and change of the common wealth of Rome from Aristocratia to Monarchia againe as before from Kings to Consuls so nowe from Consuls to Emperours The state was altered by Iu. Caesar the first Emperour and the last Dictator of Rome and so from Iu. Caesar vnto the ende of Nero which was the last of the progenie of Augustus POmpeis friendes and adherents being thus subdued the ciuill warres cleare appeased Caesar returned to Rome with great triumph where he was chosen to be perpetuall Dictator and named of the people Emperour hee vsed great clemencie towards Pompeis friends and caused Pompeis Images being throwen downe before to be set vp againe hee raised the children of those parents which were slaine in the ciuil warres betweene Silla and Marius and therefore the Romanes dedicated the Temple of clemencie to Caesar for his courtesie Caesar was not idle after the ciuill warres and after many daungerous battels for in October hee entred with his triumph to Rome at what time he reformed the inequalitie of the yeere and brought to perfection the Kalender so that Caesar did what it pleased him in Rome without regard of the Senators or Consuls which was the onely cause of Cassius and Brutus conspiracie and yet Caesar saued Brutus life once or twise after Pompeis death This conspiracie being concluded betweene Brutus and Cassius with many Senators and gentlemen of Rome more the time was appointed and the place diuerse strange impressions were seene in the ayre also strange markes founde in Caesars sacrifice the Southsayers warned Caesar of the Ides of March his wife Calphurnia certified Caesar of a dreame she sawe and with teares desired him that day not to goe to the Senate the conspiracie was deliuered to him in writing vpon the way as hee went to the Senate but destinies may be easier foreseene then auoyded Caesar was that day slaine and so murthered that hee had 23. wounds on his bodie Thus the great Caesar had butfrom October to March to liue in Rome as Emperour all the rest of his life was 56. yeeres his warres his dangers all the toile and traueile he tooke was to come to be Emperour of Rome which he enioyed not 5. moneths Caesar had fiue triumphes very solemnly the first hee had ouer the Frenchmen the second ouer the king of Egypt the third ouer Pharnaces Mithridates sonne king of Pontus the fourth ouer Affrica of Cato Scipio and Cneus Pompeius the fift of Spaine Thus farre the glory of Rome florished their fame and dignitie extended to al parts of of the world as by their victories and triumphes ouer all nations may appeare for during the raigne of the Consuls which gouerned Rome 467. yeres for frō Iu. Brutus and Publicola the first Consuls after the time of the last king vntill Pausa and Hirsius the last Consuls vnder Iulius Caesar the first Emperour raigned in Rome 936 Consuls all which time the Romanes encreased from the very beginning their Empire as may appeare by the victories and triumphes ouer so many countreys and kingdomes as here I lay downe to your view FIrst Sicilia was subdued by Marcellus then Consul ouer which hee triumphed with pompe and brought Sicilie a prouince vnder Rome 2 Sardinia and Corsica were by Metellus conquered and made by him a prouince vnder the Romanes 3 All Affrica and Carthage was by Pub. Cornelius Scipio brought subiect vnder the Romans and after againe by Scipio sirnamed the yonger Affricanus 4 Numidia and their king Iugurtha was by Marius then Consul after many sharpe battels ouerthrowen and subdued and Iugurtha brought prisoner into Rome where he pied in prison 5 Mauritania was in like maner held by Bochus and Iuba but both were vanquished and all Mauritania by Iu. Caesar then generall for the Romanes in the West brought vnder the Empire of Rome 6 Hispaine was brought vnder by Decius Brutus and made a prouince vnder the Romanes and after by Metellus and last by Pompey the great who vtterly subdued Spaine 7 After that all Affrica and Spaine was made subiect to the Romanes the kingdome of Macedonia and all Greece were subdued and brought to Rome first by Tit. Flaminius and after by Paulus Aemilius 8 The Illyrians which ayded the Macedonians were by Lucius Manilius conquered and their king Gentius caried captiue into Rome ouer whom he solemnly triumphed 9 The Thracians were by Lucullus vanquished and subdued and so made seruants to the Romanes 10 Asia was destroyed sundrie times but last by Scipio sirnamed Asiaticus so named for his victorie ouer Antiochus the great and ouer Asia so that neere al Asia and all Affrica were made subiects vnder the Romanes 11 All the countrey about mount Taurus was subdued and brought vnder the Empire of Rome by Seruilius who also conquered the Isaurians and therefore sirnamed Isauricus for his victorie therein 12 Lucius Silla subdued the Parthians and constrained their king Arsaces to pay tribute to the Romanes 13 Lucius Lucullus vanquished the king of Armenia and brought him to hold of the Romanes 14 Pontus Mesopotamia Arabia Iudea and diuers other kingdomes and countreys were made prouinces vnder Rome by Pompey the great Frenchmen were first by Camillus and after by Marius vanquished the thirde time all Fraunce was conquered by Iulius Caesar. Creete was by Metellus subdued and therefore Metellus was sirnamed Creticus Cyprus by Marcus Cato was made a prouince of the Romanes Pub. Ventidius triumphed ouer the Persians and brought them subiect to Rome Egypt vnder diuers Consuls kept vnder the Romans Empire and at last made a prouince vnto Rome and was appointed to be the treasurer of Rome and called Horreum Romae the barne of Rome For while Pompey flourished in Rome Caesar was also of great credite and had bene Questor and Tribune of the souldiers and after was sent Pretor to Spaine for Caesar was a valiant souldier and a skilfull captaine his prowesse and deedes of armes excelled Silla Marius Crassus Lucullus and Pompey Reade his life in Plutarch and you shall finde how many nations and howe many townes Caesar conquered in the warres with the Gaules he brought welnigh all Fraunce to subiection After hee warred vpon the Illyrians and Heluetians at what time Cassius Lopanus raigned king and soone after vpon the Britaines which at that time neuer heard of the Romanes whose prowesse and great courage Caesar in his owne Commentarie doeth much commende Caesar waged battell with diuers nations of Germanie as with the Tigurians the Belges and the Neruians for in Germanie are sundrie sorts of people as Sicambri Tenterides which Caesar subdued These conquests of Caesar made Pompey much to feare the greatnesse of him if hee should once come to be a Consul in Rome and therefore Pompey laboured to keepe Caesar still occupied in Fraunce in Spaine and in Germanie the onely souldiers of the worlde But Caesar could not bee kept backe but would be a Consul for
vanquished them and their generall called Nabides submission was made to the Romanes and peace also graunted to them vpon the like condition as was graunted to Philippe After this ensued warres in Syria against Antiochus the great whom likewise the Romanes so pursued after diuers ouerthrowes that his tents were inuaded and Antiochus himselfe was put to flight at the battell of Magnesia by Cornelius Scipio sirnamed Asiaticus The Romanes beganne to bee in such admiration with all Asia and Europe hauing alreadie subdued all Affrica that the name of a Romane was a very terrour vnto those kings that were furthest off The Affricanes while the Romanes were busie in Asia they beganne to quarrell with king Masinissa a sure and a constant friende to the Romanes being in armes in person against the Affricanes during the time of all the second warres The Romanes hearing of these newes sent ambassadours to Carthage to require them to withdrawe from Numidia and to cease the warres from their olde friend Masinissa the Carthagineans refused to obey the Romanes whereupon the thirde battell was taken in hand against the Carthagineans in the yeere after the building of Rome sixe hundreth and foure yet Eutropius sayeth sixe hundreth and one and in the 52. yeere after the second battell finished The Consuls tooke their voyage from Rome to inuade Carthage In this iourney Scipio nephewe to Scipio Affricanus was deputed generall of the armie a man well beloued and much reuerenced for that hee was a passing and good captaine readie and very circumspect of his charge by whome the Consuls with the armie were twise saued at the besieging of Carthage to the great honour of Scipio their generall The Carthagineans being not so strong neither so able to resist the violence of the Romanes as they were in the time of Hanibal appointed two valiant men named Asdrubal and Famea to be captaines of Carthage to whom the charge of Carthage was giuen these two iolie captaines Asdrubal and Famea so much sought to auoyde the meeting of Scipio as they thought to prolong the warres by keeping off rather then by comming into battell for the names of Scipios was terrible to the Affricanes Hereby the renowme of Scipio was such that the Senate called him home to Rome to haue the honour of Consulship being yet but a very yong man and before he should be sent to assault Carthage some dissention fell betweene the Senate whether Carthage should bee quite destroyed or no. Some thought that Carthage being so strong a citie would neuer long be quiet with the Romanes others thought that Rome should want the friendship of Carthage if Carthage should be destroyed it was at last agreed that the general Scipio should doe as pleased him by occasions giuen of the enemie Vpon this Scipio was sent againe to inuade Carthage about which time Masinissa died after that he had liued ninetie and seuen yeeres who left behinde him 44. sonnes whom hee committed to the faith of Scipio and amongst whom Masinissa requested Scipio to distribute his kingdome which being done Scipio went and besieged Carthage kept out victuals from the citie hauing also giuen them many hard and sharpe battels aswell by water as by lande whose good successe happened all well at last to Scipio for after hee had conquered them both by sea and by lande then hee applied his force to destroy Carthage a towne of great strength and very populous a great and a large citie of sixe Germane miles compasse and two Germane miles diameter euery way This Carthage was first builded by the people of Tyre and was by them called Byrsa Scipio commaunded the citie to be rased from the ground giuing licence to as many as would saue themselues to goe out of Carthage at what time 50. thousand saued themselues by escaping away the rest so despaired that some poysoned themselues some killed themselues and the most part burned themselues Asdrubal their generall fled to Scipio for mercie who hearing that his wife and children would not saue themselues but willingly died within Carthage hee also killed himselfe The burning of Carthage endured 16. dayes During which time Polibius who writeth all the Affricane historie saith that Scipio beholding the ruinous state of Carthage and the lamentable destruction of the people recited a Latine verse weeping Illa dies veniet cum fato Troia peribit And being demaunded why he wept and vsed those wordes Hee answered I weepe for that I thinke others shall see of Rome that which I see now of Carthage for that shall come saide Scipio that Rome shall likewise perish such is the miserie and state of this world and so fell it to Rome in the time of Totilas king of the Gothes 700. yeeres after the burning of Carthage When Carthage was thus destroyed the rest of the Affricanes yeelded all their townes which were in the beginning of the warres in nomber 300. Also they yeelded 200. thousand armories which they had in Lybia 3000. pieces of artilleries and all other engines instruments of warres as though they would neuer againe take warre in hande yet when Carthage was by the cōmandement of the Senat reedified in Affrike 22. yeeres after that it was destroied by Scipio Aemilianus sirnamed by the victorie Affricanus the yonger thither went diuers citizens of Rome to dwel This citie was begun by Caius Grachus afterward was fully restored to her former state and beautie by Iulius Caesar and his nephew Octa. Augustus his successor in the Empire After the burning of Carthage 14. yeres was likewise Numantia a citie in Celtiberia destroyed by the same Scipio Aemilianus a citie that did much annoy the Romans of great force and power a long time insomuch that the overthrowe of Numantia was more terrible then Carthage for they were brought to that famine within the citie and yet would not yeeld themselues that some killed thēselues some with poyson some with the sword and some with fire at last like desperate people they burned the towne and themselues While Scipio laid siege to Numantia newes came from Rome that Tyberius Grachus was slaine in such seditious quarrels as Tyberius himselfe began the cause being opened to Scipio of Tyberius his death he recited a Greeke verse of Homer saying to the companie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is let him die with the like death that cōmitteth such a fault But that verse cost Scipio his life for after hee returned from Numantia home for that hee saide Tyberius was iustly slaine Scipio was found the next morning dead in his bed This was the end of Scipio Affricanus the yonger he to be killed in Rome for his seruice to his countrie as his graundfather Scipio Affricanus was banished out of Rome to die in other countries But to returne to ende this third last warres of the Affricanes with the Romanes though Carthage and Numantia
frō the citie of Rome then Veiena and Fidena the one 6. miles the other 18. miles distant from Rome had enlarged the citie with these confines and territories more then Romulus did he was striken with lightning that both hee his wife and all his house were burnt when he had raigned 32. yeres in the 35. Olymp. When this king raigned in Rome Zaleucus gouerned the Locresiās who for his law making law keeping is much mentioned in histories for in that law against adulterie his owne sonne first offending should haue lost both his eyes but his nobles made great intercessiō for the kings sonne the king to satisfie their requests shewing himselfe a naturall father to his sonne and a iust king to his people caused one of his sonnes eyes and another of his owne eyes to be taken out to performe the lawe which he made In the time of Tul. Hostilius Manasses king of Iuda was conuerted vnto his God and thereby restored to his kingdome when he expelled idolatry and serued God the rest of his life In Chaldea raigned Nabuchodonosor the father of the great Nabuchodonosor and in Media Phaortes the 6. king of the Medes During the time of this king in Rome raigned in Lydia Ardis their 6. king and in Macedonia Philip their 6. king also for the Medes the Macedonians the Lydians and the Romanes began their Empires within 60. yeres together Tullus Hostilius the third king appointed two Quaestors as it were two Treasurers to sease by the pole euery citizen of Rome to leauie and to keepe the same money to the vse of the citie he created also 2. Iudges which were called Duum viri these should determine causes for life and death In like sort of Ancus Martius with his lawes Tarquinius Priscus and his decrees you may reade in Pomp. Laetus and Fenestella Euen so Seruius Tullus the 6. king of Rome perceiuing that the Senators had more to doe then they could well accomplish especially in priuat causes of the citie he instituted two men called Censors to record and to write the nomber of all men in seruice to take view of such offenders within the citie and to punish crimes and offences and if any Senators should not execute iustice he should be depriued out of the Senate If any of the magistrats created by Romulus should not imitate and liue within the lawe of Romulus they should be by the Censors punished If any of the religious officers and the priests which Numa instituted should transgresse the lawe of Numa he should also by these Censors be reformed this office cōtinued 5. yeres and vpon the fift yere new Censors were made this was called Lustrū at what time althe citie was visited all faults opened vnto them and all iniuries done reformed by them as C. Fabritius being Censor remoued frō the Senate P. Cornelius Ruffinus for the expences of 10. pound more then was allowed by these Censors and so M. Cato banished C. Flaminius brother from the Senators for the fauouring of a prisoner at the request of a woman The auctoritie of those Censors were such as might reforme all things by law The old Romanes vsed to accompt their actions to nomber their yeeres euery fift yeere which they called Lustrum as the Greciās vsed to nomber the yeres by their Olympiad which the Greekes named Penterides This office of Censors continued for a time in Rome being renued euery fift yeere which was a great day in Rome and appointed by Seruius Tullus the sixt king of Rome and endured vntil Vespatian the Emperours time the last conquerour of Ierusalem 650. yeeres yet I reade not but of 75. Lustrums which is 360 yeres For Eutropius saith that both Lustrum and the Olympiad endured no longer then Sillas time But yet compted vntil Constantines time Tarquinius the proud appointed 3. men to keepe the Sibillas books after they were augmented from 3. to 10. and at last frō 10. to 15. These were chosen out aswel of the Patricians as of the vulgar people they should once a yere in the moneth of Februarie reade these bookes and after they should see the bookes safelie kept vntil Februarie againe Now after that Tullus died succeeded in Rome Anc. Martius the 4. king one in nature like vnto his grandfather Numa Pompilius and one that in the beginning of his gouernment imitated Numa in all points commanding the people to obserue the lawes and ceremonies of his grandfather thinking therby to haue the like successe of quietnes and peace commaunded Numas lawes to be written in tables and be set on postes and pillars in the market place studied diligently to keepe his people in peace thoght to liue quietly with that litle territorie that then the city of Rome gouerned But it happened otherwise for scant he had established himselfe in his kingdom whē the Latins vnder their gouernour there waged warres against the Romans and brought an army to the very towne of Medullia which they tooke and possest for 3. yeres in spite of Ancus Martius Now this king was forced to forsake Numa which liued in peace and to folow Tullus his predecessor in warres and therefore he altered his minde and gathered force together and began stoutly to answere the Latins and to giue them so many battels that he destroyed vanquished and wan their chiefe cities as Politoriū Telena Ficania and diuers others he recouered Medullia gaue diuers ouerthrowes to the Latins then straight he was much troubled with the Sabines and Fidenats the Veients and the Volscanes these people euer warred against the kings of Rome for yet Rome was not come to any greatnes But when they had quite conquered the Sabines Latines Veients Volscanes Fidenats and other nations next vnto them which oftentimes they did and they stil reuolted then the citie of Rome began to looke vnto other kingdomes but during the time of their kings their owne neighbours annoyed them most This king Ancus Martius had no rest during his whole gouernment vntill he had brought these people before spoken vnto subiection then he began to build to enlarge the city of Rome by taking mount Auentine vnto it and the hil Ianicula a large ground of 18. furlongs about ful of diuers yong trees specially laurel but by An. Martius made habitable and populous there vpon the hil Auentine a faire temple was builded vnto Diana and to this moūt Martius brought frō Telena and Politorium and other townes men and women to dwell there After this the king builded a towne fast vpō the sea shore called Hostia 6. miles frō Rome made a bridge ouer the riuer of Tiber which ranne by Rome he also builded a prison house to punish offenders diuers other monumēts which you may read in Halicarnasaeus whē he had raigned 24. yeres he died leauing behind him 2. sōnes the one an infant and
neither by warre with the which hee often asfailed his Countriemen neither with treacherie which hee practised with the families of the Vitellians and the Aquillians hee coulde any way profite Then Publicola gaue himselfe fully to looke vnto Rome which was so impouerished by ciuill warres that collection of money was made for the buriall of Valerius the Consul his fellowe in office Hee first redressed thinges decayed in Rome in supplying the number of the Senators that were slaine in the warres of Tarquine in whose places hee chose newe Senators to the number of a hundred sixtie foure after he defended the Citie against Porsenna and destroyed the Countrie round about and slue of the Thuscanes fiue thousand he also vanquished the Sabines and triumphed ouer them and he subdued the Latines who were most busie against the Romanes this time for Rome was found in the time of this Publicola sore vnpeopled and poore by reason of the ciuil warres of Tarquinius and therefore all the Nations which the kings of Rome before had subdued beganne to reuoult and to wage warre freshly against the Romanes againe but they were by this valiant Romane brought to their first state and Rome much enriched by the spoyles of the Sabines Latines Thuscans and others This Publicola was Consul foure times seuerally he was a good man and a iust Romane hee made lawes and decrees within the Citie first hee ordeyned by lawe that all offendours being condemned by the iudgement of the Consuls might appeale vnto the people Hee likewise decreed that no man might exercise any office vnlesse hee came to it by the gifte of the people and he also made a lawe in the fauour of the poore Citizens that they should pay no custome nor impost whatsoeuer This hedid to winne the peoples fauour and to keepe them in hande many women then in Rome esteemed little of their life in respect of their Countrie as Cloelia Valeria and diuers others whose statues are erected vp on horsebacke in the holy streete Appius Claudius a very riche man of the Sabines came to Rome this time to dwell and brought with him fiue thousande families with their wiues and children of the most peaceable and esteemed men of the Sabines In the ninth yeere after the banishing of Tarquinius there was a newe office created in Rome called Dictatura which farre excelled in authoritie the office of the Consuls In this office Titus Largius was first instituted Dictator and in the same yeere an other newe officer called magister equitum an officer deputed to bee attendant vpon the Dictator in the which office Spurius Cassius was appointed The Dictator was not to continue in his office aboue sixe moneths for such was the authoritie of the Dictator that hee might deale in all causes and iudge of life and death without any appeale eyther to the Senate Consul or to the people and therefore the people much complaining beganne to make vproares and fel to dissension and to require for an officer to aide and defende the people and for that the Senators and Consuls as the people pretended the cause woulde haue them oppressed a cōmocion was thereby in Rome by the commons and therefore they created two men whom they called Tribuni Militum Tribunes of the people they were assigned to bee peculier Decisers and Determiners in causes belonging to the people This office continued vntil Sillas time by whom the office of Tribuneshippe was abrogated but after by Pompey the great restored In Rome dwelt a rare man of great seruice in the warres of Tarquine whom Largius the first Dictator knewe to be such as deserued great prayse then being a young man for hee was crowned with Oken leaues according to the Romanes maners in Tarquinius dayes and sithence profited Rome in diuers seruices in subduing the Volscans in winning the citie Corioles he inuaded the Antiates and often repressed the insolencie of the people insomuch that the Romanes hauing many warres in those dayes this Corolianus was at them all for there was no battell fought no warre enterprised but Coriolanus returned from thence with fame and honour But his vertue and renowme gate him much enuie for hereby hee was banished Rome by the Ediles Tribunes of the people against the Patricians will but the Romanes made a rodde to beate them selues when they banished Coriolanus for he came in armes against his owne Countrie and Citie with the Volscans being at that time their generall hee with great furie inuaded the Territories of Rome hee caused the communaltie of Rome and Nobilitie to fall to ciuill dissension hee so plagued the Romanes diuers wayes vnto the very gates of Rome he was so much moued against them that hee refused three seuerall Embassadours to heare them being his chiefe friendes sent vnto him by the Senate to entreate for peace hee refused to heare the Bishops and the Priestes Feciales He likewise denied the Augurers the sacrificers and the ministers of the goddes vntill Volumnia his mother and Virgillia his wife with their two young sonnes gotten by Coriolanus with Valeria the sister of Publicola and diuers other Ladies of Rome came to meete Coriolanus to entreate for peace vnto the Volscans campe and what time hee had compassion of his mother of his wife and of his two sonnes and of the other Ladies being his neere kinswomen then hee withdrewe his armie from Rome and yeelded to the teares of his mother but the fickle mindes of the people by the conspiracie of Tullus Aufidius were such that Coriolanus was murthered in the Citie of Antium at his very returne from that voyage What shall I say of Caius Mutius Sceuola of his noble attemptes against king Porsenna of Horatius Cocles and of diuers others whose statues at Rome and whose histories in euery booke written and in euery mans mouth can witnesse for in this very time in Rome when Cresius Fabius and Titus Virginius were Consuls three hundred noble men of the house and stocke of the Fabians tooke vpon them alone to wage battell against the Veientines offering themselues to the Senators and to the people of Rome to fight from this battell not one scaped of three hundred Fabians but one and another which was young at home not able to goe to warrefare for all the males of the Fabiaus were slaine in that battell These warres were extremely handled and prosecuted by the Hetruscans Fidenats and the Falascies against the Romanes when Rome was in most aduersitie and pouertie aswell for the late ciuill warres of Tarquine the proude as also diuers other forreigne enemies which on euery side assaulted Rome These 300. Fabians full of prowesse and valure vndertooke this warre against the Veients but being ouer charged with multitudes were all slaine sauing one to their great fame yet this followed after their death presently the Fasiliscians yeelded them selues to the Romanes the
chiefly the French men flourished in famous renowne and in whom all the lawes relikes and monuments are established NOwe I will goe forward with the histories of Fraunce and speake of Dagobertus who when he had raigned 14. yeeres died Aemilius saith 16. yeres for he raigned 2. yeres in Austrasia is buried in S. Denis which he himself had builded the seconde of that name and the twelfth king after Pharamundus succeeded This was called Lewis the first of that name This time raygned king of the Gothes Sisenandus who was by them and of Dagobertus aduaunced to gouerne the Gothes The Emperour Constantinus surnamed Iunior was by his stepmother Martina poysoned after hee had reigned foure moneths for that shee practised to haue her sonne Emperour who reigned with his mother two yeeres and then the treason of Martina was founde which was in this sort reuenged his nostrels were cutte and his mothers tongue was taken out and so were both least againe they might bee forgotten and bee receiued to the Empire banished from Constantinople By this time died Sigibertus king Clodouaens brother who adopted before his death Ildebertus the sonne of Grimoaldus supposing that he should haue no heire of his bodie but his wife being with childe when he died had a sonne named Dagobertus who was sent to a Monasterie in Scotland secretly to be brought by Grimoaldus for which cause Clodouaeus waged warre with Ildebertus the king and with his father Ildebertus was slaine in the field in battell and his father taken and put in prison in Paris where he died at what time Clodouaeus appoynted his owne sonne Childericus king in Austrasia This time in Fraunce the famine was such that the king Clodouaeus ooke all the gold and siluer which his father Dagobertus had set vp in Saint Dennis and other places and all the treasures out of the Temples in Fraunce to helpe the poore of Fraunce After Clodoueus had reigned seuenteene yeeres succeeded Clotarius the third of that name hee died and is buried with his father in S. Dennis and in Beroaldus table named Dagobertus the second who reigned foure yeeres After whome succeeded his brother Theodoricus who was in the first yeere of his raigne banished out of his kingdome for his incontinencie After him Hildericus Theodoricus brother was elected king of all Fraunce he reigned 12. yeres Beroaldus saith fiue he was slaine in hunting by one Bodillus whome the king had before most cruelly caused to be bound to a stake and to bee whipt with rods which he requited to the king with death Which newes being heard of Theodoricus the kings brother being before as you heard banished returned from a Monasterie and tooke againe the kingdome of Fraunce and reigned fourteene yeeres The kingdome of the Saracens had not onely vexed and molested the East kingdomes but also afflicted and persecuted the West countries and had diuers and sundry battels with the Emperours the Gothes and the Longobards and are nowe become nations most mightie and strong in all the West of whom reade Diaconus de gestis Longabardorum After these thinges reigned Clodouaeus the thirde of that name who reigned foure yeeres after whom Hildebertus Clodouaeus his brother succeeded and reigned eighteene yeeres but here some of the good and the best writers doe disagree for the state of Fraunce aswell for the names of their kings as also for the historie it selfe as some following Tritemius and some imitating Paulus Aemilius that one Chronicle cries against another During the reigne of Hildebertus Muhamad the Saracen inuaded Armenia and entred into Affrica for nowe the kingdome of the Saracens grewe so mightie and so strong that they troubled all the Nations of the worlde as you may reade in their histories This time reigned ouer the Longobardes Chimibertus and ouer the Gothes Vitiza for these two kingdomes florished nowe in Germanie and beganne to match the Empire After this reigned king in Fraunce Dagobertus the seconde of that name foure yeeres after whome Lotharius Dagobertus his brother reigned two yeeres some say seuen yeeres Beroaldus in his table affirmeth that for these two yeeres Fraunce had no king therein crowned but Interreges were appointed after which Chilpericus surnamed Daniel by the ayde of Carolus Martellus was crowned king of Fraunce and reigned fiue yeeres After him gouerned Theodoricus surnamed Cala the sonne of Dagobertus the seconde hee reigned fifteene yeeres Anastasius the seconde surnamed Artemius helde the Empire for two yeeres and after Theodosius the thirde of that name other two yeeres This time Gizid the twelfth Amiras who reigned foure yeeres and his sonne Euelid after him played their partes in Asia and in Europe as sometime the Scythians were wont to doe they laide siege to Constantinople but were thence expelled by hunger and colde and with all their whole nauies were burned and destroyed vpon the seas In the time of this Theodoricus the Cities of Italie beganne a newe regiment vnder Dukes euery Citie elected and made a choise of one gouernour vnder whom and to whom they liued as to their king laying aside the last kinde of gouernment called magistratus exarchatus This time the Scots and the Picts quieted themselues within their limittes and spared their often inuasions into Englande at what time Ceolulphus reigned in that part of Englaud called Northumberland With this king Beda a learned man amōgst the Britaines was in great reuerence and honour and dedicated to him the historie of the Church in English and by Bedas meanes Ceolulphus deliuered the gouernment to his vncle Egbertus and became a Moncke In the time of this king the Saracens which inhabited in diuers partes of Affrike and Spaine were driuen thence foorth to the number of foure hundred thousand by Edo at what time they inuaded Fraunce and were so miserably persecuted euery way that they lost Abdimarus their king with a great number of the Saracens but more is written of this in their owne historie Now to Hildericus the third of that name surnamed Stupidus the sonne of Theodoricus Cala who reigned nine yeres and after was by consent of all the princes of Fraunce deposed from his kingdome and in his place gouerned eighteene yeeres Pipinus during which time Hildericus liued priuately and secretely in an Abbie By this time died Carolus Martellus a great Prince of France and lieth buried among the kings at S. Denis Of whose valure fame and courage not onely in Fraunce but euery where Reade of this Noble Martellus and of his diuers worthy and renowmed victories ouer the Saracens in Paul Aemilius in the beginning of his 2. booke after whom succeeded Carolomanus which then yeelded all his signories and titles of dignities vnto Pipinus who presently thereupon called a Parliament of all the Princes and Barons of France to stablish lawes and decrees for the receyuing of the
inuenter of Musike as the harpe the organes and other instruments Zillah bare him a sonne named Tubal Caine he found first the vse of iron and brasse he was the first author of cunning craft in grauing Here is Plinie much deceiued to name Amphion the first Musition here was Diodorus ouerseene to preferre Apollo and the most part of prophane histories doe greatly erre attributing to Mercurie to Orpheus to Linus and to others which are read in Genesis in the first age found for Propheticall histories are farre more auncient then prophane by 2000. yeres beside the first age and first Fathers liued so long a time therein they must of necessitie be first acquainted with all things for the chiefest cause of long life in the first age was that all men vniuersally might praise the Lord God in magnifying his name acknowledging his workes in his creatures Thus did Adam Seth Enos Henoch Methusalem Lamech and Noah see yea and foresee the workes of God in his creation in his Church in his redemption in his promise and in his election for Iosephus writeth that the creation of man the commandement the state the Church institution of mariages all other gouernments fit for the children of God were by Adam in two tables of stones and some olde ancient writers affirme as Melancthon that the first age was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that they excell in wisedome iustice gouernment and authoritie full of inuentions full of of artes and sciences and therefore a long life was by God granted vnto them for no doubt Adam before his fall had that full and perfect knowledge of God in his workes that he his posterities taught afterward in the word The second age was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein began the magnanimitie and fortitude in warres force and violence In vvarres Empires and kingdomes tooke beginning in the vvorld and this second age began in Nimrode and continued vntill Iulius Caesars time The third age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 endureth the vvhole time of the fourth monarche giuē to delicacie pleasure for though the vvorld be full of secret contention and hidden enuie full of open vvarres one kingdom against another yet not accomplished as in the fore ages But to returne to Caine and his posterities hovv they grevv from the beginning in idolatrie in superstition in outvvard pompe of vaine ceremonies framing to themselues a nevv kind of religion not in sinceritie and trueth but in externall forme and fashion being ignorant of God and of his vvord Christ the Messias that vvas to come This idolatrie began in the house of Caine from Caine himselfe vnto the time of Belus 150. yeere after the flood This Belus being dead his sonne Ninus erected vp his fathers image or statue vvith such honour and vvith such priuiledge and vvith such solemne pompe as he that vvas guiltie of any great crime might flee Adstatuā Beli to the image of Belus as to a sure sanctuarie of his safetie vvhat fault soeuer he committed Here began the second cause of idolatrie here images vvere made idols set vp and all kind of grauen vvorke in stones or trees vvere honoured as gods amongst the Gentiles deriued frō the name of Belus some calling them Baal some Bel some Belcebuc according to the varietie of tongues as Eusebius vvriteth And this idolatrie continued frō Belus vntill Alexander the great to vvhom at the siege of Babylon certaine Astrologers called Magi signified vnto Alexander vnlesse hee vvould restore the tombe of Belus being spoiled and defaced by the Persians he should haue no good successe at Babylon but Alexander litle esteeming their Chaldaicall diuination as Diodorus at large doth report marcheth forward with his siege At what time vvas Lucius Cornelius Quintus Pompeius Consuls at Rome so the first idolatrie of Cain and his posteritie vvere vvel and iustly revvarded by the flud The second age vvhen idolatrie began in Belus ended in Sardanapalus 12. hundred and odde yeeres being the 36. king and last king of Assyria as Eusebius affirmeth All this vvhile God had his Church for his elect the Lord had appointed another seede vnto Adam for Abel vvhich vvas Seth in vvhose time men began to call vpon the name of the Lord and the Lord did moone the hearts of the godly to restore religion The posteritie of Seth vvhich vvas by Caine and his familie suppressed and continued seuen generations vntill such time that Naema the daughter of Lamech and sister of Tubal Caine taught men the vse of fine flaxe to be soft clothed and to be trimme attired vvith cloth and linnen vvhere before men vvere clothed vvith leather and skinnes Novve the posteritie of Caine became right vvorldlings in follovving their fancies and pleasures from vice to vice nothing acquainted vvith the afflictions and crosses of the true Church so vvhen men began to bee multiplied vpon earth and had daughters borne vnto them then the sonnes of God as Moses calleth them vvhich Iosephus calleth the angels of God meaning the seede of Seth vvhich began to forsake the godlines and simplicitie of their forefathers savv the daughters of men vvhich issued out from Caines house that they vvere faire tooke them to their vviues of all that liked them of this vnlavvfull and vvicked mixture of the good vvith the bad of this holie seede vvith profane blood of godly men vvith vvicked vvomen sprang vp an huge people much like vnto the gyants or as Homer saith in his sixt Odysse speaking of the Cyclope Poliphemus to vvhom Moses compareth them alluding the course of their life ad Cyclopicam vitam men more to be feared then to be follovved yet Seth a man singularly beloued of God endevved much vvith Gods blessings studious to please God desirous to plant true religion and giuen to all kinde of vertuous practising all godly exercises and liuing in all felicitie left behind him godly children as Enos godly and vertuous like Seth his father vvhome Moses preferreth to be the first that earnestly called vpon the Lord Iehouah detesting the house of Caine as dead Then Henoch a godly sincere man led an vpright life before God the seuenth from Adam prophesied of such wicked men saying Behold the Lord commeth vvith thousands of his Saints to giue iudgement against all and to rebuke all the vngodly of their vvickednesse and of their cruell speaking against him for euen that Henoch saieth Paul vvas taken avvay to shevv that there vvas a better life prepared and to bee a testimonie of the immortalitie of soules and bodies and that hee shoulde not see death for his faith towardes God for before he vvas taken avvay he vvas reported that he had pleased God he was seene no more for God tooke him avvay Henoch vvalked vvith Lamech the father of Noah hauing respect to the promise desired to see the Messias vvhich should be sent and yet he savve but a
was commanded by Samuel to take armes against the Amalekites to spare neither man woman or child cattell or beasts but for sauing of Agag the king and few of the fattest beasts for sacrifice Saul lost his kingdome disobedience was the cause thereof Some may thinke the cause to be small that Saul did to be reiected from his kingdome the sparing of a kings life So likewise may they iudge of the men of Bethshemesh who because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord he slew 50. thousand three score and ten men for it was not lawfull for any either to touch the Arke or to looke within it saue only to Aaron the high priest and to difobey GOD and to breake Gods commaundement is a thing most terrible Now though Saul spared Agag disobeying God yet Samuel most zealously without any further delay hewed him in pieces After this Samuel returned to his house to Bethleem where he was commaunded to annoint one of the sonnes of Ishai king of Israel and hauing all the seuen sonnes of Ishai before him saue the yongest which was Dauid who kept his fathers sheepe in the fieldes Samuel commaunded Dauid to be sent for at whose comming the Lord said to Samuel Arise annoint him for this is hee And Samuel tooke the horne of oile and annointed him king in the middest of his brethren and the spirite of the Lord came vpon Dauid from that time forward and the spirite of the Lord departed from Saul And now though Dauid was annointed king by Samuel the Prophet yet GOD would haue Dauid to be exercised in many things before hee should haue the vse of the kingdome After this Samuel went to Ramah to his house and came no more to see Saul vntill Saul died Samuel loued Saul much and mourned much for him and God therefore reprooued Samuel Samuel was a godly Iudge ouer Israel who with great care and diligence serued God and gouerned his people keeping his circuite once euery yeere from Bethel to Galgala and from Galgala to Masphat and from Masphat to all townes vpon his wayes to Ramah where Samuel dwelt and there hee set vp an altar vnto the Lord and iudged Israel Euen so did Debora sit vnder a Palme tree betweene Ramah and Bethel iudging and determining causes of the people This Prophet gouerned Israel fortie yeeres Saul being deposed and throwen from his kingdome hee fell vnto great melancholie imagining how he might compasse and bring things to passe with troubled minde for the euill spirite of the Lord came vpon him that hee oftentimes was molested and vexed with troublesome thoughts And to ease the king of these agonies instruments of Musike with all kind of harmonie were thought very necessarie of his counsell Dauid was called and sent for by Saul to plaie vpon the harpe before Saul for hee was skilfull in Musike so Saul loued Dauid and made him his armour bearer While Saul was in this melancholie moode the Philistines were againe in armes against Israel wasted their countrey destroyed their Cities and prouoked the Hebrewes to warre Saul made readie his hoste but while yet they were preparing for the battell Goliah a mightie huge man a great Giaunt vaunted forward from the hoste of the Philistines by himselfe cried and called for a combate if any one man of the Hebrewes durst defying Israel and blaspheming their God But GOD prepared Dauids heart mightie and valiant and with a sling to bee able to ouerthrowe this Giant for Dauid by the experience which hee had in time past by Gods helpe nothing doubteth the danger of Goliah sithence hee killed a Lion and a Beare before this time being but a shepeheard in the field Hee was fullie perswaded by Gods spirite to haue the victorie ouer Goliah being mooued with a feruent zeale to be reuenged vpon this blasphemer But true it is Comes virtuti inuidia Here Saul began to enuie Dauid and to laie snares to kill him for great actions are full of dangers But there is no danger where God defendeth and saueth the vertues of Dauid purchased much enuie much daunger which Dauid escaped by the prouidence of God But Saul still deuised his destruction vsing all policies and inuenting many stratagemes to ouerthrow Dauid promising Dauid his daughter Michol to wife seeking at Dauids handes nothing but valiant courage and seruice agaynst the Philistines But the more victories Dauid wanne the more danger ensued him the greater seruice he did the more he was enuied and hated for Saul feared Dauid seeing the Lord was with him and Ionathan the sonne of Saul told Dauid the wicked purpose of his father so that Dauid was driuen to flee from Saul and to hide himselfe in a Caue Samuel the Prophet about this time died and was buried in Ramah his owne citie Dauid being still persecuted of Saul wandred and fled from Saul to Achis king of Gath where hee should haue a charge vnder the king to fight against Israel which troubled him not a litle yet such was the infirmitie of Dauid that he durst not denie the king Now Saul all this while following his wicked purpose consulted with a witch to know of Samuels spirite the successe of his kingdome by whom I meane not Samuels spirit but the spirit of Satan he was fully certified of his ruine and of the end of his kingdom which happened to Saul and to his children for it fell out that Saul killed himselfe and his children were slaine in the battell a cruell life hath a desperate end After the Philistines found Saul Ionathan Abinadab and Malchishua his three sonnes lying dead in mount Gilboa after the victorie and the Philistines cut off Sauls head and stripped him out of his armour and they laied vp his armour in the house of Ashtaroth their idole and hanged his bodie on the wall of Bethshan in token of victorie and triumph Saul died after the deliuerance of Israel from Egypt 473. yeeres after the calling of Ioseph into dignitie in Egypt 660. yeeres and after the flud 1234. yeeres Thus the wicked in their pompe and pleasure consider not the iudgement of God During this time raigned Dircillus ouer the Assyrians the 31. king and Aeneas Siluius the 4. king of the Latines In Athens this time raigned Codrus the last king of the Athenians betweene whom and the Peloponesians grew great warres and continued vnto the last destruction of all Greece In the time of Saul certaine people were driuen out of Thessalia called Boeotij they found a land to inhabite which at this day is called Boeotia before named Cadmeia The The kings of Sicyonum called otherwise Peloponesus ended in Sauls dayes euen when Israel began their kingdom About this time the kingdom of Lacedemonia began where first raigned Euristhenes of whom descended Leonidas and Cleomenes two valiant captains which ouerthrew the Persians in the great battell at Thermophila About this time descended the stocke of
ladies were absent came the Macedonian lords in forme and shew of ladies and perfourmed the wil of Alexander in all points when they saw occasion offred At this time Pisistratus that gouerned Athens had a sonne named Hippias which was banished his countrey for his crueltie toward the citizens and was with Darius who hearing that his brother Hipparchus was slaine made meanes to Darius that hee would vouchsafe to ayde him to his countrey which was the rather granted for that Darius was offended with the Athenians for that they aided the Ionians against him in that warre called bellum Ionicum when they tooke Sardis and burned it He caused presently a hundreth thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen to accompany Hippias to Athens who whē they came within two mile of Athens the Athenians with these newes were sore afrighted stood in great doubt whether to yeelde or to resist them vntill Miltiades a famous captaine comforted them by the coūsell of Callimachus tooke in hand to fight with the Persians He had tenne thousand of Athens and ten thousand Platenses here was his whole force but in that battel that noble fellow Miltiades and Callimachus with his Greekes gaue the ouerthrowe to the Persians in the fields called Marathon to the nomber of sixe thousand three hundreth by the counsel of Callimachus Thus much Melancthon affirmeth but Iustinus saith that there were sixe hundreth thousande Persians of the which saith hee two hundreth thousande were slaine and the rest put to flight but this warrewas after that which was at Marathon when Darius vpon the hearing of these newes was three yeeres in preparing for it With this Miltiades flourished in this warre Themistocles a gallant yong gentleman of Athens this Themistocles was wont to say after that fielde fought in Marathon and the Persians vanquished that the victories and triumphes of Miltiades could not suffer him to sleepe but his sonne Xerxes perfourmed it as it shal be spoken hereafter In Esdras it is referred to Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon whom the Hebrewes tooke to be Asuerus Hitherunto Eusebius doeth agree In this warre Pisistratus two sonnes died Hipparchus and Hippias Hipparchus Plato so commended him that he was cōuersant with learned men he loued Simonides he brought Homers Iliads first to Athens caused the Grecians in any solemne meeting to sing Homers verses his delight was to preferre learned men and to reuerence wise men and for that onely cause he was esteemed the wisest man of Athens But to Darius againe whom Zonaras saide that he was the husband of Esther which in the Scripture is called Asuerus Melancthon writeth that Darius Histaspis was that Assuerus that maried Esther and here the history of Esther might be well brought in sauing it is in the Bible for Herodotus saith that Darius maried two women the one named Aristona which may be the name of Esther as wel as the name of Vasthi to be Atossa which was Cyrus daughter on whom he got Xerxes who succeeded after him though Artabazanes the eldest sonne by Aristona or Esther made claime to the kingdom and opposed himselfe against Xerxes yet whē Darius made warres with the Grecians and afterward with the Egyptiās in the which iourney Darius died he appointed Xerxes to gouerne Persia in his absence and to be king after him if he should die in warres for that his mother was Cyrus daughter and for that Cyrus was called by the Persians Pater patriae The goodnes of this king was fully proued at what time the Church was miserably afflicted by that wicked Haman and hindred by that cruel Cambyses against the decree of Cyrus he confirmed the decree and gaue licence and full libertie for the Iewes to build their temple according to Cyrus decree for God raised Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes Nabuchodonosor Euilmerodach to be pillars and defenders of his Church When Darius had raigned 36. yeeres he died in whose dayes the kings of Rome ended their kingdom and their monarchie fel to a new forme of state called Aristocratia In the time of Darius raigned Aristodemus in Cuma a towne of Italy not as king but as a tyrant with whom the barbarous nations had open warres This cōtention betwene Artabazanes Xerxes was ended by Instaphernes but Herodianus saith by Demaratus Ariston to both their liking iudging the crown to be Xerxes according to Darius will and the request of Persia and Artabazenes so satisfied that one loued another In Darius Histaspis time raigned in Madonia Alexander Amintas sonne their 10. king Herodotus also this age wrote his history which after it was read in Athens he was of more credite amongst the Grecians though Strabo called his booke Mythistoriam fabulous histories as Budeus writeth Sophocles and Euripides liued in Darius time and Socrates was borne Darius Histaspis a litle before he died after he had heard the newes of the Grecians victorie at Marathon being before offended with the Athenians for that they inuaded Sardis now ten times more kindled to reuenge these iniuries posting all Asia and sending to all his prouinces prepared such force that he was three yeeres in prouiding men and munitions against the Grecians at which the Egyptians reuolted from Darius which were by Cambyses before subdued he then had thought to make his voyage to Egypt and appoynted Xerxes his sonne by Cyrus daughter Atossa to gouerne in his absence Persia betweene whome and his brother Artabazanes some strife as you heard before grewe about the gouernment But Xerxes after his fathers death was the fourth king of Persia who taking that warre in hande against the Egyptians which his father Darius thought to haue taken had hee not bene by death preuented not yet thinking to reuenge the Greekes vntill Mardonius his aunts sonne had perswaded him He gathered such an armie as the like is not read sauing of Tamberlane the Scythian king of whom the history is publike this great preparation of Xerxes was consulted and throughly waighed before it was taken in hand for Artabanus Xerxes owne brother thought it not a necessarie warre Mardonius his neere kinseman perswaded the contrary saying that Xerxes with that force might bring all Europe subiect to the Empire of Asia Mardonius sentence preuailed Xerxes made readie his armies the nomber were so many as scant could bee accompted for hee had twelue hundreth and seuen Nauies the Scythians and the Persians the Phaenicians which dwelt in the lande of Palestine brought three hundreth nauies the Egyptians two hundreth the Cyprians one hundrerh the Silicians one hundreth and the Licians brought fiftie nauies Dores which dwell in Asia brought thirtie they of Caria brought seuentie the Ionians an hundreth nauies the Aeolians threescore and the inhabitants of Helespont brought an hundreth nauies so that Herodotus accompts the whole nomber of the nauies to be three thousand but Iustine writeth that Xerxes had in his companie towardes Greece
life of Agesilaus for it is set foorth in Plutarch euen from his youth his maners his warres his victories in such sort that Epaminondas though then his enemie at the battell at Leuctres before and after wondred much at his magnanimitie and commended much his agilitie courage and wisedome reade Plutarch of this and Zenophon where hee wrote an noble oration in the prayse of Agesilaus yet I will leaue the warres betweene them both concerning the libertie of the Boetians vntill some other place where more shal be spoken Zenophon was great with Agesilaus and in person present in all the warres whom he much loued and honoured to be short Sparta thought themselues happie to haue such a king but I omit vntill better occasion be offered to speake further of Agesilaus Nowe to the Lacedemonians againe whose kinges ended in Alcanes the ninth king being the last after that the Lacedemonians had a Monarchie vnder kings for three hundred and odde yeeres and nowe at the fall of the kings of Lacedemonia in the time of this king Egemnon which was the ninth king of Corinth diuers kingdomes sprang vp together as the kingdome of Assyria at what time Sardanapalus the last king there raigned of thirtie eight kings nowe translated vnto the Chaldeans by Phul Belochus The Medes this time beginne a kingdome vnder Arbaces and the Macedonians their newe kingdome vnder Caranus their first king and within fourtie yeeres after beganne the kingdome of Lydia and within thirtie yeeres after beganne Romulus his Empire in Rome so that within one hundred yeeres one after another sprang these fiue kingdomes The kingdom of new Assyria The kingdome of Media The kingdome of Macedonia The kingdome of Lydia And the Romanes beganne to haue footing and kings beganne to flourish about which time the kingdome of Corinth decayed after the raignement of twelue kings which gouerned wel nigh three hundred yeeres Now that the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians had a fall in their kings and that the state of their gouernment was altered to an other forme as before the Argiues and the Peloponesians the Athenians the Thessalians whereof that gouernment I meane of kings translated to another forme so likewise nowe the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians together were changed from Kings to Iudges and other popular Magistrates And as in Greece one countrie began with the other so one fell with the other and so I hasten to the historie of Greece whereof nothing yet is spoken but the accompting of time sauing the warres that the Grecians had with the kings of Persia and with the kings of the Medes for the first tribute that euer was paid out of Greece vnto any barbarous king was vnto Croesus the last king Lydia so long Greece florished as long as they had not ciuill warres betweene them selues which was the onely cause of the whole destruction of Greece otherwayes Asia Persia Media Lydia and Scythia felt the value of Greece enuied their fame and sought to ouerthrow their glorie and could not For Plutarch in the life of Solon sayth that Licurgus was the eleuenth person that descended from the right line of Hercules great controuersie there is amongst Historiographers concerning Licurgus time of his parentage and of his trauell out of his countrie they haue written diuersly of his gouernmēt of his lawes of his death but specially they vary of the time he liued in some will haue him in Iphitus time Aristotle is of that opinion others say that he was long before any of the Olympiads as Eratosthenes but Zenophon affirmeth that hee was of great antiquitie he was in the time of Heraclides which were neerest of blood vnto Hercules but howe so euer it is agreed it seemeth it should not be long from Homers time for that he was the first that brought the vnknowen poemes of Homer to light in Greece Chronographers varie much about the time of these men vnder written for in antiquitie of time they seeme more fabulous then historicall Hermes Tris. Homer Pythagoras Linus Orpheus Lycurgus Cyrus Romulus With infinite more which I omitte here to name CHAP. IIII. Of the generall gouernment in all the Cities of Greece from Lycurgus time the king and the lawmaker in Sparta vntill the comming of Xerxes the great the fourth king of Persia into Greece of Lycurgus lawes among the Lacedemonians and of Solons lawes among the Athenians THus Lycurgus being singular rare and wise in his doings first consulted with the oracles of Apollo at Delphus changeth the estate of the common wealth instituteth a Senate of the Lacedemonians to the number of twentie eight who should pul downe the furie of the people if neede so required by any innouations against the kings and againe to bridle the tyrannicall gouerment of the kings against the people and a litle after that a supreame authoritie was instituted and giuen to certaine Magistrates called Ephori who should likewise controule the Senate and the kings in their faults Lycurgus made lawes for the women of Lacedemonia and instituted disciplines for the maides to exercise therein as to runne to wrastle to cast the dart to throwe the barre hee made lawes touching mariage and appointed order for education of children they were taught after seuen yeeres of age howe to obey to susteine paine to endure labour and to continue in fight they were cōpelled to shaue their heads to goe bare legged to vse all kinde of exercise naked they laye together on a bedde of strawe which they them selues made of the toppes of reedes or canes that growe in the riuer Eurotas Licurgus also appointed them streight diet taught them short speach little meate and fewe wordes hereby grewe the Lacedemonians to be the onely famous people of the world the most endured souldiers and the most able men of body The like lawe Bochoris made in Egypt for the education of their children they might not exceede in expences vpon any male childe borne aboue twentie drachmes then either streight hee shoulde bee exercised a souldier in the fielde or with the priestes in Astronomie and Arithmetike or else if he were not a likely childe of limme and body fitte for a souldier he should be put with shepheards husbandmen or with some craftesmen for he might not be idle in Egypt It seemed that both Lycurgus and Solon brought from Egypt their lawes into Greece for all confesse that Egypt was mater artium Lycurgus appointed an order for buriall amongst the Lacedemonians hee did cut off all superstition of places but onely to lappe the corps within a red cloth and spread it ouer with oliue leaues commaunding by his law that they should not mourne for the dead past eleuen dayes on the twelfth day to doe sacrifice to Proserpina and to giue ouer mourning This streight kind of gouernment bred due obedience in Sparta that of Sparta none should traueile without licence And amongst the
Thebes who not only restored the Thebanes diuers times their libertie but also resisted the violence of the Lacedemonians and ouerthrewe their Seigniorie and brought Sparta so vnder foote that these two valiant captaines did breake and cut in sunder the lincks and chaines that made the Lacedemonians strong The Lacedemoniās who at that time were almost lords and masters of al Greece had diuers ouerthrowes by Pelopidas such was his good successe that during his life as Plutarch affirmeth he was gouernour of Boetia or general ouer the Thebanes he wanne the victorie of the Lacedemonians at the battell of Tegira where none else then Pelopidas might callenge any part of that victorie thereupon a new supplie was sent from Lacedemon to Tegira where a newe battell was presently offred to Pelopidas in the which battell he had the victorie and slew both the generals aswell him that with a new armie came from Sparta to Tegira as also the other which had the ouerthrow Now as the Thebanes waxed strong by the meanes of these two Captaines Epaminondas and Pelopidas so were they also ouerthrowen by diuers as by the Plateans and Boetians But Sparta was much molested with the Thebanes so that by happie successe of Pelopidas many victories were wonne and specially at the battell of Leuctres where both Pelopidas and Epaminondas played the champions for Epaminondas being generall brought all his power and force to giue the charge vpon Cleombrotus then king of Sparta with great furie Pelopidas perceiuing the intent of the Lacedemonians together with Epaminondas set vpon Cleombrotus before he could order his armie with such incredible courage that the Lacedemonians the only souldiers in martial discipline were driuen beside their skill and wonted courage of sighting to turne their backes and to take their flight and there were slaine that day more Lacedemonians in that battell then we reade of in any former battel Their king was slaine and a thousand of the best of authoritie the most part noble men of Lacedemon and almost brought to vtter ruine for this warre at Leuctres was as famous as any one battell of Greece This time only was Epaminondas gouernour of Boetia and generall of the armie afterward they were both gouernours of Boetia together at what time they both inuaded the countrey of Peloponesus and made the cities to rebel against the Lacedemonians passed ouer the riuer of Eurotas with seuentie thousand men and tooke many litle townes of the Lacedemonians wasted and destroyed all the countrey to the sea side The reputation of these two men Pelopidas and Epaminondas made all men most willingly to march vnder their conduction This great battel at Leuctres happened in the 32. yeres of Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon 29. yeeres after Lisander had brought Athens in subiection in the 102. Olympiad before Alexanders raigne 36. yeres so long held the Lacedemonians the Empire of Greece after the victory of Lisander at Athens which was thirtie yeeres And now Sparta is brought into that misery by Epaminondas Pelopidas as Athens was by Lisander the only two lampes of Greece the two eyes and the two legges of Greece and yet the only two that were the cause of the destruction of Greece The cause of these great and long ciuil warres seemed in the beginning but small but as Pindarus saith Scintilla parua magnam syluam comburit and so it came to passe by occasion of a litle contention betweene the Athenians and the Magareans de luco incenso The Athenians made a decree that it was not lawfull for any of Megara to enter into any part of Attica this was thought iniurious and therefore complaint was made vnto the Lacedemonians who sending messengers vnto Pericles the chiefe gouernour of Athens to entreate that that decree should not stand Pericles answered that the Lacedemonians sought a thing of small moment but that the example of the fault was intollerable and therefore the Lacedemonians should commaunde Pericles and all Athens in causes of greater waight This grew into such suspition with the Lacedemonians that warres of 27. yeeres came of it which was called Bellum Peloponesiacum the Peloponesians warre This spoyled and wasted Greece this warre full ended the glorie of Greece and brought the whole Empire to ruine to whom within 50. yeres before this warre all Asia was brought subiect as Xerxes could well witnes that Greece florished when he was forced with shame and losse secretly in a small boate to scape into Persia which Xerxes entred Greece with tenne hundred thousand souldiers with 1200. nauies some write 3000 Hee that thought Hellespont could not containe the nomber of his nauies and supposed that all Greece were not able to receiue his armie euen hee after that incontinently lost foure great battels and was like a coward driuen out of Greece leauing Mardonius his lieutenant with three hundred thousand souldiers behinde him who likewise at the battell of Platea was slaine and his armie ouerthrowen Then Greece flourished when Darius Histaspis which was Xerxes father had the ouerthrow at the great battell of Marathon at which time that noble and valiant man Miltiades was generall for Athens Then flourished Greece when the Lacedemonians liued after the lawes of Lycurgus and when the Athenians kept the lawes of Solon Then flourished Athens when the reuenues of Athens came yerely to the accompts of sixe hundreth talents nay it is written that Demetrius Phalerius which then gouerned Athens had yeerely comming into the treasure house twelue hūdred talents to the which Budeus doeth agree The citie of Athens flowed in wealth when that Isocrates could get 20. talents for one Oration and when Demosthenes had of Harpalus 20. talents for one dayes silence When the Athenians tooke the Isle Cythera and the castle Nisaea which was the only strēgth of Megara when they vanquished the Lacedemonians at Epidaurus and compelled them to make league with the Persians and craued their ayde and helpe against the Athenians when Thrasillus gaue an ouerthrow to the Lacedemonians by sea and to their general Mindarus betweene Sestos and Abydos and yet they lost more then they gained by the Lacedemonians such was then their malice as Cleon the Athenian and Brasidas the Lacedemonian two valiant captaines in the battell at Amphipolis fought so that they were both slaine and all their souldiers so in like sort was all Greece destroyed by ciuil warres such was the malice and enuie that one citie bare to another in the time of the Peloponesian warre For from the battell at Salamina where Xerxes had the great ouerthrow vntill the battell at Leuctres these iolie captaines flourished at Athens Callimachus Miltiades Themistocles Aristides Phocion Cimon Pericles Alcibiades Nicias Conon Thrasibulus Thrasillus Leosthenes Nicostratus Aristonymus Cleon. Aristarchus Theagenes With many such but specially with one Solon who beautified Athens before But nowe Athens by this ciuill warres is
others were in this kings time After this Philip succeeded Europus the 7. king of Macedonia of whom as of the rest nothing is to be written worth the memorie for yet the name of Macedonia was no further knowen then to their neighbours which were the Thracians Illyrians Thessalians for all the fame and report of the whole world the Chaldeans and the Assyrians had for they helde the monarchie so long that though the Egyptians flourished at one time and gaue them sundrie battels at their noses in Assyria and likewise the Hebrewes gaue diuers ouerthrowes in Iosaphats time Ezechias and Iosias kings of Iuda yet they continued welnigh thirteene hundreth yeres lords and monarches of the world vntil the Medes began to plague them and had taken the monarchie from them And then the Persians tooke it frō them of whom al writers were busie to write their warres their battels and of their conquest vntill the time of Alexander the great which is yet to come in the hundreth and fourteene Olympiads and now I entreat of histories of those kingdomes done in the 43. Olympiad which is 300. yeres for so long was betweene the first of Nabuchodonosor which was in the 17. Iubilee and the last of Alexander which was in the 23. Iubilee which is sixe Iubilees which is 300. yeeres for euery Iubilee is 50. yeeres It doeth agree with the Olympiads so farre am I behind to speake any great matter of the Macedonians sauing of Philippe Alexanders father a historie of two hundreth yeeres and therefore I will hasten to runne ouer the names of the first kings Alcetas the 8. king of Macedonia raigned 29. yeeres after whom succeeded Amintas the ninth king of Macedonia which raigned 50. yeeres Of this Amintas Iustine writeth a historie that when the Persians had sent ambassadours into Macedonia to entreate of peace in their wine they began wantonly and rudely to handle certaine ladies and gentlewomen of Macedonia Alexander the sōne of Amintas a yong galant prince being hereby much moued entreated his father an old man to take his rest that night said he would entertaine and keepe company with the ambassadors of Persia who were wel whittled with wine the ladies being desirous to depart were kept against their will vnder Alexander the yong prince promised other ladies to beare them company the rest of the night Now Alexander got certaine yong gentlemen in the habit forme of women hauing vnder their long clothes their naked daggers and commanded them that when the Persian ambassadours should abuse them or offer them any villany they should out of hand stabbe them which was accordingly brought to passe vpon this occasion warre was proclaimed betweene the Persians and the Macedonians Bubares was sent with an armie of Persians into Macedonia who after hee had seene Cygaea the daughter of king Amintas he was more prone to loue then bent to warre he maried Cygaea thereby peace was had betweene the Macedonians and the Persians About this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Polycrates the tyrant of Samos of this Polycrates successe happines and great fortune of his raigne read Herodotus The same time were the most part of kings called tyrants they were so ful of blood Tarquinius superbus the seuenth and last king of the Romanes for his great tyrannie and outragiousnes and for the wicked abuse of Lucretia by his sonne was odious hatefull to the Romans and became an enemie to Rome Cyrus was in his greatnes this time the only great man of the world for he wanne the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Medes and brought them vnder the Empire of Persia he ouercame also the great and mightie Croesus king of Lydia In Macedonia raigned after Amintas his sonne Alexander this king was accompted riche and not without cause for he had so good successe in encreasing his substance that he first of al sentimages of cleane gold for a gift one to Apollos at Delphos another to Iupiter at Elis. He was greatly giuen to delite his eares in so much that he entertained many that were cunning vpon instruments amongst whom was Pindarus the harper Iu. Solinus saith that Archelaus had the kingdome of Macedonia at this mans hand he was politike in feates of warre and iudged the first deuiser of battel vpon the sea This Archelaus affected the companie of learned men hee so much delighted in learning that hee called Euripides the tragical Poet to be one of his priuie council for whose death afterward Archelaus long mourned and shaued both his head and beard at his funerall After this king the state of Macedonia being much troubled with dissention by the space of 10. kings gouernments was stayed at last in the raigne of Amintas which was father vnto Philip who was father vnto Alexāder the great and for that there is not much to be written of the most part of the kings of Macedonia vnto Philips time I haue set down their names according to Eusebius and Herodot The names of the kings of Macedon according to Eusebius The names of the kings of Macedon according to Herodotus Cranans and Caenus Alexāder the sonne of Amintas Tyrimas and Perdicas Amintas the sonne of Alceta Archaeus and Philippus Aloeta the sonne of Aeropus Europs and Alcetas Aeropus the sonne of Philip. Amintas Alexander Philip the sonne of Argaeus Perdicas and Orestes Argaeus the sonne of Perdicas Archelaus and Pausanias  Armintas and Argaeus  Alexander and Ptolomeus  And Philip Alexand. father  Of these are not much to be spoken as I said before therefore I will begin here with the raigne of Philippe of whom Macedonia had such expectation that they saw in him a light and such readie proofe of him as of one brought vp for three yeeres for an ostage of the king of the Macedonians in one of the chiefest cities of Greece and that in the house of Epaminondas the rarest Philosopher and the greatest captaine of those dayes Now the cities of Greece being full of ciuil warres some of them made meanes to Philip to ayde them and thereby elected him their chiefe generall in short time the occasion being thus offered to Philip he encreased his owne kingdome of Macedonia with the ruine of Greece for first he beganne to make warre vpon the Athenians the second citie of Greece a famous citie and full of ciuill discord which Philip well perceiued and therfore he vsed great celeritie to winne Athens and great policie to keepe Athens being wonne for he fauoured them when he could haue spoiled them he let them goe free without ransome that he tooke in the warres After he had brought Athens to his bow he tooke the most noble citie of Larissa and subdued all the countrey of Thessalie being the next ioyned countrey to Macedonia he fedde diuers captaines secretly in Greece to mooue ciuill seditions knowing that diuision in a kingdome
now the warres were driuen out of Italy into Affrike where Syphax king of Numidia was taken Carthage spoiled and in great want and all Affrike in dispaire he was hereby bent to peace and entreated with Scipio for peace which was offred vpon these conditions that the Affricanss should pay to the Romans 500. thousand poūds But after long talke betwene Scipio and Hanibal no peace was agreed vpon insomuch that Hanibal was constrained to make his last battel this fielde was appointed to be fought where they prepared themselues to battel by the citie of Zama where Scipio had the victory In this battel Masinissa king of Numidia did valiantly this of a yong boy affected much Scipio and he was a sure friend to the Romans al his life Hanibal was welnigh taken in this battel but he escaped and left his tents behinde him where were found 20. thousand pounds of siluer and 800. thousand pounds of gold with infinit other treasures After this victory as Scipio came frō the battel he met with Vermina king Siphax sonne who at that instant brought an armie to ayd the Affricans he likewise was put to flight and followed into Carthage gate When the Carthagineans heard that Scipio was marching towards them they were much dismayed therby and sent to intreat for peace being aduertised that Hanibal was ouerthrowen and put to flight this peace was granted by Scipio vnto Carthage vpon such conditions as pleased best the conquerour Now after that Affrike was conquered no nation then was ashamed to be ouercome by the Romans for Affrike was made a prouince and as it were an open passage to encrease enlarge the empire of Rome When Scipio had broght the Affricanes subiect vnder the Romans before he departed frō Affrica he restored Masinissa to his kingdom againe adding therunto the best part of king Siphax countrey After this Scipio entred into Rome with pompe great triumph of the maner thereof I shal haue better cause to set down in the Romane history Thus was the end of the second Punick war which endured 19. yeres as Eutropius saith others affirme but 17. yeres There is an history extant in Appiā how Hanibal Scipio fought hand to hand in this battel after them how Masinissa and Hanibal fought very egerly with such bloody strokes that both were rescued twise or thrise Read Appian and Polibius of this battel We reade not of such a triumph as Scipio had though many had more shewes in plates treasures captiues prisoners as Silla Marius Pompey Caesar with others yet the cōquest of one Hanibal was such a thing all Affrike being on his side and almost all Italy as did more aduance the triumph of Scipio then all the aforesaid triumphes for during the space of 17. yeres the Romanes had more to do with one Hanibal then they had with all the kings of Asia and Europe at one time The battels of this second warre of Affrica were equall to either Alexander or Xerxes as the battel of Ticinū where Sempronius the Consul was slaine the second at the riuer Trebia where Pub. Aemilius the Consul was slaine the thirde at the lake Thrasimene where Manlius the Consul was slaine and all his armie the fourth at Cannes the fift at Sana and the sixt at Zama where Hanibal was put to flight And yet these two famous captaines had some enemies at home that enuied their glorie and great renowme It was a common saying Hanibal had in Carthage his Hanno and Scipio had in Rome his Fabius but because I shall haue occasion to speake of these two valiant captaines in diuers other places I will briefly passe to the thirde warres of Affrike which happened 52. yeres after these second warres Now what dealings fel in other countreis during the time of these 17. yeeres warres you shall reade that about the beginning of this second warre that Ptolomey Philopater king of Egypt he had warres against the Iewes spoiled Ierusalem prophaned the temple of Salomon and troubled all Iudea This very time the Rhodians waged warres against the Bizantians and the people of Creete had warres with the nations about them called the Gnosians and Litians Polibius in his fourth booke likewise sayeth that Mithridates king of Pontus had warres with the king of Sinopenses About this time the warres of Syria beganne betwene Antiochus the great king of Asia and Ptolomey Philopator king of Egypt for Hanibal fled this time from Affrike to Asia to Antiochus after he was cōquered by Scipio at Zama During these Punicke warres Hiero the king of Sicilia died which ayded the Affricanes against the Romanes in the first warres and his sonne named Hieronimus succeeded him who for his great insolencie and pride was slaine by his owne people This time the Macedonians had a great ouerthrow by the Romanes by the citie Appolonia at what time Nenius Crispus was generall for Rome Likewise Nicanor sirnamed Sicamber had the like ouerthrow by the king of Orchades During this warre Attalus king of Asia Pleuratus king of Thracia and Scerdiletus king of Illyria became in league with the Romans at what time warre was proclaimed by the Romanes against king Philip of Macedonia This time raigned in Parthia Pampatius otherwise by Iustine called Phrahartes the thirde king of Parthia Liuie doeth write that about this time a childe was borne with a Sowes head and other fabulous things in that place as an oxe to speake with mans voice The Samaritans annoyed much Iudea this time The Romanes lost more Senators Consuls noblemen and gentlemen in this second warre of Affrike then they did in conquering of Macedonia Egypt Syria and Asia And yet in ciuil warres betwene Silla and Marius I finde in Eutropius such slaughters of Consuls Praetors Aediles and Senatours as the nomber shal be set downe in the ciuill warres of Rome CHAP. III. Of the thirde and last Affricane warres betweene the Romanes and the Carthagineans which endured foure yeres of the ouerthrow of Carthage and Numantia of the ruine and last conquest of Affrica by the Romanes THe state of Affrike being by their last seconde warre weakened and almost brought to nothing by the Romanes the Affricanes were two and fiftie yeeres in recouering any strength either to defend themselues or to offend others in the meane time the Romanes very ambitious and very impatient to heare of any kingdome to flourish hauing waged warre with the Affricanes 24. yeeres the first time and 17. yeeres the second time and that out of Italy such nations and sundrie kings yea with all Affrica which is described to bee welnigh the thirde part of the world hauing I say conquered all Affrike and Libya the Romanes proclaimed warre against Philippe king of Macedonia there T. Quintus Flaminius had such good successe that peace was concluded vpon such conditions as pleased Flaminius Then had they warres against the Lacedemonians
Basilides and Menander the successor of Simon Magus of whom in Ecclesiasticall historie you may reade more The fault of this Adrian was that hee enuied the glory of Traianus and was most ambitious of honor and fame otherwise he aduauntaged the common weale of Rome more then any for as I saide he was called the father of the Countrie and his wife Sabina was also called Augusta hee ordeyned lawes to the Athenians which hee himselfe pickt out of Draco and of Solons lawes hee in person traueiled all the Empire of Rome hee builded a faire Temple vnto Venus hee was very circumspect about the treasurie and when hee had reigned twentie two yeeres hee died in most miserable paines in Campania about the age of threescore offering himselfe to bee slaine to any of his deare friendes These were the chiefe men in Rome when Adrianus reigned Amilius Aelianus Lucius Verus Acilius Auiola Cornelius Pasna C. Bellicius Torquatus Catilius Seuerus Titus Aurelius Fuluius which succeeded Adri anus in the Empire Titus Appronianus Quintus Agulinus Salinator and Rusticus Att. Titianus M. Acilius Glabriotus Auius Libo Iuuentius Celsus and Neratius Marcellinus Lenas Pontianus Antoninus Ruffinus Sergius Seruianus Seruilius Hasta and Valerius Messala With many other great men which then gouerned as officers and magistrates in Rome when Adrianus raigned in whose time such earthquakes fel that Nicopolis and Caesarea 2. great townes in Palestina fell to the very grounde in the one and in the other earthquake in Macedonia a great city and the most part of Nycena lay prostrate on the ground which was rebuilded by Adrianus This time reuolted the Brytanes from the Romanes but were by Trebelius as Spartianus writeth mitigated and brought againe to subiection Titus Aurelius Fuluius succeeded Adrianus in the Empire by adoption This was also called Antoninus Pius for the great pitie and gentlenesse which he vsed towardes all men A good Emperour compared of writers to that religious king Numa Pompilius in like sort as Traianus was likened to Romulus he was beloued as a father and feared as a king He was borne in Gallia Transalpina in a citie named Nemesa which in the time of Iulius Caesar was established a Colonie of Rome The Indians Hircanians and Bactrians sent Embassadours with giftes and presents to honour him He was wont to say that he had rather saue one friende then destroy a thousand enemies The people woulde often call him by these names Lord King Emperour Iudge Patrone and father he endeuoured himselfe rather to defend then to amplifie and the Empire he assigned to the most honest men the graue the learned and the iust men to haue offices and to beare rule in the citie he aduanced good men and detested euill men and vsed no rigour nor crueltie to them Kings and captaines in his time laide aside their warres and would bring their controuersies and quarels to be decided by the Emperour Antoninus Pius he was so iust and so pitifull in all causes towards all men that therein he farre excelled all the Emperours he much honoured learned men and had in his dayes many of them in his Court with him In his time was Alexander Seuerus borne which after was Emperour of Rome During the time of his whole gouernment which was 23. yeeres and 3. moneths there was neither warres nor quarels in Rome In this time flourished many excellent men as these vnderwritten Galenus the mirrour of Phisitions Ptolomeus the great Astrologer Apolonius Basilides 2. great Philosophers and scholemaster to the Emperour Verus Nesomedes a Musition Taurus a Philospher of Platoes sect Arrianus a Philosopher in Nicomedia Maximus surnamed Tyrus likewise a great Philosopher At this time the Iewes beganne to fall into a furie to kill both the Greekes and the Romanes and to practise much tyrannie both in Egypt and Alexandria and in Palestina at what time gouerned Tinius Rufus in Iudea vnder the Romanes but they were soone pacified and quieted CHAP. IX Of the good Emperour Ma. Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher and of his sonne Comodus of the difference in their gouernment of the loue which the father had in Rome and of the hatred and contempt which the sonne had of the murther and slaughter of diuers Emperours from M. Antoninus the 17. Emperour vntil the time of Dioclesian the 38. Emperour AFter Titus Antoninus succeeded Marcus Antoninus Verus in the Empire a man of rare vertues borne of a great stocke for his descent was by the fathers side from Numa Pompilius and by his mothers side from king Salentinus This Emperor was a very learned man and he raigned ioyntly with Lucius Antoninus for in his dayes the Romanes began to haue two Emperours of equall authoritie to gouerne the common weale These two were as Eutropius saith brethren and they waged battell against the Parthians which neuer rebelled from Traianus time by whom they were conquered vntill Marcus Antoninus time But they also conquered the Parthians rounde and brought a triumph and did solemnize the same with his brother This Verus Antoninus atchieued sundrie victories he wan Seleucia a famous citie of Assyria by meanes of these noble captains Statius Priscus which subdued Armenia that then rebelled and Auidius Cassius which likewise kept Media and Babylon in subiection But as this Lucius departed from the citie Concordia he died of an issue of blood after whome againe Marcus Antoninus gouerned as Emperour more to be maruei led at for his rare vertues then to be commended for his singuler learning This professed not in outwarde shew to be a Philosopher but in liuing He was had in such admiration euen from his infancie for his graue behauiour and sober life that Adrianus purposed then he being but a childe to leaue him as his successor In philosophie he was instructed by Apollonius a Chalcedonian Philosopher and he was brought vp in the Greeke tongue by Sextus Cherronesus nephewe to Plutarch the Emperour in the Latine tongue he was brought vp with Frontus a very great Orator so that Marcus Antoninus excelled all other Emperours in all kinde of knowledge he was exceeding liberall as at his warres which he had against the Marcomenes where the Vandales the Sarmatians and al Barbarie were ready to mainteine warres against the Romanes were seene for he made open sale of his plate he solde all his apparell and solde diuers iewels and ornaments of precious stones he solde all his substance to auoyde the exactions of his subiects But the victorie which then he obtained repayed all his debtes and brought againe his plate his iewels and all other his substance home for it is written that these warres continued three yeeres and were the most terrible warres and equall to the warres of Carthage And when he had reduced Rome to a most fortunate state and had raigned to the contentation of all men 18. yeeres and had liued 61. yeeres
from the Consuls time vntill this time for the glorie of the Romanes excelled all the nations of the worlde in power and fame vntill tyrannie murther and persecution filled the streetes of Rome with blood whereby their glorie decayed and their state diminished Licinius Valerianns of whome I made mention a little before beganne his Empire in the yeere after Christes incarnation 256. who had the gouernement then of Rhoetia and Noricus being made by the souldiers Caesar soone after Augustus At what time Galienus also was created Caesar at Rome by the assent of the Senate and this was the onely occasion why so many Emperours of Rome were murthered to haue two Emperours at one time of equall authoritie to gouerne which kingdomes principality could neuer wel abide For after the authoritie of the Consuls ceased they created in the place of 2. consuls two Caesars which should gouerne ioyntly the one in the citie the other abroad These 2. Caesars practised more cōspiracy one to destroy another to haue sole gouernment ouer the empire then they vsed diligence care together to saue the empire for euery Caesar had great desire and was much ambicious howe hee might be created Augustus which was the greatest name of dignitie among the Romanes Thus the state of Rome by ambitious mens gouernement became at length to haue so many Caesars in the field as then pleased the souldiers and to haue so many Augustus in Rome as pleased the Citizens vntill the Germanes Gothes Vandales Hungarians Frenchmem with other nations might as well come with an armie into Italie and beard the Romanes in their Countrey as the Romanes might come out of Rome to commence warre any where out of Italie For nowe in the time of these two Caesars Licinius and Galienus the Germanes grewe so bolde that they entred within Italie and approched into the Citie Rauenna at what time the other Caesar Licinius was discōfited taken prisoner by Constantine at Nicomedia a city in Bythinia was slaine contrary to the oth promes which Constantiine made him yet had espoused Constantia Constantines sister Nowe the Almanes had spoyled France and inuaded Italie Greece Macedonia Pontus and all Asia were ouer runne by the Germanes and the Gothes These which were brought before by Traianus by Augustus vnder the Romane Empire are nowe by foreiners vanquished the cause was the Romanes anoied the Romanes euen as Pyrrus sayd or as Hanibal vnto Antiochus that the Romans must be conquered with Romanes which is now seene in the time of these Caesars for now the Parthians base people and seruants sometime of the Macedonians after they had gottē Mesopotamia they pretended to claime a title to Syria For nowe the strength of Romanes began to faile and their kingdomes and their teritories reuolted from them and went to wrecke For at that very time a base Frenchman called Posthumius intruded into the Romane Empire and gouerned the same by the space of tenne yeeres but he was slaine by the souldiers in a tumult by the snares of Lollianus After Posthumius a man of a meane occupation a handy craft man named Marius got the empire into his hand the next day after was slaine This time Lollianus also began another cōspiracy at what time Victorinus gouerned France who was slaine in the city Agrippa through the treason of one Acturius for that he defloured many maides matrons and gaue himselfe altogether to a filthie life See and marke the state of Rome in Lycinius Gallienus time First Posthumius his sonne were slaine by the conspiracie of Lollianus Lollianus slaine by the treason of Marius Marius also dispatched out of the way by Victorinus Victorinus killed by Acturius after whō succeeded Tetricus the Senator who in like sort as others were was by Aureolus slayne Aureolus after he had concluded peace with Gallienus and Valerianus who were both slaine at Millaine reigned alone See the murther slaughter of Emperors in Rome in those dayes for an Emperour was no sooner made but he either was killed violently or murthered secretly For Rome in those dayes was the onely Theater of tyrannie and so continued vntill a great part of the Empire was taken into Constantinople and within a while after it was fully gone into Germanie so they kept the name of an Emperour onely for a time but the dignity was decayed in Rome and beganne to flourish in other places After that time Aureolus in the 9. yere of his raigne was likewise slaine by Flauius Claudius a very good Emperour for he recouered againe many things which were gone to decay during the reigne of Licinius and Gallienus he was chosen Caesar by the souldiers created Augustus by the Senate a iust man and fitte to gouerne the weale publike he brought againe the Gothes the Macedonians and the Illyrianes vnder the Romane yoke and wanted but time onely to bring the other countreyes which were lost by his Predecessors vnder the Romanes but he died too timely when he had reigned but 19. moneths after whome succeeded Quintilius brother vnto Claudius and was nominated Emperour by the consent of the souldiers and for that he was a man of singular fobriety worthy to be compared with his brother Claudius he was by the Senate created Augustus and he continued but 17. dayes but he was slaine Eutropius saith that Flauius Claudius the Emperour had a golden Target hanged vp in the Councell house and had also in the capitoll a golden Image set vp for a perpetuall memorie of him and he appointed before he died that Aurelius Valerianus should reigne after him a stout Emperour and one that subdued the Marcomanes which then did spoile waste Millaine and the countreyes about He also subdued the Thracians the Illyrians he ouercame the Gothes and slue their captaine Cannaba beyond the riuer of Danubus After this he commenced wars in the East countreyes where Odenatus king of Palmirea had gotten many prouinces out of the Romanes hands but he was subdued and his wife Zenobia taken prisoner ouer whome Aurelianus the Emperour triumphed and after his triumphes he inuironed the citie with stronger walles he founded a Temple in Rome which he dedicated to the Sunne vpon the which Temple he bestowed an infinite deale of golde and precious stones Aurelianus after he had reigned 6. yeres he was slain through the treason of his own seruants in the mid way betwene Constantinople and Heraclea in a place called Cenophrurium but his death was not vnreuēged after that this Aurelianus was slain Rome was without an Emperor for 7. monethes vntill Annius Tacitus was elected Caesar a man of such good conuersation as was meet to gouern an empire Howbeit he deceased within 6. moneths was by death preuented as his successor Florianus who in like maner as Tacitus raigned but 2. moneths 20. daies died without any mentiō made