singular man of God Moses to whome the lawe in Mount Sinai was giuen and by whome the lawe had full execution with whome GOD talked so familiarly that hee alone continued with GOD fourtie dayes in Mount Sinai the moste auncient Chronographer of the worlde the verye light of prophane Histories and the onely teacher of time as by his 5. bookes appeare but for that Moses must be spoken of almost in euery place for the recourse and triall of time I will nowe goe forward with the historie Nowe reigned ouer the Assyrians Ascatades the 18. king in Niniue and in the 8. yeere of this Ascatades Cancres Pharaoh the king of Egypt with all his great armie were drowned in the red sea In Moses time happened two great floods the one called Deucalion flood 784. yeeres after Noahs flood the other in Thessalia after which followed such earthquakes in Thessalie that many thousands of beasts men women and children townes and cities were destroied as both Berosus and Xenophon doe agree After which earthquake fire wasted many townes and cities in Greece called incendium Phaetontis In Moses time the kingdome of Athens beganne wherein Cecrops was the first king of Athens 350. yeeres before the destruction of Troy From Abraham to Moses 450. from Moses to the first building of the Temple 480. yeeres Thus farre Berosus writeth euen from the beginning of Noah out of the arke vntil the going of the Israelites out of Egypt yet a litle farther vntill the falling of Dathan with 250. more which held with Abiran and Chore for their murmuring against Moses After this went Moses vp from the plaine of Moab to mount Nebo where the Lorde shewed vnto Moses all the lande of Canaan according to his promise saying thou shalt see the lande of Canaan with thine eies but thou shalt not goe ouer thither and there Moses the seruant of the Lorde died for whome Israel wept 30. daies and after whome Iosua succeeded Moses was 120. yeeres of age when he died Nowe you must vnderstande that when Ioseph was dead and the Hebrewes began to be multiplied the Egyptians both feared and hated them oppressed them as you heard with all toile and slauerie and not yet contented but a law was made among the Egyptians that euery male childe of the Hebrewes should be throwen to Nilus This lawe continued from Moses birth and before vntill their God deliuered them by Moses God had appointed with Moses and after with Iosua wise and graue men as Elders Iudges Magistrates to gouerne the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes vnder Moses as Iethro his father in lawe had councelled him the head of any tribe or of any citie Conuocauit populos Israel Senatum eorum principes eorum iudices eorum Ios. 23. Hee had also the Leuites the Priest and the high Bishop a state of Common-wealth chaunged from Oligarchia which was in Abrahams time into Aristocratia by the expresse commandements of God in all the lawes of the Hebrewes Morall and Iudiciall And after God gaue the Ceremoniall Lawes to Moses at mount Sinai for the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes were of all others most principally to be allowed for that God ordeined all their lawes ordered their Iudges al their Kings and their high Priestes for these three states gouerned the Hebrewes from Moses the first Iudge vntil the last high Priest though by Moses other officers were appointed as Tribunes Centurions and Captaines some ouer a 1000. some ouer a 100. some ouer 50. by the Greekes named Chiliarchi Hecatontarchi Pentecontarchi Decatarchi The offerings which were gold siluer and brasse blewe silke purple and scarlet fine linnen Goates haire and Rammes skinnes coloured red oile spices perfumes of sweete sauour the Tabernacle the Arke the stone table and the rod of Aaron and Manna which were testimonies of Gods presence Read of these Ceremoniall lawes in Exod. 25. About this time reigned in Egypt Ramesses afterwards hauing vanquished his brother Danaus from Egypt Egyptus vsurped the kingdom of Egypt named it Egyptus after his owne name Amongst the Argiues Stelenus their 9. King and after him succeeded Danaus being driuen out of Egypt by the foresaid Egyptus his brother giuing that name to the Countrey of Egypt being before named Mizraim Nowe in Creete gouerned Axit and in Athens the 4. king Ericthonius in these daies Nowe Memphis in Egypt of one Epaphus as Eusebius doth name was builded Dardanus builded Dardania in the sixt yeere of this king Egyptus this afterwarde was called Troy-Cyrene at this time was likewise builded in Libya and Nisa a great citie in India by Dionysius In Niniue Amintes the 19. king of the Assyrians gouerned It is written by Orosius that Danaus king at this time of the Argiues hauing fiftie daughters who being married to fiftie brethren sonnes to his owne brother Egyptus wrought meanes by these his daughters to requite the iniurie of his brother they agreeing with their father conspired the deathes of their husbandes and slewe them all in one night This historie is diuersly written which I leaue to euery mans iudgement After that Moses had gouerned the people of God 40. yeeres in the wildernes hee made choise of Iosua as you heard to be their Gouernour and Iudge for there was no succession of Gouernors no election of states no Prince no Iudge to claime right amongest the people of Israel but the lawe of God was the Iudge that gouerned Israel So Gedeon saide Non dominabor vestri nec dominabitur vestri filius meus sed Dominus he was the onely ruler so they prospered all the time of good Iudges This Iosua the second Iudge of Israel whome God raised after Moses was adorned with excellent giftes as with counsell to gouerne Israel and with strength to defend Israel this bringeth them after all difficulties vnto the land of Canaan which Iosua diuided among the people he appointed their borders he established lawes and ordinances assuring them of Gods fauour if they would obey God and contrariwise of his plague and vengeance by disobedience To this good Iosua God saide my seruant Moses is dead nowe therefore arise goe ouer Iordan thou and all this people vnto the lande which I gaue them for euery place where you shall tread vpon haue I giuen you there shall be no man able to withstande thee all the daies of thy life bee thou strong and be of good courage I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee This was great comfort to Iosua to haue God to be with him to assist him to strengthen him to defend him Then Iosua commanded his hoste with their Captaines and officers to passe ouer Iordan he exhorteth the Rubenites the Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasses to execute their charge saying the Lord your God hath giuē you this land which was somtime in the possession of Sihon king of the Amorites and in the hands of Og king of Bashan goe you
by Ioab to Dauid After this Dauid had foure great battels with the Philistines slew them and subdued them vnto the last Thus was Dauid deliuered by God from all daungers tyrannie and treason and saued from Saul Absalon and many others When Dauid had gotten by the sword peace and quietnesse and brought all nations subiect vnto him hee tooke his rest and thanked God in Psalmes Hymnes Odes Verses which Dauid sang vnto God in praise of victories which God gaue him But yet more troubles came on Dauid The Lord so suffered Satan to tempt him that Dauid commaunded Ioab to number all Israel and Iuda from Dan to Beersheba which Ioab did the people were in number of able fighting men 1100000. Gods wrath was kindled against Israel so that much it offended God that Dauid should trust in mē sithence onely God had oftentimes deliuered him and the Lord sent Gad Dauids seer with three things to take his choise Pestilence Famine or Warre Dauid chose rather to fal to Gods mercy then to trust to man Then fell pestilence in Israel from the one side of the countrey to the other and there died 70000. men Now after this Dauid waxed old and hee caused Salomon his sonne to bee annointed king before he died whom hee charged to walke before God vprightly exhorting him to serue God to vse iustice and iudgement in Israel Dauid commanded Salomon his sonne to kill Ioab for his murthering of Abner and Amasa and to take the like punishment of Semei which railed cursed me when saith he I was at the worst Dauid left to his sonne more welth in Israel to build a temple to the Lorde then Alexander the great had in Babylon by the conquest of Darius for Iosephus doth write that Hircanus the high priest a 1000. odde yeeres after Dauids death opened the graue of Dauid and brought 3000. talents to satisfie the rage of Antiochus Demetrius sonne who laying siege to Ierusalem was contēted to returne with some of these talents without any harme done And Dauid died being 70. yeres of age after he had bene 40. yeeres king of Israel seuen in Hebron and 33. in Ierusalem Dauid died 803. yeres after the death of Abrahā after the death of Adam 2000. after the birth of Christ 1070. During this time of Dauid raigned in Assyria Eupales the 32 king in Lacedemonia Argis the second king of the Lacedemonians Now failed the state of kings in Athens and there began a new forme of common wealth gouerned by Iudges which now began by Codrus sonne named Medon after whose name they were named afterward Medontidae for a while Latinus Sylaius raigned the 6. king ouer the Latines in Corinth raigned Ixeon the second king of Corinth About Dauids time there was builded in Asia a citie called Magnesia and another in Italie called Misene now called Cuma Salomon the sonne of Dauid the third king of Israel of the tribe of Iuda a man endued with singular wisdome in great fauour with God as soone as he had sit on his fathers throne he remembred the words of Dauid and with care and zeale he followed his fathers steps in seeking to please the Lord Notwithstanding the Israelites being froward and stubborne euer reuolting from their GOD were alwayes forgetfull of Gods benefites as after the death of Dauid fell out for in Dauids time Israel flourished and all things prospered in Iuda But scant had Salomon bene annointed king but Adoniah Salomons brother aspired to the kingdome secretly and subtillie seeking the good will of Bethsheba Salomons mother and by her meanes to haue Abishag which Dauid his father loued tenderly to wife But his craft was found out and his pretensed treason spied by Nathan the prophet and by Salomon himselfe who perceiuing that Adoniah was the elder brother and had Abiathar the priest on his side and Ioab who tooke Adoniahs part when he would haue vsurped the kingdome Salomon hereby was mooued to make sure waies and remembring his fathers charge before he died concerning Ioab and Semei he executed iustice first vpon Adoniah afterward commaunded Benaiah to fall vpon Ioab for the murthering of Abner Sauls chiefe captaine and Amasah a nigh kinseman of Dauid who enuying their fauour credite with the king slew them and was now iustly punished for sheading of bloud Now Adoniah and Ioab two great enimies of the king being dead Salomon banished Abiathar the priest and called to be a priest Sadock in the roome of Abiathar so the office of the high priest was taken away from the house of Eli and restored to the house of Phineas After that Salomon called Shemei and charged him with the breaking of his othe in passing ouer the riuer of Cedron being forbidden by the king charged him further with wickednesse against his father Dauid in reuiling and cursing of him and he was likewise slaine by the sonne of Iehoida called Benaia By this meanes the kingdome of Israel was established in Salomons hands and Salomon obeied God in all things and then he taketh Pharaoes king of Egypts daughter to wife Iosephus in his eight booke and 2. chapter saieth that the kings of Egypt were al called Pharaones from Minaeus time that builded Memphis vntil the time of Salomon which was 1300. yeeres for Minaeus raigned in Egypt many yeeres before Abraham came to Egypt this is the cause why Herodotus doth omit the names of the kings of Egypt euen 330. kings Salomon repaired the wals of Ierusalē and went to Gibeon to sacrifice for there their tabernacle was at that time there was no temple yet builded to the Lord in Ierusalem In Gibeon the Lord appeared by dreame to Salomon and gaue him wisedom more then any prince of the world had as by his sentence vpō the two harlots appeared Salomon flourished and prospered and farre excelled all the kings of the world for his wisedom was so abundant as the sand that is on the sea shore No Philosopher no Astrologer no Chaldean magi no Egyptian priest might apprehend Salomons iudgement for God was his schoolemaster Salomon was famous throughout the whole world hee wrote 3000. Prouerbes and bookes of Odes and Verses 1000. and made fiue and twentie songs which perished in Ierusalem when Israel was taken captiue vnto Babylon the temple then being burned and the citie destroyed He wrote of all kind of trees from the Cedar tree that is in Libanon vnto the Hysope that groweth on the wall He spake of beastes fowles and fishes He wrote of incantations and of other secret artes which Iosephus affirmeth at large And there came of all countries to heare the wisedome of Salomon and all the kings about him sent vnto him and sought his fauour Now coucerning the princes rulers and officers which were vnder Salomon the purueiance for victuals the number of his horses and the order of his house they
and of his kingdome from Othoman the first vntil Selimus the eleuenth of the two Empires of Constantinople and Trapezumtium which now the Turckes doe gouerne of their beginning and of their first seruice vnder Basilius Macedo Emperour of Constantinople THe Turckes historie is like the Saracens or like the Scythians people without guide or gouernours vntil of late time they inhabited first about mount Caucasus from thence to the Caspia sea a nation mingled of the Scythians of the Hunnes which nowe are called Hungarians obscure and base people without any mencion made of them any where but of their bare names in Plinie a people scattered in Scythia and after into other Countries rather called Latrocinantes quà m belligerantes as Egnatius nameth them of whom as I saide Pomponius Mela maketh but little more mencion then Plinie did The first seruice which they did was vnder Basilius surnanamed Macedo then Emperour at Constantinople in the yere of our Sauiour eight hundred fourtie at what time they inuaded Armenia and within a while after gaue a battell to the Arabians vnder their first captaine called Mucaletius After twise or thrice good successe had against the Arabians and the Saracens they gathered together vnder a head at Tangrolipix where diuers more heaped and flocked to them from the streight of Caspia and from Caucasus there they waxed strong and began to inuade Asia vntill the time of Ottoman the first a man base and obscure borne cuius parentes agrarij but very valiant wise and fortunate he first beganne to aduaunce the name of the Turckes and to set foorth his force and power being much inflamed with desire of soueraigntie and very ambitious of honour and dignitie After hee had subdued a part of the kingdome of Bythinia and had taken certeine Cities and strong Townes towards the Sea Euxinus at what time reigned in Constantinople Michael surnamed Paleologus Emperour in the yeere of our Sauiour Christ a thousand three hundred this Ottomanus within twentie eight yeres which he reigned had strengthened his Cities Townes and had builded many strong Fortes and specially one inuincible Castle which hee named after his owne name Ottomanni Castrum This Othoman left behinde him a sonne named Orchanes in whose time contencion grewe betweene Paleologus and Cantachuzenus about the Empire of Greece whereby Orchanes power and force so encreased that while these two contended about the Empire hee tooke Prusia out of their handes a large strong Citie and finding his father in lawe Caramanus false and deceitfull hee ouerthrewe him and killed his sonne a young gallant youth but after that Orchanes had reigned twentie two yeeres hee was slaine in Bythinia After him succeeded his sonne Amurathes a man of singular courage and fortune who forgetting not his father nor graundfather Othoman imitated them in all manly exploites and presently armed him selfe against his owne graundfather Caramanus whose daughter was his naturall mother This Amurathes was solicited by the Emperour Paleologus being nowe a very olde man to aide him against the Bulgarians hard olde souldiers brought vp alwayes in warres to this hee quickely consented and prepared an armie of twelue thousand Turkes and brought them into Europe and did great seruice to the Emperour ouerthrewe the Bulgarians and reuenged the Emperour vpon the enemie but being after these victories tickled with the wealth and pleasures of Europe hauing giuen the repulse to Cantachuzenus which affected the Empire while he fained this seruice hee passed ouer the sea Helespont tooke Callipolis with other cities as Adrianopolis Bydus and Philippolis ouerthrewe and conquered euery prouince as he traueiled hee entred Bulgaria inuaded Seruia and slue the princes of the countrie named Lazarus with a great slaughter of his people but Amurathes escaped not long for hee was slaine by a seruaunt of Lazarus prince of Seruia who reuenged his masters death stoutly Thus Amurathes died after he had reigned twentie three yeeres after whom liued two sonnes of his the one named Paizates the other Soliman These two brethren coulde not agree they fel at such variance that Paizates slue his brother Soliman and presently after tooke in hand to reuenge his fathers death vpon Marcus Craienicius prince of the Bulgarians whom he subdued and after slue him in the fielde by which conquest he obteined the most part of Bulgaria And yet not therewith contented hee inuaded Bossina Croatia and other partes of Illyria wasted and spoyled all places into Thracia yet he could not quiet himselfe but laid siege to Constantinople and continued the same for eight yeeres and had at that time taken the Citie if hee had not beene preuented by two great armies of Frenchmen and Vngarians to whom this Pazaites gaue such a terrible battell that hee ouerthrewe both the armies and tooke the most part of the French captaines with their Generall the Duke of Burgundie with an infinite slaughter of the souldiers and had also at that time taken Sigismundus king of Hungaria vnlesse he had bene saued by the Venetian nauie From this great victorie hee againe returned to Constantinople endured his siege and laide hard at it When newes came that Tamberlanes the Scythian inuaded his Countrie he remoued his siege at these newes and made more haste then good speede for in that battell betweene Tamberlanes and Pazaites two hundred thousande Turkes were slaine at mount Stellum in the confines of Bythinia the Turke taken and set in fetters of gold and bound in chaines of gold and so kept all the dayes of his life in a Cage which Tamberlanes caried into euery forreigne warre out of his Countrie and vsed as some write as a blocke to mount on horsebacke This time reigned in Constantinople Andronicus as Blondus affirmeth this great victorie of Tamberlanes fell in the yeere of our Sauiour Christ 1397. at what time Charles the sixt surnamed Beneamatus was king in Fraunce and Vladislaus had taken the Empire of Germanie into his hand In Rome Pope Bonifacius the ninth of that name reigned This Pazaites had two sonnes the elder named Orchanes of some called Calepinus the younger named Mahomet which was also named Moses this by conspiracie and treacherie slue his brother Orchanes within two yeeres after his fathers death and reigned alone recouered and possessed all that Tamberlanes had gotten of his father This Mahomet had spite to the Bulgarians and to the Valaches and began with no lesse good successe to aduaunce the name of the Turkes then his father did hee waxed mightie and after hee had brought all these Prouinces and Regions about to be vassalles of the Turkes and had quieted himselfe after many victories hee made Adrianopolis to be his chiefe Citie where hee all his life kept his Court where after hee had reigned seuenteene yeeres hee dyed at what time Emanuel gouerned as Emperour in Constantinople and Sigismundus king of Hungaria reigned
is the onely ruine of a kingdom as in the warres betwene the Phocians and the Thebans was truely prooued and by Philip fully performed After this it happened that two brethren contended about the kingdome of Thracia which to auoyde warres both consented to the iudgement of Philip who not like a Iudge in giuing iudgement but like a foxe came with an armie and subdued both the brethren and so got the kingdome of Thracia subiect to Macedonia by these subtile dealings he also wanne Cappadocia and Epire and made warres against the Scythians All the endeuours of Philip was to this purpose that he might be the lord of Greece and vpon that he called all Greece to the citie of Corinth and offered to make warres vpon the Persians in his owne person This was to flatter Greece but Virtus an dolus quis in hoste requirit for the Persians euer annoyed Greece After that Philip had won Athens hee was sure of the Thebans and of the Boetians who alwayes were in a league with Athens by meanes of Demosthenes who euer perswaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as tongue could doe to stand against Philip but when Philip waxed strōg who sought with flatery with his friends and with golde with his enemies and Greece waxed weake by reason of their ciuill warres and spoyling one of another he had free passage euery where being made gouernour of all Greece he then easily subdued the Illyrians and the Olynthians conquered Amphipolis Pyrinthus and Byzantium and by this meanes Philip became the onely king of all Macedonian kings before him He grew so great after his victory at Cherronea that he made then ready an armie to Persia and he deuised to bring the monarchie frō Persia to Macedonia which his sonne Alexander did within a while after Philip being thus aduaunced with many victories and triumphes leauing behind him at euery victorie some triumphant pillar or arch as trophes and monuments of his fortune was in the midst of his glory by the Oracles of Pythias warned of his death at what time he sacrificed to his gods a crowned bull Reade more of this in Diodorus After that Philip had much mooued all the cities of Greece to resist the Persians and to make one chiefe generall ouer all Greece against the Persians for Plinie writeth that Philip in the hundred eleuenth Olympiad had much weakened the state of Greece and therefore hee was the sooner chosen their captaine which being obteined he had what he sought Vpon this he returned into Macedonia prepared souldiers made ready his armie and was in the midst of his greatnesse when Pausanias for an iniurie receiued before for want of iustice betwene Attalus who had most horribly abused him and Philip being king to whom hee appealed of whome hee had though oftentimes he sought no remedie but rather flouts and scofs which kindled in Pausanias such hatred that hee reuenged the foule fact of Attalus vpon king Philippe and that with death Thus Philip raigned in Macedonia 23. yeeres at what time Ochus raigned in Persia and recouered Egypt and Camillus triumphed in Rome and ouerthrew the Frenchmen About this time died that noble Philosopher Plato after whom succeeded Speusippus after him Zenocrates Demosthenes and Aeschines two famous Orators flourished in Greece CHAP. II. Of the renowme and fame of Macedonia during the raigne of Alexander the great of his conquest and victories ouer all the East of his dangerous warres in India Egypt and in Scythia and of the subduing of Darius and the taking away of the Monarchie from Persia into Macedonia ALexander the great being of twentie yeeres of age succeeded and exceeded his father Philippe both in vertue and in vice they were thus farre one from another in nature that what Philip did through pollicie and subtiltie that Alexander would doe with open strength and courage Philip reioyced when hee might deceiue the enemie Alexander when he coulde ouerthrow them Philip more politicke like afoxe in council and deuice Alexander like a lion more fierce and couragious in conquering and subduing Philip sought meanes to be beloued of his enemies and to make his foes his friendes Alexander sought to be feared and to make his friendes his foes These and such other comparisons doeth Iustine setforth betweene the father and the sonne Alexander beganne to raigne by Curtius computations after the building of Rome foure hundreth twentie and fixe yeeres at what time Ca. Sulpitius and Lu. Papyrius were Consuls of Rome in the hundreth and eleuenth Olympiad when Iaddus was hie priest in Hierusalem Plutarch writeth that Alexander was descended from Hercules by Caranus side and that of his mothers side he came of the blood of Aeacides by Neoptolemus Olympias his mother dreamed the first night that she lay with Philip that lightning fell into her bellie and that light fire dispersed it selfe in diuers flames about her and king Philip also dreamed that he did seale his wiues bellie and that the seale left behinde it the print of a lion Alexander was borne the sixt day of Iune on the very same day that the temple of Diana was burned he had diuers graue tutours and gouernours Leonidas was chiefe gouernour vnto Alexander for that hee was a noble man and a kinsman to the Queene Olympias Aristotle was his chiefe tutour one of the greatest Philosophers and best learned men in his time King Philip had taken before the citie of Stagira where Aristotle was borne While this Alexander was yet yong one Philonicus a Thessalian had brought Bucephalus a gallant horse to be solde vnto Philip the price was thirteene talents they brought the horse to the fielde to be ridden whom they founde so rough that the riders said he would doe no seruice affirming that it was vnpossible to tame him they found him so churlish yerking out and suffering no man to come nigh him King Philippe commaunded them to take the horse away Alexander misliked the riders and tooke the horse in hande being a very yong man and turned him towards the sunne for that Alexander saw before that the horse started at his owne shadowe Alexander vsed the horse so that he rode him and made him as gentle as could be both with the spurre and with the bitte and so lighted from the horse to whome Philippe his father then said for ioy weeping Seeke a greater kingdome sonne then Macedonia is for Macedonia is to litle for thee This Aulus Gellius Plutarch and Plinie doe affirme This horse Alexander kept for his owne saddle vntill the warres of India where the horse with sickenesse died where hee made a monument in memorie of Bucephalus a towne after the name of the horse and named the citie Bucephalia which hee builded vpon the riuer Hidaspis Reade the whole 16. booke of Diodor. Siculus of the warres and gouernment of Philip. Now as soone as Philip
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 cōmon 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 Alexāder 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 Alexāder 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
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 Parthiās 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 whō 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 Alexāder 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 recōciled 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 whō he had some triall both towards his father whom shee betrayed being her husband his brother whō 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 cōmaunded 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 whō 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 brethrē by the mothers side cousin germaines by the fathers yet their
became generall for the Citizens that they deposed him frō his kingdome such was the seueritie of the Romanes in punishing adulterie being the only cause of the first alteration of the state publique in Rome For before Arūtius Tarquinius had cōmitted this abominable actiō with Lucretia the Romanes had forgotten the faults of the father in killing his father in lawe for he had conquered the Volscans he subdued the Citie of Gabios and of Suessa and after hee ouercame the Thuscans hee made peace with them and he builded Iupiter his Temple in the Capitol and he was laying siege to the citie of Arde tenne miles from Rome when his sonne Arūtius did defile Lucretia the foulenes of the fact was such that the souldiers forsooke the father for the offence of the sonne and the gates of the Citie were shutte against Tarquinius at his returne from the siege of Arde. Thus when he had reigned twentie fiue yeeres he fledde with his wife and children he was the seuenth and last king of the Romanes though afterward he sought the helpe of Porsenna king of Thuscia and thought to recouer his kingdome againe But when he perceiued that the Romanes would not accept him longer for their king and that Porsenna woulde aide him no longer to his kingdome hee departed to Thusculi a Citie not farre distant from Rome where hee liued with his wife a priuate man for the space of fourteene yeeres and then dyed his sonne Sextus was slaine in his owne citie Gabia whither he fledde for refuge In this sort reigned in Rome seuen kings for the space of two hundred fourtie foure yeeres as you heard before who for all their force and courages for all their long warres and sharpe battels their Empire extended not aboue fifteene myles from Rome the reason was that they fought with Romanes like them selues though they were called first by the names of Sabines Volscans Thuscans Veients Fidenats Samnites and Latines for vntill Romulus time the name of the Romanes was not knowen the Latines were the first auncient name of the Romanes from them Romulus and his brother Remus had their beginning for as you heard before Romulus builded Rome reigned amongst the Latines fifteene kings Thus much for the kings of Rome of their continuance and of their gouernment Nowe what was done in other Countries and what kings reigned while Tarqui the proud gouerned Rome Herodot and Iustine doth write that Cyrus the great king of Persia was conquered and slaine by Tomyris Queene of Scythia Psammenitus the last king of Egypt was subdued and all the kingdome of Egypt made tributarie vnto Persia by Cambyses who at that very time hindred the building of the Temple of Ierusalem vntil the second yeere of Darius Hysdaspis the third king of Persia. That Darius in the time of Tarquinius Superbus made warres against the Scythians by whō he was forced to take his flight This time wicked Haman vsed great meanes to destroy the Iewes with king Ahashuerosh which in prophane histories is named Darius the sonne of Hisdaspis but his councell then against Mardocheus happened to himselfe and to his tenne children the historie is written in the booke of Hester This time reigned in Athens Hyparchus the tyrant which afterward Harmodius and Aristogiton slue In the time of this Tarquinius the Persians reuoulted from their king Darius the sonne of Hysdaspis but by the subtiltie and sleight of Zopirus recouered and afterward the Persians by the meanes of Megabisus Zopirus some chiefe captaine of Darius tooke the Citie Perinthus and subdued Thracia and Peonia Here I haue set downe the names of the seuen kings of Rome and their continuance in gouernment Romulus reigned 38. Numa Pomp. 43. Tullus Hostilius 32. Ancus Martius 24. Lu. Tarquinus Priscus 38. Seruius Tullus 44. Tarquinius the proud 25. Nowe during the whole time of these seuen kings which were two hundred fourtie three yeres which was the first infancie of Rome for all their warres their victories and triumphes had first ouer the Hetruscanes the Sabines the Latines the Fidenates Antenates Veients and the Albanes their Empire extended no further then Ostia eighteene miles distant frō the citie of Rome After that the name of a king was banished and two Consuls were created to gouerne and to commaund with Serieantes before them with the authoritie and full power of kings CHAP. III. 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 roume of kings of their good gouernment lawes warres and victories vntill the Tarentine warres where Pyrrhus beganne to ayde the Tarentines against the Romanes AFter these kings were thus banished frō Rome they created in the place of one King two Cōsuls which continued after it was first instituted vntill Iulius Caesars reigne which was 464. yeeres it was decreed that these two Consuls should not rule aboue one yeere least the continuance of the office shoulde make them waxe hautie In the first yeere after the expulsing of the kings Lu. Iunius Brutus who had of all others procured most the banishment of Tarquinius was made the first Consul in Rome and with him Tarquinius Collatinus the husbande of Lucretia howe bee it Collatinus was forthwith depriued of his Consulship for that it was agreed that none should remaine within the Citie that bare the name of Tarquinius whereupon Valerius Publicola was elected Consul in his roume These two Consuls were not long in their office but Tarquinius who a little before was banished assembled a great armie to ayde him to recouer his kingdome in this battell Brutus the Consul and Arūtius Tarquinius his sonne slue one an other This battell seemed doubtfull for a time on both parties but at last the victorie fell to the Romanes The death of Brutus was much lamented in Rome for he so loued the libertie of Rome that hee caused his owne sonnes who for that they seemed to fauour Tarquinius case In. Brutus their father brought them into the market place and there Publicola being Consul at that time commaunded them first to bee beaten with roddes and after to bee beheaded before all the people for that they preferred the case of Tarquinius before the state of the Citie and therefore the women mourned for Brutus death a whole yeere in whose place Publicola hath chosen Consul in Brutus roume Spurius Lucretius Lucretias father who dyed by sicknesse After him Horatius Puluillus was made Consul for in the first yeere of Consulship siue Consuls reigned one after another againe warre was attempted by Tarquinius against the Romanes In this warre Porsenna king of Thuscia ayded Tarquinius but to no effect and therefore Tarquinius gaue ouer longer to warre against his Countrie contented himselfe to liue the rest of his time a priuate man and troubled not Publicola who being lefte quiet by Tarquinius when hee sawe that
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 coūtreys 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
of his three brethren and their children and died as Blondus saieth at Tridentum after whose death Fraunce was againe deuided betweene the sonnes of Lotharius who is called in Beroaldus Clotarius which raigned 5. yeres after Childebertus and died was buried in the church of S. Medardis in Suetia which Church he began to builde a litle before he died After whom succeeded Cherebertus the sonne of Clotarius a wicked vicious king who after he raigned 9. yeeres died in the armes of his concubine at Paris after him Chilpericus raigued 14. yeres as vitious and wicked as his brother yet of him lineally do discend the line of the kings of France vntil Childericus time he was caused to be slaine betweene Landricus and his strumpet Fredegunda and was also buried in Paris Now Iustinus the yonger a daughters sonne of Iustinianus gouerned in the empire warrre was proclaimed by the Romanes against the Persians at what time Hormisda raigned king of Persia who was vanquished by Tiberius Constantius and againe the Persians lost those townes which they had gotten during the gouernment of Iustinianus This time Chilpericus left a childe of the age of 4. moneths called Clotarius the second of that name and the 10. king of Fraunce who raigned 44. yeeres this king being yet an infant vnder the protectiō of Landricus whom Guntrandus the kings vncle had made master of the horse Childebertus king of Mediomatrices sought to attempt through force to gouerne France but in vaine for he mist of his purpose for he his wife died within a while after vpon one day supected to be poysoned Howbeit when Clotarius came to any estate ciuill warres began in France betwene the king and Theodobertus and Theodoricus two sonnes of Hildebertus these two brethren plagued sore the king vntill they were deuided one against another and then al France was afflicted But during these ciuil vexations in France the Persians wasted Palestine tooke Ierusalem and their patriarch Zacharias they raged against the Egyptians and they subdued Alexandria and Libya vntill Aethiope tooke Carthage and proudly denied the Emperour Heraclius peace but the Persians and their king Cosroes repented their denial for Heraclius prepared warre and leuied an armie and entred into Persia flew in that voyage 50000. Heraclius the second time persecuted the Persiās with sword and fire so hard that Cosroes their king was slaine By this time the Persians were on euery side so assaulted so weakned that they were most miserably slaine and destroyed their kingdom taken by the Saracens About this time Caddwalader the last king of the Britaines was by a dreame admonished to leaue his kingdome and to passe ouer sea to Rome at what time the English Saxons possessed the whole Isle of Britaine sauing Scotland and the Picts Let vs leaue France for a while in their ciuil dissentions betweene Clotarius and the two sonnes of Childebertus named Theodoricus Theobertus who after they constrained the king to accept what cōditions of peace they lusted these two brethren fell out that againe all France was in armes for a time France was most miserablie afflicted Now Persia being destroied the third time by the Saracēs we wil passe ouerthe Pope in Rome Mahomet in Arabia and returne to Germanie a coūtrey so famous of late that the Monarchie sole empire flourished there though the Romans in Iulius Caesars time made no accompt of them calling all those nations which are called Vandols Gothes Hunnes Hungarians Danes Sueuians Russians and others by one name Germanes These coūtreis and kingdoms flourished when the East kingdoms decaied and that within 500. yeres of Augustus time when Rome was in her most glory dignitie and for that the names of their kings may be read in Functius I wil not set them down for those that were of any great renowme in histories chiefly the Gothes and Vādols who hitherto had 24. kings and the Longobards who had 17. kings Diaconus writes of them Functius in his table records them and therfore I wil returne to Clotarius who when he had raigned 41. yeeres he assigned Dagobertus his eldest sonne king of Austratia ioyntly to gouerne France with him for three yeeres more and then Clotarius died in the 44. yere of his raigne This Dagobertus was the 11. king frō Faramundus and had a brother named Aribertus to whom he gaue Aquitania in possession and gouerned himselfe after his father in Fraunce 14. yeres he was very vitious and so giuen to women that when he would trauaile he would haue his womē caried with him Agmina Scortorum a whole armie of concubines who went in habits of Queenes and dwelt in pallaces made vnto them by the king Dagobertus And with this vice there was ioyned an other vertue which was to banish all those Iewes out of Fraunce that would not become Christians for nowe Fraunce hath their vines and grapes and all the countrey of Fraunce flourished since Probus the Emperours time who first suffered them to haue the vse and benefites of all vines By this time his brother Aribertus died in Aquitaina and left a sonne behind him named Hilpericus who likewise died after his father shortly and all Fraunce fell to Dagobertus who at that time placed his eldest sonne Sigebertus king of Austrasia where sometimes Dagobertus gouerned during three yeeres of his fathers raigne Dagobertus had warres with the Vuindos whom he vanquished by the ayde of the Saxons and also hee had warres against the Vascons who though they reuolted as Tritemius affirmeth yet receiued them into fauour In Rome now had raigned 9. seueral popes whose names are set down in the history of the church and ouer the Saracens who quite had subdued all Persia before raigned already foure Amyras of Mahomets sects Thus in Rome a silly priest became a great Pope and in Arabia a false Prophet of one age with the pope became a mighty king which by his greatnes attained a surname called Amyras of whom likewise I haue spoken in the historie of the Saracens 1 Pharamundus reigned 8. yeeres Beroaldus saith 11. yeeres 2 Clodius Faramundus sonne surnamed Criuitus reigned 18. yeeres 3 Meroueus succeeded his father Clodius and reigned 10. yeeres 4 Hildericus the first reigned 26. this is called of many Childericus 5 Clodoueus reigned 30. 6 Childebertus reigned 45. yeeres 7 Lotarius or Cotarius 5. yeeres 8 Heribertus reigned 9. 9 Hilpericus or Chilpericus 23. for marke whō Beroaldus Ruffinus and others doe name Chilpericus that same doeth Functius name Hilpericus so of Cheribertus Functius he nameth Heribertus 10 Lotarius 2. the sōne of Hilpericus 14. yeeres 11 Dagobertus succeeded his father and reigned 14. yeeres CHAP. V. From Clodoueus the 2. who began his raigne 645. vnto the raigne and gouernment of Charles the great the patrone only mirror of Fraunce by whom
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 frō 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 frō 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 destructiō 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 frō 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 writtē in the Chronicles that gold and siluer were as plentie in Ierusalem as stones in the street in the time of Salomō 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 cōtemned the lawes despised religiō quiteforgat Moses Iosua the benefits of God toward thē a thing almost incredible that so soonefrō 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 strēgth courage godlines zeale to reuenge the people of god vpō 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
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 cap◅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 frō 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 coūtrey for though the posteritie of Dauid cōtinued vntil the time of the Machabees as gouernors Iudges of the people not naming themselues kings for the reuerence and feare which they bare vnto the kings of Persia. Salathiels sonne first gouernor of the Iewes after the captiuitie of Babylon Zorobabel of whom mention is made in Zacharie ruled Israel wisely discreetly 50. yeres Resa Mesulla the 2. gouernour in whose time Nehemias and Esdras came from Babylon to Ierusalem After him succeeded Iohanna Benresa the third Iudge who gouerned Israel 53. yeres The 4. was Iudas Hircanus the first of that name and thought of Melancthon to be so called for that Ochus king of Persia brought with him a nomber of the Iewes to Hircania and therfore Iudas was sirnamed Hircanus This iudged Israel when Alexander conquered Darius raigned 14. yeres Then Ioseph the first ruled the Iewes 7. yeeres The 5. ruler after Ioseph came Abner to gouerne the Iewes in whose time Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi the first king of Egypt after Alexander the great vnder pretence to do sacrifice vpon the Sabboth day tooke the towne spoiled the temple slew imprisoned the Iewes and brought to Egypt infinite treasure Now after this Abner the 6. Iudge since the time of Alexāder succeeded of Dauids stock frō Abner to Ianna Hircanus the 2. who was the last of 15. gouernors ouer the Israelites after the captiuitie for they cōtinued euen vnto the time of the Machabees After this Haman plaied his part and thought to haue al the Iewes slaine cōmanded a gallowes to be made for Mardocheus the historie hereof is found in the booke of Esther for about the time of Cyrus death the gouernment was then altered in Rome Consuls were made after the building of Rome 244. yeres in the 67. Olympiad in the beginning of the 9. Iubilie at what time Cambises had subdued Egypt brought them subiects to the lawes of Persia After Cambises Darius went against the Getes and ouerthrew them and his chiefe captaine Zopirus sonne Megabisus vanquished the Thracians and subdued the Peonians and tooke Perinthus During this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Policrates the tyrant of Samos The Philosopher Pythagoras and Hippocrates the Phisition liued this time While the Iewes as you heard were in planting themselues in Ierusalem againe the Graecians were busie one with another Tyrants ruled Greece and gouerned by the bloodie law of Draco for Hipparchus and Hippias vsed tyrannie in Athens and were slayne both by Hermodius and Aristogiton Aristagoras a tyrant reuolted and rebelled against Darius which mooued Darius in armes against the Ionians and ouerthrew them and tooke their chiefe citie called Miletum A litle after Miltiades the chiefe captaine of Athens by the councel of Callimachus the famous Graecian ouerthrewe Darius king of Persias lieutenant called Hippias in the battell of Marathon where he slewe 6300. Persians as both Thucidides and Iustine doe report This ouerthrow of the Persians was at that very time when Tarquinius superbus made his last battel with the Romane Dictator Posthumius where he was put to flight and after died in exile Aristides surnamed the Iust was banished this time from Greece and Alcibiades called backe to Athens from his banishment Now Nehemia causing the law of Moses to bee read as an ordinance to serue God and reproouing them for their disobedience in ioining themselues with strangers they were in some quietnesse for a time though sometime murther and slaughter were betweene themselues committed for the which cause Bagoses the generall of Artaxerxes armie vnderstanding that the high Priest slewe his brother in the Temple being a deare friend to Bagoses he plagued the Iewes againe for the space of seuen yeeres and reuenged his death with slaughter and tribute he placed Iaddus in the office of the priesthood in his fathers place This high priest had to his brother one named Manasses which was sent to Samaria by Darius the last king of Persia. A little while after this Alexander the great after that his father Philip died hauing brought his armie ouer the Grecians sea called Helespont vnto the riuer of Granicus hauing subdued the Lydians Tyre besieged and taken Thebes wasted and spoiled al Asia he ouerthrew Darius the king of Persia carying his souldiers through Caria inuaded Pamphilia came ouer Euphrates vnto Syria tooke Damascus besieged Tyre and Sidon and he wrote to Hierusalem to the hie Priest Iaddus that his souldiers might haue passage without interruption and also requiring the tribute that was paied to Darius to be paid to him and to the crowne of Macedonia for that Alexander had vanquished Darius and had caried the Empire of Persia vnto Greece they of Hierusalem were frighted and much amased what to doe But cōcluding among themselues they opened the gates and the hie Priest came out with all the Priestes the Elders and Nobles of the Citie in most solemne sort to meete Alexander out of Hierusalem vnto a place named Sapha and saluted Alexander most humbly being in precious garments and pontifical robes with his sacred mitre whereupon was written the name of the God Iehoua The solemnitie and state whereof made Alexander to light from his horse and to yeelde to the hie Priest more honour and reuerence then his countreymen the Macedonians thought wel of so great a king so mightie a cōquerour euen Alexander the great to humble himselfe to a silie priest Parmenio demaunding the cause of Alexander why he honoured the priest somuch he answered that he reuerenced God whom the hie Priestrepresented at that time for I dreamed of these men euen as I behold them nowe when I was yet in Macedonia This Priest exhorted me then to be of good courage and bade me goe forward with my armie to Persia. Thus with great honor
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 whō 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 cōmended 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 Altad◅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 persō 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 anciēt 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 Abrahās 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 frō 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 war◅es were ◅ot knowen for as Berosus began to write his histories from the going of Noah out of the arke so he continueth his histor◅ vn◅ the childrē of Israel going out of Egypt few could writ◅◅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 â—…ee taught the antiquitie to the Athenians of all Kingdomes Nations for the which the Athenians caused his statue to be made with a tongue gilded in his head and to bee put vp in the open schoole at Athens thus was Berosus in Athens honored with a statue I thinke it best therefore after that Berosus ended his historie of the kings of Assyria briefely to passe them ouer onely setting their names the time of their gouernment and the continuance of the same vntil their kingdome and Empire was taken away by the Chaldeans I haue already from Nimrod the first king vntil Ascatades the eighteenth king set downe their names now from Ascatades vnto Sardanapalus the last king I will likewise passe them ouer briefely 18 Ascatades the eighteenth king of Assyria reigned fourtie yeeres in his time Dardanus builded Dardania afterwarde called Troy whose building was after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres 19 Amintes succeeded Ascatades and reigned king of Assyria 45. yeeres in this kings time Moses died in the land of Moab on mount Nebo after he had brought the Israelites out of Egypt 40. yeeres 20 After Amintes folowed Belochus Iunior which reigned 25. yeeres in Assyria he had a daughter named Actosa otherwise called Semiramis who gouerned with her father 7. yeeres The first Iubilee began in the fourth yeere of this king Bellochus after Moses for from Moses death vnto the birth of Christ are 29. Iubilees 21 Bellopares reigned 30. yeeres in whose time the Israelites serued Eglon king of Moab 18. yeeres vntill Ehud the sonne of Gera slue Eglon by whose death Israel had rest 18. yeeres 22 Lamprides the 22. king of Assyria reigned 32. yeres in whose time Shamgar â—…dged Israel who slue 600. Philistims with an Oxe goade so God still raised either Priest Prophet Iudge or a king to defend his people About this time was the Leuites wife abused at Gibeah to death for the which cause the Leuite cutteth her in 12. pieces and sendeth her to the 12. tribes of Israel for the which villanie all the tribe of Beniamin were well nigh destroyed After Lamprides had reigned 32. yeeres hee had after him a king called Sosares in whose time as Cassiod doth write the flying horse Pegasus was inuented and so called for his swiftnesse Debora and Barac ruled Israel foure yeeres at what time they fought with Iabin Iael slue Sisera the chiefe captaine of Iabin king of Chanaan and his whole armie were ouerthrowen by Barac and Debora The historie of Ruth was likewise about this time some suppose that Obed the sonne of Boas was borne when Sosares had reigned twentie yeeres Lampares succeeded him and he continued thirtie yeeres In the fifth yeere of Lampares sell the third Iubilee after Moses amongst the Iewes Many of the Assyrian kings might haue beene omitted for any memorie they left behinde sauing that by the time of their gouernment we know how euery kingdome and when euery nation began to florish for truely they were more ancient then the rest and were the first kings of the worlde and were idle without any great warre therfore is little written of them vntill Phul Belochus time for Herodotus Ctesias and Diodorus Siculus wrote more liberally of the Assyrians then either authoritie or reason warranted them therein The greatest bragge that Saneherib called Sargon in some histories could make of his predecessours the kings of Assyria at what time he laide siege to Ierusalem hee boasted to Ezechia king of Iuda the victories and conquestes of the kings of Assyria in these wordes Tu audisti O Ezechia omnia quae fecerunt reges Assyriorum c. Hast thou not heard O Ezechias what my predecessours the kings of Assyria haue done haue they not conquered Gozan Haran and Reseph haue they not subdued the sonnes of Eden which dwelt in Thalassar what is become of king Emath and of king Arphad where be the kings Sepharuaim Hena and Iuah are not these subdued and conquered by the kings of Assyria all these kings dwelt in Syria All this bragge of Saneherib who was in the most florishing time of the Assyrians Empire their kingdome their victories their glorie and all these repetitions of Saneherib extended not yet as farre as Mount Taurus and therefore Dionysius Halicar nassaeus is in this to bee both beleeued and preferred before either Herodotus or Ctesias or Diodorus and others who wrote more largely then truely of the Assyrian kings for hee saith
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 sōnes 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 coūtrey 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 gouernmēts of
Egypt so that the king of Egypt came no more out of his lande as it is written against the king of Babylon hee layde siege to Tire and wasted all the regions there about he brought vnder the king of Babylon all Libya the most part of Asia vnto the land of Armenia This king grewe so great that Philostratus doeth so set him in his histories that he passed Hercules in force and power Strabo saith that the Chaldeans esteemed more of Nabuchodonosor then the Grecians did of Hercules Nabuchodonosor made kingdomes to shake the earth to tremble and the whole worlde a forest and left almost no where vnconquered but Iudea where after all his other warres and conquests hee sendeth his deputie Nabuzaradan generall of his armie he commeth with a huge armie of the Chaldeans a great band of Aramites of Moabites of Ammonites for Nabuchodonosor had heard that Iehoiakim had rebelled after hee had payed tribute for three yeeres This was the cause of the destruction of Iehoiakim after he had raigned three yeres he was deceiued much trusting to haue ayde by Necho king of Egypt and so lost both the kingdome and himselfe This was the iudgement of God for the sinnes of Manasses and the idolatrie of Iuda not weighing the crying out of Ieremie though night and day he perswaded them to yeelde vp the Citie and to followethe Lorde for Ierusalem was full of innocent blood and therefore God vsed these wicked tyrants to execute his commandement After this Iehoiakin the sonne of Iehoiakim when he had reigned three moneths being 18. yeeres of age Nabuchodonosor fearing least he shoulde become false and so reuenge his fathers death came against him he and his mother his princes and his seruants yeelded to Nabuchodonosor by the councell of Ieremie And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah king in stead of his nephewe Iehoiakin and changed his name to Zedechia who likewise offended the Lord and would not be councelled by Ieremie but hee and his people mocked the messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets so long that Nabuchodonosor came and slue their young men with the sworde kild all and spared none But for the rest of Nabuchodonosors tyranny his crueltie and slaughter specially of Iewes they are read in the fourth booke of Kings Chap. 24. and 25. in in Esai in Ieremie This king is euery where mentioned with the Prophets and in Ecclesiasticall histories Likewise Iosephus orderly setteth downe his seuerall warres against Ierusalem first in the eleuenth yere of Iechonias he came with great force and slue the most part in Ierusalem killed the king and buried him in sepulchro asini threw him dead vnburied out of the Citie according to the prophecie of Ieremie saying Iehoiakim shal be buried as an asse is buried euen drawne and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem like a carrion neither shall any lament him neither mourne for him he tooke also the chiefe men of the Citie euen 3000. and carried them vnto Babylon amongst whom Ezechiel being yet a very young man was lead likewise captiue This was before tolde of by Ieremie the Prophet but not beleeued The second time hee came against Iehoiakin whom Nabuchodonosor aduaunced vnto his fathers seate but fearing hee would reuoult by being mindfull of his fathers death hee tooke him his mother his familie his nobles and others to the number of tenne thousand eight hundred thirtie and two and carried them vnto Chaldea yet Nabuchodonosor sware to the king to his counsell that he would spare them vpon their submission to the which the king by the perswasions of the Prophet Ieremie yelded but the tyrant kept no promise With this king Daniel Anania Azaria and Misael being of the kings stocke were taken prisoners and commaunded by the king that they shoulde bee brought vp in the Chaldean tongue to serue the king afterward The third and last comming of Nabuchodonosor was against Zedechia the last king of Iuda hee layde siege to Ierusalem eighteene moneths during which time great famine and plague with manifolde miseries more befell them and at last the destruction of the Citie men women and children slaine before the King his Princes and Nobles put to the sworde the wealth and treasure of the Citie caried to Babylon the Temple burned the King himselfe taken his children killed before the kings face then his eyes put out and caried in chaines to Babylon where hee died most miserably in prison Thus God did put his sworde in Nabuchodonosors hand as an instrument of his wrath to punish sinne Of this matter more is spoken of in the historie of the Iewes otherwayes called the Hebrewes When Nabuchodonosor had reigned fourtie three yeeres Metasthenes saith fourtie fiue yeeres the Chaldean historie reporteth that hee prophecied the destruction of Babylon being by Daniel taught and by God called to bee one of his chiefe instruments in his Church In a little before hee died hee confessed the glory and maiestie of God saying I giue thankes vnto the most High I prayse and honour him that liueth for euer who restored vnto me my kingdome my honour and my vnderstanding whose works are all trueth and his wayes iudgements for nowe I confesse that he is able to abase those that walke in pride he liued in Tarquinius Priscus time the fift king of Rome and in the eighteene Iubilee of the Iewes and in the fourtie nine Olympiads In the time of Nabuchodonosors father Dracos lawes was written in Athens Solon Thales Milesius florished the seuen Sages of Greece liued this time the Prophet Ezechiel beganne to prophecie in Babylon the fift yeere of the captiuitie For as you shall reade of the Medes and Persians and of the Romanes that they were made by God executours instruments and hammers for so the Lord spake of them saying Thou art my hammer and weapons of warre for with thee will I breake the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes by thee will I breake man and woman and by thee will I breake young olde you shall finde this phrase often rehearsed by God in the mouthes of the Prophets so God calles Nabuchodonosor his seruant saith I wil put my sword in Nabuchodonosors hand so Senaherib so Salmanasser and so Satan himselfe is Gods seruant to worke his will to obey his commandement and to execute his iudgements After this Nabuchodonosor succeeded his sōne Euilmerodach he reigned 30. yeres he reigned one yere together with his father it seemeth that this Euilmerodach was instructed by Daniel to feare God for after that Nabuchodonosor had turned to the Lord began to be a benefactor to the Church to the mēbers thereof this his sonne likewise when he became king of Babylon after his father in the first yere of his reigne brought Iehoiakin king of Iuda out of prison hee restored him to libertie and aduanced him to
fourtie two yeeres before the Olympiads at the which time the kingdome of Macedonia began so that the Medes Macedonians began fourtie two yeeres before the Lydians and the Lydians twentie foure yeeres before the Romanes Ctesias a great antiquarie of the Persians who wrote in Artaxerxes time presently after Herodot saith that after Arbaces time a sonne of his succeeded him named Madanes who reigned 50. yeres and then followed Sosarmus which reigned 30. yeeres after him succeeded Aristeus who held long warres with the Cadusians by whom he was at length slaine but before he died he cōmanded by will that the Medes should neuer be in league with the Cadusians but with sworde and fire to persecute them vntill they were brought subiect vnto the Medes After the death of this Aristeus reigned in Media Artines 22. yeeres after him Artelanus gouerned the Medes fourtie yeeres in whose time the Parthians were subdued and brought vnder the Empire of the Medes after they had yelded them selues and the Countrey vnto the king of Saca which king both he and his Countrey after two yeeres great warres had betweene them and the Medes were vanquished both they and the Parthians when the Medes had brought the king of Parthia and the king of Saca vnder the yoke of Media at what time Artabanus reigned king ouer the Medes after whom succeeded Astiages which with some writers is named Apanda This was the last king of Media which was conquered both he his countrey by Cyrus king of Persia whose historie is at large set foorth in the Empire of Persia Diodorus with others which write of these kings as Herodot and Ctesias Great cōtrouersie there is betweene writers about the kings of Media of their succession of their reigne and of their gouernments though Strabo and Pomponius Mela doe fully describe the situation of Media yet the best Chronographers varie much of their gouernment Iustinus affirmeth that the Medes reigned 350. yeres others say 304. making their computations from Sardanapalus time whom the Medes conquered vntil the time of Cyrus by whom the Medes were vanquished so long the Empire stood Againe they vary much in the names of their kings for as I named from Arbases the first king vntill Astiages the last king and the ninth king of the Medes so some againe after this sort doe set downe the lynes of the kings of Media After Arbases reigned Sosarmus the second king of Media he reigned thirtie yeeres at what time reigned in Egypt a king of singular wisedome very courteous and gentle much commended of Herodot for many rare vertues named of Functius Osorus and of Eusebius Nicerinus About this time was Achas king of Iuda borne and Coenus the second king of Macedonia beganne with Sosarmus the second king of Media to reigne Marke the order of time for both the Macedonians and the Medes at one time began their kingdomes euen then the Lacedemonians ended their kingdomes for so God worketh by order of nature and time The Peloponesians the Athenians were so plagued one of another by continuall ciuill warres the slaughter so great on both sides the warres so long as men cōquered on neither parties yeelded at last vnto necessitie and were forced to forsake the fields to withdraw themseles from destroying of both their coūtries for the warres that was betweene the Athenians the Lacedemonians frō time to time was the ouerthrow of all Greece the cause arysing frō so little a quarell as hereafter shal be mentioned in the historie of Greece While these warres endured in Greece Romulus and Rhemus were borne and the third king of Media beganne to gouerne the Medes his name was Medidus in the first Olympiad at which time the king of Tyre which was named Elulaeus as Menander testifieth a writer of their owne Chronicles was besieged by Salmanassar king of Assyria who after he hee had spoiled Phoenicia Samaria he turned his force against Tyre After great slaughter he tooke Sidon Arce and Paletire with many other Cities from the king of Tyre and brought the spoyle thereof vnto Niniue And yet sayth Menander for all his victorie he was the second time discomfited his Nauies so scattered that fiue hundred of his best souldiers were taken by the Cananites and by the king of Tyre whereat Salmanassar waxed full of wrath and commaunded his souldiers to stoppe all conduites and all passages of waters that for fiue yeeres they were forced to digge out water and to make welles and springes to susteine themselues withall and this historie is written in the Chronicles of Tyre About this time liued that good and learned Poete Archimus that wrote of the warres of Troy Coelius king of the Thuscans ayded Romulus the first king of Rome with men and money against the people called Cennienses and the Antenates of this kings name mount Coelius one of the seuen hilles of Rome was called Plutarch sayth that Numa Pompilius the second king of Rome was borne about this time and in the twentie eight yeere of the third king of the Medes was that wicked king Sancherib with his horrible blasphemies with a hundred foure score fiue thousand of his souldiers slaine by the Angel of the Lord. After this Medidus the third king of Media had reigned fourtie yeeres succeeded him Cardiceas the fourth king who reigned thirteene yeeres During this kings gouernment the Empire of Assyria was brought by Merodach the sonne of Baladan vnto Babylon where Merodach reigned fourtie yeeres the first king of Babylon Nowe in Iudea gouerned a wicked king a great idolater a murtherer of the Prophetes and a most contemptuous despiser of God This Manasses filled all Ierusalem with blood hee martyred Esai the Prophet commaunding him to bee cutte in two pieces with a sawe for the which tyrannie God gaue him ouer to the handes of the Babylonians In Ethiop reigned about this time a king named Tarachus of whome Iosephus maketh mention that hee came to ayde Spethon king of Egypt against Senaherib in the sixteenth Olympiad About this time Nicomedia was builded Gela a Towne of Sicilia and Phaselis a Towne in Pamphilia were likewise builded All this while the Medes had no king crowned nor allowed but as a supreme Gouernour of all Media but were as you heard from Arbaces time vntill this time gouerned by a Magistrate or chiefe Gouernment euen vntill Deiocis which was the chiefe gouernour and the first king for Arbaces Sosarmus Medidus Cardiceas these foure were but gouernours though for order sake they were named kings CHAP. II. Of the first King of Media of their gouernment lawes and continuance from Deiocis vntill Astyages the last King of the Medes BVt Deiocis nowe after hee had gouerned wisely and discreetely the Medes hee through his owne pollicie and his friends councell became the first King by consent and by election When he
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 frō 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 cōspiracie 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 rūning 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 sōne vnto Astiages some say his father as Zonoras in his first booke but Zenophon likewise affirmeth with Iosephus that this Ciaxeres was Astiages sōne called by the name of Darius Medus of Daniel and of Iosephus but the Grecians named
tenne hundreth thousand nauies insomuch that the Persians bragged that the Ocean seas had scant sufficient roome for their nauies that all Greece was not able to giue them ground ynough and scant place for their shotts in the aire with this insolencie the Persian armie marched While Xerxes this time was in preparing such a huge host the Grecians bestirred themselues with all care and diligence to call their force together and to gather their strength together from all parts of Greece The Athenians made fourtie nauies the Magarenses made twentie nauies the Chalsidenses so many as they of Athens made which was fourtie the Peloponesians twelue nauies the Lacedemonians tenne the Epidaureans eight and the inhabitants of Agineta two and twentie the Traezeneans made fiue nauies so that the whole nomber of the Grecians nauie was but two hundreth seuentie and ons The Athenians appointed to be their generall Themistocles and the Lacedemonians made Euribiades but the Persians could not finde a fit generall for so great an armie for as Herodotus doth record it there was in the campe of Xerxes an hundreth and seuentie Myriads of souldiers You must vnderstand that euery Myriad is compted for tenne thousand so that a hundreth and seuentie Myriads are to be taken for seuentie hundred thousand men which Xerxes had in his voiage to Greece which was in the seuenth yeere of his raigne when he sailed on the sea of Helespont and marched with more boldnesse then wisedome drinking a bowle of wine to the Sunne and throwing the cuppe after his draught into the sea making a vowe that hee would not returne from this iourney before hee had brought all Greece and Europe ioyned with Asia subiect to Persia. But hee was soone deceiued for the Persians fought for money to augment their treasure the Grecians fought for vertue to defende the libertie of their Countrey for this warre of Xerxes was more taken in hande for ostentation then for necessitie to doe iniurie and not to defend iustice The authours whereof God hath from time to time punished as Iosias that good king yet for such a fault hee was giuen to the hand of Necho king of Egypt an infidel Cyrus this Xerxes grandfather for taking vnnecessarie warres in hand against the Scythians was slaine by Tomyris a woman and now this king needlesse without cause offered thought to haue eaten vp all Greece he was made a runnagate and to flee from Greece his souldiers slaine his captaines drowned and himselfe hardly escaping for within two yeeres the Persians had foure ouerthrowes The first ouerthrowe was at Thermopila where hee lost twentie thousand Persians by three thousand Grecians After they were vanquished in two sundrie great battels vpon the sea the one hard by Artimesium in Thessalia the other by the Isle Salamines from whence Xerxes himselfe was secretly forced to flee in a little boate after he had lost the last battel to his great ignominie and shame which hee neuer recouered during his life Afterward leauing Mardonius behinde him with three hundreth thousande Persians the fourth battell was giuen him at Platea where the Persians likewise were ouerthrowen Mardonius slaine by a souldier of Sparta and all Greece triumphed of that victorie CHAP. III. Of the successors of Xerxes in Persia of their warres victories and gouernment of the state of Greece and of the prosperities victories and fame they had in Xerxes time THis time flourished Greece for it had many Themistocles which was wōt to say I ouercome my friends with patience my foes with celeritie after this victory it began to be strōg and to florish in same before al nations vntil ciuil warres for Caesar was demaunded by a Romane a friend of his how he conquered so many nations in so short a time he answered by celeritie for said Caesar it was a fault found in Hanibal that after he had taken Capua that he had not layd siege to Rome This great and mightie voyage of Xerxes being thus with losse and shame finished euen hee who was a terrour to the whole world and so called terror gētium before this time was now had in contempt despised of all Persia. Artabanus who then perswaded this iourney had 7. sonnes well esteemed of the Persians and perceiuing the contempt of Xerxes with the people and how he slew his brother after this great infamie of the warre when he returned home he tooke his brothers wife and his brothers daughter and committed incest with them both but his owne vncle Artabanus his fathers brother slew him after that Xerxes had raigned in Persia 21. yeeres But Mardonius could not perswade Xerxes before his going to Egypt for he went to Egypt in the second yere after Darius death and after he had subdued them brought them into a straighter seruitude then they were vnder Darius he made his returne towards Greece leauing behinde him in Egypt his brother Archemenes to gouerne the countrey After he had bene foure yeres in subduing Egypt the fift yere he tooke this voyage with great expedition to Greece Greece then flourished for euen at that time and specially after Xerxes time their fame grewe greater by their great victories had ouer Xerxes for in Greece euery citie seemed a kingdome and so continued vntil the Peloponesian warres such magistrats such captaines as Themistocles who by Thucydides was thus commended that he excelled for his wit that he wanted neither foresight of things to come neither memorie of things past neither vnprouided of things present and what hee knewe not he would learne and what he was taught he could performe ready of wit quicke of actions and circumspect in all his doings the honor and glory of all Greece After whom Pericles was had in great estimation in Athens So of Agesilaus and Cleomenes in Sparta of Epaminondas Pelopidas in Thebes and so the rest at that time in Greece of whom I haue written in the historie of Greece After him succeeded his sōne Artaxerxes the long handed for that the right hand was longer then the left a noble and a courteous prince and the first of this name of al the kings of Persia he began to gouerne Persia after Xerxes his father at what time Perdicas the second of that name the 11. king of Macedonia raigned To this Artaxerxes fled that worthy man Themistocles being banished from Athens whom often from destruction he saued and by whom the great ouerthrow was giuen to Xerxes and to his nauie to the glory of Greece and shame of Xerxes In this Artaxerxes time florished two great Philosophers Empedocles and Parmenides Many learned men of great fame liued in Artaxerxes time as Democritus and Heraclitus two philosophers the one laughing alwaies at the folie of the world the other alwayes weeping at the misery of the world Hipocrates that famous phisition serued this Artaxerxes in Court Gorgias and Pherecides Policlitus
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 preuēted 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
the Scythians who likewise had no houses but their wagons in the which they carie their wiues their children and themselues into any coūtrey where they take warre in hand Nowe of the Arabians trafique and marchandise and of their frankincense myrrhe and many other kinde of spices of their birdes Phoenix and Cynomolgies of their precious stones of their hilles sweete riuers and other rare things in Arabia I referre you to Strabo he leaueth nothing vntoucht within Arabia But I wil returne to Mahomet a poore man of a base and meane parentage brought vp a seruant to feede and to attend camels a young man of a wonderfull craftie subtile wit hauing married his mistresse and thereby growen wealthie he vsed the company of one Sergius a Monke with whom he was taught to accuse the Iewes as wicked cruel tyrants to kill a great Prophet and to accuse the Christians of ignorancie and of much simplicitie scoffing them for their superstitious ceremonies and meere fantasies in their religion as he said of their God Christ. This Mahomet vomited his malice in such sort that not onely Asia but Affricke and Europe were by him infected hee settled himselfe in the richest regions of all Arabia named Scenites where in short time through the craft and subtiltie of his fained religion and by the dayly accesse of a white pigeon in the eare to eate graines of wheat which he vsed to deceiue the simple supposing the pigeon to bee some spirit from God that instructed Mahomet in all good discipline and religion that whatsoeuer Mahomet did it was taken as done by a prophet He grew of such credite within Arabia that he made lawes and decrees he altered the whole course of the Arabians gouernment and brought the Saracens to beginne their yeeres and their accompt from the beginning of Mahomets raigne For as the Grecians were wont to nomber yeeres by their Olympiads the Romanes by their Lustrum so the Arabians and the Saracens vsed their accompt by Hegira begunne in the time of Mahomet at what time he escaped hardly the hands of the chiefe men in Arabia called Philarchi who thought to kill Mahomet for his newe doctrine against the religion of the Arabians But after he had escaped he gathered a great armie by meanes of many that tooke him and honoured him as a diuine prophet and entred with force and maine strength againe vpon his enemies and had the victory ouer them From the which time the Arabians beganne to accompt their yeeres in memorie of the escape of Mahomet by flight which the Arabians call Hegira and after by Mahomet commaunded in the time of Heraclius the Emperour and Pope Honorius in the yeere of our Sauiour sixe hundreth twentie and one to bee kept of the Saracens and of the Arabians in great honour and accompt and to beginne all their accompts trafiques and marchandise by Hegira And as wee vse the yeere of our Lorde at the very day that he was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgine by the holy Ghost so the Arabians from the time of this Hegira by Mahomet commaunded vsed their yeeres MAhomet the great prophet and the only Prince of Arabia began his gouernment in the yeere of our saluation 624. At what time Heraclius gouerned as Emperour in Constantinople he raigned nine yeres died and was honoured as a God to this day among the Saracens After this Mahomet raigned in Arabia Ebubezer three yeeres during which time he subdued the citie of Gaza and brought that prouince altogether vnder the Arabians who at this beganne to be sirnamed Amiras a name of dignitie as Caesars among the Romanes or Pharaos among the Egyptians this raigned the first Amiras The second Amiras was called Haumar which raigned 12. yeeres this enlarged the countrey of Arabia from Egypt vnto the riuer Euphrates this brought Persia subiect to Arabia and forced Hormisda their last king to take his flight and to leaue behinde him all his treasures and all the wealth of Persia. This Amiras tooke Caesarea a citie in Palestina after he had besieged it seuen yeeres by his lieutenant Muhanias who was his Generall from the confines of Egypt vnto Euphrates This Haumar after hee had destroyed the temple of Hierusalem caused the Crosse which hee found in the temple to be set vp in Mount Oliuet to scoffe there the Christians who beganne at that very time to worship euery where the Crosse that was the first Crosse and the first time that the vse of Crosses beganne from that in Mount Oliuet But after much harme done by this Haumar hee was slaine by a Persian woman named Margaret as hee was praying kneeling before the newe erected idole of Mahomet After this Haumar succeeded Hotaman the fourth Amiras this inuaded Affrica possessed diuers places and filled many townes with Saracens at what time Muhanias the chiefe Generall of all the Arabians territories sailed with a great nauie into Cyprus inuaded the whole Isle and tooke the citie Constantia and the citie Aradus and at his returne came to Rhodes destroyed the huge and monstrous image of Phoebus called Colossus Solis accompted one of the seuen wonders of the world While Muhanias was in warres with the Cyprians and the Rhodians the very same time another Prince of Arabia named in the Chronicles Busor inuaded Isauria destroyed the countrey made a great slaughter of the people and brought fiue thousande captiues prisoners into Arabia but within fewe dayes Hoaman was slaine through the treasonof his owne housholdes and chiefe friends This time raigned king in Fraunce Clodoueus the second of that name which Clodoueus was called Lewes the first and in Constantinople raigned Emperour Constans which was sonne to Constantius the third who had a great ouerthrowe in battell by sea by Muhamias with his armie of Saracens Eugenius then was elected the tenth Pope of Rome Hali who gouerned the Saracens after Hoaman with Muhamias for 3. yeeres at what time he was slaine by a conspiracie of souldiers after whose death Muhanias became the fift Amiras ouer the Arabians who gouerned foure and twentie yeeres and kept his court all that time at Damascus This Muhanias grew mightie and strong inuaded Affrica slew fourescore thousand Africanes spoyled the territories of the Romanes entred into their confines but the Romanes forced him to flee pursued him and compelled him to seeke the Romanes fauour paying three thousand pound in golde and fiftie Saracens for yerely tribute Constantine the fift sirnamed Pogonatus held then the Empire at Constantinople Gizid the sonne of Muhanias succeeded his father and raigned after him 3. yeeres this had not such successe as Muhamias his father had but after Gizid succeeded Habdella the seuenth Amiras against whom Marnan was elected the eight Amiras who died within nine moneths after and left his sonne Habdimelech to be the ninth Amiras this raigned two and twentie yeeres The Saracens about this time inuaded so
fourtie eight yeeres and had diuers times many victories and as many ouerthrowes for first hee lay de siege to Rhodes tooke Alba Graeca by treacherie and deceipte but Virtus an Dolus quis in hoste requirit hee subdued Corsica and ouerthrewe a great armie of the Germanes by the Citie of Buda in Vngarie being betrayed and sould into the Turkes by Catzianerus and by the like treachery of a Spaniard the Turkes gote a very strong fort in Vngarie called Granensis Arx. After this Soliman laide siege to Vienna in Austrich and to diuers Townes in Sicilia but they were manfully resisted and repulsed from both Austrich and Sicilia His armies in the East Countries were so slaine and scattered by the Sophy of Persia that Soliman lost in two battels an infinite number of hia Turkes After these two great victories had ouer the Turkes by the Persians he was by the Germanes resisted at the hauen of Hercules he was by the Rhodians driuen out of the Isle of Militea he entred into a league with the Persians concluded peace with diuers princes of Asia came into Vngaria laid siege to Segethum where he died in his tents before he could win Segethum After his death his sōnes fought for the Empire Baiazetes was compelled to flee into Persia being by this ciuill warre ouerthrowen by his brother Selimus who of all the sonnes of Soliman was left aliue and succeeded his father in the Empire Vnder this Selimus the Turkes tooke warres in hand against the Saracens and prepared a nauie into Cyprus which had reuoulted from the Turkes After hee made a voyage against the Moscouians at the riuer of Tanais where Selimus lost more then hee wanne then he laide siege to Nicosia and to Famagusta two noble cities in Cyprus for Famagusta is the chiefe Citie of Cyprus Two yeeres after this the Persians gaue two great ouerthrowes to the Turkes in Mesopotamia at what time the Tartarians which in olde time were called Scythians wasted and spoyled Russia and Moscouia but I leaue the Soldane of Egypt the Sophi of Persia the Saracens the Turkes and those infidels and ende their historie in this Selimus laying their names downe as they reigned from Othoman the first vnto Selimus the eleuenth 1 Othoman reigned 28. yeres 2 Orchanes 22. 3 Amurathes 23. 4 Pazaites hauing slaine his brother Solimanus 26. 5 Mahomet 17. 6 Amurates the 2. of that name Mahomets sonne 34. 7 Mahomet the 2. which tooke the Empire from the Greekes 32. yeeres 8 Pazaites the 2. 31. 9 Selimus 7. 10 Soliman 48. 11 And after Soliman his sōne Selimus OF THE ANTIQVITIE OF Greece of the beginning of their Cities and Common wealth of their lawes and gouernments by degrees during yet the infancie of Greece NOwe I leaue Asia and come to Europe to that noble and famous Countrie of Greece though by order of historie I shoulde passe from Persia with Alexander the great into Macedonia whither the Empire from Persia was brought nowe by Alexander yet for that Greece is vpon the way and that Alexander the great subdued all the Prouinces of Greece and was by consent of all the Countrie made Emperour of Greece where his father Philip was made but a Duke or a Gouernour of Greece I will therefore first speake of Greece for that Macedonia and Greece were but one Empire and vnder the great Alexander for so hee was called in the sacred historie the King of Greece and so after Alexanders death they compted their yeeres after the reignes of the Kings of Greece and therefore I will passe first ouer Greece before I come to Macedonia To this Countrie came the third sonne of Iaphet named Iauan or Iaon of whom this Countrey nowe called Greece was then named Ionia for all Countreys had their names by the first inhabitants therin as in the 10. of Genesis is mencioned the first ground and originall from whence the nations of the world had their beginning by the description of the sonnes of Sem the sonnes of Cham and the sonnes of Iaphet After that Iaon the third sonne of Iaphet possessed Greece a Countrey for the situation thereof most delectable and fertile wherein many things of great accompt are most worthy to be remembred This Countrey of Greece is diuided vnto twelue regions The first and principall part of Greece is the region of Morea The 2. the Countrie of Athens The 3. of Corinth The 4. of Lacedemon The 5. of Messenia The 6. of Achaia The 7. of Boetia The 8. of Thessalia The 9. of Arcadia The 10. of Ionia The 11. and 12. of Dorica and Aeolica Although Strabo saieth that these two last are Countries within Peloponesus which is nowe called Morea which was the greatest and chiefest Countrey of Greece inhabited first by the Barbarous for so all Greece was inhabited first the Countrie of Athens onely excepted The platte forme of Peloponesus is like the leafe of a Plane tree with creekes and nookes and conteineth in length from the West vnto the East a thousand foure hundred furlongs and almost so much in breadth The coast of Peloponesus is on the north side with the Ionian sea on the West with the Sicilian sea on the South with the Candian sea all these Shires or Countries are situated within Morea Achaia Elis Messenia Laconia which is also named Lacedemonia and Arcadia which is enuironed rounde about with Peloponesus In euery countrey of these are very famous townes and cities named at large in Pomponius Mela and in Strabo Next Peloponesus beginneth the countrey of Hellas which is called and taken for true Greece In this Hellas is the region of Phocis where the temple and Oracle of Apollo in Delphos and the famous mount Parnassus here is also in that part of Greece Boetia where Thebes a most famous citie is and mount Cytheron much spoken of in Poetrie then is the countrey of Locris Megaris and of Athens more famous of it selfe then it neede to be commended as well for chiualrie and magnanimitie as also for learning and knowledge being the fountaine and nourse of Philosophie This countrey of Athens doeth Strabo describe in his ninth booke that he bestoweth all that booke in the setting forth onely of Athens with commendations of Boetia and Thessalia as the chiefest and rarest countreis of Greece for Thessalia cōtayning within it the renowmed mount Olympus which by meanes of the wooddie bottoms of the hill with a very pleasant riuer running through the same maketh a most delectable and pleasant soile called Tempe Thessalica vnto Thessalia belong the plaines of Pharsalia where Pompey was ouerthrowen in the last battell betweene Caesar and him In Thessalia are many notable riuers and cities many Isles lie ouer against the maine land of Athens as Salamis Sunim Cos and Ceos not farre from Athens is the plaine Marathon where was a bloodie battell betweene the Persians and the Athenians Greece
from Moses vntill Samsons time 400. yeeres and after Samsons death 40. yeeres kings began to raigne in Israel After that the kings ended in Sicyonum priestes raigned in that countrey of Peloponesus called Carnij which gouerned vntill the comming of that strong and ancient people called Heraclides who afterwarde grew of great force that the long ciuill warres which continued 27. yeeres to the last destruction of all Greece as more at large in Thucydides is mentioned and shal be spoken of me when the time of these ciuil warres shall come to be handled in this historie I in the meane season will returne to the state of Athens which by this time grewe to some fame though before as other parts of Greece obscured by reason of no action done worth the writing vntill Theseus time which raigned as you heard before in Poliphedes time the 24. king of Pelopones he brought vnto Athens al the whole prouince of Attica and dispersed people from other parts of Greece and made them all one corporation which were before dispersed vnto diuers villages he erected a council hall and made a towne house which the Athenians called Asti he instituted great feasts and sacrifices vnto Minerua called Panathaenea this was for all the countrey of Attica and he ordeined another feast which they called Metaecia for strangers and forreners that should come to dwel at Athens That done he began to set vp an estate of a common wealth he made distinctions of degrees and difference of states moreouer Theseus coyned money marked the coyne thereof with the stampe of an oxe in memorie of the bul of Marathon or of Taurus chiefe captaine of king Minos which Theseus subdued by combate appointed The stampe of the oxe continued in Athens vntill Pericles time at what season the owle was stamped in the coine of Athens The renowne of this Theseus was marueilously blowen through all Greece after diuers victories gotten against the Amazones the slaughter of king Deucaleon king Minos sonne of the vanquishing of the huge monster Minotaurus of the warres of Lapithes of the ouerthrowe of Captaine Taurus and of infinite more victories so that all Greece rang of Thesius fame that his acts came to certaine prouerbs in all parts of Greece Hic alter Theseus this is another Theseus Hoc sine Theseo nōfit This was not done without Theseus He discharged Athens of their tribute vnto king Minos appointed certaine games called Isthmia after the imitation and order of Hercules that euen as the Grecians did celebrate the games of Olympia in the honour of Iupiter by Hercules ordinance so they should likewise celebrat the feast of Isthmia games which Theseus made in the honour of Neptune for he imitated Hercules in all his actions The great admiration which Theseus had of Hercules courage made him in like sort with Themistocles to say that as the victories and triumphes of Miltiades would not suffer Themistocles to sleepe so the renowme and fame of Hercules could not keepe Theseus backe from the imitation thereof for they both were neere kinsmen He was so great a benefactor vnto Athens that on the 8. of October the Athenians doe most solemne sacrifice in remembrance of his returne frō Creete with the children of Athens after the killing of king Deucaleon and Minotaurus in the honor of Neptune as Plutarch saith The Athenians honour the name of Theseus which of some is supposed to be the sonne of Neptune euery 8. day of euery moneth so much Greece was beholden vnto Theseus Plutarch in the life of Theseus saith that Aegeus his father descended of the linage of the great Erictheus of the first inhabitants which occupied the coūtrey of Attica for there is no mention made that they came out of any other countrey but they were called Autochthones borne of themselues in the lande of Attica for so the Athenians would haue it This was the first that erected Athens and hauing ioyned the citie of Megara and all the territories thereabout vnto Attica he caused as Plutarch affirmeth foure square pillars to be set vp for the confines within the streight of Isthmis in Peloponesus with this sentence written on the pillars All from these pillars Eastwarde is in Ionia which is Attica and all from thence Westward was in Peloponesus to separate the countrey of Attica from Peloponesus for in Ionia Attica lay After this Theseus succeeded in Athens Mnestheus the eleuenth king which raigned foure and twentie yeeres This time gouerned Agamemnon in Mycena when Helen Menelaus his brothers wife was rauished and taken away by Paris who likewise being very yong was before rauished by Theseus I will briefly rehearse the rest of the kings of Athens for after Mnestheus Demophon succeeded in Athens the twelfth king ouer the Athenians and raigned 33. yeeres In whose time Aeneas maried Lauinia king Latinus daughter who gouerned them three yeeres and died and left to Ascanius his sonne the kingdome after him he raigned after his father thirtie eight yeeres This time raigned in Assyria Tauteus the twentie and ninth king of the Assyrians Eli the priest now iudged Israel and Samuel the Prophet was borne Oxintes the thirteenth king of Athens raigned twelue yeeres about which time Ascanius began to build a towne and named it Alba longa where he with all his Court remooued leauing Lauinium to his fathers wife Lauinia thirtie yeeres after his father Aeneas had builded the citie of Lauinium In this kings raigne the Amazones burned the temple of Diana in Ephesus Now followed in Athens the foureteenth king ouer the Athenians who raigned but one yeere after him raigned Thimoetes the 15. king he raigned eight yeeres This was the last king of the stocke of Erictheus after this time raigned Siluius the thirde king of the Latins here of all the kings of Alba were afterward called Syluij In the 70. yeeres after the destruction of Troy and foureteene yeeres after the kings failed in Peloponesus came certaine people from Greece vnto Peloponesus and possessed a great part of the countrey which were called Dores of this Thucydides onely can best report for it is his proper historie Now was Melanthus the sixteenth king ouer the Athenians which raigned 37. yeeres in this kings time raigned in Assyria Dercillus the 31. king About this time Samuel the Prophet iudged Israel with whom gouerned afterward king Saul during which gouernment the prophet Dauid was borne when Aeneas raigned the sixt king of the Latins at what time the stocke and familie called Heraclides entred Peloponesus who waxed so strong and fierce that they waged warres against the Athenians with whom they had diuers battels CHAP. III. Of the originall beginning of the kings of the Lacedemonians and of the kings of Corinth who at one time beganne their gouernment vnder the state of Monarchie and also ended about one time of
most ambitious man in the world Nowe when hee had wonne the Citizens to bende their force to the sea while this preparation was in Greece newes came howe that king Leonidas was killed in the countrie of Thermopilis of whose courage and exploites you heard a little before and that Xerxes had nowe that entrie into Greece by land and had Embassadours to demaunde the Empire of Greece both by sea and by land and that all Greece shoulde acknowledge obedience to king Xerxes but Themistocles hanged vp the interpretour that came with Xerxes Embassadour for that hee being a Grecian woulde vse the Greeke tongue in the seruice and commandement of the barbarous king This stoutnesse of Themistocles pleased more the Athenians then the suffering of Eurybiades the Lacedemonian to be Admirall of all Greece for the Athenians woulde not set saile vnder any other Admirall then their owne aswell because they had the greatest number of shippes in their armie as also they thought them farre more worthie then any other Countrie of Greece but Themistocles foreseeing the daunger that was likely to fall out betweene themselues did willingly yeelde the whole authoritie vnto Eurybiades and gote the Athenians to agree thereunto This time Aristides after he had bene banished fiue yere by meanes of Themistocles was nowe by a decree of Themistocles called home againe for Aristides was a good iust man and well beloued in Athens By this time the fleete of Xerxes shewed on the coastes of Attica and couered all the seas and Xerxes in person came with an army by land to campe by the sea side The Grecians hauing the sight of so monstrous an armie both by sea and by lande forgate all Themistocles perswasions and beganne to retire to the Peloponesians and there to recouer the gulfe of Peloponesus Themistocles perceiuing their determination was in his mind angrie that the Grecians would thus disperse themselues asunder leauing the aduauntage which both lande and seas offered them he suddenly vsed this stratageme to sende to king Xerxes a trustie friende of his owne named Sicinus a Persian borne taken in the warres before by Themistocles and kept by him as a scholemaster in his house for his children this hee sent secretly to Xerxes to aduertise him that Themistocles generall of the Athenians was very desirous to become Xerxes seruaunt and for that the Grecians were determined to flie hee wished the king not to let them scape but to set vpon them while they were farre from their armie by land Xerxes being glad of Themistocles message the next morning by breake of day placed himselfe on a huge hill where hee might beholde his whole fleete and discerne the ordering of his armie by sea there did Xerxes set vp a throne of golde and had about him many secretaries to write all that was done in the battell Themistocles with no lesse skill had chosen his time and place the gallies drewe neere to the other armies Xerxes Admirall a man of great valure bestowed arrowes and dartes charging the Grecians gallies hotely they ioyned and grappled together the battell beganne so fiercely that the dead bodies being thrust ouer boorde into the sea altered the collour of the water into blood The Grecians by reason of the streightnesse of the sea wherein they fought preassed sore vpon the Persians who with ouer great a multitude hindred them selues much being so many laide one an other a boorde in such disorderly sort that they were constrayned to flie by night in which flight many of their gallies were drowned and many taken more running secretly into Persia for feare of Xerxes being a cruell man This famous victorie gotten by the Grecians made Xerxes starke madde his losse was so great and his shame was more Being thus amazed what to doe Mardonius his lieutenant did perswade him to returne to Persia and to leaue him with three hundred thousand souldiers behind Xerxes resolued to followe Mardonius councell and was forced to scape in a poore fisher mans bote most cowardly and shamefully who before thought that land and seas had not roome sufficient for his armie The victorie which the Greekes had ouer Xerxes at Salamina was the greatest that euer Greekes had for in trueth the Greekes this time florished being after this great victorie much enriched with the golde of Persia for Mardonius Xerxes lieutenant had the like successe as his master had for he was ouerthrowen in a battell in Boetia leauing behinde him all the kings treasures which was infinite and did more hurt to Greece then good This Mardonius was driuen with like shame to followe his master into Persia. Among the Greekes which euer contended more for vaine glory then for profit as by this victory appeareth grew great enuie the Lacedemonians affirming that they their Admirall Euribiades deserued the glory and honour of this victorie the Atheniās chalenging the praise fame to thēselues to their generall Themistocles of whō all Greece spake much honour who by common iudgement deserued most praise Skant was Xerxes in Persia but ciuil discentiō began in Greece and Themistocles by whose seruice principally the glorie of Greece shined at the victorie of Salamina was banished from Athens and went from place to place vntill he came to Persia to this king Xerxes whom hee made to flee from Greece as both Heraclides and Clitarchus affirme yet Thucydides saith Xerxes was dead before Themistocles comming but he meant to his sonne Artaxerxes surnamed the long handed Herodot ended his historie in Xerxes time where Thucydides beginneth and therefore is best herein to be beleeued Nowe Themistocles in Persia by drinking bulles blood did poyson himselfe to auoide the seruice which Artaxerxes appointed him against Greece he knowing the valour of Cimon and fearing his courage who lay with an armie there at Cyprus to haue giuen battell to Themistocles but Themistocles preuented that with death for after this great victorie of the Grecians ouer the Persians at Salamina Greece florished vntill ciuill discord beganne within Greece and so continued one Citie contending with another vntill it brake out into publike warres which began fiftie yeeres after the ouerthrow of Xerxes After him succeeded in Athens Pericles a man of great valure but he had an associate ioyned with him a singular rare man he was the sonne of that valiant captaine Miltiades who ouercame Darius Xerxes father in the battell at Marathon Of his seruice and courage you shal heare more for as Themistocles had Aristides surnamed the iust his collegue as a touchstone to reprehend Themistocles for his ambition so nowe Pericles had Phocion surnamed the good called home being banished from Athens fortenne yeeres to ioyne in gouernment with Pericles for when Aristides died and Themistocles was banished Cimon had bene of long time in seruice as generall in forreine countries out of Greece Then Pericles beganne to deale in the
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 Spartās 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
Demosthenes to exclaime in these wordes Noctua populus Draco tria monstra Athenis for in Athens they esteemed more the seruants poore people straungers and specially mariners more then their Magistrates noble men officers or their chiefe Citizens The people grewe so strong and so headie in Athens that it was not lawfull to banish straungers or to punish seruaunts to be short of the common wealth of Athens and of Sparta reade Xenophon Nowe againe to the victorie at Cheronea the last and the sorest battell which brake the backe of the Citie of Athens Philip king of Macedon called together all the States of Greece into Corinth where by common consent hee was chosen and named Prince or rather Generall of all Greece against the Persians All Greece being nowe quiet in peace Philip beganne warres against the Persians and with great celeritie hee sent an armie into Asia While these things were doing Philip was slaine by Pausanias when hee was of the age of fourtie sixe yeeres after hee had reigned king twentie fiue yeeres Greece thought by the death of Philip againe to recouer their former libertie they little doubted Alexander being then but young neither Arideus which was Philips base sonne by Laryssea which for a time reigned after Alexander but according to their wonted maners full of innouations ambitions contencions and hatred neuer quiet but one Citie or other would be iarring the Persians power grewe great and the Greekes beganne to reuoult from Alexander which by succession after his father shoulde bee their chiefe Generall The Thebans offered themselues to ioyne with those Cities that woulde defende the libertie of Greece and exclude those Macedonian souldiers which Philip placed in the castle of Thebes called Cadmea Hereby Alexander tooke occasion to enter in armes ouerthrewe Thebes vnto the grounde wasted and spoyled diuers Cities in Boetia for at one time the Athenians the Lacedemonians and the Thebans reuoulted from Alexander by perswasion of Demosthenes being corrupted with rewardes of the Persians But when Thebes was destroyed Alexander sent to Athens offering peace vnto the Athenians vpon the yeelding vp of Demosthenes Lycurgus and others by the Citizens vnto Alexander Vnto this demaund of Alexander Demosthenes brought in the fable of the Woolfe who offered peace vnto the Shepheardes vpon condicion to haue the shepheards dogges away applying the morall hereof vnto the Oratours of Athens who by continuall barking to the people kept Greece frō forraine soueraigntie but the Athenians standing much in feare of Alexanders force and beside knowing their owne weakenes they sent Demades the Orator to entreate for peace which being obteined of Alexander by the meanes of Demades the Athenians the Lacedemonians the Thebans and the rest of the Cities of Greece hauing obteyned peace likewise by one consent they appointed Alexander their captaine and chiefe generall against the Persians At what time reigned Darius the tenth king of Persia to whom many of Philips children by other mariages fledde to see the euents and sequell of the warres betweene Alexander and Darius This last yeelding vp of Greece vnto Alexander was three yeeres after the great battell of Cheronea and after the warres of the Peloponesians three score yeeres Of this warre Thucydides diuided his eight bookes concerning the ciuill warres of the Grecians which continued twentie seuen yeeres euery booke comprehending three yeeres warres vntill twentie one yeeres expired at what time Thucydides died then Xenophon beganne where Thucydides ended Thus ended the glorie of Greece which florished in wisedome and knowledge from Solons time vntill Plato two hundred yeeres and from Platoes birth vntill this last conquest of Greece a hundred and twentie yeeres Though yet Greece brought many learned men after Alexanders time yet the fame and renowme of Greece was caried vnto Macedonia their Empire translated their libertie lost and all Greece made subiect vnto Macedonia at what time the Monarchie of Persia was lost and brought by Alexander vnto Macedonia OF THE KINGDOME OF Macedonia of the continuance lawes and gouernment of their Kings and of their warres vntil the time of Alexander the great AFter I haue briefely entreated of Greece and haue abridged many things which might haue beeue well in the histories of Greece yet I haue many times occasion to speake of Greece in handling of Macedonia neither neede I long to stay in Macedonia for of all the kings of Macedonia before Philips time little or nothing is to bee spokē of them so obscure a kingdom Macedonia was before Philpis time for that the warres of Philip of his sonne the great Alexander are mencioned in the Persian and in the Grecians historie I neede not much to write of them therefore I will begin with the descents of the kings of Macedon of the first names of the countrie which was called Emathia of one Emathius which was the first that obteined soueraigntie in Emathia which name continued vntil the time of Deucaleons nephew named Macedo he chā◅ged the name of Emathia called it after his owne name Macedonia Melacthō saith that the name of Macedonia is come of Kittim the sonne of Iauan the sōne of Iaphet Herodot other auncient writers affirme that the kings of Macedonia take their originall from Hercules Nowe the land which before was called Pieria Migdonia or Emathia is nowe called the Realme of Macedonia a countrie bounded on the East side with Thracia on the South with Thessalia on the West with the Illyrians hauing on the North side Peonia as Pomponius Mela saith the Macedonians inhabited many Cities of the which Pella was the most renowmed The kingdome of Macedonia in the beginning was of◅o great fame vntill Philips time which was Amyntas sonne and Alexanders father who first brought the name of Macedonia to be spoken of though before of sclender renowne and obscure fame rather deseruing the name of a Prouince then of a kingdome as Ruffinus writeth for as Cyrus reigne doeth much lighten the whole historie of the Persians and the very time of their kings in respect of Cyrus his decree and dealings with the Iewes by the meanes and traueile of Zorobabel Esdras and Nehemias mencioned in Scripture euen so doeth the name of the great Alexander reforme many errors in Xenophons histories for that the certeintie of the Macedonian historie depēdeth vpon the time of Alexāder which of necessitie must be within a 130. yeeres of Cyrus though many of the best writers erre much in this After Macedo succeeded Cranaus a captaine of certeine Peloponesians hee was the first that had the name of a king hee builded a Citie according to the Oracle that hee should followe a heard of goates and where they stand there to builde a Citie which he named Aegea others say that he came vpon a tempest to a towne named Edissa there beholding goates together he changed the name of Edissa vnto Egea there he builded and
his father died he went into Peloponesus in Greece there called al Greece together and claimed the soueraigntie which his father had ouer them against the Persians which being granted he being by cōmon consent appointed their only chiefe gouernour against the Persians within short time after many of these cities beganne to murmure against Alexander and to reuolt frō Macedonia When Alexander perceiued that the Athenians the Thebans the Argiues the Lacedemonians the Arcadians studied and conuented together for the libertie of Greece he presently without any delay as his nature was had warre with Thessalie the next countrey vnto Macedonia after he subdued Thermopyla and vrged the Amphictions which were then appointed Iudges vniuersally for all Greece that with al their decrees and lawes they would mooue Greece by faire meanes to surrender the gouernment which his father had and also to him graunted After that the Athenians sent ambassadours and offered all courtesie to Alexāder the Corinthians likewise sought to please him in like sort which Alexander accepted in good part and returned with his armie from Greece into Macedonia hee was scant in Macedonia but the Grecians according to their custome beganne to send from citie to citie to stand against Alexander in the defence of their countrey the Thebans sent ambassadours to the Arcadians the Arcadians to the Argiues the Argiues to the Aeolians to whom the Athenians sent also by the perswasions of Demosthenes though they were before the first that entreated for peace at his hand Alexander hearing of these often false dealings he then cōmeth from Macedonia and Thracia with a huge armie of thirtie thousande footemen and three thousand horsemen and vnderstanding that the Thebans had him in contempt he fully determined to destroy their citie in such sort without mercie that it should terrifie all Greece thereby he layed siege to Thebes three dayes and the fourth day he made it euen to the ground there was not death spared neither to children nor to women the slaughter was so terrible that there was slaine within the citie of Thebes aboue sixe thousand maimed and taken aboue 3. hundreth thousand this fell in the hundreth and in the last yeere of the 11. Olympiad This terrour made Greece to quake Alexander being more angrie with Athens then with the rest he sent ambassadours to Athens to haue the 10. Orators sent vnto him for Alexander knew that the Orators whetted the people to reuolt and that they perswaded the Athenians with their eloquencie alwayes to rebell Athens was put now to her shift vntill Demades one of the Orators sought licence to goe to Alexander from the citie as an ambassadour hee vsed that force of eloquence to Alexander for peace which Demosthenes vsed against Alexāder to the Athenians for warres by Demades perswasion Alexander was wonne to pardon the Athenians againe Alexander returned into his owne kingdom and left Greece in quiet for a short time After Cassander the sonne of Antipater builded vp Thebes againe and then Alexander made himselfe ready to goe vnto Asia and with great celeritie as his maner was hee brought his armie out of Europe into Asia hee had in his band thirtie and two thousand footmen fiue thousand horsmen and an hundreth and eight shippes These newes being brought vnto Darius the last king of Persia which had vnder his gouernment all the East kingdomes and sawe him selfe so strong that hee called him selfe king of kings and cousin to the gods he litle esteemed the report and made small accompt of the Macedonian nomber commaunded some of his princes to take Alexander and to beate him like a childe with a rodde and after to bring him vnto Darius but Alexander was no longer in getting the victory ouer the huge hoste of the Persians at the riuer of Granicus then Darius was in directing his captaines to beate Alexander with rods this was the first battell and victorie which Alexander had where twentie thousande footemen and 250. horsemen were slaine After this battell Alexander tooke Lydia in hand wanne the citie of Sardis and shortly all Lydia hee tooke Ephesus and Miletum two famous cities hee besieged Halicarnassus wasted and spoyled it to the ground Alexander in this voyage after he had brought Lycia and Pamphylia vnder his wings he still inuaded Darius prouinces and territories further to prouoke him to warre many wondered at the a gilitie of Alexander and fearing much the greatnesse and good successe of Alexander being so yong a king that they beganne both to feare him and to loue him and to forsake Darius Alexander went forwarde still conquering and subduing all countreys he came into the territories and prouinces of Darius and hee entred Paphlagonia and came to the citie called Ancyra who without any strokes yeelded themselues by these occasions of Alexanders good successe Darius thought it was but fortune and not the deserts of Alexander he caused therefore a great muster at Babylon and made an armie readie of seuentie thousand footmen and thirtie thousand horsemen of the Persians he also had beside ten thousand horsemen of the Medes and fiftie thousande footemen two thousand Bactrians horsemen and ten thousande footemen he had of Armenia fourtie thousand footmen and seuen thousand horsmen of Hircania sixe thousand of the Derinces fourtie thousand footmen and two thousand horsmen from the Caspians eight thousand footemen and two hundred horsemen of Greece were ioyned vnto Darius that expected the ouerthrow of Alexander with his thirtie thousand he had such a huge nomber that he feared that Alexander would flie before he came to make battel for so Darius saide to Amintas the Macedonian But it came to passe otherwise Alexander had the victorie in that place which Darius appointed this battel was fought in Cilicia where Alexander killed aboue a hundreth thousand footemen and tenne thousand horsemen of Darius men this was the second battell in the which Darius mother and his wife and two of his daughters vnmaried were taken prisoners and brought to Alexander whose misfortune he more piried then he reioyced at the victorie such was the clemencie of Alexander vnto these miserable captiue Ladies yea such was his chastitie though they were as Plutarch faith most comely and faire not once to offer any worde of dishonour to them A greater conquest as I take it to ouercome himselfe then the victorie against Darius Alexander after this victorie remoued his campe to Marathon thence to Phoenices and to Biblon and hauing gotten these three cities hee came to Sydon a famous citie wanne that also for all Syria and Phoenicia Tyre excepted were brought by Alexander subiect vnto Maccdonia hee besieged Tyre and continued seuen moneths both by land and by sea for it was a citie of inuincible force and kept Alexander hot assaultes vsing all engines and pollicies and yet stoode in great doubt of the getting of Tyre vntill one night he dreamed that
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 sōnes 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
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 Assyriās before the Medes the Medes before the Persians the Persians before the Macedonians in like sort how long the Romans shal cōtinue This was by Daniel diuinely reueiled by the 4. great beasts that came vp frō 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 cōsume 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 Pōpilius made with his white sticke which he had in his hand either yea or no. This time Prusias king of Bythinia cōmitted 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 cōquered 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
more then they wanne by the foure victories In the fift yeere after Regulus was taken by the Affricanes Metellus was sent from Rome to Sicilia where the Carthagineans came with 130. elephants of the which nomber Metellus got 26 he slew 2000. Affricanes as Eutropius saith but Melancthon in his chronicles saith that Metellus slew 36. elephants and tooke aliue 146. elephants which Metellus in great triumph brought with him to Rome The Affricanes after these great mischances required Regulus a Romane captaine whom the Affricanes tooke captiue and kept in prison vntill this time him they sent vnto the Senate to entreate for peace who when he came to Rome perswaded the Romanes that peace by no meanes should be granted to the Affricanes alledging that they were voyde of all hope to recouer their former estate they were quite quailed and dismayed and readie to yeeld all Affrike vp to the Romanes hee refused to tarie in Rome though the Senate sought him but returned to Carthage according to his othe promise with a denial of peace where he was with most cruel torments put to death Thus Regulus that might haue saued his life in Rome lost it in Carthage and that most willingly After this the Senate sent Publius Claudius and Caius Iunius with an armie of Romanes but not with such good successe as Metellus had for in this iourney the Affricanes ouercame the Romans so that of two hundreth and twentie sailes they saued but thirtie 89. were taken and all the men which fought in them the residue were sunke besides the Affricanes tooke 20. thousande of the Romanes prisoners Thus sometime the Carthagineans and sometime the Romanes preuailed and so still continued with mortal malice Caius Luctatius was sent presently with 300. sailes frō Rome after this great losse that they had by the Affricanes in the 9. yeere after the victories of Metellus This Luctatius with great courage perceiuing the Affricanes to be puft vp with pride of their last victorie and now againe that they sent Hamo frō Carthage with an armie by land and an other to Amilcar Hanibals father by sea Luctatius before these armies came together gaue to the Affricanes a sore battell which was fought ouer against Lylibium a citie of Sicilia with such passing valiantnes of the Romanes that they toke 73. ships of the Affricans they sunke 125. they tooke 32. thousand men prisoners and slew 13. thousand with an infinite deale of gold and siluer which Luctatius broght with him to Rome After this great ouerthrow of Hanno Luctatius hasted to the citie of Erix where Amilcar stayed with his power whom hee forced to forsake the towne to his great losse the residue of the Affricanes were by Luctatius solde for eighteeene pence a piece The Affricanes being thus spoiled and ouerthrowen by Luctatius entreated for peace which was to them by the Senate graunted which peace continued betwene the Affricanes and the Romanes 26. yeeres Thus ended the first warres of the Affricanes which endured 24. yeeres During which time Ptolomey Euergetes raigned in Egypt and Seleucus Gallinicus raigned in Syria The Parthians began to set vp a kingdome this time and Antigonus sirnamed Doson raigned then in Macedonia About this time Aratus an excellent Greeke the gouernor ouer the Achetans exempted al kinde of tyrannie out of the citie of Corinth and brought the Megereans in societie with the Corinthians About the latter end of this first warre betwene the Affricanes and the Romans came Hiero the mightie and puisant king of Sicilia to behold the enterludes at Rome where he distributed amongst the Romans two hundred thousand bushels of wheat During this first warre of Carthage M. Claudius gaue a great ouerthrow to the Frenchmen and slew their king called Viridomarus with his owne had as Eutropius saith The greatnes of the Romanes was such then that they had warres with Illyrians with the Istrians with the Frenchmen with the Affricanes and with diuers others ouer whom the Romanes triumphed at which time they concluded a peace with al nations which neuer happened to the Romanes since the first building of Rome but onely in Numa Pompilius time CHAP. II. 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 wellnigh to Carthage but at last by Scipio Affricanus the warres were ended Carthage ouerthrowen Affrica wonne and Hanibal forced to flee NOw after that Hamilcar died in Spaine a man of great skil to whom the Affricans in the first Punicke warre committed the whole gouernment of Affrike this Hamilcar made warres with the Romanes in Sicilia a longer time then it was looked for After that he kept them play in Affrike and from thence he was sent gouernour and generall for the Affricanes into Spaine This Hamilcar was sirnamed Barcha after whome succeeded Asdrubal his sonne in lawe for that Hanibal Hamilcar his owne sonne was but yong tender notwithstanding he was hardned now against the second warres of Affrike where he farre excelled his fathers doings in his first warres After the first warre ended Hamilcar Hanibals father died hee continued three yeeres in the seruice of the warres vnder the conduct of Asdrubal his brother for at what time his father had him first to Spaine he was but nine yeeres olde and after that to Asdrubals death as Polibius affirmeth seuenteene yeeres so as Plutarch and Polibius agree he was 26. yeere olde whē he was chosen lieutenant general against the Romans but Eutropius saith he was but twentie but he was no sooner chosen generall but he bent himselfe fully against the Romanes to whom he bare a secret malice for the losse of Sardinia and Sicilia but specially for his fathers Hamilcars sake who hated so the Romanes that he compelled Hanibal his sonne being but a boy to sweare at a sacrifice which Hamilcar made that hee would be a mortall enemie to the Romanes The remembrance of which things enticed Hanibal to attempt warres against the Romanes at what time Hanibal sware vpon his fathers graue that he would be an enemie to the Romans and performe the othe which he sware to his father Hamilcar This inheritable hatred made Hanibal to practise innouations and to finde occasion to begin this second warre There was a towne named Saguntum the people hereof confined indifferently betweene the Romanes and the Carthagineans this towne Hanibal assaulted to whom the Romanes sent ambassadours to will him to cease from battell for the Romanes were alwayes lothe to vse force if either intreatie or courtesie might take place but Hanibal refused to speake with them The Senate sent to Carthage willing that commaundement might be giuen to Hanibal to spare the Saguntines which were in league with the Romans but they had the like answere in Carthage as they had of
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 coūtries 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 vpō 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
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 Romās 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 valiāt 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 coūtries 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 ouerthrowē 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 takē aboue 400. Townes they had spoiled many temples as in Samos the temple of Iuno in Tenaria
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 carâ—…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 cōmon 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
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 temperācie 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 cōmanded 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 Christiās and therefore called the secōd Nero he expulsed the Philosophers and Mathematiciās 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 Sarmatiās 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 Isiū and Serapiū 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 gouernmēt 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 Whē 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 vnderstād 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 writtē of and likewise of the lawes exploites of these Emperors Pertinax Opilius Macrinus Claudius Albinus Maximinus Gordianus Balbinus Lāpridius 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 trāslated 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
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 thē 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 Cābra 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 flouri◅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 begā 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
and Lu. Papirius Cursor triumphed ouer the Samnites at what time he was Dictator in Rome after whome Quintu◅ Fabius being Dictator ouerthrewe the Samnites in a great battell Tritemius writeth that the Gothes commenced warre this time against the Saxons wasted and spoyled manie townes in the confines of the Saxons for at that time fiue kinges ioyned in a league of amitie with the Saxons and gaue a great ouerthrow to the Gothes to the number of a 100000. Gothes After this victorie Diocles was all the dayes of his life in fighting and wasting of Gallia and did much harme vnto them and when he had raigned 39. yeres died after whō succeeded his eldest sonne named Helenus the 2. of that name and the 6. king of Sicambria who was neither beloued of his people nor profitable to the kingdome for he was foolish in time of peace and peeuish in warre and therfore he was remoued from his kingdome for that he was not found sufficient to gouerne and his younger brother Bassanus was crowned king in Sicambria a man of great stoutnesse wisedome and iustice in so much hee spared neither friend kinne brother or sonne that violated his lawes wheresoeuer he would trauell he commanded two things to be caried before him the booke of the lawe and the sworde of punishment Tritemius writeth this historie of Bassanus that hee had a sonne named Sedanus who committed adulterie against the law was of his own father thus punished although his nobles and great men made much meanes to the king for his life yet Bassanus executed the lawe saying to his noble men in this sorte I haue made a lawe with your consent and to your contentation will you bee against your selues and against me in per◅urming of the same and turning his speech to his sonne he said My sonne I doe not kill thee but the lawes of the countrey which thou hast willingly violated and therewithall tooke him by the haires of his head with his owne hand beheaded him So iust a king was this Bassanus so seuere to wicked men so gentle to good men and so well esteemed of his people that as Amerodacus a Philosopher of their owne nation sayeth he was Appetentissimus diuinitatis Reade more of this king in Tritemius he raigned sixe thirtie yeeres and builded in memorie of his victory had ouer Taborinus king of the Tegurans a strong castle and named it Montabur While this Bassanus flourished in Sicambria Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus gouerned in Macedonia Lysimachus in Thracia and Philadelphus in Egypt at what time the Hebrew Bible was translated from Hebrew into Greek by the means of Philadelphus In the time of king Bassanus began the first warre betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes Zeno the Stoike Philosopher died this time and Eustratus the phisition flourished Nowe when Bassanus died his countreymen can onized him amongst the number of the gods and did of long time worshippe him after his death calling him Basangor after whom followed his owne sonne named Clodomirus raigned 18. yeeres in whose daies the feastes called Floralia were celebrated in Rome at what time the Romanes had peace with the Affricanes but were occupied in Bello Lygustico The Parthians which before were obscure and base people banished out of their countrey began to stablish a new kingdome and became so strōg that their kings were named Arsaces a name of dignitie as the Egyptians by their Pharoes and the Romanes by Caesars I see I shoulde bee long to speake seuerally of the rest of the kinges of Sicambria which are yet nine to write of therefore I will onely lay downe the names of these kinges from Marcomirus the first king of the Sicambrians vntil Francus the last king to auoyd tediousnes 1 Marcomirus the first king raigned 28. yeeres he made the first warres in Fraunce subdued vnto the riuer of Mosa 2 Antenor who maried Cambria the Brittaine Belinus daughter raigned 27. yeeres 3 Priamus the sonne of Antenor by Cambria raigned 27. yeere in this Kinges raigne the Sicambrians began to vse the Saxons tongue 4 Helenus the fourth king raigned 19. yeeres 5 Diocles the sonne of Helenus reigned 39. this king liued in the time of Alexander the great 6 Helenus the seconde of that name and the sonne of Diocles raigned 14. yeeres this king was abstracted and therefore he was forced to forsake his kingdome 7 Basanus the brother of Helenus reigned 36. yeeres at what time Philadelphus raigned in Egypt and Antiochus Soter in Syria This Bessanus builded a famous strong castle in memory of his victory had ouer Taborinus king of the Tegarenes and he named the castle Montabur At what time Heligastus a Priest and a Prophet amongst the Sicambrians flourished 8 Clodomirus the sonne of Basanus raigned in Sicambria 18. yeeres 9 His sonne Nicanor raigned 34. yeeres in what time the second warres of the Romanes began against the Affricanes 10 Marcomirus the second of that name and the 9. king raigned 28. yeeres 11 Clodius the tenth king of Sicambria raigned 10. yeeres 12 Antenor the eleuenth king raigned sixteene yeeres in the time of this king and his predecessor Terentius made his Comedies 13 Clodomirus the 2. of that name and the 12. king raigned 20. yeeres in whose time beganne the thirde and last warre betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes 14 Merodacus the 13. king raigned 28. yeeres this king inuaded Italie with 3000000. reade more in Plutarch of this people in the life of Marius 15 Cassander the 15. king of Sicambria raigned 21. yeeres this king ioyned with Arathius king of the Saxons and Borbista king of the Gothes entered into Germany and made a great slaughter of the Teutones 16 Antharius the sixteenth king he raigned fiue and thirty yeeres this king also played his part with the Romanes and wan Moguntia and made it euen to the grounde In whose time Iulius Caesar made his voyage to Britaine CHAP. II. From Francus the sixteenth 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 gouernement during which time they were called Franci after the name of Francus IN the yeere before the birth of Christ 245. Francus the eldest sonne of Antharius after that his father was slaine by the Gaules by the aide of the Romans succeeded in the kingdome of Sicambria became such an enemie to the Gaules that hee destroyed their townes and cities wasted their territories and spoyled the people not only the Gaules but also the Gothes and other nations insomuch that the Romanes hearing of this Francus courage and stoutnesse sent Lollius with a Romane armie who in the first battel that he gaue in Germany slue of thē 18. thousand Francus sent his sonne Clogio to aide his
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 takē 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 frō Francus time vnto this Faramūdus time the name of Franci cōtinued 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 frō whom the lines of the kings of Fraunce descende vntill Hildericus though some say it doth descend from Lotharius yet raigned these 4. brethren in seueral Prouinces of Fraunce as foure Tetrarches for a time During which time reade Procopius and Paul Aemilius and see the euents of fortune the vncertaintie of states and change of earthly dignitie and how Theodoricus and Clodomirus two of the brethren with all their children died then Childebertus deuided the whole kingdome betweene him and his brother Clotarius In the meane season let vs see what was done in other countreys for while these foure brethren gouerned Fraunce Rome was taken being besieged by the Gothes and destroyed and left desolate by Totila king of the Gothes he also vanquished the Brutians and the Lucans hee tooke Apulia and Calabria and besieged Placentia This warre of the Gothes cōtinued 18. yeeres during which warre raigned 3. kings ouer the Gothes the first Vitiges who destroyed Rome in his time but reedified and builded againe by Belisarius the second king Alaricus who was slaine within few moneths so that the most time of this 18. yeeres were continued vnder Totila who plagued so sore Italy and Rome that after that time Rome was so decayed and possessed with strangers that sooner you should finde in Italy a Germane then a Romane and in Rome it selfe tenne Vandols tenne Gothes or tenne Longobards for one citizen in so much that they were not able to appoint a Consul to gouerne them who had gouerned them for the space of 447. yeres so long the Consuls of Rome gouerned the citie which was vntill the Emperours time and then they gouerned the whole worlde But now not onely the dignitie of Consuls was lost which were of long time languishing and decaying since ciuil warres betwene themselues with persecution of the godly and tyrannie of the wicked Emperors but the name it selfe vtterly perished and quite abolished by those nations of Germanie who were scant knowen in Augustus Caesars time and therefore valeat Roma cum Papa who entred into Rome and tooke possession thereof within 40. yeeres of Clotarius gouernment At what time he erected vp his Papacie in Rome when Mahomet aduaunced vp the kingdome of the Saracens The Pope beganne his Papacie in Rome 14. yeres before Mahomet beganne his kingdome ouer the Saracens in Arabia Nowe a Pope for an Emperour gouerned Rome a prophet for a king raigned in Arabia of whome I spake in the historie of the Church and in the historie of the Saracens And now I will make mention of Iustinianus who gouerned then as Emperour vnder whome Bellisarius annoyed Italy subdued Siracusa and tooke Catina and in the last yeere of his Consulship subdued Sicilia After that he passed into Affrica and deliuered Carthage from the siege of Stoze and appointed one Salomon gouernour ouer the towne This Bellisarius prooued so excellent a captaine vnder Iustinianus the Emperor that he aduanced the name of the empire through his victories gotten in diuers battels that some write that Bellisarius had a triumph graunted him at Rome appointed by the Emp. Iustinian much is writtē of this Bellisarius in the wars called Persicum which Iustinianus begā but Bellisarius ended This Bellisarius toke Catina Siracusa and subdued al Sicilie Rauenna Naples and was made generall vnder Iustinian in the East empire where he merited the name of a good souldier Iustinianus made the 4. bookes of the Institutes and other 50. bookes of ciuill lawe called the Pandects which Tribonianus ended and brought to perfection This time Cosroes king of Persia inuaded Cilicia and Syria he tooke Antiochia and now againe the fourth time after he had concluded peace with Iustinianus he inuaded the territories of the Romanes but he was now driuen thence by Bellisarius at what time Arethus king of the Saracens came and yeelded to Iustinianus both his kingdome and his children Totila king of the Gothes this time gaue an ouerthrow to Demetrius vpon the sea and tooke Neapolis During these 45. yeres Hunni inuaded Europe spoyled and wasted into Bizantium which is Constantinople in Britaine died Arthur the sonne of Vter Pendragon after whome succeeded Constantius a wicked lewde Prince about which time Narses a Persian with a great armie entred into Italie vanquished the Gothes at Tagira and againe the Gothes ouerthrowen by Narses at Necerium and at last driuen out of Italie and their king Totila slayne Thus farre Procopius writeth of the warres of the Gothes Nowe to Clotharius which raigned in Fraunce 5. yeeres after the death
chiefly the French men flourished in famous renowne and in whom all the lawes relikes and monuments are established NOwe I will goe forward with the histories of Fraunce and speake of Dagobertus who when he had raigned 14. yeeres died Aemilius saith 16. yeres for he raigned 2. yeres in Austrasia is buried in S. Denis which he himself had builded the seconde of that name and the twelfth king after Pharamundus succeeded This was called Lewis the first of that name This time raygned king of the Gothes Sisenandus who was by them and of Dagobertus aduaunced to gouerne the Gothes The Emperour Constantinus surnamed Iunior was by his stepmother Martina poysoned after hee had reigned foure moneths for that shee practised to haue her sonne Emperour who reigned with his mother two yeeres and then the treason of Martina was founde which was in this sort reuenged his nostrels were cutte and his mothers tongue was taken out and so were both least againe they might bee forgotten and bee receiued to the Empire banished from Constantinople By this time died Sigibertus king Clodouaens brother who adopted before his death Ildebertus the sonne of Grimoaldus supposing that he should haue no heire of his bodie but his wife being with childe when he died had a sonne named Dagobertus who was sent to a Monasterie in Scotland secretly to be brought by Grimoaldus for which cause Clodouaeus waged warre with Ildebertus the king and with his father Ildebertus was slaine in the field in battell and his father taken and put in prison in Paris where he died at what time Clodouaeus appoynted his owne sonne Childericus king in Austrasia This time in Fraunce the famine was such that the king Clodouaeus ooke all the gold and siluer which his father Dagobertus had set vp in Saint Dennis and other places and all the treasures out of the Temples in Fraunce to helpe the poore of Fraunce After Clodoueus had reigned seuenteene yeeres succeeded Clotarius the third of that name hee died and is buried with his father in S. Dennis and in Beroaldus table named Dagobertus the second who reigned foure yeeres After whome succeeded his brother Theodoricus who was in the first yeere of his raigne banished out of his kingdome for his incontinencie After him Hildericus Theodoricus brother was elected king of all Fraunce he reigned 12. yeres Beroaldus saith fiue he was slaine in hunting by one Bodillus whome the king had before most cruelly caused to be bound to a stake and to bee whipt with rods which he requited to the king with death Which newes being heard of Theodoricus the kings brother being before as you heard banished returned from a Monasterie and tooke againe the kingdome of Fraunce and reigned fourteene yeeres The kingdome of the Saracens had not onely vexed and molested the East kingdomes but also afflicted and persecuted the West countries and had diuers and sundry battels with the Emperours the Gothes and the Longobards and are nowe become nations most mightie and strong in all the West of whom reade Diaconus de gestis Longabardorum After these thinges reigned Clodouaeus the thirde of that name who reigned foure yeeres after whom Hildebertus Clodouaeus his brother succeeded and reigned eighteene yeeres but here some of the good and the best writers doe disagree for the state of Fraunce aswell for the names of their kings as also for the historie it selfe as some following Tritemius and some imitating Paulus Aemilius that one Chronicle cries against another During the reigne of Hildebertus Muhamad the Saracen inuaded Armenia and entred into Affrica for nowe the kingdome of the Saracens grewe so mightie and so strong that they troubled all the Nations of the worlde as you may reade in their histories This time reigned ouer the Longobardes Chimibertus and ouer the Gothes Vitiza for these two kingdomes florished nowe in Germanie and beganne to match the Empire After this reigned king in Fraunce Dagobertus the seconde of that name foure yeeres after whome Lotharius Dagobertus his brother reigned two yeeres some say seuen yeeres Beroaldus in his table affirmeth that for these two yeeres Fraunce had no king therein crowned but Interreges were appointed after which Chilpericus surnamed Daniel by the ayde of Carolus Martellus was crowned king of Fraunce and reigned fiue yeeres After him gouerned Theodoricus surnamed Cala the sonne of Dagobertus the seconde hee reigned fifteene yeeres Anastasius the seconde surnamed Artemius helde the Empire for two yeeres and after Theodosius the thirde of that name other two yeeres This time Gizid the twelfth Amiras who reigned foure yeeres and his sonne Euelid after him played their partes in Asia and in Europe as sometime the Scythians were wont to doe they laide siege to Constantinople but were thence expelled by hunger and colde and with all their whole nauies were burned and destroyed vpon the seas In the time of this Theodoricus the Cities of Italie beganne a newe regiment vnder Dukes euery Citie elected and made a choise of one gouernour vnder whom and to whom they liued as to their king laying aside the last kinde of gouernment called magistratus exarchatus This time the Scots and the Picts quieted themselues within their limittes and spared their often inuasions into Englande at what time Ceolulphus reigned in that part of Englaud called Northumberland With this king Beda a learned man amōgst the Britaines was in great reuerence and honour and dedicated to him the historie of the Church in English and by Bedas meanes Ceolulphus deliuered the gouernment to his vncle Egbertus and became a Moncke In the time of this king the Saracens which inhabited in diuers partes of Affrike and Spaine were driuen thence foorth to the number of foure hundred thousand by Edo at what time they inuaded Fraunce and were so miserably persecuted euery way that they lost Abdimarus their king with a great number of the Saracens but more is written of this in their owne historie Now to Hildericus the third of that name surnamed Stupidus the sonne of Theodoricus Cala who reigned nine yeres and after was by consent of all the princes of Fraunce deposed from his kingdome and in his place gouerned eighteene yeeres Pipinus during which time Hildericus liued priuately and secretely in an Abbie By this time died Carolus Martellus a great Prince of France and lieth buried among the kings at S. Denis Of whose valure fame and courage not onely in Fraunce but euery where Reade of this Noble Martellus and of his diuers worthy and renowmed victories ouer the Saracens in Paul Aemilius in the beginning of his 2. booke after whom succeeded Carolomanus which then yeelded all his signories and titles of dignities vnto Pipinus who presently thereupon called a Parliament of all the Princes and Barons of France to stablish lawes and decrees for the receyuing of the
much Pope Leo that Rome by Fraunce and Fraunce by Rome became strong The Popes of Rome after this time by meanes of their religion receiued into Fraunce into Spaine into Britaine into diuers partes of Germany and into other kingdomes of Europe beganne againe to reuiue their Empire vnder the Pope and brought the Emperour subiect to the Pope made kings and princes to creepe to the Pope and entised all Europe vnder his crosse yeelding homage and paying tribute vnto him as to their chiefest and onely Monarch of the world for before the Popes time the Emperour of Rome subdued and conquered all nations and forced all kingdomes to pay tribute vnto Rome Nowe the Pope subdued the Emperour and made him his general lieutenant after the Emperour he substituted the king of Fraunce and the king of Spaine martiall of the fielde to fight for him that he became so great that though he called himself seruus seruorū yet would he be compted and esteemed lord of lordes for he would binde and he would lose he would curse and he would blesse hee would forgiue sinnes and pardon offences he kept the keyes of heauen and of hell Who ruled like lordes and commaunded like kings but the Pope and Mahumet of equall antiquitie and of like nature the one in Arabia the other in Rome two mōsters of the world and two enemies of Christianitie whom wee leaue a while and turne to Fraunce where the Empire remained this time And for that the kingdomes of the Danes of the Sueuians of the Noruegians and other nations of the North beginne now to flourish and also for that the state of Fraunce are now become acquainted with al writers as diuers Chronicles are extant thereof I wil only therefore set downe briefly their kings and their names frō Carolus the great vntil the time of Lewes the 12. of that name rather for that the histories of Fraunce are now familiarly knowen by reason of their warres and of the greatnesse of their kingdome then while they were yet strangers by the name of Neumagi first and after Sicambri and then Franci and last Galli Beside other names as Cimbri with the Romaus Galatae with the Greekes after called Gaulgreekes in Asia Belgae while they dwelt in Germanie Armeni while they were in Armenia and Scythae before they came out of Scythia But how so euer writers vary in their names they agree that they were called Celtes Galli and Franci which name they helde from Francus time because they were of long continuance all other names were giuen to them according to the countreys that they dwelled in But let vs returne to Charles the great who after hee had raigned 46. yeeres he died after whom his sonne Lewes sirnamed the Godly succeeded and gouerned Fraunce 26. yeeres This was also crowned Emperour after his father by Pope Steuen the fourth of that name at what time Michael sirnamed Curoplates was Emperour of Constantinople who sent ambassadours to Lewes for conclusion of peace for the Saracens about this time tooke Creete and possessed it and vanquished in two or three battels the Greekes and subdued many townes in Asia This king Lodouicus now consecrated Augustus appointed his three sonnes to haue seuerall gouernments the one called Lotharius whom hee sent into Italy as a king to rule and to order the States of Italy the second sonne named Pipinus he sent to gouerne in Aquitania the third after his owne name Lewes whom also hee sent as king ouer the Noricanes After Lewes died his sonne Lotharius succeeded and held the Empire 15. yeeres vntill his brethren commenced warre against him and such terrible and bloodie warres that all Fraunce was weakened thereby and all the blood of Carolus extinguished for in these warres were slaine aboue 100000. of the floures of Fraunce on both sides But in fine they agreed amongst themselues that Lotharius should hold the Empire and gouerne ouer Italy and other nations in the East and Carolus sirnamed Caluus should be king in Fraunce and the thirde sonne should possesse in Germanie and in Hunnia vnder the name of a king This Carolus Caluus raigned king in Fraunce 38. yeeres hee imprisoned close in a monasterie his brothers childrē which was Pipinus and Lewes After this Carolus died in Mantua being poisoned by Sedechia a Iew and his owne Phisition then succeeded Lewes sirnamed Balbus who raigned two yeres and was created Emperour by Pope Iohn in Fraunce He had two sonnes by his concubine named Lewes and Charlemaine they both succeeded their father as kings of Fraunce Lewes died in the fourth yere of his raigne and Charlemaine in the fift yere After whose death the Danes and the Normanes inuaded Fraunce and filled all Fraunce with blood Carolus the thirde of that name sirnamed Crassus after these two brethren raigned fiue yeeres Beroaldus saith 7. yeeres About this time the Danes gaue sundry battels in England and were often vanquished but still they continued their warres vntill they made a conquest of all the East partes of England This time Odo the sonne of Robert duke of Anioy raigned in Fraunce and gouerned it 9. yeeres In whose time the schole in the Vniuersitie of Oxeford was builded by Alfredus king of Northumberland in the yeere of Christ 895. By this king the Floure deluce was first appointed in the ensigne of Fraunce then Carolus sirnamed Simplex raigned 27. yeeres this was the sonne of Balbus But to auoyde tediousnesse according to my promise I wil passe ouer the rest of the historie and of the names of the rest of the kings of Fraunce vntill Lewes the 12 for I may not stand long to entreate of euery countrey for that I write of many countreys onely touching the antiquities of kingdomes their continuance their beginning and ending the time of their gouernment and the names of their gouernours committing to your view this compendious abstract of all Chronicles and all their histories which would make infinite volumes to be read in those Chronographers that largely wrote of them 31 Rodulphus duke of Burgundie and after king of France raigned 2. yeeres 32 Lewes who fled into England with his mother named Oginia returneth now into Fraunce and raigned with Rodulphus 10. yeres But he raigned king in the whole 27. yeeres 33 Lotharius the sonne of Lewes the 4. by Gerberga the sister of Otho the Emperor he raigned 31. yere In whose time the kingdome of Polonia began in the yeere of Christ 963. 34 Lewes the fift of that name raigned 1. yeere Hitherunto haue raigned from Faramundus 34. kings now raigned after this Lotarius these many kings which you see here vnder written in this table which hitherto continued in the line of Francus and now I will set downe the first king of those that were naturally borne Galli the thirde name of the kings of Fraunce 35 Hugo Capetus raigned 9. yeeres This was
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 whēce all writers make good their histories But let no man write of his coūtrey 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 cōtented to be excused with them by Liui In tanta rerum vetustate multi temporis errores implicātur 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 frō 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 cōtrouersie 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 cōming 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 strāger 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 coūtrie 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