were al martyred in Persia vnder king Sapores The Emperor Constan. wrote to Sapores king of Persia in fauour of the Christians Melanct. lib. 1. Baetica now called Andolosia The Romanes made but two Prouinces of Hispaine Reade of Hispaine Strabo lib. 2. 3. Pomp. Mela lib. 2. cap. 6. Liui lib. 2. All writers are to holde by Moses Controuersie Contentions among Historians From whence came the people after the flood to seeke dwellings The time of Tubals comming to Hispaine Celtiberia called now Byskaâ—… The simplicitie of the first kings not only of Hispaine but euery where Berosus in Nino Annius de reg Hispaniae Tubal died Coniectures in old antiquities allowed Berosus Sabatius Saga The monument of Isis â—…n Egypt Manethon de reg Hispanâ—…e Noah died in Iubaldas time The towne of Babylon Noth died after hee had seene in the world more miserie then any man for that he sawe before the flood and after the idolatrie of the people Genesis 12. Pentapolis fiue cities destroyed Stagnum Asphaltidis Brigus the 4. king The Numidians would be called Hyarbae Drius Druydes priests The simplicitie of the first age after the flood Aureum seculum Consent of time the touchstone of trueth Genesis 22. A temple builded and dedicated to Ianus Tagus the fift king The old kings of Hispaine are set downe by Manethon as the kings of Assyria are by Berosus Abraham died Belus the sixt king Sem liued 600. yeeres Plato in Timâ—…o Herodot lib. 2. and 3. Deabus found the first mines of golde Mena is supposed to be Osiris which Moses calleth Mizraim and whom Berosus calleth Oceanus Triphon Anteus Gerion Busiris sound tyrants Annius de regibus Hispaniâ—… Med called gods The kings of Celtiberia were called kings of Hispaine about that time that the kings of Egypt were called Pharaones Nothing among the old kings of Assyria and of Hispaine worth the writing Manethon would fayne haue had cause to write of old Hispaine The 17. Dynasteia of Egypt which endured 103. yeres Lomuini From this Hispanus the couÌ„trey of Hispaine was named Narbon Annius de reg Hisp. Kittim Atlas Manethon de reg Hispaniae 〈◊〉 Sicanus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Spaine Siceleus Hermes Trismegistus Lusius 17. king of Hispaine The onely vse of this history is for consent of time 〈◊〉 kings of â—…ria and the â—…nges of Hispaine gouerned about one time Faunus Priscus Romus 20. king Manethon doeth write more of these historâ—…es Palatinus Cacus founde first the vse of yrons Manethon de reg Hispan Erythrus 23. king of Hispaine Aborigenes Gargorus Mellicola the last king of Hispaine Halicar lib. 1. The kings of Hispaine end their monarchie about the time that the Greciaus destroyed Troy Hispaine deuided into prouinces after the raigne of 24. Kings Ioseph lib. 2. cont Apio Strab. lib. 3. Strab. lib. 3. Turdetani were wise men of Hispaine The oracles of Mnestheus The commoditie of Hispaine not well knowen before the Romanes time Mines found by the Romans in Hispaine The auarice of the Romanes Hispaine was gouerned by seueral Magistrates in diuers prouinces for nine hundred yeres after their kings The first subiection vnder the Carthagineans The two Scipioâ—… Asdrub Mago The great victories of Pub. Scipio ouer the Hispaniardes and Carthagineans Bigerra the valure of the two Scipios Three great captaines of Africa Reade Liui. lib. 5. dec 3. The two Scipios slaine were much mourned for in Hispaine The praise of Scipio Scipio sent to Hispaine New Carthage assaulted and subdued by Scipio Asdrubal ouercome Mago Hanibals brother taken by Scipio Asdrubal slain The victories of Scipio ouer Asdrubal Hanno slaine King Syphax taken by Scipio Liui. 4. Scipios commendation of Iugurth Micipsa adopted Iugurth for his sonne Viriatus called the Hercules of Hispaine Vitilius and Q. Pompeius two Consuls ouerthrowen by Viriatus The names of Scipio knowen in Hispaine Famea and Asdrubal Sertorius Carthage aided by the Hispaniardes Sertorius a noble valiant Romane Metellus Cn. Pompeius sent to Hispaine against Sertorius Pompey and Metellus triumphed ouer Hispaine vpon one day at Rome M. Cato Spaine last conquered by Iul. Caesar. Augustus Caesar so honoured that the Spaniarâ—…s compted their yeres from Augâ—…stus time A Er. A. Hegyra Indictiones What time the Gentiles began to accompt their yeeres Hispaine vnder the Romanes 420. yeeres The time that Râ—…me flourished Germanie of no name before Augustus time Blondus Ritius Gundericus began in Hispaine when Faramundus beganne in Fraunce Reade â—…idus lib. 10. cap. 26. Pelagius Rodericus Muza Foure hundreth thousand Saracens inuaded Fraunce Saracens inuaded France the thirde time Car. Martellus had diuers victories ouer the Saracens Aygolandus king of the Saracens Abumalach 1 Pelagius the first king of Astura 2 3 4 alphonsus sonne named Catholike Phroilla the 4. king 5 6 Certaine noÌ„ber of yong virgins payed for tribute 7 8 Lusitania is now Portingale 9 Raimiris The spoile and wast of the Saraâ—… in Italy Alphonsus tyrannie Castile reuolted from Ordonius 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Luiterus lib. 5. cap. 1. 20 21 22. 23. 24 25 26. 27. 28. 29 30 Tolyd lib. 5. Illomamolinus 31 Hispaine set much at libertie by FerdinaÌ„dus 32 The force of the Saracens tryed 33 34 35 Alphonsus victorie ouer the Saracens Saracens ouerthrowen in Hispaine 36 Petrus slaine by Henry the second Reade Polyd. more 37 38 39 Lib. 20. The French writers can omit English victories Henry the fift crowned king of Fraunce in Paris 40 1475. 41 The first time that Hispaine was deuided betweene two kings Hispaine fiue â—…euerall times â—…onquered Hispaine first acquainted with India Hispaine began to florish this time and not before Hispaine got her greatest glory by Charls the fift The insolencie of Hispaine of late The decay of one countrie is the aduancing vp another The Hispaniards seifeloue The Pope and Mahomet com pared The long bon dage of Hispaine Ferdinandus sharles the fift Strab. 4. Ioseph lib. 1. cap. 6. Zona lib. 1. cap. 4. Iustine lib. 15. King of Bythinia Lu. Florus lib. 2. cap. 11. Iustine lib. 25. Gallograeci Brennus the Britaine inuaded Italie and tooke Rome Ambigatus Bellenosus and Sigonesus Brennus generall Lomnorius Lutarius The kings of Asia and Syria payed tribute to the Gaulgreekes 15000. talents of the gold of Tolossa Gellius lib. 3. cap. 9. lib. 32. The temple at Tolossa robbed by the Romans Sacriledge reuenged Diod. lib. 5. The sauage and cruell tyranny of the Gallograecians Ruffinus de Origine Gallograec Cneus Manlius triumphed ouer the Gaulgreekes Florus lib. 2. Liuius lib. 8. decad 4. The first comming of the Frenchmen into Germany Gomer Beroal lib. 4. Strab. lib. 4. 5. Mela lib. 2. 5. Solinus cap. 22. Marcomirus slaine by the Gothes The Frenchmen forced to seeke dwellings by the sword They dwelt about the riuer of Rhene and after in Bohemia and about Witenberge Gens aspera bellicosa Brennus driuen from Rome by Camillus
figure thereof he said by the spirite of prophesie that vvhen his sonne Noah vvas borne this should comfort vs concerning our vvorke and sorovv of our hands as concerning the earth vvhich the Lord hath cursed The last man of the first age vvas Noah a iust and vpright man in his time before God hee likevvise vvalked vvith and obeied GOD in all things and therefore found fauour vvith God vvith vvhom God made his couenant established the same vvith a signe for thee only haue I found iust and righteous in this age vpon the earth for Noah vvas called the righteous preacher preaching vnto the vvicked for amendment of life and because they vvere luld in all kind of securities and feared not God Noah departed from them and vvent to another land for hee vvas vvarned of God of things that vvere not seene as yet concerning the Arke God vvas so much offended vvith the vvickednesse of the vvorld that his vvrath vvas kindled to see such iniquitie vpon earth for the whole world was corrupt before God and vvas filled with crueltie all flesh had corrupted his way and all imaginations of mans thoughts were so euil and wicked that it repented the Lorde to haue made man and as it were disauowing man to be his creature they were so addicted to intemperancie lust gluttonie and securitie the foure principall causes of the flood which for sinne destroied man and beast and yet in mercie God spared man 120. yeeres to repent before he woulde destroy the worlde No dout many things haue bene written of the olde Patriarches in the first age and thought of many writers that Adam and his sonne Seth had made two tables of stone wherein they wrote many goodly things to their posterity The best warrant is read in Iosephus for that he trauailed much in the historie of the Iewes and their other histories called Drash for their Rabbies heape many fables beside the historie of Moses in their Chronicles called Drash so Philo Iudaeus Herodot and Melancton from them affirme It is written againe that Adam and Seth foreseeing the deluge of the world caused two pillars to be set vp the one of brickes the other of brasse one to resist the violence of the water the other to endure the rage of the fire but I see no reason that Adam should prophecie the same to be from God and yet he being man sought meanes by naturall reason and waies by arte to preuent the euerlasting decree of the Almighty Iosephus might wel erre in that I thinke that many things are written of the Iewes which doe not agree with the purpose of Gods prouidence nor his counsell for the Iewes recorded in their bookes of histories called Drash any thing that might be coniectured true and which they themselues supposed in opinion to be true as the maners of their Talmudists were Iosephus a great writer of the Iewes antiquities the best Historiographer of Chaldean histories who wrote more and is more to be commended then any other and because he thinketh much amisse for any man to seeke recordes of antiquities amongest the Graecians men of late knowledge hauing their beginning and first originall from Egypt and Chaldea specially Assyria and Chaldea the first seate of man after the flood for the Greekes began to flourish in the declining age of the world when that Assyria Chaldea Egypt and other places of the East were wasted consumed with sword and fire for so it seemeth by the Philosopher Calisthenes report then being with Alexander the Great at the siege of Babylon writing vnto his cosin Aristotle who had bene his preferrer vnto Alexander to that purpose he might search out the Libraries of Babylon and to certifie Aristotle of those antiquities specially of Astrologie wherein the Chaldeans past and of their monuments wherein the Greekes were ignorant for Calisthenes sent vnto Aristotle howe that Babylon was farre more famous for all kind of learning and knowledge twelue hundred yeeres past then it was when Alexander the Great did besiege it certifying him with recordes of 19. hundred yeeres before Alexanders time Berosus an ancient writer and a man of great authoritie amongst the Chaldeans saith that Arphaxad one of the sonnes of Sem whose birth vvas 2. yeeres after the flood christened the first name of this Countrey after his ovvne name aftervvarde it vvas called Cephem and novve last named Chaldea of the situation of this Countrey and the seate of Babylon I vvill let the reader reade of it in Ptolom◅us and in Pomponius Mela. I vvill goe on vvith my historie When C ham the second sonne of Noah had begotten a sonne named Chus and Chus had begotten a sonne named Nemrad this began to take armes and to become great in his doings he became mightie in earth vsing violence and force against all people framing himselfe to be first Emperour of the vvorlde so full of crueltie and tyrannie that it grevve vnto a prouerbe as it is in the Genesis as Nemrod the mightie hunter before the Lorde his oppression vvas such that he passed not to commit crueltie euen in Gods presence This Nemrad began to rule in Babel in the land of Shinear aftervvard called Chaldea vvhere he and his companie returning from Armenia vvhere they after the flood began to build vp an high tower whose top should reach vnto heauen to get them a name vpon earth least they should be scattered ouer the whole earth thinking through pride and ambition to preferre their owne glory before Gods honor but vaine is the helpe of man their wicked enterprise was ouerthrowen for God sawe their follie and so confounded them in their deuises in their speach that one could not vnderstand another Then were they deuided and scattered then confusion of tongues began which was then in the house of Heber onely the Hebrew tongue then began people to seeke out countries and to inhabite the earth The posteritie of Sem to great Asia Persia Assyria and Chaldea and all the regions about Euphrates towards the East part of the world The posteritie of Cham went to Egypt Aethiope Libya and possessed all places about Nilus and reached towards the South vnto the furthest part of Affrica and the posteritie of Iaphet possessed all the Westcountrey the lesser Asia and all Europa of whom all the Gentiles sprang out Thus much for the first age from Adam vnto Noah 1656. Now I meane particularlie to follow my historie as the reason is offered vnto me by following the sonnes of Noah their children and posterities frō the land of Senaah vnto euery part of the earth CHAP. I. Of the most ancient and true historie of the Hebrewes after called Israel of their lawes and originall gouernment called Oligarchia from Abraham vnto Moses THE historie of the Hebrewes for that it is most ancient from Hebers time the fourth from Noah and most true for that it is written by Moses and confirmed by the
Iuda from Samaria vnto Bethoron as they returned from Amazias to Samaria backe and Amazias after the victorie he had ouer the Idumeans brought their gods and their idols of Seir and set them vp to be his gods and worshipped them But the gods of Edom brought Amazias to the handes of Ioas king of Israel and he was afterwards slaine by conspiracie fleeing from Ierusalem to Lachis While Amazias reigned in Iuda Ioram liued in Samaria and gouerned Israel and Ioram also gouerned Iuda of that name and at that time so two Iorams reigned together one in Iuda the other in Samaria after whome succeeded Ieroboam his sonne in Israel In the time of Amazias king of Iuda Sardanapalus reigned in Assyria their last king after whom the Assyrians lost their Monarchie for Belochus had Babylon and Niniue the two chiefe seates of the kings of Chaldea and Assyria Arbaces helde Media and Persia vnder his gouernment Hitherto neither the Assyrians nor Chaldeans molested Israel but afterwards God stirred them vp for his scourges to punish Iuda and Samaria for their idolatrie and after them the Medes and Persians were as though they were the hammers of God to destroy offenders After Amazias succeeded his sonne Vzias named also Azaria him did all the people of Iuda make king in steede of his father he was but sixteene yeeres of age when he began to reigne in Israel VVhile he obeied God he prospered in all his enterprises Hee ouerthrewe the Philistims brake downe the walles of Gath and Ashdod God helped him and prospered him against the Arabians and the Ammonites hee builded towres in Ierusalem and towres in the wildernes his fame spread to Egypt and all the nations about Ierusalem were vnder his winges but he waxed proude vsurped the Priestes office and he was punished and driuen out of the Temple and the leprosie rose in his forehead for he transgressed against God to presume to burne incense which was the Priestes office in the Temple being forbidden and resisted by Azaria and foure score other Priests Therefore he liued afterwards as a leper vnto the day of his death in a house by himselfe Vnder this king Esai began to prophecie and he prophecied 80. yeeres the fall of these great kingdomes Egypt Syria Assyria Chaldea and Tyre Hee likewise prophecied of Kittim and of the Macedonians This Prophet was by Manasses king of Iuda martyred cut in his middle with a sawe Nowe during the time of this king Vzias ruled in Israel Zachariah the sonne of Ieroboam being the last king of Israel that had the kingdome by succession of Iehu for hee was the fourth in descent from Iehu for so the Lord said to Iehu Thy sonnes shall sit on the throne of Israel vnto the fourth generation after thee Shallum reigned a moneth king in Samaria and Manahem slue him and reigned in his stead In the 39. yeere of Vzia beganne Manahem to reigne in Samaria he likewise sought not God but with money sought the fauour of Phulasser king of Ashur the father of Salmanassar and graundfather of Saneherib infidels and enemies of God and therefore God was wroth so that Manahem prospered not and his sonne Pekahia succeeded him in Israel and reigned two yeeres and died Nowe after Vzias dayes his sonne Ioatham succeeded him in the kingdgme of Iuda a man of great vertue godly and iust and seeking to please God Hee builded many ruinous things by reason still of warres and he was carefull to mend things amisse so that Ioatham became mightie because he directed his wayes before the Highest he fought with the Ammonites and preuailed and they paied him tribute The Olympiads of Greece began in the second yeere of Ioatham About which time Romulus the first king and builder of Rome was borne In Ioathams dayes beganne first the kingdome of Lydia Ezechias also was borne this time some suppose that in Greece Lycurgus the lawe maker of the Lacedemonians florished in these dayes after whom the kings in Lacedemonia failed and the gouernement was altered Nowe when Ioatham had reigned sixteene yeeres Achas succeeded in Iuda wicked vngodly cruell and a great Idolater like his predecessours hee made moulten Images for Baalim he burned his sonne and sacrificed him vnto Idols and deuils and therefore the Aramites smote him and Pekah king of Israel slue in Iuda sixe score thousand in one day and tooke prisoners two hundreth thousands and brought all the spoiles and treasures vnto Samaria Thus Iuda was destroyed vtterly almost ouerthrowne at that time Achas after this great slaughter did sende to Salmanasser king of Ashur gaue him golde and siluer and promised him more money but it helped him not for Achas sacrificed to the gods of Damascus and to the gods of Aram or of Syria which was the onely cause of his destruction which Esai the Prophet had warned him of After hee had reigned in Iuda sixteene yeeres hee dyed in whose dayes Romulus and Remus beganne to build Rome Dionysius writeth that the walles of Rome were begunne in the one and twentieth day of Aprill and in the first yeere of the seuenth Olympiad After this spoile and great slaughter of Iuda Salmanasser king of Ashur came vp against Samaria after that Hosea had reigned nine yeeres of the which he payed tribute for eight yeeres and in the ninth of his reigne he was taken prisoner and the Citie of Samaria giuen to the Babylonians and to the men of Hamath and to the men of Succoth and to the other strangers which the king of Ashur brought to dwell in Samaria in steade of the people of Israel and the tenne tribes of Israel were caried away captiue vnto the Cities of the Medes Thus was Israel dispossest from glory and libertie and caried captiue by Nabonasser vnto Assyria after they had continued two hundred fiftie and three yeeres after Salomons dayes and after the going of Israel out of Egypt seuen hundred seuentie and nine yeeres in the tenth Olympiad This last thraldome fell vpon them for idolatrie and blassphemie which Israel against their God committed hauing so often tasted of his mercie and seene his workes in defending them alwaies euen from their going out of Egypt where they were in slauerie and bondage 430. yeeres vntill nowe againe they are caried captiues and bondmen from Samaria their natiue countrey vnto Babylon 779. yeeres after their going out of Egypt for they so prouoked the Lorde to wrath euen from Ieroboams time who builded Dan and Bethel and erected golden calues therin to be worshipped vnto the time of Osea the last king during which time 19. kings reigned in Israel of the which not one walked before God sincerely but with horrible blasphemie most wicked idolatry they worshipped idols and images wherefore God gaue them ouer one to kill an other and one to destroy an other vntil Nabonasser which is Salmanassers time
Ascatades the eighteenth king of Assyria at which time Moses died in the plaine of Moab Then Tros altered the name of Dardania after his owne name being the third king of Troy and called it Troia and nowe last of all by Ilus the fourth king called Ilion Dedalus of whome the Poets fained much flourished likewise about this time and fled with his sonne Icharus from Greece vnto Creete vnto king Minoes Mydas gouerned nowe in Phrygia This was he of whome the prouerbe is made Midas eares c. And in Sicyonia reigned Polybus their second king in Gedeons time Cadmus who for ielousie of his wife Armonia the sister of Iasius brought letters first into Greece from Phenicia as Xenophon sayth 17. letters Nowe after Gedeon had gouerned Israel fourtie yeeres he likewise died hauing left behinde him three score and tenne sonnes lawfully gotten by wedlocke and one bastard by his concubine Druma a woman of Sichem This bastard was named Abimelek a wicked and a cruell tyrant full of all mischiefe and bent to all wickednes hee slewe by his treacherie conferring with his mothers kinsfolkes all his brethren onely Iotham by fleeing escaped who a little afterwards tolde the people of Sichem the parable of the trees of the figge tree and of the vine tree and of the bramble This Abimelek when hee had vsurped the kingdome and put all his brethren to death vsing all kinde of tyrannie in such sort of wickednes that after he had slaine all the Sichemites and taken the Citie and burned a thousand of men in the Towre he then destroied the Citie and sowed salt therein that it might bee vnfruitefull and neuer serue to any vse Thus was Sichem destroied for their vngratitude to Gedeons sonnes Then Theber and Abimelech besieged it where a woman threw a peece of a milstone vpon Abimelechs head and slewe him after he had vsurped three yeeres the gouernment Thus God taketh vengeance on tyrants by such miserable death for marke the calamitie that fell vpon the posteritie of Gedeon a man of singular fauour with God and yet three score and tenne of his sonnes by wedlocke slaine and his bastard the tyrant that slewe them to succeede him The sinne of Israel was the cause thereof and of many more plagues Miletum a towne in Miletia the Countrey of Thales one of the seuen wise men of Greece was about this tyme builded and Tyre an other famous towne was builded in Phenicia this was builded 240. yeeres before the Temple of Salomon was builded Thola of the tribe of Isachar nowe iudged Israel three and twentie yeeres during which tyme the people liued in tranquillitie and peace in the beginning of the fourth Iubile at which tyme flourished Orpheus the Thracian and the great Musician Sosarinus the 26. king of the Assyrians reigned in Niniue at this time Hercules the sonne of Amphitrion was likewise in this age borne After Thola succeeded not by succession as I wrote before but by the election of God for the will of the Lorde should be a lawe to his people Iair the Gileadite of the tribe of Manasses the 8. Iudge of Israel vnder whom likewise the Israelites liued quietly all the time of his gouernment which was 22. yeeres who ruled Israel in prosperitie hauing 30. sonnes that rode on 30. assecoltes men of great authoritie and they had 30. cities in the land of Gilead As soone as Iair died Israel wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord they serued Baalim and Astaroth the gods of Syria and Sidon and God was angrie and gaue them to the handes of the Philistims and the children of Ammon who vexed and oppressed Iuda Beniamin and the house of Ephraim against whom the children of Ammon went ouer Iordan to fight with them so that all Israel specially they that dwelt in the lands of the Amorites beyond Iordan were sore tormented Then they cried then they praied then they confessed their sinnes and sayde they had serued Baalim God most mercifully heard their crie and appointed them Ieptha a valiant Captaine the sonne of a stranger and therefore was chased away by his brethren and nowe by God appointed their Captaine whome they reiected before as no body nowe God hath chosen to doe these enterprises Men often desire helpe euen of those whome before they haue refused This poore abiect exiled and banished by his brethren slewe and destroied the Ammonites and tooke twentie of their cities for the which fact Ieptha was much enuied by the men of Ephraim in the like sort as they of Sichem did enuie Gedeon notwithstanding he killed 42. thousand Ephramites Thus Ieptha ruled Israel 6. yeeres and ended his gouernment most happily Tantanes reigned and gouerned the Assyrians about this time and Theseus the 10. king of Athens ouercame the monster Minotaurus The historie you shall reade in Plutarch in the life of Theseus for the Athenians paied tribute to Minoes king of Creete for the death of Androgius his eldest sonne who was by treason slaine in the Countrey of Attica for the which cause Minoes pursuing the reuenge of his death the Athenians by entreatie of peace to appease Minoes wrath sent to Minoes which peace being granted vpon condition that the Athenians should be bound to sende him yeerely vnto Creete 7. yong boies and as many yong girles some say to feed Minotaurus the huge monster others say they were shut within the Labyrinth wandring vp and downe and could get no place to come to vntil such time as they died some others say that king Minoes kept these youthes of Athens as prisoners within the Labyrinth in memorie of his sonne Androgeus Howsoeuer it was Theseus after he had fortified Athens with people to whome he gaue lawes and coyned money with moe things sailed from Athens vnto Creete and wanne the citie of Gnosus slewe Deucalion with all his Garde and Officers and killed Minotaurus About this time Hercules instituted certaine games or masteries called afterwards Olympiades in respect of Mount Olympus the place where these exercises were appointed This was 430. yeeres before any Olympiade began Likewise in the time of this Iudge Iephthe Theseus rauished Helene Menelaus wife was by Aedoneus king of the Molossians taken and imprisoned but by his companion Hercules he was rescued and deliuered Hercules tooke Ilion killed Laomedon the king and gaue the kingdome to Priamus his sonne At what time the Amazones a people of Scythia mooued warres against the Thebans here is the first mention made of them in histories of whose originall you may reade Iustine where you shall see more Nowe after Ieptha had gouerned Israel 6. yeeres obeying God in all thinges saue in his rashe vowe in sacrificing his daughter he died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead Abesan the Bethlemite of the tribe of Iuda gouerned the Israelites 7. yeeres Certaine
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
hundred sixtie two yeeres and Iuda which continued three hundred ninetie three yeeres but both Iuda and Israel forsooke God and followed idolatrie vntill GOD at length by his iust iudgement destroyed them vtterly for the rigour of Roboham in following of lewd counsell made the people to rebell the house of Dauid against the house of Israel hee folowed women and had eighteene wiues and threescore concubines hee had eight and twentie sonnes and three score daughters Roboham forsooke the Lord and therefore Susack king of Egypt came vp against Ierusalem ransackt the Citie spoyled the Temple and tooke the treasures of the Citie and of Robohams house this was the first destruction and affliction of Ierusalem for Roboham had transgressed the commandements of God for no calamities could come to Israel no countrey might annoy them no king could hurt them But when the Lord gaue them ouer for sinne this Susack king of Egypt came in the fift yeere of Roboham with twelue hundred chariots with three score thousand horsemen and the people were innumerable that were with him as Iosephus saieth foure hundreth thousand footemen came from Egypt with him Lubins Sukimes people of Affrica called also Troglodites he had Aethiopians Egyptians with diuers other more nations he tooke the strong cities of Iuda and caried their treasure to Egypt After the time of Roboham who raigned 17. yeeres succeeded him in Ierusalem his sonne Abia against whom Ieroboam straight after Robohams death came in armes with great expedition they both prepared for the battell the greatest armie that euer was in Israel Abia had foure hundred thousand chosen men Ieroboam had eight hundred thousand men and the battell met and fought and for that Abia trusted in the Lord who is the stay of all kingdomes and the giuer of all victories hee had such a victorie ouer Ieroboam that Israel fled before Iuda and God deliuered them vnto the hands of Abia being yong of yeeres and too tender to execute such a charge and to gouerne such an armie so that the slaughter was great euē fiue hundred thousand chosen men slaine so that Iudea preuailed against Israel at that time because they depended vpon the Lord of their fathers so Ieroboam was brought vnder at that time Hee was so pursued by Abia his strong Cities taken his men slaine himselfe hardly escaped the Lord plagued him that he could not recouer strength in Israel againe all the dayes of his life For because God made him a king of a seruant and he neglected the seruice of God and forgot his benefits therefore he was iustly punished for Dan and Bethel was the first and the greatest cause of his fall I neuer read in prophane histories of such a number neither in the historie of the Church foure hundred thousand souldiers in one armie and eight hundred thousand in the other Ieroboā after he had raigned in Israel 22. yeres died See you the anger of God for idolatrie in seruing worshipping the calues of Dan and Bethel for God gaue Israel ouer vnto their last destruction which was in the time of Salmanasser Senacheribs father for Iuda deuoured Israel and Israel deuoured Iuda that both at length were destroyed and ouerthrowen Iuda by Nabuchadonosor Israel by Salmanasser both Ierusalem and Samaria made euen to the ground in the time of Zedechias the last king of Iuda and Osea the last king of Israel Then succeeded Ieroboham in Israel Nadab their second king the naturall sonne of Ierobohā wicked malicious cruel following his fathers steps in idolatrie all wickednes But God stirred vp one tyrant to punish an other for Nadab did offend in prouoking the people to commit idolatrie with his golden calues and as hee was most busie in besieging a towne belonging to the Philistims named Gibbethon he was slaine of Baasha according to the Oracle of God before spoken The sinne of Ieroboam was great and therefore Baasha was appointed by God to destroy all the house of Ieroboam he slewe Nadab and reigned in his steede In Iuda nowe reigned Asa a wise godly and discreet man an obseruer of the lawes of God a walker in his waies and in Israel Baasha the 3. king reigned warre grewe betweene Baasha king of Israel and Asa king of Iuda Ramah was builded by Baasha to that purpose that none might goe in or out to Asa king of Iuda who followed the example of Ieroboam But Asa assembled all Iuda and tooke the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof and builded Mizpah and Geba two great townes in Iuda the warres continued betweene the house of Israel and the house of Iuda But still the Lorde had respect to Dauid and to his stocke for Baasha and all his posteritie had the like ende as Ieroboam had and his house But Asa walked right before God he destroied idolatrie tooke away the altars of the strange gods and brake downe the images and cut in peeces the groues hee deposed his mother Maacha from her regencie and threwe downe her idols which she had made in a groue Asa brake it stampt it and buried it at the brooke of Cedron commanded Iuda to seeke the Lord and to serue him for he knewe like a godly king that in abolishing of idolatrie and aduauncing true religion the rest and quietnes of kingdomes stoode For when Zareus king of Aethiopia came against him with an huge armie of ten hundreth thousand to Maresa a towne of Iuda Asa praied vnto God when he should goe to fight and acknowledged all victories to come from God and therefore obtained the victorie ouer the Aethiopians slewe them and pursued them to Gerar and there was no warre in Iuda vnto the 35. yeere of Asa. Yet he was reproued by the Prophet for his couenant with Benhadad king of Syria and likewise offended God to trust in Physicions to helpe his disease not to seeke helpe at Gods hands About this time Elias and Elizeus were borne in the middle age of the world Capetus Siluius nowe reigned the 9. king ouer the Latines Eutropius calleth this king Epidus In Assyria gouerned Ophrateus and in Lacedemonia the fift king Doristus at what time Smyrna was builded in Samos in king Asas time Nepher Cherres reigned in Egypt king for 4. yeeres and after him succeeded a king in Egypt called Amenophis who reigned 9. yeeres In Athens gouerned Phorbas the 5. Iudge and in Corinth ruled Basis the 5. king after whom their kings were called Bacidae as the Romane Emperours were named Caesares In these daies Hiel the Bethelite did build Iericho which fel before in the daies of Iosua at the sounding of the trumpets and shouting of the Israelites But the iudgement of God followed Ieroboams house according to the Prophet saying to Nadab and to Baasha that slewe Nadab That dogges should eate him that died in the citie and the fowles
of Cyrus which he also established by the meanes of Zorobabel in pleasing the king for his probleame as it is written in Esdras But God still exercised his people with some crosses because of their stubbernes for from the time they came home vnder Zorobabel they had maried with the Gentiles and offended God vntill the comming of Esdras from Darius with authoritie to build to repaire and to inhabite Ierusalem for so doth Bucholcerus in his Chronicles write saying that Daniel doeth comprehend in two words Ierusalem inhabitabitur aedificabitur the whole summe of Esdras bookes Nowe in the time of Darius of Cambyses before him and of Cyrus before Cambyses God stirred vp diuers excellent men to helpe his people to restore his Church and to builde his city againe as Zorobabel Esdras Nehemias with others whose care delight and zeale are extant in their owne bookes which they wrote For after their returne from Babylon there was peace and tranquilitie in Iudea vntil Ochus time for Nehemias liued 130. yeres and saw being very old a new broile and a greater calamitie of his coūtrey for though the posteritie of Dauid cōtinued vntil the time of the Machabees as gouernors Iudges of the people not naming themselues kings for the reuerence and feare which they bare vnto the kings of Persia. Salathiels sonne first gouernor of the Iewes after the captiuitie of Babylon Zorobabel of whom mention is made in Zacharie ruled Israel wisely discreetly 50. yeres Resa Mesulla the 2. gouernour in whose time Nehemias and Esdras came from Babylon to Ierusalem After him succeeded Iohanna Benresa the third Iudge who gouerned Israel 53. yeres The 4. was Iudas Hircanus the first of that name and thought of Melancthon to be so called for that Ochus king of Persia brought with him a nomber of the Iewes to Hircania and therfore Iudas was sirnamed Hircanus This iudged Israel when Alexander conquered Darius raigned 14. yeres Then Ioseph the first ruled the Iewes 7. yeeres The 5. ruler after Ioseph came Abner to gouerne the Iewes in whose time Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi the first king of Egypt after Alexander the great vnder pretence to do sacrifice vpon the Sabboth day tooke the towne spoiled the temple slew imprisoned the Iewes and brought to Egypt infinite treasure Now after this Abner the 6. Iudge since the time of Alexāder succeeded of Dauids stock frō Abner to Ianna Hircanus the 2. who was the last of 15. gouernors ouer the Israelites after the captiuitie for they cōtinued euen vnto the time of the Machabees After this Haman plaied his part and thought to haue al the Iewes slaine cōmanded a gallowes to be made for Mardocheus the historie hereof is found in the booke of Esther for about the time of Cyrus death the gouernment was then altered in Rome Consuls were made after the building of Rome 244. yeres in the 67. Olympiad in the beginning of the 9. Iubilie at what time Cambises had subdued Egypt brought them subiects to the lawes of Persia After Cambises Darius went against the Getes and ouerthrew them and his chiefe captaine Zopirus sonne Megabisus vanquished the Thracians and subdued the Peonians and tooke Perinthus During this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Policrates the tyrant of Samos The Philosopher Pythagoras and Hippocrates the Phisition liued this time While the Iewes as you heard were in planting themselues in Ierusalem againe the Graecians were busie one with another Tyrants ruled Greece and gouerned by the bloodie law of Draco for Hipparchus and Hippias vsed tyrannie in Athens and were slayne both by Hermodius and Aristogiton Aristagoras a tyrant reuolted and rebelled against Darius which mooued Darius in armes against the Ionians and ouerthrew them and tooke their chiefe citie called Miletum A litle after Miltiades the chiefe captaine of Athens by the councel of Callimachus the famous Graecian ouerthrewe Darius king of Persias lieutenant called Hippias in the battell of Marathon where he slewe 6300. Persians as both Thucidides and Iustine doe report This ouerthrow of the Persians was at that very time when Tarquinius superbus made his last battel with the Romane Dictator Posthumius where he was put to flight and after died in exile Aristides surnamed the Iust was banished this time from Greece and Alcibiades called backe to Athens from his banishment Now Nehemia causing the law of Moses to bee read as an ordinance to serue God and reproouing them for their disobedience in ioining themselues with strangers they were in some quietnesse for a time though sometime murther and slaughter were betweene themselues committed for the which cause Bagoses the generall of Artaxerxes armie vnderstanding that the high Priest slewe his brother in the Temple being a deare friend to Bagoses he plagued the Iewes againe for the space of seuen yeeres and reuenged his death with slaughter and tribute he placed Iaddus in the office of the priesthood in his fathers place This high priest had to his brother one named Manasses which was sent to Samaria by Darius the last king of Persia. A little while after this Alexander the great after that his father Philip died hauing brought his armie ouer the Grecians sea called Helespont vnto the riuer of Granicus hauing subdued the Lydians Tyre besieged and taken Thebes wasted and spoiled al Asia he ouerthrew Darius the king of Persia carying his souldiers through Caria inuaded Pamphilia came ouer Euphrates vnto Syria tooke Damascus besieged Tyre and Sidon and he wrote to Hierusalem to the hie Priest Iaddus that his souldiers might haue passage without interruption and also requiring the tribute that was paied to Darius to be paid to him and to the crowne of Macedonia for that Alexander had vanquished Darius and had caried the Empire of Persia vnto Greece they of Hierusalem were frighted and much amased what to doe But cōcluding among themselues they opened the gates and the hie Priest came out with all the Priestes the Elders and Nobles of the Citie in most solemne sort to meete Alexander out of Hierusalem vnto a place named Sapha and saluted Alexander most humbly being in precious garments and pontifical robes with his sacred mitre whereupon was written the name of the God Iehoua The solemnitie and state whereof made Alexander to light from his horse and to yeelde to the hie Priest more honour and reuerence then his countreymen the Macedonians thought wel of so great a king so mightie a cōquerour euen Alexander the great to humble himselfe to a silie priest Parmenio demaunding the cause of Alexander why he honoured the priest somuch he answered that he reuerenced God whom the hie Priestrepresented at that time for I dreamed of these men euen as I behold them nowe when I was yet in Macedonia This Priest exhorted me then to be of good courage and bade me goe forward with my armie to Persia. Thus with great honor
Berosus Mameius reigned 30. yeeres and hee likewise died without any great mention made of his name Then folowed in the kingdome of Assyria one named Sparetus vnder whom the Chaldeans warred vpon the Phoenicians as Eusebius and Berosus sayth and brought the Syrians the Phoenicians subiect to Sparetus At this time happened such a terrible earthquake as Berosus doth write throughout al Assyria and Chaldea that Babylon Niniue were much thereby frighted this Sparetus reigned 40. yeeres Next folowed Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria of whom Berosus writeth that in the eight yere of this kings reigne reigned Centres king of Egypt who with all his host were drowned in the red sea This is that Pharao that resisted Moses and plagued Israel of whom I haue written in the stories of the Iewes In his time he and all his peeres nobles of Egypt were drowned in the red sea at what time the Hebrewes had such a triumph ouer their long enemies as neither the Persians had ouer the Assyrians nor the Macedonians ouer the Persians neither yet the proude Romanes ouer the Macedonians as the Hebrewes had ouer the Egyptians and therefore I will set downe the names of the kings of Assyria in this sort from the first king vntill Moses Nimrod 56. yeeres Belus 62. Nynus 52. Semiramis 42. Zamhisninias 38. Arius 30. Aralius 40. Baleus Xerxes 30. Armatrites 38. Bellochus Priscus 35. Baleus Iunior 52. Altades 32. Mamitus 30. Mancaleus 30. Spherus 20. Macaleus 2. called of Berosus Mameius 30. yeeres Sparetus 40. Ascatades 40. Of the rest of the Kings of Assyria from Ascatades the eighteenth King vnto Sardanapalus the sixe and thirtith and the last King of the Assyrians which is since the Israelites left Egypt vntill the first Olympiad at what time Iotham reigned in Iudea CHAP. II. IN the last yeere of Ascatades began Dardanus to gouerne the Troianes himselfe being the first king and first builder of Dardania then Ilion and the third time called Troy after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres for Berosus in the last yeeres of Ascatades the eighteenth king of the Assyrians ended his historie and went into Athens and read the Grecians Astronomy instructed them in the Chaldeans knowledge concerning the first age before the flood secondly the genealogie of Adam and the rest vnto the flood thirdly of the flood and of Noah by the name of Ianus of his long continuance of his traueile lawes and monuments in all Countries fourthly â—…ee taught the antiquitie to the Athenians of all Kingdomes Nations for the which the Athenians caused his statue to be made with a tongue gilded in his head and to bee put vp in the open schoole at Athens thus was Berosus in Athens honored with a statue I thinke it best therefore after that Berosus ended his historie of the kings of Assyria briefely to passe them ouer onely setting their names the time of their gouernment and the continuance of the same vntil their kingdome and Empire was taken away by the Chaldeans I haue already from Nimrod the first king vntil Ascatades the eighteenth king set downe their names now from Ascatades vnto Sardanapalus the last king I will likewise passe them ouer briefely 18 Ascatades the eighteenth king of Assyria reigned fourtie yeeres in his time Dardanus builded Dardania afterwarde called Troy whose building was after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres 19 Amintes succeeded Ascatades and reigned king of Assyria 45. yeeres in this kings time Moses died in the land of Moab on mount Nebo after he had brought the Israelites out of Egypt 40. yeeres 20 After Amintes folowed Belochus Iunior which reigned 25. yeeres in Assyria he had a daughter named Actosa otherwise called Semiramis who gouerned with her father 7. yeeres The first Iubilee began in the fourth yeere of this king Bellochus after Moses for from Moses death vnto the birth of Christ are 29. Iubilees 21 Bellopares reigned 30. yeeres in whose time the Israelites serued Eglon king of Moab 18. yeeres vntill Ehud the sonne of Gera slue Eglon by whose death Israel had rest 18. yeeres 22 Lamprides the 22. king of Assyria reigned 32. yeres in whose time Shamgar â—…dged Israel who slue 600. Philistims with an Oxe goade so God still raised either Priest Prophet Iudge or a king to defend his people About this time was the Leuites wife abused at Gibeah to death for the which cause the Leuite cutteth her in 12. pieces and sendeth her to the 12. tribes of Israel for the which villanie all the tribe of Beniamin were well nigh destroyed After Lamprides had reigned 32. yeeres hee had after him a king called Sosares in whose time as Cassiod doth write the flying horse Pegasus was inuented and so called for his swiftnesse Debora and Barac ruled Israel foure yeeres at what time they fought with Iabin Iael slue Sisera the chiefe captaine of Iabin king of Chanaan and his whole armie were ouerthrowen by Barac and Debora The historie of Ruth was likewise about this time some suppose that Obed the sonne of Boas was borne when Sosares had reigned twentie yeeres Lampares succeeded him and he continued thirtie yeeres In the fifth yeere of Lampares sell the third Iubilee after Moses amongst the Iewes Many of the Assyrian kings might haue beene omitted for any memorie they left behinde sauing that by the time of their gouernment we know how euery kingdome and when euery nation began to florish for truely they were more ancient then the rest and were the first kings of the worlde and were idle without any great warre therfore is little written of them vntill Phul Belochus time for Herodotus Ctesias and Diodorus Siculus wrote more liberally of the Assyrians then either authoritie or reason warranted them therein The greatest bragge that Saneherib called Sargon in some histories could make of his predecessours the kings of Assyria at what time he laide siege to Ierusalem hee boasted to Ezechia king of Iuda the victories and conquestes of the kings of Assyria in these wordes Tu audisti O Ezechia omnia quae fecerunt reges Assyriorum c. Hast thou not heard O Ezechias what my predecessours the kings of Assyria haue done haue they not conquered Gozan Haran and Reseph haue they not subdued the sonnes of Eden which dwelt in Thalassar what is become of king Emath and of king Arphad where be the kings Sepharuaim Hena and Iuah are not these subdued and conquered by the kings of Assyria all these kings dwelt in Syria All this bragge of Saneherib who was in the most florishing time of the Assyrians Empire their kingdome their victories their glorie and all these repetitions of Saneherib extended not yet as farre as Mount Taurus and therefore Dionysius Halicar nassaeus is in this to bee both beleeued and preferred before either Herodotus or Ctesias or Diodorus and others who wrote more largely then truely of the Assyrian kings for hee saith
Egypt so that the king of Egypt came no more out of his lande as it is written against the king of Babylon hee layde siege to Tire and wasted all the regions there about he brought vnder the king of Babylon all Libya the most part of Asia vnto the land of Armenia This king grewe so great that Philostratus doeth so set him in his histories that he passed Hercules in force and power Strabo saith that the Chaldeans esteemed more of Nabuchodonosor then the Grecians did of Hercules Nabuchodonosor made kingdomes to shake the earth to tremble and the whole worlde a forest and left almost no where vnconquered but Iudea where after all his other warres and conquests hee sendeth his deputie Nabuzaradan generall of his armie he commeth with a huge armie of the Chaldeans a great band of Aramites of Moabites of Ammonites for Nabuchodonosor had heard that Iehoiakim had rebelled after hee had payed tribute for three yeeres This was the cause of the destruction of Iehoiakim after he had raigned three yeres he was deceiued much trusting to haue ayde by Necho king of Egypt and so lost both the kingdome and himselfe This was the iudgement of God for the sinnes of Manasses and the idolatrie of Iuda not weighing the crying out of Ieremie though night and day he perswaded them to yeelde vp the Citie and to followethe Lorde for Ierusalem was full of innocent blood and therefore God vsed these wicked tyrants to execute his commandement After this Iehoiakin the sonne of Iehoiakim when he had reigned three moneths being 18. yeeres of age Nabuchodonosor fearing least he shoulde become false and so reuenge his fathers death came against him he and his mother his princes and his seruants yeelded to Nabuchodonosor by the councell of Ieremie And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah king in stead of his nephewe Iehoiakin and changed his name to Zedechia who likewise offended the Lord and would not be councelled by Ieremie but hee and his people mocked the messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets so long that Nabuchodonosor came and slue their young men with the sworde kild all and spared none But for the rest of Nabuchodonosors tyranny his crueltie and slaughter specially of Iewes they are read in the fourth booke of Kings Chap. 24. and 25. in in Esai in Ieremie This king is euery where mentioned with the Prophets and in Ecclesiasticall histories Likewise Iosephus orderly setteth downe his seuerall warres against Ierusalem first in the eleuenth yere of Iechonias he came with great force and slue the most part in Ierusalem killed the king and buried him in sepulchro asini threw him dead vnburied out of the Citie according to the prophecie of Ieremie saying Iehoiakim shal be buried as an asse is buried euen drawne and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem like a carrion neither shall any lament him neither mourne for him he tooke also the chiefe men of the Citie euen 3000. and carried them vnto Babylon amongst whom Ezechiel being yet a very young man was lead likewise captiue This was before tolde of by Ieremie the Prophet but not beleeued The second time hee came against Iehoiakin whom Nabuchodonosor aduaunced vnto his fathers seate but fearing hee would reuoult by being mindfull of his fathers death hee tooke him his mother his familie his nobles and others to the number of tenne thousand eight hundred thirtie and two and carried them vnto Chaldea yet Nabuchodonosor sware to the king to his counsell that he would spare them vpon their submission to the which the king by the perswasions of the Prophet Ieremie yelded but the tyrant kept no promise With this king Daniel Anania Azaria and Misael being of the kings stocke were taken prisoners and commaunded by the king that they shoulde bee brought vp in the Chaldean tongue to serue the king afterward The third and last comming of Nabuchodonosor was against Zedechia the last king of Iuda hee layde siege to Ierusalem eighteene moneths during which time great famine and plague with manifolde miseries more befell them and at last the destruction of the Citie men women and children slaine before the King his Princes and Nobles put to the sworde the wealth and treasure of the Citie caried to Babylon the Temple burned the King himselfe taken his children killed before the kings face then his eyes put out and caried in chaines to Babylon where hee died most miserably in prison Thus God did put his sworde in Nabuchodonosors hand as an instrument of his wrath to punish sinne Of this matter more is spoken of in the historie of the Iewes otherwayes called the Hebrewes When Nabuchodonosor had reigned fourtie three yeeres Metasthenes saith fourtie fiue yeeres the Chaldean historie reporteth that hee prophecied the destruction of Babylon being by Daniel taught and by God called to bee one of his chiefe instruments in his Church In a little before hee died hee confessed the glory and maiestie of God saying I giue thankes vnto the most High I prayse and honour him that liueth for euer who restored vnto me my kingdome my honour and my vnderstanding whose works are all trueth and his wayes iudgements for nowe I confesse that he is able to abase those that walke in pride he liued in Tarquinius Priscus time the fift king of Rome and in the eighteene Iubilee of the Iewes and in the fourtie nine Olympiads In the time of Nabuchodonosors father Dracos lawes was written in Athens Solon Thales Milesius florished the seuen Sages of Greece liued this time the Prophet Ezechiel beganne to prophecie in Babylon the fift yeere of the captiuitie For as you shall reade of the Medes and Persians and of the Romanes that they were made by God executours instruments and hammers for so the Lord spake of them saying Thou art my hammer and weapons of warre for with thee will I breake the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes by thee will I breake man and woman and by thee will I breake young olde you shall finde this phrase often rehearsed by God in the mouthes of the Prophets so God calles Nabuchodonosor his seruant saith I wil put my sword in Nabuchodonosors hand so Senaherib so Salmanasser and so Satan himselfe is Gods seruant to worke his will to obey his commandement and to execute his iudgements After this Nabuchodonosor succeeded his sōne Euilmerodach he reigned 30. yeres he reigned one yere together with his father it seemeth that this Euilmerodach was instructed by Daniel to feare God for after that Nabuchodonosor had turned to the Lord began to be a benefactor to the Church to the mēbers thereof this his sonne likewise when he became king of Babylon after his father in the first yere of his reigne brought Iehoiakin king of Iuda out of prison hee restored him to libertie and aduanced him to
tenne hundreth thousand nauies insomuch that the Persians bragged that the Ocean seas had scant sufficient roome for their nauies that all Greece was not able to giue them ground ynough and scant place for their shotts in the aire with this insolencie the Persian armie marched While Xerxes this time was in preparing such a huge host the Grecians bestirred themselues with all care and diligence to call their force together and to gather their strength together from all parts of Greece The Athenians made fourtie nauies the Magarenses made twentie nauies the Chalsidenses so many as they of Athens made which was fourtie the Peloponesians twelue nauies the Lacedemonians tenne the Epidaureans eight and the inhabitants of Agineta two and twentie the Traezeneans made fiue nauies so that the whole nomber of the Grecians nauie was but two hundreth seuentie and ons The Athenians appointed to be their generall Themistocles and the Lacedemonians made Euribiades but the Persians could not finde a fit generall for so great an armie for as Herodotus doth record it there was in the campe of Xerxes an hundreth and seuentie Myriads of souldiers You must vnderstand that euery Myriad is compted for tenne thousand so that a hundreth and seuentie Myriads are to be taken for seuentie hundred thousand men which Xerxes had in his voiage to Greece which was in the seuenth yeere of his raigne when he sailed on the sea of Helespont and marched with more boldnesse then wisedome drinking a bowle of wine to the Sunne and throwing the cuppe after his draught into the sea making a vowe that hee would not returne from this iourney before hee had brought all Greece and Europe ioyned with Asia subiect to Persia. But hee was soone deceiued for the Persians fought for money to augment their treasure the Grecians fought for vertue to defende the libertie of their Countrey for this warre of Xerxes was more taken in hande for ostentation then for necessitie to doe iniurie and not to defend iustice The authours whereof God hath from time to time punished as Iosias that good king yet for such a fault hee was giuen to the hand of Necho king of Egypt an infidel Cyrus this Xerxes grandfather for taking vnnecessarie warres in hand against the Scythians was slaine by Tomyris a woman and now this king needlesse without cause offered thought to haue eaten vp all Greece he was made a runnagate and to flee from Greece his souldiers slaine his captaines drowned and himselfe hardly escaping for within two yeeres the Persians had foure ouerthrowes The first ouerthrowe was at Thermopila where hee lost twentie thousand Persians by three thousand Grecians After they were vanquished in two sundrie great battels vpon the sea the one hard by Artimesium in Thessalia the other by the Isle Salamines from whence Xerxes himselfe was secretly forced to flee in a little boate after he had lost the last battel to his great ignominie and shame which hee neuer recouered during his life Afterward leauing Mardonius behinde him with three hundreth thousande Persians the fourth battell was giuen him at Platea where the Persians likewise were ouerthrowen Mardonius slaine by a souldier of Sparta and all Greece triumphed of that victorie CHAP. III. Of the successors of Xerxes in Persia of their warres victories and gouernment of the state of Greece and of the prosperities victories and fame they had in Xerxes time THis time flourished Greece for it had many Themistocles which was wōt to say I ouercome my friends with patience my foes with celeritie after this victory it began to be strōg and to florish in same before al nations vntil ciuil warres for Caesar was demaunded by a Romane a friend of his how he conquered so many nations in so short a time he answered by celeritie for said Caesar it was a fault found in Hanibal that after he had taken Capua that he had not layd siege to Rome This great and mightie voyage of Xerxes being thus with losse and shame finished euen hee who was a terrour to the whole world and so called terror gētium before this time was now had in contempt despised of all Persia. Artabanus who then perswaded this iourney had 7. sonnes well esteemed of the Persians and perceiuing the contempt of Xerxes with the people and how he slew his brother after this great infamie of the warre when he returned home he tooke his brothers wife and his brothers daughter and committed incest with them both but his owne vncle Artabanus his fathers brother slew him after that Xerxes had raigned in Persia 21. yeeres But Mardonius could not perswade Xerxes before his going to Egypt for he went to Egypt in the second yere after Darius death and after he had subdued them brought them into a straighter seruitude then they were vnder Darius he made his returne towards Greece leauing behinde him in Egypt his brother Archemenes to gouerne the countrey After he had bene foure yeres in subduing Egypt the fift yere he tooke this voyage with great expedition to Greece Greece then flourished for euen at that time and specially after Xerxes time their fame grewe greater by their great victories had ouer Xerxes for in Greece euery citie seemed a kingdome and so continued vntil the Peloponesian warres such magistrats such captaines as Themistocles who by Thucydides was thus commended that he excelled for his wit that he wanted neither foresight of things to come neither memorie of things past neither vnprouided of things present and what hee knewe not he would learne and what he was taught he could performe ready of wit quicke of actions and circumspect in all his doings the honor and glory of all Greece After whom Pericles was had in great estimation in Athens So of Agesilaus and Cleomenes in Sparta of Epaminondas Pelopidas in Thebes and so the rest at that time in Greece of whom I haue written in the historie of Greece After him succeeded his sōne Artaxerxes the long handed for that the right hand was longer then the left a noble and a courteous prince and the first of this name of al the kings of Persia he began to gouerne Persia after Xerxes his father at what time Perdicas the second of that name the 11. king of Macedonia raigned To this Artaxerxes fled that worthy man Themistocles being banished from Athens whom often from destruction he saued and by whom the great ouerthrow was giuen to Xerxes and to his nauie to the glory of Greece and shame of Xerxes In this Artaxerxes time florished two great Philosophers Empedocles and Parmenides Many learned men of great fame liued in Artaxerxes time as Democritus and Heraclitus two philosophers the one laughing alwaies at the folie of the world the other alwayes weeping at the misery of the world Hipocrates that famous phisition serued this Artaxerxes in Court Gorgias and Pherecides Policlitus
Incēdium Phaetontis at what time the Grecians were named Helenes after the name of Hellenes the sonne of Deucaleon and Pyrrha After this Cecrops folowed Cranaus the second king of Athens which raigned nine yeeres Hermes Trismegistus a great Philosopher and a priest of Egypt flourished though Suydas saith that he liued before Abrahams time yea some of the best learned that are best acquainted with histories thinke it a name fained and a booke framed of late vnder the name of Trismegistus Now folowed Marathus the foureteenth king of Peloponesus Erictherus the 15. king Choar the 16. king of Peloponesus as Functius saith Ruffinus nameth this king Astades I passe ouer the names without any matter to be written of them for Greece was yet as the Chaldeans and the Assyrians in the beginning building and beginning to frame kingdomes for all this time no part of Greece was knowen but Sicyonum which is the countrey of the Peloponesians after them the Argiues and now the Thessalians and the Athenians start vp and beginne a kingdom as the third and fourth gouernours of Greece in antiquitie About this time the citie of Corinth was builded this was first called Epira and grewe afterwarde to be one of the strongest cities and holdes in all Greece Nowe was the citie Epidaurus and the citie Bythinia builded now Memphis was builded in Egypt for the world was then busie onely in building at what time in Athens raigned Amphitrion the thirde king and after him succeeded Ericthonius the fourth king of Athens About which time came Phaenix and Cadmus from Thebes to Egypt and from Egypt vnto Syria and gouerned Tyre and Sidon at what time raigned in Creete Asterius and ouer the Argiues the ninth king called Stelenus I thought for obseruation of time very necessary to set downe the time and beginning of euery kingdome as they began in one place after another though I finde nothing yet in Greece worth the writing concerning either warres or gouernment Now beganne in Phrigia a new kingdome called Dardania after one Dardanius name who both builded this towne and raigned there the first king 31. yeres though Manethon setteth downe 64. I wil folow Archilochus in this historie whose assertion is more probable concerning time then Manethon is It was called before Meonia this kingdome beganne 830. yeeres after the flood when Amyntas the 19. king of the Assyrians kept his Court at Niniue About which time Moses died after whom succeeded Iosua In Egypt then gouerned Aegyptius after he had driuen his brother Danaus then king out of Egypt vsurped the kingdome after whose name Egypt was named before called Mizraim and had to his sirname Ramesses About this time in Egypt the first Labyrinth was builded by Menophis by some called Miris after which example Dedalus imitated the like worke and made the second Labyrinth in Creete at what time Minoes raigned king in Creete This Minoes was the first lawmaker in Creete when likewise Radamanthus ordained lawes in Licya Bellopares now king in Assyria gouerned and Epopeus the 17. king of the Peloponesians For that I see not much matters in following the course and order of these kings of Greece and for that I finde as I said before nothing historicall because yet time seemed raw in Greece and farre from the ciuil dissentions which long after happened in Greece from the forren warres which the Grecians had with the kings of Persia and Macedonia for now all the warres that were was in Assyria Chaldea I wil hasten therefore to come to the histories of Greece wil passe ouer these fragments of places and persons vntil I shall find matters to write of only I will set downe the names of the kings of the Argiues as they raigned orderly 1 Inachus the first king raigned 50. yeres 2 Phoroneus 60. 3 Apis. 35. 4 Argos 70. 5 Crassus 54. 6 Abas Phorbas 35. 7 Troiphas 46. In this kings time the kingdome of Athens beganne 8 Crotopus 21. 9 Stelenus 11. 10 Danaus which was driuen by his brother Rameses out of Egypt came to Argos and raigned 50. 11 Lynceus 41. 12 Abas 23. 13 Protheus 17. 14 Agrisius 13. Now the kingdom of the Argiues ended their foueraigntie was taken away into Mycena by Perseus a noble valiant captaine which had diuers victories ouer diuers countreis as ouer the Persians and now ouer the Argiues in the time of Agrisius after they had gouerned Argos 544. yeres where Eristheus a man most famous named another Hercules for his great courage and enterprises he was of the stocke of Atrides for Atreus which was Agamemnon Menelaus father was his owne vncle and therfore he gouerned the most part of Greece In his time which yet had growen to no strēgth he established the kingdom of Mycena and broght many subiects vnder it that Mycena became populous and strong and the Mycenians became to be conquerors of many prouinces therefore writers omit the name of Perseus and of Stelenus and they begin the kingdom frō the time of Eristheus after whom succeeded 6. kings who waxed strong mighty that then Mycena ruled al Greece These had the 10. yeres warres with the Troyans and at last conquered them which warre was the cause of their own destruction for that they began together at one time and both had equall nomber of kings for 6. kings raigned in Mycena and 6. in Troy whose names I haue here layd downe The kings of MYCENA The kings of TROY Eristheus raigned 45. yeres Dardanus the first king 31. Atreus and Thiestes 65. Ericthonius 2. 57. Tros 3. 60. Agamemnon Atreussonne 18. Ilus the 4. king 54. This came frō Mycena vnto Troy with 1202. shippes Laomedon the 5. raigned 36. In whose time Troy was destroyed by Hercules with his company going to Colchos Aegistus after Agamemnon 2. Priamus the 6. and last king was by Agamemnō subdued and his citie conquered Orestes 15. yeeres In whose time Mycena was subdued by the stocke of Heraclides vnder the Peloponesians  Thus ended the kings of Mycena and of Troy the one being destroyed by the other yet after Orestes was slaine by Pirrhus in the temple of Apollo Tisamenus Orestes sonne raigned 15. yeres after his fathers death and after Tisamenus raigned but two more which were called Penthillus and Cometes But there is scant any mention made of these after Orestes time Now after that these two kingdomes were destroyed and ouerthrowen presently the kingdome of the Latines beginneth in the person of Aeneas who trauailing from Troy vnto Italy after the destruction therof maried king Latinus daughter and heire which is spoken of in the originall antiquitie of the Latines by Halcarnassaeus Ruffinus Eusebius and others The Peloponesians raigned 860. yeeres and ended in the time of Samson the last Iudge of Israel which ended the gouernment of the Iudges in Israel which continued
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
citizens Thus Alcibiades hauing wonne fiue seuerall victories by giuing of fiue terrible battels 1 The first victorie at Abydos with great celeritie 2 The second victorie at Cizicum 3 The third victorie against Pharnabasus 4 The fourth battell at Chalcedon 5 The fift and last battell at Byzantium After these fiue victories Alcibiades hoysed saile and directed his course toward Athens where he was most honorablie receiued About this time the Egyptians reuolted from the Persians and the Medes but Darius subdued them straight againe to the Medes the Rhodians likewise brake their league with the Lacedemonians These Lacedemonians kept the Persians alwayes in their hand when neede required it to ayde them for of all Greece the Athenians were most hatefull to the Persians for that in the battell of Marathon the Athenians gaue so great an ouerthrowe to the Persians that twentie thousande Persians were slaine and many of them great men This rancor boyled in the Persians hearts though they had diuers times after the like ouerthrow as at Thermopila by Leonidas at Salamina by Themistocles at Platea and at other places yet no battell grieued them so much as the battell at Marathon by Miltiades Athens was the only Lady of all Greece in whose lappe were more noble and couragious captaines nourished then in all Greece beside and therefore she was feared of all Greece and enuied of all Asia Nowe after many good fortunes of the Athenians it fell out otherwise to them in the warres of Sicilia their state declined and their force diminished for by this time Alcibiades the thirde moneth after his returne being puffed vp with former pride went with an hundreth shippes into Asia where hee lost more to Athens in that one iourney then hee gained in the last fiue victories onely by his negligence letting to one Antiochus the charge and himselfe purposing to passe to Hellespont vpon pleasure The Athenians hereby being brought into great dispaire vnderstanding that Alcibiades willingly absented him selfe with a voluntary banishment from Athens made a choyse of Conon to succeede him in gouernment whose vnhappie succession was no better then banishment according to the law and custome of Athens for they had in Athens a kinde of banishment called Ostracismus that when any Magistrate generall or captaine waxed great and a potentate or mightie fearing that his greatnesse should annoy the state publique by some priuate hatred hee should bee banished for tenne yeeres The like lawe the Syracusans had concerning the banishment of their great men which they called Petalisimus which was a banishment for fiue yeeres These kindes of banishments did suppresse the furie and malice of the Captaines and great men for any offence likely to be suspected in them Now after that Alcibiades had ouerthrowen the whole force of Athens in this sort and that Lysander had a great spite to the state of Athens seeing the towne weake vnfurnished and vnfortunate without men or munitions hee besieged Athens which without great difficultie was yeelded vp vpon the sixt moneth and the sixteenth of March. Beholde the fall of the great glorie of Athens which before mastred all Greece and nowe by Lysander brought in subiection and made euen with the grounde and in steade of good gouernours he appointed thirtie Tyrants that should gouerne Athens as pleased them subiect to Sparta and almost vassals of the Lacedemonians and beside order was taken that Alcibiades should be slaine by meanes of Pharnabasus Darius generall doubting much that if Alcibiades were not preuented Athens should againe flourish so ambitious and so vnquiet was Alcibiades that scant all Greece could suffice him which Agis king of Sparta and Lysander saw in him When Alcibiades by deceit was slaine and Athens conquered the Lacedemonians were lords of all Greece notwithstanding when the Thebans and Corinthians contended to haue the citie of Athens altogether quite destroyed and from the ground raised vp that there should be no mention made of Athens for euer after the Lacedemonians consented not to that saying that Athens had bene of long time one of the two legges of Greece and further saide that it had bene one of the two eyes of Greece which had brought many great men vp the nourse of knowledge and the lanterne of Greece which had resisted the violence of all Asia and had giuen many times the ouerthrow to the barbarous nations and therefore not vtterly to confound it In this warre there were thirtie thousande taken captiues of the Athenians which against the lawes of Armes were slaine by Lysander some writers appointed the destruction of Athens to be in the last yeere of the Peloponesian warres and in the second yeere of Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon seuentie and seuen yeres after the great victory at Salamina and before the taking of Rome by the Gaules nineteene yeeres as Polibius setteth downe The cause of this ouerthrow begonne by the Athenians as you heard before was the hatred of Pericles against the Magarians In the very yeere that Athens was by Lysander destroyed Darius Nothus died the sixt king of Persia whose yonger sonne named Cyrus gouerned then the Lydians and the Medes This yere also was Dionysius the king of Sicilia banished the poore Athenians were sore afflicted Thebes and Argos and many townes besides of Greece were full of miserable and banished men from Athens amongst whome Thrasibulus a worthie man of great courage was forced to flie and to leaue Athens vnder the gouernment of tyrants who hauing a gard of thirtie thousand of citizen souldiers to defend them in all tyrannie made hauocke and spoile and great slaughter in Athens in so much that they made the children to daunce in their parents blood Amongst these thirtie tyrants was one named Theramenes who doubting that this tyrannie could not long endure perswaded with Critias to haue more mitigation and lenitie in the gouernment saying that Thrasibulus and Conon were yet aliue and had taken a strong fort in Attica called Philen. Diuers cities of Greece bewailed the lamentable estate of Athens Critias accused Theramenes of treason and though it was in the citie knowen that Theramenes was honest gentle and a good citizen yet Critias crueltie was such that Theramenes died Thus I leaue Athens foming in blood vnder cruel tyrants and wil something speake of Artaxerxes Mnemon to whom this very time the kingdome of Persia nowe happened by Darius Nothus his will bequething to Cyrus his yonger sonne Lydia and Ionia Cyrus was not pleased with this will and whether hee was by his mother mooued for Cyrus was the onely ioye of his mother or by him selfe enflamed through desire of soueraigntie hee gathered an armie of the lesser Asia and brought them ouer the riuer Euphrates and beganne warre with the king his brother The battell was sharpe and went in the beginning with Cyrus for Artaxerxes hoste yeelded for a time to the
rare a man to be founde in Philosophie fewe like him brought vp vnder Lysias the Pythagorian in other exploites of warres not to giue place neither to Pyrrhus nor to Hanibal The calamitie of this Phocean warre annoyed Greece more then the warres of Peloponesus for the foolish Thebans did send not for a helper but a destroyer whē they sent for Philip for hee euer had a desire to Greece hee expected oportunitie and wrought all secret meanes possible to set all Greece by the eares About this time Ochus recouered Egypt againe which had reuoulted from the Persians since Cambyses time Also hee recouered Cyprus and Phoenicia Temnes betrayed Sidon vnto king Ochus whom hee afterward hanged for his paines after that Philip had taken Toron Olynthus and Miciberna 3. townes of Helespont and had wasted and destroyed many Countries and Cities of Greece by the onely meanes of this Phocean warres which continued tenne yeeres While Greece stood in great danger of Philip the Athenians and the Lacedemonians gathered their force againe but to no effect Philip waxed so strong in Greece that they were forced to seeke to entreate for peace for all Greece feared Philip more then they loued him for such were his secret stratagemes with deceitfull promises that all Greece sawe his malice but such was their inward enuie their hidden hatred and their secret working against themselues that they had rather haue any barbarous nation to gouerne them then one to loue an other and to ioyne with common assent for the defence of their Countrie This was the first cause of the Peloponesian warres the second cause of the Phocean warres the third and last cause of the destruction and slauerie of Greece Alexander the great a man of great fortune and of greater ambition being by Darius entreated to peace offering vnto Alexander his daughter Roxane in mariage with Mesopotamia and diuers other prouinces and territories answered in this sort That as the heauen coulde not abide two sunnes so the whole earth coulde not suffer two Alexanders It seemed truely that there was in euery Citie of Greece an Alexander for it is recorded in histories that Sparta might not endure two Lysanders at one time Athens might not suffer two Alcibiades Thebes might not suffer two Pelopidas neither the earth suffer two Alexanders but as Alexander had no longer time to florish then twelue yeeres so the whole state of Greece their Empire and their glorie continued not aboue a hundred and fifteene yeeres beginning from the battell at Marathon to the battell at Salamina tenne yeeres from the battell of Salamina vnto the first warres of the Peloponesians fiftie yeeres from the beginning of the Peloponesian warre vnto the last of the same at the battel at Aegos Potamos twentie seuen yeres which was the time of the ciuill warre of Greece and from that to the battell at Leuctres thirtie yeeres so long the glorie of Greece endured without conquest all which time was Greece a lady and mystresse of all nations I haue found so much errour in the Olympiads that I vse them as little as I may for Thucydides and Xenophon that onely wrote of Greeke histories were much deceiued in the Olympiads and yet they know their errour and therefore they vsed the Olympiads most seldome though they liued and wrote in the florishing time of the Olympiads After this they were had by Philip king of Macedon vnto some bondage though they warred thirtie yeeres and kept him hard play vntill the Thebans as you heard sought his helpe against the Phocians and made a rodde to beate themselues euen so nowe were the Phoceans forced to aske aide at Ochus hands king of Persia who did send three hundred talents with a hūdred fourescore thousand crownes Philip was commen with a great band of Macedonians and of Thessalians againe into the coast of Boetia where Phallecus the generall of the Thebans was also with an armie in armes ready to giue battell to the Phoceans who when he sawe the great power of king Philip in fielde he entreated of peace which being graunted by the king vpon condicion he should goe out of Boetia vnto Peloponesus this being done by Phallecus Philip had without resistance all Boetia yeelded vnto him The Phoceans are nowe brought subiect vnto Philip their Cities and Townes destroyed and the people dispersed vnto small villages paying three score talents yeerely vnto Philip the libertie and dignitie of the Iudges Amphictions were restored and a decree made that Philip should be Duke of all Greece thus Philip triumphed the more for that he had this good fortune in so honest a cause as in defending of the temple at Delphos and the iudges seate and dignitie of the Amphictions When he had ended this Phocean warre called bellum sacrum hee againe returned into Macedonia in the first yeere of the 108. Olympiad When the Athenians and the Lacedemonians sawe the force of Philip much to increase in Greece Demosthenes being euer an enemie to the Macedonians perswaded the Thebans and Cities of Greece to ioyne against Philip for the common libertie of their countrie Nine yeeres after the Phocean warres came Philip againe in armes into Greece after he had taken many Cities in Thracia had driuen Callias the tyraunt out of Euboea he likewise wanne the Citie of Bizantium which is called nowe Constantinople some time a Citie vnder the Lacedemonians and sometime vnder the Athenians A great battell was giuen vnto Philip at Cheronea fiftie seuen yeeres after the ouerthrowe of Athens at Aegos Potamos by Lysander which was so fought out that it was doubtfull for a time where the victorie should fall vntill Alexander the great being of the age of eighteene yeeres thrusted himselfe freshly into the middest of the battell by whose prowesse the Grecians gaue backe and their army was ouerthrowen In this battell sixe thousand Citizens of Athens were slaine and two thousand Citizens taken but many more of the Thebans were both killed and taken Amongst the Athenians which were taken Demades the Orator was one by whose meanes king Philip graunted them peace and deliuered them free from their raunsome for Demades sake for Demades bare good will alwayes vnto the Macedonians cleane contrarie to Demosthenes who both enuied them and spited them calling Alexander the great brainelesse boy but he notwithstanding esteemed Harpalus the Macedonian when he bribed him with twentie talents this made Orators in Athens to speake as Aeschines did or to be dumbe as Demosthenes was For such was the libertie of the people of Athens mainteined by the Orators against the Magistrates and chiefe men of Attica that when it pleased the people they woulde aduaunce whom they woulde and pull downe whom they list banish whom they liked not and call againe whom they fauoured insomuch that Athens was alwayes gouerned by a state of Democratia which made
leade his armie against the Boetians laide siege to Thebes and tooke it after that hearing that Lysimachus king of Thracia was taken prisoner by a barbarous nation hee went with his armie to inuade Thracia he was skant in Thracia but Lysimachus came home and beside hearing that Pyrrhus had forraged all Thessalia and had entred alreadie into the streightes of Thermopiles Demetrius was constreined to leaue both Thracia and also Thebes and to returne against Pyrrhus and for all that Pyrrhus sought Demetrius with his armie to giue him battell and Demetrius sought also Pyrrhus yet they mist both at that time but after Demetrius his lieutenant named Pantarchus a strong man and of great courage gaue to Pyrrhus battell which victorie fell to Pyrrhus the onely king that imitated Alexander the great and to him by all mens report most like in courage and prowesse After this victorie of Pyrrhus hee againe inuaded Macedonia being aduertised that Demetrius was sicke in the which iourney Pyrrhus came as farre as the citie Edissa without resistance yet Pyrrhus was driuen out of Macedonia that time with all his force Demetrius wanting leasure to fight with Pyrrhus hauing many warres in hand beside concluded a peace with Pyrrhus for then Demetrius was troubled diuers wayes Lysimachus king of Thracia inuaded the high countrie of Macedon next vnto Thracia and Ptolomei king of Egypt entred with his armie into Greece and Pyrrhus though there was a peace concluded yet stept in with Lysimachus entised the Macedonians partly through faire meanes and partly through flatterie to forsake Demetrius by this meanes Macedonia was diuided betweene Pyrrhus and Lysimachus and Pyrrhus was proclaimed king in Macedonia after they had chased Demetrius Pyrrhus reigned in Macedonia seuen moneths Againe Lysimachus made warre on Pyrrhus and after many battels Lysimachus gote the victorie and reigned king in Macedonia seuen yeeres Iustine praiseth this Lysimachus to be the rarest man of his time valiant and wise and a great Philosopher of a noble house borne of Macedonia where nowe he is become king It is written that this Lysimachus slue a lyon with his owne hand but I leaue him king of Macedonia and returne to Demetrius who for three yeeres had beene tossed with extreme hard fortune nowe for recouering of his kingdome againe hee had leuied a great armie of one hundred thousand footemen of twelue thousand horsemen and had gotten fiue hundred shippes together part in the hauen of Piraeus part at Corinth part at the Citie Chalcis and part about the Citie Pella His enemies hearing of these newes I meane three kings Seleucus Ptolome and Lysimachus ioyned themselues there together against Demetrius and beside they sent to Pyrrhus that poore Demetrius miserie from princely happinesse so ouerthrowen that his armie forsooke him himselfe yeelded vnto Seleucus his wife named Phila for very griefe poysoned her selfe and so kept as prisoner in Syria by Seleucus where Demetrius turned captiuitie into pleasure vnto his dying day who after hee had reigned sixe yeeres dyed in Cherronesus leauing behinde him by his wife Phila two children Antigonus and Stratonice and other two sonnes both named Demetrius of whom you shall heare more hereafter both Plutarch Iustine and Ruffinus affirme that the posteritie of Demetrius succeeded kings in Macedonia vntill the last king named Perseus this time also died Ptolomei Lagi king of Egypt with great fame and report Nowe Lysimachus reigned this while in Macedonia vsing such tyrannie and practising such crueltie against his owne subiects that they reuoulted from him and fledde to Seleucus then warre grewe betweene them that Lysimacus lost what hee wanne fifteene of his children and his life also by Seleucus this was the last battell fought amongst them that were of Alexanders successours Seleucus not long liued but within seuen moneths after was by Ptolomei surnamed Cheraunos brother to Ptolomeus Philadelphus the seconde king of Egypt after Alexander the great slaine for Lysimachus had maried the sister of this Ptolomei and reigned after his brother in lawe in Macedonia the space of one yeere after this Macedonia was continually plagued vntill their last king of Macedon named Perseus whom the Romanes ouercame by Paulus Aemilius and so brought Macedonia a Prouince vnder Rome Nowe this while Perdica vsed another way to bee king of Macedonia hee made meanes to marrie Cleopatra the sister of Alexander the great and thought so to ouerthrowe Aridaeus but hee was preuented by Antipater and slaine by his owne souldiers some thinkes that the ambition of Perdica was the first cause of all ciuil warres in marying Cleopatra Polybius saith that all these iolly captaines Ptolomie the sonne of Lagi Seleucus Lysimachus Ptolomie Cerannus died in the 124. Olympiad Macedonia had little good successe of their kings as you heard of Cassanders two sonnes Antipater and Alexander who reigned but foure yeeres Demetrius sixe Pyrrhus seuen moneths Lysimachus seuen yeeres and Ptolomei Cerannos one yeere after whom succeeded Meleager two moneths Antipater fourtie fiue daies yet Iustine saith he reigned one whole yeere and Sosthenes two yeeres After these kings the kingdome fell to the house of Demetrius as I saide before to Antigonus the sonne of Demetrius borne of Phila the daughter of Antipater and sister to Cassander This Antigonus was called the second Antigonus for the first Antigonus which was this Demetrius father was supposed and taken to be a base sonne of Philip and a brother of Alexander the great for so he himselfe in his decrees and statutes named himselfe Philips sonne of whose warres against Emmenes when he was king of Asia I spake in the historie of the kings of Asia and Syria The second Antigonus which was Demetrius sōne is much praysed for his iustice gouernment modestie and of such good vertuous disposition that he was surnamed of the Grecians Euergetes Of this second Antigonus issued foorth the second Demetrius which reigned tenne yeeres I will speake of the troubles in Macedonia during the reigne of Ptolomei Cerannius the seuēth king after Alexander of Meleager the eight king of Antipater the ninth and of Sosthenes the tenth king these foure kings reigned not aboue foure yeeres After Lysimachus by this false treacherie of his brother in lawe Ptolomei was deceiued and setled himselfe king in Macedonia hee concluded a peace with Antiochus and entred in friendship with Pyrrhus and by these meanes he was farre frō any feare of forraine enemies he mused howe he might destroy his owne sister Lysimachus wife and his children who of right ought to bee heires to the crowne of Macedonia hee sware that he would marie his sister and make her children by Lysimachus his owne to inherite the kingdome but he was no sooner within the Citie of Cassandria where he should marie Arsinoe the Queene but he commanded that both her sōnes the elder named Lysimachus after his fathers name of sixteene
ambition was such to the kingdom of Syria that they forgate fraternitie in blood fel to strokes one persecuting the other with cōtinual warres sundry battels vntil at lēgth Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the treacherie of Herodianus in the 662. yere after the building of Rome in the 29. yere of his reigne I remēber a history in Dionisius Halicarnassaeus in the which historie Rome is much commended in respect of other countries as Persia Greece Maccdonia Syria Asia kingdoms of ciuil warres the very cause of their ruine but in Rome no ciuil warre was knowen no mutinie no discord was seene for 620. yeres frō the time of Romulus the first king of Rome vntill the time of Tiberius Gracchus which was the first that died in an vprore which he himselfe beganne But while these ciuill warres endured in Syria Masinissa king of Numidia was occupied in Affrike hauing great wars betweene the Carthagineans the Numidians Aristonicus also the sonne of Attalus king of Pergamus brother to that valiant king Eumenes inuaded Asia as his owne kingdom fallen to him by succession of his father At that time reigned in Bythinia Nicomedes in Pōtus Mithridates the sōne of that great Mithridates who held warres with the Romanes of a long time About this time began the sects of people in Iudea the Pharises the Saduces and Esseni Of these Iosephus writeth beside we reade of them in the new Testament In the time of Antiochus Griphus Mecypsa king of Numidia died who left 3. sonnes behind him named Adherbalis Hiempsalis Iugurtha of this Salust maketh mention in the warres of Iugurth which warre happened in this time of Griphus for Marius the Romane Consul about this time triumphed ouer Iugurth Pompey the great was borne about the time of that triumph Lucretius the Poet also But I will come to Syria where after king Antiochus was slaine his sonne Seleucus succeeded him this prepared to reuenge his father vpon his vncle gathered his force gaue him battel and slue his vncle Antiochus Cizicoenus whose sōne reuēged vpō his cousin his fathers death he gaue him battel ouerthrewe him droue him out of Syria to Cicilia where hee was burned in his owne house and all his friendes with him Skant was this mischiefe done but straight another folowed Seleucus brother named Antiochus folowed fast Cizioenus sōne and slue him with all his armie Then Philip the third brother of Seleucus tooke much of the kings treasure and went priuately and dwelled in a part of Syria vntill that Ptolome who by his owne mother before that time was expelled out of Egypt though afterwarde hee was receiued king againe in the 663. yeere after the building of Rome This I say brought the fourth brother of Seleucus named Demetrius Eucerus to Damascus where hee was crowned king who ioyned with Philip ouerthrew Antiochus their brother and the eldest after Seleucus This murthering one another in Syria with such tyrannie and bloody treason betweene brethren and brethrens children that all the kings of Syria euen from Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king of Syria vntill Philip the seuenteenth king no forraine enemies needed to inuade Asia but one king destroyed an other by ciuill warres About this time Cneus Pompeius father to the great Pompe subdued the Picents and the Marsies and Silla ouercame the Samnites Betweene this Silla and Marius beganne a great quarrell about the warres of Mithridates these two though they did much good to their Countrie and were equal to the best yet they past al men in offence and harme towards Rome so that they onely were the two fire brandes of Italie Mithridates king of Pontus inuaded Asia obiected himselfe against the Romanes but Silla who at that time triumphed ouer all the countries and almost ouer Rome staied Mithridates Lucullus waged warres this time with the Parthians Nicomedes king of Bithinia in those dayes died and made the Romanes his heire as Attalus king of Asia did Mithridates Nowe Philip and Demetrius two brethren reigned the last kings of Syria of the blood of Seleucus which reigned not long for Demetrius went against Alexander king of the Iewes by whom he and his company were vanquished and driuen out of Iudea Demetrius being thus expulsed gathered those scattered souldiers which Alexander king of Iudea dispearsed and laid siege to the citie of Berea where his brother Philip lay where Demetrius was taken by the Parthiās sent to Parthia to be kept as a prisoner where he died After that Demetrius was sent to Parthia Philip came out of Beroea entred into Antioch and obteined the whole kingdom of Syria into his owne hand but he was shortly vanquished ouerthrowen by Gabinius the Romane The Syrians were cōpelled by this ciuil warre to cōmit themselues to forraine kings to auoid the tyrāny which lōg endured betweene the kings of Syria so that both the kings the kingdom of Syria were at the last breath some willing to call Mithridates king of Pontus some Ptolome king of Egypt and some Tygranes king of Armenia At length they made a choise of Tygranes to be their king the rather for the societie of the Parthiās the affinitie of Pōtus which were the next kingdōs vnto Armenia While these brethrē Philip Demet. were at variance such an earthquake was in Syria that 170000. men perished thereby many cities laid prostrate to the groūd Tygranes gouerned the Syrians 18. yeeres quietly without any warre or busines though in deede diuers there were that hoped for a day specially Antiochus Cizicoenus which all this time lay close in Cicilia Tygranes had thought to subdue Palestina and so after some leasure to warre vpō Iuda but hearing that Lu. Lucullus after that Mithridates was by the said Lucullus conquered marched forward into Armenia Tygranes was driuē to forsake Syria in al haste to returne to defend his owne coūtrie where he was ouercome in two or three great battels and at length taken in his chiefe citie called Artaxa Nowe Tygranes could not returne to Syria but he was led captiue to the Romanes by Pompei the great who after that wēt in person into Syria brought it to the forme gouernment of a prouince for that Syria as Plutarch saith wanted a lawfull king He made a prouince of Syria to the Romane Empire he cōquered al Iurie builded certeine cities in Iudea this very time M. Crassus with his sonne with all his armie was ouerthrowen and slaine in Parthia Likewise Iulius Caesar came into England called then Brittaine and conquered it at what time reigned in Brittaine Cassibelane who after two or three repulses giuen to Caesar yeelded consented to pay tribute At the cōming of Pompe into Syria Diodorus Siculus a great writer wēt to Egypt where he wrote in a booke of his the antiquitie of the Egyptiās About this time Titus Liuius the historiographer
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
discharge his vowe made to Iupiter made his triumph ouer these nations hanging the armour weapons of king Acron about the bowe of a yong oke which Romulus caried on his right shoulder marching on foote before the army towards the citie with a royal song of victory This was the first triumph of Romulus the first entry giuē into other triumphs that folowed presētly After this triumph of Romulus the Sabines could not forget their iniurie for their daughters and virgines rauished by Romulus but elected Tatius a gallant gentleman to be Generall of the Sabines and to reuenge the wrong done by Romulus Tatius besieged Rome that time one named Tarpeius was appointed captaine of the Castle whose daughter named likewise Tarpeia betrayed the whole Citie for a reward which Tatius promised some say that Tarpeia was Tatius daughter By this treason of Tarpia the Sabines entred Rome and great warre continued betwixt the Sabines the Romanes 3. yeres But in time betwixt Romulus and Tatius peace was concluded and they both together reigned ioyntly and gouerned Rome fiue yeeres Tatius dwelling by mount Tarpeius afterwarde called the Capitoll and Romulus on mount Palatium but within a while in this fiue yeere Tatius was slaine and Romulus gouerned himselfe and ouercame the Antenates the Veients and other nations triumphed ouer them the second time And when that Romulus had reigned thirtie seuen yeres after three seuerall triumphes he died of whose death diuerse opinions are of Romulus assencion into heauen in the sight of Proclus and of a voyce heard he should be called Quirinus after his death reade Plutarch concerning his vanishing away and concerning his whole life Romulus strength his whole force exceeded not aboue two thousand footemen and not three hundred horsemen when he beganne his kingdome in Rome but when Romulus died hee left fourtie sixe thousand footemen and a 1000. horsemen During the time of Romulus gouernment reigned in Assyria Salmanasser 10. yeres by whō Samaria was subdued the 10. tribes of Israel caried captiue into Babylon Also Senaherib his sonne reigned after his father seuen yeeres he likewise wasted and spoyled Iudea in the time of king Ezechias vntill hee was vanquished al his armie to the number of a hundred twentie sixe thousand In Lydia reigned two kings during Romulus time Haliagtes the 2. king and Meles the 3. king In the beginning of the Romans kingdom the third kind of gouermēt begā in Athens after 17. kings gouernment then after 13. Iudges Now beganne the thirde alteration of the state called Decennales principes a magistrate that should continue tenne yeeres in office and then another elected into his roume Now in that time that Romulus raigned beganne in Rome diuers kinds of magistrats and officers lawes and orders were by Romulus appointed for the better gouernment of the citie of Rome as Senators Tribunes Aediles Celeres and diuers other sacred and religious offices as Flamines Bishops Foeciales Salij vestal Nunnes southsayers and others the right vse of their offices being not knowen to the reader vnlesse he be wel read in histories I haue orderly as they were appointed by Romulus here set downe as many magistrates officers and offices as were in Rome by Romulus first instituted during his raigne After that Romulus had builded Rome after the death of his brother Remus he made these many lawes 1. First he deuided the whole company of the multitude into three tribes and hee deuided the three tribes into 30. partes which were called Curiae 2. Then he elected one chiefe magistrate to gouerne Rome in his absence which was named Praefectus vrbis as Viceroy or as lieuetenant to Romulus as Iulius Caesar and Augustus 750. yeeres after Romulus time vsed the like 3. Romulus made a choise of 300. stoute and valiant souldiours called Celeres and a captaine ouer them called Tribunus Celerum these were Romulus gard the Tribune was as Esquire of the body or as captaine of the gard to defend him from any sudden assault and readie to execute the kings commandement 4. Romulus appointed 12. men officers called Lictores that should carie tipstaues or rods to make roume and way before the king 5. Hee also appointed after them 12. othermen called Caduceatores which were appointed next the kings person before him to carie axes or mases as Serieants at armes an office of great antiquitie in all countreys of the world for we reade in Homer that Agamemnon sent a Serieant at armes called Talthubius to arrest Achilles for his absēce in the warres and for his disobedience to Agamemnon being then appointed generall for the Grecians against the Troyans 6. When Romulus had prouided these officers for the sauegard of his person he likewise erected counsellers and made choise of a hundreth graue and wise men who for the honour of their place and dignitie of their calling should be named Senators to gouerne and to foresee the dangers and perils of the citie to punish vice and to reward vertue These were called by strangers princes of Rome to whom the king committed the whole direction and correction of the citie The familie and stocke of the Senators were called Patricij for all Senators were elected out of the Patricians 7. Hee appointed the place and the time where the Augurers and Southsayers should vse their diuination touching the euents and proceedings of Rome which should be before Sunne rising and after sunne setting for Romulus himselfe caried the Augurers crooked staffe for his skill in diuination 8. Then hee erected three Augurers with their orders and authorities by whom all sacrifices and religious ceremonies were solemnized These three hee elected out of the three tribes 9. He instituted that no man might enter into the Senate to heare any cause pleaded or consulted before hee were 25. yeres of age he seemed to be of Aristotles opinion that held Iuuenem non esse Philosophiae idoneum 10. After that Romulus had inuented these many good and seemely decrees to set foorth that little kingdome of Rome Now last of all he made lawes for setting foorth the dignitie of a king as to weare purple colours for Romulus ware a coate of purple in graine and vpon that a long robe of purple colour for this princely and riche colour was onely esteemed of the olde Romanes and so honoured that none might weare it but the kings of Rome and after the kings time onely the Dictators and Consuls 11. Romulus instituted a feast in memorie of Hersilia and other Sabine virgines which were rauished by whose meanes peace was concluded betwene Romulus and Tatius king of the Sabines These feasts were called Matronalia 12. He also instituted the feast called Lupercalia which was celebrated in Rome in memory of Romulus escape when that he slew Aemilius his father vnknowen but taken for his vncle he ranne with a naked sword in his hand from Alba
is made of any famous exploits or conquests done by the Emperours of Rome but of slaughter and murther during the time of the other Emperours which was not long for that the Empire was translated into Germanie And it was gone to Constantinople froÌ„ Rome before it came to Germanie Much more might haue bene written of other emperours which continued in Rome tantuÌ„ nomine for the dignitie of the empire and the glorie of the olde Romanes was quite defaced and that litle soueraigntie which was left in Rome was by the Pope obscured for as the kings of Rome within 243. yeeres were exiled and Rome became subiect to Consuls so likewise Consuls within 467. yeeres became subiect to the emperours And euen so the glory and renowme of the emperours within 470. yeeres was diminished by the Popes so that now Rome is without either King Consul or Emperour but only a Pope and the pompe of the Pope beginneth to quaile And therefore Rome was well compared by P. Orosius to Babylon whose glorie for a thousand and odde yeeres farre excelled al the kingdomes of the world and euen so Rome who seemed to be a whole worlde of it selfe is nowe brought to nothing and so the beasts that Daniel saw in a vision the one like a lion which betokened the Assyrians the second like a beare which signified the Persians the third like a leopard which signified the Macedonians and the fourth beast was fearefull and terrible it had great yron teetth it deuoured and brake in pieces and stamped the residue vnder his feete So the Romans vsed all other kingdomes and nowe are almost in the like case as the Persians Assyrians or the Macedonians And now I leaue the Romanes and speake of the cruel persecution that chiefly raigned euery where vnder the Romane Emperours after our Sauiour Christ died vntill Constantine the great leauing the historie of Germanie where now the Empire resteth to euery mans reading for that it beganne of late time and also for that the most part is therewith acquainted And therefore I ende this historie of the Romanes in this place with Eutropius with S. Aurelius Victor and with Sextus Ruffinus Hitherto Rome helde the Empire with some glorie and renowme and after it decayed from one Emperour vnto another vntil the Empire was taken into Germanie for when the kingdome of Fraunce beganne in Faramundus time I thought good to make an ende of the Empire of Rome in Theodosius the great his time who liued and raigned at one time with Faramundus for France flourished by the ruine of Rome OF THE TRIAL OF THE Martyrs of God in the Primitiue Church from the first persecution vnder Tiberius the 3. Emperour in the which Stephen was stoned Iames beheaded Philip hanged with infinite more tormented and persecuted vntill the 3. persecution which began vnder Domitian the 12. Emperour of Rome THe pollicie of Satan from the beginning of mankind was such that he inuented many wayes to hinder the Church of God among the old Patriarkes and the members of gods Church then before the Law was giuen in the mount to Moses and after the law was giuen with all kinde of superstitious idolatrie of Idols and Images vntil our Sauiour Christs time then Satan stirred with much more policie then before with persecution and heresies to animate his souldiers against the Gospel in euery kingdome and countrey For when our Sauiour Christ was ascended vp to God his Father leauing his Church to endure such persecution and afflictions for the exercise of the faithfull as might in despite of Satan his angels as he bâ—…fore had tolde to his disciples triumph by the blood of Christ Iesus and after be confirmed by the blood of so many millions of martyrs as were by God appointed to be witnesses of his Church hee was no sooner ascended vnto heauen but his Church was persecuted on earth which was the first persecution by the Iewes vnder Tiberius Nero the thirde Emperour of Rome though the emperour was instructed by Pilatus the Romane President which continued then at Hierusalem 10. yeeres that Tiberius read the letters of the Senators opening the miracles of Christ Iesus in the Senate the order and maner of his death and of his resurrection in somuch that the emperour would haue the Senators to put him in the nomber and to record him as one of the gods for it was a decree among the Romans that none should be recorded one of the gods without the Senators consent As Eusebius reciteth the wordes of Tertulian in this sort Nullum deum à rege consecrandum priusquam à Senatu probaretur But when the whole world was fully instructed by the Apostles of Christ who were dispersed and persecuted euery where so that in omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum their words their liues and their doctrine went into al parts of the world The spirite of God stirred many zealous faithfull and godly men to receiue the doctrine of Christ our Sauiour and reueiled to the Gentiles that which the Iewes would not receiue and therefore euen from the blood of Abel the iust vntil Zacharias the priest which was slaine c. God will call them to accompt Now after that Pilate had slaine himselfe euen with those hands which he washed in Ierusalem like an hypocrite as giltlesse of the death of Christ Iesus after he had giuen sentence of death on him and also after that Herode died being banished full of calamities and miseries eaten of vermines as a iust reuenge of impietie and tyrannie about which time Tiberius the emperour died also during which time in Hierusalem persecution was yet hot vehement and euen then they allowed to Simon Magus the sorcerer after he came from Samaria to Rome all honour and reuerence and his Image to be put vp in Rome with this title Simoni deo magno and refused Christ though Tiberius the Emperour first sought it by all meanes And againe Philo a learned Iewe sent from Alexandria to Claudius the next Emperour that succeeded Tiberius who willed and counselled the Senators in many good and godly thinges concerning the Iewes foâ—… whose cause hee came from Alexandria to Rome Caius Caligula beganne to raigne Emperour of Rome vnder whome the Iewes were miserablie afflicted and most cruelly persecuted In that time grew betweene the Greekes and the Iewes sedition at Alexandria for the which cause both the Iewes and the Greekes sent to Rome to Caligula ambassadours for the redresse hereof Philo a learned Iew who had bene at Rome before in the fifteenth yeere of the raigne of Tiberius was nowe againe sent in the seconde yeere of Caligulas raigne in the behalfe of the Iewes and Appian in the behalfe of the Greekes An other tumult beganne in Ierusalem Petronius being then President at Ierusalem for that Caligula had commaunded his Image to be put vp in the temple at Hierusalem and to be had in reuerence as
kept the Saracens in some awe and gaue diuers ouerthrowes vnto them during his time After whom succeeded Raimiris the first of that name and 9. king of Astura and Legio he raigned sixe yeres In his time Abderana king of the Saracens sailed with a nomber of ships from Affrica and inuaded many places in Italie and vsed great crueltie of whose tyrannie and spoiles euery where you may reade in the Historie of the Saracens I name none here but such as troubled Spaine whose historie I haue in hande during the time that they raigned in Spaine This time Theophilus helde the Empire at Constantinople and Lewes sirnamed the Godly the sonne of Charles the great was king of France and Emperour of Rome as his father was Now succeeded in Spaine Ordonius the first of that name who raigned king after Amiris 10. yeres During which time the Normanes and the Danes rushed into France and annoyed the countrey much burnt Antwerpe and afflicted the Friseans most miserablie All this while the cruel Saracens were no where quiet especially in Italy where they spoiled and killed all that they came vnto with sword and fire euen vnto the very gates of Rome burning all the suburbes of the citie About this time Anno 838. the Danes inuaded England but they were to their great losse ouerthrowen and vanquished by Egbertus at which time died Lewes king of Fraunce sirnamed the Godly After this Ordonius succceded Alphonsus the thirde of that name sirnamed the Great he raigned as a wicked cruel king who to auoyde suspition of his tyrannie fained a conspiracie to bee done of his owne brethren against him and therefore caused that all his three brethrens eyes should be plukt out thinking thereby with lesse danger to gouerne his kingdome Then succeeded Garsia who raigned 3. yeres after whom Ordonius the second of that name folowed king of Astura and Legio This king also vsed crueltie and caused 4. of the chiefe noblemen in the Prouince of Castile to be imprisoned and in prison to be slaine for which cruel fact the Prouince of Castile reuolted from Ordonius and they elected foure Iudges to gouerne the Prouince of Castile since which time which was 900. yeeres after Christ kings beganne a kingdome in Castile for now was Spaine gouerned as England was by 7. kings the gouernment whereof was called Heptarchia and therefore I wil passe ouer the time and infinite quarels and toiles which continued for a long rime in Spaine First betweene the Vandols and the Spaniards after betweene the Gothes and the Spaniards and then last betweene the Saracens and the Gothes CHAP. V. From the time that the Saracens possessed Hispaine vntill the time of Ferdinandus the great and Alphonsus king of Arragon which were the onely first two kings that possessed all Hispaine from the first Monarchie of their kings which was 2400. and odde yeeres so base a Countrey was Hispaine and conquered so many times vntill Ferdinandus time AT what time in diuers Prouinces of Hispaine dwelt seuerall kings which then gouerned and possessed Hispaine whose names are these that follow The first king after the inuasion of the Saracens which was driuen out of the kingdome was Pelagius who raigned twentie yeeres in Astura Phafilla Pelagius sonne raigned two yeres and was slaine by a beare in hunting Alphonsus sirnamed Catholike the first of that name raigned 19. yeeres His sonne Phroilla succeeded his father in Astura and Legio and raigned twelue yeeres and after was by his brother Aurelius slaine Veramundus Phroillas sōne succeeded but was forced to flie by Sillo which gouerned the kingdome after Phroilla 6. yeeres Mauregatus a base sonne of Alphonsus the Catholike tooke the kingdome of Austria by the meanes of the Mauritanes and raigned three yeeres Veramundus the sonne of Bilmarus which was sonne to Alphonsus raigned two yeeres Alphonsus the seconde sirnamed the Chaste raigned thirtie and six yeres This king raigning the Saracens spoiled and wasted all Sardinia and Corsica After him succeeded Raimirus the first of that name and raigned sixe yeeres in whose time Abderana king of the Saracens with an huge armie vsed great crueltie and tyrannie in many places After him Ordonius the first which raigned also tenne yeeres after whom Alphonsus the thirde sirnamed the great which raigned 46. yeeres Then succeeded Carsia the first of that name and raigned three yeres After whom succeeded Ordonius the second who vsed tyrannie in Castile the onely cause of their reuolting and of the change of their gouernment in chusing first to them foure Iudges and after erected kings At what time the kingdome of Castile beganne Reade Ritius more of this historie Then succeeded Ordonius Phroilla the seconde which raigned two yeres and after him Alphonsus the fourth which gouerned in Astura and Legio fiue yeeres Raimirus the second of that name raigned nineteene yeres this caused his brother Alphonsus eyes to be pluckt out and after to bee in close prison for that Alphonsus denied to become a Christian. In this Raimirus time the Hungarians ouercame Lodowicke king of Germanie and both Luitboldus duke of Bauaria and Burgardus duke of Thuringia were slaine at that time of the Hungarians Ordonius the thirde of that name raigned fiue yeeres and Sanctius the first of that name raigned 11. yeeres king of Astura Raimirus the thirde being a childe obtained the kingdom and raigned 25. yeeres by whome Abdera then king of the Saracens in Spaine was vanquished but Luiterus saith that one Ramirus king of Galatia vanquished the Saracens and their king whome he named Abdamara This time Enechus Countie of Bigora gaue a great ouerthrow to the Saracens and made the Saracens to forsake their cities and to flie from many partes of Spaine This Enechus founded then the kingdome of Nauarra as Ritig affirmeth Then succeeded in Spaine Veramundus the third who raigned 17. yeere This king after he had once or twise vanquished the Saracens yet they so preuailed that he was vāquished and ouerthrowen his citie of Legio assaulted and taken Lusitania possessed againe and the most places of Spaine wonne againe which the Saracens lost before This time the kingdom of Polonia beganne Alphonsus the 5. reigned 37. yeeres during which time the Saracens entred into Italie tooke Capua assaulted Barū destroyed many places and spoiled cities In this Alphonsus time the kingdome of Hungarie beganne in whose time reigned in Fraunce Hugo Capetus the first king of the Gaules Veramūdus the 3. of that namereigned after Alphōsus 6. yeres and Ferdinandus gouerned at Astura and Castile 40. yeeres Sanctius the 2. king of Castile and Alphonsus the 6. king of Astura the one reigned 13. yeres the other seuen yeeres but Sanctius being not contented with the kingdome of Castile draue Alphōsus out of his kingdome and possessed both Legio and Astura who fledde to Toletum to the king of
Aemil. l. b. 2. Clotarius the 3. of that name Eâ—…l de reg FraÌ„c Theodoricus by Bodillus slaine in hunting The Saracens held warres in diuers countries Clodouaeus Hildebertus Reade Tilius chron de reg Franc. Chilâ—…ericus by the aide of Martellu was crowned king of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cala. 20. Gizid The Saracâ—…ns by cold and hunger driueÌ„ from Constantinople The gouernment of exarchie in Italie altered Beda this time liued Ceolulphus became a Moncke Edo and Abdimarus two kings of the Saracens Hildericus surnamed Stupidus Martellus died Pipinus the first anointed Salim The Popes authoritie first alowed in Fraunce Reade Pau. Aemilius lib. 3. of Charles the great Charles the great aduanced the fame of Fraunce I folowed in al points Paul Aenâ—…lius from PharamuÌ„dus vntil Henry the first and from theÌ„ce I folowed Arnol. Fernonus vnto Lewes the 12. the two onely best writers of the French The empire of Rome brought to Fraunce by Charles the great Though Clodouaeus the 2. of that name be the 12. king in number after Pharamundus yet because of the diuision of the histoâ—…e I begin froÌ„ him as from the first vnto Charles the great From Pharamundus to Clodouaeus the 2. and from him to Charles the great I vse not these Olympiads for any iust nuÌ„ber of yeeres for that there was error in them Charles the great made Emperour of Rome Popes florished after the Emperours The greatnes of the Popes of Rome The kingdoms of the North began now to flourish Beroaldus lib. 4. Gaul grekes Lodouicus pius succeeded his father Charles the great both in the kingdome and in the Empire Tilius de reg Francor The great slaughter in the ciuil warrs of Fraunce betweene brethren were such that all Carolus stocke was welnigh extinguished Carolus Caluus Lewes sirnamed Balbus Lewes the third and Carolomanus the 27. Carolus sirnamed Crassus the 28. Odo the 29. Carolus Simplex Lewes the 12. I follow Tilius table chiefly in setting downe the kings of France The kingdom of Polonia Reade Aemil. lib. 1. Hugo Capetus the first king of those that were naturally borne Galli 10. Tilius de reg Franc. Hierusalem called the Holy land Both Functius Beroaldus and Tilius agree in placing these kings in this sort The house of Valloys began I haue followed Paulus Aemilius and Alâ—… Ferranus since Faramundus vnto Lewes the 12. and haue also coÌ„ferred both them with Tilius Chron. Before Faramundus by Tritemius Sempron de Ital. Fabius Pictor de aureo seculo Mar. Cato de originibus Berosus and Manethon wrote vnknowen histories Talmudists fabulous The priestes of Egypt Mithici No prophane writers known before Cyrus time The vncertaintie of prophane histories Daniel a true Chronographer for the 3. last Monarchies The Greekes histories more fabulous then the Latines Fab. Pictor de orig M. Cato de orâ—…g Ital. Semp. de diu Ital. Myrsilus de bello Pelasgico Halicar lib. 1. Contention betweene the Scythians and the Egyptians Pythagoras authoritie with his schollers was no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Picts inuaded Britaine Pont. Virunnius Brutus from Italie Ianus from Chaldea Marcomirus from Scythia Albalonga builded by Ascanius Reade Dyonis Halicar of this historie lib. 1. Halic lib. 1. Origo Romani imperij Aeneas M. Cato de frag origo The Romanes come fromthe Troians Romanes not knowen to the Grecians before Alex. time nei ther the Grecians to the Persians vntill Xerxe time Strab. lib. 15. Berosus Ctesias Manethon Ioseph lib. cont App. on The proofe of Brutus coÌ„ming into Albion more plaine then of Francus into Fraunce or of Hispanus into Hispaine Reade Annius de frag Hispaniae of the sundry names of Hispaniards The Britaines neuer chaÌ„ged their names The diuers sundry names of the French men The Persians and the Egyptians were by diuers names called Britaine diuided for 50. yeeres into foure kingdoms From Elidurus vnto Belinus the great 185. yeeres Androgeus the onely cause of Caesars victorie The kings of Britaine continued 1800. yeeres Iu Caesars stock proceeded froÌ„ gens Iulia. Augusts Caesar desirous to knowe his genealogie Dardanus married the daugh ter of Teucer The successions of all the kings that reigned in Troy Dionys. Halicar lib. 2. Aeneas maried Latinus daugh ter Dionys Halycar Annius M. Coruinus set downe these kings in this sott Augustus Caesar lineally proceeded from Aeneas Dionys. Halicar lib. 〈◊〉 Diodor. lib. 2. Strab. lib. 4. Talmudists Gymnosophists Druydes Turdetani Bardi Belinus the great Rodericus the great Leoninus the great