Millain Come Brixia Uerone Bergome Trident and Uincent The Thuscanes also with their captain Rhetus hauing losâ—…e their owne countrye tooke the Alpes and after the name of their captaine founded the nation of the Rhetians But Dennis by meanes of the tomming of the Carthaginenses into Sicil was dryuen to retuâ—…ne home for they had repaired their army wyth a greater power renued the warres which they had brokeÌ„ vp by constrainte of the pestilence The captaine of this war was Hanno of Carthage whose enemy Suniator a man at that time of the greatest power one of them in all Affricke in despyte of him wrate familierly in Greke vn to Dennis aduertising him of the comming of the army and of the cowardise of the captain but his letters were taken by the way whervpon he was condemned of treason and an act of Parliament was made that no man of Carthage should here after learne Greke letters or study the Greke tounge to the entent he should not talke wyth the ennemy or wryte vnto him without an interpretor ere it was longe after Dennis whome a litle before neither Sicilie nor Italye were able to hold being ouercome with continuall warres in battel and brought lowe at laste was slayne by the treson of hys owne subiectes The. xxi Booke AFter the time that â—…he Tiran DeÌ„ 〈◊〉 was sâ—…aine in Sicill the men of warre placed in his roume hys eldest sonne named Dennis also bothe because he was a man growen also because they thoughte the kingdome should be the stronger if it remained stil inone mans hand rather then if it shuld be deuided among his sonnes in many portions But Dennys in the beginnyng of hys raygne coueted sore to haue put to deathe hys brothers vncles as enuiers of his estate and prouokers of the children to demaund a partition of the kingdome Where vppon he dissembled his desyre a while setting his mynde to procure the fauoure of his commons thincking to doo it with lesse blame if all menâ—…e shâ—…ulde fyrste conceiue good opinyon of his doinges And therfore he let three hundred offenders out of prysonne and released the people three yeares subsidie alluringe theyr mindes by all kynde of counterfet gentlenesse that he was hable to deuise Then goynge in hande with the mischiefe he had so longe purposed he slewe not onlye his brothers kynsfolke but also hys brothers them selues in so muche hat whome he ought of righte to haue made partners of his kingdome he suffred not to be partakers of life and breth beginning to execute his tiranny vpon his owne kinred ere he proceded to worke it against straungers When he hadde dispatched hys brothers of whome as of his enemies he stode in fear he fell to slouthfulnes and throughe excessiue â—…edynge he became fatte and coarsye and gate suche a disease in his eyes that he was not able to abide the Sunne nor the dust nor finally the glistering of any light For the which causes beleuing himselfe to be had in disdaine of all men he executed moste extreme cruelty not filling the gails with prisoners as his father did but replenishing the city with slaughters for the whychthinges he was not so muche disdained as hated of al meÌ„ Therefore when he perceiued that the Syracusanes were mineded to rebel against him and bid him battel he was in doubte a great while whether it were better to depose him selfe or to withstande them by force but his men of warre in hope to haue the spoyle and sacking of the citye compelled him to stand to the triall of it by battel where beinge vanquished and attemptinge fortune the seconde time with like successe he sent ambassadoures to the Syraâ—… promising to depose himselfe from his tirannye if they would send their commissioners vnto him authorysed to conclude an agrement with him They sent y â— chief men of their City for the same purpose whome be put in custody and so sodainly ere any man 〈◊〉 therof or feared that he ment any such mischiefe against them he sent his army to destroy the city Whervppon ensued a sore and doubtfull encounter euen within the verye Citye but by reason the townes men were farre mo in noumber Dennis and his men were put backe Who fearing to be beseged if he abode in the Castle priuely fled into Italy with all his princely apparell treasure and houshold stuffe being in his banishmente receiued by his confederates the Locrines as though he had bene their rightfull kyng he tooke their fortresse and there exercised his accustomed cruelty He commaunded the noble mennes wiâ—…es to be broughte from their husbandes perforce that he myghte haue his pleasure of them the maidens when they shuld be maryed he fetched away and when he had abused theÌ„ sent theym to their spouses againe The richest and welthiest personnes eyther he draue out of the Citye or elsse caused them to be put to deathe and seised theyr goodes And when he sawe there was no more for him to catche conueniently he compassed all the whole city by a subtle inuention At such time as the Locrines were oppressed w t the warres of Leophron king of Rhegiâ—…n they made a vow that if they wan the vpper hand they wold vpon a feastfull daye of Venus set their virgins in the open stewes for all men to abuse The which vow being left vnperfourmed hauing vnfortunate warres with the Lucanes Dennis called them together before him and there exhorted them to send their wiues daughters as gorgeously apparelled decked as they could into the temple of Venus out of the which ther should be a hundred drawen by lot to perfourme the common vow the whiche for religions sake should stand in the stewes for the space of one month all their husbandes being before sworn not to haue to do with any of them And to th entent the maidens thus per forming the common vow should not be hindred therby they should make a decre that none other maid should be ensured to any husband before those other were maryed This counsel was wel alowed as in the which prouision semed to be made both for the performans of their superstitious vow allo for the preseruation of the chastity oâ—… their virgins Whervpon al the women asseÌ„bled into the teÌ„ple of Venus so gorgeously costly attired as who might be best among whom Dennis sent his men of war stripped them euery one conuertinge their iewels sumptuous ornameÌ„ts to his own gain and proâ—…it som of their hus bands being very welthy men he killed and some of the women he put to the torture to make the confesse where their husbands mony lay When he had with these such like suttleâ—…ies raigned by the space of vi yeres the Locrines conspired against him and draue him out of the city from whence he returned into Sicil and there by treson no man mistrusting any thing after so long continuauns oâ—… peace
died in the preparation therof leauinge many sonnes behinde him wherof some were begotten before he was king and other some in the time of his raigne Of the whyche Artobazanes the eldest claimed the Crowne by prerogatiue of hys age alledginge that by order of lawe by order of birthe by order of nature and by custome of all Countryes he oughte to haue it Xerxes replied and sayde that their controuersye was not as concerninge the order of their birthe but as concernyng the nobilitye and worthinesse of theyr byrthe For hee graunted that Artobazanes was in deede the first that was borne vnto Darius but Darius was then a priuate person and that he him selfe was the firste that was borne to Darius being king Wherfore his brothers that were borne durynge the time his father was a subiect might lawfully claime suche priuate inheritaunce as Darius then had but not the kingdom which apperteined to him being the first whome his father begat in his kingdoÌ„ This also made for his purpose in that artobazanes was borne a priuate person not only by the fathers side but also by the mothers side and also 〈◊〉 his graundfathers side by the mother Wherâ—… he himself had a Queene to his mother and he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his father but king and he hadde a kinge 〈◊〉 his grauâ—…father by the mother namelye kinge Cyrus who was not an inheritor but the first founder of that greate Empyre And therfore if theyr father had left them 〈◊〉 like right to the 〈◊〉 yet notwithstande in consideration of his Mother and hys graundfather he oughte to be preferred They putte thys controuersy quietly and gently with a good will to the discretion of their vncle Artapheâ—… as to a housholde iudge who discussing the matter at home preferred Xerxes And this contention betwene them was so brotherly that neither he that had the vpper hand vaunted him self neyther he that was ouercome was sorye for the matter And euen in the chiefest time of all their strife they sente giftes and presentes one to another aud merely banketted together wythout mistrust of treason or deceit and the matter was ended wythout dayes men or without reprochful wordes betwixt them So muche more modestly could brothers in those daies deuide the greatest kingdomes then they can nowe deuide a small inheritaunce Xerxes therefore by the space of fiue yeares together made preparatyon for the warres whiche his father had begon against the Grekes The which thing when Demeratus kinge of the Lacedemonians who at that time beinge banished his Countrye liued in king Xerxes Courte vnderstode being more frendlye to his countrye after his banishment then to the kyng for all his benefites to the entente they shoulde not be oppressed with sodaine warre wrate all thinges in tables of wode to the Magistrates of Sparta and couered the letters ouer with ware least that ether the wryting without a couer might bewray it self or the newe ware disclose hys deuise WheÌ„ they wer finished he toke theÌ„ to a trnsty seruaÌ„t commaunding him to deliuer to the magistrats of the Spartanes When they were brought to Lacedemon the matter hong long in question what it shoulde meane because they saw no wryting again they thought the tables were not sent for nothing the closer the thinge was so muche they iudged it to be of greater importaunce Whiles the menne with sondrye opâ—…nions slacke in the matter the Syster of Lâ—…oindas the kynge founde out the intent and meanynge of the wryter The ware therfore being skraped of it appeared was wrought against them By this time had Xerxes armed seuen hundred thousand of his owne kingdome and hired thre hundred thousand Mercenaries So that it hath not without good cause bene reported that his army dronke the riuers dry and that al Grece was skarse able to receiue his hooste It is also said that he had ten hundred thousand shippes To this huge host wan ted a mete Captaine For if ye haue respect vnto the king ye may praise his riches but not his good guidans or know ledge requisite in a Captain of which there was so greate aboundaunce in his realme that when riuers were not able to finde his huge multitude drinke yet had he treasure more then could be spent He would be sure to be the laste that shoulde come to encounter and the firste that shoulde run away In danger he was fearful out of daunger proud and ful of bosting Finally before he should come to the triall of battell he gloried so much in his owne strength that as if he had beene euen a Lord ouer nature and had beene able to rule it at his pleasure he broughte mountaynes to plaine ground and filled vp the valleis made bridges ouer the sea and cut through the main land to make nerer way for his shippes to passe Whose comming into Grece as it was terrible so his departure was as shameful and dishonorable For when that Leonides kinge of the Sartanes wyth four thousand men had taken the strengthe of Thermopyle Xerxes in disdaine of his small noumber commaunded that none shoulde assaile them but they whose kinsfolke were slain at the battel of Marathon the which while they soughte to reuenge the deathes of their frends wer the beginning of the slaughter that ensued In their places succeded stil mo and mo to the great encrease of their owne slaughter Three daies the Persians fought there to their greate anguish displesure and sorow The fourth daye when it was tolde Leonides that twentye thousande of his ennemies had taken the toppe of the hill then he began to exhort his partakers to depart and to reserue them selues till some better time might come wherin they might do seruice to their country for he hys Spartanes wold staÌ„d to thadueÌ„ture of fortune saying that he set not so much by his life as by his country that the resi due ought to be spared for the defice of Grece wheÌ„ the kin ges plesure was published the rest departed all sauing the Lacedemonians which taried stil with him In the beginning of this war whé counsel was asked of apollo at Delphos answer was geueÌ„ that either the king of thes partanes must be slain or els the city be destroid And therfore wheÌ„ the king Leonides shuld go forth to the war he had so encoraged his souldiers that euery man went with a willing hart to dye with their maister He tooke the straites for this purpose that with his small noÌ„ber he might either win with more honor or die with les domage to the coÌ„moÌ„ welth wherfore when he had dismissed his partakers he exhorted the Spar tanes to remeÌ„ber theÌ„ selues that how so euer they fought they must be slaine warning them to take hede that they gaue no cause to baue it reported of them hereafter that their harts serued them better to tary then to fight saying that it was not for theÌ„ to stand stil til their enemies should enclose
by reason of their sacriledge yet notwythstaÌ„ding it procured more enuy to the Thebanes by whom they were driuen to this extremitye then to them And therfore bothe the Atheniens and the Lacedemonians set forth men to their aid At the first encounter Philomelus turned the Thebanes out of their campe at the next fighting valiantly amongste the thickest he was the firste that was slain and so with his wicked bloud did worthely abye for committing sacriledge In his sted Ornomarchus was created Captaine against whom the Thebanes and Thes salians chose for their captain not one of their owne country men for fear least if he gate the victory he should bear him self so Lordly that no man were able to abide hâ—…m but Philip king of Macedonie willingly submitting theÌ„ selues vnder the subiection of a forrener whiche was the thynge they most of all feared in their own country men Phillip therfore as though he had bene the reuenger of sacriledge and not of the Thebanes commaunding all his souldiours to put garlandes of Laurel vpon their heades and in thys wise as hauing God the chiefe Captaine of his enterpryse he marched into the field The Phocenses at the sighte of the cognisaunce of the God striken with inwarde remorse of conscience for their offences â—…ast downe their wepons toke them to flight And so with their owne bloud slaughter of them selues suffred worthy punishmeÌ„t for violating of religion Ye wil not beleue what glory and renown Phi lip won among al nations for executing this dede As who wold say he was the punisher of sacriledge he was the reuenger of religion he only was worthy to compell offenders to make satisfaction to the execution where of all the world ought to haue put theyr helpe Therfore they honored him next vnto the Goddes by whome the maiestye of the Goddes was defended But the Atheniens hearyng of the aduenture of the war to th entent that Philip shoulde not passe into Grece toke the straights of Thermopyle in like maner after the same sort as they had done before against the coÌ„ming of the Persians but nether with like corage nor for like quarel For then it was for the libertye of Grece but now it was for open sacriledge then in the defâ—…nce of the temples against the inuasions of the ennemy now in the maintenaÌ„ce of churchrobbers against the right 〈◊〉 reuengers Making them selues bolsterers and bearers out of that hainous offeÌ„ce wherof it was a shame for theÌ„ that any other theÌ„ theÌ„ selues shuld haue ben the punishers Quite forgetting that euen in their moste aduersitye they had vsed that God as their chefest counseller that by hys guidance they had finished so many battels with conquest builded so many cities with fortunate successe attayned so great an Empire both by sea laÌ„d And finally atcheued no thing either in publike or priuate affairs without the ma iesty of his Godhed Certesse it is great pity that such fine wits so exquisitely polished withal kinde of learning traded in so goodly lawes institutions should be so far ouerseene as to commit so heinous an act that of right they can haue no cause here after to be offended with the barbarus nations for doing of the like But Philip him self kept not euen touch with his felowes For as it wer to th enteÌ„t hys enemies shuld not go beyond him in committing sacrilege the cities wherof a litle before he was captain whiche had fought vnder his standerd which had reioysed in him and which had holpen him to the victory like an vtter ennemy he inuaded sacked The wiues childreÌ„ of them al he sold by the drom He spared not the teÌ„ples of the Gods immortal not the houses of religion not the common nor priuate houshold gods vnto whoÌ„ a litle before hâ—…â—…ntred as a guest so that it might euideÌ„tly appere he sought not so muche to haue punished sacriledge as to procure fre liberty to perpe trate the same From thence as though he had accoÌ„plished al things to his honor he passed into Cappadocia where making war with like falshod hauing taken and slain by policy the kings that wer the next borderers he brought all the whole prouince vnder thempire of Macedonâ—… Then to abolyshe the shamefull brute that went of his doynges through the which he was more spoken and talked of then anye other man in those daies he sent into the kingdomes and moost welthy Cities into the Churches and temples certain to raise a rumor and to put it into folkes heds that king Philip would bestow a great masse of monye in building walles about the Cities and in makinge of Churches and temples and that maisters of the worke should be pro cured by proclamation The whiche when they came into Macedone being driuen of with diuers delaies for feare of the kinges displesure were faine to get them away againe and make no mo woordes After this he assailed the Olynthians For when they saw that Philip had put one of hys brothers to deathe for verye pities sake they receiued two other of his brothers borne of his stepmother whome as partners of his kingdome he soughte by all meanes to dispatch out of the way Therfore vppon this occasion he vtterly destroyed that auncient and noble citye and put hys brothers to the deathe that he had before determined appoynted for them enioying therby both a greate pray and also his wicked lust in slaying of his brothers Whervpon as though al things had ben lawful that he purposed in his mind he sesed vpon the gold mines in Thessaly and vpon the siluer mines in Thrace And to the entent no law nor righte should be left vnuiolated he determined to be a rouer on y â— seas These things being thus accomplished it fortuned by chance that ii brother 's both kings of Thrace being at variaunce betwixt them selues not in respect of his indiffereÌ„cy iustice but for fear least he shuld help to support either of the parties chose him to be iudge of their controuersies But Philip according to his accustomed nature proceding to iudgement as if he shuld haue gone to battel came sodeÌ„ly vpon the brothers ere they wist therof with his men in battel ray and not like an vpright iudge but like a craftye thefe wicked kaitife spoiled theÌ„ both of their kingdomes While these thinges were a doing the ambassadors of Athens came vnto him to require peace whome he heard sent him selfe other ambassadoures to Athens with Articles of peace and there to the commodity of both parties a peace was concluded Oute of other Cities of Grece came ambassaders also not so muche for desire of his frendshyp as for feare of warre For the Thebanes and Beotians of very rancor and malice that boyled in their stomackes requested him to shew him selfe as captaine of Grece against the Phocenses according as he had professed him self to be So sore
Macedone But by meanes of antipater who smelled oute his subteltye while he wente aboute two wiues at ones it came to passe that he attained none of bothe After this there arose warre betwene antigonus and perdicas Antigonus was aided by Craterus and Antipater who taking a truce with the Atheniens made polyperchon regent of Macedone and Grece Perdicas perceiuing that the world went not on his side sent for arideus and great Alexanders sonne of bothe whome the charge was vnto him committed into Cappadocia to haue their aduise as concerning the order of the warres Some were of opinion to remoue the warre into Macedone to the very welspring and heade of the kingdome forasmuche as there was Olymplas Aleranders mother which shuld be no smal stay on their side and also for the fauor of the coÌ„minalty in remembrauÌ„ce of Philip Alexander But it was thought most for the common profit to begin at Egipt least wheÌ„ they wer gon into Mace done ptolomy might inuade Asia Emnenes besides the prouin ces he had before had deliuered vnto him paphlagonia Caria Lycia and Phrygia there he was commaunded to abyde the comminge of Craterus and Antipater and to assiste hym were appoynted alcetas the brother of perdicas and Neoptolemus with their armies Clytus was made chiefe admirall of the Fleete Cilicia was taken from phylotas and geuen to phyloxenus and perdicas himself with a great army went toward Egipt So Macedone through the discord of the captaines deuiding them selues in two partes sette her weapons against her own bowels tourninge the habilimentes of warre that were appoynted for the foraine ennemye to the slaughter of her owne inhabitaunts after the manner of madmen entendinge to cut and mangle the handes and members of her owne body But Pâ—…lomy through his industry and pollicy got greate richesse in Egipte For by his singuler modestye he bothe wan the hartes of the Egiptians to him and by his frendlinesse and gentle behauioure he compassed the good â—…ils of the kinges that were his neighbors dwelt about him Furthermore he also enlarged the bounds of his kingdom by conquering the city Cyrene by meanes wherof he was now become a prince of suche power that he hadde not so muche cause to be afrayde of his enemies as his enemâ—…es had cause to be a fraid of him This citye Cyrene was builded by Aristeus who for because he was tounge tyed was surnamed Battus This mannes father called Cyrenus king of the Iland There when as moued with shame and sorow that his sonne being man growen could not speake he came to the Oracle at Delphos to make intercession to God for his sonne he receiued an answer wherby his sone Battus was commaunded to go into Affricke and builde the City Cyrene there to receiue the vse of speche Now because that the aunswer semed like a mockerye by reason of the liâ—…enesse of the Isle Theramene oute of the whiche inhabiters were commaunded to repaire into Affricke there to build a city in a country so farre of the matter was lefte of Afterwarde in processe of tyme for theyr stubbornesse there fell suche a Pestilence amonge them that they were compelled to obey the commaundement of the God whether they would or no and there was so smal and slender a noumber of them that they were 〈◊〉 able to furnishe a ship When they came into Affricke both for the pleasauntnesse of the place and for the aboundance of water springs that there were they expulsed the inhabiters of the mountain Cyra and plaÌ„ted them selues in the same place Ther their captain Battus had his tonge stringes losed and began to speake The whiche thing encouraged theyr hartes to build vp the rest of the city in as muche as the God had all ready performed part of his promises Therfore when they had pitched their tentes they solowed the opinion of an old fable How that Cyrene a maid of excellent 〈◊〉 was rauished by Appollo in the mountain Pelius in 〈◊〉 saly and caried from thence to the toppe of the mouâ—…tain â–ª Wheras the God begather with childe and when she had gone her time she was deliuered of iiii sonnes Nomius Aristeus 〈◊〉 and Ageus And that her father 〈◊〉 king of Thessaly sent out men to seke her who being allured with the plesantnesse of the place abode styll with the maid in that country Of these children wheÌ„ they came to mannes estate three retourned into Thessaly and enioyed the graundfathers kingdome Aristeus had a large dominion in Arcadie and first taught men the vse of Bees and hony of milke and creame and first found out y â— times of the yeare â–ª when the sonne is at the highest in Sommer and likewise at the lowest in Winter together with the courses of the other starres Upon which reporte Battus learninge the name of the maiden by the Oracles builded the citye Cyrene Ptolomye therefore beinge enâ—…ased in strengthe by the power of this City prepared for the war against Perdicas comming But the hatred that Perdicas had gotten through hys passinge pride and statelinesse did him more harme then the puissaunce of his enemies For his owne companions hated him so sore that they forsoke him and fled by heapes with Antipater Neoptolemus also being left to aid and assist Emnenes purposed not only to turn vnto the contrary part but also to betray the whole host of his coÌ„plices The whiche pretence when Emnenes had espyed he had none other shift but to try the matter by dint of sword agaynste the traitoure Neoptolemus being vanquished â—…ed to Antipater aâ—…d Polyperchon perswadinge with them that if they would kepe on their iournye withoute stayinge they might fall vpon Emnenes ere he were ware being nowe in ioy and gladnesse for his late victory and taking no care by reason they had put him to flight But his purpose was vnknowen to 〈◊〉 Therfore the treason tourned vpon the traitoures heads For they whiche thoughte to haue surprised him vnwares were mette wythall them selues when they looked leaste for any suche thing beinge wearied with trauell and watchynge all the nighte In that encounter polypercbon was slaine Neoptolemus also fightinge hande to hande with Emnenes a greate while together after many woundes geuen and receiued was in the ende ouercome and slaine emnenes therfore gettinge the vpper hande in two pitched fieldes together vpheld and maintained his side for a while whiche was not a litle empaired by the reuoltinge of his adherentes Neuerthelesse at the last when perdicas was ones slain both he and phyton and Illirius and aleâ—…tas the brother of perdicas were proclaimed traitoures by the hoste of their enemies and Antigonus was appoynted to make warre agaynste them The. xiiii Booke ENmnenes when he vnderstode y ◠〈◊〉 dicas was slain hiself proclamed trai tor in Macedone and that Antigonus was appoynted to make war against him declared the matter of his owne accord to his souldioures least the sodain
then and moste readye and forwarde to doo all kinde of mischiefe For he was counted strong of hand and in talking to the people verye eloquent Therfore within shorte space he was made captaine of a hundred men and anone after marshall of the hoste In the firste battell whiche was against the AetneaÌ„s he gaue the Syracusanes great profe of his towardnesse In the nexte followinge agaynste the Campaines he made all men concâ—…iue so good opinion of him that he was substituted in the roume of the graunde captaine Damasco deceased whose wife with whome he had committed aduoutry in the life of her husband afteâ—… his decease he toke in mariage And beinge not content that of a begger he was sodainly made riche he exercysed rouing on the sea againste his owne country But it was his chaunce to be saued because when his mates wer taken and putte to the torture they confessed nothynge of him Twise he went abouâ—… to vsurpe the Empire of Syâ—…acuse and twise he was banished for hys laboure The Murgantines amonge whome he liued in the time of his exile for hatred they bare to the Syracusanes created him first their Pretor and afterwarde their captayne In that warre he bothe tooke the city of the Leontines and besieged the city of Syracuse To the râ—…ue wherof Hamilcar captaine of the Carthaginenses beinge requested to come laying a side all emnity and hatred sent thither a crew of souldioures And so at one time and instant the City Syracuse was defended louingly and frendly by the enemy and â—…ye assailed by her owne Citizen But Agathocles when he sawe that the towne was more manfullye defended then assaulted he sent a pursiuant to Hamilcar desiringe hym to doo so much for him as to take vp the mater betwene him and the Syracusanes and to bee as an indifferente iudge for the determination of some peace betwixt them promisyng to doo the best that laye in him to recompence hys gentlenesse Where vppon Hamilcar beinge fulfilled with hoope and partly fearinge his power entred a league of frendshippe with him vppon condition that looke howe much he furthered Agathocles in strength agaynste the Syracusanes so muche shoulde Agathocles recompence hym withal againe to the furtheraunce of his aduauncement at home in his owne natiue country By meanes of this composition Agathocles was not only reconciled and brought to attonement with the Syracusanes but also hee was made Pretor of the Citye Then the holy fyre and the tapers were brought forthe whervpon agathocles laying his hand sware before Hamilcar to become true subiectes to the Carthaginenses Herevpon receiuing of him fiue thousand afres he put to death al the noble men that were of greatest power and authority and so as it were to th entent to refourme the state of the common welth he commaunded the people to assemble before him in the Theatre gathering the Senatours into the counsell house as thoughe he mineded to make some ordinaunce or decree before When he had brought his matters to this poynt he sent his souldiers to besiege the people and he him selfe slue the senators the whyche slaughter being finished he put to deathe also all suche of the commons as were the welthiest and forwardest persons These thinges beinge thus compassed he mustered souldiours and raised an army with the whyche beynge strengthened he sodainly inuaded the next cities lokyng for no hostility Furthermore by the sufferance of Hamilcar he wrongfully entreated and shamefully handled the confederates of the Carthaginenses For the whiche cause they made complainte to the Senate Carthage not so muche of agathocles as of hamilcar accusinge the one as a Lordly Tirant and the other as a traytoure by whome they were sold by composition and bargain betwene theÌ„ two to the vttermost enemy of their estate to whome at the beginning in coÌ„firmation of the said composition and agrement was deliuered Syracuse the city that had euer bene most enemy to the Afres and an enuier of the Carthaginenses alwayes contending with them for the Empire of Sicil and now moreouer were betrayed to y e same person the cities of their confederates vnder a counterâ—…aite pretence of peace Wherfore they gaue them warning that if they loked not to these matters in time with in a while they would light vpon their owne heades and soone after they shoulde feele what damage they shoulde bring as wel vpon their owne country of Affricke as vp 〈◊〉 the pore Iland of Sicil. By meanes of these coÌ„plaints the Senate was sore moued to displesure against Hamilcar But forasmuch as he was in Office they gaue theyr iudgement secretely vpon him commaundinge their verdits before they shuld be red to be cast into a pot together and there â—…o be sealed vppe vntill the other Hamilcar the sonne of Gysgo wer returned out of Sicil. But the death of Hamilcar preuented the suttle deuises and vnknowen verdites of the Carthaginenses and he was deliuered by the benefite of death whome his owne countrymen had wrongfully condempned without hearing of his answer The which thing gaue Agathocles occasion to moue war against the Carthaginenses The first encounter that he had was against Hamilcar the sonne of Gisgo Of whoÌ„e being vanquished he retired to Syracuse to raise a great power and to renue the battel again But he had like for tune in the second encounter as he had in the first Therfore when the Carthaginâ—…nses hauing the vpper hande had besieged Syracuse and that Agathocles perceiued he was neither of power to encounter them nor sufficiently furnished to endure out the â—…iege and â—…hat moreouer hys owne confederates being offended with his crueltye had forsaken him he determined to transfer the warres into Affricke I assure you it was a wonderful audacitye that he should enterprise to make warre agaynste the Citye of them whome he was not able to match in the soile of his owne city and that being not able to defend his owne he should geue the aduenture vppon other mennes and that being vanquished he should proudly vaunt him selfe ouer the conqueroures The keping secrete of this enterprise was as wonderfull as was the deuise therof for the people could learne nothinge at his hande but that he hadde found away to get the victorye Willing them to doo no more but take good harts to them to abide the siege whiche shoulde not be long or elsse if there were any that had â—…ot the harte to abide the aduenture of the present estate he gaue him fre liberty to go his way whether he would Whervpon when he had discharged a thousand and syâ—… hundred he furnished the reast that remained with vietuall artillerye and wages accordinge as the estate of the siege required He tooke with him no more but fifty Talents toward his charges to spend at that time thinking it better to get the reast if neade shoulde require more of his ennemies then of his subiects Then he set at
league with Agathocles by his ambassadoures and bad conditioned with him that when the Carthaginenses were ones ouercome Agathocles should take thempire of Sicil and he thempire of Affrick Therfore when Tphel las was come with a great host to aid him in the warres Agathocles entertaining him with fair words and counterfet curtesy very lowly and humbly because Ophellas had adopted him his sonne after they had manye times often dined and supped together he slewe him vnwares and entring vpon his armye in an other sore encounter vanquished the Carthaginenses nowe comminge to the fielde withal the power and furniture they were hable to make not without great slaughter and bludshed on both partes Through the discomfiture of this ouerthrow the Carthaginenses wer brought to such an after deale that if there had not risen a mutiny in Agathocles camp Bomilcar the captaine of the Carthaginenses had wyth hys army reuolted vnto him For the whiche offence the Carthagi nailed him vpon a crosse in the mids of the market place to th entent that the same place might be a monument and remembraÌ„ce of his punishment whiche had befâ—…re times bene an aduauncement of his honor But Bomilcar toke very stoutlye the cruelty of his country in so muche that from the toppe of the crosse as if it had beene from the iudgement seate he preched against the wickednesse of his citizens obiectynge to them somtime their vnrightfull entrapping of Hanno vpon malice and enuy falsely surmising that he went about to make himself king someitme the banishment of innocent Gysgo without cause why sometime theyr seacrete verdits against his vncle Hamilcar because he sought to make Agathocles their frende rather then theyr enemy WheÌ„ he had vttred these things with a loud voyce in a great audiens of people he gaue vp the ghost In the meane season Agathocles hauing put his enemies to the worse in Affricke deliuering the charge of his host to his sonne Archagathus returned himself with spede into Sicill thincking that all that euer he had doone in Aâ—…ricke was to no purpose if Syracuse were still beâ—…ieged For after that Hamilcar the sonne of Gâ—…go was slayne the Carthaginenses sent thither a new hoste of men Therfore assoone as Agathocles was come into Sicil all the cities hearing of his doings in Affâ—…icke yelded them selues to him who mighte yelde fasâ—…est by meanes wherof haâ—…ing driuen the Carthaginenses out of Sicill he toke vppon him as kingdome of all the whole Ilande When he came into Affrick again his souldiours welcomed him with a mutiny For his sonne had delayed y â— paiment of their wages vntill the comming of his father Wherfore he called them before him and entreted them with gentle words saying they ought not to demauÌ„d wa ges at his hand but to seke it at their ennemies hand for as the victory shuld extend to thâ—…m al so the pray shuld be common to them all in likewise Desiringe them to playe the men and take pain a litle while vntil the remnant of the warres wer dispatched considering they knew wel â—…nough y â— if Carthage were ones taken it were able to satisfy al their desires w t more then they could â—…ope for Ha uing thus appeased the vprour in his caÌ„pe within a fewe daies after he led his army to the camp of his ennemies There by setting vpon them vnaduisedly be lost the grea ter part of his army Being therfore retired into his caÌ„pe when he perceiued howe his souâ—…diers grudged maligued at him for aduenturing so rashly vâ—…aduisedlye fearing moreouer thold displesure for nonpaimeÌ„t oâ—… their wa ges â–ª in the dead of the night he fled out of the campe taking no mo with him but onlye his sonne Archagathus The which thing wheÌ„ his souldiers vnderstode they qua ked for fear as if they had bene taken prisoners by theyr enemies crying out that their king had now twise forsaken theÌ„ in the mids of their enemies and that he had left theÌ„ in danger of their liues whome he ought not to haue left vnburied As they would haue pursued the king they wer stopped by the Minidians and so returned into their caÌ„pâ—… hauing taken archagathus who had lost hys father by reason of the darknesse of the night agathocles in the same ships that he came in out of Sicil with suche as he had left in them to kepe them was transported vnto Syracuse a singuler example of wickednesse a kyng to be a forsaker of his own army and a father to be a betrayer of his own children In the meane time in affrike after the flying away of the king his souldiours falling to composition with their ennemies slue agathocles sonnes yelded theÌ„ selues to the Carthaginenses archagathus when he shuld be put to deth by arcesâ—…laus one that before time had bene his fathers frend asked him what he thought agathocles woulde doo to his children by whome he was made childelesse Then he answered it was inoughâ—… for him that he knewe they were a liue after the children of agathocles after this the Carthaginenies sent captains into Sicil to pursue the remnaunt of the war with whoÌ„e agathocles made peace vpon indifferent articles ¶ The. xxiii Booke AGathocles king of Sicil hauynge made peace with the Carthaginienses subdued certaine of the Cities whiche vppon truste of theyr owne strengthe rebelled agaynste him Here vpon as thoughe he had bene enclosed in a straight wythin the Ilande of the Empire where of at the first beginning he looked not for any part at all he passed in to Italye following the ensample of Dennis which subdued manye cities of Italy The first therfore whome he proclaimed his enemies were the Brutians whiche seemed to be bothe of mooste puissaunce and of most wealth and also rediest to do their neyghboures wrong For they had erpulsed many cities of the Greke discent out of Italye Furthermore they hadde also vâ—…nquished theâ—…r owne founders the Lucanes and made peace with them vppon equall conditions So cruell harted were they that they spared not euen theyr owne fyrste founders The Lucranes did bring vp theyr children after the same maneâ—… that the Lacedemonians are wont to doo For from the verye fyrst time they began to grow past childreÌ„ they wer kept in the country among shepherdes and grasiers wythout attendans or seruice without garmentes to put on theyr backes or bed to lie vpon to th entent y t from their tender yeres they might enure theÌ„ selues without help of y e city to away with hardnesse and sparinge Their meate was such as they could get by huntinge theyr drynke was eyther methe milcke or elsse faire water of the sprynge so were they hardened to endure the paynes of warrefare of this sort of people fifty at the first being wont to steal cattel out of their neighboures grounde and afterwarde growing to a greater noumber by the resort of such persons as were allured