Cappadocia Iberia Syria Egypt Bactria Scythia India all Asia and welnigh all the worlde now brought by Paulus Aemilius to be a prouince of the Romanes who in one day sold as Ruffinus wote 82. cities Thus is the kingdom and monarchie of Alexander king ouer kings troden downe by Aemilius a magistrate of a citie thus is Macedonia whose empire reached into the furthest part of the world made a prouince vnto Rome which in the time of Alexander was so famous neither the Assyrians by Ninus neither the Chaldeans by Nabuchodonosor neither the Medes by Darius Medus neither the Persians by Cyrus were of such fame as Macedonia was by Alexander It is a true saying Per me reges regnant c. It was decreed aboue before God how long the Caldeans should raigne before the Assyrians the Assyriās before the Medes the Medes before the Persians the Persians before the Macedonians in like sort how long the Romans shal cōtinue This was by Daniel diuinely reueiled by the 4. great beasts that came vp frō the sea one diuers to another the first a lion which had egles wings the 2. was like a beare the 3. like a leopard the 4. was terrible and it deuoured the rest And Daniel in Susa in another dreame or rather a vision saw a battel betwene a ramme and a goat which is Persia and Greece I referre you to the 7. and 8. of Daniel for the interpretation of the same where the text is most plainly by the prophet Daniel set downe where Daniel briefly deciphered the whole world in a short historie and layde downe the ground of all the histories of the worlde I meane after Daniels time who liued and prophecied in Cyrus time after whom the Persians the Grecians and the Romanes flourished Now to returne to Aemilius whose family saith Plutarch doth proceed from Numa Pompilius the 2. king of Rome and whose diuers victories ouer the Ligurians Illyrians and other nations of Affricke others might haue chalenged triumph in Rome without contention which was resisted by Seruius Galba for that he was so long as foure yeeres in warres against Perseus Galba and diuers others thought it dishonourable to the Romanes to cōsume so long a time with king Perseus sith the Romanes made king Antiochus to forsake Asia driuen thence beyond mount Taurus within the borders of Syria before that they had ouercome king Philippe in Thessalie and deliuered Greece from the bondage of the Macedonians and had conquered Hannibal the onely enemie of Rome and souldiour of the world vnto whom no king or captaine coulde be compared and therefore not to haue a triumph But Marcus Seruilius who had bene a Consul and had fought 23. combats of life and death in his owne person and had slaine as many as chalenged him man for man hee furthered the triumph which was by the whole consent of the Senate the people of Rome graunted vnto Aemilius but I omit to speake of his triumph vntil I set downe the triumphes of the kings consuls and Emperours of Rome because he is a Romane Here I write of Macedonia of their kings and of their triumphes who ended their gouernment in Perseus time in the 153. Olympiad after the building of Rome 586. yeres and in the beginning of the 26. Iubilee At what time raigned in Syria Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king to whom Pompilius was sent from the Senate to commaunde Antiochus to depart Egypt and that to answere the Romanes before he should go out of a litle circle which Pōpilius made with his white sticke which he had in his hand either yea or no. This time Prusias king of Bythinia cōmitted his sonne Nicomedes as Liuie saith to the Romanes within short space after that king Perseus was conquered by Paulus Aemilius vpon the 4. of September and that the Romanes had brought Macedonia vnder the Empire of Rome One Andrisius a meane man claimed by succession to be king after Perseus affirming himselfe to be Perseus sonne and changing his name from Andrisius to be Philippe gathered a great hoste vsurped the kingdome vntill Lu. Tremelius came from Rome and gaue him battell in the which Andrisius was quite ouerthrowen And so Macedonia after the gouernment of 36. kings as Ruffinus saith but as Functius and Trogus Pompeius say 38. kings for from Cranaus vnto Alexander the great were 23. kings from Alexander to Perseus 15. The names of those 23. kings before Alexander I wrote them before Alexanders raigne the other 15. are these following 1 Aridaeus raigned 7. yeres 2 Cassander 18. 3 Antipater and Alex. 4. 4 Demetrius 6. 5 Pyrrhus 7. moneths 6 Lysmachus 5. 7 Ptolomeus Ceraunus 1. 8 Meleager 2. moneths 9 Antipater 1. 10 Sosthenes 2. 11 Antigonus Gonatus 36. 12 Demetrius 10. 13 Antigonus Dosen 15. 14 Philip. 2. 15 Perseus the last king 10. yeeres OF THE FIRST WARRES of the kings of Asia and of Syria with the Romanes of their succession in the warres and of the continuance of their kingdomes after Alexanders death AFter the death of Alexander the great the world being left without a king his princes nobles and olde souldiers who did more aduaunce the renowme and fame of the Romanes then the glorie of Macedonia or Asia after much blood shedding and great crueltie euery man fought for a kingdome it came to passe as Daniel the Prophet said that all the kingdomes of Alexander fell betwene 4. princes and were deuided into foure kingdomes which was Egypt appointed to Ptolomey the sonne of Lagi Asia to Antigonus Persia and the East part to Seleucus Nicanor and Macedonia vnto Antipater as you heard in the historie of the kings of Macedonia Now I haue in hand to speake of Seleucus the great king after Alexander for after Antigonus was slaine and his sonne Demetrius dead being taken captiue by Seleucus he entred into Asia and cōquered from mount Taurus into Ionia which before Antigonus had vnder his gouernment and had subdued all the regions of the greater Asia and made himselfe mightie and great which was in the 14. yeere after Alexanders death The Iewes doe accompt the gouernment of the Grecians in Syria from the first yeere of Seleucus Nicanors raigne which in the Machabees is obserued This king grew so great that hauing subdued all Antigonus kingdomes and hauing giuen Lysimachus the ouerthrow being of the age of 77. yeeres he thought no lesse in his minde after such great victories but to become another Alexander and to bring all the worlde vnder his gouernment for hee ouercame the Bactrians and passed to the Indians hauing alreadie vnder his Scepter all Asia Persia Syria Babylon with diuers others Of this Seleucus Iustine writeth a strange historie how his mother Laodice being maried to Antiochus seemed in a dreame to haue layen with Apollo and to bee by him with childe and of a ring which Laodice dreamed to haue of Apollo in the
after a while hee returned and got his kingdome and forced Cacus to flie into Italie beeyng nowe agayne in his kingdome placed hee founde the vse of yrons and taught first the Spaniardes to make diuers kindes of weapons I finde in Manethon that Palatinus raigned eighteene yeeres in the first time before he was forced by Cacus to flie into Italie and after hee wanne his kingdome agayne after that Cacus had raigned sixe and thirtie yeeres in Spayne hee gouerned Spayne sixe yeeres This Cacus was supposed of the auncient Spaniardes to bee the sonne of Vulcan for that hee taught to make weapons for to fight in the fielde and founde the vse of yron This Cacus was borne in Celtiberia a part of Spayne two and fourtie yeeres before Hercules was borne as Manethon affirmeth hee gouerned Spayne 222. yeeres after the going of Israel out of Egypt At what time raigned in Egypt Romascs the second Larthes 22 Nowe reigned Dedalus of whom the Poets fayned that he with his sonne Icarus fledde with winges for Greece into Creete for the passing celeritie of his sayle This time Abimelech gouerned Israel who slue his seuentie brethren and was slaine himselfe after in the thirde yeere of his reigne by a woman at Thebes Aegeus King Pandeons sonne and father to Theseus reigned in Athens this time 23 Erithrus the 23. king of Spaine succeeded Palatuus and Cacies hee reigned king in Spayne 66. yeeres During which time Iair iudged Israel and after Iair Ieptha Mytreus the 27. king of the Assyrians raigned in Niniue In the eleuenth yeere of this Erithrus reigne came Euander out of Arcadia into Italie to whome Faunus the gouernour and ruler of this scattered people that dwelt about Rome called Aborigines which yet had certaine dwellinges gaue a fielde and a little hill afterwarde called Mons Auentinus where Hercules slue Cacus at what time Hercules came from Spayne into Italie before Aeneas comming 55. yeeres Theseus gouerned Athens after hee had subdued the monster Minotaurus and conquered Creete This Erithrus reigned in Spayne vntill the verie yeere that Troy was by the Greekes destroyed 24 After him succeeded Gargorus Mellicola the 24. and last king of Spayne who reigned 75. yeeres vntill the first yeere of Aeneas Syluius the fourth king of the Latins at what time the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians beganne to set vp their kingdomes for as the Troianes the Peloponesians and the Spaniardes ended their kingdomes so they at that instant beganne to flourish in their newe kingdomes for the Peloponesians after they had had sixe and twentie kings they were gouerned by Priestes called Carin The Troianes also were ouerthrowen after sixe kinges reigne and their Countrey destroyed with sworde and fire so that the remnaunt were scattered to seeke newe kingdomes and other countreyes some to Greece some to Italie and some to other places and the Spaniardes euen so after 24. Kings their kingdome was turned into prouinces and other particular gouernements Thus Spaine after it reigned vnder kings for the space of 988. yeeres is nowe become into prouinces gouerned by seuerall magistrates during which time of 988. yeres which their kings raigned yet were they not herd of in any part of the East countreys their fame grewe no further then to the Confines of Italie and to the furthest precinct of Spaine Ephorus an ancient writer affirmeth that all Spaine was taken to be but a citie named Iberia of all the East countries and I can easily beleeue it for the Romanes during the time of their seuen kings were no where spokē of but within Italie not so much as the Grecians their next neighbours made any mencion of them neither Thucidides nor Herodot late writers neuer thought of them in all their histories specially Herodot who wrote generally of all Asia In like maner the Grecians were not knowen vnto the Persians before Xerxes time for so Strabo affirmeth saying nec Graeci Persas nec Persae Graecos nouerunt nisi perparum quantum fama percepissent What fragments Manethon and others found of the antiquitie of Spaine and of their first gouernement of their kings I haue briefly noted but the time onely omitting other things of those dayes as meere fables and trifles not worth the writing CHAP. III. From the dissolution and change of the kingdome of Hispaine into Prouinces and Dominions vntill they were subdued by the Carthagineans and Africans vnder whom they were subiects vntill Scipio Africanus time at what time both Africa Carthage and Hispaine were made tributaries vnto the Romanes NOwe after the kings of Spaine had finished their kingdomes and the countrey was changed into particular prouinces and seuerall dominions which so continued vntill Spaine was subdued by the Carthagineans vnder whom they liued vntill Afrike and Carthage were conquered by the Romanes While Spaine was quietly gouerned by their kings their wisemen called Turdetani wrote their chronicles their lawes and the antiquities of their Countrey in ancient Poemes of 600. yeeres olde as they write These Turdetani were so honoured of the olde Spaniardes as Magi were of the Chaldeans Gymnosophistae Of the Indians the Druydes of the olde Gaules after called French men and as the Priestes of Isis and Serapis were esteemed in Egypt for at that time they were led by oracles as the other countreys were The Spaniardes vsed to consult with the oracles of Mnestheus not farre from the high towre of Capio which was for that purpose builded as the towre of Pharaoh was in Egypt to giue light to the Mariners vpon the Sea in winters darke nights Many good things were in Spaine in the time of their first kings which were not found afterwards vntil the Romans came for when the Romanes became lordes of Afrike and of Spaine which was the first conquest that euer the Romanes had out of Italie and the onely hardest and most dangerous victorie almost to the ruine and confusion of the Romanes as at the battell of Trebeia of Cannes of Thrasimene and of other bloodie battels seene and proued when I say they subdued Spaine they founde the countrey so fertile and so rich that both land and water yeelded plentie of all things for the Romanes found mines within twentie furlongs of new Carthage and the mines were of circuite round about foure hundred furlongs where the Romanes kept foure centurions to worke and to digge for siluer they wrought so that it was worth to the Romanes day by day fiue and twentie thousand Drachmes The Romanes were so flesht with the conquest of Africa and Spaine that they left no hill vndigged no riuer vnsounded no place vnsought insomuch that Pluto had much to doe to escape the auarice of the Romanes So Hanibal seemed to iudge of them when hee answered Antiochus the great when he shewed Hanibal the abundance of his wealth and his infinite treasures this sayeth Hanibal will please the Romanes but not suffice the Romanes But I
from the very building of Rome vntill the ouerthrowe of their Empire about 1200. yeeres there was no stirring in these countreys that I named last for the name of Germanie where now the Empire lieth was not heard of in Rome before Augustus time to any purpose for during the time of their Consuls which was the second and the thirde age of Rome called Adolescentia iuuentus Romana they had conquered subdued all kingdomes and countreys and had made them Prouinces vnder the Romanes Now Spaine being brought vnder by the Vandoles vnder whom Spaine was gouerned 95. yeeres and after by the Gothes who possessed that part of Hispaine which Gunthericus king of the Vandales had first subdued being remoued thence further to Affrike the Gothes inhabited that countrey of Spaine which the Vandols left and were lords of Hispaine for two hundreth and odde yeres vntill the cōming of the Saracens who againe vanquished the Gothes and kept Hispaine vnder them after they had ouerthrowen the Gothes 800. yeeres And within short space Ricardus king of Vestgothes called a Sinode of 62. bishops into Tolleto the chiefe citie of Spaine where he caused the heresie of Arrius to be condemned Then in Hispaine after the Romans was Luyba chosen who raigned three yeres king of Spaine after whom within 3. yeres his brother Leogildus succeeded and subdued certaine cities of Spaine that rebelled after Luyba his death After him this Ricardus who beganne to set his seate more firmely in Spaine and to cal a Synode of bishops and to plant religion he brought all Spaine into a Monarchie vnder him but that Monarchie continued not long for the Saracens inuaded Spaine and brought them vnder their gouernment and had driuen those Christians that liued vnder the Gothes into Astura where they made a king to themselues named Pelagius not vsing the title of the Gothes but the title of Astura The multitude of the Saracens was such that they inuaded all partes of Spaine and possessed the best places in Spaine and dwelt there successiuely during the time of fifteene kings of the Saracens which gouerned Hispaine but the fifteene kings continued but 20. yeeres but this happened by the meanes of warres but after they continued lordes of Hispaine for 800. yeeres as you heard before This is the fift subiection that Spaine was brought into 1 The first time they were subdued by the Carthagineans 2 The second time by the Romanes 3 The thirde time by the Vandoles 4 The fourth time by the Gothes 5 And now the fift time by the Saracens These Saracens placed themselues in the best places of Spaine in the time that Rodericus the last king of the Vestgothes raigned at what time raigned in France Theodoricus sirnamed Cala and Leo the thirde of that name sirnamed Isaurus was Emperour of Greece and had his Court at Constantinople The Saracens were gouerned at their first arriuall in Spaine vnder one named Muza The Christian princes being sore afrighted with many sudden inuasions of such a multitude of infidels in diuers places of Christendome and specially in Spaine which they wholie possest they leauied their armies and gathered their forces and gaue them diuers ouerthrowes This time came out of Spaine into Fraunce 400000. Saracens with their wiues and children being enticed thither by the duke of Vastonia but the slaughter of them was such that their king also Abdimarus was slaine among them by Carolus Martellus anoble valiant prince of Fraunce and the remnant that were vnkilled of the Saracens fled and were by Humildus and Vaifarus ledde into Aquitania spoyled with sworde and fire all that Countrey of Fraunce but still were ouerthrowen by Martellus Againe the thirde time the Saracens inuaded Fraunce and tooke by treason Auenio but Martellus pursued them and assaulted the towne and subdued it at what time many of the Saracens were slaine and their king Athinus escaped by flight to Narbon yet Amoreus another king of the Saracens was slaine at that time by Carolus at Illiberis who persecuted them from place to place so that he ouerthrew and slewe them like sheepe and burned their townes How be it the Saracens still so encreased that the most part of Europe was in great danger of them After that Carolus Martellus had played his part with the Saracens Carolus sirnamed the Great beganne to warre vpon them tooke Augusta Pampile and many other townes and strong holdes from the possessions of the Saracens for at this time raigned king ouer the Saracens in Spaine Aygolandus with whome Charles the great had many sharpe battels for the Saracens had wasted and spoyled Sardinia and Corsica against whome Lewes sirnamed the Godly sonne to Charles the great leauied an armie and passed to Spaine besieged Dercosa but in vaine the furie and strength of the Saracens was then such that Charles the great being both Emperour and king was constrained to conclude peace for a time with the Saracens at which time Abumalach raigned king in Spaine ouer the Saracens With this king the league was made during which league Charles died All this time that Carolus Martellus and Charles the great were in warres with the Saracens after that Pelagius had raigned twentie yeeres king of Astura or of Legio for so hee willed himselfe and his posteritie to bee called quite renouncing the title of the Gothes who had raigned kings in Spaine before the comming of the Saracens after him succeeded Phasilla his sonne the seconde king of Astura this was torne in pieces of a beare as he was a hunting of wilde beasts after he had raigned two yeeres Alphonsus sirnamed Catholike succeeded in Astura the third king and raigned 19. yeeres After Alphonsus succeeded his sonne Phroilla the 4. king of Astura and raigned twelue yeeres at what time he was slaine by his brother Aurelius who raigned sixe yeeres after his brother by vsurpation and he made his heire and resigned the kingdome to Veramundus which was his brothers sonne whome hee slew for that Veramundus should not bewray the murther of his father But Veramundus mist the kingdome for his conspiracie and wicked silence Sillo raigned king who had married Aurelius sister named Egmund vntill Maruegatus a bastarde sonne of Alphōsus the Catholike by the ayd of the Mauritanes got the kingdome to whom he payed for tribute certaine nomber of Virgins yeerely during the life of Maruegatus but he died within three yeeres and that custome was disanulled Then Veramundus the sonne of Bilmarus which was sonne to Alphonsus the Catholike succeeded and raigned two yeeres and then resigned the kingdome to Alphonsus the sonne of Phroilla and became a religious man This Alphonsus was sirnamed the Chaste and raigned 36. yeres he ouerthrew and subdued the Saracens that possessed Lusitania and tooke their chiefe citie then called Olisiponis now called Lysborne Reade Aemil. lib. 2. This Alphonsus
kept the Saracens in some awe and gaue diuers ouerthrowes vnto them during his time After whom succeeded Raimiris the first of that name and 9. king of Astura and Legio he raigned sixe yeres In his time Abderana king of the Saracens sailed with a nomber of ships from Affrica and inuaded many places in Italie and vsed great crueltie of whose tyrannie and spoiles euery where you may reade in the Historie of the Saracens I name none here but such as troubled Spaine whose historie I haue in hande during the time that they raigned in Spaine This time Theophilus helde the Empire at Constantinople and Lewes sirnamed the Godly the sonne of Charles the great was king of France and Emperour of Rome as his father was Now succeeded in Spaine Ordonius the first of that name who raigned king after Amiris 10. yeres During which time the Normanes and the Danes rushed into France and annoyed the countrey much burnt Antwerpe and afflicted the Friseans most miserablie All this while the cruel Saracens were no where quiet especially in Italy where they spoiled and killed all that they came vnto with sword and fire euen vnto the very gates of Rome burning all the suburbes of the citie About this time Anno 838. the Danes inuaded England but they were to their great losse ouerthrowen and vanquished by Egbertus at which time died Lewes king of Fraunce sirnamed the Godly After this Ordonius succceded Alphonsus the thirde of that name sirnamed the Great he raigned as a wicked cruel king who to auoyde suspition of his tyrannie fained a conspiracie to bee done of his owne brethren against him and therefore caused that all his three brethrens eyes should be plukt out thinking thereby with lesse danger to gouerne his kingdome Then succeeded Garsia who raigned 3. yeres after whom Ordonius the second of that name folowed king of Astura and Legio This king also vsed crueltie and caused 4. of the chiefe noblemen in the Prouince of Castile to be imprisoned and in prison to be slaine for which cruel fact the Prouince of Castile reuolted from Ordonius and they elected foure Iudges to gouerne the Prouince of Castile since which time which was 900. yeeres after Christ kings beganne a kingdome in Castile for now was Spaine gouerned as England was by 7. kings the gouernment whereof was called Heptarchia and therefore I wil passe ouer the time and infinite quarels and toiles which continued for a long rime in Spaine First betweene the Vandols and the Spaniards after betweene the Gothes and the Spaniards and then last betweene the Saracens and the Gothes CHAP. V. From the time that the Saracens possessed Hispaine vntill the time of Ferdinandus the great and Alphonsus king of Arragon which were the onely first two kings that possessed all Hispaine from the first Monarchie of their kings which was 2400. and odde yeeres so base a Countrey was Hispaine and conquered so many times vntill Ferdinandus time AT what time in diuers Prouinces of Hispaine dwelt seuerall kings which then gouerned and possessed Hispaine whose names are these that follow The first king after the inuasion of the Saracens which was driuen out of the kingdome was Pelagius who raigned twentie yeeres in Astura Phafilla Pelagius sonne raigned two yeres and was slaine by a beare in hunting Alphonsus sirnamed Catholike the first of that name raigned 19. yeeres His sonne Phroilla succeeded his father in Astura and Legio and raigned twelue yeeres and after was by his brother Aurelius slaine Veramundus Phroillas sōne succeeded but was forced to flie by Sillo which gouerned the kingdome after Phroilla 6. yeeres Mauregatus a base sonne of Alphonsus the Catholike tooke the kingdome of Austria by the meanes of the Mauritanes and raigned three yeeres Veramundus the sonne of Bilmarus which was sonne to Alphonsus raigned two yeeres Alphonsus the seconde sirnamed the Chaste raigned thirtie and six yeres This king raigning the Saracens spoiled and wasted all Sardinia and Corsica After him succeeded Raimirus the first of that name and raigned sixe yeeres in whose time Abderana king of the Saracens with an huge armie vsed great crueltie and tyrannie in many places After him Ordonius the first which raigned also tenne yeeres after whom Alphonsus the thirde sirnamed the great which raigned 46. yeeres Then succeeded Carsia the first of that name and raigned three yeres After whom succeeded Ordonius the second who vsed tyrannie in Castile the onely cause of their reuolting and of the change of their gouernment in chusing first to them foure Iudges and after erected kings At what time the kingdome of Castile beganne Reade Ritius more of this historie Then succeeded Ordonius Phroilla the seconde which raigned two yeres and after him Alphonsus the fourth which gouerned in Astura and Legio fiue yeeres Raimirus the second of that name raigned nineteene yeres this caused his brother Alphonsus eyes to be pluckt out and after to bee in close prison for that Alphonsus denied to become a Christian. In this Raimirus time the Hungarians ouercame Lodowicke king of Germanie and both Luitboldus duke of Bauaria and Burgardus duke of Thuringia were slaine at that time of the Hungarians Ordonius the thirde of that name raigned fiue yeeres and Sanctius the first of that name raigned 11. yeeres king of Astura Raimirus the thirde being a childe obtained the kingdom and raigned 25. yeeres by whome Abdera then king of the Saracens in Spaine was vanquished but Luiterus saith that one Ramirus king of Galatia vanquished the Saracens and their king whome he named Abdamara This time Enechus Countie of Bigora gaue a great ouerthrow to the Saracens and made the Saracens to forsake their cities and to flie from many partes of Spaine This Enechus founded then the kingdome of Nauarra as Ritig affirmeth Then succeeded in Spaine Veramundus the third who raigned 17. yeere This king after he had once or twise vanquished the Saracens yet they so preuailed that he was vāquished and ouerthrowen his citie of Legio assaulted and taken Lusitania possessed againe and the most places of Spaine wonne againe which the Saracens lost before This time the kingdom of Polonia beganne Alphonsus the 5. reigned 37. yeeres during which time the Saracens entred into Italie tooke Capua assaulted Barū destroyed many places and spoiled cities In this Alphonsus time the kingdome of Hungarie beganne in whose time reigned in Fraunce Hugo Capetus the first king of the Gaules Veramūdus the 3. of that namereigned after Alphōsus 6. yeres and Ferdinandus gouerned at Astura and Castile 40. yeeres Sanctius the 2. king of Castile and Alphonsus the 6. king of Astura the one reigned 13. yeres the other seuen yeeres but Sanctius being not contented with the kingdome of Castile draue Alphōsus out of his kingdome and possessed both Legio and Astura who fledde to Toletum to the king of
M. Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher and of his sonne Cōmodus of the difference in their gouernment of the loue which the father had in Rome and of the hatred and contempt which the sonne had of the murthers and slaughter of diuers Emperours from M. Antoninus the 17. Emperor vntill the time of Dioclesian the 38. emperor 562. Of the rest of the Emperours of Rome after Dioclesians time at what time their Empire at Rome beganne to decay for that the dignitie of the olde Emperours were diminished by reason that Constantinople whom Constantine the great had so enriched and beautifiedwith their auncient monuments of Rome that olde Rome was hereby defaced and newe Rome thereby florished so that the Empire was diuided betweene two Emperours the one to be at Constantinople the other at Rome 576. Liuius Trogus Pomp. Florus Valerius Max. Eutropius Suetonius Egnatius Tacitus Voriscus Cassiodorus Blondus Iosephus Plinius Appianus Sabellicus Orosius Beroaldus Polybius Dionys. Halicar Herodianus Fūctius with others THE TRYALL OF MARTYRS OF the try all of the Martyrs of God in the primitiue Church from the first persecution vnder Tiberius the third Emperour in the which Stephen was stoned Iames beheaded Philip hanged with infinite more tormented and persecuted vntill the third persecution which began vnder Domitian the twelfth Emperour of Rome Fol. 587. From the third persecution vnder Domitian the 12. Emperour vnto the sixt persecution vnder Sept. Seuerus the 22. Emperour of the constancie of faithfull Martyrs euery where in the Church of God of their godly liues their deaths and their glorious victorie ouer Satan 593. Of the tyranny of time frō the sixt persecution vnder Seuerus vntil the ninth persecution vnder Dioclesian the Emperour of the zeale and constancie of the godly in their martyrdome and of the tyranny and wickednesse of the kings of Persia and of the Emperours of Rome at that time in the persecution of the Church 600. From Dioclesian vnder whom the vehementest persecution of any reigned vntill the reigne of Alexander Seuerus by whose good meanes and great traueile persecution somewhat sla◅kt at what time diuers heresies began fresh in many places of Asia and Europe 608. Eusebius Euagrius Ireneus and Functius table OF SPAINE OF the antiquitie of Spaine and of the originall of their kings and of their continuance from Tubal vntill Hispanus during which time they were called by diuerse seuerall names as Caetubales Hiberi Celtiberi and Hispani Fol. 617. From the time of Hispanus by whom they were called Hispaniards vntil the monarchie and the names of kings ended after what time Spaine was diuided into peculiar prouinces and seuerall dominions after the reigne and gouernmēt of 24. kings frō Caetubal the first vnto Mellicola the last 626. From the dissolution and change of the kingdome of Hispaine into prouinces and dominions vntill they were subdued by the Carthagineans and Affricanes vnder whom they were subiects vntill Scipio Affricanus time at what time both Affrica Carthage and Hispaine were made tributaries vnto Rome 633. From the time that the Romanes conquered Hispaine vnto the time of the Vandales the third conquest of Hispaine and from the Vandales vnto the Gothes victorie ouer Hispaine the fourth conquest from the Gothes vnto the Saracens the fift conquest of Hispaine 641. From the time that the Saracens possessed Hispaine vntill the time of Ferdinandus the great and Alphonsus king of Aragon which were the onely first two kings that possessed all Hispaine from the first monarchie of their kings which was 2400. and odde yeeres so base a countrie was Spaine and conquered so many times vntill Ferdinandus time 647. For the histories of old Hispaine fewe haue written of it as Annius Manethon but since they were conquered by the Romanes all Romane writers speake of them by the reason of the Affricane warres as Liui. Trogus Pomp. Lu. Florus Blondus Beroaldus Functius and many more of late But of olde Hispaine Io. Annius Manethon Diodorus Siculus Ritius Iornandus Boufinus OF GALLOGRAECIA OF the beginning and original of the natiō which was called Galgreekes or Gallograecians of their inuasions spoile and slaughter in many countries in Asia and of their ouerthrowe by Cn. Manlius who with great pompe triumphed ouer them at Rome 655. From Francus the 16. king of Fraunce then called Sicambri vntill the time of Farabertus the 12. in number after Francus of the warres inuasions and victories of the enlargement of their kingdome from one king to another vntill Farabertus gouernment during which time they were called Franci after the name of Francus 669. Of the continuall warres which the Frenchmen had still in seeking for the quiet possession and the whole gouernment of all Fraunce from the time of Farabertus vntill the time of Pharamundus during which time they were called Franci for as they were before called Sicambri from Marcomirus vnto Francus foure hundred and odde yeeres so nowe from Francus vnto Pharamundus they were called Franci foure hundred and odde yeeres that wellnigh nine hundred yeeres they were before they coulde possesse the kingdome of Fraunce 675. From Faramundus the first king that had all Fraunce in his hand and from whom al Historians and Chronographers beginne the historie of Fraunce who beganne his reigne in Fraunce in the yeere of our Lorde and Sauiour 420. of the lawes gouernment and warres from that time vnto Clodouaeus the first Christian king of Fraunce and so vnto Clodouaeus the second of that name and the 12. king after Pharamundus 684. From Clodouaeus the second who began his reigne 645. vntill the reigne and gouernment of Charles the great the patrone and onely mirror of France by whom chiefely the Frenchmen florished in famous renowme and in whō all the lawes relikes and monuments are established 697. From Charles the great the onely king of Fraunce in fame of whome all the states of Fraunce holde their lawes monuments and other ceremonies belonging to their inaugurations crowning and their seuerall pompe of his warres and victories against the Saracens of his diuers conquests euery where and of the taking of the Empire into Germany 703. Tritemius Pau. Aemilius Arnol. Ferronus Io. Tilius Ritius Blondus Beroaldus Plutarch Functius T. Liuius Diodor. Siculus The briese for Britaine I gathered out of these Authors Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Diodorus Siculus Strabo Gildas Giraldus Guidonius Ponticus Verrunnius Iu. Caesar. OF THE CREATION OF the world and of the continuance of the first age therein from Adam vnto Noah IN the beginning of all beginnings when GOD had made the vniuersal frame of the whole world of nothing the earth being without forme or shape couered with water and the water couered with darkenesse The first creature that was made was light of some learned men supposed to bee the creation of Angels for the Sunne the Moone and the Starres were created the fourth day the rest of the sixe daies workes is set
Therefore Pompei the great being a heathen man and driuen to flight in the the battell at Pharsalia by Iulius Caesar desirous to know of Cratippus the Philosopher the euents of the warres betweene Iulius Caesar and himselfe demaunded of him an sit prouidentia whether the decree and purpose of God is vnchangeable Cratippus answered him though a heathen Philosopher yet like a true Christian saying Fatales esse imperiorum periodos the prouidence of God is most sure and certeine for then the Romane Monarchie beganne by Iulius Caesar the first Emperour of Rome which Pompei founde true within a while after and so Chaldea first and Assyria after so the Medes so the Persians so the Grecians and last of all the Romanes came to destruction by not confessing God neither acknowledging his prouidence as you shall reade in their seuerall histories But nowe to speake of the rest of the kings of Assyria for that they were at one time and gouerned together Belus the sōne of Nimrod after he had as you haue heard laid the fundations of Babylon by his father Nimrod before appointed a peaceable prince quiet gentle curteous vnto his subiects vntil about the latter end of his reigne hee became to bee ambitious most cruelly giuen to enlarge the Empire of Babylon and as Berosus saith to bring all Nations vnder the Chaldeans he went about first to destroy a mightie great king in those dayes which much hindred Belus purposes named Sabatius king of Saga This Sabatius perceiuing that Belus laid secret snares euery way for him and seeing that he could by no meanes escape the hads of Belus he hid himself in a secret place with the Caspiis Annius saith in the 5. booke vpon Berosus that this Sabatius was Saturnus Now Belus being old hauing reigned 62. yeeres grew so great and so mightie that al the nations about honored him as a god he commanded Nynus his sonne a little before he died by al meanes possible to destroy Sabatius Saga and by the sword to compell all nations and countries and al people to be vnder the Empire of Babylon for that it was the first kingdome after the flood When he had reigned king 62. yeeres he died to whom the Assyrians after his death erected his statue or image they made so many monumēts to Belus after his death that thereby they began to commit idolatry to put vp images naming them Baal Bel after the name of Belus Nynus succeeded his father Belus the third king of the Assyrians imitating his father both by nature and by cōmandement lost no time but streight in armes where his father subdued the most part of Assyria and Asia this king went further hauing conquered euery where vntill the coasts of Libya finding the people yet not able to resist him not acquainted with wars but seeking meanes to fortifie their kingdomes being as yet weake and tender without any great force not so strong as to resist Nynus being at that time the greatest king in the worlde which ouercame Aricus king of Arabia but some say king of Ellasar and after conquered Barzanes king of Armenia as Berosus affirmeth After he returned to Media where Pharnus king of the Medes and his seuen sonnes were slaine with their armie thence proceeded forward to Bactria where Zoroastres remained as king to whom Iustine ascribeth the first obseruations of the starres naming him the first Astrologer of the worlde after the flood this gaue Nynus a great ouerthrowe in the first battell putting the enemies to flight after he had slaine 100000. of the Assyrians Nynus hauing this foile returned with greater force ioyned againe in battel ouercame the Bactrians slue their king possessed the kingdome by the pollicie of Semiramis whō afterward he maried which historie you shall finde in Diodorus Siculus at large This Nynus excelled his father augmenting the Empire of Assyria by the conquestes hee did of all Asia and of all the East kingdomes vnto the Indians hee amplified the Citie of Niniue which Assur the sonne of Sem began to builde as Iosephus and Philo Iudaeus doe affirme but Melancthon saith that Nynus two hundred yeeres after builded Niniue after Assur began it that Nynus enlarged it beautified and made it so great that it conteined foure hundred furlongs of ground which is fiftie miles after our accompt it had a thousand and fiue hundred wonderfull great towres vpon the walles it had the onely soueraignetie of the worlde and there Nynus and all the kings of Assyria kept their Courtes this was called by Nynus after his owne name Niniue it was builded in the valley of Aturia not farre from the riuer Tygris this Niniue was farre greater then Babylon as you may reade in Herodotus at large and was the chiefe seate of the kings of Assyria a thousand and two hundred yeeres some write one thousand three hundred and more Howe true Berosus writes of the pilgrimage and iourneys of Noah I referre it to the reader but hee sayeth that in the tenth yeere of Nynus the third king of Babylon after that Noah had trauailed many Countries had giuen them lawes he came to Africa from Africa after that heehad taught the people for a time he came into Italie in the nineteenth yeere of Nynus at what time Noah was eight hundred and three score yeeres olde and liued after in Italie and in Hetruria 92. yeeres for so long liued Noah which was in all 950. Many Monuments and Townes builded by Noah in diuers Countries are set written by Berosus lib. 5. and by Annius in his Comentarie Abraham was 57. when Noah died After this Nynus had reigned 52. yeeres he died and was buried in his owne Citie of Nynus where his wife Semiramis buried him so honorably with such a sumptuous Toumbe that it was the onely paterne which Artimesia the queene of Caria made for her husbande Mausolus and counted for the rarenes thereof one of the seuen woonders of the worlde Wee reade in Zenophon that Semiramis caused an Epitaph to bee set vpon one of the pillars of this graue with these wordes Mihipater Belus Iupiter Auus Saturnus Babylonicus proauus Chus Saturnus Ethiops Abauus Saturnus Aegyptus atauus Caelus Phoenix Ogiges repeating the petigree of Nynus to be the sonne of Belus the sonne of Nimrod the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham the sonne of Noah Archilogus writeth that he beganne to reigne a king ouer the Assyrians 250. yeeres after the flood In this Nynus time Abraham was borne Semiramis after her husband was dead beganne to fortifie the walles of Babylon ruled and gouerned most stoutly the Assyrians and the Caldeans 42. yeeres adding to the Empire more Regions and Countries after her husbands dayes subdued the Ethiopians ouercame the Indians and their king Staurobates which neuer was done or by any enterprised beside Semiramis but onely by Alexander the great
Of this queene and of her doings her warres and her great workes you shall reade in Diodorus and Annius how she became so great so terrible and so luckie in any warre she tooke in hand that she excelled farre all the Assyrian and Caldean kings in victories and triumphs vntil Nabuchodonosors time but slaine at last by her sonne called Nynus or Nynias as Melancthon and Annius and Ruffinus writeth the 5. king of the Assyrians who liued with his mother and had no gouernment for that he was a simple man and who succeeded his mother being neither like to his father nor to his mother a king giuen to slouthfulnesse full of idlenesse of whom we reade nothing worth the writing sauing that he repaired beautified the temples of their idols and made much of the Chaldean magi which were accompted wise men obseruing the turne of Astrologers who began then in those dayes to vse diuination he reigned 38. yeeres who a litle before he died Camesenus being forced to flee frō all the partes of the world came to Bactria and there strengthened himselfe with the Bactrians that he prepared a great army to inuade the Assyrians but he was slaine and his armie ouerthrowen euen of this king Ninias as Berosus affirmeth yet Diodorus Iustinus Orosius say that this was done by Nynus the father of Ninias Let the reader beleeue whō hee list I had rather follow Berosus though he is supposed not to be Berosus yet the best writer vseth him in this historie for he is best to be beleeued for that hee knoweth better the Chaldean histories being a Chaldean borne then others This Ninias or Ramisninias is takē to be that king which is called Amraphel in Genesis king of Shinar which is Babylon for in the daies of Amraphel came Arioch king of Ellasar who came with the king of Shinar against the kings of Sodom Gomorrha together with two other kings Chedor king of Elam and Tidal king of the nations gathered of diuers countries These foure kings made warre with Bera king of Sodom with Byrsha king of Gomorrha with Shemeber king of Seboim and with the king of Bela in the vale of Siddim At this very warre Lot the nephew of Abraham for hee dwelt then at Sodom was taken with the king of Sodom the rest was rescued by Abraham his vncle he all his goods al his substance men women Abraham recouered frō Amraphel king of Shinar his company By this time Egypt began to florish and the kings of Egypt beganne to be strong they were all named Pharaohs as the Romanes called their Emperors Caesars names of great dignitie While this conflict and these great armies of fiue kings against foure were in the field you must vnderstand they were but gouernors of cities for in these daies skant the names of kingdoms were knowen but a kind of gouernment called Oligarchia by reason it was within 350. yeres of the flood At that time Abraham comming backe with Lot Melchisedec king of Shalem came to meete him blessed him to whom Abraham gaue tithe of al that he had This Melchisedec is taken to be Sem the sonne of Noah king of Shalem afterward called Ierusalem After this Ninias succeeded his sonne Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians as Functius writeth but Ruffinus the fourth and yet they vary not but in this that Functius beginneth from Nimrod which Ruffinus saith began in Babylon not in Niniue Againe Functius numbreth Semiramis reigne for that she reigned 40. yeres after her husband Nynus which Ruffinus omitteth coumpting Nynus reigne for both for both the gouernment of Semiramis and Ninus forward stil of the rest of the kings of Assyria Ruffinus omitting these two Nimrod Semiramis maketh Functius to say sixe and Ruffinus to accoumpt foure but in this I will follow Functius This Arius after that his father Ninias was dead hee gathered a great host of souldiers against the Bactrians and the Caspians with whom his father and his forefathers were enemies alwayes hee inuaded them againe spoyled their countrey slue their king and brought Bactria and Caspia subiect to the Assyrians in this kings time died Noah about twelue yeres after Abraham was called from Vr in Chaldea and came to Haran where hee staied foure yeres Thus florished the kingdome of the Assyrians being still augmented with more Prouinces Cities and Countries by Arius and his predecessors and when hee had reigned 30. yeeres he died and after him succeeded Aralius the seuenth king of the Assyrians a warlike prince a man of great prowesse skilfull in militarie discipline full of martiall exploites of whom Berosus affirmeth that it was he that first vsed triumphs and pompes with great honor dignitie and rewards to souldiers that deserued praise began to be delicious in bankets and feastes and inuented many engins of warres that then were not knowen In this kings fathers time there dwelt in Celtiberia a great wise man expert in many things whose name was Druyas of whom as Berosus writeth the auncient priests and wise men were called Druyades so doth Plinie write and Caius Iulius Caesar in his booke de bello Gallico This Aralius ruled Assyria fourtie yeeres and died Then beganne in Niniue the reigne of Baleus surnamed Xerxes the eight king of the Assyrians this surmounted farre his predecessour Aralius for hee brought vnder the scepter of Assyria twise asmuch people Nations and Countries as his predecessour did and therefore he was called Xerxes that is the conquerour the triumpher which long after were names of great dignitie among the Persians This king was both fierce and fortunate and enlarged the confines of his kingdome with many Nations he conquered al Countries vnto India he made the kings to bee feared so much of all kingdomes that he was named of the Assyrians Xerxes victor triumphator this reigned as Berosus doth write thirtie yeeres In this Baleus dayes Inachus the first king of the Argiues and their first kingdome began After Baleus reigned in Assyria a king named Armatrites the ninth of him there is no great thing to bee read to his commendation hee was giuen much to wicked lust and slouthfulnesse consuming his time in feasting and banquetting from one pleasure vnto another more cōuersant with women then with men and more delicious in apparell then hardie in warres and more giuen as Berosus saith to a lewde life then to vertuous exercise he reigned 38. yeeres In these dayes Sem the sonne of Noah died and the king of Salem being sixe hundred yeeres olde for Sem was a hundred yeere olde when the flood began and hee liued before the flood with three of his olde fathers with Noah Methusalem and Lamech and after the flood he liued in the second age vntill Iacobs time and died in the fiftie yere of Iacobs age seuen hundred yeeres iust before Dauids birth
that the olde Assyrian Empire possessed but a litle part of Assyria Modicam quandam Assyriae partem obtinuit as Dionysius affirmeth for during the time and gouernment of the first kings of Assyria euen from Nynus the first king vntill Sardanapalus their last king was fabulosum tempus the trueth of their historie and the glory of their Empire appeared from the time of Phul Belochus which was father to Phul Assur and in the sacred Scripture named Tiglat Assur This Phul Assur was father to Salmanasser and Salmanasser was father to Senaherib At this time it was called newe Assyria whose Empire was againe after the death of Saneherib by Merodach brought into Babylon for in Babylon the first Empire began after translated from Babylon to Niniue and now from Niniue to Babylon againe where it ended in Balsaar as it shall be shewed when the historie commeth to it In this kings time the Midianites preuailed much against the children of Israel for seuen yeres and they were sore oppressed vntill Gedeon was sent to be their deliuerer and to be their iudge Then Pannias or otherwise Pannas was the 25. king of Assyria in whose time the kings of Argiues ended their kingdome their Empire was translated into Mycena after they had gouerned as kings 540. yeeres In this time reigned in Athens Pandion and Mydas gouerned in Phrygia About which time Abimelech the tyrant vsurpeth the kingdome of Israel and putteth seuentie of his brethren to death Habuit mercedem for at Thebes as Abimelech was besieging a high strong Towre a woman did cast a piece of a milstone vpon his head and brake his braine panne after he had bene a iudge in Israel three yeeres In the 24. of Pannias happened the fourth Iubilee after Moses In this kings time likewise ruled in Israel Thola a iudge of the tribe of Isachar and gouerned the people of Israel 23. yeres After this reigned Sosarmus 19. yeeres in Assyria It is written that Orpheus the Thracian the most famous and most auncient musitian liued at this time Iair the Gileadite gouerned Israel 22. yeeres this iudge had thirtie sōnes that rode on 30. asse coltes men of great authoritie for they had thirtie Cities in the land of Gilead and they kept the land in peace 22. yeeres Now Faunius Iunior gouerned Italie to whom Euander came from Arcadia and had giuen him certaine lands in Italie which Euander called afterward Palatinum Manethon writeth that Hercules Amphitrions sonne was borne about this time of whom the Poets faine that he was the sonne of Iupiter of this man more shal be spoken amongst the Grecians when I speake of their histories But againe to the Assyrians who had after Sosarmus a king called Mytreus the 27. king and raigned 27. yeeres in the latter ende of this kings raigne Hercules killed Cacus the great giant in mount Auentine after Hercules ouerthrew Troy and killed the king called Laomedon and made Priamus his sonne king of the Troyans who againe repaired and builded vp Troy to be one of the strongest townes of the worlde This Hercules came to Italie fiftie and fiue yeeres before AEneas comming and gaue to the Italians lawes Reade of this more in Halicarn lib. 1. In Israel after Iudge Iair died it was 18. yeres interregnum without a Iudge and they wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord againe and serued Baalim and Ashtaroth the gods of Syria and the gods of Sidon the gods of Moab the gods of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines and God was angrie with them and deliuered them to the handes of their enemies who vexed and oppressed them 18. yeeres vntill the time they put away the strange gods and serued the true God with great repentance Ishai the father of the Prophet Dauid was borne about this time three hundreth yeere after the Israelites going out of Egypt Nowe with the Assyrians Tautanes the 28. king beginneth to rule about which time Hercules appointed the games of Olympia where all the Grecians came to exercise feates of armes running and wrastling with all other kinde of exercise 430. yeeres before the Olympiads began This time happened in Egypt in the Isle of Pharao a great deluge called Diluuium Pharaonicum which did ouerflowe the whole countrey which was seldome seene in Egypt for that they haue no raine but onely the ouerflowing of Nilus which once a yeere happeneth vnto them By this time Iephtah was made Iudge in Israel a valiant man but for that hee was a bastard sedition grewe in Israel against Iephtha by the Ephraimites his brethren thrusted him out and Iephtha fled to the land of Tob but hee was made afterward captaine ouer Israel and hee subdued the Ammonites from Aroer to Abel 20. cities and slew 42. thousand of the Ephraimites and for the victorie here of he sacrificed his daughter vnto the Lord according to his vow though it was rash vnlawful In this Tautanes time raigned 4. Iudges Iephtha 6. yeres Ibzan gouerned 7. yeres some thought this to be Boas the husband of Ruth the grandfather of Dauid this had 30. sonnes and 30. daughters After him Elon of the tribe of Zabulon iudged Israel 10. yeeres and after Elon ruled Abdon this Iudge had 40. sonnes and thirtie sonnes sonnes that rode on 70. assecolts and he gouerned Israel 10. yeres and died About this time Theseus rauished Helen the wife of Menelaus which being by Adoneus king of the Molosseans taken was rescued by his felow and alwayes his companion Hercules In the kingdome of Assyria succeeded Tautanes who raigned 40. yeres of which we reade nothing worth the writing At this time Samson the sonne of Manoah of the tribe of Dan gouerned Israel 20. yeeres he plagued the Philistims who had kept Israel vnder hand for their sinnes wickednes for God was angrie with them for notwithstanding all his goodnes his mercy towardes them and his miracles amongst them yet they still rebelled and moued the Lord to wrath this Samson was the last Iudge of Israel Then the state of the Israelites gouernment was altered and they were vnder Ely the priest At this time raigned a king that gouerned the Thuscanes named Ocnus Beanor this builded Mantua the coūtrey where Virgil was borne which the Romans called after Hethruscanes Now that the race of the Iudges of Israel is ended which continued from Moses death vntil Samuel 357. yeres God suffred kings to gouerne his people and appointed his Prophets to direct his kings this came to passe in Samuels time who anoynted Saul king ouer Israel and they both together raigned 40. yeeres By this time Tyneus the 30. king of the Assyrians raigned in Niniue 30. yeres and in the 13. of his raigne the 7. Iubilee of the Iewes began The kingdome of Hispane before called Iberia before that time Celtiberia is in this time deuided into prouinces into seueral gouernmēts of
pleasures he commaunded fire to be put to his pallace I meane that pile of wood which he made for his graue and so ended his life and the Empire together in fire to escape his enemies thus ended the monarchie of Assyria after one thousand two hundreth and fourtie yeeres continuance Behold the euents of the kingdoms of the world how God gaue them alwayes vp to the enemies when they flourished most in glory and were most in force power Euen so was Chaldea and Assyria the only empires of the world which farre excelled all other kingdomes when it was ouerthrowen by Cyrus insomuch that the great and mightie king Nabuchodonosor the onely Hercules by Megasthenes so named of the East kingdomes who aduanced himselfe vp vnto the heauens who was compared for his great magnificence and glorious pompe of his huge empire for the pride of his minde and insolencie of his state to the starre Lucifer for the brightnes beautie and glorie of his Empire his greatnes was such that hee had diuine honours done vnto him but his pride and pompe was layde in the pitte For in the time of Nabuchodonosor the Chaldeans and Assyrians flourished for they were kings of the Arabians of the Egyptians of all Syria and for the glorie and greatnes of their kingdome it passed all others farre and being the first kingdome of the world was called the golden kingdome aureum seculum the other three Monarchies were called Argenteum seculum the siluer age beganne in Cyrus time in Persia the brasen age in Macedonia in the time of Alexander and last the Iron age among the Romanes beganne in Iulius Caesars time described in Daniel by the foure beastes For all Nabuchodonosors power strength states and kingdomes lost all within threescore and tenne yeeres of this his great possession and power Euen so the kings of Egypt which flourished in like strength and claimed the like maiestie lost their kingdome in the midest of their glory and were ouerthrowen by Cambyses To bee short because God would bee knowen vnto his people whom the wicked neuer confessed to bee the God of victorie he deliuered Pharao and all Egypt into the handes of Nabuchodonosor and for his pompe and pride herein thinking that it was his owne strength his owne force and power hee deliuered Nabuchodonosor and his posterities with all the Empire of Assyria and Chaldea into the handes of Cyrus whose kingdome flourished much aboue the rest vntil Darius sirnamed Codomanus whose wealth force and kingdomes were such that he made nothing of all the world beside God gaue him ouer into the handes of Alexander the great whose greatnesse continued not long for the like vnthankefulnesse to God for his kingdome passed to the Romanes Thus God appointed the weakest sometime to vanquish the strongest and raised vp the meanest to ouercome the mightiest Thus was Egypt subdued by the Chaldeans the Chaldeans by the Persians the Persians by the Macedonians the Macedonians by the Romanes and the long empire of the Romans their pompe and their glorie taken away by the Germanes and the Germanes rather prouinces to be called then an Empire so wickednesse preuailed that Turkes Canes Sophies with such infidels of long time flourished Then Arbaces and Phul Belochus deuided these Empires Phul Belochus helde Babylon and Niniue Arbaces possessed Media and Persia for his part But to write of Chaldea first this Phul Belochus though he dwelt in Babylon and raigned asking there eight and fourtie yeeres yet the name of the Monarchie continued still in Assyria for that the most part of the other Kings had their mansion in Niniue and therefore after Sardanapalus time called the newe kingdome of Assyria Nowe Belochus being settled king in Babylon called also the king of Assur hee came against the lande of Israel and mooued warres against Manahem then king but being pacified with a thousand talents of siluer he returned to Babylon without any harme done and there died when he had raigned eight and fourtie yeeres After him succeeded his sonne Phul Assur named in Scripture Tyglat Phul Assur this infidel God stirred vp against Israel for their sinnes hee tooke all these Cities and coastes Aron Abel Bethmecha Asor Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Nepthali and caried them vnto Assyria this king raigned three and twentie yeeres as both Functius and Melancthon write yet Metasthenes would haue him to raigne twentie and fiue yeeres After this succeeded Salmanasser the thirde king of newe Assyria hee likewise was by God appointed a scourge for the sinâ—…s of Israel and the idolatrie of Samaria hee came from Niniue vnto Samaria besieged it three yeeres and tooke it and caried all Israel captiue vnto Assyria and put them in Halah and in Habor cities of the Medes for at that time the Medes and the Persians were subiect vnto the Assyrians Thus were the 10. tribes caried captiue away from Samaria vnto Assyria in the ninth yeere of Hosea king of Israel after the building of Samaria 210. yeres the whole kingdome of Israel was destroyed when it had continued from the first yeere of Roboam the sonne of Salomon to the last yeere of king Hosea two hundreth fiftie and three yeeres as Functius affirmeth Then Salmanassar filled al the cities of Samaria with men from Babylon and from Hamath in stead of the children of Israel for the kings of Samaria enuied so much the kings of Iuda the state of Ierusalem the pompe of the high priest and the magnificence of Salomons temple that the kings of Samaria builded temples erected two idolatrous altars in Dan and Bethel where they sacrificed vnto the golden calfe and honoured idols of Baal yet God raised good men as Elias and Elizeus Amos and Osea by whom the Church of God in this wicked kingdome was still preserued This king Salmanasser brought the Medes and Persians subiect vnto Assyria and destroyed the Moabites as the Prophet Esay afore tolde there is mention made of this king in the tenth chapter of Osea where the Prophet sayeth As Salmanasser destroyed Betharbell in the day of battaile the mother with the children was dashed in pieces so shall Bethel doe vnto you Vnder this king Salmanasser was Israel scattered like sheepe for the Lyons dispersed them first the king of Ashur that was Salmanasser hath deuoured him and last Nabuchodonosor hath taken his bones the one caried the tenne tribes of Israel the other caried the two tribes of Iuda prisoners vnto Babylon This Salmanasser is named of Ptolome Nabonasser he raigned in the eight Olympiad when Romulus was king in Rome Ezechias was king in Iuda and Osea king in Israel before the captiuitie of Iuda one hundreth thirtie and three yeeres so long was betweene the destruction of Ierusalem and Samaria for Salmanasser did raigne seuen yeeres king in Assyria before hee had besieged Samaria which is to bee noted to auoyde errours in accompt From the
Egypt so that the king of Egypt came no more out of his lande as it is written against the king of Babylon hee layde siege to Tire and wasted all the regions there about he brought vnder the king of Babylon all Libya the most part of Asia vnto the land of Armenia This king grewe so great that Philostratus doeth so set him in his histories that he passed Hercules in force and power Strabo saith that the Chaldeans esteemed more of Nabuchodonosor then the Grecians did of Hercules Nabuchodonosor made kingdomes to shake the earth to tremble and the whole worlde a forest and left almost no where vnconquered but Iudea where after all his other warres and conquests hee sendeth his deputie Nabuzaradan generall of his armie he commeth with a huge armie of the Chaldeans a great band of Aramites of Moabites of Ammonites for Nabuchodonosor had heard that Iehoiakim had rebelled after hee had payed tribute for three yeeres This was the cause of the destruction of Iehoiakim after he had raigned three yeres he was deceiued much trusting to haue ayde by Necho king of Egypt and so lost both the kingdome and himselfe This was the iudgement of God for the sinnes of Manasses and the idolatrie of Iuda not weighing the crying out of Ieremie though night and day he perswaded them to yeelde vp the Citie and to followethe Lorde for Ierusalem was full of innocent blood and therefore God vsed these wicked tyrants to execute his commandement After this Iehoiakin the sonne of Iehoiakim when he had reigned three moneths being 18. yeeres of age Nabuchodonosor fearing least he shoulde become false and so reuenge his fathers death came against him he and his mother his princes and his seruants yeelded to Nabuchodonosor by the councell of Ieremie And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah king in stead of his nephewe Iehoiakin and changed his name to Zedechia who likewise offended the Lord and would not be councelled by Ieremie but hee and his people mocked the messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets so long that Nabuchodonosor came and slue their young men with the sworde kild all and spared none But for the rest of Nabuchodonosors tyranny his crueltie and slaughter specially of Iewes they are read in the fourth booke of Kings Chap. 24. and 25. in in Esai in Ieremie This king is euery where mentioned with the Prophets and in Ecclesiasticall histories Likewise Iosephus orderly setteth downe his seuerall warres against Ierusalem first in the eleuenth yere of Iechonias he came with great force and slue the most part in Ierusalem killed the king and buried him in sepulchro asini threw him dead vnburied out of the Citie according to the prophecie of Ieremie saying Iehoiakim shal be buried as an asse is buried euen drawne and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem like a carrion neither shall any lament him neither mourne for him he tooke also the chiefe men of the Citie euen 3000. and carried them vnto Babylon amongst whom Ezechiel being yet a very young man was lead likewise captiue This was before tolde of by Ieremie the Prophet but not beleeued The second time hee came against Iehoiakin whom Nabuchodonosor aduaunced vnto his fathers seate but fearing hee would reuoult by being mindfull of his fathers death hee tooke him his mother his familie his nobles and others to the number of tenne thousand eight hundred thirtie and two and carried them vnto Chaldea yet Nabuchodonosor sware to the king to his counsell that he would spare them vpon their submission to the which the king by the perswasions of the Prophet Ieremie yelded but the tyrant kept no promise With this king Daniel Anania Azaria and Misael being of the kings stocke were taken prisoners and commaunded by the king that they shoulde bee brought vp in the Chaldean tongue to serue the king afterward The third and last comming of Nabuchodonosor was against Zedechia the last king of Iuda hee layde siege to Ierusalem eighteene moneths during which time great famine and plague with manifolde miseries more befell them and at last the destruction of the Citie men women and children slaine before the King his Princes and Nobles put to the sworde the wealth and treasure of the Citie caried to Babylon the Temple burned the King himselfe taken his children killed before the kings face then his eyes put out and caried in chaines to Babylon where hee died most miserably in prison Thus God did put his sworde in Nabuchodonosors hand as an instrument of his wrath to punish sinne Of this matter more is spoken of in the historie of the Iewes otherwayes called the Hebrewes When Nabuchodonosor had reigned fourtie three yeeres Metasthenes saith fourtie fiue yeeres the Chaldean historie reporteth that hee prophecied the destruction of Babylon being by Daniel taught and by God called to bee one of his chiefe instruments in his Church In a little before hee died hee confessed the glory and maiestie of God saying I giue thankes vnto the most High I prayse and honour him that liueth for euer who restored vnto me my kingdome my honour and my vnderstanding whose works are all trueth and his wayes iudgements for nowe I confesse that he is able to abase those that walke in pride he liued in Tarquinius Priscus time the fift king of Rome and in the eighteene Iubilee of the Iewes and in the fourtie nine Olympiads In the time of Nabuchodonosors father Dracos lawes was written in Athens Solon Thales Milesius florished the seuen Sages of Greece liued this time the Prophet Ezechiel beganne to prophecie in Babylon the fift yeere of the captiuitie For as you shall reade of the Medes and Persians and of the Romanes that they were made by God executours instruments and hammers for so the Lord spake of them saying Thou art my hammer and weapons of warre for with thee will I breake the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes by thee will I breake man and woman and by thee will I breake young olde you shall finde this phrase often rehearsed by God in the mouthes of the Prophets so God calles Nabuchodonosor his seruant saith I wil put my sword in Nabuchodonosors hand so Senaherib so Salmanasser and so Satan himselfe is Gods seruant to worke his will to obey his commandement and to execute his iudgements After this Nabuchodonosor succeeded his sōne Euilmerodach he reigned 30. yeres he reigned one yere together with his father it seemeth that this Euilmerodach was instructed by Daniel to feare God for after that Nabuchodonosor had turned to the Lord began to be a benefactor to the Church to the mēbers thereof this his sonne likewise when he became king of Babylon after his father in the first yere of his reigne brought Iehoiakin king of Iuda out of prison hee restored him to libertie and aduanced him to
Cranaus the second king And ouer the Argiues Crotopas their eight king CHAP. II. Of the kings of Egypt after Ramesses time sirnamed Aegyptus ' at what time Oceana was called Egypt after the name of Aegyptus before Mizreia NOw after the great ouerthrowe of the Egyptians in the red sea after a while began to raigne in Egypt Ramesses sirnamed Aegyptus after whose name Egypt was then called as Manethon writeth for at the first Egypt was named Oceana or Mizreia and the second time it was named Aerea and nowe the thirde time called Egypt as you reade before This Aegyptus after hee had vanquished his brother Danaus he vsurped vpon the Egyptians and raigned king of Egypt 68. yeeres for Egypt had not recouered her former state as yet since the ouerthrowe of Chencres and all the states of Egypt who perished in the red Sea pursuing the Israelites Of this Manethon seemeth most ignorant saying that the shepheards were driuen out of Egypt for some natural foule filthie disease as leprosie which the Israelites had affirming that Moses was an Egyptian borne in the citie of Heliopolis and that he was named Onarsiphus and became leprous and then went to the Israelites which euery where Manethon nameth Hicsos shepheards or captiues and became conuersant with them and was driuen out of Egypt with them In the beginning of this Aegyptus raigne Moses died after whom succeeded Iosua the second Iudge of Israel This time raigned in Assyria Amintes their 19. king Also Dionysius otherwise Bacchus whom the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subdued India and builded a towne after his owne name called Nisa in remembrance of his great victories that he had ouer the Indians Now succeeded in Egypt Myris or Moeris as Herodotus doth call him this king restored Egypt againe and recouered strength and great power and builded many notable and famous monuments worthy to be remembred he brought the riuer Nilus being out of hope to be repaired in course againe he made the lake Miris of such wonderfull bignes that he farre excelled the rest of the kings before him This Myris made the Labirinths of Egypt which after Dedalus taking an example of those Labirinths made the like in Creete imitating Myris in all points he builded such monuments for Vulcan in Egypt as Herodotus calleth them Digna Vulcano vestibula where you may reade more This king raigned fourtie yeeres in Egypt and had a sonne succeeded him of no lesse fame then himselfe named Sesostris of whom the priestes of Egypt spake much he began to augment the kingdome of Egyyt with diuers victories ouer the Syrians Phoenicians Thracians Scithians and the most part of Asia This king onely conquered Aethiopia and was king proclaimed both of Egypt and Aethiopia this king waxed strong on land and sea he made more monuments of his victories in diuers strange kingdoms leauing behinde him his statues and Images erected vp in forraine countreys some of them Herodotus doeth affirme to haue seene in his dayes which liued about Xerxes time one he saw in Palestina cut in a large stone with letters written round about his picture And about Ionia he saw two statues or pictures of this king Sesostris the one betweene Ionia and the citie of Ephâ—…sus the other as men goe from Sardinia into Smirna he was cut in two great high stones of fiue cubites length holding in his right hand a speare and in the left hande a bow being in all points of his apparell armed like an Egyptian with this sentence written betweene his two shoulders in the Egyptian tongue I haue caried this Countrey vpon my shoulders Some take these statues to be Memnon but the priestes of Egypt affirmed that it was Sesostris in his returne from his victories into Egypt euen he that caried kings captiues bound to his chariot from towne to towne from countrey to countrey In Aethopia and Egypt he had many of these pictures and many statues set vpon pillars and arches according to the maner of Egyptian triumphes This king was so honoured in Egypt and his statues after his death so esteemed that wheÌ„ Darius Histaspis long after that time came into Egypt being by his predecessor Cambyses conquered brought into subiection vnder the Persians yet he was not suffred by the priests of Vulcan to put his statue aboue the picture of Sesostris in Memphis affirming that Sesostris had conquered as many countreis and gotten as many victories as Darius had and beside Sesostris had ouerthrowne the strong and inuincible Scithians which Darius neuer could which speaches Darius tooke in good part and would not reuenge though well he might This Sesostris is named in Functius table Amenophis imitating Manethon the Egyptian writer where he is set downe to be the thirde in that gouernment Dynastia Larthes is a name likewise of dignitie as were Pharaos before the gouernours and potentats for in the first gouernment of Larthes which endured 194. yeres Zetus was the first as Manethon affirmeth and raigned 55. yeres After Zetus succeeded in this kinde of gouernment Ranses Larthes which gouerned 66. yeres after whom succeeded this king Sesostris the thirde Larthes which raigned 40. yeeres The fourth Larthes was named Phero the sonne of this Sesostris of which I spake last Herodotus reciteth a historie of this Phero that it happened to him to become blinde and so continued 11. yeeres at what time he was instructed by the oracle of Butis to finde out a temperat chaste woman which had neuer knowen carnalitie but onely one man and that hee should wash his eyes with this womans vrine and hee should receiue againe his sight This Phero Larthes making great speach and search for such a woman after many vaine trials he found one woman whose vrine healed him whom after he had his sight hee maried and caused all those women whose water could not helpe him to bee brought into the citie called Rubragleba red clay where both they and the citie were commaunded by the king to be burned After this Phero Larthes succeeded Thuoris the fift and last Larthes of those Potentates this king is named in Diodorus Cetes which the Greekes as Melancthon saith called Proteus for diuers illusions which he vsed in magicke whose temple was long seene after his death in Memphis To this king came Paris Priamus sonne at what time hee rauished Helen Menelaus wife from Sparta to Greece and was driuen of force into Egypt of his hard welcome there and of the kings-commandement to Alexander to depart from Egypt with threatning of death vnlesse he would be gone within three dayes with all Grecians with him sauing that the king stayed Helen in Egypt where Menelaus came after the siege of Troy and was honourably receiued by Proteus the king and welcoÌ„med of his wife Helen Others write that Menelaus and Helen went both together after Troy was destroyed by force of tempest into
Epiphanes the sonne and heire of Philopator was young and not able to resist so great a King hee entred into Phoenicia and into other partes of Syria which yet liued subiect vnder the king of Egypt They of Alexandria sent to Rome to the Senators for ayde against Antiochus and against Philippe king of Macedonia for both these two kings affected the kingdome Ambassadors were sent from the Senators vnto Antiochus willing him to auoyde out of Egypt and not to doe iniurie to the yong king This messenger was litle esteemed of Antiochus and therefore the Senators pronounced him an enemie of the Romanes Antiochus being aduertised of this agreed with Ptolomey Epiphanes and gaue him Cleopatra his daughter in mariage supposing thereby the easier to get the kingdome of Egypt hee gaue Coelosyria Iudea Samaria and Phoenicia with his daughter to Epiphanes but he was deceiued and mist his purpose For he was preuented by the Romanes and kept off from Egypt hee was ouerthrowen and vanquished at Thermopila by Attilius and Glabrio Romane Consuls and the next yeere after he was quite driuen out of Syria and Asia by Lucius Cornelius Scipio at the citie of Magnesia Of this Antiochus the great and of his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes another monster Daniel before shewed their tyranny for during the time of these two kings Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria and Ptolomey Epiphanes king of Egypt the Iewes were most miserably afflicted Reade Iosephus how also the Samaritanes molested them and sore vexed them And for that I spake of these kings before in the history of Assyria I will briefly runne ouer the rest of these kings Now after that Ptolomey Epiphanes had raigned 24. yeeres hee died leauing two sonnes behinde him the elder called Philometor the yonger called Phiscon the elder brother raigned king in Egypt 35. yeeres of whom his vncle Antiochus Epiphanes a subtile king vnder the pretence of loue and care of his nephew became his ouerseer and tutour rather aspiring the kingdome then respecting the king for hee furnished Egypt with men of armes hauing the strongest townes of Egypt in his owne hand as Pelusium and others The king being yet yong idle slow and of no courage addicted to all filthie vices without respect of himselfe or of his kingdome fled to his brother Phiscon to Alexandria where both were besieged by Antiochus vntill Popilius the Romane was sent from the Senators of Rome to commaunde Antiochus out of Egypt without further delay which hee was constrained to obey though he did much harme before his departure out of Egypt Philometor hauing recouered his kingdome into his hand and the Romanes to be his friends to auoyde further braules and to stablish himselfe strong in Egypt he maried his daughter Cleopatra to Alexander who had then obtained the kingdome of Syria but this friendship continued not long for Demetrius Nicanor the sonne of that Demetrius vanquished by Alexander came to Syria got certaine townes into his handes appointed Apollonius captaine of Coelosyria who trusting too much to himselfe was quickly vanquished by Ionathas Philometor vnderstanding of these warres in Syria betweene his sonne in law Alexander and Demetrius he also hasted with an armie to Syria thought to preuent both and to haue Syria with Egypt he tooke his daughter Cleopatra away from Alexander and gaue her to Demetrius and both wickedly and falsly dealt with his sonne in law But Demetrius had Syria and Alexander was slaine by Zabdiel the king of Arabia and his head sent to Ptolomey Philometor to Egypt who then was king both of Egypt and Syria but for three dayes for within three dayes after Alexander was slaine in Arabia Philometor died in Egypt and Demetrius Nicanor was receiued king into Syria This time gouerned in Ierusalem prince Iannaeus the last gouernour of Iudea of the house of Dauid he with many battel 's discomfited the Arabians In Parthia raigned now Mithridates the fift king and in Macedonia raigned Perseus the last king In Philometors dayes Ariarathes king of Thracia sought the Romanes fauour and made a league of peace with them Aristobulus a Iewe borne a great Philosopher of the sect of the Peripatetiks expounded the bookes of Moses to Ptolomey Philopator In the beginning of this kings raigne died two of the most famous warriours of the world Scipio Affricanus the Romane and Hannibal the Carthaginian It is supposed that they both died in one yeere and both banished from their countreis But to Egypt againe After Philometor raigned Ptolomey Euergetes the second of that name and as Functius saith sirnamed Phiscon for the deformitie of his body but others as Manethon and Iustine say that this Euergetes was the seuenth king of Egypt and that Phiscon was the eight king It is not much material and therefore I will follow Functius who setteth downe in his table this Phiscon by the name of Euergetes whom Epiphanius called Philologon he raigned 29 yeres king of Egypt a monstrous and incestuous beast farre passing all other his predecessours in filthie wickednesse he was not so foule in the shape of his body as he was filthy in his minde for he kept his owne sister of whom he got a daughter and after with that daughter borne of his sister committed abominable incest He muthered his owne children and cut them in small pieces and made his wife their owne naturall mother to eate them but he had the reward due for such offences he was thrust out of his kingdome and died a banished slaue hated and abhorred of all men After Phiscon was banished raigned his brother Ptolomey sirnamed Alexander as Melancthon saith but Alexander raigned not long but was likewise banished as his brother was Then succeeded in Egypt Ptolomey Lathurus who in the 3. yere of Alexander king of Iuda was expelled out of his owne kingdom by his mother Cleopatra who fauoring more her yonger sonne named Alexander intended to make him king of Egypt she taking Lathurus wife maried her vnto Alexāder yet he mistrusting the great cruelty which he saw in his mother fled secretly letting the gouernment to his mother and to his wife This Cleopatra after that both her sonnes were thus banished raigned 10. yeres Ptolomey Lathurus being now in Cyprus and sent for by the citizens of Ptolomais to defend them from Alexander king of Iuda which hearing of Lathurus cōming left his purpose raised his siege returned to Ierusalem fearing the great armie of Ptolomey who had thirtie thousande in the fielde The citizens of Ptolomais when Alexander departed changed their purpose and kept Lathurus out of the towne whereby he was thus mooued to send some of his armie to oppresse Iudea some to lay new siege againe to Ptolomais Alexander being aduertised that Lathurus with al his armie spoyled and wasted his kingdome he returned and met at the flood of Iordan where Lathurus gaue a very great ouerthrow to the king of Iuda and
Tarquinius Priscus was the first king of Rome This time ruled in Lydia Cressus which within foureteene yeere after was likewise vanquished by Cyrus and his kingdome translated vnto Persia. It is in Zonaras and in Iosephus otherwise written about Cyrus and Astiages they affirme that Cyaxeres was the sonne of Astiages this was of Daniel called Darius Medus of Iosephus Zonaras Zenophon and others This was vncle vnto Cyrus and heire vnto Astiages hee together with Cyrus gouerned for a time afterwarde hauing but one daughter he bequethed his daughter and the kingdome vnto Cyrus his nephew his sisters sonne who was married vnto Cambyses While this Cyaxeres liued he honoured much Daniel and had him in great reuerence Herodotus writeth in the historie of Cyrus and sayeth that Cyrus married Cassandanes the daughter of Pharnaspis so doeth Zenophon and so doeth Zonaras write The Egyptians affirme that Cyrus married a wife in Egypt and by her got Cambyses ◅but howe foeuer Chronographers agree it is certaine that hee beganne a monarchie vpon the conquering of Lydia and Media as shall bee more at large written in the historie of Persia. The Medes fed on fruites Ex amigdalis tostis panes ex malis siccis ac tritis massas conficiunt They make their drinke of certaine rootes and they vse wilde beastes and wilde fowles for their foode for they nourish no tame beast And this is the propertie of the Medes and of their king to haue as many wiue's as they woulde they might not haue vnder seuen And so their women thought it a great praise and fame to haue many husbands but they might not liue without fiue husbands as Strabo doeth write in his eleuenth Booke OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF Lydia of the originall of their Kings and of their common wealth and gouernment THE kingdome of Lydia being before called as Herodotus writeth Maeonia beganne to take name of one Lydus the sonne of Artis but that seemeth to be fabulous as Herodotus is in many of his histories Lydia is named of Lud the fourth sonne of Sem as Iosephus Zonaras and Philo Iudaeus affirme This countrey is situate in this sort it hath Eastward Phrigia on the Southside Caria and on the Northside Misia as both Strabo and Plinie affirme The riuer Meander runneth through Lydia and compasseth the most part of Lydia Eusebius in his histories faith that the kingdome of Lydia beganne in the first Olympiad and in the beginning of the 14. Iubilee about which time Romulus the first king and builder of Rome was borne of whose birth as Dionysius and Plutarch write many strange things are read Lydia was before Rome 24. yeres and after the destruction of Troy 405 yeeres When I speake of the Romanes and of their kingdome you shall haue it fully set downe The kings of Lydia the kings of Rome and the kings of Media are almost of one time for assoone as the Medes began to set vp their kingdome the Assyrians which gouerned so long all the East part of the worlde decayed Likewise the Lacedemonians ended their gouernment and their kings failed in Alcanes time the ninth king of the Lacedemonians at which time the Macedemonians elected their first king called Cranaus so some countreys nations and kingdomes beginne others ende some rise and some fall as time giueth them licence by Gods appointment But nowe of the kings of Lydia where I finde in Eusebius their first king to be named Arsidius this Functius doeth call Ardisus at what time iudged the Athenians Aesculus the twelft Iudge of Athens after the kings who had gouerned from Cecrops their first king which began in Moses time vntill Codrus the last king of Athens which ended his kingdome in the time of Dauid where raigned that while 17. kings When Arsidius raigned in Lydia Ioathan was king in Iudea and in Samaria Pecah the 17. king of Israel These people of Lydia were first very warlike stoute and a couragious nation but Cyrus brake their backs and compelled them to be caupones institores as Iustine saith to leaue off armes for that oftentimes they rebelled against Cyrus and to vse such trafiques as were of the meanest credit hereby these stoute and strong nations before came now by Cyrus pollicie to be very idle and slouthfull whereby they inuented many vnthriftie games diuers playes at dice tenise and such like and hauing nothing to doe neither durst they doe any thing for feare of Cyrus they fell as Plinie saith to exercise Artes ludicras lenocinia and so became from a strong and stoute people the most slouthfull and idle people of the world Budaeus thinketh that this region Lydia is now called Anatolia after Arsidius had raigned in Lydia 36. yeeres succeeded him Aliagtes the second king of the Lydians at the which time grew great warres of twentie yeeres continuance betweene the Lacedemonians and the Messanians the cause thereof you shall reade in Orosius Catina a citie in Sicilia at this time was builded and Messana one of the chiefest cities of the Messanians was taken then by the Lacedemonians Now raigned in Rome Romulus the first king in Phrygia Mydas in Egypt Sacalion and in Macedonia Perdicas the fourth king of that countrey of whom Herodotus doth set forth how he from a meane state became king of the Macedonians Titus Liuius writeth and so doeth Dionysius that Romulus about this time did triumph ouer the Sabines whose warres continued two yeeres with whom after hee had furnished Rome with the spoyles of the Sabines and had taken their daughters and virgins by force to the nomber of 683. he suffred Tacius Sabinus at that time king of the Sabines to gouerne with him in Rome fiue yeeres at which time the citie of Rome was much increased and more amplified by adding thereunto Mount Coelius and Mount Quirinal Now ruled in Iudea Ezechias about the 12. Olympiad and the 15. Iubilee There fell about this time in Athens a thirde alteration of their gouernment after this sort After their 17. kings gouernment then gouerned in Athens Iudges to the nomber of 13. After the Iudges there was another state agreed vpō that euery 10. yeeres there should be a new magistrate in Athens and they were called Decennales principes and this gouernment endured 70. yeres which was the whole time of 7. princes and then againe changed vnto a popular state But let vs returne to the kings of Lydia the historie that I haue in hande After that this Aliagtes had raigned 14. yeeres he died and Meles succeeded him the thirde king of the Lydians of whom Herodotus doeth make mention that he was the first that triumphed ouer the people called Sardei This Meles had a bastard borne vnto him a stoute man a great souldiour and so great that he with his posteritie ruled the Sardeans vntil Cyrus time In this Meles time
many kingdomes as Cyrus did neither of such fauour with God for no doubt he was instructed of Daniel to know and to confesse the God of Israel as appeared by his care and diligence in ayding the Iewes after the captiuitie vnto Ierusalem in suffring them quietly to returne with wealth treasure in cōmanding all his princes of Syria and subiects to fauour to helpe them with a decree made for the building vp of their temple vnto God which had raised Cyrus to punish the blasphemie of that Chaldean king Balthasar and to make an end of his kingdome and by Cyrus to restore the kingdome againe of Israel which was ouerthrowen by the Chaldeans Cyrus being then the onely conquerour of the world hauing vnder the Persian scepter all the East kingdomes he had in mind the woonted maners of the Scythians how they came often times from Scythia and rushed in armes vnto Asia spoiled wasted and destroyed the regions and countries about Asia Cyrus made warre vpon the Massagites which were of the stocke of the Gothes of these Messagites came the Getes and the Sueuians While Cyrus was occupied in these warres Cambyses reigned in Persia sixe yeeres so that the gouernment of Cyrus and of his sonne Cambyses were compted all one for two yeeres because Cyrus tooke his warres in hand needelesse to Scythia And beside he was warned by Soothsayers by the diuination of Swalowes which were seene in the tents of Cyrus being vnluckie birdes not to goe to Scythia for Swalowes flying about the tentes of Pyrrhus in the warres of Italie and also lighting vpon the sailes of Mar. Antonius nauies in his warres against Augustus prognosticated to them both calamitie destruction nay God with whom Cyrus should haue consulted who brought him from Harpagus clawes saued him from Astyages sword defended him from Croesus snares and gaue him so many victories God vsed the like example vpon Iosias Salomon Osias and Dauid as hee did nowe vpon Cyrus for that Gods seruaunts should knowe their infirmities and confesse that God giueth victorie for as Iosias was slaine in Mageddo by Necho king of Egypt so Cyrus trusting in his owne strēgth was ouerthrowen with all his armie of the Massagites Cyrus head was cut off by Tomyris Queene of Scythia a woman and throwen into a great vessell ful of blood with spiteful wordes saying Satia te sanguine quem sitijsti yet Dyodorus saith his body was hanged vpon a gibbet his head throwen into a barrel full of blood for Cyrus before that time had taken Spargapises generall of the Massegites ouerthrowen the whole hoste of the Massegites and had slaine Queene Tomiris sonne Spargapises Of the histories of Cyrus reade Zenophon and Herodot where you may be satisfied of the whole life of Cyrus and also of his death In Cyrus time when the Hebrew prophets in Israel ended then the Philosophers in Greece began Thales with his successours after him in Ionia a man of great antiquitie amongst the Grecians who taught them first the obseruations of the starres the eclipses of the Sunne and Moone the diuisions of the yeere and the number of the dayes The other taught in the Confines of Italie they were called Pythagorici the one in Miletum the other in Tarentum There were in Greece before this time certeine wise and learned Poets as Homer Hesiodus and Orpheus and Linus that were had in great honour in Greece It is written by Aristobulus that Cyrus had vpon his tombe diuers Epitaphes as this O homo ego Cyrus Asiae Rex ne mihi sepulturam inuideas O man I am Cyrus king of Asia suffer Cyrus without enuie this seuen foote ofgroūd to couer his bones Onesicritus rehearseth in Strabo many Epigrames vpon Cyrus tombe and Cyrus himselfe in these wordes crieth out in Zenophon Non auro non argento condi sed corpus terraereddi though Zenophon reporteth other wayes of Cyrus death reciting an oration that Cyrus before hee died called before him all his Nobles to whom he made long speach concerning the immortalitie of the soule exhorting his two sōnes Cambyses the elder Smerdis the yonger whō Zonaras named Tamaraxes to vse iustice in their gouernment bequeathing to Cambyses the Empire of Persia withall the kingdoms thereunto belonging Assyria Chaldea Lydia with all the rest of his kingdomes Prouinces Territories sauing Media Armenia Cadusia which Cyrus bequeathed to his yongest sonne Smerdis Of this Cyrus read Zenophon and see how Vlisses is set forth by Homer Aeneas by Maro so is Cyrus magnified by Zenophon Cambyses succeeded Cyrus his father not in vertue and iustice not toperforme his fathers will but to breake the decree which Cyrus made after the captiuitie to the Iewes for their returne to further the temple the tyrannie of whō if you list to be acquainted withal reade Herodot the 3. booke you shal know the whole life of Cambyses who after Cyrus death vsed al kinde of murthers fomed in blood raged in tyrannie gathered an armie of Persia and of Greece mooued warres against Amasis king of Egypt The cause of this warre doth Herodot in this sort set downe Cambyses had councell to aske Amasis daughter in mariage of some backe friend of his Amasis sawe the full intention of Cambyses coulde not tell well howe to answere Cambyses hee thought this way to deceiue him there was one only daughter of Aprie king of Egypt left aliue of that stocke a wise and a very faire woman named Nitetis this Amasis the king with all sumptuous tyre with golde substance plentifully did send to Persia to king Cambyses with whom shee was in great fauour loue by the name of Amasis daughter saluting her daily by that name vntill Nitetis spake these wordes O Cambyses thou art much deceiued to take me for Amasis daughter I am king Apries daughter the last of that house whom Amasis the king sent vnto you he killed my father and he nowe thus vsed you Vpon this Cambyses sent vnto the king of Arabia to licence him with his armie to haue passage to Egypt which being then graunted Cambyses spoyled wasted and burned vntill hee came to Memphis where hee thought to finde Amasis aliue but he found his sonne Psammeticus Memphis being taken by Cambyses another battell was fought by Nilus where likewise Cambyses got the victory after a great slaughter of this Herodot doth write that when triall was made of the dead souldiers whether the Persians or the Egyptians had the harder scull it was found that the Persians heads were so soft as any small thing would breake it and the Egyptians head so hard that nothing skant might breake it the reason was that the Egyptians were woont euen from their youth to shaue their heads so hardened them by the heate of the sunne that it is a woonder in Egypt to see a balde man And the Persians were wont to beare vpon their
enuied so much Athens that they sent a great companie of souldiers with Gilippus their captaine to bring downe the victories of the Athenians at what time the Athenians were ouerthrowen and the Syracusans triumphed In this warre died that noble fellow Nicias the generall of the Athenian armie with many mo famous Athenians which shal be more at large in another place when we speake of Greece be declared The Rhodians this time did reuolt from the Lacedemonians whereupon the Lacedemonians sent ambassadours to Persia to this Darius to haue his friendship and to ioyne with the Lacedemonians in a league of peace for the Medes likewise as the Egyptians did before them reuolted from Darius for at that time Egypt and Media began to rebel against Darius About this time Alcibiades who succeeded Nicias in Athens had gotten a great victorie at Chalcedon ouerthrew the captaine Pharnabazus taken by Zantium and was thereby made chiefe captaine of the Athenians being absent from Athens Now when Darius had raigned nineteene yeeres in Persia he left behind him two sonnes Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon to whom he bequethed the kingdome of Persia being his eldest sonne and Cyrus his second sonne to whom likewise he gaue certaine cities and prouinces vnder his gouernment Cyrus not well contented with his fathers will hee secretly rose in armes against his brother his father yet liuing who commaunding Cyrus to be brought vnto him layd him for a time in prison and kept him in fetters of golde But after Darius time it grew to further malice and to open warres for Cyrus bearing the name of the former auncient Cyrus which was a deare name among the Persians was the bolder to fall out with his brother supposing that the Persians would the more fauour him for the names sake which in trueth among the Persians was much honoured Cyrus was from his cradle of a hot stirring minde Artaxerxes milde and gentle in all his actions hee was named first Arsicas and is with many writers so called Now when Artaxerxes was consecrated king at Pasargardes in the temple of Minerua by the priestes of Persia reports were made vnto him that Cyrus his brother had conspired his death and had layed waite to kill him of the which Artaxerxes was by his counsell perswaded to trie out the treason of Cyrus which being found out yet by the meanes of his mother Parysatis who loued Cyrus dearely hee was of that fault pardoned Notwithstanding the great courtesie of Artaxerxes towards Cyrus he after this thirsted more for the kingdome of Persia then before for this king Artaxerxes Mnemon following his grandfathers steps Artaxerxes the long handed in all goodnes and vertue hee was much beloued of his subiects honoured of his countrey and of all countreys much esteemed he gaue himselfe to heare suiters causes and to let his poore subiects to haue accesse vnto him to open their causes Now such as desired innouations and change gaue out that the greatnes of the Empire of Persia stood in neede of a king that should be alwayes in armes such a prince as Cyrus was these people stirred vp Cyrus to open warre against his brother who leauing the gouernment of Lydia being also generall lieutenant of all Asia giuen vnto him by his father Darius sent messengers vnto Lacedemonia for helpe gathered of Greece and of barbarous nations to the nomber of thirteene thousand beside his owne force and marched boldly forwarde vntill hee heard that Artaxerxes had an armie of nine hundred thousand fighting men yet Cyrus went forward and gaue him battell and diuers sore assaults but preuailed not this warre is of Xenophon excellently described and set foorth in all points In this battell was Artaxerxes hurt by Cyrus his owne hand but afterwarde the miserie and the extremitie of Cyrus was such as by Plutarch is set in the life of Mnemon The cause of this warre was ambition and the desire of Cyrus to the kingdome but as Melancthon saith the rather moued hereunto by his mother Parysatis who hated Statira Artaxeres wife to the death The great magnanimitie iustice modestie liberalitie and other singular vertues which shined in this Cyrus is of Xenophon not forgotten in his booke de Cyriminoris expeditione for after Cyrus death all those that boasted to haue slaine him were by Parysatis meanes Cyrus mother so persecuted that they died most miserably as Artasyras and Mithridates To be short this Parysatis the kings mother found no rest vntil she had poisoned the Queene Statyra her daughter in law In the meane season Agesilaus king of Lacedemon maketh warres with the Persians Artaxerxes wisely looking to the warre sendeth Hermocrates to the most part of the cities of Greece with great treasures of gold and siluer to raise the rest of the Grecians against the Lacedemonians During this garboile betweene Artaxerxes and Agesilaus Parysatis was sent to Babylon to come to the Court for the king kept not his anger long against his mother After this Artaxerxes tooke a iourney against the Caduceans sent an armie to Egypt who had reuoulted from his father and thought to recouer both Media and Egypt Nowe the King entering into some yeeres hearing of some sturre and contention betweene his two sonnes Darius and Ochus either of them aspiring into the kingdome the yonger being Ochus a valiant man but of a hot nature had some in the Court that wrought both with the king with his sister Atossa who loued him dearely as Plutarch saith too dearely by a crime betweene them both suspected Notwithstanding Artaxerxes proclaimed Darius his eldest sonne to be king to see whether the like contention and rebellion would grow betweene his children as fell betweene him and his brother Cyrus to put Ochus his younger sonne out of all hope to succeede in Persia a king after his father he commaunded according to the lawe of Persia that his sonne Darius should weare the point of his hatte right vp in token of his succession for it was not lawfull to any sauing to the king or to his successour to weare his hatte with the point vpward There was likewise a custome in Persia that when any should be proclaimed successour or heire apparant to the crowne he should request any one thing at the kings hand and haue it there was a very faire gentlewoman taken after Cyrus death in the campe by Artaxerxes who had beene in great fauour with Cyrus a Grecian borne in Ionia named Aspasia called for witte and beautie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This woman did Artaxerxes so esteeme as when his sonne Darius craued this woman for his gift he was much offended thereby and yet must of force depart from her according to the lawe of Persia but it cost Darius his life for after Aspasia was taken againe from Darius by his father he began to be moued herein and to conspire the kings
Emperour of Germanie in Englande Henrie the fourth flourished This Mahomet left to succeede him a sonne named Amurates the second of that name and the sixt king ouer the Turkes this Amurates farre excelled all his predecessours in his warres hee beganne to warre with the people called Mysores and their prince which nowe are named Seruij hee tooke their Cities Scopia and Nouemontum and tooke the Kings two sonnes and his daughter hee caused the Kings sonnes eyes to be pluckt out and yet maried their sister and thereby restored the Citie Nouemontum to the king againe After this hee commenced warres against the Germanes Hungarians and Valaches spoyled their territories and wasted their Countries and vsed great extremitie hee passed thence to Epire laide siege to Croia tooke it and possessed it After truice made and peace concluded betweene the Turke and the Hungarians Amurates against his promise and othe by perswasion of Pope Eugenius the fourth entred in armes and gaue two terrible battels to the Christians in the which many Nobles dyed and were taken In these two great victories the one at Varna the other at Basila he slue an infinite companie of Hungarians Polonians Hunnes and others of Germanie for in this warre at Varna Ladislaus king of Polonia was slaine and Cardinall Iulian with all their captaines and men of armes in the other at Basila all the Princes of Hungarie and many of the Nobles and Peeres of Germanie Thence hee returned into Asia after hee had subdued and conquered all places as hee traueiled and hauing had sufficient triall of his good fortune with some diffidence of further successe by some change of fortune hee committed the kingdome vnto his sonnes charge while yet hee liued being willing to take his rest and to see the euentes of the succession in the kingdome by his sonne ouer whom he appointed Tutour and Gouernour for that Mahomet his sonne was yet young a Turke named Calibassa but this during the time of thirtie foure yeeres did no great exploite but made one voiage to Epirus and besiged the Citie of Croia but in vaine for that valiant and noble captaine Scanderbeg draue him quickly with losse and shame from Epyrus and for very griefe hee dyed after his returne Of this Scanderbeg Prince of Epirus the historie is set foorth according to his desertes in Barletius In the time of this Mahomet Constantine the last of that name and the last Emperour of Constantinople reigned Soldan Zeledim Emperour of the Tartarians dyed in this time Nowe reigned Emperour of Germanie Albertus the second of that name which was both king of Hungaria and Bohemia hee reigned Emperour but two yeeres after whom succeeded Fredericke the third Archduke of Austria to be Emperour of Germanie which reigned Emperour fiftie foure yeres But to come to Mahomet the second of that name and the seuenth king of the Turkes This for his greatnesse and good successe in his warres was named Nouus Othomanus an other newe Othoman for as in the first Othoman the kingdome of the Turkes beganne so nowe by this Mahomet the Empire of the Turkes beganne and therefore he was called Othoman the great He subdued two Empires twelue kingdomes two hundred Cities and great Townes hee tooke from the Venetians the Isles of Chalcidis and Scodra hee tooke diuers Cities in Greece as Corinthus and Mitilena The Turkes inuaded Syria wasted and destroyed Hungaria and tooke al Euboca he tooke Capha a Citie in Pontus and Hydrantes in Italie hee tooke in battell by treacherie saith Functius Stephanus king of Mysia whom he vsed as Cambyses vsed Sisamnis he flayed him and banished him from his kingdome he destroyed all the prouince of Carinthia Quae quantae huius victoriae totus vix dies explicet the very wordes of Egnatius This Turke so plagued the Christians that yet to this day they coulde not recouer the losse howe be it hee was ouerthrowen by Scanderbeg in a great battell where hee lost an infinite number of his Turkes by Hussa Cassanus king both of Armenia and of Persia who also gaue a great ouerthrowe to Mahomet by Stephanus Prince of Valachia who gote ouer the Turkes a great victorie by Pope Sixtus the fourth who gaue battell by sea vnder the Cardinall of Aquileia by the Rhodians and by the Christians at a place called Alba Graeca hee was discomfited and diuers times ouerthrowen but still hee preuailed with more gaine then losse and with fame renowne that he is now Emperour of Constantinople and of Trapezuntium and king of many kingdomes lord and gouernour of so many Prouinces and Regions that he thereby is nowe named the great Turke Nowe after this Turke had reigned thirtie one yeeres he dyed in the yeere of our Lord God 1481. on the fift nones of May. After whose death great ciuill warres grew among the Turkes and continued for a time which being done Pazaites the second of that name and the eldest sonne of the last Mahomet hauing vanquished his younger brother obteined the Empire armed his men and himselfe out of hand assaulted the Castle of Valachia and tooke it after hee marched against the Soldan of Egypt by whome hee had sundry ouerthrowes that the Turke and the Soldan entred into a league and concluded a peace After he returned and went against the Germanes whom he by continuall warres brought vnder the Turkes seruitude and at that very time he so plagued the Venetians that he subdued Methon Dyrrhachium and Naupactum three strong great cities The Turkes vnder this Pazaites conquered and subdued many places for this Emperour vanquished the Polonians which people were called before Gelas and subdued many people inhabiting about Meotida hee destroyed the Citie of Craocia but constrained by the armie of Maximilian the Emperour to forsake their Fortes hee was also put to flight Reade Chromerus Chronicle of this Pazaites warres against the Venecians at what time hee returning from the ouerthrowe and subduing of Modon the Sophi king of Persia for so nowe all the kings of Persia are called Sophi gaue the Turkes a great ouerthrowe Thus farre doeth Egnatius prosecute the Turkes historie vntill Selimus time the ninth Emperour of the Turkes at what time reigned Emperour in Germanie Maximilian sonne to Frederike the third and in Fraunce Lewes the twelfth of that name This Pazaites after hee had reigned thirtie one yeeres died after whom succeeded Selimus the ninth Emperour of the Turkes who liued seuen yeeres in the Empire this had a great ouerthrowe in Armenia the great by the Sophy of Persia how be it afterward he recouered his strength and gathered an armie passed into Egypt gaue battell to the Soldan whom hee tooke as prisoner and at that time subdued all Egypt and Syria for nowe the kings of Egypt are called Soldani as the kings of Persia are Sophy But to come to Soliman the tenth Emperour of the Turkes who reigned
Incēdium Phaetontis at what time the Grecians were named Helenes after the name of Hellenes the sonne of Deucaleon and Pyrrha After this Cecrops folowed Cranaus the second king of Athens which raigned nine yeeres Hermes Trismegistus a great Philosopher and a priest of Egypt flourished though Suydas saith that he liued before Abrahams time yea some of the best learned that are best acquainted with histories thinke it a name fained and a booke framed of late vnder the name of Trismegistus Now folowed Marathus the foureteenth king of Peloponesus Erictherus the 15. king Choar the 16. king of Peloponesus as Functius saith Ruffinus nameth this king Astades I passe ouer the names without any matter to be written of them for Greece was yet as the Chaldeans and the Assyrians in the beginning building and beginning to frame kingdomes for all this time no part of Greece was knowen but Sicyonum which is the countrey of the Peloponesians after them the Argiues and now the Thessalians and the Athenians start vp and beginne a kingdom as the third and fourth gouernours of Greece in antiquitie About this time the citie of Corinth was builded this was first called Epira and grewe afterwarde to be one of the strongest cities and holdes in all Greece Nowe was the citie Epidaurus and the citie Bythinia builded now Memphis was builded in Egypt for the world was then busie onely in building at what time in Athens raigned Amphitrion the thirde king and after him succeeded Ericthonius the fourth king of Athens About which time came Phaenix and Cadmus from Thebes to Egypt and from Egypt vnto Syria and gouerned Tyre and Sidon at what time raigned in Creete Asterius and ouer the Argiues the ninth king called Stelenus I thought for obseruation of time very necessary to set downe the time and beginning of euery kingdome as they began in one place after another though I finde nothing yet in Greece worth the writing concerning either warres or gouernment Now beganne in Phrigia a new kingdome called Dardania after one Dardanius name who both builded this towne and raigned there the first king 31. yeres though Manethon setteth downe 64. I wil folow Archilochus in this historie whose assertion is more probable concerning time then Manethon is It was called before Meonia this kingdome beganne 830. yeeres after the flood when Amyntas the 19. king of the Assyrians kept his Court at Niniue About which time Moses died after whom succeeded Iosua In Egypt then gouerned Aegyptius after he had driuen his brother Danaus then king out of Egypt vsurped the kingdome after whose name Egypt was named before called Mizraim and had to his sirname Ramesses About this time in Egypt the first Labyrinth was builded by Menophis by some called Miris after which example Dedalus imitated the like worke and made the second Labyrinth in Creete at what time Minoes raigned king in Creete This Minoes was the first lawmaker in Creete when likewise Radamanthus ordained lawes in Licya Bellopares now king in Assyria gouerned and Epopeus the 17. king of the Peloponesians For that I see not much matters in following the course and order of these kings of Greece and for that I finde as I said before nothing historicall because yet time seemed raw in Greece and farre from the ciuil dissentions which long after happened in Greece from the forren warres which the Grecians had with the kings of Persia and Macedonia for now all the warres that were was in Assyria Chaldea I wil hasten therefore to come to the histories of Greece wil passe ouer these fragments of places and persons vntil I shall find matters to write of only I will set downe the names of the kings of the Argiues as they raigned orderly 1 Inachus the first king raigned 50. yeres 2 Phoroneus 60. 3 Apis. 35. 4 Argos 70. 5 Crassus 54. 6 Abas Phorbas 35. 7 Troiphas 46. In this kings time the kingdome of Athens beganne 8 Crotopus 21. 9 Stelenus 11. 10 Danaus which was driuen by his brother Rameses out of Egypt came to Argos and raigned 50. 11 Lynceus 41. 12 Abas 23. 13 Protheus 17. 14 Agrisius 13. Now the kingdom of the Argiues ended their foueraigntie was taken away into Mycena by Perseus a noble valiant captaine which had diuers victories ouer diuers countreis as ouer the Persians and now ouer the Argiues in the time of Agrisius after they had gouerned Argos 544. yeres where Eristheus a man most famous named another Hercules for his great courage and enterprises he was of the stocke of Atrides for Atreus which was Agamemnon Menelaus father was his owne vncle and therfore he gouerned the most part of Greece In his time which yet had growen to no strēgth he established the kingdom of Mycena and broght many subiects vnder it that Mycena became populous and strong and the Mycenians became to be conquerors of many prouinces therefore writers omit the name of Perseus and of Stelenus and they begin the kingdom frō the time of Eristheus after whom succeeded 6. kings who waxed strong mighty that then Mycena ruled al Greece These had the 10. yeres warres with the Troyans and at last conquered them which warre was the cause of their own destruction for that they began together at one time and both had equall nomber of kings for 6. kings raigned in Mycena and 6. in Troy whose names I haue here layd downe The kings of MYCENA The kings of TROY Eristheus raigned 45. yeres Dardanus the first king 31. Atreus and Thiestes 65. Ericthonius 2. 57. Tros 3. 60. Agamemnon Atreussonne 18. Ilus the 4. king 54. This came frō Mycena vnto Troy with 1202. shippes Laomedon the 5. raigned 36. In whose time Troy was destroyed by Hercules with his company going to Colchos Aegistus after Agamemnon 2. Priamus the 6. and last king was by Agamemnō subdued and his citie conquered Orestes 15. yeeres In whose time Mycena was subdued by the stocke of Heraclides vnder the Peloponesians  Thus ended the kings of Mycena and of Troy the one being destroyed by the other yet after Orestes was slaine by Pirrhus in the temple of Apollo Tisamenus Orestes sonne raigned 15. yeres after his fathers death and after Tisamenus raigned but two more which were called Penthillus and Cometes But there is scant any mention made of these after Orestes time Now after that these two kingdomes were destroyed and ouerthrowen presently the kingdome of the Latines beginneth in the person of Aeneas who trauailing from Troy vnto Italy after the destruction therof maried king Latinus daughter and heire which is spoken of in the originall antiquitie of the Latines by Halcarnassaeus Ruffinus Eusebius and others The Peloponesians raigned 860. yeeres and ended in the time of Samson the last Iudge of Israel which ended the gouernment of the Iudges in Israel which continued
Demosthenes to exclaime in these wordes Noctua populus Draco tria monstra Athenis for in Athens they esteemed more the seruants poore people straungers and specially mariners more then their Magistrates noble men officers or their chiefe Citizens The people grewe so strong and so headie in Athens that it was not lawfull to banish straungers or to punish seruaunts to be short of the common wealth of Athens and of Sparta reade Xenophon Nowe againe to the victorie at Cheronea the last and the sorest battell which brake the backe of the Citie of Athens Philip king of Macedon called together all the States of Greece into Corinth where by common consent hee was chosen and named Prince or rather Generall of all Greece against the Persians All Greece being nowe quiet in peace Philip beganne warres against the Persians and with great celeritie hee sent an armie into Asia While these things were doing Philip was slaine by Pausanias when hee was of the age of fourtie sixe yeeres after hee had reigned king twentie fiue yeeres Greece thought by the death of Philip againe to recouer their former libertie they little doubted Alexander being then but young neither Arideus which was Philips base sonne by Laryssea which for a time reigned after Alexander but according to their wonted maners full of innouations ambitions contencions and hatred neuer quiet but one Citie or other would be iarring the Persians power grewe great and the Greekes beganne to reuoult from Alexander which by succession after his father shoulde bee their chiefe Generall The Thebans offered themselues to ioyne with those Cities that woulde defende the libertie of Greece and exclude those Macedonian souldiers which Philip placed in the castle of Thebes called Cadmea Hereby Alexander tooke occasion to enter in armes ouerthrewe Thebes vnto the grounde wasted and spoyled diuers Cities in Boetia for at one time the Athenians the Lacedemonians and the Thebans reuoulted from Alexander by perswasion of Demosthenes being corrupted with rewardes of the Persians But when Thebes was destroyed Alexander sent to Athens offering peace vnto the Athenians vpon the yeelding vp of Demosthenes Lycurgus and others by the Citizens vnto Alexander Vnto this demaund of Alexander Demosthenes brought in the fable of the Woolfe who offered peace vnto the Shepheardes vpon condicion to haue the shepheards dogges away applying the morall hereof vnto the Oratours of Athens who by continuall barking to the people kept Greece frō forraine soueraigntie but the Athenians standing much in feare of Alexanders force and beside knowing their owne weakenes they sent Demades the Orator to entreate for peace which being obteined of Alexander by the meanes of Demades the Athenians the Lacedemonians the Thebans and the rest of the Cities of Greece hauing obteyned peace likewise by one consent they appointed Alexander their captaine and chiefe generall against the Persians At what time reigned Darius the tenth king of Persia to whom many of Philips children by other mariages fledde to see the euents and sequell of the warres betweene Alexander and Darius This last yeelding vp of Greece vnto Alexander was three yeeres after the great battell of Cheronea and after the warres of the Peloponesians three score yeeres Of this warre Thucydides diuided his eight bookes concerning the ciuill warres of the Grecians which continued twentie seuen yeeres euery booke comprehending three yeeres warres vntill twentie one yeeres expired at what time Thucydides died then Xenophon beganne where Thucydides ended Thus ended the glorie of Greece which florished in wisedome and knowledge from Solons time vntill Plato two hundred yeeres and from Platoes birth vntill this last conquest of Greece a hundred and twentie yeeres Though yet Greece brought many learned men after Alexanders time yet the fame and renowme of Greece was caried vnto Macedonia their Empire translated their libertie lost and all Greece made subiect vnto Macedonia at what time the Monarchie of Persia was lost and brought by Alexander vnto Macedonia OF THE KINGDOME OF Macedonia of the continuance lawes and gouernment of their Kings and of their warres vntil the time of Alexander the great AFter I haue briefely entreated of Greece and haue abridged many things which might haue beeue well in the histories of Greece yet I haue many times occasion to speake of Greece in handling of Macedonia neither neede I long to stay in Macedonia for of all the kings of Macedonia before Philips time little or nothing is to bee spokē of them so obscure a kingdom Macedonia was before Philpis time for that the warres of Philip of his sonne the great Alexander are mencioned in the Persian and in the Grecians historie I neede not much to write of them therefore I will begin with the descents of the kings of Macedon of the first names of the countrie which was called Emathia of one Emathius which was the first that obteined soueraigntie in Emathia which name continued vntil the time of Deucaleons nephew named Macedo he chā◅ged the name of Emathia called it after his owne name Macedonia Melacthō saith that the name of Macedonia is come of Kittim the sonne of Iauan the sōne of Iaphet Herodot other auncient writers affirme that the kings of Macedonia take their originall from Hercules Nowe the land which before was called Pieria Migdonia or Emathia is nowe called the Realme of Macedonia a countrie bounded on the East side with Thracia on the South with Thessalia on the West with the Illyrians hauing on the North side Peonia as Pomponius Mela saith the Macedonians inhabited many Cities of the which Pella was the most renowmed The kingdome of Macedonia in the beginning was of◅o great fame vntill Philips time which was Amyntas sonne and Alexanders father who first brought the name of Macedonia to be spoken of though before of sclender renowne and obscure fame rather deseruing the name of a Prouince then of a kingdome as Ruffinus writeth for as Cyrus reigne doeth much lighten the whole historie of the Persians and the very time of their kings in respect of Cyrus his decree and dealings with the Iewes by the meanes and traueile of Zorobabel Esdras and Nehemias mencioned in Scripture euen so doeth the name of the great Alexander reforme many errors in Xenophons histories for that the certeintie of the Macedonian historie depēdeth vpon the time of Alexāder which of necessitie must be within a 130. yeeres of Cyrus though many of the best writers erre much in this After Macedo succeeded Cranaus a captaine of certeine Peloponesians hee was the first that had the name of a king hee builded a Citie according to the Oracle that hee should followe a heard of goates and where they stand there to builde a Citie which he named Aegea others say that he came vpon a tempest to a towne named Edissa there beholding goates together he changed the name of Edissa vnto Egea there he builded and
maried Statira Darius daughter hee married in Susa eightie and two nohle men of Macedonia vnto the Ladies of Persia and Media vpon one day and made a braue large tent of foure furlongs about and appointed an hundreth gorgeous riche beds where also the kings bed was furnished with too much riches to be spoken of I will they should reade Quin. Curtius and Diod. Siculus of the riche and sumptuous solemnitie of this feast of the regall magnificence of Alexander of the pompe and glorie of these Macedonian mariages with these Persian Ladies After these great mariages of himselfe and of his nobles and of his sumptuous feast which continued fiue dayes hee made also a solemne feast of cōmon mariages where 9000. were maried to whom Alexander gaue a cup of gold to euery one to honour the feast He became from a famous conquerour a voluptuous man a drunkard furious and fell at last in his rage to kill and to murther his dearest friendes as Hermolaus Parmenio yea Clitus his owne foster brother who saued Alexanders life at the battel at Granicus at what time Rhosaceris a Persian captaine had slaine Alexander had not Clitus bene he slewe Calisthenes the Philosopher for his good counsell Alexander saide Odio qui sibi non sapit he could not abide to heare any praise of his owne father Philip he would be called the sonne of Iupiter disdained his noble men and olde souldiers of Macedonia that serued his father he forgote to doe good as Pindar truely said and gaue himselfe to be a tyrant after Babylon was taken Alexander was modest discreet wise iust in iudgment temperat in diet for a time but the reward of sinne fel vpon him many hated him and many conspired his death as Sostratus Philota Antipater Epimenes Nicostratus and Anticles but Epimenes disclosed his conspiracie to his brother named Eurilochus to whom Alexander gaue 50. talents for these newes and pardoned Epimenes but the rest he executed Yet still more conspiratours grewe in so much that Antipater his lieutenant in Macedonia yea as some do suspect by Aristotles counsell poyson was sent from Macedonia vnto Babylon and deliuered to Cassander which was Antipaters sonne to Iolla and to Philippe which were Antipaters brethren which were of the kings priuie Chamber and these when they sawe their time bestowe a cuppe of drinke vpon Alexander for his last farewell which when he perceiued that there was no helpe he tooke his ring from his finger and gaue it to Perdica with a commandement giuen that his body should be caried to Iupiter of Ammon Yet some write that he died of a hot feuer A little before hee died he was demaunded who should raigne king after him he answered euen he that is most worthie to come after me And then being againe asked at what time he would haue his body buried he answered when you are at rest and quietnesse And so it came to passe that hee was left vnburied in Babylon vntill Olympias his mother came from Macedonia and caused his bodie to be caried to Alexandria for assoone as Alexander died they contended to bee kings and so forgot to burie Alexander according to his commaundement Thus Alexander after hee had liued thirtie two yeeres and raigned twelue he died at what time happened the saying of Demades to be true that the kingdomes and souldiers of Alexander should be like a Ciclope without an eye surely so it came to passe that after Alexanders death the most part of the worlde was without a king for Alexander had so many kingdomes that when hee died hee left no king behinde him vntill againe they beganne with the sworde to claime kingdomes After Alexanders death who died two hundreth and eight yeeres before Iulius Caesar was slaine during twelue yeeres which Alexander the great raigned in the whole hee raigned sixe of these twelue yeeres king ouer the Chaldeans and the Assyrians ouer the Medes and the Persians leauing Roxana king Darius daughter great with childe for the which the Macedonians did her great honour for king Darius had three daughters Statira Roxana and Bersene who were all married vnto Alexander This time beganne the Romanes to flourish and had conquered the Sabins the Samnits the Latines the Fidenats the Hetruscanes the Volscanes and diuers other countreys and beganne to looke further from Rome vnto other kingdomes of the worlde For nowe had triumphed in Rome during the raigne of Alexander these many gallant fellowes 1 Marcus Valerius Corinus 2 C. Mar. Corolyanus 3 Tit. Manlius Torquatus 4 Lucius Papyrius 5 Fabius Maximus 6 Mar. Curius 7 Lucius Voluminus 8 Caius Sulpitius And 9 Caius Decius And as Liuie saith al these seemed in courage and prowesse to be yong Alexanders CHAP. III. Of the diuision and parting of the kingdomes of Asia and Syria after the death of Alexander betweene his captaines for hee left no king to succeede after him but the sworde so many kingdomes were voide by his death that his captaines that fought then vnder Alexander for wages and spoyles fought nowe for kingdomes and Empires of their warres and of their continuance BVt to come to Macedonia againe where these great captaines fell at variance after the death of Alexander howe the kingdomes of Alexander might bee diuided sixe dayes they were in discoursing of these causes who should succeede Alexāder in the kingdome of Macedonia some greedie of praie some of ease some after long warres some of one thing and some of another the noble men and chiefe captaines they had an eye to the treasure of Alexander which was one hundred thousand talents beside his reuenues yerely which was three hundred thousande talents Perdiccas thought Roxana being great with childe by Alexander if it should be a sonne that he should be king of the Macedonians Meleager contraried Perdicas saying That Alexāder had a gallant youth to bee his sonne by Arsine named Hercules more fitter for the crowne of Macedonia then to expect a doubtfull chaunce by Roxana others thought that Aridaeus a bastard brother of Alexanders shoulde succeede in the kingdome Reade Q. Curtius of the orations and perswasions of seuerall Dukes and captaines concerning the succession after Alexander in the kingdome of Macedonia After long debates seuerall opinions touching Alexanders posteritie it came at last to the murthering of his wife Roxana being great with childe by Alexander to the killing of young Hercules Alexanders sonne by his wife Arsine to the slaughter of his mother Olympias and of his base brother Aridaeus it came in fine to bloodie ciuill discord that the calamitie and miserie of Macedonia after Alexanders time passed farre the felicitie and iollitie of Macedonia during the time of Alexander for after that Antipater had murthered all Alexanders stocke his wife children mother brother and all Alexanders nigh kinsemen hee armed himselfe against Lysimachus by whom Antipater was slaine
time the Romanes force encreased and they preuailed in warlike feats and in chiualrie although yet their wealth and substance were very slender for men raigned then in Rome as had this sentence alwayes in their mouthes Agere magna pati fortia Romanorum est Mutius Scaeuola spake it first before Porsenna king of the Thuscanes so great were the Romanes so ful of valure and so renowmed were their actions that the Dictator of Rome was more feared then any Emperour of the world and a Consul more esteemed then a king as by their victories and triumphes ouer all nations may appeare The discipline of the Romanes was such as their generals lieutenants captaines officers yea the priuate souldier if hee had deserued should haue had his triumph or bee preferred vnto a higher place of seruice Plinie saith the garlands which were made for the Conquerors were some of lawrel some of oken leaues some of Mirtle some of greene grasse and some of golde The citie of Rome was full of statues and images erected as monuments of the Romanes pictures set vp at the barres where the Orators did plead and images in the market place of Dictators and Consuls that to bee a souldier in Rome was more then to be a captaine in Greece and to be a Consul in Rome were more then to be a king in other places so mightie the Romanes waxed by this that they warred nowe a hundreth and three miles distant from Rome and tooke the Samnits in hande against whome Lucius Papirius Cursor then created Dictator went with an armie giuing charge at his departure from Rome to Quintus Fabius Maximus who at that time was appointed an officer attendant vpon the Dictator called Magister equitū that he should not fight with the enemies during his absence Howbeit vpon occasions Fabius with great good lucke fought with the Samnits and vanquished them for which disobedience notwithstāding his good successe Luc. Papirius after his returne gaue sentence of death vpon him but hee was deliuered through the passing great fauour of the people In the second battell the Samnits ouercame the Romanes and caused them to their reproch to creepe vnder the yoke which was made with two speares in the earth and the thirde vpon the toppe of them like a gallowes In the thirde battel Luc. Papirius had the vpper hand ouer the Samnits and caused seuen thousand of the Samnits to creepe vnder the yoke at the battell of Allifas Thus the Samnits were discomfited by the Romanes but neuerthelesse they still renued their battell vntill Fabius Maximus came to ayde his sonne Quintus who was vanquished by the Samnits and three thousand of his souldiers slaine for of all nations that the Romanes had to doe withall the Samnits diminished most the force of the Romanes as in the bloodie battels at Tifernum Longula and at Lantula where Quintus Aulius generall of the Romanes was slaine Likewise in the battels at Satricula and Suessula the last ouerthrow of the Samnits reade Liui of the Samnits warres who continued their warres with the Romanes 49. yeeres but in an exceeding great battell they were slaine and ouerthrowen by Pub. Cornelius Ruffinus and Marcus Curius Dentatus then Consuls at Rome CHAP. IIII. Of the warres and victories of the Romans ouer king Pyrrhus called the Tarentine warres vntill the Carthaginean warres of their victories and triumphes had ouer Italy with diuers other forreine nations and kingdomes WHen the Romans had thus cōquered the Samnits they proclaimed open warres against the Tarentines which inhabited the furthest part of Italy for they had iniured the Romanes ambassadours who sent for Pyrrhus king of Epire to assist them Pyrrhus foorthwith came for he euer enuied the glorie of the Romanes and wished to haue some dealings with them for he was accompted the second souldier of the world next to Alexander the great for he was like to Alexander in all points This king discended of the line of Achilles and was named Pyrrhus as the name of Achilles sonne hee was glad to haue occasion offered him to warre against the Romanes he gathered souldiers and his forces together hee associated with the Samnits the Lucanes and the Brutaines and ioyned his armie with the Tarentines and marched forwarde to giue battell to Publius Valerius Leuinius the Consul to whome Pyrrhus gaue the ouerthrowe for Pyrrhus was then an olde souldier and had practised armes against Lysimachus king of Thracia and against Demetrius king of Macedonia Then the Consuls lost of Romane souldiers to the nomber of fifteene thousande and Pyrrhus got not that victorie without blood for he had slaine of his souldiers by the Romanes seuen thousand and Eutropius sayeth that Pyrrhus had fled and lost the fielde had not his elephants bene by whose meanes onely he ouerthrewe the Romanes Pyrrhus to shewe his greatnesse to the Romanes sent the prisoners which hee tooke without raunsome but the maiestie of the Senate requited Pyrrhus in letting so many prisoners of the Samnits and Tarentines free to Pyrrhus After this the second battel betwixt the Tarentines and the Romanes was at the citie of Ascalum where likewise Pyrrhus had the victorie ouer the Romanes This time the Carthagineans offered ayde to the Romanes and sent their ambassadors with a crowne made all of golde in token of their good will this gift should be put in the Capitol in the seate of Iupiter The Romans were somewhat heated by Pyrrhus and hauing lost two victories they prepared for the thirde battel whose charge was giuen to M. Curius Dentatus then Consul who exspecting ayde to come from Lucania vntill king Pyrrhus a hot rash captaine did set vpon them but to his great losse and to one of his last ouerthrowes in Italy I find in Eutropius that Pyrrhus lost twentie thousande of his souldiers his elephants and himselfe sore wounded Pyrrhus hauing this repulse sent one Cineas an ambassador to the Romanes an excellent eloquent Orator and one of Demosthenes chiefe scholers hee thought to entreate for peace vpon indifferent conditions but no condition pleased the Romanes vnlesse Pyrrhus would depart out of Italy This answere being returned from the Senate Pyrrhus demaunded of Cineas what maner of place Rome was Cineas answered that Rome was a citie of kings saying further that euery one in Rome was such as Pyrrhus was in Epire. Then said Pyrrhus were I king of Rome or had I Romane souldiers I should soone conquer all Asia and Europe Then Fabritius a noble Romane was sent against king Pyrrhus this Fabritius was so honoured at Rome and so esteemed abroade and yet a poore man that Pyrrhus offered him gold and siluer yea the fourth part of his kingdome if hee would forsake Rome This was that Fabritius that refused Pyrrhus gifts and also opened the treason and conspiracie of his Phisition who offred for money to bring Pyrrhus into
Fabritius hands and this was hee that forced Pyrrhus to flee to Sicilia and after hee had subdued the Samnits and the Lucanes hee had his triumph graunted him While Pyrrhus stayed musing in Sicilia Curius Dentatus and Cornelius Lentulus being Consuls were sent to meete Pyrrhus and to giue him battel for the Romanes suffered him to haue no rest within Italy In this battell the armie of Pyrrhus was slaine his tents sackt and hee himselfe driuen to Tarentum he lost 23. thousand that day ouer whom Curius Dentatus triumphed in his Consulship hee brought foure elephants into Rome which were the first that euer were seene in a triumph at Rome for before Pyrrhus warres the spoiles and the treasures of the Volscanes and the Sabines were but cattell the spoiles which the Romanes had of the Gaules were Carpenta the spoyle of the Samnits were but armours and broken weapons The like poore spoiles and praies had the Romans ouer the Fidenats poore townes not yet wel enriched for the ciuill warres which they had with the Romanes But Pyrrhus brought the strength and treasure of a king his golde and siluer his elephants and camels that the victorie which Curius Dentatus and Fabritius then Consuls at Rome had ouer Pyrrhus so reioyced Rome that their triumph then ouer Pyrrhus was the most ioyfull and acceptable triumph that euer Rome saw at that time To this ende came the vaine hope of king Pyrrhus who thought to haue conquered Italy and thereby to be king of Rome After he had spent 6. yeeres in continuall warres with the Romans he fled after whose flight immediatly all Italy was conquered and Sicilia Not long after Pyrrhus was slaine at Argos a citie of Greece for after Tarentum was destroyed then the Picents and their towne Asculum were also subdued by Sempronius After the Picents the Salentines and their chiefe port Brundusium was conquered by Mar. Attilius and last of all the Volscanes were also ouerthrowen by Fabius Gurges Thus was all Italy soone subdued after the ouerthrowe of Tarentum At this time flourished in Greece Agesilaus a noble man of Sparta and after the death of king Agis he was elected king in Sparta ouer the Lacedemonians with whome flourished for a time Lisander a valiant captaine of Sparta and a great enemie of Athens Alcibiades was famous in Camillus time and Niceas the Athenian who during Camillus warres in Rome and before his time a litle all Greece were busie in the Peloponesian warre This time Diogenes the Cynicke Plato the Philosopher liued and his scholer Aristotle was borne In Persia raigned Artaxerxes Mnemon sirnamed the great who helde warres for a short time with his brother Cyrus whom he slew Reade of this king in Xenophon his fift booke and after his sonne Ochus raigned king in Persia. In Macedonia raigned Philippe Alexander the great his father who subdued and conquered many nations in the time of Camillus and after succeeded him his sonne Alexander the great whose renowme and fame are in all bookes manifest This time liued Mausolus king of Caria whose tombe when he died the Queene his wife Artimesia made so gorgeous and so sumptuous that it was reckoned in the nomber of the seuen wonders Alexander Pheraeus the tyrant of Thessalia raigned at this time with whom Pelopidas had battel and who by Epaminondas his friend was rescued Likewise gouerned in Egypt as reuolted kings from the Persians since Cambyses time the second king of Persia vntill Darius Ochus raigne the eight king of Persia Nepherites sixe yeres Achoris twelue yeres and Nectanabus eighteene yeeres When now that Camillus was dead there succeeded a nomber of valiant Romanes as 1 Tit. Quintius Cicinatus 2 Tit. Manlius Torquatus 3 M. Val. sirnamedCoruinus 4 Q. Fabius Maximus 5 Luc. Papyrius Cursor 9 And Curius Dentatus With many more valiant Romanes that augmented the glorie of Rome in subduing the nations about them as the warres of the Volscans Thuscans Samnits and Torentines can witnes of which you may reade in Liuie in Halicarnassaeus in Eutropius and in others During which time the kings of Egypt after Alexander the great with the kings of Syria and Asia were as well occupied with warres in their owne kingdomes as the Romanes were in Italy so likewise were the kings of Macedonia and all the states of Greece for Alexanders souldiers and his captaines had filled all the East part of the world with warres for Alexander had subdued and conquered the most part of all the kings then liuing and brought them to pay tribute to the kings of Macedonia So that after his death they fought for kingdoms and euery king sought by warres to become like vnto Alexander and so by that meanes one destroyed another that then proud Persia which had the Chaldeās Assyrians Lydians Medes Egpptians all Asia and all the world vassals and subiects vnder them were then made to yeeld to the Macedonian empire You haue read how hitherto the Romanes haue from a litle towne in the beginning crept ouer all Italy and now are readie to trie their valour abroade and so to set foote in Affrike and Lybia countreis farre from Rome for yet the Romans had neuer waged warre forth of Italy And to the end they might vnderstand what power they were able to make there was a muster had and the names of the Romanes were nombred by the pole which amounted to the nomber of three hundreth thousand citizens In the 480. yere after the building of Rome the name of the Romanes became famous insomuch that they proclaimed warres against the people of Affrike at what time Appius Claudius sirnamed Caudex and Q. Fuluius were Cōsuls This warre endured vntil Q. Luctatius Aulus Manlius consulship which was 22. yeeres Of these 3 seueral warres which the Romans had with the Affricanes I haue said some thing in the Affricane historie The first warre was against Hamilcar Hanibals father a famous Captaine at that time of the Carthagineans with whom Hanibal in his youth was brought vp in Spaine at what time the Romanes pretended warres against Hieron king of Sicilie But he together with the residue of his nobilitie made peace with the Romans and gaue them in cōsideration thereof 200. talents of siluer and then the Affricans were ouercome in Sicilia which was the second time that the Romans triumphed ouer them After ◅his the Carthagineās were discomfited on the sea in the third battel where the Romans toke 31. ships and sunke 18. beside the slaughter of 3000. and the taking of 7000. with fewin dayes after This time Caius Aquilius and Lucius Scipio were Consuls for then Scipio wanne Corsica and Sardinia and led with him many thousande prisoners and triumphed in the second battell by sea Hamilcar the generall of the Carthagineans lost 64. ships and was forced to retire backe at what time Clipea the chiefest citie in Affrike was yeelded vp to the Romanes
who appointed him his lieutenant general ouer his garisons for Cneus Carbo the Consul which fought with young Marius together against Silla which Marius was slaine by Silla in Preneste At what time Carbo fledde and was slaine by Pompey and after that Pompey slue Domitius a captaine of Marius his side and withall slue Hiarbus king of Mauritania being of Domitius side and therefore triumphed Pompey ouer Affrike being but twentie foure yeeres of age which was neuer earst graunted to any Romane and hauing not bene Consul While this ciuill warre continued in Rome little or nothing was done in other countries for nowe all places were made quiet by the Romās sauing some of Marius friends who fled after Marius death held out and did what they could to trouble the Romanes as Hirtulius Sertorius and others of Maririus friends that stirred wars in Spaine in Cicilia Pamphylia against these Q. Metellus sonne to that Metellus which subdued king Iugurth was sent with him Cneus Pompeius was sent to aide him for Sertorius was a valiāt approued captaine Apius Claudius was then sent after his Consulship was expired to Macedonia where hee died without any harme done to the enemies in his place succeded Scribonius Curio who for his good seruice merited a triumph Then was sent into Cilicia Pamphylia Publius Seruilius a passing good captaine for hee wanne the worthiest cities of Licia and subdued Cilicia hee wanne Phasilides Olympus Coritum three great cities and finished his warres in three yeeres and returned to Rome and had a triumph graunted him ouer the Isaurians So had Metellus ouer Spaine Scribonius Curio ouer Macedonia Pompeius againe ouer Spaine which was his second triumph so at that time were foure triumphs in Rome together Againe Mithridates infringed the league before made and renued warres with the Romanes and would haue inuaded Asia and Bythinia had not Lu. Lucullus the Consul and his fellowe M. Aurelius Cotta come in time for before this time hee pretended warre against Bythinia and their king Nicomedes and after that inuaded Capadocia and Paphlagonia and draue both Nicomedes king of Bythinia and Pilemenes king of Paphlagonia to exile and from thence he went to Ephesus killing and flaying the Romanes friends and withall he was so cruell that he sent letters through all Asia that wheresoeuer any Citizen of Rome might be found he shoulde be killed though he was discomfited by Silla and Lucullus and at last driuen to flee for succour to Tigranes king of Armenia a captaine of great renowme in those dayes for this Tigranes was so mightie a king that he had subdued the Persians and Mesopotamia hee also wanne Syria and a peece of Phoenicia yet still Mithridates renued warres called his armie from Scythia and ioyned them with Tigranes force But Lucullus followed Mithridates hard to Armenia and required Tigranes to deliuer him Mithridates which being denied Lucullus foorth with inuaded king Tigranes realme and gaue him a great ouerthrowe and passed from place to place as conqueror destroying of countries and taking cities vntil he came to the riuer Danubius he destroyed Appolonia Parthenopolis and other cities of Pontus and returned to Rome a conqueror of many coūtries both he his cousin germaine M. Lucullus and triumphed with great glory but yet he missed of king Mithridates he plaied still the tyraunt with the Romanes vntil Pompey the great came who ouercame Mithridates in Armenia sackt his tents and slue fourtie thousand of his armie and forced Mithridates to flee when hee poysoned himselfe and died after hee had kept warres with the Romanes fourtie yeeres for this warre of Mithridates began with Silla and was ended by Pompey Thus the Romanes at last conquered the great king Mithridates who had not continued so long had not ciuill warres bene in Rome betweene Marius and Silla and after that the conspiracie of Cateline and after Cateline the ciuill warres betweene Pompey and Caesar of this you shall reade hereafter In the meane season there was no warre in other kingdomes for Syria Egypt Libya and all other places were friendes and subiects to the Romanes for nowe the Romanes were in their greatnes and in their most glory and fame Such men liued then in Rome as did conquer the whole world Now assoone as Mithridatates was by Pompey ouerthrowē he addressed his battell against Tigranes who yeelded vnto Pompey without battell and came to Pompeis tent fell prostrate before him and deliuered vp his crowne vnto Pompeius After the yeelding of king Tigranes Pompey made warres with the Albanes and ouercame Orodes king of the Albanes in three sundrie battels he also subdued Arthaces king of Iberia and receiued him vnder the allegeance of the Romanes To be briefe Pompey was the onely man that not onely augmented the glory of Rome but also enriched Rome with infinite treasures gotten by his conquest of Cilicia Syria Phoenicia Iudea Mesopotamia Capadocia Armenia Iberia Albania and a great part of Arabia By these kingdomes whom Pompey conquered the reuenues of Rome were augmented three thousand and fiue hundred Myriades The glory of Pompey grew to be such in Rome that hee was elected to be a Consul alone himselfe without a fellowe for Pompey at his triumph ouer Mithridates his sonne for Mithridates him selfe as you heard died before the triumph had Tigranes also and his sonne and Aristobulus king of the Iues ledde before his chariot for at that time he triumphed ouer two kings and ouer two kings sonnes The pompe and pride of that triumph farre excelled other triumphes for Eutropius saith that at that very triumph Pompey had vanquished certeine pirates on the seas when Lucius Metellus had triumphed ouer Creete and therefore surnamed Metellus Cretius After that Pompey had finished these wars in the sixe hundred eightie nine yeere after the building of Rome Lucius Catiline a man of a noble stocke descended but of an euill disposition conspired with diuers other rash young men like himself but yet were they noble men and many gentlemen but by Ciceros meanes then Consul Cateline was expulsed foorth of the Citie and shortly slaine in a battell by Caius Anthonius fellowe Consul with Cicero some of his confederates were apprehended and thratled in prison others as Lentulus Cethegus with the rest slaine About this time Horace the Poet was borne and within fewe yeeres after Octauius which was called Augustus was borne afterward This time reigned in Egypt Alcetes the father of Cleopatra after whome Cleopatra with her brother reigned vntill Marcus Anthonius time with whome shee liued and died for nowe reigned in euery kingdome lieutenants and gouernours vnder the Romanes all kingdomes and countries were made prouinces vnder Rome These pirates nauies as Plutarch saith were about a thousand in number they had takē aboue 400. Townes they had spoiled many temples as in Samos the temple of Iuno in Tenaria
and change of the common wealth of Rome from Aristocratia to Monarchia againe as before from Kings to Consuls so nowe from Consuls to Emperours The state was altered by Iu. Caesar the first Emperour and the last Dictator of Rome and so from Iu. Caesar vnto the ende of Nero which was the last of the progenie of Augustus POmpeis friendes and adherents being thus subdued the ciuill warres cleare appeased Caesar returned to Rome with great triumph where he was chosen to be perpetuall Dictator and named of the people Emperour hee vsed great clemencie towards Pompeis friends and caused Pompeis Images being throwen downe before to be set vp againe hee raised the children of those parents which were slaine in the ciuil warres betweene Silla and Marius and therefore the Romanes dedicated the Temple of clemencie to Caesar for his courtesie Caesar was not idle after the ciuill warres and after many daungerous battels for in October hee entred with his triumph to Rome at what time he reformed the inequalitie of the yeere and brought to perfection the Kalender so that Caesar did what it pleased him in Rome without regard of the Senators or Consuls which was the onely cause of Cassius and Brutus conspiracie and yet Caesar saued Brutus life once or twise after Pompeis death This conspiracie being concluded betweene Brutus and Cassius with many Senators and gentlemen of Rome more the time was appointed and the place diuerse strange impressions were seene in the ayre also strange markes founde in Caesars sacrifice the Southsayers warned Caesar of the Ides of March his wife Calphurnia certified Caesar of a dreame she sawe and with teares desired him that day not to goe to the Senate the conspiracie was deliuered to him in writing vpon the way as hee went to the Senate but destinies may be easier foreseene then auoyded Caesar was that day slaine and so murthered that hee had 23. wounds on his bodie Thus the great Caesar had butfrom October to March to liue in Rome as Emperour all the rest of his life was 56. yeeres his warres his dangers all the toile and traueile he tooke was to come to be Emperour of Rome which he enioyed not 5. moneths Caesar had fiue triumphes very solemnly the first hee had ouer the Frenchmen the second ouer the king of Egypt the third ouer Pharnaces Mithridates sonne king of Pontus the fourth ouer Affrica of Cato Scipio and Cneus Pompeius the fift of Spaine Thus farre the glory of Rome florished their fame and dignitie extended to al parts of of the world as by their victories and triumphes ouer all nations may appeare for during the raigne of the Consuls which gouerned Rome 467. yeres for frō Iu. Brutus and Publicola the first Consuls after the time of the last king vntill Pausa and Hirsius the last Consuls vnder Iulius Caesar the first Emperour raigned in Rome 936 Consuls all which time the Romanes encreased from the very beginning their Empire as may appeare by the victories and triumphes ouer so many countreys and kingdomes as here I lay downe to your view FIrst Sicilia was subdued by Marcellus then Consul ouer which hee triumphed with pompe and brought Sicilie a prouince vnder Rome 2 Sardinia and Corsica were by Metellus conquered and made by him a prouince vnder the Romanes 3 All Affrica and Carthage was by Pub. Cornelius Scipio brought subiect vnder the Romans and after againe by Scipio sirnamed the yonger Affricanus 4 Numidia and their king Iugurtha was by Marius then Consul after many sharpe battels ouerthrowen and subdued and Iugurtha brought prisoner into Rome where he pied in prison 5 Mauritania was in like maner held by Bochus and Iuba but both were vanquished and all Mauritania by Iu. Caesar then generall for the Romanes in the West brought vnder the Empire of Rome 6 Hispaine was brought vnder by Decius Brutus and made a prouince vnder the Romanes and after by Metellus and last by Pompey the great who vtterly subdued Spaine 7 After that all Affrica and Spaine was made subiect to the Romanes the kingdome of Macedonia and all Greece were subdued and brought to Rome first by Tit. Flaminius and after by Paulus Aemilius 8 The Illyrians which ayded the Macedonians were by Lucius Manilius conquered and their king Gentius caried captiue into Rome ouer whom he solemnly triumphed 9 The Thracians were by Lucullus vanquished and subdued and so made seruants to the Romanes 10 Asia was destroyed sundrie times but last by Scipio sirnamed Asiaticus so named for his victorie ouer Antiochus the great and ouer Asia so that neere al Asia and all Affrica were made subiects vnder the Romanes 11 All the countrey about mount Taurus was subdued and brought vnder the Empire of Rome by Seruilius who also conquered the Isaurians and therefore sirnamed Isauricus for his victorie therein 12 Lucius Silla subdued the Parthians and constrained their king Arsaces to pay tribute to the Romanes 13 Lucius Lucullus vanquished the king of Armenia and brought him to hold of the Romanes 14 Pontus Mesopotamia Arabia Iudea and diuers other kingdomes and countreys were made prouinces vnder Rome by Pompey the great Frenchmen were first by Camillus and after by Marius vanquished the thirde time all Fraunce was conquered by Iulius Caesar. Creete was by Metellus subdued and therefore Metellus was sirnamed Creticus Cyprus by Marcus Cato was made a prouince of the Romanes Pub. Ventidius triumphed ouer the Persians and brought them subiect to Rome Egypt vnder diuers Consuls kept vnder the Romans Empire and at last made a prouince vnto Rome and was appointed to be the treasurer of Rome and called Horreum Romae the barne of Rome For while Pompey flourished in Rome Caesar was also of great credite and had bene Questor and Tribune of the souldiers and after was sent Pretor to Spaine for Caesar was a valiant souldier and a skilfull captaine his prowesse and deedes of armes excelled Silla Marius Crassus Lucullus and Pompey Reade his life in Plutarch and you shall finde how many nations and howe many townes Caesar conquered in the warres with the Gaules he brought welnigh all Fraunce to subiection After hee warred vpon the Illyrians and Heluetians at what time Cassius Lopanus raigned king and soone after vpon the Britaines which at that time neuer heard of the Romanes whose prowesse and great courage Caesar in his owne Commentarie doeth much commende Caesar waged battell with diuers nations of Germanie as with the Tigurians the Belges and the Neruians for in Germanie are sundrie sorts of people as Sicambri Tenterides which Caesar subdued These conquests of Caesar made Pompey much to feare the greatnesse of him if hee should once come to be a Consul in Rome and therefore Pompey laboured to keepe Caesar still occupied in Fraunce in Spaine and in Germanie the onely souldiers of the worlde But Caesar could not bee kept backe but would be a Consul for
his long seruice and sent to Rome to his friends for that purpose The ciuil warres being thus ended betwixt Pompey and Caesar which continued fiue yeeres to the ouerthrow almost of the whole Empire and Caesar also after the ciuill warres of fiue yeres was slaine within 5. moneths Marcus the chiefe friend of Caesar a man of great credite in Rome was made Consul and for his greatnesse sake he was matched with Dolabella of this purpose done by the Senate to curbe Antonius for they doubted Antonius would aspire the kingdome as Caesar did Cicero laboured to bring Thrasibulus law called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Rome to quiet and pacifie the tumult and warre which was like to ensue by Caesars death But to no effect for the Senate tooke part with them which had slaine Caesar. Antonius sought by all meanes to reuenge Caesars death whereupon grew againe ciuill warres betwixt Octauius and Antonius This Octauius was sisters sonne to Iulius Caesar and he had adopted him to be his heire in the Empire of Rome in his testament This was called by the Senate to withstand the furie of Marcus Antonius So Pansa and Hircius then were Cōsuls ioyned with Octauius as both Eutrop. and Melancthon saith These 3. captaines went gainst Antonius and gaue him the ouetthrow Antonius fled to Lepidus an olde friende of Caesars and had at that time great bands of men readie they ioyned their force together but by Lepidus meanes Octauius and Antonius were made frendes These three Octauius Marcus Antonius and Marcus Lepidus had all the gouernment of the citie Octauius this time caused the Romanes to create him Consul when he was but twentie yeeres of age Euery man sawe how it would be in Rome and perceiued that this ciuil warre would exceede the rest before betwixt Silla and Marius and betweene Pompey and Caesar for Bratus and Cassius that slewe Caesar prepared an armie at Philippos a citie of Macedonia where they ioyned battell with Octauius and Antonius In this battell Cassius was slaine and in the next battel Brutus was slaine and an infinite nomber of nobilitie for during the warres that these triumuiri first had with Brutus and Cassius and their adherents and then with Sextus Pompeius the yonger sonne to Pompeius the great there were many Senators Consuls noblemen and gentlemen slaine on both sides It could be no other wayes considering the loue which the Romanes bare to Pompeius and their feare which they bare to Caesar. Now Lepidus one of Trium viri died in Affrica and the gouernment fell wholy betweene Octauius Caesar and Marcus Antonius Antonius had from Euphrates vnto the sea Illyricum and Caesar Octauius had from the sea Illyricum to the West Ocean but their friendship in gouernment continued not long It is an olde saying and true that Principalitie can abide no equalitie and therefore ciuill dissention fell betweene Octauius and Antonius Before they fell out betwixt themselues they slewe and murthered without lawe whom they lusted as Cicero Hortensius Lucullus with an infinite nomber of Senators of Consuls of noblemen and gentlemen which died in the warres of Brutus and Cassius And nowe againe newe ciuill warres beganne which continued twelue yeeres betwixt Octauius Caesar and Marcus Antonius but in the ende after many cruel battels and much slaughter Octauius got the victorie at what time Rome was so weakened by these ciuill warres that if then Pyrrhus Hanibal or Mithridates had liued they might soone haue conquered Rome Now when Antonius was vanquished by Octauius in a battell at Actium a towne of Epirus hee flead to Egypt being exempt of all hope to recouer his former state hee slewe himselfe and presently after him Cleopatra procured meanes to die for companie of her friend Antonius It is saide that Cleopatra affecting much the Empire of Rome was the cause of this ciuill discention for shee was the last Queene of Egypt after whose death Egypt was annexed to the Empire of Rome by Octauius and Cneus Cornelius Gallus was appointed lieutenant there This was the first Romane that gouerned Egypt Octauius Augustus after hee had vanquished Antonius and had gotten the whole Empire into his owne hand he became so louing to the people so gentle to the Senators and so liberall to the souldiers that he wanne the highest and lowest with great loue to fauour him The ciuil warres being thus ended Augustus became Consul the fourth time at what time hee entred into Rome with three triumphes the one ouer the Illyrians the second ouer Marcus Antonius the thirde ouer Cleopatra at what time hee was saluted by the name of Augustus and Pater patriae This time Ianus temple was shut the thirde time in Rome and now was the beginning of the peace and quietnes of the Romanes for from the building of Rome vntill Augustus raigne we reade that Ianus temple was not shut but twise before Augustus in whose time warres were pacified through the whole worlde and for ioy of these happie dayes the moneth Sextilis then was called Augustus after the Emperours name as his vncle Iulius had in the honour of his name the moneth then called Quintilis to be called Iulius This Emperour Augustus was fortunate in warres and circumspect in peace he enlarged greatly the Empire of Rome he annexed Egypt Hungarie Illyria Rhetia he vanquished the Danes in battel slew great armies of Germanes and brought 400. thousand Germanes forth of Germanie prisoners and placed them in France and replenished France with inhabitants of Germanie he brought Fraunce to pay tribute and brought Iudea a prouince vnder the Romanes During the time of the Consuls which endured 447. yeres it is to be wondered that one nation of one towne and that without a king but by Consuls should bring the most kingdomes of the world subiect to Rome as Affrike Hispaine France and Britaine of this side Rome made by Cōsuls to pay tribute vnto the Romanes beyond Rome Eastwarde and round about Rome Northward and Southward these kingdomes countreys were brought subiect to Rome and made prouinces of the Romanes by Consuls as Illyrians Istrians Dalmatians Macedonians al the Greekes the Medes the Thracians and the great Antiochus driuen out of Asia by Consuls of Rome Valiant Pyrrhus and mightie Mithridates kings of Epirus and Pontus ouerthrowen by Consuls of Rome Tigranes king of Armenia by Consuls Mesopotamians and Parthians brought in league with the Romanes by Consuls to be short all Syria Egypt and Sicilia were broght by Cōsuls of Rome to be prouinces vnder Rome What part of the world but Consuls of Rome were knowen Yea the Arabians and Saracens knewe the force of the Romane Consuls and when that the Romane consuls were lords of the whole world finding no nation able long to encounter with them their courage was such that they enuied one another greatly they spited one another in seruice and at last fel to
at Rome 1463. when Lewys the 11. raigned king of Fraunce Ferdinandus surnamed the great succeeded king of Spaine and raigned 41. yeres In this kings time the whole kingdom of Spaine was deuided betweene Ferdinandus and Alphonsus king of Portingal and Iohn king of Tarracon Nauarre Sicilia and of the yle Maiorica and of al that parte of Spaine when he died hee gaue to this Ferdinandus Alphonsus sonne who for his often great victories against the Saracens and many other good successes in other warres was thereby named Ferdinandus the great and also surnamed the Catholike for he had gotten the kingdome of Granata by the sword and excluded all infidels and Saracens thence and in their roome planted religion and placed Christians This was the first time that all Spaine was gouerned by two kinges the one in Portingall the other in Spayne for vntill Ferdinandus and Alphonsus time Spaine was as you heard by the Saracens possessed before the Saracens by the Gothes before the Gothes by the Vandales before the Vandales by the Romanes before the Romanes by the Carthagineans so long to so many kingdoms was Spaine subiect for of all nations in the world they were onely the longest in slauery and bondage vnder strange forraine kings They were from Hispanus time the 9. king of Spaine after Tubal after whose name the countrie was first called Hispaine 2200. yeeres past Spaine continued that name vnder bondage for the space of 2100. yeeres which was from Hispanus vnto the time of Ferdinandus and Alphonsus king of Portingal who first began to be acquainted with the Indians This Alphonsus king of Portingal dyed of a fall which he had from his horse afterward his brother named Emanuel succeeded who made great preparation to saile to India About this time dyed Philip Archduke of Austria father to Charles the fift at Bruggis in Spaine and Frederike the third Archduke of Austria was elected Emperour of Germany After Ferdinandus the great had reigned 41. yeres succeeded Charles Archduke of Austria to be king in Spaine who also was elected Emperour of Germany for he was crowned king of Spaine and of Sicile the seuenth day of Februarie 1518. and reigned 43. yeeres Vnder this king Charles the fift the Spaniards gote many victories in diuers countries they tamed the Affricanes and subdued Holand Flanders and places in Germanie they were skant knowen for all their vauntes and bragges before Charles the fifts time then they beganne to trauaile countries and to finde prayes and spoyles so that nowe a world cannot conteyne them forgetting that they were vassales and subiects first to the Affricanes then to the Carthagineans next to the Romanes after to the Gothes and last of all to the Saracēs who possessed well nigh al Spaine for many yeres they are so glorious of their enterprises so proude of their victories But as we reade one kingdome to rise by the ruine of another as the Assyrians began to florish by the decay of the Chaldeans the Persians by the fall of the Assyrians the Macedonians by the Persians the Romanes by the Macedonians and now Germany by the ruine of Rome euen so ma◅y a man speak of Spaine By the late decay of Naples Hierusalem Sicile and other countreies Spaine beginneth to flourish being wel aided thereunto by the Indians they which were as dead men bond slaues and subiects in the worlde neither knowne nor heard of for the space of 2000. and odde yeeres became so sudenly great and mighty that they thinke wel of no nation but them selues by their furie and wicked rage It seemeth that they should not long endure vnlesse God raised them for scourges and plagues for the punishment of sinne to punish other as they were before punished of the Saracenes and infidels But consider the time howe after 600. yeeres the pope the Romane bishop and Mahomet the prophet of the Saracenes began at one time the one in Arabia the other in Rome This priest in Rome and this false prophet in Arabia brought all the world welnigh to commitidolatry and to liue in awe and feare of them and now of late the Turkes and the Spaniards reuiue the memorie of the tyranny of the Saracenes the one mainteining the idolatry of the Pope the other defending the wickednes of Mahomet Thus much I write of Spaine during the time of their long bondage vnder so many nations as you hearde I haue put downe the names and the numbers of their first kings which were 24. at their first comming into Spaine and then of their seueral gouernment vnder particular magistrates then of their subiection vnder the Carthagenians after vnder the Romanes then vnder the Gothes and last vnder the Saracens so long the Saracens gouerned as kings in Spaine as 40. seuerall kings of Spaine liued and gouerned as mean and simple kings in few places of Spaine as in Astura Legio and Castile But now from the time of this Ferdinandus which raigned king in Spaine 41. yeeres their chiefe credite renowme appeared but specially vnder Charles the fift who gouerned the kingdome of Spaine 43. yeeres the Empire of Germanie for 39. yeeres with great glory fame After whom succeeded in the Empire his brother Ferdinandus to whom he resigned the empire aliue at Frankford after went with both his sisters Mary and Leonora into Spaine where he died in a Monasterie vpon the 20. of September where succeeded him his sōne Philp that now liueth of whose large territories great possessions mynes treasures of India bookes are full and set onely foorth for that purpose so that I neede not to speake thereof OF THE BEGINNING and the originall of the Nation which was called Galgreekes or Gallograecians of their inuasions spoile and slaughter in many Countries of Asia and of their ouerthrow by Cn. Manlius who with great pompe triumphed ouer them at Rome GAllograeci a French nation mingled with the Grecians as both Iosephus Zonaras agree This people dwelled sometime in Galatia being from the beginning Frenchmen and by the reasō they were in so many places skattered after they were driuen frō Rome by Camillus and after that Brennus their chiefe captaine died that at one time all Asia was full of Frenchmen by the name of Galli Iustine saith that no king of the East Countrie would take battell in hand without a French armie Againe if any king were by force driuen out of his kingdome they fled no where for aide but to Brennus captaine of the Gaules These people bearing such sway in diuers places of Asia that the king of Bythinia hauing occasion to craue some ayde for the defence of his kingdome who hauing wonne the victorie the king diuided the kingdome of Bythinia betweene him and the Frenchmen and therefore the Bythinians and the Frenchmen for that they dwelled in one Countrie being two seuerall nations were
certayne that at that time the Germanes the Saxons the Turinges and Frenchmen tooke possession in that Countrey which is nowe called Marchia Bradenburgensis where Sunno the sonne of Richimer did first and before any man inhabite there and was the first prince that gouerned the Countrie and ruled the people and as Tritemius sayeth hee was set there by his father and the other kings before named to withstand and resist the forreigne armies and other people comming from the East into Germanie This Richimer was a very notable stoute captaine a boulde man and a seuere king who during the whole reigne of twentie foure yeeres which hee gouerned in Fraunce the Gaules and the Romanes were by him sore plagued and sore afflicted sometime with slaughter and victorie ouer them and sometime with repulse This time Traiane the Emperour had warres in the East part and subdued the Sauromaties the Arabians the Agarens the Bospherans and was ready to make his voyage to the redde sea and so to conquer India The fourth persecution fell in the time of Richimer after whom succeeded his sonne Odemarus the ninth king of Fraunce hee reigned fourteene yeeres and began to gouerne Fraunce in the yeere after Christ a hundred fourtie foure This king Odemarus was much giuen to seeke peace and by all meanes studied to maintaine the same for after hee had concluded peace with the Romanes and with the Gaules which peace during his life he kept inuiolated for he thought himselfe contented and fully satisfied to defende that coast of Gallia which his predecessours had with long and sharpe warres gotten Neither Tritemius Lazius nor Functius do write any thing of this king worth the memorie but his care and diligence of peace keeping for since Francus time the first king of the name of Fraunce vntill Odemarus the ninth king not one of them sought peace but warres and therefore they succeeded one after another with othes vowing to come to possesse all Gallia by the sword And hauing now subdued diuers parts in Gallia being a large kingdome euen frō the riuer of Rhene vnto the mountaines called Pirenaei and naming them kings of Fraunce for that they coulde not yet conquer all Gallia though as I sayde before one king after another shotte at it for nine hundred yeeres space vntill all the realme of Gallia became the kingdome of Fraunce But while this Odemarus reigned in Fraunce the Romanes whose force more more grew in the Countries of Germanie vntil the Gaules Saxons Gothes Vandales Hungarians and diuers others waxed very strong in the West Countries that the Romanes were constrained to neglect the East parte and to looke about home for it is in all histories knowen that the kingdome of Fraunce beganne to florish when the Empire of Rome beganne to decay But to my French historie againe first setting downe the names here vnder of those kings that reigned in Fraunce from Francus vntill Farabertus time as foloweth 1 Francus the first king after the name of Sicambri was finished and after whose name Sicambri were called Franci he reigned 28. yeeres 2 Clogio the sonne of Francus reigned after his father 30. yeeres 3 Herimerus the sonne of Clogio reigned 22. yeeres 4 Marcomirue reigned 18. yeeres 5 Clodomirus the sonne of Marcomirus reigned 12. yeeres 6 Antenor reigned after his father Clodomirus 6. yeeres 7 Ratherus succeeded his father Antenor and reigned 21. yeeres 8 Richimerus his sonne reigned 24. yeeres 9 Odemarus reigned after his father Richimerus 14. yeeres 10 Marcomirus the second of that name and sōne to Odemarus reigned 21. yeeres 11 After Marcomirus succeeded Clodamirus and reigned 17. yeeres 12 After Clodomirus succeeded Farabertus his sonne and reigned 20. yeeres CHAP. III. Of the continuall warres which the Frenchmen had still in seeking for the quiet possession and the whole gouernment of all Fraunce from the time of Farabertus vntil the time of Pharamundus during which time they were called Franci for as they were before called Sicambri from Marcomirus vnto Francus foure hundred and odde yeeres so nowe from Francus to Faramundus they were called Franci for foure hundred and odde yeeres that well nigh nine hundred yeres they were before they could possesse the kingdome of Fraunce WHen Odomarus dyed his sonne Marcomirus the tenth king succeeded him who reigned twentie one yeeres after whome succeeded Clodomirus the eleuenth king and reigned seuenteene yeres After Clodomirus succeeded Farabartus the twelfth king of Fraunce which reigned twentie yeeres during which time of these three kings which was fiftie eight yeeres the Romanes being yet in full strength and courage kept their Empire on foote and kept other kingdoms vnder foote that the French kings were forced to make peace at home with their neighbours to keepe warres with the Romanes So Farabartus did confirme the first league which Francus the first of their name had in his time agreed vpon with the Germanes Saxons Dorings Tretones Marcomans and Cimbrians They ioyned their forces together for to resist the Romanes who were alwayes so greedy of countries and kingdoms and so desirous of Territories that they sought to make themselues lords ouer all the West kingdome of the worlde as in trueth they were at that time kings emperors ouer the East countries vntill they had lost both their soueraigntie dignitie in the East and in the West at last lost the Empire it self The Romanes hearing of this strong league confirmed betwene these Frēchmen the Germans Mar. Aurelius Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher prepared a great armie vnder the conuoy of his fonne Aurelius Commodus being at that time appointed Caesar and commaunded by his father the Emperor to passe into Germany and to commence warre against the Daces the Saxons Marcomanes the Frenchmen and other in Germany in the which voyage Commodus gained but litle credite for he was with shame forced to forsake the fielde with great losse of his men This battell is mencioned in many histories for it was so great and so terrible that Functius and Orosius affirme that bellum Marcomannicum the like is skant read of Againe in the next yeere being the 11. yeere of Farabertus reigne an armie of Romanes was sent into Germany of whom the like almost is read sauing that of the parties the slaughter was great This warre continued vntill the good Emperour Antoninus dyed yet hee and his sonne Commodus had triumphed ouer the Marcomanes which are thought to be Boremians before hee dyed but while these warres endured of these three last named French kings Marcomirus and his sonne Clodomirus and his sonne Farabertus the Britaines made some insurrections for their former libertie and were in armes vntill by Lollius Vrbicius the Romane Embassadour they were againe repressed Sunno by this the sonne of Clodomirus florished in that gouernment which he had in Marchia and builded a great Citie in memorie of
shee was a Christian who laboured much with the king her husband to become a Christian and with as great care shee dayly solicited the king to reuenge her father and vncles death The thirde warre was against the Almanes at what time he vowed if God would giue him the victorie hee would become a Christian which he performed and obtained the victory and was baptized by Remigius bishop of Rheme The fourth warre was against Alaricus king of the Gothes whom he slew in the fielde and discomfited all his armie By these foure great victories Clodoueus had brought all Gallia to be all Fraunce for during his bastards sonnes time he subdued Turingia and enlarged his countrey from the riuer of Rhein vnto the riuer Sequana Theodoricus being by his father Clodoueus sent as President to Aquitania at what time he brought diuers people by the sworde vnder his fathers subiection as Albios Rhatenes Tolasates and the people called Auerni He subdued Vastonia and other places Reade more of the warres of Clodoueus of his vowes and conuersion to the faith and of his victories in Paul Aemilius and in Tilius who after he had raigned thirtie yeeres he died and was buried in Paris Hitherto reacheth Hunibaldus historie of the antiquitie of Fraunce which he wrote and deuided into 18. bookes conteyning the history of all the kings from the first Marcomirus which came from Scythia vntill the time of Clodoueus death which were 47. kings which raigned by sundry names for the space of 950. yeeres While this Clodoueus raigned the Saracens inuaded Phoenicia Syria and Thracia and did great harme This time raigned in Persia Lambases whom Procopius named Blasen and about this time Anastatius the Emperour builded a most strong citie in Mesopotamia and named it after his owne name Anastasia and walled the citie of Theodocia in Armenia which the Emperour Theodosius had builded In the time of this Clodoueus Arthur raigned in Britaine who did much annoy the Saxons and had if he had long liued restored the Britaines againe to their former libertie But to returne to the successors of Clodoueus who left behinde him foure sonnes Theodoricus Clodomirus Childebertus and Lotharius amongst whom the kingdome of Fraunce was deuided the whole kingdome made a Tetrarchia and so in processe of time the whole kingdome fell to Childebertus hand frō whom the lines of the kings of Fraunce descende vntill Hildericus though some say it doth descend from Lotharius yet raigned these 4. brethren in seueral Prouinces of Fraunce as foure Tetrarches for a time During which time reade Procopius and Paul Aemilius and see the euents of fortune the vncertaintie of states and change of earthly dignitie and how Theodoricus and Clodomirus two of the brethren with all their children died then Childebertus deuided the whole kingdome betweene him and his brother Clotarius In the meane season let vs see what was done in other countreys for while these foure brethren gouerned Fraunce Rome was taken being besieged by the Gothes and destroyed and left desolate by Totila king of the Gothes he also vanquished the Brutians and the Lucans hee tooke Apulia and Calabria and besieged Placentia This warre of the Gothes cōtinued 18. yeeres during which warre raigned 3. kings ouer the Gothes the first Vitiges who destroyed Rome in his time but reedified and builded againe by Belisarius the second king Alaricus who was slaine within few moneths so that the most time of this 18. yeeres were continued vnder Totila who plagued so sore Italy and Rome that after that time Rome was so decayed and possessed with strangers that sooner you should finde in Italy a Germane then a Romane and in Rome it selfe tenne Vandols tenne Gothes or tenne Longobards for one citizen in so much that they were not able to appoint a Consul to gouerne them who had gouerned them for the space of 447. yeres so long the Consuls of Rome gouerned the citie which was vntill the Emperours time and then they gouerned the whole worlde But now not onely the dignitie of Consuls was lost which were of long time languishing and decaying since ciuil warres betwene themselues with persecution of the godly and tyrannie of the wicked Emperors but the name it selfe vtterly perished and quite abolished by those nations of Germanie who were scant knowen in Augustus Caesars time and therefore valeat Roma cum Papa who entred into Rome and tooke possession thereof within 40. yeeres of Clotarius gouernment At what time he erected vp his Papacie in Rome when Mahomet aduaunced vp the kingdome of the Saracens The Pope beganne his Papacie in Rome 14. yeres before Mahomet beganne his kingdome ouer the Saracens in Arabia Nowe a Pope for an Emperour gouerned Rome a prophet for a king raigned in Arabia of whome I spake in the historie of the Church and in the historie of the Saracens And now I will make mention of Iustinianus who gouerned then as Emperour vnder whome Bellisarius annoyed Italy subdued Siracusa and tooke Catina and in the last yeere of his Consulship subdued Sicilia After that he passed into Affrica and deliuered Carthage from the siege of Stoze and appointed one Salomon gouernour ouer the towne This Bellisarius prooued so excellent a captaine vnder Iustinianus the Emperor that he aduanced the name of the empire through his victories gotten in diuers battels that some write that Bellisarius had a triumph graunted him at Rome appointed by the Emp. Iustinian much is writtē of this Bellisarius in the wars called Persicum which Iustinianus begā but Bellisarius ended This Bellisarius toke Catina Siracusa and subdued al Sicilie Rauenna Naples and was made generall vnder Iustinian in the East empire where he merited the name of a good souldier Iustinianus made the 4. bookes of the Institutes and other 50. bookes of ciuill lawe called the Pandects which Tribonianus ended and brought to perfection This time Cosroes king of Persia inuaded Cilicia and Syria he tooke Antiochia and now againe the fourth time after he had concluded peace with Iustinianus he inuaded the territories of the Romanes but he was now driuen thence by Bellisarius at what time Arethus king of the Saracens came and yeelded to Iustinianus both his kingdome and his children Totila king of the Gothes this time gaue an ouerthrow to Demetrius vpon the sea and tooke Neapolis During these 45. yeres Hunni inuaded Europe spoyled and wasted into Bizantium which is Constantinople in Britaine died Arthur the sonne of Vter Pendragon after whome succeeded Constantius a wicked lewde Prince about which time Narses a Persian with a great armie entred into Italie vanquished the Gothes at Tagira and againe the Gothes ouerthrowen by Narses at Necerium and at last driuen out of Italie and their king Totila slayne Thus farre Procopius writeth of the warres of the Gothes Nowe to Clotharius which raigned in Fraunce 5. yeeres after the death
towne hard by the hill Alba and named it Albalonga leauing his fathers wife Lauina in that Citie which Aeneas builded thirtie yeres before Ascanius builded Albalonga where during his life Ascanius kept his Court and it became the king of Albans Pallace at what time the names of the Latines were changed to the kings of Alba which endured foure hundred yeeres and odde vntill Tullus Hostilius the third king of Rome conquered them so that the right line and blood of the kings of Alba descended also from Aeneas by succession from the father vnto the sonne vntill Romulus time as Halicarnassaeus saith whose names are set downe orderly in Annius chronicles and in Berosus with whom Dyonis Halicar doeth in all points agree as well for the continuance of time as also for their sure naming of their kings which reigned betweene Aeneas and Romulus So doeth M. Cato in his fragments men of great credite in other histories to be skant in the Britaine historie allowed hinc liuor the cause thereof I take it in some rather negligence then ignorance for in trueth the Phisicion must study to ease his patients the Lawyer to please his client the Diuine to feede the soules so that few haue time to studie histories Yea many that read histories are to seeke in histories other wayes then the histories of Englād but I wil returne to Aeneas which is as Annius saith Imperij Romani origo and therefore I will begin from the comming of Aeneas into Laurentum in Italie Nowe as concerning the comming of Aeneas into Italie his toyles and trauailes reade Helanicus an olde auncient writer My onely purpose is to set downe the true histories of the Britaines hauing that name from Brutus euen as the Frenchmen were named of Francus and the Hispaniards from Hispanus If you reade Fab. Pictor de aureo seculo and Portius Cato you shall finde the kindred and predecessours of Romulus the first king of Rome so plainely to come out of the very house and stocke that Brutus the first king of the Britaine 's came out of so that the last king of the Latines I meane Aeneas and his sonne Ascanius the first king of Albalonga are of that antiquitie and continuance in Italie as Brutus is in Britaine now called Englande For as Romulus and the kings of Rome and after the Emperours and the Romanes were offsprings of the kinges of the Albanes and Latines and the Albanes and Latines offsprings of the kings of Troy so is it prooued that the Romanes came from Troy for Ascanius was graundfather vnto Brutus who first came into this Isle named then Albion but by Brutus after named Britaine Some take this for fables certeine it is that the beginning of antiquities seeme fabulous for that the errors of time haue obscured many things as is proued of the Romane histories whom the Grecians neuer knewe nor neuer heard of for neither Thucydides nor Xenophon two of the greatest writers in the florishing state of Greece yea and late after the foundation of Rome 360. yeeres neither Herodot after them made any mencion of Rome Euen so the Grecians were to the Persians and the Persians to the Grecians most ignorant not one knowing another before Xerxes with his huge armie thought to inuade Greece for these be the words of Strabo Nec Graeci Persas nec Persae Graecos agnorunt And as for Fraunce and Spaine they were taken but for two cities the one named Gallia the other Hesperia as Iosephus affirmeth Many men write very fables of their countries as Berosus if it be Berosus being a Chaldean priest wrote of the Chaldeans meere fables and more licencious of the kings of Assyria without any warrant of trueth not knowing the Scriptures where the best and soundest warrant of Chaldean histories are to be found In like sort Ctesias the Persian wrote of his countrie 23. bookes both vaine and foolish in setting foorth the antiquitie gouernment and greatnesse of the king of Persia then is truely prooued by true accompt of time as Plutarch affirmeth So Manethon an Egyptian priest wrote so many lies of his countrie of Egypt that accompteth 340. Pharoes successiuely from Amasis the first Pharao vnto Amasis the last Pharao but he is reprooued to his face by Iosephus in both his bookes against Appion the Egyptian and a scholemaster of Alexandria yet Manethon founde great fault in Herodot for his fables and lies of Egypt But let controuersies passe all countries haue their fables mingled with trueth and so I will returne to the histories of the Britaines whose certeintie and trueth is as sound and as true to bee prooued as either Fraunce Spaine or any other countrie whose continuance was without change of name for lōger time then many bragging kingdoms whose lawes whose kings whose countrie vnconquered longer then any of them both easie to be prooued by all sound writers for Spaine was conquered and subdued first by the Carthagineans and Affricanes secondly by the Romanes thirdly by the Vandales fourthly by the Gothes and fiftly by the Saracens who possessed almost all the kingdome of Spaine for 800. yeeres So may it be said of the change of their names as Catubales Iberians Celtiberians Hesperians and Spaniards which during the time of this change serued the Carthagineans the Romanes the Grekes the Gothes and the Saracens The Britaines neuer changed their names since Brutus time which is 2700. and odde yeeres which no one kingdome of the worlde can say so much though in some part it was subdued by the Romanes and then by the Danes and last by the Normanes yet they reserued their names vnchanged all the whole countrie of Camber the second sonne of Brutus vncōquered which of late is called Wales their auncient name vnchanged and their language vncorrupted So may I speake of the Frenchmen which were called at their first arriuall from Scythia into Germany Neumagi then were they called Sicambri thirdly Franci and fourthly Galli So were the Persians Elamites Artaeans and after Cephancs and last of all Persians so Egypt was called Oceana Nilea Aerea and last of all Egypt To conclude there is no nation that I can reade of but were subiect to diuers names therby knowē sauing onely the Britaines which continue vnto this day though the Danes beganne to call them Welsh as they call all strangers Welsh which was 1800. yeres odde as the reignes and gouernmēt of the kings of Britaine do manifestly proue whose names I neede not to write for that they be set downe to your viewe in tables printed with the pictures of all the kings of the Britaines Now after 1 Brutus 2 Locrinus 3 Madan 4 Mempricius 5 Ebrancus and 6 Brutus surnamed Viridescutum and so forward vntill Rudacus time the 20. king after Brutus at what time the kingdome was diuided into foure parts and gouerned by foure seuerall kings for fiftie yeeres Rudacus
king of Cambria which is Wales Pinnor king of Loegria which is England Saterus king of Albania which is nowe Scotland and Clotenus king of Cornubia nowe Cornewall all the kingdome after fiftie yeeres came to Dunwallus Clotenus sonne about 700. yeeres after Brutus and continued vntill Elidurus the third for the space of a 182. yeeres And after Elidurus the third it continued the reigne of thirtie three kings from Elidurus vntill Belinus the great 185. This Belinus was vncle vnto Cassibelane who reigned king in Britaine when Iulius Caesar came into Britaine about a thousand and thirtie yeeres after Brutus so long was Britaine vnconquered which as I said before for the spite of Androgeus to Cassibelan he wrote his letters to Caesar after the first great ouerthrowe of Caesar of which Lucan the Poet saith Territa quaesitis ostendunt terga Britannis Romani c. This Androgeus then Duke of Troinouant nowe called London since king Luds time promised his aide and helpe with all the Britaines which he coulde make if after the conquest he should by Caesar be restored to gouerne the Britaines but Caesar by this meanes brought the Britaines to paye tribute to the Romanes yet reigned kings in Britaine from Cassibelan lineally vnto Cadwallader for seuen hundred yeres and odde so that Britaine was gouerned from the first king vnto the last for a thousand eight hundred and odde yeeres as Guidonius affirmeth But for that the kings of Britaine are by all their names named their successiōs continuance of time writtē in diuers Chronicles of Englande beside Doctor Powel of late hath written of their ciuill warres of their kings their lawes and gouernments that I neede not further to write herein my desire is no lesse to satisfie those that will with reason and authorities bee satisfied then was M. Coruinus a learned Romane Orator willing to please Augustus Caesar for the setting foorth of his familie and his house in proouing gens Iulia which was the stocke of the first Emperour Iulius Caesar his vncle to descende lineally from Ascanius The historie is written in Coruinus de progenie Augusti in whose time Coruinus florished whome Augustus desired to traueile and to set downe the genealogie of his stocke that being so fortunate an Emperour as hee was in subduing almost all the kingdomes of the worlde and captiuating them as Prouinces vnder the Empire of Rome hee might knowe also whence gens Iulia came that hee might assure him selfe of the certeintie of his house To satisfie this Emperor Augustus being thereunto by him intreated Coruinus briefely diuided the whole earth into three seuerall partes Asia Europe and Affrike In this Asia the great is Asia the lesse conteyned in the which Countrie is a Region named Phrygia into the which one Dardanus a great prince of Creete that had the daughter of one Teucer giuen him in mariage came with a great multitude of young men and souldiers to inhabite about the time that Moses dyed where hee builded a great Citie and named it after his owne name Dardania and the inhabitants therein were called Dardanians The fame of this king Dardanus grewe so great that Teucer his father in lawe came from Creete with a number of gentlemen to visite his daughter vnto Dardania in Phrygia where Dardanus reigned three yeres after whom succeeded Ericthonius 75. yeres after Ericthonius succeded Tros the king of Dardania which reigned sixtie yeres by whom Dardania was named Troy after the kings name after Tros succeeded Ilus who reigned 54. yeres after whom succeeded Laomedon and reigned 36. yeres and after him reigned his sonne Priamus named Alexander in histories the sixt and last king of Troy in whose time Troy was destroyed by the Grecians This Messala setteth downe in his historie how Aeneas after the warres came into Italie and maried king Latinus daughter succeeded as heire of the king in his kingdom from whose body lineally descēded these many kings whose names onely I wil set downe for that I haue in the historie of the Latines written of their continuance and of the time of their gouernment vntill Romulus 1 Aeneas 2 Ascanius 3 Siluius 4 Aeneas Siluins 5 Latinus Siluius 6 Alba Siluius 7 Capetus Siluius 8 Capis Siluius 9 Calpetus Siluius 10 Tiberinus Siluius 11 Agrippa Siluius 12 Alladius Siluius 13 Auentinus Siluius 14 Procas Siluius 15 Amulius Siluius 16 Numitor Siluius which was both grādfather by the mother side vncle by the father side vnto Romulus M. Coruinus wrote vnto Augustus the whole historie of the kings of Alba vntill Romulus time and prooueth plaine in his booke that the noble Emperour Augustus proceeded from the house of Aeneas that gens Iulia came lineally from the body of Iulo which was the surname of Ascanius some affirme the contrary Yet Coruinus an auncient antiquarie liuing in the time of Augustus and writing his booke to Augustus at the earnest request of the Emperour Augustus affirmeth all this to be which Halicarnas in all pointes alloweth but what is to proue the Britaines to come from the Troians or to proue Brutus to come to Englād as much more it maketh proofe that Brutus came to this land as Aeneas came to Italie the one is prooued by a number of Romane writers the other by so many of both Romane and Britaine authours and yet Aeneas is by some enrious writers denied to come to Italie as Brutus is to come to Britaine of whom Dionys. Halic saith Scriptores partim ignorati partim inuidia dissimulati de aduentu Aeneae in Italiam The historie of Aeneas and the historie of Brutus after the destruction of Troy is one of the most auncient histories of the Gentiles though in some it bee fabulous as all prophane histories be in many pointes yet from these Troians as from the first originall of their kings and Emperours both the Romanes and the Frenchmen are by some of their owne best writers proued of whom Aemilius writes of their antiquitie It is most likely that euery Countrie hath more care of it selfe then of other countries and rather French writers are to be beleeued in the histories of Fraunce then forreigne writers so of the Romanes of the Grecians and of all other countries as Myrsillus saith Plus vicinis quà m remotis multò plus genti ipsi quà m extremis credatur and yet who seeth not but both the Romanes the Grecians the Frenchmen and all nations aduaunce their countries with best histories and passe lightly ouer many histories that makes against their Countries But as Diodorus Siculus describeth Britaine by the name of Britaine to be fertill and plentifull in corne cattell iron with diuers other commodities so doeth Strabo commende the Britaines to bee people farre bigger and taller then the Frenchmen are in these wordes Britannorum statura supra Gallos procera c. and after he reporteth of certaine Britaines which he
THE CONSENT OF TIME DISCIPHERING the errors of the Grecians in their Olympiads the vncertaine computation of the Romanes in their Penteterydes and building of Rome of the Persians in their accompt of Cyrus and of the vanities of the Gentiles in fables of antiquities disagreeing with the Hebrewes and with the Sacred Histories in consent of time Wherein is also set downe the beginning continuance succession and ouerthrowes of kings kingdomes States and gouernments BY LODOVVIK LLOID Esquire PROVERB 24. Vir sapiens est fortis vir doctus robustus ¶ Imprinted at London by GEORGE BISHOP and RALPH NEVVBERIE Anno 1590. TO THE MOST REVErend IOHN Archbishop of CANTERBVRIE Primate and Metropliotane of all England and of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell I Am bold most reuerend to dedicate the fruits of this my trauaile such as they be vnto your Grace who can and will defend my rash attempt in so great a cause and yet not so great an enterprise of me to accuse errours as is necessary to your Grace to defend al writers in the prouing therof I haue presumed to write of the Consent of time a charge wherein I confesse my selfe farre inferiour to those that haue herein much erred Howbeit I am the bolder encouraged by the assurance of my warrant which I take from the Sacred Histories the Centre and grounde of all beginnings and the onely proofe of all antiquities without which sayeth Eusebius no Historie can bee true For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The errours are infinite in the computation of Rome of the time of Cyrus of the destruction of Troy and specially in the accompts of the Olympiads which made all Greeke and Latine writers to go farre amisse and to faile in consent of time very much sometime twentie or thirtie Olympiads sometime more sometime lesse the deceiptfulnes thereof not onely holy Histories haue confounded but whole successions of liues haue disproued for the Greekes saith Iosephus Nō tam studio notitiaveritatis quà m suis opinionibus multa prodidere falsa And therefore Thucydides vsed rather to accompt the time by the Peloponesian warre per aestates hyemes then by the Olympiads Seeing then right reuerend that prophane writers are thus wrapped in errors by missing the true warrant of time I tooke this my best course to prooue consent of histories by succession of Patriarkes by continuance of Iudges and by the gouernment of kings euen from the creation of man vnto the deluge from the deluge to the promise made to Abraham frō the promise to the Law giuen to Moses from the Law giuen to the building of the Temple from the Temple to the captiuitie and from the captiuitie to the MESSIAS truely prooued by Moses and by the Chronicles of the kings and last by Daniel who made a perfect abstract for all Chronographers VVherein he doeth instruct all writers how to finde the order and time of histories for the three last Monarchies whose Methode I followe as much as my simple capacitie suffered me alleaging such authorities as wrote best of euery Countrey endeuouring to auoyde the name of the Olympiads as the enemie of trueth and time Thus I yeelde your Grace mine accompt of my proceeding for Consent of time most humbly beseeching your L. to accept herein my good will as one that is to my small abilitie desirous to amend things amisse Your Graces most humbly to vse LODOVV LLOYD TO THE READER I Thinke my labour well bestowed my rewarde sufficient if my trauaile and good will be herein of the reader accepted I accuse my selfe of some rashnesse to wade into those strong streames that haue caried the best learned to a labirinth of errors who in seeking consent of time by vncerteine computations of the Gentiles haue missed the square and perfect frame of the Prophets the streight and perfect line from Adam vnto Christ without the which all prophane writers most grosly erre for can any true accompt of time be made by the Romanes computation either from the building of their Citie which was from yeere to yeere or by the censure of Lustrum which the Grecians call Penteterides which was from fiue yeere to fiue yeere or by the computation of their Indictions which was from fifteene yeere to fifteene yeere when neither the time of the building of Rome or of appointing of Lustrum or of the instituting of the indictions are not yet knowen or agreed vpon In like maner the olde Grecians from the time of Ninus from the destruction of Troy and last from the Olympiads so erred and became so fabulous in histories and since frō their Olympiads that Greece it selfe is called Grecia mendax for the Olympiads is the generall cause of all errors euen in the best learned for Xenophon who florished in the chiefe time of the Olympiads yet fallax in his accusatur The like grosse error is in the computation of the Persians of the time of Cyrus To speake of the Egyptians accompt from the one flowing of Nilus vnto another from one Dynastia vnto another during which time they say 340. kings reigned from the first Pharao called Amasis vnto the last Amasis named also Pharao farre from any true consent of time it were superfluous by this meanes Hellanicus accused Acusilaus Acusilaus Ephorus Ephorus Timaeus Timaeus Herodot and Herodot accused Hesiodus In briefe one so accused another that all erred in consent of time and that by reason of their false cōputation without looking to the succession of the Patriarches continuances of Iudges reignes of kings and without respect of the Iubilees which the Hebrues so obserued that they coulde not erre which if Plinie Halicarnassaeus Polybius Diodorus and the rest had obserued they had not so disagreed in a hundred two hundred three hundred foure hundred yeeres more or lesse from the sacred histories Had they looked to the histories of the Hebrewes they had found howe to auoide many inconueniences for prophane writers of the Assyrian Chaldean Egyptian and Persian histories can not but erre for that they wrote long after the time of these kingdomes I haue therefore for the more assurance of sound warrant answered the time with the historie of the Church and haue withall followed the best authorities both in sacred and in prophane histories as farre as my simple iudgement can reache Lodowik Lloid ¶ A briefe Table contayning the Arguments of the histories of this Booke with the authorities of euery Historie therunto annexed THE HEBREVVES OF the creation of the world and of the continuance of the first age therein from Adam vnto Noah Fol. 1. Of the most auncient and true historie of the Hebrewes after called Israel of their lawes and originall gouernment called Oligarchia from Abraham to whome the promise was made vnto Moses to whom the lawe was giuen 17. Of the birth of Moses of his fauour with God of his gouernment ouer Israel for 40. yeres in the wildernesse and deliuerance
of them from Pharaoh by the direction and instruction of God of Ioshua his successour and of his warres and victories and of his good gouernment ouer Israel for 32. yeres and of the common wealth of the Hebrewes during the time of Moses and Ioshua which was 72. yeeres 26. Of the third change of common wealth of the Hebrewes first from Oligarchia vnder the Patriarches secondly from Aristocratia vnder the Iudges nowe to a Monarchie vnder kings which Israel cried out and neuer ceased vntill they had a king 41. Of the taking away of the tenne tribes from Iuda to Samaria by Ieroboam in the fourth yeere of Rehoboam Salomons sonne of the first diuision of Israel of their warres and last destructions of the kings of Israel by Salmanasser 54. Of the continuance of the kings of Iuda after the kingdome of Israel was destroyed Samaria taken and the tenne tribes of Israel caried capitue by Salmanasser into Assyria 68. Of the returne of the Iewes into Ierusalem after the captiuitie first by the decree of Cyrus after by Darius and last by Artaxerxes of the seconde building of the temple by Esdras Nehemias and Zorobabcl and of the gouernment vnder the high Priest 76. Of the Machabees and of the last kings of Iuda and of their gouernment vnder the Romanes and of their last destruction of Ierusalem by Titus the Emperour 85. ¶ I haue vsed in the historie of the Hebrues for my authorities these many writers whose names are vnder written Moyses Berosus Iosephus Eusebius P. Eberus dereb Iud. Sigonius Glareanus Melancthon Io. Freigius de vitis patrum M. Beroaldus Io. Functius THE CHALDEANS OF the first originall of the Chaldeans first called Arphaxades after the name of Arphaxad the third sonne of Sem which was the first kingdome of the world of their continuance gouernment and last destruction by Darius Medus and Cyrus Fol. 102. Of the rest of the kings of Assyria from Ascatades the 18. king vnto Sardanapalus the 36. and last king of the Assyrians which is since the Israelits left Egypt vntill the first Olympiad at what time Iotham raigned in Iudea 117. Of the kings of Babylon againe called new Assyria frō Sardanapalus which the Greekes call Tonoscon Coleros vntill Balsaar the last king of Babylon 128. Moses Eusebius Berosus Iosephus Manethon Tro. Pomp. Orosius Xenophon Zonaras Bucholcerus Ruffinus Iustinus THE EGYPTIANS OF the originall beginning of the Egyptians and of their continuance of their kings and gouernments Why Egypt was called Oceana or Nilea 141. Of the kings of Egypt after Ramesses time firnamed Egyptus at what time Oceana was called Egypt after the name of Egyptus before called Mizreia 153. Of the last kings of Egypt by the name of Pharaos which continued 1200. yeeres and of the first conquering of Egypt by Cambyses the second king of Persia. 165. Of the second conquest of Egypt by Alexander of their kings afterward called Ptolomeis vntil the time of Caesar Augustus by whom al Egypt was last conquered made a prouince subiect to the Romane Empire 177. Manethon Herodotus Cheremon Diod. Sicul. Io. Annius Blondus Appion Iustinus Ruffinus Iosephus Melancthon THE SCYTHIANS OF the antiquitie of the Scythians of their lawes gouernment and life of their hardines in warres and of their victories ouer the Persians and Egyptians and their often inuasions into Asia Fol. 191. Herodotus Dio. Siculus Plini Melancton Iustinus Berosus Strabo THE PARTHIANS OF the originall of the Parthians and of the beginning of their kingdome and how long it continued of their kings gouernment and last destruction by the Romanes in the time of Augustus Caesar. Fol. 199. Strabo Iustinus Solinus Plutarchus Liuius Val. Max. Linus Diodorus Melancthon THE MEDES OF the antiquitie of Media of the originall of their kings and of their common wealth gouernment and continuance Fol. 209. Of the first kings of Media of their gouernment lawes and continuance from Deiocis vntill Astyages the last king of the Medes 214. Strabo Zonaras Diodorus Orosius Iosephus Pomp. Mela. Trog Pomp. Ruffinus OF LYDIA OF the antiquitie of Lydia of the originall of their kings and of their common wealth and gouernment Fol. 223. Of the rest of the kings of Lydia from Ardis the sixt king vntill Croesus the last king of Lydia and of their destruction by Cyrus and the kingdome brought subiect to Persia. 229. Eusebius Ruffinus Herodot Diodor. Functius Trogus Pompeius Strabo Pomp. Mela. Melancthon Appianus OF PERSIA OF the first originall of Persians of the antiquitie of their kings of their common wealth and gouernment of their continuance and howe they haue bene called the great kings by the meanes dignitie of Cyrus 238. Of the two Magi that vsurped Persia after Cambyses time of Darius Histaspis and his good gouernment of Xerxes the great and his warres in Greece of his ignominious flight from Greece and of his death in Persia after his flight 249. Of the successors of Xerxes in Persia of their warres victories and gouernment of the state of Greece and of the prosperities victories and fame they had in Xerxes time 258. Of the tyrannie of Darius Ochus of his sonne Arsames and of the vtter confusion and last ruine of the Persians in the time of their last king Darius sirnamed Codomanus by Alexander the great 267. Of the state of the Persians vnder the Romans after the time that they were conquered by Alexander the great vntill the time of Alex. Seuerus Emperour of Rome 550. yeres after at what time began the new kingdome of Persia by one Artaxerxes and of his successours vntill the Persians the fourth time were vtterly destroyed by the Saracens 278. Xenophon Iosephus Io. Functius Dion Zonaras Strabo Herodotus L. Florus Q. Curtius Iustinus Io. Monachus Dio. Halicarnas OF MAHOMET OF the originall of Mahomet in Arabia of his greatnesse and credite not onely among the Saracens and Arabians but also in the East kingdoms of the inuasions of the Saracens of their scattering warres in Asia Europe and in Affrike and of their continuance Fol. 289. Pau. Aemilius Blondus Maspeus Iornandus de Get. Chron. Pol. Bonfinus de Hung. Functius OF THE TVRKES OF the great Turke and of his kindome from Othoman the first vntill Selimus the 11. of the two Empires of Constantinople and Trapezuntium which nowe the Turkes doe gouerne of their beginning and of their first seruice vnder Basilius Macedo Emperour of Constantinople 302. Egnatius Paul Iouius Chromerus Pol. Blondus Bonfinus Functius OF GREECE OF the antiquitie of Greece of the beginning of their cities and Common wealth of their lawes and gouernments by degrees during yet the infancie of Greece 311. Of the building of Athens of their beginning and of their first lawes vnder 17. kings being the thirde kingdome of Greece in antiquitie after the Sicionians and the Argiues 320. Of the originall beginning of the kings of the
Lacedemonians and of the kings of Corinth who at one time beganne their gouernment vnder the state of Monarchie and also ended about one time of their gouernment and continuance 327. Of the generall gouernment in all the cities of Greece from Lycurgus time the king and the lawmaker in Sparta vntill the comming of Xerxes the great the 4. king of Persia into Greece of Lycurgus lawes among the Lacedemonians and of Solons lawes among the Athenians 333. Of the huge armie of Xerxes of his preparations both by lande and by sea of the pompe and pride of Xerxes in his iourney to Greece of his shamefull great ouerthrow and ignominious flight from Greece againe into Persia and of the flourishing state of Greece at that time 339. Of the ciuill discention in Greece after Xerxes time howe euery citie was in armes one against another of their Peloponesian warre which continued 27. yeeeres to the ouerthrow of Greece by Philip and after by his sonne Alexander the great 347. Of the last destruction of Greece by the Macedonians by meanes of ciuill discord and the Peloponesian warres the onely cause of their ruine and confusion at what time king Philippe brake their backes and his sonne Alexander their neckes And after them last of all the Romanes kept them in perpetuall seruitude 362. Eusebius Iosephus Zonaras Theo. Bibliander Strabo Xenoph. Thucydides Herodotus Plutarchus Archilogus Diod. Siculus Functius Orosius OF THE MACEDONIANS OF the kingdome of Macedonia of their continuance lawes and gouernment of their kings and of their warres vntill the time of Alexander Fol. 372. Of the renowme and fame of Macedonia during the raigne of Alexander the great of his conquests and victories ouer all the East of his dangerous warrs in India Egypt and in Scythia and of the subduing of Darius and the taking away of the Monarchie from Persia into Macedonia 382. Of the diuision of Asia and Syria after the death of Alexander the great betweene his captaines for hee left no king to succeede after him but the sword So many kingdomes were voyde by his death that his captaines that fought then vnder Alexander for wages and spoiles fought now for kingdomes and Empires Of their warres and of their continuance 393. Of the Romane warres with king Philip and his sonne Perseus the two last kings of Macedonia of their ouerthrow by Paul Aemilius and of the ouerthrow of false Philip and counterfaite Andriscus by Q. Metellus in his last conquest of Macedonia 404. Glareanus Theo. Bibliand Plutarchus Q. Curt. Liui. Plinius M. Scotus Orosius Florus ASIA AND SYRIA OF the warres of the kings of Asia and Syria with the Romanes of their succession in the warres and of the continuance of their kingdome after Alexanders death Fol. 413. Of that wicked and most blasphemous king Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus the great and the type of Antichrist of his vsurpation and tyrannie of the kingdome of his sacking and crueltie in Ierusalem of his bloody warres and persecutions of the Christians 420. Of the last destruction of Asia and Syria through their ciuill dissention and long warres one against another the onely cause of their bondage afterward to the Romanes vnder whom they liued as subiects and all Asia and Syria made prouinces vnto Rome 429. Eusebius Appianus Eutropius Valerius Max. L. Florus Liuius Functius and the Machabees AFFRIKE AND LIBYA OF the first Affricane warres betweene the Carthagineans and the Romanes which continued 24. yeeres and of the victories of the Romanes ouer them Fol. 436. Of the second Affricane warres betweene the Carthagineans and the Romanes which endured 17. yeeres during which time Hanibal held terrible warres with the Romanes which brought the Empire of Rome well nigh to Carthage but at last by Scipio Affricanus the warres were ended Carthage ouerthrowen Affrica wonne and Hanibal forced to flee 443. Of the thirde and last Affricane warres betweene the Romanes and the Carthagineans which endured foure yeeres of the ouerthrowe of Carthage and Numantia of the ruine and last conquest of Affrica by the Romanes 453. Liuius Appianus Plinius Polybius Orosius Eutropius Dionys. Halic Val. Maximus L. Florus Frontinus And all the Romanes OF ITALIE OF the antiquitie of olde Italie first called Ianicula and then Saturnia of the beginning of the kings of the Latines the first kingdome of Italie of their lawes and gouernment from Faunus vnto Aeneas and from Aeneas vntill Romulus Fol. 459. OF THE ROMANES OF the first building of Rome by Romulus of his gouernment lawes and appointing of Magistrates after he had founded the Citie of his warres with the Sabines of his conquestes and victories ouer these Sabines Fidenates and of his triumph ouer king Acron 467. Of the gouernment lawes and orders of Rome after Numa Pomp. time vntill the ende of Tarquinius the proud the last king of Rome of their warres and victories during this time ouer their neighbours about them of the enlargement of the Citie of Rome and of their territories and last of the banishment of their king 480. Of the first change of gouernment in Rome from a monarchie vnto Aristocratia at what time one Dictator and two Consuls were appointed to gouerne the people in the roome of kings of their good gouernment lawes warres and victories vntill the Tarentine warres where Pyrrhus began to ayde the Tarentines against the Romanes 493. Of the warres and victories of the Romanes ouer king Pyrrhus called the Tarentine warres vntill the Carthaginean warres of their victories and triumphs had ouer Italie with diuers other forraigne nations and kingdomes 507. Of the Romane warres and of their conquest ouer Carthage Numantia and all Asia and of their diuers victories and triumphs ouer other nations during the time of this Affricane warres 514. Of the conspiracie of Lucius Catilina and of the two ciuill warres the first betweene Marius and Silla and the second betweene Pompei the great and Iu. Caesar during which time Carthage and Numantia were subdued in Hispaine and the last conquest of Affrica by Scipio the younger and also surnamed Affricanus the younger 524. Of the alteration and change of the common wealth of Rome from Aristocratia to Monarchia againe as before from kings to Consuls so nowe from Consuls to Emperours the state was altered by Iu. Caesar the first Emperour and last Dictator of Rome and so from Iu. Caesar vnto the ende of Nero which was the last of the progenie of Augustus 536. From Nero the tyraunt the sixt Emperour of Rome vntill the time of Lu. Antoninus Commodus the cruell the 18. Emperour a match meete for Nero in the one the stocke of Caesar was extinguished in the other the blood of Antoninus ended and quite failed two Emperours of like condition and maners of the gouernment of them ouer Rome from Nero to Commodus during which time reigned 12. Emperours 550. Of the good Emperour
was two discents after Iacobs children but as I sayd before hard it is to correct an errour of such antiquitie for where true records want then coniectures of men doe grow About this time Isaac died and was buried in Hebron hard by Rebecca his wife hee was accepted of God and walked in his wayes vertuous and godly he liued one hundred eightie yeeres three yeeres longer then his father Abraham liued Which Isaac liued With Sem 110. yeeres With Sara his mother 37. Arphaxat 48. Sarug one yeere Salah 78. Iacob his brother 120. Heber 139. Ismaeel his halfe brother by Abraham liued with Isaac 75 Agar 123. Thare his grandfather 35. Ioseph 29. Isaac sawe the prosperitie of his sonne Esau which gouerned all the land of Seir for the appointment of GOD was Maior seruiet Minori when Iacob had no certaine place in the world but tossed from one affliction to an other Isaac before he died saw the trauell and triall of Iacob About this time was Ioseph sold by his brethren and laied in prison in Egypt euen then Tiphon the Egyptian conspired the death of his brother Osiris with the helpe of certaine tyrants Busiris of Phoenicia Antens of Lybia Melinus of Creete with others hee killed the king vsurped the kingdome and was called thereby as Berosus affirmeth Tiphon tyrannus but he was well requited and all his confederats for they all were slaine by Orus Magnus Osiris sonne in a towne of Arabia named Anteos Rhodes was builded about this time which was named before Opheinissa the great famine of the 7. deere yeres in Egypt and in all the world began likewise about the time of Isaacs death In Assyria reigned Baleus the 11. king a man of the greatest fame after Semiramis in the 41. yeere of this Kings reigne Hercules surnamed Lybius draue all cruell tyrants and gyants out of Italy for he with continual warres for 10. yeres space wearied them and subdued them and afterward reigned peaceably 20. yeeres as both Berosus and Functius doe affirme In the 18. Dinasteia of Egypt began the Kings of Egypt to be called Pharaones a name of great dignitie not proper names but as the Romanes Alexandrians the Latines with other kingdomes vsed to name their kings Caesars Siluij Ptolomeis Arsaces so like wise the Egyptians named their kings Pharaones which began about the latter end of Isaac Sparta a famous towne amongst the Lacedemonians was builded of Pharoneus sonne whose name was Sparta and therefore after his owne name named it Sparta Alitle after this time the going of Iacob vnto Egypt was in the 130. yeres of his age where he continued with his sonne Ioseph 17. yeeres in great fauour with Pharaoh and then died after Abrahams being in Egypt 215. yeeres and before Moses went to Egypt to deliuer the children of Israel out of bondage 215. yeeres Nowe while Iacob and his familie were in Egypt with his sonne Ioseph who was solde by his brethren and by his father thought to be slaine then dwelled in Iudea Hethits Iebusites Amorites Chananites Amalakites and Pheresites this land flowed with milke and hony fertile and full of all plentifulnes for after Ioseph died in Egypt Moses was borne within 65. yeeres and in the fourescore yeere of Moses age the 145. after Ioseph died and were in the wildernesse fourtie yeeres and after had the possession of the lande of Chanaan as it shall bee hereafter said But for that the histories of the Patriarches are written in the Genesis at large and in Iosephus and specially Frigius Mosaicus in his booke De historijs patrum leaueth nothing vntouched I will forward to the birth of Moses CHAP. II. Of the birth of Moses of his fauour with God of his gouernment ouer Israel for 40. yeeres in the wildernes and deliuerance of them from Pharaoh by the direction and inctruction of God of Ioshua his successor and of his warres and victories and of his good gouernment ouer Israel for 32. yeeres and of the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes during the time of Moses and Iosua which were 72. yeeres MOses the sonne of Amri being borne in Egypt in the time of Israels bondage and throwen according to the commandement of Pharaoh vnto Nilus but by the prouidence of God Pharaohs daughter named Thermutis walking for her pleasure with her maides about the bankes of Nilus beheld a thing houering vpon the water commaunded her maide to see what it was there Miria Moses sister tended to see what should become of the childe when Pharaohs daughter sawe that it was a goodly child she much delited in him and caused an Egyptian woman to giue him dugge which the childe refused his sister Miria said Ifan Hebrew woman were there he would sucke Thermutis willed her straight to bring one and she brought the mother of Moses to whome the Kings daughter saide Take this childe and bring him vp for me and she adopted him her sonne This childe grewe both goodly and godly of whom many things are written of while yet he was in Egypt being but a childe in Thermutis armes she put the Kings diademe vpon the childes head and he threwe it to the dirt not esteeming pompe and regall shewe But after he grewe to be a man he was made a Captaine ouer the Egyptians against the Aethiopians and he ouerthrewe the Aethiopians where the kinges daughter of Aethiope called Tharbis beholding his magnanimitie with admiration of his great actions fell in loue with Moses offred him mariage and to be a kings sonne and a king himselfe afterward of Aethiope the condition he accepted vpon yeelding vp of the towne to spare blood which was done But enuie of the Aegyptians against Moses disgrasing and disdaining his fortune and threatning him to the death after the killing of the Aegyptians fearing it should come to light fled vnto the Madianits wher he maried Iethroes daughter and continued fourtie yeeres vntill the Angell appearing in a flaming bush commaunded him to goe to Pharaoh to deliuer Israel from captiuitie with whome Aaron his brother which was the first Priest after the lawe giuen was ioyned with Moses in commission to execute the commaundements of God for to Moses was granted wisedome counsel and power to doe miracles to Aaron eloquence learning and power to speake what he would Nowe by Gods mercie which to the Israelites was alwaies great and by the which they were nowe deliuered from the handes of Pharaoh after many miracles done which Nazianzenus setteth forth in few Greeke verses in Latine by Frigius Mosaicus briefly written in two lines the ten plagues of Egypt in these wordes Sanguis Rana Culex Muscae Pecus Vlcera Grando Vermes Tenebrae Pestis primogenitorum Euen then Moses caried the bones of Ioseph to be buried in Hebron by his progenitors as Ioseph had commanded when he prophecied of an other Pharaoh which shoulde entreate Israel euill This
forward God shal go before you and cast out the Cananites the Hittites the Iebusites Girgashites Perisites and the Amorites so they passed ouer Iordan drie the water staied and gaue them place in like sort as the red sea did The walles of Iericho fell downe and gaue them place to enter vnto the citie without strokes Nowe Iericho being burned diuers kings countreies and cities hearing how Iericho and Ai were destroied gathered their forces together one to helpe an other but in vaine for the Lorde fought for Israel for fiue kings rose against Iosua which were destroied and discomfited and as it is written in the 12. of Iosua thirtie kings were vanquished ouerthrowen and slaine whose names you may reade in Iosua This godly Iosua was an other Moses ruled Israel in all obedience of the Lorde conquered and possessed the land of promise and kept Gods people all his time in peace liued 110. yeeres and gouerned Israel two and thirtie yeeres Eusebius saieth thirtie and hee died two hundred yeeres after Iosephs death CHAP. III. Of the Iudges of Israel after Iosuas death vntill Saul the first king of Israel of their gouernment warres and continuance THe Hebrewes had none to gouerne them 8. yeeres after so long inter regnum continued whereby the Israelites euer rebelling against God cōtemned the lawes despised religiō quiteforgat Moses Iosua the benefits of God toward thē a thing almost incredible that so soonefrō God they would fall hauing tasted of his goodnes and mercie so long for after they had entred into the lande of Canaan and had seene the promise of God performed insteed of thanks for the same they rebelled and prouoked God to anger for he suffered them to be vexed and tormented by tyrants he tooke their libertie away from them and left them destitute of all comfort and helpe yet God raised from time to time such as should defend them if they would be obedient and thankefull vnto God and although the Israelites fell to idolatrie after Iosuas death and thereby were giuen vnto their enemies handes as the tribe of Beniamin 1005. in one day slaine and so the tribe of Dan with others yet God left them not for all their ingratitude but stirred good and godly Iudges as Othoniel Ehud Gedeon and others to deliuer them in extremities The Lorde pitied them and raised Othoniel of the tribe of Iuda the yonger brother of Caleb which gouerned the Israelites 8. yeeres animated them againe to goe to warre against the king of Syria whom God deliuered to the hands of Othoniel and brought them to the fauour of God that Israel had rest 40. yeeres 32. vnder Iosua and 8. vnder Othoniel yet still Israel offended God and committed wickednes before the Lord so long vntill that Eglon king of Moab was by God appointed to bee their scourge Hee smote them and afflicted them and kept them vnder him 18. yeeres vntill Ehud of the tribe of Beniamin a man whome God appointed to defende and to deliuer his people euen he ouerthrewe the Moabites slewe 10000. at one time and killed Eglon the king of Moab and caused Israel to haue rest 80. yeeres the whole time of his gouernment But when this good Iudge died the children of Israel againe fell from the Lord. Then Iabin the king of Canaan had them in his power troubled and persecuted them extremely for God had sold them for their wickednes vnto the handes of Iabin and Sisera his Generall yet still his mercie continued with them for Debora and Barach of the tribe of Nephthali were of God appointed to defend the Hebrewes for Israel preuailed against Iabin king of Canaan and prospered vnder Debora and Barach while Debora and Barach gouerned which was fourtie yeeres Some writers doe interpose Shamgar to be the thirde Iudge of Israel compting Othoniel to be first Iudge that deliuered Israel after Iosua Ehud the seconde Iudge that killed Eglon and then Shamgar which slewe of the Philistims sixe hundred with an Oxe goade Nowe while these thinges were done amongest the Israelites reigned in Niniue Pannias in Athens reigned Pandion the 8. king of the Athenians About this time Bithinia was builded Gedeon the first Iudge one of the tribe of Manasses after that Israel committed wickednes was sent by God to deliuer them from the Madianites who at that time oppressed Israel miserably but they alwaies in great extremities at the last pinch when necessitie forced them and miserie oppressed them according to their wonted maner cried vnto the Lorde and he heard them and helped them by Moses in Egypt and in the wildernes by Iosua to come to the lande of Canaan and in the lande by Othoniel in often deliuering Israel from the king of Syria by Ehud in sauing them from Eglon the king of Moab whome Ehud most boldely and zealously killed in his priuie chamber by Shamgar in defending them from the Philistims of whome he slewe sixe hundred with an Oxe goade by Barach and Debora from Iabin king of Canaan and Sisera and nowe by Gedeon whom God raised to defend them and to deliuer them from the Madianites who preuailed much against Israel for both the Madianites and the Amalekites brought Israel into so great misery that they made them dennes in the mountaines and caues to hide themselues from the Madianites After seuen yeeres oppression and affliction then they cried vnto God when they were most afflicted and persecuted and not before But the mercie of God was with them for all their vilenes and stubbornes Gedeon was called by God to be their aide who ouerthrewe the Madianites and ouercame the Amalekites not by strength or force of Israel but by the workes and wonders of God as you may reade in the Iudges at large for with three hundred Gedeon slewe one hundred and twentie thousand of the Amalekites Madianites and Arabians And though Ephraim murmured against Gedeon yet he appeased them and reuenged him selfe on them of Succoth and Penuel Reade the 8. of the Iudges you shall be satisfied By Gedeon nowe againe Israel was restored to the former libertie and dignitie hauing vanquished the Madianites and slaine Oreb and Zeeb two of their princes and their heads brought to Gedeon beyond Iordan Nowe reigned Panninas in Niniue the fiue and twentieth king of the Assyrians Pandayon of that name the second king after Cecrops reigned in Athens Euristheus the first king of Mycena this was that king whose fame was great in Greece he brought the Argiues and their kingdome subiect vnto Mycena which kingdome continued from Iacobs birth vntill Gedeons time fiue hundred and fiftie yeeres during which time reigned foureteene kings ouer the Argiues About this time reigned in Troy Ilus the fourth king of this kings name Troy was called Ilion being first called Dardania by Dardanus who first builded it in the last yeere of
Ascatades the eighteenth king of Assyria at which time Moses died in the plaine of Moab Then Tros altered the name of Dardania after his owne name being the third king of Troy and called it Troia and nowe last of all by Ilus the fourth king called Ilion Dedalus of whome the Poets fained much flourished likewise about this time and fled with his sonne Icharus from Greece vnto Creete vnto king Minoes Mydas gouerned nowe in Phrygia This was he of whome the prouerbe is made Midas eares c. And in Sicyonia reigned Polybus their second king in Gedeons time Cadmus who for ielousie of his wife Armonia the sister of Iasius brought letters first into Greece from Phenicia as Xenophon sayth 17. letters Nowe after Gedeon had gouerned Israel fourtie yeeres he likewise died hauing left behinde him three score and tenne sonnes lawfully gotten by wedlocke and one bastard by his concubine Druma a woman of Sichem This bastard was named Abimelek a wicked and a cruell tyrant full of all mischiefe and bent to all wickednes hee slewe by his treacherie conferring with his mothers kinsfolkes all his brethren onely Iotham by fleeing escaped who a little afterwards tolde the people of Sichem the parable of the trees of the figge tree and of the vine tree and of the bramble This Abimelek when hee had vsurped the kingdome and put all his brethren to death vsing all kinde of tyrannie in such sort of wickednes that after he had slaine all the Sichemites and taken the Citie and burned a thousand of men in the Towre he then destroied the Citie and sowed salt therein that it might bee vnfruitefull and neuer serue to any vse Thus was Sichem destroied for their vngratitude to Gedeons sonnes Then Theber and Abimelech besieged it where a woman threw a peece of a milstone vpon Abimelechs head and slewe him after he had vsurped three yeeres the gouernment Thus God taketh vengeance on tyrants by such miserable death for marke the calamitie that fell vpon the posteritie of Gedeon a man of singular fauour with God and yet three score and tenne of his sonnes by wedlocke slaine and his bastard the tyrant that slewe them to succeede him The sinne of Israel was the cause thereof and of many more plagues Miletum a towne in Miletia the Countrey of Thales one of the seuen wise men of Greece was about this tyme builded and Tyre an other famous towne was builded in Phenicia this was builded 240. yeeres before the Temple of Salomon was builded Thola of the tribe of Isachar nowe iudged Israel three and twentie yeeres during which tyme the people liued in tranquillitie and peace in the beginning of the fourth Iubile at which tyme flourished Orpheus the Thracian and the great Musician Sosarinus the 26. king of the Assyrians reigned in Niniue at this time Hercules the sonne of Amphitrion was likewise in this age borne After Thola succeeded not by succession as I wrote before but by the election of God for the will of the Lorde should be a lawe to his people Iair the Gileadite of the tribe of Manasses the 8. Iudge of Israel vnder whom likewise the Israelites liued quietly all the time of his gouernment which was 22. yeeres who ruled Israel in prosperitie hauing 30. sonnes that rode on 30. assecoltes men of great authoritie and they had 30. cities in the land of Gilead As soone as Iair died Israel wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord they serued Baalim and Astaroth the gods of Syria and Sidon and God was angrie and gaue them to the handes of the Philistims and the children of Ammon who vexed and oppressed Iuda Beniamin and the house of Ephraim against whom the children of Ammon went ouer Iordan to fight with them so that all Israel specially they that dwelt in the lands of the Amorites beyond Iordan were sore tormented Then they cried then they praied then they confessed their sinnes and sayde they had serued Baalim God most mercifully heard their crie and appointed them Ieptha a valiant Captaine the sonne of a stranger and therefore was chased away by his brethren and nowe by God appointed their Captaine whome they reiected before as no body nowe God hath chosen to doe these enterprises Men often desire helpe euen of those whome before they haue refused This poore abiect exiled and banished by his brethren slewe and destroied the Ammonites and tooke twentie of their cities for the which fact Ieptha was much enuied by the men of Ephraim in the like sort as they of Sichem did enuie Gedeon notwithstanding he killed 42. thousand Ephramites Thus Ieptha ruled Israel 6. yeeres and ended his gouernment most happily Tantanes reigned and gouerned the Assyrians about this time and Theseus the 10. king of Athens ouercame the monster Minotaurus The historie you shall reade in Plutarch in the life of Theseus for the Athenians paied tribute to Minoes king of Creete for the death of Androgius his eldest sonne who was by treason slaine in the Countrey of Attica for the which cause Minoes pursuing the reuenge of his death the Athenians by entreatie of peace to appease Minoes wrath sent to Minoes which peace being granted vpon condition that the Athenians should be bound to sende him yeerely vnto Creete 7. yong boies and as many yong girles some say to feed Minotaurus the huge monster others say they were shut within the Labyrinth wandring vp and downe and could get no place to come to vntil such time as they died some others say that king Minoes kept these youthes of Athens as prisoners within the Labyrinth in memorie of his sonne Androgeus Howsoeuer it was Theseus after he had fortified Athens with people to whome he gaue lawes and coyned money with moe things sailed from Athens vnto Creete and wanne the citie of Gnosus slewe Deucalion with all his Garde and Officers and killed Minotaurus About this time Hercules instituted certaine games or masteries called afterwards Olympiades in respect of Mount Olympus the place where these exercises were appointed This was 430. yeeres before any Olympiade began Likewise in the time of this Iudge Iephthe Theseus rauished Helene Menelaus wife was by Aedoneus king of the Molossians taken and imprisoned but by his companion Hercules he was rescued and deliuered Hercules tooke Ilion killed Laomedon the king and gaue the kingdome to Priamus his sonne At what time the Amazones a people of Scythia mooued warres against the Thebans here is the first mention made of them in histories of whose originall you may reade Iustine where you shall see more Nowe after Ieptha had gouerned Israel 6. yeeres obeying God in all thinges saue in his rashe vowe in sacrificing his daughter he died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead Abesan the Bethlemite of the tribe of Iuda gouerned the Israelites 7. yeeres Certaine
writers suppose this Abesan to be the Prophet Dauids Grandfather for Ishai Dauids father was borne in the time of Iair in the which time happened inter regnum for 18. yeeres whereby the Hebrewes were compelled to serue the children of Ammon and the Philistims They were in great miserie this time vntill Israel repented which was the onely repentance acknowledging of sinnes we can reade of Israel described in the Iudges at large This Abesan had 30. sonnes and 30. daughters and he sent his 30. daughters to bring other 30. more for his sonnes and when he had gouerned 7. yeeres he died and was buried at Bethlehem Then Elon came in steede of Ieptha he was of the tribe of Zabulon and he iudged Israel 10. yeeres and died and was buried in the Countrey of Zabulon After him Abdon of the tribe of Ephraim iudged Israel 8. yeeres Of these three last Iudges there is nothing left in memorie woorth the writing During this time in Niniue gouerned Tanteus the 29. king of the Assyrians Mezentius gouerned the Tuscans but being driuen by the people called Vitulones out of his chiefe citie he fled vnto an other citie of his called Carites and from thence gathered a great armie and went in armes against Aeneas with Turnus Protheus the Egyptian a Priest of great Ianus flourished this time Likewise happened this season a great deluge in Egypt called diluuium Pharaonicum in so much that the Isle of Pharaoh was drowned with water Agamemnon reigned nowe in Mycena of whom Thucidides doth make mention in the preface of his first booke About this time Helene againe was taken away by Paris hereby the Grecians did gather a great armie for rescuing of Helene after Messengers being sent vnto Priamus and being denied of restoring of Helene the Greekes prepared for warres 1210. nauies as Dares Frigius writeth After this greatwarre the Latines beganne their kingdome ouer whome Aeneas after Latinus time was the first king hauing married Lauinia Latinus daughter All these things were done in the beginning of the sixt Iubile at which time reigned in Athens Demophon the 12. king of the Athenians and one Mopsus reigned in Cilicia of whome they were named afterwarde Mopsecrenae Then after Abdons death Israel had no Iudge for fourtie yeeres but continued in their wickednes and offended the Lorde whereby they were oppressed by the Philistims vntill the birth of Samson of the tribe of Dan whom God had blessed with many vertues as strēgth courage godlines zeale to reuenge the people of god vpō the Philistims This was the last Iudge of Israel but for that the historie is written in the 13. 14. 15. and 16. of the Iudges I will omit other things for during the time of Samson which was twentie yeeres Israel was by the Philistims much molested and fourtie yeeres after Samson when the Israelites were gouerned vnder Ely the high Priest Nowe the Iudges of Israel ended that gouernment which God deliuered them euen from Moses death vntill the birth of Samuel 357. yeeres adding thereunto 40. yeeres of Moses gouernment doeth make the continuance of the Iudges of Israel to be 380. and 17. About this time Orestes the sixt king of Mycena slewe Pyrrhus the sonne of Achilles in the Temple of Apollo for after Orestes time there reigned no more kings in Mycena but Orestes sonne named Tisamenus after whome succeeded Penthilus and after him Cometes the last king of Mycena After this Cometes descended the stocke of Heraclides which afterward came from Peloponesus and tooke Mycena Thus ended the kingdome of Mycena who beganne their gouernment in the time of Gedeon at what time the kingdome of the Argiues was translated vnto Mycena where reigned 10. kings whose names are these Perseus Stelenus Euristheus who was accompted a second Hercules for his worthines After him Atreus Theistes Agamemnon Orestes Tisamenus Penthilus And Cometes the last king The continuance of these kings was from the beginning of Gedeon vntil the beginning of Elie the high Priest which was 157. yeeres so long continued the kingdome of Mycena Now after Samsons daies the house of Israel began according to their vse not to thanke God for his benefites but stil discontented murmuring against God seeking newe Magistrates newe lawes wearie of their gouernment and of their Iudges most desirous of change stubborne people and a wilfull nation idolaters rebellious and factious alwaies by disobedience offending their God God followed their humors they had what they would and they did what they listed they had Elie the high Priest for their Iudge 40. yeeres in his time the Arke was taken by the Philistims his sonnes slaine and himselfe fell from his stoole and died After Elie the high Priest died they had Samuel for their Prophet but they still cried out for a king for neither Iudge Priest nor Prophet might please them but a King and therefore God commanded Samuel to anoint Saul to be their king But first I will lay downe the names of all the Iudges that iudged Israel from the first vnto the last After Moses and Iosua succeeded 1. Othoniel of the tribe of Iuda 2. Ehud of the tribe of Ephraim 3. Debora of the tribe of Ephraim 4. Barach of the tribe of Nephthal 5. Gedeon of the tribe of Manasses 6. Abimelech the bastard of Gedeon the tyrant that slew his 70. brethren 7. Thola of the tribe of Issachar 8. Iair of the tribe of Manasses 9. Iephthe of the tribe of Manasses 10. Elon of the tribe of Zabulon 11. Abdon of the tribe of Ephraim 12. Samson the last Iudge of the tribe of Dan. After these Ely the Priest and Samuel the Prophet Now God had commaunded Samuel to annoint Saul their king saying vnto Samuel They haue not cast thee away but they haue cast me away euer since I brought them out of Egypt to this day because they were not content with the order that God had appointed but would be gouerned as the Gentiles were CHAP. IIII. Of the third change of the common wealth of the Hebrewes first from Oligarchia vnder the Patriarchs secondly from Aristocratia vnder the Iudges now to a Monarchie vnder Kings which Israel cried out and neuer ceased vntill they had a king NOw Saul was king of Israel in the beginning of the 7. Iubile at what time Tineus gouerned the Assyrians and Melanthus gouerned Athens for though Saul Samuel gouerned together 40. yeeres yet Saul gouerned as a king as both Iosephus and Ruffinus affirmed not ten yeeres He had good successe in the beginning of his warres for God gaue him the spirit of strength and courage against the Moabites Edomites Ammonites and against the Philistines till Saul disobeied God in sparing of Agag for the which Samuel reprooued Saul and the lord reiected Saul and his kingdome was gluen to Dauid For after the great victories of Saul of those afore rehersed nations he
was commanded by Samuel to take armes against the Amalekites to spare neither man woman or child cattell or beasts but for sauing of Agag the king and few of the fattest beasts for sacrifice Saul lost his kingdome disobedience was the cause thereof Some may thinke the cause to be small that Saul did to be reiected from his kingdome the sparing of a kings life So likewise may they iudge of the men of Bethshemesh who because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord he slew 50. thousand three score and ten men for it was not lawfull for any either to touch the Arke or to looke within it saue only to Aaron the high priest and to difobey GOD and to breake Gods commaundement is a thing most terrible Now though Saul spared Agag disobeying God yet Samuel most zealously without any further delay hewed him in pieces After this Samuel returned to his house to Bethleem where he was commaunded to annoint one of the sonnes of Ishai king of Israel and hauing all the seuen sonnes of Ishai before him saue the yongest which was Dauid who kept his fathers sheepe in the fieldes Samuel commaunded Dauid to be sent for at whose comming the Lord said to Samuel Arise annoint him for this is hee And Samuel tooke the horne of oile and annointed him king in the middest of his brethren and the spirite of the Lord came vpon Dauid from that time forward and the spirite of the Lord departed from Saul And now though Dauid was annointed king by Samuel the Prophet yet GOD would haue Dauid to be exercised in many things before hee should haue the vse of the kingdome After this Samuel went to Ramah to his house and came no more to see Saul vntill Saul died Samuel loued Saul much and mourned much for him and God therefore reprooued Samuel Samuel was a godly Iudge ouer Israel who with great care and diligence serued God and gouerned his people keeping his circuite once euery yeere from Bethel to Galgala and from Galgala to Masphat and from Masphat to all townes vpon his wayes to Ramah where Samuel dwelt and there hee set vp an altar vnto the Lord and iudged Israel Euen so did Debora sit vnder a Palme tree betweene Ramah and Bethel iudging and determining causes of the people This Prophet gouerned Israel fortie yeeres Saul being deposed and throwen from his kingdome hee fell vnto great melancholie imagining how he might compasse and bring things to passe with troubled minde for the euill spirite of the Lord came vpon him that hee oftentimes was molested and vexed with troublesome thoughts And to ease the king of these agonies instruments of Musike with all kind of harmonie were thought very necessarie of his counsell Dauid was called and sent for by Saul to plaie vpon the harpe before Saul for hee was skilfull in Musike so Saul loued Dauid and made him his armour bearer While Saul was in this melancholie moode the Philistines were againe in armes against Israel wasted their countrey destroyed their Cities and prouoked the Hebrewes to warre Saul made readie his hoste but while yet they were preparing for the battell Goliah a mightie huge man a great Giaunt vaunted forward from the hoste of the Philistines by himselfe cried and called for a combate if any one man of the Hebrewes durst defying Israel and blaspheming their God But GOD prepared Dauids heart mightie and valiant and with a sling to bee able to ouerthrowe this Giant for Dauid by the experience which hee had in time past by Gods helpe nothing doubteth the danger of Goliah sithence hee killed a Lion and a Beare before this time being but a shepeheard in the field Hee was fullie perswaded by Gods spirite to haue the victorie ouer Goliah being mooued with a feruent zeale to be reuenged vpon this blasphemer But true it is Comes virtuti inuidia Here Saul began to enuie Dauid and to laie snares to kill him for great actions are full of dangers But there is no danger where God defendeth and saueth the vertues of Dauid purchased much enuie much daunger which Dauid escaped by the prouidence of God But Saul still deuised his destruction vsing all policies and inuenting many stratagemes to ouerthrow Dauid promising Dauid his daughter Michol to wife seeking at Dauids handes nothing but valiant courage and seruice agaynst the Philistines But the more victories Dauid wanne the more danger ensued him the greater seruice he did the more he was enuied and hated for Saul feared Dauid seeing the Lord was with him and Ionathan the sonne of Saul told Dauid the wicked purpose of his father so that Dauid was driuen to flee from Saul and to hide himselfe in a Caue Samuel the Prophet about this time died and was buried in Ramah his owne citie Dauid being still persecuted of Saul wandred and fled from Saul to Achis king of Gath where hee should haue a charge vnder the king to fight against Israel which troubled him not a litle yet such was the infirmitie of Dauid that he durst not denie the king Now Saul all this while following his wicked purpose consulted with a witch to know of Samuels spirite the successe of his kingdome by whom I meane not Samuels spirit but the spirit of Satan he was fully certified of his ruine and of the end of his kingdom which happened to Saul and to his children for it fell out that Saul killed himselfe and his children were slaine in the battell a cruell life hath a desperate end After the Philistines found Saul Ionathan Abinadab and Malchishua his three sonnes lying dead in mount Gilboa after the victorie and the Philistines cut off Sauls head and stripped him out of his armour and they laied vp his armour in the house of Ashtaroth their idole and hanged his bodie on the wall of Bethshan in token of victorie and triumph Saul died after the deliuerance of Israel from Egypt 473. yeeres after the calling of Ioseph into dignitie in Egypt 660. yeeres and after the flud 1234. yeeres Thus the wicked in their pompe and pleasure consider not the iudgement of God During this time raigned Dircillus ouer the Assyrians the 31. king and Aeneas Siluius the 4. king of the Latines In Athens this time raigned Codrus the last king of the Athenians betweene whom and the Peloponesians grew great warres and continued vnto the last destruction of all Greece In the time of Saul certaine people were driuen out of Thessalia called Boeotij they found a land to inhabite which at this day is called Boeotia before named Cadmeia The The kings of Sicyonum called otherwise Peloponesus ended in Sauls dayes euen when Israel began their kingdom About this time the kingdom of Lacedemonia began where first raigned Euristhenes of whom descended Leonidas and Cleomenes two valiant captains which ouerthrew the Persians in the great battell at Thermophila About this time descended the stocke of
Heraclides into Peloponesus Read of this further in Herodotus Homerus surnamed Chius a great Magitiā flourished in Sauls time the kingdom of Corinth together with the Lacedemonians began a litle before the eight Iubilee in the yeere of the world 2865. But to goe forward in the historie Saul being dead and Dauid the last time annointed the kingdome of Israel not yet came to Dauids handes for some of Sauls sonnes liued and withstood Dauid as heires to Saul and held all the tribes of Israel saue the tribe of Iuda ouer whom Dauid was the second time annointed king and Dauid dwelt in Hebron 7. yeeres Ishboseth the sonne of Saul was likewise annointed king ouer the house of Israel hence grew great warres betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid for Abner the chiefe captaine of Saul and the master of Sauls horses thought it not fit that any should gouerne Israel but Sauls sonne who was right heire to the kingdome perswading the people thereunto and gathering force together and would by the sword make Ishboseth king of Israel who kept then his court at Manahim vnder whom all the Hebrewes sauing the tribe of Iuda were ruled Dauid this time lying in Hebron and hearing of Abners preparation to warres consulted with the Lord and sollicited his owne cause carefully he appointed Ioab to be his Lieutenant These two great captains Abner and Ioab full of indignation and willing to trie the kingdome by battell they met by the poole of Gibeon where Abner and Ioab fell to the sword and the battell was exceeding sore that same day But Abner and the men of Israel fell before Ioab so that 360. men were slaine Thus God would confirme Dauid in his kingdome by ouerthrowing of his aduersaries These warres continued long for Abner made all his power for the house of Saul But God wrought otherwise to bring his purpose to passe while Saul liued hee had a concubine named Rizpha with whom Abner kept companie and consumed more time with Rizpha then he did in the seruice of Ishboseth The king being moued with some choler charged Abner with his fault concerning his fathers concubine this checke could not be wel disgested of Abner and therefore he communed with the elders of Israel and perswaded them to take Dauid for their king and after that Abner went to Hebron to Dauid and promised him that he would bring all Israel vnder his gouernment and all this Abner did rather for malice hatred that he bare to Ishboseth then for any good will he bare to Dauid Notwithstanding Dauid accepted in good part his cōming to him thogh Ioab would haue had the king to slay Abner for his priuate grudge which was the killing of Asahel Ioabs brother which within a while after Ioab reuenged for he killed Abner vnknowing to Dauid whose deth Dauid lamēted much When these newes came to Sauls sonne that Abner was dead in Hebron he was discouraged and all Israel was afraid with him and so within a while after he was slaine by Banah and Rechab two men that were captaines of bands this they both did in hope of lucre and fauour with Dauid and they were rewarded as he that slew Saul for in as much as neither the example of him nor dutie to their master nor innocencie of the person nor the reuerence of the place did feare them they died for it Now Dauid was made king ouer all Israel after he had raigned seuen yeeres ouer Iuda in Hebron he went with all his armie to Ierusalem vnto the Iebusites the inhabitants of the land at that time and tooke the forte of Zion and dwelt there and builded round about it Hiram king of Tyrus sent Cedar trees and carpenters and masons they builded a house for Dauid Againe the Philistines came vp against Dauid and he smote them from Geba to Gazer The arke was not yet come from the house of Abinadab in Gibeah whither Dauid with 3000. chosen men of Israel went to bring the arke to the citie of Dauid When Dauid had subdued the Iebusites Philistines other diuers nations as the Syrians Phoenicians Edomites Ammonites Moabites and Mesopotamia vntill the riuer of Euphrates so that Dauids fame spred farre his kingdome prospered his people grew strong and himselfe in all his enterprises most happy Then Dauid ruled and raigned ouer all Israel and executed iudgement and iustice to his people And being at rest from his enemies with great quietnes in Ierusalē behold both his fortune and his great fame forsooke him for he committed adulterie with Bethsabe Vrias wife and wrote his letters to Ioab his lieutenant with Vrias in this sort Put Vrias in the forefront of the battell and cause the souldiers to recule backe from Vrias that he may be smitten and die Which being done the king was glad and tooke Vrias wife to his house and maried her but the Lord was angry with Dauid and sent Nathan to accuse him of adulterie and murther What grew of this cruell dissention betweene Dauid and his children God gaue ouer Dauid to be afflicted and tormented on both sides inward and outward For Amnon defiled his sister Tamar and Absalon killed Amnon such was the wrath of God vpon the house of Dauid that one wickednesse fell on the necke of another Absalon fled vpon the killing of his brother and went to Geshur and then Absalon practised to aspire to the kingdom and laid snares to entrap his father the king Absalon gathered force to dispossesse Dauid for Achitophels councell is alwayes readie in matters of treason Now Dauid felt the anger of God for sinne hee confessed that he had deserued this plague for Dauid was faithful and obedient to God and shewed himselfe contented with these afflictions Absalon goeth forward with his armie and Dauid fled ouer Iordan to Mahanaim Absalon passeth likewise ouer Iordan and followed fast as Achitophel had councelled him so Israel and Absalon pitched in the land of Gilead God raised fauorers vnto Dauid in euery place where he came for certain of the Reubenites and Gadites could not beare the insolencie of the sonne against the father and therefore with all the power they had they ioined with Dauid and the battell began so there was a great slaughter of Absalons side to the nūber of 2000. Israel fled before Ioab and Absalon was caught by the haire of his head vnder a bough of an oke where he hanged till Ioab came and killed him and so Dauid againe was restored to his kingdom being persecuted of Achitophel for his counsell of Semei for his threatning and cursing and of Absalon for his treason Now this warre being ended new warres againe began betweene Iuda and the tenne tribes of Israel more cruel then the warres of Absalon for Sheba a man of Ephraim he now again raised Israel against Dauid and made the Israelites to forsake Dauid and to follow Sheba but his head was caried
by Ioab to Dauid After this Dauid had foure great battels with the Philistines slew them and subdued them vnto the last Thus was Dauid deliuered by God from all daungers tyrannie and treason and saued from Saul Absalon and many others When Dauid had gotten by the sword peace and quietnesse and brought all nations subiect vnto him hee tooke his rest and thanked God in Psalmes Hymnes Odes Verses which Dauid sang vnto God in praise of victories which God gaue him But yet more troubles came on Dauid The Lord so suffered Satan to tempt him that Dauid commaunded Ioab to number all Israel and Iuda from Dan to Beersheba which Ioab did the people were in number of able fighting men 1100000. Gods wrath was kindled against Israel so that much it offended God that Dauid should trust in mē sithence onely God had oftentimes deliuered him and the Lord sent Gad Dauids seer with three things to take his choise Pestilence Famine or Warre Dauid chose rather to fal to Gods mercy then to trust to man Then fell pestilence in Israel from the one side of the countrey to the other and there died 70000. men Now after this Dauid waxed old and hee caused Salomon his sonne to bee annointed king before he died whom hee charged to walke before God vprightly exhorting him to serue God to vse iustice and iudgement in Israel Dauid commanded Salomon his sonne to kill Ioab for his murthering of Abner and Amasa and to take the like punishment of Semei which railed cursed me when saith he I was at the worst Dauid left to his sonne more welth in Israel to build a temple to the Lorde then Alexander the great had in Babylon by the conquest of Darius for Iosephus doth write that Hircanus the high priest a 1000. odde yeeres after Dauids death opened the graue of Dauid and brought 3000. talents to satisfie the rage of Antiochus Demetrius sonne who laying siege to Ierusalem was contēted to returne with some of these talents without any harme done And Dauid died being 70. yeres of age after he had bene 40. yeeres king of Israel seuen in Hebron and 33. in Ierusalem Dauid died 803. yeres after the death of Abrahā after the death of Adam 2000. after the birth of Christ 1070. During this time of Dauid raigned in Assyria Eupales the 32 king in Lacedemonia Argis the second king of the Lacedemonians Now failed the state of kings in Athens and there began a new forme of common wealth gouerned by Iudges which now began by Codrus sonne named Medon after whose name they were named afterward Medontidae for a while Latinus Sylaius raigned the 6. king ouer the Latines in Corinth raigned Ixeon the second king of Corinth About Dauids time there was builded in Asia a citie called Magnesia and another in Italie called Misene now called Cuma Salomon the sonne of Dauid the third king of Israel of the tribe of Iuda a man endued with singular wisdome in great fauour with God as soone as he had sit on his fathers throne he remembred the words of Dauid and with care and zeale he followed his fathers steps in seeking to please the Lord Notwithstanding the Israelites being froward and stubborne euer reuolting from their GOD were alwayes forgetfull of Gods benefites as after the death of Dauid fell out for in Dauids time Israel flourished and all things prospered in Iuda But scant had Salomon bene annointed king but Adoniah Salomons brother aspired to the kingdome secretly and subtillie seeking the good will of Bethsheba Salomons mother and by her meanes to haue Abishag which Dauid his father loued tenderly to wife But his craft was found out and his pretensed treason spied by Nathan the prophet and by Salomon himselfe who perceiuing that Adoniah was the elder brother and had Abiathar the priest on his side and Ioab who tooke Adoniahs part when he would haue vsurped the kingdome Salomon hereby was mooued to make sure waies and remembring his fathers charge before he died concerning Ioab and Semei he executed iustice first vpon Adoniah afterward commaunded Benaiah to fall vpon Ioab for the murthering of Abner Sauls chiefe captaine and Amasah a nigh kinseman of Dauid who enuying their fauour credite with the king slew them and was now iustly punished for sheading of bloud Now Adoniah and Ioab two great enimies of the king being dead Salomon banished Abiathar the priest and called to be a priest Sadock in the roome of Abiathar so the office of the high priest was taken away from the house of Eli and restored to the house of Phineas After that Salomon called Shemei and charged him with the breaking of his othe in passing ouer the riuer of Cedron being forbidden by the king charged him further with wickednesse against his father Dauid in reuiling and cursing of him and he was likewise slaine by the sonne of Iehoida called Benaia By this meanes the kingdome of Israel was established in Salomons hands and Salomon obeied God in all things and then he taketh Pharaoes king of Egypts daughter to wife Iosephus in his eight booke and 2. chapter saieth that the kings of Egypt were al called Pharaones from Minaeus time that builded Memphis vntil the time of Salomon which was 1300. yeeres for Minaeus raigned in Egypt many yeeres before Abraham came to Egypt this is the cause why Herodotus doth omit the names of the kings of Egypt euen 330. kings Salomon repaired the wals of Ierusalē and went to Gibeon to sacrifice for there their tabernacle was at that time there was no temple yet builded to the Lord in Ierusalem In Gibeon the Lord appeared by dreame to Salomon and gaue him wisedom more then any prince of the world had as by his sentence vpō the two harlots appeared Salomon flourished and prospered and farre excelled all the kings of the world for his wisedom was so abundant as the sand that is on the sea shore No Philosopher no Astrologer no Chaldean magi no Egyptian priest might apprehend Salomons iudgement for God was his schoolemaster Salomon was famous throughout the whole world hee wrote 3000. Prouerbes and bookes of Odes and Verses 1000. and made fiue and twentie songs which perished in Ierusalem when Israel was taken captiue vnto Babylon the temple then being burned and the citie destroyed He wrote of all kind of trees from the Cedar tree that is in Libanon vnto the Hysope that groweth on the wall He spake of beastes fowles and fishes He wrote of incantations and of other secret artes which Iosephus affirmeth at large And there came of all countries to heare the wisedome of Salomon and all the kings about him sent vnto him and sought his fauour Now coucerning the princes rulers and officers which were vnder Salomon the purueiance for victuals the number of his horses and the order of his house they
were almost vncredible were it not written in sacred histories Salomon raigned ouer all kingdomes from the riuer of Euphrates vnto the land of the Philistines and vnto the border of Egypt And to speake of the hospitalitie of Salomon and to set it downe as it is in the Bible read it exceeded for euery day he had 30. measures of fine floure and 60. measures of meale for bread he had ten fat oxen and 20. oxen of the pastures and one hundred sheepe besides Hartes Buckes and other diuers fat foules Salomon had 4000. stalles of horses chariots in euerie stall tenne horses which in all amount to 40000. and he had 12000. horsemen This blessing had Salomon at Gods hand for the which benefits he was much bound to set foorth Gods glory which had giuen him such wisedom to gouern such rest and peace in his gouernment that he sent to Hiram king of Tyrus an old friend of Dauid his father for Cedar trees and Firre trees to build a temple to the Lord his God Hiram satisfied Salamon to his full desire Salomon had 7000. men that bare burdens 80000. masons in the mountaine and he had three thousand and sixtie whom Salomon appointed officers and vnder officers of the worke As for the forme and frame of the Temple the height the bredth the length and the deepe foundation thereof with al things belonging thereunto as Cherubins caldrons bases cups pillars candlesticks pots vessels altars tables bowles and basons it is in order written in the kings The Temple being finished the Arke was brought to the Temple where the tenne Commaundements were written where Salomon made his praiers to God to accept their sacrifice to sanctifie the temple and to continue with Israel for euer Salomon all this while followed the Lord and therefore God appeared vnto him the second time as he appeared vnto him first at Gibeon promised him that hee would establish the throne of Israel and defend his people for euer if they would walke in his wayes in token whereof the glory of God filled the temple fire came downe from heauen and consumed their sacrifice and Gods presence was with Salomon Now the renowne of Salomon went farre so that Saba Queene of Aethiope came to Ierusalem to heare Salomon and to see his porte but after Salomon fell from God hee loued many outlandish women which were idolaters he followed the women of Moab of Edom and of Ammon and of Sydon that hee had 3. hundred Queenes and Princes that were his wiues and 700. concubines these women turned Salomons heart from GOD after the gods of the Gentiles so that hee worshipped Ashtaroth and Milcom the gods of the Ammonites his God forsooke him therefore and raised vp aduersaries euen Ieroboam a seruaunt of Salomon but an ouerseer of his worke whom Salomon sought by diuers meanes to kill But Ieroboam fled to Egypt where he kept himselfe till Salomon died Thus Salomon whom God with so many blessings had exalted aboue all the kings of the world left to his sonne Rehoboam whom he loued best the kingdom of Israel to gouerne after he had raigned in Israel 40. yeeres he died before the natiuitie of Christ 1000. yeeres before the birth of Romulus the first king of Rome 231. before Alexander raigned king in Macedonia 666. and before the last destruction of Hierusalem by Titus Vespasian 1070. While Salomon gouerned Israel Laostanes the 33. king of the Assyrians raigned in Niniuie Labotes raigned in Lacedemonia and Agesilaus in Corinth This time gouerned the Athenians Agastus the second Iudge of Athens and Alba Syluius raigned ouer the Latines the 7. king In Salomons time was Ephesus builded by Andronicus as Eusebius affirmeth and in Egypt gouerned Simendes called in the scripture Sisac to whom Ieroboam as you heard fled from Salomon for feare in the 21. Dinasteia of the Egyptians The sonne of Hiram called Baleastartus succeeded in Tyrus and liued but 7. yeeres Sadock and Ahiah were now prophets in Israel Salomon began his kingdome in the yeere of the world 2930. After the going of Israel out of Egypt 480. yeeres 12. yeeres before the beginning of the 9. Iubilie Salomon began to build the temple in the 4. yeere of his raigne before the building of Rome 300. yeeres after the calling of Abraham from Chaldea 910. yeeres Salomon builded to himselfe in Libanon a house for his pleasure and this was in making 13. yeeres and was finished 20. yeeres after the building of the Temple before the monarchie of Macedonia gotten by Alexander the great 700. yeeres and before Augustus Caesars empire 1000. yeeres Salomon died before Romulus birth 231. yeeres before Christ 1000. yeeres and before the last destruction of Ierusalem vnder Titus Vespasian 1070. CHAP. V. Of the taking away of the ten tribes from Iuda to Samaria by Ieroboam of the first diuision of Israel of their warres and last destructions of the kings of Israel by Salmanasser NOw after Salomon raigned Roboham his sonne borne of an Ammonitish woman named Noma Ieroboam now being in Egypt when Salomon died he was sent for by some of the elders of Israel God brought it to passe that when Ieroboam came from Egypt vnto Sichem the people followed Ieroboam and fled from Roboham for hee despised the counsell of the ancient wise men which folowed Salomon his father and hee onely esteemed rash and yong counsell whereby Ieroboam being strong and stoute and subtile amongst the people perceiuing the nature of the people to be drawen from the sonne of Salomon God suffering these things to goe forward for the sinnes of Israel Ieroboham builded him an house in Sichem and not long contented with that he builded another house for his dwelling in a towne called Penuel Now about this time in Ierusalem approched the feast of the Tabernacle which Ieroboam considered of and sawe it was dangerous to let the people to goe to Ierusalem least the people should take pleasure with the rites and ceremonies of the Temple with their solemne pompe and dignitie in religion with their sacrifices and feastes and therefore he erected two altars the one in Bethel the other in Dan and caused two golden calues there to be worshipped Here the tenne tribes of Israel committed idolatrie forsooke their God and they followed Ieroboam in all wickednesse Thus Dan and Bethel with all the idolatrie of Israel continued till Iosias time Roboham this while hauing but the tribe of Iuda and Beniamin vnder his gouernment repaired his Cities fortified his countrey and gathered an armie of an hundreth and foure score thousand to fight against Ieroboam and to bring Israel againe to Roboham But they were warned by the Prophet Shemaiah not to fight saying This is done by GOD who of his iust iudgement will punish offenders all this happened for Salomons sinnes Now the kingdome was deuided to two names Israel which continued two
hundred sixtie two yeeres and Iuda which continued three hundred ninetie three yeeres but both Iuda and Israel forsooke God and followed idolatrie vntill GOD at length by his iust iudgement destroyed them vtterly for the rigour of Roboham in following of lewd counsell made the people to rebell the house of Dauid against the house of Israel hee folowed women and had eighteene wiues and threescore concubines hee had eight and twentie sonnes and three score daughters Roboham forsooke the Lord and therefore Susack king of Egypt came vp against Ierusalem ransackt the Citie spoyled the Temple and tooke the treasures of the Citie and of Robohams house this was the first destruction and affliction of Ierusalem for Roboham had transgressed the commandements of God for no calamities could come to Israel no countrey might annoy them no king could hurt them But when the Lord gaue them ouer for sinne this Susack king of Egypt came in the fift yeere of Roboham with twelue hundred chariots with three score thousand horsemen and the people were innumerable that were with him as Iosephus saieth foure hundreth thousand footemen came from Egypt with him Lubins Sukimes people of Affrica called also Troglodites he had Aethiopians Egyptians with diuers other more nations he tooke the strong cities of Iuda and caried their treasure to Egypt After the time of Roboham who raigned 17. yeeres succeeded him in Ierusalem his sonne Abia against whom Ieroboam straight after Robohams death came in armes with great expedition they both prepared for the battell the greatest armie that euer was in Israel Abia had foure hundred thousand chosen men Ieroboam had eight hundred thousand men and the battell met and fought and for that Abia trusted in the Lord who is the stay of all kingdomes and the giuer of all victories hee had such a victorie ouer Ieroboam that Israel fled before Iuda and God deliuered them vnto the hands of Abia being yong of yeeres and too tender to execute such a charge and to gouerne such an armie so that the slaughter was great euē fiue hundred thousand chosen men slaine so that Iudea preuailed against Israel at that time because they depended vpon the Lord of their fathers so Ieroboam was brought vnder at that time Hee was so pursued by Abia his strong Cities taken his men slaine himselfe hardly escaped the Lord plagued him that he could not recouer strength in Israel againe all the dayes of his life For because God made him a king of a seruant and he neglected the seruice of God and forgot his benefits therefore he was iustly punished for Dan and Bethel was the first and the greatest cause of his fall I neuer read in prophane histories of such a number neither in the historie of the Church foure hundred thousand souldiers in one armie and eight hundred thousand in the other Ieroboā after he had raigned in Israel 22. yeres died See you the anger of God for idolatrie in seruing worshipping the calues of Dan and Bethel for God gaue Israel ouer vnto their last destruction which was in the time of Salmanasser Senacheribs father for Iuda deuoured Israel and Israel deuoured Iuda that both at length were destroyed and ouerthrowen Iuda by Nabuchadonosor Israel by Salmanasser both Ierusalem and Samaria made euen to the ground in the time of Zedechias the last king of Iuda and Osea the last king of Israel Then succeeded Ieroboham in Israel Nadab their second king the naturall sonne of Ierobohā wicked malicious cruel following his fathers steps in idolatrie all wickednes But God stirred vp one tyrant to punish an other for Nadab did offend in prouoking the people to commit idolatrie with his golden calues and as hee was most busie in besieging a towne belonging to the Philistims named Gibbethon he was slaine of Baasha according to the Oracle of God before spoken The sinne of Ieroboam was great and therefore Baasha was appointed by God to destroy all the house of Ieroboam he slewe Nadab and reigned in his steede In Iuda nowe reigned Asa a wise godly and discreet man an obseruer of the lawes of God a walker in his waies and in Israel Baasha the 3. king reigned warre grewe betweene Baasha king of Israel and Asa king of Iuda Ramah was builded by Baasha to that purpose that none might goe in or out to Asa king of Iuda who followed the example of Ieroboam But Asa assembled all Iuda and tooke the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof and builded Mizpah and Geba two great townes in Iuda the warres continued betweene the house of Israel and the house of Iuda But still the Lorde had respect to Dauid and to his stocke for Baasha and all his posteritie had the like ende as Ieroboam had and his house But Asa walked right before God he destroied idolatrie tooke away the altars of the strange gods and brake downe the images and cut in peeces the groues hee deposed his mother Maacha from her regencie and threwe downe her idols which she had made in a groue Asa brake it stampt it and buried it at the brooke of Cedron commanded Iuda to seeke the Lord and to serue him for he knewe like a godly king that in abolishing of idolatrie and aduauncing true religion the rest and quietnes of kingdomes stoode For when Zareus king of Aethiopia came against him with an huge armie of ten hundreth thousand to Maresa a towne of Iuda Asa praied vnto God when he should goe to fight and acknowledged all victories to come from God and therefore obtained the victorie ouer the Aethiopians slewe them and pursued them to Gerar and there was no warre in Iuda vnto the 35. yeere of Asa. Yet he was reproued by the Prophet for his couenant with Benhadad king of Syria and likewise offended God to trust in Physicions to helpe his disease not to seeke helpe at Gods hands About this time Elias and Elizeus were borne in the middle age of the world Capetus Siluius nowe reigned the 9. king ouer the Latines Eutropius calleth this king Epidus In Assyria gouerned Ophrateus and in Lacedemonia the fift king Doristus at what time Smyrna was builded in Samos in king Asas time Nepher Cherres reigned in Egypt king for 4. yeeres and after him succeeded a king in Egypt called Amenophis who reigned 9. yeeres In Athens gouerned Phorbas the 5. Iudge and in Corinth ruled Basis the 5. king after whom their kings were called Bacidae as the Romane Emperours were named Caesares In these daies Hiel the Bethelite did build Iericho which fel before in the daies of Iosua at the sounding of the trumpets and shouting of the Israelites But the iudgement of God followed Ieroboams house according to the Prophet saying to Nadab and to Baasha that slewe Nadab That dogges should eate him that died in the citie and the fowles
should eate him that should die in the fielde After Baasha succeeded Ela his sonne and reigned in Tirza 2. yeeres and Zimri his seruant conspired against him and when the people heard that Zimri had killed the king they rose against Zimri and made Omri their king At that time Israel was in campe against Gibethon and besieged Tirza which siege continued from the time of Nadab Ieroboams sonne where Zimri kept him selfe in holde and perceauing the citie should be taken by Omri he burned him selfe and the kings house with fire After this reigned Omri twelue yeeres sixe in Tirza and sixe in Samaria a towne which he builded and was the first king that was buried there after the building of Samaria and after the burning of Tirza After this the seate and pallace of the kings of Israel were in Samaria and they are often called the kings of Samaria and the kingdome of Samaria being so called of Samarus the lorde of that soile or rather of that mountaine where Samaria was builded This was the iudgement of God to bring his purpose to passe that one king should destroy an other king vnto the last confusion of Israel for such is the nature of idolatrie that the elder it is the more abominable it is superstition doth encrease and danger doth ensue After that Omri was deade and buried in Samaria his owne towne Achab his sonne succeeded one farre worse and more wicked then the rest for hee mended no euill thing in Israel but added euill to euill and augmented the sinnes of Israel he married that vngodlie and wicked wretch Iezabel by whose meanes being wicked before he fell to all strange and horrible idolatrie and cruell persecution he reared vp groues and altars to Baal and prouoked the God of Israel more then all the kings before him Yet the mercie of God neuer failed the faithfull he stirred vp good and godly men in wicked and superstitious countreyes as Abraham and Lot among the Chaldeans Tobi in Niniue Raguel and Gabel in Media and here amongest these idolatrous and wicked Israelites he raised Elias and Elizeus Amos and Osea faithfull Prophets to instruct his Church Nowe in Iuda king Afa waxed olde and died in the time of this euill and cruell king Achab after whome succeeded his sonne Iosaphat who gaue him selfe wholy to serue the Lorde and therefore preuailed against Israel God gaue him a pure heart to seeke Gods glorie that his enemies could not execute their rage against him for Iosaphat trusted in the Lorde and abolished idolatrie and he prospered Iosaphat builded in Iuda pallaces and cities and hee taught the people in Iuda and all Iuda brought presents to Iosaphat The Philistims and Arabians gaue him giftes and brought him tribute But let vs leaue Iosaphat a while and returne to Achab in Samaria where Elias was warned of famine that should come to Samaria of which famine Menander in his Chronicles of the kings of Tyre doeth make mention for Elias was commanded to depart Eastward and to hide him selfe in some place about the riuer of Cherith against Iordan which for want of raine became drie the hunger grew great in Israel This famine was 800. yeeres after the famine of Egypt in the time of Ioseph yet the Rauens euery day fedde Elias and brought him bread and flesh euery morning and euery euening and he dranke of the brooke Cherith thence went Elias to Sarepta and there mette with a poore widowe gathering stickes of whom he asked a morsell of bread and a little water and the woman said I haue but one handfull of meale in a barrel and a little oile in a cruse which I am about to make readie for me and for my sonne that we may eate before we die for there was no hope of any more sustenance yet of that little she had she gaue vnto the Prophet of God some part thereof for the which afterward the barrell was full alwaies of meale and the cruse full of oile vntill plentie of foode came as Elias saide hee restored the widowes sonne being dead to life againe He was sent to Achab to shewe Gods mercie to him and to his people in Samaria for the famine was great and God pitied the wicked for the godlies sake and strengthned Elias with his spirite to doe great miracles by sending downe fire from heauen to burne the sacrifice which he had prepared to his God to reproue Baals prophets therefore 400. of Baals prophets were slaine by Elias at the brooke Kishon whome their god Baal could not helpe But Elias was sought therefore of Iezebel Achabs wife she thought to reuenge the deaths of her Prophets yet her rage and furie failed and her purpose missed of Elias Achab by Iezebels counsell exercised all crueltie and tyrannie Naboth was killed for his vineyarde by Iezabels counsell and by the wickednes of his wife Achab became a vile Idolater a cruell murtherer and as one that wholy gaue him selfe to serue sinne Nowe while Achab was in committing one euill vpon an other in Samaria the peace ended which was made for three yeeres betweene Achab king of Israel and Benhadad king of Syria for after that Achab had victorie ouer Benhadad king of Syria for when Samaria was besieged by the king of Syria and the hostes of the Aramites filled the countrey yet God gaue the victorie to Achab. God before went about with signes and miracles to drawe Achab from his impietie and nowe he giueth him victories whereby he should acknowledge the Lord to be his God yet still trusting to his false prophets he ioyned the second time with Iosaphat king of Iuda went to Ramoth Gilead to fight againe with the king of Syria where Achab was slaine and he was brought to Samaria to be buried according to the Oracle of Elias When the king was thus slaine the battell was ended Iosaphat returned to Ierusalem for Iosaphat had made affinitie with Achab for Ioram Iosaphats sonne had married the daughter of Achab named Athalia a wicked woman such as her mother Iezabel was Thus Iosaphat walked in Dauids waies and sought not Baalim he was vertuous and godly and followed the commandements of God and forsooke the trade of Israel he abolished idolatrie from Iuda and prospered in riches and honor yet he was reproued and rebuked by the Prophet for that he would helpe the wicked and loue them that hated the Lord for the wrath and iudgement of God is ouer all those that support the wicked But in respect of his care and zeale which he had ouer Iuda he had happie successe in all his regiment In the 25. yeere of his reigne he called all the Elders and chiefe officers of Iuda before him commanded them seuerely to walke vprightly before God and to reade the lawes of God to the people and to acquaint them with the true religion his reward was therefore peace and quietnes within Iuda
praemium piorum pax For the Philistims paied their ordinarie tribute euery yeere and the Arabians as Iosephus saieth paied yeerely to Iosaphat 630. Lambes and so many yong kids The Lord gaue to Iosaphat victories ouer the Ammonits Moabites and Idumeans for the children of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and one slewe an other Thus God gaue vnto him marueilous victories ouer his enemies and Iuda flourished 25. yeeres the whole time of Iosaphats gouernment the time of his father Asa and the time of his Grandfather Abia three good kings of Iuda during the time of 69. yeeres Iuda preuailed against Israel After Iosaphats daies his sonne Ioram succeeded who offended the Lorde and walked in the waies of the kings of Israel and followed the steppes of his father in lawe Achab. Ioram made him selfe strong beganne in his first entring vnto the kingdome to play the tyrant for hee slewe all his brethren with the sworde and therefore Edom rebelled against Iuda because he had forsaken the God of his fathers The Philistims were stirred vp against Ioram and the Arabians he was cruell and became a tyrant euen vnto those whome by nature he ought to haue most chiefly defended But Elias prophesied to him the rewarde and iustice of God that would ensue thereof as Ioram afterwards felt for as he spared no blood but made hauocke of his brethren and of his countrey with the sworde so it happened to him to his wiues and to his children by the Arabians and other barbarous people of the Ethiopians who inuaded his countrey dispossessed him of his life and liuing such calamities which with his eies he sawe he died most miserably his guttes gushing out being in the displeasure of God and man Thus is idolatrie rewarded one onely sonne named Ochosias and that the yongest escaped the sworde and he succeeded his father as wicked as hee a very Idolater for hee could not be good being the sonne of Ioram borne of Athalia the daughter of Achab hee followed his mothers counsell and walked in the way of Achab and went with Ioram Achabs sonne to fight against Hazael king of Syria and he was in that warre wounded and after taken by Iehu king of Israel who hiding him selfe in Samaria Iehu slewe him and Ioram king of Israel for so he was of God commaunded and after a while he brake the necke of Iezabel Achabs wife and reigned him selfe king in Israel who was by God appointed to execute iudgement vpon the house of Achab. This king Iehu was annointed king for that purpose Ochosias liued but one yere which when his mother Athalia heard of she rose destroied all the kings seede to the intent that there should be none to make title to the crowne that thereby she might vsurpe the gouernment onely Iosias was saued by Iorams daughter who had maried Iehoiada the high Priest and his owne sister This time by the tyrannie of this wicked Queene the stock of Salomon the sonne of Dauid perished the kingdom of Iuda fell to the posteritie of Nathan an other sonne of Dauid of whose house it pleased God that Messias should be borne so that the posteritie of Salomon was altogether extinguished This Queene restored the temple of Baal raised vp altars nourished false prophets and priests to maintaine idolatrie in Iuda This Queene reigned 7. yeeres then was she slaine at the commandement of Iehoiada the hie Priest the house of Baal destroied and his altars broken and Mattan the Priest of Baal slaine Ioas nowe beganne to roote out all idolatrie and to set in order all thinges in Iuda hee pleased God and walked in his waies while Iehoiada the high Priest liued who was a faithfull Counsellor vnto him But after his death Ioas wanted good councell he followed flatterers and by them he was brought to idolatrie and after to tyrannie which alwaies ioyne together for Ioas killed Zacharie the sonne of Iehoiada the high Priest and a Prophet of the Lorde who had saued him from the tyrannie of Athalia This is that Zacharie of whom Christ maketh mētion in Luke saying that from the blood of Abel the iust vnto the blood of Zacharie the Prophet c. But what came of this The king of Aram he came with a small company against Ioas against Iuda and Ierusalem and destroied all the princes of the people and sent all the spoile of them vnto the king of Damascus and Ioas him selfe was of his owne seruants slaine In Ioas time Elizeus the Prophet died and Homer liued the first and most ancient learned amongest the Grecians While Ioram the sonne of Achab reigned king in Israel and Ioram the sonne of Iosaphat reigned king in Iuda being ioyned in affinitie by marriage In other countreies reigned Persusennis king in Egypt from this king and from Cheopes his predecessor in Egypt doeth Herodotus make mention not of the nomber but of the names of the kings of Egypt In Athens gouerned Mezades 30. yeeres the 6. Iudge and in Corinth likewise Agelas the 6. king In the daies of Ioram king of Iuda reigned ouer the Latines the 10. king Tiberinus Siluius 8. yeeres This king being drowned in the riuer called then Albula afterward named Tiber after his owne name Agrippa Siluius succeeded him the 11. king and he reigned 40. yeeres ouer the Latines In Lacedemonia Archelaus the 7. king who reigned 60. yeeres ouer the Lacedemonians The people of Rhodes at this time were lordes of the seas Pigmalion reigned king in Tyre 40. yeeres and in the 7. yeere of his reigne his sister Dido as Iosephus saith builded Carthage 143. yeeres after the building of Salomons Temple and before the building of Rome 135. Error is in Functius and in other in the time of the building of Carthage There was about this time of Ioas a king that reigned ouer the Tuscans named Felcinus he builded the chiefe citie of the Tuscans and named it after his owne name Felcina The Romanes long after that called that towne and the countrey it selfe was called Gallia Aurelia Nowe to the kings of Israel and Iuda After that Ioas had bene slaine by his owne seruants for the stoning to death of Zacharias Amazias Ioas his sonne succeeded him who in the beginning of his reigne shewed him selfe godly and did execute things vprightly but not with a perfect heart in respect of his predecessors he was called a good king he reuenged the death of Ioas his father and putteth them to death that slewe him he made prouision for warres and nombred all the men and hired a hundreth thousand valiant men out of Israel for an hundreth talents of siluer though he was forbidden by God so to doe But Amazias went forwards and slewe the Edomites and Amalekites euen 20000. But the men of Israel requited that slaughter they fell vpon the cities of
Iuda from Samaria vnto Bethoron as they returned from Amazias to Samaria backe and Amazias after the victorie he had ouer the Idumeans brought their gods and their idols of Seir and set them vp to be his gods and worshipped them But the gods of Edom brought Amazias to the handes of Ioas king of Israel and he was afterwards slaine by conspiracie fleeing from Ierusalem to Lachis While Amazias reigned in Iuda Ioram liued in Samaria and gouerned Israel and Ioram also gouerned Iuda of that name and at that time so two Iorams reigned together one in Iuda the other in Samaria after whome succeeded Ieroboam his sonne in Israel In the time of Amazias king of Iuda Sardanapalus reigned in Assyria their last king after whom the Assyrians lost their Monarchie for Belochus had Babylon and Niniue the two chiefe seates of the kings of Chaldea and Assyria Arbaces helde Media and Persia vnder his gouernment Hitherto neither the Assyrians nor Chaldeans molested Israel but afterwards God stirred them vp for his scourges to punish Iuda and Samaria for their idolatrie and after them the Medes and Persians were as though they were the hammers of God to destroy offenders After Amazias succeeded his sonne Vzias named also Azaria him did all the people of Iuda make king in steede of his father he was but sixteene yeeres of age when he began to reigne in Israel VVhile he obeied God he prospered in all his enterprises Hee ouerthrewe the Philistims brake downe the walles of Gath and Ashdod God helped him and prospered him against the Arabians and the Ammonites hee builded towres in Ierusalem and towres in the wildernes his fame spread to Egypt and all the nations about Ierusalem were vnder his winges but he waxed proude vsurped the Priestes office and he was punished and driuen out of the Temple and the leprosie rose in his forehead for he transgressed against God to presume to burne incense which was the Priestes office in the Temple being forbidden and resisted by Azaria and foure score other Priests Therefore he liued afterwards as a leper vnto the day of his death in a house by himselfe Vnder this king Esai began to prophecie and he prophecied 80. yeeres the fall of these great kingdomes Egypt Syria Assyria Chaldea and Tyre Hee likewise prophecied of Kittim and of the Macedonians This Prophet was by Manasses king of Iuda martyred cut in his middle with a sawe Nowe during the time of this king Vzias ruled in Israel Zachariah the sonne of Ieroboam being the last king of Israel that had the kingdome by succession of Iehu for hee was the fourth in descent from Iehu for so the Lord said to Iehu Thy sonnes shall sit on the throne of Israel vnto the fourth generation after thee Shallum reigned a moneth king in Samaria and Manahem slue him and reigned in his stead In the 39. yeere of Vzia beganne Manahem to reigne in Samaria he likewise sought not God but with money sought the fauour of Phulasser king of Ashur the father of Salmanassar and graundfather of Saneherib infidels and enemies of God and therefore God was wroth so that Manahem prospered not and his sonne Pekahia succeeded him in Israel and reigned two yeeres and died Nowe after Vzias dayes his sonne Ioatham succeeded him in the kingdgme of Iuda a man of great vertue godly and iust and seeking to please God Hee builded many ruinous things by reason still of warres and he was carefull to mend things amisse so that Ioatham became mightie because he directed his wayes before the Highest he fought with the Ammonites and preuailed and they paied him tribute The Olympiads of Greece began in the second yeere of Ioatham About which time Romulus the first king and builder of Rome was borne In Ioathams dayes beganne first the kingdome of Lydia Ezechias also was borne this time some suppose that in Greece Lycurgus the lawe maker of the Lacedemonians florished in these dayes after whom the kings in Lacedemonia failed and the gouernement was altered Nowe when Ioatham had reigned sixteene yeeres Achas succeeded in Iuda wicked vngodly cruell and a great Idolater like his predecessours hee made moulten Images for Baalim he burned his sonne and sacrificed him vnto Idols and deuils and therefore the Aramites smote him and Pekah king of Israel slue in Iuda sixe score thousand in one day and tooke prisoners two hundreth thousands and brought all the spoiles and treasures vnto Samaria Thus Iuda was destroyed vtterly almost ouerthrowne at that time Achas after this great slaughter did sende to Salmanasser king of Ashur gaue him golde and siluer and promised him more money but it helped him not for Achas sacrificed to the gods of Damascus and to the gods of Aram or of Syria which was the onely cause of his destruction which Esai the Prophet had warned him of After hee had reigned in Iuda sixteene yeeres hee dyed in whose dayes Romulus and Remus beganne to build Rome Dionysius writeth that the walles of Rome were begunne in the one and twentieth day of Aprill and in the first yeere of the seuenth Olympiad After this spoile and great slaughter of Iuda Salmanasser king of Ashur came vp against Samaria after that Hosea had reigned nine yeeres of the which he payed tribute for eight yeeres and in the ninth of his reigne he was taken prisoner and the Citie of Samaria giuen to the Babylonians and to the men of Hamath and to the men of Succoth and to the other strangers which the king of Ashur brought to dwell in Samaria in steade of the people of Israel and the tenne tribes of Israel were caried away captiue vnto the Cities of the Medes Thus was Israel dispossest from glory and libertie and caried captiue by Nabonasser vnto Assyria after they had continued two hundred fiftie and three yeeres after Salomons dayes and after the going of Israel out of Egypt seuen hundred seuentie and nine yeeres in the tenth Olympiad This last thraldome fell vpon them for idolatrie and blassphemie which Israel against their God committed hauing so often tasted of his mercie and seene his workes in defending them alwaies euen from their going out of Egypt where they were in slauerie and bondage 430. yeeres vntill nowe againe they are caried captiues and bondmen from Samaria their natiue countrey vnto Babylon 779. yeeres after their going out of Egypt for they so prouoked the Lorde to wrath euen from Ieroboams time who builded Dan and Bethel and erected golden calues therin to be worshipped vnto the time of Osea the last king during which time 19. kings reigned in Israel of the which not one walked before God sincerely but with horrible blasphemie most wicked idolatry they worshipped idols and images wherefore God gaue them ouer one to kill an other and one to destroy an other vntil Nabonasser which is Salmanassers time
who caried them prisoners vnto other strange countreies and set strangers to dwell in Samaria CHAP. VI. Of the continuance of the kings of Iuda after the kingdome of Israel was destroied Samaria taken and the 10. tribes of Israel carried captiue by Salmanassar into Assyria THis time reigned in Ierusalem Ezechias a godly zealous king who destroied idols and brake in peeces the brasen serpent he tooke away the high places cut downe the groues the altars their images and idols and walked before God vprightly and in the 14. yeere of his reigne came Senaherib with an huge host to Iuda spoiling and destroying Libna Lachis and other cities laide siege to Ierusalem threatned the king and blasphemed God most horribly challenging the gods of the nations and defying the God of Israel preferring the armies of flesh and the strength of his hoste But his bragging boasting was sharply punished by the Angel of God who slew at that time of the Assyrians an hundreth foure score and fiue thousand and Senacherib him selfe before his idoll Niseroch whom he worshipped preferred before the liuing God was slaine of his owne sonnes Adramelech Sarezer the iust iudgement of God for blasphemie After this Ezechias fell sicke and was restored to health in signe whereof God brought the Sunne 10. degrees backe in Achas diall this good king repaired the Temple instructed the Leuites in the religion he and all his princes of Iuda frequented the Temple sacrificed daily to their God oblations of thanks giuing and he commanded all the Nobles of Israel and Iuda from Dan to Bersheba to repaire to Ierusalem to keepe the Passeouer to the Lorde which Passeouer was so great that the like was not in Israel This Passeouer vnder Ezechias was 775. yeeres after the Passeouer of Moses and 775. yeeres before the Passeouer of Christ our Sauiour in the Newe Testament Now after that Ezechias had destroied idolatrie and had appointed Priestes and Leuites according to the commandement of God praied for his people and prouided for the Leuites liuings and ordained ouerseers to distribute to euery Leuite his portion Israel prospered all the daies of Ezechias and all things went well with Iuda But Ezechias being deade Manasses his sonne succeeded him not in religion nor in godlines for he followed not his father Ezechias in vertue but his Grandfather Achas in all kinde of vices for this most wicked king restored idolatrie in Israel vsed great crueltie and he erected altars to Baal and set vp images in groues he practised witchcraft and sorcerie and frequented the companie of them that had familiar spirits and those that were soothsayers This king did much euill in the sight of God he martyred the Prophet of God Esay and consecrated his sonne in fire to his idoll he shed innocent blood and filled Ierusalem with iniquitie Beholde such a good father to haue such a wicked sonne But the Lord God stretched ouer Ierusalem the line of Samaria the plummet of the house of Achab and promised to destroy Iuda as he had destroied Israel so he did with Manasses and gaue him to Assur and to his Captaines who brought him in fetters and bound in chaines to Babylon But when he was in tribulation in Babylon he called then vpon God and God heard him and deliuered him and restored him to his kingdome so merciful is God when he is called vpon for by this God instructed him to know him selfe and to humble him selfe before God whome he much abused You may read in the bookes of the Kings in the Chroniches the histories of the kings of Israel at large Manasses died and left behind him Amon his sonne who reigned 2. yeeres in Ierusalem he forsooke God also walked in the waies of Achas and he was slaine by his owne seruants which conspired against him in his owne house the people made Iosias his sonne king ouer Iuda who beganne to reigne in Ierusalem in the 8. yeere of his age and in that age he was instructed by God to haue care ouer the people of Israel he sent messengers vnto all the townes cities and countries territories to cal the Priests the Leuits the Nobles and all men of what degree soeuer to come to Ierusalem where he him selfe read the bookes of Moses vnto the people with oblations and sacrifices vnto God for the sinnes of Israel and those Priests that were not of Aarons stocke that serued idols and images he commanded them to be slaine and whatsoeuer he found in Israel of the reliques of Ieroboam he destroied and burned the bones of the false prophets vpon the altars that Ieroboam erected his zeale was prophesied of by Iaddo 300. yeeres before Iosias was borne Iosias hauing repaired the Temple and hauing found the booke of the Law he maketh a couenant with the Lord that he and his people should walke before God vprightly and iustly After that he killed their Priestes he brought downe their idols he slew the coniurers sorcerers and soothsayers and he burned the Priestes of Baal called Chemarims whome the kings of Iuda had founded to burne incense in high places euery place of Iuda to the Sunne to the Moone to the planets and to all the hostes of heauen His zeale encreased more and more he threw downe the altars of Achas and the altars of Manasses hee had put also downe the horses the charets which the idolatrous kinges had dedicated to the Sunne he ouerthrewe the abominable idolatrie of Salomon in the mount of Oliues called also in the Chronicles the mount of corruption where Salomon builded vp altars and groues to Ashtaroth the idoll of the Sidonians for Chemosh the idol of the Moabites for Milchom the idol of the Ammonits In Iosias time all Iudea flourished with the seruice of God and the lawes of the Countreies were put in practise for there was in euery citie among the Hebrewes a chiefe Magistrate as a Prince or Iudge to determine causes in equitie iustice among the people But in the Metropolitane Citie which was Ierusalem were 70. wise graue men whose court or consistorie was kept in Gazith The Iewish Talmudists named these Sanhedrin these passed both in nomber in dignitie other Magistrates these first gouerned in Silo after in Ierusalem elected by Moses by the expresse word of God these were Iudges for life death according to the custome lawes of the Hebrewes they were to condemne offendors 4. kind of waies by running vpon a man to death by stoning by burning and by strangling That day that these iudged any offender to death they obstained from meate These Councellers continued vntill Herods time and kept their Court at Gazith Beside these Sanhedrioth which were 71. were also twelue Princes ouer the people of euery tribe of Israel one which gouerned the whole twelue tribes of the people Some write that in euery Citie were
seuen of euery tribe But this good king was slaine in Mageddo by Necho king of Egypt who went vp at that time against the king of Asâ—…hur wherein Iosias did offend God because he consulted not with the Lord before he sought with Necho In Iosias time in the 13. yere of his reigne Ieremie began to prophesie the destruction of Ierusalem he foreshewed of the captiuitie of Babylon of the miserie of the Iewes of the famine and of the last ruine by Nabuchadonosor and howe afterward that king could not be quiet but was troubled with one dreame and other seeking soothsayers wise men of Babel coniurers sorcerers to interprete his visions dreames his vision of the 4. beastes of the 10. hornes of the battel betweene the Ramme and the Goate of the great image whose head was gold c. In Iosias time reigned in Media Phaortes the 6. king of the Medes and in Lidia reigned Ardis the 6. king of the Lidians for as I wrote before Lidia Media and Rome began welnigh together In Babylon reigned Nabuchodonosor the first of that name and the father of Nabuchodonosor the Great yet some take exception against the first Nabuchodonosor saying that there was none such as Beroaldus affirmeth He was the 3. king of the Chaldeans after Merodachs time In Rome gouerned Tullius Hostilius their 3. king who was now in warre with the Sabines and in Macedonia Philip the 6. king about which time the Grecians vsed first the Oracle called Dodonium oraculum Nowe in Locretia reigned Zaleuchus a famous Law maker and more famous for the keeping of his lawes being made euen against his owne sonne that should succeede after him king as in an other place you may read more Sibylla which is called Herophila was of great fame in Samos at this time Herodotus writeth that Batius the first king of Cyrena builded Zoan and after builded Cyrenes and furnished the same with people of Tyre and of Greece In the beginning of Iosias gouernment florished the great Historiographer Archilochus whose authoritie for time is with the best approued for he wrote a booke entituled De temporibus with whom at one time liued Simonides and Aristoxenes the Musition Iosias began to reigne in the 30. Olympiad and died in the 37. Olympiad and 16. Iubile of the Iewes After Iosias Ioachim his sonne succeeded for Necho king of Egypt after hee had killed Iosias in Mageddo hee gaue the kingdome to this Ioachim called also Eliachim paying 100. talents of siluer and one talent of gold for yeerely tribute vnto Egypt But Necho within a while was ouerthrowen in battell by Nabuchodonosor the great and the tribute which the Iewes paied vnto Necho now being slayne in the field by the king of Chaldea was paied to Nabuchodonosor But I haue writteÌ„ of this Ioachim of his sonne that succeeded him called also Ioachin or Iechonia of Nabuchodonosor in the histories of the Chaldeans how they were subdued by Nabuchodonosor whom God raised to destroy the rest of Israel the tribe of Iuda and the tribe of Beniamin With this Iechonia was Daniel Ananias Azaria and Misael caried captiue to Babylon of whom Nabuchodonosor had care to instruct them in the Chaldean tongue whereby they might serue the king and be in fauour It was the kings will that they should bee of Zedechias bloud of the best fauour and of the best complection Some write that this captiuitie began from the 3. yeere of Ioachim vnto the 20. yeere of Cyrus Some other write that it began from the preaching of Ieremie which was the 13. yeere of Iosias vnto the first yeere of Cyrus and others in the eleuenth yeere of Zedechias They would not heare Ieremie the Prophet who did foreshew the calamitie and miserie that should come vpon Ierusalem but they despised him imprisoned him and burned his bookes vntill an huge infinite armie of the Chaldeans laid siege to Ierusalem 18. moneths and that it was at length taken and destroied after much famine and plague during the time of these 18. moneths after that 21. kings of Dauids tribe raigned in Ierusalem for the space of 500. yeeres and odde counting as Iosephus saith beginning from Sauls raigne which was of another tribe The wonders which were seene before Ierusalem was destroied besides the threatning of the Prophets were such as might well perswade the Iewes of their calamities and miseries not then beleeued but afterwards felt The first time they saw right ouer the citie of Ierusalem a firie burning Comete most like a bloodie naked sword flourishing to and fro ouer the citie which continued for the space of one whole yeere The 2. wonder was a sudden cleere shining light as bright as day light being in the night time This light onely shined about Salomons Temple and about the sacrificing altars the which the Iewes construed to be their better fortune wherin they were deceiued The 3. wonder was that an Oxe being brought to the Temple to bee slaine and sacrificed vpon a festiuall day according to the Iewish maner that it brought foorth against the course of nature a Lambe in the middest of the temple which was terrible and monstrous The 4. wonder was that the East brasen gate of Salomons Temple being so great and so heauie with iron barres and great brasen bolts that Vix à viginti viris clauderetur the very wordes of Iosephus that 20. strong men could scant shut that gate opened of it selfe most willingly The barres loosed the bolts yeelded that some of the ignorant Iewes prognosticated the opening of the Temple should bee some great good thing to come The fift wonder was seene vpon the 21. day of May which seemed to be an hoste of men armed running on horsebacke and in charets aboue the Citie in the skies a little before Sunne setting The sixt wonder when the priests went vnto the temple in the feast of Pentecost as they were woont to do by night to celebrate diuine seruice they vpon a sudden felt the ground quiuer vnder their feete and the temple shooke and a voyce speaking Migremus hinc let vs depart hence Yet a more horrible wonder there was the daily crying and exclaiming of a countrey man Iesus the sonne of Ananus who for 7. yeeres and 5. moneths before the destruction ceased not in euery corner of the Citie in euery streete and specially in the temple vpon the Sabboth day saying Vox ab oriente vox ab occidente vox à quatuor ventis vox in Ierosolymam templum vox in omneÌ„ hunc populum continuing still this cry though he was punished by the magistrates and brought before Albinus the Roman which was then Caesars deputie in Ierusalem in somuch as he was thought to be some furious foole that he was left after whipping alone who cried Vae vae ciuitati vae phano vae populo and last of all he
this tirant as Moses Iosua Dauid did to the enemies of God CHAP. VIII Of the Machabees and of the last kings of Iuda and of their gouernement vnder the Romanes and of the last destruction of Hierusalem by Titus the Emperour THey tooke courage in God they prouided to resist the violence of tyranny and when Mattathias died after one yeeres gouernement he appointed Iudas Machabeus whom hee knewe bestable in body and most willing in mind to be in armes with their God against this Antiochus and his idoles And though these brethren were not of the stocke of Dauid nor of the tribe of Iuda as you may reade in the Macchabees and in Iosephus yet they ioyned their force and power together and appointed Iudas Macchabeus chiefe captaine and ruler ouer them for in his actes he was liks a lion for the wicked fled for feare of him he killed Apollonius and Seron two princes of Syria and the most part of Antiochus armie who gathered the Gentiles and a great host of Samaria to fight against Israel who were slaine and scattered like sheepe before Iudas sworde and Iudas goeth forward against Gorgias doth the like he slue their souldiers and putteth Gorgias and the rest of his armie to flight Lysias lieftenant general of Antiochus hearing of this waxed wroth disdained his campe gathered 60000. chosen footemen and 5000. horsemen to fight against Ierusalem came to Iudea pitched his tents in Bethsura where Iudas came with ten thousand souldiers against him who with confidence in God and prayers made slue fiue thousande and put the rest to flight and Lysias himselfe escaped to Antiochus Iudas hauing these victories ouer Antiochus the great went vp to Ierusalem to repaire the Sanctuarie which lay wasted made a new altar for Antiochus had erected altar and the Image vpon it where they sacrificed according to the lawe and praysed God for their good successe Now while Iudas had vanquished the Heathens that went about to destroy Israel for they of Tyre and Sidon of Ptolemais of all Galile of the Heathens of the Gentiles were set in force against Israel after that Iudas had fought with the Edumeans Ammonites hearing of these newes Iudas gaue to his brother Simon 3000. souldiers to goe vnto Galile and he tooke his brother Ionathan with him to Galaad with 8000. and they had good successe and victorie in all their warres Antiochus in the meane season traueiling through the countrey of Persia hearing of the riches and treasures of Ptolemais besieged it but was by the Citizens forced to flee who died within a while after Lysias hauing knowledge of the kings death hee caused Antiochus Epiphanes the 2. sonne of Antiochus the great to be crowned king after his father who vsed much more extremitie in Ierusalem then his father did killing destroying the Citizens robbing the Temple and putting Idoles and images vpon the altar Being slaine in Persia his brothers eldest sonne Demetrius being at Rome came with all haste possible to Tripolis a Towne in Syria and hauing possessed the most part of Syria being their lawfull king by descent the people brought Antiochus Eupator and Lysias before Demetrius who commaunded them to bee killed before they came to his sight Now when that Demetrius was set on his fathers throne a great enemie of Iuda waxed hote to reuenge the slaughter which Iudas Machabeus made of his friends and fauourers while yet Demetrius saued himselfe in Rome Iudas perceiuing the cruell meaning of Demetrius and knowing well the power and force of the Romanes made them his friends through peace of mutuall friendship sending messengers vnto them Eupolemus and Iason brethrens children to Iudas Machabeus which of the Romanes were most louingly accepted and they sent to Ierusalem a letter written in tables of brasse wherein they had a memoriall or monument of their friendship and peace In the meane time Demetrius hauing heard of the death of Nichanor sendeth his armie against Iudas in the which battell after many ioyfull victories which Iudas had ouer his enemies he is now slaine by his enemies for he that was wont to pray to ouercome and now omitted to pray trusting to his strength and to the Romanes force was left of God to himselfe Iudas nowe being dead his brother Ionathan succeeded him and had present battell with Bacchides one of Demetrius captaines and with Alcimus and put them to flight During these broiles in Iudea Demetrius perceiuing he coulde gaine nothing by Ionathan desireth peace with the Iewes which being done Ionathan gouerned Israel quietly When Alexander the sonne of Antiochus had heard the promises which Demetrius made to Ionathan and also hearing of the courage vertue and manhood of Iudas Ionathan Simon and of the two other brethren hee sought the fauour of Ionathan and friendship of the Iewes Then Alexander maketh warres against Demetrius gathered a great host and ioyned in battell with the armie of Demetrius and the two kings fought it out vntil Demetrius was slaine Then Alexander sent his Embassadors to Ptolomeus king of Egypt signifying vnto him howe he wanne his fathers kingdome and sate on his throne requesting the kings daughter in mariage so to be in league of amitie to continue perpetual friends wherein Ptolomeus gladly consented and maried his daughter Cleopatra vnto Alexander at Ptolomais and they continued friends vntil discention fel betweene Ptolomeus his sonne in law Alexander for Ptolomeus tooke his daughter Cleopatra and gaue her to Demetrius the sonne of king Demetrius which Alexander slue a little before When Alexander heard howe that his wife was giuen to his enemie Demetrius in mariage hee came with an host against Ptolomeus his father in lawe for Ptolomeus had put two crownes vpon his owne head the crowne of Asia and the crowne of Egypt and had driuen Demetrius after the ouerthrowing of his army vnto Arabia where he had his head cut off by Zabelus and sent to Ptolomeus to Egypt who likewise died shortly after and Demetrius reigned after him All these kinges sought friendship at Ionathans hands for as Iudas Machabeus slue Nicanor Apollonius and Seron princes of Syria ouerthrewe Lysius Antiochus generall and his nigh cousin and putteth Gorgias and his host to flight as hee vanquished the heathens and ouerthrew the Citie of Ephron and wanne Bosorra with many more victories which hee had of Countries cities townes so Ionathan prospered against Bacchides Alcimus against the children of Ambrie against the princes of Demetrius so that Demetrius the king sought the fauour of Ionathan Alexander entreated for friendship with Ionathan Thus God blessed the sonnes of Mattathias because they were zealous in the lawes of God for after king Demetrius was slaine by Alexander and Alexander slaine againe by Demetrius sonne named Demetrius the Iewes all this while were quiet and so peace in Israel continued vnder Ionathan and Simon as in
the Machabees you may reade vntill contention grewe betweene the Samaritanes and the Iewes in Alexandria concerning the religion and holines of their temples which was with great malice followed standing one with an other in defiance vntill the matter was to be iudged before Ptolomeus Philometor king of Egypt the Iewes hauing one Andronicus a learned Iewe to open the priuiledge authoritie of the Temple of Hierusalem the Samaritans had also one Sabbeus a wise discreete man to pleade for the Temple of Samaria For there dwelled amōgst the Iewes at that time 3. sects of religion the first were called Pharises the 2. Saduces the 3. Esseni The Pharises acknowledged the iudgement of God to come with the reward of good and euill confessing the immortalitie of the soule The Saduces cleane contrary holding an opinion stoute against the Pharises in all points The Esseni supposed al things to be gouerned by fate and that nothing could happen to man but by destinie After this Ionathan sent to Sparta and to Rome to renewe the couenant betwene the Iewes and the people of Sparta for it was founde and knowen in their Chronicles that the Spartians came of the generation of Abraham In the meane time one Triphon that was tutor to Alexanders sonne named Antiochus a very yong man expected to be king in Syria in the roome of his father considering how falsly and traiterously he was slaine by the meanes of Ptolomeus his father in lawe and Demetrius to whom Cleopatra his wife was wrongfully giuen in mariage This Triphon by the colour of this title to yong Antiochus Sedetes sonne to Antiochus Epiphanes became very ambicious of the kingdome himselfe layd wait to kil Ionathan and take him by deceite and hauing also heard howe Demetrius calamities encreased by the Parthians sawe an easie way to obteine the kingdome by killing of the yong king Antiochus to whome he promised faith and seruice to restore him to his kingdome for that his father Alexander was wrongfully deposed and slaine For as soone as Triphon had slaine Ionathan and his two sonnes and also king Antiochus hee straight wayes maketh warres vpon Simon the brother of Ionathan who succeeded in his roome to defend the Iewes promising to followe the steps of his father and of his brethren for Simon was well beloued of the Iewes and therefore in great authoritie proceeded with the like courage as his brethren did to warre vpon the enemies and came in armes against Gazara Iamnia and Ioppa wasted them and spoyled them layde siege to Ierusalem and wanne the castle pursued Triphon which then vsurped the kingdome of Syria to the castle of Dora from whence he secretly fled vnto Apania a citie in Phenicia where he was slaine by Antiochus friendes within 3. yeeres after he had falsly vsurped Syria After this grew strife betweene Antiochus and Simon and therefore Cendebaeus was appointed Captaine by Antiochus against Simon but Simon preuailed in all his actions prospered in al his warres and conquered his enemies for the space of 8. yeeres vntill Ptolome who maried Simons daughter conspired against him slewe him and his 2. sonnes at a banquet and sent secretly to kill Iohn named likewise Hircanus the sonne of Simon But he hauing intelligēce that his father and his 2. brethren were slaine and that Ptolome had sent to slay him also he preuented that and slewe them and fled to a castle called Dagon Now Hircanus possessing the office of his father not forgetting the villenie and cruel murther of this Ptolomeus thought to reuenge it when time would serue In the meane season Antiochus sirnamed Pius being mindeful of iniuries receiued of Hircanus father Simon came with a great hoste to Iudea in the 162. Olympiad compassed the Citie Ierusalem with his armie kept Hircanus close within the citie not daring to looke out but after that Hircanus had promised 500. talents to Antiochus to depart in peace hee opened the graue of Dauid where he founde 3000. talents of siluer of the which he satisfied Antiochus which within a short time after was slaine amongst the Parthians in whose place succeeded his brother Demetrius Hircanus When he had heard that Antiochus was dead he came presently with an armie to Syria destroyed the temple in Samaria which Alexander the great permitted to be builded tooke Samega before called Samaria with the citie Sicima and many townes beside where the nations of the Cutheans dwelt which Salmanassar brought with him to inhabite Samaria in stead of the 10. tribes which he caried captiue away to Babylon for after that Samaria was destroyed first by Salmanasser the Samaritans were called Chutheans a people of Babylon and of Caldea Now it was plagued by Hircanus besieged by Aristobulus and Antigonus the sōnes of Hircanus that after one yeres siege they broght Samaria euen to the groūd and caused riuers lakes to ouerflow the place where Samaria was that no man knewe where Samaria stood so wicked a seate and so vngodly a towne full of all horrible idolatrie and blasphemie For Samaria had bene twise builded first by Omri which was destroyed by Salmanasser king of Syria after builded by Manasses the brother of Iaddus the hie Priest by the meanes of his father in lawe Sanabalat chiefe gouernour vnder Darius builded a Church to encounter with Hierusalem in mount Garizin at Samaria where from Babylon and from Assyria men and women came to dwell willing to receiue the lawes of Moses but not to forsake their Idols At what time Onias builded the 3. temples in AEgypt this was the sonne of that Onias which was the hie Priest at Hierusalem whom Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria slewe at his ransaking of Hierusalem at what time hee destroyed the citie spoyled the temple and put vp the Image of Iupiter Olympus vpon the altar of the Lord this 3. temple continued at Heliopolis in Egypt 330. yeres Reade more of this in the Machabees Beside al this I meane the tabernacle the hie hilles called excelsa the 3. temples they had certaine other meetings and seruing of God though not in temples yet in places that resembled the temple Of this no mention is made neither in the historie of the Iudges nor of the Kings and therefore it seemeth that after the Iewes were captiuated into Babylon and their kingdome destroyed many of them being dispersed some to Egypt some to Asia and some to Europa met together as many as were in one citie or countrey hauing no temples but places by themselues made like temples which were called after Synagogues and so continued for after the 70. yeeres of captiuitie the Iewes being permitted by Cyrus to returne and to reare their temple for strangers that dwelt in other Prouinces as at Alexandria Silicia Asia and in diuers other places and yet Iewes borne when they came to Hierusalem either to the feast which was thrise a yeere or vpon any
bloodshedding of brethren brought all Iudea frō a kingdome to a prouince againe by this meanes strange magistrates gouerned them and forren strength feared them that since the time that Aristobulus Hircanus sonne became the first king after the captiuitie nothing prospered with him as by the familie stocke of Hircanus may appeare one brother killing another as before you haue read Now Alexander and Antigonus prisoners at Rome with Aristobulus their father their fortune was thus that Alexander hauing escaped frō Rome to Cilicia came to Iudea and tooke a part of Galilee where hee thought to haue more force he spoiled that which Pompey spared he tooke not only the 2000. talents which was left of Pompeius but also spoiled robd ransackt the temple of treasures to the value of 8000. pounds But he was taken with Gabinius sent to Rome and after slaine of Scipio Pompeius sonne in law in Antiochia This was the end of Alexrnder one of Aristobulus sonnes Antigonus the other sonne was let loose by Iulius Caesar after the ciuil warres betwene Pompey and him he gathered an army of the Parthians thought to recouer Iudea the rather that Antipater was dead and that the Iewes had rather haue Antigonus to be their king then any of the sonnes of Antipater he toke the old man Hircanus his vncle to whom Antipater stood a friend while he liued stirring the Iewes against this Antigonus father So likewise the king of Arabia Areta to whō Hircanus fled for aid Antigonus after he had taken his vncle being high Priest had cut off both his eares had caried him prisoner to Parthia euen hee was slaine by Marcus Antonius within 3. yeeres after Herod was made king that was Antigonus ende And Herod after that called Hircanus from Parthia and caused him to bee slaine being 80. yeeres of age This was the tragical ende of the Machabees whome God endued with great haps and singular fauour to rule his people for the Iewes neuer prospered vnder kings neither before the captiuitie at what time raigned 22. kings in Iuda of the which nomber there were but seuen vnder whome Iuda flourished Dauid Salomon Abia Asa Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias Neither prospered they vnder kings after the captiuitie during the time ofseuen kings as Aristobulus Alex. Iamnaeus Hircanus Aristobulus 2. Antigonus the sonne of the last Aristobulus and last of the line of the Machabees Herod the great whome the Romanes created king And Archelaus Herods sonne After the Machabees race Antipater the Idumean and his posteritie became great in Iudea by the fauour of Iulius Caesar who at that time was in Egypt with an armie of souldiers to whome Antipater stoode in steade by good seruice at that time done vnto Caesar for he brought Memphis the great citie with all the countrey about to obey Caesar and therefore Caesar gaue him the regiment of Iudea not yet as a king but as chiefe gouernour The Iewes could not well disgest the gouernement of strangers which knewe by Moses and by the Prophets that the tribe of Iuda should rule Israel vntill the Messias were borne therefore they were mutinous and full ofsedition Antipater perceiuing the enuie and malice to strangers ruled discreetely and behaued himselfe wisely and yet hee was poysoned by a Iewe named Malchus whome afterwarde Herod the sonne of Antipater slew at Tirus this Herod sirnamed Astalomites grewe great in his fathers dayes for the Iewes thought after Antipaters death to shake off his children and not to admit any of them to gouerne Now they had called Antigonus Aristobulus sonne from the Parthians to Ierusalem but Herod ouerthrewe their purpose and forced Antigonus to flee from Ierusalem Marcus Anthonius returning from the citie Philippos where he and Augustus ouerthrewe Brutus and Cassius the murtherers of Iulius Caesar came to Bythinia where Herod and Phasaelus his brother were accused by the Ambassadors of Iudea that Hircanus the high Priest gouerned as a sipher and they as kings yet notwithstanding Herods fortune and his brothers so encreased that he and his brother were named by Marcus Anthonius the Tetrarches of all Iudea and within a while after Herod came to Rome in 185. Olympiad where he was created king of all Iudea and hee was solemnly brought to the Capitol in the midst betwene Octauius and Marcus Anthonius with al the magistrats and Consuls of Rome accompanying him In the 30. yeere of Herods raigne was our Sauiour Christ borne Herod had three sonnes Archelaus whom he left king by wil to gouerne Iudea Herodes Antipas which he appointed Tetrarche to gouerne Galilee by whome Iohn Baptist was beheaded and Philippe which gouerned Ituria or Trachenitida Herod after hee had raigned 37. yeeres and had sent infinite treasure to Caesar and to his wife Iulia died was with great pompe buried in a towne of his own name called Herodium But though Herods testament was by Caesar first confirmed and pronounced Archelaus king of Iudea afterward altered he appointed to Archelaus halfe Iudea for his regiment and the other halfe betwene Herod Antipas his brother Philip. Now while Archelaus was a gouernour of this people they were much offended with him and sent to Caesar great complaints with letters frō Sabinus that he was seditious cruel and vnobedient to Caesar which being thorowly wayed and found true by Caesar Archelaus was banished and his part of Iudea was made a prouince for Romane magistrates the other two brethren Herod and Philippe gouerned their Tetrarchies with some care and feare of Caesar and therefore to get the more fauour at the Emperours hand either of them builded a towne Philip to flatter Caesar builded a towne and named it Caesarea and Herod Antipas builded another and named it Tiberias for that the Emperours name was Tiberius Caesar two townes for one name The Romanes againe brought Iudea in subiection of the Empire and sent these deputies folowing 1 C. Coponius the first lieutenant one yeere These 3. were sent by Octauius Augustus 2 Marcus Ambinius 1. yeere 3 Annius Rufus 1. yeere 4 Valerius Gratus 2. yeere 5 Pontius Pilatus 10. yeere Vnder whom our redeemer and Sauiour suffered his last passion vpon the Crosse he was sent by Tiberius Caesar. 6 Marcellus 3. yeere Herodes was made king of the Iewes by C. Claudius the Emperour which raigned 10. yeeres After Agrippas time raigned ouer the Iewes Romanes deputies againe as after Marcellus Caspius Fadus was 7. deputie and gouerned Iuda 3. yeeres 8 Tiberius Alexander 2. yeeres 9 Cumanus 3. yeeres 10 Antonius Felix 10. yeeres 11 Portius Festus 11. yeeres 12 Albinus 3. yeeres 13 Gersius Florus being the last deputie ouer Iuda at what time Ierusalem was destroyed by Titus When Vespatian layed siege to Ierusalem euen the last ouerthrow and conquest of the Iewes at what time Caius Anthonius Marcus Cicero were consuls at Rome Hierusalem was three moneths besieged by Pompey the great but taken at
erected vp a kingdome and was the first place that was inhabited as both Zenophon and Berosus affirme for the Caldeans knew that before the flood that men liued and that the continuance of them were before the flood one thousande sixe hundreth and fiftie yeeres and more for that then Noah and his sonnes taught the second age of things done in the former age and how for sinne God had destroied the world for the Egyptians and the Phoenicians long after the flood were taught by the Chaldeans of the flood and of the former time and after more perfectly instructed by Abraham which in the time of famine trauailed from Canaan into Egypt where for a time hee read Arithmeticke to the Egyptians then rude and ignorant of any great knowledge that hearing of these things they beganne very obscurely and darkely to set downe many things which they then not perfectly knewe and yet are vnperfect for that they were ignorant of the Genesis The goodnesse of God spared Noah for 350. yeres and more to instruct the second age to preach vnto them the wonderfull workes and mercies of God before the flood and to warne the world after the flood from sinne the onely cause of Gods wrath towards man and to bring them vp in the true religion of God not as prophane writers affirme that hee wandered all the countreys of the world by diuers and sundry names as by the name of Ogyges Ianus Coelus Oenotrius Geminus pater and many such fabulous names of his lawes in euery countrey of his religion and ceremonies in euery kingdome of his being in Italy in Spaine and in other countreys cleane contrary to the nature and trueth of the history which came after the flood vnto the place where he yet liued with his forefathers Lamech Methusalem Enoch and so foorth before the flood the land of Shinear where by the consent and opinion of the best learned he liued vntil he died I wil not therefore follow Caldean fables in the antiquities of their Caldean and Assyrian kings for that they haue no sound warrant for their historie but that which Berosus setteth downe which Manethon an Egyptian priest much commendeth and maketh many supplies of Berosus lies and so doeth Io. Annius a priest in Whitenberge in his Commentaries vpon Berosus and so doth Diodorus in his bookes of Fabulous antiquitie But leauing Berosus Menathon and Annius to forge their fables I wil as briefly as I can runne through this historie for that I can finde nothing true of them but that which I reade in the Bible from the time of Phul assur vntill Balsaars time which were but 10. kings whose names I set here downe 1 Phul assur named in the Scripture Tiglat Phul-assur 2 Salmanassar which destroyed Samaria and toke the 10. tribes of Israel vnto Niniue captiue 3 Saneherib who came against Ezechias to Hierusalem with an huge armie folowing his fathers tyrannie Saneherib 4 Merodach the first king of Babylon againe broght Niniue vnder Babylon 5 Berodach his sonne 6 Nabuchodonosor which destroied Hierusalem and tooke the tribe of Iuda captiue into Babylon 7 Euilmerodach Nabuchodonosors sonne this restored Iehoakim king of Iuda vnto his libertie againe after that Nebuchodonosor his father died 8 The last of these Kings was Balsaar of these many kings in this the history of the Prophetes make mention and so much of the historie is true I will therefore set downe the continuance the nombers of their kings the change and varietie of this Kingdome for after that Nimrod had drawen people together he first laide the foundation of the Empire made lawes began to builde a great Citie and named it Babylon the first Citie after the flood which Citie though Nimrod began it his sonne Belus amplified it and last of al Semiramis finished it in such forme and stately shewe as he that is desirous to knowe the length the breadth the compasse situation the strength and beautie of Babylō let him read Herodotus Solinus where it is largely described Though it is thought that Herodotus and others in this do erre for Iosephus lib. 1. contr App. and Beroaldus 3. Chr. affirme that the olde writers erred much about the building of Babylon and of Niniue for that which Nabuchodonosor claimed to be his owne saying Nonne haec est Babylon quam ego aedificaui in robore fortitudinis meae Is not this Babylon which I haue builded the Grecians and all olde writers attribute to Nimrod to Belus and to Semiramis The like fable is of Niniue which was builded first by Assur the sonne of Semi by writers is attributed to Nynus Herein both Greeke and Lataine Historians are ouer seene aswell in the time as in the persons in that they were ignorant of the Prophetes histories howbeit Babylon was begun by Nimrod and Belus and somewhat enlarged and beautified by Semiramis but the dignitie and chiefe soueraigntie of Babylon must be graunted to Nabuchodonosor vnder whom the Caldeans onely florished ouer all Kingdomes and enioyed aureum seculum So this Countrey florished first before all other Countreis Babylon the first towne the first seate of the Empire of the world being the chiefest palace of the king for so were they called kings of Babylon and the first kings in the worlde after the flood and so continued almost two hundred yeres vntill the time of Ninus who after he had builded Niniue in the plaine of Aturia a farre greater Towne then Babylon though before it was begunne by Assur one of the sonnes of Sem yet fully by Nynus finished This Nynus waxed great and strong layed siege to Babylon subdued it and brought the Empire of Caldea subiect vnto Assyria then both Caldea and Assyria became one Monarchie and then the kings of Babylon were called kings of Assyria and then Assyria hauing conquered Babylon began to be chiefe and continued from Belus time the first king of Assyria vntill Sardanapalus time the last king of Assyria which as Eusebius writeth was 12. hundred fourtie yeeres from the first reigne of Nynus vntill the last of Sardanapalus so long the seede of Sem continued kings and helde the Monarchie of Assyria As the kingdome of Babylon was translated then from the posteritie of Cham after the first 200. yeeres vnto the posteritie of Sem so nowe againe Niniue is made subiect to Babylon as it shal be hereafter shewed when the historie of the kings of Assyria is handled Thus Assyria sometime subiect to Chaldea and Chaldea to Assyria Niniue to Babylon and Babylon to Niniue vntill both were subdued by the Medes and after by the Persians so God doth appoint and God doth disappoint states and common wealthes according to the decree of his eternall will sinne being the onely cause of Gods anger and wrath his wrath the cause of all calamities destruction and subuersion of kingdomes as Sirach saith Regnum à gente in gentem transferetur propter iniustitiam
hee liued thirtie fiue yeeres after Abrahams dayes The tenth king of the Assyrians was Belochus Priscus and he reigned 35. yeres a righteous king of whō writers make no great mention for most of the kings of Assyria be so ancient their histories by Berosus set forth so doubtfull that authorities sufficient cannot be found to write much sauing those ten kings which are mentioned in Scripture in whose time the Assyrians and the Chaldeans florished most their histories and their tyrannies done in the Church is set downe in the Prophetes by the Spirite of God the touchstone of all trueth and reserued by the holy Ghost to the vse of his Church and the members thereof the keyes of all knowledge of whom al prophane histories haue their beginning Baleus Iunior succeeded to be the eleuenth king of Assyria hee reigned two and fiftie yeeres and was amongst the Assyrians of great fame hee excelled the rest in all his warres for his predecessors euenthe best kings as Baleus Xerxes Aralius Ninus or Belus himselfe entred not so farre conquered not so much as this king did whom all writers so cōmended and specially after Semiramis next in fame and greatnes for shee conquered vnto India this conquered India and brought the Indians vnder the gouernment of the Assyrians paying yerely tribute vnto the kings of Assyria committing themselues and their countries vnder the tuition of this king Baleus Iunior In this Baleus Iuniors time Osiris being very aged returning from all the Countries where hee had traueiled into Egypt erected vp a triumphant pillar with this inscription set vpon it I am King Osiris the sonne of Saturnus that taught in all partes of the world the vse of those things which I Osiris first found out This Trophe was kept a long time by the Priestes of Egypt in memorie of Osiris About this time Iacob and his children went to Egypt 215. yeeres after Abrahams being in Egypt and they continued so long after Abraham 215. yeeres which was the whole time of the children of Israels bondage in Egypt for from Abrahams being first in Egypt where he left to dwell in Egypt some Hebrewes after his departing vntill the comming of Moses is 430. yeeres After this reigned Altad◅s the 12. king of the Assyrians this aboue the rest became epicureall applying his whole studie to seeke out vaine men that could well instruct him to degenerate from his predecessours for hee sawe so much wealth in Niniue where the treasures of the kings of Assyria were that he could by no meanes know how to spend them hee gaue himselfe to all kind of vices and to followe young councel and moreouer he thought it a most miserable thing to toile to traueile himselfe with continuall warres hauing so much substance that hee coulde not foresee howe to consume them but by a decree of his young councelours so it was deuised that the huge treasure great substance which his predecessours by their conquestes had obteined should be with most ease and lesse danger consumed for this was Altades opinion hee thought it most fit to liue in pleasure and to enioy the benefites of his predecessours noting the miserie to bee such of his elders as coulde not spende them selues but spare them to others and therfore suum institutum fuit saith the historie to feede delicately to vse insolent attires to followe riotous company to frequent all kinde of pleasures and to liue viciously while he liued In this time liued Prometheus of whom the Poets make mention much as Ruffinus in his comentarie doth note This Altades reigned 32. yeeres Berosus writeth that one Hercules king of Celtiberia in the 19. of Altades brought his sonne named Thuscus vnto Italie where hee was created king After this Hercules returned backe from Italie vnto Celtiberia where hee died being very olde hee was honoured with statues and images after his death as a demie god this was before Hercules Amphitrion 500. yeeres this reigned in the yere of the world 2275. When Altades had ended his riotous life one succeeded him named Mamitus the 13. king of Assyria a man of a cleane contrary disposition to Altades This king againe assoone as he came to his kingdom exercised himselfe with care diligence to foresee the state of his kingdome lothing detesting idlenes bent himselfe to warres kept garisons had diuers armies abroad himselfe ready to performe in persō that which Altades his predecessor had neglected This king grewe so great so strong that Egypt al Syria stood in awe of him which Syria as Sabellicus affirmeth was once the largest kingdom of the world hauing within it self Palestina Arabia Iudea Phoenicia Coelosyria for the Syrians are people very anciēt for so Plinie saith that they were before the Assyrians Strabo would haue Syria to be al one as Assyria is for so the Grecians called them This king Mamitus reigned 30. yeres was the first king of the Assyrians that began this warre in Syria Egypt for in his dayes Syria Egypt florished There is mention made of the Syrians in Genesis where Moses saith that the Syrians descended from Charmel the sonne of Nahor Abrahās brother called also by the kings of Aram. Nowe after Mamitus succeeded Mancaleus the 14. king of the Assyrians this king did nothing worth the memorie for we reade of no warre in his time for the kings of Assyria being the first nations which had kings in the world grew frō time to time so great so mighty that they held the Monarchie of Assyria from Nimrod to Sardanapalus 1240. yeeres and more during which time fewe kings or none coulde hurt them or stand in field against them for in the East part no king of any puissance was able to encounter with the Assyrian kings for then the Assyrians onely ruled other countries were not as yet populous sauing Egypt who began to be likewise strong in processe of time none coulde resist the strength of the Assyrians but the Egyptians When Egypt grew strong these two kingdomes began to warre one with another and therefore vntill the time of Phul Belochus Salmanasser Senaherib and Nabuchodonosor mentioned in the Ecclesiasticall history no great histories are written of the Assyrian kings and then it was called new Assyria therefore nothing may be read of the first kings of Assyria for they helde their kingdome all this while without any great dangers for yet the engins of war◅es were ◅ot knowen for as Berosus began to write his histories from the going of Noah out of the arke so he continueth his histor◅ vn◅ the childrē of Israel going out of Egypt few could writ◅◅erteinly of this time being of such antiquitie for from Ninus the third king of the Assyrians vntill Spherus the fifteenth king which nowe I haue in hand as Archilochus doth gather there is 451. yeeres This Spherus after 20. yeeres gouernment died the 16. king called of
Berosus Mameius reigned 30. yeeres and hee likewise died without any great mention made of his name Then folowed in the kingdome of Assyria one named Sparetus vnder whom the Chaldeans warred vpon the Phoenicians as Eusebius and Berosus sayth and brought the Syrians the Phoenicians subiect to Sparetus At this time happened such a terrible earthquake as Berosus doth write throughout al Assyria and Chaldea that Babylon Niniue were much thereby frighted this Sparetus reigned 40. yeeres Next folowed Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria of whom Berosus writeth that in the eight yere of this kings reigne reigned Centres king of Egypt who with all his host were drowned in the red sea This is that Pharao that resisted Moses and plagued Israel of whom I haue written in the stories of the Iewes In his time he and all his peeres nobles of Egypt were drowned in the red sea at what time the Hebrewes had such a triumph ouer their long enemies as neither the Persians had ouer the Assyrians nor the Macedonians ouer the Persians neither yet the proude Romanes ouer the Macedonians as the Hebrewes had ouer the Egyptians and therefore I will set downe the names of the kings of Assyria in this sort from the first king vntill Moses Nimrod 56. yeeres Belus 62. Nynus 52. Semiramis 42. Zamhisninias 38. Arius 30. Aralius 40. Baleus Xerxes 30. Armatrites 38. Bellochus Priscus 35. Baleus Iunior 52. Altades 32. Mamitus 30. Mancaleus 30. Spherus 20. Macaleus 2. called of Berosus Mameius 30. yeeres Sparetus 40. Ascatades 40. Of the rest of the Kings of Assyria from Ascatades the eighteenth King vnto Sardanapalus the sixe and thirtith and the last King of the Assyrians which is since the Israelites left Egypt vntill the first Olympiad at what time Iotham reigned in Iudea CHAP. II. IN the last yeere of Ascatades began Dardanus to gouerne the Troianes himselfe being the first king and first builder of Dardania then Ilion and the third time called Troy after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres for Berosus in the last yeeres of Ascatades the eighteenth king of the Assyrians ended his historie and went into Athens and read the Grecians Astronomy instructed them in the Chaldeans knowledge concerning the first age before the flood secondly the genealogie of Adam and the rest vnto the flood thirdly of the flood and of Noah by the name of Ianus of his long continuance of his traueile lawes and monuments in all Countries fourthly â—…ee taught the antiquitie to the Athenians of all Kingdomes Nations for the which the Athenians caused his statue to be made with a tongue gilded in his head and to bee put vp in the open schoole at Athens thus was Berosus in Athens honored with a statue I thinke it best therefore after that Berosus ended his historie of the kings of Assyria briefely to passe them ouer onely setting their names the time of their gouernment and the continuance of the same vntil their kingdome and Empire was taken away by the Chaldeans I haue already from Nimrod the first king vntil Ascatades the eighteenth king set downe their names now from Ascatades vnto Sardanapalus the last king I will likewise passe them ouer briefely 18 Ascatades the eighteenth king of Assyria reigned fourtie yeeres in his time Dardanus builded Dardania afterwarde called Troy whose building was after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres 19 Amintes succeeded Ascatades and reigned king of Assyria 45. yeeres in this kings time Moses died in the land of Moab on mount Nebo after he had brought the Israelites out of Egypt 40. yeeres 20 After Amintes folowed Belochus Iunior which reigned 25. yeeres in Assyria he had a daughter named Actosa otherwise called Semiramis who gouerned with her father 7. yeeres The first Iubilee began in the fourth yeere of this king Bellochus after Moses for from Moses death vnto the birth of Christ are 29. Iubilees 21 Bellopares reigned 30. yeeres in whose time the Israelites serued Eglon king of Moab 18. yeeres vntill Ehud the sonne of Gera slue Eglon by whose death Israel had rest 18. yeeres 22 Lamprides the 22. king of Assyria reigned 32. yeres in whose time Shamgar â—…dged Israel who slue 600. Philistims with an Oxe goade so God still raised either Priest Prophet Iudge or a king to defend his people About this time was the Leuites wife abused at Gibeah to death for the which cause the Leuite cutteth her in 12. pieces and sendeth her to the 12. tribes of Israel for the which villanie all the tribe of Beniamin were well nigh destroyed After Lamprides had reigned 32. yeeres hee had after him a king called Sosares in whose time as Cassiod doth write the flying horse Pegasus was inuented and so called for his swiftnesse Debora and Barac ruled Israel foure yeeres at what time they fought with Iabin Iael slue Sisera the chiefe captaine of Iabin king of Chanaan and his whole armie were ouerthrowen by Barac and Debora The historie of Ruth was likewise about this time some suppose that Obed the sonne of Boas was borne when Sosares had reigned twentie yeeres Lampares succeeded him and he continued thirtie yeeres In the fifth yeere of Lampares sell the third Iubilee after Moses amongst the Iewes Many of the Assyrian kings might haue beene omitted for any memorie they left behinde sauing that by the time of their gouernment we know how euery kingdome and when euery nation began to florish for truely they were more ancient then the rest and were the first kings of the worlde and were idle without any great warre therfore is little written of them vntill Phul Belochus time for Herodotus Ctesias and Diodorus Siculus wrote more liberally of the Assyrians then either authoritie or reason warranted them therein The greatest bragge that Saneherib called Sargon in some histories could make of his predecessours the kings of Assyria at what time he laide siege to Ierusalem hee boasted to Ezechia king of Iuda the victories and conquestes of the kings of Assyria in these wordes Tu audisti O Ezechia omnia quae fecerunt reges Assyriorum c. Hast thou not heard O Ezechias what my predecessours the kings of Assyria haue done haue they not conquered Gozan Haran and Reseph haue they not subdued the sonnes of Eden which dwelt in Thalassar what is become of king Emath and of king Arphad where be the kings Sepharuaim Hena and Iuah are not these subdued and conquered by the kings of Assyria all these kings dwelt in Syria All this bragge of Saneherib who was in the most florishing time of the Assyrians Empire their kingdome their victories their glorie and all these repetitions of Saneherib extended not yet as farre as Mount Taurus and therefore Dionysius Halicar nassaeus is in this to bee both beleeued and preferred before either Herodotus or Ctesias or Diodorus and others who wrote more largely then truely of the Assyrian kings for hee saith
cities and countreis hauing 24. kings by succession which continued vntil 75. yeeres after the destruction of Troy continued so vntil the Carthaginians began to flourish whom the Romanes afterward cōquered At this time one Pypinus gouerned the Thuscanes and raigned as Manethon writes 56. yeres In the last yeres of this king Tyneus the Prophet Dauid was borne 407. yeres after the children of Israels going out of Egypt and in the 7. Iubile after Moses then began to raigne in Assyria Dercillus he raigned 40. yeres In his dayes began the kingdome of Lacedemonia 83. yeres after Troys destruction the first king of Lacedemonia was called Euristenes who raigned 42. yeeres of him came lineally 2. noble and valiant captains Cleomenes and Leonidas who in their time were most famous for they inuaded the Persians and ouerthrew them at Thermophila About the same yere the Corinthians began likewise to establish a kingdome for the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians began at one time to raigne the first king of Corinth was Alethes and he raigned 35. yeres In the 10. yere of king Dercillus the Arke of the Lord was taken by the Philistines and caried vnto Ashdod one of their fiue principal cities they kept the Arke 7. moneths For when the Israelites were ouercome by the Philistines and the arke taken away Ely the priest hearing that the Israelites were ouerthrowen the arke taken and his two sonnes slaine fel down frō his stoole brake his necke for so the Lord told Samuel before what should become vpō Ely his house Israel stil offended God now not contented with the gouernmēt which God appointed them but cried out for a king God cōmanded Samuel to anoint Saul their king About this time great warres grew betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenians Codrus at that time liued was the last king of Athens for after Codrus there was no king there but gouernours called Metontidae Codrus sonne called Medon was the first Iudge in Athens after the kings Codrus according to the Oracle giuen that the Athenians should haue no victories vnlesse their king were slaine in the battell he disguised himselfe like a common souldier rushed into the midst of the battaile purposely to be slaine that his countrey might haue victorie being the last of the 17. kings hauing ruled Athens 21. yeeres ended his life and his kingdome About this time Samuel was commanded to anoint Dauid king ouer Israel and many learned men would haue Homer about this time to be borne some controuersie is of Homers time Eratosthenes thought it within 100. yeeres after the destruction of Troy and so saith Aristarchus and Cornelius Nepos both affirme that Homer flourished 100. yeeres before the first Olympiad Budaeus saith that Homer liued in the latter yeres of king Dauid so they square about 80. yeres of Homers birth During this time raigned ouer the Latines AEneas Siluius their fourth king After this raigned in Assyria Eupales 38. yeeres in whose time the Peloponesians againe mooued warres against the Athenians Now about this time the promise is made to Dauid that the continuance of his kingdome should for euer endure but with crosses and afflictions for Absalon killed his brother Amnon a litle after and fled vnto the king of Gessur and taried there three yeere By this time Salomon was borne of Bethsaba the wife of Vrias Nathan and Gad were in those dayes Prophets of the Lord. Now raigned in Athens Medon the first Iudge the sonne of Codrus the last king of Athens in Lacedemonia Argis the second king raigned one yeere Arcestratus succeeded the third king of Lacedemonia and gouerned the Lacedemonians 35. yeeres in Corinth likewise Ixon the second king raigned 37. yeeres for both these kingdomes had one beginning and therefore their kingdome is accordingly to be handled for in the last yeres of the kings of Assyrians histories the Grecians began for this vnderstand that the Caldeans Assyrians Egyptians and all the East part of the world which were first inhabited after the flood were euen consumed with sworde and fire before the Grecians or the Romanes were acquainted with the world and therefore the lesse to be spoken of these olde auncient people for want of authorities and had not the holy Ghost lightened prophane histories with true records of the Scripture all antiquities had almost bene put to obliuion for all that are in trueth learned in histories take their light from Moses he is the grand scholemaster of all writers About this time Nicius Fesulanus gouerned the Thuscanes 47. yeres he expelled the people called Phocenses out of Corsica and Nicius builded a towne and named it Nicea after his owne name By this time Salomon grewe great in Gods fauour began to make the temple in Ierusalem excelled all the princes of the world in wisdome gouernment Hiram king of Tyrus at that time sendeth to Salomon and Salomon to him purposing to builde the house of God which temple began to be builded the fourth yeere of Salomons raigne and the 12. of Hiram king of Tyre Salomons friend who procured workemen to worke in Libanon and after the going of Israel out of Egypt 480. yeeres Some thinke that Carthage was builded by Charcedon at that time some thinke of Dido others say otherwise both of the building of Carthage and of the time of building as in the building of Troy and in the building of Rome the like controuersie is that sub iudice lis est Laosthenes the 33. king of the Assyrians is the next king after Eupales and is now in hand to be spoken of in whose time Alba Siluius gouerned the Latines the sixt king for the sirnames of the Latin kings were called Siluij as the kings of Alexandria were called Ptolomei as before I told you of the Caesars of Rome and Pharaos of Egypt About this time the kingdome of Israel for the idolatrie of Salomon was deuided and the ten tribes caried from Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon king of Iuda vnto Ieroboam king of Israel who inuented many wicked things in Israel idolatrie new religion contempt of the true God putting vp for their god the golden calfe thus he and his posterities continued from the fourth yeere of Rehoboam vntil the 19. yeere of Nabuchodonosor which was 390. yeeres at what time the last destruction of Ierusalem and the captiuitie of Iuda was Archippus the third Iudge atthis time ruled Athens where he gouerned 19. yeeres vnder whom flourished Sextus Homerus a citizen of Athens this man gaue new lawes to the Athenians The Thracians were strong by this time and became great on land and seas Smendes king of Egypt to whom Ieroboam fled and with whome he staied vntil Salomon died this Smendes is named in Scripture Sesac this came vp against Ierusalem the fift yere of Rehoboam destroyed the citie spoiled the temple and
tooke all the treasures of the kings house away Thus was Iuda punished for sinne by Sesac king of Egypt a heathen man At Corinth gouerned Pryminas the fourth king he raigned thirtie and fiue yeeres at Corinth In Assyria after Laosthenes raigned Pyrithides 30. yeeres in the 10. yeere of the tenth Iubilee which Iubilee was in the yeere of the worlde two thousand nine hundreth ninetie and three Abia the sonne of Rehoboam raigned three yeres king of Iuda after whom succeeded Asa. In Tyrus raigned now a king called Ascartus who after he had raigned 12. yeeres in Tyrus his brother Astarimus succeeded him and gouerned Tyrus 9. yeeres and hee was slaine by his brother called Phelletes he raigned 8. moneths and was likewise slaine by Ichobalus a priest of the goddesse Astarthes of whome mention is made in the thirde booke of the kings and the 11. chapter This goddesse Salomon honoured much and in Egypt ruled Pseusenses There rose against Asa king of Iuda Sera king of AEthiopia about this time and thought to inuade Iewrie but he was not by Asa but by God put to flight and his armie scattered and slaine Elias and Elizeus were borne this time men singularly beloued of God in the middle age of the worlde for so it is set downe as Melancthon saith by Elias himselfe accompting the age of the world 2000. without the Lawe 2000. by the Law and 2000. by grace which are the dayes of Messias but for sinne shortened and by that rule to be looked for before 6000. yeere Nadab at this time was the second king of Israel and began to raigne after Ieroboam whom Baasha slew in the third yeere of Asa king of Iuda Baasha the third king of Israel builded Rama that it might bee a cause that they of the kingdome of Iuda might not come within the territorie of Israel neither they of Israel might trouble Iuda for the which Asa king of Iuda for feare of Baasha king of Israel maketh couenant with Benhadad king of Aram and therefore is reproued by the Prophet for that he trusted in the king of Aram and not in God who had giuen him victorie before ouer the AEthiopians and Lubins At this time Achia and Sameas prophecied in Israel and Septimus Siluius was king ouer the Latins after whome succeeded Capis Siluius the eight king of the Latins and raigned 28. yeeres by this Capis was Capua builded In Lacedemonia gouerned the sixt king named Agesilaus and ouer the Corinthians Bacis the fifth king of whome the kings of Corinth were afterward named Bacidae the names of these kings for the most part are seldome found amongst writers for they did nothing worth the memorie Now in Assyria raigned Ophrateus 20. yeres he was the 35. king in whose dayes Zambri or Zimbri the seruant of Ela conspired against the king killed him and destroyed al the house of Baasha according to the word of the Lord to Iehu afterward Zambri went to the kings house and burned the pallace of the kings and himselfe with fire then the people of Israel were deuided some folowed Tobni to make him king others folowed Omri and so Omri became the sixt king of Israel He builded first Samaria 200. yeres before Romulus builded Rome At this time raigned Nepher king in Egypt foure yeeres and after him succeeded Amenophis he raigned 9. yeres king in Egypt of whom I wil speake among the kings of Egypt Now died Asa king of Iuda after he had raigned 41. yeeres then folowed in Israel after Omri Achab the 7. king worse then all the other kings before him a great idolater and a tyrant in the fourth yere of this king Achabs raigne began Iosaphat to raigne in Iuda In Achabs time Elias beganne to prophecie whose history beginneth from the 17. of the first of the kings vntill the 3. of the 2. of the kings where he prophecied of the famine that was at hand to come 800. yeres after the famine in Iaacobs time In these daies Hiel the Bethelite builded Iericho Amongst the Latins raigned a king called Tiberinus Siluius of whome the riuer Tiber is nowe named after Tiberinus name for Tiber was called before Albula Then was in Corinth Agelas and Archelaus gouerned the Lacedemonians Eusebius in his histories affirmeth that in this time flourished Licurgus a lawmaker and a great wise man amongst the Lacedemonians After this raigned Ophraganeus Ascrasapes and Sardanapalus in whom ended the historie of the Assyrians And now hauing ended the whole time of 36. kings raigning in Assyria from Belus time vnto Sardanapalus and after him from Bellochus vnto Merodach the raigne of sixe kings during which time it was called the newe kingdome of Assyria and from Merodach vnto Balsasar fiue kings gouernment which was translated from the Assyrians vnto the Chaldeans as you shall reade more being of two gouernements and yet one Monarchie sometime vnder the Chaldeans in Babylon sometime in Niniue vnder the Assyrians vntill both Chaldea and Assyria became subiect first vnto the Medes and after to the Persians Of the Kings of Babylon againe called newe Assyria from Sardanapalus which the Greekes call Tonoscon coleros vntill Balsaar the last king of Babylon CHAP. III. SArdanapalus being giuen to all filthie pleasures feasting banqueting a most riotous glutton a great drunkard disguising him selfe amongst women in womens apparell wading from one vice vnto another so much subiect to beastly abuse that his slouthfull life gaue great oportunitie to Arbaces a valiant captaine of the Medes a man of such magnanimitie being generall of all Media consulting with Belochus the lieutenant of Babylon a man of great experience that both Arbaces and Belochus agreed seeing such occasions offered to ioyne both their forces together against Sardanapalus which being done after two great ouerthrowes giuen to them and Arbaces almost slaine and his people scattered and fled Sardanapalus was yet too strong for them both but the thirde time hee was found with his Assyrians so full of wine and his armie so sleepie after drunkennesse according to their wonted maners that Arbaces againe by night with all his force entred vnto their tentes found them in their beds full of surphets slewe them in such heapes that Sardanapalus fled to his citie of Niniue and his lieutenant was slaine hee was then besieged in Niniue his people forsooke him and went to his enemies Then he perceiuing his great danger sent his three sonnes and his two daughters to Paphlagonia to his friend Cottus with great treasures to auoyd the present perill he was in being full of all desperations he made his owne graue so gorgeous and so sumptuous of such high building that hee brought 150. beds made of pure golde so many tables likewise of golde and after much feasting and banqueting with his Queenes and concubines and with many of his deare friends being in the midest of their
first yeere of Salmanasser vntill the first yeere of Nabuchodonosors raigne is 115. yeeres hee raigned but tenne yeere in the whole and then he died And after him succeeded Saneherib who dwelt in Niniue who following his fathers steppes in all tyrannie and seeking meanes to destroy the rest of Gods people came with a mightie huge armie to besiege Hierusalem against king Ezechias with most horrible blasphemies against God preferring his owne force and power being the arme of flesh before the Lord of heauen but the prayer of Ezechias the king and of the Prophete Esay was heard of God and God sent his Angels to defend his saincts and to destroy the enemies of his Church All the bragges of Sanneherib and all his horrible blasphemies the Lord at a moment with one blast blewe away his force his strength and his huge armies being one hundreth fourscore and fiue thousand were slaine by the Angell of the Lorde and Sanneherib fled to Niniue where his owne sonnes Adramelech and Sharazer slew him in the temple worshipping his god Nisroch euen before that Idole whome hee preferred before the liuing God the iust iudgement of God for blasphemie to bee slaine of his owne sonnes before the face of his god For this periured king Sanneherib sware vnto the Embassadours of Ezechias if hee might haue three hundreth talents of siluer and thirtie talents of golde hee would peaceably depart without offering of any iniurie to the Iewes this Ezechias by perswasions satisfied his demaunde but Sanneherib perfourmed not his promise but contrary to his othe returning from Egypt where hee layde siege to Pelusium in vaine fearing Tharsicos king of AEthiopia that with great power came to ayde the king of Egypt hee came as you heard and layde siege to Ierusalem but he had his reward Herodotus saith that in Egypt in one of the temples there was a statue made for Sanneherib with this sentence written in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This sentence is of some referred to Sethon king of Egypt And thus this wicked king after much mischiefe and harme done to the Church of God in the seuenth yeere of his raigne and in the 12. Olympiad died he and his father Salmanasser raigned in Assyria when Romulus and Rhemus raigned in Rome he had the ende you heard of you shall reade more of him in the second booke of Herodotus All this while Chaldea had their gouernours their lawes and all thinges free fit for the common wealth yet they payed tribute to the kings of Assyria Hitherto newe Assyria raigned as the chiefe seate of the Empire and held Babylon as subiect to their Scepter Now while this Sannehorib had in hand to conquere Iudea and thought thence to passe vnto Egypt as hee did imagining fully to subdue all those regions which his father Salmanasser thought to haue done when newes came to Babylon that all his armie was slaine at Ierusalem and himselfe killed at Niniue by his sonnes the Chaldeans being hereof aduertised tooke present occasions to set in for the Empire of Assyria Merodach being then gouernour of Babylon considering that both his two sonnes fled to Armenia after the murther of their father as Functius saith for feare of their elder brother Asserhaddon but Iosephus saith the yonger brother Nowe Asserhaddon one of the three sonnes of Sanneherib in whose time Manasses king of Iuda was borne when his father was slaine and his brethren fled he entred to his fathers seate and gouerned the Assyrians tenne yeres But Merodach the sonne of Baladan the gouernour of Babylon a discreete man looking vnto the gouernment of Asserhaddon being full of contention betweene the brethren the other two which fled before after they killed their father returne with a great armie against the king Asserhaddon their brother and helde ciuill warres within themselues so long that the Monarchie of Assyria became so weake that Merodach translated the kingdome of Assyria vnto Chaldea and brought Niniue againe subiect vnto Babylon Nowe when Merodach had raigned twelue yeeres in Babylon and after hauing the full dignitie and supremacie ouer the Assyrians and Chaldeans hee was named the first king of Babylon againe and raigned fourtie yeres in Babylon Of this Merodach there is mention made in Ieremie Capta est Babel confusus est Bel victus est Merodach which shal be more spoken of when the kingdome of Iudea is in hand Ptolomey doth call this Merodach Mardocempadus for in the Egyptian histories Herodotus differeth frō Eusebius others in the names of kings men must reade with great diligence with much care and weigh the computation of time as here betweene Metasthenes and Functius some controuersie riseth from the time of Belochus vnto Merodach But Functius following the best authoritie is best to be beleeued for he reproueth by propheticall histories the errour of Metasthenes which goeth about without warrant of Scripture to prooue histories of the Bible as these partly be for the most part both of Assyrian and Chaldean histories for after Sardanapalus time they do cōcurre with the time of the Prophets Esay doeth make mention of Merodach the sonne of Baladan who sent Ambassadours with letters vnto Ezechias with great presents to intreat of friendship and to be in league one with another where they were with all solemnitie receiued shewing vnto them all the treasures and pleasures of Ierusalem and returning to Babylon with rewards After Merodach died when hee had raigned fourtie yeeres in Babylon leauing behinde him his sonne Bemerodach who raigned one and twentie yeeres of whome litle or nothing we reade of After whom succeeded Nabuchodonosor the first father of the great Nabuchodonosor this king tooke warre in hand against Necho king of Egypt and went from Niniue to the riuer Perath which is likewise Euphrates where Necho came in person to fight against a citie of the Assyrians named Carchemish Iosias fearing Necho lest he passing through Iudea would haue taken his kingdome he not consulting with the Lord fighting with Necho was slaine in the valley of Megiddo or Magiddo as Herodotus and Functius affirme But to come to Nabuchodonosor To auoyde tediousnes I will ioyne him with his father letting the reader to the second of Herodotus where hee shall reade of this first Nabuchodonosor and his warres and for that hee ioyntly raigned two yeeres with his sonne as Functius doeth write the sonne being of greater fame and better knowen farre then the rest of the kings of Chaldea or of Assyria In the Ecclesiasticall historie I wil set downe his actions his warres his greatnes and his victories After his father had raigned 25. yeres this his sonne Nabuchodonosor the great who in the eight yeere of his raigne subdued all Syria Iudea onely excepted conquered from Euphrates vnto Pelusium and brought in subiection euen from the riuer of Egypt vnto the riuer Perath and all that pertained to the king of
honor he gaue him princely apparel did set his throne aboue the throne of the kings that were then in Babel he had allowance in the Court for his diet he had rest quietnes continued in fauour with the king all the daies of his life Thus by Gods great prouidēce the seede of Dauid which in king Zedechias was extinguished yet in Iehoiakin was reserued euen vnto Christ for after 37. yeeres imprisonment so long was Iehoiakin his wife his children in Babylon by the councell of the Prophet Ieremie he was of king Euilmerodach so esteemed that hauing a sonne named Mesezabel surnamed Salathiel who likewise had a sōne borne in Babylon his name as Philo Iudaeus saith was Mesezebel this Salathiel had a sonne called afterward Barachias or Zorobabel a great man of authoritie amongst the Iewes beloued of God and by whom God brought his people againe to reedifie his temple This Euilmerodach is called in Herodot Labynitus where you shall reade that his wife Nitochris being a discreete wise woman and of such commendations for her diligence policie and wonderful great workes buildings in Babylon that she was coūted another Semiramis did much aduance her husbands fame for her great actions that she did in Babylon farre otherwayes then Zenophon Zonaras or Iosephus writes reade the first of Herodot There reigned after this Euilmerodach the last king of Assyria a great Idolater named Balthasar this contemned God despised his commandements disdained the instructions of Daniel though hee sawe the workes of God dayly and heard by Daniel of the wonders hee shewed vpon Nabuchodonosor yet he feasted he banqueted and commaunded to bring him the golden and siluer vessels which his graundfather Nabuchodonosor had brought from the Temple in Ierusalem that hee his wiues and his concubines might drinke therein This Balthasar did in great contempt of God commit all euill and all idolatrie which for his ingratitude and forgetfulnesse Daniel tolde him what should become of his kingdome repeating the great goodnesse of God vnto Nabuchodonosor the maiestie honour glory and many kingdomes which God gaue him yea all people nations and languages trembled and feared Nabuchodonosor vntill he puft vp himselfe in pride and hardened his heart against God then his glory fell his honor forsooke him his kingdomes lost himselfe made like a beast and his dwelling was with wilde asses All this did Balthasar knowe and yet he humbled not himselfe to God for the which Gods iudgement fell vpon him and vpon his kingdome for he was slaine and his kingdome had Cyrus king of Persia for that was the full effect of this sentence Mene Thekel Phares written vpon the plaister of the wall of the kings palace by the finger of God the last destruction of the Chaldeans and the end of the seuentie yeeres captiuitie before told of Daniel and prophecied by the rest of the Prophets here Nabuchodonosor and his posteritie ended and the kingdome of Chaldea translated first vnto the Medes and afterward to the Persians OF THE ORIGINALL beginning of the Egyptians and of their continuance of their Kings and gouernments why Egypt was called Oceana or Nilea NOwe I will goe from Assur the sonne of Sem and followe Mizraim the sonne of Cham into Egypt for from Chus and Mizraim came the Ethiopians and the Egyptians After that Chus and Mizraim and their children at the building of Babel in the land of Shinear had come into Afrike Chus went to Ethiopia with his companie Mizraim possessed Egypt with all his familie this Mizraim is called in histories Oceanus after whose name Egypt was first named Oceana though in the Scripture and in the Hebrewe histories it was named Mizreia after the name of Mizraim the sonne of Cham. I reade in Manethon and in others that from the first comming of Mizraim into Egypt vnto Osiris time which was 280. yeeres Egypt had three seuerall names first Oceana after the name of Oceanus in Berosus in Scripture Mizraim the second name was Aeria after the name of the riuer Nilus the third Aeria which continued vntill Osiris time and after Osiris time named Osiriana according to his name at what time Abraham was in Egypt vntill Ramesses time surnamed Egyptus about the time that the Israelites left Egypt after Abrahams being in Egypt foure hundred and thirtie yeres During which time of these foure seueral names Egypt was gouerned by states and potentates of Dynasteia a forme of a common wealth like vnto the state of the Hebrewes gouernment by the councel of Sanhedrin or like the Grecians ruled by their Amphictions But first to speake of the fertilitie of the soile the maners of the people the antiquitie of the countrey the greatnes of their gouernment specially of many rare wonders which are in Egypt more then in any kingdome of the world for the description of Egypt I referre you as you haue read before of other coūtries to Strabo Pomponius Mela and Solinus Egypt was diuided i◅to sixe seueral kinds of people the first three which were kings priests and souldiers gouerned the state and cōmon wealth of Egypt the other three serued in the countrey to vse things necessary for the kingdome for the state which were husbandmen craftesmen shepheards Concerning the antiquitie of the Egyptians they contended therein with the Scithians and with the people of Phrygia for this opinion the Egyptians hold of their antiquitie and that registred in ancient chronicles that during their cōtinuance in Egypt the starres haue foure times altered their courses and the sunne twise likewise they haue recorded 330. kings to haue reigned in Egypt before king Amasis time which was king of Egypt when Cyrus was king of Persia. The vaine assertion that the Egyptiās held of their antiquitie was of continuance aboue 13 thousand yeeres you must vnderstand Lunares annos Of their superstitious religion to their gods it is set foorth by Herodot in all pointes howe two blacke pigeons the one flying to Libya cōmanded them to builde a temple vnto Iupiter surnamed Hamon to receiue oracles and to be instructed thereby aswell by ceremonies in the religion of their gods as also in maners liuing of their countrey the other pigeon in Thebes a Citie of Egypt in like sort cōmanded an other temple to be builded where the like oracles also should be deliuered to them of Thebes The olde priestes of Egypt hauing these warnings as they supposed by some power diuine being of greater authoritie in the beginning then the kings of Egypt were they began to worship as many gods as they thought good and yet not to erect images idols in their temples for in the greatest ancientest cities of Egypt the princes nobles of the countrie contended sundry times in the yeere to offer sacrifice and to celebrate feastes to these gods with such solemne rites and ceremonies as were by the oracles commaunded these
of these scepters were made put in tables of Alabaster Iuorie Ebony in diuers coūtries where he traueiled leauing behind him his sister his wife Isis to gouerne Egypt This time began the 16. Dynasteia of Egypt which were potētates states who gouerned Egypt in many places some endured 100. some 200. yeres some 300. yeeres some more some lesse they were in Egypt as the Chiliarchi were with the Hebrewes as the Amphictions with the Grecians and as the Senators with the Romanes but when the kings of Egypt began to be mighty strong the state of the potentates began to be diminished but it stil continued vnder the kings of Egypt as chiefe gouernours which the Grecians called Polemarchi I will begin of Osiris the first king of Egypt yet Diodorus nameth Mena the first king of Egypt which Berosus cal Oceanus which is Mizraim with the Hebrewes This Osiris was maried to Isis called Iuno Egyptia for prophane writers name the first kings queenes of euery countrey by the name of Satur. Iupiter Iuno Ceres c. This Isis is supposed to be called Ceres for that she affirmeth of her self this sentence writtē vnder diuers pictures of Isis in tables pillars set vp in Egypt Ego sum Isis Egypti Regina à Mercurio erudita vxor Osiridis mater regis Ori gaude Bubastia gaude Egypte quae me nutristi these words were graued in a pillar of brasse called Columna Isidis read of this more in Dio. Sic. Orus the 2. king of Egypt succeeded his father Osiris this taught the Egyptiās many things read lectures of Astronomy and the first that instructed the rude people to obserue the orders course of the stars likewise he made many good lawes amongst the Egyptians and made them acquainted with the true God whō Abraham being then in Egypt confessed preached with whō king Orus seemed to haue conference was taught by Abraham to acknowledge the power of God hauing had sensible trial therof of his fathers punishment the plague thereby that happened by his iniurious dealing with Sara this made this king to honour Abraham much yet in his fathers dayes Abraham made no long stay in Egypt It seemed that Abraham had some liking to this Orus before he was king to whō he reuealed instructions both to know God his creatures whereby after he was made king and he taught in Egypt those good things which Abraham instructed him whereby he was called in Egypt Orus the great Melanthon saith he had a sonne called Bocchoris after Bocchoris Busiris who builded Thebes in Egypt setting forth the kings of Egypt Herodotus doth not obserue lineally their succession nor Functius in his table nor Manethon an Egyptian priest onely chronographer for the kings of Egypt wherein no true lineall successe may be set downe of the old kings of Egypt vntil Amasis where Herodotus omitteth many things of Egypt beginneth to make relation of the kings of Egypt from Chiopes the first yere of Persusennes which was in the beginning of the 11. Iubilee after Moses Menathon the historie is mentioned by Iosephus the names of the Egyptiā kings laide downe to Ramases which with him is Sethosis beginneth from Ramesses surnamed Egyptus who vsurped the kingdome hauing banished thence his brother Danaus Hee setteth downe that the lande of Egypt was then the fourth time called Mizraim at what time as Cornelius Tacitus and others say the names of Pharoes first began so Manethon affirmeth But it doth appeate by Iosephus against Appian a schoolemaster of Alexandria that the historie of Egypt is patched and forged by Manethon Cheremon two chiefe ancient Chronographers that for true histories generally remaine but fables he laieth downe the errors of Manethon written by himselfe in these wordes At what time Timaus reigned king in Egypt saith Appian came certeine people a base nation from the East and began to inhabit to build to growe strong in Egypt so that they made them a king to gouerne them the which was called Saltis this came to Memphis to Sais two great townes in Egypt seated himselfe in those townes and brought the princes about to pay to them tribute vsed great crueltie slue made hauocke of much people in Egypt After that Saltis reigned nineteene yeeres in Egypt he died after whom succeeded fiue other kings which in all were sixe whose names I set downe to your viewe 1 Saltis which reigned 19. yeeres 2 Baeon which reigned 44. yeeres 3 Apachnas which reigned 36. yeeres 4 Iamas reigned 50. yeres 5 Apochis reigned 61. yeeres 6 Assis reigned 49. yeres These sixe kings reigned first ouer these base people as Manethon writeth which were called in Egypt Hicsos shepheards they and their posteritie after them reigned in Egypt fiue hundreth and eleuen yeeres vntill the time of Alisfragmutosis by whom they wererepulsed and constrained to dwel within a place called Auaris the proportion of tenne thousand acres this compasse they held fortified many strong walles and fortes these shepheards as Manethon saith stood vpon their defence vntil Temosine the kings sōne to Alisfragmutosis laid siege to their fortes with foure hundred eight score thousande readie in armes against these Hicsos with whom the king of Egypt concluded peace vpon condition to depart whither they woulde without harme or hurt so that they would depart out of Egypt These people forced in this sort to the number of two hundred fourtie thousand to passe through Egypt with al their possession with them tooke their iourney through the deserts of Syria and fearing the power of the Assyrians which at that time gouerned al Asia they builded a Towne for them to dwell in in Iudea called Ierusalem this nation was called in Manethon Hicsos Pastores reges this squareth farre from the historie of Moses concerning their dwellings being of the Hebrewes in Egypt After the departure of these Hebrewes out of Egypt these many kings reigned successiuely as Manethon orderly setteth them downe 1 Alisfragumtosis 2 Temusi 25. yeeres 3 Chebron 13. yeeres 4 Amenophis 20. yeres 7. moneths 5 Amesses the sister of Amenophis gouerned Egypt after her brother 21. yeeres 6 Mephres 12. yeeres and 9. moneths 7 Mephramutosis reigned 25. yeeres 8 Thmosis 9. yeres and 8. moneths 9 Amenophis the 2. of that name reigned 30. yeeres 10. moneths 10 Orus 3. yeeres and 5. moneths 11 Acencheres Orus daughter after her father reigned 12. yeres 12 Rathotis reigned 9. yeeres 13 Acencheres 12. yeres 14 Acencheres the 2. reigned 12. yeeres and 3. moneths 15 Armais reigned 4. yeeres 16 Armesis reigned one yeere 17 Armesesmiamus reig ned 66. yeeres 18 Amenophis the 3. of that name 19. yeeres 19 Sethosis was the 19. king of Egypt after the going out of these Shepheards out of Egypt which was 393. yeeres from Tomusis vntill Sethosis This Sethofis was mightie strong on sea and vpon land he prepared
an huge armie against the Cyprians Phoenicians and after against the Assyrians and the Medes committing the gouernment of Egypt to his brother named Armais which is also called Danaus he deliuered all Egypt vnder his brother charging him to abstaine from his concubines and not in any wise to abuse himselfe in any thing belonging to the crowne of Egypt but asâ—…oone as Sethosis tooke his voiage so soone Armais rebelled tooke the Diademe imprisoned the Queene Sethosis wife and did what he pleased in Egypt The king being of this certified returned in haste draue his brother Armais out of his kingdome and at that time named the Countrey after his owne name Egypt for so was Sethosis surnamed Egyptus Thus sarre Manethon in his owne booke of the historie of Egypt doeth write wherein hee seemeth to be fabulous in the histories of the Hebrewes and in the setting downe the names of the kings of Egypt after the departure of the shepheardes as hee tearmeth them to varie much from others but in trueth it is hard to set downe in order eyther the kings of Egypt or of Scythia for the antiquitie of time beside their close gouernment in their Dynasties which the Egyptians had in number twentie one and therefore their three hundred and thirtie kings are written in Herodot not named but past ouer in silence vnder the gouernment of so many Dynasteias neither doeth Manethon name them The like is written of Cheremon another olde writer of the Egyptian histories to whom the goddesse Isis appeared in a vision finding fault that her temple was not rebuilded and opening secrets and oracles to Cheremon Concerning their kings of Egypt of their fables and meere ignorance in their owne histories I neede not much to stand vpon but referre you to Iosephus where hee at large vnfoldeth their folly opening their owne Chronicles against themselues and therefore I will let Manethon and Cheremon and others as Herodot and Diodorus Siculus that write of the kings of Egypt to stand to their fables Wee reade in Genesis of Pharao in Abrahams time which is sufficient to discharge them both The kingdome of Egypt was as I saide before gouerned by a state called Dynasteia for after Osiris which gouerned Egypt in the sixteene Dynasteia which continued a hundred and ninetie yeeres after Osiris gouernment the seuenteenth Dynastia began as Eusebius setteth it downe and continued a hundred and three yeeres during that time of gouernment potentates and magistrates reigned and gouerned in Egypt without any mention made of kings as yet to any purpose But as the priests of Egypt haue written in their Chronicles as I saide before from Menes time the first king of Egypt as Herodot saith the priests haue recorded three hundred and thirtie kings of the which many of them haue past obscurely without any speach made of them in that kinde of gouernement called Dynastia for I find in Functius table twentie one Dynastias of the names of those that gouerned and of their gouernment during that time Eusebius and Manethon with others omitted not to write the number of these Dynasties and yet past with silence the names of their kings vntill the eighteene Dynastia the names of Pharaos were not knowen then beganne the kings of Egypt to bee surnamed Pharaos About the time of the going of Iacob into Egypt two hundred and fifteene yeeres after that Abraham his graundfather had bene there at what time reigned Baleus the younger the eleuenth king of the Assyrians then reigned in Egypt Amasis the first that was called Pharao 25. yeeres after him succeeded Chebron and Amenophis the one reigned 13. yeeres and the other 21. after these three kings reigned in Egypt Mephres 12. yeeres in whose time Ioseph died after hee had liued a hundred and tenne yeeres and of that age hee ruled and gouerned all Egypt 80. yeeres Then reigned in Assyria Mamitus the 13. king after this succeeded in Egypt two other kings the one named Mispharmutosis who reigned 26. yeeres the other named Thutemosis who gouerned Egypt 9. yeeres About this time Kittim hauing driuen his brother Hesperus who reigned then king in Celtiberia into Italie vsurped his kingdome and reigned thirteene yeeres after him ouer the Celtiberians and after that Kittim left his sonne Sicorus in Celtiberia and passed into Italie where hee reigned and was surnamed Italus whom the Greekes named Atlas of whom I wrote in the historie of Italie more at large with sufficient warrant of the Bible for hee is in diuers places of the Scripture spoken of by the name of Kittim By this time reigned king in Egypt Amenophis the second king of that name a cruel king and most tyranicall for he made a decree in Egypt that all the male children of the Hebrewes should be drowned in Nilus by a streight commandement giuen to the midwiues who notwithstanding in all points obeyed not the king for they were by God directed otherwayes as it is read of the birth of Moses and of the prouidence of God in sauing of him This Moses nowe borne within eightie yeeres after was by God appointed to deliuer his countreymen from thraldome slauerie and tyranny and to plague Egypt with most extreme punishment worthely There is a historie written of this king Amenophis called of some Memnon that his image grauen in stone continued vntill the comming of Christ which continually at sunne rising seemed to sound a voyce like a man This tyrannie continued in Egypt almost one hundred yeeres for when this cruell king Amenophis died succeeded him a more cruell king then hee named Busiris as Melancthon and Diodorus say who plagued the poore Hebrewes with death in like sort as Amenophis did and kept them in slauerie and miserie with toyle and taske to make bricke to worke monstrous huge Piramides whipping and scourging them vsing them with all bondage and slauerie some say that Mercurius Trismegistus a graue Philosopher of Egypt this time florished though by Suidas affirmed that this Mercurius liued before Abrahams time in Egypt After Busiris raigned king in Egypt Acengeres twelue yeres and after him Achorus raigned nine yeeres vsing the like tyrannie to the Hebrewes as before vntil the time of king Chencres who farre excelled his predecessors in tyrannie and blasphemie this was that Pharao that resisted God his seruant Moses and therefore was drowned in the red sea and all the peeres of Egypt with him Read of this king more in Exodus the most part of Egypt was at this time with Chencres Pharo drowned and Egypt was left very skant of any great states and therefore began to rise diuers seditions for a time in Egypt after the departure of the Hebrewes vntill Rameses time which is sirnamed Aegyptus This time began Dardanus his kingdome in Dardania afterward called Troy at what time raigned in Assyria Ascatides the eightenth king in Athens
Egypt it is not much materiall Nowe while these fiue potentats called Larthes raigned in Egypt which continued for the space of one hundreth ninetie and foure yeres it began in the second Iubilee at what time Lamprides the two and twentieth king raigned in Egypt and Tros the third king raigned in Troy Proteus the thirteenth king raigned ouer the Argiues and Shamgar iudged Israel This gouernment of Larthes ended when Tautanes the 28. king of the Assyrians raigned and when Abdon the twelfth Iudge iudged Israel After this gouernment of Larthes Manethon writeth of another kinde of Potentats which continued 177. yeeres whom Functius followeth and reciteth not one king that raigned in Egypt during that time but hee rehearseth who flourished most and who gouerned chiefly in Chaldea Assyria and in other kingdoms and maketh no mention of any king in Egypt during 177. yeeres and therefore I will returne to Herodotus whom Melancthon doeth followe in this and write of those kings orderly as I finde them this kinde of Potentats began three hundreth and thirtie yeeres after Israel departed out of Egypt About which time Troy was destroyed by the Grecians about tenne yeeres before the sixt Iubilee and in the seuenth yeere of Thuoris king of Egypt otherwise called Proteus The kingdome of the Latines began this time when that Aeneas with his sonne Ascanius after Troy was destroyed came to king Latinus where raigned fiue kings before Aeneas came by the name of kings of the Latines of whom I wrote in that historie But now to the kings of Egypt for after that Proteus died the kingdome happened to Rampsinitus a king of the greatest wealth that euer raigned in Egypt whose treasures were such that he inuented to build some strong place for his treasure and hauing cunning and subtile workemen to builde this worke one of them perceiuing the infinite treasure that the king should put there made a stone of that bignesse that two men might remoue it and likewise of that length bredth that a man might creepe well through the place of that stone being thence remooued Before this fellowe died he opened to his two sonnes howe they might haue treasure ynough in remouing such a stone which he for that purpose had made When he had taught them in all points to know this stone and how to bring their purpose to passe he died and they practised the fathers counsel and found as their father told them twise or thrise In continuance of time the king also found that much of his treasure was taken away he inuented by some policie the next time to preuent them engines and snares were layd for them in the which one of the two brothers being taken fast called for his other brother and willed him to cut off his head lest hee should be knowen thereby and so likewise lose his life This being done the king came the next time into his treasurie and found a dead man without a head and musing much who it should be deuised in this sort that this body should be hanged vpon some gibbet with men to watch and to see who would weepe and who should take him away The mother of this dead man within a while after threatned her sonne that vnlesse he would bury his brother she would reueile vnto the king the whole matter he also to please his mother deuised to saue himself inuented meanes to make the watchmen drunken and tooke his brother from the tree the watchmen being asleepe after returned to the watchmen fained himselfe drunken and to haue slept with them The king perceiuing that he was deceiued punished the watchmen mused how he might know how these things came to passe or who should take him away then he inuented this policie hauing only one daughter he promised she should lye with any man in the kings house that could tel any likenes of this matter or any els within Egypt and should be his wife afterward Euery man was willing to haue the kings daughter to wife but none could aduertise her howe these things were done The thiefe at length that robbed the king of his treasure that did cut his brothers head in the treasurie and after deceiued the kings watch and stole him from the gibbet he thought once againe to trie his skill for a kings daughter he went to his brother late dead and cut off his hand and caried it vnder his cloake and went into a darke chamber into the kings daughter as the custome was and tolde her the whole matter how it was that he did all things robd the king kild his brother made the watchmen drunken and buried his brother She hearing this layd hand vpon him in the chamber and seeking his hand in the darke to lead him to her father hee secretly conueyed the dead mans hand into her hand and conueyed himselfe away and she thought that she had him by the hand all the way as she went to her father vntil she came to the light and saw she was deceiued The king being deceiued three times before made a general decree throughout all Egypt making good his promise by an othe that he should marry his daughter whosoeuer he was if he would come vnto the king and confesse his faults for the king was amazed at these great enterprises for saith the king Rampsinitus the Egyptians in trueth excell all other nations in policie and wit but this passeth all the Egyptians and therefore the king married his daughter vnto this cunning thiefe as to a man of great knowledge and wisdome After this king Rampsinitus died succeeded Cheops a king of great wickednesse during this kings time Egypt so mourned that their temples were shut their sacrifices stayed and all Egypt by this king put to toyle and slauerie almost in the like state as the poore Hebrewes were in Moses time carying great huge stones to builde monstrous and vaine workes hee had a hundreth thousande men to make vp one Piramides who continued in this worke twentie yeeres the charges thereof as Herodotus affirmeth for rootes garlicke and onions onely beside all other meate came to one thousand six hundreth talents of siluer so that the worke being great the people many Cheops thereby fel to want and hauing not to perfourme his worke forced his daughter by her body to gaine as much as she could to finish the worke begun but she for a memoriall of her selfe sought of euery man a stone she had therby so many stones as she her selfe caused an other Piramides to be made equall to the highest This foolish king as it is thought to auoyde idlenes amongst the people occupied them in these vaine and monstrous workes as places and sepulchres for kings burials for vntill the time of Rampsinitus all things prospered in Egypt This Cheops after he had raigned 50. yeeres died after whom succeeded his brother named Cephrim a king no lesse hateful
to the people of Egypt then his brother was who in like sort vsed them with toile and with all kinde of bondage as Cheops did and therefore the like praise they had For after they had raigned both an hundred sixe yeres during which time Egypt suffered great calamitie they disdained after their death to call them by the names of kings but suffered shepherds to lodge in their stately Piramides loathing once to thinke vpon these two kings By this time ended the gouernment of 177. vnder the Potentats during which time many things happened in other kingdomes as erection of the kingdome of Israel after Samsons time their last Iudge by appointing Saul their first king about the 60. yeres of these last Potentats of Egypt At what time the kings of Peloponesus in Greece and their gouernment of Monarchia ended priestes which were called Carni were appointed magistrates After 26. kings had raigned in Scicionum about the 80. of this gouernment the kingdome of Lacedemonia and the kingdome of Corinth beganne both at one time at what time raigned in Athens Codrus their last king after whom the state altered into the gouernment of Iudges in the 114. yeere of this Dynastia during which time raigned in Assyria foure kings and ouer the Albanes otherwise called the Latins raigned sixe kings this was the twentie Dynastie of the Egyptians this began tenne yeeres before the sixt Iubilee and ended 19. yeeres after the beginning of the ninth Iubilee In Egypt gouerned by this time Mycerinus or Cerinus in Diodorus the sonne of Cheops a iust king and gentle vsing the people with much more clemencie then either his father or his vncle did before him he opened the temples which of an hundreth and sixe yeeres were shut vp he restored all Egypt into her former libertie which had bene long in calamitie and misery vnder his father he commaunded the people to be free from their taxes and toiles and vsed them with greatlenitie hee iudged iustly and shewed himselfe such a king that all the Egyptians thought themselues happie of his gouernment for he loathed tyrannie and crueltie and was much ashamed of his fathers reproche amongst the people This Mycerinus in the middest of his good gouernment had onely one daughter that died of whom her father to shewe the great loue which hee bare vnto her made such a monument for her buriall that it past all the burials of the kings of Egypt hee caused a coffine of the likenes of an oxe to be made set ouer all with golde wherein hee layed his daughter and hanged the same vp from the ground in his pallace at the citie of Sai where euery day the priestes came with frankincense and other sweete odours to doe sacrifice the oxe of Apis which was the God of Memphis and the oxe Mneum which was the God of Heliopolis were not so set foorth as this oxe of Sai where Mycerinus daughter was buried An other misfortune was denounced by an Oracle vnto Mycerinus that hee likewise should be buried within sixe yeres after his daughter for that he altered the state of Egypt and eased the Egyptians from such bondage as they were to abide for an hundreth and fiftie yeeres of the which Cheops and Cephrim two brethren perfourmed an hundreth and sixe remayning yet behinde fourtie and foure yeeres of the calamitie which by an Oracle was appointed for Egypt and to seeke to please the Oracle Mycerinus became a little better then his father Cheops or his vncle Cephrim two tyrants that plagued Egypt After this king the priests of Egypt doe set downe a king named Asichis of whom I finde in Herodotus that he past the rest of the kings of Egypt in building and vexing of his subiects in so much that hee made one Piramides to excell the rest with this inscription This Piramides doeth passe the rest as farre as Iupiter doeth excell the rest of the gods This king is named also Anisis in Melancthon and in Functius but in Herodotus Anisis or Asichis a king who came not to be king of Egypt by succession of blood but by election of the priestes who after he had raigned sixe yeeres was driuen out of Egypt by Sabacus an Aethiopian which raigned after Anisis 50. yeeres king of Egypt this king is called Sesac in the booke of the Kings of whom you may reade more for in the fift yeere of Roboam king of Iuda this Sesac king of Egypt is spoken of After Sabacus succeeded Sethon a priest of Vulcan this king after many ouerthrowes being left and forsaken of his owne people made his complaint to Vulcan of whom he was certified in a dreame that he should haue ayde and helpe if he would meete the king of Arabia and his armie and giue him battel Being thus encouraged with a smal cōpany of Egyptiās that folowed him he camped before the city of Pelusiū where the armie of the Arabians pitched their tents while the first night they lay in their tents rats vermine and myse of al the coūtrey about deuoured their arrows their bowstrings their quiuers their targets their instrumēts which they prepared for the warres so that the Arabians in the next morning fled In memory of this victory Sethon when he died caused himselfe to be buried in the temple of Vulcan and commaunded that his statue should be made in a stone with a rat in his hand with this sentence written about it In me quis intuēs pius esto In that place where Herodotus doth intreat of this Sethon he seemed very fabulous saith that the Isle of Foemis swimmeth on a lake and that the priests of Egypt affirme that from the first king of Egypt vntil this kings time 341. kings are past which are 11. more kings then Manethon before affirmed during which time the sunne foure times altered his course rising in the West and going downe in the East with such other vaine and friuolous fables cōcerning their antiquities This Sethon is named of Eusebius Spethon with whom Manethon supposeth in his chronicles that it was he that Sannaherib had warres with and after ouerthrew him for I reade in Eusebius and Iosephus who make mention of one Tarachus king of Aethiopia which came to ayde Sethon king of Egypt against Sanneherib at what time God had raised many enemies to plague Israel and Iuda for their transgressions against their God which so mercifully had saued them oftentimes as Assar Salmanasser which in the histories of the Prophets is called Tiglat Assar to whose hands God gaue ouer Samaria and tenne tribes of Israel and afterward Ierusalem to the hands of Nabuchodonosor with the other two tribes of Iuda Beniamin for both the kings of Assyria and of Egypt made a pray of Iuda as in the history of the Assyrians is more at large declared In Egypt after Sethon the priest of Vulcan died the gouernment
changed betweene 12. Princes which should equally gouerne the whole kingdome of Egypt so did for 15. yeres as Diodorus affirmeth After this one of the 12. princes obtained into his owne hand the whole kingdome and gouerned 54. yeres after augmenting the confines of Egypt by the ayde of certaine Grecians which against their wils were driuen into Egypt by a tempest with whom Psammiticus entred into friendship and came thereby to be king of Egypt To these Grecians did the king giue a countrey to dwell in farre from Nilus with these Greekes Psammiticus cōmaunded that certaine yong gentlemen of Egypt should be brought vp in the Greeke tongue which afterward made Egypt acquainted therewith While yet Psammiticus was one of the 12. magistrats before he became king these 12. consented to make some monument in memory of their gouernment therefore they erected many huge strange works as pillars porches labirinths Piramides temples other sumptuous buildings they also studying how to passe these monuments inuented to make a Labirinth vpō the lake of Meris not far frō the city of Crocodiles for so the Egyptians had cities according to the names of those fowles fishes and beastes which they had honored for their gods and had erected temples for sacrifices in these cities and though the temple of Diana in Ephesus the temple of Iuno in Samos were huge monstrous for their bignes yet the Piramides of Egypt were farre more greater But the Labirinth far excelled this greatest Piramides for within this Labirinth were chambers parlers halles and other roomes to the number of three thousand whereof an hundreth and fiftie were made vnder the ground and the other aboue ground with such artificiall worke with the pictures and likenes of all kinde of creatures that it farre excelled all the monuments of Egypt and the place whereupon it was made and builded was a lake of three thousand sixe hundreth furlongs which are three hundreth seuentie and fiue miles which is more wonderfull then the Labirinth it selfe Herodoti fabula But now to the king Psammiticus againe who hauing long layd siege to Azotum a citie of Syria and after many yeeres ouerthrowen for it was the longest siege that euer endured which may be read of Psammiticus died after whom succeeded his sonne Necho of whom the Prophets make true mention and therefore Herodotus Diodorus and others may be the better spared being prophane writers because hee and his doings is mentioned in the sacred histories of whom the Prophets write that the wrath of God was ripe to giue iudgement against Egypt at this time for Egypt had so long offended the Lorde with their vaine superstition and idolatrie Now Necho was cried out vpon by the Prophet Ezechiel which was by the riuer Perath and gaue sentence against all Egypt in this sort Howle and crie woe be vnto Egypt the sworde shall come vpon Egypt and feare shall come vpon Aethiopia Pathros shall be desolate and fire shall be in Zoan which is Taphnis Thus the Prophet cried out againe I will powre out my wrath vpon Shin which is named in histories Pelusium and I will destroy the multitude of No the yong men of Auen which is otherwise called Heliopolis and of Phibeseth which is also named of olde Pubastum shall fall by the sworde CHAP. III. Of the last kings of Egypt by the name of Pharaos which continued a thousand two hundreth yeres and of the first conquering of Egypt by Cambyses the second king of Persia. THis time great warres grewe betweene the Assyrians and the Egyptians the greatnes of both these kingdomes which then were the onely kingdomes of the world were destroyed by the sword for so the Prophet saide that Egypt should be the reward of the king of Babylon for his labour which he tooke against Tyrus and so it was performed in Necho after much mischiefe that he had done to Israel he was deliuered into the hands of Nabuchodonosor for so the Lord said I will strengthen the armes of Nabuchodonosor and the armes of Pharao shal be weakened Of this Necho and Aprie the last Pharaos mentioned in Scripture had full triall for Necho raigned seuenteene yeeres and left behind him a sonne named Psammis which raigned 6. yeeres and making warre with the Aethiopians died About this time Phaortes king of the Medes with al his army was ouerthrowen by the Assyrians at what time the Scithians entred into Asia spoiled and wasted almost to the countrey of Palestina Tullus Hostilius the third king of Rome died in the beginning of the raigne of Necho Herodotus doth place Apries the sonne of this Psammis This king for a time prospered like his grandfather Psammiticus but I wil admit Herodotus to speake of this king Apries for the like cause as before for I finde that he is called in Ieremie Hophra To this king many of Ierusalem fled from the hand of Nabuchodonosor where they were as well entertained as with Nabuchodonosor for so the Prophet said that the sword should follow them into Egypt and Pharao should destroy all that fled from Nabuchodonosor who at that very time tooke the citie and brought all Iuda captiue into Babylon though Ieremie perswaded the contrary yet they of Iuda vowed to burne incense vnto the Queene of heauen and vnto the gods of Egypt but the God of Abraham and Isaac gaue them ouer to the sworde and destroyed them with famine And after that Apries had fedde his tyrannie against the Iewes and had slaine the Prophet Ieremie afterward he ouerthrew Sidon besieged Tyre and had done great harme in Iudea and the word of the Lord came vnto him saying I will giue Pharao Hophra king of Egypt into the handes of his enemies and into the hands of them that seeke his life euen into the hands of Nabuchodonosor Though Herodotus affirmeth as other prophane histories doe that Apries was after the ouerthrow of Sydon forsaken of his people and vanquished by Amasis at Memphis and caried captiue from Memphis into Sais into his owne pallace before But now Amasis raigned king in Egypt and ruler of Apries throne thus Apries after he had raigned thirtie fiue yeeres died by the handes of his enemies During the raignes of these two last kings Necho and Apries which was fiftie three yeres many destructions of countreys and cities happened as the destruction of Niniue and also Assyria by Ciaxeres king of the Medes the destruction of Hierusalem and all Iudea by Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon and the warres betweene the Chaldeans and the Egyptians which continued seuen and twentie yeeres the victorie whereof fell to the king of Babylon as the Prophet before had sayde I will giue the lande of Egypt into the hande of Nabuchodonosor for wages to his Armie This time raigned in Rome Ancus Martius the fourth king and Tarquinius Priscus the fifth king Europus raigned now the seuenth king of Macedonia
forbidden to arrest any plough harneis and such necessaries for the vse of man and yet a man that vsed these and coulde make these suffered to be arrested and to be imprisoned 16 The law against theft in Egypt was that he that would steale shoulde write his name and recorde it in a booke which the chiefe captaine or the great prince appointed for those shoulde receiue the theft and the partie that had lost his goodes should come to his captaine and shoulde set downe the day and the houre wherein his goods were lost and the captaine shoulde recorde it in his booke and appoint him a day to come againe against the which day the theft being found out hee should haue all his losse sauing the fourth part which by law the theefe had for they so iudged it better sithence it were vnpossible to forbidde theft or to hang as many as would steale 17 As for the law for mariage it was thus that the priests of Egypt might mary but one wife a piece others as many as pleased them for that they would haue their countrey populous their cities strong with people no bastardes might bee named in Egypt though diuers were borne of bondwomen esteeming onely their fathers for credit and the mothers for their nources Nowe for their Iudges and Magistrates that executed these lawes in Egypt they were elected by 30. of the best and wisest men in euery great citie as Memphis Heliopolis Thebes and the rest in euery citie one chiefe Iudge with his sociates with him as were the Areopagites in Athens or the Ephories in Sparta Of other lawes concerning the religions of their gods their burials and of their discipline and order in warres I haue written of it in the Diall of dayes There was also a lawe in Egypt before these lawes that the pictures and images of their gods painted in tables and set in brasse in their Temples should be caried in their ensigns to the field in the time of warres But as Egypt florished in the time of king Amasis so Egypt was brought subiect vnto the Persians within sixe dayes after Amasis dayes for after that Amasis had reigned fourtie foure yeeres his sonne succeeded him called Psammenitus who after he had reigned sixe yeeres was ouerthrowen by Cambyses king of Persia which came from Persia into Egypt to reuenge the wrong which hee receiued at Amasis hand who refused to giue his owne daughter in mariage to the king of of Persia but deceiued him with a daughter of Apries called Nytetis which was onely left aliue of all the stocke of Apries whom Cambyses maried supposing her to bee king Amasis daughter vntill Apries daughter opened the whole matter affirming vnto the king howe Amasis had betrayed her father the king being his master and by that reason had obteined the kingdome of Egypt and also shee reuealed howe he disdained to giue his owne daughter but tooke me vp being left desolate and comfortlesse and willed mee to faine my selfe to bee his daughter These floutes and scoffes of Amasis kindled wrath in Cambyses to come in armes into Egypt but before he came Amasis died Notwithstanding after he had conquered his sonne Psammenitus and had possessed the kingdome of Egypt hee went from Memphis vnto Sai to satisfie his wrath vpon Amasis and though he was before buried yet hee caused his carcas to be brought before him and cōmaunded it first to be whipt and scourged then thrust him through with daggers bodkins after this he haled lugged it through the Citie of Sai with all contempts that might be inuented and last he caused it to be burned which was against the maner of the Egyptians for they suppose the fire to be a liuing creature because the fire deuoureth all things and at last deuoureth it selfe Thus the olde auncient kings of Egypt continued a thousand two hundred yeeres before they were conquered by any nation and though they were by the kings of Assyria and of Chaldea which then florished chiefely often assaulted yet they neuer lost the proper names of their kings which were called Pharaos vntill Cambyses time which continued vnder the Persians a hundred thirtie fiue yeeres and after they reuoulted vnder Darius Nothus and kept of vntill by many sharpe battailes they were againe by Ochus vanquished who vsed in Egypt great crueltie About this time Tomiris Queene of the Massegets and Tarquinius superbus the last king of the Romanes reigned in Rome for the Romanes lost their kings and the Egyptians lost their kingdome about one time Cambyses this time hindred the building of the Temple by the meanes of the Samaritanes who euer enuied Ierusalem Thus briefely I haue written of the state and gouernment of the olde kings of Egypt Pharaos by name vntill the time of Alexander the great and nowe something after Alexanders dayes Egypt and their kings afterward altered and changed from the names of Pharaos to the names of Ptolomeies as you shal reade hereafter from Alexander the great vntill the time of Iulius Caesar during which time the kings of Egypt were called Ptolomei Therefore I haue gathered together all the names of these auncient kings of Egypt from Osiris time the first potentate in Egypt which was in the time of Abraham vntil Amasis time the last Pharao which was in Cambyses time the second king of Persia that is from the going of Abraham into Egypt vntil the Prophet Daniels time which was a thousand foure hundred twentie fiue yeeres for before Osiris time and long after we reade of no certeine king by the name of Pharao but of some gouernment called Dynastia at what time in euery prouince of Egypt before Egypt had the name of Egypt certeine potentates gouerned for the space of fiftene Dynasties Hence grew that vaine opinion of the priests of Egypt that they were the anciētest nation in the world that the starres altered their courses foure times and the sunne twise since they first inhabited Egypt recording in their chronicles the names of three hundred thirtie kings and before their kings the gouernment of those whom they called Heroas or Deos which reigned eighteene thousand yeeres But leauing them to their fabulous antiquitie I haue set downe all the names of Pharaos that I coulde reade in Manethon Eusebius Diodorus Herodot and Melancthon beginning at Osiris which was that Pharao to whom Abraham came vnto in the sixteene Dynastia of Egypt from the first Pharao called Amasis vnto the last Pharao called likewise Amasis as they are set downe in Functius table who followed Herodot from Cheopes vnto the last Pharao of Egypt called Amasis For the placing orderly of the kings of Egypt Manethon differeth from Eusebius Eusebius from Diodorus Diodorus frō Functius and therefore as I wrote the names of the olde kings of Egypt as Manethon laide them downe so will I nowe also write them as I found them in Functius
table from Osiris which was that first Pharao vnto the last Pharao named Amasis 1 The first king of Egypt Amasis named Pharao 25. yeeres 2 The second king was Chebron which reigned 13. yeeres 3 After whom reigned Amenophis 21. yeeres 4 Then Mephres reigned 12. yeeres 5 Mispharmutosis 26. yeres 6 Thutemosis reigned 9. yeeres 7 Amenophis the 2. of that name reigned 31. this king made a lawe that assoone as any Hebrewe shoulde bee borne he should be drowned in the riuer of Nilus 8 Orus surnamed the great reigned 38. 9 Acengeres reigned 12. yeres in this kings time the kingdome of Athens began by Cecrops 10 Achorus reigned 9. yeeres 11 Cenchres reigned 16. yeres this was that Pharao that resisted God and contraried Moses sent from God for the deliuerance of his people at what time the tenne great plagues happened in Egypt and after the ouerthrowe of the king and the whole kingdome in the red Sea After that Israel had left Egypt and the King and all his Nobles and peeres and forces were drowned in the redde sea these many kings reigned that helde still the names of Pharoes as 12 Acheres reigned king 8. yeeres 13 Cheres reigned fifteene yeeres 14 Armeus which is also Danaus 5. yeeres 15 Ramesses surnamed Egyptus reigned 68. yeeres after whose name the land before called Oceana Mizreia or Oseriana was called Egypt 16 Menophis of some named Miris reigned 40. yeeres this made the first Labirinth for his buriall in Egypt whose patterne was by Dedalus caried into Creete 17 Zetus reigned fiftie fiue yeeres 18 Ranses reigned sixtie sixe yeeres 19 Amenophis the third of that name reigned fourtie yeeres 20 Amenophis the fourth of that name reigned twentie yeeres 21 Thuoris reigned seuen yeeres the fiue last kinges gouerned by the names of fiue Larthes during whose time endured that kinde of gouernment called Dynasteia Larthum for a hundred ninetie foure yeeres After succeeded another Dynastie which endured a hundred seuentie seuen yeeres during which time Functius named no king in his table but were ruled with Gouernours in euery principalitie of Egypt as Sanhedrin with the Iewes or Amphictions with the Grecians 22 Then succeeded Smendes to whom Ieroboam fledde which in the Scripture is called Sesach hee reigned 26. yeeres 23 Pseusenses reigned fourtie one yeeres 24 Nepher Cheres 4 yeeres 25 Amenophis the 5. reigned 9. yeeres 26 Osochorus reigned 6. yeres 27 Spinaces 9. yeeres 28 Pseusennes 35. yeeres 29 Cheopes reigned 50. yeres 30 Cephenes reigned 56. Eusebius saith that after Cephenes Seustoris reigned in this Cephenes time began the kingdom of Macedonia 31 Micerinus Chcopes sonne reigned sixe yeeres 32 Asichis reigned 6. yeeres 33 Sabachus reigned 50. 34 Spethon reigned 33. After these thirtie foure kings the kingdome of Egypt was gouerned by twelue Magistrates of equall authoritie which ruled the realme of Egypt for fifteene yeeres After these twelue Magistrates had ended their time of fifteene yeeres one of the twelue named Psameticus reigned fiftie foure yeeres Then Necho reigned seuenteene yeeres this king slue Iosias in Mageddo was himselfe slaine by Nabuchodonosor After Necho reigned Spamnus sixe yeeres After Spamnus Apries and after Apries reigned Amasis the last of the name of the Pharaos Eusebius setteth these kings downe in another sort and addeth some other names which I omit to auoide tediousnesse Many things I omit willingly which the olde Egyptians vsed for as we hang at our doores signes of beastes fowles and fishes that strangers might know our houses the Egyptians vsed those signes at their eares that by the markes and figures of such beasts foules fish as they had at their eares they might knowe of what qualitie or condition they were For if an Egyptian did excell in running he should haue the figure of an hare hanged at his eare if he were slouthfull and heauie he should be marked with a Crocodile if he were liberal and franke he should haue the picture of an open hand at his eare if he were couetous he had hanged at his eare a close hand shut if hee were quicke of hearing the picture ofa Serpent if he were iust honest he had the likenes of an eye at his eare if hee were craftie and subtill the figure of a foxe if enuious of an eele and so of the rest The chiefe Cities and great Townes of olde Egypt were thus named 1 Memphis 2 Sais 3 Bubastis 4 Thebes 5 Papremos 6 Butis 7 Leontina 8 Elephantina 9 Alexandria 10 Heliopolis with many others These are the names of all the ancient kings of Egypt that I could find and for that I neither foūd them in Manethon Eusebius Diodorus nor in Herodot orderly set downe I haue cōferred the state gouernment of the potētates called Dynastia Egyptiorum haue as nigh as I could placed them for it cannot bee in such antiquities but many errors happen as I haue sundrie times said of the Chaldeans Assyrians Scithians Egyptians and other auncient nations whereof no mention is made in the sacred histories neither can bee made truely in prophane histories for that nothing was knowen to prophane writers before Cirus time or rather after Alexander the great at what time prophane Historiographers beganne to recorde antiquities and thus much vntill Cambyses who was the first conquerour of Egypt by whom the Persians had gouernment ouer Egypt a hundred thirtie fiue yeeres vntill the reigne of Darius Ochus for in the sixt yeere of this king the Egyptians reuoulted and these many kings afrer reigned in Egypt 1 Amirtes Saites reigned 6. yeeres 2 Nepherites reigned sixe yeeres 3 Achoris reigned twelue yeeres 4 Nectanabus reigned 18. 5 Nepherites one yeere 6 Mectanabus againe reigned 18. yeeres this was the last before the comming of Alexander the great CHAP. IIII. Of the second conquest of Egypt by Alexander the great of their kings afterward called Ptolomeis vntill the time of Caesar Augustus by whom all Egypt was last conquered and made a Prouince subiect to the Romane Empire THe Egyptians as you heard hauing great warres first with the Assyrians and after by the Persians vntill Cambyses time by whom they were made to pay tribute vnto the Kings of Persia vntill they waxed strong againe that they reuoulted from the Persians in the time of Darius Nothus vntill by many sharpe battailes they were againe by Ochus the eight king of Persia vanquished who vsed in Egypt great crueltie so that the later kings of Egypt were for eight and thirtie yeeres vnder the Persians but after that the Persians were vanquished and their Monarchie taken from Persia into Macedonia by Alexander the great the Egyptians willingly yeelded themselues to Alexander as to a second conquerour hee vsed them with great clemencie permitting them to haue their former liberties and lawes appointed ouer them certaine Magistrates of the Grecians called Nomarchas and ouer them two Superuisors called Episcopi to see that none of the aforesaid Magistrates
should claime more dignitie then was set downe by Alexander in a table which the Romanes afterward kept vsing the same order for a time as Alexander did It is written that the great Alexander had yeerely tribute paide vnto him during his life the summe of sixe thousande talents for Plutarch in the life of Agesilaus speaketh of a king named Tachus in Egypt to whom Agesilaus came from Sparta for Nectanabus was a nephew of king Tachus and one of his chiefe captaines who rebelled against the king and being chosen by the Egyptians their king he desired the aide of Agesilaus who ioyned with him being an olde souldier hauing had in hand greater battels in Greece against Pelopidas and Epaminondas then at that time with Nectanabus against Tachus Therefore Nectanabus committed all into the handes of Agesilaus by whom the victorie fell to Nectanabus Tachus the king forced to flee After this the affaires of this Nectanabus had good successe and hee was quietly stablished in his kingdome by the meanes of Agesilaus king of Sparta to whō Nectanabus gaue two hundred thirtie talents of siluer in readie money to defray the charges of his souldiers Thus Nectanabus reigned quietly in Egypt though vnder Darius the last king of Persia Mezabes gouerned Egypt who yeelded into the hands of Alexander the kingdome of Egypt assoone as hee had heard that his master king Darius was slaine and al Persia subdued by Alexander who as you heard before possessed Egypt without warres being yeelded of the state of Egypt From the time of Alexander the great vnto Iulius Caesar that is from the Monarchie of the Grecians vnto the Romanes is two hundred eightie two yeeres After the death of Alexander his kingdomes were diuided chiefely betweene foure of his graund captaines specially those kingdomes which were of the greatest fame and renowne as Macedonia to Cassander Asia the lesser to Antigonus Babylon and all Asia the great to Saleuchus furnamed Nicanor Egypt with the most part of Syria to Ptolomei the sonne of Lagi This was the first king of Egypt after Alexanders death after whose names all the kings of Egypt vntill Iulius Caesars time were called Ptolomei This king grewe great and mightie in Egypt and beganne strongly vpon the next nations vnto him to make warre and brought diuers subiects vnder the Empire of Egypt whose good successe in the beginning Perdiccas began to enuy This Perdiccas was the chiefe gouernor of Macedonia and as it were left a tutour ouer Arideus the base brother of Alexander the great to whom by common consent the kingdome of Macedonia was appointed Perdiccas supposing to keepe Egypt subiect to Macedonia and to bridle the insolencie which he sawe in Ptolomei he leauied a great armie of souldiers made a voiage into Egypt against whose comming Ptolomie with al celeritie gathered his army and gaue him battel wherein Perdiccas was slaine and his whole company ouerthrowen Vpon this ouerthrowe of Perdiccas Ptolomei king of Egypt waxed insolent of the victorie entred into Syria by strong hand brought Syria vnder Egypt after hee went to Ierusalem he plagued the citizēs wasted spoiled brought diuers out of Iudea captiues into Egypt Of this king the Prophet Daniel spake in this sort The king of the South shal be mightie and his dominion shal be great reade more in Daniel of this Antigonus being aduertised of Ptolomeis great victories howe he had vanquished Perdiccas subdued Syria sent his sonne Demetrius a young man of 22. yeeres and the first time that he tooke the charge of a General in hand and that against an old souldier of the great Alexander trained vp in discipline of warres alwaies Demetrius was put to flight 5000. of his men slaine and almost eight thousand taken by the Citie of Gaza Antigonus hearing howe his sonne was ouerthrowen said that this Ptolomei ouerthrew beardles men said further he should fight with bearded men And it came to passe that Demetrius being before put to flight was not quiet before he requited the last foile by the king of Egypt receiued with the like ouerthrow wherein Demetrius had the victorie of Ptolomei and of his army which victorie did put Ptolomei out of al Syria and brought Antigonus in againe By this time Seleucus whō Antigonus had driuen out of Babylon before came againe and entred into Babylon Cassander likewise fearing that young Hercules the sonne of Alexander the great being nowe of fourteene yeeres of age should be by the Macedonians so fauoured for his fathers sake that hee should be king in Macedonia therefore hee secretly commaunded that both Hercules and his mother Arsine should be murthered yet Cassander was not quiet vntill hee practised the like murther against Olympias Alexanders mother and against Roxana Alexanders wife Antigonus and his sonne Demetrius were much enuied for their victories this time in so much that all these kings after Alexanders death destroyed one another with continuall warres Lysimacus was slaine by Seleucus Seleucus was slaine by Ptolomei whose sister was maried to Lysimachus Polibeus writeth that in the hundred twentie fourth Olympiad Ptolomie Lagi king of Egypt Seleuchus Nicanor king of Syria Lysimachus king of Thracia and Ptolomei Cerannon brother to Philadelphus chiefe souldiers vnder Alexander the great were slaine one of another Thus Ptolomei the sonne of Lagi after hee had conquered Perdiccas ouerthrewe Demetrius subdued Syria and the most part of Iudea when hee reigned fourttie yeeres died during which time Demetrius Phalerius ruled Athens vnder Cassander and Demetrius surnamed Poliorcetes destroyed a Citie in Samaria which Perdiccas builded This time the people of Alexandria sent to entreate for the Romanes friendshippe to aide them if neede required This was the first request made to the Romanes by the Citizens of Alexandria in Egypt for the Romanes beganne to bee strong and they of Alexandria perceiuing the great warres and tyrannie that was in all partes of the worlde at that time And also hauing seene within Egypt more blood in the time of one Ptolomei then in twentie Pharaos for then Egypt had nothing to doe but to builde Piramides and to make Labirinths monstrous and needelesse monuments but nowe sworde and fire came into Egypt In the time of this king florished Theophrastus a famous Philosopher one of Aristotles schollers and Menedemus another Philosopher in the same time liued Menander the Tragedian Atheneus the Historian and Demetrius Phalerius In Egypt succeeded after Ptolome Lagi his sonne Philadelphus a learned prince and a great fauourer of learned men this king was iust discreete and gentle bent more to mainteine peace then to procure warres and therefore so beloued of his people and hee to them againe so louing that during his whole gouernment which was thirtie eight yeeres the Egyptians liued quietly without trouble or warres where before Egypt for a thousand foure hundred yeeres was brought vp vnder blind priests
idolatrous superstition giuen to all errours onely acquainted with the Egyptian tongue Now Philadelphus with greater care and zeale of his countrie then any of his predecessours had before kept with him diuers and sundrie learned men as Aratus Callimachus Apollonius Theocritus Hipparchus the Mathematician and Demetrius Phalerius the Philosopher which at that time was banished from Athens and receiued in Egypt Philadelphus a prudent and a learned prince and cōuersant with learned men knewe well that the Iewes religion their lawes their maners and their seruice of God did farre excell all the nations of the world he sent great presents and giftes to Eleazr the hie Priest then being at Ierusalem entreating him to send learned men of the Hebrewes that coulde translate the bookes of Moses and the Prophets into the Greeke tongue that Egypt might be acquainted with the worde of God aswell as Iuda to whom Eleazar sent seuentie two learned men to interprete and to translate the Bible After this hee prouided in Alexandria such a famous Librarie to the common vse of learned men as farre excelled all other Libraries And as Melancthon sayth hee caused many other thinges to bee translated into the Greeke tongue hee restored the poore Iewes that dwelt captiues in Egypt into libertie hee sent for learned men into all Regions hee honourably mainteined them and louingly vsed them that Egypt florished with sound doctrine and vertuous men for euen then Iesus the sonne of Sirach gathered in Egypt together many wise sentences and godly speaches many learned and vertuous lessons which his graundfather before had written in Ierusalem which hee nowe augmented with care and diligence and compiled in a booke which is reserued in the Church to great vse This king excelled all the Pharaos before him and all the Ptolomeis after him and during his reigne he studied to mainteine peace and to auoide warre and therefore bestowed his daughter Berenices to Antiochus surnamed Theos who offered diuers iniuries to mooue warres against Egypt but while Philadelphus liued Egypt prospered florished with all good successe but after that Philadelphus died his sonne Ptolomei Euergetes reigned twentie sixe yeeres of whom Daniel saide that the kings daughter of the South which was Berenices Philadelphus daughter and this king Euergetes sister shoulde come to the king of the North to make agreement but Daniel saide it shoulde not continue for shee shoulde bee deliuered to death and out of the budde of her rootes shall one stande vp named Euergetes and shall enter with an armie into the fortresse of the king of the North which is called Antiochus Theos and doe what hee list and shall preuaile Hee plagued the Syrians and reuenged Berenices his sister with diuers victories for hee caried captiues into Egypt their goddes with their moulten images and their precious vessels of siluer and golde for after Seleucus had lost his Nauies by a tempest on the sea hee geathered an armie by lande and gaue battaile to Ptolomei but the like misfortune fell then vnto him and the victorie happened to Ptolomei for hee was driuen to flee to Antiochia and from thence to craue his brother Antiochus helpe which then gouerned Cicilia Ptolomei hearing of these newes concluded a peace with Seleucus and returned into Egypt after he had fully requited his sisters death vpon the Syrians During Euergetes reigne the Parthians beganne their kingdome who were all named Arsaces as nowe the kings of Egypt were called Ptolomei this time the warres of Africke beganne betweene the Carthagineans and the Numidians at that time Amilcar was sent captaine generall into Spaine for Carthage in this Euergetes time certeine enterludes were appointed by the oracle of Sibilla in Rome named Floralia the fourth kalends of May in the honour of the goddesse Flora for faire weather and fruites of the earth like vnto the feast named Rubigalia which Numa Pompilius instituted the seuenth kalends of May in Rome After this Ptolomei Euergetes had reigned twentie sixe yeres he died whom succeeded his sonne Ptolomei surnamed Philopater a cruell beast and not a king but a monstrous tyrant a murtherer both of his wife and his sister Euridices whose filthy and lewde life is better to passe with silence then to expresse in writing of whome Iustine saide Noctes in stupris dies in conuiuijs consumsit letting his strumpet Agathocles and her mother Euanthea to rule and gouerne Egypt as pleased them for none might lesse commaunde in Egypt then the king nor none might doe more in Egypt then women for nothing delighted Philopator but women and dauncing and whatsoeuer Agathocles would that also Philopator would Against this king Antiochus the great king of Asia and Syria came towarde Egypt and beganne to take and spoile those Cities of Syria which held with Philopator the king of Egypt Antiochus comming forwarde towarde Egypt Ptolomei Philopator mette him and gaue him battell at Raphia a Towne in the Confines of Palestina where Antiochus the great was ouerthrowen and put to flight and forced to intreate for peace at Philopators hande and so Philopator king of Egypt gotte the victorie ouer Antiochus and recouered those Townes of Syria which Antiochus had woonne before This victorie was well gotten but not well vsed for Philopator was so puffed vp with pride and insolencie that hee thought hauing ouerthrowen Antiochus the great hee might well also ouerthrowe IEHOVAH the great entred Ierusalem spoyled the Temple slue the Citizens and made hauocke of Gods people some to bee deuoured of beastes and some to bee quartered by men Reade the Machabees further of this but specially reade the eleuenth of Daniel where the whole historie of the kings of Syria and Asia of Egypt of Persia of Greece and of the Romanes are before spoken by the Prophet There it said was by Daniel that Antiochus and all his armie should be deliuered into the handes of Philopator and after that victorie it was by the Prophete saide that Philopator shoulde waxe arrogant and proude and that he shoulde contemne and blaspheme the Lorde of Israel and the God of Iacob that hee shoulde prophane the Temple destroy the people and in his furie excell in tyrannie but at length hee shoulde not preuaile for hee was poysoned and so died after his most wicked and incestuous life leauing behinde him a sonne by his sister Euridices of fiue yeeres olde when hee had reigned seuenteene yeeres I passe briefely these Histories of Egypt for that in the historie of the kings of Syria and Asia the kings of Egypt are likewise spoken of and in the Machabees also you may reade further of this Antiochus for since the death of Alexander the great the kings of Syria and Asia could not agree with the kings of Egypt vntill the last destruction of both the kingdomes by the Romanes and therefore assoone as euer Philopator died Antiochus streight againe sought to inuade Egypt vnderstanding this Ptolomei
as Iosephus writeth thirtie thousand Iewes were slaine The calamities of the Iewes were such that they were compelled by the king of Egypt to feede vpon the dead carcases and bodies of their friendes and countreymen at what time many godly men of the Iewes were present beholding this myserie as Simeon Zacarias and others Beside this calamitie at what time the contention grew hote in Iuda betweene Aristobulus Antigonus and Alexander Ianneus the Iewes at that time were so plagued that Alexander sent for ayde vnto Egypt to Cleopatra for Iustine writeth that Cleopatra vsed Alexander her sonne too familiarly and that her great abomination was knowen in Egypt And therefore Ptolomey Lathurus was sent for by his owne subiects to come into Egypt for that the Queene Cleopatra his mother who had banished him from Egypt practised tyrannie and all kinde of crueltie in Egypt where hee raigned 8. yeeres After Lathurus raigned in Egypt Ptolomey Auletes father to the last Cleopatra some say her brother which was Marcus Antonius friende this king liued at Rome vntill such time as he was restored by Gabinius into his kingdome of Egypt at the commandement of the Senators This Auletes is named by Eusebius and Epiphanius Dionysius This king for some certaine offences and discords done to his subiects departed from Alexandria and sailed towards Rome hoping that Caesar or Pompey would restore him to his kingdome and being desirous to see Cato trauailed vnto him where he was occupied and opening the cause of his comming to Rome sought therein Catoes counsell who tolde him how he should finde Rome vnsatiable and that if Egypt were conuerted into siluer it would not suffice the Magistrates of Rome which saying of Cato Ptolomey found to bee true for after long being at Rome hauing fully satisfied the Senators and other magistrates he was sent by the Senators and specially by Pompey with one Gabinius to be restored to his kingdome againe where he raigned thirtie yeeres After whom succeeded his sonne Ptolomey Dionysius vnto whom Pompey the great fled from the battaile at Pharsalia hoping to haue some helpe for the friendship shewed to his father as you heard before But there Pompey was slaine by the kings commaundement and his head sent to Caesar and also when Iulius Caesar came after the like sauce was prepared for him but Caesar preuented it ouerthrewe him and put him to flight in the which flight the king thinking to escape Caesars hand entred into a cocke boate and was drowned amongst the rest for company The kingdome of Egypt was giuen by Caesar vnto Cleopatra Dionysius sister who raigned vntil the twelfth yeere of Augustus Caesar at what time she willingly died to accompany her louing friend Marcus Antonius shee was the last of the line of Ptolomeis and the last Queene of Egypt for after Cleopatra Egypt was made a prouince vnder the Romanes by Augustus Caesar at what time Augustus Caesar commaunded his lawes and decrees which himselfe caused to be engraued on a pillar of brasse and to be set vp in Alexandria for the Egyptians now made subiect to the Romanes to be gouerned by in like sort as Alexander the great the second conquerour before Caesar had done the like appointing officers and magistrates chiefe rulers named Nomarchas and two ouerseers Episcopi Of this Manethon tooke no notice and therefore Iosephus taunted him in his second booke Contra Appionem that hee had the heart of an asse and the impudencie of a dogge to make Egypt which was three seuerall times conquered first by Cambyses secondly by the great Alexander and last by Caesar equal to the Hebrewes which endured the force and saw the last destruction of Assur and Pharao Thus Egypt was the thirde time conquered by Iulius Caesar and by his nephewe Augustus Caesar and these many kings of the names of Ptolomeis raigned in Egypt from Alexander the great vntill the 12. yeere of Augustus Caesar. 1 Ptolomey Lagi raigned 40. yeeres 2 Ptolomey Philadelphus raigned 38. 3 Ptolomey Euergetes raigned 26. 4 Ptolomey Philopator raigned 17. 5 Ptolomey Epiphanes raigned 24. 6 Ptolomey Philometor raigned 35. 7 Ptolomey Euergetes the second of that name raigned  8 Ptolomey Phiscon raigned 29. 9 Ptolomey Lathurus raigned 17. 10 Ptolomey Alexander cum Matre Cleopatra raigned 10. 11 Ptolomey Auletes raigned 30. 12 Ptolomey Dionysius raigned  13 Cleopatra Auletes daughter some say his sister raigned 14. OF THE ANTIQVITIE of the Scythians of their lawes gouernments and life of their hardinesse in warres and of their victories ouer the Persians and Egyptians and their often inuasions into Asia SCythia is a countrey large and wide cōteyning within it selfe diuers and sundrie nations as Sages Nomades Massagetes Amazones Caspians Hircanians with many other nations bordering vpon Scythia dwelling within Scythia of the which particularly to write I thinke it needlesse the rather for that Pomponius Mela Solinus also Strabo in his 11. booke doeth describe Scythia and other nations which dwelt in Scythia exquisite and painfull men in describing countreis their townes their riuers their hilles their maners and natures And therefore lest I should seeme fabulous as diuers writers herein offend the Grecians specially who neuer thought their histories worth the reading vnlesse they were mingled with vaine fables I wil write of their warres and of their antiquitie therein I shal hardly escape fables of some Talmudist or other so difficult a thing it is to finde out a true beginning of antiquities in prophane histories as Liuie saith vt rerum vetustas sine errore esse nequit The Scithians are thought to be one of the ancientest nations in the world from whom diuers great kingdomes tooke their first originall as Celte or the olde Gaules which now are called Frenchmen Berosus affirmeth that Noah by the name of Ianus and all his familie dwelt first in Scithia Saga thence came to Chaldea and dwelt in Senar for during the time of Ianus Cameses and Saturnus and al the time from Ianus vntil Ninus the prophane writers called the golden world for then men liued without lawes and had all thinges in common This Plinie in his naturall histories affirmeth that the Persians called the Scithians Sagas There is great contention betweene the Scithians and the Egyptians concerning ther antiquities the historie whereof is written in Trogus Pompeius there after much disputation it is concluded Scitharum gens semper antiquissima that the Scithians had the soueraingtie ouer the Egpytians in antiquitie As the Egyptians excelled in great monstrous buildings so these Scithians exceeded for sweete and famous riuers as 1 Ister 2 Tyres 3 Hypanis 4 Borysthenes 5 Panticapes 6 Hypacaris 7 Gerrhus 8 Tanais 9 Moetin These Scithians who were rude and slauish people without maners or nourture excelled farre the Greekes which with great care and diligence studied to attaine knowledge and vertue for by howe
much the more the Scithians were more ignorant then the Greekes so much the more the Scithians excelled the Greekes in vertue their hardinesse and courage in warres was such that they were accompted amongst all other nations the most inuincible people of the worlde that it is doubtfull as Iustine saith whether the men or the women of Scithia be more famous they attempted no lesse Signiories then the whole Empire of Asia which Empire they so tamed with often inuasions that the Scithians were lords of Asia eight and twentie yeeres For at what time Ciaxares otherwise called by the Prophet Daniel Darius Medus layde siege to Niniue the chiefest citie of Assyria and being euen then readie to take Niniue the king of Scithia whose name was Madies came with a great armie of Scithians set vpon the Medes ouerthrew them spoyled and wasted at that time in their returne to Scithia all Asia and kept Asia vnder the kingdome of Scithia for the space of eight and twentie yeeres And againe before this time the Scithians brought Asia to pay them tribute at what time Tanais king of the Gothes was their general and againe before that time the Egyptians who with an armie set forward toward Scithia at what time Vexores raigned king in Egypt the Scithians hauing intelligence of their ambassadors comming answered in this sort that they marueiled much that so famous a prince as the king of Egypt should come to fish with golden hooks to Scithia so barren a countrey saying further that the Scithians had rather come to offer warres into Egypt then to welcom them into Scithia but such rude welcome as rude people can yeelde the king of Egypt shall haue and therewithall gaue to Vexores such a battell that he was ouerthrowen and cōstrained to take his flight to Egypt againe and was so folowed at the hard heeles that if bogs and marish ground had not stayed the Scithians they would haue giuen him battel in Egypt as they did comming home through Asia spoiling wasting and destroying it the thirde time Iustine writeth this historie at large That time the Scithians absented themselues from their countrey in Asia so long vntill their wiues sent vnto them threatning them that vnlesse they would out of hande returne home they would take their next neighbours for their husbandes and further they should not come when they would for after they did marrie their seruants that were left as shepheards and swineheards at home which resisted their owne masters to haue their wiues their houses and their owne countreis The like historie is written of the Amazones women of Scythia who gouerne and rule their coūtrey without men with such fame as Hercules Cyrus and Alexander the great can witnes of them The custome of these Amazones lest their stocke should perish was once a yere to accompany with people of their next confines for multiplication sake And thereby being with child if it should be a male child they presētly kil him or send him to his father if it should be female she was exercised frō her cradle in al martial exploits both on horsebacke and on foote she had the right dug or breast cut off wherby they might exercise their bowes Two Queenes raigned of the Amazones of passing great reports named Marpesia Lampedo of whom both Asia Europe haue tasted of their darts these two Queenes after they had won diuers townes in Asia and also had builded other townes in Asia they died vncōquered in their countrey After them succeeded Otrera the daughter of Marpesia who raigned together with her sister Antiopa Otrera or Oreithia hauing an armie out of Scythia leauing her sister Antiopa to defend Scythia the fame and renowne of these two Ladies kindled Hercules and his felow Theseus with diuers yong gallants of Greece to saile to Hircania a part of Scythia who vpon the sudden vnlooked for of Antiopa with some slaughter of the Amazones Hercules tooke Menalippe and Theseus tooke Hippolite both the Queenes sisters Otrera hearing of these newes returned home with all hast asked ayde of Sagillus king of Scythia to reuenge the wrong done by Hercules and Theseus against both her sisters saying also that the Amazones were Scythians aswel as he therfore not to deny ayde promising the king that women should be as wel in the foreward of the battel as men but Hercules restored Menalippe to the Queene her sister againe and Theseus married the other by whom he got Hippolitus After Otrera succeeded Penthesileia whose valiant acts and deedes in the Troyans warres against the Greekes who knewe them not After Penthesileia they succeeded orderly vntil the time of Alexander the great at what time Thalestris raigned Queene of the Amazones I will leaue this part of Scythia thus much commended by the Amazones and will briefly speake of other nations in Scythia as the Massegits a people of wōderful courage as by their warres against Cyrus might appeare for after that Cyrus had brought the Medes Chaldeans Assyrians Lydians and all Asia vnder the Empire of Persia hearing of the great harme and the inuasions that the Scythians had often done in Asia and Europe hee leuied a huge armie and passed towards Scythia at what time Tomiris raigned Queene ouer the Massegites who hearing of Cyrus cōming though he was then the onely monarch and conquerour that brought all the East kings vnder Persia yet she permitted him with al his armie to passe the riuer of Oraxis and to come and to make choise to set his campe as pleased him best Cyrus at that time vsed a stratagem left his tents full of all delicate and daintie banquets with all maner of wine and fained to take his flight for feare of the enemies The Queene hearing of Cyrus flight cōmanded her sonne named Spargapises out of hand to follow Cyrus with an armie of Massegetes The yong Scythian being not acquainted with such galant banquets in Scythia began to assaile Cyrus wine but hee and all his armie were ouerthrowen without any sword drawen or a blow giuen When Cyrus had returned and found the Scythians some drinking some sleeping some dauncing and all drunken he slew them with the sword and thought thereby that God fauoured much his cause to haue such a victorie ouer the Scythians without blood of the Persians and therefore he erected a temple to the goddesse of that countrey appointed that day a solemne feast called Sacaea which Cyrus consecrated in remembrance of his happie victorie When Queene Tomyris heard that her sonne Spargapises was slaine by Cyrus and al his army she leauied a great nomber of the Massegetes together and went in person her selfe to the battell that to the only battell that euer was in Scythia the greatest and the terriblest for two hundreth thousand Persians were slaine and Cyrus himselfe killed in that battel Of Cyrus burial his graue and his
epitaph and also the crueltie of Thomiris to Cyrus being dead I will write in the historie of Persia. After this great victorie of Tomyris the Scithians had peace vntil Lanthinus time king of Scithia After Cyrus time Darius Histaspis came to Scithia who being denied of king Lanthinus daughter in mariage he returned his loue to hatred he waged battel against Lathinus and brought to Scithia seuen hūdred thousand Persians of whom he left behind him slaine in Scithia fourescore tenne thousand and Darius himselfe constrained to take his flight with no lesse feare then danger into Persia againe In like sort the Scithians vsed Zopirona a general of Alexanders the great in a battel giuen by the Macedonians to the Scithians with such slaughter that the whole armie of Zopirona was ouerthrowen and himselfe hardly by flight escaped as Vexores king of Egypt Darius king of Persia had done before of such inuincible courage the Scithians were being frō their birth acquainted brought vp in hardines that life and death were esteemed alike they made no accompt of victory for wealth and treasure but for honour Alexander the great who had better successe in Scithia then any of his predecessors liked the people so wel for their hardy and valiant enterprises that he builded a city and named it Alexandria which was the first citie that he builded in Scithia which name was after raced by the Barbarians and repaired againe by Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus who according to his progenitors name called it Seleucia Into this citie saith Solinus Orodes king of Parthia conueyed the Romans that were taken at the slaughter of Crassus Strabo writeth that Alexander the great builded 8. great townes amongst the Bactrians and amongst the Sogdians two large countreys of Scithia also he saith that Alexander destroyed certaine cities in Bactria a citie called Cariata where Callisthenes the Philosopher was imprisoned by Alexander in Sogdiana he destroyed a citie which Cyrus builded after his owne name called Cira hard by the riuer Iaxartes I reade of none sauing of Alexader which ventured so much in Scithia as the Scithians haue done in other countreis you shall reade that the Scithians haue thrise inuaded Asia haue driuen the Cimerians out of Europe haue giuen to the Medes diuers ouerthrowes specially in a great battell at Mount Caucasus and after came into Media their owne countrey wasted it spoyled it and did possesse it as lords and rulers thereof vntill by a stratagem of the Medes the Scithians were slaine being drunken After the Medes the Egyptians were ouerthrowen with their king Vexores and put to flight After the Egyptians Phrahartes king of Parthia with all his Parthian armie and almost all the countrey of Parthia were at that time wellnigh conquered by the Scithians The Persians were twise by the Scithians ouercome vnder Darius Histaspis who was discomfited with all his armie and himselfe glad to take his heeles and vnder Cyrus the great king who also after two or three battels was slaine amongst the Scithians It was thought a thing most renowmed to make an armie and to enter Scithia Liber Pater was the first that trauailed into Scithia as farre as Panda a citie of the Sogdians where the first altar was erected in testimonie of so famous an enterprise The second altar was made euen in that place by Hercules The thirde by Semiramis Queene of Assyria The fourth and last altar was erected by Cyrus and therefore it was compted one of the greatest commendations of Alexander the great to make his voyage so farre whereby hee had the name of the fift that also erected his monument so inuincible were the nations of the Scithians that they would take no iniurie at home neither offer iustice abroade The antiquitie of the Scithians is such that there is no great certaintie of their time nor no sounde histories haue declared any thing formally neither of their kings nor of themselues and therefore I wil briefly ende their historie in this place onely setting downe the names of such kings as I found scattered in diuers histories of other kingdomes 1 Scytha the first king of Scythia of whose birth and beginning the Scythians do much bragge Reade Diodorus 2 Napis 3 Pluto 4 Sagillus 5 Targitaus 6 Plinos 7 Scolopithus 8 Penaxagora filius Sagilli 9 Tanais 10 Indathirsus 11 Saulius This king killed the Philosopher Anacharsis for that hee found him in Grecian robes executing the rites and ceremonies of the Greeks in a sacrifice to Berecynthia against the customes and lawes of Scythia 12 Spargapithus 13 Aripethes 14 Sciles This king was in like maner driuen out of his kingdom for imitating the Grecians in their sacrifice to Bacchus for the Scythians did mocke and floute the Greekes to alter themselues like faunes or Satires some like men some like women and some like beasts with darts in their hands and Yuie crownes on their heades after the maner of the Grecians which the Scythians could not abide 15 Octomasades 16 Lanthinus which raigned in Scythia when Darius king of Persia came with an army of seuen hundreth thousand and was ouerthrowen of the Amazones Sogdians Hircanians and of diuers other nations which dwel in Scythia which to write itwere but labour in vaine But a few of the Amazones Queenes I will set downe as Pēthisileia which came to the Troyan warres against the Grecians Menalippe that gaue battell to Hercules Hippolite that gaue battel to Theseus Tomiris that gaue battell to Cyrus and ouerthrew him Antiopia and Marpesia Otrera and other warlik Queenes But of Tamberlanes greatnes of his armie and victories against the Turke how he toooke him caried him in a cage with him to all his warres and howe he vsed to tread vpō his necke as a blocke to mount on horsebacke lute histories euery where are written OF THE ORIGINAL OF the Parthians and of the beginning of their kingdome and how long it continued of their kings gouernment and last destruction by the Romanes in the time of Augustus Caesar. THe Parthians were sometime people of Scythia and driuen frō thence as banished men weried and ouerthrowen and after by long warres they came to the deserts of Hircania and possessed the cōfines of those nations called Daces and Maiani for in the Scythian tongue the Parthians doeth signifie banished men so that the Parthians were first obscure and base people banished out of their countrey of Scythia in the time that the Asyrians the Medes flourished and long after that the Persians had gotten the monarchie from the Medes The Parthians were very rude without lords or lawes to rule them vntil the empire of Macedonia had gotten the masterie ouer the Persians for at what time Alexander the great died no Maccdonian would vouch safe to be king in Parthia the successors of Alexander made no accompt of the Parthians but as rude people and mercenarie souldiers neither esteeming them
nor their countrey so simple a beginning the Parthians had vntill they scattered themselues to serue as mercenarie souldiers then beganne the Parthians to haue some fame by their seruice which were as I saide before scant knowen It is written by Solinus that Parthia grew into so large an Empire that it conteined 18. kingdomes these kingdomes are deuided into two partes eleuen of the eighteene called the vpper kingdomes beginning from the borders of Armenia passing along the Caspian sea coast to Scithia the other seuen kingdomes haue on the West the Medes on the South Carmania on the North Hircania the language of the Parthians is mingled partly with the Medes and partly with the Scithians their apparel after the custome of Scithia their souldiers in fight were their seruants of whom the Parthians had as great care as of their children teaching them in their youth to ride to shoote and to doe all other martiall exploits for of fiftie thousand souldiers which they had against M. Antonius were none free men but 450. all the rest were seruants The Parthians began to erect a kingdome at what time raigned in Egypt Euergetes the thirde king and in Macedonia raigned king Demetrius likewise in Asia and Syria raigned Seleucus Gabinius the forth king About this time the Carthagineans had great warres with the Numidians which endured foure yeeres of these warres Polibeus writeth In the time of the first king of Parthia which was named Arsaces Eumenes king of Bithynia inuaded Asia This king Arsaces deserued no lesse fame by his great prowesse and valiant deedes by his fortun at warres and good successe amongst the Parthians then Cyrus did amongst the Persians or Alexander the great amongst the Macedonians The Parthians so loued this Arsaces aliue and so honoured him dead that all the kings of Parthia after him were called Arsaces with no lesse dignitie then the Caesars of Rome or Pharaoâ—…s of Egypt and yet a meane man in the beginning who might more bragge of vertue knowledge then of dignitie or parentage for before these Parthians followed Eumenes in the warres of Asia after Eumenes they followed Antigonus after Antigonus they followed Seleucus Nicanor after him Antiochus At what time the Parthians reuoulted and made a choise of this king named Arsaces who brought such renowne to the Parthians such credite to the countrey as enlarged their confines and augmented their Empire This time one Theodotus being but then President ouer 1000. Townes and Cities in Bactriana proclaimed himselfe king of the Bactrians with this king Theodotus Arsaces entred in societie and with his sonne after him nowe when Arsaces had setled himselfe quietly in Parthia he gaue them lawes to liue by he did set and frame all things in order hee builded Townes and Cities and one chiefe Metropolitane Citie and named it Daram This king had a sonne named Mithridates who after his father reigned in Parthia with no lesse fame then his father he leauied an armie of a hundred thousand footemen and twentie thousand horsemen fought with Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus king of Syria with such inuincible courage that Antiochus thought it his best way to haue peace with him When this king died succeeded him Pampatius the third king in Parthia who when he had reigned twelue yeeres left behinde him two sonnes the one named Pharnaces the other Mithridates the elder brother after the Parthian maner enioyed his fathers seate and his father surnamed Arsaces as the other kings were This king ouerthrew a very stout Nation called Mardi and did as his predecessors had done adde some people or wanne some countrey to Parthia who hauing many children when hee died and hauing more care of his countrey then of his children appointed his brother Mithridates to be king of Parthia a man of great courage and singular vertues The same very time when Mithridates entred into Parthia as king did Encratides likewise enter to the kingdome of the Bactrians but these two kings prospered not alike for Encratides after diuers and sundry battels giuen to him by the Sogdians Dranganites and Indians wherein he gaue diuers repulses vnto his enemies but at length so wearied with continuall warres hee was ouerthrowen and vanquished In Parthia with better successe fought Mithridates with the Medes whom after many doubtfull battels Mithridates subdued the Medes and brought them subiect vnder the Parthians and appointed in Medea Bachasus to be lieutenant and went himselfe into Hircania and then waged warres with the king of Elymees which he vanquished and all his countrey and ioyned them to the Parthians so that Parthia was so strengthened by the Medes the Elimees other nations that they gouerned from mount Caueasus to the riuer Euphrates so that poore Parthia before a base people and a rude countrey are nowe become lords ouer the stoute Medes so by Gods appointment kingdomes and Empires doe both flowe and ebbe during this time Masinissa was by sundry battels driuen out of his kingdome by Syphax king of Numidia At that time reigned in Syria Seleucus Philopator their seuenth king and in Egypt reigned Ptolomei Philometor the sixt king Cornelius Scipio about this time triumphed ouer Asia After this Mithridates death succeeded his sonne Phrahartes who had not the fortune which his father had for Phrahartes was sore vexed by the Scythians who at the first came to aide the king of Parthia against Antiochus king of Syria the souldiers fell to mutinie for want of pay and therefore wasted and spoiled the Confines of Parthia burned townes and robbed countries that Phrahartes was constrained to leauy an armie and to make warres vpon the Scythians whose lucke had beene better if hee had taried in Parthia where hee left behinde him Himerus too young a man to gouerne a kingdome who lost at home in Parthia asmuch as Phrahartes lost in Scythia After Phrahartes was ouerthrowen by the Scythians Artabanus succeded who likewise shortly was slaine in the warres at Colchata after whom succeeded his sonne Mithridates the second of that name who for his noble deedes and valiant actes was named Mithridates the great and yet not so great as infortunate for when he had reuenged the death of his father vpon the Scythians plagued the Armenians and had gotten diuers Nations subiect vnto Parthia yet hee was banished from Parthia and his kingdome giuen to Horodes his brother Horodes hauing the kingdome of Parthia in his hand hearing that his brother Mithridates had fledde into Babylon to auoide further feare hee besieged Babylon vntill by famine they were compelled to yeelde the Citie Mithridates hoping for pardon yeelded himselfe to his brother but Horodes supposing that he would prooue rather an enemie then a brother commaunded him to be slaine before his face By this time the Parthians grewe so great and waxed so strong that their fame extended into Rome a Citie that coulde neuer abide no kingdome nor no
countrey to florish beside themselues and therefore the Romanes sent Marcus Crassus one of the greatest men of Rome to Parthia who had such conceiptes in his head that the victorie of Lucullus against Tigranes king of Armenia and all that Pompei did against Mithridates king of Pontus were but trifles to that which hee entended for hee thought to conquer the Bactrians the Indians and the great Ocean sea For in his decree and commission to him giuen by the Senate there was no mention made of the Parthians which the Parthians knewe and therefore sent Embassadours vnto Crassus opening vnto him that hee offered warres vnto the Parthians against his decree by the Senate but Crassus more bold then wise saide that Horodes king of Parthia shoulde answere him in Seleucia One of the Parthian Embassadours fell a laughing shewing to Crassus the palme of his hande saying Haires shall sooner growe in the palme of my hand before you come to Seleucia and so with defiance of Crassus the Embassadours returned to their king telling him that he was to prepare for warres By this time Artabazes king of Armenia came to the campe of Crassus with sixe thousand horsemen promising Crassus tenne thousand more horsemen and thirtie thousand footemen but that promise was not kept for hee was assaulted by the Parthians in his countrey beside Crassus had in his armie fiftie thousand Horodes king of Parthia made ready for Crassus and appointed one named Surena his lieutenant the second man in all Parthia next to the king in experience value reputation and riches for Plutarch saith that when Surena remooued with his owne houshold onely he had a thousand Camels to carie his sumpters and two hundred Coches of Curtizans a thousand men of armes armed from toppe to toe beside another thousand more lightly armed his whole traine Court made aboue ten thousand horse Crassus thought long to giue battell vnto the Parthians but the miserable sight of the ouerthrowen Romanes which were so martyred with such torments shewing vnto their captaines their handes fast nayled to their targettes with arrowes and their feete likewise shotte through and nayled to the ground the forked arrowes fast in their bodies and so wounded with speares and pikes that the most part of the Romane gentlemen slue themselues for so did Censorinus and Publius Crassus himselfe commaunded one of his gentlemen to kill him whose head was cut off after by the enemie and brought to his father for a present whose sight killed the Romanes hearts Yet the olde Crassus shewed greater courage at that time then euer hee had done before hee made an oration to his souldiers when his heart was full of sorowe brought them examples howe Lucullus ouercame not Tigranes neither Scipio Antiochus the great without blood Thus hee comforted his people and perswaded them to turne their sorowes into furie and to shewe themselues worthie Romanes for the reuenge of his sonnes death but the inconstancie of Crassus fortune was no better then his sonne after many vnlucki◅ battels to bee slaine and his head to be cut off as his sonnes was and twentie thousand Romanes slaine beside Surena did send Crassus vnto Herodes the king his master into Armenia After Crassus and his sonne were thus shamefully slaine in Parthia the Parthians so triumphed of this in feastes and playes making rimes and iestes as Plutarch saith of both Crassus heads About this enuie beganne a quarrell in Rome first betweene Lucullus and Pompei and after betweene Pompei and Caesar nowe the Romanes hauing susteined such foile in Parthia and the Parthians such victorie ouer the Romanes that Horodes king of Parthia and his sonne Pacorus conceiued great pride therein but pride will haue a fall and so it fell to the Parthians After diuers great victories of many Countries Ventidius a Romane lieutenant of Marcus Antonius who fully reuenged the death of Crassus with such a slaughter of the Parthians that in the first battell that he had with Horodes he slue Pharnabates Labienus which two encreased much the Parthians fame while Labienus was in Syria two of the chiefe captaines he had in the second battell he farre excelled the first and slue many more of the Parthians in this battell Pacorus the kings owne sonne was slaine This made the victorie of Ventidius more notable this exploit was a full requitall of Crassus death so that Ventidius a meane man borne was the onely man that euer triumphed ouer the Parthians vnto the very last day of them when newes of these victories came to Horodes that his sonne Pacorus was slaine with all his armie of whom hee heard before so well of in vanquishing and ouerthrowing diuers armies both in Asia and Syria hee suddenly fell to such a furie that hee became beside himselfe that for many dayes hee was dumbe without speach and when hee spake any worde hee spake nothing but Pacorus hee thought that hee sawe him that he heard him and that he spake with him But in time after hee had recouered his former state hee imagined of thirtie sonnes he had who should be king after him at length hee bequeathed his kingdome vnto his sonne Phrahartes this was the last king of Parthia About this time much trouble was in Rome betweene Caesar and Pompei the great the ciuill warres whereof had almost ouerthrowen the state of the Romanes the which I will write of in the Romane historie nowe when Phrahartes had slaine his father Horodes and had possessed the kingdome of Parthia hee doubting lest the like murther might happen to him hee made sure woorke After hee had slaine the king his father hee also slue his thirtie brethren this tyrannie in the beginning of his gouernment made diuers gentlemen of Parthia to forsake him to flee vnto Antonius to whō as Plutarch saith Antonius gaue diuers cities as Larissa Arethusa others After this hee tooke a generall muster of all his armie and of his confederates that were come by commaundement to aide him from Armenia and other places so that Antonius had threescore thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen beside thirtie thousand of other Nations This puissant armie made all Asia to tremble and yet no worthy exploite done but besieging the Citie of Phrata in Media the loue hee bare to Cleopatra was thought to be the cause of his ill lucke In the meane time Phrahartes king of Parthia being aduertised where Antonius left his engines of battell hee sent a number of horsemen to fight with Tatianus who was in that conflict slaine with tenne thousand more at that time this troubled all Antonius armie notwithstanding Antonius hasted to battell with them at what time hee put the Parthians to flight without any great slaughter of the Parthians Antonius lingering still and doing no great acte in Parthia determined to giue ouer such craftie people and though Antonius had ouercome the Parthians in eighteene
seuerall battels yet they gaue him diuers repulses and such ouerthrowes as Antonius was most willing to let them alone and to depart from them whome they followed in his returne at the hard heeles to his great losse and shame This made Phrahartes king of Parthia so proude that Antonius the great Romane tooke his flight from Parthia that hee vsed such murther and tyrannie in his Countrie that his owne subiects threwe him out of his countrie and kingdome and placed in his seate Tiridates to bee king vntill Phrahartes after hee had beene thus banished was ayded by the king of Scythia to bee restored vnto his kingdome againe Then Tiridates hearing that the Scythians came with a great armie to restore Phrahartes he fledde into Spaine vnto Octauius Caesar thither likewise did Phrahartes send Embassadors when Caesar had heard both the parties the complaintes of the banished king Phrahartes and the request of Tiridates saying that Parthia was fitte to be subiect to the Romane Empire affirming also that if it should please Caesar to substitute him lieutenant vnder the Romanes in Parthia that he would with all Parthia holde with Rome Notwithstanding Caesar vsed in this great clemencie both wisdome and iustice he commaunded that Phrahartes sonne shoulde bee king in Parthia and that Tiridates if it pleased him should continue in Rome vpon Caesars charges vntill his returne from Spaine at which time Caesar hauing occasion after he came home to Rome from Spaine to go to Syria and to dispose of those kingdomes which his predecessours had conquered in the East countries and to set all things in order he charged then that Phrahartes should make no warres against the Parthians promising that hee and his posteritie should gouerne Parthia vnder the Romanes willing and commanding him and the king his sonne to send those ensignes to Rome which Marcus Crassus lost at Parthia and cōmanded them to be true friends to the Romanes The fortune of this Caesar was such that he could then cōmand with a word more then Antonius who sought it with blowes or Crassus that sought it with his death This Caesar afterward called Augustus brought parthia to be a prouince vnto the Romanes and ended without warres which other could not do with warres Thus the kingdome of Parthia which beganne in the hundred thirtie three Olympiad and ended in the beginning of the Monarchie of Augustus Caesar in the hundred eightie eight Olympiad after hee had conquered his friend Marcus Antonius There reigned in Parthia eleuen kings whose names are here vnder written 1 Arsaces the first king by whom the kinges of Parthia were all called Arsaces 2 Mithridates the second king of Parthia 3 Pampatius the third king of Parthia 4 Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia 5 Mithridates the fift king of Parthia 6 Phrahartes the sixt king of Parthia 7 Artabanus the seuenth king of Parthia 8 Mithridates the great the eight king of Parthia and sonne to Artabanus 9 Horodes the ninth king of Parthia 10 Phrahartes the tenth king of Parthia 11 The eleuenth and last king of Parthia sonne to Phrahartes and supposed to be called Phrahartes after his fathers name OF THE ANTIQITIE OF Media of the originall of their Kings and of their common wealth gouernment and continuance THough the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Egyptians were conquered by the Persians yet I wil touch the historie of Media before I handle Persia for that the Medes likewise were made subiect vnto the Persiās for al these kingdoms came at length to Cyrus hand For as the kingdome of Media began atone time with the newe kingdome of Assyria after Sardanapalus time so they ended about one time and both these kingdomes by Cyrus taken vnto Persia and euen so of Lydia the next historie to this was also by the Persians subdued of the which also I meane briefely to speake before I handle Persia for so the course of time and the order of the histories doe require but now of the Medes For Strabo in the description of the kingdome of Media sayth that Parthia is bordered vpon the East side of Media and on the South it is inhabited with people called Cadusij and as Strabo writeth it hath other nations dwelling about the Sea of Hircania the riuer Halis as Herodote doth write is the Confines of both Media and Lydia And hee sayth further that the Medes were called Arij before and then long after that Medea came from Cholchos vnto Athens from Athens vnto this people then called Arij changed the name of the countrey after her owne name Media whō the Greekes called after that Medi by the name of Medea but otherwayes confirmed by Iosephus and by Zonaras in his first booke who say that Medi had their originall from Madai the sonne of Iaphet and of him as Melancthon sayth named Madei first and after of the Greekes called Medi. There were many Townes in Media first builded by the Macedonians inhabited by the Grccians as Laodicea Apannia Rhaga which Nicanor builded The Medes in times past florished a kingdome that gouerned many Countries and had vnder their Empire the most part of Asia vntill the Persians vanquished the Assyrians by king Cyrus which Cyrus afterwarde subdued the Medes and brought both Assyria and Media vnto the Empire of Persia. The chiefe Pallace of the kings of Media is called Eobatana where the kings of Media kept their Court euery winter Herodote which wrote his historie in the time of Xerxes sayth that after the Medes had conquered the Assyrians the Medes had no kings of long time after but euery Citie by popular state was then gouerned vntill Deiocis time who being wise and withall very ambitious plausible in his speach and gentle in his dealings wanne the peoples hearts to affect him much who by secrete meanes aspiring to the kingdome hauing many great friendes by councell to further him and with power to aide him vntill by common consent of the whole Estate hee was chosen King in the fourtie fiue yeere after the building of Rome and in the seuenth yeere of Numa Pompilius reigne the second king of Rome in the eighteene Olympiad For after that Arbaces then chiefe Gouernour of the Medes had ioyned in friendshippe with Bellochus lieutenant of Babylon and both conspired as you heard before in the historie of the Assyrians against Sardanapalus whom after they had with three or foure battels conquered the Assyrians with their Empire was translated vnto the Medes by Arbaces which Medes yet had no king created but were ruled and gouerned by Arbaces as Babylon was by Bellochus Nowe after that Arbaces had gouerned the Medes twentie eight yeeres at what time Procas Siluius reigned king ouer the Latines and at Athens Thespeius liued their tenth Iudge after their kings It is written that one Phidon of Argiue found about this time the vse of measures and weights This Arbaces began to reigne ouer the Medes
fourtie two yeeres before the Olympiads at the which time the kingdome of Macedonia began so that the Medes Macedonians began fourtie two yeeres before the Lydians and the Lydians twentie foure yeeres before the Romanes Ctesias a great antiquarie of the Persians who wrote in Artaxerxes time presently after Herodot saith that after Arbaces time a sonne of his succeeded him named Madanes who reigned 50. yeres and then followed Sosarmus which reigned 30. yeeres after him succeeded Aristeus who held long warres with the Cadusians by whom he was at length slaine but before he died he cōmanded by will that the Medes should neuer be in league with the Cadusians but with sworde and fire to persecute them vntill they were brought subiect vnto the Medes After the death of this Aristeus reigned in Media Artines 22. yeeres after him Artelanus gouerned the Medes fourtie yeeres in whose time the Parthians were subdued and brought vnder the Empire of the Medes after they had yelded them selues and the Countrey vnto the king of Saca which king both he and his Countrey after two yeeres great warres had betweene them and the Medes were vanquished both they and the Parthians when the Medes had brought the king of Parthia and the king of Saca vnder the yoke of Media at what time Artabanus reigned king ouer the Medes after whom succeeded Astiages which with some writers is named Apanda This was the last king of Media which was conquered both he his countrey by Cyrus king of Persia whose historie is at large set foorth in the Empire of Persia Diodorus with others which write of these kings as Herodot and Ctesias Great cōtrouersie there is betweene writers about the kings of Media of their succession of their reigne and of their gouernments though Strabo and Pomponius Mela doe fully describe the situation of Media yet the best Chronographers varie much of their gouernment Iustinus affirmeth that the Medes reigned 350. yeres others say 304. making their computations from Sardanapalus time whom the Medes conquered vntil the time of Cyrus by whom the Medes were vanquished so long the Empire stood Againe they vary much in the names of their kings for as I named from Arbases the first king vntill Astiages the last king and the ninth king of the Medes so some againe after this sort doe set downe the lynes of the kings of Media After Arbases reigned Sosarmus the second king of Media he reigned thirtie yeeres at what time reigned in Egypt a king of singular wisedome very courteous and gentle much commended of Herodot for many rare vertues named of Functius Osorus and of Eusebius Nicerinus About this time was Achas king of Iuda borne and Coenus the second king of Macedonia beganne with Sosarmus the second king of Media to reigne Marke the order of time for both the Macedonians and the Medes at one time began their kingdomes euen then the Lacedemonians ended their kingdomes for so God worketh by order of nature and time The Peloponesians the Athenians were so plagued one of another by continuall ciuill warres the slaughter so great on both sides the warres so long as men cōquered on neither parties yeelded at last vnto necessitie and were forced to forsake the fields to withdraw themseles from destroying of both their coūtries for the warres that was betweene the Athenians the Lacedemonians frō time to time was the ouerthrow of all Greece the cause arysing frō so little a quarell as hereafter shal be mentioned in the historie of Greece While these warres endured in Greece Romulus and Rhemus were borne and the third king of Media beganne to gouerne the Medes his name was Medidus in the first Olympiad at which time the king of Tyre which was named Elulaeus as Menander testifieth a writer of their owne Chronicles was besieged by Salmanassar king of Assyria who after he hee had spoiled Phoenicia Samaria he turned his force against Tyre After great slaughter he tooke Sidon Arce and Paletire with many other Cities from the king of Tyre and brought the spoyle thereof vnto Niniue And yet sayth Menander for all his victorie he was the second time discomfited his Nauies so scattered that fiue hundred of his best souldiers were taken by the Cananites and by the king of Tyre whereat Salmanassar waxed full of wrath and commaunded his souldiers to stoppe all conduites and all passages of waters that for fiue yeeres they were forced to digge out water and to make welles and springes to susteine themselues withall and this historie is written in the Chronicles of Tyre About this time liued that good and learned Poete Archimus that wrote of the warres of Troy Coelius king of the Thuscans ayded Romulus the first king of Rome with men and money against the people called Cennienses and the Antenates of this kings name mount Coelius one of the seuen hilles of Rome was called Plutarch sayth that Numa Pompilius the second king of Rome was borne about this time and in the twentie eight yeere of the third king of the Medes was that wicked king Sancherib with his horrible blasphemies with a hundred foure score fiue thousand of his souldiers slaine by the Angel of the Lord. After this Medidus the third king of Media had reigned fourtie yeeres succeeded him Cardiceas the fourth king who reigned thirteene yeeres During this kings gouernment the Empire of Assyria was brought by Merodach the sonne of Baladan vnto Babylon where Merodach reigned fourtie yeeres the first king of Babylon Nowe in Iudea gouerned a wicked king a great idolater a murtherer of the Prophetes and a most contemptuous despiser of God This Manasses filled all Ierusalem with blood hee martyred Esai the Prophet commaunding him to bee cutte in two pieces with a sawe for the which tyrannie God gaue him ouer to the handes of the Babylonians In Ethiop reigned about this time a king named Tarachus of whome Iosephus maketh mention that hee came to ayde Spethon king of Egypt against Senaherib in the sixteenth Olympiad About this time Nicomedia was builded Gela a Towne of Sicilia and Phaselis a Towne in Pamphilia were likewise builded All this while the Medes had no king crowned nor allowed but as a supreme Gouernour of all Media but were as you heard from Arbaces time vntill this time gouerned by a Magistrate or chiefe Gouernment euen vntill Deiocis which was the chiefe gouernour and the first king for Arbaces Sosarmus Medidus Cardiceas these foure were but gouernours though for order sake they were named kings CHAP. II. Of the first King of Media of their gouernment lawes and continuance from Deiocis vntill Astyages the last King of the Medes BVt Deiocis nowe after hee had gouerned wisely and discreetely the Medes hee through his owne pollicie and his friends councell became the first King by consent and by election When he
was sure of the kingdome and had setled himselfe as a King hee straight commaunded Townes and Cities to be builded and erected many strong Fortes made good lawes and gouerned the Medes with equitie and iustice for the space of fiftie three yeres as both Herodot and Diodorus Siculus affirme This Deiocis likewise appointed a certeine garde for his person for change of state is dangerous for nowe Deiocis from a Magistrate was made a king and therefore with greater care and feare he foresawe things belonging to his person hee had his garison and his garde to attend his person and prouided that the Medes who both loued him and honoured him so much shoulde bee in all seruice at his becke he commaunded then to builde one great Towne a chiefe Citie and to bee the onely seate of the king as in all kingdomes the Palace of the king is the chiefest Nowe the Medes hauing this commaundement beganne with one consent to builde one great Towne aboue the rest fortified with walles and strengthened with garisons This citie was great and large and was called Ecbatana where this king Deiocis liued vsing such iustice and seueritie as hereby no man might haue accesse vnto him but by meanes hee grew so seuere that no man might haue sight of him no man might laugh cough or spit before him This was the onely king that brideled the Medes and asmuch commended for his seuere punishment of iniuries as for his sounde iudgement of iustice and equitie praysed There were many nations subiect vnto the Medes as Buse Paretaceni Arezantij Budi and others In his time reigned in Macedonia Perdiccas in Iudea Ezechias and his sonne Manasses in Rome reigned Romulus in the later ende of his reigne and in Lydia Candaules the fourth king of Lydia This time reigned in Egypt 12. gouernours of equal authoritie these ruled Egypt as supreame magistrates 15. yeres vntill Psammeticus one of these 12. Iudges had gotten the kingdome vnto his owne hands who reigned 54. yeeres king in Egypt You shall reade in Herodot and in Diodorus Siculus the whole historie euen from this king Psammeticus vntill the time of Cambyses As Kingdomes and Countries florished and became mightie strong in armes so they inuented militarie discipline to defende themselues their Countries euery Kingdome had their proper and seuerall order of fighting with varietie and change of their marching into battell with sundry and diuers kindes of Trumpets and ensignes The Egyptians had Crocodiles and cattes in their ensignes for those which they honoured as goddes in the Citie they vsed them in their warres in their ensignes and a Trumpet made of a horne The Indians had in their ensignes the picture of Hercules caried before them into battell with many little Belles and Timbrels for their Trumpets The Persians preferred in their ensignes the image of the sunne and burning lampes which should be caried in the middest of the armie The old Athenians caused an owle to be set in their ensignes and the Thebans the image of Sphinx with shaulmes flates for trumpets The Macedonians had a wolfe caried in their ensignes The ancient Romanes before they grew to their greatnes vsed a handfull of hay tied to the ende of their speares which should be caried before them as ensignes and thereby called manipulares miliets they had not yet vsed in their ensignes the picture of a horse which they vsed after the hay or of a bore or of Minotaurus or of the eagle which nowe they vse for their ensignes The Cimbrians had in their ensignes a brasen bull The olde auncient Germanes vsed to paint in their ensignes the likenesse of shining light The Parthians tied little brasen belles to their speares and infinite number of hornes hauing before them caried in their ensigne a flagge of red leather painted ouer ful of keies And so I might speake of more that vsed their coūtrie orders and maners in warres but mightie Emperours and Kings had in their seuerall ensignes what pleased them as Hanibal had a red flagge with a naked sword for his ensigne Old Osiris had the dogge Anubis in his ensigne Great Porus king of India had the image of Hercules caried before him in his ensigne Cyrus king of Persia a cocke Iulius Caesar an Elephant Eumenes king of Asia had in his ensigne the image of Ceres and the statue of Alexander the great Neoptolemus the image of Minerua Ca. Marius in the Cymbrian warres vsed to cary in his ensigne a siluer eagle and so vpon their tents they vsed the like And so of their secret watchword which the Emperours and great kings vsed in their warres I thought good to set downe some briefe examples of mightie great conquerours and captaines which they vsed in the fielde in the time of warre to their officers and souldiers Cyrus king of Persia would vse this for his watch-word Iupiter belli Dux Antiochus sirnamed Soter vsed this watchworde Bene valere Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome vsed this word Faelicitas sometime Victoria M. Antonius in his warres vsed this worde Lar Deus Pompey the great vsed Invictus Hercules Caius Caligula the Emperour vsed Priapus and Venus for his watcheword Demetrius king of Macedonia had for his watchworde Iupiter Victoria The Emperour Septimus Seuerus vsed this word Laboremus As Pertinx the emperour vsed Militemus for their watch-words in their campe Claudius Caesar neuer missed this watchworde Virum vlcisci decet The watchworde of Silla was but Apollo The sixt king of the Medes was named Phaortes a man of great promesse and of great fortune who much encreased the state of Media with winning of many countreys and adding of many nations to the kingdome of Media he moued warres first against the Persians and brought them at length vnder his hand and vanquished them who became subiects vnder Phaortes to the Empire of Media After that he passed further vnto Asia destroying and vanquishing many stoute nations in so much that he brought all Asia vnder the Medes Againe he went with great force against the Assyrians layde siege to Niniue where he was slaine and all his armie vanquished he raigned in Media 22. yeeres about the 33. Olympiad 105. yeeres after the building of Rome At this time raigned in Iudea the good king Iosias who destroied idolatrie restored religion cōmanding the groues the altars and other superstitious places to be had in pieces he caused all the wickednes which raigned among the Iewes in his fathers dayes king Amon to be quite taken away Now in Lydia gouerned Ardeis the 6. king of the Lydians In Rome gouerned Tullus Hostilius the 3. king of the Romanes in Agrigentū at this time the great tyrant Phalaris exercised his tyrannie After Phaortes had brought all Asia vnder the Empire and had vanquished the Persians and now the monarchie was in Media the Medes grew so strong that they subdued
all countreis and became the only kingdom of force power whose fame and renowne was spread ouer the whole world After him succeeded Ciaxares the 7. king of the Medes this passed all the kings of Media before him and obscured the fame of his predecessors this king is named in Daniel Darius Medus as Melancthon doeth note This was he that subdued Asia and deuided Asia into nations countreys prouinces and kingdoms and the first among the Medes that deuised spearemen bowmen and horsemen and taught the Medes many warlicke feates he vanquished all the regions about Media and gathered all the force hee could against the Lydians and after brought all his armies ouer the riuer Halis and went to reuenge his fathers death Phaortes vpon the Assyrians besieged Niniue and as Eusebius testifieth he tooke the citie of Niniue and conquered the most part of Assyria except Babylon and fewe prouinces about Babylon It is written in Ruffinus that while Ciaxares layed siege to Niniue Madies king of Scythia came with great power against this Ciaxares with whom he encountred and put him to the worst scattered his armie and wan the field and remoued their siege frō Niniue in so much that the Scythians ruled gouerned al Asia for 28. yeres but afterward slaine and ouerthrowen by the Medes About this time Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon layed siege to Ierusalem tooke Zedekias the king burned the citie and destroyed the temple and the most part of the best Iewes were caried captiue into Babylon where Ezechiel began to prophecie both against Egypt and Babylon where likewise he prophecied the rebuilding of Ierusalem and the restoring of the Iewes after 70. yeres captiuitie There folowed in Media Astiages the 8. and last king of the Medes who raigned ouer the Medes 35. yeeres hauing onely one daughter named Mandanes of this her father thought so wel that he iudged no man among the Medes worthy of his daughter but gaue her in mariage to Cambyses king of Persia which then payed tribute vnto the Medes and were broght vnder their monarchie by cōquest Now Astiages the king being in his town Ecbatana dreamed of his daughter Mādanes in this sort he thought in his dreame that his daughter made so much water at one time as filled al the streets of the city Ecbatana that it did ouerflow all Asia who when he awaked mused much at this dreame fearing the successe thereof tooke order with one Harpagus a friend of his that when his daughter Mādanes should be brought to bed the child should presently be killed This cōmandement of the king troubled Harpagus insomuch that he himself detested so foule an act caused one named Mitridates a heardman of Astiages to come to his house to whō he imparted the kings cōmandement charging him to take the child and to bring him to some place where the childe might die to auoyde the displeasure of the king This poore man obeying Harpagus tooke the child delighted much in his fauour thinking in his heart that he was of some great parentage tooke it with him and hauing that time by his wife a childe borne dead hee tooke it and made as though it were Cambyses sonne buried him in a desart place and cōmanded his wife to bring vp Cyrus as her owne childe Now when Harpagus was throughly certified that Cyrus was killed buried by this his trusty friēd who saw the place where the dead childe was buried supposing it to be Cyrus Harpagus therof was very glad told the king that in al things his cōmandement was executed The king was merie al things very quiet and he doubted nothing While this Astiages was lustie and frolike Cyrus grew in the meane while to some stature being about tenne yeeres of age hauing some cause to be brought before Astyages he had some impression in his head and conceiued by imagination considering the time that Cyrus should haue bene killed and the age of Cyrus then present hee beganne to examine the matter with Harpagus and Harpagus with Midridates vntill the trueth was found Astiages being much disquieted with this Harpagus was troubled in minde fearing some mischance should happen vnto him by the meanes of this Cyrus of whom he dreamed as you heard commaunded him out of his sight and to goe vnto Persia to his father Cambyses and to his mother Mandanes and there vpon his allegeance to stay Cyrus began to feele his stomacke being very young to be very great yet for that time he obeyed the king and went to Persia where he consulted with Harpagus about the recouerie of the kingdome of Media For when Cyrus had heard how that Astiages had commaunded Harpagus to kill him and to haue him out of the way hee thought now being in yeeres fully to reuenge the said wrong he gathered his power together and had his souldiers in armes and was ready with his force to march against Astiages The bruite and great report of Cyrus preparation came to the eares of king Astiages who not being therewith a little frighted sent messengers vnto Cyrus commanding him vpon his allegeance to repaire to king Astiages To whom answere was made by Cyrus that Astiages should see Cyrus before hee wished to see him and that Cyrus would come before Astiages would haue him to come This answere of Cyrus being giuen to the king he straight commanded all Media to be in armes and with great hast with no lesse feare made his souldiers readie Nowe Harpagus hauing determined to flee from his charge being generall of the Medes vnto Cyrus When both the armies came to ioyne in battell Harpagus perfourmed promise with Cyrus forsooke the Medes and came to the Persians This first battell by reason of Harpagus and diuers noble men more of Media which reuolted was ouerthrowen by Cyrus Astiages againe gathered his force renewed his armie and came in field himselfe being general in person against Cyrus where hee was with all his souldiers ouerthrowen and his kingdome taken from him and the Empire of Media which before gouerned Persia is nowe againe brought by Cyrus vnto Persia. This was the vncertaine state of the worlde then sometime conquerours and sometime straight conquered as before you haue read of Assyria and Chaldea sometimes the Assyrians mastered the Chaldeans and againe the Chaldeans ouercame the Assyrians and so of the Medes and of the Persians for now the Persians are become lords of Media Lydia Chaldea Assyria all Asia and the most part of the East which the Medes hitherto for the space of an hundreth and thirtie yeres gouerned Asia about the riuer Halis Thus Media after it had in all continued three hundreth and fiftie yeeres from Sardanapalus vntill Cyrus time by Cyrus was ouerthrowen in the thirtie and fifte yeere of the raigne of Astiages two hundreth yeeres after the building of Rome at what time
were the Camerines subdued hauing once or twise before reuolted against the Romanes ouer whom Romulus the second time triumphed their cities taken and their countrey made a prouince to the Romanes By this time the people of Vienna mooued warres against Romulus but being ouerthrowen Romulus made his third and last triumph of these three triumphes reade Dionysius Romulus died to whom many townes cities and prouinces yeelded themselues vnto Romulus for the fame and report they heard of him for he was both religious and vertuous Hippomenes the fourth prince or magistrate then gouerned Athens After that Meles had gouerned the Lydians 12. yeeres there folowed the fourth king named Cādaules a foolish and a vaine king of whom this historie is of Herodotus written This Candaules whō the Greciās called Mirsilus had a passing faire woman to his wife of whom he ioyed much esteeming her to be the onely woman of the world for beautie and hauing a deare friend and one of his owne seruants named Giges from whom he could conceale nothing he perswaded this Giges to be an eye witnes of his wife whose perfection in al points he could not with tongue expresse vnto Giges but willed him to be in some secret place where and when he had appointed him to behold the rarenesse of her beautie Giges after three or foure denials being vrged thereunto by the king his master cōsented to the kings request secretly came to the place where the king had appointed him where he saw the queene naked as shewent to bed to whom Candaules when he knew that Giges suffficiently had viewed his wife he saide Esto fidelis Giges at the which wordes the Queene looked backe being amazed of his speach and saw the backe of Giges by chaunce as he went away requesting the king to tell who hee was after much entreatie he saide it was his seruant Giges The Queene dissembling the matter that night said nothing but in the morning shee did send for certaine of her chiefe friendes and told the cause and willed them to be in a place appointed ready against Giges came whom she sent for to whom she said these words Giges thou hast to chuse of two offers either to kill the king my husband and to marrie me and become king thy selfe in Lydia or els to be killed and lose thy life presently for in that place where he shewed me naked thou shalt destroy him there shalt thou haue a dagger ready which being perfourmed by Giges he married the Queene and became the fift king of the Lydians according to the oracle of Delphos who had afore told that Cādaules should be the last king of the stocke of Heraclides and Giges the sonne of Dascilus of the house of Memnades the fift king of Lydia which gouerned not long without due reuenge which fell in the time of Cyrus Thus the ancient stocke and the long succession of Heraclides euen from Hercules vntill Candaules the sonne of Mirsus was of fiue hundreth and two yeres continuance during which time raigned 22. kings one after another of the line of Hercules reade Herodotus Taurentum was builded by Philautus in the time of this Candaules by the Parthians reade Iustinus the thirde booke After that Giges had by wicked meanes obteined the kingdome of Lydia and had sent to Delphos great presents and rich rewards to Apollo for the oracles giuen he went in armes against Miletum and Smyrna two cities in Greece besieged Colophonem and subdued it No other action of any importance hath bene written of him he died when he had raigned 36. yeeres In Giges time Bizantium otherwise called Constantinople was builded About this time the tyrant Phalaris gouerned the Agrigentines Tullus Hostilius raigned thirde king of Rome in the last yeeres of Giges In Iuda raigned Amon. And amongst the Egyptians Psammeticus this Psammeticus when he had obtained Egypt into his owne handes being before but one of the twelue that gouerned Egypt he ioyned with the people of Caria and Ionia and thereby he much augmented the state of Egypt From this king vnto Cambyses time the historie is set foorth very plaine in Herodotus The Grecians about this time first frequented the oracle of Iupiter called Dodonaeū oraculum Archilocus the historian Aristoxenes the musition Simonides florished in these dayes In the seuenth yeere of Giges the state of Decennales principes ended and the common wealth of Athens was gouerned after-terward by a popular state called Democratia Now Ardis the sixt king of Lydia and sonne to Giges succeeded in the kingdome of whom there is litle or nothing mentioned In the beginning of this kings raigne in the 29. Olympiad and in the 16. Iubilee Zaleucus king of the Locresians decreed a lawe to his subiects concerning adulterie that whosoeuer should be found faultie in this offence should lose both his eyes His sonne violating this law was of his owne father the king iudged to loose both his eyes his nobles and his great men entreated for the yong mans fault but the king not neglecting to do iustice according to the law by him made and according to his sentence giuen vpon his sonne by the lawe he caused his sonne to be brought before him where in presence of his subiects the king shewed both mercie and iustice for hee commaunded first that one of his owne eyes should be put out and the other eye to be taken from his sonne A rare example of Iustice and mercie and the like not to be found in our dayes At this time in Rome triumphed Tullus Hostilius ouer the Fidenans the Vients and entred Rome triumphantly the ninth yere of his raigne Now raigned in Iudea Iosias a godly king who purged Ierusalem and all Iewrie from abominations and idolatrie and brought them to knowe the Lorde againe in whose time the Prophet Ieremie began to prophecie the destruction of Ierusalem and other kingdomes In Corinth raigned at this time Cipselus and amongst the Medes gouerned Phaortes their sixt king whom the Assyrians ouerthrew as Herodotus doeth affirme In the realme of Pontus there was this time builded a towne called Hystris and in Asia two other townes called Chautus and Stagera Terpander an excellent mufition at this time liued and Thales Milesius a great Philosopher whom Eusebius affirmeth to haue liued from the 30. Olympiad vntill the 58. Olympiad About this time the Sabines after much slaughter were againe vanquished by Tullus Hostilius then the Latins made warre against the Romanes which continued fiue yeres about which time Tullus Hostilius the thirde king of the Romanes with all his familie was burned in his owne house Solinus saith that he died in the 35 Olympiad Numa Pompilius a Sabine borne in the city of Cures the second king of Rome was consecrated by the soothsayers called Augures in his time bishops called Pontifices were created in Rome holy
fire vestall virgines and religious men and priestes of diuers orders as Salij Faeciales and Flamines which he instituted to serue his gods for hee was vertuous and good for when Rome was builded by Romulus Numa was borne The Cimmerians were now at this time ouerthrowen by the Scythians the Scythians entred vnto Asia and tooke Sardis the chiefest citie of the Medes and came conquering countreys and regions as farre as Palestina About this time Necho king of Egypt who a little before ouerthrewe the good and godly king Iosias is now by Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians vanquished by the riuer of Euphrates CHAP. II. Of the rest of the kings of Lydia from Ardis the sixt king vntill Craesus the last king of Lydia and of their destruction by Cyrus and the kingdome brought subiect to Persia. NOw succeeded Ardis his sonne named Sadaites the 7. king of the Lydians who as Herodot saith raigned 12. yeres but Functius saith 15. yeres Of this king nothing is mentioned with Historiographers but that in his time Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome brought a huge armie against the Veientines which being by Martius ouerthrowen had his triumph graunted vnto him by the Senators This Martius made vpon Tiber a hauen called Hostia foure or fiue leagues from Rome and a passage frō thence to the sea The Sabines were ouerthrowen by this king as before oftentimes by his predecessors This time was Dirachium builded and Perosina Aulus Gelius an ancient writer reporteth an historie of one Arion a Lesbian borne a man of great skil in musicke a deare friend of Periander king of Corinth trauailing Sicilia and Italy he grew in great fauour with all men in all countreys and hauing in time heaped great wealth by his arte longed againe to be with Periander in Corinth Now being shipped and well forward toward Greece the mariners vnderstanding that he had much money spoyled and robbed him of his money and after being ready to kill him he befought them with teares to spare him so much time vntil he had attired himselfe in his best apparell and to licence him to play vpon his lute and to sing two or three songs before he died to the Muses which being graunted he prepared to play and sing very loude and in the midst of his song he leapt as farre as he could into the sea where the great Dolphine a fish as histories record very much entised with musicke greatly delighted with mans voyce caried him cleane vpon his backe from the water and brought him vnto an hauen of Lacedemonia called Tenarum from whence he trauailed to Corinth and opened to Periander the king the whole course of his fortune About this time Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of Rome began his gouernment in the 41. Olympiad as Dionysius writeth in the which Olympiad Cleonides a captaine of Thebes got the victorie in the games of Olympia After Sadaites folowed Haliates the 8 king of Lydia he raigned 49. yeeres in whose time though he himselfe did nothing worth the writing yet the most part of the kings of the worlde were busie the king of Assyria was in warie with the king of Egypt This time raigned in Babylon Nabuchodonosor to whose gouernment not only Assyria but al the East kings were broght vnder his becke Likewise about this time a great band of the Scythians were driuen to flee to the Medes where they were kindly harboured much made of and well intertained vntil such time as by some cōspiracie they were found rebellious vnto the king of the Medes then they fled from thence vnto Lydia to this king Haliates and being by him there succoured great warres grew thereof betweene the king of Media and the king of Lydia and continued vntil Astiages maried the daughter of Haliates vpon the which peace and great affinitie began to be betweene the Medes and the Lydians Herodotus who writeth this historie is thought of Functius and others to erre in the time In Egypt there raigned Apries whom Ieremie calleth Hophra whose name he ought to knowe for by this king Ieremie was put to death in Egypt In the 7. yeere of this king Haliates this Apries king of Egypt in the middest of his tyrannie God gaue him into the hands of his enemies so the Lord said I wil giue Pharao Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies as I gaue Zedechias king of Iuda And in another place the Lord saith I will giue the land of Egypt vnto Nabuchodonosort king of Babylon and Egypt shal be the wages for his armie to spoyle her spoyle and to take her praye For to Egypt flead Iuda for succour where they were put to the sword and not one escaped Now againe in Rome beganne Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of the Romanes he on the other side beganne to lay on about him with the Latins and with the Sabines that after he had brought the Latines with long warre to seeke fauour at his hande and being driuen out of the countrey by Tarquinius were forced to intreate for peace and to craue the Romanes friendship who by this time waxed so strong that all the West part of the world began to heare of the Romanes Now after that the Latins were vanquished the Sabines againe being olde auncient enemies of Rome a very warlicke nation with all force came against Tarquinius at what time their bridge was burned their tentes taken and themselues slaine and forced to intreat for truce for six yeres After the Sabines the Hetruscanes armed them against Tarquinius whose warre continued 9. yeres About this time the seuen sages of Greece florished whose names I thought good to put downe together for that they liued at one time Solon of Athens Thales of Milesia Pitacus of Mitilena Periander of Corinth Bias of Prienna Chilo of Sparta and Cleobulus of Lindia These singular wise men were in those dayes esteemed the rarest men of the world In this time the kingdome of Corinth failed in Periander the last king or rather the last tyrant and the gouernment was altered to a popular estate About that time Polymnestor a very yong man and as the historie hath termed him a boy being a feeding his fathers goats a hare by chance rūning by the boy folowed ranne so swiftly that he ouertooke the hare and brought her home to his father declaring the race the running betweene him and the hare to his father The matter being spread abroad the yong man was brought to the games Olympical where he wanne the victory in running and had a garland on his head as Solinus doth write Ciaxeres sōne vnto Astiages some say his father as Zonoras in his first booke but Zenophon likewise affirmeth with Iosephus that this Ciaxeres was Astiages sōne called by the name of Darius Medus of Daniel and of Iosephus but the Grecians named
him Ciaxares Cyrus vncle for when Astiages died he left behind him as his heire Ciaxares and a daughter named Mādanes which was maried to Cambyses I wil not molest the reader with variety of auctorities sometime disagreeing in computation of time or varying of the place or of the person but howsoeuer it is this Ciaxares became a great and a strong king for after he had conquered many countreis he went in armes against the Assyrians besieged Niniue tooke the spoyle thereof by ayde of Cyrus who afterward shortly sub dued it and became cōquerour of al Assyria and brought them subiect to the Medes About this time Solon made lawes to the Athenians and Milo Crotoniensis a Romane of a wōderful strength is reported by Solinus that he could cary vpon his backe an oxe that with a stroake of his bare hand he killed that oxe This Ciaxares at what time Harpagus layed siege to a towne in Phocea called Ionia the extremitie of his warre being such that they were forced to flee forsaking their towne and countrey towarde the West part where they builded a towne which they named Massilia of whom Eusebius in his chronicles maketh mention and in Iustine you shal reade the whole historie Diuers write of this Towne as Melancthon Strabo and Budeus that in Massilia Frenchmen in whose border this Towne was builded by frequenting the Towne and by exercising of the Grecians societie in the Towne grew in time to vnderstād the Greeke tongue the traffique their order their lawes and gouernment which in these dayes excelled in vertue and maners where of a long time the Greekes tongue florished the auncient customes and maners of Ionia were kept Nowe Tarquinius Priscus after he had triumphed ouer the Latines or Albans ouer the Sabins ouer the Hetruscans three seuerall triumphes hee was conspired and laide in waite for by Ancus Martius children his predecessors in Rome three yeeres before he was slaine after he had reigned thirtie eight yeeres and in the fourtie one Olympiad hee died Then followed by succession after Aliactes Croesus the ninth and last king of Lydia being thirtie fiue yeeres of age and being before hand growen vnto great force power and hauing heaped a great abundance of treasure began to warre vpon these Grecians which dwelt in Asia vpon the Ionians Aeoliās and the people called Doreans hee receiueth the Lacedemonians because they were stoute and a warlike nation into his societie Croesus thus following in pompe and pride of fortune hearing that Cyrus king of Persia had laid siege to Babylon and that Balthasar then king of Babylon had endured two or three ouerthrowes and most like to lose his kingdome vnlesse with some speede hee were ayded Croesus hasted to Babylon with more haste then good speede After his best done Balthasar was slaine Babylon taken and the Monarchie thereof caried vnto Persia by Cyrus Croesus being ouerthrowen and narowly escaping fled from whence he came to Lydia againe where after that Cyrus had layd all things in order and had disposed the victorie to his minde hee returned after Croesus vnto Lydia layde siege vnto Sardis the chiefe Citie and palace of the king where Croesus after his flight hearing of Cyrus comming and hauing felt his force before at Babylon he was not a little troubled but abiding the brunt thereof vntill Cyrus tooke the towne vanquished his power and brought the kingdome of Lydia subiect vnto the Persians thus was Croesus twise ouercome by Cyrus When Cyrus had brought these great kingdoms vnder the scepter of Persia he tooke an order with Croesus that he being depriued of his crowne and spoyled of his substance should yet haue a towne in his possession where hee might liue not as before a riche king but as a poore man In Croesus time reigned in Rome Seruius Tullus the sixt king of Rome in the 51. Olympiad and foure yeeres before the 18. Iubilee This king did adorne Rome and the common wealth thereof much and as Dyonisius Halicar reporteth of him he brought within 20. yeres space the Hetruscans to his becke he tamed al the countries about Rome and excelled in gouernment By this time Cyrus had subdued the Medes after Astyages was conuicted and the Medes made subiect to the Persians Ciaxerxes whose sonne as you heard before was called of some Darius Medus who reigned ioyntly with Cyrus 2. yeeres as Astyages here for a time The temple of Apollo at Delphus was now the second time set on fire the Lacedemonians with the Argiues were in armes about this time who were setled on eyther side with all the power they could make to make of one partie a conquest but before they ioyned in battell being better aduised by some councell they agreed to auoid the destruction of so many men that 300. chosen men of the Lacedemonians and likewise 300. chosen men of the Argiues should make an ende of the battell and they which shoulde haue the victory of these chosen men should be cōquerors and the others to yeeld where the victorie happened which being fought out the victorie fell to the Lacedemonians hauing but three of their 300. left aliue all the rest on both sides stood to it vnto the last man as Herodot doth write In Croesus time happened in Athens a great sedition betweene the Citizens about vsurie the crueltie whereof grew to be such as the vsurers claimed free mens sonnes daughters to be solde or otherwise as captiues or slaues to serue them vntill paiment were made This was one of Dracos lawes which as Demades sayth was written with blood To mitigate this crueltie Solon by consent of the whole Citie was chosen an vmpire whose Edict was that free mens children should not be sould or brought vnto any bondage for vsurie and further he decreed that all creditours should forgiue their debt vntill that time And Solon himselfe which made the lawe first performed the lawe therein for hee forgaue fiue talents himselfe which amounted to 2400. crownes for euery talent is sixe hundred crownes He added to the twelfth moneth called Lunaris annus the Epact which is eleuen dayes to make an equall number of dayes with the yeere of the sunne He gathered all the writings of Homer being 300. yeeres before vnto one volume hee made many good lawes in Athens So likewise at that time did Thales in Miletum a great Philosopher who did to many Cities in Greece as Solon did in Athens for they were in Croesus time In this time florished Pythagoras borne in Samos brought vp in Egypt and taught philosophie in Tarentum he was the first among the Italians that read philosophie whose sect after him were called Pythagoreans who farre differed from others in his doctrine It is written that Croesus bragging much of his substance and so preferring thereby himselfe to be the most fortunate happy king of the
world sitting on his regall throne in his princely attire beset with precious stones of seueral names colours in most gorgeous sumptuous sight seemed to himselfe to be the goodliest creature of the world he asked of Solon whether he had euer seene so faire a sight or so goodly colours in a creature Solon answered the Pecock the Popiniay do farre excel Croesus in naturall colours beauty whereat Croesus being angry said Solon was a foole but afterward Croesus being vanquished by Cyrus remēbred Solons words but now againe to Lydia which had reuolted against Cyrus fel to rebellion By this time Cyrus was busie in other warres and hearing of these newes returned and made of them the last conquest in the thirtie foure yeere of Seruius Tullus reigne the sixt king of Rome and in the two hundred and ninth yeere after the building of Rome Thus Lydia being brought by Cyrus a seruile Prouince to Persia afterward the reliques of the Lydians became from stout souldiers to slouthfull slaues and from men became women accompanying themselues with an idle life giuen to inuent many vnthriftie exercises as before is written And the maides of Lydia went a whoring for their dowrie offering themselues a pray for money and the wicked gaines of their bodily vse was the dowrie of their mariage who before Cyrus time during the time of nine kings esteemed neither Chaldeans nor Assyrians their fortune so flowed that it became a cōmon prouerbe As rich as Croesus But nowe Croesus hauing experience of Solons speach became now as wise as he was before rich for the which cause Cyrus esteemed him so that he would take nothing in hand without Croesus councell for Cyrus in all his warres which at that time Cyrus had with so many Nations hauing already conquered the Assyrians the Chaldeans the Lydians and other kingdomes hauing like mind to conquere all the world as Alexander the great had insomuch that Croesus wondred at his fortunate successe in al his actions his singular wisdome his great pollicie and his princely liberalitie to be such as Croesus did often say It was no shame for Croesus to be conquered by Cyrus After that Croesus was long enterteined with Cyrus hauing good experience of his fidelitie and seruice he commended Croesus vnto his sonne Cambyses charging him so to esteeme of Croesus as he would be directed in all great causes by him Nowe Cambyses farre vnlike vnto his father both in nature and in fortune much inferiour a cruell king yea a tyrant for in his voyage to Egypt with whom Croesus was in companie according to his fathers commaundement Cambyses killing and murthering his owne souldiers being Persians like a hungrie lion foming in blood without any respect of person Croesus began reuerently to warne Cambyses of his fathers councel of the trust that his father Cyrus had in him to admonish Cambyses to lenitie perswading him to vse more clemencie to shew good coūtenance to his souldiers saying that the strength of a king was his people and that mercie in a king was the anchor of his scepter Cambyses moued with these words thought to stabbe him but Croesus by flight escaped and Cambyses for anger that he had so escaped commansded them to the sword that ayded Croesus to flee from Cambyes sight at that time of this at large doth Herodot write Thus endeth the kingdome of Lydia in the 14. yeere of Croesus which continued from the beginning vntill the last ouerthrow of Croesus 230. yeeres but Functius saith 205 others say not 200. and some 130. yeres beginning in the first Olympiad ending in the 51. Olympiad for as the kings of Lydia began but 24. yeeres before Rome so it ended in the eight yeere of Tarquinius Superbus the last king of Rome after the first building of Rome 180. yeeres and was translated to be a prouince of the Persians Ardisus the 1. king of Lydia reigned 36. yeeres Aliagtes the 2. king of Lydia reigned 14. yeeres Meles the 3. king of Lydia reigned 14. yeeres Candaules 4. king of Lydia reigned 17. yeeres Giges the 5. king of Lydia reigned 36. yeeres Ardis the 6. king of Lydia reigned 37. yeeres Sadaites the 7. king of Lydia reigned 15. yeeres Haliactes the 8. king of Lydia reigned 49. yeres Croesus the 9 and last king reigned 14. yeeres OF THE FIRST ORIGINAL of the Persians of the antiquitie of their Kings of their common wealth and gouernment and of their continuance and how they haue beene called the great Kings by the meanes and dignitie of Cyrus NOw hauing left Assur the second sonne of Sem in Assyria and Arphaxad the third sonne of Sem in Chaldea Lud the fourth sonne of Sem in Lydia I am come with Elam the eldest sōne of Sem vnto Persia. Of these foure sonnes of Sem the Assyrians Chaldeans Hebrewes Lydians proceede Hauing also left Chus in Ethiopia Mizraim in Egypt I come as I said before to Persia then caled Elam so Daniel nameth it whē he saw the vision in the Pallace in Susa in the prouince of Elam by the riuer of Vlai in this place Elam dwelt and the nation were long named Elamites whose historie I haue now in hand Persia therefore is large and wide reaching vnto the North as farre as Caspia 8000. furlongs as Erastones setteth it downe which is in accoumpt yeelding eight furlongs vnto a mile a thousand miles and from the Citie of Susa vnto Persipolis 4200. furlōgs which is 530. miles and from thence vnto the confines of Carmenia are 1600. furlongs The Region of Persia is cōfined with Media on the North Persia hath eastward Carmenia hath westward Susia for Susia is as Strabo writeth a part of Persia lieth betweene Babylon Persia hath Susa that famous citie where most often the kings of Persia vsed to bee with it The nations of the inhabitants of this Countrey are called Palischores another natiō called Achemenides from these the olde kings of Persia were called Achemenides for among the old Persians they had a law that none should be king in Persia but he should be of the stocke of Acheminides which of long time continued before Cyrus while yet the Persians were called Elamites among the Hebrews of the auncient Greekes called Cephenes all kings of Persia were called Achemenides the like law was in Sparta Corinth Egypt with other natiōs for their kings for that diuers kingdoms had by law cōfirmed that no election of kings should be but of those families which by lawe in recordes were allowed as The kings of the Parthians were all called Arsaces out of Arsaces stocke The kings of Alba called Siluij from Siluius Posthumus the third king of the Albanes The first kings of Egypt were all called Pharaones The kings of Corinth Bacidae of the house of Bacis The latter kings of Egypt called Ptolomei after the death of Alexander The
kings of Sparta Heraclides And so the Emperors of Rome named first Caesares then were they called Augusti and the third time they were named Antonini Thus in these coūtries none might be king elected but of these houses families yet in other kingdoms they were otherwayes elected as The Ethiopians made choise of the most likeliest man in sight The Medes in like maner vsed to make choise of no king but such as excelled in talenesse of person and strength of body In Libya none should be king but he that could winne it with running for he that was most swift should be king in Libya and so according to custome and to the maners of euery Countrey or kingdome any prince or king was elected and chosen Againe there be in Persia two other nations called Cirtij and Marai beside a sect of people named Magi. The chiefe Cities of Persia before Babylon was by Cyrus wonne to bee a Persian Citie were Susa Parsagardia Persepolis and Gaza for there the Persian kings had their monuments in Gaza there lay there treasure and wealth Beroaldus in his Chronicles Suetonius and Tranquillus in August say that the Persians were called of the Greekes in ancient time Cephenes but they bragged and boasted of a more auncient name and called them selues Artaei But after that Perseus the sonne of Iupiter and Danaes had maried Andromada the daughter and heire of Cepheus and had by his wife a sonne named Perses after whose name then they being called Cephenes are nowe called Persis after the name of their king Persis This region of Persia was diuided vnto a hundreth twentie Prouinces in the time of Darius Hystaspis the third king of Persia appointing to euery Prouince a gouernor that should pay certeine tribute vnto the king Iosephus saith Elam the eldest sonne of Sem was the first original of the Elamites now called Persians a countrie most fertile and most florishing which had soueraigntie ouerall Asia After that Cyrus from a priuate man brought vp by a heardman in an obscure place in Media became lord of all Asia king of the greatest part of the Eastkingdomes and the conquerour of Astyages king of the Medes and of Croesus king of the Lydians and last of Balthasar the last king of Babylon and the last successour of Nabuchodonosor the great hee fortified himselfe with strength of munitions commanded garisons readie in euery great citie of Persia appointed races of horses to bee had in all the Empire of Persia and euery gouernour of euery Prouince to furnish the king with horses and men necessarie to defende the countrie for the Medes Assyrians Chaldeans Lydians and Egyptiās were by this time brought subiects vnder the Persiās And therefore their wealth must be infinite for in Artaxerxes time there was an hundreth and twentie Prouinces vnder the Monarchie of Persia as Iosephus writeth Ctesias and Dionisius two great writers of Persian histories affirmed that the king of Persia was woont to haue in his Pallace fifteene thousand euery day to dinner and supper for they receiued out of Asia euery yeere fourtie thousand and fiftie talents For when Alexander the great had conquered Persia and had taken Babylon he found a hundred fiftie and seuen thousand talents and yet not so much as Cyrus left behind him as Strabo saith and no maruell for Cyrus had all the wealth of Iudea and the treasure had in the Temple at Ierusalem which was infinite of Assyria Chaldea Lydia and Media and therefore Herodot called him Cyrus the great king and after Cyrus time all the kings of Persia would be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great kings For in all the histories you shall not reade that the Romanes who afterward likewise mastered the whole worlde had so much treasure at one time as either Cyrus had left in Persia or as Alexander had found in Persia yet Persia before Cyrus time was obscure and of no fame subiect vnto the Medes for Cyrus had long warres many battels with Euilmerodach in Assyria with Croesus in Lydia with Astyages in Media with many kings before he had rest and before hee had brought the Monarchie vnto Persia and to be called the great king Cyrus began his Empire at Babylon at what time Seruius Tullius the sixt king of the Romanes reigned in Rome and Amasis gouerned Egypt In Cyrus time the temple of Apollo was burned in Delphos the second time Cyrus obteined the kingdome of Persia in the beginning of the eighteene Iubilee and in the third yeere of the eightie Olympiad which much differ from Diod. Siculus who affirmeth that Xerxes the fourth king after Cyrus tooke his voiage into Greece in the seuentie fiue Olympiad from Polybius that affirmeth Xerxes went into Greece in the 74. Olympiad in the like error is Halicarnasseus Herodot and others some affirming Cyrus to begin his Empire in the 50. Olympiad some in the 54. some in the 57. some in the 60. Olympiad thus they erre some 30. Olympiads some 20. some more and some lesse of the true time of Cyrus for in the sacred historie by sound testimonie it was laid downe by Daniel and in Nehemias the very time of Cyrus Now after that Cyrus had brought all these kingdoms vnder the monarchie of Persia he tooke Armenia in hand hauing conquered the king the countrie of Armenia Tigranes the kings sonne of Armenia a familier old friend of Cyrus hearing of Cyrus victorie ouer his father he then being farre frō Armenia returned home with all haste and besought Cyrus not to thinke of the warres betweene his father and him but to remember the amitie familiaritie which was betweene them both and therefore Tigranes entreated Cyrus to haue the crowne after his father paying vnto Cyrus such tribute as he would appoint to which request Cyrus consented appointing fiftie talents yerely to be paid to the kings of Persia which is three thousand crownes After the conquest of Armenia Cyrus passed with his army vnto Phrygia Cappadocia and Arabia who coulde not long hold out but partly yeelded and partly conquered were brought subiect and to pay tribute vnto Cyrus Cyrus was woont before he entred into battell to sing a song to Castor and Pollux and to march as the olde Spartanes with hymnes and odes to the muses to solace their hearts and to auoide feare that might occupie their heads otherwayes Cyrus his garde or chiefe souldiers about him were called Homotimi as the best souldiers vnder Alexander the great were call Argyraspides vnder Achilles named Myrmidones vnder Pyrrhus called Dolopes and so of other great conquerors which had a peculiar name of their chiefe souldiers Nowe the last and the greatest victorie was ouer the Babylonians which he attempted not before he grew great and strong by other victories for truely before Babylon was wonne the monarchie was in Assyria We reade of no king that conquered so
of these two Iustine called these two Magi Comaris and Oropastis Herodotus doeth call the one Patizites and the other Smerdis Zonaras nameth the elder Tanoaxeres but it is not materiall for Eusebius doeth not nomber these two amongst the kings of Persia. But in the eight moneth one of the seuen princes or gouernours of Persia ouerthrew these Magi then these seuen princes being vertuous and welbeloued of the people agreed in loue and faith one with another one preferring another to the kingdome that it was hard for the people to make choise of any of them yet to them the election was referred Otanes one of the seuen princes thought that it was not necessary to haue a king to make a free common wealth bound to a Monarchia he perswaded the countrey to liue vnder the law of popular state called Democratia euery city to haue their magistrate and euery prouince to haue such gouernours as might defende the countrey with lawes and armes affirming the greatnes of a king to approch the nature of a tyrant and therfore most dangerous for when they giue ouer to be kings in doing iustice then they begin to be tyrants in committing rage and furie Megabisus held a contrary opinion allowing not a popular state who are neuer quiet neuer constant drawen one day of this side to morow of another affirming the furie and rage of the people to be intollerable and like the streame of a violent flood without wisdome in gouernment without reason in iudgement and euen like Hidra that monstrous beast of Lerna neuer satisfied neuer cōtented neuer quiet and compared it to the saying of Demosthenes that populus was one of the three monsters at Athens which raigned at one time Noctua draco populus the owle the dragon and the people Megabisus therefore disliked a Democraticall cōmon wealth perswaded that some of the wisest and best learned should be chosen for a state for to good men belong good counsell said he and they will in conscience and trueth refourme things amisse his reason tended to haue a common wealth called Oligarchia or Aristocratia and not a popular state The thirde Darius spake disanulling both Otanes and Megabisus opinion declaring by examples of diuers kingdomes the defect of kings as Zenophon and Herodotus most largely discourse and amongst Philosophers approued the best state of a common wealth to be a Monarchie alleadging also by Cyrus last will and Cambyses that while any of Cyrus stocke liued that they by succession should enioy the Scepter of Persia and if the house of Cyrus should faile then to make an election of a king by the seuen princes of Persia and the people And therefore both in reason a king is to be elected and by them commaunded of Cyrus to be confirmed The other foure which yet had spoken nothing but diligently hearing these three before they all consented with Darius and supposed that common wealth to be best where a Monarchie is the soueraigntie whereof is in a king and therefore they agreed all to elect a king and to auoyde contentions and quarrels they committed to Fortune their election in this sort That all the seuen princes should be a horsebacke the next morning in the suburbes of the citie to talke of this matter and that whose horse should neigh first after Sunne rising he should be king in Persia. They all to this consented and euery prince rode sumptuously to the place These were the names of the seuen princes Otanes Intaphernes Gobrias Megabisus Astphatines Hidarnes And Darius The night before they should ride to the place in the morning Darius consulted with the master of his horse opened the whole cause and asked his deuise by arte Oebarus so his name was assured Darius of some secret helpe hee brought Darius horse that night to a mare to that place where they should meete in the morning Darius riding vpon that horse by the counsell of Oebarus the next morning met according to their agreement altogether Darius horse hauing bene with the mare in that place beganne lustily to praunce and to neigh lowdly whereat the other sixe princes lighted immediatly from their horses and saluted him as their king This Darius now king of Persia had maried a daughter of Cyrus named Atossa of whom hee had Xerxes Within some space after Darius came to the kingdome the Assyrians beganne to reuolt from him hee layed siege to Babylon twentie moneths and could not preuaile vntill one Zopirus a subtile Persian who yeelded Babylon to Darius hand by this policie he himselfe did cut off his owne eares his nostrels and came all bloodie to Babylon accusing Darius crueltie who for perswading him to raise his siege and to spare blood he vsed me as you see The Babylonians light of beliefe thought it trueth made him captaine ouer a band of souldiers who for his more credit with the Babylonians gaue two or three light ouerthrowes to Darius men and by this meanes brought Babylon to Darius hand Of this Zopirus was Darius wont to say when he held a pomegranate in his hand that he wished nothing more in the world then to haue so many Zopirus as the pomegranate had kernels Now is Babylon the second time taken by the Persians When Darius was quietly setled in Babylon he made warres vpon the barbarous Scythians for euen as Cyrus was wont to driue the barbarous nations from Asia which came from the region of Arctoa so Darius tooke that course by his chiefe captaine Megabisus to clense Persia from strangers the Getes the Cimmerians and the Sauromats inhabited in Asia and about Thracia For of the Cimerians came those Germans called Cimbri and from the Getes came likewise the Gothes These Getes yeelded to Megabisus the Scythians he could not vanquish But after some warre he returned vnto Greece sent ambassadours vnto Amintas king of Macedonia to haue free passage through his countrey which being graunted more for feare then for loue Amintas entertained the ambassadours of Persia very liberally brought them to a banquet where after much rioting of wine they handled rudely the Macedonians ladies that beare them companie Alexander the sonne of Amintas and the great grandfather of Alexander the great being discontented with their beastlines desired the king his father to take his rest that night taking vpon him the entertainment of these Persians who after his father was gone he consulted with certaine noble men of Macedonia that they should come in most gorgious and sumptuous attire like women in the apparel of women with their naked weapons close vnder their garments commanding them when they should so beastly handle them next to stabbe them vnto the heart In the meane season Alexander desired them that the ladies might withdraw themselues for a time promising them they should presently returne to beare them companie in the meane time while these
ladies were absent came the Macedonian lords in forme and shew of ladies and perfourmed the wil of Alexander in all points when they saw occasion offred At this time Pisistratus that gouerned Athens had a sonne named Hippias which was banished his countrey for his crueltie toward the citizens and was with Darius who hearing that his brother Hipparchus was slaine made meanes to Darius that hee would vouchsafe to ayde him to his countrey which was the rather granted for that Darius was offended with the Athenians for that they aided the Ionians against him in that warre called bellum Ionicum when they tooke Sardis and burned it He caused presently a hundreth thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen to accompany Hippias to Athens who whē they came within two mile of Athens the Athenians with these newes were sore afrighted stood in great doubt whether to yeelde or to resist them vntill Miltiades a famous captaine comforted them by the coūsell of Callimachus tooke in hand to fight with the Persians He had tenne thousand of Athens and ten thousand Platenses here was his whole force but in that battel that noble fellow Miltiades and Callimachus with his Greekes gaue the ouerthrowe to the Persians in the fields called Marathon to the nomber of sixe thousand three hundreth by the counsel of Callimachus Thus much Melancthon affirmeth but Iustinus saith that there were sixe hundreth thousande Persians of the which saith hee two hundreth thousande were slaine and the rest put to flight but this warrewas after that which was at Marathon when Darius vpon the hearing of these newes was three yeeres in preparing for it With this Miltiades flourished in this warre Themistocles a gallant yong gentleman of Athens this Themistocles was wont to say after that fielde fought in Marathon and the Persians vanquished that the victories and triumphes of Miltiades could not suffer him to sleepe but his sonne Xerxes perfourmed it as it shal be spoken hereafter In Esdras it is referred to Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon whom the Hebrewes tooke to be Asuerus Hitherunto Eusebius doeth agree In this warre Pisistratus two sonnes died Hipparchus and Hippias Hipparchus Plato so commended him that he was cōuersant with learned men he loued Simonides he brought Homers Iliads first to Athens caused the Grecians in any solemne meeting to sing Homers verses his delight was to preferre learned men and to reuerence wise men and for that onely cause he was esteemed the wisest man of Athens But to Darius againe whom Zonaras saide that he was the husband of Esther which in the Scripture is called Asuerus Melancthon writeth that Darius Histaspis was that Assuerus that maried Esther and here the history of Esther might be well brought in sauing it is in the Bible for Herodotus saith that Darius maried two women the one named Aristona which may be the name of Esther as wel as the name of Vasthi to be Atossa which was Cyrus daughter on whom he got Xerxes who succeeded after him though Artabazanes the eldest sonne by Aristona or Esther made claime to the kingdom and opposed himselfe against Xerxes yet whē Darius made warres with the Grecians and afterward with the Egyptiās in the which iourney Darius died he appointed Xerxes to gouerne Persia in his absence and to be king after him if he should die in warres for that his mother was Cyrus daughter and for that Cyrus was called by the Persians Pater patriae The goodnes of this king was fully proued at what time the Church was miserably afflicted by that wicked Haman and hindred by that cruel Cambyses against the decree of Cyrus he confirmed the decree and gaue licence and full libertie for the Iewes to build their temple according to Cyrus decree for God raised Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes Nabuchodonosor Euilmerodach to be pillars and defenders of his Church When Darius had raigned 36. yeeres he died in whose dayes the kings of Rome ended their kingdom and their monarchie fel to a new forme of state called Aristocratia In the time of Darius raigned Aristodemus in Cuma a towne of Italy not as king but as a tyrant with whom the barbarous nations had open warres This cōtention betwene Artabazanes Xerxes was ended by Instaphernes but Herodianus saith by Demaratus Ariston to both their liking iudging the crown to be Xerxes according to Darius will and the request of Persia and Artabazenes so satisfied that one loued another In Darius Histaspis time raigned in Madonia Alexander Amintas sonne their 10. king Herodotus also this age wrote his history which after it was read in Athens he was of more credite amongst the Grecians though Strabo called his booke Mythistoriam fabulous histories as Budeus writeth Sophocles and Euripides liued in Darius time and Socrates was borne Darius Histaspis a litle before he died after he had heard the newes of the Grecians victorie at Marathon being before offended with the Athenians for that they inuaded Sardis now ten times more kindled to reuenge these iniuries posting all Asia and sending to all his prouinces prepared such force that he was three yeeres in prouiding men and munitions against the Grecians at which the Egyptians reuolted from Darius which were by Cambyses before subdued he then had thought to make his voyage to Egypt and appoynted Xerxes his sonne by Cyrus daughter Atossa to gouerne in his absence Persia betweene whome and his brother Artabazanes some strife as you heard before grewe about the gouernment But Xerxes after his fathers death was the fourth king of Persia who taking that warre in hande against the Egyptians which his father Darius thought to haue taken had hee not bene by death preuented not yet thinking to reuenge the Greekes vntill Mardonius his aunts sonne had perswaded him He gathered such an armie as the like is not read sauing of Tamberlane the Scythian king of whom the history is publike this great preparation of Xerxes was consulted and throughly waighed before it was taken in hand for Artabanus Xerxes owne brother thought it not a necessarie warre Mardonius his neere kinseman perswaded the contrary saying that Xerxes with that force might bring all Europe subiect to the Empire of Asia Mardonius sentence preuailed Xerxes made readie his armies the nomber were so many as scant could bee accompted for hee had twelue hundreth and seuen Nauies the Scythians and the Persians the Phaenicians which dwelt in the lande of Palestine brought three hundreth nauies the Egyptians two hundreth the Cyprians one hundrerh the Silicians one hundreth and the Licians brought fiftie nauies Dores which dwell in Asia brought thirtie they of Caria brought seuentie the Ionians an hundreth nauies the Aeolians threescore and the inhabitants of Helespont brought an hundreth nauies so that Herodotus accompts the whole nomber of the nauies to be three thousand but Iustine writeth that Xerxes had in his companie towardes Greece
he had taken Ciprus and made slaughter most cruelly of the citizens killed without respect of olde amitie and acquaintance Of this Euagoras there is extant an eloquent oration of Isocrates hee proceeded forwarde in armes to Egypt where he exercised the like tyrannie with sword fire without mercie vntill he had subdued Egypt thence he went fomed in blood vnto Phoenicia with all tyrannie he could deuise Nowe after he had subdued Sidon Ciprus Egypt Phoenicia he woulde not spare Iudea the next prouince vnto Phoenicia which had beene in great rest from Artaxerxes the long handed vntill this time at what time cōtention grew betweene two brethren about the office of the high Priest at Ierusalem Iohanna who was then the high Priest and Iesus who sought ayde at Vagoses hand the Persian to auoide this helpe Iohanna slue his brother in the temple of Salomon Thus they did prouoke God to anger and God raised Vagoses Ochus lieutenant to be their enemie brought him to Ierusalem went to the temple which was prophaned and polluted with blood Vagoses spoiled it caried the treasures with him to whom the high Priest had tolde him that he did most wickedly so to defile the temple hee answered Not so wickedly as thou in killing thy brother Whē he had both spoiled Ierusalem and the temple and brought the Iewes vnder Ochus foote to pay tribute vnto the Persians for the space of seuen yeeres after this he brought diuerse families of the Iewes captiues with him vnto Hircania this great calamitie endured vnto Alexander the great which when he came to Ierusalem made all things well againe Of this Ochus there is no good thing to be written though Herodot doeth not altogether omitte him Ctesias doth make likewise mention of him and doth write of his birth of his life and of his gouerment and doeth much varie from others for Ctesias euer flattered the Persia kings forwhich Plutarch in many places reproueth him In this time reigned king in Macedonia Perdiccas who was taken by the Illyrians in battell after him succeeded Philippus Amintas sonne and father to Alexander the great who began to moue warre against the Athenians and continued after against other cities of Greece for three yeeres In the eleuenth yeere of Ochus was Alexander the great borne the same selfe day was the temple of Diana in Ephesus burned at the which time Philomelus a captaine of Phocea in Greece spoiled the temple of Apollo at Delphos thereby grew great warres called sacrum bellum which continued tenne yeeres in Greece About this time Clearchus the tyraunt reigned in Heraclia and Spartacus the sonne of Leuconis reigned as king in Pontus In the eleuenth yeere that Phillip reigned king in Macedonia Greece was sore troubled and vexed for Philip with an armie of Macedonia tooke Myciberna Tiro and Olynthus three great townes of Helespont hee pursued the Phoceans vnto the temple of Apollo at Delphos who thinking to haue sanctuarie were burned the rest of Phocea yeelded to Philip. Timoleon a noble captaine of Corinth sailed to Sicilia ouerthrewe the castell of Syracusa and made a popular state of Syracusa he deliuered the Greekes that were in bondage in Sicilia vnder the Carthagineans vnto their countrie banished the thousand traiterous souldiers that had forsakē Timoleon in Sicilia This time Philip subdued the Illyrians vāquished the Thracians and deliuered Thessalie from tyrants that long gouerned in Thessalia he made free al the cities of Greece frō all the incursions of barbarous nations concluded a peace with the Greekes The olde Persians had this custome when they went to warres to goe in red cassockes according to the Persians maners so did Artaxerxes enter to battell with his brother Cyrus at what time euery souldier should put an arrowe with his name written on it into a large great coffer that stood in the kings Court which arrowe if he returned aliue from the warres hee shoulde at his comming to Persia take his arrowe out of the coffer for by arrowes left in the coffer they knewe who they were and howe many that died in their warres This time died Plato and Speusippus succeeded him in his schoole after whom succeeded Xenocrates Aristotle the Philosopher florished in this time Demosthenes and Aeschines two famous Orators bore most swaynowe in Athens After Ochus had reigned in tyrannie twentie sixe yeeres he was vsed euen as he had vsed others slaine of Bagoas and his sonne called Arsames being very young succeeded him who when he had bene foure yeres king and had growen into some stature of body Bagoas feeling a gilitie conscience for that he had killed Ochus the kings father fearefullest some reuenge would fall vnto him he to preuent the danger thereof practized the like conspiracie against the sonne as he did before against his father slue the young king this was the ende of Ochus and his sonne Arsames no marueile to see tyrants die by tyrannie This Bagoas would haue had translated the kingdome of Persia after this murther of the father and the sonne and his great tyrannie vnto one Darius gouernor at that time of Armenia for he had murthered al them that issued out of Cyrus for whē Artaxerxes Mnemon had made warres with the Caduceans one of those nations chalenged Monomachian which is a combate with any one Persian that durst take him in hand Darius one of Artaxerxes captaines fought with this Caducean and slue him to whom the gouernment of Armenia was giuen for that seruice by Artaxerxes Nowe Bagoas when he had brought Darius to be king in Persia stil his conscience tormented him and doubted much Darius fearing lest he should haue the reward of a traytor hee deuised to poyson Darius but of the conspiracie Darius had such intelligence as Bagoas was forced to drinke that draught which hee had prepared for Darius and so Bagoas dranke his owne poyson and dyed Nowe the great kings of Persia for so were they called in respect of their force and power continued no longer their race ended their kingdom cameto an Aliens hand a forreine prince who in short time waxed strong and stout withall not inferiour to any of his predecessors who hauing intelligence of a great armie of Macedonians and Grecians by Philip king of Macedon sent to Asia hee gathered his force and hauing already a huge hoste of Persians hee appointed a generall ouer them called Memnon a Rhodian a singuler skilfull souldier In the meane season Philip died and his sonne Alexander the great succeeded him a yong gallant king of twentie yeeres of age this stept in into his fathers roume he enterteined his fathers souldiers and tooke the warres of Asia in hand Darius hearing of Alexanders setting forward made him ready stirred the cities of Greece against him so that diuers of Greece vnderstanding the force power and florishing state of Persia dehorted their countrie men from Alexander
Cyrus Metasthenes doeth not much dissent from the Greekes in his Cataloge sauing that he speaketh not of Cambyses because hee reigned in his fathers time for hee was appointed to be king in Persia in the absence of Cyrus who in his owne person went against the Scythians at that time Likewise Metasthenes omitteth to speake of Xerxes who for the like reason being in great warres at that time from home in Greece leauing behinde him to gouerne Persia his sonne Artaxerxes so that Metasthenes writeth that Darius Medus and Cyrus reigned together two yeeres and then passeth to Darius Hystaspis which is also called Assuerus making no mention of Cambyses name and then he goeth to Artaxerxes the long handed passing ouer the name of Xerxes his father the cause is layd downe by Melancthon in the rest Metasthenes doth agree with the Greekes After that the Persians the strongest and the greatest nations of the world had gotten the Monarchie of the Assyrians Chaldeans not by the sword of Cyrus but by the idolatrie of Balthasar whom God gaue ouer vnto Cyrus hand making an end of one and beginning with the other for the finger of God doth appoint Monarchies according to Sirach saying No kingdome shal be translated if wickednesse of the king and kingdome be not the cause thereof Nabuchodonosor was conuerted and confessed Gods power Euilmerodach his sonne acknowledged the Highest but Balthasar through blasphemie and idolatrie lost the Empire of Assyria Euen so in Persia while Cyrus Darius Medus Darius Hystaspis Artaxerxes gouerned Persia the Persians florished they were lordes of the whole world Nowe when Alexander had abated their pride and diminished their force had taken their Empire from them vnto Macedonia and had substituted lieutenants and gouernours vnder him in all kingdomes and countries where the Persians had before soueraigntie for as the Persians were obscure and of no fame before Cyrus time so after Alexander the great their renowne was lost their pompe and their pride decayed their kings afterward of small accompt for nowe Macedonia and the Grecians triumphed and the Persians being destroyed and scattered without any king or any prince of fame to gouerne them vntill the time of Alexander Seuerus Emperor of Rome fiue hundred fiftie yeres after Alexander the great at what time liued in Rome Vrbanus Bishop there at that time this Emperour had a mother named Mammea a wise and a discreete woman who hauing knowledge that Origen a great man in the Church of God was then at Antioche sent for him and so enterteined him as a rare iewell in those dayes At that time reigned in Persia one Artaxerxes who being of the name of the auncient kings of Persia was likewise wise and valiant and in processe of time grewe so strong that he ouerthrew Artabanus king of the Parthians and thereby restored to the Persians a beginning of a newe kingdome CHAP. V. Of the estate of the Persians vnder the Romanes after the time that they were conquered by Alexander the great vntil the time of Alexander Seuerus Emperour of Rome 550. yeeres after at what time began the newe kingdome of Persia by one Artaxerxes and of his successors vntill the Persians the fourth time were vtterly destroyed by the Saracens THe Persians againe began to take strength and to drawe together in the fourth yere of Alexander Seuerus reigne in the which time florished many great and famous learned men which were for their singularitie elected Counsellers to the Emperour as Fabius Sabinus Domitius Vlpianus Aelius Gordianus Iulius Paulus Pomponius Alphenus Florentius and Martianus Calistratus and Hermogenes Venulcius and Triphonius Metianus and Celsus Porculus Modestius professours of all the ciuill lawe and to Papinianus a singular rare man in those dayes but of this matter Lampridius doth write at large But let vs nowe returne to Persia and to the newe kingdome which had beene so long without king or kingdome but kept vnder of euery nation not daring to name a king from Darius vntill this Artaxerxes This first king of the newe kingdome of Persia after hee had slaine Artabanus king of Parthia and had reigned fifteene yeeres hee was ouerthrowen and subdued by the Romane Emperour Alexander Seuerus of whom hee triumphed in the ninth yeere of his Empire though some hold the contrarie that Alexander in that battell was discomfited by Artabanus In this time the Romanes had gotten three great victories one in Mauritania by Furius Celsus the seconde in Illirico by Varus Macrinus and the third in Armenia by Iunius Palinatus three famous Romanes of these victories Lampridius maketh mencion Herodianus sayeth that in Fraunce reigned Hildegastus a king much honoured of the Frenchmen by whose diligence and pollicie Fraunce which was then rude and barbarous both in liuing and in maners became ciuill and pollitike for vnto this time their building was very base and simple in Fraunce About this time Origene was called from Alexandria vnto Caesarea where he made his booke entituled De Martyrio And nowe was Iulius Affricanus of great estimation after Artaxerxes succeeded Sapores the second king of Persia this reigned thirtie one yeeres hee had sore warres with Gordianus king of Affrica this Gordianus pronounced open warres and commaunded their temple of Ianus to be opened as the Romanes did vse when warre was proclaimed hee destroyed many Cities and Townes and continued his warres against the Persians made great hauocke in all places and gaue the repulse to Sapores howe be it Gordianus was by conspirators deceiued and of him whome hee deserued well of by treacherie slaine of one Philip surnamed Arabs This Philip gouerned the Romanes fiue yeres and builded a towne of his owne named Thracia called Philippus Caesar at what time the plaies Ludi saeculares were set forth with such pompe in Rome as the like to that time were not seene The Parthians inuaded Armenia droue the king called Tyridas out of the countrie tooke his children possessed his countrie certeine sectes of heresie began in Arabia which Origen did ouerthrow in Affrike likewise questions grew whether heretikes being conuerted from their errors might be rebaptized of this Ciprian and the ecclesiasticall histories write and of a councell called concerning the same for Berilhis about this time bishop of Bostherna fell to a monstrous error denying the eternitie of Christ. In the twelfth yeere of Sapores reigne happened such a sicknesse in the most part of the world specially in Egypt and Alexandria that Ciprian thereby tooke an occasion to write a booke entituled De mortalitate About this very time the Gothes rushed into Asia spoiled townes and cities wasted many countries burned the great temple of Diana at Ephesus and did great harme the Germanes ioyned with the Frenchmen gathered a huge armie very strong against the Romanes ented into Italie made hauocke in all places vntill they came
of whom many heritikes flowed in Affricke Constantine though he could keepe the Church from tyrannicall persecution by restoring of peace yet hee could not stop the rage of heretikes which in his dayes were many as the Sabellies the Manichees the Donatists the Arrians and the Nouatians yet God raised singular learned men to defend his Church as Origene who suppressed them disputed against them in Arabia and in Affrica After him Cyprian bishop of Carthage Lactantius a very eloquent man and Ambrose bishop of Millaine but of this you shall reade more where I entreat of Councils and Synods in the March of Martyrs But now to the kings of Persia. Artaxerxes succeeded Sapores in Persia the tenth king and raigned 11. yerees of whom as of the rest litle or nothing is to be written for then the kings of Persia were not of such fame or of such force as before while they ruled as lords ouer the worlde for two hundreth and thirtie yeeres Now they had much to doe to defend themselues from inuasions the monarchie had passed away to Macedonia their wealth power and countrey were brought to nothing by Alexander the great the kingdome of the Gothes and the Vandales began first their gouernment together with this Artaxerxes the first kingdome of Hunni and of Lombardie began also now to take footing in the yeere of our Lord three hundreth seuentie and fiue This time a nomber of Christians were againe restored to their countrey which had bene banished before likewise more then fourescore thousand of Burgundines which inhabited about the riuer Rhene became Christians at once at what time Theodosius the Emperour gaue two or three battels to the Gothes ouerthrew them and constrained them to goe out of Thracia with their king Athanaricus This time liued Ambrose bishop of Millaine and Gregorie Nazianzenus died two famous learned men in whose time two Councils were called the one in Rome and the other in Constantinople Theodosius the Emperour hearing that Maximus was proclaimed Emperour by his owne souldiers in Armorica which is called now litle Britaine made an armie against Maximus who now had taken Gratianus and slew him at Lugdunum and had driuen Valentianus from his gouernment in the West part to flee to Theodosius By this time stept to be king in Persia Sapores the second of that name and the eleuenth king of the Persians he raigned fiue yeeres who without any warres liued his time in rest In his dayes were signes seene in heauen in the likenes of a doue which burned and appeared for thirtie dayes as Eusebius reporteth which I omit Litle is to be mentioned of the last kings of Persia for that the Romanes kept them stil downe About this time Theodosius went with his sonne Honorius to Constantinople leauing behind him in Rome Valentianus to gouerne who within a short time by false conspiracie of Eugenius was destroyed whereby Eugenius vsurped the Empire of this you shall reade more in the Romane Empire Augustine a great clearke and one of Ambrose disciples was now bishop of Hippo in Affrica I thought good once for that I finde little or nothing worth the writing of the kings in Persia in those dayes for that the Macedonians and after them the Romans had brought Persia and all other kingdoms to subiection for a long time to set the sects and sundry sorts of heretikes that began like monsters to trouble the Church to write of councils had herein by generall consent of the opinions sprong of that time and of their consultation yet for that we hasten to end the historie of these later kings of Persia of whom as I haue said litle is to be written sauing of some few kings as Artaxerxes the first that restored to the Persians their kingdome after he had slaine Artabanus king of the Parthians Againe Sapores the second king of Persia Narses the seuenth king and Sapor the ninth king of Persia these kept tacke with the Romanes vexed Mesopotamia Armenia and other countreis as you heard before persecuted the Christians and did some actions that they seemed to shew a shadow of the olde PerPersiaus but to small effect for the Saracens as before you heard haue fully mastered them and quite destroyed them and so they came to their decay first by Cyrus then by Alexander and by the Macedonians and the thirde time by the Romanes and last by the Saracens After Sapores the eleuenth king of Persia entred Varanes the twelft king who raigned twelue yeeres in whose dayes were many signes in heauen much earthquake in sundry places of the world herefies contentions and many straunge questions demanded as An Deus habeat corpus membra and such other absurd and blasphemous quarels grew Euen this time Auricular confession was abrogated by Nectarius then bishop of Constantinople for filthie and many fornications cōmitted in those dayes by priests and deacons The Frenchmen denied tribute vnto the Romans also this very time vpon which occasion warre grew againe new betweene the Romanes and the Frenchmen in the time of Valentianus the Emperor Hunni were most busie in diuers parts of the East spoiling Armenia and Pannonia passing ouer the riuer Ister entred Thracia wasting and destroying al places that they came vnto About this time Nectarius of whom you read a litle before being bishop of Constantinople died in whose place succeeded Chrysostom a famous learned man of no lesse learning then vertue who in the Council gathered at Cyprus where Origens bookes were condemned by the auctoritie of Epiphanius and Theophilus two great learned men and for that Chrysostome would not subscribe thereunto he was put out of Councill and banished from his bishopricke howbeit he was with great honour receiued againe vnto Constantinople within a short space after But to hasten out of the history of Persia. Isdigertes the thirteenth king raigned 21. yeeres in Persia of whom wee reade nothing but that he vexed and molested the Christians and especially those he persecuted whom he found in any territorie of his and yet within a while the Christians had good successe in Persia and the king much contented with them pleasured and aduanced them vsing them courteously and gently Honorius now Emperour of the Romanes associating himselfe with Constantius whom hee sent to Fraunce and by whom Constantine then was slaine who gouerned at that time in Britannie to whom Placidia Theodotius daughter was committed and againe from Honorius giuen to his friend Constantius in mariage by whom Constantius got Valentinus the thirde of that name Constantius grew in such fauour with Honorius the Emperour by his great seruice in Fraunce and in Hispaine that he was taken and chosen by Honorius himselfe to be his associat in the Empire About this time all the Iewes that were cōmorant in Alexandria were thence expulsed with much blood and great slaughter and this was done by Cyrillus then bishop
of Alexandria This time also was there a Councill at Carthage where the heresies of the Pelagians were quite ouerthrowen then died that great learned man S. Hierome Now in Constantinople the Arrians fell in great discord betweene themselues which continued twentie and fiue yeres and after that againe vnited and were made friends In these dayes Paulus Orosius wrote his historie and Nestorius was remooued from Antioch to be bishop at Constantinople The Iewes againe as they were by the iustice of God scattered vnto all places of the world so had they no rest in any place of the world as you heard erst of the Iewes in Alexandria so now likewise in Creete they had a false Moyses fained whom then they so honoured and whose lawes they obserued and yet Eusebius saith that a nomber of them at that time were conuerted and became Christians At this time in France Faramundus was by common consent of the people elected and named king of Fraunce who died seuen yeeres after he came to the kingdome Marcomirus succeeded him being his owne brother and he raigned eighteene yeeres of whose actions and liues you shall in the histories of Fraunce reade more The Frenchmen beganne here to record and to nomber the kings of the whole countrey of Gallia which vntill that time were called Reges Francorum kings of Fraunce being a parcel of Gallia This happened in the yeere of the worlde foure thousand three hundreth eightie and seuen and in the 300. Olympiad By this time raigned in Persia Varanes the fourth of that name and after him raigned his sonne Varanes the fift of that name and they both raigned 37. yeeres and they had warres with the Romanes also In the time of this last king Varanes began the Indictions of Constantine the great Now againe the third time the Persians begin to quaile for in the time of Corsoes and his sonne Hormisda the last king of Persia the Saracens became lords and gouernours ouer the Persians in the yeere of Christ our Sauiour 634. These are the names of these latter kings that raigned in newe Persia. 1 Artaxerxes the first king that restored the new kingdome of Persia raigned 15. yeeres 2 Sapores raigned after him being the 2. king 31. yeres 3 Ormisdates 1. yeere 4 Varanes 3. yeeres 5 Varanes the second of that name 16. yeres 6 Varanes the thirde of that name 4. monethes 7 After him Narses 7. yeres 8 Misdates 7. yeeres 9 Sapor raigned 70. yeeres this king was crowned in his mothers wombe 10 Artaxerxes the second of that name 11. yeres 11 Sapores the second of that name 5. yeeres 12 Varares the 4. 12. yeres 13 Varanes the 5. of that name 12. yeeres 14 Isdigertes 21. yeeres 15 Varanes the fift of that name 20. yeeres 16 Varanes the sixt of that name 17. yeres 17 Perozes 20. yeres 18 Canades 12. yeres Lambases Procopius doeth call this Blasen raigned 4. yeeres 19 Cosroes 48. yeres 20 Hormisda Cosroes his sonne and last king of the Persians raigned 8. yeeres OF THE ORIGINAL OF Mahomet in Arabia of his greatnes and credit not onely among the Saracens and Arabians but also in the East kingdomes of the inuasions of the Saracens of their scattering warres in Asia Europe and in Affricke and of their continuance THus the kingdome of Persia the only monarchie of the world for 130. yeeres I meane from Cyrus vnto Darius is vtterly nowe destroied by the Saracens the fourth time a sort of infidels which had their first original from Agar the bond woman of Abraham by whom Abraham begate a base sonne called Ismael whose progenies were called Ismaelites after the name of Ismael among the Hebrewes so were they in other places called Agareni after Agars name and in continuance of time from Agareni called Saraceni which name they holde to this day For euen as from Ammon and Moab two incestuous sonnes of Lot gotten by his two daughters in his drunkennes an infinite stocke of wicked and idolatrous people grew which were named after their fathers name Ammonites and Moabits enemies to God and to his people so of this bond woman Agar and her sonne Ismael all the Ismaelites and all the Saracens doe spring which people as they were in the beginning most in nomber and most able of force and power to persecute then that little flocke of Iacob at that time so now are they in the latter dayes of the world most in nomber by the names of Saracens Turkes Canes infidels and such like other names I will therefore but touch the historie of Saracens for that they were alwayes people scattered into all Asia and from thence to all parts of the world much like to the Scythians who in like maner russhed into all partes and inuaded all countreys being rude and barbarous nations praying vpon euery place they came into I referre them that wil reade of the Saracens to Augustinus Caelius who at large wrote their histories I will briefly passe the names of some few of those which beganne to raigne from Mahomet where he is named Muhamet which began his kingdome after Christ sixe hundreth twentie and foure at what time Bonifacius the fift was the fourth Pope of Rome for the great prophet Mahomet in Arabia and the great Pope of Rome beganne at one times as two tyrants to persecute the Christians These two grew so great that they ruled all Christian Emperours kings princes and states one making them to holde his stirope and to kisse his foote the other with sworde and fire tyrannized ouer kingdomes and nations encreased his fame by blood and tyrannie When Bonifacius the thirde and the first Pope of Rome altered the title of a bishop to the dignitie of a Pope Phocas then was Emperour of Constantinople for while the Emperours flourished at Rome no Pope was heard of I will returne to speake of the Saracens who at that very time that they ouercame the Persians entred into Syria slewe Bahanes with all his armie tooke Damascus brought Egypt to pay tribute layde siege to Hierusalem brought Antioche subiect to the Saracens wasted and spoyled all Syria and brought the kingdome of Persia which so long flourished vnder Mahomet who gouerned the Persians 800. yeeres and odde This poisoned scorpion and the only plague of Christians I meane Mahomet was borne in Arabia a large countrey and wide euery way here they liue after diuers maners and with diuers kinds of religion some with powled heads and hoods like miters some with beards shauen to their skinne they abstaine from swines flesh for Solinus saith that no swine can liue in that Arabia which the Greekes cal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the diuisiō of Arabia into Harmenios and Erembos and the third into Scenetem which is that countrey called the region of the Saracens people that haue no houses but dwell in tents couered ouer with things made and wouen with goates haire like the maner of
time the Hunnes people from Scythia made seuen seuerall iournies from Scythia to Pannonia and at last seated themselues whose chiefe captaine was named Arpat of this reade more in Ritius and in Bonfinus Now in Arabia reigned Muhamat the 18. Amiras at what time gouerned in Constantinople Constantine surnamed Copronimos as Emperor and Aistulphus reigned king of Lumbardie was at that time the thirtie one king in number the which had reigned kings in Lumbardie This Lumbardie is a pleasant fertil countrie called of some the Paradice of all Eorope which reacheth from the Alpes to the riuer of Rubicon But to Arabia againe where nowe reigned Habdallias the ninetenth Amiras of the Saracens this reigned twentie one yeeres and gathered an armie of eightie thousand inuaded Cappadocia vnder captaine Salimie who was appointed Generall ouer the Saracens This Amiras vexed the Christians sore the Arabians waxed so mightie at home and abroade that almost no place was free from the Arabians they had warres this time with the Armenians and with the Turkes who yet had not erected their Empire vp but were such scattering infidels and like in all maner of life and liuing to these Saracens and to the Scythians which dispearsed them selues ouer all the whole worlde as Caterpillers to destroy and spoyle all Nations and Countries one succeeding the other Mady succeeded Habdallias this was the twentie Amiras who reigned nine yeeres in the which time hee prepared an armie for warres against Asia but hee was then intercepted and returned into Arabia without any thing done howe be it Aaron his sonne inuaded Armenia and Ithuma entred Asia and was slaine with all his armie by the Romanes Againe Aaron the sonne of Mady entred into Asia and gote diuers victories and constreined Eirene with her sonne Constantine the Emperour to seeke peace and to pay tribute vnto the Arabians After Mady succeeded his sonne Moses and reigned Amiras one yeere after whom folowed Aaron the brother of Moses he reigned twentie three yeeres during which time the Arabians inuaded Cyprus subdued Cappadocia tooke two notable Fortes and strong Castles Amachan in Armenia and Sebasan this time florished in Fraunce Charles the great to whom this Amiras sent many rich presents withal a mighty huge Elephant This Arabian prince had such great victories that Nicephorus the Emperour had much adooe to escape from his hand in Crason which is a Towne in Phrygia besides the Arabians had spoiled Sardinia and destroyed Corsica and also the Saracens that were nowe dispersed into al Countries specially into Spaine where they gouerned as kings and in Fraunce where likewise they bare such great sway and soueraigntie that Charles the great was well contented for the time to conclude a peace with Abumalach king of the Saracens Well to finish shortly his great exploites of long histories I passe to the 23. Amiras Muhamad the sonne of this Aaron the twentie three Amiras of the Arabians in whose time great ciuill warres began in many Countries that hee had much a dooe to keepe his owne Countrie from ciuill inuasion for fiue yeeres After him succeeded in Arabia Habdallias the third of that name and the twentie foure Amiras this reigned 17. yeres During this time the Saracens gaue two great ouerthrowes to the Greciās at what time they tooke the Isle of Creete spoiled Palestina possessed many Regions diuers countries wasted much the countrie betweene Vtica and Carthage so that the Arabians waxed the only nation in strength force in all the East kingdomes for by this time Africa which was ful of the Saracens was forced to yeeld to them aswel as Spaine for still came from Arabia supplies to euery Countrie and place where the Saracens had planted them selues aswell in Europe and Africke as they did in Asia for nowe Abderana king ouer the Saracens in Africa was not contented to liue quietly ouer his people in Africa neither Abumalach nor yet Aigolandus with whom Charles the great had long and terrible warres could be satisfied with any one kingdome of the world vntill at length God so strengthened the Christians that they were sore afrighted and amazed by the meanes of these infidels that they ioyned together their power and force and were by Gods prouidence after 800. yeeres deliuered from the tyrannie of these cruell Saracens Now reigned king in Fraunce Lewes surnamed The holie sonne to Charles the great who succeeded his father both in the kingdom of Fraunce in the Empire of Rome which was taken away into Constantinople vntill the time of Charles the great at what time Leo the 3. of that name and the 30. Pope of Rome renued the Empire and was called Imperium Romanorum nouum Nowe in Arabia reigned Muhamat the twentie fiue Amiras for fourtie yeeres during which time the Saracens rushed into Italie spoyled and destroyed the countrie with sword and fire at what time they came to the suburbes of Rome and did great harme spared no place but as Blondus affirmeth Ferro flamma totam deuastarunt Italiam this time the Danes inuaded England in the time of Edelbertus who valiantly resisted the Danes and constreined them with great losse and slaughter to retire reade more in Polidore of this After this time the Saracens began in many places to bee slacke and specially in the most part of Europe though in Spaine they continued vntill the great Ferdinandus time but for that the Saracens are sufficiently spoken of in the historie of Spaine I will therefore here no further proceede therein onely laying downe so many as reigned kings in Arabia called by the name of Amiras from Mahumet the first prophet and prince vntill Muhamat the twentie fiue Amiras which continued 253. yeeres these names followe in this sort as you see set here downe Mahomet reigned nine yeeres the first Amiras of the Saracens Ebubezer 2. Amiras three yeeres Haumar 3. Amiras twelue yeeres Hoaman 4. Amiras tenne yeeres Muhamias 5. Amiras 24. yeeres Gizud 6. Amiras three yeeres Habdalla 7. Amiras one yeere Maruan 8. Amiras one yeere Habemelech his sonne twentietwo yeres Vliud nine yeeres Zulzimim three yeeres Haumar the 2. of that name two yeeres Gizud the 2. foure yeeres Euelid his sonne eighteene yeeres Gizud the 3. one yeere And his sonne Eices after him reigned one yeere Maruan the second sixe yeeres Abubalas fiue yeeres Haldalla twentie one yeeres Mady nine yeeres Moses the sonne of Mady reigned after his father one yeere Aaron the younger sonne of Mady reigned after his brother Moses twentie three yeeres Muhamad the sonne of Aaron reigned fiue yeeres Habdalla the 3. reigned 17. yeeres Muhamat the 25. Amiras reigned fourtie yeeres Thus farre I thought good to write the beginning of Mahomets kingdome and his successours in Arabia and of the Saracens spread from Arabia vnto Africke and vnto Europe and nowe a litle of the Turkes historie and that briefely OF THE GREAT TURCKE
was so full of renowmed cities famous riuers notable mountaines a countrey of singular rarenesse in althings that it were to much labour to write the due praise of Greece But I referre him that would reade the setting forth of Greece to the eight ninth booke of Strabo to the second booke of Pomponius Mela where all Greece is particularly described at large and I will proceede to the seuerall gouernment of Greece in seuerall countreis and will set downe the continuance of euery Region with the names of the kings where and how long they raigned and for that the countrey of Morea is the first inhabited countrey of Greece and the largest region of the same called in Strabo Arxtotius Greciae I wiâ—… beginne with their common wealth This region was first named Aegialia by the name of Aegialeus their first king and continued so vntill the time of Apis the 4. king after whom this region was named Apia which name continued vnto the time of Sicyon the 19. king of Morea After this king Sicyons time the countrey was called Sicyonium and continued vntill Pelops time by whom againe the countrey was called Peloponesus and now at this time is called Morea so that Peloponesus had fiue seueral change of names from the first gouernment vnder Aegialeus the first king vntill Xeuxippus raigne the last king of the Peloponesians And although the kings of that region did nothing worth the memorie hauing bene twentie and sixe kings successiuely yet they are the very way to come further vnto Greece for all this while the whole countrey of Greece was inhabited with barbarous people and was farre from the fame which they gained afterwarde therefore I will briefly passe ouer the historie of their kings and their raigne because I might speake of other countreys in Greece which flourished together with Morea For the first king of this region was named Aegialeus he gouerned that part of Greece at what time Ninus raigned in Assyria and as Eusebius writeth Thebaei ruled Egypt in the yeere of the world two thousand one hundreth and seuen yet Bibliander would not allow so many yeeres by two hundreth and odde which is rather to bee followed for that it doeth with the Genesis agree For in the fiue and twentieth yere of this king Ninus was Abraham borne which was within two hundreth and ninetie yeeres after the flood and therefore better agreeth with Ninus time The second king after Aegialeus was named Europs hee raigned fiue and fourtie yeeres this time flourished Zoroastes the great king of the Bactrians he was thought to be the first that read Astrologie and taught to others Astronomie in whose time Tribeta the sonne of Ninus by Semiramis was expulsed out of the kingdome of Assyria and hee builded a towne in the coast of Gallia and called it Treueris The thirde king of Sicyonium was named Stelchium hee raigned twentie yeres at what time the kingdome of Creete beganne and had for the first king one named Cres after whose name the countrey of Creete was called This Cres builded a citie in Creete and named it Nosus in the which he also builded a temple to the goddesse Cybeles After him succeeded Apis the fourth king of that region after whom as I haue written before it was called Apia hee raigned then when Ninus the sonne of Ninus and Semiramis gouerned the Assyrians After him followed the fift king named Telasion in whose time died Noah the righteous preacher and patriarch and at which time Abraham begate Ismael vpon Agar the bond woman of this Ismael came all the Ismaelites a wicked nation that offended the Lorde In time afterward they were called Agareni after the name of Agar and now are called Saraceni which are infidels and heathens Now succeeded Telasion the sixt king of Peloponesus named Aegidius at what time raigned in Assyria Analius About this season Isaac the sonne of Abraham begate two twinnes vpon Rebecca his wife Esau which was also called Edom of whom the Idumeans came and Iacob afterwarde called Israel of whom issued the twelue tribes of Israel In this kings time Sodom Gomorrha Zeboim Adama and Zoar fiue principal great cities in the lande of Palestine were destroyed and burned with fire and brimstone from heauen the iust iudgement of God for sinne Thurimachus the eight king raigned 45. yeres in this kings gouernment Eusebius noteth the seuenteenth Dynastia of the Egyptians to begin where Shepheards gouerned as chiefe rulers for the space of 103. yeeres soueraigntie About which time the kingdome of the Argiues first sprang vp where Inachus raigned the first king within the kingdome of Argiue and afterwarde continued from Inachus vnto the time of Tenelanthus the last king of the Argiues as Marianus Scotus writeth foure hundreth yeeres After this Leucippus succeeded Messapius in Peloponesus at what time Bellochus raigned King in Assyria and Thelassus gouerned the countrey of Thessalia Among the Argiues raigned now Phoroneus the sonne of Inachus and Niobes the second king after his father this made lawes first to the Argiues and instituted orders in gouernment and wrote decrees for his subiects and ruled the Argiues to his great fame as Eusebius in his histories setteth forth In Licippus time Sem the sonne of Noah died after hee had liued sixe hundreth yeeres and had seene much miserie and great calamitie but not so much as his father before him had seene he liued after Abrahams dayes thirtie and fiue yeeres Osiris whom the Egyptians call Apis and sometime Serapis for that they adored this as their God liued about this time and destroyed that monster in Thracia called Licurgus Reade more of this in Herodotus Ismael Abrahams base sonne by Agar the bondwoman died now and left behinde him twelue sonnes great princes ouer many tribes and nations which began in time to grow enemies to the Church of God and to persecute the people of God and were named Ismaelites In this time raigned in Assyria Bellochus sirnamed Priscus their twelft king and in Egypt gouerned Menam the first king that taught the Egyptians many ceremonies as newe sacrifices to their gods religions and seruice and instructed them in many things for this time Egypt was raw and rude in skil and knowledge This Menam was thought of Functius to be that which is read in Scripture to be Mizraim and of Berosus called Oceanus There is nothing to be written of these kings worth the memorie of man for all this while Greece was inhabited with barbarous people nay the most of Greece was not yet inhabited Athens was not builded neither Sparta nor Corinth for the kingdom of Lacedemonia and the kingdome of Corinth began about Dauids birth The Argiues were the most ancient people in Greece next after the Peloponesians for they beganne to raigne in Argos in the time of Iacob the Patriarch at what time Baleus sirnamed Xerxes gouerned in Assyria
being the eight king of the Assyrians before the Athenians as long as Iacob was before Moses for in Athens raigned Cecrops the first king which king was of one time with Moses But let vs proceede The ninth king in Peloponesus was named Mesapius who raigned fourtie and seuen yeeres Philo Iudeus affirmeth that Iob about this time liued and that after his punishment and afflictions he maried Dina the daughter of Iacob but this is thought to be false and found otherwise that Iob and Dina were not of one time not by foure discents for that Iobab which is written in Genesis was of Iacobs time this Iobab was the second king that raigned in the lande of Edom as one of the stocke of Esau and therefore some writers erred herein Now foloweth in Peloponesus Heratus the 10. king in whose time one Hispalus the sonne of Heroules sirnamed Libius raigned in Celtiberia who at that time builded a city after his owne name and called it Hispalis You must vnderstand where you reade Celtiberia or Iberia that then that countrey was so called which is now named Spaine as it is in the treatise of Spaine more at large written when and how long Celtiberia or Iberia continued by that name and when the name of Spaine beganne The kings of Egypt beganne now to be called Pharaones a generall name of dignitie alwayes vnto their kings afterward for their proper names were not so The eighteenth Dynasteia of the Egyptians likewise beganne this time which continued three hundreth fourtie and eight yeres in the which gouernment Amasis was the first king Sparta a very famous citie amongst the Lacedemonians was nowe builded by one Spartus the sonne of Phoroneus the second king of the Argiues whome a litle before you read of Mar. Scot. sayeth that Greece was not tilled before this time that corne being brought then from Phoenicia to Greece was first at that time sowen but I will bee briefe in passing ouer the names of the kings of Poloponesus because I might come to the ripenesse of Greece which was many hundreth yeeres after this time The eleuenth king was named Plemneus and their twelft king named Orthopolis of these two wee haue nothing to write more then of the rest but in respect of the time and of the gouernment to open the naked state and weake Empires of the world at that time wherein there was no action done worthy of writing for scant armes were then knowen this onely wee finde what kings raigned then and in what partes of the worlde they gouerned hauing their those names which they haue not nowe for then the Frenchmen were called Celtae the Spaniards Celtiberi or Iberi and so of other nations But nowe raigned in Assyria Mammitus the thirteenth king and Crassus raigned ouer the Argiues the fift king This time Cath begate Amram Moses father and about this time Ioseph died in Egypt after which time the children of Israel were sore afflicted by the Egyptians vnder another Pharao sirnamed Amenophis a cruell tyrant ouer the Hebrewes then being vnder his subiection in Egypt This king made an Edict and charged the midwiues that all children of the Hebrewes should bee slaine or else cast into Nilus as soone as they were borne Of some this king is called Memnon About this time gouerned in certaine partes of Celtes one Lugdus after whome the place and the people were called Lugdunenses and likewise one named Narbon by whose name the countrey is to this day called Narbonensis which are two prouinces within Gallia now called Fraunce About this time flourished the great Astrologer Atlas which is of Poets fained to sustaine the skies vpon his shoulders for his skil and knowledge therein In the two and twentieth yeere of this king Orthopolis Amram married Iochabed and begate Aaron and three yeeres after begate Moses In Moses time beganne the kingdome of Thessalia where Emon the first king raigned and together with Thessalia sprang vp the kingdome of Athens three hundreth seuentie and fiue yeeres before the destruction of Troy and about seuentie yeeres before Israel was deliuered from the bondage of Pharao for from Cecrops the first king of Athens vnto the first Olympiad raigned in Athens seuenteene kings and twentie princes or Iudges first called Metondidae after called Decennales principes after the kings Of this king it is written that hee first named Iupiter a god and honoured him he erected the first altar in Greece found images and offered vp sacrifices which were not before Cecrops time seene in Greece for Castor and Pollux Liber and Mercurius with diuers ancient gods of the Gentiles were after the time of Cecrops But I will leaue Athens for a while and I will speake of the Sicyonians and Argiues for these two regions of Greece were the first regions that were gouerned by kings but such kings as then that time yeelded called Reguli but the state and regiment of the Argiues after the succession of foureteene kings was caried by Perseus into Mycena which kingdome of Mycena was established in Euristheus after whome raigned sixe kings and ended together at one time with the kingdome of Sicyonum as you shall reade after in the next chapter But now I wil set downe the names of the kings of the Sicyonians in order as I finde them in Ruffinus and in Functius tables 1 Egialeus after whose name the countrey was called Egialea raigned 52 yeeres 2 Europs 45. 3 Stelchin 20. 4 Apis after whose name the countrey was named Apia 25. 5 Thelassion 52. 6 Aegidius 34. 7 Thurimachus 14. In this kings time began the kingdome of the Argiues 8 Leucippus 53. 9 Messapius 47. 10 Heratus 46. 11 Plemneus 12. 12 Orthopolis 63. 13 Merathius 30. In whose time the kingdom of Athens began 14 Maretus 20. CHAP. II. Of the building of Athens of their beginning and of their first lawes vnder 17 kings being the thirde kingdome of Greece in antiquitie after the Sicionians and the Argiues CEcrops of whom mention is made before builded Athens in Achaia and hereof it was named first Cecropia after that it was called of one Ati Attica and last of all it was named of Minerua Athens for in the Greeke tongue Athenae is called Minerua though in ancient time it had other names as Mopsopia or Ionia Diadas and Orchomenon and now at this time of no great fame but a poore fisher towne which Mahomet the eight Emperour of the Turkes hath brought vnder In the dayes of Cecrops raigned that Pharao which was with all his nobilitie and chiualrie of Egypt drowned in the read sea for his wickednes and tyrannie against God and his people he was by his proper name called Chencres There happened in Cecrops time two great wonders in Greece the one a great deluge in Thessalia called Deucaleons floud the other that great harme of fire called
from Moses vntill Samsons time 400. yeeres and after Samsons death 40. yeeres kings began to raigne in Israel After that the kings ended in Sicyonum priestes raigned in that countrey of Peloponesus called Carnij which gouerned vntill the comming of that strong and ancient people called Heraclides who afterwarde grew of great force that the long ciuill warres which continued 27. yeeres to the last destruction of all Greece as more at large in Thucydides is mentioned and shal be spoken of me when the time of these ciuil warres shall come to be handled in this historie I in the meane season will returne to the state of Athens which by this time grewe to some fame though before as other parts of Greece obscured by reason of no action done worth the writing vntill Theseus time which raigned as you heard before in Poliphedes time the 24. king of Pelopones he brought vnto Athens al the whole prouince of Attica and dispersed people from other parts of Greece and made them all one corporation which were before dispersed vnto diuers villages he erected a council hall and made a towne house which the Athenians called Asti he instituted great feasts and sacrifices vnto Minerua called Panathaenea this was for all the countrey of Attica and he ordeined another feast which they called Metaecia for strangers and forreners that should come to dwel at Athens That done he began to set vp an estate of a common wealth he made distinctions of degrees and difference of states moreouer Theseus coyned money marked the coyne thereof with the stampe of an oxe in memorie of the bul of Marathon or of Taurus chiefe captaine of king Minos which Theseus subdued by combate appointed The stampe of the oxe continued in Athens vntill Pericles time at what season the owle was stamped in the coine of Athens The renowne of this Theseus was marueilously blowen through all Greece after diuers victories gotten against the Amazones the slaughter of king Deucaleon king Minos sonne of the vanquishing of the huge monster Minotaurus of the warres of Lapithes of the ouerthrowe of Captaine Taurus and of infinite more victories so that all Greece rang of Thesius fame that his acts came to certaine prouerbs in all parts of Greece Hic alter Theseus this is another Theseus Hoc sine Theseo nōfit This was not done without Theseus He discharged Athens of their tribute vnto king Minos appointed certaine games called Isthmia after the imitation and order of Hercules that euen as the Grecians did celebrate the games of Olympia in the honour of Iupiter by Hercules ordinance so they should likewise celebrat the feast of Isthmia games which Theseus made in the honour of Neptune for he imitated Hercules in all his actions The great admiration which Theseus had of Hercules courage made him in like sort with Themistocles to say that as the victories and triumphes of Miltiades would not suffer Themistocles to sleepe so the renowme and fame of Hercules could not keepe Theseus backe from the imitation thereof for they both were neere kinsmen He was so great a benefactor vnto Athens that on the 8. of October the Athenians doe most solemne sacrifice in remembrance of his returne frō Creete with the children of Athens after the killing of king Deucaleon and Minotaurus in the honor of Neptune as Plutarch saith The Athenians honour the name of Theseus which of some is supposed to be the sonne of Neptune euery 8. day of euery moneth so much Greece was beholden vnto Theseus Plutarch in the life of Theseus saith that Aegeus his father descended of the linage of the great Erictheus of the first inhabitants which occupied the coūtrey of Attica for there is no mention made that they came out of any other countrey but they were called Autochthones borne of themselues in the lande of Attica for so the Athenians would haue it This was the first that erected Athens and hauing ioyned the citie of Megara and all the territories thereabout vnto Attica he caused as Plutarch affirmeth foure square pillars to be set vp for the confines within the streight of Isthmis in Peloponesus with this sentence written on the pillars All from these pillars Eastwarde is in Ionia which is Attica and all from thence Westward was in Peloponesus to separate the countrey of Attica from Peloponesus for in Ionia Attica lay After this Theseus succeeded in Athens Mnestheus the eleuenth king which raigned foure and twentie yeeres This time gouerned Agamemnon in Mycena when Helen Menelaus his brothers wife was rauished and taken away by Paris who likewise being very yong was before rauished by Theseus I will briefly rehearse the rest of the kings of Athens for after Mnestheus Demophon succeeded in Athens the twelfth king ouer the Athenians and raigned 33. yeeres In whose time Aeneas maried Lauinia king Latinus daughter who gouerned them three yeeres and died and left to Ascanius his sonne the kingdome after him he raigned after his father thirtie eight yeeres This time raigned in Assyria Tauteus the twentie and ninth king of the Assyrians Eli the priest now iudged Israel and Samuel the Prophet was borne Oxintes the thirteenth king of Athens raigned twelue yeeres about which time Ascanius began to build a towne and named it Alba longa where he with all his Court remooued leauing Lauinium to his fathers wife Lauinia thirtie yeeres after his father Aeneas had builded the citie of Lauinium In this kings raigne the Amazones burned the temple of Diana in Ephesus Now followed in Athens the foureteenth king ouer the Athenians who raigned but one yeere after him raigned Thimoetes the 15. king he raigned eight yeeres This was the last king of the stocke of Erictheus after this time raigned Siluius the thirde king of the Latins here of all the kings of Alba were afterward called Syluij In the 70. yeeres after the destruction of Troy and foureteene yeeres after the kings failed in Peloponesus came certaine people from Greece vnto Peloponesus and possessed a great part of the countrey which were called Dores of this Thucydides onely can best report for it is his proper historie Now was Melanthus the sixteenth king ouer the Athenians which raigned 37. yeeres in this kings time raigned in Assyria Dercillus the 31. king About this time Samuel the Prophet iudged Israel with whom gouerned afterward king Saul during which gouernment the prophet Dauid was borne when Aeneas raigned the sixt king of the Latins at what time the stocke and familie called Heraclides entred Peloponesus who waxed so strong and fierce that they waged warres against the Athenians with whom they had diuers battels CHAP. III. Of the originall beginning of the kings of the Lacedemonians and of the kings of Corinth who at one time beganne their gouernment vnder the state of Monarchie and also ended about one time of
their gouernment and continuance THis very time beganne the kingdome of Corinth to start vp where first raigned Alethes their first king which raigned fiue and thirtie yeeres in Corinth Together with the Corinthians beginne the Lacedemonians to set vp a kingdome where raigned first as king one Euristhenes of whome issued after those two valiant and noble Captaines Cleomenes and Leonidas so much for their courage and prowesse set forth in Thucydides whose greatnesse and courage shall when time serueth be declared to their great fame Vnderstand how by degrees one after another kings and kingdomes in Greece beginne 1 The first gouernment began in Peloponesus and continued during the time of 26. kings which was 860. yeres 2 The second kingdom which sprang vp in Greece were the Argiues where raigned 14. kings which continued 544. yeeres After these two the Athenians and the Thessalians beganne to flourish about one time Athens waxed more famous then any other region of Greece seuenteene kings successiuely raigned in Athens and continued from the going out of the children of Israel out of Egypt yea fourtie yeeres before that time vntill the 423. yeere after their departure out of Egypt euen from Moses time vntill Dauids raigne for in Moses time Cecrops the first king of Athens raigned and in Dauids time Codrus the last king of Athens This is a sure computation of time wherein can be no errour The ancient and first people of the worlde after the flood beganne to accompt the time from the going of Noah out of the Arke as the Chaldeans and Assyrians did as Berosus their owne countrey Chronographer doeth affirme whose historie endured from Noah to Moses Then the Hebrewes made their accompt from the deliuery of Israel out of Egypt as Iosephus their countrey man likewise affirmeth by their Iubilees which they vsed euery fiftieth yeere All other kinde of Chronicles which accompt by the Olympiads or from the raigne of Alexander which the Greekes vsed from the destruction of Troy or from the building of Rome which the Romanes and diuers other nations did doe much erre and must of necessitie erre for they neither agree of the time of the Olympiads neither of the time when Troy was destroyed nor when Rome was builded But I wil returne to my matter Now that Peloponesus Argos Thessalia and Athens haue altered their gouernement from kings vnto princes and magistrates and that now Lacedemonia and Corinth beginne together to erect vp their kingdoms and to enioy a Monarchie by the gouernment of kings who began to raigne in Lacedemon and in Corinth foure hundreth and thirteene yeres after the Israelits went out of Egypt at what time in Athens raigned Codrus the last king of 17. and ouer the Latins Aeneas Siluius the fourth king This time began warres betweene the Peloponesians and the Athenians while yet Codrus liued in the which warres to saue his countrey and to satisfie the Oracle giuen thereby he entred boldly valiantly to the midst of the enemies like Deâ—…ius or Curtius and died after whom succeeded Medon Codrus sonne after whose names the magistrats of Athens were called Metondidae About this time beganne Dauid to raigne king in Hebron Saul being slaine and his sonnes in the 8. Iubilee of the Iewes Latinus Siluius raigned ouer the Latins the 5. king In Tyre reigned Hiram one that loued and fauoured king Dauid all the dayes of his life this time gouerned in Assyria Eupales the thirtie two king of the Assyrians In Corinth gouerned Ixion the second king who reigned thirtie seuen yeeres in the hundred eighteene yeeres of the taking of Troy by the Grecians In Lacedemon likewise the seconde king called Argis succeeded who liued but one yeere after him succeeded the third king named Arcestratus who reigned thirtie fiue yeres A little after this Absalom slue his brother Amnon and fled to the king of Gessur about which time Salomon was borne of Bethseba for that I finde no great matter to write of the kings of Lacedemonia where reigned nine kings sauing Agesilaus onely and of the kings of Corinth where reigned twelue kings I meane to auoide tediousnesse to set downe the names of these kings aswell of Lacedemon as of Corinth in a table with their reignement and gouernment as here you see for that these two kingdomes beganne both at one and also ended about one time 1 Alethes the 1. king of Corinth he reigned 35. Looke Herod lib. 7. for these kings of Lacedemon 2 Ixion 37. 1 Euristhenes the first king of Lacedomon 42. 3 Agelaus 37. 2 Argis the 2. king one yeere 4 Pryminas 35. 3 Arcestratus 35. yeeres 5 Bacis the 5. king 35. 4 Labotes 37. yeeres 6 Agelas 30. 5 Doristus 29. yeeres 7 Eudemus 25. 6 Agesilaus 44. yeeres 8 Aristemedes 35. 7 Archelaus 60. yeeres 9 Egemnon 16. 8 Thalecus 8. reigned 40. 10 Philestenus 12. 9 Alcanes the last 37. 11 Autones the last 1. yeere  This Agesilaus being very wise valiant learned to obey before hee came to commaunde well instructed in militarie discipline iust vertuous in all his actions which the Ephori being chiefe of authorities within Sparta and were to controule kings insolencie and iniustice if any were by them vsed he first after he was elected king armed himself against the king of Persia for the defence of the Crecians his Countrie men that dwelled in Asia and after hee had set the Cities of Greece which were in Asia at libertie he entred vnto Phrygia where hee tooke many cities wanne great spoiles these exploites being done hee returned vnto the Citie of Ephesus where within fewe dayes hee had leuied a great number of men of armes imitating herein king Agamemnons example in chusing the best souldiers to warres with him and leauing behind at home the worst he from Ephesus entred into Caria and from thence to Lydia and tooke Sardis the head Citie of Lydia slue Tisaphernes the king of Persias Generall Agesilaus became so great by diuers victories gotten against the Persians and barbarous kings that hee was made generall of all LacedemoniaÌ„ nauies for as then Theopompus saith he was the worthiest man of fame in his time for he rather gloried in the praise of vertue then in the greatnesse of his authoritie Nowe Pharnabazus was come from Persia as generall after Tisaphernes who at his first comming had a sharpe welcome Agesilaus so prospered that being but two yeeres in Asia hee was for his honestie continencie courtesie and plaine dealing through all Asia much commended he was wont often to say that sentence of Timotheus as Mars vseth no mercie so Greece contemneth golde but Agesilaus being called from Asia home to Greece hee was much against his will enforced to fight in Greece and against Greekes his owne countrie men euen against that worthie and renowmed captaine Epaminondas whose magnanimitie Agesilaus often woondred at I neede not much to prayse the
life of Agesilaus for it is set foorth in Plutarch euen from his youth his maners his warres his victories in such sort that Epaminondas though then his enemie at the battell at Leuctres before and after wondred much at his magnanimitie and commended much his agilitie courage and wisedome reade Plutarch of this and Zenophon where hee wrote an noble oration in the prayse of Agesilaus yet I will leaue the warres betweene them both concerning the libertie of the Boetians vntill some other place where more shal be spoken Zenophon was great with Agesilaus and in person present in all the warres whom he much loued and honoured to be short Sparta thought themselues happie to haue such a king but I omit vntill better occasion be offered to speake further of Agesilaus Nowe to the Lacedemonians againe whose kinges ended in Alcanes the ninth king being the last after that the Lacedemonians had a Monarchie vnder kings for three hundred and odde yeeres and nowe at the fall of the kings of Lacedemonia in the time of this king Egemnon which was the ninth king of Corinth diuers kingdomes sprang vp together as the kingdome of Assyria at what time Sardanapalus the last king there raigned of thirtie eight kings nowe translated vnto the Chaldeans by Phul Belochus The Medes this time beginne a kingdome vnder Arbaces and the Macedonians their newe kingdome vnder Caranus their first king and within fourtie yeeres after beganne the kingdome of Lydia and within thirtie yeeres after beganne Romulus his Empire in Rome so that within one hundred yeeres one after another sprang these fiue kingdomes The kingdom of new Assyria The kingdome of Media The kingdome of Macedonia The kingdome of Lydia And the Romanes beganne to haue footing and kings beganne to flourish about which time the kingdome of Corinth decayed after the raignement of twelue kings which gouerned wel nigh three hundred yeeres Now that the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians had a fall in their kings and that the state of their gouernment was altered to an other forme as before the Argiues and the Peloponesians the Athenians the Thessalians whereof that gouernment I meane of kings translated to another forme so likewise nowe the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians together were changed from Kings to Iudges and other popular Magistrates And as in Greece one countrie began with the other so one fell with the other and so I hasten to the historie of Greece whereof nothing yet is spoken but the accompting of time sauing the warres that the Grecians had with the kings of Persia and with the kings of the Medes for the first tribute that euer was paid out of Greece vnto any barbarous king was vnto Croesus the last king Lydia so long Greece florished as long as they had not ciuill warres betweene them selues which was the onely cause of the whole destruction of Greece otherwayes Asia Persia Media Lydia and Scythia felt the value of Greece enuied their fame and sought to ouerthrow their glorie and could not For Plutarch in the life of Solon sayth that Licurgus was the eleuenth person that descended from the right line of Hercules great controuersie there is amongst Historiographers concerning Licurgus time of his parentage and of his trauell out of his countrie they haue written diuersly of his gouernmēt of his lawes of his death but specially they vary of the time he liued in some will haue him in Iphitus time Aristotle is of that opinion others say that he was long before any of the Olympiads as Eratosthenes but Zenophon affirmeth that hee was of great antiquitie he was in the time of Heraclides which were neerest of blood vnto Hercules but howe so euer it is agreed it seemeth it should not be long from Homers time for that he was the first that brought the vnknowen poemes of Homer to light in Greece Chronographers varie much about the time of these men vnder written for in antiquitie of time they seeme more fabulous then historicall Hermes Tris. Homer Pythagoras Linus Orpheus Lycurgus Cyrus Romulus With infinite more which I omitte here to name CHAP. IIII. Of the generall gouernment in all the Cities of Greece from Lycurgus time the king and the lawmaker in Sparta vntill the comming of Xerxes the great the fourth king of Persia into Greece of Lycurgus lawes among the Lacedemonians and of Solons lawes among the Athenians THus Lycurgus being singular rare and wise in his doings first consulted with the oracles of Apollo at Delphus changeth the estate of the common wealth instituteth a Senate of the Lacedemonians to the number of twentie eight who should pul downe the furie of the people if neede so required by any innouations against the kings and againe to bridle the tyrannicall gouerment of the kings against the people and a litle after that a supreame authoritie was instituted and giuen to certaine Magistrates called Ephori who should likewise controule the Senate and the kings in their faults Lycurgus made lawes for the women of Lacedemonia and instituted disciplines for the maides to exercise therein as to runne to wrastle to cast the dart to throwe the barre hee made lawes touching mariage and appointed order for education of children they were taught after seuen yeeres of age howe to obey to susteine paine to endure labour and to continue in fight they were cōpelled to shaue their heads to goe bare legged to vse all kinde of exercise naked they laye together on a bedde of strawe which they them selues made of the toppes of reedes or canes that growe in the riuer Eurotas Licurgus also appointed them streight diet taught them short speach little meate and fewe wordes hereby grewe the Lacedemonians to be the onely famous people of the world the most endured souldiers and the most able men of body The like lawe Bochoris made in Egypt for the education of their children they might not exceede in expences vpon any male childe borne aboue twentie drachmes then either streight hee shoulde bee exercised a souldier in the fielde or with the priestes in Astronomie and Arithmetike or else if he were not a likely childe of limme and body fitte for a souldier he should be put with shepheards husbandmen or with some craftesmen for he might not be idle in Egypt It seemed that both Lycurgus and Solon brought from Egypt their lawes into Greece for all confesse that Egypt was mater artium Lycurgus appointed an order for buriall amongst the Lacedemonians hee did cut off all superstition of places but onely to lappe the corps within a red cloth and spread it ouer with oliue leaues commaunding by his law that they should not mourne for the dead past eleuen dayes on the twelfth day to doe sacrifice to Proserpina and to giue ouer mourning This streight kind of gouernment bred due obedience in Sparta that of Sparta none should traueile without licence And amongst the
made his Court and gathered together the scattered Macedonians into one place and began to reigne there as a king At what time Procas Siluius reigned ouer the Latines Ozias reigned ouer the Hebrewes Ieroboam in Israel was king and Alexander reigned king in Corinth this time Arbaces translated the Monarchie of Assyria vnto the Medes hauing giuen the ouerthrow to Sardanapalus whereby both the kingdomes of the Medes and of Macedonia beginne at one time for nowe the kings of Lacedemonia ended 〈◊〉 gouernment and these kingdomes beganne to florish 37â—… yeeres after the destruction of Troy in the beginning of the thirteene Iubilee of the Iewes before the Olympiads the space of one whole Iubilee which is fiftie yeeres This Cranaus the first king of the Macedonians reigned twentie eight yeeres whose successor I reade in Eusebius and Glareanus was Caenus he reigned the second king of Macedonia twelue yeeres at what time Amulius Siluius the fifteene king of the Latines reigned this Amulius the yonger sonne of Procas Siluius draue Numitor his elder brother out of his Countrie and also Numitor had a daughter whom hee caused to be a vestall virgine to auoyde mariage but notwithstanding shee was gotten with childe of two children in steade of one which were called Romulus and Remus of whose education and strange bringing vp how they slue Amulius and restored their graundfather Numitor to the kingdome againe and howe they both builded Rome you may reade in the histories of the Romane kings after whom succeeded the Romane kings In Egypt reigned this time Sabachus this is named in Scripture Sech the third king of Macedonia was Tyrimas who succeeded in the kingdome in the time of the second Olympiad as Eusebius and Glareanus do witnesse whom I folow chiefely in placing the kings of Macedonia though Iustine Sabelicus say otherwaies that one Telegonus reigning in Paeonia which is a piece of Macedonia and one Europus who likewise on the other side of Paeonia gouerned These two bare most sway in Macedonia vntil Caranus came with a great number of Greekes by the Oracle commaunded to seeke a seate in Macedon who by force expelled Mida which gouerned in a part of Macedon and forced other gouernours which then ruled diuers countries about Macedonia which was no large kingdome in the beginning but Caranus by this meanes augmented much the Countrie of Macedon After this Caranus Iustine setteth downe Perdiccas with whom agreeth Soliâ—… and saith that this Perdiccas was the first that bare the 〈◊〉 of a king in the twentie two Olympiad who liued in such liking and loue of his subiects that his life seemed a lawe and his death an oracle for which hee died being an olde man hee called his sonne named Argeus and shewed him a secrete place where hee woulde haue his body buried and his successours the kings of Macedonia after him This superstitious buriall the kings of Macedonia helde as by an oracle commaunded vntill the time of Alexander the great who was the ninteenth king after this Perdiccas Argeus succeeded his father and was a modest prince hee did minister iustice to his subiectes and liued in Ioue and fauour with his people leauing behinde him to gouerne the Macedonians his heire Philip who died in his youth and left the kingdome to Europus a young childe in whose time the Thracians and the Illyrians had continuall warres with the Macedonians The Illyrians vexed and ouerthrewe the Macedonians in a great battel despising the infancie of their king and litle waiing the Macedonians in respect of their king they were hereby much mooued to fight againe and gathered a huge hoste brought their king in his cradle to the field and gaue battell to the Illyrians ouerthrewe them vanquished them and slue the most of them for the sight of their young king made them like lyons hungrie of their praye with double courage to fight But I will returne to Eusebius and Glareanus where I beganne and whom I chiefely imitate though Solinus and Iustine wrote otherwaies for it is no rare thing to haue writers to varie specially in histories of long time for here Perdiccas is placed to be the fourth king which both Iustine and Solinus wrote to be the first king of Macedonia in this Functius in his table of the kings of Macedon a singular Chronographer following the best learned and next agreeing with the Scripture doth set this Perdiccas to be the 4. king who came of a meane state to be a king of Macedon where he reigned 51. yeeres This time Romulus had great warres with the Sabines which continued three yeeres with whom Tatius Sabinus reigned in Rome together with Romulus fiue yeeres About this verie season Saneherib was ouerthrowen for his great blasphemie against God with a hundred fourescore and fiue thousand slaine in one night by the Angel of the Lord while this Perdicas reigned in Macedon Merodach the sonne of Baladan after hee had gouerned Babylon twelue yeeres and ouercame the Assyrians and brought the Monarchie againe to the Chaldeans about the thirtie yeere of Perdicas Egypt was gouerned by twelue Magistrates of equall authoritie After Perdicas succeeded Argeus his sonne the fifth king of Macedonia of whom you reade before by Iustine set downe to be the second king Philip the sixt king of Macedon reigned thirtie eight yeeres in the 34. Olympiad in whose time happened in Rome great warres betweene Tullius Hostilius the third king of Rome and the Sabines The Latines likewise beganne warres with the Romanes which continued fiue yeeres this time reigned in Egypt Necho who had warres with the Chaldeans at what time hee ouercame the Syrians and slue Iosias in Mageddo the Messenians reuoulted from the Lacedemonians and the rude barbarous Scythians entred into Asia spoyled and wasted all the Countrie vntill they came vnto the land of Palestine This time Periander reigned in Corinth whose life you may reade in Herodot of whom is also written a historie of this time of Phaortes the sixth king of the Medes who was slaine at the siedge of Niniue by the Assyrians with all his companie In these dayes Tullius Hostilius with al his familie were burned in his owne house in the thirtie fiue Olympiad many great warres and blooddy battels fell in the time of this Philip for both Ieconia with all his friendes likewise Daniel with his fellowes were caried away captiue vnto Babylon and within a while after Ierusalem was besieged and made euen to the ground and the Iewes caried captiues vnto Chaldea Againe Ciaxeres which is by Daniel and others named to be Darius Medus had great warres thus the Assyrians tooke the citie of Niniue and reuenged the death of Phaortes and so the Assyrians were quite destroyed brought the monarchie vnto the Medes All the warres that Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome had with the Latins Fidenats the Sabins the Veiens the Volscans and
his father died he went into Peloponesus in Greece there called al Greece together and claimed the soueraigntie which his father had ouer them against the Persians which being granted he being by cōmon consent appointed their only chiefe gouernour against the Persians within short time after many of these cities beganne to murmure against Alexander and to reuolt frō Macedonia When Alexander perceiued that the Athenians the Thebans the Argiues the Lacedemonians the Arcadians studied and conuented together for the libertie of Greece he presently without any delay as his nature was had warre with Thessalie the next countrey vnto Macedonia after he subdued Thermopyla and vrged the Amphictions which were then appointed Iudges vniuersally for all Greece that with al their decrees and lawes they would mooue Greece by faire meanes to surrender the gouernment which his father had and also to him graunted After that the Athenians sent ambassadours and offered all courtesie to Alexāder the Corinthians likewise sought to please him in like sort which Alexander accepted in good part and returned with his armie from Greece into Macedonia hee was scant in Macedonia but the Grecians according to their custome beganne to send from citie to citie to stand against Alexander in the defence of their countrey the Thebans sent ambassadours to the Arcadians the Arcadians to the Argiues the Argiues to the Aeolians to whom the Athenians sent also by the perswasions of Demosthenes though they were before the first that entreated for peace at his hand Alexander hearing of these often false dealings he then cōmeth from Macedonia and Thracia with a huge armie of thirtie thousande footemen and three thousand horsemen and vnderstanding that the Thebans had him in contempt he fully determined to destroy their citie in such sort without mercie that it should terrifie all Greece thereby he layed siege to Thebes three dayes and the fourth day he made it euen to the ground there was not death spared neither to children nor to women the slaughter was so terrible that there was slaine within the citie of Thebes aboue sixe thousand maimed and taken aboue 3. hundreth thousand this fell in the hundreth and in the last yeere of the 11. Olympiad This terrour made Greece to quake Alexander being more angrie with Athens then with the rest he sent ambassadours to Athens to haue the 10. Orators sent vnto him for Alexander knew that the Orators whetted the people to reuolt and that they perswaded the Athenians with their eloquencie alwayes to rebell Athens was put now to her shift vntill Demades one of the Orators sought licence to goe to Alexander from the citie as an ambassadour hee vsed that force of eloquence to Alexander for peace which Demosthenes vsed against Alexāder to the Athenians for warres by Demades perswasion Alexander was wonne to pardon the Athenians againe Alexander returned into his owne kingdom and left Greece in quiet for a short time After Cassander the sonne of Antipater builded vp Thebes againe and then Alexander made himselfe ready to goe vnto Asia and with great celeritie as his maner was hee brought his armie out of Europe into Asia hee had in his band thirtie and two thousand footmen fiue thousand horsmen and an hundreth and eight shippes These newes being brought vnto Darius the last king of Persia which had vnder his gouernment all the East kingdomes and sawe him selfe so strong that hee called him selfe king of kings and cousin to the gods he litle esteemed the report and made small accompt of the Macedonian nomber commaunded some of his princes to take Alexander and to beate him like a childe with a rodde and after to bring him vnto Darius but Alexander was no longer in getting the victory ouer the huge hoste of the Persians at the riuer of Granicus then Darius was in directing his captaines to beate Alexander with rods this was the first battell and victorie which Alexander had where twentie thousande footemen and 250. horsemen were slaine After this battell Alexander tooke Lydia in hand wanne the citie of Sardis and shortly all Lydia hee tooke Ephesus and Miletum two famous cities hee besieged Halicarnassus wasted and spoyled it to the ground Alexander in this voyage after he had brought Lycia and Pamphylia vnder his wings he still inuaded Darius prouinces and territories further to prouoke him to warre many wondered at the a gilitie of Alexander and fearing much the greatnesse and good successe of Alexander being so yong a king that they beganne both to feare him and to loue him and to forsake Darius Alexander went forwarde still conquering and subduing all countreys he came into the territories and prouinces of Darius and hee entred Paphlagonia and came to the citie called Ancyra who without any strokes yeelded themselues by these occasions of Alexanders good successe Darius thought it was but fortune and not the deserts of Alexander he caused therefore a great muster at Babylon and made an armie readie of seuentie thousand footmen and thirtie thousand horsemen of the Persians he also had beside ten thousand horsemen of the Medes and fiftie thousande footemen two thousand Bactrians horsemen and ten thousande footemen he had of Armenia fourtie thousand footmen and seuen thousand horsmen of Hircania sixe thousand of the Derinces fourtie thousand footmen and two thousand horsmen from the Caspians eight thousand footemen and two hundred horsemen of Greece were ioyned vnto Darius that expected the ouerthrow of Alexander with his thirtie thousand he had such a huge nomber that he feared that Alexander would flie before he came to make battel for so Darius saide to Amintas the Macedonian But it came to passe otherwise Alexander had the victorie in that place which Darius appointed this battel was fought in Cilicia where Alexander killed aboue a hundreth thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen of Darius men this was the second battell in the which Darius mother and his wife and two of his daughters vnmaried were taken prisoners and brought to Alexander whose misfortune he more piried then he reioyced at the victorie such was the clemencie of Alexander vnto these miserable captiue Ladies yea such was his chastitie though they were as Plutarch faith most comely and faire not once to offer any worde of dishonour to them A greater conquest as I take it to ouercome himselfe then the victorie against Darius Alexander after this victorie remoued his campe to Marathon thence to Phoenices and to Biblon and hauing gotten these three cities hee came to Sydon a famous citie wanne that also for all Syria and Phoenicia Tyre excepted were brought by Alexander subiect vnto Maccdonia hee besieged Tyre and continued seuen moneths both by land and by sea for it was a citie of inuincible force and kept Alexander hot assaultes vsing all engines and pollicies and yet stoode in great doubt of the getting of Tyre vntill one night he dreamed that
Hercules helde out to him his hand ouer the walles of Tyre and called him by his name then he followed and continued his siege vntill he had quite ouerthrowen Tyre This towne was builded by Agenor While Alexander conquered and subdued all places Darius was not idle to prepare his forces to giue the thirde battell vnto Alexander hee sent to Bessus his lieutenant in Bactria commaunding him to come with as many souldiers as possiblie he could and so the rest of his lieutenants he likewise sent and to make as great an armie as might yet terrifie Alexander hee sent to the Scythians and to the Indians and brought his force to Babylon At that time hee had thrise as many as he had in Cicilia In the meane season Alexander went to Gaza one of the chiefest cities of Syria at this towne Alexander had two seuerall wounds very dangerous and yet not so dangerous as the victorie was famous thence he remooued his tents and passed forwarde to Egypt sent his footemen to Pelusium he himselfe with few chosen souldiers passed ouer Nilus to Memphis and thence to all the parts of Egypt where he was receiued as a conquerour without battel giuen When he had set things in order in Egypt altering neither their lawes nor their customes he went forward and found a place where he builded the citie Alexandria and named it after his owne name After he had conquered all Egypt this citie was builded in the seuenth yeere of Alexanders raigne foure hundreth and twentie yeres after the building of Rome at what time Caius Petileus and Lu. Papyrius were consuls in Rome as Liuie writes When Alexander had brought all things to passe as he wisht hee left two ouerseers in Egypt with foure thousand souldiers with them the one was a Macedonian named Pencestes the other a Rhodian named Aesculus and returned and pitcht his tents hard by a little village of Assyria called Arbela where the last and the greatest battell was betweene Darius and Alexander But because I haue spoken of these three great victories of Alexander in the histories of Persia where I opened particularly the whole discourse of the warres I may passe to other matters with this farewell to Alexander that so fewe in nomber with so yong a king against such a mightie monarche as at that time had almost all the world vnder his gouernment and yet in three victories his kingdomes was taken from him aboue a hundred thousand slaine and Darius himselfe fled and being hard followed was slaine by Bessus Of this Alexander Daniel prophecied that such a king should come that might doe what hee list Iustine sayeth that Darius had in his armie three hundreth thousand footmen and a hundreth thousand horsemen Diodorus varieth much from that nomber and so doeth Curtius Plutarch saith that Darius had tenne hundreth thousand fighting men at that battell at Euphrates Also some writers differ for the place that this great battel was not at Arbeles Plutarch a man of great iudgement whom I had rather folow in matters of any controuersies then any other in this historie betweene Alexander and Darius therefore he setteth downe the first victorie at the riuer Granicus the second victorie in Silicia the thirde at Gausameles and not at Arbeles as the most writers affirme After these victories which Alexander had he remooued to Babylon where he continued 34. dayes from Babylon to Susa where hee found within the castle foure thousand talents in ready coine of gold and siluer beside other infinite treasures These townes yeelded to Alexander after the last ouerthrow of Darius without any assalt giuen and frō Susa went after Darius to Media where he fled and where he found Darius slaine by Bessus one of his owne captaines which was Darius lieutenant ouer the Bactrians This Bessus perceiuing that Alexander was following hard at the heeles of Darius thinking much to please Alexander slewe his owne lorde and master for the which Alexander rewarded him not according to his expectation but according to his deserts commaunded that hee should bee bound betweene two trees and by horses to bee drawen in pieces It is written that when Alexander saw Darius dead hee wept and couered his bodie with his owne cloake so wept Iulius Caesar when he saw the head of Pompey and Antigonus when he saw the head of Pyrrhus though they were enemies Nowe by Darius the Persians lost their monarchie and by Alexander the Macedonians wanne it Aristotle hearing of Alexanders good successe his victories and his conquests ouer so many nations to be such wrote vnto the king putting him in remembrance that GOD giueth victories and kingdomes are giuen by GOD to do good and not euill to vse iustice and not iniurie to be a king and not to be a tyrant By this time Alexander had raigned eight yeeres king in Macedonia after hee had conquered the Carians the Lydians the Cappadocians the Phrygians the Paphlagonians and the Pamphylians also he subdued the Cilicians the Syrians the Phoenicians the Armenians and the Persians the Medes and the Parthenians and was king of all the East countreys yet hee was not satisfied for he sawe the Scythians the Hircanians the Bactrians the Sogdians the Massagets and the Sagaes and the Indians vnconquered he could not quiet his minde before hee had subdued these nations Alexander sought where he might heare of a kingdome vnconquered and hearing of Hercules actes and exploits in the West kingdomes he fully had determined after hee had brought all Asia and the East countreys as he did to subiection to leade his armie and to passe into Affricke to Carthage and to Numidia and thence to Gades to see Hercules pillars thence hee thought to leade his armie vnto Iberia which is Spaine and from Spaine to the Alpes and so to Italy and from Italy to Epire leauing no where in his minde vnconquered So he fumed and fretted at the fame of Achilles of Theseus and of Hercules for Hercules was the onely man that Alexander emulated hee thought of Hercules as Caesar thought of Alexander This king was of such wonderfull hautinesse that hee thought that the earth might not suffer two Alexanders no more then the heauens might cōtaine two Sunnes so he answered Darius when he entreated for peace and offered thirtie thousand talents for his wife and his daughters And Alexander hearing Democritus the Philosopher affirming that there were many worldes hee brake out in teares and in great furie saide Is there more worldes then one and yet I haue not conquered halfe one world But hee was preuented with a contrary course he fell to take ease at Babylon where he gaue himselfe to banquets to riot to surfeting and to drinking and so hee bestowed in Babylon the rest of his life in all kinde of pleasures and pastimes Hee maried the Persian ladies with noble men of Macedonia and he himselfe
Thus after long seditious contentions they agreed among themselues that Antipater should gouerne Macedonia and Greece that Ptolome should gouerne Egypt and Afrike and part of Arabia Learchus should gouerne Lycia Pamphylia and the greater Phrygia Cappadocia and Paphlagonia were assigned to Eumenes to Laomedon were assigned Syria and Phoenicia to Cassander Caria to Menander Lydia and to Lysimachus Thracia Pontus and Cilicia Illyria to Philotes to Leonatus the lesser Phrygia these with others whose names Functius setteth downe These princes within fourteene yeeres by ciuill discord fell to variances and contencions that they destroyed one another such is the force of ambition that it neuer conteineth within any bounde of reason I will not repeate the names of those that were likewise assigned to gouerne the Sogdians the Bactrians the Indians and other places which in like maner through mutual dissension slue one another Alexander for a while was left vnburied in Babylon quite forgotten of all his princes vntil Ptolome as Curtius doeth witnesse sent for his body brought it to Memphis and from Memphis it was caried to Alexandria and there in his owne tombe was buried Nowe after these Princes were thus destroyed the Empire voide of any good gouernment for though they with one consent elected Arideus to bee king of Macedon yet their obedience was farre from their election but euery man aspired to a kingdome all the Countries betweene the riuer Hydaspes and the riuer Indus Taxillus gouerned In Persia gouerned Neoptolemus in Parthia Nicanor in Babylon Pencestes and Archesilaus had in his hand Mesopotamia All these practised meanes how they might from gouernours become kings for as I saide before Alexander left no king behind him for so it was before Alexander by Cyrus before Cyrus by Nabuchodonosor before Nabuchodonosor by Merodach before Merodach by Ninus before Ninus by Nimrod So God from the beginning by his great wisedome hath established kingdomes and common weales that where hee gaue his sworde there the victorie went and there the Monarchie florished so God ordeyned things to come to passe that nowe againe the Empire of Alexander should be deuided as Daniel the Prophet had before tolde saying That a strong king should come and gouerne and doe what pleased him but it should bee diuided in quatuor ventos Coeli as then it happened truely betweene foure princes though Iosephus sayeth fiue the first was Cassander the sonne of Antipater and euen hee who poysoned Alexander hee I say after his fathers death and after hee had destroyed the whole progenie of Alexander inuaded Macedonia and vsurped the kingdome the 2. Ptolo. Lagi the first king of Egypt and had the most part of Syria vnder his Scepter the 3. Seleucus surnamed Nicanor king of Babylon and of Asia the greater the 4. Antigonus king of Asia the lesse These and their posterities had entred in armes and beganne to warre within them selues that they likewise came to ruine and were destroyed one by another as you shall reade more in the histories of the kings of Asia and Syria In the meane season the Athenians againe a people euer desirous of soueraigntie vnderstanding that Alexander the great was dead were in armes against Antipater still looking to haue their former libertie ioyned with themselues the Aeolians gathered three thousand souldiers two hundred nauies now Demosthenes being banished frō Athens being at Megaris or as as Plutarch saith at Aegina for his 20. talents in bribes receiued of Harpalus was called backe by the Athenians who through his wōted eloquence allured the Argiues the Corinthians and the Scicionians to ioyne with the Athenians against Antipater who by election was king of Macedonia next after Alexander and chiefe gouernour ouer all Greece as Alexander was and his father Philip before him In these warres the Athenians had very good lucke in the beginning while yet Leosthenes their generall was aliue but hee being dead their good happe and successe died also before Leosthenes had shut vp Antipater in the citie of Lamia and straightly had there besieged him But this continued no longer then to the battel of Cranon where againe the Athenians were ouerthrowen and Demosthenes with many of their Orators fled and after to auoide Antipaters hand ridde away themselues by poyson Cassander beganne in Macedonia and in Greece to practise falshood after he had maried Arideus daughter Thessalonices for by consent of all the princes Arideus was appoinred to succeede Alexander and he reigned seuen yeeres king in Macedonia but Olympias Alexanders mother made meanes to dispatch both Arideus and his wife Euridices out of the way for that they resisted the Queene Olympias to come into Macedonia frō Epire and Olympias her selfe liued not long after for the Macedonians honoured her much for Philip her owne husbands sake and for Alexander her sonne vntill shee became to be cruell and to vse much tyrannie But Cassander who farre exceeded her in murthering and in destroying tooke her also and commaunded her to bee slaine and likewise commaunded Roxana Alezanders wife to be kept and to be looked vnto being sent with her sonne Alexander to Amphipolis but she her sonne was slaine While in this sort Cassander fomed in blood Antigonus who had obteined to be king of lesser Asia came in armes against Cassander Lysimachus king of Thracia and Seleucus king of greater Asia ioyned with Cassander and the battell was giuen at Gaza a citie of Palestina where Demetrius Antigonus sonne had the worse Cassander within a while after this battell died when he had reigned eighteene yeeres After whom succeeded two sonnes of Cassander named Antipater and Alexander who in much discord and with much adooe they reigned foure yeeres this young king Antipater after he had reigned three yeeres perceiuing that his mother was more bent to fauour her other sonne Alexander with his owne hand slue her vpon this vile murther Alexander presently sent to Demetrius for ayde and to reuenge his mothers death vpō his brother Demetrius was glad to heare such newes that Antipater had slaine his mother and nowe Alexander to rise against his brother sawe an open passage hereby offered vnto him to become king of Macedonia which so came to passe for both Antipater and Alexander one destroyed another for Lysimachus slue Antipater and Demetrius Alexander left the kingdome to Demetrius the posteritie of Cassander had no lōger time in Macedonia it was Gods iudgement for this Cassander as it is reported poysoned Alexander the great being with two other of his brethren Iolla Philip gentlemen of his priuie chamber their race ended for in the time of Antipater and his sonne Cassander Demosthenes Demades and the most part of the noble Orators of Athens were slaine And nowe Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus was proclaimed king of Macedon and beside Macedon he had Thessalie and the most part of Peleponesus hee further did
leade his armie against the Boetians laide siege to Thebes and tooke it after that hearing that Lysimachus king of Thracia was taken prisoner by a barbarous nation hee went with his armie to inuade Thracia he was skant in Thracia but Lysimachus came home and beside hearing that Pyrrhus had forraged all Thessalia and had entred alreadie into the streightes of Thermopiles Demetrius was constreined to leaue both Thracia and also Thebes and to returne against Pyrrhus and for all that Pyrrhus sought Demetrius with his armie to giue him battell and Demetrius sought also Pyrrhus yet they mist both at that time but after Demetrius his lieutenant named Pantarchus a strong man and of great courage gaue to Pyrrhus battell which victorie fell to Pyrrhus the onely king that imitated Alexander the great and to him by all mens report most like in courage and prowesse After this victorie of Pyrrhus hee againe inuaded Macedonia being aduertised that Demetrius was sicke in the which iourney Pyrrhus came as farre as the citie Edissa without resistance yet Pyrrhus was driuen out of Macedonia that time with all his force Demetrius wanting leasure to fight with Pyrrhus hauing many warres in hand beside concluded a peace with Pyrrhus for then Demetrius was troubled diuers wayes Lysimachus king of Thracia inuaded the high countrie of Macedon next vnto Thracia and Ptolomei king of Egypt entred with his armie into Greece and Pyrrhus though there was a peace concluded yet stept in with Lysimachus entised the Macedonians partly through faire meanes and partly through flatterie to forsake Demetrius by this meanes Macedonia was diuided betweene Pyrrhus and Lysimachus and Pyrrhus was proclaimed king in Macedonia after they had chased Demetrius Pyrrhus reigned in Macedonia seuen moneths Againe Lysimachus made warre on Pyrrhus and after many battels Lysimachus gote the victorie and reigned king in Macedonia seuen yeeres Iustine praiseth this Lysimachus to be the rarest man of his time valiant and wise and a great Philosopher of a noble house borne of Macedonia where nowe he is become king It is written that this Lysimachus slue a lyon with his owne hand but I leaue him king of Macedonia and returne to Demetrius who for three yeeres had beene tossed with extreme hard fortune nowe for recouering of his kingdome againe hee had leuied a great armie of one hundred thousand footemen of twelue thousand horsemen and had gotten fiue hundred shippes together part in the hauen of Piraeus part at Corinth part at the Citie Chalcis and part about the Citie Pella His enemies hearing of these newes I meane three kings Seleucus Ptolome and Lysimachus ioyned themselues there together against Demetrius and beside they sent to Pyrrhus that poore Demetrius miserie from princely happinesse so ouerthrowen that his armie forsooke him himselfe yeelded vnto Seleucus his wife named Phila for very griefe poysoned her selfe and so kept as prisoner in Syria by Seleucus where Demetrius turned captiuitie into pleasure vnto his dying day who after hee had reigned sixe yeeres dyed in Cherronesus leauing behinde him by his wife Phila two children Antigonus and Stratonice and other two sonnes both named Demetrius of whom you shall heare more hereafter both Plutarch Iustine and Ruffinus affirme that the posteritie of Demetrius succeeded kings in Macedonia vntill the last king named Perseus this time also died Ptolomei Lagi king of Egypt with great fame and report Nowe Lysimachus reigned this while in Macedonia vsing such tyrannie and practising such crueltie against his owne subiects that they reuoulted from him and fledde to Seleucus then warre grewe betweene them that Lysimacus lost what hee wanne fifteene of his children and his life also by Seleucus this was the last battell fought amongst them that were of Alexanders successours Seleucus not long liued but within seuen moneths after was by Ptolomei surnamed Cheraunos brother to Ptolomeus Philadelphus the seconde king of Egypt after Alexander the great slaine for Lysimachus had maried the sister of this Ptolomei and reigned after his brother in lawe in Macedonia the space of one yeere after this Macedonia was continually plagued vntill their last king of Macedon named Perseus whom the Romanes ouercame by Paulus Aemilius and so brought Macedonia a Prouince vnder Rome Nowe this while Perdica vsed another way to bee king of Macedonia hee made meanes to marrie Cleopatra the sister of Alexander the great and thought so to ouerthrowe Aridaeus but hee was preuented by Antipater and slaine by his owne souldiers some thinkes that the ambition of Perdica was the first cause of all ciuil warres in marying Cleopatra Polybius saith that all these iolly captaines Ptolomie the sonne of Lagi Seleucus Lysimachus Ptolomie Cerannus died in the 124. Olympiad Macedonia had little good successe of their kings as you heard of Cassanders two sonnes Antipater and Alexander who reigned but foure yeeres Demetrius sixe Pyrrhus seuen moneths Lysimachus seuen yeeres and Ptolomei Cerannos one yeere after whom succeeded Meleager two moneths Antipater fourtie fiue daies yet Iustine saith he reigned one whole yeere and Sosthenes two yeeres After these kings the kingdome fell to the house of Demetrius as I saide before to Antigonus the sonne of Demetrius borne of Phila the daughter of Antipater and sister to Cassander This Antigonus was called the second Antigonus for the first Antigonus which was this Demetrius father was supposed and taken to be a base sonne of Philip and a brother of Alexander the great for so he himselfe in his decrees and statutes named himselfe Philips sonne of whose warres against Emmenes when he was king of Asia I spake in the historie of the kings of Asia and Syria The second Antigonus which was Demetrius sōne is much praysed for his iustice gouernment modestie and of such good vertuous disposition that he was surnamed of the Grecians Euergetes Of this second Antigonus issued foorth the second Demetrius which reigned tenne yeeres I will speake of the troubles in Macedonia during the reigne of Ptolomei Cerannius the seuēth king after Alexander of Meleager the eight king of Antipater the ninth and of Sosthenes the tenth king these foure kings reigned not aboue foure yeeres After Lysimachus by this false treacherie of his brother in lawe Ptolomei was deceiued and setled himselfe king in Macedonia hee concluded a peace with Antiochus and entred in friendship with Pyrrhus and by these meanes he was farre frō any feare of forraine enemies he mused howe he might destroy his owne sister Lysimachus wife and his children who of right ought to bee heires to the crowne of Macedonia hee sware that he would marie his sister and make her children by Lysimachus his owne to inherite the kingdome but he was no sooner within the Citie of Cassandria where he should marie Arsinoe the Queene but he commanded that both her sōnes the elder named Lysimachus after his fathers name of sixteene
yeeres of age and Philip three yeeres younger then his brother to be killed and their mother forced to steale away by night into Samothracia but hee was wel requited by Belgius hackt and slaine and his head cut off caried vpō a speare in opē sight of the Macedoniās which put them in no litle feare Sosthenes was proclaimed king of Macedonia a man of great courage hee resisted the furie and rage of the Frenchmen which wasted the countrie and spoyled the Cities vntill that Brennus another captaine of the Frenchmen ioyned with Belgius with a hundred fiftie thousand footemen and fifteene thousand horsemen and easily being so many might ouerthrowe so fewe Sosthenes was faine to take a holde for that time Brennus and Belgius spoyled Cities and Countries robbed their temples and had infinite treasure from the temple of Apollo Thus the Macedonians were sore plagued and had these two great ouerthrowes by Belgius and Brennus but the third ouerthrowe fell to the Frenchmen in such extreame sort that Brennus slue himselfe After this the Frenchmen againe inuaded Macedonia while Antigonus which was Demetrius brother reigned where they were vanquished ouerthrowen in most miserable sort this gote to Antigonus great credit vntil Pyrrhus gote the victorie of him and forced him to take his flight So poore Macedonia was still by one or other put to worse Pyrrhus mocking Antigonus for his brauerie to goe in purple like a king apparelled being chased out of his countrie by him and by others yet it was Antigonus chaūce to haue Pyrrhus head brought vnto him by Alcioneus his owne sonne from the siege of the citie of Argos where this great king after many victories ouer kings was slaine at a womans hand by throwing of a tyle stone When king Antiochus sawe Pyrrhus head throwen before him by his sonne in such contempt hee layed his staffe about his sonnes backe calling him a cruell murtherer and an vnnaturall barbarous beast and turning his eyes from the sight thereof weapt remembring Demetrius hard fortune which was his father and also the miserie and ende of the first Antigonus his graundfather he most honourably caused his head and his body to be burned his ashes burned Thus thestate of princes is changed sometime in the height of good lucke and fauour and sometime forsaken of their owne friends Antigonus hauing this great victorie of Pyrrhus vsed all clemencie towardes Pyrrhus sonne named Helenus sent him vnto his Realme of Epirus with honourable conuoye seasing all Pyrrhus campe and armie vsed his friendes courteously and receiued many of Pyrrhus souldiers preferred them Thus Pyrrhus who helde out against three kings Lysimachus Demetrius and Antigonus beside his magnanimitie and prowesse shewed against the Illyrians the Cicilians the Carthagineans and against the stoute Romanes and yet neuer conquered This Pyrrhus was preferred by Hanibals iudgement to be the second souldier of the worlde next to the great Alexander after whose death Greece fell to contencions as Macodonia by Antigonus florished but a short time for assoone as Pyrrhus dyed the Peloponesians yeelded to Antigonus Pyrrhus had a sonne named Alexander who burned in furie to reuenge his fathers death beganne vpon the confines of Macedonia to quarrell with Antigonus hee was no sooner returned from Greece into Macedonia but Antigonus had both lost his kingdome and himselfe by a faire battell giuen to him by Alexander the sonne of Pyrrhus Antigonus had a brother named Demetrius after his fathers name a very young man who so reuenged likewise the ouerthrowe of his brother that hee recouered not onely Macedonia from Alexander but forced him after a great ouerthrowe to flie from his owne kingdom of Epyrus so variable is the chaunce of warre and so mutable the state of man that sometime they be kings and conquerours and straight banished men Nowe Alexander fled to Arcadia from whence hee was restored to his kingdome within short space for Demetrius after the death of his brother Antigonus continued not long king in Macedonia for by time Agas king of Cyrena died and had left for his heire one daughter named Beronices whom her father espoused to king Ptolomeis sonne of Egypt but nowe Arsinoe king Agas her husband being dead and also hearing that king Antigonus was dead shee made meanes to send for Demetrius who came with all speede from Macedonia to Cyrena and hauing a sight of Arsinoes beautie hee fell more in desire of the mother then of the daughter This Demetrius being a proud insolent young king and giuing great cause to Beronice the young ladie to hate him he little esteeming that folowed his fancie to winne Arsinoe which when it was well knowen to the daughter and to many of the Court after howe Demetrius vsed himselfe Beronice and all men beganne mortally to mallice Demetrius and to turne their mindes againe towards Ptolomeus sonne They hated him in such sort that snares were inuēted for Demetrius and watches appointed to find him in the fault and so it came to passe then when he was in bedde with the mother the daughter brought certeine armed men into the chamber cōmaunded them to kill Demetrius Beronice entred not the chamber but stood at the doore spake vnto them that they should spare her mother which when Arsinoe heard after she had done what she could to saue Demetrius cōcerning his body with her body of force she was taken from him he slaine thus Beronice reuenged the wrongs spite of Demetrius done against her selfe and her mother after maried Ptolomeis sonne according to his father king Agas cōmandement this was the end of king Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius About this time Megasthenes a Persian Chronographer wrote his histories some call him Metasthenes this time the Romanes began to florish in all kind of excesse as in wearing of rings costly tires which as Plinie saith were skant before this time seene in Rome this time also was the Bible translated by the 70. interpreters into the Greeke tongue CHAP. IIII. Of the Romane warres with king Philip and his sonne Perseus the two last kings of Macedonia of their ouerthrowe by Paul Aemilius and of the ouerthrowe of false Philip and counterfaite Andriscus by Q. Metellus in the last conquest of Macedonia NOwe to returne to Macedonia after that Demetrius was slaine as you heard Philip Demetrius nephewe and sonne to Antigonus succeeded in Macedonia You must take heede least you be deceiued in the names of diuers Demetrius for the first and the greatest was called Demetrius Antigonus whose life Plutarch doeth write at large another Demetrius surnamed Poliorcetes who in his time destroyed a towne of Samaria which Perdicas builded vp againe and the third named Demetrius Phalerius which was gouernour of Athens vnder Cassander and the fourth Demetrius Antigonus sonne of whose death for adulterie with Queene Arsinoe you read of
before so likewise you shal reade of diuers Seleucus of diuers Antiochus and of diuers Ptolomeis where I speake of the kings of Asia Syria and Egypt much errour may growe hereby without heede taking Philip reigned now in Macedonia and hauing no long time to rest but at his first entrie had warres by the Romanes for whom Ti. Quintus Flaminius the Consul was in person to offer battell in the defence of Greece the rather for that Philip king of Macedon ayded Hannibal against the Romanes with all the force he could Philip prouided all things ready a man might thinke that Philip had force and power sufficient against a Consul of a citie being a king of a whole Realme and surely so he had had not Titus by his eloquence wonne al Greece against Philip and yet before this time the Grecians bare no great good will to the Romanes as Plutarch affirmeth Diuers times Flaminius offered battel to Philip but still refused by Philip auoided fearing such hard fortune as his predecessors had he kept the top of the mountaines with his armie that when the Romanes forced to gette vp the hilles they were receiued with dartes slings and shotte that lighted vpon them from the toppes of the hilles that the Romanes were sore anoyed But after they found meanes to winne the hilles by the aduise of Charopus a great man of Epirus Titus diuided his armie into three troupes and himselfe went with one of the three Philip lost then about two thousand souldiers the Macedonians fled and the Romanes spoiled their campe tooke all that they found in their tents Titus had some aduertisement that Philip fledde by Thessalia the Consul with great modestie did forbeare the spoyling and wasting of the Countrie hereby he wanne many friendes Philip was most desirous to haue peace with Titus and it was offered him vpon condition that he would that Greece should be at their libertie and remoue his garisons out of their Citie this Philip refused and thereupon all Greece came in and offered themselues vnto Titus without compulsion Nowe hauing Greece on his side he went towardes Thessalie with great hope to ouercome Philip Titus had in his armie about sixe and twentie thousande fighting men as Plutarch writeth king Philip on the other side had no lesse in number they beganne to march the one towardes the other neere the Citie of Scotusa there they determined to trie the battell where Titus gaue the ouerthrow and slue eight thousand in the fielde and tooke fiue thousand prisoners in the chase Philip was driuen to entreate for peace which was graunted vnto him vpon the condition before offered and taking one of Philips sōnes in hostage sent him to Rome to the Senate for then Hannibal of Carthage a great enemie of the Romanes was ouercome by Scipio Affricanus and banished out of his Countrie and commen to king Antiochus whom hee perswaded with all diligence to followe his good fortune and the encrease of his Empire Hanibal sought still to finde occasion to make warres with the Romanes and went about to bring Antiochus to ioyne with Philip two mightie kings against the Romanes In the meane time Titus had commissioners sent from Rome to ayde him and to assist him in the affaires of Greece willing him to looke to the Cities of Corinth of Chalcides and of Demetriade and to make sure that they should not enter into league and allyance with Antiochus and all the rest of Greece to set at libertie this was done by Titus and proclaimed by the Heralde and authorised by the Senate of Rome that all Greece should be free from all taxes impositions and subsidies After that Titus had sent Lentulus into Asia to set the Bargilians at libertie and Titillius into Thracia and Publius Iulius sent to king Antiochus to set the Grecians at libertie Titus himselfe went to the Prouince of Magnesia and from thence to Argos to set the Greekes at libertie which were vnder Philip and Antiochus from Argos returned into Rome after foure yeeres warre with Philip sauing that Pu. Sulpitius had the charge against Philip the first yeere being then Consul of Rome before Titus time who for the time of his being in Macedonia gaue two ouerthrowes vnto Philip king of Macedon and forced him to flee in great danger of his life But to returne to Titus who being called to Rome by the Senate came in solemne triumph with king Philips sonne before his chariot brought at that time saith Plutarch infinite treasures and leauing Philip to pay to the Romanes a thousand talents beside and not to molest and vexe the Cities of Greece and that it was not lawfull for Philip to warre or to fight out of his owne kingdome vnlesse he should be required thereunto by the Romanes Thus Philip being daunted of his great courage and much weakened in strength by the Romanes hauing two sonnes the one named Perseus the other Demetrius betweene them both grewe secret seditions and proceeded so in malice that though Demetrius was in Rome in hostage with Titus as you heard and Perseus in Macedonia with his father accusing his brother of his secrete treacherie towardes his father Philip and his countrey that the king was in offence against Demetrius and grewe more and more by Perseus soliciting the cause to doubt Demetrius hee coulde not quiet himselfe vntill Demetrius was had out of the way by poyson as Ruffinus sayeth but it was not long after but Philip had knowledge of the iniurie hee had done to his sonne Demetrius by the false accusation of his sonne Perseus hee studied howe to take reuenge vpon Perseus for the death of Demetrius and sawe no way vnlesse hee would leaue Macedonia without a king for then Perseus was the last of the line of Antigonus Thus poore king Philip being plagued by the Romanes for his kingdome and brought to a full weerinesse of his life at home by his two sonnes fell to a consumption and dyed afterhe had reigned king of Macedonia fourtie two yeeres Plutarch reciteth a historie of one Antigonus surnamed Doson that was cousin to the other Antigonus surnamed Gonates this Antigonts Doson reigned before Philippe fifteene yeeres As I toulde you before of the names of so many Demetrius so nowe the names of so many Antigonus may trouble the reader and therefore I will shewe the order of it The first Antigonus was taken to bee base brother to Alexander the great who after Alexanders dayes was taken to be the greatest and mightiest of all his successours This Antigonus had a sonne called Demetrius of whome came this seconde Antigonus surnamed Gonatas the third Antigonus surnamed Doson and after this Antigonus reigned Philip who dyed for sorowe and griefe for Demetrius death Nowe Perseus the last king of Macedonia succeeded his father Philip king of Macedonia in the fiue hundred seuentie fiue yeeres of the building of
Rome and in the hundred and fiftie Olympiad at what time reigned king in Egypt Ptolomeus Philometor the sixth king and in Syria reigned Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king and also this time ouer the Parthians reigned Mithridates Arsaces who succeeded his brother Pharnachus this did great exploites of whom you shall reade in the histories of the Parthians written by Iustine in Rome Lucius Manlius and Quintus Fuluius were Consuls This Perseus succeeded Philip his father found the strength of his kingdome so great and so well prouided that hee had in his armorie to arme thirtie thousand he had in his fortes and strong places eight million bushels of corne safely lockt vp and hee had ready as much money as would serue to enterteine tenne thousand strangers in paye for tenne yeeres this also he found ready men leauied a great number which his father had prepared for the second warres of Macedonia Perseus being thus furnished tooke that in hand which was Philips purpose to warre against the Romanes and he mainteined warres a long time and had in the beginning good successe against the Romanes that in the first battell he made hee gaue the ouerthrow to Pu. Lucius the Consul and at that time generall for the Romanes he slue 2500. of his horsemen and tooke sixe hundred prisoners and beside he did suddenly set vpon their armie by sea riding at anker before the citie of Oren he tooke twentie of their great shippes and sunke the rest which were loden all with corne Thus Perseus began very hotly with the Romanes and gaue the ouerthrowe to the first Consul the second battell which Perseus fought was with Hostilius the second Consul and generall of Rome whom he likewise repulsed and when that Hostilius attempted by force to inuade Macedonia Perseus offered him battell in Thessalie and he refused him Perseus seemed so proud of these two victories against the two Consuls of Rome that hee little esteemed the Romanes went and fought a battell in the meane time with the Dardanians where hee slue tenne thousand of these barbarous people and brought a marueilous great spoyle away beside this hee gote the Gaules that dwelt about the riuer of Danubie to ioyne with him and practised with Gentius king of the Illyrians to ioyne also in this warre with him The Romanes being of these newes aduertised they thought good to send a skilfull souldier and a wise captaine as Paulus Aemilius was whom the Romans chose now the second time to be their consul and captaine in this second warre to whom they gaue the whole charge of Macedon Aemilius prepared an armie of an hundreth thousand against Perseus and when he had arriued into Macedon being aduertised how Perseus lay at the foote of mount Olympus with 4000. horsmen and with fourtie thousand footemen beside he had Gentius king of the Illyrians to whom Perseus promised thirtie thousand talents to ayde him against the Romanes Now Scipio sirnamed Nasica the adopted sonne of the great Scipio the Affricane and Fabius Maximus of whom Cicero said Cunctando restituit rem two yong valiant Romanes offered to take the straights offered to do diuers seruices but old Aemilius hauing wonne many victories hee could stay leasure and oportunitie of battel Now Perseus hauing pitched his campe before the citie of Pydne where Aemilius in hast marched and met in battell Polibius writeth this storie and saith so soone as the battel was begun Perseus withdrew himselfe and got into the citie of Pydne out of the battell vnder pretence to doe some sacrifice vnto Hercules but Aemilius with his sworde in hand lay on vpon the enemies The slaughter was so great on Perseus side that Plutarch saith that the riuer of Leucus ranne all bloodie the battell was so fierce on both sides that it continued not aboue two houres the victorie fel to the Romanes with the losse of 25. thousand Macedonians This victorie was heard of in Rome the very day that it was wonne saying that Castor and Pollux brought these newes to Rome In this battel I note one rare historie of Mar. Cato the sonne of great Cato and sonne in law to Aemilius who most valiantly fighting in the midst of the Macedonians by chance his sword fell out of his hande the which he tooke so grieuously that he ranne to the Romane armie where he told them what had befallen vnto him praying some of his friends to helpe him to recouer his sword saying that he thought more honour for him to die there then liuing to suffer his enemies to enioy any spoile of his whereupon a nomber of lustie valiant souldiers rushed in straight amōg their enemies about the place where the sworde fell their force and furie was such that it made a lane through the enemies and as yong raging lions with such force cleared the way in such sort that the sworde was found this happened in the middest of the battell Againe in this battell of Pydne a great feare tooke Aemilius after the victory who being very late in the night broght to his tent with torches and links missing his sonne beholding how his souldiers after this victorie decked themselues with crownes and garlands of laurell became sad and heauie supposing his sonne to be cast away vntil Scipio returned frō following the enemie then Aemilius ioy was doubled but that shortly followed which then missed Now Perseus fled from Pydne to Pella After this victory Aemilius made a progresse into Greece and cōming to Delphos there he saw king Perseus image of golde set vp vpon a great pillar of 4. square Aemilius commanded that image of him being conquered to be taken downe and his owne image being the conqueror to be set vp thence he went to the city of Olympia to visit the temple of Iupiter Olympian after he redeliuered to the Macedonians their countrey and townes againe to liue at libertie paying to the Romans for tribute yerely 100. talents After he went to Epirus hauing put al things at stay in Macedonia that the Macedonians submitted themselues to Aemilius Aemilius sent his lieutenant by sea to take king Perseus who fled to Samothracia where he and his children yeelded vnto Cneus Octauius lieutenant to Aemilius Of this great victorie newes came to Rome from Macedonia in one day some say 4. dayes This king Perseus was a very couetous prince hated of his subiects of no man beloued noted to be such a coward that Aemilius mocked him for it This Perseus lost in 2. houres in the battel of Pydne to the Romans great glory praise the fame renowne which Alexander the great had brought and wonne to Macedonia Of these 2. warres of Macedonia with the Romanes and of their last king conquered reade Liuie and Appianus in that booke entituled Mithridaticus This is that Macedonia which then Alexander had augmented with these many kingdoms Persia Media Armenia Albania
stone of the same ring was an Ancre imprinted which afterward was the cognizance of all Seleucus posteritie This ring did Laodice deliuer to her sonne Seleucus at that time when great Alexander tooke his conquest to Persia vnder whom Seleucus was then a souldier for hee was but base borne as in that historie ye may reade further yet this Seleucus after that Alexander died had growen to be the onely great king of all Alexanders successours and builded a great citie and named it Antiochia after his fathers name which was Antiochus a captaine vnder king Philip Alexanders father The elder that Seleucus waxed the more ambitious hee was euen so was Lysimachus as olde as hee the one seuentie and foure and the other seuentie and seuen and yet both giuen to seeke more kingdomes and at last seeking one to conquer the other as it came to passe after many battels Lysimachus was ouerthrowen and slaine by Seleucus Of this great victorie he waxed so proude that he forgate the frailenesse of fortune and the inconstancie of time not thinking that his death should be within seuen moneths after for Ptolomeus sirnamed Cerainon whose sister Lysimachus had maried reuenged the death of his brother in lawe This battell betweene Lysimachus and Seleucus was the last battell of all those that serued Alexander in his conquest for as Lysimachus ouerthrew Pyrrhus so Seleucus ouerthrew Lysimachus and now Ptolomeus ouerthrew Seleucus and that as I said before within seuen moneths after Lysimachus ouerthrow But Iustine saith Seleucus was slaine by snares and falshood By this time died the most part of those that were Alexanders princes and in his iourneyes with him chiefe captaines as Perdicca Craterus Emmenis Antigonus Antipater Cassander and his two sonnes Polibius saith that Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi Lysimachus Seleucus and Ptolomey Cerainon died in the hundreth twentie and foure Olympiad which was after Alexanders the great tenne Olympiads which is fourtie yeeres for he died in the hundreth and fourteene Olympiad All writers doe agree of this Olympiad for the Greekes compted their yeeres from Alexanders death forward for before Alexanders time the Greekes histories erred much and specially by their Olympiads which made Chronographers to erre for al chronicles crie out vpon the Olympiads Seleucus after he had gotten so great fame that all Asia and Syria obeyed him he beganne to builde townes and cities as Antioch Laodicea Seleucia Apamia Edissa Berouea and Pellum and brought the Iewes to inhabite these cities he gaue them equall lawes and ordinances together with the Grecians to liue and to enioy their libertie thereby and after he raigned one and thirtie yeeres he died After him succeeded Antiochus Soter the second king of Syria hee raigned 19. yeeres after whom succeeded Antiochus sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This king played his part hee was the cause of all the warres betweene the Egyptians and Syrians he had great spite vnto Philadelphus the king of Egypt wasted and spoiled much of his countrey this king Philadelphus was adicted more to peace then to warre more giuē to his books then to brawles he tooke greater care to furnish Egypt with the lawes and ordinances of the Iewes then to prouide preparations against Antiochus and therefore to auoyde warre whereby he might finish many good things which he tooke in hande and specially the translation of the Bible from the Hebrew vnto the Greeke tongue by 70. graue wise and learned men for that cause he gaue his daughter Berenices in mariage to Antiochus This king Antiochus had before maried Laodices by whom hee had two sonnes the elder named Seleucus sirnamed Gallinicus and the yonger Antiochus sirnamed Ierax The mother of these two was diuorced for a time from king Antiochus Now after he had maried Berenices he liued in quiet and in fauour with his father in lawe Philadelphus as long as he liued but when Philadelphus died he called Laodices his first wife againe and turned Berenices aside for a time Laodices being returned vnto her husband deuised a way to kill Berenices Philadelphus daughter but first she imagined to requite her husbands courtesie for calling her home and fearing he would do the like againe she gaue him a cuppe of drinke and dispatched him quite then shee called both her sonnes and made them with speede onely to feede her furie to put Berenices out of the way Hence grew the cause of all the warres as I said betweene the kings of Egypt and the kings of Syria and not onely betweene those but also poore Iudea was so beaten and afflicted betwene these as they often times made a spoile of Ierusalem of the temple and of Gods flocke Of this Daniel spake that Berenice the kings daughter of the South should be matched with the king of the North which was Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 king of Syria which is in the North in respect of Ierusalem for that the Prophet gaue the situation of that place to be betweene the South and the North. When Philadelphus died and his sonne Ptolomey Euergetes succeeded he thought to reuenge the murthering of his sister and made a great armie readie to giue battel to Seleucus and tooke from him the most part of Syria wasting and spoyling all Asia beside and hearing of sedition and mutinie in Egypt his own kingdom he returned hauing done great harme to Seleucus to answere those which rebelled in Egypt In the meane season Seleucus thoght not only to recouer his losse by Ptol. Euergetes but also to requite him with the like After this litle stay Seleucus came with a nomber of nauies and thought to haue againe those townes and cities which he lost to Ptolomey but a sudden tempest ouerwhelmed that enterprise and left nothing to Seleucus of al his preparation but nudum corpus spiritum himselfe with few others frō shipwracke he staied by these repulses and could not reuenge the wrōg he had by Ptolomey vntil he saw his time conuenient at which time as a man borne to be ouerthrowen he fled from the battell with losse and shame to Antioch and from thence he sent for ayde to his brother Antiochus to Silicia Ptolomey vnderstanding of Antiochus ayd he presently concluded a peace betweene Seleucus and himselfe for 10. yeeres Antiochus perceiued how the matter went and where he came to ayd his brother he now turneth his force and power against his brother and hauing many of the Celtes which were Frēchmen his hired souldiers ouer whom Brennus had the charge not Brēnus that sackt Rome for he was before 108. yeres but he gaue the ouerthrow to his brother Seleucus he was met againe with Eumenes king of Bythinia who saw a platforme layd before his face to possesse Asia if these two brethren might be conquered and therefore Seleucus being ouerthrowen by his brother Antiochus Eumenes againe ouerthrew Antiochus and droue him out of
Asia euen to flee to Ptolomey where he was claptin prison frō whom he secretly stale away and fled but being taken by theeues was slaine About that very season his brother Seleucus by a fall he had frō his horse lost both his life and kingdom after he had raigned king of Asia and Syria 20. yeeres and so these two brethren by discord lost both Syria and Asia After this Seleucus came succeeded his sonne Seleucus Ceraunos the 5. king of Asia and Syria he after he had raigned 3. yeeres was slaine by one of his owne noblemen named Nicanor Then followed Antiochus surnamed the great the 6. king of Syria who indeed was so great that he wanne to his kingdome more then any of his predecessors and hauing long warres in Egypt with Ptolome Philopater by him for all his greatnes he had an ouerthrow or two But this Philopater died and left behind him a young sonne whom he committed for the safegard of his kingdome to the Romanes commending both his sonne in his minoritie his kingdome into the fidelity of the Senators for all kings in their distresse fled vnto the Romanes as to a sanctuary of refuge Now Antiochus the great in his minde contemned the Romanes made warres in Egypt vpon this yong king to whom the Senators sent Embassadors commanding him to auoyde Egypt not to warre vpō the yong king whom the Senators of Rome tooke to their tuition Antiochus esteemed not much the threatning of the Senators but rather despised the messengers making his armie ready against the Romanes hauing by this time Hannibal who by Scipio Affricanus was ouerthrowen at the battel of Zama which was the last ouerthrow of Hannibal for the Carthagineans had lost Sicilia Sardania Spaine and Hanibal was driuen out of Italy to Affrike and frō Affrike to Asia vnto king Antiochus where he was with great curtesie receiued By this time the Senate had intelligence that Nabis the tyrant had inuaded diuers countreies of Greece subdued manie cities and therefore they wrote vnto Titus Flaminius that Greece should be set at libertie from Nabis as Macedonia was from Philip. The greatnes of the Romanes was such that they thought to execute all warres by their commandement yet the name of Hannibal caried great reputation with all men and specially with the Romanes who had for 16. yeeres well tried his valure Antiochus at the first made much account of Hannibal for had he followed Hannibals aduise in his warres against the Romanes afterward as he did at the first Antiochus had done farre better for Hanibals counsell was that Antiochus should make warre with the Romanes in Italy for said he Italians must ouercome Italy and Romanes must conquere Rome Hanibal hated the Romanes and therefore he studied how to set forward Antiochus and perswaded Antiochus who trusted still in peace that as the Romanes had gotten the most part of Europe and Affrike so would they not giue ouer vntill they would get Asia if they might The authoritie and credit of Hanibal made Antiochus so to yeeld that Hanibal himself was sent to Syria to leuie a great nomber of ships he was made general of Antiochus army by sea together with one Apollonius This battel by sea had no good successe the victory fel to the Romans Apollonius fled and as Plutarch saith we find that Hanibal did nothing worth the memory After this battel assoone as Antiochus was ouercome by the Romans Hanibal fearing he should be deliuered to the Romans fled to Prusias king of Bythinia at whose hands he was required againe by Tit. Flaminius Now king Antiochus hauing lost 50. thousand footmen and 4000. horsmen was forced to desire peace which the Senate graunted him vpon conditions that he should auoid forth of Europe and Asia and medle no further but within the precinct of Taurus and also that hee should pay to the Romanes tenne thousand talents and 30. pledges for the assurance of his prouinces and lastly that hee should deliuer Hanibal who had bene the only procurour of the battel These conditions being performed by Antiochus the Senate gaue all those cities of Asia which Antiochus had lost to Eumenes king Atalus brother they gaue also to the Rhodians diuers other cities for that they had assisted the Romanes against Antiochus After this great victorie Lucius Cornelius Scipio returned to Rome and with great glory triumphed and then obtained the like name in Asia as his brother had before in Affrike which was to be called Scipio Asiaticus for that he conquered Antiochus the great at Magnesia had driuen him out of Asia euen as his father the elder Scipio was called for subduing of Hanibal and the driuing out of Hanibal of Affrike Scipio Affricanus All this while the Iewes were so much troubled betweene the kings of Egypt and the kings of Syria that they found that same true but specially by the king of Syria and therefore the Iewes rather did ioyne their force to the Egyptians against the kings of Syria for while Antiochus held warres with the Romanes Scopas king Ptolomey Epiphanes general was in Coelosyria possessed Samaria other cities of Iudea and molested the Iewes at that time much vntill Antiochus ouerthrew Scopas at the flood Iordan destroyed his army got those cities which Scopas had and entred into Ierusalē where he was fully pleased with rewards and satisfied with money with whom they had peace for Iudea as I said before had peace and quietnes frō Alexander the great vntil Antiochus the great which was 100. yeres and odd About this time 3. notable triumphes were at Rome the one by Scipio forth of Affricke before whose chariot Asdrubal was led the other by Metellus foorth of Macedonia before whose chariot Andriscus was led this was that false named and coūterfaited Philip the thirde triumph was by Metellus sirnamed Mummius ouer the Corinthians before whom were caried the brasen ensignes and painted tables and other sumptuous ornaments of that famous citie CHAP. II. Of that wicked and most blasphemous king Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus the great and the type of Antichrist of his vsurpation and tyrānie of the kingdom of his sacking and crueltie in Ierusalem of his bloody warres and persecutions of Christians DVring the warres of Antiochus the great with the Romans ciuil warres began in Greece againe betweene the Athenians and the Aetolians Of these warres reade Polibius and Plutarch in the life of Philopomen Likewise Mithridates king of Parthia waged battel with the Sinopians About this time Siphax king of Numidia was after sundrie battels by Masinissa ouerthrowen and driuen out of his kingdome This time Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia conquered those people called Mardi astoute nation as Iustine saith In the time of Antiochus the great there happened in one yeere 57. earthquakes insomuch that Rhodes and Caria were so shaken thereby that the
huge idole of Phaebus called Colossus solis fell In these dayes an infant was borne hauing a head like a sow and many other mōstrous things fel in the time of Antiochus as Liui reporteth Eratosthenes the philosopher florished in this time The Romans were so strong in these dayes as Carthage Numidia and all Affricke were subdued Greece Macedonia Pontus and all Asia were conquered all kings of the world almost came then to Rome to see the maiestie of the Romanes to behold their triumphes and to offer themselues in seruice The end of this great king was to be slaine by rude countrey people as he would rob the temple of Belus he that thought to conquere the stoute Romanes was conquered by silie and simple men of Syria he that brought all Greece and Asia vnder his becke had this his death by his rashnesse and folly and as Melancthon saith of Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of an ill beginning proceedeth an ill ending When this Antiochus so was killed he left behinde him 3. sonnes and one daughter maried to Ptolomey of whom Philometor was borne his sonnes were named in this sort Seleucus sirnamed Philopater was the eldest who raigned 12. yeeres of whom we reade nothing worth the memory a man giuen to all vices to all idlenes lust wickednes and powling of his subiects This history is onely written in the Macabees where Simon vttereth what treasure was in the temple and how Heliodorus was sent by the king to take them away but hee was striken of God and had the repulse with such terrible sightes and strokes that Heliodorus wished death rather then life vntill the high Priest Onias prayed for him Of this Seleucus Daniel saide In loco Antiochi stabit vilis questor c. for there was nothing left vnspoken by Daniel before hand which should happen afterward This Seleucus beganne to raigne after his father in the 125. yeere of the Grecians raigne in Syria after the building of Rome 566. After this Seleucus died Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes the second sonne of Antiochus the great being a pledge then in Rome with Demetrius hearing that his father was dead hee secretly fled from Rome and came with al force vnto Syria vsurped the kingdome and draue Seleucus sonne out of his countrey this began his gouernment in the 130. yeere after Alexander the great his death Polibius affirmeth this man to bee such as no wickednes escaped him craftie and subtile furious and ful of al mischiefe and of the best writers named the type of Antichrist Of the furie of this Antiochus and of other kings of Syria Daniel doth fully describe them and doth foreshewe their tyrannie against Iudea Reade the 11. of Daniel where he prophecieth against the kings of Syria together with the Persians Grecians Egyptians and Romanes howe all these should afflict Iudea This Antiochus in the beginning of his raigne beingfully acquainted with the Romanes power hauing bene so long in Rome a pledge for his father dissembled with the Senators and bare himselfe a friend vnto the Romanes for feare more then for loue after that he had filled Ierusalem with blood and had killed Onias the high priest a holy godly man he tooke money of Iason which was Onias brother and made him high priest who receiued Antiochus with al reuerence duetie into Ierusalem who slew the best citizens spoiled the towne and robbed the temple this was his first voyage to Ierusalem the high priest Iason which Antiochus had made plaied the tyrants part slew his owne citizens and made hauocke in Ierusalem of his owne countreymen friends and kinsmen but this king and this priest had the like reward by God appointed shame and confusion Read the Machabees and you shal haue the historie before you that Iason after he had wandered from citie to citie like a vagabond hated of all people and beloued of none being banished from Ierusalem died most miserablie in Arabia being accused before the king then named Areta Some write that he fled from Arabia to Egypt But I wil returne to that cruel monster king Antiochus who after he had dissembled with the Romans pretended care and gouernment ouer the yong Philometor king of Egypt being his sisters sonne for Cleopatra the daughter of Antiochus the great was married to Epiphanes who had giuen her for her dowrie Coelosyria Samaria Iudea and Phenicia by whom this Philometor was gotten This yong king being yet in his minoritie and tender of yeeres and by his father when he died committed to the fidelitie of the Senators of Rome whom he made tutors ouer his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes clayming some title to ouersee the yong king his nephew led an armie frō Syria vnto Egypt vnder pretence of loue care towards his nephew the yong king but he more thirsted for the kingdom then he esteemed the king he laied garisons in Memphis and filled all the cities of Egypt with souldiers specially Pelusiū and other strong cities Philometor misdouted these endeuors of Antiochus and so suspecting his vncle to be one that waied more the kingdom then the king he fled to his yonger brother to Alexandria sent to the Romans for aide against Antiochus who perceiuing that they were put in trust to haue some care of this king by his fathers last wil and testament to them cōmitted they determined to send Popilius frō the Senators to cōmand Antiochus as his father before him was cōmanded to depart out of Egypt and to suffer king Philometor to enioy his kingdom quietly While this Romane ambassador was preparing to come Antiochus hasted his purpose in folowing fast at the heeles of Philometor which was the elder brother therfore by succession king of Egypt he shipped in Cyprus and from thence to Coelosyria thēce to Egypt and so passing ouer Nilus to Leusnies a citie not farre from Alexandria where the Romane ambassador Popilius met him and deliuered the minde of the Senators in writing to him which being read he paused and said that he would consider further and cōsult with his friends to answere the Senators Popilius hauing a white sticke in his hand made around circle about king Antiochus saying Answer the Romans before thou go out of this circle that I may declare to the Senators thy words Antiochus was so amased at the stoute words of Pōpilius that he was constrained to say I will doe that which the Senators would haue me to doe And so he was forced in great furie to depart out of of Egypt but hee reuenged his wrath vpon the poore Iewes hee so plagued Iudea with spoile and slaughter and caused them to forsake their true and ancient religion which they had from Moses hee burned the bookes of Moses and of the Prophets he made the idole of Iupiter Olympus to be set vp and to be worshipped and commaunded all idolatrie and wickednes to be had in Ierusalem
in reuerence This proude king entred into the temple of Salomon after hee had made such a slaughter of yong and olde of women and children that within three dayes 80. thousand were slaine and 40. thousand taken prisoners Menelaus the traitour the high priest a murtherer before of Onias and now a traitour to his countrey brought Antiochus into the citie guided him from place to place that after hee had taken 800. talents away from the temple he gate him away to Antiochia thinking in his pride to make men saile vpon the drie land and to walke vpon the sea The filthinesse and abomination of this beast is set foorth in the Macabees in the second booke the fift and sixt chapters from the beginning vnto the ende This was the second comming of Antiochus to Iudea and to Ierusalem in the eight yeere of his raigne two yeeres after his first being in Ierusalem whose comming and whose doings were by the Prophet Daniel before spoken for he saide that this tyrant should continue 3500. dayes in wasting and spoyling of Iudea in prophaning the temple in killing and murthering of Gods people The nomber of these dayes are sixe yeeres and sixe monethes so long endured this wolfe After this Habuit mercedem God rewarded him for he died in such torments that his bowels were eaten with wormes and himselfe brought in such miserie that he died according as he liued after hee had raigned twelue yeeres During his time the warres continued in Macedonia betweene Perseus the last king and Titus Aemilius the Consull and at length the conquerour of Perseus Prusias king of Bythinia came with his sonne Nicomedes to Rome where he commended his sonne to the Senators About this time Terentius flourished Nowe when Antiochus surnamed Eupator had entred in his fathers seate in the 150. yeere of the Greekes being in Syria and in the beginning of the 26. Iubilee he folowed his fathers steppes came with an armie to Ierusalem and besieged the castle of Sion but while he laied siege his generall Lysias tolde him that his kingdome was inuaded by the enemies Then he concluded peace with Iudea and returned in all haste into Syria brought Menelaus that wicked and cruell high priest with him who after much mischiefes done died at Beroea a towne of Syria Antiochus had not reigned but one yeere but Demetrius Soter fledde from Rome where he had bene a pledge during the whole gouernment of his brother Antiochus Epiphanes which was twelue yeeres and during some yeeres of his graundfather Antiochus the great he came to Syria entred the Citie of Tyrus where his souldiers apprehended both the king and his generall Lysias whom Demetrius commaunded to be killed before hee should see them though Eupator was his sisters sonne This Eupator ended his life after hee had reigned but two yeeres In the meane time Onias the sonne of Onias the high priest which was also slaine by Menelaus who succeeded him this Onias being of the Iewes surnamed the iust lamenting much the miserable estate of Iudea fled into Egypt to king Pto. Philometor and hauing licence of the king he builded a temple in the citie of Heliopolis to the likenesse of the temple in Ierusalem according to the saying of Esai In that day shall the altar of the Lord be in the middest of the land of Egypt and the Lord shal be knowen of the Egyptians and the Egyptians shall knowe the Lord. In that day Assur shall come to Egypt and Egypt into Assur This Demetrius sent Alcimus against Iudas Machabeus who by flatterie entred into Ierusalem and slue three score of the chiefe and greatest men of the citie after gathered a number of wicked persons together who did much harme in Iudea to whome king Demetrius sent Nicanor with an hoste of souldiers to ayde Alcimus This Nicanor blasphemed God prophaned the temple threatned the Iewes and came to Bethoron where Iudas Machabeus gaue him battell and ouerthrewe him This Demetrius was no lesse cruell to the Iewes then either his father or his brother were before him hee played the beare vntill Alexander Epiphanes Antiochus Eupators sonne came to the Citie of Ptolomais Iustine saith that this Alexander was a base man borne named Prompalus and that hee was made by others to take this name vpon him and to say that he was Antiochus sonne Atalus king of Asia Ptolome Philometor king of Egypt and Ariarathes king of Capadocia counselled Prompalus to inuade Demetrius kingdome which was done and a battell giuen in the which Demetrius was slaine after he had reigned tenne yeeres Now after Alexander had the victorie of Demetrius he claimed to be the king of Syria by succession fayning himselfe to be Antiochus Eupators sonne hee maried Cleopatra king Philometors daughter of Egypt the mariage was celebrated in the Citie of Ptolemais This Alexander was not ayded by these kings for any great affection they bare him but for the hatred they had towardes Demetrius who was so ambitious proude and cruell in the beginning of his reigne that these three kings of Egypt of Asia and Arabia had susteined losse and harme before Demetrius was ouerthrowen by Alexander he had two sonnes whom hee sent with great treasures to a friende of his named Gindius to auoide the daunger of the warres the elder of them was named Demetrius after his fathers name who hearing of his fathers death and of the riot and lust of this Alexander a man giuen to al vices and wickednesse came into Syria being aided by the king of Creete and possessed certeine Cities in Syria he appointed his generall one Appolonius who too much trusting his owne force and courage was in the first battell by Ionathas ouerthrowen Ptolome within a short time came with a great armie to see his sonne in lawe in Syria to whom all the cities opened their gates to welcome their king of Egypt they rather thinking that hee came to make peace betweene Demetrius and Alexander but Ptolome imagined howe hee might deceiue them both for a kingdome hee placed his souldiers in diuers Cities of Syria and because Alexander was then in Cicilia hee tooke occasion to offer him warres by taking his daughter away from him whome hee gaue in mariage againe to Demetrius Alexander hearing that his wife was taken from him and maried to Demetrius his mortall enemie summoned his father in lawe to battell wherein he had the ouerthrowe and was forced to flie to Arabia where Alexander was taken and slaine and his head sent by the king of Arabia to Egypt to king Ptolome Thus was Prompalus otherwaies named Alexander throwen downe from the throne of his kingdome deceiued by fortune and reuenged by iustice This reward he had to faine him selfe Antiochus sonne and falsely to alter his name from Prompalus vnto Alexander that Ptolome who ayded him to the kingdome and gaue his daughter in mariage to him the same Ptolome
droue him out of the kingdome and had both his head and his crowne giuen him But Philometor enioyed not long these great honors for within three dayes after he had receiued Alexanders head Ptolome died so long he ware the crowne of Syria When the Syrians heard that Alexander was dead in Arabia and Ptolome dead in Egypt they slue all the souldiers of Ptolome which were left in garisons in the Cities of Syria and receiued Demetrius Nicanor to be their king which was Demetrius Soters sonne Nowe when Demetrius had recouered his kingdome againe he fel in short time in as great contempt with all men for his slouthfulnesse as his father before him was for pride and to auoide that fault he waged warres with the Parthians to whom he gaue two seuerall ouerthrowes by the aide of the Bactrians and the Persians but afterward he was taken and sent prisoner into Hircania to Arsaces king of Persia. While Demetrius was in these warres Ionathas the high priest was by deceipt slaine by Trypho also he slue young Antiochus ouer whom he was tutour and reigned three yeeres king in Syria Cleopatra Demetrius wife fearing the tyrannie of this Trypho and knowing her husband to bee captiue in Hircania shee maried Antiochus Soter her husbands brother shee being then in the citie of Seleucia Antiochus leuied an armie came to Syria pursued Trypho from whom reuoulted all his souldiers and he himselfe fled Antiochus possessed Syria quietly and calling to mind the pride of his father the slouthfulnesse of his brother for which faultes they were both hated of their subiects hee vsed great diligence and faire meanes to winne those cities which had reuoulted from his brother yet according to his predecessours the kings of Syria he beganne shortly after this good mind to molest Iudea he besieged Hircanus the high priest in Ierusalem but he tooke money and remoued his siege In the twelfth of his reigne Antiochus beganne to warre against Phrahartes king of the Parthiās leuied an armie of eightie thousand men Phrahartes had Demetrius the brother of Antiochus in custodie with him to whom his father Arsaces had promised him before he died to restore him to his kingdome and thereupon gaue his daughter in mariage The king of Parthia was ouerthrowen and driuen to slight in two or three battels leauing al Parthia wasted and spoyled by Antiochus In the meane time Demetrius was sent by Phrahartes to his kingdome while Antiochus was absent from Syria In this warres of Parthia Antiochus came to Babylon where many kings gaue him the meeting for hee waxed great and strong and there hearing that his brother Demetrius was commen to Syria from Parthia and was receiued againe to his kingdome he made haste to returne with his souldiers to Syria but Phrahartes had prepared an armie vpon the way to meete him and to giue him battell where Antiochus was slaine CHAP. III. Of the last destruction of Asia and Syria through their ciuill dissention and long warres one with another the onely cause of their bondage afterward to the Romanes vnder whom they liued as subiects and all Asia and Syria made Prouinces vnder Rome WHen the king of Parthia had the victorie hee much repented him that he let loose Demetrius but hee coulde not helpe it When Demetrius had bin from his kingdome thirteene yeeres captiue but with great honour for that he maried Arsases daughter king of Parthia his returne to Syria was in the sixe hundred twentie seuen yeere after the building of Rome and hee reigned afterward foure yeeres for in the fourth yeere after his returne from Parthia where hee had bene thirteene yeeres captiue he leuied an armie against Hircanus but Demetrius woonted and intollerable pride was such that the Syrians by no meanes coulde abide him and therefore they sent to Egypt to king Ptolome that he would appoint them a king of the blood and house of Seleucus Such were the maners of the Syrians that vpon any broile or diffidence they had in their king the kings of Egypt shoulde be their shield and defende them and by that meanes onely diuers kings of Egypt became kings of Syria The people of Syria hauing sent to Egypt Ptolome prepared Alexander Zebenna with a great hoste against Demetrius from whom most of his subiects reuoulted and therefore the easier to be vanquished as it came to passe in the very first battell betweene him and Zebenna This Zebenna was one Protarchus sonne a meane man and such a one as Prompalus was of whō you reade before These false pollices and craftie deuices are alwayes in courtes about kings and princes as in Macedonia a false Philip and after him againe a fained Perseus so in Syria a false Prompalus and after him a false Zebenna of whom reade the fable in Iustine and in Functius When this Alexāder Zebenna had ouercome Demetrius he enioyed the kingdome of Syria two yeres quietly but shortly he waxed so proud and arrogant that he litle esteemed king Ptolome who only made him king in Syria Ptolome hearing of these newes recōciled himselfe first to his sister Cleopatra who had bin maried to both the brethren Antiochus and Demetrius kings of Syria and straight after sent an armie to ayde Gryphus who was by his mother appointed king which gaue battel to Zebenna ouerthrew him and forced him to flee to Antioch where for want of money to pay his souldiers he robbed the temple of Iupiter from thence he was driuen by the countrie to take his flight Againe his souldiers forsooke him and left him he was taken and brought to Griphus and by commaundement slaine Nowe Griphus hauing obteined his fathers kingdome doubted nothing of his mother Cleopatras treason being busie in other affaires of his kingdome vntill hee was made acquainted with his mothers intent of whō he had some triall both towards his father whom shee betrayed being her husband his brother whō also she slue being her owne sonne her ambitions impietie was so found that when she offered a cuppe of drinke to her sonne the king she was cōmaunded to drinke the same her selfe and so the poyson with the which she thought to poyson her sonne was made to be her owne draught and her owne death After this Griphus reigned king in Syria eight yeeres very quiet before Cizicoenus his brother beganne to warre he was his brother by the mother side borne by his vncle Antiochus Sedetes while the state of Syria was thus afflicted with continuall warres betweene brethren and brethrens children Ptolomeus Physcon died who left behinde him the kingdome to his wife and to his sonne of whō I haue entreated in the historie of Egypt But now the ciuill warres being in Syria betweene Antiochus Griphus Demetrius Nicanors sonne and Antiochus Cizicenus Antiochus Sedetes sonne though they were brethrē by the mothers side cousin germaines by the fathers yet their
ambition was such to the kingdom of Syria that they forgate fraternitie in blood fel to strokes one persecuting the other with cōtinual warres sundry battels vntil at lēgth Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the treacherie of Herodianus in the 662. yere after the building of Rome in the 29. yere of his reigne I remēber a history in Dionisius Halicarnassaeus in the which historie Rome is much commended in respect of other countries as Persia Greece Maccdonia Syria Asia kingdoms of ciuil warres the very cause of their ruine but in Rome no ciuil warre was knowen no mutinie no discord was seene for 620. yeres frō the time of Romulus the first king of Rome vntill the time of Tiberius Gracchus which was the first that died in an vprore which he himselfe beganne But while these ciuill warres endured in Syria Masinissa king of Numidia was occupied in Affrike hauing great wars betweene the Carthagineans the Numidians Aristonicus also the sonne of Attalus king of Pergamus brother to that valiant king Eumenes inuaded Asia as his owne kingdom fallen to him by succession of his father At that time reigned in Bythinia Nicomedes in Pōtus Mithridates the sōne of that great Mithridates who held warres with the Romanes of a long time About this time began the sects of people in Iudea the Pharises the Saduces and Esseni Of these Iosephus writeth beside we reade of them in the new Testament In the time of Antiochus Griphus Mecypsa king of Numidia died who left 3. sonnes behind him named Adherbalis Hiempsalis Iugurtha of this Salust maketh mention in the warres of Iugurth which warre happened in this time of Griphus for Marius the Romane Consul about this time triumphed ouer Iugurth Pompey the great was borne about the time of that triumph Lucretius the Poet also But I will come to Syria where after king Antiochus was slaine his sonne Seleucus succeeded him this prepared to reuenge his father vpon his vncle gathered his force gaue him battel and slue his vncle Antiochus Cizicoenus whose sōne reuēged vpō his cousin his fathers death he gaue him battel ouerthrewe him droue him out of Syria to Cicilia where hee was burned in his owne house and all his friendes with him Skant was this mischiefe done but straight another folowed Seleucus brother named Antiochus folowed fast Cizioenus sōne and slue him with all his armie Then Philip the third brother of Seleucus tooke much of the kings treasure and went priuately and dwelled in a part of Syria vntill that Ptolome who by his owne mother before that time was expelled out of Egypt though afterwarde hee was receiued king againe in the 663. yeere after the building of Rome This I say brought the fourth brother of Seleucus named Demetrius Eucerus to Damascus where hee was crowned king who ioyned with Philip ouerthrew Antiochus their brother and the eldest after Seleucus This murthering one another in Syria with such tyrannie and bloody treason betweene brethren and brethrens children that all the kings of Syria euen from Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king of Syria vntill Philip the seuenteenth king no forraine enemies needed to inuade Asia but one king destroyed an other by ciuill warres About this time Cneus Pompeius father to the great Pompe subdued the Picents and the Marsies and Silla ouercame the Samnites Betweene this Silla and Marius beganne a great quarrell about the warres of Mithridates these two though they did much good to their Countrie and were equal to the best yet they past al men in offence and harme towards Rome so that they onely were the two fire brandes of Italie Mithridates king of Pontus inuaded Asia obiected himselfe against the Romanes but Silla who at that time triumphed ouer all the countries and almost ouer Rome staied Mithridates Lucullus waged warres this time with the Parthians Nicomedes king of Bithinia in those dayes died and made the Romanes his heire as Attalus king of Asia did Mithridates Nowe Philip and Demetrius two brethren reigned the last kings of Syria of the blood of Seleucus which reigned not long for Demetrius went against Alexander king of the Iewes by whom he and his company were vanquished and driuen out of Iudea Demetrius being thus expulsed gathered those scattered souldiers which Alexander king of Iudea dispearsed and laid siege to the citie of Berea where his brother Philip lay where Demetrius was taken by the Parthiās sent to Parthia to be kept as a prisoner where he died After that Demetrius was sent to Parthia Philip came out of Beroea entred into Antioch and obteined the whole kingdom of Syria into his owne hand but he was shortly vanquished ouerthrowen by Gabinius the Romane The Syrians were cōpelled by this ciuil warre to cōmit themselues to forraine kings to auoid the tyrāny which lōg endured betweene the kings of Syria so that both the kings the kingdom of Syria were at the last breath some willing to call Mithridates king of Pontus some Ptolome king of Egypt and some Tygranes king of Armenia At length they made a choise of Tygranes to be their king the rather for the societie of the Parthiās the affinitie of Pōtus which were the next kingdōs vnto Armenia While these brethrē Philip Demet. were at variance such an earthquake was in Syria that 170000. men perished thereby many cities laid prostrate to the groūd Tygranes gouerned the Syrians 18. yeeres quietly without any warre or busines though in deede diuers there were that hoped for a day specially Antiochus Cizicoenus which all this time lay close in Cicilia Tygranes had thought to subdue Palestina and so after some leasure to warre vpō Iuda but hearing that Lu. Lucullus after that Mithridates was by the said Lucullus conquered marched forward into Armenia Tygranes was driuē to forsake Syria in al haste to returne to defend his owne coūtrie where he was ouercome in two or three great battels and at length taken in his chiefe citie called Artaxa Nowe Tygranes could not returne to Syria but he was led captiue to the Romanes by Pompei the great who after that wēt in person into Syria brought it to the forme gouernment of a prouince for that Syria as Plutarch saith wanted a lawfull king He made a prouince of Syria to the Romane Empire he cōquered al Iurie builded certeine cities in Iudea this very time M. Crassus with his sonne with all his armie was ouerthrowen and slaine in Parthia Likewise Iulius Caesar came into England called then Brittaine and conquered it at what time reigned in Brittaine Cassibelane who after two or three repulses giuen to Caesar yeelded consented to pay tribute At the cōming of Pompe into Syria Diodorus Siculus a great writer wēt to Egypt where he wrote in a booke of his the antiquitie of the Egyptiās About this time Titus Liuius the historiographer
and Horace the Poet were borne but the historie of the kings of Syria is set forth with the kings of Israel and Iuda and also in the Machabees for in the sacred histories of the scripture much mencion is made of the kings of Aram by the names of Aram Soba Aram Padan Aram Damasci Aram Naharaim by the which names Syria is better described in Genesis in the Kings in Paralipomenon and in Deuteronomiū then by Ptolome Strabo Pomponius Mela or Solinus for the kings of Aram which is Syria haue diuers names in Scripture as Aram Naharaim which is that part of Syria which is betweene Euphrates and Tygris the region thereof is called Mesopotamia reade the 3. of the Iudges Likewise Aram Padan which is a coūtrie in Mesopotamia often taken for al Mesopotamia where Iacob mēcioneth of Rahels death his wife when he came from Padan Aram. Againe Aram Damasci where Benadad king of Aram being sicke sent Hazael to the man of God Elisha to knowe whether Benahad should recouer his health To be short Aram Macat Aram Soba Aram Rhohab and Aram Damasci are regions and countries in Mesopotamia Coelosyria in the higher Syria farre from Perela and Galaad the countrie of Ruben and Gad and of the halfe tribe of Manasses But these names of Syria were long before any prophane writer wrote of Syria fewe prophane histories were before king Philips time Alexander the great his father all true antiquities are conteined in sacred histories in Moses in the Chronicles of the kings of Israel and Iuda and in the Prophets late writers began in the time of Cyrus to write of the Monarchies of Persia of the Greciās and of the Romanes of whom Daniel before had spoken and likewise gaue light vnto prophane writers to write their histories These kings of Aram then were the most cruell tyraunts and most furious enemies of Iudea of the people of God and of his Church likewise these last by the names of the kings of Syria which continued no longer then from Alexander the great which was the first vntill the time of Pompe the great which was the last that brought all Syria a prouince to the Romanes As God dealed with the kings of Aram in the behalfe of Iuda then so he wrought with the kings of Syria now in the behalfe of his Church who euer preuailed against all kingdomes of the world as God caused Senaheribs armie one to kill an other to the number of 185. thousande in one day and night So hee likewise raised one king against an other in Syria that from Antiochus the great vntill the last king there was nothing but killing and murthering in Syria for the tyraunt Antiochus Epiphanes his sonne after he fomed in blood died most miserably his sonne likewise Antiochus Eupator was slaine by his vncle Demetrius Demetrius was slaine by Alexander which fained himselfe to be Antiochus Epiphanes sonne Alexander was slaine by the king of Parthia and his head sent to Syria After Demetrius Nicanor was kept out of Syria by his owne brother Antiochus Sedetes this Sedetes was killed by Tryphon againe Tryphon was slaine quickly of his owne people Then Antiochus Gryphus Nicanors sonne and Antiochus Sedetes sonne killed one an other in such sort that Syria wanted heires of Seleucus house to be kings also Syria was brought so lowe and so poore by these ciuill warres that the Romanes prayed ouer them after they had reigned two hundred eightie nine yeeres and brought Syria a prouince subiect to Rome All the names of the kings of Syria and Asia since Alexander the great his time are these 1 Seleucus Nica. reigned 31. 2 Antiochus Soter 19. 3 Antiochus Theos 15. 4 Seleucus Gallinicus 20. 5 Seleucus Ceraunus 9. 6 Antiochus magnus 36. 7 Seleucus Philopator 12. 8 Antiochus Epiphanes 12. 9 Antiochus Eupator 2. 10 Demetrius Soter 10. 11 Alexander Prōpalus 5. 12 Demetrius Nicanor 2. 13 Antiochus Sedetes 3. 14 Trypho reigned 3. 15 Demetrius againe Nicanor 4. 16 Antiochus Griphus 29. 17 Antiochus Cizicoenus 18. 18 Philipus the sonne of Griphus 2. Functius doeth varie a litle from Iustine in the yeeres of these kings OF THE FIRST AFFRICAN warres betweene the Carthagineans and the Romanes which continued 24. yeeres and of the victories of the Romanes ouer them HAuing something entreated of the kings of Asia Syria and yet nothing so largely as the historie required howe be it the kings of Asia and Syria are spoken of both in sacred prophane histories haue also an intercourse betweene the kings of Assyria and of Egypt I will therefore passe to the kings of Affrike and Libya and speake of their warres with the Romanes This Countrie as Pomponius Mela describeth is on the East part bounded with the riuer Nilus inclosed North with the sea Libicke on the South with the Ethiopian sea and on the West with the Antlantike sea Affrike is shorter then Europe and farre lesser then Asia it is more in length then in breadth the breadth of Affrike is thirteene thousand furlōgs which is a thousand sixe hūdred miles and more the length as Strabo writeth is as much againe which is 3200 miles and all that part of Affrike which is beyond the Mores called the Nigrites Pharusians doe extend into Ethiope The Ethiopians possesse thence vnto the borders of Asia also the white Ethiopiās Libyaegyptiās dwelling aboue those places before recited then the Numidians and the Mores of whō the Mores extend to the Antlantike sea I thinke it a worke needles to describe Affrike more amplie then it is by Iulius Solinus Pōponius Mela written in Latine the rest is set forth by Strabo of whom for that hee writes more large I note him chiefely for mine authour dearth hapened amongst the Affricanes that the Romans could no longer remaine there but they returned to Rome with their victorious nauies in great pompe and glorie hauing 484. ships sailing in braue sort towards Rome with infinite wealth and treasure Beholde in the midst of this great pompe the euents of fortune a very great tempest rose so that they suffred such shipwracke about the coast of Sicile that scant were saued 80. ships of the 484. yet the inuincible and stoute courage of the Romanes were such that their minds were nothing dismayd with these missehaps though it was the very greatest shipwracke that euer the Romanes had or any other nation in the world New supplies and other captaines were straight appointed with 260. ships to take voyage to Affrike who likewise when they had wonne certaine cities and townes in Affrike returned to Rome with great spoile but sustained the like shipwracke againe The Senate finding these continual dangers of sailing and seafight thought good to forsake the sea and to fight vpon the land for hauing wonne the victories of foure battels vpon the sea with infinit treasures ouer the Affricanes they lost by three shipwracks
enemies hee tooke prisoners fiue thousand and eight Elephants and at that victorie as Eutropius sayth hee receiued vnder obeysance threescore and thirteene cities The losse was such to the Affricans that they desired peace of the Romanes which was denied by Regulus contrary to a Romanes nature which alwayes vsed al nations with great clemencie but Regulus gained nothing by this but shame and losse for the Carth◅ineans desired the ayde of the Lacedemonians which with all diligence sent a band of men with one Xantippus through whose meanes Regulus was ouercome in the next battell where the Romanes had a great ouerthrowe by the onely seueritie and too much insolencie of Regulus The Affricanes slue thirtie thousand Romanes and tooke prisoners fifteene thousand and Regulus himselfe was taken and cast into prison Thus hee that triumphed ouer Affrike with great fame and commendations lyeth nowe a captiue in a dungeon at the disposition of the Affricanes The Romanes hearing of these newes they presently sent M. Aemilius Paulus which passed ouer into Affrike with a nauie of three hundred sailes the battell was renued and fought vpon the sea with such courage of the Romanes that they sunke a hundred and foure shippes of their enemies tooke thirtie shippes and all the men within them slue and tooke prisoners besides fifteene thousand with the spoyle of Affricanes Aemilius enriched his souldiers All Affrike had beene conquered this time had not such either of warre or of peace gremio togae excusso pronounced openly publike warres to the Affricanes In the meane time the Saguntines famished yet some writers report that Saguntum endured 8. moneths siege as Plutarch and Liuie affirme The taking of this citie was a great furtherance to Hanibals enterprises The Romanes hearing of these newes deuided the prouinces betweene the two Consuls Publius Cornelius to Spaine and Titus Sempronius to Affrike and Sicilia and then the Romanes sent certaine of the noblest men of Rome to Carthage to pronounce open warre to the Carthagineans which was as brauely receiued as it was lustily offered Hanibal hearing of this preparation in Rome he left Asdrubal in Spaine and himselfe passed ouer the mountaines Pyrenei making his way where no way was as yet ouer the Alpes Eutropius reporteth that Hanibal brought with him to Italy 80. thousand footemen twentie thousand horsemen and 37. elephants Hanibal had great hope that the Ligurians and the Frenchmen would ayde him which in deede came to passe as hee expected Sempronius Gracchus conueyed his armie foorth of Sicilia Scipio in the meane time encountred with Hanibal but he was discomfited his men put to flight and Scipio himselfe returned wounded to his tents In like maner the other Consul fought with him at the riuer Trebia was ouerthrowen and escaped hardly himselfe Thus Hanibal got the victorie of both the Consuls yet it cost Hanibal the setting on for he lost many of his men and the most part of his elephants After this battel Hanibal ouercame all the countrey and did put all to fire and sworde whereupon diuers in Italy for feare yeelded themselues to Hanibal There were at that time fiue and twentie thousand Romanes slaine and the residue fled Flaminus the Consul at that very time was also slaine by Hanibal at the lake Thracimene which is in Perusia who had the charge of Sempronius place The Romans hearing of those hard newes appointed Fabius Maximus generall against Hanibal a graue wise man and of great authoritie and estimation with the people of Rome this Fabius by tracting the time and dalying brake the violence and force of Hanibal and thereby gaue him oftentimes the ouerthrow Hanibal vsed kinds of policies to draw Fabius to fight who remoued his campe frō citie to citie and from place to place with such furie and rage to see the delay of Fabius that Hanibal lost more then he wanne during the time of Fabius Of this it is written Cunctando restituit rem By this time there were two other created consuls in Rome Luc. Aemilius and Pub. Terentius Varro these succeeded Fabius but not with such good successe nor with the like fortune as Fabius had for Fabius aduertised both the consuls that they could neuer ouercome Hanibal but by prolonging to fight how be it light heads wil folow no counsel as it came to passe by the rashnesse of Varro contrary to the mind of the other consul who ioyned battell with Hanibal hard by a litle village in Apulia named Cannes where the Romanes had the greatest discomfiture that euer they had for in this battel the Affricans slew as Liui saith 40. thousand footmen and 2700. horsemen Plutarch saith that there were slaine 50. thousand footemen and 14. thousand taken prisoners Aemilius the consul slaine and to the nomber of 20. others of the order of consul and Pretors Againe in this great ouerthrow there were taken and slaine of the Senators 30. of noblemen and gentlemen 800. After that battel many cities in Italy which were before vnder the obeysance of the Romanes fell from them to Hanibal from that battell of Cannes Hanibal sent to Carthage 3. bushels ful of rings chaines which were pluckt from the necks and hands of the gentlemen Senators and souldiers of the Romans Thus Hanibal had such good successe in the beginning of his warres hauing subdued the Saguntines ouerthrowen the Romanes at the riuer Trebia slaine the consull Flaminius and the most part of his armie at the lake Thrasimene then the great slaughter and murther of the Romanes now at Cannes yet the Romans neuer quailed for al this their stout minds were such that they could not heare of peace the Romanes were neuer more valiant then when they were cōquered their courage their magnanimitie noble vertues were most seene in their aduersitie Now while Hanibal florished thus in Italy like a cōquerour his brother Asdrubal whom he left behind him in Spaine sustained a great ouerthrow by the two Scipios in which battel he lost 35. thousand men Now in the 4. yere after that Hanibal inuaded Italy Marcellus was sent against Hanibal who in truth fought with good fortune at Nola a citie of Campania and made Hanibal to forsake Nola with all his armie By this time Hanibal had gotten many cities frō the Romanes in Apulia and Calabria the fame of Hanibal was such that all the world spake of it for Philip king of Macedon sent to offer ayd to Hanibal against the Romanes the messengers were apprehended by the Romans and the whole matter knowen whereupon the Romans sent 4. generals at one time to 4. seueral places in Italy against Hanibal in Macedonia against king Philip in Spaine against Asdrubal Hanibals brother and in Sardinia against a Carthaginean captaine called also Asdrubal who was taken by Tit. Manlius the proconsul who slew besides of the Affricanes 12. thousand and tooke 1500. prisoners
were ouerthrowen yet in Numidia vsurped Iugurth the kingdome who after he had slaine both his brethren Adherbal Hiempsal thought to withstand the iustice reuenge of the Romanes herein for king Myrpsa who succeeded Masinissa left these three sonnes Iugurth Adherbal and Hiempsal all these were friendes to the Romanes therefore the Senate sent Calphurnius the Consul with an army but he was corrupted with money by king Iugurth gaue him and concluded such a peace as contented not the Romanes and therefore it was foorthwith infringed Then Albinus Posthumus was sent the next yeere who likewise had no good successe for that he cōmitted the battell to his brothers guiding who fought against the Numidians very vnfortunately The Romanes being not a litle offended with these newes sent the third time Quintus Cecilius Metellus who with his wisedome sobrietie and courage discomfited Iugurth in many battels of the which reade Salust of the warres of Iugurth This Metellus ouerthrewe him and tooke all his Elephants and nowe when Metellus was at the point to haue finished this victorie ouer Iugurth Caius Marius came from the Senat and succeded him he most easely ouercame both Iugurth king of Numidia Bochus king of Mauritania who assisted Iugurth in this warre against the Romans yet Eutropius saith that both Metellus and Marius had triumphes graunted them by the Senatours ouer Iugurth After Iugurth we reade nothing worth the memorie in Affrike In the later ende of this third warre there were fiue triumphes together at Rome one by Marcus Iunius who vanquished the Danes in Fraunce the second by Minutius Rufus who ouercame the Scordicians Triballians in Macedonia the third by S. Cepio who subdued the Portugals in Spaine and the two other triumphes which Metellus and Maurius had ouer Iugurth And thus ended the third and last warres in Affrike which continued foure yeeres Of this Affricane warres there are many writers as Polibius Liuius Appian Eutropius Melancthon others but of the people their countrie their cities their maners and antiquitie reade the 17. booke of Strabo where you shal reade of Affrike and Libya at large I did nothing but briefely runne ouer the historie tooke of euery writer herein so much as I thought good to finish the historie and the rather for that it is a knowen historie to many Thus from the beginning of the first warre vntill the ende of the last warre are accompted a hundred and eight yeres so long they continued in warres against the Romanes at length all were brought vnder the Romanes as were of Affrike habitable So the Romanes had of all Europe dominion sauing of some dwelling beyonde the riuer Ister and of some others that dwell betweene the riuer of Rheine and Tanais euen so had they the gouernment ouer all Asia sauing the Scythians the Indians and the Bactrians which the Romanes made no great accompt of being so barbarous people and so farre from them OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF olde Italie first called Ianicula and then Saturnia of the beginning of the Kings of the Latines the first kingdome of Italie of their lawes and gouernments from Faunus vntill Aeneas and from Aeneas vntill Romulus NOwe to the greatest and last Monarchie of the worlde I meane the Romanes which by Daniel is also set foorth as the other three before for Macedonia Greece and Italie are by the name of Isles named where Iaphet and his offspringes tooke first possession for Iauan the sonne of Iaphet which of Melancthon is supposed to bee of prophane writers called Ianus with his foure sonnes Elisha Tharsis Kittim and Dodanim inhabited first the Isles of the Gentiles which were diuided in their landes euery man after his tongue and after their families in their Nations Of this Kittim the Prophet Isai speaketh and also Ieremie in this sort to the rebellious Iewes Ite in Cedar insulam Kittim c. Goe ye into the Isles of Kittim farre off take diligent heede and see whether such things be there they change not their goddes but Israel haue changed me for idoles This Kittim is mencioned often times in the Prophets and in the booke of Nombers where it is saide The shippe shall come from the coastes of Kittim and subdue Ashur and shall subdue Eber and againe in Ezechiel The companie of the Assyrians haue made their banckes of Iuorie brought out of the Isles of Kittim so that by Kittim is meant Greece and Italie by the best learned Diuines and so expounded by the 72. interpreters for Moses doth warrant these antiquities concerning the fiue sonnes of Sem that from Elam the eldest sonne of Sem the Persians haue their beginning from Assur the second sonne of Sem the Assyrians from Arphaxad the third sonne the Chaldeans from Aram the Syrians euen so from the posteritie of Cham the Egyptians Ethiopians and Libyans and from the children of Iaphet the most part of Europe and of lesser Asia But howe grosly and howe foolishly doe prophane Historiographers erre in their fabulous antiquities which with fained false and strange names oppose themselues against the propheticall histories for the Iewes committed to their superstitious Rabbies all knowledge the Egyptians to their fabulous priests the Persians to their insolent Magi the Greekes euen to their owne fancies following their imaginations in all their histories that of all men they are reprehended and the crie of all Chronicles against them naming it Graecia mendax Graeci pueri fabulosi and therefore Kittim is the warrant for the antiquitie of the Italians as Chus is for the antiquitie of the Ethiopians and Lud for the Lydians and so of the rest And therefore I will returne to old Italie which had diuers names as Ianicula of Ianus whom the Greekes call Oynotria Camesena of Cameses Saturnia of Saturnus Hesperia of Hesper and Italia of Italus the which to write particularly I should but gather fables together of which Fabius Pictor is full Iulius Solinus sayth that Italie is set forth by so many and specially by M. Cato that there can be nothing written but the diligence offormer authours haue preuented i◅ for the description thereof reade Solinus and Strabo therefore I leaue to the Iewes their Talmudistes full of lies to the Egyptians their priestes full of fables to the Greekes their innouacions and inuentions full of vncerteintie and so foorth of others for if I should write what I finde of the antiquitie of olde Italie by them that were neuer in Italie by 2000 miles I meane Berosus of Babylon and 10. Annius I should be but tedious From Ianus first comming into Italie which was by them thought to be Noah vntill Cameses time is 141. yeres so long Italie was called Ianicula from Cameses which was in Ninus time vntill Italus or Hesperus two brethren 430. yeeres during which time Italie was called Camisena or Saturnia for that these two reigned
kings in Italie at one time From this Italus whom the Greekes called Atlas and by whō the countrie was named Italia from which time to the last destruction of Troy were 454. yeeres from the ruine of Troy to the building of Rome foure hundred and thirtie yeeres So long Italie was by the Thuscans Hetrurians Samnites Sabines Fidenats Vuiens Volscans Latines with others inhabited before the name of the Romanes were knowen for first in Italie dwelt Greekes Arcadians Salentines Lacedemonians Cicilians Rutilians with many more nations as Myrsilus a Lesbian writer doth note of the which Annius in his institutions of the antiquitie of Etruria of their lawes and gouernment during the time of their magistrates called Lucumones hath more then is necessarie written In like maner Fab. Pictor a noble learned Romane of the stocke and house of Fabians endeuoured with all his studie to proue the antiquitie of olde Italie from Ianus time which he most surely accompted to be olde Noah attributing to the Thuscans so much as Annius before In his first booke hee entreateth from Ianus and Saturnus time vntill Romulus time in his second booke from Romulus forwarde for all agree that the late Romanes after Romulus time haue had their discipline their religion their lawes their diuination and all such ceremonies from the Hetruscans The like traueile M. Cato in in his fragments De originibus tooke the like paine as the before named Annius and Fab. Pictor did for the antiquitie of olde Italie I will come therefore to the kings of the Latines which were the first kings that wee reade of in Italie where reigned before Aeneas comming to Italie fiue kings as Ruffinus affirmeth but as Annius Fabius Pictor and M. Cato reigned twelue kinges and from Aeneas vntill the time of Romulus sixteene kinges reigned of the which briefely I meane to speake a litle setting downe the names of their kinges the number of the time that they reigned and for that Aeneas was prima Imperij Romani origo the first beginning and the originall of the Romane Empire and the onely authour of gens Iulia from whence Iulius Caesar Augustus and the Emperours of Rome come off I will therefore set downe the time of his comming into Italie his continuance and his posteritie after him vntill Romulus time the first builder and founder of Rome Aeneas after the Greekes had taken Troy hauing gathered the noblest and best men with all the strength and treasures of Troy tooke the Castle Ilion for his defence vntill hee perceiued that hee coulde not resist the violence of the Grecians determined to escape the enemies and to sende some of the best before with abundance of treasures to mount Ida and there to tarie vntill Aeneas and the rest sawe their time to escape which being perfourmed they departed from Ida tooke the sea Helespont into Thracia from Thracia to Macedonia as Beroaldus affirmeth from Macedonia to Cicilia from thence into Italie where then Latinus reigned King of the Countrie with whom the Rutiles people dwelling at Ardea a Towne distant from Rome a hundred and three score furlongs held warre Of this Latinus Aeneas was so enterteined and his armie that hee graunted Aeneas a place to inhabite not farre from Laurentum where Latinus might vse Aeneas aide in this warre Aeneas builded a Towne for his ayde against the Rutiles and named it after his wifes name Lauinium for hee grewe in such fauour with king Latinus then being in warres with Mexentius and with others that after two or three ouerthrowes by the Troianes giuen to Mexentius king of Tyrrhenum and to Turnus king of the Rutiles who shoulde haue maried Lauinia before Aeneas for that shee was espoused to Turnus first Aeneas good successe in warres was such being king ouer all the Troians and so named of his souldiers that Latinus gaue his daughter heire of the kingdom to Aeneas that after Latinus was slaine in battell Aeneas was the right and lawfull king of the Latines where he reigned three yeeres and died leauing his sonne Ascanius to succeede him king of the Latines Nowe before Aeneas time reigned fiue kings ouer the Latines by the names of Ianus Saturnus Picus Faunus Latinus the sixt Aeneas These kings reigned about 150. yeeres in Italie before Aeneas came to Laurentum which was about the time of Dauid who beganne his kingdome in the foure hundred thirtie foure yeere after that the Israelites left Egypt in the beginning of the eight Iubilee Yet Annius in his Chronicles of the Hetruscanes saith that after Hesperus died his brother succeeded him named Italus in Vetulonia the chiefe Towne at that time in Italie this Italus had a daughter named Roma who builded Capua in Latio in the place where nowe Rome is builded vpon the one side of mount Auentine as Fabius Pictor affirmeth in his booke De origine Vrbis Romae this doeth Annius set downe in this sort 1 Roma reigned in Latio yeeres 46. 2 After Roma her sonne Romanessus 79. 3 After him Picus Priscus 57. 4 After Picus Faunus Priscus 30. 5 After Fannus his daughter Agilla 54. 6 Then reigned Vulcanus 36. 7 After Mars surnamed Ianus iunior 23. 8 After Ianus succeeded Seculus surnamed Saturnus 36. 9 Picus Iunior 34. 10 Fannus Iunior 24. 11 Latinus Aeneas father in lawe 38 12 And after Latinus reigned Aeneas as his heire maried to his daughter 3. In this both Annius and Fabius Pictor do agree which yeres amount to 454. yeeres that Aeneas predecessors reigned before the destruction of Troy and before he was king of the Latines Of this Roma which was Italus daughter Rome was first named as Sempronius in his booke of the diuision of Italie affirmeth and sayth further that Romulus had his name giuen by the place named Roma and not Roma from Romulus But Ruffinus and Functius sayth that Ascanius beganne his kingdome ouer the Latines when Samson was Iudge in Israel in the sixt Iubilee after Moses which is an hundred yeeres before Dauids kingdome But omitting controuersies Ascanius being in quiet possession of the kingdome hee caused a monument to be erected vp in maner and sort like an arche or a pillar whereupon he caused this sentence to bee written rounde about that monument as followeth Patri deo Indigeti qui Numici amnis vndas temperat This pillar is made and consecrated to the god of the Latines who hath power and soueraigntie ouer the riuer Numicus Some say that Aeneas made this in memorie of his father Anchises other say it was Ascanius doing in memorie of his father Aeneas who vanished away at the riuer Numicus others say that the Latines did it in remembrance of their last king Latinus but howe so euer it is a graue there is as Halicarnassaeus sayth that it is composed fine and artificially made of wood and stone in most curious maner but I will be briefe and omitte these
things and will as I haue promised onely set downe the names of the kings of the Latines 2 Ascanius Aeneas sonne reigned after his father the second king of the Latines this Ascanius had a sonne named Iulus of whome doeth Gens Iulia spring out Ascanius is called in Halicar Eurilion who reigned twentie eight yeres 3 After Ascanius succeeded Syluius a brother of Ascanius a sonne vnto Aeneas by Lauina king Latinus daughter whom Aeneas left great with childe when he died she for feare of Ascanius hidde her selfe in mountaines and in wooddes vntill she was brought to bed and therefore her sonne was named Syluius after which name all the kings of the Albans were named Syluij this reigned king after Ascanius Iulus which was Ascanius sonne who became a priest and a religious man vnto the gods which vntill the time of Augustus the familie and stocke of Iulia remained and continued as great Bishops named mag ni Pontifices or else as high priests named summi Sacerdotes amōg the Romanes the onely men of great renowme and fame This Syluius reigned twentie nine yeeres and dyed and left behinde him Aeneas Syluius 4 Aeneas Syluius reigned thirtie one yeeres and left behind him a sonne named Latinus Syluius the fifth king of the Latines 5 Latinus reigned after his father fiftie yeeres and left behind a sonne named Alba Syluius which was the sixt king of the Latines 6 Syluius Alba reigned thirtie nine yeeres 7 After him succeeded Capetus Syluius the seuenth king of the Latines 24. yeeres Eusebius named this king Atyn Eutrop. lib. 1. doeth call him Epidum so doeth Ouid in Metamorph lib. 14. 8 Capetus left behind him Capis Syluius the 8. king of the Latines who reigned 28. yeeres of this king Capua a Citie in Italie was first builded 9 After this succeded Calpetus Syluius the ninth king of the Latines who reigned thirteene yeeres and left behinde him a sonne named Tiberinus 10 Tiberinus the tenth king of the Latines reigned 8. yeres and was slaine in a battell fought by the riuer Albula some say that he was drowned in Albula and therefore the riuers name was altered and named Tiber after the name of Tiberinus which is that riuer that runneth through Rome this Tiberinus left a sonne to succeede him called Agrippa Syluius 11 Agrippa Syluius reigned fourtie yeeres being the eleuenth king of the Latines 12 Alladius Syluius the twelfth king of the Latines succeeded Agrippa and reigned nineteene yeeres whom Eutrop doeth call Remus Syluius a wicked man and a cruell tyraunt vsing many horrible attempts against God therefore was worthely slaine by a thunder boult for he went about to make the people beleeue that hee was a God hee would gape and receiue the lightning into his mouth but he and all his house was therewith consumed 13 After him succeeded the thirteenth king of the Latines which was named Auentinus Syluius which reigned thirtie seuen yeeres of this king mount Auentine one of the seuen hilles in Rome was named for that this king Auentinus was buried there This time reigned Amazias king of Iuda brother to Amos Isaiah his father at what time reigned in Assyria Sardanapalus their last king 14 Procus Syluius succeeded the fourteenth king of the Latines which reigned twentie three yeeres who left the kingdome to his eldest sonne Numitor Syluius and left to his other younger sonne money and great wealth but this Amulius draue his elder brother Numitor out of his kingdome and Numitor was constrained like a priuate man to leade his life in the Countrie Amulius hauing vsurped vpon his brother studied to roote out and to make an end of his brothers house to bee the surer in his kingdome but hee was slaine in the Towne of Alba by Romulus who came of the body of Numitor by his daughter Rhea and as Annius doeth write begotten of Amulius his vncle by whom the kingdome of Alba descended vnto Romulus and was the seuenteenth king from Aeneas This I haue laide downe as I founde in Annius and Halicarnassaeus worde by word whereunto agree Fabius Pictor and M. Cato in his fragments CHAP. I. Of the first building of Rome by Romulus of his gouernment lawes and appointing of Magistrates after he had founded the citie of his warres with the Sabines of his conquestes and victories ouer these Sabines Fidenats and of his triumph ouer king Acron IWill omit to write of the prophane antiquitie of the Tuscans and of their chiefe citie Hetruria of whom you may reade Sempronius M. Cato Fabius Pictor and many others where you may satisfie your selues of many such fables as are to bee founde in prophane histories and therefore I will begin the historie of Rome frō the Latines and so briefly passe vnto Romulus the first builder and first king of Rome whose lineall race descended from the kings of the Latines in the which kingdome reigned successiuely sixteene kings before Romulus builded Rome from Aeneas time as in the histories of the kings of the Latines is declared And nowe in what Olympiad Rome was builded the Chronicles crie out one against another in such sort that some say that Rome was builded in the fift Olympiad some in the sixt Olympiad some in the eight some in the ninth and some in the twelfth Olympiad But the best agree that Rome was builded in the seuenth Olympiad for yet prophane histories were not acquainted with the actions of time for fewe or none wrote in those dayes or within three hundred yeeres after for Rome in the beginning was but a little towne and so frō time to time encreased her Territories and enlarged her Confines first by Romulus pollicie in warres and secondarily by Numa Pompilius wisedome in religion and peace At what time Phul Assur reigned the second king of newe Assyria for now the monarchie of the Assyrians was takē away into Babylon after Sardanapalus time by Phul Belochus the father of this king for the kingdomes of newe Assyria or of Babylon of the Medes and of Macedonia began before the kingdome of Rome the space of one Iubilee which is but fiftie yeres and the kingdom of Lydia began 26. yeres before Rome in the first Olympiad Thus at one time almost fiue kingdomes begā their gouernment About the name of Rome diuerse opinions are some say that the Pelagians after they had ouercome the greatest part of the world and had subdued many nations in the end did stay there and named it Rome first some say that after the destructiō of Troy certaine Troians to saue themselues frō the sword with their wiues tooke sea were driuē by winde to the Thuscan shore neere to the riuer Tiber that one Roma a Troiane lady named Rome after her owne name others hold opinion that it was Romanus the sonne of Vlisses and of Circes that first named Rome other say otherwayes Reade Plutarch Fabius Pictor
and Cato of the sundry opinions of Rome you shall finde all in Halic Many fables are written concerning the name of Rome and as many about Romulus birth who as the best writers agree is the most likest to haue first named Rome This Romulus descended right from the line of the kings of Alba euen from Aeneas body which was the first king of the Latines that became king of Alba for so were the kings of Alba before Ascanius time named from whom Romulus by succession lineally issued The historic is knowen of the two brethren Numitor and Amulius the last kings of Alba these brethren agreeed by lotte for the kingdome to make diuision the one to haue the golde siluer iewels brought thither from Troy readie money and goodes which fell by lotte vnto Amulius and the other the kingdome which fell to Numitor. This had a daughter named Rhea of some named Syluia of others Ilia this was Romulus mother afterward though her vncle Amulius had put her to be one of the vestal virgins which by the law might not be maried before thirtie yeeres of age vnto whom Amulius had a speciall regard lest shee should haue children notwithstanding she was found with child against the profession of the vestall virgines and deliuered of two twinnes This put Amulius in great fright for the kingdome which for all his sleightes in seeking meanes to destroye these two twinnes he coulde not hinder one iote of Gods prouidence herein this Romulus grewe in time a goodly young man in height and strength passing all his people hee was holy and religious and much addicted to obserue diuinations and vnderstanding the lewde practises wicked intention of Amulius from time to time without cōsent of his graundfather Numitor they sluehim restored their graundfather Numitor into the kingdom of Alba and hauing many fugitiue slaues and banished men which came from diuers countries with Romulus Remus to kill Amulius they thought good to build them a citie in that place where they both were brought vp first at what time strife beganne betwixt Romulus and Remus the two brethren about the placing of Rome which coulde not agree before Romulus had slaine his brother Remus After whose death Romulus layde the first foundation of Rome the twentie one of April which day the Romanes kept holy and in memorie of the natiuitie of their countrie they kept a feast day which the olde Thuscanes kept before and vpon that day named the feast of Palilea yet some write that the foundation of Rome was laide by Romulus the thirtie of Aprill Eutropius the second day of May. But when he had builded Rome and situated the Citie vpon foure litle hilles to them three other litle hilles afterward were added whose names were written by Fabius Pictor in this sort The first Mount named the mount Tarpeius The second mount Quirinall The third mount Palatine The fourth mount Caelius The fifth mount Exquilinus The sixth mount Auentinus The seuenth mount Viminalis After Numitor his graundfather died the kingdom of Alba fell vnto Romulus by inheritance and after hee once builded Rome hee was also by common consent of all made king which Romulus refused before hee had seene some mysterie by diuination wherein Romulus was very expert but after that he had offered sacrifice vnto Iupiter and sawe light shining vpon the left hand towardes the right hand which among the olde Hetruscans were signes of good successe Romulus was perswaded by diuination to take the kingdome of Rome vpon him hee being king in his kingdome confirmed and made a lawe that no king shoulde be in Rome after him but such as by auguration had some happie tokens of his successe in gouernment this lawe continued not onely all the time of the Kings but also in the time of the Consuls it was obserued that no Consul nor Dictator shoulde be elected without consultation with Augurers according to Romulus lawe reade more in Halicar Nowe after that Romulus had builded Rome in this sort and had gotten the kingdome of Alba into his hande for now Numitor his graundfather died he diuided his best fighting and chosen men into two companies in euery one of these companies were three thousand footemen and three hundred horsemen which were called by the olde Romanes Legions After this hee instituted a common wealth hee ordeined a hundred counsellours which were named Patricians or Senators In the fourth moneth after Rome was builded Romulus faigned certeine playes in Rome to drawe people into the Citie whereby hee appointed by that meanes to entice the Sabines daughters and the women of Alba to come to Rome to see the playes at what time a number were rauished by Romulus and his souldiers the number of women which were thus rauished some say were but thirtie others say fiue hundred twentie seuen and others say sixe hundred eightie three of the which maides Romulus tooke but one onely to him selfe named as Plutarch calles her Hersilia a wise sober Virgine and who afterwarde was the mediation of peace betwixt the Romanes and Sabines and they say Talassiues was the watch worde giuen by Romulus to his men at that time when this rauishment shoulde bee executed which name was so much honoured amongst the olde Romanes as Hymeneus was amongst the Grecians For as the Greekes doe celebrate the feaste of Hymeneus and so honour him with songes at mariages euen so the olde Romanes vsed the like ceremonie of Talassiues when any Romane was maried in Greece they vsed songes to Hymeneus at the mariages in Rome songes named Talassion I referre them that woulde faine delight them selues with those matters to Fabius Pictor and to Plutarch and I wil briefely returne to the Romane histories which are long and large for that the Romanes of this litle poore beginning which you heard of I speake of Romulus a meane man in the beginning and of Rome a litle Towne at the first became so great in time that it deuoured and swallowed vp all the kingdomes of the worlde so Eutropius saith that the Romane Empire which at the first beginning thereof was the least of al other in processe of time became the most ample of all other Empires Now while Romulus deuised by al pollicie to make Rome of some fame Acron king of Ceminenses mistrusting the old enterprises of Romulus and fearing the like attempt as he did to the Sabines began to make hote and violent warres vpon him with a puissant army inuaded Romulus territories where Romulus met him couragiously and to auoide the slaughter of many a combat was betwixt the two kings in persons appointed in the which combat Romulus killed Acron ouerwhō he first triumphed gote the victorie This was the first battell that Romulus began with such good successe that he ouerthrew the Ceminenses the Antenates and the Crustumens being aided by Seuis king of Etruria Romulus to
discharge his vowe made to Iupiter made his triumph ouer these nations hanging the armour weapons of king Acron about the bowe of a yong oke which Romulus caried on his right shoulder marching on foote before the army towards the citie with a royal song of victory This was the first triumph of Romulus the first entry giuē into other triumphs that folowed presētly After this triumph of Romulus the Sabines could not forget their iniurie for their daughters and virgines rauished by Romulus but elected Tatius a gallant gentleman to be Generall of the Sabines and to reuenge the wrong done by Romulus Tatius besieged Rome that time one named Tarpeius was appointed captaine of the Castle whose daughter named likewise Tarpeia betrayed the whole Citie for a reward which Tatius promised some say that Tarpeia was Tatius daughter By this treason of Tarpia the Sabines entred Rome and great warre continued betwixt the Sabines the Romanes 3. yeres But in time betwixt Romulus and Tatius peace was concluded and they both together reigned ioyntly and gouerned Rome fiue yeeres Tatius dwelling by mount Tarpeius afterwarde called the Capitoll and Romulus on mount Palatium but within a while in this fiue yeere Tatius was slaine and Romulus gouerned himselfe and ouercame the Antenates the Veients and other nations triumphed ouer them the second time And when that Romulus had reigned thirtie seuen yeres after three seuerall triumphes he died of whose death diuerse opinions are of Romulus assencion into heauen in the sight of Proclus and of a voyce heard he should be called Quirinus after his death reade Plutarch concerning his vanishing away and concerning his whole life Romulus strength his whole force exceeded not aboue two thousand footemen and not three hundred horsemen when he beganne his kingdome in Rome but when Romulus died hee left fourtie sixe thousand footemen and a 1000. horsemen During the time of Romulus gouernment reigned in Assyria Salmanasser 10. yeres by whō Samaria was subdued the 10. tribes of Israel caried captiue into Babylon Also Senaherib his sonne reigned after his father seuen yeeres he likewise wasted and spoyled Iudea in the time of king Ezechias vntill hee was vanquished al his armie to the number of a hundred twentie sixe thousand In Lydia reigned two kings during Romulus time Haliagtes the 2. king and Meles the 3. king In the beginning of the Romans kingdom the third kind of gouermēt begā in Athens after 17. kings gouernment then after 13. Iudges Now beganne the thirde alteration of the state called Decennales principes a magistrate that should continue tenne yeeres in office and then another elected into his roume Now in that time that Romulus raigned beganne in Rome diuers kinds of magistrats and officers lawes and orders were by Romulus appointed for the better gouernment of the citie of Rome as Senators Tribunes Aediles Celeres and diuers other sacred and religious offices as Flamines Bishops Foeciales Salij vestal Nunnes southsayers and others the right vse of their offices being not knowen to the reader vnlesse he be wel read in histories I haue orderly as they were appointed by Romulus here set downe as many magistrates officers and offices as were in Rome by Romulus first instituted during his raigne After that Romulus had builded Rome after the death of his brother Remus he made these many lawes 1. First he deuided the whole company of the multitude into three tribes and hee deuided the three tribes into 30. partes which were called Curiae 2. Then he elected one chiefe magistrate to gouerne Rome in his absence which was named Praefectus vrbis as Viceroy or as lieuetenant to Romulus as Iulius Caesar and Augustus 750. yeeres after Romulus time vsed the like 3. Romulus made a choise of 300. stoute and valiant souldiours called Celeres and a captaine ouer them called Tribunus Celerum these were Romulus gard the Tribune was as Esquire of the body or as captaine of the gard to defend him from any sudden assault and readie to execute the kings commandement 4. Romulus appointed 12. men officers called Lictores that should carie tipstaues or rods to make roume and way before the king 5. Hee also appointed after them 12. othermen called Caduceatores which were appointed next the kings person before him to carie axes or mases as Serieants at armes an office of great antiquitie in all countreys of the world for we reade in Homer that Agamemnon sent a Serieant at armes called Talthubius to arrest Achilles for his absēce in the warres and for his disobedience to Agamemnon being then appointed generall for the Grecians against the Troyans 6. When Romulus had prouided these officers for the sauegard of his person he likewise erected counsellers and made choise of a hundreth graue and wise men who for the honour of their place and dignitie of their calling should be named Senators to gouerne and to foresee the dangers and perils of the citie to punish vice and to reward vertue These were called by strangers princes of Rome to whom the king committed the whole direction and correction of the citie The familie and stocke of the Senators were called Patricij for all Senators were elected out of the Patricians 7. Hee appointed the place and the time where the Augurers and Southsayers should vse their diuination touching the euents and proceedings of Rome which should be before Sunne rising and after sunne setting for Romulus himselfe caried the Augurers crooked staffe for his skill in diuination 8. Then hee erected three Augurers with their orders and authorities by whom all sacrifices and religious ceremonies were solemnized These three hee elected out of the three tribes 9. He instituted that no man might enter into the Senate to heare any cause pleaded or consulted before hee were 25. yeres of age he seemed to be of Aristotles opinion that held Iuuenem non esse Philosophiae idoneum 10. After that Romulus had inuented these many good and seemely decrees to set foorth that little kingdome of Rome Now last of all he made lawes for setting foorth the dignitie of a king as to weare purple colours for Romulus ware a coate of purple in graine and vpon that a long robe of purple colour for this princely and riche colour was onely esteemed of the olde Romanes and so honoured that none might weare it but the kings of Rome and after the kings time onely the Dictators and Consuls 11. Romulus instituted a feast in memorie of Hersilia and other Sabine virgines which were rauished by whose meanes peace was concluded betwene Romulus and Tatius king of the Sabines These feasts were called Matronalia 12. He also instituted the feast called Lupercalia which was celebrated in Rome in memory of Romulus escape when that he slew Aemilius his father vnknowen but taken for his vncle he ranne with a naked sword in his hand from Alba
to the very place where the wolfe gaue him sucke first Reade Plutarch of Romulus life They vsed at this feast a sacrifice in a denne vnder mount Palatine in the moneth of Februarie in the honour of god Pan and Faunus Now Rome hauing her first foundation by Romulus and much encreased by the policie and gouernment of Romulus that the confines of Rome extended into diuers parts of Italy and so enlarged by the warres of Romulus and yet not 8 miles from the towne of Rome that Numa Pompilius who succeeded him not in blood but by election for that hee was a Sabine borne in the citie of Cures and had maried Tacia the onely daughter and heire of Tatius the Sabine who before had gouerned Rome together with Romulus This Numa was entreated to accept the kingdome by ambassadours sent vnto him from the people of Rome with one consent who after a long negatiue oration made vnto Proclus and Valesus and being vrged thereunto both by Sabines and Romanes accepted against his will the gouernment of Rome after the Senators bare rule by the space of fiue dayes which was called interregnum betweene Romulus and Numa which was accompted one whole yeere This king was vertuous godly and religious addicted altogether to gouerne Rome with peace for during the whole time of his raigne Numu waged no warre but established lawes and framed such decrees and orders as kept the people which had bene so long accustomed with warres vnder Romulus in quietnes and tranquilitie which neuer happened in Rome but onely in Numas time and once in Augustus Caesars time When Numa was consecrated king of Rome by the Augurers hee beginneth with the seruice of his gods and therefore he instituted bishops and diuers kinde of priests he erected a colledge for the vestal virgines he appointed the holy and immortal fire with honour and reuerence to be kept by the vestal virgines These ceremonies he had from Greece for the like ceremonie was in Athens by old women in watching the holy lampe and in Delphos in the temple of Apollo Hee founded diuers temples in Rome with innumerable rites and ceremonies he first corrected the Kalender though not so exactly yet he so perfected it that then the Romane yere of tenne moneths was made twelue by adding Ianuary and February Which Numa not only added to the yere of tenne moneths but he mended also the 10. moneth and the dayes of the moneths he corrected the Kalenders which was also by Romulus begunne but finished by Numa This continued from Romulus vntill Iulius Caesars time by the name of Romulus yeere who then caused the yeere to beginne in March a moneth which he consecrated to his supposed father Mars not knowing then Aemilius to be his father whom hee slewe then But to Numa in whose time a great plague raigned in Rome at what time fell from heauen a brasen or copper target and lighted betweene Numas hand called Ancylia Of this target I shal speake in another place The lawes that Numa taught then to the people being rude and ignorant were no otherwise made then the lawes of Lycurgus in Sparta or of king Minos in Creete for Numa made the people to beleeue that the lawes which he gaue were frō the gods sent into him by the nimph Aegiria with whom he had sundry times conference in mount Auentine So did Lycurgus admonish the Spartans with the lawes from Apollo which Lycurgus as he saide brought from Delphos into Greece in like fort Minos made his people beleeue that his decrees and lawes were giuen to him by Iupiter in mount Curetes So did Silla make his souldiers beleeue that hee had some spirite in a litle table that hanged about his necke that instructed him in all his warres And so did Sertorius by his white hinde make his captaines thinke that hee was sent from the goddesse Diana Now Numa a peaceable and religious prince aduanced tillage in Rome and deuided his people into diuers occupations hee limitted bonds to the territories of Rome and tooke away all factions that helde before with Romulus and Tatius and gouerned Rome with such iustice and clemencie that all warres and dissentions were forgotten in Rome the temple of Ianus was shut which was an olde custome in the time of peace which continued the whole raigne of Numa which was 43. yeeres for the Romanes had no warres in all Numas time for as Plato saith there is true gouernment and there is a happy common wealth where the minde of a wise Philosopher is ioyned to the maiestie of a king where graue counsel is giuen and good lessons taught the vertuous man rewarded and the vicious man punished This good king liued of al others most happy in peace and quietnes all the dayes of his life and the misfortune of fiue other kings which after him succeeded caused the honour of Numa to shine with more glorie for as Plutarch saith foure of them died not their naturall death three were killed with treason and the fourth was striken with a thunder bolt and burnt with lightning and the 5. driuen out of his kingdome and died in exile so that of the seuen kings Numa onely excelled of whom some say that hee had no children but one daughter called Pompilia which was maried to C. Martius Coriolanus Of this Pompilia was borne Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome some say againe that Numa had foure sonnes named Pompo Pinus Calpus and Mamercus and of these foure descended the noblest races and most ancient houses of the Romanes Reade of this king more in Plutarch and in Dionisius Halicarnassaeus In Aethiope raigned while Numa liued and ruled Rome a king called Tarachus which came to ayde the king of Egypt against Sanaherib king of the Assyrians at what time the Empire of Egypt was deuided into twelue prouinces by equall portions betwixt 12. princes When Numa beganne his kingdome in Rome Candaules the fourth king of Lydia gouerned the Lidians whose historie both of his wife and of his life together with the fable of Giges ring is written in Herodotus at large Manasses also king of Iudea for his wickednes against the Lorde was deliuered into the hands of Benmerodach king of the Chaldeans and was caried captiue into Babylon Deioces the fift gouernour that gouerned the Medes and the first king that raigned ouer them liued this time In Athens raigned Leocrates the fift magistrate Absander the 6. magistrate and Erixias the last magistrate of Athens in that gouernment of 10. yeeres to euery magistrate appointed which continued the time of 7. seuerall magistrats which was 70. yeeres Concerning this kings death he himselfe cōmanded that his body should be burned and therfore they made two coffines of stone in the one of them Numas body was layed in the other his bookes which were written with his owne hand twelue bookes were written
frō the citie of Rome then Veiena and Fidena the one 6. miles the other 18. miles distant from Rome had enlarged the citie with these confines and territories more then Romulus did he was striken with lightning that both hee his wife and all his house were burnt when he had raigned 32. yeres in the 35. Olymp. When this king raigned in Rome Zaleucus gouerned the Locresiās who for his law making law keeping is much mentioned in histories for in that law against adulterie his owne sonne first offending should haue lost both his eyes but his nobles made great intercessiō for the kings sonne the king to satisfie their requests shewing himselfe a naturall father to his sonne and a iust king to his people caused one of his sonnes eyes and another of his owne eyes to be taken out to performe the lawe which he made In the time of Tul. Hostilius Manasses king of Iuda was conuerted vnto his God and thereby restored to his kingdome when he expelled idolatry and serued God the rest of his life In Chaldea raigned Nabuchodonosor the father of the great Nabuchodonosor and in Media Phaortes the 6. king of the Medes During the time of this king in Rome raigned in Lydia Ardis their 6. king and in Macedonia Philip their 6. king also for the Medes the Macedonians the Lydians and the Romanes began their Empires within 60. yeres together Tullus Hostilius the third king appointed two Quaestors as it were two Treasurers to sease by the pole euery citizen of Rome to leauie and to keepe the same money to the vse of the citie he created also 2. Iudges which were called Duum viri these should determine causes for life and death In like sort of Ancus Martius with his lawes Tarquinius Priscus and his decrees you may reade in Pomp. Laetus and Fenestella Euen so Seruius Tullus the 6. king of Rome perceiuing that the Senators had more to doe then they could well accomplish especially in priuat causes of the citie he instituted two men called Censors to record and to write the nomber of all men in seruice to take view of such offenders within the citie and to punish crimes and offences and if any Senators should not execute iustice he should be depriued out of the Senate If any of the magistrats created by Romulus should not imitate and liue within the lawe of Romulus they should be by the Censors punished If any of the religious officers and the priests which Numa instituted should transgresse the lawe of Numa he should also by these Censors be reformed this office cōtinued 5. yeres and vpon the fift yere new Censors were made this was called Lustrū at what time althe citie was visited all faults opened vnto them and all iniuries done reformed by them as C. Fabritius being Censor remoued frō the Senate P. Cornelius Ruffinus for the expences of 10. pound more then was allowed by these Censors and so M. Cato banished C. Flaminius brother from the Senators for the fauouring of a prisoner at the request of a woman The auctoritie of those Censors were such as might reforme all things by law The old Romanes vsed to accompt their actions to nomber their yeeres euery fift yeere which they called Lustrum as the Greciās vsed to nomber the yeres by their Olympiad which the Greekes named Penterides This office of Censors continued for a time in Rome being renued euery fift yeere which was a great day in Rome and appointed by Seruius Tullus the sixt king of Rome and endured vntil Vespatian the Emperours time the last conquerour of Ierusalem 650. yeeres yet I reade not but of 75. Lustrums which is 360 yeres For Eutropius saith that both Lustrum and the Olympiad endured no longer then Sillas time But yet compted vntil Constantines time Tarquinius the proud appointed 3. men to keepe the Sibillas books after they were augmented from 3. to 10. and at last frō 10. to 15. These were chosen out aswel of the Patricians as of the vulgar people they should once a yere in the moneth of Februarie reade these bookes and after they should see the bookes safelie kept vntil Februarie againe Now after that Tullus died succeeded in Rome Anc. Martius the 4. king one in nature like vnto his grandfather Numa Pompilius and one that in the beginning of his gouernment imitated Numa in all points commanding the people to obserue the lawes and ceremonies of his grandfather thinking therby to haue the like successe of quietnes and peace commaunded Numas lawes to be written in tables and be set on postes and pillars in the market place studied diligently to keepe his people in peace thoght to liue quietly with that litle territorie that then the city of Rome gouerned But it happened otherwise for scant he had established himselfe in his kingdom whē the Latins vnder their gouernour there waged warres against the Romans and brought an army to the very towne of Medullia which they tooke and possest for 3. yeres in spite of Ancus Martius Now this king was forced to forsake Numa which liued in peace and to folow Tullus his predecessor in warres and therefore he altered his minde and gathered force together and began stoutly to answere the Latins and to giue them so many battels that he destroyed vanquished and wan their chiefe cities as Politoriū Telena Ficania and diuers others he recouered Medullia gaue diuers ouerthrowes to the Latins then straight he was much troubled with the Sabines and Fidenats the Veients and the Volscanes these people euer warred against the kings of Rome for yet Rome was not come to any greatnes But when they had quite conquered the Sabines Latines Veients Volscanes Fidenats and other nations next vnto them which oftentimes they did and they stil reuolted then the citie of Rome began to looke vnto other kingdomes but during the time of their kings their owne neighbours annoyed them most This king Ancus Martius had no rest during his whole gouernment vntill he had brought these people before spoken vnto subiection then he began to build to enlarge the city of Rome by taking mount Auentine vnto it and the hil Ianicula a large ground of 18. furlongs about ful of diuers yong trees specially laurel but by An. Martius made habitable and populous there vpon the hil Auentine a faire temple was builded vnto Diana and to this moūt Martius brought frō Telena and Politorium and other townes men and women to dwell there After this the king builded a towne fast vpō the sea shore called Hostia 6. miles frō Rome made a bridge ouer the riuer of Tiber which ranne by Rome he also builded a prison house to punish offenders diuers other monumēts which you may read in Halicarnasaeus whē he had raigned 24. yeres he died leauing behind him 2. sōnes the one an infant and
the other not able to succeed his father in the kingdom therfore Tarquinius a man of good seruice before time knowen and in great friendship with Anc. Martius was by consent of the Senators and of the people elected the 5. king of the Romans In the beginning of whose raigne Thales Periander and Terpāder euen then the 17. Iubilee after Moses began in the 41. Olympiad But first I must set downe what kings raigned in other countreis before I speake of Tarquinius Priscus In the beginning therefore of Ancus Martius raigne raigned king of Egypt Necho by whom Iosias king of Iuda was then slaine and in Media Ciaxeres in Daniel called Darius Medus This time raigned in Babylon Nabuchodonosor by whom Ioakim king of Iuda was caried captiue vnto Babylon and in Lidia raigned Sadaites their seuenth king Then the Prophet Ieremie prophecied the 70. yeeres of captiuitie to the Iewes in the time of Ancus Martius after whom Tarquinius Priscus by election and not by succession became the fift king of Rome Of whose countrey parentage and friends and how he came to be king of Rome reade Halicarnassaeus where you shal finde the whole historie therof Against this king the Latins had diuers aydes frō the Hetruscans specially from fiue great cities inhabited by people called Clusini Arretini Volaterani Rusellani and Vetulonenses And in like maner as before to Ancus Martius so now they began with Tarquinius Priscus one that had good cause to knowe them for that he had tried them before and therefore vsed them as his predecessors did ouerthrew them and subdued them so that their cities their townes and their countreys were made euen to the ground By this king were the Fidenats the Latins and the rest of those nations about Rome subdued and destroyed the Hetruscans which kept Tarquinius in warres nine yeeres were ouerthrowen in so much that they made Tarquinius prince of Hetruria so the Hetruscans after nine yeres warres being broken and weary thought good with one consent to send ambassadors from all the cities of Italy to Tora to entreate for peace which was graunted vnto them vpon condition that they would make Tarquine their prince and to haue the name of their chiefe magistrate in euery city which were called Lucumones to hold of him This being of meere force consented Tarquinius Priscus granted them their owne lawes customes and liberties in all points as they had before After this he gouerned in peace after he had triumphed with great pompe and solemnitie as then the time serued He went dayly most sumptuous inapparel he ware a crowne of gold vpō his head and had on Togam pretextā with a scepter of Iuory in his hand which was then strāge to see in Rome for Romulus had his scepter but of wood he sate in a chaire of Iuory and his Serieants about him where he gaue lawes to the people he was admonished of this good fortune whē yet he was a stranger in Rome by an Egle who toke his hat frō his head in his claw and flew so hie in the aire that scant the Egle could be seene and in the sight of al his people the Egle brought the hat againe and let it fall vpon Priscus head he was by this perswaded that it signified good and therefore expected the kingdome after Ancus Martius though a stranger and that Ancus had 4. sonnes to succeed him The Sabines which held the Romanes play for 5. yeres were also by Tarquinius ouerthrowen In these warres against the Sabines Ser. Tullius was made general this for his good seruice and wise policie afterward succeeded Tarquinius in the kingdome for he was esteemed of the people in much fauour with Tarquinius in the like fauour was Tarquinius before with Ancus Martius whose seruice seemed such that he was elected king ouer the Romanes though he was a stranger Now after that Tarquinius had subdued al townes and cities about Rome and had made the confines of Rome larger then before yet as Eutropius saith all the warres victories and triumphes which Romulus T. Hostilius Anc. Martius and this Tarquinius Priscus these 5. kings had ouer many people extended not aboue 15. miles from the citie of Rome so hard were the Romans kept in warres on all sides applied with their neighbours and so long were they augmenting their Empire But to returne to Tarquinius who made the city of Rome farre more famous then before by building the walles thereof by doubling the nomber of the Senators the first beginning of the capitol this king also builded a place for playes called Circus and instituted diuers games there betwixt mount Auētine and mount Palatine he made sinks to auoyd the filth and ordure of the citie and with great expences made it to be caried into the riuer of Tiber. This Tarquinius was the first that entred the citie of Rome with any triumph on chariot though some say that Romulus some Valerius Publicola but Tarquinius Priscus by cōmon consent was the first that set forth triumphs in so stately and magnificent shew and hee himselfe the first that triumphed on triumphant chariot and that three seueral times ouer the Latines Sabines and Hetruscanes and when hee had ◅aigned 38. yeeres he was slaine by the sonnes of Ancus Martius his predecessour During his gouernment raigned in other countreys these kings in Lydia Haliactes their 8. king in Macedonia Europus their 7. king in Egypt raigned Apries whom Ieremy calleth Hophra at what time Ierusalem was destroied by Nabuchodonosor and the Iewes broght captiue vnto Babylon In this kings raigne the warres grew betwixt the Lydians the Medes when Astiages raigned king ouer the Medes This time florished in the last yeres of this king many wise men as Solon in Athens Thales in Miletū and others called the 7. sages Likewise about the last yeeres of this king Nabuchodonosor was by repentance for his transgressions against the Lord restored to his kingdome againe Now after this the 6. king of the Romans was named Seruius Tullius of whom you heard before how he was a captaine vnder Priscus and now elected king in the 50. Olympiad in the beginning of the 18. Iubilee being maried to Tarquinius his own daughter a noble womā borne yet a captiue and a handmaid This time liued Accius Nauius a great soothsayer of great fauour and credite in the citie of Rome this man before the king who scoffed the art of Nauius and caried in his bosome a hard flint stone onely to trie the skill of Nauius which he with a knife did cut through the midst and therfore the king commaunded his statue or image to be made and to be erected vp in that very place where he vsed this feat before Priscus Tarquinius in memorie of his arte with his flint stone and knife in his hand His fathers name was Tullus his mother was named Ocrisia
he was wise eloquent and discreete whom the people honored much and whose counsel Tarquinius vsed in any doubtful action as an oracle he was brought vp in militarie discipline as both the Sabines and Hetruscans can testifie This king perceiuing that Ancus Martius sonnes had slaine king Priscus his predecessor and his father in lawe vnderstanding himselfe to stande in the like danger if they should liue they being right heires to the Empire of Rome Seruius by decree banished the sonnes of Martius out of the territories of the Romanes yet Fabius Pictor saith that they were the sonnes of Tarquinius Priscus but hee is reprehended and conuicted with probable reasons by Halicarnassaeus But howsoeuer it was the like ende that Tarquinius Priscus had by Ancus Martius sonnes the same had Seruius Tullus by Tarquinius sonnes both murthered As touching the gouernment of Seruius Tullius in the warres against the enemies of Rome he excelled his predecessours and brought the people the townes and cities about Rome most willingly to yeeld themselues after that he had triumphed ouer them with 3. solemne triumphes for this king for the space of 20. yeeres waged warres with the Hetruscans with the Sabines and others so that he conquered at length all places about Rome without blood for the Romans yet had no great force to make warre farre from Rome for during the time of their kings which was 244. yeeres which was the first infancie of Rome they had their handes full to answere those next cities and their next neighbours dwelling about them This king was the first that inuented mustering of men which before this time was not knowen as Eutropius saith in al the territories of Rome for in Seruius Tullus time the names of all the inhabitants of Rome were taken and accompted by the pole there were found in the Citie of Rome eightie foure thousand Citizens able men In Seruius time brasse was coyned in Rome and after Seruius time two hundred yeeres there was no siluer coyned in Rome By this king three hilles were annexed to Rome the one was called Quirinalis the seconde Viminalis the third called Esquilinus By this king the walles of Rome were entrenched rounde about and by this king was a faire Temple builded vpon mount Auentine to the godesse Diana Reade more in Dionysius Halic but the end of this king was as I saide before to be slaine by the wickednesse of his sonne in lawe Tarquinius who was sonne to the last king Tarquinius Priscus whō this Seruius Tullus succeeded the treacherie of his owne daughter whō he had espoused to the said Tarquinius Thus was he slaine when hee had reigned fourtie foure yeeres king of Rome During which time reigned in Egypt king Amasis and in Macedonia Alcetas In the time of this king Seruius Croesus the last king of Lydia was conquered by Cyrus and the kingdome of Lydia brought vnder the Persians at what time Cyrus beganne his Empire in Persia after he had conquered Astiages the last king of the Medes and made Medea as Lydia was subiect vnto Persia at one time for Cyrus grew in Seruius time the strongest king and the onely Monarch of the worlde for after he had conquered these two great kings Croesus king of Lydia and Astyages king of Media he also at that instant subdued Balthasar the last king of Babylon so that he adioyned to the Empire of Persia the kingdomes of Media Lydia and Babylon This time did Daniel prophecie of the foure Monarchies by the foure beastes rising out of the seas the very ground of all Chronicles In Seruius Tullius reigne happened the renowmed and famous battell betwixt the Argiues and the Lacedemonians three hundred against three hundred on either side to trie and to make a full conquest by them of all their warres which happened to the Lacedemonians for that three of the three hundred escaped and all the rest on both sides died manfully in the fielde This time florished Stesichorus and Hiponax likewise Anaximenes the Philosopher and Chilo one of the seuen wise men liued in this age Nowe I will returne againe to Rome and speake of Lu. Tarqninius surnamed the proud who succeeded Seruius Tullus in the kingdome not lawfully but by force and strength in the 601. Olympiad sixteene ye◅es before the begining of the nineteenth Iubilee In this Olympiad Agatharchus wanne the victorie in the games of Olympus This king as hee entred vnto the kingdome of Rome with force and violence so hee continued with crueltie and tyrannie farre differing frō Tarquinius Priscus his graundfather This king planted himselfe in Rome against the Senators and the people and garded himselfe with wicked and lewde people translating the whole gouernment of the kingdome into tyrannie he maried his daughter to the Gouernour and Dictator of the Latines named Octauius Mamilius of the stocke of Telegonus the sonne of Vlisses by Cyrses to strengthen himselfe against his enemies This Tarquinius was maried to Seruius daughter a very vertuous and modest lady and his yonger brother named Arnus maried the yonger daughter of Seruius a wicked and lewde woman not of the disposition of her elder sister a match vnfitte for so quiet a husband not like his elder brother the difference betweene Tarquine the proud and his brother or his sōne as some suppose also the differēce betweene the two sisters was great the one rash cruell wicked false and full of all impietie to whom happened an honest sober and vertuous lady and yet could not doe any good vnto him and to his good brother being gentle courteous good godly happened as I tolde you that wicked scorpion the yonger sister who when that she coulde not perswade her husband to any wicked acte shee came to him I meane to Tarquine the proude who was as ready as shee to kill to murther and to commit any wicked thing else shee councelled him and shee furthered him to murther the olde king her father and to take the kingdome into his hand What should I rehearse the number of this womans faultes Reade ◅iui and Halicarnassaeus and you shall reade how Tarquinius slue the king his father in law and vsurped the kingdome and afterward how tyraunt like he gouerned the Citie of Rome vntill he became so odious as he was deposed from his Throne and banished from Rome aswell for his owne tyrannie and murther as also for his sonne Arūtius Tarquinius his rape and wicked incontinencie for when he had forced a noble woman named Lucretia the wife of Colatinus who when shee had of this iniurie complained to her husband and other her friends in the presence of them all she slue her selfe the filthines and horror of this wicked acte kindled the heartes of the Senators and the people against Tarquinius Sp. Lucre. Pu. Val. Publicola C. Lu. Iunius Brutus sware in that place the destruction of Tarquinius and hee himselfe
became generall for the Citizens that they deposed him frō his kingdome such was the seueritie of the Romanes in punishing adulterie being the only cause of the first alteration of the state publique in Rome For before Arūtius Tarquinius had cōmitted this abominable actiō with Lucretia the Romanes had forgotten the faults of the father in killing his father in lawe for he had conquered the Volscans he subdued the Citie of Gabios and of Suessa and after hee ouercame the Thuscans hee made peace with them and he builded Iupiter his Temple in the Capitol and he was laying siege to the citie of Arde tenne miles from Rome when his sonne Arūtius did defile Lucretia the foulenes of the fact was such that the souldiers forsooke the father for the offence of the sonne and the gates of the Citie were shutte against Tarquinius at his returne from the siege of Arde. Thus when he had reigned twentie fiue yeeres he fledde with his wife and children he was the seuenth and last king of the Romanes though afterward he sought the helpe of Porsenna king of Thuscia and thought to recouer his kingdome againe But when he perceiued that the Romanes would not accept him longer for their king and that Porsenna woulde aide him no longer to his kingdome hee departed to Thusculi a Citie not farre distant from Rome where hee liued with his wife a priuate man for the space of fourteene yeeres and then dyed his sonne Sextus was slaine in his owne citie Gabia whither he fledde for refuge In this sort reigned in Rome seuen kings for the space of two hundred fourtie foure yeeres as you heard before who for all their force and courages for all their long warres and sharpe battels their Empire extended not aboue fifteene myles from Rome the reason was that they fought with Romanes like them selues though they were called first by the names of Sabines Volscans Thuscans Veients Fidenats Samnites and Latines for vntill Romulus time the name of the Romanes was not knowen the Latines were the first auncient name of the Romanes from them Romulus and his brother Remus had their beginning for as you heard before Romulus builded Rome reigned amongst the Latines fifteene kings Thus much for the kings of Rome of their continuance and of their gouernment Nowe what was done in other Countries and what kings reigned while Tarqui the proud gouerned Rome Herodot and Iustine doth write that Cyrus the great king of Persia was conquered and slaine by Tomyris Queene of Scythia Psammenitus the last king of Egypt was subdued and all the kingdome of Egypt made tributarie vnto Persia by Cambyses who at that very time hindred the building of the Temple of Ierusalem vntil the second yeere of Darius Hysdaspis the third king of Persia. That Darius in the time of Tarquinius Superbus made warres against the Scythians by whō he was forced to take his flight This time wicked Haman vsed great meanes to destroy the Iewes with king Ahashuerosh which in prophane histories is named Darius the sonne of Hisdaspis but his councell then against Mardocheus happened to himselfe and to his tenne children the historie is written in the booke of Hester This time reigned in Athens Hyparchus the tyrant which afterward Harmodius and Aristogiton slue In the time of this Tarquinius the Persians reuoulted from their king Darius the sonne of Hysdaspis but by the subtiltie and sleight of Zopirus recouered and afterward the Persians by the meanes of Megabisus Zopirus some chiefe captaine of Darius tooke the Citie Perinthus and subdued Thracia and Peonia Here I haue set downe the names of the seuen kings of Rome and their continuance in gouernment Romulus reigned 38. Numa Pomp. 43. Tullus Hostilius 32. Ancus Martius 24. Lu. Tarquinus Priscus 38. Seruius Tullus 44. Tarquinius the proud 25. Nowe during the whole time of these seuen kings which were two hundred fourtie three yeres which was the first infancie of Rome for all their warres their victories and triumphes had first ouer the Hetruscanes the Sabines the Latines the Fidenates Antenates Veients and the Albanes their Empire extended no further then Ostia eighteene miles distant frō the citie of Rome After that the name of a king was banished and two Consuls were created to gouerne and to commaund with Serieantes before them with the authoritie and full power of kings CHAP. III. Of the first change of gouernment in Rome from a Monarchie vnto Aristocratia at what time one Dictator and two Consuls were appointed to gouerne the people in the roume of kings of their good gouernment lawes warres and victories vntill the Tarentine warres where Pyrrhus beganne to ayde the Tarentines against the Romanes AFter these kings were thus banished frō Rome they created in the place of one King two Cōsuls which continued after it was first instituted vntill Iulius Caesars reigne which was 464. yeeres it was decreed that these two Consuls should not rule aboue one yeere least the continuance of the office shoulde make them waxe hautie In the first yeere after the expulsing of the kings Lu. Iunius Brutus who had of all others procured most the banishment of Tarquinius was made the first Consul in Rome and with him Tarquinius Collatinus the husbande of Lucretia howe bee it Collatinus was forthwith depriued of his Consulship for that it was agreed that none should remaine within the Citie that bare the name of Tarquinius whereupon Valerius Publicola was elected Consul in his roume These two Consuls were not long in their office but Tarquinius who a little before was banished assembled a great armie to ayde him to recouer his kingdome in this battell Brutus the Consul and Arūtius Tarquinius his sonne slue one an other This battell seemed doubtfull for a time on both parties but at last the victorie fell to the Romanes The death of Brutus was much lamented in Rome for he so loued the libertie of Rome that hee caused his owne sonnes who for that they seemed to fauour Tarquinius case In. Brutus their father brought them into the market place and there Publicola being Consul at that time commaunded them first to bee beaten with roddes and after to bee beheaded before all the people for that they preferred the case of Tarquinius before the state of the Citie and therefore the women mourned for Brutus death a whole yeere in whose place Publicola hath chosen Consul in Brutus roume Spurius Lucretius Lucretias father who dyed by sicknesse After him Horatius Puluillus was made Consul for in the first yeere of Consulship siue Consuls reigned one after another againe warre was attempted by Tarquinius against the Romanes In this warre Porsenna king of Thuscia ayded Tarquinius but to no effect and therefore Tarquinius gaue ouer longer to warre against his Countrie contented himselfe to liue the rest of his time a priuate man and troubled not Publicola who being lefte quiet by Tarquinius when hee sawe that
After this great victorie Manlius the Consul returned to Rome and brought 27. thousand prisoners and triumphed with great pompe and solemnitie and Attilius Regulus the other Consul remained still in Affrica who while his fellowe was in Rome ioyned battell with three great captaines of the Carthagineans at one time of whom Regulus got the victorie slew 18. thousand Affricanes tooke prisoners 5000. men and eight elephants and brought vnder obeysance of the Romans threescore and thirteene cities and at that time the Carthagineans desired peace of Regulus The inuincible courage of the Romanes was such that during the first Punicke warres which continued 22. yeeres in foure battels vpon the sea the Affricanes were quite vanquished and subdued not without great losses of the Romanes which they sustained by shipwracke and therefore the Senatours thought good to giue ouer that kinde of battell for the continuall and often damages which they sustained and specially in that battel when the Lacedemonians ayded the Affricanes at what time thirtie thousand Romanes were slaine fifteene thousande taken prisoners and their captaine Regulus taken and put in prison But this great ouerthrow of the Romanes was fully requited by Marcus Aemilius and Sergius Fuluius made Consuls for the next battell for as Eutropius affirmeth the Romans were so furious for the ouerthrow of Regulus that they prepared 300. saile to passe into Affrike In this battell Aemilius sunke 104. ships of his enemies tooke thirtie ships with all the men that fought in them slewe and tooke prisoners 15. thousand Affricanes with an exceeding great spoile with the which he enriched his souldiers At this time all Affrike had bene subdued had there not at that very time chanced so great a dearth in Affrike and yet the Consuls for all these victories suffred such shipwracke by a sudden tempest about the coast of Sicilie that of 484. ships skant eightie could be saued Many of these shipwrackes happened to the Romans which made their victories of lesse renowme but they were of such courage that nothing coulde dismay them on land nor on sea For though Publius Claudius had lost his people in an vnluckie battell by lande with no lesse euill successe by shipwracke then before you heard by sea yet with greater courage then before being more kindled to reuenge their losses and damages they prepared 400. saile well furnished for the which voyage they created Caius Luctatius and Aulus Posthumus Consuls The battell was fought ouer against Lilibeum a citie of Sicilie where the Romanes tooke 32. thousand prisoners slew thirteene thousand and sunke 125. ships Vpon this ouerthrow the Affricanes were compelled to desire peace being not able to wage warre longer with the Romans for they had lost both their chiefe captaines their ships their munitions in this onely battell and so their first warre ceased and peace proclaimed by the Romans which cōtinued 24. yeres vntil the second warres begunne by Hanibal These were the names of the Consuls and the chiefe valiant Romans that flourished then in Rome during the first Punicke warre Appius Claudius sirnamed Caudex Q. Fuluius Luc. Manlius Volso Mar. Attilius Regulus Mar. Aemilius Paulus Sergius Fuluius C. Sulpitius Paterculus Attilius Calatinus Cneus Seruilius Sepio C. Sempronius Blesus C. Furius Placidus Cn. Cornelius C. Duilius C. Aquilius Horus Lucius Cornelius Scipio C. Aurelius Cotta Pub. Seruilius Germinus Mar. Fabius Licinius Mar. Octacilius Crassus C. Luctatius Catullus Aul. Posthumius Albinus Lu. Manlius Regulus Mar. Valerius Maximus Q. Luctatius With many other noble Romanes Consuls Dictators Tribunes and other magistrates which then liued at Rome at the time of this warre CHAP. V. Of the Romane warres and of their conquest ouer Carthage Numantia and all Asia and of their diuers victories and triumphes ouer other nations during the time of this Affricane warres IN other countreys and kingdomes while this warre endured betwixt the Romanes and the Affricanes these kings raigned In Bythinia gouerned king Nicomedes who builded a great citie and named i◅ after his owne name Nicomedia In Asia and Syria raigned Antiochus sirnamed Theos the thirde king after Alexander the great died and Ptolomey Euergetes r◅igned likewise the thirde king of Egypt During this first Affricane warres the Parthians which were vassals vnder the Macedonians erected vp their kingdome ouer whom raigned as their first king one named Arsaces after whom the kings of Parthia were all named Arsaces In Macedonia this time raigned Antigonus sirnamed Gonatus whose successours continued kings in Macedonia vntil the Romanes ouercame and subdued them Alexander the great had not heard of the Romans in those dayes their fame and renowme being yet not farre knowen for they were from the first building of Rome vntill the first Punicke warres occupied in Italy where diuers stoute and valiant nations inhabited who were brought vnder the obeysance of Rome and so soone as Rome could commaunde Italy they commenced warre against the Affricanes But before when Alexander was in armes against the Persians and in armour against all the East kings the Romanes had warres in Italy at what time so many Alexanders so many Pyrrhus so many Hanibals in Rome liued then in valure and courage that both Pyrrhus and Hanibal felt of it to their losse and the ouerthrow of themselues Liuie writeth a noble historie in comparing certaine Romanes man for man to Alexander and of those that liued about the time of Alexander the great for he died about sixtie yeeres before the first Affricane warre For saith Liuie had Alexander come to Rome as conquerour then of all the East kings of the world he had found in Rome many conquerors and many Alexanders like himselfe as these vndernamed Mar. Valerius Coruinus Tit. Manlius Torquatus Caius Martius Rutilius Caius Sulpitius Lucius Papyrius Cursor M. Curius Dentatus Qu. Fabius Maximus Lucius Voluminius Qu. Publius Philo. Mar. Valerius Publicola T. Veturius Caluinus and 2. valiāt Romans callled Decis If then Alexander had made his voyage to Rome hee had found in his dayes these gallant Romanes being all Consuls or Dictato◅ and all conquerours he might well haue come to Rome like Alexander the conquerour but Liuie doubted hee should be driuen out like Darius conquered So were Pyrrhus and Hanibal who came both in Armes into Italy to conquer Rome but both driuen out of Italy and conquered for Pyrrhus at last saw it and saide Italy could not be conquered but with Ittalians neither coulde Rome be subdued but with Romanes For it was tolde him by his Orator and also his ambassadour Cineas that Rome was a citie full of kings and that euery Consul or Dictator of Rome was like king Pyrrhus himselfe in Epire Hanibal was also compelled to say after many bloodie battels and victories had ouer him and ouer his father Hamilcar that the Romanes had many Hanibals If Alexander might haue come to Rome before his time he should haue found Camillus another
Italy who being preuented of set purpose by the way was slaine and all his armie by Appius Claudius Nero. In that time were fiftie and sixe thousande slaine and Asdrubals head brought and was throwen before the tents of Hanibal his brother Hanibal then beganne to dispaire of the successe of this warre for both in Spaine and in Affrica hee was by this meanes weakened in Italy all reuerted and slid from Hanibal Scipio subdued the Carthagineans and tooke Syphax king of Numidia prisoner who had ioyned to ayde the Affricanes against the Romanes and had also expelled by warre Masinissa out of his kingdome This great ouerthrowe in Spaine and in Affrike caused Hanibal to quake for in Italy hee beganne to be forsaken of his former fortune and in Affrike they cried out for ayde at Hanibals hand Now Hanibal perceiuing that all went to decay and being also sore wearied with continuall battels desired peace which was graunted vpon such straite and hard conditions as pleased not the Carthagineans and therefore they willed Hanibal rather to fight it out This last battell whereupon the whole state of Affrike depended was appointed to be fought at Zama But before these two great captaines should ioyne in battell Hanibal desired to speake with Scipio openly or priuately Scipio denied not the meeting of Hanibal in the sight of both the armies The speach of Hanibal tendred peace which Scipio without accepting the conditions before spoken would not allow the effect of both the speaches is written in Liuie To be short the battell at Zama ended where Scipio cōquered the Affricanes and put Hanibal to flight and then were the Affricanes to accept such conditions as Scipio offered them before for of necessitie they sought peace The conditions of peace were to restore Masinissa first to his kingdome and to returne all Romane prisoners into Italy to yeeld all their ships sauing tenne to deliuer all their elephants to the hand of the conquerour and that they should not make warre within Affrica or without without licence of the Senators of Rome and yeerely reuenues of 10. thousand talents of siluer to be payed to the Romanes This warre being finished and peace thus concluded Scipio was receiued vnto Rome with a great triumph hauing a sirname giuen him by the conquest of Affrica called Scipio Affricanus Of him and of others that serued in the second warre of Affrica of those that triumphed I meane Dictators Consuls Praetors and other Romane magistrates and captaines I haue layed downe to your viewe their names together in order as they serued in that fielde Publius Cornelius Scipio Titus Sempronius Quintus Flaminius Lucius Aemilius Paulus Marcus Attilius Regulus Publius Terentius Varro Luc. Posthumius Albinius Qu. Fabius Maximus Mar. Claudius Marcellus Mar. Valerius Leuinus Pub. Sulpitius Galba Cneus Fuluius Quintus Fuluius Flaccus Mar. Liuius Salinator Tit. Quintius Crispinus Lucius Veturius Quintus Caecilius Metellus Appius Claudius Nero. Scipio sirnamed Affricanus the son of Pub. Cor. Scipio These flourished chiefly and triumphed in the seconde warres of Affrike which endured as Eutropius saith 19. yeres but others say 17. yeeres Of this warre the Romanes waxed so strong that they soone conquered al nations and presently ensued warre in Macedonia against king Philippe for yet in Macedonia the Monarchie since the time of Alexander the great remained for the Romanes had driuen before this time that noble and valiant captaine Pyrrhus out of Italy and nowe after Pyrrhus they haue driuen out Hanibal the very scourge of Italie and whippe of Rome they haue also conquered the stoutest the valiantest nations that then reigned on the earth the Carthagineans the Libyans and the Affricanes with such terrible warres as Alexander might not compare neither in his great battels in Persia where he subdued Darius neither his warres in India where hee conquered king Porus for that Alexander made a conquest of many kingdoms without fighting as Egypt Iudea Greece with diuers other kingdomes which yeelded vnto him And so Cyrus before Alexander had the like lucke to conquer with great fame but not with such terrour and daunger of life as these Consuls of Rome But to the historie Skant had the second warres of Affrike beene ended but Embassadours came from Athens to Rome for aide against the king of Macedon the common people murmured for that they were weary with continuall warres But the whole Senate agreed with the Tribune of the people to send Titus Flaminius the sonne of him that was slaine at the battell of Thrasimen who at his first comming to Greece gaue battell to Philip hard by the hauen Epirus ouerthrew him and his armie Flaminius the Consul had a brother named Lucius Flaminius with whom ioyned Atalus king of Pergamum in Asia with certeine Rhodian souldiers who tooke Euboea and all the sea coasts Philip to become stronger ioyned in friendship with Antiochus the great king of Asia Howe be it Flaminius had such good successe in Greece that Philip was forced to entreate for peace which was graunted vpon these condicions That all the Cities of Greece within Asia and Europe should haue their owne libertie and lawes That al Romane prisoners should be deliuered to their Countrie That all their great Nauies shoulde bee deliuered to the Romanes with all their Elephants That hee should keepe no armie aboue the number of fiue hundred souldiers and that hee should commence no warre out of the Confines of Macedonia without licence and leaue of the Senate These condicions of peace were proclaimed with the sound of the trumpet through all the Cities of Greece By this time Hanibal who escaping from Scipio at the battell of Zama came to Antiochus councelled him with all meanes possible to warre vpon the Romanes being nowe so weakened by the last Affricane warre The authoritie of Hanibal moued Antiochus to take warres in hand against the Romanes for assoone as the warre in Macedonia finished and were giuen ouer by Philip the warres in Syria began by Antiochus and were executed by Hanibal But Hanibal was discomfited in battell on the sea and Antiochus himself put to flight at Magnesia a citie of Asia by Lu. Cornelius Scipio brother to Scipio Affricanus in the which battell as Eutropius saith were slaine fiftie thousande footemen and foure thousand horsemen Eumenes king of Pergamum the sōne of Attalus being as his father was alwaies a friend to the Romanes made all the power he could against Antiochus for an old grudge that Eumenes had to Antiochus To this warre of Syria came Scipio Affricanus to aide his brother Lu. being Consul then against Antiochus for Antiochus was so beset with M. Attilius Glabrio the Consul on the one side and Scipio Nasica on the other side at Thiatira by Emilius Regulus at Mionesus and by Lucius Scipio at Magnesia Nowe Nabides againe after he had submitted himselfe to Flaminius vpon
After this triumphs Scipio was sent to Spaine to the Numantines who had a little before discomfited Q. Pompeius the Consul ouer whom he had his second triumph but shortly by Scipio the citie of Numantia was subdued hee had triumphed ouer Affrike About this time Attalus king Eumenes his father some say his brother died and made the people of Rome his heire and so by testament Asia was annexed to the Romane Empire notwithstanding warre ensued in Asia by Aristonicus a base sōne of Eumenes in that warre Pub. Lucius Crassus was slaine his head cut off and brought to Aristonicus and his body buried at Smirna It is written of this Crassus that he might brag of 5 principal great gifts To be most noble The most wealthiest The most eloquent To be the most learned ciuillian And to be the most high Bishop About this time Carthage in Affrike was reedified by the cōmandemēt of the Senat after that it was subdued by Scipio 22. yeres and as writeth Polib diuers Citizens of Rome went to dwel in Carthage Not long after this Scipio was found dead in his house not without great suspiciō of Caius Graccus now warre was by the Romanes cōmenced against the Thraciās at what time triumphed in Rome the two brethrē Metelli in one day the one ouer Thracia the other ouer Sardinia the wars of Iugurth immediatly after this ensued of whō Salust maketh menciō This was the sōne of Micipsa king of Numidia who hauing two other brethrē beside himselfe named Adherbalis and Hiemsalis these Iugurth slue and vsurped the kingdome for this fact the Romanes sent Lucius Calphurnius then Consul against Iugurth but hee did no good for hee was corrupted with money After Spurius Albinus Posthumus was sent by the Senators who fought with Iugurth but with great dishonour The thirde time Quintus Cecilius Metellus was sent who vanquished Iugurth and subdued Numidia at last tooke him and brought him prisoner to Rome Of this Iugurth you shall reade more in the Affricane historie and I will lay downe the names of the Romane Consuls captaines and generals that triumphed from the ende of the second Affricane warre which was from Scipio Affricanus the elder vntill the time of Scipio Affricanus the yonger which was 56. yeeres 1 Ti. Quin. Flaminius 2 Lu. Flamin his brother 3 Lu. Cornelius Scipio surnamed Affricanus 4 Lu. Valerius Flaccus 5 M. Portius Cato 6 Lucius Manlius 7 Scipio Nasica 8 Ti. Sempronius Longus 9 Spu. Posthu Albinus 10 Quintus Martius 11 M. Aemilius Lepidus 12 M. Sempro. Tuditanus 13 Lucius Anitius 14 Au. Manl. Torquatus 15 C. Lu. Crassus 16 Quintus Opimus 17 Sci. Affrica the yonger 18 Q. Cecilius Metellus 29 C. Cecilius Metellus 20 Lu. Cornelius Cnima 21 M. Liuius Drusus 22 C. Papirius Carbo 23 Lu. Celius Metellus 24 Cneus Octauius These with many other noble Romanes florished in those dayes for nowe the Romanes after all their wars in Affrika brought all kingdoms vnder the Empire of Rome for frō that time forward the glory of Rome did excel sauing for some ciuill wars that grew beeene Marius Silla after beweene Pompey Caesar els Rome was in her greatnes for in the 646. yeere after the building of Rome Caius Marius a man of great seruice amongst the Romanes in consideration that he had bene seuen times Consul in Rome was the onely cause of the first ciuil warre in Rome vpō indignation taken that Silla was preferred in the wars then against Mithridates king of Pontus who had already done good seruice in Asia Achaia though Mithridates had perswaded the Atheniās to resist Silla for at that time Mithridates held a great part of Asia in his hand and of Thracia so that many thought that Mithridates should in time conquer the Romane Empire for he was eager and cruell against those that loued the Romanes But Silla in spite of Mithridates his philosopher Athenius his successor Aristo the tyrant besieged Athens and wanne it where he killed a number of the Citizens many before were famished for a measure of wheate called Medinus was sold in Athens then for a thousand Drachmes which doe mount to a hundred crownes which before in time of peace was sold for fiue Drachmes After he had taken Athens he marched to Beotia and ouerthrewe Archilaus Mithridates generall slue a hundred thousand of his men and from thence to Thebes and did much harme both to the Citie and Citizens Marius disdaining the good successe of Silla made meanes to the Senate to haue that warre into his hand which Silla had against Mithridates This was graunted to Marius whereupon Silla in a great furie with all his armie returned backe to Rome entred the Citie killed Sulpitius slue many and draue Marius to flight and secretly went to Apheca Silla and Marius beganne nowe both to neglect the warres abroade against Mithridates and like two furious enemies of Italie spoyled their countrie and gaue libertie to the enemie to vanquish and subdue in this time Armenia the lesse and all the sea coastes called Ponticum and Bosphorus Silla by consent of the Senate tooke his iourney against Mithridates recouered Greece as you heard and other prouinces But to be short Silla ouercame Marius after many hotte broiles in Italie concluded peace with Mithridates returned to Rome at what time Lu. Scipio and Norbanus were Consuls in Rome These both thought to resist Sillas comming to Rome but Lu. Scipio with all his armie went and yeelded to Silla and the other Consul fled to Rhodes where for feare to come to Sillas hand hee slue himselfe That yeere Silla was made Dictator in Rome sixe hundred seuentie three yeeres after the building of Rome at what time he tyrannized against the Citizens of Rome so that Silla after much good seruice first done to his countrie afterwarde fell to such slaughter and tyrannie that he had beene better vnborne then borne And so of Marius may be spoken who plaied the like part before Silla and were both called faces faeces Italiae for their bloodshed in their coūtrie for Marius before Sillas slaughter and murthering of the Citizens of Rome hee killed Cneus Sulpitius and others so Sulpitius and others slue in Rome Cneus Octauius and many of the best of Rome aswell Noble men Senators Consuls as others This ciuil warre in Rome as Eutropius and Melancthon affirme endured tenne yeeres in the which were slaine aboue fiue hundred thousand souldiers twentie foure Consuls seuen Pretors fourtie Tribunes and as they write three hundred Senators beside Reade Melancthon of this warre Now after that Silla had these tenne yeres fomed in blood and had subdued both Marius and his sonne the yonger Marius hee triumphed ouer Mithridates with great glory In the latter yeeres of Silla young Pompey afterwarde surnamed the great for his prowesse courage was much honored of Silla
ciuil warres betwene themselues as betwene Marius and Silla in the first warres betwene Pompey Caesar in the second warres and betweene Mar. Antonius and Octauius Augustus in the third warrs to the ouerthrow welnigh of the whole Romane empire For histories do report that in these three ciuil warres before mentioned died more Senators Consuls magistrats noblemen and gentlemen then in the three great Affricane warres the first by Hamilcar which endured 22. yeeres most cruell the second by Hanibal which endured 17. yeeres most terrible warres the thirde and last by Asdrubal which continued foure yeeres all which annoyed not Rome so much as did these three ciuil warres But let vs returne to the happie raigne of Augustus called the Prince of peace the father of the countrey and Emperor of Rome whose happie gouernment made vnhappie Rome happie and raised vp Rome from the ground vp to the heauens To this good Emperour the Persians and the Parthians sent ambassadors with presents to this the Scythians the Indians and the Garramants people that neuer heard before any speach of the Romanes sent both Legats and presents What shal be spoken more of this Emperour In his dayes in the two and fourtieth yere of this Emperours raigne the Emperour of all Emperours and King of all kings was in Bethleem a towne of Iurie borne of the Virgine Mary the onely begotten Sonne of God and the onely Sauiour of the worlde This is the true Messias sent from Heauen to earth to satisfie the wrath of his father This was the Lambe of God which tooke away the sinnes of the world And therefore Augustus was the happier for that in his time IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of God was borne as the Prophetes had before spoken Now after that this good Emperour had liued eightie sixe yeeres whose honour and loue was such in the whole world that townes were builded and named after the name of Caesar one by king Iuba in Mauritania another by Hero in Palestina and many kings left their owne kingdomes came to Rome to do seruice to Augustus He raigned fiftie and sixe yeres Emperour he died at Atella a towne of Campania was brought to be buried at Rome and was canonized after his death as a god Augustus had three things in Rome graunted the first to be Consul of Rome before he was twentie yeeres olde the second he was freed from any decree or law of the Senators and the thirde hee had his image on horsebacke set vp in the market place which was granted to none but to Silla and Caesar In this Emperours time flourished in Rome many notable learned men whose names are here subscribed Virgil this time flourished Horace also and Tibullus Propertius and Vitrimius Titus Liuius and Ouid. Valerius Maximus And Strabo When Augustus died there was peace ouer the whole world for the Sonne of God was then borne the king of all peace whose fame by miracles filled all the earth At what time raigned Tetrarche in Iudea Archelaus the sonne of that Herode who slewe so many infants thinking thereby to kill the Sonne of God and therefore spared not his owne sonnes Aristobulus and Alexandeer I haue spoken of this more in the historie of the Church In the time of this Emperour Augustus the kingdome of Fraunce beganne to be so named after the name of one Francus the sonne of Antharius king of Sicambria This Francus after that his father died made a decree that Sicambria should be called Francia after his owne name of whom I shal speake in the historie of Fraunce And now I will returne to Tiberius Caesar who was Liuia Augustus wiues sonne and Augustus sonne by adoption the successour of Augustus and the thirde Emperour of Rome of whom we reade that he was very eloquent and well learned but a great dissembler who gouerned the Empire with auarice crueltie lust and cowardlinesse for he waged battell no where himself in person but by his deputies and lieutenants He beganne his Empire in the 768. yere after the building of Rome and in the 15. yeere after Christ was borne at what time Sextus Pompeius was Consul in Rome This Tiberius had some warres with the Germanes which were before subdued by Augustus but nowe againe rebelled and brought to subiection by this Emperor Tiberius Of these warres reade Cornelius Tacitus Hee had warres before in Illyria in the time of his father in lawe Augustus ouer whom hee triumphed In the last yeere of Tiberius Nero was Domitius borne Tiberius was certified by Pilate from Hierusalem where hee gouerned vnder the Romanes of the miracles of Christ of his fame and of his life and doings Pilats letters were shewed to the Senators and Pilate was blamed and reprooued for that he suffered that IESVS to do any miracles without the consent of the Senators for Pilate put vp the Image of Tiberius in the temple at Ierusalem But in the latter ende of his raigne hee fell to great negligence of gouernment he gaue himselfe to be idle and thereby became vntemperate with inordinate lust in so much that hee was flouted and scoffed and called Biberius Mero in stead of Tiberius Nero and after he had raigned twentie and three yeeres he died in Campania as is supposed by the meanes of Caligula who succeeded him in the Empire This Caligula was sonne to Germanicus a lewde Emperour and a wicked who farre exceeded Tiberius in crueltie and in horrible life he commaunded his Images to be put vp euery where and altars to be consecrated to him and caused his Images to haue diuine honours and hee sent to Iudea and commaunded that his Image should bee set in the temple boasting of his filthie life and gouernment naming himselfe Iupiter for his incestuous life and naming him Bacchus for his drunkennesse Hee had carâ—…all copulation with all his three sisters and with his daughter whom hee begate vpon one of his sisters he defiled noble women and chaste matrones and gaue them after to others to be defiled hee was called the beast of Rome who after hee had raigned foure yeeres vsing great crueltie auarice filthie lust and horrible incest he was slaine in his Pallace by his owne souldiers as Iosephus writeth in his nineteenth booke His birth his life and his death is set foorth at large by Suetonius who also wrote of all the liues of all the Emperours most amplie omitting nothing that belonged to the Romane historie during the time of the Emperours What were done in other countreys since the death of that good Emperour Augustus what wickednesse ensued in Rome by his successours Claudius Tiberius and Caius Caligula Tacitus Suetonius Liuie and other writers haue written very largely In the time of Tiberius Nero within two yeeres of Augustus death happened such an earthquake in the night time that twelue great cities in Asia fell prostrate to the ground at what
time Piso was Praetor in Syria and Pontius Pilate was President in Iudea This very time the Parthians required of the Romanes king Phraartes sonne named Vonones which was by his owne father put to the Romanes in pledge of loyaltie to come againe to his kingdome which being graunted hee shortly after was despised and driuen out of his kingdome by Artabanus Mithridates waged warre and died in the Isle of Thiae banished from Rome for at that time there was a lawe made in Italy for the banishing of Sooth sayers and Mathematicians Within a litle while after fell sharpe and cruel warre of this warre betweene the Parthians and Hiberians Reade Tacitus At this time many great terrible earthquakes chaunced and many great wonders were seeene a little before Christ Iesus suffered his death and passion for after the last earthquake spoken of before fell againe thirteene great and famous townes by another earthquake whose names Eusebius setteth downe in this sort as in the margent you may reade Our Sauiour Christ died in the Emperour Tiberius his raigne at what time were finished the seuentie weekes spoken of in Daniel about which time Philo Iudaeus was sent from Alexandria to Rome to entreate the Romanes to bee friendes to the Citizens of Alexandria This Philo Iudaeus was of great authoritie in those dayes being a Iewe borne his first comming to Rome was accepted the fifteenth yeere of the raigne of Tiberius the seconde comming was in the second yeere of the raigne of Caius Caligula where hee was but litle welcome and with threatning wordes of Caligula he returned backe to Alexandria In the time of this C. Caligula came Herode the Tetrarche from Iewrie to Rome and was by Caligula then banished from Iudea to Lugdunum a towne in France and Pontius Pilate who gaue sentence of death vpon the Sonne of God our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST in Ierusalem this time fell into such miseries and calamities that hee with his owne hande killed himselfe Matthewe the Euangelist wrote his Gospell in Iudea in the Hebrewe tongue in the last yeere of the Emperour Caligula at what time Simon Magus the Sorcerer flourished and was honoured as a god in Rome and in many other places I will returne to the successour of Caligula Tiberius Claudius hee sawe Drusus an vncle by the father side to Caligula and brothers sonne to Tiberius Nero this made warres vpon the Britaines which is now called England ouer whom he triumphed at Rome and at that time hee annexed certaine Ilands situate beyond Britaine called Orcades to the Empire of Rome he appointed playes in Rome at what time ciuil warres grew amongst the Parthians In the time of this Claudius diuers and sundry great famines were in many countreys great famine was in Iudea and the Apostles suffered much persecution but they were comforted by the brethren Of this famine spake Agabus in the Acts of the Apostles In Rome also was great famine and in Greece This Claudius Tiberius had a wife named Messalina a woman most vntemperate giuen to much filthie lust neuer satisfied with venerie nor neuer wearie by this lewde Empresse many were destroyed Many things did this Claudius very quietly and many things hee did very cruelly without discretion and behaued himselfe very courteously towards diuers of his friendes and therefore was thought of many not to be wise Eutropius saith that there was a most honorable tombe made to him at Mentz in Germanie This Emperour liued 64. yeeres and raigned in Rome Emperour foureteene yeeres after whome succeeded Claudius Domitius Nero who was sonne in lawe vnto Claudius Drusus who adopted him to be his successour in the Empire after the building of Rome 807. yeeres some say 809 and after that Christ died 57. This was the sixt Emperour of Rome who excelled all good Emperours for fiue yeeres gouernment for Traian the Emperour was wont to say Omnes principes procul à Neronis quinquennio distare for hee builded the Anephitheaters and founded Bathes and named them after his owne name at Rome he ordeined certaine places euery fiue Quinquenale imitating the Greekes in their Olympiads and named them Neronea the playes of Nero hee much resembled his vncle Caligula a man much giuen to all kinde of riot charges and expences hee poysoned the sonne of Claudius whom his father sirnamed Britanicus in remembrance of his victorie ouer the Britaines hee married Octauia and slew her husband and as Eusebius saith slewe her also hee married a courtezane named Poppea and slew her hee had carnall copulation with Agrippina his owne naturall mother and after slew her he also slewe a great nomber of the Senate and diuers other worthie citizens This Emperour exceeded all tyrants in crueltie hee committed diuers murthers vpon his owne kinsefolkes and slewe his scholemaster that graue and learned man Seneca When that this Nero had giuen himselfe wholy to all tyrannie and became an enemie to all good hee would daunce and sing openly with strumpets in the apparell of a cōmon minstrell Now when hee had murthered Senators citizens and diuers gentlemen and had slaine his owne brother his wife and his mother he set the citie of Rome on fire and let it burne for 6. dayes to make him know how the citie of Troy burned when it was on fire by the Grecians And when he had left no euill thing vndone on earth hee beganne to persecute the Church and to murther the saincts of God as shal be spoken in the History of the Church of Paul Peter and others Reade Tacitus of this wicked Emperour While he fomed in blood at Rome the Parthians bereft him of Armenia and he had almost as Eutropius saith lost Britaine he durst do nothing in feates of armes for these cruel facts he was abhorred of all men and cleane forsaken of his owne friends he was adiudged of the Senate to be an enemy of the weale publike Nero hearing that he should be drawen naked through the citie and be whipt til he were dead hee fled secretly forth of his Pallace by night with his Eunuch Sporus and slew himselfe 4. miles from Rome In the time of Nero fell by an earthquake three townes in Asia called Laodicea Hieropolis and Colossa Diuers earthquakes and many wonders were seene in Rome murther and slaughter in Iudea battels and blood At what time Albinus gouerned the Iewes vnder the Romans In Neroes time gouerned in Britaine Aruiragus in whose dayes many Britaines were conuerted to the faith by Ioseph of Arimathea a Iew borne and one of them that buried our Sauiour Christ. Thus the tyrant Nero which wished that all the citie of Rome had but one necke that he might with one stroke cut it off died after hee had raigned fourteene yeeres Emperour and liued one and thirtie yeeres CHAP. VIII From Nero the tyrant the sixt Emperour of Rome vntill the time of Lu. Antoninus Comodus the
their conquests were great their victories infinite but after the dignities of the Cōsuls were eclipsed by the greatnesse crueltie of the Emperours the state of Rome also beganne by a little and a little to loose her former fame and to decaye in credite for that they esteemed money more then men This vice of auarice excluded all kinde of vertues out of Rome and receiued into the Citie hidden hatred priuate wealth and yong councell whereby the lady of the whole worlde sometime is become now by auarice to be the handmaid of Spaine and Fraunce yea to be led by euery citie of Italie Thus was the glory of Rome brought vnder her owne seruants to be a captiue euen as Babylon Ierusalem Egypt and other kingdomes of whom the Prophets haue spoken prophecied the reward of their wickednesse idolatrie and horrible superstition The like destruction the Romanes must looke to haue as the Affricanes had after them the Chaldeans the Hebrewes and the Egyptians for their idolatrie and contempt of God The like ende and destruction as had the Persians the Medes the Macedonians and the Greekes must the Romanes by the prophesie of Daniel expect for I will the Reader to reade Daniel Esai Ieremie and Ezechiel of these great kingdoms before time for some destroyed and consumed and I will returne to the historie Now after that good Emperor Cocceius Nerua had reigned but one yeere foure moneths and nine dayes hee adopted Traiane to the Empire a Spaniard and not an Italian as many would haue it a godly Emperor a good man of whom many good things are written amongst the which he is most commended in two principal things sanctitas domi fortitudo for is he was patient in all traueiles and in all aduersities hee was very diligent in ciuill causes and very expert in militarie discipline hee was most liberall to his souldiers and beneficiall vnto all men he much honoured all learned men he onely of all other Emperors obserued iustice and practised the same to his people hee gouerned the weale publique in such sort that hee ought worthely to bee preserued aboue all other princes hee enlarged the borders and marches both in length and breadth of the Romane Empire which frō the time of Augustus was but defended and conserued by other Emperors vntil this time he is thus cōmended in Eutropius that his courtesie and sobrietie farre excelled his martiall feates hee was so familiar that he would ride goe and sit with his familiars hee would also banquet amongst them without esteeming of himself more then of another he openly and secretly enriched not onely his friendes but those whom he well heard of and aduaunced them to honors with whom he had small acquaintance hee infranchised many cities hee did so many great good things aswell in repairing ruinous Townes and Cities as also in building newe Cities Townes in diuers coūtries that in a maner he builded a new world againe for he builded sixe great Temples 1 To Apollo 2 To Mars 3 To Iupiter 4 To Aesculapius 5 To Ceres 6 To Berecynthia And therefore he was reputed in al the whole world of all men and likened vnto some god which had some diuine power to finish and to perfect a ruinous cōmon wealth being by his predecessors Nero Caligula Heliogabolus Domitianus and others welnigh wholy destroyed and defaced So much preuailed in him the fame of perfect goodnesse that at the election of any prince in Rome after Traians dayes the Senators and the people would wish him to be as fortunate as Augustus and in behauiour of vertue and goodnesse to be like the good Traiane who both for his goodnes vertue was also called Pater patriae as Augustus was for that hee subdued Dacia recouered Armenia which the Parthians had wonne he reduced vnder the obeysance of Rome Spaine Moscouia Arabia and the inhabitants of Cholcos hee had great warres in all the East countries and brought Assyria and Mesopotamia vnder his hand He reduced many kingdomes to be prouinces vnder the Romanes hee wanne Seleucia and Babylon and prepared a nauie for the redde Sea that thereby hee might spoyle and destroy the borders and coastes of Iudea About this time the Temple of Pantheon in Rome was burned he triumphed ouer the Danes and ouer the Scythians and brought Rome againe to her former fame and glory as it was in the time of Octauius Augustus The two mirrors of Rome liued in Rome and dyed with the like loue and fame after they had purchased great glory and renowme both for ciuill and marciall policie Traiane was canonised and was the first emperour buried within the Citie his bones were put in a golden cuppe and set vnder a pillar which mounted in height to an hundred fourtie foure foote Hee reigned nineteene yeeres whose facts and worthinesse are rife in memorie If you list to reade further of them looke in Capitolinus amongst all the emperours this you shall finde to excell the rest In Traianes time fell the fourth persecution of the Christians in whose time also dyed Iohn the Euangelist after whose death florished his scholers and disciples Papias and Polycarpus and Ignatius In Traians time happened such an earthquake that foure great Cities in Asia fell flatte to the grounde three in Galatia and two in Greece Traiane dyed of the flixe at Seleucia a towne of Isauria whē he had liued sixtie three yeeres after whom succeeded Aelius Adrianus the fifteenth emperour an Italian borne he was sisters sonne to Traiane and yet not adopted to the Empire by Traiane but by meanes of Plotina Traians wife hee was singularly learned both in the Greeke and in the Latine hee was excellently seene in Musicke and Geometrie and was so expert in Astronomie that hee made yerely Prognostications for him selfe hee excelled in diuers artes as in caruing grauing paynting cutting eyther in brasse or in marble Iustine writeth of this emperour that hee coulde write talke with his friendes aske questions and answere matters at one time hee gaue him selfe wholly to purchase peace and quietnesse and woulde often say that hee did more good in Rome by idlenesse then his predecessours by weapons for hee purchased peace during the whole time of his Empire In his time the Christians were sore persecuted vntill certeine learned of the Christians wrote bookes vnto the Emperour Adrian for mercie in sparing of Christian blood whereupon the Emperour wrote diuers Epistles to Iudea and to all prouinces belonging to the Empire of Rome that no Christian should be apprehended for religion sake at what time Ierusalem was named Aelia after that he had quieted the Iewes by his Sendrus and slue of them fiue thousand The Emperours name Aelius Adrianus for after that the Emperor Adriā wrote his letter to Minutius to stay his persecution certeine heretikes began to trouble the Church as Saturnius
a citie in Fraunce The ouerthrow was such that their king was taken prisoner Fraunce againe recouered This time was Cōstantius occupied against the Parthians and returning home from thence to pacifie that cōmotion he died by the way after he had reigned 38. yeres at what time Iulianus was made Augustus But let vs know who florished in Rome during the reigne of this great Constantinus and his three sonnes which was seuentie yeeres Ruffinus Volusianus Arcadius Rufinus Anicius Iulianus Acilius Seuerus Paulinus Probianus Valerius Maximus Septimius Bassius Syluanus Caesar. Faecilianus and Tacianus who were Consuls when Constantine the great dyed Crispus Caesar. Ouinius Gallicanus Annianus and Anicius Rufinus Metilius Halarianus Dalmatius Caesar. Nepotianus Caesar. Catulinus Philomanus Publitius Optatus Lucinus Caesar. Magnentius and Decentius both Caesars Gallus Caesar. Cornelius Sergius Daelius Probinus Valerinus Proculus Fabius Titianus Mereatius Caerealus Claudius Iulianus Caesar who was next Emperour after Constantinus and his sonnes made great preparation against the Parthians at what time sundry Townes and holdes were peaceably yeelded to Iulianus hee returning from Assyria as a conquerour was slaine by his enemies in the seuenth yeere of his reigne This Emperour Iulianus did excell in the Greeke and in the Latine tongue he was passing well seene in all the liberall artes he was very eloquent and a great Philosopher Eutropius saith that Iulianus resembled much Marcus Antonius whom this Emperour in all points endeuoured to imitate but he was a persecutour of the Christians Iouinianus succeeded next Iulianus being chosen by consent of the souldiers hee was a very good Emperour and a great fauourer of the Christiās but being once or twise vanquished by the Persians he susteined such reproch that hewas forced to make peace with a great portiō ofhis empire which was not seene since the foundation of Rome This Iouinianus was borne in a prouince of Pannonia the sonne of one Verromanus who in his sleepe was warned that this Emperour should be named Iouinianus who after hee reigned eight moneths died but Eutropius affirmeth that he reigned Emperor seuen yeeres After him succeeded Valentianus the sonne of Gratianus a meane man of birth in whose time the West kingdomes began to annoy the Romane Empire for hitherto the Romanes kept the sole Empire in Rome vntill the time of Theodosius the great which was the fiftie Emperour from Iulius Caesar. Valentianus and his sonne together had the Empire betweene them twentie one yeeres Valentianus the father reigned of those fifteene yeres and his his sonne named also Valētianus being a yong boy proclaimed Caesar by the souldiers reigned the other sixe yeeres After them succeeded Theodosius Iunior in whose time the Gotes the Vandales began to be gouerned vnder kings The Longobards and the Hunnes at that very time began their kingdoms Many other kingdoms began this time as Britaine and Scotland and diuers nations in Germany waxed so strong so mighty that by often quarreling long tedious warres the Empire was not only diuided but quite taken into the West partes of the world so that frō the name of the Emperour of Rome he was long named the emperor of Constantinople and after that named the Emperor of Almaine where betweene these Gotes Vandales Longobards Hunnes Polonians and diuers other Potentates of Germany beside Fraunce Spaine England the empire still remaineth in Germany so that the dignitie of Rome the great glory and long renowme thereof is fallen frō an Emperour to a Pope after that Rome had florished vnder kings 243. yeeres vntill the time of Consuls vnder Consuls and Dictators 467. vntil the time of emperors vnder emperors 447. yeres Now I wil end this Romane historie for that the glory of the Romanes died the dignitie of the empire taken away nothing to be spokē of the Romanes after Iouinianus time which was the 43. emperour after Augustus reigne which gouerned Rome with glory fame for the space of 407 yeres as Sex Ruffi affirmeth yet these emperors whose names I haue subcribed gouerned as emperours vntill Charles the great at what time the empire begā to quaile the Germans began to florish and Rome quite forsaken and decayed And nowe for that the Empire is fully come to Germanie I will onely put downe the names of the emperours of Rome from Iu. Caesar vntill Theodosius the great which are these Iu. Caesar fiue moneths Octauius Augustus 56. yeeres C. Tiberius Nero. 23. yeeres C. Caesar Caligula 4. yeeres Tib. Clau. Drusus 13. yeeres Cl. Domitius Nero 13. yeeres and 8. moneths Serg. Sulp. Galba 7. moneths Siluius Otto 95. dayes Aul. Vitellius 8. moneths Fla. Vespasianus 12. yeeres Tit. Vespasianus 2. yeeres Fla. Domitianus 15. yeeres Coc. Nerua 16. moneths Vlpius Traianus 17. yeeres Aelius Adrianus 21. yeeres T. Antonius Pius 23. yeeres M. Aurelius Antoninus surna med the Philosopher 19. yeeres Lu. Aurelius Commodus 13. yeeres Aelius Pertinax and Didius Iulianus both these 2. Emperours reigned 5. moneths L. Septim Seuerus 18. yeeres Au. Antoninus Bassianus who was also named Caracalla 7. yeeres Opili Macrinus with his s◅ne Diadumeus both Emperours slaine by the souldiers within 14. moneths of their reigne these with others are omitted among writers by reason of their short gouernment one murthering of an other M. Aurelius Heliogabolus 4. yeeres Au. Alex. Seuerus 13. yeeres Maximinus with his sōne named also Maximi was of a meane souldier made Emperour without the authoritie of the Senate and reigned 3. yeeeres Balbinus Pupienus reigned one yeere and were both slaine in an vprore of the armie Gordianus reigned Emperour 6. yeeres M. Iulius Philippus with his sōne named Philip reigned 5. yeeres this was the first Christian Emperour Decius and his sonne 2. yeeres Gallus Hostilianus with his sonne Volusianus 2. yeeres Lucius Valerianus and Gallienus reigned both Caesars ioyntly 15. yeeres Fla. Claudius reigned 20. moneths his brothea Quintilius reigned after him but 17. dayes both good Emperours and yet according to the custome slaine by them who made them and proclaimed them emperors Val. Aurelianus raigned sixe yeeres and was slaine Annius Tacitus raigned sixe moneths and was slaine Florianus raigned 84. dayes and was killed Aurelius Probus raigned sixe yeeres 3. moneths Carus with his two sonnes Carinus and Numerianus in like sort slaine within two yeeres after hee was made Emperour Dioclesianus Iouius raigned 20. yeeres with whom raigned Maximianus Gallerius and Cōstantius Chlorus Constantinus the great raigned 31. yeeres This appointed the first order of the accompt called Indictiones after the Olympiads were expired After Constantine th◅ great raigned his sonne Constanstine and his two brethren Constantius and Constans 14. yeeres Magnentius raigned 3. yeres Beraldus saith that he raigned more yeres Iulianus raigned 7. yeeres Iouinianus raigned eight moneths Valentinianus raigned ioyntly with his brother Valens 15. yeeres Theodosius the great raigned 17. yeeres After this Theodosius no mention
is made of any famous exploits or conquests done by the Emperours of Rome but of slaughter and murther during the time of the other Emperours which was not long for that the Empire was translated into Germanie And it was gone to Constantinople froÌ„ Rome before it came to Germanie Much more might haue bene written of other emperours which continued in Rome tantuÌ„ nomine for the dignitie of the empire and the glorie of the olde Romanes was quite defaced and that litle soueraigntie which was left in Rome was by the Pope obscured for as the kings of Rome within 243. yeeres were exiled and Rome became subiect to Consuls so likewise Consuls within 467. yeeres became subiect to the emperours And euen so the glory and renowme of the emperours within 470. yeeres was diminished by the Popes so that now Rome is without either King Consul or Emperour but only a Pope and the pompe of the Pope beginneth to quaile And therefore Rome was well compared by P. Orosius to Babylon whose glorie for a thousand and odde yeeres farre excelled al the kingdomes of the world and euen so Rome who seemed to be a whole worlde of it selfe is nowe brought to nothing and so the beasts that Daniel saw in a vision the one like a lion which betokened the Assyrians the second like a beare which signified the Persians the third like a leopard which signified the Macedonians and the fourth beast was fearefull and terrible it had great yron teetth it deuoured and brake in pieces and stamped the residue vnder his feete So the Romans vsed all other kingdomes and nowe are almost in the like case as the Persians Assyrians or the Macedonians And now I leaue the Romanes and speake of the cruel persecution that chiefly raigned euery where vnder the Romane Emperours after our Sauiour Christ died vntill Constantine the great leauing the historie of Germanie where now the Empire resteth to euery mans reading for that it beganne of late time and also for that the most part is therewith acquainted And therefore I ende this historie of the Romanes in this place with Eutropius with S. Aurelius Victor and with Sextus Ruffinus Hitherto Rome helde the Empire with some glorie and renowme and after it decayed from one Emperour vnto another vntil the Empire was taken into Germanie for when the kingdome of Fraunce beganne in Faramundus time I thought good to make an ende of the Empire of Rome in Theodosius the great his time who liued and raigned at one time with Faramundus for France flourished by the ruine of Rome OF THE TRIAL OF THE Martyrs of God in the Primitiue Church from the first persecution vnder Tiberius the 3. Emperour in the which Stephen was stoned Iames beheaded Philip hanged with infinite more tormented and persecuted vntill the 3. persecution which began vnder Domitian the 12. Emperour of Rome THe pollicie of Satan from the beginning of mankind was such that he inuented many wayes to hinder the Church of God among the old Patriarkes and the members of gods Church then before the Law was giuen in the mount to Moses and after the law was giuen with all kinde of superstitious idolatrie of Idols and Images vntil our Sauiour Christs time then Satan stirred with much more policie then before with persecution and heresies to animate his souldiers against the Gospel in euery kingdome and countrey For when our Sauiour Christ was ascended vp to God his Father leauing his Church to endure such persecution and afflictions for the exercise of the faithfull as might in despite of Satan his angels as he bâ—…fore had tolde to his disciples triumph by the blood of Christ Iesus and after be confirmed by the blood of so many millions of martyrs as were by God appointed to be witnesses of his Church hee was no sooner ascended vnto heauen but his Church was persecuted on earth which was the first persecution by the Iewes vnder Tiberius Nero the thirde Emperour of Rome though the emperour was instructed by Pilatus the Romane President which continued then at Hierusalem 10. yeeres that Tiberius read the letters of the Senators opening the miracles of Christ Iesus in the Senate the order and maner of his death and of his resurrection in somuch that the emperour would haue the Senators to put him in the nomber and to record him as one of the gods for it was a decree among the Romans that none should be recorded one of the gods without the Senators consent As Eusebius reciteth the wordes of Tertulian in this sort Nullum deum à rege consecrandum priusquam à Senatu probaretur But when the whole world was fully instructed by the Apostles of Christ who were dispersed and persecuted euery where so that in omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum their words their liues and their doctrine went into al parts of the world The spirite of God stirred many zealous faithfull and godly men to receiue the doctrine of Christ our Sauiour and reueiled to the Gentiles that which the Iewes would not receiue and therefore euen from the blood of Abel the iust vntil Zacharias the priest which was slaine c. God will call them to accompt Now after that Pilate had slaine himselfe euen with those hands which he washed in Ierusalem like an hypocrite as giltlesse of the death of Christ Iesus after he had giuen sentence of death on him and also after that Herode died being banished full of calamities and miseries eaten of vermines as a iust reuenge of impietie and tyrannie about which time Tiberius the emperour died also during which time in Hierusalem persecution was yet hot vehement and euen then they allowed to Simon Magus the sorcerer after he came from Samaria to Rome all honour and reuerence and his Image to be put vp in Rome with this title Simoni deo magno and refused Christ though Tiberius the Emperour first sought it by all meanes And againe Philo a learned Iewe sent from Alexandria to Claudius the next Emperour that succeeded Tiberius who willed and counselled the Senators in many good and godly thinges concerning the Iewes foâ—… whose cause hee came from Alexandria to Rome Caius Caligula beganne to raigne Emperour of Rome vnder whome the Iewes were miserablie afflicted and most cruelly persecuted In that time grew betweene the Greekes and the Iewes sedition at Alexandria for the which cause both the Iewes and the Greekes sent to Rome to Caligula ambassadours for the redresse hereof Philo a learned Iew who had bene at Rome before in the fifteenth yeere of the raigne of Tiberius was nowe againe sent in the seconde yeere of Caligulas raigne in the behalfe of the Iewes and Appian in the behalfe of the Greekes An other tumult beganne in Ierusalem Petronius being then President at Ierusalem for that Caligula had commaunded his Image to be put vp in the temple at Hierusalem and to be had in reuerence as
predecessours in so much that hee was compared vnto Cyrus king of Persia for his valure vnto Alexander the great for his victories and conquests who visited in like maner as Alexander did India Aethiopia Scythia and other farre kingdomes from Rome and hauing stayed persecution in most places hee comforted the Christians so that the Gospel beganne to florish among the Barbarous people in Armenta and in Persia. Hee reedified great and chiefe Cities as Nicomedia in Bythinia and also Bizantium in Thracia and made it equall to Rome in all points and named it after his ownename Constantinople for there was nothing in Rome but this Emperour builded the like in Constantinople in so much that it was called newe Rome the onely Citie of fame and renow me in all the East countries To this Towne many of the best learned men both Greekes and Iewes haue come and dwelt there here nowe religion florished Christians reioyced and all learned men of the world frequented Againe Constantine caused a temple to be made by the oke of Mambre this is nowe Terebinthus a place from Hebron distant fifteene furlongs and from Ierusalem 250. furlongs To this place the Phoenicians and the Arabians were wont once euery yere to come to traffique and to marchandize with the Iewes they kept a solemne feast in memorie of Abraham the Patriarch and offered in sacrifice after the lawe of Moses eyther an oxe or a goate or else a sheepe or a Cocke Euery nation honoured this place the Iewes in memorie of Abraham the Gentiles in memorie of the Angels that there appeared vnto Abraham the Christians in memorie of CHRIST IESVS the Sonne of GOD being there then the thirde Angel seene of Abraham before hee tooke flesh of the Virgine Marie well nigh two thousand yeeres This place also Constantine adorned and beautified with many monuments It were long to rehearse the goodnesse of this Emperour and to repeate his care and doings in all partes of the worlde for the Church hee caused a Synod at this time to beehad at Nice in Bythinia where were gathered together three hundred and eighteene Byshops in the which the heresie of Arrius was condemned At what time Athanasius was appointed Byshop of Alexandria to succeede Alexander who deposed Arrius The Arrians persecuted this Athanasius so that hee was forced to flee for succour to the Emperour Constantine This time succeeded in Antioch after Tiranus the nineteenth byshop Vitalis the twentieth after him Philogonus the twentie one after him Paulinus after him Eustachius whose place after hee was banished for the Gospel the Arrians occupied In Rome Marcus the seconde of that name was Byshop after whom succeeded Iulius the third In his dayes the Armenians and the Indians receiued Christianitie yet in Persia vnder king Sapores the Christians were sore persecuted the Magi of Persia perswaded Sapores the king to punish Simeon the Archbishop of Seleucia for that he was a friende to the Romanes By this meanes great persecution beganne in Persia against the Archbyshop Simeon and Vstazanes an olde man and likewise the kings tutour for that they would worship not the sunne after the manner of the Persians Likewise Pusices a noble man of the Court of Sapor with his daughter a faire virgine did suffer torments for the trueth Anania and Azadis the Kings eunuches and Tarbula the sister of Simeon in like sort suffered violent death and on that very day the Iewes by the commandement of Magi being by the king licenced brought an hundred Christians some of them were Byshops some Elders and some of other orders of the Church which for that they would not worship the sunne wereslaine with the sword It is written in Eusebius in the Ecclesiasticall histories of Her Zozamenis that two hundred and fiftie Byshops were put to the sworde by commaundement of Sapores the king for their constancie and faith in CHRIST IESVS whose names though not all yet some as I founde in the historie I set downe which are these 1 Barbasymes 2 Paulus 3 Gaddiabes 4 Sabinus 5 Mareas 6 Mocius 7 Manfriandes 8 Hormisdas 9 Papas 10 Iacobus 11 Romas 12 Maares 13 Agas 14 Bochres 15 Abdas 16 Abdiesus 17 Dausas 18 Abranims 19 Agdelas 20 Sabores 21 Issaac and 22 Dausas These were taken captiue and brought before the Magistrates and for not worshipping the Sunne according to the Persians maners the king commaunded that they should be put to the sword To this king Sapores Constantinus the Emperour wrote in fauour of the Christians which Epistle is extant in Eusebius in the life of Constantine Thus much I thought good to set downe among other wickednesses and tyrannies that reigned among the Romane Emperours Hee that will see more of persecution and heresies let him reade Eusebius Nicephorus and others and hee shall satisfie himselfe therein I thought it fitte to annexe thus much of persecution to the Romane Emperours and to Popes as to the authours of all persecutions in all Countries OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF Spaine and of the originall of their kings and of their contiuuance from Tubal vnto Hispanus During which time they were called by diuers seuerall names as Caetubales Hiberi Celtiberi and Hesperij of which I shall briefly speake in their places I Haue almost placed and followed all Iaphets sonnes and nowe I come to Hispaine where Tubal tooke possession which name is interpreted to be Hispaine by Iosephus I will bee as short as I can for that I would faine come to England and yet France is vpon my way where I must of necessitie stay a little to speake of them very briefly Spaine was deuided in olde time but into 3. Prouinces into Lusitania which is now called Portingale into Tarraconenses where the two Scipios builded a citie and named it Tarracon after the name of the Prouince and into Baetica which is so called by the riuer Baetis This Prouince is now named Andolasia or Granado The Romanes at what time they were lords of Spaine made no other diuision but high and low Hispaine by the name of superior inferior Hispania After it was deuided into sixe Prouinces in this sort named as foloweth 1 The first Prouince called Terracon 2 Called the Prouince of Carthage 3 Lusitania which is Portingale 4 Gallacia 5 Baetica which is Andolisia or Granado 6 Called Tingitana a Prouince being within Affrica Of these 6. Prouinces 2. of them are called Consulares prouinciae which is Betica Lusitania the other 4. called Presidiales Spaine is cut from Fraunce Eastward by the mountaine Pyrenaeus which doeth extend it selfe from the South vnto the North along betwene France and Spaine On the West Spaine hath the ocean sea and on the South the middle land sea This countrey is very barren in some places specially from Hercules pillars to the mountaine Pyrenaeus in other places it aboundeth in all kinde of good things for wines oliues yron
sword for few people knew then contention for they had more countreys then they had men to inhabite but with people for no warre was yet knowen any where but with the Assyrians who first vsed to trespasse vpon other nations about them euen from Nimrads time In Iubaldas time Hercules Libyus florished before the Hercules of the Greekes welnigh 700. yeres In this Iubaldas time died Noah the righteous preacher whom prophane writers cal Bifrons Ianus and so is in euery countrey painted and set forth in histories This Noah forsaw the great miserie and calamitie of Gods iustice for sinne in the first age the general plague that folowed the destructiō of the whole world with a flood and after he sawe himselfe dispised of his wicked sonne Cham and cōtemned of his posterities in the second age at the building of the tower of Babylon where he saw the pride disobedience and impietie of his owne people that came out of his owne bodie who to seeke immortalitie vpon earth sought to auoyd God and his power and to seeke to skale through too much follie the skies but they were cōfounded and their deuises brought to nothing No doubt hee sawe more miserie come to man and more wickednes committed by man against God then any man euer could see He died 350. yeres after the flood In Assyria raigned Zamisnenias which in Genesis is called Amraphael the fift king of Assyria Abraham was called from Vr in Chaldea to the land of Palestina and after three yeeres driuen to Egypt for that the famine was so great in the land of Canaan This time gouerned in Egypt Osiris which was that Pharao that tooke Sara Abrahams wife away but was warned in his sleepe not to touch her and cōmanded by God to restore her to her husband againe During the time of this king Iubalda Sodom Gomorrha Zeboim Adama and Segor fiue noble cities of Canaan were destroyed by fire frō heauen for their abominable wickednes and there remaineth in memorie of their filthie vitious liues in the place of these fiue cities a stinking horrible great lake called Stagnum Asphaltidis The 4. king that succeeded Iubalda in Celtiberia was named Brigus he began to raigne in the 4. yeere of Arius the 6. king of Assyria at what time Hyarbas Priscus beganne to gouerne in Libya a stout and a fierce king in armes and therfore the Numidians would be called after him Hyarbae for stoute and warlike people This Brigus builded many strong castles in Celtiberia in that prouince of Lusitania he builded 2. great castles and called them after his owne name Laccobryga and Mirobriga and he builded also Brygantum in the prouince of Taracon This time gouerned the Celtes an expert skilful man a man in those dayes of most honor for his wisdome and iudgement in all things named Drius after whose death the priests of the Celtes were named Druydes of whom mention is made in Caesar and in Plini The authoritie and credite of these priestes in their dayes was great they were honoured and reuerenced of all people their wordes were had in such estimation as though they had bene Oracles giuen for at this time it was rare to see a wise man or to talke with a learned man for the Magi of Chaldea and the priests were not heard of no philosophie spoken of no Art taught few scholes or none knowen in so much that almost 300. yeeres after the flood there raigned no malice no pride no ambition no warre in the most part of the world and therefore it was called Aureum seculum for the simplicitie of the people and of the plentie of al things which was cōmon among all men sauing in Assyria where the first Monarchie began and quarrels grewe as you shall heare betweene the Chaldeans and the Assyrians and after betwene the Assyrians and the Egyptians So that nothing is to be written of any great exploit done in Celtiberia all this time neither in any place else sauing to set downe the names of those kings that then raigned and to know the agreement of time which is the touchstone of trueth In this Brygus time Abraham offered his sonne Isaac at what time God blessed all the nations of the worlde in the seede of Abraham One Bardus raigned this time in Celta which was of great authoritie with them for his first finding of Musike and meeter In this Brigus time Araunus the sōne of Cranus which was the sonne of Ianus builded a temple in Vetulonia and dedicated the same vnto Ianus which they also called Vertumnes and therein he erected vp the image of Ianus and after he builded a chapell to the god Razenus in Vetulonia so that now idolatrie began in euery countrey the nomber of the gods so encreased that superstition had the better hand of true religion euery where sauing in Gods owne Church those 2. Patriarches Abraham and his sonne for Sara was now dead But I wil passe to the fift king of Celtiberia named Tagus sirnamed Orma of this king the riuer Tagus taketh her first name Of this I reade nothing worth the nothing but as his predecessors he raigned by the name of a king without resistance with whom raigned together in other kingdoms Baleus Xerxes the eight king of Assyria this encreased the kingdome and conquered euery where vntill the Indians for he was valiant and couragious very fortunate in all his affaires In the beginning of this Tagus raigne the Argiues kingdome began where Inachus raigned their first king Phaeton came this time to Italy at what time many townes and cities were burnt about the riuer Ister and about the Cymerians and Vesunians and the places burned to this day are named Palestina that is to say the coūtrey burnt recorded with writers Phaetontis incendium Esau and Iacob were borne this time and a litle after their grandfather Abraham the patriarch died 101. yeres after he was called from the Chaldeans and in 175. yere of his age After Tagus succeeded Belus the 6. king of Celtiberia he began to raigne in the 482. yeere after the flood and raigned in Celtiberia 31. yeres at what time Eusebius setteth down the 17. Dynastia of the Egyptians where shepheards gouerned bare rule in Egypt which gouerment cōtinued 303. yeres in Egypt With this Belus began Armatrites to raigne the 9. king of Assyria a king giuen to idlenes to al kinde of pleasures About this time died Sem the sonne of Noah who likewise saw as his father did before much wickednes and abomination he died 35. yeres after Abraham was dead Sem liued 600. yeres Pharoneus the 2. king of the Argiues of whom Plato maketh mention in the beginning of his booke made lawes to the Argiues and was of them greatly honoured after his death In this kings time Nilus did ouerflowe all the countrey of Egypt and Osiris
slew the great giant called Lycurgus in Thracia Of this Osiris whom the Egyptians named Serapis to whom they vsed much diuine honour and solemne sacrifice as to one of their principal gods read Herodot more of this god there you shal find how king Cambyses Cyrus sonne secōd king of Persia gaue a blow and wounded him in his temple whereat the Egyptians were more offended then for al the crueltie tyrannie which Cambyses did to them It made them to reuolt from Cambyses and to be in armes against the Persians to reuenge the blow which Cambyses gaue to their god Serapis Deabus in Celtiberia he is also named Geriō vsed this time great crueltie and tyrannie he found then one of the first mines of golde and after he found many other mines of gold siluer and of other mettals This time Mena raigned in Egypt the first king who instructed them in many things in Egypt as to woorship their gods to do sacrifice with diuers other ceremonies wher in Egypt excelled all other kingdoms he taught thē the vse of beds to lye on tables to sit at meat This Mena is supposed to be Mizraim Osyris which of Berosus is called Oceanus About this time dyed Ismael the base sonne of Abraham by his maide Agar after he had liued 137. yeeres he left behind him twelue sonnes princes ouer the people ouer his tribes In this tyraunt Deabus time otherwise called Gerion Ioseph was sold into Egypt and the Indians brought presents committed themselues vnto the Chaldeans for by this time many parts of the world were well inhabited and some kingdomes began to be populous and kings grew strong and mightie on the earth for now raigned in Assyria Baleus Iunior who flourished by his prowes courage augmented the territories of the Assyrians into the confines of India and excelled in fame nexte vnto Semiramis Queene of Assyria Osiris also had nowe gotten all Italie into his hand and held it for ten yeeres Typhon became a great tyrant killed his brother Osiris the iust vsurped the kingdome of Egypt So I might say of Anteus in Lybia of Busiris in Phoenicia and so of this Gerion in Celtiberia and of diuers others who forsooke to be kings being not contented with one kingdome became tyrants and vsed all kinde of cruelty deceites and treason to enlarge their dominions When this tyrant Gerion died in Celtiberia his 3. sonnes succeeded after him called Lomuini they builded a great town in Celtiberia named it after their names Lomuinia These brethrē after they iointly gouerned the Celtiberians for the space of 52. yeeres they left the countrey to bee gouerned by one Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Lybius This gouerned the Celtiberians for seuenteene yeeres and builded a strong towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis In his time the kinges of Egypt became first to be called Pharaoes a name giuen to them of dignitie for in the beginning of kingdoms men were yet simple contented with one Towne for diuers cities with a small territorie in steede of a great kingdome which shortly grew to that pride that kings would not be contented with a kingdome neither with 2. or 3. kingdomes they woulde faine get the whole worlde and some weepe with Alexander because there were no more but one world to winne So grew the intollerable insolencie of princes in short time vpon the earth that they would be called gods commanded by edicts that they should be so worshipped as Belus among the Assyrians Nabuchodonosor among the Caldeans Osiris among the Egyptians Alexander the great among the Persians and Dioclesian among the Romanes Idolatrie superstition vainglorie and selfe loue entred into mens hearts and possessed their mindes in such sort in steede of trueth simplicity iustice contentation and quietnes which yet raigned among men dum aureum seculumfloruit During the reigne of Hispalus in Celtiberia that gouernement called Dynasteia Politanorum beganne in Egypt which continued 348. yeeres Argus the fourth king of the Argiues gouerned after Hispalus had gouerned 11. yeres Hispanus succeeded king of Celtiberia which gouerned them for 32. yeres of this king Hispanus Celtiberia was named Hispaine for in Egypt beganne the names of Pharoes when the kings of Celtiberia were named kings of Hispaine CHAP. II. From the time of Hispanus by whom they were called Hispaniards vntill the monarchie was dissolued and the names of kinges ended after what time Hispayne was deuided vnto particular Prouinces and seuerall dominions after the raigne and gouernement of foure and twentie kings euen from Cetubal the first vnto Mellicola the last HItherto you reade howe that the first inhabitauntes were called by diuers names first of Tubal their first king by whome they were called Cetubals at the seconde change they were called Hiberi and the countrey Hiberia after the name of Hiberus their seconde king the thirde time they were called Celtiberi and the countrey Celtiberia the fourth time the countrey was called Hesperia and the fifte time nowe of Hispanus the countrey is called Hispayne This time in the East kingdomes nothing was done woorth the writing Forkinges were scant yet knowen no great warres yet heard of for at this time reguli non Reges fuere and therefore I thought it the best course to set downe the names of the first Kinges that then inhabited in Hispayne for all this while and of long time after no warre no victorie no martiall exploites were in anie part of the worlde sauing in the East among the Chaldeans and the Assyrians which grewe by this time so mighty that they held betwene them the first monarchie and yet their dominion seemed not to extend farre by the sequele I wil therefore bee briefe for that I cannot finde during the time of these 24. kings anie historie woorth the writing nor of long time after these foure and twentie kinges raigned in Spayne one after another 1 Tubal their first king by whom they were called Cetubals which raigned 155. yeeeres and had setled some seates and builded some townes and died 2 Iberus his sonne and their second king raigned 37. yeres he also died 3 Iubalda the third king and the sonne of Iberus raigned 66. yeeres and dwelt hard by a mount of his owne name called Iubalda which vnto this day is of the Spaniards named Gibralta 4 Brigus succeeded Iubalda in the 20. yere of Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians and gouerned in Celtiberia 51. yeeres 5 After him Tagus which is called Orma gouerned the Celtiberians and raigned 30. yeeres hee beganne to gouerne his kingdome with Baleus Xerxes the eight king of the Assyrians and at what time the Argiues reared first there and Phaeton came to Italie Phaetontis incendium 6 Then succeeded in Celtiberia Betus their sixth king which beganne his raigne when Armatrites the ninth king beganne in Assyria and raigned one and thirtie yeeres this time Eusebius setteth downe the
17. Dynasteia of the Egyptians which endured 103. yeeres During which time the shepherds had gouernment 7 Gerion surnamed Deabus raigned 35. yeeres he inuented the vse of many good things found first the vse of mynes of gold siluer and other mettals 8 After whom succeeded his three sonnes surnamed Lomuini which builded a towne after their owne name Lomuinia they also raigned 42. yeeres after their father 9 Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Libyus and the 9. king of the Celtiberians he raigned 11. yeeres he beganne his gouernment in the 36. yeere of Baleus Iunior the II. king of the Assyrians he did nothing but builded a towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis 10 After Hispalus succeeded the tenth king named Hispanus which raigned 32. yeeres by whom the whole countrey was called Hispania This time Iacob with his children went to Egypt when the great famine was almost ouer the whole world so long the name of Hispaine continued 11 Hercules after the death of Hispanus being verie aged raigned 19. yeeres at what time Mamitus the 13. king of the Assyrians gouerned at Niniuie 12 Hesperus raigned after Hercules 11. yeeres In Egypt began this time to raigne Mispharmutosis about which time Ioseph being an hundred yeres old died in Egypt Narbon raigned in that part of Fraunce which was called Celta after whome the countrey was after called Narbon 13 Kittim called in some places Atlas after hee had forced his brother Hesperus to forsake the kingdome and to flie into Italie raigned in Spaine 11. yeeres With this Kittim beganne to raigne in Assyria Maucaleus the 14. king and ouer the Argiues Crassus the fiftking 14 Sicorus raigned after Kittim Atlas who raigned 45. yeres for Kittim hauing his sonne in his steede to gouerne Spaine went to Italie and raigned there and was called for his great vertue and excellencie of minde of that countrey Italus This maried his daughter Electra to Cambo Blaston a Prince of the Ianigenes During the time of Sicorus Kittims sonne in Spaine raigned in Egypt Amenophis a cruel king who made a lawe that all the male children of the Israelites which then were in great cruell bondage in Egypt should be drowned in the riuer Nilus at which time Moses beyng borne then in Egypt was throwen to Nilus but he was preserued by the appoyntment of God This time reigned in Assyria Spherus the 15. king 15 Sicanus the sonne of Sicorus raigned after his Father 12. yeres king of Hispaine Phorbas the sixt king of the Argiues began in his kingdome to raigne and Sparetus the 17. king of the Assyrians 16 After Sicanus succeeded Siceleus which raigned in Spaine 44. yeeres this king came with the Sicilians to aide Iasius against Dardanus who both were in armes for the kingdome of Italie and did no other great thing In the beginning of this Siceleus raigne the kingdome of Athens beganne vnder Cecrops their first king in the fourth yeere of Sparetus the seuenteenth king of the Assyrians and in the sixte yeere of Marathus the thirteenth King of Peloponesus At what time Troyphas raigned the seuenth king of the Argiues and Acengeres raigned king of Egypt Functius sayeth that Mercurius Trismegistus an Egyptian Philosopher flourished about this time a great learned Priest whose bookes yet are to this day extant though some doe doubt of the same as in so ancient a thing men may easily doubt I thinke there was not so much diuinitie then in Egypt as Trismegistus seemeth to write in his bookes 17 After that Siceleus had raigned 44. yeeres his sonne named Lusus succeeded him and reigned thirtie yeeres this dwelt in that part of Spayne which he called after his owne name Lusitania thither he brought manie from Italie and other places to inhabite This Lusus beganne to reigne in Spayne in the thirteenth yeere of Ascatades the 18. King of the Assyrians in the verie yeere that Dardanus slue by deceit his brother Iasius and after fledde to Samothracia In the beginning of the reigne of this King the Israelites were deliuered from their bondage and great miserie vnder Pharao in Egypt after they had continued foure hundred thirtie yeeres there in seruitude This time reigned in Athens Cranaus their seconde king and ouer the Argiues Crotopus their eight king 18 Siculus the eighteenth king of Spayne succeeded Siceleus and reigned 64. yeeres That time that he beganne to gouerne Spaine then Dardanus beganne to erect a kingdome in Dardania which afterwarde was called Troy which was in the last yeere of Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria 830. yeeres after the flood of Noah This Dardanus after he was fledde to Samothracia for the killing of his brother Iasius for the gouernment of Italie he sought no right in Italie but resigned the same to Turrhenius who sailed into that part of Italie called Ianigena and possessed it and reigned 51. yeeres and Dardanus began his kingdome and was the first king of Dardania after called Troy This time Faunus Priscus reigned ouer the Latines then called Aborigenes for Latinus was the fift king after Faunus after whom they were called Latins after Latinus name their first king 19 Testa succeeded Siculus in Spaine and reigned seuentie yeeres During which time Manethon which onely writeth of the first 24. kinges doeth set downe nothing worth the writing for these kings were not heard of any way out of Spaine they liued so simply vnpeopled without any war or other exploits done the best is the noting of time thereigne of other kings the histories of the East coūtreys are by this historie briefly passed ouer During the 70. yeres of these kings Bellopares the 21. king and Lamprides the 22. king of the Assyrians reigned at Niniue Menophis gouerned Egypt Minos in Creete Abas ouer the Argiues Erictheus the sixt king of the Athenians In the latter yeeres of this king Samgar which succeeded Ehud iudged Israel after Samgar Debora and Barac 20 Romus the twentieth king that gouerned in Spaine he raigned three and thirty yeeres at what time raigned in Assyria Lampares the 24. king and ouer the Argiues Agrisius their fourteenth and last king In Dardania raigned Tros their thirde king who enlarged the citie of Dardania verie much and altered the name of Dardania after his owne name and called it Troia I take little heede to Manethon for hee doeth much differ from others in manie thinges and I make as much haste as I can to come to an ende Nowe after that Romus dyed Palatinus succeeded and raygned eighteene yeeres in whose time the kingdome of the Argiues was translated into Mycena where for a long time it continued 21 This time raigned in Troy Ilus after whose name Troy was called Ilion and in Assyria gouerned Paninas their 25. king Gedeon iudged Israel This Palatinus beyng a young man was driuen out of his kingdome by Cacus into Italie from whence
will returne to my Historie hauing nothing to write of them since the time of their kings vntill the first Romane warres in Affrike and in Spaine which was after their kings nine hundreth and odde yeeres During which time they liued vnder seuerall gouernement the most part of which time they liued subiect vnder the Affricanes and Carthagineans by whome Spaine was so fortified that the Carthaginians vsed Spaine for their strongest holde and their onely stay and succour against the force of the Romanes in so much that the Romanes had alwayes in Spaine during this Affrican warre some of the best and most notable Romane Captaines as their proconsuls and lieutenants to keepe Spaine in awe For from Spaine Hamilcar Asdrubal and after them Hanibal had their chiefest strength at any sudden pinch for Publius Cornelius Scipio and Cn. Cornelius Scipio two brethren were both appoynted lieutenants generall for the Romanes Pub. Scipio for the Sea and Cn. Scipio for the lande by whose great seruice and noble victories all Spaine was welnigh reuolted from the Carthagineans When the Romanes had gotten Spaine they were not long after in getting Carthage and all Affrike yet in the very yeere that Fabius Maximus and Claudius Marcellus were Consuls at Rome Mago and Asdrubal two noble Affrican Captaines gaue such diuers great ouerthrowes to the Romanes as the furthest part of Spaine which the Romanes called Vlterior Hispania forsooke the Romanes and were ready to yeelde to the Carthagineans had not Pub. Scipio at that instant ayded the Romane armie with his owne companie at what time two and twentie thousande Spaniardes and Carthagineans were slaine in two seuerall battels ten thousand taken prisoners and 36. ensignes Notwithstanding the Carthagineans passed from one towne of the Romanes to another from Illiturgum to Bigerra from Bigerra to Numidia from Numidia passed to Auringes sparing no towne of the Romanes though it were to their losse for through the valure and courage of both the Scipios being aided by king Masinissa an olde sure friend of the Romanes the Affricans and the Carthagineans were vanquished and slaine But yet had Asdrubal the sonne of Giscon an other conducting of a great armie and the other Asdrubal sonne to Amilcar and brother to Hanibal which Hanibal all this time helde warre with the Romanes within Italie had giuen diuers great ouerthrowes to the Romanes these two Asdrubals were with two great armies and Mago the noble captaine of Carthage had the guiding of the third armie The Romane Scipios being aduertised of these three great armies conducted by the three most famous captaines of Afrike deuised in like sort to giue battell to these African captaines at what time Pub. Cornelius tooke vpon him to giue battell to Mago and to Asdrubal Giscon and Cn. Scipio with the third part of the armie to set vpon the other Asdrubal Barchinus an olde captaine in Spaine but in this warre after that the Scipios had fought like noble Romanes to the last Pub. Cornelius Scipio was slaine in the seuenth yeere after hee was sent by the Senators to Spaine and 29. dayes before his brother Cn. Cornelius Scipio was slaine Eutropius affirmeth that they were rather beguiled by traine then vanquished by manhood for Asdrubal had many ouerthrowes by the Scipios in one battell he lost 25. thousande men Againe Asdrubal the second brother of Hanibal and Mago the third brother of Hanibal were both ouercome in Spaine by the Scipios of the maner and order of the warres of the Scipios in Spaine you shall reade more in the African warres Great mourning was made in Rome and in Spaine when these two Scipios were slaine for now the Romanes from time to time had no lesse care of Spaine then they had of Italie and nowe especially when these good Romane captaines were slaine they coulde not vpon the sudden finde out fitte men for Spaine some naming one man and some naming another vntill by a generall consent of the Senators of the Consuls and of the people Pub. Cornelius Scipio the yonger and sonne to that Pub. Scipio that died in Spaine being foure and twentie yeeres of age was appoynted to bee sent into Spaine to his fathers roome a man of singular rare vertues and one iudged of all the Romanes that were either in his dayes or in any time since most worthie of praise and fame For while hee liued at Rome in his youth hee woulde take nothing in hand before hee had gone into the Capitoll and there considered with great iudgement what hee had to doe This yong Scipio being sent to Spaine in the fiue hundreth fourtie and foure yeere after the building of Rome at what time M. Claudius Marcellus was made Consull the fourth time and M. Valerius Leuinus the second time lost no time but assaulted newe Carthage where the Affricans had all their golde and siluer and subdued it in one day From thence he passed forward into Betula a citie in Spaine besieged it tooke it and gaue battell to Asdrubal and ouercame him tooke Mago Hanibals brother prisoner and sent him to Rome with the residue All Spaine reuolted from Hanibal with one assent and tooke part with Scipio for hee had slaine Carthalon chiefe Captaine to Hanibal and put Asdrubal Hanibals brother to flight The fame of Scipio increased and his good successe in his affaires in Spaine was such that he recouered seuentie Cities and many Cities which earst had yeelded to Hanibal from the Romanes did nowe submit themselues to the Romanes Nowe all things prospered with the Romanes against Hanibal and his friendes in Spaine for one of his brethren named Mago was prisoner at Rome and nowe Asdrubal as he woulde haue secretly fledde from Spaine to Hanibal his brother into Italie and to flie from Scipio hee was preuented of sette purpose vpon the way by Appius Claudius Nero and M. Linus Salinator and slaine with all his armie Scipio full of prowesse and courage after this ouerthrowe of Asdrubal fought in Affrike a battell with Hanno a captaine of the Carthagineans slue him ouerthrewe his whole hoste tooke his tentes slue eleuen thousande and tooke foure thousande prisoners hee was sent for to Rome and created Consul the seconde time and after returned to Numidia and made warre with Siphax king of Numidia for that he ioyned to ayde the Affricans against the Romanes In this battell Siphax was taken and his kingdome giuen to Masinissa who in all danger followed Scipio This very time M. Portius Cato ouerthrewe a band of Spaniardes and after subdued certaine Cities in Spaine and triumphed ouer them with great pompe at Rome Nowe Iugurth being a very gallant youth was sent of Micipsa his vncle a captaine of a companie of horsemen into Spaine to associate Scipio and to ayd with him in his warre at that time against Numantia a great Citie in Spaine this Iugurth behaued him selfe so
the Saracens who was within 5. yeeres after restored to his kingdome and Sanctius slaine of his owne seruants This Alphonsus as both Blondus and Aemylius affirme plagued the Saracens tooke Toletum their chiefe Citie and restored to the people the Christian faith The kingdome of Bohemia began in the 9. yeere of Alphonsus gouernment at what time Henry the fourth reigned Emperour of Germany and Lodouicus Crassus gouerned Fraunce Alphonsus the 7. succeeded and reigned king foure yeeres Sanctius the 3. one yeere and Ferdinandus the 2. gouerned 17. yeeres Alphonsus the 8. surnamed the good reigned 50. yeeres in whose time Rogerius king of Sicilia warred vpon the emperor of Greece and tooke certeine cities at that time gaue some ouerthrowe to the Saracens but hee was spoyled by the Venetians in his returne at that time After al this succeeded Alphonsus the 9. which reigned 28. yeres Some writers omit this Polidorus calleth this Alphōsus the 8. This time Illomaniolinus king of the Saracens spoyled Spaine with fire and sword vntil the coast of Fraunce and possessed diuers Cities but all the kings of Spaine ioyned their force together and agreed with one consent to giue battel in the which the Saracens were ouerthrowen and infinite numbers slaine but Illomamolinus tooke Granata at that time Ferdinandus the 3. who succeeded Alphōsus I omit Henry the first that reigned 3. yeeres being a yong boy who playing among children brake his necke by chaunce at Palentia Then Ferdinandus finding that the Saracens were sore weakened and had lost many strong cities hee leauied an armie gaue sundry battels and forced those Saracens to flie out of the Isle Maiorica and gote their chiefe Citie and holde which was called Valentia and after obteyned many Townes and Cities of the Saracens for at this very time by Ferdinandus Spaine was almost euery where set at libertie frō the Saracens After that Ferdinandus had reigned 28. yeeres he died 1250. After whō succeeded Alphonsus the 10. of that name king Legio and Castile and reigned 23. yeeres All this time Spaine was possessed by the Saracēs who were called kings of Spaine other kings that reigned in some places of Spaine as in Castile Asturia Legio were as kings of litle prouinces and in respect of the Saracens were of small force Notwithstanding the Saracens were so beset on euery side by sundry Christian princes and so often discomfited and vanquished in many battels that now they are constrained to call their force together for Iacobus king of Arragon through the aide of other princes had obteined and got the Isles called Baleares This time reigned in Castile Sanctius the 4. who after he had reigned king of Castile and Legio 11. yeres he died After him succeeded Ferdinandus the 4. which reigned 15. yeeres who plagued the Saracens destroyed them in many places burning spoiling their holds and fortes After him folowed Alphonsus the 11. of that name who subdued conquered them at his wil he so plagued them that he tooke their only cities Alcala Bencay which is called the kings pallace slue many of the Saracens in the region of Granata where 200000. Saracens camped either to recouer their great losses which of late they had susteined or els to lose their liues together Alphōsus gaue them such a meeting that he slue of the horsemē thirtie thousand and fiftie thousand footemen the rest of the Saracens skattered fled frō the slaughter to saue thēselues but the rest cōtinued not long after Spaine nowe began to recouer her former libertie to florish which had bin so long kept vnder infidels during the time of 38. seueral kings After Alphōsus had reigned 40. yeres with happy cōquests he died Petrus the first succeeded reigned king of Castile 19. yeres whose cruelty was such that his owne brother Henry was cōstrained to flee to the king of Arragon by whose helpe he vanquished his brother the king possessed the kingdom of Castile at what time the king went with his three sōnes ouer into Aquitania frō whence he came with an army gaue battell to his brother recouered his kingdome againe Henry being thus vanquished he renued his force and cōmenced warre with Petrus in the which Petrus was slaine Henry the 2. time restored to the kingdom of Castile Ritius at large speaketh of this warre Now in Fraunce reigned Charles surnamed the wise and Charles the 4. the sonne of Iohn king of Bohemia which had bene emperor in Germany Betweene England Fraunce were great wars at this time for a litle before Edward the 3. had gotten victory by sea ouer the Frenchmen at Clusa whē the Frenchmen lost 400. ships and 30000. souldiers Henry the 2. succeeded reigned 10. yeres Ritius saith 8. some say 6. this sent aide to Charles king of Fraūce against the Englishmen betweene whō whot warres sharpe terrible battels cōtinued Then did Iohn the first succeed king in Castile reigned 11. yeres warre grew betweene this Iohn king of Castile and the king of Portingal 1378. Then succeded Iohn the 2. which reigned 47. yeres yet Functius placeth Henry 3. king of Castile after Iohn the first which reigned 16. yeres of whō reade Polidor how he established his kingdom for I may not be longin dilating histories but briefly passe ouer the names of the kings that reigned in Spaine of their wars first with the Carthagineās then with the Romās then with the Vādales the last the most dangerous wars they had with the Saracens and after the Saracens the ciuill warres they had to bring Spaine to a monarchie Nowe after Iohn the 2. had raigned 47. yeres he died during which time Sigismundus king of Hungaria was created Emperor of Germanie and Charles the seuenth raigned king of Fraunce which Fraunce at that instant was most miserably wasted and spoyled by Henrie the fift king of England who also was crowned king of Fraunce in the chiefe citie of Paris where he kept his Christmas Neither Paul Aemilius nor Arnoldus Ferronus make mention of this warre neither Tilius in his Chronicles of the kings of Fraunce seemeth to make any great matter of it but that the Frenchmen through discord ciuil dissention were ouerthrowen in a battell by Henrie the fift but they coulde speake more of Martellus for his victories against the Saracens of Faramundus of Charles the great whose greatnesse was neuer such as to be crowned king in Englande as Henrie the fift was in Paris but they want no writers to set foorth their glorie The decay of the Empire made them to flourish by meanes of the Popes who euer ayded them in any great actions and at last the Popes brought France to Rome After this succeeded in Spaine Henrie the fourth who raigned 23. yeres this time died Fla. Blondus a learned Chronographer
with the Sicambrians as they had a litle before that time with the Affricans so much the Romanes were fearefull of these people that they appoynted Caius Marius Consul against the lawe being absent which was neuer seene before in Rome but once in the time of Cornelius Scipio in the warres of Affrike But to benefite a common weale lawes may well be infringed and specially when necessitie forceth the same as at that time Marius was appoynted against these stoute and strong people whom the Romanes called Cimbri but I referre you to Tritemius who onely wrote of these sixteene kings and of the people called Sicambri Likewise reade Plutarch in Marius and you shall knowe what strong warres what sharpe battels and with what inuincible courage they fought against the Romans Caius Marius Catulus Luctatius and other Romane captaines can well witnesse of the hardinesse of this nation for since the first time that this people came out of Scythia which was 400. and odde yeeres before our Sauiour Christ was borne they gaped alwayes for the Countrey of France being then inhabited with Gauls the people Celtae and the countrey it selfe called Gallia They held the warres with the Gaules nine hundred yeeres sometimes conquerours and sometime conquered they ceased not vntill they wearied all the Countrie about them and diuers places of Germanie and of Gallia waxed weake and feeble so the Frenchmen began to bee strong and to winne that which the Romanes had lost After that this Marcomirus had expulsed and vanquished the people that dwelt about Rhene and had committed to his brother Sunno the possession of that countrey hee went and passed ouer the riuer of Rhene in the foure and twentieth yeere of his raigne with a very huge armie of Sicambrians and Saxons wasted and spoyled with sworde and fire many townes and countreys in the West Gallia and after hee had made a great slaughter of the Gauls he entred in league with Britaines and returned a conqueror to see how the Germanes behaued and vsed Sunno where he died after he had reigned eight and twentie yeeres This Marcomirus was so famous had done such worthie feats in armes that thē his people after his death were called Marcomanni for so Plinie doth name them lib. 12. cap. 4. While this Marcomirus helde warres with the Gaules ciuill warres began in Greece which continued seuen and twentie yeeres Darius Nothus gouerned the Persians at what time in Rome a law was made that it should be lawfull for the Patricians and Senators to ioyne in marriage with the common people This time florished in Greece Pericles the Athenian and Socrates the Philosopher After Marcomirus his sonne builded townes and cities and made strong holdes and castles hee taught the vse of many things to his noble men and hee also taught the women which earst were rude and ignorant in Scythia to sowe flaxe and hempe and to weaue silke and other like things He made lawes to his people which neuer before heard of any law in Scythia brought them from rude and wild men to knowledge ciuilitie for this Antenor was taught by his wife Cambra Bellinus daughter king of Britaine She was wise modest and vertuous brought vp her sonne Priamus in ciuill knowledge and made him acquainted with orders and lawes insomuch that when his father Antenor died hee was able to gouerne his people with lawes for in the eight yeere of his reigne he his mother Cambra builded about the riuer of Rhene two great townes the one he named Neopagus where long the kings palace stoode and the other Neomagus in memorie of his name The Sicambrians this time beganne to speake the Saxons tongue for the maner and order of this people at that time whersoeuer they were scattred in any place of Europe or Asia they were named after the name of the place as I tolde you At their first comming into Germanie from Scythia they were of the Germanes named Neumagi after they were called Marcomani after the name of Marcomirus Then Sicambri after the name of Cambra Bellinus daughter for so long as they taried in Scythia they were named Scythians in Armenia they were called Armenians in Gallia they were called Gaules who when they had sacked Rome and taken it for seuen moneths they were constrained by Camillus to goe from thence to Galatia Macedonia or to any part of Greece they were called Gaulgreekes and so bare they as many names as those countreys had where they dwelt vntil Francus time by whom they were called Franci which to this day they holde Nowe after that Antenor had reigned thirtie yeeres and his sonne Priamus after him 27. succeeded Helenus the 4. king of Sicambria which reigned 19. yeeres This king had the Gaules in hand and plagued them he gaue them diuers repulses and in battell slue of them sixteene thousand wasted and subdued Gallia vnto the riuer Mosa for this was the countrey that they gaped and thirsted for During which time of 16. kings which gouerned after Cābra Bellinus daughter they persecuted the countrey of Gallia one king after another successiuely vntill Francus time In the time of this Helenus his father Priamus raigned in Persia Artaxerxes Mnemon surnamed the great and in Caria raigned king Mausolus a countrey in Greece In Macedonia raigned nowe king Philip. king Alexander the great his father the sonne of Amyntas this time Marcus Manlius conspired against Camillus and moued sedition in Rome and therfore he was adiudged to be throwen headlong downe from the rocke Tarpeia In the time of this Helenus Plato died in whose place succeeded Speusippus the Philosopher Aristotle the Philosopher and Demosthenes the Orator flourished and Iaddua was high priest in Iudea and continued 27. yeeres vntill Alexander the great his time Diocles the eldest sonne of Helenus succeeded the fourth king and raigned 39. yeres a seuere man bold and much giuen by nature to warres hee followed his predecessors in commencing warre in Gallia hauing like affection to the kingdome of Fraunce as his father and grandfather had before him he raigned king amongest the Cicambrians when king Alexander the great was in warre against Darius king of Persia and after Alexanders death 30. yeeres for in Diocles time the kingdomes of Egypt Asia and Syria began to flouri◅h againe vnder new kings which were souldiers and captaines vnder Alexander the great of whose ciuill warres you may reade in the histories of their kingdoms for Darius surnamed Codomanus the last king of Persia was slaine and his kingdome subdued the monarchie taken into Greece vnder the kings of Macedonia About this time the Romans begā their great wars with the Samnites when Pyrrhus king of Epirus had sailed with great nauie and entred Italie of whose warre there at that time Liui speaketh of and called it Bellum Ausonium when Pyrrhus was driuen out of Italie
and Lu. Papirius Cursor triumphed ouer the Samnites at what time he was Dictator in Rome after whome Quintu◅ Fabius being Dictator ouerthrewe the Samnites in a great battell Tritemius writeth that the Gothes commenced warre this time against the Saxons wasted and spoyled manie townes in the confines of the Saxons for at that time fiue kinges ioyned in a league of amitie with the Saxons and gaue a great ouerthrow to the Gothes to the number of a 100000. Gothes After this victorie Diocles was all the dayes of his life in fighting and wasting of Gallia and did much harme vnto them and when he had raigned 39. yeres died after whō succeeded his eldest sonne named Helenus the 2. of that name and the 6. king of Sicambria who was neither beloued of his people nor profitable to the kingdome for he was foolish in time of peace and peeuish in warre and therfore he was remoued from his kingdome for that he was not found sufficient to gouerne and his younger brother Bassanus was crowned king in Sicambria a man of great stoutnesse wisedome and iustice in so much hee spared neither friend kinne brother or sonne that violated his lawes wheresoeuer he would trauell he commanded two things to be caried before him the booke of the lawe and the sworde of punishment Tritemius writeth this historie of Bassanus that hee had a sonne named Sedanus who committed adulterie against the law was of his own father thus punished although his nobles and great men made much meanes to the king for his life yet Bassanus executed the lawe saying to his noble men in this sorte I haue made a lawe with your consent and to your contentation will you bee against your selues and against me in per◅urming of the same and turning his speech to his sonne he said My sonne I doe not kill thee but the lawes of the countrey which thou hast willingly violated and therewithall tooke him by the haires of his head with his owne hand beheaded him So iust a king was this Bassanus so seuere to wicked men so gentle to good men and so well esteemed of his people that as Amerodacus a Philosopher of their owne nation sayeth he was Appetentissimus diuinitatis Reade more of this king in Tritemius he raigned sixe thirtie yeeres and builded in memorie of his victory had ouer Taborinus king of the Tegurans a strong castle and named it Montabur While this Bassanus flourished in Sicambria Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus gouerned in Macedonia Lysimachus in Thracia and Philadelphus in Egypt at what time the Hebrew Bible was translated from Hebrew into Greek by the means of Philadelphus In the time of king Bassanus began the first warre betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes Zeno the Stoike Philosopher died this time and Eustratus the phisition flourished Nowe when Bassanus died his countreymen can onized him amongst the number of the gods and did of long time worshippe him after his death calling him Basangor after whom followed his owne sonne named Clodomirus raigned 18. yeeres in whose daies the feastes called Floralia were celebrated in Rome at what time the Romanes had peace with the Affricanes but were occupied in Bello Lygustico The Parthians which before were obscure and base people banished out of their countrey began to stablish a new kingdome and became so strōg that their kings were named Arsaces a name of dignitie as the Egyptians by their Pharoes and the Romanes by Caesars I see I shoulde bee long to speake seuerally of the rest of the kinges of Sicambria which are yet nine to write of therefore I will onely lay downe the names of these kinges from Marcomirus the first king of the Sicambrians vntil Francus the last king to auoyd tediousnes 1 Marcomirus the first king raigned 28. yeeres he made the first warres in Fraunce subdued vnto the riuer of Mosa 2 Antenor who maried Cambria the Brittaine Belinus daughter raigned 27. yeeres 3 Priamus the sonne of Antenor by Cambria raigned 27. yeere in this Kinges raigne the Sicambrians began to vse the Saxons tongue 4 Helenus the fourth king raigned 19. yeeres 5 Diocles the sonne of Helenus reigned 39. this king liued in the time of Alexander the great 6 Helenus the seconde of that name and the sonne of Diocles raigned 14. yeeres this king was abstracted and therefore he was forced to forsake his kingdome 7 Basanus the brother of Helenus reigned 36. yeeres at what time Philadelphus raigned in Egypt and Antiochus Soter in Syria This Bessanus builded a famous strong castle in memory of his victory had ouer Taborinus king of the Tegarenes and he named the castle Montabur At what time Heligastus a Priest and a Prophet amongst the Sicambrians flourished 8 Clodomirus the sonne of Basanus raigned in Sicambria 18. yeeres 9 His sonne Nicanor raigned 34. yeeres in what time the second warres of the Romanes began against the Affricanes 10 Marcomirus the second of that name and the 9. king raigned 28. yeeres 11 Clodius the tenth king of Sicambria raigned 10. yeeres 12 Antenor the eleuenth king raigned sixteene yeeres in the time of this king and his predecessor Terentius made his Comedies 13 Clodomirus the 2. of that name and the 12. king raigned 20. yeeres in whose time beganne the thirde and last warre betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes 14 Merodacus the 13. king raigned 28. yeeres this king inuaded Italie with 3000000. reade more in Plutarch of this people in the life of Marius 15 Cassander the 15. king of Sicambria raigned 21. yeeres this king ioyned with Arathius king of the Saxons and Borbista king of the Gothes entered into Germany and made a great slaughter of the Teutones 16 Antharius the sixteenth king he raigned fiue and thirty yeeres this king also played his part with the Romanes and wan Moguntia and made it euen to the grounde In whose time Iulius Caesar made his voyage to Britaine CHAP. II. From Francus the sixteenth king of Fraunce then called Sicambri vntill the time of Farabertus the 12. in number after Francus of the warres inuasions and victories of the enlargement of their kingdome from one king to another vntill Farabertus gouernement during which time they were called Franci after the name of Francus IN the yeere before the birth of Christ 245. Francus the eldest sonne of Antharius after that his father was slaine by the Gaules by the aide of the Romans succeeded in the kingdome of Sicambria became such an enemie to the Gaules that hee destroyed their townes and cities wasted their territories and spoyled the people not only the Gaules but also the Gothes and other nations insomuch that the Romanes hearing of this Francus courage and stoutnesse sent Lollius with a Romane armie who in the first battel that he gaue in Germany slue of thē 18. thousand Francus sent his sonne Clogio to aide his
neighbors by whom the Romanes were put to flight with a great slaughter of Lollius souldiers In the mean time Francus when he had driuen out the Gothes from Germany after he had plagued the Gaules and had most miserably wasted and spoyled the countrey vnto the riuer Mosa as histories affirme slue 200000. Gaules which newes frighted much the Romanes In the 24. yeere of his raigne after he had concluded peace with diuers nations in Germany he made a decree that Sicambria shoulde be called Francia after the name of Francus which to this day continueth a strong and a stoute nation and the onely kingdome of the world for all commodities During which time ciuill warres waxed hoate betweene Iulius Caesar Pompeius the great which being soon extinguished both by the murthering of Pompey in Egypt and by the like murther of Caesar at Rome in the Senate after which began another new ciuil warre betweene Augustus Caesar and Marcus Antoninus which endured 12. yeeres at what time Ianus Temple was shut the third time and peace was then graunted to all nations by Augustus But the antiquitie of the name of Fraunce beginning from Francus time in the 190. Olympiade and in the beginning of the 29. Iubilee at what time Augustus Caesar subdued all Spayne and brought them vnder the Romane Empire Nowe the names before named Neumagi Marcomani Cimbri Celtae Sicambri and Samothei are now changed to be called Franci after this Francus succeeded his sonne Clogio the seconde king of Fraunce which raigned 30. yeeres a wise man and a great Astrologer a Southsayer and for skill and knowledge in many thinges he was named Magus In the fourth yeere of Clogios raigne Tiberius was sent by Augustus to Germanie with a very high hoste of Romanes who destroyed all places where they came into Clogio with an armie gaue vnto Tiberius a battell in the which Tiberius wanne no great conquest but rather losse and at that time departed from field without victorie yet the name of Fraunce was skant knowen a farre off for the newnesse and late change of the name and therefore the nations rounde about called Clogio a Germane and not a Frenchman Notwithstanding Clogio beyng growen to so great a name that he was feared as his father was before him of the verie Romanes he made his sonne named Phrisus a king and named the region where he gouerned Phrysia which at this day is called Frizeland this was made subiect to Fraunce at that very time paying yeerely tribute vnto Fraunce 260. oxen this was done by consent of all Fraunce for this Phrysus was the second sonne of Clogio Nowe Fraunce beganne to bee knowen by the name of Fraunce for Clogio hauing some ayde of the Saxons ouerthrew the Romanes armie and slue Marcus Lollius their generall in the fielde and after vanquished still the Gaules vntill hee became so mightie that hee left behinde him his second sonne king of Phrysia and his eldest sonne and heyre king of France named Herimerus who raigned after his father twelue yeres whose successe was neyther like to his father Clogio nor to his brother Phrysus who flourished in his newe kingdome and gaue diuers expulses to the Romane force insomuch that Friselande beganne to be spoken of through the prowesse and martiall feates of Phrisus their first king For Herimerus the elder brother fighting against his enemies very vnfortunately was slayne when he had raigned twelue yeres he died in the 32. yeere after Christes birth at what time gouerned in India Pontius Pilatus President to the Romane Empire About this time Herodes builded a citie in the honour of Tiberius Caesar the Emperor of Rome and named it Caesarea which was before called Turris Stratonis In the time of this Herimerus in the citie of Fidena a Theater fell downe at the play of an enterlude which the Romane Attilius builded for sword players where fiftie thousand were sore bruised maimed and slaine The fourth king of Fraunce was Marcomirus which raigned eighteene yeeres and had the like dealings within Gallia as his predecessors had In the seuenth yeere of Marcomirus raigne was Caius Caesar Caligula made Emperour in Rome Reade Tritemius of this Marcomirus and of his sonne Clodomirus who helde sharpe warre with the Romanes in Maguntia and manie sore battels within Gallia This time Guidericus king Bellinus sonne raigned king in Brytaine after whome succeeded by force of armes in Britayne Armiracus whome Claudius Caesar vanquished and triumphed ouer but let vs returne to the kings of Fraunce After Clodomirus succeeded his sonne Antenor the 2. of that name raigned 6. yeres who in the last yere of his raigne hauing occasiō to passe ouer the riuer of Mosa the bridge thereof being broken with the weight of the kinges companie hee more of his Princes were at this instant drowned threescore noble men more of Fraunce beside other Gentlemen and Captaines after whom followed Rhaterus the eldest sonne of Antenor who raigned in Fraunce 21. yeeres hee also did handle the Gaules in like sorte for before his predecessors had won that countrey which lay beyond the riuer Mosa had brought the Gaules most miserably vnder foote yet stil they held long wars and many sharpe battels with the French men vntill Faramondus time who was the first king named of Gallia which was 400. yeeres and odde After Francus time this Rhaterus after he had bestowed 21. yeeres in warres against the Gaules they renued the league which his predecessors had made with the Germanes Saxons and an other nation called the Dorings he builded a towne and named it Rhaterodamum and died This kings life and doings is set forth by Arebaldus in verse and after augmented by Hunibaldus In the second yeere of this Rhaterus raigne Nero then Emperour of Rome played his bloody tragedies against the Christians persecuted and tormented them and slue them with diuers kindes of death this time Alani a people of Scythia inuaded Media and made hauocke vnto the confines of Armenia at what time all the Philosophers and Mathematicians were banished from Rome and Italie in this kinges later time was Quintilianus brought to Rome by the Emperor Galba from Spaine After Rhaterus succeeded his sonne Richimerus which raigned 24. yeeres and had great warres both against the Gaules and against the Romanes and beyng ayded by the Germanes gaue a sharpe battell both to the Romanes and to the Gaules not farre from the citie of Basana Tritemius affirmeth that in that very yeere the Gothes had inuaded the coastes and confines of Germanie and were by this Richimerus king of Fraunce and Fernefrides kinges of the Dorings Turings and by Vidikindo king of the Saxons ouercome But in trueth the crie of Chronicles is against it and sayeth that these kinges of the Saxons and the king of Turings were long after Richimerus time but it is most
Empire decayed For as the Romanes were strengthened by the subduing of the Latines and Albanes Crescit Roma Albae ruinis euen so Fraunce became strong by the ruine of Rome 1 After Farabertus succeeded his sonne Sunno and raigned 28. yeeres 2 Hildericus the sonne of Sunno 40. yeeres 3 Batherius the sonne of Hildericus 18. yeeres 4 Clodius the sonne of Batherius 27. yeeres 5 After Clodius succeeded his sonne Walterius and raigned 8. yeeres 6 After Walterius raigned his sonne Dagobertus or Degenbertus 11. yeeres 7 After him his sonne Clogio 2. yeeres 8 After Clogio his brother Clodomirus raigned after him 18. yeeres 9 After Clodomirus his sonne Richimerus raigned 13. yeeres 10 After him raigned Theodomirus 10. yeeres 11 After him raigned Clogio 18. yeeres 11 After Clogio Marcomirus the thirde of that name CHAP. IIII. From Faramundus the first king that had all Fraunce in his hand and from whom all Historians and Chronographers beginne the historie of Fraunce who beganne his raigne in Fraunce in the yeere of our Lord and Sauiour 420 of the lawes gouernment and warres from that time vnto Clodouaeus the first Christian king of Fraunce and so vntill Clodouaeus the second of that name and the 12. king after Faramundus NOw this Faramundus the sonne of Marcomirus the great when hee was made king of Fraunce he cōmitted the charge of his former gouernment which hee had in the East Fraunce to his brother Marcomirus he gouerned the Frenchmen in Gallia 7. yeeres and he augmented the crowne of Fraunce with more territories as Mosellana Augusta and other places He instructed the rude people and brought them from rudenesse to ciuilitie taught them to liue vnder a lawe made decrees and statutes to gouerne his countrey Here the crie of Chronicles for Pau. Aemilius writeth this historie farre otherwise so doeth Langaeus and hee saith that the Frenchmen were named Franci of one Francio the sonne of Hector But the trueth of this historie is found rather in Tritemius and Hunebaldus with whom both Functius and Lazius doe agree In this they agree all that from Faramundus time the kings of Gallia were nombred Iulius Caesar who long serued vnder the Romans in France deuided Gallia into three countreys from the riuer of Rhein vnto the riuer Sequana and that countrey is called Gallia Belgica from the riuer of Sein vnto Garumna that countrey is called Celtica and from Garumna vnto the mountaines Pyrenei which is called Aquitania which was before called Amorica With this Plini doeth accord All these people were in ancient time called Celtae Reade Strabo and Plini in the description of Gallia from mount Pyrenei to the riuer Garumna lieth Aquitania from thence to Sequana dwelt the Celtes and frō thence to the riuer Rhein the Belgians I will passe to the kings who beginne in this Faramundus time to be kings of Gallia after 870. yeeres warres by his predecessors before he raigned seuen yeeres and others affirme 11. yeeres In this Faramundus time the Lawe called Salica was made After whome succeeded Clodius his sonne sirnamed Crinitus or Comatus the second king of all France which was called then Gallia he raigned 28. yeeres and plagued the remnant of the Gaules which dwelt in Gallia vnconquered He gaue diuers sharpe battels to the Romanes and commaunded by an Edict that the Frenchmen should let their beards and the haires of their head grow and so to combe keepe it without cutting because they might bee knowen hereby to be the Frenchmen and to make a difference betwene them and others that dwelled within Gallia wherefore he was sirnamed Clodius Crinitus In the sixt yeere of his raigne he ouercame those people called Senouenses and Aurelionenses which dwelt about Lutetia and ioyned them to the kingdome of Fraunce He likewise in the ninth yeere of his raigne subdued the Saxons the Trentones the Doringes and brought all that part of Fraunce bordering vpon the sea into subiection and in the thirtieth yere of his raigne he also brought Bataui Tungri Menaxij and diuers other people that were cōmorant in the edge of France at what time the Gothes had done great harme in that part of Fraunce called Aquitania and also the Burgundians subdued much in Lugdunum This time the Scots and the Pictes inuaded Britaine and spoiled the countrey and did much harme About this time Atala king of that nation called Hunni in Germanie had much to doe with the Romanes and both gaue and tooke diuers repulses This Clodius when hee had enlarged the kingdome of Fraunce with the most part of Gallia and had raigned twentie yeeres some say 17. yeeres hee died in whose time Valentinianus had married Eudoxia the daughter of Theodosius the Emperour by whom Valentinianus was made Augustus This time Theodosius waged warres against the Vandols who had a king named Giezirichus who had license by Valentinianus to dwel in Affrica who had dwelt there in despite of the Romans for the space of 95. yeeres vntil by Iustinianus the Emperour they were thence expelled and driuen out and at that very time the Hunnes entered and spoiled Thracia and Illyrica and subdued with sword and fire vntill they came to Thermopila Likewise in the foureteenth yeere of this Clodius the Gothes brake their league against Spaine and possessed with the sworde the next territories to Spaine and besieged the citie of Narbon This time Patricius was sent from Celestinus then bishop of Rome to Ireland to instruct the Irishmen in the Christian faith of this Patricke the Irishmen bragge much In the time of this Clodius Vortigerus with the Saxons by deceit and craft inuaded Britaine for hitherto the Britaines kept tacke with the Romanes sometime in warre with them and sometime in peace Reade more of this in Beda This was in the yere after Christ 446 at what time great persecution was in Affrike vnder king Giezirichus the Vandole and the heresie called Eutichiana beganne to rise in Constantinople This time raigned in Persia Vararanes the fift of that name and fifteenth king of Persia. After this time we reade of no mention made of any Olympiad though long before they were little vsed for the Olympiads flourished vntill the time of Lucius Silla the Dictator yet vsed for computation sake but with most absurd and grosse errours both of Zenophon and Thucydides who little vsed them and yet erred in them though they liued and wrote then when the Olympiads most flourished and it made me also oftentimes to auoyd the Olympiads in my histories for that I found great errors in them But I will come to the thirde king of Fraunce Meroueus the sonne of Clodius who succeeded his father and raigned 12. yeeres others say but 10 and so the errour which was in the yeeres of Faramundus is corrected and amended This king lost nothing which his father got He did not onely defend and maintaine all
those countreys and territories which were ioyned to the kingdome of Fraunce by his father but also enlarged the same with the vanquishing and subduing of the Romanes in many places These French people by this time became so strong and so mightie that they were feared of all Northren nations and therefore certaine countreys conspired against them and commenced warre against them as Attila king of the Hunnes who slew his owne brother called Bleda which ioyntly raigned in the kingdome for to haue the sole gouernment with him that time ioyned Vualaricus king of the East Gothes Ardaricus king of Gepida and other nations of the North. These commenced warre vpon Meroueus with fiue hundreth thousand souldiers but he was ayded with Theodoricus king of the Vestgothes and with Aetius the Romane lieutenant And the battaile was terrible and great and endured from Sunne rising to Suune setting where 188. thousande were slaine but the victorie fell to the Frenchmen with great slaughter on either side for in that battaile was slaine Theodoricus king of the Vestgothes whose bodie was brought with great pompe and solemnitie to Tolosa to be buried In the next yeere after this great battaile Attila king of the Hunnes being of the mightiest power and of the greatest force of all Germanie inuaded Italy ouerthrowing and vtterly spoyling all partes and places of Italy where hee came into the harme and spoyle he did was such that Leo the first of that name then Bishop of Rome came in his pontificall robes and met him to whom Attila vsed great reuerence and obtained peace The like is written of the great Alexander who with the like honour reuerenced the high Priest at Hierusalem by whom Alexander was pacified and his warre turned to peace Now after in the eleuenth yere of Meroueus he besieged Augusta the chiefest citie of Treueres which Attila a litle before tooke with the sword and possessed it but recouered into Fraunce againe so that the Frenchmen by this time grewe so great so strong since the time they came first from Scythia into Germanie when they dwelt about the riuer of Rein in those places which are now called Holland Gilderland Cliueland and Frizland that they beganne to aduance themselues and to extol their kingdom aboue the Empire for with continual warres of almost 870. yeeres with the slaughter of many of their kings dukes and barons when they were yet called Sicambri and after Franci and now Galli they became at length so strong that rather the empire was subiect to France then France to the empire For this French nation as I said before behaued themselues so in all places where they dwelt that they would both vse their maners and speach and therefore were they called by so many names as Neumagi Marcomani Sicambri Germani Franci and Galli But this word France was encreased more and more and what victorie or conquest soeuer these kings obtained stil they ioyned it to that part of Fraunce where they first inhabited vntill they had conquered all other names within Gallia to be France and that euen from Francus which raigned but fewe yeeres before our Sauiour Christ. Now after that Merouaeus had raigned 12. yeres he died after whom succeeded his sonne Childericus who after he had raigned king for one yeere hee vsed such an inordinate filthie life and insolencie that he was dispossessed of his kingdome in whose place Egidius a Romane was elected who raigned eight yeeres some say but 3. yeres after But before he went he reposed all his trust in Virodomarus his friend an excellent souldier to whom he gaue halfe a piece of gold kept the other halfe himselfe willing him to beleeue no message without he sawe that halfe piece of golde But reade this historie in Aemilius and you shall finde howe Childericus was by Virodomarus restored to his kingdome againe and how Virodomarus was brought from Turingia with all the nobles of France into his kingdome where Childericus was placed againe in his kingdome being then gone to Bisinus king of Turingia for refuge and succour and with him came from thence Basana the kings daughter some say that she was Bissinus wife the king The histories say that she came and followed after Childericus from her father whom Childericus married and by whom hee got Clodoueus which was the first king that receiued the Christian faith Childericus after his returne to his kingdome remembring the victories and cōquests of his father began valiantly to recouer those places and townes frō the Romans which Egidius while he gouerned Fraunce had willingly lost He layd siege to Coloni◅ and ouerthrew it he remoued Odoacer from Fraunce which hee inuaded with a huge armie and put him to flight and when he had recouered all Fraunce from the Romanes subiection hee appointed lieutenants and generals in euery prouince of Fraunce and left all Fraunce free from the Romanes to his sonne Clodoueus and died when he had raigned 26. yeeres others say 23. yeeres Paul Aemilius affirmeth 30. In the time of this king came Ambrosius Aurelius the Romane and tooke the gouernment of Britaine after 20. conflicts hee was slaine by the English Saxons at what time certaine Britaines sailed ouer and came possessed Aquitania For now raigned in Italy Odoacer Hercules being driuen before out of Fraunce as you heard by Hildericus this Hercules hauing setled him selfe in Italy and assuming there the name of a king the Empire was remoued at that very time into Germany and Rome and all Italy were gouerned by strangers All the West kingdomes were much molested and sore vexed this time for as you heard Vortiger and after Hengistus scattered the Britaines to seeke new dwellings so me into Cambria which is now called Wales where they euer dwelt since that time and some to France which is called in France to this day litle Britaine Againe the Longobards setled themselues about the riuer Danubius and diuers other nations in Germanie and in the West countreys were placed and againe displaced by warre But to Clodoueus the son of Childericus by Basana who came to the kingdome of Fraunce at the age of 21. yeeres and raigned 30. yeeres he liued 15. of them a Pagane vnchristened in the other 15. he was christened and was the first that receiued the Christian faith into Fraunce and also the first king that possessed all Gallia vnder the crowne of Fraunce for in foure great battailes he had these victories The first against the Romanes whose lieutenant was called Siagrius who was taken in the bat◅aile and slaine and the armie of the Romanes put to flight and slaine The second warre was against Gothemarus and Gotegiseleus who before had slaine in warre Chilpericus his wiues father and Sigismundus his wiues vncle this warre Clodoueus tooke in hande at the suite and earnest request of his wife Clotildis for
of his three brethren and their children and died as Blondus saieth at Tridentum after whose death Fraunce was againe deuided betweene the sonnes of Lotharius who is called in Beroaldus Clotarius which raigned 5. yeres after Childebertus and died was buried in the church of S. Medardis in Suetia which Church he began to builde a litle before he died After whom succeeded Cherebertus the sonne of Clotarius a wicked vicious king who after he raigned 9. yeeres died in the armes of his concubine at Paris after him Chilpericus raigued 14. yeres as vitious and wicked as his brother yet of him lineally do discend the line of the kings of France vntil Childericus time he was caused to be slaine betweene Landricus and his strumpet Fredegunda and was also buried in Paris Now Iustinus the yonger a daughters sonne of Iustinianus gouerned in the empire warrre was proclaimed by the Romanes against the Persians at what time Hormisda raigned king of Persia who was vanquished by Tiberius Constantius and againe the Persians lost those townes which they had gotten during the gouernment of Iustinianus This time Chilpericus left a childe of the age of 4. moneths called Clotarius the second of that name and the 10. king of Fraunce who raigned 44. yeeres this king being yet an infant vnder the protectiō of Landricus whom Guntrandus the kings vncle had made master of the horse Childebertus king of Mediomatrices sought to attempt through force to gouerne France but in vaine for he mist of his purpose for he his wife died within a while after vpon one day supected to be poysoned Howbeit when Clotarius came to any estate ciuill warres began in France betwene the king and Theodobertus and Theodoricus two sonnes of Hildebertus these two brethren plagued sore the king vntill they were deuided one against another and then al France was afflicted But during these ciuil vexations in France the Persians wasted Palestine tooke Ierusalem and their patriarch Zacharias they raged against the Egyptians and they subdued Alexandria and Libya vntill Aethiope tooke Carthage and proudly denied the Emperour Heraclius peace but the Persians and their king Cosroes repented their denial for Heraclius prepared warre and leuied an armie and entred into Persia flew in that voyage 50000. Heraclius the second time persecuted the Persiās with sword and fire so hard that Cosroes their king was slaine By this time the Persians were on euery side so assaulted so weakned that they were most miserably slaine and destroyed their kingdom taken by the Saracens About this time Caddwalader the last king of the Britaines was by a dreame admonished to leaue his kingdome and to passe ouer sea to Rome at what time the English Saxons possessed the whole Isle of Britaine sauing Scotland and the Picts Let vs leaue France for a while in their ciuil dissentions betweene Clotarius and the two sonnes of Childebertus named Theodoricus Theobertus who after they constrained the king to accept what cōditions of peace they lusted these two brethren fell out that againe all France was in armes for a time France was most miserablie afflicted Now Persia being destroied the third time by the Saracēs we wil passe ouerthe Pope in Rome Mahomet in Arabia and returne to Germanie a coūtrey so famous of late that the Monarchie sole empire flourished there though the Romans in Iulius Caesars time made no accompt of them calling all those nations which are called Vandols Gothes Hunnes Hungarians Danes Sueuians Russians and others by one name Germanes These coūtreis and kingdoms flourished when the East kingdoms decaied and that within 500. yeres of Augustus time when Rome was in her most glory dignitie and for that the names of their kings may be read in Functius I wil not set them down for those that were of any great renowme in histories chiefly the Gothes and Vādols who hitherto had 24. kings and the Longobards who had 17. kings Diaconus writes of them Functius in his table records them and therfore I wil returne to Clotarius who when he had raigned 41. yeeres he assigned Dagobertus his eldest sonne king of Austratia ioyntly to gouerne France with him for three yeeres more and then Clotarius died in the 44. yere of his raigne This Dagobertus was the 11. king frō Faramundus and had a brother named Aribertus to whom he gaue Aquitania in possession and gouerned himselfe after his father in Fraunce 14. yeres he was very vitious and so giuen to women that when he would trauaile he would haue his womē caried with him Agmina Scortorum a whole armie of concubines who went in habits of Queenes and dwelt in pallaces made vnto them by the king Dagobertus And with this vice there was ioyned an other vertue which was to banish all those Iewes out of Fraunce that would not become Christians for nowe Fraunce hath their vines and grapes and all the countrey of Fraunce flourished since Probus the Emperours time who first suffered them to haue the vse and benefites of all vines By this time his brother Aribertus died in Aquitaina and left a sonne behind him named Hilpericus who likewise died after his father shortly and all Fraunce fell to Dagobertus who at that time placed his eldest sonne Sigebertus king of Austrasia where sometimes Dagobertus gouerned during three yeeres of his fathers raigne Dagobertus had warres with the Vuindos whom he vanquished by the ayde of the Saxons and also hee had warres against the Vascons who though they reuolted as Tritemius affirmeth yet receiued them into fauour In Rome now had raigned 9. seueral popes whose names are set down in the history of the church and ouer the Saracens who quite had subdued all Persia before raigned already foure Amyras of Mahomets sects Thus in Rome a silly priest became a great Pope and in Arabia a false Prophet of one age with the pope became a mighty king which by his greatnes attained a surname called Amyras of whom likewise I haue spoken in the historie of the Saracens 1 Pharamundus reigned 8. yeeres Beroaldus saith 11. yeeres 2 Clodius Faramundus sonne surnamed Criuitus reigned 18. yeeres 3 Meroueus succeeded his father Clodius and reigned 10. yeeres 4 Hildericus the first reigned 26. this is called of many Childericus 5 Clodoueus reigned 30. 6 Childebertus reigned 45. yeeres 7 Lotarius or Cotarius 5. yeeres 8 Heribertus reigned 9. 9 Hilpericus or Chilpericus 23. for marke whō Beroaldus Ruffinus and others doe name Chilpericus that same doeth Functius name Hilpericus so of Cheribertus Functius he nameth Heribertus 10 Lotarius 2. the sōne of Hilpericus 14. yeeres 11 Dagobertus succeeded his father and reigned 14. yeeres CHAP. V. From Clodoueus the 2. who began his raigne 645. vnto the raigne and gouernment of Charles the great the patrone only mirror of Fraunce by whom
chiefly the French men flourished in famous renowne and in whom all the lawes relikes and monuments are established NOwe I will goe forward with the histories of Fraunce and speake of Dagobertus who when he had raigned 14. yeeres died Aemilius saith 16. yeres for he raigned 2. yeres in Austrasia is buried in S. Denis which he himself had builded the seconde of that name and the twelfth king after Pharamundus succeeded This was called Lewis the first of that name This time raygned king of the Gothes Sisenandus who was by them and of Dagobertus aduaunced to gouerne the Gothes The Emperour Constantinus surnamed Iunior was by his stepmother Martina poysoned after hee had reigned foure moneths for that shee practised to haue her sonne Emperour who reigned with his mother two yeeres and then the treason of Martina was founde which was in this sort reuenged his nostrels were cutte and his mothers tongue was taken out and so were both least againe they might bee forgotten and bee receiued to the Empire banished from Constantinople By this time died Sigibertus king Clodouaens brother who adopted before his death Ildebertus the sonne of Grimoaldus supposing that he should haue no heire of his bodie but his wife being with childe when he died had a sonne named Dagobertus who was sent to a Monasterie in Scotland secretly to be brought by Grimoaldus for which cause Clodouaeus waged warre with Ildebertus the king and with his father Ildebertus was slaine in the field in battell and his father taken and put in prison in Paris where he died at what time Clodouaeus appoynted his owne sonne Childericus king in Austrasia This time in Fraunce the famine was such that the king Clodouaeus ooke all the gold and siluer which his father Dagobertus had set vp in Saint Dennis and other places and all the treasures out of the Temples in Fraunce to helpe the poore of Fraunce After Clodoueus had reigned seuenteene yeeres succeeded Clotarius the third of that name hee died and is buried with his father in S. Dennis and in Beroaldus table named Dagobertus the second who reigned foure yeeres After whome succeeded his brother Theodoricus who was in the first yeere of his raigne banished out of his kingdome for his incontinencie After him Hildericus Theodoricus brother was elected king of all Fraunce he reigned 12. yeres Beroaldus saith fiue he was slaine in hunting by one Bodillus whome the king had before most cruelly caused to be bound to a stake and to bee whipt with rods which he requited to the king with death Which newes being heard of Theodoricus the kings brother being before as you heard banished returned from a Monasterie and tooke againe the kingdome of Fraunce and reigned fourteene yeeres The kingdome of the Saracens had not onely vexed and molested the East kingdomes but also afflicted and persecuted the West countries and had diuers and sundry battels with the Emperours the Gothes and the Longobards and are nowe become nations most mightie and strong in all the West of whom reade Diaconus de gestis Longabardorum After these thinges reigned Clodouaeus the thirde of that name who reigned foure yeeres after whom Hildebertus Clodouaeus his brother succeeded and reigned eighteene yeeres but here some of the good and the best writers doe disagree for the state of Fraunce aswell for the names of their kings as also for the historie it selfe as some following Tritemius and some imitating Paulus Aemilius that one Chronicle cries against another During the reigne of Hildebertus Muhamad the Saracen inuaded Armenia and entred into Affrica for nowe the kingdome of the Saracens grewe so mightie and so strong that they troubled all the Nations of the worlde as you may reade in their histories This time reigned ouer the Longobardes Chimibertus and ouer the Gothes Vitiza for these two kingdomes florished nowe in Germanie and beganne to match the Empire After this reigned king in Fraunce Dagobertus the seconde of that name foure yeeres after whome Lotharius Dagobertus his brother reigned two yeeres some say seuen yeeres Beroaldus in his table affirmeth that for these two yeeres Fraunce had no king therein crowned but Interreges were appointed after which Chilpericus surnamed Daniel by the ayde of Carolus Martellus was crowned king of Fraunce and reigned fiue yeeres After him gouerned Theodoricus surnamed Cala the sonne of Dagobertus the seconde hee reigned fifteene yeeres Anastasius the seconde surnamed Artemius helde the Empire for two yeeres and after Theodosius the thirde of that name other two yeeres This time Gizid the twelfth Amiras who reigned foure yeeres and his sonne Euelid after him played their partes in Asia and in Europe as sometime the Scythians were wont to doe they laide siege to Constantinople but were thence expelled by hunger and colde and with all their whole nauies were burned and destroyed vpon the seas In the time of this Theodoricus the Cities of Italie beganne a newe regiment vnder Dukes euery Citie elected and made a choise of one gouernour vnder whom and to whom they liued as to their king laying aside the last kinde of gouernment called magistratus exarchatus This time the Scots and the Picts quieted themselues within their limittes and spared their often inuasions into Englande at what time Ceolulphus reigned in that part of Englaud called Northumberland With this king Beda a learned man amōgst the Britaines was in great reuerence and honour and dedicated to him the historie of the Church in English and by Bedas meanes Ceolulphus deliuered the gouernment to his vncle Egbertus and became a Moncke In the time of this king the Saracens which inhabited in diuers partes of Affrike and Spaine were driuen thence foorth to the number of foure hundred thousand by Edo at what time they inuaded Fraunce and were so miserably persecuted euery way that they lost Abdimarus their king with a great number of the Saracens but more is written of this in their owne historie Now to Hildericus the third of that name surnamed Stupidus the sonne of Theodoricus Cala who reigned nine yeres and after was by consent of all the princes of Fraunce deposed from his kingdome and in his place gouerned eighteene yeeres Pipinus during which time Hildericus liued priuately and secretely in an Abbie By this time died Carolus Martellus a great Prince of France and lieth buried among the kings at S. Denis Of whose valure fame and courage not onely in Fraunce but euery where Reade of this Noble Martellus and of his diuers worthy and renowmed victories ouer the Saracens in Paul Aemilius in the beginning of his 2. booke after whom succeeded Carolomanus which then yeelded all his signories and titles of dignities vnto Pipinus who presently thereupon called a Parliament of all the Princes and Barons of France to stablish lawes and decrees for the receyuing of the
Romane religion and allowing of the dignitie of the Pope into Fraunce for the which Pope Steuen created king Pipine one of the Romane Patricians this king grewe so great in Fraunce that the Saxons sought his friendship promisig to ayde him at all times with three hundred horsemen to any exploite In the time of king Pipine Salim a great Prince of the Saracens with eight hundred thousand Saracens inuaded Cappadocia without any great exployt done this time the Turkes issued foorth of their Caspian holdes and inuaded Armenia and after commenced warre with the Arabians in Fraunce After that Pipinus had quieted the state of Fraunce and was confirmed by the Pope to his kingdome for he was the first that allowed the authoritie of the Pope in Fraunce and after that Thassillo king of Bauaria had yeelded himselfe to the crowne of Fraunce and that the warres of Aquitania was ended when Nauserius their gouernour was slaine by his owne souldiers then Pipinus died after whom succeeded Carolus the great who raigned in Fraunce sixe and fourtie yeeres It is read that in euery countrie or kingdome some men are noted chiefe one excelling another and among these fewe gallant and famous one is euer preferred in all countries of whome they holde and bragge of their antiquitie their lawes kingdoms their chiefe conquests and victories generally they doe attribute to one aboue another as for example here I set downe Among the old Assyrians Nymrodes Belus But specially Ninus Among the old Egyptiās Vexores But specially Sesostris the Hercules of Egypt Among the old Persians Darius Histaspis Artaxerxes Mnemon But especially Cyrus Among the Greekes Miltiades Phocion biades Pelopidas Pericles and diuers others aboue all Themistocles Among the Romanes Titus Manlius Val. Coruinus Coriolanus and Camillus with others yet one Iulius Caesar aboue them all In Spaine Amongst all other iolly fellowes Viriatius most commended of late Charles the fift And so in Fraunce Francus Marcomirus and Pharamundus Yet Charles the great the onely man that aduaunced the name of Fraunce This king after his first entrie into Fraunce tooke Aquitania and Vastonia vnder his hand and after went into Italie being thereto requested by Hadrian then Pope of Rome where he waged sharpe warres with the Longobardes whom he vanquished and quite destroyed both them and their gouernment out of Italie where they reigned 204. yeeres after their first entring into Italie in the which voyage he not only confirmed that which king Pipinus his predecessor had before graunted to the Pope Stephen but also chargeth and cōmandeth that all the rites and ceremonies of the Romane religion shoulde bee vsed and solemnized within all the kingdome of Fraunce After this he returned into Fraunce made a voiage with an army into Spaine and tooke many townes and cities of the Saracens wasted and spoiled and did great harme in Spaine and did the like annoyance after his cōming home into Germanie for he subdued the Saxons and brought the Bohemians vnder the crowne of Fraunce After this hee made warres against the Hunnes which endured well nigh eight yeres This king ended many broiles and quarrels in diuers coūtries and withall hee had so enlarged the kingdome of Fraunce and brought all places and all nations subiect to Fraunce that hee was by his good successe and great victories had ouer diuers regions called Carolus the great and for that the gouernment of Carolus the great was such that almost all the Northwest kingdomes were eyther made fearefull of Fraunce or paying tribute or some seruice to Fraūce so that Carolus by his greatnesse euery where and by his fauour with Pope Leo was by the meanes of Leo created Augustus and made Emperor and the Empire brought from Rome into Fraunce from thence into Germany where it remaineth by the name of the Emperour of Almania the third remoue of the Empire for first frō Rome to Constantinople where it continued for a long time and frō thence remoued to Germany and last into Fraunce I wil set downe the names of all the kings of Fraunce from Clodouaeus the 2. the 12. after Faramundus vntill this Charles the great the 12. king of Gallia as I founde them in Functius and in Beroaldus table for Pharamundus began his reigne in Fraunce in the 299. Olympiad and in the yere of our Sauiour 420. and reigned as here you may reade in this table 1 Clodouaeus 2. reigned after his father 17. yeeres 2 Lotarius 3. succeeded and reigned 4. yeeres 3 Hildericus the 2. reigned 14. yeeres 4 Theodoricus succeeded his brother Lotarius and reigned 14. yeeres 5 Clodouaeus 3. 4. yeres 6 Hildebertussucceded his brother Clodouaeus reigned 18. yeeres 7 Dagobertus the 2. called alsoin Functius Clodouaeus reigned 4. yeeres 8 Lotarius 4. of that name and brother to Dagobertus reigned 7. yeeres 9 Theodoricus surnamed Cala sonne to Dagobertus the 2. reigned 15. yeeres 10 Hildericus surnamed Stupidus 9. yeeres 11 Pipinus surnamed the short came after Hildericus being deposed from his kingdome and reigned 18. CHAP. VI. From Charles the great the onely king of Fraunce in fame of whom all the states of Fraunce holde their lawes monuments and other ceremonies belonging to their inaugurations crowning and their seuerall pompe of his warres and victories against the Saracens of his diuers conquests euery where and of the taking of the Empire into Germany CHarles the great the twentie three king of Fraunce who was made Emperour and created Augustus by Pope Leo and the Empire brought thereby to Fraunce and into Germany for vntill this time the Empire remained in the East part called imperium Orientale which was Constantinople and remoued into Fraunce and Germany where it is called imperium Occidentale Hitherto I haue set downe the names of the kings of Fraūce lineally frō Pharamundus the first king of Gallia which reigned in the yere of Christ our Sauiour 420. vntill Carolus the great the 23. king after Pharamundus who being both Emperour and king gouerned Fraunce fourtie sixe yeeres This succession of kings continued 408. yeeres so that from the first comming of the Frēchmen out of Scythia which was in the 85. Olympiad twētie yeeres before the twentie one Iubilee vntill this Charles the great which was in the 814. yeere of Christ from Marcomirus vnto Francus 106. Olympiad whhich is 424. yeeres during which time they were called Neumagi Marcomanni and after Sicambri vntill Francus from Francus vnto Pharamundus 113. Olympiad which is 452. yeeres during which time they were called Franci from Pharamūdus to Charles the great 393. yeeres at what time they were first called Galli so that from Antenor who maried Cambra the daughter of king Belinus the Britaine vntill Charolus the great are 1270. yeeres By this time the kingdome of Fraunce waxed so mightie that Carolus was made Emperour by Leo the Pope as I said before Nowe Fraunce by meanes of his great fortune fauoured so
much Pope Leo that Rome by Fraunce and Fraunce by Rome became strong The Popes of Rome after this time by meanes of their religion receiued into Fraunce into Spaine into Britaine into diuers partes of Germany and into other kingdomes of Europe beganne againe to reuiue their Empire vnder the Pope and brought the Emperour subiect to the Pope made kings and princes to creepe to the Pope and entised all Europe vnder his crosse yeelding homage and paying tribute vnto him as to their chiefest and onely Monarch of the world for before the Popes time the Emperour of Rome subdued and conquered all nations and forced all kingdomes to pay tribute vnto Rome Nowe the Pope subdued the Emperour and made him his general lieutenant after the Emperour he substituted the king of Fraunce and the king of Spaine martiall of the fielde to fight for him that he became so great that though he called himself seruus seruorū yet would he be compted and esteemed lord of lordes for he would binde and he would lose he would curse and he would blesse hee would forgiue sinnes and pardon offences he kept the keyes of heauen and of hell Who ruled like lordes and commaunded like kings but the Pope and Mahumet of equall antiquitie and of like nature the one in Arabia the other in Rome two mōsters of the world and two enemies of Christianitie whom wee leaue a while and turne to Fraunce where the Empire remained this time And for that the kingdomes of the Danes of the Sueuians of the Noruegians and other nations of the North beginne now to flourish and also for that the state of Fraunce are now become acquainted with al writers as diuers Chronicles are extant thereof I wil only therefore set downe briefly their kings and their names frō Carolus the great vntil the time of Lewes the 12. of that name rather for that the histories of Fraunce are now familiarly knowen by reason of their warres and of the greatnesse of their kingdome then while they were yet strangers by the name of Neumagi first and after Sicambri and then Franci and last Galli Beside other names as Cimbri with the Romaus Galatae with the Greekes after called Gaulgreekes in Asia Belgae while they dwelt in Germanie Armeni while they were in Armenia and Scythae before they came out of Scythia But how so euer writers vary in their names they agree that they were called Celtes Galli and Franci which name they helde from Francus time because they were of long continuance all other names were giuen to them according to the countreys that they dwelled in But let vs returne to Charles the great who after hee had raigned 46. yeeres he died after whom his sonne Lewes sirnamed the Godly succeeded and gouerned Fraunce 26. yeeres This was also crowned Emperour after his father by Pope Steuen the fourth of that name at what time Michael sirnamed Curoplates was Emperour of Constantinople who sent ambassadours to Lewes for conclusion of peace for the Saracens about this time tooke Creete and possessed it and vanquished in two or three battels the Greekes and subdued many townes in Asia This king Lodouicus now consecrated Augustus appointed his three sonnes to haue seuerall gouernments the one called Lotharius whom hee sent into Italy as a king to rule and to order the States of Italy the second sonne named Pipinus he sent to gouerne in Aquitania the third after his owne name Lewes whom also hee sent as king ouer the Noricanes After Lewes died his sonne Lotharius succeeded and held the Empire 15. yeeres vntill his brethren commenced warre against him and such terrible and bloodie warres that all Fraunce was weakened thereby and all the blood of Carolus extinguished for in these warres were slaine aboue 100000. of the floures of Fraunce on both sides But in fine they agreed amongst themselues that Lotharius should hold the Empire and gouerne ouer Italy and other nations in the East and Carolus sirnamed Caluus should be king in Fraunce and the thirde sonne should possesse in Germanie and in Hunnia vnder the name of a king This Carolus Caluus raigned king in Fraunce 38. yeeres hee imprisoned close in a monasterie his brothers childrē which was Pipinus and Lewes After this Carolus died in Mantua being poisoned by Sedechia a Iew and his owne Phisition then succeeded Lewes sirnamed Balbus who raigned two yeres and was created Emperour by Pope Iohn in Fraunce He had two sonnes by his concubine named Lewes and Charlemaine they both succeeded their father as kings of Fraunce Lewes died in the fourth yere of his raigne and Charlemaine in the fift yere After whose death the Danes and the Normanes inuaded Fraunce and filled all Fraunce with blood Carolus the thirde of that name sirnamed Crassus after these two brethren raigned fiue yeeres Beroaldus saith 7. yeeres About this time the Danes gaue sundry battels in England and were often vanquished but still they continued their warres vntill they made a conquest of all the East partes of England This time Odo the sonne of Robert duke of Anioy raigned in Fraunce and gouerned it 9. yeeres In whose time the schole in the Vniuersitie of Oxeford was builded by Alfredus king of Northumberland in the yeere of Christ 895. By this king the Floure deluce was first appointed in the ensigne of Fraunce then Carolus sirnamed Simplex raigned 27. yeeres this was the sonne of Balbus But to auoyde tediousnesse according to my promise I wil passe ouer the rest of the historie and of the names of the rest of the kings of Fraunce vntill Lewes the 12 for I may not stand long to entreate of euery countrey for that I write of many countreys onely touching the antiquities of kingdomes their continuance their beginning and ending the time of their gouernment and the names of their gouernours committing to your view this compendious abstract of all Chronicles and all their histories which would make infinite volumes to be read in those Chronographers that largely wrote of them 31 Rodulphus duke of Burgundie and after king of France raigned 2. yeeres 32 Lewes who fled into England with his mother named Oginia returneth now into Fraunce and raigned with Rodulphus 10. yeres But he raigned king in the whole 27. yeeres 33 Lotharius the sonne of Lewes the 4. by Gerberga the sister of Otho the Emperor he raigned 31. yere In whose time the kingdome of Polonia began in the yeere of Christ 963. 34 Lewes the fift of that name raigned 1. yeere Hitherunto haue raigned from Faramundus 34. kings now raigned after this Lotarius these many kings which you see here vnder written in this table which hitherto continued in the line of Francus and now I will set downe the first king of those that were naturally borne Galli the thirde name of the kings of Fraunce 35 Hugo Capetus raigned 9. yeeres This was
the first king borne of those that were called Galli for hitherunto the lineal sucession of Francus endured 36 After him his sonne Robert raigned 34. yeeres In the beginning of whose time the kingdome of Hungarie beganne 37 Henry the sonne of Robert succeeded and raigned after his father 30. yeeres 38 Philippe the first of that name and sonne to Henry raigned 49. yeeres In whose time beganne the kingdome of Bohemia In the time of this Philippe the first two most famous men and worthie Captaines tooke their voyages the one named Godfrey of Bullen with an armie from Fraunce into the holy Land which was Ierusalem so called after Christs time on earth this warre is called bellum Sacrum the sacred warres against the Saracens Reade Tilius Chronicles of the French kings where you shall finde a Catalogue of the nobles peeres and gentlemen of France and of diuers other countreys that went on that voyage with Godfrey of Bullen to Hierusalem the other Captaine came to England William the bastarde of Normandie afterward called William Conquerour of whom our English chronicles can testifie But I wil briefly passe ouer the kings 39 Lewes sirnamed Crassus raigned 28. yeeres 40 Lewes sirnamed Iunior 43. yeeres 41 Philippus Augustus sirnamed Deodatus 43. yeeres In whose time the Iewes were banished out of Fraunce 42 Lewes the eight of that name 4. yeeres 43 Lewes the ninth sirnamed Holy 43. yeeres 44 Philip the 3. sirnamed Audax son to Lewes 9. 15. yeres 45 Philippus the 4. sirnamed Pulcher the faire and sonne to Philip the thirde raigned 28. yeeres In this kings raigne began the kingdome of Ottoman the Turke 46 Lewes the 10. sirnamed Vtinus king both of Fraunce and of Nauarre raigned almost 2. yeeres 47 Philip the 5. sirnamed Longus raigned 5. yeeres 48 Carolus Pulcher king of Fraunce and Nauarre 7. yeeres Now after this Philip the first of the house of Valois began in the 1328. yeere of our Sauiour whose line hath continued euen frō this Philip of Valois the first king of that house vntill Frances Valois last king of Fraunce and the last of that stocke which continued 263. yeres whose names successiuely are here set downe in Tilius Chronicles as followeth 49 Philip of Valots the first king of that name 22. yeres 50 Whose eldest sonne named Iohn was the first Dolphine of Fraunce which to this day doeth continue Hee raigned after his father king of Fraunce 14. yeeres 51 Carolus the 5. sirnamed the wise raigned 18. yeeres Whose brother named also Philip was made duke of Burgūdy About this time Iohn Wicleue opened much falshoode yet vnknown of Papistrie both disputing writing against it 52 Carolus the sixt sirnamed Bene amatus raigned 42. yeeres this ordeined first the 3. Floure deluce This time raigned in England Richard the second 53 Charles the seuenth raigned 38. yeeres This king commenced warre against England at what time Henry the 5. raigned who subdued all Fraunce and was crowned king in Paris 54 Lewes the eleuenth raigned 23. yeeres 55 Carolus the eight raigned 14. yeeres 56 Lewes the 12. raigned 17. yeres in France being the 1500. yeere of our Sauiour Christ Reade of this king Arnoldus Ferronus all his thirde booke which hee onely wrote of this Lewes the 12. At what time raigned in England Henry the 7. Thus farre briefly Iranne ouer the state of France omitting many thinges willingly and wittingly which I particularly touch in the historie of Spaine for I tooke not in hand to write at large or to set foorth great volumes of superfluous histories but onely as I saide before to note the antiquities and first beginning of kingdomes and to marke the errours of prophane histories in many things dissenting from Moses from Daniel and from the Propheticall writings who opened all Chronicles for they coulde not agree in the chiefest pointes of all true Chronicles neither the Romanes in the building of Rome from whence they ground their histories neither the Greekes by their Olympiads neither the Persians of Cyrus time neither Spaine in their accompt of A. E R. A neither the Arabians of their Hegyra In fine vnpossible it is to finde the trueth of Antiquities in prophane writers without conferring of the same with the Sacred histories of the Prophets who reueiled the trueth of time by their Iubilees A BRIEFE FOR BRITAINE SEeing that I haue written of other countreys I can not tell how to answere my countreymen well if I should not also somewhat speake of the Britains though in trueth many haue sufficiently written of the comming of Brutus vnto this land of his kingdome and succession of kings and continuance which though of some denied which do now as they then did in the time of Halicarnassaeus who after he had trauailed his histories from Sempronius Fabius Pictor and from M. Cato and proued euidently the comming of Aeneas into Italy of his kingdome and posteritie in Alba longa vntill Romulus being 17. discents after him yet some gens inuidiosa Traianis as Halicarnassaeus calleth them seemed not to allow the historie though they knewe it themselues also read it by so many proued because they would be named antiquaries and the credite of the histories should come from them Such was Polidor Virgil in his history of Britaine such was Berosus in the historie of Hetruria being two strangers and such was Manethon to write of Spaine So there were among the Iewes Talmudists who among other matters which they wrote for they were the onely men among the Iewes would also by this credit that they had amōg the people write what they listed that they became thereby very fabulous in their histories So among the Egyptians their superstitious priestes filled their bookes with lies and so of diuers other countreis men wrote rather fables then histories of their coūtreys But these are reiected from sound approued authors tanquam Mithici for in reading of histories I find nothing so readie as errors in antiquities of countreys and in original of nations And surely it is not to be wondered at concerning the antiquities of time euen from the beginning of the world and the late beginning of writers from Cyrus time or rather Alexanders time for in the first age from Adam to the flood no trueth is had nor knowen but onely by Moses in the Genesis and 1650. yeeres frō the flood vnto the time of the Olympiads men wandered in no true accompt of time nor of histories excepting that which is written in the bookes of Moses and the Prophets nothing seemed sound nor certaine but cōiectures and fained fables as in the historie of the Chaldeans Assyrians Aegyptians and diuers other nations many things are written which is named Mythycum very licentiously and to liberally and after the time of the Olympiads how vntrue prophane historians wrote vntil Daniels time who seeth it not Since which time a briefe of al true
himselfe sawe at Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar of bigger bodies and of taller stature then any Romane by halfe a foote for saith Strabo Vidimus puberes Britannos longissimi corporis nostris indigenis semipede celsiores But to be short as it was among the Iewes permitted to the Talmudistes to write their countrie histories to the Indians Gymnosophists to write of India the olde Gaules committed the olde recordes and Chronicles of their Countries to their wise men called Druydes the olde Hispaniards during the time of their kings and long after euen vnto the Romanes time had the antiquaries called Turdetani to write the Chronicles of their Countries and euen so among the olde Britaines were called Bardi to recorde their antiquitie and their histories men of like credite and estimation among the Britaines as were these before named in their Countries without whose consent and councell if any man wrote concerning the state and antiquitie of their countrie hee should be punished according to the custome of the Countrie It is easily spoken there was no Troy but all countries haue allowed it time hath confirmed it both Greeke and Latine histories haue written of it It is soone saide There was no such Brutus but continuance of time succession of kings possession of the countrie doe proue the contrary If neither Geraldus being of the time of Richard the second neither Gildas long before Geraldus liuing in the time of Claudius Augustus the Emperour both singularly learned if neither consent of time succession of kings the antiquitie of the historie nor the affinitie of tongues which no Grecian can denie for we holde the auncient names of riuers townes mountaines and other monuments euen from Brutus time in the selfe same tongue that Brutus spake Let them giue some credite to Pont. Varunnius Iulius Caesar who said Gens ex nostra prosapia est being proued by M. Coruinus and Halicarnassaeus lineally to descend from Aeneas What shoulde I write more Inuidia serra animae and truely is that spoken that three good vertuous mothers had three wicked vicious daughters Familiaritie the mother of contempt Peace and quietnesse the mother of idlenesse And Trueth the mother of hatred Yet in spite of that scorpion Suâ—…s ex merito quemque tuetur honor The historie of Belinus the great whose daughter named Cambra was maried to Marcomirus sonne the first king from whom the Frenchmen since their comming to Germany florished by the name of Sicambri after the name of Cambra the Britaine the historie of Brenus his brother are wel knoweÌ„ with forreigne writers so of Rodericus the great of Leoninus the great who are in the Britaine historie as much coÌ„mended as Pompey the great or Constantine the great among the Romanes for as Pyrrhus saide Italie was not to be subdued but by Italians neither Rome but by the Romanes euen so the Britaine 's were not to be ouerthrowen but by Britaines And here I end 10. Praep. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHAP. 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 CAP. 1. 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 CAP. 1. 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 CAP. 1. 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 CAP. 1. 2 3 4 CAP. 1. 2 3 1 2 3 1 CHAP. 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 CAP. 1. 2 3 4 CHAP. 1. 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 The creation of the world Isido lib. 5. â—…saedri Tetraedri Octoedri Dodecaedri Read Plato and Io. Phrig Cicero lib. denat deorum Iob 38. The creation of man Man placed in Eden â—…oph iâ—… 〈◊〉 Pisâ—…hon Giâ—…on Childekel Phrat Pytlâ—…go letter Plato in Craâ—… Iohn 7. Rom. 5. The opinion of the learned concerning Adams continuance in Paradise before his fall Clemens fol. 128 Gen. 4. Loar fol. 109. Midras 〈◊〉 Psal. 92. Rabbi Menahem fol. 9. vpon Moses Theoph. August sixe houres Thom. Aquinas nine houres Bochay twelue houres Rabbi Nathan Cedrenus Mariaenus Scotus Adam was buried in Golgatha Rabbi Isaac Our portion held by the first Adam Paul Gen. 3. The first sacrifice vnto God Gen. 4. Heb. â—…1 Henoch was borne Gen 4. Diodorus lib. 5. Iosephus Belus Image a sanctuary to all wickednes lib. 10. cap. 3. de prae Diodorus lib. 11. Genes 4. The sonnes of God maried with the daughters of men Melancthon Fregius in histo Adami Fregius in histo Adami Iud. 1. Heb 11. Henoch walked with God Genes 9. Noah the righteous preacher 〈◊〉 lib. 1. Zonaras lib. 1. Talmudists Ioseph lib. 1. cap. 14. Koâ—…rus lib. 1. cap. 4. Tabula 4. Asiae lib. 3. Genes cap. 10. Genes 1. The confusioÌ„ of tongues in the time of Peleg Sabellicuâ—… lib. 3. The antiquity of Greece The praise of Plato The infancie of Greece Ioseph lib. contra Reede Stabo 16. booke First Hebrewes 478 Then Israel 1026 Thirdly Iewish 786 A egyptians most enuious to the Iewish The mercie of God towardes his people The goodnes of God to his people 3. Regum cap. 10 De Asse 4. Ioseph 8. Abrahams age when Noah died Gene. 18. 20. 47. Abrahams going to Aegypt The bondage of Israel in Aegypt 430. yeeres Moses the fift from Abraham Gene. cap. 14. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrha ouerthrown by the king of Shinar Ismael borne by Agar the the bondwoman Lot with his two daughters escaped Iosephus lib. 1. cap. 12. Lots incest with his two daughters Genes 19. The birth of Isaac Isaac the child of promise borne 14. yeres after Ismael Ioseph lib. 1. cap. 15. Sara died and is buried in Hebron A ficide doth coâ—…tune 4. Dâ—…achmes Lib. cap 16. Abraham dieth Esau and Iacobâ—… birth Iacob was the true tipe of the Church Lib. 1. cap. 18. 19. Diodo de fab 〈◊〉 lib. 2. Functius in tabula patrum Isaac dieth and is buried in Hebron Isaac saw the prosperity of Esau and the affliction of Iacob Diodo lib. 1. Iustin. lib. 36. Bâ—…sius lib. 1. cap 8. Iustine lib 36. Orosius lib. 1. cap. 8. The 18. Denasâ—…na of Aegypt Sparta builded The going of Iacob vnto Egypt Ioseph died 65. yeeres before Moses was borne The maner of Moses birth Thermutis Pharaohs daughter Moses threwe the diademe of Aegypt to the dirt Moses made captaine ouer the Aegyptians against the Aethiopians Reade Fregius of Moses life Moses Aaron sent by God to Aegypt The tenne plagues of Aegypt Iosephs bones brought by Moses out of Aegypt Cancres king of Aegypt drowned in the red sea Deucalion flood The kingdome of Athens Berosus endeth his hystory Moses death Israelites toile and slauery Chiliarchi Hecatontarchi Pentecontarchi Decatarchi Ramesses was surnamed Egyptus Cornelius Tacitus lib. 2. Crosius lib. 1. cap. 11. Iosua deuideth the land of Chanaan Iosua made orders lawes Iosua coÌ„mandeth his host to passe Iorden Iordan gaue place to Iosua and to the Arke The walles of Iericho fell Iosua cap. 12. Melanthon 〈◊〉 de Hebreâ—…ruÌ„ admin The mutabiliue of the Israelites Eglon king of Moab afflicteth Israel Ehud killeth Eglon. Iabin
against Israel Debora and Barac ouerthrew him Functius and Râ—…fin Gedeon Iosephus lib. 5. cap. 7. Othoniel Shamgar Barac and Debora The great misery of Israel Iudg 7. Oreb and Zeeb 2. princes of Madianites slaine Euristheus Diuers names of Troy Dardania Troiae Ilion Zeneph de equiuecis The tyrannie of Abimalec Iotham escapeth Miletum buylded Tyre is builed Thola Iudge in Israel Hercules borne Iair the 8. Iudge of Israel Iairs 30. sonnes Iairs 30. sonnes possessed 30. Cities Israel oppressed 1. Reg. cap. 10. Ieptha is appointed their captayne Ieptha ruled 6. yeeres and died Minotaurus Androgeus sonne to Minoes king of Creete slaine Theseus sayled to Creete Minotaurus slayne The games of Olympia Theseus rauished Helen Iustin. lib. 2. Abesan supposed to be Boaz the husband of Ruth Iudic. 10. Elon Abdon Herodot lib. 2. Diodo lib. 2. The second rauishment of Helen Eusebius Samson 20. yeeres Elie 40. yeeres Orestes slewe Pirrhus Heraclides Mycena The vilenesse of the Iewes Their crie for a prophet and for a king Samuel anointed Saul Saul was chosen king of Israel Saul spared Agag and was reprooued by Samuel 50000. Bethshemites slain forlooking into the Arke of the Lord. Samuel hewed Agag The first anointing of Dauid king of Israel Debâ—…ra Dauid sent for by Saul Goliah Dauid slue the great Giant Goliah Sauls enuie to Dauid Samuel died at Rama in his own City 1. Sam. 2. 8. Saul killed himselfe iu Gilboa 1. Sam. 31. 2890 The triumph of the Philistines ouer Saul Dauid the last time after Sauls death anointed king ouer all Israel 2. Sam. cap. 5. A battaile betweene Abner the chiefe captaine of Saul and Ioab the chiefe captaine of Dauid Ioab killeth Abner 2. Sam. cap. 3. The Moabites and the Philistines are ouerthrown by Dauid and are tributaries to Israel 2. Sam. cap. 8. 2 Sam. 11. 12. Ioab was sisters sonne to Dauid Nathan the Prophet sent to accuse Dauid of adultery and murther Aâ—…hitophels councell Absalon killed Foure battels with the Philistines Ioab nombred all Israel by the commandement of Dauid 2. Sam. 24. Troubles in Israel againe Gad the prophet sent to Dauid Dauids counsell to Salomon Dauid dieth The kings of Athens ended Salomons raigne Adoniah Salomons elder brother aspired to the kingdome Salomons sentence vpon Adoniah Adoniah slaine Ioab slayne Abiathar the priest banished The office of the high Priest was taken from Elies house Salomon maried the daughter of Pharaoh Salomon florished Salomon wrote 3000. prouerbs and parables He wrote of trees from the highest to the lowest Ioseph lib. 8. cap. 2. 1. Reg. cap. 4. 40000. horses 2. Cron. 9. The hospitalitic of Salomon The building of the Temple 1. Reg. cap. 7. The Lord appeared to Salomon the second time Saba Salomon had 300. wiues 700. concubines Salomon an Idolater Salomon died What kings raigned in other countreis Salomon began his kingdome in the yere of the world 2930. Roboham despised counsel Ieroboam sent for into Egypt Ioseph lib. 8. cap. 3. Idolatry in Dan and Bethel The people of Israel deuided Roboham had 18. wiues 60. concubines Susack came vp against Ierusalem Susacks armie The first time that Ierusalem was taken by Susack Roboham died Abia moned wars against Ieroboam The greatest battaile that euer was in field and the greatest slaughter 〈◊〉 Cron. cap. 13. Ieroboam died Nadab the 2. king of Israel Asa the sixt king of Iuda Warres betweene Israel and Iuda 2. Cron. cap. 15. The praise of a good king Zareus king of the Aethiopians great armie Asa his victory Eutrop. lâ—…b 1. Nepher king of Egypt Iericho reedified Nadab slaine by Baasha Ela slaine by Zimri Zimri burned himselfe Ioseph liâ—… 8. cap. 9. Omri buylded Samaria Omri dyed Achab his sonne succeeded him Melancthon Chron. 2. Asa king of Iuda dyed Iosaphat a good king Menander in his Chronicles of the kings of Tyre The Rauens fed Elias The famine of Samaria 400. false prophets slaine Wicked Iezebel 1. Reg. cap. 22. Ioseph lib. 8. cap. 8. Achab slaine and is buried in Samaria The peace and quietnes in Iosaphats dayes Ammonites Moabites Idumeans by Iosaphat ouerthrowne Ioram succeeded Iosaphat his father Edom rebelled against Iuda The Philistines were stirred vp against Ioram Idolatry rewarded Ioram fought against Hazael king of Siria Iehu slue Hazael Iehu brake Iezabels necke Ochosias liued but one yere Athalia a cruel Queene Athalia destroyed all the kings seede only Iâ—…as saued 2 Cron. 23. 2. The stocke of Salomon perished False Prophets nouri shed priests to maintaine Idolatrie in Iuda Ioas began to roote out Idolatrie Ioas wanted good counsell and therefore followed flatterers Ioas killed Zachary the sonne of Iehoiada The king of Aram came with a small company against Ioas Iuda and Ierusalem Elizeus the Prophet died Persusennis Cheopes kings in Egypt Mezades Tiber first cal Albula Carthage buylded Amazias king of Iuda He reuenged his fathers death He ouer commeth the Edomites He committeth Idolatrie Amazias slaine by conspiracy Sardanapalus Vzias 2. Cron. cap. 26. Vzias leprosie Esai prophecied Kittims the Romans Manahem Pekahiah Ioatham king of Iuda The Olympiads began Ezechias and Romulus borne 2. Reg. 16. 3215 Hosea the last king of Israel Samaria taken 212. after it was builded by Omri Israel caried to Babylon 262. Sinne the cause of Gods wrath Ezechias Senaherib laid siege to Hierusalem 185. thousand slaine of the Assyrians by the Angel Sanacharib slaine by his sonnes before his Idoll in the temple 2. Cron. cap. 30. Ezechias Passeouer Ezechias died Manasses succeeded him Manasses Idolatrie Manasses againe restored to his kingdome Amon king of Iudah Iosias king of Iudah Iaddo the Prophet Chemarims Baals priests 2. Reg. 23. Ashtaroth Chemosh and Milcom Sanheâ—…rin Silo. Ieremie began to prophecie the 13. of Iosias Media Lidia and Rome welnigh oâ—… one continuance Beroald lib 3. Herodot lib. 4. Iosias slaine Ioachim brought captiue to Babylon Necho slaine by the king of Chaldea Iere. 36. Ioseph lib. 10. c. 8. 9. Some varie about the time of the captiuitie 21. Kings of Israel Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 12. The first wonder The 2. wonder The 3. wonder The 4. wonder The 5. wonder The 6. wonder The 7. wonder The 8. wonder The misery of the Iewes Euilmerodach The captiuity of Babylon The Chaldeans and the Assyrians The Medes and Persians The Macedonians and Grecians The fourth beast the Romans 〈◊〉 weekes The kings of Iuda and the kings of Rome ended almost about one time The first returne of the Iewes in Cyrus time Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 3. Ecbatana the chiefe citie of the Medes Esdras cap. 6. Zorobabel Melancthon lib. 2. Chron. Hircanus 2. the last of 15. gouernours Herodot lib. 4. Cambyses went against the Getes Herodot 6. Thucidides 1. Iustin. lib. 2. Ioseph lib. 11. cap. 7. Alexander the great Tribute to Alexander The solemne receiuing of Alexander the great vnto Ierusalem The reuerence of Alexander to the high Priest The benefits and good turnes of Alexander Alexanders benefits The succession of
Alexander Ptolome the sonne of Lagi Ptolome Phila. The Bible first translated from Hebrue to Greeke Ioseph lib. 12. cap. 12. Polot Philadel Aristeus 70. interpreters Megasthenes Aratus Demetrius Theopompus Theodecta The great liberalitie of Philadelphus A talent of gold 600. crownes Antiochus Magnus The difference betweene the great Alex. and Antiochus the great The 5. sonnes of Mattathias Antiochus tyrannie Iudas Machab. Apolonius and Seron 2. princes of Syria slaine Lisias lieuetenant to Antiochus the great Machab. lib. 1. cap. 5. Melancthon 2. Chron. Iudas Machabeus sendeth to conclude peace with the Romanes Iudas Machabeus slaine Machab. lib. 1. cap. 9. 10. Alexanders armie against Demetrius Demetrius slaine Alexander maried Cleopatra Cleopatra giuen to Demetrius Iudas victorâ—… Ionathans victorie Ieseph lib. 13. cap. 3. Strife betweene the Iewes and the Samaritans 3. sectes of the Iewes Lacedemonians came from Abraham stocke Triphon yong Antiochus tutor The falshood of Triphon Ioseph lib. 13. cap. 8. 9. Ioseph lib. 13. cap. 14. Simon and his two sonnes slaine Hircanus Simons sonne Ioseph lib. 13. cap. 16. 17. 3838 Aristobulus Antigonus Samaria the second time destroyed Ioseph lib 7. 2. Macca cap. 1. The first vse of the Synagogues after the captiuitie Samaria the seconde time destroyed Hircanus died Aristobulus slewe his brother Antigonus the first king of the Iewes after the captiuitie Aristobulus death Alexander the third brother The vnquiet state of the Iewes The tyranny of Alexander 800 of the Iewes hanged Antiochus Griphus slaine Seleucus his sonne Ptolomeus Lamyrus slewe 30000. Iewes Alexandra Aretas king of Arabia ayâ—…ed Hirâ—…us Aâ—…istobulus with his two sonnes caried to Rome Alexander taken brought to Rome by Gabinius Hircanus had both his eares cut off by his brothers sonne Antigonus The ende of the Machabees race Antipater the first gouernour vnder the Romans Antipater poysoned Marcus Anthonius Herod and Phasaelus accused Hircanus the high Priest Herode made king of Iurie Herâ—…ds 3. sonnes Archelaus Herod Antipas and Philip. Ioseph lib. 17. cap. 9. 10. 12. Archelaus was banished Iudea The continuance of Hierusalem Ioseph lib. 6. cap. 6. de bello Iudaico Hippicos the third tower Iâ—…sephus a Iewe borne The long continuance of Ierusalem Fiue times Ierusalem taken and destroied The miserie of Hiâ—…rusalem Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 7. C ham to Egypt Sem to Asia Iaphet to Europe Abraham read in Egypt Of Noah 〈◊〉 after the flood Thul assur Tiglat Phulâ—…ssar Melancthon lib. 1. Herodot lib. 1. Herodotus lib. 1. Iosephus Strab. lib. 16. Herodot lib. 1 Melancth lib. 1. Chap. 10. Melancth lib. 2. Chron. 〈◊〉 5. in Belo 〈◊〉 Belus the 2. king was the first cause of idolatrie 2. Gene. 15. Berosus lib. 5 in Nyno Pharnus king of the Medes slaine Iustine lib. 1. Zoroastres king of Bactria slaine by Nynus Lib. 3. de Fabu antiquo gestis The kingdoms of the Assyrians continued 1240. Nynus 3 king died Functius Nynus Epitaph Semiramis Diodo lib. 2. Beros Lib. 3. Aniâ—…us in Beroso de Semira mide Berosus lib. 5. Many of the best writers vse Berosus though he is had in contempt Genesis 14. Bela is Zoar. Abraham rescued his nephewe Lot The ouerthrow of the 5. kings of Sodome Gomorrha and Seboim The first kind of common weale Melchisedec blesseth Abraham Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians Caspians and BactriaÌ„s made subiect to the Assyrians Aralius the 7. king of Assyria Lib. 16. cap. 44. Baleus the 8. king of Assyria Functiâ—…s in fabula Assyrioâ—…uÌ„ The kingdom of Argos began in these dayes Armatrites 9. king of the Assyrians Sem dieth Belochus Priscus 10. king of Assyria Baleus 11. king of Assyria Diodo lib. 1. Iacob and his children remoued to Egypt The misery of the Israelites in Egypt 430. yeeres Altades 12. king of Assyria Functius Beros lib. 5. Eusebius in Chron. Functius Mamitus thâ—… 13. king of Assyria Sabel lib 4. Eâ—…eadum Plinie lib. 5. cap. 12. Strab. lib. 16. Genes 22. Mancaleus 14. king of Assyria Nothing worth the writing of the old kings of Assyria The beginning of Berosus historie and the end of the same Sparetus 17. king of Assyria Eusebius in Ascatades 18. king of Assyria Lamprides 22. king of Assyria Iudg. 19. Sosares the 23. king of Assyria Iudg. 4. Lampares 14. king of Assyria 3. Iubilee More written of the kings of Assyria then can be proued 2. Reg. cap. 19. Beroaldus lib. 4. cap. 6. Dionys. Halic lib. 1. Iudg. 6. 7. Pannias 25. king of Assyria Here endeth the kingdome of Assyria Iudg. 9. The fourth Iubilee Sosarmus 26. king of Assyria Hercules killeth Cacus The Lord punisheth Israel for sinne Ishai borne Tautanes the 28. king of Assyria Hercules gamesat Olympia Iudg. 12 Abesan the 10. Iudge The first rauishment of Helen by Theseus Tautanes the 29. king of Assyria Samsâ—… the last Iudge of Israel Ocnâ—… Bianor builded Mantua The 7. Iubilee Hispane deuided into prouinces The birth of Dauid Dercillus the 31. king of Assyria The kingdom of Lacedemonia at this time beginneth The beginning of the kingdome of Corinth The Arke is taken away from Israel by the Philistines Saul the first king of Israel Codrus the last king of Athens Ruffin in Com. Euphoreus lib. 4. de asse 2. Sam. cap. 7. Ruff. in Com. Medon the first iudge of Athens Arcestratus the third king of Lacedemonia The antiquitie of the Chaldeans and Assyrians Moses the first Historiographer of the world Diâ—…lor lib. 6. 3. King cap. 6. Carthage builded Ioseph contra Appionem lib. 1. Laosthenes the 33. king of Assyria The 9. Iubilee The kingdom of Israel deuided Here the kings of Iudae beginne 1. King 11. 14. Functius The first destruction of Ierusalem Pyrithides the 34. king of Assyria 3. King 11. Seâ—…a king of AEthiopia Elias and Elizeus borne The middle age of the world Nadab the second king of Israel Baasha the third king of Israel Asa the fifth king of Iuda Capua builded Eutropius lib. 1. The kings of Corinth after Bacis were called Bacidae Zambri killed Ela king of Israel Zambri burned himselfe Omri the sixt king of Israel builded Samaria Nepher king of Egypt Achab the seuenth king of Israel Famine Tâ—…ber before called Albula â—…iuius lib. 1. The first kingdome of Assyria ended vnder Sardanapalus which coÌ„tinued 1350. yeeres The last ouerthrow of the Assyrians by Arbaces The maner of Sardapalus death Nabuchodonosor named Hercules Isai. 14. Arbaces king of the Medes and Persians Belochus king of Babylon 4 Reg. cap. 15. 4. Reg. cap. 13. Salmanasser the third king of Assyria 4. king cap. 17. The kingdom of Israel destroyed by Salmanasser 262. by Bucholcerus Chap. 16. Osea cap. 10. Iere. cap. 50. Melancthon lib. 2. Saneherib 2. King 18. 2. King cap. 19. Sannaherib slaine by his sonnes Ioseph lib. 10. cap. 1. Herodot lib. 2. The Chaldeans Functius lib. 1. Comment Lib. 10. cap. 2. Asserhaddon succeeded his father Sanneherib Merodach Ieremie cap. 50. Eusebius from Herodotus doeth differ Isai 39. Merodach sendeth
vnto Ezechâ—…as Ambassadors Iâ—…seph lib. 10. cap. 3. 2. Chron. 35. Melancton lib. 2. 2. King 24. Functius Ruffinus Strabo lib. 15. Nabuchodonosor greater then Hercules The greatnes of Nabuchodonosor 2. Chron. 36. The first comming of Nabu vnto Ierusalem Ieremie 22. The 2. comming of Nabuchod vnto Ierusalem Ioseph lib. 10 cap. 9. Iosâ—…ph lib. 10. cap. 9. The third and last comming of Nabuchodo Ioseph lib. 10. cap 10. 11. Daniel 4. Bucholcerus Ruffinus Ieremie 51. All creatures obey God Melancthon lib. 2. Chron. Ieremie cap. 52. 2. Reg. cap. 25. Funct Lib. 〈◊〉 comment Barachias surnamed Zorababel Euilmerodach Herodâ—…t lib. 〈◊〉 Daniel liued this time and sawe the destruction of Babylon Daniel 5. Balthasar the last king of Babylon Herodot lib. 2. Straâ—…o lib. 17. Pompo Melâ—… lib. 1. Cap. 44. Diod. lib. 1. 〈◊〉 3. Pompo Mela. lib. 1. The old Egyptians counted a moneth for a yeere sometime 2 sometime 3. some time foure mo neths Herod lib. 2. Herod lib. 2. Pompo Mela. lib. 1. Strabo 17. Reade Diodo lib. 1. cap. 4. The sundry gods of Egypt Their burials The wonders of Egypt Herod lib. 2. Bâ—…roaldus lib. 4. Iosephus lib. 〈◊〉 in Appionem Errors in all antiquities of prophane writers 330. kings in Egypt â—…nesis cap. 12. Osiris The sundry names of Osiris Diodâ—…r lib. 2. Isis. Polimarchi chiefe officers with the king in warres Diodo Siculus lib. 1. cap. 1. Orus the 2. king Melancth lib. 2. Chron. Of Abraham being in Egypt Orus surnamed the great Lib. 2. Iosâ—…ph lib. 1. in Aâ—…pion Manetâ—…n lib. 3. Egyptiaâ—…oruÌ„ Manethon lib. 2. Egyptian Alisfragmuto 480000. Manethon callâ—…th the Hebrewe Hicsos Manethâ—…n lib. 3. Egyptian Cheremâ—… Iosephus lib. 12. contra Appionâ—… Dynasteia pâ—…siorum No mention of kings in their Dynast The first names of Pharâ—…es Amasis Chebron Amenophis Mephres Mispharmutosis Thutemosis Amenophis Moses was borne 350 yeeres after the calling of Abraham from Vr. Functius Diod. lib. 1. Herod lib. 2. Busiris Mercurius Trismegistus Acengeres Achorus Chencres Exodus cap. 14. Rameses The names of Egypt Manethon Mosâ—… called Onarsyphus Maneâ—…hon lib. 3. Aegyptiorum Myris Hâ—…rodot lib. 2. Melancâ—…hon lib. 2. Sâ—…sostris Herod lib. 2. Melancâ—…n lib. 2 Chron. Sâ—…rabo 17. Sesosâ—…ris the onely Hercules of Egâ—…pt 4. Larthâ—… Dynastia Larthes 194. Larthes were gouernours and principaliâ—…ie in Egypt Proteus named Cetes Ioseph lib. 1. contra Appio Herodot lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Annâ—… Mundi 1783. Ramâ—…sinitus Good instructions of the father to his sonnes Herodotus lib. 2. Wine must be vsed and not abused Rewards doe trie skils A pretie deuise Theft rewarded with the mariage of a kings daughter Cheops Herodotus lib. 2. Cheops daughter 〈◊〉 Saul Egypt often gouerned by Potentates and pâ—…incipalitie called Dynasteia Herodlot lib. 2. Mycerinus Mycerinus Apis. Mneum Egypt ruled by Oracles Asichis Anisis Sabacus 3. Reg. cap. 14. Sethon Melancthon lib. 2. Chron. Herod lib. 2. Herodotus fabulous Iosephus lib. 10. cap. 1. Diodorus lib. 1. Psammiticus A Labirinth Pâ—…ramides and Labirinthes were made for kings burials A Labirinth described Herodotus lib. 2. Ezechiel 30. The citie of No is nowe called Alexandria Necho Psammis Apries Ieremie 44. cap. Melancthon lib. 2. Chron. Herodotus lib. 2. Ezechiel cap. 29. Ancus Martius Amasis The kings of Egypt contented one to excell another in building Idlenesse in Egypt punished 20000. Cities in Egypt Bochoris lawes A lawe for vsurie A law against theft A lawe for mariage Diodo lib. 2. cap. 3. Amasis the last name of Pharaoes Psammenitus Herodot lib. 3. Cambyses The crueltie of Cambyses Melancth liâ—… 2. Chron. Diodo lib. 2. The names of Pharaos changed to Ptilomeis 1425. The Egyptians then compted their yeeres sometime by 2. moneths sometime by 3. and sometime by 4. moneths Diodo lib. 1. cap. 1. The first king after Israel left Egypt Necho The maners of Egypt The maners in Egypt Diodo lib. 2. The whole time of the kings of Persia was but 130. Diodo erred Cambyses Melancth lib. 4 Melancth lib. 2. Chron. Nectanabus Agesilaus Diodo lib. 18. The kingdomes of Alexander diuided Functius lib. 3. Diodo lib. 18. Iosephus lib. 12. cap. 1. Daniel cap. 11. Ptolomeis victories ouer Demetrius Ptolomei ouerthrowen by Demetrius Iustine lib. 15. The tyranny of Cassander Polibeus lib. 2. The Romanes were of all nations feared The praise of Ptolomei Philadel Functius lib. 3. Coment Melancth lib. 2. Diodo lib. 1. Philadelphus the onely king of all the Ptolomeis Iosephus lib. 12. Cap. 2. Sirach and his sonne Ptolomei Euergetes 3. king of Egypt Daniel cap. 11. Floralia Rubigalia These feastes are set foorth in my dyall of dayes Plini lib. 18. cap. 29. Plutarch 〈◊〉 Numa Ptolomei Thilopator 4. king of Egypt Iustine lib. 29. Functius lib. 3. Antiochus the great Iustine lib. 3. Machabees Daniel cap. 4. Tyrants were euer warned Polibeus lib. 5. Ptolo. Epiphanes 5. king of Egypt Functius lib. 3. Comment Melancthon lib. 2. Chron. Iâ—…sephus lib. 12. cap. 13. Philometor the sixt king of Egypt Functius lib. 3. Comment Melancton lib. 2. Aristobulus a Philosopher Ptolomey Euergetes the 7. king Ptolomey Phiscon the 8. king Functius lib. 3. Comment Iustine lib. 38. Cleopatra Queene of Egypt Iosephus lib. 13. 30000. Iewes slaine by Lathurus Simeon Zacharias Ptolomey Lathurus the 10. king Ptolomey Auletes the 11. king Catos saying of Rome Ptolomey Dionysius the 12. king of Egypt Strabo lib. 17. Melancthon lib. 2. Cleopatra Augustus lawes in Alexandria Solinus cap. 60. 61. Pomponius Mela lib. 3. Beroaldus lib. 4. cap. 5. Berosus lib. 2. Plinie cap. 17. Iustine lib. 2. Herodotus lib. 2. Scithians Ruffiâ—…us de 〈◊〉 origine Functius Vexores Iustine lib. 2. The women of Scithia maried their seruants Iustinus lib. 2. Otrera the third Queene of Scythia Antiop the Queenes sister Iustinus lib. 2. Penthesileia the 4. Queene of Scythia Thalestris Cyrus Spargapises Tomyris soÌ„ne Strabo lib. 11. Sacaea Herodot lib. 1 Iustinus lib. 1. Lâ—…thinus king of Scithia Darius Histâ—…spis ouerthrowen Zopirona ouerthrowen Eight townes builded by Alexander Diuers countreys ouerthrowen by the Scithians The praise of Scithia Trophes set vp in Scithia Diodorus lib. 2. cap. 11. Paâ—…thia Parthians not esteemed Solinus cap. 68. Iustinus lib. 41. Polibeus lib. 2. Arsaces the first king of Pâ—…rthia Parthia by Arsices renowmed Iustine lib. 41. Mithridates 2. king of Parthia Pampatius 3. king of Parthia Pharnaces 4. king of Parthia Mithridates 5. king of Parthia Iustine lib. 4. Masinissa Phrahartes 6. king of Parthia Iâ—…stine lib. 42. Artabanus 7. king of Parthia Mithridates 8. king of Pathia Hâ—…rodes 9. king of Parthia Crassus sent to Parthia The answere of a Parthian vnto Crassus Surena captaine generall of the Parthians Crassus slaine and his head sent to the king of Parthia Enuie at Rome Plutarch in the life of Crassus Ventidius victorie ouerthe Parthians Pacorus slaine Ventidius victorie ouer the Parthians Horodes dumb Phrahartes the 10. king of Parthia Many reuoulted froÌ„ Phrahartes The great armie of Antonius Cleopatra Antonius depaâ—…ture from
chron Herodot lib. 7. Good kings by God raised Dionysius lib. 7. Lib. de esse Melancton lib. 2. Xerxes a king of Persia. Mardonius The huge armie of Xerxes Herodotus 7. Iustinus lib. 2. The vaine brags of Xerxes Diodor. lib. 11. The Grecians preparation for Xerxes Myriad is 10000. Seuen hundreth thousand men Xerxes needâ—…lesse warre Xerxes lost foure great battels First at Thermopila 2. At Artimesium 3. At Salamines 4. At Platea Caesars saying of Hannibal Reade Herod his sixt booke to the end of this Xerxes Herodot lib. 7. Functius lib. 2. Themistocles Artaxerxes the fift king of Persia. Thucyd. lib. 1. Many learned men flourish Leges duodecim tabularum Artaxerxes good benefits to the Iewes Esdras coÌ„meth from Babylon Artabanus snares Melancthon lib. 2. Chrâ—…n Pericles Artaxerxes Mnemon liued about 400. yeeres before Augustus Caesar Thucidid lib. 2. Darius Nothus Thucidides lib. 5. The Syracusans Alcibiades victorie at Chalcedon Darius Nothus died Artaxerxes Mnemon The name of Cyrus Plutarch in Artax Cyrus warres against Artaxerxes Diodorus lib. 14. Cyrus armie â—…3 thousand Artaxerxes 9 hundred thousand Melaâ—…cthon 2. Chron. Pary sâ—…is Artax mother Lib. 8. Sâ—…atyra Artaxerxes wife Agesilaus Parysatis sent for to Babylon Diodor. lib. 15. Ochus A custome among the Persians Melancthon 2. Chron. Plutarch in Artax Atossa maried to her father Artaxerxes Ariaspes Artaxerxes Mâ—…n had 60. children by concubines Arsames killed by Tiribazus sonne Artax reigned 62. yeeres Ruffinus de origine Persar Camillus triumphed Mausolus tombe Pâ—…nij lib. 36. Alex. Pheraeus a tyrant Eutropius lib. 2. T. Lini lib. 6. Eutrop. lib. 1. Ochus 8. king of Persia. Darius Ochus compared to Cambyses Reade this miserable historic in Diod. Oros. lib. 3. cap. 7 Melancthon 2. Chron. Vagoses Ochus lieutenant The Iewes plagued by Ochus Ochus a cruell king Iustinus lib. 8. Functius lib. 3. Philip of Macedon Plutarch in Timoleon If you will know of Cyrus fully reade Xenâ—…phon de 〈◊〉 l. and also de expâ—…dt Cyri. Ochus slaine of Bagoas Arsames Ochus sonne slaine by Bagoas Darius the last king of Persia. Bagoas dranke of his owne poyson Diodod 17. Alex. the great Melancthon 2. Chron. Thebes destroyed Demades sent to Alex. The first battell betweene Alex. and Dari. at the riuer of Granicus Melanct. lib. 2. Chron. 600. thousand n the 2. battel of Darius in Cicilia Darius contemptuous words of Alex. Alexand. hurt Darius his wife his mother his daughter taken Darius sent Embassadors Reade Curtius of Alexander An other armie of Darius of 10. hundred thousand Diod. lib. 17. Functius Xerxes omitted by Metasthenes Melancthon 2. Chron. 11â—… Olympiad Alex. Seuerus anno Christ. 225. Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 18. Olymp. 251. Agath lib. 2. 4. de bello GothoruÌ„ The Persians without king from the 112. Olymp. to 251. Olymp. Herodimus Hildegastus Herodian lib. 6. Origâ—…ne Iu. Affrican Gordianus Eutrop. lib. 8. 257. Olymp. Eusebius Hist. eccle lib. 6. cap. 2. Ciprian lib. 1. epist. 2. Trebellius Oros. 〈◊〉 cap. 22. Sapores taken Zenobia Odenatus wife Paulus Samosatenus Ormisdates the third king of Persia. Aurelianus great victories His persecutions against the Christians Ecclesiast 7. cap. 26. Orosius lib. 7. cap. 23. Vararanes the fourth king of Persia. Narses the sixt king of Persia. Constantius Maximinus Eutrop. lib. 10. Misdates the eight king of Persia. Dioclesians persecution Pomponius Laetus Ruffinus de orig Perfi Eutrop. lib. 10. Ammia lib. 19. 20. Constâ—…ntine the great Helena Eusebius trip lib. 2. cap. 18. Helenopolis and Constantinopolis builded by Constantine the great Diuers sects of heresies Artaxerxes the tenth king of Persia. The kingdom of the Gothes the Vandales and of Lombards at this time began Ambrose bishop of Millaine LugdunuÌ„ is Lions in France Sapores the 11. king of Persia. Augustinus Of heresies and of Councils The Persians foure times subdued Auricular confession abrogated Tripar 9. cap. 35. Trip. 10. cap. 24. Ioan. Chrysostome Isdigertes the 13. king of Persia. Trip. 8. Honorius Constantine died in Britaine Tripar cap. 12. S. Hierom died Paulus Orosius Tripar cap. 9. Faramundus The Frenchmen began to be kings of all Gallia When the Olympiads ended the Indictions of Constantine began Agareni then are called now Saraceni Ismaelites and Saracens alone The first Pope of Rome began in the time of Mahomet Hierusalem Sâ—…nets people in Arabia dwelling in tents Solinus 45. Strabo lib. 16. Mahomets education Sergius a Monke Hegira Beroaldus lib. 4. cap. 5. 1 Mahomet 2 Ebuzer 3 Haumar 4 Hotaman Busor Muhamias the fift Amiras 6 7 8 Habdimelech the ninth Amiras The Saracens called Agareni and before Ismaelites Habdimelech the 9. Amiras Clodoueus the thirde and Hildebertus 78. 10. Amiras 11 Zulzimin 12 13 Gizid Vincentius lib. 24. 14 Euelid The Saracens 14 Gizid 15 16 Three kings of the Saracens slaine Maruan the 17 Amiras The Hunes now in Germany Muhamat 18. Amiras Habdallias 19. Amiras The Saracens the Turkes alike The Romanes paid tribute to the Arabians Amy. lib. 3. Muhamad 23. Amiras Habdallias 24. Amiras Blondus lib. 12. Abumalach Aigolandus Muhamat 25. Amiras Blond lib. 12. Polid. lib. 5. Egnat lib. 2. The first seruice of the Turkes Ottoman the first of the Turkes Egnat lib. 2. Orchanes 2. Prusia taken by Orchanes Amurathes 3. Palealogus Egnat lib. 2. Pazaites 4. Soliman Pazaites victorie ouer the Frenchmen and the HuÌ„garian Pazaites the Turke kept in a cage by Tamberlanes Functius Mahomet 5. Egnatius lib. 2. Adrianopolis Amurates 6. Scopia nowe Nouemontum Egnat lib. 〈◊〉 A great ouerthrow by the Turke to Polonians Hunnes Hungar c. Calibassa This Scanderbeg is called Castriotus Barletius lib. 13. Functius Mahomet 2. The great victorie of the Turkes Egnat lib. 2. The Turkes ouerthrowe Pazaites 8. Egnatius lib. 2. The Soldan of Egypt Chrom Polo lib. 3. cap. 31. Croacia Egnat lib. 2. Selimus the 9. Emperour of the Turkes Soliman 10. Emperour Functius Egnat lib. 2. Nicosia Famagusta Greece Alexander Genesis 10. Solinus cap. 11. Strabo lib. 8. Hellas The praise of Athens The praise of Thessalia Solinus cap. 11. Strabo lib. 8. 9. Fiue seuerall names of Peloponesus Marianus Scotus Zoroastes Marianus Scotus Apis a king of Apia Telasion the 5. king Aegidius the sixt king Pentapolis burnt Argiue begun Ruffi de orig Graeco Herodot 2. 3. Diodor. de sub auâ—… lib. 2. Corinth Lacedemonia Functius Genes 36. Heratus the tenth king of Poloponesus Celtiberia Pharaones Sparta builded Corne first sowen in Greeâ—… The naked Empires of the world Ruffin de orig Grecor Tacitus lib. 3. Atlas 2373. Thessalia Athens Metondidae Decennales principes Iustinus lib. 2. Strabo lib. 8. Ruffinus de origine Grecorum Thucyd. lib. 2. Deucal flood Hermes Trismegistus Erictherus Functius Called first Mariandina Ruf. de orig Graecor Dardania Labyrinth Diod. lib. 1. cap. 2. Creete The names of the kings of the Argiues Euristheus accompted another Hercules Mycena The kings of Mycena and of Dardania Ruf. de orig Graecor The
the sacred Scriptures The continuance of the kings of Syria The kings of Syria one mur thering another Seleucus house destroyed by ciuill warres Pompo Mela. lib. 1. Strabo lib. 17. Affrica described The great losse of the Romanes by shipwracke Eutrop lib. 2. Metellus victorie Melanct. lib. 2. Luc. Florus lib. 2. Pullius Claudius ouerthrowen The Affricke victorie ouer the Romanes Eutrop. lib. 2. Melanct. lib. 2. Luctatius victorie ouer the Affricanes Melanct. lib. 2. Affricanes solde for 18 pence a piece Polib lib. 2. Hiero his liberalitie in 〈◊〉 Rome Viridomarus king of France slaie by Mar. Claudius Hamilcar was Hambals father Hamilcars praise Hamilcar Plutarch in Hanibal Eutrop 3. Hanibal succeeded Hasdrubal Liui. Flor. lib. 2. cap. 6. Saguntum besieged and taken by Hanibal Hanno a traueiler Pomponius Mela lib. 3. Pompo Mela. Lib. 1. Strange beasts in Affrike Lib. 17. Ioseph lib. 1. Ioseph lib. 1. contra Appio Vtica Apollonia Hermea Strab. lib. 17. Muster in Rome Eutrop. lib. 2. Appius triumphed ouer Hieron The second triumph ouer the Affricanes Reade Polyb. of the warres of Affricke Melancth lib. 2. Chron. Hamilcar discomfited vpon the sea Clipea the chie fest citie in Affrike Lu. Florus lib. 2. cap. 2. Regulus victorie Regulus too seuere Regulus vanquished Melanct. lib. 2. The great victorie of the Romanes ouer the Affricans The Saguntines famished Warres pronounced to the Carthagineans The first victorie of Haniâ—…al Florus lib. 2. cap. 6. Plutar. in Fab. Q. Fabius made general Florus lib. 2. The great victorie at Cannes Plutarch in Fabio Polib lib. 5. Eutrop. lib. 3. Three bushels of rings onely as Eutropius saith sent by Hanibal to Carthage Melanct. lib 2. Chrop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marcellus came against Hanibal Foure generals sent by the Romanes to foure seueral kingdomes Tit. Manlius victorie The saying of Hanibal of Fab. Maximus Hanibal camped within 3. miles of Rome Hanibal came to Romes gate Eutrop 3. Reade the whole 3 Decade of Liuie Florus lib. 2. cap. 6. Marcellus slaine Liuie lib. 8. Scipio requited the slaughter of the Romans Liui in the ende of the 2. and 3. Decade Mago Hanibals brother sent to Rome Plutar in Fab. Scipio conquered Carthage Asdrubal sent for out of Spaine to whom battel was giuen where he was slaine Sol. lib. 15. Liui. lib. 27. Hanibals words at the sight of his brothers head Hanibal called to Affrike Florus lib. 2. cap. 6. Scipio his victories in Affrike Eutrop. lib. 3. A monument of Hanibal Plutarch in Sâ—…pione Eutrop. lib. 3 The battel in Zama Hanibal fled Scipios victories at Zama Eutrop. lib 3. Peace granted to the Carthagineans Affrike was made a prouince to the Romanes Melâ—…nct lib. 2. Chron. Scipio and Hanibal fought hand to hand Hanibal of any one man most plagued Rome The sixe great battels in the second Punicke warre Reade Plut. in Hanib of the 2. warre Polibius lib. 4. Warres betweene Antiochus the great and Philopator Polib lib. 5. Three kings became in league with the Romanes Liui. lib. 31. The second warre of Affrike annoyed much the Romanes The thirde warres of 〈◊〉 beganne 52. yeeres after the second warre Warres against the Macedonians Warres in Syria against Antiochus the great Melanct. lib. 2. Chron. Warres against Carthage Asdrubal and Famea 2. captaines ouer Carthage Scipio made Consul Debating at Rome about the destruction of Carthage Masinissa died Eutrop. lib. 4. Byrsa The destruction of Carthage before called Byrsa Melanct. lib. 2. The burning of Carthage endured 16. dayes The sayings of Scipio of Rome concerning Rome Strabo lib. 17. Eutrop. lib. 4. Melanct. lib. 2. The desperate mindes of the Numantines Numantia destroyed by Scipio Aemilianus Scipios saying of Lib. Gracchus Eutrop. lib. 4. Iugurth reuolted from the Râ—…manes Iugurth vanquished Metellus Iugurth Bochus king of Mauritania Fiue triumphs in Rome at one time Strabo lib. 17. From the begiuning of the first vntill the end of the 3. and last 108. yeeres Strabo lib. 17. Annius lib. 1. Genesis 10. Isai. 25. Kittim Ieremie cap. 2. Num. 24. 27. How fabulous prophane writers are in antiquities 〈◊〉 de anâ—… Hetrurâ—…e Solin cap. 7. Strab. lib. 6. Cap. 2. and 3. Annius coÌ„putation of the antiquitie of old Italie before the building of Rome was 1450. yeeres Annius de antiq Etruria Fab. Pictor Deauâ—…o seculo Myrsilus de bel Pelasgico Reade in Cato de Fragmentis Reade Annius de antiq Hetru Strabo 5. Beroal lib. 2. Halycar lib. 1. Latinus gaue his daughter to Aeneas Ruffi de Latinor origine Annius de antiq Hetruria Fab. Pictor Sempro. de diuisione Italâ—… No time certeine of the nestruction of Troy Dionis Halicar lib. 1. Aeneas monument at the riuer of Numicus Lib. 1. The cause why the kings of Alba were called Syluij These kings are set downe in this order by Halicar lib. 1. Reade Manethon supplem Eutrop. lib. 1. Tiber first named Albula Annius in Cron. Etrusca Eutrop. lib. 1. Halic lib. 1. Reade Annius Chron. of Hetruria of the succession of these Latine kings vntill Romulus time These 3. wrote more then they could proue of Italie or more then is allowed by Myrsilus or Halic The historie of the Latines Romulus a warlike king Numa Pomp. a peaceable prince The kingdom of Lydia began in the first Olymp. M. Cato defrag Fab. Pictor de aureo seculo Halicar lib. 1. Romulus lineally descended from Aeneas Rhea Romulus mother Amulius hindred of his purpose Strife betweene Romulus and Remus Fabius Pictor lib. 2. Dionis lib. 2. Dionys. Halic lib. 2. No king in Rome without diuination Plutarch in Romulo 3000. footemeÌ„â—…nd 300. horse of the old Romanes called legions The rape of the Sabines virgines Plutarch in Romul Fabius lib. 2. De aureâ—… seculo Eutrop. lib. 1. Plutarch Fabius lib. 2. Eutrop. lib. 1. Acron king of Cemnens kild by Romulus The first triumph in Rome Tatius elected generall for the Sabines against the Romanes Warres betweene Tatius and Romulus Reade Dionis Halicar lib. 2. Eutrop. lib. 1. Dionys. Halic lib. 2. Romulus lawes 300. Celeres 12. Lictores The antiquitie of Serieants at Armes Senators by Romulus first made The time and place of Augurers Reade Fenestella and Pom Lâ—…tus of these lawes The dignitie of a king Matronalia Lupercalia A sacrifice to Pan and to Faunus Numa Pompilius the second king of Rome Eutrop. lib. 1. Interregnum for fiue dayes Flamines Fâ—…ciales Salij Ceremonies in Athens The yeere corrected and augmented by Numa Dissimulation in Religion Lycurgus Minoes Platâ—…iae Silâ—…t Superstition soone beleeued Platoes saying of a king The happie raigne of Numa Plutarch in Numa Pompilia The 4. sonnes of Numa Halicar lib. 1. Tarachus Herodot lib. 1. Decennales principes continued tenne yeeres Numa buried at the hill Ianiculum Dionisius Halicar lib. 3. Flamines Romulus called Quirinus Faeciâ—…es Pomp. Laetus Plato in Numa Pomp. Ancylia 12. Salij Tullus Hostilius the thirde king of Rome Hostilius Tullus a friend of Romulus M. Suffetius Halicar lib. 3. The warres of this king
is written in Li◅i lib. 1. Eutrop. lib. 1. Halicar lib. 3. Horatius Curiatius Alba longa destroyed Oros. 2 lib. Eutrop. lib. 1. Halicar lib. 3. Zaleucus histor Rare iustice Two Quaestors by Tullus Hostilius appointed Two Censors by Ser. Tullius Pomp. Laetus Lustrum The iustice of the Censors Fenestella de mag Rom. Beroaldus lib. 1. The Olympiads continued vntil Constantine the great Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome Numas lawes in tables Halicar lib. 3. All this historie is read in Liui lib. 1. Oros. lib. 2. Mount Auentine ioyned ◅o Rome A bridge made by Ancus Martius ouer the riuer Tiber. Ancus died a king Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of Rome Errors in the Olympiads What kings raigned this time in other Countreys Priscus an olde souldier of Anc. Martius Priscus made prince of Hetruria Meanes made to Priscus for peace Lucumones olde magistrates among the Hetruscans Priscus Scepter of Iuory Diuination by an Egle. Ser. Tullius generall vnder Priscus The great benefits of Priscus to the citie of Rome The first triumph with Chariot Priscus slaine Seruius Tullus the 6. king of Rome Liui. decad 1. Cicero 3. de diuina Halicar lib. 3. The errour of Fabius Pictor Ser. Tullius the sixt king of Rome ◅trop lib. 1. The first muster of Rome Halicar lib. 4. Seruius Tullus slaine by his daughter Lu. Tarq superbus the last king Hab◅ar lib. 4. Herodot lib. 1. Lu. Tarq. super and the last king Halicar lib. 4. Oct. Mamilius The differēce of two brethrē maried two sisters of contrary disposition Tarqui wife a vertuous lady Liui. lib. 4. Dionys. Halic lib. 4. Tarqui deposed from his kingdome Rape the cause of putting downe kings in Rome Tarqui deposed from his kingdome Eutrop. lib. 1. Romes gate shut against Tarqui Reade Plut. in Publ. Reade the 4. b◅oke of Hali. of the two last kings of Ser. Tullius and Tarqui super All Italie was inhabited lōg before Rome was builded The Persians conquered Egypt at what time the Romanes banished their kings Herodot lib. 5. Consuls reigned in Rome 464. yeeres Eutrop. lib. 1. Dionys. lib. 5. Brutus slaine M. Horat. Pul. made Consul Liui. lib. 2. Valerius Publi his rites and lawes The victorie of Publicola Public foure times Consul Plutarch in Publ. Cloelia Valeria Appius Claudius A newe office in Rome called Dictator No appeale from the Dictators Tribuni Miletum appointed in Rome Eutrop. lib. 1. Corolianus his due prayse Coriolanus banished Coriolanus stomake against Rome Liui saith that Volumnia was his wife and Votaria his mother Coriola slaine in the citie Antium Halicar lib. 4. 300. Fabians slaine T. Liui. lib. 2. 306. Fabians slaine Oros. lib. 2. cap. 5 Camillus reuēged the Fabiās Magistrates of Rome Herodot lib. 7. The two wars in Thermopila and in Artimesia Cimon a noble captaine Q. Cicinatus Decemuiri created Eutrop. lib. 1. Decemuiri depriued Dionys. Halic lib. 10. Decemuiri cōpted tenne Tarquines The names of the Decēuiri Fidena Veiena The French men inuaded Rome T. Liui. lib. 5. Geese saued the Capitol frō the Gaules Florus lib 1. Rome taken by the Gaules Camillus restored Rome being banished from Rome Camillus rescued the Romans frō the Frēchmen and saued Rome The office of Camillus Halicar lib. 10. 11. Liui lib. 3. 4. Tribuni Militum created The office of Consulship put off Dionys. 6. Lib. 2. Val. cap. 9. Dionys. 10. Liui. 3. The third sedition in Rome Lib. lib. 4. Adolescentia Romae Thucidides lib. 1. Liui. lib. 4. The originall of the French men Camillus died Oro. lib. 3. cap 6. A sirname T. Liui. lib. 7. Val. Max. cap. 16. lib. 8. M. Valerius sirnamed Coruinus C. Martius his triumph ouer the Thuscanes The praise of the olde Romanes The discipline of the olde Romanes Statues and images Of this warre writs Liui lib. 9. and Oros. ◅ib 3. cap. 21. 22. Fabius Max. The seueritie of the Romanes in militarie discipline Tit. Liui. lib. 9. To creepe vnder ◅he yoke a great reproch Eutrop. lib. 2. Liui. lib. 9. The Samnits quite vanquished Pyrrhus came to ayde the Tarentines Hanibals saying of Pyrrhus Pyrrhus victorie of Leuinius the Consul Eutrop. lib. 2. Eus. ◅ib temp Plutarch in vita Pyrrhi Plutarch in vita Pyrrhi Liuius lib. 7. The Romanes victorie ouer Pyrrhus Eutrop. lib. 2. Cineas saying of Rome Reade Polibeus of this warre lib. 2. Pyrrhus armie slaine Florus lib. 1. cap. 18. Val. Max. cap. 12. Reade Plutar. in Pyrrho Pyrrhus driuen out of Italy Fl◅ lib. 15. Oros. 4. cap. 6. Who flourished this time in other countreys Artaxerxes Mnemon Philip. The Egyptians reuolted from the Persians Alexander the great The greatnes of the Empire of Macedonia by the meanes of Alexander the great 300000. Citizens mustered in Rome before the first warres of Affrike Polibius lib. 1. The first Affricane warres Eutrop. lib. 2. Hamilcar the general of the Carthagineans discomfited by Regulus The noble victorie of Attibus Regulus Halicar lib. 1. The great ouer throw of the Romanes Florus 2. cap. 2. Eutrop. lib. 2. Aemilius victorie Great shipwracke of the Romanes Oros. lib 4. cap 10. C. Luctatius and Aulus Posthumus Consuls victorie These captaines flourished in Rome in the first Punike warre All the kings of Parthia were named Arsaces The name of Rome was not heard of out of Italy in the time of Alexander the great Certaine noble Romanes compared to Alexander the great for their worthines and valure T. Liuius praise of the Romans lib. 9. Pyrrhus saying of Rome Hanibals words of Rome Eutrop. lib. 3. Virodomarus slaine Plutarch in Marcel The Romane ambassadour slaine by Tenca Ticium Polibeus lib. 3. Flaminius the Consul slaine by Hanibal Eutrop. lib. 3. Liui. lib. 22. Florus lib. 2. The most part of Italy reuolted from the Romanes The victories of both Scipios in Spaine ouer Asdrubal and Mago Cunctando re◅ restituit Fabius the target of Rome Marcellus being the sworde of Rome Pub. Scipio Cneus Scipio Hanibal droupt Tarentum recouered by Fabius Max. Pub. Scipio The Consul Marcellus slaine Asdrubal which was Hanibals brother slaine Scipio tooke Syphax king of Numidia All writers make mention of this second Punicke warre Hanibal and Scipio talke together Conditions of peace to the Affricans Yeerely reuenues out of Affrike to the Romanes These triumphed with great pompe in Rome sauing fewe of them that were slaine in these warres The fame of the Romanes after the ouerthrow of Hanibal Hanibal the whip of Rome Consuls of Rome Wars against the Macedonians Flaminius sent to Greece Condiciōs of peace graunted to king Philip. Val. lib. 7. cap. 5. Libertie proclaimed in Greece The warres of Syria by Anticchus the great The victorie of Lu. Scipio Eumenes Nabides submitted him to Flaminius Antiochus sought peace Plinij lib. 33. cap. 11. Scipio surnamed Asiaticus The words of Scipio of his countrie Perseus the last king of Macedon takē Emilius his triumph ouer Perseus C Anitius triumphed ouer Gentius king of the Illyrians The Romanes had
in 5. places warres at one time The third warre of Affrike Catoes councel concerning Carthage Phanea Hamilcar and Asdrubal a great name in Carthage Andriscus named Psendophi lippus vanquished by Metellus Mummius Perseus ouerthrowen Eutrop. lib. 4. Iustine lib 37. Gellius lib. 1. cap. 13. Fiue great gifts in Crassus The two brethren Meielli triumphed Reade Salust of Iugurth warres Marius the first cause of the ciuil wars Silla and Marius two enemies 10 Italie Melancthon Chron. lib. 2. Eutrop. lib. 5. Cilla and Marius ciuil wars Norbanus the Consul slue himselfe Silla made Dictator in Rome Faces Italiae Eutrop. lib. 5. Melanct. lib. 2. Reade Val. Max. lil 3. cap. 2. de Mario Silla triumphed ouer Mithridates Pompey triumphed ouer Affrike Sertorius a valiant captaine of Marius side fled to Spaine Pub. Seruilius sent to Cilicia Mithridates infringed the league Eutrop. lib. 6. Plutarch in Pompeio Mithridates a great enemie to the Romans Iustine lib. 37. Both Luculli triumphed Mithridates vanquished by Pompey the great Tigranes yeelded to Pompey The victories of Pompey the great 3500. Myriads the reuenues of Rome augmented The triumphs of Pompey the great Catelines conspiracie Anno 689. Lentulus Cethegus and many mo of Catelins conspiracie slaine Alcetes Piracie by PoÌ„pey the great subdued Pompey called Agamemnon by Lucullus Lucullus called Xerxes Togatus by Pompey Melanct. lib. 2. Lucullus Crassus and Pompey the onely three that bare sway in Rome when Caesar came in The cause of the ciuill wars betweene Pompey and Caesar. Caesar came in armes against the citie of Rome Of this warre reade Appian lib. 5. Eutro lib. 7. Iu. Caesars request vnto the Senators The victorie of Caesar ouer Pompey in Pharsalia Plut. in Alex. Eutrop. lib. 6. Pompey slaine in Egypt Melancthon Chron. lib. 2. Pompeis sonne slaine in Affrica Caesar had a sonne by Cleopatra called Caesarion Melanct. lib. 2. Chron. Lu. Florus lib. 4. The humanitie and great courtesie of Caesar. Conspiracie against Caesar by Brutus and Cassius Calphurnias dreame Destinies hardly auoyded Caesars death Caesars fiue triumphes The glory and fame of Rome during the time of Consuls These kingdomes made Prouinces to Rome by Consuls Asia and Affrike brought subiect vnder the Romanes Aegyptus Horreum Romae The warres and victories of Caesar. Caesars greatnesse The ciuill warres betweene Caesar and Pompey continued fiue yeeres The third ciuil warre betwene Octauius Augustus and M. Antonius These were called Triumuiri Octauius at 20. yeeres made Consul Cassius slaine at Philippos Pompey welbeloued of the people The most part of Romane geÌ„tlemen died in the warres of Brutus and Cassius Antonius vanquished by Octauius Reade Oros. lib. 6. cap 19. Augustus in his fourth Consulship had three seuerall triumphes Augustus saluted of the people as Pater patriae The moneth Sextilis called August Suet. in Aug. The conquest of the Romans The fame of the Consuls of Rome Ciuill warres Augustus the prince of peace CHRIST borne the 42. yeere of Augustus Eutrop. lib. 7. Reade Suetonius in Augusto Augustus died at Atella Augustus great loue and honour in Rome at his death Vitrâ—…uius Augustus died the 14. Kalend. of October Fraunce first named Tiberius the third Emperour Suetonus is Tiberi Tacitus lib. 2. Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 2. Tiberius died the Kalend. of April Oros. 7. cap. 6. Eutrop. lib. 7. Oros. lib. 1. ca. 6. The incestuous beast of Rome Caligula Caligula slaine the ninth Kalend of Februarie Of these 12. cities reade Tacit. lib. 2. This earthquake happened in the raigne of Tib. Caesar. Tacitus lib. 2. Iosephus lib. 18. cap. 7. Ephesus Magnesia Caesarea Apollonia Dia Hircania Philadelphia Mâ—…rthina Mostheme c. Temis Cumae Sardis Himulus And Megachiero Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 7. Pilate killed himselfe Claudius Drusus Emperour Eutrop. lib. 7. He triumphed in Rome ouer the Britaines Euseb lib. 2. cap. 8. Messalina an vntemperate woman Claudius tombe Of the first 5. yeeres of Neroes gouernment the saying of Traian Playes made by Nero on euery fift yere called Quinquenale Nero beganne well and ended ill Suet. in Nero. The great murther and tyrannie of Nero. Tacitus lib. 14. 15 16. Nero slewe himselfe Plini lib. 2. cap. 8. Neroes wish Galba the 7. Emperour of Rome Otho the 8. Emperour of Rome Auâ—…us Vitellius the 9. Emperour Eutrop. lib. 7. The excesse of Vitellius Sabinus Vespasians brother slaine by Vitellius Vitellius drawen naked through the streetes of Rome Oros. lib. 7. ca. 8. Vespasian a good vertuous Emperour Eutrop. lib. 7. Vespasian a good Emperour Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 24. Reade of the father and of the sonne in Egnat and in Sueton. Eutrop. lib. 7. The saying of a good Emperour Titus died Euseb. lib 3. cap. 12. Howe Rome florished in the time of Kings CoÌ„suls Emperors â—…lauius Domitianus 12. Emperour Sextus Aurelius Dominianus called a secoÌ„d Nero. Domitianus exercise called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reade Sueto of this Emperor Domiti was vsed as Vitellius was after his death IsiuÌ„ and SerapiuÌ„ two galeries made by Domitius Iren. lib. 1. cap. 21. Ireneus lib. 5. Suetonius doth set forth the liues of these 6. Emperours at large West couÌ„tries waxed mighty and the East decayed by degrees Dion writes of these 3. good Emperours Lampridius wrote The Romane historie The conquest of the Romans Rome florished most vnder Consuls HiddeÌ„ hatred priuat wealth and yong couÌ„cel three dangerous monstersin a common wealth The reward of idolatrie is destruction Wpius Traian 14. Emperor Oros. lib. 7. cap. 11. 12. Traiane the mirrour of Emperours Eutrop. lib. 8. The affabilitie of the good Emperour Traian Traiane The Senators wordes The loue of TraiaÌ„ in Rome Traian wanne recouered many countries by his predecessors lost Traians monument in Rome to this day called Traians pillar The fourth persecution Oros. lib. 7. cap. 12. A great earthquake in Traians time Adrian sister sonne to Trai Princely qualities AdriaÌ„ praised Oros. 7. cap. 13. Ierusalem was named Aelia by Adrianus Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 6. Heretikes trouble the Church The care and trauell of Adrian Adrian died Titus Antoninus Pius Antho. Pius compared to Numa Pomp. The saying of Anto. Pius Reade Sueto of this good Emperour Alexander Seuerus borne Eutrop. lib. 8. Great oddes betweene Verus and Commodus two brethren Sueto in Antoninis Oros. lib. 7. ca. 15 M. Antoninus Reade Egnatius in Adria M. Antoninus excelled all Emperors in all kinde of knowledge Orosius lib. 6. cap. 15. These 5. Emperours were called one after another Pater patriae Ireneus lib. 3. cap. 4. The name of Antoninus much honoured in Rome Commodus 9. Emperour Reade Lampridius and Herodia lib. 1. Vices most odious in a magistrate A rare sight in Rome to see a good Emperour Pertinax Reade more of him in Eutrop lib. 8. Iulianus Lucius septimius Seuerus 22. Emperour Sept. Seuerus would be called Pertinax Albinus head sent from France to Rome Reade Polid. in lib. 2. Antoninus Caracalla 23. Reade Victor Aurel. Caracalla commanded himselfe to be called
Diuers names of the Frenchmen Strabo liued in Agustus time Neumagi called Sicambri Cambra Bellinus daughter Aemil. lib. 1. The Frenchmen challenge to come from the Troians 400. odde yeeres reigned the kings of Sicambri Tritemius The victories of Sicambri The Romanes much affrighted Marius the Romane Consul was appoynted Generall against these Sicambrians whom the Romanes called Cimbri The Frenchmen came from Scythia about 400. yeeres before the birth of Christ. What the Romanes lost the Frenchmen wanne in time Reade Iornandus de reb Get. Marcomanni Cambra a wise woman a Britane taught her husband and her people ciuilitie Neopagus Neomagus Neumagi Marcomani Sicambri Gaul Greekes Helenus the fourth king of Sicambria Consent oft time of kings in other countreyes Diocles 4. king These kinges by succession professed armes Alex. the gre◅ raigned in the time of this Diocles. Pyrrhus raigned in Helenus time which was Diocles sonne The victorie of the Saxons ouer the Gothes Diocles the fift king of Sicambria Helenus 6. king was remoued from his kingdome The booke of the law and the sword of punishment caried before Bassanus Adulterie punished by Bassanus Bassanus a iust king Tritem in Bassano Mōtabur builded by Bassanus Basanus after death called Basangor Clodomirus 7. king of Sicambria Arsaces the names of the kings of Perthia Al these kings holde their names from Cambra and were called therby Sycambri from Autenor who maried Cambra vnto Francus time Francus the first king by whome the kingdome of Fraunce was so ◅amed Tritem in Franco Lollius with his Romane armie put to flight by Clogio 200000. Gaules slaine by Francus Sicambria now is called Fraunce Ianus temple shut in all August time Clogio 2. king For his knowledge and skill in Astrologie surnamed Magus A battell betweene Clogio and Tiberius the Emperor Phrisius the sonne of Clog◅ made king in Friseland Tribute of 260. oxen paid out of Friseland into the crowne of Fraunce Tacis 4. 5. Herimers 5. king after Francus Herimerus slaine Caesarea before called Turris Stratonis Tacitus lib. 4. Marcomirus 4. king Clodomirus 5. king after Francus This king with 60. of his noble men was drowned in the riuer Mosa Gallia sore plagued Raterus 7. king Alani Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 27. Richimerus 8. king Ioseph wrote his historie de bello Iudaico in Richimerus time Sunno The Gaules the Romanes sore plagued by Richimer Odemarus 9. king of Fraūce The 4. persecution in Richimers time Odemarus concluded peace with the Romanes Vowes and othes made the Frenchmen for Gallia Reade Paul Aemil. lib. 1. The West kingdoms began to florish The names of those kings that reigned in Fraunce frō Francus to Farabertus Marcomirs 10. king Clodomirus 11. king Farabartus 12. king The Romanes did stomake the greatnesse of the Frenchmen Farabertus con cluded peace with the Germanes other nations about them to keepe wars with the Samanes Commodus the Emperour forced to flie Bellum Marcomannicum Orosius lib. 7. cap. 15. The Christian faith receiued into Britaine Franford builded by Sunno and also Sunnia which is now called Sunda Tritemius and Hunibaldus Varietie of opinion in time The meane state of Fraūce in Heldericus time Batharus 15. king Itale spoyled with the sword vnto Rauenna Mosa Clodius king after Farabertus Gallia not yet gotten by the Frenchmen Vprores in many countries in Claudius time Eutrop. lib. 9. Alectas slaine by Asclepiadotus Gualterus 5. king after Farabartus Clogio 7. after Farabertus Clodomirus his valure courage to reuēge his brothers death Clodomirus victorie Clodomirus succeeded his brother Clogio 2686 husband men with their families Menigauia when Genebaldus reigned paying tribute vnto his brother Clodomirus Gebrich king of the Gothes The victorie of Richimerus Richimerus slaine Theodoricus 38. king From this Hector Degen◅bart Charles the great discended Marcomirus a great name in Fraunce The Saxons inuaded the Romanes confines Foure noble captaines vnder Marcomirus The fall of Rome was the rising of Fraumce The kingdom of Fraunce without a king 26. yeeres Interregnum Warres betweene the Romanes and the Frenchmen Faramundus by common consent made king of France The French nations were 800 yeeres and more in getting of Gallia From Faramundus I vse P. Aemilius These kings raigned from Farabertus to Faramundus Faramundus appointed his brother Marcomirus East Fraunce P. Aemil. lib. 1. Faramundus the first king of Gallia Plini lib. 4. cap. 17. 18. Lex Salica made in Faramundus time Clodius the second king of Fraunce Clodius was sirnamed Crinitus The diuers victories of this Clodius Scots and Picts inuaded Britaine Clodius died Ruffinus de orig Francorum Reade Gildas Giraldus and Beda in the historie of Britaine The antiquitie of English Saxons in Britaine called before Arubrones Roxones The errors of the Olympiads Meroueus the thirde king Attila king of the Hunnes Vualaricus king of the East Gothes Ardaricus king of Gepida ioyned together against the French Til. in Cron. Franc. Reg. The great victorie of the Frenchmen Attila a strong king Ioseph lib. 71. cap. 8. Augusta besieged by Meroneus These places the Frenchmen fi◅st inhabited after they had come from Scythia Fraunce flourished The Romane Empire fell to decay Childericus the fourth king of Fraunce Egidius raigned 8 yeeres Aemil. lib. 1. Til Chron. Francor r◅g Clodoue◅s the first of that name receiued first the Christian faith in France P. Aemil. in Childe◅ico Childericus died A nomber of B◅itaines came ouer sea and possessed Aquitania Vortiger and after him Hengistus The first time that Armorica was named litle Brita◅ne Clodoueus the fift king Reade of th◅se 4. great victories Blondus and Procopius Clodoueus the first performed his othe and became a Christian after his victorie had against the Almanes Thus farre Hu◅ibaldus In this time of Clodoueus raigned Emperour Anastatius and in Britaine raigned Arthur Cl◅doueus 4. sonnes Procop lib. 1. de bell Gothor Reade of theis 18. yere warre Procop. lib. 2 de bello Persico This king Tot◅la plagued Italy Rome More Vandols and Gothes in Rome then Citizens The kingdom of the Pope and the kingdome of Mahom◅t began at one time Bellisarius much commended Bellisarius a noble captaine vnder Iustinianus Pandects made by Iustinianus the Emperor This time died Arthur i◅ Britaine Prccopius of the warres of the Gothes thus farre De Chron. Fran◅ Cherebertus a wicked vicious prince This time beganne warres betweene the Romanes and the Persians Clotarius the tenth king Reade Tilius de reg Franc. The victorie of Heraclius ouer the Persians Polyb. lib. 4. Caddwalader the last king of the Britaines Warres betweene Theodoricus and Theobertus Vādoles Gothes Hunnes Danes Hungarians and others were by the olde Romane◅ called Germanes Clotarius died Dagobertus the 11. king Til Chron. Franc. reg Fraunce suffred to haue their vines by Probus the Emperour Dagobertus died vpon the 4. kal. of Februarie Mahomet Lewes the first Martinas treason found after punished Dagobertus sent to a Monasterie by Grimoaldus Ildebertus slaine
Aemil. l. b. 2. Clotarius the 3. of that name Eâ—…l de reg FraÌ„c Theodoricus by Bodillus slaine in hunting The Saracens held warres in diuers countries Clodouaeus Hildebertus Reade Tilius chron de reg Franc. Chilâ—…ericus by the aide of Martellu was crowned king of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cala. 20. Gizid The Saracâ—…ns by cold and hunger driueÌ„ from Constantinople The gouernment of exarchie in Italie altered Beda this time liued Ceolulphus became a Moncke Edo and Abdimarus two kings of the Saracens Hildericus surnamed Stupidus Martellus died Pipinus the first anointed Salim The Popes authoritie first alowed in Fraunce Reade Pau. Aemilius lib. 3. of Charles the great Charles the great aduanced the fame of Fraunce I folowed in al points Paul Aenâ—…lius from PharamuÌ„dus vntil Henry the first and from theÌ„ce I folowed Arnol. Fernonus vnto Lewes the 12. the two onely best writers of the French The empire of Rome brought to Fraunce by Charles the great Though Clodouaeus the 2. of that name be the 12. king in number after Pharamundus yet because of the diuision of the histoâ—…e I begin froÌ„ him as from the first vnto Charles the great From Pharamundus to Clodouaeus the 2. and from him to Charles the great I vse not these Olympiads for any iust nuÌ„ber of yeeres for that there was error in them Charles the great made Emperour of Rome Popes florished after the Emperours The greatnes of the Popes of Rome The kingdoms of the North began now to flourish Beroaldus lib. 4. Gaul grekes Lodouicus pius succeeded his father Charles the great both in the kingdome and in the Empire Tilius de reg Francor The great slaughter in the ciuil warrs of Fraunce betweene brethren were such that all Carolus stocke was welnigh extinguished Carolus Caluus Lewes sirnamed Balbus Lewes the third and Carolomanus the 27. Carolus sirnamed Crassus the 28. Odo the 29. Carolus Simplex Lewes the 12. I follow Tilius table chiefly in setting downe the kings of France The kingdom of Polonia Reade Aemil. lib. 1. Hugo Capetus the first king of those that were naturally borne Galli 10. Tilius de reg Franc. Hierusalem called the Holy land Both Functius Beroaldus and Tilius agree in placing these kings in this sort The house of Valloys began I haue followed Paulus Aemilius and Alâ—… Ferranus since Faramundus vnto Lewes the 12. and haue also coÌ„ferred both them with Tilius Chron. Before Faramundus by Tritemius Sempron de Ital. Fabius Pictor de aureo seculo Mar. Cato de originibus Berosus and Manethon wrote vnknowen histories Talmudists fabulous The priestes of Egypt Mithici No prophane writers known before Cyrus time The vncertaintie of prophane histories Daniel a true Chronographer for the 3. last Monarchies The Greekes histories more fabulous then the Latines Fab. Pictor de orig M. Cato de orâ—…g Ital. Semp. de diu Ital. Myrsilus de bello Pelasgico Halicar lib. 1. Contention betweene the Scythians and the Egyptians Pythagoras authoritie with his schollers was no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Picts inuaded Britaine Pont. Virunnius Brutus from Italie Ianus from Chaldea Marcomirus from Scythia Albalonga builded by Ascanius Reade Dyonis Halicar of this historie lib. 1. Halic lib. 1. Origo Romani imperij Aeneas M. Cato de frag origo The Romanes come fromthe Troians Romanes not knowen to the Grecians before Alex. time nei ther the Grecians to the Persians vntill Xerxe time Strab. lib. 15. Berosus Ctesias Manethon Ioseph lib. cont App. on The proofe of Brutus coÌ„ming into Albion more plaine then of Francus into Fraunce or of Hispanus into Hispaine Reade Annius de frag Hispaniae of the sundry names of Hispaniards The Britaines neuer chaÌ„ged their names The diuers sundry names of the French men The Persians and the Egyptians were by diuers names called Britaine diuided for 50. yeeres into foure kingdoms From Elidurus vnto Belinus the great 185. yeeres Androgeus the onely cause of Caesars victorie The kings of Britaine continued 1800. yeeres Iu Caesars stock proceeded froÌ„ gens Iulia. Augusts Caesar desirous to knowe his genealogie Dardanus married the daugh ter of Teucer The successions of all the kings that reigned in Troy Dionys. Halicar lib. 2. Aeneas maried Latinus daugh ter Dionys Halycar Annius M. Coruinus set downe these kings in this sott Augustus Caesar lineally proceeded from Aeneas Dionys. Halicar lib. 〈◊〉 Diodor. lib. 2. Strab. lib. 4. Talmudists Gymnosophists Druydes Turdetani Bardi Belinus the great Rodericus the great Leoninus the great