Roman Garrison were sent them Which he promised them and in order thereunto dispatcht two thousand choice men to the mouth of the River that runs from thence under the Command of Q. Naevius Crista a diligent man and excellent Souldier who having Landed his men and sent back his Ships to Oric march'd at a great distance from the River by a way not at all guarded by the Kings Forces and so in the night got into the City without being perceiv'd The next day he rested his men and spent his own time in mustering the youth of the City and surveying their Arms and the strength of the place with which being well satisfied and encouraged and withal inform'd by his Scouts how secure and negligent the Enemy was he makes a Sally in the dead of the night and with a still march entred the Enemies Camp who lay so naked and horrible careless that 't is certain above a thousand of his men were got over their Rampier before one of them took the Alarm and if they had forborn falling upon them they might have gone up to the Kings Tent before any notice taken but the killing of some near the Ports awaken'd the Enemy who were all in such a fright and consternation that not a man took Arms to oppose them nay the King himself as he started out of sleep half naked and in an habit scarce fit for a common Souldier much less a Prince fled to the River and got on board his Fleet whither his people follow'd after him in heaps There were well near three thousand in all taken and slain but the greater number taken The Camp was plundred the Apollonians got all his Capults Balists and other Battering Engines which they carried home to secure their own Walls whenever there should happen the like occasion all the rest of the Booty fell to the share of the Roman Souldiers As soon as news of this defeat came to Oric Valerius presently set Sail with his Fleet to the mouth of the River to prevent the Kings Escape by Sea whereupon Philip distrusting his power on Sea as well as on shore to be too weak to cope with the Romans sunk and burnt his Ships and so march'd by Land to Macedonia his Forces having lost all their Baggage and most part of their Arms the Roman Navy continued all Winter with Valerius at Oric Variety of Action happen'd this year in Spain for before the Romans could get over the River Iberus Mago and Asdrubal had routed a mighty Host of Spaniards so as all the further part of Spain had revolted if P. Cornelius had not with great Expedition transported his Army and seasonably come up to assure the minds of his wavering Allies He first encamp'd at a place call'd High Castle famous for the death of the great Amilcar It was a place well fortified and they had already stor'd up their Corn there yet because it was in the midst of the Enemies Quarters whose Cavalry had several times faln upon the Roman Fort and got off again clear In which Incursions they had slain at least two thousand men either loitering behind the rest or carelesly straggling about the Country it was thought fit to remove from thence into places more quiet and secure and so encamped on Mount Victoria thither came Cn. Scipio with all his Forces and also Asdrubal the Son of Gisco the third in renown and quality of all the Punick Generals with a compleat Army and both these sat down on the other side the River over against the first mentioned Camp of the Romans P. Scipio riding out with a few light Horse to take a view of the ground the Enemy discover'd him and in that open Champain Country had undoubtely cut him off but that he got to an Hill of advantage hard by where he was encompass'd for some time but by the coming up of his Brother with a Party to his Rescue got off without much loss Castulo a strong and noble City of Spain and so strictly allied to the Carthaginians that Annibal married his Wife from thence did yet notwithstanding now quit their Party and join with the Romans The Carthaginians began to assault Illiturgis where there lay a Roman Garrison whom they hoped to master the sooner because they understood they were already in great want of Provisions Cn. Scipio to relieve his Confederates and his own Souldiers that were there march'd with a Legion of Souldiers lightly arm'd between the Enemies two Camps skirmishing with them all the way not without great slaughter and so entred the City and the next day made a Sally no less fortunate For in those two Conflicts he kill'd above twelve thousand of the Enemy took more than ten thousand Prisoners with six and thirty Colours Thus was the Siege of Illiturgis raised and in the next place the Carthaginians laid Siege to Bigerra which was also in Amity with the Romans but Cn. Scipio advancing thither they quitted the same without fighting After which the Punick Camp lying at Munda the Romans followed hard at their heels where they fought a pitch'd Battel for four hours space but the Romans having much the better of the day were on a sudden call'd off by a Retreat sounded because Cn. Scipio was hurt in the Thigh with a barbed Javelin and the Souldiers about him were in some disorder fearing the wound was mortal If that accident had not stopt them 't is certain they had that day taken the Enemies Camp for they had already driven not only the Souldiers but the Elephants too up to the French and as they stood there as it were at Bay no less than thirty nine Elephants were kill'd and wounded with Darts and Javelins In this Battel likewise were kill'd by report twelve thousand almost three thousand taken Prisoners and fifty seven Colours won The Enemy retreated from thence to the City Aurinx and the Romans to give them no breathing time after their late Overthrows pursued hard after them There again Scipio though carried into the Field in an Horse-litter fought them and had the Victory clear though not half so many of the Enemy kill'd as before because there were not now so many left to fight But being amongst a people naturally addicted to Wars Mago sent forth by his Brother Asdrubal to make new Levies soon recruited the Army and then they had the heart to venture another Battel As most of their men were thus new-rais'd and the rest such as had been so often cow'd before so their success was according eight thousand kill'd not less than two thousand taken Prisoners and fifty eight Colours together with abundance of Gallick Spoils Gold Rings Chains and Bracelets likewise two Princes of the Gauls whose names were Menicapto and Civismaro lost their lives in this Battel eight Elephants taken and three kill'd And now after all these successes in Spain the Romans began to be asham'd that they had suffer'd the City of Saguntum the original Cause of the whole
Ecetra which they being ready to afford so much did these Cities always strive to shew their hatred to the Romans there were mighty Preparations made for the War This the Hernici perceived and told the Romans before-hand that the Ecetranes had Revolted to the Aequi. The Colony of Antium was also suspected for that a vast number of men when that City was taken fled thence to the Aequi who as long as the Aequian War lasted were the keenest Soldiers But afterward when the Aequi were driven into their Towns that Multitude getting away came back to Antium where of their own accord they persuaded the Inhabitants of that place who were already disaffected to Revolt from the Romans But before the thing was brought to an head the Senate having information that such a defection was intended gave order to the Consuls to send for the chief men of that Colony to Rome and ask them What the matter was Who coming thither very chearfully and being introduced by the Consuls to the Senate made such replies to what was asked of them that they were dismissed more suspected than they came Whereupon there was no doubt of a War and in order thereunto Sp. Furius one of the Consuls to whom that Province fell going into the Country of the Aequi found the Enemy Pillaging the Hernici and being ignorant what Multitudes they had for he never saw them all together he rashly engaged with them though his Army was too weak For which reason upon the first onset being Defeated he retired into his Camp though that was not the end of his danger for all the next night and the day after his Camp was so beset and attacked that they could not so much as send a Messenger thence to Rome In the mean while the Hernici sent word That they had very ill fortune and that the Consul together with the whole Army was besieged which strook such a terror into the Senate that in an order of Senate the form of which always shews an absolute necessity for it they ordered Postumius the other Consul To take care that the Commonwealth received no detriment For they thought best for him to stay at Rome in order to raise what men he could for the War but to send T. Quintius in the nature of a Proconsul to relieve the Camp with an Army of Allies for the filling up whereof they had commanded the Hernici the Latins and the Colony of Antium to supply Quintius with some sudden Auxiliaries which in those days they called Milites Subitarii i. e. Soldiers levied at short warning In those days they made many motions and many attempts to and fro because the Enemy being more in number began in many respects to disable the Roman Forces who were not strong enough for all occasions Wherefore they attacked the Camp and at the same time sent part of their Army to spoil the Roman Territories yea if fortune favoured them to make an Attempt upon the very City it self For which reason L. Valerius was left to Guard the City and Consul Postumius sent to repress the Devastations of the Country Nor was there any care or pains omitted in any case for there were Watches in the City Guards at the Gates and Sentinels upon the Walls besides that all process of Justice which in so great an hurry was but necessary was for some days intermitted In the mean time Furius the Consul who was in his Camp having at first lain still and endured the Siege Sallied out upon the Enemy at the Gate called Porta Decumana before they were aware of him but though he could have pursued them yet he stopt for fear lest any Attempt might be made upon the other side of the Camp Yet Furius the Lieutenant who was the Consuls Brother went after them something too far nor did he observe so eager he was in the pursuit that either the Romans retreated or that the Enemies came upon him in the Reer by which means being intercepted by the Foe though he made many attempts to force his way back to the Camp he was slain but behaved himself very bravely before he fell The Consul also hearing that his Brother was so circumvented faced about to the Fight but whilst he engaged in the midst of the Enemies more rashly than wisely receiving a wound was very hardly saved by some that stood about him which accident not only much discouraged his men but made the Enemy more eager for being animated by the death of the Lieutenant and the wound that the Consul had received they could not be by any means withstood so that the Romans being forced back into their Camp were again Besieged as being inferior to the Enemy both in hope and strength At which time their Empire it self had been in danger if T. Quintius had not come up with the foreign Forces the Hernican and the Latin Army For he whilst the Aequi were intent upon the Roman Camp and shewing the Lieutenants Head with insolence and ostentation set upon their Reer whilst those in the Camp upon a signal by him given at a great distance sallyed out at the same time and with him circumvented a great number of the Enemies In the mean time there was a less slaughter but the flight was more tumultuous of the Aequi in the Roman Territories upon whom as they stragled about to Pillage those parts Postumius made an Attack in several places where he had planted Garrisons whereupon those wanderers running away in a confusion fell into the hands of Quintius who was Victorious and coming home with the wounded Consul Then the Consuls Army revenged the Consuls wound with the death of the Lieutenant and the rest of their fellow Soldiers in a remarkable Battel for there were great losses on both sides at that time insomuch that it is hard to say exactly how many fought or fell it is so long ago since the thing was done Yet Antias Valerius pretends to give us a true account that there fell in the Hernican Fields of Romans five thousand and three hundred that of the Pillagers belonging to the Aequi that ravaged the Roman Confines there were two thousand four hundred slain by A. Postumius but that the rest of the Plunderers who fell into the hands of Quintius were not taken off in numbers near so great After that says he there were cut off four thousand and to shew how exactly he could tell you two hundred and thirty Then they returned to Rome and the Justitium was remitted At which time the Heavens seemed to be all on a flame with several Comets and other strange sights appeared either to the eyes or the apprehensions of the affrighted People For the averting of which terrors there were three Feriae or Holy days appointed together during which all the Temples were filled with crouds of Men and Women imploring the mercy of the gods Then the Hernican and Latin Forces were sent home again by the Senate after they had received thanks
immediately to attack their City they all gave the Alarm the gates were presently shut and Soldiers planted upon the Walls with Watches and Sentinels at several Posts where they kept Guard all the following night The next day 500 Horse who were sent as Scouts toward the Sea to put them in confusion as they landed fell into the Romans hands For by this time Scipio having sent his Navy to Vtica was got himself not far from the Sea and had seized the adjacent Banks where he had very conveniently posted his Horse whom he had sent a foraging And they having had a Battle with the Carthaginian Cavalry kill'd some few upon the spot but many more as they ran away among whom was the Prefect Hanno a noble Youth Mean while Scipio did not only waste all the Country round about but took a rich City also that was hard by belonging to the Africans Where besides other things that were immediately sent on board the Merchant-Ships and carried into Sicily 8000 Freemen and Slaves were taken But the arrival of Masinissa when they began their business was very grateful to the Romans who some say came with not above 200 Horse but most with 2000. Now since he was much the greatest King of all in his time and a very great Friend to the Romans I think it worth my while to make a small digression and shew you what variety of Fortune he happen'd to have in the loss and recovery of his Fathers Kingdom His Father dy'd whilst he was a Soldier for the Carthaginians in Spain whose name was Gala. From whom the Kingdom fell to Oesalces his Brother for that 's the custom among the Numidians who was a very old man Not very long after Oesalces also dy'd and the elder of his two Sons whose name was Capusa the other being yet but a Child succeeded him But since Capusa got the Crown more by the custom of the Country than any Authority or Power that he had among them there arose one Mezetulus a Person of the Royal Blood indeed but come of a Family that were always Enemies to the Kings though he mightily stickled for the Soveraign Power against them who at that time had it who having instigated his Country-men with whom he had a great sway upon the score of their hatred to Kings pitch'd his Camp in the face of the Sun and forced the King to come into the field to sight for the Kingdom In that Battle Capusa with many of the Nobility was slain and all the Nation of the Massylians became subject to Mezetulus But he refused the Name of King and contenting himself with the Name of Tutor Guardian or Protector only called Lacumaces a Lad that was then alive and of the Royal Family King He married a Noble Lady of Carthage who was Daughter to Annibal's Sister and the Dowager of King Oesalces in hopes thereby to make the Carthaginians his Allies besides that he sent Ambassadors and renewed his former friendship with King Syphax preparing all the Auxiliaries he could against Masinissa Then Masinissa hearing of the death of his Uncle and after that of his Cousin-German went over out of Spain into Mauritania of which one Bochar was at that time King Of him he humbly desired and obtained though he could not for the War yet as a Convoy in his Journey four thousand Moors With them having a Messenger before-hand to his Fathers and his own Friends when he came to the Confines of his Kingdom almost five hundred Numidians met him Then sending the Moors thence back to their King according to his promise though the number that met him was somewhat less than he hoped for nor enough to give him encouragement for the undertaking of so great an Enterprise he thinking that by being in action and making a stir he might gather strength enough to do some part of his business he happen'd to meet the young King Lacumaces at Thapsus as he was going to Syphax With that Lacumaces fearful Retinue flying back into the City Masinisia at the first effected it and receiving some of the Kings Men by a surrender of themselves kill'd some others that made any sort of resistance but the greatest part of them went with Lacumaces himself amidst the tumult to Syphax whither they had first design'd to go The same of this little thing so prosperously atchieved at the beginning of his Expedition turn'd all the Numidians to Masinissa And thereupon all the old Soldiers that had served King Gala flock'd to him from all parts out of the Country-Towns inviting that Youth to recover his Fathers Kingdom But Mezetulus was somewhat superior to him in his number of Men. For he had not only that Army with which he had conquer'd Capusa but some others also that came in after the Kings death besides that the young King Lacumaces had brought great Auxiliaries from Syphax so that Mezetulus had fifteen thousand Foot and ten thousand Horse With whom Masinissa though he had not near so great an Army fought a pitch'd Battle and by the courage of those old Soldiers together with his own Experience who had been a General brought up in the Roman and Punick Wars got the day The young King sled with his Guardian and a small Band of Masaesylians into the Confines of Carthage So Masinissa having recover'd his Fathers Kingdom because he saw he must yet have a far greater contest with Syphax thought it his best course to reconcile his Cousin-German and therefore sent Messengers to him not only to put him in hopes That if he would commit himself to Masinissa's care he should be at his Court in as much Honour as ever Oesalces was with Gala and to promise Mezetulus that besides impunity he should have all his Goods very faithfully restored to him By which means he brought them both over to his Party they being desirous to have a small competency at home in their own Country rather than be banished though the Carthaginians did all they could to hinder it It happen'd that Asdrubal was with Syphax at that very time when these things were transacted Who seeing the Numidian thought it did not much concern him whether the Kingdom of the Massylians were under Lacumaces or Masinissa told him He was mistaken if he thought Masinissa would be content with the same things that satisfied his Father Gala or his Vncle Oesalces for there was much more spirit and ambition in him than ever had been in any of his Family That he often in Spain gave instances of his Valour so great as are rarely seen among men both to his Allies and Enemies and that Syphax and the Carthaginians if they did not keep that rising fire under would be quickly all on a mighty flame when there was no help for it That his strength was now but tender and frail nor was he yet well setled in his Kingdom At last by urging and spurring him on with much ado he perswaded him to carry his Army to the
against K. Philip ibid. Atinias a mean person is commanded by a Vision to deliver a Message to the Consul and for not doing it his Son is struck dead and himself lame whereupon he does the Errand and is hearkned unto ii 36. Attalus a King of Asia desires aid of the Romans against Antiochus xxxii 8. Sends a Crown of Gold to Rome 27. He dyes and his Character xxx 21. Aventine Hill whence so call'd i. 3. Augurs increased in number and Commoners made capable of that Office x. 6. The Oration of P. Decius Mus on that occasion 7. B. BAcchanalia or horrid Debaucheries committed in Night-Conventicles under pretence of Religion discovered and severely punisht xxxix 8. to 19. Badius a Campanian challenges his old Host T. Quintius Crispinus and is kill'd by him xxv 18. Cn. Baebius Tamphilus with all his Army circumvented by the Gauls xxxii 7. M. Baebius Tamphilus the first that triumpht having managed no War xl 38. Barchine Faction at Carthage what xxi 2. xxx 42. The Barchine Family xxiii 13. Excellent Warriours xxviii 12. Bastarnians a noble Nation xl 5. They are almost wholly destroy'd xli Supplement 4. Bellona invok'd by Ap. Claudius x. 19. Bituriges a people that had the greatest Empire of all the Gauls v. 34. Blasius of Salapia by a bold trick saves himself when accused before Annibal xxvi 38. Boii a Nation of the Gauls most impatient of any Fatigues xxxiii 36. They are defeated near Modena xxxv 5. P. Cornelius kills twenty eight thousand of them xxxvi 38. Bononia a Colony planted there xxxvii 57. Books of Religion to be brought into the Praetor xxv 1. Those of Numa Pompilius seven in Greek and seven in Latine found and burnt xl 29. Bondmen under Gracchus at Beneventum rout Hanno xxiv 14. Brachyllas the Praetor of the Boeotians murder'd and the strange discovery thereof xxxiii 30. Brennus the Gaul routs the Romans at the River Allia v. 36. For 1000 l. of Gold agrees to raise the Siege of the Capitol but whilst he imposes false weights and wrangles Camillus comes upon his back and beats him off 48 49. Brutus See Junius C. CAcus his cunning Theft discovered i. 7. Q. Caecilius Metellus his Speech to reconcile the old Heats between two Persons chosen Censors xl 46. Ceremonies the neglect of them is dangerous to the State xxii 9. Caere that Town entertains and harbours the Vestals and their Gods when the Gauls sackt Rome v. 40. Cales a City of the Sidicins taken and a Colony planted there viii 16. Callicrates his Speech to the Achaeans disswading them from joining with King Perseus against the Romans xli 23. Destroy'd by Perseus xlii 13. Calavius by a Stratagem saves the Senators of Capua from the fury of the Rabble xxiii 2. Camillus See Furius Campus Martius whence so called ii 5. The first Cense or Survey of the people held there iv 22. Campanians a people naturally proud ix 16. They beg aid of the Romans and yield wholly to them vii 30 31. Had hopes of gaining the Dominion of all Italy xxiii 6. Their cruelty towards the Romans 7. They are suppress'd by Gracchus 35. Their negligence xxv 13. Cannae the Battel there wherein the Romans lost forty thousand men xxii 46. Which makes many of the Roman Allies to fall off 61. Those that escap'd there are sent in the nature of banisht persons into Sicily xxv 5. L. Cantilius one of the Pontiffs Clerks debauching Floronia a Vestal is scourg'd to Death xxii 57. C. Canuleius prefers a Law for the Intermarriage of Commoners with Patricians iv 1. His Speech against the Consuls 3. Capua whence so called vi 37. The Romans in Garrison there conspire to seize it to their own use vii 10. A Conspiracy there discovered ix 26. How debaucht a place it was xxiii 4. They make a Peace with Annibal and barbarously murder divers Romans 7. Thinking to surprize Cumes are routed 35. By their negligence not only lose Corn provided for them by Hanno but occasion the loss of his Camp xxv 13 14. Is besieged by the Romans 20. Stronger in Horse than in Foot xxvi 4. Is surrendred after the chief men had poison'd themselves 14. The rest of its Senators executed 15. The common people sold for Slaves 16. A Conspiracy at Capua detected xxvii 3. A great part of their Land sold xxviii 46. Capitol whence so called i. 55. Besieg'd by the Gauls v. 42. Carthaginians strike up a League with the Romans and present them with a Golden Crown vii 27 37. The War between them and the Romans call'd the first Punick War begun and the grounds there of xvi 23 24. Embassadors to Carthage and the Carthaginians Answer xxi 18. The terror they were in on the Romans first Landing in Africk xxix 3. They attack the Roman Fleet xxx 10. Beg Peace of Scipio 16. Are variously affected upon Annibals return 24. The Terms of Peace 37. Their Embassadors have Audience of the Senate 42. The Peace finally ratified 44. They promise the Romans Corn in the War against Antiochus xxxvi 4. Contend with Masinissa xl 17. New Carthage where situate xxvi 43. is taken by Scipio 44. Carthalo a noble Carthaginian beheaded xxviii 18. Casilinum besieg'd and the people eat Mice Leather c. but at last surrender to Annibal xxiii 19. Recovered by the Romans xxiv 19. Castulo a Town in Spain revolts to the Carthaginians xxiv 41. Is regain'd by Scipio xxviii 20. Caudium the Romans Defeat and dishonourable Treaty there ix 4. Celtiberians perfidiousness xxv 33. Terms of Peace offered them xxxiv 19. They are routed xxxix 21. C. Calpurnius Piso Triumphs over them 42. They in vast numbers set upon Q. Fulvius Flaccus xl 30. But are overcome 32. Their strange simplicity 47. Censorship the nature of that Office when first erected iv 8. Reduced from five years to a year and a half by Mamercus the Dictator who for the same after he was out of his Office was plagu'd by the Censors 24. C. Marcius Rutilus the first Commoner in that Office vii 22. That one Censor should necessarily be a Commoner viii 12. P. Cornelius Rufinus turn'd out of the Senate by the Censors because he had ten pounds worth of Plate xiv 31. Censors brand each other xxix 37. Three Censors Created of whom never an one used the Curule Chair xxxiv 44. A remarkable Censorship xli 27. A grievous contention about this Office xxxix 40. M. Centenius Penula a Centurion intrusted with an Army which is cut to pieces by Annibal xxv 19. Cephalus Prince of the Epirotes xliii 18. xlv 26. Chalcis surpriz'd and destroy'd by the Romans xxxi 23. Civil Law repos'd in the Archives of the Pontiffs is divulg'd by C. Flavius the Scribe ix 46. Civismarus a petty King of the Gauls slain in Battel xxiv 42. App. Claudius flies to Rome from the Sabines and is made a Patrician ii 16. His Son made Consul and an inveterate Enemy to the Commons 56. Created Decemvir iii. 33. His
Twin Brothers by comparing their Age and considering that their Genius shewed them to be of no servile extract had some recollecting thoughts of his Grandsons and by enquiring proceeded so far that he almost owned Remus to be one of them Thus was the King beset with Plots on every side for Romulus attack'd him not with a multitude of young Fellows as not being able to cope with him fairly had to hand but ordered the Shepherds to go several ways and meet at the Palace at such a time and Remus too got a company from Numitors house to assist in the Affair by which means they slew the King Numitor as soon as the Tumult began crying out That an Enemy had invaded the City and attack'd the Kings Palace when he had called together the youth of Alba into the Castle which he design'd to make himself Master of by force of Arms and when he say the young Men after the Murther was committed draw up towards him with gratulations in their mouths immediately called a Council and declared the injuries that his Brother had done him the extract of his Grandsons how they were born and bred and how they were discovered together with the death of the Tyrant and that he himself was the Author of it The young men marching through the midst of the Assembly with a great number attending on them when they had saluted their Grandfather by the name of King an unanimous consent of all the Company confirmed that name and established him in the Empire Thus the Government of Alba being setled upon Numitor Romulus and Remus had a mind to build a City in that place where they were exposed and educated for there were a great many Albans and Latines alive besides Shepherds who all gave them great hopes that Alba and Lavinium would be but inconsiderable places to that City which should be there built But whilst they were deliberating of this matter the old misfortune intervened that is an immoderate desire of Dominion and thence arose a fatal difference between them though from a small cause For they being Twins and so not distinguished in point of Age or precedence would needs have the Gods under whose protection those places were declare who should give the name to their new City and when it was built who should Reign over it Romulus chose the Mount Palatine and Remus the Aventine for their several quarters to view the Augury The Augury they say came first to Remus and that was six Vultures which when it was interpreted and after that a double number had shewn themselves to Romulus their parties and followers saluted both of them as King at the same time the former pretending to the Kingdom as precedent in time and the latter upon the account of the double number of Birds Thereupon at first they wrangled but fell at last from words to blows and in the Crowd Remus was slain The more vulgar report is that Remus in derision of his Brother leapt over his new Walls and for that was kill'd by Romulus who was vex'd at it and said in his fury so shall every one be served that leaps over my Walls Thus Romulus made himself sole Governour buit the City and call'd it by a name derived from his own He first of all fortified the Palatine where he was bred and offered Sacrifice to other Gods after the Albane manner bult to Hercules the Greek Heroe he did it as Evander had formerly ordered They tell you that Hercules when he had kill'd Geryon brought thither an Herd of very beautiful Oxen and Cowes and that near the River Tiber over which he swam and drove the Cattel before him he being tired with his journey lay down upon the grass to refresh himself and them with rest and convenient Food But having eaten and drank so much Wine as that he fell asleep a certain Shepherd that lived there hard by called Cacus a very strong fellow being taken with the beauty of the Beasts and having a great desire to rob him of them because he knew that if he drove them into his Cave their very foot-tracts would lead their Owner that way to seek for them he took the lovely brutes each one by the tail and drew them backwards into his Den. Hercules awaking early in the Morning servey'd his Herd and finding part of them missing went to the next Cave to see if perchance the tracts of them went that way where when he saw they were all turn'd as if they came out from thence and did not go any other way he was amazed and did not know what to do but began to drive his Cattel forward out of that unlucky place But afterward when some of the Cows that he was driving along low'd as they use to do for lack of their fellows which were left behind the lowing of thsoe that were shut up in the Cave by way of answer brought Hercules back again Whom when Cacus endeavoured to hinder from going to the Cave he received a blow with his Club of which though he call'd upon the Shepherds to assist him he immediately Died. Evander at that time who was banished Peloponnesus govern'd those parts more by his Authority than any regal Power for he was a Man that deserved a great deal of reverence upon the score of his wonderful Learning which was a thing wholly new to those People who understood not the Arts but much more venerable for the supposed divinity of his Mother Carmenta whom those Nations admir'd as a Prophetess before the coming of Sibylla into Italy And this same Evander being at that time startled at the concourse of the Shepherds who trembled to tell of a strangers being guilty of a palpable Murther when he heard the relation of the Fact and the reason of it and saw the habit and shape of the Man which was somewhat larger and more august than that of ordinary mankind he demanded of him Who he was And when he new his name who was his Father and what his Country accosted him saying Hail Hercules Son of Jupiter my Mother who was a true Prophetess told me that thou shouldest augment the number of those that dwell in Heaven and that an Altar should here be erected to thee which the most wealthy Nation in the World in time to come should call Maxima the Greatest and Sacrifice upon it according to thy command Hercules gave him his right hand and told him he received the Omen and would fulfil the Prophesie by building and dedicating an Altar And that was the first time that Sacrifice was made there when he taking a choice Heifer out of his Herd slew it calling the Potitij and the Pinarij Priests of Hercules who then were a very noble Family in those parts to assist him in performing of the ceremonies and to partake of the feast It so fell out that the Potitij were then present and that the Entrals were set before them but the Pinarij came to the
repel the Enemy at least from this place remove this terror from the Romans and stop their dishonorable flight I vow that here I will build thee a Temple by the name of Jupiter Stator so called for stopping those that fled which may be a Monument to all posterity that by thy present aid our City was preserved Having made this Prayer as if he had been sensible that his Prayers were heard he cryed out From this place Romans the good and great Jupiter bids you rally and renew the Fight Immodiately the Romans faced about and fought as if they had been commanded by a voice from Heaven whil'st Romulus made all the hast he could to the head of the Army Metius Curtius the Sabine General ran down from the Castle and had driven the Romans the breadth of the whole Forum or Market-place nor was he now far from the Gate of the Palace crying out We have routed the perfidious Villains cowardly effeminate Fellows and now they know it is quite another thing to force young Maids than it is to engage with Men. Upon whom as he was boasting on this wise Romulus with a company of brave young fellows made an attack Metius by chance at that time fought on Horseback and consequently was the easier defeated which when the Romans had accomplished they pursu'd him and the other part of the Roman Army encouraged by the example of their King routed the Sabines Metius whose Horse was scared at the noise of them that pursu'd him got into a bog and that made the Sabines also concern'd for the danger that such a great Man was then in But he by the consent and advice of his own Men whose kindness increased his resolution made his escape whil'st in the mean time the Romans and Sabines in a Valley between two Hills renewed the Fight but the Romans won the day Then the Sabine Women who were the unhappy cause of the War with their hair about their ears and their garments all torn having conquered all feminine fear by their misfortunes were so bold as to run in among the flying darts and across between the two Armies to part them and decide the quarrel begging and intreating on the one hand the Sabines as Fathers and on the other the Romans as Husbands That they who were all Fathers and Sons in law would not stain themselves with blood that they would not defile their own Offspring with parricide the Sabines the Progeny of their Grandchildren or the Romans that of their Children If you are vexed at the alliance and intermarriage that is between you turn your anger upon us we are the cause of the War and of all the wounds or slaughter that has been made either of Husbands or Parents 't is better for us to die than live either Widows or Childless without one part of you This moveth both the common Soldiers and the Commanders also and immediately there was silence and a cessation of Arms upon which the Generals marched forth to make a League nor did they conclude a Peace only but made one City out of two join'd both the Kingdoms into one and translated the Empire wholly to Rome Thus the City was doubled but as a complement to the Sabines the Citizens were after that called Quirites from Cures a Town of the Sabines and as a Monument of that fight they called the place where Curtius having escaped out of a deep Fen first stop'd his Horse upon the Strand the Lacus Curtius or Curtian Lake That Peace which so suddenly succeeded such a fatal War made the Sabine Women much dearer to their Husbands and Parents and above all to Romulus himself And therefore when he divided the People into thirty Curiae or Wards he called those Curiae by their names It is not said whether those Women who gave their names to the several Wards which were not so many questionless as there were Women were chosen out upon the score of their age the dignities of their Husbands their own virtue or by lot At the same time also there were three hundred Horse raised the Ramnenses so called from Romulus the Tatienses so called from Titus Tatius and the Luceres the cause of whose name and original is uncertain And from that time two Kings enjoyed that Kingdom not only in common but with peace and concord also Some years after certain Relations of King Tatius abused the Ambassadors that came from Laurentum concerning which the Laurentes desired to be tryed by the Law of Nations but the kindness that King Tatius had for his Kindred and their intreaties prevailed more with him Wherefore he turned their punishment upon himself for at Lavinium when he came thither to a solemn Sacrificing they made a riot and killed him Which thing Romulus they say took not so ill as he might have done either because he thought Tatius an unfaithful partner in the Kingdom or that he lookt upon him as justly slain Wherefore he abstain'd from making War but yet to expiate for the injuries of the Ambassadors and the death of the King the League between those two Cities Rome and Lavinium was renewed But when this unexpected Peace was made with that People another War broke out more near at hand even almost at their very Gates The Fidenates thinking that a great and powerful Empire was growing too near them took an occasion to make a War by way of prevention before it attained to that strength which in time it was likely to have wherefore they sent their youth all armed to ravage the Country that lies between Rome and Fidenae Then turning to the left for on the right hand the Tiber hindred their passage they wasted all before them to the great consternation and terror of the Country people who being put into a sudden tumult by that means brought the news into the City Romulus surprized at it and being much concerned immediately for a War so near at hand would not admit of any long deliberation drew out his Army and pitch'd his Camp a thousand paces from Fidenae Where having left a small Guard he marched out with all the rest of his Forces and ordering some part of his men to make an Ambuscade in the thickets thereabout went on himself with the greater part of his Foot and all his Horse and as his desire was by a tumultuous daring way of fighting and riding about before their very Gates provoked the Enemy to take notice of him besides that way of Fighting on Horse-back gave them less reason to wonder at that flight which his men were to counterfeit and so when the Horse seemed to be in a quandary whether they should fight or run and the Foot too gave back the Enemy came full drive out upon them and seeing the Roman Army make way were so eager to press up and follow them that at last they were decoy'd to the place where the Ambuscade lay From whence the Romans started up all on a sudden and set upon the
got hold on the Wood of the Bridg and set it on fire That thing not only terrified the Sabines as they were fighting but when they were Routed was also a stop to their Flight and therefore many of 'em though they scap'd the Enemy perish'd in the River whose floating Arms being found in the Tiber at Rome and known discover'd the Victory there even almost before News could otherwise be brought of it In that Battel the Horse got the greatest Renown for 't is reported that they being plac'd in the Wings when the main Body of their Foot was now in a manner Defeated ran in so furiously from each side that they did not only stop the Sabine Legions who press'd so hard upon the yielding Infantry but on a sudden also put 'em to Flight The Sabines made all the haste they could to the Mountains of which some few possess'd themselves but the greatest part as I said before were driven into the River Tarquinius thinking it the best way to pursue them whil'st they were in that Consternation having sent the Booty and Captives to Rome and burn'd the Spoils of the Enemies for such was his Vow to Vulcan in a great Pile proceeded to March his Army into the Sabine Dominions and though the Sabines had had but ill success nor could well hope for better yet they met him with a tumultuary Army and being there a second time Defeated when they were almost utterly undone desir'd a Peace Collatia and all the Country round about it was taken from the Sabines and Egerius who was the Son of the King of Collatia's Brother was left in the Garison The People of Collatia my Author tells me made a Surrender of which this was the form The King ask'd 'em Are you Embassadors and Agents sent from the People of Collatia to surrender your selves and them We are Are the People of Collatia in their own Disposal They are Do you surrender the People of Collatia the City their Land their Water their Bounds their Temples their Utensils with all things Divine and Humane into the Possession and Power of me and the Roman People We do Then I receive ' em When the Sabine War was ended Tarquinius return'd in Triumph to Rome After which he made a War with the Antient Latins in which though they never came to hazard all at once yet he by carrying his Arms about to every single Town extinguish'd the whole Race of the Latins Corniculum old Ficulnia Cameria Crustumerium Ameriola Medullia and Nomentum were Towns that were taken either from the Antient Latins or such as had Revolted to the Antient Latins Then he made a Peace and from that time began the Works of Peace with greater vigour than he had carry'd on the Toils of War to the end that his People might not be less imploy'd at home than they had been abroad For he not only began to encompass the City where it was not yet Fortified with a Stone-wall the beginning of which Work was interrupted by the Sabine War but he also drein'd the lower parts of the City about the Forum and the other Valleys that lay between the Hills because they could discharge the Water from those plain places by Common-fewers which he made from thence into the Tiber besides that he laid Foundations in a void space of Ground by the Temple of Jupiter in the Capitol which he had Vow'd to Build upon in the Sabina War because his mind did then Presage the future Glory of that place At that time there was a strange and wonderful Prodigy seen in the Palace where as a certain Boy whose Name was Servius Tullius lay asleep they say a great many People saw his Head all on a Flame whereupon there being a great shout made at that extraordinary Miracle the King was much concern'd and when one of his Servants was going to carry Water to quench it the Queen stop'd him till at last the Tumult being over she gave Order the Boy should not be stirr'd till he waked of himself and that soon after the Clouds of sleep and that Flame vanish'd together Then Tanaquil taking her Husband into a private place said she Doest thou see this Boy which we breed at such a mean rate Know that he will one day be a Lustre to our doubtful affairs and a Guard to our afflicted Palace wherefore let us cherish him with all possible Indulgence who is like to prove the Author of our great Honour both publick and private From that time they began to look upon the Boy as one of their own Children and to instruct him in those Arts whereby ingenious Lads are raised to great Fortunes And indeed that easily came to pass which the gods were willing to have for the Youth grew up into a very Princely Disposition nor at that time when Tarquin was looking out for a Son-in-law could any of the Roman Youth be compared to him in any Art wherefore the King gave him his Daughter in Marriage This great Honour upon what account soever confer'd on him forbids us to believe that his Mother was a Slave or that he himself was so when young I am rather of their opinion who say that when Corniculum was taken the Wife of Servius Tullius a Nobleman of that City being at the death of her Husband big with Child and taken notice of amongst the rest of the Captives was preserved from Slavery upon the Account of her Birth only by the Queen of the Romans and was brought to Bed at Rome in the House of Tarquinius Priscus upon the score of which great favour she was not only her self introduced into the familiarity of the Court-Ladies but the Child also who was bred in the Family from his Infancy was much beloved and respected nor was it any thing else but his Mothers fortune who when her Country was taken fell into the hands of the Enemy that made him be supposed to be Son of a Bond-woman About the Eight and Thirtieth year of Tarquinius's Reign Sorvius Tullius was very much honour'd not only by the King but by the Senate and the People also At which juncture the two Sons of Ancus who before had always resented it as a very great piece of Treachery that they should be depriv'd of their Father's Kingdom by the fraud of their Guardian and that a stranger should Reign at Rome who came not only of a foreign but also not so much as of an Italian race did then conceive more indignation than ever when they saw the Crown was not like to return to them even after Tarquinius's Death but that it would fall successively to a Slave that in the same City after almost an hundred years since Romulus who was the Son of a God and now a God himself possess'd the Throne as long as he remained upon earth a servant and the Son of a servant should enjoy it it would be not only a disgrace to the Roman name in general but more particularly to their
Family if whilest any male Issue of King Ancus were alive the Kingdom of Rome should be govern'd not only by strangers but even Slaves also wherefore they resolved to avert that contumely by the Sword But their concern for that injury did not only excite them more against Tarquinius himself than it did against Servius but also because the King if he survived was like to be a more severe revenger of the Murther they thought if they killed Servius that whomsoever Tarquinius chose for his Son in Law he would make Heir of the Crown and for that reason laid a design against the King's life which was this They chose two of the sturdiest Shepherds for that purpose both armed with Country Weapons such as they used to carry who making as great a Riot as they could before the King's Palace under pretence of a quarrel caused all the King's Officers to come about them whereupon they both appeal'd to the King and the noise of them reaching even the inmost rooms of the Palace they were commanded to appear before the King where both of them at first began to bawl and rail at each other but being restrained by the Lictor or Officer and commanded to speak by turns they at length gave over their ill Language Then one of them began to tell the whole story according as they had agreed and while the King was wholly intent to what he said the other lifting up an Ax that he had gave him a cut in the head and leaving his weapon in the wound they both ran out of doors While those that were about Tarquinius who was now a dying took all the care they could of him the Officers caught hold of one of the Ruffians that were making their escape upon which there was a great noise and concourse of the People admiring what the matter was Tanaquil amidst the tumult commanded the Palace Gates to be shut and turned out all strangers procuring at the same time with all industry whatever was necessary to heal the wound as if she had some hopes of a cure and planting fâ—esh Guards in case her hopes should fail her Then sending for Servius in all haste and shewing him her Husband who had now almost bled to death she took him by the right hand and desired him that he would not suffer the death of his Father in Law to go unrevenged nor permit her his Mother in Law to be a Laughing-stock to her Enemies Servius said she If thou art a Man the Kingdom is thine and not theirs who have committed the greatest villany by the hands of other men take courage then and follow the Gods thy Leaders who formerly pretended that thou shouldest be a great Light to the World by that divine fire which hovered round thy head let that Coelestial Flame now warm thee be thou now truly awake even we that are strangers have reigned here think who thou art not where thou wast born and if thy Councils â—â—e at a stand by reason of this surprizing accident follow mine The clamour and violence of the Multitude growing almost intolerable Tanaquil spoke to the People from the upper part of the house through the windows that looked into the new street for the King then kept his Court near the Temple of Jupiter Stator bidding them be of good chear that the King was stounded with a sudden blow but the weapon did not go very deep into his body and that he was now come to himself again that the bloud was washed away the wound searched and all things well and that she was in good hopes that they would see him very shortly That in the mean time he ordered the People to obey Servius Tullius who would administer justice to them and perform all other Kingly Offices Accordingly Servius went forth with a Royal Robe and the Lictors before him and setting on the King's Tribunal determined some Controversies and concerning others pretended he would consult the King By which means he for some days after the King was dead concealing his death and under the pretence of executing another man's Office confirmed his own authority Then upon a common lamentation which was made in the Palace Servius having got a good guard about him was the first that Reigned without the consent of the People and by the authority of the Senate only The Sons of Ancus when the Regicides were taken being told that Servius was King and lived attended with so much Grandieur went into banishment to Suessa Pometia Nor did Servius now seek to fortifie himself more by publick than private designs but lest Tarquinius's Children might be so affected towards him as Ancus's had been to Tarquinius he married two of his Daughters to the Kings Sons whose names were Lucius and Aruns Tarquinius but yet his human Counsels did no way interrupt the necessity of fate for the envy which he gained by being King made all things even among his domestick Servants faithless and troublesom The War with the Veians and other Etrurians for now the Truce was out was very opportunely taken up in order to the present Peace of the State In that War not only the valour but the fortune of Tullius was very signal for having routed a vast Army of the Enemies and not caring whether he lost the good will either of the Senate or the People he returned to Rome where he from that time began the greatest work of Peace and as Numa had been the Author of divine Ceremonies so he resolved to be esteemed in the opinion of all posterity the Founder of those several distinctions in the City and of those degrees betwixt man and man that make any difference either in Dignity or Fortune For he made a Rate or Estimate of every mans Estate which was like to be a very convenient constitution in that great growing Empire by which the duties of War and Peace might be performed not according to the number of single persons as before but as every man was able and then he made several Classes and Centuries and such a discrimination by that Estimate as might be convenient either in War or Peace Of those who had a thousand Pounds or a greater Estate he made eighty Centuries that is to say forty out of those persons who were called Seniores and Juniores or the Elder and the Younger part of the Citizens all which were called the first or chief Class the Seniors to be always ready for the preservation of the City and the Juniors to make War abroad The latter were ordered to have for their Arms an Helmet a Sheild Boots and a Coat of Male all of Brass for the defence of their Bodies besides which they had Darts a Javelin and a Sword to charge the Enemy To this Class there were added two Centuries of Artificers who were to be in pay but unarmed and their business was to make Engines for War The second Class was raced between a thousand and seven hundred pounds out of which
instant the crash of the falling Bridg and the noise that the Romans made for joy that the work was done struck such a sudden terror into the Enemies that it restrained their violence Then Cocles cryed out Great Father Tiberinus I beseech thy Deity propitiously to receive these Arms and this Soldier into thy River With that being all in Armour he leaped into the Tiber through which though many Darts were thrown upon him he swam very safe over to his Party having done an Exploit that will be more talked of than believed by all Posterity The City was very grateful to him for so great an Atchievement and therefore his Statue was set up near the Comitium or place of publick Assembly and he had as much Land given him as he could mark round with a Plough in one day The Affections also of private men were very eminent amidst his publick honours for when he was in great necessity there was no body but gave him something towards House-keeping though they wanted it themselves Porsena being repulsed in his first Attempt and therefore changing all his measures from a design of Storming to besieging the City when he had placed a Guard in Janiculum himself pitched his Camp in the Plain and upon the Banks of Tiber. He likewise sent for Ships from all parts both as a Guard to hinder any Corn from being carried to Rome and for the convenience of passing his Soldiers over the River in several places to forage as occasion should serve By which means in a short time he so infested all the Country about Rome that not only other things but even all their Sheep too were driven out of the Fields into the City neither durst any one drive them without the Gates But this so great liberty was granted to the Etrurians not so much of fear as policy For Valerius the Consul being intent on the opportunity of surprizing a great many straglers at once seemed negligent to revenge small injuries because he kept himself for some greater Action He therefore to draw in the Foragers commands his Soldiers that the next day they should drive out a great many Sheep at the Gate called Porta Esquelina which was most remote from the Enemy supposing that the Enemy would come to know of it because in that time of Siege and Famin several faithless Slaves had fled the City And so indeed they did by the Information of a Renegado upon which a great many more of them in hopes to have all the Prey pass'd the River In the mean time P. Valerius ordered Herminius with a small Party to make an Ambuscade at the second Stone i. e. two Miles off in the way that leads to Gabii and Sp. Lartius to stand with the nimble young men at the Gate called Porta Collina till the Enemy came by and then to block them up that they might not return to the River The other Consul Titus Lucretius marched out at the Gate called Porta Naevia with some few Companies whilest Valerius himself led a choice Party down from the Mount called Mons Coelius who were the first that appeared to the Enemy Herminius when he heard the tumult made haste from his Ambuscade and fell upon the Etrurians Rere whilest their Van was engaged with Valerius There was a shout set up and returned both from the right hand and the left that is to say from the Gate called Porta Collina on the one side and that called Naevia on the other So the Foragers were slain in the middle of the Romans being neither strong enough to cope with them nor having any way to escape and that was the last time that the Etrurians stragled so disorderly into the Roman Territories But nevertheless the Siege continued Corn being very scarce and very dear and Porsena had some hopes that by continuing there he should at last take the City 'till Caius Mucius a Noble Youth who thought it a disgrace that the Roman People who though they were Slaves while they lived under Kingly Government yet were never Besieged in any War nor by any Enemy that the same People now they were free should be Besieged by those very Etrurians whose Armies they had so often Routed he was incensed and thinking that he ought to revenge that indignity by some great and bold exploit he first resolved of his own accord to force his way into the Enemies Camp but fearing lest if he should go without the consent of the Consuls or the knowledg of any body else he might possibly be taken by the Roman Centinels and be brought back as a Run-away in which case the present state of the City would make his Accusation the more probable wherefore he went to the Senate Fathers said he I have a mind to pass the Tiber and get if I can into the Enemies Camp not as a Robber nor to revenge that havock which they have made amongst us but if the Gods will give me leave I design to do a greater exploit The Senators approved of his proposal and therefore with a Sword hidden under his Garment he went upon his Enterprize When he came thither he stood in a great crowd near to the Kings Tribunal where seeing the Souldiers came to receive their Pay and that the Secretary who sate by the King in an habit very like him was mighty busie with the Soldiers thronging about him he fearing to ask which was Porsena lest by not knowing the King he might discover who he was as fortune unluckily would have it he stabbed the Secretary instead of the King Then walking off as far as he could make way through the affrighted Crowd with his Bloody Weapon in his hand the People flocked together upon the noise of it and the Kings Guards laying hold on him brought him back Then being placed before the Kings Tribunal he even at that time amidst so many menaces of fortune like one to be feared rather than fearing any thing himself cryed out I am a Roman Citizen and they call me Caius Mucius wherefore as an Enemy I had a mind to kill my Enemy nor do I desire to avoid my own death any more than I did to miss killing him 'T is like a Roman both to do and to suffer great things Nor was I the only Person that bore that spleen to thee I have a long Train behind me of such who desire to do the same glorious Act. Wherefore prepare thy self if thou pleasest against this danger that thou mayest be ready every hour to fight for thy life and see thou have both Arms and Men continually at the entrance of thy Palace We the Roman Youth declare this War against thee Thou needest not fear any formed Army nor any pitched Battel for we shall engage with thee only and that hand to hand At which the King being at once enraged and frighted at the danger commanded in his fury that a Fire should be made round about him unless he would declare presently what snares those were
exasperated and thereupon they set the Army in Array Nor did the Veians and the Etrurians refuse the offer for they were pretty confident that the Romans would not fight with them any more than they had done with the Aequi yea that they ought not to despair now that the Enemy was so incensed and in such doubtful circumstances of accomplishing some greater end But it fell out quite contrary for the Romans never came into the Field with greater Resolution than at that time so far had the reproaches of their Foes and the dâ—lay of the Consuls exasperated their Spirits The Etrurians had hardly time enough to Marshal their men before the Romans upon the first effort threw down their Javelins in haste rather than Darted them at the Enemy and the Fight came to handy-strokes with their Swords wherein Mars is most destructive Among the Nobility the Fabian Family made an eminent show and gave a very good example for the rest to follow one of whom called Quint. Fabius who had been Consul three years before being in the Front of the Army Attacked the Body of the Veians but being unwary and amidst a crowd of his Enemies was run through the Breast by a Tuscan who was no less vigorous than skilful so that when the Weapon was drawn out of his Body he sunk down and died of that Wound Both the Armies were sensible of the fall of that great man and that caused the Roman Army to retire 'till M. Fabius the Consul leapt over the Corps as it lay along and holding his Shield against them cryed out Was this what you sware fellow-soldiers That you would return with flight to your Camp Are you more afraid of such contemptible Foes than you are of Jupiter and Mars by whom you sware I am resolved though I took no Oath either to return a Conqueror or fighting to fall by you dear Q. Fabius With that Caeso Fabius who had been Consul the year before replied Do you think Brother to prevail upon them to fight by using such words as those The gods by whom they have sworn will make them do it but let us inflame their minds as it becomes men of Honour as befits the Fabian Name rather by fighting our selves than by exhorting them thereunto Which he had no sooner said but the two Fabii fell furiously upon the Enemies Van and with them drew on the whole Army By this means the Battel being renewed in one side the Consul Cn. Manlius was as industrious in the other Wing to encourage his men who were almost in the same condition For as in the other Wing the Soldiers cheerfully followed Q. Fabius so they did in this the Consul Cn. Manlius who was now as it were in pursuit of the routed Enemy But when being grievously wounded he retired out of the Fight they supposing him to be slain gave way and had quitted the Field if the other Consul coming briskly up to them with some Troops of Horse and crying out His Collegue was yet alive and that he had routed the other Wing had not kept up their drooping spirits Manlius also to reinforce the Battel appeared before them and then the Soldiers seeing both the Consuls present were mightily encouraged whilest at the same time the Enemy was very indiscreet in that relying upon their Multitudes they drew off their Reserves and sent them to Attack the Roman Camp Into which having made an irruption without much ado they spent more time in looking after the Plunder than in opposing the Enemy so that the Roman Triarii old and stout Soldiers that were placed in the Rere who could not withstand their first Shock sending Messengers to the Consuls with advice how the case stood returned in a full Body to the Praetorium or Generals Tent and on their own accord themselves renewed the Fight besides that Consul Manlius also returning to the Camp set a Guard upon each Gate thereof to block the Enemy up Which desperate circumstance enflamed the Tuscans more with rage than audacity for having ran to all places where-ever they had hopes of getting out but still to no purpose a Party of young men among them made up to the Consul himself who was at that time remarkable for his Armour which he wore and though their first Darts were received by those that stood about him yet afterward their force became insupportable the Consul had a mortal Wound of which he presently died and all the men about him were defeated Whereupon the Tuscans grew much bolder whilest the Romans were in a consternation over all the Camp nor had they ever recovered themselves had not some of the Officers who took away the Consuls Body opened a Gate and made way for the Foe who thereby breaking out and going in confusion away fell into the hands of the other Consul who was Victorious and were a second time by him not only many of them killed but the rest put to flight By this means the Romans got a glorious Victory though it was obscured and clouded with the death of two such great men For which reason the Consul when the Senate ordered him to Triumph and said That if an Army could Triumph without their General they would readily suffer it for the extraordinary service done in that Battel made answer That he seeing his Family was all in tears for the death of Q. Fabius his Brother and the Commonwealth partly destitute as having lost one of her Consuls now that he was forced to Mourn both upon a publick and a private account too would not accept of the Lawrel Which refusal of his was more honourable than any Triumph that ever was made so much is glory sometimes advanced by being seasonably contemned Then he led the two Funeral Pomps of his Brother and the Consul one after another and made both the Funeral Orations in which by giving them their due commendations he gained a very great share of Elogy himself remembring well what he had resolved on in the beginning of his Consulship which was to reconcile the People and distributing the maimed Soldiers among the Senators for their Cure The Fabii had a great many allotted to them nor had any more care taken of them from whence the Fabii grew popular but that by no other Arts than what were consistent with publick good Then Caeso Fabius being made Consul with T. Virginius as well by the consent of the People as of the Senate concerned himself neither in Wars nor Levies of Men or any U. C. 273 other Affair before he had done his endeavour now that there was some hopes of an accommodation assoon as possible to unite the People with the Senate For which reason in the beginning of his Year before there was any Tribune to stand up for the Agrarian Law he thought fit that the Senate should make their present and give the People the Land taken from their Enemies in equal portions for it was reason and justice that they should enjoy
ever before so much concerned That the defender of the Senate and the asserter of their Honour who was always an Enemy to the tumults caused by the Tribunes and the Commonalty and had exceeded his bounds only in one contest should be exposed to the fury of the rabble But Appius himself who was one of those Senators valued not either the Tribunes the People or his Accusation nor could the menaces of the populace or the intreaties of the Senate ever induce him not only to change his Cloaths and go about to beg the favour of the People but he would not soften or remit so much even as his usual manner of speaking when he was to make his defence before them No he look'd just as before with the same resolution and the same Spirit in discourse insomuch that most part of the People feared Appius as much when he was upon his Tryal as they had done when he was Consul He therefore at that time pleaded for himself with the same vehemence as he was always used to do when he accused another astonishing both the Tribunes and the People so much by his constancy that they themselves of their own accord gave him a farther day of Tryal and even then put it off again too To which time though it were not very long yet before the day came he died of a Distemper whose praises whilst the Tribunes of the People endeavoured to hinder the People would not endure that the death of such a great Man should be unattended with that solemnity wherefore they heard his Funeral Commendations when he was dead with as much satisfaction as they had his Accusation when he was alive and waited upon his Corps in great numbers The same Year Valerius the Consul going with an Army into the Country of the Aequi since he could not tempt the Enemy to fight was going to attack their Camp but was hundred by a mighty Tempest of Hail and Thunder though that which afterward increased his admiration was that when they were going to Retreat the Heavens were all calm and serene as before so that it seemed an heinous crime again to attempt the taking of that Camp which was as it were defended by some God By this means all the fury of the War turned into Plundering of the Country whilst the other Consul Aemilius made War in the Sabine Dominions whose Country was all laid waste because the Enemy kept within their Walls But after that the Sabines being provoked by seeing not only their Villages but even the Towns where there were a great many Inhabitants burnt down went out to meet the Ravagers but going off with no great success the next day pitched their Camp at a more secure Post which was enough to make the Consul think he might give the Enemy over for Conquered and therefore he Marched off though the War was not yet made an end of Whilst these Wars continued there being still animosities at home T. Numitius Priscus and A. Virginius were made Consuls And now the People seemed no longer able to endure U. C. 283 the delay of the Agrarian Law but prepared all the force they possibly could yet having notice that the Volsci were near at hand by the smoak which arose from the burnt Village and the flight of the Country People the Sedition which was now just ripe and ready to break forth was thereby repressed The Consuls were forced out of the Temple from the Senate into the Field who by drawing all the Youth out of the City made the rest of the People the more quiet And the Enemies did nothing else but having put the Romans iâ—â—o a vain fright made haste away Numicius went toward Antium against the Volsci and Vâ—rginius against the Aequi where having like to have received a great slaughter by an Ambusâ—aâ—e the Courage of the Soldiers recovered what the negligence of the Consul had lost But they used better Conâ—uct against the Volsci who were defeated in the first Battel and driven into Antium a veâ—y rich City as things then stood which the Consul not daring to Attack he took from the Antians another Town called Ceno not near so rich as Antium In the mean time whilst the Aequi and the Volsci imployed the Roman Armies the Sabines came and Plundered their Country even as far as the Gates of the City though in a few days after they received from the two Armies who were led into their Confines by both the enraged Consuls together more damage than they had done In the end of this Year they had some Peace but it was as it always used to be disturbed by a Contest between the Senate and the People For the People being disgusted would not come to the Consula Assembly wherefore the Consuls whose Names were T. Quintius and U. C. 284 Q. Servilius weâ—e chosen by the Senâ—te and their Clients whose Year was very like the precedent Seditious in the beginning but quieted by a Foreign War For the Sabines marching over the Crustumine Plains with all speed and having made a great slaughter as well as burnt several places about the River Anien were beaten back almost from the Gate called Porta Cellina and the very Walls but notwithstanding drove away before them great numbers of Men and Cattel Whom Servilius the Consul pursuing with a powerful Army could not indeed come to engage their Forces in a convenient place but plundered their Country to that degree that he left nothing untouched by his Arms and having taken a great Booty marched back again Among the Volsci too they behaved themselves very well not only through the Conduct of their Leader but the industry of the Soldiers too For there at first they fought upon a Plain receiving great hurt on both sides with much blood-shed and the Romans whose small number made them the more sensible of their loss had given way had not the Consul with a seasonable lie crying out That the Enemy fled on one side animated the Men who from thence took Courage and by thinking themselves Victorious gained the Victory The Consul fearing lest he by pressing too hard upon the Enemy might renew the Fight retreated and for some days after there was a tacit kind of Truce on both sides In which time there came a vast multitude of People from all quarters of the Volsci and the Aequi into the Camp not doubting but that the Romans if they knew of it would march off in the night time wherefore about the third Watch they came to attack the Camp Quintius having appeased the tumult that their sudden fear had caused and commanded the rest of the Soldiers to lie still in their Tents drew forth a Party of the Hernici for a Guard before the Camp giving orders to the Cornicines such as blew a Military Horn or Cornet and the Trumpeters to mount themselves upon Horses and sound before the Rampire so as to keep the Enemy in suspence 'till Morning by which means the remaining
called her Father I may go hence the better satisfied Having obtained leave he led his Daughter and the Nurse near to the Temple of Cloacina by the Shops which are now called The new ones and there snatching a knife from a Butcher cryed out Thus Daughter since I can do it no other way do I vindicate thy Liberty and with that he stabbed her looking back toward the Tribunal and saying Appius with this blood I destine thee to Death Thereupon a great uproar being made at the sight of such an horrid act Appius was moved and commanded Virginius to be laid hold on but he with his Sword made way whereever he went 'till he and the Multitude also that followed him came to the Camp In the mean time Icilius and Numitorius taking up the dead Body shewed it to the People deploring Appius 's Injustice the Girls unhappy Beauty and the necessity of her Fathers doing what he did Whilst the Matrons that followed cryed out Was that the consequence of getting Children Was that the reward of Chastity With other expostulations which in such a case female sorrow the more it drowns their weak reason with the greater aggravation suggests But the Men and especially Icilius were wholly taken up in exclaiming that the Tribunes Power and the Appeal to the People were taken away besides other publick abuses The Multitude was stirred up partly by the heinousness of the Fact and partly through hopes of having then an opportunity to recover their Liberty Appius gave order one while that Icilius should be called another while that if he would not come willingly he should be dragged thither and at last seeing the Serjeants could not get to him he himself with a company of Patrician young Men going through the crowd commanded him to be carried to Prison But at this time there were about Icilius not only the Multitude but the Leaders of the Multitude also L. Valerius and M. Horatius who repelling the Lictor told him If he were come to take him upon a legal account they would vindicate Icilius from any private person and if he endeavoured to take him by force there were those that would be hard enough for him Hence arose a great squabble the Lictor setting upon Valerius and Horatius whilst the Multitude broke his Fasces i. e. Rods all to pieces Appius therefore went up into the Assembly Horatius and Valerius followed him and them the Assembly would hearken to though they bawled when Appius spoke And now Valerius with Authority commanded the Lictors to depart from that private Man insomuch that Appius whose heart was broken being in fear of his life got into an House near the Forum unknown to his Adversaries with his head covered Then Sp. Oppius to assist his Collegue came furiously into the Forum on the other side but saw the Government overcome by strength Whereupon advising with several People and agreeing to every thing they said he was afraid though he had many to back him when he ordered a Senate to be called Which Action because great part of the Senators seemed to dislike the Acts of the Decemviri appeased the Multitude out of hopes which they had that in that Senate their Power would come to an end The Senate also thought fit not only to avoid provoking the Multitude but much more to provide lest Virginius's arrival should cause any commotion in the Army Wherefore some of the Junior Senators were sent to the Camp which was at that time on the Mountain Vecilius to tell the Decemviri That they must do their utmost to keep the Soldiers from mutinying among whom Virginius caused a greater disturbance than he had left behind him in the City For besides that he was seen to come with a Party of almost four hundred Men who moved by the indignity of his misfortune had made themselves his Companions the knife was also naked in his hand and himself all sprinkled with Blood which made the whole Camp stare upon him and the sight of so many Roman Gowns in the Camp made the Multitude of Citizens seem somewhat more than they were When they asked him What the matter was he cryed and for a good while said never a word but after the crowd of those that flocked about him stood still and silence was commanded he told them all things in order as they were transacted Which having done he held up his hands and begged of his fellow Soldiers That they would not impute that to him which was Ap. Claudius 's crime nor hate him as a Murderer of his own Children That his Daughter was more dear to him than his life if she could have lived to enjoy her Liberty and preserve her Chastity But when he saw her dragged like a Slave to be made a Whore on he thought it better for him to lose his Child by death than by disgrace That he through his mercy to her was fallen into a shew of cruelty nor would he have survived his Daughter unless he had been in hopes by the help of his fellow Soldiers to revenge her Death They also he knew had Daughters and Wives nor was the lust of Ap. Claudius extinguished by his Daughters death but that the more he escaped punishment the more extravagant he would be That by another Mans calamity they were taught to provide against the like injury As for his part his Wife was dead his Daughter because she could live no longer in Chastity died a miserable but an honest death wherefore Appius 's lust had now no temptation in his house That he would vindicate his own Body from any other violence which he could offer with the same Courage that he did that of his Daughter Let other men look to themselves and their Children As Virginius raved out to this purpose the Multitude answered him with shouts and said They would not be wanting either to revenge his grief or vindicate their own Liberty Upon which the Citizens that were mixt in the crowd of Soldiers complaining to the same effect and telling them how much worse things would have look'd if they had seen them than they were represented affirming also that Rome was in a tumult and that there was news brought of Appius's being almost killed and gone into Banishment they persuaded them to make an Alarm to take up the Ensigns and march toward Rome The Decemviri being startled at what they saw as well as that which they had done at Rome ran to the several parts of the Camp to appease the tumults Where though they proceeded with all mildness they had no answer but this that if any of them pretended to Government they i. e. the Soldiers were Men and in Arms. So they went into the City with a full body and sate down upon the Aventine from whence as the People came that way they exhorted them to retrieve their Liberty and make new Tribunes of the People nor was there any other angry word heard Sp. Oppius called a Senate in
business in Then again they were of opinion that they deferred their resolutions till night that their coming might be more dreadful Last of all when they came not then they thought 't was deferred till the next day that they might search all places more narrowly Thus their calamity was mingled with perpetual fear which was much augmented when they saw their Enemies Colours advance to the Gates of the City However the City was not that whole night nor the day following in such a consternation as they were in when they fled from Allia For when they had no hopes of defending the City with so small a company as was left they thought fit that the Youth of the Town with their Wives and Children and also that the strongest of the Senators should betake themselves into the Tower and Capitol and having got Arms and Provision together from thence to defend their Gods and Men and maintain the Roman Name there to preserve their Flamen those of the Vestal Priest-hood and whatever was sacred from fire and common ruin and not to leave off worshiping them as long as there were Men alive to Worship If the Tower and Capitol those receptacles of their Gods if the Senate the Head of their publick Council if their Military Youth did but survive the imminent ruin of their City they thought the loss of their old Men and the Mobile that was left behind them to perish in the City not very considerable And that the Multitude might take it more patiently at the hands of the Commons the old Men of Triumphal and Consular Dignity declared openly they would die with them and not be a burthen to the small Company that were fit to bear Arms with those Bodies which were not able to bear Arms or defend their Country Thus the Seniors though appointed to die comforted one another then they encouraged the company of young Men following them even to the Capitol and Tower and commending to their Youth and Valour the remaining Fortune of that City that had conquered in all Wars for 360 Years together The sad departure of those who were their only hopes and help from those who were resolved not to out-live the destruction of the City the howlings and cries of Women running after sometimes one and sometimes another and asking their Husbands and Children What death they would die The cloudy face and dismal appearance of all things were without all question the highest aggravation of calamity that can befall humane nature Yet a great many of them followed their Mistresses into the Tower being not invited thereunto nor forbidden by any because 't was not manly to have Women with them though they were useful to their Children in the Siege Another Company of the Commons whom so small a Hill could not hold nor feed in such a scarcity of Provision break as it were in Army out of the City and go to Janiculum From thence they are scattered some of them over the Fields others go to the neighbouring Cities without any Conduct or Advice every Man following his own Counsel and comforting himself with his own hope at the same time that they bewailed the Publick In the mean time the Flamen Quirinalis or Romulus's Priest and the Vestal Virgins taking no care of their own concerns consult what Gods they should carry with them and what because they were not able to carry off all they should leave behind and which was the safest place to put them in and at last think it the best way to dig a hole in the Chapel next to the Flamen Q's House where they thought it a sin to spit and they lay them up in Vessels The rest they divided among them and carry over the great Timber-bridg that leads to Janiculum And when Q. Albinus one of the Roman Commons who was carrying his Wife and Children and the rest of their unwarlike gang in a Cart out of the City saw them upon the Hill he made a difference between Divine and Humane things supposing it a piece of irreligion to let Priests and Vestal Virgins Persons of publick Office carry their Gods on Foot whilst he and his were carried in a Cart he therefore ordered his Wife and Children to come down and helped them up and carried them to Caere where they determined to go In the mean time all things being as well settled at Rome as their circumstances would permit for the defence of the Tower the old Men return into their Houses and being fully resolved to die they wait for the coming of their Enemies Those Magistrates among them that had been carried in their Chairs of State to the Senate-house that they might die attended with all the Ensigns of their former Fortune Honour or Valour put on their August Robes wherein they had either triumphed or devoutly waited upon the Chariots that carried Images and in the middle of their Houses sate in their Ivory Chairs There are some that report that repeating their Vow which M. Fabius the Pontifex recited to them they Devoted and gave up themselves for their Country and the Roman Citizens The Gauls in regard they had now enjoyed a whole nights respite from fighting and indeed because they were never engaged in any doubtful Battel neither did they at that time take the City by force and violence entred with minds not discomposed with heat or anger at the Collins Gate the day after and when they came into the Forum they cast their eyes upon the Temples of the Gods and the Tower which was the only Specimen of War then leaving a small Garrison lest any out of the Tower or Capitol should assault them when they were dispersed they betake themselves to Plunder not meeting so much as a Man in the streets some of them rush in throngs into the Houses next them others into those farthest off concluding them yet unpillaged and consequently stuffed with Prey but when they saw no body they were frighted thence upon supposition the Enemy would by some trick set upon them as they were scattered and so they returned in Companies to the Forum and places near the Forum And there seeing the Commons Houses locked and the Palaces of the Nobility open they lingred more in entring the open Houses than the shut But when they beheld them sitting in such State and Habits far beyond any thing that is Humane when they beheld the Majesty and Gravity they carried in their looks they approach them with such reverence as if they had been Gods And when they had for a time stood by them as if they had been so many Images 't is reported that one of the Gauls stroaked down M. Papyrius his Beard which they then wore very long and thereupon the old Man shook his Ivory staff at him Then began the slaughter The rest were murthered in their Chairs When they had killed the Nobles they gave no Quarter to any but killed and plundered their Houses and then set them on fire But the
I 'll tell you though I am less pleased to remember your injustice then my own calamity when I was absent as often as I thought of my Country all these things came into my mind the Hills the Fields the Tiber the Country that I had been used to see and this Skie under which I was born and bred which I hope Romans may now rather make you so far in love with them as to continue in your native Country than torture you with desire hereafter when you have left them It was not without reason that the Gods and Men chose this place to build a City in very wholesom Hills a River as convenient for conveying of all sorts of Fruits out of the midland Countreys and receiving all Maritime Provisions the the Sea near to all useful purposes but the place not exposed by being too near to the dangers of Foreign Navies that lies in a place in the middle of Italy and the only one that cou'd have been found to augment the grandeur of a City You may know by the very bigness of so new a City For this Romans is now but the 365th Year since the City was built and you have waged Wars among so many ancient Nations so long though in the mean time not to speak of single Cities neither the Volsci and the Aequi together so many and those such strong Towns nor all Etruria which is so Potent both by Sea and Land and takes up the breadth of all Italy between the two Seas is able to cope with you in War Which being so what the Devil can be the reason why you shou'd be for new experiments when though your courage may be able to remove to another place yet the fortune of this place can never be transferred Here is the Capitol where in times past upon the finding of a Mans head it was foretold that in that place should be the chief Seat of Dominion Here when by direction of the Soothsayers the Capitol was freed Juventas and Terminus to the great joy of our Fore-Fathers suffered not themselves to be stir'd Here is Vesta's fire here are the sacred Shields that fell from Heaven and here are all the Gods who will be propitious whilst you continue here Now they say that Camillus moved them very much not only with his other Speeches but with that which concerned Religion especially But this doubtful matter was opportunely made an end of by a word that was accidentally spoken For when the Senate a while after were consulting about these things in the Court called Curia Hostilia and the Regiments returning from the Guards by chance came in a Body through the Forum a Centurion cry'd out in the Comitium or Assembly Court Ensign-bearer fix here your Ensign this is the best place for us to stay in which when they heard the Senate going out of the Court cry'd out all together that they receiv'd the Omen and the common people all about them approved of it Then having abrogated the Law they began promiscuously to build the City toward which there was Tile provided at the publick charge and leave given to every man to get Stone and cut down Timber where they wou'd having first given security that they wou'd finish their Houses that Year Their hast was the cause why they took no care to make the Streets strait whilst making no distinction between their own and others ground they built in any void space That 's the reason why the old Common-shoars which were at first carried along the Streets go now altogether under private Houses and that the form of the City is like a place taken up with building rather than divided DECADE I. BOOK VI. EPITOME 1. c. It shews the successful Actions performed against the Aequi the Volsci and the Prenestines 5. There were four Tribes added the Stellatine the Sabatine the Tormentine and the Arnian Tribe 20. M. Manlius who defended the Capitol from the Gauls though he set those that were in Debt at liberty and freed those that were bound to work out their Debts being condemned for attempting to make himself a King was thrown down from the Tarpeian Rock and for a mark upon him there was an order of Senate made that no one of the Manlian Family shou'd after that time be named Marcus 35. c. C. Licinius and L. Sestius Tribunes of the people promulgated a Law that Consuls shou'd be made out of the Commons too who were usually chosen out of the Senate and that Law though the Senate was very earnest in opposing of it those same Tribunes of the people who had been the sole Magistrates for 5. years together caused to pass so that L. Sestius was the first Consul that was chosen out of the Commens There was also another Law made that no one man shou'd have above 500. Acres of Land I Have already given you an account in 5. Books from the time that the City of Rome was built to the taking of it first under their Kings and then their Consuls Dictators Decemviri and Tribunes Consular what Wars they had abroad and what Seditions at home things which are obscure not only by reason of their great Antiquity and cannot through the vast distance as it were of place scarce be discerned but because writing in those days was not common which is the only faithful Record of actions and that even those things that were described in the Priests Books or other publick and private Monuments when the City was burnt were most of them lost But hereafter I shall give you a more clear and certain relation from the new born Cities second beginning as from a stock that 's more fertile of what exploits they did as well in Peace as War Now by the help of him who first set it upright which was M. Furius above any man else the City was at first supported for they wou'd not suffer him to lay down his Dictatorship till that year was out The Assembly for the next year thought not fit to have Tribunes in whose time the City had been taken and so the business came to an Interregnum or time of vacancy U. C. 366 when there was no chief Magistrate Now whilst the City was imploy'd in daily work and labour to repair their Buildings in the mean time Q. Fabius as soon as ever he went out of his Office was warn'd to his Tryal by C. Martius Tribune of the people For that he when a Lieutenant had fought the Gauls to whom he was sent as an Envoy against the Law of Nations from which Tryal Death which came so opportunely that a great many thought it voluntary snatch'd him away Then P. Cornelius Scipio enter'd upon the Interregnum and after him M. Furius Camillus a second time He created for Tribunes of the Soldiers with power Consular A. Valerius Publicola a second time L. Virginius P. Cornelius U. C. 367 A. Manlius and L. Posthumius Who from the Interregnum entering immediately upon
whom he kill'd and plundred of a golden Chain which he afterward wore and was thence called Torquatus from Torquis which signifies such a Chain 15. There were two Tribes added the Pomptine and the Publician 16. Licinius Stolo was condemned by a Law of his own making for having more than 500. Acres of Land 26. c. M. Valerius a Tribune Military killed a Gaule that challenged him a Crow sitting all the while upon his Helmet who with his Clawes and Beak annoy'd his Enemy from whence he was Surnamed Corvus and created Consul the next Year for his Valour when he was but 23. Years Old 27. They made an alliance with the Carthaginians 29. c. The Campanians being molested with a War from the Samnites desired aid against them of the Senate which since they could not obtain they surrender'd their City and Country to the Romans for which reason the Senate thought fit that what was made theirs should be defended by a War against the Samnites 34. c. When the Army being led by A. Cornelius into a disadvantagious Place was in great danger it was preserved by P. Decius Mus a tribune Military who having posted himself upon an Hill above that where the Samnites lay gave the Consul occasion to escape into a plainer Place and himself though surrounded by the Enemy broke through them 38. c. The Roman Soldiers who were left in Garison at Capua having conâ—pired to make themselves Masters of that City their Plot was discover'd and they for fear of being Punished Revolted from the Romans but were Restored to their Country by M. Valerius Corvus who by his Advice had retreived them from their Fury It farther continues their Actions against the Hernicans Gaules Tiburtes Privernates Tarquinians and Samnites which they performed with good success THis year was remarkable for the Consulship of a new Man and two new Offices the U. C. 389 Pretorship and the Aedileship which Honours the Patricians gain'd in lieu of one Consuls place which they granted to the Commons The People bestow'd their Consulship upon L. Sextius by whose Law it was gained and the Senate gave the Praetorship to Sp. Furius Camillus Son of Marcus but the Aedileship to Cn. Quintius Capitolinus and P. Cornelius Scipio Men of their own Quality by their Votes in the Campus Martius L. Aemilius Mamercus was chosen Collegue to L. Sextius out of the Senate At the beginning of the year there was great talk of the Gaules who though at first they had stragled through Apulia were now said to be gathered into a Body and of the Revolt of the Hernici Now seeing all things were industriously deferred that nothing might be done by a Plebeian Consul all matters were silent and there was such a Calm in businesses as when a stop is put to judicial proceedings save that the Tribunes of the People murmur'd that the Nobility had taken to themselves three Patrician Majestrates who came in their Curule Chaires and Scarlet Gowns like Consuls to the Senate and among them the Praetor too determining causes as a Judg in which he was as a kind of Collegue to the Consuls created with the same Ceremony and therefore the Senate was ashamed to order the Curule Aediles to be chosen out of the Senat about which Affair at first they agreed that they should be so Chosen every other year tho afterward the Choice was promiscuous After that when L. Genucius and Q. Servilius were Consuls all things being at quiet both from Sedition and War lest they should at any time be free from fear and danger there arose a great Pestilence They say that this year a Censor Curule Aedile and 3. Tribunes of the People died and that proportionably to the Number of them there were many other Funerals of the People too but that which made that Plague most famous was the mature as well as much lamented death of M. Furius For he was really the only Person of his Age in all sorts of fortunes being the greatest Man both in War and Peace before he was banished more famous in his banishment either through the necessity of the City which when it was taken begged his help in his Absence or upon the score of his success whereby being restored to his Country he restored the Country itself at the same time For which reason he was afterward for 25. years for so many he after that time lived thought to deserve a Title equal to such a glorious Exploit and lookt U. C. 391 upon as worthy to be stiled the Second Founder of the City after Romulus Both this and the next year C. Sulpicius Peticus and C. Licinius Stolo being Consuls there was a Plague and therefore in it there was nothing done in it worth remembring save that there was an holy Feast then made to appease the Gods which was the third of the kind since the Building of the City And seeing that the force of the Distemper was not taken off either by human advice or divine assistance their minds being overcome with Superstition t is said there were Stage-plays too which was a new thing to that War-like People who had no Shews before but those of the Circus as Running and Fencing c. instituted among other things to atone the wrath of Heaven But this was a very small thing at first as most at their beginnings are and strange too For the Players who were sent for out of Etruria Danced without any Singing or any thing like it a plain Country Dance after the Tuscan manner to a Pipe After which the young men who Joked upon each other began to utter themselves in artless Verses nor were their motions dissonant from their Voices So the thing being received and by use improved the Roman Artists who were concerned in that Affair were called Histriones from Hister which in the Tuscan Language signified a Player who did not as formerly throw out Extemporary rude and uncorrect Verses like Fescennine Poetry i. e. such as was Anciently used at Weddings but acted Satyrs filled up with measures Singing now to the Flute and using an agreeable gesture But after some years Livy who was the first that ever attempted to make a Play of one continued plot from the beginning to the end which he himself acted as all People then did is said after he had by reason that his Voice was grown hoarse with continual straining got leave to put a Boy to Sing to the Flute to have acted what was Sung with a much more vigorous motion because the use of his Voice did not hinder him and from that time the Players had others to Sing to them who spoke all the words whilst they only Acted Now when by this rule of Plays that business was stript of all ridiculous and extravagant Fooling and Playing grew by degrees into an Art the Young People leaving the Plays to be Acted by the Players began among themselves after the Ancient manner to Act the Buffoons in Verses
all the Wrath of the Gods and divert their Vengeance from his own People to the Enemy where-ever he came he carried Dread and Terror first he put the Latines Front into Confusion then Charg'd through into their main Body This was evident that where-ever his Horse carried him they all round trembled and were astonish'd as if they had been Planet-struck And when at last he fell oppressed with a Storm of Darts from that moment the Latine Regiments were generally in a Consternation and every where began to give Ground As on the other side the Romans discharg'd of their Superstitious Fears as if they had but just now began the Fight fell upon the Enemy with redoubled Courage for the Rorarii ran forwards amongst the Ranks of the Antepilani thereby re-inforcing both the Hastati and the Principes whil'st the Triarii kneeling on their right Knee waited for the Word of Command from the Consul when to rise and fall on In the progress of the Conflict when the Latines by reason of their Numbers seem'd in some places to prevail the Consul Manlius having receiv'd the news of his Collegues gallant death and paid thereunto as Piety required a just Tribute of Tears and Praise was once about to bring on the Triarii but upon second thoughts concluded it better to reserve them till the last push and in their stead commanded the Squadron call'd Accensi to advance from the Rear to the Van before the Standards The Latines mistook these for the Triarii and presently raised their own Triarii to encounter them Who having fought a good while very smartly and both wearied themselves and either broken or blunted the points of their Spears and Javelins but yet by mere force beat back their Enemies thinking now all had been done and that they were sure of the Victory All of a sudden the Consul steps to his Triarii Rise now saith he you that are yet fresh against an Enemy already tyred Remember your Country and your Parents your Wives and your Children and especially remember your noble Consul who to purchase you Victory frankly embraced death The Triarii thus starting up fresh and lusty with glittering Arms a new Conflict and unexpected was begun For they receiving the Antepilani into the Intervals of their Files with a mighty Halloo charge and disorder the Van of the Latines and having cut to pieces their formost and stoutest Men press'd on through the rest of their Troops with almost as little resistence as if they had been all unarm'd and broke in with their close Wedge-like Battalions with so much fury and slaughter that scarce a fourth part of the Enemy escaped whose terror was the more increased by seeing the Samnites at a distance under the Mountain advancing in good order to the Romans assistance But amongst all either Citizens or Allies the Glory of that days Service belongs to the Consuls one of them taking upon himself alone all the Wrath and threatned Vengeance of the Gods both Celestial and Infernal the other shewing such Valour and Conduct that 't is agreed by all Historians whether Romans or Latines mentioning this Fight That on which side soever Manlius had been General theirs undoubtedly would have been the Victory The Latines after their Defeat retreated to Minturnae Their Camp immediately after the Fight was taken and therein many surprized and endeavoring to escape run over one another and were trod to pieces especially of the Campanians The Corps of Decius could not be discovered that Day because the Night came on so fast but next Morning it was found cover'd with Darts and Javelins amongst an heap of slain Enemies His Funerals were celebrated by his Colleague with all possible Honor and Solemnity suitable to the gallantry of his Death It may here fitly be noted That it was lawful for the Consul Dictator or Praetor when they devoted or gave their Enemies to the Devil not to devote himself but any Citizen whom he list provided he were one enrolled in one of the Roman Legions Concerning whom the Law was thus If the person so Devoted were slain then all was well but if he escap'd then they made an Image of him greater than the life seven Foot high or more which they buried in the Ground and Sacrificed a Bullock as a propitiation in his stead But where-ever that Image was so Interr'd it was not lawful for any Roman Magistrate to approach On the other side if a Man would Devote himself as here Decius did if he were not kill'd he might not afterwards be admitted to perform any Divine Service publick or private until he had pass'd an Expiation which he might do by offering his Arms to Vulcan or any other God or by a Sacrifice or other Offering as he pleaseth It is not lawful to suffer the Enemy to seize that Weapon if they do a Propitiatory Sacrifice must be offered to Mars viz. a Swine a Sheep and a Bull. These things though now grown obsolate and scarce mention'd in any Records of Sacred or Civil Ceremonies since an humor has prevail'd of preferring New and Forreign Rites before those Antient Ones of our own Country yet I thought it not amiss to transmit them to Posterity in those very words wherein they were enjoyn'd and pronounc'd Some Authors tell us That the Samnites came not in to the Romans Aid till some time after the Battel politickly waiting to take their Measures as the Success thereof should happen As also that there was Assistance coming to the Latines from Lavinium but that they spent so much time in Consultation that the Latines were first beaten and that the formost Ensigns and part of their Forces being but just march'd out of their own Gates Intelligence arriv'd of the Latines being defeated whereupon they returned into the City whereupon Millionius their Praetor told them That as little a way as they had march'd they must expect the Romans would make them pay a dear Rate for it Those of the Latines that escap'd in the Battel being scattered several ways Rallied together and took up their Quarters in the City Vescia there in a Council of War their General Numisius affirmed That the business was but a drawn Game as many being lost on one side as on t'other and that the Romans indeed pleas'd themselves with the noise and bare name of a Victory but Fortune had handled them as roughly as if they had been beaten That the Pavilions of both their Consuls were defiled and full of Funeral Mournings one by the Murther and Parricide of his only Son the other by the death of the Consul that Devoted himself That the greater part of their Forces were slain their Hastati and Principes generally cut off a mighty Slaughter made both before and behind their Standards only at last the Triarii did a little repair their Fortune But suppose the Latines had lost as many men as they yet I hope Latium or the Volscians are somewhat nearer than Rome to re-inforce us with Supplies
it with Reserves and all kind of Warlike skill and policy But the Soldiers went on coldly and on purpose hindered the Victory to discredit their General yet many of the Samnites were slain and not a few of the Romans wounded The Dictator like a prudent and experienced Commander easily perceived where the matter stuck and found it necessary to moderate the harshness of his temper and allay that Severity with a mixture of Courtesie therefore taking with him the Commissary-Generals he himself went to visit the Wounded Men thrusting his Head into their Tents asking them severally how they did and charging the Commissaries Tribâ—nes and Prefects to take particular care of every one of them by Name this being a thing in is self Popular he manag'd so dexterously that by curing their Bodies he also healed the rancour of their Minds and won their Hearts Nor did any thing contribute more to the speedy Recovery of their Health than the pleasure they took to see his care and diligence to procure it Having thus refresh'd his Army he once again encountred the Enemy with an assured hope both in himself and his Soldiers to Vanquish them which he perform'd so effectually that the same was the last day they durst look him in the Face Thenceforwards he march'd his Victorious Army which way soever the hopes of Booty invited and as they over-ran all the Enemies Country met with no Resistence neither of open Force nor yet so much as any attempt by Ambuscade The more to encourage the Soldiers the Dictator had ordered all the Plunder to be divided amongst them so that private Advantage spurr'd them on as well as the publick Quarrel At last the Samnites were so cow'd and brought down that they became Suppliants to the Dictator for Peace offering to new Cloath all his Soldiers and give them a Years pay but being referred to the Senate answered That they would follow him and submit their Cause wholly to his Vertue and Goodness to do with and for them as he thought fit The Dictator entred the City in Triumph and before he laid down his Office by the Order of the Senate Created new Consuls C. Sulpicius Longus the second time and Q. Aemilius Caeretanus The Samnites had not yet concluded Peace for the Articles were still under Debate but had obtained a Truce from Year to Year which yet they did not honestly observe for when they heard that Papirius was out of Command their fingers itch'd to be again in Arms. But besides their playing fast and loose a War broke out with the Apulians the management of which latter fell to the share of Aemilius as that against the Samnites to Sulpicius There are some Authors who write That the War was not against the Apulians but in defence of some of their Allies that were Invaded by the Samnites But the low Condition of the Samnites at that time scarce able to defend themselves makes it more probable that they did not Attack the Apulians but rather the Romans quarrel'd with both the Nations at the same time because they had Confederated with each other against them However there happened no remarkable Action The Country of Apulia and Samnium Forraged but no Enemy either here or there to be met with At Rome there happened one Night a strange and unaccountable Pannick fear which on a sudden raised the whole City out of their Beds so that the Capitol the Castle the Walls and the Gates were fill'd with Armed Men And after there had been every wher evast concourse of People and a general Cry Arm Arm at Break of Day no Author or cause of all this Fear and Distraction could be discovered This Year the Inhabitants of Tusculum were proceeded against upon the prosecution of M. Flavius Tribune of the Commons who proposed That they might be punish'd for having by their Counsel and Assistance excited the Veliternians and Privernates to War against the Romans The People of Tusculum with their Wives and Children resorted to Rome and having changed their Apparel in despicable habit like Prisoners at the Bar went about from Tribe to Tribe before they gave their Suffrages falling down to every Man on their knees to beg favour whereby Pity prevail'd more to Pardon them than the goodness of their Cause to purge their Guilt Insomuch that all the Tribes except that called Pollia Voted to repeal the Law that had been preferr'd against them But the Sentence of the Pollian Tribe was That all the Men of fourteen Years of Age or upwards should be scourg'd and put to death And their Wives and Children by Martial Law to be sold for Slaves Which cruel Doom has stuck in the stomack of the Tusculanians even to the last Age and so great an Antipathy they have always had to the Authors thereof and their Posterity That scarce ever any Man of the Tribe Pollia when he stood Candidate for an Office could get the Voices of the Tribe Papiria into which the Tusculans were cast but in regard of this old Fewd they would right or wrong oppose his Pretensions The Year following Q. Fabius and L. Fulvius Consuls A. Cornelius Arvina Dictator and M. Fabius Ambustus General of the Horse upon apprehensions of a smarter War in Samnium because they were reported to have hired Auxiliaries from the Neighboring Nations there was a greater Levy of Soldiers than ordinary and a gallant Army advanc'd thither but encamp'd carelesly in the Enemies Country as if no Enemy had been near them When on a sudden the Samnites Legions came on so bravely that they carryed up their Trenches to the Romans Out-guards and if not hindred by the approach of Night would have fallen upon their Camp which they resolved to Attack early next Morning The Dictator seeing he was like to be oblig'd to a Battel sooner than he expected lest the disadvantage of the Ground should baulk the Courage of his Men leaving Fires thick burning in his Camp to amuse the Enemy silently dis-lodges and draws off his Troops but being so very near could not avoid being discovered The Horse presently pursued him in the Rere and press'd hard upon the Army in their March yet so as they would not Fight before it was Light nor indeed did the Foot advance out of their Camp till Break of day But then the Horse began to charge upon the Romans and what with Skirmishing continually with the Rere and falling sometimes upon their Flanks in streight and disadvantegeous Passes hindred their March till their own Foot came up so as now the Samnites with all their Forces were ready to Attack them The Dictator seeing he could not March on without great loss and hazard Commanded his Men to fortifie the Ground they stood on but the Enemies Light-Horse were skirting round about upon them so that they could not go out to provide Stakes for a Palizade nor with any safety begin their Trenches When therefore he found that he could neither go on nor abide there without
purge the City of innovators and to efface the memory of former differences Moreover a Warbroke out with the Lucanians upon a new score who by molesting their Neighbours the Thurini that inhabit a part of Italy called Magna Graecia forced them after many injuries to put themselves under the protection of the Romans and the people decreed a War should be made with the Lucanians Aelius their Tribune proposing it to them The Armies on both sides marched out and several actions passed between them the memory of which with the Annals that recorded them is quite lost The Thurini presented a Statue and a Crown of Gold to C. Aelius A. U. 468 The Consulship of C. Claudius Canina and M. Aemilius Lepidus follows which passed without any thing of note whereof there is any Record save that the Wars with the Hetrurians and Lucanians seem to have happen'd about that time We have also the Triumph of Manius Curius for his Victory over the Lucanians which is to be reckon'd among his four Triumphs so many being attributed to him but when or in what Office he did these things is not known After this arose greater business and memorable for no inconsiderable loss A War being made with the Senones a people of Gaul who had Peace and War at turns with the Romans and now they had rested ten years after their defeat in the Countrey of Sentinum when upon Decius's devoting himself to death great numbers of them were slain onely they let their young Men be listed by the Hetrurians against the Romans but afterwards they came out in greater numbers than they had done for many years before and entring Hetruria besieg'd Aretium The Aretines before that had a desired Peace with the Romans but though that was denied them yet they obtain'd a Truce which was not yet expir'd but now they were in greater hopes of aid because they knew the Galls could not clash with their Arms but the Romans thought themselves concerned at it therefore by their Ambassadours sent to Rome they begg'd aid against the common Enemy and now the year ended when C. Servilius Tulla and L. Caecilius Metellus were Consuls Some Annals put Caelius for Caecilius but the House of Caelius being of a meaner quality is supposed not to have bore the Consular Dignity till six hundred sixty years after the building of Rome DECADE II. BOOK XII Florus his Epitome of the Twelfth Book of Livy The Roman Ambassadours having been assassinated by the Galli Senones a War is therefore declar'd against them wherein Caecilius the Pretor with his Forces is defeated And the Roman Fleet being robb'd by the Florentines and the Admiral kill'd the Ambassadours sent to them to complain of these injuries are beaten Therefore a War is declar'd against them The Samnites revolt with whom as also the Lucanians and Brutians many Battels are fought with good success Pyrrhus King of Epirus comes into Italy to aid the Tarentines The Campanian Legion under the command of its Tribune Decius Jubellius being sent for to aid the Rhegians they stay the Inhabitants and seize on the Town of Rhegium WHEN P. Cornelius Dolabella and Cn. Domitius Calvinus were Consuls there arose some fear again of the Gallic War it being reported that many of the Tuscans took part with the Gauls so that the Senate looked on the danger of the Aretines as a thing not to be neglected but because that neither Dolabella could be call'd out of the Volscinian Province nor Domitius from Lucania without prejudice to the Affairs they had in hand the Senate commanded L. Caecilius the last year Consul and then a Praetor to march out speedily to raise the Siege of Aretium But lest this War should seem to be undertaken rashly 't was thought fit to send Ambassadours before to acquaint the Gauls that Aretium was under the Romans protection and that the Gauls would seem to act more honestly if they would not suffer their young Men to serve in War against their Confederates Whilst the Ambassadours carried this Message through the several Cantons of the Gauls one Britomaris a young Hotspur descended from the Royal Line whose Father among the Auxiliaries of the Hetrurians had been slain by the Romans being brimfull with desire of revenge not onely seiz'd on the Ambassadours cutting them in pieces but tore even their Robes and badges of their Sacred Character When this barbarous act was reported at Rome and in the Camp of Dolabella people were so incensed at it that a war was immediately declar'd against the Senones and the Consul laying aside the Hetrurian Expedition by great Journeys through the Sabino and Picene Countries arrives upon the borders of the Senones who being alarm'd by this sudden incursion of the Enemy whilst the main of their Forces was absent came out with a few unexperienced Soldiers and were easily routed The Consul giving no respite to the conquered burns their Villages and wasts all the Country round In fine he slew all that were of age carried into captivity all the weak multitude of Women and Children and lest the Country as desert as he could behind him Britomaris himself was taken and after he had endured several tortures he was reserved for the Triumph But at the same time Affairs did not succeed so well at Aretium L. Caecilius before the Town being routed by the Senones and Hetrurians Seven Tribunes and many brave Men besides having been killed together with the General Out of the Legions and Auxiliaries thirteen thousand Men were lost but the joy for this Victory among the Gauls was quite damp'd with mourning and consternation when they understood the ruin of their own Country for these people being furious desperate and rash having now no habitation to go to drew together all their Countrymen that fought in Hetruria resolving in a heat to march against Rome as if they were led by Fate to their own destruction For they could not quit scores with the ravagers of their Territories but by forcing them to behold their own City under the same Fate and to be sure they had as much courage and greater reason to march against Rome than their Ancestours who setting out of Clusium a place in the same Hetruria had conquer'd that City Having provoked one another by such words as these they marched out in a hurry being naturally impatient of delay and now hastning the more to surprize the Enemy but whilst they pass through their Enemies Country several devices were found to retard their motion whereby time was gain'd to provide against the storm Being thus put back whilst they roam heedlesly through strange and dangerous places at last they light on Domitius the Consul and immediately joined Battel with him but his Conduct easily prevail'd over their rashness many of them being kill'd in the Battel the rest in rage and despair turned the Swords upon themselves which they had drawn in vain against their Enemies So that a Nation but now flourishing in power for the
these Agis is depos'd from the Government and one of the Ambassadours that were return'd was put in his room by a decree of the People Not long after Milo being sent by the King plac'd a Garison in the Fort of Tarentum and requir'd that he should guard the Town himself the simple multitude being glad of it for they thought that Strangers took all the pains and trouble whilst they had ease and security An allowance of Victuals was therefore order'd for the Soldiers and Money for Pyrrhus with all chearfulness Aemilius in the mean time being inform'd of the arrival of these forein Soldiers that he might take his Winter-quarters in places of more security resolves to carry away his Army into Lucania but he was to pass through several defiles which were environ'd with steep and unpassable Rocks on one side and on the other side with the Sea The Tarentines having intelligence of the Roman Generals design put to shoar with several Ships carrying Engines to throw Stones wherewith they gall'd the Roman Soldiers whilst they marched through these narrow Passes which were expos'd to their shot Aemilius seeing Valour could not prevail made his way through by a Stratagem placing in the Flank of his Army which was expos'd to danger those Prisoners which were in the Rear in compassion of whom whilst they fear'd to shoot their own Men the Tarentines spar'd the Enemies also These are almost all the transactions of this Campagn at Tarentum At Rome C. Fabricius Luscinus who in his Consulship had bravely defeated the Samnites Brutians and Lucanians enter'd the Capitol in Triumph and not many days after Q. Marcius the Consul had the same honour being return'd from Hetruria where he fought with good success what the reason was that brought him back from that Province the Hetrurian War being as yet not ended at such an inconvenient time for he trumph'd the 11th of March is not recorded I guess he was call'd by the Senate who being then much concern'd with the expectation of Pyrrhus drew from every part all their Forces to oppose him For then first of all whilst this terrible War forced the Romans to put out several Armies for their defence the common Subjects who were anciently exempt from warfare were listed and Arms were given them upon the public charge they being too poor to buy for themselves So that whilst the Legions were elsewhere employed several Squadrons of these being posted upon the walls and in the Market-place might guard the City Nor could all these Methods have prevented imminent ruin had not the fortune of a People design'd by Fate to be Sovereign of the World reserv'd for these dangerous times very great Men and perhaps the bravest of any that State ever had being not renown'd for Wealth or Parentage but for their Valour and contempt of Riches For this Age bred up the Curii and the Coruncanii persons not esteemed for Wealth or Extraction but of eminent Renown which they being persons of great integrity acquir'd by their experience in War and an equal probity of Manners doing good service to their Country both ways which against a King to be fear'd on either account had as great need of Men that would contemn his Gold as of such as would put back his Sword Pyrrhus in the mean while not tarrying 'till Spring as he was bringing with him an Army of 22 thousand Foot and 3000 Horse besides twenty Elephants and a company of Archers and Slingers met in the midst of his Voyage with a great storm wherein he was almost cast away the Navy being dispersed and several Ships wrack'd when the Admiral also was in danger Pyrrhus threw himself into the Sea and with much ado swam to shore his courage supporting his loss of strength and the good attendance of the Messapians who treated him being cast out upon their shore with all kindness and civility some of the Ships that had escap'd were recover'd by their means and a few Horsemen two Elephants and under two thousand Foot were got together With these Forces he marches towards Tarentum where Cyneas with his Men went out to meet him and waited on him into the Town where being receiv'd by the Tarentines with all expressions of joy he repos'd himself a few days in which time when he observ'd the manners of this People to be such that unless they were reform'd they could not be preserv'd by any body but would be like to undo their own defenders he took no more notice of it for the present till the Ships that had been scatter'd by the storm were arriv'd so that he had Forces enough Then he shut up their Galleries and Theaters where the idle youth spent whole days in walking and pastime and prohibited all Feasts and Clubs and retrench'd the excesses of their solemn Games After which he strictly muster'd their young Men commanding the Press-masters as he us'd to do to list Men that were big set and he would make them valiant These being mingled among his own Troops lest if they were separated from the rest they should mutiny were train'd by him with the same exactness of discipline none being permitted to be often absent from his Colours upon pain of death And as for those that bore Arms already he compell'd them for the greatest part of the day to keep guard in the Market-place The unwontedness of which usage to Men of soft effeminate lives was mighty troublesom so that they call'd it Slavery thus to be constrain'd to save themselves whilst they were willing to perish by their idleness and Luxury And that which offended them more was the rudeness of some of the King's Guards who taking up their Quarters where they fancy'd kept them against the Masters will and afterwards behaved themselves with the same incivility towards their Wives and Children Many therefore being weary of such a life left the Town and departed into the Country till the Gates were shut up and a Guard was set to hinder them Then the Tarentines understanding too late that they had received a Master instead of a Confederate with anger and murmuring deplor'd their condition and that more freely when they had assembled together upon some necessary occasions and besides their usual passion were heated also with Wine and some informed Pyrrhus of the same who sent for several that were charged for railing against him at a Feast But the downright confession of one Person among them brought off the rest saying We own our selves to have spoken these words and if our Wine had not been out we had said worse than this Then Pyrrhus who had rather have the fault imputed to the Wine than to the Men smiling at the matter discharged them But still mistrusting the humours of this people where he saw any Person esteem'd either for his Authority or Counsel by the Tarentines he upon just or pretended causes sent him away to his Son Ptolomy a Youth of fifteen years of age to whom at his
hinder Pyrrhus that he might not pass over into Sicily For these reasons therefore the King apply'd his mind to the business of Sicily being mightily incouraged thereunto partly by the posture of Affairs there and partly by the Embassies of the Sicilians which coming one after the other brought word that he was desir'd to come by all men as the onely support of those miseries wherewith that unhappy Island was at that time more grievously harrass'd than ever it had been before For after the miserable rather than unworthy death of Agathocles one Moeno a native of Egesta in Sicily who also had poison'd the King aspiring to the Government and being driven out of Syracuse by the Praetor Hicetas had put himself under the protection of the Carthaginians hence there arose a greater War which was unfortunate to the Syracusians at which time notwithstanding Hicetas's Power was increased by private means who afterwards turning his Arms against Phintia the Agrigentine held the Government of the Island for a long while in his hands though in a very unsetled posture till at length by the courage of one Thenio he was depos'd after he had govern'd the Island nine years Thenio who endeavoured to keep the Power in his own hands was opposed by Sosistratus a Nobleman of Syracuse and between these two there was a long War whilst Thenio was Master of the Island call'd by them Nasus which is part of Syracuse and Sosistratus play'd the Tyrant over the rest of the City At length when both Parties saw that these quarrels would end in the common destruction of them all they unanimously agreed to send for Pyrrhus who being the Son-in-law of Agathocles and next Heir to the Crown having had a Son by Lanassa his Wife was esteemed also a man capable both for Courage and Power to settle the Affairs of Sicily Moreover the Princes of the Agrigentines and Leontines who also offer'd him the Government of their respective Seigniories ask'd him with one accord to come over into Sicily that he might by his presence succour their distressed State and preserve their liberty now endanger'd by the Arms of Barbarians For the Carthaginians having wasted the Country belonging to Syracuse besieg'd the Town it self with a hundred Gallies by Sea and an Army of fifty thousand men by Land Pyrrhus therefore being resolv'd not to lose time sends Cyneas before whom for his prudence and fidelity he employ'd very much to make Leagues with the several Provinces of Sicily Moreover he comforted his Confederates who were troubled for his departure by telling them that if the Romans should molest them he would come time enough out of the Neighbouring Island to their aid being strengthned with the addition of these new Confederates But when he was about to leave a Garison in Tarentum the Tarentines earnestly requested him either to give them the aid he promis'd upon those terms agreed betwixt them or else to leave their City free but they could prevail in neither Pyrrhus giving them no satisfactory Answer but commanding them to wait his time Whilst Pyrrhus bends his mind this way the Consuls find it easier to deal with the rest of their Enemies We find therefore that at this time they fought with good success against the Hetrurians Lucanians Brutians and Samnites That they had but little action with the Hetrurians appears hence because no Triumph follow'd that War and I think they did not fight with the whole Nation but onely with one or two Provinces which being solicited by the Samnites that were left in a forlorn Estate upon the departure of Pyrrhus took Arms again against the Romans having been at Peace a little before with them With the other Nations as the War was greater so the Conquest was more illustrious C. Fabricius the Consul his Colleague being gone as is conjectured to the Hetrurian War because that one Consular Army seem'd sufficient upon the Epirots departure overcame the Lucanians Brutians Tarentines and Samnites With some of those States he made a League among which was that of Heraclea and he Triumph'd over all these Nations before the fifth of December Afterwards when the Election was held Pub. Cornelius Rufinus and C. Junius Brutus were elected Consuls the second time There were other Noblemen likewise who stood in competition with Rufinus but A. U. 476 he got it by the interest of Fabricius who having an Eye to the public good valu'd the safety of his Country more than any private animosities For there was some pique betwixt these two upon the account of their different dispositions Fabricius being a Person not superable by Money that wholly minded the good of the Community But Rufinus being a greater lover of Money acted and design'd several things for his own Interest However because he was otherwise a good careful Commander Fabricius judged him preferable to his Competitors far inferiour to him for experience in Arms. 'T is reported that Rufinus afterwards thank'd him because though he was his Adversary yet he should make him Consul especially for so great and important a War and that he answer'd him That it was no wonder if he had rather be pillag'd than sold For there were yet remaining in Italy very dangerous Wars and Pyrrhus proceeding successfully in Sicily whither he was now arriv'd gave them just cause to fear lest the King back'd with the additional Forces of this noble Island should return a more formidable Enemy to Rome DECADE II. BOOK XIV Florus his Epitome of the Fourteenth Book of Livy Pyrrhus crosseth the Sea into Sicily Amongst other Prodigies the Image of Jupiter in the Capitol is overthrown by Lightning and the Head thereof supposed to be lost recovered and found again by the skill of the Aruspices or Soothsayers Curius Dentatus the Consul when he was making his Levies caused the Goods of one that being Cited would not answer to his name but declined the Service to be presently sold by the publique Cryer and he was the first that took that Course to punish such as refused to be Listed The same General routs King Pyrrhus being now return'd out of Sicily and beats him quite out of Italy Fabricius the Censor turns P. Cornelius Rufinus one that had been Consul out of the Senate because he had as much Silver Plate in his House as weighed Ten Pounds Vpon a Poll taken by the Censors the number of Citizens is cast up to be 271224. An Alliance is made with Ptolomy King of Egypt Sextilia a Vestal Virgin convicted of Incest Fornication was called so in one of her sacred Order is buried alive Two Colonies peopled Possidonia and Cossa A Fleet of Carthaginians comes to assist the Tarentines by which they first broke the League with the Romans It likewise relates several Exploits against the Lucanians Samnites and Brutians and the death of King Pyrrhus WHILE Affairs went thus in Italy Pyrrhus carrying his Army and Elephants aboard his Ships set sail from the Port of Tarentum to Sicily
such things whereby men that are like to be conversant in State Affairs may be no less instructed towards the attaining of happiness by Vertue than by Military Actions and Counsels In the Sabine War when there had been so much booty taken that the Historiographer Fabius imagines that the Romans then first of all had the tast of Riches Curius out of such a wealthy Victory assuming to himself nothing but the Credit and Satisfaction of the Performance continu'd in his former austere way of living being both a competent Example and also a severe exactor of publick Abstinence For when the greatest part of the Land taken from the Enemy had been confiscated he allotted not above fourteen Acres to every private mans share and when the Senate would have assign'd him a greater share he was content with the same quantity of ground as the rest had saying that he was an ill Citizen who could not be satisfied with the same as others had Afterwards in this place stood the Villa of Curius among the Sabines in which by chance as he was boyling Rapes the Samnites being newly conquer'd came to him and presented him with a great sum of Gold unto whom he said I had rather have these things in my earthen Vessels and command those men who have Gold Cato the elder possessing some Lands near this Villa came thither often and contemplating upon that small Cottage and spot of ground which that great Man had dig'd with his own hands after three Triumphs remembring also his life led with the greatest abstinence that could be he form'd his Mind to a like generosity in imitation of that Primitive Integrity and simplicity of Curius And in truth they were the fittest Persons to lay the firm foundations of an Empire which might bear up the superstructure and not onely withstand forein Assaults but also scarcely be shaken with its own domestick Vices DECADE II. BOOK XV. Florus his Epitome of the Fifteenth Book of Livy Both Peace and Liberty is granted to the vanquish'd Tarentines The Campanian Legion that treacherously seized Rhegium is besieg'd and upon surrender all Beheaded Some unruly young Noblemen happening to affront the Ambassadours which the Apolloniats sent to the Senate they were all delivered into the Apolloniats hands to be punish'd at discretion Peace granted to the conquer'd Picenes and a Colony planted at Ariminum in that Country and another at Beneventum in Samnium Now and not before the Romans began to use Silver Coin for their Money The Umbrians and Salentines subdued and their submissions accepted The number of Quaestors increased to Eight ALL these Potent Enemies being conquer'd after many Battels and a Peace made in Italy the Lords of the Senate fell now to consider how they might improve their Victories to the best advantage They resolved that all those who had taken Arms against them should forfeit part of their Territories reserving a severe revenge for the Tarentines because their Crime was greater whom they commanded to deliver up their Arms and Shipping and also razed their Walls and impos'd a Tribute upon them but yet they had Liberty and Peace given them Afterwards they judged nothing more necessary than to punish the treachery of that Legion which having circumvented the Rhegians possess'd that Town now for the space of ten years These People foreseeing that the Romans being every day more and more successful their wickedness should not go unaveng'd diligently applied themselves to fortifie their Town and to secure themselves against danger well knowing that what they had got by fraud and rapine was to be maintain'd by the same practices Besides their inbred insolence they trusted in their Alliance with the Mamertines and their success against the Carthaginians and against Pyrrhus whereby they had try'd the courage of their People having soon forc'd the Enemies to quit their attempts of besieging them So that the Rebels and desertors were grown so bold that they took Croton by treachery kill'd the Roman Garison and destroy'd the Town L. Genucius therefore who bore the Consulship with C. Quinctius that year was order'd to do justice upon these matters who having forc'd the Traitors within their Walls besieg'd the Town But whilst they made great resistance with their own Forces and those of the Mamertines the Consul after considerable losses was streightned also for Provision until Hiero King of Syracuse supply'd him with Men and Victuals for he being an Enemy to the Mamertines hated also their Allies of Rhegium He was also induc'd hereunto by the consideration of the Roman greatness whom he thought to make his Friends against future occasions by obliging them first Thus at last the Town being forc'd to surrender it self the Consul dismiss'd the Mamertines obliging them to certain Conditions and punish'd the Thieves and Desertors that had got to Rhegium as to a Sanctuary but he carried the Legionary Soldiers to Rome that the Senate might take a course with them Hereupon a great Example of the Roman Discipline follow'd The Senate first of all commanded that all those who had been brought by the Consul should be imprison'd and from thence be brought to Execution Afterwards when a Tribune of the Commons had remonstrated against this act of the Senate declaring That the lives of Roman Citizens should not be taken away contrary to the Laws and Customs of their Ancestors the clamours of the Tribunes were contemned by the resolute Senators and the Malefactors punish'd but to take away the invidiousness of such a sad action lest the People should regret to see such a company of men suffer death together they brought them out by fifty in a day and after they had scourg'd them strook off their Heads The Senate order'd that their Bodies should not be buried nor any mourning made for them D. Jubellius who had liv'd blind till that time that he might die with greater torment kill'd himself in Prison Following most Authors in the Point I have related that the whole Legion consisting of four thouand men was beheaded But I hold that a more true account which is given by Polybius namely that they had taken alive no more than three hundred of that Legion the rest chusing by manful resistance to die by the Sword when the City was taken as knowing that after such enormous Crimes nothing else could be expected from a surrender of themselves but greater tortures and a more infamous death The Town of Rhegium was restor'd to the former Inhabitants as many of them as could be found out and they enjoy'd their Liberty and Laws as before This act of Justice mightily encreas'd the reputation of the Roman Commonwealth and the Italians and neighbouring Nations lov'd them no less for this action than they fear'd them for their Arms. Afterwards when Genucius and Cornelius were Consuls they had War with the Sarsinates a Race of Vmbrians inhabiting the Appennine but upon what cause these took Arms and upon what confidence they durst oppose a Power so
induc'd to persuade you neither to grant the Carthaginians Peace nor an exchange of Prisoners The Senate liked the advice well enough if they could but have follow'd it without prejudice to the Adviser but the more he neglected his own Interest to promote the Public the more they pitied him and it was manifest that the Senate was resolved by any means to have a Person of so generous a Soul restor'd to his Country And now 't was the talk of the Town that since Regulus was come to his own again he might rightfully remain or be forced to abide there and the chief Pontif affirm'd That if he would stay at Rome he might do so and not be foresworn To which he with such a Spirit and Aspect as the Senate were amazed at spoke to this effect How long O Romans do you demur upon the point follow my Advice and forego your care of my safety 'T is vain for you to endeavour after that which will prove neither pleasant to you nor profitable to the State nor honourable to my self Perhaps whilst the thing is new you would be well pleased to converse with me but as soon as the impetus of that short-liv'd pleasure had spent it self you would more abhor me for returning upon such dishonest terms than you long'd for me in my absence I am resolv'd not to stay in a place where after my Affrican slavery I am not capable to live suitable to the port of a Citizen of Rome and if I was ever so desirous to remain here yet the Oath I took and reverence of the Gods prohibits me For the Deity by whom I swore to return to Carthage if I am foresworn will punish not onely my self but the Senate and people of Rome for the perjury For certainly if there be a God he must needs be affronted by perjuries and profaneness But if any one imagines that I may be absolv'd from the Oath that such absolutions are recorded in our Augural Books and Rituals That Ceremonies and Sacrifices may attone for false-swearing and perjury I would have him remember that the Majesty of the Deity is not to be appeased with any inventions of men when affronted by perjury nor is it rational to conceive that Spots contracted by sins may be washed away by the blood of Sheep and Oxen. As for me I know the Carthaginians are preparing exquisite tortures for me but I think perjury a more terrible thing than all that For this would really hurt me whereas their tortures and cruelties can only reach the body of M. Regulus not his mind Never think him calamitous who has learn'd to bear his Calamity As for bondage disgrace pain poverty and want I who never thought them evils have ceas'd to think them troublesom after so long endurance For by bearing them I have learn'd that they were supportable but if my Calamities be encreas'd to such a degree that a man cannot bear them Death will quickly put an end to all my troubles I see therefore that that man is proof against all terrours who fears not death whose stroke 't is in every man's power to prevent and I would have done so were it not the part of a man rather to conquer than fly sorrow and grief but I have spoken these few words without any order to let you understand that nothing shall make me swerve from this Principle and that ye might not pity my condition as that of an unhappy and miserable person whereas 't is easie and natural for me to persist in my resolutions for I must take care to return to Carthage and the Gods will take care of what I shall suffer there They say likewise that the more effectually to persuade the Senate to let him go he told them The Carthaginians had given him Poison before he was dismiss'd from Carthage which by degrees preying upon his Vitals would kill him when he was restor'd to his Country after the Exchange was made Certainly this mans steddiness and constancy in Vertue is not parallel'd who rather than swerve from his honest Principle courted Affronts Tortures Death and whatever the World does abhor and that more eagerly than others decline them which may serve for a good Example to instruct us that those men can onely face Death in any shape and will stick to their Principles to the last who are sensible of the Souls immortality and that they are not born merely for the present life For M. Regulus would not have suffered such hard measure unless he had been persuaded that vertuous Actions should be rewarded after this life and those which are vitious punish'd When the Senate had pass'd a Decree accoâ—ding to M. Regulus his Opinion and all might see plainly that the Carthaginians would be aveng'd upon him who had persuaded the Senate to reject their Proposals some were so concern'd at it that they gave Orders for detaining M. Regulus against his will Moreover his Wife Marcia and his Children filling all places with mourning and lamentation the Consuls said That they would neither deliver up Regulus if he were willing to stay nor hinder him from going But he refusing to speak with his Wife and shunning the embraces and kisses of his little Children return'd to Carthage and ended his days in great torments For having cut off his Eye-lids they kept him for some time in a very dark Dungeon and afterwards when the Sun shone hottest he was suddenly brought out and forced to look upon the light At last he was put in a Chest of Wood stuck full of Nails with the points inward which was turned towards the Sun and so narrow that he was always forced to stand upright and thus whilst his wearied body where-ever he turned it was pierced with Nails he dy'd by the extremity of the Torture This was the end of M. Atilius Regulus which was more glorious than his life though led with so much honour He was a Person of incorrupt Integrity an undaunted courage and good Conduct in whom the present or succeeding Ages could find no fault except it were that he bore his prosperous fortune too weakly and by refusing the Carthaginians Overtures entail'd that lasting War to the great prejudice of both Nations However M. Regulus atton'd for that fault by his other Vertues and principally by his admirable constancy in death being more happy by thus supporting his Calamity than if he could have avoided this blow of Fate When the Senate were informed of Regulus his death and the Carthaginians barbarous usage of him they deliver'd up the Prisoners of the greatest note and quality to Marcia and her Children whom they shut up in an Armoury stuck round with Iron Spikes designing to torment them in the same manner as they had done M. Regulus and for five days together they gave them no Meat in which time Bostar the Carthaginian died with pain and hunger but Hamilcar being a stronger Man was inclos'd with the body of Bostar five days more and
capable of a fairer construction whereas this Woman has positively wish'd for the utter destruction of the whole Commonwealth Says she That my Brother were alive again A villanous wish though she made it purely for her Brother's sake For why should she desire him alive again by whose means so many thousands of honest Citizens lost their lives Who affronted the Commonwealth no less by his insolence than he had endamag'd it by his rashness Who being condemn'd in the judgments of all men even before his Trial escap'd not the infamy of the Sentence but the punishment by mere chance And would you if you had any brains wish such a man alive again whereas she ought to have prayed that his memory had died with him his actions and his ashes had been buried in one common Tomb. As other Ladies justly glory in the renowned Actions of their Brethren so thou Claudia shouldest be asham'd of such a Brother if thou hadst any shame However let 's pardon the Lady for thus foolishly wishing her Brother alive supposing she meant well Nay acquit her too if the reason of her Vow appear not as abominable as it was insolent For why would you have your Brother alive again that you might comfort your self with the sight of so near a Relation No not at all What then why that he might command another Fleet. And was 't for this thou wicked Creature that as much as in thee lay thou desirest to raise the dead to invert Natures course and break open the Prisons of the Grave that thou mightst find him again by whom we might be all of us ruin'd This is she Countrymen in whose favour those men intercede who whilst they shew themselves kind Relations little think they forfeit hereby the reputation of honest Citizens and yet there 's not one here intercedes for her but might prevail to have as much pity shewn her as he pleas'd had she pitied any of you But since she has wish'd the confusion of us all who would be such a tame Fool as to think a person of so barbarous and inhumane a Spirit worthy any mercy Of late when the Censors number'd the People what groans were heard what a damp seiz'd upon the City For also during those years several actions of ours succeeded fortunately yet to all good men the Commonwealth seem'd in a dangerous condition whilst the people number in the Censors Books fell so short of what it was before but she 's not at all concern'd for the loss of those that perished She 's griev'd onely because any survive She complains the streets of Rome are too much throng'd with People and wishes for that very Man to life again by whose means the accounts of the last Poll were so much abated But granting all this that the Lady is unworthy of mercy Yet say they if she has offended she deserves to be pardon'd for her Ancestors sake What shall we set up this for a Law in our Common-wealth that if any Person has done any Service to his Country his Posterity may injure the same and not be called to account for it Our Forefathers surely were not of that mind who put Manlius to death when not his Father or any of his old Ancestors but he himself had preserv'd the Capitol the last refuge of the Roman People He ought not to seek a greater Reward for his Service to his Country than the satisfaction of his Conscience for the discharge of his duty And if Ap. Claudius has done his Country any Service he has been fully rewarded for it He got Wealth and Honour by it wherein he flourished to his dying day though perhaps it would have been better not to mention Appius and the former Claudii than to remind you again of the injuries and Affronts put upon you by that Family never inclin'd to popularity For what other Appius would they have you remember but him who also spitefully opposed your Interests who chose rather to perish with his Army than be beholden to his Colleague the Plebeian Consul for his preservation who continued also in his Censorship beyond the time prefix'd by the Law And now let them if they have a mind to it twit us with the Merits and good Services of the Claudian Family and proceed as high as the times of the Decemvirate or even to the first beginning of that Race and by all their enquiry they will be enabled to shew how the Woman takes after her Ancestors pride and obstinacy rather than prove that she ought to be spar'd for their sakes What reason then can they or any man else produce why this Woman should not be punished Alas are they affraid for her lest they should lose so vertuous a thing which if you fear in the least O Romans make much of this Claudia and keep her so that when other Matrons in times of public dangers go to pray to the Temples she may hinder their Prayers by her Curses when they pray for the safety of our Armies this may wish their confusion when they sollicite the Gods that few may be killed she may reproach them if any return safe Be kind to that Woman who whilst other Matrons excite their Children by their Ancestors Examples to Vertue and loyalty teaches hers by the Example of P. Claudius to fight rashly fly cowardly to destroy the Citizens and trample upon the Commonwealth Let her instill into our Noblemens Children these Principles that they may learn them in their Infancy and imitate them in their riper years Let those who are in time to be intrusted with the command of your Forces by Sea and Land be thus trained up thus principled When this Harangue had ended the People being assembled to give their Votes gave Sentence against Claudia whereupon she was fined twenty five thousand pound Brass Money With which and other Fines A. U. 508 Ti. Sempronius the Edile built and consecrated the Temple of Liberty upon Mount Aventine Afterwards M. Fabius Buteo and C. Atilius Bulbus were made Consuls Some Citizens were then brought to Fregellae a Maritime Town of Hetruria nine miles from Alsium where a Colony had been planted two years before This year was fought a great Battel by Sea between the Romans and Carthaginians at Aegimurus which proved successful to neither side the Carthaginians losing a great number both of Men and Ships and the Conquerors losing all the Spoils taken from the Enemy by the violence of Storms and Wrecks In Sicily Affairs were carried on with the same Conduct and success as had been done the year before the War proving difficult to the Consuls not onely by reason of the incommodiousness of the place they were incamped in but also because of Hamilcar's subtilty who as he was bold in action and would venture farther than any man in the Combat so he was good at Intrigue and throughly versed in all Stratagems by which means he sustein'd the Roman Power at that time so as not onely to defend
Villany and violate all Law Divine and Humane There have not many hours pass'd since we swore by all the Gods and join'd our right hands with solemn Promises of Faith and Amity and was all this for nothing else but that as soon as we had eaten together and talk'd a while we should presently arm our selves against him Dost thou but now rise from that hospitable Board where thy self was 't the third man of all Capua invited by Annibal and wilt thou now stain and pollute that Board with his Blood Was I thy Father able but now to reconcile Annibal to my Son and shall I not be able to reconcile my Son to Annibal But if thou dost indeed think nothing Holy and hast no regard to Faith Religion or Piety then boldly go on in thy horrid design if it will not involve us in inevitable destruction as well as shameful wickedness What wilt thou alone set upon Annibal what must the multitude of his Guards do the mean while so many brave Officers and so many Servants as constantly attend him Are not all their Eyes all their hands employ'd to secure him from danger Dost thou think they will all be blind or stupified at the time of this frantick Enterprize of thine Those fierce looks of Annibal which Armed Legions tremble at and the whole people of Rome cannot stand before canst thou alone undaunted encounter If other assistance fail canst thou endure to wound me thy Father when I shall interpose my Body for the safeguard of his yet stab me thou must and shalt to the heart before thou shalt be able to reach him and through my Breast must aim at Annibal ' s Suffer thy self to be deterr'd now from such an abominable undertaking rather than be destroyed in attempting it And let my intreaties prevail with Thee which once to day prevail'd for Thee At these words perceiving his Son to weep he embrac'd and kiss'd him and left not off his importunities till he made him lay away his Sword and promise to desist Whereupon the young man burst out into these Expressions I will for once be content to pay to my natural Father that Piety which I owe to my Country but must Sir bewail your condition who lie under the guilt of having thrice betray'd her once when you caused our revolt from the Romans Again when you were the chief Promoter of the League with Annibal and now in the third place by being the only obstacle and hinderance that Capua is not restored to the Romans and her antient Liberties Here my dear Country take this Sword of mine with which I had resolv'd to defend thee and cut off thy most mortal Enemy take it I say since my own Father hath wrested it out of my hands with which words he flung the Sword over the Garden Wall into the open street and to prevent suspition returned to the Banquet The next day a full Senate was call'd in the presence of Annibal The beginning of his Speech was very kind and coaksing Giving the Campanians thanks for preferring his Friendship before their Alliance with the people of Rome and amongst other magnificent promises assur'd them That Capua e're long should be the Metropolis of all Italy whereunto the Romans themselves as well as other Nations should resort for Law and Justice But withal told them he understood there was a certain person amongst them that had no share in the League made with the Carthaginians and who neither was a true Citizen of Capua nor ought so to be accounted This was one Magius Decius by name whom he did demand to be delivered up into his hands and that in his presence the Senate would pass Judgment upon him To this they all consented though the greater part knew well enough the Gentleman was far from deserving any such Calamity and withal perceiv'd that this Invasion of their Liberties in the beginning threatned no less than a total subversion of them in the end The chief Magistrate went out of the Council Chamber and sat in the Temple where they were wont to hold their Courts of Judicature and Decius Magius being apprehended and brought before him was Ordered to Answer for himself but he persisting in his former stoutness of spirit Told them he was not bound so to do by the Articles of the League whereupon he was clapt in Irons and an Officer commanded to convey him to Annibal's Camp All the way as he was led whilst he was open-fac'd he went preaching to the multitude and crying out Now O Capuans you have I hope that liberty that you so much long'd for In the open Market-place at Noon-day before you all I a person inferiour to none in Capua am drag'd along in Chains to be unjustly put to death What greater outrage could have been committed if Capua had been storm'd by an Enemy Go out in pomp to meet Annibal adorn your City and Register this day of his Entrance as an Holy Day that in the end you may behold this goodly triumph over one of your own Citizens The people seeming to be moved with such his Exclamations he was order'd to be muffled and hastned out of the Gates being brought to the Camp he was immediately put on board a Ship bound for Carthage lest by any tumult happening at Capua upon so unusual a proceeding the Senate should repent themselves of delivering up such a principal Member and send to desire his Release by denying of which Annibal must offend his new Allies and by granting it have always an Enemy at Capua ready to stir them up against his Interest The Ship that was to transport him happen'd to be driven by stress of weather into Cyrenae a Port-Town at that time under the Kings of Egypt and Magius getting ashore fled for Sanctuary to the Statue of King Ptolemy and thereupon was carried by certain Officers to that Prince at Alexandria To whom having related how he was put in Chains by Annibal against all right and contrary to his own League the King caused his Shackles to be knockt off and gave him leave to return to Capua or go to Rome which he pleased But he reckoning Capua not safe and that at Rome in such a Juncture he should be lookt upon rather as a Fugitive than a Friend declared he would spend the rest of his days no where more willingly than in his Majestie 's Territories who had given him his Life and Liberty During these Occurrents Q. Fabius Pictor comes back to Rome from Delphos and read the Answer of the Oracle out of a writing which he brought containing the names of the Gods they were to address themselves unto and in what manner concluding thus If these things O Romans you shall do then shall your affairs succeed better and more fortunately and your Commonwealth shall thrive according to your desires and the people of Rome shall be Victorious over their Enemies but remember when all things go well on your side and that
Croton quitted that place went on Board and sail'd to Locri. In Apulia the Romans could not be quiet for Annibal though it were in the depth of Winter Sempronius the Consul Quarter'd at Luceria Annibal near Arpi between them happen'd frequent Skirmishes as each party spy'd an opportunity or could find an advantage but generally the Romans had the better on 't and daily were rendred more wary and safer from Surprizes and Ambuscades The Death of King Hiero and that Kingdom falling into the hands of his Grandson Hieronymus had quite turn'd the Scale as to the Romans Interest in Sicily This new King was but a Youth scarce like to use his own Liberty with moderation much less to govern the whole Realm with discretion His Guardians and Friends were glad of such an opportunity to attain their own ends by complying with his humours and precipitating him into all kind of Vices which Hiero foreseeing would 't is said in his old Age have left the Syracusans a Free State lest by being under the Government of a Child that Realm rais'd and so well strengthned by Policy and Vertue should suddenly come to ruine by Folly and Extravagance But his Daughters with all their Interest disswaded him from this Course conceiving that though the Lad had the Title of King yet the Dominion and sway of all Affairs would be in the hands of themselves and their Husbands Andronodorus and Zoippus for they were left his prime Tutors Nor was it an easy matter for one that was now ninety years of Age and continually besieg'd by these Womens Flatteries and Importunities to keep his mind so free as to abandon the Consideration of his proper Family meerly in regard to the publick State however he appointed him no less than fifteen Tutors whom he intreated as he lay a dying That they would religiously observe that Fidelity and strict Alliance with the Romans which he had maintain'd full fifty years and that they would always advise their young Prince to insist in his steps and that Discipline under which he had been Educated With these commands he spent his last breath the Tutors take upon their trust publish the Will and shew the young King who was then not full fifteen in the general Assembly of the people where some few that were disposed on purpose amongst the Crowd to make a shew of Joy applauded the Will with shouts and clamours but the rest as having lost their Father stood silent for grief and dreaded what the consequences might prove to the Orphan Kingdom The old Kings Funeral was rendred more solemn and stately by the love and good will of his Subjects than any care or charge of his Descendents and Relations Soon after Andronodorus displaces the rest of the Tutors alledging the King was no longer a Child but of an Age capable to take upon him the Governance of the Kingdom and so by renouncing that Tutorship which he had in common with divers others got the power of them all into his own hands The truth is Let a King have been never so good and moderate he would not easily have had the favour of the Syracusians succeeding Hiero whom they so extreamly lov'd and honour'd but Hieronymus as if he design'd on purpose by his Vices to make his Grandfather desirable at the very first began to show how sad a change they were to expect For those who for so many years never saw Hiero or his Son Gelo either in habit of Apparel or in any other Ornaments Train or Port different from the rest of the Citizens beheld him now in Purple Robes a Royal Crown on his Head and a Guard of Armed Pensioners attending him and sometimes riding out from his Court in a Chariot drawn with four white Steeds after the mode of Dionysius the Tyrant This proud habit and stately Equippage was accompanied with suitable qualities and conditions He contemn'd and slighted all men scorn'd to give Audience to humble Suppliants or hearken to any sound Counsel but sent them away that made their Addresses with reproachful Language and ill Names Difficult of access not only to Strangers but even his Tutors durst not come at him The delights and Lusts he addicted himself to were new and strange his Cruelty outragious and inhumane whereby he became so terrible that some of his Guardians made away themselves others fled out of the Country for fear of his outrages There were but three of them that were familiarly admitted to Court Andronodorus and Zoippus Hiero's Sons-in-Law and one Thraso nor were these so much consulted about any other affairs as touching the Roman Alliance for the two first being altogether for the Carthaginians the latter as hot for the Romans the King took a delight many times to hear them wrangle and squabble on that subject and knew not very well which side to encline to But it happen'd that a Conspiracy against the Life of the King was discovered by one Calo a young man much about the Kings Age his Play-Fellow and intimate with him from his Childhood but he could nominate no more of the Conspirators than Theodotus by whom he himself was made privy to the Treason and sollicited to be a Complice therein Theodotus being apprehended and committed to Andronodorus to be put to the Question presently confess'd himself Guilty but would not reveal the rest concern'd at last being torn and mangled with all kind of Tortures intollerable beyond humane patience pretending he could no longer endure the pains but would make an ingenuous Confession he turns the Crime from the Guilty upon the Innocent and falsly declares That Thraso was the Contriver of the Plot and that they durst not have attempted so grand an Enterprize if they had not been encouraged by his power and interest at Court who put them upon 't He also impeached some others of the Kings menial Servants as their names came into his head during his Tortures and whose Lives he imagined might be best spared and their Deaths least lamented His naming of Thraso was the greatest Argument with the King to credit the story who was therefore immediately seiz'd and Executed as were also all the rest accused though equally innocent As for the real Conspirators not one of them though their Confederate was so long under Torture either absconded or offer'd to run away such confidence had they in his Vertue and Fidelity and such a wonderful resolution and strength had he to conceal them Thraso who was the only means hitherto of the Syracusians holding to their Alliance with the Romans being thus dispatcht out of the way presently the face of Affairs tended openly to a Revolt Embassadours being not only sent to Annibal but two Agents received and entertained that came from him viz. Hippocrates and Epicides both descended from Syracuse by their Grandfather who was banisht thence but born at Carthage and Punicks by their Mothers side who also brought with them a young Carthaginian Nobleman whose name was Annibal by
fiercely That they would Sacrifice the Blood of the Conspirators to the Ghost of the King But hearing often the sweet sound of their Liberties restored being in hopes a Largess would be bestow'd on them out of the Royal Treasury and that they should have better Commanders and withal amused with prodigious stories of the Tyrants lewd actions and lewder Lusts their minds were so far chang'd that they let the Corpse of their King whom but now they seem'd so fond of to lye unburied Whilst others of the Conspirators staid behind to secure the Army Theodotus and Sosis ride Post to Syracuse on the Kings Horses to surprize the Royalists before they should know any thing of the matter but not only Fame the swiftest thing in the World in such Cases but a Currier one of the Kings Servants was got before them whereupon Andronodorus had set Guards both in the Isle and the Castle and all other advantagious Posts Theodotus and Sosis in the Dusk of the Evening came riding into that Qâ—arter of the City call'd Hexapylum and exposing the Kings bloody Vest and his Crown pass'd through the street Tycha calling out to the people to take Arms and for recovery of their Liberties to Assemble in the Acradine The Rabble some ran out into the streets others stood at their Doors others looking out from the tops of their Houses and Windows inquir'd what the matter was The Town was full of Lights Flambeaus and Clamour Those that had Arms got together in open places and those that wanted pull'd down the Weapons that were hung up in the Temple of Jupiter Olympius taken from the Gauls and Illyrians and bestow'd as a Present on King Hiero by the Romans beseeching Jupiter that he would willingly and propitiously afford his sacred Arms to those that were to use them only for their Country for the Temples of the Gods and their own Liberties This multitude join'd themselves with the Guards placed in the principal places of the City and whereas in the Isles Andronodorus had amongst other things secured the publick Granaries a place enclosed round with four-square stone like a Fortress those that were appointed to keep guard there sent Messengers into the Acradine that themselves and all the Corn there should be at the disposal of the Senate By break of day all the people arm'd and unarm'd were Conven'd in the Acradine before the Altar of Concord there situate where one of the chief men of the City named Polyaenus made a Speech to them free enough and yet temper'd with a discreet moderation as follows Those that have endur'd servitude and suffer'd indignities 't is no wonder if they rise up in fury against the Authors thereof as known Evils but what the mischiefs are which attend civil discords you can only know by hearsay from your Ancestors having not hitherto been so unhappy as to have smarted under them your selves I applaud your Courage in taking up Arms so valiantly but shall more commend you if you will not make use of them till inforc'd thereunto by the last necessity At present my Advice is that we send to Andronodorus requiring him to submit himself to the Senate and People to open the Gates of the Isle and dismiss his Guards and to let him know that if under pretence of securing the Kingdom for another he shall go about to usurp it for himself we are resolv'd much more sharply to vindicate our Liberties against him than against Hieronymus Accordingly Messengers were sent and then the Senate met which as in Hiero's time it was the publick Council of the Kingdom so from the time of his Death till that very day it had scarce ever been convened or consulted with Andronodorus was not a little startled both with the unanimous Consent of the People against him and several parts of the City already seized and especially because the most fortified part of the Isle and of greatest importance was revolted but when the Messengers called him forth his Wife Demarata the Daughter of Hiero retaining still the Spirit of a Princess and the Ambition of a Woman disswaded him putting him often in mind of that common Saying of Dionysius the Tyrant That a man ought to be led leisurely on foot and not gallop on Horse-back when he is to quit his Dignity and be deposed from Power That it was an easie matter for a man when he list to relinquish the possession of a mighty Fortune but to gain such a point was rare and difficult therefore he would do well to require time to consider in a matter of such importance and in the mean time might send for the Souldiers from Leontinum to whom if he would but promise the late Kings Treasure he might rule and order all things at his pleasure These feminine Counsels Andronodorus did neither wholly slight nor for the present follow thinking it more easie to attain his Ends if he gave place a while to the humours of the people therefore he order'd the Messengers to carry back word That he would entirely submit to the Senate and People Accordingly next morning by break of day he caused the Gates of the Isle to be flung open and came into the Market-place of the Acradine and getting up on the Altar of Concord whence Polyneus the day before made his Speech he began an Oration wherein first he excused his not coming sooner telling them That he had hitherto kept the Gates shut not that he meant ever to set up any Interest of his own different from that of the whole City but when once Swords were drawn he was apprehensive where they would hold their hands or when put a stop to Execution and Slaughters Whether they would be satisfied with the Death of the Tyrant which was sufficient for regaining their Liberties or might not in a wild fury knock all those o' th head that were any way related to him by Blood or Affinity or enjoy'd any Office in the Court whereby the innocent might lose their lives for anothers Crimes But since I now perceive that those who have deliver'd their Country are willing also to preserve its Liberty and manage things by publick Council and Advice I no longer doubted to yield up my person and restore to my Country all that I had in Charge since he that committed the same to me is by his own folly and madness brought to destruction Then turning to those that kill'd the late King and calling unto Theodotus and Sosis by name You have done says he a gallant Action and worthy to be recorded but believe me your Glory is yet but begun not perfected and there is yet mighty danger behind unless by consulting the common Peace and Concord you prevent the Commonwealth now it has obtain'd its liberty from falling into licentiousness and unruly insolence With which words he laid the Keys both of the Gates and of the Kings Treasure at their feet and so the multitude was for that day dismiss'd very joyful and
the Roman Justice and Moderation Whilst thus the Armies seemed utterly routed and both Spains lost one man recovered all again There happen'd to be in the Army one L. Marcius the Son of Septimus a Roman Knight a forward young Man and both for Courage and Discretion beyond the Quality he was born in this excellent natural Disposition was mightily promoted by the Discipline of Cn. Scipio under whom he had so many years been educated in all sorts of Military Skill This Gentleman rallying the scatter'd Souldiers that fled and drawing out some from several Garrisons had formed no contemptible Army and join'd with T. Fonteius P. Scipo's Lieutenant and so much Authority and Esteem had he gain'd though in Quality only a Knight that when they had fortified a Camp within the River Iberus and resolved out of themselves to chuse a General going by turns to keep Guard at the Rampier till all had given their Suffrages they unanimously conferr'd the chief Command on him That little time he had was employ'd in strengthening their Fortifications and bringing in necessary Provisions and the Souldiers not only diligently executed all his Commands but with great chearfulness and seem'd no longer dejected with their past misfortunes But after News came that Asdrubal the Son of Gisco had passed the Iberus to exterminate all the reliques of the War and was advanced very near them and that they saw the Signal of Battel given by this new Captain calling to mind what famous Generals they had but the other day and under what experienced Leaders and with what numerous Forces they were wont to go into the Field they all on a sudden fell a weeping and shaking their heads and some lifting up their hands to Heaven seem'd to accuse the Gods others flinging themselves on the ground every one invoking his own late General by name Nor could this Lamentation be stopt though each Captain endeavour'd what they could to encourage their respective Companies and Marcius both threatned and reproached them all for giving themselves up like women to such a vain puleing humour at a time when they ought rather to rouze up their Spirits to defend both themselves and the Commonwealth and not to suffer their brave Commanders to lye dead unrevenged till suddenly the Enemies shout and their Trumpets were heard being got near the Rampier then grief turning into fury they all ran to their Arms and like mad-men flew to the Ports and sallied out upon the Enemy who came on negligently and out of Order this amazed the Punicks whence so many new Enemies should arise when both their Armies were but the other day cut to pieces How they that were so lately defeated and put to flight came to have so much Courage and Confidence What Commander in Chief they could have now the two Scipio's were slain Who should be the General or give the Signal of Battel Marvelling at these so many unexpected Occurrences they at first gave ground and being then briskly charged betook them to their heels and a foul slaughter had been made of them as they ran or else the fury of the Pursuers might by their rashness have prov'd of dangerous consequence if Marcius had not presently sounded a Retreat and himself in person stopping the foremost Ensigns and forced to hold back some of his men with his hands had not restrained the eagerness of the Army whom he led back into their Camp greedy still of more blood and slaughter The Carthaginians as at first they fled trembling from the Rampier seeing none pursue them imagining that fear made them forbear with a slow March as it were in contempt retreated to their own Works where they were altogether as negligent for though they saw the Enemy near yet they looked upon them but as the inconsiderable reliques of two late defeated Armies of which Marcius having notice resolv'd upon an Enterprize which at first seem'd not only couragious but Fool-hardy viz. to attacque them even in their Camp but he well consider'd both that it would be easier to master Asdrubal's Camp whilst he was yet alone than to defend his own against three several Armies when all their Generals should be join'd as also That if it succeeded he should restore the afflicted state of the Roman Affairs in those parts or at worst if he were repulsed he should however by so daring an Attempt vindicate his Forces from contempt and reproach But lest so sudden a Design and the terrour of Night-service should hinder an Undertaking the success whereof depended on Fortune he thought it best in the first place to make a Speech to his Souldiers and encourage them therefore having called them together he thus discoursed them Either the Reverence and affectionate Love which I had for our late Noble Generals both whilst living and after their death or that present hazardous condition wherein we all stand may easily my Follow-Souldiers perswade any one to believe that this Command wherein you have placed me as from you it was a very great mark of Honour so in it self is an uneasie task and full of care and trouble For at a time when but that fear took away the sense of sorrow I was not so much Master of my own Reason as to be able to find out any comfort for my own pensive and dejected Soul I am forced all alone which is a most difficult thing to do under such mournful circumstances to seek out means to alleviate the common Calamity of you all And yet even then when I am to consider by what means I may be able to preserve these poor remainders of two Armies for the service of our Country cannot I divert my mind from continual grief The bitter remembrance of our losses perpetually disquiets me and both the Scipio's seem to haunt me day and night and fill my head with cares and terrible dreams they make me often start out of my sleep charging me that I will neither suffer them nor their Souldiers who for eight years were your Companions in Arms and always victorious till now nor the Commonwealth to be unrevenged and withal warning me to pursue their Discipline and good Instructions and as never any one paid a more ready and punctual obedience to their Commands whilst living so now they are dead whatever we can most reasonably conceive they themselves would especially have done in any occurrences the same I would have you my Fellow Souldiers to think the best course and approve not with vain lamentations and womanish tears to bewail them as if they were extinct and utterly lost for ever for they live still and shall always flourish in the Glory and Renown of their mighty Atchievements but as often as you think of them think also that you see them encouraging and leading you on to Battel and so go into the Field to avenge their blood Nor was it any thing else but such a kind of sight that was yesterday presented to your eyes and minds and effected
replied Since after my Country is over-run my Relations and Friends destroyed and that with my own hands I have dispatcht my Wife and Children because they should suffer no Villainous Indignities I my self cannot obtain so much as to die the same Death which my Country-men have here suffer'd before my face Let me by my own Courage revenge my self of this Life which is so odious to me At which words drawing forth a Sword which he had hid under his Vest he ran himself through the Breast and fell down gasping at the Generals Feet But forasmuch as the Capuans Execution and most other affairs there were transacted by Flaccus alone and without the consent of his Collegue some Authors write that App. Claudius died about the time of that Cities surrender as also that this Taurea neither came of his own accord to Cales nor fell by his own hand but that being with the rest bound to a Stake and the noise of the people hindring the hearing of what he said silence was commanded and that then he spake the before-mention'd words viz. That he was basely put to death by a fellow nothing comparable to himself for Courage and Vertue whereupon by the Pro-Consuls Order the Cryer said to the Executioner Go Lictor and see you let this valiant man have the preeminence begin with him first and let him have a greater share of your pains than his fellows Likewise there are some Authors that say the Senates Ordinance was read before they were Beheaded but because the same run That if he thought good he should refer the whole matter to the Senate he interpreted it That he was notwithstanding at liberty to act as he thought most for the Interest of the Commonwealth From Cales he return'd to Capua having by the way taken the Towns Atella and Calatia upon submission where the principal persons suffer'd the like punishment Thus there were about fourscore Senators of Capua put to death and near three hundred Noblemen of Campania shut up close Prisoners others committed to the Custody of several associate Cities of the Latines came to sundry unhappy ends and as for the main multitude of the vulgar Inhabitants they were sold for Slaves Touching the City it self and Territories there was great Debate some were for having a City so strong so near so dangerous and mortal an Enemy to Rome to be utterly rased and destroyed but the consideration of present advantage prevailed For in regard of the Country lying round it which is well known to be the most fertile in all Italy the City was preserv'd to furnish the Husbandmen both with convenient Dwellings and a Market Therefore to inhabit it a multitude of the meaner Inhabitants as enfranchiz'd Bondmen ordinary Shop Keepers and Mechanicks were suffer'd to continue there but all the Land belonging to the City and the publick Buildings the Romans reserv'd in their own hands as forfeited Besides though Capua was inhabited like a City yet it was Ordered That there should be no Corporation no Senate no Common-Hall nor Magistrates without which the Rabble could never be able to combine together to recover their Liberties and for giving them Laws and administring Justice amongst them a Provost was every year to be sent from Rome Thus were the affairs of Capua setled by a course every way commendable for as the guilty were severely and speedily punisht and the vast number of Citizens dispers'd several ways without any hopes of return so the City it self was spared the innocent Houses not destroy'd with fire nor pull'd down with violence whereby the Romans besides their own profit gain'd the reputation of Clemency amongst their Allies in preserving such a most rich and antient City whose ruins not only all Campania but the neighbouring Nations round about would very sensibly have bemoan'd and lamented In the mean time the same was a sufficient Monument to all the World both how able the Romans were to chastize their faithless Allies and how vain Annibal's Protection was like to prove to any that he should undertake to secure The Senate of Rome having dispatcht what was necessary touching Capua assign'd unto Claudius Nero six thousand Foot out of those Legions which he had at Capua and three hundred Horse which himself had levied as also a like number of Foot and eight hundred Horse out of the associate Latine Forces which Army he Embarqu'd at Puteoli and transported into Spain landed them at Tarracon and having laid up his Ships in the Dock to augment his Forces put all the Mariners in Arms and so marching to the River Iberus received the Army there from the hands of T. Fonteius and L. Marcius and from thence advanc'd towards the Enemy Asdrubal the Son of Amilcar lay Encamp'd at a place call'd The Black Stones in Ausetania between the Towns Illiturgis and Mentissa and Nero had possess'd himself of the mouth of the passage into that Forrest whereupon Asdrubal that he might not be so closely pent up and at last reduc'd to some great extremity sent an Herald offering That if he might be permitted freely to march from thence he would withdraw all his Forces out of Spain The Roman General was overjoy'd at this overture and Asdrubal desired there might be a Conference held the next day where the Romans might set down Conditions and Articles in writing touching the Surrender of the Fortresses in every City and appointing the respective days when the Garrisons should be drawn out and that the Carthaginians might carry away all their Bag and Baggage without any fraud or interruption Which being consented to as soon as 't was dark and all the night long afterwards Asdrubal caused the heaviest part of his Army to be getting forth of the Straits by the best ways they could find but gave special directions that no great number should go that night because a few would better pass undiscover'd and more easily get through those Thickets and narrow By-paths Next Morning the Parley was begun but by long Conferences and drawing up Articles in writing and making exceptions and other designed delays the whole day was spent and adjourn'd till the morrow That night gave the Carthaginians opportunity to send off more of their Forces nor was the matter brought to a conclusion the day following but several days wasted in adjusting the Articles and the nights in privately emptying the Enemies Camp who having got away the greatest part of their men began now to wrangle and would not stand to things which before they themselves had voluntarily offer'd so that they were still further and further from agreement for their fears being over so was their Faith By this time almost all his Foot were got out of the pound when at break of day happen'd a mighty thick Fog that cover'd the whole Forrest and Plains adjacent which Asdrubal perceiving sent a Message to Nero desiring to put off the Conference till the morrow because that was an Holy-Day amongst the Carthaginians on which they
also beyond Sea were checquer'd with interchangeable Fortune King Philip in a very ill time became their Enemy but then the Aetolians and Attalus King of the lesser Asia did voluntarily offer to be their new Allies Fate even then by that Overture seeming to promise them the Empire of the East In like sort the Carthaginians as they lost Capua so they had won Tarentum and as they gloried not a little because without any opposition they had come up to the very Walls of Rome so they were pretty well mortified to find nothing at all gain'd in the end by that Expedition and that they should be so much slighted as whilst they sat before one Gate of Rome an Army of Romans was led forth at another and sent away into Spain And even in Spain also the greater hopes they had were that upon the death of two such renowned Generals and both their Armies routed the War would be at an end and the Romans driven from thence for ever the greater was their vexation to see those Victories rendred vain and of no use to them by the Valour of L. Marcius an unexpected Captain chosen in haste and performing such mighty Acts when they thought themselves sure enough that there was no body to make head against them Thus Fortune poizing their affairs in equal Scales all things were on both sides in a kind of wavering suspense and as well their hopes as their fears ran as high as at the very first moment that the War began But that which most of all gaul'd Annibal was that the seeing Capua more vigorously attacqu'd by the Romans than by him defended had quite alienated the affections of many of the States of Italy neither could he secure them all with sufficient Garrisons unless he meant to Cantonize his whole Army into driblets which would undo him in the Field and on the other side he was not willing by withdrawing his Garrisons to trust to his Allies Fidelity who being once left at liberty might easily be sway'd any way by their hopes or fears At last as he was naturally addicted to Avarice and Cruelty he resolved upon this course to plunder and make spoil of those Cities which he was not able to keep and so leave them wast and empty for the Enemy an Enterprize not more wicked and dishonourable in its first attempt than mischievous to himself in its consequences for he thereby utterly lost the hearts not only of those who actually suffer'd under these unjust violences and rapines but of all the rest besides for though the present loss and calamity reach'd but some few yet every body thought himself concern'd in the Example Nor was the Roman Consul wanting to solicite all such Cities as yielded him any grounds of hope that they might be brought over to the Roman Interest There were in Salapia two Noblemen eminent above all the rest Dasius and Blasius the former a firm Adherent to Annibal the latter as much as he durst favour'd the Romans and by secret Overtures had given Marcellus some hopes of a Revolt but the matter could not be brought about without the concurrence of Dasius wherefore after much musing and long delays he at length resolved rather for want of better Counsel than on any likelyhood of speeding to address himself to Dasius and acquaint him with the design Who not only out of aversion to the thing it self but Envy to the proposer as being the only man in the Town that was his match discovers the Plot to Annibal whereupon they both were summon'd to appear and as Annibal was sitting on his Tribunal dispatching some other affairs that he might anon the better attend unto the accusation of Blasius whilst the Plaintiff and Defendant stood apart by themselves a pretty way from the rest of the people Blasius briskly speaks to Dasius and again solicited him to deliver up the Town to the Romans Upon which Dasius as if now the matter were plain and manifest cries out aloud That even just now in the very presence of Annibal he was again instigating him to practise Treason and betray the City But this seem'd so extravagant a thing that Annibal nor any present could believe it but concluded rather that the accusation proceeded from Emulation and Malice and that therefore he chose to charge him with such a Crime as was not capable of other Witnesses that he himself might more freely devise lies against him and so they were both dismiss'd yet did not Blasius for all that give over this bold attempt but continued baiting of him with perpetual remonstrances how advantagious it would be both to themselves in particular and their Country in general whereby he at last prevail'd with him to consent that the City Salapia and the Punick Garrison there which consisted of five hundred Numidians should be rendred unto Marcellus but this could not be effected without much bloodshed for they were the stoutest Squadron of Horse in all the Carthaginian Army wherefore though they were surpriz'd and their Horses stood them scarce in any stead in the City yet with such Weapons as in that sudden Alarm they could catch up they first attempted to break their way through but finding that impossible they fought still most desperately to the last nor were there above fifty of them taken alive all the rest being kill'd upon the spot and the loss of this Wing of Horse was much more considerable to Annibal than of the City Salapia for never from that day forwards had the Carthaginians the better of the Romans in Cavalry which before was the only advantage they had over them and by which they obtain'd all their Victories About this time the Castle of Tarentum was grievously straitned for provisions and hardly able to hold out the only hope that M. Livius the Governour and the rest of that Garrison had was that they should be supplied from Sicily and for the safe Convoy thereof along the Coast of Italy there rod at Anchor a Fleet well near of twenty Sail before Rhegium The Admiral of which Fleet and of those Vessels appointed to transport Corn from time to time was one D. Quintius a person of obscure Birth but with many brave services he had signaliz'd himself and won much honour in military affairs at first he had the Command but of five Ships whereof two of the greatest which were three-Banked Gallies were allow'd him by Marcellus afterwards for his success in several Conflicts three more were added of five Banks of Oars apiece and at last he himself by calling upon the Confederate Cities as Rhegium Velia and Pastum for their Quota's of Ships which by their Treaties they were to furnish the Romans with made up a pretty Armado consisting as aforesaid of twenty Sail. As this Fleet put off from Rhegium it happen'd in their Voyage that Democrates Admiral of Tarentum with much a like number of Ships came up with them about five Leagues from Tarentum in a Bay call'd The
sindged by the heat there being no way for the foremost to retire because the crowd was so great behind them Thus Astapa was consumed by Fire and Sword without any booty taken by the Soldiers and Marcius having all the rest of that Region delivered to him out of fear by way of surrender led back his conquering Army to Scipio at New Carthage At that very time there came Renegadoes from Gades who promised They would betray that City the Punick Garrison that was in it and the Governour of that Garrison with the Navy to the Romans Mago had there stop'd his flight and having got ten Ships together from the Ocean had raised some Auxiliaries not only beyond the Streights on the Coast of Africa but out of the adjacent parts of Spain through the assistance of Hanno who was Prefect there When therefore they had mutually obliged themselves and the Renegadoes by solemn promises of fidelity Marcius was sent thither with the nimblest Regiments they had and Laelius with seven Gallies of three Banks and one of five that they might attack joyntly both by Land and Sea Scipio himself falling extremely sick though said to be much worse than really he was because every one made some addition 't is a thing so natural to mankind to propagate reports to what they heard put all the Province but especially the remoâ—er parts of it into disorder whereby it was evident what a great disturbance his being truly dead would have made if a false rumour could raise such storms Hence neither Allies continued in their fidelity nor their Army in their duty Mandonius and Indibilis whose expectations were not answered they having designed the Kingdom of Spain for themselves now that the Carthaginians were beaten out stirred up their Countrymen the Lacetans with the Celtiberian Youth and in an hostile manner depopulated the Suessetane and Sedetane Territories which belonged to the Allies of the Roman People Another civil tumult arose in the Camp near the River Sucro where there were eight Thousand Soldiers set as a Guard to those Nations that live on this side the River Iberus Now they were disgusted not just then when they heard the General was sick but long before being grown licentious as People use to be by their continued peace and ease and somewhat the more because having been used so much to plunder the Enemies Country they were now in Peace more straitned and kept in But at first they talked only in private and said If there were a War in the Province Why were they idle if otherwise and that the Province were quite subdu'd Why were not the Romans gone back into Italy They also demanded their pay with more insolence than became the modesty and custom of Soldiers besides that their Sentinels gave sawcy language to the Tribunes as they went their rounds Some also went a foraging in the night time about the Country that was at Peace and in sine they left their Ensigns in the Day time openly without any furlow so that all things were carried according to the pleasure and licentious humour of the Soldiers but nothing consonant to the Rules and Discipline of War or the commands of those that governed Yet the form of the Roman Camp continued by this only means that they thinking the Tribunes who were a little infected would not be free from the contagion of that sedition and defection permitted them to act as Judges in the Principia the middle of the Camp fetching the Word from them but went themselves in their turns to visit all the Guards and Watches By which means as they had taken from them the power of commanding so they preserved the shew of obedience to them though they were their own Masters Hereupon a Sedition broke out when they perceived the Tribunes reprehended and disapproved of what was done endeavouring to withstand it and publickly declaring that they would not be partakers in their fury Wherefore having turn'd the Tribunes first out of the Principia and soon after out of the Camp the sole command was conferred by general consent upon the Heads of the Sedition two private Sentinels whose names were C. Albius Calenus and Atrius Vmber Who being no ways content with the Tribunitial Ornaments were so bold as to make use of those Sovereign Ensigns the Axes and Rods. Nor did they think that those Axes and Rods were like to fall upon their Necks and Backs which they had carried before them to terrifie others For the report of the Death of Scipio which they believ'd though false had blinded their minds upon the common News whereof they did not doubt But to set all Spain in flames by a War In which tumult they might not only exact Money of the Allies but also rifle the neighbouring Cities And that amidst such disturbances when all Men durst do what they pleas'd their actions would be less conspicuous When they expected fresh intelligence not only of his Death but Funeral also and none came but the false rumour vanished the first Authors of it were inquired after Whereupon each one excusing himself so as that they might seem rather to have believed it at a venture than made such a story the Heads of the Sedition were aweary of their Ensigns and fear'd that instead of that vain shadow of Empire which they bore a true and a just Authority would soon turn it self upon their Heads The Sedition being thus at a stand there was certain intelligence brought that Scipio was not only alive but well too and there came to confirm it seven Tribunes of the Soldiery who were sent by Scipio himself At whose first arrival their minds began to be exasperated but soon after those Tribunes perswading such as they met and knew with fair words they were appeased For going about first to every Tent and then into the Praetorium the Generals Tent and Principia where they saw any crowds of Soldiers talking together they spoke to them asking rather What was the cause of their suddain fury and consternation than accusing them for what they had done They generally gave out that they had not their pay at the Day appointed But though at the same time when the * In betraâ—ing the Romans villany was committed at Illiturgi after the destruction of two Generals and two Armies the Roman Glory was preserved by their valour and the Province kept still in subjection the Illiturgitans having the due reward of their crimes there was no Man would thank them for what they had done Seeing therefore that they complained in this manner they told them Their requests were but just and they would tell the General of it That they were glad the case was no worse and might be so easily remedied and that Scipio through the mercy of the Gods with the Commonwealth was able to thank thâ—m for all their pains Scipio who was used to War but a stranger to Seditions was mightily concerned at it lest either the Army should offend him or
he punish them too much For the present therefore as he had begun he thought fit to deal very gently with them and by sending Collectors all about to the Cities that were Tributaries toward the paying of the Army to put them in some nearer prospect and hopes of their pay Thereupon he set forth an Edict That they should come to Carthage for their arrears either in small parties or all together as they pleased But that which totally quieted this Sedition which was already of it self in a languishing condition was the suddain reconciliation of the rebellious Spaniards For Mandonius and Indibilis were come home again having quitted their enterprise when they heard that Scipio was alive nor had the seditious now any Countrymen or Stranger wherewithal to communicate their Fury Wherefore considering all things they found there was nothing left for them to do better than the safest refuge which was To resign themselves either to the just anger or the clemency of their General which was not even yet to be despaired of That he had pardoned even his Enemies with whom he had fought and that their sedition was carried on without any blood or wounds being neither cruel it self nor consequently deserving any very severe punishment Which words of theirs were according to the nature of Mankind who are but too rhetorical when they would lessen their own guilt This only doubt they made Whether they should go to fetch their pay in single Regiments or all together but that opinion took which they thought carryed most safety in it That they should go all at once At the same time when they were in this consultation there was a Council held about them at Carthage where they differed in opinion Whether they should punish only the Authors of the Sedition who were not above five and thirty or whether a defection rather than a sedition of such ill example ought to be revenged upon more But the milder opinion took place That whence the fault first sprung there the punishment should be laid and that any sort of chastisement was enough to keep the multitude in order Having dismissed the Council to shew he minded what he was about Scipio ordered the Army that was at Carthage to go immediately against Mandonius and Indibilis and to take Provisions along with them for several Days Then sending the seven Tribunes of the Soldiers who before also went to Sucro to appease the Sedition to meet the Army there being five Names brought in of such as were Ringleaders of the Sedition he ordered the Tribunes to get them invited into some Inn by Men fit for that purpose with fair words and courteous behaviour and when they were drunk to bind them They were not far from Carthage when those they met told them That the next day the whole Army went with M. Silanus against the Lacetans which News did not only free them from all fear which tacitely lay upon their Spirits but made them exceeding glad because they were like to have a sole General more than to be under his command About Sun-setting they came into the City and saw another Army preparing all things for their March Then having been entertain'd with speeches made on purpose in which they were complemented and told That their arrival was very happy and opportune for the General that they should come just upon the setting out of another Army they refreshed themselves Which when they had done they laid hold of the Authors of the Sedition without any noise when they were brought into the Inns by Men fit for that purpose and bound them At the fourth Watch the carriages of the Army which they pretended would march began to set out At break of Day the Ensigns moved but the Body of the Army was stop'd at the Gate and Guards sent to all the Gates of the City to hinder any Body from going out Then those who came the Day before being summoned to an Assembly ran all together with speed and vehemence into the Forum to the Generals Tribunal designing to frighten them with their shouts At the same time the General also got up upon the Tribunal and the Soldiers being brought back from the Gates planted themselves behind the unarm'd Assembly Thereupon all their courage was cooled as they afterward confessed That nothing terrified them so much as the Generals strength and colour whom they expected to find very ill he having such a complection they said as that they never remembered him to have such an one even in the field He sate silent for a while till word was brought that the Authors of the Sedition were come into the Forum and all things were ready Then the Cryer commanding silence he thus began I thought I should never want words to speak to my Army not that I ever made words more than things my business but because almost from my childhood having lived in a Camp I was always used to military dispositions yet how I shall speak to you I do not know no not so much as by what name to apply my self to you and call you Citizens who have revolted from your Country Or Soldiers who have refused my command and conduct and broken your military oath Enemies I own you have the bodies faces habit and guise of Citizens but I see the actions words designs and inclinations of Enemies For what have you either desired or hoped for but what the Illergetes and Lacetans have done Nay they followed Mandonius and Indibilis who were Princes when they rebell'd but you have conferred the command and conduct of your Persons upon Umbrus Atrius and Calenus Albius Tell me you did not all do so or desired it should be so but that it was the fury and madness of some few I am very willing to believe you when you say so For there have such things been committed as if they were common to all the Army could be atoned for without great Sacrifices But I am loth to touch them as I would be to touch wounds though if they are not touch'd and handled they cannot be cured And indeed since the Carthaginians were driven out of Spain I did not think there had been any place in the whole Province or any Person where or to whom my life had been an eye-sore so cautiously did I behave my self not only in respect to our Allies but even my Enemies also In my own Camp see how I was mistaken the report of my Death was not only well taken but expected too Not that I would have you think every one of them guilty for if I thought my Army wished my Death I would dye here presently before their faces nor would my life do me any good if it wâ—re hateful to my Countrymen and fellow Soldiers But every multitude like the Sea though of its own nature immoveable as the winds and breezes move it is calm or stormy and the original cause of all your fury were the Authors of it for you are mad by
the Carthaginians who had been the cause of the War an hundred and thirty military Ensigns carried off besides above two hundred Waggons The Towns that had complyed with the Revolters surrendered themselves to the Romans Minucius the Consul had first over-ran the Boian Territories with extraordinary devastations but when they had left the Insubrians and were come back to defend their own kept himself within his Camp supposing he must then have a set Battle with the Enemy Nor had the Boii declined the fight had not the News which was brought them of the Insubrians being defeated quite damped their Spirits Wherefore leaving their General and their Camp they dispersed themselves about their Villages each man to defend what he had and totally altered the Enemies measures in the mannage of the War For having now no hopes of determining the matter at one bout he began again to plunder the Country burn the Houses and take the Towns At that time Clastidium was set on fire and from thence were the Legions led toward the Ligurian Iluates who were the only people that would not submit And that Nation too as soon as they heard that the Insubrians were Conquer'd and that the Boii were thereupon so affrighted as that they durst not so much as try the fortune of a Battle made their Surrender About that time there were Letters brought from the Consuls to Rome concerning their success in Gaul which M. Sergius the City Praetor read first in the Senate and then by order of that House to the People upon which there was a Supplication appointed to be made for four dayes together It was now Winter and just at that time when T. Quintius having taken Elatia was gone into his Winter Quarters in Phocis and Locris that a sedition broke out at Opus In which one Faction sent to the Aetolians who were the nearer and the other the Romans to assist them The Aetolians came first but the stronger Faction shutting out the Aetolians and sending a Messenger to the Roman General continued Masters of the City till he came A Garison of the Kings had possession of the Castle who could not be induced to stir from thence either by the menaces of the Opuntians nor the Authority of the Roman Consul who commanded it The reason why they were not presently Besieged was this that an Herald came from the King to desire time and place for a Parley That was a request which the Consul could very hardly grant not but that he desir'd that the War might seem to be made an end of partly by force of Arms and partly upon conditions too For he did not yet know whether he should have a Successor sent him out of the new Consuls or which he had ordered his Friends and Relations as much as possible to endeavour whether he should be continued in Commission However he thought a Parley might be convenient that he might have his choice either if he staid to dispose things toward a War or if he went off toward a Peace For this purpose therefore they chose the Sea-shore in the Malian Bay near Nicaea And thither came the King from Demetrias with five Barks and one Man of War attended by the Macedonian Nobility and a famous Achaean who was banish'd his Country call'd Cycliadas With the Roman General there was King Amynander Dionysodorus Attalus's Embassador Agesimbrotus Admiral of the Rhodian Fleet Phaeneas Prince of Aetolia and two Achaeans Aristanus and Xenophon Among these persons the Roman marching on to the extremity of the breach and seeing the King come only into the Prow of his Ship that stood at Anchor there told him We may discourse with and hear each other more commodiously when we are nearer if you will but come a shore To which the King making Answer that he should not take his advice Quintius reply'd Why who is it that you are afraid of The King made this proud and King-like return I fear no person but the immortal Gods but I dare not trust all those that I see about you and of all the Aetolians least Why said the Roman All men that meet to parley with an Enemy are in equal danger as to that that they may be betray'd That 's true said the King but then the reward of their treachery is not equal if they should deceive each other Phaeneas and Philip. For it is not so hard for the Aetolians to put another Governour in the place of Phaneas as it is for the Macedonians to find another King when I am gone After these words had past they were all silent till the Roman began and said he thought it fitting for him to speak first who desired the Conference to which the King reply'd That it was his part to begin who prescribed not who accepted the terms of peace Whereupon the Roman told him He would be very plain with him for he design'd to say such things as that unless he perform'd them there was no likelyhood of a Peace That the King must draw his Guards out of all the Cities in Greece restore their Captives and Fugitives to all the Allies of the Roman people deliver back to the Romans those places in Illyrium that he had taken possession of after the peace was concluded on in Epirus and give up those Cities to Ptolomy King of Aegypt which he had invaded after the death of Ptolomy Philopator That these were the terms which he and the Roman People would make but that it was also very just that the demands of their Allies too should be heard For King Attalus's Embassador demanded the Ships and Captives that were taken in the Sea fight at Cius complaining that Nicephorium and the Temple of Venus which he had plundered and laid wast were restored as though they had never been violated The Rhodians demanded back Peraea a Country upon the Continent opposite to their Island to which it anciently belong'd and required that his Garrisons should be drawn out of Jassus Bargyllae and Eurome and in Hellespont from Sestus and Abydos as also that Panopolis should be restored to the Byzantians with all its ancient immunities and that all the Mart-Towns and Ports of Asia should be set at liberty The Achaeans redemanded Corinth and Argi but as Phaeneas Praetor of the Aetolians who desired much what the same thing as the Roman that the Macedonians should depart out of Greece and that those Cities that were formerly theirs might be restored to the Aetolians a certain Nobleman of Aetolia call'd Alexander who among them was reckoned a very Eloquent Person went on with his Speech and said He had held his tongue a great while not that he thought they had done any thing to the purpose in that Conference but for fear of interrupting any of his Allies who was a speaking But now he could not forbear to tell them that Philip did neither talk of Peace with any sincerity nor ever make War with true Courage That in his Parleys he was
plant his battering Ram near the Walls Now all Acarnania lying between Aetolia and Epirus looks toward the West and the Sicilian Sea Leucadia which is now an Island divided by a narrow arm of the Sea which was cut through by Art from Acarnania was then a Peninsula joining Westward by a small neck of Land to Acarnania That neck of Land was almost five hundred paces long though not above a hundred and twenty broad and upon this streight was Leucas built upon an Hill Eastward and toward Acarnania but the lower part of the City was plain and lay to that Sea whereby Leucadia is divided from Acarnania For that reason 't is to be taken either by Sea or Land For not only the narrow Chanel which parts that and the Continent is more like to a Pool than a Sea but the Plains all thereabout are fit for Tillage and easy to raise works upon Wherefore the Walls in several places at once were either undermin'd or knock'd down with the Ram. But the City was not more liable to an Assault than the resolutions of the Enemy were Invincible For they laboured day and night to repair the breaches and fill up the gaps that were made in the Walls being very eager to engage in the fight and to defend their Walls with their Arms rather than themselves with their Walls And they had protracted that Siege beyond the expectations of the Romans had not some banish'd persons of Italian Extract who lived at Leucas let the Souldiers into the Castle Yet then also though they ran down in a great tumult from that higher place did the Leucadians for some time resist with a Body form'd as for a pitch'd Battle in the Market-place In the mean time not only the Walls were scaled and taken in several places but they got over the heaps of Stones and Ruins into the City By which time also the Lieutenant himself had with a great number circumvented those that were a fighting of whom part were slain in the middle between the Enemies and part throwing down their Arms surrender'd themselves to the Conquerour And some few days after when they heard of the Battle that was fought at Cynocephalae all the people of Acarnania came and surrender'd themselves to the Lieutenant At the same time now that fortune inclin'd all things at once the same way the Rhodians also to regain that part of the Continent from Philip which they call Peraea and had been long possess'd by their Ancestors sent Pausistratus the Praetor with eight hundred Achaeans that were Foot Souldiers and about nineteen hundred more that were Auxiliaries gather'd up out of several Countries and in different Habiliments of War Gauls Nisuans Pisuans Tamians Areans out of Africa and Laodiceans out of Asia With these Forces Pausistratus lay at Tendeba a place very convenient in the Territories of Stratonicea whilst the Kings men that were at Thera knew nothing of it There came also very seasonably as an addition to that aid which he had gotten a thousand Achaean Foot with a hundred Horse commanded by Theoxenus Dinocrates the Kings Prefect in order to recover the Castle first remov'd his Camp to the very Wall of Tendeba and from thence to another Castle which was in the Territories of Stratonicea likewise call'd Astragon Where summoning all their Forces out of the Garisons who were mightily disabled together with the Thessalian Auxiliaries from Stratonicea it self he march'd forward toward Alabanda where the Enemy then lay Nor did the Rhodians decline the fight but being both their Camps were near to each other came presently into the Field Dinocrates placed five hundred Macedonians in the right Wing and the Agrians in the left taking into the main body those that he had muster'd up out of the several Garisons who were most of them Carians and cover'd the Wings with the Horse The Rhodian Regiment had the Cretan and Thracian Auxiliaries in the right Wing and in the left the mercenary men who were a chosen Band of Foot in their main Body the Auxiliaries made up of several Nations all the Horse and Light armour that were being set about the Wings That the two Armies only stood upon the Bank of a Torrent that flow'd between them with a small stream and having thrown some few Darts retired into their Camps But the next day being marshall'd in the same order they had a far greater fight than was proportionable to the number of those that were engaged in it For they were not above three thousand Foot and about a hundred Horse who fought not only with equal numbers and Armour all alike but with proportionable Courage too and equal hopes The Achaeans first having got over the Torrent made an attack upon the Agrians whereupon almost the whole Army ran over the River But the sight continu'd for a long time doubtful till the Achaeans who were themselves a thousand in number made four hundred of the Enemy give way Then all the right Wing began to yield though the Macedonians as long as they kept to their ranks and stood like a close Phalanx could not be stir'd But when their left Flank being unguarded they began to throw their Spears round about them upon the Enemy who came athwart to attack them they were presently put into disorder and making first a tumult among themselves soon after turn'd their backs till at last throwing away their Arms and running for it as fast as they could they made toward Bargyllae Dinocrates also fled the same way and the Rhodians having pursued them as long as 't was day-light retreated to their Camp Now it is very evident that if the Conquerours had gone immediately to Stratonicea that City might have been taken without any more ado But they lost that opportunity whilst they spent time in recovering the Castles and Villages of Peraea In the mean time the minds of those that were Ingarison'd at Stratonicea were fortified besides that Dinocrates also not long after enter'd their Walls with those Forces that were left For from that time it was to no purpose to besiege or attack that City nor could it be taken till some time after by Antiochus These things past in Thessaly Achaia and Asia about the same time Philip hearing that the Dardans were come into his Dominions out of contempt to him for having relinquish'd his Kingdom and had wasted the upper parts of Macedonia though he were hard put to it in almost all the World now that Fortune was so severe to him and his Party yet thinking it worse than death to be forced from the possession of Macedonia he made a sudden Levy through the Cities of that Kingdom and with six thousand Foot and five hundred Horse near Stobus in Paeonia surpriz'd the Foe And there he slew a great number of men in the fight but a greater that were stragled about the Country for plunder Those that could readily escape and did not so much as try the fortune of the day return'd
was better to undergo any misfortune in alliance with the Romans than either alone to suffer the Tyranny of Antiochus or refusing it to be forced by main strength of Arms. For these reasons as far as his authority and advice would go with them he incited the Romans to a War Sulpicius being sick staid at Pergamus but Villius having heard at Pisidiae that the King was engaged in a War went to Ephesus where staying several Days he did what he could to have frequent conference with Annibal who then chanced to be there not only to find if possibly he could his inclinations but to remove that fear which he was in of danger from the Romans By which means though he obtained nothing else yet it followed as it were of its own accord and as if it had been industriously sought after that Annibal for that reason became less esteemed in all points more suspected by the King Claudius relying upon the Greek Annals written by Acilius says that P. Africanus being concerned in that Embassy had some discourse at Ephesus with Annibal And he gives you one instance too of what they said which was that when Africanus asked Annibal whom he thought to have been the greatest General in the whole World that he answer'd Alexander King of Macedon for that with a small number of Men he had routed innumerable Armies and because he had overran the utmost Borders of the East which even to see exceeds all humane hopes Whereupon when he asked him again whom he placed second that he said Pyrrhus for he first taught Men how to encamp besides that no Man took places with more Art or better dispos'd of his Garrisons wherewithal he had such a knack of winning upon Mens affections that the Italian Nations were more willing to submit to his Government though a foreign Prince than that of the Roman People who had so long been Lords of that Country After which when Africanus went on and asked him whom he look'd upon as the third that he said without all doubt himself And with that Scipio laugh'd and asked him what wouldst thou say if thou hadst overcome me too Why then said he I should think my self beyond not only Alexander and Pyrrhus but all other Generals also In which case Scipio provoked him to an answer that was perplexed with Punick artifice and a kind of flattery for that Scipio had separated himself from all the crowd of Generals as a Person inestimable Villius went on from Ephesus to Apamea where Antiochus also having heard of the arrival of the Roman Embassadors met him and had almost such another debate as that was at Rome between Quintius and the Kings Embassadors But the news of his Son Antiochus's Death who I told you even now was sent into Syria determined the Conference For there was great sorrow in the Court and every body was much concern'd for the loss of that Youth he having given such a specimen of himself that if he had lived it was plainly seen he would have been a great and a just King By how much the dearer therefore he was to all People so much the more suspected was his Death viz. that his Father believing him to be an heavy Successour to tread upon the heels of his Old Age took him off with Poyson by the help of certain Eunuchs who are entertained by Kings to do such pieces of service They also add this as another cause of that clandestine exploit that whereas he had given his Son Seleucus Lysimachia he had ne'r another seat like that to give Antiochus so as to send him too under pretence of honour a great way from him Yet there was a general sorrow for some Days all over the Court and therefore the Roman Embassador lest he might offend them by staying there at such an unseasonable time went to Pergamus whilst the King omitting the War which he had begun return'd to Ephesus There upon the account of their King being in mourning the Palace was shut up and the King had a private consultation with one Minio who was his most familiar friend Minio being ignorant of all foreign Affairs and valuing the Kings strength by what he did in Syria or Asia believ'd that Antiochus was not only superiour to him in a just cause for that the Romans demanded nothing that was reasonable but that he would likewise overcome him in War Minio therefore though the King was not willing to come to a debate with the Embassadors as having found it to no purpose before or being confounded with his late grief declar'd that he would say somewhat that should be for the Kings advantage and prevailed to have the Embassadors sent for from Pergamus Sulpicius was now recovered of his sickness so they came both to Ephesus where the King being excused by Minio the thing began to be debated in his absence and Minio in an Oration which he had got ready before-hand said thus I see you Romans make use of the specious title of being deliverers of Greece but your actions do not agree with your words in that you set one Law to Antiochus and use another your selves For how are the Smyrneans and the Lampsacenes more Greeks than the Neopolitans the Rhegines or the Tarentines from whom you exact a stipend for your Souldiers and Ships according to the League made between you Why do you send a Praetor every year with a Commission Rods and Axes to Syracuse and into the other Grecian Cities of Sicily You have nothing else to say for your selves but that when you had conquer'd them you imposed upon them such and such Laws Pray accept of the same reason from Antiochus concerning Smyrna Lampfacus and the Cities that are in Ionia or Aeolis He would fain have them since they were conquer'd in War by his Ancestors and made stipendiary or tributary reduced to their ancient constitution Wherefore to these things I would have him answer'd if you dispute upon equal terms and the cause of the War be not inquir'd after To which Sulpicius reply'd Antiochus said he did very modestly who if what was said would be no advantage to him chose rather to have any body else say it than himself For what likeness is there between the cases of those Cities which you have compar'd From the Rhegines Neapolitans and Tarentines ever since they came into our hands we exact of them what by League they owe us according to one perpetual tenour of Law which has been always used Now can you say that as those people have not broke their League either by themselves or any other so the Cities of Asia ever since they first became subject to Antiochus 's Ancestors have continu'd in the perpetual possession of their Kingdom or that some of them were not under Philip others under Ptolomy and that others for many years no body questioning their rights enjoy'd their liberty For if because they once were Slaves when press'd to it by the iniquity of the
buy any thing in order to an escape nor that any man should receive conceal or any wayes assist those that fled from Justice The Assembly being dismiss'd there was a great terrour all over the City Nor did it contain it self within the Walls only of the City or the bounds of Rome but they began to tremble all over Italy upon the receit of Letters from their Friends concerning the Order of Senate the Assembly and the Edict of the Consuls Many persons that might after the day on which the thing in the Assembly was discover'd they having set Watches at all the Gates about the Town were laid hold on as they were running away and brought back again by the Triumviri whilst the names of many others were notified Some of them both Men and Women kill'd themselves there being above seven thousand of both Sexes said to be in the Conspiracy But the heads of the Conspiracy as was well known were M. and L. Catinius two ordinary Roman Citizens L. Opiternius a Faliscan and Minius Cerrinius a Campanian That from these men sprang all those Villanies and Enormities and that they were the chief Priests and Promoters of such impious holy rites Wherefore there was care taken that they should be laid hold on as soon as possible Nor did they when they were brought to the Consul and had made their confession put any stop to the Sentence concerning them But there were so many persons who fled the City that seeing many men lost both the benefit of the Law and their goods too against them the Praetors T. Maenius and Marcus Licinius were forced by the Senate to differ the business to the 30th day after that time till the Consuls should have made an end of their Inquiries The same solitude for that they whose names were brought in did not Answer or were not to be found in Rome forced the Consuls to go about into the several Towns there to make inquiry and perform the part of Judges Those that were only initiated and had said Prayers according to the sacred form which the Priests repeated before them in which was contained a cursed Conspiracy to do all acts of Villany and Lechery but had not committed any of those things to which by Oath they were obliged they left in Bonds behind them but those that had been defiled by Lust or Murder or those that had been contaminated by false Testimonies false Tokens forging of Wills or other Frauds they put to Death There were more kill'd than put into Prison though there were great numbers in both cases both of Men and Women The Women that were condemn'd they deliver'd to their Relations in whose hands or Tutelage they were that they might punish them in private But if there were no person sit to punish them they did it in publick After that the Consuls were injoin'd first to pull down all the Bacchanalia at Rome and then all over Italy except there were any ancient Altar or consecrated Image in them And for the future it was provided by order of Senate That there should be no Bacchanalia at Rome or in any part of Italy That if any man thought such a Sacrifice so solemn and necessary that he could not omit it without being guilty of a great sin he should come and tell the City Praetor that the Praetor should consult the Senate by whose permission when there were an hundred at least of the Senators present that Sacrifice might be performed but so that there should not be above five present at it nor any common publick money any Master of the Ceremonies or any Priest allow'd After that there was another Order of Senate annex'd to this upon the proposal of Q. Marcius the Consul that concerning them whom the Consuls had made use of as Informers the whole matter should be refer'd to the Senate when Sp. Postumius having made an end of his Inquiries came back to Rome They thought fit to send Minius Cerrinius of Campania to Prison at Ardea and to give order before hand to the Magistrates of that place to look to him more narrowly than ordinary not only lest he should make his escape but likewise that he might have no opportunity to destroy himself Sp. Postumius came some time after to Rome upon whose Proposal of a reward for P. Aebutius and Hispala Fecenia because by their means the Bacchanals were discover'd there was an Order of Senate made That to each of them the City Questors should give out of the Treasury a hundred thousand pound of brass money and that the Consul with the Tribunes of the People should take care as soon as possible to propose to the Commons that P. Aebutius should be discharg'd from serving in the Wars so that he should not be a Souldier against his will nor should the Censor assign him a publick Horse i. e. force him to be a Trooper and that Fecenia Hispala should have the liberty to bestow or diminish her Patrimony to marry out of her Patrons Family i. e. with any other man besides his freed men and take whom she pleased for her Guardian as if her Husband had so order'd it by his Will and that she should have the liberty to marry a man that was ingenuously born who should not be lookt upon to be by that any way degraded or disparaged And that the Consuls for the time being or those that should hereafter be should take care that that Woman had no hurt done to her but that she might live in safety all which the Senate order'd and thought fit to be done All these things therefore were proposed to the Commons and done according to the order of Senate and as to the impunity and rewards of the other Informers the whole matter was left to the Consuls And now Q. Marcius having made an end of all Inquiries within his district was preparing to go into the Province of Liguria after he had receiv'd three thousand Roman Foot a hundred and fifty Horse and five thousand Latin Foot with two hundred Horse as a Supplement to his Forces The same Province was also assign'd to his Collegue with the same number of Horse and Foot They likewise receiv'd the Armies which C. Flaminius and M. Aemilius the Consuls the year before had But they were farther order'd by the Senate to raise two new Legions besides that they exacted twenty thousand Foot from the Allies and Latines with thirteen hundred Horse three thousand Roman Foot and two hundred Horse All this Army except the Legions they thought fit to send as a Supplement to the Army in Spain Wherefore the Consuls whilst they themselves were imploy'd about their Inquiries into the Bacchanalia committed to T. Maenius the chief care of making the Levy When they had made an end of their Inquisitions Q. Marcius went first into that part of Liguria where the Apuans live Whom whilst he pursu'd a great way into their secret Woods which were their constant lurking places and refuges
a Lyer but even a mad man too But soon after when several came one after another and told the same story at last they believ'd it And before they were well assur'd that he was come near the City they all flock'd out to see the show Freemen and Slaves Women and Children Whereupon the crowd fill'd up the Gate whilst each particular person unless he were convinced by his own Eyes thought he could not be sufficiently assured of so great a thing They therefore that brought Philopoemen could hardly get in at the Gate for the throng of people that came out to meet them besides that a numerous multitude had blockt up the rest of the way By this means the greatest part of them being debar'd from the sight of him they got into a Theatre which stood by the rodes side and all with one Voice desired that he might be brought thither for the people to look upon But the Magistrates and Nobility fearing lest their compassion for so great a man when he was before them should cause any tumult for some of them probably would be moved by their respect to his former grandeur compar'd with his present condition and others by their remembrance of his extraordinary merits they set him in view at a good distance but immediately took him away out of their sight since the Praetor Dinocrates said that the Magistrates had a mind to ask him some questions about the great occasion of the War Then having brought him into the Court and called a Senate they began to advise By this time it was toward Evening e'r they had resolv'd not only upon other matters but where they might keep him safe the next night For they were amazed at the greatness of his former condition and courage so that they neither durst take him home with them nor entrust any single person with the custody of him But by and by some of them put the rest in mind that there was a publick Treasury under ground which was wall'd about with square stone Into that therefore he was bound and put and a great stone wherewith it was cover'd by the help of an Engine laid upon it Thus they thinking it more secure to trust to a place than to any man to keep him expected till the next Morning The day following the whole multitude remembring his former merits toward their City were of opinion that they ought to spare him and through him to seek out remedies for their present misfortunes though the Authors of the revolt in whose hands the Common-Wealth was did all in secret contrive his Death but whether they should hasten or defer it was the question At last those who were most desirous to have him punish'd prevail'd and there was a person sent to carry him poyson When he took the Cup they say he spoke no other words but only ask'd Whether Lycortas who was the other General of the Achaeans and the Horsemen escaped safe To which when it was answer'd Yes that he said 'T is very well and thereupon drinking off the Cup without any fear at all not long after expired Nor was their joy for his death of any long continuance to the Authors of that Cruelty For Messene being overcome in the War deliver'd up the Criminals at the request of the Achaeans and restored Philopoemens bones too who was buried by the whole Achaean Council and had so many humane honours by them confer'd upon him that they could hardly abstain for paying him divine ones By Writers both Greeks and Latines there is so much attributed to this man that by some of them it is set down as a signal remark upon this Year That three famous Generals deceased that Year Philopoemen Annibal and P. Scipio so equal did they make him to the greatest Generals of the two most puissant Nations in the World Mean while T. Quintius Flaminius came Embassadour to King Prusias whom the Romans suspected not only for having entertain'd Annibal after his flight but also for making War against Eumenes Thereupon whether because it was objected against Prusias by Flaminius that among other things there was a man in his Court who was of all men living the greatest Enemy to the Romans and had advised his own Country first and next when they were subdu'd King Antiochus to wage a War against the Roman people or because Prusias himself to gratifie Flaminius who was there present and the Romans resolv'd of himself to kill or deliver him up into his power upon the first interview with Flaminius there were Souldiers immediately sent to guard Annibals House Annibal had always had in his mind the prospect of such an end in that he not only saw the inexpiable hatred of the Romans to him but also that he ought not to put any confidence in those Kings besides that he had particular experience of Prusias's levity He likewise was much concern'd at the arrival of Flaminius as though it was like to be fatal to him Now that he might always have some way to escape when ever he should be set round with danger he had made seven wayes to go out of his House and some of them private too lest they might be stopped up by a guard But the severe commands of Kings make every thing discoverable that they have a mind to find out For they surrounded the whole House with guards so that no body could get out Annibal therefore when he was told that the Kings Souldiers were in his Porch endeavour'd to make his escape at a back Door which was out of the way and the most private out-let but finding that too block'd up by a Company of Souldiers and that all the House was environ'd quite round with Guards he call'd for that Poyson which he had long before prepared for such an occasion Let us free said he the Roman People from their tedious care since they think it long to expect the death of an old Man Flaminius will gain no great or memorable Victory over a person disarm'd and betray'd How much the Roman people are alter'd in their carriage even this day is a sufficient argument Their Fathers gave King Pyrrhus who was their Enemy in Arms and with an Army in Italy warning to take care of Poyson but they have now sent a Consular Embassadour to perswade King Prusias basely to murder his Guest and Friend With that having sent some Curses upon the Head and Kingdom of Prusias he invoked the Gods of Hospitality as Witnesses of his violated Faith and so drank up the Bowl Thus dy'd Annibal Polybius and Rutilius say that Scipio dy'd this Year though I agree not either with them or Valerius not with them because I find L. Valerius who was Censor with M. Porcius in the time of their Censorship chosen President of the Senate though Africanus had been so for two Surveys last past who whilst he lived unless he were put out of the Senate which is a remark that no body has ever made
Perseus should have it as the reward of his wicked treachery I shall fansy that Demetrius is raised from the dead and here again if I leave you in his room who was the only man that mourned for the death of that innocent youth and my unhappy errour After this Speech to Antigonus Philip never failed to shew him all the publick respect imaginable For since Perseus was in Thrace Philip went about to all the Cities of Macedonia recommending Antigonus to all the Princes of the Country and no question but if his life had been somewhat longer he would have left him in full possession of the Kingdom Going from Demetrias he spent a great deal of time at Thessalonica From whence coming to Amphipolis he fell sick of a grievous distemper But yet it was evident that he was more disorder'd in his mind than his body and that he was destroy'd by care and watching whilst the Image and Ghost as it were of his murder'd though innocent Son tormented him with direful thoughts insomuch that he died cursing the other Nevertheless Antigonus might have been put into the Throne had not the Kings Death been on a sudden divulged But Calligenes the Physician who took care of him in his sickness without staying till the King was quite dead upon the first symptoms of despair sent Messengers that were laid ready before hand as they two had agreed to Perseus and concealed the Kings Death from all People that were out of the Palace till his coming By this means Perseus surpriz'd them all before they were aware of his coming or knew that the King was dead and so invaded that Kingdom which by his wickedness he had gain'd Philips Death was very opportune to gain time for raising new Forces in order to a War For some few dayes after the Nation of the Bastarnians having been a long time sollicited thereunto had forsaken their own Country and with a great force of Horse and Foot came over the River Ister Now there came from thence before-hand two Messengers to inform the King Antigonus and Cotto the latter whereof was a noble Bastarnian and Antigonus was sent much against his will Embassadour with Cotto to instigate the Bastarnians Not far from Amphipolis they met with news though uncertain that the King was dead which spoilt all their whole design For thus it was agreed that Philip should secure the Bastarnians a free passage through Thrace and provide them all necessaries in order whereunto he had engaged the Princes of those parts with presents and promised them that the Bastarnians should go peaceably through their Territories Now his design was to extinguish the Nation of the Dardans and to settle the Bastarnians in their Country By which he proposed to himself a twofold advantage the one that the Dardans who were a Nation always great Enemies to Macedonia and ready upon all occasions to take the opportunity of maligning the Kings when they were in any adverse circumstances should be destroy'd and the other that the Bastarnians leaving their Wives and Children in Dardania might be sent to ravage Italy They were to go to the Adriatick Sea and so to Italy through the Scordiscians Territories for there was no other way to lead an Army who would easily grant the Bastarnians a passage for they differ'd not from each other either in language or manners yea they were like enough to join with them when they saw that they were going to plunder so opulent a Nation These designs were accommodated to all kinds of events so that whether the Bastarnians were kill'd by the Romans yet this was a comfort still that the Dardans were rooted out that he should have the spoil of what the Bastarnians had left behind them and that Dardania would be his free possession or whether they met with success that whilst the Romans were imploy'd in a War with the Bastarnians he should recover what he had lost in Greece And these were Philip's designs They enter'd peaceably and march'd along according to the promise made by Antigonus and Cotto But shortly after when they heard of Philip's death neither were the Thracians so easy in point of Commerce nor could the Bastarnians be content with what they bought or be kept in their ranks from going out of the way Upon this ground they did injuries to one another on both sides by the daily increase whereof there broke out a War At last the Thracians who were not able to endure the force and multitude of these Enemies left their Villages in the Plains and went up into a Mountain of a vast heighth called Donuca Whither when the Bastarnians also would have gone they were surprized though they came almost to the tops of the Hills with such a storm as that whereby 't is said the Gauls were destroy'd when they plunder'd Delphi For they were not only first wash'd with violent showres of rain that poured upon them and after that pelted with thick storms of hail which was accompanied with great cracks of thunder and lightening that flash in their Eyes but the thunderbolts shone so round about them that their bodies seemed to be aimed and shot at insomuch that not only the common Souldiers but the great Officers also were smitten and fell to the ground By which means being put into a great consternation as they fell and tumbled down the high Rocks head foremost the Thracians pressed hard upon them in that astonish'd condition but they themselves said the Gods were the occasion of their flight and that the Sky fell down upon them After they had been scatter'd by the storm when most of them were come back as out of a Shipwrack half-arm'd into the Camp from whence they set out they began to consult what to do Whereupon there arose a Debate some saying that they ought to return and others that they ought to force their way into Dardania About thirty thousand men under the Conduct of Clondicus went quite through and the rest return'd the same way they came into the parts beyond Danubius Perseus having got possession of the Kingdom commanded Antigonus to be kill'd and whilst he was setling affairs sent Embassadours to Rome to renew his Fathers Alliance with the Romans and to desire that he might have from the Senate the Style of King And these were the Transactions in Macedonia that year The other Consul Q. Fulvius triumphed over the Ligurians more through favour than upon the score of any great Atchievements He brought in a great quantity of the Enemies Armour but very little Money Yet he divided among his Soldiers thirty Asses a Man giving to each Centurion double and to each Horseman treble There was nothing in this Triumph than that as it happened he triumph'd upon the same Day on which the Year before he had done after his Praetorship After his Triumph he appointed the Grand Assembly at which there were chosen for Consuls M. Juniuus Bruts and A. Manlius Vulso After which when three
Scordians thought fit to make even some rash attempt and so met all together from every part of their Country at a Town that lay next to the Bastarnian Camp It was Winter and they had chosen that time of the year that the Thracians and Scordians might go into their own Territories Which being done when they heard that the Bastarnians were now alone they divided their Forces into two parts the one to go strait forward and attack them openly the other round about through a pathless Wood and set upon them behind But before they could get round the Enemies Camp the Battle was begun and the Dardanes being conquer'd were forced back into their City which was near twelve thousand paces from the Bastarnian Camp The Conquerers presently beset the City not doubting but either the Enemy would surrender the next day for fear or they should take it by force In the mean time the other Party of Dardans that went about not knowing what their fellows had suffer'd attack'd the Bastarnian Camp which was left without defence Manner sate on an Ivory Throne as Judge and debated the smallest points in Controversie and so fickle was his mind to every kind of Fortune wandering through all conditions of life that neither he nor any Body else knew what a sort of a man he was He would not speak to his best Friends nor hardly smile upon those that were his most intimate acquaintance He would Fool both himself and others with his unequal munificence for to some persons of quality that thought very greatly of themselves he would make childish Presents as Sweet-meats and toys and to enrich others who expected nothing from him Wherefore some people thought he knew not what he did others that he did it in a kind of an humour and others that he was absolutely mad Yet in two great and honourable things he shew'd himself much a King that is to say in his Presents that he made to several Cities and his worship of the Gods He promised the Megalopolitans in Arcadia that he would Wall their City round and actually gave them the major part of the money toward it At Tegea he began to build a magnificent Theatre all of marble At Cyzicum he gave the golden Vessels of one Table to the Prytaneum that is the Council-House of the City where those that arrived to that honour were publickly maintain'd To the Rhodians he gave many gifts of all sorts as their use required though ne'r an one of them were very remarkable But of his magnificence to the Gods that one Temple of Jupiter Olympius at Athens which is the only one in the World design'd to sute the grandeur of that God may be a witness though he adorn'd Delos too with curious Altars and a great number of Statues At Antioch also he promised to build a Temple to Jupiter Capitolinus not only cieled with gold but cover'd all its Walls with golden Plates besides many other things to several other places which because his reign was so very short he had not time to perform He likewise outdid all former Kings in the magnificence of his publick shows of all sorts particularly in those that were proper to his own Country Fashion and in variety of Grecian Artists He set forth a Prize of Gladiators i. e. Sword-men after the Roman way which at first rather terrified than pleased the people of Macedonia who were not used to such sights though in process of time by often repeating of it sometimes till they wounded one another and sometimes even to death he made it a grateful sight to their Eyes yea and thereby enflamed many of the young sparks with the love of Arms. So that he who at first was wont to send for Gladiators from Rome at a great rate now by his own L. Cornelius Scipio had the Foreign Jurisdiction of the City and M. Atilius the Praetor happen'd to have Sardinia but was order'd to go over into Corsica with the new Legion which the Consuls had raised consisting of sive thousand Foot and three hundred Horse Whilst he was making War there Cornelius was continu'd in Commission and to have the Government of Sardinia Cn. Servilius was to go into the farther Spain and P. Euâ—â—â— Philus into the hither with three thousand Roman Foot a hundred and fifty Horse five thousand Latine Foot and three hundred Horse L. Claudius being to have Sicily without any supply The Consuls were likewise order'd to raise two new Legions with a due number of Horse and Foot to impose the raising of ten thousand Foot and six hundred Horse upon the Allies The Levy of the Consuls was so much the more difficult for that the pestilence which was so rise the year before among the Beasts was then turn'd to a distemper among men They who happen'd to have it scarce ever out-lived the seventh day or if they did escape were troubled with some tedious Disease most commonly a Quartan Ague The Slaves died most for there were heaps of them unburied in every street nor could they bury all even of the Freemen The dead Bodies lay untoucht by Dogs or Vulturs till the plague consumed them and it was well known that neither that nor the year before though there were such a mortality of men and Beasts there was ne'r a Vultur seen The publick Priests dy'd of that Plague viz. Cn. Servilius Caepio the Priest Father to the Praetor Tib. Sempronius Son to Caius Longus Decemvir of the sacred Rites P. Aelius Paetus the Augur Tib. Sempronius Gracchus C. Mamilius Vitulus the Grand Curio Chief Alderman and M. Sempronius Tuditanus the Priest in whose place was chosen C. Sulpicius Galba For Augurs there were Elected into the room of Gracchus T. Veturius Gracchus Sempronianus into that of P. Aelius Q. Aelius Paetus C. Sempronius Longus being made Decemvir of the sacred Rites and C. Scribonius Curio chief Alderman of all the Wards in the City Then seeing the Plague continued the Senate decreed that the Decemviri should consult the Sibylls Books and by their Order there was a Supplication for one day Besides that Q. Marcius Philippus saying the words before them the people made a Vow in the Forum that if the Disease and the Pestilence were once removed out of the Roman Territory they would keep Holy-Day and make supplication for two dayes together In the Veian Dominions there was a Boy born with two Heads as at Sinuessa with one hand and at Oximum a Girl with Teeth There was a Bow likewise seen bent in the Sky by day when the Heaven was clear with three Suns shining at one time besides that several blazes the same night streamed through the air in the Territory of Lanuvium The Cerites also affirmed that there appeared in their Town a Snake with a Crest adorn'd all over with golden spots and it was well known that in the Territory of Campania an Oxe spoke The Embassadours return'd out of Africa on the fifth of June who having
but rebell'd a little before the coming of Ap. Claudius beginning their War with a sudden attempt upon the Roman Camp It was about break of day when the Sentinels upon the Rampier and those that were upon the guards at the several Gates seeing the Enemy come at a distance gave the Alarm Thereupon Ap. Claudius having set up the signal for Battle and made a short Speech to encourage his men drew them forth at three Gates together The Celtiberians made such resistance at their coming out that at first the fight was equal on both siâ—es because all the Romans could not engage in those strait places by reason that they had not room enough But soon after thrusting one another forward they got without the Rampier so that they then could spread their Army and make themselves equal to the Enemies Wings by whom they were Encompassed and they broke forth so suddenly that the Celtiberians could not endure the shock of them Before seven a Clock in the Morning they were beaten and fifteen thousand of them either slain or taken with thirty two military Ensigns Their Camp was also that day seiz'd and the War made an end of For they that survived the Battle made their escape into their several Towns where they afterward lay quiet and were obedient to Government The Censors created for that year were Q Fulvius Flaccus and A. Postumius Albinus who survey'd the Senate chosing M. Aemilius Lepidus the High-Priest President thereof They turn'd nine out of the House of whom the most remarkable persons were M. Cornelius Maluginensis who two years before had been Praetor in Spain L. Cornelius Scipio the Praetor who had then the jurisdiction among Citizens and Foreigners and Cn. Fulvius who was the Censors own Brother and as Valerius Antias tells us a sharer with him in the same Patrimony The Consuls also having made their Vows in the Capitol went into their Provinces Of whom the Senate imploy'd M. Aemilius to suppress the insurrection of the Patavians in Venetia who according to the report even of their own Embassadours were through the opposition of different Factions engaged very hotly in a Civil War The Embassadours that went into Aetolia to suppress the like Tumults sent word back that the fury of that Nation could not be restrain'd But the Patavians were advantaged by the arrival of the Consul who having nothing else to do in that Province return'd to Rome The Censors agreed for paving of the streets in the City with Flint-stones and with gravel without the City being the first Censors that ever made Borders of stone to that kind of pavement They also took order to have Bridges made in many places and a stage for the Aediles and Praetors to set forth Playes upon with Barriers in the Circus where the Horses ran and Ovals to tell the several heats with They also caused the descent from the Capitol to be paved with Flint and the Portizo also that reaches from the Temple of Saturn into the Capitol as far as the Senaculum and Court above it They likewise paved the Exchange or Wharf without the Gate Tergemina with Stone and propt it up with pieces of Timber taking care also to repair the Portico of Aemilius and made ascent by stairs from the Tiber to the Exchange or Key aforesaid Without the same Gate also they paved the Portico going toward the Aventine with Flint and that at the publick charge from the Temple of Venus Those same persons took Order also for building of Walls at Calatia and Oximum where having sold certain publick places they laid out the money which they had for them in building of Shops round the Market-places of each City One of them also that is to say Fulvius Flaccus for Postumius said he would order nothing to be done with their money but what the Senate and People of Rome commanded built the Temple of Jupiter at Pisaurum and at Fundae and at Pollentia too caused the Water to be brought by Conduits and at Pisaurum order'd the street to be paved with Flint At these places he likewise caused a common shore to be made and the Market places to be all Encompassed with Porticoes and Shops as also three Januses to be made All these works were taken care for by one Censor who upon that score was mightily beloved of the Inhabitants This Censorship was also diligent and severe in regulating peoples manners and many of the Knights had their Horses taken from them When their year was almost out there was a Supplication for one whole day upon the score of the success which they had in Spain under the conduct and good fortune of Ap. Claudius the Pro-Consul at which they sacrificed twenty of the bigger sort of Victims There was likewise Supplication made another day at the Temple of Ceres Liber Libera for that they had news out of the Sabine Territories that there had been an Earthquake in those parts which had thrown down many Houses When Ap. Claudius was come out of Spain to Rome the Senate decreed that he should enter the City Ovant By this time the Consular Assembly came on which being held with great stickling by reason of the great number of Candidates L. Postumius Albinus and M. Popilius Lenas were created Consuls Then the Praetors were made viz. Nunerius Fabius Buteo M. Matienus C. Cicereius M. Furius Crassipes a second time A. Atilius Serranus a second time and C. Cluvius Saxula a second time When the Assembly was over Ap. Claudius Cento coming out of Celtiberia into the City Ovant brought into the Treasury ten thousand pound of silver and five thousand pound of gold Cn. Cornelius was inaugurated as Flamen Dialis Jupiters High Priest and the same year there was a Table set up in the Temple of the Goddess Matuta with this Inscription By the Conduct and good Fortune of Tib. Sempronius Gracchus the Consul the Legion and Army of the Roman People subdu'd Sardinia In which Province there were slain or taken of the Enemies above eighty thousand He having managed the publick affairs with great success retrieved and cleared the Revenues brought home the Army safe and sound and loaded with booty so that he return'd a second time in triumph to Rome upon which score he set up this Table as an offering to Jupiter There was also the Map of Sardinia and upon it several painted representations of Battles There were some other small Sword-prizes that year exhibited but there was one very signal above the rest set forth by T. Flamininus which he gave upon the account of his Fathers Death with a dole of Flesh a Feast and Stage-Playes But of that great show the chief part was that seventy four men fought in three dayes DECADE V. BOOK II. The EPITOME 3. Q. Fulvius Flaccus the Censor robb'd the Temple of Juno Lacinia of its marble Tiles to cover a Temple that he had dedicated But the Tiles were brought back again by order of Senate 11 12
that which if he should do even in the private Houses of our Allies would seem an indignity he does in demolishing the Temples of the Immortal Gods and layes the Roman people under religious obligations by building one Temple out of the ruins of another as though there were not the same immortal Gods in all places but that some of them were to be worshipped and adorn'd with the spoils of others Now whereas before the report was made it appeared what the Senate intended to do the report being made they all were of opinion that those Tiles ought to be carry'd back to the same Temple again and that there should be atoning Sacrifices made to Juno What concern'd Religion was accordingly done with all diligence but the Persons that undertook at such a rate to carry them back brought word that they had left the Tiles in the Court before the Temple because there was never a Workman that could tell how to place them as they were before Of those Praetors that were gone into their Provinces Num. Fabius died at Massilia as he was going into the hither Spain Wherefore when that was told by the Massilian Embassadours the Senate decreed that P. Furius and Cn. Servilius whom he was to succeed should cast Lots between them which should continue in Commission and have the Government of the hither Spain The Lot fell very luckily for P. Furius the same person whose Province that had been should stay there The same year since part of the Ligurian and Gallick Territories that was taken in the War was now vacant there was an Order of Senate made that that Land should be divided among so many men A. Atilius the City Praetor created Decemviri i. e. ten Officers for that purpose by Order of Senate whose names were M. Aemilius Lepidus C. Cassius T. Aebutius Carus C. Tremelius P. Cornelius Cethegus Q. and L. Apuleius M. Caecilius C. Salonius and C. Munatius They divided ten Acres to each Roman but to the Latine Allies only three apiece At the same time that these things were transacted there came Embassadours out of Aetolia to Rome concerning their discords and seditions and the Thessalian Embassadours too to tell what was done in Macedonia Perseus revolving in his thoughts the War which whilst his Father was alive he design'd he reconciled to himself not only all the Nations of Greece but the Cities also by sending Embassies to them and promising more than he performed But indeed the minds of the people were generally inclined to favour him and that something more than they did Eumenes though all the Cities of Greece and most of the Nobility were obliged to Eumenes for his many kindnesses and favours that he had confer'd upon them and though he so behaved himself in his own Kingdom that those Cities which were under his Government would not change conditions with any free City But on the other hand it was reported that Perseus after his Fathers Death kill'd his Wife with his own hand and that he privately murder'd Apelles who was formerly the instrument of his treachery in taking off of his Brother for which when Philip sought him out to punish him he went into exile though he sent for him after his Fathers Death with great promises of rewarding him for doing so great an action Yet him who was infamous for many other domestick as well as Foreign Murderers and no way at all commendable upon the score of merit the Cities commonly preferr'd before a King who was so kind to his Neighbours so just to his Subjects and Countrymen and so munisicent toward all men whether out of a prejudice taken up through the Fame and Grandeur of the Macedonian Kings which moved them to despise the origine of a new Kingdom or through desire of innovation or because they had a mind he should be exposed to the Romans Now not only the Aetolians were in an uproar upon the score of their vast Debts but the Thessalians also by which contagion that evil like a Plague had got into Perraebia too When the news came that the Thessalians were up in Arms the Senate sent Ap. Claudius the Lieutenant to inspect and compose those matters Who having checked the Heads of both Factions and eased the Debtors of a great part of their use money which they were to pay even with the good liking of some that had occasion'd that burden upon them he order'd all that was justly and truly due to be paid at such and such dayes or terms for several years to come By the same Appius in the same manner were the affairs in Perraebia composed As for the causes of the Aetolians Marcellus heard them then at Delphi where they were pleaded with hostile vehemency as fierce as a civil War Wherefore when he saw that both sides contended as rashly as boldly he would not by his own Decree or ease or load either party but desired of them both together that they would desist from War and by forgetting what was past make an end of all differences between them The promise of this reconciliation was back'd with Hostages that were given to and fro for performance whereof they met at Corinth where the Hostages were to be deposited From Delphi and the Aetolian Council Marcellus went over into Peloponnesus where he had appointed a Convention of the Achaeans And there having commended that Nation in that they had constantly adhered to that old Decree for keeping the Macedonian Kings out of their Dominions he made the hatred of the Romans against Perseus very evident which that it might the sooner break forth King Eumenes bringing a Book with him which he had made after a full inquiry into all things concerning the preparations for the War came to Rome At the same time there were five Embassadours sent to the King to view the state of Affairs in Macedonia who were also order'd to go to Ptolomy at Alexandria to renew their Alliance with him The Embassadours were these C. Valerius Cn. Lutatius Cerco Q. Babius Sulca M. Cornelius Mammula and M. Caecilius Denter There came Embassadours also from Antiochus about the same time of whom Apollonius who was the chief being introduced into the Senate for many and just causes excused the King and said that they had brought all that stipend which the King was a little behind hand in the payment of as to the day that the King might not be beholding to them for any thing more than time That they likewise had brought golden Vessels of five hundred pound weight That the King desired that what Friendship and Alliance they had contracted with his Father they would renew the same with him and that the Roman People would injoin him to do what was fit for a good and a faithful Ally that was a King to do that he would not be backward in any duty That the Senate deserv'd so well of him when he was at Rome and the young Gentlemen were so civil that he was
managed with Concord and for the good of the Common wealth All that they turn'd out of the Senate or degraded from their Knighthood they disfranchized so as to make them pay all duties like strangers and put them out of their Tribe nor did one of them set a mark of disgrace upon any men whom the other approved of Fulvius dedicated a Temple to Fortuna Equestris which he had vow'd in Spain at a Battle against the Celtiberians six years after he had vow'd it and set forth Stage Playes four dayes together keeping one day in the Circus L. Cornelius Lentulus the Decemvir of the holy Rites dyed that year in whose place they put A. Postumius Albinus There were such Clouds as it were of Locusts brought on a sudden from the Sea into Apulia that with their swarms they covered all the Fields For the removal of which pest from the Fruits C. Sicinius who was design'd for Praetor being sent with command into Apulia got a great body of people about him to gather them up in which he spent some time In the beginning of the following year in which C. Popillius and P. Aelius were Consuls there arose the remaining part of the animosities that had been the year before For the Senate would needs have a report made touching Liguria and the Order of Senate renew'd of which the Consul Aelius accordingly made report to the House Popillius desired both his Collegues and the Senates pardon for his Brother and by pretending that if they decreed any thing he would interpose against it deterr'd his Collegue The Senate being so much the more incens'd at both the Consuls persisted in their design Wherefore when they began to Discourse of the Provinces and Macedonia now that the War with Perseus was at hand was aimed Liguria was assigned to both the Consuls But they said they would not make any determination at all concerning Macedonia unless there were a report made concerning M. Popillius Afterwards when they moved for the raising of new Forces or at least that the old might be recruited both were deny'd The Praetors also requiring a supply with them into Spain were refused M. Junius into the hither Province and P. Lucretius into the farther As for C. Licinius Crassus it was allotted him to have the jurisdiction over the Citizens and Cn. Sicinius over the Foreigners C. Memmius was sent to Sicily Sp. Cluvius to Sardinia The Consuls for these reasons highly offended with the Senate caused the Latine Holy-Days to be immediately celebrated purposing to retire soon after to their Commands and not to ingage themselves in the publick affairs any farther than what related to their own Governments Valerius Antias writeth That Attalus Brother of King Eumenes the year that these were Consuls came Embassadour to Rome to accuse Perseus for making preparations of War But the Annales of many other Writers of greater Authority report that King Eumenes came himself in Person where after an honourable reception such as the people of Rome thought due to his merits and sutable to those great favours they had already conferr'd upon him he was brought before the Senate He told them The occasion of his coming thither was a desire he had to see those Gods and Men by whose bounty he did possess so large a Fortune than which he durst not wish a greater as also to incite the Senate to obviate the designs of Perseus Then continuing his Speech with the purposes of Philip he recounted the death of his Son Demetrius for opposing the War with the Romans and that he had compell'd the Bastarnians to quit their own Country to assist him in his passage into Italy That during these agitations death having seiz'd upon him he determin'd to leave his Kingdom to him whom he knew the most inveterate Enemy to the Romans Perseus therefore inheriting this War together with his Fathers Crown had since the first step to the Throne apply'd his greatest efforts to nourish and foment it besides his Kingdom flourished with strong and hardy youth for War encreas'd by a long Peace his Treasuries repleat himself in the vigour of his Age and to a strenuous body a mind no less expert in the Discipline and Arts of War brought up from bis infancy in his Fathers Tent frequently imploy'd in Expeditions and always acquainted with the Wars not only of other Nations but those also against the Romans That he had himself since he first possest the Kingdom which marvellous felicity accomplished many things which Philip in spite of all his force and subtilty could ne'r perform and to encrease his greatness had already purchaced repute and authority in the World the reward of age and meritorious actions Thus Greece and all the Asian Cities paid homage to his Scepter But whether they honour'd him for any personal merits of his own or munificence towards them he could not tell or whether it proceeded from the peculiar felicity of his Fortune or what he fear'd himself to speak from the hatred themselves had conceiv'd against the Romans he could not determine Kings themselves esteem'd and honour'd him The Daughter of Seleucus he had lately married without any suit of his own but by the voluntary request of her Father and after great importunity had given his Sister in Marriage to Prusias Both these Weddings were solemniz'd with great pomp and infinite Embassies of the noblest Nations That the Boeotians having been much solicited by Philip could never be brought into any Friendship or Confederacy but now there was to be seen a League ingraven in no less than three Cities one at Thebes a second at Sidenum within the famous Temple and the other at Delphis In the Achaian Counsel had not the designs been quash'd by some few that espous'd the Roman interest the result would have been no less than the invasion of Achaia But on the contrary those honours I deserve from that people both for private and publick obligations are through base neglect or envy forgotten and withdrawn As for the Aetolians none were so ignorant but well knew in their civil Wars they sought not aid from the Romans but from Perseus Being thus supported with these Confederacies he had made such domestick provisions of his own for War that he needed no Foreign assistance His Army consisted of thirty thousand Foot and five thousand Horse stored with Corn for ten years whereby he might the better forbear his own Country nor trouble himself to seek for Forage in that of his Enemies That he had so large a Treasure that besides the Forces of his own Territories he kept in pay ten thousand mercenary Souldiers and had besides his annual revenue sufficient for the expences of ten years more His Armories were full of Arms and all accoutrements of War enough for three such Armies And for a continual supply of Souldiers if Macedonia should prove deficient all Thrace being subject under him he could not fail of constant recruits which he might draw from
thence as from an unexhaustible Fountain The remainder of his Speech was by way of perswasion My Lords I relate not these things said he from the mouth of uncertain Fame or a greedy desire to beâ—ieve or wish that the truth of ill things should be prov'd upon my Enemy but on my own knowledge and experience in the same manner as if I had been sent a spy to report to you the things I saw nor would I have left my own Kingdom and the share of glory which by your benignity I possess to pass so vast a Sea to bring you trifling Tales to forfeit your esteem I have survey'd the noblest Cities of Asia as well as Greece discovering daily their intentions in which if they should be suffer'd to proceed they would not have it in their power to retrieve their safety by repentance I have observed how Perseus not contented within the limits of Macedonia sometimes by force of Arms sometimes by favour and benevolence obtains those Countries he ne'r could get by Conquest I have weigh'd the unequal conditions whilst he prepareth War on you and you perform the terms of Peace with him although it appears no less to me than his being already in actual Hostility Adrupolis your Friend he hath driven from his Kingdom Artetarus the Illyrian another of your Allies he slew because he found he had written Letters unto you Eversa and Callicrates Thebans and Princes of that City because in the Boeotian Council they spoke something too freely against him declaring they would relate to you those proceedings he commanded they should be put to death He sent Auxiliaries to the Bizantines contrary to agreement He made War on Dolopia invaded Thessaly and Doris and subdu'd them both that in civil War by the help of the stronger side he might afflict and trouble the other He made a mixture and confusion of all things in Thessaly and Perroebia hoping thereby to cancel Book-Debts and other accounts by which releasing Debtors from their Engagements he oblig'd them to assist him in oppressing their Creditors and principal Officers While this is doing you quietly look on your suffering him to act these things in Greece without controul makes him presume that not a man will dare to arm himself to oppose his passage into Italy how this consisteth with your honour and safety is not for me to judge it was my duty as your Friend and Ally to prevent your being surpriz'd in Italy by Perseus And now having perform'd this necessary Office and in some measure acquitted my self as became my fidelity what more remains but that I pray the Gods and Goddesses you may protect your own Republick and defend your Allies that depend upon you This Oration extreamly mov'd the Fathers but for the present none knew more than that the King had been before the Senate so silent were they all but the War being finish'd both the Kings Speech and the Senates Answer were divulg'd Some few dayes after the Senate gave Audience to Perseus's Embassadours but being prepossess'd by King Eumenes their defence and supplications were rejected the fierce deportment of Harpalus the chief Embassadour did not a little exasperate the Senate who endeavour'd to perswade them to credit the Apology of his Master that he never acted any thing tending to Hostility but if he perceiv'd they came upon him in this manner seeking occasions of War he resolv'd to defend himself with courage for the hazard of the Field was common and the event of War uncertain All the Cities of Greece and Asia were extreamly solicitous to know the proceedings of Perseus's Embassadours and King Eumenes with the Senate for upon his coming most of the States supposing he might occasion some commotion had sent their Embassadours to Rome speciously pretending other affairs Among others there was an Embassy from the Rhodians the chief of which was Satyrus who doubted not but that Eumenes had join'd the crimes of his City with those of Perseus and therefore by interest of his Patrons and Friends he had obtain'd leave to debate their business with the King before the Senate wherein he invey'd against Eumenes with too much heat upbraiding him for his fomenting Wars between the Lycians and the Rhodians and that he had been a greater Enemy to Asia than Antiochus This Oration was well receiv'd by those of Asia who began already to incline to Perseus but it prov'd not so with the Senate nor was it in the least advantagious to their City but on the contrary these Conspiracies against Eumenes rais'd his estimation with the Romans still increasing their honours and gifts upon him presenting him a Chariot of State with a Staff and Scepter of Ivory These Embassies being dispatch'd Harpalus returns with all speed into Macedonia and tells the King That he had left the Romans making no preparations as yet for War but so offended it easily appeared they would not long defer it nor was Perseus displeased with this relation relying on the valour of his Souldiers But of all others he hated Eumenes most with whose bloud he laid the foundation of the War for suborning one Evander a Candiot and Captain of some Auxiliaries and with him three Macedonians accustom'd to such actions to kill the King He gave them Letters to one Praxo an Hostess of great esteem and wealth among the Delphians being well assured Eumenes would be at Delphis to Sacrifice to Apollo These Traytors with Evander watched all opportunities to execute their design in the passage where men ascend from Cirrha to the Temple before they come to the place frequented with the usual concourse of the people there stood on the lest of the path a Mud-Wall or Bank arising a little above the foundation by which one at once could only pass for on the right hand the Earth was fallen down and a breach made of a great depth behind this Bank the Traytors hid themselves and rais'd some steps like stairs that from above as from the top of a Wall they might discharge their Treason on the King Before him coming from the Sea there march'd his Friends and Guards disorderly mixt when the way grew streight and narrow his train by degrees waxt thinner but when they came to the place where they could not go but one by one Pantaleon an Aetolian Prince with whom the King was then ingaged in some Discourse enter'd first that narrow passage immediately the Traytors roll'd two mighty stones upon the King one fell upon his head the other on his shoulder the people seeing Eumenes fail confusedly deserted him Pantaleon only had the Courage to stay and relieve the King The Traytors by a short compass about the Wall might soon have reach'd the place where the King lay and finish'd what they had begun but supposing the deed was done they fled to the top of Parnassus with that hast that they kill'd one of their Companions being unable to keep pace with them through that steep and craggy Mountain lest
the King parlied with them upon unequal terms of grandeur their salutation was not like that of Enemies but benign and affable sitting down by each other on Chairs already prepar'd After some little silence T is expected I suppose said Marcius we should answer those Letters you sent to Corcyra wherein you demanded why we came thus with Forces and placed Garisons in every City to which should I not answer at all I fear you might interpret it pride in me and to answer truly it may seem ingrateful to your self but since he who breaks the League must be chastis'd by word or Sword although to make War on you I had much rather were anothers charge than mine I shall accost you however it be receiv'd with a friendly roughness following the Physicians method who uses bitter remedies for the sake of curing Since the coming to your Kingdom the Senate thinks you have done but one thing you ought your sending Embassadours to Rome to renew the League nevertheless they judge you had better not to have renew'd it than being once done to break it you have driven Adrupolis out of his Kingdom their Friend and Ally you receiv'd the murderers of Artetarus that it might appear to say no more you were not displeased with them who had kill'd a Prince of all the Illyrians the most faithful to the Roman interest thorough Thessaly and Malia you have march'd an Army contrary to the League as far as Delphos and have also sent relief to the Bizantines against the same agreement you have confirm'd by Oath a secret Confederacy with our Allies the Boeotians which you ought not have done concerning the death of the Theban Embassadours Eversa and Callicritus coming from us I had rather enquire than accuse and to whom should I impute the civil Wars and slaughter of the Nobility in Aetolia but the Macedonians nor do the Delopians owe their ruine to any other arm than yours It troubles me to tell whom King Eumenes accuses for contriving his destruction at Delphi where on his return from Rome to his own Kingdom in that sacred place before the Altars he had well nigh like a Victim been sacrificed The wicked practices related by your Brundusian Host I am well assur'd you have receiv'd by Letters from Rome as well as the report of your own Embassadours if you would not have had me related these things you might have avoided it by forbearing these demands why our Army was transported into Macedonia and the Cities of our Confederates fortified which to have obviated with silence would have been a greater argument of our pride than with ingenuous truths and do withal assure you the memory of our Fathers Friendship makes me grant you this request and also wish you 'd shew me how my interest may serve you with the Senate I shall now defend a cause reply'd the King before those who are at once both Judges and Accusers but were the debate before impartial Judges I should not doubt its goodness As to the matters objected against me they are partly such as I know not whether I may not glory in them or such I cannot blush to own and partly such as are meerly verbal for which a plain denial may serve For were I this day accus'd by your own Laws what could that Brundusian discoverer or Eumenes object against me that would not seem rather a reproach than a fair accusation Is it likely Eumenes considering his many both private and publick wrongs should have no other Enemy than my self or that I could find no fitter a minister of mischief than Rammius one whom I ne'r had seen before nor was ever likely to see hereafter must an account of the Theban's death who 't is manifest have perished by Shipwrack be rendered by me and of the murder of Artetarus wherein there is nothing farther objected than that his murderers were banished into my Kingdom and yet I will not refuse this hard imposition if you will also agree to own your selves to be the Authors of all those crimes committed by such banish'd Malefactors as have transported themselves into Italy or Rome but if you as well as other Nations shall excuse your selves from this I shall not among others exempt my self and by Hercules the banishment of one place will signify but little to him that may not be suffer'd to live in another and yet as soon as I was inform'd by you that they were in Macedonia I immediately commanded them to depart my Kingdom and forbad them ever after to appear in my Dominions and thus far I have answer'd these objections like one accused at the Bar those things which regard me as a King and your Confederate must be disputed for if it be mentioned in the Treaty that if any one should levy War upon me it shall not be lawful for me to defend my self and Kingdom then indeed it must be confessed that in defending my self by Arms against Adrupolis a Confederate of Rome the Treaty was violated but if this might be done by vertue of the League and that by the Law of Nations Arms may be repuls'd by Arms what measures pray should I then have taken when Adrupolis had invaded the Frontiers of my Kingdom as far as Amphipolis seiz'd many free-born Subjects with a great multitude of Peasants and drove away many thousands of Cattle should I have sat still and suffer'd him till he came to Pella even arm'd into my Palace No! I pursu'd him with a just War though to vanquish him I would not nor ought he to suffer those calamities that attend the conquer'd if I who was provok'd to arms underwent the chance of War how can he complain to have tasted the same fate who was the first aggressor I shall not Romans in the same manner defend my Arms for the suppression of the Dolopeans having done therein what was agreeable to my own right if not to their merits seeing they were of my own Kingdom and Jurisdiction made subject to my Father by your own Decree neither if the thing were now to be disputed not before you nor my Confederates but those who approve not of unjust authority even our Slaves can I be thought to have been more rigorous towards them than Equity and Justice will allow having murdred Euphranor the Governour I set over them so barbarously that death was the lightest of his sufferings From thence as I made my progress to visit Larissa Antrona and Peleon I ascended up to Delphi to do sacrifice and pay those Vows I had long before promised and here 't is thrown upon me to augment my crime that I was there with my Army to seize on Cities and fortifie their Garisons the thing for which I now complain of you Assemble all the Cities of Greece through which I pass'd and let any Souldier complain I injur'd him I will not then deny but that under a pretence of Sacrifice I might seem to seek another thing we sent assistance I
in themselves very dismal yet since the fear of a greater misfortune was removed for they were afraid of a War the news was very joyful Wherefore they presently order'd a Crown to be made to the value of twenty thousand Nobles of gold and sent Theodotus Admiral of their Fleet on that Embassy But they agreed that the Alliance of the Romans should be so desired as that there should be no Ordinance of the people made about it nor the request be put into writing because by that means unless they obtained it their disgrace if they were repulsed would be the greater Now such was the priviledge of the Admiral of their Fleet only that he might treat about that affair without any preliminary proposal of it For they had maintain'd a Friendship for so many years in such a manner that they did not oblige themselves to the Romans by any League of Alliance for no other reason but lest they should cut off from the Kings all hopes of their assistance if they had either of them occasion for it or from themselves of reaping any benefit by their bounty and good fortune But at that time especially they thought good to desire an Alliance not to secure them e'r the more from others for they fear'd no body except the Romans but to make them the less suspected by the Romans About the same time the Caunians revolted from them and the Mylassians possess'd themselves of the Towns belonging to the Euromeses Yet notwithstanding their spirits were not so dejâ—cted but that they consider'd that if Lycia and Caria were taken from them by the Romans the other parts would either free themselves by a revolt or be seized by their Neighbours that they were inclosed in a little Island and within the shores of a barren Country which could not by any means keep the Inhabitants of so great a City Whereupon sending out their young men in all hast against the Caunians they forced them though they had got the Cybirates to help them to obedience besides that they defeated the Mylassians and Alabandians who having taken away the Province of the Eumeses had join'd their Forces with them about Orthosia Whilst these things were done there there were other things transacted in Macedonia and at Rome and in the mean time L. Anicius in Illyricum having as I said before reduced King Gentius made Gabinius Governour of Scodra which was the Kings Seat putting a Garison into it as he did Licinius of Rhizon and Olzinium which were Cities very commodiously situate Having set these persons as a guard over Illyricum he went with the rest of his Army into Epirus where Phanota was first surrender'd to him and the whole multitude came out with holy Ornaments or Diadems to meet him Having put a Garison into this place he went over into Molossis where having taken possession of all the Towns except Passaro Tecmo Phylace and Horreum he march'd first to Passaro Antinous and Theodotus were the chief men in that City and famous both for their love to Perseus and their hatred against the Romans being also the Authors of that Cities revolting from the Romans These two being conscious of their own guilt because they had no hopes of pardon that they might be destroy'd in the common ruine of their Country shut the Gates advising the mobile that they would prefer death before slavery No man durst open his mouth against two such extraordinary great men till at last one Theodotus who was himself also a noble youth seeing that their greater fear of the Romans had overcome that of their Noblemen ask'd them What madness is this in you who make your whole City an accession to the guilt of two single persons I have often heard indeed of them that have dy'd for their Country but these men are the first I have heard of who ever thought it reasonable that their Country should perish for them Wherefore let us open our Gates and receive that command which the whole World hath already received As he said this the multitude follow'd him and at the same time Antinous and Theodotus sallied forth upon the first station of the Enemies where exposing themselves to danger they were kill'd and the City surrender'd to the Romans He also took Tecmo by surrender and kill'd Cephalus through whose obstinacy that City was in like manner shut up Nor did Phylace or Horreum either endure a Siege Having quieted Epirus and divided his Forces into their Winter-Quarters through the most convenient Cities he went himself back into Illyricum and at Scodra whither the five Embassadours were come from Rome having summoned all the great men out of the several Cities he held an Assembly There he publickly declared as the opinion of the Council That the Senate and the people of Rome order'd that the Illyrians should be free and that he would draw the Guards out of all their Towns Forts and Castles That the Issians and Taulantians should not only be free but also have several immunities and so should among the Dassaretians the Pirustae the Rhizonites and the Olciniates because they had revolted to the Romans whilst Gentius was yet in a prosperous condition That they would likewise bestow their freedom and immunity upon the Daorseans for that they forsaking Caravantius had come with their Arms over to the Romans That the Scodrians Dassareses Selepitanes and other Illyrians should pay but half that Tribute which they had formerly paid to the King After which he divided Illyricum into three parts making one of that which was called the Vpper Illyricum a second of all the Labeates and the third of the Agravonites Rhizonites Olciniates and their Neighbours Having thus setled Illyricum he himself return'd to Passaro in Epirus to his Winter Quarters Whilst these things pass'd in Illyricum Paulus before the coming of the ten Embassadours sent his Son Q. Maximus who was now come back from Rome to pillage Aeginium and Agassae Agassae for that though they had surrender'd the City to Marcius the Consul and of their own accord desired an Alliance with the Romans they had again revolted to Perseus but the crime charg'd upon the Aeginians was new For they not believing the report concerning the Roman Victory had committed very great hostilities upon some of the Souldiers that went into their City He also sent L. Postumius to rifle Aenus because they were more obstinate than their Neighbour Cities in the continu'd use of their Arms. It was now about Autumn at the beginning of which season he design'd to go round about all Greece and to see those things which people have heard of by common report oftener than any body hath seen them and therefore having made C. Sulpicius Gallus chief Commander of his Camp he set forth with no great Retinue his Son Scipio and Athenaeus King Eumenes's Brother being his Companions and went through Thessaly to Delphi to that famous Oracle where having sacrificed to Apollo he being a Conquerour design'd the
so brave a lofty and Royal Mind furnish'd with many extraordinary good Qualities should also give entertainment to so many monstrous and most clownish Depravities But as it would be difficult to set forth all his Freaks and extravagant Expences so neither is it worth while this only I think fit to add That by observing no end nor measure in consuming and most prodigally wasting or rather playing the Mad-man with the Tributes Taxes and almost innumerable Revenues of that vast and most flourishing Empire he utterly exhausted both his own Exchequer and his Subjects Purses and was reduced to such extremity of Poverty as to be forced to prey upon and pillage not only prophane things but after he had first impoverish'd Syria and the most Eastern Countries and then plundered Egypt of all its Riches he could not forbear the very Temples and those Presents which had been made and dedicated to the Gods Among the rest having by treachery got possession of Jerusalem he with vast slaughter of the Citizens ransack'd that Temple which Alexander the Great presumed not to violate in which the Jews a People most strictly tenacious of their Religion worshipp'd The invisible Deity only to be apprehended by the mind and never spared for any cost in his service but this ravenous Prince carried away all the Gold Silver and Precious Utensils which the most liberal Devotion of the people in so many years had there accumulated After this he attempted to spoil a certain Temple either of Diana or Venus amongst the Elymaeans very highly esteemed and fill'd with rich Offerings and amongst the rest certain Coats of Mail and Shields of Alexander's richly beset with Precious Stones were there said to be kept But by the concourse of the Priests and Inhabitants he was repulsed not without the loss of some of his Company and so forced to fly back to Babylon where for grief at his ill success he fell into a Consumption and is believ'd to have been cut off by an untimely death through the just vengeance of that Deity whose Temple he had sacrilegiously offered to rifle nay some there are who write That he and his Army were destroyed in the very Attempt Others relate much such like Passages touching the Death of his Father Antiochus when he went about to plunder a most opulent Temple of Jupiter or Belus in the same Province of Elymais But these Foreign Transactions a great part of which happened some years after have taken us off longer than our manner is from the prosecution of our Domestick Affairs And since we are so seldom guilty in that respect we hope this one Sully will the more easily be excused Anno V. C. 578. In the end of this Year Ti. Sempronius Gracchus the Proconsul having overcome the Sardinians surrendred the Government of that Island to Sex Cornelius the Praetor and returned to Rome for a Triumph which as he had most justly deserved so the same was granted him Nemine contradicente He is reported to have brought with him such a multitude of Prisoners that men being wearied with the long Auction when they were exposed to Sale under the Spear according to custom made it a Proverb when they would express a dull Market or a bad Commoditity that would not go off they would cry Sardi venales Here are Sardinians to be sold Both the Consuls likewise triumphed over the Ligurians and Gauls and as far as we can conjecture by antient Monuments it was a Victory at Sea gave P. Scaevola the Honour of a Triumph But whether He or his Collegue M. Lepidus held the Comitia for the next Year is uncertain but the Consuls then created were Sp. Posthumius Albinius and Q Mucius Scaevola In the Assembly for chusing Praetors amongst the rest of the Candidates it happened that L. Cornelius Scipio the Son of P. Africanus and Q Cecereius who had been his Father's Secretary were put up in competition and so far it seems was this young Scipio degenerated from his Father's Vertues and thought to have sullied the Cornelian Name with so many filthy Vices that Cicereius by the Suffrages of all the Centuries had undoubtedly been preferred before him had not he himself amended this fault of Fortune or mistake of the Assembly call it which you please by his own modesty which could not endure to wear an Honour snatcht from his Patron 's Son wherefore withdrawing himself he flung off his white Gown renounced his Pretensions and of a Competitor certain of Victory chose rather to shew himself a grateful Client and become a Voter for his Antagonist Thus the Honour which the people seemed not willing to grant him Scipio by the help of Cicereius obtain'd but with greater Glory to the latter in refusing than to the former in enjoying that Dignity The other Praetors were C. Cassius Longinus P. Furius Philus L. Claudius Asellus M. Atilius Serranus and Cn. Servilius Caepio The Consuls consulted the Senate touching the Provinces and Commonwealth who assign'd Liguria to them both but divided in several Regions The dispatch of the Sacred Ceremonies and especially the compleating of their Levies retarded their Advance very much which I conceive may be the cause that we find no memorable Action performed by them The Praetors had now taken their Provinces by Lot C. Cassius Longinus the City-Jurisdiction L. Cornelius Scipio had the Foreign Jurisdiction c. fol. 800. dele there the following words of the City In the 27th Chapter of this 41 Book fol. 803. there is a small defect all that remains in the Latine Copies being these broken Syllables Et dam metas trans caveas ferreas pe intromitterentur Which Marcellus Donatus thinks should be thus Et Rhedam metas transitus caveas ferreas per quas intromitterentur Ferae In English thus Likewise a Flying Chariot and Turn-pikes for the passage and Iron Grates through which the wild Beasts were to be let in In the same Chapter and Folio there is another Mark of someting wanting but it is only the word dicebat in the Latine which is supply'd in the English and so the Reader may be pleased to number that Mark among the Errata as being needless In the Eight and twentieth Chapter after the word Revenues what is wanting is supposed to be only these three words Restor'd the Allies brought home c. as fol. 804. A Supplement of the first defective Passage in the 43d. Book after the third Chapter fol. 832. their Friend or Enemy He the said Gelussa also intreated the Senate not to give any credit to the Carthaginians Complaints against Masinissa assuring them that the same proceeded from no other Fountain than their inveterate hate against the Romans and his Father 's Good Will and hearty inclinations to their service That as for his Father his care should always be to prefer those Conditions and Terms of the League which the Romans had prescribed before any of his particular Advantages whatsoever Or rather would
was to be Protectors of the Commons They were first instituted after a long Sedition between the Commonalty and Nobility in the year of the City 260. by the Law call'd Lex Sacrata the Sacred Law because confirm'd by the general Oath of the people At first they were but five in number but in the year 297. increased to ten Their persons were Sacrosancti not to be violated either by word or deed They had a negative Voice or Power of Inhibition call'd Intercession whereby they might stop the proceedings of the Senate or Consuls or any other Magistrates except the Dictator which they did by one or more of them coming in person and pronouncing aloud this word Veto or Vetamus I or We forbid what you are about and then they could not go on any further And as they had this Power against others so also amongst themselves any one could stop the proceedings of his Fellows of which the Senate made good Advantage drawing some of them usually to their side These Tribunes preferr'd such Laws as they thought expedient for the Commons in the Comitia Tributa which were call'd Plebiscita Acts of the Senate were sent to them to peruse and if they approved them they subscribed a great Roman T. They could not be elected to this Office until they were above thirty years of Age. Their Houses stood open night and day as a common Refuge or place of Succour to all that would come neither was it lawful for them to be out of the City one whole day throughout the year The word Tribune properly signifies a Colonel or Commander of a thousand men and because the first Protectors of the Commons that were chosen were all five such Officers of the Army therefore they still retain'd the Name of Tribunes adding thereto of the Commons to distinguish them from ordinary Tribunes Military There were also Tribunes Military with Consular Authority who ruled the Commonwealth divers years instead of Consuls and indeed were in effect the same bating only the Name and the Number Triumph a Solemnity in Honour of such chief Commanders as had won some notable Victory wherein they rode into the City in all the State imaginable but none was to have this Honour if he had not slain at least five thousand Enemies in one Battel and not lost near so many of his own Souldiers And that the Senate might have a true Account of both it was provided That they should be punisht that made false Returns of their own loss or the Enemies Nor was a Triumph granted for recovering any Territory but only in cases whereby the Empire was enlarged and if the Commander did never such Exploits if he were not in Magistracy he could claim no Triumph and for that reason it was that neither P. Scipio for recovering Spain nor Marcellus for taking Syracuse did triumph He that had once triumpht might always after come to the publick Shows crown'd with Laurel And when they dyed after their bodies were burnt without the City their Bones and Ashes might be brought in and reposited within the City which others might not be THE TABLE The first Number in Roman Letters directs to the Book the second in Figures to the Chapter and where there are several Figures they are all Chapters of the Book next before cited For Persons you must look under the Letter of their Proper Name that is the Name of their Family not in that of their Forename or Sirname as for Q. Fabius Maximus in the Letter F not Q or M. A. ABderites their Complaint to the Senate and Liberties restored xliii 4. Abydenes besieg'd by K. Philip xxxi 16. In a rage destroy themselves 17. Acarnanians invaded by the Aetolians and their memorable Engagement to fight and dye for their Country xxvi 25. Two of their young men ignorantly entring into the Temple of Ceres at Athens are put to death xxxi 14. They surrender themselves to the Romans xxxiii 17. Achaeans revolt xxxii 23. Invaded by Nabis xxxv 25. They declare War against the Lacedemonians xxxviii 32. M. Acilius Glabrio the Consul manages the War against Antiochus in Europe xxxvi 2 What Forces he had 14. His Speech to his Souldiers 17. Overcomes Antiochus 19 Triumphs xxxvii 46. Adversity makes men religious v. 51. Shews the secret Affections of Allies xlii 63. To bear Adversity with courage and prosperity with moderation is the Character of a Roman xlii 62. Aediles whoever offers violence to them is to dye iii. 55. They cause the Laws of the twelve Tables to be engraved in Brass 57. They are to take care that none but Roman Gods be worshipt iv 30. Two Patricians created to that Office call'd Curule Aediles vii 1. Aegeria the Nymph with whom Numa consulted i. 19 21. P. Aelius the first Commoner that was Questor iv 54. And Augur x. 9. Aegypt the Riches thereof divided between Philip and Antiochus xxxi 14. L. Aemilius the Consul overcomes the Volscans ii 42. Mam. Aemilius made Dictator iv 16. Triumphs 20. Is Dictator again and abridges the Censors Office to a year and an half 24. For which by the Censors he is disfranchized ibid. yet is soon after created Dictator once more 31. His Speech to the people 32. L. Aemilius Paulus his Speech to the people before he went to the Lacedemonian War xliv 22. To his Souldiers 34. To Nasica 36. His modesty in receiving King Philip xlv 7. He weeps considering the uncertainty of humane things 8 His Triumph 40. And in the last Supplement his two Sons dye ibid. His Oration to the people 41. Aeneas the Son of Anchises and Venus the reasons why the Greeks gave him Quarter when they took Troy i. 1. Comes into Italy builds Lavinium and calls both the old Inhabitants and his Trojans Latines ibid. Aequians War with them iii. 4. They and the Volscans routed iv 29 Aemus the Mountain described xl 21. Aesculapius the God in the form of a Snake brought to Rome xi 14 Aetna and its flames xxvi 29. Aetolians Speeches made in their Assembly xxxi 29. They excite Antiochus Philip and Nabis against the Romans xxxv 12. Defeated and cut to pieces 36. Obtain Peace and the Articles xxxviii 2. Agrarian Law for distributing publick Lands taken from Enemies amongst the Commons first set on foot by Cassius the Consul who after he was out of his Office on suspicion of aiming at Royalty was put to death by his own Fathers order ii 41. The Agrarian Law promulgated by the Tribunes v. 12. Agrigentum betray'd by Mutines to the Romans xxvi 29. Alba demolished and all the Inhabitants brought to Rome i. 29. Alban Lake its prodigious swelling without any apparent cause v. 13 L. Albinius his piety towards the Vestal Virgins taking them up into his Cart and letting his Wife and Children go on foot v. 40. Alexander King of Epirus slain and by his Death verifies the Oracle viii 24. Alexander the Great compar'd with Papirius Cursor ix 17. Allia the Romans defeated by
56. Nuceria taken by Annibal xxiii 15. Nuts the people of Casilinum live upon them in a Siege xxiii 19. Numidians good at Horse-Service but nothing on Foot xxiv 48. Extremely lascivious above other Nations xxix 23. O. OAK Sacred to Shepherds i. 10. Opima Spolia what iv 20. xxiii 46. Opinion though vain is often of great consequence xxxiv 12. Oppia a Vestal Nun Executed ii 42. Sp. Oppius one of the Tyrannical Decemvirs accused and makes away himself in Prison iii. 58. Oreum in Euboea taken xxviii 6. Oringin in Spain taken by P. Scipio 3. Ortiagon a petty King of the Gauls xxxviii 19 His Wife being taken Prisoner and ravisht by the Centurion that had the keeping of her cuts off his Head and getting her Liberty presents it to her Husband 24. P. PAcuvius Calavius saves the Senate of Capua from the fury of the people by an ingenious contrivance xxiii 2. Paleness and Fear Temples vow'd to them by King Tullus i. 27. Palaepolis that City rendred it self viii 25 26. Palms when first given to Conquerors x. 47. Pannick fear at Rome 37. Pausistratus the Rhodian Admiral wheadled by Polyxemidas and kill'd in a Sea sight xxxvii 11. L. Papirius Cursor being Dictator endeavours to put to Death Q. Fabius Maximus Rullianus his Master of Horse for fighting against his order viii 32. Fabius his Speech to the Souldiers Papirius his Speech on the same occasion 37. His Character ix 16. compar'd with Alexander the Great ibid. His Speech to his Souldiers x. 39. His Victory over the Samnites and strange vow 42. L. Papirius the Usurer his Lust and Cruelty viii 28. Parley between Annibal and Scipio xxx 30 Patricians whence so called i. 8. First admitted to be Tribunes of the Commons iii. 65. A Patrician might not dwell in the Capitol or Castle vi 20. Peace when equal will be observed but never long kept where hard conditions are imposed viii 21. Scipio makes a Peace with Carthage and the Terms xxx 37. People their Decrees could not be infring'd or repeal'd by the Senate iv 7. The Majesty of the people greater than that of the Consul ii 7. The people had in all things the supream power viii 34. Perseus the Son of King Philip quarrels with his Brother Demetrius and accuses him of Parricide to his Father and causes him to be murder'd xl 5. 8. c. His wicked contrivance discovered 55. He succeeds his Father 56. And desires of the Romans the Title of King 58. His Character xli 20. King Eumens complains that Perseus attempted to assassinate him xlii 15. Perseus endeavours to poison Roman Captains and Embassadors 17. He joins in League with Gentius King of the Illyrians xliv 23. He is wholly defeated 42. Surrenders himself and his Son xlv 7. Petelia after a desperate defence taken by Himilco xxiii 30. Philip King of Macedon sends Embassadors to Annibal who as they went deceived the Romans but in their return are taken xxiii 33 34. Sends others 39. His Debaucheries xxvii 33. The beginning of the Romans War with King Philip was in the year of the City 544. xxxi 5. He was a Prince not used to hear Trutus 18. Besieges Athens but is repulsed 24. Worsted in an Horse-Skirmish and retreats 38. Surprized by an Ambuscade xxxi 11. He was too much given to Raillery 34. He is totally routed at Cynocephalae by T. Quintius xxxiii 10. And the same day his General Androstenes by the Achaeans at Corinth 14. He submits to any Terms and gains a Truce 13. and afterwards a Peace 26. The Terms 32. He is still malecontent with the Romans xxxix 23 24 Differences between him and otâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—d before Roman Embassadours as â—uâ—ges who determine the same to his dissatisfaction 25. His Speech on that occasion 27 His Adventure to the top of Mount Flamus and why xl 21 22. King Philip â—iâ—s of grief and against his will Perseus succeeds 56. Philopaemen the great General of the Achaeans his Character and Exploits xxxv 28 29 30. Is taken by the Messenians xxxix 49. Poison'd by them but his Death reveng'd 50. Piety a Temple erected thereunto xl 34. L. Pinarius secures his Roman Garrison in the City Enna by cutting off the Inhabitants xxiv 39. Plague at Rome and extraordinary Prayers on that occasion i. 31. iii. 6 32. iv 7. v. 13. vi 21. vii 1 27. viii 17. x. 47. Is allay'd by the Dictators driving a Nail vii 3. Plays first acted to appease the Gods vii 2. Q. Pleminius Governour of Locris his Cruelty Outrage and Sacrilege xxix 9. Being in Prison for the same he causes Rome to be set on fire in hopes to escape but is prevented and put to death xxxiv 44. Poisoning one hundred and seventy Matrons practising it and being accused poison themselves viii 18. Polyaenus of Syracuse his prudent Speech xxiv 22. Po the River is greater and more violent than the Rhone xxiii 43. Poverty of divers great and excellent men as P. Valerius the Consul ii 16. Menenius Agrippa 33. L. Quintius Cincinnatus iii. 26. M. Popilius Laenas routs the Gauls vii 24. Though a Commoner he is four times chosen Consul 26. C. Popilius Laenas sent Embassadour to Antiochus Epiphanes draws a Circle about him and requires an Answer before he went out of it xlv 12. His Cruelty to the Rhodians 10. M. Portius Cato his Speech for the Oppian Law xxxiv 1. Goes into Spain 8. His Speech to the Tribunes and Praetor 13. He triumphs over Spain 45. He is an Enemy to Scipio Africanus and makes a Speech against him about Antiochus â— money xxxviii 54. His mighty Character xxxix 40. Is made Censor and how he behav'd himself in that Office 41. Porsena comes up to Rome but is kept from entring it by Horatius Cocles ii 10. Yet besieges it till Mucius comes to kill him c. 12. Postumia a Vestal Virgin tryed for her Life because she went too fine iv 44. M. Postumius Regillensis a Tribune Military ston'd to Death by his own Souldiers iv 50. Sp. Postumius the Consul his Speech after his shameful Treaty at Caudium perswading the Romans not to stand to it but yield up himself and all others concern'd in it to the Enemy ix 8. He is surrendred accordingly but the Samnites would not receive him 10 11. Sp. Postumius one of the Embassadors sent to Athens to bring thence Solons Laws iii. 31. L. Postumius Megillus holding the Comitia as Inter-regent declares himself Consul xi 11. Sets the Souldiers to work in his Farm and for the same is condemn'd and fined 18. L. Postumius the Consul slain by the Gauls by a stratagem xxiii 24. Potitii twelve Families of them extinct in one year ix 11. Prayer-day to the Gods and Prisoners released on that occasion v. 13. Five dayes publick Prayer appointed for Annibal's departure after sixteen years out of Italy xxx 21. In Prayers the Heart ought to go along with the words xl 46. Prenestians defeated at Allia vi 29. Praetor first created
march'd all over Apulia and in one Expedition secured several Nations either subdued by Arms or received upon Terms into Alliance and Society Nor did Papirius that staid to besiege Luceria make long work on 't for having beset all the ways by which Provisions could be brought out of Samnium the Garison in the Town were compell'd by Famine to send out Propositions to the Roman Consul desiring him to accept the Horse that lay there as Hostages and had been the cause of the War and to give over the Siege Papirius thus answered That they ought to have consulted Pontius the Son of Herennius by whom the Romans were put under the Gallows what punishment he thought due to the Conquered But since they had rather have their Enemies do them right than impose what is but equal upon themselves He thought fit to let them know it was his pleasure That leaving all their Arms Baggage Cattel and People unfit to bear Arms within the Walls the whole Garison strip'd to their shirts should be put under the Gallows and so dismiss'd wherein he should not inflict upon them any new Ignominy or Reproach but revenge an old one which themselves before had offered They refused nothing seven thousand Soldiers march'd away in Querpo through the Gallows and a vast Booty taken in the Town All the Ensigns and Arms regain'd that had been lost at Caudium and that which Crown'd their Joy the Horse that were delivered as Hostages were now safe restored Scarce ever had the Romans a Victory more Illustrious for a sudden turn of Fortune especially if it be true as some Annals record That Pontius himself the Samnites General to expiate the Consuls disgrace was put under the Gallows with the rest But I do not so much wonder that this is left uncertain as that 't is by some made a doubt Whether Lucius Cornelius the Dictator with L. Papirius Cursor General of the Horse perform'd these brave Exploits first at Caudium and then afterwards at Luceria and being the chief Avenger of that scandal to the Roman name did Triumph more deservedly I think than ever any Man before him except Furius Camillus Or whether the chief Honor of these Services do of right belong to Papirius as Consul This Error is attended with another making it a question Whether Papirius Cursor for his good service at Luceria were at the next Election continued in his Magistracy and made the third time Consul with Q. Aemilius Caeretanus the second time or Whether it were L. Papirius Mugillanus and the mistake happen'd in the Sirname 'T is agreed on all hands that the rest of these Wars hence-forwards were finish'd by Consuls Aemilius in one Battel wholly subdued the Ferentanes and had the City whereinto they fled surrendred to him upon Conditions and Hostages given for performance With like good Success did the other Consul proceed against the Satricanes who being accepted as free Citizens of Rome did after the misfortune at Caudium revolt to the Samnites and admitted a Garison of theirs into the City For having drawn his Army before the Walls they sent to the Consul begging Peace with earnest Prayers but he returned them this heavy answer That unless they did immediatly put the Samnite Garison to the Sword or surrender them to him they should not presume to come again into his presence That word struck greater terror into the Colony than all his Arms and when the Messengers went on to demand of the Consul By what means he could believe they that were but few and weak could be too hard for such a strong and well-arm'd Garison He bid them ask Counsel of those by whose perswasions they first entertain'd them and scarce would he grant them leave to consult with their Senate and bring him their Answer Their Senate was divided into two Factions one that had been the Authors of the Revolt from the Romans the other Loyal Citizens yet both endeavor'd That by all means the Consul might grant them Peace One party since the Samnite-Garison was to march away next night being no longer able to endure the Siege for want of Provision thought it enough to acquaint the Consul at what hour and at which Gate they were to go out and what way they intended to march But the others who had always opposed the joining with the Samnites did also the same Night open another Gate to the Consul and secretly received abundance of Armed Men into the City Thus by a double Treachery both the Samnite Garison was unexpectly cut off by Ambuscades laid in the Woods as they pass'd and at the same time a Shout set up in the City that was full of the Enemy so that in one minute the Samnite was destroyed the Satrican taken and all at the Devotion of the Consul who having made Inquisition who they were that caused the Revolt such as were found guilty he caused to be beheaded disarm'd the Town and placed therein a lusty Garison From hence Papirius Cursor return'd to Rome to Triumph as they write who say that by his Conduct Luceria was recovered and the Samnites put under the Gallows And indeed he was a Person worthy of all commendations for a brave Commander in the Wars and excellent not only for the vigor of his mind but also for the natural strength of his Body nimble and light of foot almost to a Miracle whence he had his Sirname Cursor or the excellent Runner for 't is reported he could out-run any Man of that Age And whether by the vigor of his constitution or by reason of much exercise a stout and mighty Eater he was and drank as liberally to his Meat and could carry it off as well Never had the Soldiers Foot or Horse smarter Service under a General being himself Master of a Body that could endure all Fatigues The Cavalry once were so bold as to Petition him that in consideration of some handsom exploit they had done he would be pleased to ease them a little of their ordinary pains and hard duty Yes quoth he that you may not complain that you have no easement at all I will henceforwards ease you of this pains That when ye alight from your Horses you shall not need any more to stroak their shoulders or Buttocks He was besides a Person severe and kept both his own Citizens and their Allies and Confederates in mighty awe of him The Praetor of Praeneste happened once for fear to be a little slow in bringing up a Reserve which he commanded into the Front Cursor immediatly caused him to be sent for as he was walking before his Tent and withal ordered the Lictor to get ready his Hatchet which being done and the Praenestin half dead with terror expecting nothing but present Death Come hither Lictor says the General cut me up this stump of a Tree which hinders my walk and so having sufficiently terrified the Fellow and set a small Fine upon him dismiss'd him Without doubt in that Age which
yielded as great plenty of gallant Captains as any there was not a Person on whom the State of Rome did more rely and depend insomuch as some Writers have concluded that he would have been an equal match to the Great Alexander if after the Conquest of Asia he had bent his Arms against Europe Now although from the beginning of this Work it may sufficiently appear that I have sought nothing less than Digressions from the just order and series of the Story nor have at all endeavored by extravagant Varieties to garnish it or with pleasant Sallies to divert the Reader and refresh my self yet happening upon the mention of so great a King and so renowned a Captain I could not but be moved to disclose and set down those thoughts which have oft occurr'd to my mind and inquire a little What event would probably have succeeded to the Roman Affairs had they happened to have been engaged with this Illustrious Conqueror Those things that are of greatest consideration and seem to have the Ascendent in all Wars are the number of Soldiers and withal their natural Courage the sufficiency and dexterity of the Commanders and lastly Fortune which as in all humane Affairs it bears a great stroke so in War most of all He that shall narrowly weigh all these either jointly or severally may reasonably conclude That as the Roman State bore up against other Kings and Nations so it might have prov'd to him also Invincible To begin with ballancing the Commanders one against another I do not deny but Alexander was an excellent Leader but that which enhaunc'd his Fame was That he was a sole and Soveraign Commander a young Man his Sails always full blown with prosperous Gales and one who dyed before ever he had labored under any of the frowns of Fortune For to omit other glorious Princes and renowned Captains illustrious Examples of the uncertainty of Humane Grandeur What was it that exposed Cyrus whom the Greeks so highly magnifie or our great Pompey of late to the turning Wheel of Fortune but only this That they lived long On the other side Let us take a review of the Roman Commanders I mean not through all Ages but such as being Consuls or Dictators about those times Alexander must have engag'd with if he had spread his Ensigns this way there were M. Valerius Corvinus M. Marcius Rutilus C. Sulpicius T. Manlius Torquatus Q. Publilius Philo L. Papirius Cursor Q. Fabius Maximus the two Decii L. Volumnius Manius Curius besides abundance of prodigious Warriors that succeeded afterwards if he had first set upon the Carthaginians as he was resolved to have done if he had not been prevented by Death and so had arriv'd in Italy when well stricken in years Each one of these was master of as good Parts and natural Abilities as Alexander and had the advantage of being train'd up in an incomparable Military Discipline which having been delivered from hand to hand ever since the foundation of their City was now by continual Precepts arriv'd to the perfection of an Art For so after one and the same course did our Kings of old manage their Wars so after them the Junii and Valerii the banishers of Kings so consequently the Fabii the Quintii the Cornelii so Furius Camillus whom in his Age two of those Romans with whom Alexander must have encountred Manlius Torquatus and Valerius Corvinus had seen when they were Youths And whereas Alexander often hazarded his Person and underwent all Military toils and dangers which was one thing that not a little added to his Glory Can it be thought that if Manlius Torquatus or Valerius Corvinus had chanc'd to meet him at the head of his Troops either of them would not have prov'd a Match for him who were both of them famous for stout Soldiers before ever they had Commands Would the Decii that rush'd with devoted Bodies into the midst of the Enemy have been afraid of him Would Papirius Cursor that mighty Man both for strength of Body and gallantry of Mind have declined to cope with him Was it likely that a single young Gentleman should out-wit or manage his Affairs with greater prudence than that Senate which he only whoever he was had a right Idaea of that said It consisted altogether of Kings Here forsooth was the danger lest he should more advantagiously choose his Ground to Encamp on provide Victuals more carefully prevent Surprizes and Stratagems more warily know better when to venture a Battel range his Army more Soldier-like or strengthen it with Reserves and Recruits better than any of those whom I have named knew how to do Alas in all these matters he would have confess'd he had not to deal with a Darius over whom being attended with a vast Train of Women and Eunuchs softned with wearing Gold and Purple and clogg'd with the superfluous Furniture of his luxurious Fortune he did indeed obtain an unbloody Victory meeting rather with a Booty than an Enemy and had only this to boast of That he durst handsomly contemn such an abundance of Vanity He would have had another kind of prospect in Italy than in India through which he march'd at his ease with a drunken Army Feasting and Revelling all the way But here he must have met with the thick woody Forrest and almost unpassable Streights of Apulia the lofty Mountains of Lucania and fresh Tokens of a late Defeat that happen'd to his own Name and Family where his Uncle Alexander King of the Epirotes was hewn to pieces We speak hitherto of Alexander not yet debauch'd with excess of good Fortune wherein never any Man had less command of himself than he But if we consider him in his new Habit and that new Nature if I may call it so which he took up after he had a while been flush'd with Victories we may avow he would have come into Italy more like a Darius than an Alexander and brought with him a bastard Army altogether degenerated from the Macedonian courage and manners into the debauches and effeminacies of the Persians I am asham'd in so great a Monarch as he was to relate his proud humors of changing so oft his Garb his excessive vain-glory in expecting that Men should adore him by casting themselves prostrate at his feet when-ever they approach'd him a base servile flattery which must have been uneasie to the Macedonians though they had been Conquer'd much less to be endured now they were Conquerors his barbarous Cruelties and Butcheries of his nearest Friends amongst his Cups and Banquets and that ridiculous Vanity of forging a Divine Pedigree and boasting himself the Son of Jupiter Nay more since his Drunkenness and Greediness of Wine his savage Passions and cholerick Phrensies did every day increase I report nothing but what all Authors agree in shall we not think that his Abilities as a General must quickly have decayed and been wonderfully impaired But here perhaps was the danger which some little triffling Greeks who