discomfite and scatter the nations that had layed their heads together and banded themselves to worke the Romanes mischiefe and how to foresee that his armie like to raunge divers waies wanted not victuals As he pondered and carefully cast these matters in his mind a multitude of enemies giveth an attempt upon him mightily enstamed with hope to win the towne and the more confident in this their enterprise because they had learned by the information of certaine fugitives that neither the band of the b Scutarij nor e Gentiles were there as being bestowedin sundry townships for their better feeding and diet When he had therefore shut the citie gates and fortified that part of the wall which was weake and undefensable himselfe in person together with the armed souldiers was usually seene both day and night among the bulwarkes and battlements in boyling heat of anger fretting to himselfe and gnashing his teeth That having many times gone about to sally and breake out upon the enemies he was ever checked and impeached by reason of the small forces that he had presently about him But in the end after thirtie daies the Barbarians went away ill appaied and sad mumbling softly to themselves That vainely and foolishly they had ever thought of besieging the citie Besides all this a thing that must be imputed as a great indignity whiles Caesar was in this jeopardie Marcellus Generall of the Horse who abode then but in the next stations drave off to aid him whereas albeit the citie had beene distressed without the princes beeing there it ought to have beene rescued and delivered from the calamities that follow a siege by making head againe with another power CHAP. II. The vertues of Iulianus beseeming a magnanimous prince Ammianus Marcellinus exactly describeth CAesar a prince right puissant and of wonderfull action was no sooner freed from this feare but in that constant carefulnes which he alwaies carried he provided for his souldiors that after their long travaile they might have some rest though but short yet sufficient to refresh their strength albeit those lands soulely out of order by reason of extreame want as having beene so often wasted affoorded but small meanes meet for the maintenance of life But when with watchfull diligence order was taken also in this behalfe his mind being lifted up with a sprinckling of more plentifull hope of prosperous successe he bent the same to the practise and performance of many worthie parts The first thing therefore that he did hard though it were was this that he enjoyned unto himselfe temperance and kept the same still living as if he had been tied to the d Sumptuarie lawes which being from the Oracles of Lycurgus that is to say The shing les or tables of wood called Axones brought over to Rome long time observed and beginning to grow out of use Sylla the Dictator by little and little restored making this account and that out of the prophesies or sage sayings of Democritus That Fortune setteth out a sumptuous and superfluous table bat Vertue a scant and frugall For Cato Tusculanus also who in regard of his severe and precise life came to be surnamed Censorius wisely defining of this point Great care thou hast quoth he of trim furniture and as great carelesnesse of vertue Furthermore reading continually as he did a little booke which Constantius sending his sonne in law to the Vniversitie had written with his owne hand setting down an order over-liberally What should be the expence of Caesars boord he expressely forbad That Fesant and the daintie meat made of the mother and udder of a young sow that newly farrowed should be called for and served up to the table as contenting himselfe with the course meat and such as came next to hand of a common labouring souldior Hereupon it happened that hee divided the nights according to a tripartite or threefold function For sleepe for affaires of State and for his booke a course that Alexander the Great as we read used to take But this our prince did the same more stoutly of the twaine For Alexander having a bason or pan of brasse set beneath by his beds side held with his arme stretched out of the bed a silver ball that as sleepe came upon him and had let loose the stiffe sinewes of his joints by the ringing sound that the said ball made when it fell downe he might breake off his sleepe But Iulian without any such devise or meanes wakened as oft as he would and rising alwaies at midnight not out of a featherbed or from under coverings of silke glittering againe with sundrie bright colours but from a quilt or tapistrie carpet spred on the ground or some homely rugge which the simple common people tearme Susurna secretly did his devotions and prayed unto Mercurie who as we are taughtout of the learning of Theologie is the swift intelligence of the world stirring up the motion of our minds and in so great want of things upon sure advertisements provided for the Commonweale After which high and serious businesses ended he turned himselfe to the exercise of his wit and a man would not beleeve with how great and ardent desire in seeking after the profound knowledge of principall matters and in gathering together certaine forage and stoovet as it were for to feed his mind climbing up still unto higher points of learning he by way of wise disputation ran through all parts of Philosophie But yet how effectually and fully soever he got the furniture hereof he did not cast at his heeles the meaner sciences as having an indifferent good insight into Poetrie and Rhethoricke as may appeare by the uncorrupt elegance and mildnesse of his Orations and Epistles joyned with gravitie as also into the manifold histories both of our owne and also of forraine acts Besides all this he was able to discourse and deliver his mind sufficiently in the Latine tongue If then it be true which divers writers report That king Cyrus Simonides the Lyricke Poet and Hippias Elêus that most quicke and eagre Sophister had excellent memories for that they attained thereto by drinking certaine medicines we are to thinke verily that this man also being then come to his full growth dranke up a whole tunne of Memorie if possibly it might any where be found And these truly were the nightly signes of his modest temperance and other vertues But as touching that which he delivered by way of gallant speech or pleasant conceit or how he behaved himselfe in the preparation for fight or in the very conflict of battaile it selfe as also what enormities in the civile State he resormed by his magnanimitie and the libertie that he tooke it shall be shewed particularly in due place Whē he was compelled being a student yet in Philosophie to exercise the first essayes and introductions to militarie knowledge as a prince learned the artificiall feat of footing with measures the warlike dance in armes to the musicke of
flourished many famous Doctours of the Church Ecclesiast hist. 6 938 4157 187 ¶ Imp Cōmodus the fift time M. Acilius Glabrio Perennius the Prefect a bloody Minister of as cruell a Lord by wicked devises entrappeth many of the Nobilitie and killeth them Lamprid. Herodian 7 939 4158 188 ¶ Clodius Crispinus Papirius Aelianus The Capitoll of Rome was smitten with lightning and a great sire occasioned thereby A most renowmed Librarie and all the houses neere adjoyning were burnt Lamprid. Herodian 8 940    Divers Synods are by the Bishops holden about Easter day Whiles the Church hath but a little rest from persecution the Ministers thereof fell to jarres and brawles Ecclesiast hist.   4159 189 ¶ C Allius Fuscianus Dullius Silanus Perennius is torne in peeces by the souldiers after him succeeded Cleander a notable sycophant of the Court who by Domitian is put to death A great famine at Rome Lamprid. Herodian 9 941    Apollonius a Senator of Rome when he had read unto the Senate a Booke which he had written Of true Religion   for his Christian faith lost his head Euseb lib. 5.   4160 190 ¶ Iuuius Silanus Q. Servilius Silanus Commodus tooke away the head of a Colosse and caused the head of his owne image to be set thereupon Hee would needes be stiled Hercules and God Lamprid. Cassiodor 10 942 4161 191 ¶ Imp. Commodus the sixt time Petronius Septimianus The Iewes Thalmud was now written Seder Olam 11 943 4162 192 ¶ Cassius Apronianus M. Atilius Mesilius Bradua the second time There happened in Rome a great scarre-fire whereby the Palace and Temple of Vesta with most part of the Citie was laid even with the ground 12 944    Among so many calamities Victor Bishop of Rome busieth and troubleth the East Churches about Easter day Ecclesiast hist.   4163 193 ¶ Imper. Commodus the seuenth time Helvius Pertinax the second time who afterwards was called Augustus Commodus so incommodious to all men was strangled in the night that went before the Kalends of Ianuarie that is New-yeeres day when hee had lived 31. yeeres and 4. moneths Lamprid. Dio. Herodian 13 945    This Prince lived for nothing but the mischiefe of his subjects and his owne shame Lamprid.      Heere Clemens Alexandrinus endeth his supputation of times who was an Elder or Minister of the Church at Alexandria and in profession of Catechizing was placed in the roome of his Maister Pantaenus   4164 194 ¶ Q. Sosius Falco C. Iulius Fructus Clarus ¶ After Commodus succeeded Helvius PERTINAX the twentieth Emperour who raigned two moneths and eight and twenty daies And was slaine by his owne souldiours in the 68. yeere of his age Dio. Spartian Herodian 1 946    This Pertinax was at first a Professour of Grammer and in that function succeeded his master Sulpitius Apollinaris The Greekes terme him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that hee was rather affable than beneficiall      Pescennius Niger was by the army in Syria saluted Imperator Spartian      After Pertinax ruled Didius Iulianus as Emperor 66. daies Dio. Spartianus      Septimius SEVERVS after that Didius Iulianus was slaine obtained the Empire dread both of the Senate and people of Rome He raigned seuenteene yeeres eight moneths and three daies Of this Emperour this was the dome of the Senate That either hee should never have beene borne or never died because he seemed too too cruel and exceeding profitable to the common-weale Dio. Spartian Herodian      Clodius Albinus is by the Armie in Gaule saluted Emperour Iul. Capitolin   4165 195 ¶ Imp. Septimius Severus Augustus the second time D. Clodius Ceionius Septimius Albinus Caesar the second time Sparrianus names Apuleius Rufinus Severus goeth foorth with an armie against Niger whom he vanquished in three battailes and in the end in a suburbian place neere to Cizicum others say Antioch commaunded him to be beheaded Spartian Herodian 2 947 4166 196 ¶ Q Flavius Tertullus T. Flavius Clemens An end of the warre against Pescennius Niger Severus mindeth to make warre against Clodius Albinus 3 948    During the noise of so many warres the Controversie is very hote about Easter day betweene the Churches of Rome and of Asia for which Victor the Bishop of Rome would needes excommunicate the Bishops of Asia Vnto whom by Letter Polycrates the Bishop of Ephesus and Irenaeus the Bishop of Lions doe answere And Irenaeus verily was of opinion That for the difference about Rites and Ceremonies the concord of Doctrine and of Faith ought not to be broken or dissolved Eusebius lib. 5.      Artemon the Hereticke raiseth trouble in the Church   4167 197 ¶ C. Domitius Dexter the second time L. Valerius Messala Thraseas Priscus  4 949 4168 198 ¶ Ap. Claudius Lateranus M. Marius Titius Rufinus Severus overcommeth Clodius Albinus at Lions setteth the citie on fire and sendeth the head of Albinus to Rome Herodian Spartian and others 5 950 4169 199 ¶ Ti. Alterius Saturninus C. Annius Trebonius Gallus When Severus was returned to Rome he dealeth cruelly with the friends of Albinus and with the principall Nobles Herodian and others 6 951    M. AVRELIVS ANTONINVS the son being by his father saluted Emperor the 6. day of Maie raigned with him 13. yeeres Herodian with others   4170 200 ¶ P. Cornelius Anullinus the secōd time Marcus Aufidius Fronto Severus turneth the warre into the East against Barsenius K. of the Atrenians Dio. Herodian 7 952 4171 201 ¶ Ti Claudius Severus C. Aufidius Victorinus The king of Armenia maketh a league with Severus 8 953    Abgarus king of the Osroens yeelded himselfe and giveth his sonnes for Hostages After this Severus wasteth Arabia the Happy Herodian Spartian   4172 202 ¶ L. Annius Fabianus M. Nonius Mucianus Severus vanquisheth the Adiabenes He besiegeth Atras a citie of Barsenius in vaine Herodian Spartian 9 954 4173 203 ¶ Imp. Septimius Severus the third time Imp. M. Aurelius Antoninus Severus arriving by fortune rather than of purpose upon the coasts of the Parthians disseiseth Artabanus of Ctesiphon and winneth the citie and so becommeth master of all the Treasure and of a very great pillage Herodian 10 955    What was the discipline rites and maners of the Christians in this age Tertullian who then flourished in the Church describeth in his Booke Adversus Gentes ca. 39.      The fift persecution of Christians is set on foote Euseb wherein Leonides the father of Origen by glorious martyrdome was translated out of this life and his very son a childe exhorted his father by Letter cheerefully to abide martyrdome Euseb      Origen saith Hierom with sixe
brethren and his mother a widdowe is left poore about seventeene yeres     of age Being eighteene yeeres olde in the dispersed Church of Alexandria laboured in the function of Catechizing and afterwards by Demetrius the Bishop of that citie was confirmed in the rowme of Clemens and many yeeres flourished      Severus in his journey to Alexandria made Lawes unto the Palestines under paine of grievous punishment forbade that any should be made Iewes and ordained the same as touching Christians   4174 204 ¶ P Septimius Geta. L. Septimius Plautianus the second time  11 956 4175 205 ¶ L. Fabius Cilo Septimius the second time M. Annius Libo For feare of persecution many Christians lie hidden in desert wildernesses Ecclesiast hist. 12 957 4176 206 ¶ M. Aurelius Antoninus the second time P. Septimius Geta.  13 958 4177 207 ¶ M. Nummius Ceionius Annius Albâ—us Fulvius Aemiliaous Severus translated the warre into Britanny and for to make the provinces which he had recovered more secure of the Barbarians incursions hee drew a rampire or wall one hundred thirtie and two miles in length from sea to sea But Polydor Virgil in his second Booke De Reb. Anglicis and in the life of Severus avoucheth that this worke was done almost 200. yeeres after 14 959 4178 208 ¶ M. Flavius Aper Q. Allius Maximus Tertullian a most witty and sharpe Disputer and a famous Divine wrote against Marcion This Tertullian in his Booke to Scapula sheweth that the Presidents of Provinces who persecuted the Christians went not away cleere and unpunished Also that Severus himselfe favoured Christians Cyprian as S. Ierome witnesseth in his Catalogue attributed so much unto Tertullians Writings that whensoever he called for the Booke thereof he usually said unto his Clerke or Notarie Give me hither my Master meaning Tertullian 15 960 4179 209 ¶ M. Aurelius Antoninus the third time P. Septimius Geta the second time  16 961 4180 210 ¶ Ti. Claudius Pompeianus Lollianus Avitus  17 962 4181 211 ¶ M. Acilius Faustinus C. Caesoâ—ius Macer Rufinianus  18 963 4182 212 ¶ Q. Elpidius Rufus Lollianus Gentianus Pompoâ—â—â—s Bassus In this yeere the fourth day of Februarie died the Emperour Septimius Severus when hee had lived three score and five yeeres nine moneths and twentie five daies vnto whom his sonnes were much deerer than his Subjects Vpon his death-bed he said unto his sonnes Agree together enrich the Souldiers despise all others Dio. This Prince whom his good fortune from a base condition had by the offices of learning and warrefare 1 964   by many degrees brought to the Imperiall dignitie was wont by report to say I have bin all but nothing booteth Spart      After him succeeded      M. Aurel. ANTONINVS CARACALLA the 23. Emperor of Rome who ruled yeeres 6. and moneths 2. and together with him his brother P. SEPTIMIVS GET A 1. yere 22. daies Herod Spart Dio.   4183 213 ¶ M. Pompeius Asper Asper Septimius Geta Emperour was by his brother Antoninus Caracalla slaine in the very bosome of his mother about the end of February Papinianus the Lawyer being commanded to excuse that murder refused saying That it was not so easie to excuse a parricide as to commit it This man therefore worthy of immortall praise was beheaded because he would not defend so wicked and abhominable a cause This Papinian was called the Sanctuary or Oracle of the Lawe out of whose Schoole many skilfull Lawyers have come 2 965 4184 214 ¶ Imp. Antonin Caracalla the fourth time P. Caelius Baldinus the 2. time Caracalla giveth order that aswell the friends as enemies of Geta should be killed Herodian 3 966 4185 215 ¶ Silius Messala Q. Aquil. Sabinus  4 967 4186 216 ¶ Aemilius Laetus Anicius Cerealis Baines were built at Rome of most curious and admirable workemanship The Emperours Court is stained and become infamous through many foule kindes of licentious lusts and bloody cruelty Dio. Spartianus 5 968 4187 217 ¶ Q Aquilius Sabinus he 2. time Sex Cornelius Aemillinus Antoninus Caracalla not able to bridlc and rule his fleshly lust taketh to wife his stepmother Spartianus 6 969    As he taketh a view of Alexandria and beholdeth it he assembleth all the youth of the city together and then by giving a watch-word and signall to his souldiers procureth them all to be cruelly massacred Herodian In certaine tumultuarie skirmishes hee vanquisheth the Gothes in the East Blondus   4188 218 ¶ Bruttius Praesens Extri atus Antoninus colorably pretendeth to marry the daughter of Articanus King of the Parthians And so having passed over Euphrates whiles the Parthians suspected no harme as who tooke him for a friend and their kings sonne in Lawe he put a great number of the Parthians to the sword Herodian 7 970    Antoninus Caracalla when hee had polluted himselfe with the blood of so many excellent men was slaine the 8. day of Aprill in the 29. yeere of his age Dio. Spartianus writeth that in the mid way between Carrae and Edessa what time as he went to warre again upon the Parthians he was stabbed with a dagger by a servitor of his who had mounted him on his horse backe and that by the means of a traine that Macrinus Praefect of the Praetorium had plotted against him who after him entred upon the Empire Caracalla saith Dio. never thought to do good because as himselfe confessed he never knew any goodnes      After Caracalla succeeded      OPILIVS MACRINVS the 24. Emperor     who reigned one yeere one moneth and 28. daies Eutrop Iul. Capitolin   4189 219 ¶ M. Opelius Antoninus Diadumenus Caesar the second time Adventus Artabanus King of the Parthians for this notorious iniury which he had received at the hands of Antoninus Caracalla with a puissant power invaded the Roman limits Whom Macrinus encountreth and for three daies fought fortunately But when newes came of Antoninus his death he maketh a league with the said king of the Parthians Herodian 1 671    The seventh day of Iune Macrinus the Emperour and Diadumenus Caesar were by the souldiers slaine      After them succeeded      M. AVRELIVS ANTONINVS HELIOGABALVS the five and twentieth Emperor a very monster made altogether of abhominable lusts and excessive cruelty He ruled three yeeres nine moneths and foure daies Dio. Lampr. Herodian Eutrop.   4190 220 ¶ Imp. Antoninus Heliogabalus the second time Sacerdos Thus Heliogabalus a slave enthralled to all lust and filthinesse demeaned himselfe as a woman and like a woman became wedded unto men His Teachers and Ministers of most lewd and wicked acts he advanced to honours whiles in the meane time hee thrust downe or murdred excellent persons Insomuch
THE ROMAN HISTORIE CONtaining such Acts and occurrents as passed under Constantius Iulianus Iovianus Valentinianus and Valens Emperours Digested into 18. Bookes the remains of 31. and written first in Latine by Ammianus Marcellinus Now translated newly into English Wherunto is annexed the Chronologie serving instead of a briefe supplement of those former 13. Bookes which by the iniurie of Time are lost Together with compendious Annotations and Coniectures upon such hard places as occurre in the said Historie Done by PHILEMON HOLLAND of the Citie of Coventrie Doctor in Physicke LONDON Printed by Adam Jslip An. 1609. TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull the Major and his Brethren the Aldermen c. of the Citie of Coventrie HAving entred heretofore into an English translation of the Romane Hystorie compiled by T. Livius from the foundation of Rome-citie unto the Caesars dayes and then proceeded forward in their lives to the death of Domitian according as they were penned by Suetonius Tranquillus J was of late earnestly moved by a noble Baron of this Kingdome to travaile on still and follow the traine of this argument so farre forth as I found extant in Ammianus Marcellinus who had written at large from the end of the said Emperour unto the beginning of Gratianus And albeit this enterprise seemed unto mee more than difficult considering the harsh stile of the Author a Souldior and who being a Grecian borne delivered these Hystoricall reports in Latine the strange tearmes occasioned by the late alteration of the State under Constantine the greater part of the originall lost which might have given light unto the rest the prints so defective and faultie even of that which remained and the want of others to tread out the way before me in other languages yet could I not deny that honest request of so honourable a personage whom I knew to be verie studious passing well learned and judicious right commendable parts adorning true Nobilitie but set in hand with this peece of worke also and finish the same in some sort though I have not altogether therein pleased my selfe And the better to give contentment unto the Readers for now by this time I perceived it should come under the Presse I tooke me to a new labour and like as the losse of the later part of T. Livius I supplied with the breviaries of L. Florus so the want in the beginning of this Writer I made up with a Chronologie to the end I might present unto my deere countreymen a continued narration of the Romane affaires from the first infancie to the venerable old age and declining daies that I may use Marcellinus his owne words of that eternall Citie To explane likewise those unusuall phrases and tearmes aforesaid not obvious in former Historiographers as also to open some obscure places which here and there offer themselves I thought not much of my paines to annex therunto certaine briefe Annotations and Conjectures of mine owne which if they yeeld not full satisfaction unto the Reader may yet minister occasion to some better learned than my selfe for to travaile in that kind unto whose censure and judgement I submit those my Supposals These Endeavour of mine whatsoever I dedicate unto your Worships the chiefe Magistrate and grave Senate of this Citie and that for divers respects First your wise and moderat government of the place wherein J have so many yeares conversed hath affoorded unto me both quiet repose and meanes also to follow my studies Secondly the affectionate love that yee have alwaies borne to good literature testified by courteous entertainment of learned men by competent salaries allowed from time to time to such professors as have peaceably and with discreet carriage bestowed their talents among you by exhibition given to poore schollers in the Vniversitie by erecting also of late and maintaining of a faire Librarie not exampled without offense to others be it spoken in many Cities of the Realme Lastly the experience I have already of your kind acceptance of my former Labours though not exhibited unto you at the first hand have emboldened or enforced me rather immediatly to entitle you in this and under your name to transmit the same unto all others not doubting that you wil take this small gift in good worth as a token of his unfaigned love and affection who hath alwayes prayd for your welfare and wisheth not to live longer than he may see the prosperous and flourishing estate of your citie Your Worships in all dutifull respect Philêmon Holland ¶ GALLVS AND CONSTANTIVS LIB 14. CAP. 1. The horrible acts of Caesar Gallus through his wives instigation committed in the East parts AFter the events of an invincible expedition atchieved whiles the hearts of both the sides were fainting which sundry dangers and travailes had sore quailed before that either the trumpets gave over sounding or the souldiers were bestowed in their wintering stations such stormes of fortune still raging arose as poured downe a world of new troubles upon the State and Commonwealth occasioned all by many wicked and horrible acts of Caesar Gallus who from an exceeding poore and miserable condition advanced in the very flower of his yeares with unexpected honor to princely dignity and running out beyond the bounds of that authority which was conferred upon him made foule worke every where and with extreame rigour marred all For presuming upon his neerenesse of kinne unto the bloud royall and the alliance which he had still with the name of Constantine hee bare himselfe very proud and insolent ready as it was thought to have giuen some hostile attempt even against the founder of his owne good fortunes if he had bin of greater power whose cruelty was not a little enkindled and set on fire by his wife who beside her unmeasurable pride as being sister in the whole bloud unto the Emperour and by her father Constantine before time joyned in marriage with his brothers sonne king Annibalianus was a very devill incarnate inciting and incensing him continually given as hee was to cruell tyranny and no lesse bloud-thirstie her selfe nor of a milder disposition than her husband who both of them in processe of time by little and little growne more skilfull in doing mischiefe by means of secret and crafty tale-bearers such as lewdly used to make those things greater that upon slight grounds were discovered ready also to report untruths and matters pleasing unto them falsely raised upon innocent persons imputations and slanders either of ambitious aspiring to the kingdome or of practising wicked and naughtie arts Now among other designements and deeds of a lower nature for by this time their greatnesse surmounted the tearmes of meane delinquences notorious above the rest was the horrible and sudden death of one Clematius a nobleman of Alexandria whose wives mother falling in hote fansie with him her sonne in law and solliciting him wantonly to company with her when she could not obtaine his love was by report let in at
other Praefectship unto this present as all men confesse and avouch flourished the Northren provinces in all blessings as which by a friendly correction and wise reformation of some that did amisse and erred were cased of the great losses they had by waggonage and other carriage that undid an infinit number and made them shut up their dores and delivered from the professing and acknowledgement of everie mans worth in the Subsidie booke under a goodly shew of trust And thenceforth the inhabitants of those parts might have lived exempt from hurt and beene saved harmelesse considering all matters of quarrels and complaints were husht but that afterward the odious and detestable titles of matters exquisitely sought out and devised and the same amplified and aggravated in criminous wise by those that both exhibite and admit such bills whiles these of the one side straine and strive to have their power and authoritie settled and continued to them still and those of the other hoped if all men were shrigged of their goods and left bare they should live in safetie grew at length to open proscriptions hanging of silly innocent persons Well the Emperor as I have sayd for the redresse of that urgent outrage and enormitie having in stately and glorious manner with all his furniture and provision put himselfe on his journey came to Valeria a province sometime part of Pannonia but in the honour of Valeria daughter of Dioclesian first instituted and so named and encamping with his armie lying spread under their tents along the bankes of the river Ister observed the Barbarians who before his comming under a colour and pretence of friendship minded by stealth to invade and wast Pannonia in the very hardest time of Winter considering that the Snow was not yet melted by the warmth of the Spring whereby the said river remained passable every where and our souldiors hardly could endure to stay longabroad and lye without dore in frostie weather CHAP. X. He goeth about to appease the Limigantes of Sarmatia who pretending that they craved peace all on a suddaine in raging wise with weapon in hand set upon him and force him to shift for himselfe by running away But within a while after as men destined to destruction they were all put to the sword FOrthwith therefore having sent unto the Limigantes two Tribunes with one interpreter apeece in very modest tearmes by way of asking the question he required to know What the reason was that leaving their houses assigned unto them at their request after peace and covenants of league concluded they wandered abroad so disorderly in sundrie places and did violence upon our limits all prohibitions in that behalfe notwithstanding Who alledging for their excuse certaine frivolous and vaine reasons whiles feare forced them to lye besought the prince to pardon them and entreated him That all grudges and displeasures forgotten he would permit them to passe over the river and come before him where they would relate what harmes and damages they sustained and were prest and readie if it might stand with his pleasure to take lands farre remote so they lay within the compasse of the Romane world as men nuzzeled in long rest and peace worshipping Quietnes as a goddesse of health and would both undergoe the burthens and beare the name of Tributaries The Emperour taking knowledge hereof after the returne of the Tribunes aforesaid leaping for joy as if the affaire which he deemed most difficult and in explicable would fully bee dispatched without any paines taking admitted them all to his presence as one inflamed with an hote desire still of having and getting more which humor of his all the crew of flatterers about him followed and fed who without all measure filled his eares with these and such like speeches That now having stilled all forraine troubles and made peace in everie place he should gaine a number of r proletarie subjects to multiplie and beget issue and bee able to levie and muster a most puissant frie of young souldiors for provinciall people will be most willing to give gold for the saving of their bodily labour which hope hath divers times hindered and endangered the state of Rome And therefore after he had placed a rampier neere to Acunincum and erected an high terrace or banke like unto a Tribunall divers ships manned with certaine legionarie souldiors lightly appointed were by commaundement set to keepe the channell of the river next unto the bankes together with Innocentius sometime a land measurer who gave this counsell to the end that if they perceived once the barbarous people to stirre whiles they were bent another way the said souldiors might charge upon their backes And the Limigantes of whom no man was aware albeit they perceived some hast and hurrie made yet devising nothing on the head and rashly stood bowing forward thinking deepely in their hearts of other matters farre different from what they pretended in gesture and speech Now when they saw the Emperour addressing himselfe from an high pulpit to make a most mild Oration and readie to speake unto them as people that would soone be tractable and obedient one of them in a terrible fit of furie having flung with a violence his shoo at the Tribunall cried out Marha Marha which among them is the watch word and signall to begin a fray and skirmish And the rude multitude seconding him presently put up a Barbarian banner and with a lowd outcrie after a wild and savage manner advaunced forward against the prince himselfe Who looking downe from aloft when he saw the multitude running to and fro in every place with their casting darts and that by reason of their drawne swords and rapiers he was like to come presently to some mischiefe entermingling himselfe with his owne people and strangers and not known whither he was a captaine or a souldior because there was no time now either to linger or to sit still beeing mounted upon a swift stead he gallopped away with bridle in necke and escaped Yet some few yeomen of the guard whiles they laboured to keepe the villains back flashing as it were upon them like flames of fire lost their lives as beeing crushed with the weight onely of those that fell upon them and the kings throne together with the cushion all cloth of gold was stollen and carried away whiles there was no man to gainesay it And within a little after when newes came that the Emperour had beene plunged well neere into extreame jeopardie and stood not yet upon sure ground the armie supposing the chiefest and first thing that they had to do was to rescue him for they thought him not quite rid yet out of danger presuming confidently to have a good hand of it and to save his life armed though they were but by the halves because they ran out to fight so suddainely gnashing their teeth also so that they rung againe as fell souldiors use to doe engaged themselves among the bands and
tragicall actors accompanying and bringing him on the way Andronicus afterwards well knowne for his liberall studies and excellencie in Poetrie was brought into the judgement place who carrying a cleere and secure conscience when he could not be touched with any suspitions and presumptions laied against him standing still to his purgation and that very stoutly was acquite Semblably Demetrius a Philosopher sirnamed Cythras a man verily farre stept in yeares but having still a good strong bodie and as stout a mind being hardly layed unto and charged That divers times he had offered sacrifice could not denie the fact but the fault impleading That from the very prime of his youth he had used so to do for to please and pacifie God and never sounded nor searched into high matters for he did not so much as know any man that affected or desired it Continuing therefore a long time set fast on the racke when surely grounded upon a firme confidence he persisted fearelesse and without varying in his answeres alleadged and pleaded still the same suffered he was without any further harme received to depart unto Alexandria where he was borne And these verily with some few others the righteous hand of God which helpeth and assisteth Truth delivered out of extreame and present dangers But whiles these criminations and endictments spred still further and further by intricate and intangling snares without end some after their bodies were piteously mangled died therof others despoyled of their goods were condemned to suffer further punishment and Paulus all the whiles was the prompter and succentor of these cruell enterludes which out of a spence or budget of craftie devices he brought forth in open shew to do hurt and whereof he acted many upon whose will and pleasure I may in manner boldly say depended the life of as many as went on the ground For if a man wore about his necke any remedies against the Quartane ague or some other paine or could be charged by the information of evill-willers to have passed by a monument in the evening as one that were a witch or sorcerer and collected the horrors of sepulchres and vaine illusions of spirits and ghosts walking and wandering thereabout pronounced hee was to deserve death and he died for it And verily the matter was thus for all the world carried and handled as if many a man had sollicited u Clarus the x Dodonaean trees and the Oracles of y Delphi which were so famous in times past and all to procure the death and destruction of the Emperour Whereupon the Palatine cohort of courtiers about him curiously and finely faining naughtie devises of flatterie affirmed flatly That he should from henceforth be exempt from all evils that commonly befell other men giving it out alowd with open mouth That his fortune had appeared at all times powerfull and surely effectuall in confounding and destroying of his adversaries And verily that there was such streight inquisition into these matters no man of wisedome and discretion findeth fault For we doe not denie that the life and safetie of a lawfull prince who is a protector and defendor of good men and from whom we seeke for means of others safetie ought with joint diligence and endevour of all men to be fenced and maintained For whose redeeming with might and maine when upon violence and abuse offered to his majestie he standeth upon his guard and defence the laws z CorneliÄ™ have exempted no person of what estate and degree soever from examination by way of torture though the same were with losse of bloud But on the other side it becommeth not princes unmeasurably to rejoyce and take pleasure in the wofull cases of subjects least they should seeme governed by licentiousnesse and not by authoritie And the example of Tully ought in this point to be followed who when it was in his power to harme and to spare as himselfe affirmeth sought for causes of forgivenesse and not occasions of punishment which is the proper dutie of a discreet and considerate Iudge At the same time in Daphne that pleasant and sumptuous place neere unto the citie Antioch was borne a monster horrible to be seene and reported an infant with two mouths two teeth a beard foure eyes and two exceeding little eares which birth so mishapen and deformed foretold that the Common-wealth was turning into a foule and ill favoured state Now such strange and uncouth monsters as these are many times brought forth into the world signifying and praesaging the events of sundrie things which because they are not openly as in old time expiated they passe away as unheard of and unknowne And even in these dayes the Isauri who had beene long time quiet after they had done some acts according to the contents of the former storie and attempted the siege of the citie Seleucia reviving by little and little as serpents are wont in the Spring season to leape out of their holes came downe the craggie straits and desart wields and then putting themselves close into thicke companies and squadrons as robbers and brigands sore troubled and disquieted the borderers and withall as mountainers passed beside the fore-fences and stations of our souldiors unseene and by meanes of their dayly practise ran easily to and fro over rockes and through grounds full of bushes For the appeasing of whom either by maine force or reasonable persuasions Lauritius was sent as ruler with the dignitie also of a Comes added to his style a man politicke and of a civile carriage who reformed most enormities by threatening rather than by rigorous dealing insomuch as for a great time while he governed the province there happened nothing that was reputed worthie of punishment THE XX. BOOKE CHAP. 1. Lupicinus is sent from Iulianus into Britannie for to represse the troubles and commotions there Vrsicinus by the slanderous calumniations of those in the Court depressed and throwne underfoot laid away his girdle of knighthood and is commaunded to betake himselfe to a private life THis was the order and processe of affaires throughout Illyricum and the East But in the tenth yeare of Constantius his Consulship and third of Iulianus when by the out-rodes of Scots and Picts savage nations the peace was broken in Brittannie and the places neere unto the limits appointed for marches wasted so that the provinces wearied with a multitude of calamities past heaped upon them were affrighted Caesar keeping his Winter in Paris and distracted into sundry carefull thoughts was afraid to goe and succour those beyond the seas as Constantius had done before time according as I have declared least he should leave Gaule without a ruler especially at such a time when the Alemans were stirred up to make cruell warres He thought it good therefore to send into these parts for to set all things in order Lupicinus at the same time Colonell of the Infanterie a warlike man I assure you and skilfull in feats of armes but prowd withall carrying a stately looke setting up his
sundrie rumors there were stirred up came abroad a number of Aegyptians a litigious kind of people taking much pleasure and joy at all times in an ordinarie custome they have to sue one another and maintaine ambiguous controversies but above all most greedie to require againe and that by way of multiplication and increase if they have given ought to an Atturney or creditor for to be eased thereby of a debt or at least wise to be allowed more commodiously by way of forbearing and giving day to bring in those summes which are as debts demaunded or for feare of some odious crimination to call into question and molest rich men in the case of extortion All these being thronged thick together flocked about the prince himself and the Praefects of the Prętorium where chattering like a sort of Iayes they disturbed and troubled them out of all order most rudely readie to extort and wrest what they avouched they had given unto verie many whether rightfull or otherwise it skilled not even threescore and ten yeares before And when they would suffer no businesse else to bee dispatched Iulian published a proclamation commanding them all to passe over the water unto Chalcedon with a promise that himselfe also in person would follow quickly after to decide and determine these their causes When they were gone over there went out a precept to the masters of the ships who use to sayle to and fro between That no man should be so hardie as transport over sea an Aegyptian any more Which precept was kept so straitly and with so forward carefulnesse that their obstinat purpose thus to quarell and forge accusations came to nothing in the end so disappointed of their presumed conceived hope they returned all home Whereupon a law passed as if equitie her selfe had indited it whereby provided it was That no Advocat or Atturney should be troubled about those moneyes which it might appeare for certaine that he rightfully and by law had received Well when as the first day of Ianuarie was come what time as the names of Mamertinus and Nevita were entred into the rolor kalender of Consuls the Prince was seene in a verie humble manner of duetie to goe on foot with other honourable personages a thing that others commended but some againe found fault with as a base part of his and ful of affectation Afterwards when Mamertinus exhibited the games k Circenses what time as the manner was these were brought in and presented who came to be manumised and made free himselfe as his custome was commanded by the under l usher Lege m agi and being straightwayes advertised That the jurisdiction for that day pertained to another himselfe also changed the December morning as lyable to an errour In this while much resort there was to the court of justice from divers wayes and coasts and a number of folke there were who upon sundrie occasions did put in their bils And when as on a certaine day word came unto him That Maximus the Philosopher was come out of Asia to see him he leapt up full undecently and forgetting who himselfe was ran apace forth a great way from the palace gate to meet him kissed him received him and with much reverence and honour brought him in shewing himselfe by this unseasonable ostentation of courtesie to bee an excessive hunter after vaine glorie and forgetfull of that notable saying of Tullie whereby such persons are noted taxed in these words Even those Philosophers themselves saith he in these verie bookes which they pen and entitle as touching the contempt of glorie write their owne names so as even in this verie point that they seeme to despise the fame and glorie of the world willing they are to be named and that men should talke of them Not long after two of those busie and pragmaticall Pursuivants who were cassed and put out of their places came boldly unto him promising if they might bee restored unto their degree which they had in warfare to shew where Florentius lurked and hid himselfe Whom he rated and tearmed Promoters saying moreover It was not the manner and part of an Emperour to be induced by indirect suggestions and informations to fetch a man backe againe into daunger that for feare of death lay hidden and who peradventure should not bee suffered long to hide his head without hope of pardon In all these proceedings there was assistant to him a noble Senator n a man of an excellent disposition to vertue carrying with him the ancient gravitie of old time who by chance was found about businesse of his owne at Constantinople and him of his own meere motion and pleasure he made a Proconsular deputie in Achaia Neither for all his being so precise and earnest in reforming of civile abuses neglected he those of the campe but hee ordained captaines and commaunders over souldiers such as had beene a long time approoved and tried repairing moreover all the cities throughout Thracia together with the utmost frontier forts and taking diligent care that neither armour apparell money or victuall should be wanting unto them who lying dispersed along the banks of Ister and opposit to the rodes and invasions of the barbarous enemies hee heard say performed their service with great vigilancie and valour Whiles hee disposed thus of these affaires suffering nothing to be done slackly when his favourites next about his person persuaded him to set upon the Gothes joyning so neere who had beene so often false and perfidious he said That he sought for better enemies for the Galatian marchants quoth he are sufficient for them by whom they are everie where sold without regard of state and condition As hee was employed in these and such like businesses fame commended him to forreine nations as a brave and eminent person for prowesse sobrietie skill in feats of armes and good progresse in all vertues and growing thus forward by little and little he filled the whole world with his name The feare therefore of his comming being spread all abroad as well among neighbour nations as those that were farre remote there came with great care from all parts embassages thicke Of the one side those beyond Tigris and the Armenians craved peace on the other side the men of Inde strived a vie and sent great men with gifts before-hand even from as farre as the Indians and Serindians From the South climat the Mauri offered their service to the Roman State from the North and Easterly regions in which the verie Phasis falleth into the sea the Bosphorians and other people before time unknowne brought with them their embassages in suppliant maner requesting That upon performance of their yearely tributes and dueties they might bee permitted to live quietly within the bounds of their native countries CHAP. V. An exact description of provinces and nations which at this time are inhabited farre and wide in Thracia and along the circuit of
by the helpes hee had from the opinions of the Aegyptian Priests by making lawes according to the direction of justice brought the greatest strength and validitie to the Roman law also From these fountaines glorious Wisedome in imitation of Iupiter marching on high with brave and loftie words having not seene Aegypt hath as it were in warfare displayed her banners Now for the Aegyptians themselves they be men for the most part somewhat of a darke swart colour and blacke and much enclining to melancholie leane and drie upon everie motion wrathful and angry litigious and most eagre demaunders againe for any arrerages and dueties behind If any one of them by his deniall of tributes could not shew upon his body many blacke and blew markes he would be ashamed And to this day there could not be found the torment so violent as to fetch out of any of their hearts obdurat and hardened in robberie so much as to tell what his proper name was And this one thing moreover is well knowne as appeareth by our antient Annales That all Aegypt heretofore was ruled by their kings friends unto the State of Rome but after that Antonie and Cleopatra were in the battaile at Sea before Actium vanquished it became possessed by Octavianus Augustus and tooke the name of a province As for Libya the drie we attained unto it by vertue of the last wil testament of king Apion Cyrenae with the residue of the cities in Libya Pentapolis we received as a gift at the bountifull hand of Ptolemeus Having thus launched out a great way I will returne now to the order of my hystorie begun THE XXIII BOOKE CHAP. I. Iulianus taking unto him Sallustius as Collegue whom he ordained to bee Praefect for Gallia goeth in hand with the reedification of the Temple at Jerusalem but in vaine Being terrified with ominous signes and prodigious tokens yet mindeth he to enterprise the Persian war THese were the acts to say nothing of smal matters and minutes of affaires that passed this yeare in the Provinces But Iulian having beene thrice Consul alreadie taking unto him â— Sallustius the Praefect in Gaule to the fellowship of wearing the Consulare robe entred himselfe that most honourable magistracie the fourth time And a strange noveltie it was thought to have a privat person joyned to the Emperour in that place of dignitie a thing that no man could remember done since Dioclesian and Aristobulus time And although he with carefull mind conceiving aforehand the varietie of accidents hastened forward with ardent desire the manifold preparations for the expedition yet distrusting mens diligence everie where and much desiring to propagat the memoriall of his Empire by some great workes hee intended with excessive cost to reedifie that sumptuous and stately temple in times past at Ierusalem which after many mortal skirmishes and assaults during the siege that Vespasian first and Titus afterwards layd unto it was with much adoe hardly forced and beaten downe And he gave the charge of dispatching the businesse with speed to Alypius of Antioch who sometime had beene deputie a governor of Britannie When as therefore the sayd Alypius was earnestly bent upon this affaire and the ruler of the province did set to his helping hand behold certaine fearefull flaming balls of fire issuing forth neere unto the foundations and making many terrible assaults consumed sundrie times the workemen and made the place unaccessable and by reason that this element still gave the repulse the enterprise was given over At the same time were sent from Rome unto the Emperour as embassadors noble personages of high birth and for their approved life and conversation knowne to be of good desert whom he honoured with sundrie dignities As for Apronianus he decreed that he should be Praefect of Rome and Octavianus Proconsul of Affricke to Venustus he committed the deputiship of Spaine and Rufinus Arabius he promoted to be Lieutenant generall of the East in the place of his uncle Iulianus late deceased Which affaires thus ordered as meet it was behold he was terrified with a certaine ominous signe that tooke effect as the event shewed most surely and with speed For by occasion that Felix the Treasurer sodainely dyed of a flux of bloud and the said Lieutenant Iulian followed streight after him the common sort having an eye to the publick titles and putting all together pronounced Iulianus Foelix and Augustus Now there had gone before another fearefull and adverse signe also For upon the verie kalends of Ianuarie as he went up to the temple of Genius whereto men ascend by stairs one of the colledge of priests more antient than the rest fell downe sodainely without any bodie thrusting him and with that casuall and unexpected fall yeelded up his ghost which the standers by whether for want of skill or upon a mind they had to flatter said did pretend some such accident unto the elder of the two Consuls and namely to Sallustius but as it appeared fore-shewed it was thereby That death approached not unto him that was more auncient in yeares but precedent in power and authoritie Besides these there were other smaller fore-tokens likewise which otherwhiles presaged that which happened For at the verie beginning of making preparation for this Parthicke expedition word was brought That Constantinople was shaken with an earth-quake which the skilfull Soothsayers in this kind pronounced to be no fortunat signe unto the ruler that was in hand with the over-running of another Princes Realme and therefore advised him to desist from this unhappie enterprise affirming That these and the like tokens thus farre forth and not otherwise ought to be contemned if there be invasion made by a forreine power for then this one rule abideth firme and perpetuall By all meanes to stand b upon our safeguard and defence all violence of death whatsoever notwithstanding At the verie same time intelligence was given unto him by letters That the propheticall bookes of Sybilla being by his commaundement perused and consulted with at Rome as touching this warre by a plaine answer forbad the Emperour that yeare to depart from his owne limits And yet among these occurrents the embassadours of many nations that promised their ayd after liberall entertainment had their dispatch and were sent home again with this answer of the prince proceeding from a brave confidence That it no wayes became the State of Rome to bee defended by helpe from strangers whose meanes meet it was should maintaine their friends and allyes in case they were driven upon necessitie to call for and crave their succour Onely Arsaces king of Armenia he warned to gather his puissant forces together and attend his will and pleasure as who should quickly know whereto he tended and what hee ought to urge and set forwrd Wherefore upon the first opportunitie that might stand with his advised considerat consultations making hast with a fore-running rumor to be seised of the enemies lands having before the
that the event fell out otherwise For indeed the death of a king was thereby portended but of what king it rested doubtfull For we read that even Oracles also were doubtfully delivered and such as nothing but the accidents that happened in the end could distinctly determine as for example the truth and proofe of the Delphicke prophesie which foretold That Craesus after he had passed over the river Halys should be the overthrow of a most d mightie kingdome as also another which by crooked tearmes appointed the e sea for the Athenians to trie battaile with the Medes yea and an answere by Oracle later than these before cited which verily was true but no lesse ambiguous and equivocant Aiote f Aeacida Romanos vincereposse i. I say thy selfe Aeacides the Romans vanquish may Howbeit the Tuscane Soothsayers which were in his traine and had skill in these prodigious and presaging tokens considering there was no credit given unto them when they oftentimes prohibited and dissuaded this expedition brought foorth their bookes of rites and ceremonies shewed plainely the foresaid sight was a signe prohibitorie and contrarie to a prince that invadeth although justly a forraine princes kingdome But downe went they and were troden under foot in comparison of Philosophers that gainesaid them whose authoritie in those dayes was had in great esteeme and reverence who otherwhiles shoot wide of the marke and yet in matters whereof they have no perfect knowledge stand stiffely a long time For they pretended and alledged as a probable argument to maintaine the truth and credit of their skill in that unto Maximian also before time Caesar being now at the point to joine battail with Narses king of the Persians there was in like maner a lion and a huge wild bore also tendered slain both together he say they after he had vanquished that nation departed in safetie But little considered these Philosophers that thereby destruction was portended to him that invaded and sought for other mens lands and well it is knowne that Narses began first to seize Armenia into his hands which was subject to the Roman power and jurisdiction CHAP. V. Other presaging signes diversly expounded A persuasive oration of Iulianus unto his souldiers as touching hot pursuit of the warre against the Persians SEmblably the day following which was the seventh before the Ides of Aprill when the Sunne grew now toward setting sodainely of a verie small cloud the ayre so thickened that all the light of the day was quite gone and after terrible thunder claps flashes of lightning that came thick one after another a souldier named Iovianus was strucken from heaven fel downe dead together with two horses which hee was bringing backe from the river after they had drunke their fill Which when he saw he sendeth for the interpreters of these and such like signes who being demaunded What they thought thereof avouched confidently That it also prohibited this expedition and intended war shewing that lightning was a counsellor for so are those tearmed which advise or dissuade any thing to be done And therefore especiall heed was to bee taken hereof because it killed a souldier that carried an high and great name together with horses that are beasts for warre and places smitten or blasted by this meanes the bookes which treat of lightnings pronounce That they ought not to be looked or troden upon On the contrarie side That Phylosophers argued that the brightnesse of sacred fire sodainely seene is not significative but onely is the course or shooting of a swift and vehement exhalation thrust some way out of the skie downe to the Iower parts or if aught were fore-tokened thereby it shewed before hand encrease of honour and renowne unto the Emperour in his glorious enterprise considering that certaine it is flames of their owne nature if there be nothing to checke them flie up on high Well when this bridge as hath been said before was finished and all were passed over the river the Emperours chiefe and principall care now as he thought was to make a speech unto his souldiers so forward and fearelesse presuming confidently upon their owne valour and their Generals prowesse By a signall therefore of trumpets sound when all the centuries cohorts and bands were assembled himselfe standing upon a banke of earth clods and guarded round about with a companie of great Commaunders and officers of the campe with a gratious countenance discoursed unto them in this wise as one highly favoured with a joynt consent and affection of them all Right valiant and redoubted souldiers beholding how vigorous yee are in regard of your exceeding puissance and lustie courage I am determined to make an oration unto you and by many reasons to prove That this is not the first time as some evill tongued folkes secretly give out that the Romans have invaded the kingdomes of Persia For to passe by Lucullus or Pompejus who through the Albanes and Massagets whom now wee tearme Alani having made way by force even through this nation have seene the Caspian lakes wee know that Ventidius also the Lieutenant of Antonius made an infinit number of slaughters and overthrowes in these tracts But to leave these acts of auntient record I will rehearse what exploits be fresh in memorie and of late date Trajanus and Severus entred againe thus farre with victories and trophies and with the like honour and fame had Gordian the younger returned whose monument and supulchre we have newly seene honourably erected after he had discomfited and put to flight the Persian king at Resaina but that by the faction of Philip that was Praefectus Praetorio together with the helpe of some few wicked persons he was in this verie place where he now lyeth buried ungratiously wounded and killed Neither wandered his Manes long unrevenged in that as if Iustice her selfe appeared evidently to take vengeance all that conspired against him were put to torture and dolorous death And as for these brave captaines verily whom I have named carried they were with a forward will and mind of atchieving high matters unto the enterprise of these memorable exploits But as for us wee are mooved to undertake these expeditions which we have intended by occasion of the wofull and miserable case of cities newly forced of the unrevenged ghosts of whole armies put to the sword of the great dammages sustained and the losse of our deere friends to the end we may give comfort to our allies redresse and remedie hurts past and by procuring an honourable securitie unto the Commonwealth on this coast of the world leave unto posteritie matter sufficient for which they may give us a noble report and commendation another day Present will I your Emperour be in all places with you through the helpe of immortall God both to lead before you in the front as a Captaine and to fight with you as a fellow souldior and that with fortunat signes of successe as I am persuaded
to bee thought even in this place They were alwayes so learned in the lawes that nothing in civile jurisdiction passed without their direction and allowance They framed and penned the lawes that were by the Emperour to be promulged and published They drew the Mandates unto the Governours and Presidents of Provinces Commissions to Delegates from the Prince by them were endited and penned and without their Subscriptions were of no force And to the edicts that passed the Questor subscribed in this forme Subscripsi Quaestor much like as the great Chauncellors of Fraunce at this day and of Savoy as also the Regents of the Kings Chauncerie in Naples use to doe See more in Pancirolus upon Notitia Which considered together with the ensignes belonging to their office to wit a Cabinet with these capitall letters upon it LEGES SALVTARES a bundle of Rolles c. Questor hath no resemblance of a Treasurer of State as now adayes the word is used Entitled they were Egregij and sometime Perfectissimi i Tribunis Fabricarum Sundrie forges or worke-houses we read of for the making of armour as well in the East as West Empire called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Smithes or Armourers Fabricenses Of these in everie citie where they kept there was a Colledge or Societie and the chiefe or principall of that fellowship was tearmed Primicerius Fabricae whom Ammianus Marcell calleth here Tribunus who after he had served two yeares in that place was discharged and admitted into the band of the Protectores or Squiers of the bodie to the Emperor k Suspensus By this place and others in Am. Marcell it appeareth that when an examinat or other was fastened to the racke called Eculeus the tormentors erected it up on high either to be seene ad terrorem populi or to encrease the torture l This was Zeno Eleates for other there were Stoick Philosophers also of that name an auditor or disciple of Parmenides as Suidas witnesseth together with Perdiccas and a governor of the State The author and inventor of the Art Logicke as Aristotle writeth Of whom it is reported that when he was by torture examined to discover and nominat the complices in a conspiracie against Nearchus the tyrant would name none of them but appeached those onely that were the tyrants favourites and minions c. howbeit being forced still by dolorous torments to detect the conspirators he bit his owne tongue and spit it in the face of the tyrant whereupon the people stoned the tyrant to death m Protector domesticus See the note upon o in this booke n Eusebius praepositus Cubiculi This is that Eusebius the L. Chamberlaine with whom as Marcellin writeth Constantius the Emperour could do much for indeed he ruled the Emperor at his pleasure and the Ecclesiasticall writers tearme him the Euriuch This great officer in Court was at the first onely Spectabilis but in Honorius his dayes Macrobius the L. Chamberlain for his learning and wisedome was esteemed Illustris which dignitie his successors in that place retained He was chiefe and ruler over all the rest of the Cubicularij or Ministeriani i. Gentlemen of the bed-chamber to whose office it appertained to apparell and make the Emperour readie to see unto the bed-chamber the beds c. and the doores into it This chiefe Chamberlain enjoied by his office many priviledges immunities in the later Emperors time he went richly arrayed in a kirtle embroidered of needle worke and cloth of bawdkin a purple mantle surcoat of scarlet likewise of bawdkin work with the image of the Emperor before standing behind sitting in a chaire he bare also a mace or scepter c. Sophorat Curopatat in Offic. Palat. o Comes Domesticorum was captain of the guard tearmed Protectores domestici who were both footmen horsemen within the palace and had immunitie of warfare attendant only upon the Emperors or Caesars person and were called Praesentales therupon quasi principi astantes Vnder this Comes who was Illustris are named Tribunus protectorū who was Spectabilis Primicerius then Secundocerius and so through all the Decemprimi who were accounted Clarissimi These Protectores or Domestici every day ordinarily saluted the Emperour were allowed to kisse the skirt of his purple robe kneeling upon their knees which was a worship or adoration first devised by Diocletian and so appropriat to this place that purpurū adorare was as much as to be one of this guard As touching the ensignes belonging to him the coats of arms that these Protectores gave as wel horse as foot read Pancir in Notit ca. 89. Dignit Orient p Comes Stabuli This officer was under Illustris comes privatarum and had the charge of the Princes horses out of Africk and other provinces called by a peculiar name Canonicarij and Curiatij equi Some think frō hence came Conestabilis in France He is called also Magister stabuli q Rectorem Scutariorum I take to be the same that Tribunus domesticorū or Protectorum next under Comes of whom hath beene said before r Auspicijs not onely the Romans as we may read in T. Livius but barbarous nations also were in their affaires directed much by Auspicia that is the observing of birds either in their singing flying in the aire or in their gesture and maner of feeding in the coupe By which their Augurs and Pullarij knew and out of their learning pronounced the pleasure will of the gods whether they favored their enterprises or no. More as touching Oscines Praepetes Auspicia sinistra Solistimum Tripudiū c. you may find in the Annotations or second Index to T. Livius in English s Prosper comes This Comes was in this place great Commander of forces howbeit inferiour to Magister and so his Vicarius or Lieutenant onely t Diocletiano eius Collegae Diocletian Maximian raigned together Diocletian was tearmed Iovius Maximian as his son for he adopted him Herculius The Caesars by them created were Constantius Chlorus the father of Constantine the Great Galerius Maximinus who behahaued themselves right dutifully unto their Soveraignes the Augusti untill they both resigned up the Empire and lived privat u For that Galerius Maximinus by some named Armamentarius in a battel that he struck in Syria went away with losse Diocletian whom he calleth here Augustus was highly offended with him and gave him leave Caesar though he was and in his purple to run on foot by his wagon side a whole mile together Pomp. Laetus x What were these Equestres ludi see before in Circenses ludi at the letter k And note that these solemne games were not exhibited but upon some occasion of joy as at the entrance of a new Emperour or the prosperous processe of 10. yeres 20. yeres or 30. yeres raigne according to vowes 10. 20. 30. y These seeme in Notitia to have had other names as Flavia Foelix Tertia Diocletiana and Prima Maximiana
made i By Consistoriani are meant the Emperours Counsell and gowned officers and are sometime called Comites Consistoriani By Militares the officers of the Armie k Magister Officiorum He was a great officer Palatine or of the Emperours house next under Praepositus sacri Cubiculi i. High Chamberlaine Zosimus calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Dux ordinum Palatinorum which Pomponius Laetus seemeth to expound although as I take it not verie properly Magister Copiarum although at his disposition were not onely Scholae Palatinae but also Limitanei duces and Comites c. He was called Magister Officiorum because he had the charge of all the Ministeries or Ministers that gave attendance upon the Emperour in Court. In some respect he resembleth the Lord Controller of the kings house But his office reached farther as you may read in Notitia Imp. Orient cap. 62. And for that in the Ensignes belonging to his Office there bee expresly represented speares shields and other armes we are given to understand that hee had governement over the Fabricae i. Forges where such armes were made He is tearmed by Cassiodorus Magister Palatij as one would say Maior Domus Regiae i. Grand Seneschall or High Steward of the kings house He was for his dignitie raunged among Illustres l Correctores were Governours of Provinces in the East and West Empire of a middle nature betweene Consulares and Praesides yet Clarissimi They were allowed to weare a purple cloake or mantle and had the Emperours visage carryed before them Pancirol in Notit Imper. Orient cap. 156. And whereas it followeth a little after that Thuscus was commaunded Corrigere reliquam principis creduli militiam I take it to be the ordinarie allegorie transferred from warfare to the Court For usuall it is in this author to tearme the Court Castra and Commilitium Principis yea and divers Offices Palatine by martiall names used in the Campe. m The militant ensignes or banners in the Romane legion had the image of dragons in purple represented the originall whereof some fetch from the dragon or serpent Python killed by Apollo Everie cohort in a legion had one of them and a Draconarius to beare it and each legion had ten of them Vegetius 2. lib. cap. 13. n Brachati and Cornuti Among the Auxiliarie souldiors Palatine under Magister Peditum Praesentalis were Brachati Seniores in the West so called of Bracha a towne in Spaine like as Iuniores in the East Of their coat of armes see Pancirol in Notit Cornuti were likewise such Auxiliarie or aid-souldiors so named of Cornutum a towne in Illyricum or Sclavonia Of their armes ibidem There were Braccati also who had their name of Bracata Gallia o Decentius ordained Caesar by his brother Magnentius when he usurped the Empire of Rome but he sped no better than he for he strangled himselfe with an halter at Sens. Pomponius Laetus p Proprium pignus Either take it for one whom they loved no lesse than their owne child for children be called Pignora or whom they honoured as their onely champion and defender for Pignora reipub signifie pillers of the Commonwealth Also those whom here Marcellinus calleth Apparitores i. Officers or attendant Ministers he tearmeth a little after Obsequentes q Manichees were heretikes in the Primitive church so called of Manes or Manicheus their first father a meere franticke person as his name importeth Howbeit his disciples afterward called him Mannicheus quasi Manna fundens i. yeelding heavenly food and celestiall doctrine He was not so franticke himselfe as his opinions were fanaticall August Euseb also Centur. 3. cap. 5. Annotations and conjectures upon the 16. Booke a THis Erechtheus or Ericthonius for as Eusebius writeth they were both one was fostered as they say by Minerva and became king of Athens His parents birth and education is altogether fabulous Pausan in Atticis b c Of Scutarij and Gentiles see before d Many lawes there were in Rome called Sumptuariae and Cibariae to restraine excesse at the table namely Fannia Licinia Aemilia Iulia c. Read Aul. Gell. Noct. Attic. lib. 2. cap. 2◠Macrob. Saturnat lib. 3. e Niceteriorum centurionem Niceteria were certaine ornaments as rings chaines bracelets c. bestowed upon wrestlers and souldiors in token of victorie according to that in Iuvenate Et Ceromatico fert Nicerteria collo Feasts also and meriments kept in regard of such victories as some thinke were so called But whether in respect of these Niceteria Dorus was tearmed Nicetoriorum centurio like as another in this author they called Comitem Solenniorum or whether there might be a companie of souldiors which for good lucke sake went under the name of Niceterij like as others were called Invicti Victores c. of whom he was a Centurion I cannot determine But I rather encline to this latter conjecture for that hee speaketh immediatly before of Scutarij who without question were souldiors f I find that as well the Generall of the Cavallerie as of the Infanterie even in this author was called Magister Armorum and it was not onely as the Logicians say Praedicatum to them both but equivalent also to Magister militiae Here it is to bee understood of the Generall of the horsemen Marcellus g This Cyneas a wise Counsellor was sent from king Pyrrhus to Rome for to treat about peace amitie but by the means of Appius Claudius the Blind was denyed and returned home without effect Flor. Epitom in 13. lib. T. Livij Being demaunded of the king his master What he thought of the Senat of Rome he said They sat in counsell as if they had been so many Kings or Gods as some write h Odeum was in Rome a certaine Theatre or Shew-place for Poets and Musitians to contend in for the prize and victorie i k Whereas in the Romane legion there were Hastati Principes and Pilani who also are called Triarij They were so marshalled in battaile during the free State as that the Hastati stood in the vaward Pilani in the rereward whereupon Antepilani in this place must of necessitie be Principes i. the maine battell according to the auncient maner of array Liv. Yet it seemeth here that this maner of embattelling was altered in the emperours time and Principes were placed formost l Primani were souldiors Primae Legionis i. of the first legion like as Secundani of the second Vicesimani of the twentieth c. As for the Castra praetoria which he tearmeth here Confirmatio I take it to be that place of strength or quarter within the campe where were Principia and Praetorium in the battel also where the Primani and Principes serve or be marshalled ordinarily m Mirmillones Sword-fencers in Rome using to exhibit sport unto the people They were well armed and thereupon called Hoptomachi as also Secutores and commonly matched in opposition with Retiarij otherwise tearmed Threces or Thraces and Tunicati for that they were lightly
appointed as you may read in Ausonius Quis Mirmilloni componitur aequimanus Thrax See more of these in Sueton. Caligula n A Tribune here is called Vacans namely such an one as was enrolled extraordinarily and not promoted thereto by degrees of service These also as well as others placed in any dignitie after that maner by other authors are expresly tearmed Ascripti and Ascriptitij For thus writeth Ael Lampridius in Alexandro Severo Nec quâ—mqua passus est esse in Palatinis nisi necessarios homines iureiur ando deinde constrinxit ne quem ascriptum id est vacantem haberet ne annonis rempub gravaret Also Terbellius Pollio in Balista where Valerianus the Emperour in a letter unto Balista seemeth to joy that by his counsell nullum ascriptitium i. vacantem haberet Tribunum nullum stipatorem qui non verè pugnaret But take this for my conjecture onely as touching Tribunus vacans I will gladly yeeld to him that shall bring a more probable reason of this tearme o Dion writeth That Augustus admitted certain Batavian horsemen to keepe residence in Rome within campe How ever Tranquillus Suetonius affirmeth that hee allowed no more than three cohorts to harbour within the citie and those sine castris But it seemeth that by occasion of many strangers conflowing to Rome who could not be received in the hostelries and ordinarie Innes there was a certaine place assigned by it selfe for their lodging called therupon Castra peregrina or Peregrinorum And of this opinion is Guidus Pancirolus de 1â— Regionibus urb Rom. Annotations and conjectures upon the seventeenth Booke a BRasmatiae or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist de mundo are those earthquakes which shake the earth upward and downeward ad angulos rectos so called of the resemblance of water boyling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. to seeth or boile up b Clinatiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I guesse because they bend sidelong or Climatiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. pervertere vel diruere as Marcellus Donatus thinketh c Chasmatiae of Chasma in Greeke which signifieth a gaping or wide chinke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to gape Aristotle maketh mention of them De mundo d Mycematiae or rather Mycetiae as Aristotle tearmeth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. to bellow to loow or roare e Donative was a largesse or liberalitie bestowed upon the souldiors by the Generall or upon the people by the Prince f Cicero in his second booke de Divinatione writeth thus It is reported that in the territories of the Tarquinienses when an husbandman ploughed the ground and tooke one deeper stitch than the rest there started up out of the earth on a sodaine this Tages and spake unto the said Plough-man now this Tages as is found written in the Tuscane bookes seemed in personage and countenance a verie child but for wisedome was equall to the aged who being affrighted at this sodaine sight cryed out in so much as out of all Tuscane the people flocked soone thither And then Tages uttered many speeches in the hearing of them all which they noted and put in writing and this his speech contained the whole knowledge and learning of Soothsaying Ovid also in his Metamorphos writeth of him But it is like he was some base and obscure fellow who by his impostures deceived the world professing as he did the art of Divination Annotations and conjectures upon the eighteenth Booke a LVstrum was the space of foure yeares after which time complet there was a solemne review and cessing holden at Rome and the citie by a Sacrifice purged with sundrie other ceremoniall complements almost duely observed in everie revolution of such a tearme of yeares whereunto peradventure our author alludeth it was so ordinarie a thing in Constantius his Court which he tearmeth Castra by a word borrowed of warfare to have these alterations and chaunges like as at everie Lustrum new Magistats as Censors c. b Diribitores otherwise called Distributores were certaine persons imployed in tendering unto the Romane citizens certaine little tablets as they went to give their voyces at their solemne elections of Magistrats therein to write their affirmative or negative There were also of this denomination the Paymasters of wages to souldiors in an armie Coelius Rhodigin c Homer in his ninth tenth and eleventh bookes of his Poem Odyssea faineth how Vlysses held these Phaeaces upon whose land he was cast by tempest with a long discourse and narration of his travels In imitation of whom Virgil bringeth in his Aeneas making the like reports unto Queene Dido The silent audience of the Phaeaces Homer expresseth in this verse eftsoones repeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Tricesimani were souldiors picked out of the thirtieth legion e Fortenses A companie of souldiors auxiliarie so called of Fortia a towne in Sarmatia Asiatica f Superventores Companies of souldiors placed apart from the bodie of the armie or battel readie to come upon the enemies forcibly on a sodaine whiles they are otherwise emploied or secure g Praeventores Companies of souldiors keeping likewise apart from the maine armie or battel readie to prevent the enemies or gaine a place before them h Iam Comite For having beene one of the guard called Protectores before he now became a captaine and had the charge of a regiment and was dignified also with the name Comâ—s Annotations and conjectures upon the 19 Booke a THese solemne holy-daies and feasts were kept for memorial of Adonis the darling of Venus slaine by a wild boare in hunting in the month of Iuly what time Fruges sunt adultae corne is ripe i Siccitas i. drought I suppose he meaneth heat the active qualitie for drinesse being a passive qualitie is not so powerfull And that he meaneth heat it may appeare by the Plague in the Greeke campe and armie before Troy occasioned by the arrowes of Apollo i. the Sunne Homer Ilia α. k By this straunger or guest is meant Paris who tooke away Helena the wife of Menelaus for which indignitie and wrong arose that warre and siege which continued tenne yeares l Of this Pestilence yee may read more in Thucidides lib. 2. and in Lucretius lib. 6. where it is described verie pathetically and to the life and in manner word for word out of Lucretius m Leviores I suppose he meaneth acutiores i. more quicke and sharpe n o p In putting downe these names of maladies we are to observe that Marcellinus although he was a souldior and out of his owne element yet speaketh not unproperly nor doth exorbitate from the doctrine of Hippocrates Galene and the rest who among these vulgar diseases called here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 allow some to be Epidemij simply not pestilenciall but such as kill for the most part to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pestilenciall q Rhesus was King of Thracia and came to aid the Trojanes against the Greekes who together with his horses were the first night they came
unto us in flesh and so sayth Suidas Others take it for the memoriall day of Christs Baptisme on which also the Catechumeni were baptized But by the circumstance of the moneth in this place I take it in the first signification e Apud signa The strongest place in battaile and campe both was called Principia where stood the Praetorium and there were the Standards Ensignes and Banners bestowed where also was the safest custodie of any committed to ward And that the Signa were in the maine battaile among the Principes or Principia it appeareth by this That they who were marshalled in the vaward be usually called Antesignani and those in the rereward Postsignani f The goddesse of Warre she is also named Enyio g How ever Praefectus Praetorio was an high Magistrate and secundus ab Augusto yet you must alwaies except the Consuls whose place and authoritie was peculiarly called Amplissimus Magistratus The Ensignes belonging to this Magistrate was especially the Purple or Scarlet Robe called Trabea insomuch as by a Metonymie it is in this Author put for the Dignitie it selfe as namely in the beginning of the 23. Booke Ascito in Collegio Trabeae Sallustio i. assuming Salustius to be fellow Consull with him As touching the Ensignes belonging to Praefect Praetorio see at the note upon Praefectus Vrbi h Largitiones curandas Have recourse to the note upon Comes Largitionum Domesticis See the Annotation upon Protectores i Legiones Constantiacae They tooke name of Constantius the Emperour who enrolled them k Iniectis Ponticulis The manner of putting foorth these little bridges out of towers and other fabrickes to the walls of a citie besieged you may see lively described and portrayed by Godescalcus Stenechius at the seventeenth Chapter of the fourth Booke of Vegetius l Cum parte validiori exercitus Vnderstand it of the Legionarie footmen in whom the Romanes reposed greatest confidence The like phrase our Author useth elsewhere and namely in the 15. Booke cap. 3. Arbetio Magister Equitum cum validiore exercitus manu where doubtlesse he speaketh of the Infanterie m Lancearij were souldiors of a Palatine Legion under the Generall of the Forces called Praesentalis haply of the Launces or Speares that they served with Some had the addition Stobenses of Stobium a towne in Macedonie others Augustenses of Augustus as Vegetius thinketh Lib. 2. Cap. 7. and divers denominations beside as you may read in Notitia n Mattiarij or Martiarij were auxiliarie forces so called of Mattium a towne in Germanie the Metropolis of the Catti where now Marpurgum standeth Laeti also were souldiors levied out of a people in Gaule so named and they served in divers nations whereupon they have sundrie additions Notitia Zosimus Howbeit Donatus Marcellus sayth they were so called of Mattia i. a Club or Maza a Mace such as Clavatores were in Plautus o These Iambicke verses are called Senarij because they consist of six single feet otherwise Trimetri for that they stand of three measures or duple feet for distinction of other Iambickes named Dimetri Tetrametri c. p Hermes a noble Philosopher Priest and King of Aegypt whom our writer calleth Ter-Maximus others Trismegistus in the same sence for that he was Philosophus Max. Sacerdos Max. Rex Maximus q Ecclesiasticall Writers and other Historians agree not with Marcellinus eyther in the age of Constantius or the yeares of his reigne or day of his death For some say he lived â—â— and reigned 2â— as Pomp. Laetus but evident it is in the 1â— Booke of this Historie and fourth chapter unlesse there be some notable fault in the copie that he had then reigned 30. yeares And Socrates sayth plainely he ruled 38. in all and lived â—5 So doth Sozomenus Howbeit I meane not to reconcile Historiographers about this point I attribute much unto Marcellinus for that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r s For the better unfolding of this place you shall understand that under the Rom. Emperours there were devised five degrees or rankes of dignities following one another in this order to wit Illustris Spectabilis Clarissimus Perfectissimus and Egregius albeit Notitia maketh no mention of this last and lowest The principall of all the rest as chiefe Senatours were tearmed Illustres and ten magistrates there were of this ranke Consuls Praefectus Praetorio Praefectus Vrbi Magistri Militum Magister Officiorum Quaestores Praepositus sacri cubiculi Comes Largitionum Comâ—s rerum privatarum Comes Domesticorum The middle sort of Senatours had the title of Spectabiles among whom were raunged tenne other Magistrats or Rulers namely Primicerius sacri cubiculi Primicâ—rius Notariorum Comes Castrensis Magister Scriniorum Proconsules Comes Orientis Praefectus Augustatis i. Aegypti Vicarij Comites Duces rei militaris Zâ—no also reckoneth Tribunus Notariorum to bee Spectabilis And these Spectabiles bee sometime confounded with Clarissimi The rest of the Senatours be styled Clarissimi and their dignitie Clarissimatus Such are Consulares i. Governours of Provinces so called for that they were adorned with Consular ornaments although they had not beene Consuls Correctores otherwise called Moderaâ—ores of Provinces and Presidents Likewise the Comites of a second degree such as had the government of the Provinciall Scholae Also Silentiarij otherwise called Decuriones Palatij Officers in the Emperours Court to see that all were quiet and no noisemade to trouble and disquiet the Prince c. These Clarissimi were otherwhiles tearmed Speciosi See more of them in Notitia as also of the priviledges and immunities graunted unto them and the other two degrees above them Next under these were raunged by Constantine the Great Viri Perfectissimi of whom Marcellinus here speaketh and to determine of them precisely they were in higher account than Equites Româ—ni although sometimes they also be styled Perfectissimi Thus were entituled the Governours of smaller Provinces as the Presidents of Arabia Dalmatia and Isauria The Procurators or Auditors under the Emperour called Rationales The Principals of the Scrinia of Comes Largitionum and his Comites in each Diocesse whom I take to be under-Treasurers And as there were three degrees of Comites so were there also of Viri Perfectissimi Egregij were such as out of Equestris ordo attained place of government in the State Such were the Emperours Scriniarij called also Tribuni Notarij whom I suppose to be under Secretaries Also the rulers of some provinces Their dignitie was called Egregiatus but now it is growne out of use Howbeit the moderne interpreters reckon Prelates Advocates of the Exchequer Doctors Knights and Gentlemen among Egregios But for that the handling of this matter of Precedencie is a ticklish point and offensive Verbum non amplius addam onely thus much of them and other titles it shall suffice what Lactantius writeth Nemo Egregius nisi qui bonus innocens fuerit nemo Clarissimus nisi qui opera
with that of Hector in Homer Iliad μ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c This festival solemnitie by the first institution was holden at Rome the day before the Ides i. the twelfth day of Aprill Ovid saith it was upon the Nones i. the fifth day of the sayd moneth Therefore I suppose there is a defect in the copie and for ad diem sextum Calendas should be read ad diem sextum Aprilis i. about the sixth day of April unlesse you will say that the Pompe here importeth not the great solemnitie it selfe called Megalesia or Megalentia but some ceremoniall complement going before it and then it might be 6. called Aprilis i. the 27. day of March. d Cicero citeth this Oracle or Prophesie in the second booke de Divinatione in this verse Croesus Halym penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim e This Oracle we read in Herodotus Polymnia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For whereas the Oracle darkely implyed that they should build a wall of wood and therewith defend themselves by the counsell of Themistocles they built a navie of ships and at sea vanquished the Medes f Pyrrhus King of the Epirots who derived his pedigree from Achilles and so from Aeacus by the mothers side and by the father from Hercules g Her sonnes name was Spargapises generall of an armie against Cyrus the great king and â—ounder of the Persian Empire whose hap was to be defeated and taken prisoner by Cyrus after much bloud-shed and afterwards slew himselfe in revenge of whose death his mother Tomyris gave Cyrus a great overthrow cut off his head and put it into a paile of mens bloud killed in that battell with certaine words of indignation Iustin Herodotus Cleio I find not that any more sonnes than this one were slaine and therefore yee must admit here a Synecdoche the plurall for the singular a usuall figure in Hellenisme h i Of Bitumen and Naphtha somewhat hath beene said before and more yee may read in Plin. Nat. Hyst lib. 2. cap. 105. k Brachmenes Certaine Philosophers or Gymnosophists of India called at this day Bramines Strabo lib. 15. Hieronym contra Iovinianum lib. 2. l Of these Abiâ— and Galactophagi who a little after are mentioned Homer writeth Iliad 13. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the figure Syncope for the verse sake But as touching the etymologie of the Abij the Greeke Scholiast upon Homer putteth downe divers conjectures either for that they use not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is bowes where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or if you take the said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is augmenting the signification as the other is a privative thereof they are implyed to be rich for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth riches or else long lived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is life or that they be peaceable and use no violence of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth violence or lastly because they set not their mind on living daintily in which sense it seemeth here to be taken for those that desire riches and full fare are commonly unjust and wrong doers whereas these were most righteous m Of these Mirmillones see before Annotations and conjectures upon the 2â— Booke a THis is an island neere to the mouth Canopicus of Nilus in Aegypt called Pharus and a towne therein built upon an high rocke at the charges of Ptolomaeus Philadelphias named also Pharus wherein there were lights burning all night long for the better direction of Sailers in their course on the sea whence all other the like towers are tearmed Phari Perot-Sip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b These devises called Vinâ—ae and Plutei whereof there is so much mention in Livie and other Hystoriographers were certaine fences to protect souldiours approaching the walls of a citie to give aslault or to undermine in maner of pent-houses and roofes of houses fencing on both sides Some thinke that Plutei were the single pent-houses and Vineae the double c Helepolis A word derived of the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a citie although it generally signifieth any engine or fabricke devised for the forcing of cities yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this one which Demetrius invented in lieu of the Ramme is so called The description whereof is set downe in the former booke The mechanicke or workeman thereof was Droclides of Abdera Athenaeus lib. 5. c Poliorcetes is as much as the besieger of cities This Demetrius was the sonne of Antigonus king of Macedonie In Plutarchs Parallels he is matched with M. Antonius d Tribunus in this place and often beside seemeth to be the leader of one cohort or a colonell of five hundred men and then he is Tribunus minor for everie cohort whereof were ten in a legion had unum vexillum i. a banner The leader of the whole legion or more was in times past called Legatus in Ammianus he is knowne by the name of Comes and Tribunus maior and therefore may well bee Englished Lieutenant to the Generall for so was Legatus under the Consull e These Silver peeces I take to be Sestertij by excellencie tearmed Numi valued at two asses and an halfe whereupon by way of abbreviation they are commonly noted thus H-S it was the fourth part of a Romane Denarius which was much about the Atticke Drachme and in our money 7. d. ob an hundred of which Sestertij in round reckoning amount to a Romane Aureus that is 15. s. or thereabout which was but a small donative in comparison of that which he had given before at his inauguration f There was a device to make bridges upon leather bottles or budgets full of wind the description whereof yee may see in Vegetius set out by Steroechius Such a bridge is called there Ascogefrus as I take it of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke i. a leather bottle or budget and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. a bridge Incertus author derebus bellicis at the end of Notitia g Titus Manlius sirnamed Torquatus for dispoyling a Gaule his enemie whom he had in fight slaine of a golden coller or chaine about his necke Liv. Dec. I. li. 7. There was also one Valerius Torquatus upon the like occasion but I suppose our author meaneth Manlius h M. Valerius sirnamed Corvinus by occasion of a raven that setled upon the crest of his morrion as hee maintained combat with a Gaule See Titus Livius Decad. I. lib. 7. i Disvessis What if wee read discissis both come to one sense k This was Caius Fabricius Luscinus of whom Cicero writeth in his booke Laelius l These amount in precise reckonings to sixe and fortie shillings tenne pence halfepenie m At nine of the clocke at night began the second watch For the night containing 12. howers was divided into foure watches the first began at 6. of the clocke
the street partly to enlarge the roome and partly to gaine better prospect devised by one Menius an unthrift who having spent all his land and living reserved yet such a gallerie the better to behold publike sights and games of whom such jutties are named Meniana r There werein Rome 1◠regions s Magistrirei Castrensis I suppose are here the same that Magistri militum or martiall captaines t This Sicinius was before called Siccius Dentatus for Sicinius n Well suiting with this was that device of Archilochus who depainted fortune in the forme of an old woman carrying in her right hand flaming fire and in her left water Natal Comes Mytholog lib. ◠cap. 9. x Pontus Polemoniachus so called of Polemon or Polemo a king that ruled that province Strab. 11. 12. for difference from the great countrey Pontus bordering upon the sea Pontus Annotations and conjectures upon the 28. Booke a SIngular care was alwayes had in the Roman State that corne and other victuall should be verie cheape For which purpose in the free Commonweale there were especiall officers called Aediles and after in the Emperours time one ordayned out of the degree of Knights or Gentlemen named Proefectus annonoe and Curator annonoe The policie of that Commonwealth was such that by good forecast there was alwayes plentie rei annonarioe and the price thereof alwaies low yea and many times there was given away among the people a mightie deale and dole of corne and bread also that which they called Edulitas which was a largesse of flesh given by the Emperour and distributed among the common people in time of scarcitie Read hereof Aelius Lamprid. in the life of Alex. Severus a Because there is so often mention made of Proefec̄tus urbi the Prefect of the citie that is Rome called ordinarily in this author Vrbs oeterna it wil not be impertinent some what to write of that magistrat In the free state he was Provost or governour of the citie deputed in the absence of the Consuls whiles they solemnized the festivall sacrifices on the mount Albanus during the Latine holy-dayes as appeareth in Livie In the Emperours time he resembled somewhat for civile jurisdiction and government within Rome and about it the Proefectus Proetorio and they two were of chiefest authoritie as appeareth by the same or verie like ensignes belonging to the office And as it may be gathered out of Notitia they were these A chariot-man on foot wearing upon a red or as some bookes have a greene coat a white loose mandilian or a greene without sleeves his armes both he putteth out wearing upon his red stockings blew shooes in his left hand he beareth a rod with his left he holdeth the reines and guideth them hanging from the head of the last or next horse of the foure whereas the other three are unbridled and be all of white colour The chariot is of Ivorie guiltall over and of that kind which they call Carrucha Above the portraiture hereof there is a table covered with a blew carpet fringed of tapestrie which carrieth a booke standing upright with a leather cover silvered bound in the mids toward both ends with golden strings with the image in gold likewise of the Prince in the mids of the backe and the same containing the articles of his charge putting him in mind to have care of the citie and to gather up the revenues thereof These in a certaine frame had the Emperours images in gold carried before them and under them the image of a woman carrying in her hand Cornucopia There were represented also two tapers gilt burning on each side of the said booke And as to the Proefects Proetorio there were besides women portraied with crownes on their heads and chargers or boles full of golden peeces of coine according to the number of the Diocesses under them so it is probable that this Prefect had among his ensignes the picture also of Rome More hereof you may read here and there in Notitia b Aruspex properly is that Soothsayer that foretelleth future events by peering and prying into the inwards of beasts killed for sacrifice so called à speciendo victimas ad aram and is the same that Extispex c The Solidus among the Romanes as Budeus saith was Aureus i. a coined peece of gold whereof foure went to an ounce so that by this reckoning it was about 15. s. Now if Modius were our pecke and halfe and ten of these peckes were sold in time of a great dearth for one Solidus or Aureus that is everie pecke for 18. d. of our money then a measure with us called a strike or London bushell would have cost ◠s. which was counted deere among the provincials which no doubt would have beene affoorded much cheaper unto the citizens of Rome For the Roman provision out of which this want was supplied cost but the third part of that price d Vnder Comes sacrararum largitionum in the West Empire were six Procuratores monetoe or Masters of the mint which had their mint-houses in severall places at Sciscia in Pannonia secunda at Aquileia at Lions at Areles at Triers and at Rome in the temple of Iuno Moneta Here is meant the Mint-master at Rome e Among other devises to torment folke were certaine plummets or pellets of lead called Plumbatoe different in forme from those Plumbatoe in Vegetius which were a kind of casting weapons and herewith poore prisoners and martyres were pelted to death These Constantius the Emperour called Plumbatorum verbera And Prudentius expresseth the maner of this torture lively in these verses Tudatur tergum crebrisictibus Plumbóque cervix verberata extuberet Pulsatus ergo Martyr illa grandine Postquam inter ictus dixit hymnum Plumbeos c. f Although this word Summates may verie well agree to all the Senatours in Rome or Curiales in provinciall cities and townes yet properly it is meant of those that had beene superiour magistrats and borne office of estate g Busiris the sonne of Neptune a most cruell tyrant of Aegypt whose maner was to sacrifice all straungers unto his Idoll Iupiter In the end when he would have dealt so by Hercules he and his sonne together with the bloudy ministers of such sacrifices were by him slaine Of him so no torious a tyrant Virgil writeth thus Georgic 3. Quis illaudati nescit Busiridis aras Antoeus likewise the sonne of Neptune and Tellus a mightie Giant as Poets feigne in Libya 6◠cubits high He ufed to lye upon the bare ground and overcame all others in wrestling untill he met with Hercules in wrestling with whom when he was weary and laid upon the ground here covered eftsoones his strength thereby and became more vigorous than before which Hercules perceiving and how he gat more strength by touching his mother the earth overthrew him no more but in his armes held him betweene heaven and earth so long and so fast that he crushed him to death
Natalis Comes of this fabulous narration doth mythologize in this maner namely that hereby is confirmed the great Axiome in Physicke That contraries be cured by contraries for that as Hercules signifieth the Sunne or heat and the earth cold so hot diseases be cured by cold remedies Thus much by the way and by the Paracelsians leave h He pointeth at a place in the seventeenth booke of Homers Iliads where the Greekes fought for the dead bodie of Patroclus and were bemisted and overcast with darkenesse The words Aiâ—x useth are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where note that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for caligo and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. a mist or darkenesse that taketh all sight away l Tullianum one part of the gaole or prison at Rome added to the other named Robur by Serv. Tullius the king Sallustius saith it was walled round about with stone and arched over head And Carolus Sigonius collecteth that herein condemned persons were throtled and strangled with the halter De Iudic. lib. 3. cap. 16. k Valentia seemeth to be the North part of that province in Britannie which is called Maxima Caesariensis and so called in honour of Valens the Emperour under whom Theodosius had recovered it out of the hands of the Picts c. l Whether he meaneth here hot artificiall bathing or drinking water hot a device of Nero I leave indifferently to the readers judgement m The sonne of Agiasarchus and a Poet who being by his father sent into the field to keepe cattell slept in a certaine cave 75. yeares whence came the proverbe Epimenidis somnum dormere Suidas n Semiramis Queene of the Assyrians and wife of Ninus who dissimuling the death of her husband in his habite governed untill her sonne Prince Ninus was come to his age One day as she was dressing her head word was brought that Babylon rebelled presently undressed as she was with one halfe of her haire loose about her eares she ran forth to assault the citie and made not an end of trimming her head before she had brought the citie to her devotion Whereupon the Babylonians erected her statue at Babylon in that manner and habitas she hastened forth to that exploit Valer. Max. lib. 9. cap. 3. Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt wife of Ptolemeus Auletes the sister and wife both of the last Ptolomie after whose death being wedded to M. Antonius she accompanied him in his warres Of her you may read more in Plinie Plutarch and others Artemisia the wife of Mausolus king of Caria a Ladie of incomparable chastitie and withall right valiant So affectionat to her husband that when hee was dead shee spiced her wine with his ashes and dranke it She procured Oratours out of Greece to solemnize his funerals with eloquent Orations and erected for him a stately tombe reputed a wonder of the world whereupon all goodly and costly monuments are called Mausolea Zenobia Queene of the Pasmyrenes after the death of her husband Odenatus shee usurped the Empire in Syria and is reckoned one of the thirtie tyrants or usurpers in Galienus the Emperour his time of her rare chastitie as who never companied with her husband but for procreation of her magnificent estate her martiall strowesse beautie eloquence skill in languages writing of an Epitomicall Hystorie and training up of her children in learning read Trebell Pollio Iul. Capitolinus o Castor and Pollux the sonnes and twinnes of Laeda and their reputed father Tyndarus whereupon they were called Tyndaridae They lived and ruled together most lovingly and were placed after death in heaven by the name of the signe Gemini There is a certaine Meteor or firie impression appearing many times to Marriners called after their names and the same apparition is fortunat for they are reckoned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Daemones averrunci or depellentes and the Romans held the appearing of them to be luckie p Plinie in his eight booke and 57. chapt Nat. Hyst reckoneth up Dor-mice about delicate meats served up at the table The maner of keeping and feeding them for that purpose you may find there and in Wottonus de Animalibus q Stesichorus a famous Lyricall Poet so called for that he was the first that joyned song and dauncing with the sound of the harpe for his true name was Tisias The nightingale settled upon the lips of him being a babe and sung praesaging thereby what a sweet Poet he would prove another day Lyricke verses were such at first as the Chorus upon the stage betweene every Act in a Tragoedie sung and acted with the Musicke r Cimmerij were Northern people inhabiting about the lake MÄ™otis where there is a frith or strait of the sea called Bosphorus Cimmerius for difference of Bosphorus Thracius by Propontis and Constantinople The place of their habitation was darke cold and bleake like unto that vale in Italie between Cumae and Barae environed about with high hils so that the Sunne is neither morning nor evening seene whereupon they also are called Cimmerij Strab. s These be certain Bathes and holesome waters taking the name of Mammaea the mother of Alexander Severus t Of M. Marcellus his behavior and triumph after the winning and sacking of SyracusÄ™ you may read in T. Livius 26 booke u Ephemeris in this place or Ephemerides as we terme it is an Astronomicall table shewing day by day the figure and position of the heavens and the divination therby in which sence Iuvenal taketh it in this verse In cuius manibus ceu pinguia succina tritas Cernis Ephemeridas x Mitio and Laches were two actors in Terences Comaedies representing good plaine and simple old men speaking popularitèr in a civile and vulgar manner which is meant here by Socci i. certaine light shooes or startups that Players in Comaedies used He meaneth a lowly and humble behavior y Contrariwise Ctesphon Themenus acted parts in Tragoedies of Hercules his sons in an higher and loftier straine expressed here by Cothurnus i. a buskin which tragicall players used and are here brought in speaking big and faring as those that are in a prowd and disdainefull humor What these Ctesphon and Themenus more particularly were or in what Tragoedies they be actors I have not read but well might they be some of the race of Hercules especially seeing as Varro writeth There were knowne by the name of Hercules 43. and one of them had 50 wives and concubines and left 70 children behind him Alex. ab Alex. Genial dierum lib. 2. cap. 5. z How infamous this nation was for sacrificing unto their idoll Diana such strangers as arrived at their costs especially those that had suffered shipwrack or Greekes Strabo and other Authors write but Herodotus in Melpomene sayth That they sacrificed not unto Diana but to Iphigenia the daughter of Agamemnon α The portraiture of Victorie is to be seene in many old coynes in habit of a woman and with
wings holding forth a guirland in the right hand and bearing in her left an Olive braunch β The cities colonies townes called Municipia within the Roman Empire were much like unto Rome in their manner of Commonweale and government And as the Romans had a Senate-house and Senators so had they in resemblance thereof a Curia and Curiales who likewise were termed Decuriones because at the first erecting planting of Colonies the tenth man was enrolled a Senatour or one of the Patres of the place They had to name likewise Possessores Ordo Honorati and in Greeke Buleutae As in the Romane Senate there was a President called Princeps Senatus so that Decurio or Curialis who had borne all offices of State they called Primus Curiae And like as in Rome the chiefe of the Senatours degree were styled Illustres the rest Clarissimi so in these provinciall corporations in the first ranke were Summales Principales and in Greeke Protestasiae According to the greatnesse of the place there were more or fewer of this order in some 20 or 10 in others 7 or 5 so that when you read in this Author of Decuriones in any city or Curiales or Honorati or simply Ordines or Ordo understand this degree of chiefe burgesses how ever others expound Curiales either courtiers whoÌ„ we in Latin call Aulici or those that be officers of any judiciall court as Accursius doth and the author of the law Vocabularia γ As in Rome there was a Colledge of Prelats called Pontifices so in these Municipia the chiefe Clergie men were called Sacerdotales δ Likewise Aediles in these colonies and corporat townes resembled in many points those of Rome howbeit they had no jurisdiction but were clerkes of the Market c. As touching whose charge you may read more in Papinian his Astynomicus Annotations and conjectures upon the 29. Booke a The verses in Theogâ—is that he alludeth unto are these in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b By this you may know that these Eculeâ— were rackes to be wrested up or let downe and Eusebius writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereby it is gathered that the utmost stretching was to the fift hole c Famous were those Quinquennall Games holden in Greece every fift yeare at the citie Olympia neere unto the hill Olympus whither assembled people from all parts whence grew Olympias i. the space of foure yeres complete and past by which they reckoned their times as the Romans by their Lustra and we Christians by the nativitie of our Savior to wit the first second or third yeare c. of such an Olympias d Carpathos An Island betweene Rhodes and Candie from whence it came e Heroicke verses so called because in them most commonly were penned the acts of demie gods and Worthies such as they tearmed Heroes as were the Poâ—mes of Homers Iliad and Odyssea likewise Virgils Aeneid This stately verse is likewise called Hexametre for that it consisteth of six feet f Pythici were such verses as Oracles were delivered in so called of Pythius one of the sirnames of Apollo who rendered answeres to them that consulted with his Oracle whereupon he also was so named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his Priestresses Pythiae Strab. lib. 9. g Branchidae the Priests of Apollo Didymaeus Strab. lib. 1â— h Of these Olympicke Games see a little before i Of these Syrenes or Meremaids you may read in Homer Odyss lib. 12. how Vlysses as he passed by them in the Sicilian sea stopped the eares of his companions with wax and caused himselfe to be fast tied unto the mast of his ship because they should not be allured with their sweet melodie k The Areopagites Counsell and Court of justice in Athens was most severe upright instituted by Cecrops first as Eusebius thinketh and not by Solon The reason of that name is twofold either for that there passed in that court triall and judgement of bloudshed and murther which is expressed under the name of Mars in Greeke Ares or because Mars when he was judicially accused by Neptune for killing his sonne Halirrhotius there stucke downe his speare More hereof and of the fabulous concertation at the barre of the gods you may read in Carol. Sigon de Rep. Atheniens lib. 1. cap. 3. l Seven vowels he meaneth in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pliny writeth That the paine of the stomacke next unto the Strangurie occasioned by the Stone is most intollerable Now whether he meaneth that which the Physicians tearme Cardialgiam or Ileos otherwise called Volvulus Iliaca passio Domine miserere mei which although originally be seated in the small higher guts yet for the vicinitie soone affecteth the stomack as appeareth by dolorous vomiting or rather the disease or Symptome Cholera wherein the stomake is most painefully affected and dischargeth it selfe upward and downeward I cannot determine kk Whereas in the 29. booke cap. 8. Valentinian is said to have kept two shee Beares the one named Innocentia the other Mica aurea i. golden Mica probable it is by the former name that the other also alluded to Mica the name of some woman I call to mind therefore that in Plutarchs Morals among praise-worthie women thâ—â—e is a large narration of one damosell the daughter of Philodemus an Elean named Mica or as some read Micca who under the licentious reigne of Aristotemus the tyrant one Lucius was enamoured upon and after much courting and solliciting of her to forfeit the honor of her bodie but all in vaine killed her in the sight and bosome of her father whose guilded image was set up for a memoriall in Rome And this is the conjecture of Pancirolus l Of these Masters of Forges wherein armour was made see before m There were certaine officers belonging to the Emperours stable called Stratores who were to chuse and allow horses meet for service l Constantiani were a band of souldiors erected by Constantius the Emperor m Lerna or Lerne a Mere in the territorie of Argos which the Serpent Hydra haunted and did much mischiefe to all the countrey about it whereinto also they used to cast all filth c. Whence came the Proverbe Lerna malorum i. a sinke of all sinne and mischiefe Strab. This serpent as they say had to one bodie 50 heads and as any one of them was cut off there grew presently two in the place Palaeph de Fabulis It was one of Hercules his labours to destroy this serpent m n These two Legions tooke the name of Pannonia and Maesia out of which provinces they were levied Annotations and conjectures upon the 30. Booke a PRovinciae moderatoris apparitor Although Moderator strictly taken signifieth the Ruler of a small Province who properly is termed Corrector yet here it is more generally put for the governor of Cilicia who was Consularis and an officer of his had the charge to ward this gate of Tarsus a citie in that Province
b Among other Attributes given to Iupiter one was Xenius or Hospitalis the Superintendent as it were of guests and their entertainement So religious they were in old times that a guest once received should be inviolable according to that verse in Virg Aeneid 1. Iupiter hospitibus nam te dare iura loquuntur c This is that Fabricius Luscinus or Lucinus who was so poore because he contemned riches that his daughters as is beforesaid were maried with dowries out of the chāber of the citie d Who was slaine as he sat at supper by Perpenna his companion in the same faction Plutarch e Academia a shadie and woodie place a mile from Athens where Plato was borne and did first teach so called as Eupolis saith of Academus a god according to the verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Horace Atque inter sylvas Academi quaerere verum Hence it is that all famous Schooles of Learning and Vniversities be called Academies f Trebatius a renowmed Lawyer and familiar friend of Tull. Cic. as appeareth in his Epistles the rest also were deepe Lawyers in their time g Of his intemperat speech and railing upon Achilles you may read Homer Iliad β. That which Ammianus alludeth unto is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherin he compareth his prating to the untunable chattering of Choughes and Dawes h This is that Caius Gracchus of whom Tully writeth in his third booke de Oratore as also Fabius Quintilian cap. 10. lib. 1. Aulius Gell. lib. 1. cap. 11. That when he was to plead he had a man or Musitian that stood closely behind him with a little yvorie pipe such as they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thereby to put him in mind of raising or letting fall his voice i Some writers go cleare away with this opinion That Valentinian died of an Apoplexie But if wee conferre the nature of an Apoplexie with the manner of his disease and some other circumstances here put downe namely That Physicians and Surgeons were employed then in the cure of his souldiors sicke of the pestilence the firie heat that he was surprised and possessed with his deadly yexing gnashing of his teeth his laying about him with his arms last of al the blew spots appearing on his body we may the rather be induced to think he died of the plague k As for those passages which he calleth here Haemorrhoids they be certain veines in number five descending from the master veine called Cava or Chilis to the circle of the fundamēt or tiwill which for that they doe void bloud sometimes naturally or by art are opened and caused to bleed for avoiding of melancholie diseases be tearmed Haemorrhoids l Of this Milo his strength his strange death occasioned by the confidence of his own strong armes whiles he would assay to cleave the bodie of a tree that had a rift or chinke in it you may see more in Valer. Max. lib. 9. cap. 12. of whom the Poet Iuvenal also writeth thus Viribus ille Confisus perijt admirandi◠que lacertis m Comes praefuit rei Castrensi He was Generall of the Forces and not Comes Castrensis which was another officer in the time of the Emperors attending in court otherwise called Tricliniarcha in the daies of Alexander Severus under whom were the ministers and servitors of the Emperors house all save those of his Chamber as butlers carvers yeomen of the cellar wayters at the table c. going all under the name of Ministeriani and Castrensiani For the Emperours house is compared to Castra i. the campe and from thence borroweth many tearmes Habent n. Aulici as saith Tertullian militiae imaginem Vnder him were the Paedagogiani such as now wee tearme Pages and used to weare purple shoes c. like unto whom Ammian compareth Procopius when he was newly invested in his imperiall robes He used to goe before the Emperour with a golden Verge or Warder He was called in the later times Curopalata and as Pancirol upon Notitia sayth may be compared to the Major Steward or grand Seneschall of the kings house The Ensignes belonging to this office import as much as side Tables Cupboord Bason and Ewre Flagons c. By way of agnomination Marcellinus nick-nameth one Hyperechius apparitor Gastrensis for Castrensis ltb 26. cap. 10. n Artaxerxes as some thinke was a generall name in times past of the kings of Persia as now Sophi is This Artaxerxes called here Macrocheir is named in Latine to the same sence Longimanus for that one hand to wit the right was longer than the other and is thought to be the same that Assuerus in Hester the sonne of Xerxes See Iustin Coelius Rhodigin o p So called for that in running he had not his peere Of this argument read the pleasant digression of T. Livius Decad. 1. lib. 9. Annotations and conjectures upon the 31. Booke a This Baine tooke the name of Valens himselfe a By Trebellius Pollio he is named Divus Claudius and reigned presently after the 30 tyrants or usurpers in sundry parts of the Empire b Of Domesticorum Comes hath beene written before c Carrago was a fortification in manner of a campe that these Barbarians made fenced about with their carts whereupon it tooke the name Of the like Trebellius Pollio maketh mention in the Gallieni and Divus Claudius also Zosimus d Of the Cornuti somewhat hath beene written alreadie e Take Defensores here for the townsmen generally and not those magistrats of the people that be called Defensores f g h Of these Lancearij Mattiaci and Batavi see before i Pomponius Laetus writeth That he did this voluntarie according to the example of the auncient Decij sirnamed Mures who for their countrey exposed themselves to death k Cn. Scipio who with his brother Pub. died in Spain and his hap was to be burned within a tower T. Liv. 25. Florus He is otherwise called Cura or Curator Palatij Curopalata likewise and Comes Castrensis l As for Promoti they were a companie of souldiors so called for that they had been by certaine degrees for their good service promoted Pancirol in Notitiam m Of this notable overthrow of the Romans at Cannae wherein were slaine of Romans and Allies above 85000 men T. Livius reporteth in the second booke Decad. 3. n These Cylindri Vegetius calleth Taleae FINIS The Chronologie to Ammianus Marcellinus from the beginning of NERVA his Empire unto the death of VALENS Yeres of the world Yeres of our Lord Consuls Acts. Yeres of their Empire Yeres since Ro. foundat 4067 97 ¶ C Fulvius Valens C. Antistius IN this yeare on the 18. day of September was Domitian the Emperour slaine in the yeare of his age 45. 15 849    After him succeeded      NERVA COCCEIVS CAESAR AVG. PONT MAX. TR. PLEB PA. PATR the xiij Emperour and reigned one yeare foure moneths and ix daies Dion      From the beginning of his empire Ammianus
excellent sayings of his Eutropius recordeth this unto his friends seeming to blame him for being ouer courteous to all men he answered thus That he was such an Emperour to priuat persons as he would wish Emperours to be unto him selfe if he were priuat      Him succeeded      ¶ Imper. Caesar Traian HADRIANVS Aug. P. Max. COS. III. the 15. Emperor He reigned yeres 20. moneths 10. dayes 29. Dion Spartian      Here would be obserued the difference in Chronologers whiles Ptolome Gerhart Merc. will have the beginning of Adrians Empire to be in the yeare since Christs Natiuitie 117. The Rom. writers in the yeare 118. and this difference continueth unto the yeare 162.   4089 119 ¶ Hadrianus Augustus the 2. time Ti. Claudius Fuscus Salinator Hadrian envying the glorie of Traian calleth home the armies out of Armenia and Mesopotamia and rendreth up those prouinces againe unto Cosroes the king of the Parthians Volater 1 871 4090 120 ¶ Hadrianus Augustus the 3. time Q. Iunius Rusticus He brought colonies into Libya wasted with the tumultuous commotions of the Iewes Euseb Dio. 2 872 4091 121 ¶ L. Catilius Severus T. Aurelius Fulvus Who was afterward called Antoninus Pius Augustus  3 873 4092 122 ¶ M. Annius son of M. Verus 2. Augur  4 874 4093 123 ¶ M. Acilius Attiola C. Cornelius Pansa The Christian Church is much troubled with the Gnostici most silthie Heretikes 5 875 4094 124 ¶ Q. Artius Paetinus C. Veranius Apronianus Hadrian persecuteth the Christians and purposeth to punish the Iewes that made turnults in Iurie especially 6 876 4095 125 ¶ M. Acilius Glabrio C. Bellicius Torquatus Learned men are raised vp by God to withstand Heretikes and defend Christian Religion among whom were Agrippa Castor Aristides a Philosopher of Athens and Quadratus bishop of Athens and disciple of the Apostles and these two hauing written bookes in defense of Christian Religion exhibit them to Hadrian the Emperor Euseb lib. 4. cap. 3. This Quadratus in a booke that he presented unto the Emperor writeth that himselfe being verie aged had seen many who in the daies of our Sauiour hauing been afflicted with maladies were by him healed in Iudea and who also had risen from the dead Hyeronimus 7 877    In this age liued Papias bishop of Hierapolis who heard the disciples of the Apostles and wrote that in his   hearing the daughters of Philip reported how in their time one was raised from the dead and that which was no lesse admirable Iustus Barsabas of whom mention is made in the first chapter of the Acts of th'apostles by reason of the grace giuen unto him from our Lord found no trouble or harme by drinking a cup of deadly poison Eusebius lib. 3.      Hadrianus built and erected in Athens an admirable Librarie He disputeth and discourseth there in manner of a Philosopher he remoueth those from professing and teaching schooles who were insufficient He contendeth with learned men by way of writing and disputation Spartian   4096 126 ¶ P. Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus the 2. time Q Vettius Aquisinus  8 878 4097 127 ¶ M. Lollius Pedius by others Vespronius Verus Q Iunius Lepidus Bibulus Sixtus Bishop of the Church at Rome for mainteining the Gospell is put to death In whose place the next morrow after was Telesphorus the sonne of Anachoreta elected Onuph 9 879    Serenus Granius or as some write him Serennius Granianus a Lieutenant and of noble parentage descended wrote a letter unto Hadrian the Emperor aduertising him that it was a most unjust course to yeeld unto the clamors of the common people the shedding of innocent Christians bloud that without any crime committed they should be held guilty condemned for their name and sect sake onely wherewith Hadrian being moved wrote unto Minutius Fundanus Proconsul of Asia That no Christians should be condemned without enditement of crimes and the same proued The copie of which letter remaineth extant to this day Euseb lib. 4.   4098 128 ¶ Gallicanus D. Coelius Titianus Lampridius in the life of Seuerus writeth that Hadrian was once minded to build a Temple unto Christ and commanded that for the use of Christians their should be Churches founded and erected in Cities without images but was prohibited and stayed by some who said if this were done all men would forsake the temples of their gods and embrace Christian Religion 10 880 4099 129 ¶ L. Nonius Asprerias or Asprenas Torquatus M Annius Libo About this time flourished Aquila Ponticus who translated the Bible or Holy Scriptures out of Hebrew into Greek Suetonius the Historiographer who was secretarie unto Hadrian Phlegon the Chronographer Also P. Iuuentius Celsus Nerasius Priscus and Domitius Labeo famous Lawyers Likewise Lucianus Samosatenus Atheus who with much libertie of tongue and pen marketh and revileth the gods of the Gentiles He spareth not Christ also naming him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i The sophister hanged upon a Crosse Some set this downe 2. yeares after 11 881 4100 130 ¶ P. Iuventius Celsus the 2. time Q. Iulius Balbus Rufus the Procurator or Governour of Iudaea killeth a great number of the Iewes Iosip Many Christian soldiors for the Christian faith suffer death at Rome Eus 12 882 4101 131 ¶ Q. Fabius Catullinus M. Flavius Apet Barcozba a Prince of the Iewes and their counterfait Messias haleth to execution such Christians as perseuere in the faith Euseb lib. 4. cap. 6. 13 883    The citie Hadrianopolis was built Niceph. lib. 3. ca. 24.   4102 132 ¶ Ser. Octavius Lenas Pontianus M. Antonius Rufinus The furious tumults and outrages of the Iewes increase in Syria and Palestina assembling themselues together by infinite numbers and promising themselues exceeding great victorie under the leading of Bar-cozba their Mock-Messias Dio Euseb This Barcozba is otherwise named Barcochab that is the sonne of a starre for so he termed himselfe and deceiued the credulous Iewes and expounded that prophesie of himselfe Out of Iacob shall arise a starre 14 884 4103 133 ¶ Serius Augurinus Arrius Severianus The last warre of the Iewes under Hadrianus The Iewes revolting openly from the Romans and taking armes spoile and waste all Palestina Vnto Tinius Rufus Governour of the Province Hadrian sendeth an Armie to sub due the Rebells This was a dangerous and a long warre continuing three yeares whiles the Iewes take it to the heart that forraine Nations came to inhabite their City Ierusalem At first the Romans made small accompt of them but after they understood once that all Iewry was up and all the Iewes wheresoever dispersed Hadrian sent the most expert and valiant Captaines that he had against them Dio. Euseb 15 885 4104 134 ¶ Heberus Iulius Silanus Sesennius Bar-cozba or Bar-cochab aforesaid not onely adjoyned unto him the Iewes but went about also
to draw the Christians into societie of warre against the Romans and therefore as many of the Christians as refused this service he put to sundry torments and kindes of execution 16 886 4105 135 ¶ C. Iulius Servilius Vrsus Servianus C. Vibius Iuvētius verus But Iulius Serverus sent into Iewrie and not daring to fight with these most audacious and desperat Brigands drew out the warre in length Meane while the Power and Forces of Bar-cochab were confirmed so that for certaine yeares he held within Iewrie 50. castels 98. villages and Bethoron a towne right strongly fenced 17 887 4106 136 ¶ Pompeianus Lupercus L Iulius Atticus Acilianus Out of whith towne he sallied upon the Romans and oftentimes put them to flight Whereupon Hadrianus returned into Syria and besieged the Iewes for three yeares together forced Bethoron at length and slew Barcozba 18 888 4107 137 ¶ L. Ceionius Commodus Verus who was afterward called Caesar Sex Vetulenus Ciuita Pompeianus The number by report of the Iewes slaine in this warre was 50000. And as for them that died of Pestilence and Famine they were innumerable Here note by the way that when the Iewes were thus defeated and their Leader slaine they knew him to be a very counterfait and their false Messias whereupon they termed him Ben-cozban that is the sonne of Lying Hadrian thus having ended the Iewes warre and subdewed them debarred the Iewes of entrance into Ierusalem He walled the City about and called it Aelia after his owne 19 889   name and upon the gate that leadeth to Bethlehem hee caused a Swine of Marble to be engraven And this was the last and utmost destruction of the Iewes who being expelled and utterly oppressed hee granted Ierusalem unto the Christians Euseb lib. 4. cap. 5. Dio. in Hadrian Thus was the prophefie of Daniel 670. yeeres before fulfilled And by this might the Iewes see that all hope of their Messias to come was quite cut off And now upon their desolation and rooting out began the Church of Christ to flourish c. Then I say was Ierusalem inhabited by Christians and other nations according to the saying of our Saviour Luke 21. Ierusalem shall bee troden under foote by the Gentiles And by Computation of the yeeres this destruction falleth out to bee an hundred yeeres after the suffering of Christ upon the Crosse and the 63. yeere after the former destruction by Titus So that now was fulfilled their crie His blood be upon us and our children Moreover Hadrian made a Law that none of the Iewish nation should be so hardy as enter the territorie of Ierusalem Then was the Prophesie of our Saviour fulfilled There shall not remaine one stone upon another c.      The Iewes taken prisoners in that warre Hadrian sent away into Spaine there to live in exile From whence also in the yeere of our Lord 1500. they were expelled by Ferdinandus King of Spaine and Emanuell of Portugall Vasaeus   4108 138 ¶ L. Aelius the sonne of Hadrian August Verus Caesar the second time Yet for al this ceased not the persecution against Christians Certaine noble women suffered Martyrdome at Rome And in the beginning of this yeere Telesphorus Bishop or Pastor of that Church was killed whom seuen daies after succeeded Higinius of Athens 20 890 4109 139 ¶ Sulpitius Camerinus Quinctius Niger Magnus Hadrian the Emperour dieth the eight day or as some say the tenth of Iulie when hee had lived 62. yeeres 5. moneths and 19. daies Dio. Spartian At his death he pronounced these verses which bewraied hee was no good Christian 1 891    Animula vagula blandula Hospes Comésque corporis Quae nunc abibis in loca Pallidula rigida nudula Nec ut soles dabis iocos      After whom succeeded      ¶ T. Aelius Hadrianus ANTO NINVS Aug. Pius Par. Patr. the sixteenth Emperour Hee ruled yeeres 22. or as some say 23. moneths 7. daies 26. The Apophthegme of Scipio Africanus was rife in his mouth That he had leifer save one citizen and subjects life than kill a thousand enemies Iulius Captiolinus   4110 140 ¶ Antoninus Pius Emperour the second time Brutius Praeses The people of Britannie affecting liberty are in many battells vanquished by Lollius Vrbicius and brought to good order and allegeance Capitolin 2 892   Ptolemaeus the great Astrologer and Galen that renowmed Physician in these daies flourish Likewise Salvius Iulianus the learned Lawyer and Iustin the Historiographer who drew the Bookes of Trogus Pompeius into a Breviarie   4111 141 ¶ Antoninus Pius Emperour the third time M. Aurelius son of August Pius Caesar who after was called Augustus Iustinus the Philosopher compiled a Booke in defence of Christian Religion and delivered it to ANTONINVS Holy and godly Christians endure persecution and are much troubled by these Heretickes Valentine Cerdon and Marcus Colarbassus Eusebius Irenaeus 3 893 4112 142 ¶ M. Paeducaeus Sylogas Priscinus T. Hoenius Severus Hyginius Minister and Pastor of the Church of Rome for Christs Gospel suffered Martyrdome Him succeeded after three daies Pius of Aquileia 4 894 4113 143 ¶ L. Cuspius Rufinus L. Statius Quadratus Antoninus withdrew from many of his Ministers and servants in Court that lived idlely their salaries saying There was not a thing more base nay more cruell than that they should consume the riches of the common-wealth who with their owne labour brought no profite thereto Iul. Capitolin 5 895 4114 144 ¶ C. Bellicius Torquatus Ti. Claudius Atticus Herodes Lucius and Ptolemaeus were at Alexandria killed for the testimony of Christ 6 896    Now beganne the Question at Laodicea in Asia about the day of the Pasche i. Easter Onuphr   4115 145 ¶ Lollianus Avitus C. Gavius Maximus  7 897 4116 146 ¶ Antoninus Pius the Emperour the fourth time M. Aelius Aurelius son of Augustus Pius Caesar the second time Sundry Heretickes companions and disciples of the former worke much trouble in the Churches of Christ groaning under the Crosse of persecution Eusebius Irenaeus 8 898 4117 147 ¶ Sex Erucius the sonne Clarus the second time Cn. Claudius Severus In this yeare Iustinus wrote two Apologies for the Christians Onuphrius Severus afterwards Emperour was now borne Spartian 9 899 4118 148 ¶ M. Valerius Largus M. Valerius Messalinus The learned men of this age were Arianus of Nicomedia Maximus Tyrius Apollonius and Basilides 10 900 4119 149 ¶ C. Bellicius Torquatus the second time M Salvius Iulianus the secōd time  11 901 4120 150 ¶ Ser. Cornelius Scipio Orphitus Q. Nonius Priscus  12 902 4121 151 ¶ Romulus Gallicanus Antistius Verus  13 903 4122 152 ¶ Sextus Quinctilius Gordianus Sextus Quinctilius Maximus  14 904 4123 153 ¶ Sextus Acilius Glabrio C. Valerius Omollius Verianus An Edict of Antoninus Pius the Emperor promulged at Ephesus in the behalfe of Christians in