Emperour that they kept him not from killing him selfe for their sakes So there was not a man of them that left his body though the enemies were hard at hand but hauing honorably buryed him and prepared a great stacke of wodde they conueyed him armed to the fire of his funeralls euery man thinking him selfe happy that coulde first set his shoulders to the coffyn to helpe to cary him Others comming to it kneeled downe on their knees and kissed his wound Others tooke and kissed his handes Others that could not come neare him honored him and did reuerence him a farre of and some there were also that after the stacke of woode was set a fire slue them selues hard by the fire who had neuer receiued benefit by him that was dead at the least to any mans knowledge nether had they any occasion to be affraid of him that was Conqueror And truely me thinkes neuer king nor tyrant was so ambitiously giuen to raigne as they vehemently desired to be commaunded by Otho and to obeye him considering that their desire left them not euen after his death but was so liuely rooted in their mindes that in the ende it turned to a deadely hate vnto Vitellius But of this we will speake more hereafter in time and place Now when they had buried Othoes ashes they did set vp a tombe for him nether for magnificence of building nor forglorious epitaphe subiect vnto enuy For I haue seene his tombe in the citie of BRESSELLES a meane thing and the epitaph vpon it translated out of Latine sayeth no more but this This is the tombe of Marcus Otho He dyed being but seuen and thirty yere olde and was Emperor but three moneths there were as many famous men that commended his death as they that reproued his life For though he liued not much more honester then Nero yet he dyed farre more honorably Furthermore when Pollio one of the Captaines would haue compelled his souldiers presently to haue taken their othes to be true to Vitellius they fell out with him and vnderstanding that there were yet remayning some Senators they would not medle with them but onely troubled Verginius Rufus For they came to his dores armed and called him by his name commaunded him to take charge of them and to goe as Ambassador to intreate for them Howbeit he thought it were but a fond part of him to take charge of them that were already ouercome considering he refused it when they had ouercome and also he was affraid to goe Ambassador to the GERMAINES bicause he had compelled them to doe thinges against their willes Therefore he went out at his backe dore and saued him selfe So when the souldiers heard of it they were at length contented to be brought to be sworne vnto Vitellius and so ioyned them selues with Cecinnaes souldiers so they might be pardoned for all that was past THE LIVES OF ANNIBAL AND SCIPIO AFRICAN Translated into French by Charles de la Sluce and englished by Thomas North. Annibal IF we doe call to mind the first PVNICK warre the CARTHAGINIANS had with the ROMANES we shall find many Captaines who by the glorye of their noble deedes haue left great same and renowme vnto their posteritie Howbeit amongest all the Captaines of the CARTHAGINIANS none are found more worthy of fame and so commended of all Greeke and Latine Authors then Hamilcar Annibals father otherwise surnamed Barcha a valliant man doubtles and in his time a skilfull souldier as any was The same Hamilcar first of all made warre with the ROMANES a longer tyme in SICILIA then was looked for who had done greate hurte to his contrye and common wealthe After that also in the warres of AFRICK at what tyme the mercenarye souldiers through their rebellion did put the contrye of CARTHAGE in great daunger he did so valliantly appease the insurrection that to euery mans iudgement he was reputed the onely preseruer of his contrye Then he was sent Gouernor and Captaine into SPAYNE and caryed with him at that tyme as it is reported his sonne Annibal beeing but a younge boye where he did noble seruice In fine in the nynth yeare of his aboade there in that prouince he dyed fighting vallyantly agaynste the VETHEONS After his deathe Hasdrubal his Sonne in lawe whom the CARTHAGINIANS through the ayde friendship of the BARCINIAN faction had made generall of all their armye remayned gouernor there the space of eight yeares This Hasdrubal sent for Annibal into SPAYNE after his father Hamilcars death against the minds of the chiefe of the contrary faction to th end that as he had bene trayned from his youth in the discipline of warres in his father Hamilcars life euen so in like manner that now being come to mans state he should the better harden his body to away with the paines and daungers of the warres Now although at the first the remembraunce of his father was a great helpe vnto him to winne the loue and good will of the souldiers Yet he him selfe afterwards through his diligence and industrie so handled the matter that the olde souldiers forgetting all other Captaines they onely desired to choose him and none other for thier gouernor For they found in him all the perfections that could be wished for in a noble Captaine or generall He had a present and ready wit to giue counsell what was to be done in most greatest attempts besides he lacked nether manhood nor industry to put it in execution He had a valiant and inuincible mind euen in greatest daungers and aduersities of bodye the which are wont to staye others from performing their indeuors and duety He would watche and warde as any priuate souldier and was quicke and ready to doe any kind of seruice either like a valiant souldier or a good Captaine In this sort Annibal continued in seruice in the warres the space of three yeares vnder the conduct of Hasdrubal In that time he so wanne the hartes of all the army that immediatly after Hasdrubals death he was chosen to be Lieuetenant generall with the common consent of all the souldiers this honor was layed vpon him without contradiction of any of the CARTHAGINIANS through the friendship and good will of the BARCINIAN faction Annibal was now six and twenty yeare olde when the souldiers made him their Lieuetenant generall For at what time his father Hamilcar brought him into SPAYNE he was then but nyne yeare olde from that time vnto Hasdrubals death according to Polybius declaration it was seuenteene yeares more So he was no sooner made Lieuetenant generall of all the campe and his contry but he bent him selfe to make warre with the ROMANES hauing long before determined it For first of all he chiefly mainteyned almost a common hate of all the CARTHAGINIANS against the ROMANES bicause of the losse of SICILIA and SARDINIA Besides also he bare them a secret malice in nature as a thing inheritable from
was chosen captaine of the great shippe Argus and had commission to sayle euery where to chase and driue awaye rouers and pyrates and to scoure the seas through out About this time Daedalus being fled from CRETA to ATHENS in a litle barke Minos contrarie to this restraint woulde needes followe him with a fleete of diuers vessels with owers who being by force of weather driuen with the coaste of SICILE fortuned to dye there Afterwardes his sonne Deucalion being marucilously offended with the ATHENIANS sent to summone them to deliuer Daedalus vnto him or els he woulde put the children to death which were deliuered to his father for hostages But Theseus excused him selfe and sayed he coulde not forsake Daedalus considering he was his neere kynseman being his cosin germaine for he was the sonne of Merope the daughter of Erichtheus Howbeit by and by he caused many vessels secretly to be made parte of them within ATTICA selfe in the village of Thymetades farre from any highe wayes and parte of them in the cittie of TROEZEN by the sufferance of Pitheus his grandfather to the ende his purpose shoulde be kept the secretlyer Afterwardes when all his shippes were readye and rygged out he tooke sea before the CRETANS had any knowledge of it in so much as when they sawe them a farre of they dyd take them for the barkes of their friends Theseus landed without resistaunce and tooke the hauen Then hauing Daedalus and other banished CRETANS for guydes he entred the cittie selfe of GNOSVS where he slewe Deucalion in a fight before the gates of the Labyrinthe with all his garde and officers about him By this meanes the kingdome of CRETA fell by inheritance into the handes of his sister Ariadne Theseus made league with her and caryed away the yong children of ATHENS which were kept as hostages and concluded peace and amytie betweene the ATHENIANS and the CRETANS who promised and sware they woulde neuer make warres against them They reporte many other things also touching this matter and specially of Ariadne but there is no trothe nor certeintie in it For some saye that Ariadne honge her selfe for sorowe when she sawe that Theseus had caste her of Other write that she was transported by mariners into the I le of NAXOS were she was maryed vnto O Enarus the priest of Bacchus and they thincke that Theseus lefte her bicause he was in loue with another as by these verses shoulde appeare AEgles the Nymphe vvas loued of Theseus vvhich vvas the daughter of Panopeus Hereas the Megarian sayeth that these two verses in olde time were among the verses of the Poet Hesiodus howbeit Pisistratus tooke them awaye as he dyd in like manner adde these other here in the description of the helles in Homer to gratifie the ATHENIANS Bolde Theseus and Pirithous stovvte descended both from godds immortall race Triumphing still this vvearie vvorlde aboute infeats of armes and many acomly grace Other holde opinion that Ariadne had two children by Theseus the one of them was named O Enopion and the other Staphylus Thus amongest others the Poet Ion writeth it who was borne in the I le of CHIO and speaking of his cittie he sayeth thus O Enopion vvhich vvas the sonne of vvorthy Theseus did cause men buylde this stately tovvne vvhich novve triumpheth thus Nowe what things are founde seemely in Poets fables there is none but dothe in manner synge them But one Paenon borne in the cittie of AMATHVNTA reciteth this cleane after another sorte and contrarie to all other saying that Theseus by tempest was driuen with the I le of CYPRVS hauing with him Ariadne which was great with childe and so sore sea sycke that she was not able to abide it In so muche as he was forced to put her a lande and him selfe afterwards returning abourde hoping to saue his shippe against the storme was forthwith compelled to loose into the sea The women of the countrye dyd curteously receyue and intreate Ariadne and to comforte her againe for she was marucilously oute of harte to see she was thus forsaken they counterfeated letters as if Theseus had wrytten them to her And when her groninge time was come and she to be layed they did their best by all possible meanes to saue her but she dyed notwithstanding in labour and could neuer be deliuered So she was honorably buried by the Ladies of CYPRVS Theseus not long after returned thither againe who tooke her death maruelous heauily and left money with the inhabitantes of the countrie to sacrifice vnto her yearely and for memorie of her he caused two litle images to be molten the one of copper and the other of siluer which he dedicated vnto her This sacrifice is done the seconde day of September on which they doe yet obserue this ceremonie they doe lay a young childe vpon a bed which pitiefully cryeth and lamenteth as women trauellinge with childe They saye also that the AMATHVSIANS doe yet call the groue where her tombe is sette vp the wodde of Venus Adriadne And yet there are of the NAXIANS that reporte this otherwise saying there were two Minoes and two Adriadnees whereof the one was maried to Bacchus in the I le of NAXOS of whome Staphylus was borne and the other the youngest was rauished and caried away by Theseus who afterwardes forsooke her and she came into the I le of NAXOS with her nurce called Corcyna whose graue they doe shewe yet to this day This seconde Adriadne dyed there also but she had no such honour done to her after her death as to the first was geuen For they celebrate the feaste of the first with all ioye and mirthe where the sacrifices done in memorie of the seconde be mingled with mourninge and sorowe Theseus then departing from the I le of CRETA arriued in the I le of DELOS where he did sacrifice in the temple of Apollo and gaue there a litle image of Venus the which he had gotten of Adriadne Then with the other young boyes that he had deliuered he daunced a kinde of daunce which the DELIANS keepe to this day as they say in which there are many turnes and returnes much after the turninges of the Labyrinthe And the DELIANS call this manner of daunce the crane as Dicaorcus sayeth And Theseus daunced it first about the altar which is called Ceraton that is to saye horne-staffe bicause it is made and builded of hornes onely all on the left hande well and curiously sette together without any other bindinge It is sayed also that he made a game in this I le of DELOS in which at the first was geuen to him that ouercame a braunche of palme forreward of victorie But when they drewe neere the coast of ATTICA they were so ioyfull he and his master that they forgate to set vp their white sayle by which they shoulde haue geuen knowledge of their healthe and safetie vnto AEgeus Who
cittie of CVMA he perceyued that all the coastes by sea were layed for him to apprehende him and that he had many spyalls vpon him among the which these were two speciall noted men Ergoteles and one Pythodorus the reward being very great for men that sought their gayne any waye they could For the king of PERSIA had proclaymed by sound of trūpet two hundred talēts to him that brought him Themistocles Whereupon he fled vnto a litle towne of AEOLIA called AEGES where no liuing bodie knewe him but his host only called Nicogenes who was the richest man of all the AEOLIANS and knewe all the noble men of authoritie that were about the king of PERSIA Themistocles continued hidden certen dayes in his house in which time on a night after the feast of a sacrifice one Olbius schoolemaster to Nicogenes children by some secret working of the goddes sodainely fell besides him selfe and beganne to singe these verses out alowde Doe thou beleeue vvhat so the night tells and geue thy voyce thy counsell and conceipts Vnto the night in darcksomnes that dvvells thereon also thy victorie avvaits The next night following Themistocles being fast asleepe in his bed dreamed that a snake wounde it selfe round about his bellie and glided vpwardes to his necke vntill it touched his face and sodainely then it became an eagle and imbraced him with his winges and so at length dyd lifte him vp into the ayer and caried him a maruelous waye of vntill he thought he sawe a golden rodde suche as Herauldes vse to carie in their handes whereupon the eagle dyd set him and so was deliuered of all this feare and trouble he thought him selfe in The trothe was Nicogenes had this deuise in his heade howe he might bring him safe to the king of PERSIAES courte The Barbarous nations for the most parte and specially the PERSIANS are of a very straunge nature and maruelous iealous ouer their women and that not onely of their wiues but also of their bonde women and concubines which they keepe so straightly locked vp that no man euer seeth them abroade at any time but are allwayes like housedoues kept within doores And when they haue any occasion to goe into the country they are caried in close coches couered all about that no man can looke into them Themistocles was conueyed into one of these coches drest after this manner and had warned his men to aunswer those they met by the waye that asked whom they caried howe it was a young GRECIAN gentlewoman of the countrie of IONIA which they caried to the courte for a noble man there Thucydides and Charon Lampsacenian saye he went thither after the death of Xerxes and spake with his sonne there But Ephorus Dino Clitarchus Heraclides and many other write that he spake with him selfe Yet notwithstanding it appeareth that Thucydides wordes doe best agree with the chronicles tables recording the succession of times although they be of no great certaintie Themistocles being come nowe to the swordes pointe as it were and to the extremitie of his daunger dyd first present him selfe vnto one Artabanus Colonell of a thousand footemen and sayed vnto him Syr I am a GRECIAN borne and desire to speake with the King I haue matters of importance to open to his maiestie and such as I knowe he will thanckefully receyue Artabanus aunswered him in this manner My friend syr straunger the lawes and customes of men are diuers and some take one thing for honest others some another thing but it is most honestly for all men to keepe and obserue the lawes and manners of their owne countrie For you GRECIANS haue the name to loue libertie and equalitie aboue all things for vs amongest all the goodly lawes and customes we haue we esteeme this aboue the rest to reuerence and honour our King as the image of the god of nature who keepeth all things in their perfect life and state Wherefore if thou wilt facion thy selfe after our manner to honour the King thou mayest both see him and speake with him but if thou haue another minde with thee then must thou of necessitie vse some thirde persone for thy meane For this is the manner of our countrie the King neuer geueth audience to any man that hath not first honoured him Themistocles hearing what he sayed aunswered him againe My lord Artabanus the great good will I bear vnto the King and the desire I haue to aduaunce his glorie and power is the only cause of my present repaire vnto his courte therefore I meane not only to obey your lawes since it hath so pleased the goddes to rayse vp the noble empire of PERSIA vnto this greatnes but will cause many other people also to honour the King more then there doe at this present Therefore let there be no staye but that my selfe in persone maye deliuer to the King that I haue to saye vnto him Well sayed Artabanus whom then shall we saye thou arte For by thy speache it seemeth thou art a man of no meane state and condition Themistocles aunswered him as for that Artabanus none shall knowe before the King him selfe Thus doth Phanias reporte it But Eratosthenes in his booke he wrote of riches addeth further howe Themistocles had accesse vnto this Artabanus being recommended to the King by a woman of ERETRIA whom the King kept Themistocles being brought to his presence after he had presented his humble duety and reuerence to him stoode on his feete and sayed neuer a worde vntill the King commaūded the interpreter to aske him what he was and he aunswered Maye it please your maiestie ô noble King I am Themistocles the Athenian a banished man out of my country by the GRECIANS who humbly repayreth to your highnes knowing I haue done great hurt to the PERSIANS but I persuade my self I haue done them farre more good then harme For I it was that kept the GRECIANS backe they dyd not follow you whē the state of GRECE was deliuered from thraldome and my natiue country from daunger and that I knew I stoode then in good state to pleasure you Nowe for me I finde all mens good willes agreable to my present misery and calamitie for I come determined most humbly to thancke your highnes for any grace and fauour you shall shewe me also to craue humble pardone if your maiesty be yet offended with me And therfore licence me most noble King to beseche you that taking mine enemies the GRECIANS for witnesses of the pleasures I haue done the PERSIAN nation you will of your princely grace vse my harde fortune as a good occasion to shewe your honorable vertue rather then to satisfie the passion of your heate and choller For in sauing my life your maiestie saueth an humble suter that put him selfe to your mercie and in putting me to death you shall ryd away an enemy of the GRECIANS Hauing spoken thus these words he sayed further That the goddes
both when they feared not restoring both when they hoped not But also in their ende there was no great difference th one brought to his death by his mortal enemies the others fortune not much vnlike But now to our historie Antigonus had two sonnes by his wife 〈…〉 the daughter of Corraus the one of them he named Demetrius and the other Philip after his fathers name Thus farre the most wryters doe agree howbeit some holde opinion that Demetrius was not the sonne of Antigonus but his Nephewe But bicause his father dyed leauing him a childe and that his mother was straight maried againe vnto Antigonus thereuppon came the reporte that he was Antigonus sonne Howsoeuer it was Philip that was not much younger then Demetrius dyed Now for Demetrius though he was a verie bigge man he was nothing so high as his father but yet so passing and wonderfull fayer that no painter could possibly draw his picture and counterfeat to his likenes For they saw a sweete countenance mixed with a kinde of grauetie in his face a feare with curtesie and an incomparable Princely maiestie accompanied with a liuely spirit and youth and his wit and manners were such that they were both fearefull and pleasaunt vnto men that frequented him For as he was most pleasaunt in company hauing leasure and most geuen to banketing pleasaunt life and more wantonly geuen to follow any lust and pleasure than any king that euer was yet was he alwayes very carefull diligent in dispatching matters of importance And therefore he maruelously commended and also endeuoured to follow Dionysius as much to say as Bacchus aboue all the other goddes as he that had bene a wise and valiant Captaine in warre and that in peace inuented and vsed all the pleasure that might be He maruelously loued and reuerenced his father and it seemeth that the dutiefulnes he shewed vnto his mother was more to discharge the due obedience dutie of a sonne than otherwise to enterteine his father for feare of his power or hope to be his heire And for proofe hereof we read that one day as he came home from hunting he went vnto his father Antigonus geuing audience to certain Ambassadors and after he had done his duetie to him and kissed him he sate downe by him euen as he came from hunting hauing his dartes in his hande which he caried out a hunting with him Then Antigonus calling the Ambassadors alowde as they went their way hauing receiued their aunswere my Lords sayd he you shall carie home this reporte of my sonne and me be witnesses I pray you how we liue one with an other As meaning to shewe thereby that the agreement betwext the father and the sonne together is a great safetie to the affaires of a king as also a manifest proofe of his greatnes so gealous is a king to haue a companion besides the hate and mistrust it should breede So that the greatest Prince and most auncientest of all the successors of Alexander boasted that he stoode not in feare of his sonne but did suffer him to sitte by him hauing a dart in his hand So was this house onely of all other the MACEDONIAN kinges least defiled with suche villanie many successions after and to confesse a troth in all Antigonus rase there was not one but Philip onely that slue his owne sonne But we haue many examples of diuers other houses of kinges that haue put their sonnes wiues and mothers to death and for their brethren it was an ordinarie thing with them to kill them and neuer sticke at it For like as Geometricians would haue men graunt them certaine proposicions which they suppose without proofe euen so was this holden for a generall rule to kill their brethren for the safetie of their estate But further to shewe you more plainly that Demetrius was of a noble and curteous nature and that he dearely loued his frendes we may alleage this example Mithridates the sonne of Ariobarzanes was his familiar frend and companion for they were both in maner of an age and he commonly followed Antigonus courte and neuer practised any villanie or treason to him neither was he thought such a man yet Antigonus did somewhat suspect him bicause of a dreame he had He thought that being in a goodly great fielde he sowed of these scrapinges of gold and that of the seede first of all came vp goodly wheate which had eares of gold howbeit that shortly after returning that way againe he found nothing but the straw and the eares of the wheate cut of and that he being angrie and verie sorie for it some tolde him that Mithridates bad cut of these golde eares of wheate and had caried them with him into the realme of PONY Antigonus being maruelosly troubled with this dreame after he had made his sonne sweare vnto him that he would make no man aliue priuy to that he would tell him he told him all his dreame what he had dreamed and therewith that he was determined to put this young man Mithridates to death Demetrius was maruelous sory for it and therefore the next morning this young noble Prince going as he was wont to passe the time away with Mithridates he durst not by word of mouth vtter that he knew bicause of his othe howbeit taking him aside form his other familliers when they were both together by them selues he wrote on the ground with the end of his dart Mithridates loking on him flie Mithridates Mithridates found straight what he ment and fled the very same night into CAPPADOCIA and shortly after it was his destinie to fulfill Antigonus dreame For he conquered many goodly contries and it was he onely that established the house of the kingdom of PONI the which the ROMANES afterwardes ouerthewe about the eight succession By these examples we may easily coniecture the good nature and cortesie of Demetrius For like as the elements according to Empedocles opinion are euer at strife together but specially those that are nearest eache to other euen so though all the successors of Alexander were at continuall warres together yet was it foonest kindled and most cruell betwene them which bordered nearest vnto eche other and that by being neare neighbours had alwaies occasion of brawle together as sell out at that time betwene Antigonus and Ptolomy This Antigonus lay most commonly in the contry of PHRYGIA who hauing intelligence that Ptolomy was gone into CYPRVS and that he ouerranne all SYRIA winning by force or faier meanes all the townes and cities subiect vnto them he sent his sonne Demetrius thether beeing at that time but two and twenty yeares of age and it was the first time that euer he tooke charge as generall to his father in matters of great importance But he being a young man and that had no skill of warres fighting a battell with an olde souldier trained vp in the discipline of
the iudge and preseruer of them who caused the same also to be kept and obserued The time nowe being comen about for payment of the thirde tribute when they came to compell the fathers which had children not yet maried to geue them to be put forth to take their chaunce and lotte the citizens of ATHENS beganne to murmure against AEgeus alledging for their grieues that he who onely was the cause of all this euill was onely alone exempted from this griefe And that to bring the gouernment of the Realme to fall into the handes of a straunger his bastard he cared not though they were bereft of all their naturall children and were vnnaturally compelled to leaue and forsake them These iust sorrowes and complaintes of the fathers whose children were taken from them dyd pearce the harte of Theseus who willing to yelde to reason and to ronne the selfe same fortune as the cittizens dyd willingly offered him selfe to be sent thither without regarde taking to his happe or aduenture For which the cittizens greatly esteemed of his corage and honorable disposition and dearely loued him for the good affection he seemed to heare vnto the communaltye But AEgeus hauing vsed many reasons and perswasions to cause him to turne and staye from his purpose and perceyuing in the ende there was no remedye but he woulde goe he then drue lottes for the children which should goe with him Hellanicus notwithstanding dothe write that they were not those of the cittie which drewe lottes for the children they should sende but that Minos him selfe went thither in persone and dyd chuse them as he chose Theseus the first vpon conditions agreed betwene them that is to wit that the ATHENIANS shoulde furnishe them with a shippe and that the children should shippe and imbarke with him carying no weapons of warre and that after the death of the Minotaure this tribute should cease Nowe before that time there was neuer any hope of returne nor of safetie of their children therefore the ATHENIANS allwayes sent a shippe to conuey their children with a blacke sayle in token of assured losse Neuertheles Theseus putting his father in good hope of him being of a good corage and promising boldly that he woulde sett vpon this Minotaure AEgeus gaue vnto the master of the shippe a white sayle commaunding him that at his returne he should put out the white sayle if his sonne had escaped if not that then he should sett vp the blacke sayle to shewe him a farre of his vnlucky and vnfortunate chaunce Simonides notwithstanding doeth saye that this sayle which AEgeus gaue to the master was not white but redde dyed in graine and of the culler of scarlett and that he gaue it him to signifie a farre of their deliuerie and safety This master was called Phereclus Amaâ—siadas as Simonides sayeth But Philochorus writeth that Scirus the SALAMINIAN gaue to Theseus a master called Nausitheus and another marriner to tackle the sayles who was called Phaeas bicause the ATHENIANS at that time were not greatly practised to the sea And this did Scirus for that one of the children on whom the lott fell was his nephewe and thus muche the chappells doe testifie which Theseus buylt afterwardes in honour of Nausitheus and of Phaeas in the village of Phalerus ioyning to the temple of Scirus And it is sayed moreouer that the feaste which they call Cybernesia that is to saye the feaste of Patrons of the shippes is celebrated in honour of them Nowe after the lotts were drawen Theseus taking with him the children allotted for the tribute went from the pallace to the temple called Delphinion to offer vp to Apollo for him and for them an offering of supplication which they call Hiceteria which was an olyue boughe hallowed wreathed about with white wolle After he had made his prayer he went downe to the sea side to imbarke the sixt daye of the moneth of Marche on which daye at this present time they doe seude their younge girles to the same temple of Delphinion there to make their prayers and petitions to the goddes But some saye that the oracle of Apollo in the cittie of DELPHES had aunswered him that he should take Venus for his guyde and that he should call vpon her to conduct him in his voyage for which cause he dyd sacrifice a goate vnto her vpon the sea side which was founde sodainly turned into a ramme and that herefore they surnamed this goddesse Epitragia as one would saye the goddesse of the ramme Furthermore after he was arriued in CRETA he slewe there the Minotaure as the most parte of auncient authors doe write by the meanes and helpe of Ariadne who being fallen in fansie with him dyd geue him a clue of threede by the helpe whereof she taught him howe he might easely winde out of the turnings and cranckes of the Labyrinthe And they saye that hauing killed this Minotaure he returned backe againe the same waye he went bringing with him those other younge children of ATHENS whom with Ariadne also he caried afterwardes awaye Pherecides sayeth moreouer that he brake the keeles or bottomes of all the shippes of CRETA bicause they should not sodainely sett out after them And Demon writeth that Taurus the captaine of Minos was killed in a fight by Theseus euen in the very hauen mowthe as they were readye to shippe awaye and hoyse vp sayle Yet Philochorus reporteth that king Minos hauing sett vp the games as he was wont to doe yerely in the honour and memorye of his sonne euery one beganne to enuye captaine Taurus bicause they euer looked that he should carye awaye the game and victorie as he had done other yeres before ouer and that his authoritye got him much ill will and enuye bicause he was proude and stately and had in suspition that he was great with Queene Pasiphäe Wherefore when Theseus required he might encounter with Taurus Minos casely graunted it And being a solemne custome in CRETA that the women shoulde be present to see these open sportes and sights Ariadne being at these games amongest the rest fell further in loue with Theseus seeing him so goodly a persone so stronge and inuincible in wrestling that he farre exceeded all that wrestled there that daye King Minos was so glad that he had taken awaye the honour from captaine Taurus that he sent him home francke and free into his countrye rendring to him all the other prisoners of ATHENS and for his sake clearely released and forgaue the cittie of ATHENS the tribute which they should haue payed him yerely Howbeit Clidemus searching out the beginning of these things to thutmost reciteth them very particularly and after another sorte For he sayeth about that time there was a generall restraint through out all GRECE restrayning all manner of people to beare sayle in any vessell or bottome wherein there were aboue fiue persones except only Iason who
seeinge the blacke sayle a farre of being out of all hope euermore to see his sonne againe tooke such a griefe at his harte that he threw him selfe headlong from the top of a clyffe and killed him selfe So soone as Theseus was arriued at the porte named Phalerus he performed the sacrifices which he had vowed to the goddes at his departure and sent an Herauld of his before vnto the city to carie newes of his safe arriuall The Heraulde founde many of the citie mourning the death of king AEgeus Many other receiued him with great ioy as may be supposed They would haue crowned him also with a garlande of flowers for that he had brought so good ridinges that the children of the citie were returned in safetie The Heraulde was content to take the garlande yet would he not in any wise put it on his head but did winde it about his Heraulds rodde he bare in his hande and so returneth foorthwith to the sea where Theseus made his sacrifices Who perceiuinge they were not yet done did refuse to enter into the temple and stayed without for troubling of the sacrifices Afterwardes all ceremonies finished he went in and tolde him the newes of his fathers death Then he and his company mourning for sorowe hasted with speede towardes the citie And this is the cause why to this day at the feast called Oscophoria as who woulde say at the feast of boughes the Herauld hath not his heade but his rod onely crowned with flowers and why the assistantes also after the sacrifice done doe make suche cryes and exclamations Ele leuf iou iou whereof the first is the crye and voyce they commonly vse one to an other to make haste or else it is the foote of some songe of triumphe and the other is the crye and voyce of men as it were in feare and trouble After he had ended the obsequies and funeralls for his father he performed also his sacrifices vnto Apollo which he had vowed the seuenth day of the moneth of October on which they arriued at their returne into the citie of ATHENS Euen so the custome which they vse at this day to seeth all manner of pulse commeth of this that those which then returned with Theseus did seeth in a great brasse potte all the remaine of their prouision and therewith made good chere together Euen in such sorte as this came vp the custome to carie a braunch of olyue wreathed about with wolle which they call Iresione bicause at that time they caried boughes of supplication as we haue told ye before About which they hang all sortes of fruites for then barrennesse did cease as the verses they sang afterwards did witnesse Bring him good bread that is of savry tast vvith pleasaunt figges and droppes of dulcet mell Then sovvple oyle his body for to bast and pure good vvine to make him sleepe full vvell Howbeit there are some which will say that these verses were made for the Heraclides that is to say those that descended from Hercules which flying for their safety and succour vnto the ATHENIANS were entertained much made of by them for a time But the most parte holde opinion they were made vpon the occasion aforesaid The vessell in which Theseus went and returned was a galliot of thirtie owers which the ATHENIANS kept vntill the time of Demetrius the Phalertan alwayes taking away the olde peeces of wodde that were rotten and euer renewing them with new in their places So that euer since in the disputations of the Philosophers touching things that increase to wit whether they remaine alwayes one or else they be made others this galliot was alwayes brought in for an example of doubt For some mainteined that it was still one vessell others to the contrarie defended it was not so And they holde opinion also that the feast of boughes which is celebrated at ATHENS at this time was then first of all instituted by Theseus It is sayed moreouer that he did not carye all the wenches vpon whome the lotts did fall but chose two fayer young boyes whose faces were swete and delicate as maydens be that otherwise were hardie and quicke sprighted But he made them so oft bathe them selues in whotte bathes and kepe them in from the heate of the sunne and so many times to washe anointe and rubbe them selues with oyles which serue to supple and smoothe their skinnes to keepe freshe and fayer their colour to make yellowe and bright their heares and withall did teache them so to counterfeare their speache countenaunce and facion of young maydes that they seemed to be like them rather then young boyes For there was no manner of difference to be perceiued outwardly and he mingled them with the girles without the knowledge of any man Afterwards when he was returned he made a procession in which both he and the other young boyes were apparelled then as they be nowe which carie boughes on the day of the feast in their handes They carie them in the honor of Bacchus and Ariadne following the fable that is tolde of them or rather bicause they returned home just at the time and season when they gather the fruite of those trees There are women which they call Deipnophores that is to say supper caryers which are assistantes to the sacrifice done that day in representing the mothers of those vpon whom the lottes did fall bicause they in like sorte brought them both meate and drinke There they tell tales for so did their mothers tattle to their children to comforte and encorage them All these particularities were written by Demon the historiographer There was moreouer a place chosen out to build him a tēple in and he him selfe ordained that those houses which had payed tribute before vnto the king of CRETA should nowe yearely thenceforth become contributories towardes the charges of a solemne sacrifice which shoulde be done in the honor of him and he did assigne the order and administration of the same vnto the house of the Phytalides in recompence of the curtesie which they showed him when he arriued Furthermore after the death of his father AEgeus he vndertooke a maruelous great enterprise For he brought all the inhabitantes of the whole prouince of ATTICA to be within the citie of ATHENS and made them all one corporation which were before dispersed into diuerse villages and by reason thereof were very hard to be assembled together when occasion was offered to establish any order concerning the cōmon state Many times also they were at variance together by the eares making warres one vpon an other But Theseus tooke the paines to goe from village to village and from family to familie to let them vnderstand the reasons why they should consent vnto it So he found the poore people and priuate men ready to obey and followe his will but the riche and such as had authoritye in euery village all against it Neuertheles
slayne in battell by Achilles Patroclus in the coūtrye of THESSALIE neere to the riuer of Sperchius that his brother Hector tooke the cittie of TROEZEN from whence he brought awaye AEthrae in which there is no manner of apparance or likelihodde But AEdoneus king of the MOLOSSIANS feasting Hercules one daye as he passed through his realme descended by chaunce into talke of Theseus of Pirithous howe they came to steale away his daughter secretly after told how they were also punished Hercules was marueilous sorye to vnderstand that one of them was now dead the other in daunger to dye thought with him self that to make his mone to AEdoneus it would not helpe the matter he besought him only that he would deliuer Theseus for his sake And he graunted him Thus Theseus being deliuered of this captiuitie returned to ATHENS where his friends were not altogether kept vnder by his enemies at his returne he dyd dedicate to Hercules all the temples which the cittie had before caused to be built in his owne honour And where first of all they were called Thesea he did now surname thē all Hercules excepting foure as Philochorus writeth Nowe when he was arriued at ATHENS he would immediately haue cōmaunded and ordered things as he was wont to doe but he found him self troubled much with sedition bicause those who had hated him of long time had added also to their old canckered hate a disdain contēpt to feare him any more And the comō people now were become so stubborn that where before they would haue done all that they were cōmanded haue spoken nothing to the contrarie now they looked to be borne with flattered Whereupon Theseus thought at the first to haue vsed force but he was forced by the faction contētion of his enemies to let all alone in the end despairing he should euer bring his matters to passe to his desire he secretly sent away his children into the I le of EVBOEA to Elphenor the sonne of Chalcodias And himself after he had made many wishes curses against the Athenians in the village of Gargettus in a place which for that cause to this daye is called Araterion that is to saye the place of cursings he did take the seas wēt into the I le of SCIROS where he had goods thought also to haue founde friends Lycomedes raigned at that time was king of the I le vnto whom Theseus made request for some lande as intēding to dwell there albeit some saye that he required him to giue him ayde against the Atheniās Lycomedes were it that he douted to entertaine so great a personage or that he dyd it to gratifie Menestheus caried him vp to the high rocks faining as though he would from thence haue shewed him all his countrye round about But when he had him there he threw him downe hedlong from the toppe of the rocks to the bottome put him thus vnfortunately to death Yet other write that he fell down of him self by an vnfortunate chaunce walking one daye after supper as he was wont to doe There was no mā at that time that dyd followe or pursue his death but Menestheus quietly remained king of ATHENS and the children of Theseus as priuate souldiers followed Elphenor in the warres of TROIA But after the death of Menestheus who died in the iorney to TROIE Theseus sonnes returned vnto ATHENS where they recouered their state Sithence there were many occasiōs which moued the Athenians to reuerence honour him as a demy god For in the battell of Marathon many thought they sawe his shadow image in armes fighting against the barbarous people And after the warres of the Medes the yere wherein Phaedon was gouernour of ATHENS the nunne Pithea answered the Atheniās who had sent to the oracle of Apollo that they should bring backe the bones of Theseus putting them in some honorable place they should preserue honour them deuoutely But it was a harde matter to finde his graue if they had founde it yet had it bene a harder thing to haue brought his bones awaye for the malice of those barbarous people which inhabited that I le which were so wild fierce that none could trade or liue with them Notwithstanding Cimon hauing taken the Iland as we haue written in his life seeking his graue perceiued by good happe an eagle pecking with her beake scraping with her clawes in a place of some prety height Straight it came into his minde as by diuine inspiration to search digge the place where was founde the tumbe of a great bodye with the head of a speare which was of brasse a sword with it All which things were brought to ATHENS by Cimon in the admirall gallie The Atheniās receiued them with great ioye with processions goodly sacrifices as if Theseus him self had bene a liue had returned into the cittie againe At this daye all these relicks lye yet in the middest of the cittie neere to the place where the younge men doe vse all their exercises of bodye There is free libertie of accesse for all slaues poore men that are afflicted pursued by any mightier then themselues to pray sacrifice in remembraunce of Theseus who while he liued was protectour of the oppressed dyd curteously receiue their requests petitiōs that prayed to haue ayde of him The greatest most solemne sacrifice they doe vnto him is on the eight daye of October in which he returned from CRETA with the other younge children of ATHENS Howbeit they doe not leaue to honour him euery eight daye of all other moneths either bicause he arriued frō TROEZEN at ATHENS the eight daye of Iune as Diodorus the Cosmographer writeth or for that they thought that number to be meetest for him bicause the bruite ranne he was begotten of Neptune They doe sacrifice also to Neptune the eight daye of euery moneth bicause the nūber of eight is the first cube made of euen number the double of the first square which dothe represent a stedfastnes immoueable properly attributed to the might of Neptune whom for this cause we surname Asphalius and Gaiochus which by interpretation dothe signifie the safe keeper the stayer of the earthe The ende of Theseus life THE LIFE OF Romulus THE Historiographers doe not agree in their writings by whom not for what cause the great name of the cittie of ROME the glorie wherof is blowen abroad through all the worlde was first geuen vnto it For some thincke that the Pelasgians after they had ouercome the greatest parte of the world and had inhabited and subdued many nations in the ende dyd staye them selues in that place where it was newe buylded and for their great strength and power in armes they gaue the name of ROME vnto the cittie as signifying power in the Greeke tongue Other saye thatafter
common weale established before as discordes doe many times in an harmonie of musicke that before agreed very well together Therefore he iudged it a thing most necessarie to keepe his cittie free and safe from coūterfeating of any straungers manners of facions that were cōmonly as persones infected with some contagious sicknes Nowe in all we haue spoken before euen to this place there is no manner of token or shewe of iniustice or lacke of equite wherewith some seme to burden Lycurgus in his lawes by saying they were well made to make men warlicke and valliant but not to be iuste or righteous But cōcerning the lawe they call Cryptia as much to saye as their secret if it were of Lycurgus institution as Aristotle sayeth it might haue caried Plato into the like opinion that Lycurgus had of his common weale This was the lawe The gouernours which had the charge and ouersight of the young men at certaine appointed times dyd chuse out those they thought to haue the best discretion and sent them abroade into the countrie some one waye some another waye who caried with them daggers and some prouision to feede them Those young men being thus dispersed abroade in the countrie did hide them selues all the daye close in secret places and there they laye and tooke their rest afterwardes when night was come they went to seeke out the high wayes and killed the first of the ILOTES that they met Sometimes euen in the broade daye they went into the countrie to kill the strongest and slowesth of the mens Thucydides telleth in his history of the warres of PELOPONNESVS where he sayeth That a certaine conuenient number of the ILOTES were crowned by a publicke proclamation of the SPARTANS and being infranchesed for their good seruices they had done the common weale they were caried to all the temples of the goddes for an honour Within a while after no man knewe what was become of them being about two thousand in number so that neuer man heard tell neither then nor since howe they came to their deathes Howbeit Aristotle aboue all others sayeth that the Ephores so soone as they were placed in their offices made warres with the ILOTES bicause they might lawfully kill them And it is true that in other things they did handle them very hardely For they forced them somtimes to drincke wine without water out of measure till they had made them starke drunke Then they brought them all into their common halles where they did eate to make their children to beholde them and to see what beastlines it was for a man to be drunke Likewise they made them singe songes and daunce daunces vnfit for honest men and suche as were full of derision and mockerie and did forbid them expressely to singe any honest songes So it is reported that in the iorney the THEBANS made to LACONIA many of the ILOTES were taken prisoners thereat and when they were commaunded to singe the verses of Terpander or of Aleman or of Spendon the Laconian they would not doe it saying they durst not finge them for their masters Wherefore he that first sayed in the countrie of LACEDAEMONIA he that is free in more free and he that is bonde is more bonde then in other places knewe very well the diuersitie betweene the libertie and bondage there and the libertie and bondage of other countries But in my opinion the LACEDAEMONIANS beganne to vse these great outrages and cruelties long time after the death of Lycurgus and specially since the great earthquake that happened at SPARTA at which time the ILOTES rose against them with the MESSENIANS and did great mischief through the countrie and put the cittie to the greatest distresse and daunger that euer it had For I cannot be persuaded that euer Lycurgus inuented or instituted so wicked and mischieuous an acte as that kynde of ordinaunce was bicause I imagine his nature was gentle and mercifull by the clemencie and iustice wee see he vsed in all his other doings and was witnessed besides by open oracle from the goddes for a iust and wise man Furthermore they saye of him that when he sawe the chiefest pointes of his gouernment had taken deepe roote and that the forme of his common weale went on and was strong enough to mainteine and keepe it selfe a foote like as Plato sayeth that God reioyced greately after he had made the worlde and sawe the same turne and moue his first mouing euen so Lycurgus taking singular pleasure and delight in his minde to see his notable lawes put in vre and so well stablished and liked of by experience sought yet to make them immortall as neere as he could possible by any forecast of man that no after time whatsoeuer might chaunge or put them downe To bring this to passe he caused all the people to assemble and tolde them he thought his ciuill pollicie and state of common weale was already sufficiently established for vertuous and happy life yet there was one matter behinde of greater importaunce than all the rest which he could not yet declare vnto them vntill he had first asked counsell of the oracle of Apollo And therefore in the meane time they should keepe and obserue his lawes and ordinaunces inuiolublie without chaunging remouing or staying any matter therein vntill he were returned from the cittie of DELPHES and then they should doe that other thing behinde if the God then so counselled him They all promised him to doe it and prayed him to make hast to goe on his iorney But before he departed he made the Kings and Senatours sweare first and consequently all the people after that they would keepe his lawes and ordinaunces without chaunging or altering any thing vntill he did returne againe This done he went to the citie of DELPHES where so sone as he arriued he sacrificed in the temple to Apollo and asked him If the lawes he had made were good to make a man an happy life Apollo made him aunswer his lawes were very good and that his cittie keping them should be the most renowmed of the worlde Lycurgus caused this oracle to be written which he sent to SPARTA After he sacrificed to Apollo againe and then taking leaue of his friendes and of his sonne he determined to dye bicause his citizens should neuer be released of the othe they had made betweene his handes When he had this determination he was come to the age wherein a man hathe strength enough to liue lenger and yet was olde enough also to dye if he would Wherefore finding him selfe happy to haue obteined his desire he willingly pyned him selfe to death by abstinence and lacke of meate For he thought it meete that the very death of great personages should bring benefit euer to the common weale and that the ende of their life should be no more idle or vnprofitable then the rest of their life before nay rather that it was one of their most meritotious
which had happened before to a most well beloued man of the goddes Some laye Lycurgus died in the cittie of CIRRHA But Apollothemis sayeth he died in ELIDA Timaeus and Aristoxenus write he ended his dayes in CRETA And Aristoxenus sayeth further that those of the I le of CRETA doe shewe his graue in the place which they call Pergami◠by the broade highe wayes side He left one onely begotten sonne named Antiorus who died without issue so that his house and name fayled with him But his neere kinsemen and famillier friendes did set vp a company or brotherhood in memorie of him which continued a long time and the dayes wherein they assembled were called the Lycurgides There is another Aristocrates the sonne of Hipparchus who sayeth that he being dead in CRETA his friendes burned his bodie and afterwardes threwe his ashes into the sea according as he had prayed and requested them For he feared that if any parte of him should at any time haue bene brought to SPARTA the inhabitans would haue sayed he was returned againe and thereby would haue thought them selues discharged of their othe and might haue lawfully altered the lawes which he had appointed And this is the discourse and ende of Lycurgus life The end of Lycurgus life THE LIFE OF Numa Pompilius THE Historiographers differ maruelously of the time in which Numa Pompilius raigned King albeit some will deriue from him many noble houses descēded in ROME For one Clodius who wrote the booke intituled the table of time affirmeth that the auncient registers of the cittie of ROME were lost when it was taken and sacked by the GAVLES and that those which are extant at this daye be not true but were only made by men desirous to gratifie some which haue thrust in auncient houses and families of the first ROMAINES that concerne nothing them whom they ment to represent On the other side although the common opinion be that Numa was as familier friend and scholler of Pythagoras the philosopher yet some saye he was neuer learned nor had any knowledge at all in the Greeke tongue And yet mainteining that it is possible enough that he was so well borne and had suche perfection in all kind of vertue that he neuer neded any master though he had neded they had rather attribute the honour of the instructing of this King vnto some other foreane person that was more excellent then Pythagoras Other saye that Phythagoras the philosopher was long time after the raigne of Numa well nighe fiue ages after him How beit other saye there was another Pythagoras borne in SPARTA who hauing wonne the pryse of running at the games Olympicall in the sixtenth Olympiade the third yere of Numaes raigne did come into ITALIE where he kept much about Numa did assist helpe him in the gouerning ordering of his Realme By meanes whereof there be many customes yet of the LACONIANS mingled with the ROMAINES which this second Pythagoras was sayed to haue taught him Neuertheles his not confessed that Numa was borne of the SABYNES which they saye are descended from the LACEDAEMONIANS So it falleth out very hard to agree certainly of the time when Numa was and chiefly for suche as will followe the rolle or table of those which from Olympiades to Olympiades haue wonne the pryses of games Olympicall considering the rolle or table that they haue at this present was very lately published by one Hippias an Elian who deliuereth no reason or argument of necessitie why it should be taken for an vndoubted trothe which he in that sorte hath gathered Yet we will not leaue to put in writing those things worthie of memorie which we could gather by any meanes of king Numa beginning at that place which we thought to be meetest It was nowe sithence ROME was buylt seuen and thirtie yeres for so long time raigned Romulus when Romulus the fifte of the moneth of Iuly which they call the Nones of the goates made a solemne sacrifice without the cittie neere to a certaine place commonly called the goate marshe As all the whole Senate with the most parte of the people were present at this sacrifice sodainely there rose in the ayer a very great tempest and a maruelous darcke thicke clowde which fell on the earthe with suche boysterous windes stormes lightnings and thunder that the poore common people being affrayed of so fore a tempest dispersed them selues sodainely running here and there for succour and therewithall king Romulus vanished awaye in suche sorte that he was neuer after seene aliue not dead This brought the Senatours and noble men whom they called Patricians into great suspition And there ranne a fowle tale among the common people howe they had a long time borne very impaciently to be subiects to a King bicause them selues would haue had and taken vpon them some soueraine authoritie and that for this cause they had killed king Romulus Adding somewhat more vnto it howe a litle before he had vsed them more roughely and commaūded them more straightly then he was wont or accustomed Neuertheles they found the meanes to quenche all these bruites and murmurings by doing diuine honour and sacrifice vnto him as one not dead but passed to a better life To confirme this one of the noblest men among them called Proclus came in and by othe affirmed before all the people that he sawe Romulus ascending vp into heauen armed at all peces and that he heard a voyce saye from thenceforth call him Quirinus This being thus appeased there sprange vp another trouble to knowe whom they should choose in his place For the straungers which were come then from other places to dwell in ROME were not yet throughly ioyned to the naturall borne ROMAINES in so muche as the common people dyd not only wauer and stagger vp and down in opinion but the Senatours also that were many of diuers nations did enter into a suspition one of another These things notwithstāding they all agreed in this that of necessitie they must choose a King howbeit in the rest they differed much not only whom they should choose but also of what nation he should be For those which were the first founders and buylders of the cittie of ROME with Romulus could in no wise abide norsuffer that the SABYNES to whom they had diuided parte of their landes and a moytie of their cittie should attempt and presume to commaund them whom they dyd receyue and associate into their company and felowshippe The SABYNES alledged on thother side for them a good reason and such as caried great probabilitie Which was that neuer sence the death of their king Tatius they neither had in any thing disobeyed nor disquieted king Romulus but had suffered him to raigne peaceably and therefore Romulus being nowe deceased reason would that the newe King should be chosen of their nation And that albeit the ROMAINES had receyued them into their cittie they could
or daūger visited one another making great cheere as if out of the springing fountaine of Numaes wisedom many pretie brookes streames of good honest life had rōne ouer all ITALIE had watered it that the mildnes of his wisdom had frō hand to hand bene disparsed through the whole world Insomuch as the ouer excessiue speaches the Poets accustomably doe vse were not sufficiēt enough to expresse the peaceable raigne of that time There spiders vveaue their cobvvebbes daye and night in harnesses vvhich vvont to serue for vvarre there cancred rust doth fret the steele full bright of trenchant blades vvell vvhet in many a Iarre There mighty speares for lacke of vse are eaten vvith rotten vvormes and in that countrie there the braying trompe dothe neuer seeme to threaten their quiet eares vvith blasts of bloudy feare There in that lande no drovvsie sleepe is broken vvith hotte alarmes vvhich terrours doe betoken For during all king Numaes raigne it was neuer heard that euer there were any warres ciuil dissention or innouation of gouernment attempted against him nor yet any secret comitie or malice borne him neither any cōspiracie once thought on to reigne in his place And whether it was for feare of displeasing the godds which visibly seemed to take him into their protectiō or for the reuerent regarde they had vnto his vertue or for his prosperous good successe all the time he raigned I cannot tell howbeit he sought to keepe men still pure honest from all wickednes layed most open before the eyes of the whole world a very exāple of that which Plato long time after did affirme saye concerning true gouernmēt which was That the only meane of true quietnes remedy from all euill which euer troubleth men was when by some diuine ordinaunce from aboue there meteth in one person the right maiestie of a King the minde of a wise philosopher to make vertue gouernesse ruler ouervice For in deede happie is such a wise man more happy are they which maye heare the graue counsaill good lessons of such a mouthe And there me thincks needeth no force no cōpulsion no threates nor extremitie to bridle the people For men seeing the true image of vertue in their visible prince in the example of his life doe willingly growe to be wise of them selues doe fall into loue liking and friendshippe together and doe vse all temperaunce iust dealing and good order one toward another leading their life without offence and with the commendation of other which is the chiefe pointe of felicitie and the most happie good that can light vnto men And he by nature is best worthy to be a King who through his wisdome and vertue can graffe in mens manners such a good disposition and this Numa aboue all other seemed best to knowe and vnderstand Furthermore touching his wiues and children there are great contrarieties amōg the historiographers For some of them saye he neuer maried other wife then Tatia and that he neuer had any children but one only daughter and she was called Pompilia Other write to the contrarie that he had foure sonnes Pompo Pinus Calpus and Mamercus of euery one of the which by succession from the father to the sonne haue descended the noblest races and most auncient houses of the ROMAINES As the house of the Pomponians of Pompo the house of the Pinarians of Pinus the house of the Calphurnians of Calpus the house of the Mamerciās of Mamercus All which families by reason of their first progenitor haue kept the surname of Reges Kings There are three other writers which doe reproue the two first saying that they dyd write to gratifie the families making them falsely to descend of the noble race of king Numa Moreouer it is sayed he had his daughter Pompilia not by Tatia but by his other wife called Lucretia whom he maried after he was made king Howbeit they all agree that his daughter Pompilia was maried vnto one Martius the sonne of the same Martius which persuaded him to accept the kingdome of ROME For he went with him to ROME to remaine there where they dyd him the honour to receyue him into the number of the Senatours After the death of Numa Martius the father stoode against Tullus Hostilius for the succession of the Realme and being ouercome he killed him selfe for sorowe But his sonne Martius who maried Pompilia continued still at ROME where he begotte Ancus Martius who was king of ROME after Tullus Hostilius and was but fiue yere olde when Numa dyed Whose death was not so daine For he dyed consuming by litle and litle aswell through age as also through a lingring disease that waited on him to his ende as Piso hath written and Numa at his death was litle more then foure score yere old But the pompe and honour done vnto him at his funeralles made his life yet more happie and glorious For all the people his neighbours friendes kinsemen and allies of the ROMAINES came thither bringing crownes with them and other publicke contributions to honour his obsequies The noble men selues of the cittie which were called Patricians caried on their shoulders the very bedd on which the course laye to be conueyed to his graue The Priestes attended also on his bodie and so dyd all the rest of the people women and children in like case which followed him to his tumbe all bewaling and lamenting his death with teares sighes and mournings Not as a King dead for very age but as they had mourned for the death of their dearest kinseman and nearest friende that had dyed before he was olde They burnt not his bodie bicause as some saye he commaunded the contrarie by his will and testament but they made two coffines of stone which they buried at the foote of the hill called Ianiculum In the one they layed his bodie in the other the holy bookes which he had written him selfe much like vnto those which they that made the lawes among the GRECIANS dyd write in tables But bicause in his life time he had taught the priestes the substaunce of the whole conteined in the same he willed the holy tables which he had written should be buried with his bodie For he thought it not reasonable that so holy matters should be kept by dead letters and writings but by mens manners exercises And he followed herein they saye the Pythagorians who would not put their worckes in writing but dyd printe the knowledge of them in their memories whom they knew to be worthy men and that without any writing at all And if they had taught any manner of persone the hidden rules and secretes of Geometrie which had not bene worthy of them then they sayed the goddes by manifest tokens would threaten to reuenge such sacriledge and impietie with some great destruction and miserie Therefore seeing so many things agreable and altogether like betweene Numa
and Pythagoras I easely pardone those which mainteine their opinion that Numa and Pythagoras were familiarly acquainted and conuersant together Valerius Antias the historian writeth there were twelue bookes written concerning the office of Priestes and twelue other conteining the philosophie of the GRECIAHS And the foure hundred yeres after in the same yere when Publius Cornelius and Marcus Bebius were consuls there fell a great rage of waters and raine which opened the earthe and discouered these coffines and the liddes and couers thereof being caried awaye they founde the one altogether voyde hauing no manner of likelyhoode or token of a bodie that had layen in it and in the other they founde these bookes which were deliuered vnto one named Petilius at that time Praetor who had the charge to reade them ouer and to make the reporte of them But he hauing perused them ouer declared to the Senate that he thought it not conuenient the matters conteined in them should be published vnto the simple people and for that cause they were caried into the market place and there were openly burnte Surely it is a common thing that happeneth vnto all good and iust men that they are farre more praysed and esteemed after their death then before bicause that enuie doth not long continue after their death and oftentimes it dieth before them But notwithstanding the misfortunes which chaunced afterwardes vnto the fiue Kings which raigned at ROME after Numa haue made his honour shine with much more noble glorie then before For the last of them was driuen out of his Kingdome and died in exile after he was very olde And of the other foure none of them died their naturall death but three of them were killed by treason And Tullus Hostilius which raigned after Numa deriding contemning the most parte of his good and holy institutions and chiefly his deuotion towardes the goddes as a thing which made men lowly and fainte harted dyd assone as euer he came to be King turne all his subiects hartes to the warres But this mad humour of his continued not long For he was plagued with a straunge most grieuous disease that followed him which brought him to chaunge his minde and dyd farre otherwise turne his contempt of Religion into an ouer-fearfull superstition which dyd nothing yet resemble the true Religion deuotion of Numa besides he infected others with his contagious errour through the inconuenience which happened vnto him at his death For he was striken and burnt with lightning THE COMPARISON OF Lycurgus with Numa THVS hauing written the liues of Lycurgus and Numa the matter requireth though it be somewhat harde to doe that we comparing the one with the other should set out the difference betweene them For in those things wherein they were like of condition their deedes doe shewe it sufficiently As in their temperaunce their deuotion to the goddes their wisdome in gouerning and their discreete handling of their people by making them beleeue that the goddes had reuealed the lawes vnto them which they established And nowe to come vnto their qualities which are diuersely seuerally commended in either of them Their first qualitie is that Numa accepted the Kingdome and Lycurgus gaue it vp The one receyued it not seeking for it and the other hauing it in his handes did restore it againe The one being a straunger and a priuate man was by straungers elected chosen their lorde king The other being in possession a King made him selfe againe a priuate persone Suer it is a goodly thing to obtaine a Realme by iustice but it is a goodlier thing to esteeme iustice aboue a Realme Vertue brought the one to be in such reputatiō that he was iudged worthy to be chosen a King and vertue bred so noble a minde in the other that he esteemed not to be a king Their second qualitie is that like as in an instrumēt of musicke the one of them did tune and wrest vp the slacke stringes which were in SPARTA so the other slackened and set them lower which were to highe mounted in ROME Wherein Lycurgus difficulty was the greater For he did not persuade his cittizens to plucke of their armour curates nor to laye by their swordes but only to leaue their golde siluer to forsake their softe beddes their fine wrought tables and other curious riche furniture and not to leaue of the trauell of warres to geue them selues only vnto feastes sacrifices and playes But to the contrarie to geue vp bancketing and feasting continually to take paynes in the warres yelding their bodies to all kinde of paynes By which meanes the one for the loue and reuerence they did beare him easely persuaded all that he would and the other by putting him selfe in daunger and being hurte also obtained not without great trauell and aduenture the end of his intended purpose and desire Numa his muse was so gentle louing and curteous that the manners of his cittizens which before were furious and violent were now so tractable and ciuill that he taught them to loue peace and iustice And to the contrarie if they will compell me to number amongest the lawes and ordinaunces of Lycurgus that which we haue written touching the ILOTES which was a barbarous cruell thing I must of force confesse that Numa was muche wiser more gentle and ciuill in his lawes considering that euen vnto those which in deede were borne slaues he gaue some litle tast of honour sweetnes of libertie hauing ordained that in the feastes of Saturne they should sit downe at meate at their masters owne table Some holde opinion that this custome was brought in by king Numa who willed that those which through their labour in tillage brought in much fruite should haue some pleasure thereof to make good cheere with the first fruites of the same Other imagine that it is yet a token and remembraunce of the equalitie which was emōgest men in the world in Saturnes time when there was neither master nor seruaunte but all men were a like equall as brethern or hinsemen To conclude it seemeth either of them tooke a direct course thought best to them selues to frame their people vnto temperaunce and to be contented with their owne But for their other vertues it appeareth that the one loued warre best and the other iustice onles it were that men would saye that for the diuersitie of the nature or custome of their people which were almost contrarie in manners they were both compelled to vse also contrary and diuers meanes from other For it was not of a fainte harte that Numa tooke from his people the vse of armes and desire to be in warres but it was to the ende they should not doe any wrong to others Neither did Lycurgus also studie to make his people souldiers and warlike to hurte others but for feare rather that others should hurte them And so to cut of the excesse in the one
them neither haue they done any vnseemely thing but haue passed the rest of their life like wise constant and vertuous men For it is not loue but weaknes which breedeth these extreme sorowes and exceeding feare in men that are not exercised nor acquainted to fight against fortune with reason And this is the cause that plucketh from them the pleasure of that they loue and desire by reason of the continuall trouble feare and griefe they feele by thincking howe in time they maye be depriued of it Nowe we must not arme our selues with pouertie against the griefe of losse of goodes neither with lacke of affeâ—tion against the losse of our friendes neither with wante of mariage against the death of children but we must be armed with reason against misfortunes Thus haue we sufficiently enlarged this matter The ATHENIANS hauing nowe susteined a long and troublesome warre against the MEGARIANS for the possession of the I le of SALAMINA were in the ende wearie of it and made proclamation straightly commaunding vpon payne of death that no man should presume to preferre any more to the counsaill of the cittie the title or question of the possession of the I le of SALAMINA Solon could not beare this open shame and seeing the most parte of the lustiest youthes desirous still of warre though their tongues were tyed for feare of the proclamation he fayned him selfe to be out of his wittes and caused it to be geuen out that Solon was become a foole and secretly he had made certaine lamentable verses which he had cunned without booke to singe abroade the cittie So one daye he ranne sodainly out of his house with a garland on his head and gotte him to the market place where the people straight swarmed like bees about him and getting him vp vpon the stone where all proclamations are vsually made out he singeth these Elegies he had made which beganne after this sorte I here present my selfe an Heraulde in this case vvhich come from Salamina lande that noble vvorthy place My minde in pelting prose shall neuer be exprest But songe in verse Heroycall for so I thincke it best This Elegie is intituled SALAMINA and conteineth a hundred verses which are excellently well written And these being songe openly by Solon at that time his friendes incontinently praysed them beyond measure and specially Pisistratus and they went about persuading the people that were present to credit that he spake Hereupon the matter was so handled amongest them that by and by the proclamation was reuoked and they beganne to followe the warres with greater furie then before appointing Solon to be generall in the same But the common tale and reporte is that he went by sea with Pisistratus vnto the temple of Venus surnamed Coliade where he founde all the women at a solemne feast and sacrifice which they made of custome to the goddesse He taking occasion thereby sent from thence a trusty man of his owne vnto the MEGARIANS which then had SALAMINA whom he instructed to fayne him selfe a reuolted traytour that he came of purpose to tell them that if they would but goe with him they might take all the chief ladyes and gentle women of ATHENS on a sodaine The MEGARIANS easely beleeued him and shipped forthwith certaine souldiers to goe with him But when Solon perceyued the shippe vnder sayle comming from SALAMINA he commaunded the women to departe and in steade of them he put lusty beardles springalles into their apparell and gaue them litle shorte daggers to conuey vnder their clothes commaunding them to playe daunce together vpon the sea side vntill their enemies were landed and their shippe at anker and so it came to passe For the MEGARIANS being deceyued by that they sawe a farre of as sonne as euer they came to the shore side dyd lande in heapes one in anothers necke euen for greedines to take these women but not a man of them escaped for they were slayne euery mothers sonne This stratageame being finely handled to good effect the ATHENIANS tooke sea straight and costed ouer to the I le of SALAMINA which they tooke vpon the sodaine and wanne it without much resistaunce Other saye that it was not taken after this sorte but that Apollo Delphicus gaue Solon first such an oracle Thou shalt first vvinne by vovves and sacrifice the helpe of lordes an demy goddes full bright of vvhose dead bones the dust engraued lies in vvesterne soyle Asopia that hight By order of this oracle he one night passed ouer to SALAMINA dyd sacrifice to Periphemus to Cichris demy goddes of the countrie Which done the ATHENIANS deliuered him fiue hundred men who willingly offered them selues the cittie made an accorde with them that if they tooke the I le of SALAMINA they should beare greatest authoritie in the common weale Solon imbarked his souldiers into diuers fisher botes and appointed a galliot of thirtie owers to come after him he ankred hard by the cittie of SALAMINA vnder the pointe which looketh towards the I le of NEGREPONT The MEGARIANS which were within SALAMINA hauing by chaunce heard some inckling of it but yet knew nothing of certaintie ranne presently in hurly burley to arme them and manned out a shippe to descrie what it was But they fondly comming within daunger were taken by Solon who clapped the MEGARIANS vnder hatches fast bounde and in their roomes put aborde in their shippe the choycest souldiers he had of the ATHENIANS commaunding them to set their course direct vpon the cittie and to keepe them selues as close out of sight as could be And he him self with all the rest of his souldiers landed presently and marched to encounter with the MEGARIANS which were come out into the fielde Now whilest they were fighting together Solons men whom he had sent in the MEGARIANS shippe entred the hauen wanne the towne This is certainly true testified by that which is shewed yet at this daye For to keepe a memoriall hereof a shippe of ATHENS arriueth quietly at the first by by those that are in the shippe make a great showte and a man armed leaping out of the shippe ronneth showting towardes the rocke called Sciradion which is as they come from the firme lande and hard by the same is the temple of Mars which Solon built there after he had ouercome the MEGARIANS in battell from whence he sent backe againe those prisoners that he had taken which were saued from the slaughter of the battell without any ransome paying Neuertheles the MEGARIANS were sharpely bent still to recouer SALAMINA again Much hurte being done suffered on both sides both parts in the ende made the LACEDAEMONIANS iudges of the quarrell But vpon iudgement geuen common reporte is that Homers authoritie dyd Solon good seruice bicause he did adde these verses to the number of shippes which are in the Iliades of Homer which he rehearsed before the iudges as if they
incontinently hauing liued as honorably and vertuously all the dayes of his life as any man liuing might doe The people then tooke order for his funeralles that the charges thereof should be defrayed by the citie as if they had neuer done him any honour in his life and that they had bene still debters vnto him for the noble seruice he had done vnto the state and common weale whilest he liued Therefore towardes his funeralle charges euery citizen gaue a pece of money called a Quatrine The women also for their parte to honour his funeralles agreed among them selues to mourne a whole yere in blackes for him which was a great and honorable memoriall He was buried also by expresse order of the people within the cittie in the streate called Velia and they graunted priuiledge also vnto all his posteritie to be buried in the selfe same place Howbeit they doe no more burie any of his there But when any dye they bring the corse vnto this place and one holding a torche burning in his hande doth put it vnder the place and take it straight awaye againe to shewe that they haue libertie to burie him there but that they willingly refuse this honour and this done they carie the corse awaye againe THE COMPARISON OF Solon with Publicola NOWE presently to compare these two personages together it seemeth they both had one vertue in them which is not founde in any other of their liues which we haue written of before And the same is that the one hath bene a witnes and the other a follower of him to whom he was like So as the sentence that Solon spake to king Croesus touching Tellus felicitie happines might haue better bene applied vnto Publicola than to Tellus whom he iudged to be very happy bicause he dyed honorably he had liued vertuously and had left behinde him goodly children And yet Solon speaketh nothing of his excellencie or vertue in any of his poemes neither dyd he euer beare any honorable office in all his time nor yet left any children that caried any great fame or renowme after his death Whereas Publicola so long as he liued was allwayes the chief man amongest the ROMAINES of credit and authoritie and afterwards since his death certaine of the noblest families and most auncient houses of ROME in these our dayes as the Publicoles the Messales the VALERIANS for six hundred yeres continuance doe referre the glorie of the nobilitie aunciētie of their house vnto him Furthermore Tellus was slaine by his enemies fighting valliantly like a worthy honest man But Publicola died after he had slaine his enemies which is farre more great good happe then to be slaine For after he as generall had honorably served his country in the warres had left them conquerers hauing in his life time receyued all honours triumphes due vnto his seruice he attained to that happy end of life which Solon accompted esteemed most happy blessed Also in wishing manner he would his end should be lamented to his prayse in a place where he confuteth Mimnermus about the continuaunce of mans life by saying Let not my death vvithout lamenting passe But rather let my friendes bevvayle the same VVhose grieuous teares and cries of out alas maye ofte resound the Eccho of my name If that be good happe then most happy maketh he Publicola for at his death not only his friends and kinsefolkes but the whole cittie also and many a thousand persone besides dyd bitterly bewayle the losse of him For all the women of ROME dyd mourne for him in blacks and dyd most pittiefully lament his death as euery one of them had lost either father brother or husband True it is that I couet goodes to haue but yet so got as maye me not depraue Solon sayeth this bicause vengeance followed ill gotten good And Publicola tooke great heede not only to get his goodes most iustly but had regarde that those which he had he spent most honestly in helping the needie So that if Solon was iustly reputed the wisest man we must needes confesse also that Publicola was the happiest For what the one desired for the greatest and most perfect good a man can haue in this worlde the other hath wonne it kept it and vsed it all his life time vntill the hower of his death And thus hath Solon honoured Publicola and Publicola hath done like vnto Solon shewing him self a perfect example and looking glasse where men maye see howe to gouerne a popular state when he made his Confulshippe voyde of all pride stately shewe and became him self affable curteous and beloued of euerie bodie So tooke he profit by many of his lawes As when he ordeined that the people only should haue authoritie to choose and create all common officers and magistrates and that they might appeale from any iudge to the people as Solon when he suffered them to appeale vnto the iudges of the people In deede Publicola dyd not create any newe Senate as Solon dyd but he dyd augment the first number with as many persones almost as there were before He dyd also first erect the office of Quastores for keeping of all fines taxes and other collections of money Bicause the chiefest magistrate if he were an honest man should not for so light an occasion be taken from the care of better and more weightie affayers and if he were wickedly geuen and ill disposed that he should haue no such meane or occasion to worke his wicked will by hauing the treasure of the cittie in his handes and to commaund what he lyst Moreouer in hating the tyrānes Publicola therein was farre more sharpe terrible For Solon in his lawes punished him that went about to make him selfe tyranne yet after he was conuicted thereof by lawe but Publicola ordeined that they should kill him before the lawe dyd passe on him that sought to be king And where Solon iustly and truely vaunteth him self that being offered to be King Lord of ATHENS and that with the whole consent of the citizens yet be dyd notwithstanding refuse it This vaunte and glorie is as due vnto Publicola who finding the dignitie of a Consul tyrannicall he brought it to be more lowly and favour 〈…〉 people not taking vpon him all the authoritie he might lawfully haue done And it seemeth that Solon knewe before him what was the true and direct waye to gouerne a common weale vprightly For he sayeth in one place Both great and small of povver the better vvill obaye if vve to little or to much vpon them doe not laye The discharging of dettes was proper to Solon which was a full confirmation of libertie For litle preuayleth lawe to make equalitie among cittizens when dettes doe hinder the poore people to enioye the benefit thereof And where it seemeth that they haue most libertie as in that they maye be chosen iudges and officers to speake their opinion in the counsell and geue
which they were neuer wont to doe but in great and common calamities But the Senate fearing least some cōmotion would ryse hereupon they dyd set him at libertie againe He being thus out of prison was no whit the better nor wiser thereby but dyd still stirre vp the commons more boldely and seditiously then before Then was Camillus chosen againe Tribunus militaris and Manlius was accused in his time of office But when this matter came to pleading the sight of the Capitoll troubled his accusers much For the very place it selfe where Manlius had repulsed the GAVLES by night and defended the Capitoll was easely seene from the market place where the matter was a hearing and he him selfe pointing with his hande shewed the place vnto the goddes and weeping tenderly he layed before them the remembraunce of the hazarde of his life in fighting for their safety This dyd moue the iudges hartes to pittie so as they knew not what to doe but many times they dyd put ouer the hearing of his case vnto another daye and neither would they geue iudgement knowing he was conuicted by manifest proofes neither could they vse the seueritie of the lawe vpon him bicause the place of his so notable good seruice was euer still before their eyes Wherefore Camillus finding the cause of delaye of iustice dyd make the place of iudgement to be remoued without the cittie into a place called the wodde Petelian from whence they could not see the Capitoll And there the accusers gaue apparent euidence against him and the iudges considering all his wicked practises conceaued a iust cause to punishe him as he had deserued So they gaue sentence of death against him that he should be caried to the mount Capitoll and there to be throwen downe hedlonge the rockes thereof Thus one and the selfe place was a memory of his notable good seruice and also a memoriall of his miserable and vnfortunate end Besides all this they rased his house and built in the same place a temple to the goddesse they call Moneta◠and made a lawe also that no Patrician from thenceforth should dwell any more in the mount Capitoll Camillus after this being called againe to take the office of Tribunus militaris the sixt time he sought to excuse him selfe as well for that he sawe he was well stepte in yeres as also for that he feared fortunes spight or some mishappe after he had obteined such glorie for his noble actes and seruice Howbeit the most apparent cause of his excuse was his sickenes which troubled him much at that time But the people would allowe no excuse by any meanes but cried out they dyd not desire he should fight a foote nor a horse backe but that he should only geue counsaill and commaunde and therefore they compelled him to take the charge and to leade the armie with one of his companions named Lucius Furius against their enemies the PRAENESTINES and the VOLSCES who ioyning together dyd inuade the confines of the ROMAINES friendes So he led his army out immediately to the field and camped as neere the enemy as he could being minded for his parte to drawe the warres out in length that he might fight afterwards if neede required when he had recouered strength But Furius contrarilie coueting glorie was whottely bent to hazarde the battell whatsoeuer perill came of it and to this ende he sturred vp and incoraged the captaines of euerie priuate bande Wherefore Camillus fearing least they should thinke for ill will he bare the young men that he went about to hinder and take awaye the meanes to winne their honour and to doe some noble acte suffered Furius against his will to put his men in order of battell and he in the meane season by reason of his sicknes remained with a fewe about him in the campe So went Lucius vpon a head to present battell to the enemie so was he as headilie also ouerthrowen But Camillus hearing the ROMAINES were ouerthrowen sicke as he was vpon his bedde got vp and taking his householde seruantes with him he went in haste to the gates of the campe and passed through those that fled vntill he came to mete with the enemies that had them in chase The ROMAINES seeing this that were already entred into the campe they followed him at the heeles forthwith and those that fled also without when they sawe him they gathered together and put them selues againe in arraye before him and persuaded one another not to forsake their captaine So their enemies hereupon stayed their chasing and would pursue no further that daye But the next morning Camillus leading his armie into the fielde gaue them battell and wanne the field of them by plaine force and following the victorie harde he entred amongest them that fled into their campe pelmel or hand ouerheade and slue the most parte of them euen there After this victorie he was aduertised howe the THVSCANS had taken the cittie of SVTRIVM and had to the sworde all the inhabitants of the same which were the ROMAINES cittizens Whereupon he sent to ROME the greatest parte of his army and keeping with him the lightest and lustiestmen went and gaue assaulte vnto the THVSCANS that nowe were harbored in the cittie of SVTRIVM Which when he had wonne againe he slue parte of them and the other saued them selues by flight After this he returned to ROME with an exceeding spoyle confirming by experience the wisedome of the ROMAINES who dyd not feare the age nor sicknes of a good captaine that was experte and valliant but had chosen him against his will though he was both olde and sicke and preferred him farre before the younger and lustier that made sute to haue the charge Newes being brought vnto the Senate that the THVSCVLANIANS were reuolted they sent Camillus thither againe willing him of fiue other companions to take out one he liked best euery of the which desired to be chosen and made their sute vnto him for the same But he refusing all other dyd chose againe Lucius Furius beyounde all expectation of men seeing not long before he needes would against his will hazarde battell in which he was ouerthrowen Howbeit Camillus hauing a desire as I thincke to hyde his faulte and shame he had receaued dyd of curtesie preferre him before all other Nowe the THVSCVLANIANS hearing of Camillus coming against them subtilly sought to culler the faulte they had already committed Wherefore they put out a great number of people into the fields some to plowe other to keepe the beastes as if they had bene in best peace and dyd set the gates of the cittie wide open sent their children openly to schoole their artificers wrought their occupation in their shoppes the men of hauiour honest cittizens walked in the market place in their long gownes the officers and gouernours of the cittie went vp and downe to euery house commaunding them to prepare lodgings for the ROMAINES
ioyne with him the wisedome of Nicias and appointed Lamachus also for their third captaine whom they sent thither though he were waxen now somewhat olde as one that had shewed him selfe no lesse venturous and hardie in some battells then Alcibiades him selfe Now when they came to resolue of the number of souldiers the furniture and order of these warres Nicias sought crookedly to thwart this iorney and to breake it of altogether but Alcibiades withstoode him and gate the better hande of him There was an orator called Demostratus who moued the people also that the captaines whom they had chosen for these warres might haue full power and authoritie to leauy men at their discretion and to make suche preparation as they thought good whereunto the people condescended and dyd authorise them But when they were euen readie to goe their waye many signes of ill successe lighted in the necke one of another and amongest the rest this was one That they were commaunded to take shippe on the daye of the celebration of the feast of Adonia on the which the custome is that women doe set vp in diuers placeâ— of the cittie in the middest of the streates images like to dead corses which they carie to buriall and they represent the mourning and lamentations made at the funeralles of the dead with blubbering and beating them selues in token of the sorowe the goddesse Venâ—â— made for the death of her friend Adonis Moreouer the Hermes which are the images of Mercurie and were wont to be set vp in euery lane and streete were found in a night all hacked and hewed and mangled specially in their faces but this put diuers in great feare and trouble yea euen those that made no accompt of suche toyes Whereupon it was alledged that it might be the CORINTHIANS that dyd it or procured that lewde acte to be done fauoring the SYRACVSANS who were their neere kynsemen and had bene the first fownders of them imagining vpon this ill token it might be a cause to breake of the enterprise and to make the people repent them that they had taken this warre in hande Neuertheles the people would not allow this excuse neither hearken to their wordes that sayed they should not reckon of any such signes or tokens and that they were but some light brained youthes that being â—ippled had played this shamefull parte in their brauerie or for sporte But for all these reasons they tooke these signes very greuously and were in deede not a litle afeard as thinking vndoutedly that no man durst haue bene so bolde to haue done suche an abhominable facte but that there was some conspiracie in the matter Hereupon they looked apon euery suspition and coniecture that might be how litle or vnlikely soeuer it were and that very seuerely and both Senate and people also met in counsell vpon it very ofte and in a fewe dayes Now whilestâ— they were busilie searching out the matter Androcles a common counseller and orator in the common wealth brought before the counsell certaine slaues and straungers that dwelt in ATHENS who deposed that Alcibiades and other of his friends and companions had hacked and mangled other images after that sorte and in a mockerie had counterfeated also in a banket that he made the ceremonies of the holy mysteries declaring these matters particularly How one Theodorus counterfeated the herauld that is wonte to make the proclamations Polytion the torche bearer and Alcibiades the priest who sheweth the holy signes and mysteries and that his other companions were the assistantes as those that make sute to be receyued into their religion and order and into the brotherhood of their holy mysteries whom for this cause they call â— Mystes These very wordes are written in the accusation Thessalus Cimons sonne made against Alcibiades charging him that he had wickedly mocked the two goddesses Ceres Proserpina Whereat the people being maruelously moued and offended and the orator Androcles his mortall enemie aggrauating stirring them vp the more against him Alcibiades a litle at the first beganne to be amased at it But afterwards hearing that the mariners which were prepared for the voyage of SICILIA and the souldiers also that were gathered dyd beare him great good will and specially how the ayde and that bande that came from ARGOS and Mantinea being a thousand footemen well armed and appointed dyd saye openly how it was for Alcibiades sake they dyd take vpon them so long a voyage beyond sea that if they went about to doe him any hurte or wrong they would presently returne home againe from whence they came he beganne to be of a good corage againe and determined with this good fauorable opportunitie of time to come before the counsell to aunswer to all suche articles and accusations as should be layed against him Thereupon his enemies were a litle cooled fearing least the people in this iudgement would haue shewed him more fauour bicause they stoode in nede of him Wherefore to preuent this daunger they had fed other Oratours who set a good face on the matter as they had bene Alcibiades friends and yet bare him no lesse good will then the ranckest enemies he had These fine fellowes rose vp in open assembly and sayed it was no reason that he that was now chosen one of the generalles of so mightie and puissant an armie being ready to hoyse sayle and the ayde also of their allies and friendes should be driuen to staye now and to lose time and occasion of well doing whilest they should goe about to choose iudges and appointe him his howres and time of aunswer Therefore they sayed it was fit he should take his iorney betimes and when warres were done that he should present him selfe to requier iustice and to purge him selfe of suche matters as should be obiected against him But Alcibiades smelling streight their fetche and perceyuing the practise of his staye stept vp and declared how they dyd him great wrong to make him departe with the charge of a generall of so great an armie his minde being troubled with continuall feare of so grieuous curses as he should leaue apon him and that he deserued death if he could not purge and iustifie him selfe of all the vniust and surmised accusations against him And if he had once clered him selfe of all thinges and had published his innocencie he should then haue nothing in his head to trouble him nor to thinke vpon but to goe on lustely to fight with his enemies and to cast behinde him the daunger of all his slaunderous detracters But all this could not persuade them And so he was presently commaunded in the behalfe of the people to imbarke shippe awaye his men Thus he was compelled to take the seas with his other companions hauing in their nauie about a hundred and forty gallyes all hauing three owers to a bancke fiue thousand one hundred footemen very well armed and appointed throwers with slingers archers
Conon fled and the other being not much lesse then two hundred in number were euery one of them taken and caried awaye with three thousand prisoners whom Lysander put to death Shortely after he tooke the cittie self of ATHENS and rased their long walles euen to the ground After this great and notable victorie Alcibiades fearing sore the LACEDAEMONIANS who then without let or interruption of any were only Lords and Princes by sea and by lande he went into the countrie of BITHYNIA and caused great good to be brought after him and tooke a maruelous sūme of money with him besides great riches he left also in the castells of THRACIA where he dyd remaine before Howbeit he lost much of his goodes in BITHYNIA which certaine THRACIANS dwelling in that countrie had robbed him of taken from him So he determined to repaire forthwith vnto king Artaxerxes hoping that when the King had once proued him he should finde him a man of no lesse seruice then he had found Themistocles before him besides that the occasion of his going thither should be muche iuster then his was For he dyd not goe thither to make warre against the cittie of ATHENS and his countrie as Themistocles did but of a cōtrarie intent to make intercession to the King that it would please him to ayde them Now Alcibiades thinking he could vse no better meane then Pharnabazus helpe only to see him safely conducted to the Kings courte he proposed his iorney to him into the countrie of PHRYGIA where he abode a certaine time to attēd vpon him was very honorably entertained and receyued of Pharnabazus All this while the ATHENIANS founde them selues desolate in miserable state to see their empire lost but then much more when Lysander had taken all their liberties and dyd set thirtie gouernours ouer their cittie Now to late after all was lost where they might haue recouered againe if they had bene wise they beganne together to bewaile and lament their miseries and wretched state looking backe apon all their wilfull faultes and follies committed emong which they dyd reckon their second time of falling out with Alcibiades was their greatest faulte So they banished him only of malice and displeasure not for any offense him selfe in persone had committed against them sauing that his lieutenaunt in his absence had shamefully lost a fewe of their shippes and they them selues more shamefully had driuen out of their cittie the noblest souldier and most skilfull captaine that they had And yet they had some litle poore hope lefte that they were not altogether cast awaye so long as Alcibiades liued and had his health For before when he was a forsaken man and led a banished life yet he could not liue idely and doe nothing Wherefore now much more sayed they to them selues if there be any helpe at all he will not suffer out of doubt the insolencie pryde of the LACEDAEMONIANS nor yet abyde the cruelties and outrages of these thirtie tyrauntes And surely the common people had some reason to haue these thoughts in their heades considering that the thirtie gouernours them selues dyd what they could possiblie to spye out Alcibiades doinges and what he went about In so muche as Critias at the last declared to Lysander that so long the LACEDAEMONIANS might reckon them selues Lordes ouer all GREECE as they kept from the common people the rule and authoritie of the cittie of ATHENS And further he added that notwithstanding the people of ATHENS could well awaye to liue like subiects vnder the gouernment of a fewe yet Alcibiades whilest he liued would neuer suffer them so to be reigned ouer but would attempt by all deuise he could to bring a chaunge and innouation emong them Yet Lysander would not credit these persuasions before speciall commandement was sent to him from the Senate of LACEDAEMON vpon his allegiaunce that he should deuise to kill Alcibiades by all meanes he could procure either bicause in trothe they feared the subtiltie of his wit and the greatnes of his corage to enterprise matters of great weight and daunger or els that they sought to gratifie king Agis by it Lysander being thus straightly commaunded dyd send and practise incontinently with Pharnabazus to execute the facte who gaue his brother Magaeus and his vncle Sosamithres commission to attempt the matter Now was Alcibiades in a certen village of PHRYGIA with a concubine of his called Timandra So he thought he dreamed one night that he had put on his concubines apparell and how she dandling him in her armes had dressed his head friseling his heare and painted his face as he had bene a woman Other saye that he thought Magaeus strake of his head and made his bodie to be burnt and the voyce goeth this vision was but a litle before his death Those that were sent to kill him durst not enter the house where he was but set it a fire round about Alcibiades spying the fire got suche apparell and hanginges as he had and threwe it on the fire thincking to haue put it out and so casting his cloke about his left arme tooke his naked sworde in his other hande and ranne out of the house him selfe not once touched with fyer sauing his clothes were a litle singed These murderers so sone as they spied him drewe backe and stoode a sonder and durst not one of them come neere him to stande and fight with him but a farre of they bestowed so many arrowes and dartes of him that they killed him there Now when they had left him Timandra went and tooke his bodie which she wrapped vp in the best linnen she had and buried him as honorably as she could possible with suche things as she had and could get together Some holde opinion that Lais the only famous curtisan which they saye was of CORINTHE though in deede she was borne in a litle towne of SICILIA called HYCCARA where she was taken was his doughter Notwithstanding touching the death of Alcibiades there are some that agree to all the rest I haue written sauing that they saye it was neither Pharnabazus nor Lysander nor the LACEDAEMONIANS which caused him to be slaine but that he keeping with him a young gentlewoman of a noble house whom he had stolen awaye and instised to follie her brethern to reuenge this iniurie went to set fire vpon the house where he was and that they killed him as we haue tolde you thinking to leape out of the fyre The ende of Alcibiades life THE LIFE OF CAIVS Martius Coriolanus THE house of the Martians at ROME was of the number of the Patricians out of the which hath sprong many noble personages whereof Ancus Martius was one king Numaes daughters sonne who was king of ROME after Tullus Hostilius Of the same house were Publius and Quintus who brought to ROME their best water they had by conducts Censorinus also came of that familie that
a lane through them and opened a passage into the battell of the enemies But the two winges of either side turned one to the other to compasse him in betweene them which the Consul Cominius perceyuing he sent thither straight of the best souldiers he had about him So the battell was maruelous bloudie about Martius and in a very shorte space many were slaine in the place But in the ende the ROMAINES were so strong that they distressed the enemies and brake their arraye and scattering them made them flye Then they prayed Martius that he would retire to the campe bicause they sawe he was able to doe no more he was already so wearied with the great payne he had taken and so fainte with the great woundes he had apon him But Martius aunswered them that it was not for conquerours to yeld nor to be fainte harted and thereupon beganne a freshe to chase those that fled vntill suche time as the armie of the enemies was vtterly ouerthrowen and numbers of them slaine and taken prisoners The next morning betimes Martius went to the Consul and the other ROMAINES with him There the Consul Cominius going vp to his chayer of state in the presence of the whole armie gaue thankes to the goddes for so great glorious and prosperous a victorie then he spake to Martius whose valliantnes he commended beyond the moone both for that he him selfe sawe him doe with his eyes as also for that Martius had reported vnto him So in the ende he willed Martius he should choose out of all the horses they had taken of their enemies and of all the goodes they had wonne whereof there was great store tenne of euery sorte which he liked best before any distribution should be made to other Besides this great honorable offer he had made him he gaue him in testimonie that he had wonne that daye the price of prowes aboue all other a goodly horse with a capparison and all furniture to him which the whole armie beholding dyd maruelously praise and commend But Martius stepping forth tolde the Consul he most thanckefully accepted the gifte of his horse and was a glad man besides that his seruice had deserued his generalls commendation and as for his other offer which was rather a mercenary reward then an honorable recompence he would none of it but was contented to haue his equall parte with other souldiers Only this grace sayed he I craue and beseeche you to graunt me Among the VOLSCES there is an olde friende and hoste of mine an honest wealthie man and now a prisoner who liuing before in great wealth in his owne countrie liueth now a poore prisoner in the handes of his enemies and yet notwithstanding all this his miserie and misfortune it would doe me great pleasure if I could saue him from this one daunger to keepe him from being solde as a slaue The souldiers hearing Martius wordes made a maruelous great showte among them and they were moe that wondred at his great contentation and abstinence when they sawe so litle couetousnes in him then they were that highely praised and extolled his villiantnes For euen they them selues that dyd somewhat malice and enuie his glorie to see him thus honoured and passingly praysed dyd thincke him so muche the more worthy of an honorable recompence for his valliant seruice as the more carelesly he refused the great offer made him for his profit and they esteemed more the vertue that was in him that made him refuse suche rewards then that which made them to be offred him as vnto a worthie persone For it is farre more commendable to vse riches well then to be valliant and yet it is better not to desire them then to vse them well After this showte and noyse of the assembly was somewhat appeased the Consul Cominius beganne to speake in this sorte We cannot compell Martius to take these giftes we offer him if he will not receaue them but we will geue him suche a rewarde for the noble seruice he hath done as he cannot refuse Therefore we doe order and decree that henceforth he be called Coriolanus onles his valliant acts haue wonne him that name before our nomination And so euer since he stil bare the third name of Coriolanus And thereby it appeareth that the first name the ROMAINES haue as Caius was our Christian name now The second as Martius was the name of the house and familie they came of The third was some addition geuen either for some acte or notable seruice or for some marke on their face or of some shape of their bodie or els for some speciall vertue they had Euen so dyd the GRAECIANS in olde time giue additions to Princes by reason of some notable acte worthie memorie As when they haue called some Soter and Callinicos as muche to saye sauiour and conquerour Or els for some notable apparaunt marke on ones face or on his bodie they haue called him Phiscon and Grypos as ye would saye gorebelley and hooke nosed or els for some vertue as Euergetes and Phyladelphos to wit a Benefactour and louer of his brethern Or otherwise for ones great felicitie as Endemon as muche to saye as fortunate For so was the second of the Battes surnamed And some Kings haue had surnames of ieast and mockery As one of the Antigones that was called Doson to saye the Geuer who was euer promising and neuer geuing And one of the Ptolomees was called Lamyros to saye conceitiue The ROMAINES vse more then any other nation to giue names of mockerie in this sorte As there was one Metellâ—â— surnamed Diadematus the banded bicause he caried a bande about his heade of longe time by reason of a sore he had in his forehead One other of his owne familie was called Celer the quicke flye Bicause a fewe dayes after the death of his father he shewed the people the cruell fight of fensers at vnrebated swordes which they founde wonderfull for the shortnes of time Other had their surnames deriued of some accident of their birthe As to this daye they call him Proculeius that is borne his father being in some farre voyage and him Posthumius that is borne after the deathe of his father And when of two brethern twinnes the one doth dye and thother suruiueth they call the suruiuer Vopiscus Somtimes also they geue surnames deriued of some marke or misfortune of the bodie As Sylla to saye crooked nosed Niger blacke Rufus red Caecus blinde Claudus lame They dyd wisely in this thing to accustome men to thincke that neither the losse of their sight nor other such misfortunes as maye chaunce to men are any shame or disgrace vnto them but the manner was to aunswer boldly to suche names as if they were called by their proper names Howbeit these matters would be better amplified in other stories then this Now when this warre was ended the flatterers of the people beganne to sturre vp sedition
in the turning of a hand spoyled and brought to nought For it is sayd that the riches and goodes taken away at the sacke of SYRACVSA were nothinge inferior to the spoyles of CARTHAGE which was also sacked not longe after that for the other parte of the city of SYRACVSA called ACRADINA was soone after also taken by treason and spoyled against the Captaines willes sauinge the kinges treasure which was reserued to be caried to the common treasure of ROME SYRACVSA beinge taken nothinge greued Marcellus more then the losse of Archimedes Who beinge in his studie when the citie was taken busily seekinge out by him selfe the demonstracion of some Geometricall proposition which he hadde drawen in figure and so earnestly occupied therein as he neither sawe nor hearde any noyse of enemies that ranne vppe and downe the citie and much lesse knewe it was taken He wondered when he sawe a souldier by him that bad him go with him to Marcellus Notwithstandinge he spake to the souldier and bad him tary vntill he had done his conclusion and brought it to demonstracion but the souldier being angry with his aunswer drew out his sword and killed him Other say that the ROMAINE souldier when he came offered the swords poynt to him to kill him and that Archimedes when he saw him prayed him to hold his hand a litle that he might not leaue the matter he looked for vnperfect without demonstracion But the souldier makinge no reckening of his speculation killed him presently It is reported a third way also sayinge that certeine souldiers met him in the streetes going to Marcellus carying certeine Mathematicall instrumentes in a litle pretie coffer as dialles for the sunne Sphaeres and Angles wherewith they measure the greatnesse of the body of the sunne by viewe and they supposing he hadde caried some golde or siluer or other pretious Iuells in that litle coffer slue him for it But it is most true that Marcellus was maruelous sorie for his death and euer after hated the villen that slue him as a cursed and execrable persone and howe he made also maruelous much afterwards of Archimedes kinsemen for his sake The ROMAINES were estemed of at that time by all nations for maruelous expert souldiers and taken for verie vallyant and daungerous men to be dealt with but they neuer shewed any example of their clemencie and curtesie and least of all of any ciuill manner to any straungers vntill Marcellus taught the way whose actes did shewe the GREECIANS then that the ROMAINES were more gratious and mercifull then they For he did so curteouslie intreate those that hadde to do with him and shewed such fauour to priuate persones and also to whole citties that if there were any crueltie shewed in the citties of ENNA or at MEGARES or against the SYRACVSANS it was rather through their owne fault and follie that were hurt then theirs that didde them the hurte And for profe hereof I will recite you one example onely amongest many There is a citie in SICILE called ENGYIVM it is no great thinge but a verie auncient citie of name by reason of the trafficke thither for that there are certeine goddesses to be seene whome they worship called the mothers Some say the CRETANS were the first builders and founders of the temple there where you shall see speares and helmets of copper and apon them are grauen the name of Meriones and apon others Vlysses name also which are consecrated to these goddesses This citie stoode altogether at the deuotion of the CARTHAGINIANS and Nicias beinge the chiefest man of the same was all he might against it and perswaded them openlie in all their counsailles to take parte with the ROMAINES prouinge it by many reasons that his enemies counsaylinge the contrarie were vnprofitable members of the common wealth Whereuppon Nicias enemies fearinge his greatnesse and authoritie they did conspyre amonge them selues to apprehende him and to deliuer him to the CARTHAGINIANS But Nicias hearinge of such a matter and findinge that they laye in wayte to take him vsed this pollicie to preuent their treason He gaue out openlie very ill speeches against the goddesses and did many things in derogation of their honor and sayd the sight of them which was a matter of great credit was but deuise and that there was no credit to be geuen to them These words tickled his enemies imagining that the common people would lay the mischiefe they pretended against him to him selfe as the only causes of his owne hurt So they hauinge appointed a day to apprehende him by chaunce a common counsaill was kept that day they hadde determined of where Nicias speaking to the people about matter of counsaill in the middest of his oration fell to the grounde to the great wonder of the whole assembly as euery man may coniecture Howbeit neuer a man sturred a prety while after he beganne to lift vppe his head a litle and to looke gastely about him with a faint trembling voyce which he still gathered higher and lowder by litle and litle vntill he sawe all the people wonderously afrayed and amazed that not one of them durst speake Then throwing his gowne from him and renting his coate he got vpon his feete halfe naked and ranne towardes the gate of the Theater cryinge out that the goddesses mothers did torment him and not a man durst once come neere him nor offer to stoppe him they were so supersticious and foolishly afrayed of the goddesses imagining it was some diuine punishment But by this meanes he easily got to the gates of the city and fled from them all and he was neuer seene after that time to do or speake like a madde man in any thing His wife that was made priuy to his deuise and furthered his intent went first and fell downe on her knees before the goddesses mothers in their temple as she had hartily prayed vnto them faining afterwards she would go seeke her husbande that ranne vp and downe the fieldes like a madde man she went out of the city with her litle children and no body troubled her Thus did they escape without daunger and went vnto Marcellus to SYRACVSA The ENGIENIANS afterwards played such insolent partes that Marcellus in the ende went thither and caused them all to be taken and bounde as though he woulde haue put them to execution But Nicias came to him with the teares in his eyes and embracing his knees and kissinge his handes besought him to take pitie of his poore citizens beginning first with those that were his greatest enemies This good nature of Nicias so pacified Marcellus wrath that he pardoned them all did no hurt to the city and gaue Nicias certeine land besides many other rich giftes he bestowed apon him Thus it is reported in the history of Posidonius the Philosopher Now Marcellus being sent for home by the ROMANES bicause they had warres in their owne contrie and euen at ROME gates he departed out of
desirous to bring his men safe home againe who most of loue had followed him beganne to marche away through narrow bushy places him selfe being in the rereward and turned oftentimes vpon his enemies skirmished with them onely to driue them away from followinge of the rest of his company and not a man that durst once set apon him for they did but cry outaloofe and wheele as it were about him Howebeit Philopoemen sundry times venturinge farre from his company to geue these young noble men leasure to saue them selues one after an other tooke no heede to him selfe that he was alone enuironned on euery side with a great number of ennemies Notwithstandinge of all his enemies there was not a man that durst come to hande strokes with him but still slinging and shooting at him a farre of they draue him in the end amongest stony places betwene hewen rockes where he had much a doe to guide his horse although he had spurred him that he was all of a gore blood And as for his age that did not lette him but he might haue saued him selfe for he was strong and lusty by the continuall exercise he tooke but by cursed happe his body being weake with sickenes and weary with the long iorney he had made that day he founde him selfe very heauy and ill disposed that his horse stumbling with him threwe him to the grounde His fall was very great and brused all his head that he lay for dead in the place a great while and neuer sturred nor spake so that his enemies thinkinge he had bene dead came to turne his body to strippe him But when they saw him lift vp his head and open his eyes then many of them fell all at once apon him and tooke him and bounde both his hands behinde him and did all the villany and mischiefe they could vnto him and such as one would litle haue thought Dinocrates would haue vsed in that sorte or that he could haue had such an ill thought towardes him So they that taried behinde in the city of MESSINA were maruelous glad when they heard these newes and ranne all to the gates of the city to see him brought in When they saw him thus shamefully bounde and pinnioned against the dignity of so many honors as he had receiued and of so many triumphes and victories as he had passed the most parte of them wept for pitie to consider the mishappe and ill fortune of mans nature where there is so litle certainety as in maner it is nothing Then beganne there some curteous speeche to runne in the mouthes of the people by litle and litle that they should remember the great good he had done vnto them in times past and the liberty he had restored them vnto when he expulsed the tyran Nabis out of MESSINA But there were other againe howbeit very few that to please Dinocrates sayed they should hang him on a gibbet and put him to death as a daungerous enemy and that would neuer forgiue man that had once offended him and the rather bicause he would be more terrible to Dinocrates then euer he was before if he escaped his hands receiuing such open shame by him Neuertheles in the end they caried him into a certen dungeon vnder the ground called the treasury which had neither light nor ayer at all into it nor dore nor half dore but a great stone rolled on the mouth of the dungeon and so they did let him downe the same and stopped the hole againe with the stone and watched it with armed men for to keepe him Now when these younge noble ACHAIAN horsemen had fled vppon the spurre a great way from the enemy they remembred them selues looked round about for Philopoemen finding him not in sight they supposed straight he had bene slaine Thereuppon they stayed a great while and called for him by name and perceiuing he aunswered not they beganne to say among them selues they were beastes and cowardes to flie in that sorte and how they were dishonored for euer so to haue forsaken their Captaine to saue themselues who had not spared his owne life to deliuer them from daunger Hereupon ryding on their way and enquiring still for him they were in the end aduertised how he was taken And then they went caried those newes through all the townes and cities of ACHAIA which were very sory for him and tooke it as a signe of great ill fortune toward them Wherupon they agreed to send Ambassadors forthwith to the MESSENIANS to demaunde him and in the meane time euery man should prepare to arme them selues to go thither and get him either by force or loue When the ACHAIANS had thus sent Dinocrates feared nothing so much as that delay of time might saue Philopoemenes life wherefore to preuent it as soone as night came and that the people were at rest he straight caused the stone to be rolled from the mouth of the dungeon and willed the hangman to be let downe to Philopoemen with a cuppe of poison to offer him who was commaunded also not to goe from him vntill he had dronke it When the hangman was come downe he found Philopoemen layed on the grounde apon a litle cloke hauinge no lift to sleepe he was so grieuously troubled in his minde Who when he sawe light and the man standing by him holding a cuppe in his hande with this poison he sate vpright vpon his cowch howbeit with great paine he was so weake and taking the cuppe in his hande asked the hangman if he heard any newes of the horsemen that came with him and specially of Lycortas The hangman made him answer that the most of them were saued Then he cast his handes a litle ouer his head and looking merely on him he sayd it is well seeing we are not all vnfortunate Therewith speaking no moe wordes nor makinge other a doe he droncke vp all the poison and layed him downe as before So nature straue not much withall his body being brought so lowe and thereupon the poison wrought his effect and rid him straight out of his paine The newes of his death ran presently through all ACHAIA which generally from high to low was lamented Whereupon all the ACHAIAN youth and counsellors of their cities and townes assembled them selues in the city of MEGALIPOLIS where they all agreed without delay to reuenge his death They made Lycortas their Generall vnder whose conduct they inuaded the MESSENIANS with force and violence puttinge all to the fire and sword so as the MESSENIANS were so feared with this mercilesse fury that they yelded them selues and wholly consented to receiue the ACHAIANS into their city But Dinocrates would not giue them leasure to execute him by iustice for he killed him selfe and so did all the rest make themselues away who gaue aduise that Philopoemen should be put to death But those that would haue had Philopoemen hanged on a gibbet Lycortas
they made request vnto him either to remaine in their contry to maintaine warres with them against the ROMAINES which was their meaning why they sent for him or else if he would needes go at the least wise to leaue their city in as good state as he founde it But he aunswered them againe very roughly that they shoulde speake no more to him in it and that they should not choose but tary his occasion And with this aunswere tooke shippe and sailed towardes SICILIA where so soone as he was arriued he founde all that he hoped for for the cities did willingely put them selues into his handes And where necessity of battell was offered him to employ his army nothing at the beginning could stande before him For with thirty thowsande footemen two thowsande fiue hundred horsemen and two hundred sayle which he brought with him he draue the CARTHAGINIANS before him and conquered all the contry vnder their obedience Nowe at that time the city of ERIX was the strongest place they had and there were a great number of good souldiers within it to defende it Pyrrus determined to proue the assault of it and when his army was ready to geue the charge he armed him selfe at all peeces from toppe to toe and approching the walls vowed vnto Hercules to geue him a solemne sacrifice with a feast of common playes so that he would graunt him grace to shew him selfe vnto the GREECIANS inhabiting in SICILIA worthy of the noble auncesters from whence he came and of the great good fortune he had in his handes This vowe ended he straight made the trompettes sound to the assault caused the barbarous people that were on the walles to retyre with force of his shot Then when the scaling ladders were set vp him selfe was the first that mounted on the walle where he found diuerse of the barbarous people that resisted him But some he threw ouer the walles on either side of him and with his sword slew many dead about him himselfe not once hurt for the barbarous people had not the harte to looke him in the face his countenaunce was so terrible And this doth proue that Homer spake wisely and like a man of experience when he sayd that valliantnesse onely amongest all other morall vertues is that which hath somtimes certaine furious motions and diuine prouocations which make a man besides him selfe So the city being taken he honorably performed his vowed sacrifice to Hercules kept a feast of all kindes and sortes of games and weapons There dwelt a barbarous people at that time about MESSINA called the MAMERTINES who did much hurt to the GREECIANS therabouts makinge many of them pay taxe and tribute for they were a great number of them and all men of warre and good souldiers and had their name also of Mars bicause they were marshall men and geuen to armes Pyrrus led his army against them and ouerthrew them in battell and put their collectors to death that did leauy and exact the taxe and rased many of their fortresses And when the CARTHAGINIANS required peace and his frendship offering him shippes and money pretending greater matters he made them a shorte aunswere that there was but one way to make peace and loue betwene them to forsake SICILIA altogether and to be contented to make Mare Libycum the border betwixt GREECE and them For his good fortune and the force he had in his handes did set him aloft and further allured him to follow the hope that brought him into SICILIA aspiring first of all vnto the conquest of LIBYA Now to passe him ouer thither he had ships enough but he lacked owers mariners wherefore when he would presse them then he began to deale roughly with the cities of SICILIA and in anger compelled and seuerely punished them that would not obey his commaundement This he did not at his first comminge but contrarily had wonne all their good wills speaking more curteously to them then any other did and shewing that he trusted them altogether and troubled them in nothing But sodainly being altered from a populer prince vnto a violent tyran he was not only thought cruell and rigorous but that worst of all is vnfaithfull and ingratefull neuerthelesse though they receiued great hurt by him yet they suffered it and graunted him any needefull thing he did demaund But when they saw he began to mistrust Thaenon and Sostratus the two chiefe Captaines of SYRACVSA and they who first caused him to come into SICILIA who also at his first arriuall deliuered the city of SYRACVSA into his hands had bene his chiefe aiders in helping him to compasse that he had done in SICILIA when I say they saw he would no more cary them with him nor leaue them behinde him for the mistrust he had of them and that Sostratus fled from him and absented him selfe fearing least Pyrrus would doe him some mischiefe and that Pyrrus moreouer had put Thaenon to death mistrusting that he would also haue done him some harme Then all things fell out against Pyrrus not one after an other nor by litle and litle but all together at one instant and all the cities generally hated him to the death and did againe some of them confederate with the CARTHAGINIANS and others with the MAMERTINES to set vpon him But when all SICILIA was thus bent against him he receiued letters from the SAMNITES TARENTINES by which they aduertised him how they had much a doe to defende them selues within their cities and strong holdes and that they were wholly driuen out of the field wherfore they earnestly besought him speedily to come to their aide This newes came happely to him to cloke his flying that he might say it was not for dispaire of good successe in SICILIA that he went his way but true it was in dede that when he saw he could no longer keepe it then a shippe could stand still among the waues he sought some honest shadow to colour his departing And that surely was the cause why he returned againe into ITALIE Neuerthelesse at his departure out of SICILE they say that looking backe apon the I le he said to those that were about him O what a goodly field for a battell my frendes doe we leaue to the ROMAINES and CARTHAGINIANS to fight th one with thother And verily so it fell out shortely after as he had spoken But the barbarous people conspiringe together against Pyrrus the CARTHAGINIANS on the one side watching his passage gaue him battel on the sea in the very straight it selfe of MESSINA where he lost many of his ships and fled with the rest tooke the coast of ITALIE And there the MAMERTINES on the other side being gone thither before to the number of eighteene thowsande fighting men durst not present him battell in open fielde but taried for him in certaine straites of the mountaines in very hard places and so set vpon his rereward and
sacrificed to the Muses and to the GREECIAN Graces that is to say that he had knowen the Greeke tongue to so many famous and glorious deedes as he did both in peace and warres he had to ioyned so vnfortunate and miserable an end as he made through his choller and extreame ambition at such yeares and through an vnsatiable couetousnes which like boysterous windes made him to make shipwracke of all in a most cruell bloody and vnnaturall age The which is easily knowen in reading the discourse of his doinges First of all he was of a meane house borne of poore parents by father mother that got their liuings by sweate of their browes His father as him selfe was called Caius Fulcinia was his mother And this was the cause why he beganne so late to haunt the city and to learne the ciuility and manners of ROME hauing bene brought vp alwayes before in a litle poore village called CIRROEATON within the territory of the city of ARPOS where he led a hard contry life in respect of those that liued pleasauntly and finely in the cities but otherwise well reformed and nearest vnto the manners of the auncient ROMAINES The first iorney he made vnto the warres was against the CELTIBERIANS in SPAYNE vnder Scipio AFRICAN when he went to besiege the city of NVMANTIA where his Captaines in shorte time found that he was a better souldier then any other of his companions For the did maruelous easily receiue the reformation of manners and the discipline of warres which Scipio aduaunced amongest his souldiers that were ill trained before and geuen ouer to all pleasure And they say that in the sight of his Generall he fought hand to hand with one of his enemies and slew him vpon which occasion Scipio to make him loue him did offer him many curtesies and pleasures But specially one day aboue the rest hauing made him suppe with him at his table some one after supper falling in talke of Captaines that were in ROME at that time one that stoode by Scipio asked him either bicause in deede he stoode in doubt or else for that he would curry fauor with Scipio what other Captaine the ROMAINES should haue after his death like vnto him Scipio hauing Marius by him gently clapped him apon his shoulder and sayd peraduenture this shal be he Thus happely were they both borne the one to shew from his youth that one day he should come to be a great man and the other also for wisely coniecturing the end by seeing of the beginning Well it fortuned so that these words of Scipio by reporte aboue all things else put Marius in a good hope as if they had bene spoken by the oracle of some god and made him bold to deale in matters of state and common wealth where by meanes of the fauor countenaunce Cecilius Metellus gaue him whose house his father and he had alwayes followed and honored he obtained the office of Tribuneshippe In this office he preferred a law touching the manner howe to geue the voyces in election of the Magistrates which did seeme to take from the nobility the authority they had in iudgement And therefore the Consull Cotta stepped vp against it and perswaded the Senate to resist that lawe and not suffer it to be authorised and therewithall presently to call Marius before them to yeld a reason of his doing So was it agreed vppon in the Senate Now Marius comming into the Senate was not abashed at any thing as some other young man would haue bene that had but newly begonne to enter into the world as he did and hauing no other notable calling or quality in him sauing his vertue only to commend him but taking boldenes of him selfe as the noble actes he afterwards did gaue show of his valor he openly threatned the Consull Cotta to sende him to prison if he did not presently withdrawe the conclusion he had caused to be resolued apon The Consull then turning him selfe vnto Caecilius Metellus asked him how he liked it Metellus standing vp spake in the behalfe of the Consull and then Marius calling a sergeaunt out commended him to take Metellus selfe and to cary him to prison Metellus appealed to the other Tribunes but neuer a one would take his matter in hand so that the Senate when all was done were compelled to call backe the conclusion that before was taken Then Marius returning with great honor into the market place among the assembly of the people caused this law to passe and be authorised and euery man held opinion of him that he would proue a stowt man and such a one as would stoupe for any feare nor shrinke for bashfullness but would beard the Senate is fauor of the people Notwithstanding he shortly after chaunged opinion and altered the first by an other act he made For when an other went about to haue a law made to distribute corne vnto euery citizen without payment of any penny he was vehemently against it and ouerthrew it so that thereby he came to be a like honored and estemed of either party as he that would neither pleasure the one nor the other to the preiudice of the common wealth After he had bene Tribune he sued for the chiefest office of AEdilis Of the AEdiles there are two sortes the first is called AEdilitas Curulis so named bicause of certaine chayers that haue crooked seete vpon which they sit when they geue audience The other is of lesse dignity and that is called AEdilitas popularis and when they haue chosen the first and greater AEdilis at ROME they presently proceede the same day also in the market place vnto election of the lesser Marius seeing plainely that he was put by the chiefest of the AEdiles turned againe straight yet to demaund the second but this was misliked in him and they tooke him for too bold too shameles and too presumptuous a man So that in one selfe day he had two denyalles and repulses which neuer man but him selfe before had And neuerthelesse all this could not cut his combe but shortely after he sued also for the Praetorshippe and he lacked but litle of the deniall of that yet in the ende being last of all chosen he was accused to haue bribed the people and bought their voyces for money And surely amongest many other this presumption was very great that they saw a man of CASSIVS SABACON within the barres where the election is made running to and fro amonge them that gaue their voyces bicause this Sabacon was Marius very great frend The matter came before the iudges and Sabacon was examined vpon it Whereunto he aunswered that for the great extreame heate he felt he was very dry and asked for colde water to drinke and that this man had brought him some in a potte where he was howbeit that he went his way as soone as euer he had dronke This Sabacon was afterwardes put out of
made reckening of Leotychides and had openly shewed it all the rest of his life time that he did not acknowledge him for his sonne vntill such time as falling sicke of that disease whereof he died he was caried to the city of HERAEA And there lying in his death bed at the humble sute of Leotychides himselfe and partely at the instant request of his frendes who were importunate with him he did acknowledge Leotychides for his sonne in the presence of diuers whome he prayed to be witnesses vnto the Lordes of LACEDAEMON of his acceptation and acknowledging of him to be his sonne Which they all did in fauor of Leotychides For all that Agesilaus tooke it apon him by the support and maintenaunce of Lysanders fauor Howebeit Diopithes a wise man and knowen to be skilfull in auncient prophecies did great hurt to Agesilaus side by an auncient oracle which he alleaged against a defect Agesilaus had which was his lamenes O Spartan people you vvhich beare high havvty hartes And looke a loft take heede I say looke vvell vnto your martes Least vvhiles you stande vpright and guide your state by grace Some halting kingdom priuily come creeping in a pace By that meanes might you moue great troubles carke and care And mischiefes heape vpon your head before you be avvare And plonged should you be euen ouer head and eares VVith vvast of vvarres vvhich here on earth doth perish many teares Many by occasion of this oracle fell to take Leotychides parte but Lysander declared vnto them that Diopithes did not conster the meaning of the oracle well For God sayed he cared not whether he halted of one legge or no that should come to be king of LACEDAEMON but in deede the crowne and kingdome should halte and be lame if bastardes not lawfully begotten should come to raigne ouer the true naturall issue and right line of Hercules By these perswasions Lysander with his great countenaunce and authority besides wanne all men to his opinion so that Agesilaus by this meanes was proclaimed king of LACEDAEMON This done Lysander beganne straight to counsell him to make warres in ASIA putting him in hope that he should destroy the kingdome of PERSIA and should come to be the greatest man of the world Moreouer he wrote vnto his frendes in the cities of ASIA that they should send vnto the LACEDAEMONIANS to require king Agesilaus for their generall to make warres against the barbarous people Which they did and sent Ambassadors purposely vnto SPARTA to sue that they might haue him the which was no lesse honor procured vnto Agesilaus by Lysanders meanes then that he did in making him to be chosen king But men ambitious by nature being otherwise not vnapt nor vnfit to commaunde haue this imperfection that through the iealousie of glory they doe commonlie enuie their equalles the which doth greatly hinder them for doing any notable thinges For they take them for their enemies enuying their vertue whose seruice and meanes might helpe them to doe great matters Thus Agesilaus being chosen generall of this enterprise tooke Lysander with him in this iorney amongest the thirty counsellers which were geuen vnto him to assist him and made speciall choyce of him as by whose counsell he hoped most to be gouerned and to haue him neerest about him as his chiefest frende But when they were arriued in ASIA they of the contry hauing no acquaintaunce with Agesilaus seldome spake with him or but litle and to the contrary hauing knowen Lysander of long time they followed him and waited vppon him to his tent or lodging some to honor him bicause they were his frendes others for feare bicause they did mistrust him Euen much like as it falleth out oftentimes in the Theaters when they play tragedies there that he that shall play the person of some messenger or seruaunt shal be the best player and shall haue the best voyce to be heard aboue all others and to the contrary that he which hath the royall bande about his heade and the scepter in his hande a man doth scant heare him speake Euen so fell it out then for all the dignitie due vnto him that commaundeth all was shewed only vnto the counseller and there remained to the king no more but the royall name only of a king without any power Therefore me thinkes that this vndiscreete and importunate ambition of Lysander did well deserue reproofe perhappes to make him only to be cōtented with the second place of honor next vnto the king But for Agesilaus againe through extreame couetousnes and iealousie of glory to cast Lysander altogether of and to set so light by his frende and benefactor that surely became not him neither For first of all Agesilaus neuer gaue Lysander occasion to doe any thinge neither did commit any matter of weight vnto him that might be honorable for him but which is worst of all if he perceiued that he had taken any mens causes in hand and that he did fauor them he did alwayes sende them backe againe into their contry denying their sute without that they coulde obtaine any thing they sued for lesse then the meanest persones that could haue come extinguishing Lysanders credit by litle and litle and taking from him all authority by this meanes Wherefore Lysander perceiuing howe he was thus refused and reiected in all thinges seing that the countenaunce and fauor which he thought to shew vnto his frends fell out hurtfull vnto them left of to solicite their matters any more and prayed them to forbeare to come vnto him or to followe him but to go to the king and vnto those that could doe them better pleasure then him selfe and specially those that honored them When they heard that many desisted to trouble him any more in matters of importaunce but not to doe him all the honor they could and continued still to accompanie him when he went out to walke or otherwise to exercise him selfe the which did aggrauate and increase Agesilaus anger more against him for the enuy he bare vnto his glory And where he gaue very honorable charge commission in the warres oftentimes vnto very meane souldiers to execute or cities to gouerne he appointed Lysander surueyor generall of all the ordinary prouision of vittells and distributer of flesh And then mocking the IONIANS that did honor him so much let them go now sayd he and honor my flesh distributer Wherefore Lysander seeing it high time to speake went vnto Agesilaus and tolde him in few wordes after the LACONIAN manner Truely Agesilaus thou hast learned well to abase thy frendes In deede sayed he againe so haue I when they wil be greater then my selfe and to the contrary they that maintaine and increase my honor and authority it is reason that I esteeme of them Yea mary sayd Lysander but perhappes I haue not done as though sayst Yet I pray thee geue me such an office as I may be least hated most
bene riche and forsooke them afterwardes for their fathers pouerty when they saw he dyed a good and iust man Thus we see that at SPARTA there was a punishment for them that did not mary or that maryed too late or that maried ill and vnto this punishment were they most subiect that sought great matches for couetousnes of goods This is all we haue to wryte of Lysanders life and actes THE LIFE OF Sylla LVcius Cornelius Sylla was of the race of the PatriciaÌ„s who be the noble men gentlemen of ROME there was one of his auncesters called Rufinus that obtained the dignity of Consul He notwithstanding his Consulshippe wanne more dishonor by defame then he obtained honor by dignity of Consull For they finding in his house aboue ten powndes worth of plate contrary to the lawe at that time expressely forbidding it he was expulsed the Senate and lost his place there after which dishonor once receiued his issue neuer rose nor yet recouered it And Sylla him selfe had very litle left Him by his father so that in his youth he was faine to hyer an other mans house sat at a small rent as afterwards he was twisted in the teeth withall when they saw him richer then they thought he had deserued For when he gloried boasted of the victory at his returne from the warres of AFâ—â—EI there was a noble man that sayd vnto him why how is it possible thou shouldest be an honored man that hauing nothing left thee by thy father thou arte now come to haue so much Now though ROME had left her auncient iustice and purenes of life wherewith she brought vp her people in former times and that their hartes were poysoned with couetous desire of vaine superfluous delites yet notwithstanding it was as fowle a reproche to them that did not maintaine them selues in the pouerty of their fathers as vnto them that did consume their patrimony and bring all to naught which their parentes had left them But afterwardes also when he caried the whole sway in ROME and that he had put so many men to death a free man being borne of the slaues infranchised being ready to be throwen downe the rocke Tarpeian bicause he had saued and hidden one of the outlawes and men proclaimed to be put to death wheresoeuer they were found cast it in Syllaes teeth how that they had liued and dwelt together a long time in one selfe house he hauing payed thowsande Nummos for the rent of the vppermost roomes of the same house Sylla three thowsand for all the neathermost roomes beneath So that betwene both their wealthes there was but onely two thowsande and fiftie Drachmas of ATHENS difference And this is that we finde in wryting of his first wealth As for his stature and persone that appeareth sufficiently by the statues and images that were made for him which yet remaine But for his eyes they were like fire and wonderfull â—edde and the colour of his face withall made them the more fearefull to beholde For he was copper nosed and that was full of white streakes here and there whereuppon they say that the surname of a Sylla was geuen him by reason of his colour And there was a ieaster at ATHENS that finely mocked him in his verse Sylla is like a blacke Bery sprinckled vvith meale It is not amisse to search out the naturalll disposition of this man by such outward markes and tokens It is sayd also that he was so naturally geuen to mocke ieast that being a young man vnknowen he would neuer be out of the company of players fooles and tomblers but still eating and tippling with them in dissolute manner And afterwardes also when he was in his chiefest authoritie he would commonly eate and drinke with the most impudent ieasters and scoffers and all such rakehelles as made profession of counterfeate mirth would shrine with the baddest of them to geue the finest mockes wherin he did not only a thing vncomely for his yeres dishonored the maiestly of his office dignity but therby also grew carelesse negligent in matters of great importance wherunto he should haue taken good regard For after he was once sette at his table he was not to be moued any more in matters of weight Now though from the table he was commonly found both very actiue painefull and seuere yet falling into such coÌ„pany by drinking bowsing making good chere he sodainly became an other maner of man So that without all compasse of modesty and iudgement he was too familiar and conuersaunt with players ieasters tumblers and daunsers who when they had him in that vaine might doe what they would with him Of this ryoting came in mine opinion his vice of letchery whereunto he was greatly geuen and easily drawen after loue and pleasure in such sorte as his gray heares could not restraine his voluptuous life His vnlawfull lusting loue beganne in his young yeares with one Metrobius a common player which stretched on increasing his amorous desire vntill his latter age For at the first he loued Nicopolis a rich curtisan and frequenting her company by oft accesse and besides that he spent the prime of his beawty and youth in feasting her with great delight and passing pleasure she afterwardes became in loue with him so that when she dyed she made Sylla her heire of all she had He was heire also vnto his mother in lawe who loued him as her owne begotten sonne and by these two good happes he was stept vp to pretie wealth Afterwardes beinge chosen Quaestor to say treasorer the first time that Marius was Consull he emabarked with him in his iorney into AFRICKE to warre with kinge Iugurthe When he was arriued at the campe he shewed him selfe a man of great seruice in all other thinges but in this especially that he could wisely vse the benefit of any occasion offered him and thereby wanne Bocchus kinge of the NVMIDIANS to be his fast and faithfull frende whose Ambassadors that scaped from a company of NVMIDIAN theeues he curteously entertained and hauing geuen them goodly presentes sent them backe againe with a safe conuoy Now concerninge kinge Bocchus he had of long time both hated and feared king Iugurthe his sonne in law insomuch that after he was ouercome in battell and came to him for succor Bocchius practised treason against him and for this cause sent secretly for Sylla desiring rather that Iugurthe should be taken by Sylla then by him selfe Sylla brake this matter vnto Marius of whom hauing recieued a small number of souldiers to accompany him without respect of perill or daunger went and committed him selfe to the faith and fidelity of one barbarous king to take an other â— considering also that the king whom he trusted was to vniust of his word euen vnto his neerest frends and consederates Now Bocchus hauing Iugurthe and Sylla both in his power and brought
order him selfe had made touching the reformation of banckets comforting his sorrow with ordinary feastes full of all vanity and lasciuiousnes Within a fewe monethes after he had fensers games at the sharpe and the roomes of the Theater being open and vnseuered men and women sitting together it fortuned that there was a fayer Lady and of a noble house that sat hard by Sylla called Vaeleria she was the daughter of Messala and sister of Hortensius the orator and had bene diuorsed not long before from her husbande This Lady passing by Sylla behinde him did softly put her hand on his shoulder and tooke a heare from of his gowne and so went on to her place and sat her downe Sylla marueling at this familiarity looked earnestly vpon her it is nothing my Lord quod she but that I desire with others to be partaker a litle of your happines Her words misliked not Sylla but contrarily he shewed that she had tickled him with them for he sent straight to aske her name and enquired of what house she was and how she had liued But after many slye lookes betwene them they turned their faces one to an other vpon euery occasion with prety smyling countenaunces so that in the end they came to promise contract mariage together for the which Valeria was not to be blamed For though she was as wise as honest and as vertuous a Lady as could be possible yet the occasion that made Sylla mary her was neither good nor commendable bicause he was taken straight with a looke and a fine tongue as if he had bene but a young boy which commonly shew forth the filthiest passions of the minde to be so caried and with such motions Now notwithstanding he had this fayer young Lady in his house he left not the company of women minstrells tumblers and to haue pleasaunt ieasters and musitians about him with whome he would lye wallowing and drinking all the day long vppon litle cowches made for the nonest For his companions that were in greatest estimacion with him at that time were these three Roscius a maker of common playes Sorex a prince of scoffers and one Metrobius a singing man whom he was in loue withall while he liued yet did not dissemble his loue though he was past age to be beloued This wicked life of his was cause of increasing his disease the originall cause whereof had a light foundacion at the first For he liued a great time before he perceiued that he had an impostume in his body the which by processe of time came to corrupt his fleshe in such some that it turned all to lice so that notwithstanding he had many men about him to shift him continually night and day yet the lyce they wiped away were nothing in respect of them that multiplied still vpon him And there was neither apparell linnen bathes washing nor meate it selfe but was presently filled with swarmes of this vile vermine For he went many times in the day into the bathe to washe and clense him selfe of them but all would not serue for the chaunging of his flesh into this putriture wanne it straight againe that there was no clensing nor shifting of him that could kepe such a nūber of lyce from him Some say that in old time amongest the most auncientest men whereof there is any memory Acastus the sonne of Pelias dyed of the lowsie euill and long time after also the Poet Alcman and Pherecides the deuine and so did Callisthenes OLYNTHIAN in prison and Mutius a wise lawyer And if we shall make mencion of those that are famous men although it be not in any good matter we finde that a bonde man called Eunus he that was the first procurer of the warres of the bondmen in SICILIA being taken and caried to ROME dyed also of the same disease Furthermore Sylla did not only foresee his death but he wrote some thing of it also for he made an end of wryting the two and twenty booke of his commentaries two dayes before he dyed In that booke he sayth that the wise men of CHALDEA had told him long before that after he had liued honorably he should ende his dayes in the flower of all his prosperity And there he sayth also that his sonne who departed a litle before his mother Metella appeared to him in his sleepe apparrelled in an ill fauored gowne and that comminge vnto him he prayed him he would go with him vnto Metella his mother thenceforth to liue in peace and rest with her But for all his disease he would not geue ouer to deale in matters of state For tenne dayes before his death he pacified a sedition and tumult risen among the inhabitantes of the city of PVYLOLANVM in Italian called POZZOLO and there he gaue them lawes and ordinaunces werby hey should gouerne them selues And the day before he dyed hearing that Granius who was in debt to the common wealth defferred payment of his money looking for his death he 〈…〉 for him and made him come into his chamber and there caused his men to compasse him about and commaunded them to strangle him in his fight The passion of his anger was so vehement against him that by the extreame straining of him selfe he brake the impostume in his body so as there gushed out a wonderfull deale of blood by reason whereof his strength failing him he was full of paine and panges that night and so dyed leauing the two litle children he had by Metella For Valeria was brought to bed of a daughter after his death which was called Posthumia bicause the ROMANES call those children that are borne after the death of their fathers Posthumi Now when Sylla was dead many gathered about the Consull Lepidus to let that his body should not be honorably buried as they were accustomed to bury noble men men quality But Pompey though he was angry with Sylla bicause he had geue him nothing in his will and had remembred all his other frendes yet he made some for loue some by intreaty and others with threatning to let it alone and accompanying the corps in to ROME gaue both safety and honor vnto the performance of his funeralls And it is sayd also that the ROMANE Ladies amongest other things bestowed such a quantity of perfumes odoriferous matter towardes the same that besides those which were brought in two hundred and tenne great baskets they made a great image to the likenes of Sylla him selfe and an other of a sergeaunt carying the axes before him all of excellent incence synamon When the day of the funeralls came fearing least it would raine in the forenone all the element doing so clowdly they deferred to cary forth the body to be burnt vntill past three of the clocke in the afternone And then rose there such a sodaine boysterous winde that it set all the stake of woode straight a fire that the body was
this warre against ignoraunt men that had no skill to fight but yet for their ouermultitude might intrenche him rounde about and preuent him in diuers thinges then he beganne to feare and suspect him more and thereuppon retyred into a great citie well walled about and of great strength Agesilaus beinge offended that he mistrusted him thus tooke it inwardlie but being ashamed to turne againe vnto the third and also to departe without any exployte done he followed him and enclosed him selfe within those walles The enemies pursuinge him hard came vnto the citie and beganne to entrenche it rounde to keepe him in Then the EGYPTIAN Nectanebos fearing a longe siege determined to geue them battell Thereto the hyered GRAECIANS gaue consent as desiringe no better matche and the rather also for that there was but small store of corne within the citie But Agesilaus perswadinge the contrarie would in no wise consent to it whereuppon the EGYPTIANS thought worse of him then before and plainely called him traytor to their kinge Howebeit he did pacientlie beare all their accusations expectinge time to performe an exployte he entended which was this The enemies had cast a deepe trenche without to compasse them in When this trenche drewe neere to ende and that both endes lacked not much of meetinge tarryinge till night came on he commaunded the GRAECIANS to arme and to put them selues in readinesse then he came vnto the EGYPTIAN and sayed vnto him Loe here is an excellent occasion presented to saue thee which I would not acquaint thee withall till I saw it brought to the perfection I looked for fearing least otherwise we shoulde haue lost it Nowe sith the enemies them selues haue with their owne handes geuen vs the way to saue our selues by this trenche they haue cast the which as muche as is finished thereof dothe hinder their great multitude to helpe them selues and that which is yet left vnfinished dothe geue vs oportunitie to fight with them of euen hande determine to shewe thy valure and followinge vs saue they selfe and thy people For the enemies which we shall assayle before vs shall neuer be able to abide vs and the other by meanes of the trenche which defendeth vs on our side can no way hurte vs Nectanebos hearinge his wordes wondered at his great wisedome and so thrustinge in amonge the GRAECIANS did assayle the enemies the which were soone ouerthrowen and put to flight as many as durst resist and make heade against them Agesilaus hauinge wonne Nectanebos againe to trust him he once againe deceiued his enemies with the like subtiltie wherewith he had first beguiled them and which they knewe not howe to auoyde For one while he made as though he fled and intised them to followe him sodainely againe he woulde turne this waye and that waye In fine he brought all this great multitude into a straight sluce walled about of either side with great broade ditches full of runninge water so that when they were euen in the middest of it he sodainely stopped their passage with the fronte of his battell which he cast to the breadthe of the sluce and thus made his number of fighting men equall with the multitude of his enemies which could neither compasse him in behinde nor flanke him on the sides They hauing in this sorte made some small resistaunce in the ende turned their backes and fled and left a great number slaine in the fielde the residue after that last ouerthrowe forsooke their Captaines and fled straglingly here and there Thus the affaires of this EGYPTIAN king after that time had good successe and was quietly stablished in his kingdom making much of Agesilaus and doing him all honor possible prayed him to tarie with him all that winter Howbeit he would needes hasten home to his contrie which was in warre with others knowing that his citie of SPARTA was without money bicause they were driuen to geue pay vnto straungers Thereuppon Nectanebos in th ende tooke his leaue of him very honorably presenting him a gift besides all other honors he did him of two hundred and thirtie siluer tallentes in readie money to defray the charges of the warre in his contrie Howbeit the sea being rough in the winter quarter he died by the way hauing notwithstanding recouered land with his shippes in a desert place of the coast of LYBIA which was called the hauen of Menelaus after he was foure score foure yeare old of the which he had raigned one and fortie yeares king of SPARTA and thirty yeares thereof and more he was alwayes taken and reputed for the greatest person and in manner Chiefetaine generall of all GRAECE vntill the battell of LEVCTRES Now the LACEDAEMONIANS hauing a custome to burie the dead bodies of their citizens that died out of their contrie in the same place where they departed the bodies of their kinges excepted the SPARTANS which were at that time about Agesilaus annoynted his bodie with waxe for lacke of honny and caried him home to SPARTA in this maner His sonne Archidamus succeded him in the kingdom whose issue successiuely raigned continually after him vnto the time of Agis who was the fift king in succession after Agesilaus whom in deede Leonidas put to death bicause he sought to restore the LACEDAEMONIANS auncient discipline and forme of life The end of the life of Agesilaus THE LIFE OF Pompey THe ROMANES seeme to haue loued Pompey from his childhoode with the selfe affection that Frometheus in the tragedie of AEschylus appeareth to haue borne vnto Hercules after that he was deliuered by him when he sayd So great a hate I bare not to the father But that I loue the sonne of him much rather For the ROMANES neuer shewed more bitter hate against any other Captaine than they did vnto Strabo Pompeys father Truely so long as he liued they feared his greatnesse obtained by armes for in deede he was a noble Captaine but being striken with a thunderbolt and dead they tooke him from the beare whereon his bodie lay as they caried him to buriall and did thereto great villannie Contrariewise neuer any other ROMANE but Pompey had the peoples earnest goodwilles so soone nor that in prosperitie and aduersity continued lenger constant then vnto Pompey One only cause procured the fathers hate and that was an vnsatiable and greedy desire of money But Pompey his sonne was for many occasions beloued As for temperance of life aptnesse to armes eloquence of tongue faithfulnes of word and curtesie in conuersation so that there was neuer man that requested any thing with lesse ill will then he nor that more willingly did pleasure any man when he was requested For he gaue without disdaine and tooke with great honor Furthermore being but a childe he had a certaine grace in his looke that wan mens good willes before he spake for his countenaunce was sweete mixed with grauetie being come to mans state there appeared in his
deliuered it ouer vnto the Treasorers custody to be accountable for it vnto the state In an other castell called Coenon he founde certaine secret letters sent from Mithridates which pleased him maruelously to reade bicause thereby he plainly vnderstoode the kinges nature and inclination For in them were mencioned that he had poysoned besides many other Ariarathes his owne soone and Alcaus the SARDIANIAN bicause he had wonne the bell at the horse race before him There was also interpretinge of dreames that either him selfe or his wiues had dreamed and also loue letters betwext Moniâ—e and him Theophanes wryteth also that there was found an oration of Rutilius in the which he entised and perswaded Mithridates to put all the ROMANES to death that were in ASIA Howbeit in reason men thinke that this was a shamefull lye maliciously deuised by Theophanes who hated Rutilius bicause he was but a counterfeate to him or peraduenture to gratifie Pompey whose father Rutilius in his histories describeth to be as wicked a man as euer liued Thence Pompey departed towardes the city of AMISVS There his ambition brought him to commit such factes as he him selfe did condemne before in Lucullus for that his enemy being yet aliue he tooke vpon him to establish lawes to geue giftes and distribute such honors as Captaines that had obtained victory were wont to doe when they had ended all warre and trouble For he him selfe Mithridates being yet the stronger in the realme of BOSPHORVS and hauing a great puissant army about him did all that which he reproued an other for appointing prouinces and geuing out giftes to euery man according as he deserued to gratifie twelue barbarous kinges with diuers other Princes Lordes and Captaines that came to him thither Wryting also to the king of PARTHIA he disdained to geue him that title which others were wont to doe in the direction of their letters calling him king of kinges Furthermore he had a wonderfull great desire to winne SYRIA and to goe through the contry of Aâ—â—â—IA euen vnto the redde sea bicause he might enlarge his conquestes and victories euery way euen vnto the great sea Oceanum that compasseth all the whole earth For in LIBYA he was the first ROMANE that conquered all in the great sea On thother side in SPAYNE he enlarged thEmpire of ROME and brought the confines thereof vnto Mare Atlantieum And thirdly hauing lately the ALBANIANS in chase he came almost vnto Mare Hyrcanium Thus be put him selfe in iorney intending his circuite vnto the redde sea specially bicause he sawe Mithridates so ill to follow worse to ouercome by force when he fled then when he fought any battell and that made him say that he would leaue a sharper enemy behinde him then him selfe and that he ment famine For he appointed souldiers with sufficient number of shippes to lye in waite for the marchauntes that sailed to the contrie of BOSPHORVS to cary them any vittells or other marchaundises prohibiting them vpon paine of death that should attempt it Then he went forward with the best parte of his army and in his way founde the bodies of dead ROMANES which Mithridates had ouerthrowen vnder the leading of Triarius their Captaine and were yet vnburied So he caused them all to be taken vp and honorably buried Lucullus hauing forgotten or otherwise neglected to doe it in my conscience that was the chiefest cause why his men did hate him Pompey now hauing by Afra 〈…〉 〈…〉 the ARABIANS dwelling about mount Amanus went him selfe in person into SYRIA and made a gouernment and prouince of it being won to the ROMANE empire for that it lacked a lawfull king and conquered all IVRIE also where he tooke king Aristobulus and builded certaine cities there and deliuered others also from bondage which by tyrannes were forcibly kept whom he chasticed well enough Howbeit he spent the most parte of his time there deciding of controuersies pacifying of contencions and quarrells by arbitrement which fell out betwext the free cities Princes and kinges and sent of his frends into those places where he could not come him selfe For on a time when he was chosen arbitrator betwext the PARTHIANS and the ARMENIANS touching the title of a contrie which both parties claimed he sent three commissioners thither to iudge definitiuely betwext them both If Pompeys fame and renowne were great no lesse was his vertue iustice and liberality which in deede did hide many faultes his frendes and familiars about him did commit For truely he was of so gâ—â—â—â— a nature that he could neither keepe them from offending nor yet punishe them when they had offended Notwithstanding he did vse them so well that complained vnto him or that had to deale with him in any matter that he made them contented paciently to beare their couetousnes straight dealing One of his chiefest familiars about him whom he loued best was called Demetrius a bondman infanchised who otherwise was very discrete in his doings but being somewhat too bolde of his good fortune of him they make this mencion Cato the Philosopher being at that time a young man yet of good iudgement and of a noble minde in Pompeys absence went to see the city of ANTIOCH Now for him selfe his maner was alwayes to goe a foote all his frendes besides that did accompany him to honor him were a horsebacke He perceiuing a farre of a great sorte of people comming towardes him all in vvâ—â—â— and of one side of the streete litle children and on the other boyes round about them as in a ring at the first he was angry withall thinking they had done it for his sake to honor him that they made this procession which he in no wise would haue had done Thereuppon he commaunded his frendes to light from their horses and to goe a foote with him But when they came neere to the gate of the city the maister of the ceremonies that led this processions hauing a garland on his head and a rodde in his hand came vnto them and asked them where they had left Demetrius and when he would come Catoes frendes laughed to heare this question then sayd Cato alas poore city and so passed by it Notwithstanding Pompey him selfe was cause that Demetrius had the lesse ill will borne him then otherwise he should haue had bicause they sawe howe boldly he would vse Pompey and howe well he would take it without offence It is reported that when Pompey oftentimes had bidden some to dinner or supper while he was entertaining and welcomming of them and would tary till they were all comes Demetrius would be set at the hord and presumptuously haue his head couered euen to the very eares And furthermore before he returned into ITALIE out of this iorney he had already purchaced the goodliest houses of pleasure and fayrest walkes that were about ROME and had sumptuous gardens also the which the people commonly called Demetrius gardens
in the presence of Aristotle him selfe howbeit being very farre he was eaten in the ende by lice and so died about the time that Alexander was hurt fighting against the MALDIANS OXYDRACIANS in the conquest of INDIA but these thinges chaunced a good while after Demaratus CORINTHIAN being very old had a great desire to goe see Alexander and when he had seene him he said that the GRAECIANS which were dead long before were depriued of that blisse and happynes that they could not see Alexander sitte in the royall seate of king Darius Howbeit he did not long enioy the kinges goodwill vnto him for he died of a sicknes soone after he came vnto his campe Alexander did honor his funeralls for all the armie in their armor did cast vp a mounte of earth facioned like a tombe which was a great compasse about foure score cubittes high His ashes afterwardes were brought with an honorable conuoye vnto the sea side in a charriot with foure horses richely set out Alexander being ready to take his iorney to goe conquer INDIA perceyuing that his armie was very heauy vnwildsom to remoue for the wonderfull cariage and spoiles they had with them the cartes one morning being loden he first burnt his owne cariage next his frendes then commaunded that they should also set the cariage of the MACEDONIANS a fire which counsell seemed more daungerous to be resolued of then the proofe of the execution fell out difficulte For there are very few of them that were angry therewith the most part of them as if they had bene secretly moued by some god with lowde cryes of ioy one of them gaue vnto an other such necessary things as they had neede of and afterwardes of them selues did burne and spoile all the rest This made Alexander much more rigorous then he was before besides that he was already become cruell enough and without mercy or perdon did sharpely punish euery man that offended For hauing commaunded Menander one of his frendes to kepe him a strong holde he put him to death bicause he would not remaine there Furthermore he him selfe slue Orsodates a captaine of the barbarous people with a darte for that he rebelled against him About that time there was an eawe that had eaned a lambe which had apon her head the forme and purple culler of the kinges hatte after the PERSIAN maner called Tiara hauing two stones hanging on ech side of it Alexander abhorred this monsterous signe insomuch as he pourged him selfe by certain BABYLONIAN priestes which he alwayes caried about with him for that purpose and said vnto his frendes that this monster did not so much moue him for respect of him selfe as it did for them fearing that the goddes after his death had predestined the force and power of his kingdom to fall into the handes of some base cowardly person This notwithstanding an other signe and token which chaunced in the necke of that did take away this feare and discoragement he had For a MACEDONIAN called Proxenus that had charge of the kinges cariage as he digged in a certain place by the riuer of Oxus to set vp the kinges tent and his lodging he found a certain fatte and oylie vaine which after they had drawen out the first there came out also an other cleerer which differed nothing neither in smell taste nor sauor from naturall oyle hauing the glosse and fattnes so like as there could be discerned no difference betwene them the which was so much more to be wondred at bicause that in al that contry there were no olyues They say also that the water of the riuer selfe of Oxus is very soft maketh their skinnes fatte which wash or bathe them selues therein And yet it appeareth by that which Alexander selfe wrote vnto Antipater that he was very glad of it putting that amongest the greatest signes which the goddes had sent vnto him The Soothesayers did interprete this wonder that it was a signe that he should haue a noble but yet a painefull voyage for the goddes said they haue geuen oyle vnto men to refresh their wearynes And truly so did he susteine many daungers in those warres and was oftentimes hurt in fight But the greatest losse he had of his men was for lacke of vittells and by the infection of the ayer For he striuing to ouercome fortune by valiantnes and her force by vertue thought nothing impossible for a valiant man neither any thing able to withstand a noble harte It is reported that when he went to besiege a strong holde which Sisimethres kept being thought vnsaltable and that his souldiers were in dispeire of it he asked one Oxyarthes what hart Sisimethres had Oxyarthes aunswered him that he was the veriest coward in the world O that is well ê™ Alexander then it is to be wonne if that be true thou saiest sithence the captaine of the peece is but a coward So he tooke it of a sodaine by putting Sisimethres in a great feare After that also he did besiege an other peece of as great strength and difficultie to assault as the other and making the young souldiers of the MACEDONIANS to go to thassault he called one of them vnto him whose name also was Alexander vnto whom he said thus Alexander this daie thou must fight like a man and it be but for thy name sake The yong man did not forget his words for he sought so valliantly that he was slaine for whom Alexander was very sory An other time when his men were affraid durst not come neere vnto the citie of NISA to assault it bicause there ranne a very deepe riuer hard by the walles he came to the riuers side and said oh what a coward am I that neuer learned to swimme and so prepared him selfe to swimme ouer apon his shielde After he had caused them to retire from the assault there came ambassadors vnto him from the cities besieged to craue pardon of him They wondered at him at the first when they saw him armed without any pompe or other ceremonie about him but much more when a chaier was brought him to sit downe on that he commaunded the oldest man amongest them called Acuphis to take it to him and sit him downe Acuphis marueling at Alexanders great curtesie asked him what they should doe for him thenceforth to be his good frendes I will said Alexander that they from whom thou comest as ambassador vnto vs doe make thee their king and withall that they doe send me a hundred of their best men for ostages Acuphis smiling aunswered him againe but I shall rule them better O king if I send you the worst and not the best There was a king called Taxiles a very wise man who had a great contrie in INDIA no lesse in biggenes and circuit then all AEGYPT and as full of good pasture and frutes as any country in the world could be who came on a
in speech Phocion was very wittie For like as coynes of gold or siluer the lighter they waye the finer they be of goodnes euen so the excellencie of speeche consisteth in signifying much by fewe wordes And touching this matter it is reported that the Theater being full of people Phocion walked all alone vpon the scaffold where the players played and was in a great muse with him selfe whereuppon one of his friendes seeing him so in his muses said vnto him Surely Phocion thy minde is occupied about somewhat In deede so is it sayd he for I am thinking with my selfe if I could abridge any thing of that I haue to say to the people For Demosthenes selfe litle esteming all other Orators when Phocion rose vp to speake he would round his friendes in their eares and told them See the cutter of my wordes riseth Peraduenture he ment it by his maners also For when a good man speaketh not a word onely but a wincke of an eye or a nod of his head doth counteruaile many artificiall words speeches of Rethoritians Furthermore when he was a young man he went to the warres vnder Captaine Chabrias and followed him of whom he learned to be a persit souldier and in recompence thereof he reformed many of his Captaines imperfections and made him wiser then he was For Chabrias otherwise beeing very dull and slothfull of him selfe when he came to fight he was so hotte and corageous that he would thrust himselfe into daunger with the desperatest persons therefore for his rashnes it afterwards cost him his life in the citie of CHIO where launching out with his gally before the rest he pressed to land in despite of his enemies But Phocion being wise to loke to him selfe and very quicke to execute on the one side quickned Chabrias slownes and on the other side also by wisedom cooled his heate and furie Chabrias therefore being a good man curteous loued Phocion very well and did preferre him in matters of seruice making him famous amongest the GRAECIANS and employed him in his hardiest enterprises For by his meanes he atchieued great fame and honor in a battell by sea which he wanne by the I le of NAXOS giuing him the left winge of his armie on which side the fight was sharpest of all the battell and there he soonest put the enemies to flight This battel being the first which the citie of ATHENS wanne with their owne men onely after it had bene taken gaue the people cause to loue Chabrias and made them also to make accompt of Phocion as of a noble souldier worthy to haue charge This victory was gotten on the feast day of the great misteries in memory whereof Chabrias did yearly on the sixtenth day of the moneth Boedromion now called August make all the people of ATHENS drinke After that time Chabrias sending Phocion to receiue the tribute of the Ilanders their confederats and the shippes which they should send him he gaue him twenty gallies to bringe him thither But Phocion then as it is reported said vnto him if he sent him to fight with his enemies he had neede to haue moe shippes but if he sent him as an Ambassador vnto his friendes then that one shippe would serue his turne So he went with one gallie onely and after he had spoken with the cities and curteously dealt with the gouernors of euery one of them he returned backe furnished of their confederats with a great fleete of shippes and money to cary vnto ATHENS So Phocion did not onely â—â—uerence Chabrias while he liued but after his death also he tooke great care of his friendes and kinsmen and sought to make his sonne Ctesippus an honest man whom though he sawe way wilde and vntoward yet he neuer left to reforme him and hide his fault It is fayde also that when this young man did trouble him much with vaine friuolous questions seruing then vnder him he being Captaine and taking vpon him to giue him counsell to reproue him and to teache him the dutie of a Captaine he could not but say O Chabrias Chabrias now doe I paye for the loue thou didest beare me when thou wertaliue in bearing with the folly of thy sonne But when he saw that the heads of the citie of ATHENS had as it were by lot deuided amonge them selues the offices of warre and peace and that some of them as Eubulus Aristophon Demosthenes Lycurgus and Hyperides were common speakers and preferrers of matters in counsells and Senate and that others as Diopithes Menestheus Leosthenes and Chares became great men by the warres and had charge of armies he determined rather to follow the manner of gouernment of Pericles Aristides Solon as being mingled of both For either of them seemed as the Poet Archilotus sayth To bee both Champions stovvt of Marsis vvarlyke band And of the Muses eke the artes to vnderstand He knew also that Pallas the goddesse and protector of ATHENS was called Folemica and Politica to wit skilfull to rule both in warre and peace So hauing thus disposed of him selfe in gouernment he alwaies perswaded peace and quietnes and yet was often chosen Captaine and had charge of armies being the onely man that of all the Captaines afore him and in his time did neuer sue for charge neither yet refused it at any time when he was called to serue the common wealth It is certen that he was chosen fiue and forty times Praetor and was alwaies absent at the elections but yet sent for Whereuppon all the wise men wondred to see the manner of the people towards him considering that Phocion had neuer done nor sayd any thing to flatter them withall but commonly had bene against their desires and how they vsed other gouernours notwithstanding that were more pleasant and delightfull in their orations like men to sport at as it is sayd of kings who after they haue washed their handes to goe to their meate doe vse to haue Ieslers and flatterers to make them mery but on thother side when they had occasion of warres in deede how then like wise men they could bethinke them selues and choose the wisest and slowtest man of the citie that most would withstand their mindes and desires For on a time an oracle of Apollo Delphias beeing openly red before them which sayd that all the other ATHENIANS being agreed yet there was one amonge them that was contrary to all the rest of the citie Phocion stepping forth before them all bad them neuer seeke further for the man for it was he that liked none of all their doings Another time he chaunced to say his opinion before all the people the which they all praised and approued but he saw they were so sodeinly become of his minde he turned backe to his friendes and asked them alas hath not some euill thing slipped my mouth vnwares Another time a generall collection being gathered of the people at ATHENS towardes the
fel downe and geuing one gaspe gaue vp the ghost Now touching the poyson Aristo reporteth that he sucked and drewe it vp into his mouth out of his quill as we haue sayd before But one Pappus from whom Hermippus hath taken his historie wryteth that when he was layed on the ground before the aulter they founde the beginning of a letter which sayd Demosthenes vnto Antipater but no more Nowe his death being thus sodaine the THRACIAN souldiers that were at the temple dore reported that they sawe him plucke the poyson which he put into his mouth out of a litle cloth he had thinking to them that it had bene a pece of gold he had swallowed downe Howbeit a maide of the house that serued him being examined by Archias about it tolde him that he had caried it about him a long time for a preseruatise for him Eratosthenes writeth that he kept this poyson in a litle boxe of gold made hollow within the which he ware as a bracelet about his arme There are many writers also that do reporte his death diuersly but to recite them all it were in vaine sauing that there was one called Demochares who was Demosthenes verie frende sayd that he dyed not so sodainly by poyson but that it was the speciall fauor of the gods to preserue him from the crueltie of the MACEDONIANS that so sodainly tooke him out of his life and made him feele so litle paine Demosthenes dyed the sixteenth day of the moneth Pynepsion to wit October on the which day they doe celebrate at ATHENS the feast of Ceres called Tesmophoria which is the dolefullest feast of all the yeare on the which day also the women remaine all day longe in the temple of the goddesse without meate or drinke Shortly after the ATHENIANS to honor him according to his desertes did cast his image in brasse made a lawe besides that the oldest man of his house shoulde for euer be kept within the pallace at the charge of the common wealth and ingraued these verses also apon the base of his image Hadst thou Demosthenes had strength according to thy hart The Macedons should not haue vvrought the Greekes such vvoe and smart For they that thinke that it was Demosthenes him selfe that made the verses in the I le of CALAVRIA before he tooke his poyson they are greatly deceiued But yet a litle before my first comming to ATHENS there went a reporte that such a thing happened A certaine souldier being sent for to come vnto his Captaine did put such peeces of gold as he had into the handes of Demosthenes statue which had both his hands ioyned together and there grew hard by it a great plane tree diuers leaues whereof either blowen of by winde by chaunce or else put there of purpose by the souldier couered so this golde that it was there a long time and no man found it vntill such time as the souldier came againe and found it as he left it Hereuppon this matter running abroade in euerie mans mouth there were diuers wise men that tooke occasion of this subiect to make epigrammes in the praise of Demosthenes as one who in his life was neuer corrupted Furthermore Demades did not long enioy the honor he thought he had newly gotten For the iustice of the goddes reuenger of the death of Demosthenes brought him into MACEDON to receiue iust punishment by death of those whom he dishonestly flattered being before growen hatefull to them and afterwardes committed a fault whereby he coulde not escape For there were letters of his taken by the which he did perswade and pray Perdiccas to make him selfe king of MACEDON to deliuer GRAECE from bondage saying that it hong but by a threde and yet it was halfe rotten meaning thereby Antipater Dinarchus CORINTHIAN accused him that he wrote these letters the which so grieuously offended Cassander that first he slewe his owne sonne in his armes and then commaunded they should afterwards kill Demades making him feele then by those miseries which are the cruellest that can happen vnto man that traitors betraying their owne contrie do first of all betray them selues Demosthenes had often forewarned him of his end but he would neuer beleue him Thus my frend Sossius you haue what we can deliuer you by reading or raporte touching Demosthenes life and doings THE LIFE OF Marcus Tullius Cicero AS touching Ciceroes mother whose name was Heluia it is reported she was a gentlewoman borne liued alwayes verie honestly but for his father the reports of him are diuers and infinite For some say that he was borne and brought vp in a fullers shoppe others reporte that hè came of Tullius Actius who while he liued was honored among the VOLSCES as king and made verie sharpe and cruell warres with the ROMANES But surely it seemes to me that the first of that name called Cicero was some famous man and that for his sake his offpring continued still that surname and were glad to keepe it though many men scorned it bicause Cicer in English signifieth a riche pease That Cicero had a thing vpon the tippe of his nose as it had bene a litle wart muche like to a riche pease whereuppon they surnamed him Cicero But this Cicero whose life we write of nowe nobly aunswered certaine of his frendes on a time geuing him counsell to chaunge his name when he first made sute for office and beganne to practise in matters of state that he woulde endeuour him selfe to make the name of the Ciceroes more noble and famous then the Scauri or Catuli After that Cicero beinge made Treasorer in SICILE he gaue an offering of certeine siluer plate vnto the goddes and at large engraued on it his two first names Marcus Tullius and in place of his third name he pleasauntly commaunded the workeman to cut out the forme and facion of a riche pease Thus muche they wryte of his name Nowe for his birth it was sayed that his mother was brought a bedde of him without any paine the third daye of Ianuarie on which day the Magistrates and Gouernours of ROME doe vse at this present yearely to make solemne prayers and sacrifices vnto the goddes for the health and prosperitie of the Emperour Further it is reported that there appeared an image to his nurse that did prognosticate vnto her she gaue a childe sucke which in time to come shoulde doe great good vnto all the ROMANES Nowe though such thinges may seeme but dreames and fables vnto many yet Cicero him selfe shortly after proued this prophecie true bicause that when he came of age to learne he grewe so toward and wanne suche fame among the boyes for his excellent wit and quicke capacitie For thereuppon came the other boyes fathers them selues to the schoole to see his face and to be eye witnesses of the reporte that went of him of his sharpe and quicke witte to learne But
take bribes was reckoned no shame but to handle it discreetly he was the better thought of and beloued for it he shewed plainely that he regarded not money and gaue foorth many proofes of his curtesie and goodnes Furthermore Cicero being created Consul by name but Dictator in deede hauing absolute power and authoritie ouer all thinges to suppresse the rebellion and conspirators of Catiline he proued Platoes prophecie true which was That the cities are safe from daunger when the chiefe Magistrates and Gouernors by some good diuine fortune doe gouerne with wisedome and iustice Demosthenes was reproued for his corruption and selling of his eloquence bicause secretly he wrote one Oration for Phormio and an other in the selfe same matter for Apollodorus they being both aduersaries Further he was defamed also for receiuing money of the king of PERSIA and therewithall condemned for the money which he had taken of Harpalus And though some peraduenture woulde obiect that the reporters thereof which are many doe lye yet they can not possibly deny this that Demosthenes had no power to refraine from looking of the presentes which diuers kinges did offer him praying him to accept them in good parte for their sakes neither was that the part of a man that did take vsurie by trafficke on the sea the extreamest yet of all other In contrarie maner as we haue sayd before it is certeine that Cicero being Treasorer refused the gifts which the SICILIANS offered him there and the presentes also which the king of the CAPPADOCIANS offred him whilest he was Proconsul in CILICIA and those especially which his frendes pressed vpon him to take of them being a great summe of money when he went as a banished man out of ROME Furthermore the banishment of the one was infamous to him bicause by iudgement he was banished as a theefe The banishment of the other was for as honorable an acte as euer he did being banished for ridding his contrie of wicked men And therefore of Demosthenes there was no speeche after he was gone but for Cicero all the Senate chaunged their apparell into blacke and determined that they would passe no decree by their authoritie before Ciceroes banishment was reuoked by the people In deede Cicero idlely passed his time of banishment and did nothing all the while he was in MACEDON and one of the chiefest acts that Demosthenes did in all the time that he delt in the affaires of the common wealth was in his banishment For he went vnto euery city and did assist the Ambassadors of the GRAECIANS and refused the Ambassadors of the MACEDONIANS In the which he shewed him selfe a better citizen then either Themistocles or Alcibiades in their like fortune and exile So when he was called home and returned he fell againe to his old trade which he practised before and was euer against Antipater and the MACEDONIANS Where Laelius in open Senate sharply tooke vp Cicero for that he sate still and sayd nothing when that Octauius Caesar the young man made peticion against the law that he might sue for the Consulshippe and being so young that he had neuer a heare on his face And Brutus selfe also doth greatly reproue Cicero in his letters for that he had maintained and nourished a more grieuous and greater tyrannie then that which they had put downe And last of all me thinketh the death of Cicero most pitiefull to see an olde man caried vp and downe with tender loue of his seruauntes seeking all the waies that might be to flie death which did not long preuent his naturall course and in the ende olde as he was to see his head so pitiefully cut of Whereas Demosthenes though he yeelded a litle intreating him that came to take him yet for that he had prepared the poyson long before that he had kept it long and also vsed it as he did he can not but be maruelously commended for it For sith the god Neptune denyed him the benefit of his sanctuarie he betooke him to a greater and that was death whereby he saued him selfe out of the souldiers handes of the tyran and also scorned the bloody crueltie of Antipater THE LIFE OF Demetrius WHo first likened arts to our sences semeth to haue respected especially that one property of them both in receiuing obiects of contrary quality for in the vse end of their operacion there is great difference The senses receiue indifferently without discretion and iudgement white and blacke sweete and sower soft and hard for their office is only to admit their seuerall obiects and to carie and referre the iudgement thereof to the common sence But artes being the perfection of reason receiue and allow those things onely which make for their operacion regarding eschuing the contraries Thone chiefly and for vse thother by the way and with intent to auoyde them So Phisicke dealeth with diseases Musicke with discordes to thend to remoue them and worke their contraries and the great Ladies of all other artes Temperaunce iustice and wisdom doe not only consider honestie vprightnes and profit but examine withall the nature and effectes of lewdnes corruption and damage And innocencie which vaunteth her want of experience in vndue practises men call simplicitie and ignoraunce of thinges that be necessarie and good to be knowen And therefore the auncient LACEDAEMONIANS in their solemne feastes forced their ILOTES to boundmen to ouercharge them selues with wine and suche they shewed them vnto their youth by the apparant beastlines of dronken men to worke in them an abhorring of so lothesome vice Wherein although I can not much praise them for humanity or wisedom that corrupt and spoile one man by example of him to correct and reclaime an other yet as I hope it shall not be reprehended in me if amongest the rest I put in one or two paier of suche as liuing in great place accompt haue increased their fame with infamy Which in truth I doe not to please draw on the reader with variety of report but as Ismenias the THEBAN Musitian shewed his schollers both those that strake a cleane stroke with do so such as bungled it with do not so Antigenidas thought men should like better with greater desire cōtend for skill if they heard and discerned vntunable notes so thinke I we shall be the forwarder in reading following the good if we know the liues and see the deformity of the wicked This treaty conteineth the liues of Demetrius surnamed the Fortgainer M. Antony the Triumuir great examples to confirme the saying of Plato That from great minds both great vertues great vices do procede They were both giuen ouer to women wine both valliāt liberal both sumptuous high minded fortune serued them both alike not only in the course of their liues in attēpting great matters somtimes with good somtimes with ill successe in getting losing things of great consequence ouerthrowing
him not presently for the blood stinted a litle when he was layed and when he came somwhat to him selfe againe he praied them that were about him to dispatch him But they all fled out of the chamber and lest him crying out tormenting him selfe vntill at last there came a secretarie vnto him called Diomedes who was commaunded to bring him into the tombe or monument where Cleopatra was When he heard that she was aliue he verie earnestlie prayed his men to carie his bodie thither and so he was caried in his mens armes into the entry of the monument Notwithstāding Cleopatra would not open the gates but came to the high windowes and cast out certaine chaines and ropes in the which Antonius was trussed and Cleopatra her owne selfe with two women only which she had suffered to come with her into these monumentes trised Antonius vp They that were present to behold it said they neuer saw to pitiefull a sight For they plucked vp poore Antonius all bloody as he was and drawing on with pangs of death who holding vp his hands to Cleopatra raised vp him selfe as well as he could It was a hard thing for these women to do to lift him vp but Cleopatra stowping downe with her head putting to all her strength to her vttermost power did lift him vp with much a doe and neuer let goe her hold with the helpe of the women beneath that bad her be of good corage and were as sorie to see her labor so as she her selfe So when she had gotten him in after that sorte and layed him on a bed she rent her garments vpon him clapping her brest and scratching her face stomake Then she dried vp his blood that had berayed his face and called him her Lord her husband and Emperour forgetting her owne miserie and calamity for the pitie and compassion she tooke of him Antonius made her ceasse her lamenting and called for wine either bicause he was a thirst or else for that he thought thereby to hasten his death When he had dronke he earnestly prayed her and perswaded her that she would seeke to saue her life if she could possible without reproache and dishonor and that chiefly she should trust Proculeius aboue any man else about Caesar. And as for him selfe that she should not lament nor sorowe for the miserable chaunge of his fortune at the end of his dayes but rather that she should thinke him the more fortunate for the former triumphes honors he had receiued considering that while he liued he was the noblest and greatest Prince of the world that now he was ouercome not cowardly but valiantly a ROMANE by an other ROMANE As Antonius gaue the last gaspe Proculeius came that was sent from Caesar. For after Antonius had thrust his sworde in him selfe as they caried him into the tombes and monuments of Cleopatra one of his gard called Dercetaeus tooke his sword with the which he had striken him selfe and hidde it then he secretly stale away and brought Octauius Caesar the first newes of his death shewed him his sword that was bloodied Caesar hearing these newes straight withdrewe him selfe into a secret place of his tent and there burst out with teares lamenting his hard and miserable fortune that had bene his frende and brother in law his equall in the Empire and companion with him in sundry great exploytes and battells Then he called for all his frendes and shewed them the letters Antonius had written to him and his aunsweres also sent him againe during their quarrell and strife how fiercely and prowdly the other answered him to all iust and reasonable matters he wrote vnto him After this he sent Proculeius and commaunded him to doe what he could possible to get Cleopatra aliue fearing least otherwise all the treasure would be lost and furthermore he thought that if he could take Cleopatra and bring her aliue to ROME she would maruelously beawtifie and sette out his triumphe But Cleopatra would neuer put her selfe into Proculeius handes although they spake together For Proculeius came to the gates that were very thicke strong and surely barred but yet there were some cranewes through the which her voyce might be heard and so they without vnderstoode that Cleopatra demaunded the kingdome of AEGYPT for her sonnes and that Proculeius aunswered her that she should be of good cheere and not be affrayed to referre all vnto Caesar. After he had viewed the place verie well he came and reported her aunswere vnto Caesar. Who immediatly sent Gallus to speake once againe with her and bad him purposely hold her with talke whilest Proculeius did set vp a ladder against that high windowe by the which Antonius was trised vp and came downe into the monument with two of his men hard by the gate where Cleopatra stoode to heare what Gallus sayd vnto her One of her women which was shut in her monumēts with her saw Proculeius by chaunce as he came downe and shreeked out O poore Cleopatra thou art taken Then when she sawe Proculeius behind her as she came from the gate she thought to haue stabbed her selfe in with a short dagger she ware of purpose by her side But Proculeius came sodainly vpon her and taking her by both the hands said vnto her Cleopatra first thou shalt doe thy selfe great wrong and secondly vnto Caesar to depriue him of the occasion and oportunitie openly to shew his bountie and mercie and to geue his enemies cause to accuse the most curteous and noble Prince that euer was and to appeache him as though he were a cruell and mercielesse man that were not to be trusted So euen as he spake the word he tooke her dagger from her and shooke her clothes for feare of any poyson hidden about her Afterwardes Caesar sent one of his infranchised men called Epaphroditus whom he straightly charged to looke well vnto her and to beware in any case that she made not her selfe away and for the rest to vse her with all the curtesie possible And for him selfe he in the meane time entred the citie of ALEXANDRIA and as he went talked with the Philosopher Arrius and helde him by the hande to the end that his contrie men should reuerence him the more bicause they saw Caesar so highly esteeme and honor him Then he went into the show place of exercises and so vp to his chaire of state which was prepared for him of a great height and there according to his commaundement all the people of ALEXANDRIA were assembled who quaking for feare fell downe on their knees before him and craued mercie Caesar bad them all stande vp and told them openly that he forgaue the people and pardoned the felonies and offences they had committed against him in this warre First for the founders sake of the same citie which was Alexander the great secondly for the beawtie of the citie which he muche esteemed and wondred
yet I am forbidden and kept from tearing murdering this captiue body of mine with blowes which they carefully gard and keepe onely to triumphe of thee looke therefore henceforth for no other honors offeringes nor sacrifices from me for these are the last which Cleopatra can geue thee sith nowe they carie her away Whilest we liued together nothing could seuer our companies but now at our death I feare me they will make vs chaunge our contries For as thou being a ROMANE hast bene buried in AEGYPT euen so wretched creature I an AEGYPTIAN shall be buried in ITALIE which shall be all the good that I haue receiued by thy contrie If therefore the gods where thou art now haue any power and authoritie sith our gods here haue forsaken vs suffer not thy true frend and louer to be caried away aliue that in me they triumphe of thee but receiue me with thee and let me be buried in one selfe tombe with thee For though my griefes and miseries be infinite yet none hath grieued me more nor that I could lesse beare withall then this small time which I haue bene driuē to liue alone without thee Then hauing ended these doleful plaints and crowned the tombe with garlands and sundry nosegayes and maruelous louingly imbraced the same she commaunded they should prepare her bath and when she had bathed and washed her selfe she fell to her meate and was sumptuously serued Nowe whilest she was at dinner there came a contrieman and brought her a basket The souldiers that warded at the gates asked him straight what he had in his basket He opened the basket and tooke out the leaues that couered the figges and shewed them that they were figges he brought They all of them maruelled to see so goodly figges The contrieman laughed to heare them and bad them take some if they would They beleued he told them truely and so bad him carie them in After Cleopatra had dined she sent a certaine table written and sealed vnto Caesar and commaunded them all to go out of the tombes where she was but the two women then she shut the dores to her Caesar when he receiued this table and began to read her lamentation and petition requesting him that he would let her be buried with Antonius founde straight what she ment and thought to haue gone thither him selfe howbeit he sent one before in all hast that might be to see what it was Her death was very sodaine For those whom Caesar sent vnto her ran thither in all hast possible found the souldiers standing at the gate mistrusting nothing nor vnderstanding of her death But when they had opened the dores they founde Cleopatra starke dead layed vpon a bed of gold attired and araied in her royall robes and one of her two women which was called Iras dead at her feete and her other woman called Charmion halfe dead and trembling trimming the Diademe which Cleopatra ware vpon her head One of the souldiers seeing her angrily sayd vnto her is that well done Charmion Verie well sayd she againe and meete for a Princes discended from the race of so many noble kings She sayd no more but fell downe dead hard by the bed Some report that this Aspicke was brought vnto her in the basket with figs that she had cōmaunded them to hide it vnder the figge leaues that when she shoulde thinke to take out the figges the Aspicke shoulde bite her before she should see her howbeit that when shew would haue taken away the leaues for the figges she perceiued it and said art thou here then And so her arme being naked she put it to the Aspicke to be bitten Other say againe she kept it in a boxe and that she did pricke and thrust it with a spindell of golde so that the Aspicke being angerd withall lept out with great furie and bitte her in the arme Howbeit sewe can tell the troth For they report also that she had hidden poyson in a hollow raser which she caried in the heare of her head and yet was there no marke seene of her bodie or any signe discerned that she was poysoned neither also did they finde this serpent in her tombe But it was reported onely that there were seene certeine fresh steppes or trackes where it had gone on the tombe side toward the sea and specially by the dores side Some say also that they found two litle pretie bytings in her arme scant to be discerned the which it seemeth Caesar him selfe gaue credit vnto bicause in his triumphe he caried Cleopatraes image with an Aspicke byting of her arme And thus goeth the report of her death Now Caesar though he was maruelous sorie for the death of Cleopatra yet he wondred at her noble minde and corage and therefore commaunded she should be nobly buried and layed by Antonius and willed also that her two women shoulde haue honorable buriall Cleopatra dyed being eight and thirtie yeare olde after she had raigned two and twenty yeres and gouerned aboue foureteene of them with Antonius And for Antonius some say that he liued three and fiue yeares and others say six and fiftie All his statues images and mettalls were plucked downe and ouerthrowen sauing those of Cleopatra which stoode still in their places by meanes of Archibius one of her frendes who gaue Caesar a thowsande talentes that they should not be handled as those of Antonius were Antonius left seuen children by three wiues of the which Caesar did put Antyllus the eldest sonne he had by Fuluia to death Octauia his wife tooke all the rest and brought them vp with hers and maried Cleopatra Antonius daughter vnto king Iuba a maruelous curteous goodly Prince And Antonius the sonne of Fuluia came to be so great that next vnto Agrippa who was in greatest estimacion about Caesar and next vnto the children of Liuia which were the second in estimacion he had the third place Furthermore Octauia hauing had two daughters by her first husband Marcellus and a sonne also called Marcellus Caesar maried his daughter vnto that Marcellus and so did adopt him for his sonne And Octauia also maried one of her daughters vnto Agrippa But when Marcellus was deade after he had bene maried a while Octauia perceiuing that her brother Caesar was very busie to choose some one among his frends whom he trusted best to make his sonne in law she perswaded him that Agrippa should mary his daughter Marcellus widow and leaue her owne daughter Caesar first was contented withall and then Agrippa and so she afterwards tooke away her daughter and maried her vnto Antonius and Agrippa maried Iulia Caesars daughter Now there remained two daughters more of Octauia and Antonius Domitius AEnobarbus maried the one and the other which was Antonia so fayer and vertuous a young Ladie was maried vnto Drusus the sonne of Liuia and sonne in law of Caesar. Of this mariage came Germanicus and Clodius of the which Clodius afterwards
when he had found him clapped spurres to his horse and came with full cariere vnto him and cryed out O traytor and most vnfaithfull and desperate man thou now dishonorest the name of Cyrus which is the goodliest and most honorablest name of all the PERSIANS for that thou hast brought so valliant GRAECIANS hether to so wicked an enterprise to spoyle the PERSIANS goods in hope to destroy thy soueraine Lord and onely brother who hath an infinite number of slaues and seruaunts farre honester men then thou wilt be while thou liuest and that thou shalt presently knowe by proofe for thou shalt dye before thou see the king thy brothers face and therewithall he threw his dart at him with all the force he had But Cyrus armor was so good that it pearsed him not yet the blowe came with such good will that it made him stagger on his horse back When Artagerses had giuen him that blowe he presently turned his horse But Cyrus therewithall threw a dart at him so happily that he slue him right in the place aboue the bone that ioyneth the two shoulders together so that the head of his dart ranne quite through his necke Nowe that Cyrus slue Artagerses with his owne hands in the field all the Historiographers doe agree vpon it but for the death of Cyrus bicause Xenophon toucheth it but a litle by the way for that he was not present in the very place where he was slayne it shal not be hurtfull particularly to set downe the manner thereof both according to the report of Dinon and also of Ctesias First Dinon writeth that after Cyrus had slayne Artagerses he went with great fury and flue in amongest the trowpe of them which were nearest vnto the kings person and that he came so neare the king that he slue his horse starke dead vnder him and the king fell to the ground withall But Tiribazuz that was hard by him straight mownted the king againe vpon an other horse and sayd vnto him your grace will remember this battell another day for it is not to be forgotten And Cyrus clapping spurres againe to his horse threwe an other dart at Artaxerxes and hit him But at the third charge the king tolde them that were about him he could not abide this and that he had rather dye then suffer it so therewithall he spurring his horse to charge Cyrus who came fiercely and desperatly hauing an infinite number of blowes with darts throwen at him on euery side threw his dart at him also So did all those that were about his person and so was Cyrus slayne in this conflict Some saye that he was slayne with the wounde the kinge his brother gaue him Others saye that it was a man at armes of the contry of CARIA vnto whom the king for reward of his good seruice gaue him the honor in all battells to cary before the first ranke a cocke of gold on the toppe of a speare for the PERSIANS doe cal the CARIANS cocks bicause in the warres they vse to weare creasts in the toppe of their headpeeces And this is Dinons reporte But Ctesias to cowche in fewe words that which Dinon reporteth at large sayth that Cyrus after he had slaine Artagerses he gallopped on the spurre against the king him selfe and the king against him and not a worde betwene them both Ariaus one of Cyrus flatteres threwe the first dart at the king but killed him not and the king with all his force againe threwe his dart thinking to haue hit Cyrus but he missed him and slue Tisaphernes one of the valliantest and stowtest men Cyrus had about him and so fell downe dead Then Cyrus hit Artaxerxes so sore a blowe on his breast that he pearced his armor and entred into his flesh two fingers deepe The king with this blowe fell downe to the ground wherewithall the most part of his men about him were so affrayd that they forsooke him and fled Howbeit he got vp againe with the helpe of others that were about him amongest whome Ctesias sayd he was one and so recouered a litle hill not farre of to take a litle breath In the meane time Cyrus horse that was whotte in the mouth and hard headed as we haue told you caried his master spyte of his hart farre from his men amonge his enemies and no man knew him bicause it was night and his men were very busie in seeking for him But Cyrus hoping he had wonne the victory being of a whot stirring nature and valliant he went vppe and downe in the thickest of his enemies crying out in the PERSIAN tongue saue your selues poore men saue your selues When they heard him say so some made a lane for him to passe by them and did him reuerence But by euill fortune his Tiara which is the highe royall hat after the PERSIAN manner fell of of his head Then a younge PERSIAN called Mithridates passing by him hit him a blowe with his dart vpon one of his temples hard by his eye not knowing what he was His wound straight fell of a maruelous bleeding Whereuppon Cyrus staggering at it fell to the ground in a swownd and his horse ranne away from him but the capparison he had vppon him fell to the ground all bloudied and his page that had hurt him tooke it vp Shortly after Cyrus being comen to him selfe againe some of his Euenukes which were men gelt and groomes of his chamber that were about him did lift him vp thinking to set him vpon another horse and to get him out of the prease but he was not able to sit on his horse Thereuppon he proued if he could better goe a foote the Euenuks hold him vp by the armes led him amased as he was not able to stād on his feete although he thought he had won the battell bicause he heard his enemies flying about him cry the gods saue king Cyrus and they prayed him to pardon them and to receiue them to mercy But in the meane time there came certaine poore men of the citie of CAVNVS who followed the kings campe getting their liuing as drudges and slaues to doe most vile seruice They ioined with the trowpe where Cyrus was supposing they had bene the kings men but when they perceiued in the ende by the red coates they ware vpon their armors that they were enemies for that the kings men ware white coates there was one among the rest that valliantly strake at Cyrus behind with his pertisan not knowing in deede that it was Cyrus The blowe lighted full on the hamme of his legge and cut his sinewes so that Cyrus fell withall and falling by misfortune fell vpon a great stone with his browe where he had bene hurt before that he died forthwith Thus doth Ctesias report it where me thinketh he cutteth his throate with a dull edged knife he hath such a doe to bring Cyrus to his ende Now after Cyrus was dead Artasyras one
he could to keepe Dions souldiers from landing But they notwithstanding sodainly lept a land armed but slue no man For Dion had commaunded them the contrary for the friendship he bare the Captaine and they following the townes men hard that fled before them entred the towne hand ouer head amongest them and so wanne the market place When both the Captaines met and that they had spoken together Dion redeliuered the towne into Synalus hands again without any hurt or violence offred him Synalus on the other side did indeuor him selfe all he could to make much of the souldiers and holpe Dion to prouide him of all things necessary But this did most of all encorage the souldiers bicause Dionysius at their arriuall was not then in SICILIA for it chaunced so that not many dayes before he went into ITALY with foure score sayle Therefore when Dion willed them to remayne there a fewe dayes to refresh them selues bicause they had bene so sore sea beaten a long time together they them selues would not they were so glad to imbrace the occasion offred them and prayed Dion to leade them forthwith to SYRACVSA Dion leauing all his superfluous armor and prouision in the hands of Synalus and praying him to sende them to him when time serued he tooke his way towardes SYRACVSA So by the way two hundred horsemen of the AGRIGENTINES which dwell in that part called ECNOMVS came first to ioyne with him and after them the GELOIANS The rumor of their comming ranne straight to SYRACVSA Thereuppon Timocrates that had maried Aretè Dions wife and Dionysius the fathers sister and vnto whom Dionysius the yonger had left the charge and gouernment of all his men and friends in the citie he presently dispatched a post with letters to aduertise Dionysius of Dions comming He him selfe also in the meane time had taken such order that there rose no tumult nor mutinie in the citie though they all of them lacked no good will to rebell but bicause they were vncerteine whether this rumor was true or false being affrayd euery man was quiet Now there chaunced a straunge misfortune vnto the Messenger that caried the letters vnto Dionysius For after he had passed the straight and that he was arriued in the citie of RHEGGIO of ITALYES side making haste to come to the citie of CAVLONIA where Dionysius was he met by the way one of his acquiantance that caried a mutton but newly sacrificed This good fellow gaue him a peece of it and the Messenger spurred away with all the speede he could possible But when he had ridden the most part of the night he was so weary and drowsie for lacke of sleepe that he was driuen to lye downe So he lay downe vpon the ground in a wodde hard by the high way The sauor of this fleshe brought a woulfe to him that caried away the fleshe and the portmantew it was wrapt in and in the which also were his letters of aduertisement which he caried vnto Dionysius When he awoke out of his sleepe and saw that his portmantew was gone he enquired for it and went wandring vppe and downe a long time to seeke it howbeit all in vaine for he could neuer find it Therefore he thought it was not good for him to goe to the tyranne without his letters but rather to flie into some vnknowen place where no body knew him Thus ouerlate receiued Dionysius aduertisement by others of this warre which Dion made in SICILIA In the meane time the CAMARINIANS came and ioyned with Dions army in the highe way towards SYRACVSA and still there came vnto him also a great number of the SYRACVSANS that were vppe in armes which were gotten into the field On the other side certaine CAMPANIANS and LEONTINES which were gotten into the castell of EPIPOLES with Timocrates of purpose to keepe it Vpon a false rumor Dion gaue out and which came vnto them that he would first goe against their townes they forsooke Timocrates and went to take order to defend their owne goods Dion vnderstanding that being lodged with his armie in a place called MACRAE he presently remoued his campe being darke night and marched forward till he came vnto the riuer of Anapus which is not from the citie aboue tenne furlongs of and there staying a while he sacrificed vnto the riuer and made his prayer and worshipped the rising of the Sunne At the selfe same instant also the Soothsayers came and told him that the gods did promise him assured victorie And the souldiers also seeing Dion weare a garland of flowers on his head which he had taken for the ceremonie of the sacrifice all of them with one selfe good will tooke euery man one of them beeing no lesse then fiue thowsande men that were gathered together by the way and but slenderly armed with such thinges as came first to hand howbeit supplying with good will their want of better furniture and armor and when Dion commaunded them to marche for ioy they ranne and incoraged one another with great cryes to shew them selues valliant for recouerye of their libertie Nowe for them that were within the citie self of SYRACVSA the noble men chief Citizens went to receiue them at the gates in their best gownes The common people on the other side ranne and set vpon them that tooke part with the tyranne and spoyled them that were called the PROSAGOGIDES as much to say the common Promoters of men the detestablest villaines hateful to the gods and men For they like Sicophants and busie tale bearers would iet vp and downe the citie and mingle amonge the Citizens hauing an oer in euery mans matter being full of prittle prattle and busie headed to know what euery man sayd and did and then to goe cary it to the tyranne These men were they that had their payment first of all for they killed them with dry blowes beating them to death with staues When Timocrates could not enter into the castell with them that kept it he tooke his horse backe and fled out of the citie and flying made all men affrayd and amased where he came enlarging Dions power by his report bicause it should not seeme that for feare of a trifle he had forsaken the citie In the meane time Dion came on towards the citie with his men and was come so neare that they might see him plainly from the citie marching foremost of all armed with a fayer bright white corselet hauing his brother Megacles on his right hande of him Callippus ATHENIAN on the left hand crowned with garlands of flowers and after him also there followed a hundred souldiers that were straungers chosen for his gard about him and the rest came marching after in good order of battel being led by their Captaines The SYRACVSANS saw him comming and went out and receiued him as a holy and blessed procession that brought them their libertie popular state againe the which they had lost the
Aratus by the hand as if by force he had cast him out of the castell and had also taken the citie of MESSINA from him sayd vnto him come on then lette vs euen take that course But after that time Aratus came as litle to the Court as might be and so by litle and litle left Philippes companie For when he went to make warre in the realme of EPIRVS he was earnestlie in hand with Aratus to goe that iorney with him But Aratus prayed him to hold him excused and so remained at home being affrayed to be brought into an euill name with Philippes doings For Philippe afterwards hauing shamefullie lost his armie by sea against the ROMANES besides hauing had also verie euill successe in all other his affaires he returned againe to PELOPONNESVS thought once more to haue deceiued the MESSENIANS But when they founde his practise then he beganne with open force to spoyle their contrie Aratus then flatlie fell out with Philip and vtterly refused his frendship for that he perceiued then the iniurie he had done his sonnes wife the which grieued him to the harte but yet he made not his sonne priuie to it bicause he coulde gette no other amendes then to knowe what iniurie had bene done to him considering that he had no way nor meanes to be reuenged For king Philip was maruelously changed and from a curteous and chast young Prince becomen a vitious and cruell tyran the which to speake truely was not a chaunge or alteracion in nature but a manifest declaracion when he was no more affrayed of any man of his wicked and deuelish mind the which through feare had of long time bene kept secret Now to prone that Philips first loue and good will he bare vnto Aratus was also mingled with feare and reuerence that which he did afterwards vnto him did plainly shew it For he being desirous to put Aratus to death not thinking him selfe free so long as he liued neither king nor tyran he durst not goe about to kill him him selfe but procured one of his Captaines called Taurion and commaunded him to make him away as secretly as he could possible specially with poyson in his absence This Taurion fell in frendship with Aratus and poysoned him with no violent poyson but so tempered qualified it as it did by litle and litle heate the bodie and procure a pretie coffe which brought him into a consumption Aratus knewe he was poysoned but bicause he sawe it booted not to bewray it he bare it pacientlie and made no words of it as if he had had some naturall disease about him Yet on a time one of his chiefest frends being in his chamber with him who wondred to see him spit blood as he did he told him frēd Caephalon mine this is the reward of a kings loue So he died of this poison in the city of AEOIVM being the seuenteenth time chosen Generall of the ACHAIANS who would haue had him buried in the selfe same place and haue made some honorable monument for him worthie of his noble life But the SICYONIANS thinking them selues dishonored if his body were buried any where else but in their owne citie they so perswaded the counsell of the ACHAIANS that they suffered them to take Aratus bodie with them Yet was there an auncient law that forbad buriall within the walls of the citie of any maner of person whatsoeuer and besides that law they had a certaine superstitious feare in them that made them they durst not Whereuppon they sent to Apolloes temple at DELPHES to aske counsell of his Nunne that gaue the Oracles who made them this aunswere Thou happie soile of Sicyon Aratus natiue place VVhereas thou askest counsell in that noble Captaines case For keeping of a yeareminde and for making feastfull dayes In honor of that vvorthie vvight to last henceforth alvvaien If any hinder your intent through fondnes or through spight Both sea and land and heauen it selfe vvill punish that same vvight This Oracle being brought all the ACHAIANS were maruelous glad of it but the SICYONIANS speciallie who presentlie chaunging their mourning into publike ioy they caried the bodie from the citie of AEGIVM brought it home as in maner of procession in white robes and garlands of flowers on their heades singing hymnes and songes of ioy and daunsing till they came to the citie of SICYONE And there they chose out the chiefest place and buried him as their founder father and sauior of their citie and the place is called at this present time ARATIVM There they yearely make two solemne sacrifices the one the fift of Nouember at which time he deliuered the citie of SICYONE from tyrannie they call this sacrifice Soteria as much to say as the feast of health and the other on his birth day as it is reported For the first sacrifice that was done by the Priest of Iupiter the sauior The second sacrifice also was done by Aratus sonne who was girt about with a cloth not altogether white but mingled with purple colour So during the sacrifice they song hymnes vpon the harpe in praise of him and the maister of the Musitians made a procession round about being accompanied with boyes and young men of the citie after whom followed the Senate crowned with garlands of flowers and other citizens that were disposed to goe a procession How beit the most part of the honors that were appointed to be done vnto him were left of by processe of time chaunge of things that followed afterwards Thus you see what the life of Aratus the father hath bene as we find in histories Now Philip being a wicked man and cruell of nature caused his sonne Aratus also to be poysoned not with a deadly poyson but with such poyson as troubleth a mans wits so that through their deuelish receit he becometh a starke foole without any wit at all and maketh him to attempt straunge and abhominable things and to haue certaine shamefull and detestable desires insomuch as his death though he dyed in the pryme of his youth could not be thought miserable but rather a happy deliuerance to him of all his miseries and mishappes But Philip afterwards so long as he liued payed vnso Iupiter protector of all iustice and frendship the punishment his wicked life deserued For after he was ouercome in battell by the ROMANES he was compelled to yeelde him selfe to their mercy by whome he was depriued from all the rest of his landes and dominions he had and of all his shippes but fiue only and condemned besides to pay a thowsand talents for a fine and to giue his sonne in hostage and they only left him for pities sake the kingdom of MACEDON with all the appertenaunces And there he daily putting to death the chiefest of his nobilitie and neerest of blood vnto him he filled his realme with crueltie and mortall hate against him Furthermore
therewe it at length in a place where their bodies are cast whome the Caesars put to death the which they call Sestertium Nowe for his bodie Heluidius Priseus through Othoes sufferance caried it away and Argius one of his infranchised bondemen buried it by night Thus haue you heard the historie of Galba a man that in nobilitie and wealth was inferiour to few ROMANES and in them both was the chiefest man of all his time and had alway liued in honorable same and estimacion in the raigne of fiue Emperours So that he ouercame Nero by his good name and the good opinion men had of him and not through his owne force and power For of them that stroue to make them selues Emperours at that time some found no man that thought them worthie of it others did put foorth them selues as thinking them selues worthie of it Howbeit Galba was called vnto it and obeyed them that called him vsing his name against Vindex boldnesse whereby he procured that his rising which before was called innouation and rebellion was then called ciuill warre after that his faction came to haue a man to be their head thought worthy to be their Emperour And therefore he did not so muche desire to be Emperour for him selfe as to doe good to his contrie and common wealth But yet he erred in seeking to commaunde the souldiers whom Tigellinus and Nymphidius had spoyled by their flatteries euen as in olde time Scipio Fabricius and Camillus did commaund the souldiers of the Empire of ROME at that time So he being now a verie olde man shewed him selfe a good Emperour and after the old sorte in his behauiour towardes the souldiers only but in all other things else being caried away with the couetousnes of T. Iunius and Laco and of other his infranchised bondmen he left none desirous to be gouerned by him but many that were sorie for his death THE LIFE OF Otho THe next morning the new Emperour by breake of day went vnto the Capitoll and sacrificed and there sent for Marius Celsus to come vnto him whom he curteouslie saluted and prayed him rather to forger the cause of his imprisonment then to remember his deliuerie Marius Celsus made him a wise and noble aunswere againe and sayd that the matter for the which they would haue accused him vnto him did witnes his behauiour shewing him selfe faithfull vnto Galba who neuer did him any pleasure These words of them both did maruelouslie please the people so did they like the souldiers also wōderfully well Moreouer after he had verie fauorablie and graciouslie taken order for matters in the Senate the rest of the time he had to be Consull he imployed partely about Verginius Rufus and did also establish them Consuls in their place and degree which had bene called vnto that dignitie by Nero or otherwise by Galba and he also honored the oldest Senators and of greatest estimacion with certaine Priesthoodes Besides all this he restored vnto all those Senators that were banished by Nero and called home againe all their goodes yet vnsold Whereupon the chiefest Magistrats and noble men of the citie that quaked before for feare supposing that he was not a man but rather a deuill or furie of hell that was come to be Emperour they all became glad men for the good hope of this smiling and gracious raigne they were so lately entred into Moreouer nothing pleased all the ROMANES together more nor wanne him the good will of all men so muche as that he did vnto Tigellinus For it was punishment enough for him if he had had no more but the feare of the punishment euerie man threatned him withall as a thing due to the common wealth and also by reason of the incurable diseases his bodie was infected withall Now though the noble men thought his vnreasonable insolency and lust of the flesh following naughtie packes and common strumpets burning still in filthie concupiscence an extreame punishment comparable to many deaths and being also no better then a dead man in maner still following pleasure and sensualitie as long as he coulde this notwithstanding all men were offended with him that they shoulde see suche a wicked creature as he liue that had put so many noble men to death So Otho sent for him who liued verie pleasauntlie at this houses in the contrie by the citie of SINVESSA and had shippes euer readie vppon the sea coast to flie if necessitie draue him to it Thereuppon he first sought to bribe him with money which was sent with commission to apprehend him and perswaded him to let him scape but when he saw he could not frame him to his minde yet he resrayned not to geue him gifts and prayed him to geue him leaue to shaue his beard The other graunted him Then Tigellinus tooke a razer and did cut his owne throte So Otho hauing pleased the people thus well he sought not otherwise to be reuenged of his priuate iniuries Moreouer to currie fauour with the common people he refused not to be called Nero in any open assemblies at the Theaters Also when certaine priuate men had set vp Neroes images in open sight Otho was not offended withall but moreouer Clodius Rufus writeth that letters pattents cōmissions were sent into SPAYNE by posts subscribing the goodly name of Nero with the name of Otho Howbeit when it came to his eares that the noble men of ROME misliked of it he left it of and would wryte it no more in his letters So Otho hauing begonne in this sorte to stablish his Empire the souldiers maruelouslie troubled him For they continually perswaded him to take heede to him selfe and to beware how noblemen and gentlemen came neere vnto him the which they did either for that in deede they bearing him good will were affrayed some trecherie or treason would be secretlie practised against him or else it was some fained deuise to set all together by the eares and to bring it to ciuill warre For when Otho him selfe had sent Crispinus with his seuenteenth legion to bring him certaine prisoners and that Crispinus was ready before day going to performe the effect of his commission hauing loden carts with armor and weapon for his souldiers the desperatest and boldest men among them began to crie out and sayd that Crispinus ment no good in his hart and that the Senate went about to make some chaunge and sturre and that his armor and weapons were not for Caesar but against him These wordes moued many mens consciences and made them to rebell so that some layed hold vpon the carts to stay them others slue two Centurions out of hande and Crispinus him selfe also that woulde haue stayed them Thereuppon all of them together one incoraging an other went directly to Rome as meaning to aide the Emperour But when they came thither vnderstanding that there were foure score Senators at supper with the Emperour they ranne straight to the pallace crying out
the Megarians Athenians for Salamina Iliad lib. 2. The manner of burial with the MegariaÌ„ the Athenians Solon defendeth the cause of the teÌ„ple of Delphes Epimenides Phaestus taken for one of the 7. sages excluding Periander Solon pacified the sedition at Athens The miserie of dett and vsurie Solons equitie and vprightnes Solon by subtiltie set order betwext the poore rich Solon chosen reformer of the lawe and chief gouernour Salt refuseth to be a tyranne Tynnondas and Pittacus tyrannes Solens aunswere for tyrannie Excellent temperature Things hatefull made pleasaunt with sweete wordes Cleering of detts Solons first lawe Vsurie forbidden vpon gage of the bodie The value of money cried vp by Solon Lawes would be kept secret till they be published Ill consciences by craft preuent LaweÌ„ A good lawemaker beginneth to doe iustice in him selfe Solons absolute authority in the common weale Solon tooke awaye all DracoÌ„s lawes Solon â—ateth euerie citizen at a certen surname Pentacosiomedimnes Zeugite Thetes The darknes of the lawe increased the authoritie of the iudge The counsell of the Areopagites 3 Counsells erected in Athens Other lawes of Solon A lawe against neawters An acte for matching with inheritoâ—s Solon forbiddeth iointers and dowries Dionysius saying of mariages A law forbidding to speake euill of the dead * Drachmeâ— A lawe for willes and testaments marg A lawe for womens going abroade Craftes and occupations aduaunced The authoritie of the courte and counsaile of the Areopagites * Drachmae The tribes of the AtheniaÌ„s howe they were called An acte for welles An acte for planting and setting of trees Drachmae Feasts for townes men in the towne hall of AtheÌ„s Axones Cyrbes Thesmothetes SoloÌ„s trauell Clarius fl AEpia called Soles Solon saâ—e king Croesus in the cittie of Sardis Croesus question to Solon touching happines Solon esteemed Tellus a happie man. Cleobis Biton happy meÌ„ Solon commeÌ„deth the meane No man happie before his endâ— AEsope saying to Solon Solons aunswer to AEsope King Croesus wordes of Solon hanging vpoÌ„ a gibbeâ— to be bâ—ant Riches are but wordes opinion Sedition as AtheÌ„s in Solons absence Solon returneth to Athens Pisistratus wicked crasie subtiltie Thespis a maker of tragedies Solon reproued Thespis for lying Solons libertie constancie A good lawe for reward of seruice The house of P. Valerius Tarquinine Superbus Valerius Brutus companion in expulsing the Kings Lucius Brutus Tarquinius Collatinus Consuls The first embasâ—iâ—e of king Tarquine for recouering his Realme Another embasstate from Tarquine demaunding his goodes Good counsell of Minutius Tarquines ambassadours practise treason The Aquilij and Vitellij with Brutus sonnes traytours to their countrie The confederacy coÌ„firmed with drinking of maÌ„s bloud Vindicius heareth all their treason The conclusion of their treason Vindicius bewrayeth the treason vnto Valerius Titus Valerius Brutus sonnes Brutus seeth his â—ame sonnes punished executed Brutus praised reproued for the death of his sonnes Collatinus softnes perileus Valerius boldly appeacheth Collatinus of iniustice Collatinus resigneth his Consulshippe 〈…〉 departeth 〈…〉 S. Vindicta so called by reason of Vindicius Tarquines flied coÌ„secrated to Mars Vhereof the holy Iland came in Rome that lieth betwene both bridges Tarquine coÌ„meth with a great power of the Thuscans to wage battell with the Romaines Arsia silua AruÌ„s Brutus encountered and slue eche other The victory of the Romaines against the Thuscans Valerius the first Consul that euer triumphed vpon a cherres The first beginning of funerall oration amoÌ„g the Romaines Anaximenes sayeth Solon was the first that instituted prayses for the dead Valerius stately house staÌ„ding on mouÌ„t Velia Valerius a good example for magistrates Valerius ouerthrew his stately house The temple called Vicus Publicus VVhy Valerius was surnamed Publicola Publicolath actes and lawes VVhereof Peculium was called The first Quastores Publius Veturius Marc. Minutius Lucretius Publicola Consuls Publicola Marcus Horatius CoÌ„suls How oft a Iupiter Capitolins temple was burnt and built againe How much was spent in building the Capitoll Domitians mad building humor Personae proclaimeth warres with Rome Publicola Thus Lucretius Consuls Horatius Cocles why so called Good seruice rewarded Publicola Consul The noble acte of Mutius Secuola How Mutius come by the name of Secuola Publicolae maketh Porsena iudge betwext them and the Tarquines Peace graunted the Romaines by Porsena The boldenes of Claelia and other Romaine virgines The liberalitie of king Persona to the Romaines Marcus Valerius Posthumius Tubertus Consuls Marcus Valerius the brother of Publicola triumpheth of the Sabynes Appius Clausus goeth to dwel at Rome The familie of the Claudians The Sabynes slaine The death of Publicola His funeralles Publicola happie Publicola erected the office of Quaestores A politicke precepâ— Cynosargos a place of exercise dedicated to Hercules Thermistocles towardness Themistocles was Anaxagoras Melissus schollar Mnesiphilus Phrearian VVhat wisedome at in olde time Nowe the name of Sophisters came â—â— Themistocles youthe The priuie grudge betwext Themistocles and Aristides Aristides a iust man. Themistocles ambition Themistocles persuaded his contriemen to make gallyes The AtheniaÌ„s beÌ„t their force to sea by Themistocles persuasion Themistocles a good husbaÌ„d to looke for his profit Themistocles extremely ambitious A wise saying of Themistocles Themistocles made Aristides to be banished Epicydes an orator sued to be generall Arthmius defamed for bribing Themistocles generall of the AtheniaÌ„s against Xerxes The coast of Aretemisivm Themistocles straâ—ageame VVodden walles signifie shipps The Athenians forsake Athens by Themistocles persuasion doe goe to the sea Xanthippus dogge The dog goe graue Aristides renorneth from banishement by Themistocles decree Notable aunswers of Themistocles The Sleue is a fishe facioned like a sworde Themistocles stratageame by the which he wanne the ba'tell at Salamina Themistocles Aristides consent together to geue battell Xerxes king of Persia had a thousand ships Ariamenes Xerxes admirall The Grecians victorie of the Persians â—aâ—y by sea Aristides counsell vnto Themistocles for the breaking of Xerxes bridge Themistocles stratageame Themistocles honored aboue all the Grecians Themistocles ambition noted A prety tale of Themistocles Themistocles saying of his sonne Themistocles buylt againe the walles of the cittie of Athens A subtle fetche of Themistocles The hauen of Piraea fortified The equitie of the Athenians Themistocles goddes Loue and Force The AndriaÌ„s goddesses Pouertie Impossibilitie Themistocles banished for fiue yers Pausanias reuealeth his reason vnto Themistacles Themistocles suspected of treason Themistocles fled into the I le of Corphv The manner of supplicatioÌ„ among the Molossians Themistocles dreame The Persian iealous of their wiues Howe Themistocles was conueyed to the king of Persias courte The Persians honour their King as the image of the god of nature Themistocles talke with the â—ing of Persia An excellent comparison of Themistocles Themistocles honoured of the king of Persia. Demaratus fond demaÌ„do of the King. Themistocles had the reuenue of three citties allowed him for his dyet Themistocles escaped murder by a
An other opinion of the stone that fell Philocles coÌ„stancy Captaine of the Athenians Lysanders cruelty Theopompus the Comicall Poets sayinge of the Lacedaemonians The Athenians yeelde vp Athens_to Lysander The maner of peace offered by the Lacedaemonians to the AtheniaÌ„s A notable saying for the walle of cities Erianthus cruell aduise against the Athenians The sweete musicke so frened their cruell hearts and moued them in pity Lysander ouerthrew the walles of the city of AtheÌ„s Callibius Captaine of the Castell of Athens Autolycus as cunninge wrestler Autolycus pus to death Lysander sent money to Sparta by Gylippus Gylippus robbed parte of the money be caried to Sparta The Grekishe coyne was marked with an owle Gyllippus banishment Couetousnes of money corrupted Gylippus one of the chiefest men of LacedaemoÌ„ The iron money of Lacedaemonia At what time the Lacedaemonians receiued gold and siluer againe The ill life of the Magistrate the cause of disorder in a commoÌ„ weale A galley of gold and Iuory Lysanders honors and pride Platoes saving of the ignorant Ignoraunce coÌ„pared with blindenes Lysanders ambition pride and 〈…〉 Lysander brake his word othe and procured the deads of eight hundred people 〈…〉 Eteocles wordes of Lysander Thorax put to death for offending the law The LaconiaÌ„ Scytala what maner thing it is and how vsed Lysander carieth letters against him selfe Lysander goeth to Iupiter Ammon King Pausanias reconciled the Athenians with the Spartans Lysanders terrible words The death of king Agis Lysander depriueth Leotychides of his kingedomes Through Lysanders working Agesilaus â— was made king Ambition abideth no equalles Agesilaus priâ—ie grudge to Lysander Lysanders wisedome Lysander surueiour of the vittells Lysanders talke with king Agesilaus after the Laconian maner of speaking Lysander seeketh innouation in the state of Sparta The Families of the kinges of Lacedamon Lysander deuiseth false oracles corrupted soathsayers with money Lysanders fained deuise to possesse the kingdome The warres of Boeotia Diuers causes sâ—â—â—â—used of the beginning of these wars An edict against the banished men from Athens An edict made by the Thebans in fauor of the banished meÌ„ Lysanders iorney vnto Boeotia Cithaeron mons Cissusa sons Lysander staine by the Thebans To aske leaue of thenemie to burye the deade is dishonorable Lysanders tombe Oplites A. destinie menitable Phliarus A. Hoplia Isomantus Neochorus slâ—e Lysander Orchalide â—â—â—s Helicon moons Pausanias exile Lysanders cleane handes and pouertie commended after his deathe Lysanders counsell for altering of the kingdom Lacratidas wisdom forbearing to shewe extremitie to the deade Lysander honored by the Spartans after his death Singlenes of life late mariage and ill mariage punished by the Lacedaemonians Syllaes kinred Syllaes honesty reproued by meanes of his great wealth Syllaes flauore That is bicause that Syl in laten signifieth oker which becometh red when it is put to the fire and therfore Syllaceus color in virusâ—ia signifieth purple colour Syllace skeffing Syllaes voluptuosnes Sylla Quaestor The cause of Bocchus freÌ„dshippe vnto Sylla Iugerthe deliuered vnto Sylla by kinge Bocchus Thenor of Iugurthes takinge ascribed vnto Sylla Syllaes noble deedes vnder Marius Sillaes doings vnder Catulus Ambition is to be fled as a mortall furie Sylla chosen Praetor Orobazus Ambassador from the king of the Parthians vnto Sylla Sylla accused of extorcion Ciuill warres Timotheus Athenians would not tribune the glory of his doinges to fortune Sylla gaue fortune the honor of all his doinges Syllaes belefe in dreames A straunge fight appeared to Sylla Sylla straunge of conditions Sylla chosen Consull Metellus chiefe bishop of Rome a maried Syllaes wiues Marius fonde ambition VVonderfull signes seene before the ciuill warres The ThuscaÌ„s opinion of eight worldes The wickednes of Sulpitius the Tribune Marius and Sulpitius sedition All lawe ceased for a time by reason of Sulpitius oppressions and wicked lawes Sylla marcheth towards Rome with six legions Posthomius the deuine did prognosticate victory vnto Sylla Syllas vision on his dreams Sylla set the houses a fire in Rome Marius and Sulpitius condemned to death Treason lustly rewarded The ingrailtude of Sylla reproved Lucius Cinna Consull Cinna sware to be Syllaes frende Sylla went against Mithridates Mithridates power Sylla befiegeth the city of Athens Sylla tooke the smells and roady money out of all the temples of Greece and brought it to him to AtheÌ„s Caphis supersticion for touching the holy thinges The commendacion of the auncient Romaine Captaines for ordering of their souldiers and also for their modest expences Sylla the first man that spob led all good seruice of souldiers by ouermuch libertie and sufferauoco The wickednes of the tyran Arision The greue valianmes of Marcus Teius Athens taken by Sylla The slaughter of the Athenians after the taking of the eisit Anthesterion Marche The time of Noes flood Aristion the tyran yeelded The hauen of Piraea wonne Philoes armory burnt by Sylla Taxilles army a hundred thowsande footemen Tenne thowsand horsemen Foure score ten thowsand cartes with Sythes The force of the BarbariaÌ„s consisted in horsemen and in their carts with Sythes The straight of Thermopyles Pqrnassus hill The city of Tithora Sylla Hortensius met at Patronide The plaine of Elatea Philobaeotus mont Their whole army together 1500. horse 15000. footemen The braue armor and furniture of the Thracians MacedoniaÌ„s seruing vnder Taxilles king Mithridates lieutenaunt Many commanders make disobediens souldiers Cephisus fl Syllaes straightnes to his souldiers A good policie to weary feare full souldiers with extreame labor whereby to make them desirous to fight Edylium moÌ„t Assus fl Sylla sendeth Gabinius with a legion to aide Chaeronea Oldeles met propheths of victory vnto Sylla Saluenius aSouldiers Iupiter Olympias Acotuim Edylium mountaines Thurium mons aliue Orthopagues Morion fl Apollo Thurial Chaeron the founder of the city of Charonea Sylla ordereth his battell Sylla droue Archelaus aide from the hill The force of the armed cartes with Sythes consist in long course Syllaes conflict with Archelaus as Thurium Slaues made free by authority of the Lieutenaunts in the fielde Syllaâ—â— victory of Mithridates Lieutenauntes The field was wonne in the plaine of Elatea Molus fl Apollo Pythias Iupiter Olympias Flaccus Consull went against Sylla Dorylaus Mithridates generall against Sylla The goodly plaine before the city of Orchomene The riuer of Melas and nature therof Syllaes words to animate his souldiers Diogenes slaine Syllae victory of Mithridates Lieutenauntes as Orchomene Sylla â—â—revâ—â—â—ne â—trelâ—â— Live in the famous battells at Chaeronea and at Orchomene Talke betwixt Sylla and Archelaus at the meeting Peace concluded betwext Sylla Archelaus in Mithridates behalfe apon condicions Archelaus suspected of treason Aristion tyran of Athens poysoned by Sylla Mithridates exception to the condicioÌ„s Archelaus sene from Sylla to Mithridates Sylla Mithridates meete at DARDANE The stowtnes of Sylla Mithridates excuseth him selfe to Sylla Syllaes aunswer to Mithridates Nicomedes king of Bithynia Ariobarzanes king of Coppadocia A hundred fifty thowsand Romanes slaine in one day
man. The nature of the people Nicias liberality magnificence Nicias superstitions Nicias mynes of siluer Nicias for feare gaue to the wicked Nicias warenes to offende Nicias Hierons schoole master Dionysius Chalcus founder of the city of Thuries Nicias life Notable actes done by Nicias The lawe of armes A least of Cleon. Cleons victory of the Lacedaemonians The immoderate liberty of Cleon. Cleons lewd and light ieastures in his Orations Alcibiades diuers wit. Cleon Brasidas the two peacebreakers generally of all Graece Nicias reconcileth the Spartans with the AtheniaÌ„s Nicias peace Ambassadors sent froÌ„ Spartan to Athens Alcibiades craft and deceit The earthquake holpe Nipias Nicias sent Ambassador vnto Sparta The vse of the Ostracismon Hyperbolus Nicias and Alcibiades ioyned tribes against Hyperbolus Hyperbolus banished for tenne yeares The taking away of tenne yeres banishment Nicias chosen Captaine for the warres of Sicila Signerâ—o feare the AtheniaÌ„s not to attempt the enterprise of Sicile Statues mangled AtheÌ„s The madness of Meton the Astronomer Nicias foolish fearefullnes Nicias counsell for inuading the Syracusans Lamachus valliant buâ— simple Lais the courtisan caried out of Sicile into Peloponnesus Nicias notable strategeame Nicias winneth the hauen of Syracvsa Nicias forbeareth to spoyle the temple of Iupiter Nicias besiegeth Syracvsa Nicias wall as the siege of Syracvsa The death of Lamachus Nicias sole Captaine of the whole army Gyllipus a Lacedaemonian aideth the Syracusans Gongylus a Corinthian Gylippus arriuall at Syracvsa Gongylus the Corinthian slaine Nicias good fortune chauÌ„ged Euthydemus and Menander chosen Captaines with Nicias Demosthenes arriuall at Syracvsa Demosthenes rashnes Nicias counsell vnto Demosthenes Demosthenes rashnes The slaughter of the Athenians as Syracusa The corage of Leo Bizantine The eclipse of the moone The eclipse of the moone not knoweÌ„ of long time Anaxagoras the first that wrote of the eclipse of the moone The Athenians do persecute the Philosophers Socrates put to death for Philosophy Dyon very skilfull in naturall causes Nicias ignorant of naturall causes The Syracusans ouercome the AtheniaÌ„s by sea The soothsayers do promise victory to the Syracusans The Athenians againe ouercome on the sea by the Syracvsans Nicias deceiued by Hermocrates The miserable state of the Athenians departing from Syracusa Nicias extreame misery Demosthenes taken of the Syracusans Nicias moueth treaty of peace Nicias army ouercome at the riuer of Asinarus Nicias words yelding him selfe vnto Gylippus Gylippus sheweth mercy to Nicias The Syracusans enter into the Syracusa with triumphe Asinarus feast The Captaines of the Athenians coÌ„demned to dye Gylippus a couetous man. Cleandrides condemned for extorcion Nicias and Demosthenes slue them selues Euripides verses saued many of the Athenians liues The AtheniaÌ„s doe torment the bringer of the newes of their ouerthrow Nicias foreshewed the miseries of the AtheniaÌ„s Marcus Crassus kinred youth Crassus couetousnes Crassius riches How Crassus came by his goodes Crassus saying of builders Crassus care about seruauntes VVhat belongeth to good husbandry and in whom it consistes Crassus iudgement who was a riche man. Archidamus saying of warre Crassus faâ—â—â— at his boâ—â—de Crassus eloquence Crassus flieth Marius and Cinna Vibius curtesie â—â—to Crassus Crassus came Crassus viage into Africke Crassus sent by Sylla into the contry of the Marsians The emulation beâ—â—â—â—â— Crassus and Pompey Sylla called Pompey Imperator Crassus tooke the city of Tvder The valliantnes of Crassus Crassus enuieth Pompey The Romanes called Pompey the great Crassus industry and cause of rising in the common wealth Three factioÌ„s at Rome Crassus inconstancies Sicinius prouerbe The warre of the bondmen called Spartacus warre The wit and behauior of Spartacus the chiefe Captaine of the bondemens warre Clodius a Romane Praetor sent against Spartacus with 3000 men Clodius the Preator ouercome of Spartacus Publius Varinus Praetor sent against Spartacus Spartacus victory of P. Varinus Gellius and Lentulus both Consulls sent against Spartacus Cassius ouercomen by Spartacus Crassus sent against Spartacus Mummius Crassus Lieutenant Mummius ouerthrowen by Spartacus The Romanes maner of punishinge cowardly souldiers Crassus wonderfull trench and wall A wonderfull nature of the water of the lake of Lucania Ambush laied by Crassus The valiaÌ„tnes of Spartacus souldiers Spartacus retyred to the mountaines of Petelie The noble corage of Spartacus Spartacus slaine Pompeyes triumphe for Spayne Ouatio see Marcellus life Crassus made Consull with Pompey Crassus great feasting of the people of Rome The dreame of Onatius Aurelius Crassus and Pompey made frendes Crassus Censor with Catulus Crassus suspected for Catilines conspiracie Crassus and Caesar confederates with Catiline Crassus Cicero as enemie Caesar reconciled Crassus and Pompey together Pompey Crassus and Caesar al three ioyned in frendshippe Pompey and Crassus did meete with Caesar at Luca Pompeyes stout aunswer Crassus modest aunswere Pompey made him selfe and Crassus Consulls by force Pompey and Crassus Consulls the second time Crassus had the gouernment of Syria Atteius the Tribune against Crassus departure Obseruations of cursinges among the Romanes Crassus iorney into Syria Deiotarus king of Galatia Crassus passeth ouer the riuer of Euphrates Zenodotia taken by Crassus Publius Crassus came to his father in Syria Great faultes committed by Crassus The first signes of Crassus ill luâ—ke This name of Arsaces or Arsacides was common to all the kings of the Parthians Ambassadors of the Parthians sent to Crassus Vagises words shewing Crassus the palme of his hande Hyrodes king of the Parthians Cassius treasorer vnder Crassus Crassus forewarned by the Soothsayers of his ill successe Artabazes king of Armenia came to Crassus campe VVonderfull signes and tokens to Crassus Crassus armie was fifty thousand men Ariamnes a Captaine of the Arabians Ariamnes deceiueth Crassus Surena and Sillaces Arsaâ—es Lieutenauntes Surena sent against Crassus Surena what he was Surenaes courte and traine Surena a young man but very wise Artabazes sent an Eâ—bassage vnto Crassus Crassus wilfulnes Crassus army against the Parthians Sureâ—â—s stratageame for the hiding of his great army Crassus battell with the Parthians The ParthiaÌ„s kettle droÌ„mes The person of Surena Generall of the Parthians described The ParthiaÌ„s fought veryrâ—ng The maner of the Parthians fight The praise of Censorinus Megabacchus The miserable fight of the Romanes against the Parthians Carres a city of Mesopotamia Ischnes a citie The death of Publius Crassus Crassus oration to his souldiers wiâ—â— his bare was full of sorrow Crassus an example of fortunes inconstancie Crassus flying Coponius Gouernor of Carres in Mesopotamia The valliantnes of twentie Romanes A stratageame of Surena Andromachus treason to Crassus The ParthiaÌ„s do noâ—refight by night Cassius gentle aunswere in the straightes The worthines of the Romane souldiers to their chiefetaine An other stratageame of Surena Surenaes crafty speeche to Crassus Crassus words to the Romanes going to his death Surenaes craft to Crassus Octauius slaine Crassus slaine The number of the Romanes that were slaine and taken Sureneth triumph of Crassus Aristides bookes intituled the Milesians AEsope wise saying
then power to ayde him The army power of Octauius Caesar against Antonius Antonius dominions Octauius Caesars dominions Antonius we which ruled by Cleopatra Antonius rode at anker at the head of ActioÌ„ where the citie of Nicopolis standeth * The grace of this taâ—â—â—it can not properly be expressed in any other tongue bicause of the equivocation of this word Toryne which signifieth citie Albania and also a Ladell to scoome the pot with as if she ment Caesar sat by the fire side scomming of the pot Domitius forsaketh Antonius goeth vnto Octauius Caesar. Amyntas and Deiotarus do both reuolt from Antonius and goe vnto Caesar. Antonius in daunger of taking as Actâ—um Antonius regardeth not the good counsell of his souldier Battel by sea as Actium betwixt Antonius and Caesar. A lucky signe vnto Octauius Caesar. Eutychus Nicon fortunate Conquerer Cleopatra flyâ—th The soule of a louer liueth in another body Antonius flyeth after Cleopatra Antonius lycenceth his friends to depart and giueth there a shippe loden with gold and siluer Antonius nauy ouerthrowen by Caesar. Antonius legions doe yeld them selues vnto Octauius Caesar Lucilius spokâ— of in Brutus life The fidelitie of Lucilius vnto Antonius The wonderful attempt of Cleopatra Antonius followeth the life and example of TimoÌ„ Misanthropus the Athenian Plato Aristophanes testimony of Timon Misanthropus what he was The epitaphe of Timon Misanâ—hropus Antonius rioting in Alexandria after his great losse ouerthrew Toge virilis Antillus the eldest sonne of Antonius by his wife Fuluia An order erected by Antonius and Cleopatra called Synapothanumenon reuoking the former called Amimetobion Cleopatra verie busie in prouing the force of poyson The property of the biting of an Aspick Antonius and Cleopatra send Ambassadors vnto Octauius Caesar Alexas treason iustly punished Pelusium was yeelded vp to Octauius Caesar. Cleopatraes monuments set vp by the temple of Isis. Straunge noises heard and nothing seene Antonius nauie doe yeeld them selues vnto Caesar. Antonius ouerthrowen by Octauius Caesar. Cleopatra flieth into her tombe or monument Eros Antonius seruant slue him selfe Antonius did thrust his sword into him selfe but died not presently Antonius caried vnto Cleopatraes tombe A lamentable sight to see Antonius and Cleopatra The death of Antonius Octauius Caesar lamenteth Antonius death Proculeius sent by Octauius Caesar to bring Cleopatra aliue Cleopatra taken Caesar tooke the citie of Alexandria Caesar greatly honored Arrius the Philosopher Philostratus the eloquentest Orator in his time for present speech vpon a sodaine Antyllus Antonius eldest sonne by Fuluia slaine The saying of Arrius the Philosopher CaesarioÌ„ Cleopatraes sonne put to death Cleopatra burieth Antonius Olympus Cleopatraes Phisition Caesar came to see Cleopatra Cleopatra a martired creature through her owne fassion and fury Seleucus out of Cleopatraes Treasorers Cleopatra bet her treasorer before Octauius Caesar Cleopatraes wordes vnto Caesar. Cleopatra finely deceiueth Octauius Caesar although she desired to liue Cleopatraes lamentation ouer Antonius tombe The death of Cleopatra Cleopatraes two waiting woman dead with her Cleopatra killed with the biting of an Aspicke The image of Cleopatra caried in triumphe at Rome with an Aspicke biting of her arme The age of Cleopatra and Antonius Of Antonius issue came Emperors The power of Demetrius Antonius Demetrius Antonius ambition to gouerne The liberalitie and bountie of Demetrius and Antonius Demetrius Antonius time Canobus and Taphosiris fl Demetrius Antonius wiues Antonius the first Romane that euer maried two wiues together Demetrius lasciuiousnes Dogges not suffred in Athens castle bicause of bitcherie The loue and impietie the faith falsehoode of Demetrius and Antonius Demetrius Antonius acts in warres The pareÌ„tage of Artaxerxes Mnemon The diuersâ—â— of natures betwixt Cyrus and Artaxerxes Arsicas surnamed Artaxerxes assigned to be king of Persia The maner of the consecrating of the kings of Persia as Pasargades Cyrus accused vnto his brother Artaxerxes Cyrus lay in waite to kill Artaxerxes Note the flatterie and dissimulation of a woman Antaxerxes curteous and easie to haue accesse vnto Artaxerxes liberalitie to apoore man that gaue him a litle water Tiribazus lightnes and Artaxerxes liberalitie Statira king Artaxerxes wife Cyrus maketh warre against his brother Artaxerxes Cyrus wonderfull promises Artaxerxes army of nyne hundred thowsand fighting men against his brother Cyrus Xenophon the Historiographer excellently describeth this battell betwixt Artaxerxes and his brother Cyrus Safetie in a generall requisite in battell Clearchus cowardlines reproued Pasacas Cyrus horse Artagerses the gouernor of the prouince of Cadusia giueth charge vpon Cyrus Cyrus slue Artagerses Dinons report of Cyrus death The Cariens be called cocks bicause they weare crests on their headpeeces Ctesias report of Cyrus death Artaxerxes hurt by Cyrus Cyrus hurt Cyrus miserable destiny King Artaxerxes being a thirst dranke stincking puddle water and sayd he neuer tasted sweeter The manner of the Persians in 〈…〉 against a traitor to the king Plutarch reproueth Ctesias for a lyer How Artaxerxes 〈…〉 the good and also punished the euill The punishment of them that slue Cyrus Parysatis straunge crueltie praising the Carian in 〈…〉 See the perill of bastâ—es rash aunswer The terrible death of offenders in boates or troughes among the Persians The miserable death of Mithridates The deuelish craft of Parysatis her great skill cunning at dyce Parysatis craft and cruelâ—ie Tisaphernes betrayeth the Captaines of Graece Clearchus other Captaines of Graece put to death by king Artaxerxes Ctesias vanity The cause of Parysatis hate vnto her Daughter in law Statyra Parysatis practiseth to poyson Queene Statira Ryntaces a bird of Persia that hath no excrements How Statira was poysoned The punishment for poysoners in Persia Agesilaus king of Lacedaemon maketh warre with the Persians The Persian coyne how it is stamped Artaxerxes dâ—aue the Lacedantonians from all their dominion by sea Gnidus Ins. Antalcidas peace Antalcidas Lacedaemonian greatly esteemed of Artaxerxes The persians full of vanitie and curiositie The death of Antalcidas Lacedaemonian Timagoras Athenian brybed by king Artaxerxes Timagoras was put to death for taking brybes and gifts of the king of Persia. King Artaxerxes killeth Tisaphernes Artaxerxes fell in againe with his mother Parysatis sent for her to come to the Court. Artaxerxes maried his eldest Daughter Atossa King Artaxerxes iorney against the Cadusians The contry of the Cadusians very barren Great famyne in Artaxerxes army Tiribazus stratageame saued Artaxerxes and all his army Note that soft apparell and riches maketh not a men cowardly and effeminate but a vile base mind that followeth euill aduise and counsell The corage of king Artaxerxes his great paynes in marching King Artaxerxes curtesie to his souldiers Darius and Ochus king Artaxerxes sonnes Artaxerxes proclaymeth his sonne Darius king Aspasia IuniaÌ„ one of Artaxerxes concubines The barbarous people can not 〈…〉 with â—inalitie in loue Tiribazus incruseth Darius against his father Artaxerxes Tiribazus maners and condicions Darius conspireth against Artaxerxes his father A