himselfe sawe at Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar of bigger bodies and of taller stature then any Romane by halfe a foote for saith Strabo Vidimus puberes Britannos longissimi corporis nostris indigenis semipede celsiores But to be short as it was among the Iewes permitted to the Talmudistes to write their countrie histories to the Indians Gymnosophists to write of India the olde Gaules committed the olde recordes and Chronicles of their Countries to their wise men called Druydes the olde Hispaniards during the time of their kings and long after euen vnto the Romanes time had the antiquaries called Turdetani to write the Chronicles of their Countries and euen so among the olde Britaines were called Bardi to recorde their antiquitie and their histories men of like credite and estimation among the Britaines as were these before named in their Countries without whose consent and councell if any man wrote concerning the state and antiquitie of their countrie hee should be punished according to the custome of the Countrie It is easily spoken there was no Troy but all countries haue allowed it time hath confirmed it both Greeke and Latine histories haue written of it It is soone saide There was no such Brutus but continuance of time succession of kings possession of the countrie doe proue the contrary If neither Geraldus being of the time of Richard the second neither Gildas long before Geraldus liuing in the time of Claudius Augustus the Emperour both singularly learned if neither consent of time succession of kings the antiquitie of the historie nor the affinitie of tongues which no Grecian can denie for we holde the auncient names of riuers townes mountaines and other monuments euen from Brutus time in the selfe same tongue that Brutus spake Let them giue some credite to Pont. Varunnius Iulius Caesar who said Gens ex nostra prosapia est being proued by M. Coruinus and Halicarnassaeus lineally to descend from Aeneas What shoulde I write more Inuidia serra animae and truely is that spoken that three good vertuous mothers had three wicked vicious daughters Familiaritie the mother of contempt Peace and quietnesse the mother of idlenesse And Trueth the mother of hatred Yet in spite of that scorpion Suââ¦s ex merito quemque tuetur honor The historie of Belinus the great whose daughter named Cambra was maried to Marcomirus sonne the first king from whom the Frenchmen since their comming to Germany florished by the name of Sicambri after the name of Cambra the Britaine the historie of Brenus his brother are wel knoweÌ with forreigne writers so of Rodericus the great of Leoninus the great who are in the Britaine historie as much coÌmended as Pompey the great or Constantine the great among the Romanes for as Pyrrhus saide Italie was not to be subdued but by Italians neither Rome but by the Romanes euen so the Britaine 's were not to be ouerthrowen but by Britaines And here I end 10. Praep. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã CHAP. 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 CAP. 1. 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 CAP. 1. 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 CAP. 1. 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 CAP. 1. 2 3 4 CAP. 1. 2 3 1 2 3 1 CHAP. 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 CAP. 1. 2 3 4 CHAP. 1. 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 The creation of the world Isido lib. 5. ââ¦saedri Tetraedri Octoedri Dodecaedri Read Plato and Io. Phrig Cicero lib. denat deorum Iob 38. The creation of man Man placed in Eden ââ¦oph iâ⦠ãâã Pisââ¦hon Giââ¦on Childekel Phrat Pytlââ¦go letter Plato in Craâ⦠Iohn 7. Rom. 5. The opinion of the learned concerning Adams continuance in Paradise before his fall Clemens fol. 128 Gen. 4. Loar fol. 109. Midras ãâã Psal. 92. Rabbi Menahem fol. 9. vpon Moses Theoph. August sixe houres Thom. Aquinas nine houres Bochay twelue houres Rabbi Nathan Cedrenus Mariaenus Scotus Adam was buried in Golgatha Rabbi Isaac Our portion held by the first Adam Paul Gen. 3. The first sacrifice vnto God Gen. 4. Heb. ââ¦1 Henoch was borne Gen 4. Diodorus lib. 5. Iosephus Belus Image a sanctuary to all wickednes lib. 10. cap. 3. de prae Diodorus lib. 11. Genes 4. The sonnes of God maried with the daughters of men Melancthon Fregius in histo Adami Fregius in histo Adami Iud. 1. Heb 11. Henoch walked with God Genes 9. Noah the righteous preacher ãâã lib. 1. Zonaras lib. 1. Talmudists Ioseph lib. 1. cap. 14. Koââ¦rus lib. 1. cap. 4. Tabula 4. Asiae lib. 3. Genes cap. 10. Genes 1. The confusioÌ of tongues in the time of Peleg Sabellicuâ⦠lib. 3. The antiquity of Greece The praise of Plato The infancie of Greece Ioseph lib. contra Reede Stabo 16. booke First Hebrewes 478 Then Israel 1026 Thirdly Iewish 786 A egyptians most enuious to the Iewish The mercie of God towardes his people The goodnes of God to his people 3. Regum cap. 10 De Asse 4. Ioseph 8. Abrahams age when Noah died Gene. 18. 20. 47. Abrahams going to Aegypt The bondage of Israel in Aegypt 430. yeeres Moses the fift from Abraham Gene. cap. 14. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrha ouerthrown by the king of Shinar Ismael borne by Agar the the bondwoman Lot with his two daughters escaped Iosephus lib. 1. cap. 12. Lots incest with his two daughters Genes 19. The birth of Isaac Isaac the child of promise borne 14. yeres after Ismael Ioseph lib. 1. cap. 15. Sara died and is buried in Hebron A ficide doth coââ¦tune 4. Dââ¦achmes Lib. cap 16. Abraham dieth Esau and Iacobâ⦠birth Iacob was the true tipe of the Church Lib. 1. cap. 18. 19. Diodo de fab ãâã lib. 2. Functius in tabula patrum Isaac dieth and is buried in Hebron Isaac saw the prosperity of Esau and the affliction of Iacob Diodo lib. 1. Iustin. lib. 36. Bââ¦sius lib. 1. cap 8. Iustine lib 36. Orosius lib. 1. cap. 8. The 18. Denasââ¦na of Aegypt Sparta builded The going of Iacob vnto Egypt Ioseph died 65. yeeres before Moses was borne The maner of Moses birth Thermutis Pharaohs daughter Moses threwe the diademe of Aegypt to the dirt Moses made captaine ouer the Aegyptians against the Aethiopians Reade Fregius of Moses life Moses Aaron sent by God to Aegypt The tenne plagues of Aegypt Iosephs bones brought by Moses out of Aegypt Cancres king of Aegypt drowned in the red sea Deucalion flood The kingdome of Athens Berosus endeth his hystory Moses death Israelites toile and slauery Chiliarchi Hecatontarchi Pentecontarchi Decatarchi Ramesses was surnamed Egyptus Cornelius Tacitus lib. 2. Crosius lib. 1. cap. 11. Iosua deuideth the land of Chanaan Iosua made orders lawes Iosua coÌmandeth his host to passe Iorden Iordan gaue place to Iosua and to the Arke The walles of Iericho fell Iosua cap. 12. Melanthon ãâã de Hebreââ¦ruÌ admin The mutabiliue of the Israelites Eglon king of Moab afflicteth Israel Ehud killeth Eglon. Iabin
that the olde Assyrian Empire possessed but a litle part of Assyria Modicam quandam Assyriae partem obtinuit as Dionysius affirmeth for during the time and gouernment of the first kings of Assyria euen from Nynus the first king vntill Sardanapalus their last king was fabulosum tempus the trueth of their historie and the glory of their Empire appeared from the time of Phul Belochus which was father to Phul Assur and in the sacred Scripture named Tiglat Assur This Phul Assur was father to Salmanasser and Salmanasser was father to Senaherib At this time it was called newe Assyria whose Empire was againe after the death of Saneherib by Merodach brought into Babylon for in Babylon the first Empire began after translated from Babylon to Niniue and now from Niniue to Babylon againe where it ended in Balsaar as it shall be shewed when the historie commeth to it In this kings time the Midianites preuailed much against the children of Israel for seuen yeres and they were sore oppressed vntill Gedeon was sent to be their deliuerer and to be their iudge Then Pannias or otherwise Pannas was the 25. king of Assyria in whose time the kings of Argiues ended their kingdome their Empire was translated into Mycena after they had gouerned as kings 540. yeeres In this time reigned in Athens Pandion and Mydas gouerned in Phrygia About which time Abimelech the tyrant vsurpeth the kingdome of Israel and putteth seuentie of his brethren to death Habuit mercedem for at Thebes as Abimelech was besieging a high strong Towre a woman did cast a piece of a milstone vpon his head and brake his braine panne after he had bene a iudge in Israel three yeeres In the 24. of Pannias happened the fourth Iubilee after Moses In this kings time likewise ruled in Israel Thola a iudge of the tribe of Isachar and gouerned the people of Israel 23. yeres After this reigned Sosarmus 19. yeeres in Assyria It is written that Orpheus the Thracian the most famous and most auncient musitian liued at this time Iair the Gileadite gouerned Israel 22. yeeres this iudge had thirtie soÌnes that rode on 30. asse coltes men of great authoritie for they had thirtie Cities in the land of Gilead and they kept the land in peace 22. yeeres Now Faunius Iunior gouerned Italie to whom Euander came from Arcadia and had giuen him certaine lands in Italie which Euander called afterward Palatinum Manethon writeth that Hercules Amphitrions sonne was borne about this time of whom the Poets faine that he was the sonne of Iupiter of this man more shal be spoken amongst the Grecians when I speake of their histories But againe to the Assyrians who had after Sosarmus a king called Mytreus the 27. king and raigned 27. yeeres in the latter ende of this kings raigne Hercules killed Cacus the great giant in mount Auentine after Hercules ouerthrew Troy and killed the king called Laomedon and made Priamus his sonne king of the Troyans who againe repaired and builded vp Troy to be one of the strongest townes of the worlde This Hercules came to Italie fiftie and fiue yeeres before AEneas comming and gaue to the Italians lawes Reade of this more in Halicarn lib. 1. In Israel after Iudge Iair died it was 18. yeres interregnum without a Iudge and they wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord againe and serued Baalim and Ashtaroth the gods of Syria and the gods of Sidon the gods of Moab the gods of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines and God was angrie with them and deliuered them to the handes of their enemies who vexed and oppressed them 18. yeeres vntill the time they put away the strange gods and serued the true God with great repentance Ishai the father of the Prophet Dauid was borne about this time three hundreth yeere after the Israelites going out of Egypt Nowe with the Assyrians Tautanes the 28. king beginneth to rule about which time Hercules appointed the games of Olympia where all the Grecians came to exercise feates of armes running and wrastling with all other kinde of exercise 430. yeeres before the Olympiads began This time happened in Egypt in the Isle of Pharao a great deluge called Diluuium Pharaonicum which did ouerflowe the whole countrey which was seldome seene in Egypt for that they haue no raine but onely the ouerflowing of Nilus which once a yeere happeneth vnto them By this time Iephtah was made Iudge in Israel a valiant man but for that hee was a bastard sedition grewe in Israel against Iephtha by the Ephraimites his brethren thrusted him out and Iephtha fled to the land of Tob but hee was made afterward captaine ouer Israel and hee subdued the Ammonites from Aroer to Abel 20. cities and slew 42. thousand of the Ephraimites and for the victorie here of he sacrificed his daughter vnto the Lord according to his vow though it was rash vnlawful In this Tautanes time raigned 4. Iudges Iephtha 6. yeres Ibzan gouerned 7. yeres some thought this to be Boas the husband of Ruth the grandfather of Dauid this had 30. sonnes and 30. daughters After him Elon of the tribe of Zabulon iudged Israel 10. yeeres and after Elon ruled Abdon this Iudge had 40. sonnes and thirtie sonnes sonnes that rode on 70. assecolts and he gouerned Israel 10. yeres and died About this time Theseus rauished Helen the wife of Menelaus which being by Adoneus king of the Molosseans taken was rescued by his felow and alwayes his companion Hercules In the kingdome of Assyria succeeded Tautanes who raigned 40. yeres of which we reade nothing worth the writing At this time Samson the sonne of Manoah of the tribe of Dan gouerned Israel 20. yeeres he plagued the Philistims who had kept Israel vnder hand for their sinnes wickednes for God was angrie with them for notwithstanding all his goodnes his mercy towardes them and his miracles amongst them yet they still rebelled and moued the Lord to wrath this Samson was the last Iudge of Israel Then the state of the Israelites gouernment was altered and they were vnder Ely the priest At this time raigned a king that gouerned the Thuscanes named Ocnus Beanor this builded Mantua the couÌtrey where Virgil was borne which the Romans called after Hethruscanes Now that the race of the Iudges of Israel is ended which continued from Moses death vntil Samuel 357. yeres God suffred kings to gouerne his people and appointed his Prophets to direct his kings this came to passe in Samuels time who anoynted Saul king ouer Israel and they both together raigned 40. yeeres By this time Tyneus the 30. king of the Assyrians raigned in Niniue 30. yeres and in the 13. of his raigne the 7. Iubilee of the Iewes began The kingdome of Hispane before called Iberia before that time Celtiberia is in this time deuided into prouinces into seueral gouernmeÌts of
and in Lydia Haliates their eight king Hitherunto the liues of Pharaos kings of Egypt which continued from the first Amasis in the beginning of the eighteenth Dynastia which was about the time of the going of the Patriarch Iacob into Egypt vnto his sonne Ioseph vntil the time of this Amasis the last king of that name about twelue hundreth yeeres so long continued the names of Pharaos This Amasias as the rest of the kings before him was so idolatrous and so addicted to obey Oracles that hee also imitated his predecessours in such fonde buildings to carie huge stones from Memphis and from Elephantina to builde a temple vp vnto Minerua in the citie of Sai that hee much mused how he might passe the rest with the monstrousnesse of the great huge stones to build temples images colossus wherein he in one monument excelled the rest He caused a house to be made of one stone to be brought from the citie of Elephantina to the citie of Sais which is as Herodotus writeth twentie dayes sayling two thousand chosen men were three yeeres in bringing this house to Sai of all other workes most to bee wondered for this stone was one and twentie cubites in length and fourteene in breadth and also hee made a colossus or an image in Memphis before the temple of Vulcan of seuentie and fiue foote long he builded likewise a large temple for Isis in Memphis Thus the kings of Egypt stroue one after another to excell in their workes and vaine monuments In the time of this king a lawe was made in Egypt that in euery Prouince of Egypt the President thereof should take accompt and examine the youthes of their prouinces how and after what sort they liued for to see an idle man in Egypt that could not answere for himselfe howe hee liued it was death and therefore to auoyde idlenesse they were thus compelled by the Kings of Egypt to carie stones to the building of Piramides temples Colossus Labirinthes and such like This law afterward was by Solon brought to Greece for Solon was in Egypt in the time of the last Amasis Pomponius Mela saith that in the raigne of Amasis were twentie thousand cities Herodotus saith one thousand and twentie cities for old Egypt in times past was very great and large for hard by the marches of Affricke in the shore standeth Alexandria on the borders of Arabia is the citie of Pelusium other faire cities are farre from the sea as Memphis Sai Bubastis Elephantina and and Thebes which is reported to haue an 100. brasen gates and so many princes pallaces Many good lawes are written among the Egyptians by Sasiches and by Sesostris but specially by Bocchoris of whose lawes I wil set dowme some few as Diodorus wrote them to the nomber of 17. 1. The first law was that none might violate their gods with othes the offenders herein were punished as false to God and man 2. If any ayded not a man iniuried or beaten or robbed by any man either vpon the way as he trauailed or in the place where he dwelt he was to die for it if he might haue helped it else to publish and to call for helpe 3. False witnes was so punished by a decree made for that purpose the punishment that hee that was accused should haue being proued should be for the false accuser not being proued 4. Against idlenes all the names of the citie parish or countrey are brought and recorded with the magistrates of the prouinces are examined how they are occupied how they liue of what trade or trafique he or they be of if he be found idle he shall die by the lawe in Egypt this law Solon caried with him from Egypt to Athens 5. If any man killed a freeman or a seruant death was his punishment 6. If the father killed the sonne he was free froÌ death but he should for three dayes be punished as the decree was made in that behalfe for the Egyptians thought not the father worthy of death for killing of his soÌne quia auctor fuit 7. For the sonne that killed his father the greatest torments that might be deuised was by lawe appointed for him for to take the life of him away which gaue him life 8. If a woman with child by law be condemned to die she is reserued vntill the childe be borne for the Egyptians thinke it not fit that two should be punished when one had offended and that the giltlesse with the giltie should be condemned Iniquum enim iustum cum iniusto poenam pati This law was caried from Egypt into Greece from Greece into other countreis 9 The souldier that offended his captaine in the fielde or had transgressed the commandement of the officers he should not die but with all infamie and shame he should haue two letters printed in his forehead as coÌmon markes of infamie but if hee had reuealed any secrets to the enemies the lawe had commaunded his tongue to be pluckt out of his head 10 If any had clipt any lawfull coine or counterfaited the like or diminished the weight by lawe he should die 11 If any man had counterfaited the hand of any man or had taken away any letters or had put in any letters in any writings or found faultie in forging any deede or letters he should haue both his hands cut off 12 If any had violated by force any maid or free woman he should haue that member punished that had offended his priuie members cut off if by consent the man and woman sinned it was by lawe appointed that the man should be beaten with roddes to the nuÌber of a thousand stripes and the woman should haue her nose cut off for a marke of a whore 13 For satisfiyng of creditors in borowing of money it was by an othe confirmed not with obligations made that the money shoulde be paide vpon the day appointed for a sacred othe sincerely inuiolated was more esteemed in Egypt then any writing or bond made for it was a wonder to see in Egypt a man forsworne 14 For it was not lawfull to arrest any man in Egypt for debtes by the lawe of Bochoris but to seize vpon the goods or substance for whatsoeuer passed in secrete writings betweene the partie and creditour no arrest was admitted for all the people of Egypt were diuided into foure partes which were husbandmen craftesmen shepheards and souldiers payment was made to the creditors by the goods of the debtors and not by arrest for they thought that a man free borne shoulde for no money be imprisoned specially the souldiers which with danger of life defendeth his countrey 15 The like law was in Egypt for vsurie by Bochoris which was brought to Athens by Solon which lawe was called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by this lawe Solon commaunded that no Citizen in Athens should be put in prison for vsurie for the Egyptians condemned much the Grecians that had by the law
should claime more dignitie then was set downe by Alexander in a table which the Romanes afterward kept vsing the same order for a time as Alexander did It is written that the great Alexander had yeerely tribute paide vnto him during his life the summe of sixe thousande talents for Plutarch in the life of Agesilaus speaketh of a king named Tachus in Egypt to whom Agesilaus came from Sparta for Nectanabus was a nephew of king Tachus and one of his chiefe captaines who rebelled against the king and being chosen by the Egyptians their king he desired the aide of Agesilaus who ioyned with him being an olde souldier hauing had in hand greater battels in Greece against Pelopidas and Epaminondas then at that time with Nectanabus against Tachus Therefore Nectanabus committed all into the handes of Agesilaus by whom the victorie fell to Nectanabus Tachus the king forced to flee After this the affaires of this Nectanabus had good successe and hee was quietly stablished in his kingdome by the meanes of Agesilaus king of Sparta to whoÌ Nectanabus gaue two hundred thirtie talents of siluer in readie money to defray the charges of his souldiers Thus Nectanabus reigned quietly in Egypt though vnder Darius the last king of Persia Mezabes gouerned Egypt who yeelded into the hands of Alexander the kingdome of Egypt assoone as hee had heard that his master king Darius was slaine and al Persia subdued by Alexander who as you heard before possessed Egypt without warres being yeelded of the state of Egypt From the time of Alexander the great vnto Iulius Caesar that is from the Monarchie of the Grecians vnto the Romanes is two hundred eightie two yeeres After the death of Alexander his kingdomes were diuided chiefely betweene foure of his graund captaines specially those kingdomes which were of the greatest fame and renowne as Macedonia to Cassander Asia the lesser to Antigonus Babylon and all Asia the great to Saleuchus furnamed Nicanor Egypt with the most part of Syria to Ptolomei the sonne of Lagi This was the first king of Egypt after Alexanders death after whose names all the kings of Egypt vntill Iulius Caesars time were called Ptolomei This king grewe great and mightie in Egypt and beganne strongly vpon the next nations vnto him to make warre and brought diuers subiects vnder the Empire of Egypt whose good successe in the beginning Perdiccas began to enuy This Perdiccas was the chiefe gouernor of Macedonia and as it were left a tutour ouer Arideus the base brother of Alexander the great to whom by common consent the kingdome of Macedonia was appointed Perdiccas supposing to keepe Egypt subiect to Macedonia and to bridle the insolencie which he sawe in Ptolomei he leauied a great armie of souldiers made a voiage into Egypt against whose comming Ptolomie with al celeritie gathered his army and gaue him battel wherein Perdiccas was slaine and his whole company ouerthrowen Vpon this ouerthrowe of Perdiccas Ptolomei king of Egypt waxed insolent of the victorie entred into Syria by strong hand brought Syria vnder Egypt after hee went to Ierusalem he plagued the citizeÌs wasted spoiled brought diuers out of Iudea captiues into Egypt Of this king the Prophet Daniel spake in this sort The king of the South shal be mightie and his dominion shal be great reade more in Daniel of this Antigonus being aduertised of Ptolomeis great victories howe he had vanquished Perdiccas subdued Syria sent his sonne Demetrius a young man of 22. yeeres and the first time that he tooke the charge of a General in hand and that against an old souldier of the great Alexander trained vp in discipline of warres alwaies Demetrius was put to flight 5000. of his men slaine and almost eight thousand taken by the Citie of Gaza Antigonus hearing howe his sonne was ouerthrowen said that this Ptolomei ouerthrew beardles men said further he should fight with bearded men And it came to passe that Demetrius being before put to flight was not quiet before he requited the last foile by the king of Egypt receiued with the like ouerthrow wherein Demetrius had the victorie of Ptolomei and of his army which victorie did put Ptolomei out of al Syria and brought Antigonus in againe By this time Seleucus whoÌ Antigonus had driuen out of Babylon before came againe and entred into Babylon Cassander likewise fearing that young Hercules the sonne of Alexander the great being nowe of fourteene yeeres of age should be by the Macedonians so fauoured for his fathers sake that hee should be king in Macedonia therefore hee secretly commaunded that both Hercules and his mother Arsine should be murthered yet Cassander was not quiet vntill hee practised the like murther against Olympias Alexanders mother and against Roxana Alexanders wife Antigonus and his sonne Demetrius were much enuied for their victories this time in so much that all these kings after Alexanders death destroyed one another with continuall warres Lysimacus was slaine by Seleucus Seleucus was slaine by Ptolomei whose sister was maried to Lysimachus Polibeus writeth that in the hundred twentie fourth Olympiad Ptolomie Lagi king of Egypt Seleuchus Nicanor king of Syria Lysimachus king of Thracia and Ptolomei Cerannon brother to Philadelphus chiefe souldiers vnder Alexander the great were slaine one of another Thus Ptolomei the sonne of Lagi after hee had conquered Perdiccas ouerthrewe Demetrius subdued Syria and the most part of Iudea when hee reigned fourttie yeeres died during which time Demetrius Phalerius ruled Athens vnder Cassander and Demetrius surnamed Poliorcetes destroyed a Citie in Samaria which Perdiccas builded This time the people of Alexandria sent to entreate for the Romanes friendshippe to aide them if neede required This was the first request made to the Romanes by the Citizens of Alexandria in Egypt for the Romanes beganne to bee strong and they of Alexandria perceiuing the great warres and tyrannie that was in all partes of the worlde at that time And also hauing seene within Egypt more blood in the time of one Ptolomei then in twentie Pharaos for then Egypt had nothing to doe but to builde Piramides and to make Labirinths monstrous and needelesse monuments but nowe sworde and fire came into Egypt In the time of this king florished Theophrastus a famous Philosopher one of Aristotles schollers and Menedemus another Philosopher in the same time liued Menander the Tragedian Atheneus the Historian and Demetrius Phalerius In Egypt succeeded after Ptolome Lagi his sonne Philadelphus a learned prince and a great fauourer of learned men this king was iust discreete and gentle bent more to mainteine peace then to procure warres and therefore so beloued of his people and hee to them againe so louing that during his whole gouernment which was thirtie eight yeeres the Egyptians liued quietly without trouble or warres where before Egypt for a thousand foure hundred yeeres was brought vp vnder blind priests
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 coÌmanded 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 coÌtrouersie 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 coÌquered on neither parties yeelded at last vnto necessitie and were forced to forsake the fields to withdraw themseles from destroying of both their couÌtries for the warres that was betweene the Athenians the Lacedemonians froÌ time to time was the ouerthrow of all Greece the cause arysing froÌ 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
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 coÌdemned 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 Sueââ¦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 coÌtinued 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
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 ãâã 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 ãâã 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
before so likewise you shal reade of diuers Seleucus of diuers Antiochus and of diuers Ptolomeis where I speake of the kings of Asia Syria and Egypt much errour may growe hereby without heede taking Philip reigned now in Macedonia and hauing no long time to rest but at his first entrie had warres by the Romanes for whom Ti. Quintus Flaminius the Consul was in person to offer battell in the defence of Greece the rather for that Philip king of Macedon ayded Hannibal against the Romanes with all the force he could Philip prouided all things ready a man might thinke that Philip had force and power sufficient against a Consul of a citie being a king of a whole Realme and surely so he had had not Titus by his eloquence wonne al Greece against Philip and yet before this time the Grecians bare no great good will to the Romanes as Plutarch affirmeth Diuers times Flaminius offered battel to Philip but still refused by Philip auoided fearing such hard fortune as his predecessors had he kept the top of the mountaines with his armie that when the Romanes forced to gette vp the hilles they were receiued with dartes slings and shotte that lighted vpon them from the toppes of the hilles that the Romanes were sore anoyed But after they found meanes to winne the hilles by the aduise of Charopus a great man of Epirus Titus diuided his armie into three troupes and himselfe went with one of the three Philip lost then about two thousand souldiers the Macedonians fled and the Romanes spoiled their campe tooke all that they found in their tents Titus had some aduertisement that Philip fledde by Thessalia the Consul with great modestie did forbeare the spoyling and wasting of the Countrie hereby he wanne many friendes Philip was most desirous to haue peace with Titus and it was offered him vpon condition that he would that Greece should be at their libertie and remoue his garisons out of their Citie this Philip refused and thereupon all Greece came in and offered themselues vnto Titus without compulsion Nowe hauing Greece on his side he went towardes Thessalie with great hope to ouercome Philip Titus had in his armie about sixe and twentie thousande fighting men as Plutarch writeth king Philip on the other side had no lesse in number they beganne to march the one towardes the other neere the Citie of Scotusa there they determined to trie the battell where Titus gaue the ouerthrow and slue eight thousand in the fielde and tooke fiue thousand prisoners in the chase Philip was driuen to entreate for peace which was graunted vnto him vpon the condition before offered and taking one of Philips soÌnes in hostage sent him to Rome to the Senate for then Hannibal of Carthage a great enemie of the Romanes was ouercome by Scipio Affricanus and banished out of his Countrie and commen to king Antiochus whom hee perswaded with all diligence to followe his good fortune and the encrease of his Empire Hanibal sought still to finde occasion to make warres with the Romanes and went about to bring Antiochus to ioyne with Philip two mightie kings against the Romanes In the meane time Titus had commissioners sent from Rome to ayde him and to assist him in the affaires of Greece willing him to looke to the Cities of Corinth of Chalcides and of Demetriade and to make sure that they should not enter into league and allyance with Antiochus and all the rest of Greece to set at libertie this was done by Titus and proclaimed by the Heralde and authorised by the Senate of Rome that all Greece should be free from all taxes impositions and subsidies After that Titus had sent Lentulus into Asia to set the Bargilians at libertie and Titillius into Thracia and Publius Iulius sent to king Antiochus to set the Grecians at libertie Titus himselfe went to the Prouince of Magnesia and from thence to Argos to set the Greekes at libertie which were vnder Philip and Antiochus from Argos returned into Rome after foure yeeres warre with Philip sauing that Pu. Sulpitius had the charge against Philip the first yeere being then Consul of Rome before Titus time who for the time of his being in Macedonia gaue two ouerthrowes vnto Philip king of Macedon and forced him to flee in great danger of his life But to returne to Titus who being called to Rome by the Senate came in solemne triumph with king Philips sonne before his chariot brought at that time saith Plutarch infinite treasures and leauing Philip to pay to the Romanes a thousand talents beside and not to molest and vexe the Cities of Greece and that it was not lawfull for Philip to warre or to fight out of his owne kingdome vnlesse he should be required thereunto by the Romanes Thus Philip being daunted of his great courage and much weakened in strength by the Romanes hauing two sonnes the one named Perseus the other Demetrius betweene them both grewe secret seditions and proceeded so in malice that though Demetrius was in Rome in hostage with Titus as you heard and Perseus in Macedonia with his father accusing his brother of his secrete treacherie towardes his father Philip and his countrey that the king was in offence against Demetrius and grewe more and more by Perseus soliciting the cause to doubt Demetrius hee coulde not quiet himselfe vntill Demetrius was had out of the way by poyson as Ruffinus sayeth but it was not long after but Philip had knowledge of the iniurie hee had done to his sonne Demetrius by the false accusation of his sonne Perseus hee studied howe to take reuenge vpon Perseus for the death of Demetrius and sawe no way vnlesse hee would leaue Macedonia without a king for then Perseus was the last of the line of Antigonus Thus poore king Philip being plagued by the Romanes for his kingdome and brought to a full weerinesse of his life at home by his two sonnes fell to a consumption and dyed afterhe had reigned king of Macedonia fourtie two yeeres Plutarch reciteth a historie of one Antigonus surnamed Doson that was cousin to the other Antigonus surnamed Gonates this Antigonts Doson reigned before Philippe fifteene yeeres As I toulde you before of the names of so many Demetrius so nowe the names of so many Antigonus may trouble the reader and therefore I will shewe the order of it The first Antigonus was taken to bee base brother to Alexander the great who after Alexanders dayes was taken to be the greatest and mightiest of all his successours This Antigonus had a sonne called Demetrius of whome came this seconde Antigonus surnamed Gonatas the third Antigonus surnamed Doson and after this Antigonus reigned Philip who dyed for sorowe and griefe for Demetrius death Nowe Perseus the last king of Macedonia succeeded his father Philip king of Macedonia in the fiue hundred seuentie fiue yeeres of the building of
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
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 occasioÌ 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
Alexander Ptolome the sonne of Lagi Ptolome Phila. The Bible first translated from Hebrue to Greeke Ioseph lib. 12. cap. 12. Polot Philadel Aristeus 70. interpreters Megasthenes Aratus Demetrius Theopompus Theodecta The great liberalitie of Philadelphus A talent of gold 600. crownes Antiochus Magnus The difference betweene the great Alex. and Antiochus the great The 5. sonnes of Mattathias Antiochus tyrannie Iudas Machab. Apolonius and Seron 2. princes of Syria slaine Lisias lieuetenant to Antiochus the great Machab. lib. 1. cap. 5. Melancthon 2. Chron. Iudas Machabeus sendeth to conclude peace with the Romanes Iudas Machabeus slaine Machab. lib. 1. cap. 9. 10. Alexanders armie against Demetrius Demetrius slaine Alexander maried Cleopatra Cleopatra giuen to Demetrius Iudas victorâ⦠Ionathans victorie Ieseph lib. 13. cap. 3. Strife betweene the Iewes and the Samaritans 3. sectes of the Iewes Lacedemonians came from Abraham stocke Triphon yong Antiochus tutor The falshood of Triphon Ioseph lib. 13. cap. 8. 9. Ioseph lib. 13. cap. 14. Simon and his two sonnes slaine Hircanus Simons sonne Ioseph lib. 13. cap. 16. 17. 3838 Aristobulus Antigonus Samaria the second time destroyed Ioseph lib 7. 2. Macca cap. 1. The first vse of the Synagogues after the captiuitie Samaria the seconde time destroyed Hircanus died Aristobulus slewe his brother Antigonus the first king of the Iewes after the captiuitie Aristobulus death Alexander the third brother The vnquiet state of the Iewes The tyranny of Alexander 800 of the Iewes hanged Antiochus Griphus slaine Seleucus his sonne Ptolomeus Lamyrus slewe 30000. Iewes Alexandra Aretas king of Arabia ayââ¦ed Hirââ¦us Aââ¦istobulus with his two sonnes caried to Rome Alexander taken brought to Rome by Gabinius Hircanus had both his eares cut off by his brothers sonne Antigonus The ende of the Machabees race Antipater the first gouernour vnder the Romans Antipater poysoned Marcus Anthonius Herod and Phasaelus accused Hircanus the high Priest Herode made king of Iurie Herââ¦ds 3. sonnes Archelaus Herod Antipas and Philip. Ioseph lib. 17. cap. 9. 10. 12. Archelaus was banished Iudea The continuance of Hierusalem Ioseph lib. 6. cap. 6. de bello Iudaico Hippicos the third tower Iââ¦sephus a Iewe borne The long continuance of Ierusalem Fiue times Ierusalem taken and destroied The miserie of Hiââ¦rusalem Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 7. C ham to Egypt Sem to Asia Iaphet to Europe Abraham read in Egypt Of Noah ãâã after the flood Thul assur Tiglat Phulââ¦ssar Melancthon lib. 1. Herodot lib. 1. Herodotus lib. 1. Iosephus Strab. lib. 16. Herodot lib. 1 Melancth lib. 1. Chap. 10. Melancth lib. 2. Chron. ãâã 5. in Belo ãâã Belus the 2. king was the first cause of idolatrie 2. Gene. 15. Berosus lib. 5 in Nyno Pharnus king of the Medes slaine Iustine lib. 1. Zoroastres king of Bactria slaine by Nynus Lib. 3. de Fabu antiquo gestis The kingdoms of the Assyrians continued 1240. Nynus 3 king died Functius Nynus Epitaph Semiramis Diodo lib. 2. Beros Lib. 3. Aniââ¦us in Beroso de Semira mide Berosus lib. 5. Many of the best writers vse Berosus though he is had in contempt Genesis 14. Bela is Zoar. Abraham rescued his nephewe Lot The ouerthrow of the 5. kings of Sodome Gomorrha and Seboim The first kind of common weale Melchisedec blesseth Abraham Arius the sixt king of the Assyrians Caspians and BactriaÌs made subiect to the Assyrians Aralius the 7. king of Assyria Lib. 16. cap. 44. Baleus the 8. king of Assyria Functiââ¦s in fabula Assyrioââ¦uÌ The kingdom of Argos began in these dayes Armatrites 9. king of the Assyrians Sem dieth Belochus Priscus 10. king of Assyria Baleus 11. king of Assyria Diodo lib. 1. Iacob and his children remoued to Egypt The misery of the Israelites in Egypt 430. yeeres Altades 12. king of Assyria Functius Beros lib. 5. Eusebius in Chron. Functius Mamitus thâ⦠13. king of Assyria Sabel lib 4. Eââ¦eadum Plinie lib. 5. cap. 12. Strab. lib. 16. Genes 22. Mancaleus 14. king of Assyria Nothing worth the writing of the old kings of Assyria The beginning of Berosus historie and the end of the same Sparetus 17. king of Assyria Eusebius in Ascatades 18. king of Assyria Lamprides 22. king of Assyria Iudg. 19. Sosares the 23. king of Assyria Iudg. 4. Lampares 14. king of Assyria 3. Iubilee More written of the kings of Assyria then can be proued 2. Reg. cap. 19. Beroaldus lib. 4. cap. 6. Dionys. Halic lib. 1. Iudg. 6. 7. Pannias 25. king of Assyria Here endeth the kingdome of Assyria Iudg. 9. The fourth Iubilee Sosarmus 26. king of Assyria Hercules killeth Cacus The Lord punisheth Israel for sinne Ishai borne Tautanes the 28. king of Assyria Hercules gamesat Olympia Iudg. 12 Abesan the 10. Iudge The first rauishment of Helen by Theseus Tautanes the 29. king of Assyria Samsâ⦠the last Iudge of Israel Ocnâ⦠Bianor builded Mantua The 7. Iubilee Hispane deuided into prouinces The birth of Dauid Dercillus the 31. king of Assyria The kingdom of Lacedemonia at this time beginneth The beginning of the kingdome of Corinth The Arke is taken away from Israel by the Philistines Saul the first king of Israel Codrus the last king of Athens Ruffin in Com. Euphoreus lib. 4. de asse 2. Sam. cap. 7. Ruff. in Com. Medon the first iudge of Athens Arcestratus the third king of Lacedemonia The antiquitie of the Chaldeans and Assyrians Moses the first Historiographer of the world Diââ¦lor lib. 6. 3. King cap. 6. Carthage builded Ioseph contra Appionem lib. 1. Laosthenes the 33. king of Assyria The 9. Iubilee The kingdom of Israel deuided Here the kings of Iudae beginne 1. King 11. 14. Functius The first destruction of Ierusalem Pyrithides the 34. king of Assyria 3. King 11. Seââ¦a king of AEthiopia Elias and Elizeus borne The middle age of the world Nadab the second king of Israel Baasha the third king of Israel Asa the fifth king of Iuda Capua builded Eutropius lib. 1. The kings of Corinth after Bacis were called Bacidae Zambri killed Ela king of Israel Zambri burned himselfe Omri the sixt king of Israel builded Samaria Nepher king of Egypt Achab the seuenth king of Israel Famine Tââ¦ber before called Albula ââ¦iuius lib. 1. The first kingdome of Assyria ended vnder Sardanapalus which coÌtinued 1350. yeeres The last ouerthrow of the Assyrians by Arbaces The maner of Sardapalus death Nabuchodonosor named Hercules Isai. 14. Arbaces king of the Medes and Persians Belochus king of Babylon 4 Reg. cap. 15. 4. Reg. cap. 13. Salmanasser the third king of Assyria 4. king cap. 17. The kingdom of Israel destroyed by Salmanasser 262. by Bucholcerus Chap. 16. Osea cap. 10. Iere. cap. 50. Melancthon lib. 2. Saneherib 2. King 18. 2. King cap. 19. Sannaherib slaine by his sonnes Ioseph lib. 10. cap. 1. Herodot lib. 2. The Chaldeans Functius lib. 1. Comment Lib. 10. cap. 2. Asserhaddon succeeded his father Sanneherib Merodach Ieremie cap. 50. Eusebius from Herodotus doeth differ Isai 39. Merodach sendeth
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 their gouernment and continuance 327. Of the generall gouernment in all the cities of Greece from Lycurgus time the king and the lawmaker in Sparta vntill the comming of Xerxes the great the 4. king of Persia into Greece of Lycurgus lawes among the Lacedemonians and of Solons lawes among the Athenians 333. Of the huge armie of Xerxes of his preparations both by lande and by sea of the pompe and pride of Xerxes in his iourney to Greece of his shamefull great ouerthrow and ignominious flight from Greece againe into Persia and of the flourishing state of Greece at that time 339. Of the ciuill discention in Greece after Xerxes time howe euery citie was in armes one against another of their Peloponesian warre which continued 27. yeeeres to the ouerthrow of Greece by Philip and after by his sonne Alexander the great 347. Of the last destruction of Greece by the Macedonians by meanes of ciuill discord and the Peloponesian warres the onely cause of their ruine and confusion at what time king Philippe brake their backes and his sonne Alexander their neckes And after them last of all the Romanes kept them in perpetuall seruitude 362. Eusebius Iosephus Zonaras Theo. Bibliander Strabo Xenoph. Thucydides Herodotus Plutarchus Archilogus Diod. Siculus Functius Orosius OF THE MACEDONIANS OF the kingdome of Macedonia of their continuance lawes and gouernment of their kings and of their warres vntill the time of Alexander Fol. 372. Of the renowme and fame of Macedonia during the raigne of Alexander the great of his conquests and victories ouer all the East of his dangerous warrs in India Egypt and in Scythia and of the subduing of Darius and the taking away of the Monarchie from Persia into Macedonia 382. Of the diuision of Asia and Syria after the death of Alexander the great betweene his captaines for hee left no king to succeede after him but the sword So many kingdomes were voyde by his death that his captaines that fought then vnder Alexander for wages and spoiles fought now for kingdomes and Empires Of their warres and of their continuance 393. Of the Romane warres with king Philip and his sonne Perseus the two last kings of Macedonia of their ouerthrow by Paul Aemilius and of the ouerthrow of false Philip and counterfaite Andriscus by Q. Metellus in his last conquest of Macedonia 404. Glareanus Theo. Bibliand Plutarchus Q. Curt. Liui. Plinius M. Scotus Orosius Florus ASIA AND SYRIA OF the warres of the kings of Asia and Syria with the Romanes of their succession in the warres and of the continuance of their kingdome after Alexanders death Fol. 413. Of that wicked and most blasphemous king Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus the great and the type of Antichrist of his vsurpation and tyrannie of the kingdome of his sacking and crueltie in Ierusalem of his bloody warres and persecutions of the Christians 420. Of the last destruction of Asia and Syria through their ciuill dissention and long warres one against another the onely cause of their bondage afterward to the Romanes vnder whom they liued as subiects and all Asia and Syria made prouinces vnto Rome 429. Eusebius Appianus Eutropius Valerius Max. L. Florus Liuius Functius and the Machabees AFFRIKE AND LIBYA OF the first Affricane warres betweene the Carthagineans and the Romanes which continued 24. yeeres and of the victories of the Romanes ouer them Fol. 436. Of the second Affricane warres betweene the Carthagineans and the Romanes which endured 17. yeeres during which time Hanibal held terrible warres with the Romanes which brought the Empire of Rome well nigh to Carthage but at last by Scipio Affricanus the warres were ended Carthage ouerthrowen Affrica wonne and Hanibal forced to flee 443. Of the thirde and last Affricane warres betweene the Romanes and the Carthagineans which endured foure yeeres of the ouerthrowe of Carthage and Numantia of the ruine and last conquest of Affrica by the Romanes 453. Liuius Appianus Plinius Polybius Orosius Eutropius Dionys. Halic Val. Maximus L. Florus Frontinus And all the Romanes OF ITALIE OF the antiquitie of olde Italie first called Ianicula and then Saturnia of the beginning of the kings of the Latines the first kingdome of Italie of their lawes and gouernment from Faunus vnto Aeneas and from Aeneas vntill Romulus Fol. 459. OF THE ROMANES 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 Fidenates and of his triumph ouer king Acron 467. Of the gouernment lawes and orders of Rome after Numa Pomp. time vntill the ende of Tarquinius the proud the last king of Rome of their warres and victories during this time ouer their neighbours about them of the enlargement of the Citie of Rome and of their territories and last of the banishment of their king 480. Of the first change of gouernment in Rome from a monarchie vnto Aristocratia at what time one Dictator and two Consuls were appointed to gouerne the people in the roome of kings of their good gouernment lawes warres and victories vntill the Tarentine warres where Pyrrhus began to ayde the Tarentines against the Romanes 493. Of the warres and victories of the Romanes ouer king Pyrrhus called the Tarentine warres vntill the Carthaginean warres of their victories and triumphs had ouer Italie with diuers other forraigne nations and kingdomes 507. Of the Romane warres and of their conquest ouer Carthage Numantia and all Asia and of their diuers victories and triumphs ouer other nations during the time of this Affricane warres 514. Of the conspiracie of Lucius Catilina 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 Affrica by Scipio the younger and also surnamed Affricanus the younger 524. Of the alteration and change of the common wealth of Rome from Aristocratia to Monarchia againe as before from kings to Consuls so nowe from Consuls to Emperours the state was altered by Iu. Caesar the first Emperour and last Dictator of Rome and so from Iu. Caesar vnto the ende of Nero which was the last of the progenie of Augustus 536. From Nero the tyraunt the sixt Emperour of Rome vntill the time of Lu. Antoninus Commodus the cruell the 18. Emperour a match meete for Nero in the one the stocke of Caesar was extinguished in the other the blood of Antoninus ended and quite failed two Emperours of like condition and maners of the gouernment of them ouer Rome from Nero to Commodus during which time reigned 12. Emperours 550. Of the good Emperour
M. Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher and of his sonne CoÌmodus of the difference in their gouernment of the loue which the father had in Rome and of the hatred and contempt which the sonne had of the murthers and slaughter of diuers Emperours from M. Antoninus the 17. Emperor vntill the time of Dioclesian the 38. emperor 562. Of the rest of the Emperours of Rome after Dioclesians time at what time their Empire at Rome beganne to decay for that the dignitie of the olde Emperours were diminished by reason that Constantinople whom Constantine the great had so enriched and beautifiedwith their auncient monuments of Rome that olde Rome was hereby defaced and newe Rome thereby florished so that the Empire was diuided betweene two Emperours the one to be at Constantinople the other at Rome 576. Liuius Trogus Pomp. Florus Valerius Max. Eutropius Suetonius Egnatius Tacitus Voriscus Cassiodorus Blondus Iosephus Plinius Appianus Sabellicus Orosius Beroaldus Polybius Dionys. Halicar Herodianus FuÌctius with others THE TRYALL OF MARTYRS OF the try all of the Martyrs of God in the primitiue Church from the first persecution vnder Tiberius the third Emperour in the which Stephen was stoned Iames beheaded Philip hanged with infinite more tormented and persecuted vntill the third persecution which began vnder Domitian the twelfth Emperour of Rome Fol. 587. From the third persecution vnder Domitian the 12. Emperour vnto the sixt persecution vnder Sept. Seuerus the 22. Emperour of the constancie of faithfull Martyrs euery where in the Church of God of their godly liues their deaths and their glorious victorie ouer Satan 593. Of the tyranny of time froÌ the sixt persecution vnder Seuerus vntil the ninth persecution vnder Dioclesian the Emperour of the zeale and constancie of the godly in their martyrdome and of the tyranny and wickednesse of the kings of Persia and of the Emperours of Rome at that time in the persecution of the Church 600. From Dioclesian vnder whom the vehementest persecution of any reigned vntill the reigne of Alexander Seuerus by whose good meanes and great traueile persecution somewhat slaââ¦kt at what time diuers heresies began fresh in many places of Asia and Europe 608. Eusebius Euagrius Ireneus and Functius table OF SPAINE OF the antiquitie of Spaine and of the originall of their kings and of their continuance from Tubal vntill Hispanus during which time they were called by diuerse seuerall names as Caetubales Hiberi Celtiberi and Hispani Fol. 617. From the time of Hispanus by whom they were called Hispaniards vntil the monarchie and the names of kings ended after what time Spaine was diuided into peculiar prouinces and seuerall dominions after the reigne and gouernmeÌt of 24. kings froÌ Caetubal the first vnto Mellicola the last 626. From the dissolution and change of the kingdome of Hispaine into prouinces and dominions vntill they were subdued by the Carthagineans and Affricanes vnder whom they were subiects vntill Scipio Affricanus time at what time both Affrica Carthage and Hispaine were made tributaries vnto Rome 633. From the time that the Romanes conquered Hispaine vnto the time of the Vandales the third conquest of Hispaine and from the Vandales vnto the Gothes victorie ouer Hispaine the fourth conquest from the Gothes vnto the Saracens the fift conquest of Hispaine 641. From the time that the Saracens possessed Hispaine vntill the time of Ferdinandus the great and Alphonsus king of Aragon 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 countrie was Spaine and conquered so many times vntill Ferdinandus time 647. For the histories of old Hispaine fewe haue written of it as Annius Manethon but since they were conquered by the Romanes all Romane writers speake of them by the reason of the Affricane warres as Liui. Trogus Pomp. Lu. Florus Blondus Beroaldus Functius and many more of late But of olde Hispaine Io. Annius Manethon Diodorus Siculus Ritius Iornandus Boufinus OF GALLOGRAECIA OF the beginning and original of the natioÌ which was called Galgreekes or Gallograecians of their inuasions spoile and slaughter in many countries in Asia and of their ouerthrowe by Cn. Manlius who with great pompe triumphed ouer them at Rome 655. From Francus the 16. king of Fraunce then called Sicambri vntill the time of Farabertus the 12. in number after Francus of the warres inuasions and victories of the enlargement of their kingdome from one king to another vntill Farabertus gouernment during which time they were called Franci after the name of Francus 669. Of the continuall warres which the Frenchmen had still in seeking for the quiet possession and the whole gouernment of all Fraunce from the time of Farabertus vntill the time of Pharamundus during which time they were called Franci for as they were before called Sicambri from Marcomirus vnto Francus foure hundred and odde yeeres so nowe from Francus vnto Pharamundus they were called Franci foure hundred and odde yeeres that wellnigh nine hundred yeeres they were before they coulde possesse the kingdome of Fraunce 675. From Faramundus the first king that had all Fraunce in his hand and from whom al Historians and Chronographers beginne the historie of Fraunce who beganne his reigne in Fraunce in the yeere of our Lorde and Sauiour 420. of the lawes gouernment and warres from that time vnto Clodouaeus the first Christian king of Fraunce and so vnto Clodouaeus the second of that name and the 12. king after Pharamundus 684. From Clodouaeus the second who began his reigne 645. vntill the reigne and gouernment of Charles the great the patrone and onely mirror of France by whom chiefely the Frenchmen florished in famous renowme and in whoÌ all the lawes relikes and monuments are established 697. From Charles the great the onely king of Fraunce in fame of whome all the states of Fraunce holde their lawes monuments and other ceremonies belonging to their inaugurations crowning and their seuerall pompe of his warres and victories against the Saracens of his diuers conquests euery where and of the taking of the Empire into Germany 703. Tritemius Pau. Aemilius Arnol. Ferronus Io. Tilius Ritius Blondus Beroaldus Plutarch Functius T. Liuius Diodor. Siculus The briese for Britaine I gathered out of these Authors Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Diodorus Siculus Strabo Gildas Giraldus Guidonius Ponticus Verrunnius Iu. Caesar. OF THE CREATION OF the world and of the continuance of the first age therein from Adam vnto Noah IN the beginning of all beginnings when GOD had made the vniuersal frame of the whole world of nothing the earth being without forme or shape couered with water and the water couered with darkenesse The first creature that was made was light of some learned men supposed to bee the creation of Angels for the Sunne the Moone and the Starres were created the fourth day the rest of the sixe daies workes is set
Prophets but most of all in dignitie and honour for that lineally from Sem which first builded Hierusalem the Messias and Sauiour of the world according to the flesh descended though the historie taketh no beginning but froÌ the calling of Abraham out of Chaldea into the land of Canaan so called first after the land of Israel thirdly of Iudea fourthly last called after Christ our Sauiours death The holy land or the land of Palestina the inhabitants thereof were called accordingly Cananites Hebrewes Israelites Iewes of whom either to speake or to write of their lawes their Iudges their Kings or of their ceremonies or of their common wealth it was not lawfull neither for the Graecians nor for the Romanes and so affirmed by Iosephus that Demetrius Phalerius did auere before Philodelphus king of Alexandria that the Greekes nor the Latinists might translate handle or so much as to presume to write of any Hebrew historie being but prophane men as Theopompus Theodecta with others which were made blind by their arrogancie and became mad An other cause doeth Eusebius alleage that neither Greekes nor Latines were in time to write of the Hebrues histories for the greatest brag of the Greekes as Iosephus saieth and the most ancient historie of the Graecians is Homers worke they began to flourish in the time of Cyrus after that the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Egyptians and many other kingdoms of the East were decaied and their empires lost at which time the temple in Ierusalem was by Cyrus permitted to be reedified 80. yeeres before the last permission by Artaxerxes surnamed Longimanus for Plato of whom Numenius the Pithagorean doth report is called of him Moses Attica lingua loquens euen that learned Philosopher doth confesse that the Graecians had their knowledge froÌ the Chaldeans and from the Egyptians and began to be famous and great after these great kingdomes were destroyed The seuen Sages were the first wise men knowen or commended in Greece which was in Cyrus time at what time Solon liued 200. yeres before Plato which was the infancie of Greece and the first schoole of their Philosophie Now the Hebrewes being the most auncientest people euen from Hebers birth vntill Christes death which was after Christes death 2000. yeeres odde they inhabited the land called Syria called likewise Phoenicia and now in latter yeeres called Iudea of this countrey doeth Iosephus write at large both of the nature of the people and of the goodnesse of the soile Hecateus the Abederit a good Philosopher and a great writer flourishing in the time of Alexander the great made a booke in describing and commending of Iudaea I wil them to read the 16. booke of Strabo that would know the situation of Iudea where the Reader shall be satisfied with the ful description of Iudea Iosephus a Iew borne being taken prisoner by Vespasian the Emperor at the last destructioÌ of Ierusalem at the which time he wrote a great volume containing 20. bookes of the antiquities of the Iewes he wrote other 7. bookes of the warres of the Iewes a man of great industrie learned in the Hebrew and Greeke tongue and very expert in the Iewish histories saieth that Egyptians were enuious to the children of Israel for so were they called after Iacobs time which by long wrastling with the Angel of the Lord was named Israel for first they were called Hebrewes from Hebers time vntil Iacob which was 478. yeeres and odde secondarily Israel from Iacob vntill the destruction of Samaria at what time ten tribes of Israel were by Salmanassar king of Assyria Senacheribs father brought captiue vnto Assyria in the time of Osea the last king of Israel 1026. yeeres as Bucholcerus affirmeth and from the destruction of Samaria vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian they were called Iewes 786. yeeres Now the malice of Egypt towards Israel was such that they kept them in bondage 430. yeeres and euer after they were by God deliuered they still wrought euil against them and persecuted them with continuall hatred disliking their religion abhorring their ceremonies disdaining and much enuying the felicitie of the Iewes with the which the God of Israel by power and great miracles did aduance them to the abolishing of idolatrie and contemning of their false gods which the Egyptians the Chaldeans the Assyrians did adore and therfore the blessing of God was according to the promise vpon the Hebrewes first afterwards called Israel Iewes and continued froÌ Abraham to whom the promise was made vntill the time of the Messias the full accomplishment of the promise So these people bathed in blisse and being but a litle countrey few people from Dan to Berseba and of no estimation became by Gods fauour strong mightie conquerors of the greatest kings of the world So he said the Lord of all out of Sion shall my Law proceed and from Ierusalem my word This litle citie of Ierusalem chosen of God to be his seate though often for sinne destroyed and the people plagued yet still comforted to the stay of Gods Church It is written that Dauid the second king of Israel gaue these words to Salomon his sonne before he died Behold Praeparaui impensas domus Domini auritalenta centum millia argenti mille millia talentûm And againe it is writteÌ in the Chronicles that gold and siluer were as plentie in Ierusalem as stones in the street in the time of SalomoÌ for there was in the temple of Salomon as Budaeus noteth 27. millions in ready coyne This made other kingdomes to enuie the prosperitie of the Hebrewes for by iust account of Budaeus there was left before vnto Salomon by Dauid his father ten times more treasures and substance in Ierusalem then Darius the great king of Persia left vnto Alexander the great in Babylon when he conquered it this was the promise which God performed to Abraham and to his seed for euer This godly Patriarch to whom the promise was made was 50. yeeres of age when Noah died 40. yeeres before Sodome and Gomorrha were destroied At 75. yeeres was Abraham called from Vr a towne of Chaldea in the last yeeres of Ninus the first king of the Assyrians Now while Abraham obeied God from time to time from place to place exercising himselfe in the obedience of GOD famine grew in the land of Canaan so that he with few Hebrewes were forced to flee into Egypt where hee continued three yeeres at what time he taught them knowledge of the starres read Astronomie and taught in Egypt Artes and Sciences as Iosephus saieth for Abraham was brought vp in Astrologie with the Chaldeans where hee dwelt with his father Thare in Vr and from whence the Egyptians had their learning and knowledge for Egypt was as yet scant in the world knowen where some of the Hebrewes staied after Abrahams departure and multiplied in
was two discents after Iacobs children but as I sayd before hard it is to correct an errour of such antiquitie for where true records want then coniectures of men doe grow About this time Isaac died and was buried in Hebron hard by Rebecca his wife hee was accepted of God and walked in his wayes vertuous and godly he liued one hundred eightie yeeres three yeeres longer then his father Abraham liued Which Isaac liued With Sem 110. yeeres With Sara his mother 37. Arphaxat 48. Sarug one yeere Salah 78. Iacob his brother 120. Heber 139. Ismaeel his halfe brother by Abraham liued with Isaac 75 Agar 123. Thare his grandfather 35. Ioseph 29. Isaac sawe the prosperitie of his sonne Esau which gouerned all the land of Seir for the appointment of GOD was Maior seruiet Minori when Iacob had no certaine place in the world but tossed from one affliction to an other Isaac before he died saw the trauell and triall of Iacob About this time was Ioseph sold by his brethren and laied in prison in Egypt euen then Tiphon the Egyptian conspired the death of his brother Osiris with the helpe of certaine tyrants Busiris of Phoenicia Antens of Lybia Melinus of Creete with others hee killed the king vsurped the kingdome and was called thereby as Berosus affirmeth Tiphon tyrannus but he was well requited and all his confederats for they all were slaine by Orus Magnus Osiris sonne in a towne of Arabia named Anteos Rhodes was builded about this time which was named before Opheinissa the great famine of the 7. deere yeres in Egypt and in all the world began likewise about the time of Isaacs death In Assyria reigned Baleus the 11. king a man of the greatest fame after Semiramis in the 41. yeere of this Kings reigne Hercules surnamed Lybius draue all cruell tyrants and gyants out of Italy for he with continual warres for 10. yeres space wearied them and subdued them and afterward reigned peaceably 20. yeeres as both Berosus and Functius doe affirme In the 18. Dinasteia of Egypt began the Kings of Egypt to be called Pharaones a name of great dignitie not proper names but as the Romanes Alexandrians the Latines with other kingdomes vsed to name their kings Caesars Siluij Ptolomeis Arsaces so like wise the Egyptians named their kings Pharaones which began about the latter end of Isaac Sparta a famous towne amongst the Lacedemonians was builded of Pharoneus sonne whose name was Sparta and therefore after his owne name named it Sparta Alitle after this time the going of Iacob vnto Egypt was in the 130. yeres of his age where he continued with his sonne Ioseph 17. yeeres in great fauour with Pharaoh and then died after Abrahams being in Egypt 215. yeeres and before Moses went to Egypt to deliuer the children of Israel out of bondage 215. yeeres Nowe while Iacob and his familie were in Egypt with his sonne Ioseph who was solde by his brethren and by his father thought to be slaine then dwelled in Iudea Hethits Iebusites Amorites Chananites Amalakites and Pheresites this land flowed with milke and hony fertile and full of all plentifulnes for after Ioseph died in Egypt Moses was borne within 65. yeeres and in the fourescore yeere of Moses age the 145. after Ioseph died and were in the wildernesse fourtie yeeres and after had the possession of the lande of Chanaan as it shall bee hereafter said But for that the histories of the Patriarches are written in the Genesis at large and in Iosephus and specially Frigius Mosaicus in his booke De historijs patrum leaueth nothing vntouched I will forward to the birth of Moses CHAP. II. Of the birth of Moses of his fauour with God of his gouernment ouer Israel for 40. yeeres in the wildernes and deliuerance of them from Pharaoh by the direction and inctruction of God of Ioshua his successor and of his warres and victories and of his good gouernment ouer Israel for 32. yeeres and of the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes during the time of Moses and Iosua which were 72. yeeres MOses the sonne of Amri being borne in Egypt in the time of Israels bondage and throwen according to the commandement of Pharaoh vnto Nilus but by the prouidence of God Pharaohs daughter named Thermutis walking for her pleasure with her maides about the bankes of Nilus beheld a thing houering vpon the water commaunded her maide to see what it was there Miria Moses sister tended to see what should become of the childe when Pharaohs daughter sawe that it was a goodly child she much delited in him and caused an Egyptian woman to giue him dugge which the childe refused his sister Miria said Ifan Hebrew woman were there he would sucke Thermutis willed her straight to bring one and she brought the mother of Moses to whome the Kings daughter saide Take this childe and bring him vp for me and she adopted him her sonne This childe grewe both goodly and godly of whom many things are written of while yet he was in Egypt being but a childe in Thermutis armes she put the Kings diademe vpon the childes head and he threwe it to the dirt not esteeming pompe and regall shewe But after he grewe to be a man he was made a Captaine ouer the Egyptians against the Aethiopians and he ouerthrewe the Aethiopians where the kinges daughter of Aethiope called Tharbis beholding his magnanimitie with admiration of his great actions fell in loue with Moses offred him mariage and to be a kings sonne and a king himselfe afterward of Aethiope the condition he accepted vpon yeelding vp of the towne to spare blood which was done But enuie of the Aegyptians against Moses disgrasing and disdaining his fortune and threatning him to the death after the killing of the Aegyptians fearing it should come to light fled vnto the Madianits wher he maried Iethroes daughter and continued fourtie yeeres vntill the Angell appearing in a flaming bush commaunded him to goe to Pharaoh to deliuer Israel from captiuitie with whome Aaron his brother which was the first Priest after the lawe giuen was ioyned with Moses in commission to execute the commaundements of God for to Moses was granted wisedome counsel and power to doe miracles to Aaron eloquence learning and power to speake what he would Nowe by Gods mercie which to the Israelites was alwaies great and by the which they were nowe deliuered from the handes of Pharaoh after many miracles done which Nazianzenus setteth forth in few Greeke verses in Latine by Frigius Mosaicus briefly written in two lines the ten plagues of Egypt in these wordes Sanguis Rana Culex Muscae Pecus Vlcera Grando Vermes Tenebrae Pestis primogenitorum Euen then Moses caried the bones of Ioseph to be buried in Hebron by his progenitors as Ioseph had commanded when he prophecied of an other Pharaoh which shoulde entreate Israel euill This
forward God shal go before you and cast out the Cananites the Hittites the Iebusites Girgashites Perisites and the Amorites so they passed ouer Iordan drie the water staied and gaue them place in like sort as the red sea did The walles of Iericho fell downe and gaue them place to enter vnto the citie without strokes Nowe Iericho being burned diuers kings countreies and cities hearing how Iericho and Ai were destroied gathered their forces together one to helpe an other but in vaine for the Lorde fought for Israel for fiue kings rose against Iosua which were destroied and discomfited and as it is written in the 12. of Iosua thirtie kings were vanquished ouerthrowen and slaine whose names you may reade in Iosua This godly Iosua was an other Moses ruled Israel in all obedience of the Lorde conquered and possessed the land of promise and kept Gods people all his time in peace liued 110. yeeres and gouerned Israel two and thirtie yeeres Eusebius saieth thirtie and hee died two hundred yeeres after Iosephs death CHAP. III. Of the Iudges of Israel after Iosuas death vntill Saul the first king of Israel of their gouernment warres and continuance THe Hebrewes had none to gouerne them 8. yeeres after so long inter regnum continued whereby the Israelites euer rebelling against God coÌtemned the lawes despised religioÌ quiteforgat Moses Iosua the benefits of God toward theÌ a thing almost incredible that so soonefroÌ God they would fall hauing tasted of his goodnes and mercie so long for after they had entred into the lande of Canaan and had seene the promise of God performed insteed of thanks for the same they rebelled and prouoked God to anger for he suffered them to be vexed and tormented by tyrants he tooke their libertie away from them and left them destitute of all comfort and helpe yet God raised from time to time such as should defend them if they would be obedient and thankefull vnto God and although the Israelites fell to idolatrie after Iosuas death and thereby were giuen vnto their enemies handes as the tribe of Beniamin 1005. in one day slaine and so the tribe of Dan with others yet God left them not for all their ingratitude but stirred good and godly Iudges as Othoniel Ehud Gedeon and others to deliuer them in extremities The Lorde pitied them and raised Othoniel of the tribe of Iuda the yonger brother of Caleb which gouerned the Israelites 8. yeeres animated them againe to goe to warre against the king of Syria whom God deliuered to the hands of Othoniel and brought them to the fauour of God that Israel had rest 40. yeeres 32. vnder Iosua and 8. vnder Othoniel yet still Israel offended God and committed wickednes before the Lord so long vntill that Eglon king of Moab was by God appointed to bee their scourge Hee smote them and afflicted them and kept them vnder him 18. yeeres vntill Ehud of the tribe of Beniamin a man whome God appointed to defende and to deliuer his people euen he ouerthrewe the Moabites slewe 10000. at one time and killed Eglon the king of Moab and caused Israel to haue rest 80. yeeres the whole time of his gouernment But when this good Iudge died the children of Israel againe fell from the Lord. Then Iabin the king of Canaan had them in his power troubled and persecuted them extremely for God had sold them for their wickednes vnto the handes of Iabin and Sisera his Generall yet still his mercie continued with them for Debora and Barach of the tribe of Nephthali were of God appointed to defend the Hebrewes for Israel preuailed against Iabin king of Canaan and prospered vnder Debora and Barach while Debora and Barach gouerned which was fourtie yeeres Some writers doe interpose Shamgar to be the thirde Iudge of Israel compting Othoniel to be first Iudge that deliuered Israel after Iosua Ehud the seconde Iudge that killed Eglon and then Shamgar which slewe of the Philistims sixe hundred with an Oxe goade Nowe while these thinges were done amongest the Israelites reigned in Niniue Pannias in Athens reigned Pandion the 8. king of the Athenians About this time Bithinia was builded Gedeon the first Iudge one of the tribe of Manasses after that Israel committed wickednes was sent by God to deliuer them from the Madianites who at that time oppressed Israel miserably but they alwaies in great extremities at the last pinch when necessitie forced them and miserie oppressed them according to their wonted maner cried vnto the Lorde and he heard them and helped them by Moses in Egypt and in the wildernes by Iosua to come to the lande of Canaan and in the lande by Othoniel in often deliuering Israel from the king of Syria by Ehud in sauing them from Eglon the king of Moab whome Ehud most boldely and zealously killed in his priuie chamber by Shamgar in defending them from the Philistims of whome he slewe sixe hundred with an Oxe goade by Barach and Debora from Iabin king of Canaan and Sisera and nowe by Gedeon whom God raised to defend them and to deliuer them from the Madianites who preuailed much against Israel for both the Madianites and the Amalekites brought Israel into so great misery that they made them dennes in the mountaines and caues to hide themselues from the Madianites After seuen yeeres oppression and affliction then they cried vnto God when they were most afflicted and persecuted and not before But the mercie of God was with them for all their vilenes and stubbornes Gedeon was called by God to be their aide who ouerthrewe the Madianites and ouercame the Amalekites not by strength or force of Israel but by the workes and wonders of God as you may reade in the Iudges at large for with three hundred Gedeon slewe one hundred and twentie thousand of the Amalekites Madianites and Arabians And though Ephraim murmured against Gedeon yet he appeased them and reuenged him selfe on them of Succoth and Penuel Reade the 8. of the Iudges you shall be satisfied By Gedeon nowe againe Israel was restored to the former libertie and dignitie hauing vanquished the Madianites and slaine Oreb and Zeeb two of their princes and their heads brought to Gedeon beyond Iordan Nowe reigned Panninas in Niniue the fiue and twentieth king of the Assyrians Pandayon of that name the second king after Cecrops reigned in Athens Euristheus the first king of Mycena this was that king whose fame was great in Greece he brought the Argiues and their kingdome subiect vnto Mycena which kingdome continued from Iacobs birth vntill Gedeons time fiue hundred and fiftie yeeres during which time reigned foureteene kings ouer the Argiues About this time reigned in Troy Ilus the fourth king of this kings name Troy was called Ilion being first called Dardania by Dardanus who first builded it in the last yeere of
writers suppose this Abesan to be the Prophet Dauids Grandfather for Ishai Dauids father was borne in the time of Iair in the which time happened inter regnum for 18. yeeres whereby the Hebrewes were compelled to serue the children of Ammon and the Philistims They were in great miserie this time vntill Israel repented which was the onely repentance acknowledging of sinnes we can reade of Israel described in the Iudges at large This Abesan had 30. sonnes and 30. daughters and he sent his 30. daughters to bring other 30. more for his sonnes and when he had gouerned 7. yeeres he died and was buried at Bethlehem Then Elon came in steede of Ieptha he was of the tribe of Zabulon and he iudged Israel 10. yeeres and died and was buried in the Countrey of Zabulon After him Abdon of the tribe of Ephraim iudged Israel 8. yeeres Of these three last Iudges there is nothing left in memorie woorth the writing During this time in Niniue gouerned Tanteus the 29. king of the Assyrians Mezentius gouerned the Tuscans but being driuen by the people called Vitulones out of his chiefe citie he fled vnto an other citie of his called Carites and from thence gathered a great armie and went in armes against Aeneas with Turnus Protheus the Egyptian a Priest of great Ianus flourished this time Likewise happened this season a great deluge in Egypt called diluuium Pharaonicum in so much that the Isle of Pharaoh was drowned with water Agamemnon reigned nowe in Mycena of whom Thucidides doth make mention in the preface of his first booke About this time Helene againe was taken away by Paris hereby the Grecians did gather a great armie for rescuing of Helene after Messengers being sent vnto Priamus and being denied of restoring of Helene the Greekes prepared for warres 1210. nauies as Dares Frigius writeth After this greatwarre the Latines beganne their kingdome ouer whome Aeneas after Latinus time was the first king hauing married Lauinia Latinus daughter All these things were done in the beginning of the sixt Iubile at which time reigned in Athens Demophon the 12. king of the Athenians and one Mopsus reigned in Cilicia of whome they were named afterwarde Mopsecrenae Then after Abdons death Israel had no Iudge for fourtie yeeres but continued in their wickednes and offended the Lorde whereby they were oppressed by the Philistims vntill the birth of Samson of the tribe of Dan whom God had blessed with many vertues as streÌgth courage godlines zeale to reuenge the people of god vpoÌ the Philistims This was the last Iudge of Israel but for that the historie is written in the 13. 14. 15. and 16. of the Iudges I will omit other things for during the time of Samson which was twentie yeeres Israel was by the Philistims much molested and fourtie yeeres after Samson when the Israelites were gouerned vnder Ely the high Priest Nowe the Iudges of Israel ended that gouernment which God deliuered them euen from Moses death vntill the birth of Samuel 357. yeeres adding thereunto 40. yeeres of Moses gouernment doeth make the continuance of the Iudges of Israel to be 380. and 17. About this time Orestes the sixt king of Mycena slewe Pyrrhus the sonne of Achilles in the Temple of Apollo for after Orestes time there reigned no more kings in Mycena but Orestes sonne named Tisamenus after whome succeeded Penthilus and after him Cometes the last king of Mycena After this Cometes descended the stocke of Heraclides which afterward came from Peloponesus and tooke Mycena Thus ended the kingdome of Mycena who beganne their gouernment in the time of Gedeon at what time the kingdome of the Argiues was translated vnto Mycena where reigned 10. kings whose names are these Perseus Stelenus Euristheus who was accompted a second Hercules for his worthines After him Atreus Theistes Agamemnon Orestes Tisamenus Penthilus And Cometes the last king The continuance of these kings was from the beginning of Gedeon vntil the beginning of Elie the high Priest which was 157. yeeres so long continued the kingdome of Mycena Now after Samsons daies the house of Israel began according to their vse not to thanke God for his benefites but stil discontented murmuring against God seeking newe Magistrates newe lawes wearie of their gouernment and of their Iudges most desirous of change stubborne people and a wilfull nation idolaters rebellious and factious alwaies by disobedience offending their God God followed their humors they had what they would and they did what they listed they had Elie the high Priest for their Iudge 40. yeeres in his time the Arke was taken by the Philistims his sonnes slaine and himselfe fell from his stoole and died After Elie the high Priest died they had Samuel for their Prophet but they still cried out for a king for neither Iudge Priest nor Prophet might please them but a King and therefore God commanded Samuel to anoint Saul to be their king But first I will lay downe the names of all the Iudges that iudged Israel from the first vnto the last After Moses and Iosua succeeded 1. Othoniel of the tribe of Iuda 2. Ehud of the tribe of Ephraim 3. Debora of the tribe of Ephraim 4. Barach of the tribe of Nephthal 5. Gedeon of the tribe of Manasses 6. Abimelech the bastard of Gedeon the tyrant that slew his 70. brethren 7. Thola of the tribe of Issachar 8. Iair of the tribe of Manasses 9. Iephthe of the tribe of Manasses 10. Elon of the tribe of Zabulon 11. Abdon of the tribe of Ephraim 12. Samson the last Iudge of the tribe of Dan. After these Ely the Priest and Samuel the Prophet Now God had commaunded Samuel to annoint Saul their king saying vnto Samuel They haue not cast thee away but they haue cast me away euer since I brought them out of Egypt to this day because they were not content with the order that God had appointed but would be gouerned as the Gentiles were CHAP. IIII. Of the third change of the common wealth of the Hebrewes first from Oligarchia vnder the Patriarchs secondly from Aristocratia vnder the Iudges now to a Monarchie vnder Kings which Israel cried out and neuer ceased vntill they had a king NOw Saul was king of Israel in the beginning of the 7. Iubile at what time Tineus gouerned the Assyrians and Melanthus gouerned Athens for though Saul Samuel gouerned together 40. yeeres yet Saul gouerned as a king as both Iosephus and Ruffinus affirmed not ten yeeres He had good successe in the beginning of his warres for God gaue him the spirit of strength and courage against the Moabites Edomites Ammonites and against the Philistines till Saul disobeied God in sparing of Agag for the which Samuel reprooued Saul and the lord reiected Saul and his kingdome was gluen to Dauid For after the great victories of Saul of those afore rehersed nations 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 meÌ 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 conteÌted 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 AbrahaÌ 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 IerusaleÌ 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 vpoÌ 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 meÌtion 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
Iuda from Samaria vnto Bethoron as they returned from Amazias to Samaria backe and Amazias after the victorie he had ouer the Idumeans brought their gods and their idols of Seir and set them vp to be his gods and worshipped them But the gods of Edom brought Amazias to the handes of Ioas king of Israel and he was afterwards slaine by conspiracie fleeing from Ierusalem to Lachis While Amazias reigned in Iuda Ioram liued in Samaria and gouerned Israel and Ioram also gouerned Iuda of that name and at that time so two Iorams reigned together one in Iuda the other in Samaria after whome succeeded Ieroboam his sonne in Israel In the time of Amazias king of Iuda Sardanapalus reigned in Assyria their last king after whom the Assyrians lost their Monarchie for Belochus had Babylon and Niniue the two chiefe seates of the kings of Chaldea and Assyria Arbaces helde Media and Persia vnder his gouernment Hitherto neither the Assyrians nor Chaldeans molested Israel but afterwards God stirred them vp for his scourges to punish Iuda and Samaria for their idolatrie and after them the Medes and Persians were as though they were the hammers of God to destroy offenders After Amazias succeeded his sonne Vzias named also Azaria him did all the people of Iuda make king in steede of his father he was but sixteene yeeres of age when he began to reigne in Israel VVhile he obeied God he prospered in all his enterprises Hee ouerthrewe the Philistims brake downe the walles of Gath and Ashdod God helped him and prospered him against the Arabians and the Ammonites hee builded towres in Ierusalem and towres in the wildernes his fame spread to Egypt and all the nations about Ierusalem were vnder his winges but he waxed proude vsurped the Priestes office and he was punished and driuen out of the Temple and the leprosie rose in his forehead for he transgressed against God to presume to burne incense which was the Priestes office in the Temple being forbidden and resisted by Azaria and foure score other Priests Therefore he liued afterwards as a leper vnto the day of his death in a house by himselfe Vnder this king Esai began to prophecie and he prophecied 80. yeeres the fall of these great kingdomes Egypt Syria Assyria Chaldea and Tyre Hee likewise prophecied of Kittim and of the Macedonians This Prophet was by Manasses king of Iuda martyred cut in his middle with a sawe Nowe during the time of this king Vzias ruled in Israel Zachariah the sonne of Ieroboam being the last king of Israel that had the kingdome by succession of Iehu for hee was the fourth in descent from Iehu for so the Lord said to Iehu Thy sonnes shall sit on the throne of Israel vnto the fourth generation after thee Shallum reigned a moneth king in Samaria and Manahem slue him and reigned in his stead In the 39. yeere of Vzia beganne Manahem to reigne in Samaria he likewise sought not God but with money sought the fauour of Phulasser king of Ashur the father of Salmanassar and graundfather of Saneherib infidels and enemies of God and therefore God was wroth so that Manahem prospered not and his sonne Pekahia succeeded him in Israel and reigned two yeeres and died Nowe after Vzias dayes his sonne Ioatham succeeded him in the kingdgme of Iuda a man of great vertue godly and iust and seeking to please God Hee builded many ruinous things by reason still of warres and he was carefull to mend things amisse so that Ioatham became mightie because he directed his wayes before the Highest he fought with the Ammonites and preuailed and they paied him tribute The Olympiads of Greece began in the second yeere of Ioatham About which time Romulus the first king and builder of Rome was borne In Ioathams dayes beganne first the kingdome of Lydia Ezechias also was borne this time some suppose that in Greece Lycurgus the lawe maker of the Lacedemonians florished in these dayes after whom the kings in Lacedemonia failed and the gouernement was altered Nowe when Ioatham had reigned sixteene yeeres Achas succeeded in Iuda wicked vngodly cruell and a great Idolater like his predecessours hee made moulten Images for Baalim he burned his sonne and sacrificed him vnto Idols and deuils and therefore the Aramites smote him and Pekah king of Israel slue in Iuda sixe score thousand in one day and tooke prisoners two hundreth thousands and brought all the spoiles and treasures vnto Samaria Thus Iuda was destroyed vtterly almost ouerthrowne at that time Achas after this great slaughter did sende to Salmanasser king of Ashur gaue him golde and siluer and promised him more money but it helped him not for Achas sacrificed to the gods of Damascus and to the gods of Aram or of Syria which was the onely cause of his destruction which Esai the Prophet had warned him of After hee had reigned in Iuda sixteene yeeres hee dyed in whose dayes Romulus and Remus beganne to build Rome Dionysius writeth that the walles of Rome were begunne in the one and twentieth day of Aprill and in the first yeere of the seuenth Olympiad After this spoile and great slaughter of Iuda Salmanasser king of Ashur came vp against Samaria after that Hosea had reigned nine yeeres of the which he payed tribute for eight yeeres and in the ninth of his reigne he was taken prisoner and the Citie of Samaria giuen to the Babylonians and to the men of Hamath and to the men of Succoth and to the other strangers which the king of Ashur brought to dwell in Samaria in steade of the people of Israel and the tenne tribes of Israel were caried away captiue vnto the Cities of the Medes Thus was Israel dispossest from glory and libertie and caried captiue by Nabonasser vnto Assyria after they had continued two hundred fiftie and three yeeres after Salomons dayes and after the going of Israel out of Egypt seuen hundred seuentie and nine yeeres in the tenth Olympiad This last thraldome fell vpon them for idolatrie and blassphemie which Israel against their God committed hauing so often tasted of his mercie and seene his workes in defending them alwaies euen from their going out of Egypt where they were in slauerie and bondage 430. yeeres vntill nowe againe they are caried captiues and bondmen from Samaria their natiue countrey vnto Babylon 779. yeeres after their going out of Egypt for they so prouoked the Lorde to wrath euen from Ieroboams time who builded Dan and Bethel and erected golden calues therin to be worshipped vnto the time of Osea the last king during which time 19. kings reigned in Israel of the which not one walked before God sincerely but with horrible blasphemie most wicked idolatry they worshipped idols and images wherefore God gaue them ouer one to kill an other and one to destroy an other vntil Nabonasser which is Salmanassers time
said vae mihi This Iosephus saw with his eies heard with his eares who wrote this historie A greater wonder then all these The true Messias Christ 40. yeeres before told of this yet was not beleeued Ierusalem as it was oftentimes was neuer destroied but they were warned before by the prophets of God but they would not know the time of their visitation and therfore came these euils vpon the Iewes the towne sackt and made euen to the ground their temple burned themselues slaine destroied and scattered from the face of the whole earth Now Ierusalem being thus destroyed the temple burned the people slaine and the king Zedechia taken prisoner and brought to Babylon where he died Nabuchodonosor like a fierce Lion proceedeth forward inuaded Syria subdued the Ammonites and the Moabites brought his armie to Egypt slew the king subdued the countrey and brought those Iewes backe to Babylon that had fled from Ierusalem to Egypt This was the miserie of the Iewes and the last confusion of Iuda The historie of this king concerning the last end of the Iewes no where may be better read then with the Prophets Nabuchodonosor had a sonne called Euilmerodach who after the death of his father enlarged Iechonia from prison and vsed him princely for Iechonia in respect of Ierusalem and the people therein being by Ieremie the prophet perswaded thereto yelded himself his wife his children his nobles and all the two tribes vnto the hands of Nabuchodonosor Ieremie Ezechiel and Daniel haue laid downe the ful historie of Nabuchodonosor and of Euilmerodach and of Balthasar the three last kings of the Chaldeans in whose time the empire of Babylon was had away from the Chaldeans vnto the Persians by Cyrus This was the stocke of Dauid being 21. kings after Dauid lineally from his bodie descending ended whose names are these 1 Salomon 2 Rehoboam 3 Abia. 4 Asa. 5 Iosaphat 6 Ioram 7 Ochosias his mother 8 Athalia 9 Ioas. 10 Amazias 11 Azaria 12 Iotham 13 Achas 14 Ezechias 15 Manasses 16 Ammon 17 Iosias 18 Ioachas 19 Eliacim 20 Ioachim 21 Zedechias The kingdome of Iuda caried capââ¦ue by Nabuchodonosor into Babylon after it had continued After the death of Salomon 395. yeeres After the flud 1709. yeeres After the natiuitie of Abraham 1416. After the burning of Sodom and Gomorrha and the other three Cities 1317. After the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt 912. After the destruction of Troy 577. From the natiuitie of Dauid 505. From the dedicating of Salomons temple 412. And after the taking of Samaria and the destruction of the ten tribes of Israel 133. yeeres CHAP. VII Of the returne of the Iewes into Ierusalem after the captiuitie first by the decree of Cyrus after by Darius and last by Artaxerxes of the second building of the Temple by Esdras Nehemia and Zorobabel and of the gouernment vnder the high priests AFter the captiuitie of the Iewes Daniel grew in great fauour with Nabuchodonosor being by God instructed to expound the dreames of the king and to vanquish Bel and all his priests and to conuert Nabuchodonosor to acknowledge God after he saw a dreame of foure beastes which came vp from the sea one differing from another The first was a Lion which had Eagles wings and the wings thereof were pluckt off and a mans heart was giuen him meaning the Chaldeans and the Assyrians which were strong and fierce and yet their power ouerthrowen by the Persians power The second beast like a Beare which had three ribs in his mouth betweene his teeth meaning the Persians which were barbarous and cruell The third was like a Leopard which had vpon his backe foure wings of a fowle this beast also had foure heads signifying Alexander the great with his foure captains which after Alexanders death had the empire among them for Cassander was king of Macedone and Antipater after him Saleucus had Babylon and Asia the great and Antigonus had Asia the lesse and Ptolomeus had Egypt The fourth beast which Daniel sawe was fearefull and terrible it had iron teeth it deuoured and brake in pieces and stampt the residue vnder his feete This was meant by their Romane empire a monster exceeding all kind of beasts for the tyrannie and greedines of the Romanes excelled the rest for that which the Romanes could not quietly enioy in other countries they would giue it to other kings vpon condicion to take them again when it pleased the Romanes To this Daniel was the vision of the 70. weekes opened by the angel Gabriel who enformed him and instructed him of the time of the Messias comming saying 70. weekes are determined vpon the people and vpon the holy Citie to finish the wickednes to seale vp sinnes to bring euerlasting righteousnes and to annoint the most holy Now at what time the 70. weekes began some controuersie there is some from the first edict of Cyrus some from Darius and some from the time that Daniel spake it and others from the 7. yeere of Artaxerxes Longimanus which was 80. yeeres after the first commandement of Cyrus The captiuitie of Babylon fell at that time when Tarquinius Priscus raigned in Rome after whom the Romanes had no more kings after but two so that the Iewes and the Romanes were gouerned by a state called Aristocratia of the Iewes The 70. weekes and the very last yeere of the captiuitie was likewise the last yere of the Assyrians Chaldeans for euen they which saw the destruction of Ierusalem sawe also the destruction of Babylon and what spoile soeuer Nabuchodonosor brought from Ierusalem vnto Babylon the same did Cyrus in the last yeere of his raigne restore with a commaundement giuen to all the princes that ruled vnder Cyrus to suffer the Iewes againe froÌ all places where they were scattered to returne to Iudea to builde vp Ierusalem againe and to repaire the temple and if any were not able through pouertie to returne king Cyrus commanded that they should be furnished with necessaries for God raised vp Cyrus to bee a friend to his people and hee called Zorobabel who was the chiefe gouernour of the Iewes The nomber of them that returned from the captiuitie of Iuda with the bountifulnes of Cyrus towardes them you may in the booke of Esdras reade at large For after that Cyrus was slaine by Tomiris in the warres of the Massegits his sonne Cambyses succeeded him who by the Samaritans complaint commaunded the Iewes to staye from the building and from their repairing of Ierusalem which continued 9. yeeres after Cambyses returning from Egypt died at Damascus after hee had subdued Egypt succeeded Darius the sonne of Histaspis Hee againe in the 2. yeere of his raigne authorized the Iewes to do as Cyrus had commanded them for so Darius found in a coffer of Cyrus in Ecbatana a booke wherin the acts of the kings of Medes Persians were written and the decree
of Cyrus which he also established by the meanes of Zorobabel in pleasing the king for his probleame as it is written in Esdras But God still exercised his people with some crosses because of their stubbernes for from the time they came home vnder Zorobabel they had maried with the Gentiles and offended God vntill the comming of Esdras from Darius with authoritie to build to repaire and to inhabite Ierusalem for so doth Bucholcerus in his Chronicles write saying that Daniel doeth comprehend in two words Ierusalem inhabitabitur aedificabitur the whole summe of Esdras bookes Nowe in the time of Darius of Cambyses before him and of Cyrus before Cambyses God stirred vp diuers excellent men to helpe his people to restore his Church and to builde his city againe as Zorobabel Esdras Nehemias with others whose care delight and zeale are extant in their owne bookes which they wrote For after their returne from Babylon there was peace and tranquilitie in Iudea vntil Ochus time for Nehemias liued 130. yeres and saw being very old a new broile and a greater calamitie of his couÌtrey for though the posteritie of Dauid coÌtinued vntil the time of the Machabees as gouernors Iudges of the people not naming themselues kings for the reuerence and feare which they bare vnto the kings of Persia. Salathiels sonne first gouernor of the Iewes after the captiuitie of Babylon Zorobabel of whom mention is made in Zacharie ruled Israel wisely discreetly 50. yeres Resa Mesulla the 2. gouernour in whose time Nehemias and Esdras came from Babylon to Ierusalem After him succeeded Iohanna Benresa the third Iudge who gouerned Israel 53. yeres The 4. was Iudas Hircanus the first of that name and thought of Melancthon to be so called for that Ochus king of Persia brought with him a nomber of the Iewes to Hircania and therfore Iudas was sirnamed Hircanus This iudged Israel when Alexander conquered Darius raigned 14. yeres Then Ioseph the first ruled the Iewes 7. yeeres The 5. ruler after Ioseph came Abner to gouerne the Iewes in whose time Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi the first king of Egypt after Alexander the great vnder pretence to do sacrifice vpon the Sabboth day tooke the towne spoiled the temple slew imprisoned the Iewes and brought to Egypt infinite treasure Now after this Abner the 6. Iudge since the time of AlexaÌder succeeded of Dauids stock froÌ Abner to Ianna Hircanus the 2. who was the last of 15. gouernors ouer the Israelites after the captiuitie for they coÌtinued euen vnto the time of the Machabees After this Haman plaied his part and thought to haue al the Iewes slaine coÌmanded a gallowes to be made for Mardocheus the historie hereof is found in the booke of Esther for about the time of Cyrus death the gouernment was then altered in Rome Consuls were made after the building of Rome 244. yeres in the 67. Olympiad in the beginning of the 9. Iubilie at what time Cambises had subdued Egypt brought them subiects to the lawes of Persia After Cambises Darius went against the Getes and ouerthrew them and his chiefe captaine Zopirus sonne Megabisus vanquished the Thracians and subdued the Peonians and tooke Perinthus During this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Policrates the tyrant of Samos The Philosopher Pythagoras and Hippocrates the Phisition liued this time While the Iewes as you heard were in planting themselues in Ierusalem againe the Graecians were busie one with another Tyrants ruled Greece and gouerned by the bloodie law of Draco for Hipparchus and Hippias vsed tyrannie in Athens and were slayne both by Hermodius and Aristogiton Aristagoras a tyrant reuolted and rebelled against Darius which mooued Darius in armes against the Ionians and ouerthrew them and tooke their chiefe citie called Miletum A litle after Miltiades the chiefe captaine of Athens by the councel of Callimachus the famous Graecian ouerthrewe Darius king of Persias lieutenant called Hippias in the battell of Marathon where he slewe 6300. Persians as both Thucidides and Iustine doe report This ouerthrow of the Persians was at that very time when Tarquinius superbus made his last battel with the Romane Dictator Posthumius where he was put to flight and after died in exile Aristides surnamed the Iust was banished this time from Greece and Alcibiades called backe to Athens from his banishment Now Nehemia causing the law of Moses to bee read as an ordinance to serue God and reproouing them for their disobedience in ioining themselues with strangers they were in some quietnesse for a time though sometime murther and slaughter were betweene themselues committed for the which cause Bagoses the generall of Artaxerxes armie vnderstanding that the high Priest slewe his brother in the Temple being a deare friend to Bagoses he plagued the Iewes againe for the space of seuen yeeres and reuenged his death with slaughter and tribute he placed Iaddus in the office of the priesthood in his fathers place This high priest had to his brother one named Manasses which was sent to Samaria by Darius the last king of Persia. A little while after this Alexander the great after that his father Philip died hauing brought his armie ouer the Grecians sea called Helespont vnto the riuer of Granicus hauing subdued the Lydians Tyre besieged and taken Thebes wasted and spoiled al Asia he ouerthrew Darius the king of Persia carying his souldiers through Caria inuaded Pamphilia came ouer Euphrates vnto Syria tooke Damascus besieged Tyre and Sidon and he wrote to Hierusalem to the hie Priest Iaddus that his souldiers might haue passage without interruption and also requiring the tribute that was paied to Darius to be paid to him and to the crowne of Macedonia for that Alexander had vanquished Darius and had caried the Empire of Persia vnto Greece they of Hierusalem were frighted and much amased what to doe But coÌcluding among themselues they opened the gates and the hie Priest came out with all the Priestes the Elders and Nobles of the Citie in most solemne sort to meete Alexander out of Hierusalem vnto a place named Sapha and saluted Alexander most humbly being in precious garments and pontifical robes with his sacred mitre whereupon was written the name of the God Iehoua The solemnitie and state whereof made Alexander to light from his horse and to yeelde to the hie Priest more honour and reuerence then his countreymen the Macedonians thought wel of so great a king so mightie a coÌquerour euen Alexander the great to humble himselfe to a silie priest Parmenio demaunding the cause of Alexander why he honoured the priest somuch he answered that he reuerenced God whom the hie Priestrepresented at that time for I dreamed of these men euen as I behold them nowe when I was yet in Macedonia This Priest exhorted me then to be of good courage and bade me goe forward with my armie to Persia. Thus with great honor
this tirant as Moses Iosua Dauid did to the enemies of God CHAP. VIII Of the Machabees and of the last kings of Iuda and of their gouernement vnder the Romanes and of the last destruction of Hierusalem by Titus the Emperour THey tooke courage in God they prouided to resist the violence of tyranny and when Mattathias died after one yeeres gouernement he appointed Iudas Machabeus whom hee knewe bestable in body and most willing in mind to be in armes with their God against this Antiochus and his idoles And though these brethren were not of the stocke of Dauid nor of the tribe of Iuda as you may reade in the Macchabees and in Iosephus yet they ioyned their force and power together and appointed Iudas Macchabeus chiefe captaine and ruler ouer them for in his actes he was liks a lion for the wicked fled for feare of him he killed Apollonius and Seron two princes of Syria and the most part of Antiochus armie who gathered the Gentiles and a great host of Samaria to fight against Israel who were slaine and scattered like sheepe before Iudas sworde and Iudas goeth forward against Gorgias doth the like he slue their souldiers and putteth Gorgias and the rest of his armie to flight Lysias lieftenant general of Antiochus hearing of this waxed wroth disdained his campe gathered 60000. chosen footemen and 5000. horsemen to fight against Ierusalem came to Iudea pitched his tents in Bethsura where Iudas came with ten thousand souldiers against him who with confidence in God and prayers made slue fiue thousande and put the rest to flight and Lysias himselfe escaped to Antiochus Iudas hauing these victories ouer Antiochus the great went vp to Ierusalem to repaire the Sanctuarie which lay wasted made a new altar for Antiochus had erected altar and the Image vpon it where they sacrificed according to the lawe and praysed God for their good successe Now while Iudas had vanquished the Heathens that went about to destroy Israel for they of Tyre and Sidon of Ptolemais of all Galile of the Heathens of the Gentiles were set in force against Israel after that Iudas had fought with the Edumeans Ammonites hearing of these newes Iudas gaue to his brother Simon 3000. souldiers to goe vnto Galile and he tooke his brother Ionathan with him to Galaad with 8000. and they had good successe and victorie in all their warres Antiochus in the meane season traueiling through the countrey of Persia hearing of the riches and treasures of Ptolemais besieged it but was by the Citizens forced to flee who died within a while after Lysias hauing knowledge of the kings death hee caused Antiochus Epiphanes the 2. sonne of Antiochus the great to be crowned king after his father who vsed much more extremitie in Ierusalem then his father did killing destroying the Citizens robbing the Temple and putting Idoles and images vpon the altar Being slaine in Persia his brothers eldest sonne Demetrius being at Rome came with all haste possible to Tripolis a Towne in Syria and hauing possessed the most part of Syria being their lawfull king by descent the people brought Antiochus Eupator and Lysias before Demetrius who commaunded them to bee killed before they came to his sight Now when that Demetrius was set on his fathers throne a great enemie of Iuda waxed hote to reuenge the slaughter which Iudas Machabeus made of his friends and fauourers while yet Demetrius saued himselfe in Rome Iudas perceiuing the cruell meaning of Demetrius and knowing well the power and force of the Romanes made them his friends through peace of mutuall friendship sending messengers vnto them Eupolemus and Iason brethrens children to Iudas Machabeus which of the Romanes were most louingly accepted and they sent to Ierusalem a letter written in tables of brasse wherein they had a memoriall or monument of their friendship and peace In the meane time Demetrius hauing heard of the death of Nichanor sendeth his armie against Iudas in the which battell after many ioyfull victories which Iudas had ouer his enemies he is now slaine by his enemies for he that was wont to pray to ouercome and now omitted to pray trusting to his strength and to the Romanes force was left of God to himselfe Iudas nowe being dead his brother Ionathan succeeded him and had present battell with Bacchides one of Demetrius captaines and with Alcimus and put them to flight During these broiles in Iudea Demetrius perceiuing he coulde gaine nothing by Ionathan desireth peace with the Iewes which being done Ionathan gouerned Israel quietly When Alexander the sonne of Antiochus had heard the promises which Demetrius made to Ionathan and also hearing of the courage vertue and manhood of Iudas Ionathan Simon and of the two other brethren hee sought the fauour of Ionathan and friendship of the Iewes Then Alexander maketh warres against Demetrius gathered a great host and ioyned in battell with the armie of Demetrius and the two kings fought it out vntil Demetrius was slaine Then Alexander sent his Embassadors to Ptolomeus king of Egypt signifying vnto him howe he wanne his fathers kingdome and sate on his throne requesting the kings daughter in mariage so to be in league of amitie to continue perpetual friends wherein Ptolomeus gladly consented and maried his daughter Cleopatra vnto Alexander at Ptolomais and they continued friends vntil discention fel betweene Ptolomeus his sonne in law Alexander for Ptolomeus tooke his daughter Cleopatra and gaue her to Demetrius the sonne of king Demetrius which Alexander slue a little before When Alexander heard howe that his wife was giuen to his enemie Demetrius in mariage hee came with an host against Ptolomeus his father in lawe for Ptolomeus had put two crownes vpon his owne head the crowne of Asia and the crowne of Egypt and had driuen Demetrius after the ouerthrowing of his army vnto Arabia where he had his head cut off by Zabelus and sent to Ptolomeus to Egypt who likewise died shortly after and Demetrius reigned after him All these kinges sought friendship at Ionathans hands for as Iudas Machabeus slue Nicanor Apollonius and Seron princes of Syria ouerthrewe Lysius Antiochus generall and his nigh cousin and putteth Gorgias and his host to flight as hee vanquished the heathens and ouerthrew the Citie of Ephron and wanne Bosorra with many more victories which hee had of Countries cities townes so Ionathan prospered against Bacchides Alcimus against the children of Ambrie against the princes of Demetrius so that Demetrius the king sought the fauour of Ionathan Alexander entreated for friendship with Ionathan Thus God blessed the sonnes of Mattathias because they were zealous in the lawes of God for after king Demetrius was slaine by Alexander and Alexander slaine againe by Demetrius sonne named Demetrius the Iewes all this while were quiet and so peace in Israel continued vnder Ionathan and Simon as in
Therefore Pompei the great being a heathen man and driuen to flight in the the battell at Pharsalia by Iulius Caesar desirous to know of Cratippus the Philosopher the euents of the warres betweene Iulius Caesar and himselfe demaunded of him an sit prouidentia whether the decree and purpose of God is vnchangeable Cratippus answered him though a heathen Philosopher yet like a true Christian saying Fatales esse imperiorum periodos the prouidence of God is most sure and certeine for then the Romane Monarchie beganne by Iulius Caesar the first Emperour of Rome which Pompei founde true within a while after and so Chaldea first and Assyria after so the Medes so the Persians so the Grecians and last of all the Romanes came to destruction by not confessing God neither acknowledging his prouidence as you shall reade in their seuerall histories But nowe to speake of the rest of the kings of Assyria for that they were at one time and gouerned together Belus the soÌne of Nimrod after he had as you haue heard laid the fundations of Babylon by his father Nimrod before appointed a peaceable prince quiet gentle curteous vnto his subiects vntil about the latter end of his reigne hee became to bee ambitious most cruelly giuen to enlarge the Empire of Babylon and as Berosus saith to bring all Nations vnder the Chaldeans he went about first to destroy a mightie great king in those dayes which much hindred Belus purposes named Sabatius king of Saga This Sabatius perceiuing that Belus laid secret snares euery way for him and seeing that he could by no meanes escape the hads of Belus he hid himself in a secret place with the Caspiis Annius saith in the 5. booke vpon Berosus that this Sabatius was Saturnus Now Belus being old hauing reigned 62. yeeres grew so great and so mightie that al the nations about honored him as a god he commanded Nynus his sonne a little before he died by al meanes possible to destroy Sabatius Saga and by the sword to compell all nations and countries and al people to be vnder the Empire of Babylon for that it was the first kingdome after the flood When he had reigned king 62. yeeres he died to whom the Assyrians after his death erected his statue or image they made so many monumeÌts to Belus after his death that thereby they began to commit idolatry to put vp images naming them Baal Bel after the name of Belus Nynus succeeded his father Belus the third king of the Assyrians imitating his father both by nature and by coÌmandement lost no time but streight in armes where his father subdued the most part of Assyria and Asia this king went further hauing conquered euery where vntill the coasts of Libya finding the people yet not able to resist him not acquainted with wars but seeking meanes to fortifie their kingdomes being as yet weake and tender without any great force not so strong as to resist Nynus being at that time the greatest king in the worlde which ouercame Aricus king of Arabia but some say king of Ellasar and after conquered Barzanes king of Armenia as Berosus affirmeth After he returned to Media where Pharnus king of the Medes and his seuen sonnes were slaine with their armie thence proceeded forward to Bactria where Zoroastres remained as king to whom Iustine ascribeth the first obseruations of the starres naming him the first Astrologer of the worlde after the flood this gaue Nynus a great ouerthrowe in the first battell putting the enemies to flight after he had slaine 100000. of the Assyrians Nynus hauing this foile returned with greater force ioyned againe in battel ouercame the Bactrians slue their king possessed the kingdome by the pollicie of Semiramis whoÌ afterward he maried which historie you shall finde in Diodorus Siculus at large This Nynus excelled his father augmenting the Empire of Assyria by the conquestes hee did of all Asia and of all the East kingdomes vnto the Indians hee amplified the Citie of Niniue which Assur the sonne of Sem began to builde as Iosephus and Philo Iudaeus doe affirme but Melancthon saith that Nynus two hundred yeeres after builded Niniue after Assur began it that Nynus enlarged it beautified and made it so great that it conteined foure hundred furlongs of ground which is fiftie miles after our accompt it had a thousand and fiue hundred wonderfull great towres vpon the walles it had the onely soueraignetie of the worlde and there Nynus and all the kings of Assyria kept their Courtes this was called by Nynus after his owne name Niniue it was builded in the valley of Aturia not farre from the riuer Tygris this Niniue was farre greater then Babylon as you may reade in Herodotus at large and was the chiefe seate of the kings of Assyria a thousand and two hundred yeeres some write one thousand three hundred and more Howe true Berosus writes of the pilgrimage and iourneys of Noah I referre it to the reader but hee sayeth that in the tenth yeere of Nynus the third king of Babylon after that Noah had trauailed many Countries had giuen them lawes he came to Africa from Africa after that heehad taught the people for a time he came into Italie in the nineteenth yeere of Nynus at what time Noah was eight hundred and three score yeeres olde and liued after in Italie and in Hetruria 92. yeeres for so long liued Noah which was in all 950. Many Monuments and Townes builded by Noah in diuers Countries are set written by Berosus lib. 5. and by Annius in his Comentarie Abraham was 57. when Noah died After this Nynus had reigned 52. yeeres he died and was buried in his owne Citie of Nynus where his wife Semiramis buried him so honorably with such a sumptuous Toumbe that it was the onely paterne which Artimesia the queene of Caria made for her husbande Mausolus and counted for the rarenes thereof one of the seuen woonders of the worlde Wee reade in Zenophon that Semiramis caused an Epitaph to bee set vpon one of the pillars of this graue with these wordes Mihipater Belus Iupiter Auus Saturnus Babylonicus proauus Chus Saturnus Ethiops Abauus Saturnus Aegyptus atauus Caelus Phoenix Ogiges repeating the petigree of Nynus to be the sonne of Belus the sonne of Nimrod the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham the sonne of Noah Archilogus writeth that he beganne to reigne a king ouer the Assyrians 250. yeeres after the flood In this Nynus time Abraham was borne Semiramis after her husband was dead beganne to fortifie the walles of Babylon ruled and gouerned most stoutly the Assyrians and the Caldeans 42. yeeres adding to the Empire more Regions and Countries after her husbands dayes subdued the Ethiopians ouercame the Indians and their king Staurobates which neuer was done or by any enterprised beside Semiramis but onely by Alexander the great
hee liued thirtie fiue yeeres after Abrahams dayes The tenth king of the Assyrians was Belochus Priscus and he reigned 35. yeres a righteous king of whoÌ writers make no great mention for most of the kings of Assyria be so ancient their histories by Berosus set forth so doubtfull that authorities sufficient cannot be found to write much sauing those ten kings which are mentioned in Scripture in whose time the Assyrians and the Chaldeans florished most their histories and their tyrannies done in the Church is set downe in the Prophetes by the Spirite of God the touchstone of all trueth and reserued by the holy Ghost to the vse of his Church and the members thereof the keyes of all knowledge of whom al prophane histories haue their beginning Baleus Iunior succeeded to be the eleuenth king of Assyria hee reigned two and fiftie yeeres and was amongst the Assyrians of great fame hee excelled the rest in all his warres for his predecessors euenthe best kings as Baleus Xerxes Aralius Ninus or Belus himselfe entred not so farre conquered not so much as this king did whom all writers so coÌmended and specially after Semiramis next in fame and greatnes for shee conquered vnto India this conquered India and brought the Indians vnder the gouernment of the Assyrians paying yerely tribute vnto the kings of Assyria committing themselues and their countries vnder the tuition of this king Baleus Iunior In this Baleus Iuniors time Osiris being very aged returning from all the Countries where hee had traueiled into Egypt erected vp a triumphant pillar with this inscription set vpon it I am King Osiris the sonne of Saturnus that taught in all partes of the world the vse of those things which I Osiris first found out This Trophe was kept a long time by the Priestes of Egypt in memorie of Osiris About this time Iacob and his children went to Egypt 215. yeeres after Abrahams being in Egypt and they continued so long after Abraham 215. yeeres which was the whole time of the children of Israels bondage in Egypt for from Abrahams being first in Egypt where he left to dwell in Egypt some Hebrewes after his departing vntill the comming of Moses is 430. yeeres After this reigned Altadââ¦s the 12. king of the Assyrians this aboue the rest became epicureall applying his whole studie to seeke out vaine men that could well instruct him to degenerate from his predecessours for hee sawe so much wealth in Niniue where the treasures of the kings of Assyria were that he could by no meanes know how to spend them hee gaue himselfe to all kind of vices and to followe young councel and moreouer he thought it a most miserable thing to toile to traueile himselfe with continuall warres hauing so much substance that hee coulde not foresee howe to consume them but by a decree of his young councelours so it was deuised that the huge treasure great substance which his predecessours by their conquestes had obteined should be with most ease and lesse danger consumed for this was Altades opinion hee thought it most fit to liue in pleasure and to enioy the benefites of his predecessours noting the miserie to bee such of his elders as coulde not spende them selues but spare them to others and therfore suum institutum fuit saith the historie to feede delicately to vse insolent attires to followe riotous company to frequent all kinde of pleasures and to liue viciously while he liued In this time liued Prometheus of whom the Poets make mention much as Ruffinus in his comentarie doth note This Altades reigned 32. yeeres Berosus writeth that one Hercules king of Celtiberia in the 19. of Altades brought his sonne named Thuscus vnto Italie where hee was created king After this Hercules returned backe from Italie vnto Celtiberia where hee died being very olde hee was honoured with statues and images after his death as a demie god this was before Hercules Amphitrion 500. yeeres this reigned in the yere of the world 2275. When Altades had ended his riotous life one succeeded him named Mamitus the 13. king of Assyria a man of a cleane contrary disposition to Altades This king againe assoone as he came to his kingdom exercised himselfe with care diligence to foresee the state of his kingdome lothing detesting idlenes bent himselfe to warres kept garisons had diuers armies abroad himselfe ready to performe in persoÌ that which Altades his predecessor had neglected This king grewe so great so strong that Egypt al Syria stood in awe of him which Syria as Sabellicus affirmeth was once the largest kingdom of the world hauing within it self Palestina Arabia Iudea Phoenicia Coelosyria for the Syrians are people very ancieÌt for so Plinie saith that they were before the Assyrians Strabo would haue Syria to be al one as Assyria is for so the Grecians called them This king Mamitus reigned 30. yeres was the first king of the Assyrians that began this warre in Syria Egypt for in his dayes Syria Egypt florished There is mention made of the Syrians in Genesis where Moses saith that the Syrians descended from Charmel the sonne of Nahor AbrahaÌs brother called also by the kings of Aram. Nowe after Mamitus succeeded Mancaleus the 14. king of the Assyrians this king did nothing worth the memorie for we reade of no warre in his time for the kings of Assyria being the first nations which had kings in the world grew froÌ time to time so great so mighty that they held the Monarchie of Assyria from Nimrod to Sardanapalus 1240. yeeres and more during which time fewe kings or none coulde hurt them or stand in field against them for in the East part no king of any puissance was able to encounter with the Assyrian kings for then the Assyrians onely ruled other countries were not as yet populous sauing Egypt who began to be likewise strong in processe of time none coulde resist the strength of the Assyrians but the Egyptians When Egypt grew strong these two kingdomes began to warre one with another and therefore vntill the time of Phul Belochus Salmanasser Senaherib and Nabuchodonosor mentioned in the Ecclesiasticall history no great histories are written of the Assyrian kings and then it was called new Assyria therefore nothing may be read of the first kings of Assyria for they helde their kingdome all this while without any great dangers for yet the engins of warââ¦es were ââ¦ot knowen for as Berosus began to write his histories from the going of Noah out of the arke so he continueth his historâ⦠vnâ⦠the childreÌ of Israel going out of Egypt few could writââ¦ââ¦erteinly of this time being of such antiquitie for from Ninus the third king of the Assyrians vntill Spherus the fifteenth king which nowe I haue in hand as Archilochus doth gather there is 451. yeeres This Spherus after 20. yeeres gouernment died the 16. king called of
Berosus Mameius reigned 30. yeeres and hee likewise died without any great mention made of his name Then folowed in the kingdome of Assyria one named Sparetus vnder whom the Chaldeans warred vpon the Phoenicians as Eusebius and Berosus sayth and brought the Syrians the Phoenicians subiect to Sparetus At this time happened such a terrible earthquake as Berosus doth write throughout al Assyria and Chaldea that Babylon Niniue were much thereby frighted this Sparetus reigned 40. yeeres Next folowed Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria of whom Berosus writeth that in the eight yere of this kings reigne reigned Centres king of Egypt who with all his host were drowned in the red sea This is that Pharao that resisted Moses and plagued Israel of whom I haue written in the stories of the Iewes In his time he and all his peeres nobles of Egypt were drowned in the red sea at what time the Hebrewes had such a triumph ouer their long enemies as neither the Persians had ouer the Assyrians nor the Macedonians ouer the Persians neither yet the proude Romanes ouer the Macedonians as the Hebrewes had ouer the Egyptians and therefore I will set downe the names of the kings of Assyria in this sort from the first king vntill Moses Nimrod 56. yeeres Belus 62. Nynus 52. Semiramis 42. Zamhisninias 38. Arius 30. Aralius 40. Baleus Xerxes 30. Armatrites 38. Bellochus Priscus 35. Baleus Iunior 52. Altades 32. Mamitus 30. Mancaleus 30. Spherus 20. Macaleus 2. called of Berosus Mameius 30. yeeres Sparetus 40. Ascatades 40. Of the rest of the Kings of Assyria from Ascatades the eighteenth King vnto Sardanapalus the sixe and thirtith and the last King of the Assyrians which is since the Israelites left Egypt vntill the first Olympiad at what time Iotham reigned in Iudea CHAP. II. IN the last yeere of Ascatades began Dardanus to gouerne the Troianes himselfe being the first king and first builder of Dardania then Ilion and the third time called Troy after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres for Berosus in the last yeeres of Ascatades the eighteenth king of the Assyrians ended his historie and went into Athens and read the Grecians Astronomy instructed them in the Chaldeans knowledge concerning the first age before the flood secondly the genealogie of Adam and the rest vnto the flood thirdly of the flood and of Noah by the name of Ianus of his long continuance of his traueile lawes and monuments in all Countries fourthly ââ¦ee taught the antiquitie to the Athenians of all Kingdomes Nations for the which the Athenians caused his statue to be made with a tongue gilded in his head and to bee put vp in the open schoole at Athens thus was Berosus in Athens honored with a statue I thinke it best therefore after that Berosus ended his historie of the kings of Assyria briefely to passe them ouer onely setting their names the time of their gouernment and the continuance of the same vntil their kingdome and Empire was taken away by the Chaldeans I haue already from Nimrod the first king vntil Ascatades the eighteenth king set downe their names now from Ascatades vnto Sardanapalus the last king I will likewise passe them ouer briefely 18 Ascatades the eighteenth king of Assyria reigned fourtie yeeres in his time Dardanus builded Dardania afterwarde called Troy whose building was after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres 19 Amintes succeeded Ascatades and reigned king of Assyria 45. yeeres in this kings time Moses died in the land of Moab on mount Nebo after he had brought the Israelites out of Egypt 40. yeeres 20 After Amintes folowed Belochus Iunior which reigned 25. yeeres in Assyria he had a daughter named Actosa otherwise called Semiramis who gouerned with her father 7. yeeres The first Iubilee began in the fourth yeere of this king Bellochus after Moses for from Moses death vnto the birth of Christ are 29. Iubilees 21 Bellopares reigned 30. yeeres in whose time the Israelites serued Eglon king of Moab 18. yeeres vntill Ehud the sonne of Gera slue Eglon by whose death Israel had rest 18. yeeres 22 Lamprides the 22. king of Assyria reigned 32. yeres in whose time Shamgar ââ¦dged Israel who slue 600. Philistims with an Oxe goade so God still raised either Priest Prophet Iudge or a king to defend his people About this time was the Leuites wife abused at Gibeah to death for the which cause the Leuite cutteth her in 12. pieces and sendeth her to the 12. tribes of Israel for the which villanie all the tribe of Beniamin were well nigh destroyed After Lamprides had reigned 32. yeeres hee had after him a king called Sosares in whose time as Cassiod doth write the flying horse Pegasus was inuented and so called for his swiftnesse Debora and Barac ruled Israel foure yeeres at what time they fought with Iabin Iael slue Sisera the chiefe captaine of Iabin king of Chanaan and his whole armie were ouerthrowen by Barac and Debora The historie of Ruth was likewise about this time some suppose that Obed the sonne of Boas was borne when Sosares had reigned twentie yeeres Lampares succeeded him and he continued thirtie yeeres In the fifth yeere of Lampares sell the third Iubilee after Moses amongst the Iewes Many of the Assyrian kings might haue beene omitted for any memorie they left behinde sauing that by the time of their gouernment we know how euery kingdome and when euery nation began to florish for truely they were more ancient then the rest and were the first kings of the worlde and were idle without any great warre therfore is little written of them vntill Phul Belochus time for Herodotus Ctesias and Diodorus Siculus wrote more liberally of the Assyrians then either authoritie or reason warranted them therein The greatest bragge that Saneherib called Sargon in some histories could make of his predecessours the kings of Assyria at what time he laide siege to Ierusalem hee boasted to Ezechia king of Iuda the victories and conquestes of the kings of Assyria in these wordes Tu audisti O Ezechia omnia quae fecerunt reges Assyriorum c. Hast thou not heard O Ezechias what my predecessours the kings of Assyria haue done haue they not conquered Gozan Haran and Reseph haue they not subdued the sonnes of Eden which dwelt in Thalassar what is become of king Emath and of king Arphad where be the kings Sepharuaim Hena and Iuah are not these subdued and conquered by the kings of Assyria all these kings dwelt in Syria All this bragge of Saneherib who was in the most florishing time of the Assyrians Empire their kingdome their victories their glorie and all these repetitions of Saneherib extended not yet as farre as Mount Taurus and therefore Dionysius Halicar nassaeus is in this to bee both beleeued and preferred before either Herodotus or Ctesias or Diodorus and others who wrote more largely then truely of the Assyrian kings for hee saith
Egypt so that the king of Egypt came no more out of his lande as it is written against the king of Babylon hee layde siege to Tire and wasted all the regions there about he brought vnder the king of Babylon all Libya the most part of Asia vnto the land of Armenia This king grewe so great that Philostratus doeth so set him in his histories that he passed Hercules in force and power Strabo saith that the Chaldeans esteemed more of Nabuchodonosor then the Grecians did of Hercules Nabuchodonosor made kingdomes to shake the earth to tremble and the whole worlde a forest and left almost no where vnconquered but Iudea where after all his other warres and conquests hee sendeth his deputie Nabuzaradan generall of his armie he commeth with a huge armie of the Chaldeans a great band of Aramites of Moabites of Ammonites for Nabuchodonosor had heard that Iehoiakim had rebelled after hee had payed tribute for three yeeres This was the cause of the destruction of Iehoiakim after he had raigned three yeres he was deceiued much trusting to haue ayde by Necho king of Egypt and so lost both the kingdome and himselfe This was the iudgement of God for the sinnes of Manasses and the idolatrie of Iuda not weighing the crying out of Ieremie though night and day he perswaded them to yeelde vp the Citie and to followethe Lorde for Ierusalem was full of innocent blood and therefore God vsed these wicked tyrants to execute his commandement After this Iehoiakin the sonne of Iehoiakim when he had reigned three moneths being 18. yeeres of age Nabuchodonosor fearing least he shoulde become false and so reuenge his fathers death came against him he and his mother his princes and his seruants yeelded to Nabuchodonosor by the councell of Ieremie And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah king in stead of his nephewe Iehoiakin and changed his name to Zedechia who likewise offended the Lord and would not be councelled by Ieremie but hee and his people mocked the messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets so long that Nabuchodonosor came and slue their young men with the sworde kild all and spared none But for the rest of Nabuchodonosors tyranny his crueltie and slaughter specially of Iewes they are read in the fourth booke of Kings Chap. 24. and 25. in in Esai in Ieremie This king is euery where mentioned with the Prophets and in Ecclesiasticall histories Likewise Iosephus orderly setteth downe his seuerall warres against Ierusalem first in the eleuenth yere of Iechonias he came with great force and slue the most part in Ierusalem killed the king and buried him in sepulchro asini threw him dead vnburied out of the Citie according to the prophecie of Ieremie saying Iehoiakim shal be buried as an asse is buried euen drawne and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem like a carrion neither shall any lament him neither mourne for him he tooke also the chiefe men of the Citie euen 3000. and carried them vnto Babylon amongst whom Ezechiel being yet a very young man was lead likewise captiue This was before tolde of by Ieremie the Prophet but not beleeued The second time hee came against Iehoiakin whom Nabuchodonosor aduaunced vnto his fathers seate but fearing hee would reuoult by being mindfull of his fathers death hee tooke him his mother his familie his nobles and others to the number of tenne thousand eight hundred thirtie and two and carried them vnto Chaldea yet Nabuchodonosor sware to the king to his counsell that he would spare them vpon their submission to the which the king by the perswasions of the Prophet Ieremie yelded but the tyrant kept no promise With this king Daniel Anania Azaria and Misael being of the kings stocke were taken prisoners and commaunded by the king that they shoulde bee brought vp in the Chaldean tongue to serue the king afterward The third and last comming of Nabuchodonosor was against Zedechia the last king of Iuda hee layde siege to Ierusalem eighteene moneths during which time great famine and plague with manifolde miseries more befell them and at last the destruction of the Citie men women and children slaine before the King his Princes and Nobles put to the sworde the wealth and treasure of the Citie caried to Babylon the Temple burned the King himselfe taken his children killed before the kings face then his eyes put out and caried in chaines to Babylon where hee died most miserably in prison Thus God did put his sworde in Nabuchodonosors hand as an instrument of his wrath to punish sinne Of this matter more is spoken of in the historie of the Iewes otherwayes called the Hebrewes When Nabuchodonosor had reigned fourtie three yeeres Metasthenes saith fourtie fiue yeeres the Chaldean historie reporteth that hee prophecied the destruction of Babylon being by Daniel taught and by God called to bee one of his chiefe instruments in his Church In a little before hee died hee confessed the glory and maiestie of God saying I giue thankes vnto the most High I prayse and honour him that liueth for euer who restored vnto me my kingdome my honour and my vnderstanding whose works are all trueth and his wayes iudgements for nowe I confesse that he is able to abase those that walke in pride he liued in Tarquinius Priscus time the fift king of Rome and in the eighteene Iubilee of the Iewes and in the fourtie nine Olympiads In the time of Nabuchodonosors father Dracos lawes was written in Athens Solon Thales Milesius florished the seuen Sages of Greece liued this time the Prophet Ezechiel beganne to prophecie in Babylon the fift yeere of the captiuitie For as you shall reade of the Medes and Persians and of the Romanes that they were made by God executours instruments and hammers for so the Lord spake of them saying Thou art my hammer and weapons of warre for with thee will I breake the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes by thee will I breake man and woman and by thee will I breake young olde you shall finde this phrase often rehearsed by God in the mouthes of the Prophets so God calles Nabuchodonosor his seruant saith I wil put my sword in Nabuchodonosors hand so Senaherib so Salmanasser and so Satan himselfe is Gods seruant to worke his will to obey his commandement and to execute his iudgements After this Nabuchodonosor succeeded his soÌne Euilmerodach he reigned 30. yeres he reigned one yere together with his father it seemeth that this Euilmerodach was instructed by Daniel to feare God for after that Nabuchodonosor had turned to the Lord began to be a benefactor to the Church to the meÌbers thereof this his sonne likewise when he became king of Babylon after his father in the first yere of his reigne brought Iehoiakin king of Iuda out of prison hee restored him to libertie and aduanced him to
Cranaus the second king And ouer the Argiues Crotopas their eight king CHAP. II. Of the kings of Egypt after Ramesses time sirnamed Aegyptus ' at what time Oceana was called Egypt after the name of Aegyptus before Mizreia NOw after the great ouerthrowe of the Egyptians in the red sea after a while began to raigne in Egypt Ramesses sirnamed Aegyptus after whose name Egypt was then called as Manethon writeth for at the first Egypt was named Oceana or Mizreia and the second time it was named Aerea and nowe the thirde time called Egypt as you reade before This Aegyptus after hee had vanquished his brother Danaus he vsurped vpon the Egyptians and raigned king of Egypt 68. yeeres for Egypt had not recouered her former state as yet since the ouerthrowe of Chencres and all the states of Egypt who perished in the red Sea pursuing the Israelites Of this Manethon seemeth most ignorant saying that the shepheards were driuen out of Egypt for some natural foule filthie disease as leprosie which the Israelites had affirming that Moses was an Egyptian borne in the citie of Heliopolis and that he was named Onarsiphus and became leprous and then went to the Israelites which euery where Manethon nameth Hicsos shepheards or captiues and became conuersant with them and was driuen out of Egypt with them In the beginning of this Aegyptus raigne Moses died after whom succeeded Iosua the second Iudge of Israel This time raigned in Assyria Amintes their 19. king Also Dionysius otherwise Bacchus whom the Greekes call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã subdued India and builded a towne after his owne name called Nisa in remembrance of his great victories that he had ouer the Indians Now succeeded in Egypt Myris or Moeris as Herodotus doth call him this king restored Egypt againe and recouered strength and great power and builded many notable and famous monuments worthy to be remembred he brought the riuer Nilus being out of hope to be repaired in course againe he made the lake Miris of such wonderfull bignes that he farre excelled the rest of the kings before him This Myris made the Labirinths of Egypt which after Dedalus taking an example of those Labirinths made the like in Creete imitating Myris in all points he builded such monuments for Vulcan in Egypt as Herodotus calleth them Digna Vulcano vestibula where you may reade more This king raigned fourtie yeeres in Egypt and had a sonne succeeded him of no lesse fame then himselfe named Sesostris of whom the priestes of Egypt spake much he began to augment the kingdome of Egyyt with diuers victories ouer the Syrians Phoenicians Thracians Scithians and the most part of Asia This king onely conquered Aethiopia and was king proclaimed both of Egypt and Aethiopia this king waxed strong on land and sea he made more monuments of his victories in diuers strange kingdoms leauing behinde him his statues and Images erected vp in forraine countreys some of them Herodotus doeth affirme to haue seene in his dayes which liued about Xerxes time one he saw in Palestina cut in a large stone with letters written round about his picture And about Ionia he saw two statues or pictures of this king Sesostris the one betweene Ionia and the citie of Ephââ¦sus the other as men goe from Sardinia into Smirna he was cut in two great high stones of fiue cubites length holding in his right hand a speare and in the left hande a bow being in all points of his apparell armed like an Egyptian with this sentence written betweene his two shoulders in the Egyptian tongue I haue caried this Countrey vpon my shoulders Some take these statues to be Memnon but the priestes of Egypt affirmed that it was Sesostris in his returne from his victories into Egypt euen he that caried kings captiues bound to his chariot from towne to towne from countrey to countrey In Aethopia and Egypt he had many of these pictures and many statues set vpon pillars and arches according to the maner of Egyptian triumphes This king was so honoured in Egypt and his statues after his death so esteemed that wheÌ Darius Histaspis long after that time came into Egypt being by his predecessor Cambyses conquered brought into subiection vnder the Persians yet he was not suffred by the priests of Vulcan to put his statue aboue the picture of Sesostris in Memphis affirming that Sesostris had conquered as many countreis and gotten as many victories as Darius had and beside Sesostris had ouerthrowne the strong and inuincible Scithians which Darius neuer could which speaches Darius tooke in good part and would not reuenge though well he might This Sesostris is named in Functius table Amenophis imitating Manethon the Egyptian writer where he is set downe to be the thirde in that gouernment Dynastia Larthes is a name likewise of dignitie as were Pharaos before the gouernours and potentats for in the first gouernment of Larthes which endured 194. yeres Zetus was the first as Manethon affirmeth and raigned 55. yeres After Zetus succeeded in this kinde of gouernment Ranses Larthes which gouerned 66. yeres after whom succeeded this king Sesostris the thirde Larthes which raigned 40. yeeres The fourth Larthes was named Phero the sonne of this Sesostris of which I spake last Herodotus reciteth a historie of this Phero that it happened to him to become blinde and so continued 11. yeeres at what time he was instructed by the oracle of Butis to finde out a temperat chaste woman which had neuer knowen carnalitie but onely one man and that hee should wash his eyes with this womans vrine and hee should receiue againe his sight This Phero Larthes making great speach and search for such a woman after many vaine trials he found one woman whose vrine healed him whom after he had his sight hee maried and caused all those women whose water could not helpe him to bee brought into the citie called Rubragleba red clay where both they and the citie were commaunded by the king to be burned After this Phero Larthes succeeded Thuoris the fift and last Larthes of those Potentates this king is named in Diodorus Cetes which the Greekes as Melancthon saith called Proteus for diuers illusions which he vsed in magicke whose temple was long seene after his death in Memphis To this king came Paris Priamus sonne at what time hee rauished Helen Menelaus wife from Sparta to Greece and was driuen of force into Egypt of his hard welcome there and of the kings-commandement to Alexander to depart from Egypt with threatning of death vnlesse he would be gone within three dayes with all Grecians with him sauing that the king stayed Helen in Egypt where Menelaus came after the siege of Troy and was honourably receiued by Proteus the king and welcoÌmed of his wife Helen Others write that Menelaus and Helen went both together after Troy was destroyed by force of tempest into
to the people of Egypt then his brother was who in like sort vsed them with toile and with all kinde of bondage as Cheops did and therefore the like praise they had For after they had raigned both an hundred sixe yeres during which time Egypt suffered great calamitie they disdained after their death to call them by the names of kings but suffered shepherds to lodge in their stately Piramides loathing once to thinke vpon these two kings By this time ended the gouernment of 177. vnder the Potentats during which time many things happened in other kingdomes as erection of the kingdome of Israel after Samsons time their last Iudge by appointing Saul their first king about the 60. yeres of these last Potentats of Egypt At what time the kings of Peloponesus in Greece and their gouernment of Monarchia ended priestes which were called Carni were appointed magistrates After 26. kings had raigned in Scicionum about the 80. of this gouernment the kingdome of Lacedemonia and the kingdome of Corinth beganne both at one time at what time raigned in Athens Codrus their last king after whom the state altered into the gouernment of Iudges in the 114. yeere of this Dynastia during which time raigned in Assyria foure kings and ouer the Albanes otherwise called the Latins raigned sixe kings this was the twentie Dynastie of the Egyptians this began tenne yeeres before the sixt Iubilee and ended 19. yeeres after the beginning of the ninth Iubilee In Egypt gouerned by this time Mycerinus or Cerinus in Diodorus the sonne of Cheops a iust king and gentle vsing the people with much more clemencie then either his father or his vncle did before him he opened the temples which of an hundreth and sixe yeeres were shut vp he restored all Egypt into her former libertie which had bene long in calamitie and misery vnder his father he commaunded the people to be free from their taxes and toiles and vsed them with greatlenitie hee iudged iustly and shewed himselfe such a king that all the Egyptians thought themselues happie of his gouernment for he loathed tyrannie and crueltie and was much ashamed of his fathers reproche amongst the people This Mycerinus in the middest of his good gouernment had onely one daughter that died of whom her father to shewe the great loue which hee bare vnto her made such a monument for her buriall that it past all the burials of the kings of Egypt hee caused a coffine of the likenes of an oxe to be made set ouer all with golde wherein hee layed his daughter and hanged the same vp from the ground in his pallace at the citie of Sai where euery day the priestes came with frankincense and other sweete odours to doe sacrifice the oxe of Apis which was the God of Memphis and the oxe Mneum which was the God of Heliopolis were not so set foorth as this oxe of Sai where Mycerinus daughter was buried An other misfortune was denounced by an Oracle vnto Mycerinus that hee likewise should be buried within sixe yeres after his daughter for that he altered the state of Egypt and eased the Egyptians from such bondage as they were to abide for an hundreth and fiftie yeeres of the which Cheops and Cephrim two brethren perfourmed an hundreth and sixe remayning yet behinde fourtie and foure yeeres of the calamitie which by an Oracle was appointed for Egypt and to seeke to please the Oracle Mycerinus became a little better then his father Cheops or his vncle Cephrim two tyrants that plagued Egypt After this king the priests of Egypt doe set downe a king named Asichis of whom I finde in Herodotus that he past the rest of the kings of Egypt in building and vexing of his subiects in so much that hee made one Piramides to excell the rest with this inscription This Piramides doeth passe the rest as farre as Iupiter doeth excell the rest of the gods This king is named also Anisis in Melancthon and in Functius but in Herodotus Anisis or Asichis a king who came not to be king of Egypt by succession of blood but by election of the priestes who after he had raigned sixe yeeres was driuen out of Egypt by Sabacus an Aethiopian which raigned after Anisis 50. yeeres king of Egypt this king is called Sesac in the booke of the Kings of whom you may reade more for in the fift yeere of Roboam king of Iuda this Sesac king of Egypt is spoken of After Sabacus succeeded Sethon a priest of Vulcan this king after many ouerthrowes being left and forsaken of his owne people made his complaint to Vulcan of whom he was certified in a dreame that he should haue ayde and helpe if he would meete the king of Arabia and his armie and giue him battel Being thus encouraged with a smal coÌpany of EgyptiaÌs that folowed him he camped before the city of PelusiuÌ where the armie of the Arabians pitched their tents while the first night they lay in their tents rats vermine and myse of al the couÌtrey about deuoured their arrows their bowstrings their quiuers their targets their instrumeÌts which they prepared for the warres so that the Arabians in the next morning fled In memory of this victory Sethon when he died caused himselfe to be buried in the temple of Vulcan and commaunded that his statue should be made in a stone with a rat in his hand with this sentence written about it In me quis intueÌs pius esto In that place where Herodotus doth intreat of this Sethon he seemed very fabulous saith that the Isle of Foemis swimmeth on a lake and that the priests of Egypt affirme that from the first king of Egypt vntil this kings time 341. kings are past which are 11. more kings then Manethon before affirmed during which time the sunne foure times altered his course rising in the West and going downe in the East with such other vaine and friuolous fables coÌcerning their antiquities This Sethon is named of Eusebius Spethon with whom Manethon supposeth in his chronicles that it was he that Sannaherib had warres with and after ouerthrew him for I reade in Eusebius and Iosephus who make mention of one Tarachus king of Aethiopia which came to ayde Sethon king of Egypt against Sanneherib at what time God had raised many enemies to plague Israel and Iuda for their transgressions against their God which so mercifully had saued them oftentimes as Assar Salmanasser which in the histories of the Prophets is called Tiglat Assar to whose hands God gaue ouer Samaria and tenne tribes of Israel and afterward Ierusalem to the hands of Nabuchodonosor with the other two tribes of Iuda Beniamin for both the kings of Assyria and of Egypt made a pray of Iuda as in the history of the Assyrians is more at large declared In Egypt after Sethon the priest of Vulcan died the gouernment
idolatrous superstition giuen to all errours onely acquainted with the Egyptian tongue Now Philadelphus with greater care and zeale of his countrie then any of his predecessours had before kept with him diuers and sundrie learned men as Aratus Callimachus Apollonius Theocritus Hipparchus the Mathematician and Demetrius Phalerius the Philosopher which at that time was banished from Athens and receiued in Egypt Philadelphus a prudent and a learned prince and coÌuersant with learned men knewe well that the Iewes religion their lawes their maners and their seruice of God did farre excell all the nations of the world he sent great presents and giftes to Eleazr the hie Priest then being at Ierusalem entreating him to send learned men of the Hebrewes that coulde translate the bookes of Moses and the Prophets into the Greeke tongue that Egypt might be acquainted with the worde of God aswell as Iuda to whom Eleazar sent seuentie two learned men to interprete and to translate the Bible After this hee prouided in Alexandria such a famous Librarie to the common vse of learned men as farre excelled all other Libraries And as Melancthon sayth hee caused many other thinges to bee translated into the Greeke tongue hee restored the poore Iewes that dwelt captiues in Egypt into libertie hee sent for learned men into all Regions hee honourably mainteined them and louingly vsed them that Egypt florished with sound doctrine and vertuous men for euen then Iesus the sonne of Sirach gathered in Egypt together many wise sentences and godly speaches many learned and vertuous lessons which his graundfather before had written in Ierusalem which hee nowe augmented with care and diligence and compiled in a booke which is reserued in the Church to great vse This king excelled all the Pharaos before him and all the Ptolomeis after him and during his reigne he studied to mainteine peace and to auoide warre and therefore bestowed his daughter Berenices to Antiochus surnamed Theos who offered diuers iniuries to mooue warres against Egypt but while Philadelphus liued Egypt prospered florished with all good successe but after that Philadelphus died his sonne Ptolomei Euergetes reigned twentie sixe yeeres of whom Daniel saide that the kings daughter of the South which was Berenices Philadelphus daughter and this king Euergetes sister shoulde come to the king of the North to make agreement but Daniel saide it shoulde not continue for shee shoulde bee deliuered to death and out of the budde of her rootes shall one stande vp named Euergetes and shall enter with an armie into the fortresse of the king of the North which is called Antiochus Theos and doe what hee list and shall preuaile Hee plagued the Syrians and reuenged Berenices his sister with diuers victories for hee caried captiues into Egypt their goddes with their moulten images and their precious vessels of siluer and golde for after Seleucus had lost his Nauies by a tempest on the sea hee geathered an armie by lande and gaue battaile to Ptolomei but the like misfortune fell then vnto him and the victorie happened to Ptolomei for hee was driuen to flee to Antiochia and from thence to craue his brother Antiochus helpe which then gouerned Cicilia Ptolomei hearing of these newes concluded a peace with Seleucus and returned into Egypt after he had fully requited his sisters death vpon the Syrians During Euergetes reigne the Parthians beganne their kingdome who were all named Arsaces as nowe the kings of Egypt were called Ptolomei this time the warres of Africke beganne betweene the Carthagineans and the Numidians at that time Amilcar was sent captaine generall into Spaine for Carthage in this Euergetes time certeine enterludes were appointed by the oracle of Sibilla in Rome named Floralia the fourth kalends of May in the honour of the goddesse Flora for faire weather and fruites of the earth like vnto the feast named Rubigalia which Numa Pompilius instituted the seuenth kalends of May in Rome After this Ptolomei Euergetes had reigned twentie sixe yeres he died whom succeeded his sonne Ptolomei surnamed Philopater a cruell beast and not a king but a monstrous tyrant a murtherer both of his wife and his sister Euridices whose filthy and lewde life is better to passe with silence then to expresse in writing of whome Iustine saide Noctes in stupris dies in conuiuijs consumsit letting his strumpet Agathocles and her mother Euanthea to rule and gouerne Egypt as pleased them for none might lesse commaunde in Egypt then the king nor none might doe more in Egypt then women for nothing delighted Philopator but women and dauncing and whatsoeuer Agathocles would that also Philopator would Against this king Antiochus the great king of Asia and Syria came towarde Egypt and beganne to take and spoile those Cities of Syria which held with Philopator the king of Egypt Antiochus comming forwarde towarde Egypt Ptolomei Philopator mette him and gaue him battell at Raphia a Towne in the Confines of Palestina where Antiochus the great was ouerthrowen and put to flight and forced to intreate for peace at Philopators hande and so Philopator king of Egypt gotte the victorie ouer Antiochus and recouered those Townes of Syria which Antiochus had woonne before This victorie was well gotten but not well vsed for Philopator was so puffed vp with pride and insolencie that hee thought hauing ouerthrowen Antiochus the great hee might well also ouerthrowe IEHOVAH the great entred Ierusalem spoyled the Temple slue the Citizens and made hauocke of Gods people some to bee deuoured of beastes and some to bee quartered by men Reade the Machabees further of this but specially reade the eleuenth of Daniel where the whole historie of the kings of Syria and Asia of Egypt of Persia of Greece and of the Romanes are before spoken by the Prophet There it said was by Daniel that Antiochus and all his armie should be deliuered into the handes of Philopator and after that victorie it was by the Prophete saide that Philopator shoulde waxe arrogant and proude and that he shoulde contemne and blaspheme the Lorde of Israel and the God of Iacob that hee shoulde prophane the Temple destroy the people and in his furie excell in tyrannie but at length hee shoulde not preuaile for hee was poysoned and so died after his most wicked and incestuous life leauing behinde him a sonne by his sister Euridices of fiue yeeres olde when hee had reigned seuenteene yeeres I passe briefely these Histories of Egypt for that in the historie of the kings of Syria and Asia the kings of Egypt are likewise spoken of and in the Machabees also you may reade further of this Antiochus for since the death of Alexander the great the kings of Syria and Asia could not agree with the kings of Egypt vntill the last destruction of both the kingdomes by the Romanes and therefore assoone as euer Philopator died Antiochus streight againe sought to inuade Egypt vnderstanding this Ptolomei
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 Pharaoââ¦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
countrey to florish beside themselues and therefore the Romanes sent Marcus Crassus one of the greatest men of Rome to Parthia who had such conceiptes in his head that the victorie of Lucullus against Tigranes king of Armenia and all that Pompei did against Mithridates king of Pontus were but trifles to that which hee entended for hee thought to conquer the Bactrians the Indians and the great Ocean sea For in his decree and commission to him giuen by the Senate there was no mention made of the Parthians which the Parthians knewe and therefore sent Embassadours vnto Crassus opening vnto him that hee offered warres vnto the Parthians against his decree by the Senate but Crassus more bold then wise saide that Horodes king of Parthia shoulde answere him in Seleucia One of the Parthian Embassadours fell a laughing shewing to Crassus the palme of his hande saying Haires shall sooner growe in the palme of my hand before you come to Seleucia and so with defiance of Crassus the Embassadours returned to their king telling him that he was to prepare for warres By this time Artabazes king of Armenia came to the campe of Crassus with sixe thousand horsemen promising Crassus tenne thousand more horsemen and thirtie thousand footemen but that promise was not kept for hee was assaulted by the Parthians in his countrey beside Crassus had in his armie fiftie thousand Horodes king of Parthia made ready for Crassus and appointed one named Surena his lieutenant the second man in all Parthia next to the king in experience value reputation and riches for Plutarch saith that when Surena remooued with his owne houshold onely he had a thousand Camels to carie his sumpters and two hundred Coches of Curtizans a thousand men of armes armed from toppe to toe beside another thousand more lightly armed his whole traine Court made aboue ten thousand horse Crassus thought long to giue battell vnto the Parthians but the miserable sight of the ouerthrowen Romanes which were so martyred with such torments shewing vnto their captaines their handes fast nayled to their targettes with arrowes and their feete likewise shotte through and nayled to the ground the forked arrowes fast in their bodies and so wounded with speares and pikes that the most part of the Romane gentlemen slue themselues for so did Censorinus and Publius Crassus himselfe commaunded one of his gentlemen to kill him whose head was cut off after by the enemie and brought to his father for a present whose sight killed the Romanes hearts Yet the olde Crassus shewed greater courage at that time then euer hee had done before hee made an oration to his souldiers when his heart was full of sorowe brought them examples howe Lucullus ouercame not Tigranes neither Scipio Antiochus the great without blood Thus hee comforted his people and perswaded them to turne their sorowes into furie and to shewe themselues worthie Romanes for the reuenge of his sonnes death but the inconstancie of Crassus fortune was no better then his sonne after many vnluckiâ⦠battels to bee slaine and his head to be cut off as his sonnes was and twentie thousand Romanes slaine beside Surena did send Crassus vnto Herodes the king his master into Armenia After Crassus and his sonne were thus shamefully slaine in Parthia the Parthians so triumphed of this in feastes and playes making rimes and iestes as Plutarch saith of both Crassus heads About this enuie beganne a quarrell in Rome first betweene Lucullus and Pompei and after betweene Pompei and Caesar nowe the Romanes hauing susteined such foile in Parthia and the Parthians such victorie ouer the Romanes that Horodes king of Parthia and his sonne Pacorus conceiued great pride therein but pride will haue a fall and so it fell to the Parthians After diuers great victories of many Countries Ventidius a Romane lieutenant of Marcus Antonius who fully reuenged the death of Crassus with such a slaughter of the Parthians that in the first battell that he had with Horodes he slue Pharnabates Labienus which two encreased much the Parthians fame while Labienus was in Syria two of the chiefe captaines he had in the second battell he farre excelled the first and slue many more of the Parthians in this battell Pacorus the kings owne sonne was slaine This made the victorie of Ventidius more notable this exploit was a full requitall of Crassus death so that Ventidius a meane man borne was the onely man that euer triumphed ouer the Parthians vnto the very last day of them when newes of these victories came to Horodes that his sonne Pacorus was slaine with all his armie of whom hee heard before so well of in vanquishing and ouerthrowing diuers armies both in Asia and Syria hee suddenly fell to such a furie that hee became beside himselfe that for many dayes hee was dumbe without speach and when hee spake any worde hee spake nothing but Pacorus hee thought that hee sawe him that he heard him and that he spake with him But in time after hee had recouered his former state hee imagined of thirtie sonnes he had who should be king after him at length hee bequeathed his kingdome vnto his sonne Phrahartes this was the last king of Parthia About this time much trouble was in Rome betweene Caesar and Pompei the great the ciuill warres whereof had almost ouerthrowen the state of the Romanes the which I will write of in the Romane historie nowe when Phrahartes had slaine his father Horodes and had possessed the kingdome of Parthia hee doubting lest the like murther might happen to him hee made sure woorke After hee had slaine the king his father hee also slue his thirtie brethren this tyrannie in the beginning of his gouernment made diuers gentlemen of Parthia to forsake him to flee vnto Antonius to whoÌ as Plutarch saith Antonius gaue diuers cities as Larissa Arethusa others After this hee tooke a generall muster of all his armie and of his confederates that were come by commaundement to aide him from Armenia and other places so that Antonius had threescore thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen beside thirtie thousand of other Nations This puissant armie made all Asia to tremble and yet no worthy exploite done but besieging the Citie of Phrata in Media the loue hee bare to Cleopatra was thought to be the cause of his ill lucke In the meane time Phrahartes king of Parthia being aduertised where Antonius left his engines of battell hee sent a number of horsemen to fight with Tatianus who was in that conflict slaine with tenne thousand more at that time this troubled all Antonius armie notwithstanding Antonius hasted to battell with them at what time hee put the Parthians to flight without any great slaughter of the Parthians Antonius lingering still and doing no great acte in Parthia determined to giue ouer such craftie people and though Antonius had ouercome the Parthians in eighteene
all countreis and became the only kingdom of force power whose fame and renowne was spread ouer the whole world After him succeeded Ciaxares the 7. king of the Medes this passed all the kings of Media before him and obscured the fame of his predecessors this king is named in Daniel Darius Medus as Melancthon doeth note This was he that subdued Asia and deuided Asia into nations countreys prouinces and kingdoms and the first among the Medes that deuised spearemen bowmen and horsemen and taught the Medes many warlicke feates he vanquished all the regions about Media and gathered all the force hee could against the Lydians and after brought all his armies ouer the riuer Halis and went to reuenge his fathers death Phaortes vpon the Assyrians besieged Niniue and as Eusebius testifieth he tooke the citie of Niniue and conquered the most part of Assyria except Babylon and fewe prouinces about Babylon It is written in Ruffinus that while Ciaxares layed siege to Niniue Madies king of Scythia came with great power against this Ciaxares with whom he encountred and put him to the worst scattered his armie and wan the field and remoued their siege froÌ Niniue in so much that the Scythians ruled gouerned al Asia for 28. yeres but afterward slaine and ouerthrowen by the Medes About this time Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon layed siege to Ierusalem tooke Zedekias the king burned the citie and destroyed the temple and the most part of the best Iewes were caried captiue into Babylon where Ezechiel began to prophecie both against Egypt and Babylon where likewise he prophecied the rebuilding of Ierusalem and the restoring of the Iewes after 70. yeres captiuitie There folowed in Media Astiages the 8. and last king of the Medes who raigned ouer the Medes 35. yeeres hauing onely one daughter named Mandanes of this her father thought so wel that he iudged no man among the Medes worthy of his daughter but gaue her in mariage to Cambyses king of Persia which then payed tribute vnto the Medes and were broght vnder their monarchie by coÌquest Now Astiages the king being in his town Ecbatana dreamed of his daughter MaÌdanes in this sort he thought in his dreame that his daughter made so much water at one time as filled al the streets of the city Ecbatana that it did ouerflow all Asia who when he awaked mused much at this dreame fearing the successe thereof tooke order with one Harpagus a friend of his that when his daughter MaÌdanes should be brought to bed the child should presently be killed This coÌmandement of the king troubled Harpagus insomuch that he himself detested so foule an act caused one named Mitridates a heardman of Astiages to come to his house to whoÌ he imparted the kings coÌmandement charging him to take the child and to bring him to some place where the childe might die to auoyde the displeasure of the king This poore man obeying Harpagus tooke the child delighted much in his fauour thinking in his heart that he was of some great parentage tooke it with him and hauing that time by his wife a childe borne dead hee tooke it and made as though it were Cambyses sonne buried him in a desart place and coÌmanded his wife to bring vp Cyrus as her owne childe Now when Harpagus was throughly certified that Cyrus was killed buried by this his trusty frieÌd who saw the place where the dead childe was buried supposing it to be Cyrus Harpagus therof was very glad told the king that in al things his coÌmandement was executed The king was merie al things very quiet and he doubted nothing While this Astiages was lustie and frolike Cyrus grew in the meane while to some stature being about tenne yeeres of age hauing some cause to be brought before Astyages he had some impression in his head and conceiued by imagination considering the time that Cyrus should haue bene killed and the age of Cyrus then present hee beganne to examine the matter with Harpagus and Harpagus with Midridates vntill the trueth was found Astiages being much disquieted with this Harpagus was troubled in minde fearing some mischance should happen vnto him by the meanes of this Cyrus of whom he dreamed as you heard commaunded him out of his sight and to goe vnto Persia to his father Cambyses and to his mother Mandanes and there vpon his allegeance to stay Cyrus began to feele his stomacke being very young to be very great yet for that time he obeyed the king and went to Persia where he consulted with Harpagus about the recouerie of the kingdome of Media For when Cyrus had heard how that Astiages had commaunded Harpagus to kill him and to haue him out of the way hee thought now being in yeeres fully to reuenge the said wrong he gathered his power together and had his souldiers in armes and was ready with his force to march against Astiages The bruite and great report of Cyrus preparation came to the eares of king Astiages who not being therewith a little frighted sent messengers vnto Cyrus commanding him vpon his allegeance to repaire to king Astiages To whom answere was made by Cyrus that Astiages should see Cyrus before hee wished to see him and that Cyrus would come before Astiages would haue him to come This answere of Cyrus being giuen to the king he straight commanded all Media to be in armes and with great hast with no lesse feare made his souldiers readie Nowe Harpagus hauing determined to flee from his charge being generall of the Medes vnto Cyrus When both the armies came to ioyne in battell Harpagus perfourmed promise with Cyrus forsooke the Medes and came to the Persians This first battell by reason of Harpagus and diuers noble men more of Media which reuolted was ouerthrowen by Cyrus Astiages againe gathered his force renewed his armie and came in field himselfe being general in person against Cyrus where hee was with all his souldiers ouerthrowen and his kingdome taken from him and the Empire of Media which before gouerned Persia is nowe againe brought by Cyrus vnto Persia. This was the vncertaine state of the worlde then sometime conquerours and sometime straight conquered as before you haue read of Assyria and Chaldea sometimes the Assyrians mastered the Chaldeans and againe the Chaldeans ouercame the Assyrians and so of the Medes and of the Persians for now the Persians are become lords of Media Lydia Chaldea Assyria all Asia and the most part of the East which the Medes hitherto for the space of an hundreth and thirtie yeres gouerned Asia about the riuer Halis Thus Media after it had in all continued three hundreth and fiftie yeeres from Sardanapalus vntill Cyrus time by Cyrus was ouerthrowen in the thirtie and fifte yeere of the raigne of Astiages two hundreth yeeres after the building of Rome at what time
fire vestall virgines and religious men and priestes of diuers orders as Salij Faeciales and Flamines which he instituted to serue his gods for hee was vertuous and good for when Rome was builded by Romulus Numa was borne The Cimmerians were now at this time ouerthrowen by the Scythians the Scythians entred vnto Asia and tooke Sardis the chiefest citie of the Medes and came conquering countreys and regions as farre as Palestina About this time Necho king of Egypt who a little before ouerthrewe the good and godly king Iosias is now by Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians vanquished by the riuer of Euphrates CHAP. II. Of the rest of the kings of Lydia from Ardis the sixt king vntill Craesus the last king of Lydia and of their destruction by Cyrus and the kingdome brought subiect to Persia. NOw succeeded Ardis his sonne named Sadaites the 7. king of the Lydians who as Herodot saith raigned 12. yeres but Functius saith 15. yeres Of this king nothing is mentioned with Historiographers but that in his time Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome brought a huge armie against the Veientines which being by Martius ouerthrowen had his triumph graunted vnto him by the Senators This Martius made vpon Tiber a hauen called Hostia foure or fiue leagues from Rome and a passage froÌ thence to the sea The Sabines were ouerthrowen by this king as before oftentimes by his predecessors This time was Dirachium builded and Perosina Aulus Gelius an ancient writer reporteth an historie of one Arion a Lesbian borne a man of great skil in musicke a deare friend of Periander king of Corinth trauailing Sicilia and Italy he grew in great fauour with all men in all countreys and hauing in time heaped great wealth by his arte longed againe to be with Periander in Corinth Now being shipped and well forward toward Greece the mariners vnderstanding that he had much money spoyled and robbed him of his money and after being ready to kill him he befought them with teares to spare him so much time vntil he had attired himselfe in his best apparell and to licence him to play vpon his lute and to sing two or three songs before he died to the Muses which being graunted he prepared to play and sing very loude and in the midst of his song he leapt as farre as he could into the sea where the great Dolphine a fish as histories record very much entised with musicke greatly delighted with mans voyce caried him cleane vpon his backe from the water and brought him vnto an hauen of Lacedemonia called Tenarum from whence he trauailed to Corinth and opened to Periander the king the whole course of his fortune About this time Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of Rome began his gouernment in the 41. Olympiad as Dionysius writeth in the which Olympiad Cleonides a captaine of Thebes got the victorie in the games of Olympia After Sadaites folowed Haliates the 8 king of Lydia he raigned 49. yeeres in whose time though he himselfe did nothing worth the writing yet the most part of the kings of the worlde were busie the king of Assyria was in warie with the king of Egypt This time raigned in Babylon Nabuchodonosor to whose gouernment not only Assyria but al the East kings were broght vnder his becke Likewise about this time a great band of the Scythians were driuen to flee to the Medes where they were kindly harboured much made of and well intertained vntil such time as by some coÌspiracie they were found rebellious vnto the king of the Medes then they fled from thence vnto Lydia to this king Haliates and being by him there succoured great warres grew thereof betweene the king of Media and the king of Lydia and continued vntil Astiages maried the daughter of Haliates vpon the which peace and great affinitie began to be betweene the Medes and the Lydians Herodotus who writeth this historie is thought of Functius and others to erre in the time In Egypt there raigned Apries whom Ieremie calleth Hophra whose name he ought to knowe for by this king Ieremie was put to death in Egypt In the 7. yeere of this king Haliates this Apries king of Egypt in the middest of his tyrannie God gaue him into the hands of his enemies so the Lord said I wil giue Pharao Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies as I gaue Zedechias king of Iuda And in another place the Lord saith I will giue the land of Egypt vnto Nabuchodonosort king of Babylon and Egypt shal be the wages for his armie to spoyle her spoyle and to take her praye For to Egypt flead Iuda for succour where they were put to the sword and not one escaped Now againe in Rome beganne Tarquinius Priscus the fift king of the Romanes he on the other side beganne to lay on about him with the Latins and with the Sabines that after he had brought the Latines with long warre to seeke fauour at his hande and being driuen out of the countrey by Tarquinius were forced to intreate for peace and to craue the Romanes friendship who by this time waxed so strong that all the West part of the world began to heare of the Romanes Now after that the Latins were vanquished the Sabines againe being olde auncient enemies of Rome a very warlicke nation with all force came against Tarquinius at what time their bridge was burned their tentes taken and themselues slaine and forced to intreat for truce for six yeres After the Sabines the Hetruscanes armed them against Tarquinius whose warre continued 9. yeres About this time the seuen sages of Greece florished whose names I thought good to put downe together for that they liued at one time Solon of Athens Thales of Milesia Pitacus of Mitilena Periander of Corinth Bias of Prienna Chilo of Sparta and Cleobulus of Lindia These singular wise men were in those dayes esteemed the rarest men of the world In this time the kingdome of Corinth failed in Periander the last king or rather the last tyrant and the gouernment was altered to a popular estate About that time Polymnestor a very yong man and as the historie hath termed him a boy being a feeding his fathers goats a hare by chance ruÌning by the boy folowed ranne so swiftly that he ouertooke the hare and brought her home to his father declaring the race the running betweene him and the hare to his father The matter being spread abroad the yong man was brought to the games Olympical where he wanne the victory in running and had a garland on his head as Solinus doth write Ciaxeres soÌne vnto Astiages some say his father as Zonoras in his first booke but Zenophon likewise affirmeth with Iosephus that this Ciaxeres was Astiages soÌne called by the name of Darius Medus of Daniel and of Iosephus but the Grecians named
many kingdomes as Cyrus did neither of such fauour with God for no doubt he was instructed of Daniel to know and to confesse the God of Israel as appeared by his care and diligence in ayding the Iewes after the captiuitie vnto Ierusalem in suffring them quietly to returne with wealth treasure in coÌmanding all his princes of Syria and subiects to fauour to helpe them with a decree made for the building vp of their temple vnto God which had raised Cyrus to punish the blasphemie of that Chaldean king Balthasar and to make an end of his kingdome and by Cyrus to restore the kingdome againe of Israel which was ouerthrowen by the Chaldeans Cyrus being then the onely conquerour of the world hauing vnder the Persian scepter all the East kingdomes he had in mind the woonted maners of the Scythians how they came often times from Scythia and rushed in armes vnto Asia spoiled wasted and destroyed the regions and countries about Asia Cyrus made warre vpon the Massagites which were of the stocke of the Gothes of these Messagites came the Getes and the Sueuians While Cyrus was occupied in these warres Cambyses reigned in Persia sixe yeeres so that the gouernment of Cyrus and of his sonne Cambyses were compted all one for two yeeres because Cyrus tooke his warres in hand needelesse to Scythia And beside he was warned by Soothsayers by the diuination of Swalowes which were seene in the tents of Cyrus being vnluckie birdes not to goe to Scythia for Swalowes flying about the tentes of Pyrrhus in the warres of Italie and also lighting vpon the sailes of Mar. Antonius nauies in his warres against Augustus prognosticated to them both calamitie destruction nay God with whom Cyrus should haue consulted who brought him from Harpagus clawes saued him from Astyages sword defended him from Croesus snares and gaue him so many victories God vsed the like example vpon Iosias Salomon Osias and Dauid as hee did nowe vpon Cyrus for that Gods seruaunts should knowe their infirmities and confesse that God giueth victorie for as Iosias was slaine in Mageddo by Necho king of Egypt so Cyrus trusting in his owne streÌgth was ouerthrowen with all his armie of the Massagites Cyrus head was cut off by Tomyris Queene of Scythia a woman and throwen into a great vessell ful of blood with spiteful wordes saying Satia te sanguine quem sitijsti yet Dyodorus saith his body was hanged vpon a gibbet his head throwen into a barrel full of blood for Cyrus before that time had taken Spargapises generall of the Massegites ouerthrowen the whole hoste of the Massegites and had slaine Queene Tomiris sonne Spargapises Of the histories of Cyrus reade Zenophon and Herodot where you may be satisfied of the whole life of Cyrus and also of his death In Cyrus time when the Hebrew prophets in Israel ended then the Philosophers in Greece began Thales with his successours after him in Ionia a man of great antiquitie amongst the Grecians who taught them first the obseruations of the starres the eclipses of the Sunne and Moone the diuisions of the yeere and the number of the dayes The other taught in the Confines of Italie they were called Pythagorici the one in Miletum the other in Tarentum There were in Greece before this time certeine wise and learned Poets as Homer Hesiodus and Orpheus and Linus that were had in great honour in Greece It is written by Aristobulus that Cyrus had vpon his tombe diuers Epitaphes as this O homo ego Cyrus Asiae Rex ne mihi sepulturam inuideas O man I am Cyrus king of Asia suffer Cyrus without enuie this seuen foote ofgrouÌd to couer his bones Onesicritus rehearseth in Strabo many Epigrames vpon Cyrus tombe and Cyrus himselfe in these wordes crieth out in Zenophon Non auro non argento condi sed corpus terraereddi though Zenophon reporteth other wayes of Cyrus death reciting an oration that Cyrus before hee died called before him all his Nobles to whom he made long speach concerning the immortalitie of the soule exhorting his two soÌnes Cambyses the elder Smerdis the yonger whoÌ Zonaras named Tamaraxes to vse iustice in their gouernment bequeathing to Cambyses the Empire of Persia withall the kingdoms thereunto belonging Assyria Chaldea Lydia with all the rest of his kingdomes Prouinces Territories sauing Media Armenia Cadusia which Cyrus bequeathed to his yongest sonne Smerdis Of this Cyrus read Zenophon and see how Vlisses is set forth by Homer Aeneas by Maro so is Cyrus magnified by Zenophon Cambyses succeeded Cyrus his father not in vertue and iustice not toperforme his fathers will but to breake the decree which Cyrus made after the captiuitie to the Iewes for their returne to further the temple the tyrannie of whoÌ if you list to be acquainted withal reade Herodot the 3. booke you shal know the whole life of Cambyses who after Cyrus death vsed al kinde of murthers fomed in blood raged in tyrannie gathered an armie of Persia and of Greece mooued warres against Amasis king of Egypt The cause of this warre doth Herodot in this sort set downe Cambyses had councell to aske Amasis daughter in mariage of some backe friend of his Amasis sawe the full intention of Cambyses coulde not tell well howe to answere Cambyses hee thought this way to deceiue him there was one only daughter of Aprie king of Egypt left aliue of that stocke a wise and a very faire woman named Nitetis this Amasis the king with all sumptuous tyre with golde substance plentifully did send to Persia to king Cambyses with whom shee was in great fauour loue by the name of Amasis daughter saluting her daily by that name vntill Nitetis spake these wordes O Cambyses thou art much deceiued to take me for Amasis daughter I am king Apries daughter the last of that house whom Amasis the king sent vnto you he killed my father and he nowe thus vsed you Vpon this Cambyses sent vnto the king of Arabia to licence him with his armie to haue passage to Egypt which being then graunted Cambyses spoyled wasted and burned vntill hee came to Memphis where hee thought to finde Amasis aliue but he found his sonne Psammeticus Memphis being taken by Cambyses another battell was fought by Nilus where likewise Cambyses got the victory after a great slaughter of this Herodot doth write that when triall was made of the dead souldiers whether the Persians or the Egyptians had the harder scull it was found that the Persians heads were so soft as any small thing would breake it and the Egyptians head so hard that nothing skant might breake it the reason was that the Egyptians were woont euen from their youth to shaue their heads so hardened them by the heate of the sunne that it is a woonder in Egypt to see a balde man And the Persians were wont to beare vpon their
ladies were absent came the Macedonian lords in forme and shew of ladies and perfourmed the wil of Alexander in all points when they saw occasion offred At this time Pisistratus that gouerned Athens had a sonne named Hippias which was banished his countrey for his crueltie toward the citizens and was with Darius who hearing that his brother Hipparchus was slaine made meanes to Darius that hee would vouchsafe to ayde him to his countrey which was the rather granted for that Darius was offended with the Athenians for that they aided the Ionians against him in that warre called bellum Ionicum when they tooke Sardis and burned it He caused presently a hundreth thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen to accompany Hippias to Athens who wheÌ they came within two mile of Athens the Athenians with these newes were sore afrighted stood in great doubt whether to yeelde or to resist them vntill Miltiades a famous captaine comforted them by the couÌsell of Callimachus tooke in hand to fight with the Persians He had tenne thousand of Athens and ten thousand Platenses here was his whole force but in that battel that noble fellow Miltiades and Callimachus with his Greekes gaue the ouerthrowe to the Persians in the fields called Marathon to the nomber of sixe thousand three hundreth by the counsel of Callimachus Thus much Melancthon affirmeth but Iustinus saith that there were sixe hundreth thousande Persians of the which saith hee two hundreth thousande were slaine and the rest put to flight but this warrewas after that which was at Marathon when Darius vpon the hearing of these newes was three yeeres in preparing for it With this Miltiades flourished in this warre Themistocles a gallant yong gentleman of Athens this Themistocles was wont to say after that fielde fought in Marathon and the Persians vanquished that the victories and triumphes of Miltiades could not suffer him to sleepe but his sonne Xerxes perfourmed it as it shal be spoken hereafter In Esdras it is referred to Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon whom the Hebrewes tooke to be Asuerus Hitherunto Eusebius doeth agree In this warre Pisistratus two sonnes died Hipparchus and Hippias Hipparchus Plato so commended him that he was coÌuersant with learned men he loued Simonides he brought Homers Iliads first to Athens caused the Grecians in any solemne meeting to sing Homers verses his delight was to preferre learned men and to reuerence wise men and for that onely cause he was esteemed the wisest man of Athens But to Darius againe whom Zonaras saide that he was the husband of Esther which in the Scripture is called Asuerus Melancthon writeth that Darius Histaspis was that Assuerus that maried Esther and here the history of Esther might be well brought in sauing it is in the Bible for Herodotus saith that Darius maried two women the one named Aristona which may be the name of Esther as wel as the name of Vasthi to be Atossa which was Cyrus daughter on whom he got Xerxes who succeeded after him though Artabazanes the eldest sonne by Aristona or Esther made claime to the kingdom and opposed himselfe against Xerxes yet wheÌ Darius made warres with the Grecians and afterward with the EgyptiaÌs in the which iourney Darius died he appointed Xerxes to gouerne Persia in his absence and to be king after him if he should die in warres for that his mother was Cyrus daughter and for that Cyrus was called by the Persians Pater patriae The goodnes of this king was fully proued at what time the Church was miserably afflicted by that wicked Haman and hindred by that cruel Cambyses against the decree of Cyrus he confirmed the decree and gaue licence and full libertie for the Iewes to build their temple according to Cyrus decree for God raised Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes Nabuchodonosor Euilmerodach to be pillars and defenders of his Church When Darius had raigned 36. yeeres he died in whose dayes the kings of Rome ended their kingdom and their monarchie fel to a new forme of state called Aristocratia In the time of Darius raigned Aristodemus in Cuma a towne of Italy not as king but as a tyrant with whom the barbarous nations had open warres This coÌtention betwene Artabazanes Xerxes was ended by Instaphernes but Herodianus saith by Demaratus Ariston to both their liking iudging the crown to be Xerxes according to Darius will and the request of Persia and Artabazenes so satisfied that one loued another In Darius Histaspis time raigned in Madonia Alexander Amintas sonne their 10. king Herodotus also this age wrote his history which after it was read in Athens he was of more credite amongst the Grecians though Strabo called his booke Mythistoriam fabulous histories as Budeus writeth Sophocles and Euripides liued in Darius time and Socrates was borne Darius Histaspis a litle before he died after he had heard the newes of the Grecians victorie at Marathon being before offended with the Athenians for that they inuaded Sardis now ten times more kindled to reuenge these iniuries posting all Asia and sending to all his prouinces prepared such force that he was three yeeres in prouiding men and munitions against the Grecians at which the Egyptians reuolted from Darius which were by Cambyses before subdued he then had thought to make his voyage to Egypt and appoynted Xerxes his sonne by Cyrus daughter Atossa to gouerne in his absence Persia betweene whome and his brother Artabazanes some strife as you heard before grewe about the gouernment But Xerxes after his fathers death was the fourth king of Persia who taking that warre in hande against the Egyptians which his father Darius thought to haue taken had hee not bene by death preuented not yet thinking to reuenge the Greekes vntill Mardonius his aunts sonne had perswaded him He gathered such an armie as the like is not read sauing of Tamberlane the Scythian king of whom the history is publike this great preparation of Xerxes was consulted and throughly waighed before it was taken in hand for Artabanus Xerxes owne brother thought it not a necessarie warre Mardonius his neere kinseman perswaded the contrary saying that Xerxes with that force might bring all Europe subiect to the Empire of Asia Mardonius sentence preuailed Xerxes made readie his armies the nomber were so many as scant could bee accompted for hee had twelue hundreth and seuen Nauies the Scythians and the Persians the Phaenicians which dwelt in the lande of Palestine brought three hundreth nauies the Egyptians two hundreth the Cyprians one hundrerh the Silicians one hundreth and the Licians brought fiftie nauies Dores which dwell in Asia brought thirtie they of Caria brought seuentie the Ionians an hundreth nauies the Aeolians threescore and the inhabitants of Helespont brought an hundreth nauies so that Herodotus accompts the whole nomber of the nauies to be three thousand but Iustine writeth that Xerxes had in his companie towardes Greece
and Herodotus Greece began to florish in philosophie and in all knowledge about this time In this kings time the Romanes sent to Athens for the lawes of the twelue tables at what time the Romanes created tenne men named Decemuiri to interprete the lawes About this time Titus Liuius writeth that the Frenchmen came out of Scythia first with one Marcomirus to the nomber of 489. thousand to the confines of Germanie where they were called first Nemmagi by the Saxons the second name they had of Cambra the Queene and were called Sicambri and the third name of Francus a king they were named Franci as you may reade more in the history of France But to returne to Artaxerxes whose zeale to the Church was such that he commaunded the Edict of Cyrus to be performed which was hindred by Cambyses and by Darius Histaspis his owne grandfather who after once he had permitted the Iewes to haue Cyrus decree performed a good king yet he was letted to doe that which now his sonne doeth by reason of the warres which hee had in Egypt and Greece for then warres were put to silence in Asia and in the East part At this time Artaxerxes did send Esdras with great treasures and substance to Ierusalem in the seuenth yere of his raigne to build vp againe Ierusalem to repaire the temple to restore to the Iewes their common wealth This Artaxerxes is named in Esdras to be Darius by the prophet Aggeus and Zacharie at what time a great multitude of the Iewes came from Babylon with Esdras to Ierusalem though Sisines the gouernour of Syria and Phoenicia would had hindered them had not Artaxerxes commanded to helpe them All this time Artabanus mused how he might destroy Artaxerxes to haue the kingdom for to that end before he slew Xerxes this kings father that imagination was strong with Artabanus laying the like snares to murther Artaxerxes but Artaxerxes hauing intelligence of the same and fearing Artabanus sonnes seuen stout and gallant gentlemen he gathered an armie of souldiers as though he had some secret voyage in hand amongst whom Artabanus was soonest and readiest armed and as Artaxerxes vewed his armie he spied Artabanus in armes of whom stil he stood in feare vntil he preueÌted the danger with Artabanus death to saue his owne life The Iewes toke this Artaxerxes to be Darius Histaspis sonne whom they called Assuerus by queene Esther By this good king Nehemias was sent after Esdras to Ierusalem with the like rewards as before From the seuenth yeere of this Artaxerxes sirnamed the long hand some do beginne the seuentie weekes of Daniel concerning the comming of Messias About this time Pericles died a noble Captaine of Athens that succeeded Themistocles and Plato was borne whose master Socrates flourished at that time Thucydides which liued in the time of Artaxerxes saith Themistocles was driuen from Athens and banished vnto Persia yea to come to serue this king whose father he anoyed so much and whose people he vanquished in foure great battels so vngrateful Athens was towards Themistocles Aristides Alcibiades and others of whom I do speake in the historie of Greece The Iewes had some quietnes from Artaxerxes time the fift king of Persia vntill the time of Ochus the eight king of Persia. Likewise the Grecians were in rest and had the cities countreis to vse with free libertie by meanes of this king Artaxerxes for the Athenians and the Peloponesians were made friends for fourteene yeeres of whose warre afterwarde Thucydides continueth his history and writeth the calamitie of Greece which ensued the ciuill warres of the Grecians After folowed the Peloponesian warres which continued 27. yeeres to the ouerthrowe of all Greece In the seuenth yeere of this warre died Artaxerxes after he had raigned fourtie and foure yeres this warre began before Augustus Caesar foure hundreth yeres About this time Capua was taken of the Samnits and Macedonia was in many places wasted and burned by a Thracian captaine called Sitalices Agis was king in Lacedemonia this time and Archidamus raigned in Sparta There liued more learned men in Artaxerxes time then in any one kings time and that in euery part and coast of the world and therefore it is not amisse to put them in one place for that they were at one time I meane one age especially of Romanes Grecians Esdras and Nehemias two noble Iewes Aggeus and Zacharias two godly Prophets Empedocles and Parmenides two great Philosophers Phericides an Historiographer of Syria Cratinus a great writer of Tragedies and Comedies Sophocles and Euripides the Tragaedians And Proclitus a Philosopher Democritus and Heraclitus two Philosophers Hippocrates a famous Phisition attendant vpon king Artaxarexes Ctesias a Persian Chronographer and one of Artaxerxes houshold Socrates flourished this time and Plato his scholer was yet but yong Herodotus and Thucydides two great writers Aristophanes and Protagoras whose bookes were burned in Athens by a publique Edict And a litle after Pindarus and Diogoras the Philosopher Zeuxes and Phidias two renowmed cunning men in cutting or grauing Images statues in painting most excellent which skill amongst the Grecians was much esteemed In Artaxerxes time liued Miltiades Themistocles Cimon and Pericles foure famous Athenians In Rome Lucius Sicinius dentatus a very strong man Tribune of the people of whose strength Plinie in his seuenth booke Cap. 28. and Solinus Cap. 6. In Artaxerxes time the Romanes sent to Athens for the twelue Tables which Solon had made to be had in great reuerence amongst the Grecians In Persia after Artaxerxes succeeded Darius Nothus this maried Artaxerxes sister Bibliander thought him to bee Xerxes sonne others named him Xerxes the seconde others affirming him to be Artaxerxes sonne but it is not much material for Chronographers omit to put him amongst the kings of Persia so Ctesias himselfe a Persian writer who liued in his dayes and serued his predecessour Artaxerxes While this Darius raigned in Persia the Egyptians againe began to reuolt at what time Amartheus gouerned Egypt and Orestes raigned king in Macedonia The Athenians made this time a league with the Lacedemonians likewise they concluded a peace with the Argiues and with the people of Mantinea by the counsell of Alcibiades This time gaue the Lacedemonians a great ouerthrow to the Argiues whereupon peace was concluded Agis being then king in Lacedemonia and himselfe generall in the fielde at Tegaea The state of Greece was to be lamented from time to time for as they did thinke all the world to be barbarous beside themselues so of themselues they could not agree vntil all Greece was through ciuil warres destroyed and wasted one countrey bickering at another and one citie enuying an other that they who triumphed oft ouer the strong Persians are now troden vnder foote of their next neighbours For in this Darius Nothus time when the Athenians had giuen an ouerthrow to the Syracusans the Lacedemonians
enuied so much Athens that they sent a great companie of souldiers with Gilippus their captaine to bring downe the victories of the Athenians at what time the Athenians were ouerthrowen and the Syracusans triumphed In this warre died that noble fellow Nicias the generall of the Athenian armie with many mo famous Athenians which shal be more at large in another place when we speake of Greece be declared The Rhodians this time did reuolt from the Lacedemonians whereupon the Lacedemonians sent ambassadours to Persia to this Darius to haue his friendship and to ioyne with the Lacedemonians in a league of peace for the Medes likewise as the Egyptians did before them reuolted from Darius for at that time Egypt and Media began to rebel against Darius About this time Alcibiades who succeeded Nicias in Athens had gotten a great victorie at Chalcedon ouerthrew the captaine Pharnabazus taken by Zantium and was thereby made chiefe captaine of the Athenians being absent from Athens Now when Darius had raigned nineteene yeeres in Persia he left behind him two sonnes Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon to whom he bequethed the kingdome of Persia being his eldest sonne and Cyrus his second sonne to whom likewise he gaue certaine cities and prouinces vnder his gouernment Cyrus not well contented with his fathers will hee secretly rose in armes against his brother his father yet liuing who commaunding Cyrus to be brought vnto him layd him for a time in prison and kept him in fetters of golde But after Darius time it grew to further malice and to open warres for Cyrus bearing the name of the former auncient Cyrus which was a deare name among the Persians was the bolder to fall out with his brother supposing that the Persians would the more fauour him for the names sake which in trueth among the Persians was much honoured Cyrus was from his cradle of a hot stirring minde Artaxerxes milde and gentle in all his actions hee was named first Arsicas and is with many writers so called Now when Artaxerxes was consecrated king at Pasargardes in the temple of Minerua by the priestes of Persia reports were made vnto him that Cyrus his brother had conspired his death and had layed waite to kill him of the which Artaxerxes was by his counsell perswaded to trie out the treason of Cyrus which being found out yet by the meanes of his mother Parysatis who loued Cyrus dearely hee was of that fault pardoned Notwithstanding the great courtesie of Artaxerxes towards Cyrus he after this thirsted more for the kingdome of Persia then before for this king Artaxerxes Mnemon following his grandfathers steps Artaxerxes the long handed in all goodnes and vertue hee was much beloued of his subiects honoured of his countrey and of all countreys much esteemed he gaue himselfe to heare suiters causes and to let his poore subiects to haue accesse vnto him to open their causes Now such as desired innouations and change gaue out that the greatnes of the Empire of Persia stood in neede of a king that should be alwayes in armes such a prince as Cyrus was these people stirred vp Cyrus to open warre against his brother who leauing the gouernment of Lydia being also generall lieutenant of all Asia giuen vnto him by his father Darius sent messengers vnto Lacedemonia for helpe gathered of Greece and of barbarous nations to the nomber of thirteene thousand beside his owne force and marched boldly forwarde vntill hee heard that Artaxerxes had an armie of nine hundred thousand fighting men yet Cyrus went forward and gaue him battell and diuers sore assaults but preuailed not this warre is of Xenophon excellently described and set foorth in all points In this battell was Artaxerxes hurt by Cyrus his owne hand but afterwarde the miserie and the extremitie of Cyrus was such as by Plutarch is set in the life of Mnemon The cause of this warre was ambition and the desire of Cyrus to the kingdome but as Melancthon saith the rather moued hereunto by his mother Parysatis who hated Statira Artaxeres wife to the death The great magnanimitie iustice modestie liberalitie and other singular vertues which shined in this Cyrus is of Xenophon not forgotten in his booke de Cyriminoris expeditione for after Cyrus death all those that boasted to haue slaine him were by Parysatis meanes Cyrus mother so persecuted that they died most miserably as Artasyras and Mithridates To be short this Parysatis the kings mother found no rest vntil she had poisoned the Queene Statyra her daughter in law In the meane season Agesilaus king of Lacedemon maketh warres with the Persians Artaxerxes wisely looking to the warre sendeth Hermocrates to the most part of the cities of Greece with great treasures of gold and siluer to raise the rest of the Grecians against the Lacedemonians During this garboile betweene Artaxerxes and Agesilaus Parysatis was sent to Babylon to come to the Court for the king kept not his anger long against his mother After this Artaxerxes tooke a iourney against the Caduceans sent an armie to Egypt who had reuoulted from his father and thought to recouer both Media and Egypt Nowe the King entering into some yeeres hearing of some sturre and contention betweene his two sonnes Darius and Ochus either of them aspiring into the kingdome the yonger being Ochus a valiant man but of a hot nature had some in the Court that wrought both with the king with his sister Atossa who loued him dearely as Plutarch saith too dearely by a crime betweene them both suspected Notwithstanding Artaxerxes proclaimed Darius his eldest sonne to be king to see whether the like contention and rebellion would grow betweene his children as fell betweene him and his brother Cyrus to put Ochus his younger sonne out of all hope to succeede in Persia a king after his father he commaunded according to the lawe of Persia that his sonne Darius should weare the point of his hatte right vp in token of his succession for it was not lawfull to any sauing to the king or to his successour to weare his hatte with the point vpward There was likewise a custome in Persia that when any should be proclaimed successour or heire apparant to the crowne he should request any one thing at the kings hand and haue it there was a very faire gentlewoman taken after Cyrus death in the campe by Artaxerxes who had beene in great fauour with Cyrus a Grecian borne in Ionia named Aspasia called for witte and beautie ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This woman did Artaxerxes so esteeme as when his sonne Darius craued this woman for his gift he was much offended thereby and yet must of force depart from her according to the lawe of Persia but it cost Darius his life for after Aspasia was taken againe from Darius by his father he began to be moued herein and to conspire the kings
death being wel set forward by Tiribazus for ill councell easely takes place as Sophocles saith But Artaxerxes had intelligence of this treason and layde waite to take them in that place where they had appointed to murther the king and thus they being preuented were adiudged to die according to the lawe both Darius and Tiribazus Nowe Darius being dead Ochus Darius brother stood in good hope to be next heire to the crowne and the rather by the meanes of his sister Atossa of whom some suspition was spread abroad of incontinencie betweene Artaxerxes her owne father and Atossa whom hee maried afterward yet hee feared the succession of his brother Ariaspes for the Persians honored him mst Artaxerxes had another sonne named Arsames a very wise and a valiant man whom his father loued dearely which Ochus well vnderstood and therefore hee determined to entrappe them both his malice and crueltie was such for that he knewe his brother Ariaspes to be simple and plaine he sent some secrete messengers with threatning wordes from the king forging terrible newes to terrifie his brother telling him howe the king was determined to execute extreme iustice vpon him for diuers pretended treasons proued against him poore Ariaspes was put in such dispaire of his life that he ended all with a cuppe of drinke King Artaxerxes vnderstanding of his sonnes death in such sort tooke it very heauily and beganne to suspect Ochus the more he then laid his loue altogether vpoÌ Arsames one of his bastard sonnes for he had sixe score children by coÌcubines and he had but three onely legitimate Ochus hauing brought to passe al his purpose sauing Arsames who being in the greatest fauor with the king could no longer abide to deferre his intent entised Harpaces Tiribazus sonne to make an ende of this tragedie to kil his brother which he performed which wheÌit was told the king being very weake almost gone for age he tooke it to his hart consumed the few daies which were behind of his life in great anguish sorow after he had liued foure score foureteene yeeres had reigned in Persia 62. yeres Thus the house stocke of noble Cyrus ended CHAP. IIII. Of the tyranny of Darius Ochus of his soÌne Arsames and of the vtter confusion and last ruine of the Persians in the time of the last king Darius surnamed Codomanus by Alexander the great IT was found that this Artaxerxes Mnemon surnamed with the Grecians the great was a noble wise discreete prince in respect of the succession that reigned after him Eusebius tooke this to be Assuerus which maried Esher as the Hebrues did but Zonaras Bibliander Melancthon with others affirme Darius Hystaspis as before is spoken During the long reigne of this king reigned in Macedonia foure kings one after another Pausanias Amintas Argeus and the fourth Amintas againe in Egypt gouerned Nectanebus and in Sparta after the death of Agis gouerned Agesilaus a wise valiant prince who inuaded Phrygia scattered the armie of Tisaphernes the Persian and put him to flight at the riuer Pactolus In this kings time was Lysander that so much plagued the Athenians slaine by the Thebans a man of great fame amongst the Lacedemonians diuers are of opinion that he reigned not so long as Plutarch saith some attributing fourtie as Ruffinus others 36. as Functius doth but it is not materiall hee was a iust modest and a wise king Persia Asia and all Greece and specially Iudea might so say when they sawe the tyrannie of Ochus who succeeded him About this time in Rome Camillus triumphed ouer the people called Veyans when M. Manlius and Lu. Valerius were Consuls In this Artaxerxes time liued Mausolus king in Caria of whose wife named Artimesia it is thus reported that when the king her husband died she made him such a sumptuous tombe so worthie a monument so braue a building that it was compted for the rarenesse thereof one of the seuen wonders of the world for Artemesia had the most skilfullest cunning men of that age as Timotheus Scopas Brixias and Leocharas Likewise reigned in this time in Thessalia a great tyraunt Alexander Pheraeus who was wont to burie men aliue and to put others in the skinnes of beares and wilde bores and then to set houndes vpon them to teare them in pieces others hee would binde to a post naked and woulde himselfe both shoote and throwe dartes to kill them In a battell against this tyraunt Pelopidas that valiant Theban captaine was slaine and afterward the tyraunt was killed by his owne wife In this Artaxerxes time Rome was laid siege vnto and taken by the Frenchmen but by Camillus the Romane dictator manfully rescued to the ouerthrowing of the Volcos and the Hetruscans hee subdued their people wasted their townes and afterward builded vp Rome againe repaired the Capitoll after that he had repulsed the Frenchmen and made them most willing to flee from Rome About this time two great Townes in the Countrey of Poloponesus in Greece were swallowed vp by an earthquake called Helice and Burae Plato the Philosopher about this time florished Aristotle was yet a yong man Platoes scholler fourtie and foure yeeres yonger then his master Diogenes liued this time so farre doeth Xenophons historie of the Grecians reache for hee began where Thucydides left Socrates Platoes master was nowe in Athens poisoned Demosthenes borne in the one yeere with Aristotle a famous Orator afterward Ctesias a Persian Historiographer serued this king Artaxerxes in his house Artaxerxes Ochus after he had killed his two brethren Ariaspes and Arsames succeeded his father not in iustice but in tyrannie not in gouerning of his subiects but in murthering of princes of all the kings of Persia most cruell yea Cambyses coulde not match him for after hee had played the beare at home with his owne people he plaied like the lion abroade amongst other nations specially with the Iewes who liued all this time in tranquilitie enioying Halciones dayes in building vp Ierusalem in repayring the Temple in rearing vp the walles in planting againe religion and inhabiting Iudea and so possessing the libertie of the Countrey graunted first by Cyrus coÌfirmed by Darius but fully permitted by Artaxerxes surnamed Longhanded Esdras Nehemias Zorobabel being instrumeÌts thereunto appointed authorised by these good kings But this cruel Ochus after he had destroied the stocke of Cyrus in the beginning of his gouernment he laid siege to Sidon kept them most miserably without any hearing of peace or offering of mercie though it was by the best and grauest citizens humbly entreated for whom hee most cruelly slue without respect to the lawe of armes whereat the citizens being desperate to see his tyrannie they burned the towne and themselues to the number of fourtie thousand After this Ochus tooke his voiage to Ciprus where reigned at that time a familiar friend of his named Euagoras whoÌ he after
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 soÌnes 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 soÌne 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 coÌtayning 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
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 noÌfit 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 froÌ 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 couÌtrey 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
common weale of Athens for that Cimon was inclined to take part with the best men and with the honestest causes he was the more esteemed not onely in Athens but in all Greece and specially of the Lacedemonians who could not brooke so well Pericles who tooke a contrary course euery way to Cimon of whose seruice abroade farre from Greece somewhat I wil recite for neither Themistocles nor his successour Pericles bridled more the crueltie of that mightie Persian king then Cimon did not only in chasing him out of Greece but folowing him hard at the heeles to Persia and brought him against his wil to conditions of peace After this he entred Thracia subdued them forced those Persians that dwelt in Coronesus an Isle in Thracia to flight Cimon was made general of Athens at which time he conquered the citie of Ionia and the citie of Amphipolis and wanne the Isle of Syros he subdued Asia from Ionia vnto Pamphylia and brought them in subiection vnder the Grecians Cimon after this went against the Faselits who were Grecians borne and yet enemies vnto Greece destroyed their countrey and wanne their chiefe citie called Faselis Againe Cimon had two great victories against the Persians in one day one victorie on sea where he tooke 200. sailes prisoners at the riuer Eurymedon Ariomandes being the kings lieutenant the other victory on land with great slaughter of the barbarous people al their tents and their pauilions he caried away Plutarch saith that these victories excelled the victorie of Salamia which the Grecians wanne by sea and the other which they wan by land before the citie of Platea By this valiant man Cimon the name of Athens was reuiued for Cimons only study and care was to haue Greece not to halt and therefore his secret desire and traueile was that Greece should stand vpon two legs which was Athens and Sparta He alwayes sought meanes to keepe the Athenians and the Lacedemonians in peace for the Athenians thought themselues to be the only light of al Greece affirming them only to be bread and borne in the countrey as Indigenae seditious people vnquiet and euer desirous of soueraigntie and therefore Cimon followed the Lacedemonians maners for their sobrietie and temperancie of life and wished alwayes their prosperitie This Cimon while he liued was the onely man that Greece was beholden vnto for vnder Cimon it flourished most and specially the Athenians which Demosthenes affirmeth in diuers of his orations that they had the soueraigntie of al Greece for the space of 73. yeeres compting from the time of Cimons victories at Euridemon vntill the yeelding of Athens vnto Lisander for after Cimons death no famous acte was done by any Grecian to the barbarous people sauing that Agesilaus king of Lacedemon came fiftie yeeres after Cimons death with an armie of Grecians into Asia and beganne a small warre of no notable exploit for that hee was called home againe to Greece by occasion of newe troubles and ciuill warres risen among the Grecians Now when Cimon had brought into Greece as it were an other golden worlde such as was in Saturnus raigne and hauing brought with him to Athens the bones of Theseus 700. yeres after Theseus death for the which he wanne exceedingly the Athenians hearts he died at the siege of the citie Citium in Cyprus after whom continued Pericles his colleague in gouernment of Athens for a time About this time in Rome tenne Magistrates were appointed and first created within a while after the putting downe of Tarquinius the last king of Rome called Decem viri from whom ambassadours were sent to Athens for the lawes of the 12. tables I will now leaue to speake of Athens and I will write what other cities of Greece did what kings raigned and what gouernment they had for at this time the chiefest cities of Greece were in an vprore for Xerxes after his shameful flight from Greece to Asia slew his brother Mancistes vsed abominable incest with both his brothers wife and his daughter and himselfe was after slaine by Artabanus Now while his sonne Artaxerxes raigned he was vertuous good and liberall and fauoured peace more then warre he liued vntil the seuenth yere of the warres of the Peloponesians Agesilaus raigned king in Lacedemon The Thebans waxed strong and beganne to haue the better of the Lacedemonians Sparta was now in the declining state had sustained much losses and harmes by the Boetians and by the Thebans by meanes of Epaminondas and Pelopidas therefore they sent for Agesilaus into Asia for while hee was in Asia Lisander lost againe two great battels and in the last Lisander himselfe was slaine CHAP. VI. Of the ciuill discention in Greece after Xerxes time howe euery citie was in armes one against another of their Peloponesian warres which continued 27. yeeres to the ouerthrow of Greece by Philippe and after by his sonne Alexander which shal be set downe in the next Chapter THus the Thebans ioyning with the Athenians through the great courage of Cimon hauing wonne these two victories the one by land the other by sea Cimon by his prowesse and valure recouered now Athens which before hee had lost Athens beganne to lift vp her selfe and being well refreshed by the spoyles of the Lacedemonians and encouraged by the death of Lisander and by the banishment of Pausanias it was hie time for Agesilaus to returne from Asia vnto Greece for Epaminondas the Thebane captaine vsed great celeritie in his warres and many Stratagems against Sparta Conon hearing of Agesilaus comming armed himselfe and as Iustine saith was then in Asia and came that time from Asia when Agesilaus came Agesilaus was scant come into Sparta but Epaminondas came spoyling and wasting and sacking all the countrey of Lacedemon with a great armie of fourtie thousande Thebans to the riuer of Eurotas which was a great terrour vnto Sparta hauing but sixe thousande which Agesilaus disposed in secret places of the towne for Sparta was not walled and therefore the more doubted of Epaminondas Now both Agesilaùs and Epaminondas stood on either side of the riuer Eurotas one beholding another a sight not pleasant to Sparta and readie to be brought to that ruine which happened thirtie yeeres before to Athens Now after Epaminondas had continued by Sparta 4. dayes and saw that he could not enter the citie after few battels on both sides of equall losse he departed and went to Arcadia such was the magnanimitie of the SpartaÌs though they were brought to that calamitie by the Athenians before yet they held out while these flourished in Sparta namely Euristhenes Leonidas Eurybiades Pausanias Agesilaus Lysander Cleomenes Argestratus Doristus Archelaus Agis Archidamus Cleombrotus Brasidas Metagenes Clearchus Gilippus With many like but chiefly with Lycurgus who made Sparta most famous in discipline by his lawes Epaminondas and Pelopidas were chiefe gouernours of
countrie then was Pyrrhus not onely resisted but also slaine at Argos then was Philip king of Macedon kept out of Greece vntill they beganne to be factious and seditious one citie against another and some had sought helpe of Philip to suppresse their owne Countrie men vntill hee was made gouernour of Greece Greece was not altogether conquered though in deede they were sore oppressed by the Peloponesian warres but nowe by Philip king of Macedon it was brought againe to ruine and the way left open to his sonne Alexander the great who after brought all Greece subiect to Macedonia whither the Monarchie of the Persians was translated and vnder whom all the worlde almost was subdued Nowe that I opened fewe victories vnto you which the Grecians with fame and great honour wanne if I shoulde set downe the victories which one Citie wanne of an other or one Countrie of an other they should be infinite for within twentie seuen yeeres all the Gities of Greece which were not for their number to be numbred and for their strength not to be spoken were destroyed for I dare speake it that Greece had more annoyance by two battels then all the gaines of the victories which the Greekes had ouer all the barbarous nations The first was at the riuer of goates giuen by Lysander against Athens called the battell at Aegos Potamos the other giuen by Epaminondas against Sparta called the battell of Leuctres These two Cities being the two eyes and the two legges of Greece could neuer agree the one enuying the state of the other vntill both were destroyed and by their occasion all Greece also destroyed About this time Camillus florished in Rome who both gaue the repulse to the French men euen at the gates of Rome when they had taken Rome and also triumphed ouer the Volscans ouer the Veiens ouer the Hetruscans for which good seruice he was the next yeere following made Dictator in Rome This fell in Rome when Mausolus king of Caria died and had by his wife Artemesia his tombe made so gorgeous that it was reputed as one of the seuen wonders of the world In Athens now after the thirtie tyrants were ouerthroweÌ gouerned tenne men of equall authoritie by Thrasibulus and Conon appointed called Decennales principes these two lifted Athens on foote againe for Conon had fiftie talents which he had gotten in Cyprus by king Euagoras this hee bestowed to raise vp the walles of Athens which Lysander made euen to the grounde for yet florished in Athens after these Peloponesian warres though not great captaines yet famous Philosophers and eloquent Orators which kept Greece in memorie and by whose meanes many monuments in Greece were reserued For now florished Plato and after him his scholler Aristotle Alexander the great his scholemaster for whose sake Athens was had before other Cities in reuerence in like sort as Augustus Caesar spared Alexandria in Egypt for Arius the Philosophers sake who then dwelt there yet Alexander made all meanes possible to take such Orators as did perswade the Athenians in armes against him and against his father before which were Lycurgus the Orator Demosthenes Aescââ¦nes Demades and others which like barking dogges kept these wolues from Athens in perswading the people to be in armes against foreigne princes in the defence of Greece but when they had no enemie they became enemies within themselues When Greece was by reason of these ciuill warres made weake and not able to resist any great strength for after the death of Epaminondas greater warres and more seditious stirring fell in Greece then before Philip king of Macedon hauing full intelligence of the state of Greece howe by long warres betweene themselues they were easely to be ouerrunne hee secretly kindled a seconde fire in Greece by stirring of secrete captaines to encrease the hatred of the Grecians one against an other which could neuer be extinguished such was their desire to rule and to triumph one ouer another Philip king of Macedonia Alexander the great his father as yet like a foxe hiding himselfe in a denne watched oportunitie of time vntill contention grewe betweene the Phoceans and the Thebans about the sacriledge which the Phocians coÌmitted in the temple of Apollo at Delphos of this occasion beganne the warres called bellum sacrum of the which mencion is made often in histories and specially with the Orators of Greece who cried crucifige vpon the Phocians for so execrable a thing before the Iudges Amphictions which were appointed generall Iudges for the whole state of Greece This warre beganne in the time of Ochus the eight king of Persia the Iudges laide a great fine vpon the Phocians which they grudged to pay beside the secrete perswasions of the Lacedemonians promising them aide to stand in armes against the Thebans who had before accused them Philomelus a Phocean captaine gathered a great armie brake the decree of the Iudges burned the tables where they were written and ouerthrewe the iudgement seate of the Amphictions By this occasion great warres grewe betweene the Phoceans and the Lacedemonians of the one side the Thebans and the Thessalians of the otherside About the beginning of this warre Alexander the great was borne Philomelus being killed in the fourth battell after hee had done some harme to the Thebans Onomarchus was appointed in his roome who likewise ouercame the Boetians and tooke one of the chiefe Cities called Coronea he ouerthrewe the Thessalians in two battels and slue a number of the Macedonians which Philip had sent to ayde the Phoceans The Thebans being thus weakened by the Phoceans they sent to Philip for aide and besought him to be their Generall in this warre This delighted much the king of Macedon for nowe he sawe an easie way to conquer the Phoceans the Athenians and the Lacedemonians and to bring all Greece subiect vnder Macedonia Philip came with great force not to reuenge the Thebans as he saide but to reuenge the sacriledge which the Phoceans did in Delphos for it is written that they spoyled the temple of tenne thousand talents which as Melancthon saith is threescore tunnes of gold In the third battell one Narchus was taken by Philip and hanged and sixe thousand of his souldiers slaine the Phoceans had wonne three principall Cities in Boetia Orchomenon Coronea and Corsia whereby they might easely subdue all Boetia at their owne will This warre of the Phoceans beganne fifteene yeeres after the battell of Mantinea where the worthie and valiant Epaminondas was slaine with whoÌ this Philip king of Macedonia dwelt in house when Philip was taken an ostage by Pelopidas of Antipater as you reade before Philip seemed to haue obserued many good instructions which hee no doubt learned at Thebes in Epaminondas house and yet as great difference betweene the two men as is betweene golde and siluer for Epaminondas left not his fellowe behinde in Greece after him so
others were in this kings time After this Philip succeeded Europus the 7. king of Macedonia of whom as of the rest nothing is to be written worth the memorie for yet the name of Macedonia was no further knowen then to their neighbours which were the Thracians Illyrians Thessalians for all the fame and report of the whole world the Chaldeans and the Assyrians had for they helde the monarchie so long that though the Egyptians flourished at one time and gaue them sundrie battels at their noses in Assyria and likewise the Hebrewes gaue diuers ouerthrowes in Iosaphats time Ezechias and Iosias kings of Iuda yet they continued welnigh thirteene hundreth yeres lords and monarches of the world vntil the Medes began to plague them and had taken the monarchie from them And then the Persians tooke it froÌ them of whom al writers were busie to write their warres their battels and of their conquest vntill the time of Alexander the great which is yet to come in the hundreth and fourteene Olympiads and now I entreat of histories of those kingdomes done in the 43. Olympiad which is 300. yeres for so long was betweene the first of Nabuchodonosor which was in the 17. Iubilee and the last of Alexander which was in the 23. Iubilee which is sixe Iubilees which is 300. yeeres for euery Iubilee is 50. yeeres It doeth agree with the Olympiads so farre am I behind to speake any great matter of the Macedonians sauing of Philippe Alexanders father a historie of two hundreth yeeres and therefore I will hasten to runne ouer the names of the first kings Alcetas the 8. king of Macedonia raigned 29. yeeres after whom succeeded Amintas the ninth king of Macedonia which raigned 50. yeeres Of this Amintas Iustine writeth a historie that when the Persians had sent ambassadours into Macedonia to entreate of peace in their wine they began wantonly and rudely to handle certaine ladies and gentlewomen of Macedonia Alexander the soÌne of Amintas a yong galant prince being hereby much moued entreated his father an old man to take his rest that night said he would entertaine and keepe company with the ambassadors of Persia who were wel whittled with wine the ladies being desirous to depart were kept against their will vnder Alexander the yong prince promised other ladies to beare them company the rest of the night Now Alexander got certaine yong gentlemen in the habit forme of women hauing vnder their long clothes their naked daggers and commanded them that when the Persian ambassadours should abuse them or offer them any villany they should out of hand stabbe them which was accordingly brought to passe vpon this occasion warre was proclaimed betweene the Persians and the Macedonians Bubares was sent with an armie of Persians into Macedonia who after hee had seene Cygaea the daughter of king Amintas he was more prone to loue then bent to warre he maried Cygaea thereby peace was had betweene the Macedonians and the Persians About this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Polycrates the tyrant of Samos of this Polycrates successe happines and great fortune of his raigne read Herodotus The same time were the most part of kings called tyrants they were so ful of blood Tarquinius superbus the seuenth and last king of the Romanes for his great tyrannie and outragiousnes and for the wicked abuse of Lucretia by his sonne was odious hatefull to the Romans and became an enemie to Rome Cyrus was in his greatnes this time the only great man of the world for he wanne the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Medes and brought them vnder the Empire of Persia he ouercame also the great and mightie Croesus king of Lydia In Macedonia raigned after Amintas his sonne Alexander this king was accompted riche and not without cause for he had so good successe in encreasing his substance that he first of al sentimages of cleane gold for a gift one to Apollos at Delphos another to Iupiter at Elis. He was greatly giuen to delite his eares in so much that he entertained many that were cunning vpon instruments amongst whom was Pindarus the harper Iu. Solinus saith that Archelaus had the kingdome of Macedonia at this mans hand he was politike in feates of warre and iudged the first deuiser of battel vpon the sea This Archelaus affected the companie of learned men hee so much delighted in learning that hee called Euripides the tragical Poet to be one of his priuie council for whose death afterward Archelaus long mourned and shaued both his head and beard at his funerall After this king the state of Macedonia being much troubled with dissention by the space of 10. kings gouernments was stayed at last in the raigne of Amintas which was father vnto Philip who was father vnto AlexaÌder the great and for that there is not much to be written of the most part of the kings of Macedonia vnto Philips time I haue set down their names according to Eusebius and Herodot The names of the kings of Macedon according to Eusebius The names of the kings of Macedon according to Herodotus Cranans and Caenus AlexaÌder the sonne of Amintas Tyrimas and Perdicas Amintas the sonne of Alceta Archaeus and Philippus Aloeta the sonne of Aeropus Europs and Alcetas Aeropus the sonne of Philip. Amintas Alexander Philip the sonne of Argaeus Perdicas and Orestes Argaeus the sonne of Perdicas Archelaus and Pausanias  Armintas and Argaeus  Alexander and Ptolomeus  And Philip Alexand. father  Of these are not much to be spoken as I said before therefore I will begin here with the raigne of Philippe of whom Macedonia had such expectation that they saw in him a light and such readie proofe of him as of one brought vp for three yeeres for an ostage of the king of the Macedonians in one of the chiefest cities of Greece and that in the house of Epaminondas the rarest Philosopher and the greatest captaine of those dayes Now the cities of Greece being full of ciuil warres some of them made meanes to Philip to ayde them and thereby elected him their chiefe generall in short time the occasion being thus offered to Philip he encreased his owne kingdome of Macedonia with the ruine of Greece for first he beganne to make warre vpon the Athenians the second citie of Greece a famous citie and full of ciuill discord which Philip well perceiued and therfore he vsed great celeritie to winne Athens and great policie to keepe Athens being wonne for he fauoured them when he could haue spoiled them he let them goe free without ransome that he tooke in the warres After he had brought Athens to his bow he tooke the most noble citie of Larissa and subdued all the countrey of Thessalie being the next ioyned countrey to Macedonia he fedde diuers captaines secretly in Greece to mooue ciuill seditions knowing that diuision in a kingdome
maried Statira Darius daughter hee married in Susa eightie and two nohle men of Macedonia vnto the Ladies of Persia and Media vpon one day and made a braue large tent of foure furlongs about and appointed an hundreth gorgeous riche beds where also the kings bed was furnished with too much riches to be spoken of I will they should reade Quin. Curtius and Diod. Siculus of the riche and sumptuous solemnitie of this feast of the regall magnificence of Alexander of the pompe and glorie of these Macedonian mariages with these Persian Ladies After these great mariages of himselfe and of his nobles and of his sumptuous feast which continued fiue dayes hee made also a solemne feast of coÌmon mariages where 9000. were maried to whom Alexander gaue a cup of gold to euery one to honour the feast He became from a famous conquerour a voluptuous man a drunkard furious and fell at last in his rage to kill and to murther his dearest friendes as Hermolaus Parmenio yea Clitus his owne foster brother who saued Alexanders life at the battel at Granicus at what time Rhosaceris a Persian captaine had slaine Alexander had not Clitus bene he slewe Calisthenes the Philosopher for his good counsell Alexander saide Odio qui sibi non sapit he could not abide to heare any praise of his owne father Philip he would be called the sonne of Iupiter disdained his noble men and olde souldiers of Macedonia that serued his father he forgote to doe good as Pindar truely said and gaue himselfe to be a tyrant after Babylon was taken Alexander was modest discreet wise iust in iudgment temperat in diet for a time but the reward of sinne fel vpon him many hated him and many conspired his death as Sostratus Philota Antipater Epimenes Nicostratus and Anticles but Epimenes disclosed his conspiracie to his brother named Eurilochus to whom Alexander gaue 50. talents for these newes and pardoned Epimenes but the rest he executed Yet still more conspiratours grewe in so much that Antipater his lieutenant in Macedonia yea as some do suspect by Aristotles counsell poyson was sent from Macedonia vnto Babylon and deliuered to Cassander which was Antipaters sonne to Iolla and to Philippe which were Antipaters brethren which were of the kings priuie Chamber and these when they sawe their time bestowe a cuppe of drinke vpon Alexander for his last farewell which when he perceiued that there was no helpe he tooke his ring from his finger and gaue it to Perdica with a commandement giuen that his body should be caried to Iupiter of Ammon Yet some write that he died of a hot feuer A little before hee died he was demaunded who should raigne king after him he answered euen he that is most worthie to come after me And then being againe asked at what time he would haue his body buried he answered when you are at rest and quietnesse And so it came to passe that hee was left vnburied in Babylon vntill Olympias his mother came from Macedonia and caused his bodie to be caried to Alexandria for assoone as Alexander died they contended to bee kings and so forgot to burie Alexander according to his commaundement Thus Alexander after hee had liued thirtie two yeeres and raigned twelue he died at what time happened the saying of Demades to be true that the kingdomes and souldiers of Alexander should be like a Ciclope without an eye surely so it came to passe that after Alexanders death the most part of the worlde was without a king for Alexander had so many kingdomes that when hee died hee left no king behinde him vntill againe they beganne with the sworde to claime kingdomes After Alexanders death who died two hundreth and eight yeeres before Iulius Caesar was slaine during twelue yeeres which Alexander the great raigned in the whole hee raigned sixe of these twelue yeeres king ouer the Chaldeans and the Assyrians ouer the Medes and the Persians leauing Roxana king Darius daughter great with childe for the which the Macedonians did her great honour for king Darius had three daughters Statira Roxana and Bersene who were all married vnto Alexander This time beganne the Romanes to flourish and had conquered the Sabins the Samnits the Latines the Fidenats the Hetruscanes the Volscanes and diuers other countreys and beganne to looke further from Rome vnto other kingdomes of the worlde For nowe had triumphed in Rome during the raigne of Alexander these many gallant fellowes 1 Marcus Valerius Corinus 2 C. Mar. Corolyanus 3 Tit. Manlius Torquatus 4 Lucius Papyrius 5 Fabius Maximus 6 Mar. Curius 7 Lucius Voluminus 8 Caius Sulpitius And 9 Caius Decius And as Liuie saith al these seemed in courage and prowesse to be yong Alexanders CHAP. III. Of the diuision and parting of the kingdomes of Asia and Syria after the death of Alexander betweene his captaines for hee left no king to succeede after him but the sworde so many kingdomes were voide by his death that his captaines that fought then vnder Alexander for wages and spoyles fought nowe for kingdomes and Empires of their warres and of their continuance BVt to come to Macedonia againe where these great captaines fell at variance after the death of Alexander howe the kingdomes of Alexander might bee diuided sixe dayes they were in discoursing of these causes who should succeede AlexaÌder in the kingdome of Macedonia some greedie of praie some of ease some after long warres some of one thing and some of another the noble men and chiefe captaines they had an eye to the treasure of Alexander which was one hundred thousand talents beside his reuenues yerely which was three hundred thousande talents Perdiccas thought Roxana being great with childe by Alexander if it should be a sonne that he should be king of the Macedonians Meleager contraried Perdicas saying That AlexaÌder had a gallant youth to bee his sonne by Arsine named Hercules more fitter for the crowne of Macedonia then to expect a doubtfull chaunce by Roxana others thought that Aridaeus a bastard brother of Alexanders shoulde succeede in the kingdome Reade Q. Curtius of the orations and perswasions of seuerall Dukes and captaines concerning the succession after Alexander in the kingdome of Macedonia After long debates seuerall opinions touching Alexanders posteritie it came at last to the murthering of his wife Roxana being great with childe by Alexander to the killing of young Hercules Alexanders sonne by his wife Arsine to the slaughter of his mother Olympias and of his base brother Aridaeus it came in fine to bloodie ciuill discord that the calamitie and miserie of Macedonia after Alexanders time passed farre the felicitie and iollitie of Macedonia during the time of Alexander for after that Antipater had murthered all Alexanders stocke his wife children mother brother and all Alexanders nigh kinsemen hee armed himselfe against Lysimachus by whom Antipater was slaine
Thus after long seditious contentions they agreed among themselues that Antipater should gouerne Macedonia and Greece that Ptolome should gouerne Egypt and Afrike and part of Arabia Learchus should gouerne Lycia Pamphylia and the greater Phrygia Cappadocia and Paphlagonia were assigned to Eumenes to Laomedon were assigned Syria and Phoenicia to Cassander Caria to Menander Lydia and to Lysimachus Thracia Pontus and Cilicia Illyria to Philotes to Leonatus the lesser Phrygia these with others whose names Functius setteth downe These princes within fourteene yeeres by ciuill discord fell to variances and contencions that they destroyed one another such is the force of ambition that it neuer conteineth within any bounde of reason I will not repeate the names of those that were likewise assigned to gouerne the Sogdians the Bactrians the Indians and other places which in like maner through mutual dissension slue one another Alexander for a while was left vnburied in Babylon quite forgotten of all his princes vntil Ptolome as Curtius doeth witnesse sent for his body brought it to Memphis and from Memphis it was caried to Alexandria and there in his owne tombe was buried Nowe after these Princes were thus destroyed the Empire voide of any good gouernment for though they with one consent elected Arideus to bee king of Macedon yet their obedience was farre from their election but euery man aspired to a kingdome all the Countries betweene the riuer Hydaspes and the riuer Indus Taxillus gouerned In Persia gouerned Neoptolemus in Parthia Nicanor in Babylon Pencestes and Archesilaus had in his hand Mesopotamia All these practised meanes how they might from gouernours become kings for as I saide before Alexander left no king behind him for so it was before Alexander by Cyrus before Cyrus by Nabuchodonosor before Nabuchodonosor by Merodach before Merodach by Ninus before Ninus by Nimrod So God from the beginning by his great wisedome hath established kingdomes and common weales that where hee gaue his sworde there the victorie went and there the Monarchie florished so God ordeyned things to come to passe that nowe againe the Empire of Alexander should be deuided as Daniel the Prophet had before tolde saying That a strong king should come and gouerne and doe what pleased him but it should bee diuided in quatuor ventos Coeli as then it happened truely betweene foure princes though Iosephus sayeth fiue the first was Cassander the sonne of Antipater and euen hee who poysoned Alexander hee I say after his fathers death and after hee had destroyed the whole progenie of Alexander inuaded Macedonia and vsurped the kingdome the 2. Ptolo. Lagi the first king of Egypt and had the most part of Syria vnder his Scepter the 3. Seleucus surnamed Nicanor king of Babylon and of Asia the greater the 4. Antigonus king of Asia the lesse These and their posterities had entred in armes and beganne to warre within them selues that they likewise came to ruine and were destroyed one by another as you shall reade more in the histories of the kings of Asia and Syria In the meane season the Athenians againe a people euer desirous of soueraigntie vnderstanding that Alexander the great was dead were in armes against Antipater still looking to haue their former libertie ioyned with themselues the Aeolians gathered three thousand souldiers two hundred nauies now Demosthenes being banished froÌ Athens being at Megaris or as as Plutarch saith at Aegina for his 20. talents in bribes receiued of Harpalus was called backe by the Athenians who through his woÌted eloquence allured the Argiues the Corinthians and the Scicionians to ioyne with the Athenians against Antipater who by election was king of Macedonia next after Alexander and chiefe gouernour ouer all Greece as Alexander was and his father Philip before him In these warres the Athenians had very good lucke in the beginning while yet Leosthenes their generall was aliue but hee being dead their good happe and successe died also before Leosthenes had shut vp Antipater in the citie of Lamia and straightly had there besieged him But this continued no longer then to the battel of Cranon where againe the Athenians were ouerthrowen and Demosthenes with many of their Orators fled and after to auoide Antipaters hand ridde away themselues by poyson Cassander beganne in Macedonia and in Greece to practise falshood after he had maried Arideus daughter Thessalonices for by consent of all the princes Arideus was appoinred to succeede Alexander and he reigned seuen yeeres king in Macedonia but Olympias Alexanders mother made meanes to dispatch both Arideus and his wife Euridices out of the way for that they resisted the Queene Olympias to come into Macedonia froÌ Epire and Olympias her selfe liued not long after for the Macedonians honoured her much for Philip her owne husbands sake and for Alexander her sonne vntill shee became to be cruell and to vse much tyrannie But Cassander who farre exceeded her in murthering and in destroying tooke her also and commaunded her to bee slaine and likewise commaunded Roxana Alezanders wife to be kept and to be looked vnto being sent with her sonne Alexander to Amphipolis but she her sonne was slaine While in this sort Cassander fomed in blood Antigonus who had obteined to be king of lesser Asia came in armes against Cassander Lysimachus king of Thracia and Seleucus king of greater Asia ioyned with Cassander and the battell was giuen at Gaza a citie of Palestina where Demetrius Antigonus sonne had the worse Cassander within a while after this battell died when he had reigned eighteene yeeres After whom succeeded two sonnes of Cassander named Antipater and Alexander who in much discord and with much adooe they reigned foure yeeres this young king Antipater after he had reigned three yeeres perceiuing that his mother was more bent to fauour her other sonne Alexander with his owne hand slue her vpon this vile murther Alexander presently sent to Demetrius for ayde and to reuenge his mothers death vpoÌ his brother Demetrius was glad to heare such newes that Antipater had slaine his mother and nowe Alexander to rise against his brother sawe an open passage hereby offered vnto him to become king of Macedonia which so came to passe for both Antipater and Alexander one destroyed another for Lysimachus slue Antipater and Demetrius Alexander left the kingdome to Demetrius the posteritie of Cassander had no loÌger time in Macedonia it was Gods iudgement for this Cassander as it is reported poysoned Alexander the great being with two other of his brethren Iolla Philip gentlemen of his priuie chamber their race ended for in the time of Antipater and his sonne Cassander Demosthenes Demades and the most part of the noble Orators of Athens were slaine And nowe Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus was proclaimed king of Macedon and beside Macedon he had Thessalie and the most part of Peleponesus hee further did
yeeres of age and Philip three yeeres younger then his brother to be killed and their mother forced to steale away by night into Samothracia but hee was wel requited by Belgius hackt and slaine and his head cut off caried vpoÌ a speare in opeÌ sight of the MacedoniaÌs which put them in no litle feare Sosthenes was proclaimed king of Macedonia a man of great courage hee resisted the furie and rage of the Frenchmen which wasted the countrie and spoyled the Cities vntill that Brennus another captaine of the Frenchmen ioyned with Belgius with a hundred fiftie thousand footemen and fifteene thousand horsemen and easily being so many might ouerthrowe so fewe Sosthenes was faine to take a holde for that time Brennus and Belgius spoyled Cities and Countries robbed their temples and had infinite treasure from the temple of Apollo Thus the Macedonians were sore plagued and had these two great ouerthrowes by Belgius and Brennus but the third ouerthrowe fell to the Frenchmen in such extreame sort that Brennus slue himselfe After this the Frenchmen againe inuaded Macedonia while Antigonus which was Demetrius brother reigned where they were vanquished ouerthrowen in most miserable sort this gote to Antigonus great credit vntil Pyrrhus gote the victorie of him and forced him to take his flight So poore Macedonia was still by one or other put to worse Pyrrhus mocking Antigonus for his brauerie to goe in purple like a king apparelled being chased out of his countrie by him and by others yet it was Antigonus chauÌce to haue Pyrrhus head brought vnto him by Alcioneus his owne sonne from the siege of the citie of Argos where this great king after many victories ouer kings was slaine at a womans hand by throwing of a tyle stone When king Antiochus sawe Pyrrhus head throwen before him by his sonne in such contempt hee layed his staffe about his sonnes backe calling him a cruell murtherer and an vnnaturall barbarous beast and turning his eyes from the sight thereof weapt remembring Demetrius hard fortune which was his father and also the miserie and ende of the first Antigonus his graundfather he most honourably caused his head and his body to be burned his ashes burned Thus thestate of princes is changed sometime in the height of good lucke and fauour and sometime forsaken of their owne friends Antigonus hauing this great victorie of Pyrrhus vsed all clemencie towardes Pyrrhus sonne named Helenus sent him vnto his Realme of Epirus with honourable conuoye seasing all Pyrrhus campe and armie vsed his friendes courteously and receiued many of Pyrrhus souldiers preferred them Thus Pyrrhus who helde out against three kings Lysimachus Demetrius and Antigonus beside his magnanimitie and prowesse shewed against the Illyrians the Cicilians the Carthagineans and against the stoute Romanes and yet neuer conquered This Pyrrhus was preferred by Hanibals iudgement to be the second souldier of the worlde next to the great Alexander after whose death Greece fell to contencions as Macodonia by Antigonus florished but a short time for assoone as Pyrrhus dyed the Peloponesians yeelded to Antigonus Pyrrhus had a sonne named Alexander who burned in furie to reuenge his fathers death beganne vpon the confines of Macedonia to quarrell with Antigonus hee was no sooner returned from Greece into Macedonia but Antigonus had both lost his kingdome and himselfe by a faire battell giuen to him by Alexander the sonne of Pyrrhus Antigonus had a brother named Demetrius after his fathers name a very young man who so reuenged likewise the ouerthrowe of his brother that hee recouered not onely Macedonia from Alexander but forced him after a great ouerthrowe to flie from his owne kingdom of Epyrus so variable is the chaunce of warre and so mutable the state of man that sometime they be kings and conquerours and straight banished men Nowe Alexander fled to Arcadia from whence hee was restored to his kingdome within short space for Demetrius after the death of his brother Antigonus continued not long king in Macedonia for by time Agas king of Cyrena died and had left for his heire one daughter named Beronices whom her father espoused to king Ptolomeis sonne of Egypt but nowe Arsinoe king Agas her husband being dead and also hearing that king Antigonus was dead shee made meanes to send for Demetrius who came with all speede from Macedonia to Cyrena and hauing a sight of Arsinoes beautie hee fell more in desire of the mother then of the daughter This Demetrius being a proud insolent young king and giuing great cause to Beronice the young ladie to hate him he little esteeming that folowed his fancie to winne Arsinoe which when it was well knowen to the daughter and to many of the Court after howe Demetrius vsed himselfe Beronice and all men beganne mortally to mallice Demetrius and to turne their mindes againe towards Ptolomeus sonne They hated him in such sort that snares were inueÌted for Demetrius and watches appointed to find him in the fault and so it came to passe then when he was in bedde with the mother the daughter brought certeine armed men into the chamber coÌmaunded them to kill Demetrius Beronice entred not the chamber but stood at the doore spake vnto them that they should spare her mother which when Arsinoe heard after she had done what she could to saue Demetrius coÌcerning his body with her body of force she was taken from him he slaine thus Beronice reuenged the wrongs spite of Demetrius done against her selfe and her mother after maried Ptolomeis sonne according to his father king Agas coÌmandement this was the end of king Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius About this time Megasthenes a Persian Chronographer wrote his histories some call him Metasthenes this time the Romanes began to florish in all kind of excesse as in wearing of rings costly tires which as Plinie saith were skant before this time seene in Rome this time also was the Bible translated by the 70. interpreters into the Greeke tongue CHAP. IIII. Of the Romane warres with king Philip and his sonne Perseus the two last kings of Macedonia of their ouerthrowe by Paul Aemilius and of the ouerthrowe of false Philip and counterfaite Andriscus by Q. Metellus in the last conquest of Macedonia NOwe to returne to Macedonia after that Demetrius was slaine as you heard Philip Demetrius nephewe and sonne to Antigonus succeeded in Macedonia You must take heede least you be deceiued in the names of diuers Demetrius for the first and the greatest was called Demetrius Antigonus whose life Plutarch doeth write at large another Demetrius surnamed Poliorcetes who in his time destroyed a towne of Samaria which Perdicas builded vp againe and the third named Demetrius Phalerius which was gouernour of Athens vnder Cassander and the fourth Demetrius Antigonus sonne of whose death for adulterie with Queene Arsinoe you read of
Cappadocia Iberia Syria Egypt Bactria Scythia India all Asia and welnigh all the worlde now brought by Paulus Aemilius to be a prouince of the Romanes who in one day sold as Ruffinus wote 82. cities Thus is the kingdom and monarchie of Alexander king ouer kings troden downe by Aemilius a magistrate of a citie thus is Macedonia whose empire reached into the furthest part of the world made a prouince vnto Rome which in the time of Alexander was so famous neither the Assyrians by Ninus neither the Chaldeans by Nabuchodonosor neither the Medes by Darius Medus neither the Persians by Cyrus were of such fame as Macedonia was by Alexander It is a true saying Per me reges regnant c. It was decreed aboue before God how long the Caldeans should raigne before the Assyrians the AssyriaÌs before the Medes the Medes before the Persians the Persians before the Macedonians in like sort how long the Romans shal coÌtinue This was by Daniel diuinely reueiled by the 4. great beasts that came vp froÌ the sea one diuers to another the first a lion which had egles wings the 2. was like a beare the 3. like a leopard the 4. was terrible and it deuoured the rest And Daniel in Susa in another dreame or rather a vision saw a battel betwene a ramme and a goat which is Persia and Greece I referre you to the 7. and 8. of Daniel for the interpretation of the same where the text is most plainly by the prophet Daniel set downe where Daniel briefly deciphered the whole world in a short historie and layde downe the ground of all the histories of the worlde I meane after Daniels time who liued and prophecied in Cyrus time after whom the Persians the Grecians and the Romanes flourished Now to returne to Aemilius whose family saith Plutarch doth proceed from Numa Pompilius the 2. king of Rome and whose diuers victories ouer the Ligurians Illyrians and other nations of Affricke others might haue chalenged triumph in Rome without contention which was resisted by Seruius Galba for that he was so long as foure yeeres in warres against Perseus Galba and diuers others thought it dishonourable to the Romanes to coÌsume so long a time with king Perseus sith the Romanes made king Antiochus to forsake Asia driuen thence beyond mount Taurus within the borders of Syria before that they had ouercome king Philippe in Thessalie and deliuered Greece from the bondage of the Macedonians and had conquered Hannibal the onely enemie of Rome and souldiour of the world vnto whom no king or captaine coulde be compared and therefore not to haue a triumph But Marcus Seruilius who had bene a Consul and had fought 23. combats of life and death in his owne person and had slaine as many as chalenged him man for man hee furthered the triumph which was by the whole consent of the Senate the people of Rome graunted vnto Aemilius but I omit to speake of his triumph vntil I set downe the triumphes of the kings consuls and Emperours of Rome because he is a Romane Here I write of Macedonia of their kings and of their triumphes who ended their gouernment in Perseus time in the 153. Olympiad after the building of Rome 586. yeres and in the beginning of the 26. Iubilee At what time raigned in Syria Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king to whom Pompilius was sent from the Senate to commaunde Antiochus to depart Egypt and that to answere the Romanes before he should go out of a litle circle which PoÌpilius made with his white sticke which he had in his hand either yea or no. This time Prusias king of Bythinia coÌmitted his sonne Nicomedes as Liuie saith to the Romanes within short space after that king Perseus was conquered by Paulus Aemilius vpon the 4. of September and that the Romanes had brought Macedonia vnder the Empire of Rome One Andrisius a meane man claimed by succession to be king after Perseus affirming himselfe to be Perseus sonne and changing his name from Andrisius to be Philippe gathered a great hoste vsurped the kingdome vntill Lu. Tremelius came from Rome and gaue him battell in the which Andrisius was quite ouerthrowen And so Macedonia after the gouernment of 36. kings as Ruffinus saith but as Functius and Trogus Pompeius say 38. kings for from Cranaus vnto Alexander the great were 23. kings from Alexander to Perseus 15. The names of those 23. kings before Alexander I wrote them before Alexanders raigne the other 15. are these following 1 Aridaeus raigned 7. yeres 2 Cassander 18. 3 Antipater and Alex. 4. 4 Demetrius 6. 5 Pyrrhus 7. moneths 6 Lysmachus 5. 7 Ptolomeus Ceraunus 1. 8 Meleager 2. moneths 9 Antipater 1. 10 Sosthenes 2. 11 Antigonus Gonatus 36. 12 Demetrius 10. 13 Antigonus Dosen 15. 14 Philip. 2. 15 Perseus the last king 10. yeeres OF THE FIRST WARRES of the kings of Asia and of Syria with the Romanes of their succession in the warres and of the continuance of their kingdomes after Alexanders death AFter the death of Alexander the great the world being left without a king his princes nobles and olde souldiers who did more aduaunce the renowme and fame of the Romanes then the glorie of Macedonia or Asia after much blood shedding and great crueltie euery man fought for a kingdome it came to passe as Daniel the Prophet said that all the kingdomes of Alexander fell betwene 4. princes and were deuided into foure kingdomes which was Egypt appointed to Ptolomey the sonne of Lagi Asia to Antigonus Persia and the East part to Seleucus Nicanor and Macedonia vnto Antipater as you heard in the historie of the kings of Macedonia Now I haue in hand to speake of Seleucus the great king after Alexander for after Antigonus was slaine and his sonne Demetrius dead being taken captiue by Seleucus he entred into Asia and coÌquered from mount Taurus into Ionia which before Antigonus had vnder his gouernment and had subdued all the regions of the greater Asia and made himselfe mightie and great which was in the 14. yeere after Alexanders death The Iewes doe accompt the gouernment of the Grecians in Syria from the first yeere of Seleucus Nicanors raigne which in the Machabees is obserued This king grew so great that hauing subdued all Antigonus kingdomes and hauing giuen Lysimachus the ouerthrow being of the age of 77. yeeres he thought no lesse in his minde after such great victories but to become another Alexander and to bring all the worlde vnder his gouernment for hee ouercame the Bactrians and passed to the Indians hauing alreadie vnder his Scepter all Asia Persia Syria Babylon with diuers others Of this Seleucus Iustine writeth a strange historie how his mother Laodice being maried to Antiochus seemed in a dreame to haue layen with Apollo and to bee by him with childe and of a ring which Laodice dreamed to haue of Apollo in the
huge idole of Phaebus called Colossus solis fell In these dayes an infant was borne hauing a head like a sow and many other moÌstrous things fel in the time of Antiochus as Liui reporteth Eratosthenes the philosopher florished in this time The Romans were so strong in these dayes as Carthage Numidia and all Affricke were subdued Greece Macedonia Pontus and all Asia were conquered all kings of the world almost came then to Rome to see the maiestie of the Romanes to behold their triumphes and to offer themselues in seruice The end of this great king was to be slaine by rude countrey people as he would rob the temple of Belus he that thought to conquere the stoute Romanes was conquered by silie and simple men of Syria he that brought all Greece and Asia vnder his becke had this his death by his rashnesse and folly and as Melancthon saith of Antiochus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Of an ill beginning proceedeth an ill ending When this Antiochus so was killed he left behinde him 3. sonnes and one daughter maried to Ptolomey of whom Philometor was borne his sonnes were named in this sort Seleucus sirnamed Philopater was the eldest who raigned 12. yeeres of whom we reade nothing worth the memory a man giuen to all vices to all idlenes lust wickednes and powling of his subiects This history is onely written in the Macabees where Simon vttereth what treasure was in the temple and how Heliodorus was sent by the king to take them away but hee was striken of God and had the repulse with such terrible sightes and strokes that Heliodorus wished death rather then life vntill the high Priest Onias prayed for him Of this Seleucus Daniel saide In loco Antiochi stabit vilis questor c. for there was nothing left vnspoken by Daniel before hand which should happen afterward This Seleucus beganne to raigne after his father in the 125. yeere of the Grecians raigne in Syria after the building of Rome 566. After this Seleucus died Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes the second sonne of Antiochus the great being a pledge then in Rome with Demetrius hearing that his father was dead hee secretly fled from Rome and came with al force vnto Syria vsurped the kingdome and draue Seleucus sonne out of his countrey this began his gouernment in the 130. yeere after Alexander the great his death Polibius affirmeth this man to bee such as no wickednes escaped him craftie and subtile furious and ful of al mischiefe and of the best writers named the type of Antichrist Of the furie of this Antiochus and of other kings of Syria Daniel doth fully describe them and doth foreshewe their tyrannie against Iudea Reade the 11. of Daniel where he prophecieth against the kings of Syria together with the Persians Grecians Egyptians and Romanes howe all these should afflict Iudea This Antiochus in the beginning of his raigne beingfully acquainted with the Romanes power hauing bene so long in Rome a pledge for his father dissembled with the Senators and bare himselfe a friend vnto the Romanes for feare more then for loue after that he had filled Ierusalem with blood and had killed Onias the high priest a holy godly man he tooke money of Iason which was Onias brother and made him high priest who receiued Antiochus with al reuerence duetie into Ierusalem who slew the best citizens spoiled the towne and robbed the temple this was his first voyage to Ierusalem the high priest Iason which Antiochus had made plaied the tyrants part slew his owne citizens and made hauocke in Ierusalem of his owne countreymen friends and kinsmen but this king and this priest had the like reward by God appointed shame and confusion Read the Machabees and you shal haue the historie before you that Iason after he had wandered from citie to citie like a vagabond hated of all people and beloued of none being banished from Ierusalem died most miserablie in Arabia being accused before the king then named Areta Some write that he fled from Arabia to Egypt But I wil returne to that cruel monster king Antiochus who after he had dissembled with the Romans pretended care and gouernment ouer the yong Philometor king of Egypt being his sisters sonne for Cleopatra the daughter of Antiochus the great was married to Epiphanes who had giuen her for her dowrie Coelosyria Samaria Iudea and Phenicia by whom this Philometor was gotten This yong king being yet in his minoritie and tender of yeeres and by his father when he died committed to the fidelitie of the Senators of Rome whom he made tutors ouer his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes clayming some title to ouersee the yong king his nephew led an armie froÌ Syria vnto Egypt vnder pretence of loue care towards his nephew the yong king but he more thirsted for the kingdom then he esteemed the king he laied garisons in Memphis and filled all the cities of Egypt with souldiers specially PelusiuÌ and other strong cities Philometor misdouted these endeuors of Antiochus and so suspecting his vncle to be one that waied more the kingdom then the king he fled to his yonger brother to Alexandria sent to the Romans for aide against Antiochus who perceiuing that they were put in trust to haue some care of this king by his fathers last wil and testament to them coÌmitted they determined to send Popilius froÌ the Senators to coÌmand Antiochus as his father before him was coÌmanded to depart out of Egypt and to suffer king Philometor to enioy his kingdom quietly While this Romane ambassador was preparing to come Antiochus hasted his purpose in folowing fast at the heeles of Philometor which was the elder brother therfore by succession king of Egypt he shipped in Cyprus and from thence to Coelosyria theÌce to Egypt and so passing ouer Nilus to Leusnies a citie not farre from Alexandria where the Romane ambassador Popilius met him and deliuered the minde of the Senators in writing to him which being read he paused and said that he would consider further and coÌsult with his friends to answere the Senators Popilius hauing a white sticke in his hand made around circle about king Antiochus saying Answer the Romans before thou go out of this circle that I may declare to the Senators thy words Antiochus was so amased at the stoute words of PoÌpilius that he was constrained to say I will doe that which the Senators would haue me to doe And so he was forced in great furie to depart out of of Egypt but hee reuenged his wrath vpon the poore Iewes hee so plagued Iudea with spoile and slaughter and caused them to forsake their true and ancient religion which they had from Moses hee burned the bookes of Moses and of the Prophets he made the idole of Iupiter Olympus to be set vp and to be worshipped and commaunded all idolatrie and wickednes to be had in Ierusalem
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
droue him out of the kingdome and had both his head and his crowne giuen him But Philometor enioyed not long these great honors for within three dayes after he had receiued Alexanders head Ptolome died so long he ware the crowne of Syria When the Syrians heard that Alexander was dead in Arabia and Ptolome dead in Egypt they slue all the souldiers of Ptolome which were left in garisons in the Cities of Syria and receiued Demetrius Nicanor to be their king which was Demetrius Soters sonne Nowe when Demetrius had recouered his kingdome againe he fel in short time in as great contempt with all men for his slouthfulnesse as his father before him was for pride and to auoide that fault he waged warres with the Parthians to whom he gaue two seuerall ouerthrowes by the aide of the Bactrians and the Persians but afterward he was taken and sent prisoner into Hircania to Arsaces king of Persia. While Demetrius was in these warres Ionathas the high priest was by deceipt slaine by Trypho also he slue young Antiochus ouer whom he was tutour and reigned three yeeres king in Syria Cleopatra Demetrius wife fearing the tyrannie of this Trypho and knowing her husband to bee captiue in Hircania shee maried Antiochus Soter her husbands brother shee being then in the citie of Seleucia Antiochus leuied an armie came to Syria pursued Trypho from whom reuoulted all his souldiers and he himselfe fled Antiochus possessed Syria quietly and calling to mind the pride of his father the slouthfulnesse of his brother for which faultes they were both hated of their subiects hee vsed great diligence and faire meanes to winne those cities which had reuoulted from his brother yet according to his predecessours the kings of Syria he beganne shortly after this good mind to molest Iudea he besieged Hircanus the high priest in Ierusalem but he tooke money and remoued his siege In the twelfth of his reigne Antiochus beganne to warre against Phrahartes king of the ParthiaÌs leuied an armie of eightie thousand men Phrahartes had Demetrius the brother of Antiochus in custodie with him to whom his father Arsaces had promised him before he died to restore him to his kingdome and thereupon gaue his daughter in mariage The king of Parthia was ouerthrowen and driuen to slight in two or three battels leauing al Parthia wasted and spoyled by Antiochus In the meane time Demetrius was sent by Phrahartes to his kingdome while Antiochus was absent from Syria In this warres of Parthia Antiochus came to Babylon where many kings gaue him the meeting for hee waxed great and strong and there hearing that his brother Demetrius was commen to Syria from Parthia and was receiued againe to his kingdome he made haste to returne with his souldiers to Syria but Phrahartes had prepared an armie vpon the way to meete him and to giue him battell where Antiochus was slaine CHAP. III. Of the last destruction of Asia and Syria through their ciuill dissention and long warres one with another the onely cause of their bondage afterward to the Romanes vnder whom they liued as subiects and all Asia and Syria made Prouinces vnder Rome WHen the king of Parthia had the victorie hee much repented him that he let loose Demetrius but hee coulde not helpe it When Demetrius had bin from his kingdome thirteene yeeres captiue but with great honour for that he maried Arsases daughter king of Parthia his returne to Syria was in the sixe hundred twentie seuen yeere after the building of Rome and hee reigned afterward foure yeeres for in the fourth yeere after his returne from Parthia where hee had bene thirteene yeeres captiue he leuied an armie against Hircanus but Demetrius woonted and intollerable pride was such that the Syrians by no meanes coulde abide him and therefore they sent to Egypt to king Ptolome that he would appoint them a king of the blood and house of Seleucus Such were the maners of the Syrians that vpon any broile or diffidence they had in their king the kings of Egypt shoulde be their shield and defende them and by that meanes onely diuers kings of Egypt became kings of Syria The people of Syria hauing sent to Egypt Ptolome prepared Alexander Zebenna with a great hoste against Demetrius from whom most of his subiects reuoulted and therefore the easier to be vanquished as it came to passe in the very first battell betweene him and Zebenna This Zebenna was one Protarchus sonne a meane man and such a one as Prompalus was of whoÌ you reade before These false pollices and craftie deuices are alwayes in courtes about kings and princes as in Macedonia a false Philip and after him againe a fained Perseus so in Syria a false Prompalus and after him a false Zebenna of whom reade the fable in Iustine and in Functius When this AlexaÌder Zebenna had ouercome Demetrius he enioyed the kingdome of Syria two yeres quietly but shortly he waxed so proud and arrogant that he litle esteemed king Ptolome who only made him king in Syria Ptolome hearing of these newes recoÌciled himselfe first to his sister Cleopatra who had bin maried to both the brethren Antiochus and Demetrius kings of Syria and straight after sent an armie to ayde Gryphus who was by his mother appointed king which gaue battel to Zebenna ouerthrew him and forced him to flee to Antioch where for want of money to pay his souldiers he robbed the temple of Iupiter from thence he was driuen by the countrie to take his flight Againe his souldiers forsooke him and left him he was taken and brought to Griphus and by commaundement slaine Nowe Griphus hauing obteined his fathers kingdome doubted nothing of his mother Cleopatras treason being busie in other affaires of his kingdome vntill hee was made acquainted with his mothers intent of whoÌ he had some triall both towards his father whom shee betrayed being her husband his brother whoÌ also she slue being her owne sonne her ambitions impietie was so found that when she offered a cuppe of drinke to her sonne the king she was coÌmaunded to drinke the same her selfe and so the poyson with the which she thought to poyson her sonne was made to be her owne draught and her owne death After this Griphus reigned king in Syria eight yeeres very quiet before Cizicoenus his brother beganne to warre he was his brother by the mother side borne by his vncle Antiochus Sedetes while the state of Syria was thus afflicted with continuall warres betweene brethren and brethrens children Ptolomeus Physcon died who left behinde him the kingdome to his wife and to his sonne of whoÌ I haue entreated in the historie of Egypt But now the ciuill warres being in Syria betweene Antiochus Griphus Demetrius Nicanors sonne and Antiochus Cizicenus Antiochus Sedetes sonne though they were brethreÌ by the mothers side cousin germaines by the fathers yet their
and Horace the Poet were borne but the historie of the kings of Syria is set forth with the kings of Israel and Iuda and also in the Machabees for in the sacred histories of the scripture much mencion is made of the kings of Aram by the names of Aram Soba Aram Padan Aram Damasci Aram Naharaim by the which names Syria is better described in Genesis in the Kings in Paralipomenon and in DeuteronomiuÌ then by Ptolome Strabo Pomponius Mela or Solinus for the kings of Aram which is Syria haue diuers names in Scripture as Aram Naharaim which is that part of Syria which is betweene Euphrates and Tygris the region thereof is called Mesopotamia reade the 3. of the Iudges Likewise Aram Padan which is a couÌtrie in Mesopotamia often taken for al Mesopotamia where Iacob meÌcioneth of Rahels death his wife when he came from Padan Aram. Againe Aram Damasci where Benadad king of Aram being sicke sent Hazael to the man of God Elisha to knowe whether Benahad should recouer his health To be short Aram Macat Aram Soba Aram Rhohab and Aram Damasci are regions and countries in Mesopotamia Coelosyria in the higher Syria farre from Perela and Galaad the countrie of Ruben and Gad and of the halfe tribe of Manasses But these names of Syria were long before any prophane writer wrote of Syria fewe prophane histories were before king Philips time Alexander the great his father all true antiquities are conteined in sacred histories in Moses in the Chronicles of the kings of Israel and Iuda and in the Prophets late writers began in the time of Cyrus to write of the Monarchies of Persia of the GreciaÌs and of the Romanes of whom Daniel before had spoken and likewise gaue light vnto prophane writers to write their histories These kings of Aram then were the most cruell tyraunts and most furious enemies of Iudea of the people of God and of his Church likewise these last by the names of the kings of Syria which continued no longer then from Alexander the great which was the first vntill the time of Pompe the great which was the last that brought all Syria a prouince to the Romanes As God dealed with the kings of Aram in the behalfe of Iuda then so he wrought with the kings of Syria now in the behalfe of his Church who euer preuailed against all kingdomes of the world as God caused Senaheribs armie one to kill an other to the number of 185. thousande in one day and night So hee likewise raised one king against an other in Syria that from Antiochus the great vntill the last king there was nothing but killing and murthering in Syria for the tyraunt Antiochus Epiphanes his sonne after he fomed in blood died most miserably his sonne likewise Antiochus Eupator was slaine by his vncle Demetrius Demetrius was slaine by Alexander which fained himselfe to be Antiochus Epiphanes sonne Alexander was slaine by the king of Parthia and his head sent to Syria After Demetrius Nicanor was kept out of Syria by his owne brother Antiochus Sedetes this Sedetes was killed by Tryphon againe Tryphon was slaine quickly of his owne people Then Antiochus Gryphus Nicanors sonne and Antiochus Sedetes sonne killed one an other in such sort that Syria wanted heires of Seleucus house to be kings also Syria was brought so lowe and so poore by these ciuill warres that the Romanes prayed ouer them after they had reigned two hundred eightie nine yeeres and brought Syria a prouince subiect to Rome All the names of the kings of Syria and Asia since Alexander the great his time are these 1 Seleucus Nica. reigned 31. 2 Antiochus Soter 19. 3 Antiochus Theos 15. 4 Seleucus Gallinicus 20. 5 Seleucus Ceraunus 9. 6 Antiochus magnus 36. 7 Seleucus Philopator 12. 8 Antiochus Epiphanes 12. 9 Antiochus Eupator 2. 10 Demetrius Soter 10. 11 Alexander ProÌpalus 5. 12 Demetrius Nicanor 2. 13 Antiochus Sedetes 3. 14 Trypho reigned 3. 15 Demetrius againe Nicanor 4. 16 Antiochus Griphus 29. 17 Antiochus Cizicoenus 18. 18 Philipus the sonne of Griphus 2. Functius doeth varie a litle from Iustine in the yeeres of these kings OF THE FIRST AFFRICAN warres betweene the Carthagineans and the Romanes which continued 24. yeeres and of the victories of the Romanes ouer them HAuing something entreated of the kings of Asia Syria and yet nothing so largely as the historie required howe be it the kings of Asia and Syria are spoken of both in sacred prophane histories haue also an intercourse betweene the kings of Assyria and of Egypt I will therefore passe to the kings of Affrike and Libya and speake of their warres with the Romanes This Countrie as Pomponius Mela describeth is on the East part bounded with the riuer Nilus inclosed North with the sea Libicke on the South with the Ethiopian sea and on the West with the Antlantike sea Affrike is shorter then Europe and farre lesser then Asia it is more in length then in breadth the breadth of Affrike is thirteene thousand furloÌgs which is a thousand sixe huÌdred miles and more the length as Strabo writeth is as much againe which is 3200 miles and all that part of Affrike which is beyond the Mores called the Nigrites Pharusians doe extend into Ethiope The Ethiopians possesse thence vnto the borders of Asia also the white EthiopiaÌs LibyaegyptiaÌs dwelling aboue those places before recited then the Numidians and the Mores of whoÌ the Mores extend to the Antlantike sea I thinke it a worke needles to describe Affrike more amplie then it is by Iulius Solinus PoÌponius Mela written in Latine the rest is set forth by Strabo of whom for that hee writes more large I note him chiefely for mine authour dearth hapened amongst the Affricanes that the Romans could no longer remaine there but they returned to Rome with their victorious nauies in great pompe and glorie hauing 484. ships sailing in braue sort towards Rome with infinite wealth and treasure Beholde in the midst of this great pompe the euents of fortune a very great tempest rose so that they suffred such shipwracke about the coast of Sicile that scant were saued 80. ships of the 484. yet the inuincible and stoute courage of the Romanes were such that their minds were nothing dismayd with these missehaps though it was the very greatest shipwracke that euer the Romanes had or any other nation in the world New supplies and other captaines were straight appointed with 260. ships to take voyage to Affrike who likewise when they had wonne certaine cities and townes in Affrike returned to Rome with great spoile but sustained the like shipwracke againe The Senate finding these continual dangers of sailing and seafight thought good to forsake the sea and to fight vpon the land for hauing wonne the victories of foure battels vpon the sea with infinit treasures ouer the Affricanes they lost by three shipwracks
to the very place where the wolfe gaue him sucke first Reade Plutarch of Romulus life They vsed at this feast a sacrifice in a denne vnder mount Palatine in the moneth of Februarie in the honour of god Pan and Faunus Now Rome hauing her first foundation by Romulus and much encreased by the policie and gouernment of Romulus that the confines of Rome extended into diuers parts of Italy and so enlarged by the warres of Romulus and yet not 8 miles from the towne of Rome that Numa Pompilius who succeeded him not in blood but by election for that hee was a Sabine borne in the citie of Cures and had maried Tacia the onely daughter and heire of Tatius the Sabine who before had gouerned Rome together with Romulus This Numa was entreated to accept the kingdome by ambassadours sent vnto him from the people of Rome with one consent who after a long negatiue oration made vnto Proclus and Valesus and being vrged thereunto both by Sabines and Romanes accepted against his will the gouernment of Rome after the Senators bare rule by the space of fiue dayes which was called interregnum betweene Romulus and Numa which was accompted one whole yeere This king was vertuous godly and religious addicted altogether to gouerne Rome with peace for during the whole time of his raigne Numu waged no warre but established lawes and framed such decrees and orders as kept the people which had bene so long accustomed with warres vnder Romulus in quietnes and tranquilitie which neuer happened in Rome but onely in Numas time and once in Augustus Caesars time When Numa was consecrated king of Rome by the Augurers hee beginneth with the seruice of his gods and therefore he instituted bishops and diuers kinde of priests he erected a colledge for the vestal virgines he appointed the holy and immortal fire with honour and reuerence to be kept by the vestal virgines These ceremonies he had from Greece for the like ceremonie was in Athens by old women in watching the holy lampe and in Delphos in the temple of Apollo Hee founded diuers temples in Rome with innumerable rites and ceremonies he first corrected the Kalender though not so exactly yet he so perfected it that then the Romane yere of tenne moneths was made twelue by adding Ianuary and February Which Numa not only added to the yere of tenne moneths but he mended also the 10. moneth and the dayes of the moneths he corrected the Kalenders which was also by Romulus begunne but finished by Numa This continued from Romulus vntill Iulius Caesars time by the name of Romulus yeere who then caused the yeere to beginne in March a moneth which he consecrated to his supposed father Mars not knowing then Aemilius to be his father whom hee slewe then But to Numa in whose time a great plague raigned in Rome at what time fell from heauen a brasen or copper target and lighted betweene Numas hand called Ancylia Of this target I shal speake in another place The lawes that Numa taught then to the people being rude and ignorant were no otherwise made then the lawes of Lycurgus in Sparta or of king Minos in Creete for Numa made the people to beleeue that the lawes which he gaue were froÌ the gods sent into him by the nimph Aegiria with whom he had sundry times conference in mount Auentine So did Lycurgus admonish the Spartans with the lawes from Apollo which Lycurgus as he saide brought from Delphos into Greece in like fort Minos made his people beleeue that his decrees and lawes were giuen to him by Iupiter in mount Curetes So did Silla make his souldiers beleeue that hee had some spirite in a litle table that hanged about his necke that instructed him in all his warres And so did Sertorius by his white hinde make his captaines thinke that hee was sent from the goddesse Diana Now Numa a peaceable and religious prince aduanced tillage in Rome and deuided his people into diuers occupations hee limitted bonds to the territories of Rome and tooke away all factions that helde before with Romulus and Tatius and gouerned Rome with such iustice and clemencie that all warres and dissentions were forgotten in Rome the temple of Ianus was shut which was an olde custome in the time of peace which continued the whole raigne of Numa which was 43. yeeres for the Romanes had no warres in all Numas time for as Plato saith there is true gouernment and there is a happy common wealth where the minde of a wise Philosopher is ioyned to the maiestie of a king where graue counsel is giuen and good lessons taught the vertuous man rewarded and the vicious man punished This good king liued of al others most happy in peace and quietnes all the dayes of his life and the misfortune of fiue other kings which after him succeeded caused the honour of Numa to shine with more glorie for as Plutarch saith foure of them died not their naturall death three were killed with treason and the fourth was striken with a thunder bolt and burnt with lightning and the 5. driuen out of his kingdome and died in exile so that of the seuen kings Numa onely excelled of whom some say that hee had no children but one daughter called Pompilia which was maried to C. Martius Coriolanus Of this Pompilia was borne Ancus Martius the fourth king of Rome some say againe that Numa had foure sonnes named Pompo Pinus Calpus and Mamercus and of these foure descended the noblest races and most ancient houses of the Romanes Reade of this king more in Plutarch and in Dionisius Halicarnassaeus In Aethiope raigned while Numa liued and ruled Rome a king called Tarachus which came to ayde the king of Egypt against Sanaherib king of the Assyrians at what time the Empire of Egypt was deuided into twelue prouinces by equall portions betwixt 12. princes When Numa beganne his kingdome in Rome Candaules the fourth king of Lydia gouerned the Lidians whose historie both of his wife and of his life together with the fable of Giges ring is written in Herodotus at large Manasses also king of Iudea for his wickednes against the Lorde was deliuered into the hands of Benmerodach king of the Chaldeans and was caried captiue into Babylon Deioces the fift gouernour that gouerned the Medes and the first king that raigned ouer them liued this time In Athens raigned Leocrates the fift magistrate Absander the 6. magistrate and Erixias the last magistrate of Athens in that gouernment of 10. yeeres to euery magistrate appointed which continued the time of 7. seuerall magistrats which was 70. yeeres Concerning this kings death he himselfe coÌmanded that his body should be burned and therfore they made two coffines of stone in the one of them Numas body was layed in the other his bookes which were written with his owne hand twelue bookes were written
froÌ the citie of Rome then Veiena and Fidena the one 6. miles the other 18. miles distant from Rome had enlarged the citie with these confines and territories more then Romulus did he was striken with lightning that both hee his wife and all his house were burnt when he had raigned 32. yeres in the 35. Olymp. When this king raigned in Rome Zaleucus gouerned the LocresiaÌs who for his law making law keeping is much mentioned in histories for in that law against adulterie his owne sonne first offending should haue lost both his eyes but his nobles made great intercessioÌ for the kings sonne the king to satisfie their requests shewing himselfe a naturall father to his sonne and a iust king to his people caused one of his sonnes eyes and another of his owne eyes to be taken out to performe the lawe which he made In the time of Tul. Hostilius Manasses king of Iuda was conuerted vnto his God and thereby restored to his kingdome when he expelled idolatry and serued God the rest of his life In Chaldea raigned Nabuchodonosor the father of the great Nabuchodonosor and in Media Phaortes the 6. king of the Medes During the time of this king in Rome raigned in Lydia Ardis their 6. king and in Macedonia Philip their 6. king also for the Medes the Macedonians the Lydians and the Romanes began their Empires within 60. yeres together Tullus Hostilius the third king appointed two Quaestors as it were two Treasurers to sease by the pole euery citizen of Rome to leauie and to keepe the same money to the vse of the citie he created also 2. Iudges which were called Duum viri these should determine causes for life and death In like sort of Ancus Martius with his lawes Tarquinius Priscus and his decrees you may reade in Pomp. Laetus and Fenestella Euen so Seruius Tullus the 6. king of Rome perceiuing that the Senators had more to doe then they could well accomplish especially in priuat causes of the citie he instituted two men called Censors to record and to write the nomber of all men in seruice to take view of such offenders within the citie and to punish crimes and offences and if any Senators should not execute iustice he should be depriued out of the Senate If any of the magistrats created by Romulus should not imitate and liue within the lawe of Romulus they should be by the Censors punished If any of the religious officers and the priests which Numa instituted should transgresse the lawe of Numa he should also by these Censors be reformed this office coÌtinued 5. yeres and vpon the fift yere new Censors were made this was called LustruÌ at what time althe citie was visited all faults opened vnto them and all iniuries done reformed by them as C. Fabritius being Censor remoued froÌ the Senate P. Cornelius Ruffinus for the expences of 10. pound more then was allowed by these Censors and so M. Cato banished C. Flaminius brother from the Senators for the fauouring of a prisoner at the request of a woman The auctoritie of those Censors were such as might reforme all things by law The old Romanes vsed to accompt their actions to nomber their yeeres euery fift yeere which they called Lustrum as the GreciaÌs vsed to nomber the yeres by their Olympiad which the Greekes named Penterides This office of Censors continued for a time in Rome being renued euery fift yeere which was a great day in Rome and appointed by Seruius Tullus the sixt king of Rome and endured vntil Vespatian the Emperours time the last conquerour of Ierusalem 650. yeeres yet I reade not but of 75. Lustrums which is 360 yeres For Eutropius saith that both Lustrum and the Olympiad endured no longer then Sillas time But yet compted vntil Constantines time Tarquinius the proud appointed 3. men to keepe the Sibillas books after they were augmented from 3. to 10. and at last froÌ 10. to 15. These were chosen out aswel of the Patricians as of the vulgar people they should once a yere in the moneth of Februarie reade these bookes and after they should see the bookes safelie kept vntil Februarie againe Now after that Tullus died succeeded in Rome Anc. Martius the 4. king one in nature like vnto his grandfather Numa Pompilius and one that in the beginning of his gouernment imitated Numa in all points commanding the people to obserue the lawes and ceremonies of his grandfather thinking therby to haue the like successe of quietnes and peace commaunded Numas lawes to be written in tables and be set on postes and pillars in the market place studied diligently to keepe his people in peace thoght to liue quietly with that litle territorie that then the city of Rome gouerned But it happened otherwise for scant he had established himselfe in his kingdom wheÌ the Latins vnder their gouernour there waged warres against the Romans and brought an army to the very towne of Medullia which they tooke and possest for 3. yeres in spite of Ancus Martius Now this king was forced to forsake Numa which liued in peace and to folow Tullus his predecessor in warres and therefore he altered his minde and gathered force together and began stoutly to answere the Latins and to giue them so many battels that he destroyed vanquished and wan their chiefe cities as PolitoriuÌ Telena Ficania and diuers others he recouered Medullia gaue diuers ouerthrowes to the Latins then straight he was much troubled with the Sabines and Fidenats the Veients and the Volscanes these people euer warred against the kings of Rome for yet Rome was not come to any greatnes But when they had quite conquered the Sabines Latines Veients Volscanes Fidenats and other nations next vnto them which oftentimes they did and they stil reuolted then the citie of Rome began to looke vnto other kingdomes but during the time of their kings their owne neighbours annoyed them most This king Ancus Martius had no rest during his whole gouernment vntill he had brought these people before spoken vnto subiection then he began to build to enlarge the city of Rome by taking mount Auentine vnto it and the hil Ianicula a large ground of 18. furlongs about ful of diuers yong trees specially laurel but by An. Martius made habitable and populous there vpon the hil Auentine a faire temple was builded vnto Diana and to this mouÌt Martius brought froÌ Telena and Politorium and other townes men and women to dwell there After this the king builded a towne fast vpoÌ the sea shore called Hostia 6. miles froÌ Rome made a bridge ouer the riuer of Tiber which ranne by Rome he also builded a prison house to punish offenders diuers other monumeÌts which you may read in Halicarnasaeus wheÌ he had raigned 24. yeres he died leauing behind him 2. soÌnes the one an infant and
Fidenats destroyed them selues with fire the Veients were ouerthrowen and slaine by Camillus so that the deaths of these three hundred Fabians were fully reuenged These were chiefe men that reigned in Rome after the kings vntill the Decemuiri which had beene Consuls Dictators and the chiefe magistrates of Rome whose names are these 1 Lu. Iunius Brutus 2 Pub. Valerius Publicola 3 Mutius Scaeuola 4 Cai. Horatius Puluillus S Horatius Cocles 6 Titus Largius 7 Spu. Cassius 8 Mar. Coriolanus 9 Fab. Vibulanus 10 Q. Seruilius 11 And Appius Claudius from whome sprang the stocke of Claudia vntill the time of Decemuiri Nowe to speake some thing of that which was done in other couÌtries about the time of the banishment of these kings Alexander the tenth king of Macedonia slue the Persians Embassadors at what time Bubaris a noble Persian and an Embassador sent vnto Macedonia maried the daughter of Amyntas and sister to Alexander and by that meanes peace was concluded betweene the Persians and the Macedonians About this time also the Persians vanquished the Ionians and tooke Miletum About the time of Tarquinius death florished Callimachus in the famous battell at Marathon and a fewe yeeres after Egypt reuoulted from Persia at what time Darius Hysdaspis thought to inuade Greece after whose death presently Xerxes his sonne sent his brother Achemenes to Egypt as his generall where he was slaine by Psammetichus his sonne king of Libya In the great warres of Xerxes in Thermopila and in Artimesia when Themistocles florished and triumphed ouer the Persians then florished in Rome Coriolanus in whose dayes the Romanes had no store of coyned money their wealth was in cattell for a mutton was then for tenne obolos the price of an oxe a hundred obolos Cimon a famous and a noble captaine of Athens subdued all Asia from Ionia vnto Pamphylia and banished from Greece all the barbarous people but within a litle while after Athens was by Mardonius taken about which time the three hundred Fabians were slaine in a battell against the Volscans This time florished in Greece Diagoras Sophocles Euripides Pindarus and Xerxes the famous painter In Rome at this time a newe Dictator was created and a muster taken within the Citie the second time Quintus Cicinatus was taken from the plough to weare the garment made for the Dictator called Toga pretexta he tooke his iourney forthwith against his enemies and putting them to flight deliuered the armie of the Romanes and besieged the hill Algidus This yeere ceased the office of the Consuls for a time and in the place of the two Consuls were chosen tenne men which should beare chiefe authoritie in the Citie and they were called Decemuiri During which office certeine noble men were sent from Rome to Athens to see the vsages of the most famous Cities of Greece and to conferre with the most learned men touching the lawes which they called the twelue tables At that time Spu. Posthumius Publius Sulpitius and Aulus Manlius three expert Romanes tooke the voyage to Athens brought the lawes of Solon with them and the lawes called the twelue tables By these lawes which they wrote themselues in brasen tables the tenne men ruled the Romanes the first yeere with the good liking of the people the seconde yeere to the hurt and preiudice of Rome and the third yeere to the great infamie and shame of the Decemuiri for when Appius Claudius one of the tenne Commissioners had defloured Virginia the onely daughter of Virginius hee beganne a commotion among the souldiers and chose to slay his daughters rather then to suffer the shame for which fact the Decemuiri were depriued of their authorities and they them selues condemned This is the seconde alteration of the state of Rome and all for women the first for the deflowring of Lucretia the kings were expelled and nowe for the like foule fact the Decemuiri were ouerthrowen by a decree had in mount Auentine after they had reigned in their full authorities three yeeres being rather tenne Tarquines or tenne tyraunts to destroy their Countrie then Iudges or Commissioners to defende and to saue their Countries I haue set downe their names to your viewe as they were put in the commission by Isidorus lib. 5. Halic lib. 10. Liui. lib. 3. and the first Decad. Appius Claudius Titus Gematius Pub. Cestius Valicanus Spurius Caius Iulius Aulus Manlius Publius Sulpitius Titus Romulus Veturius Geminius Publius Curiatius In the three hundred and fifteene yeere after Rome was built the Fidenats rebelled against the Romanes with whom the Veintines ioyned themselues to assist them at what time Tolominus reigned king ouer the Veentines These two Cities were not farre from Rome Fidena was but seuen miles and Veiena eighteene miles distant from Rome but the Fidenats Veientines and the Volscans which also tooke part against the Romanes were ouerthrowen by Marcus Aemilius then Dictator In that battell Telinus king of the Veientines was slaine the Romanes coulde neuer keepe their neighbours vnder hande though they had often subdued them for Furius Camillus when he was created Dictator he was sent vnto those vnruly people with an armie of Romanes who discomfited and vanquished them Immediatly hereupon the Frenchmen inuaded Rome and pursued the Romanes vnto the flood Allia within two miles of the Citie of Rome they besieged the Citie and wanne it and the chiefe of the Citizens fledde with Manlius vnto the Capitoll for their defence where if Camillus had not in time remoued the Frenchmens siege and yet at that time he was banished from Rome the Capitoll had beene wonne for before Camillus came the holy Geese saued the Capitoll for they ranne vp and downe for feare and bewrayed the Gaules with their noyse The terriblest and greatest victorie about one time happened nowe in Rome for after their great ouerthrowe giuen to the Romanes at the riuer Allia the Gaules laid siege presently to the Citie of Rome entred the Citie and finding no resistaunce they feared some treason marching vp to the Towne to the market place they sawe sitting there in iuory chaires with crownes garlands vpoÌ their heads men all in purple long gownes with white staues in their handes with long white beardes who seemed to bee of such maiestie that the Gaules supposed them at the first sight to bee some goddes that sate like men to defende the Citie and were about to retire vntill they perceiued that they were men whom they with much furie slue with the sword and then raunsackt the Towne killed and spoiled and possest the whole Citie sauing Ti. Manlius who with a thousande Romanes tooke the Capitoll for their defence whom the Gaules coulde not winne in seuen moneths assault so long the Gaules had Rome in possession But to be short they were to their losse constrained to forsake Rome and were glad to take their flight by Camillus who
Fabritius hands and this was hee that forced Pyrrhus to flee to Sicilia and after hee had subdued the Samnits and the Lucanes hee had his triumph graunted him While Pyrrhus stayed musing in Sicilia Curius Dentatus and Cornelius Lentulus being Consuls were sent to meete Pyrrhus and to giue him battel for the Romanes suffered him to haue no rest within Italy In this battell the armie of Pyrrhus was slaine his tents sackt and hee himselfe driuen to Tarentum he lost 23. thousand that day ouer whom Curius Dentatus triumphed in his Consulship hee brought foure elephants into Rome which were the first that euer were seene in a triumph at Rome for before Pyrrhus warres the spoiles and the treasures of the Volscanes and the Sabines were but cattell the spoiles which the Romanes had of the Gaules were Carpenta the spoyle of the Samnits were but armours and broken weapons The like poore spoiles and praies had the Romans ouer the Fidenats poore townes not yet wel enriched for the ciuill warres which they had with the Romanes But Pyrrhus brought the strength and treasure of a king his golde and siluer his elephants and camels that the victorie which Curius Dentatus and Fabritius then Consuls at Rome had ouer Pyrrhus so reioyced Rome that their triumph then ouer Pyrrhus was the most ioyfull and acceptable triumph that euer Rome saw at that time To this ende came the vaine hope of king Pyrrhus who thought to haue conquered Italy and thereby to be king of Rome After he had spent 6. yeeres in continuall warres with the Romans he fled after whose flight immediatly all Italy was conquered and Sicilia Not long after Pyrrhus was slaine at Argos a citie of Greece for after Tarentum was destroyed then the Picents and their towne Asculum were also subdued by Sempronius After the Picents the Salentines and their chiefe port Brundusium was conquered by Mar. Attilius and last of all the Volscanes were also ouerthrowen by Fabius Gurges Thus was all Italy soone subdued after the ouerthrowe of Tarentum At this time flourished in Greece Agesilaus a noble man of Sparta and after the death of king Agis he was elected king in Sparta ouer the Lacedemonians with whome flourished for a time Lisander a valiant captaine of Sparta and a great enemie of Athens Alcibiades was famous in Camillus time and Niceas the Athenian who during Camillus warres in Rome and before his time a litle all Greece were busie in the Peloponesian warre This time Diogenes the Cynicke Plato the Philosopher liued and his scholer Aristotle was borne In Persia raigned Artaxerxes Mnemon sirnamed the great who helde warres for a short time with his brother Cyrus whom he slew Reade of this king in Xenophon his fift booke and after his sonne Ochus raigned king in Persia. In Macedonia raigned Philippe Alexander the great his father who subdued and conquered many nations in the time of Camillus and after succeeded him his sonne Alexander the great whose renowme and fame are in all bookes manifest This time liued Mausolus king of Caria whose tombe when he died the Queene his wife Artimesia made so gorgeous and so sumptuous that it was reckoned in the nomber of the seuen wonders Alexander Pheraeus the tyrant of Thessalia raigned at this time with whom Pelopidas had battel and who by Epaminondas his friend was rescued Likewise gouerned in Egypt as reuolted kings from the Persians since Cambyses time the second king of Persia vntill Darius Ochus raigne the eight king of Persia Nepherites sixe yeres Achoris twelue yeres and Nectanabus eighteene yeeres When now that Camillus was dead there succeeded a nomber of valiant Romanes as 1 Tit. Quintius Cicinatus 2 Tit. Manlius Torquatus 3 M. Val. sirnamedCoruinus 4 Q. Fabius Maximus 5 Luc. Papyrius Cursor 9 And Curius Dentatus With many more valiant Romanes that augmented the glorie of Rome in subduing the nations about them as the warres of the Volscans Thuscans Samnits and Torentines can witnes of which you may reade in Liuie in Halicarnassaeus in Eutropius and in others During which time the kings of Egypt after Alexander the great with the kings of Syria and Asia were as well occupied with warres in their owne kingdomes as the Romanes were in Italy so likewise were the kings of Macedonia and all the states of Greece for Alexanders souldiers and his captaines had filled all the East part of the world with warres for Alexander had subdued and conquered the most part of all the kings then liuing and brought them to pay tribute to the kings of Macedonia So that after his death they fought for kingdoms and euery king sought by warres to become like vnto Alexander and so by that meanes one destroyed another that then proud Persia which had the ChaldeaÌs Assyrians Lydians Medes Egpptians all Asia and all the world vassals and subiects vnder them were then made to yeeld to the Macedonian empire You haue read how hitherto the Romanes haue from a litle towne in the beginning crept ouer all Italy and now are readie to trie their valour abroade and so to set foote in Affrike and Lybia countreis farre from Rome for yet the Romans had neuer waged warre forth of Italy And to the end they might vnderstand what power they were able to make there was a muster had and the names of the Romanes were nombred by the pole which amounted to the nomber of three hundreth thousand citizens In the 480. yere after the building of Rome the name of the Romanes became famous insomuch that they proclaimed warres against the people of Affrike at what time Appius Claudius sirnamed Caudex and Q. Fuluius were CoÌsuls This warre endured vntil Q. Luctatius Aulus Manlius consulship which was 22. yeeres Of these 3 seueral warres which the Romans had with the Affricanes I haue said some thing in the Affricane historie The first warre was against Hamilcar Hanibals father a famous Captaine at that time of the Carthagineans with whom Hanibal in his youth was brought vp in Spaine at what time the Romanes pretended warres against Hieron king of Sicilie But he together with the residue of his nobilitie made peace with the Romans and gaue them in coÌsideration thereof 200. talents of siluer and then the Affricans were ouercome in Sicilia which was the second time that the Romans triumphed ouer them After ââ¦his the CarthagineaÌs were discomfited on the sea in the third battel where the Romans toke 31. ships and sunke 18. beside the slaughter of 3000. and the taking of 7000. with fewin dayes after This time Caius Aquilius and Lucius Scipio were Consuls for then Scipio wanne Corsica and Sardinia and led with him many thousande prisoners and triumphed in the second battell by sea Hamilcar the generall of the Carthagineans lost 64. ships and was forced to retire backe at what time Clipea the chiefest citie in Affrike was yeelded vp to the Romanes
who appointed him his lieutenant general ouer his garisons for Cneus Carbo the Consul which fought with young Marius together against Silla which Marius was slaine by Silla in Preneste At what time Carbo fledde and was slaine by Pompey and after that Pompey slue Domitius a captaine of Marius his side and withall slue Hiarbus king of Mauritania being of Domitius side and therefore triumphed Pompey ouer Affrike being but twentie foure yeeres of age which was neuer earst graunted to any Romane and hauing not bene Consul While this ciuill warre continued in Rome little or nothing was done in other countries for nowe all places were made quiet by the RomaÌs sauing some of Marius friends who fled after Marius death held out and did what they could to trouble the Romanes as Hirtulius Sertorius and others of Maririus friends that stirred wars in Spaine in Cicilia Pamphylia against these Q. Metellus sonne to that Metellus which subdued king Iugurth was sent with him Cneus Pompeius was sent to aide him for Sertorius was a valiaÌt approued captaine Apius Claudius was then sent after his Consulship was expired to Macedonia where hee died without any harme done to the enemies in his place succeded Scribonius Curio who for his good seruice merited a triumph Then was sent into Cilicia Pamphylia Publius Seruilius a passing good captaine for hee wanne the worthiest cities of Licia and subdued Cilicia hee wanne Phasilides Olympus Coritum three great cities and finished his warres in three yeeres and returned to Rome and had a triumph graunted him ouer the Isaurians So had Metellus ouer Spaine Scribonius Curio ouer Macedonia Pompeius againe ouer Spaine which was his second triumph so at that time were foure triumphs in Rome together Againe Mithridates infringed the league before made and renued warres with the Romanes and would haue inuaded Asia and Bythinia had not Lu. Lucullus the Consul and his fellowe M. Aurelius Cotta come in time for before this time hee pretended warre against Bythinia and their king Nicomedes and after that inuaded Capadocia and Paphlagonia and draue both Nicomedes king of Bythinia and Pilemenes king of Paphlagonia to exile and from thence he went to Ephesus killing and flaying the Romanes friends and withall he was so cruell that he sent letters through all Asia that wheresoeuer any Citizen of Rome might be found he shoulde be killed though he was discomfited by Silla and Lucullus and at last driuen to flee for succour to Tigranes king of Armenia a captaine of great renowme in those dayes for this Tigranes was so mightie a king that he had subdued the Persians and Mesopotamia hee also wanne Syria and a peece of Phoenicia yet still Mithridates renued warres called his armie from Scythia and ioyned them with Tigranes force But Lucullus followed Mithridates hard to Armenia and required Tigranes to deliuer him Mithridates which being denied Lucullus foorth with inuaded king Tigranes realme and gaue him a great ouerthrowe and passed from place to place as conqueror destroying of countries and taking cities vntil he came to the riuer Danubius he destroyed Appolonia Parthenopolis and other cities of Pontus and returned to Rome a conqueror of many couÌtries both he his cousin germaine M. Lucullus and triumphed with great glory but yet he missed of king Mithridates he plaied still the tyraunt with the Romanes vntil Pompey the great came who ouercame Mithridates in Armenia sackt his tents and slue fourtie thousand of his armie and forced Mithridates to flee when hee poysoned himselfe and died after hee had kept warres with the Romanes fourtie yeeres for this warre of Mithridates began with Silla and was ended by Pompey Thus the Romanes at last conquered the great king Mithridates who had not continued so long had not ciuill warres bene in Rome betweene Marius and Silla and after that the conspiracie of Cateline and after Cateline the ciuill warres betweene Pompey and Caesar of this you shall reade hereafter In the meane season there was no warre in other kingdomes for Syria Egypt Libya and all other places were friendes and subiects to the Romanes for nowe the Romanes were in their greatnes and in their most glory and fame Such men liued then in Rome as did conquer the whole world Now assoone as Mithridatates was by Pompey ouerthroweÌ he addressed his battell against Tigranes who yeelded vnto Pompey without battell and came to Pompeis tent fell prostrate before him and deliuered vp his crowne vnto Pompeius After the yeelding of king Tigranes Pompey made warres with the Albanes and ouercame Orodes king of the Albanes in three sundrie battels he also subdued Arthaces king of Iberia and receiued him vnder the allegeance of the Romanes To be briefe Pompey was the onely man that not onely augmented the glory of Rome but also enriched Rome with infinite treasures gotten by his conquest of Cilicia Syria Phoenicia Iudea Mesopotamia Capadocia Armenia Iberia Albania and a great part of Arabia By these kingdomes whom Pompey conquered the reuenues of Rome were augmented three thousand and fiue hundred Myriades The glory of Pompey grew to be such in Rome that hee was elected to be a Consul alone himselfe without a fellowe for Pompey at his triumph ouer Mithridates his sonne for Mithridates him selfe as you heard died before the triumph had Tigranes also and his sonne and Aristobulus king of the Iues ledde before his chariot for at that time he triumphed ouer two kings and ouer two kings sonnes The pompe and pride of that triumph farre excelled other triumphes for Eutropius saith that at that very triumph Pompey had vanquished certeine pirates on the seas when Lucius Metellus had triumphed ouer Creete and therefore surnamed Metellus Cretius After that Pompey had finished these wars in the sixe hundred eightie nine yeere after the building of Rome Lucius Catiline a man of a noble stocke descended but of an euill disposition conspired with diuers other rash young men like himself but yet were they noble men and many gentlemen but by Ciceros meanes then Consul Cateline was expulsed foorth of the Citie and shortly slaine in a battell by Caius Anthonius fellowe Consul with Cicero some of his confederates were apprehended and thratled in prison others as Lentulus Cethegus with the rest slaine About this time Horace the Poet was borne and within fewe yeeres after Octauius which was called Augustus was borne afterward This time reigned in Egypt Alcetes the father of Cleopatra after whome Cleopatra with her brother reigned vntill Marcus Anthonius time with whome shee liued and died for nowe reigned in euery kingdome lieutenants and gouernours vnder the Romanes all kingdomes and countries were made prouinces vnder Rome These pirates nauies as Plutarch saith were about a thousand in number they had takeÌ aboue 400. Townes they had spoiled many temples as in Samos the temple of Iuno in Tenaria
and Catabria the two temples dedicated to Neptune the temple of Apollo in ActiuÌ the teÌple of Aesculapius in EpidauruÌ and so of others The greatnes of Pompey grew to be such in Rome as Silla who was the first that called him by the name of Pompey the great enuied his fame Lucullus who much hated the pride and insolencie of Pompey called him in scorne Agamemnon regem reguÌ king of kings and Pompey in like sort called Lucullus Xerxem togatum This enuie bred hidden hatred in Rome and made the people to become factious sometime with Silla sometime with Marius now betweene Lucullus Pompey and after betweene Pompey and Caesar. They were so factious at that time in Rome that then Iulius Caesar a man of great prowesse and of a singuler dexteritie whose seruice was such that it seemed from the beginning of his birth that hee shoulde growe great in Rome and therefore Pompey looking into the disposition of Caesar maried his daughter Iulia and ioyned in the beginning with Caesar. While Pompey stood to Caesar his father in lawe they were too strong to be resisted either by Lucullus or by Crassus though Crassus before hee was slaine in Parthia was equall to any of them both But when Iulia Caesars daughter and Pompeis wife died and the other third champion Crassus was slaine at Carras in Parthia by Surena some square fell betwixt Caesar and Pompey for Pompey would haue no equall man with him in Rome and Caesar could abide no superiour and thus for a little demaunde made by Caesar to become Consul in Rome once for his great seruice in Fraunce and in other places being denied by Marcellus then Consul by the meanes of Pompey grewe this great ciuil warres thirtie yeeres after Sillas death Caesar hauing both friendes and enemies in Rome who became factious his enemies Marcellus Lentulus and others ioyned with Pompey and perswaded to keepe Caesar from being Consul his friendes made much meanes to the Senators and to the people to haue Caesar to be Consul as Marcus Antonius and Quintus Cassius Caesar was much agreeued to see such in gratitude shewed to him that well deserued to be Consul and came in armes against the Citie of Rome Much feare was in Rome and great tumult in Italie vpon the comming of Caesar some ranne out of the Citie to Caesar and some ranne from Italie vnto Rome vnto Pompey the maner and order of this ciuill warre betweene Caesar and Pompey froÌ the beginning vnto the ending is set forth in Oros. most briefely lib. 6. cap. 15. Cicero traueiled much to pacifie these quarrels but to no effect Pompey with all the Senators and noblemen of Rome departed foorth of the Citie and went to Brundusium When Caesar came in armes before he entred into Rome he besieged Brundusium Pompey secretly by night escaped Caesar and fled the Citizens yeelded to Caesar who marched to Rome without resistance entred to the Senate opened the cause of his comming not as Silla or Marius to destroy his Countrie or to murther his countriemen but perswaded the Senate to send Embassadours vnto Pompey for peace After this he committed Rome to Lepidus and Italie vnto Marcus Antonius and hee himselfe went into Spaine and forced the armie of Pompey to yeeld Lepidus made labour to the Senators to haue Caesar Dictator while Caesar was absent in Spaine Caesar at his returne to Rome made himselfe Consul and Scruilius Ismaricus the other Consul to whom he committed Italie and Rome Caesar tooke sea and sailed after Pompey to Epirus and from thence to Dyrachium where Pompey was and where also Caesar had the ouerthrowe by Pompey Caesar departed to Thessali Pompey folowed being puft vp with some pride of the last ouerthrow of Caesar and a great battell was fought in Pharsalia where Caesar gote the victorie slue fifteene thousand of Pompeis souldiers Caesar crying out vpon his captaines to spare the Citizens of Rome whereby twentie foure thousand were taken prisoners and Pompey himselfe put to the flight But while Caesar Pompey were thus in Pharsalia Celius and Milo began to quarell and make sedition against the Consul Seruilius but they were both slaine But Pompey being thus discomfited fled into Alexandria where he thought to haue certaine aide of the king of Egypt ouer whoÌ Pompey was appointed Tutor by the Senate during the minoritie of the king But Pompey was deceiued of his expectatioÌ for he was killed and his head cutte off and sent to Caesar from Egypt which when Caesar sawe hee wept to see the head of so worthie a man as Pompey Melancthon sayeth that Pompey was slaine by the councell of Photinus an Eunuch and by Theodotus the kings schoolemaster Achillas and Septimius were sent from the king to kil Pompey this Septimius had beene a captaine vnder Pompey and had charge in seruice Pompey knew him spake to him As Pompey was reading of a greeke oration which he had to speake with the king Septimius thrust him through with the sword behind and brought him to Ptolomy the king the sonne of Auletes and brother to Cleopatra in the ââ¦ght of Cornelia Pompeis wife and his two sonnes who fled to Aphrica to Scipio and Cato Pompeis friends after whom Caesar followed and in a great battelfoure yeres after his father was ouerthrowen at Pharsalia he was slaine in Spaine The other sonne of Pompey called Sextus Pompeius liued eight yeres after Caesar was slaine Not long after Pompeis death Caesar came to Alexandria where certaine conspired his death by the aduise of Ptolome Caesar hereupon made warres vpon the king whom hee ouercame and put to flight and so drowned himselfe in the riuer Nilus Melanct. saith that those very men Achillas Photinus Septimius which slue Pompey conspired against Caesar who vnderstanding of this commaunded them to be slaine The king for feare also of Caesar fled was amoÌgst others drowned seeking to escape Egypt was giueÌ by Caesar to Cleopatra the kings sister whom hee after vsed as his paramour and returned from Egypt after Pompeis friends who fled to Affrica where Caesar had sharpe warres and very doubtfull battels for in the last battel fought at Munda with Pompeis sonne Caesar was driuen to so neere a straight that his men fled from him thirtie thousand were slaine and Caesar thought to slay himselfe Cato and Scipio Afranius and Portreius fought so desperatly that they feared no danger yet Caesar gote the victorie This Scipio which was of the stocke of Scipio Affricanus and father in lawe to Pompey slue himselfe so did M. Cato M. Petreius and Iuba king of Mauritania But Quintus Varus Pompeis lieutenant Lu. Cornelius Faustus Sillas sonne the Dictator Afranius and Cneus Pompeius the eldest soÌne of Pompey the great were slaine in battel While Caesar was in Affrike in these warres Marcus Antonius made him Dictator in Rome CHAP. VII Of the alteration
and change of the common wealth of Rome from Aristocratia to Monarchia againe as before from Kings to Consuls so nowe from Consuls to Emperours The state was altered by Iu. Caesar the first Emperour and the last Dictator of Rome and so from Iu. Caesar vnto the ende of Nero which was the last of the progenie of Augustus POmpeis friendes and adherents being thus subdued the ciuill warres cleare appeased Caesar returned to Rome with great triumph where he was chosen to be perpetuall Dictator and named of the people Emperour hee vsed great clemencie towards Pompeis friends and caused Pompeis Images being throwen downe before to be set vp againe hee raised the children of those parents which were slaine in the ciuil warres betweene Silla and Marius and therefore the Romanes dedicated the Temple of clemencie to Caesar for his courtesie Caesar was not idle after the ciuill warres and after many daungerous battels for in October hee entred with his triumph to Rome at what time he reformed the inequalitie of the yeere and brought to perfection the Kalender so that Caesar did what it pleased him in Rome without regard of the Senators or Consuls which was the onely cause of Cassius and Brutus conspiracie and yet Caesar saued Brutus life once or twise after Pompeis death This conspiracie being concluded betweene Brutus and Cassius with many Senators and gentlemen of Rome more the time was appointed and the place diuerse strange impressions were seene in the ayre also strange markes founde in Caesars sacrifice the Southsayers warned Caesar of the Ides of March his wife Calphurnia certified Caesar of a dreame she sawe and with teares desired him that day not to goe to the Senate the conspiracie was deliuered to him in writing vpon the way as hee went to the Senate but destinies may be easier foreseene then auoyded Caesar was that day slaine and so murthered that hee had 23. wounds on his bodie Thus the great Caesar had butfrom October to March to liue in Rome as Emperour all the rest of his life was 56. yeeres his warres his dangers all the toile and traueile he tooke was to come to be Emperour of Rome which he enioyed not 5. moneths Caesar had fiue triumphes very solemnly the first hee had ouer the Frenchmen the second ouer the king of Egypt the third ouer Pharnaces Mithridates sonne king of Pontus the fourth ouer Affrica of Cato Scipio and Cneus Pompeius the fift of Spaine Thus farre the glory of Rome florished their fame and dignitie extended to al parts of of the world as by their victories and triumphes ouer all nations may appeare for during the raigne of the Consuls which gouerned Rome 467. yeres for froÌ Iu. Brutus and Publicola the first Consuls after the time of the last king vntill Pausa and Hirsius the last Consuls vnder Iulius Caesar the first Emperour raigned in Rome 936 Consuls all which time the Romanes encreased from the very beginning their Empire as may appeare by the victories and triumphes ouer so many countreys and kingdomes as here I lay downe to your view FIrst Sicilia was subdued by Marcellus then Consul ouer which hee triumphed with pompe and brought Sicilie a prouince vnder Rome 2 Sardinia and Corsica were by Metellus conquered and made by him a prouince vnder the Romanes 3 All Affrica and Carthage was by Pub. Cornelius Scipio brought subiect vnder the Romans and after againe by Scipio sirnamed the yonger Affricanus 4 Numidia and their king Iugurtha was by Marius then Consul after many sharpe battels ouerthrowen and subdued and Iugurtha brought prisoner into Rome where he pied in prison 5 Mauritania was in like maner held by Bochus and Iuba but both were vanquished and all Mauritania by Iu. Caesar then generall for the Romanes in the West brought vnder the Empire of Rome 6 Hispaine was brought vnder by Decius Brutus and made a prouince vnder the Romanes and after by Metellus and last by Pompey the great who vtterly subdued Spaine 7 After that all Affrica and Spaine was made subiect to the Romanes the kingdome of Macedonia and all Greece were subdued and brought to Rome first by Tit. Flaminius and after by Paulus Aemilius 8 The Illyrians which ayded the Macedonians were by Lucius Manilius conquered and their king Gentius caried captiue into Rome ouer whom he solemnly triumphed 9 The Thracians were by Lucullus vanquished and subdued and so made seruants to the Romanes 10 Asia was destroyed sundrie times but last by Scipio sirnamed Asiaticus so named for his victorie ouer Antiochus the great and ouer Asia so that neere al Asia and all Affrica were made subiects vnder the Romanes 11 All the countrey about mount Taurus was subdued and brought vnder the Empire of Rome by Seruilius who also conquered the Isaurians and therefore sirnamed Isauricus for his victorie therein 12 Lucius Silla subdued the Parthians and constrained their king Arsaces to pay tribute to the Romanes 13 Lucius Lucullus vanquished the king of Armenia and brought him to hold of the Romanes 14 Pontus Mesopotamia Arabia Iudea and diuers other kingdomes and countreys were made prouinces vnder Rome by Pompey the great Frenchmen were first by Camillus and after by Marius vanquished the thirde time all Fraunce was conquered by Iulius Caesar. Creete was by Metellus subdued and therefore Metellus was sirnamed Creticus Cyprus by Marcus Cato was made a prouince of the Romanes Pub. Ventidius triumphed ouer the Persians and brought them subiect to Rome Egypt vnder diuers Consuls kept vnder the Romans Empire and at last made a prouince vnto Rome and was appointed to be the treasurer of Rome and called Horreum Romae the barne of Rome For while Pompey flourished in Rome Caesar was also of great credite and had bene Questor and Tribune of the souldiers and after was sent Pretor to Spaine for Caesar was a valiant souldier and a skilfull captaine his prowesse and deedes of armes excelled Silla Marius Crassus Lucullus and Pompey Reade his life in Plutarch and you shall finde how many nations and howe many townes Caesar conquered in the warres with the Gaules he brought welnigh all Fraunce to subiection After hee warred vpon the Illyrians and Heluetians at what time Cassius Lopanus raigned king and soone after vpon the Britaines which at that time neuer heard of the Romanes whose prowesse and great courage Caesar in his owne Commentarie doeth much commende Caesar waged battell with diuers nations of Germanie as with the Tigurians the Belges and the Neruians for in Germanie are sundrie sorts of people as Sicambri Tenterides which Caesar subdued These conquests of Caesar made Pompey much to feare the greatnesse of him if hee should once come to be a Consul in Rome and therefore Pompey laboured to keepe Caesar still occupied in Fraunce in Spaine and in Germanie the onely souldiers of the worlde But Caesar could not bee kept backe but would be a Consul for
the Emperor or displease the people they bare onely but the name of Senators and Consuls after Augustus death the which Consuls florished 447. yeeres being ayded with Dictators and Tribunes and not with Kings or Emperors for vnder Kings Rome was a seruant vnder Emperors Rome was a Captiue but vnder Consuls Rome was the onely mystresse and lady of the world Behold the state of Rome vnder the 11. last Emperours And now I beginne with the 12. one that passed the rest in pride crueltie he in all points resembled more Nero or Catigula then hee did his father Vespasian or his brother Titus though in the beginning he behaued himself with great temperaÌcie modestie But he was not long troubled with these good qualities he was too soone infected with anger crueltie pride fleshly lust auarice he blotted out abolished the memory of his good father and brother he waxed such a tyraunt such a monster in Rome that he coÌmanded by a decree to bee called a God and to haue his statues in many places of the Romane Empire adored and would not permit the Romanes to set any pictures of him vnlesse they were of gold or siluer such was his horrible pride and that ioyned with crueltie for many of the best Senators he slue and many he banished he was the only persecutor of the ChristiaÌs and therefore called the secoÌd Nero he expulsed the Philosophers and MathematiciaÌs forth of Rome which both his father and brother enterteined with annuall stipend This Domitianus though he triumphed twise ouer the Danes Cattians had subdued the SarmatiaÌs yet he susteined great damages sundry losses in those battels for Appius Sabinus one of the Consuls and Cornelius Fiscus captaine of the emperors gard were slaine so were his legions and captaines in Sarmatia his exercise euery day for an houre secretly in his pallace was to catch flies he also forbade to gelde any male kinde also when one knockt at his doore and asked if any man were within No saith Domitianus not so much as a flea Now when Domitianus was so long detested abhorred of God and man for diuers wickednesses he was slaine by his owne men in his pallace after he had reigned 15. yeeres liued 45. yeeres he was so hated in Rome that being slaine they haled his body through the streetes all his pictures and statues throwen downe in so much that they coulde not abide to looke vpon any monument of his neither to heare of his name Notwithstanding so much good he did to Rome that he finished sundry workes at Rome which was the Capitoll and the two galleries called by Eutropius IsiuÌ and SerapiuÌ he made also the tilt for men to runne in and builded a place for musicians and singing men In the sixth yeere of Domitianus gouernmeÌt Antoninus Pius was borne which afterward was emperor in Rome About which time the Picts came from Scythia to seeke habitation in Britanie their captaine was called Rodericus WheÌ Richimer reigned king in Fraunce diuers sects of heresies began this time vnder Menander one of Simon Magus disciples In the last yere of Domitianus the apostle Iohn wrote his booke of Reuelation in Pathmos Here I write the Consuls names which gouerned yeerely in Rome with Domitianus for after the emperours beganne to commaunde what they lusted in Rome they made a choise of one Consul with his brother Titus when hee was emperour after with him these gouerned his owne friendes whom he himselfe made choise of as other emperours did before him Val. Messalinus Virg. Rufus Sabinus Verus Pollio Ser. Cornelius Dolabella Lu. Minutius Rufus Fuluius which was Antoninus Pius his graundfather Coceius Nerua which succeeded Domitianus in the Empire Ac. Volusius Saturnius Vl. Traianus Crinitus This succeeded Cocceius Nerua in the Empire whom Nerua adopted after him Glabrio and Nonius Aspreanus Domitianus himselfe was the other Consul for the Emperours woulde not permit two Consuls to gouerne together vnlesse they were speciall friendes to the Emperours so that the dignitie of the auncient Consuls daily decayed by the tyrannie and greatnes of the Emperours of those last sixe Emperours I meane Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasian Titus and Domitianus which Suetonius doeth write at large It were too long a historie for me to write of all their liues howe be it I briefely touch and speake of their chiefe and most principall dealings This time within fewe yeeres the Goates which are also the Getes the Vandales and the Hungarians began to grow strong with whom the emperours of Rome had much to doe for then waxed the West part of the worlde strong as Spaine Fraunce Germanie and Britaine and were in armes against the Romanes as you shal in the historie vnderstaÌd for as Sueton. with many other writers set forth the exploites of those sixe which I now named euen so doeth Dion write of Nerua Traiane and Adrian three of the best emperors Iu. Capitolinus an ancient writer omitteth nothing that might be spoken of Antoninus Pius in whose time Rome was like to be on fire had not the riuer Tiber with a sudden inundation stopt the rage of the fire and yet 340. houses were quite with fire consumed so by this writer were Antoninus Pius and Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher which of some is called Mar. Aurelius writteÌ of and likewise of the lawes exploites of these Emperors Pertinax Opilius Macrinus Claudius Albinus Maximinus Gordianus Balbinus LaÌpridius wrote of Also he wrote of Comodus and Heliogabolus two wicked and cruell Emperors The Romanes wanted no writers to record their fame for in trueth as they excelled all other nations in power greatnes and dignitie so had they more notable histories written of them What kingdom what countrie what nations were not by the Romanes conquered for you haue read in the historie before how the Affricanes Spaine and Carthage with their most famous captaines Amilcar Asdrubal and Hanibal were vanquished by the Romanes howe the successors of great king Cyrus and the posterities of the great king Alexander two of the greatest kings of the whole worlde were subdued by the Romanes how the most worthy next vnto Alexander the great in prowesse Pyrrhus king of Epire howe Mithridates the king of Pontus who kept most terrible and cruell warres with the Romanes fourtie yeres how Antiochus surnamed also the great king of all Asia in fine howe the Parthians the Scythians the Sogdians the Indians the Arabians and the Egyptians were by the Romanes conquered and therefore I will as briefely passe ouer the historie as I can partly for that many haue traÌslated the liues of the Emperors their exploites are here there in fragments and partly for that it were tedious to write all the Romans historie in particular for the best reading is of the Romanes historie during the reigne of the Consuls foure hundred fourtie seuen yeres all which time
sword for few people knew then contention for they had more countreys then they had men to inhabite but with people for no warre was yet knowen any where but with the Assyrians who first vsed to trespasse vpon other nations about them euen from Nimrads time In Iubaldas time Hercules Libyus florished before the Hercules of the Greekes welnigh 700. yeres In this Iubaldas time died Noah the righteous preacher whom prophane writers cal Bifrons Ianus and so is in euery countrey painted and set forth in histories This Noah forsaw the great miserie and calamitie of Gods iustice for sinne in the first age the general plague that folowed the destructioÌ of the whole world with a flood and after he sawe himselfe dispised of his wicked sonne Cham and coÌtemned of his posterities in the second age at the building of the tower of Babylon where he saw the pride disobedience and impietie of his owne people that came out of his owne bodie who to seeke immortalitie vpon earth sought to auoyd God and his power and to seeke to skale through too much follie the skies but they were coÌfounded and their deuises brought to nothing No doubt hee sawe more miserie come to man and more wickednes committed by man against God then any man euer could see He died 350. yeres after the flood In Assyria raigned Zamisnenias which in Genesis is called Amraphael the fift king of Assyria Abraham was called from Vr in Chaldea to the land of Palestina and after three yeeres driuen to Egypt for that the famine was so great in the land of Canaan This time gouerned in Egypt Osiris which was that Pharao that tooke Sara Abrahams wife away but was warned in his sleepe not to touch her and coÌmanded by God to restore her to her husband againe During the time of this king Iubalda Sodom Gomorrha Zeboim Adama and Segor fiue noble cities of Canaan were destroyed by fire froÌ heauen for their abominable wickednes and there remaineth in memorie of their filthie vitious liues in the place of these fiue cities a stinking horrible great lake called Stagnum Asphaltidis The 4. king that succeeded Iubalda in Celtiberia was named Brigus he began to raigne in the 4. yeere of Arius the 6. king of Assyria at what time Hyarbas Priscus beganne to gouerne in Libya a stout and a fierce king in armes and therfore the Numidians would be called after him Hyarbae for stoute and warlike people This Brigus builded many strong castles in Celtiberia in that prouince of Lusitania he builded 2. great castles and called them after his owne name Laccobryga and Mirobriga and he builded also Brygantum in the prouince of Taracon This time gouerned the Celtes an expert skilful man a man in those dayes of most honor for his wisdome and iudgement in all things named Drius after whose death the priests of the Celtes were named Druydes of whom mention is made in Caesar and in Plini The authoritie and credite of these priestes in their dayes was great they were honoured and reuerenced of all people their wordes were had in such estimation as though they had bene Oracles giuen for at this time it was rare to see a wise man or to talke with a learned man for the Magi of Chaldea and the priests were not heard of no philosophie spoken of no Art taught few scholes or none knowen in so much that almost 300. yeeres after the flood there raigned no malice no pride no ambition no warre in the most part of the world and therefore it was called Aureum seculum for the simplicitie of the people and of the plentie of al things which was coÌmon among all men sauing in Assyria where the first Monarchie began and quarrels grewe as you shall heare betweene the Chaldeans and the Assyrians and after betwene the Assyrians and the Egyptians So that nothing is to be written of any great exploit done in Celtiberia all this time neither in any place else sauing to set downe the names of those kings that then raigned and to know the agreement of time which is the touchstone of trueth In this Brygus time Abraham offered his sonne Isaac at what time God blessed all the nations of the worlde in the seede of Abraham One Bardus raigned this time in Celta which was of great authoritie with them for his first finding of Musike and meeter In this Brigus time Araunus the soÌne of Cranus which was the sonne of Ianus builded a temple in Vetulonia and dedicated the same vnto Ianus which they also called Vertumnes and therein he erected vp the image of Ianus and after he builded a chapell to the god Razenus in Vetulonia so that now idolatrie began in euery countrey the nomber of the gods so encreased that superstition had the better hand of true religion euery where sauing in Gods owne Church those 2. Patriarches Abraham and his sonne for Sara was now dead But I wil passe to the fift king of Celtiberia named Tagus sirnamed Orma of this king the riuer Tagus taketh her first name Of this I reade nothing worth the nothing but as his predecessors he raigned by the name of a king without resistance with whom raigned together in other kingdoms Baleus Xerxes the eight king of Assyria this encreased the kingdome and conquered euery where vntill the Indians for he was valiant and couragious very fortunate in all his affaires In the beginning of this Tagus raigne the Argiues kingdome began where Inachus raigned their first king Phaeton came this time to Italy at what time many townes and cities were burnt about the riuer Ister and about the Cymerians and Vesunians and the places burned to this day are named Palestina that is to say the couÌtrey burnt recorded with writers Phaetontis incendium Esau and Iacob were borne this time and a litle after their grandfather Abraham the patriarch died 101. yeres after he was called from the Chaldeans and in 175. yere of his age After Tagus succeeded Belus the 6. king of Celtiberia he began to raigne in the 482. yeere after the flood and raigned in Celtiberia 31. yeres at what time Eusebius setteth down the 17. Dynastia of the Egyptians where shepheards gouerned bare rule in Egypt which gouerment coÌtinued 303. yeres in Egypt With this Belus began Armatrites to raigne the 9. king of Assyria a king giuen to idlenes to al kinde of pleasures About this time died Sem the sonne of Noah who likewise saw as his father did before much wickednes and abomination he died 35. yeres after Abraham was dead Sem liued 600. yeres Pharoneus the 2. king of the Argiues of whom Plato maketh mention in the beginning of his booke made lawes to the Argiues and was of them greatly honoured after his death In this kings time Nilus did ouerflowe all the countrey of Egypt and Osiris
17. Dynasteia of the Egyptians which endured 103. yeeres During which time the shepherds had gouernment 7 Gerion surnamed Deabus raigned 35. yeeres he inuented the vse of many good things found first the vse of mynes of gold siluer and other mettals 8 After whom succeeded his three sonnes surnamed Lomuini which builded a towne after their owne name Lomuinia they also raigned 42. yeeres after their father 9 Hispalus the sonne of Hercules Libyus and the 9. king of the Celtiberians he raigned 11. yeeres he beganne his gouernment in the 36. yeere of Baleus Iunior the II. king of the Assyrians he did nothing but builded a towne and named it after his owne name Hispalis 10 After Hispalus succeeded the tenth king named Hispanus which raigned 32. yeeres by whom the whole countrey was called Hispania This time Iacob with his children went to Egypt when the great famine was almost ouer the whole world so long the name of Hispaine continued 11 Hercules after the death of Hispanus being verie aged raigned 19. yeeres at what time Mamitus the 13. king of the Assyrians gouerned at Niniuie 12 Hesperus raigned after Hercules 11. yeeres In Egypt began this time to raigne Mispharmutosis about which time Ioseph being an hundred yeres old died in Egypt Narbon raigned in that part of Fraunce which was called Celta after whome the countrey was after called Narbon 13 Kittim called in some places Atlas after hee had forced his brother Hesperus to forsake the kingdome and to flie into Italie raigned in Spaine 11. yeeres With this Kittim beganne to raigne in Assyria Maucaleus the 14. king and ouer the Argiues Crassus the fiftking 14 Sicorus raigned after Kittim Atlas who raigned 45. yeres for Kittim hauing his sonne in his steede to gouerne Spaine went to Italie and raigned there and was called for his great vertue and excellencie of minde of that countrey Italus This maried his daughter Electra to Cambo Blaston a Prince of the Ianigenes During the time of Sicorus Kittims sonne in Spaine raigned in Egypt Amenophis a cruel king who made a lawe that all the male children of the Israelites which then were in great cruell bondage in Egypt should be drowned in the riuer Nilus at which time Moses beyng borne then in Egypt was throwen to Nilus but he was preserued by the appoyntment of God This time reigned in Assyria Spherus the 15. king 15 Sicanus the sonne of Sicorus raigned after his Father 12. yeres king of Hispaine Phorbas the sixt king of the Argiues began in his kingdome to raigne and Sparetus the 17. king of the Assyrians 16 After Sicanus succeeded Siceleus which raigned in Spaine 44. yeeres this king came with the Sicilians to aide Iasius against Dardanus who both were in armes for the kingdome of Italie and did no other great thing In the beginning of this Siceleus raigne the kingdome of Athens beganne vnder Cecrops their first king in the fourth yeere of Sparetus the seuenteenth king of the Assyrians and in the sixte yeere of Marathus the thirteenth King of Peloponesus At what time Troyphas raigned the seuenth king of the Argiues and Acengeres raigned king of Egypt Functius sayeth that Mercurius Trismegistus an Egyptian Philosopher flourished about this time a great learned Priest whose bookes yet are to this day extant though some doe doubt of the same as in so ancient a thing men may easily doubt I thinke there was not so much diuinitie then in Egypt as Trismegistus seemeth to write in his bookes 17 After that Siceleus had raigned 44. yeeres his sonne named Lusus succeeded him and reigned thirtie yeeres this dwelt in that part of Spayne which he called after his owne name Lusitania thither he brought manie from Italie and other places to inhabite This Lusus beganne to reigne in Spayne in the thirteenth yeere of Ascatades the 18. King of the Assyrians in the verie yeere that Dardanus slue by deceit his brother Iasius and after fledde to Samothracia In the beginning of the reigne of this King the Israelites were deliuered from their bondage and great miserie vnder Pharao in Egypt after they had continued foure hundred thirtie yeeres there in seruitude This time reigned in Athens Cranaus their seconde king and ouer the Argiues Crotopus their eight king 18 Siculus the eighteenth king of Spayne succeeded Siceleus and reigned 64. yeeres That time that he beganne to gouerne Spaine then Dardanus beganne to erect a kingdome in Dardania which afterwarde was called Troy which was in the last yeere of Ascatades the 18. king of Assyria 830. yeeres after the flood of Noah This Dardanus after he was fledde to Samothracia for the killing of his brother Iasius for the gouernment of Italie he sought no right in Italie but resigned the same to Turrhenius who sailed into that part of Italie called Ianigena and possessed it and reigned 51. yeeres and Dardanus began his kingdome and was the first king of Dardania after called Troy This time Faunus Priscus reigned ouer the Latines then called Aborigenes for Latinus was the fift king after Faunus after whom they were called Latins after Latinus name their first king 19 Testa succeeded Siculus in Spaine and reigned seuentie yeeres During which time Manethon which onely writeth of the first 24. kinges doeth set downe nothing worth the writing for these kings were not heard of any way out of Spaine they liued so simply vnpeopled without any war or other exploits done the best is the noting of time thereigne of other kings the histories of the East couÌtreys are by this historie briefly passed ouer During the 70. yeres of these kings Bellopares the 21. king and Lamprides the 22. king of the Assyrians reigned at Niniue Menophis gouerned Egypt Minos in Creete Abas ouer the Argiues Erictheus the sixt king of the Athenians In the latter yeeres of this king Samgar which succeeded Ehud iudged Israel after Samgar Debora and Barac 20 Romus the twentieth king that gouerned in Spaine he raigned three and thirty yeeres at what time raigned in Assyria Lampares the 24. king and ouer the Argiues Agrisius their fourteenth and last king In Dardania raigned Tros their thirde king who enlarged the citie of Dardania verie much and altered the name of Dardania after his owne name and called it Troia I take little heede to Manethon for hee doeth much differ from others in manie thinges and I make as much haste as I can to come to an ende Nowe after that Romus dyed Palatinus succeeded and raygned eighteene yeeres in whose time the kingdome of the Argiues was translated into Mycena where for a long time it continued 21 This time raigned in Troy Ilus after whose name Troy was called Ilion and in Assyria gouerned Paninas their 25. king Gedeon iudged Israel This Palatinus beyng a young man was driuen out of his kingdome by Cacus into Italie from whence
with the Sicambrians as they had a litle before that time with the Affricans so much the Romanes were fearefull of these people that they appoynted Caius Marius Consul against the lawe being absent which was neuer seene before in Rome but once in the time of Cornelius Scipio in the warres of Affrike But to benefite a common weale lawes may well be infringed and specially when necessitie forceth the same as at that time Marius was appoynted against these stoute and strong people whom the Romanes called Cimbri but I referre you to Tritemius who onely wrote of these sixteene kings and of the people called Sicambri Likewise reade Plutarch in Marius and you shall knowe what strong warres what sharpe battels and with what inuincible courage they fought against the Romans Caius Marius Catulus Luctatius and other Romane captaines can well witnesse of the hardinesse of this nation for since the first time that this people came out of Scythia which was 400. and odde yeeres before our Sauiour Christ was borne they gaped alwayes for the Countrey of France being then inhabited with Gauls the people Celtae and the countrey it selfe called Gallia They held the warres with the Gaules nine hundred yeeres sometimes conquerours and sometime conquered they ceased not vntill they wearied all the Countrie about them and diuers places of Germanie and of Gallia waxed weake and feeble so the Frenchmen began to bee strong and to winne that which the Romanes had lost After that this Marcomirus had expulsed and vanquished the people that dwelt about Rhene and had committed to his brother Sunno the possession of that countrey hee went and passed ouer the riuer of Rhene in the foure and twentieth yeere of his raigne with a very huge armie of Sicambrians and Saxons wasted and spoyled with sworde and fire many townes and countreys in the West Gallia and after hee had made a great slaughter of the Gauls he entred in league with Britaines and returned a conqueror to see how the Germanes behaued and vsed Sunno where he died after he had reigned eight and twentie yeeres This Marcomirus was so famous had done such worthie feats in armes that theÌ his people after his death were called Marcomanni for so Plinie doth name them lib. 12. cap. 4. While this Marcomirus helde warres with the Gaules ciuill warres began in Greece which continued seuen and twentie yeeres Darius Nothus gouerned the Persians at what time in Rome a law was made that it should be lawfull for the Patricians and Senators to ioyne in marriage with the common people This time florished in Greece Pericles the Athenian and Socrates the Philosopher After Marcomirus his sonne builded townes and cities and made strong holdes and castles hee taught the vse of many things to his noble men and hee also taught the women which earst were rude and ignorant in Scythia to sowe flaxe and hempe and to weaue silke and other like things He made lawes to his people which neuer before heard of any law in Scythia brought them from rude and wild men to knowledge ciuilitie for this Antenor was taught by his wife Cambra Bellinus daughter king of Britaine She was wise modest and vertuous brought vp her sonne Priamus in ciuill knowledge and made him acquainted with orders and lawes insomuch that when his father Antenor died hee was able to gouerne his people with lawes for in the eight yeere of his reigne he his mother Cambra builded about the riuer of Rhene two great townes the one he named Neopagus where long the kings palace stoode and the other Neomagus in memorie of his name The Sicambrians this time beganne to speake the Saxons tongue for the maner and order of this people at that time whersoeuer they were scattred in any place of Europe or Asia they were named after the name of the place as I tolde you At their first comming into Germanie from Scythia they were of the Germanes named Neumagi after they were called Marcomani after the name of Marcomirus Then Sicambri after the name of Cambra Bellinus daughter for so long as they taried in Scythia they were named Scythians in Armenia they were called Armenians in Gallia they were called Gaules who when they had sacked Rome and taken it for seuen moneths they were constrained by Camillus to goe from thence to Galatia Macedonia or to any part of Greece they were called Gaulgreekes and so bare they as many names as those countreys had where they dwelt vntil Francus time by whom they were called Franci which to this day they holde Nowe after that Antenor had reigned thirtie yeeres and his sonne Priamus after him 27. succeeded Helenus the 4. king of Sicambria which reigned 19. yeeres This king had the Gaules in hand and plagued them he gaue them diuers repulses and in battell slue of them sixteene thousand wasted and subdued Gallia vnto the riuer Mosa for this was the countrey that they gaped and thirsted for During which time of 16. kings which gouerned after CaÌbra Bellinus daughter they persecuted the countrey of Gallia one king after another successiuely vntill Francus time In the time of this Helenus his father Priamus raigned in Persia Artaxerxes Mnemon surnamed the great and in Caria raigned king Mausolus a countrey in Greece In Macedonia raigned nowe king Philip. king Alexander the great his father the sonne of Amyntas this time Marcus Manlius conspired against Camillus and moued sedition in Rome and therfore he was adiudged to be throwen headlong downe from the rocke Tarpeia In the time of this Helenus Plato died in whose place succeeded Speusippus the Philosopher Aristotle the Philosopher and Demosthenes the Orator flourished and Iaddua was high priest in Iudea and continued 27. yeeres vntill Alexander the great his time Diocles the eldest sonne of Helenus succeeded the fourth king and raigned 39. yeres a seuere man bold and much giuen by nature to warres hee followed his predecessors in commencing warre in Gallia hauing like affection to the kingdome of Fraunce as his father and grandfather had before him he raigned king amongest the Cicambrians when king Alexander the great was in warre against Darius king of Persia and after Alexanders death 30. yeeres for in Diocles time the kingdomes of Egypt Asia and Syria began to flouriââ¦h againe vnder new kings which were souldiers and captaines vnder Alexander the great of whose ciuill warres you may reade in the histories of their kingdoms for Darius surnamed Codomanus the last king of Persia was slaine and his kingdome subdued the monarchie taken into Greece vnder the kings of Macedonia About this time the Romans begaÌ their great wars with the Samnites when Pyrrhus king of Epirus had sailed with great nauie and entred Italie of whose warre there at that time Liui speaketh of and called it Bellum Ausonium when Pyrrhus was driuen out of Italie
the Frenchmen and named it Francofordia and builded another Towne hard by the riuer Suenus and named it after his owne name Sunnia which is nowe called Sunda About the twelfth yeere of Farabertus king of Fraunce reigned in Britaine Lucius the soÌne of Coilus who in the thirteenth yeere of his reigne as both Beda and Gildas affirme receiued the Christian faith from Eleutherius then twelfth byshop of Rome for Lucius king of Britaine sent to Rome for that purpose Embassadors with whom Eleutherius sent two bishops the one named Faganus the other Diuianus in the 239. Olympiad and in the 179. yeere after our Sauiour Christ. Tritemius and Hunibaldus two French writers at large doe handle the historie of Farabertus and therefore I will passe to Sunno his soÌne who succeeded him in the kingdome reigned twentie eight yeeres This king reigned in Fraunce when Lucius Septimius Seuerus held warres in Britaine for after the death of Lucius the Barons of Britaine fel to ciuil wars at what time hee caused a trench to be cast from sea to sea along the length of 22. miles as Eutropius saith but Functius affirmeth it was in length 131. miles but here Polydor criethin his chronicle and saith that this was done 200. yeres after The next king that succeeded Sunno was Heldericus his sonne of whom Tritemius writeth much and saith that the Frenchmen before his time were not so ciuil neither in behauiour nor in clothing before Heldericus time they were rude and barbarous and at that time they had no sumptuous buildings no braue dwellings being brought to ciuill order by Hildegastus a man of great fame amongst the Frenchmen In the time of this Hildericus the kingdome of Persia beganne againe vnder Artaxerxes who slue at that time Artabanus king of the Parthians and hee was the first king in Persia since the conquest of Darius Codomanus by Alexander the great which was sixe hundred yeeres In Rome this time reigned Emperour Alexander Seuerus in whose dayes the Citie of Rome florished with wise men and learned in all knowledge This Hildericus had a sonne named Batherus who reigned eighteene yeeres at what time reigned in Rome that idle and lasciuious Emperour Gallienus hee was so carelesse of his Empire that thereby oportunitie was giuen to Batherus who euer lay in watch as his predecessours did before him to annoy the Romanes and to subdue the Gaules hee I say brought an armie of souldiers into Italie being ayded by the Germanes who beganne to thirst for the Empire of Rome which dayly fell at that time to a declining state Batherus spoyled and wasted all the Countrie of Italie with sworde and fire vntill Rauenna and hauing done much harme hee returned backe to his Countrie with great spoyle who after his returne from Italie leauied an armie of Saxons and of Germanes and passed the riuers of Rhene and Mosa and entred into Gallia where hee made great slaughter of the Gaules and subdued Gallia vnto the riuer of Sequana which is called Sene and from thence to the confines of Spaine This ouerthrowe both of the Romanes and the Gaules was in the thirteenth yeere of Batherus reigne who liued after fiue yeeres and dyed After whome succeeded Clodius the eldest sonne of Batherus he reigned king ouer the Frenchmen twentie seuen yeres during which time reigned in Rome thus many Emperors Aurelianus which reigned 6. yeeres Annius Tacitus and Florianus his brother and Aurelius Probus these foure Emperours reigned in Rome while this Clodius reigned in Fraunce For in the thirde yeere of this Clodius the Romanes being mindfull of their late iniuries by Farabertus and Batherus they sent a Romane armie into Almania where Tritemius sayth that many a Romane lost his life for at that time the Frenchmen inuaded the countrie of Gallia and subdued a great part thereof and possessed the same for the space of seuen yeeres For Gallia was the onely Countrie that the Frenchmen shotte at for all this while their Territories about the riuer of Rhene and from thence to the riuer of Mosa and had some part of Gallia gotten A little before this time reigned king of the Saxons Marbodus whose two sonnes named Antharius and Luterus were in that voyage made into Gallia in the time of Batherus this Clodius father Now this king Clodius after he had reigned twentie seuen yeeres hee dyed during which time many Countries were in an vprore as Archileus in Egypt Narseus in the East part rebelled the Quingentians molested Affrike aed Caransius detained Britaine with the sworde neglecting the charge of Maximianus the Emperour and his duetie and allegiance to the Romane state fledde to Britaine to auoide the Emperours wrath where hee was slaine by his companion Alectus after he had gouerned Britaine seuen yeres with force Alectus after hee had slaine Carausius tooke vpon him the gouernment of the Britaine 's for three yeeres vntill he againe was slaine by Asclepiadotus a Romane who gouerned the Britaines tenne yeeres peaceably After this succeeded in Fraunce Gualterus he reigned eight yeres after whom succeeded Dagobertus or as Functius sayth Degenbertus who reigned 11. yeres after him reigned his soÌne Clogio two yeeres in whose time the Romanes and they of Gallia inuaded that part of Fraunce where Clogio and his auncestours did possesse and made great spoile waste of townes and people Many sharpe battels were commenced by the Romanes at what time this Clogio the 19. king of Fraunce was slaine in the field whose body being dead his owne brother Clodomirus withdrew out of the field and armed himselfe with Clogio his armour lest he might be knowen to be kild came to the field armed in all points like vnto the king his brother and was taken both of his owne souldiers and also of the Romanes Gaules to be Clogio entred into the midst of his armie encouraged them with his person maÌfully fighting as though he had bin a coÌmon souldier whereby he kindled the hearts of the Frenchmen againe that they recouered their courage and put both the Romanes and the Gaules to flight and got the second victorie by Clodomirus though they lost the first and their king Clogio and though Clogio had two sonnes the elder called Helinus of twentie yeeres of age the yonger Richimerus of eighteene yet for that it was enacted that none should be king in Fraunce vntill hee were twentie foure yeeres of age as Tritemius affirmeth This Clodomirus their vncle and brother vnto Clogio succeeded in the gouernment of Fraunce and reigned 18. yeeres during whose reigne the Switzers called Sueni and the Dorings had such hote ciuil wars betweene them that no peace by no meanes could be had of neither parts therfore the Dorings to auoide these continuall sharpe wars offeredthis large territorie couÌtrie for the which this strife grew to Clodomirus The Frenchmen
being most glad thereof accepted the offer and remooued from the riuer of Rhene where they first dwelled after they came out of Scythia vnto the number of 30000 armed men 2686. husbandmen with their wiues and children ouer whom Clodomirus appointed his brother called Genebaldus gouernour vnder the lawe and condicion that Genebaldus and his successours for euer shoulde be subiect to the kings of Fraunce paying yeerely tribute vnto Fraunce and to be readie in any seruice of warre This Countrie was called Menigauia and lyeth about the riuer Meanum and after East Fraunce which in time grewe to be one of the strongest dukedomes in all Fraunce Here Genebaldus reigned quietly 20. yeeres of this king Hunibaldus and Tritemius write at large for I finde that 20. dukes successiuely of one stocke reigned in the dukedome vntill the time of Pipinus which was 414. this is called nowe Franconia Nowe while Genebaldus ruled this part of Fraunce his brother Clodomirus died after whom succeeded his sonne Richimerus and reigned thirteene yeeres at what time Constantinus the great was Emperour of Rome Gebrich king of the Gotes and Visumoar king of the Vandales he in the fourth yeere of his reigne entred into Gallia with an armie of 200000 souldiers wasted spoyled and subdued many places in Gallia hee gaue battell to Tiberiunus the Romane lieutenant and gaue him the ouerthrowe and in the sixth yeere of his reigne Richimerus againe came in armes against the Gaules and Romanes in the which battell in the first time the Romanes were victors but in the seconde time were conquered but in the thirteenth yeere of this kings reigne at what time Constans the eldest sonne of Constantine the great reigned Emperour of Rome Richimerus was slaine in the fielde fighting valiantly against the Gaules and the Romanes After whom Theodomirus came to the gouernment of Fraunce and reigned tenne yeeres during which time he had sundry conflictes with the Romanes but in the tenth yere of his reigne he and his mother Hastila was takeÌ by the Romans put to death After the death of Theodomirus Clogio tooke the gouernment of Fraunce who raigned 18. yeeres and left three sonnes behinde him but I will write of him who succeeded his father which was named Hector sirnamed Degenbart of whom lineally discended king Pipine and Charles the great as Tritemius affirmeth For Marcomirus the sonne of this Degenbart was a very notable souldier and a valiant man and bridled the Romanes 4 yeeres with continuall warres ouer whom hee had diuers victories But one great victorie hee had at Agripina with incredible spoile riches for this Marcomirus was both a luckie name and a great name amongst the Frenchmen In Degenbarts time the Hunnes inuaded the Gothes at what time the Gothes had passed the riuer of Ister inuaded Thracia And the Saxons also inuaded that time the Romane confines for by this time these kingdomes beganne to be mightie and strong in Germanie the kingdom of the Vandols of the Gothes of the Hunnes and of the Longobards At what time Rome beganne to shrinke and to be much defaced of her former dignitie for nowe by litle and litle the Empire yeelded to these West kingdomes vntill the whole Empire was transposed into Germanie But to Marcomirus againe who after he had good successe in many and sundrie battels with the Romanes hee turned his force into Gallia hauing Antenor Priamus Sunno and Genebaldus foure worthie captaines to leade his armie committing seuerall charge to either of them whose prowesse and exploits were such that at that time they wanne and subdued much of the countrey and ioyned the same to the kingdome so that Gallia was daily weakened diminished of her power and Fraunce was strengthened and encreased in greatnesse and force For as I said before the fall of Rome was the rising of Fraunce Nowe after Marcomirus had recouered these townes and countreys which were by his predecessours lost to Maximus and to the Romanes and after hee had done great harme and spoile to the Romanes he was slaine in the fielde valiantly by Valentinianus and his armie after whose death the kingdome of Fraunce was gouerned for the space of 26. yeeres without a king by the states of Fraunce which is called Interregnum During which time Valentinianus the Emperor seeing great oportunitie demaunded of the Frenchmen tribute being due to the Romanes which the Frenchmen denied affirming beside that they would lose both liues and liuings before they would lose their libertie And also boldly againe affirming that they were neuer conquered by the sworde but with deceite By this meanes new warres freshly beganne betweene the Romanes and the Frenchmen This time in Fraunce were appointed two chiefe gouernours called Interreges the one named Dagobertus the other Genebaldus who gouerned discreetely and soberly with the rest of the nobles and Barons of Fraunce for 21. yeeres vntill Faramundus time who then gouerned East Fraunce vnder the kings of Fraunce this was by common consent of the States of Fraunce taken from his dukedome and made king of France in the 299. Olympiad At what time raigned in Rome the Emperour Honorius and Arcadius Emperour at Constantinople and in Persia gouerned Vararanes the fourth of that name and 14. king with whome the Romanes this time had great warres About this time certaine Iewes were banished foorth of Alexandria likewise this time S. Hierome died and Augustine his scholer florished and was made bishop of Hippo in Affrike Thus farre the kings of Fraunce from Francus time continued successiuely after Francus name vntill this Faramundus which was foure hundreth yeeres during which time raigned foure and twenie kings And from Marcomirus the first of them that came out of Scythia vntill Francus time another foure hundreth yeeres so that from the beginning of this nation being by so many names called as the names of the countreys were where they dwelt where eight hundreth yeeres passed before they coulde be called kings of Gallia for all their long warres and continuall battels And for that it may be with more ease knowen how when and where they raigned I will set downe all the names of those kings that raigned from Francus time which was in the time of Pompey the great vntill Faramundus in like sort as I haue layd downe the 16. kings of Sicambria For lineally did 24. kings raigne from the father to the sonne for the space of 404. yeeres euen from Francus vnto Farabertus 12. and from Farabertus to Faramundus 12. which was the first king of all Gallia for as the first name continued after the name of Cambra by the name of Sicambri or Cimbri as the Romans called them vntill Francus time so froÌ Francus time vnto this FaramuÌdus time the name of Franci coÌtinued so now from Faramundus forward they were named Galli and became the greatest kingdome of Europe especially since the Romane
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 froÌ 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 coÌtinued 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 writteÌ of this Bellisarius in the wars called Persicum which Iustinianus begaÌ 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
chiefly the French men flourished in famous renowne and in whom all the lawes relikes and monuments are established NOwe I will goe forward with the histories of Fraunce and speake of Dagobertus who when he had raigned 14. yeeres died Aemilius saith 16. yeres for he raigned 2. yeres in Austrasia is buried in S. Denis which he himself had builded the seconde of that name and the twelfth king after Pharamundus succeeded This was called Lewis the first of that name This time raygned king of the Gothes Sisenandus who was by them and of Dagobertus aduaunced to gouerne the Gothes The Emperour Constantinus surnamed Iunior was by his stepmother Martina poysoned after hee had reigned foure moneths for that shee practised to haue her sonne Emperour who reigned with his mother two yeeres and then the treason of Martina was founde which was in this sort reuenged his nostrels were cutte and his mothers tongue was taken out and so were both least againe they might bee forgotten and bee receiued to the Empire banished from Constantinople By this time died Sigibertus king Clodouaens brother who adopted before his death Ildebertus the sonne of Grimoaldus supposing that he should haue no heire of his bodie but his wife being with childe when he died had a sonne named Dagobertus who was sent to a Monasterie in Scotland secretly to be brought by Grimoaldus for which cause Clodouaeus waged warre with Ildebertus the king and with his father Ildebertus was slaine in the field in battell and his father taken and put in prison in Paris where he died at what time Clodouaeus appoynted his owne sonne Childericus king in Austrasia This time in Fraunce the famine was such that the king Clodouaeus ooke all the gold and siluer which his father Dagobertus had set vp in Saint Dennis and other places and all the treasures out of the Temples in Fraunce to helpe the poore of Fraunce After Clodoueus had reigned seuenteene yeeres succeeded Clotarius the third of that name hee died and is buried with his father in S. Dennis and in Beroaldus table named Dagobertus the second who reigned foure yeeres After whome succeeded his brother Theodoricus who was in the first yeere of his raigne banished out of his kingdome for his incontinencie After him Hildericus Theodoricus brother was elected king of all Fraunce he reigned 12. yeres Beroaldus saith fiue he was slaine in hunting by one Bodillus whome the king had before most cruelly caused to be bound to a stake and to bee whipt with rods which he requited to the king with death Which newes being heard of Theodoricus the kings brother being before as you heard banished returned from a Monasterie and tooke againe the kingdome of Fraunce and reigned fourteene yeeres The kingdome of the Saracens had not onely vexed and molested the East kingdomes but also afflicted and persecuted the West countries and had diuers and sundry battels with the Emperours the Gothes and the Longobards and are nowe become nations most mightie and strong in all the West of whom reade Diaconus de gestis Longabardorum After these thinges reigned Clodouaeus the thirde of that name who reigned foure yeeres after whom Hildebertus Clodouaeus his brother succeeded and reigned eighteene yeeres but here some of the good and the best writers doe disagree for the state of Fraunce aswell for the names of their kings as also for the historie it selfe as some following Tritemius and some imitating Paulus Aemilius that one Chronicle cries against another During the reigne of Hildebertus Muhamad the Saracen inuaded Armenia and entred into Affrica for nowe the kingdome of the Saracens grewe so mightie and so strong that they troubled all the Nations of the worlde as you may reade in their histories This time reigned ouer the Longobardes Chimibertus and ouer the Gothes Vitiza for these two kingdomes florished nowe in Germanie and beganne to match the Empire After this reigned king in Fraunce Dagobertus the seconde of that name foure yeeres after whome Lotharius Dagobertus his brother reigned two yeeres some say seuen yeeres Beroaldus in his table affirmeth that for these two yeeres Fraunce had no king therein crowned but Interreges were appointed after which Chilpericus surnamed Daniel by the ayde of Carolus Martellus was crowned king of Fraunce and reigned fiue yeeres After him gouerned Theodoricus surnamed Cala the sonne of Dagobertus the seconde hee reigned fifteene yeeres Anastasius the seconde surnamed Artemius helde the Empire for two yeeres and after Theodosius the thirde of that name other two yeeres This time Gizid the twelfth Amiras who reigned foure yeeres and his sonne Euelid after him played their partes in Asia and in Europe as sometime the Scythians were wont to doe they laide siege to Constantinople but were thence expelled by hunger and colde and with all their whole nauies were burned and destroyed vpon the seas In the time of this Theodoricus the Cities of Italie beganne a newe regiment vnder Dukes euery Citie elected and made a choise of one gouernour vnder whom and to whom they liued as to their king laying aside the last kinde of gouernment called magistratus exarchatus This time the Scots and the Picts quieted themselues within their limittes and spared their often inuasions into Englande at what time Ceolulphus reigned in that part of Englaud called Northumberland With this king Beda a learned man amoÌgst the Britaines was in great reuerence and honour and dedicated to him the historie of the Church in English and by Bedas meanes Ceolulphus deliuered the gouernment to his vncle Egbertus and became a Moncke In the time of this king the Saracens which inhabited in diuers partes of Affrike and Spaine were driuen thence foorth to the number of foure hundred thousand by Edo at what time they inuaded Fraunce and were so miserably persecuted euery way that they lost Abdimarus their king with a great number of the Saracens but more is written of this in their owne historie Now to Hildericus the third of that name surnamed Stupidus the sonne of Theodoricus Cala who reigned nine yeres and after was by consent of all the princes of Fraunce deposed from his kingdome and in his place gouerned eighteene yeeres Pipinus during which time Hildericus liued priuately and secretely in an Abbie By this time died Carolus Martellus a great Prince of France and lieth buried among the kings at S. Denis Of whose valure fame and courage not onely in Fraunce but euery where Reade of this Noble Martellus and of his diuers worthy and renowmed victories ouer the Saracens in Paul Aemilius in the beginning of his 2. booke after whom succeeded Carolomanus which then yeelded all his signories and titles of dignities vnto Pipinus who presently thereupon called a Parliament of all the Princes and Barons of France to stablish lawes and decrees for the receyuing of the
chronicles is set downe by the Prophet in describing the 4. beastes and their natures signifying thereby the Monarchies of the worlde their gouernment and their continuance the onely grounde from wheÌce all writers make good their histories But let no man write of his couÌtrey with more affection then trueth wil warrant him for his proofe as it seemeth Berosus did of Chaldea Manethon of Egypt Ctesias of Persia for that they may easily be corrected by any late writer that is seene in the Sacred histories and yet they were men of singular authoritie and credite in histories of their countreys who by conferring Prophetical histories with their prophane writings men find nothing more then fables of antiquities and errors in lieu of true histories not knowing the Centre of all certaine Chronicles I meane the Prophetical histories But haue with them for my countrey also being coÌtented to be excused with them by Liui In tanta rerum vetustate multi temporis errores implicaÌtur c. For no doubt as Greeke histories are more vncertaine then the Latins of whom Iosephus saith that they had nothing to bragge of but their lies euery man setting downe in writing his opinion rather then studying the trueth of the historie But as occasion shall serue me so shal I speake of them and of others In the meane time I marueile much howe some men are more bent without either reason or authoritie to reprooue that which in true Histories is approoued Many of the best Romane writers seemed to be ignorant of that which they knew and yet would take no notice thereof they woulde not haue vrbem omnium gentium Imperiorum dominam to bee builded by any of Aeneas stocke or any ofsprings of the Troyans neither would they allow any part of Italy to be inhabited with the Grecians whome the Romanes mortally hated They claime their antiquitie froÌ Noah by the name of Ianus who came from Scythia Saga presently after the flood into Italy and after Ianus from Saturnus and from Cameses This Sempronius Mar. Cato and Fabius Pictor seeme fully to prooue and they stand to it stoutly notwithstanding they haue as many Greeke writers against them in proouing the contrary affirming that the Grecians Arcadians Lacedemonians Achaians and Pelasgians first inhabited Italy So Myrsilus in the whole booke which beginneth thus Italiam primùm coluere Graeci c. prooueth the Grecians to be the first inhabitants in Italy After Myrsilus followeth Dionysius Halicarnassaeus in like order and proofe as he that readeth Halicarnassaeus readeth Myrsilius and after Dionysius Herodotus who doeth not onely fully warrant Myrsilus and Dionysius but also concludeth with more warrants of his owne This coÌtrouersie riseth betweene the Grecians and the Romanes about the antiquitie of Italy the Greekes calling Italy Spurcam spuriam nouitiam and the Romanes naming Greece Mendacem fabulosam The like controuersie grewe betweene the Egyptians and the Scythians in those dayes and the like nowe about the comming of Brute vnto this countrey whose coÌming hath bene receiued and confirmed by succession of kings from Brutus to Cadwalader And after the kings the line and stocke of Brutus vnto this day 2700. yeeres sed nihil magnum somnianti for they can reprooue without authoritie but they wil not allow proofs with authorities such is their credite with some people as Pythagoras was with his owne schollers who thought Pythagoras speach a sufficient warrant to proue anything only alleaging ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I doubt there be many Pythagoreans that stand too much in their owne conceites some dreaming the word Britania to be Pritania some imagining the Britaines to to be Picts and that the originall of the Britaines shoulde bee from the Picts and many such other reasons rather fables wherein there is neither agreement of time which is to bee noted nor affinitie with speache neither likenesse of names nor any things else like for the Pictes came but the last day to Armorica which is little Britaine in Fraunce with one Rodericke their captaine from Scythia and not with Aeneas from Phrygia to seeke where they might haue place to inhabite I confesse that these Pictes and Scots inuaded Britaine and made often irruptions into Britaine in the time of Constantine the great Iouinianus Theodosius and many other Emperours but they were repelled and compelled with many a good beating to retire I should better allowe the opinion of those that say that the Pictes are Scots for with the Britaine 's the Picts by no likenesse may bee resembled neither by time nor by tongue I will leaue the Picts for the Scots whose kingdome was subdued and translated into Scotland by Kenedus king of the Scots where I leaue them Many licencious writers haue bene and are in the world not only in matters of antiquities but in other matters also Who will beleeue Polidor a straÌger in Britaine before Giraldus a singular learned man borne in Britaine who had traueiled as many countries as Polidor did and therefore was in great credite with Rich. the second who who will beleeue a forreine late writer before Gildas the Britaine that wrote of his couÌtrie in Claudius Caesars time If neither Giraldus nor Gildas nor any other ex bardis Britannis are allowed let Ponticus Virunnius let Iu. Caesar in his Comment whosaid they were ex eadem prosapia be allowed For the trueth thereof I doubt not but I shall write as true as the Frenchmen shall doe of Fraunce the Hispaniard of Hispaine and so of the rest I meane of the Saxons of the Greekes and of the Romanes and my reason shall be as probable for the landing of Brutus in this Island from Italie as the Italians shall prooue Ianus to come from Chaldea into Italie or as the Frenchmen shall prooue Marcomirus to come from Scythia into Germany and so in time to come into Fraunce and so to holde the name of Francus I will not speake of Caetubales Hiberians Hesperians nor of the olde Celtiberians afterwarde called Spaniards who had their name of Hispanus neither will I speake of the auncient stocke of Brutus while yet they dwelt in Creete and after in Phrygia and after that in Albalonga and last in Rome but of the comming of Brutus vnto this land the sonne of Syluius the sonne of Ascanius the sonne of Aeneas and from the name of the Britaine 's since that time of the which if any man doubt he may aswell doubt of the antiquitie of the Latines of the Albanes and last of the Romanes which al did issue and proceede of the house of Aeneas for imperij Romaniorigo Aeneas as is prooued by Halicarnassaeus which affirmeth that Romulus the first king of the Romanes was the seuenteenth king out of the body of Aeneas lineally descending for after Aeneas died being at his death king of the Latines three yeeres after whom succeeded his sonne Ascanius and builded a
against Israel Debora and Barac ouerthrew him Functius and Rââ¦fin Gedeon Iosephus lib. 5. cap. 7. Othoniel Shamgar Barac and Debora The great misery of Israel Iudg 7. Oreb and Zeeb 2. princes of Madianites slaine Euristheus Diuers names of Troy Dardania Troiae Ilion Zeneph de equiuecis The tyrannie of Abimalec Iotham escapeth Miletum buylded Tyre is builed Thola Iudge in Israel Hercules borne Iair the 8. Iudge of Israel Iairs 30. sonnes Iairs 30. sonnes possessed 30. Cities Israel oppressed 1. Reg. cap. 10. Ieptha is appointed their captayne Ieptha ruled 6. yeeres and died Minotaurus Androgeus sonne to Minoes king of Creete slaine Theseus sayled to Creete Minotaurus slayne The games of Olympia Theseus rauished Helen Iustin. lib. 2. Abesan supposed to be Boaz the husband of Ruth Iudic. 10. Elon Abdon Herodot lib. 2. Diodo lib. 2. The second rauishment of Helen Eusebius Samson 20. yeeres Elie 40. yeeres Orestes slewe Pirrhus Heraclides Mycena The vilenesse of the Iewes Their crie for a prophet and for a king Samuel anointed Saul Saul was chosen king of Israel Saul spared Agag and was reprooued by Samuel 50000. Bethshemites slain forlooking into the Arke of the Lord. Samuel hewed Agag The first anointing of Dauid king of Israel Debââ¦ra Dauid sent for by Saul Goliah Dauid slue the great Giant Goliah Sauls enuie to Dauid Samuel died at Rama in his own City 1. Sam. 2. 8. Saul killed himselfe iu Gilboa 1. Sam. 31. 2890 The triumph of the Philistines ouer Saul Dauid the last time after Sauls death anointed king ouer all Israel 2. Sam. cap. 5. A battaile betweene Abner the chiefe captaine of Saul and Ioab the chiefe captaine of Dauid Ioab killeth Abner 2. Sam. cap. 3. The Moabites and the Philistines are ouerthrown by Dauid and are tributaries to Israel 2. Sam. cap. 8. 2 Sam. 11. 12. Ioab was sisters sonne to Dauid Nathan the Prophet sent to accuse Dauid of adultery and murther Aââ¦hitophels councell Absalon killed Foure battels with the Philistines Ioab nombred all Israel by the commandement of Dauid 2. Sam. 24. Troubles in Israel againe Gad the prophet sent to Dauid Dauids counsell to Salomon Dauid dieth The kings of Athens ended Salomons raigne Adoniah Salomons elder brother aspired to the kingdome Salomons sentence vpon Adoniah Adoniah slaine Ioab slayne Abiathar the priest banished The office of the high Priest was taken from Elies house Salomon maried the daughter of Pharaoh Salomon florished Salomon wrote 3000. prouerbs and parables He wrote of trees from the highest to the lowest Ioseph lib. 8. cap. 2. 1. Reg. cap. 4. 40000. horses 2. Cron. 9. The hospitalitic of Salomon The building of the Temple 1. Reg. cap. 7. The Lord appeared to Salomon the second time Saba Salomon had 300. wiues 700. concubines Salomon an Idolater Salomon died What kings raigned in other countreis Salomon began his kingdome in the yere of the world 2930. Roboham despised counsel Ieroboam sent for into Egypt Ioseph lib. 8. cap. 3. Idolatry in Dan and Bethel The people of Israel deuided Roboham had 18. wiues 60. concubines Susack came vp against Ierusalem Susacks armie The first time that Ierusalem was taken by Susack Roboham died Abia moned wars against Ieroboam The greatest battaile that euer was in field and the greatest slaughter ãâã Cron. cap. 13. Ieroboam died Nadab the 2. king of Israel Asa the sixt king of Iuda Warres betweene Israel and Iuda 2. Cron. cap. 15. The praise of a good king Zareus king of the Aethiopians great armie Asa his victory Eutrop. lââ¦b 1. Nepher king of Egypt Iericho reedified Nadab slaine by Baasha Ela slaine by Zimri Zimri burned himselfe Ioseph liâ⦠8. cap. 9. Omri buylded Samaria Omri dyed Achab his sonne succeeded him Melancthon Chron. 2. Asa king of Iuda dyed Iosaphat a good king Menander in his Chronicles of the kings of Tyre The Rauens fed Elias The famine of Samaria 400. false prophets slaine Wicked Iezebel 1. Reg. cap. 22. Ioseph lib. 8. cap. 8. Achab slaine and is buried in Samaria The peace and quietnes in Iosaphats dayes Ammonites Moabites Idumeans by Iosaphat ouerthrowne Ioram succeeded Iosaphat his father Edom rebelled against Iuda The Philistines were stirred vp against Ioram Idolatry rewarded Ioram fought against Hazael king of Siria Iehu slue Hazael Iehu brake Iezabels necke Ochosias liued but one yere Athalia a cruel Queene Athalia destroyed all the kings seede only Iââ¦as saued 2 Cron. 23. 2. The stocke of Salomon perished False Prophets nouri shed priests to maintaine Idolatrie in Iuda Ioas began to roote out Idolatrie Ioas wanted good counsell and therefore followed flatterers Ioas killed Zachary the sonne of Iehoiada The king of Aram came with a small company against Ioas Iuda and Ierusalem Elizeus the Prophet died Persusennis Cheopes kings in Egypt Mezades Tiber first cal Albula Carthage buylded Amazias king of Iuda He reuenged his fathers death He ouer commeth the Edomites He committeth Idolatrie Amazias slaine by conspiracy Sardanapalus Vzias 2. Cron. cap. 26. Vzias leprosie Esai prophecied Kittims the Romans Manahem Pekahiah Ioatham king of Iuda The Olympiads began Ezechias and Romulus borne 2. Reg. 16. 3215 Hosea the last king of Israel Samaria taken 212. after it was builded by Omri Israel caried to Babylon 262. Sinne the cause of Gods wrath Ezechias Senaherib laid siege to Hierusalem 185. thousand slaine of the Assyrians by the Angel Sanacharib slaine by his sonnes before his Idoll in the temple 2. Cron. cap. 30. Ezechias Passeouer Ezechias died Manasses succeeded him Manasses Idolatrie Manasses againe restored to his kingdome Amon king of Iudah Iosias king of Iudah Iaddo the Prophet Chemarims Baals priests 2. Reg. 23. Ashtaroth Chemosh and Milcom Sanheââ¦rin Silo. Ieremie began to prophecie the 13. of Iosias Media Lidia and Rome welnigh oâ⦠one continuance Beroald lib 3. Herodot lib. 4. Iosias slaine Ioachim brought captiue to Babylon Necho slaine by the king of Chaldea Iere. 36. Ioseph lib. 10. c. 8. 9. Some varie about the time of the captiuitie 21. Kings of Israel Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 12. The first wonder The 2. wonder The 3. wonder The 4. wonder The 5. wonder The 6. wonder The 7. wonder The 8. wonder The misery of the Iewes Euilmerodach The captiuity of Babylon The Chaldeans and the Assyrians The Medes and Persians The Macedonians and Grecians The fourth beast the Romans ãâã weekes The kings of Iuda and the kings of Rome ended almost about one time The first returne of the Iewes in Cyrus time Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 3. Ecbatana the chiefe citie of the Medes Esdras cap. 6. Zorobabel Melancthon lib. 2. Chron. Hircanus 2. the last of 15. gouernours Herodot lib. 4. Cambyses went against the Getes Herodot 6. Thucidides 1. Iustin. lib. 2. Ioseph lib. 11. cap. 7. Alexander the great Tribute to Alexander The solemne receiuing of Alexander the great vnto Ierusalem The reuerence of Alexander to the high Priest The benefits and good turnes of Alexander Alexanders benefits The succession of
Parthia Tiridates Caesars clemencie andiustice Diodo lib. 42. Strabo lib. 11. Iosephus lib. 1. cap. 6. The Medes first by Cyrus vanquished Deiocis the ãâã king of the Medes Arbase subdued the Assyrians and made them subiect to the Medes Arbaces Bellochus Sosarmus 3. king of the Medes Aristeus 4. king The Parthians were vanquished by the Medes Astiages the last king of Media Iustinus lib. 1. Diodor. lib. 2. cap. 7. Arbases the first gouernor of Media Controuersie of the gouernment of the Medes Sosaramus 2. king of Media Orosius lib. 1. cap. 24. Great warres betweene the Pelopon and the Athenians Romulus borne King of Tyre Menander de bello Salmanasser Dyonisius Hal. lib. 1. Sancherib ouer throwen Cardiceas 4. King of Media Merodach 4. king Manasses a tyrant Lib. 10. ap 1. Dionis lib. 2. Sosarmus Deiocis the 1. king of the Medes Diodorus Siculus lib. 3. Strab. lib. 11. Russâ⦠de Medor origine Deioces praised Diodo lib. 1. Herodot lib. 2. The Egyptians The Indians The Persian The Macedonians The Romanes The olde Germanes The seuerall ensignes of kinges and great captaines Watchwords at seââ¦raln ãâã or ââ¦eat ãâã Phaortes slaine at Niniue Phaortes Strabo lib. 11. Ciaxares the sonne of Phaortes and the 7. king of Media Ruffinus de Medorum origine The besieging of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonosor Astiages the 8. and last king of Media Astiages dreame of his daughter Harpagus Mitridates Cyrus brought vp with a poore heardman as his owne childe astyages hath knowledge that Cyrus was not slaine by Harpagus Cyrus is banished from Media vnto Persia. Cyrus is father to Cambyses and not his soane in all writers but in Herodotus Cyrus maketh this force in a readinesse Messengers sent vnto Cyrus Cyrus answere The first battell of Astyages with Cyrus The second ouerthrow of Astiages and the last The last ende of the Medes The riuer Halis The 56. Olympiad Zonar lib. 1. cap. 19. Iosephus lib. 10. cap. 13. Herod lib. 3. zenophon lib. 8. Padago Howe the Medes fed Strabo lib. 11. Of their husbands Herodot lib. 1. cap. 7. Iosephus lib. 1. 14. antiq Zonaras lib. 7. Strabo lib. 13. Plini lib. 5. naâ⦠histor Dionysius lib 2. Plââ¦t in Romule The Lydians the Romanes and the Medes beganne to raigne together The Lacedemonians ended their kingdom now Arsidius the first king of Lydia Lydians became idle and slouthfull Budaeus de asse lib. 3. Aliagtes the second king of lydia Warres betwene the Lacedemonians and the Messanians Orosius lib. 1. cap. 21. Herodot lib. 8. in fine Liuius lib. 1. Dionysius 2. The first triumph of Romulus Dionysius lib. 1. The thirde alteration in the gouernment of Athens Decennales principes Meles the third king of Lydia The second triumph of Romulus The third tri umph of Romulus Dionysius lib. 2. Candaules the fourth king of Lydia To bragge of beautie is dangerous The foolishnes of Candaules Two offers vnto Giges Giges the fift king of Lydia Heraclides stocke ended in Candaules the 4. king and coÌtinued 502. yeeres heââ¦odot lib. 1. Iustinus lib. 3. Constantinople builded Herodot lib. 2. Dodoneum oraculum at this time The state of Athens againe Ardis the sixt king of Lydia Zaleucus lawe for adulterie A iust king A rare example of iustice Tullus Hostilius triumphed ouer the Fidenans and the vients Herodotus lib. 1. Terpander a famous musition Thales a great Philosopher liued long Dionysus Halica lib. 3. Solinus cap. 2. The Cimmerians subdued by the Scythians Sadaites the 7. king of Lydia Herodotus lib. 1. Ancus Martius the 4. king of Rome Dirachium builded The history of Arion the musition Aulus Gellââ¦us lib. 16. cap. 19. Orthium carmeâ⦠ãâã Arion Herod lib. 1. Arion caried by a Dolphine in the sea Cleonidas Thebââ¦s in Olympiâ⦠rictââ¦s The Scythians caused warre betweene the Medes and the Lydians Astiages maried Haliates daughter Heredot lib. 1. Ieremie cap. 44. Ezââ¦chiel cap. 19. The Latins vanquished by the Romans The Sabines ouerthrowen Hetruscans The 7. Sages Alteration in the gouernment of Corinth Polimnestor Millesimus as swift as a hare Solinus cap. 6. Zenophon lib. 8. pediae Ioseph lib. 10. cap. 12. Some controuersie of Ciaxeres An error in Herodotus Niniue taken by Ciaxares Solinus t p. 4. Massilia builded Iustine lib 43. Budae de asse lib. 1. Strabo de moââ¦ibus Gallorum Tarquinius Priscus slaine Cressus the 9. king of Lydia Babylon besieged by Cyrus Babylon taken by Cyrus Balthasar slaine Cressus fled Heredot lib. 1. Sardis taken and Cr. the second time conuââ¦cted Errors in the Olympiads Dyonis lib. 4. Media at this time was made subiect to Persia by Cyrus Lacedemonians and the Argiues A braue combat Herodot lib. 1. Dracos lawes mitigated by Solon Solons lawes of vsurie Melancthon 2. Chron. Thales in Miletum Pithagoras taught in Italie Croesus to SoloÌ Lydia did rebell against Cyrus The first conquest of Lydia Croesus fauour with Cyrus The good opinion of Cyrus toward Croesus Cambyses tyran nie to his souldiers Croesus councell to Cambyses Herodo lib. 3. Lydia is made a prouince of Persia by conquest Strabo lib. 15. Pomponius Mela lib. 3. The description of Persia. Alex. lib. 3. cap. 16. The kings of Persia all called Acheminides The Persians called first Cephenes Artaei Perse. The Persians before called Elamites Diodo lib. 13. Iosephus lib. 11. cap. 6. Curtius lib. 5. The wealth of Persia in the time of Cyrus Zenophon Paeda lib. 8. Cyrus began his Empire Fiftie talents are three thou sand crownes Xenophon lib. 2. 3. Paedag. Homotimi Argyraspides Myrmidones Dolopes Cyrus by David instructed Cyrus Swallowesvnlucky birdes Melancthon lib. Chron 2. Diodor. lib. 2. cap. 11. Herodot lib. 1. The first infancie of Greece The death of Cyrus Zenophon lib. 8. Paedago Zonar lib 1. cap. 29. Cambyses the 2. king of Persia Herod lib. 3. Nitetis sent to Cambyses Memphis takeÌ by Cambyses Difference betweene the Persians and the Egyptians Strabo lib. 15. The tyrannie of Cambyses The Persians worship the fire Herodot lib. 3. Silla Nouen liales puluââ¦res Genesis 2. 3. Abrahams field for buriall A counterfait Smerdis Cambyses by his owne sword slaine Alex. lib. 3. cap. 26. Oracles are doubtfull Herodot lib. 3. Sisamnis skin Melancthon 2. Chron. His sonne Otanes Two Magi gouerned Persia 7. moneths Herodot lib. 3. What state should gouerne Persia. Otanes for Democratia Megabisus the second for Oligarchia The three monsters of Athens Darius perswasion for a Monarchie Lib. Paedag. Herodotus 3. Cyrus last will A deuise for the ection of a king in Persia. The names of the 7. princes of Persia. Oebarus policie Darius king of Persia. Babylon besieged Zopirus subtiltie Darius saying of Zopirus Cimerians Getes Scythians Persian ambassadors sent to Macedonia A worthie historie of Alexander Amintas sonne Iustinus lib. 7. Herodot 5. Pisistratus Hippias by Darius ayded Melanct. lib. 2 Chron. Herodotus 7. Iustine erred Hipparchus a wise man Aââ¦an lib. 8. Lib. 1. cap. 16. Herodot lib. 7. Melancton lib. 2.
Diuers names of the Frenchmen Strabo liued in Agustus time Neumagi called Sicambri Cambra Bellinus daughter Aemil. lib. 1. The Frenchmen challenge to come from the Troians 400. odde yeeres reigned the kings of Sicambri Tritemius The victories of Sicambri The Romanes much affrighted Marius the Romane Consul was appoynted Generall against these Sicambrians whom the Romanes called Cimbri The Frenchmen came from Scythia about 400. yeeres before the birth of Christ. What the Romanes lost the Frenchmen wanne in time Reade Iornandus de reb Get. Marcomanni Cambra a wise woman a Britane taught her husband and her people ciuilitie Neopagus Neomagus Neumagi Marcomani Sicambri Gaul Greekes Helenus the fourth king of Sicambria Consent oft time of kings in other countreyes Diocles 4. king These kinges by succession professed armes Alex. the greâ⦠raigned in the time of this Diocles. Pyrrhus raigned in Helenus time which was Diocles sonne The victorie of the Saxons ouer the Gothes Diocles the fift king of Sicambria Helenus 6. king was remoued from his kingdome The booke of the law and the sword of punishment caried before Bassanus Adulterie punished by Bassanus Bassanus a iust king Tritem in Bassano MoÌtabur builded by Bassanus Basanus after death called Basangor Clodomirus 7. king of Sicambria Arsaces the names of the kings of Perthia Al these kings holde their names from Cambra and were called therby Sycambri from Autenor who maried Cambra vnto Francus time Francus the first king by whome the kingdome of Fraunce was so ââ¦amed Tritem in Franco Lollius with his Romane armie put to flight by Clogio 200000. Gaules slaine by Francus Sicambria now is called Fraunce Ianus temple shut in all August time Clogio 2. king For his knowledge and skill in Astrologie surnamed Magus A battell betweene Clogio and Tiberius the Emperor Phrisius the sonne of Clogâ⦠made king in Friseland Tribute of 260. oxen paid out of Friseland into the crowne of Fraunce Tacis 4. 5. Herimers 5. king after Francus Herimerus slaine Caesarea before called Turris Stratonis Tacitus lib. 4. Marcomirus 4. king Clodomirus 5. king after Francus This king with 60. of his noble men was drowned in the riuer Mosa Gallia sore plagued Raterus 7. king Alani Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 27. Richimerus 8. king Ioseph wrote his historie de bello Iudaico in Richimerus time Sunno The Gaules the Romanes sore plagued by Richimer Odemarus 9. king of FrauÌce The 4. persecution in Richimers time Odemarus concluded peace with the Romanes Vowes and othes made the Frenchmen for Gallia Reade Paul Aemil. lib. 1. The West kingdoms began to florish The names of those kings that reigned in Fraunce froÌ Francus to Farabertus Marcomirs 10. king Clodomirus 11. king Farabartus 12. king The Romanes did stomake the greatnesse of the Frenchmen Farabertus con cluded peace with the Germanes other nations about them to keepe wars with the Samanes Commodus the Emperour forced to flie Bellum Marcomannicum Orosius lib. 7. cap. 15. The Christian faith receiued into Britaine Franford builded by Sunno and also Sunnia which is now called Sunda Tritemius and Hunibaldus Varietie of opinion in time The meane state of FrauÌce in Heldericus time Batharus 15. king Itale spoyled with the sword vnto Rauenna Mosa Clodius king after Farabertus Gallia not yet gotten by the Frenchmen Vprores in many countries in Claudius time Eutrop. lib. 9. Alectas slaine by Asclepiadotus Gualterus 5. king after Farabartus Clogio 7. after Farabertus Clodomirus his valure courage to reueÌge his brothers death Clodomirus victorie Clodomirus succeeded his brother Clogio 2686 husband men with their families Menigauia when Genebaldus reigned paying tribute vnto his brother Clodomirus Gebrich king of the Gothes The victorie of Richimerus Richimerus slaine Theodoricus 38. king From this Hector Degenââ¦bart Charles the great discended Marcomirus a great name in Fraunce The Saxons inuaded the Romanes confines Foure noble captaines vnder Marcomirus The fall of Rome was the rising of Fraumce The kingdom of Fraunce without a king 26. yeeres Interregnum Warres betweene the Romanes and the Frenchmen Faramundus by common consent made king of France The French nations were 800 yeeres and more in getting of Gallia From Faramundus I vse P. Aemilius These kings raigned from Farabertus to Faramundus Faramundus appointed his brother Marcomirus East Fraunce P. Aemil. lib. 1. Faramundus the first king of Gallia Plini lib. 4. cap. 17. 18. Lex Salica made in Faramundus time Clodius the second king of Fraunce Clodius was sirnamed Crinitus The diuers victories of this Clodius Scots and Picts inuaded Britaine Clodius died Ruffinus de orig Francorum Reade Gildas Giraldus and Beda in the historie of Britaine The antiquitie of English Saxons in Britaine called before Arubrones Roxones The errors of the Olympiads Meroueus the thirde king Attila king of the Hunnes Vualaricus king of the East Gothes Ardaricus king of Gepida ioyned together against the French Til. in Cron. Franc. Reg. The great victorie of the Frenchmen Attila a strong king Ioseph lib. 71. cap. 8. Augusta besieged by Meroneus These places the Frenchmen fiââ¦st inhabited after they had come from Scythia Fraunce flourished The Romane Empire fell to decay Childericus the fourth king of Fraunce Egidius raigned 8 yeeres Aemil. lib. 1. Til Chron. Francor rââ¦g Clodoueââ¦s the first of that name receiued first the Christian faith in France P. Aemil. in Childeââ¦ico Childericus died A nomber of Bââ¦itaines came ouer sea and possessed Aquitania Vortiger and after him Hengistus The first time that Armorica was named litle Britaââ¦ne Clodoueus the fift king Reade of thââ¦se 4. great victories Blondus and Procopius Clodoueus the first performed his othe and became a Christian after his victorie had against the Almanes Thus farre Huââ¦ibaldus In this time of Clodoueus raigned Emperour Anastatius and in Britaine raigned Arthur Clââ¦doueus 4. sonnes Procop lib. 1. de bell Gothor Reade of theis 18. yere warre Procop. lib. 2 de bello Persico This king Totââ¦la plagued Italy Rome More Vandols and Gothes in Rome then Citizens The kingdom of the Pope and the kingdome of Mahomââ¦t began at one time Bellisarius much commended Bellisarius a noble captaine vnder Iustinianus Pandects made by Iustinianus the Emperor This time died Arthur iâ⦠Britaine Prccopius of the warres of the Gothes thus farre De Chron. Franâ⦠Cherebertus a wicked vicious prince This time beganne warres betweene the Romanes and the Persians Clotarius the tenth king Reade Tilius de reg Franc. The victorie of Heraclius ouer the Persians Polyb. lib. 4. Caddwalader the last king of the Britaines Warres betweene Theodoricus and Theobertus VaÌdoles Gothes Hunnes Danes Hungarians and others were by the olde Romaneâ⦠called Germanes Clotarius died Dagobertus the 11. king Til Chron. Franc. reg Fraunce suffred to haue their vines by Probus the Emperour Dagobertus died vpon the 4. kal. of Februarie Mahomet Lewes the first Martinas treason found after punished Dagobertus sent to a Monasterie by Grimoaldus Ildebertus slaine
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 remeÌbred 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 coÌmon 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 couÌtenance 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 soÌne 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 wheÌ 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. furloÌgs which is 530. miles and from thence vnto the confines of Carmenia are 1600. furlongs The Region of Persia is coÌfined 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 natioÌ 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 natioÌs for their kings for that diuers kingdoms had by law coÌfirmed 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 couÌtries 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 EgyptiaÌs were by this time brought subiects vnder the PersiaÌs 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 froÌ 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
neither by warre with the which hee often asfailed his Countriemen neither with treacherie which hee practised with the families of the Vitellians and the Aquillians hee coulde any way profite Then Publicola gaue himselfe fully to looke vnto Rome which was so impouerished by ciuill warres that collection of money was made for the buriall of Valerius the Consul his fellowe in office Hee first redressed thinges decayed in Rome in supplying the number of the Senators that were slaine in the warres of Tarquine in whose places hee chose newe Senators to the number of a hundred sixtie foure after he defended the Citie against Porsenna and destroyed the Countrie round about and slue of the Thuscanes fiue thousand he also vanquished the Sabines and triumphed ouer them and he subdued the Latines who were most busie against the Romanes this time for Rome was found in the time of this Publicola sore vnpeopled and poore by reason of the ciuil warres of Tarquinius and therefore all the Nations which the kings of Rome before had subdued beganne to reuoult and to wage warre freshly against the Romanes againe but they were by this valiant Romane brought to their first state and Rome much enriched by the spoyles of the Sabines Latines Thuscans and others This Publicola was Consul foure times seuerally he was a good man and a iust Romane hee made lawes and decrees within the Citie first hee ordeyned by lawe that all offendours being condemned by the iudgement of the Consuls might appeale vnto the people Hee likewise decreed that no man might exercise any office vnlesse hee came to it by the gifte of the people and he also made a lawe in the fauour of the poore Citizens that they should pay no custome nor impost whatsoeuer This hedid to winne the peoples fauour and to keepe them in hande many women then in Rome esteemed little of their life in respect of their Countrie as Cloelia Valeria and diuers others whose statues are erected vp on horsebacke in the holy streete Appius Claudius a very riche man of the Sabines came to Rome this time to dwell and brought with him fiue thousande families with their wiues and children of the most peaceable and esteemed men of the Sabines In the ninth yeere after the banishing of Tarquinius there was a newe office created in Rome called Dictatura which farre excelled in authoritie the office of the Consuls In this office Titus Largius was first instituted Dictator and in the same yeere an other newe officer called magister equitum an officer deputed to bee attendant vpon the Dictator in the which office Spurius Cassius was appointed The Dictator was not to continue in his office aboue sixe moneths for such was the authoritie of the Dictator that hee might deale in all causes and iudge of life and death without any appeale eyther to the Senate Consul or to the people and therefore the people much complaining beganne to make vproares and fel to dissension and to require for an officer to aide and defende the people and for that the Senators and Consuls as the people pretended the cause woulde haue them oppressed a coÌmocion was thereby in Rome by the commons and therefore they created two men whom they called Tribuni Militum Tribunes of the people they were assigned to bee peculier Decisers and Determiners in causes belonging to the people This office continued vntil Sillas time by whom the office of Tribuneshippe was abrogated but after by Pompey the great restored In Rome dwelt a rare man of great seruice in the warres of Tarquine whom Largius the first Dictator knewe to be such as deserued great prayse then being a young man for hee was crowned with Oken leaues according to the Romanes maners in Tarquinius dayes and sithence profited Rome in diuers seruices in subduing the Volscans in winning the citie Corioles he inuaded the Antiates and often repressed the insolencie of the people insomuch that the Romanes hauing many warres in those dayes this Corolianus was at them all for there was no battell fought no warre enterprised but Coriolanus returned from thence with fame and honour But his vertue and renowme gate him much enuie for hereby hee was banished Rome by the Ediles Tribunes of the people against the Patricians will but the Romanes made a rodde to beate them selues when they banished Coriolanus for he came in armes against his owne Countrie and Citie with the Volscans being at that time their generall hee with great furie inuaded the Territories of Rome hee caused the communaltie of Rome and Nobilitie to fall to ciuill dissension hee so plagued the Romanes diuers wayes vnto the very gates of Rome he was so much moued against them that hee refused three seuerall Embassadours to heare them being his chiefe friendes sent vnto him by the Senate to entreate for peace hee refused to heare the Bishops and the Priestes Feciales He likewise denied the Augurers the sacrificers and the ministers of the goddes vntill Volumnia his mother and Virgillia his wife with their two young sonnes gotten by Coriolanus with Valeria the sister of Publicola and diuers other Ladies of Rome came to meete Coriolanus to entreate for peace vnto the Volscans campe and what time hee had compassion of his mother of his wife and of his two sonnes and of the other Ladies being his neere kinswomen then hee withdrewe his armie from Rome and yeelded to the teares of his mother but the fickle mindes of the people by the conspiracie of Tullus Aufidius were such that Coriolanus was murthered in the Citie of Antium at his very returne from that voyage What shall I say of Caius Mutius Sceuola of his noble attemptes against king Porsenna of Horatius Cocles and of diuers others whose statues at Rome and whose histories in euery booke written and in euery mans mouth can witnesse for in this very time in Rome when Cresius Fabius and Titus Virginius were Consuls three hundred noble men of the house and stocke of the Fabians tooke vpon them alone to wage battell against the Veientines offering themselues to the Senators and to the people of Rome to fight from this battell not one scaped of three hundred Fabians but one and another which was young at home not able to goe to warrefare for all the males of the Fabiaus were slaine in that battell These warres were extremely handled and prosecuted by the Hetruscans Fidenats and the Falascies against the Romanes when Rome was in most aduersitie and pouertie aswell for the late ciuill warres of Tarquine the proude as also diuers other forreigne enemies which on euery side assaulted Rome These 300. Fabians full of prowesse and valure vndertooke this warre against the Veients but being ouer charged with multitudes were all slaine sauing one to their great fame yet this followed after their death presently the Fasiliscians yeelded them selues to the Romanes the
ciuil warres betwene themselues as betwene Marius and Silla in the first warres betwene Pompey Caesar in the second warres and betweene Mar. Antonius and Octauius Augustus in the third warrs to the ouerthrow welnigh of the whole Romane empire For histories do report that in these three ciuil warres before mentioned died more Senators Consuls magistrats noblemen and gentlemen then in the three great Affricane warres the first by Hamilcar which endured 22. yeeres most cruell the second by Hanibal which endured 17. yeeres most terrible warres the thirde and last by Asdrubal which continued foure yeeres all which annoyed not Rome so much as did these three ciuil warres But let vs returne to the happie raigne of Augustus called the Prince of peace the father of the countrey and Emperor of Rome whose happie gouernment made vnhappie Rome happie and raised vp Rome from the ground vp to the heauens To this good Emperour the Persians and the Parthians sent ambassadors with presents to this the Scythians the Indians and the Garramants people that neuer heard before any speach of the Romanes sent both Legats and presents What shal be spoken more of this Emperour In his dayes in the two and fourtieth yere of this Emperours raigne the Emperour of all Emperours and King of all kings was in Bethleem a towne of Iurie borne of the Virgine Mary the onely begotten Sonne of God and the onely Sauiour of the worlde This is the true Messias sent from Heauen to earth to satisfie the wrath of his father This was the Lambe of God which tooke away the sinnes of the world And therefore Augustus was the happier for that in his time IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of God was borne as the Prophetes had before spoken Now after that this good Emperour had liued eightie sixe yeeres whose honour and loue was such in the whole world that townes were builded and named after the name of Caesar one by king Iuba in Mauritania another by Hero in Palestina and many kings left their owne kingdomes came to Rome to do seruice to Augustus He raigned fiftie and sixe yeres Emperour he died at Atella a towne of Campania was brought to be buried at Rome and was canonized after his death as a god Augustus had three things in Rome graunted the first to be Consul of Rome before he was twentie yeeres olde the second he was freed from any decree or law of the Senators and the thirde hee had his image on horsebacke set vp in the market place which was granted to none but to Silla and Caesar In this Emperours time flourished in Rome many notable learned men whose names are here subscribed Virgil this time flourished Horace also and Tibullus Propertius and Vitrimius Titus Liuius and Ouid. Valerius Maximus And Strabo When Augustus died there was peace ouer the whole world for the Sonne of God was then borne the king of all peace whose fame by miracles filled all the earth At what time raigned Tetrarche in Iudea Archelaus the sonne of that Herode who slewe so many infants thinking thereby to kill the Sonne of God and therefore spared not his owne sonnes Aristobulus and Alexandeer I haue spoken of this more in the historie of the Church In the time of this Emperour Augustus the kingdome of Fraunce beganne to be so named after the name of one Francus the sonne of Antharius king of Sicambria This Francus after that his father died made a decree that Sicambria should be called Francia after his owne name of whom I shal speake in the historie of Fraunce And now I will returne to Tiberius Caesar who was Liuia Augustus wiues sonne and Augustus sonne by adoption the successour of Augustus and the thirde Emperour of Rome of whom we reade that he was very eloquent and well learned but a great dissembler who gouerned the Empire with auarice crueltie lust and cowardlinesse for he waged battell no where himself in person but by his deputies and lieutenants He beganne his Empire in the 768. yere after the building of Rome and in the 15. yeere after Christ was borne at what time Sextus Pompeius was Consul in Rome This Tiberius had some warres with the Germanes which were before subdued by Augustus but nowe againe rebelled and brought to subiection by this Emperor Tiberius Of these warres reade Cornelius Tacitus Hee had warres before in Illyria in the time of his father in lawe Augustus ouer whom hee triumphed In the last yeere of Tiberius Nero was Domitius borne Tiberius was certified by Pilate from Hierusalem where hee gouerned vnder the Romanes of the miracles of Christ of his fame and of his life and doings Pilats letters were shewed to the Senators and Pilate was blamed and reprooued for that he suffered that IESVS to do any miracles without the consent of the Senators for Pilate put vp the Image of Tiberius in the temple at Ierusalem But in the latter ende of his raigne hee fell to great negligence of gouernment he gaue himselfe to be idle and thereby became vntemperate with inordinate lust in so much that hee was flouted and scoffed and called Biberius Mero in stead of Tiberius Nero and after he had raigned twentie and three yeeres he died in Campania as is supposed by the meanes of Caligula who succeeded him in the Empire This Caligula was sonne to Germanicus a lewde Emperour and a wicked who farre exceeded Tiberius in crueltie and in horrible life he commaunded his Images to be put vp euery where and altars to be consecrated to him and caused his Images to haue diuine honours and hee sent to Iudea and commaunded that his Image should bee set in the temple boasting of his filthie life and gouernment naming himselfe Iupiter for his incestuous life and naming him Bacchus for his drunkennesse Hee had carââ¦all copulation with all his three sisters and with his daughter whom hee begate vpon one of his sisters he defiled noble women and chaste matrones and gaue them after to others to be defiled hee was called the beast of Rome who after hee had raigned foure yeeres vsing great crueltie auarice filthie lust and horrible incest he was slaine in his Pallace by his owne souldiers as Iosephus writeth in his nineteenth booke His birth his life and his death is set foorth at large by Suetonius who also wrote of all the liues of all the Emperours most amplie omitting nothing that belonged to the Romane historie during the time of the Emperours What were done in other countreys since the death of that good Emperour Augustus what wickednesse ensued in Rome by his successours Claudius Tiberius and Caius Caligula Tacitus Suetonius Liuie and other writers haue written very largely In the time of Tiberius Nero within two yeeres of Augustus death happened such an earthquake in the night time that twelue great cities in Asia fell prostrate to the ground at what
time Piso was Praetor in Syria and Pontius Pilate was President in Iudea This very time the Parthians required of the Romanes king Phraartes sonne named Vonones which was by his owne father put to the Romanes in pledge of loyaltie to come againe to his kingdome which being graunted hee shortly after was despised and driuen out of his kingdome by Artabanus Mithridates waged warre and died in the Isle of Thiae banished from Rome for at that time there was a lawe made in Italy for the banishing of Sooth sayers and Mathematicians Within a litle while after fell sharpe and cruel warre of this warre betweene the Parthians and Hiberians Reade Tacitus At this time many great terrible earthquakes chaunced and many great wonders were seeene a little before Christ Iesus suffered his death and passion for after the last earthquake spoken of before fell againe thirteene great and famous townes by another earthquake whose names Eusebius setteth downe in this sort as in the margent you may reade Our Sauiour Christ died in the Emperour Tiberius his raigne at what time were finished the seuentie weekes spoken of in Daniel about which time Philo Iudaeus was sent from Alexandria to Rome to entreate the Romanes to bee friendes to the Citizens of Alexandria This Philo Iudaeus was of great authoritie in those dayes being a Iewe borne his first comming to Rome was accepted the fifteenth yeere of the raigne of Tiberius the seconde comming was in the second yeere of the raigne of Caius Caligula where hee was but litle welcome and with threatning wordes of Caligula he returned backe to Alexandria In the time of this C. Caligula came Herode the Tetrarche from Iewrie to Rome and was by Caligula then banished from Iudea to Lugdunum a towne in France and Pontius Pilate who gaue sentence of death vpon the Sonne of God our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST in Ierusalem this time fell into such miseries and calamities that hee with his owne hande killed himselfe Matthewe the Euangelist wrote his Gospell in Iudea in the Hebrewe tongue in the last yeere of the Emperour Caligula at what time Simon Magus the Sorcerer flourished and was honoured as a god in Rome and in many other places I will returne to the successour of Caligula Tiberius Claudius hee sawe Drusus an vncle by the father side to Caligula and brothers sonne to Tiberius Nero this made warres vpon the Britaines which is now called England ouer whom he triumphed at Rome and at that time hee annexed certaine Ilands situate beyond Britaine called Orcades to the Empire of Rome he appointed playes in Rome at what time ciuil warres grew amongst the Parthians In the time of this Claudius diuers and sundry great famines were in many countreys great famine was in Iudea and the Apostles suffered much persecution but they were comforted by the brethren Of this famine spake Agabus in the Acts of the Apostles In Rome also was great famine and in Greece This Claudius Tiberius had a wife named Messalina a woman most vntemperate giuen to much filthie lust neuer satisfied with venerie nor neuer wearie by this lewde Empresse many were destroyed Many things did this Claudius very quietly and many things hee did very cruelly without discretion and behaued himselfe very courteously towards diuers of his friendes and therefore was thought of many not to be wise Eutropius saith that there was a most honorable tombe made to him at Mentz in Germanie This Emperour liued 64. yeeres and raigned in Rome Emperour foureteene yeeres after whome succeeded Claudius Domitius Nero who was sonne in lawe vnto Claudius Drusus who adopted him to be his successour in the Empire after the building of Rome 807. yeeres some say 809 and after that Christ died 57. This was the sixt Emperour of Rome who excelled all good Emperours for fiue yeeres gouernment for Traian the Emperour was wont to say Omnes principes procul à Neronis quinquennio distare for hee builded the Anephitheaters and founded Bathes and named them after his owne name at Rome he ordeined certaine places euery fiue Quinquenale imitating the Greekes in their Olympiads and named them Neronea the playes of Nero hee much resembled his vncle Caligula a man much giuen to all kinde of riot charges and expences hee poysoned the sonne of Claudius whom his father sirnamed Britanicus in remembrance of his victorie ouer the Britaines hee married Octauia and slew her husband and as Eusebius saith slewe her also hee married a courtezane named Poppea and slew her hee had carnall copulation with Agrippina his owne naturall mother and after slew her he also slewe a great nomber of the Senate and diuers other worthie citizens This Emperour exceeded all tyrants in crueltie hee committed diuers murthers vpon his owne kinsefolkes and slewe his scholemaster that graue and learned man Seneca When that this Nero had giuen himselfe wholy to all tyrannie and became an enemie to all good hee would daunce and sing openly with strumpets in the apparell of a coÌmon minstrell Now when hee had murthered Senators citizens and diuers gentlemen and had slaine his owne brother his wife and his mother he set the citie of Rome on fire and let it burne for 6. dayes to make him know how the citie of Troy burned when it was on fire by the Grecians And when he had left no euill thing vndone on earth hee beganne to persecute the Church and to murther the saincts of God as shal be spoken in the History of the Church of Paul Peter and others Reade Tacitus of this wicked Emperour While he fomed in blood at Rome the Parthians bereft him of Armenia and he had almost as Eutropius saith lost Britaine he durst do nothing in feates of armes for these cruel facts he was abhorred of all men and cleane forsaken of his owne friends he was adiudged of the Senate to be an enemy of the weale publike Nero hearing that he should be drawen naked through the citie and be whipt til he were dead hee fled secretly forth of his Pallace by night with his Eunuch Sporus and slew himselfe 4. miles from Rome In the time of Nero fell by an earthquake three townes in Asia called Laodicea Hieropolis and Colossa Diuers earthquakes and many wonders were seene in Rome murther and slaughter in Iudea battels and blood At what time Albinus gouerned the Iewes vnder the Romans In Neroes time gouerned in Britaine Aruiragus in whose dayes many Britaines were conuerted to the faith by Ioseph of Arimathea a Iew borne and one of them that buried our Sauiour Christ. Thus the tyrant Nero which wished that all the citie of Rome had but one necke that he might with one stroke cut it off died after hee had raigned fourteene yeeres Emperour and liued one and thirtie yeeres CHAP. VIII From Nero the tyrant the sixt Emperour of Rome vntill the time of Lu. Antoninus Comodus the