epitaph and also the crueltie of Thomiris to Cyrus being dead I will write in the historie of Persia. After this great victorie of Tomyris the Scithians had peace vntil Lanthinus time king of Scithia After Cyrus time Darius Histaspis came to Scithia who being denied of king Lanthinus daughter in mariage he returned his loue to hatred he waged battel against Lathinus and brought to Scithia seuen hūdred thousand Persians of whom he left behind him slaine in Scithia fourescore tenne thousand and Darius himselfe constrained to take his flight with no lesse feare then danger into Persia againe In like sort the Scithians vsed Zopirona a general of Alexanders the great in a battel giuen by the Macedonians to the Scithians with such slaughter that the whole armie of Zopirona was ouerthrowen and himselfe hardly by flight escaped as Vexores king of Egypt Darius king of Persia had done before of such inuincible courage the Scithians were being frō their birth acquainted brought vp in hardines that life and death were esteemed alike they made no accompt of victory for wealth and treasure but for honour Alexander the great who had better successe in Scithia then any of his predecessors liked the people so wel for their hardy and valiant enterprises that he builded a city and named it Alexandria which was the first citie that he builded in Scithia which name was after raced by the Barbarians and repaired againe by Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus who according to his progenitors name called it Seleucia Into this citie saith Solinus Orodes king of Parthia conueyed the Romans that were taken at the slaughter of Crassus Strabo writeth that Alexander the great builded 8. great townes amongst the Bactrians and amongst the Sogdians two large countreys of Scithia also he saith that Alexander destroyed certaine cities in Bactria a citie called Cariata where Callisthenes the Philosopher was imprisoned by Alexander in Sogdiana he destroyed a citie which Cyrus builded after his owne name called Cira hard by the riuer Iaxartes I reade of none sauing of Alexader which ventured so much in Scithia as the Scithians haue done in other countreis you shall reade that the Scithians haue thrise inuaded Asia haue driuen the Cimerians out of Europe haue giuen to the Medes diuers ouerthrowes specially in a great battell at Mount Caucasus and after came into Media their owne countrey wasted it spoyled it and did possesse it as lords and rulers thereof vntill by a stratagem of the Medes the Scithians were slaine being drunken After the Medes the Egyptians were ouerthrowen with their king Vexores and put to flight After the Egyptians Phrahartes king of Parthia with all his Parthian armie and almost all the countrey of Parthia were at that time wellnigh conquered by the Scithians The Persians were twise by the Scithians ouercome vnder Darius Histaspis who was discomfited with all his armie and himselfe glad to take his heeles and vnder Cyrus the great king who also after two or three battels was slaine amongst the Scithians It was thought a thing most renowmed to make an armie and to enter Scithia Liber Pater was the first that trauailed into Scithia as farre as Panda a citie of the Sogdians where the first altar was erected in testimonie of so famous an enterprise The second altar was made euen in that place by Hercules The thirde by Semiramis Queene of Assyria The fourth and last altar was erected by Cyrus and therefore it was compted one of the greatest commendations of Alexander the great to make his voyage so farre whereby hee had the name of the fift that also erected his monument so inuincible were the nations of the Scithians that they would take no iniurie at home neither offer iustice abroade The antiquitie of the Scithians is such that there is no great certaintie of their time nor no sounde histories haue declared any thing formally neither of their kings nor of themselues and therefore I wil briefly ende their historie in this place onely setting downe the names of such kings as I found scattered in diuers histories of other kingdomes 1 Scytha the first king of Scythia of whose birth and beginning the Scythians do much bragge Reade Diodorus 2 Napis 3 Pluto 4 Sagillus 5 Targitaus 6 Plinos 7 Scolopithus 8 Penaxagora filius Sagilli 9 Tanais 10 Indathirsus 11 Saulius This king killed the Philosopher Anacharsis for that hee found him in Grecian robes executing the rites and ceremonies of the Greeks in a sacrifice to Berecynthia against the customes and lawes of Scythia 12 Spargapithus 13 Aripethes 14 Sciles This king was in like maner driuen out of his kingdom for imitating the Grecians in their sacrifice to Bacchus for the Scythians did mocke and floute the Greekes to alter themselues like faunes or Satires some like men some like women and some like beasts with darts in their hands and Yuie crownes on their heades after the maner of the Grecians which the Scythians could not abide 15 Octomasades 16 Lanthinus which raigned in Scythia when Darius king of Persia came with an army of seuen hundreth thousand and was ouerthrowen of the Amazones Sogdians Hircanians and of diuers other nations which dwel in Scythia which to write itwere but labour in vaine But a few of the Amazones Queenes I will set downe as Pēthisileia which came to the Troyan warres against the Grecians Menalippe that gaue battell to Hercules Hippolite that gaue battel to Theseus Tomiris that gaue battell to Cyrus and ouerthrew him Antiopia and Marpesia Otrera and other warlik Queenes But of Tamberlanes greatnes of his armie and victories against the Turke how he toooke him caried him in a cage with him to all his warres and howe he vsed to tread vpō his necke as a blocke to mount on horsebacke lute histories euery where are written OF THE ORIGINAL OF the Parthians and of the beginning of their kingdome and how long it continued of their kings gouernment and last destruction by the Romanes in the time of Augustus Caesar. THe Parthians were sometime people of Scythia and driuen frō thence as banished men weried and ouerthrowen and after by long warres they came to the deserts of Hircania and possessed the cōfines of those nations called Daces and Maiani for in the Scythian tongue the Parthians doeth signifie banished men so that the Parthians were first obscure and base people banished out of their countrey of Scythia in the time that the Asyrians the Medes flourished and long after that the Persians had gotten the monarchie from the Medes The Parthians were very rude without lords or lawes to rule them vntil the empire of Macedonia had gotten the masterie ouer the Persians for at what time Alexander the great died no Maccdonian would vouch safe to be king in Parthia the successors of Alexander made no accompt of the Parthians but as rude people and mercenarie souldiers neither esteeming them
kings of Sparta Heraclides And so the Emperors of Rome named first Caesares then were they called Augusti and the third time they were named Antonini Thus in these coūtries none might be king elected but of these houses families yet in other kingdoms they were otherwayes elected as The Ethiopians made choise of the most likeliest man in sight The Medes in like maner vsed to make choise of no king but such as excelled in talenesse of person and strength of body In Libya none should be king but he that could winne it with running for he that was most swift should be king in Libya and so according to custome and to the maners of euery Countrey or kingdome any prince or king was elected and chosen Againe there be in Persia two other nations called Cirtij and Marai beside a sect of people named Magi. The chiefe Cities of Persia before Babylon was by Cyrus wonne to bee a Persian Citie were Susa Parsagardia Persepolis and Gaza for there the Persian kings had their monuments in Gaza there lay there treasure and wealth Beroaldus in his Chronicles Suetonius and Tranquillus in August say that the Persians were called of the Greekes in ancient time Cephenes but they bragged and boasted of a more auncient name and called them selues Artaei But after that Perseus the sonne of Iupiter and Danaes had maried Andromada the daughter and heire of Cepheus and had by his wife a sonne named Perses after whose name then they being called Cephenes are nowe called Persis after the name of their king Persis This region of Persia was diuided vnto a hundreth twentie Prouinces in the time of Darius Hystaspis the third king of Persia appointing to euery Prouince a gouernor that should pay certeine tribute vnto the king Iosephus saith Elam the eldest sonne of Sem was the first original of the Elamites now called Persians a countrie most fertile and most florishing which had soueraigntie ouerall Asia After that Cyrus from a priuate man brought vp by a heardman in an obscure place in Media became lord of all Asia king of the greatest part of the Eastkingdomes and the conquerour of Astyages king of the Medes and of Croesus king of the Lydians and last of Balthasar the last king of Babylon and the last successour of Nabuchodonosor the great hee fortified himselfe with strength of munitions commanded garisons readie in euery great citie of Persia appointed races of horses to bee had in all the Empire of Persia and euery gouernour of euery Prouince to furnish the king with horses and men necessarie to defende the countrie for the Medes Assyrians Chaldeans Lydians and Egyptiās were by this time brought subiects vnder the Persiās And therefore their wealth must be infinite for in Artaxerxes time there was an hundreth and twentie Prouinces vnder the Monarchie of Persia as Iosephus writeth Ctesias and Dionisius two great writers of Persian histories affirmed that the king of Persia was woont to haue in his Pallace fifteene thousand euery day to dinner and supper for they receiued out of Asia euery yeere fourtie thousand and fiftie talents For when Alexander the great had conquered Persia and had taken Babylon he found a hundred fiftie and seuen thousand talents and yet not so much as Cyrus left behind him as Strabo saith and no maruell for Cyrus had all the wealth of Iudea and the treasure had in the Temple at Ierusalem which was infinite of Assyria Chaldea Lydia and Media and therefore Herodot called him Cyrus the great king and after Cyrus time all the kings of Persia would be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great kings For in all the histories you shall not reade that the Romanes who afterward likewise mastered the whole worlde had so much treasure at one time as either Cyrus had left in Persia or as Alexander had found in Persia yet Persia before Cyrus time was obscure and of no fame subiect vnto the Medes for Cyrus had long warres many battels with Euilmerodach in Assyria with Croesus in Lydia with Astyages in Media with many kings before he had rest and before hee had brought the Monarchie vnto Persia and to be called the great king Cyrus began his Empire at Babylon at what time Seruius Tullius the sixt king of the Romanes reigned in Rome and Amasis gouerned Egypt In Cyrus time the temple of Apollo was burned in Delphos the second time Cyrus obteined the kingdome of Persia in the beginning of the eighteene Iubilee and in the third yeere of the eightie Olympiad which much differ from Diod. Siculus who affirmeth that Xerxes the fourth king after Cyrus tooke his voiage into Greece in the seuentie fiue Olympiad from Polybius that affirmeth Xerxes went into Greece in the 74. Olympiad in the like error is Halicarnasseus Herodot and others some affirming Cyrus to begin his Empire in the 50. Olympiad some in the 54. some in the 57. some in the 60. Olympiad thus they erre some 30. Olympiads some 20. some more and some lesse of the true time of Cyrus for in the sacred historie by sound testimonie it was laid downe by Daniel and in Nehemias the very time of Cyrus Now after that Cyrus had brought all these kingdoms vnder the monarchie of Persia he tooke Armenia in hand hauing conquered the king the countrie of Armenia Tigranes the kings sonne of Armenia a familier old friend of Cyrus hearing of Cyrus victorie ouer his father he then being farre frō Armenia returned home with all haste and besought Cyrus not to thinke of the warres betweene his father and him but to remember the amitie familiaritie which was betweene them both and therefore Tigranes entreated Cyrus to haue the crowne after his father paying vnto Cyrus such tribute as he would appoint to which request Cyrus consented appointing fiftie talents yerely to be paid to the kings of Persia which is three thousand crownes After the conquest of Armenia Cyrus passed with his army vnto Phrygia Cappadocia and Arabia who coulde not long hold out but partly yeelded and partly conquered were brought subiect and to pay tribute vnto Cyrus Cyrus was woont before he entred into battell to sing a song to Castor and Pollux and to march as the olde Spartanes with hymnes and odes to the muses to solace their hearts and to auoide feare that might occupie their heads otherwayes Cyrus his garde or chiefe souldiers about him were called Homotimi as the best souldiers vnder Alexander the great were call Argyraspides vnder Achilles named Myrmidones vnder Pyrrhus called Dolopes and so of other great conquerors which had a peculiar name of their chiefe souldiers Nowe the last and the greatest victorie was ouer the Babylonians which he attempted not before he grew great and strong by other victories for truely before Babylon was wonne the monarchie was in Assyria We reade of no king that conquered so
contempt of this waxed more stubburne and more insolent The slaughter was such in Iudea that the Saduces began to tickle the people againe with their inuentions that hearing of Festus death Ananias the hie priest before Albinus was come from Alexandria that succeeded Festus the Romane President persecuted many of the Saints in Hierusalem and did put to the sworde euery one that hee suspected to holde the doctrine of the Apostles So that by many tumults and seditions of the Scribes and the Pharisees the tyrannie and crueltie of the hie priestes and the people who euer kindled the Romanes to furie all Iudea was full of blood vntil the last destruction of them and of their countrey of the which they were often warned both by the Prophets and by Christ himselfe but Titus the Emperour was appointed to be their scourge to destroy their proud citie to burne their idolatrous temple and to ende their tyrannie which they vsed against God and his Church During which confusion and ruine of Ierusalem the congregation then remoued by diuine warning to Pella a towne beyoÌ„d Iordan for at that time saith Iosephus were in Ierusalem 30. Miriads of people euery Miriad being 10. hundreth thousand The history is knowen and therefore I referre you to Iosephus of the Iewes Eusebius his Ecclesiasticall historie at what time Achaia Lycia Rhodes Bizantium Samos Thracia and Sicilia were made Prouinces vnder the Romanes CHAP. II. From the third persecution vnder Domitian the 12. Emperor vnto the 6. persecutioÌ„ vnder Sept. Seuerus 22. Emperor of the coÌ„stancie of the faithful Martyrs euerywhere in the Church of God of their godly liues their deaths and their glorious victorie ouer Satan FLauius Domitianus Titus his brother vnder whom another persecution began ouer allthe stocke of Dauid left none of al them that were of kinne vnto Dauid in flesh This shewed himselfe another Nero farre vnlike vnto his father Vespasian or to his brother Titus and therefore named for his tyrannie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This time had raigned in Rome since the Apostles times these 3. bishops Linus which was the first Anacletus which was the second and Clemens which was the thirde Likewise in Antioch andin Alexandria 1. Anianus In Alexandria 1. Euodius In Antiochia Simon 2. Albilius 2. Ignatius and Iustus 3. Cerdo 3. Heros  bishops of Ierusalem were persecuted vnder Domitianus Nowe after this persecution vnder Flaminius Domitianus who banished from Rome all the Philosophers and the Mathematicians who played the wolfe with the flocke of Christ vnder whom Simeon the second â—…shop of Ierusalem was most cruelly tormented and martyred al the remnant that were aliue of the stocke of Dauid and all the Iewes which were any way in flesh kinne vnto our Sauiour Christ After this followed the 4. persecutioÌ„ vnder Traiane which was so hot so terrible that it past far exceeded the 3. other persecutions before vnder Caligula Nero and Domitianus It was such that it mooued Plinius secundus to write vnto Traiane the Emperour in the behalfe of the Christians to mitigate the furie and rage of persecution that raigned euery where in Syria Iudea Alexandria Antioch and all other places considering they did nothing but rise in the morning and meete together to sing Hymnes and Psalmes to praise God for Plini was amazed and quite astonied to see the multitude and nomber of Christians dayly encreasing notwithstanding all the persecutions and slaughter that was most extreemely vsed against them from time to time This caused Traiane the Emperor somewhat more mildely to handle them commaunding that the Christians should not be sought for to be persecuted but yet being founde to punish them for at this time flourished many godly and learned pillars of the Church as Ignatius bishop of Antioche Polycarpus bishop of Smirna Papias bishop of HieropolituÌ„ who suffered diuers kindes of torments and were martyred some deuoured of beastes some with the sworde some with fire some with hanging and many with many new inuented torments For at that time liued many of perillous nature that sought to please euil men and to punish good men The Iewes as men full of madnesse and voyde of the feare of God beganne a tumult againe in Egypt and in Alexandria and slewe both Romanes and Greekes they did vse such tyrannie at Cyrene at Thebes in the 19. yeere of Traianus that Turbo the Romane slewe and droue all the Iewes out of Egypt and Libya So likewise did Lucius Quintinus he slew many thousand Iewes and banished them to Mesopotamia by the commaundement of Martius Yet the Iewes continued vntill the seuere commandement of Adrianus the Emperour who succeeded Traiane who perceiuing their often tumults and seditions to be such as the Romanes coulde haue no rest while any Iewe liued in Iudea he most straightly charged that they should bee driuen out of their countrey and that not one should stay in Iudea And Adrianus commaunded that none should be suffered to dwell in any denne of the earth so that the citie which a litle before hee destroyed and the whole countrey conquered nowe the remnant of the Iewes as men forsaken of God are like vagabonds and roges banished and whipt out of their countrey and strangers are come to their place and the name of Ierusalem changed and called Aelia according to the name of the Romane Emperour This was the last ende of Ierusalem where Eusebius named 15. bishops euen from Christes death vntill the destruction of the citie faithful and constant Christians in spite of many persecutions and therefore I haue set downe their names before you as I found them in Eusebius 1 Iames named Iustus 2 Simon which was martyred vnder Domitianus 3 Iustus 4 Zacchus 5 Tobias 6 Beniamin 7 Ioannes 8 Mathias 9 Philippus 10 Senecas 11 Iustus the 2. of that name 12 Leui. 13 Ephres 14 Ioses 15 Iudas the last bishop of Ierusalem These were Bishops according to the Lawe of Moses of the Circumcision Now by the meanes of Adrianus and his Epistle written to Minutius Fundanus his lieutenant for the stay of this sore and extreeme persecution in all parts of the East the members of Christ had some rest vntill Antoninus Verus another persecutor and a vexer of the Church cleane against the good Emperor Antoniuus Pius his predecessor who wrote into all parts of Asia a litle before his latter ende not onely to spare the Christians froÌ„ persecution but also to fauour them and to ayde them letting them to liue to their God whome they serued commending much their constancie and faith towards their God But while God stirred some good Emperors to fauour his Church and the members thereof the deuil was as careful to raise sects of heretikes most wicked to blaspheme the doctrine of the Church as first Simon Magus and his disciple and successor Menander the Samaritane by whom two great
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
other busines of their owne they went into the Synagogues appointed and made for them and not into the temple which was onely for the citizens of Hierusalem for both were frequented in our Sauiours time proued by himselfe saying I haue taught in the temple and in so many Synagogues in Galilee Asia mentioned so that one temple was in Hierusalem and many Synagogues and so many that I finde in an Hebrew cōmentary 480. Synagogues were within the city of Hierusalem and diuers other Synagogues dispersed through all Iudea but God commanded that he should be but in one place worshipped which was first in Silo in the tribe and mount of Ephraim after in Hierusalem in mount Sion in the tribe of Iuda Of the vse of the Tabernacle after the temple was by Salomon builded the Talmudists write many fables which I omit to recite Samaria being thus the second time destroyed by Aristobulus and Antigonus the Pharisees corrupt euil and seditious men much enuied the prosperitie of Hircanus his sonnes perswading the people to hate him but Hircanus after that hee had done great seruice for the Iewes and brought all things in quietnes he foresawe things to come and after he had gouerned Israel 31. yeres leauing behinde him 5. sonnes he died All this while there was no king in Iudea since the captiuitie of Babylon 481. yeeres but now after Hircanus time Aristobulus his eldest sonne succeeded him in gouernment who by report of slaunderers and backbiters caused his brother Antigonus whom he loued very dearely to be killed being most falsly accused of his enemies he left his owne mother to perish for famine and put the rest of his brethren in close prison But after a while his conscience did accuse him and tortured him in such sort that Aristobulus commaunded to bee brought to the place where Antigonus his brother was slaine and being caried to the place hee vomited blood in such abundance that he cried and said O corpus impudens quousque retinebis animam quam materni ac fraterni manes flagitant and so with torment hee died leauing behinde him his wife Solome whome the Greekes call Alexandra shee enlarged the sonnes of Hircanus which Aristobulus layed in prison one of them named Iannaeus which was also called Alexander not well thought of by his father but nowe made king after his brothers death by the meanes of Alexandra Aristobulus wife he as soone as hee had obteined the gouernement vsed the like tricke as his brother did before him hee caused one of his two brethren to be slaine and the other hee esteemed with honour This being done he went with an armie against the citie of Ptolomais at what time Ptolome sirnamed Lathurus was driuen by his mother Cleopatra out of Egypt and being at Cyprus she forced him thence so that Ptolome the sonne and Cleopatra the mother vsed their policie and exercised their tyrannie one against another When Cleopatra had gotten the citie Ptolomais after a long siege her sonne againe being driuen out of Egypt Alexander king of the Iewes renewed friendship with Cleopatra for that her sonne Ptolome had plagued Iudea Now being ayded by Cleopatra hee tooke Gadara and a strong fort called Amathuta to whome Demetrius Euserus gaue battell and discomfited his armie and fled himselfe to the mountaines hee straight gathered some strength and hauing gotten 6000. souldiers againe in a readines pursued after Demetrius who for feare fled at that time After this the Iewes being sundry times thus afflicted by their owne crueltie and tyrannie they conspired against Alexander and were in armes oft times but still ouerthrowne Such was Alexanders hard happe that sixe yeeres he was molested afflicted and persecuted of his owne nations and subiects that hee slewe of them from time to time about 50000. and yet still moued hee them to hate him so that being demaunded by him of the people what they would haue him to doe they with one consent saide Hang thy selfe Alexander hauing taken the citie Betoma after much slaughter and blood he brought the wealthiest and chiefest men of the citie in bandes and fetters prisoners to Ierusalem where he commanded before his face where he sate in a high rome of his palace 800. of the greatest and chiefest men to be hanged and before they were hāged he likewise cōmanded that their wiues and children should be flaine before their eyes While this tragedy was played at Ierusalem by Alexander Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the falshod of Heracleon after whom succeeded his sonne Seleucus made warres with his vncle Antiochus sirnamed Cizicenus whom Seleucus tooke in battel and slew Alexander was at that time called of the Iewes for his tyrannie for his sirname Thracida for while Alexander liued 8000. Iewes liued out of their coūtrey banished came not to Iewry during the time of Alexāder which was 27. yeres The Iewes were miserably hādled vnder this king for Ptolome Lamyrus slew 30000. Iewes at one time he made the captiues and prisoners to eat the flesh of their own countreymen being slaine in the warres of Alexander Himself slew 600. of his subiects being moued allured to seditiō against their king by the Pharisees a sect of the Iewes that extremely hated Alexander Now his wife Alexandra called Salomine the time of her first husband Aristobulus she raigned quietly after her husband 9. yeres Alexander had 2. sonnes Hircanus and Aristobulus and though that Hircanus was the elder brother heire to the crowne yet did Aristobulus gather an army and inuaded Iudea while yet Alexandra his mother liued Antipater the Idumean and Aretas king of Arabia tooke part to ayde the elder brother Hircanus Alexander had giuen councel to his wife before hee died to speake faire to the Pharisees who could much perswade the people and also to conceale his death vntill she had gotten the castle of Ierusalem considering his life to be offensiue to the people and to make no accompt of his burial but let the people vse their discretion She vsing this her husbands aduice became in great fauour with the people in the meane season Aristobulus fortified himselfe being by nature very quicke industrious made himselfe strong and hauing corrupted the Romane Scaurus then Pompeius the great Embassadour to be his friend to the Senators Hircanus againe sent to Rome opening his iniuries accusing and declaring the infidelitie and corruption of his Embassador crauing their ayde and helpe being the elder brother to haue his right Vpon this cōplaint Pompey being then in Armenia against Tigranes and comming to Damascus being newly by Metellus and Lolius taken he repared to Ierusalem with an hoste of souldiers at what time Caius Anthonius restored to Hircanus the gouernment and the office of the high Priest hee caried captiue with him to Rome Aristobulus with his 2. sonnes Alexander and Antigonus This furie of domesticall sedition this tyrannie and
tooke all the treasures of the kings house away Thus was Iuda punished for sinne by Sesac king of Egypt a heathen man At Corinth gouerned Pryminas the fourth king he raigned thirtie and fiue yeeres at Corinth In Assyria after Laosthenes raigned Pyrithides 30. yeeres in the 10. yeere of the tenth Iubilee which Iubilee was in the yeere of the worlde two thousand nine hundreth ninetie and three Abia the sonne of Rehoboam raigned three yeres king of Iuda after whom succeeded Asa. In Tyrus raigned now a king called Ascartus who after he had raigned 12. yeeres in Tyrus his brother Astarimus succeeded him and gouerned Tyrus 9. yeeres and hee was slaine by his brother called Phelletes he raigned 8. moneths and was likewise slaine by Ichobalus a priest of the goddesse Astarthes of whome mention is made in the thirde booke of the kings and the 11. chapter This goddesse Salomon honoured much and in Egypt ruled Pseusenses There rose against Asa king of Iuda Sera king of AEthiopia about this time and thought to inuade Iewrie but he was not by Asa but by God put to flight and his armie scattered and slaine Elias and Elizeus were borne this time men singularly beloued of God in the middle age of the worlde for so it is set downe as Melancthon saith by Elias himselfe accompting the age of the world 2000. without the Lawe 2000. by the Law and 2000. by grace which are the dayes of Messias but for sinne shortened and by that rule to be looked for before 6000. yeere Nadab at this time was the second king of Israel and began to raigne after Ieroboam whom Baasha slew in the third yeere of Asa king of Iuda Baasha the third king of Israel builded Rama that it might bee a cause that they of the kingdome of Iuda might not come within the territorie of Israel neither they of Israel might trouble Iuda for the which Asa king of Iuda for feare of Baasha king of Israel maketh couenant with Benhadad king of Aram and therefore is reproued by the Prophet for that he trusted in the king of Aram and not in God who had giuen him victorie before ouer the AEthiopians and Lubins At this time Achia and Sameas prophecied in Israel and Septimus Siluius was king ouer the Latins after whome succeeded Capis Siluius the eight king of the Latins and raigned 28. yeeres by this Capis was Capua builded In Lacedemonia gouerned the sixt king named Agesilaus and ouer the Corinthians Bacis the fifth king of whome the kings of Corinth were afterward named Bacidae the names of these kings for the most part are seldome found amongst writers for they did nothing worth the memorie Now in Assyria raigned Ophrateus 20. yeres he was the 35. king in whose dayes Zambri or Zimbri the seruant of Ela conspired against the king killed him and destroyed al the house of Baasha according to the word of the Lord to Iehu afterward Zambri went to the kings house and burned the pallace of the kings and himselfe with fire then the people of Israel were deuided some folowed Tobni to make him king others folowed Omri and so Omri became the sixt king of Israel He builded first Samaria 200. yeres before Romulus builded Rome At this time raigned Nepher king in Egypt foure yeeres and after him succeeded Amenophis he raigned 9. yeres king in Egypt of whom I wil speake among the kings of Egypt Now died Asa king of Iuda after he had raigned 41. yeeres then folowed in Israel after Omri Achab the 7. king worse then all the other kings before him a great idolater and a tyrant in the fourth yere of this king Achabs raigne began Iosaphat to raigne in Iuda In Achabs time Elias beganne to prophecie whose history beginneth from the 17. of the first of the kings vntill the 3. of the 2. of the kings where he prophecied of the famine that was at hand to come 800. yeres after the famine in Iaacobs time In these daies Hiel the Bethelite builded Iericho Amongst the Latins raigned a king called Tiberinus Siluius of whome the riuer Tiber is nowe named after Tiberinus name for Tiber was called before Albula Then was in Corinth Agelas and Archelaus gouerned the Lacedemonians Eusebius in his histories affirmeth that in this time flourished Licurgus a lawmaker and a great wise man amongst the Lacedemonians After this raigned Ophraganeus Ascrasapes and Sardanapalus in whom ended the historie of the Assyrians And now hauing ended the whole time of 36. kings raigning in Assyria from Belus time vnto Sardanapalus and after him from Bellochus vnto Merodach the raigne of sixe kings during which time it was called the newe kingdome of Assyria and from Merodach vnto Balsasar fiue kings gouernment which was translated from the Assyrians vnto the Chaldeans as you shall reade more being of two gouernements and yet one Monarchie sometime vnder the Chaldeans in Babylon sometime in Niniue vnder the Assyrians vntill both Chaldea and Assyria became subiect first vnto the Medes and after to the Persians Of the Kings of Babylon againe called newe Assyria from Sardanapalus which the Greekes call Tonoscon coleros vntill Balsaar the last king of Babylon CHAP. III. SArdanapalus being giuen to all filthie pleasures feasting banqueting a most riotous glutton a great drunkard disguising him selfe amongst women in womens apparell wading from one vice vnto another so much subiect to beastly abuse that his slouthfull life gaue great oportunitie to Arbaces a valiant captaine of the Medes a man of such magnanimitie being generall of all Media consulting with Belochus the lieutenant of Babylon a man of great experience that both Arbaces and Belochus agreed seeing such occasions offered to ioyne both their forces together against Sardanapalus which being done after two great ouerthrowes giuen to them and Arbaces almost slaine and his people scattered and fled Sardanapalus was yet too strong for them both but the thirde time hee was found with his Assyrians so full of wine and his armie so sleepie after drunkennesse according to their wonted maners that Arbaces againe by night with all his force entred vnto their tentes found them in their beds full of surphets slewe them in such heapes that Sardanapalus fled to his citie of Niniue and his lieutenant was slaine hee was then besieged in Niniue his people forsooke him and went to his enemies Then he perceiuing his great danger sent his three sonnes and his two daughters to Paphlagonia to his friend Cottus with great treasures to auoyd the present perill he was in being full of all desperations he made his owne graue so gorgeous and so sumptuous of such high building that hee brought 150. beds made of pure golde so many tables likewise of golde and after much feasting and banqueting with his Queenes and concubines and with many of his deare friends being in the midest of their
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
changed betweene 12. Princes which should equally gouerne the whole kingdome of Egypt so did for 15. yeres as Diodorus affirmeth After this one of the 12. princes obtained into his owne hand the whole kingdome and gouerned 54. yeres after augmenting the confines of Egypt by the ayde of certaine Grecians which against their wils were driuen into Egypt by a tempest with whom Psammiticus entred into friendship and came thereby to be king of Egypt To these Grecians did the king giue a countrey to dwell in farre from Nilus with these Greekes Psammiticus cōmaunded that certaine yong gentlemen of Egypt should be brought vp in the Greeke tongue which afterward made Egypt acquainted therewith While yet Psammiticus was one of the 12. magistrats before he became king these 12. consented to make some monument in memory of their gouernment therefore they erected many huge strange works as pillars porches labirinths Piramides temples other sumptuous buildings they also studying how to passe these monuments inuented to make a Labirinth vpō the lake of Meris not far frō the city of Crocodiles for so the Egyptians had cities according to the names of those fowles fishes and beastes which they had honored for their gods and had erected temples for sacrifices in these cities and though the temple of Diana in Ephesus the temple of Iuno in Samos were huge monstrous for their bignes yet the Piramides of Egypt were farre more greater But the Labirinth far excelled this greatest Piramides for within this Labirinth were chambers parlers halles and other roomes to the number of three thousand whereof an hundreth and fiftie were made vnder the ground and the other aboue ground with such artificiall worke with the pictures and likenes of all kinde of creatures that it farre excelled all the monuments of Egypt and the place whereupon it was made and builded was a lake of three thousand sixe hundreth furlongs which are three hundreth seuentie and fiue miles which is more wonderfull then the Labirinth it selfe Herodoti fabula But now to the king Psammiticus againe who hauing long layd siege to Azotum a citie of Syria and after many yeeres ouerthrowen for it was the longest siege that euer endured which may be read of Psammiticus died after whom succeeded his sonne Necho of whom the Prophets make true mention and therefore Herodotus Diodorus and others may be the better spared being prophane writers because hee and his doings is mentioned in the sacred histories of whom the Prophets write that the wrath of God was ripe to giue iudgement against Egypt at this time for Egypt had so long offended the Lorde with their vaine superstition and idolatrie Now Necho was cried out vpon by the Prophet Ezechiel which was by the riuer Perath and gaue sentence against all Egypt in this sort Howle and crie woe be vnto Egypt the sworde shall come vpon Egypt and feare shall come vpon Aethiopia Pathros shall be desolate and fire shall be in Zoan which is Taphnis Thus the Prophet cried out againe I will powre out my wrath vpon Shin which is named in histories Pelusium and I will destroy the multitude of No the yong men of Auen which is otherwise called Heliopolis and of Phibeseth which is also named of olde Pubastum shall fall by the sworde CHAP. III. Of the last kings of Egypt by the name of Pharaos which continued a thousand two hundreth yeres and of the first conquering of Egypt by Cambyses the second king of Persia. THis time great warres grewe betweene the Assyrians and the Egyptians the greatnes of both these kingdomes which then were the onely kingdomes of the world were destroyed by the sword for so the Prophet saide that Egypt should be the reward of the king of Babylon for his labour which he tooke against Tyrus and so it was performed in Necho after much mischiefe that he had done to Israel he was deliuered into the hands of Nabuchodonosor for so the Lord said I will strengthen the armes of Nabuchodonosor and the armes of Pharao shal be weakened Of this Necho and Aprie the last Pharaos mentioned in Scripture had full triall for Necho raigned seuenteene yeeres and left behind him a sonne named Psammis which raigned 6. yeeres and making warre with the Aethiopians died About this time Phaortes king of the Medes with al his army was ouerthrowen by the Assyrians at what time the Scithians entred into Asia spoiled and wasted almost to the countrey of Palestina Tullus Hostilius the third king of Rome died in the beginning of the raigne of Necho Herodotus doth place Apries the sonne of this Psammis This king for a time prospered like his grandfather Psammiticus but I wil admit Herodotus to speake of this king Apries for the like cause as before for I finde that he is called in Ieremie Hophra To this king many of Ierusalem fled from the hand of Nabuchodonosor where they were as well entertained as with Nabuchodonosor for so the Prophet said that the sword should follow them into Egypt and Pharao should destroy all that fled from Nabuchodonosor who at that very time tooke the citie and brought all Iuda captiue into Babylon though Ieremie perswaded the contrary yet they of Iuda vowed to burne incense vnto the Queene of heauen and vnto the gods of Egypt but the God of Abraham and Isaac gaue them ouer to the sworde and destroyed them with famine And after that Apries had fedde his tyrannie against the Iewes and had slaine the Prophet Ieremie afterward he ouerthrew Sidon besieged Tyre and had done great harme in Iudea and the word of the Lord came vnto him saying I will giue Pharao Hophra king of Egypt into the handes of his enemies and into the hands of them that seeke his life euen into the hands of Nabuchodonosor Though Herodotus affirmeth as other prophane histories doe that Apries was after the ouerthrow of Sydon forsaken of his people and vanquished by Amasis at Memphis and caried captiue from Memphis into Sais into his owne pallace before But now Amasis raigned king in Egypt and ruler of Apries throne thus Apries after he had raigned thirtie fiue yeeres died by the handes of his enemies During the raignes of these two last kings Necho and Apries which was fiftie three yeres many destructions of countreys and cities happened as the destruction of Niniue and also Assyria by Ciaxeres king of the Medes the destruction of Hierusalem and all Iudea by Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon and the warres betweene the Chaldeans and the Egyptians which continued seuen and twentie yeeres the victorie whereof fell to the king of Babylon as the Prophet before had sayde I will giue the lande of Egypt into the hande of Nabuchodonosor for wages to his Armie This time raigned in Rome Ancus Martius the fourth king and Tarquinius Priscus the fifth king Europus raigned now the seuenth king of Macedonia
Demosthenes to exclaime in these wordes Noctua populus Draco tria monstra Athenis for in Athens they esteemed more the seruants poore people straungers and specially mariners more then their Magistrates noble men officers or their chiefe Citizens The people grewe so strong and so headie in Athens that it was not lawfull to banish straungers or to punish seruaunts to be short of the common wealth of Athens and of Sparta reade Xenophon Nowe againe to the victorie at Cheronea the last and the sorest battell which brake the backe of the Citie of Athens Philip king of Macedon called together all the States of Greece into Corinth where by common consent hee was chosen and named Prince or rather Generall of all Greece against the Persians All Greece being nowe quiet in peace Philip beganne warres against the Persians and with great celeritie hee sent an armie into Asia While these things were doing Philip was slaine by Pausanias when hee was of the age of fourtie sixe yeeres after hee had reigned king twentie fiue yeeres Greece thought by the death of Philip againe to recouer their former libertie they little doubted Alexander being then but young neither Arideus which was Philips base sonne by Laryssea which for a time reigned after Alexander but according to their wonted maners full of innouations ambitions contencions and hatred neuer quiet but one Citie or other would be iarring the Persians power grewe great and the Greekes beganne to reuoult from Alexander which by succession after his father shoulde bee their chiefe Generall The Thebans offered themselues to ioyne with those Cities that woulde defende the libertie of Greece and exclude those Macedonian souldiers which Philip placed in the castle of Thebes called Cadmea Hereby Alexander tooke occasion to enter in armes ouerthrewe Thebes vnto the grounde wasted and spoyled diuers Cities in Boetia for at one time the Athenians the Lacedemonians and the Thebans reuoulted from Alexander by perswasion of Demosthenes being corrupted with rewardes of the Persians But when Thebes was destroyed Alexander sent to Athens offering peace vnto the Athenians vpon the yeelding vp of Demosthenes Lycurgus and others by the Citizens vnto Alexander Vnto this demaund of Alexander Demosthenes brought in the fable of the Woolfe who offered peace vnto the Shepheardes vpon condicion to haue the shepheards dogges away applying the morall hereof vnto the Oratours of Athens who by continuall barking to the people kept Greece frō forraine soueraigntie but the Athenians standing much in feare of Alexanders force and beside knowing their owne weakenes they sent Demades the Orator to entreate for peace which being obteined of Alexander by the meanes of Demades the Athenians the Lacedemonians the Thebans and the rest of the Cities of Greece hauing obteyned peace likewise by one consent they appointed Alexander their captaine and chiefe generall against the Persians At what time reigned Darius the tenth king of Persia to whom many of Philips children by other mariages fledde to see the euents and sequell of the warres betweene Alexander and Darius This last yeelding vp of Greece vnto Alexander was three yeeres after the great battell of Cheronea and after the warres of the Peloponesians three score yeeres Of this warre Thucydides diuided his eight bookes concerning the ciuill warres of the Grecians which continued twentie seuen yeeres euery booke comprehending three yeeres warres vntill twentie one yeeres expired at what time Thucydides died then Xenophon beganne where Thucydides ended Thus ended the glorie of Greece which florished in wisedome and knowledge from Solons time vntill Plato two hundred yeeres and from Platoes birth vntill this last conquest of Greece a hundred and twentie yeeres Though yet Greece brought many learned men after Alexanders time yet the fame and renowme of Greece was caried vnto Macedonia their Empire translated their libertie lost and all Greece made subiect vnto Macedonia at what time the Monarchie of Persia was lost and brought by Alexander vnto Macedonia OF THE KINGDOME OF Macedonia of the continuance lawes and gouernment of their Kings and of their warres vntil the time of Alexander the great AFter I haue briefely entreated of Greece and haue abridged many things which might haue beeue well in the histories of Greece yet I haue many times occasion to speake of Greece in handling of Macedonia neither neede I long to stay in Macedonia for of all the kings of Macedonia before Philips time little or nothing is to bee spokē of them so obscure a kingdom Macedonia was before Philpis time for that the warres of Philip of his sonne the great Alexander are mencioned in the Persian and in the Grecians historie I neede not much to write of them therefore I will begin with the descents of the kings of Macedon of the first names of the countrie which was called Emathia of one Emathius which was the first that obteined soueraigntie in Emathia which name continued vntil the time of Deucaleons nephew named Macedo he chā◅ged the name of Emathia called it after his owne name Macedonia Melacthō saith that the name of Macedonia is come of Kittim the sonne of Iauan the sōne of Iaphet Herodot other auncient writers affirme that the kings of Macedonia take their originall from Hercules Nowe the land which before was called Pieria Migdonia or Emathia is nowe called the Realme of Macedonia a countrie bounded on the East side with Thracia on the South with Thessalia on the West with the Illyrians hauing on the North side Peonia as Pomponius Mela saith the Macedonians inhabited many Cities of the which Pella was the most renowmed The kingdome of Macedonia in the beginning was of◅o great fame vntill Philips time which was Amyntas sonne and Alexanders father who first brought the name of Macedonia to be spoken of though before of sclender renowne and obscure fame rather deseruing the name of a Prouince then of a kingdome as Ruffinus writeth for as Cyrus reigne doeth much lighten the whole historie of the Persians and the very time of their kings in respect of Cyrus his decree and dealings with the Iewes by the meanes and traueile of Zorobabel Esdras and Nehemias mencioned in Scripture euen so doeth the name of the great Alexander reforme many errors in Xenophons histories for that the certeintie of the Macedonian historie depēdeth vpon the time of Alexāder which of necessitie must be within a 130. yeeres of Cyrus though many of the best writers erre much in this After Macedo succeeded Cranaus a captaine of certeine Peloponesians hee was the first that had the name of a king hee builded a Citie according to the Oracle that hee should followe a heard of goates and where they stand there to builde a Citie which he named Aegea others say that he came vpon a tempest to a towne named Edissa there beholding goates together he changed the name of Edissa vnto Egea there he builded and
his father died he went into Peloponesus in Greece there called al Greece together and claimed the soueraigntie which his father had ouer them against the Persians which being granted he being by cōmon consent appointed their only chiefe gouernour against the Persians within short time after many of these cities beganne to murmure against Alexander and to reuolt frō Macedonia When Alexander perceiued that the Athenians the Thebans the Argiues the Lacedemonians the Arcadians studied and conuented together for the libertie of Greece he presently without any delay as his nature was had warre with Thessalie the next countrey vnto Macedonia after he subdued Thermopyla and vrged the Amphictions which were then appointed Iudges vniuersally for all Greece that with al their decrees and lawes they would mooue Greece by faire meanes to surrender the gouernment which his father had and also to him graunted After that the Athenians sent ambassadours and offered all courtesie to Alexāder the Corinthians likewise sought to please him in like sort which Alexander accepted in good part and returned with his armie from Greece into Macedonia hee was scant in Macedonia but the Grecians according to their custome beganne to send from citie to citie to stand against Alexander in the defence of their countrey the Thebans sent ambassadours to the Arcadians the Arcadians to the Argiues the Argiues to the Aeolians to whom the Athenians sent also by the perswasions of Demosthenes though they were before the first that entreated for peace at his hand Alexander hearing of these often false dealings he then cōmeth from Macedonia and Thracia with a huge armie of thirtie thousande footemen and three thousand horsemen and vnderstanding that the Thebans had him in contempt he fully determined to destroy their citie in such sort without mercie that it should terrifie all Greece thereby he layed siege to Thebes three dayes and the fourth day he made it euen to the ground there was not death spared neither to children nor to women the slaughter was so terrible that there was slaine within the citie of Thebes aboue sixe thousand maimed and taken aboue 3. hundreth thousand this fell in the hundreth and in the last yeere of the 11. Olympiad This terrour made Greece to quake Alexander being more angrie with Athens then with the rest he sent ambassadours to Athens to haue the 10. Orators sent vnto him for Alexander knew that the Orators whetted the people to reuolt and that they perswaded the Athenians with their eloquencie alwayes to rebell Athens was put now to her shift vntill Demades one of the Orators sought licence to goe to Alexander from the citie as an ambassadour hee vsed that force of eloquence to Alexander for peace which Demosthenes vsed against Alexāder to the Athenians for warres by Demades perswasion Alexander was wonne to pardon the Athenians againe Alexander returned into his owne kingdom and left Greece in quiet for a short time After Cassander the sonne of Antipater builded vp Thebes againe and then Alexander made himselfe ready to goe vnto Asia and with great celeritie as his maner was hee brought his armie out of Europe into Asia hee had in his band thirtie and two thousand footmen fiue thousand horsmen and an hundreth and eight shippes These newes being brought vnto Darius the last king of Persia which had vnder his gouernment all the East kingdomes and sawe him selfe so strong that hee called him selfe king of kings and cousin to the gods he litle esteemed the report and made small accompt of the Macedonian nomber commaunded some of his princes to take Alexander and to beate him like a childe with a rodde and after to bring him vnto Darius but Alexander was no longer in getting the victory ouer the huge hoste of the Persians at the riuer of Granicus then Darius was in directing his captaines to beate Alexander with rods this was the first battell and victorie which Alexander had where twentie thousande footemen and 250. horsemen were slaine After this battell Alexander tooke Lydia in hand wanne the citie of Sardis and shortly all Lydia hee tooke Ephesus and Miletum two famous cities hee besieged Halicarnassus wasted and spoyled it to the ground Alexander in this voyage after he had brought Lycia and Pamphylia vnder his wings he still inuaded Darius prouinces and territories further to prouoke him to warre many wondered at the a gilitie of Alexander and fearing much the greatnesse and good successe of Alexander being so yong a king that they beganne both to feare him and to loue him and to forsake Darius Alexander went forwarde still conquering and subduing all countreys he came into the territories and prouinces of Darius and hee entred Paphlagonia and came to the citie called Ancyra who without any strokes yeelded themselues by these occasions of Alexanders good successe Darius thought it was but fortune and not the deserts of Alexander he caused therefore a great muster at Babylon and made an armie readie of seuentie thousand footmen and thirtie thousand horsemen of the Persians he also had beside ten thousand horsemen of the Medes and fiftie thousande footemen two thousand Bactrians horsemen and ten thousande footemen he had of Armenia fourtie thousand footmen and seuen thousand horsmen of Hircania sixe thousand of the Derinces fourtie thousand footmen and two thousand horsmen from the Caspians eight thousand footemen and two hundred horsemen of Greece were ioyned vnto Darius that expected the ouerthrow of Alexander with his thirtie thousand he had such a huge nomber that he feared that Alexander would flie before he came to make battel for so Darius saide to Amintas the Macedonian But it came to passe otherwise Alexander had the victorie in that place which Darius appointed this battel was fought in Cilicia where Alexander killed aboue a hundreth thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen of Darius men this was the second battell in the which Darius mother and his wife and two of his daughters vnmaried were taken prisoners and brought to Alexander whose misfortune he more piried then he reioyced at the victorie such was the clemencie of Alexander vnto these miserable captiue Ladies yea such was his chastitie though they were as Plutarch faith most comely and faire not once to offer any worde of dishonour to them A greater conquest as I take it to ouercome himselfe then the victorie against Darius Alexander after this victorie remoued his campe to Marathon thence to Phoenices and to Biblon and hauing gotten these three cities hee came to Sydon a famous citie wanne that also for all Syria and Phoenicia Tyre excepted were brought by Alexander subiect vnto Maccdonia hee besieged Tyre and continued seuen moneths both by land and by sea for it was a citie of inuincible force and kept Alexander hot assaultes vsing all engines and pollicies and yet stoode in great doubt of the getting of Tyre vntill one night he dreamed that
neither by warre with the which hee often asfailed his Countriemen neither with treacherie which hee practised with the families of the Vitellians and the Aquillians hee coulde any way profite Then Publicola gaue himselfe fully to looke vnto Rome which was so impouerished by ciuill warres that collection of money was made for the buriall of Valerius the Consul his fellowe in office Hee first redressed thinges decayed in Rome in supplying the number of the Senators that were slaine in the warres of Tarquine in whose places hee chose newe Senators to the number of a hundred sixtie foure after he defended the Citie against Porsenna and destroyed the Countrie round about and slue of the Thuscanes fiue thousand he also vanquished the Sabines and triumphed ouer them and he subdued the Latines who were most busie against the Romanes this time for Rome was found in the time of this Publicola sore vnpeopled and poore by reason of the ciuil warres of Tarquinius and therefore all the Nations which the kings of Rome before had subdued beganne to reuoult and to wage warre freshly against the Romanes againe but they were by this valiant Romane brought to their first state and Rome much enriched by the spoyles of the Sabines Latines Thuscans and others This Publicola was Consul foure times seuerally he was a good man and a iust Romane hee made lawes and decrees within the Citie first hee ordeyned by lawe that all offendours being condemned by the iudgement of the Consuls might appeale vnto the people Hee likewise decreed that no man might exercise any office vnlesse hee came to it by the gifte of the people and he also made a lawe in the fauour of the poore Citizens that they should pay no custome nor impost whatsoeuer This hedid to winne the peoples fauour and to keepe them in hande many women then in Rome esteemed little of their life in respect of their Countrie as Cloelia Valeria and diuers others whose statues are erected vp on horsebacke in the holy streete Appius Claudius a very riche man of the Sabines came to Rome this time to dwell and brought with him fiue thousande families with their wiues and children of the most peaceable and esteemed men of the Sabines In the ninth yeere after the banishing of Tarquinius there was a newe office created in Rome called Dictatura which farre excelled in authoritie the office of the Consuls In this office Titus Largius was first instituted Dictator and in the same yeere an other newe officer called magister equitum an officer deputed to bee attendant vpon the Dictator in the which office Spurius Cassius was appointed The Dictator was not to continue in his office aboue sixe moneths for such was the authoritie of the Dictator that hee might deale in all causes and iudge of life and death without any appeale eyther to the Senate Consul or to the people and therefore the people much complaining beganne to make vproares and fel to dissension and to require for an officer to aide and defende the people and for that the Senators and Consuls as the people pretended the cause woulde haue them oppressed a cōmocion was thereby in Rome by the commons and therefore they created two men whom they called Tribuni Militum Tribunes of the people they were assigned to bee peculier Decisers and Determiners in causes belonging to the people This office continued vntil Sillas time by whom the office of Tribuneshippe was abrogated but after by Pompey the great restored In Rome dwelt a rare man of great seruice in the warres of Tarquine whom Largius the first Dictator knewe to be such as deserued great prayse then being a young man for hee was crowned with Oken leaues according to the Romanes maners in Tarquinius dayes and sithence profited Rome in diuers seruices in subduing the Volscans in winning the citie Corioles he inuaded the Antiates and often repressed the insolencie of the people insomuch that the Romanes hauing many warres in those dayes this Corolianus was at them all for there was no battell fought no warre enterprised but Coriolanus returned from thence with fame and honour But his vertue and renowme gate him much enuie for hereby hee was banished Rome by the Ediles Tribunes of the people against the Patricians will but the Romanes made a rodde to beate them selues when they banished Coriolanus for he came in armes against his owne Countrie and Citie with the Volscans being at that time their generall hee with great furie inuaded the Territories of Rome hee caused the communaltie of Rome and Nobilitie to fall to ciuill dissension hee so plagued the Romanes diuers wayes vnto the very gates of Rome he was so much moued against them that hee refused three seuerall Embassadours to heare them being his chiefe friendes sent vnto him by the Senate to entreate for peace hee refused to heare the Bishops and the Priestes Feciales He likewise denied the Augurers the sacrificers and the ministers of the goddes vntill Volumnia his mother and Virgillia his wife with their two young sonnes gotten by Coriolanus with Valeria the sister of Publicola and diuers other Ladies of Rome came to meete Coriolanus to entreate for peace vnto the Volscans campe and what time hee had compassion of his mother of his wife and of his two sonnes and of the other Ladies being his neere kinswomen then hee withdrewe his armie from Rome and yeelded to the teares of his mother but the fickle mindes of the people by the conspiracie of Tullus Aufidius were such that Coriolanus was murthered in the Citie of Antium at his very returne from that voyage What shall I say of Caius Mutius Sceuola of his noble attemptes against king Porsenna of Horatius Cocles and of diuers others whose statues at Rome and whose histories in euery booke written and in euery mans mouth can witnesse for in this very time in Rome when Cresius Fabius and Titus Virginius were Consuls three hundred noble men of the house and stocke of the Fabians tooke vpon them alone to wage battell against the Veientines offering themselues to the Senators and to the people of Rome to fight from this battell not one scaped of three hundred Fabians but one and another which was young at home not able to goe to warrefare for all the males of the Fabiaus were slaine in that battell These warres were extremely handled and prosecuted by the Hetruscans Fidenats and the Falascies against the Romanes when Rome was in most aduersitie and pouertie aswell for the late ciuill warres of Tarquine the proude as also diuers other forreigne enemies which on euery side assaulted Rome These 300. Fabians full of prowesse and valure vndertooke this warre against the Veients but being ouer charged with multitudes were all slaine sauing one to their great fame yet this followed after their death presently the Fasiliscians yeelded them selues to the Romanes the