very well armed wearing a lawrell garland and Sylla after he had saluted him and his souldiers made an oration vnto them exhorting them to do their duty in fighting And as he was in his oration there came two citizens of CHAERONEA to him one his name was Omoloichus and the other Anaxidemus who promised him to driue the enemies from mount Thurium which they had taken if he would but geue theÌ„ some small number of souldiers For there was a litle path way which the barbarous peoples mistrusted not beginning at a place called Petrochus hard by the temple of the Muses by the which they might easily go to the toppe of this mountaine Thuriumâ— so that following that pathe it would bring them ouer the barbarous people heads and they might easily kill them with stones or at the least they should driue them mawgre their heads downe into the valley Gabinius assuring Sylla that they were both very valliant men and such as he might boldly trust vnto Sylla gaue them men and commaunded them to execute their enterprise and he him selfe in the meane season went and set his men in order of battell in the plaine deuiding his horsemen on the winges placed him selfe in the right wing appointinge the left vnto Muraena Galba Hortensius his Lieutenauntes were placed in the tayle with certaine bandes of the reregard which they kept vpon the hils to watch and let that the enemies should not inclose them behinde bicause they perceiued a farre of that the enemies put forth a great number of horsemen and footemen light armed in the wings to th end that the poyms of their battell might the more easily bowe and enlarge them selues to compasse in the ROMAINES on the backe side Now in the meane time these two CHAERONEIANS whome Sylla had sent vnder Hircius their Captaine hauing compassed about the mountaine Thurium before the enemies were aware of them sodainly came to shew them selues vppon the toppe of the mountaine which did so feare the barbarous people that they began immediatly to â—iâ— one of them for the most parte killing an other There was no resistaunce but flying downe the mountaine fell apon the pointes of their owne partisans and pykes and one of them thrusting in an others necke tombled hedlong downe the mountaine together hauing their enemies besides on their backes which draue them from the hill and strake them behinde where they lay open vnto them so as they were slaine a three thowsande of them about this mountaine Thurium And as for them that sought to saue them selues by flight Muraena that was already set in battell ray met with some cut them of by the way and slue them downe right The other fled directly to their campe and came in great companies thrusting into the battell of their footemen put the most parte of them quite out of order maruelously troubled their Captaines before they could set them againe in order which was one of the chiefest causes of their ouerthrowe For Sylla went and gaue a charge vppon them in this trouble and disorder and had quickely wonne the ground that was betwene both armies wherby he tooke away the force of all their armed cartes with sythes which are then of greatest force when they haue the longest course to geue them a swift and violent stroke in their chase whereas when their course is but short the blow is so much the weaker and of lesse strength euen as arrowes are that a farre of enter not deepe into the thing they be shot at as at that time it fell out with the barbarous people For their first cartes set foorth so faintly and came on with so feeble a force that the ROMAINES sent them backe easily repulsed them with great slaughter and clapping of handes one to an other as they commonly vse in the ordinarie games of horse running at ROME When they had thus repulsed the cartes the battell of Syllaes footemen beganne to charge the barbarous people who basing their pykes stoode close one to an other bicause they would not be taken the ROMAINES on thother side bestowed first their dartes among them and then sodainly drewe out their swordes in the heate they were in and put a side the enemies pykes whereby they might come neerer to their bodies There were fifteene thowsand slaues in the fronte of the battell of the barbarous people whom Mithridates Lieutenaunt had made free by open proclamation and had deuided them by bandes amongest the other footemen By occasion whereof there was a ROMAINE Centurion spake pleasauntly at that time saying that he neuer saw slaues before haue liberty to speake and do like free men but only at Saturnes feastes Neuerthelesse they against the nature of slaues were very valliant to abide the shocke and the ROMAINE footemen could not so readily breake not enter into them nor make them geue backe bicause they stoode very close one to an other and their ranckes were of such a length besides vntill such time as the ROMAINES that were behinde the first ranckes did so pelt them with their slinges hurling stones bestowing their dartes arrowes apon them that in th end they compelled them all to turne their backes and â—ie a maine And when Archelaus did first thrust out the right wing of his army supposing to inclose the ROMAINES behinde Hortensius straight wayes caused the bands he had with him to run charge vpon the flanckes Which Archelaus perceiuing made the horsemen he had about him turne their faces forthwith which were in nuÌ„ber aboue two thowsand insomuch as Hortensius being set apon with all his trowpe was compelled to retyre by litle and litle towardes the mountaine perceiuing him selfe farre from the battell of his footemen and enuironned round about with his enemies Sylla seeing that being in the right wing of his battell and hauing not yet fought went straight to the rescue of Hortensius But Archelaus coniecturing by the dust which the horses raised what the matter was left Hortensius there and with speede returned againe towardes the right wing of his enemies from whence Sylla was gone hoping he had left it vnfurnished of a sufficient Captaine to coÌ„maund them Taxilles on thother side caused his copper targets also to march against Muraena so as the noyse they made on both sides caused the mountaines to ring againe wherewithall Sylla stayed standing in dout which way to take At the last he resolued to returne to the place froÌ„ whence he came sent Hortensius with foure ensignes to aide Muraena and him selfe with the fift in great speede went towardes the right wing of his army the which was now already bickering and ioyned with their enemies fighting hand to hand with Archelaus By reason whereof when Sylla as comen with his aide they did easily distresse them and after they had broken their array they chased them flying for life to the riuer vnto the mountaine Acontium But Sylla notwithstanding forgate
plainely discerne all the ROMAINES campe and sawe howe they dyd range their men in order of battell Nowe one Giscon a man of like state and nobilitie as him selfe being with him at that time tolde him that the enemies seemed a farre of to be a maruelous number But Hannibal rubbing his forehead aunswered him Yea sayed he but there is another thing more to be wondered at then you thinke of Giscon Giscon straight asked him What mary sayeth he this that of all the great number of souldiers you see yonder there is not a man of them called Giscon as you are This mery aunswer deliuered contrarie to their expectation that were with him looking for some great waightie matter made them all laughe a good So downe the hill they came laughing alowde and tolde this prety leaste to all they met as they rode which straight from one to another ranne ouer all the campe in so much as Hannibal him selfe could not holde from laughing The CARTHAGINIAN souldiers perceyuing this beganne to be of a good corage imagining that their generall would not be so merylie disposed as to fall a laughing being so neere daunger if he had not perceyued him selfe a great deale to be the stronger and that he had good cause also to make no reckoning of his enemies Furthermore he shewed two policies of a skilfull captaine in the battell The first was the situation of the place where he put his men in order of battell so as they had the winde on their backes which raging like a burning lightning raised a sharpe dust out of the open sandy valley and passing ouer the CARTHAGINIANS squadron blewe full in the ROMAINES faces with such a violence that they were compelled to turne their faces to trouble their owne rankes The seconde policie was the forme and order of his battell For he placed on either side of his winges the best and valliantest souldiers he had in all his armie and dyd fill vp the middest of his battell with the worste of his men which he made like a pointe and was farder out by a great deale then the two winges of the fronte of his battell So he commaunded those of the winges that when the ROMAINES had broken his first fronte and followed those that gaue backe whereby the middest of his battell should leaue an hollowe place and the enemies should come in still increasing within the compasse of the two winges that then they should set vpon them on both sides and charge their flanks immediatly and so inclose them in behind And this was cause of a greater slaughter For when the midle battell beganne to geue backe and to receyue the ROMAINES within it who pursued the other very whotly Hannibals battell chaunged her forme where at the beginning it was like a pointe it became nowe in the middest like a cressant or halfe moone Then the captaines of the chosen bandes that laye out in both the winges made their men to turne some on the left hand and some on the right and charged the ROMAINES on the flankes and behinde where they were all naked so they killed all those that could not saue them selues by flying before they were enuironned They saye also that there fell out another mischief by misfortune vnto the horsemen of the ROMAINES and by this occasion The horse of Paulus AEmilius the Consul being hurte dyd throwe his master on the grounde whereupon those that were next him dyd light from their horse backs to helpe him The residue of the horsemen that were a great waye behinde him seeing them light thought they had bene all commaunded to light hereupon euery man forsooke their horse and fought it out a foote Hannibal when he sawe that sayed yea marie I had rather haue them so then deliuered me bounde hande and foote But for those matters the historiographers doe dilate more at large Furthermore of the two Cōsuls Varro saued him selfe by his horse with a fewe following him within the cittie of VENVSA Paulus being in the middest of the throng of all the armie his bodie full of arrowes that stucke fast in his woundes and his harte sore loden with grieuous sorowe and anguishe to see the ouerthrowe of his men was set downe by a rocke looking for some of his enemies to come and ryd him out of his payne But fewe could knowe him his head and face was of such a gore bloude insomuch as his friends and seruants also passed by him and knewe him not And there was but one young gentleman of a noble house of the Patricians called Cornelius Lentulus that knewe him who dyd his best endeuour to saue him For he lighted a foote presently brought him his horse praying him to get vp vpon him to proue if he could saue him selfe for the necessitie of his countrie which nowe more then euer had neede of a good and wise captaine But he refused the gentlemans offer and his intreatie and compelled him to take his horse backe againe though the teares ranne downe his chekes for pittie and raising him selfe vp to take him by the hande he sayed vnto him I pray you tell Fabius Maximus from me and witnesse with me that Paulus AEmilius euen to his last hower hath followed his counsaill and dyd neuer swarue from the promise he made him but that first he was forced to it by Varro and afterwardes by Hannibal When he had deliuered these wordes he bad Lentulus farewell and ronning againe into the furie of the slaughter there he dyed among his slaine companions It is thought there were slaine at this battell fiftie thousand ROMAINES foure thousand taken prisoners and other tenne thousand that were taken prisoners in two campes after the battell When this noble victorie was gotten Hannibals friendes gaue him counsaill to followe his good fortune and to enter ROME after the scattered number that fled thither so as within fewe dayes following he might suppe in their capitoll A man cannot easely gesse what was the cause that stayed him that he went not vnles it was as I thinke some good fortune or fauorable God toward the ROMAINES that withstoode him and made him afeard and glad to retire Whereupon they saye that one Barca a CARTHAGINIAN in his anger sayed to Hannibal Syr you haue the waye to ouercome but you cannot vse victorie Notwithstanding this victorie made a maruelous chaunge for him For hereupon all ITALY in manner came in to submit them selues to him where before he had no towne at cōmaundemēt nor any storehouse or porte through all ITALIE yea he did maruelous hardly with much a doe vittell his armie with that he could daylie robbe spoyle hauing no certē place to retire vnto nor groūded hope to entertain these warres but kept the field with his armie remouing from place to place as they had bene a great number of murderers theeues together For the most parte of the coūtrie dyd yeld immediatly vnto
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
and to goe to the fielde with Timoleon Now the straungers that tooke pay were not aboue foure thowsand in all of them a thowsand of their hartes fayled and left him in midd way and returned home againe Saying that Timoleon was out of his wittes and more rashe then his yeares required to vndertake with fiue thowsand footemen a thowsand horse to goe against threescore and tenne thowsand men and besides to cary that small force he had to defend him selfe withal eight great dayes iorney from SYRACVSA So that if it chaunced they were compelled to flye they had no place whether they might retyre them selues vnto with safetie nor man that woulde take care to buryâ— them when they were slayne Neuertheles Timoleon was glad he had that proofe of them before he came to battell Moreouer hauing incoraged those that remayned with him he made them marche with speede towards the riuer of CRIMESVS where he vnderstoode he should meete with the CARTHAGINIANS So getting vp vpoÌ„ a litle hil from whence he might se the campe of the enemies on the other side by chaunce certen moyles fell apon his armie loden with smallage The souldiers tooke a conceyt at the first apon sight of it and thought it was a token of ill lucke bicause it is a maner we vse to hange garlands of this erbe about the tombes of the dead Hereof came the common prouerbe they vse to speake when one lyeth a passing in his bed he lacketh but smallage Asmuch to say he is but a dead man But Timoleon to draw them from this foolish superstition discorage they tooke stayed the armie And when he had vsed certen perswasions vnto them according to the time his leysure and occasion he told them that the garland of it selfe came to offer them victorie before hand For sayd he the CORINTHIANS doe crowne them that winne the ISTMIAN games which are celebrated in their contrye with garlands of smallage And at that time also euen in the solemne ISTMIAN games they vsed the garland of smallage for reward and token of victorie and at this present it is also vsed in the games of NEMEA And it is but lately taken vp that they haue vsed braunches of pyne apple trees in the ISTMIAN games Now Timoleon had thus incoraged his men as you haue heard before he first of all tooke of this smallage and made him selfe a garland put it on his head When they sawe that the Captaines and all the souldiers also tooke of the same and made them selues the like The soothsayers in like maner at the very same time perceyued two eagles flying towards them the one of them holding a snake in her talents which she pearced through and through and the other as she flewe gaue a terrible cry So they shewed them both vnto the souldiers who did then all together with one voyce call vpon the gods for helpe Now this fortuned about the beginning of the sommer and towards the later ende of Maye the sunne drawing towards the solstyce of the sommer when there rose a great myst out of the riuer that couered all the feilds ouer so as they could not see the enemies campe but onely heard a maruelous confused noyse of mens voyces as it had come from a great armie and rising vp to the toppe of the hil they layed their targets downe on the grownd to take a litle breathe and the sunne hauing drawen and sucked vp all the moyst vapours of the myste vnto the toppe of the hills the ayer began to be so thicke that the toppes of the mountaynes were all couered ouer with clowdes and contrarily the valley vnderneath was all cleare and sayer that they might easily see the riuer of CRIMESVS and the enemies also how they passed it ouer in this sort First they had put their cartes of warre foremost which were very hotly armed and well appoynted Next vnto them there followed tenne thowsand footemen armed with white targets vpon their armes whom they seeing a farre of so well appoynted they coniectured by their stately marche and good order that they were the CARTHAGINIANS them selues After them diuers other nations followed confusedly one with an other and so they thronged ouer with great disorder There Timoleon considering the riuer gaue him oportunity to take them before they were halfe past ouer and to set vpon what number he would after he had shewed his men with his finger how the battel of their enemies was deuided in two partes by meanes of the riuer some of them being already passed ouer the other to passe He commaunded Demaratus with his horsemen to geue a charge on the voward to keepe them from putting them selues in order of battell And him selfe comming downe the hill also with all his footemen into the valley he gaue to the SICILIANS the two winges of his battell mingling with them some straungers that serued vnder him and placed with him selfe in the middest The SYRACVSANS with all the choyce best liked straungers So he taried not long to ioyne when he saw the small good his horsemen did For he perceyued they could not come to geue a lusty charge apon the battell of the CARTHAGINIANS bicause they were paled in with these armed cartes that ranne here and there before them whereupon they were compelled to wheele about continually onles they would haue put them selues in daunger to haue bene vtterly ouerthrowen and in their returnes to geue venture of charge by turnes on their enemies Wherefore Timoleon taking his target on his arme cried out alowde to his footemen to follow him coragiously to feare nothing Those that heard his voyce thought it more then the voyce of a man whether the furie of his desire to fight did so strayne it beyonde ordinary course or that some god as many thought it then did stretch his voyce to cry out so lowde sensibly His souldiers aunswered him againe with the like voyce prayed him to leade them without lenger delay Then he made his horsemen vnderstand that they should draw on the toneside from the cartes and that they should charge the CARTHAGINIANS on the flanckes and after he did set the formost rancke of his battell target to target against the enemies commaunding the trumpets withall to sownd Thus with great furie he went to gene a charge apon them who valiantly receyued the first charge their bodies being armed with good 〈…〉 corselers and their heades with fayer murrions of copper besides the great targetts they had also which did easily reâ—eyue the force of their dartes and the thrust of the pyke But when they came to handle their swordes where agilitie was more requisite then force a fearfull tempest of thunder flashing lightning withall came from the mountaynes After that came darke thicke clowdes also gathered together from the toppe of the hilles and fell vppon the valley where the battel was fought with
one onely mightie eternal God father of gods men And to beleue that either goddes or demy goddes doo delite in murder or sheading of mans blood it is a meere mockery and folly But admit it were so they were no more to be regarded therein then those that haue no power at all for it is a manifest token of a wicked spirite when they haue suche damnable and horrible desires in them and specially if they abide styll with them Now the generalles and heads of the armie of the THEBANS being of sondry opinions Pelopidas being more afraid then before by reason of their disagreement a young mare colte or fyllie breaking by chaunce from other mares ronning and flynging through the campe came to staye right against them Then euery man beganne to looke apon her and to marke what a faire fyllie it was and red colored euery where and what a pride she tooke with her selfe to heare her owne neying Theocritus then the soothesayer being amongest them did beholde her and knew straight what the fyllie ment and so cried out foorthwith O happie Pelopidas loe here is the sacrifice thou lookest for seeke no other virgine for thy sacrifice but take this that God him selfe doth send thee When Theocritus had saide so they tooke the fyllie and laide her apon the tombe of Scedasus dawghters and put garlandes of flowers about her as they handled other sacrifices and then after their praiers made to the gods they did sacrifice her with great ioye and told Pelopidas vision in his dreame the night before through all the campe and the sacrifice they had made also according to the signification thereof Moreouer when they came to ioyne battell Epaminondas being generall drew all his army on the left hande bicause he woulde bring the right winge of the enemies army where they had placed the naturall SPARTANS further from the other GREECIANS their frendes and allyes that were set in the other wing of their battell that he comming with his whole power together to geue a charge vppon Cleombrotus their king being in a corner by him selfe might be distressed or ouerthrowen The enemies fynding Pelopidas intent beganne to chaunge their order and hauing men â—nowe ment to thruste out their ryght winge at length to compasse in Epaminondas But Pelopidas in the meane time sodainely preuented them and ronning with great furie with his squadron of three hundred men he set apon Cleombrotus before he coulde disorder his men to put furth the right winge and ioyne them together againe And so he founde the LACEDAEMONIANS not yet setled in their rankes and brake them in this disorder thrusting one in anothers place to put them selues againe in order notwithstanding the LACEDAEMONIANS of all other men were the only captaines and most expert souldiers in marshall discipline as men so trained and practised that no sodaine altering of forme or order in their rankes coulde either trouble or disorder them For they were men so trained that they could turne head or side vpon any sodaine occasion offered and coulde fight and order them selues in battell euery way alike So Epaminondas going to geue thonset apon them alone with the whole force of his battaile togeather not tarrying for others and Pelopidas also with an incredible corage and readines presenting him selfe in battell before them did put them into such a terrible feare that they cleane forgotte their skill in fightinge and their wonted courage sayled them For they cowardly turned their backes and their were moe LACEDAEMONIANS slaine that day then euer were before in any former battell Pelopidas therefore being neither gouernor of BOEOTIA nor general of all the army but onely captaine of the holy band did notwithstanding winne as muche honor and glorie of this victorie as Epaminondas that was gouernor of BOEOTIA and generall of all the armie In dede afterwardes they were both gouernors of BOEOTIA together when they inuaded the contrey of PELOPONNESVS where they made most parte of the cities people rebell against the LACEDAEMONIANS and take their parte As the ELIANS the ARGIVES and all ARCADIA and the best parte of LACONIA selfe notwithstandinge it was in the hart of winter and in the shortest dayes of the yeare and towardes the latter ende also of the last moneth of their yeares authority and rule hauing not many dayes to coÌ„tinew in office being forced to leaue their authority apon paine of death if they did refuse vnto other officers new chosen the beginning of the next moneth following Whereupon their other companions gouernors also of the contrie of BOEOTIA what for feare to incurre the daunger of the lawe as also to auoyde the trouble to lye in campe in the sharpest of winter they did vrge and perswade them to bring the armie backe againe into their contrie But Pelopidas was the first that yeelded to Epaminondas opinion and wanne the other THEBANS also to consent vnto it to be contented to be led by them to geue assault to the city selfe of SPARTA So through their perswasion they passed ouer the riuer of EVROTAS and tooke many litle townes of the LACEDAEMONIANS wasted destroyed all the contrie to the sea side leading vnder their ensignes an armie of threescore and ten thowsande fightinge men and all GREECIANS the THEBANS not making vp the twelut parte of them Now the honor and great reputacion of these two persones Epaminondas and Pelopidas brought their frendes and confederates that they followed them without any resolution of counsell or publike order and neuer opened their mouthes against them but willingly marched vnder their conduction And in my opinion truely me thinkes it is the first and chiefest point in the lawe of nature that he that is weake not able to defend himselfe should leane to one that is strong and able to defende bothe Euen much like to freshe water souldiers and rawe sea men that lying at sea in calme weather in safe harber are as lusty bragge with the masters bote-swaines as may be and let a litle storme of weather come apon them sodainely and that they be in any daunger then they looke on the masters hoping for no life but at their handes And euen in like maner the ELIANS and ARGIVES who though in all assemblies of counsel they woulde euer iarre and striue with the THEBANS for honor and superioritie in the armie yet when any battell came to be fought wherin they saw there was daunger then their pecockes brauerie was gone and they were glad to obey their generalles commaundement In this iourney they brought all the cities of the prouince of ARCADIA to be in league with them and tooke all the contrie of MESSENIA from the LACEDAEMONIANS which they peaceably enioyed and called home againe all the auncient inhabitantes of the same and restored them to their contrie and replenished the citie of ITHOME Then returninge afterwardes into their contrie by the citie
of the kinge truely they had reason it was worthily done of thē For he tooke not only gold siluer enough as much as they would giue him but receaued a very rich bed also PERSIAN chamberlains to make and dresse it vp as if no GREECIAN seruauntes of his could haue serued that turne Moreouer he receaued foure score milche kine to the paile neateheards to keepe them hauing neede of cowes milke belike to heale a disease that fell vpon him and woulde needes be caried in a litter apon mens armes from the kings court vnto the MEDITERRANIAN sea the king rewarding them for their paines that caried him with foure Talents Yet it seemeth the gifts he tooke did not offende the ATHENIANS so much considering that Epicrates a drudge or tanckerd bearer did not onely confesse before the people howe he had taken giftes of the king of PERSIA but sayd furthermore that he would haue a law made that as they did yerely choose nine officers to rule the whole city so that they would choose nine of the poorest and meanest citizens and sende them Ambassadors vnto the king of PERSIA that they might returne home rich men with his giftes The people laughed to heare him but yet were they very angry the THEBANS had obtained all that they demaunded not considering that Pelopidas estimacion and worthinesse did more preuaile and take better effect then all the orations the other could make and specially to a Prince that sought alwaies to enterteine those GRAECIANS which were of greatest force and power in the warres This Ambassade did greatly increase euery mans loue and good will vnto Pelopidas bicause of the replenishinge againe of MESSINA with inhabitants the infranchesing setting at liberty of all the other GREECIANS But the tyran Alexander of PHERES returning againe to his old accustomed cruelty and hauing destroied many cities of THESSALIE placed his garrisons through al the contry of the PHTHIOTES ACHAIANS and MAGNESIANS the cities being aduertised of Pelopidas returne againe to THEBES they sent Ambassadors immediatly to THEBES to pray thē to sende thē an army namely Pelopidas for Captaine to deliuer thē frō the miserable bondage of the tyran The THEBANS willingly graunted them put all things in readines very sodainely But Pelopidas being ready to set forward in his iorney there fel a sodain eclipse of the sunne so as at none daies it was very darke in THEBES Pelopidas seing euery man afraid of this eclipse aboue he would not compell the people to depart with this feare nor with so ill hope to hazard the losse of seuen thowsande THEBANS being all billed to go this iorney but notwithstanding he put him selfe alone into the THESSALIANS handes with three hundred horsemen of straungers that were glad to serue with him with whom he tooke his iorney against the soothsayers mindes and against the good will of all his citizens who thought this eclipse did threaten the death of some great persone like him selfe But Pelopidas though he needed no spurre to be reuenged apon the tyran Alexander being by nature hotte and desirous of him selfe to reuenge the spite and villany he had offred him yet he had a further hope to finde the tyrans house deuided against himselfe by the former talke he had with his wife Thebe in time of his imprisonment there Neuertheles the fame and reputacion of the iorney vndertaken did wonderfully increase his noble corage and the rather bicause he was desirous all he coulde the GREECIANS should see that at the very same time when the LACEDAEMONIANS did sende gouernors captaines to Dionysius the tyran of SICILE to serue aide him that the ATHENIANS as hyerlings tooke pay of the tyran Alexander of PHERES in whose honor they had set vp a statue of brasse in their city as vnto their sauior the THEBANS only at the selfe same time tooke armes against thē to deliuer those whom the tyrans oppressed sought to roote out al tyrannical gouernment ouer the GREECIANS So when he came to the city of PHARSALE had gathered his army together he went presently into the field to mete with the tyran Alexander perceauing Pelopidas had very fewe THEBANS about him and that he had twise as many moe THESSALIANS with him then the other had he went to the temple of THETIS to mete with Pelopidas There one telling Pelopidas that Alexander was comminge against him with a great power Pelopidas answered him straight al the better we shal kil the more Now in the middest of the valley there are certaine round hils of a good prety height which they commonly call the dogges heads they both striued which of their footemen should first get those hils Pelopidas hauing a great number of horsemen good men at armes in the fielde sent them before to giue charge apon the enemies that preased to winne the vantage of the place hauing ouerthrowen them they followed the chase all the valley ouer But in the meane time Alexander hauing his footemē hard by marched forwards got the hils bicause the THESSALIANS that were further of came to late notwithstandinge when they came to the hilles they sought forcible to clime them vp being very high and steepe But Alexander comming downe the hil gaue charge apon them to their disaduantage slue the first that gaue the attempt to get vp against the hil and the residue beinge fore hurt retyred againe without their purpose Pelopidas seeing that sounded the retreate for the horsemen that followed the chase to repayre to the standard and commaunded them they should set apon the footemen of the enemies that were in battell raye and him selfe ranne to helpe those that fought to winne the hilles So he tooke his target on his arme and passing through the rereward got to the formest tanckes to whome the sight of his persone did so redouble their force and corage that the enemies them selues thought it hadde beene a freshe supply of newe mens hartes and other bodies then theirs with whom they hadde fought before that came thus lustely to sette againe apon them And yet they did abide two or three onsettes Howebeit in the ende perceiuing those men did still more fiercely force to gette vp the hill and moreouer how their horsemen were come in from the chase they gaue way and left them the place retyring backe by litle and litle Then Pelopidas hauinge wonne the hilles stayed on the top of them viewinge the army of his enemies which were not yet returned from their flying but waued vp and downe in great disorder And there he looked all about to see if he coulde spye out Alexander and at the length he founde him out amongest others in the right winge of his battell settinge his men againe in order and incoraging of them After he had set eye on him it was no holding of him backe his hart so rose against him apon sight of him that geuinge place
their campe the lenger he delayed in the end he resolued to tary no lenger but to passe the riuer of ASOPVS the next morning by breake of the day sodainly to set apon the GREECIANS So he gaue the Captaines warning the night before what they should do bicause euery man should be redy but about midnight there came a horseman without any noyse at all so neere to the GREECIANS campe that he spake to the watche and told them he would speake with Aristides generall of the ATHENIANS Aristides was called for straight and when he came to him the horseman said vnto Aristides I am Alexander king of MACEDON who for the loue and great good will I beare you haue put my self in the greatest daūger that may be to come at this present time to aduertise you that to morrow morning Mardonius will giue you battel bicause your enemies sodaine comming apon you should not make you afrayd being sodainly charged and should not hinder also your valliant fightinge For it is no new hope that is come to Mardonius that makes him to fight but only scarcety of vittells that forceth him to do it considering that the prognosticators are all against it that he should geue you battel both by reason of the il tokens of their sacrifices as also by the aunswers of their oracles which hath put all the armie in a maruelous feare and stande in no good hope at all Thus he is forced to putte all at aduenture or else if he will needes lye still to be starued to death for very famine After king Alexander hadde imparted this secrete to Aristides he prayed him to keepe it to him selfe and to remember it in time to come Aristides aunswered him then that it was no reason he shoulde keepe a matter of so great importance as that from Pausanias who was their Lieutenant generall of the whole armie notwithstandinge he promised him he woulde tell it no man else before the battell and that if the goddes gaue the GREECIANS the victorie he did assure him they should all acknowledge his great fauor and good will shewed vnto them After they hadde talked thus together kinge Alexander left him and returned backe againe and Aristides also went immediatly to Pausanias tent and tolde him the talke kinge Alexander and he hadde together Thereupon the priuate Captaines were sent for straight to counsaill and there order was geuen that euery manne shoulde haue his bandes ready for they shoulde fight in the morninge So Pausanias at that time as Herodotus wryteth sayed vnto Aristides that he woulde remoue the ATHENIANS from the left to the right winge bicause they shoulde haue the PERSIANS them selues right before them and that they shoulde fight so much the lustier both for that they were acquainted with their fight as also bicause they hadde ouercommed them before in the first encounter and that him selfe would take the left winge of the battell where he shoulde encounter with the GREECIANS that fought on the PERSIANS side But when all the other priuate Captaines of the ATHENIANS vnderstoode it they were maruelous angrie with Pausanias and sayed he did them wronge and hadde no reason to lette all the other GRECIANS keepe their place where they were alwayes appointed and onely to remoue them as if they were slaues to be appointed at his pleasure now of one side then of the other and to sette them to fight with the valliantest souldiers they had of all their enemies Then sayed Aristides to them that they knewe not what they sayed and how before they misliked and did striue with the TEGRATES onely for hauinge the left wing of the battell and when it was graunted they thought them selues greatly honored that they were preferred before them by order of the Captaines and nowe where the LACEDAEMONIANS were willing of them selues to geue them the place of the right winge and did in maner offer them the preheminence of the whole armie they do not thankefully take the honor offered them nor yet doe recken of the vantage and benefitte geuen them to fight against the PERSIANS selues their auncient enemies and not against their natural contry men anciently discended of them When Aristides had vsed all these perswasions vnto them they were very well contented to chaunge place with the LACEDAEMONIANS and then all the talke amonge them was to encorage one an other and to tell them that the PERSIANS that came against them had no better hartes nor weapons then those whom they before hadde ouercome in the plaine of MARATHON For sayed they they haue the same bowes the same riche imbrodered gownes the same golden chaines and carcanettes of womanishe persones hanging on their cowardly bodies and faint hartes where we haue also the same weapons and bodies we hadde and our hartes more liuely and coragious then before through the sundrie victories we haue since gotten of them Further we haue this aduantage more That we doe not fight as our other confederates the GREECIANS do for our city and contry onely but also to continewe the fame and renowme of our former noble seruice which we wanne at the iorneys of MARATHON and of SALAMINA to the ende the worlde shoulde not thinke that the glory of these triumphes and victories was due vnto Miltiades onely or vnto fortune but vnto the corage and worthinesse of the ATHENIANS Thus were the GREECIANS throughly occupied to chaunge the order of their battell in hast The THEBANS on the other side that tooke parte with Mardonius receiuing intelligence of the alteringe of their battell by traytors that ranne betwene both campes they straight tolde Mardonius of it He thereupon did sodainly also chaunge the order of his battell and placed the PERSIANS from the right winge to the left winge of his enemies either bicause he was afrayed of the ATHENIANS or else for greater glorie that he hadde a desire to fight with the LACEDAEMONIANS and commaunded the GREECIANS that tooke his parte that they shoulde fight against the ATHENIANS This alteracion was so openly done that euerie manne might see it whereuppon Pausanias remoued the LACEDAEMONIANS againe and sette them in the right winge Mardonius seeinge that remoued the PERSIANS againe from the left winge and brought them to the right winge where they were before against the LACEDAEMONIANS and thus they consumed all that day in chaunginge their men to and fro So the Captaines of the GREECIANS sate in counsel at night and there they agreed that they must nedes remoue their campe and lodge in some other place where they might haue water at cōmaundement bicause their enemies did continually trouble and spoyle that water they had about them with their horses Now when night came the Captaines woulde haue marched away with their men to go to the lodginge they had appointed but the people went very ill willinge to it and they hadde much a do to keepe them together For they were no sooner out of the trenches and fortification of
vppon him that it tooke away his sences so as he fell in a traunse before them all and few dayes after was conueyed againe by sea into ASIA where he liued not loÌ„g after In the meane time the BOEOTIANS came into the ROMAINES tooke their parte And Philip hauing sent Ambassadors to ROME Titus also sent thither of his men to solicite for him in two respects The one if the warres continued against Philip that then they would prolong his time there The other if the Senate did graunt him peace that they would do him the honor as to make and conclude it with Philip. For Titus of his owne nature being very ambitious did feare least they would send a successor to continew those warres who should take the glory from him and make an end of them But his frends made such earnest sute for him that neither king Philip attained that he prayed neither was there sent any other generall in Titus place but he still continued his charge in these warres Wherfore so soone as he had receiued his coÌ„mission authority from the Senate he went straight towards THESSALIE with great hope to ouercome Philip. For he had in his army aboue six twenty thousand fighting men whereof the AETOLIANS made six thousand footemen and three thousande horsemen King Philips army on thother side was no lesse in number they began to march one towards the other vntill at the length they both drew neere the city of SCOTVSA where they determined to try the battell So neither they nor their men were afraid to see them selues one so neere an other but rather to the contrary the ROMAINES on the one side tooke greater hart corage vnto them desiring to fight as thinking with themselues what great honor they should win to ouercome the MACEDONIANS who were so highly esteemed for their valliantnes by reason of the famous acts that Alexander the great did by them And the MACEDONIANS on the other side also taking the ROMAINES for other maner of souldiers then the PERSIANS began to haue good hope if they might winne the field to make king Philip more famous in the world then euer was Alexander his father Titus theÌ„ calling his men together spake exhorted theÌ„ to stand to it like men to show theÌ„selues valliant souldiers in this battel as those which were to shew the proofe of their valliantnesse in the hart of GREECE the goodliest Theater of the world against their enemies of most noble fame Philip then by chaunce or forced to it by the spede he made bicause they were both ready to ioyne did get vp vnwares vpon a charnell house where they had buried many bodies being a litle hill raised vp aboue the rest neere the trenches of his campe and there began to encorage his souldiers as all generals do before they giue battel Who when he saw them all discoraged for they tooke it for an il signe that he was gotten vp on the top of a graue to speake vnto them he of a conceite at the matter did of himselfe deferre to giue battell that day The next morning bicause the night was very wet by reason the sowthe windes had blowen the clowds were turned to a miste filled all the valley with a darke grosse thicke ayer coÌ„ming from the mountaines thereabouts which couered the field betwene both campes with a mist all the morning by reason wherof the skowtes on both sides that were sent to discouer what the enemies did in very shorte time met together one gaue charge vpon an other in a place they call the dogges heads which are pointes of rockes placed vpon litle hills one before an other and very nere one vnto an other which haue bene called so bicause they haue had some likenes of it In this skirmish there were many chauÌ„ges as coÌ„monly falleth out when they fight in such ill fauored stony places For sometime the ROMAINES fled and the MACEDONIANS chased them an other time the MACEDONIANS that followed the chase were glad to fly themselues the ROMAINES who fled before nowe had theÌ„ in chase This chaunge alteracion came by sending new supplies stil from both campes to relieue them that were distressed driuen to flie Now began the miste to breake vp the ayer to clere so that both generals might seenbout thâ—Ì„ what was done in either campe by reason wherof both of theÌ„ drew on their army to the field battel So Philip had the vantage on the right wing of his army which was placed on the height of an hanging hill froÌ„ which they came so a maine to set vpon the ROMAINES with such a fury than the stroÌ„gest valliantest that could be had neuer bene able to abide the front of their battel so closely were they ioined together their wall of pykes was so stroÌ„g But on his left wing it was not so bicause the raÌ„cks of his battel could not ioine so nere nor close target to target the place being betwixt the hills the rocks where the battel was coÌ„ming so as they were coÌ„pelled by reasoÌ„ of the straightnes vneuennes of the ground to leaue it open vnfurnished in many places Titus finding that disaduaÌ„tage went froÌ„ the left wing of his battel which he saw ouerlaid by the right wing of his enemies going sodainly toward the left wing of king Philips battell he set vpon the MACEDONIANS on that side where he saw they could not close their ranckes in the front nor ioyne them together in the middest of the battel which is the whole strength order of the MACEDONIAN fight bicause the field was vp hill downe hill to fight hand to hand they were so pestered behind that one thronged ouerlaid an other For the battel of the MACEDONIANS hath this property that so loÌ„g as the order is kept close ioyned together it semeth as it were but the body of a beast of a force inuincible But also after that it is once open that they are sundered not ioyned together it doth not only loose the force power of the whole body but also of euery priuate souldier that fighteth partly by reason of the diuersity of the weapons wherewith they fight partely for that their whole strength consisteth most in the disposing ioyning together of their ranckes orders which doth stay vp one an other more theÌ„ doth euery priuate souldiers strength So when this left wing of the MACEDONIANS was broken that they ran their way one parte of the ROMAINES followed the chase the other ranne to giue a charge vppon the flanckes of the right winge which fought yet and they made great slaughter of them Whereupon they now which before had the vantage beganne to stagger and breake in the ende ranne away as fast as the other did throwing downe their weapons insomuch as there were slaine of them eight thousande in the
the riuer side and considered howe they might passe it ouer and beganne to fill it vp tearing downe like gyants great hilles of earth which they founde thereabouts brought thither great trees which they pulled vp whole by the rootes threw in great pecces of rockes which they brake and whole towers of earth after them to stoppe and breake the course of the riuer But besides all this they threw great tymber into the riuer which being caried downe the streame came with such a force hit against the postes of the bridge so violently that they shaked the ROMAINES bridge maruelously Whereuppon many of the souldiers of the great campe were afrayed and forsaking it beganne to retyre But then did Catulus like a perfit good Captaine showe that he made lesse accompt of his owne priuate honor and estimacion then he did of the generall honor of all his souldiers For seeing that he could not perswade his men by any reason to tary and that in this feare they dislodged in disorder against his will he him selfe cōmaunded the standerd bearer of the Eagle to marche on and ranne to the foremest that went their way and marched him selfe before them all to the intent that the shame of this retyre should altogether light vpon him not apon his contry and that it might appeare the ROMAINES did follow their Captaine and not flie away The barbarous people therefore assaulting the forte at the end of the bridge of the riuer of Athesis tooke it all the men that were in it And bicause the ROMAINES defended it like valliant men and had lustely ventured their liues to the death for defence of their contry the barbarous people let them go vpon cōposition which they sware to kepe faithfully by their bull of copper This bull afterwards was taken when they lost the battell and caried as they say into Catulus Luctatius house as the chiefest thing of the victory Furthermore the barbarous people finding the contry open without any defence scattered here and there and destroyed all where they came Whereuppon the ROMAINES sent for Marius to ROME to goe against them and after he was arriued euery man thought he shoulde haue entred in triumphe bicause also the Senate did graunt it him very willingly But he would not doe it either bicause he would not depriue his souldiers and the Captaines that had fought vnder him of any parte of the honor that was due vnto them they being absent or bicause that he would warrant the people frō the present daunger they were in by layinge aside the glory of his former victories into the handes of the good fortune of ROME in certaine hope to take it againe afterwardes by a more honorable and perfit confirmation of the second Wherefore after he had made an oration to the people and Senate according to the time he went his way immediatly towardes Catulus Luctatius whose comming did comforte him much and sent also for his army that was yet in GAVLE beyond the mountaines And after his army was come he passed the riuer of Po to kepe the barbarous people from hurting ITALIE on this side the Po. Now the CIMBRES still deferred to geue battell bicause they looked for the TEVTONS and sayd that they marueled much what they ment to tary so long either bicause they knewe not in deede of their ouerthrowe or else for that they would not seeme to knowe it bicause they handeled them cruelly that brought the newes of their deathes At the length they sent vnto Marius to aske him landes and townes sufficient to kepe them and their brethren Marius asked their Ambassadors what brethren they ment They aunswered that they were the TEVTONS Whereat the standers by beganne to laugh and Marius sinely mocked them saying Care not for those brethren sayd he for we haue geuen them ground enough which they will kepe for euer These Ambassadors found his mock straight and beganne to reuile and threaten him that the CIMBRES shoulde presently make him repent it and the TEVTONS so soone as they arriued Why sayd Marius vnto them againe they are come already and there were no honesty in you if you could goe your way not salute them since they are your brethren And as he spake these wordes he commaunded his men to bring him the kinges of the TEVTONS bounde and chained that had bene taken within the mountaines of the Alpes by the SEQVANI The CIMBRES vnderstāding this by reporte of their Ambassadors presently marched towardes Marius who stirred not at all but only fortified and kept his campe They say that it was for this battell that Marius first inuented the newe deuise he brought in for the darte which the ROMAINES were wont alwayes to throwe against the enemies at the first charge For before the staffe of the darte was fastned vnto the iron and the iron vnto the staffe with two litle iron pinnes that passed through the wodde and then Marius left one of the iron pinnes as it was before taking away the other put a litle thinne pinne of wodde easie to be broken in place of the same making it craftely to the end that when the darte was throwen stucke in the enemies target it should not stand right forward but bow downewards towardes the iron that the wodden pinne being broken the staffe of the darte should hang downewardes holding yet by the iron pinne running quite through at the poynte So Baeorix king of the CIMBRES comming neere to Marius campe with a small number of horsemen sent him defyaunce willed him to appoint a day place for battell that they might trye it out who should be owners of the contry Whereunto Marius made aunswer that it was not the manner of the ROMAINES to counsell with their enemies of the time and place when they should geue battell but neuerthelesse he would not sticke to pleasure the CIMBRES so much And thus they agreed betwene them that it should be the thirde day following in the plaine of Verselles which was very commodious for the horsemen of the ROMAINES and also for the barbarous people to put out at will their great number of fighting men So both armies failed not to meete according to appointment but appeared ranged in battell the one before the other Catulus Luctatius the other Consull had in his campe twenty thowsand and three hundred souldiers and Marius had in his campe two and thirty thowsand fighting men which he placed in the two winges of the battell shutting in Catulus with his men in the middest As Sylla writeth it who was present at the same saying that Marius did it of malice for the hope he had to ouerthrowe his enemies with the two winges of the battell to the end that the whole victory should light apon his two winges and that Catulus his men in the middest should haue no parte therof For he could not so much as fronte the enemy
not Muraena but went againe to his reliefe and finding that he on his side had also put the enemies to flight followed with him the chase of them that fled There was a maruelous slaughter made in that field of the barbarous people and many of them supposing to haue recouered their campe were slaine by the way so as of all that infinite multitude of fighting men there escaped only tenne thowsande who saued them selues by flying vnto the city of CHALCIDE Sylla for his parte wryteth that he could make reckening of no more but fourteene of his souldiers onely that were slaine whereof there came two againe to him the same night Wherefore in the markes of triumphe which he set vp for tokens of that victory he caused to be wrytten on the toppe thereof Mars victory and Venus signifying thereby that he had ouercome in these warres as much by good fortune as by force policie orâ—â—â— shall discipline These markes of triumphe were set vp for the battell which he wanne â—â—â—e plaine field in that place where Archelaus beganne to flie euen vnto the riuer of Molus. 〈…〉 he set vp an other also in the toppe of mount Thurium where the barbarous people wonder vpon behinde and there is wrytten in Greeke letters that the valliant deedes of Omoloidâ—â— and Anaxidamus gaue way to the winning of this victorie Sylla for the ioy of this great woâ—â—e battell caused musitians to play in the city of THEBES where he builded a stage for all the musitians neere vnto the fountaine OEdipus and certaine noble GREECIANS were appointed iudges of that musicke whom he caused to be sent for out of other cities bicause he â—â—â—tally hated the THEBANS insomuch as he tooke from them halfe their landes which he consecrated vnto Apollo Pythias and Iupiter Olympias appointing that of the reuenue thereof they should redeliuer and pay backe the money which he had taken and caried away from one of their temples Sylla after this hauing intelligence that Flaccus one of his enemies was chosen Consull at ROME and had passed the sea Ionium with an army vnder pretext to make wâ—â—â—â— against king Mithridates but in deede to make warre with him selfe tooke his iorney towards TRESSALIE to meete him But when he was in the citie of MELITEA there came newests him out of all partes that there was a new and second army of the kings arriued no lesse than the first the which spoyled and destroyed all the contry which he had left behinde him For Dorylaus one of king Mithridates Lieutenauntes was arriued in the city of CHALCIDE with a great fleete of shippes hauing brought thither with him foure score thowsand fighting men the best trained the best armed and appointed souldiers that were in all his kingdom of POâ—TVS in ASIA and from thence went into BOEOTIA had all that contry at commaundement and sought to fight with Sylla notwithstanding that Archelaus alleaged many reasons to â—â—â—swade him from it and furthermore gaue it out in euery place that so many thowsandes of souldiers coulde not haue bene cast away in the first battell without some notable treasâ—â— Whereupon Sylla returned with all possible speede made Dorylaus know before many dayes passed ouer his head that Archelaus was a wise man and knew well enough the worthines and valliant corage of the ROMAINES And Dorylaus hauing had but a litle proofe only in certaine light skirmishes which he made against Sylla about TILPHOSSION in THESSALIE him selfe was the first that could say then it was not for them to hazarde battell but rather to draw on the warres in length and supplant the ROMAINES with charge expence And yet notwithstaÌ„ding the commodity of the great large plaine that lyeth all about ORCHOMENE where they were encamped gaue great encoragement to Archelaus who iudged it a very fit place to gâ—â—â— battell in specially bicause he was the stronger of horsemen in the field For of all the plaâ—â—â— that are within the contry of BOEOTIA the greatest largest of them is the plaine nere to the city of ORCHOMENE which is altogether without trees and runneth out in length vnto the marisses where the riuer of Melas disperseth it selfe abroade The head of the same riuer is not farre from the city of ORCHOMENE that riuer only of all other riuers in GREECE from the very head whence it commeth is nauigable and hath besides an other singular property that it riseth swelleth euen in the longest sommer dayes as the riuer of Nilus doth and bringeth forth the selfe same plantes and trees sauing that they beare no frute neither are they so great as those of AEgypt This riuer hath no longe course bicause that the most parte of the waâ—â—â— runneth into lakes and marisses couered with brambles and briars and there is but a very liâ—â—e parte of it that falleth into the riuer of Cephisus in the place where the redes grow that they make good flutes withal When they were camped one nere to an other Archelaus lay quietly and sturred not But Sylla presently cast great trenches from one side to an other to stoppe the way against their enemies that they could not come into that great plaine where they might haue taken what ground they would for their men of armes and haue driuen the ROMAINES into the marisses The barbarous people not being able to endure that so soone as their Captaines had geuen them liberty discharged with such a fury that they did not scatter theâ— that wrought in Syllaes trenches but put the most parte of their gard also that stoode in battell ray to defend them in a maruelous feare who also beganne to flie Which Sylla perceiuing lighted straight from his horse and taking an ensigne in his hande ran through the middest of his men that fled vntill he came to his enemies doth crying out sayeth mo ahead â—â—â—â—yâ—â—ol 〈…〉 souldiers mine honor commaundeth me to dye here and therefore 〈…〉 thy nâ—â—â—s â—â—keth you where you forsooke your Captaine remembere that you â—â—nsever it what 〈…〉 uoâ—e They were so ashamed at these wordes than he made a hero 〈…〉 besides that â—â—â—e came two cohortes vnto him from the right wing of his battell who â—ndoâ— his leading gaue such a hotte charge vpon their enemies that they fled foorthwith opoâ—laâ— That done Sylla â—e â—â—red with his men and made them dine and therupon by and by â—â—â—hem againe 〈…〉 â—hes to enclose his enemies campe who then came out in better order then they did before There was Diogenes Archelaus wiues sonne slaine fighting valliantly before them also the right wing of their battell And the bowe men being pressed so neere by the ROMAINE 〈…〉 their bowes would doe no good looke their arrowes in their handes in stead of sworde and strake their enemies with them to force them to gaue backe vntil such time as at the 〈…〉 they were all driuen into their campe where they passed that night
Generall and Consull of the ROMANES Ariamnes being crafty subtill speaking gently vnto Cassius did comforte him and prayed him to haue pacience and going and comming by the bandes seeming to helpe the souldiers he tolde merily O my fellowes I beleue you thinke to marche through the contry of Naples and looke to meete with your pleasaunt springes goodly groues of wodde your naturall bathes and the good innes round about to refreshe you and doe not remember that you passe through the desertes of ARABIA and ASSYRIA And thus did this barbarous Captaine entertaine the ROMANES a while but afterwardes he dislodged betimes before he was openly knowen for a traitor and yet not without Crassus priuity whom he bare in hands that he would goe set some broyle and tumult in the enemies campe It is reported that Crassus the very same day came out of his tent not in his coate armor of scarlet as the maner was of the ROMANE Generalls but in a blacke coate howbeit remembring him selfe he straight chaunged it againe It is sayd moreouer that the ensigne bearers when they should march away had much a doe to plucke their ensignes out of the ground they stucke so fast But Crassus scoffing at the matter hastened them the more to marche forward compelling the footemen to goe as fast as the horsemen till a fewe of their skowtes came in whom they had sene to discouer who brought newes howe the enemies had slaine their fellowes and what a doe they had them selues to scape with life and that they were a maruelous great army wel appointed to geue them battell This newes made all the campe afrayed but Crassus selfe more than the rest so as he beganne to set his men in battell ray being for hast in maner besides him selfe At the first following Cassius minde he set his ranckes wide casting his souldiers into square battell a good way a sonder one from an other bicause he would take in as much of the plaine as he coulde to keepe the enemies from compassinge them in and so deuided the horsemen into the winges Yet afterwardes he chaunged his minde againe and straited the battell of his footemen facioning it like a bricke more long than broade making a front and shewing their faces euery way For there were twelue cohorts or ensignes imbattelled on either side by euery cohorte a company of horse bicause there should be no place left without aide of horsemen and that all his battell should be a like defended Then he gaue Cassius the leading of one wing his sonne Publius Crassus the other and him selfe led the battel in the middest In this order they marched forward till they came to a litle brooke called Balissus where there was no great store of water but yet happely lighted on for the souldiers for the great thirst and extreame heate they had abidden all that painefull way where they had met with no water before There the most parte of Crassus Captaines thought best to campe all night that they might in the meane time finde meanes to knowe their enemies what number they were and how they were armed that they might fight with them in the morning But Crassus yeelding to his sonnes and his horsemens perswasion who intreated him to march on with his army and to set apon the enemy presently commaunded that such as would eate should eate standing keeping their ranckes Yet on the sodaine before this commaundement could runne through the whole army he commaunded them againe to march not fayer and softly as when they go to geue battell but with speede till they spied the enemies who seemed not to the ROMANES at the first to be so great a number neither so brauelie armed as they thought they had bene For concerning their great number Surena had of purpose hid them with certaine troupes he sent before and to hyde their bright armors he had cast clokes and beastes skinnes apon them But when both the armies approached neere th one to thother that the signe to geue charge was lift vp in the ayer first they filled the fielde with a dreadfull noyse to heare For the PARTHIANS doe not encorage their men to fight with the sounde of a horne neither with trompets nor how boyes but with great kettle drommes hollow within about them they hang litle bells copper rings and with them they all make a noise euery where together and it is like a dead sounde mingled as it were with the braying or bellowing of a wild beast a fearefull noyse as if it thundered knowing that hearing is one of the senses that soonest moueth the harte spirite of any man maketh him soonest besides him selfe The ROMANES being put in feare with this dead sounde the PARTHIANS straight threw the clothes couerings from them that hid their armor then shewed their bright helmets and curaces of Margian tempered steele that glared like fire their horses barbed with steele and copper And Surena also General of the PARTHIANS who was as goodly a personage and as valliant as any other in all his host though his beawtie somewhat effeminate in iudgement shewed small likelyhoode of any such corage for he painted his face and ware his heare after the facion of the MEDES contrary to the maner of the PARTHIANS who let their heare grow after the facion of the TARTARES without combing or tricking of them to appeare more terrible to their enemies The PARTHIANS at the first thought to haue set apon the ROMANES with their pykes to see if they could breake their first ranckes But when they drew neere and saw the depth of the ROMANES battell standing close together firmely keping their â—ancke â—â— then they gaue backe to making as though they fled dispersed them selues But the ROMANES hâ—rneled when they found it contrary that it was but a deuise to enuironne them on euery side Whereupon Crassus commaunded his shot and light armed men to assaile them which they did but they went not farte they were so beaten in with arrowes and driuen to â—â—â— to their sorde of the armed men And this was the first beginning that both scared and troubled the ROMANES when they saw the vehemency and great force of the enemies shotte which brake their armors and ranne thorowe any thing they hit were it neuer so hard or soft The PARTHIANS thus still drawing backe shotte all together on euery side nor a forehande but an aduentureâ— for the battell of the ROMANES stoode so neere together as if they would they could not misse the killing of some These bo wiâ—â— drew a great strength had bigge strong bowes which on the arrowes from them with a wonderful force The ROMANES by meanes blichese bowes were in hard state For if they kept their rancks they were grieuously wouÌ„ded againe if they felt them and sought to run apon the PARTHIANS to fight at hande with them they saw they
could do them but litle hurt and yet were very likely to take the greater harme them selues For as fast as the ROMANES came apon them so fast did the PARTHIANS flie from them and yet in flying continued still their shooting which no nation but the Sâ—â—â—â—Dâ—â—S could better doe than they being a matter in deede most greatly to their aduantage For by their fight they best doe saue them selues and fighting still they therby shunne the shame of that their flying The ROMANES still defended them selues and held it out so long as they had any hope that the PARTHIANS would leaue fighting where they had spent their arrowes or would ioyne battell with them But after they vnderstoode that their were a great number of camels lodeÌ„n with quiuers full of arrowes where the first that had bestowed their arrowes fetched about to take new quiuers then Crassus seeing no end of their shotte began to faint and sent to Publius his sonne willing him in any case to charge vpon the enemies and to geue nan onset before they were compassed in on euery side For it was on Publius side that one of the winges of the enemies battell was neerest vnto them and where they rode vp and downe to compasse them behinde Whereuppon Crassus sonne taking thirteene hundred horsemen with him of the which a thowsand were of the men of armes whom Iulius Caesar sent and fiue hundred shot with eight enfignes of footemen hauing targets most neere to the place where him selfe then was â—he put them but in bredth that wheling about they might geue a charge vpon them that rode vp downe But they seeing him comming turned straight their horse and fled either bicause they met in a marrisse or else of purpose to begine this young Crassus intising him thereby as farre from his father as they could Publius Crassus seeing them flye cried out these men will not abide vs and so spurted on for life after them so did Censorinus and Megabacchus with him the one a Senatour of ROME a very eloquent man the other a stowte coragious valliant man of warre both of them Crassus well approued frendes and in maner of his owne yeares Now the horsemen of the ROMANES being trained out thus to the chase their footemen also would not abide behinde nor shew them selues to haue lesse hope ioy and corage then their horsemen had For they thought all had bene won and that there was no more to do but to follow the chase till they were gone farre from the army and then they found the deceit For the horsemen that fled before them sodainly turned againe and a number of others besides came and set vpon them Whereuppon they stayed thinking that the enemies perceiuing they were so few would come and fight with them hande to hande Howbeit they set out against them their men at armes with their barbed horse made their light horsemen whele rounde about them keeping non order at all who galloping vp and downe the plaine whurled vp the sand hilles from the bottome with their horse feete which raised such a wonderfull dust that the ROMANES could scarce see or speake one to an other For they being shut vp into a litle roome and standing close one to an other were sore wounded with the PARTHIANS arrowes and died of a cruell lingring death crying out for anguish and paine they felt and turning and tormenting them selues apon the sande they brake the arrowes sticking in them Againe striuing by force to plucke out the forked arrowe heades that had pearced farre into their bodies through their vaines sinewes thereby they opened their woundes wider and so cast them selues away Many of them dyed thus miserably 〈…〉 tyred and such as dyed not were not able to defend them selues Then when Publius Crassus prayed and besought them to charge the men at armes with their barbed horse they shewed him their handes fast nailed so that targets with arrowes their feete likewise shot 〈…〉 and raised to the ground so as they could neither flie nor yet defende them selues Thereâ—pon him selfe incoraging his horsemen went and gaue a charge and did valliantly set vppon thenemies but it was with too great disaduantage both for offence and also for defence For him selfe and his men with weake light staues brake apon them that were armed with 〈…〉 races of sâ—â—cke or stiffe leather iackes And the PARTHIANS in contrary manner with mighâ—â— strong pykes gaue charge apon these GAVLES which were either warmed or else but lightly armed Yet those were they in whom Crassus most trusted hauing done wonderfull 〈…〉 of warre with them For they receiued the PARTHIANS pykes in their handes tooke them about the middells and threw them of their horse where they lay on the ground and could not storre for the weight of their harnesse and there were diuers of them also that lighting from their horse lay vnder their enemies horse bellies thrust their swordes into them That horse flinging bounding in the ayer for very paine threw their maisters vnder feete their enemies one apon an other in the end fell dead among them Moreouer euer came 〈…〉 and thirst did maruelously comber the GAVLES who were vsed to abide neither of both and the most parte of their horse were slaine charging with al their power apon the men at armed of the PARTHIANS and so ranne them selues in apon the pointes of their pikes At the length they were driuen to retyre towardes their footemen Publius Crassus among them who was very ill by reason of the woundes he had receiued And seeing a sand hill by chaunce not faâ— from them they went thither setting their horse in the middest of it compassed it in round with their targets thinking by this meanes to couer and defende them selues the better from the barbarous people howbeit they founde it contrary For the contry being plaine they in the formest ranckes did somewhat couer them behinde but they that were behinde standing heir than they that stoode formest by reason of the nature of the hill that was hiest in the middest could by no meanes saue them selues but were all hurt alike as well the one as the other bewailing their owne miserie and misfortune that must needes dye without reuenge or declaration of their valliancy At that present time there were two GRAECIANS about Publius Crassus Hitronymus and Nitomachus who dwelt in those quarters in the city of CARRâ—â— they both counselled P. Crassus to steale away with them and to flie to a city called ISCHNES that was not farre from thence and tooke the ROMANES parte But P. aunswered them that there was no death so cruell as could make him forsake them that dyed for his sake When he had so sayd wishing them to saue them selues he embraced them tooke his leaue of them and being very sore hurt with the shot of an arrow through one of his handes commaunded one of his gentlemen to
trouble his enemies much be a helpe to saue them selues if they were ouercome and also to chase the enemies if so it happened they had the vpper hande bicause they were straungers and knew not the contrie When both battells came to geue charge Sertorius at the first was not directly against Pompey but against Afranius who led the left wing of Pompeyes battell and him selfe was in the right wing of his owne battell Howebeit Sertorius being aduenised that the left wing of his owne army against the which Pompey fought was in such distresse is they gaue backe and could abide no lenger if they were not presently aided straight left the leading of the right wing which he assigned ouer to other of his Captaines and ranne with all speede possible vnto the left wing which were then euen as good as flying And first he gathered them together againe which had turned their backes and after put those also in good order that were yet a fighting and so hauing encoraged them both with his wordes and the presence of his person he gaue a new charge againe apon Pompey more coragiously than before who thinking he had already wonne the field was then a chasing such as fled and caâ—he so fiercely apon him that he put all the whole army of the ROMANES to flight insomuch as Pompey him selfe escaped killing in the field very hardly being sore hurt saued by a straunge meane For the AFRIKANS of Sertorius hauing taken Pompeis horse which was richly trapped with harnesse of gold and other precious furniture falling out among them selues and fighting for deuision of the same in the meane time let Pompey goe and neuer followed after him Afranius againe on thother side whilest Sertorius was gone to helpe the other wing of his battel made them flie all that stoode before him followed killing of theÌ„ euen into the trenches of their campe entring in amongest them that fled and spoiled the campe being darke night knowing nothing of Pompeis ouerthrow neither could he withdraw his men from spoyle Sertorius also comming thither apon the instant finding Pompeis men in disorder slue a number of them and the next morning betimes armed his men againe and brought them out into the field to fight once more with Pompey But receiuing intelligence that Metellus was at hand he sounded the retreate and dislodged from the place he encamped saying had not that old woman comen I would haue whipped that young boy to ROME with roddes Now was Sertorius very heauy that no man could tell him what was become of his white hynde for them by all his sutteltie and finesse to kepe the barbarous people in obedience was taken away and then specially when they stoode in neede of most comforte But by good happe certaine of his souldiers that had lost them selues in the night met with the hynde in their way and knowing her by her colour tooke her and brought her backe againe Sertorius hearing of her promised theÌ„ a good reward so that they would tell no liuing creature that they brought her againe and thereupon made her to be secretly kept Then within a few dayes after he came abroade among them and with a pleasaunt countenaunce tolde the noble men and chiefe Captaines of these barbarous people how the goddes had reuealed it to him in his dreame that he should shortly haue a maruelous good thing happen to him and with these wordes sate downe in his chayer to geue audience Whereuppon they that kept the hynde not farre from thence did secretly let her goe The hynde being lose when she had spied Sertorius ran straight to his chayer with great ioy and put her head betwext his legges layed her mouth in his right hande as she before was wont to doe Sertorius also made very much of her and of purpose appeared maruelous glad shewinge such tender affection to the hynde as it seemed the water stoode in his eyes for ioy The barbarous people that stoode there by beheld the same at the first were much amazed therewith but afterwardes when they had better beâ—hought them selues for ioy they clapped their handes together and wained vpon Sertorius to his lodging with great and ioyfull showtes saying and stedfastly beleuing that he was a heauenly creature and beloued of the goddes whereupon they were maruelously pleased in their mindes and certainely hoped that their affayres should prosper dayly better and better Another time hauing straighted his enemies with scarcety of vittells in the territorie of the SAGVNTINES he was by force compelled to fight against his will for that they sent great troupes of men to sorrage the contrie to get vittells Apon then counter it was valliantly fought of either side where Memmius was slaine the valliantest Captaine Pompey had coragiously fighting in the middest of the battell Sertorius finding him selfe the stronger followed his first wing making great slaughter of those that withstoode him vntill he came vnto Metellus selfe who taried his comming defending him selfe more valliantly than was either hoped or looked for in a man of his yeares insomuch as he was at the last hurt with a partisan Which was such a dishonor to the ROMANES not vnto them only that saw it but vnto such also as heard of it that being all ashamed to forsake their Captaine and turning their shame into anger against their enemies they couered Metellus rounde about with their shieldes and targets getting him out of the presse and furie of the fight gaue such a fierce onset as they draue the SPANYARDS to flie Thus fortune chaunging the victory Sertorius to geue his scattered men time to saue them selues and leasure also for a new supply which he caused to be presently leauied to come at their pleasure fled of purpose into a citie of the mountaines of strong scituation and there setting a good face of the matter repayred the rampers and fortified the gates thinking nothing lesse then to abide there to be besieged but only to lay a baite for his enemies comming to besiege the citie hoping they should easily winne it and in the meane time left pursuing of the barbarous people which had therby good leasure giuen them to saue them selues Furthermore they tooke no order to suppresse the new supplie that was comming to Sertorius who had sent out his Captaines to the next cities shieres adioyning to leanie men with expresse commaundement that when they had mustered a conuenient number together they should sende them vnto him as they did So when he vnderstoode of their comming he easily passed through his enemies to meete them and with them sodainly came backe againe and harried his enemies worse then before somtime cutting their vittells from them by land through his ambushes and continuall suttle policies being quickely in euerie place whether they thought to go with his light army and on the sea also with certaine pirats pinneses with the which he scoored all the coast apon
of SPARTA blessed to haue had such a kinge that so much reuerenced his contrie and obeyed the lawe as receiuing onely a litle scrolle of parchement commaunding him to returne he forsooke a worlde of goodes and wealth that he quietly enioyed with assured hope and certaintie of more and imbarked foorthwith leauing all the alies and confederates of his contrie verie sorowefull for that he had geuen ouer so noble an enterprise which he had so happely begonne Yes sure Nay furthermore he passed not for the saying of Demostratus PHAEACIAN who sayd that the LACEDAEMONIANS in publicke matters were the worthiest men and the ATHENIANS in priuate causes For as he had shewed him selfe a good king and an excellent Captaine to the common wealth so was he alwayes curteous priuately to his familiar frendes And bicause the PERSIAN coyne was stamped on the one side with the print of an archer Agesilaus being readie to departe sayd that tenne thowsand archers draue him out of ASIA For so much was brought vnto THEBES and ATHENS and distributed among the Orators and Gouernours there who through their Orations made both those great cities to rise and make warre against the SPARTANS In his return Agesilaus hauing passed the straight of HELLESPONT tooke his way through the contrie of THRACIA and neuer intreated barbarous kinge nor people to suffer him to passe but only sent vnto them to know whether they would be should passe through their contries as a frende or an enemie All contries and nacions else receiued him very honorably to their power saue the people called the TROCHALIANS vnto whom king Xerxes him selfe gaue presentes that he might passe frendly through their contry who sent vnto Agesilaus to demaund a hundred siluer talentes and a hundred women to suffer him to passe through their contrie But Agesilaus laughing them to scorne aunswered againe why how chaunceth it that they came not them selues to receiue them So therewithall he marched forwarde against these barbarous people who were ranged in battell raye to stoppe his passage howebeit he ouerthrewe them and flue a great number of them in the fielde The like demaund he made vnto the kinge of MACEDON whether he should passe through his contrie as a frende or an enemie The king made him aunswere he would consider of it Well let him thinke of it quod Agesilaus we will goe on in the meane time The king then wondering at his great boldenes and fearing least he would doe him some hurte as he went sent to pray him that he woulde passe through his contrie as a frend Now it chaunced so that the THESSALIANS at that time were in league with the enemies of the LACEDAEMONIANS therefore as he passed through their contrie he did spoyle and forage it as his enemies contrie and sent Xenocles and Scytha to the citie of LARISSE hopinge to perswade them to take parte with the LACEDAEMONIANS These two Ambassadours were retained there as prisoners The SPARTANS were maruelously offended withall and thought good that Agesilaus should besiege LARESSE with his army But he aunswered them he would not lose one of those men to winne all THESSAINE and therefore found meanes that he redeemed them againe by composition Peraduenture this is not to be marueled at in Agesilaus that newes being brought him on a time that in a great battell fought by the citie of CORINTHE where were many worthie and valliant Captaines slaine of the enemies and but few of the SPARTANS he seemed not to reioice at it but rather to fetche a grieuous sigh saying O poore GRAECE how vnfortunate art thou to haue slaine with thine owne handes so many valliant Captaines of thine owne people as ioyning together might at one field haue ouercome all the barbarous people The PHARSALIANâ— harying and troubling the rereward of Agesilaus armie he put foorth fiue hundred horsemen which gaue them so lustie a charge that he ouerthrew them by force For this victorie be set vp tokens of triumphe apon the mountaine called Narthacium and this victory pleased him aboue all the rest bicause with the small number of horsemen which he had gotten together of him selfe he had ouerthrowen the glory pride of the enemies horsemen in battell wherof they had vaunted many yeares before Thither came Diphridas one of the Ephores vnto him sent of purpose from SPARTA to commaund him immediatly to inuade BOROTIA with his armie Nowe though Agesilaus intended some other time with a greater power to enter BOEOTIA yet bicause he would not disobey the counsells commaundement of SPARTA he told his men straight that the battell for the which they returned out of ASIA was at hande and therefore he sent for two companies of them which lay in campe by CORINTHE The LACEDAEMONIANS that were at SPARTA to honor Agesilaus for that he had obeyed their commaundement so readily proclaimed in the citie that as many young men as were desirous to goe aide the king should come and enter their names Notwithstanding they onely chose but fiftie of the valliantest among them and sent them vnto him In the meane time Agesilaus passed through the contrie of THERMOPYLES and coasting ouer the lande of PHOCYDE consederates to the LACEDAEMONIANS he entred into BOEOTIA and camped by the citie of CHAERONEA where immediatly after his arriuall he sodainly saw the sonne eclipsed and darkened in the facion of a new moone Euen withall came the newes of the death of Pisander vnto him who was slaine in a battell which he lost by sea fighting against Pharnabazus and Conon hard by the I le of GNIDOS These newes were very heauie vnto him both for respect of the person his kinseman whom he lost as also for the great losse that happened to the common wealth Neuerthelesse fearing his souldiers would be discoraged with the newes and become faint harted being ready to ioyne battell he commaunded them that came from the sea to brute abroade a contrarie tale to that they tolde him and he him selfe to make good their speache came out among them with a garland of flowers on his head and did sacrifice to the goddes as thanking them for the good newes sending to euery one of his frends a peece of flesh sacrificed as he commonly vsed to doe in any publicke cause of ioy Then marching forward he straight discouered his enemies farre of and they likewise him therupon put his men in battell ray and gaue the left wing vnto the ORCHOMENIANS leading him selfe the right wing The THEBANS of thother side placed them selues in the right wing of their armie and gaue the left vnto the ARGIVES Xenophon being at that battell on Agesilaus side wryteth that he neuer knewe of the like fielde fought At the first onset the conflict was not great betwene both neither helde long bicause the THEBANS brake the ORCHOMENIANS straight and Agesilaus the ARGIVES But when either side vnderstoode that the left winges of their battells were
legion that was so much accounted of being the valliantest souldiers the enemie had in all his armie amongest the which Caesar did euer vse to fight in person Caesar then seeing the left winge of his enemies so strong with the gard of the horsemen and being affrayed of the brightnes of their armor brought forward six enseignes for supply which he placed hard behind the tenth legioÌ„ coÌ„maunding them that no man should sturre least their enemies should discouer them And furthermore when the horsemen of the enemies should come to geue charge vpon theÌ„ that then they should ronne with speed on the toe side of the formest ranckes not to throw their dartes farre from them as the valliantest souldiers are wont to do to come to the sword the sooner but to throw them vpwardes into their enemies eyes and faces For said he these braue fellowes and fine daunsers will neuer abide to haue their faces marred And this was Caesars deuise at that time Pompey being a horse backe rode vp and downe to consider the ordinaunce of both battells and perceyuing that his enemies stoode still in their ranckes looking for the signall of battell that his owne battell on thother side waued vp downe disorderly as men vnskillfull in warres he was affrayed they would flie before they were charged TherupoÌ„ he straightly coÌ„mauÌ„ded theÌ„ in the voward that they should stedily kepe their raÌ„cks and standing close together should so defend them selues receyuing the charge of the enemy But Caesar disliked of that deuise for thereby said he the force of their blowes was lessened in withholding them froÌ„ geuing the charge he not only tooke away that courage which thassailant carieth with him that commeth with furie but made them more ouer fainte hearted in receyuing the charge of the enemies In Caesars armie there were about two and twentie thowsand fighting men and in Pompeys armie somewhat aboue twise as many Now when the worde of battell was geuen of either side and that the trompettes did sounde the allarme euery man beganne to looke to him selfe But a few of the chiefest of the ROMANES and certaine GRAECIANS that were there also out of the set battel perceyuing the imminent daunger beganne to bethinke them to what passe the ambition and wilfull contencion betwene these two men had brought the state of ROME For the weapons of kinsmen the bandes of brethern the enseignes all alike the flower of so many valliant men of one citie did serue for a notable example to shew how mans nature prickt forward with couetousnes is quite blinde and without reason For if they could haue bene contented quietly to haue gouerned that which they had conquered the greatest and best part of the world both by sea and by land was subiect vnto them Or otherwise if they could not haue quenched their vnsatiable desire of victorie triumphe they had occasion of warre enough offred them against the PARTHIANS and GERMANES Furthermore they had enough to do besides to conquer SCYTHIA and the INDIANS withal they had had an honest culler to haue cloked their ambitious desires if it had bene but to haue brought the barbarous people to a ciuill life For what horse men of SCYTHIA or arrowes of PARTHIA or riches of INDIANS could haue abidden the power of three score ten thowsand ROMANE souldiers specially being led by two so famous captaines as Pompey and Caesar whose names these straunge farre nations vnderstood longe before the name of the ROMANES so great were their victories hauing conquered so many wilde barbarous people They both being then in armes the one against the other not regarding their honor which made them so ambitious did not spare their owne contry who had vntill that time remained vnuincible both in fame and prowes For the alliance that was made betwene them the loue of Iulia marying with her was suspected froÌ„ the beginning to be but a deceit a pledge as it were of a coÌ„spiracie made betwene theÌ„ for a priuate benefit more theÌ„ for any true frendship Now wheÌ„ the feildes of PHARSALIA were couered ouer with men with horse and armor and that the signall of battell was geuen on either side the first man of Caesars army that aduaunced forward to geue charge was Caius Crassinius captaine of six score and fiue men to performe a great promise which he had made vnto Caesar. For Caesar when he came out of his tent in the morning seeing him called him to him by his name and asked him what he thought of the successe of this battellâ— Crassinius holding dut his right hand vnto him coragyously cryed Oh Caesar thine is the victorie and this daye thou shalt commend me either aliue or dead Then remembring these wordes he brake out of the ranckes and many following after him ranne amongest the middest of his enemies Straight they came to the sword and made great slaughter But the pressing forward still one with a thrust ranne him through the mouth that the swords pointe came through at his necke Thereupon Crassinius being slaine the battell was equall Pompey did not make his left winge marche ouer sodainely but stayed and cast his eyes abroade to see what his horsemen would do the which had already deuided their companies meaning to compasse in Caesar and to make the small nomber of horsemen which he had before him to geue backe apon the squadron of his footemen On thother side as soone as Caesar had geueÌ„ the signal of battel his horsemen retired backe a 〈…〉 the six enseignes which he had placed secretly behinde them being three thowsand fighting men ranne sodainely to assaile the enemie vpon the flancke and when they came neere vnto the horsemen they threw the pointes of their dartes vpwardes according to Caesars commaundement and hyt the younge gentlemen full in their faces They being vtterly vnskilfull to fight least of all looking for such maner of fight had not the hartes to defend themselues nor to abide to be hurt as they were in their faces but turning their heades clapping their haÌ„des on their faces shamefully fled They being ouerthrowen Caesars men made no accompt to follow them but went and gaue charge vpon the battel of footemen in that place specially where they had no gard of horsemen whereby they might the easelier be compassed aboâ—â— Thus they being charged by them in the flancke and in the voward also by the tenth legion perceyuing them selues contrarie to their expectation compassed about by their enemies where they thought to haue enuironned them they could make no longer resistance They also being likewise driuen to flie when Pompey saw the dust in the element coniectured the flying of his horsemen what minde he was of then it was hard to say For by his countenance a man might well thinke he was like a man amazed and at his wittes end forgetting that he was Pompey the great
vnto the late king his predecessor and that when he came into the temple of Belus he sodainely vanished from him By this dreame it plainly appeared that the gods did signifie vnto him that the MACEDONIANS should haue noble successe in their doinges that Alexander should conquer all ASIA euen as king Darius had done when he was but Asgandes vnto the king and that shortly after he should end his life with great honor This furthermore made him bolde also when he saw that Alexander remained a good while in CILICIA supposing it had bene for that he was afraid of him Howbeit it was by reason of a sicknes he had the which some say he got by extreame paines and trauell others also bycause he washed him selfe in the riuer of Cydnus which was cold as Ise. Howsoeuer it came there was none of the other phisitians that durst vndertake to cure him thinking his disease vncurable and no medicines to preuaile that they could giue him and fearing also that the MACEDONIANS would laie it to their charge if Alexander miscaried But Philip ACARNANIAN considering his master was very ill and bearing him selfe of his loue and good will towardes him thought he shoulde not doe that became him if he did not proue seeing him in extremitie and daunger of life the vtmost remedies of phisicke what daunger so euer he put him selfe into and therefore tooke apon him to minister phisicke vnto Alexander and perswaded him to drincke it boldly if he would quickly be whole goe to the warres In the meane time Parmenio wrote him a letter from the campe aduertising him that he should beware of Philip his phisitian for he was bribed and corrupted by Darius with large promises of great riches that he would geue him with his daughter in mariage to kill his master Alexander when he had redde this letter layed it vnder his beddes head and made none of his neerest familliers acquainted therewith When the hower came that he should take his medicine Philip came into his chamber with other of the kings familliers brought a cup in his hand with the pocion he should drinke Alexander then gaue him the letter withall cheerefully tooke the cup of him shewing no maner of feare or mistrust of any thing It was a wonderfull thing and worth the sight how one reading the letter and thother drinking the medicine both at one instant they looked one apon another howbeit not both with like cheerefull countenaunce For Alexander looked merily apon him plainly shewing the trust he had in his phisitian Philip and how much he loued him and the phisitian also beheld Alexander like a man perplexed amazed to be so falsly accused straight lift vp his handes to heauen calling the goddes to witnesse that he was innocent and then came to Alexanders bed side and prayed him to be of good cheere and boldly to doe as if would aduise him The medicine beginning to worke ouercame the disease and draue for the time to the lowest partes of his body all his naturall strength and powers in somuch as his speach failed him and he fell into such a weaknes and almost sooning that his pulse did scant beate and his sences were welneere taken from him But that being past Philip in few days recouered him againe Now when Alexander had gotten some strength he shewed him selfe openly vnto the MACEDONIANS for they would not be pacified nor perswaded of his health vntill they had seene him In king Darius campe there was one Amyntas a MACEDONIAN banisht out of his contrie who knew Alexanders disposition very well He finding that Darius ment to meete with Alexander within the straightes and vallies of the mountaines besoughts him to tarie rather where he was being a plaine open contrie round about him considering that he had a great hoste of men to fight with a few enemies and that it was most for his aduantage to meete with him in the open field Darius aunswered him againe that he was afraid of nothing but that he would flie before he could come to him Amyntas replied for that O king I praie you feare not for I warrant you apon my life he will come to you yea and is now onwards on his way comming towards you All these perswasions of Amyntas could not turne Darius from making his campe to marche towardes CILICIA At the selfe same time also Alexander went towardes SYRIA to meete with him But it chaunced one night that the one of them missed of the other and when day was come they both retorned backe againe Alexander being glad of this happe making hast to meete with his enemy within the straights Darius also seeking to winne Alexanders lodging from whence he came and to bring his army out of the straites beganne then to find the fault error committed for that he had shut him selfe vp in the straights holden in on the one side with the mountaine and on the other with the Sea and the riuer of Pindarus that ranne betwene both and that he was driuen to disperse his armie into diuers companies in a stonie and ill fauored contrie ill for horsemen to trauel being on the contrarie side a great aduantage for his enemies which were excellent good footemen and but few in nomber But now as fortune gaue Alexander the field as he would wishe it to fight for his aduantage so could he tell excellently well how to set his men in battell raye to winne the victorie For albeit that Alexander had the lesse nomber by many then his enemie yet he had such policy and cast with him that he foresaw all and would not be enuironned For he did put out the right winge of his battell a great deale further then he did his left winge and fighting him selfe in the left winge in the foremost ranckes he made all the barbarous people flie that stood before him howbeit he was hurt on his thighe with a blow of a sword Chares writteth that Darius selfe did hurte him and that they fought together man to man Notwithstanding Alexander selfe writing of this battell vnto Antipater sayeth that in deede he was hurte on the thighe with a sword howbeit it did put him in no daunger but he writeth not that Darius did hurte him Thus hauing wonne a famous victory and slaine aboue a hundred and tenne thowsand of his enemies he could not yet take Darius bycause he fled hauing still foure or fiue forlonges vantage before him howbeit he tooke his charriot of battell wherein he fought and his bow also Then he retorned from the chase found the MACEDONIANS sacking spoiling all the rest of the campe of the barbarous people where there was infinite riches although they had left the most parte of their cariage behind them in the citie of DAMAS to come lighter to the battell but yet reserued for him selfe all king Darius tent which was full of a great nomber of officers
tyme to salute Alexander and sayd vnto him What should we neede Alexander to fight and make warres one with an other if thou comest not to take away our water and our necessary commoditie to liue by for which thinges men of iudgement must needes fight As for other goods if I be richer then thou I am ready to giue thee of myne and if I haue lesse I will not thinkeskorne to thanke thee if thou wilt giue me some of thine Alexander being pleased to heare him speake thus wisely imbraced him and sayd vnto him Thinkest thou this meeting of ours can be without fight for all these goodly fayre wordes no no thou hast wonne nothing by that for I will fight and contend with thee in honestie and curtesie bycause thou shalt not exceede me in bowntie and liberalitie So Alexander taking diuers giftes of him but giuing more vnto Taxiles he dranke to him one night at supper and said I drinke to thee a thowsand talents in golde This gifte misliked Alexanders friendes but in recompence therof he wanne the hartes of many of those barbarous Lordes and Princes of that country There was a certeine number of souldiers of the INDIANS the warlikest men of all that country who beeing mercenary souldiers were euer enterteyned in seruice of the great free cities which they valiantly defended and did great hurt vnto Alexander in diuers places Alexander hauing made peace with them in a citie where they were kept in when they came abrode apon suertie of this peace which they had made he met with them as they went their way and put them all to the sworde There was but this onely fault to bleamish the honor of his noble deedes in all his warres for in all thinges els he shewed mercy and equitie Furthermore the graue Philosophers and wise men of INDIA did greatly trouble him also For they reproued the kinges and Princes of the INDIANS for that they yelded vnto Alexander procured the free cities to take armes against him But by their occasion he tooke diuers of their cities For king Porus Alexander selfe writeth in his Epistles all his actes at large which he did against him For he sayth that both their campes lying on either side of the riuer of Hydaspes king Porus set his Elephants apon the banke of the riuer with their heades towards their enemies to keepe them from passing ouer and that he him selfe did continually make a noise and tumult in his campe to acquaint his men not to be afraid of the barbarous people Furthermore that in a darke night when there was no moone light he tooke part of his footemen the choice of his horsemen and went farre from his enemies to get ouer into a litle Ilande When he was come into the Iland there fel a wonderful shower of raine great windes lightnings and thunders apon his campe insomuch as he saw many of his men burnt by lightning in this litle Ilande This notwithstanding he did not leaue to get ouer to the other side of the riuer The riuer being swollen with the great flud of rayne that fell the night before ouerflowing the bankes it did eate into the ground where the water ranne so that Alexander when he had passed ouer the riuer and was come to the other side found him selfe in very ill case for that he could hardly keepe his feete bicause the earth was very slippery vnder him and the rage of the water had eaten into it and broke it downe on euery side It is written of him that then he sayd vnto the ATHENIANS O ATHENIANS could ye thinke that I could take such paines and put my selfe into so many daungers onely to be praised of you Thus Onesicritus reporteth it But Alexander selfe writeth that they left their rafters or great peeces of tymber pinned together whereuppon they had passed ouer the streame of the mayne riuer and that they waded thorow the other arme or gutt of the water which had broken the earth vppe to their breasts with their harnesse on their backes Furthermore when he had passed ouer both waters he rode with his horsemen twenty furlonges before the battell of his footemen thinking that if his enemies came to giue him charge with their men of armes that he was the stronger and if they would also aduawnce their footemen forwarde that his footemen also should come tyme enough One of the twaine fel out as he had gessed For a thowsand horsemen and three skore charrets armed with his ennemies gaue him charge before their great company whom he ouerthrew and tooke all their charrets slue foure hundred of the men of armes in the fielde King Porus then knowing by those signes that Alexander was there in person and had passed ouer the riuer he marched towardes him with all his armie in battell ray sauing a few which he left behinde to resist the MACEDONIANS if they shewed force to passe ouer the riuer Alexander being afraid of the great multitude of his ennemies and of the terror of the Elephants did not giue charge apon the middest of the battell but being him selfe in the left winge gaue charge apon the corner of thenemies left winge and also commaunded them that were in the right winge to doe the like So both the endes of thenemies armie were broken and put to flight and they that fled ranne vnto the Elephants gathered them selues together about them Thus the battell being begon the conflict continued long insomuch as the enemies were scantly all ouerthrowne by three of the clocke in the afternoone Many writers doe agree that Porus was foure cubits and a shaft length hier and bigger then the Elephant although the Elephant was very great and as bigge as a horse and besides that the Elephant did shew great wit and care to saue the king his Maister For whilest he perceyued his Maister was stronge enough he lustily repulsed those which came to assayle him but when he found that he began to faint hauing many woundes apon his body and arrowes sticking in it then being afraid lest his Maister should fall downe from his backe he softely fell on his knees and gently taking his dartes and arrowes with his troncke which he had in his body he pluckt them all from him one after an other Porus beeing taken Alexander asked him howe he should handle him princely aunswered Porus. Alexander asked him agayne if he would saye any thing els I comprehend all sayde he in this word princely Thereupon Alexander did not onely leaue him his prouinces and Realmes whereof before he was king by the name of his Liesetenant but gaue him many other contries also When he had subdued all the free people of the which there were fifteene seuerall nations fiue thowsand of no small cities besides an infinite number of villages and thryse as many other contries he made Philip one of his friendes his Liefetenant of all those contries his horse
better then I can doe for the gods doe promise vs a maruelous great chaunge and alteracion of thinges that are now vnto an other cleane contrary For if thou beest wel now doest thou thinke to haue worse fortune hereafter and if thou be ill assure thy self thou shalt haue better The night before the battell as he went about midnight to visite the watch men saw a great firebrand in the element all of a light fire that came ouer Caesars campe and fell downe in Pompeys In the morning also when they releeued the watche they heard a false alarom in the enemies campe without any apparant cause which they commonly call a sodaine feare that makes men besides them selues This notwithstāding Caesar thought not to fight that day but was determined to haue raised his camp from thence and to haue gone towards the citie of SCOTVSA and his tents in his campe were already ouerthrowen when his skowtes came in with great speede to bringe him newes that his enemies were preparing them selues to fight Then he was very glad after he had made his prayers vnto the gods to helpe him that day he set his men in battell ray deuided them into three squadrons giuing the middle battell vnto Domitius Caluinus and the left winge vnto Antonius and placed him selfe in the right winge choosing his place to fight in the tenth legion But seeing that against that his enemies had set all their horsemen he was halfe affraid when he saw the great number of them and so braue besides Wherefore he closely made six ensignes to come from the rerewarde of his battell whom he had layd as an ambushe behind his right winge hauing first appointed his souldiers what they should do when the horsemen of the enemies came to giue them charge On thother side Pompey placed him self in the right winge of his battell gaue the left winge vnto Domitius and the middle battell vnto Scipio his father in law Now all the ROMANE knightes as we haue told you before were placed in the left winge of purpose to enuyrone Caesars right wing behinde and to giue their hottest charge there where the generall of their enemies was making their accompt that there was no squadron of footemen how thicke soeuer they were that could receiue the charge of so great a trowpe of horsemen and that at the first onset they should ouerthrow them all and marche vpon their bellies When the trompets on either side did sound the alarom to the battell Pompey commaunded his footemen that they should stande still without sturring to receyue the charge of their enemies vntill they came to throwing of their darts Wherefore Caesar afterwardes sayde that Pompey had committed a fowle faulte not to consider that the charge which is giuen ronning with furie besides that it giueth the more strength also vnto their blowes doth sette mens hartes also a fire for the common hurling of all the souldiers that ronne together is vnto them as a boxe of the eare that settes men a fire Then Caesar making his battell marche forwarde to giue the onsette sawe one of his Captaines a valiant man and very skillfull in warre in whome he had also greate confidence speaking to his souldiers that he had vnder his charge encouraging them to fight lyke men that daye So he called him alowde by his name and sayde vnto him well Caius Crassinius what hope shall we haue to day how are we determined to fight it out manfully Then Crassinius casting vp his hand aunswered him alowd this day O Caesar we shall haue a noble victory and I promise thee ere night thou shalt prayse me alyue or dead When he had told him so he was him selfe the foremost man that gaue charge vpon his enemies with his band following of him beeing about six score men and making a lane through the foremost ranckes with great slaughter he entred farre into the battell of his enemies vntill that valiantly fighting in this sort he was thrust in at length in the mouth with a sworde that the poynt of it came out agayne at his necke Nowe the footemen of both battells being come to the sworde the horsemen of the left winge of Pompey did marche as fiercely also spreading out their trowpes to compasse in the right winge of Caesars battell But before they beganne to giue charge the six ensignes of footemen which Caesar had layed in ambushe behinde him they beganne to runne full apon them not throwing away their dartes farre of as they were wont to doe neyther striking their enemies on the thighes nor on the legges but to seeke to hit them full in the eyes and to hurt them in the face as Caesar had taught them For he hoped that these lusty younge gentlemen that had not bene often in the warres nor were vsed to see them selues hurt the which beeing in the pryme of their youth and beautie would be affrayd of those hurtes aswell for the feare of the present daunger to be slayne as also for that their faces should not for euer be deformed As in deede it came to passe for they coulde neuer abyde that they shoulde come so neare their faces with the poyntes of their dartes but honge downe their heades for feare to be hitte with them in their eyes and turned their backes couering their face bicause they shoulde not be hurt Then breaking of them selues they beganne at length cowardly to flye and were occasion also of the losse of all the rest of Pompeys armie For they that had broken them ranne immediatly to sette vpon the squadron of the footemen behind and slue them Then Pompey seeing his horsemen from the other winge of his battell so scattered and dispersed flying away forgate that he was any more Pompey the great which he had bene before but rather was like a man whose wittes the goddes had taken from him being affrayde and amazed with the slaughter sent from aboue and so retyred into his tent speaking neuer a worde and sate there to see the ende of this battell Vntill at length all his army beeing ouerthrowen and put to flight the enemies came and gotte vp vpon the rampers and defence of his campe and fought hande to hande with them that stoode to defende the same Then as a man come to him selfe agayne he spake but this onely worde What euen into our campe So in haste casting of his coate armor and apparell of a generall he shifted him and put on such as became his miserable fortune and so stale out of his campe Furthermore what he did after this ouerthrowe and howe he had put him selfe into the handes of the AEGYPTIANS by whome he was miserably slayne we haue sette it forthe at large in his life Then Caesar entring into Pompeys campe and seeing the bodies layed on the grounde that were slayne and others also that were a killing sayde fetching a great sighe it was their owne doing and against
ouerthrowe of king Cleomenes so muche more lamentable For if he had delayed battell but two dayes lenger when the MACEDONIANS had bene gone he might haue made what peace he would with the ACHAIANS but for lacke of money he was driuen as Polybius wryteth to geue battell with twentie thowsande men against thirtie thowsande where he shewed him selfe an excellent and skilfull Captaine and where his citizens also fought like valliant men and the straungers in like case did shewe them selues good souldiers But his onely ouerthrowe was by the manner of his enemies weapons and the force of their battell of footemen But Phylarchus wryteth that treason was the cause of his ouerthrowe For Antigonus had appointed the ACARNANIANS and the ILLYRIANS which he had in his armie to steale vppon the winge of his enemies armie where Euclidas king Cleomenes brother was to compasse him in behinde whilest did sette the rest of his men in battell When Cleomenes was got vp vpon some hill to looke about him to see the countenaunce of the enemie and seeing none of the ACARNANIANS nor of the ILLYRIANS he was then affrayed of Antigonus that he went about some stratageame of warre Wherefore he called for Demoteles whose charge was to take heede of stratageames and secret ambushes and commaunded him to looke to the rerewarde of his armie and to be verie circumspect all about Demoteles that was bribed before as it is reported with money tolde him that all was cleere in the rerewarde and bad him looke to ouerthrowe his enemies before him Cleomenes trusting this reporte sette forward against Antigonus and in the ende his citizens of SPARTA which he had about him gaue suche a fierce charge apon the squadron of the MACEDONIAN footemen that they draue them backe fiue furlonges of But in the meane time Euclidas his brother in the other wing of his armie being compassed in behinde Cleomenes turning him backe and seeing the ouerthrowe cried out alowde alas good brother thou art but slaine yet thou dyest valliantlie and honestlie and thy death shall be a worthie example vnto all posteritie and shall be song by the praises of the women of SPARTA So Euclidas and his men being slaine the enemies came straight to sette vpon Cleomenes winge Cleomenes then seeing his men discouraged and that they durst no lenger resist the enemie fledde and saued him selfe Many of the straungers also that serued him were slaine at this battell and of sixe thowsande SPARTANS there were left aliue but onely two hundred Now Cleomenes being returned vnto SPARTA the citizens comming to see him he gaue them counsell to yeeld them selues vnto Antigonus the conqueror and for him selfe if either aliue or dead he could doe any thing for the honor and benefit of SPARTA that he would willingly doe it The women of the citie also comming vnto them that flying had escaped with him when he saw them vnarme the men and bring them drinke to refresh them with he also went home to his owne house Then a maide of the house which he had taken in the citie of MEGALIPOLIS and whom he had enterteined euer since the death of his wife came vnto him as her maner was to refresh him comming hot from the battell howbeit he would not drinke though he was extreame drie nor sit being verie wearie but armed as he was layed his arme a crosse apon a piller and leaning his head apon it reposed himselfe a litle and casting in his minde all the wayes that were to be thought of he tooke his frendes with him and went to the hauen of Gythium and there hauing his shippes which he had appointed for the purpose he hoysted sayle and departed his way Immediatly after his departure came Antigonus into the citie of SPARTA and curteously intreated the citizens and inhabitants he found and did offend no man nor prowdly despise the auncient honor and dignitie of SPARTA but referring them to their owne lawes and gouernment when he had sacrificed to the goddes for his victorie he departed from thence the thirde daye newes being brought him that the warre was verie great in MACEDON and that the barbarous people did spoyle his contrie Now a disease tooke him whereof he dyed afterwards which appeared a tisicke mixt with a sore catarre but yet he yeelded not to his disease and bare it out that fighting for his contrie and obteyning a famous victorie with great slaughter of the barbarous people he might yet dye honorably as in deede he did by Phylarchus testimonie who sayth that with the force of his voyce fiercely crying out in the middest of his fight he tare his lunges and lightes worse then they were before Yet in the schooles it is sayd that after he had wonne the battell he was so ioyfull of it that crying out O blessed day he brake out into a great bleeding at the mouth and a great feuer tooke him withall that he dyed of it Thus much touching Antigonus Now Cleomenes departing out of the Isle of CYTHERA went and cast ancker in an other Iland called AEGIALIA Then determining to saile ouer to the citie of CYRENA Therycion one of Cleomenes frendes a man that in warres shewed him selfe verie valliant but a boaster besides of his owne doinges tooke Cleomenes aside and sayd thus vnto him Truely O king we haue lost an honorable occasion to dye in battell though euery man hath heard vs vaunt and say that Antigonus should neuer ouercome the king of SPARTA aliue but dead A seconde occasion yet is offered vs to dye with much lesse honor and fame notwithstanding then the first Whether doe we saile to no purpose Why doe we flie the death at hand and seeke it so farre of If it be no shame nor dishonor for the posteritie race of Hercules to serue the successors of Philip and Alexander let vs saue then our labor and long daungerous sailing and goe yeelde our selues vnto Antigonus who in likelyhoode will better vse vs then Ptolomy bicause the MACEDONIANS are farre more nobler persons then the AEGYPTIANS And if we disdaine to be commaunded by them which haue ouercommen vs in battell why then will we make him Lord of vs that hath not ouercomen vs in steade of one to make vs inferior vnto both flying Antigonus and seruing king Ptolomy Can we say that we goe into AEGYPT in respect to see your mother there A ioyfull sight no doubt when she shall shew king Ptolomyes wiues her sonne that before was a king a prisoner fugitiue now Were it not better for vs that hauing yet LACONIA our contrie in sight and our swordes besides in our owne hands to deliuer vs from this great miserie so doing to excuse our selues vnto them that are slaine at SELASIA for defence of SPARTA then cowardly loosing our time in AEGYPT to inquire whom Antigonus left his Lieutenaunt and Gouernor in LACEDAEMON Therycion ending his oration Cleomenes aunswered him thus Doest thou
strongest places of mount Taurus Then he sent vnto Seleucus first of all to pray him to suffer to conquer certaine barbarous people thereaboutes who liued according to their owne lawes and neuer had king to th end that he might yet there with safetie end the rest of his life and exile staying at length in some place where he might be safe Secondly if that liked him not then that it woulde yet please him to vittell his men for the winter time onely in the same place where they were and not to be so hard harted vnto him as to driue him thence lacking all needefull thinges and so to put him into the mouth of his most cruell and mortall enemies But Seleucus mistrusting his demaundes sent vnto him that he shoulde winter if he thought good two monethes but no more in the contrie of CATAONIA so he gaue him the chiefest of his frendes for ostages howbeit in the meane he stopped vp all the wayes passages going from thence into SYRIA Demetrius nowe seeing him selfe kept in of all sides like a beast to be taken in the toyle he was driuen to trust to his owne strength Thereuppon he ouertanne the contry thereaboutes and as often as it was his chaunce to haue any skirmish or conflict with Seleucus he had euer the better of him and sometime also when they draue the armed cartes with sithes against him he ouercame them and put the rest to flight Then he draue them away that kept the toppe of the mountaines and had barred the passages to kepe him that he should not goe into SYRIA and so kept them him selfe In fine finding his mens hartes lift vp againe and pretily encoraged his hart also grewe so bigge that he determined to fight a battell with Seleucus and to set all at sixe and seuen So that Seleucus was at a straight with him selfe and wist now what to doe For he had returned backe the ayde which Lysimachus sent vnto him bicause he was affrayed of him and mistrusted him On thother side also he durst not fight with Demetrius alone being affrayed to venter him selfe with a desperate man and also mistrusting muche his vnconstant fortune the which hauing brought him to great extremitie raised him vp againe to great prosperitie But in the meane space Demetrius fell into a great sicknesse the which brought his bodie very weake and low and had almost vtterly ouerthrowen his affaires For his souldiers some of them yeelded them selues to his enemies and others stale away without leaue and went where they lifted Afterwardes when he had hardly recouered his health and within forty dayes space was pretily growen to strength againe with those few souldiers that remained with him he seemed to his enemies that he would goe and inuade CILICIA But then sodainly in the night without sownding any trumpet he remoued his campe and went another way and hauing passed ouer mount Amanus he spoyled all the contry vnder it as farre as the region of CYRRESTICA But Seleucus followed him and camped hard by him Thereuppon Demetrius sodainly armed his men and went out by night to assault Seleucus and to take him sleping when he mistrusted nothing So that Seleucus knew nothing of his stealing on him but late enough vntil that certaine traitors of Demetrius campe that fled before went quickly to aduertise him finding him asleepe and brought him newes of the daunger he was in Then Seleucus in a mase and feare withall got vp and sownded the alarom and as he was putting on his hose and making him ready he cryed out speaking to his friends and familliers about him we haue now a cruell and daungerous beast to deale with Demetrius on the other side perceiuing by the great sturre noyse he heard in the enemies campe that his enterprise was discouered he retyred againe with speede and the next morning by breake of day Seleucus went and offred him battell Demetrius prepared him selfe to ioyne with him and hauing giuen one of his faithfull friends the leading of one of the wings of his armie him selfe led the other and ouerthrow some of his enemies on his side But Seleucus in the middest of the battell lighted from his horse and taking his helmet from his head he tooke a target on his arme and went to the first ranckes of his armie to make him selfe knowen vnto Demetrius men perswading them to yeeld them selues vnto him and to acknowledge in the end that he had so long time deferred to giue them battell rather to saue them then to spare Demetrius Demetrius souldiers hearing him say so they did him humble reuerence and acknowledging him for their king they all yeelded vnto him Demetrius hauing sundry times before proued so many chaunges ouerthrowes of fortune thinking yet to scape this last also to passe it ouer he fled vnto the gates Amanides which are certaine straights of the mount Amanus There he founde certaine litle thicke groues where he determined to stay all night with certaine gentlemen of his house and a fewe other of his houshold seruaunts officers which had followed him meaning if he could possible to take his way towards the citie of CAVNVS to goe to that sea coast hoping to heare of his shippes there But when it was tolde him he had no vittells nor prouision left onely to serue him that day he began then to deuise some other way At length one of his famillier friends Sosigenes came vnto him that had foure hundred peeces of golde about him in his girdell So hoping that with the same money he might flie to the sea they tooke their way by night directly to the toppe of the mountaine But when they perceiued that the enemies kept watch there and that there were great store of fires hard by them they then dispaired to passe any further least they should be seene So they returned to the selfe same place from whence they came not all of them for some of them fled neither had they that remayned also any life in them as before So one among the rest tooke vpon him to say that there was no other way to scape but to put Demetrius into Seleucus hands Demetrius therewithall drew out his sword and would haue slaine him selfe but his friends about him would not suffer him but perswaded him to yeld him selfe vnto Seleucus Thereuppon he sent vnto Seleucus to tell him that he yelded him selfe vnto him Seleucus was so ioyfull of the newes that he sayd it was not Demetrius good fortune that saued him but his owne who besides many other happy good turnes she had done him gaue him yet so honorable occasion and good happe as to make the world to knowe his clemencie curtesie Thereuppon immediatly he called for his officers of houshold and commaunded them to set vp his richest pauilion and to prepare all thinges meete to receiue him honorably There was one Appolonides a gentleman in Seleucus Court who sometime
it For after he had made peace with the PARTHIANS he was loth to geue them cause to thinke he mistrusted them and on thother side also he would gladly shorten his way and passe by places wel inhabited where he might be prouided of al things necessary therfore he asked the MARDIAN what pledge he would put in to performe that he promised The MARDIAN gaue himself to be bound hand and foote till he had brought his army into the contry of ARMENIA So he guided the army thus bound two dayes together without any trouble of sight of enemy But the third day Antonius thinking the PARTHIANS would no more follow him trusting therin suffered the souldiers to march in disorder as euery mā listed The MARDIAN perceiuing that the dammes of a riuer were newly broken vp which they should haue passed ouer that the riuer had ouerflowen the bankes and drowned all the way they shoulde haue gone he gessed straight that the PARTHIANS had done it and had thus broken it open to stay the ROMANES for getting too farre before them Therupon he bad Antonius looke to him selfe and told him that his enemies were not farre from thence Antonius hauing set his men in order as he was placing of his archers sling men to resist the enemies to driue them backe they discried the PARTHIANS that wheeled round about the army to compasse them in on euery side to breake their rankes their light armed men gaue charge apon them So after they had hurt many of the ROMANES with their arrowes and that they them selues were also hurt by them with their dartes and plummets of leade they retyred a litle and then came againe and gaue charge Vntill that the horsemen of the GAVLES turned their horses fiercely gallopped towards them that they dispersed them so as al that day they gathered no more together Therby Antonius knew whatto do and did not only strengthen the rereward of his army but both the flanks also with darters and sling men and made his army march in a square battell commaunding the horsemen that when the enemies should come to assaile them they shoulde driue them backe but not follow them too farre Thus the PARTHIANS foure daies after seeing they did no more hurte to the ROMANES then they also receiued of them they were not so hotte vpon them as they were commaunded but excusing them selues by the winter that troubled them they determined to returne backe againe The fist day Flauius Gallus a valliant man of his handes that had charge in the armie came vnto Antonius to pray him to let him haue some moe of his light armed men then were alreadie in the rereward and some of the horsemen that were in the voward hoping thereby to doe some notable exploite Antonius graunting them vnto him when the enemies came according to their maner to set vpon the taile of the army and to skirmish with them Flauius coragiously made them retire but not as they were wont to doe before to retire and ioyne presently with their army for he ouerrashly thrust in among them to fight it out at the sword The Capteines that had the leading of the rereward seeing Flauius stray too farre from the army they sent vnto him to will him to retire but he would not harken to it And it is reported also that Titius himselfe the Treasorer tooke the ensignes did what he could to make the ensigne bearers returne backe reuiling Flauius Gallus bicause that through his folly and desperatnes he caused many honest and valliant men to be both hurt slaine to no purpose Gallus also fel out with him and commaunded his men to stay Wherefore Titius returned againe into the army and Gallus stil ouerthrowing and driuing the enemies backe whom he met in the voward he was not ware that he was compassed in Then seeing him selfe enuironned of all sides he sent vnto the army that they should come and aide him but there the Captaines that led the legions among the which Canidius a man of great estimacion about Antonius made one committed many faults For where they should haue made head with the whole army vpon the PARTHIANS they sent him aide by small cōpanies and when they were slaine they sent him others also So that by their beastlinesse and lacke of consideracion they had like to haue made all the armie flie if Antonius him selfe had not come frō the front of the battell with the third legion the which came through the middest of them that fled vntill they came to front of the enemies that they stayed them from chasing any further Howbeit at this last conflict there were slaine no lesse thē three thowsand men and fiue thowsande besides brought sore hurt into the campe and amongest them also Flauius Gallus whose body was shot through in foure places whereof he died Antonius went to the tents to visite comfort the sicke wounded and for pities sake he could not refraine from weeping and they also shewing him the best countenaunce they coulde tooke him by the hand and prayed him to go and be dressed and not to trouble him selfe for them most reuerently calling him their Emperour Captaine that for them selues they were whole safe so that he had his health For in deede to say truly there was not at that time any Emperour or Captaine that had so great puisant an army as his together both for lusty youths corage of the souldiers as also for their pacience to away with so great paines trouble Furthermore the obedience reuerēce they shewed vnto their captaine with a maruelous earnest loue good wil was so great all were indifferētly as wel great as smal the noble men as meane men the Captaines and souldiers so earnestly bent to esteeme Antonius good will fauor aboue their owne life safety that in this point of marshall discipline the auncient ROMANES could not haue don any more But diuers things were cause therof as we haue told you before Antonius nobility ancient house his eloquence his plaine nature his liberality magnificence his familiarity to sport to be mery in company but specially the care he tooke at that time to help visite lament those that were sicke woūded seing euery man to haue that which was meete for him that was of such force effect as it made them that were sicke wounded to loue him better were more desirous to do him seruice then those that were whole soūd This victory so encoraged the enemies who otherwise were weary to follow Antonius any further that all night longe they kept the fieldes and houered about the ROMANES campe thinking that they would presently flie then that they should take the spoile of their campe So the next morning by breake of daye there were gathered together a farre greater nūber of the PARTHIANS then they were
army spake to his people to encorage them to fight valliantly as if they were on maine land bicause of the steadines heauines of their ships commaunded the Pilots masters of the gallies that they should not sturre none otherwise then if they were at anker and so to receiue the first charge of their enemies and that they should not goe out of the straight of the gulfe Caesar betymes in the morning going out of his tent to see his ships thorough out met a man by chaunce that draue an asse before him Caesar asked the man what his name was The poore man told him his name was Eutychus to say fortunate and his asses name Nicon to say Conquerer Therefore Caesar after he had wonne the battell setting out the market place with the spurres of the gallies he had taken for a signe of his victorie he caused also the man and his asse to be set vp in brasse When he had visited the order of his armie thorough out he tooke a little pinnase and went to the right wing and wondered when he sawe his enemies lye stil in the straight sturred not For decerning them a farre of men would haue thought they had bene shippes riding at anker and a good while he was so perswaded So he kept his gallies eight furlong from his enemies About noone there rose a litle gale of winde from the sea and then Antonius men waxing angry with tarying so long and trusting to the greatnes and height of their shipps as if they had bene inuincible they began to march forward with their left wing Caesar seeing that was a glad man and began a litle to giue backe from the right wing to allure them to come further out of the straight gulfe to th end that he might with his light shippes well manned with water men turne and enuirone the gallies of the enemies the which were heauy of yarage both for their biggenes as also for lacke of watermen to row them When the skirmish began and that they came to ioyne there was no great hurt at the first meeting neither did the shippes vehemently hit one against the other as they doe commonly in fight by sea For on the one side Antonius shippes for their heauines could not haue the strength and swiftnes to make their blowes of any force and Caesars shippes on thother side tooke great heede not to rushe shocke with the forecastells of Antonius shippes whose proues were armed with great brasen spurres Furthermore they durst not flancke them bicause their points were easily broken which way soeuer they came to set vpon his shippes that were made of great mayne square peeces of tymber bounde together with great iron pinnes so that the battel was much like to a battel by land or to speake more properly to the assault of a citie For there were alwaies three or foure of Caesars shippes about one of Antonius shippes and the souldiers fought with their pykes halberds and darts and threw pots and darts with fire Antonius ships on the other side bestowed among them with their crosbowes and engines of battery great store of shot from their highe towers of wodde that were apon their shippes Now Publicola seing Agrippa put forth his left wing of Caesars army to compasse in Antonius shippes that fought he was driuen also to loose of to haue more roome going a litle at one side to put those further of that were affraid and in the middest of the battel For they were fore distressed by Aruntius Howbeit the battell was yet of euen hand and the victorie doubtfull being indifferent to both when sodainely they saw the three score shippes of Cleopatra busie about their yard masts and hoysing saile to flie So they fled through the middest of them that were in fight for they had bene placed behind the great shippes did maruelously disorder the other shippes For the enemies them selues wondred much to see them saile in that sort with ful saile towards PELOPONNESVS There Antonius shewed plainely that he had not onely lost the corage and hart of an Emperor but also of a valliant man that he was not his owne man prouing that true which an old man spake in myrth that the soule of a louer liued in another body and not in his owne he was so carried away with the vaine loue of this woman as if he had bene glued vnto her that she could not haue remoued without mouing of him also For when he saw Cleopatraes shippe vnder saile he forgot forsooke betrayed them that fought for him imbarked vpon a galley with fiue bankes of owers to follow her that had already begon to euerthrow him would in the end be his vtter destruction When she knew this galley a farre of she lift vp a signe in the poope of her shippe and so Antonius comming to it was pluckt vp where Cleopatra was howbeit he saw her not at his first comming nor she him but went and sate down alone in the prowe of his shippe and said neuer a word clapping his head betwene both his hands In the meane time came certaine light brigantynes of Caesars that followed him hard So Antonius straight turned the prowe of his shippe and presently put the rest to flight sauing one Eurycles LACEDAEMONIAN that followed him neare and prest vpon him with great corage shaking a dart in his hand ouer the prow as though he would haue throwen it vnto Antonius Antonius seing him came to the fore castell of his ship asked him what he was that durst follow Antonius so neare I am aunswered he Eurycles the sonne of Lachares who through Caesars good fortune seketh to reuenge the death of my father This Lachares was condemned of fellonie and beheaded by Antonius But yet Eurycles durst not venter on Antonius shippe but set vpon the other Admirall galley for there were two and fell with him with such a blowe of his brasen spurre that was so heavy and bigge that he turned her round and tooke her with another that was loden with very rich stuffe and cariage After Eurycles had left Antonius he returned againe to his place and sate downe speaking neuer a word as he did before and so liued three dayes alone without speaking to any man But when he arriued at the head of Taenarus there Cleopatraes women first brought Antonius and Cleopatra to speake together and afterwards to suppe and lye together Then beganne there agayne a great number of Marchaunts shippes to gather about them and some of their friends that had escaped from this ouerthrow who brought newes that his army by sea was ouerthrowen but that they thought the army by land was yet whole Thē Antonius sent vnto Canidius to returne with his army into ASIA by MACEDON Now for him self he determined to crosse ouer into AFRICK toke one of his carects or hulks loden with gold and siluer and other rich cariage
I am compelled against my minde and will as Pompey the great was to ieopard the libertie of our contry to the hazard of a battel And yet we must be liuely and of good corage considering our good fortune whome we shoulde wronge too muche to mistrust her although we followe euill counsell Messala writeth that Cassius hauing spoken these last wordes vnto him he bad him farewell and willed him to come to supper to him the next night following bicause it was his birth day The next morning by breake of day the signall of battell was set out in Brutus and Cassius campe which was an arming scarlet coate and both the Chiefetaines spake together in the middest of their armies There Cassius beganne to speake first and sayd the gods graunt vs O Brutus that this day we may winne the field and euer after to liue all the rest of our life quietly one with another But sith the gods haue so ordeyned it that the greatest chiefest things amongest men are most vncertaine and that if the battell fall out otherwise to daye then we wishe or looke for we shall hardely meete againe what art thou then determined to doe to flye or dye Brutus aunswered him being yet but a young man and not ouergreatly experienced in the world I trust I know not how a certaine rule of Philosophie by the which I did greatly blame and reproue Cato for killing of him selfe as being no lawfull nor godly acte touching the gods not concerning men valliant not to giue place and yeld to diuine prouidence and not constantly and paciently to take whatsoeuer it pleaseth him to send vs but to drawe backe and flie but being nowe in the middest of the daunger I am of a contrary mind For if it be not the will of God that this battell fall out fortunate for vs I will looke no more for hope neither seeke to make any new supply for warre againe but will rid me of this miserable world and content me with my fortune For I gaue vp my life for my contry in the Ides of Marche for the which I shall liue in another more glorious worlde Cassius fell a laughing to heare what he sayde and imbracing him come on then sayde he let vs goe and charge our enemies with this mynde For eyther we shall conquer or we shall not neede to feare the Conquerors After this talke they fell to consultacion amonge their friendes for the ordering of the battell Then Brutus prayed Cassius he might haue the leading of the right winge the which men thought was farre meeter for Cassius both bicause he was the elderman and also for that he had the better experience But yet Cassius gaue it him and willed that Messala who had charge of one of the warrelikest legions they had shoulde be also in that winge with Brutus So Brutus presently sent out his horsemen who were excellently well appoynted and his footemen also were as willing and readye to giue charge Nowe Antonius men did cast a trenche from the marishe by the which they laye to cutte of Cassius way to come to the sea and Caesar at the least his armye styrred not As for Octauius Caesar him selfe he was not in his campe bicause he was sicke And for his people they litle thought the enemies would haue giuen them battell but onely haue made some light skirmishes to hinder them that wrought in the trenche and with their darts and slings to haue kept them from finishing of their worke but they taking no heede to them that came full vpon them to giue them battell maruelled much at the great noyse they heard that came from the place where they were casting their trenche In the meane tyme Brutus that led the right winge sent litle billes to the Colonells and Captaines of priuate bandes in the which he wrote the worde of the battell and he him selfe riding a horse backe by all the trowpes did speake to them and incoraged them to sticke to it like men So by this meanes very fewe of them vnderstoode what was the worde of the battell and besides the moste parte of them neuer taryed to haue it tolde them but ranne with greate furie to assayle the enemies whereby through this disorder the legions were maruelously scattered and dispersed one from the other For first of all Messalaes legion and then the next vnto them went beyond the left winge of the enemies and did nothing but glawnsing by them ouerthrewe some as they went and so going on further fell right vpon Caesars campe out of the which as him selfe writeth in his commentaries he had bene conueyed away a litle before thorough the counsell and aduise of one of his friendes called Marcus Artorius Who dreaming in the night had a vision appeared vnto him the commaunded Octauius Caesar should be caried out of his campe Insomuch as it was thought he was slayne bicause his lytter which had nothing in it was thrust through through with pykes and darts There was great slaughter in this campe For amongest others there were slayne two thowsand LACEDAEMONIANS who were arriued but euen a litle before comming to ayde Caesar. The other also that had not glaunsed by but had giuen a charge full vpon Caesars battell they easily made them flie bicause they were greatly troubled for the losse of their campe and of them there were slayne by hand three legions Then being very earnest to followe the chase of them that fled they ranne in amongest them hand ouer head into their campe Brutus among thē But that which the cōquerors thought not of occasion shewed it vnto them that were ouercome that was the left wing of their enemies left naked vngarded of thē of the right wing who were strayed too far of in following of them that were ouerthrowen So they gaue a hot charge vpon them But notwithstanding all the force they made they coulde not breake into the middest of their battell where they founde men that receiued them and valliantlie made head against them Howbeit they brake and ouerthrewe the left wing where Cassius was by reason of the great disorder among them and also bicause they had no intelligence how the right wing had sped So they chased them beating them into their campe the which they spoyled none of both the Chieftaines being present there For Antonius as it is reported to flie the furie of the first charge was gotten into the next marish and no man coulde tell what became of Octauius Caesar after he was caried out of his campe Insomuche that there were certaine souldiers that shewed their swords bloodied sayd that they had slaine him and did describe his face and shewed what age he was of Furthermore the voward and the middest of Brutus battell had alreadie put all their enemies to flight that withstoode them with great slaughter so that Brutus had conquered all of his side and Cassius had lost all on the other
side For nothing vndid them but that Brutus went not to helpe Cassius thinking he had ouercome them as him selfe had done and Cassius on the other side taried not for Brutus thinking he had bene ouerthrowen as him selfe was And to proue that the victorie fell on Brutus side Messala confirmeth it that they wanne three Eagles and diuers other ensignes of their enemies and their enemies wanne neuer a one of theirs Now Brutus returning from the chase after he had slaine and sacked Caesars men he wondred muche that he coulde not see Cassius tent standing vp high as it was wont neither the other tentes of his campe standing as they were before bicause all the whole cāpe had bene spoiled and the tentes throwen downe at the first comming in of the enemies But they that were about Brutus whose sight serued them better tolde him that they sawe a great glistering of harnes and a number of siluered targets that went came into Cassius campe and were not as they tooke it the armors nor the number of men that they had left there to gard the campe and yet that they saw not such a number of dead bodies and great ouerthrow as there should haue bene if so many legions had bene slaine This made Brutus at the first mistrust that which had hapned So he appointed a number of men to keepe the campe of his enemie which he had taken and caused his men to be sent for that yet followed the chase and gathered them together thinking to leade them to aide Cassius who was in this state as you shall heare First of all he was maruelous angrie to see how Brutus men ranne to geue charge vpon their enemies and taried not for the word of the battell nor commaundement to geue charge and it grieued him beside that after he had ouercome them his men fell straight to spoyle and were not carefull to compasse in the rest of the enemies behinde But with tarying too long also more then through the valliantnesse or foresight of the Captaines his enemies Cassius founde him selfe compassed in with the right wing of his enemies armie Whereuppon his horsemen brake immediatly and fled for life towardes the sea Furthermore perceiuing his footemen to geue ground he did what he could to kepe them from flying and tooke an ensigne from one of the ensigne bearers that fled and stucke it fast at his feete although with much a do he could scant keepe his owne gard together So Cassius him selfe was at length compelled to flie with a few about him vnto a litle hill from whence they might easely see what was done in all the plaine howbeit Cassius him selfe sawe nothing for his sight was verie bad sauing that he saw and yet with much a doe how the enemies spoiled his campe before his eyes He sawe also a great troupe of horsemen whom Brutus sent to aide him and thought that they were his enemies that followed him but yet he sent Titinnius one of them that was with him to goe and know what they were Brutus horsemen sawe him comming a farre of whom when they knewe that he was one of Cassius chiefest frendes they showted out for ioy and they that were familiarly acquainted with him lighted from their horses and went and imbraced him The rest compassed him in rounde about a horsebacke with songs of victorie and great rushing of their harnes so that they made all the field ring againe for ioy But this marred all For Cassius thinking in deede that Titinnius was taken of the enemies he then spake these wordes desiring too much to liue I haue liued to see one of my best frendes taken for my sake before my face After that he gotte into a tent where no bodie was and tooke Pyndarus with him one of his freed bondmen whom he reserued euer for suche a pinche since the cursed battell of the PARTHIANS where Crassus was slaine though he notwithstanding scaped from that ouerthrow but then casting his cloke ouer his head holding out his bare neck vnto Pindarus he gaue him his head to be striken of So the head was found seuered from the bodie but after that time Pindarus was neuer seene more Wherupon some tooke occasion to say that he had slaine his master without his cōmaundement By by they knew the horsemen that came towards them might see Titinnius crowned with a garland of triumphe who came before with great speede vnto Cassius But when he perceiued by the cries and teares of his frends which tormented them selues the misfortune that had chaunced to his Captaine Cassius by mistaking he drew out his sword cursing him selfe a thowsand times that he had taried so long and so slue him selfe presentlie in the fielde Brutus in the meane time came forward still and vnderstoode also that Cassius had bene ouerthrowen but he knew nothing of his death till he came verie neere to his campe So when he was come thither after he had lamented the death of Cassius calling him the last of all the ROMANES being vnpossible that ROME should euer breede againe so noble valliant a man as he he caused his bodie to be buried and sent it to the citie of THASSOS fearing least his funerals within the campe should cause great disorder Then he called his souldiers together did encorage them againe And when he saw that they had lost all their cariage which they could not brooke well he promised euerie man of them two thowsand Drachmas in recompence After his souldiers had heard his Oration they were al of them pretily cheered againe wondering much at his great liberalitie and waited vpon him with great cries when he went his way praising him for that he only of the foure Chieftaines was not ouercome in battell And to speake the trueth his deedes shewed that he hoped not in vaine to be conqueror For with fewe legions he had slaine and driuen all them away that made head against him and yet if all his people had fought and that the most of them had not ouergone their enemies to runne to spoyle their goods surely it was like enough he had slaine them all and had left neuer a man of them aliue There were slaine of Brutus side about eight thowsand men coūting the souldiers slaues whom Brutus called Brigas and of the enemies side as Messala wryteth there were slaine as he supposeth more then twise as many moe Wherefore they were more discoraged then Brutus vntill that verie late at night there was one of Cassius men called Demetrius who went vnto Antonius and caried his maisters clothes whereof he was stripped not long before and his sword also This encoraged Brutus enemies and made them so braue that the next morning betimes they stoode in battell ray againe before Brutus But on Brutus side both his campes stoode wauering and that in great daunger For his owne campe being full of prisoners required a good garde to looke
it was but a lye deuised to be the better welcome for this good newes The selfe same night it is reported that the monstruous spirit which had appeared before vnto Brutus in the citie of SARDIS did now appeare againe vnto him in the selfe same shape and forme and so vanished away and sayd neuer a word Now Publius Voluminius a graue wise Philosopher that had bene with Brutus from the beginning of this warre he doth make mencion of this spirite but sayth that the greatest Eagle and ensigne was couered ouer with a swarme of bees and that there was one of the Captaines whose arme sodainly fell a sweating that it dropped oyle of roses from him and that they oftentimes went about to drie him but all would doe no good And that before the battell was fought there were two Eagles fought betwene both armies and all the time they fought there was a maruelous great silence all the valley ouer both the armies being one before the other marking this fight betwene them and that in the end the Eagle towardes Brutus gaue ouer and flew away But this is certaine and a true tale that when the gate of the campe was open the first man that standered bearer meâ— that caried the Eagle was an AETHIOPIAN whome the souldiers for ill lucke mangled with their swordes Now after that Brutus had brought his armie into the fielde and had set them in battell ray directlie against the voward of his enemie he pawsed a long time before he gaue the signall of battell For Brutus riding vp and downe to view the bands and companies it came in his head to mistrust some of them besides that some came to tell him so muche as he thought Moreouer he sawe his horsemen set forward but saintly and did not goe lustely to geue charge but still stayed to see what the footemen woulde doe Then sodainly one of the chiefest Knightes he had in all his armie called Camulatius and that was alway maruelously esteemed of for his valliantnes vntill that time he came hard by Brutus a horsebacke and roade before his face to yeeld him selfe vnto his enemies Brutus was maruelous sorie for it wherefore partely for anger and partely for feare of greater treason and rebellion he sodainly caused his armie to marche being past three of the clocke in the after noone So in that place where he him selfe fought in person he had the better and brake into the left wing of his enemies which gaue him way through the helpe of his horsemen that gaue charge with his footemen when they saw the enemies in a maze and affrayed Howbeit the other also on the right wing when the Captaines would haue had them to haue marched they were affraid to haue bene compassed in behinde bicause they were fewer in number then their enemies and therefore did spred them selues and leaue the middest of their battell Whereby they hauing weakened them selues they could not withstande the force of their enemies but turned taile straight and fled And those that had put them to flight came in straight vpon it to compasse Brutus behinde who in the middest of the conflict did all that was possible for a skilfull Captaine and valliant souldier both for his wisedom as also for his hardinesse for the obtaining of victorie But that which wanne him the victorie at the first battell did now lose it him at the seconde For at the first time the enemies that were broken and fled were straight cut in peeces but at the seconde battell of Cassius men that were put to flight there were fewe slaine and they that saued them selues by speede being affrayed bicause they had bene ouercome did discourage the rest of the armie when they came to ioyne with them filled all the army with feare disorder There was the sonne of M. Cato slaine valliantly fighting amongst the lustie youths For notwithstanding that he was verie wearie and ouerharried yet would he not therefore flie but manfully fighting and laying about him telling alowde his name and also his fathers name at lenghth he was beaten downe amongest many other dead bodies of his enemies which he had slaine rounde about him So there were slaine in the field all the chiefest gentlemen and nobilitie that were in his armie who valliantlie ranne into any daunger to saue Brutus life Amongest them there was one of Brutus frendes called Lucilius who seeing a troupe of barbarous men making no reckoning of all men else they met in their way but going all together right against Brutus he determined to stay them with the hazard of his life and being left behinde told them that he was Brutus and bicause they should beleue him he prayed them to bring him to Antonius for he sayd he was affrayed of Caesar and that he did trust Antonius better These barbarous men being very glad of this good happe and thinking them selues happie men they caried him in the night and sent some before vnto Antonius to tell him of their comming He was maruelous glad of it and went out to meete them that brought him Others also vnderstanding of it that they had brought Brutus prisoner they came out of all parts of the campe to see him some pitying his hard fortune others saying that it was not done like him selfe so cowardlie to be taken aliue of the barbarous people for feare of death When they came neere together Antonius stayed a while bethinking him selfe how he should vse Brutus In the meane time Lucilius was brought to him who stowtly with a bold countenaunce sayd Antonius I dare assure thee that no enemie hath taken nor shall take Marcus Brutus aliue and I beseech God keepe him from that fortune For wheresoeuer he be found aliue or dead he will be found like him selfe And nowe for my selfe I am come vnto thee hauing deceiued these men of armes here bearing them downe that I was Brutus and doe not refuse to suffer any torment thou wilt put me to Lucilius wordes made them all amazed that heard him Antonius on the other side looking vpon all them that had brought him sayd vnto them my companions I thinke ye are sorie you haue failed of your purpose that you thinke this man hath done you great wrong but I doe assure you you haue taken a better bootie then that you followed For in steade of an enemie you haue brought me a frend and for my parte if you had brought me Brutus aliue truely I can not tell what I should haue done to him For I had rather haue suche men my frendes as this man here then enemies Then he embraced Lucilius and at that time deliuered him to one of his frendes in custodie and Lucilius euer after serued him faithfullie euen to his death Nowe Brutus hauing passed a litle riuer walled in on either side with hie rockes and shadowed with great trees being then darke night he went no further but stayed
he could to leade his armie into some other prouince Furthermore he thought it would increase his estimacion much amoÌ„g strauÌ„gers also greatly encorage his owne people if he could make the power of the CARTHAGINIANS to seeme so great also their Captaine to be of so noble a corage as to dare to make warre so neere to the citie of ROME All things therefore set a part he marched with his campe by the mountaine Appenine and so comming through the contry of the LIGVRIANS he came into THVSCAN by the way that bringeth them into the champion contry to the marisses about the riuer of Arnus The riuer of Arnus at that time was very high and had ouerflowen all the fields thereabouts Annibal therefore marching with so great an army as he had could not avoyde it but that he must needes lose a number of his men horse before he could get out of those euill fauored marisses Insomuch that he him selfe lost one of his eyes by reason of the great paines he had taken day night without sleepe or rest and also through the euill ayer though he was caried vpon a high Elephants back which only was left him of all that he had brought with him In the meane time C. Flaminius Consul to whom the charge of SeÌ„pronius army was geuen he was come vnto ARETIVM against the Senates minde who were maruelously offended with him bicause he left his coÌ„panion Cn. Seruilius at ROME went vnto his prouince by stelth as it were without the furniture of a Consul his officers This was a very hasty man of nature one whom the people had brought to that dignity office so that he was become so prowde insolent that men might see he would hazard all things without wit or iudgement Annibal hauing intelligence hereof thought it the best way to anger the Consul to do what he could possible to allure him into the field before his fellow Consul should come to ioyne with him Therfore he marching forward with his campe through the contry of FESVLA ARETIVM he burnt spoiled all the contry thereabout filled them all with feare neuer leauing to destroy all before him vntil he came to the mountaines Cortonenses so to the lake called Thrasimene When he had viewed the place he went about to surprise his enemy by some ambush wherupon he conueied certen horsemen vnder the hills hard by the straight that goeth vnto Thrasimene and behind the mountaines also he placed his light horsemeÌ„ TheÌ„ he him selfe with the rest of his army came downe into the field supposing that the Consul would not be quiet and so it fell out For hot stirring heades are easely intrapped fall into the enemies ambush oftentimes do put all in hazard bicause they will follow no counsell nor good aduise C. Flaminius therefore seeing their contry vtterly spoiled the corne destroyed and cut downe and the houses burnt he made great hast to lead his armie against the enemie contrarie to all mens minds who would haue had him taried for his companion Cn. Seruilius the other Consul So euen at sunne set when he was come to the straightes of the lake of Thrasimene he caused his campe to stay there although his men were not wearie with the long iorney they had taken by the way So the next morning by breake of day making no view of the contrie he went ouer the mountaines The Annibal who long before was prepared for this did but stay for the oportunitie to worke his feate when he saw the ROMANES come into the plaine he gaue a signall vnto all his men to geue charge vpon the enemie Thereuppon the CARTHAGINIANS breaking out on euerie side came before and behinde and on the flanckes to assaile the enemie being shut in betwene the lake and the mountaines Now in contrarie maner the ROMANES beginning to fight out of order they â—ought inclosed together that they could not see one an other as if it had bene darke so that it is to be wondered at how and with what minde they fought it out so long considering they were compassed in on euerie side For they fought it out aboue three howres space with such fury and corage that they heard not the terrible earthquake that was at that present time neither did they offer to flie or stirre a foote vntil they heard that the Consul C. Flaminius going from rancke to rancke to encourage his men was slaine by a man of armes called Ducarius Then when they had lost their Generall and being voyde of all hope they fled some towardes the mountaines and others towards the lake of the which diuers of them flying were ouertaken slaine So there were slaine fifteene thowsand in the field there scaped about ten thowsand Furthermore the report went that there were six thowsande footemen which forciblie at the beginning of the battell got to the mountaine and there stayed on a hill till the battell was ended and at length came downe vpon Annibals promise but they were betrayed and slaine euery mothers sonne of them After this great victorie Annibal did let diuers ITALIAN prisoners goe free without raunsome paying after he had vsed them maruelous curteouslie bicause that the same of his clemencie curtesie should be knowen vnto all nations whereas in deede his owne nature was contrarie to all vertues For he was hastie and cruell of nature and from his youth was brought vp in warres and exercised in murther treason ambushes layed for enemies and neuer cared for law order nor ciuill gouernment So by this meanes he became one of the cruellest Captaines the most suttell and craftiest to deceiue and intrap his enemie that euer was For as he was alway prying to beguile the enemie so those whom he could not ouercome in warre by plaine force he went about to intrappe by slight and policie The which appeareth true by this present battell and also by the other he fought against the Consul Sempronius by the riuer of Trebia But let vs returne to our matter and leaue this talke till an other time Now when the newes of the ouerthrow and death of the Consul Flaminius was reported at ROME hauing lost the most parte of his armie there was great mone and lamentation made through all the citie of ROME Some bewailing the common miserie of the common wealth others lamenting their priuate particular losse some also sorowing for both together But in deede it was a woefull sight to see a world of men women to run to the gates of the citie euerie one priuatly asking for their kinne and frends Some do write that there were two women who being very sorie and pensife dispairing of the safetie of their sonnes dyed sodainly for the extreame ioy they had when beyond their expectacion hope they sawe their sonnes aliue and safe At the selfe same time Cn. Seruilius
accompâ— made of it that it was esteemed for a victorie and the common people were so ioyfull of it that they straight made the power of the Lieutenant equall with the Dictator Fabius the which was neuer heard of beforeâ— Fabius paciently bearing this extreame iniurie with a noble to courage hauing no way de feared inâ— the returned againe vnto the campe Thus there were two Dictators at one selfe time a thing neuer seene nor heard of before who after they had deuided the army betwene them other of them commaunded his army a parte as the Consuls were wont to doe before Marcus Minutius thereupon grew to such a pride and hawtie mind that one day he ventred to geue battell and made not his companion Fabius counsell withall the which Annibal hauing so often ouercome durst scantly haue enterprised So he led his army into such a place where the enemie had compassed them in insomuche that Annibal slue them at his pleasure without any hope left them to escape if Fabius had not comen in time as he did to aide them rather bea specting the honor of his contrie then remembring the priuate iniurie he had receiued For he comming fresh with his armie to the battell made Annibal affrayed that the ROMANE legions had libertie to retire with safetie Whereby Fabius wanne great fame for his wisedome and valliantnesse both of his owne souldiers as also of the enemies themselues For it was reported that Annibal should say returning into his campe that in this battell he had ouer comen M. Minutius but withall that he was also ouercomen by Fabius And Minutius selfe also confessing Fabius wisedom considering that according to Hesiodus saying it was good reason to obey a better man then him selfe he came with all his armie vnto Fabius campe renouncing his authority came and humbly saluted Fabius as his father and all that day there was great ioy and reioycing among the souldiers So both the armies being placed in garrison for the winter time after great contention about it at length there were two newe Consuls created L. Paulus AEmylius and C. Terentius Varro one that of a meane man through the fauour of the common people was brought to be Consul So they had libertie and commission to leauie a greater armie then the Generalls before them had done Whereby the legions were newly supplied and also others added vnto them more then were before Now when the Consuls were come into the armie as they were of seuerall dispositions so did they also obserue diuers manners in their gouernment Lucius Paulus who was a wise graue man and one that purposed to followe Fabius counsell and facions he did desire to drawe out the warre in length and to stay the enemie without fighting Varro on the other side was hastie man and venturous and desired nothinge but to fight So it chaunced that now longe after it was knowen to the great cost and daunger of the citie of ROME what difference there was betwext the modestie of AEmilius and the foolehardinesse of Varro For Annibal beinge affrayed of some sturre and tumult in his campe for lacke of vituells he departed from GLERENVM and goinge into the warmest places of APVLIA came and camped with all his armie by a village called CANNES So he was followed with both the Consulls who came and camped seuerallie harde by him but so neere one to an other that there was but the riuer of Aufide that parted them This riuer as it is reported doth alone deuide the mowntayne of the Appenine and taketh his heade on that side of the mountayne that lyeth to the sea side from whence it runneth to the sea Adriaticum Nowe Lucius Paulus findinge that it was impossible for Annibal beinge in a straunge countrey to mayntayne so greate an armie of suche sundrie nations together her was fullie bent to tracte time and to auoyde battel perswadinge him selfe that it was the right and onelie way to ouercome him being as muche to the enemies disaduantage as also maruelous proffitable and beneficiall for the common wealth And sure if C. Torrentius Varro had cared that minde it had bene out of all doubt that Annibals armie had bene ouerthrowen by the ROMANES without stroke striking Howebeit he had suche a light head of his owne and was so sickle minded that he neither regarded wise counsell not Paulus AEmylius authoritie but in countrie him not woulde fall out with him and also complayned before the souldiers for that he kept his men pent vp and idle whilest the enemie did put sooâ—â—h his men to the field to battell ray So when his turne came that he was absolutelie to commaunde the whole armie for they both had absolute power by turnes he passed ouer the riuer of Auside by breake of day and gaue the signall of battell without the priuilie of his companion AEmylius who rather followed him against his will then willinglie bicause he coulde doe none otherwise So he caused a skarlet coate of armes to be put out verie earlie in the morning for signall of battell Annibal on the other side as glad of it as might be possible that he had occasion offered him to fight considering that the continuall delaying of battell did altered his purpose he passed his armie ouer the riuer and had straight put them in verie good order For he had taken great spoyles of his enemies to furnishe him selfe verie brauelie Nowe the armie of the ROMANES stoode Southward insomuche that the South winde which the men of the contrie call Vulturnus blewe full in their faces whereas the enemies contrarie matiner had the vauntage of the winde and Sunne vpon their backes and then battell stoode in this manner The AFRIKANS were placed in both the winges and the GAVLES and SPANYARDES set in squadron in the middest The light horsemen first beganne the skirmishe and after them followed the men of armes and bicause the space betwext the riuer and the footemen was verie narrow so as they could not well take in any more ground it was a cruell fight for the time though it lasted not long So the horsemen of the ROMANES being ouerthrowen the footemen came with suche a lustie corage to receiue the charge that they thought they shoulde not haue day enough to fight Howbeit the ouer earnest desire they had to ouercome their enemies made their ouerthrowe more miserable then their ioy and good happe was great at the beginning For the GAVLES and SPANYARDES who as we haue sayd before kept the battell not being able any longer to withstand the force of the ROMANES they retired towardes the AFRIKANES in the wings The ROMANES perceiuing that ran vpon the enemy with all the fury they could and had them in chase and fought with them till they were gotten in the middest of them Then the CARTHAGINIANS that were in both wings came compassed them in before they were aware Moreouer there were fiue hundred of the NVMIDIAN horsemen
bicause that commonly when the fronte of a battell is of such a bredthe the two winges are euer stretched out before and is made like the cressant of a moone where the middest is thickest and fardest in And it is wrytten also in other stories that Catulus him selfe accusing the malice of Marius bicause he did so spake it to excuse his owne dishonor As for the CIMBRES the troupes of their footemen comming out of their fortes leasurely did put them selves into a squadron as broade as long for in euery side they occupied almost thirty furlong but their horsemen which were fifteene thowsande marched before in sumptuous furniture For they had helmets on their heades facioned like wilde beastes neckes and straunge beuers or buffes to the same ware on their helmets great high plumes of feathers as they had bene winges which to sight made them appeare taller and bigger men then they were Furthermore they had good curases on their backes and caried great white targets before them and for weapons offensiue euery man had two dartes in his hand to bestow a farre of when they came to hand strokes they had great heauy swords which they fought withall neere hand But at that time they did not marche directly in rancke against the army of the ROMAINES but turned a litle on the right hand meaning to inclose the ROMAINES betwene them and their footemen that were on the left hand The ROMAINE Captaines founde their policy straight but they coulde not keepe their souldiers backe for there was one that cried the enemies fled and immediatly all the rest beganne to runne after In the meane time the footemen of the barbarous people that were like to a sea before them came forwards still then Marius hauing washed his handes and lifting them vp to heauen promised and vowed a solemne sacrifice vnto the goddes of a hundred oxen Catulus also made a vow lifting vp his handes to heauen in like maner that he would build a temple vnto fortune for that day and it is reported that Marius hauing sacrificed when they shewed him the intralls of the beastes sacrificed he cried out a lowde the victory is mine But when they came to geue the charge Marius had a great misfortune happened him powred apon him by goddes iustice who turned his craft against him selfe as Sylla wryteth for there rose very credibly so great a dust that both armies lost the sight one of an other And hereupon Marius being the first that ranne to beginne the charge and hauing placed his men about him missed to meete with his enemies and being passed beyonde their battell wandred a great while vp and downe the field whilest the barbarous people fought against Catulus So that the greatest fury of the battel was against Catulus and his army in the which Sylla wryteth he was him selfe and sayeth that the heate and the sunne which was full in the CIMBRES faces did the ROMAINES maruelous pleasure at that time For the barbarous people being very hard brought vp to away with cold bicause they were borne and bred in a cold contry shadowed altogether with woddes and trees as we haue sayd were to the contrary very tender against the heate and did melt with sweating against the sunne and gaped straight for breathe putting their targets before their faces sort was also in the hart of sommer about the seuen and twentie day of the moneth of Iulie that this battell was geuen and this dust also made the ROMAINES the bolder and kept them that they could not see the innumerable multitude of their enemies farre from them And euery man runninge to set apon them that came against them they were ioyned together in fight before that the sight of their enemies could make them afrayed And furthermore they were so good souldiers and so able to take paines that how extreame soeuer the heate was no man was sene sweate nor blow though they ranne at the first to set apon them this hath Catulus Luctatius him selfe left in wryting vnto the praise of his souldiers So were the most parte of the barbarous people and specially of the best souldiers slaine in the field And bicause they should not open nor breake their rancks the foremest rancks were all tyed bound together with girdells leather thongs long chaynes of iron and they that fled were chased followed into their campe by the ROMAINES where they met with horrible and fearefull thinges to beholde For their wiues being apon the toppe of their cartes apparelled all in blacke slue all those that fled without regarde of persones some their fathers other their husbandes or their brethren and strangling the litle young babes with their owne handes they cast them vnder the carte wheeles and betwene the horse legges and afterwards slue them selues And they say that there was a woman hanged at the ende of a carte ladder hauing hanged vp two of her children by the neckes at her heeles And that the men also for lacke of a tree to hang them selues on tyed slipping halters about their neckes vnto the hornes feete of the oxen and that they did pricke them afterwardes with goades to make them fling and leape so long that dragging them all about and treading them vnder feere at the length they killed them Now though nūbers were slaine by this meanes yet were there three score thowsand of them taken prisoners and the number of them that were slaine came to twise as many moe In this manner Marius souldiers spoyled the campe of the CIMBRES but the spoyles of dead men that were slaine in the fielde with their ensignes and trompets were all brought as it is sayd vnto Catulus campe which was a plaine testimonie to shewe that Catulus and his souldiers had wonne the field Strife rising thus betwene the souldiers of both campes about it that the matter might be tryed frendly betwene them they made the Ambassadors of PARMA their arbitrators who were by chaunce at that time in the army Catulus Luctatius souldiers led the Ambassadors to the place where the ouerthrowe was geuen shewing them the enemies bodies pearsed through with their pykes which were easie to be knowen bicause Catulus had made them graue his name apon their pykes For all this Marius went away with the honor of this great victory as well for the first battell he wanne alone when he ouerthrewe the TEVTONS and the AMBRONS as for his great calling hauing bene Consul fiue times And furthermore the common people at ROME called him the third foūder of the city of ROME thinking them selues now deliuered from as great a daūger as before time they had bene from the auncient GAVLES And euery man feasting at home with his wife and children offered the best dishes of meate they had to supper vnto the goddes and vnto Marius and would needes haue him alone to triumphe for both victories But he would not in any case but