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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03094	The history of Herodian, a Greeke authour treating of the Romayne emperors, after Marcus, translated oute of Greeke into Latin, by Angelus Politianus, and out of Latin into Englyshe, by Nicholas Smyth. Whereunto are annexed, the argumentes of euery booke, at the begynning therof, with annotacions for the better vnderstandynge of the same historye.; History. English	Herodian.; Smyth, Nicholas, fl. 1556.	1556 (1556)	STC 13221; ESTC S104002	157,783	244

that is the age decrepite vncertayne and doubtfull Aethiope loke on this worde Libye Alexander the grete was the Sone of Philyp king of Macedonye and Olympias In his tender age he was enstructed in learning And after that by y e space of .x. yeres brought vp in Philosophy vnder Aristotle the most excellent Philosopher of all his time After the death of hys Father coueting to be Lord of all the worlde he apparayled his Armye against Darius the Kinge of Persia who wyth his predecessours had bene the auncient enemyes of Grece Hym dyd Alexander vanquishe in sundry batayles and depryued of the Persian Kyngdome But after he had obtained many notable victories in the .xxx. yere of hys age he dyed by poyson at Babylō as Iustin writeth Neuerthelesse Plutarche affirmeth the cōtrary say enge that he died of an Ague very vehement wherin was no suspicion of Poyson The Prouinces and Countreyes by him Conquered did Perdicas vnto whome at his deathe withoute any more wordes he delyuered hys Rynge distribute amonges many Gouernours who altered their offices of gouernaūce in to Royaulnes and made them selues Kynges And so was Thempyre of Alexander broughte into manye Kyngedomes The resydue of hys lyfe ye maye rede in Plutarche and Quintus Curtius Alexandrye whereof Herodian speaketh in the thirde Booke is a Citye of Siria hard by a reflexiō of the Sea called Sinus Issicus wherefore loke vpō thiese wordes Issicus Sinus There is an other Citye called Alexandrye in the Region of Troas where Troye the greate stode as Plinie writeth in the .xxx. Chapiter of hys .v. Booke Anonter Cytye named Alerandrie is in Egypte scituate vpon the Sea side oueraneanste the Isle Pharus as sayth Plinie in the .xxxi. Chapiter of the same boke Thys Cytye is the principall of all Egypte as London is of England Into the whiche Ptolomeus the kyng of Egypte desyred to be remitted by the Romaines as it appeareth by many Epistles of Cicero vnto Lentulus in the fyrste booke of hys familiar Epistles Of thys Cytye doth Herodian make mencion in the .iiii. booke of his Historye and of the Treason wrought agaynst the Citezins thereof by Antonyne There is another Cytye named Alexandrie by the mountaynes of Casxij in the Realme of Sogdia nygh vnto the Bactrians whych hath on the South the mountaigne Cacausus Another Alexādrie buylded lykewyse by Alexander the great standeth in the Region called Margiana of a Ryuers name whiche is Margus The same hathe on the West side Hircania on the East the Bactrians and on the South the Realmes of Parthia and Aria Thys Citie was destroyed by the Barbarous people and in the same place was a new buylded by Seleucus the Sonne of Antiochus who named it Seleucia as recordeth Plinie in the xvi Chapyter of his .vi. boke Another citie called Alexandrie in the Countreye of Carmania in Inde boundynge vpon Persia Of theise Cityes and countreyes loke Ptolomeus and Plinie Altinum loke thys worde Aquileia Amphitheater is a place made to behold plaies in the which is in fourme round as yf it were buylded of .ii. Theaters and therfore is called Amphitheater A Theater is made halfe in compasse betwene the ij corners wherof is played that whiche men behold called of the Latinystes Scena The nexte place vnto it is called Orchestra where the Senatours staūge Ambassadours do sit In the middes of the Theater are the Seates for Knightes and that place is named Canea Rounde aboute the Theater withinfurth are degrees and steppes so made that the hygher they ascend the longer and larger they are Vpon the which y e people do sit as euery man can get him place Marcꝰ Scaurus as witnesseth Plinie in the .xxxiii. boke the xv chap. for one Playe which endured .xxx. dayes only dyd buylde a Theater the greatest of all other that were euer made by mans handes The Scene whereof was of thre stages had .iii. C.lx. Pyllers of marble of Affrique of the whiche the higher were of one piece and xxxviii fote in height The lower parte of y e Scene was of Marble and the stage in the myddes of Glasse which neuer man heard of before There was besydes for y e more gorgious beautyfyeng of it .iii. M. Images of Copper with so much rychesse Tapistrie of golde and Tables of auncient notable pictures y t it is almoste incredible to beleue as wryteth Plinie The greeces wheron men sate in the same did receiue lxxx M. persons Caius Iulius Cesar fyrst of all builded an Amphitheater in the fyelde called Campus Martius whyche Augustus pulled downe and in the same place made a Tombe Antioche is a parte of Siria boundynge vpon the Royalme of Cilicia as sayeth Plinie in the xii chap. of hys fyfth boke In thys part is a Cytye of the same name as wryteth Ptolomeus in the fourth Table of Asya Thys is the Cytye to the whyche Antonyne went and from thence to Alexandrie in Egypt Ther is another Antyoche in the coūtrey of Assyrya where Alexander vanquyshed Darius the whych is next vnto Syrya as wytnesseth Plinye in the .xiij. chapyter of hys .vi. boke Amonges the Isles of the Asyan Sea Plynye in hys .v. booke the .xxi. Chapyter sayeth there is one called Antyoche whyche standeth in the Sea of Pamphilia Apoplexie as sayeth Galien in the .v. chapyter of hys thyrde booke of the places affected is a disease by the whych all a mans synewes and vaynes do lose theyr force of fealynge and mouynge Thys dysease commeth sodeynlye and by the same a man shall vnethes fetche brethe Affryke The Cosmographers do deuide y e Earth into thre partes That is to wete Europe Asie Affryke Europe is seperated from Asia by the Ryuer Tanais and the Lakes called Meotides wythin y t whiche Tanais doeth fall And it is desseuered from Asie by the Sea Mediterrane so named for that it is in the myddes of the earthe or elles because it is enclosed wyth earth on euery syde sauynge where he hath his yssue betwene the pyllers of Hercules wherof the one is in Mauritania the other in Spayne Betwene the whiche Hercules made waie and passage for the Mediterrane Sea to ioyne with Thocean And it hathe none other yssue then betwene those two pyllers It extendeth towardes the Easte as farre as Siria whiche is in Asia Towardes the Northe vnto the lakes Meotides On the Southe parte it hath alwaies Aphrique which is sequestred from Asie by an arme of y e Sea called Sinus Arabicus That is the Redde Sea wherby the chyldren of Israell passed out of Egypte into the Desertes of Arabie Europe is muche Northe and so is it West in respecte of Asie And it is the least of the thre partes conteynynge the Isles of England and Scotlande and the nexte Isles thervnto Spaine Fraunce Almayne Italye Grece wyth the Isles theyr neyghbours Asie conteyneth Asie the lesse Lydia Caria Bythynia Galatia Capadocia Armenia Cilicia Sarmatia Assiria Arabia Persia Hircania Media Iudea the two Yndes and

Bizantium Cyrus King of Persia was the Sone of one Cambises of an obscure familie in Persia Mandane the doughter of Astiages Kīg of Media Who after ther position of his dreame by the whiche he vnderstode y t his doughters Sone shuld be King of all Asye that him self shuld lose his Royalme caused Cirus immediatly after he was borne to be put furth lefte alone in a Forest to y e ende he might be deuoured of wylde beastes But there a Bitche gaue him sucke defended hym from Beastes and Byrdes vntyll that the Kynges Sheperde founde hym caryed hym home to hys wyfe and gaue her the charge to nouryshe hym The woman was afterwardes called Spa●on because amonges the Persyans a Dogge is so named After that he waxed greate he was called Cyrus by the Sheperdes his Companions knowen to be Astiages doughters Sone and sente into Persia where he obtained much credite and aucthority Finally he assembled an Armye to make warre vpon Astyages his Grandefather from whom he berefte y e Royalme of Media vnto the which the Persians were subiect And by thys meanes Cyrus became Kynge of Perse and Media Before hys tyme the Persians had no Kinges but were subiecte vnto other Royaulmes After his victorie against Astiages he vanquisshed toke prisoner Croesus the King Lidia which was so riche But in conclusion him selfe was ouercomen and slayne by Thomyris Quene of Scithia w●en he had reigned .xxx. yeres Vnto hym succeded Cambises his Sone as Iustin in his first booke mēcioneth Eusebius sayeth that Cābises reygned .viii. yeres Vnder Cirus Kynge of Persia by hys owne permissiō begā the reparaciō of y e Tēple of Hierusalē which notw tstādig was discōtinued many yeres after And at y e last finished the .vi. yeare of Darius Reigne Kinge likewise of Persya as witnesseth the .vi. .vii. Chapiters of Esdras in the Bible and Sabellyque in the .vii. Booke of his secōde Enneade After Cambyses two Brethern called Magi vsurped y e kingdō .vii. Monethes After whō Darius raigned .xxxvi. yeres And in the seconde yere of his Reigne Zorobabell by his permissiō renewed the reparacion of the Tēple of Hierusalē This Darius was nat he y t Alexāder the great vanquished but that was the .x. king after him called Dariꝰ also In whom the Royaulme of Persia toke hys eande Cyzicum is a Citye of Asye vpon the Sea syde in a Royaulme called Misia the lesse as witnesseth Ptolomee in the fyrst Table of Asie And so sayeth Plinie in the .xxxii. Chapiter of his .vi. Booke D. DAnubie or Danowe Loke on Ister Darius loke on these wordes Alexāder Cirꝰ Dionisus the Elder was a Tirant of Sicile Son of Hermocrates as saieth Sabellique He was verye well learned as writeth Plinie who preferreth none before him sauīg Plato in Philosophye Philopenꝰ in Poetrie two y e notablest men of learning in all his time In y e same yere y t the Kingdō of Athenes ended and Darius Kynge of Perse dyed Dionisus loste his Royalme as sayeth Sabellique in the nynthe Booke of hys fyrste Enneade Wherein he agreeth not wyth Eusebius Dyonisius Sonne was likewyse named Dyonisius the yonger who was also a Tirante of Sicile and raygned in a citye called Siracuses out of the whiche he was expulsed twyse ones by Dion And the second tyme by Timoleon sent agaynst hym by the Corynthians After thys seconde expulsion he kept a schole and taught yonge chyldren at Corynthe as wryteth Valerius Maximus E. Eridanus is a Ryuer of Italye otherwyse called Padus whych cōmeth as sayth Plinie in y e .xvi. chap. the .iij. boke of his natural History out of a mountaigne called Vesulus After that he hideth him selfe in the grounde and issueth out againe in the confynes of the Foruibienses Of all Ryuers ther is none more renowned The Grekes cal it Eridanus There is no Riuer besydes that encreaseth greater wythin so lytle space For it hathe a merueylous abundaunce of water falling into y e Sea Adriaitque Betwene the cytyes of Rauenna and Altinum it is verye domageable vnto the Countrey For by the space of .vi. skore myles as sayeth Plinie it doeth seperate it selfe into many Riuers Lakes And because that euerye Ryuer is large and great they call the same seuen Seas as witnesseth Herodyan in hys eyght boke Euphrates Loke on thys worde Syrye Europe Loke on thys worde Aphryque G. Galatians are those whiche enhabit the realme of Galatia which is in Asya betwene Bithinia Capadocia as sayen Plinye in the laste chap. of hys fyfth boke and Ptolome in y e fyrst Table of Asye The same Realme is called also Gallogretia and the people Gallogreci because that when the Gaules came to the ayde and succour of the kyng of Bythynie they helde and possessed that part of the Royalme Wherefore it is so named as wryteth Sabellique Gallus a Ryuer Looke on theyse wordes Goddesse Pesynuntyne Ganymedes was Son of Tros king of Phrigia who had Issue Ilus Assacus and Ganimedes The Fables surmise which is the most cōmon opinion y e Iupiter rauished Ganimedes for his beauty by an Egle. But Sabellique in the .x. boke of hys fyrste Enneade sayth y t Ganymedes the Son of Tros was rauished by Tantalus kynge of Paphlagenie to abuse hym Whereby there arose great warre betwene the two kynges And it is most lyke that being very yonge he was iniuriously rauished by Tantalus vnder y e signe of the Egle were the battayles fought vpon the land or Sea Whych hath bene cause of the inuentiō of the Fable that sayeth that the Egle by ordynaunce of Iupiter rauyshed hym Gaule or Fraunce Cesar in his commentaries saith that Gaule is deuided into thre partes wherof y e Belges helde the one the Celtes another and the Aquitans inhabited the thyrd The Aquitans are seperated frō the Celtes by the Ryuer of Garumna The Celtes are sequestred from the Belges by the Ryuers of Marne and Seyn And the Belges are sundred frome the Almaignes by the Rheyn In the which diuision Gaule Narbonique is not comprised Ptolomee in hys fourth Table of Europe and in the chapyters of the same dothe deuyde Gaule into foure partes appoyntynge Gaule Aquitanyque to extende as farre as the Ryuer of Loyre And from Loyre to the Ryuers of Seyn and Marne is Gaule named Lugdunensis And from Seyn vnto Rheyn Gaule Narbonique extendeth it selfe vnto the Sea Mediterranean beyonde the Alpes and the Ryuer Varus vnto the Pyrrhenyan Mountaignes Gaule the rounded or otherwyse called Lumberdye is in the Lymytes of Italye and is the same countreye whyche is named Liguria nexte vnto the Alpes and the Sea All the other Gaule or Fraunce is called Gaule bering bushe Gaule Narbonique was before tyme named Brachata as sayeth Pliniie in the thyrde boke and the fourth chapyter Goddesse Pesynuntyne is y e same that Cicero in hys bokes of the lawes calleth the Moother Idea whyche is the selfe same that the Romaynes name the Moother

thirde Tiberius Cesar The iiii Caius Caligula The .v. Claudius Cesar The .vi. Nero Claudius Cesar The .vii. Sergius Galba The .viii. Otho Siluius The .ix. Aulus Vitellius The .x. Flauius Vespasianus The .xi. Titus Vespasianus The twelue Domitianus Of whiche twelue Suetonius Tranquillus hathe wryten compendiouslye Paulus Orosius sayeth that Nerua succeaded Domitian after Nerua Traian after Traian Adrian after Adrian Antoninus Pius wyth hys two Sonnes Aurelius and Lucius whome Marcus Antonīus Verus and Aurelius Commodus his brother succeaded Which Marcus Antonīus of whome presently the question is ouerliued the other and remained sole Emperour beyng the .xvii. in nombre reckening Iulius Cesar for the fyrste Of the lignage vertue science and decease of this Marcus Herodian speaketh in the begynnynge of this fyrste booke after whome his Sonne Commodus raigned beyng in the begynning gentle meeke and of good disposicion But after he had escaped the Treason of Lucilla his owne Syster Perennes the Capitayne of his garde Ma●ternus and Cleander the liuetenaunte of his armie he altered to dissolute and dishonest lyfe and Tirannie Wherfore he was poysoned by Martia one of his Cōcubynes Letus the Capitaine of hys Garde Electus his principall Chāberlaine And after at their appoyntment strangled by Narcissus FINIS ¶ The fyrste booke of the historie of Herodian THemperour Marcus had many doughters and .ii. sonnes onely of whome the yonger named Verissimus by myschaunce died in his tender age The other named Commodus the father broughte vp w t great diligence and care And hauynge goten from all partes excellente learned men waged thē with large stipendes that they shoulde euery man for hys parte garnysshe the maners and disposicion of hys Sonne He maryed his doughters at their rype age vnto the best of the Senatours choosyng to his Sonnes in lawe not suche as coulde shew furthe large pedegrues of their auncestrie or suche as vaunted them selues of their great treasoure but those which excelled in perfecte modestie of maners and Innocencie of lyfe For that he esteamed to be the onely perfecte and stable rychesse of the mynde ¶ He forgate no vertue wherin he exercised not hym selfe beyng so studious of the antiquitie of learnyng that in the same he might be compared to the best eyther of the Greekes or of the Romaynes For profe hereof there are many thinges bothe spoken and writen by hym commen euen vnto our tyme. He was so curteis that he would gentely take euery commer vnto hym by the hande not permytting that any man shoulde be forbidden by his garde the approching vnto his person And he onely amonges all the Emperours vsed the study of Sapience not in woordes or knowledge of decrees but in grauitie of maners and continencie of lyfe Wherby it came to passe that the same age and tyme brought furthe a great encrease of wyse men for communely men are wont to folowe the lyues and maners of their prynces But now as touching the notable actes by hym done aswell at Rome as elles where how he behaued hym selfe also towardes the Barbarous nacions enhabytinge the Easte and the Northe the same are contayned in the monumentes of many excellent learned men But those thinges whyche after the death of Marcus by all ages I bothe sawe and harde whereof many by experience my selfe knewe as one traded in common affayres and princes businesse I haue taken vpon me to wryte ¶ Whyles the olde Emperour Marcus soiourned amōges the Pannoniens a very greuous disease came vpon hym not onely worne wyth age but also sore broken wyth continuall trauaile and care Wherfore when he perceyued no remedy but death he beganne greatly to doubte in hym selfe lest hys Sonne who was but then entered the fyrst yeres of his Adolescencie eyther throughe vehemencie of hys youthe or elles throughe an inordynate lycence whyche he should haue after hys fathers deathe leuynge all good exercise and study aparte wold addycte him selfe to dronkennesse and superfluous ryot For he knewe well that the myndes of yonge men easily declyne to immoderate superfluytie from laudable and honest dysciplyne He was troubled besydes wyth the memory of many princes whiche beyng but yonge men tooke vpon them the gouernaunce of royaulmes as well of Dionisius the Tiraunt of Sicile whose intemperatenes of lyfe was so great that he endowed with richest rewardes thinuentours of newe pleasures as also of them whyche succeaded Alexander of Macedonie who dyd so shamefullye and Tiranouslye raygne that they purchased to hys kyngedome a notorious obloquy For Ptolomeus fell into so detestable lyfe that contrarye to the lawes of the Macedoniens and all the Greekes he was entangled with thincest mariage of hys owne Syster Antigonus also to represent the GOD Bacchus was wonte in steade of the Macedonien Diademe and crowne to were a Garlande of yuie and for a sceptre to carye a thystell The olde man was vexid besydes wyth late examples as of Nero who abstayned not from the murdering of hys owne moother and made hym selfe as a laughynge stocke vnto all the people He remembred Domytian who lefte nothynge vndone that he thoughte to appertayne vnto extreame Crueltye Wherefore wayeng wyth hym selfe thiese ymages of tyrannye he was tossed betwene hope and feare The nygh nacion of the Germaynes encreased also hys perplexitie for he hadde not throughly broughte them in subiection but some he had taken into hys frendshyppe and the reste he had vanquysshed by force of batayle Many of the same were escaped and hydde them selues for feare of the prynce Wherefore he doubted greately leaste after hys deathe they woulde rebelle agayne in settynge at noughte the youthe of hys Sonne for he knewe the nature of the barbarous people was to be sturred wyth euery small tryfle Beynge turmented wyth thiese troublesome waues of care he caused as manye hys friendes and kynsmen as were then in his company to repayre vnto his presence and at theyr commynge togythers hauyng commaunded hys Sonne to stande before them he lyfted hym selfe somewhat vpon hys pylowe and made this oracion vnto them ¶ It is not to be meruayled at that you are sorowfull and pensyfe beholding me in this plighte for it is the nature of man to bewaile the misfortune of other And those thinges we see with our eyes doo prouoke muche more compassion and pitie Besydes this my reason is commune with you for in the recompence of the good wyll I haue heretofore borne you I hope and as of duty loke for a mutuall beneuolence at your handes And at this presente it is so happened that I must make profe whether I haue in vayne so longe to fore exhybited honour vnto you hauing you alwayes in estimacion and employed all my diligent studie towardes your welthe And you in recompencing the same to shewe your selues not vnmyndefull of the benefytes you haue receyued ye see my son whom your selues haue norished entering nowe the first boundes of his

valiaūtnesse In pursuing them he strake hartes and hyndes and other horned beastes besydes bulles and preuenting thē with a swyfte course ouerthrewe them by mooste assured strokes The Lyons and Pāthers wyth other fierce beastes of that kynde runnynge rounde aboute he slewe with dartes from aboue so that no man saw the seconde darte throwen at any of them nor any woūde but that was deadly For as soone as the beast ones sturred he wounded him eyther in the foreheade or at the hart vsyng none other scope nor appoyntinge to throwe at anye other parte of the bodye so that the beaste wyth the verye stroke was berafte hys lyfe There were beastes besydes goten from all partes of the earthe And thē dyd we beholde with oure eyes those thinges we meruayled at in paynting For oute of India Ethyope and out of the South and Northe what so euer were vnknowen in the former worldes the same dyd he bothe shew furthe and slea at one tyme euery man beynge abasshed at hys so stedfaste a hande and at the dartes neuer faylynge stroke He also stroke wyth dartes Oystriches of Mawritany the whiche throughe the swyftnes of their feate and as it were wyth sayle of their winges ranne very swiftly touching the toppes of their neckes there withall strikenge of their heades and the hinder parte of the necke wher the stroke lighted beyng cute of they would a lytle whyle continewe theyr course as thoughe they were yet lyuinge Yea and a Pāther the which hauing with a very vehemēt course ouertaken a man thruste into the Theater seamed redy to deuoure hym he woūded so sodeinly that the beaste beyng kylled he preserued the man preuentynge the edge of her teathe wyth the sharpe hedde of hys darte He also slewe an hundreth Lyons brought furthe of a caue with like many strokes their bodyes so layde in order that they myghte easelye be nombred no darte beynge throwen in vayne These thynges therefore that were hythervnto done althoughe they seamid vnmeate for a Prynce yet because they declared a certayne fortytude and cunnynge deserued commendacion of the people But when he enteryd naked into the Amphytheater and wearynge harnesse supplyed the nombre of the sworde players then appeared a lamentable syghte to the Romaynes that theyr noble Emperour after so manye tryumphes of hys father and auncestours dyd not onely beare armes appertaynynge to the Empyre agaynste beastes but dyd also spotte the chiefeste dignitye wyth mooste fylthye apparell In fyghtynge he easelye conuynced hys equalles wythoute beyng ones wounded euery manne wythdrawynge hys force and acknowlegynge hym rather an Emperoure then a swoorde player And he fell into that furye that he entended to forsake the Imperyall Courte and to remoue into the schole of defence Neyther suffered he hym selfe anye more to be named Hercules hauynge adopted the name of an excellente sworde player the whyche a lyttle before dyed Yea hauynge taken the heade from the greate Image called Colossus that represented the symilytude of the Sonne beynge verye moche worshypped of the Romaynes he putte thereon the pycture of hys owne heade and wrate at the foote thereof not hys accustomed ty●les of the Empyre and hys father but for the name of Germanyen he put in the vanquyssher of a thousande Maysters of defence But it was requysyte he shoulde ones fynyshe hys madnesse and the Cytye be delyuered from hys Tyrannye And that in the begynnynge of the yere the whiche daye the Romaynes holde verye solempne dedicatynge it vnto Ianus the aunciente GOD of Italye Of the whiche Regione thei reported Saturnus beynge expelled by hys sonne Iupiter to be a straunger and bicause that he there hydde hym selfe the name of Latium to be geuē vnto it Wherfore the Romaynes do fyrste celebrate after theyr custome the feastes of Saturnus and then the begynnynge of the yere The Image of thys GOD is wroughte with two faces as of hym by whome the yere begynneth and in whome the yeare endyth When the Cite helde as I sayd thys daye with solempnitye in the whiche the Romaynes do sende one to an other newe yeres giftes and all sortes of presentes and the magistrates wer● bewtyfull scarlette all menne wyth gladnesse celebratynge the same daye Commodus determyned to come abroade not oute of the Emperours palayce as the olde vsage was but oute of the verye schole of defence And for gorgyouse apparayle and Imperyall purple to go armed in the companye of the Romayne people Whyche hys counsell when he hadde declared vnto Martia one of hys concubynes vnto whome he opened the greatest partes of hys secrettes and esteamed her almoste as hys wyfe so that all honours sauynge the fyre were borne before her as Empresse the woman hauynge perceaued hys so dyshoneste entente fell vppon her knees before hym incessauntelye desyrynge hym wyth manye teares that he woulde not suffre the Maiestye of the Romayne Empyre to be defyled or committe hym selfe so daungerouslye vnto myscheuouse and desperate personnes But when she coulde nothynge auayle she departed wepynge And he hauynge called vnto hym the Capytayne of hys armye named Letus and Electus hys Chamberlayne commaunded theim to prepare all thynges for hys lodgynge the same nyghte in the schole of defence that he myght in the mornynge goo from hence to sacryfyce and shewe himselfe armed vnto the people of Rome Thei endeuoured wyth manye intercessions to dysswade hym from enterprysynge anye thynge vndecente to a Prynce But Commodus chauffed wyth anger hauyng commaunded them to auoyde hys presence returned into hys chambre that he myghte as he was accustomed slepe at noone And there takyng into hys handes a thynne boke made of the barke of a tree and foldynge to eyther syde he wrote in the same all those he entended to slea the same night Of whom Martia was fyrste and nexte vnto her Letus and Electus and after them a greate number of those that bare moost rule in the Senate For he determyned to destroye all tholde men that were hys fathers frendes least theyr aucthorytye shoulde hynder hys w●●kednes and to dystrybute their goodes amonges y e Souldyours and sword players y t the one company should wyth strengthe defende hym and thother wyth pleasures delyte hym The same boke so wrytten he threw downe on hys bedde not suspectynge that anye man woulde enter into the chamber But there was a lytle Boye yet of the sorte of theym that beynge clothed wyth no garmentes sauing suche as are decked with golde and precyouse stones are wonte too be the pleasures of euerye delycate Romayne The same Boye was so entyrelye beloued of Commodus that he oftentymes laye wyth hym and was called Phylocommodus the name it selfe declarynge the Prynces affectyon Thys chylde by chaunce playinge whan Commodus was occupyed in the bayne and ryottinge entered into the chambre and takynge the booke in hys hande to playe wythall wente oute of the doores and by chaunce mette with Martia

who for that she loued the Boye fyrste enbraced and kyssed him and toke the booke oute of hys hande fearynge least the chylde should through his infancie vnwares empayre thinges of Importaunce Afterwarde knowyng the hand of Commodus and moued wyth desyre too reade it when she perceyued the pernycyouse ententes therin contayned and her selfe to be fyrst mencioned Letus wyth Electus to folowe and fynally so great a murdre of others lykely to ensue she inwardly lamented sayinge Ah Commodus are these the rewardes of frendshyy and loue Haue I thus deserued of the after I haue so many yeres abyddden thy checkes and drōkennes But these thinges shall not so prospere with the vndyscrete and dronken person agaynste a sober well aduysed woman When she had thus spoken she called Electus wyth whome she was accustomed to talke famylyarelye because he was the Emperours Chamberlayne and wyth hym she was also supposed to haue carnall companye and deliuered the boke vnto hym saying Beholde Electus what banquet we shoulde haue bene at this nyght folowyng He beyng astonyed wyth the readynge of it for he was an Egiptyan borne stoute fumysshe and quyckelye styrred to anger sent the boke closely sealed by a trusty frend of hys vnto Letus to reade The whych also abasshed wyth it came furthwyth vnto Martia feynyng that he woulde consulte wyth her concernynge the preparatyon in the schole of defence as the Emperour had commaunded Vsyng therefore thys glose they determyned to doo or suffre some thing out of hande knowyng that there was no tyme of deferrynge the matter They consented at laste that the feate shoulde be wroughte by poyson The whyche Martia tooke vpon her to mynyster speadelye For she was wonte too prepare drynke for hym and to gyue hym the cuppe that it myghte be thoughte more sweater beynge delyuered from hys louer She gaue vnto hym therefore as he came from the bayne poyson myngled with verye pleasaunte wyne in a goblet And he hauynge caughte a thyrste in wasshynge hym selfe and huntynge dranke rasshelye the drynke as of custome proffered vnto him Wherewyth beynge immedyatelye troubled wyth atche in hys heade and desyrous of sleape supposynge it came by laboure gaue hym selfe to reste Electus and Martya commaunded incontynentelye euerye man to departe to hys owne house leaste they shoulde dysturbe the Emperoure hauynge nede of sleape whyche he was accustomed also to doo at other tymes throughe Immoderate dronkennes For when he bath●d him self or elles fell to banquetinge he kepte no certayne tyme of sleape The sensualities risinge and muche differynge one from another so constrained the man yea sometyme vnwyllyng to serue thē Whā he had for a smal tyme rested him selfe and the vehemency of the poyson was now entered his stomake and belye a gidines cōbred his head and vomytynge furthwyth folowed eyther through the meat y t he had before largely eaten or the drinkyng of muche wyne that resysted the poyson or elles throughe the vsage that Princes obserue in taking of medicines before they eate any meat for feare of poysonyng But when he had vomited very muche they fearynge leaste all the venyme beyng auoyded he would thereby recouer and the commaund theym altogyther to be slayne perswaded for a great reward a certayne bolde and stoute yonge man named Narcissus to strangle him in hys Chaumber Thys ende of life had Commodus when he hadde raigned after his father in the Empyre .xiii. yeres A mā of al other Emperours most noble of all men in y t age the most beautifull But too speake of his prowes fortitude he might in y t be preferred to any other especyallye in sure strikyng that he had throwen at Neuertheles he defyled as before is tolde all the state of hys lyfe wyth abhomynable vyces The ende of the fyrst booke ¶ The Argumente of the seconde booke IN the second boke is declared how Pertinax was chosen Emperour howe longe time he raigned how he was slaine by the men of armes whiche solde thempyre afterwardes vnto Iulianus How Seuerus became Emperoure by the delayes of Niger And howe Iulyanus was slayne and the death of Pertynax reuenged by Seuerus The Seconde Booke of the Historie of Herodian AFter that Commodus was strangled as we haue in the former Booke declared the murderers entending to cōceale the facte and to deceaue y e Emperours garde deliuered the body wrapped in an olde couerlet vnto .ii. trustie and faythfull seruaūtes to cary furthe of the Palayce as it were some stuffe that pestered the chambre And they that bare it passed throughe the myddes of the watchemen of the whiche some were dronke and slepte letting their halberdes fall out of theyr handes The other whiche were awake neglected the fardell whyche they supposed not to appertaigne vnto theyr charge Then they sente the princes bodye thus conueyed by stealthe and in the nyghte layde in a wagon vnto a place named Aristeus This ended Letus Electus and Martia after they had longe consulted what was beste to be donne at the laste concluded to spreade a rumor of his deathe that he sodeynlye fell into an Appoplexie The which bruite they knew wold soone be credyted because it was euidently knowen that he oftentymes accustomed to stuffe him selfe with immoderate superfluitie of metes But fyrste of all it seamed good vnto them to chose for Emperour some aged reuerende and modest persone by whome themselues myghte be in safetye and all other exempt from cruell tyrrannye And hauyng longe consulted they founde no man so worthye as Pertinax This Pertinax was an Italian borne famouse at home abrode throughe his valyaunte actes manyfolde victoryes obtayned againste the Germaynes Barbaryens of the Oryente and he onely remayned alyue of all the graue counsayllors that were lefte vnto Commodus by his father and vnto hym amonges all the capitaynes his Companions he had shewed moste honoure and reuerence Being yet safe eyther for that Cōmodus feared hys grauitie or elles dyssymuled because of his pouertye For this also dyd amplyfye hys renowme that hauynge moste aucthoritye of all men yet of all men he seamed the pooreste Vnto this Pertynax therefore wente Letus and Electus with a fewe of theyr complices aboute mydnyghte whyles all men slepte And finding his gates locked thei called vp y e porter Who when he opened the gate and sawe Letus the chyefe Capytayne the souldyors presente with hym beyng sore dismayed wythall ranne and tolde Pertynax He furthwyth commaunded them to be lette in sayenge that anon woulde happen the myschiefe he had vnto that daye loked for He was of so constante a mynde that he moued not ones from his bedde nor chaunged hys countenaunce But wyth a bolde and stoute stomacke nothyng abasshed spake vnto Letus and Electus when they were entered althoughe he beleaued they were sente to slea hym these wordes I haue of longe tyme euery nyght loked for this ende of my life the whyche onely am remaynynge of all