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
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
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
and in Lydia Haliates their eight king Hitherunto the liues of Pharaos kings of Egypt which continued from the first Amasis in the beginning of the eighteenth Dynastia which was about the time of the going of the Patriarch Iacob into Egypt vnto his sonne Ioseph vntil the time of this Amasis the last king of that name about twelue hundreth yeeres so long continued the names of Pharaos This Amasias as the rest of the kings before him was so idolatrous and so addicted to obey Oracles that hee also imitated his predecessours in such fonde buildings to carie huge stones from Memphis and from Elephantina to builde a temple vp vnto Minerua in the citie of Sai that hee much mused how he might passe the rest with the monstrousnesse of the great huge stones to build temples images colossus wherein he in one monument excelled the rest He caused a house to be made of one stone to be brought from the citie of Elephantina to the citie of Sais which is as Herodotus writeth twentie dayes sayling two thousand chosen men were three yeeres in bringing this house to Sai of all other workes most to bee wondered for this stone was one and twentie cubites in length and fourteene in breadth and also hee made a colossus or an image in Memphis before the temple of Vulcan of seuentie and fiue foote long he builded likewise a large temple for Isis in Memphis Thus the kings of Egypt stroue one after another to excell in their workes and vaine monuments In the time of this king a lawe was made in Egypt that in euery Prouince of Egypt the President thereof should take accompt and examine the youthes of their prouinces how and after what sort they liued for to see an idle man in Egypt that could not answere for himselfe howe hee liued it was death and therefore to auoyde idlenesse they were thus compelled by the Kings of Egypt to carie stones to the building of Piramides temples Colossus Labirinthes and such like This law afterward was by Solon brought to Greece for Solon was in Egypt in the time of the last Amasis Pomponius Mela saith that in the raigne of Amasis were twentie thousand cities Herodotus saith one thousand and twentie cities for old Egypt in times past was very great and large for hard by the marches of Affricke in the shore standeth Alexandria on the borders of Arabia is the citie of Pelusium other faire cities are farre from the sea as Memphis Sai Bubastis Elephantina and and Thebes which is reported to haue an 100. brasen gates and so many princes pallaces Many good lawes are written among the Egyptians by Sasiches and by Sesostris but specially by Bocchoris of whose lawes I wil set dowme some few as Diodorus wrote them to the nomber of 17. 1. The first law was that none might violate their gods with othes the offenders herein were punished as false to God and man 2. If any ayded not a man iniuried or beaten or robbed by any man either vpon the way as he trauailed or in the place where he dwelt he was to die for it if he might haue helped it else to publish and to call for helpe 3. False witnes was so punished by a decree made for that purpose the punishment that hee that was accused should haue being proued should be for the false accuser not being proued 4. Against idlenes all the names of the citie parish or countrey are brought and recorded with the magistrates of the prouinces are examined how they are occupied how they liue of what trade or trafique he or they be of if he be found idle he shall die by the lawe in Egypt this law Solon caried with him from Egypt to Athens 5. If any man killed a freeman or a seruant death was his punishment 6. If the father killed the sonne he was free frō death but he should for three dayes be punished as the decree was made in that behalfe for the Egyptians thought not the father worthy of death for killing of his sōne quia auctor fuit 7. For the sonne that killed his father the greatest torments that might be deuised was by lawe appointed for him for to take the life of him away which gaue him life 8. If a woman with child by law be condemned to die she is reserued vntill the childe be borne for the Egyptians thinke it not fit that two should be punished when one had offended and that the giltlesse with the giltie should be condemned Iniquum enim iustum cum iniusto poenam pati This law was caried from Egypt into Greece from Greece into other countreis 9 The souldier that offended his captaine in the fielde or had transgressed the commandement of the officers he should not die but with all infamie and shame he should haue two letters printed in his forehead as cōmon markes of infamie but if hee had reuealed any secrets to the enemies the lawe had commaunded his tongue to be pluckt out of his head 10 If any had clipt any lawfull coine or counterfaited the like or diminished the weight by lawe he should die 11 If any man had counterfaited the hand of any man or had taken away any letters or had put in any letters in any writings or found faultie in forging any deede or letters he should haue both his hands cut off 12 If any had violated by force any maid or free woman he should haue that member punished that had offended his priuie members cut off if by consent the man and woman sinned it was by lawe appointed that the man should be beaten with roddes to the nūber of a thousand stripes and the woman should haue her nose cut off for a marke of a whore 13 For satisfiyng of creditors in borowing of money it was by an othe confirmed not with obligations made that the money shoulde be paide vpon the day appointed for a sacred othe sincerely inuiolated was more esteemed in Egypt then any writing or bond made for it was a wonder to see in Egypt a man forsworne 14 For it was not lawfull to arrest any man in Egypt for debtes by the lawe of Bochoris but to seize vpon the goods or substance for whatsoeuer passed in secrete writings betweene the partie and creditour no arrest was admitted for all the people of Egypt were diuided into foure partes which were husbandmen craftesmen shepheards and souldiers payment was made to the creditors by the goods of the debtors and not by arrest for they thought that a man free borne shoulde for no money be imprisoned specially the souldiers which with danger of life defendeth his countrey 15 The like law was in Egypt for vsurie by Bochoris which was brought to Athens by Solon which lawe was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this lawe Solon commaunded that no Citizen in Athens should be put in prison for vsurie for the Egyptians condemned much the Grecians that had by the law
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
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
tenne hundreth thousand nauies insomuch that the Persians bragged that the Ocean seas had scant sufficient roome for their nauies that all Greece was not able to giue them ground ynough and scant place for their shotts in the aire with this insolencie the Persian armie marched While Xerxes this time was in preparing such a huge host the Grecians bestirred themselues with all care and diligence to call their force together and to gather their strength together from all parts of Greece The Athenians made fourtie nauies the Magarenses made twentie nauies the Chalsidenses so many as they of Athens made which was fourtie the Peloponesians twelue nauies the Lacedemonians tenne the Epidaureans eight and the inhabitants of Agineta two and twentie the Traezeneans made fiue nauies so that the whole nomber of the Grecians nauie was but two hundreth seuentie and ons The Athenians appointed to be their generall Themistocles and the Lacedemonians made Euribiades but the Persians could not finde a fit generall for so great an armie for as Herodotus doth record it there was in the campe of Xerxes an hundreth and seuentie Myriads of souldiers You must vnderstand that euery Myriad is compted for tenne thousand so that a hundreth and seuentie Myriads are to be taken for seuentie hundred thousand men which Xerxes had in his voiage to Greece which was in the seuenth yeere of his raigne when he sailed on the sea of Helespont and marched with more boldnesse then wisedome drinking a bowle of wine to the Sunne and throwing the cuppe after his draught into the sea making a vowe that hee would not returne from this iourney before hee had brought all Greece and Europe ioyned with Asia subiect to Persia. But hee was soone deceiued for the Persians fought for money to augment their treasure the Grecians fought for vertue to defende the libertie of their Countrey for this warre of Xerxes was more taken in hande for ostentation then for necessitie to doe iniurie and not to defend iustice The authours whereof God hath from time to time punished as Iosias that good king yet for such a fault hee was giuen to the hand of Necho king of Egypt an infidel Cyrus this Xerxes grandfather for taking vnnecessarie warres in hand against the Scythians was slaine by Tomyris a woman and now this king needlesse without cause offered thought to haue eaten vp all Greece he was made a runnagate and to flee from Greece his souldiers slaine his captaines drowned and himselfe hardly escaping for within two yeeres the Persians had foure ouerthrowes The first ouerthrowe was at Thermopila where hee lost twentie thousand Persians by three thousand Grecians After they were vanquished in two sundrie great battels vpon the sea the one hard by Artimesium in Thessalia the other by the Isle Salamines from whence Xerxes himselfe was secretly forced to flee in a little boate after he had lost the last battel to his great ignominie and shame which hee neuer recouered during his life Afterward leauing Mardonius behinde him with three hundreth thousande Persians the fourth battell was giuen him at Platea where the Persians likewise were ouerthrowen Mardonius slaine by a souldier of Sparta and all Greece triumphed of that victorie CHAP. III. 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 THis time flourished Greece for it had many Themistocles which was wōt to say I ouercome my friends with patience my foes with celeritie after this victory it began to be strōg and to florish in same before al nations vntil ciuil warres for Caesar was demaunded by a Romane a friend of his how he conquered so many nations in so short a time he answered by celeritie for said Caesar it was a fault found in Hanibal that after he had taken Capua that he had not layd siege to Rome This great and mightie voyage of Xerxes being thus with losse and shame finished euen hee who was a terrour to the whole world and so called terror gētium before this time was now had in contempt despised of all Persia. Artabanus who then perswaded this iourney had 7. sonnes well esteemed of the Persians and perceiuing the contempt of Xerxes with the people and how he slew his brother after this great infamie of the warre when he returned home he tooke his brothers wife and his brothers daughter and committed incest with them both but his owne vncle Artabanus his fathers brother slew him after that Xerxes had raigned in Persia 21. yeeres But Mardonius could not perswade Xerxes before his going to Egypt for he went to Egypt in the second yere after Darius death and after he had subdued them brought them into a straighter seruitude then they were vnder Darius he made his returne towards Greece leauing behinde him in Egypt his brother Archemenes to gouerne the countrey After he had bene foure yeres in subduing Egypt the fift yere he tooke this voyage with great expedition to Greece Greece then flourished for euen at that time and specially after Xerxes time their fame grewe greater by their great victories had ouer Xerxes for in Greece euery citie seemed a kingdome and so continued vntil the Peloponesian warres such magistrats such captaines as Themistocles who by Thucydides was thus commended that he excelled for his wit that he wanted neither foresight of things to come neither memorie of things past neither vnprouided of things present and what hee knewe not he would learne and what he was taught he could performe ready of wit quicke of actions and circumspect in all his doings the honor and glory of all Greece After whom Pericles was had in great estimation in Athens So of Agesilaus and Cleomenes in Sparta of Epaminondas Pelopidas in Thebes and so the rest at that time in Greece of whom I haue written in the historie of Greece After him succeeded his sōne Artaxerxes the long handed for that the right hand was longer then the left a noble and a courteous prince and the first of this name of al the kings of Persia he began to gouerne Persia after Xerxes his father at what time Perdicas the second of that name the 11. king of Macedonia raigned To this Artaxerxes fled that worthy man Themistocles being banished from Athens whom often from destruction he saued and by whom the great ouerthrow was giuen to Xerxes and to his nauie to the glory of Greece and shame of Xerxes In this Artaxerxes time florished two great Philosophers Empedocles and Parmenides Many learned men of great fame liued in Artaxerxes time as Democritus and Heraclitus two philosophers the one laughing alwaies at the folie of the world the other alwayes weeping at the misery of the world Hipocrates that famous phisition serued this Artaxerxes in Court Gorgias and Pherecides Policlitus
Lacedemonians he made lawes that none should dwell in Sparta This Lycurgus framed his life according to the lawes he made and for that he would know of Apollo whether his forme maner of gouernment were good he went to Delphos to consult with the oracle and before hee went he sware the Senators the Ephories the king of Sparta to keepe his institutions lawes vntill he would come againe from Delphos where hee willingly died lest he should returne to Sparta whereby they might haue occasion by his returne to breake their oth In ancient time this towne Sparta had the soueraignty rule of a 100. townes euery yere an oxe in euery of these 100. townes was sacrificed vnto Mars this sacrifice was of long time vsed in Sparta named Hecatōba as Strabo saith This was a kind of sacrifice afterward vsed in diuers coūtries Al which time Iudges gouerned in Athens from Medon the first Iudge the sonne of Codrus vntil Eurixias time being the last Iudge for after 17. kings had reigned in Athens succeeded after iudges to the number of twentie who ruled the state of Athens from the time of Codrus the last king of Athens vntill the time of Tullius Hostilius the third king of the Romanes who reigned in the 22. Olympiad so long Iudges reigned as chief magistrates in Athens After these 20. iudges the forme of gouernment was againe altered in Athens that nine magistrates yerely should be chosen of the chiefe men of the noblest stocke within Athens which shoulde gouerne the state of Attica but as Eusebius saieth then ruled lust for lawes the libertie of Athens grew to be much offensiue vntil the time of Draco who made seuere lawes and sharpe punishments for offendors in the time of the 36. Olympiad Dracos lawes were called for their seueritie lex sanguine scripta lawes written with blood he was the first that made lawes in Athens After him succeeded in the 47. Olympiad Solon a singular man of rare vertue of great iustice he did mitigate the furie of Dracos lawes made found perfect lawes for the Athenians In this Solōs time Athens was wel gouerned florished before all other townes of Greece he instituted his lawes in Athens whē Cyrus reigned king in Persia welnigh 200. yeres before Alexander the great at what time the Greciās knew not the Persians neither did the Persians know the Grecians which seemed strange in so late a time yet Strabo writeth this an ancient writer that whereas the Romanes had at that time diuers warres with the Sabines Samnites Fidenats Thuscans and other nations about them the Greeke Historiographers tooke no notice of them neither Herodot Thucydides nor Zenophon so strange were the Romanes to the Grecians Lesse maruel it is that the Chaldeans and the Assyrians thought Spaine to be but a citie called as Iosephus saith Iberia euen so did they esteeme Fraunce and Italie being farre countries from the East where the most warres were in those first yeeres after the flood But to returne to Solon who studied by all possible meanes to furnish with good lawes and to be carefull of the state and gouernmēt of Athens for he chiefely delighted in moral Philosophie which treated of gouernment common weales which was most necessarie for those dayes for the seuen wise men which then florished in Greece sought no further knowledge then of things common for the vse of man for in those dayes he was called most wise that could handle great causes in matters of State and endeuour to haue a good witte in iudgement of gouernment which in Solons time was found rare in men and therefore Greece had but seuen wise men of great accompt for knowledge and iudgement which were named the seuen Sages whose names are these vnder written Solon of Athens Thales of Miletum Bias of Prienna Chilo of Sparta Cleobulus of Lindia Periander of Corinth Pittacus of Mytilena But in Athens warres grewe betweene the Magarians and the Athenians for the Isle of Salamina which was in the possession of the Magarians Solon herewith being moued fained this Stratageme to sende a trustie man of his owne to Megara fayning himselfe a reuoulted traytour and that of purpose hee came to tell them howe they might take all the chiefe Ladies and Gentlewomen of Athens together if they would follow him The Magarians easely beleeuing this man folowed him which when Solon vnderstood hee appointed certaine young men in womens apparel that should daunce on the shore side with short daggers vnder their clothes vntill their enemies were landed which being done the enemies hauing sight of these young Ladies dauncing and playing without any man with them they so greedily leapt one vpon the necke of the other to take such a faire bootie that not one escaped but were all slaine and by this meanes Salamina was gotten to the Athenians Neuerthelesse the Magarians were sharpely bent to recouer Salamina againe if by any meanes they coulde but Athens had still some great wittes who were euer most busie in bickering and quarreling with their neighbours for the Athenians coulde better perswade with their tongues then fight with their swords Solon wanne great honour and glorie for one oration hee made in the defence of the temple of Apollo Solon by subtiltie and witte set order betwixt the poore and the riche for by this time fell againe the Athenians to the olde troubles and dissencions about the gouernment of the citie so that all Atica was in it selfe diuided some taking part with the best and chiefest Citizens others with the common people Solon pacified this sedition for hee was neither partaker with the riche in the oppression of the poore nor with the poore in the necessitie of offence his equitie and vpright dealing was well knowen in Athens therefore hee was chosen gouernour by common consent of all the Countrie of Attica to reforme the rigour of the lawes and to temper the state of the cōmon weales And first he began to take away al Dracos bloodie lawes sauing for murder manslaughter for by the lawes of Dracos all kinde of offence was punished with death aswell the least fault as the greatest offence and therefore called lex sanguine scripta Then Solon erected the Councell of the Areopagites out of this Councell the citie of Athens did yeerely choose their gouernour for in Dracos time were certeine Iudges vpon life and death called Ephetes before the time of the Areopagites After this Solon established diuers lawes within the Citie of Athens and appointed three kindes of Councels to gouerne the Citie one aboue the other and then he instituted some lawes which I will briefely here recite he made a lawe for the maintenance of willes and testaments hee made an acte for planting and setting of trees an other acte he made that they shoulde not transport out of the Realme neither
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
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
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