litle repulsed by reason of the hanging of the hill Marius gaue this order vnto his folke and therewithall was him selfe the first man that put it in execution for he was as trymme a warriour and as valliant a souldier as any man in all his army besides not one amongest them all would venter furder and be more bolde then him selfe So when the ROMAINES had resisted them and stayed them sodainely going with fury to haue wonne the hill perceiuing them selues to be repulsed they gaue backe by litle and litle vntill they came into the field and then beganne the formest of them to gather together and to put them selues in battell ray vppon the plaine when sodainly they heard the noyse and charging of them that were in the tayle of their army For Claudius Marcellus failed not to take the occasion when it was offered him bicause that the noyse of the first charge comming vp against the hills thereabouts vnder the which he lay in ambushe gaue him aduertisement thereof whereupon he caused his men presently to shew and running with great cryes came to geue a charge vpon those which were in the tayle of the barbarous people putting the hindemost to the sworde They made their fellowes whose backes were next vnto them to turne their faces so from man to man till at the length in shorte time all their battell beganne to wauer in disorder and they made no great resistaunce when they saw they were so charged before and behinde but beganne straight to flie for life The ROMAINES following them hard at the heeles killed and tooke prisoners aboue a hundred thowsande of them and tooke moreouer their cartes their tentes and all their cariage Which the whole army by consent agreed to present vnto Marius excepting nothing sauing that which was imbeaceled and conueyed away vnder hande Now though this was a maruelous honorable right noble present yet they thought it not a recompence sufficient for that he had deserued for the valure he had shewed of a famous Captaine in leading of his army for the good order he kept in this warre so happy thought they them selues to haue escaped so great a daunger Notwithstanding some wryters doe not agree that the spoyle of the barbarous people was geuen vnto Marius nor that there were also so great a number of men slaine as we haue spoken of But they say that after this battell the MARSSILIANS did inclose their vines with hedges made of dead mens bones and that the bodies being rotten and consumed vpon the fieldes through the great raine that fell vpon them the winter following the ground waxed so fatte and did soke the grease so deepe in the same that the sommer following they did beare an vncredible quantity of all sortes of frutes And by this meanes were Archilocus wordes proued true that the errable land doth waxe fat with such rottennesse or putrification And it is sayd aso that of ordinary after great battells there falleth great store of raine Either it is by meane of some god that powring downe pure raine water doth purifie wash and clense the grounde defiled and polluted with mans blood or else it happeneth by naturall cause For that the ouerthrow of so many dead bodies and of the blood split engendreth a moyst grosse and heauy vapoure which doth thicken the ayer that by nature is chaungeable and easie to alter from a very small or litle beginning vnto an exceeding great chaunge After this battell Marius caused the harnesse and spoyles of the barbarous people to be layed aside that were left whole and fayer to sight to beautifie enrich the pompe of his triumphe Then he caused the rest to be gathered together on a great heape and layed apon a stake of wodde to make a noble sacrifice vnto the gods all his army being armed about him crowned with garlandes of triumphe and him selfe apparelled in a long gowne of purple according to the custome of the ROMAINES in such a case and holding a torch burning in both his hands which he first lifted vp vnto heauen And as he was turning downe the torch to put fire to the stake of wood they saw some of his frends a good way of a horse backe comming post vnto him then sodainly there was a great silence made of all the assembly euery man desirous to heare what good newes they had brought When they were come and lighted of their horses they ranne straight to embrace Marius and brought him newes that he was chosen Consull the fift time and presented him the letters sent him from ROME confirming the same And thus this new ioy falling out besides the victory the priuate souldiers did shewe the great ioy and pleasure they tooke in both with great showtes and beating vpon their harnesse and the Captaines also they crowned Marius againe with new garlandes of laurell which they put about his head and that done he put fire vnder the stake of wodde and ended his sacrifice But that which neuer suffereth men quietly to enioy the good happe of any victory clearely but in this mortall life doth euer mingle the ill with the good be it either fortune or spight of fatall destenie or else the necessitie of the naturall causes of earthly thinges did shortely after this great ioy bring newes vnto Marius of his companion Catulus Luctatius the other Consull who was like a cloude in a fayer bright day and brought the city of ROME againe into a new feare and trouble For Catulus that went against the CIMBRES thought it was not for him to keepe the straightes of the mountaines in hope to let the barbarous people for passing bicause that in so doing he had bene compelled to deuide his army into many partes and had weakened him selfe very much if he had taken that course Wherefore comming a litle on this side the Alpes towardes ITALIE he planted him selfe vpon the riuer of Athesis and built a bridge apon it to passe and repasse ouer his men when he would and sette vp at either ende of the bridge two strong fortes well fortified that he might more cōmodiously helpe the places on the other side of the riuer if the barbarous people by chaūce would offer to force thē after they had gotten out of the straights of the mountaines Now these barbarous people had such a glory in them selues and disdained their enemies so much that more to shew their force and boldnes then of any necessity that compelled them or for any benefit they got by it they suffred it to snow apon them being starke naked and did clime vp to the toppe of the mountaines throw great heapes ofise and snow And when they were at the very toppe of all they layed their long broad targets vnder their bodies and lay all along apon them sliding downe the steepe high rockes that had certaine hanginges ouer of an infinito height In the ende they came to campe neere vnto the ROMAINES by
hornes gylte garlands of flowers nosegayes about their heads there wit by them certaine yong men with aprons of nedle worke girt about their midle who led them to the sacrifice young boyes with them also that caried goodly basons of gold siluer to cast sprinkle the bloud of the sacrifices about And after these followed those that caried all coynes of gold deuided by basons vessels euery one of them waying three talents as they dyd before that caried the great holy cuppe which AEmylius had caused to be made of mass gold set full of precious stones waying the weight of tenne talents to make an offering vnto the godds And next vnto them went other that caried plate made wrought after antike facion notable cuppes of the auncient kings of MACEDON as the cuppe called Antigonus another Seleucus to be shorte all the whole cubberd of plate of gold siluer of king Perseus And next them came the charret of his armour in the which was all king Perseus harnesse his royall bande they call a Diademe vpon his armour And a litle space betweene them followed next the Kings children whom they led prisoners with the traine of their schoolemasters other officers their seruaunts weeping lamenting who held vp their hands vnto the people that looked apon them taught the Kings young children to doe the like to aske mercie grace at the peoples hands There were three prety litle children two sonnes and a daughter amongest them whose tender yeres and lacke of vnderstanding made them poore soules they could not feele their present miserie which made the people so muche more to pittie them when they saw the poore litle infants that they knew not the chaūge of their hard fortune so that for the cōpassion they had of thē they almost let the father passe without looking vpon him Many peoples harts did melt for very pittie that the teares ranne downe their cheekes so as this sight brought both pleasure sorow together to the lookers on vntill they were past gone a good way out of sight King Perseus the father followed after his children their traine he was clothed in a blacke gowne wearing a payer of slippers on his feete after his contrie māner He shewed by his countenance his troubled minde opprest with sorow of his most miserable state fortune He was followed with his kinsefolks his familliar frends his officers household seruants their faces disfigured by blubbering shewing to the world by their lamēting teares sorowfull eyes cast apon their vnfortunate master how much they sorowed bewailed his most hard cursed fortune litle accōpting of their own miserie The voice goeth that Perseus sent vnto AEmylius to intreate him that he should not be led through the cittie in the showe sight of the triūphe But AEmylius mocking as he deserued his cowardly faint hart aunswered as for that it was before is now in him to doe if he wil. Meaning to let him vnderstād thereby that he might rather chuse to dye then liuing to receiue such opē shame Howbeit his hart would not serue him he was so cowardly made so effeminate by a certen vaine hope he knew not what that he was cōtented to make one amōg his own spoiles After all this there followed 400. princely crownes of golde which the citties and townes of GRAECE had purposly sent by their ambassadours vnto AEmylius to honour his victorie next vnto thē he came him selfe in his charret triūphing which was passing sumptuously set forth adorned It was a noble sight to behold yet the person of him self only was worth the looking on without all that great pōpe magnificēce For he was apparelled in a purple gowne branched with gold caried in his right hand a lawrell boughe as all his armie did beside the which being deuided by bands cōpanies followed the triūphing charret of their captaine some of the souldiers singing songes of victorie which the ROMAINES vse to singe in like triumphes mingling thē with mery pleasant toyes reioycing at their captaine Other of thē also dyd singe songs of triūphe in the honour praise of AEmylius noble cōquest victorie He was opēly praised blessed honored of euery body neither hated nor enuied of honest mē Sauing the ordinary vse of some god whose propertie is allwayes to lessen or cut of some part of mans exceding prosperitie felicitie mingling with mans life the sence feeling of good euill together bicause that no liuing persone should passe all his time of life without some aduersitie or misfortune but that such as Homer sayeth should only thinke thē selues happie to whom fortune hath equally sorted the good with the euill And this I speake bicause AEmylius had 4. sonnes two of the which he gaue in adoptiō vnto the families of Scipio of Fabius as we haue sayed before two other which he had by his secōd wife be brought vp with him in his owne house were both yet very young Of the which the one dyed being 14. yeres of age fiue dayes before his fathers triūphe the other dyed also 3. dayes after the pompe of triumphe at 12. yeres of age When this sorowfull chaūce had befallen him euery one in ROME did pittie him in their hartes but fortunes spite crueltie did more greue feare them to see her litle regard towards him to put into a house of triūphe full of honour glorie of sacrifices ioye such a pittiefull mourning mingling of sorowes lamētations of death amōgest such songs of triumple victorie Notwithstāding this AEmylius taking things like a wise man thought that he was not only to vse constācie magnanimitie against the sword pike of the enemie but a like also against all aduersitie and enmitie of spiteful fortune So he wisely wayed cōsidered his present misfortune with his former prosperitie finding his misfortune cōterpeased with felicitie his priuate grieues cut of with cōmon ioye he gaue no place to his sorowes mischāces neither blemished any way the dignity of his triūphe victorie For when he had buried the eldest of his two last sonnes he left not to make his triūphant entrie as you haue heard before And his secōd sonne also being deceased after his triumphe he caused the people to assemble in face of the whole cittie he made an oration not like a discōforted man but like one rather that dyd cōforte his sorowfull contrymen for his mischāce He told them that concerning mens matters neuer any thing dyd feare him but for things aboue he euer feared fortune mistrusting her chaūge incōstācy specially in the last warre doubting for so great prosperitie as could be wished to be payed home with an after intollerable aduersitie sinister chaunce For as I went sayed he
and tedious bene Specially sith that of so many good men men of skill as haue heretofore set hand to the translating of it there vvas neuer yet any one found that vvent through vvith it in any language at least vvise that I haue seene or heard of and that such as haue enterprised to translate it specially into Latin haue euidently vvitnessed the hardnesse thereof as they may easely perceiue vvhich list to conserve their translations vvith mine Neuerthelesse if also fortune that men find not the speech of this translation so flovving as they haue found some other of mine that are abroad in mens hands I beseech the readers to consider that the office of a fit translater consisteth not onely in the faithfull expressing of his authors meaning but also in a certaine resembling and shadovving out of the forme of his style and the mâ—â—â—â— of his speaking vnlesse he vvill commit the errour of some painters vvho hauing taken vpon them to dravv a man lively do paint him long vvhere he should be short and grosse vvhere he should be slender and yet set out the resemblance of his countenance naturally For hovv harsh or rude soeuer my speech be yet am I sure that my translation vvill be much easier to my contriemen than the Greeke copie is euen to such as are best practised in the Greeke tonge by reason of Plutarkes peculiar maner of inditing vvhich is rather sharpe learned and short than plaine polished and easie At the hardest although I haue not compassed my matters so happily as ye coulde haue vvished and desired yet do I hope that your Lordships in reading it vvill hold the parties good vvill excused vvhich hath taken such paines in doing of it to profit you And if my labor be so happie as to content you God be praised for it vvhich hath giuen me the grace to finish it THE TABLE OF THE NOBLE GRECIANS AND ROMANES COMPARED BY Plutarke of Chaeronea Theseus pag. 1. compared 41. Romulus pag. 20. compared 41. Lycurgus pag. 44. compared 82. Numa Pompilius p. 66 compared 82. Solon pag. 86. coÌ„pared 120. Publicola pag. 107. coÌ„pared 120. Themistocles pag. 123. Furius Camillus pag. 142. Pericles pag. 167. coÌ„pared 208 Fabius Maximus pa. 191 coÌ„pared 208 Alcibiades pag. 210. coÌ„pared 260 Coriolanus pag. 237. coÌ„pared 260 Paulus AEmylius pa. 263 coÌ„pared 306 Timoleon pag. 286. coÌ„pared 306 Pelopidas pag. 308. coÌ„pared 349 Marcellus pag. 330 coÌ„pared 349 Aristides pag. 352. coÌ„pared 391 Marcus Cato pag. 372. coÌ„pared 391 Philopoemen pag. 395. coÌ„pared 424 T.Q. Flaminius pa. 409 coÌ„pared 424 Pyrtus pag. 426. Caius Marius pag. 451. Lysander pag. 480. coÌ„pared 525 Sylla pag. 499. coÌ„pared 525 Cimon pag. 528. coÌ„pared 576 Lucullus pag. 544. coÌ„pared 576 Nicias pag. 579. coÌ„pared 622 Marcus Crassus pa. 600. coÌ„pared 622 Sertorius pag. 621. coÌ„pared 654 Eumenes pag. 641. coÌ„pared 654 Agesilaus pag. 655. coÌ„pared 719 Pompeius pag. 678. coÌ„pared 719 Alexander pag. 722. Iulius Caesar. pag. 763. Phocion pag. 797. Cato Vtican pag. 815. Agis Cleomenes pag. 848. compared 894 Tiberius and Caius Gracchi pag. 875. compared 894 Demosthenes pag. 897. coÌ„pared 938 Cicero pag. 912. coÌ„pared 938 Demetrius pag. 941. coÌ„pared 1011 Antonius pag. 970. coÌ„pared 1011 Artaxerxes pag. 1013. Dion pag. 1029. coÌ„pared 1081 Marcus Brutus pa. 1055 coÌ„pared 1081 Aratus pag. 1083. Galba pag. 1108. Otho pag. 1121. Annibal pag. 1131. coÌ„pared 1173 Scipio African pag. 1157. coÌ„pared 1173 Liues 50. THE LIVES OF THE NOBLE GRECIANS AND ROMANES COMPARED TOGETHER BY THAT graue learned Philosopher and Historiographer Plutarche of Choeronea Theseus LIKE as historiographers describing the world srende Sossius Senecio doe of purpose referre to the vttermost partes of their mappes the farre distant regions whereof they be ignoraunt with this note these contries are by meanes of sandes and drowthes vnnauigable rude full of venimous beastes SCYTHIAN I se and frosen seas Euen so may I which in comparinge noble mens liues haue already gone so farre into antiquitie as the true and certaine historie could lead me of the rest being thinges past all proofe or chalenge very well say that beyonde this time all is full of suspicion and dout being deliuered vs by Poets and Tragedy makers sometimes without trueth and likelihoode and alwayes with out certainty Howbeit hauing heretofore set foorth the liues of Lycurgus which established the lawes of the LACEDAEMONIANS and of king Numa Pompilius me thought I might go a litle further to the life of Romulus sence I was come so nere him But considering my selfe as the Poet AEschilus did VVhat champion may vvith such a man compare or vvho thinke I shal be against him set VVho is so bold or vvho is he that dare defend his force in such encounter met In the end I resolued to match him which did set vp the noble famous city of ATHENS with him which founded the glorious and inuincible city of ROME Wherein I would wishe that the inuentions of Poets and the traditions of fabulous antiquitie would suffer them selues to be purged and reduced to the forme of a true and historicall reporte but when they square too much from likelyhode and can not be made credible the readers will of curtesie take in good parte that which I could with most probability wryte of such antiquities Now surely me thinkes that Theseus in many thinges was much like vnto Romulus For being both begotten by stealth and out of lawful matrimony both were reputed to be borne of the seede of the goddes Both valiant vvere as all the vvorld doth knovv Both ioyned valiancy with gouernment The one of them built ROME and the other by gathering into one dispersed people erected the citie of ATHENS two of the most noble cities of the worlde The one and the other were rauishers of women and neither th one nor thother coulde auoyde the mischiefe of quarrell and contention with their frendes nor the reproch of staining them selues with the blood of their nearest kinsemen Moreouer they say that both the one and the other in the end did get the hate and ill will of their citizens at the least if we will beleue that reporte of Theseus which carieth greatest show of trueth Theseus of his fathers side was descended of the right linage of Erictheus the great and of the first inhabitants which occupied the contrie of ATTICA the which since were called Autocthones as much to say as borne of them selues For there is no memorie or other mention made that they came out of any other contry then that And of his mothers side he came of Pelops who was in his time the mightiest king of all the contrie of PELOPONNESVS not so much for his goodes and richesse as for the number of children which he had For his daughters which were many in number he bestowed on the greatest Lordes of all the contrie his sonnes also which likewise were many he dispersed into diuerse cities and free townes findinge meanes to
indifferently to his will. As the offices of state common assemblies voyces in election iudgemēts in iustice and the bodie of the Senate And they gaue him also full power and authoritie to sesse and taxe any of them to appointe the number what time the sesse should continewe and to keepe confirme and disanull at his pleasure any of the auncient lawes and customes then in being To beginne withall he first tooke away all Dracons bloudy lawes sauing for murder and manslaughter which were to seuere cruell For almost he dyd ordaine but one kinde of punishment for all kinde of faultes and offences which was death So that they which were condemned for idlenes were iudged to dye And pety larceny as robbing mens horteyards gardens of fruite or erbes was as seuerely punished as those who had committed sacriledge or murder Demades therefore encountered it pleasauntly when he sayed that Dracons lawes were not written with incke but with bloud And Draco him selfe being asked one daye why his punishmēts were so vnequall as death for all kinde of faultes he aunswered Bicause he thought the least offence worthie so much punishment and for the greatest he found none more grieuous Then Solon being desirous to haue the chief offices of the cittie to remaine in riche mens handes as already they dyd and yet to mingle the authoritie of gouernment in such sorte as the meaner people might beare a litle swaye which they neuer could before he made an estimate of the goodes of euery priuate cittizen And those which he founde yerely worthe fiue hundred busshells of corne other liquide fruites and vpwards he called Pentacosiomedimnes as to saye fiue hundred busshell men of reuenue And those that had three hundred busshells a yere and were able to keepe a horse of seruice he put in the second degree and called them knightes They that might dispend but two hundred busshells a yere were put in the thirde place called Zeugites All other vnder those were called Thetes as ye would saye hyerlings or craftes men liuing of their labour whom he dyd not admit to beare any office in the cittie neither were they taken as free cittizens sauing they had voyces in elections and assemblies of the cittie and in iudgements where the people wholy iudged This at the first seemed nothing but afterwardes they felt it was to great purpose for hereby the most parte of priuate quarrells and strifes that grewe among them were in the ende layed open before the people For the suffered those to appeale vnto the people which thought they had wrong iudgement in their causes Furthermore bicause his lawes were written somewhat obscurely and might be diuersely taken and interpreted this dyd geue a great deale more authoritie and power to the iudges For considering all their controuersies could not be ended and iudged by expresse lawe they were driuen of necessitie allwayes to ronne to the iudges and debated their matters before them In so muche as the iudges by this meanes came to be somewhat aboue the lawe for they dyd euen expounde it as they would them selues Solon self doth note this equall diuision of the publicke authoritie in a place of his poesies where he sayeth Suche povver haue I geuen to common peoples hande as might become their meane estate vvith equity to stande and as I haue not pluct from them their dignitie so haue I not to much increast their small authoritie Vnto the riche likevvise I haue allovved no more then vvell might seeme in iust conceit sufficient for their store And so I have for both prouided in such vvise that neither shall eche other vvrong nor seeme for to despise Yet considering it was meete to prouide for the pouertie of the common sorte of people he suffered any man that would to take vpon him the defence of any poore mans case that had the wrong For if a man were hurte beaten forced or otherwise wronged any other man that would might lawfully sue the offendour and prosecute lawe against him And this was a wise lawe ordeined of him to accustome his cittizens to be sorie one for anothers hurte so to feele it as if any parte of his owne bodie had bene iniured And they saye he made an aunswer on a time agreable to this law For being asked what cittie he thought best gouerned he aunswered That cittie where such as receyue no wronge doe as earnestly defend wrōg offered to other as the very wrong iniurie had bene done vnto them selues He erected also the coūsaill of the Areopagites of those magistrates of the cittie out of which they did yerely choose their gouernour he him self had bene of that number for that he had bene gouernour for a yere Wherefore perceyuing now the people were growen to a stomake hawtines of minde bicause they were cleare discharged of their detts he set one vp for matters of state another counsell of an hundred chosen out of euery tribe whereof foure hūdred of them were to consult debate of all matters before they were propounded to the people that when the great counsell of the people at large should be assembled no matters should be put forth onles it had bene before well considered of digested by the counsell of the foure hundred Moreouer he ordeined the higher courte should haue the chiefe authoritie power ouer all things and chiefly to see the lawe executed and mainteined supposing that the common weale being settled and stayed with these two courtes as with two stronge anker holdes it should be the lesse turmoyled and troubled and the people also better pacified and quieted The most parte of writers holde this opinion that it was Solon which erected the counsaill of the Areopagites as we haue sayed and it is very likely to be true for that Dracon in all his lawes and ordinaunces made no manner of mention of the Areopagites but allwayes speaketh to the Ephetes which were iudges of life and death when he spake of murder or of any mans death Notwithstanding the eight law of the thirtenth table of Solon sayeth thus in these very words All such as haue bene banished or detected of naughty life before Solon made his laws shal be restored againe to their goodes and good name except those which were condemned by order of the counsaill of the Areopagites or by the Ephetes or by the Kings in open courte for murder and death of any man or for aspiring to vsurpe tyrannie These wordes to the contrarie seeme to proue and testifie that the counsell of the Areopagites was before Solon was chosen reformer of the lawes For howe could offenders and wicked men be condemned by order of the counsell of the Areopagites before Solon if Solon was the first that gaue it authoritie to iudge onles a man will saye peraduenture that he would a litle helpe the matter of his lawes which were obscure and darke and would supply that they lacked
their voyces also there in deede are they most bounde and subiect bicause they doe but obaye the rich in all they doe commaund But yet in this acte there is a thinge more wonderfull and worthie to be noted That commonly discharging of dettes was wont to breede great tumultes and seditions in common weales And Solon hauing vsed it is a very good time as the phisitian ventring a daungerous medecine dyd appease the sedition already begonne and did vtterly quenche through his glorie and the common opinion they had of his wisdome and vertue all the infamie and accusation that might haue growen of that acte As for their first entrie into the gouernment Solons beginning was farre more noble For he went before and followed not another and him selfe alone without any others helpe dyd put in execution the best and more parte of all his notable and goodly lawes Yet was Publicolaes ende and death much more glorious and happie For Solon before he dyed sawe all his comon wealthe ouerthrowen but Publicolaes common weale continued whole as he left it vntill the broyle of ciuill warres beganne againe among them Solon after he had made his lawes and written them in wodden tables leauing them without defence of any man went his waye immediatly out of the cittie of ATHENS Publicola abiding continually in ROME gouerning the state dyd throughly stablishe confirme the lawes he made Furthermore Solon hauing wisely forseene Pisistratus practises aspiring to make him selfe King he could neuer let him for all that but was himselfe ouercome and oppressed with they tyrannie he sawe stablished in his owne sight and in dispight of him Where Publicola ouerthrewe and dyd put downe a mightie Kingdome that had continued of long time and was throughly stablished his vertue and desire being equall with Solons hauing had besides fortune fauorable and sufficient power to execute his vertuous and well disposed minde But as for warres and marshall deedes there is no comparison to be made betweene them For Daimachus Plataian doth not attribute the warres of the MEGARIANS vnto Solon as we haue written it where Publicola being generall of an armie and fighting himselfe in persone hath wonne many great battels And as for matters of peace and ciuill gouernment Solon neuer durst present him self openly to persuade the enterprise of SALAMINA but vnder a counterfeat madnes and as a soole to make sporte Where Publicola taking his aduenture from the beginning shewed him selfe without dissimulation an open enemie to Tarquine and afterwardes he reuealed all the whole conspiracie And when he had bene the only cause and autor of punishing the traitours he dyd not only driue out of ROME the tyrannes selues in persone but tooke from them also all hope of returne againe Who hauing allwayes thus nobly valiantly behaued him self without shrinking backe or flying from ought that required force a manly corage or open resistaunce dyd yet shewe him selfe discreete where wisedome was requisite or reason and persuasion needefull As when he conningly wanne king Porsena who was a dredfull enemie vnto him and inuincible by force whom he handled in such good sorte that he made him his friend Peraduenture some might stand in this and saye that Solon recouered the I le of SALAMINA vnto the ATHENIANS which they would haue lost Publicola to the contrarie restored the lands vnto Porsena againe which the ROMAINES had conquered before within the countrie of THVSCAN But the times in which these things were done are allwayes to be considered of For a wise gouernour of a Realme and politicke man doth gouerne diuersely according to the occasions offred taking euery thing in his time wherein he will deale And many times in letting goe one thing he saueth the whole and in losing a litle he gayneth much As Publicola dyd who losing a litle pece of another mans countrie which they had vsurped saued by that meanes all that was assuredly his owne And whereas the ROMAINES thought he should doe very much for them to saue their cittie only he got them moreouer all the goodes that were in their enemies cāpe which dyd besiege them And in making his enemie iudge of his quarrell he wāne the victorie winning that moreouer which he would gladly haue geuen to haue ouercome and haue sentence passe of his side For the King their enemie dyd not only make peace with them but dyd also leaue them all his furniture prouision and munition for the warres euen for the vertue manhood and iustice which the great wisedome of this Consul persuaded Porsena to beleeue to be in all the other ROMAINES The end of Publicolaes life THE LIFE OF Themistocles THEMISTOCLES parentage dyd litle aduaunce his glorie for his father Neocles was of small reputation in ATHENS being of the hundred of Phrear tribe of Leontis of his mother an allien or straunger as these verses doe witnesse Abrotonon I am yborne in Thracia and yet this highe good happe I haue that into Grecia I haue brought forth a sonne Themistocles by name the glorie of the Greekishe bloods and man of greatest fame Howbeit Phanias writeth that his mother was not a THRACIAN but borne in the countrie of CARIA and they doe not call her Abrotonon but Euterpé And Neanthes sayeth furthermore that she was of HALICARNASSVS the chiefest cittie of all the Realme of CARIA For which cause when the straungers dyd assemble at Cynosargos a place of exercise without the gate dedicated to Hercules which was not a right god but noted an alien in that his mother was a mortall woman Themistocles persuaded diuers youthes of the most honourable houses to goe down with him to annointe them selues at Cynosargos conningly thereby taking away the differēce betwene the right alien sorte But setting a parte all these circumstaunces he was no doubt allied vnto the house of the Lycomedians for Themistocles caused the chappell of this familie which is in the village of PHLYES being once burnt by the barbarous people to be buylt vp againe at his owne charges and as Simonides sayeth he dyd set in forth and enriche it with pictures Moreouer euery man doth confesse it that euen from his childhood they dyd perceyue he was geuen to be very whotte headed sturring wise and of good spirite and enterprising of him selfe to doe great things and borne to rule weighty causes For at such dayes and howers as he was taken from his booke and had leaue to playe he neuer played nor would neuer be idle as other children were but they allwayes founde him conning some oration without booke or making it alone by him selfe and the ground of his matter was euer comonly either to defend or accuse some of his companions Whereupon his schoolemaster obseruing him ofte sayed vnto him suer some great matter hangeth ouer thy head my boye for it cannot be chosen but that one daye thou shalt doe some notable good thing or some extreme mischief Therefore when they went about to
to GREECE not reuolted to the MEDES Afterwards the GRECIANS coming frō thence without any acte done and the THESSALIANS also being wonne somewhat on the Kings side for that all the whole country vnto BOEOTIA was at the deuotion goodwill of the barbarous people then the ATHENIANS beganne to finde howe Themistocles opinion to fight by sea was very good Wherupon they sent him with their nauie to the cittie of ARTEMISIVN to kepe the straight There the other GRECIANS would haue had the LACEDAEMONIANS their admirall Eurybiades to haue had the authoritie cōmaundement of the rest But the ATHENIANS would not set sayle vnder any other admirall then their own bicause theirs were the greatest number of shippes in the armie aboue all the other GRECIANS Themistocles foreseing the daunger that was likely to fall out amongest them selues dyd willingly yelde the whole authoritie vnto Eurybiades got the ATHENIANS to agree vnto it assuring them that if they behaued them selues valliātly in these warres the other GREECIANS of their own accorde would afterwards submit them selues vnto their obedience Hereby it appeareth that he only of all other was at that time the originall cause of the sauing of GREECE dyd most aduaunce the honour and glorie of the ATHENIANS by making them to ouercome their enemies by force their friēds allies with liberalitie In the meane time Eurybiades seing the barbarous flete riding atanker all alongest the I le of APHETES with such a great nūber of shippes in the vaward he begāne to be affrayed And vnderstāding moreouer there were other 200. sayle that wēt to cast about the I le of SCIATHE so to come in he presently would haue retired further into GREECE would haue drawē neerer vnto PELOPONNESVS to the end their army by sea might be neare their army by lāde as thinking it vnpossible to fight with king Xerxes power by sea Whereupō the inhabitants of the I le of EVBOEA fearing least the GRECIANS would to the spoyle of the enemy they caused Themistocles secretly to be spokē with all sent him a good some of money by one called Pelagon Themistocles tooke the money as Herodotus writeth gaue it to Eurybiades But there was one Architeles amōgest the ATHENIANS captaine of the galley called the holy galley that was much against Themistocles intended purpose who hauing no money to paye his mariners dyd what he could that they might departe with speede from thence Themistocles sturred vp then his souldiers more against him then before insomuch as they wēt aborde his galley tooke his supper from him Architeles being maruelous angrie offēded withall Themistocles sent him both bread meat in a pānier in the bottome thereof he had put a talent of siluer bidding him for that night to suppe with that and the next morning he should prouide for his mariners or els he would cōplaine accuse him to the cittizēs that he had takē money of the enemies Thus it is writtē by Phanias Lesbiā Moreouer these first fights in the straite of EVBOEA betweene the GREECIANS the barbarous people were nothing to purpose to end the warres betwene them For it was but a taste geuē vnto them which serued the GREECIANS turne very much by making them to see by experiēce the manner of the fight that it was not the great multitude of shippes nor the pōpe sumptuous setting out of the same nor the prowde barbarous showts songes of victorie that could stande them to purpose against noble harts valliāt minded souldiers that durst grapple with them come to hands strokes with their enemies that they should make no reckoning of all that brauery bragges but should sticke to it like men laye it on the iacks of them The which as it seemeth the poet Pindarus vnderstoode very well when he sayed touching the battell of ARTEMISIVM The stovvte Athenians haue novve foundation layed vnto the libertie of Greece by thes assaults assayed For out of doubt the beginning of victorie is to be hardie This place ARTEMISIVM is a parte of the I le of EVBOEA looking towards the North aboue the cittie of ESTIAEA lying directly ouer against the country which somtimes was vnder the obedience of the PHILOCTETES and specially of the cittie of OLIZON There is a litle temple of Diana surnamed Orienta 〈…〉 ound about the which there are trees and a compasse of pillers of white stone which when a man rubbes with his hande they shewe of the culler and sauour of safferne And in one of those pillers there is an inscription of lamentable verses to this effect VVhen boldest bloods of Athens by their might had ouercome the numbers infinite of Asia they then in memorie of all their dedes and valliant victorie beganne to builde this noble monument and to Diane the same they dyd present for that they had the Medes likevvise subdued vvith their bloud their hardy hands embrued There is a place seene also vpon that coast at this daye a good waye into the lande in the middest whereof are great sands full of blacke dust as ashes and they thincke that they burnt in that place all dead bodies and olde shippwracks Newes being brought what had bene done in the countrie of THERMOPYLES how that king Leonidas was dead and how that Xerxes had wonne that entry into GREECE by lande the GREECIANS then brought their whole army by sea more into GREECE the ATHENIANS being in the rereward in this retire as mē whose hartes were lifte vp with the glorie of their former valliant dedes Nowe Themistocles passing by those places where he knewe the enemies must of necessitie fall vpon the lee shore for harborow he dyd ingraue certen wordes spoken vnto the IONIANS in great letters in stone which he founde there by chaunce or purposely brought thither for that purpose where there was very good harber for shippes and fit places also to lye in These were the wordes that the IONIANS should take the GREECIANS partes being their founders and auncesters such as fought for their libertie or at the least they should trouble the armie of the barbarous people doe them all the mischief they could when the GREECIANS should come to fight with them By these words he hoped either to bring the IONIANS to take their parte or at the least he should make the barbarous people iealous mistrustfull of them Xerxes being already entred in the vppermost parte of the prouince of DORICA into the countrie of PHOCIDA burning destroying the townes citties of the PHOCIANS the other GREECIANS laye still suffered the inuasion notwithstanding the ATHENIANS did request them to mete with the barbarous armie in BOEOTIA to saue the countrie of ATTICA as before they had done when they wēt by sea to ARTEMISIVM But they would not hearkē to it in no wise all was bicause they were desirous they should drawe to the straite of
the people of Themistocles which kept watche perceyuing them ranne vpon them and tooke them So Themistocles hauing escaped this daunger wondred greately at the fauour of the goddesse which had appeared vnto him In recompence whereof when he was in the cittie of MAGNESIA he built a temple vnto Dindymena and made his daughter Mnesiptolema prioresse of the same As he passed by the cittie of SARDIS for his recreation he went to visite the temples and offerings that had bene geuen there So he sawe an image of a mayden in copper in the temple of the mother of the goddes being two yeardes highe which they called the Hydrophora as much to saye as the water carier And it was a statue which him selfe had heretofore dedicated and caused to be made with the fines of those that had payed forfeytures for stealing or turning away the water course at ATHENS at suche time as he was master surueyer of the water workes and conduites there Wherfore whether Themistocles was sory to see this goodly image a prisoner in the handes of the Barbarous people or that he would showe vnto the ATHENIANS the greatnes of his credit and authoritie through all the Kings dominions he spake to the gouernour of LYDIA prayed him for his sake that he would send this image againe to ATHENS But this Barbarous gouernour was very angry with his request and tolde him he would aduertise the King thereof Then Themistocles beganne to be afeard was driuen to seeke to the gouernours women and concubines whom he got for money to intreate him and so made fayre weather againe with the gouernour But from thenceforth he tooke better garde of him selfe in all his doings greatly fearing the enuy of the Barbarous people For he progressed not vp and downe ASIA as Theopompus writeth but laye a long time in the cittie of MAGNESIA quietly enjoying the Kings gratious giftes bestowed on him where he was honoured reuerenced for one of the greatest persones of PERSIA whilest the King was els where occupied in the affayres of the highe prouinces of ASIA and had no leysure to thincke vpon those of GRECE But when newes was brought him that AEGYPT was rebelled by meanes of the fauour assistance of the ATHENIANS that the GRECIANS gallyes dyd scowre the seas euen vnto the I le of CYPRVS vnto the coastes of CILICIA that Cimon had all the sea in subiection that made him then to bende all his thoughts howe to resist the GRECIANS that their greatnes might not turne to his hurte Then commissions went out to leauy men to assemble captaines to dispatche postes vnto Themistocles at MAGNESIA with the Kings letters straightly charging him to haue an eye to the GRECIANS doings and moreouer that he should faithfully keepe his promise he had made to him But he to shewe that he neither maliced his citizens nor was moued with the desire of greatnes and authoritie he might haue growen vnto in those warres or els for that he thought the Kings expectation would proue to a greater matter then he could ende or wade through considering GRECE was full at that time of famous captaines and that Cimon amongest the rest had maruelous good fortune and that it should be a reproche to him to stayne the glorie of so many noble actes so many triumphes and so great victories as Cimon had done and wonne he tooke a wise resolution with him self to make suche an ende of his life as the same thereof deserued For he made a solemne sacrifice vnto the goddes and feasted at the same all his friends And after he had taken his leaue of them all he drancke bulles bloude as most men thincke or as other saye poyson which dispatcheth a man in foure and twenty howers and so ended his dayes in the cittie of MAGNESIA after he had liued threescore and fiue yeres and the most parte of them allwayes in office and great charge It is written that the king of PERSIA vnderstanding the cause and manner of his deathe dyd more esteeme him afterwards then he dyd before and that euer after he continued to vse his friends and familliars in very good sorte For he left children behinde him which he had of Archippa Lysanders daughter of the towne of ALOPECIA Archeptolis Polyeuctus and Cleophantus of whom Plato the philosopher maketh mētion saying that he was a good man at armes but otherwise that there was no goodnes in him His other sonnes that were elder as Neocles dyed being bitten with a horse and as for Diocles another sonne his grandfather Lysander dyd adopt him for his sonne He had many daughters of the which Mnesiptolema which he had by a seconde wife was maried vnto her halfe brother Archeptolis for they were not both of one venter An other called Italia was maried vnto one Panthides of CHIO Sybaris vnto Nicomedes an ATHENIAN And Nicomacha vnto Pharsicles Themistocles nephue vnto whom her brethern dyd mary her within the cittie of MAGNESIA after the death of their father This Pharsicles dyd bring vp ASIA which was the youngest of all his daughters Furthermore his sumptuous tumbe standeth yet in the market place of MAGNESIA But that Andocides writeth of his bones in a booke he made to his friendes is not to be credited which was that the ATHENIANS hauing founde the ashes of his bones dyd cast them vp into the ayer as a deuise to sturre vp the noble men against the people And Phylarchus in his historie much like vnto the fayned subtilties of a tragedie bringeth in I can not tell what Neocles and Demopolis for Themistocles sonnes to moue the readers with compassion Howbeit no man is so simple but will iudge it straight a very fayning and deuise Diodorus the cosmographer also in a booke he hath written of tumbes and monuments sayeth by coniecture rather then of any certen knowledge that alongest the hauen of PIROEA coming towardes the head of Alcimus there is a forelande in forme of an elbowe within the which when they haue doubled the pointe the sea is allwayes calme and there they finde a great and long foundation or base vpon the which there is as it were the forme of an altar and that is sayeth he Themistocles tumbe And he supposeth that Plato the comicall poet doth witnesse it in these verses Thy graue is set and plast comodiously vvhere passengers and marchants that come by maye visite thee and vvhere it maye regarde all such as seeke that porte to be their vvarde Somtimes also it maye reioyce to see the bloudy fights vpon the sea that be And furthermore those of MAGNESIA dyd institute certen honours vnto the issue of Themistocles which continew yet vnto this daye And in my time another Themistocles also of ATHENS dyd enjoy the same honours with whom I was familliarly conuersante in the house of Ammonius the philosopher The ende of Themistocles life THE LIFE OF Furius Camillus AMONGEST many great matters which
nor reason but a common speache of euery bodie that it was a daungerous thing to commit to the fortune of one man alone so great exceeding prosperitie and good successe bicause it is a rare matter to see one man happie in all things These wordes dyd so muche mislike the people that they thought him an enuious troublesome man or els they thought his age had made him fearefull and that his corage failed with his strength fearing Hannibal more doubtfully then he needed For now though Hannibal was forced to leaue ITALIE and to returne into AFRICKE yet Fabius would not graunte that the peoples ioye and securitie they thought they were in was altogether cleare and without feare and mistruste but gaue it out that then they were in greatest daunger and that the common weale was breeding more mischief now then before For when Hannibal sayed he shall returne home into AFRICKE and come before CARTHAGE walles the ROMAINES shall be lesse able to abide him there then they haue bene before and Scipio moreouer shall meete with an armie yet warme and embrued with the bloude of so many Praetors Dictators and Consuls of ROME which they haue ouercome and put to the sword in ITALIE With these vncomfortable speaches he still troubled disquieted the whole cittie persuading them that notwithstanding the warre was transferred out of ITALIE into AFRICKE yet that the occasion of feare was no lesse neere vnto ROME then it was euer before But within shorte space after Scipio hauing ouercome Hannibal in plaine battell in the field and troden vnder foote the glory and pryde of CARTHAGE he brought a greater ioye to ROME then they euer looked for and by this noble victorie of his he shored vp again the declining state of the empire of ROME which a litle before was falling downe right Howbeit Fabius liued not to the ende of this warre nor euer heard while he liued the ioyfull newes of Hannibals happy ouerthrowe neither were his yeres prolonged to see the happy assured prosperitie of his countrie for about that time that Hannibal departed out of ITALIE a sicknes tooke him whereof he dyed The stories declare that the THEBANS buried Epaminondas at the common charges of the people bicause he dyed in so great pouertie that when he was dead they founde nothing in the house but a litle iron spit Now the ROMAINES buried not Fabius so at the common charge of the cittie but euery man of beneuolence gaue towards his funerall charges a pece of coyne that caried the least value of their currant money not for that he lacked abillitie to bring him to the grounde but only to honour his memorie in making his obsequies at their charges as of one that had bene their common father So had his vertuous life an honorable ende and buriall THE COMPARISON OF Pericles with Fabius HERE haue you heard what is written of thesetwo great persones And forasmuche as they haue both left behinde them many noble examples of vertue aswell in martiall matters as in ciuill gouernmēt let vs beginne to compare them together First of all Pericles begāne to gouerne the common weale at what time the people of ATHENS were in their chiefest prosperitie and of greater power and wealth then euer they had bene of before or since The which might seeme to be a cause of the continuall maintenance of the same in securitie without daunger of falling not so muche for their worthines as for their common power and felicitie where contrariwise Fabius acts fell out in the most dishonorable vnfortunate time that euer happened to his countrie in the which he dyd not only keepe the cittie in good state from declining but raised it vp and deliuered it from calamitie and brought it to be better then he found it Furthermore Cimons great good fortune and successe the victories and triumphes of Myronides and of Leocrates and many notable valliant dedes of armes of Tolmides gaue good cause to Peritles to entertaine his cittie in feastes and playes whilest he dyd gouerne the same and he dyd not finde it in such ill case and distresse that he was driuen to defend it by force of armes or to cōquer that againe which he had lost But Fabius in contrary manner when he sawe before him many ouerthrowes great flying awaye muche murder great slaughters of the generalles of the ROMAINE armies the lakes the playnes the woddes filled with scattered men the people ouercome the flouds and riuers ronning all a gore bloude by reason of the great slaughter and the streame carying downe the dead bodies to the mayne sea dyd take in hande the gouernment of his countrie and a course farre contrarie to all other so as he dyd vnderproppe and shore vp the same that he kept it from flat falling to the grounde amongest those ruines and ouerthrowes other had brought it to before him Yet a man maye saye also that it is no great matter of difficultie to rule a cittie already brought lowe by aduersitie and which compelled by necessitie is contented to be gouerned by a wise man as it is to bridle and keepe vnder the insolencie of a people pufte vp with pryde and presumption of long prosperitie as Pericles founde it amongest the ATHENIANS The great multitude also of so many grieuous calamities as lighted on the ROMAINES neckes at that time dyd playnely shewe Fabius to be a graue and a constant man which would neuer geue waye vnto the importunate cries of the common people nor could euer be remoued from that he had at the first determined The winning recouering againe of TARENTVM maye well be compared to the taking of SAMOS which Pericles wanne by force and the citties of CAMPANIA vnto the I le of EVBOEA excepting the cittie of CAPVA which the Consuls Faluius and Appius recouered againe But it seemeth that Fabius neuer wanne battell saue that only for which he triumphed the first time where Pericles set vp nine triumphes of battels and victories he had wonne aswell by sea as by lande And so also they cannot alledge such an acte done by Pericles as Fabius dyd when he rescued Minutius out of the handes of Hannibal and saued a whole armie of the ROMAINES which doubtles was a famous acte and proceeded of a noble minde great wisdome and an honorable harte But Pericles againe dyd neuer commit so grosse an errour as Fabius dyd when he was outreached deceyued by Hannibals fine stratageame of his oxen who hauing founde his enemie by chaunce to haue shut him selfe vp in the straight of a vallye dyd suffer him to escape in the night by a subtiltie in the daye by playne force For he was preuented by ouermuch delaye and fought withall by him he kept inclosed Now if it be requisite a good captaine doe not only vse well that he hath in his handes but that he wisely iudge also what will followe after then the warres of the ATHENIANS fell out in suche sorte
againe without any newe occasion or iust matter offered of complainte For they dyd grounde this seconde insurrection against the Nobilitie and Patricians apon the peoples miserie misfortune that could not but fall out by reason of the former discorde and sedition betweene them and the Nobilitie Bicause the most parte of the errable lande within the territorie of ROME was become heathie and barren for lacke of plowing for that they had no time nor meane to cause corne to be brought them out of other countries to sowe by reason of their warres which made the extreme dearth they had emōg them Now those busie pratlers that sought the peoples good will by suche flattering wordes perceyuing great scarsitie of corne to be within the cittie and though there had bene plenty enough yet the common people had no money to buye it they spread abroad false tales and rumours against the Nobilitie that they in reuenge of the people had practised and procured the extreme dearthe emong them Furthermore in the middest of this sturre there came ambassadours to ROME from the cittie of VELITRES that offered vp their cittie to the ROMAINES and prayed them they would send newe inhabitants to replenishe the same bicause the plague had bene so extreme among them had killed such a number of them as there was not left aliue the tenth persone of the people that had bene there before So the wise men of ROME beganne to thincke that the necessitie of the VELITRIANS sell out in a most happy hower and howe by this occasion it was very mete in so great a scarsitie of vittailes to disburden ROME of a great number of cittizens and by this meanes as well to take awaye this newe sedition and vtterly to ryd it out of the cittie as also to cleare the same of many mutinous and seditious persones being the superfluous ill humours that greuously fedde this disease Hereupon the Consuls prickt out all those by a bill whom they intended to sende to VELITRES to goe dwell there as in forme of a colonie and they leauied out of all the rest that remained in the cittie of ROME a great number to goe against the VOLSCES hoping by the meanes of forreine warre to pacifie their sedition at home Moreouer they imagined when the poore with the riche and the meane sorte with the nobilitie should by this deuise be abroad in the warres in one campe and in one seruice and in one like daunger that then they would be more quiet and louing together But Sicinius and Brutus two seditious Tribunes spake against either of these deuises and cried out apon the noble men that vnder the gentle name of a colonie they would cloke and culler the most cruell and vnnaturall facte as might be bicause they sent their poore cittizens into a sore infected cittie and pestilent ayer full of dead bodies vnburied and there also to dwell vnder the tuytion of a straunge god that had so cruelly persecuted his people This were said they euen as muche as if the Senate should hedlong cast downe the people into a most bottomles pyt And are not yet contented to haue famished some of the poore cittizens hertofore to death to put other of them euen to the mercie of the plague but a freshe they haue procured a voluntarie warre to the ende they would leaue behind no kynde of miserie and ill wherewith the poore syllie people should not be plagued and only bicause they are werie to serue the riche The common people being set on a broyle and brauerie with these wordes would not appeare when the Consuls called their names by a bill to prest them for the warres neither would they be sent out to this newe colonie in so muche as the Senate knewe not well what to saye or doe in the matter Martius then who was now growen to great credit and a stowte man besides and of great reputation with the noblest men of ROME rose vp and openly spake against these flattering Tribunes And for the replenishing of the cittie of VELITRES he dyd compell those that were chosen to goe thither and to departe the cittie apon great penalties to him that should disobey but to the warres the people by no meanes would be brought or constrained So Martius taking his friendes and followers with him and such as he could by sayer wordes intreate to goe with him dyd ronne certen forreyes into the dominion of the ANTIATES where he met with great plenty of corne and had a maruelous great spoyle aswell of cattell as of men he had taken prisoners whom he brought awaye with him and reserued nothing for him selfe Afterwardes hauing brought backe againe all his men that went out with him safe and sounde to ROME and euery man riche and loden with spoyle then the hometarriers and housedoues that kept ROME still beganne to repent them that it was not their happe to goe with him and so enuied both them that had sped so well in this iorney and also of malice to Martius they spited to see his credit and estimation increase still more and more bicause they accompted him to be a great hinderer of the people Shortely after this Martius stoode for the Consulshippe and the common people sauored his sute thinking it would be a shame to them to denie and refuse the chiefest noble man of bloude and most worthie persone of ROME and specially him that had done so great seruice and good to the common wealth For the custome of ROME was at that time that suche as dyd sue for any office should for certen dayes before be in the market place only with a poore gowne on their backes and without any coate vnderneath to praye the cittizens to remember them at the daye of election which was thus deuised either to moue the people the more by requesting them in suche meane apparell or els bicause they might shewe them their woundes they had gotten in the warres in the seruice of the cōmon wealth as manifest markes testimonie of their valliantnes Now it is not to be thought that the suters went thus lose in a simple gowne in the market place without any coate vnder it for feare and suspition of the common people for offices of dignitie in the cittie were not then geuen by fauour or corruption It was but of late time and long after this that buying and selling fell out in election of officers and that the voyces of the electours were bought for money But after corruption had once gotten waye into the election of offices it hath ronne from man to man euen to the very sentence of iudges and also emong captaines in the warres so as in the ende that only turned common wealthes into Kingdomes by making armes subiect to money Therefore me thinckes he had reason that sayed he that first made banckets and gaue money to the common people was the first that tooke awaye
receaue the blowes of the strong heauy swordes of the ROMAINES vpon their litle weake targeties so that what with their heauines and the vehement force wherewith the blowes lighted vpon them there was no target nor corselet but they passed it through and ranne them in By reason where of they could make no long resistance whereupon they turned their backes and ranne awaye But when they came to the squadron of the olde beaten souldiers of the MACEDONIANS there was the cruellest fight and most desperate seruice where they saye that Marcus Cato sonne of great Cato and sonne in lawe of AEmylius shewing all the valliantnes in his persone that a noble minde could possibly performe lost his sword which fell out of his hande But he like a young man of noble corage that had bene valliantly brought vp in all discipline knew how to follow the steppes of his father the noblest persone that euer man sawe was to shewe then his value and worthines and thought it more honour for him there to dye then liuing to suffer his enemies to enioye any spoyle of his So by by he ranne into the ROMAINE army to finde out some of his friendes whom he tolde what had befalled him and prayed them to helpe him to recouer his sworde whereto they agreed And being a good company of lusty valliant souldiers together they rushed straight in among their enemies at the place where he brought them and so dyd set apon them with suche force and furie that they made a lane through the middest of them and with great slaughter and spilling of bloude euen by plaine force they cleared the waye still before them Now when the place was voyded they sought for the sworde and in the ende founde it with great a doe amongest a heape of other swords and dead bodies whereat they reioyced maruelously Then singing a songe of victorie they went againe more fiercely then before to geue a charge vpon their enemies who were not yet broken a sonder vntill suche time as at the length the three thousand chosen MACEDONIANS fighting valliantly euen to the last man and neuer forsaking their rancks were all slaine in the place After whose ouerthrowe there was a great slaughter of other also that fled so that all the valley and foote of the mountaines thereaboutes was couered with dead bodies The next daye after the battell when the ROMAINES dyd passe ouer the riuer of Leucus they founde it ronning all a bloude For it is sayed there were slaine at this field of Perseus men aboue fiue and twentie thousand and of the ROMAINES side as Posidonius sayeth not aboue sixe score or as Nasica writeth but foure score only And for so great an ouerthrowe it is reported it was wonderfull quickly done and executed For they beganne to fight about three of the clocke in the after noone and had wonne the victorie before foure and all the rest of the daye they followed their enemies in chase an hundred twenty furlonges from the place where the battell was fought so that it was very late and farre forth night before they returned againe into the campe So suche as returned were receyued with maruelous great ioye of their pages that went out with linckes and torches lighted to bring their masters into their tentes where their men had made great bonfiers and decked them vp with crownes and garlands of laurell sauing the generalles tent only who was very heauy for that of his two sonnes he brought with him to the warres the younger could not be founde which he loued best of the twaine bicause he sawe he was of a better nature then the rest of his brethern For euen then being newe crept out of the shell as it were he was maruelous valliant and hardie and desired honour wonderfully Now AEmylius thought he had bene cast awaye fearing least for lacke of experience in the warres and through the rashnes of his youthe he had put him selfe to farre in fight amongest the prease of the enemies Hereupon the campe heard straight what sorowe AEmylius was in and how grieuously he tooke it The ROMAINES being set at supper rose from their meate and with torche light some ranne to AEmylius tent other went out of the campe to seeke him among the dead bodies if they might knowe him so all the campe was full of sorowe and mourning the vallies hilles all abouts dyd ringe againe with the cries of those that called Scipio alowde For euen from his childhood he had a naturall gift in him of all the rare and singular partes required in a captaine wife gouernour of the common weale aboue all the young men of his time At the last when they were out of all hope of his comming againe he happely returned from the chase of the enemies with two or three of his familliars only all bloudied with new bloude like a swift running greyhownde fleshed with the bloude of the hare hauing pursued very farre for ioye of the victorie It is that Scipio which afterwards destroyed both the citties of CARTHAGE and NVMANTIVM who was the greatest man of warre and valliantest captaine of the ROMAINES in his time and of the greatest authoritie and reputation emong them Thus fortune deferring till another time the execution of her spite which she dyd beare to so noble an exployte suffered AEmylius for that time to take his ful pleasure of that noble victorie And as for Perseus he fled first from the cittie of PYNDNE vnto the cittie of PELLA with his horsemen which were in manner all saued Whereupon the footemen that saued them selues by flying meeting them by the waye called them traitours cowards and villanes worse then that they turned them of their horse backes and fought it out lustely with them Perseus seeing that and fearing least this mutinie might turne to light on his necke he turned his horse out of the highe waye and pulled of his purple coate and caried it before him and tooke his diademe fearing least they should knowe him by these tokens and bicause he might more easely speake with his friends by the waye he lighted a foote and led his horse in his hande But suche as were about him one made as though he would mende the latchet of his shooe an other seemed to water his horse another as though he would drincke so that one dragging after another in this sorte they all left him at the last and ranne their waye not fearing the enemies furie so muche as their Kings crueltie who being greued with his misfortune sought to laye the faulte of the ouerthrowe vpon all other but him selfe Now he being come into the cittie of PELLA by night Euctus and Eudaeus two of his treasorers came vnto him and speaking boldly but out of time presumed to tell him the great faulte he had committed and dyd counsell him also what he should doe The King was so moued with their presumption that with his owne
Hanniball who was a dreadfull and a violent enemy so were the THEBANS also at that very time with the LACEDAEMONIANS who notwithstanding were ouercome of Pelopidas at the battells of TEGYRA and of LEVCTRES Whereas Marcellus did neuer so much as once ouercome Hanniball as Polybius wryteth but remained vnconquered alwayes vntill that Scipio ouercame him in battell Notwithstandinge we do geue best credit to the reportes of Caesar Liuie Cornelius Nepos and of king Iuba among the GREECIANS who wryte that Marcellus otherwhile did ouerthrow certaine of Hanniballs companies howebeit they were neuer no great ouerthrowes to speake of it seemeth rather it was through some mockerie or deceite of that AFRICAN then otherwise Yet sure it was a great matter and worthy much cōmendacion that the ROMAINES were brought to that corage as they durst abide to fight with the CARTHAGINIANS hauing lost so many great ouerthrowes hauing so many generalls of their armies slaine in battell and hauing the whole Empire of ROME in so great daunger of vtter destruction For it was Marcellus only of all other generalls that put the ROMAINES in hart againe after so great and longe a feare thorowly rooted in them and incoraged the souldiers also to longe to fight with their enemy and not onely to hope but to assure them selues of victory For where by reason of their continuall losses and fearefull ouerthrowes they hadde they thought them selues happy men to escape Hannibals handes by runninge away he taught them to be ashamed to flie like cowardes to confesse they were in distresse to retyre leaue the fielde before they had ouercome their enemies And where Pelopidas was neuer ouercome in battell beinge generall and Marcellus did ouercome more then any generall in his time it might seeme therefore that the great number of the victories of the one should compare with the good happe of the other that was neuer ouercome It is true that Marcellus tooke the city of SYRACVSA Pelopidas failed of taking the city of SPARTA but yet do I thinke that it was more valliantly done of Pelopidas to come so neere SPARTA as he did and that he was the first that passed the riuer of EVROTAS with an army which neuer enemy did before him than it was of Marcellus to winne all SICILE Vnles some paraduenture will say againe this was Epaminondas not Pelopidas acte as also in the victorie of LEVCTRES where no man liuing can pretend any parte of glory to the doinges of Marcellus For he tooke SYRACVSA being onely generall alone and did ouerthrow the GAVLES without his fellow Consull and fought with Hanniball without any mans helpe or incoragement for all other were against it and perswaded the contrary and he was the first that altered the maner of warres the ROMAINES vsed then and that trained his souldiers that they durst fight with the enemy For their death I neither commend the one nor the other and the straungenesse of either of their deathes doth greue me maruelously as I do greatly wonder also how Hanniball in so many battells as he fought which are innumerable could alwayes scape vnhurt I can not but greatly commende also the valliantnes of one Chrysantas whom Xenophon speaketh of in his booke of the institucion of Cyrus saying that he hauing lift vp his sword in his hand ready to kill one of his enemies and hearing the trompet sound the retreate he softly retyred would not strike him Howbeit it seemeth Pelopidas is more to be excused for beside that he was very hot and desirous of battel yet his anger was honorable and iust and moued him to seeke reuenge For as the Poet Euripides sayth The best that may betyde is vvhen a captaine likes and doth suruiue the victories vvhich he vvith force achieues But if he needes must fall then let him valliantly euen thrust amid the thickest throng and there vvith honor dye For so becometh his death famous not dishonorable But now besides Pelopidas iust cause of anger yet was there an other respect that most pricked him forward to do that he did for he saw his victorie ended in the death of the tyran Otherwise he shoulde hardly haue founde so noble an occasion to haue shewed his valliantnesse as in that And Marcellus contrarily without any instant necessity and hauinge no cause of heate or choller which putteth all men valliant in fight besides them selues that they know not what they do did rashly and vnaduisedly thrust him selfe into the middest of the daunger where he dyed not as a generall but as a light horseman and skowt forsaking his three triumphes his fiue Consullshippes and his spoyles and tokens of triumphe which he had gotten of kinges with his owne hands among venturous SPANIARDS and NVMIDIANS that folde their blood and liues for pay vnto the CARTHAGINIANS so that I imagine they were angry with thē selues as a man would say for so great and happy a victory to haue slaine amongest FREGELLANIAN skowtes and light horsemen the noblest and worthiest person of the ROMAINES I would no man should thinke I speake this in reproch of the memory of these two famous men but as a griefe onely of them and their valliantnes which they imployed so as they bleamished all their other vertues by the vndiscrete hazarding of their persones and liues without cause as if they woulde and shoulde haue dyed for them selues and not rather for their contry and frendes And also when they were dead Pelopidas was buried by the allies confederats of the city of THEBES for whose cause he was slaine and Marcellus in like maner by the enemies selues that hadde slaine him And sure the one is a happy thing and to be wished for in such a case but the other is farre aboue it and more to be wondered at That the enemy him selfe shoulde honor his valliantnesse and worthinesse that hurt him more then the office of frendshippe performed by a thankefull frende For nothing moueth the enemy more to honor his deade enemy then the admiration of his worthines and the frende sheweth frendeship many times rather for respect of the benefit he hath receiued then for the loue he beareth to his vertue The ende of Marcellus life THE LIFE OF Aristides ARistides the sonne of Lysimachus was certeinly of the tribe of Antiochides and of the towne of ALOPECIA But for his goodes and wealth they diuersely write of him For some say he liued poorely all the daies of his life and that he left two daughters which by reason of their pouerty liued vnmaried many yeres after their fathers death And many of the oldest writers do cōfirme that for troth Yet Demetrius Phalerius in his booke intituled Socrates wryteth the contrary that he knew certeine landes Aristides had in the village of PHALERIA which did yet beare the name of Aristides lands in the which his body is buried And furthermore to shew that he was well to liue and that his
Whereupon Demetrius went with his army to set apon the AETOLIANS and hauinge conquered the contry left Pantauchus his Lieutenaunt there with a great army and him selfe in person in the meane time marched against Pyrrus and Pyrrus on thother side against him They both missed of meetinge and Demetrius goinge on further on the one side entred into the realme of EPIRVS and brought a great spoyle away with him Pyrrus on the other side marched on till he came to the place where Pantauchus was To whome he gaue battell and it was valliantly fought our betwene the souldiers of either party but specially betwene the two Generalls For doutlesse Pantauchus was the valliantest Captaine the stowtest man and of the greatest experience in armes of all the Captaines and souldiers Demetrius had Whereupon Pantauchus trusting in his strength and corage aduaunced him selfe forwardes and lustely chalenged the combat of Pyrrus Pyrrus on the other side being inferior to no king in valliantnes nor in desire to winne honor as he that would ascribe vnto himselfe the glory of Achilles more for the imitacion of his valliancy then for that he was discended of his blood passed through the middest of the battell vnto the first rancke to buckle with Pantauchus Thus they beganne to charge one an other first with their dartes and then comming nearer fought with their swordes not only artificially but also with great force and fury vntill such time as Pyrrus was hurte in one place and he hurte Pantauchus in two The one neere vnto his throte and the other in his legge so as in the ende Pyrrus made him turne his backe and threw him to the ground but neuerthelesse killed him not For so soone as he was downe his men tooke him and caried him away But the EPIROTES encoraged by the victory of their kinge and the admiration of his valliantnesse stucke to it so lustely that in the end they brake the battell of the MACEDONIAN footemen hauing put them to flight followed them so liuely that they slewe a great number of them and tooke fiue thousande prisoners This ouerthrowe did not so much fill the hartes of the MACEDONIANS with anger for the losse they had receiued nor with the hate conceiued against Pyrrus as it wanne Pyrrus great fame honor making his corage and valliantnes to be wondred at of all uch as were present at the battell that saw him fight and how he layed about him For they thought that they saw in his face the very life and agility of Alexander the great and the right shadow as it were showinge the force and fury of Alexander him selfe in that fight And where other kinges did but only counterfeate Alexander the greatin his purple garments and in numbers of souldiers and gardes about their persones and in a certaine facion and bowing of their neckes a litle and in vttering his speech with an high voyce Pyrrus only was like vnto him and followed him in his marshall deedes and valliant actes Furthermore for his experience and skill in warlike discipline the bookes he wrote him selfe thereof do amply proue and make manifest Furthermore they reporte that kinge Antigonus being asked whome he thought to be the greatest Captaine made aunswer Pyrrus so farre foorth as he might liue to be olde speaking only of the Captaines of his time But Hanniball generally sayd Pyrrus was the greatest Captaine of experience and skil in warres of all other Scipio the second and him selfe the third as we haue wrytten in the life of Scipio So it seemeth that Pyrrus gaue his whole life and study to the discipline of warres as that which in dede was princely and meete for a king making no reckoning of all other knowledge And furthermore touching this matter they reporte that he being at a feast one day a question was asked him whom he thought to be the best player of the flute Python or Cephesias whereunto he aunswered that Polyperchon in his opinion was the best Captaine as if he would haue sayd that was the only thing a prince should seeke for and which he ought chiefly to learne and know He was very gentle and familiar with his frendes easie to forgeue when any had offended him and maruelous desirous to requite and acknowledge any curtesie or pleasure by him receiued And that was the cause why he did very vnpaciently take the death of AEropus not so much for his death which he knewe was a common thing to euery liuing creature as for that he was angry with himselfe he had deferred the time so long that time it selfe had cut him of from all occasion and meanes to requite the curtesies he had receiued of him True it is that money lent may be repayed againe vnto the heires of the lender but yet it greueth an honest nature when he can not recompence the good will of the lender of whom he hath receiued the good turne An other time Pyrrus being in the city of AMBRACIA there were certaine of his frends that gaue him counsel to put a naughty man out of the city that did nothing but speake ill of him But he aunswered it is better quod he to keepe him here still speakinge ill of vs but to a fewe then driuing him away to make him speake ill of vs euery where Certaine youthes were brought before him on a time who making mery together drinking freely were bolde with the king to speake their pleasure of him in very vnduetifull sorte So Pyrrus askinge them whether it was true they sayed so or no it is true and it please your grace sayed one of them we sayed it in deede and had not our wine failed vs we had spoken a great deale more The king laughed at it and pardoned them After the death of Antigona he maried many wiues to increase his power withall and to gette moe frendes For he maried the daughter of Antoleon kinge of PAEONIA and Bircenna the daughter of Bardillis king of ILLYRIA and Lanassa the daughter of Agathocles tyran of SYRACVSA that brought him for her dower the I le of CORPHVE which her father had taken By Antigona his first wife he had a sonne called Ptolomie By Lanassa an other called Alexander and by Bircenna an other the youngest of all called Helenus all which though they were marshall men by race and naturall inclination yet were they brought vp by him in warres and therein trained as it were euen from their cradell They wryte that one of his sonnes beinge but a boy asked him one day to which of them he would leaue his kingdome Pyrrus aunswered the boy to him that hath the sharpest sworde That was much like the tragicall curse wherewith Oedipus cursed his children Let them for me deuide both goodes yea rentes and lande VVith trenchaunt svvord and bloody blovves by force of mighty hande So cruell hatefull and beastly is the nature of ambition and desire of rule But after
Consullshippes whereof he maketh his boast vnto them at ROME Is he afrayed they should take him as they did Carbo Caepio whom the enemies haue ouerthrowen He must not be afrayed of that for he is a Captaine of an other manner of valor and reputacion then they were and his army much better then theirs was But howesoeuer it be yet were it much better in prouing to loose something then to be idle to suffer our frends and cōfederats to be destroyed sacked before our eyes Marius was maruelous glad to heare his men cōplaine thus did comfort them told thē that he did nothing mistrust their corage valiantnes howbeit that through the coūsell of certaine prophecies oracles of the gods he did expect time place fit for victory For he euer caried a SYRIAN womā in a litter about with him called Martha with great reuerence whom they said had the spirit of prophecie in her that he did euer sacrifice vnto the gods by her order at such time as she willed him to do it This SYRIAN woman went first to speake with the Senate about these matters and did foretell prognosticate what should follow But the Senate would not heare her made her to be driuē away Wherupon she went vnto the womē made thē see proofe of some things she vaūted of specially Marius wife at whose feete she was set one day in an assembly of the cōmon playes to see swordplayers fight for life death for she told her certenly which of thē should ouercome Whereupon this Lady sent her vnto her husband Marius who made great reckening of her caried her euē in a litter with him whersoeuer he went She was alwaies at Marius sacrifices apparelled in a gown of purple in graine clasped to her with claspes held a speare in her hand woūd all about with nosegayes garlands of flowers tyed on with laces This man̄er of ieast made many dout whether Marius shewed this woman opēly beleuing in dede that she had the gift of prophecy or els that knowing the cōtrary he made as though he did beleue it to helpe her fayning But that which Alexander the MYNDIAN wrote touching Vultures is a thing greatly to be wōdred at For he said there were two of thē followed Marius in his warres that they euer shewed thē selues missed not when he should win any great battel that they did know them by latin collers they ware about their necks which the souldiers had tyed about thē afterwards let them go where they would by reason whereof they did know the souldiers againe it semed also that they did salute thē were very glad when they saw thē perswaded thē selues that it was a signe token of good lucke to follow Many signes and tokens were seene before the battell howbeit all the rest were ordinary sightes sauing that which was reported to be seene at TVDERTVM AMERIA two cities of ITALIE For they say there were seene speares and targets in the night burning like fire in the element which first were caried vp downe here and there and then met together euen as men moue sturre that fight one with an other vntill at the length the one geuing backe and the other following after they all vanished away and consumed towardes the West About the selfe same time also there came from the citie of PESSINVNTA Batabaces the chiefe priest of the great mother of the goddes who brought newes that the goddesse had spoken to him within her sanctuary and told him that the victory of this warre should fall out on the ROMAINES side The Senate beleued it and ordained that they should build a temple vnto that goddesse to geue her thankes for the victorie which she did promise them Batabaces also would haue presented him selfe vnto the people in open assemblie to tell them as much But there was one Aulus Pompeius a Tribune that would not suffer him to do it calling him tombler or rugler violently thrust him behinde the pulpit for orations but the mischaunce that felt apon Pompeius afterwards made thē the more to beleue Batabaces words For Pompeius the Tribune no sooner came home vnto his house but a great vehement agew tooke him wherof he dyed the seuenth day after as all the world could witnes Now the TEVTONS perceiuing that Marius stirred not at all out of his campe they proued to assault him howbeit they were so well receiued with shotte and slinges that after they had lost certaine of their men they gaue it ouer and determined to goe further perswading them selues that they might easily passe the Alpes without daunger Wherfore trussing vp al their baggage they passed by Marius campe at which time it appeared more certainly then before that they were a maruelous great multitude of people by the length of time which they tooke to passe their way For it is sayd they were passing by his campe sixe dayes continually together And as they came raking by the ROMAINES campe they asked them in mockery if they would wryte or send home any thing to their wiues for they would be with them ere it were long When they were all passed and gone and that they continued on their iorney still Marius also raised his campe and went and followed them fayer and softly foote by foote and euer kept hard at their taile as neere as he could alwayes fortifying his campe very well and euer choosing strong places of scituacion aduantage to lodge in that they might be safe in the night time Thus they marched on in this sorte vntill they came vnto the city of AIX from whence they had not farre to goe but they entered straight into the mountaines of the Alpes Wherefore Marius prepared nowe to fight with them chose out a place that was very strong of scituacion to lodge his campe in howebeit there lacked water And they say he did it of purpose to the ende to quicken his mens corage the more thereby Many repined at it and tolde him that they should stande in great daunger to abide maruelous thirst if they lodged there Whereunto he made aunswere shewing them the riuer that ranne hard by the enemies campe saying withall that they must go thither and buy drinke with their blood The souldiers replyed againe and why then doe ye not lead vs thither whilest our blood is yet moyste he gently aunswered them againe bicause the first thing we doe we must fortifie our campe The souldiers though they were angry with him yet they obeyed him but the slaues hauing neither drinke for them selues nor for their cattell gathered together a great troupe of them and went towardes the riner some of them carying axes other hatchets other swords and speares with their pottes to cary water determining to fight with the barbarous people if otherwise they could not come by it A fewe
in his place and that Cinna on thother side leauied men out of other partes of ITALIE and made warres vpon them that were in ROME Marius hearing of this dissention thought good to returne as soone as he could possible into ITALIE And assembling certaine horsemen of the nation of the MAVRVSIANS in AFRICKE certaine ITALIANS that had saued them selues there vnto the number of a thowsand men in all he tooke sea landed in a hauen of THVSCANE called TELAMON and being landed proclaimed by sounde of trompet liberty to all slaues and bonde men that would come to him So the laborers heard men and neareheardes of all that marche for the onely name and reputacion of Marius ranne to the sea side from all partes of the which he hauing chosen out the stowtest and lustiest of them wanne them so by fayer wordes that hauing gathered a great companie together in few dayes he made fortie sayle of them Furthermore knowing that Octauius was a maruelous honest man that would haue no authoritie otherwise then law reason would and that Cinna to the contrarie was suspected of Sylla and that he sought to bring in chaunge and innouation to the common wealth he determined to ioyne his force with Cinna So Marius sent first vnto Cinna to lette him vnderstande that he would obay him as Consull and be ready to do all that he should commaunde him Cinna receiued him and gaue him the title and authoritie of Viceconfull and sent him sergeaunts to carieaxes and roddes before him with all other signes of publicke authoritie But Marius refused them and sayed that pompe became not his miserable fortune for he euer went in a poore threede bare gowne and had let his heare grow still after he was banished being aboue three score and tenne yeare olde and had a sober gate with him to make men pitie him the more that sawe him But vnder all this counterfeate pitie of his he neuer chaunged his naturall looke which was euer more fearefull and terrible then otherwise And where he spale but litle went very demurely soberly that shewed rather a cankered corage within him then a minde humbled by his banishment Thus when he had saluted Cinna and spoken to the souldiers he then beganne to set thinges abroache and made a wonderfull chaunge in fewe dayes For first of all with his shippes he cut of all the vittells by sea robbed the marchaunts that caried corne and other vittells to ROME so that in a shorte space he was master purueyer for all necessarie prouision and vittells After this he went alongest the coast and tooke all the cities apon the sea side and at the length wanne OSTIA also by treason put the most parte of them in the towne to the sword and spoyled all their goodes and afterwards making a bridge apon the riuer of Tiber tooke from his enemies all hope to haue any manner of prouision by sea That done he went directly towardes ROME with his armie where first he wanne the hill called Ianiculum through Octauius faulte who ouerthrewe him selfe in his doinges not so much for lacke of reasonable skill of warres as through his vnprofitable curiositie and strictnes in obseruing the law For when diuerse did perswade him to set the bond men at liberty to take armes for defence of the common wealth he aunswered that he would neuer geue bond men the law and priuiledge of a ROMAINE citizen hauing driuen Caius Marius out of ROME to maintaine the authoritie of the lawe But when Caecilius Metellus was come to ROME the sonne of that Metellus Numidecus that hauing begonne the warres in LIBYA against king â—â—gurthe was put out by Marius the souldiers forsooke Octauius immediatly and came vnto him bicause they tooke him to be a better Captaine and desired also to haue a leader that could tell how to commaund them to saue the citie and the common wealth For they promised to fight valliantly perswaded them selues that they should ouercome their enemies so that they had a skillfull valliant Captaine that could order them Metellus misliking their offer commaunded them in anger to returne againe vnto the Consull but they for spite were vnto their enemies Metellus on thother side seeing no good order taken in the citie to resist the enemies got him out of ROME But Octauius being perswaded by certaine Soothsayers and CHALDEAN sacrificers who promised him all should goe well with him taried still in ROME For that man being otherwise as wise as any ROMAINE of his time and one that delt as vprightly in his Consulshippe not caried away with flattering tales and one also that followed the auncient orders and customes as infallible rules and examples neither breaking nor omitting any parte therof me thinkes yet had this imperfection that he frequeÌ„ted the Soothsayers wise men and astronomers more then men skilfull in armes and gouernment Wherefore before that Marius him selfe came into the citie Octauius was by force pluct out of the pulpit for orations and slaine presently by Marius souldiers whome he had sent before into the citie And it is sayed also that when he was slaine they founde a figure of a CHALDEAN prophecie in his bosome and here is to be noted a great contrarietie in these two notable men Octauius and Marius The first lost his life by trusting to soothsaying and the seconde prospered rose againe bicause he did not despise the arte of diuination The state of ROME standing then in this maner the Senate consulting together sent Ambassadors vnto Cinna and Marius to pray them to come peacibly into ROME and not to embrue their hands with the blood of their citizens Cinna sitting in his chayer as Consul gaue them audience made them a very reasonable and curteous aunswer Marius standing by him spake neuer a worde but shewed by his sower looke that he would straight fill ROME with murder and blood So when the Ambassadors were gone Cinna came into ROME enuironned with a great number of souldiers but Marius stayed sodainly at the gate speaking partely in anger and partely in mockerie that he was a banished man and driuen out of his contrie by law And therefore if they would haue him come into ROME againe they should first by a contrarie decree abolish and reuoke that of his banishment as if he had bene a religious obseruer of the lawes and as though ROME had at that present enioyed their freedom and libertie Thus he made the people assemble in the market place to proceede to the confirmation of his calling home againe But before three or foure tribes had time to geue their voices disguising the matter no lenger and showing plainly that he ment not to be lawfully called home againe from exile he came into ROME with a garde about him of the veriest rascalls most shamelesse slaues called the BARDIOâ—IANS who came to him from all partes and they for the least word he spake or at
furthermore Ion rehearseth the very selfe wordes that Cimon spake to moue the people to graunt his request For he besought them that they woulde not suffer GRAECE to halte as if LACEDAEMON had bene one of her feete and ATHENS the other not to suffer their citie to lose an other citie their frend and subiect to the yoke and defence of GRAECE Hauing therfore obteyned ayde to leade vnto the LACEDAEMONIANS he went with his army through the CORINTHIANS contry wherwith Lachartus a Captaine of CORINTHE was maruelously offended sayinge that he should not haue entred into their contrie with an armie before he had asked licence of them of the citie For sayd he when one knocketh at a mans dore or gate yet he commeth not in before the master of the house commaundeth him But ye CORINTHIANS sayed Cimon to him againe haue not knocked at the gates of the CLEONAEIANS nor of the MEGARIANS to come in but haue broken them open and entred by force of armes thinkinge that all should be open vnto them that are the stronger Thus did Cimon stowtely aunswere the CORINTHIAN Captaine againe bicause it stoode him vppon and so went on with his armie through the contrie of CORINTHE Afterwardes the LACEDAEMONIANS sent againe vnto the ATHENIANS to require ayde against the MESSENIANS and the ILOTES which are their slaues who had wonne the citie of ITHOME But when the ATHENIANS were come the LACEDAEMONIANS were afrayed of the great power they had brought and of their boldnes besides wherefore they sent them backe againe and would not imploy them of all other their confederats that came to their succor bicause they knew them to be men very tickle desiring chaunge and alteracions The ATHENIANS returned home misliking much that they were sent backe againe insomuch as euer after they hated them that fauored the LACEDAEMONIANS in any thing And for the LACEDAEMONIANS sake therefore taking a small occasion of offence against Cimon they banished him out of their contrie for tenne yeres which was the full terme appointed and limited vnto them that were banished with the Ostracismon banishment Now within the terme of these ten yeares the LACEDAEMONIANS fortuned to vndertake the deliuery of the citie of DELPHES from the seruitude and bondage of the PHOCIANS and to put them from the custodie and keeping of the temple of Apollo which is in the sayd city Wherfore to obtaine their desire and purpose they came to plante their campe neere vnto the citie of TANAGRE in PHOCIDE where the ATHENIANS went to fight with them Cimon vnderstanding this although he was in exile came to the ATHENIANS campe armed with intent to do his duety to fight with his contrie men against the LACEDAEMONIANS and so went into the bandes of the tribe Oeneide of the which he was him selfe But his owne contry enemies cried out against him and sayd that he was come to none other ende but to trouble the order of their battell of intent that he might afterwardes bring them to the city selfe of ATHENS Whereuppon the great counsell of the fiue hundred men were afrayed and sent to the Captaines to commaunde them they should not receiue him into the battell so that Cimon was compelled to departe the campe But before he went he prayed Euthippus ANAPHLYSTIAN and his other frendes that were suspected as him selfe was to fauor the LACEDAEMONIANS doinges that they should doe their best endeuor to fight valliantly against their enemies to thintent their good seruice at that battell might purge their innocencie towardes their contry men and so they did For the ATHENIANS keeping the souldiers Cimon had brought with him which were a hundred in all they set them aparte by them selues in a squadron and fought it so valliantly and desperatly that they were slaine euery man of them in the field leauing the ATHENIANS maruelous sory for them and repenting them that they had so vniustly mistrusted them as traitors to their contrie Wherefore they kept not their malice long against Cimon partely as I am perswaded bicause they called his former good seruice to minde which he had done to their contrie aforetime and partely also bicause the necessitie of the time so required it For the ATHENIANS hauing lost a great battell before TANAGRE looked for no other about the spring of the yeare but that the PELOPONNESIANS would inuade them with a great power wherefore they reuoked Cimons banishment by decree whereof Pericles selfe was the only author procurer So ciuill and temperate were mens enmities at that time regarding the common benefit of their publicke state and weale and so much did their ambition being the most vehement passion of all other and that most troubleth mens mindes geue place and yeelde to the necessities and affayres of the common weale Now when Cimon was againe returned to ATHENS he straight pacified the warre reconciled both cities together And when he saw that the ATHENIANS could not liue in peace but woulde be doing still and enlarge their dominions by warre for lukers sake to preuent them that they should not fall out with any of the GRAECIANS nor by scowring and coasting vp and downe the contrie of PELOPONNESVS and the Iles of GRAECE with so great a nauie should moue occasion of ciuill warres amongest the GRAECIANS or of complaintes vnto their confederates against them he rigged armed out two hundred gallies to go againe to make warre in CYPRVS in EGYPT bicause he would acquaint the ATHENIANS with the warres of the barbarous people and thereby make them lawfull gainers by the spoyles of those their naturall borne enemies But when all things were in readines to departe and the armie prest to shippe and sayle away Cimon dreaming in the night had this vision It seemed vnto him that he saw a bitch angrie with him and barking earnestly at him that in the middest of her barking she spake with a mans voyce and sayd vnto him Come hardily spare not for if thou come by me My vvhelpes and I vvhich here do stand vvill quickely vvelcome thee This vision being verie hard to interpret Astyphilus borne in the citie of POSIDONIA a man expert in such coniectures and Cimons familiar frende tolde him that this vision did betoken his death expounding it in this sorte The dogge commonly is an enemie to him he barketh at Againe nothing gladdeth our enemie more then to heare of our death Furthermore the mingling of a mans voyce with the barking of a bitche signifieth nothing els but an enemie of the MEDES bicause the armie of the MEDES is mingeled with the barbarous people and the GRAECIANS together Besides this vision as he did sacrifice to the god Bacchus the Priest opening the beast after it was sacrificed about the blood that fell to the grounde there assembled a swarme of antes which caried the congealed blood of from the grounde by litle and litle and layed it all about Cimons great toe a
with some forde hasting to get ouer Tigranes thought he had marched away and called for Taxiles and sayd vnto him laughing Doest thou see Taxiles those goodly ROMANE legyons whom thou praisest to be men so inuincible howe they flie away now Taxiles aunswered the king againe I would your good fortune O king might worke some miracle this day for doutlesse it were a straunge thing that the ROMANES should flie They are not wont to weare their braue cotes and furniture vppon their armos when they meane onely but to marche in the fieldes neither doe they carie their shieldes and targets vncased nor their burganets bare on their heades as they doe at this present hauing throwen away their leather cases and coueringes But out of doubt this goodly furniture we see so bright and glistering in our faces is a manifest signe that they intend to fight and that they marche towardes vs Taxiles had no sooner spoken these wordes but Lucullus in the view of his enemies made his ensigne bearer turne sodainly that caried the first Eagle the bands tooke their places to passe the riuer in order of battell Then Tigranes secretly comen to him selfe as out of dronkennes cried out alowde twise or thrise come they then to vs But then was there no small sturre and tumult to put such a world of people into battell The king Tigranes him selfe vndertooke to leade the midle battell gaue the left wing vnto the king of the ADIAEENIANS and the right vnto the king of the MEDES in the which were the most parte of the complete armed men who made the first front of all the battell But as Lucullus was ready to passe the riuer there were certaine of his Captaines that came vnto him to wish him to take heede that he fought not that day bicause it was one of those which the ROMANES thought vnfortunate and call them Atri to say blacke for vpon one of those dayes one Caepio was ouerthrowen in a set battell with all his army by the CIMBRES But Lucullus gaue theÌ„ a prety aunswere againe which is not forgotten to this day I will make this a happy day sayd he for the ROMANES It was the sixteenth day of the moneth of October And so with those wordes encoraging his men passed ouer the riuer and went him selfe the foremost man and marched directly towardes his enemy armed with an anima of steele made with scalloppe shelles shining like the sunne vpon that an arming coate fringed round about holding his sword drawen in his hand to let his men vnderstand that they must sodainly ioyne with their enemies and fight at the swordes pointe that were not acquainted to fight but a farre of with shotte and slinges and that he would so quickely winne the distaunce of grounde they had to marche ere they could ioyne that they should haue no leasure to shoote And furthermore perceiuing that the strength of their men of armes wherof they made so great accompt was ranged in battell vnder a hill the toppe whereof was very plaine and euen and the way vp the hill not passing foure furlonges trauaill and not very hard nor steepe to clime he sent thither certaine horsemen of the THRACIANS and GAVLES which he had in pay and commaunded them to geue a charge on the flancke to disorder them assay to cut their launces with their swordes For all the strength of these men of armes consisteth in their launces and they can do nothing for them selues nor against their enemies they are so heauely armed and lodenâ— so as it seemeth they are locked vp in their armor as in an iron prison And he him selfe therewithall taking two ensignes of footemen stroue also to gaine the toppe of the hill his souldiers following him hard at the heeles with a notable corage bicause they saw him the formost man trauailing a foote and digging against the height of the hill When he had gotten vp to the toppe he stayed a litle in the highest place he could finde and then cried out with a lowd voyce oh companions the victory is ours And as he spake those wordes he ledde them against these men of armes commaunding them they should not medle with throwing of their dartes but taking their swordes in their handes they should strike at their thighes and legges bicause they haue no other partes of their bodies naked Howbeit there was no neede of such fight for they taried not the ROMANES but with great crying out turned their horse heades immediatly and ranne cowardly them selues and their horses heauie armed as they were through the middest of the bandes of their footemen before they had striken a stroke And thus were so many thowsandes of men broken without any stroke striken or any man hurt or one droppe of blood seene to be spilt But the great slaughter was when they beganne to flie or to say better when they thought to flie for they could not flie they ranne so one apon an others necke by reason of the maruelous length and bredth of their battells Tigranes amongest the rest was one of the first that dislodged with a small company seeing his sonne running the same fortune flying as him selfe did tooke of his diadeame or royall bande from his head and gaue it him weeping commaunding him to saue him selfe as well as he could by some other way But the young prince durst not put it on his head but gaue it to one of his trusty seruauntes to keepe who by chaunce was taken and brought vnto Lucullus so that amongest the other spoyle and prisoners there was taken Tigranes diadeame It is thought that there were slaine at this ouerthrow aboue a hundred thowsand footemen and very few of all the horsemen saued On the ROMANES side there were about a hundred hurt and fiue slaine Antiochus the Philosopher speaking of this battell in a treatise he made of the gods wryteth that the sunne neuer saw the like ouerthrowe And Strabo an other Philosopher in a certaine abridgement he made of stories sayd that the ROMANES were ashamed and laughed at them selues that they had drawen their swordes against such dastardly slaues And Titus Liâ—ius declareth also that the ROMANES were neuer in any battell with so small a number of fighting men against so great a multitude of enemies for the conquerers were not in all the world the twentith parte nothing like of those that were ouercome Wherefore the oldest and best experienced Captaines of the ROMANES did highly commende Lucullus bicause he had ouercome two of the greatest most mighty Princes of the world by two sundry coÌ„trary mâ—â—â—â— the one by tract and delay and the other by spede and swiftnes For he vndermyned and consumed Mithridates by holding backe delaying at that time when all his streÌ„gth was whole and to the contrary he destroyed Tigranes with great speede and haste And thus did he that which few Captaines could euer do that is
shielde but worse then that a voluntary forsaking of his prouince apon a base timerous minde geuing his enemy occasion thereby to doe some noble exployt depriuing him selfe of his honorable charge Wherefore Aristophanes mocketh him againe in his comedy of birdes saying It is no time to slepe and linger still As Nicias doth vvithout good cause or skill Also in an other place of his comedy of plowmen he sayth I faine vvould follovv husbandry VVho lets thee Mary you A thovvsand Dragmaze I vvill geue to be discharged novv Of office in the common vveale Content so shall vve haue Tvvo thovvsand Dragmaze iust vvith those that Nicias lately gaue But herein Nicias did great hurt to the cōmon wealth suffering Cleon in that sorte to grow to credit estimacion For after that victory Cleon grew to so hautie a minde pride of him selfe that he was not to be delt withall wherupon fel out the occasiō of the great miseries that happened to the city of ATHENS which most grieued Nicias of all other For Cleon amongst other thinges tooke away the modesty and reuerence vsed before in publicke Orations to the people he of all other was the first that cried out in his Orations that clapped his hand on his thigh threw open his gowne floong vp downe the pulpit as he spake Of which exāple afterwardes followed all licentiousness and contempt of honesty the which all the Orators counsellors fell into that delt in matters of state cōmon wealth was in the end the ouerthrow of all together In that very time began Alcibiades to grow to credit by practise in the state who was not altogether so corrupt neither simply euill but as they say of the lande of EGYPT that for the fatnes and lustines of the soyle It bringeth forth both holsome herbes and also noysome vveedes Euen so Alcibiades wit excelling either in good or ill was the cause and beginning of great chaunge and alteracion For it fell out that after Nicias was ridde of Cleon he could not yet bring the citie of ATHENS againe to peace and quietnes For when the common wealth began to grow to some rest and reasonable good order then was it againe brought into warres through Alcibiades extreame fury of ambition And thus it beganne The only peacebreakers and disturbers of common quiet generally throughout GRAECE were these two persones Cleon and Brasidas for warre cloked the wickednes of the one and aduaunced the valiantnes of the other geuing to either occasion to doe great mischiefe and also oportunity to worke many noble exploytes Now Cleon and Brasidas being both slaine together at a battell fought by Armphipolis Nicias straight perceiuing the SPARTANS had long desired peace and that the ATHENIANS were no more so hottely geuen to the warres but that both the one the other had their handes full were willing to be quiet deuised what meanes he might vse to bring SPARTA and ATHENS to reconciliation againe and to rid all the cities of GRAECE also from broyle and misery of warre that thenceforth they might all together enioy a peaceable and happy life The riche men the olde men and the husbandmen he found very willing to hearken to peace and talking priuately also with diuers others he had so perswaded them that he cooled them for being desirous of warres Whereupon putting the SPARTANS in good hope that all were inclined to peace if they sought it the SPARTANS beleued him not onely for that they had founde him at other times very soft and curteous but also bicause he was carefull to see that their prisoners of SPARTA who had bene taken at the forte of Pyle were gently intreated and had made their miserable captiuity more tollerable So peace was concluded betwene the SPARTANS and the ATHENIANS for a yeare during which abstinence they frequenting one an other againe and beginning to taste the sweetnes and pleasures of peace and the safety of free accesse one to see an others frendes that were staungers began then to wishe that they might still continue in peace and amity together without effusion of blood of either partie and tooke great delight in their daunces to hear them singe such songes And let my speare lye outgrovven vvith dusty spyders vvebbes They did also with great ioy gladnes remember him which sayd that in peace no sound of trompet but the crowing of the cocke doth wake them that be a sleepe and on the other side they cursed and tooke on with them that sayd it was predestined the warre should continue thrise nine yeares And so vpon a meeting together to talke of many matters they made an vniuersall peace throughout all GRAECE Now most men thought that surely all their sorrowes and miseries were come to an ende and there was no talke of any man but of Nicias saying that he was a man beloued of the goddes who for his deuotion towardes them had this speciall gift geuē him that the greatest blessing that could come vnto the world was called after his name For to confesse a troth euery man was certainly perswaded that this peace was Nicias worke as the warre was Pericles procurement who vpon light causes perswaded the GRAECIANS to runne headlong into most grieuous calamities and Nicias on the other side had brought them to become frends and to forget the great hurtes the one had receiued of the other in former warres And euē to this present day that peace is called Nicium as who would say Nicias peace The capitulacions of the peace were thus agreed vpon that of either side they should alike deliuer vp the cities and landes which eche had taken from other in time of warres together with the prisoners also and that they should first make restitution whose lot it was to beginne Nicias according to Theophrastus reporte for ready money secretly bought the lot that the LACEDAEMONIANS might be the first that should make restitution And when the CORINTHIANS and BOBOTIANS that disliked of this peace sought by the complaintes they made to renue the warre againe Nicias then perswaded both the ATHENIANS and LACEDAEMONIANS that they should adde for strength vnto their contry the allyance peace offensiue and defensiue made betwene them for a more sure knot of frendshippe wherby they might be the better assured the one of the other and also the more dredfull to their enemies that should rebell against them These thinges went cleane against Alcibiades minde who besides that he was ill borne for peace was enemy also vnto the LACEDAEMONIANS for that they sought to Nicias and made none accompt of him but despised him Here was thoccasion that caused Alcibiades to proue from the beginning what he could doe to hinder this peace wherein he preuailed nothing Yet shortly after Alcibiades perceiuing that the ATHENIANS liked not so well of the LACEDAEMONIANS as they did before and that they thought themselues iniuried by thē bicause they
withall but two dishefulls of barley for their breade and one of water for eche man a day In deede many of them were conueyed away and sold for slaues and many also that scaped vnknowen as slaues were also solde for bondmen whom they branded in the forehead with the printe of a horse who notwithstanding besides their bondage endured also this paine But such their humble pacience and modesty did greatly profit them For either shortly after they were made free men or if they still continued in bondage they were gently intreated and beloued of their masters Some of them were saued also for Euripides sake For the SICILIANS liked the verses of this Poet better than they did any other GRAECIANS verses of the middest of GRAECE For if they heard any rimes or songes like vnto his they would haue them by hart one would present thē to an other with great ioy And therfore it is reported that diuers escaping this bondage and returning againe to ATHENS went very louingly to salute Euripides to thanke him for their liues and told him how they were deliuered from slauery only by teaching them those verses which they remembred of his workes Others tolde him also how that after the battel they scaping by flight wandering vp and downe the fieldes met with some that gaue them meate drinke to sing his verses And this is not to be maruelled at weying the reporte made of a shippe of the city of CAVNVS that on a time being chased in thether by pyrates thinking to saue thē selues within their portes could not at the first be receiued but had repulse howbeit being demaunded whether they could sing any of Euripides songes and aunswering that they could were straight suffered to enter and come in The newes of this lamentable ouerthrow was not beleued at the first when they heard of it at ATHENS For a straunger that landed in the hauen of PIRAEA went and sat him downe as the maner is in a barbers shoppe thinking it had bene commonly knowen there beganne to talke of it The barber hearing the straunger tell of such matter before any other had heard of it ranne into the city as fast as he could and going to the gouernors tolde the newes openly before them all The magistrates thereupon did presently call an assembly and brought the barber before them who being demaunded of whom he heard these newes could make no certaine reporte Whereupon being taken for a forger of newes that without ground had put the city in feare and trouble he was presently bound and layed on a wheele wheron they vse to put offenders to death and so was there tormented a great time vntill at last there arriued certaine men in the city who brought too certaine newes thereof and told euery thing how the ouerthrow came So as in fine they found Nicias wordes true which now they beleued when they sawe all those miseries light fully apon them which he long before had prognosticated vnto them The end of Nicias life THE LIFE OF Marcus Crassus MArcus Crassus was the sonne of a Censor who had also receiued the honor of triumphe but him selfe was brought vp in a litle house with two other of his brethren which were both maried in their fathers mothers life time and kept house together Whereuppon it came to passe that he was a man of such sober and temperate dyet that one of his brethrē being deceased he maried his wife by whom he had children For women he liued as continent a life as any ROMANE of his time notwithstanding afterwardes being of riper yeares he was accused by Plotinus to haue deflowred one of the Vestall Nunnes called Licinia But in troth the cause of that suspicion grew thus Licinia had a goodly pleasaunt garden hard by the suburbes of the city wherewith Crassus was maruelously in loue and would faine haue had it good cheape and vpon this only occasion was often seene in speeche with her which made the people suspect him But foras much as it seemed to the iudges that his couetousnes was the cause that made him follow her he was clered of thincest suspected but he neuer lest followinge of the Nunne till he had got the garden of her The ROMANES say there was but that only vice of couetousnes in Crassus that drowned many other goodly vertues in him for mine owne opinion me thinkes he could not be touched with that vice alone without others since it grew so great as the note of that only did hide and couer all his other vices Nowe to set out his extreame couetous desire of getting naturally bred in him they proue it by two manifest reasons The first his maner and meanes he vsed to get and the seconde the greatnes of his wealth For at the beginning he was not left much more worthe then three hundred talentes And during the time that he delt in the affayers of the common wealth he offered the tenthes of all his goodes wholly vnto Hercules kept open house for all the people of ROME and gaue also to euery citizen of the same as much corne as would kepe him three monethes yet when he went from ROME to make warre with the PARTHIANS himselfe being desirous to know what all he had was worth founde that it amounted to the summe of seuen thowsande one hundred talentes But if I may with license vse euill speeche wryting a troth I say he got the most parte of his wealth by fire and blood raising his greatest reuenue of publicke calamities For when Sylla had takē the citie of ROME he made portesale of the goods of them whom he had put to death to those that gaue most tearming them his booty onely for that he would the nobility and greatest men of power in the citie should be partakers with him of this iniquity and in this open sale Crassus neuer lest taking of giftes nor bying of thinges of Sylla for profit Furthermore Crassus perceiuinge that the greatest decay commonly of the buildinges in ROME came by fire and falling downe of houses through the ouermuch weight by numbers of stories built one apon an other bought bondme that were masons carpinters and these deuisours and builders of those he had to the number of fiue hundred Afterwardes when the fire tooke any house he would buy the house while it was a burning and the next houses adioyning to it which the owners folde for litle being then in daunger as they were and a burning so that by proces of time the most parte of the houses in ROME came to be his But notwithstanding that he had so many slaues to his workemen he neuer built any house from the ground sauing his owne house wherein he dwelt◠saying that such as delighted to builde vndid them selues without helpe of any enemy And though he had many mynes of siluer many ploughes and a number of hyndes and plowmen to followe the
few scaped with life Other being followed and pursued by the ARABIANS were all put to the sword So as it is thought there were slaine in this ouerthrow about twentie thowsand men and tenne thowsande taken prisoners Surena had now sent Crassus head and his hand vnto Hyrodes the king his master into ARMENIA and gaue out a brute as farte as the citie of SELEVCIA that he brought Crassus to liue that he had prepared a sight to laugh at which he called his triumph Among the Romanes prisoners there was one called Caius Pacianus who was very like Crassus him they clothed in womans apparell of the PARTHIANS and had taught him to aunswere when any called him Crassus or Lord captaine Him they put a horse backe and had many trompets before him and sergeauntes apon camells backes that caried axes before them and bundells of roddes and many purses tyed to the bundell of roddes and ROMANES heades newly cut of tyed to the axes and after him followed all the strumpets women minstrells of SELEVCIA who went singing of songes of mockery and derision of Crassus womanish cowardlines Now for these open showes euery one might see them but besides that sight Surena hauing called the Senate of SELEVCIA together layed before them Aristides bookes of ribaldrie intituled the Milesians which was no fable for they were found in a ROMANES fardell or trusse called Rustius This gaue Surena great cause to scorne and despise the behauiour of the ROMANES which was so farre out of order that euen in the warres they could 〈…〉 ine from doing euill and from the reading of such vile bookes Then the Senatours of SELEVCIA found that AEsope was a wise man who sayd that euery man caried a sacke on his necke and that they put other mens faultes at the sackes mouth and their owne towardes the bottome of the sacke When they considered that Surena had put the booke of the lasciuiousnes of the MILESIANS at the sackes mouth and a long tayle of the PARTHIANS vaine pleasures and delightes in the bottome of the sacke carying such a number of cartes loden with naughtie packes in his army as he did which seemed an army of ermites and fielde myse For in the voward and foremest ranckes all appeared terrible and cruell being onely launces pykes bowes and horse but all they ended afterwards in the rereward with a traine of harlots instruments of musicke daunsing singing bancketing and ryoting all night with Curtisans I will not deny but Rustius deserued blame but yet withall I say that the PARTHIANS were shamelesse to reproue these bookes of the vanities of the MILESIANS considering that many of their kinges and of the royal blood of the Arsacides were borne of the IONIAN and MILESIAN curtisans Things passing thus in this sorte king Hyrodes had made peace league with Artabazes king of ARMENIA who gaue his sister in mariage vnto Pacorus king Hyrodes sonne made great feastes ode to an other in the which were many Greeke verses song Hyrodes selfe vnderstanding well the Greeke tongue and Artabazes was so perfit in it that he him selfe made certaine tragedies orations and stories whereof some are yet extant at this day The same night Crassus head was brought the tables being all taken vp Iason a common player of enterludes borne in the city of TRALLES came before the kinges recited a place of the tragedy of the BACCHANTES of Euripides telling of the misfortune of Agaue who strake of his sonnes heade And as euery man tooke great pleasure to heare him Sillaces comming into the hall after his humble duty first done to the king deliuered him Crassus head before them all The PARTHIANS seeing that fell a clapping of their handes and made an outcrie of ioy The gentlemen hushers by the kinges commaundement did set Sillaces at the table Iason casting of his apparell representing Pentheus person gaue it to an other player to put on him counterfeating the BACCHANTES possest with furie beganne to rehearse these verses with a ieasture tune and voyce of a man madde and beside him selfe Behold vve from the forest bring a stag novv nevvly slaine A vvorthy booty and revvard beseeming vvell our paine This maruelously pleased the companie and specially singinge these verses afterwardes where the Chorus both asked and aunswered him selfe VVho strake this stag None else but I thereof may brag Pomaxathres hearing them dispute about the matter being set at the table with others rose straight and went and tooke the head him selfe to whome of right it belonged to say those wordes and not vnto the player that spake them King Hyrodes liked this sporte maruelously and rewarded Pomaxathres according to the maner of the contrie in such a case and to Iason he also gaue a talent Such was the successe of Crassus enterprise and voyage much like vnto the end of a tragedy But afterwardes Hyrodes cruelty and Surenaes fowle periury and craft were in the end iustly reuenged apon them both according to their deserres For king 〈…〉 enuying Surenaes glorie put Surena to death And Hyrodes fell into a disease that became dropsy after he had lost his sonne Pacorus who was slaine in a battel by the ROMANES Phâ—â—â—â— his second sonne thinking to set his father forwardes gaue him drinke of the iuice of Aâ—â—â—tum The dropsie received the poison and one draue the other out of Hyrodes bodie and set him a foote againe Phreates perceiuing his father to amende apon it to make shorte worâ—â— with his owne handes strangled him THE COMPARISON OF Crassus with Nicias BVt nowe to proceede to the comparison first Nicias goodes were more iustely gotten and with lesse reproach than Crassus wealth for otherwise a man can not geue any great praise to minerall workes the which are wrought by lewde and ill disposed barbarous fellowes him in irons and toyled to death in vnholsome and pestilent places But being compared vnto Crassus buying of confiscate goodes at Syllia handes and vngentle manly bargaines of houses a fire or in damage thereof surely Nicias trade will appeare the better way of getting For as openly did Crassus auow vsery as tillage And againe for other faultes wherewith Crassus many times was burdened and which he stowtly denied as that he tooke money of men hauing matters before the Senate at ROME to winne fauour for their side and that he preferred matters to the preiudice of the confederates of the ROMANES only for his priuate profit and therefore curried fauor with Ladies generally sought to cloke all fowle offenders of all these faultes was Nicias neuer so much as once suspected For he the contrarie mocked of euery bodie bicause for feare he maintained wicked doers by giftes which perhappes would not haue becommed Pericles nor Aristides and yet was mete for Nicias who was borne a timerous natured man and neuer had corage in him Whereof Lycurgus the Orator did vaunte afterwardes to the people being
accused that he redeemed detractours with money I am glad sayd he that hauing delt thus long in affayers of the state it is found I haue rather geuen than taken And now touching expences Nicias was thought the better and more ciuill citizen For his charge and cost was in dedicating some goodly image to the goddes or in making of publicke playes or pastimes to recreate the people But all the money he spent that way and all that he was worth besides was nothing comparable and but a small parte of that Crassus bestowed in an open feast he made at ROME feasting so many thowsandes at one time and did finde and maintaine them also for a certaine time after Now I can not but wonder at those men that deny vice to be an inequality and disagreement of maners repugnant in it selfe seeing men may honestly spend that which is naughtily gotten Thus much for their goodes For Nicias doinges in the common weale he did nothing maliciously cruelly nor vniustly neither any thing of selfe will or stomake but rather delt plainly and simply For he was deceiued by trusting of Alcibiades and neuer came to speake before the people but with great feare Crassus on thother side was reproued for his vnconstancie and lightnes for that he would easily chaunge frendes or enemies and he him selfe denied not that he came to be Consull the seconde time by plaine force and cruelty hauing hiered two murderers to kill Cato and Domitius And in the assembly the people held for deuiding of the prouinces many men were hurte and foure were slaine in the market place and more then that Crassus him selfe which we haue forgotten to wryte in his life gaue one Lucus Aunalius so sore a blow on the face with his fist for speaking against him that he sent him going with blood about his eares But as Crassus in those thinges was very fierce and cruell so Nicias womanish behauior on thother side and faint hart in matters of the common wealth humbling him selfe to the meanest and most vile persones deserueth great reproache Where Crassus in this respect shewed himselfe assuredly of a noble minde not cōtending with men of small accompt as with Cleon or Hyperbolus but would geue no place to Caesars fame and glory nor yet to Pompeyes three triumphes but sought to goe euen with them in power and authority and had immediatly before exceeded Pompeyes power in the dignity of Censor For Magistrates and Gouernors of the common weale should make them selues to be honored but not enuied killing enuy by the greatnes of their power But if it were so that Nicias preferred quietnes and the safety of his persone aboue all things else and that he feared Alcibiades in the pulpit for orations the LACEDAEMONIANS in the forte of Pyle and Perdiccas in THRACIA he had liberty scope enough to repose him selfe in the city of ATHENS might haue forborne the dealing in matters as Rhethoricians say haue put a hoode of quietnes apon his heade very well For doubtlesse concerninge his desire to make peace it was a godly minde in him and an act worthy of a noble person to bring that to passe he did appeasing all warre wherein Crassus certainely was not to be compared to him though he had ioyned all the prouinces to the Empire of ROME that reach vnto the Caspian sea and to the great Occean of the INDIANS But on the other side also when one hath to deale with people that can discerne when a man ruleth according to equity and iustice and that he seeth he is in the prime of his credit and authoritie he must not then for lacke of corage suffer wicked men to steppe in his roome nor geue occasion to preferre such to authoritie in the common weale as are vnworthie for that place and countenaunce neither should allowe such any credit as are altogether of no credit nor trust as Nicias did who was the only occasion that Cleon being before but a pratling Orator was chosen Generall Neither doe I also commend Crassus for that in the warre against Spartacus he made hast to geue him battell more rashely then safely or considerately For his ambition spurred him forwarde bicause he was afrayed least Pompeyes comming should take from him the glorie of all that he had done in that warre as Mumius tooke from Metellus thonor of the winning of CORINTHE But besides all this Nicias fact therein was without the compasse of reason and can no way be excused For he did not resigne his honor office of Generall to Cleon his enemy when there was hope of good successe or litle perill but fearing the daunger of the iorney he was contented to saue one and tooke no care besides for the common wealth Which Themistocles shewed not in the time of the warre against the PERSIANS For he to keepe Epicydes an Orator a man of no reckoning beside his eloquence and extreamely couetous from being chosen Generall of ATHENS least he should haue ouerthrowen the common weale secretly brided him with money to leaue of his sute And Cato also when he saw the state of ROME in greatest daunger sued to be Tribune of the people for the common wealthes sake And Nicias in contrary maner reseruing him selfe to make warre with the city of MINOA or with the I le of CYTHERA or with the poore vnfortunate MELIANS if there fell out afterwards occasion to fight against the LACEDAEMONIANS then away went his Captaines cloke and he left the shippes the armie and munition to the charge and gouernment of Cleons rashnes and small experience of warre when the necessitie of the seruice required the wisest and most expert Captaine The which he did not despising the meanes to make him honored but it was a plaine drawing backe at time of neede to defend his contrie Wherefore afterwardes he was compelled against his will to be Generall to make warres in SICILIA with the SYRACVSANS bicause the people thought he was not so earnest to disswade the iorney for that he thought it not 〈…〉 for the common wealth but bicause through his sloth and cowardlinesse he would make his contrie lose so good an oportunity to conquer SICILE Yet was this a great testimony of his honesty and trust they had in him who though he euer hated warre did flie from the offices of honor and charge in the common wealth his contriemen notwithstanding did alwayes choose him as the most experienced persone and meetest man of the citie Now Crassus in contrarie maner desiring nothing else but to be Generall could neuer attaine to it but in the warre of the bondmen and yet was it for lacke of an other for Pompey Metellus and both the Lucullus were then abroade in the warres although he was otherwise of great estimation and authoritie Howbeit it seemeth to me that his frendes that loued him best thought him as the comicall Poet sayth A good man any vvay else but in
to Cleonymus where before he would see him oftentimes in a day This made Sphodrias frendes dispaire of his life more then before vntill Etymocles one of Agesilaus familiars talking with them tolde them that for the facte it selfe Agesilaus thought it a shamefull deede and as much misliked it as might be but for Sphodrias selfe that he tooke him for a valliant man saw that the common wealth had neede of men of such seruice This was Agesilaus common talke to please his sonne when any man came to speake to him of Sphodrias accusation Insomuch that Cleonymus found straight that Archidamus had delt as faithfully and frendly for him as might be and then Sphodrias frendes also tooke hart againe vnto them to solicite his cause and to be earnest suters for him Agesilaus among other had this speciall propertie that he loued his children deerely and a tale goeth on him that he would play with them in his house when they were litle ones and ride apon a litle cocke horse or a reede as a horsebacke Insomuch as a frende of his taking him one day with the maner playing among his children he prayed him to say nothing till he had litle children him selfe In fine Sphodrias was quit by his iudges The ATHENIANS vnderstanding it sent to proclaime warre with the LACEDAEMONIANS Whereupon Agesilaus was much reproued bicuase that to please the fonde affection of his sonne he had hindered iustice brought his citie to be accused among the GRAECIANS for such grieuous crimes Agesilaus perceiuing that king Cleombrotus his companion went with no verie good will to make warre with the THEBANS he breaking the order set downe for leading of the army which was kept before went to the warres him selfe in person so inuading BOEOTIA he both receiued and did great hurt Wherupon Antalcidas seeing him hurt one day now truely sayd he the THEBANS haue paide you your deserued hier for teaching them against their wills to be souldiers that neither had will nor skill to fight For in dede they say the THEBANS became better souldiers and warriours than they were before being dayly trained and exercised in armes through the continuall inuasions of the LACEDAEMONIANS Loe this was the reason why the olde father Lycurgus in his lawes called Rhetra did forbid them to make warre too oft with one selfe people bicause that by compulsion they should not be made expert souldiers For this cause did the confederats of LACEDAEMON hate Agesilaus saying that it was not for any knowen offence to the state but for very spite priuate malice of his owne that he sought to vndoe the THEBANS in this maner and that to follow his humor they consumed them selues going yearely to the warres one while this way an other while that way without any necessitie at all following a few LACEDAEMONIANS them selues being alwayes the greater number Then it was that Agesilaus desiring to make thē see what number of men of warre they were vsed this deuise On a time he commaunded all the allies to sit downe together one with an other by them selues the LACEDAEMONIANS also by them selues Then he made a herauld proclaime that all pottemakers should stand vp on their feete When they were vp he made him crie to the brasiers to rise also After them in like maner the carpinters then the masons so consequently all occupations one after an other So that at the length the confederates obeying the proclamacion were all in maner on their feete The LACEDAEMONIANS not one of them rose bicause all base mechanicall craftes were forbidden them to occupie Then Agesilaus laughing at them loe my frendes sayd he doe ye not see now that we bring moe souldiers to the field than ye doe At his returne from this iorney of THEBES passing by the city of MEGARA as he went vp into the counsell house within the castell there sodainly tooke him a great crampe in his left legge that swelled extreamely and put him to great paine men thinking that it was but blood which had filled the vaine a Phisitian of SYRACVSA in SICILE being there straight opened a vaine vnder the ankle of his foote which made the paine to cease notwithstanding there came such aboundance of blood that they could not stanche it so that he sounded oft was in great daunger of present death In fine a way was found to stoppe it and they caried him to LACEDAEMON where he lay sicke along time so that he was past going to the warres any more The SPARTANS in the meane time receiued great ouerthrowes both by sea and land and among other their greatest ouerthrow was at the battell of LEVCTRES where the THEBANS ouercame and slue them in plaine battell Then the GRAECIANS were all of one minde to make a generall peace and thereuppon came Ambassadors and the Deputies from all the cities of GRAECE met at LACEDAEMON to that ende One of these Deputies was Epaminondas a notable learned man and a famous Philosopher but as yet vnskilfull in warres He seeing how the other Ambassadors curried fauor with Agesilaus only he of the rest kept his grauety to speake freely and made an Oration not for the THEBANS alone but for all GRAECE in generall declaring to them all how warres did only increase the greatnes power of the citie of SPARTA and contrarily did minish and decay all other cities and townes of GRAECE and for this cause that he did counsell them all to conclude a good and perfit peace indifferently for all to the ende it might continewe the lenger when they were all alike Agesilaus perceiuing then that all the GRAECIANS present at the assemblie gaue him good eare and were glad to heare him speake thus boldely of peace asked him openly if he thought it mete and reasonable that all BOEOTIA should be set clere at libertie againe Epaminondas presently boldly againe asked him if he thought it iust and requisite to set all LACONIA clere againe at liberty Agesilaus being offended therwith stoode vpon his feete and commaunded him to aunswere plainly whether they would set all BOEOTIA at libertie or not Epaminondas replied vnto him with the selfe speache againe and asked him whether they would set all LACONIA at liberty or not That nettled Agesilaus so that besides he was glad of such a cloke for the old grudge he euer bare vnto the THEBANS he presently put the name of the THEBANS out of the bill of those which should haue bene comprised within the league and cried open warres apon them in the market place For the rest he licensed the other Deputies and Ambassadors of the people of GRAECE to departe with this conclusion that they should louingly take order among thē selues for the controuersies betwext them if they could peaceably agree together and they that could not fall to such agreement that then they should trie it by warres for that it was a hard thing to take vp
not tell where there came crowes vnto them that did guide them flying before them flying fast when they saw them follow them and stayed for them when they were behind But Callisthenes writeth a greater wonder then this that in the night time with the very noise of the crowes they brought them againe into the right waie which had lost their waie Thus Alexander in th end hauing passed through this wildernes he came vnto the temple he sought for where the prophet or chiefe priest saluted him from the god Hammon as from his father Then Alexander asked him if any of the murtherers that had killed his father were left aliue The priest aunswered him and bad him take heede he did not blaspheme for his father was no mortall man Then Alexander againe rehersing that he had spoken asked him if the murderers that had conspired the death of Philip his father were all punished After that he asked him touching his kingdome if he would graunt him to be king ouer all the world The god aunswered him by the mouth of his prophet he should and that the death of Philip was fully reuenged Then did Alexander offer great presentes vnto the god and gaue money large to the priests ministers of the temple This is that the most parte of writers doe declare touching Alexanders demaund and the oracles geuen him Yet did Alexander him selfe write vnto his mother that he had secret oracles from the god which he would onely impart vnto her at his retorne into MACEDON Others saie also that the prophet meaning to salute him in the Greeke tongue to welcome him the better would haue said vnto him O Paidion as much as deere sonne but that he tripped a litle in his tongue bycause the Greeke was not his naturall tongue and placed an s for an n in the latter ende saying O Pai dios to wit O sonne of Iupiter and that Alexander was glad of that mistaking Whereupon there ranne a rumor straight among his men that Iupiter had called him his sonne It is said also that he heard Psammon the philosopher in EGYPT and that he liked his wordes very well when he saide that god was king of all mortall men For ê™ he he that commaundeth all things must needes be god But Alexander selfe spake better and like philosopher when he said That god generally was father to all mortall men but that particularly he did elect the best sorte for him selfe To conclude he shewed him selfe more arrogant vnto the barbarous people and made as though he certainly beleued that he had bene begotten of some god but vnto the GRAECIANS he spake more modestly of diuine generation Porin a letter he wrote vnto the ATHENIANS touching the citie of SAMOS he said I gaue ye not that noble free citie but it was geuen you at that time by him whom they called my Lord father meaning Philip. Afterwardes also being striken with an arrow and feeling great paine of it My frendes said he This blood which is spilt is mans blood and not as Homer said No such as from the immortall gods doth flovv And one day also in a maruelous great thunder when euery man was afraid Anaxarcbus the Rethoritian being present said vnto him O thou sonne of Iupiter wilt thou doe as much no said he laughing on him I will no be so fearefull to my frends as thou wouldest haue me disdaining the seruice of fishe to my borde bycause thou seest not princes heades serued in And the report goeth also that Alexander vpon a time sending a litle fishe vnto Hephes 〈…〉 Anaxarchus should saye as it were in mockery that they which aboue others seeke for 〈…〉 with great trouble and hazard of life haue either small pleasure in the world or els 〈…〉 as others haue By these proofes and reasons alleaged we maie thinke that Alexander lead no vaine nor presumptuous opinion of him selfe to thinke that he was otherwise begotten of a god but that he did it in policie to kepe other men vnder obedience by the opinion conceiued of his godhead Retorning out of PHOENICIA into EGYPT he made many sacrifices feastes and precessions in honor of the goddes sondry daunces Tragedies and such like pastimes goodly to behold not onely for the sumptuous serring out of them but also for the good will and diligence of the setters forth of them which striued euery one to exceede the other For the kings of the CYPRIANS were the setters of them forth as at ATHENS they dâ—aâ—â— by lot a citizen of euery tribe of the people to defraie the changes of these pastimes These kinges were very earnest who should doe best but specially Nicocreon king of SALAMDAâ—â—â— CYPRVS and Pasicrates Lord of the citie of SOLES For it fell to their lot to fournish run of the excellentest plaiers Pasicrates fournished Athenodorus and Nicocreon Thessalus whom Alexander loued singulerly well though he made no shew of it vntill that Athenodorus was declared victor by the iudges deputed to geue sentence For when he went from the plaies he told them he did like the iudges opinion well notwithstanding he would haue bene extented to haue geuen the one halfe of his realme not to haue seene Thessalus ouercome Athenodorus being condemned vpon a time by the ATHENIANS bycause he was not in ATHENS at the feastes of Bacchus when the Comedies and Tragedies were plaied and a fine set of his head for his absence he besought AlexaÌ„der to write vnto them in his behalfe that they would release his penalty Alexander would not so doe but sent thether his money whereof he was condemned and paide it for him of his owne purse Also when Lycon SCALPHIAN an euedlent stage player had pleased Alexander well and did foiste in a verse in his comedy conteining a petition of tenne talents Alexander laughing at it gaue it him Darius at that time wrote vnto Alexander and vnto certen of his frendes also to pray him take tenne thousand tallentes for the raumson of all those prisoners he had in his handes and for all the contrie landes and signories on this side the riuer of Euphrates and one of his daughters also in mariage that from thence forth he might be his kinsman and frend Alexander imparted this to his counsell Amongest them Parmenio said vnto him if I were Alexander ê™ he surely I would accept this offer So would I in deede ê™ Alexander againe if I were Parmenio In fine he 〈…〉 againe vnto Darius that if he would submit him selfe he would vse him courteously if not that then he would presently marche towardes him But he repented him afterwardes when king Darius wife was dead with childe For without dissimulation it greeued him much that he had lost so noble an occasion to shew his courtesie and clemencie This notwithstanding he gaue her body honorable buriall sparing for no cost Amongest the Eunuches of the queenes chamber there was one Tireus taken prisoner among the
him that it was an ill signe Alexander thereuppon gaue order straight that they shoulde doe sacrifice for the health of Clitus and speciallie for that three dayes before he dreamed one night that he sawe Clitus in a mourninge gowne sittinge amongest the sonnes of Parmenio the which were all dead before This notwithstanding Clitus did not make an ende of his sacrifice but came straight to supper to the kinge who had that day sacrificed vnto Castor and Pollux At this feast there was olde drinking and all the supper time there were certaine verses song and made by a Poet called Pranichus or as others say of one Pierion against certaine Captaines of the MACEDONIANS which had not long before bene ouercome by the barbarous people and only to shame them and to make the companie laugh With these verses auncient men that were at this feast became much offended and grewe angrie with the Poet that made them and the minstrell that song them Alexander on thother side and his familliars liked them verie well and commaunded the minstrell to sing still Clitus therewithall being ouer-taken with wine and besides of a churlish nature prowde and arrogant fell into greater choller and sayd that it was neither well nor honestlie done in that sorte to speake ill of those poore MACEDONIAN Captaines and speciallie amongest the barbarous people their enemies which were farre better men then they that laughed them to scorne although their fortune much worse then theirs Alexander then replied and sayd that saying so he pleaded for him selfe calling cowardlinesse misfortune Then Clitus standing vp sayd againe but yet this my cowardlynes saued thy life that callest thy selfe the sonne of the goddes when thou turnedst thy backe from Spithridates sword and the blood which these poore MACEDONIANS did shedde for thee and the woundes which they receiued of their bodies fighting for thee haue made thee so great that thou disdainest now to haue king Philip for thy father and wilt needes make thy selfe the sonne of Iupiter Hammon Alexander being moued with these words straight replied O villen thinkest thou to scape vnpunished for these prowde words of thine which thou vsest continually against me making the MACEDONIANS rebell against Alexander Clitus aunswered againe too much are we punished Alexander for our paines and seruice to receiue such reward nay most happy thinke we them that long sence are dead and gone not now to see the MACEDONIANS scourged with roddes of the MEDES compelled to curry fauor with the PERSIANS to haue accesse vnto their king Thus Clitus boldly speaking against Alexander and Alexander againe aunswering and reuiling him the grauest men sought to pacifie this sturre and tumult Alexander then turning him selfe vnto Xenodochâ—s .. CARDIAN and Artemius COLOPHONIAN doe you not thinke sayd he that the GRAECIANS are amongest the MACEDONIANS as demy goddes that walke among brute beastes Clitus for all this would not geue ouer his impudency and mallapertnesse but cried out and bad Alexander speake openlie what he had to say or else not to bidde free men come to suppe with him that were wont to speake franckely if not to keepe with the barbarous slaues than honored his PERSIAN girdell and long white garment Then coulde Alexander no longer hold his choller but tooke an apple that was vpon his table and threw it at Clitus and looked for his sworde the which Aristophanes one of his gard that waited on him had of purpose taken from him And when euerie man came straight about him to stay him and to pray him to be contented he immediatly rose from the borde and called his gard vnto him in the MACEDONIAN tongue which was a signe of great trouble to followe after it and commaunded a trompetor to sound the allarme But he drawing backe would not sound whereuppon Alexander strake him with his fist Notwithstanding the trompetor was greatly commended afterwards for that he only kept the campe that they rose not All this could not quiet Clitus whereupon his frends with much a doe thrust him out of the halle but he came in againe at an other dore and arrogantly and vnreuerently rehearsed this verse of the Poet Euripides out of Andromaches tragedie Alas for sorovv euill vvayes Are into Grace crept novv a dayes Then Alexander taking a partisan from one of his gard as Clitus was comming towardes him and had lift vp the hanging before the dore he ranne him through the body so that Clitus fell to the ground and fetching one grone died presently Alexanders choller had left him straight and he became maruelous sorowfull and when he saw his frendes round about him say neuer a word he pluckt the partisan out of his body would haue thrust it into his owne throte Howbeit his gard about him caught him by the hands caried him perforce into his chamber there he did nothing all that night but weepe bitterly the next day following vntill such time as he was able to crie no more but lying on the ground onely laie sighing His frendes hearing his voice no more were afraid and came into his chamber by force to comfort him But Alexander would heare none of them sauing Ariftâ—nder the Soothesayer who remembred him of his dreame he had of Clitus before which was prognostication of that which had happened whereby it appeared that it was his desteny before he was borne This seemed to comfort Alexander Afterwardes they brought in Callisthenes the philosopher akinsman of Aristotles and Anaxarchus borne in AEDERA Of these two Callisthenes fought by gentle talke not mouing any matter offensiue to comfort Alexanders sorow But Anaxarchus that from the beginning had taken a way by him selfe in the studie of philosophie being accompted a braine sicke man and one that despised his companions he comming into Alexanders chamber also with him cryed out at the dore as he came in See yonder is Alexander the great whom all the world lookes apon and is affraid of See where he lies weeping like a slaue on the ground that is affraid of the lawe and of the reproche of men as if he him selfe should not geue them law and stablish the boundes of iustice or iniustice sithence he hath ouercome to be Lord and master and not to be subiect and slaue to a vaine opinion Knowest thou not that the poets saie that Iupiter hath Themis to wit right and iustice placed of either hand on him what signifieth that but all that the prince doth is wholy right and iust These wordes of Anaxarchus did comfort the sorowfull harte of king Alexander at that time but therewithall they made Alexanders maners afterwardes more fierce and dissolute For as he thereby did maruelously grow in fauor with the king euen so did he make the company of Callisthenes who of him selfe was not very pleasaunt bicause of his grauery and sowrenes much more hatefull and misliked then before It is written also that there was certain talke one night at
daunger with fire the which burnt the arsenall where the shipped lay and that notable librarie of ALEXANDRIA withall The third daunger was in the battel by sea that was fought by the tower of Phar where meaning to helpe his men that fought by sea he dept from the peere into a boate Then the AEGYPTIANS made towardes him with their owers on euerie side but he leaping into the sea with great hazard saued him selfe by swimming â—ris sayd that then holding diuers bookes in his hand he did neuer let them go but kept them alwayes vpon his head aboue water swamme with the other hand notwithstanding that they shot maruelously at him and was driuen somtime to ducke into the water howbeit the boate was downed presently In fine the king comming to his men that made warre with Caesar he went against him and gaue him battell and wanne it with great slaughter and effusion of blood But for the king no man could euer tell what became of him after Thereupon Caesar made Cleopatra his sister Queene of AEGYPT who being great with childe by him was shortly brought to bedde of a sonne whom the ALEXANDRIANS named Caesarion From thence he went into SYRIA and so going into ASIA there it was told him that Domitius was ouerthrowen in battell by Pharnaces the sonne of king Mithridates and was fled out of the realme of PONTE with a few men with him and that this king Pharnaces greedily following his victorie was not contented with the winning of BITHYNIA CAPPADOCIA but further would needes attempt to winne ARMENIA the lesse procuring all those kinges Princes and Gouernors of the prouinces thereabouts to rebell against the ROMANES Thereupon Caesar went thither straight with three legions and fought a great battell with king Pharnaces by the citie of ZELA where he slue his armie draue him out of all the realme of PONTE And bicause he would aduertise one of his frendes of the sodainnes of this victorie he onely wrote three words vnto Anitius at ROME Veni Vedi Vici to wit I came I saw I ouercame These three wordes ending all with like sound and letters in the Latin haue a certaine shore grace more pleasaunt to the eare then can be well expressed in any other tongue After this he returned againe into ITALIE and came to ROME ending his yeare for the which he was made Dictator the seconde time which office before was neuer graunted for one whole yeare but vnto him Then he was chosen Consul for the yeare following Afterwardes he was very ill spoken of for that his souldiers in a mutine hauing slaine two Praetors Cosconius and Galba he gaue them no other punishment for it but in steade of calling them souldiers he named them citizens and gaue vnto euery one of them a thowsand Drachmas a man and great possessions in ITALIE He was much misliked also for the desperate parts and madnes of Dolabella for the couetousnes of Anitius for the dronkennes of Antonius and Cornificius which made Pompeys house be pulled downe and builded vp againe as a thing not bigge enough for him wherewith the ROMANES were maruelously offended Caesar knew all this well enough and would haue bene contented to haue redressed them but to bring his matters to passe be pretended he was driuen to serue his turne by such instrumentes After the battell of Pharsalia Cato and Scipio being fled into AFRICKE king Iubâ— ioyned with them leauied a great puisant armie Wherefore Caesar determined to make warre with them in the middest of winter he tooke his iorney into SYCILE There bicause he would take all hope from his Captaines and souldiers to make any long abode there he went and lodged vpon the very sandes by the sea side and with the next gale of winde that came he tooke the sea with three thowsand footemen and a few horsemen Then hauing put them a land vnwares to them he hoysed sayle againe to goe fetche the rest of his armie being afrayed least they should meete with some daunger in passing ouer and meeting them midde way he brought them all into his campe Where when it was tolde him that his enemies trusted in an auncient Oracle which sayd that it was predestined vnto the family of the Scipioes to be conquerors in AFRICKE either of purpose to mocke Scipio the Generall of his enemies or otherwise in good earnest to take the benefit of this name geuen by the Oracle vnto him selfe in all the skirmishes battells he fought he gaue the charge of his army vnto a man of meane quality and accompt called Scipio Sallutius who came of the race of Scipio AFRICAN and made him alwayes his Generall which he fought For he was eftsoones compelled to weary and harrie his enemies for that neither his men in his campe had corne enough nor his beasts forrage but the souldiers were dri 〈…〉 to take sea weedes called Alga and washing away the brackishnes thereof with fresh water putting to it a litle erbe called dogges tooth to cast is so to their horse to eate For the NVMIDIANS which are light horsemen and very ready of seruice being a great number together would be on a sodaine in euery place and spred all the fieldes ouer thereabout so that no man durst peepe out of the campe to goe for forrage And one day as the men of armes were shiping to beholde an AFRICAN doing notable thinges in dauncing and playing with the fl 〈…〉 they being set downe quietly to take their pleasure of the viewe thereof hauing in the meane time geuen their slaues their horses to hold the enemies stealing sodainly vpon them compassed them in round about and slue a number of them in the field and chasing the other also that fled followed them pell melt into their campe Furthermore had not Caesar him selfe in person and Afinius Pollio with him gone out of the campe to the rescue and stayed them that fled the warre that day had bene ended There was also an other skirmish where his enemies had the vpper hande in the which it is reported that Caesar taking the ensigne beares by the coller that caried the Eagle in his hande stayed him by force and turning his face tolde him see there be thy enemies These aduantages did lift vp Scipioes hart aloft and gaue him corage to hazard battell and leauing Afranius on the one hand of him and king Iuba on the other hande both their campes lying neere to other he did fortifie him selfe by the citie of THAPSACVS aboue the lake to be a safe refuge for them all in this battell But whilest he was busie intrenching of him selfe Caesar hauing maruelous speedily passed through a great contrie full of wod by bypathes which men would neuer haue mistrusted he stale vpon some behinde and sodainly assailed the other before so that he ouerthrewe them all and made them flie Then following this first good happe he had he
they were to stay them bicause they were the chiefest men of the citie but euery man flying from them they fell one on an others necke for hast They that followed them had brought from home great leauers clubbes and as they went they tooke vp feete of trestles and chaires which the people had ouerthrowen and broken running away and hyed them a pace to meete with Tiberius striking at them that stoode in their way so that in short space they had dispersed all the common people and many were slaine flying Tiberius seeing that betooke him to his legges to saue him selfe but as he was flying one tooke him by the gowne and stayed him but he leauing his gowne behinde him ranne in his coate and running fell vpon them that were downe before So as he was rising vp againe the first man that strake him and that was plainly seene strike him was one of the Tribunes his brethren called Publius Satureius who gaue him a great rappe on the head with the foote of a chaire the second blow he had was geuen him by Lucius Rufus that boasted of it as if he had done a notable acte In this tumult there were slaine aboue three hundred men and were all killed with staues and stones and not one man hurt with any iron This was the first sedition among the citizens of ROME that fell out with murder and bloodshed since the expulsion of the kinges But for all other former dissentions which were no trifles they were easily pacified either partie geuing place to other the Senate for feare of the commoners and the people for reuerence they bare to the Senate And it seemeth that Tiberius him selfe woulde easely haue yeelded also if they had proceeded by faire meanes and perswasion so they had ment good faith and would haue killed no man for at that time he had not in all aboue 3000. men of the people about him But surely it seemes this conspiracie was executed against him more for very spite and malice the rich men did beare him then for any other apparant cause they presupposed against him For proofe hereof may be alleaged the barbarous cruelty they vsed to his body being dead For they would not suffer his owne brother to haue his bodie to burie it by night who made earnest sute vnto them for it but they threw him amongest the other bodies into the riuer and yet this was not the worst For some of his frends they banished without forme of law and others they put to death which they coulde meete withall Among the which they slue Diophanes the Orator and one Caius Billius whom they inclosed in a pype among snakes and serpentes and put him to death in this sorte Blossius also the Philosopher of Cumes was brought before the Consuls and examined about this matter who boldly confessed vnto them that he did as much as Tiberius commaunded him When Nasica did aske him and what if he had commaunded thee to set fire on the Capitoll He made him aunswere that Tiberius would neuer haue geuen him any suche commaundement And when diuers others also were still in hand with him about that question but if he had commaunded thee I would sure haue done it sayd he for he would neuer haue commaunded me to haue done it if it had not bene for the commoditie of the people Thus he scaped at that time and afterwards fled into ASIA vnto Aristonicus whom misfortune hauing ouerthrowen he slue him selfe Now the Senate to pacifie the people at that present time did no more withstand the law Agtarie for diuision of the lands of the common wealth but suffered the people to appoint an other Commissioner for that purpose in Tiberius place Thereupon Publius Crassus was chosen being allied vnto Tiberius for Caius Gracchus Tiberius brother had maried his daughter Licinia Yet Coâ—â— liue Neâ—os sayâ—h 〈…〉 it was not Crassus daughter Caius maried but the daughter of Brutus that triumphed for the LVSITANIANâ—â— Howbeit the best wryters and authority agree with that we wryte But whatsoeuer was done the people were maruelously offended with his death and men might easely perceiue that they looked but for time and oportunity to be reuenged and did presently threaten Nasica do accuse him Whereupon the Senate fearing some trouble towards him deuised a way vpon no occasion to sende him into ASIA For the common people did not dissemble the malice they bare him when they met him but were verie round with him and called him tyran and murderer excommunicate and wicked man that had imbrued his hands in the blood of the holy Tribune and within the most sacred temple of all the citie So in the ende he was inforced to forsake ROME though by his office he was bounde to solemnise all the greatest so sacrifices bicause he was then chiefe Bishoppe of ROME Thus crauelling out of his contrie 〈…〉 meane man and troubled in his minde he dyed shortly after not farre from the citie of â—â—â—â—AMVN Truely it is not greatly to be wondered at though the people so much hated Nasica considering that Scipio the AFRICAN him selfe whom the people of ROME for iustes cables had loued better then any man else whatsoeuer was like to haue lost all the peoples good 〈…〉 they bare him bicause that being at the siege of NVMANTIA when newes was brought him of Tiberius death he rang out this verse of Homer Such end vpon him euer light VVhich in such doings doth delight Furthermore being asked in thassembly of the people by Caius Fuluios what he thought at Tiberius death he aunswered them that he did not like his doinger After that the people handled him very churlishly did euer breake of his oration which they never did before he him self also would reuile the people euen in the assembly Now Caius Gracchus at the first bicause he feared the enemies of his deade brother or otherwise for that he fought meanes to make them more hated of the people he absented him selfe for a time out of the common assembly and kept at home and meddled not as a man contented to line meanely without busying him selfe in the common wealth insomuch as he made men thinke and reporte both that he did vtterly mislike those matters which his brother had preferred Howbeit he was then but a young man and nine yeares younger then his brother Tiberius who was not thirty yeare old when he was slaine But in processe of time he made his manners and condicions by litle and litle appeare who hated sloth and curiositie and was least of all geuen 〈…〉 any couetous minde of getting for he gaue him selfe to be eloquent as preparing him winges afterwardes to practise in the common wealth So that it appeared plainely that when time came he would not stand still and looke on When one Vectius a frende of his was sued he tooke apon him to defend his cause in courte The people that were present and heard
came to be Emperour And of the sonnes of Germanicus the one whose name was Caius came also to be Emperour who after he had licentiously raigned a time was slaine with his wife and daughter Agrippina also hauing a sonne by her first husbande AEnobarbus called Lucius Domitius was afterwardes maried vnto Clodius who adopted her sonne and called him Nero Germanicus This Nero was Emperour in our time and slue his owne mother and had almost destroyed the Empire of ROME through his madness and wicked life being the fift Emperour of ROME after Antonius THE COMPARISON OF Demetrius with Antonius NOw sithence it falleth out that Demetrius and Antonius were one of them much like to the other hauing fortune a like diuers and variable vnto them let vs therefore come to consider their power and authoritie and how they came to be so great First of all it is certaine that Demetrius power and greatnes fell vnto him by inheritance from his father Antigonus who became the greatest and mightiest Prince of all the successors of Alexander and had won the most parte of ASIA before Demetrius came of full age Antonius in contrary maner borne of an honest man who otherwise was no man of warre and had not left him any meane to arise to such greatnes durst take vpon him to contend for the Empire with Caesar that had no right vnto it by inheritaunce but yet made him selfe successor of the power the which the other by great paine and trauell had obteyned and by his owne industrie became so great without the helpe of any other that the Empire of the whole worlde being deuided into two partes he had the one halfe and tooke that of the greatest countenaunce and power Antonius being absent oftentimes ouercame the PARTHIANS in battell by his Lieutenaunts and chased away the barbarous people dwelling about mount Caucasus vnto the sea Hyrcanium insomuche as the thing they most reproue him for did most witnes his greatnes For Demetrius father made him gladly marrie Phila Antipaters daughter although she was too old for him bicause she was of a nobler house then him selfe Antonius on thother side was blamed for marying of Cleopatra a Queene that for power and nobilitie of blood excelled all other kings in her time but Arsaces and moreouer made him selfe so great that others thought him worthie of greater things then he him selfe required Now for the desire that moued the one and the other to conquer realmes the desire of Demetrius was vnblameable iust desiring to raigne ouer people which had bene gouerned at all times desired to be gouerned by kings But Antonius desire was altogether wicked tyrannicall who sought to keepe the people of ROME in bondage and subiection but lately before rid of Caesars raigne and gouernment For the greatest and most famous exployte Antonius euer did in warres to wit the warre in the which he ouerthrew Cassius and Brutus was begon to no other ende but to depriue his contriemen of their libertie and freedom Demetrius in contrarie maner before fortune had ouerthrowen him neuer lest to set GRAECE at libertie and to driue the garrisons away which kept the cities in bondage and not like Antonius that bosted he had slaine them that had set ROME at libertie The chiefest thing they commended in Antonius was his liberalitie and bountie in the which Demetrius excelled him so farre that he gaue more to his enemies then Antonius did to his frends although he was maruelously well thought of for the honorable and sumptuous funerall he gaue vnto Brutus bodie Howbeit Demetrius caused all his enemies be buried that were slaine in battel and returned vnto Ptolomy all the prisoners he had taken with great giftes and presentes he gaue them They were both in their prosperitie verie riotouslie and licentiouslie geuen but yet no man can euer say that Demetrius did at any time let slippe any oportunitie or occasion to followe great matters but onelie gaue him selfe in deede to pleasure when he had nothing else to doe And further to say truely he tooke pleasure of Lamia as a man woulde haue a delight to heare one tell tales when he hath nothing else to doe or is desirous to sleepe but in deede when he was to make any preparation for warre he had not then Iuey at his darts end nor had his helmet perfumed nor came not out of Ladies closets picked and princt to go to battell but he let all dauncing and sporting alone and became as the Poet Euripides faith The souldier of Mars cruell and bloodie But to conclude he neuer had ouerthrowe or misfortune through negligence nor by delaying time to followe his owne pleasure as we see in painted tables where Omphale secretlie stealeth away Hercules clubbe and tooke his Lyons skinne from him Euen so Cleopatra oftentimes vnarmed Antonius and intised him to her making him lose matters of great importaunce and verie needefull iorneys to come and be dandled with her about the riuers of Canobus and Taphosiris In the ende as Paris fledde from the battell and went to hide him selfe in Helens armes euen so did he in Cleopatraes armes or to speake more properlie Paris hidde him selfe in Helens closet but Antonius to followe Cleopatra fledde and lost the victorie Furthermore Demetrius had many wiues that he had maried and all at one time the which was not dissalowable or not forbidden by the kinges of MACEDON but had bene vsed from Philippe and Alexanders time as also king Lysimachus and Ptolomy had and did honor all them that he maried But Antonius first of all maried two wiues together the which neuer ROMANE durst doe before but him selfe Secondly he put away his first ROMANE wife which he had lawfully maried for the loue of a straunge woman he fondly fell in fancy withall and contrarie to the lawes and ordinaunces of ROME And therefore Demetrius mariages neuer hurt him for any wrong he had done to his wiues but Antonius contrarily was vndone by his wiues Of all the lasciuious partes Antonius played none were so abhominable as this onely fact of Demetrius For the historiographers write that they would not suffer dogges to come into the castell of ATHENS bicause of all beastes he is too busie with bitcherie and Demetrius in Mineruaes temple it selfe lay with Curtisans and there defiled many citizens wiues And besides all this the horrible vice of crueltie which a man would thinke were least mingled with these wanton delightes is ioyned with Demetrius concupiscene who suffered or more properly compelled the goodliest young boy of ATHENS to dye a most pitiefull death to saue him selfe from violence being taken And to conclude Antonius by his incontinencie did no hurte but to him selfe and Demetrius did hurte vnto all others Demetrius neuer hurte any of his frendes and Antonius suffered his Vncle by his mothers side to be slaine that he might haue his will of Cicero to
withstande it and rather dye then lose my libertie Cassius being bolde and taking holde of this worde why ê™ he what ROMANE is he aliue that will suffer thee to dye for the libertie What knowest thou not that thou art Brutus Thinkest thou that they be cobblers tapsters or suche like base mechanicall people that wryte these billes and scrowles which are founde dayly in thy Praetors chaire and not the noblest men and best citizens that doe it No be thou well assured that of other Praetors they looke for giftes common distribucions amongest the people and for common playes and to see fensers fight at the sharpe to shew the people pastime but at thy handes they specially require as a due det vnto them the taking away of the tyranny being fully bent to suffer any extremity for thy sake so that thou wilt shew thy selfe to be the man thou art taken for and that they hope thou art Thereuppon he kissed Brutus and imbraced him and so each taking leaue of other they went both to speake with their frendes about it Nowe amongest Pompeys frendes there was one called Caius Ligarius who had bene accused vnto Caesar for taking parte with Pompey and Caesar discharged him But Ligarius thanked not Caesar so muche for his discharge as he was offended with him for that he was brought in daunger by his tyrannicall power And therefore in his hearte he was alway his mortall enemie and was besides verie familiar with Brutus who went to see him beinge sicke in his bedde and sayed vnto him O Ligarius in what a time art thou sicke Ligarius risinge vppe in his bedde and taking him by the right hande sayed vnto him Brutus sayed he if thou hast any great enterprise in hande worthie of thy selfe I am whole After that time they beganne to feele all their acquaintaunce whome they trusted and layed their heades together consultinge vppon it and did not onelie picke out their frendes but all those also whome they thought stowt enough to attempt any desperate matter and that were not affrayed to loase their liues For this cause they durst not acquaint Cicero with their conspiracie although he was a man whome they loued dearelie and trusted best for they were affrayed that he being a coward by nature and age also hauing increased his feare he woulde quite turne and alter all their purpose and quenche the heate of their enterprise the which speciallie required hotte and earnest execucion seeking by perswasion to bring all thinges to suche safetie as there should be no perill Brutus also did let other of his frendes alone as Statilius EPICVRIAN and Faonius that made profession to followe Marcus Cato Bicause that hauing cast out wordes a farre of disputing together in Philosophie to feele their mindes Faonius aunswered that ciuill warre was worse then tyrannicall gouernment vsurped against the lawe And Statilius tolde him also that it were an vnwise parte of him to put his life in daunger for a sight of ignoraunt fooles and asses Labeo was present at this talke and maintayned the contrarie against them both But Brutus helde his peace as though it had bene a doubtfull matter and a harde thing to haue decided But afterwardes being out of their companie he made Labeo priuie to his intent who verie readilie offered him selfe to make one And they thought good also to bring in an other Brutus to ioyne with him surnamed Albinus who was no man of his handes him selfe but bicause he was able to bring good force of a great number of slaues and sensers at the sharpe whome he kept to shewe the people pastime with their fighting besides also that Caesar had some trust in him Cassius and Labeo tolde Brutus Albinus of it at the first but he made them no aunswere But when he had spoken with Brutus him selfe alone and that Brutus had tolde him he was the chiefe ringleader of all this conspiracie then he willinglie promised him the best aide he coulde Furthermore the onlie name and great calling of Brutus did bring on the most of them to geue consent to this conspiracie Who hauing neuer taken others together nor taken or geuen any caution or assuraunce nor binding them selues one to an other by any religious others they all kept the matter so secret to them selues and coulde so cunninglie handle it that notwithstanding the goddes did reueale it by manifest signes and tokens from aboue and by predictions of sacrifices yet all this woulde not be beleued Nowe Brutus who knewe verie well that for his sake all the noblest valliantest and most couragious men of ROME did venter their liues waying with him selfe the greatnesse of the daunger when he was out of his house he did so frame and facion his countenaunce and lookes that no man coulde discerne he had any thing to trouble his minde But when night came that he was in his owne house then he was cleane chaunged For either care did wake him against his will when he woulde haue slept or else oftentimes of him selfe he fell into suche deepe thoughtes of this enterprise casting in his minde all the daungers that might happen that his wife lying by him founde that there was some maruelous great matter that troubled his minde not beinge wont to be in that taking and that he coulde not well determine with him selfe His wife Porcia as we haue tolde you before was the daughter of Cato whome Brutus maried being his cosin not a maiden but a younge widowe after the death of her first husbande Bibulus by whome she had also a younge sonne called Bibulus who afterwardes wrote a booke of the actes and ieastes of Brutus extant at this present day This young Ladie being excellentlie well seene in Philosophie louing her husbande well and being of a noble courage as she was also wise bicause she woulde not aske her husbande what he ayled before she had made some proofe by her selfe she tooke a litle rasor suche as barbers occupie to pare mens nayles and causinge all her maydes and women to goe out of her chamber gaue her selfe a greate gashe withall in her thigh that she was straight all of a goare bloode and incontinentlie after a vehement feuer tooke her by reason of the payne of her wounde Then perceiuing her husbande was maruelouslie out of quiet and that he coulde take no rest euen in her greatest payne of all she spake in this sorte vnto him I being O Brutus sayed she the daughter of Cato was maried vnto thee not to be thy beddefellowe and companion in bedde and at borde onelie like a harlot but to be partaker also with thee of thy good and euill fortune Nowe for thy selfe I can finde no cause of faulte in thee touchinge our matche but for my parte howe may I showe my duetie towardes thee and howe muche I woulde doe for thy sake if I can not constantlie beare a secret mischaunce or griefe with thee
bringing in as he did the garrison of the MACEDONIANS filling the castell of the Acrocorinthe with GAVLES and ILLYRIAN souldiers and making them his Lordes and masters whom he had so often ouercomen in warres and deceiued of their gouernment and of whom he also spake so muche euill in his Commentaries nor to haue put them into townes and calling them frends and confederates to thinke thereby to colour and disguise his wicked practise Admit Cleomenes had bene a tyran and a cruell man if I should so teaâ—me him yet came he of the blood of Hercules and was borne in SPARTA from whence they should rather haue chosen the meanest man Gouernor then the greatest king of MACEDON and those speciallie that preferre the honor and glorie of GRAECE before straungers Yet king Cleomenes required no more of all the ACHAIANS but the name onely to be their Lieutenaunt generall and so they woulde graunt him that honor he promised he would be verie good vnto the cities confederats ACHAIA Where Antigonus notwithstanding when they had chosen him their Lieutenaunt generall with absolute power and authoritie both by sea and by lande refused the charge vnlesse they would let him haue the castell of the Acrocorinthe for his hyer The which was euen like to Esopes hunter that brideled his horse For he would not get vp vpon the ACHAIANS that requested him and that by their Ambassadors and decrees of counsell did referre all to him selfe before be had first saddled and brideled them by the garrison he made them receiue and the pledges he caused them to geue him and yet he spake as much as might be to cleere him selfe of the accusacion against him bearing them in hande that he was forced to it Howbeit Polybius wryteth that long time before he was compelled being affrayed of Cleomenes valliantnes he had secretly practised that with Antigonus which he was openlie seene in afterwards and that he had intised the MEGALOPOLITANS who were the first that moued it to the counsell of the ACHAIANS to call king Antigonus to their aide bicause they were neerest neighbours to the fire and continually harried with Cleomenes warre that alwaies knocked at their gates to come and spoyle them Thus muche is affirmed by Phylarchus in his historie who were hardlie to be credited notwithstanding had not Polybius confirmed it For he loued Cleomenes so well that it seemed he was rauished with some spirite as often as he spake of him and frameth his historie as a common counseller that should pleade a case in lawe before the Iudges still accusing the one and defending the other The ACHAIANS lost the citie of MEGALIPOLIS againe the which king Cleomenes tooke of them and ouercame them in a great battell by Hecatombaeon Wherewithall they were so amazed that they sent Ambassadors presentlie vnto him prayed him to come to the citie of ARGOS there they would make him their Lieutenant generall But when Aratus heard he came in deede and that he was not farre from the citie of LEENA with his armie being affrayed he sent other Ambassadors to tell him that he should safelie come with three hundred men only as vnto his frends and confederats and yet if he mistrusted craft and euill dealing that then they woulde geue him pledges for the safetie of his person Cleomenes aunswered him that was a plaine mockerie and an iniurie they offered him Wherefore he presentlie departed thence and sent a letter before to the counsell of the ACHAIANS full of fowle words and reproaches he gaue vnto Aratus Who likewise replied to him againe bitterlie taunting eache other that they came to talke of their mariage and wiues After this letter Cleomenes sent defyance by a Heraulde vnto the ACHAIANS and proclaimed open warre against them insomuche as he had almost gotten the citie of SICYONE by practise of traitors Howbeit failing of his purpose he returned sodainly and went vnto the city of DALLENA which he tooke and draue out the Generall of the ACHAIANS thence and immediatlie after he wanne the cities also of PHENEA and PENTELION After that the ARGIVES and PHLIASIANS willinglie yeelded vnto him so that of all that which the ACHAIANS had conquered and ioyned vnto their tribe they could reckon of nothing else of certeinty vnto them Then Aratus was maruelouslie troubled in his mind to see all PELOPONNESVS in tumâ—â—le and vprore and that all the cities fell to open rebellion by those that practised chaunge and alteracion For no man was contented with the state and gouernment at that time but diuers of the SICYONIANS CORINTHIANS both were bewrayed which had secretlie practised with Cleomenes and that of long time maliced the gouernment of the ACHAIANS desiring them selues to be Lords and Gouernors of their cities Aratus hauing full commission and with â—â—tie from the counsell of the ACHAIANS to make inquierie of them and to put them to death without further triall of law he did execute them accordingly whom he found faultie in the city of SICYONE Furthermore attempting to do the like at CORINTHE he made inquiery of them put them to death wherby he made the common people very angry with him who otherwise of themselues were weary of the gouernment subiection of the ACHAIANS The CORINTHIANS therfore gathering together in the temple of Apollo they sent for Aratus in adding to make him prisoner before they would openly enter into actuall rebellion Aratus went thither to shewe that he neither feared nor mistrusted them but yet he helde his horse in his hand following of him Then many rose vp against him and did both reproue iniuriously intreate him But Aratus with a stayed countenaunce and gentle words prayed them to keepe their places and not to crie out in suche rage vpon their feete and withall caused them also to come in that were at the temple dore But as he spake vnto them by litle and litle he drew backe out of the presse as though he ment to haue geuen his horse to some bodie to hold So being gotten out of the presse he gently spake without any feare vnto the CORINTHIANS he met and bad them goe to the temple of Apollo When he was come to the castell he then sodainly tooke his horse backe and commaunded Cleopater Captaine of the garrison of the ACHAIANS there to looke well to the safe keping of the castell Then he set spurres to his horse and gallopped towardes the citie of SICYONE for life being followed onely by thirtie of his souldiers all the rest hauing forsaken him and dispersed them selues here and there Shortly after the CORINTHIANS vnderstanding that Aratus was gone they followed after but could neuer ouertake him whereupon they straight sent for king Cleomenes and deliuered the citie of CORINTHE into his hands the gaine whereof pleased him not so much as he was sorie for the losse of Aratus whom they had let go So king Cleomenes ioyning vnto him all
citie of EPIDAVRVM Howbeit the ARGIVES taried not Aratus comming but were all vp before he came and did set vpon king Cleomenes men and had driuen them into the castell Cleomenes being aduertised of it and fearing least his enemies keeping the citie of ARGOS should cut of his way from returning into his contrie againe with safetie if he were driuen to a straight he forsooke the castell of the Acrocorinthe and went his way by night to helpe his men in the citie of ARGOS So he came thither in time and ouerthrewe certeine of his enemies But shortly after Aratus and king Antigonus both being comen thither with all their aide Cleomenes was driuen to flie to the citie of MANTINEA After the recouery againe of the citie of ARGOS all the residue of the cities of PELOPONNESVS did againe returne to the ACHAIANS and Antigonus tooke the castell of the Acrocorinthe So Aratus being chosen Generall by the ARGIVES he counselled them to present Antigonus with all the tyrans goodes and those that had bene traitors to the common wealth And after they had cruellie tormented the tyran Aristomachus in the citie of CENCHREES in the ende they cast him into the sea and drowned him Aratus was maruelouslie reproued for his death that he woulde suffer the poore man to be so vilely handled that was a good man and one that had done him great pleasure who through his perswasion willinglie resigned vp his tyrannie and deliuered the city of ARGOS vnto the ACHAIANS But besides this they blamed him for many other things else For that the ACHAIANS through his meanes had put the citie of CORINTHE into Antigonus hands as though it had bene some meane village for that when they had sacked the citie of ORCHOMENE they suffered him to place a garrison of the MACEDONIANS there for that they had enacted by parlament that they should neither write nor sende Ambassadors any whether without Antigonus priuitie and consent furthermore for that they were compelled to geue pay to the MACEDONIANS for that they made sacrifices feastes and games vnto Antigonus as if he had bene a god following the example of Aratus citizens who were the first that began and had receiued Antigonus into the city by the perswasion of Aratus that lodged and feasted him in his owne house With all these faults they burdened Aratus and considered not that after they had put the reynes of the gouernment into Antigonus hand Aratus him selfe whether he would or not was compelled to follow the swing of the vnbridled Prince hauing no other meanes to stay it but onely the libertie of speache to admonish him and that also was not to be exercised without apparant and great daunger For it is most true that many things were done greatly against Aratus minde as amongest others that Antigonus caused the tyrans images of ARGOSTO to be set vp which he had before pulled downe and also that he made them to be ouerthrowen which Aratus had set vp for those that had taken the castell of CORINTHE and onely left Aratus owne statue notwithstanding all the earnest inn eaty Aratus made to the contrarie yet he could get no graunt of any thing he requested Besides also it appeareth the the ACHAIANS delt not so frendly with the MANTINIANS as became GRAECIANS one to an other For they hauing the citie in their handes by Antigonus meanes did put all the noblest and chiefest men of MANTINEA to death others they solde as slaues and sent the rest into MACEDON with irons on their legges and brought the poore women children into bondage and sold them for slaues and of the money they got by spoile they deuided the third parte among them selues and left the other two partes vnto the MACEDONIANS Nowe surely it can not be sayd but this was done for some cruell reuenge For though it was an ouergreat crueltie in rage passion of minde to handle people of one selfe blood and language in this lamentable sorte yet as Simonides saith when men are driuen and forced to it it is a gentle no cruell thing to ease their great stomackes inflamed with rage and malice But for that which was done afterwards vnto the citie no man can excuse Aratus nor say that he was either driuen to it by necessitie or that he had otherwise any honest occasion to doe it For king Antigonus hauing geuen the citie of MANTINEA vnto the ARGIVES they determined to make it a Colonie and chose Aratus their Generall who made a decree that thenceforth the citie should no more be called MANTINEA but ANTIGONIA as it beareth name vnto this day Thus it seemeth that gentle MANTINEA for so the Poets called it was vtterlie destroyed and bare the name of an other citie through Aratus meanes preferring the name of him that destroied the city did put all the inhabitants of the first to death After that king Cleomenes being ouerthrowen in a great battell by the citie of SELLASIA he left the citie of SPARTA and fled into AEGYPT So Antigonus hauing vsed Aratus with all kind of honorable curtesie he returned againe into MACEDON There falling sicke he sent Philip that should succeede him in the kingdom being a young strippling growen into PELOPONNESVS and straightly charged him speciallie to followe Aratus counsell and to imploy him when he would speake vnto the cities and become acquainted with the ACHAIANS So Aratus hauing receiued him in that sorte made him so well affected and louing towardes him that he sent him againe into MACEDON being throughlie determined to make warres with GRAECE So after the death of Antigonus the AETOLIANS beganne to despise the carelesnesse and cowardlinesse of the ACHAIANS bicause that they being acquainted to be defended by straungers and hauing bene altogether gouerned by the armies of the MACEDONIANS they liued verie idlely dissolutely whereupon they tooke vpon them to make them selues Lords of PELOPONNESVS So they assembled an armie and by the way as they went they onely tooke some pray and spoyle vpon the lands of the PATRAEIANS and the DYMAEIANS but inuading the territorie of MESSINA with all their armie they destroyed the whole contrie before them Aratus being angrie withall and perceiuing that Timoxenus who at that time was Generall of the ACHAIANS did still tract and delay time in vaine bicause he was vpon his going out of his yeare he being appointed Generall for the yeare following did anticipate his time fiue dayes before to goe and aide the MESSENIANS Wherefore leauing an armie of the ACHAIANS whose persons were nowe neither exercised in armes nor yet had any desire to goe to the warres he was ouerthrowen by the citie of CAPHYES Nowe bicause it was thought that he went somewhat too hottely and coragiouslie to the warres he so extremely cooled againe and left things in such case that all hope being cast a side he suffred the AETOLIANS in maner to tread PELOPONNESVS vnder their feete before his eyes with all
maruelous number the which wanne him great fame for his curtesie and clemency whereby he allured many nations to yeld them selues vnto the ROMANES and to forsake the CARTHAGINIANS But one thinge aboue all the rest chiefly increased his prayse and wanne him great loue and good will as a myrror and example of all vertue There was a young Lady taken prisoner that in beautie excelled all the women in CARTHAGE whome he carefully caused to be kept and preserued from violence and dishonor And afterwards when he knew that she was maried vnto Luceius Prince of the CELTIBERIANS he sent for her husbande that was a verie young man and deliuered her vnto him vntouched or dishonored Luceius not forgetting his noble curtesie vnto her did let all his subiects vnderstand the great bounty modestie and rare excellencie of all kinde of vertues that were in this ROMANE Generall and shortly after he returned againe to the ROMANES campe with a great number of horsemen The three Captaines of the CARTHAGINIANS Mago Hasdrubal BARCINIAN and the other Hasdrubal the sonne of Gisgo knowing that the losse of new CARTHAGE did them great hurt as well in the impairing of their credit with other straunge nations as also by the coniecture diuers made of the successe of this warre they first practised to dissemble the losse of it and then in speach to make light of it as much as they could Scipio hauing ioined vnto him diuers nations and Princes of SPAYNE among the which were the two litle kings Mandonius and Indibilis vnderstanding where Hasdrubal BARCINIAN lay he marched towards him with his armie to fight with him before Mago and the other Hasdrubal came to ioyne with him Hasdrubal BARCINIAN lay in campe by the riuer of Besula was verie desirous to fight trusting wholly to his strength and army But when he heard that Scipio was at hand he left the valley and got to a hill of pretie strength The ROMANE legions followed him and gaue him no respit but pursued so neere that they came and assaulted his campe at their first comming So they fought it out vpon the trenches and rampers as if they had bene at the assault of a citie The CARTHAGINIANS trusting to the strength of the place and driuen vnto it of necessitie the which maketh cowards most desperat they valliantly resisted their enemies the best they could The ROMANES in contrarie maner being valliant and full of good hope fought it out lustely like men and the fight was so muche more cruell for that it was in the sight of their Generall Scipio and of all the armie besides insomuch that their valliant seruice there could not be hidden Therefore they neuer gaue ouer the assault vntill that hauing done their vttermost endeuor they got vp vpon the rampers and entred in diuers places into the enemies campe and made them flie Hasdrubal Captaine of the CARTHAGINIANS saued him selfe by flying with a few with him before the ROMANES entred into their fort After this battell Scipio according to his maner caused all the spanish prisoners to be brought before him and then gaue them libertie to depart without paying of raunsome Among the prisoners there was a young gentleman of the kings blood and nephew vnto Masinissa whom when he had vsed verie honorably he sent vnto Masinissa with great and rich gifts to shew thereby that a Generall of an army should be as bountifull full of ciuill vertues as otherwise skilfull expert in martiall discipline For the ende of warre is victorie the benefit whereof consisteth in bountie and clemencie From thence commeth the glorie and all other praises due to Captaines as it happened in those things whereof we now treate For a great number of SPANYARDS being present wondering at the great clemencie of the Generall of the ROMANES they coulde doe no lesse but call him king to honor and recompence his vertue But Scipio strake that word dead straight the which was no common sound to the ROMANES eares and therefore he would by no meanes allow that title which he knewe to be hatefull to the noble men of his contrie and also vnmeete for the libertie of the ROMANES He onely prayed the SPANYARDS that if they had any mind desire not to shew them selues vnthankefull to him that then they would be faithfull and louing to the people of ROME So whilest these things were done by Scipio the other two Captaines of the CARTHAGINIANS Mago and Hasdrubal the sonne of Gisgo after they vnderstoode of the ouerthrowe of their men by the riuer of Besula they made all the speede they could to ioyne together and shortly after came and met with Hasdrubal BARCINIAN to consult together and to take order for the warre So after they had layed their heades together and considered all thinges they concluded thus that Hasdrubal BARCINIAN should go into ITALIE to his brother Annibal where the warre was greatest and that Mago and the other Hasdrubal shoulde remaine in SPAYNE should sende for aide from CARTHAGE should not fight with the ROMANES vntill all their forces looked for were assembled and so might make a great and puisant armie When Hasdrubal was gone into ITALIE Hanno was sent from CARTHAGE in his place But practising in his iorney to make the CELTIBERIANS to rebell M. Syllanus came and set vpon him by Scipioes commaundement and was so fortunate that he ouer came him in battell and tooke him prisoner Nowe there was a citie which the contrie men called ORINGE the which was verie wealthie and meete to renewe the warre Lucius Scipio was sent thither with parte of the armie to besiege it but finding it a verie strong scituacion and too well manned to take it at the first assault he enuironned the towne and within few dayes tooke and lacked it Winter came on a pace and the time of the yeare made them both to retire into their garrisōs for the winter So Scipio hauing had so good fortune in this warre he went vnto TARRACON Mago and the other Hasdrubal the sonne of Gisgo went to the sea side The next sommer warres growing more bloody and cruell then before in the lower SPAYNE the ROMANES and CARTHAGINIANS met and ioyned battell by the riuer of Besula and fought set battells After they had fought a long time together Scipio at length got the victorie made the enemies flie of the which there were slaine a great number in the field and geuing them no leasure to gather together againe and to make head against him he fought with them and followed the chase so hottely that Hasdrubal and Mago were driuen to leaue the maine land and to flie to GADES after they had lost all their armie In the armie of the CARTHAGINIANS there was a young man of a noble corage and verie wise called Masinissa who finding meanes to haue secret conference with Syllanus he was the first man that offred him frendshippe either being brought
continually acquainted them with playing of the flute beinge highly estemed of them in those dayes They brought in the vse also to make loue in the middest of all their youthefull sportes exercises of their bodies to frame the young mens manners and to bring them to a ciuil lyfe And therfore they had reasoÌ„ that gaue the goddesse HARMONIA to the THEBANS for defender and patronesse of their cittie who was begotten as they say betwene Mars and Venus For that geueth vs to vnderstande that where force and warlike corage is ioyned with grace to winne and perswade all thinges by this vnion and accorde are brought to a goodly proffitable and most perfect gouernment Now to returne againe to the matter of this holy bande of the THEBANS Gorgidas deuiding it in the former ranckes and placing it all alongest the fronte of the battell of the footemen it did not appeare what they were able to doo of them selues for that he brought them not all into one body so as thereby they might see what seruice the whole companie coulde doo being togeather considering that it was deuided and mingled amongest manie other that were a great deale of lesse value then them selues But Pelopidas that had made good proofe of their valliauntnes before when they sought about him of them selues without others by them at TEGYRA woulde neuer after deuide nor seperat them one froÌ„ the other but keeping them together as one entier body that had al his members he would alwaies beginne with them to geue a charge in his most daungerous battels For as we see in running of coches at games that horses being tyed all together in a fronte doo runne faster and stronger then they doo when they are lose and put to it alone and not for that they being many togeather doo breake through the ayer better but for that the contention and enuy betweene them to outronne one another doth in dede set their hartes and stomakes a fyre Euen so he thought that valliaunt men geuing one another a desire and enuie to doo well shoulde haue the more corage and woulde be of greater force when they fought one in another sight But the LACEDAEMONIANS afterwardes being at peace and league with all the other GREECIANS proclaymed open warres against the THEBANS onely and kyng Cleombrotus went to inuade them with an army of tenne thowsande footemen and a thowsande horsemen Wherupon the THEBANS were not only in the like daunger they stoode in before to lose their libertie but the LACEDAEMONIANS did openly threaten they would vtterly destroy them for euer so that all the contrie of BOEOTIA stoode in greater feare then euer they did before And one day as Pelopidas went out of his house to goe to the warres his wife bringing him out of the doores to take her leaue of him weeping she praied him hartely to looke well to him selfe But he aunswered her againe my good wife it is for priuate souldiers to be carefull of them selues but not for captaines for they must haue an eye to saue others liues And when he came to the campe he founde the captaines and the Lieuetenantes of the armie in sundrie opinions and he was the first that agreed with Epaminondas opinion who thought it best they shoulde gaue battell to the enemies Pelopidas at that time was neither gouernor of BOEOTIA nor general of the armie but onely captaine of the holy bande notwithstanding they had great affiance in him gaue him great authoritie in couÌ„saile concerning their affaiers such as became a man that had made so good testimonie of his naturall loue affection to his contrie as he had done Now being determined in counsaile that they shoulde geue the enemie battell they all mustred together in the valley of LEVCTRES where he had a vision in his dreame that troubled him verie muche In that valley there are the tombes of the daughters of one Scedasies whiche by reason of the place they call the LEVCTRIDES for that they were buried there after they had bene defyled and rauished by certaine guestes of the SPARTANS that laye in their house trauayling that way This act being so horrible and wicked the poore father of these defiled virgines coulde neither haue iustice nor reuenge of the LACEDAEMONIANS and therefore after he had bande and cursed the LACEDAEMONIANS with most horrible and execrable raylinges and curses as might be possible he kylled him selfe vpon the graues of his daughters The LACEDAEMONIANS had many sundrie oracles prophecies signes of the goddes to warne them to take heede of the wrathe of the LEVCTRIDES howbeit euerie man vnderstoode not the signification of this prophecie but were deceiued by the equiuocation of the name For there was a litle towne in the contrie of LACONIA standing apon the sea called LEVCTRVM and in ARCADIA also by the cittie of MEGALIPOLIS there was another towne called by the same name This misfortune chaunced longe before the battell of LEVCTRâ—S but then Pelopidas dreaming in his tente thought he sawe in a vision the daughters of Scedasus weeping about their graues and cursing the LACEDAEMONIANS and that he sawe their father also commaunding him to sacrifice a red mayden to his daughters if they woulde obtaine the victorie This commaundement at the first seemed verie cruel and wicked whereuppon when he rose he went to the Prognosticators and generalles of the armie and tolde them his dreame So some of them saide this was no matter to be lightly passed ouer but to be considered of alledging manie examples in the like cases As of Menecius the sonne of Creon in olde time and of Macaria the daughter of Hercules And yet of later memorie the wise Pherecydes whome the LACEDAEMONIANS slue and whose skynne their kynges doo keepe at this daye by commaundement of an oracle And Leonidas who following a prophecie of the goddes did as it were sacrifice him selfe for the safetie of GREECE And furthermore the younge boyes which Themistocles did sacrifice to Bacchus Omestes to say eating rawe fleshe before the battell of Salamina And all these sacrifices were acceptable to the goddes as the victories following did plainely shewe it In contrarie manner also king Agesilaeus comming from those very places from whence king Agamemnon came in the time of the warres of Troia and going also against the same enemies dreamed one night in the cittie of AVLIDE he sawe the goddesse Diana asking him his daughter for sacrifice But he tenderly louing her would by no meanes perfourme it and thereupon was compelled to breake of his iorney before he had execused his enterprise and departed with small honor Other to the contrarie stoode to it stowtely and saide it was not to be done For so cruell abhominable and brutish a sacrifice could not be acceptable to any of the goddes nor to any god better ot mightier then ours considering that they be no impressions in the ayre nor gyants that rule the world but the
one onely mightie eternal God father of gods men And to beleue that either goddes or demy goddes doo delite in murder or sheading of mans blood it is a meere mockery and folly But admit it were so they were no more to be regarded therein then those that haue no power at all for it is a manifest token of a wicked spirite when they haue suche damnable and horrible desires in them and specially if they abide styll with them Now the generalles and heads of the armie of the THEBANS being of sondry opinions Pelopidas being more afraid then before by reason of their disagreement a young mare colte or fyllie breaking by chaunce from other mares ronning and flynging through the campe came to staye right against them Then euery man beganne to looke apon her and to marke what a faire fyllie it was and red colored euery where and what a pride she tooke with her selfe to heare her owne neying Theocritus then the soothesayer being amongest them did beholde her and knew straight what the fyllie ment and so cried out foorthwith O happie Pelopidas loe here is the sacrifice thou lookest for seeke no other virgine for thy sacrifice but take this that God him selfe doth send thee When Theocritus had saide so they tooke the fyllie and laide her apon the tombe of Scedasus dawghters and put garlandes of flowers about her as they handled other sacrifices and then after their praiers made to the gods they did sacrifice her with great ioye and told Pelopidas vision in his dreame the night before through all the campe and the sacrifice they had made also according to the signification thereof Moreouer when they came to ioyne battell Epaminondas being generall drew all his army on the left hande bicause he woulde bring the right winge of the enemies army where they had placed the naturall SPARTANS further from the other GREECIANS their frendes and allyes that were set in the other wing of their battell that he comming with his whole power together to geue a charge vppon Cleombrotus their king being in a corner by him selfe might be distressed or ouerthrowen The enemies fynding Pelopidas intent beganne to chaunge their order and hauing men â—nowe ment to thruste out their ryght winge at length to compasse in Epaminondas But Pelopidas in the meane time sodainely preuented them and ronning with great furie with his squadron of three hundred men he set apon Cleombrotus before he coulde disorder his men to put furth the right winge and ioyne them together againe And so he founde the LACEDAEMONIANS not yet setled in their rankes and brake them in this disorder thrusting one in anothers place to put them selues againe in order notwithstanding the LACEDAEMONIANS of all other men were the only captaines and most expert souldiers in marshall discipline as men so trained and practised that no sodaine altering of forme or order in their rankes coulde either trouble or disorder them For they were men so trained that they could turne head or side vpon any sodaine occasion offered and coulde fight and order them selues in battell euery way alike So Epaminondas going to geue thonset apon them alone with the whole force of his battaile togeather not tarrying for others and Pelopidas also with an incredible corage and readines presenting him selfe in battell before them did put them into such a terrible feare that they cleane forgotte their skill in fightinge and their wonted courage sayled them For they cowardly turned their backes and their were moe LACEDAEMONIANS slaine that day then euer were before in any former battell Pelopidas therefore being neither gouernor of BOEOTIA nor general of all the army but onely captaine of the holy band did notwithstanding winne as muche honor and glorie of this victorie as Epaminondas that was gouernor of BOEOTIA and generall of all the armie In dede afterwardes they were both gouernors of BOEOTIA together when they inuaded the contrey of PELOPONNESVS where they made most parte of the cities people rebell against the LACEDAEMONIANS and take their parte As the ELIANS the ARGIVES and all ARCADIA and the best parte of LACONIA selfe notwithstandinge it was in the hart of winter and in the shortest dayes of the yeare and towardes the latter ende also of the last moneth of their yeares authority and rule hauing not many dayes to coÌ„tinew in office being forced to leaue their authority apon paine of death if they did refuse vnto other officers new chosen the beginning of the next moneth following Whereupon their other companions gouernors also of the contrie of BOEOTIA what for feare to incurre the daunger of the lawe as also to auoyde the trouble to lye in campe in the sharpest of winter they did vrge and perswade them to bring the armie backe againe into their contrie But Pelopidas was the first that yeelded to Epaminondas opinion and wanne the other THEBANS also to consent vnto it to be contented to be led by them to geue assault to the city selfe of SPARTA So through their perswasion they passed ouer the riuer of EVROTAS and tooke many litle townes of the LACEDAEMONIANS wasted destroyed all the contrie to the sea side leading vnder their ensignes an armie of threescore and ten thowsande fightinge men and all GREECIANS the THEBANS not making vp the twelut parte of them Now the honor and great reputacion of these two persones Epaminondas and Pelopidas brought their frendes and confederates that they followed them without any resolution of counsell or publike order and neuer opened their mouthes against them but willingly marched vnder their conduction And in my opinion truely me thinkes it is the first and chiefest point in the lawe of nature that he that is weake not able to defend himselfe should leane to one that is strong and able to defende bothe Euen much like to freshe water souldiers and rawe sea men that lying at sea in calme weather in safe harber are as lusty bragge with the masters bote-swaines as may be and let a litle storme of weather come apon them sodainely and that they be in any daunger then they looke on the masters hoping for no life but at their handes And euen in like maner the ELIANS and ARGIVES who though in all assemblies of counsel they woulde euer iarre and striue with the THEBANS for honor and superioritie in the armie yet when any battell came to be fought wherin they saw there was daunger then their pecockes brauerie was gone and they were glad to obey their generalles commaundement In this iourney they brought all the cities of the prouince of ARCADIA to be in league with them and tooke all the contrie of MESSENIA from the LACEDAEMONIANS which they peaceably enioyed and called home againe all the auncient inhabitantes of the same and restored them to their contrie and replenished the citie of ITHOME Then returninge afterwardes into their contrie by the citie