him in disdaine In the time that these thinges were a doing the Carthaginenses beinge afraid at the prosperous successe of great Alexanders affaires for doubt least hauing conquered the kingdome of the Persians he wold also adioyne Affricke ther vnto to fâ—…le how he was mineded Hamilâ—…ar surnamed Rhodanus a man farre passynge all others in wit and eloquence For it encreased their fâ—…ar â–ª because they saw their mother city Tyrus the authoure of their beginning was taken and the city alexandria an enemy to the estate of Carthage builded in the boundâ—…s of Affricke and Egipt and also the fortunate felicity of the king himselfe of whose couetousnesse and good fortune they thought there woulde neuer be none â—…nd Hamilcor therefore attaining to the speche of Alexander by the helpe of Parmenio fained him selfe to be driuen oute of his country and that he was fled to the king for succour offâ—…ryng him self to serue him as a souldiour in his warres by the whiche pollicy hauinge perfect intelligence of the kingâ—…s entent and purpose he aduertised his countrye men therof in tables of woode couered ouer with plaine waxe But the Carthaginenses after the death of the king when he retourned into his country not only rewarded him not but also most cruelly put him to death as though he had gone about to chalenge the Citye to the king The. xxii Booke AGathocles the Tiranne of Sicill whiche succeaded in the estate of Dennis laste before him clymbed from a lowe and base degre to the maiestye of the kingdome For he was a potters sonne of Sicill and there was no more honesty in his childhode then there was honour in the stocke of his auncestry For being of fauor and personage exceding beautiful he liued a great while in sufferance of most filthy buggeâ—…y when he was ones paste boyes estate he tourned his lecherous lust from men vnto women After this beinge disfamed with bothe kyndes he chaunged that trade of liuing and fel to robberye In processe of time when he came to Syracuse and was taken into the city as amonge others inhabiters he was a great while without credit or estimation Because he semed not to haue any good to loose nor any honesty to distaine In fine obtaining the roume of a rascall souldiour loke how dishonest he was in his liuing before euen as seditious was he in his doinges
then and moste readye and forwarde to doo all kinde of mischiefe For he was counted strong of hand and in talking to the people verye eloquent Therfore within shorte space he was made captaine of a hundred men and anone after marshall of the hoste In the firste battell whiche was against the AetneaÌ„s he gaue the Syracusanes great profe of his towardnesse In the nexte followinge agaynste the Campaines he made all men concâ—…iue so good opinion of him that he was substituted in the roume of the graunde captaine Damasco deceased whose wife with whome he had committed aduoutry in the life of her husband afteâ—… his decease he toke in mariage And beinge not content that of a begger he was sodainly made riche he exercysed rouing on the sea againste his owne country But it was his chaunce to be saued because when his mates wer taken and putte to the torture they confessed nothynge of him Twise he went abouâ—… to vsurpe the Empire of Syâ—…acuse and twise he was banished for hys laboure The Murgantines amonge whome he liued in the time of his exile for hatred they bare to the Syracusanes created him first their Pretor and afterwarde their captayne In that warre he bothe tooke the city of the Leontines and besieged the city of Syracuse To the râ—…ue wherof Hamilcar captaine of the Carthaginenses beinge requested to come laying a side all emnity and hatred sent thither a crew of souldioures And so at one time and instant the City Syracuse was defended louingly and frendly by the enemy and â—…ye assailed by her owne Citizen But Agathocles when he sawe that the towne was more manfullye defended then assaulted he sent a pursiuant to Hamilcar desiringe hym to doo so much for him as to take vp the mater betwene him and the Syracusanes and to bee as an indifferente iudge for the determination of some peace betwixt them promisyng to doo the best that laye in him to recompence hys gentlenesse Where vppon Hamilcar beinge fulfilled with hoope and partly fearinge his power entred a league of frendshippe with him vppon condition that looke howe much he furthered Agathocles in strength agaynste the Syracusanes so muche shoulde Agathocles recompence hym withal againe to the furtheraunce of his aduauncement at home in his owne natiue country By meanes of this composition Agathocles was not only reconciled and brought to attonement with the Syracusanes but also hee was made Pretor of the Citye Then the holy fyre and the tapers were brought forthe whervpon agathocles laying his hand sware before Hamilcar to become true subiectes to the Carthaginenses Herevpon receiuing of him fiue thousand afres he put to death al the noble men that were of greatest power and authority and so as it were to th entent to refourme the state of the common welth he commaunded the people to assemble before him in the Theatre gathering the Senatours into the counsell house as thoughe he mineded to make some ordinaunce or decree before When he had brought his matters to this poynt he sent his souldiers to besiege the people and he him selfe slue the senators the whyche slaughter being finished he put to deathe also all suche of the commons as were the welthiest and forwardest persons These thinges beinge thus compassed he mustered souldiours and raised an army with the whyche beynge strengthened he sodainly inuaded the next cities lokyng for no hostility Furthermore by the sufferance of Hamilcar he wrongfully entreated and shamefully handled the confederates of the Carthaginenses For the whiche cause they made complainte to the Senate Carthage not so muche of agathocles as of hamilcar accusinge the one as a Lordly Tirant and the other as a traytoure by whome they were sold by composition and bargain betwene theÌ„ two to the vttermost enemy of their estate to whome at the beginning in coÌ„firmation of the said composition and agrement was deliuered Syracuse the city that had euer bene most enemy to the Afres and an enuier of the Carthaginenses alwayes contending with them for the Empire of Sicil and now moreouer were betrayed to y e same person the cities of their confederates vnder a counterâ—…aite pretence of peace Wherfore they gaue them warning that if they loked not to these matters in time with in a while they would light vpon their owne heades and soone after they shoulde feele what damage they shoulde bring as wel vpon their owne country of Affricke as vp 〈◊〉 the pore Iland of Sicil. By meanes of these coÌ„plaints the Senate was sore moued to displesure against Hamilcar But forasmuch as he was in Office they gaue theyr iudgement secretely vpon him commaundinge their verdits before they shuld be red to be cast into a pot together and there â—…o be sealed vppe vntill the other Hamilcar the sonne of Gysgo wer returned out of Sicil. But the death of Hamilcar preuented the suttle deuises and vnknowen verdites of the Carthaginenses and he was deliuered by the benefite of death whome his owne countrymen had wrongfully condempned without hearing of his answer The which thing gaue Agathocles occasion to moue war against the Carthaginenses The first encounter that he had was against Hamilcar the sonne of Gisgo Of whoÌ„e being vanquished he retired to Syracuse to raise a great power and to renue the battel again But he had like for tune in the second encounter as he had in the first Therfore when the Carthaginâ—…nses hauing the vpper hande had besieged Syracuse and that Agathocles perceiued he was neither of power to encounter them nor sufficiently furnished to endure out the â—…iege and â—…hat moreouer hys owne confederates being offended with his crueltye had forsaken him he determined to transfer the warres into Affricke I assure you it was a wonderful audacitye that he should enterprise to make warre agaynste the Citye of them whome he was not able to match in the soile of his owne city and that being not able to defend his owne he should geue the aduenture vppon other mennes and that being vanquished he should proudly vaunt him selfe ouer the conqueroures The keping secrete of this enterprise was as wonderfull as was the deuise therof for the people could learne nothinge at his hande but that he hadde found away to get the victorye Willing them to doo no more but take good harts to them to abide the siege whiche shoulde not be long or elsse if there were any that had â—…ot the harte to abide the aduenture of the present estate he gaue him fre liberty to go his way whether he would Whervpon when he had discharged a thousand and syâ—… hundred he furnished the reast that remained with vietuall artillerye and wages accordinge as the estate of the siege required He tooke with him no more but fifty Talents toward his charges to spend at that time thinking it better to get the reast if neade shoulde require more of his ennemies then of his subiects Then he set at