and of his kingdome from Othoman the first vntil Selimus the eleuenth of the two Empires of Constantinople and Trapezumtium which now the Turckes doe gouerne of their beginning and of their first seruice vnder Basilius Macedo Emperour of Constantinople THe Turckes historie is like the Saracens or like the Scythians people without guide or gouernours vntil of late time they inhabited first about mount Caucasus from thence to the Caspia sea a nation mingled of the Scythians of the Hunnes which nowe are called Hungarians obscure and base people without any mencion made of them any where but of their bare names in Plinie a people scattered in Scythia and after into other Countries rather called Latrocinantes quà m belligerantes as Egnatius nameth them of whom as I saide Pomponius Mela maketh but little more mencion then Plinie did The first seruice which they did was vnder Basilius surnanamed Macedo then Emperour at Constantinople in the yere of our Sauiour eight hundred fourtie at what time they inuaded Armenia and within a while after gaue a battell to the Arabians vnder their first captaine called Mucaletius After twise or thrice good successe had against the Arabians and the Saracens they gathered together vnder a head at Tangrolipix where diuers more heaped and flocked to them from the streight of Caspia and from Caucasus there they waxed strong and began to inuade Asia vntill the time of Ottoman the first a man base and obscure borne cuius parentes agrarij but very valiant wise and fortunate he first beganne to aduaunce the name of the Turckes and to set foorth his force and power being much inflamed with desire of soueraigntie and very ambitious of honour and dignitie After hee had subdued a part of the kingdome of Bythinia and had taken certeine Cities and strong Townes towards the Sea Euxinus at what time reigned in Constantinople Michael surnamed Paleologus Emperour in the yeere of our Sauiour Christ a thousand three hundred this Ottomanus within twentie eight yeres which he reigned had strengthened his Cities Townes and had builded many strong Fortes and specially one inuincible Castle which hee named after his owne name Ottomanni Castrum This Othoman left behinde him a sonne named Orchanes in whose time contencion grewe betweene Paleologus and Cantachuzenus about the Empire of Greece whereby Orchanes power and force so encreased that while these two contended about the Empire hee tooke Prusia out of their handes a large strong Citie and finding his father in lawe Caramanus false and deceitfull hee ouerthrewe him and killed his sonne a young gallant youth but after that Orchanes had reigned twentie two yeeres hee was slaine in Bythinia After him succeeded his sonne Amurathes a man of singular courage and fortune who forgetting not his father nor graundfather Othoman imitated them in all manly exploites and presently armed him selfe against his owne graundfather Caramanus whose daughter was his naturall mother This Amurathes was solicited by the Emperour Paleologus being nowe a very olde man to aide him against the Bulgarians hard olde souldiers brought vp alwayes in warres to this hee quickely consented and prepared an armie of twelue thousand Turkes and brought them into Europe and did great seruice to the Emperour ouerthrewe the Bulgarians and reuenged the Emperour vpon the enemie but being after these victories tickled with the wealth and pleasures of Europe hauing giuen the repulse to Cantachuzenus which affected the Empire while he fained this seruice hee passed ouer the sea Helespont tooke Callipolis with other cities as Adrianopolis Bydus and Philippolis ouerthrewe and conquered euery prouince as he traueiled hee entred Bulgaria inuaded Seruia and slue the princes of the countrie named Lazarus with a great slaughter of his people but Amurathes escaped not long for hee was slaine by a seruaunt of Lazarus prince of Seruia who reuenged his masters death stoutly Thus Amurathes died after he had reigned twentie three yeeres after whom liued two sonnes of his the one named Paizates the other Soliman These two brethren coulde not agree they fel at such variance that Paizates slue his brother Soliman and presently after tooke in hand to reuenge his fathers death vpon Marcus Craienicius prince of the Bulgarians whom he subdued and after slue him in the fielde by which conquest he obteined the most part of Bulgaria And yet not therewith contented hee inuaded Bossina Croatia and other partes of Illyria wasted and spoyled all places into Thracia yet he could not quiet himselfe but laid siege to Constantinople and continued the same for eight yeeres and had at that time taken the Citie if hee had not beene preuented by two great armies of Frenchmen and Vngarians to whom this Pazaites gaue such a terrible battell that hee ouerthrewe both the armies and tooke the most part of the French captaines with their Generall the Duke of Burgundie with an infinite slaughter of the souldiers and had also at that time taken Sigismundus king of Hungaria vnlesse he had bene saued by the Venetian nauie From this great victorie hee againe returned to Constantinople endured his siege and laide hard at it When newes came that Tamberlanes the Scythian inuaded his Countrie he remoued his siege at these newes and made more haste then good speede for in that battell betweene Tamberlanes and Pazaites two hundred thousande Turkes were slaine at mount Stellum in the confines of Bythinia the Turke taken and set in fetters of gold and bound in chaines of gold and so kept all the dayes of his life in a Cage which Tamberlanes caried into euery forreigne warre out of his Countrie and vsed as some write as a blocke to mount on horsebacke This time reigned in Constantinople Andronicus as Blondus affirmeth this great victorie of Tamberlanes fell in the yeere of our Sauiour Christ 1397. at what time Charles the sixt surnamed Beneamatus was king in Fraunce and Vladislaus had taken the Empire of Germanie into his hand In Rome Pope Bonifacius the ninth of that name reigned This Pazaites had two sonnes the elder named Orchanes of some called Calepinus the younger named Mahomet which was also named Moses this by conspiracie and treacherie slue his brother Orchanes within two yeeres after his fathers death and reigned alone recouered and possessed all that Tamberlanes had gotten of his father This Mahomet had spite to the Bulgarians and to the Valaches and began with no lesse good successe to aduaunce the name of the Turkes then his father did hee waxed mightie and after hee had brought all these Prouinces and Regions about to be vassalles of the Turkes and had quieted himselfe after many victories hee made Adrianopolis to be his chiefe Citie where hee all his life kept his Court where after hee had reigned seuenteene yeeres hee dyed at what time Emanuel gouerned as Emperour in Constantinople and Sigismundus king of Hungaria reigned
Emperour of Germanie in Englande Henrie the fourth flourished This Mahomet left to succeede him a sonne named Amurates the second of that name and the sixt king ouer the Turkes this Amurates farre excelled all his predecessours in his warres hee beganne to warre with the people called Mysores and their prince which nowe are named Seruij hee tooke their Cities Scopia and Nouemontum and tooke the Kings two sonnes and his daughter hee caused the Kings sonnes eyes to be pluckt out and yet maried their sister and thereby restored the Citie Nouemontum to the king againe After this hee commenced warres against the Germanes Hungarians and Valaches spoyled their territories and wasted their Countries and vsed great extremitie hee passed thence to Epire laide siege to Croia tooke it and possessed it After truice made and peace concluded betweene the Turke and the Hungarians Amurates against his promise and othe by perswasion of Pope Eugenius the fourth entred in armes and gaue two terrible battels to the Christians in the which many Nobles dyed and were taken In these two great victories the one at Varna the other at Basila he slue an infinite companie of Hungarians Polonians Hunnes and others of Germanie for in this warre at Varna Ladislaus king of Polonia was slaine and Cardinall Iulian with all their captaines and men of armes in the other at Basila all the Princes of Hungarie and many of the Nobles and Peeres of Germanie Thence hee returned into Asia after hee had subdued and conquered all places as hee traueiled and hauing had sufficient triall of his good fortune with some diffidence of further successe by some change of fortune hee committed the kingdome vnto his sonnes charge while yet hee liued being willing to take his rest and to see the euentes of the succession in the kingdome by his sonne ouer whom he appointed Tutour and Gouernour for that Mahomet his sonne was yet young a Turke named Calibassa but this during the time of thirtie foure yeeres did no great exploite but made one voiage to Epirus and besiged the Citie of Croia but in vaine for that valiant and noble captaine Scanderbeg draue him quickly with losse and shame from Epyrus and for very griefe hee dyed after his returne Of this Scanderbeg Prince of Epirus the historie is set foorth according to his desertes in Barletius In the time of this Mahomet Constantine the last of that name and the last Emperour of Constantinople reigned Soldan Zeledim Emperour of the Tartarians dyed in this time Nowe reigned Emperour of Germanie Albertus the second of that name which was both king of Hungaria and Bohemia hee reigned Emperour but two yeeres after whom succeeded Fredericke the third Archduke of Austria to be Emperour of Germanie which reigned Emperour fiftie foure yeres But to come to Mahomet the second of that name and the seuenth king of the Turkes This for his greatnesse and good successe in his warres was named Nouus Othomanus an other newe Othoman for as in the first Othoman the kingdome of the Turkes beganne so nowe by this Mahomet the Empire of the Turkes beganne and therefore he was called Othoman the great He subdued two Empires twelue kingdomes two hundred Cities and great Townes hee tooke from the Venetians the Isles of Chalcidis and Scodra hee tooke diuers Cities in Greece as Corinthus and Mitilena The Turkes inuaded Syria wasted and destroyed Hungaria and tooke al Euboca he tooke Capha a Citie in Pontus and Hydrantes in Italie hee tooke in battell by treacherie saith Functius Stephanus king of Mysia whom he vsed as Cambyses vsed Sisamnis he flayed him and banished him from his kingdome he destroyed all the prouince of Carinthia Quae quantae huius victoriae totus vix dies explicet the very wordes of Egnatius This Turke so plagued the Christians that yet to this day they coulde not recouer the losse howe be it hee was ouerthrowen by Scanderbeg in a great battell where hee lost an infinite number of his Turkes by Hussa Cassanus king both of Armenia and of Persia who also gaue a great ouerthrowe to Mahomet by Stephanus Prince of Valachia who gote ouer the Turkes a great victorie by Pope Sixtus the fourth who gaue battell by sea vnder the Cardinall of Aquileia by the Rhodians and by the Christians at a place called Alba Graeca hee was discomfited and diuers times ouerthrowen but still hee preuailed with more gaine then losse and with fame renowne that he is now Emperour of Constantinople and of Trapezuntium and king of many kingdomes lord and gouernour of so many Prouinces and Regions that he thereby is nowe named the great Turke Nowe after this Turke had reigned thirtie one yeeres he dyed in the yeere of our Lord God 1481. on the fift nones of May. After whose death great ciuill warres grew among the Turkes and continued for a time which being done Pazaites the second of that name and the eldest sonne of the last Mahomet hauing vanquished his younger brother obteined the Empire armed his men and himselfe out of hand assaulted the Castle of Valachia and tooke it after hee marched against the Soldan of Egypt by whome hee had sundry ouerthrowes that the Turke and the Soldan entred into a league and concluded a peace After he returned and went against the Germanes whom he by continuall warres brought vnder the Turkes seruitude and at that very time he so plagued the Venetians that he subdued Methon Dyrrhachium and Naupactum three strong great cities The Turkes vnder this Pazaites conquered and subdued many places for this Emperour vanquished the Polonians which people were called before Gelas and subdued many people inhabiting about Meotida hee destroyed the Citie of Craocia but constrained by the armie of Maximilian the Emperour to forsake their Fortes hee was also put to flight Reade Chromerus Chronicle of this Pazaites warres against the Venecians at what time hee returning from the ouerthrowe and subduing of Modon the Sophi king of Persia for so nowe all the kings of Persia are called Sophi gaue the Turkes a great ouerthrowe Thus farre doeth Egnatius prosecute the Turkes historie vntill Selimus time the ninth Emperour of the Turkes at what time reigned Emperour in Germanie Maximilian sonne to Frederike the third and in Fraunce Lewes the twelfth of that name This Pazaites after hee had reigned thirtie one yeeres died after whom succeeded Selimus the ninth Emperour of the Turkes who liued seuen yeeres in the Empire this had a great ouerthrowe in Armenia the great by the Sophy of Persia how be it afterward he recouered his strength and gathered an armie passed into Egypt gaue battell to the Soldan whom hee tooke as prisoner and at that time subdued all Egypt and Syria for nowe the kings of Egypt are called Soldani as the kings of Persia are Sophy But to come to Soliman the tenth Emperour of the Turkes who reigned
king of Cambria which is Wales Pinnor king of Loegria which is England Saterus king of Albania which is nowe Scotland and Clotenus king of Cornubia nowe Cornewall all the kingdome after fiftie yeeres came to Dunwallus Clotenus sonne about 700. yeeres after Brutus and continued vntill Elidurus the third for the space of a 182. yeeres And after Elidurus the third it continued the reigne of thirtie three kings from Elidurus vntill Belinus the great 185. This Belinus was vncle vnto Cassibelane who reigned king in Britaine when Iulius Caesar came into Britaine about a thousand and thirtie yeeres after Brutus so long was Britaine vnconquered which as I said before for the spite of Androgeus to Cassibelan he wrote his letters to Caesar after the first great ouerthrowe of Caesar of which Lucan the Poet saith Territa quaesitis ostendunt terga Britannis Romani c. This Androgeus then Duke of Troinouant nowe called London since king Luds time promised his aide and helpe with all the Britaines which he coulde make if after the conquest he should by Caesar be restored to gouerne the Britaines but Caesar by this meanes brought the Britaines to paye tribute to the Romanes yet reigned kings in Britaine from Cassibelan lineally vnto Cadwallader for seuen hundred yeres and odde so that Britaine was gouerned from the first king vnto the last for a thousand eight hundred and odde yeeres as Guidonius affirmeth But for that the kings of Britaine are by all their names named their successiōs continuance of time writtē in diuers Chronicles of Englande beside Doctor Powel of late hath written of their ciuill warres of their kings their lawes and gouernments that I neede not further to write herein my desire is no lesse to satisfie those that will with reason and authorities bee satisfied then was M. Coruinus a learned Romane Orator willing to please Augustus Caesar for the setting foorth of his familie and his house in proouing gens Iulia which was the stocke of the first Emperour Iulius Caesar his vncle to descende lineally from Ascanius The historie is written in Coruinus de progenie Augusti in whose time Coruinus florished whome Augustus desired to traueile and to set downe the genealogie of his stocke that being so fortunate an Emperour as hee was in subduing almost all the kingdomes of the worlde and captiuating them as Prouinces vnder the Empire of Rome hee might knowe also whence gens Iulia came that hee might assure him selfe of the certeintie of his house To satisfie this Emperor Augustus being thereunto by him intreated Coruinus briefely diuided the whole earth into three seuerall partes Asia Europe and Affrike In this Asia the great is Asia the lesse conteyned in the which Countrie is a Region named Phrygia into the which one Dardanus a great prince of Creete that had the daughter of one Teucer giuen him in mariage came with a great multitude of young men and souldiers to inhabite about the time that Moses dyed where hee builded a great Citie and named it after his owne name Dardania and the inhabitants therein were called Dardanians The fame of this king Dardanus grewe so great that Teucer his father in lawe came from Creete with a number of gentlemen to visite his daughter vnto Dardania in Phrygia where Dardanus reigned three yeres after whom succeeded Ericthonius 75. yeres after Ericthonius succeded Tros the king of Dardania which reigned sixtie yeres by whom Dardania was named Troy after the kings name after Tros succeeded Ilus who reigned 54. yeres after whom succeeded Laomedon and reigned 36. yeres and after him reigned his sonne Priamus named Alexander in histories the sixt and last king of Troy in whose time Troy was destroyed by the Grecians This Messala setteth downe in his historie how Aeneas after the warres came into Italie and maried king Latinus daughter succeeded as heire of the king in his kingdom from whose body lineally descēded these many kings whose names onely I wil set downe for that I haue in the historie of the Latines written of their continuance and of the time of their gouernment vntill Romulus 1 Aeneas 2 Ascanius 3 Siluius 4 Aeneas Siluins 5 Latinus Siluius 6 Alba Siluius 7 Capetus Siluius 8 Capis Siluius 9 Calpetus Siluius 10 Tiberinus Siluius 11 Agrippa Siluius 12 Alladius Siluius 13 Auentinus Siluius 14 Procas Siluius 15 Amulius Siluius 16 Numitor Siluius which was both grādfather by the mother side vncle by the father side vnto Romulus M. Coruinus wrote vnto Augustus the whole historie of the kings of Alba vntill Romulus time and prooueth plaine in his booke that the noble Emperour Augustus proceeded from the house of Aeneas that gens Iulia came lineally from the body of Iulo which was the surname of Ascanius some affirme the contrary Yet Coruinus an auncient antiquarie liuing in the time of Augustus and writing his booke to Augustus at the earnest request of the Emperour Augustus affirmeth all this to be which Halicarnas in all pointes alloweth but what is to proue the Britaines to come from the Troians or to proue Brutus to come to Englād as much more it maketh proofe that Brutus came to this land as Aeneas came to Italie the one is prooued by a number of Romane writers the other by so many of both Romane and Britaine authours and yet Aeneas is by some enrious writers denied to come to Italie as Brutus is to come to Britaine of whom Dionys. Halic saith Scriptores partim ignorati partim inuidia dissimulati de aduentu Aeneae in Italiam The historie of Aeneas and the historie of Brutus after the destruction of Troy is one of the most auncient histories of the Gentiles though in some it bee fabulous as all prophane histories be in many pointes yet from these Troians as from the first originall of their kings and Emperours both the Romanes and the Frenchmen are by some of their owne best writers proued of whom Aemilius writes of their antiquitie It is most likely that euery Countrie hath more care of it selfe then of other countries and rather French writers are to be beleeued in the histories of Fraunce then forreigne writers so of the Romanes of the Grecians and of all other countries as Myrsillus saith Plus vicinis quà m remotis multò plus genti ipsi quà m extremis credatur and yet who seeth not but both the Romanes the Grecians the Frenchmen and all nations aduaunce their countries with best histories and passe lightly ouer many histories that makes against their Countries But as Diodorus Siculus describeth Britaine by the name of Britaine to be fertill and plentifull in corne cattell iron with diuers other commodities so doeth Strabo commende the Britaines to bee people farre bigger and taller then the Frenchmen are in these wordes Britannorum statura supra Gallos procera c. and after he reporteth of certaine Britaines which he
by Ioab to Dauid After this Dauid had foure great battels with the Philistines slew them and subdued them vnto the last Thus was Dauid deliuered by God from all daungers tyrannie and treason and saued from Saul Absalon and many others When Dauid had gotten by the sword peace and quietnesse and brought all nations subiect vnto him hee tooke his rest and thanked God in Psalmes Hymnes Odes Verses which Dauid sang vnto God in praise of victories which God gaue him But yet more troubles came on Dauid The Lord so suffered Satan to tempt him that Dauid commaunded Ioab to number all Israel and Iuda from Dan to Beersheba which Ioab did the people were in number of able fighting men 1100000. Gods wrath was kindled against Israel so that much it offended God that Dauid should trust in mē sithence onely God had oftentimes deliuered him and the Lord sent Gad Dauids seer with three things to take his choise Pestilence Famine or Warre Dauid chose rather to fal to Gods mercy then to trust to man Then fell pestilence in Israel from the one side of the countrey to the other and there died 70000. men Now after this Dauid waxed old and hee caused Salomon his sonne to bee annointed king before he died whom hee charged to walke before God vprightly exhorting him to serue God to vse iustice and iudgement in Israel Dauid commanded Salomon his sonne to kill Ioab for his murthering of Abner and Amasa and to take the like punishment of Semei which railed cursed me when saith he I was at the worst Dauid left to his sonne more welth in Israel to build a temple to the Lorde then Alexander the great had in Babylon by the conquest of Darius for Iosephus doth write that Hircanus the high priest a 1000. odde yeeres after Dauids death opened the graue of Dauid and brought 3000. talents to satisfie the rage of Antiochus Demetrius sonne who laying siege to Ierusalem was contēted to returne with some of these talents without any harme done And Dauid died being 70. yeres of age after he had bene 40. yeeres king of Israel seuen in Hebron and 33. in Ierusalem Dauid died 803. yeres after the death of Abrahā after the death of Adam 2000. after the birth of Christ 1070. During this time of Dauid raigned in Assyria Eupales the 32 king in Lacedemonia Argis the second king of the Lacedemonians Now failed the state of kings in Athens and there began a new forme of common wealth gouerned by Iudges which now began by Codrus sonne named Medon after whose name they were named afterward Medontidae for a while Latinus Sylaius raigned the 6. king ouer the Latines in Corinth raigned Ixeon the second king of Corinth About Dauids time there was builded in Asia a citie called Magnesia and another in Italie called Misene now called Cuma Salomon the sonne of Dauid the third king of Israel of the tribe of Iuda a man endued with singular wisdome in great fauour with God as soone as he had sit on his fathers throne he remembred the words of Dauid and with care and zeale he followed his fathers steps in seeking to please the Lord Notwithstanding the Israelites being froward and stubborne euer reuolting from their GOD were alwayes forgetfull of Gods benefites as after the death of Dauid fell out for in Dauids time Israel flourished and all things prospered in Iuda But scant had Salomon bene annointed king but Adoniah Salomons brother aspired to the kingdome secretly and subtillie seeking the good will of Bethsheba Salomons mother and by her meanes to haue Abishag which Dauid his father loued tenderly to wife But his craft was found out and his pretensed treason spied by Nathan the prophet and by Salomon himselfe who perceiuing that Adoniah was the elder brother and had Abiathar the priest on his side and Ioab who tooke Adoniahs part when he would haue vsurped the kingdome Salomon hereby was mooued to make sure waies and remembring his fathers charge before he died concerning Ioab and Semei he executed iustice first vpon Adoniah afterward commaunded Benaiah to fall vpon Ioab for the murthering of Abner Sauls chiefe captaine and Amasah a nigh kinseman of Dauid who enuying their fauour credite with the king slew them and was now iustly punished for sheading of bloud Now Adoniah and Ioab two great enimies of the king being dead Salomon banished Abiathar the priest and called to be a priest Sadock in the roome of Abiathar so the office of the high priest was taken away from the house of Eli and restored to the house of Phineas After that Salomon called Shemei and charged him with the breaking of his othe in passing ouer the riuer of Cedron being forbidden by the king charged him further with wickednesse against his father Dauid in reuiling and cursing of him and he was likewise slaine by the sonne of Iehoida called Benaia By this meanes the kingdome of Israel was established in Salomons hands and Salomon obeied God in all things and then he taketh Pharaoes king of Egypts daughter to wife Iosephus in his eight booke and 2. chapter saieth that the kings of Egypt were al called Pharaones from Minaeus time that builded Memphis vntil the time of Salomon which was 1300. yeeres for Minaeus raigned in Egypt many yeeres before Abraham came to Egypt this is the cause why Herodotus doth omit the names of the kings of Egypt euen 330. kings Salomon repaired the wals of Ierusalē and went to Gibeon to sacrifice for there their tabernacle was at that time there was no temple yet builded to the Lord in Ierusalem In Gibeon the Lord appeared by dreame to Salomon and gaue him wisedom more then any prince of the world had as by his sentence vpō the two harlots appeared Salomon flourished and prospered and farre excelled all the kings of the world for his wisedom was so abundant as the sand that is on the sea shore No Philosopher no Astrologer no Chaldean magi no Egyptian priest might apprehend Salomons iudgement for God was his schoolemaster Salomon was famous throughout the whole world hee wrote 3000. Prouerbes and bookes of Odes and Verses 1000. and made fiue and twentie songs which perished in Ierusalem when Israel was taken captiue vnto Babylon the temple then being burned and the citie destroyed He wrote of all kind of trees from the Cedar tree that is in Libanon vnto the Hysope that groweth on the wall He spake of beastes fowles and fishes He wrote of incantations and of other secret artes which Iosephus affirmeth at large And there came of all countries to heare the wisedome of Salomon and all the kings about him sent vnto him and sought his fauour Now coucerning the princes rulers and officers which were vnder Salomon the purueiance for victuals the number of his horses and the order of his house they
praemium piorum pax For the Philistims paied their ordinarie tribute euery yeere and the Arabians as Iosephus saieth paied yeerely to Iosaphat 630. Lambes and so many yong kids The Lord gaue to Iosaphat victories ouer the Ammonits Moabites and Idumeans for the children of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and one slewe an other Thus God gaue vnto him marueilous victories ouer his enemies and Iuda flourished 25. yeeres the whole time of Iosaphats gouernment the time of his father Asa and the time of his Grandfather Abia three good kings of Iuda during the time of 69. yeeres Iuda preuailed against Israel After Iosaphats daies his sonne Ioram succeeded who offended the Lorde and walked in the waies of the kings of Israel and followed the steppes of his father in lawe Achab. Ioram made him selfe strong beganne in his first entring vnto the kingdome to play the tyrant for hee slewe all his brethren with the sworde and therefore Edom rebelled against Iuda because he had forsaken the God of his fathers The Philistims were stirred vp against Ioram and the Arabians he was cruell and became a tyrant euen vnto those whome by nature he ought to haue most chiefly defended But Elias prophesied to him the rewarde and iustice of God that would ensue thereof as Ioram afterwards felt for as he spared no blood but made hauocke of his brethren and of his countrey with the sworde so it happened to him to his wiues and to his children by the Arabians and other barbarous people of the Ethiopians who inuaded his countrey dispossessed him of his life and liuing such calamities which with his eies he sawe he died most miserably his guttes gushing out being in the displeasure of God and man Thus is idolatrie rewarded one onely sonne named Ochosias and that the yongest escaped the sworde and he succeeded his father as wicked as hee a very Idolater for hee could not be good being the sonne of Ioram borne of Athalia the daughter of Achab hee followed his mothers counsell and walked in the way of Achab and went with Ioram Achabs sonne to fight against Hazael king of Syria and he was in that warre wounded and after taken by Iehu king of Israel who hiding him selfe in Samaria Iehu slewe him and Ioram king of Israel for so he was of God commaunded and after a while he brake the necke of Iezabel Achabs wife and reigned him selfe king in Israel who was by God appointed to execute iudgement vpon the house of Achab. This king Iehu was annointed king for that purpose Ochosias liued but one yere which when his mother Athalia heard of she rose destroied all the kings seede to the intent that there should be none to make title to the crowne that thereby she might vsurpe the gouernment onely Iosias was saued by Iorams daughter who had maried Iehoiada the high Priest and his owne sister This time by the tyrannie of this wicked Queene the stock of Salomon the sonne of Dauid perished the kingdom of Iuda fell to the posteritie of Nathan an other sonne of Dauid of whose house it pleased God that Messias should be borne so that the posteritie of Salomon was altogether extinguished This Queene restored the temple of Baal raised vp altars nourished false prophets and priests to maintaine idolatrie in Iuda This Queene reigned 7. yeeres then was she slaine at the commandement of Iehoiada the hie Priest the house of Baal destroied and his altars broken and Mattan the Priest of Baal slaine Ioas nowe beganne to roote out all idolatrie and to set in order all thinges in Iuda hee pleased God and walked in his waies while Iehoiada the high Priest liued who was a faithfull Counsellor vnto him But after his death Ioas wanted good councell he followed flatterers and by them he was brought to idolatrie and after to tyrannie which alwaies ioyne together for Ioas killed Zacharie the sonne of Iehoiada the high Priest and a Prophet of the Lorde who had saued him from the tyrannie of Athalia This is that Zacharie of whom Christ maketh mētion in Luke saying that from the blood of Abel the iust vnto the blood of Zacharie the Prophet c. But what came of this The king of Aram he came with a small company against Ioas against Iuda and Ierusalem and destroied all the princes of the people and sent all the spoile of them vnto the king of Damascus and Ioas him selfe was of his owne seruants slaine In Ioas time Elizeus the Prophet died and Homer liued the first and most ancient learned amongest the Grecians While Ioram the sonne of Achab reigned king in Israel and Ioram the sonne of Iosaphat reigned king in Iuda being ioyned in affinitie by marriage In other countreies reigned Persusennis king in Egypt from this king and from Cheopes his predecessor in Egypt doeth Herodotus make mention not of the nomber but of the names of the kings of Egypt In Athens gouerned Mezades 30. yeeres the 6. Iudge and in Corinth likewise Agelas the 6. king In the daies of Ioram king of Iuda reigned ouer the Latines the 10. king Tiberinus Siluius 8. yeeres This king being drowned in the riuer called then Albula afterward named Tiber after his owne name Agrippa Siluius succeeded him the 11. king and he reigned 40. yeeres ouer the Latines In Lacedemonia Archelaus the 7. king who reigned 60. yeeres ouer the Lacedemonians The people of Rhodes at this time were lordes of the seas Pigmalion reigned king in Tyre 40. yeeres and in the 7. yeere of his reigne his sister Dido as Iosephus saith builded Carthage 143. yeeres after the building of Salomons Temple and before the building of Rome 135. Error is in Functius and in other in the time of the building of Carthage There was about this time of Ioas a king that reigned ouer the Tuscans named Felcinus he builded the chiefe citie of the Tuscans and named it after his owne name Felcina The Romanes long after that called that towne and the countrey it selfe was called Gallia Aurelia Nowe to the kings of Israel and Iuda After that Ioas had bene slaine by his owne seruants for the stoning to death of Zacharias Amazias Ioas his sonne succeeded him who in the beginning of his reigne shewed him selfe godly and did execute things vprightly but not with a perfect heart in respect of his predecessors he was called a good king he reuenged the death of Ioas his father and putteth them to death that slewe him he made prouision for warres and nombred all the men and hired a hundreth thousand valiant men out of Israel for an hundreth talents of siluer though he was forbidden by God so to doe But Amazias went forwards and slewe the Edomites and Amalekites euen 20000. But the men of Israel requited that slaughter they fell vpon the cities of
last by the Romans Cornelius Festus Sillas sonne and Furus Centurio entred first the Citie and after the whole Romane armie rushed in and slew 22. thousand Iewes spared the temple and the sacred treasures therein defiled not the Sanctuarie neither touched Pompey the golden table neither tooke away with him one penie of the 2000. talents which was the treasure of the temple But Crassus in short time after going against the Parthians in his voyage spared neither treasure nor the temple Ierusalem was builded in Iudea by Sem the sonne of Noah and was by him first named Solima or Salem a citie most famous and the soile it selfe most fertile and so by God blessed and preserued from the first building in the time of Sem vnto the last ouerthrowe of the same by Titus the Romane Emperour being 2177. yeeres Iosephus doeth describe the situation and building of this towne that it was builded vpon two hilles the one hill higher then the other Dauid the first king of the tribe of Iuda in whose time for that he fortified the higher hill after his dayes it was called Castellum Dauid the lower hil was called Acra ouer against this hil Acra they began afterwards to drawe another hill to enlarge this citie and to ioyne the temple within the same for the temple was builded on a hard high rocke for that it might the better be seene that the state and magnificence thereof might be beholden and seene aboue the towne and aboue the high towres of the walles for Hierusalem was compassed with three seuerall walles fronted one against another with such high strong towers that some of them were 70. cubites higher then the walles as the tower called Psephina likewise the tower of Hippicos was fourescore and fiue cubites high The second towre called Phasaelis after Herods brothers name was fourescore and tenne cubites high the thirde named after his wiues name Mariannes which farre excelled the rest whose large descriptions you shall reade in Iosephus a Iewe borne and brought vp in Ierusalem vntil the destruction thereof where he was taken prisoner by Titus there it is set forth to the ful the situation of the citie the beautie of the temple the strength of the walles the height and largenesse of the towres the port and state of the gates the full description of the foure hilles which Hierusalem was builded on and other things which now I omit for the circuite of Hierusalems walles was no more but thirtie and nine furlongs This towne was nothing like in bignesse to Babylon or to Niniue but farre greater in fame and in victories for Hierusalem had triumphed and sawe the ende and last destruction of the Caldeans Assyrians Egyptians Arabians and Persians for litle Iudea endured the force and power of the three first Monarchies which was the Assyrians the Persians and the Grecians though it was before conquered fiue seuerall times by the iust iudgement of God for their transgression and sinne yet by the mercie of God saued and preserued as is before mentioned vntil thirtie eight yeres after Christs death All that while that they serued God and followed the steppes of their forefathers I meane Abraham Isaac Iaacob Daniel Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias they preuailed against all nations they conquered all Countreys and brought all the kingdomes of the worlde to admire their vertues to feare their force and to seeke fauour and friendship at their handes though they were sometime touched for their stiffenecked stubbernes and too much iniquities as in Egypt in the wildernes and after they had possessed the land of Promes for still they offended the Lorde for the which these seuerall fiue conquests were had ouer them The first was by Nabuchodonosor the great king of Babylon the second by Asocheus king of Egypt the thirde time by Antiochus the great king of Syria the fourth by Pompeius the great and the fift and last was by Titus Vespatian In the which last subuersion and ouerthrowe of Hierusalem wee reade in Iosephus being then a present souldier in the warres the calamities and great miseries that then fel on the citie of Ierusalem and on the inhabitants thereof Their hunger and famine was so great that one did eate an others vomite the fathers did eate their children and the mothers fed on their owne babes in the cradle in so much that stinking carions and dead bodies which died for hunger in the streete was meate of great daintines in Ierusalem They were constrained to eate beastes dung dried leather girdles shoes and skinnes which couered their shields yea they sought their foode in Iakeses many slewe and butchered one another in the citie Besides this the plague was so hote amongst them that lodgings houses temples and all the streetes in Ierusalem were filled with dead bodies The slaughter was such as within 18. moneths siege 110000. were slaine within the citie and most of them strangers and Gentiles which came vp to the feast according to the custome of the Iewes where suddenly they were taken and besieged you must thinke by famine and by the sword During which time 97000. were taken prisoners and captiues there were found of the Iewes in priuies and Iakeses and hiding themselues in caues sinkes and holes of the earth aboue 2000. Some sent of these to the nomber of 70. thousand to Egypt as bond slaues there to moile like beastes in intollerable toile some solde more cheape then dogs for Egesippus witnesseth that 30. Iewes were solde for a penie and those were yong boyes vnder sixteene yeeres OF THE FIRST ORIGInall of the CHALDEANS first called Arphaxades after the name of Arphaxad the thirde sonne of SEM which was the first kingdome of the world of their continuance gouernment and last destruction by Darius Medius and Cyrus NOw hauing ended the historie of the Hebrewes the posteritie of Arphaxad the thirde sonne of Sem I will followe Assur the second sonne of Sem who builded Niniue from whom and after whose name the Assyrians are called whose history I haue now in hand In the hundreth thirtie and one yeere after the flood when people had multiplied in the land of Shinear olde Noah taught the people to seeke new seates and dwellings instructed the newe worlde the first age after the flood in the course of the Sunne the Moone and the starres and in all other things wherein Noah was most perfite hee declared to his people what he knewe and sawe in the first age and deuided the world into three parts Asia Africke and Europe and sent his sonnes to seeke aduentures Cham he sent to Egypt and to Africke with his company Sem to Asia and Iaphet with his people to Europe of whom I will speake where their historie is handled Now I will begin the historie of the Chaldeans who after that the people were dispersed at the building of Babel and had scattered into euery partes of the worlde were the first that
erected vp a kingdome and was the first place that was inhabited as both Zenophon and Berosus affirme for the Caldeans knew that before the flood that men liued and that the continuance of them were before the flood one thousande sixe hundreth and fiftie yeeres and more for that then Noah and his sonnes taught the second age of things done in the former age and how for sinne God had destroied the world for the Egyptians and the Phoenicians long after the flood were taught by the Chaldeans of the flood and of the former time and after more perfectly instructed by Abraham which in the time of famine trauailed from Canaan into Egypt where for a time hee read Arithmeticke to the Egyptians then rude and ignorant of any great knowledge that hearing of these things they beganne very obscurely and darkely to set downe many things which they then not perfectly knewe and yet are vnperfect for that they were ignorant of the Genesis The goodnesse of God spared Noah for 350. yeres and more to instruct the second age to preach vnto them the wonderfull workes and mercies of God before the flood and to warne the world after the flood from sinne the onely cause of Gods wrath towards man and to bring them vp in the true religion of God not as prophane writers affirme that hee wandered all the countreys of the world by diuers and sundry names as by the name of Ogyges Ianus Coelus Oenotrius Geminus pater and many such fabulous names of his lawes in euery countrey of his religion and ceremonies in euery kingdome of his being in Italy in Spaine and in other countreys cleane contrary to the nature and trueth of the history which came after the flood vnto the place where he yet liued with his forefathers Lamech Methusalem Enoch and so foorth before the flood the land of Shinear where by the consent and opinion of the best learned he liued vntil he died I wil not therefore follow Caldean fables in the antiquities of their Caldean and Assyrian kings for that they haue no sound warrant for their historie but that which Berosus setteth downe which Manethon an Egyptian priest much commendeth and maketh many supplies of Berosus lies and so doeth Io. Annius a priest in Whitenberge in his Commentaries vpon Berosus and so doth Diodorus in his bookes of Fabulous antiquitie But leauing Berosus Menathon and Annius to forge their fables I wil as briefly as I can runne through this historie for that I can finde nothing true of them but that which I reade in the Bible from the time of Phul assur vntill Balsaars time which were but 10. kings whose names I set here downe 1 Phul assur named in the Scripture Tiglat Phul-assur 2 Salmanassar which destroyed Samaria and toke the 10. tribes of Israel vnto Niniue captiue 3 Saneherib who came against Ezechias to Hierusalem with an huge armie folowing his fathers tyrannie Saneherib 4 Merodach the first king of Babylon againe broght Niniue vnder Babylon 5 Berodach his sonne 6 Nabuchodonosor which destroied Hierusalem and tooke the tribe of Iuda captiue into Babylon 7 Euilmerodach Nabuchodonosors sonne this restored Iehoakim king of Iuda vnto his libertie againe after that Nebuchodonosor his father died 8 The last of these Kings was Balsaar of these many kings in this the history of the Prophetes make mention and so much of the historie is true I will therefore set downe the continuance the nombers of their kings the change and varietie of this Kingdome for after that Nimrod had drawen people together he first laide the foundation of the Empire made lawes began to builde a great Citie and named it Babylon the first Citie after the flood which Citie though Nimrod began it his sonne Belus amplified it and last of al Semiramis finished it in such forme and stately shewe as he that is desirous to knowe the length the breadth the compasse situation the strength and beautie of Babylō let him read Herodotus Solinus where it is largely described Though it is thought that Herodotus and others in this do erre for Iosephus lib. 1. contr App. and Beroaldus 3. Chr. affirme that the olde writers erred much about the building of Babylon and of Niniue for that which Nabuchodonosor claimed to be his owne saying Nonne haec est Babylon quam ego aedificaui in robore fortitudinis meae Is not this Babylon which I haue builded the Grecians and all olde writers attribute to Nimrod to Belus and to Semiramis The like fable is of Niniue which was builded first by Assur the sonne of Semi by writers is attributed to Nynus Herein both Greeke and Lataine Historians are ouer seene aswell in the time as in the persons in that they were ignorant of the Prophetes histories howbeit Babylon was begun by Nimrod and Belus and somewhat enlarged and beautified by Semiramis but the dignitie and chiefe soueraigntie of Babylon must be graunted to Nabuchodonosor vnder whom the Caldeans onely florished ouer all Kingdomes and enioyed aureum seculum So this Countrey florished first before all other Countreis Babylon the first towne the first seate of the Empire of the world being the chiefest palace of the king for so were they called kings of Babylon and the first kings in the worlde after the flood and so continued almost two hundred yeres vntill the time of Ninus who after he had builded Niniue in the plaine of Aturia a farre greater Towne then Babylon though before it was begunne by Assur one of the sonnes of Sem yet fully by Nynus finished This Nynus waxed great and strong layed siege to Babylon subdued it and brought the Empire of Caldea subiect vnto Assyria then both Caldea and Assyria became one Monarchie and then the kings of Babylon were called kings of Assyria and then Assyria hauing conquered Babylon began to be chiefe and continued from Belus time the first king of Assyria vntill Sardanapalus time the last king of Assyria which as Eusebius writeth was 12. hundred fourtie yeeres from the first reigne of Nynus vntill the last of Sardanapalus so long the seede of Sem continued kings and helde the Monarchie of Assyria As the kingdome of Babylon was translated then from the posteritie of Cham after the first 200. yeeres vnto the posteritie of Sem so nowe againe Niniue is made subiect to Babylon as it shal be hereafter shewed when the historie of the kings of Assyria is handled Thus Assyria sometime subiect to Chaldea and Chaldea to Assyria Niniue to Babylon and Babylon to Niniue vntill both were subdued by the Medes and after by the Persians so God doth appoint and God doth disappoint states and common wealthes according to the decree of his eternall will sinne being the onely cause of Gods anger and wrath his wrath the cause of all calamities destruction and subuersion of kingdomes as Sirach saith Regnum à gente in gentem transferetur propter iniustitiam
Of this queene and of her doings her warres and her great workes you shall reade in Diodorus and Annius how she became so great so terrible and so luckie in any warre she tooke in hand that she excelled farre all the Assyrian and Caldean kings in victories and triumphs vntil Nabuchodonosors time but slaine at last by her sonne called Nynus or Nynias as Melancthon and Annius and Ruffinus writeth the 5. king of the Assyrians who liued with his mother and had no gouernment for that he was a simple man and who succeeded his mother being neither like to his father nor to his mother a king giuen to slouthfulnesse full of idlenesse of whom we reade nothing worth the writing sauing that he repaired beautified the temples of their idols and made much of the Chaldean magi which were accompted wise men obseruing the turne of Astrologers who began then in those dayes to vse diuination he reigned 38. yeeres who a litle before he died Camesenus being forced to flee frō all the partes of the world came to Bactria and there strengthened himselfe with the Bactrians that he prepared a great army to inuade the Assyrians but he was slaine and his armie ouerthrowen euen of this king Ninias as Berosus affirmeth yet Diodorus Iustinus Orosius say that this was done by Nynus the father of Ninias Let the reader beleeue whō hee list I had rather follow Berosus though he is supposed not to be Berosus yet the best writer vseth him in this historie for he is best to be beleeued for that hee knoweth better the Chaldean histories being a Chaldean borne then others This Ninias or Ramisninias is takē to be that king which is called Amraphel in Genesis king of Shinar which is Babylon for in the daies of Amraphel came Arioch king of Ellasar who came with the king of Shinar against the kings of Sodom Gomorrha together with two other kings Chedor king of Elam and Tidal king of the nations gathered of diuers countries These foure kings made warre with Bera king of Sodom with Byrsha king of Gomorrha with Shemeber king of Seboim and with the king of Bela in the vale of Siddim At this very warre Lot the nephew of Abraham for hee dwelt then at Sodom was taken with the king of Sodom the rest was rescued by Abraham his vncle he all his goods al his substance men women Abraham recouered frō Amraphel king of Shinar his company By this time Egypt began to florish and the kings of Egypt beganne to be strong they were all named Pharaohs as the Romanes called their Emperors Caesars names of great dignitie While this conflict and these great armies of fiue kings against foure were in the field you must vnderstand they were but gouernors of cities for in these daies skant the names of kingdoms were knowen but a kind of gouernment called Oligarchia by reason it was within 350. yeres of the flood At that time Abraham comming backe with Lot Melchisedec king of Shalem came to meete him blessed him to whom Abraham gaue tithe of al that he had This Melchisedec is taken to be Sem the sonne of Noah king of Shalem afterward called Ierusalem After this Ninias succeeded his sonne Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians as Functius writeth but Ruffinus the fourth and yet they vary not but in this that Functius beginneth from Nimrod which Ruffinus saith began in Babylon not in Niniue Againe Functius numbreth Semiramis reigne for that she reigned 40. yeres after her husband Nynus which Ruffinus omitteth coumpting Nynus reigne for both for both the gouernment of Semiramis and Ninus forward stil of the rest of the kings of Assyria Ruffinus omitting these two Nimrod Semiramis maketh Functius to say sixe and Ruffinus to accoumpt foure but in this I will follow Functius This Arius after that his father Ninias was dead hee gathered a great host of souldiers against the Bactrians and the Caspians with whom his father and his forefathers were enemies alwayes hee inuaded them againe spoyled their countrey slue their king and brought Bactria and Caspia subiect to the Assyrians in this kings time died Noah about twelue yeres after Abraham was called from Vr in Chaldea and came to Haran where hee staied foure yeres Thus florished the kingdome of the Assyrians being still augmented with more Prouinces Cities and Countries by Arius and his predecessors and when hee had reigned 30. yeeres he died and after him succeeded Aralius the seuenth king of the Assyrians a warlike prince a man of great prowesse skilfull in militarie discipline full of martiall exploites of whom Berosus affirmeth that it was he that first vsed triumphs and pompes with great honor dignitie and rewards to souldiers that deserued praise began to be delicious in bankets and feastes and inuented many engins of warres that then were not knowen In this kings fathers time there dwelt in Celtiberia a great wise man expert in many things whose name was Druyas of whom as Berosus writeth the auncient priests and wise men were called Druyades so doth Plinie write and Caius Iulius Caesar in his booke de bello Gallico This Aralius ruled Assyria fourtie yeeres and died Then beganne in Niniue the reigne of Baleus surnamed Xerxes the eight king of the Assyrians this surmounted farre his predecessour Aralius for hee brought vnder the scepter of Assyria twise asmuch people Nations and Countries as his predecessour did and therefore he was called Xerxes that is the conquerour the triumpher which long after were names of great dignitie among the Persians This king was both fierce and fortunate and enlarged the confines of his kingdome with many Nations he conquered al Countries vnto India he made the kings to bee feared so much of all kingdomes that he was named of the Assyrians Xerxes victor triumphator this reigned as Berosus doth write thirtie yeeres In this Baleus dayes Inachus the first king of the Argiues and their first kingdome began After Baleus reigned in Assyria a king named Armatrites the ninth of him there is no great thing to bee read to his commendation hee was giuen much to wicked lust and slouthfulnesse consuming his time in feasting and banquetting from one pleasure vnto another more cōuersant with women then with men and more delicious in apparell then hardie in warres and more giuen as Berosus saith to a lewde life then to vertuous exercise he reigned 38. yeeres In these dayes Sem the sonne of Noah died and the king of Salem being sixe hundred yeeres olde for Sem was a hundred yeere olde when the flood began and hee liued before the flood with three of his olde fathers with Noah Methusalem and Lamech and after the flood he liued in the second age vntill Iacobs time and died in the fiftie yere of Iacobs age seuen hundred yeeres iust before Dauids birth
cities and countreis hauing 24. kings by succession which continued vntil 75. yeeres after the destruction of Troy continued so vntil the Carthaginians began to flourish whom the Romanes afterward cōquered At this time one Pypinus gouerned the Thuscanes and raigned as Manethon writes 56. yeres In the last yeres of this king Tyneus the Prophet Dauid was borne 407. yeres after the children of Israels going out of Egypt and in the 7. Iubile after Moses then began to raigne in Assyria Dercillus he raigned 40. yeres In his dayes began the kingdome of Lacedemonia 83. yeres after Troys destruction the first king of Lacedemonia was called Euristenes who raigned 42. yeeres of him came lineally 2. noble and valiant captains Cleomenes and Leonidas who in their time were most famous for they inuaded the Persians and ouerthrew them at Thermophila About the same yere the Corinthians began likewise to establish a kingdome for the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians began at one time to raigne the first king of Corinth was Alethes and he raigned 35. yeres In the 10. yere of king Dercillus the Arke of the Lord was taken by the Philistines and caried vnto Ashdod one of their fiue principal cities they kept the Arke 7. moneths For when the Israelites were ouercome by the Philistines and the arke taken away Ely the priest hearing that the Israelites were ouerthrowen the arke taken and his two sonnes slaine fel down frō his stoole brake his necke for so the Lord told Samuel before what should become vpō Ely his house Israel stil offended God now not contented with the gouernmēt which God appointed them but cried out for a king God cōmanded Samuel to anoint Saul their king About this time great warres grew betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenians Codrus at that time liued was the last king of Athens for after Codrus there was no king there but gouernours called Metontidae Codrus sonne called Medon was the first Iudge in Athens after the kings Codrus according to the Oracle giuen that the Athenians should haue no victories vnlesse their king were slaine in the battell he disguised himselfe like a common souldier rushed into the midst of the battaile purposely to be slaine that his countrey might haue victorie being the last of the 17. kings hauing ruled Athens 21. yeeres ended his life and his kingdome About this time Samuel was commanded to anoint Dauid king ouer Israel and many learned men would haue Homer about this time to be borne some controuersie is of Homers time Eratosthenes thought it within 100. yeeres after the destruction of Troy and so saith Aristarchus and Cornelius Nepos both affirme that Homer flourished 100. yeeres before the first Olympiad Budaeus saith that Homer liued in the latter yeres of king Dauid so they square about 80. yeres of Homers birth During this time raigned ouer the Latines AEneas Siluius their fourth king After this raigned in Assyria Eupales 38. yeeres in whose time the Peloponesians againe mooued warres against the Athenians Now about this time the promise is made to Dauid that the continuance of his kingdome should for euer endure but with crosses and afflictions for Absalon killed his brother Amnon a litle after and fled vnto the king of Gessur and taried there three yeere By this time Salomon was borne of Bethsaba the wife of Vrias Nathan and Gad were in those dayes Prophets of the Lord. Now raigned in Athens Medon the first Iudge the sonne of Codrus the last king of Athens in Lacedemonia Argis the second king raigned one yeere Arcestratus succeeded the third king of Lacedemonia and gouerned the Lacedemonians 35. yeeres in Corinth likewise Ixon the second king raigned 37. yeeres for both these kingdomes had one beginning and therefore their kingdome is accordingly to be handled for in the last yeres of the kings of Assyrians histories the Grecians began for this vnderstand that the Caldeans Assyrians Egyptians and all the East part of the world which were first inhabited after the flood were euen consumed with sworde and fire before the Grecians or the Romanes were acquainted with the world and therefore the lesse to be spoken of these olde auncient people for want of authorities and had not the holy Ghost lightened prophane histories with true records of the Scripture all antiquities had almost bene put to obliuion for all that are in trueth learned in histories take their light from Moses he is the grand scholemaster of all writers About this time Nicius Fesulanus gouerned the Thuscanes 47. yeres he expelled the people called Phocenses out of Corsica and Nicius builded a towne and named it Nicea after his owne name By this time Salomon grewe great in Gods fauour began to make the temple in Ierusalem excelled all the princes of the world in wisdome gouernment Hiram king of Tyrus at that time sendeth to Salomon and Salomon to him purposing to builde the house of God which temple began to be builded the fourth yeere of Salomons raigne and the 12. of Hiram king of Tyre Salomons friend who procured workemen to worke in Libanon and after the going of Israel out of Egypt 480. yeeres Some thinke that Carthage was builded by Charcedon at that time some thinke of Dido others say otherwise both of the building of Carthage and of the time of building as in the building of Troy and in the building of Rome the like controuersie is that sub iudice lis est Laosthenes the 33. king of the Assyrians is the next king after Eupales and is now in hand to be spoken of in whose time Alba Siluius gouerned the Latines the sixt king for the sirnames of the Latin kings were called Siluij as the kings of Alexandria were called Ptolomei as before I told you of the Caesars of Rome and Pharaos of Egypt About this time the kingdome of Israel for the idolatrie of Salomon was deuided and the ten tribes caried from Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon king of Iuda vnto Ieroboam king of Israel who inuented many wicked things in Israel idolatrie new religion contempt of the true God putting vp for their god the golden calfe thus he and his posterities continued from the fourth yeere of Rehoboam vntil the 19. yeere of Nabuchodonosor which was 390. yeeres at what time the last destruction of Ierusalem and the captiuitie of Iuda was Archippus the third Iudge atthis time ruled Athens where he gouerned 19. yeeres vnder whom flourished Sextus Homerus a citizen of Athens this man gaue new lawes to the Athenians The Thracians were strong by this time and became great on land and seas Smendes king of Egypt to whom Ieroboam fled and with whome he staied vntil Salomon died this Smendes is named in Scripture Sesac this came vp against Ierusalem the fift yere of Rehoboam destroyed the citie spoiled the temple and
pleasures he commaunded fire to be put to his pallace I meane that pile of wood which he made for his graue and so ended his life and the Empire together in fire to escape his enemies thus ended the monarchie of Assyria after one thousand two hundreth and fourtie yeeres continuance Behold the euents of the kingdoms of the world how God gaue them alwayes vp to the enemies when they flourished most in glory and were most in force power Euen so was Chaldea and Assyria the only empires of the world which farre excelled all other kingdomes when it was ouerthrowen by Cyrus insomuch that the great and mightie king Nabuchodonosor the onely Hercules by Megasthenes so named of the East kingdomes who aduanced himselfe vp vnto the heauens who was compared for his great magnificence and glorious pompe of his huge empire for the pride of his minde and insolencie of his state to the starre Lucifer for the brightnes beautie and glorie of his Empire his greatnes was such that hee had diuine honours done vnto him but his pride and pompe was layde in the pitte For in the time of Nabuchodonosor the Chaldeans and Assyrians flourished for they were kings of the Arabians of the Egyptians of all Syria and for the glorie and greatnes of their kingdome it passed all others farre and being the first kingdome of the world was called the golden kingdome aureum seculum the other three Monarchies were called Argenteum seculum the siluer age beganne in Cyrus time in Persia the brasen age in Macedonia in the time of Alexander and last the Iron age among the Romanes beganne in Iulius Caesars time described in Daniel by the foure beastes For all Nabuchodonosors power strength states and kingdomes lost all within threescore and tenne yeeres of this his great possession and power Euen so the kings of Egypt which flourished in like strength and claimed the like maiestie lost their kingdome in the midest of their glory and were ouerthrowen by Cambyses To bee short because God would bee knowen vnto his people whom the wicked neuer confessed to bee the God of victorie he deliuered Pharao and all Egypt into the handes of Nabuchodonosor and for his pompe and pride herein thinking that it was his owne strength his owne force and power hee deliuered Nabuchodonosor and his posterities with all the Empire of Assyria and Chaldea into the handes of Cyrus whose kingdome flourished much aboue the rest vntil Darius sirnamed Codomanus whose wealth force and kingdomes were such that he made nothing of all the world beside God gaue him ouer into the handes of Alexander the great whose greatnesse continued not long for the like vnthankefulnesse to God for his kingdome passed to the Romanes Thus God appointed the weakest sometime to vanquish the strongest and raised vp the meanest to ouercome the mightiest Thus was Egypt subdued by the Chaldeans the Chaldeans by the Persians the Persians by the Macedonians the Macedonians by the Romanes and the long empire of the Romans their pompe and their glorie taken away by the Germanes and the Germanes rather prouinces to be called then an Empire so wickednesse preuailed that Turkes Canes Sophies with such infidels of long time flourished Then Arbaces and Phul Belochus deuided these Empires Phul Belochus helde Babylon and Niniue Arbaces possessed Media and Persia for his part But to write of Chaldea first this Phul Belochus though he dwelt in Babylon and raigned asking there eight and fourtie yeeres yet the name of the Monarchie continued still in Assyria for that the most part of the other Kings had their mansion in Niniue and therefore after Sardanapalus time called the newe kingdome of Assyria Nowe Belochus being settled king in Babylon called also the king of Assur hee came against the lande of Israel and mooued warres against Manahem then king but being pacified with a thousand talents of siluer he returned to Babylon without any harme done and there died when he had raigned eight and fourtie yeeres After him succeeded his sonne Phul Assur named in Scripture Tyglat Phul Assur this infidel God stirred vp against Israel for their sinnes hee tooke all these Cities and coastes Aron Abel Bethmecha Asor Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Nepthali and caried them vnto Assyria this king raigned three and twentie yeeres as both Functius and Melancthon write yet Metasthenes would haue him to raigne twentie and fiue yeeres After this succeeded Salmanasser the thirde king of newe Assyria hee likewise was by God appointed a scourge for the sinâ—…s of Israel and the idolatrie of Samaria hee came from Niniue vnto Samaria besieged it three yeeres and tooke it and caried all Israel captiue vnto Assyria and put them in Halah and in Habor cities of the Medes for at that time the Medes and the Persians were subiect vnto the Assyrians Thus were the 10. tribes caried captiue away from Samaria vnto Assyria in the ninth yeere of Hosea king of Israel after the building of Samaria 210. yeres the whole kingdome of Israel was destroyed when it had continued from the first yeere of Roboam the sonne of Salomon to the last yeere of king Hosea two hundreth fiftie and three yeeres as Functius affirmeth Then Salmanassar filled al the cities of Samaria with men from Babylon and from Hamath in stead of the children of Israel for the kings of Samaria enuied so much the kings of Iuda the state of Ierusalem the pompe of the high priest and the magnificence of Salomons temple that the kings of Samaria builded temples erected two idolatrous altars in Dan and Bethel where they sacrificed vnto the golden calfe and honoured idols of Baal yet God raised good men as Elias and Elizeus Amos and Osea by whom the Church of God in this wicked kingdome was still preserued This king Salmanasser brought the Medes and Persians subiect vnto Assyria and destroyed the Moabites as the Prophet Esay afore tolde there is mention made of this king in the tenth chapter of Osea where the Prophet sayeth As Salmanasser destroyed Betharbell in the day of battaile the mother with the children was dashed in pieces so shall Bethel doe vnto you Vnder this king Salmanasser was Israel scattered like sheepe for the Lyons dispersed them first the king of Ashur that was Salmanasser hath deuoured him and last Nabuchodonosor hath taken his bones the one caried the tenne tribes of Israel the other caried the two tribes of Iuda prisoners vnto Babylon This Salmanasser is named of Ptolome Nabonasser he raigned in the eight Olympiad when Romulus was king in Rome Ezechias was king in Iuda and Osea king in Israel before the captiuitie of Iuda one hundreth thirtie and three yeeres so long was betweene the destruction of Ierusalem and Samaria for Salmanasser did raigne seuen yeeres king in Assyria before hee had besieged Samaria which is to bee noted to auoyde errours in accompt From the
great feasts were once euery yeere in these cities The first was in the citie of Bubastis in honour of Diana with such seruice and ceremonies due vnto her the second in the citie of Busiris in the honor of Isis the third in the citie of Sai in the honor of Minerua the fourth in Heliopolis in the honor of the sunne the fifth in the citie of Butis in the honor of Latona the sixt in the citie of Papremi in the honor of Mars The maner and order of their sacrifices were very strange some wounding themselues some beating and whipping themselues some with torches and lights al night with processions about the cities and some with such ceremonies as I may not well name them so horrible and so beastly as they were and yet fit sacrifices for their gods The greatest god that the Egyptians vniuersally worshipped was an Oxe marked with white spots which they called Apis. This Oxe is accompanied with a hundred priests in the citie of Memphis where he is halowed by these priests stauled as a god with yeerely feasts and dayly sacrifice The people of Egypt solemnize the birth day of Apis and that day is holden most holy and festiuall throughout all Egypt and that feast continueth seuen dayes Also in the citie of Heliopolis they worship another Oxe which they name Mneum as Apis is in Memphis In the citie of Aphodito Politana they worship a white Oxe as Strabo sayth likewise Concerning others of their gods they are too many for me to write as of Cattes to whom they attribute much honour for that they are vnder Vulcan their chiefe god to defend them from fire and therefore Cattes in Egypt are much esteemed and worshipped as gods for when any Catte is dead in Egypt specially in Heliopolis they weare mourning weedes and shaue their browes and with great solemnitie they are buried And then next to Cattes Rammes for that Iupiter would not be seene vnto Hercules in the likenesse of a god vnlesse Hercules would put on a Rammes skinne therefore in diuers partes of Egypt none might kill a Ramme but the Ramme was likewise honoured as a god So also of the Crocodile of the bird Ibis of many other beasts which the Egyptians worship as gods the which is not lawful by the lawe of Egypt to hurt much lesse to kill them In mourning for their dead they besmeare themselues with doung and dirte specially the kinswomen of the dead they be all bedaubed and bedirted raunging the streetes howling and crying for the space of seuentie dayes and then with great care diligence they burie the corpes with great solemnitie in stately and huge buildings with sharpe spires of wonderfull great height named Piramides but of the maner of their buriall I haue set downe in my diall of dayes The strange wonders of Egypt of their fishes beastes and foules of their trees fruites and of their riuers they are such and so many that if I should beginne I should not knowe when to ende as to write of bridges builded of stones thirtie foote square a piece of lakes called Chimmis and Meris bearing woods forests of 20. miles compasse about to speake of many riuers I shoulde wearie my selfe What shoulde I speake but of one which is Nilus the only riuer of the world of which the Egyptians haue as great cause to bragge as India had of Ganges or Mesopotamia of Euphrates This Nilus maketh Egypt alwayes either to laugh or to weepe for it is strange in Egypt to see raine In Egypt women pleade matters in Courtes and they looke to forraigne causes and the men spin and carde and take charge of the house at home the womē beare burthens on their shoulders and men vpon their heads women standing and men sitting doe make water in Egypt also they eate and drinke openly without the doores and doe their naturall needes within the house These with infinite more strange thinges shall you finde in Herodotus but Chronicles doe contrary Herodot in many things and therefore I passe ouer diuers of his fables and take asmuch of him as shall agree with Eusebius and others of the soundest writers for certainely the Greeke histories are farre more doubtfull then the Latine for Hellanicus differeth from Acusilaus Acusilaus from Hesiodus Hesiodus from Hephorus and Hephorus from Herodot and Herodot accused of al as most erronious and fabulous for how can Greeke histories be true when the Greekes saith Iosephus doe rather seeke fables to mainteine their opinions then to traueile in antiquitie to verifie their histories or howe is it possible for prophane writers who were borne two thousand yeeres after the beginning of some kingdoms to write truely of them specially of the Chaldeans Assyrians Scithians Egyptians and others whose kingdoms were long before scattered and destroyed if they be not by Moses instructed or haue their light or warrant from the propheticall histories such confusion is growen by their discord that their errour is great aswell for the number and names of kings as also for the time of their continuance and gouernment I said before they that are desirous to bee acquainted with fables rather then histories let them read Herodotus Diodorus Siculus vaine Berosus But I will and must vse them sometimes and especially in this historie of Egypt I must alleage Herodot for he confesseth that he wrote nothing but what he himselfe had either seene or heard in Egypt of the priestes of M◅mphis whose bookes were full of olde fables where it was written that 330. kings reigned in Egypt successiuely Of these 330. kings 18. were Ethiopian kings the rest Egyptians and one woman named Nitocris not Nitocris Queene of Babylon but an other as famous for her tyrannie in Egypt as she was in Babylon But when Abraham the Patriarch was in Egypt then Egypt did not so flourish at what time Pharao was punished by God for Sara Abrahams wife This is the first king that we reade of in trueth with warrant of the sacred histories of the Bible which is taken to be Osiris by Functius Melancthon others Of this Osiris many things are written in prophane histories as by his surnames doth appeare for Osiris is called Dionysius Olympicus Iupiter Iustus to follow further his genealogie it is vaine This Osiris taught in Egypt first and after in sundry places of the world where he did traueile to plow to sowe to plant vines and to doe many things which yet the world knew not The Egyptians honoured this Osiris so much that they caused his statue or image to be made at large in a table or pillar of Iuory his picture was made like a scepter with two eyes with all foules fishes and beasts that were consecrated vnto the gods of Egypt as monumēts of triumphs vnto Osiris with this sentēce written Ego sum Osiris Iupiter iustus qui vniuerso imperaui orbi diuers
forbidden to arrest any plough harneis and such necessaries for the vse of man and yet a man that vsed these and coulde make these suffered to be arrested and to be imprisoned 16 The law against theft in Egypt was that he that would steale shoulde write his name and recorde it in a booke which the chiefe captaine or the great prince appointed for those shoulde receiue the theft and the partie that had lost his goodes should come to his captaine and shoulde set downe the day and the houre wherein his goods were lost and the captaine shoulde recorde it in his booke and appoint him a day to come againe against the which day the theft being found out hee should haue all his losse sauing the fourth part which by law the theefe had for they so iudged it better sithence it were vnpossible to forbidde theft or to hang as many as would steale 17 As for the law for mariage it was thus that the priests of Egypt might mary but one wife a piece others as many as pleased them for that they would haue their countrey populous their cities strong with people no bastardes might bee named in Egypt though diuers were borne of bondwomen esteeming onely their fathers for credit and the mothers for their nources Nowe for their Iudges and Magistrates that executed these lawes in Egypt they were elected by 30. of the best and wisest men in euery great citie as Memphis Heliopolis Thebes and the rest in euery citie one chiefe Iudge with his sociates with him as were the Areopagites in Athens or the Ephories in Sparta Of other lawes concerning the religions of their gods their burials and of their discipline and order in warres I haue written of it in the Diall of dayes There was also a lawe in Egypt before these lawes that the pictures and images of their gods painted in tables and set in brasse in their Temples should be caried in their ensigns to the field in the time of warres But as Egypt florished in the time of king Amasis so Egypt was brought subiect vnto the Persians within sixe dayes after Amasis dayes for after that Amasis had reigned fourtie foure yeeres his sonne succeeded him called Psammenitus who after he had reigned sixe yeeres was ouerthrowen by Cambyses king of Persia which came from Persia into Egypt to reuenge the wrong which hee receiued at Amasis hand who refused to giue his owne daughter in mariage to the king of of Persia but deceiued him with a daughter of Apries called Nytetis which was onely left aliue of all the stocke of Apries whom Cambyses maried supposing her to bee king Amasis daughter vntill Apries daughter opened the whole matter affirming vnto the king howe Amasis had betrayed her father the king being his master and by that reason had obteined the kingdome of Egypt and also shee reuealed howe he disdained to giue his owne daughter but tooke me vp being left desolate and comfortlesse and willed mee to faine my selfe to bee his daughter These floutes and scoffes of Amasis kindled wrath in Cambyses to come in armes into Egypt but before he came Amasis died Notwithstanding after he had conquered his sonne Psammenitus and had possessed the kingdome of Egypt hee went from Memphis vnto Sai to satisfie his wrath vpon Amasis and though he was before buried yet hee caused his carcas to be brought before him and cōmaunded it first to be whipt and scourged then thrust him through with daggers bodkins after this he haled lugged it through the Citie of Sai with all contempts that might be inuented and last he caused it to be burned which was against the maner of the Egyptians for they suppose the fire to be a liuing creature because the fire deuoureth all things and at last deuoureth it selfe Thus the olde auncient kings of Egypt continued a thousand two hundred yeeres before they were conquered by any nation and though they were by the kings of Assyria and of Chaldea which then florished chiefely often assaulted yet they neuer lost the proper names of their kings which were called Pharaos vntill Cambyses time which continued vnder the Persians a hundred thirtie fiue yeeres and after they reuoulted vnder Darius Nothus and kept of vntill by many sharpe battailes they were againe by Ochus vanquished who vsed in Egypt great crueltie About this time Tomiris Queene of the Massegets and Tarquinius superbus the last king of the Romanes reigned in Rome for the Romanes lost their kings and the Egyptians lost their kingdome about one time Cambyses this time hindred the building of the Temple by the meanes of the Samaritanes who euer enuied Ierusalem Thus briefely I haue written of the state and gouernment of the olde kings of Egypt Pharaos by name vntill the time of Alexander the great and nowe something after Alexanders dayes Egypt and their kings afterward altered and changed from the names of Pharaos to the names of Ptolomeies as you shal reade hereafter from Alexander the great vntill the time of Iulius Caesar during which time the kings of Egypt were called Ptolomei Therefore I haue gathered together all the names of these auncient kings of Egypt from Osiris time the first potentate in Egypt which was in the time of Abraham vntil Amasis time the last Pharao which was in Cambyses time the second king of Persia that is from the going of Abraham into Egypt vntil the Prophet Daniels time which was a thousand foure hundred twentie fiue yeeres for before Osiris time and long after we reade of no certeine king by the name of Pharao but of some gouernment called Dynastia at what time in euery prouince of Egypt before Egypt had the name of Egypt certeine potentates gouerned for the space of fiftene Dynasties Hence grew that vaine opinion of the priests of Egypt that they were the anciētest nation in the world that the starres altered their courses foure times and the sunne twise since they first inhabited Egypt recording in their chronicles the names of three hundred thirtie kings and before their kings the gouernment of those whom they called Heroas or Deos which reigned eighteene thousand yeeres But leauing them to their fabulous antiquitie I haue set downe all the names of Pharaos that I coulde reade in Manethon Eusebius Diodorus Herodot and Melancthon beginning at Osiris which was that Pharao to whom Abraham came vnto in the sixteene Dynastia of Egypt from the first Pharao called Amasis vnto the last Pharao called likewise Amasis as they are set downe in Functius table who followed Herodot from Cheopes vnto the last Pharao of Egypt called Amasis For the placing orderly of the kings of Egypt Manethon differeth from Eusebius Eusebius from Diodorus Diodorus frō Functius and therefore as I wrote the names of the olde kings of Egypt as Manethon laide them downe so will I nowe also write them as I found them in Functius
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
nor their countrey so simple a beginning the Parthians had vntill they scattered themselues to serue as mercenarie souldiers then beganne the Parthians to haue some fame by their seruice which were as I saide before scant knowen It is written by Solinus that Parthia grew into so large an Empire that it conteined 18. kingdomes these kingdomes are deuided into two partes eleuen of the eighteene called the vpper kingdomes beginning from the borders of Armenia passing along the Caspian sea coast to Scithia the other seuen kingdomes haue on the West the Medes on the South Carmania on the North Hircania the language of the Parthians is mingled partly with the Medes and partly with the Scithians their apparel after the custome of Scithia their souldiers in fight were their seruants of whom the Parthians had as great care as of their children teaching them in their youth to ride to shoote and to doe all other martiall exploits for of fiftie thousand souldiers which they had against M. Antonius were none free men but 450. all the rest were seruants The Parthians began to erect a kingdome at what time raigned in Egypt Euergetes the thirde king and in Macedonia raigned king Demetrius likewise in Asia and Syria raigned Seleucus Gabinius the forth king About this time the Carthagineans had great warres with the Numidians which endured foure yeeres of these warres Polibeus writeth In the time of the first king of Parthia which was named Arsaces Eumenes king of Bithynia inuaded Asia This king Arsaces deserued no lesse fame by his great prowesse and valiant deedes by his fortun at warres and good successe amongst the Parthians then Cyrus did amongst the Persians or Alexander the great amongst the Macedonians The Parthians so loued this Arsaces aliue and so honoured him dead that all the kings of Parthia after him were called Arsaces with no lesse dignitie then the Caesars of Rome or Pharaoâ—…s of Egypt and yet a meane man in the beginning who might more bragge of vertue knowledge then of dignitie or parentage for before these Parthians followed Eumenes in the warres of Asia after Eumenes they followed Antigonus after Antigonus they followed Seleucus Nicanor after him Antiochus At what time the Parthians reuoulted and made a choise of this king named Arsaces who brought such renowne to the Parthians such credite to the countrey as enlarged their confines and augmented their Empire This time one Theodotus being but then President ouer 1000. Townes and Cities in Bactriana proclaimed himselfe king of the Bactrians with this king Theodotus Arsaces entred in societie and with his sonne after him nowe when Arsaces had setled himselfe quietly in Parthia he gaue them lawes to liue by he did set and frame all things in order hee builded Townes and Cities and one chiefe Metropolitane Citie and named it Daram This king had a sonne named Mithridates who after his father reigned in Parthia with no lesse fame then his father he leauied an armie of a hundred thousand footemen and twentie thousand horsemen fought with Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus king of Syria with such inuincible courage that Antiochus thought it his best way to haue peace with him When this king died succeeded him Pampatius the third king in Parthia who when he had reigned twelue yeeres left behinde him two sonnes the one named Pharnaces the other Mithridates the elder brother after the Parthian maner enioyed his fathers seate and his father surnamed Arsaces as the other kings were This king ouerthrew a very stout Nation called Mardi and did as his predecessors had done adde some people or wanne some countrey to Parthia who hauing many children when hee died and hauing more care of his countrey then of his children appointed his brother Mithridates to be king of Parthia a man of great courage and singular vertues The same very time when Mithridates entred into Parthia as king did Encratides likewise enter to the kingdome of the Bactrians but these two kings prospered not alike for Encratides after diuers and sundry battels giuen to him by the Sogdians Dranganites and Indians wherein he gaue diuers repulses vnto his enemies but at length so wearied with continuall warres hee was ouerthrowen and vanquished In Parthia with better successe fought Mithridates with the Medes whom after many doubtfull battels Mithridates subdued the Medes and brought them subiect vnder the Parthians and appointed in Medea Bachasus to be lieutenant and went himselfe into Hircania and then waged warres with the king of Elymees which he vanquished and all his countrey and ioyned them to the Parthians so that Parthia was so strengthened by the Medes the Elimees other nations that they gouerned from mount Caueasus to the riuer Euphrates so that poore Parthia before a base people and a rude countrey are nowe become lords ouer the stoute Medes so by Gods appointment kingdomes and Empires doe both flowe and ebbe during this time Masinissa was by sundry battels driuen out of his kingdome by Syphax king of Numidia At that time reigned in Syria Seleucus Philopator their seuenth king and in Egypt reigned Ptolomei Philometor the sixt king Cornelius Scipio about this time triumphed ouer Asia After this Mithridates death succeeded his sonne Phrahartes who had not the fortune which his father had for Phrahartes was sore vexed by the Scythians who at the first came to aide the king of Parthia against Antiochus king of Syria the souldiers fell to mutinie for want of pay and therefore wasted and spoiled the Confines of Parthia burned townes and robbed countries that Phrahartes was constrained to leauy an armie and to make warres vpon the Scythians whose lucke had beene better if hee had taried in Parthia where hee left behinde him Himerus too young a man to gouerne a kingdome who lost at home in Parthia asmuch as Phrahartes lost in Scythia After Phrahartes was ouerthrowen by the Scythians Artabanus succeded who likewise shortly was slaine in the warres at Colchata after whom succeeded his sonne Mithridates the second of that name who for his noble deedes and valiant actes was named Mithridates the great and yet not so great as infortunate for when he had reuenged the death of his father vpon the Scythians plagued the Armenians and had gotten diuers Nations subiect vnto Parthia yet hee was banished from Parthia and his kingdome giuen to Horodes his brother Horodes hauing the kingdome of Parthia in his hand hearing that his brother Mithridates had fledde into Babylon to auoide further feare hee besieged Babylon vntill by famine they were compelled to yeelde the Citie Mithridates hoping for pardon yeelded himselfe to his brother but Horodes supposing that he would prooue rather an enemie then a brother commaunded him to be slaine before his face By this time the Parthians grewe so great and waxed so strong that their fame extended into Rome a Citie that coulde neuer abide no kingdome nor no
fourtie two yeeres before the Olympiads at the which time the kingdome of Macedonia began so that the Medes Macedonians began fourtie two yeeres before the Lydians and the Lydians twentie foure yeeres before the Romanes Ctesias a great antiquarie of the Persians who wrote in Artaxerxes time presently after Herodot saith that after Arbaces time a sonne of his succeeded him named Madanes who reigned 50. yeres and then followed Sosarmus which reigned 30. yeeres after him succeeded Aristeus who held long warres with the Cadusians by whom he was at length slaine but before he died he cōmanded by will that the Medes should neuer be in league with the Cadusians but with sworde and fire to persecute them vntill they were brought subiect vnto the Medes After the death of this Aristeus reigned in Media Artines 22. yeeres after him Artelanus gouerned the Medes fourtie yeeres in whose time the Parthians were subdued and brought vnder the Empire of the Medes after they had yelded them selues and the Countrey vnto the king of Saca which king both he and his Countrey after two yeeres great warres had betweene them and the Medes were vanquished both they and the Parthians when the Medes had brought the king of Parthia and the king of Saca vnder the yoke of Media at what time Artabanus reigned king ouer the Medes after whom succeeded Astiages which with some writers is named Apanda This was the last king of Media which was conquered both he his countrey by Cyrus king of Persia whose historie is at large set foorth in the Empire of Persia Diodorus with others which write of these kings as Herodot and Ctesias Great cōtrouersie there is betweene writers about the kings of Media of their succession of their reigne and of their gouernments though Strabo and Pomponius Mela doe fully describe the situation of Media yet the best Chronographers varie much of their gouernment Iustinus affirmeth that the Medes reigned 350. yeres others say 304. making their computations from Sardanapalus time whom the Medes conquered vntil the time of Cyrus by whom the Medes were vanquished so long the Empire stood Againe they vary much in the names of their kings for as I named from Arbases the first king vntill Astiages the last king and the ninth king of the Medes so some againe after this sort doe set downe the lynes of the kings of Media After Arbases reigned Sosarmus the second king of Media he reigned thirtie yeeres at what time reigned in Egypt a king of singular wisedome very courteous and gentle much commended of Herodot for many rare vertues named of Functius Osorus and of Eusebius Nicerinus About this time was Achas king of Iuda borne and Coenus the second king of Macedonia beganne with Sosarmus the second king of Media to reigne Marke the order of time for both the Macedonians and the Medes at one time began their kingdomes euen then the Lacedemonians ended their kingdomes for so God worketh by order of nature and time The Peloponesians the Athenians were so plagued one of another by continuall ciuill warres the slaughter so great on both sides the warres so long as men cōquered on neither parties yeelded at last vnto necessitie and were forced to forsake the fields to withdraw themseles from destroying of both their coūtries for the warres that was betweene the Athenians the Lacedemonians frō time to time was the ouerthrow of all Greece the cause arysing frō so little a quarell as hereafter shal be mentioned in the historie of Greece While these warres endured in Greece Romulus and Rhemus were borne and the third king of Media beganne to gouerne the Medes his name was Medidus in the first Olympiad at which time the king of Tyre which was named Elulaeus as Menander testifieth a writer of their owne Chronicles was besieged by Salmanassar king of Assyria who after he hee had spoiled Phoenicia Samaria he turned his force against Tyre After great slaughter he tooke Sidon Arce and Paletire with many other Cities from the king of Tyre and brought the spoyle thereof vnto Niniue And yet sayth Menander for all his victorie he was the second time discomfited his Nauies so scattered that fiue hundred of his best souldiers were taken by the Cananites and by the king of Tyre whereat Salmanassar waxed full of wrath and commaunded his souldiers to stoppe all conduites and all passages of waters that for fiue yeeres they were forced to digge out water and to make welles and springes to susteine themselues withall and this historie is written in the Chronicles of Tyre About this time liued that good and learned Poete Archimus that wrote of the warres of Troy Coelius king of the Thuscans ayded Romulus the first king of Rome with men and money against the people called Cennienses and the Antenates of this kings name mount Coelius one of the seuen hilles of Rome was called Plutarch sayth that Numa Pompilius the second king of Rome was borne about this time and in the twentie eight yeere of the third king of the Medes was that wicked king Sancherib with his horrible blasphemies with a hundred foure score fiue thousand of his souldiers slaine by the Angel of the Lord. After this Medidus the third king of Media had reigned fourtie yeeres succeeded him Cardiceas the fourth king who reigned thirteene yeeres During this kings gouernment the Empire of Assyria was brought by Merodach the sonne of Baladan vnto Babylon where Merodach reigned fourtie yeeres the first king of Babylon Nowe in Iudea gouerned a wicked king a great idolater a murtherer of the Prophetes and a most contemptuous despiser of God This Manasses filled all Ierusalem with blood hee martyred Esai the Prophet commaunding him to bee cutte in two pieces with a sawe for the which tyrannie God gaue him ouer to the handes of the Babylonians In Ethiop reigned about this time a king named Tarachus of whome Iosephus maketh mention that hee came to ayde Spethon king of Egypt against Senaherib in the sixteenth Olympiad About this time Nicomedia was builded Gela a Towne of Sicilia and Phaselis a Towne in Pamphilia were likewise builded All this while the Medes had no king crowned nor allowed but as a supreme Gouernour of all Media but were as you heard from Arbaces time vntill this time gouerned by a Magistrate or chiefe Gouernment euen vntill Deiocis which was the chiefe gouernour and the first king for Arbaces Sosarmus Medidus Cardiceas these foure were but gouernours though for order sake they were named kings CHAP. II. Of the first King of Media of their gouernment lawes and continuance from Deiocis vntill Astyages the last King of the Medes BVt Deiocis nowe after hee had gouerned wisely and discreetely the Medes hee through his owne pollicie and his friends councell became the first King by consent and by election When he
world sitting on his regall throne in his princely attire beset with precious stones of seueral names colours in most gorgeous sumptuous sight seemed to himselfe to be the goodliest creature of the world he asked of Solon whether he had euer seene so faire a sight or so goodly colours in a creature Solon answered the Pecock the Popiniay do farre excel Croesus in naturall colours beauty whereat Croesus being angry said Solon was a foole but afterward Croesus being vanquished by Cyrus remēbred Solons words but now againe to Lydia which had reuolted against Cyrus fel to rebellion By this time Cyrus was busie in other warres and hearing of these newes returned and made of them the last conquest in the thirtie foure yeere of Seruius Tullus reigne the sixt king of Rome and in the two hundred and ninth yeere after the building of Rome Thus Lydia being brought by Cyrus a seruile Prouince to Persia afterward the reliques of the Lydians became from stout souldiers to slouthfull slaues and from men became women accompanying themselues with an idle life giuen to inuent many vnthriftie exercises as before is written And the maides of Lydia went a whoring for their dowrie offering themselues a pray for money and the wicked gaines of their bodily vse was the dowrie of their mariage who before Cyrus time during the time of nine kings esteemed neither Chaldeans nor Assyrians their fortune so flowed that it became a cōmon prouerbe As rich as Croesus But nowe Croesus hauing experience of Solons speach became now as wise as he was before rich for the which cause Cyrus esteemed him so that he would take nothing in hand without Croesus councell for Cyrus in all his warres which at that time Cyrus had with so many Nations hauing already conquered the Assyrians the Chaldeans the Lydians and other kingdomes hauing like mind to conquere all the world as Alexander the great had insomuch that Croesus wondred at his fortunate successe in al his actions his singular wisdome his great pollicie and his princely liberalitie to be such as Croesus did often say It was no shame for Croesus to be conquered by Cyrus After that Croesus was long enterteined with Cyrus hauing good experience of his fidelitie and seruice he commended Croesus vnto his sonne Cambyses charging him so to esteeme of Croesus as he would be directed in all great causes by him Nowe Cambyses farre vnlike vnto his father both in nature and in fortune much inferiour a cruell king yea a tyrant for in his voyage to Egypt with whom Croesus was in companie according to his fathers commaundement Cambyses killing and murthering his owne souldiers being Persians like a hungrie lion foming in blood without any respect of person Croesus began reuerently to warne Cambyses of his fathers councel of the trust that his father Cyrus had in him to admonish Cambyses to lenitie perswading him to vse more clemencie to shew good coūtenance to his souldiers saying that the strength of a king was his people and that mercie in a king was the anchor of his scepter Cambyses moued with these words thought to stabbe him but Croesus by flight escaped and Cambyses for anger that he had so escaped commansded them to the sword that ayded Croesus to flee from Cambyes sight at that time of this at large doth Herodot write Thus endeth the kingdome of Lydia in the 14. yeere of Croesus which continued from the beginning vntill the last ouerthrow of Croesus 230. yeeres but Functius saith 205 others say not 200. and some 130. yeres beginning in the first Olympiad ending in the 51. Olympiad for as the kings of Lydia began but 24. yeeres before Rome so it ended in the eight yeere of Tarquinius Superbus the last king of Rome after the first building of Rome 180. yeeres and was translated to be a prouince of the Persians Ardisus the 1. king of Lydia reigned 36. yeeres Aliagtes the 2. king of Lydia reigned 14. yeeres Meles the 3. king of Lydia reigned 14. yeeres Candaules 4. king of Lydia reigned 17. yeeres Giges the 5. king of Lydia reigned 36. yeeres Ardis the 6. king of Lydia reigned 37. yeeres Sadaites the 7. king of Lydia reigned 15. yeeres Haliactes the 8. king of Lydia reigned 49. yeres Croesus the 9 and last king reigned 14. yeeres OF THE FIRST ORIGINAL of the Persians of the antiquitie of their Kings of their common wealth and gouernment and of their continuance and how they haue beene called the great Kings by the meanes and dignitie of Cyrus NOw hauing left Assur the second sonne of Sem in Assyria and Arphaxad the third sonne of Sem in Chaldea Lud the fourth sonne of Sem in Lydia I am come with Elam the eldest sōne of Sem vnto Persia. Of these foure sonnes of Sem the Assyrians Chaldeans Hebrewes Lydians proceede Hauing also left Chus in Ethiopia Mizraim in Egypt I come as I said before to Persia then caled Elam so Daniel nameth it whē he saw the vision in the Pallace in Susa in the prouince of Elam by the riuer of Vlai in this place Elam dwelt and the nation were long named Elamites whose historie I haue now in hand Persia therefore is large and wide reaching vnto the North as farre as Caspia 8000. furlongs as Erastones setteth it downe which is in accoumpt yeelding eight furlongs vnto a mile a thousand miles and from the Citie of Susa vnto Persipolis 4200. furlōgs which is 530. miles and from thence vnto the confines of Carmenia are 1600. furlongs The Region of Persia is cōfined with Media on the North Persia hath eastward Carmenia hath westward Susia for Susia is as Strabo writeth a part of Persia lieth betweene Babylon Persia hath Susa that famous citie where most often the kings of Persia vsed to bee with it The nations of the inhabitants of this Countrey are called Palischores another natiō called Achemenides from these the olde kings of Persia were called Achemenides for among the old Persians they had a law that none should be king in Persia but he should be of the stocke of Acheminides which of long time continued before Cyrus while yet the Persians were called Elamites among the Hebrews of the auncient Greekes called Cephenes all kings of Persia were called Achemenides the like law was in Sparta Corinth Egypt with other natiōs for their kings for that diuers kingdoms had by law cōfirmed that no election of kings should be but of those families which by lawe in recordes were allowed as The kings of the Parthians were all called Arsaces out of Arsaces stocke The kings of Alba called Siluij from Siluius Posthumus the third king of the Albanes The first kings of Egypt were all called Pharaones The kings of Corinth Bacidae of the house of Bacis The latter kings of Egypt called Ptolomei after the death of Alexander The
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
to Rauenna Trebellius setteth downe the spoile that the Gothes haue done in Greece in Pontus and in Macedonia But to returne to Sapores king of Persia who in the seuenteenth yere of his reigne got a great armie of souldiers entred into Syria Cilicia Capadocia committed great crueltie and slaughter vntill Valerian the Emperour met him in Mesopotamia and gaue him battel where the king of Persia was ouerthrowen and taken by the Emperour by whom he was kept captiue in miserable seruitude all his life afterward in Persis Odenatus held then the whole Empire of the East in his hand at this time which being slaine by his coosin Maeonis Zenobia Odenatus wife a famous woman reuenged her husbands death after the king her husband had vanquished the Persians and had put the king Sapores to flight and pursued him vnto the citie of Ctesiphon where he besieged him and brought him to great extremitie This Zenobia ruled the Palmyrians with her two yong sonnes Herreminianus and Timolaus and as Trebellius writeth of her she sent an armie of souldiers against Egypt vnder two valiant captaines Sarba and Timogenes she was wise learned and stoute and compted for her courage and magnanimitie a second Semyramis In the last yeres of Sapores king of Persia was Paulus Samosatenus in the last council had at Antioche cōdemned as heretike and put from his bishopricke by Aurelian the Emperor The third king of Persia was called Ormisdates this raigned but one yeere and did nothing worth the writing But Aurelianus hauing asswaged the furie and sedition which then was at Rome sent his armie to Thracia and to Illyria where he vanquished the Barbarous nations slewe the grand captaiue of the Gothes by the riuer Danubius ouerthrew the Sue◅ians Sarmates and Germanes and slew of the Almanes fifteene thousande thence he returned his force vnto the East vanquished the Palmireans and their famous Queene zenobia and after he inuaded Egypt and triumphed ouer these nations in Rome After this he began to persecute the Christians and to send his commissions abroad vnto all places with great crueltie to vexe and to molest the Church but in the middest of his tyrannie he was slaine by conspiracie of his owne seruant betweene Bizantium and Heraclea the heresies of Manichees began in Aurelianus time Now in Persia began Vararanes their fourth king and another of that name succeeded him the fift king of Persia of whom there was nothing done during nine yeeres which they raigned worth the reciting After these succeeded in Persia Narses the sixt king of the Persians this began to flourish and to waxe strong gathered force about him and began to warre in Mesopotamia and in Armenia wasted subdued and vanquished all the prouinces thereabout tooke Galerius in hand and gaue him in battell the ouerthrow This Maximinus Galerius being elected together with Constantius Chlorus both Emperours for two yeeres the Romanes had then their handfull to do diuers nations reuolted from them and many countreis were in armes against them and they much weakened from the force and power of the olde Romanes by reason of the treason and murther one Emperour finding meanes to kill another therefore Constantius was made a gouernour of a great armie of Romanes to resist the force of Fraunce Hispaine Affricke and Italy Galerius appointed generall against Greece Illyrica Persia and the East countreys either of these two had the name of Caesar giuen them and well worthie For Constantius discomfited the Germanes made free the Frenchmen subdued and slewe threescore thousand of the Almanes Maximinus hee on the other side vanquished the whole armie of the Assyrians gaue the ouerthrowe to Narses king of Persia after the first battell and at that time brought vnder the Romane Empire fiue prouinces Misdates the eight king of the Persians raigned seuen yeres and nine monethes in whose raigne happened in Tyre and Sydon such an earthquake that innumerable people were slaine thereby that houses and whose streetes fell downe to the grounde in the yeere of CHRIST three hundreth and sixe In the which time Dioclesian the Emperour in the ninetenth yeere of his raigne began extremely to persecute the Christians which cōtinued most cruelly for thirteene yeres Of such persecution shall you scant reade in all the Ecclesiastical histories this Emperour was so proude that after hee had done his triumph in Rome with such pompe and magnificence he commaunded his subiects to adore him and to worship him with some diuine seruice Fratrem solis lune se nuncupans putting golden shoes on his feete wrought with pearles and precious stones with an edict giuen that his nobles and great men should kisse his feete By this time Sapor the ninth king of the Persians had raigned seuentie yeres he was crowned as Functius saith in his mothers wombe hee plagued those Christians that dwelt then in his territories with taxes tribute and with all crueltie at length persecuted them with open murther and slaughter for he slew Simeon Archbishoppe of Seleucia with a hundreth more in one day of Christians hee layed siege to Nisibis and got Singara Bizabda and Amyda three great townes from Constantius that were vnder the Romanes tooke them scattered and destroyed the Romane armie that peace was offered to Sapor at that time by the Romanes Of this king Sapor and of his great warres called Persicum bellum of his long gouernment and of his often persecution against the Christians reade Eutropius and Pomponius Laetus During his raigne Constantine the great was made Emperour of the Romanes the sonne of Constantius the last before him sirnamed Chlorus a good Emperor he sought peace and restored peace specially to the Christians which were before so persecuted by Dioclesian by Valerian by Sapor and by the Emperour Licinius which presently succeeded his vncle Constantine Eusebius sayeth that Helena the wife of Constantius Chlorus and mother to Constantine the great founde the Crosse vpon the which our Sauiour CHRIST died in Ierusalem Of this the Romane Papists make much more adoe then of the Sonne of GOD who died thereon for the Messias our Sauiour they robbe of his glory and honour and the Crosse of wood they worship and adore This Constantine builded two famous great cities the one named Helenopolis after his mothers name being before called Drepana an auncient citie in Bythinia the other hee builded and named it after his owne name Constantinopolis before called Bizantium a very auncient citie in Thracia At this time died in Syria and Cilicia a great multitude of people of famine and hunger This time was Athanasius called from exilement by the Emperour Constantine and was sent vnto Alexandria where hee was sore vexed by the Arrians a secte of heresies sprong vp in those dayes by one Arrius of whome the rest were named Arrians Donatius an arch heritike a beginner of other heresies
fourtie eight yeeres and had diuers times many victories and as many ouerthrowes for first hee lay de siege to Rhodes tooke Alba Graeca by treacherie and deceipte but Virtus an Dolus quis in hoste requirit hee subdued Corsica and ouerthrewe a great armie of the Germanes by the Citie of Buda in Vngarie being betrayed and sould into the Turkes by Catzianerus and by the like treachery of a Spaniard the Turkes gote a very strong fort in Vngarie called Granensis Arx. After this Soliman laide siege to Vienna in Austrich and to diuers Townes in Sicilia but they were manfully resisted and repulsed from both Austrich and Sicilia His armies in the East Countries were so slaine and scattered by the Sophy of Persia that Soliman lost in two battels an infinite number of hia Turkes After these two great victories had ouer the Turkes by the Persians he was by the Germanes resisted at the hauen of Hercules he was by the Rhodians driuen out of the Isle of Militea he entred into a league with the Persians concluded peace with diuers princes of Asia came into Vngaria laid siege to Segethum where he died in his tents before he could win Segethum After his death his sōnes fought for the Empire Baiazetes was compelled to flee into Persia being by this ciuill warre ouerthrowen by his brother Selimus who of all the sonnes of Soliman was left aliue and succeeded his father in the Empire Vnder this Selimus the Turkes tooke warres in hand against the Saracens and prepared a nauie into Cyprus which had reuoulted from the Turkes After hee made a voyage against the Moscouians at the riuer of Tanais where Selimus lost more then hee wanne then he laide siege to Nicosia and to Famagusta two noble cities in Cyprus for Famagusta is the chiefe Citie of Cyprus Two yeeres after this the Persians gaue two great ouerthrowes to the Turkes in Mesopotamia at what time the Tartarians which in olde time were called Scythians wasted and spoyled Russia and Moscouia but I leaue the Soldane of Egypt the Sophi of Persia the Saracens the Turkes and those infidels and ende their historie in this Selimus laying their names downe as they reigned from Othoman the first vnto Selimus the eleuenth 1 Othoman reigned 28. yeres 2 Orchanes 22. 3 Amurathes 23. 4 Pazaites hauing slaine his brother Solimanus 26. 5 Mahomet 17. 6 Amurates the 2. of that name Mahomets sonne 34. 7 Mahomet the 2. which tooke the Empire from the Greekes 32. yeeres 8 Pazaites the 2. 31. 9 Selimus 7. 10 Soliman 48. 11 And after Soliman his sōne Selimus OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF Greece of the beginning of their Cities and Common wealth of their lawes and gouernments by degrees during yet the infancie of Greece NOwe I leaue Asia and come to Europe to that noble and famous Countrie of Greece though by order of historie I shoulde passe from Persia with Alexander the great into Macedonia whither the Empire from Persia was brought nowe by Alexander yet for that Greece is vpon the way and that Alexander the great subdued all the Prouinces of Greece and was by consent of all the Countrie made Emperour of Greece where his father Philip was made but a Duke or a Gouernour of Greece I will therefore first speake of Greece for that Macedonia and Greece were but one Empire and vnder the great Alexander for so hee was called in the sacred historie the King of Greece and so after Alexanders death they compted their yeeres after the reignes of the Kings of Greece and therefore I will passe first ouer Greece before I come to Macedonia To this Countrie came the third sonne of Iaphet named Iauan or Iaon of whom this Countrey nowe called Greece was then named Ionia for all Countreys had their names by the first inhabitants therin as in the 10. of Genesis is mencioned the first ground and originall from whence the nations of the world had their beginning by the description of the sonnes of Sem the sonnes of Cham and the sonnes of Iaphet After that Iaon the third sonne of Iaphet possessed Greece a Countrey for the situation thereof most delectable and fertile wherein many things of great accompt are most worthy to be remembred This Countrey of Greece is diuided vnto twelue regions The first and principall part of Greece is the region of Morea The 2. the Countrie of Athens The 3. of Corinth The 4. of Lacedemon The 5. of Messenia The 6. of Achaia The 7. of Boetia The 8. of Thessalia The 9. of Arcadia The 10. of Ionia The 11. and 12. of Dorica and Aeolica Although Strabo saieth that these two last are Countries within Peloponesus which is nowe called Morea which was the greatest and chiefest Countrey of Greece inhabited first by the Barbarous for so all Greece was inhabited first the Countrie of Athens onely excepted The platte forme of Peloponesus is like the leafe of a Plane tree with creekes and nookes and conteineth in length from the West vnto the East a thousand foure hundred furlongs and almost so much in breadth The coast of Peloponesus is on the north side with the Ionian sea on the West with the Sicilian sea on the South with the Candian sea all these Shires or Countries are situated within Morea Achaia Elis Messenia Laconia which is also named Lacedemonia and Arcadia which is enuironed rounde about with Peloponesus In euery countrey of these are very famous townes and cities named at large in Pomponius Mela and in Strabo Next Peloponesus beginneth the countrey of Hellas which is called and taken for true Greece In this Hellas is the region of Phocis where the temple and Oracle of Apollo in Delphos and the famous mount Parnassus here is also in that part of Greece Boetia where Thebes a most famous citie is and mount Cytheron much spoken of in Poetrie then is the countrey of Locris Megaris and of Athens more famous of it selfe then it neede to be commended as well for chiualrie and magnanimitie as also for learning and knowledge being the fountaine and nourse of Philosophie This countrey of Athens doeth Strabo describe in his ninth booke that he bestoweth all that booke in the setting forth onely of Athens with commendations of Boetia and Thessalia as the chiefest and rarest countreis of Greece for Thessalia cōtayning within it the renowmed mount Olympus which by meanes of the wooddie bottoms of the hill with a very pleasant riuer running through the same maketh a most delectable and pleasant soile called Tempe Thessalica vnto Thessalia belong the plaines of Pharsalia where Pompey was ouerthrowen in the last battell betweene Caesar and him In Thessalia are many notable riuers and cities many Isles lie ouer against the maine land of Athens as Salamis Sunim Cos and Ceos not farre from Athens is the plaine Marathon where was a bloodie battell betweene the Persians and the Athenians Greece
was so full of renowmed cities famous riuers notable mountaines a countrey of singular rarenesse in althings that it were to much labour to write the due praise of Greece But I referre him that would reade the setting forth of Greece to the eight ninth booke of Strabo to the second booke of Pomponius Mela where all Greece is particularly described at large and I will proceede to the seuerall gouernment of Greece in seuerall countreis and will set downe the continuance of euery Region with the names of the kings where and how long they raigned and for that the countrey of Morea is the first inhabited countrey of Greece and the largest region of the same called in Strabo Arxtotius Greciae I wiâ—… beginne with their common wealth This region was first named Aegialia by the name of Aegialeus their first king and continued so vntill the time of Apis the 4. king after whom this region was named Apia which name continued vnto the time of Sicyon the 19. king of Morea After this king Sicyons time the countrey was called Sicyonium and continued vntill Pelops time by whom againe the countrey was called Peloponesus and now at this time is called Morea so that Peloponesus had fiue seueral change of names from the first gouernment vnder Aegialeus the first king vntill Xeuxippus raigne the last king of the Peloponesians And although the kings of that region did nothing worth the memorie hauing bene twentie and sixe kings successiuely yet they are the very way to come further vnto Greece for all this while the whole countrey of Greece was inhabited with barbarous people and was farre from the fame which they gained afterwarde therefore I will briefly passe ouer the historie of their kings and their raigne because I might speake of other countreys in Greece which flourished together with Morea For the first king of this region was named Aegialeus he gouerned that part of Greece at what time Ninus raigned in Assyria and as Eusebius writeth Thebaei ruled Egypt in the yeere of the world two thousand one hundreth and seuen yet Bibliander would not allow so many yeeres by two hundreth and odde which is rather to bee followed for that it doeth with the Genesis agree For in the fiue and twentieth yere of this king Ninus was Abraham borne which was within two hundreth and ninetie yeeres after the flood and therefore better agreeth with Ninus time The second king after Aegialeus was named Europs hee raigned fiue and fourtie yeeres this time flourished Zoroastes the great king of the Bactrians he was thought to be the first that read Astrologie and taught to others Astronomie in whose time Tribeta the sonne of Ninus by Semiramis was expulsed out of the kingdome of Assyria and hee builded a towne in the coast of Gallia and called it Treueris The thirde king of Sicyonium was named Stelchium hee raigned twentie yeres at what time the kingdome of Creete beganne and had for the first king one named Cres after whose name the countrey of Creete was called This Cres builded a citie in Creete and named it Nosus in the which he also builded a temple to the goddesse Cybeles After him succeeded Apis the fourth king of that region after whom as I haue written before it was called Apia hee raigned then when Ninus the sonne of Ninus and Semiramis gouerned the Assyrians After him followed the fift king named Telasion in whose time died Noah the righteous preacher and patriarch and at which time Abraham begate Ismael vpon Agar the bond woman of this Ismael came all the Ismaelites a wicked nation that offended the Lorde In time afterward they were called Agareni after the name of Agar and now are called Saraceni which are infidels and heathens Now succeeded Telasion the sixt king of Peloponesus named Aegidius at what time raigned in Assyria Analius About this season Isaac the sonne of Abraham begate two twinnes vpon Rebecca his wife Esau which was also called Edom of whom the Idumeans came and Iacob afterwarde called Israel of whom issued the twelue tribes of Israel In this kings time Sodom Gomorrha Zeboim Adama and Zoar fiue principal great cities in the lande of Palestine were destroyed and burned with fire and brimstone from heauen the iust iudgement of God for sinne Thurimachus the eight king raigned 45. yeres in this kings gouernment Eusebius noteth the seuenteenth Dynastia of the Egyptians to begin where Shepheards gouerned as chiefe rulers for the space of 103. yeeres soueraigntie About which time the kingdome of the Argiues first sprang vp where Inachus raigned the first king within the kingdome of Argiue and afterwarde continued from Inachus vnto the time of Tenelanthus the last king of the Argiues as Marianus Scotus writeth foure hundreth yeeres After this Leucippus succeeded Messapius in Peloponesus at what time Bellochus raigned King in Assyria and Thelassus gouerned the countrey of Thessalia Among the Argiues raigned now Phoroneus the sonne of Inachus and Niobes the second king after his father this made lawes first to the Argiues and instituted orders in gouernment and wrote decrees for his subiects and ruled the Argiues to his great fame as Eusebius in his histories setteth forth In Licippus time Sem the sonne of Noah died after hee had liued sixe hundreth yeeres and had seene much miserie and great calamitie but not so much as his father before him had seene he liued after Abrahams dayes thirtie and fiue yeeres Osiris whom the Egyptians call Apis and sometime Serapis for that they adored this as their God liued about this time and destroyed that monster in Thracia called Licurgus Reade more of this in Herodotus Ismael Abrahams base sonne by Agar the bondwoman died now and left behinde him twelue sonnes great princes ouer many tribes and nations which began in time to grow enemies to the Church of God and to persecute the people of God and were named Ismaelites In this time raigned in Assyria Bellochus sirnamed Priscus their twelft king and in Egypt gouerned Menam the first king that taught the Egyptians many ceremonies as newe sacrifices to their gods religions and seruice and instructed them in many things for this time Egypt was raw and rude in skil and knowledge This Menam was thought of Functius to be that which is read in Scripture to be Mizraim and of Berosus called Oceanus There is nothing to be written of these kings worth the memorie of man for all this while Greece was inhabited with barbarous people nay the most of Greece was not yet inhabited Athens was not builded neither Sparta nor Corinth for the kingdom of Lacedemonia and the kingdome of Corinth began about Dauids birth The Argiues were the most ancient people in Greece next after the Peloponesians for they beganne to raigne in Argos in the time of Iacob the Patriarch at what time Baleus sirnamed Xerxes gouerned in Assyria
from Moses vntill Samsons time 400. yeeres and after Samsons death 40. yeeres kings began to raigne in Israel After that the kings ended in Sicyonum priestes raigned in that countrey of Peloponesus called Carnij which gouerned vntill the comming of that strong and ancient people called Heraclides who afterwarde grew of great force that the long ciuill warres which continued 27. yeeres to the last destruction of all Greece as more at large in Thucydides is mentioned and shal be spoken of me when the time of these ciuil warres shall come to be handled in this historie I in the meane season will returne to the state of Athens which by this time grewe to some fame though before as other parts of Greece obscured by reason of no action done worth the writing vntill Theseus time which raigned as you heard before in Poliphedes time the 24. king of Pelopones he brought vnto Athens al the whole prouince of Attica and dispersed people from other parts of Greece and made them all one corporation which were before dispersed vnto diuers villages he erected a council hall and made a towne house which the Athenians called Asti he instituted great feasts and sacrifices vnto Minerua called Panathaenea this was for all the countrey of Attica and he ordeined another feast which they called Metaecia for strangers and forreners that should come to dwel at Athens That done he began to set vp an estate of a common wealth he made distinctions of degrees and difference of states moreouer Theseus coyned money marked the coyne thereof with the stampe of an oxe in memorie of the bul of Marathon or of Taurus chiefe captaine of king Minos which Theseus subdued by combate appointed The stampe of the oxe continued in Athens vntill Pericles time at what season the owle was stamped in the coine of Athens The renowne of this Theseus was marueilously blowen through all Greece after diuers victories gotten against the Amazones the slaughter of king Deucaleon king Minos sonne of the vanquishing of the huge monster Minotaurus of the warres of Lapithes of the ouerthrowe of Captaine Taurus and of infinite more victories so that all Greece rang of Thesius fame that his acts came to certaine prouerbs in all parts of Greece Hic alter Theseus this is another Theseus Hoc sine Theseo nōfit This was not done without Theseus He discharged Athens of their tribute vnto king Minos appointed certaine games called Isthmia after the imitation and order of Hercules that euen as the Grecians did celebrate the games of Olympia in the honour of Iupiter by Hercules ordinance so they should likewise celebrat the feast of Isthmia games which Theseus made in the honour of Neptune for he imitated Hercules in all his actions The great admiration which Theseus had of Hercules courage made him in like sort with Themistocles to say that as the victories and triumphes of Miltiades would not suffer Themistocles to sleepe so the renowme and fame of Hercules could not keepe Theseus backe from the imitation thereof for they both were neere kinsmen He was so great a benefactor vnto Athens that on the 8. of October the Athenians doe most solemne sacrifice in remembrance of his returne frō Creete with the children of Athens after the killing of king Deucaleon and Minotaurus in the honor of Neptune as Plutarch saith The Athenians honour the name of Theseus which of some is supposed to be the sonne of Neptune euery 8. day of euery moneth so much Greece was beholden vnto Theseus Plutarch in the life of Theseus saith that Aegeus his father descended of the linage of the great Erictheus of the first inhabitants which occupied the coūtrey of Attica for there is no mention made that they came out of any other countrey but they were called Autochthones borne of themselues in the lande of Attica for so the Athenians would haue it This was the first that erected Athens and hauing ioyned the citie of Megara and all the territories thereabout vnto Attica he caused as Plutarch affirmeth foure square pillars to be set vp for the confines within the streight of Isthmis in Peloponesus with this sentence written on the pillars All from these pillars Eastwarde is in Ionia which is Attica and all from thence Westward was in Peloponesus to separate the countrey of Attica from Peloponesus for in Ionia Attica lay After this Theseus succeeded in Athens Mnestheus the eleuenth king which raigned foure and twentie yeeres This time gouerned Agamemnon in Mycena when Helen Menelaus his brothers wife was rauished and taken away by Paris who likewise being very yong was before rauished by Theseus I will briefly rehearse the rest of the kings of Athens for after Mnestheus Demophon succeeded in Athens the twelfth king ouer the Athenians and raigned 33. yeeres In whose time Aeneas maried Lauinia king Latinus daughter who gouerned them three yeeres and died and left to Ascanius his sonne the kingdome after him he raigned after his father thirtie eight yeeres This time raigned in Assyria Tauteus the twentie and ninth king of the Assyrians Eli the priest now iudged Israel and Samuel the Prophet was borne Oxintes the thirteenth king of Athens raigned twelue yeeres about which time Ascanius began to build a towne and named it Alba longa where he with all his Court remooued leauing Lauinium to his fathers wife Lauinia thirtie yeeres after his father Aeneas had builded the citie of Lauinium In this kings raigne the Amazones burned the temple of Diana in Ephesus Now followed in Athens the foureteenth king ouer the Athenians who raigned but one yeere after him raigned Thimoetes the 15. king he raigned eight yeeres This was the last king of the stocke of Erictheus after this time raigned Siluius the thirde king of the Latins here of all the kings of Alba were afterward called Syluij In the 70. yeeres after the destruction of Troy and foureteene yeeres after the kings failed in Peloponesus came certaine people from Greece vnto Peloponesus and possessed a great part of the countrey which were called Dores of this Thucydides onely can best report for it is his proper historie Now was Melanthus the sixteenth king ouer the Athenians which raigned 37. yeeres in this kings time raigned in Assyria Dercillus the 31. king About this time Samuel the Prophet iudged Israel with whom gouerned afterward king Saul during which gouernment the prophet Dauid was borne when Aeneas raigned the sixt king of the Latins at what time the stocke and familie called Heraclides entred Peloponesus who waxed so strong and fierce that they waged warres against the Athenians with whom they had diuers battels CHAP. III. Of the originall beginning of the kings of the Lacedemonians and of the kings of Corinth who at one time beganne their gouernment vnder the state of Monarchie and also ended about one time of
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
made his Court and gathered together the scattered Macedonians into one place and began to reigne there as a king At what time Procas Siluius reigned ouer the Latines Ozias reigned ouer the Hebrewes Ieroboam in Israel was king and Alexander reigned king in Corinth this time Arbaces translated the Monarchie of Assyria vnto the Medes hauing giuen the ouerthrow to Sardanapalus whereby both the kingdomes of the Medes and of Macedonia beginne at one time for nowe the kings of Lacedemonia ended 〈◊〉 gouernment and these kingdomes beganne to florish 37â—… yeeres after the destruction of Troy in the beginning of the thirteene Iubilee of the Iewes before the Olympiads the space of one whole Iubilee which is fiftie yeeres This Cranaus the first king of the Macedonians reigned twentie eight yeeres whose successor I reade in Eusebius and Glareanus was Caenus he reigned the second king of Macedonia twelue yeeres at what time Amulius Siluius the fifteene king of the Latines reigned this Amulius the yonger sonne of Procas Siluius draue Numitor his elder brother out of his Countrie and also Numitor had a daughter whom hee caused to be a vestall virgine to auoyde mariage but notwithstanding shee was gotten with childe of two children in steade of one which were called Romulus and Remus of whose education and strange bringing vp how they slue Amulius and restored their graundfather Numitor to the kingdome againe and howe they both builded Rome you may reade in the histories of the Romane kings after whom succeeded the Romane kings In Egypt reigned this time Sabachus this is named in Scripture Sech the third king of Macedonia was Tyrimas who succeeded in the kingdome in the time of the second Olympiad as Eusebius and Glareanus do witnesse whom I folow chiefely in placing the kings of Macedonia though Iustine Sabelicus say otherwaies that one Telegonus reigning in Paeonia which is a piece of Macedonia and one Europus who likewise on the other side of Paeonia gouerned These two bare most sway in Macedonia vntil Caranus came with a great number of Greekes by the Oracle commaunded to seeke a seate in Macedon who by force expelled Mida which gouerned in a part of Macedon and forced other gouernours which then ruled diuers countries about Macedonia which was no large kingdome in the beginning but Caranus by this meanes augmented much the Countrie of Macedon After this Caranus Iustine setteth downe Perdiccas with whom agreeth Soliâ—… and saith that this Perdiccas was the first that bare the 〈◊〉 of a king in the twentie two Olympiad who liued in such liking and loue of his subiects that his life seemed a lawe and his death an oracle for which hee died being an olde man hee called his sonne named Argeus and shewed him a secrete place where hee woulde haue his body buried and his successours the kings of Macedonia after him This superstitious buriall the kings of Macedonia helde as by an oracle commaunded vntill the time of Alexander the great who was the ninteenth king after this Perdiccas Argeus succeeded his father and was a modest prince hee did minister iustice to his subiectes and liued in Ioue and fauour with his people leauing behinde him to gouerne the Macedonians his heire Philip who died in his youth and left the kingdome to Europus a young childe in whose time the Thracians and the Illyrians had continuall warres with the Macedonians The Illyrians vexed and ouerthrewe the Macedonians in a great battel despising the infancie of their king and litle waiing the Macedonians in respect of their king they were hereby much mooued to fight againe and gathered a huge hoste brought their king in his cradle to the field and gaue battell to the Illyrians ouerthrewe them vanquished them and slue the most of them for the sight of their young king made them like lyons hungrie of their praye with double courage to fight But I will returne to Eusebius and Glareanus where I beganne and whom I chiefely imitate though Solinus and Iustine wrote otherwaies for it is no rare thing to haue writers to varie specially in histories of long time for here Perdiccas is placed to be the fourth king which both Iustine and Solinus wrote to be the first king of Macedonia in this Functius in his table of the kings of Macedon a singular Chronographer following the best learned and next agreeing with the Scripture doth set this Perdiccas to be the 4. king who came of a meane state to be a king of Macedon where he reigned 51. yeeres This time Romulus had great warres with the Sabines which continued three yeeres with whom Tatius Sabinus reigned in Rome together with Romulus fiue yeeres About this verie season Saneherib was ouerthrowen for his great blasphemie against God with a hundred fourescore and fiue thousand slaine in one night by the Angel of the Lord while this Perdicas reigned in Macedon Merodach the sonne of Baladan after hee had gouerned Babylon twelue yeeres and ouercame the Assyrians and brought the Monarchie againe to the Chaldeans about the thirtie yeere of Perdicas Egypt was gouerned by twelue Magistrates of equall authoritie After Perdicas succeeded Argeus his sonne the fifth king of Macedonia of whom you reade before by Iustine set downe to be the second king Philip the sixt king of Macedon reigned thirtie eight yeeres in the 34. Olympiad in whose time happened in Rome great warres betweene Tullius Hostilius the third king of Rome and the Sabines The Latines likewise beganne warres with the Romanes which continued fiue yeeres this time reigned in Egypt Necho who had warres with the Chaldeans at what time hee ouercame the Syrians and slue Iosias in Mageddo the Messenians reuoulted from the Lacedemonians and the rude barbarous Scythians entred into Asia spoyled and wasted all the Countrie vntill they came vnto the land of Palestine This time Periander reigned in Corinth whose life you may reade in Herodot of whom is also written a historie of this time of Phaortes the sixth king of the Medes who was slaine at the siedge of Niniue by the Assyrians with all his companie In these dayes Tullius Hostilius with al his familie were burned in his owne house in the thirtie fiue Olympiad many great warres and blooddy battels fell in the time of this Philip for both Ieconia with all his friendes likewise Daniel with his fellowes were caried away captiue vnto Babylon and within a while after Ierusalem was besieged and made euen to the ground and the Iewes caried captiues vnto Chaldea Againe Ciaxeres which is by Daniel and others named to be Darius Medus had great warres thus the Assyrians tooke the citie of Niniue and reuenged the death of Phaortes and so the Assyrians were quite destroyed brought the monarchie vnto the Medes All the warres that Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome had with the Latins Fidenats the Sabins the Veiens the Volscans and
is the onely ruine of a kingdom as in the warres betwene the Phocians and the Thebans was truely prooued and by Philip fully performed After this it happened that two brethren contended about the kingdome of Thracia which to auoyde warres both consented to the iudgement of Philip who not like a Iudge in giuing iudgement but like a foxe came with an armie and subdued both the brethren and so got the kingdome of Thracia subiect to Macedonia by these subtile dealings he also wanne Cappadocia and Epire and made warres against the Scythians All the endeuours of Philip was to this purpose that he might be the lord of Greece and vpon that he called all Greece to the citie of Corinth and offered to make warres vpon the Persians in his owne person This was to flatter Greece but Virtus an dolus quis in hoste requirit for the Persians euer annoyed Greece After that Philip had won Athens hee was sure of the Thebans and of the Boetians who alwayes were in a league with Athens by meanes of Demosthenes who euer perswaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as tongue could doe to stand against Philip but when Philip waxed strōg who sought with flatery with his friends and with golde with his enemies and Greece waxed weake by reason of their ciuill warres and spoyling one of another he had free passage euery where being made gouernour of all Greece he then easily subdued the Illyrians and the Olynthians conquered Amphipolis Pyrinthus and Byzantium and by this meanes Philip became the onely king of all Macedonian kings before him He grew so great after his victory at Cherronea that he made then ready an armie to Persia and he deuised to bring the monarchie frō Persia to Macedonia which his sonne Alexander did within a while after Philip being thus aduaunced with many victories and triumphes leauing behind him at euery victorie some triumphant pillar or arch as trophes and monuments of his fortune was in the midst of his glory by the Oracles of Pythias warned of his death at what time he sacrificed to his gods a crowned bull Reade more of this in Diodorus After that Philip had much mooued all the cities of Greece to resist the Persians and to make one chiefe generall ouer all Greece against the Persians for Plinie writeth that Philip in the hundred eleuenth Olympiad had much weakened the state of Greece and therefore hee was the sooner chosen their captaine which being obteined he had what he sought Vpon this he returned into Macedonia prepared souldiers made ready his armie and was in the midst of his greatnesse when Pausanias for an iniurie receiued before for want of iustice betwene Attalus who had most horribly abused him and Philip being king to whom hee appealed of whome hee had though oftentimes he sought no remedie but rather flouts and scofs which kindled in Pausanias such hatred that hee reuenged the foule fact of Attalus vpon king Philippe and that with death Thus Philip raigned in Macedonia 23. yeeres at what time Ochus raigned in Persia and recouered Egypt and Camillus triumphed in Rome and ouerthrew the Frenchmen About this time died that noble Philosopher Plato after whom succeeded Speusippus after him Zenocrates Demosthenes and Aeschines two famous Orators flourished in Greece CHAP. II. Of the renowme and fame of Macedonia during the raigne of Alexander the great of his conquest and victories ouer all the East of his dangerous warres in India Egypt and in Scythia and of the subduing of Darius and the taking away of the Monarchie from Persia into Macedonia ALexander the great being of twentie yeeres of age succeeded and exceeded his father Philippe both in vertue and in vice they were thus farre one from another in nature that what Philip did through pollicie and subtiltie that Alexander would doe with open strength and courage Philip reioyced when hee might deceiue the enemie Alexander when he coulde ouerthrow them Philip more politicke like afoxe in council and deuice Alexander like a lion more fierce and couragious in conquering and subduing Philip sought meanes to be beloued of his enemies and to make his foes his friendes Alexander sought to be feared and to make his friendes his foes These and such other comparisons doeth Iustine setforth betweene the father and the sonne Alexander beganne to raigne by Curtius computations after the building of Rome foure hundreth twentie and fixe yeeres at what time Ca. Sulpitius and Lu. Papyrius were Consuls of Rome in the hundreth and eleuenth Olympiad when Iaddus was hie priest in Hierusalem Plutarch writeth that Alexander was descended from Hercules by Caranus side and that of his mothers side he came of the blood of Aeacides by Neoptolemus Olympias his mother dreamed the first night that she lay with Philip that lightning fell into her bellie and that light fire dispersed it selfe in diuers flames about her and king Philip also dreamed that he did seale his wiues bellie and that the seale left behinde it the print of a lion Alexander was borne the sixt day of Iune on the very same day that the temple of Diana was burned he had diuers graue tutours and gouernours Leonidas was chiefe gouernour vnto Alexander for that hee was a noble man and a kinsman to the Queene Olympias Aristotle was his chiefe tutour one of the greatest Philosophers and best learned men in his time King Philip had taken before the citie of Stagira where Aristotle was borne While this Alexander was yet yong one Philonicus a Thessalian had brought Bucephalus a gallant horse to be solde vnto Philip the price was thirteene talents they brought the horse to the fielde to be ridden whom they founde so rough that the riders said he would doe no seruice affirming that it was vnpossible to tame him they found him so churlish yerking out and suffering no man to come nigh him King Philippe commaunded them to take the horse away Alexander misliked the riders and tooke the horse in hande being a very yong man and turned him towards the sunne for that Alexander saw before that the horse started at his owne shadowe Alexander vsed the horse so that he rode him and made him as gentle as could be both with the spurre and with the bitte and so lighted from the horse to whome Philippe his father then said for ioy weeping Seeke a greater kingdome sonne then Macedonia is for Macedonia is to litle for thee This Aulus Gellius Plutarch and Plinie doe affirme This horse Alexander kept for his owne saddle vntill the warres of India where the horse with sickenesse died where hee made a monument in memorie of Bucephalus a towne after the name of the horse and named the citie Bucephalia which hee builded vpon the riuer Hidaspis Reade the whole 16. booke of Diodor. Siculus of the warres and gouernment of Philip. Now as soone as Philip
Hercules helde out to him his hand ouer the walles of Tyre and called him by his name then he followed and continued his siege vntill he had quite ouerthrowen Tyre This towne was builded by Agenor While Alexander conquered and subdued all places Darius was not idle to prepare his forces to giue the thirde battell vnto Alexander hee sent to Bessus his lieutenant in Bactria commaunding him to come with as many souldiers as possiblie he could and so the rest of his lieutenants he likewise sent and to make as great an armie as might yet terrifie Alexander hee sent to the Scythians and to the Indians and brought his force to Babylon At that time hee had thrise as many as he had in Cicilia In the meane season Alexander went to Gaza one of the chiefest cities of Syria at this towne Alexander had two seuerall wounds very dangerous and yet not so dangerous as the victorie was famous thence he remooued his tents and passed forwarde to Egypt sent his footemen to Pelusium he himselfe with few chosen souldiers passed ouer Nilus to Memphis and thence to all the parts of Egypt where he was receiued as a conquerour without battel giuen When he had set things in order in Egypt altering neither their lawes nor their customes he went forward and found a place where he builded the citie Alexandria and named it after his owne name After he had conquered all Egypt this citie was builded in the seuenth yeere of Alexanders raigne foure hundreth and twentie yeres after the building of Rome at what time Caius Petileus and Lu. Papyrius were consuls in Rome as Liuie writes When Alexander had brought all things to passe as he wisht hee left two ouerseers in Egypt with foure thousand souldiers with them the one was a Macedonian named Pencestes the other a Rhodian named Aesculus and returned and pitcht his tents hard by a little village of Assyria called Arbela where the last and the greatest battell was betweene Darius and Alexander But because I haue spoken of these three great victories of Alexander in the histories of Persia where I opened particularly the whole discourse of the warres I may passe to other matters with this farewell to Alexander that so fewe in nomber with so yong a king against such a mightie monarche as at that time had almost all the world vnder his gouernment and yet in three victories his kingdomes was taken from him aboue a hundred thousand slaine and Darius himselfe fled and being hard followed was slaine by Bessus Of this Alexander Daniel prophecied that such a king should come that might doe what hee list Iustine sayeth that Darius had in his armie three hundreth thousand footmen and a hundreth thousand horsemen Diodorus varieth much from that nomber and so doeth Curtius Plutarch saith that Darius had tenne hundreth thousand fighting men at that battell at Euphrates Also some writers differ for the place that this great battel was not at Arbeles Plutarch a man of great iudgement whom I had rather folow in matters of any controuersies then any other in this historie betweene Alexander and Darius therefore he setteth downe the first victorie at the riuer Granicus the second victorie in Silicia the thirde at Gausameles and not at Arbeles as the most writers affirme After these victories which Alexander had he remooued to Babylon where he continued 34. dayes from Babylon to Susa where hee found within the castle foure thousand talents in ready coine of gold and siluer beside other infinite treasures These townes yeelded to Alexander after the last ouerthrow of Darius without any assalt giuen and frō Susa went after Darius to Media where he fled and where he found Darius slaine by Bessus one of his owne captaines which was Darius lieutenant ouer the Bactrians This Bessus perceiuing that Alexander was following hard at the heeles of Darius thinking much to please Alexander slewe his owne lorde and master for the which Alexander rewarded him not according to his expectation but according to his deserts commaunded that hee should bee bound betweene two trees and by horses to bee drawen in pieces It is written that when Alexander saw Darius dead hee wept and couered his bodie with his owne cloake so wept Iulius Caesar when he saw the head of Pompey and Antigonus when he saw the head of Pyrrhus though they were enemies Nowe by Darius the Persians lost their monarchie and by Alexander the Macedonians wanne it Aristotle hearing of Alexanders good successe his victories and his conquests ouer so many nations to be such wrote vnto the king putting him in remembrance that GOD giueth victories and kingdomes are giuen by GOD to do good and not euill to vse iustice and not iniurie to be a king and not to be a tyrant By this time Alexander had raigned eight yeeres king in Macedonia after hee had conquered the Carians the Lydians the Cappadocians the Phrygians the Paphlagonians and the Pamphylians also he subdued the Cilicians the Syrians the Phoenicians the Armenians and the Persians the Medes and the Parthenians and was king of all the East countreys yet hee was not satisfied for he sawe the Scythians the Hircanians the Bactrians the Sogdians the Massagets and the Sagaes and the Indians vnconquered he could not quiet his minde before hee had subdued these nations Alexander sought where he might heare of a kingdome vnconquered and hearing of Hercules actes and exploits in the West kingdomes he fully had determined after hee had brought all Asia and the East countreys as he did to subiection to leade his armie and to passe into Affricke to Carthage and to Numidia and thence to Gades to see Hercules pillars thence hee thought to leade his armie vnto Iberia which is Spaine and from Spaine to the Alpes and so to Italy and from Italy to Epire leauing no where in his minde vnconquered So he fumed and fretted at the fame of Achilles of Theseus and of Hercules for Hercules was the onely man that Alexander emulated hee thought of Hercules as Caesar thought of Alexander This king was of such wonderfull hautinesse that hee thought that the earth might not suffer two Alexanders no more then the heauens might cōtaine two Sunnes so he answered Darius when he entreated for peace and offered thirtie thousand talents for his wife and his daughters And Alexander hearing Democritus the Philosopher affirming that there were many worldes hee brake out in teares and in great furie saide Is there more worldes then one and yet I haue not conquered halfe one world But hee was preuented with a contrary course he fell to take ease at Babylon where he gaue himselfe to banquets to riot to surfeting and to drinking and so hee bestowed in Babylon the rest of his life in all kinde of pleasures and pastimes Hee maried the Persian ladies with noble men of Macedonia and he himselfe
Asia euen to flee to Ptolomey where he was claptin prison frō whom he secretly stale away and fled but being taken by theeues was slaine About that very season his brother Seleucus by a fall he had frō his horse lost both his life and kingdom after he had raigned king of Asia and Syria 20. yeeres and so these two brethren by discord lost both Syria and Asia After this Seleucus came succeeded his sonne Seleucus Ceraunos the 5. king of Asia and Syria he after he had raigned 3. yeeres was slaine by one of his owne noblemen named Nicanor Then followed Antiochus surnamed the great the 6. king of Syria who indeed was so great that he wanne to his kingdome more then any of his predecessors and hauing long warres in Egypt with Ptolome Philopater by him for all his greatnes he had an ouerthrow or two But this Philopater died and left behind him a young sonne whom he committed for the safegard of his kingdome to the Romanes commending both his sonne in his minoritie his kingdome into the fidelity of the Senators for all kings in their distresse fled vnto the Romanes as to a sanctuary of refuge Now Antiochus the great in his minde contemned the Romanes made warres in Egypt vpon this yong king to whom the Senators sent Embassadors commanding him to auoyde Egypt not to warre vpō the yong king whom the Senators of Rome tooke to their tuition Antiochus esteemed not much the threatning of the Senators but rather despised the messengers making his armie ready against the Romanes hauing by this time Hannibal who by Scipio Affricanus was ouerthrowen at the battel of Zama which was the last ouerthrow of Hannibal for the Carthagineans had lost Sicilia Sardania Spaine and Hanibal was driuen out of Italy to Affrike and frō Affrike to Asia vnto king Antiochus where he was with great curtesie receiued By this time the Senate had intelligence that Nabis the tyrant had inuaded diuers countreies of Greece subdued manie cities and therefore they wrote vnto Titus Flaminius that Greece should be set at libertie from Nabis as Macedonia was from Philip. The greatnes of the Romanes was such that they thought to execute all warres by their commandement yet the name of Hannibal caried great reputation with all men and specially with the Romanes who had for 16. yeeres well tried his valure Antiochus at the first made much account of Hannibal for had he followed Hannibals aduise in his warres against the Romanes afterward as he did at the first Antiochus had done farre better for Hanibals counsell was that Antiochus should make warre with the Romanes in Italy for said he Italians must ouercome Italy and Romanes must conquere Rome Hanibal hated the Romanes and therefore he studied how to set forward Antiochus and perswaded Antiochus who trusted still in peace that as the Romanes had gotten the most part of Europe and Affrike so would they not giue ouer vntill they would get Asia if they might The authoritie and credit of Hanibal made Antiochus so to yeeld that Hanibal himself was sent to Syria to leuie a great nomber of ships he was made general of Antiochus army by sea together with one Apollonius This battel by sea had no good successe the victory fel to the Romans Apollonius fled and as Plutarch saith we find that Hanibal did nothing worth the memory After this battel assoone as Antiochus was ouercome by the Romans Hanibal fearing he should be deliuered to the Romans fled to Prusias king of Bythinia at whose hands he was required againe by Tit. Flaminius Now king Antiochus hauing lost 50. thousand footmen and 4000. horsmen was forced to desire peace which the Senate graunted him vpon conditions that he should auoid forth of Europe and Asia and medle no further but within the precinct of Taurus and also that hee should pay to the Romanes tenne thousand talents and 30. pledges for the assurance of his prouinces and lastly that hee should deliuer Hanibal who had bene the only procurour of the battel These conditions being performed by Antiochus the Senate gaue all those cities of Asia which Antiochus had lost to Eumenes king Atalus brother they gaue also to the Rhodians diuers other cities for that they had assisted the Romanes against Antiochus After this great victorie Lucius Cornelius Scipio returned to Rome and with great glory triumphed and then obtained the like name in Asia as his brother had before in Affrike which was to be called Scipio Asiaticus for that he conquered Antiochus the great at Magnesia had driuen him out of Asia euen as his father the elder Scipio was called for subduing of Hanibal and the driuing out of Hanibal of Affrike Scipio Affricanus All this while the Iewes were so much troubled betweene the kings of Egypt and the kings of Syria that they found that same true but specially by the king of Syria and therefore the Iewes rather did ioyne their force to the Egyptians against the kings of Syria for while Antiochus held warres with the Romanes Scopas king Ptolomey Epiphanes general was in Coelosyria possessed Samaria other cities of Iudea and molested the Iewes at that time much vntill Antiochus ouerthrew Scopas at the flood Iordan destroyed his army got those cities which Scopas had and entred into Ierusalē where he was fully pleased with rewards and satisfied with money with whom they had peace for Iudea as I said before had peace and quietnes frō Alexander the great vntil Antiochus the great which was 100. yeres and odd About this time 3. notable triumphes were at Rome the one by Scipio forth of Affricke before whose chariot Asdrubal was led the other by Metellus foorth of Macedonia before whose chariot Andriscus was led this was that false named and coūterfaited Philip the thirde triumph was by Metellus sirnamed Mummius ouer the Corinthians before whom were caried the brasen ensignes and painted tables and other sumptuous ornaments of that famous citie CHAP. II. Of that wicked and most blasphemous king Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus the great and the type of Antichrist of his vsurpation and tyrānie of the kingdom of his sacking and crueltie in Ierusalem of his bloody warres and persecutions of Christians DVring the warres of Antiochus the great with the Romans ciuil warres began in Greece againe betweene the Athenians and the Aetolians Of these warres reade Polibius and Plutarch in the life of Philopomen Likewise Mithridates king of Parthia waged battel with the Sinopians About this time Siphax king of Numidia was after sundrie battels by Masinissa ouerthrowen and driuen out of his kingdome This time Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia conquered those people called Mardi astoute nation as Iustine saith In the time of Antiochus the great there happened in one yeere 57. earthquakes insomuch that Rhodes and Caria were so shaken thereby that the
in reuerence This proude king entred into the temple of Salomon after hee had made such a slaughter of yong and olde of women and children that within three dayes 80. thousand were slaine and 40. thousand taken prisoners Menelaus the traitour the high priest a murtherer before of Onias and now a traitour to his countrey brought Antiochus into the citie guided him from place to place that after hee had taken 800. talents away from the temple he gate him away to Antiochia thinking in his pride to make men saile vpon the drie land and to walke vpon the sea The filthinesse and abomination of this beast is set foorth in the Macabees in the second booke the fift and sixt chapters from the beginning vnto the ende This was the second comming of Antiochus to Iudea and to Ierusalem in the eight yeere of his raigne two yeeres after his first being in Ierusalem whose comming and whose doings were by the Prophet Daniel before spoken for he saide that this tyrant should continue 3500. dayes in wasting and spoyling of Iudea in prophaning the temple in killing and murthering of Gods people The nomber of these dayes are sixe yeeres and sixe monethes so long endured this wolfe After this Habuit mercedem God rewarded him for he died in such torments that his bowels were eaten with wormes and himselfe brought in such miserie that he died according as he liued after hee had raigned twelue yeeres During his time the warres continued in Macedonia betweene Perseus the last king and Titus Aemilius the Consull and at length the conquerour of Perseus Prusias king of Bythinia came with his sonne Nicomedes to Rome where he commended his sonne to the Senators About this time Terentius flourished Nowe when Antiochus surnamed Eupator had entred in his fathers seate in the 150. yeere of the Greekes being in Syria and in the beginning of the 26. Iubilee he folowed his fathers steppes came with an armie to Ierusalem and besieged the castle of Sion but while he laied siege his generall Lysias tolde him that his kingdome was inuaded by the enemies Then he concluded peace with Iudea and returned in all haste into Syria brought Menelaus that wicked and cruell high priest with him who after much mischiefes done died at Beroea a towne of Syria Antiochus had not reigned but one yeere but Demetrius Soter fledde from Rome where he had bene a pledge during the whole gouernment of his brother Antiochus Epiphanes which was twelue yeeres and during some yeeres of his graundfather Antiochus the great he came to Syria entred the Citie of Tyrus where his souldiers apprehended both the king and his generall Lysias whom Demetrius commaunded to be killed before hee should see them though Eupator was his sisters sonne This Eupator ended his life after hee had reigned but two yeeres In the meane time Onias the sonne of Onias the high priest which was also slaine by Menelaus who succeeded him this Onias being of the Iewes surnamed the iust lamenting much the miserable estate of Iudea fled into Egypt to king Pto. Philometor and hauing licence of the king he builded a temple in the citie of Heliopolis to the likenesse of the temple in Ierusalem according to the saying of Esai In that day shall the altar of the Lord be in the middest of the land of Egypt and the Lord shal be knowen of the Egyptians and the Egyptians shall knowe the Lord. In that day Assur shall come to Egypt and Egypt into Assur This Demetrius sent Alcimus against Iudas Machabeus who by flatterie entred into Ierusalem and slue three score of the chiefe and greatest men of the citie after gathered a number of wicked persons together who did much harme in Iudea to whome king Demetrius sent Nicanor with an hoste of souldiers to ayde Alcimus This Nicanor blasphemed God prophaned the temple threatned the Iewes and came to Bethoron where Iudas Machabeus gaue him battell and ouerthrewe him This Demetrius was no lesse cruell to the Iewes then either his father or his brother were before him hee played the beare vntill Alexander Epiphanes Antiochus Eupators sonne came to the Citie of Ptolomais Iustine saith that this Alexander was a base man borne named Prompalus and that hee was made by others to take this name vpon him and to say that he was Antiochus sonne Atalus king of Asia Ptolome Philometor king of Egypt and Ariarathes king of Capadocia counselled Prompalus to inuade Demetrius kingdome which was done and a battell giuen in the which Demetrius was slaine after he had reigned tenne yeeres Now after Alexander had the victorie of Demetrius he claimed to be the king of Syria by succession fayning himselfe to be Antiochus Eupators sonne hee maried Cleopatra king Philometors daughter of Egypt the mariage was celebrated in the Citie of Ptolemais This Alexander was not ayded by these kings for any great affection they bare him but for the hatred they had towardes Demetrius who was so ambitious proude and cruell in the beginning of his reigne that these three kings of Egypt of Asia and Arabia had susteined losse and harme before Demetrius was ouerthrowen by Alexander he had two sonnes whom hee sent with great treasures to a friende of his named Gindius to auoide the daunger of the warres the elder of them was named Demetrius after his fathers name who hearing of his fathers death and of the riot and lust of this Alexander a man giuen to al vices and wickednesse came into Syria being aided by the king of Creete and possessed certeine Cities in Syria he appointed his generall one Appolonius who too much trusting his owne force and courage was in the first battell by Ionathas ouerthrowen Ptolome within a short time came with a great armie to see his sonne in lawe in Syria to whom all the cities opened their gates to welcome their king of Egypt they rather thinking that hee came to make peace betweene Demetrius and Alexander but Ptolome imagined howe hee might deceiue them both for a kingdome hee placed his souldiers in diuers Cities of Syria and because Alexander was then in Cicilia hee tooke occasion to offer him warres by taking his daughter away from him whome hee gaue in mariage againe to Demetrius Alexander hearing that his wife was taken from him and maried to Demetrius his mortall enemie summoned his father in lawe to battell wherein he had the ouerthrowe and was forced to flie to Arabia where Alexander was taken and slaine and his head sent by the king of Arabia to Egypt to king Ptolome Thus was Prompalus otherwaies named Alexander throwen downe from the throne of his kingdome deceiued by fortune and reuenged by iustice This reward he had to faine him selfe Antiochus sonne and falsely to alter his name from Prompalus vnto Alexander that Ptolome who ayded him to the kingdome and gaue his daughter in mariage to him the same Ptolome
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
things and will as I haue promised onely set downe the names of the kings of the Latines 2 Ascanius Aeneas sonne reigned after his father the second king of the Latines this Ascanius had a sonne named Iulus of whome doeth Gens Iulia spring out Ascanius is called in Halicar Eurilion who reigned twentie eight yeres 3 After Ascanius succeeded Syluius a brother of Ascanius a sonne vnto Aeneas by Lauina king Latinus daughter whom Aeneas left great with childe when he died she for feare of Ascanius hidde her selfe in mountaines and in wooddes vntill she was brought to bed and therefore her sonne was named Syluius after which name all the kings of the Albans were named Syluij this reigned king after Ascanius Iulus which was Ascanius sonne who became a priest and a religious man vnto the gods which vntill the time of Augustus the familie and stocke of Iulia remained and continued as great Bishops named mag ni Pontifices or else as high priests named summi Sacerdotes amōg the Romanes the onely men of great renowme and fame This Syluius reigned twentie nine yeeres and dyed and left behinde him Aeneas Syluius 4 Aeneas Syluius reigned thirtie one yeeres and left behind him a sonne named Latinus Syluius the fifth king of the Latines 5 Latinus reigned after his father fiftie yeeres and left behind a sonne named Alba Syluius which was the sixt king of the Latines 6 Syluius Alba reigned thirtie nine yeeres 7 After him succeeded Capetus Syluius the seuenth king of the Latines 24. yeeres Eusebius named this king Atyn Eutrop. lib. 1. doeth call him Epidum so doeth Ouid in Metamorph lib. 14. 8 Capetus left behind him Capis Syluius the 8. king of the Latines who reigned 28. yeeres of this king Capua a Citie in Italie was first builded 9 After this succeded Calpetus Syluius the ninth king of the Latines who reigned thirteene yeeres and left behinde him a sonne named Tiberinus 10 Tiberinus the tenth king of the Latines reigned 8. yeres and was slaine in a battell fought by the riuer Albula some say that he was drowned in Albula and therefore the riuers name was altered and named Tiber after the name of Tiberinus which is that riuer that runneth through Rome this Tiberinus left a sonne to succeede him called Agrippa Syluius 11 Agrippa Syluius reigned fourtie yeeres being the eleuenth king of the Latines 12 Alladius Syluius the twelfth king of the Latines succeeded Agrippa and reigned nineteene yeeres whom Eutrop doeth call Remus Syluius a wicked man and a cruell tyraunt vsing many horrible attempts against God therefore was worthely slaine by a thunder boult for he went about to make the people beleeue that hee was a God hee would gape and receiue the lightning into his mouth but he and all his house was therewith consumed 13 After him succeeded the thirteenth king of the Latines which was named Auentinus Syluius which reigned thirtie seuen yeeres of this king mount Auentine one of the seuen hilles in Rome was named for that this king Auentinus was buried there This time reigned Amazias king of Iuda brother to Amos Isaiah his father at what time reigned in Assyria Sardanapalus their last king 14 Procus Syluius succeeded the fourteenth king of the Latines which reigned twentie three yeeres who left the kingdome to his eldest sonne Numitor Syluius and left to his other younger sonne money and great wealth but this Amulius draue his elder brother Numitor out of his kingdome and Numitor was constrained like a priuate man to leade his life in the Countrie Amulius hauing vsurped vpon his brother studied to roote out and to make an end of his brothers house to bee the surer in his kingdome but hee was slaine in the Towne of Alba by Romulus who came of the body of Numitor by his daughter Rhea and as Annius doeth write begotten of Amulius his vncle by whom the kingdome of Alba descended vnto Romulus and was the seuenteenth king from Aeneas This I haue laide downe as I founde in Annius and Halicarnassaeus worde by word whereunto agree Fabius Pictor and M. Cato in his fragments CHAP. I. Of the first building of Rome by Romulus of his gouernment lawes and appointing of Magistrates after he had founded the citie of his warres with the Sabines of his conquestes and victories ouer these Sabines Fidenats and of his triumph ouer king Acron IWill omit to write of the prophane antiquitie of the Tuscans and of their chiefe citie Hetruria of whom you may reade Sempronius M. Cato Fabius Pictor and many others where you may satisfie your selues of many such fables as are to bee founde in prophane histories and therefore I will begin the historie of Rome frō the Latines and so briefly passe vnto Romulus the first builder and first king of Rome whose lineall race descended from the kings of the Latines in the which kingdome reigned successiuely sixteene kings before Romulus builded Rome from Aeneas time as in the histories of the kings of the Latines is declared And nowe in what Olympiad Rome was builded the Chronicles crie out one against another in such sort that some say that Rome was builded in the fift Olympiad some in the sixt Olympiad some in the eight some in the ninth and some in the twelfth Olympiad But the best agree that Rome was builded in the seuenth Olympiad for yet prophane histories were not acquainted with the actions of time for fewe or none wrote in those dayes or within three hundred yeeres after for Rome in the beginning was but a little towne and so frō time to time encreased her Territories and enlarged her Confines first by Romulus pollicie in warres and secondarily by Numa Pompilius wisedome in religion and peace At what time Phul Assur reigned the second king of newe Assyria for now the monarchie of the Assyrians was takē away into Babylon after Sardanapalus time by Phul Belochus the father of this king for the kingdomes of newe Assyria or of Babylon of the Medes and of Macedonia began before the kingdome of Rome the space of one Iubilee which is but fiftie yeres and the kingdom of Lydia began 26. yeres before Rome in the first Olympiad Thus at one time almost fiue kingdomes begā their gouernment About the name of Rome diuerse opinions are some say that the Pelagians after they had ouercome the greatest part of the world and had subdued many nations in the end did stay there and named it Rome first some say that after the destructiō of Troy certaine Troians to saue themselues frō the sword with their wiues tooke sea were driuē by winde to the Thuscan shore neere to the riuer Tiber that one Roma a Troiane lady named Rome after her owne name others hold opinion that it was Romanus the sonne of Vlisses and of Circes that first named Rome other say otherwayes Reade Plutarch Fabius Pictor
and Cato of the sundry opinions of Rome you shall finde all in Halic Many fables are written concerning the name of Rome and as many about Romulus birth who as the best writers agree is the most likest to haue first named Rome This Romulus descended right from the line of the kings of Alba euen from Aeneas body which was the first king of the Latines that became king of Alba for so were the kings of Alba before Ascanius time named from whom Romulus by succession lineally issued The historic is knowen of the two brethren Numitor and Amulius the last kings of Alba these brethren agreeed by lotte for the kingdome to make diuision the one to haue the golde siluer iewels brought thither from Troy readie money and goodes which fell by lotte vnto Amulius and the other the kingdome which fell to Numitor. This had a daughter named Rhea of some named Syluia of others Ilia this was Romulus mother afterward though her vncle Amulius had put her to be one of the vestal virgins which by the law might not be maried before thirtie yeeres of age vnto whom Amulius had a speciall regard lest shee should haue children notwithstanding she was found with child against the profession of the vestall virgines and deliuered of two twinnes This put Amulius in great fright for the kingdome which for all his sleightes in seeking meanes to destroye these two twinnes he coulde not hinder one iote of Gods prouidence herein this Romulus grewe in time a goodly young man in height and strength passing all his people hee was holy and religious and much addicted to obserue diuinations and vnderstanding the lewde practises wicked intention of Amulius from time to time without cōsent of his graundfather Numitor they sluehim restored their graundfather Numitor into the kingdom of Alba and hauing many fugitiue slaues and banished men which came from diuers countries with Romulus Remus to kill Amulius they thought good to build them a citie in that place where they both were brought vp first at what time strife beganne betwixt Romulus and Remus the two brethren about the placing of Rome which coulde not agree before Romulus had slaine his brother Remus After whose death Romulus layde the first foundation of Rome the twentie one of April which day the Romanes kept holy and in memorie of the natiuitie of their countrie they kept a feast day which the olde Thuscanes kept before and vpon that day named the feast of Palilea yet some write that the foundation of Rome was laide by Romulus the thirtie of Aprill Eutropius the second day of May. But when he had builded Rome and situated the Citie vpon foure litle hilles to them three other litle hilles afterward were added whose names were written by Fabius Pictor in this sort The first Mount named the mount Tarpeius The second mount Quirinall The third mount Palatine The fourth mount Caelius The fifth mount Exquilinus The sixth mount Auentinus The seuenth mount Viminalis After Numitor his graundfather died the kingdom of Alba fell vnto Romulus by inheritance and after hee once builded Rome hee was also by common consent of all made king which Romulus refused before hee had seene some mysterie by diuination wherein Romulus was very expert but after that he had offered sacrifice vnto Iupiter and sawe light shining vpon the left hand towardes the right hand which among the olde Hetruscans were signes of good successe Romulus was perswaded by diuination to take the kingdome of Rome vpon him hee being king in his kingdome confirmed and made a lawe that no king shoulde be in Rome after him but such as by auguration had some happie tokens of his successe in gouernment this lawe continued not onely all the time of the Kings but also in the time of the Consuls it was obserued that no Consul nor Dictator shoulde be elected without consultation with Augurers according to Romulus lawe reade more in Halicar Nowe after that Romulus had builded Rome in this sort and had gotten the kingdome of Alba into his hande for now Numitor his graundfather died he diuided his best fighting and chosen men into two companies in euery one of these companies were three thousand footemen and three hundred horsemen which were called by the olde Romanes Legions After this hee instituted a common wealth hee ordeined a hundred counsellours which were named Patricians or Senators In the fourth moneth after Rome was builded Romulus faigned certeine playes in Rome to drawe people into the Citie whereby hee appointed by that meanes to entice the Sabines daughters and the women of Alba to come to Rome to see the playes at what time a number were rauished by Romulus and his souldiers the number of women which were thus rauished some say were but thirtie others say fiue hundred twentie seuen and others say sixe hundred eightie three of the which maides Romulus tooke but one onely to him selfe named as Plutarch calles her Hersilia a wise sober Virgine and who afterwarde was the mediation of peace betwixt the Romanes and Sabines and they say Talassiues was the watch worde giuen by Romulus to his men at that time when this rauishment shoulde bee executed which name was so much honoured amongst the olde Romanes as Hymeneus was amongst the Grecians For as the Greekes doe celebrate the feaste of Hymeneus and so honour him with songes at mariages euen so the olde Romanes vsed the like ceremonie of Talassiues when any Romane was maried in Greece they vsed songes to Hymeneus at the mariages in Rome songes named Talassion I referre them that woulde faine delight them selues with those matters to Fabius Pictor and to Plutarch and I wil briefely returne to the Romane histories which are long and large for that the Romanes of this litle poore beginning which you heard of I speake of Romulus a meane man in the beginning and of Rome a litle Towne at the first became so great in time that it deuoured and swallowed vp all the kingdomes of the worlde so Eutropius saith that the Romane Empire which at the first beginning thereof was the least of al other in processe of time became the most ample of all other Empires Now while Romulus deuised by al pollicie to make Rome of some fame Acron king of Ceminenses mistrusting the old enterprises of Romulus and fearing the like attempt as he did to the Sabines began to make hote and violent warres vpon him with a puissant army inuaded Romulus territories where Romulus met him couragiously and to auoide the slaughter of many a combat was betwixt the two kings in persons appointed in the which combat Romulus killed Acron ouerwhō he first triumphed gote the victorie This was the first battell that Romulus began with such good successe that he ouerthrew the Ceminenses the Antenates and the Crustumens being aided by Seuis king of Etruria Romulus to
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
what condicions he woulde being then vanquished and Armenes his sonne together with king Philips sonne Demetrius were led before Flaminius charet as hostages and pledges to Rome began to kindle more fire against the Romās but he was slaine by the Aetolians Eutrop writeth this historie otherwise but I stand not vpon controuersies After this ouerthrow giuen to Antiochus he made meanes to the Romanes for peace which was graunted if he would auoid forth of Europe Asia and meddle no further but within the precinct of Taurus giue to the Romanes 10. thousand talents 30. pledges for the assurance of his promise and in conclusion to deliuer Hanibal to them who had bin the cause of this warre This being done the Senat gaue to Eumenes all these cities of Asia which Antiochus had lost in battell likewise they gaue to the Rhodiās diuers other cities for that they assisted the Romanes against Antiochus By this victorie triumphed Lu. Cornelius Scipio in Rome where hee brought infinite spoile treasures of Asia and had the surname of Asiaticus giuen him was called Scipio Asiaticus as his brother was called Scipio Affricanus but both these brethrē were much enuied for their greatnes Scipio Affricanus was accused by Marcus Por. Cato by whose meanes afterwarde though he was not banished yet he most willing departed frō Rome into Lucernum saying these wordes O ingrata patria non habebis ossa mea His brother Scipio Affricanus was both accused and condemned when Caius Flaminius was Consul About this time Hanibal died is buried at Libissa a banished man out of his Countrie a man likewise that had deserued wel of his countrie Philip king of Macedon died also this very time This had both warred against the Romanes and assisted them against Antiochus After Philip died his sonne Perseus rebelled in Macedonia and reared warres against the Romanes with whō ioyned Cotys king of Illiria the Romanes were not long about Perseus for he was vanquished in one battell yea and as Phil. saith in one houre he fled from Pydna to Pella and within few dayes yeelded himselfe to Cneus Octauius in Samothracia and was brought out of hand to Paulus Emilius who after his honorable progresse in Greece and in Macedonia he shipped at the citie of Orica and returned to Italie to whō a triumph was graunted such a triumph as farre excelled others equall to Pompey or to Caesars triumphs For Emilius had in this triumph led before his chariot king Perseus himselfe being fourtie fiue yeeres of age and his two sonnes and in an other chariot Gentius king of the Illyrians with his brother and his sonnes ouer whom triumphed Caius Anitius This triumph is set foorth in Plutarch to the admiration of many strangers which then were at Rome as Eumenes king of Asia and Prusias king of Bythinia who at that time brought his sōne Nicomedes with him to Rome and committed him to the gouernment of the Senators CHAP. VI. Of the conspiracie of L. Catelina and of the two ciuill warres the first betweene Marius and Silla and the second betweene Pompei the great and Iu. Caesar during which time Carthage and Numantia were subdued in Hispaine and the last conquest of Affrika by Scipio the younger and also surnamed Affricanus the younger NOwe that the Romanes had quieted Asia and brought the kings of Egypt to bee friendes of the Romanes subdued Macedonia and made all Greece free from warres and when as they thought that they might take some repose and rest from further warres they were certified of newes from Carthage that the Affricanes and Carthagineans had broken the league of peace with the Romans whereupon the third warres were taken in hand for all this time of fiftie two yeres peace was kept betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes at what time the Romanes were occupied in the warres of Syria against Antiochus in the warres of Macedonia against king Philip and his sonne Perseus in Greece against Nabides the tyraunt of Lacedemonia in Illyria against king Gentius and in Bythinia against Prusias who had maried the sister of Perseus These kings and countries were no sooner quieted but the Affricanes began to commence warre the third time with the Romanes at what time Lu. Martius Censorinus and Marcus Manlius were Consuls at Rome in the yeere after the building of Rome sixe hundred and one some say sixe hundred fiue These Consuls tooke their voyage to inuade Carthage and by Mar. Portius Cato his councel being at that time the wisest man in Rome to rase Carthage from the grounde or to make it euen to the grounde yet Scipio Nasica a good man and so of the Senators esteemed and of the Citizens accompted contraried Cato in that councell perswading lenitie to bee fitte for the Romanes being conquerours The warre was taken in hand and so furiously folowed that Carthage within foure yeeres was destroyed by Scipio Emilianus nephewe to Affricanus who was deputed generall of the Romane armie at that time of whom Cato was wont to say Hic solus sapit one in vertue and courage most like to his predecessour Scipio Affricanus The chiefe captaine then in Carthage was one Asdrubal Phanea or as some say Famea These names Hamilcar and Asdrubal were in Carthage as Scipio or Fabius were in Rome In the beginning of this warre died Masinissa an olde constant friende alwayes to the Romanes after that he had liued ninetie eight yeeres Now Scipio with inuincible courage assaulted Carthage and wanne and pluckt it to the ground he waxed so famous thereby that being a yong man he was created Consul who by his prowesse and valure merited to be called Scipio Affricanus the yonger In the meane time while this warre was in Carthage one vsurped the name of Philip of the kingdome of Macedonia and proclaimed warres against the Romanes and gaue Publius Inuentius Pretor then of Rome the ouerthrowe and made such a slaughter of the Romane army that none skant escaped aliue Q. Cecilius Metellus was deputed captaine and sent against this false named Philip who slue twentie fiue thousand of his men recouered Macedonia and tooke prisoner this false Philip This time Corinthus the third citie of all Greece was ouerthrowen and pluckt to the grounde by Mūmius the Consul which Citie was builded by Beletes Hippios sonne nine hundred fiftie two yeeres before so long Corinthus florished Likewise at this very time againe one in Macedonia vsurped in like maner as before one false Philip nowe vsurped the name of Perseus but hee was soone subdued by Tremilus the Questor so that at once entred into the citie of Rome foure triumphs the first by Scipio Affricanus the yonger foorth of Affrike ouer Asdrubal the second by Metellus foorth of Macedonia ouer Andriscus which was that false Philip before spoken the third by Mūmius the Consul ouer the Citie of Corinth
from the Consuls time vntill this time for the glorie of the Romanes excelled all the nations of the worlde in power and fame vntill tyrannie murther and persecution filled the streetes of Rome with blood whereby their glorie decayed and their state diminished Licinius Valerianns of whome I made mention a little before beganne his Empire in the yeere after Christes incarnation 256. who had the gouernement then of Rhoetia and Noricus being made by the souldiers Caesar soone after Augustus At what time Galienus also was created Caesar at Rome by the assent of the Senate and this was the onely occasion why so many Emperours of Rome were murthered to haue two Emperours at one time of equall authoritie to gouerne which kingdomes principality could neuer wel abide For after the authoritie of the Consuls ceased they created in the place of 2. consuls two Caesars which should gouerne ioyntly the one in the citie the other abroad These 2. Caesars practised more cōspiracy one to destroy another to haue sole gouernment ouer the empire then they vsed diligence care together to saue the empire for euery Caesar had great desire and was much ambicious howe hee might be created Augustus which was the greatest name of dignitie among the Romanes Thus the state of Rome by ambitious mens gouernement became at length to haue so many Caesars in the field as then pleased the souldiers and to haue so many Augustus in Rome as pleased the Citizens vntill the Germanes Gothes Vandales Hungarians Frenchmem with other nations might as well come with an armie into Italie and beard the Romanes in their Countrey as the Romanes might come out of Rome to commence warre any where out of Italie For nowe in the time of these two Caesars Licinius and Galienus the Germanes grewe so bolde that they entred within Italie and approched into the Citie Rauenna at what time the other Caesar Licinius was discōfited taken prisoner by Constantine at Nicomedia a city in Bythinia was slaine contrary to the oth promes which Constantiine made him yet had espoused Constantia Constantines sister Nowe the Almanes had spoyled France and inuaded Italie Greece Macedonia Pontus and all Asia were ouer runne by the Germanes and the Gothes These which were brought before by Traianus by Augustus vnder the Romane Empire are nowe by foreiners vanquished the cause was the Romanes anoied the Romanes euen as Pyrrus sayd or as Hanibal vnto Antiochus that the Romans must be conquered with Romanes which is now seene in the time of these Caesars for now the Parthians base people and seruants sometime of the Macedonians after they had gottē Mesopotamia they pretended to claime a title to Syria For nowe the strength of Romanes began to faile and their kingdomes and their teritories reuolted from them and went to wrecke For at that very time a base Frenchman called Posthumius intruded into the Romane Empire and gouerned the same by the space of tenne yeeres but he was slaine by the souldiers in a tumult by the snares of Lollianus After Posthumius a man of a meane occupation a handy craft man named Marius got the empire into his hand the next day after was slaine This time Lollianus also began another cōspiracy at what time Victorinus gouerned France who was slaine in the city Agrippa through the treason of one Acturius for that he defloured many maides matrons and gaue himselfe altogether to a filthie life See and marke the state of Rome in Lycinius Gallienus time First Posthumius his sonne were slaine by the conspiracie of Lollianus Lollianus slaine by the treason of Marius Marius also dispatched out of the way by Victorinus Victorinus killed by Acturius after whō succeeded Tetricus the Senator who in like sort as others were was by Aureolus slayne Aureolus after he had concluded peace with Gallienus and Valerianus who were both slaine at Millaine reigned alone See the murther slaughter of Emperors in Rome in those dayes for an Emperour was no sooner made but he either was killed violently or murthered secretly For Rome in those dayes was the onely Theater of tyrannie and so continued vntill a great part of the Empire was taken into Constantinople and within a while after it was fully gone into Germanie so they kept the name of an Emperour onely for a time but the dignity was decayed in Rome and beganne to flourish in other places After that time Aureolus in the 9. yere of his raigne was likewise slaine by Flauius Claudius a very good Emperour for he recouered againe many things which were gone to decay during the reigne of Licinius and Gallienus he was chosen Caesar by the souldiers created Augustus by the Senate a iust man and fitte to gouerne the weale publike he brought againe the Gothes the Macedonians and the Illyrianes vnder the Romane yoke and wanted but time onely to bring the other countreyes which were lost by his Predecessors vnder the Romanes but he died too timely when he had reigned but 19. moneths after whome succeeded Quintilius brother vnto Claudius and was nominated Emperour by the consent of the souldiers and for that he was a man of singular fobriety worthy to be compared with his brother Claudius he was by the Senate created Augustus and he continued but 17. dayes but he was slaine Eutropius saith that Flauius Claudius the Emperour had a golden Target hanged vp in the Councell house and had also in the capitoll a golden Image set vp for a perpetuall memorie of him and he appointed before he died that Aurelius Valerianus should reigne after him a stout Emperour and one that subdued the Marcomanes which then did spoile waste Millaine and the countreyes about He also subdued the Thracians the Illyrians he ouercame the Gothes and slue their captaine Cannaba beyond the riuer of Danubus After this he commenced wars in the East countreyes where Odenatus king of Palmirea had gotten many prouinces out of the Romanes hands but he was subdued and his wife Zenobia taken prisoner ouer whome Aurelianus the Emperour triumphed and after his triumphes he inuironed the citie with stronger walles he founded a Temple in Rome which he dedicated to the Sunne vpon the which Temple he bestowed an infinite deale of golde and precious stones Aurelianus after he had reigned 6. yeres he was slain through the treason of his own seruants in the mid way betwene Constantinople and Heraclea in a place called Cenophrurium but his death was not vnreuēged after that this Aurelianus was slain Rome was without an Emperor for 7. monethes vntill Annius Tacitus was elected Caesar a man of such good conuersation as was meet to gouern an empire Howbeit he deceased within 6. moneths was by death preuented as his successor Florianus who in like maner as Tacitus raigned but 2. moneths 20. daies died without any mentiō made
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
them lightly noting vnto you some fewe for example sake as now vnder Decius the Emperour these many 1 Metra a Priest 2. 3. Quinta and Appollonia two virgins you heard of these 4 Serapion martyred with all the torments that might be 5. 6. Iulianus and Coronion after scourging and sore whipping were throwen to Camels and after burned to ashes 7 Marca a blessed Martyr and a stout Christian at that time was burned aliue 8 A souldier that stoode by and sawe the tortuers so cruell resisted and stood stoutly to the face of the Magistrates in the profession of Christ and was after great tortures beheaded 9. 10. Epimachus and Alexander after long imprisonment and diuers torments were throwen to the fire with 4. wornē 14 more to accompanny them 15 Likewise Amonarium a blessed virgin 16. 17. Mercuria a sage and godly matrone and Dionitia a faithfull woman they made the magistrate amased and the torturers astonied to behold their cōstancie in their tormēts 18 Hieron Ater and Isidorus 3. Egyptians Dioscorus a boy of 15. yeres were most cruelly torne and broken in pieces by tortures and at last burned 22 Menesion an Egyptian full of faith endured most willingly to be martyred for the Gospel These with infinite more doth Dionisius a priest write to Fabius bishop of Antiochia setting forth his owne danger many times and also setteth downe that persecution which continued most cruelly for one yere for the nomber of the faithfull so increased their constancie and their faithso amased the wicked that they were both weary feareful to folowe their tyrannie at last ouerthrowen by their guiltie conscience but Dyonysius sayeth that diuers times came in place to see these persecutions certeine souldiers who seeing the orders and maners of the Christians towards God and his Church felt them selues much conuerted and most desirous to confesse themselues Christians At a great persecution in Alexandria standing before the Romane Magistrate when a certeine Christian among the rest waxed timerous and feared such torments as hee sawe other suffer hee thought to recant but these souldiers cōforted him with signes perswaded him with secret words and at length they came openly vnto him councelled and comforted him to die like a Christian and at length started in confessed themselues to the Magistrates to be Christians and therefore most willing with the rest to die for Christ Iesus sake It made the the Romane iudge and the rest of the Commissioners afraide supposing further that if they would vse this extreame crueltie of persecution all Alexandria and al Egypt would become in time Christians and therefore they rose vp from their seate frighted and amased of these strange sightes and the Christians had some rest The names of these last souldiers worthie to be engraued Captaines on marble for their victories and conquest ouer them selues which is the greatest conquest of all I cannot omitte they were foure in number 1 Ammon 2 Zenon 3 Ptolomeus 4 Ingenus And beside these foure an olde man named Theophilus in the next place hee bringeth in Ischyrion a faithfull Martyr of that time and Cheremon an olde Bishop of a Citie called Nilus who fled with his wife and children to the mountaines of Arabia to auoide the tyrānie of that time likewise of Vrbanus Sidonius and Selerius three Martyrs which suffered all kind of torments to enioy the glorious crowne of Martyrs When this cruell Emperour Decius died Gallus succeeded him both in life and in persecution about what time Origen also died This time in Rome Cornelius was the twentieth Bishop in Antiochia Demetrianus was the fourteenth Bishop in Alexandria this Dionisius that wrote of this last persecution the 13. Bishop In other places other godly faithfull Bishops reigned as Theoctistus in Caesarea Mezabantes in Ierusalem Marinus in Tyrus Heliodorus in Laodicea in Cappadocia Firmilianus Helenus in Tarsus so to be short in all Syria Arabia Pontus Bythinia and Mesopotamia godly and good Byshops liued vnder the feare of God This did Dionysius Byshop of Alexandria write to Stephanus the 22. Bishop of Rome of the peace and the staie of the persecution in all the parts of the East countries To this Bishop Stephen Ciprian bishop of Carthage wrote concerning those that were here tikes conuerted that by baptisme they were first to be receiued into the Church During this litle quietnesse and stay of persecution diuers and sundry sectes of heresies began to rise in many places as Heresis Nouatiana Sabellaena with others Cyprianus bishop of Carthage a singular deuoute man and a Martyr of the Church was of the Carthagineans and the Affricanes honored as a god to whō they erected a temple in memory of him celebrated a solemne feast calling often on the name of Cypriā which temple the Vandales in the time of their king Tuorichus destroyed Thus much Euagrius in his histories of the Church wrote of Cyprian who also dyed a most constant Martyr of Christ Iesus I omitte with Dionysius to name the Martyrs which dyed vnder Valerianus the emperour because they were so many men women children olde men young men olde women virgins souldiers and all kinde of people who became most willing Martyrs and suffered diuers torments for religion sake Amongst whome Lucius Maximus Demetrius Faustinus and Aquila suffered in Egypt also Eusebius was then Deacon and after made Byshop of Laodicea in Syria and Faustus who succeeded Eusebius Cheremon Caius and diuers other who from place to place to auoide that terrible persecution which reigned vnder the Emperour Valerianus wandred many Countries desertes mountaines And as for the Martyrs of Caesarea specially there were three which willingly came from their houses in the Countrie to Caesarea being ashamed and sory to haue seene so many good and godly Christians contending for the same noble crowne of Martyrs that they were so long negligent and carelesse of so glorious reward and therefore Priscus Malchus and Alexander claimed before the Iudge the rewarde of Christians and streight they were deliuered to be deuoured of beastes from whom these three stoute Christians shrinked not I will not omitte the historie of Marinus a knight of Caesarea who when hee obteyned that honour by iust desertes which was among the Romanes a rewarde for victorie and thereby to bee called Centurio a certeine Sycophant accused this knight to the Magistrate saying that it was not lawfull by the auncient lawes that Marinus should haue that Romane dignitie for that hee was a Christian who being demaunded most boldly confessed himselfe to bee a Christian and yet hauing three houres to deliberate of this cause Marinus went to consult with Theotecnus byshop then of Caesarea by whom he was in this instructed he brought him into the Temple and offered before him a naked sworde and the newe Testament of Christ Iesus Chuse said the byshop which thou wilt whereby he was
predecessours in so much that hee was compared vnto Cyrus king of Persia for his valure vnto Alexander the great for his victories and conquests who visited in like maner as Alexander did India Aethiopia Scythia and other farre kingdomes from Rome and hauing stayed persecution in most places hee comforted the Christians so that the Gospel beganne to florish among the Barbarous people in Armenta and in Persia. Hee reedified great and chiefe Cities as Nicomedia in Bythinia and also Bizantium in Thracia and made it equall to Rome in all points and named it after his ownename Constantinople for there was nothing in Rome but this Emperour builded the like in Constantinople in so much that it was called newe Rome the onely Citie of fame and renow me in all the East countries To this Towne many of the best learned men both Greekes and Iewes haue come and dwelt there here nowe religion florished Christians reioyced and all learned men of the world frequented Againe Constantine caused a temple to be made by the oke of Mambre this is nowe Terebinthus a place from Hebron distant fifteene furlongs and from Ierusalem 250. furlongs To this place the Phoenicians and the Arabians were wont once euery yere to come to traffique and to marchandize with the Iewes they kept a solemne feast in memorie of Abraham the Patriarch and offered in sacrifice after the lawe of Moses eyther an oxe or a goate or else a sheepe or a Cocke Euery nation honoured this place the Iewes in memorie of Abraham the Gentiles in memorie of the Angels that there appeared vnto Abraham the Christians in memorie of CHRIST IESVS the Sonne of GOD being there then the thirde Angel seene of Abraham before hee tooke flesh of the Virgine Marie well nigh two thousand yeeres This place also Constantine adorned and beautified with many monuments It were long to rehearse the goodnesse of this Emperour and to repeate his care and doings in all partes of the worlde for the Church hee caused a Synod at this time to beehad at Nice in Bythinia where were gathered together three hundred and eighteene Byshops in the which the heresie of Arrius was condemned At what time Athanasius was appointed Byshop of Alexandria to succeede Alexander who deposed Arrius The Arrians persecuted this Athanasius so that hee was forced to flee for succour to the Emperour Constantine This time succeeded in Antioch after Tiranus the nineteenth byshop Vitalis the twentieth after him Philogonus the twentie one after him Paulinus after him Eustachius whose place after hee was banished for the Gospel the Arrians occupied In Rome Marcus the seconde of that name was Byshop after whom succeeded Iulius the third In his dayes the Armenians and the Indians receiued Christianitie yet in Persia vnder king Sapores the Christians were sore persecuted the Magi of Persia perswaded Sapores the king to punish Simeon the Archbishop of Seleucia for that he was a friende to the Romanes By this meanes great persecution beganne in Persia against the Archbyshop Simeon and Vstazanes an olde man and likewise the kings tutour for that they would worship not the sunne after the manner of the Persians Likewise Pusices a noble man of the Court of Sapor with his daughter a faire virgine did suffer torments for the trueth Anania and Azadis the Kings eunuches and Tarbula the sister of Simeon in like sort suffered violent death and on that very day the Iewes by the commandement of Magi being by the king licenced brought an hundred Christians some of them were Byshops some Elders and some of other orders of the Church which for that they would not worship the sunne wereslaine with the sword It is written in Eusebius in the Ecclesiasticall histories of Her Zozamenis that two hundred and fiftie Byshops were put to the sworde by commaundement of Sapores the king for their constancie and faith in CHRIST IESVS whose names though not all yet some as I founde in the historie I set downe which are these 1 Barbasymes 2 Paulus 3 Gaddiabes 4 Sabinus 5 Mareas 6 Mocius 7 Manfriandes 8 Hormisdas 9 Papas 10 Iacobus 11 Romas 12 Maares 13 Agas 14 Bochres 15 Abdas 16 Abdiesus 17 Dausas 18 Abranims 19 Agdelas 20 Sabores 21 Issaac and 22 Dausas These were taken captiue and brought before the Magistrates and for not worshipping the Sunne according to the Persians maners the king commaunded that they should be put to the sword To this king Sapores Constantinus the Emperour wrote in fauour of the Christians which Epistle is extant in Eusebius in the life of Constantine Thus much I thought good to set downe among other wickednesses and tyrannies that reigned among the Romane Emperours Hee that will see more of persecution and heresies let him reade Eusebius Nicephorus and others and hee shall satisfie himselfe therein I thought it fitte to annexe thus much of persecution to the Romane Emperours and to Popes as to the authours of all persecutions in all Countries OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF Spaine and of the originall of their kings and of their contiuuance from Tubal vnto Hispanus During which time they were called by diuers seuerall names as Caetubales Hiberi Celtiberi and Hesperij of which I shall briefly speake in their places I Haue almost placed and followed all Iaphets sonnes and nowe I come to Hispaine where Tubal tooke possession which name is interpreted to be Hispaine by Iosephus I will bee as short as I can for that I would faine come to England and yet France is vpon my way where I must of necessitie stay a little to speake of them very briefly Spaine was deuided in olde time but into 3. Prouinces into Lusitania which is now called Portingale into Tarraconenses where the two Scipios builded a citie and named it Tarracon after the name of the Prouince and into Baetica which is so called by the riuer Baetis This Prouince is now named Andolasia or Granado The Romanes at what time they were lords of Spaine made no other diuision but high and low Hispaine by the name of superior inferior Hispania After it was deuided into sixe Prouinces in this sort named as foloweth 1 The first Prouince called Terracon 2 Called the Prouince of Carthage 3 Lusitania which is Portingale 4 Gallacia 5 Baetica which is Andolisia or Granado 6 Called Tingitana a Prouince being within Affrica Of these 6. Prouinces 2. of them are called Consulares prouinciae which is Betica Lusitania the other 4. called Presidiales Spaine is cut from Fraunce Eastward by the mountaine Pyrenaeus which doeth extend it selfe from the South vnto the North along betwene France and Spaine On the West Spaine hath the ocean sea and on the South the middle land sea This countrey is very barren in some places specially from Hercules pillars to the mountaine Pyrenaeus in other places it aboundeth in all kinde of good things for wines oliues yron
slew the great giant called Lycurgus in Thracia Of this Osiris whom the Egyptians named Serapis to whom they vsed much diuine honour and solemne sacrifice as to one of their principal gods read Herodot more of this god there you shal find how king Cambyses Cyrus sonne secōd king of Persia gaue a blow and wounded him in his temple whereat the Egyptians were more offended then for al the crueltie tyrannie which Cambyses did to them It made them to reuolt from Cambyses and to be in armes against the Persians to reuenge the blow which Cambyses gaue to their god Serapis Deabus in Celtiberia he is also named Geriō vsed this time great crueltie and tyrannie he found then one of the first mines of golde and after he found many other mines of gold siluer and of other mettals This time Mena raigned in Egypt the first king who instructed them in many things in Egypt as to woorship their gods to do sacrifice with diuers other ceremonies wher in Egypt excelled all other kingdoms he taught thē the vse of beds to lye on tables to sit at meat This Mena is supposed to be Mizraim Osyris which of Berosus is called Oceanus About this time dyed Ismael the base sonne of Abraham by his maide Agar after he had liued 137. yeeres he left behind him twelue sonnes princes ouer the people ouer his tribes In this tyraunt Deabus time otherwise called Gerion Ioseph was sold into Egypt and the Indians brought presents committed themselues vnto the Chaldeans for by this time many parts of the world were well inhabited and some kingdomes began to be populous and kings grew strong and mightie on the earth for now raigned in Assyria Baleus Iunior who flourished by his prowes courage augmented the territories of the Assyrians into the confines of India and excelled in fame nexte vnto Semiramis Queene of Assyria Osiris also had nowe gotten all Italie into his hand and held it for ten yeeres Typhon became a great tyrant killed his brother Osiris the iust vsurped the kingdome of Egypt So I might say of Anteus in Lybia of Busiris in Phoenicia and so of this Gerion in Celtiberia and of diuers others who forsooke to be kings being not contented with one kingdome became tyrants and vsed all kinde of cruelty deceites and treason to enlarge their dominions When this tyrant Gerion died in Celtiberia his 3. sonnes succeeded after him called Lomuini they builded a great town in Celtiberia named it after their names Lomuinia These brethrē after they iointly gouerned the Celtiberians for the space of 52. yeeres they left the countrey to bee gouerned by one Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Lybius This gouerned the Celtiberians for seuenteene yeeres and builded a strong towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis In his time the kinges of Egypt became first to be called Pharaoes a name giuen to them of dignitie for in the beginning of kingdoms men were yet simple contented with one Towne for diuers cities with a small territorie in steede of a great kingdome which shortly grew to that pride that kings would not be contented with a kingdome neither with 2. or 3. kingdomes they woulde faine get the whole worlde and some weepe with Alexander because there were no more but one world to winne So grew the intollerable insolencie of princes in short time vpon the earth that they would be called gods commanded by edicts that they should be so worshipped as Belus among the Assyrians Nabuchodonosor among the Caldeans Osiris among the Egyptians Alexander the great among the Persians and Dioclesian among the Romanes Idolatrie superstition vainglorie and selfe loue entred into mens hearts and possessed their mindes in such sort in steede of trueth simplicity iustice contentation and quietnes which yet raigned among men dum aureum seculumfloruit During the reigne of Hispalus in Celtiberia that gouernement called Dynasteia Politanorum beganne in Egypt which continued 348. yeeres Argus the fourth king of the Argiues gouerned after Hispalus had gouerned 11. yeres Hispanus succeeded king of Celtiberia which gouerned them for 32. yeres of this king Hispanus Celtiberia was named Hispaine for in Egypt beganne the names of Pharoes when the kings of Celtiberia were named kings of Hispaine CHAP. II. From the time of Hispanus by whom they were called Hispaniards vntill the monarchie was dissolued and the names of kinges ended after what time Hispayne was deuided vnto particular Prouinces and seuerall dominions after the raigne and gouernement of foure and twentie kings euen from Cetubal the first vnto Mellicola the last HItherto you reade howe that the first inhabitauntes were called by diuers names first of Tubal their first king by whome they were called Cetubals at the seconde change they were called Hiberi and the countrey Hiberia after the name of Hiberus their seconde king the thirde time they were called Celtiberi and the countrey Celtiberia the fourth time the countrey was called Hesperia and the fifte time nowe of Hispanus the countrey is called Hispayne This time in the East kingdomes nothing was done woorth the writing Forkinges were scant yet knowen no great warres yet heard of for at this time reguli non Reges fuere and therefore I thought it the best course to set downe the names of the first Kinges that then inhabited in Hispayne for all this while and of long time after no warre no victorie no martiall exploites were in anie part of the worlde sauing in the East among the Chaldeans and the Assyrians which grewe by this time so mighty that they held betwene them the first monarchie and yet their dominion seemed not to extend farre by the sequele I wil therefore bee briefe for that I cannot finde during the time of these 24. kings anie historie woorth the writing nor of long time after these foure and twentie kinges raigned in Spayne one after another 1 Tubal their first king by whom they were called Cetubals which raigned 155. yeeeres and had setled some seates and builded some townes and died 2 Iberus his sonne and their second king raigned 37. yeres he also died 3 Iubalda the third king and the sonne of Iberus raigned 66. yeeres and dwelt hard by a mount of his owne name called Iubalda which vnto this day is of the Spaniards named Gibralta 4 Brigus succeeded Iubalda in the 20. yere of Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians and gouerned in Celtiberia 51. yeeres 5 After him Tagus which is called Orma gouerned the Celtiberians and raigned 30. yeeres hee beganne to gouerne his kingdome with Baleus Xerxes the eight king of the Assyrians and at what time the Argiues reared first there and Phaeton came to Italie Phaetontis incendium 6 Then succeeded in Celtiberia Betus their sixth king which beganne his raigne when Armatrites the ninth king beganne in Assyria and raigned one and thirtie yeeres this time Eusebius setteth downe the
will returne to my Historie hauing nothing to write of them since the time of their kings vntill the first Romane warres in Affrike and in Spaine which was after their kings nine hundreth and odde yeeres During which time they liued vnder seuerall gouernement the most part of which time they liued subiect vnder the Affricanes and Carthagineans by whome Spaine was so fortified that the Carthaginians vsed Spaine for their strongest holde and their onely stay and succour against the force of the Romanes in so much that the Romanes had alwayes in Spaine during this Affrican warre some of the best and most notable Romane Captaines as their proconsuls and lieutenants to keepe Spaine in awe For from Spaine Hamilcar Asdrubal and after them Hanibal had their chiefest strength at any sudden pinch for Publius Cornelius Scipio and Cn. Cornelius Scipio two brethren were both appoynted lieutenants generall for the Romanes Pub. Scipio for the Sea and Cn. Scipio for the lande by whose great seruice and noble victories all Spaine was welnigh reuolted from the Carthagineans When the Romanes had gotten Spaine they were not long after in getting Carthage and all Affrike yet in the very yeere that Fabius Maximus and Claudius Marcellus were Consuls at Rome Mago and Asdrubal two noble Affrican Captaines gaue such diuers great ouerthrowes to the Romanes as the furthest part of Spaine which the Romanes called Vlterior Hispania forsooke the Romanes and were ready to yeelde to the Carthagineans had not Pub. Scipio at that instant ayded the Romane armie with his owne companie at what time two and twentie thousande Spaniardes and Carthagineans were slaine in two seuerall battels ten thousand taken prisoners and 36. ensignes Notwithstanding the Carthagineans passed from one towne of the Romanes to another from Illiturgum to Bigerra from Bigerra to Numidia from Numidia passed to Auringes sparing no towne of the Romanes though it were to their losse for through the valure and courage of both the Scipios being aided by king Masinissa an olde sure friend of the Romanes the Affricans and the Carthagineans were vanquished and slaine But yet had Asdrubal the sonne of Giscon an other conducting of a great armie and the other Asdrubal sonne to Amilcar and brother to Hanibal which Hanibal all this time helde warre with the Romanes within Italie had giuen diuers great ouerthrowes to the Romanes these two Asdrubals were with two great armies and Mago the noble captaine of Carthage had the guiding of the third armie The Romane Scipios being aduertised of these three great armies conducted by the three most famous captaines of Afrike deuised in like sort to giue battell to these African captaines at what time Pub. Cornelius tooke vpon him to giue battell to Mago and to Asdrubal Giscon and Cn. Scipio with the third part of the armie to set vpon the other Asdrubal Barchinus an olde captaine in Spaine but in this warre after that the Scipios had fought like noble Romanes to the last Pub. Cornelius Scipio was slaine in the seuenth yeere after hee was sent by the Senators to Spaine and 29. dayes before his brother Cn. Cornelius Scipio was slaine Eutropius affirmeth that they were rather beguiled by traine then vanquished by manhood for Asdrubal had many ouerthrowes by the Scipios in one battell he lost 25. thousande men Againe Asdrubal the second brother of Hanibal and Mago the third brother of Hanibal were both ouercome in Spaine by the Scipios of the maner and order of the warres of the Scipios in Spaine you shall reade more in the African warres Great mourning was made in Rome and in Spaine when these two Scipios were slaine for now the Romanes from time to time had no lesse care of Spaine then they had of Italie and nowe especially when these good Romane captaines were slaine they coulde not vpon the sudden finde out fitte men for Spaine some naming one man and some naming another vntill by a generall consent of the Senators of the Consuls and of the people Pub. Cornelius Scipio the yonger and sonne to that Pub. Scipio that died in Spaine being foure and twentie yeeres of age was appoynted to bee sent into Spaine to his fathers roome a man of singular rare vertues and one iudged of all the Romanes that were either in his dayes or in any time since most worthie of praise and fame For while hee liued at Rome in his youth hee woulde take nothing in hand before hee had gone into the Capitoll and there considered with great iudgement what hee had to doe This yong Scipio being sent to Spaine in the fiue hundreth fourtie and foure yeere after the building of Rome at what time M. Claudius Marcellus was made Consull the fourth time and M. Valerius Leuinus the second time lost no time but assaulted newe Carthage where the Affricans had all their golde and siluer and subdued it in one day From thence he passed forward into Betula a citie in Spaine besieged it tooke it and gaue battell to Asdrubal and ouercame him tooke Mago Hanibals brother prisoner and sent him to Rome with the residue All Spaine reuolted from Hanibal with one assent and tooke part with Scipio for hee had slaine Carthalon chiefe Captaine to Hanibal and put Asdrubal Hanibals brother to flight The fame of Scipio increased and his good successe in his affaires in Spaine was such that he recouered seuentie Cities and many Cities which earst had yeelded to Hanibal from the Romanes did nowe submit themselues to the Romanes Nowe all things prospered with the Romanes against Hanibal and his friendes in Spaine for one of his brethren named Mago was prisoner at Rome and nowe Asdrubal as he woulde haue secretly fledde from Spaine to Hanibal his brother into Italie and to flie from Scipio hee was preuented of sette purpose vpon the way by Appius Claudius Nero and M. Linus Salinator and slaine with all his armie Scipio full of prowesse and courage after this ouerthrowe of Asdrubal fought in Affrike a battell with Hanno a captaine of the Carthagineans slue him ouerthrewe his whole hoste tooke his tentes slue eleuen thousande and tooke foure thousande prisoners hee was sent for to Rome and created Consul the seconde time and after returned to Numidia and made warre with Siphax king of Numidia for that he ioyned to ayde the Affricans against the Romanes In this battell Siphax was taken and his kingdome giuen to Masinissa who in all danger followed Scipio This very time M. Portius Cato ouerthrewe a band of Spaniardes and after subdued certaine Cities in Spaine and triumphed ouer them with great pompe at Rome Nowe Iugurth being a very gallant youth was sent of Micipsa his vncle a captaine of a companie of horsemen into Spaine to associate Scipio and to ayd with him in his warre at that time against Numantia a great Citie in Spaine this Iugurth behaued him selfe so
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
neighbors by whom the Romanes were put to flight with a great slaughter of Lollius souldiers In the mean time Francus when he had driuen out the Gothes from Germany after he had plagued the Gaules and had most miserably wasted and spoyled the countrey vnto the riuer Mosa as histories affirme slue 200000. Gaules which newes frighted much the Romanes In the 24. yeere of his raigne after he had concluded peace with diuers nations in Germany he made a decree that Sicambria shoulde be called Francia after the name of Francus which to this day continueth a strong and a stoute nation and the onely kingdome of the world for all commodities During which time ciuill warres waxed hoate betweene Iulius Caesar Pompeius the great which being soon extinguished both by the murthering of Pompey in Egypt and by the like murther of Caesar at Rome in the Senate after which began another new ciuil warre betweene Augustus Caesar and Marcus Antoninus which endured 12. yeeres at what time Ianus Temple was shut the third time and peace was then graunted to all nations by Augustus But the antiquitie of the name of Fraunce beginning from Francus time in the 190. Olympiade and in the beginning of the 29. Iubilee at what time Augustus Caesar subdued all Spayne and brought them vnder the Romane Empire Nowe the names before named Neumagi Marcomani Cimbri Celtae Sicambri and Samothei are now changed to be called Franci after this Francus succeeded his sonne Clogio the seconde king of Fraunce which raigned 30. yeeres a wise man and a great Astrologer a Southsayer and for skill and knowledge in many thinges he was named Magus In the fourth yeere of Clogios raigne Tiberius was sent by Augustus to Germanie with a very high hoste of Romanes who destroyed all places where they came into Clogio with an armie gaue vnto Tiberius a battell in the which Tiberius wanne no great conquest but rather losse and at that time departed from field without victorie yet the name of Fraunce was skant knowen a farre off for the newnesse and late change of the name and therefore the nations rounde about called Clogio a Germane and not a Frenchman Notwithstanding Clogio beyng growen to so great a name that he was feared as his father was before him of the verie Romanes he made his sonne named Phrisus a king and named the region where he gouerned Phrysia which at this day is called Frizeland this was made subiect to Fraunce at that very time paying yeerely tribute vnto Fraunce 260. oxen this was done by consent of all Fraunce for this Phrysus was the second sonne of Clogio Nowe Fraunce beganne to bee knowen by the name of Fraunce for Clogio hauing some ayde of the Saxons ouerthrew the Romanes armie and slue Marcus Lollius their generall in the fielde and after vanquished still the Gaules vntill hee became so mightie that hee left behinde him his second sonne king of Phrysia and his eldest sonne and heyre king of France named Herimerus who raigned after his father twelue yeres whose successe was neyther like to his father Clogio nor to his brother Phrysus who flourished in his newe kingdome and gaue diuers expulses to the Romane force insomuch that Friselande beganne to be spoken of through the prowesse and martiall feates of Phrisus their first king For Herimerus the elder brother fighting against his enemies very vnfortunately was slayne when he had raigned twelue yeres he died in the 32. yeere after Christes birth at what time gouerned in India Pontius Pilatus President to the Romane Empire About this time Herodes builded a citie in the honour of Tiberius Caesar the Emperor of Rome and named it Caesarea which was before called Turris Stratonis In the time of this Herimerus in the citie of Fidena a Theater fell downe at the play of an enterlude which the Romane Attilius builded for sword players where fiftie thousand were sore bruised maimed and slaine The fourth king of Fraunce was Marcomirus which raigned eighteene yeeres and had the like dealings within Gallia as his predecessors had In the seuenth yeere of Marcomirus raigne was Caius Caesar Caligula made Emperour in Rome Reade Tritemius of this Marcomirus and of his sonne Clodomirus who helde sharpe warre with the Romanes in Maguntia and manie sore battels within Gallia This time Guidericus king Bellinus sonne raigned king in Brytaine after whome succeeded by force of armes in Britayne Armiracus whome Claudius Caesar vanquished and triumphed ouer but let vs returne to the kings of Fraunce After Clodomirus succeeded his sonne Antenor the 2. of that name raigned 6. yeres who in the last yere of his raigne hauing occasiō to passe ouer the riuer of Mosa the bridge thereof being broken with the weight of the kinges companie hee more of his Princes were at this instant drowned threescore noble men more of Fraunce beside other Gentlemen and Captaines after whom followed Rhaterus the eldest sonne of Antenor who raigned in Fraunce 21. yeeres hee also did handle the Gaules in like sorte for before his predecessors had won that countrey which lay beyond the riuer Mosa had brought the Gaules most miserably vnder foote yet stil they held long wars and many sharpe battels with the French men vntill Faramondus time who was the first king named of Gallia which was 400. yeeres and odde After Francus time this Rhaterus after he had bestowed 21. yeeres in warres against the Gaules they renued the league which his predecessors had made with the Germanes Saxons and an other nation called the Dorings he builded a towne and named it Rhaterodamum and died This kings life and doings is set forth by Arebaldus in verse and after augmented by Hunibaldus In the second yeere of this Rhaterus raigne Nero then Emperour of Rome played his bloody tragedies against the Christians persecuted and tormented them and slue them with diuers kindes of death this time Alani a people of Scythia inuaded Media and made hauocke vnto the confines of Armenia at what time all the Philosophers and Mathematicians were banished from Rome and Italie in this kinges later time was Quintilianus brought to Rome by the Emperor Galba from Spaine After Rhaterus succeeded his sonne Richimerus which raigned 24. yeeres and had great warres both against the Gaules and against the Romanes and beyng ayded by the Germanes gaue a sharpe battell both to the Romanes and to the Gaules not farre from the citie of Basana Tritemius affirmeth that in that very yeere the Gothes had inuaded the coastes and confines of Germanie and were by this Richimerus king of Fraunce and Fernefrides kinges of the Dorings Turings and by Vidikindo king of the Saxons ouercome But in trueth the crie of Chronicles is against it and sayeth that these kinges of the Saxons and the king of Turings were long after Richimerus time but it is most
shee was a Christian who laboured much with the king her husband to become a Christian and with as great care shee dayly solicited the king to reuenge her father and vncles death The thirde warre was against the Almanes at what time he vowed if God would giue him the victorie hee would become a Christian which he performed and obtained the victory and was baptized by Remigius bishop of Rheme The fourth warre was against Alaricus king of the Gothes whom he slew in the fielde and discomfited all his armie By these foure great victories Clodoueus had brought all Gallia to be all Fraunce for during his bastards sonnes time he subdued Turingia and enlarged his countrey from the riuer of Rhein vnto the riuer Sequana Theodoricus being by his father Clodoueus sent as President to Aquitania at what time he brought diuers people by the sworde vnder his fathers subiection as Albios Rhatenes Tolasates and the people called Auerni He subdued Vastonia and other places Reade more of the warres of Clodoueus of his vowes and conuersion to the faith and of his victories in Paul Aemilius and in Tilius who after he had raigned thirtie yeeres he died and was buried in Paris Hitherto reacheth Hunibaldus historie of the antiquitie of Fraunce which he wrote and deuided into 18. bookes conteyning the history of all the kings from the first Marcomirus which came from Scythia vntill the time of Clodoueus death which were 47. kings which raigned by sundry names for the space of 950. yeeres While this Clodoueus raigned the Saracens inuaded Phoenicia Syria and Thracia and did great harme This time raigned in Persia Lambases whom Procopius named Blasen and about this time Anastatius the Emperour builded a most strong citie in Mesopotamia and named it after his owne name Anastasia and walled the citie of Theodocia in Armenia which the Emperour Theodosius had builded In the time of this Clodoueus Arthur raigned in Britaine who did much annoy the Saxons and had if he had long liued restored the Britaines againe to their former libertie But to returne to the successors of Clodoueus who left behinde him foure sonnes Theodoricus Clodomirus Childebertus and Lotharius amongst whom the kingdome of Fraunce was deuided the whole kingdome made a Tetrarchia and so in processe of time the whole kingdome fell to Childebertus hand frō whom the lines of the kings of Fraunce descende vntill Hildericus though some say it doth descend from Lotharius yet raigned these 4. brethren in seueral Prouinces of Fraunce as foure Tetrarches for a time During which time reade Procopius and Paul Aemilius and see the euents of fortune the vncertaintie of states and change of earthly dignitie and how Theodoricus and Clodomirus two of the brethren with all their children died then Childebertus deuided the whole kingdome betweene him and his brother Clotarius In the meane season let vs see what was done in other countreys for while these foure brethren gouerned Fraunce Rome was taken being besieged by the Gothes and destroyed and left desolate by Totila king of the Gothes he also vanquished the Brutians and the Lucans hee tooke Apulia and Calabria and besieged Placentia This warre of the Gothes cōtinued 18. yeeres during which warre raigned 3. kings ouer the Gothes the first Vitiges who destroyed Rome in his time but reedified and builded againe by Belisarius the second king Alaricus who was slaine within few moneths so that the most time of this 18. yeeres were continued vnder Totila who plagued so sore Italy and Rome that after that time Rome was so decayed and possessed with strangers that sooner you should finde in Italy a Germane then a Romane and in Rome it selfe tenne Vandols tenne Gothes or tenne Longobards for one citizen in so much that they were not able to appoint a Consul to gouerne them who had gouerned them for the space of 447. yeres so long the Consuls of Rome gouerned the citie which was vntill the Emperours time and then they gouerned the whole worlde But now not onely the dignitie of Consuls was lost which were of long time languishing and decaying since ciuil warres betwene themselues with persecution of the godly and tyrannie of the wicked Emperors but the name it selfe vtterly perished and quite abolished by those nations of Germanie who were scant knowen in Augustus Caesars time and therefore valeat Roma cum Papa who entred into Rome and tooke possession thereof within 40. yeeres of Clotarius gouernment At what time he erected vp his Papacie in Rome when Mahomet aduaunced vp the kingdome of the Saracens The Pope beganne his Papacie in Rome 14. yeres before Mahomet beganne his kingdome ouer the Saracens in Arabia Nowe a Pope for an Emperour gouerned Rome a prophet for a king raigned in Arabia of whome I spake in the historie of the Church and in the historie of the Saracens And now I will make mention of Iustinianus who gouerned then as Emperour vnder whome Bellisarius annoyed Italy subdued Siracusa and tooke Catina and in the last yeere of his Consulship subdued Sicilia After that he passed into Affrica and deliuered Carthage from the siege of Stoze and appointed one Salomon gouernour ouer the towne This Bellisarius prooued so excellent a captaine vnder Iustinianus the Emperor that he aduanced the name of the empire through his victories gotten in diuers battels that some write that Bellisarius had a triumph graunted him at Rome appointed by the Emp. Iustinian much is writtē of this Bellisarius in the wars called Persicum which Iustinianus begā but Bellisarius ended This Bellisarius toke Catina Siracusa and subdued al Sicilie Rauenna Naples and was made generall vnder Iustinian in the East empire where he merited the name of a good souldier Iustinianus made the 4. bookes of the Institutes and other 50. bookes of ciuill lawe called the Pandects which Tribonianus ended and brought to perfection This time Cosroes king of Persia inuaded Cilicia and Syria he tooke Antiochia and now againe the fourth time after he had concluded peace with Iustinianus he inuaded the territories of the Romanes but he was now driuen thence by Bellisarius at what time Arethus king of the Saracens came and yeelded to Iustinianus both his kingdome and his children Totila king of the Gothes this time gaue an ouerthrow to Demetrius vpon the sea and tooke Neapolis During these 45. yeres Hunni inuaded Europe spoyled and wasted into Bizantium which is Constantinople in Britaine died Arthur the sonne of Vter Pendragon after whome succeeded Constantius a wicked lewde Prince about which time Narses a Persian with a great armie entred into Italie vanquished the Gothes at Tagira and againe the Gothes ouerthrowen by Narses at Necerium and at last driuen out of Italie and their king Totila slayne Thus farre Procopius writeth of the warres of the Gothes Nowe to Clotharius which raigned in Fraunce 5. yeeres after the death
towne hard by the hill Alba and named it Albalonga leauing his fathers wife Lauina in that Citie which Aeneas builded thirtie yeres before Ascanius builded Albalonga where during his life Ascanius kept his Court and it became the king of Albans Pallace at what time the names of the Latines were changed to the kings of Alba which endured foure hundred yeeres and odde vntill Tullus Hostilius the third king of Rome conquered them so that the right line and blood of the kings of Alba descended also from Aeneas by succession from the father vnto the sonne vntill Romulus time as Halicarnassaeus saith whose names are set downe orderly in Annius chronicles and in Berosus with whom Dyonis Halicar doeth in all points agree as well for the continuance of time as also for their sure naming of their kings which reigned betweene Aeneas and Romulus So doeth M. Cato in his fragments men of great credite in other histories to be skant in the Britaine historie allowed hinc liuor the cause thereof I take it in some rather negligence then ignorance for in trueth the Phisicion must study to ease his patients the Lawyer to please his client the Diuine to feede the soules so that few haue time to studie histories Yea many that read histories are to seeke in histories other wayes then the histories of Englād but I wil returne to Aeneas which is as Annius saith Imperij Romani origo and therefore I will begin from the comming of Aeneas into Laurentum in Italie Nowe as concerning the comming of Aeneas into Italie his toyles and trauailes reade Helanicus an olde auncient writer My onely purpose is to set downe the true histories of the Britaines hauing that name from Brutus euen as the Frenchmen were named of Francus and the Hispaniards from Hispanus If you reade Fab. Pictor de aureo seculo and Portius Cato you shall finde the kindred and predecessours of Romulus the first king of Rome so plainely to come out of the very house and stocke that Brutus the first king of the Britaine 's came out of so that the last king of the Latines I meane Aeneas and his sonne Ascanius the first king of Albalonga are of that antiquitie and continuance in Italie as Brutus is in Britaine now called Englande For as Romulus and the kings of Rome and after the Emperours and the Romanes were offsprings of the kinges of the Albanes and Latines and the Albanes and Latines offsprings of the kings of Troy so is it prooued that the Romanes came from Troy for Ascanius was graundfather vnto Brutus who first came into this Isle named then Albion but by Brutus after named Britaine Some take this for fables certeine it is that the beginning of antiquities seeme fabulous for that the errors of time haue obscured many things as is proued of the Romane histories whom the Grecians neuer knewe nor neuer heard of for neither Thucydides nor Xenophon two of the greatest writers in the florishing state of Greece yea and late after the foundation of Rome 360. yeeres neither Herodot after them made any mencion of Rome Euen so the Grecians were to the Persians and the Persians to the Grecians most ignorant not one knowing another before Xerxes with his huge armie thought to inuade Greece for these be the words of Strabo Nec Graeci Persas nec Persae Graecos agnorunt And as for Fraunce and Spaine they were taken but for two cities the one named Gallia the other Hesperia as Iosephus affirmeth Many men write very fables of their countries as Berosus if it be Berosus being a Chaldean priest wrote of the Chaldeans meere fables and more licencious of the kings of Assyria without any warrant of trueth not knowing the Scriptures where the best and soundest warrant of Chaldean histories are to be found In like sort Ctesias the Persian wrote of his countrie 23. bookes both vaine and foolish in setting foorth the antiquitie gouernment and greatnesse of the king of Persia then is truely prooued by true accompt of time as Plutarch affirmeth So Manethon an Egyptian priest wrote so many lies of his countrie of Egypt that accompteth 340. Pharoes successiuely from Amasis the first Pharao vnto Amasis the last Pharao but he is reprooued to his face by Iosephus in both his bookes against Appion the Egyptian and a scholemaster of Alexandria yet Manethon founde great fault in Herodot for his fables and lies of Egypt But let controuersies passe all countries haue their fables mingled with trueth and so I will returne to the histories of the Britaines whose certeintie and trueth is as sound and as true to bee prooued as either Fraunce Spaine or any other countrie whose continuance was without change of name for lōger time then many bragging kingdoms whose lawes whose kings whose countrie vnconquered longer then any of them both easie to be prooued by all sound writers for Spaine was conquered and subdued first by the Carthagineans and Affricanes secondly by the Romanes thirdly by the Vandales fourthly by the Gothes and fiftly by the Saracens who possessed almost all the kingdome of Spaine for 800. yeeres So may it be said of the change of their names as Catubales Iberians Celtiberians Hesperians and Spaniards which during the time of this change serued the Carthagineans the Romanes the Grekes the Gothes and the Saracens The Britaines neuer changed their names since Brutus time which is 2700. and odde yeeres which no one kingdome of the worlde can say so much though in some part it was subdued by the Romanes and then by the Danes and last by the Normanes yet they reserued their names vnchanged all the whole countrie of Camber the second sonne of Brutus vncōquered which of late is called Wales their auncient name vnchanged and their language vncorrupted So may I speake of the Frenchmen which were called at their first arriuall from Scythia into Germany Neumagi then were they called Sicambri thirdly Franci and fourthly Galli So were the Persians Elamites Artaeans and after Cephancs and last of all Persians so Egypt was called Oceana Nilea Aerea and last of all Egypt To conclude there is no nation that I can reade of but were subiect to diuers names therby knowē sauing onely the Britaines which continue vnto this day though the Danes beganne to call them Welsh as they call all strangers Welsh which was 1800. yeres odde as the reignes and gouernmēt of the kings of Britaine do manifestly proue whose names I neede not to write for that they be set downe to your viewe in tables printed with the pictures of all the kings of the Britaines Now after 1 Brutus 2 Locrinus 3 Madan 4 Mempricius 5 Ebrancus and 6 Brutus surnamed Viridescutum and so forward vntill Rudacus time the 20. king after Brutus at what time the kingdome was diuided into foure parts and gouerned by foure seuerall kings for fiftie yeeres Rudacus