this tirant as Moses Iosua Dauid did to the enemies of God CHAP. VIII Of the Machabees and of the last kings of Iuda and of their gouernement vnder the Romanes and of the last destruction of Hierusalem by Titus the Emperour THey tooke courage in God they prouided to resist the violence of tyranny and when Mattathias died after one yeeres gouernement he appointed Iudas Machabeus whom hee knewe bestable in body and most willing in mind to be in armes with their God against this Antiochus and his idoles And though these brethren were not of the stocke of Dauid nor of the tribe of Iuda as you may reade in the Macchabees and in Iosephus yet they ioyned their force and power together and appointed Iudas Macchabeus chiefe captaine and ruler ouer them for in his actes he was liks a lion for the wicked fled for feare of him he killed Apollonius and Seron two princes of Syria and the most part of Antiochus armie who gathered the Gentiles and a great host of Samaria to fight against Israel who were slaine and scattered like sheepe before Iudas sworde and Iudas goeth forward against Gorgias doth the like he slue their souldiers and putteth Gorgias and the rest of his armie to flight Lysias lieftenant general of Antiochus hearing of this waxed wroth disdained his campe gathered 60000. chosen footemen and 5000. horsemen to fight against Ierusalem came to Iudea pitched his tents in Bethsura where Iudas came with ten thousand souldiers against him who with confidence in God and prayers made slue fiue thousande and put the rest to flight and Lysias himselfe escaped to Antiochus Iudas hauing these victories ouer Antiochus the great went vp to Ierusalem to repaire the Sanctuarie which lay wasted made a new altar for Antiochus had erected altar and the Image vpon it where they sacrificed according to the lawe and praysed God for their good successe Now while Iudas had vanquished the Heathens that went about to destroy Israel for they of Tyre and Sidon of Ptolemais of all Galile of the Heathens of the Gentiles were set in force against Israel after that Iudas had fought with the Edumeans Ammonites hearing of these newes Iudas gaue to his brother Simon 3000. souldiers to goe vnto Galile and he tooke his brother Ionathan with him to Galaad with 8000. and they had good successe and victorie in all their warres Antiochus in the meane season traueiling through the countrey of Persia hearing of the riches and treasures of Ptolemais besieged it but was by the Citizens forced to flee who died within a while after Lysias hauing knowledge of the kings death hee caused Antiochus Epiphanes the 2. sonne of Antiochus the great to be crowned king after his father who vsed much more extremitie in Ierusalem then his father did killing destroying the Citizens robbing the Temple and putting Idoles and images vpon the altar Being slaine in Persia his brothers eldest sonne Demetrius being at Rome came with all haste possible to Tripolis a Towne in Syria and hauing possessed the most part of Syria being their lawfull king by descent the people brought Antiochus Eupator and Lysias before Demetrius who commaunded them to bee killed before they came to his sight Now when that Demetrius was set on his fathers throne a great enemie of Iuda waxed hote to reuenge the slaughter which Iudas Machabeus made of his friends and fauourers while yet Demetrius saued himselfe in Rome Iudas perceiuing the cruell meaning of Demetrius and knowing well the power and force of the Romanes made them his friends through peace of mutuall friendship sending messengers vnto them Eupolemus and Iason brethrens children to Iudas Machabeus which of the Romanes were most louingly accepted and they sent to Ierusalem a letter written in tables of brasse wherein they had a memoriall or monument of their friendship and peace In the meane time Demetrius hauing heard of the death of Nichanor sendeth his armie against Iudas in the which battell after many ioyfull victories which Iudas had ouer his enemies he is now slaine by his enemies for he that was wont to pray to ouercome and now omitted to pray trusting to his strength and to the Romanes force was left of God to himselfe Iudas nowe being dead his brother Ionathan succeeded him and had present battell with Bacchides one of Demetrius captaines and with Alcimus and put them to flight During these broiles in Iudea Demetrius perceiuing he coulde gaine nothing by Ionathan desireth peace with the Iewes which being done Ionathan gouerned Israel quietly When Alexander the sonne of Antiochus had heard the promises which Demetrius made to Ionathan and also hearing of the courage vertue and manhood of Iudas Ionathan Simon and of the two other brethren hee sought the fauour of Ionathan and friendship of the Iewes Then Alexander maketh warres against Demetrius gathered a great host and ioyned in battell with the armie of Demetrius and the two kings fought it out vntil Demetrius was slaine Then Alexander sent his Embassadors to Ptolomeus king of Egypt signifying vnto him howe he wanne his fathers kingdome and sate on his throne requesting the kings daughter in mariage so to be in league of amitie to continue perpetual friends wherein Ptolomeus gladly consented and maried his daughter Cleopatra vnto Alexander at Ptolomais and they continued friends vntil discention fel betweene Ptolomeus his sonne in law Alexander for Ptolomeus tooke his daughter Cleopatra and gaue her to Demetrius the sonne of king Demetrius which Alexander slue a little before When Alexander heard howe that his wife was giuen to his enemie Demetrius in mariage hee came with an host against Ptolomeus his father in lawe for Ptolomeus had put two crownes vpon his owne head the crowne of Asia and the crowne of Egypt and had driuen Demetrius after the ouerthrowing of his army vnto Arabia where he had his head cut off by Zabelus and sent to Ptolomeus to Egypt who likewise died shortly after and Demetrius reigned after him All these kinges sought friendship at Ionathans hands for as Iudas Machabeus slue Nicanor Apollonius and Seron princes of Syria ouerthrewe Lysius Antiochus generall and his nigh cousin and putteth Gorgias and his host to flight as hee vanquished the heathens and ouerthrew the Citie of Ephron and wanne Bosorra with many more victories which hee had of Countries cities townes so Ionathan prospered against Bacchides Alcimus against the children of Ambrie against the princes of Demetrius so that Demetrius the king sought the fauour of Ionathan Alexander entreated for friendship with Ionathan Thus God blessed the sonnes of Mattathias because they were zealous in the lawes of God for after king Demetrius was slaine by Alexander and Alexander slaine againe by Demetrius sonne named Demetrius the Iewes all this while were quiet and so peace in Israel continued vnder Ionathan and Simon as in
Therefore Pompei the great being a heathen man and driuen to flight in the the battell at Pharsalia by Iulius Caesar desirous to know of Cratippus the Philosopher the euents of the warres betweene Iulius Caesar and himselfe demaunded of him an sit prouidentia whether the decree and purpose of God is vnchangeable Cratippus answered him though a heathen Philosopher yet like a true Christian saying Fatales esse imperiorum periodos the prouidence of God is most sure and certeine for then the Romane Monarchie beganne by Iulius Caesar the first Emperour of Rome which Pompei founde true within a while after and so Chaldea first and Assyria after so the Medes so the Persians so the Grecians and last of all the Romanes came to destruction by not confessing God neither acknowledging his prouidence as you shall reade in their seuerall histories But nowe to speake of the rest of the kings of Assyria for that they were at one time and gouerned together Belus the sōne of Nimrod after he had as you haue heard laid the fundations of Babylon by his father Nimrod before appointed a peaceable prince quiet gentle curteous vnto his subiects vntil about the latter end of his reigne hee became to bee ambitious most cruelly giuen to enlarge the Empire of Babylon and as Berosus saith to bring all Nations vnder the Chaldeans he went about first to destroy a mightie great king in those dayes which much hindred Belus purposes named Sabatius king of Saga This Sabatius perceiuing that Belus laid secret snares euery way for him and seeing that he could by no meanes escape the hads of Belus he hid himself in a secret place with the Caspiis Annius saith in the 5. booke vpon Berosus that this Sabatius was Saturnus Now Belus being old hauing reigned 62. yeeres grew so great and so mightie that al the nations about honored him as a god he commanded Nynus his sonne a little before he died by al meanes possible to destroy Sabatius Saga and by the sword to compell all nations and countries and al people to be vnder the Empire of Babylon for that it was the first kingdome after the flood When he had reigned king 62. yeeres he died to whom the Assyrians after his death erected his statue or image they made so many monumēts to Belus after his death that thereby they began to commit idolatry to put vp images naming them Baal Bel after the name of Belus Nynus succeeded his father Belus the third king of the Assyrians imitating his father both by nature and by cōmandement lost no time but streight in armes where his father subdued the most part of Assyria and Asia this king went further hauing conquered euery where vntill the coasts of Libya finding the people yet not able to resist him not acquainted with wars but seeking meanes to fortifie their kingdomes being as yet weake and tender without any great force not so strong as to resist Nynus being at that time the greatest king in the worlde which ouercame Aricus king of Arabia but some say king of Ellasar and after conquered Barzanes king of Armenia as Berosus affirmeth After he returned to Media where Pharnus king of the Medes and his seuen sonnes were slaine with their armie thence proceeded forward to Bactria where Zoroastres remained as king to whom Iustine ascribeth the first obseruations of the starres naming him the first Astrologer of the worlde after the flood this gaue Nynus a great ouerthrowe in the first battell putting the enemies to flight after he had slaine 100000. of the Assyrians Nynus hauing this foile returned with greater force ioyned againe in battel ouercame the Bactrians slue their king possessed the kingdome by the pollicie of Semiramis whō afterward he maried which historie you shall finde in Diodorus Siculus at large This Nynus excelled his father augmenting the Empire of Assyria by the conquestes hee did of all Asia and of all the East kingdomes vnto the Indians hee amplified the Citie of Niniue which Assur the sonne of Sem began to builde as Iosephus and Philo Iudaeus doe affirme but Melancthon saith that Nynus two hundred yeeres after builded Niniue after Assur began it that Nynus enlarged it beautified and made it so great that it conteined foure hundred furlongs of ground which is fiftie miles after our accompt it had a thousand and fiue hundred wonderfull great towres vpon the walles it had the onely soueraignetie of the worlde and there Nynus and all the kings of Assyria kept their Courtes this was called by Nynus after his owne name Niniue it was builded in the valley of Aturia not farre from the riuer Tygris this Niniue was farre greater then Babylon as you may reade in Herodotus at large and was the chiefe seate of the kings of Assyria a thousand and two hundred yeeres some write one thousand three hundred and more Howe true Berosus writes of the pilgrimage and iourneys of Noah I referre it to the reader but hee sayeth that in the tenth yeere of Nynus the third king of Babylon after that Noah had trauailed many Countries had giuen them lawes he came to Africa from Africa after that heehad taught the people for a time he came into Italie in the nineteenth yeere of Nynus at what time Noah was eight hundred and three score yeeres olde and liued after in Italie and in Hetruria 92. yeeres for so long liued Noah which was in all 950. Many Monuments and Townes builded by Noah in diuers Countries are set written by Berosus lib. 5. and by Annius in his Comentarie Abraham was 57. when Noah died After this Nynus had reigned 52. yeeres he died and was buried in his owne Citie of Nynus where his wife Semiramis buried him so honorably with such a sumptuous Toumbe that it was the onely paterne which Artimesia the queene of Caria made for her husbande Mausolus and counted for the rarenes thereof one of the seuen woonders of the worlde Wee reade in Zenophon that Semiramis caused an Epitaph to bee set vpon one of the pillars of this graue with these wordes Mihipater Belus Iupiter Auus Saturnus Babylonicus proauus Chus Saturnus Ethiops Abauus Saturnus Aegyptus atauus Caelus Phoenix Ogiges repeating the petigree of Nynus to be the sonne of Belus the sonne of Nimrod the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham the sonne of Noah Archilogus writeth that he beganne to reigne a king ouer the Assyrians 250. yeeres after the flood In this Nynus time Abraham was borne Semiramis after her husband was dead beganne to fortifie the walles of Babylon ruled and gouerned most stoutly the Assyrians and the Caldeans 42. yeeres adding to the Empire more Regions and Countries after her husbands dayes subdued the Ethiopians ouercame the Indians and their king Staurobates which neuer was done or by any enterprised beside Semiramis but onely by Alexander the great
Alexander before Camillus hee should haue found Coriolanus before Coriolanus hee should haue founde Publicola and euery one of these esteemed and prooued as Alexander After that the Romans had concluded peace with the Affricanes they were also at that time at rest from warre with all nations which thing happened not since the building of Rome vntill that time but once in Numna Pompilius raigne But they were not so long for when Lucius Posthumius Albinus was Consul warre was begunne betwixt the Illyrians and the Romanes ouer whome after they had taken many cities they triumphed and the Illyrians yeelded At what time the Frenchmen inuaded Italy with an armie of eight hundreth thousand but they were ouerthrowen by Aemilius the Consul and 40. thousand of the enemies slaine for the which a triumph was decreed vnto Aemilius and the like triumph was graunted vnto Marcellus who with a small troupe of horsmen slew Viridomarus the king of the Frenchmen as Eutropius saith with his owne hand and ouerthrew his armie cōquered Millaine and brought to Rome an exceeding great spoile The Istrians and the Ligurians also were within a while after subdued by the Romanes at what time Tenca Queene of the Illyrians slewe the Romane ambassadours against the lawe of Armes By this time the Carthagineans had gotten some strength and made themselues readie to reuenge the great losses and wrongs that they sustained in the first warres by the Romanes In the second warres Hanibal the sonne of Hamilcar being of the age of 20. yeeres was made generall as his father was in the first and presently with great furie beganne to lay siege to Saguntum and famished them thence he passed ouer the Alpes and brought to Italy 80. thousand footemen and 20. thousand horsemen conueyed his armie to the riuer Ticium where Pub Cornelius Scipio the Consul was discomfited and his armie slaine and scattered himselfe wounded and welnigh taken had not his sonne Scipio afterward called Affricanus rescued him Hanibal passed still forwarde with his armie and camped by the riuer Trebea where hee gaue the like ouerthrowe to Sempronius Gracchus the other Consul Thence Hanibal passed into Hetruria at what time by a great tempest he was much hindered being before wounded at the battell of Trebea and now his eye by mischaunce lost hee marched to Placentia where in a great battell hee slewe Caius Flaminius the Consul and 25. thousande souldiers Hanibal being thus heated with good successe of victories he passed vnto Apulia where he gaue the greatest ouerthrow to the Romans that euer they had in the battell at Cannes at what time Lucius Aemilius and Pub. Terentius Varro were Consuls for in this battell Aemilius the Consul was slaine and twentie other of the order of Consuls and Praetors 30. slaine and taken of the Senators infinit nomber of noble men gentlemen souldiers which I layd downe more particularly in the warres of Affrike This only battel made all Italy to quake and many cities and countreys to reuolt from the Romans as Capua Campania and other places It is written that Hanibal did at that time send to Carthage three bushels full of rings and iewels Howbeit Asdrubal which was Hanibals second brother had not the like lucke in Spaine as Hanibal had in Italy for hee lost that very time of his men thirtie and fiue thousand by the two Scipios which were then in Spaine captaines of the Romanes And within a while after both Asdrubal the seconde brother and Mago the thirde brother of Hanibal were the second time ouercome by the two Scipios againe in Spaine for at that time that Hanibal played the Lion in Italy and had taken many cities from the Romanes in Apulia and Calabria yet the Romanes in foure seuerall places at one time had foure generall lieutenants in armes 1. In Macedonia Valerius Liuius against Philip. 2. Titus Manlius Torquatus in Sardinia against the Sardinians 3. Pub. Cor. Scipio in Spaine against Asdrubal 4. In Italy against Hanibal The furie of Hanibal continued in Italy for tenne yeeres so that all Italy stoode in dispaire of themselues But when Fabius Max. was sent against Hanibal hee by detracting of time and delayes hindered the violence and rage of Hanibal and thereby finding oportunitie to set vpon Hanibal gaue him of tentimes the ouerthrowe and therefore hee was called Scutum Romanum The Romane targat onely by delayes And euen so was Marcellus for his heate and furie called Ensis Romanus and likened to Hanibal himselfe for Hanibal himselfe called Marcellus the Romane Hanibal and said further that Marcellus was neither quiet being conquerour nor conquered But while this violence of Hanibal continued in Italy in the tenth yeere after that hee inuaded Italy after many victories ouer the Romanes hee approched within foure miles of Rome and his horsemen came to the very gates of the citie At what time to encrease his fame his brother Asdrubal slewe both the Scipios in Spaine to the great discomfort of Rome who had for many yeeres bene conquerours in Spaine Hanibal might then haue easily conquered Rome if hee had set forwarde his armie for so Caesar saide afterward but hee feared the Consuls which were readie to come out of Rome to giue him battell And not without good cause for Hanibal found so many Scipios so many Fabius so many Marcellus and so many Hanibals like to himselfe that hee still stoode in awe of the Romanes for he heard that an other Scipio went to Spaine in the place of the two Scipios slaine by Asdrubal and also he heard of his victories ouer many cities and shortly after he heard of Carthage in Spaine in the which warres hee tooke Mago Hanibals brother and sent him with the residue of the prisoners to Rome This daunted the courage of Hanibal and augmented the glorie of Scipio being then of the age of twentie and foure yeeres after whose going into Spaine the fortune of Hanibal declined in Italy for Fabius Maximus recouered Tarentum and many other cities which had yeelded to Hanibal submitted themselues to Fabius Marcellus had also recouered Salopia and had taken Syracusa and many other cities in Campania and had sundrie times scattered Hanibal and his armie at Canusium for either of these two Consuls Fabius and Marcellus had bene twise Dictators and fiue times Consuls In Spaine also Pub. Scipio gaue an ouerthrowe to Asdrubal at Betula and slewe eight thousande Affricanes and Spaniards In the eleuenth yeere after that this warre beganne Marcellus that noble captaine whom Hanibal feared most was slaine at Venusia being then Consul whom Hanibal most honourablie caused to be buried in Venusia As Hanibal flourished with his victories in Italy so Scipio excelled in Spaine and had victories at will for hee discomfited the king of Spaine and atchieued great conquests About this time Hanibal sent for his brother Asdrubal to come from Spaine to
the Scythians who likewise had no houses but their wagons in the which they carie their wiues their children and themselues into any coūtrey where they take warre in hand Nowe of the Arabians trafique and marchandise and of their frankincense myrrhe and many other kinde of spices of their birdes Phoenix and Cynomolgies of their precious stones of their hilles sweete riuers and other rare things in Arabia I referre you to Strabo he leaueth nothing vntoucht within Arabia But I wil returne to Mahomet a poore man of a base and meane parentage brought vp a seruant to feede and to attend camels a young man of a wonderfull craftie subtile wit hauing married his mistresse and thereby growen wealthie he vsed the company of one Sergius a Monke with whom he was taught to accuse the Iewes as wicked cruel tyrants to kill a great Prophet and to accuse the Christians of ignorancie and of much simplicitie scoffing them for their superstitious ceremonies and meere fantasies in their religion as he said of their God Christ. This Mahomet vomited his malice in such sort that not onely Asia but Affricke and Europe were by him infected hee settled himselfe in the richest regions of all Arabia named Scenites where in short time through the craft and subtiltie of his fained religion and by the dayly accesse of a white pigeon in the eare to eate graines of wheat which he vsed to deceiue the simple supposing the pigeon to bee some spirit from God that instructed Mahomet in all good discipline and religion that whatsoeuer Mahomet did it was taken as done by a prophet He grew of such credite within Arabia that he made lawes and decrees he altered the whole course of the Arabians gouernment and brought the Saracens to beginne their yeeres and their accompt from the beginning of Mahomets raigne For as the Grecians were wont to nomber yeeres by their Olympiads the Romanes by their Lustrum so the Arabians and the Saracens vsed their accompt by Hegira begunne in the time of Mahomet at what time he escaped hardly the hands of the chiefe men in Arabia called Philarchi who thought to kill Mahomet for his newe doctrine against the religion of the Arabians But after he had escaped he gathered a great armie by meanes of many that tooke him and honoured him as a diuine prophet and entred with force and maine strength againe vpon his enemies and had the victory ouer them From the which time the Arabians beganne to accompt their yeeres in memorie of the escape of Mahomet by flight which the Arabians call Hegira and after by Mahomet commaunded in the time of Heraclius the Emperour and Pope Honorius in the yeere of our Sauiour sixe hundreth twentie and one to bee kept of the Saracens and of the Arabians in great honour and accompt and to beginne all their accompts trafiques and marchandise by Hegira And as wee vse the yeere of our Lorde at the very day that he was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgine by the holy Ghost so the Arabians from the time of this Hegira by Mahomet commaunded vsed their yeeres MAhomet the great prophet and the only Prince of Arabia began his gouernment in the yeere of our saluation 624. At what time Heraclius gouerned as Emperour in Constantinople he raigned nine yeres died and was honoured as a God to this day among the Saracens After this Mahomet raigned in Arabia Ebubezer three yeeres during which time he subdued the citie of Gaza and brought that prouince altogether vnder the Arabians who at this beganne to be sirnamed Amiras a name of dignitie as Caesars among the Romanes or Pharaos among the Egyptians this raigned the first Amiras The second Amiras was called Haumar which raigned 12. yeeres this enlarged the countrey of Arabia from Egypt vnto the riuer Euphrates this brought Persia subiect to Arabia and forced Hormisda their last king to take his flight and to leaue behinde him all his treasures and all the wealth of Persia. This Amiras tooke Caesarea a citie in Palestina after he had besieged it seuen yeeres by his lieutenant Muhanias who was his Generall from the confines of Egypt vnto Euphrates This Haumar after hee had destroyed the temple of Hierusalem caused the Crosse which hee found in the temple to be set vp in Mount Oliuet to scoffe there the Christians who beganne at that very time to worship euery where the Crosse that was the first Crosse and the first time that the vse of Crosses beganne from that in Mount Oliuet But after much harme done by this Haumar hee was slaine by a Persian woman named Margaret as hee was praying kneeling before the newe erected idole of Mahomet After this Haumar succeeded Hotaman the fourth Amiras this inuaded Affrica possessed diuers places and filled many townes with Saracens at what time Muhanias the chiefe Generall of all the Arabians territories sailed with a great nauie into Cyprus inuaded the whole Isle and tooke the citie Constantia and the citie Aradus and at his returne came to Rhodes destroyed the huge and monstrous image of Phoebus called Colossus Solis accompted one of the seuen wonders of the world While Muhanias was in warres with the Cyprians and the Rhodians the very same time another Prince of Arabia named in the Chronicles Busor inuaded Isauria destroyed the countrey made a great slaughter of the people and brought fiue thousande captiues prisoners into Arabia but within fewe dayes Hoaman was slaine through the treasonof his owne housholdes and chiefe friends This time raigned king in Fraunce Clodoueus the second of that name which Clodoueus was called Lewes the first and in Constantinople raigned Emperour Constans which was sonne to Constantius the third who had a great ouerthrowe in battell by sea by Muhamias with his armie of Saracens Eugenius then was elected the tenth Pope of Rome Hali who gouerned the Saracens after Hoaman with Muhamias for 3. yeeres at what time he was slaine by a conspiracie of souldiers after whose death Muhanias became the fift Amiras ouer the Arabians who gouerned foure and twentie yeeres and kept his court all that time at Damascus This Muhanias grew mightie and strong inuaded Affrica slew fourescore thousand Africanes spoyled the territories of the Romanes entred into their confines but the Romanes forced him to flee pursued him and compelled him to seeke the Romanes fauour paying three thousand pound in golde and fiftie Saracens for yerely tribute Constantine the fift sirnamed Pogonatus held then the Empire at Constantinople Gizid the sonne of Muhanias succeeded his father and raigned after him 3. yeeres this had not such successe as Muhamias his father had but after Gizid succeeded Habdella the seuenth Amiras against whom Marnan was elected the eight Amiras who died within nine moneths after and left his sonne Habdimelech to be the ninth Amiras this raigned two and twentie yeeres The Saracens about this time inuaded so
and of his kingdome from Othoman the first vntil Selimus the eleuenth of the two Empires of Constantinople and Trapezumtium which now the Turckes doe gouerne of their beginning and of their first seruice vnder Basilius Macedo Emperour of Constantinople THe Turckes historie is like the Saracens or like the Scythians people without guide or gouernours vntil of late time they inhabited first about mount Caucasus from thence to the Caspia sea a nation mingled of the Scythians of the Hunnes which nowe are called Hungarians obscure and base people without any mencion made of them any where but of their bare names in Plinie a people scattered in Scythia and after into other Countries rather called Latrocinantes quà m belligerantes as Egnatius nameth them of whom as I saide Pomponius Mela maketh but little more mencion then Plinie did The first seruice which they did was vnder Basilius surnanamed Macedo then Emperour at Constantinople in the yere of our Sauiour eight hundred fourtie at what time they inuaded Armenia and within a while after gaue a battell to the Arabians vnder their first captaine called Mucaletius After twise or thrice good successe had against the Arabians and the Saracens they gathered together vnder a head at Tangrolipix where diuers more heaped and flocked to them from the streight of Caspia and from Caucasus there they waxed strong and began to inuade Asia vntill the time of Ottoman the first a man base and obscure borne cuius parentes agrarij but very valiant wise and fortunate he first beganne to aduaunce the name of the Turckes and to set foorth his force and power being much inflamed with desire of soueraigntie and very ambitious of honour and dignitie After hee had subdued a part of the kingdome of Bythinia and had taken certeine Cities and strong Townes towards the Sea Euxinus at what time reigned in Constantinople Michael surnamed Paleologus Emperour in the yeere of our Sauiour Christ a thousand three hundred this Ottomanus within twentie eight yeres which he reigned had strengthened his Cities Townes and had builded many strong Fortes and specially one inuincible Castle which hee named after his owne name Ottomanni Castrum This Othoman left behinde him a sonne named Orchanes in whose time contencion grewe betweene Paleologus and Cantachuzenus about the Empire of Greece whereby Orchanes power and force so encreased that while these two contended about the Empire hee tooke Prusia out of their handes a large strong Citie and finding his father in lawe Caramanus false and deceitfull hee ouerthrewe him and killed his sonne a young gallant youth but after that Orchanes had reigned twentie two yeeres hee was slaine in Bythinia After him succeeded his sonne Amurathes a man of singular courage and fortune who forgetting not his father nor graundfather Othoman imitated them in all manly exploites and presently armed him selfe against his owne graundfather Caramanus whose daughter was his naturall mother This Amurathes was solicited by the Emperour Paleologus being nowe a very olde man to aide him against the Bulgarians hard olde souldiers brought vp alwayes in warres to this hee quickely consented and prepared an armie of twelue thousand Turkes and brought them into Europe and did great seruice to the Emperour ouerthrewe the Bulgarians and reuenged the Emperour vpon the enemie but being after these victories tickled with the wealth and pleasures of Europe hauing giuen the repulse to Cantachuzenus which affected the Empire while he fained this seruice hee passed ouer the sea Helespont tooke Callipolis with other cities as Adrianopolis Bydus and Philippolis ouerthrewe and conquered euery prouince as he traueiled hee entred Bulgaria inuaded Seruia and slue the princes of the countrie named Lazarus with a great slaughter of his people but Amurathes escaped not long for hee was slaine by a seruaunt of Lazarus prince of Seruia who reuenged his masters death stoutly Thus Amurathes died after he had reigned twentie three yeeres after whom liued two sonnes of his the one named Paizates the other Soliman These two brethren coulde not agree they fel at such variance that Paizates slue his brother Soliman and presently after tooke in hand to reuenge his fathers death vpon Marcus Craienicius prince of the Bulgarians whom he subdued and after slue him in the fielde by which conquest he obteined the most part of Bulgaria And yet not therewith contented hee inuaded Bossina Croatia and other partes of Illyria wasted and spoyled all places into Thracia yet he could not quiet himselfe but laid siege to Constantinople and continued the same for eight yeeres and had at that time taken the Citie if hee had not beene preuented by two great armies of Frenchmen and Vngarians to whom this Pazaites gaue such a terrible battell that hee ouerthrewe both the armies and tooke the most part of the French captaines with their Generall the Duke of Burgundie with an infinite slaughter of the souldiers and had also at that time taken Sigismundus king of Hungaria vnlesse he had bene saued by the Venetian nauie From this great victorie hee againe returned to Constantinople endured his siege and laide hard at it When newes came that Tamberlanes the Scythian inuaded his Countrie he remoued his siege at these newes and made more haste then good speede for in that battell betweene Tamberlanes and Pazaites two hundred thousande Turkes were slaine at mount Stellum in the confines of Bythinia the Turke taken and set in fetters of gold and bound in chaines of gold and so kept all the dayes of his life in a Cage which Tamberlanes caried into euery forreigne warre out of his Countrie and vsed as some write as a blocke to mount on horsebacke This time reigned in Constantinople Andronicus as Blondus affirmeth this great victorie of Tamberlanes fell in the yeere of our Sauiour Christ 1397. at what time Charles the sixt surnamed Beneamatus was king in Fraunce and Vladislaus had taken the Empire of Germanie into his hand In Rome Pope Bonifacius the ninth of that name reigned This Pazaites had two sonnes the elder named Orchanes of some called Calepinus the younger named Mahomet which was also named Moses this by conspiracie and treacherie slue his brother Orchanes within two yeeres after his fathers death and reigned alone recouered and possessed all that Tamberlanes had gotten of his father This Mahomet had spite to the Bulgarians and to the Valaches and began with no lesse good successe to aduaunce the name of the Turkes then his father did hee waxed mightie and after hee had brought all these Prouinces and Regions about to be vassalles of the Turkes and had quieted himselfe after many victories hee made Adrianopolis to be his chiefe Citie where hee all his life kept his Court where after hee had reigned seuenteene yeeres hee dyed at what time Emanuel gouerned as Emperour in Constantinople and Sigismundus king of Hungaria reigned
leade his armie against the Boetians laide siege to Thebes and tooke it after that hearing that Lysimachus king of Thracia was taken prisoner by a barbarous nation hee went with his armie to inuade Thracia he was skant in Thracia but Lysimachus came home and beside hearing that Pyrrhus had forraged all Thessalia and had entred alreadie into the streightes of Thermopiles Demetrius was constreined to leaue both Thracia and also Thebes and to returne against Pyrrhus and for all that Pyrrhus sought Demetrius with his armie to giue him battell and Demetrius sought also Pyrrhus yet they mist both at that time but after Demetrius his lieutenant named Pantarchus a strong man and of great courage gaue to Pyrrhus battell which victorie fell to Pyrrhus the onely king that imitated Alexander the great and to him by all mens report most like in courage and prowesse After this victorie of Pyrrhus hee againe inuaded Macedonia being aduertised that Demetrius was sicke in the which iourney Pyrrhus came as farre as the citie Edissa without resistance yet Pyrrhus was driuen out of Macedonia that time with all his force Demetrius wanting leasure to fight with Pyrrhus hauing many warres in hand beside concluded a peace with Pyrrhus for then Demetrius was troubled diuers wayes Lysimachus king of Thracia inuaded the high countrie of Macedon next vnto Thracia and Ptolomei king of Egypt entred with his armie into Greece and Pyrrhus though there was a peace concluded yet stept in with Lysimachus entised the Macedonians partly through faire meanes and partly through flatterie to forsake Demetrius by this meanes Macedonia was diuided betweene Pyrrhus and Lysimachus and Pyrrhus was proclaimed king in Macedonia after they had chased Demetrius Pyrrhus reigned in Macedonia seuen moneths Againe Lysimachus made warre on Pyrrhus and after many battels Lysimachus gote the victorie and reigned king in Macedonia seuen yeeres Iustine praiseth this Lysimachus to be the rarest man of his time valiant and wise and a great Philosopher of a noble house borne of Macedonia where nowe he is become king It is written that this Lysimachus slue a lyon with his owne hand but I leaue him king of Macedonia and returne to Demetrius who for three yeeres had beene tossed with extreme hard fortune nowe for recouering of his kingdome againe hee had leuied a great armie of one hundred thousand footemen of twelue thousand horsemen and had gotten fiue hundred shippes together part in the hauen of Piraeus part at Corinth part at the Citie Chalcis and part about the Citie Pella His enemies hearing of these newes I meane three kings Seleucus Ptolome and Lysimachus ioyned themselues there together against Demetrius and beside they sent to Pyrrhus that poore Demetrius miserie from princely happinesse so ouerthrowen that his armie forsooke him himselfe yeelded vnto Seleucus his wife named Phila for very griefe poysoned her selfe and so kept as prisoner in Syria by Seleucus where Demetrius turned captiuitie into pleasure vnto his dying day who after hee had reigned sixe yeeres dyed in Cherronesus leauing behinde him by his wife Phila two children Antigonus and Stratonice and other two sonnes both named Demetrius of whom you shall heare more hereafter both Plutarch Iustine and Ruffinus affirme that the posteritie of Demetrius succeeded kings in Macedonia vntill the last king named Perseus this time also died Ptolomei Lagi king of Egypt with great fame and report Nowe Lysimachus reigned this while in Macedonia vsing such tyrannie and practising such crueltie against his owne subiects that they reuoulted from him and fledde to Seleucus then warre grewe betweene them that Lysimacus lost what hee wanne fifteene of his children and his life also by Seleucus this was the last battell fought amongst them that were of Alexanders successours Seleucus not long liued but within seuen moneths after was by Ptolomei surnamed Cheraunos brother to Ptolomeus Philadelphus the seconde king of Egypt after Alexander the great slaine for Lysimachus had maried the sister of this Ptolomei and reigned after his brother in lawe in Macedonia the space of one yeere after this Macedonia was continually plagued vntill their last king of Macedon named Perseus whom the Romanes ouercame by Paulus Aemilius and so brought Macedonia a Prouince vnder Rome Nowe this while Perdica vsed another way to bee king of Macedonia hee made meanes to marrie Cleopatra the sister of Alexander the great and thought so to ouerthrowe Aridaeus but hee was preuented by Antipater and slaine by his owne souldiers some thinkes that the ambition of Perdica was the first cause of all ciuil warres in marying Cleopatra Polybius saith that all these iolly captaines Ptolomie the sonne of Lagi Seleucus Lysimachus Ptolomie Cerannus died in the 124. Olympiad Macedonia had little good successe of their kings as you heard of Cassanders two sonnes Antipater and Alexander who reigned but foure yeeres Demetrius sixe Pyrrhus seuen moneths Lysimachus seuen yeeres and Ptolomei Cerannos one yeere after whom succeeded Meleager two moneths Antipater fourtie fiue daies yet Iustine saith he reigned one whole yeere and Sosthenes two yeeres After these kings the kingdome fell to the house of Demetrius as I saide before to Antigonus the sonne of Demetrius borne of Phila the daughter of Antipater and sister to Cassander This Antigonus was called the second Antigonus for the first Antigonus which was this Demetrius father was supposed and taken to be a base sonne of Philip and a brother of Alexander the great for so he himselfe in his decrees and statutes named himselfe Philips sonne of whose warres against Emmenes when he was king of Asia I spake in the historie of the kings of Asia and Syria The second Antigonus which was Demetrius sōne is much praysed for his iustice gouernment modestie and of such good vertuous disposition that he was surnamed of the Grecians Euergetes Of this second Antigonus issued foorth the second Demetrius which reigned tenne yeeres I will speake of the troubles in Macedonia during the reigne of Ptolomei Cerannius the seuēth king after Alexander of Meleager the eight king of Antipater the ninth and of Sosthenes the tenth king these foure kings reigned not aboue foure yeeres After Lysimachus by this false treacherie of his brother in lawe Ptolomei was deceiued and setled himselfe king in Macedonia hee concluded a peace with Antiochus and entred in friendship with Pyrrhus and by these meanes he was farre frō any feare of forraine enemies he mused howe he might destroy his owne sister Lysimachus wife and his children who of right ought to bee heires to the crowne of Macedonia hee sware that he would marie his sister and make her children by Lysimachus his owne to inherite the kingdome but he was no sooner within the Citie of Cassandria where he should marie Arsinoe the Queene but he commanded that both her sōnes the elder named Lysimachus after his fathers name of sixteene
Rome and in the hundred and fiftie Olympiad at what time reigned king in Egypt Ptolomeus Philometor the sixth king and in Syria reigned Antiochus Epiphanes the eight king and also this time ouer the Parthians reigned Mithridates Arsaces who succeeded his brother Pharnachus this did great exploites of whom you shall reade in the histories of the Parthians written by Iustine in Rome Lucius Manlius and Quintus Fuluius were Consuls This Perseus succeeded Philip his father found the strength of his kingdome so great and so well prouided that hee had in his armorie to arme thirtie thousand he had in his fortes and strong places eight million bushels of corne safely lockt vp and hee had ready as much money as would serue to enterteine tenne thousand strangers in paye for tenne yeeres this also he found ready men leauied a great number which his father had prepared for the second warres of Macedonia Perseus being thus furnished tooke that in hand which was Philips purpose to warre against the Romanes and he mainteined warres a long time and had in the beginning good successe against the Romanes that in the first battell he made hee gaue the ouerthrow to Pu. Lucius the Consul and at that time generall for the Romanes he slue 2500. of his horsemen and tooke sixe hundred prisoners and beside he did suddenly set vpon their armie by sea riding at anker before the citie of Oren he tooke twentie of their great shippes and sunke the rest which were loden all with corne Thus Perseus began very hotly with the Romanes and gaue the ouerthrowe to the first Consul the second battell which Perseus fought was with Hostilius the second Consul and generall of Rome whom he likewise repulsed and when that Hostilius attempted by force to inuade Macedonia Perseus offered him battell in Thessalie and he refused him Perseus seemed so proud of these two victories against the two Consuls of Rome that hee little esteemed the Romanes went and fought a battell in the meane time with the Dardanians where hee slue tenne thousand of these barbarous people and brought a marueilous great spoyle away beside this hee gote the Gaules that dwelt about the riuer of Danubie to ioyne with him and practised with Gentius king of the Illyrians to ioyne also in this warre with him The Romanes being of these newes aduertised they thought good to send a skilfull souldier and a wise captaine as Paulus Aemilius was whom the Romans chose now the second time to be their consul and captaine in this second warre to whom they gaue the whole charge of Macedon Aemilius prepared an armie of an hundreth thousand against Perseus and when he had arriued into Macedon being aduertised how Perseus lay at the foote of mount Olympus with 4000. horsmen and with fourtie thousand footemen beside he had Gentius king of the Illyrians to whom Perseus promised thirtie thousand talents to ayde him against the Romanes Now Scipio sirnamed Nasica the adopted sonne of the great Scipio the Affricane and Fabius Maximus of whom Cicero said Cunctando restituit rem two yong valiant Romanes offered to take the straights offered to do diuers seruices but old Aemilius hauing wonne many victories hee could stay leasure and oportunitie of battel Now Perseus hauing pitched his campe before the citie of Pydne where Aemilius in hast marched and met in battell Polibius writeth this storie and saith so soone as the battel was begun Perseus withdrew himselfe and got into the citie of Pydne out of the battell vnder pretence to doe some sacrifice vnto Hercules but Aemilius with his sworde in hand lay on vpon the enemies The slaughter was so great on Perseus side that Plutarch saith that the riuer of Leucus ranne all bloodie the battell was so fierce on both sides that it continued not aboue two houres the victorie fel to the Romanes with the losse of 25. thousand Macedonians This victorie was heard of in Rome the very day that it was wonne saying that Castor and Pollux brought these newes to Rome In this battel I note one rare historie of Mar. Cato the sonne of great Cato and sonne in law to Aemilius who most valiantly fighting in the midst of the Macedonians by chance his sword fell out of his hande the which he tooke so grieuously that he ranne to the Romane armie where he told them what had befallen vnto him praying some of his friends to helpe him to recouer his sword saying that he thought more honour for him to die there then liuing to suffer his enemies to enioy any spoile of his whereupon a nomber of lustie valiant souldiers rushed in straight amōg their enemies about the place where the sworde fell their force and furie was such that it made a lane through the enemies and as yong raging lions with such force cleared the way in such sort that the sworde was found this happened in the middest of the battell Againe in this battell of Pydne a great feare tooke Aemilius after the victory who being very late in the night broght to his tent with torches and links missing his sonne beholding how his souldiers after this victorie decked themselues with crownes and garlands of laurell became sad and heauie supposing his sonne to be cast away vntil Scipio returned frō following the enemie then Aemilius ioy was doubled but that shortly followed which then missed Now Perseus fled from Pydne to Pella After this victory Aemilius made a progresse into Greece and cōming to Delphos there he saw king Perseus image of golde set vp vpon a great pillar of 4. square Aemilius commanded that image of him being conquered to be taken downe and his owne image being the conqueror to be set vp thence he went to the city of Olympia to visit the temple of Iupiter Olympian after he redeliuered to the Macedonians their countrey and townes againe to liue at libertie paying to the Romans for tribute yerely 100. talents After he went to Epirus hauing put al things at stay in Macedonia that the Macedonians submitted themselues to Aemilius Aemilius sent his lieutenant by sea to take king Perseus who fled to Samothracia where he and his children yeelded vnto Cneus Octauius lieutenant to Aemilius Of this great victorie newes came to Rome from Macedonia in one day some say 4. dayes This king Perseus was a very couetous prince hated of his subiects of no man beloued noted to be such a coward that Aemilius mocked him for it This Perseus lost in 2. houres in the battel of Pydne to the Romans great glory praise the fame renowne which Alexander the great had brought and wonne to Macedonia Of these 2. warres of Macedonia with the Romanes and of their last king conquered reade Liuie and Appianus in that booke entituled Mithridaticus This is that Macedonia which then Alexander had augmented with these many kingdoms Persia Media Armenia Albania
in reuerence This proude king entred into the temple of Salomon after hee had made such a slaughter of yong and olde of women and children that within three dayes 80. thousand were slaine and 40. thousand taken prisoners Menelaus the traitour the high priest a murtherer before of Onias and now a traitour to his countrey brought Antiochus into the citie guided him from place to place that after hee had taken 800. talents away from the temple he gate him away to Antiochia thinking in his pride to make men saile vpon the drie land and to walke vpon the sea The filthinesse and abomination of this beast is set foorth in the Macabees in the second booke the fift and sixt chapters from the beginning vnto the ende This was the second comming of Antiochus to Iudea and to Ierusalem in the eight yeere of his raigne two yeeres after his first being in Ierusalem whose comming and whose doings were by the Prophet Daniel before spoken for he saide that this tyrant should continue 3500. dayes in wasting and spoyling of Iudea in prophaning the temple in killing and murthering of Gods people The nomber of these dayes are sixe yeeres and sixe monethes so long endured this wolfe After this Habuit mercedem God rewarded him for he died in such torments that his bowels were eaten with wormes and himselfe brought in such miserie that he died according as he liued after hee had raigned twelue yeeres During his time the warres continued in Macedonia betweene Perseus the last king and Titus Aemilius the Consull and at length the conquerour of Perseus Prusias king of Bythinia came with his sonne Nicomedes to Rome where he commended his sonne to the Senators About this time Terentius flourished Nowe when Antiochus surnamed Eupator had entred in his fathers seate in the 150. yeere of the Greekes being in Syria and in the beginning of the 26. Iubilee he folowed his fathers steppes came with an armie to Ierusalem and besieged the castle of Sion but while he laied siege his generall Lysias tolde him that his kingdome was inuaded by the enemies Then he concluded peace with Iudea and returned in all haste into Syria brought Menelaus that wicked and cruell high priest with him who after much mischiefes done died at Beroea a towne of Syria Antiochus had not reigned but one yeere but Demetrius Soter fledde from Rome where he had bene a pledge during the whole gouernment of his brother Antiochus Epiphanes which was twelue yeeres and during some yeeres of his graundfather Antiochus the great he came to Syria entred the Citie of Tyrus where his souldiers apprehended both the king and his generall Lysias whom Demetrius commaunded to be killed before hee should see them though Eupator was his sisters sonne This Eupator ended his life after hee had reigned but two yeeres In the meane time Onias the sonne of Onias the high priest which was also slaine by Menelaus who succeeded him this Onias being of the Iewes surnamed the iust lamenting much the miserable estate of Iudea fled into Egypt to king Pto. Philometor and hauing licence of the king he builded a temple in the citie of Heliopolis to the likenesse of the temple in Ierusalem according to the saying of Esai In that day shall the altar of the Lord be in the middest of the land of Egypt and the Lord shal be knowen of the Egyptians and the Egyptians shall knowe the Lord. In that day Assur shall come to Egypt and Egypt into Assur This Demetrius sent Alcimus against Iudas Machabeus who by flatterie entred into Ierusalem and slue three score of the chiefe and greatest men of the citie after gathered a number of wicked persons together who did much harme in Iudea to whome king Demetrius sent Nicanor with an hoste of souldiers to ayde Alcimus This Nicanor blasphemed God prophaned the temple threatned the Iewes and came to Bethoron where Iudas Machabeus gaue him battell and ouerthrewe him This Demetrius was no lesse cruell to the Iewes then either his father or his brother were before him hee played the beare vntill Alexander Epiphanes Antiochus Eupators sonne came to the Citie of Ptolomais Iustine saith that this Alexander was a base man borne named Prompalus and that hee was made by others to take this name vpon him and to say that he was Antiochus sonne Atalus king of Asia Ptolome Philometor king of Egypt and Ariarathes king of Capadocia counselled Prompalus to inuade Demetrius kingdome which was done and a battell giuen in the which Demetrius was slaine after he had reigned tenne yeeres Now after Alexander had the victorie of Demetrius he claimed to be the king of Syria by succession fayning himselfe to be Antiochus Eupators sonne hee maried Cleopatra king Philometors daughter of Egypt the mariage was celebrated in the Citie of Ptolemais This Alexander was not ayded by these kings for any great affection they bare him but for the hatred they had towardes Demetrius who was so ambitious proude and cruell in the beginning of his reigne that these three kings of Egypt of Asia and Arabia had susteined losse and harme before Demetrius was ouerthrowen by Alexander he had two sonnes whom hee sent with great treasures to a friende of his named Gindius to auoide the daunger of the warres the elder of them was named Demetrius after his fathers name who hearing of his fathers death and of the riot and lust of this Alexander a man giuen to al vices and wickednesse came into Syria being aided by the king of Creete and possessed certeine Cities in Syria he appointed his generall one Appolonius who too much trusting his owne force and courage was in the first battell by Ionathas ouerthrowen Ptolome within a short time came with a great armie to see his sonne in lawe in Syria to whom all the cities opened their gates to welcome their king of Egypt they rather thinking that hee came to make peace betweene Demetrius and Alexander but Ptolome imagined howe hee might deceiue them both for a kingdome hee placed his souldiers in diuers Cities of Syria and because Alexander was then in Cicilia hee tooke occasion to offer him warres by taking his daughter away from him whome hee gaue in mariage againe to Demetrius Alexander hearing that his wife was taken from him and maried to Demetrius his mortall enemie summoned his father in lawe to battell wherein he had the ouerthrowe and was forced to flie to Arabia where Alexander was taken and slaine and his head sent by the king of Arabia to Egypt to king Ptolome Thus was Prompalus otherwaies named Alexander throwen downe from the throne of his kingdome deceiued by fortune and reuenged by iustice This reward he had to faine him selfe Antiochus sonne and falsely to alter his name from Prompalus vnto Alexander that Ptolome who ayded him to the kingdome and gaue his daughter in mariage to him the same Ptolome
now the warres were driuen out of Italy into Affrike where Syphax king of Numidia was taken Carthage spoiled and in great want and all Affrike in dispaire he was hereby bent to peace and entreated with Scipio for peace which was offred vpon these conditions that the Affricanss should pay to the Romans 500. thousand poūds But after long talke betwene Scipio and Hanibal no peace was agreed vpon insomuch that Hanibal was constrained to make his last battel this fielde was appointed to be fought where they prepared themselues to battel by the citie of Zama where Scipio had the victory In this battel Masinissa king of Numidia did valiantly this of a yong boy affected much Scipio and he was a sure friend to the Romans al his life Hanibal was welnigh taken in this battel but he escaped and left his tents behinde him where were found 20. thousand pounds of siluer and 800. thousand pounds of gold with infinit other treasures After this victory as Scipio came frō the battel he met with Vermina king Siphax sonne who at that instant brought an armie to ayd the Affricans he likewise was put to flight and followed into Carthage gate When the Carthagineans heard that Scipio was marching towards them they were much dismayed therby and sent to intreat for peace being aduertised that Hanibal was ouerthrowen and put to flight this peace was granted by Scipio vnto Carthage vpon such conditions as pleased best the conquerour Now after that Affrike was conquered no nation then was ashamed to be ouercome by the Romans for Affrike was made a prouince and as it were an open passage to encrease enlarge the empire of Rome When Scipio had broght the Affricanes subiect vnder the Romans before he departed frō Affrica he restored Masinissa to his kingdom againe adding therunto the best part of king Siphax countrey After this Scipio entred into Rome with pompe great triumph of the maner thereof I shal haue better cause to set down in the Romane history Thus was the end of the second Punick war which endured 19. yeres as Eutropius saith others affirme but 17. yeres There is an history extant in Appiā how Hanibal Scipio fought hand to hand in this battel after them how Masinissa and Hanibal fought very egerly with such bloody strokes that both were rescued twise or thrise Read Appian and Polibius of this battel We reade not of such a triumph as Scipio had though many had more shewes in plates treasures captiues prisoners as Silla Marius Pompey Caesar with others yet the cōquest of one Hanibal was such a thing all Affrike being on his side and almost all Italy as did more aduance the triumph of Scipio then all the aforesaid triumphes for during the space of 17. yeres the Romanes had more to do with one Hanibal then they had with all the kings of Asia and Europe at one time The battels of this second warre of Affrica were equall to either Alexander or Xerxes as the battel of Ticinū where Sempronius the Consul was slaine the second at the riuer Trebia where Pub. Aemilius the Consul was slaine the thirde at the lake Thrasimene where Manlius the Consul was slaine and all his armie the fourth at Cannes the fift at Sana and the sixt at Zama where Hanibal was put to flight And yet these two famous captaines had some enemies at home that enuied their glorie and great renowme It was a common saying Hanibal had in Carthage his Hanno and Scipio had in Rome his Fabius but because I shall haue occasion to speake of these two valiant captaines in diuers other places I will briefly passe to the thirde warres of Affrike which happened 52. yeres after these second warres Now what dealings fel in other countreis during the time of these 17. yeeres warres you shall reade that about the beginning of this second warre that Ptolomey Philopater king of Egypt he had warres against the Iewes spoiled Ierusalem prophaned the temple of Salomon and troubled all Iudea This very time the Rhodians waged warres against the Bizantians and the people of Creete had warres with the nations about them called the Gnosians and Litians Polibius in his fourth booke likewise sayeth that Mithridates king of Pontus had warres with the king of Sinopenses About this time the warres of Syria beganne betwene Antiochus the great king of Asia and Ptolomey Philopator king of Egypt for Hanibal fled this time from Affrike to Asia to Antiochus after he was cōquered by Scipio at Zama During these Punicke warres Hiero the king of Sicilia died which ayded the Affricanes against the Romanes in the first warres and his sonne named Hieronimus succeeded him who for his great insolencie and pride was slaine by his owne people This time the Macedonians had a great ouerthrow by the Romanes by the citie Appolonia at what time Nenius Crispus was generall for Rome Likewise Nicanor sirnamed Sicamber had the like ouerthrow by the king of Orchades During this warre Attalus king of Asia Pleuratus king of Thracia and Scerdiletus king of Illyria became in league with the Romans at what time warre was proclaimed by the Romanes against king Philip of Macedonia This time raigned in Parthia Pampatius otherwise by Iustine called Phrahartes the thirde king of Parthia Liuie doeth write that about this time a childe was borne with a Sowes head and other fabulous things in that place as an oxe to speake with mans voice The Samaritans annoyed much Iudea this time The Romanes lost more Senators Consuls noblemen and gentlemen in this second warre of Affrike then they did in conquering of Macedonia Egypt Syria and Asia And yet in ciuil warres betwene Silla and Marius I finde in Eutropius such slaughters of Consuls Praetors Aediles and Senatours as the nomber shal be set downe in the ciuill warres of Rome CHAP. III. Of the thirde and last Affricane warres betweene the Romanes and the Carthagineans which endured foure yeres of the ouerthrow of Carthage and Numantia of the ruine and last conquest of Affrica by the Romanes THe state of Affrike being by their last seconde warre weakened and almost brought to nothing by the Romanes the Affricanes were two and fiftie yeeres in recouering any strength either to defend themselues or to offend others in the meane time the Romanes very ambitious and very impatient to heare of any kingdome to flourish hauing waged warre with the Affricanes 24. yeeres the first time and 17. yeeres the second time and that out of Italy such nations and sundrie kings yea with all Affrica which is described to bee welnigh the thirde part of the world hauing I say conquered all Affrike and Libya the Romanes proclaimed warre against Philippe king of Macedonia there T. Quintus Flaminius had such good successe that peace was concluded vpon such conditions as pleased Flaminius Then had they warres against the Lacedemonians
then though banished by the Romanes saued and rescued Rome at that time But Camillus remoued them put them to flight and pursued them with such a slaughter of them that hee recouered the golde and treasures and ensignes of warres which the French men had gotten and returned to Rome and so entred the Citie with his third triumph and was called the seconde Romulus for that hee recouered his Countrie from the enemies for in the time of his Dictatorshippe hee ouerthrewe the Phalissians Capenats the Veients tooke diuers Cities and wasted their Territories ouer whom he triumphed After this Camillus besieged the Falerians ouerthrew the Latines and the Volscans hee wanne the fielde of the Prenestines and slue the great armie of the Thuscans at Sutrium Camillus gaue diuers repulses to the Gaules and resisted stoutly the furi◅ of Brennus their king for in the time of this Camillus Rome was destroyed and quite burnt and againe built and by him afterwarde as by a seconde Romulus defended for hee was chosen Censor first hee was chosen twise Tribune of the souldiers and hee was fiue times chosen Dictator for then the Romanes had altered their gouernment from Kings to Cōsuls frō Consuls to Dictators frō Dictators to Decemuiri which Decemuiri continued not long and then againe to Consuls for in the first yeere after Rome was taken by the Gaules for in those daies they were not named French men but Gaules which is a more generall name two men were created which were called Tribunes of the souldiers in steade of the two Consuls which were of no lesse authoritie then the Consuls Howe be it the dignitie of the Tribunes endured not long for that office ceased for the people of Rome were so seditious in the time of Camillus that nothing coulde please them neither Kings Counsellers Dictators Praetors Tribunes or any other officer for now the Consuls were caused to be banished as the kings were and in their roumes were placed the tenne men called Decemuiri which continued but two yeres and out the third yeere then were placed magistrates named Tribuni Militum which gouerned 43. yeeres and then againe Consuls were placed in their authorities after Rome had bene without Consuls 45. yeres Thus the people put vp and put downe whom they list insomuch that Sex Ruf. saith that Rome was without any magistrate for foure yeeres for they stoned Posthumus the generall banished Coriolanus Camillus that such a furie reigned in the people that foure seuerall seditions grew in Rome by mutuall discord The first in Sacro Monte where the Romane people came armed in the 71. Olymp. against vsurers where at that time Menenius Agrippa an eloquent Romane appeased the furie and rage of the people with the fable betweene the belly and all members of the body by the which oration hee brought them to quietnes The second discord at Rome was in moūt Auentine 302. yeeres after the building of Rome in the time of Decemuiri whose insolencie and tyrannie were such that they forgote the destruction of their kings the arrogancie of Tarquine in rauishing of Lucretia they committed all offences iniuries full of filthy lustes without respect of lawe or conscience that Virginius seeing his daughter so oppressed by Appius Claudius slue her in the market place with his owne hand to auoide the present infamie and shame that his daughter Virginia was at hand to come vnto The third sedition at Rome on mount Ianiculū vnder Carmilius then being Tribune of the people and generall ouer them in the dāgerous seditions the cause was for the indignitie of mariages betweene the Patritiās the cōmon people which Liui at large setteth downe in his fourth booke The fourth sedition in Rome and the cause thereof was ambition desire ofhonor that the cōmonpeople would haue magistrates created ioyntly with the Patricians here grewe mutinie discord betweene the Patricians and the vulgar people this discorde fell in the seconde age of Rome called Adolescentia Romae About this time florished in Greece Pericles who succeeded Themistocles in his roume and gouerned Athens fourtie yeeres with great fame at what time hotte warres were betweene the Athenians and the Peloponesians During these broyles at Rome Xerxes the great king of Persia was slaine by Artabanus after whose death Artaxerxes surnamed the long handed did sende Esdras to Ierusalem from Babylon to repaire the Citie to builde the Temple and to reforme the common wealth of the Iewes destroyed by the Chaldeans before Cicilia was plagued by the Carthaginians and often oppressed by the common people Nowe reigned in Macedonia Perdicas the eleuenth king this time florished in Greece 1 Heraclitus 2 Empedocles and 3 Parmenides and after 4 them Aristophanes and 5 Hypocrates that famous physicion at what time also the great Philosopher 6 Soorates Platoes master kept his schoole at Athens This time reigned in Sparta Agis king of the Lacedemonians in Macedonia Archelaus their twelfth king About this time the originall of the kings of Fraunce beganne to spring in Germanie who at that time were driuen out of Scythia to the number of foure hundred eightie nine thousande first being called Neumagi secondly called Sicambri and the last time called Franci About this time the whole states of Greece were by the eares and beganne the warres of the Peloponesians which endured twentie seuen yeeres of whome Thucidides wrote a whole volume of eight bookes The Egyptians reuoulted from the Persians and rebelled vntill Darius Ochus time the eight king of Persi◅ Let vs returne to the historie of the Romanes for as soone as Camillus dyed the French men arriued and camped in Italie against whome Quintus Cicinatus being then elected Dictator was sent with an armie against the Frenchmen where Titus Manlius prouoked one of the French army to fight with him hand to hand whō he slue after he had slaine him he pluckt a chaine of gold frō his enemies necke put it about his owne necke for the which he his posteritie were called Torquati for a perpetuall memorie of that fact This was done 30. yeeres after that Camillus had expulsed the Frenchmen The like historie is written of Marcus Valerius who being chalenged by a Frenchman to a combate accepted the challenge and came readie armed vnto the fielde where a crowe lighted vpon his right arme and sate there still vntill his aduersarie came to handie gripes The crow flew and smote the Frenchman vpon the eye with his wings that he could not see to fight by meanes whereof he was slaine whereby hee was sirnamed Coruinus as Torquatus was At what time the Frenchmen were put to flight and againe by Sulpitius the Dictator they were subdued and the Thuscans likewise were the very same time vanquished by Caius Martius who then ledde prisoners with him to Rome in one triumph 7000 captiues By this
time the Romanes force encreased and they preuailed in warlike feats and in chiualrie although yet their wealth and substance were very slender for men raigned then in Rome as had this sentence alwayes in their mouthes Agere magna pati fortia Romanorum est Mutius Scaeuola spake it first before Porsenna king of the Thuscanes so great were the Romanes so ful of valure and so renowmed were their actions that the Dictator of Rome was more feared then any Emperour of the world and a Consul more esteemed then a king as by their victories and triumphes ouer all nations may appeare The discipline of the Romanes was such as their generals lieutenants captaines officers yea the priuate souldier if hee had deserued should haue had his triumph or bee preferred vnto a higher place of seruice Plinie saith the garlands which were made for the Conquerors were some of lawrel some of oken leaues some of Mirtle some of greene grasse and some of golde The citie of Rome was full of statues and images erected as monuments of the Romanes pictures set vp at the barres where the Orators did plead and images in the market place of Dictators and Consuls that to bee a souldier in Rome was more then to be a captaine in Greece and to be a Consul in Rome were more then to be a king in other places so mightie the Romanes waxed by this that they warred nowe a hundreth and three miles distant from Rome and tooke the Samnits in hande against whome Lucius Papirius Cursor then created Dictator went with an armie giuing charge at his departure from Rome to Quintus Fabius Maximus who at that time was appointed an officer attendant vpon the Dictator called Magister equitū that he should not fight with the enemies during his absence Howbeit vpon occasions Fabius with great good lucke fought with the Samnits and vanquished them for which disobedience notwithstāding his good successe Luc. Papirius after his returne gaue sentence of death vpon him but hee was deliuered through the passing great fauour of the people In the second battell the Samnits ouercame the Romanes and caused them to their reproch to creepe vnder the yoke which was made with two speares in the earth and the thirde vpon the toppe of them like a gallowes In the thirde battel Luc. Papirius had the vpper hand ouer the Samnits and caused seuen thousand of the Samnits to creepe vnder the yoke at the battell of Allifas Thus the Samnits were discomfited by the Romanes but neuerthelesse they still renued their battell vntill Fabius Maximus came to ayde his sonne Quintus who was vanquished by the Samnits and three thousand of his souldiers slaine for of all nations that the Romanes had to doe withall the Samnits diminished most the force of the Romanes as in the bloodie battels at Tifernum Longula and at Lantula where Quintus Aulius generall of the Romanes was slaine Likewise in the battels at Satricula and Suessula the last ouerthrow of the Samnits reade Liui of the Samnits warres who continued their warres with the Romanes 49. yeeres but in an exceeding great battell they were slaine and ouerthrowen by Pub. Cornelius Ruffinus and Marcus Curius Dentatus then Consuls at Rome CHAP. IIII. Of the warres and victories of the Romans ouer king Pyrrhus called the Tarentine warres vntill the Carthaginean warres of their victories and triumphes had ouer Italy with diuers other forreine nations and kingdomes WHen the Romans had thus cōquered the Samnits they proclaimed open warres against the Tarentines which inhabited the furthest part of Italy for they had iniured the Romanes ambassadours who sent for Pyrrhus king of Epire to assist them Pyrrhus foorthwith came for he euer enuied the glorie of the Romanes and wished to haue some dealings with them for he was accompted the second souldier of the world next to Alexander the great for he was like to Alexander in all points This king discended of the line of Achilles and was named Pyrrhus as the name of Achilles sonne hee was glad to haue occasion offered him to warre against the Romanes he gathered souldiers and his forces together hee associated with the Samnits the Lucanes and the Brutaines and ioyned his armie with the Tarentines and marched forwarde to giue battell to Publius Valerius Leuinius the Consul to whome Pyrrhus gaue the ouerthrowe for Pyrrhus was then an olde souldier and had practised armes against Lysimachus king of Thracia and against Demetrius king of Macedonia Then the Consuls lost of Romane souldiers to the nomber of fifteene thousande and Pyrrhus got not that victorie without blood for he had slaine of his souldiers by the Romanes seuen thousand and Eutropius sayeth that Pyrrhus had fled and lost the fielde had not his elephants bene by whose meanes onely he ouerthrewe the Romanes Pyrrhus to shewe his greatnesse to the Romanes sent the prisoners which hee tooke without raunsome but the maiestie of the Senate requited Pyrrhus in letting so many prisoners of the Samnits and Tarentines free to Pyrrhus After this the second battel betwixt the Tarentines and the Romanes was at the citie of Ascalum where likewise Pyrrhus had the victorie ouer the Romanes This time the Carthagineans offered ayde to the Romanes and sent their ambassadors with a crowne made all of golde in token of their good will this gift should be put in the Capitol in the seate of Iupiter The Romans were somewhat heated by Pyrrhus and hauing lost two victories they prepared for the thirde battel whose charge was giuen to M. Curius Dentatus then Consul who exspecting ayde to come from Lucania vntill king Pyrrhus a hot rash captaine did set vpon them but to his great losse and to one of his last ouerthrowes in Italy I find in Eutropius that Pyrrhus lost twentie thousande of his souldiers his elephants and himselfe sore wounded Pyrrhus hauing this repulse sent one Cineas an ambassador to the Romanes an excellent eloquent Orator and one of Demosthenes chiefe scholers hee thought to entreate for peace vpon indifferent conditions but no condition pleased the Romanes vnlesse Pyrrhus would depart out of Italy This answere being returned from the Senate Pyrrhus demaunded of Cineas what maner of place Rome was Cineas answered that Rome was a citie of kings saying further that euery one in Rome was such as Pyrrhus was in Epire. Then said Pyrrhus were I king of Rome or had I Romane souldiers I should soone conquer all Asia and Europe Then Fabritius a noble Romane was sent against king Pyrrhus this Fabritius was so honoured at Rome and so esteemed abroade and yet a poore man that Pyrrhus offered him gold and siluer yea the fourth part of his kingdome if hee would forsake Rome This was that Fabritius that refused Pyrrhus gifts and also opened the treason and conspiracie of his Phisition who offred for money to bring Pyrrhus into
After this triumphs Scipio was sent to Spaine to the Numantines who had a little before discomfited Q. Pompeius the Consul ouer whom he had his second triumph but shortly by Scipio the citie of Numantia was subdued hee had triumphed ouer Affrike About this time Attalus king Eumenes his father some say his brother died and made the people of Rome his heire and so by testament Asia was annexed to the Romane Empire notwithstanding warre ensued in Asia by Aristonicus a base sōne of Eumenes in that warre Pub. Lucius Crassus was slaine his head cut off and brought to Aristonicus and his body buried at Smirna It is written of this Crassus that he might brag of 5 principal great gifts To be most noble The most wealthiest The most eloquent To be the most learned ciuillian And to be the most high Bishop About this time Carthage in Affrike was reedified by the cōmandemēt of the Senat after that it was subdued by Scipio 22. yeres and as writeth Polib diuers Citizens of Rome went to dwel in Carthage Not long after this Scipio was found dead in his house not without great suspiciō of Caius Graccus now warre was by the Romanes cōmenced against the Thraciās at what time triumphed in Rome the two brethrē Metelli in one day the one ouer Thracia the other ouer Sardinia the wars of Iugurth immediatly after this ensued of whō Salust maketh menciō This was the sōne of Micipsa king of Numidia who hauing two other brethrē beside himselfe named Adherbalis and Hiemsalis these Iugurth slue and vsurped the kingdome for this fact the Romanes sent Lucius Calphurnius then Consul against Iugurth but hee did no good for hee was corrupted with money After Spurius Albinus Posthumus was sent by the Senators who fought with Iugurth but with great dishonour The thirde time Quintus Cecilius Metellus was sent who vanquished Iugurth and subdued Numidia at last tooke him and brought him prisoner to Rome Of this Iugurth you shall reade more in the Affricane historie and I will lay downe the names of the Romane Consuls captaines and generals that triumphed from the ende of the second Affricane warre which was from Scipio Affricanus the elder vntill the time of Scipio Affricanus the yonger which was 56. yeeres 1 Ti. Quin. Flaminius 2 Lu. Flamin his brother 3 Lu. Cornelius Scipio surnamed Affricanus 4 Lu. Valerius Flaccus 5 M. Portius Cato 6 Lucius Manlius 7 Scipio Nasica 8 Ti. Sempronius Longus 9 Spu. Posthu Albinus 10 Quintus Martius 11 M. Aemilius Lepidus 12 M. Sempro. Tuditanus 13 Lucius Anitius 14 Au. Manl. Torquatus 15 C. Lu. Crassus 16 Quintus Opimus 17 Sci. Affrica the yonger 18 Q. Cecilius Metellus 29 C. Cecilius Metellus 20 Lu. Cornelius Cnima 21 M. Liuius Drusus 22 C. Papirius Carbo 23 Lu. Celius Metellus 24 Cneus Octauius These with many other noble Romanes florished in those dayes for nowe the Romanes after all their wars in Affrika brought all kingdoms vnder the Empire of Rome for frō that time forward the glory of Rome did excel sauing for some ciuill wars that grew beeene Marius Silla after beweene Pompey Caesar els Rome was in her greatnes for in the 646. yeere after the building of Rome Caius Marius a man of great seruice amongst the Romanes in consideration that he had bene seuen times Consul in Rome was the onely cause of the first ciuil warre in Rome vpō indignation taken that Silla was preferred in the wars then against Mithridates king of Pontus who had already done good seruice in Asia Achaia though Mithridates had perswaded the Atheniās to resist Silla for at that time Mithridates held a great part of Asia in his hand and of Thracia so that many thought that Mithridates should in time conquer the Romane Empire for he was eager and cruell against those that loued the Romanes But Silla in spite of Mithridates his philosopher Athenius his successor Aristo the tyrant besieged Athens and wanne it where he killed a number of the Citizens many before were famished for a measure of wheate called Medinus was sold in Athens then for a thousand Drachmes which doe mount to a hundred crownes which before in time of peace was sold for fiue Drachmes After he had taken Athens he marched to Beotia and ouerthrewe Archilaus Mithridates generall slue a hundred thousand of his men and from thence to Thebes and did much harme both to the Citie and Citizens Marius disdaining the good successe of Silla made meanes to the Senate to haue that warre into his hand which Silla had against Mithridates This was graunted to Marius whereupon Silla in a great furie with all his armie returned backe to Rome entred the Citie killed Sulpitius slue many and draue Marius to flight and secretly went to Apheca Silla and Marius beganne nowe both to neglect the warres abroade against Mithridates and like two furious enemies of Italie spoyled their countrie and gaue libertie to the enemie to vanquish and subdue in this time Armenia the lesse and all the sea coastes called Ponticum and Bosphorus Silla by consent of the Senate tooke his iourney against Mithridates recouered Greece as you heard and other prouinces But to be short Silla ouercame Marius after many hotte broiles in Italie concluded peace with Mithridates returned to Rome at what time Lu. Scipio and Norbanus were Consuls in Rome These both thought to resist Sillas comming to Rome but Lu. Scipio with all his armie went and yeelded to Silla and the other Consul fled to Rhodes where for feare to come to Sillas hand hee slue himselfe That yeere Silla was made Dictator in Rome sixe hundred seuentie three yeeres after the building of Rome at what time he tyrannized against the Citizens of Rome so that Silla after much good seruice first done to his countrie afterwarde fell to such slaughter and tyrannie that he had beene better vnborne then borne And so of Marius may be spoken who plaied the like part before Silla and were both called faces faeces Italiae for their bloodshed in their coūtrie for Marius before Sillas slaughter and murthering of the Citizens of Rome hee killed Cneus Sulpitius and others so Sulpitius and others slue in Rome Cneus Octauius and many of the best of Rome aswell Noble men Senators Consuls as others This ciuil warre in Rome as Eutropius and Melancthon affirme endured tenne yeeres in the which were slaine aboue fiue hundred thousand souldiers twentie foure Consuls seuen Pretors fourtie Tribunes and as they write three hundred Senators beside Reade Melancthon of this warre Now after that Silla had these tenne yeres fomed in blood and had subdued both Marius and his sonne the yonger Marius hee triumphed ouer Mithridates with great glory In the latter yeeres of Silla young Pompey afterwarde surnamed the great for his prowesse courage was much honored of Silla