in providing for the Assyrian War but much of it in setling the Estates which he had already purchased Ctesias also tells us that during this time Cyrus invaded Scythia and being victorious over that Nation he took Amorges their King Prisoner But being in a second Battel overthrown by Sparetha the Wife of Amorges himself was taken Prisoner and so one King was released for the other Gobrias about this time a Nobleman whose only Son the King of Babylon in his Fathers life time had in a hunting match villainously slain together with his Friends revolted to Cyrus It s very probable also that no small part of those troubles which sprang up in the lower Asia grew soon after Cyrus his departure with his Victorious Army before the Conquest was fully established For after Cyrus was returned out of Asia the less many Nations which were formerly conquered by Croesus and now by Cyrus revolted from him Against whom he imployed Pactias and then Harpagus who first reduced the Phocians under their former Obedience and then the rest of the Greeks that inhabited Asia the less as the Jonians Carians Aeolians and Lycians who very resolutely according to the strength they had defended themselves But in the attempt upon Babylon it self it s not to be questioned but Cyrus imployed all his Forces having taken order beforehand that nothing should be able to divert him or to raise that Siege or to frustrate that work upon which he did set all his rest And great reason there was that he should improve all his Policy and strength unto the taking of that City which besides the Fame and reputation that it held as being the Head of an Empire which depended thereupon was so strongly fortified with a trebble Wall of great heigth and surrounded with the waters of Euphrates that were unfordable and so plentifully Victualled for many years that the Inhabitants were not only free from fear and doubt of their estate but through their confidence they derided and despised all the Projects and power of their Besiegers For not long before Nicotris the Mother of Belshazzar a witty and active Woman foreseeing the storm that was ready to fall upon Babylon from the Medes to hinder their passing the River by Boats into Babylon She turned the River Euphrates which before ran with a strait and swift course drawing it through many winding Channels which she had cut for that purpose whereby she made it to run more slowly than formerly it did and then she raised a huge Dam upon each side of the River and up the River from the City-ward she digged a vast Pond which was every way three or four hundred Furlongs wide into which she turned the River thereby leaving the old Channel of the River dry which done she fell to work and fenced the Banke within the City with Brick-walls and raised the Water-Gates answerable in every point to the rest of the Walls which were made on the farther side of the Channel round about the City She built also a stately and Magnificent Bridge of Stone in the midst of the City which joyned to the Kings Houses that stood on each side the River and having finished all her Works and Fortifications she turned the River out of the Pond into its right Channel again And now came Cyrus to invade the Country of Babylon and appeared before the Walls of the City and there challenged the King to a Duel or single Combat but he refused it At this time Gadatas a Noble man of Babylon whom Belshazzar had gelt upon a jealousie that he had of him with his Wife fell over to Cyrus in revenge whereof the Babylonians sallied out and fell upon his Lands but Cyrus set upon them and routed them At which time the Cadusii whom Cyrus had appointed to bring up the rear of his Army unknown to Cyrus set upon a Country lying neer to the City but the King of Babylon falling out upon them cut them all off Yet Cyrus quickly revenged the Death of his men and then came to an agreement with Belshazzar to hold truce with the Plough-men on both sides and the War to go on between the Souldiers only After which passing beyond the City he took in three of their Forts and so returned into the confines of Assyria and Media and thither upon his invitation came his Uncle Cyaxares and was by him honourably received and entertained in a Pavilion that had been the King of Assyrias and Winter now approaching they entred into consultation to provide things necessary to maintain the Siege The only hope of Cyrus with his Medes and Persians who despaired of carrying by assault a City so well and strongly fortified and manned was in cutting off all supplies of victuals and other necessaries Whereof though the Town was said to be stored sufficiently for more than twenty years yet might it well be imagined that amongst such a World of People as dwelt within those Walls one great want or other would soon appear amongst them and vanquish the resolution of that unwarlike multitude Yet in expecting that success of this course the Besiegers were likely to endure much hardship and travel and that all in valn if they did not keep strict watch and sure guards upon all the Avenues and Quarters of it Which that he might the better do he caused presently a vast trench both for bredth and depth to be cast round about the Walls of the City casting the earth ever towards his own Army and made store of Bulworks all along upon it for his Guards to be upon and then dividing his whole Army into twelve parts he ordered that each of them should watch his Moneth by turn And yet this was a very hard work considering the vast circuit of those Walls which they were to gird in having neither men enough nor yet sufficiently assured to their Commander the consideration whereof Ministred unto the Babylonians matter of good Pastime when they saw Lydians Phrygians Cappadocians and others quartered about their City to keep them in who having been their Ancient Friends and Allies were more like to joyn with them if occasion were offered than to use much diligence on the behalf of Cyrus who had as it were but yesterday laid upon their necks the galling Yoke of servitude Whilst the Besieged were thus pleasing themselves with this foolish-fansie and vain mirth the ordinary forerunners of sudden calamity Cyrus who by God that set him on work was made strong valiant constant and inventive devised and by the labour of his men digged so many Channels as were capable of receiving the Waters of Euphrates and so to draw the same from the Walls of Babylon that thereby he might make his approaches the more facile and assured which when by the labour of many hands he had performed he waited for a fit time wherein to put in execution what he had designed For he had left in each of the
Now when Artaxerxes was ready to enter into the Temple Tisaphernes came to him and brought him one of the Priests who had been Schoolmaster to Cyrus in his Youth who informed him that Cyrus had conspired Treason against him and that he meant traiterously to kill him in the Temple when he should put off his Gown Upon this accusation Cyrus was apprehended and condemned But as he was going to execution his Mother took him in her armes and wound the hair of her Head about his Neck wherewith she tyed him fast to her and withall she wept so bitterly and made such pittiful mone to the King her Son that at her intercession he granted to Cyrus his life and sent him again to his Government in the lesser Asia Yet Cyrus was not satisfied with this but shortly after entered into open Rebellion against the King his Brother for which end he kept Souldiers in pay in divers places not bringing them altogether into one Army because he desired to conceal his enterprise He had also Friends and Servants that levied him men in divers places and under divers pretences He had his Mother alwayes about the King that cleared all suspitions conceived against him Himself also whilst he made these preparations wrote very humbly to his Brother one while craving somthing of him and another while accusing Tisaphernes to delude the King and make him believe that he bent all his malice against the said Tisaphernes Artaxerxes at his first coming to the Crown followed and imitated the goodness and curtesie of the first Artaxerxes giving easie audience unto suitors and more honourably rewarding those that had deserved well of him and he used such moderation in punishing offenders that he made it appear that he punished not out of any malicious mind or desire of revenge nor yet out of a will to hurt any man When he had any thing given him he took it very thankfully and did as willingly and frankly give to them again For how small a thing soever was offered him he took it well One Romises upon a time presenting him with a marvellous fair Pomgranate By the Sun said he this man in a short time of a little Town would make a great City if he were made Governour of it At another time a poor Labourer seeing every man give the King a present he having nothing to give ran to the River side and took both his hands full of Water and came and offered it to the King who took it so kindly that in a Cup of Massey Gold he sent him a thousand Daricks which were pieces of Gold so called because the Image of Darius was stamped upon them And when one Euclidas a Lacedemonian presumed to give him bold words he answered by one of his Captains Thou maist say what thou listest and I as King may say and do what I list Another time as he was hunting Tiribazus shewed the King his Gown that was all tattered Well said the King what wouldst thou have me do I pray your Grace said Tiribazus take you another and give me that you have on The King did so adding Tiribazus I give thee my Gown but I command thee not to wear it But Tiribazus being a foolish light-headed Fellow not caring for the Kings Commandment did strait put on the Gown and besides set on many Jewels which Kings only used to wear whereupon every one in the Court murmured at him because it was a presumption directly against the Laws of Persia Yet the King did but laugh at it saying I give thee leave Tiribazus to wear those Women gawds as a Woman and the Kings Robe as a Fool. It was the manner in Persia that no Person sat at the Kings Table but his Mother which sat uppermost and his Wife which sat lowermost but Artaxerxes made his two younger Brethren Ostanes and Oxathres to sit with him which much pleased the Persians but especially because he was contented that his Wife Statira should sit openly in her Chariot that she might be seen and reverenced by the other Ladies of the Court and Country But some that hated Peace and desired innovations said that the Realm of Persia needed such a Prince as Cyrus that was bountiful given to Arms and that liberally rewarded his Servants At this time all the Cities of Jonia except Miletus which were under the Government of Tisaphernes fell from him to Cyrus and Cyrus sent to Artaxerxes praying him that he would be pleased to trust him being his Brother with those Cities rather than Tisaphernes and in this suit his Mother also sticked hard for him All this while the King discerned not the Treason intended against him but thought that Cyrus kept his Army about him to strengthen him against Tisaphernes and he was well content that they two should try it out between themselves for Cyrus did daily send the King the Tribute of those Cities which Tisaphernes formerly held But in the mean time Cyrus sent to Lacedemon praying them that as he had hitherto supported them with men and money against the Athenians so now they would send him some men boasting if they sent him Foot he would give them Horses if Horsemen he would give them Coaches If they had Lands he would give them Townships If Towns he would give them Cities for their rewards And for their wages they should have it not by tale but by weight and paid down presently Hereupon the Lacedemonians jndging his request but equal and that this War would tend to their advantage they decreed him aid and the Ephori sent presently to their Admiral at Samos to do whatsoever Cyrus required of him He therefore with his Ships put over to Ephesus where he met with Tamos the Aegyptian who was Admiral with Cyrus and offered him his service joyning his Fleet to his and so they both sailed round about the coast of Jonia unto Cania whereby they prevented Syenesis who Governed there that he could not stir to hinder Cyrus in his march against his Brother Cyrus having now his Army in readiness resolved to march into upper Asia giving out that he went against the Pisidians who as he said made often inrodes into his Government He sent for Clearchus of Lacedemonia Aristippus of Thessaly Xenes of Arcadia those which were banished from Miletus and the Army that lay before that City Proxenus also a Booetian with all the power he could make both of Grecians and others to repair speedily to him to Sardis But Tisaphernes seeing greater preparations made than a bare going against the Pisidians could require taking with him five hundred Horse made all the speed that possibly he could to Artaxerxes informing him of his danger who thereupon presently prepared for the Wars Cyrus in the mean time left some trusty Persians his Friends to look to Lydia and Tamos his Admital to take care of the Cities of Jonia and Eolia in his absence and himself
left And thus Alexander without hazard got both the entrance into Cilicia abandoned by the cowardliness of his enemies and also that whole Province whose minds were now alienated from the Persians through the imprudent carriage of Arsenes When Alexander with great speed was come to Tarsus taking pleasure in the River Cydnus which ran through the City all hot as he was he threw off his Armour and leaped into the cold water whereupon he grew instantly so benumb in all the Nerves of his Body that he lost the use of his Tongue and so far was he from hope of recovery that nothing was expected but present Death But one Philip a Physician gave him a Potion which he took and it cured him out of hand though Parmenio had forewarned him that this Philip was set on work to poison him In the mean time Darius approached having gathered together an Army of two hundred and ninety thousand men of divers Nations saith Q. Curtius or of three hundred thousand Foot and one hundred thousand Horse as Justine numbers them Or of six hundred thousand as Plutarch relates The manner of his coming was rather like a Masker than a man of War and like one that took more care to shew his Glory and Riches than to provide for his own safety For before his Army there were carried the holy Fire which the Persians worshipped for their God attended by their Priests and after them three hundred sixty and five young men answering to the days of the year clothed in Skarlet Then the Chariot of Jupiter drawn with white Horses with their Riders clothed in white and carrying Rods of Gold in their hands Next after them came the Horse of the Sun and after him ten sumptuous Chariots Inlay'd and garnished with Gold and Silver and then the Vaunt Guard of their Horse compounded of twelve several Nations which the better to avoid confusion did hardly understand one anothers Language and these marshelled in the head of the rest being beaten might serve very fitly to disorder all that followed them In the tail of these marched the Regiment of foot stiled by the Persians Immortal because if any died their place was presently supplied by others and these were armed with chains of Gold and theit Coats embroidered with the same having their sleeves garnished with Pearl Baits fit either to intice the poor Macedonians or to perswade them that it were great incivility to cut or deface such goodly Garments Then marched after them fifteen thousand more rich and glittering than the former but apparelled like Women and these were honoured with the Title of the Kings Kinsmen Then came Darius himself with the Gentlemen of his Guard-robe riding before his Chariot which was supported by the Gods of his Nation cast and cut in pure Gold the head of this Chariot was set with precious Stones with two Golden Idols covered with an open winged Eagle of the same mettal The hinder part being raised high whereon Darius sat had a covering of inestimable valew This Chariot of the Kings was followed with ten thousand Horsemen having lances plated with Silver and their heads guilt He had for the proper Guard of his own Person two hundred of the blood Royal blood too Royal and precius to be spilt in any Noble adventure and these were backed with thirty thousand Footmen after whom again were led four hundred spare Horses for the Kings own use Then followed the Rereward being led by Sisygambis the Kings Mother and by his Wife drawn in glorious and glittering Chariots followed by a great train of Ladies on Horseback with fifteen rich Wagons of the Kings Children and the Wives of the Nobility waited upon by two hundred and fifty Concubines and a World of Nurses and Eunuches most sumptuously apparelled Between these and a Company of slight Armed Slaves was the Kings Treasure loaden on six hundred Mules and three hundred Camels In this sort came this May-game King into the field encumbred with a most unnecessary train of Sumpters attended with Troops of divers Nations speaking divers Languages impossible to be well Marshalled by reason of their numbers and for the most part so effeminate and so rich in Gold and costly Garments as the same could not but have encouraged the Nakedst Nation against them When Alexander met with these effeminate Asiaticks it may easily be guessed what a cheap Victory he had over them Some say that he slew in this Battel sixty thousand Footmen and ten thousand Horsemen Q. Curtius saith an hundred thousand Foot with as many Horsemen and took forty thousand Prisoners whilest of Alexanders Army there miscarried but two hundred and eighty of all sorts of which number some Historians cut off almost one half He took Prisoners also Darius his Mother Wife Daughters and other the Kings Children Darius by this time found it true that Charidemus a banished Grecian of Athens had told him when he made a view of his Army about Babylon to wit That the multitude which he had assembled of divers Nations richly attired but poorly Armed would be found more terrible to the Countries through which they should pass than to the Macedonians whom they went to assail who being all old Well-disciplined Souldiers imbattelled in gross Squadrons which they called their Phalanx well covered with Armour for defence and furnished with advantagious Weapons for offence would make so little account of his delicate Persians ill Armed and worse Disciplin'd that except he would having such abundance of Treasure entertain a sufficient number of the same Grecians and so encounter the Macedonians with men of equal courage he would repent overlate as taught by the miserable success like to follow But so unpleasing was this discourse to Darius who used to hear nothing but his own praises that he caused this poor Grecian to be presently slain who whilst he was under the Tormentors hand said to the King that Alexander against whom he had given this good counsel should certainly revenge his Death and deservedly punish Darius for refusing this advise Darius likewise slighted the counsel given him by the Grecian Souldiers that served under him who intreated him not to fight in those streight places where Alexander could bring as many hands to fight as Darius could and these old Blades when Darius was overthrown with all his cowardly and confused Rabble under their Captain Amyntas held firm and made a brave retreat in despite of the vanquishers These Grecians also after their retreat advised Darius to draw back his Army into the plains of Mesopotamia where he might have environed the Macedonians on all sides with his multitudes they counselled him also to divide his huge Army into parts and not to cast his Empire upon one Battel c. But this advise was so contrary to the cowardly spirits of the Persians that they perswaded Darius to environ these Greeks with his Army and to cut them in pieces as Traitors But
River Euphrates and lodged hard by him Methridates prepared suspecting that Pompey would that Night storm his Camp but Pompey thought it not safe to fight in the dark and therefore resolved rather to encompass him that he might not fly and to fight him in the morning but Pompey's old Captains would needs fight presently which Pompey at last consented to and the Romans ran upon them with great cries which so affrighted their Enemies that they presently turned their backs and fled so that the Romans slew ten thousand of them and took their Camp Methridates himself with eight hundred Horse-men made a Lane through the Romans and so escaped Yet as soon as they were passed his men dispersed some one way some another that himself was left but with three Persons only whereof Hypsicratea a manlike woman was one who never left him but always looked to his Horse being armed after the Persian manner till he came to a strong Castle called Inora where was store of Gold and Silver and the Kings chiefest Treasure Here Methridates divided all his richest Apparel amongst his Friends and to each of them a mortal Poyson to carry about them whereby they might prevent falling into their Enemies hands alive Pompey built a City in the place where he gained this Victory betwixt the Rivers of Euphrates and Araxes situate in Armenia the Less which he called Nicopolis This City he gave by the consent of his Souldiers to such of them as were old lame sick wounded or disbanded to whom many of the Neighbours afterwards repairing the Nicopolitans lived after the manner of the Cappadocians From hence Methridates had intended to have gone into Armenia but King Tigranes prohibited it and promised an hundred Tallents to him that could kill him Passing therefore by the head of Euphrates he fled through the Country of Colchide In the mean time Pompey invaded Armenia being solicited thereto by Tigranes the younger who rebelled against his Father and met Pompey at the River of Araxes which falleth into the Caspian Sea Then did Pompey and he march forward taking in such Towns as yielded unto them Tigranes who had been much weakned by Lucullus understanding that Pompey was of a mild and Gentle nature he put his Souldiers into Garrisons and himself with his Friends and Kinsman went to meet Pompey When he came near his Camp being on Horseback there came two Sergeants to him commanding him to alight which he did accordingly and put off his Sword and gave it them and when he came before Pompey he shamefully fell upon the ground and imbraced his knees but Pompey took him by the hand raised him up and made him sit down by him on the one side and his Son on the other saying to them both As for your former losses you may thank Lucullus for them who hath taken from you Syria Phoenicia Cilicia Galatia and Sophena but for what you have left till my coming you shall enjoy it paying to the Romans six thousand Tallents for the wrong you have done them Provided also that your Son shall have Sophena for his part Tigranes accepted of the conditions whereupon the Romans saluted him King and he gave great sums of money amongst the Army But his Son was much discontented and when Pompey sent for him to come to Sup with him he refused wherefore Pompey imprisoned him and kept him to be led in his Triumph at Rome Shortly after Phraates King of Parthia sent Ambassadors to desire this young Prince who was his Son in Law and to tell Pompey that Euphrates must be the uttermost bounds of his Conquest Pompey answered that Tygranes had more right to his Son than Phraates and as for limiting his borders he would do it with Justice So leaving Afranius to keep Armenia he passed by other Nations that inhabited about the Mountain of Caucasus having Methridates in chase Two of the chiefest of these Nations were the Iberians and the Albanians near to the Caspian Sea These upon his request suffered him to pass through their Countries But Winter hasting on apace these Barbarous People raised an Army of fourty thousand fighting men and passed over the River of Cyrnus Pompey could have hindred their passage but yet let them come over and then fought with them and overcame them and slew multitudes of them in the Field whereupon they submitted and made peace with him Then Pompey went against the Iberians who took part with Methridates They were more and better Souldiers than the Albanians they were never subject to the Medes and Persians nor to Alexander the Great These Pompey overcame also in a bloody fight and slew nine thousand of them and took ten thousand Prisoners From thence he went into the Country of Colchide where Servilius met him by the River of Phasis with his Fleet with which he kept the Pontick Sea He found it a hard work to pursue Methridates any further who had hid himself amongst a People that bordered upon the Lake of Maeotis He heard also that the Albanians had rebelled wherefore he went back to be revenged on them passing over the River of Cyrnus again yet with much difficulty because the Barbarous People had made a defence on the further side by felling and laying many Trees across all along the Bank of the River and when he was got over he was to travel through a dry Country a great way before he came to any Water whereupon he caused ten thousand Goats skins to be filled with Water and so marched over it At the River Abas he met with his Enemies who had now an Army of one hundred and twenty thousand Footmen and ten thousand Horsemen but Armed only in Beast skins There General was Cosis the Kings Brother In the Battel this Cosis flew upon Pompey and throwing a Dart at him wounded him in the flank but Pompey ran him through with a Lance and slew him Some say that some Amazons assisted this People against Pompey After this Battel Pompey going back to invade the Country of Hyrcania as far as the Caspian Sea was forced to retreat by reason of an infinite number of deadly Serpents that he met withal wherefore he went back into Armenia the less to which place he had many rich presents sent him from the Kings of the Elymians and the Medes to whom he returned courteous answers Yet he sent Afranius with part of his Army against the King of Parthia who had much harrased and plundred the Country of Tygranes and he drave him out At this time the Concubines of Methridates were brought to him but he would not touch any one of them but sent them all home again to their Parents and Friends being most of them the Daughters of Princes and other Noble Captains Only Stratonice whom Methridates loved above all the rest with whom he had left the custody of his Castle where lay all his Treasures of Gold and Silver was but a Singers
Poet saith See how these Great men cloath their private hate In these fair colours of the publick good And to effect their ends pretend the State As if the State by their affection stood And Arm'd with Power and Princes Jealousies Will put the least conceit of discontent Into the greatest rank of Treacheries That no one action shall seem innocent Uea Valour Honour Bounty shall be made As accessaries unto ends unjust And even the service of the State must lade The needful'st undertaking with distrust So that base vileness idle Luxury Seem safer far than to do worthily Now the King following the advice of Craterus had resolved the next day to put Philotas to the Torment yet in the very evening of the same night in which he was apprehended he called him to a Banquet and discoursed as familiarly with him as at any other time But when in the dead of the night Philotas was taken in his lodging and that they which hated him began to bind him he cried out upon the King in these words O Alexander the malice of mine enemies hath surmounted thy mercy and their hatred is far more constant than the word of a King Many circumstances were urged against him by Alexander himself and this was not the least not the least offence indeed against the Kings humour who desired to be adored as a God that when Alexander wrote unto him concerning the Title given him by Jupiter Hammon he answered That he could not but rejoyce that he was admitted into the Sacred fellowship of the Gods and yet he could not but withall grieve for those which should live under such a one as would exceed the nature of man This said Alexander assured me that his heart was estranged and that he despised my Glory Philotas was brought before the multitude to hear the Kings Oration against him He was brought forth in vile Garments and bound like a Thief where he heard himself and his absent Father the greatest Captain in the World accused and also his two other Brothers Hector and Nicanor who had lost their lives in these Wars wherewith he was so overcome with grief that for a while he could utter nothing for tears and sorrow had so wasted his Spirits that he sank between those that led him In the end the King asked him in what Language he would make his defence He answered In the same wherein it had pleased the King to accuse him which accordingly he did to the end that the Persians as well as the Macedonians might understand him But hereof the King made this advantage perswading the Assembly that he disdained the Language of his own Countrey and so withdrawing himself he left him to his merciless enemies This proceeding of the Kings Philotas greatly lamented seeing the King who had so sharply inveighed against him would not vouchsafe to hear his answer For hereby his enemies were emboldned against him and all the rest having discovered the Kings mind and resolution contended amongst themselves which of them should shew the greatest hatred towards him Amongst many Arguments which he brought for his own defence this was not the least that when Nicomachus desired to know of Dimnus of what quality and power his partners in the Conspiracy were seeming unwilling to adventure himself amongst mean and base Companions Dimnus named unto him Demetrius of the Kings Bed-Chamber Nicanor Amyntas and some others but spake not a word of Philotas who being Master of the Horse would greatly have graced the cause and encouraged Nicomachus And to make it more clear that he knew nothing of their intents there was not any one of the Conspirators that in their torments would accuse him Yet at the last himself being put to extream torments by the device of his professed enemies Craterus Cenus Ephestion and others Philotas accused himself hoping that they would have slain him immediately But he failed even in that miserable hope and suffering all that could be inflicted on flesh and blood he was forced to confess not what was true but what might best please them who were far more merciless than Death it self Cruelty is not a humane vice It is unworthy of man It 's even a boasting rage to delight in bloud and wounds and casting away the nature of man to become a savage Monster Now whilst Alexanders hands were yet died in blood he commanded that Lyncestes Son in Law to Antipater who had been three years in Prison should be slain The same dispatch had all those that were accused by Nicomachus But Parmenio was yet living Parmenio who had served with great fidelity as well Philip the Kings Father as himself Parmenio that first opened Alexanders way into Asia That had cast down Attalus the Kings enemy That had alwayes and in all hazards the leading of the Kings Vaunt-guard That was no less prudent in Counsel than successful in all his enterprizes A man beloved of the men of War and to say the truth he that had purchased for the King the Empire of the East and of all the Glory and Fame which he had attained to That he might not therefore revenge the Death of his Son though not upon the King for it was unlikely that he would have stained his fidelity in his old age having now lived seventy years yet upon those who by base Flattery had possessed themselves of the Kings affection It was resolved that he should dye also and Polydamus was employed in this business a man whom of all others Parmenio trusted most and loved best Who to be short finding him in Media and having Cleander and other Murtherers with him slew him as he was walking in his Garden and reading the Kings letters This was the end of Parmenio saith Curtius who had performed many notable things without the King but the King without him did never effect any thing worthy of Praise These things being ended Alexander marched on with his Army and subdued the Araspitans and made Amenides sometime secretary to Darius their Governour Then he Conquered the Arachosians and left Menon to command over them Here the Army that was sometime led by Parmenio found him which consisted of twelve thousand Macedonians and Greeks with whom though with much difficulty he passed through some cold Regions At length he came to the foot of the Mountain Taurus towards the East where he built a city which he honoured with his own Name and peopled it with seven thousand of his old Macedonians worn out with age and the travels of War The Arians who since he left them were revolted he again subdued by the industry and valour of Caranus and Erigius and now he resolved to find out the new King Bessus in Bactria who hearing of his coming prepared to pass over the great River of Oxus which divides Bactria from Sogdiana Bessus having now abandoned Bactria Alexander made Artabazus Governour of it and himself marching forward with his Army they suffered great want of water insomuch as when they came to the River Oxus
by Cassander and Lysimachus Roxane the beloved Wife of Alexander together with her Son Alexander and Barsine another of his Wives which was Daughter to Darius were all slain by Cassander And presently after the whole Family of Cassander was rooted out Ptolomy died in Egypt Lysimachus was slain by Seleuchus and Seleuchus himself presently after by Ptolomy So that all the Family of Alexander within a few years after his Death was wholly extirpated and all his Friends and great Captains by their Ambition and mutual contentions came most of them to untimely ends When the dead body of Alexander had lain seven dayes upon his Throne at last the Chaldeans and Egyptians were commanded from thenceforth to take the care of it But when they came about it they durst not at first approach to touch it But anon after saying their Prayers that it might be no sin unto them being but mortals to lay their hands upon so Divine a Body they fell to work and dissected it the Golden Throne whereon he lay being all stuffed with Spices and hung about with Pendants and Banners and other Emblems of his high State and Honour The care of his Funeral and of providing a Chariot wherein to carry his Body to the Temple of Jupiter Hammon was committed to Aridaeus who spent two whole years in making provision for it which made Olympias his Mother seeing him lye so long unburied in great grief of heart to cry out and say O my Son Thou that wouldst needs be accounted amongst the Gods and keptest such adoe about it canst not now have that which every poor man hath a little Earth and Burial Long after when Julius Caesar had Conquered Pompey and was idle in Egypt Lucan tells us that he visited the Temples and the Cave wherein the Body of Alexander the Great lay In these Verses Vultu semper celante timorem Intrepidus Superum sedes Templa vetusti Numinis c. Then with a look still hiding fear goes he The Stately Temple of th' old God to see Which speaks the Ancient Macedonian greatness But there delighted with no Objects sweetness Nor with their Gold nor Gods Majestick dress Nor lofty City Walls with greediness Into the burying Vault goes Coesar down Where Macedonian Philip's mad-brain'd Son The prosperous Thief lies buried Whom just Fate Slew in the Worlds Revenge Alexander was very Learned and a great Lover of Learning and Learned men insomuch as he rewarded his Master Aristotle with eighty Talents for his History of Living Creatures He so prized Homers Iliads that in all his Wars he carried it in his Pocket and laid it under his Pillow a nights He loved his Master Aristotle as if he had been his Father and used to say We have our being from our Parents but our well-being from our School-Masters His Mother Olympias was very severe and morose in her carriage and once Antipater his Vice-Roy in Europe wrote large Letters of complaint to him against her to whom he returned this answer Knowst thou not that one little tear of my Mothers will blot out a thousand of thy Letters of complaint When he heard the Philosophers conclusion concerning the unity of the World he wept because there were no more Worlds for him to Conquer but one An evident note of his great Ambition which also manifested it self hereby That when he came to the Tomb of Achilles he fell as weeping considering that Achilles had a Homer to sing his Praises and to perpetuate his memory whereas he had no such Poet to set forth his Commendations Also he commanded that no man should draw his Picture but Apelles the most exquisite Painter in the World and that none should make his Statue in Brass but Lycippus the most excellent Workman in that kind Alexander used to carry his Head on one side inclining to the left wherein his Court-Parasites to ingratiate themselves with him imitated him One desiring to see his Treasures and his Jewels he bad his Servants shâ—w him not his Talents of Gold and Silver and such other precious things but his Friends When he had overcome Darius and gotten possession of all his Dominions and Treasures he began to degenerate into the Asian Luxury His Chastity and Moderation were turned into Pride and Lust. He judged his Country manners and the Discipline of the former Macedonian Kings too sordid and mean for him He imitated the Pride of the Persian Kings he made him a Crown and Robes like unto Darius He grew so proud and insolent that he suffered his Souldiers to fall down and worship him like a God Yea he commanded his Servants and Slaves to do so He cloathed his Captains and Horse-men like unto the Persians which though they disliked they durst not refuse He gat him three hundred sixty five Concubines of the beautifullest Virgins that could be found in Asia after the manner of the Persian Kings one of which lay with him every night He had his Troops of Eunuchs with Musicians Jesters Singing women c. He spent whole days and nights in profuse Feasting and Revelling All which was very offensive to his old Captains and Souldiers When he was a Boy he took both his hands full of perfumes and cast them into the fire as he was Sacrificing whereupon Leonidas one of his School-Masters said to him O Alexander when thou hast Conquered those Countries wherein these odors grow then thou maist be so liberal but in the mean time be more sparing Afterwards when he had conquered Arabia Foelix he sent to Leonidas a hundred Tallents of Myrrhe and five hundred of Frankincense bidding him to be hereafter more liberal in his service of the Gods He was of so bountiful a disposition that it was a greater trouble to him not to be asked than not to give He wrote to Phocian that he would make use of his friendship no more if he refused his Gifts Serapion a young Boy that used to play at Ball with him gat nothing because he asked nothing whereupon the next time he played he threw the Ball to all but Alexander the King marvelling at it asked him why he threw not the Ball to him Forsooth said Serapion because you asked it not Alexander laughing at the jest sent him a liberal Gift As he was travelling through the Desarts of Persia himself and his Army were in great straits for want of water One of his Souldiers having two Sons ready to dye of thirst sought up and down and at last found a little water wherewith he filled a leather Bottel and was running with it to his Sons but meeting Alexander by the way he filled it out into a dish and profered it to him Alexander asked him whither he was carrying it the man told him that his two Sons were ready to die with thirst But said he pray you Sir do you drink it For if my Sons die I can get more but if you die we shall not have such
as Tamerlane's Army approached to it By this unexpected coming of the Sultan the great City that before was ready to have revolted was again confirmed in his obedience to the great prejudice of Tamerlanes affairs For to remain long before it was impossible through want of Victuals for so great an Army in an Enemies Countrey Yet this discouraged not Tamerlane from approaching to it and with all his Army to encamp near unto the same having caused a great Trench to be made for the security of his Horsemen and therein to lodge his Army more safely during which time he caused divers attempts to be made as well to try the enemies confidence as to see how the people of the City especially the slaves which in that populous City are in great numbers were affected towards him who indeed were glad to see the state of his Army and the proud Mamelukes still put to the worst but farther strirred not During this siege he thought good one day to draw forth his Army before the City to try whether the enemy had any mind to come to a battel as also to view his own Forces and so indeed to seek occasion to fight hoping that if the Sultan should come forth with his Army some revolt might happen at the same time in the City as well by the slaves unto whom by secret Spies he had promised liberty as by the Citizens themselves who were much discontented with the insolency of the Mamelukes and by whom Tamerlane by the same Spies had made it known that he came not to hurt them but to deliver them from the tyranny of his and their enemies But standing thus in Battel array none stirred out of the City neither was there any tumult raised within according as he expected For the Sultan being plentifully provided with all things in that rich City resolved to weary out Tamerlane by lying still and not to put all to the hazard of a battel Tamerlane perceiving his Design yet resolved not to depart till he was Victorious whereupon he thought fit also to attempt him in his greatest strength and in the heart of his greatest City though it could not be done without great hazard such confidence had he in the Valour and Multitude of his Army Now his purpose was first to take one of the Cities for Caire is divided into three and therein encamping himself by little and little to advance forwards as he could find opportunity Upon this resolution he commanded a strong assault to be given and having conducted his Footmen to the place chosen by him for the onset for the City was not Walled but only fortified with Ditches and Trenches he commanded the Prince of Thanais with fifty thousand men to begin the Assault even in the face of the Enemy which he most valiantly performed which occasioned a great and terrible fight Axalla in the mean time deeming as the truth was that the Sultan had drawn the greatest part to his Forces to that place fetched a compass about and in another part of the City with small resistance passed the Trenches where he presently left thirty thousand men to fill up the Ditches thereby to make way for the Horsemens entrance himself with the rest advancing forwards against twenty thousand sent by the Sultan to oppose his farther passage the Prince of Thanais being at the same time almost beaten back by the Mamelukes But the Ditches being presently levelled ten thousand Horsemen entred who charged upon the backs of the Mamelukes where the Sultan himself was there were likewise seconded by ten thousand more sent in by Tamerlane himself following after with all his power Hereupon the Sultan retreated into a second strength which he had made in the next City This fight continued full seven hours wherein were slain of the Sultans men above sixteen thousand and of Tamerlane's between seven and eight thousand Tamerlane being well contented that he had dislodged his enemy and gained one of the Cities caused a retreat to be sounded hoping the next day to win all the rest as indeed he did For the next morning the Prince of Thanais storming the Trenches in one part as Axalla did in another the Sultan after a great fight finding himself hardly pressed by the obstinate Enemy and unable longer to hold out retreated abandoning the City and encamping himself along the River Nilus resolving to retire to the City of Alexandria his second strength and only refuge which Tamerlane suspecting followed after him with his Horsemen who only were in order and some few Foot hardly drawn from the City which their fellows were in plundering Tamerlane promising them both to regard and reward their good service Against these the Sultan upon a narrow cawse-way had opposed twelve or fifteen thousand men to favour his passage who being of his best Souldiers maintained their ground stoutly the place being much for their advantage yet at length their enemies still increasing and pressing hard upon them they were forced to cast themselves into the great River and made a most honourable retreat every man having his Weapon in one hand and swimming with the other hand to the farther Bank The Sultan flying with about eighteen thousand Horse the rest being either drowned or dispersed is said to have comforted his flying men by telling them they were not men but gods that had vanquished them Divers of the Mamelukes that were taken Prisoners being brought before Tamerlane were by him courteously used and asked if they would be content to serve him seeing their Master was fled and gone This they all utterly refused whom notwithstanding for their fidelity Tamerlane set at liberty to go again to their Master being no less desirous to be admired by his Enemies for his Goodness and Bounty than to be feared for his Force and Valour The wonderful wealth of this so great and famous a City became a prey to his Souldiers who for the space of twenty four hours had the spoil thereof At the end of which time every man was straitly charged by open Proclamation to retire to his Quarters Tamerlane would not suffer any of the Citizens to be taken Prisoners and such as were he released and so leaving ten thousand good Souldiers with many others that followed his Camp for the Guard of the City and taking with him all such persons as he thought might hurt him he caused his Army to pass over the River and to follow the Sultan to Alexandria that so his Victory might be compleated Axalla hasted before with the Avantguard to hinder the Sultan from gathering up his Forces together The rest of the Army was conducted by the Prince of Thanais Tamerlane himself with an infinte number of Boats and many Souldiers to attend him went by Water greatly delighting to behold that fair River of Nilus sometimes running with a swift course other sometimes very calm and scarce moved The Citizens of Alexandria
and Baruch to accompany them they went into Egypt and by the permission of Pharaoh they dwelt in Taphnes where when Ieremy often reproved them for their Idolatry foretelling the destruction of themselves and the Egyptians he was by these his own hard-hearted and ingrateful Country-men stoned to death and by the Egyptians who greatly reverenced him buried near the Sepulchre of their Kings Ier. 42. and 43. The nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzars Reign it was when destroying utterly the great and mighty City of Ierusalem he exceedingly enriched himself with the spoils of it and the Temple and by that dreadful Example terrified all those that should dare to resist him From that time forward he to his three and twentieth year laboured in the Conquest of those adjoyning Countries which God had exposed unto his Sword and commanded to wear his Yoke namely the Edomites Moabites Ammonites Tyrians Sidonians and Egyptians though some of these were already become his followers and served under him when Ierusalem was taken and burnt But the Tyrians whose City was built upon an Island and therefore secure from the invasion of any Land-Army and whose Fleet was so strong that they needed not to fear any enemy at Sea were neither daunted with the fall of their neighbour City nor with the obstinate resolution of this mighty King imploying all his wit and power to work their subversion That the City of Tyre was rather well-pleased than any way discouraged with the destruction of Ierusalem it appeareth by the Words which Ezekiel condemneth as the common voice of Tyrus Ezek. 26. 2. Aha! the Gate of the People is broken it is turned unto me For seeing she is desolate I shall be replenished Yet at length that great work before mentioned began to appear above Water and so to threaten them with inevitable mischief Nebuchadnezzar still follows his work hard notwithstanding all discouragements and in the thirteenth year of the Siege and the nineteenth of his Reign he had brought it to such perfection that now the Citizens despaired of holding out against him whereupon all the chiefest of them imbarked themselves their Families and Treasures in their Fleet and escaped to the Isle of Cyprus but the poorer sort were left to the fury of the enemy who being inraged for being put to so much pains slew with the Sword not only such people of Type as dwelt on the Continent who are called her Daughters in the Field but the like execution was done in the streets into which with excessive labour the Chaldeans made way for his Horses and Chariots Thus Nebuchadnezzar made his Army serve a great service against Tyrus wherein every head was made bald and every shoulder was made bare yet had he no wages nor his Army Ezek. 20. 18. but was fain to rest contented with the Honour of having destroyed that City which in all mens Judgments had been held invincible The destruction of these two Great and powerful Cities having made the name of the Chaldeans dreadful in the ears of all the Nations round about Nebuchadnezzar used this advantage of that reputation which he had obtained by his victories already gotten to the getting of more and more profitable with less pains The Kingdom of Egypt was the mark which he chiefly aimed at A Country so abounding in Riches and pleasures that it might well have tempted any Prince finding himself strong enough to pick occasion of quarrel against it Besides it was so far an enemy to the Crown of Babylon that had it been far poorer yet it must have been subdued or the Conquest of Syria could not have been secured Yet was it needful that before he entred upon this business the Countries adjacent should be reduced into such tearms that either they should wholly stand at his devotion or at least be able not to work him any displeasure And herein the Decree of God concurred as in all prosperous enterprises with reason of State For the people of Moab Ammon Edom Damascus Kedar Hazor and other adjoyning Regions whom God for their sins had condemned to fall under the Babylonian Yoke were such as regarding only their own gain had some of them like Ravens followed the Chaldean Army to feed upon the carcasses that fell by the cruelty thereof Others taking advantage of their Neighbours miseries occupied the Countries which by his Victories belonged to Nebuchadnezzar all of them thinking that when the Babylonian had satisfied his fury he would be forced to forsake those desolated Countries and leave the possession of them to those who could first seize upon them Particularly the Edomites and Philistines had shewed much malice against the Iews when their City was taken Ezek. 25. 12 15. Whether they had done any good service to the Chaldeans it appears not if they did any its like to have been in reference to their own advantage wherein yet they were deceived The Ammonites were not contented to rejoyce only at the fall of Jerusalem but presently they entred upon the Country of God and took possession of it as if not the Chaldeans but they had subdued Israel Ezek. 25. 3. Jer. 49. 1. Neither can it be imagined what other design Baalis King of the Ammonites had when he sent Ismael a Prince of the Blood of Judah to murther Gedalia whom the King of Babel had made Governour over those that remained in Israel and to carry Captive into the Ammonites Country the People that abode in Mizpah than a desire of entangling Nebuchadnezzar with so many labours at once as should force him to retire into his own Country and abandon those wasted Lands to himself and others for whom they lay conveniently Such or the like Policy the Moabites also did exercise whose Pride and Wrath were made frustrate by God and their dissimulation condemned as not doing aright Ver. 40. 14. 41. 2. 10. 28 27 c All these Nations had the Art of ravening which is familiar to such as either live in or that border upon Desarts and now the time ministred occasion to them to shew the uttermost cunning of their Thievish wits But Nebuchadnezzar made void all their devices by sharp and sudden War upon them overwhelming them with unexpected ruin as it were in one night according to the Prophesies of Isay Jeremy and Ezekiel who all foretold with little difference of Words the greatness and swiftness of the misery that should come upon them It appears not with which of them he first began but it seems that Moab was the last that felt his heavy hand For so many interpret that Prophesie of Isay threatning Moab with destruction after three years as having reference to the third year following the destruction of Jerusalem the next year after it being spent in the Egyptian expedition This is evident that all the principal Towns in these Countries were burnt and the people either slain or made captives few excepted who saved themselves by flight and had
in his Breast by Cyrus One of his Eunuchs therefore called Satribarzenes ran up and down to see if he could get any Water for him and as he ran here and there he met with same poor Slaves of the Caunians amongst which one had in an old ragged Goats Skin about eight glasful of stinking naughty Water This he presently carried to the King who drank it up every whit and his Eunuch asking him afterwards if that naughty Water did him no hurt The King swore by the Gods that he never drank better Wine nor sweeter Water than that was nor that pleased him better and therefore said he I beseech the Gods if it be not my hap to meet with this man that gave thee this Water to reward him that yet it will please them to send him good Fortune As the King was thus talking with the Eunuches the thirty men with Torches returned who assured him of the death of Cyrus Multitudes also of his Souldiers gathered about him so that he began to be couragious and with an infinite number of Torches and lights about him he went to the place where the Body of Cyrus lay and caused his Head and right hand to be stricken off and taking the Head by the Hair he shewed it to his men who were yet flying they taking courage hereby so flocked about the King that in a short time he had seventy thousand Souldiers about him with whom he returned again towards the Camp of Cyrus which he rifled and there met with a Concubine of Cyrus a woman famous for wit and beauty She was a Phocaean born in Ionia her name at first was Mitto but Cyrus called her Aspasia She was brought bound to the King for which he was so angry that he imprisoned those that bound her and ever after esteemed her above all the Harlots he kept who were in number three hundred and sixty all choice beauties and most doted on her The Brigade of Grecians not knowing what had befallen Cyrus kept on fighting still and had beaten Tisaphernes and all his power But the King coming with the main of his Army to the relief of Tisaphernes fell upon the Grecians Camp and rifled it yet when they returned from the pursuit they recovered it and beat the King out again and lodged Supperless in it that night as well as Dinnerless the day before Artaxerxes after this Battel sent rich Gifts unto the Son of Artagerses whom Cyrus had slain with his own hands He caused also the poor Caunian Slave that had given him the stinking Water to be sought out and of a poor wretch and unknown before he made him a rich Nobleman He punished such severely as had offended against martial Discipline And one Arbaces a Median who at the first ran over to Cyrus and after his Death he returned to Artaxerxes again for punishment he compelled him to carry a whore on his back stark naked all day long about the Market place and for one who had yielded himself to his enemies and yet falsly boasted that he had slain two he caused his Tongue to be boared through in three places Artaxerxes thinking that himself had slain Cyrus and being desirous that all others should think so too he sent Presents to Mithridates who had first hurt him in the fore-head commanding the Messenger to tell him from the King The King sends thee these Presents because thou didst first find the Caparisons of Cyrus his Horse and broughtest them to the King The Carian likewise that had cut Cyrus his hamm which made him fall to the ground asked his reward also which the King gave him and bad the Messenger tell him The King gives thee this because thou wast the second Person that brought him the good news of the Death of Cyrus Now Mithridates though he was not well pleased with the message said nothing for the present but the unhappy Carian in a foolish vain being overjoyed with the rich Presents said that he would not take them as a reward for bringing the news but called the Gods to witness that he was the man and the onely man that slew Cyrus and that he did him great wrong to take that honour from him The King was so incensed hereby that he commanded some presently to strike off his head But Parysatis the Queen-Mother said Let me alone with the Villain I will chastise him well enough and withall she sent Serjeants who hung him in chains for ten dayes together then caused his eyes to be pulled out of his head and lastly poured molten lead into his ears and so killed him Not long after Mithridates was invited to a Fcast where many of the Kings and Queen-Mothers Eunuchs were and Mithridates fat in the Golden Gown which the King had sent him and after Supper as they were drinking freely one of the Queen-Mothers Eunuchs said to him Mithridates the King hath given thee a rich Gown Goodly chains and Carckenets of Gold and every Rich so that every one thinks thee a happy man with them Mithridates answered What meanest thou by this Sparamixes I deserved better than these when the Battel was fought Why said Sparamixes what so valiant an act was it to take up a Caparison of a Horse that fell to the ground and to carry it to the King Mithridates being a cholerick man and his brain heat with wine answered You may talk as long as you list of a Caparison of a Horse but I tell you plainly that Cyrus was slain with my own hands and with no mans else For I hit him not in vain as Artagerses did but full in the forehead hardby the eye which pierced through his head of which blow he died The envious Eunuch at his departure told this to Parysatis who went presently and told it to the King He was marvellously angry to lose the thing that was most honourable and that best pleased him in his Victory For he desired that all the world should believe that though his Brother hurt him yet he slew his Brother with his own hand He therefore commanded that Mithridates should suffer the Death by Boats which was thus They took two Boats of equal size and laying the offender in one of them upon his back they covered him with the other and fastned both Boats together that his feet hands and head came out at holes made on purpose then they gave him meat as much as he would eat which if refused they thrust awls into his eyes to force him and when he had eaten they gave him Honey and Milk to drink pouring it also all over his face and turned his face full into the Sun which was covered over with Flyes sucking at it In his excrements also that came from him Worms did breed which devoured his Flesh And when they see the man is dead they take off the upper Boat and find all his flesh devoured to his very intrails Mithridates thus miserably languished
greatly rejoyced that there was one left to revenge his death The Parthians though they missed of the Women which they most of all desired yet having setled all things at Jerusalem with Antigonus when they departed took Hyrcanus along with them Prisoner into Parthia Herod not hearing of his Brother Phasaelius his death went to Malchus the King of the Arabians Nabathaeans who were obliged to him by many favours he had done them purposing so soon as possibly he could to redeem his Brother for three hundred Talents from the enemy For which cause he carried along with him young Phasaelus his Brothers Son about seven years old to leave him for a pledg with the Arabians But there met him some that were sent from Malchus to command him to depart from the bounds of his Kingdom for so the Parthians had required Yet he pretended that he did it by the request of his Noble men purposing to cozen him of that great treasure which his father Antipater had committed to his trust Herod taking this very heavily turned aside into a certain Temple where he had left many of his followers but the next day when he came to Rhinocorura he heard of his Brothers death Malchus upon second thoughts repenting of his ingratitude sent in all hast after to Herod but the Messengers could not overtake him for he was gon far on his journey towards Pelusium where the Marriners that were sailing to Alexandria refused to take him in There by the Magistrates of the City he was honourably intertained and brought to Cleopatra the Queen who could not prevail with him to stay at that time because he was hastening to Rome though the Sea was very tempestuous and as then the affairs in Italy were in no very good condition As he sailed from Alexandria towards Pamphilia he met with a very great storm which made him cast overboard much of his substance and scarcely got he to Rhodes At Rhodes two of his greatest Friends met him Sappinas and Ptolomaeus and finding that the City had suffered much in the War against Cassius he could not be restrained no not by his present poverty but that he would do something for it even beyond his ability After which he caused a Frigot to be built and embarking himself with his Friends in it he arrived at Brundusium in Italy and fom thence went to Rome declaring unto M. Anthony those things that had happened to himself and his Family and that thorough many tempests and dangers he had retired unto him as his only refuge in whom all his hope lay This Narration moved compassion in Anthony remembring also his Fathers friendship towards him but that which prevailed most was the promise of a great sum of mony if he would help him to the Kingdom Anthony also hated Antigonus as a man of a turbulent Spirit and an enemy to the Romans Caesar also partly for that Antipater Herods Father had been fellow Souldier with his Father in Aegypt and for other curtesies which he had shewed him and partly to gratifie Anthony whom he saw to be well affected to Herod was willing to promote his designs whereupon the Senate being assembled Messala and Atpatinus brought in Herod and after they had praised him reckoning up the love and services that both he and his Father had done for the Romans and accusing Antigonus both for former crimes and for that newly he had received the Kingdom of the Jews from the Parthians in contempt of the Romans and when Anthony also had declared to the Senate how much conducing it was to the Parthian War then in hand that Herod should be made King Antigonus was declared an enemy and the Kingly Title was devolved upon Herod by their general suffrage Whilest these things were transacting at Rome Ventidius the Roman General easily recovered Palestine Antigonus the King thereof being much afraid of him and he exacted great sums of money from all men but especially from Antigonus who in Herods absence had besieged his Family in Massada which place though it abounded with all other kinds of provision yet it wanted water so that Joseph Herods Brother who commanded in chief there with two hundred of his Friends intented to flie to the Arabians for that he heard that Malchus now repented him of his former ingratitude towards Herod But the very Night a great shore of Rain falling filled their Cisterns which made him change his purpose and the next morning making a gallant salley forth they killed many of Antigonus his men Ventidius encamped near to Jerusalem and drew from Antigonus a sufficient sum of money and to the intent that his fraudulent dealing should not be discovered he left one Silo there with part of his Forces under a pretence of helping Joseph who also was to be seed by Antigonus lest he should raise him some new troubles which Antigonus submitted to hoping that the Parthians would shortly come to his aid After the Senate was dismissed Anthony and Caesar went out leading Herod between them who also accompanied with the Consuls and other Magistrates and so they went all together up into the Capitol to sacrifice to the Gods and to place there the Decree of the Senate and the New King the first day of his Reign was Feasted by Anthony and within seven days after he was by Anthony dismissed out of Italy honoured with this unexpected felicity Shortly after Anthony being to go to the Parthian War had all his Acts as well past as to come confirmed by the Senate whereupon he sent to some Kings by his own authority to pay certain Tributes to him and he made Herod King both of the Idumaeans and Samaritans Herod being returned out of Italy to Ptolemais quickly gathered store of Souldiers both of such as he hired as also of his own Countrymen passing through Galile against Antigonus being aided by Silo and Ventidius who were commanded by Anthony to conduct him into his Kingdom and as he went on his Forces daily increased and all Galile except a few sided with him As Herod was marching towards Massada where he was necessarily to relieve his Kindred Joppa would not let him pass wherefore he was to reduce it lest he should leave so strong a place behind him in his passage to Jerusalem which occasion Silo taking hold on for he was not yet come to Herod dislodged his Army from about Jerusalem whom the Jews pursued but Herod meeting him with a small party saved Silo who fought very cowardly After he had taken Joppa he hasted to Massada to raise the Siege and his Army encreased daily many of the Country people joyning with him and having relieved his Friends in Massada he hasted towards Jerusalem and though Antigonus had laid ambushments for him in divers places yet he drew near to the City Silo following and the Jews being terrified with his power When he had encamped on
that were in it save Petronius a Treasurer to whom he profered life But Petronius answered him that Caesars Souldiers used to give others their lives and not to have their lives given them and thereupon slew himself with his own Sword Now Caesar bred this courage in them by rewarding them bountifully and honouring them He also gave them a good example by adventuring himself upon manifest dangers and putting his body to extream pains when there was occasion which filled them with admiration As for his constitution he was lean white and soft skin'd and often troubled with the Head-ach and sometimes with the falling sickness yet yielded he not to his sickness but rather took pains as a Medicine to cure it travelling continually living soberly and commonly lying abroad in the Fields Most nights he slept in his Coach and in the days travelled up and down to see Cities Castles and strong-holds He had always a Secretary with him in his Coach who writ as they went by the way and a Souldier behind him that carryed his Sword He made such speed when he had gotten his Office at Rome that in eight days he came to the River of Rhone He was an excellent Rider from his youth for holding his hands behind him he would run his Horse upon the Spur. In his Wars in Gaul or France he used to exercise himself in inditing Letters by the way wherein he was so nimble that he imployed two Secretaries or more at one time He made very little account of his Diet Supping one night in Millane with his Friend Valerius Leo there was served at Table some Sperage with some perfumed oyl instead of Sallet oyl he eat it and found no fault blaming his Friends who were offended at the mistake saying that if they liked it not they should have let it alone and that it was not good manners hereby to shame their Friend At another time in his Journey he was forced by foul weather to shelter himself in a poor Cottage that had but one Cabbin and that so narrow that one could scarce lye in it whereupon he said to his Friends the greatest rooms are fittest for the greatest men and Beds for sick persons and so caused Oppius that was sick to lye there and himself with the rest of his Friends lay without doors The first War that Caesar made in Gaul was against the Helvetians or Swissers and the Tigurines who having set fire of their own Cities and Houses came to invade that part of Gaul which was subject to the Romans These were a very War-like and Valiant People and in all they were three hundred thousand souls whereof there were one hundred and ninety thousand fighting men yet were they overthrown by Labienus Caesars Lieutenant at the River Arax And when the Heluetians afterwards came suddenly to set upon Caesar he made hast to get into some place of strength and there ordered his Battel against them and when one brought him his charging Horse he said when I have overcome mine enemies then I will get upon him to pursue them and so marching against thâ—m on foot he fiercely charged them The Battel continued long before he could make them fly yet had he more ado to take their Camp and to break the strength that they had made with their Carts For not only those that were fled into it made head again but their Wives and Children also fought stoutly for their lives till they were all slain and the Battel was scarce ended by midnight Presently after above one hundred thousand of those that had escaped from this Battâ—l were forced by Caesar to return into their own Country again and to the Towns which they had burnt and this he did lest the Germans should come over the Rhine and settle themselves in that Country being void The next War that Caesar made was in defence of the Gauls against the Germans though himself had before admitted Ariovistus their King to be received as a confederate of the Romans Notwithstanding which they were grown very unquiet Neighbours watching but an opportunity to possess themselves of the rest of Gaul Caesar perceiving that some of his Captains much feared them especially the young Gentlemen of Noble Families who went along with him as to some Pastimes he commanded all that were afraid to return home and not endanger themselves against their wills But for himself he said he would set upon those Barbarous People though he had left him but the tenth Legion only Upon this the tenth Legion sent their Officers to thank him for the good opinion he had of them and all the other Legions blamed their Captains for their backwardness and followed him cheerfully till they came within two hundred Furlongs of the Enemies Camp Ariovistus his courage was well cooled when he saw Caesar so near whereas they thought that the Romans were afraid of them His Army also was in a great amaze But that which discouraged them most was the Prophesies of some foolish women who observing the terrible noise which the Water in the River made advised the Germans by no means to fight and they being possessed with a superstitious fear sought to avoid the fight Yet Caesar skirmished with them every day and sometime followed them to their Forts and little Hills where they lay whereby he so provoked them that at last they came down with great fury to fight In this Battel he overcame them and pursued them very eagerly making a great slaughter of them even to the River of Rhine filling all the Fields with dead Bodies and spoiles Ariovistus himself flying speedily got over the River and escaped with some few of his men At this Battel there were slain about eighty thousand Germans After this Battel Caesar left his Army to winter amongst the Sequanes and himself thinking of the affairs of Rome returned over the Alps to a place about the River Po whilst he lay there he laboured to make Friends at Rome and when many came to visit him there he granted all their suits and sent them back some with liberal rewards and others with large promises whereby he engaged them to him During all the time of Caesars great conquests in Gaul Pompey did not consider how Caesar conquered the Gauls with the Roman weapons and wan the Romans with the Riches of the Gauls At this time Caesar being informed that the Belgae who were the most War-like Nation of all the Gauls were all up in Arms and had raised a very great Power he presently made towards them with all possible speed and found them overrunning and plundering the neighbour Countries and confederates of the Romans wherefore he gave them Battel and overthrew their chiefest Army and slew so many of them that the Lakes and Rivers were died with their blood and filled with their dead Bodies that the Romans passed over on foot upon them After this overthrow such of them as dwelt near the Sea
all the Ships and Gallies that possibly he could together with those whom Cassius had brought he therein shipped as many of his men as they could contain and passed into the lesser Asia where being advertised that Pompey had been in Cyprus he presumed that he was gone into Aegypt wherefore he steered the same course taking with him two Legions of old Souldiers only When he arrived at Alexandria he understood that Pompey presuming upon the many benefits and good entertainment which the Father of this King Ptolomy had received in his House had sent to this Ptolomy to harbour and assist him which accordingly the King promised and Pompey coming upon his safe conduct in a small Boat was by the false Kings commandment basely murthered thinking thereby to win the favour of Caesar. He understood likewise that Cornelia the Wife of Pompey and his Son Sextus Pompeius were fled from thence in the same ship wherein they came Caesar being landed and received into the City they brought him for a present the Head of the Great Pompey but he turned away and would not see it and when they brought him Pompeys Ring with his Seal of Arms he wept considering the end and success of the great adventures and properties of Pompey who with such honour and fame had Triumphed three times and been so many times Consul in Rome and had obtained so many Victories abroad When Caesar was landed in AEgypt he found the Country imbroiled in Civil Wars there being great discord between young King Ptolomy and his Sister Cleopatra about the division and Inheritance of that Kingdom wherein Julius Caesar as being a Roman Consul took upon him to be an Arbitrator For which cause or because their guilty consciences accused them for the treacherous murther of Pompey Fotinus the Eunuch who had contrived the said murther and Achillas who had been the actor of it fearing that Caesar inclined to favour Cleopatra sent for the Kings Army that lay near the City consisting of twenty thousand good Souldiers purposing to do by Caesar as they had done by Pompey so that within a few days there began between Caesar and his small Army both in the City and in the Harbour where the Ships and Gallies lay the most cruel and dangerous encounter that ever Caesar met with for he was often forced to fight in his own Person both within the City whereof the Enemies held the greater part and also in the Harbour with his Ships and was sometimes in so great peril and danger that he was forced to leap out of the Boat into the Water and by swimming to get one of the Gallies at which time he held his Commentaries in one hand above Water and carry his Robe in his teeth and to swim with the other hand But when his other Forces were come to him from Asia and other parts he at the end of nine months for so long these Wars lasted became Victorious as in all other his enterprises he had been and the young King Ptolomy was slain in fight In this War Caesar did such exploits and behaved himself so gallantly that for the same only he well deserved the fame and name of a brave Captain The Pride of the Aegyptians being thus tamed Caesar put to death the murtherers of Pompey and established the fair Cleopatra the Queen and Governess of Aegypt whom during his stay there he intertained for his Friend and had a Son by her called Caesarion And when he had quitted and settled all things in Aegypt he departed thence into Asia and travelled through Syria now Soria being informed that during his troubles in Aegypt King Pharnaces the Son of that mighty King Methridates thought it a fit time whilst the Romans were embroiled in Civil Wars to recover what his Father had lost For which end having overthrown Domitius whom Caesar had sent to govern those parts and having taken by force of Arms the Provinces of Bithynia and Cappadocia expelling thence King Ariobarzanes a Friend and Subject of Rome and beginning to do the like in Armenia the less which King Deiotarus had subjected to the Romans Caesar I say being informed hereof went with his Army sooner than Pharnaces imagined though he expected him and had intelligence of his appproach so that in few days they came to a Battel in which the King was soon overthrown and put to slight with great slaughter of his People yet himself escaped Caesar was very joyful for this Victory because of his earnest desire to return to Rome where he knew that many scandals were raised and many insolencies were committed for want of his presence He knew also that Pompeys eldest Son had seized upon a great part of Spain and had raised great Forces of those which Marcus Varro had left there and of his Fathers Troops He also understood that in Africa many Principal Romans who had escaped from the Battel of Pharsalia were gathered together whereof M. Cato surnamed Uticensis was the chief and Scipio Pompeys Father in Law and that these went thither with the greatest part of the Ships and Galleys which belonged to Pompey and with the greatest power that they were able to leavy and that joyning with Juba King of Mauritania they had subdued all that Country and had a great Army in a readiness to oppose him having chosen Scipio for their General because that Cato would not take that office upon him and for that the Name of Scipio had been so fortunate in Africa Caesar having intelligence of all these things within the space of a few days with great celerity and diligence recovered all that Pharnaces had usurped and chasing him out of Portus he regained all those Countries and so leaving Celius Minucius for General with two Legions to guard that Province pacifying the controversies and contentions in the rest and rewarding the Kings and Tetrachs which continued firm in their Leagues and amity with the Romans without any longer aboad he departed out of Asia and in a short space arrived in Italy and so passed to Rome within little more than a year after he went thence which was a very short time for the performance of so great matters and so long a Journey Presently after his comming to Rome he caused himself to be chosen Consul the third time and reforming so much as the time and his leasure would permit all disorders in Rome being troubled and not able to endure that his Enemies should possess Africk with great expedition he prepared all things necessary and from Rome took his way towards Africk commanding his Army to follow him First he went into Italy from whence taking Ship he passed over into Africk and though neither his Navy nor his Army arrived with him trusting to the valour of those that he had with him and his own good Fortune he landed with small Forces near to the City of Adrumentum and from thence marched to another City called Leptis
Samercand to confer with him about the setting forward of his Army For although he was still accompanied with renowned Princes and famous Captains yet were they no body in comparison of Axalla whose sound Judgment and Counsel had won him such credit with his Lord and Master as by his advice he did all things and without him nothing which his so great Authority and Favour with his Prince wanted not the envy of the Court but that his great Vertues and rare-found Courtesie in so great fortune together with so many great services as he had done supported him against the malice of the same He upon this command from Tamerlane leaving the charge of the Army at Ozara with the Prince of Thanais came to Samercand and there discoursed with him at large concerning the estate and order of his Army and so shortly after they all departed to Ozara where a new consultation was held by which way he should conduct his Army as whether it was better to lead them by the coast of the Muscovite directly towards Capha or on the other side of the Calpian Sea by the skirts of Persia and after much discourse and sundry opinions with their reasons delivered it was resolved although the way were the longer to pass by the Muscovite so to come to the Georgians and to Trepizond and from thence to enter into the Ottamans Kingdom This being resolved on they marched forward till at length they came to Maranis where he stayed three dayes looking for the China Forces whereof they received news There also Tamerlane mustered and paid his Army He had also news of fifteen thousand Horsemen sent him by the Muscovite with a sum of money with leave for him to pass through so much of his Territories as should be necessary being glad that he set upon others rather than on himself and that such great preparations should fall upon them whose greatness was as dreadful and dangerous to him as any other Tamerlane caused a great quantity of Victuals and most part of the furniture of his Army to be sent along the Caspian Sea which was a great case and commodity to his men which marching by Land was of necessity to pass some twenty Leagues through places destitute both of Victuals and Water Himself all the way coasting along the Sea-shore passed his time in Hunting and Hawking to make the journey less tedious his Army not coming near him by ten Leagues which was so great that it extended it self full twenty Leagues Coming to the River Edel he stayed at Zarazich whilst his Army passed the River at Mechet and over two other Bridges that he had caused to be made of boats for that purpose Now the Circassians and Georgians hearing of the approach of Tamerlane with his huge Army by their Ambassadors offered him all the help and assistance they could afford him in his Journey as he passed that way These Georgians were and yet are Christians a great and Warlike people of long time tributaries to the Greek Emperours and afterwards sometime tributaries and sometimes confederates to the Persians but alvvayes enemies to the Turks and therefore glad they were of Tamerlanes coming against them Of these Warlike people Axalla drew great numbers to the service of his Prince who not a little esteemed of them being all tall men very beautiful of great strength and courage and withall most expert souldiers as having many times resisted the power of the Ottoman Kings by reason of the advantage of their Country which was rough mountainous and hard to come to These people every where kindly entertained Tamerlane and plentifully relieved his Army with all necessaries In passing through which and other Countries he took such order with his Souldiers that none of the people by whom they passed were any whit injured by them insomuch that if a souldier had taken but an Apple or any other trifle he died for it And one of his souldiers having taken a little milk from a Countrey-woman and she thereof complaining he caused him presently to be hanged and his stomack to be ript where the milk that he had lately drank being found he payed the woman for it who had otherwise without mercy died for her false accusation Which his great severity was indeed the preservation of his Army being so great as that it was thought impossible to provide it with Victuals whereof yet there was no want nor of any other thing necessary for the relief of man his Camp being still as a most populous and well-governed City stored with all manner of things whereunto both Artificers and Merchants resorted from far Countries with their Commodities as to some famous Mart and the Country people from every place without fear brought in their Country-commodities for which they received present money and so departed in peace So marching on he at length came to Bachichich where he stayed to refresh his Army eight dayes and there again took a general muster of them finding as some write four hundred thousand Horse and six hundred thousand Foot but others that were present with him say three hundred thousand Horse and five hundred thousand Footmen of all Nations There also he generally payed them and as his manner was made an oration to them informing them of such Orders as he would have observed with much other Military Discipline whereof he was very curious with his Captains In the mean time Bajazet would not believe that Tamerlane durst once look towards him yea so exceeding barbarous was he that he would not so much as suffer any man to speak of him or his Army to him by reason of his pride He also strictly forbad all the bordering people to make any Vows or Prayers for Tamerlanes prosperity But he was soon after awakened out of this Lethargy as we shall presently hear Indeed Tamerlane could hardly be perswaded that Bajazet having subdued the greatest part of Grecia and much distressed the Greek Emperour and having so great means to recover whatsoever he should lose in Asia would be so adventurous as to come over the streights out of Europe to try the fortune of a battel with him but rather warily to protract the time to weary him with wants that in a strange Country drew such a world of people after him wherein yet he found himself much deceived for when he had passed the Georgian Country and was come to Buisabuich Axalla whom he had not seen in eight dayes before because he commanded the Avantguard of the Army came to him with such news as he knew would be most grateful to him Which was that Bajazet had raised his siege before Constantinople to come and defend his new Conquests in Asia and that he was certainly resolved to come to a pitched Battel with him not so much trusting to the multitude of his men as to the experience and valour of his souldiers being long trained up in the Wars At which unexpected news
with his Army marched towards Caria and Pisidia still giving it out that some Persons in those parts were grown unruly He had in his Army a great number of his own besides thirteen thousand Grecians when news of his approach was brought to the Court all was strait in an uproar Many accused the Queen-Mother as having a hand in it and all her Servants were vehemently suspected But that which troubled Parysatis most was Queen Statyra her Daughter in Law who stormed exceedingly when she saw this War begun against her Husband and cryed out on the Queen-Mother for it Parysatis hereupon being a cruel and malicious Woman so hated her hence forwards that she sought her Death by all means Cyrus in the mean time came on without resistance even to the City of Babylon And whereas Artaxerxes had determined to retire into the farthest parts of Persia Tiribazus was the first that durst tell him that he should not shun the fight lerving to his enemies the Kingdomes of Media Babylon and Susa considering that he had a greater Army than Cyrus and far more skilful Captains which words made the King to alter his mind and to resolve to give Battel so soon as he could Cyrus coming with his Army to the River Cayster received money from Epiaxa Wife to Syenesis the King of Cilicia wherewith he paid his Army full four months Wages and by her perswasion her Husband Syenesis gave him also a vast summ of money towards the maintenance of his Army and like a wise man at the same time he supplied Artaxerxes with necessaries for the War and having two Sons he sent one of them to Cyrus with a competent number of men for his service and the other he sent privily away to Artaxerxes to let him know that having such an Army come upon him he durst not but keep fair with Cyrus nevertheless that he continued a true Servant in heart to Artaxerxes and would fall to him so soon as he had opportunity At Tarsus the Grecians who were eleven thousand Corselets and two thousand Targateers told Cyrus plainly that they would march no farther but by the wisdom of Clearchus they were perswaded to go on and so they came to Issus the utmost City of Cilicia where Cyrus's Fleet met him bringing great supplies to him and the Straights of Syria being abandoned Cyrus marched without any stop to the place where the fight shortly after was Cyrus besides the Grecians before mentioned had in his Army one hundred thousand fighting men and two hundred hooked Chariots Of Artaxerxes his part there were four hundred thousand men and fifteen hundred hooked Chariots The place where the fight was was called Cyanaxa five hundred furlongs from Babylon Cyrus his men were marvelously astonished when they saw the Army of Artaxerxes in such excellent good order whereas themselves were dispersed here and there stragling without any order and ill armed trusting too much to themselves and dispising their enemies So that Cyrus had much ado to set his men in Battel array and yet was it with great noise and tumult But of all others the Grecians wondred most when they saw the Kings Army march in so good order of Battel without any noise for they thought to have seen them in great disorder and confusion and supposed that they would have made such a noise as one could not have heard another whereas Artaxerxes had marshalled his Army excellent well He had placed before his Battel his best Chariots armed with Sithes and drawn by the strongest and biggest Horses he had hoping by their fierceness and fury to disorder the ranks of his enemies Before the Battel began Clearchus General of the Grecians advised Cyrus to keep behind his Squadron and not to hazard his Person amongst his own men To whom Cyrus answered What saist thou Clearchus What wouldst thou have me who strive to be a King to shew my self unworthy to be a King But Clearchus himself committed as great if not a worse fault whenas he would not order his men directly against the Battel of the enemy where Artaxerxes was but pent them up by the Rivers side for fear least they should be compassed in behind whereas if the Grecians had been set in opposition to the King he had never been able to endure their charge but had either been slain or forced to fly wherefore if Artaxerxes would have chosen or wished a place where the Grecians might have done him less hurt he could not have devised a fitter place that was so far from him and from whence the Grecians could neither see nor hear what was done in the place where he was as afterwards appeared Cyrus being mounted upon an hot and hard mouthed Horse the Governour of the Province of the Caducians spyed him afar off and clapping spurs to his Horse he came with a full career to him crying out O Traytor and most unfaithful man Thou dishonourest the name of Cyrus for that thou hast brought such valiant Grecians upon so wicked an enterprise to spoil the Persians Goods and to destroy thy Soveraign Lord and only Brother who hath an infinite number of Slaves and Servants that are honester men than thy self and that thou shalt presently know by experience for thou shalt die before thou seest the Kings face and therewithall he threw his Dart at him with all his force But the Armour of Cyrus was so good that it pierced not yet the blow made him stagger on his Horse back Artagerses having given him this blow presently wheeled about But Cyrus threw a Dart at him so happily that he slew him the head of his Dart passing quite through his Neck Cyrus hereupon presently slew upon those that were neerest to the Kings Person and came so near the King that he flew his Horse under him But Tiribazus presently mounted the King upon another Horse and Cyrus clapping spurs to his Horse threw another Dart at the King and hit him But at the third charge Artaxerxes told them about him that he could not abide this and that he had rather die than suffer it and thereupon he spurred his Horse to charge Cyrus who also came fiercely against him and threw his Dart at him as also did all those that were about the King and so was Cyrus slain in this conflict Now after Cyrus was dead Artasyras one of the Kings Eunuchs passing by found his dead Body whereupon he gallopped apace to the King and with a smiling countenance told him the news Artaxerxes was so joyful that he would needs go to the place to see it But he was advised not to go in Person for fear of the Grecians who carried all before them and were killing those that had fled before them Upon this advice the King stayed and sent thirty men with Torches in their hands to seek him out The King was very ill both by reason of the great thirst he suffered as also by reason of a wound that he had received