what condicions he woulde being then vanquished and Armenes his sonne together with king Philips sonne Demetrius were led before Flaminius charet as hostages and pledges to Rome began to kindle more fire against the Romās but he was slaine by the Aetolians Eutrop writeth this historie otherwise but I stand not vpon controuersies After this ouerthrow giuen to Antiochus he made meanes to the Romanes for peace which was graunted if he would auoid forth of Europe Asia and meddle no further but within the precinct of Taurus giue to the Romanes 10. thousand talents 30. pledges for the assurance of his promise and in conclusion to deliuer Hanibal to them who had bin the cause of this warre This being done the Senat gaue to Eumenes all these cities of Asia which Antiochus had lost in battell likewise they gaue to the Rhodiās diuers other cities for that they assisted the Romanes against Antiochus By this victorie triumphed Lu. Cornelius Scipio in Rome where hee brought infinite spoile treasures of Asia and had the surname of Asiaticus giuen him was called Scipio Asiaticus as his brother was called Scipio Affricanus but both these brethrē were much enuied for their greatnes Scipio Affricanus was accused by Marcus Por. Cato by whose meanes afterwarde though he was not banished yet he most willing departed frō Rome into Lucernum saying these wordes O ingrata patria non habebis ossa mea His brother Scipio Affricanus was both accused and condemned when Caius Flaminius was Consul About this time Hanibal died is buried at Libissa a banished man out of his Countrie a man likewise that had deserued wel of his countrie Philip king of Macedon died also this very time This had both warred against the Romanes and assisted them against Antiochus After Philip died his sonne Perseus rebelled in Macedonia and reared warres against the Romanes with whō ioyned Cotys king of Illiria the Romanes were not long about Perseus for he was vanquished in one battell yea and as Phil. saith in one houre he fled from Pydna to Pella and within few dayes yeelded himselfe to Cneus Octauius in Samothracia and was brought out of hand to Paulus Emilius who after his honorable progresse in Greece and in Macedonia he shipped at the citie of Orica and returned to Italie to whō a triumph was graunted such a triumph as farre excelled others equall to Pompey or to Caesars triumphs For Emilius had in this triumph led before his chariot king Perseus himselfe being fourtie fiue yeeres of age and his two sonnes and in an other chariot Gentius king of the Illyrians with his brother and his sonnes ouer whom triumphed Caius Anitius This triumph is set foorth in Plutarch to the admiration of many strangers which then were at Rome as Eumenes king of Asia and Prusias king of Bythinia who at that time brought his sōne Nicomedes with him to Rome and committed him to the gouernment of the Senators CHAP. VI. Of the conspiracie of L. Catelina and of the two ciuill warres the first betweene Marius and Silla and the second betweene Pompei the great and Iu. Caesar during which time Carthage and Numantia were subdued in Hispaine and the last conquest of Affrika by Scipio the younger and also surnamed Affricanus the younger NOwe that the Romanes had quieted Asia and brought the kings of Egypt to bee friendes of the Romanes subdued Macedonia and made all Greece free from warres and when as they thought that they might take some repose and rest from further warres they were certified of newes from Carthage that the Affricanes and Carthagineans had broken the league of peace with the Romans whereupon the third warres were taken in hand for all this time of fiftie two yeres peace was kept betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes at what time the Romanes were occupied in the warres of Syria against Antiochus in the warres of Macedonia against king Philip and his sonne Perseus in Greece against Nabides the tyraunt of Lacedemonia in Illyria against king Gentius and in Bythinia against Prusias who had maried the sister of Perseus These kings and countries were no sooner quieted but the Affricanes began to commence warre the third time with the Romanes at what time Lu. Martius Censorinus and Marcus Manlius were Consuls at Rome in the yeere after the building of Rome sixe hundred and one some say sixe hundred fiue These Consuls tooke their voyage to inuade Carthage and by Mar. Portius Cato his councel being at that time the wisest man in Rome to rase Carthage from the grounde or to make it euen to the grounde yet Scipio Nasica a good man and so of the Senators esteemed and of the Citizens accompted contraried Cato in that councell perswading lenitie to bee fitte for the Romanes being conquerours The warre was taken in hand and so furiously folowed that Carthage within foure yeeres was destroyed by Scipio Emilianus nephewe to Affricanus who was deputed generall of the Romane armie at that time of whom Cato was wont to say Hic solus sapit one in vertue and courage most like to his predecessour Scipio Affricanus The chiefe captaine then in Carthage was one Asdrubal Phanea or as some say Famea These names Hamilcar and Asdrubal were in Carthage as Scipio or Fabius were in Rome In the beginning of this warre died Masinissa an olde constant friende alwayes to the Romanes after that he had liued ninetie eight yeeres Now Scipio with inuincible courage assaulted Carthage and wanne and pluckt it to the ground he waxed so famous thereby that being a yong man he was created Consul who by his prowesse and valure merited to be called Scipio Affricanus the yonger In the meane time while this warre was in Carthage one vsurped the name of Philip of the kingdome of Macedonia and proclaimed warres against the Romanes and gaue Publius Inuentius Pretor then of Rome the ouerthrowe and made such a slaughter of the Romane army that none skant escaped aliue Q. Cecilius Metellus was deputed captaine and sent against this false named Philip who slue twentie fiue thousand of his men recouered Macedonia and tooke prisoner this false Philip This time Corinthus the third citie of all Greece was ouerthrowen and pluckt to the grounde by Mūmius the Consul which Citie was builded by Beletes Hippios sonne nine hundred fiftie two yeeres before so long Corinthus florished Likewise at this very time againe one in Macedonia vsurped in like maner as before one false Philip nowe vsurped the name of Perseus but hee was soone subdued by Tremilus the Questor so that at once entred into the citie of Rome foure triumphs the first by Scipio Affricanus the yonger foorth of Affrike ouer Asdrubal the second by Metellus foorth of Macedonia ouer Andriscus which was that false Philip before spoken the third by Mūmius the Consul ouer the Citie of Corinth
who appointed him his lieutenant general ouer his garisons for Cneus Carbo the Consul which fought with young Marius together against Silla which Marius was slaine by Silla in Preneste At what time Carbo fledde and was slaine by Pompey and after that Pompey slue Domitius a captaine of Marius his side and withall slue Hiarbus king of Mauritania being of Domitius side and therefore triumphed Pompey ouer Affrike being but twentie foure yeeres of age which was neuer earst graunted to any Romane and hauing not bene Consul While this ciuill warre continued in Rome little or nothing was done in other countries for nowe all places were made quiet by the Romās sauing some of Marius friends who fled after Marius death held out and did what they could to trouble the Romanes as Hirtulius Sertorius and others of Maririus friends that stirred wars in Spaine in Cicilia Pamphylia against these Q. Metellus sonne to that Metellus which subdued king Iugurth was sent with him Cneus Pompeius was sent to aide him for Sertorius was a valiāt approued captaine Apius Claudius was then sent after his Consulship was expired to Macedonia where hee died without any harme done to the enemies in his place succeded Scribonius Curio who for his good seruice merited a triumph Then was sent into Cilicia Pamphylia Publius Seruilius a passing good captaine for hee wanne the worthiest cities of Licia and subdued Cilicia hee wanne Phasilides Olympus Coritum three great cities and finished his warres in three yeeres and returned to Rome and had a triumph graunted him ouer the Isaurians So had Metellus ouer Spaine Scribonius Curio ouer Macedonia Pompeius againe ouer Spaine which was his second triumph so at that time were foure triumphs in Rome together Againe Mithridates infringed the league before made and renued warres with the Romanes and would haue inuaded Asia and Bythinia had not Lu. Lucullus the Consul and his fellowe M. Aurelius Cotta come in time for before this time hee pretended warre against Bythinia and their king Nicomedes and after that inuaded Capadocia and Paphlagonia and draue both Nicomedes king of Bythinia and Pilemenes king of Paphlagonia to exile and from thence he went to Ephesus killing and flaying the Romanes friends and withall he was so cruell that he sent letters through all Asia that wheresoeuer any Citizen of Rome might be found he shoulde be killed though he was discomfited by Silla and Lucullus and at last driuen to flee for succour to Tigranes king of Armenia a captaine of great renowme in those dayes for this Tigranes was so mightie a king that he had subdued the Persians and Mesopotamia hee also wanne Syria and a peece of Phoenicia yet still Mithridates renued warres called his armie from Scythia and ioyned them with Tigranes force But Lucullus followed Mithridates hard to Armenia and required Tigranes to deliuer him Mithridates which being denied Lucullus foorth with inuaded king Tigranes realme and gaue him a great ouerthrowe and passed from place to place as conqueror destroying of countries and taking cities vntil he came to the riuer Danubius he destroyed Appolonia Parthenopolis and other cities of Pontus and returned to Rome a conqueror of many coūtries both he his cousin germaine M. Lucullus and triumphed with great glory but yet he missed of king Mithridates he plaied still the tyraunt with the Romanes vntil Pompey the great came who ouercame Mithridates in Armenia sackt his tents and slue fourtie thousand of his armie and forced Mithridates to flee when hee poysoned himselfe and died after hee had kept warres with the Romanes fourtie yeeres for this warre of Mithridates began with Silla and was ended by Pompey Thus the Romanes at last conquered the great king Mithridates who had not continued so long had not ciuill warres bene in Rome betweene Marius and Silla and after that the conspiracie of Cateline and after Cateline the ciuill warres betweene Pompey and Caesar of this you shall reade hereafter In the meane season there was no warre in other kingdomes for Syria Egypt Libya and all other places were friendes and subiects to the Romanes for nowe the Romanes were in their greatnes and in their most glory and fame Such men liued then in Rome as did conquer the whole world Now assoone as Mithridatates was by Pompey ouerthrowē he addressed his battell against Tigranes who yeelded vnto Pompey without battell and came to Pompeis tent fell prostrate before him and deliuered vp his crowne vnto Pompeius After the yeelding of king Tigranes Pompey made warres with the Albanes and ouercame Orodes king of the Albanes in three sundrie battels he also subdued Arthaces king of Iberia and receiued him vnder the allegeance of the Romanes To be briefe Pompey was the onely man that not onely augmented the glory of Rome but also enriched Rome with infinite treasures gotten by his conquest of Cilicia Syria Phoenicia Iudea Mesopotamia Capadocia Armenia Iberia Albania and a great part of Arabia By these kingdomes whom Pompey conquered the reuenues of Rome were augmented three thousand and fiue hundred Myriades The glory of Pompey grew to be such in Rome that hee was elected to be a Consul alone himselfe without a fellowe for Pompey at his triumph ouer Mithridates his sonne for Mithridates him selfe as you heard died before the triumph had Tigranes also and his sonne and Aristobulus king of the Iues ledde before his chariot for at that time he triumphed ouer two kings and ouer two kings sonnes The pompe and pride of that triumph farre excelled other triumphes for Eutropius saith that at that very triumph Pompey had vanquished certeine pirates on the seas when Lucius Metellus had triumphed ouer Creete and therefore surnamed Metellus Cretius After that Pompey had finished these wars in the sixe hundred eightie nine yeere after the building of Rome Lucius Catiline a man of a noble stocke descended but of an euill disposition conspired with diuers other rash young men like himself but yet were they noble men and many gentlemen but by Ciceros meanes then Consul Cateline was expulsed foorth of the Citie and shortly slaine in a battell by Caius Anthonius fellowe Consul with Cicero some of his confederates were apprehended and thratled in prison others as Lentulus Cethegus with the rest slaine About this time Horace the Poet was borne and within fewe yeeres after Octauius which was called Augustus was borne afterward This time reigned in Egypt Alcetes the father of Cleopatra after whome Cleopatra with her brother reigned vntill Marcus Anthonius time with whome shee liued and died for nowe reigned in euery kingdome lieutenants and gouernours vnder the Romanes all kingdomes and countries were made prouinces vnder Rome These pirates nauies as Plutarch saith were about a thousand in number they had takē aboue 400. Townes they had spoiled many temples as in Samos the temple of Iuno in Tenaria
and Catabria the two temples dedicated to Neptune the temple of Apollo in Actiū the tēple of Aesculapius in Epidaurū and so of others The greatnes of Pompey grew to be such in Rome as Silla who was the first that called him by the name of Pompey the great enuied his fame Lucullus who much hated the pride and insolencie of Pompey called him in scorne Agamemnon regem regū king of kings and Pompey in like sort called Lucullus Xerxem togatum This enuie bred hidden hatred in Rome and made the people to become factious sometime with Silla sometime with Marius now betweene Lucullus Pompey and after betweene Pompey and Caesar. They were so factious at that time in Rome that then Iulius Caesar a man of great prowesse and of a singuler dexteritie whose seruice was such that it seemed from the beginning of his birth that hee shoulde growe great in Rome and therefore Pompey looking into the disposition of Caesar maried his daughter Iulia and ioyned in the beginning with Caesar. While Pompey stood to Caesar his father in lawe they were too strong to be resisted either by Lucullus or by Crassus though Crassus before hee was slaine in Parthia was equall to any of them both But when Iulia Caesars daughter and Pompeis wife died and the other third champion Crassus was slaine at Carras in Parthia by Surena some square fell betwixt Caesar and Pompey for Pompey would haue no equall man with him in Rome and Caesar could abide no superiour and thus for a little demaunde made by Caesar to become Consul in Rome once for his great seruice in Fraunce and in other places being denied by Marcellus then Consul by the meanes of Pompey grewe this great ciuil warres thirtie yeeres after Sillas death Caesar hauing both friendes and enemies in Rome who became factious his enemies Marcellus Lentulus and others ioyned with Pompey and perswaded to keepe Caesar from being Consul his friendes made much meanes to the Senators and to the people to haue Caesar to be Consul as Marcus Antonius and Quintus Cassius Caesar was much agreeued to see such in gratitude shewed to him that well deserued to be Consul and came in armes against the Citie of Rome Much feare was in Rome and great tumult in Italie vpon the comming of Caesar some ranne out of the Citie to Caesar and some ranne from Italie vnto Rome vnto Pompey the maner and order of this ciuill warre betweene Caesar and Pompey frō the beginning vnto the ending is set forth in Oros. most briefely lib. 6. cap. 15. Cicero traueiled much to pacifie these quarrels but to no effect Pompey with all the Senators and noblemen of Rome departed foorth of the Citie and went to Brundusium When Caesar came in armes before he entred into Rome he besieged Brundusium Pompey secretly by night escaped Caesar and fled the Citizens yeelded to Caesar who marched to Rome without resistance entred to the Senate opened the cause of his comming not as Silla or Marius to destroy his Countrie or to murther his countriemen but perswaded the Senate to send Embassadours vnto Pompey for peace After this he committed Rome to Lepidus and Italie vnto Marcus Antonius and hee himselfe went into Spaine and forced the armie of Pompey to yeeld Lepidus made labour to the Senators to haue Caesar Dictator while Caesar was absent in Spaine Caesar at his returne to Rome made himselfe Consul and Scruilius Ismaricus the other Consul to whom he committed Italie and Rome Caesar tooke sea and sailed after Pompey to Epirus and from thence to Dyrachium where Pompey was and where also Caesar had the ouerthrowe by Pompey Caesar departed to Thessali Pompey folowed being puft vp with some pride of the last ouerthrow of Caesar and a great battell was fought in Pharsalia where Caesar gote the victorie slue fifteene thousand of Pompeis souldiers Caesar crying out vpon his captaines to spare the Citizens of Rome whereby twentie foure thousand were taken prisoners and Pompey himselfe put to the flight But while Caesar Pompey were thus in Pharsalia Celius and Milo began to quarell and make sedition against the Consul Seruilius but they were both slaine But Pompey being thus discomfited fled into Alexandria where he thought to haue certaine aide of the king of Egypt ouer whō Pompey was appointed Tutor by the Senate during the minoritie of the king But Pompey was deceiued of his expectatiō for he was killed and his head cutte off and sent to Caesar from Egypt which when Caesar sawe hee wept to see the head of so worthie a man as Pompey Melancthon sayeth that Pompey was slaine by the councell of Photinus an Eunuch and by Theodotus the kings schoolemaster Achillas and Septimius were sent from the king to kil Pompey this Septimius had beene a captaine vnder Pompey and had charge in seruice Pompey knew him spake to him As Pompey was reading of a greeke oration which he had to speake with the king Septimius thrust him through with the sword behind and brought him to Ptolomy the king the sonne of Auletes and brother to Cleopatra in the ◅ght of Cornelia Pompeis wife and his two sonnes who fled to Aphrica to Scipio and Cato Pompeis friends after whom Caesar followed and in a great battelfoure yeres after his father was ouerthrowen at Pharsalia he was slaine in Spaine The other sonne of Pompey called Sextus Pompeius liued eight yeres after Caesar was slaine Not long after Pompeis death Caesar came to Alexandria where certaine conspired his death by the aduise of Ptolome Caesar hereupon made warres vpon the king whom hee ouercame and put to flight and so drowned himselfe in the riuer Nilus Melanct. saith that those very men Achillas Photinus Septimius which slue Pompey conspired against Caesar who vnderstanding of this commaunded them to be slaine The king for feare also of Caesar fled was amōgst others drowned seeking to escape Egypt was giuē by Caesar to Cleopatra the kings sister whom hee after vsed as his paramour and returned from Egypt after Pompeis friends who fled to Affrica where Caesar had sharpe warres and very doubtfull battels for in the last battel fought at Munda with Pompeis sonne Caesar was driuen to so neere a straight that his men fled from him thirtie thousand were slaine and Caesar thought to slay himselfe Cato and Scipio Afranius and Portreius fought so desperatly that they feared no danger yet Caesar gote the victorie This Scipio which was of the stocke of Scipio Affricanus and father in lawe to Pompey slue himselfe so did M. Cato M. Petreius and Iuba king of Mauritania But Quintus Varus Pompeis lieutenant Lu. Cornelius Faustus Sillas sonne the Dictator Afranius and Cneus Pompeius the eldest sōne of Pompey the great were slaine in battel While Caesar was in Affrike in these warres Marcus Antonius made him Dictator in Rome CHAP. VII Of the alteration
and change of the common wealth of Rome from Aristocratia to Monarchia againe as before from Kings to Consuls so nowe from Consuls to Emperours The state was altered by Iu. Caesar the first Emperour and the last Dictator of Rome and so from Iu. Caesar vnto the ende of Nero which was the last of the progenie of Augustus POmpeis friendes and adherents being thus subdued the ciuill warres cleare appeased Caesar returned to Rome with great triumph where he was chosen to be perpetuall Dictator and named of the people Emperour hee vsed great clemencie towards Pompeis friends and caused Pompeis Images being throwen downe before to be set vp againe hee raised the children of those parents which were slaine in the ciuil warres betweene Silla and Marius and therefore the Romanes dedicated the Temple of clemencie to Caesar for his courtesie Caesar was not idle after the ciuill warres and after many daungerous battels for in October hee entred with his triumph to Rome at what time he reformed the inequalitie of the yeere and brought to perfection the Kalender so that Caesar did what it pleased him in Rome without regard of the Senators or Consuls which was the onely cause of Cassius and Brutus conspiracie and yet Caesar saued Brutus life once or twise after Pompeis death This conspiracie being concluded betweene Brutus and Cassius with many Senators and gentlemen of Rome more the time was appointed and the place diuerse strange impressions were seene in the ayre also strange markes founde in Caesars sacrifice the Southsayers warned Caesar of the Ides of March his wife Calphurnia certified Caesar of a dreame she sawe and with teares desired him that day not to goe to the Senate the conspiracie was deliuered to him in writing vpon the way as hee went to the Senate but destinies may be easier foreseene then auoyded Caesar was that day slaine and so murthered that hee had 23. wounds on his bodie Thus the great Caesar had butfrom October to March to liue in Rome as Emperour all the rest of his life was 56. yeeres his warres his dangers all the toile and traueile he tooke was to come to be Emperour of Rome which he enioyed not 5. moneths Caesar had fiue triumphes very solemnly the first hee had ouer the Frenchmen the second ouer the king of Egypt the third ouer Pharnaces Mithridates sonne king of Pontus the fourth ouer Affrica of Cato Scipio and Cneus Pompeius the fift of Spaine Thus farre the glory of Rome florished their fame and dignitie extended to al parts of of the world as by their victories and triumphes ouer all nations may appeare for during the raigne of the Consuls which gouerned Rome 467. yeres for frō Iu. Brutus and Publicola the first Consuls after the time of the last king vntill Pausa and Hirsius the last Consuls vnder Iulius Caesar the first Emperour raigned in Rome 936 Consuls all which time the Romanes encreased from the very beginning their Empire as may appeare by the victories and triumphes ouer so many countreys and kingdomes as here I lay downe to your view FIrst Sicilia was subdued by Marcellus then Consul ouer which hee triumphed with pompe and brought Sicilie a prouince vnder Rome 2 Sardinia and Corsica were by Metellus conquered and made by him a prouince vnder the Romanes 3 All Affrica and Carthage was by Pub. Cornelius Scipio brought subiect vnder the Romans and after againe by Scipio sirnamed the yonger Affricanus 4 Numidia and their king Iugurtha was by Marius then Consul after many sharpe battels ouerthrowen and subdued and Iugurtha brought prisoner into Rome where he pied in prison 5 Mauritania was in like maner held by Bochus and Iuba but both were vanquished and all Mauritania by Iu. Caesar then generall for the Romanes in the West brought vnder the Empire of Rome 6 Hispaine was brought vnder by Decius Brutus and made a prouince vnder the Romanes and after by Metellus and last by Pompey the great who vtterly subdued Spaine 7 After that all Affrica and Spaine was made subiect to the Romanes the kingdome of Macedonia and all Greece were subdued and brought to Rome first by Tit. Flaminius and after by Paulus Aemilius 8 The Illyrians which ayded the Macedonians were by Lucius Manilius conquered and their king Gentius caried captiue into Rome ouer whom he solemnly triumphed 9 The Thracians were by Lucullus vanquished and subdued and so made seruants to the Romanes 10 Asia was destroyed sundrie times but last by Scipio sirnamed Asiaticus so named for his victorie ouer Antiochus the great and ouer Asia so that neere al Asia and all Affrica were made subiects vnder the Romanes 11 All the countrey about mount Taurus was subdued and brought vnder the Empire of Rome by Seruilius who also conquered the Isaurians and therefore sirnamed Isauricus for his victorie therein 12 Lucius Silla subdued the Parthians and constrained their king Arsaces to pay tribute to the Romanes 13 Lucius Lucullus vanquished the king of Armenia and brought him to hold of the Romanes 14 Pontus Mesopotamia Arabia Iudea and diuers other kingdomes and countreys were made prouinces vnder Rome by Pompey the great Frenchmen were first by Camillus and after by Marius vanquished the thirde time all Fraunce was conquered by Iulius Caesar. Creete was by Metellus subdued and therefore Metellus was sirnamed Creticus Cyprus by Marcus Cato was made a prouince of the Romanes Pub. Ventidius triumphed ouer the Persians and brought them subiect to Rome Egypt vnder diuers Consuls kept vnder the Romans Empire and at last made a prouince vnto Rome and was appointed to be the treasurer of Rome and called Horreum Romae the barne of Rome For while Pompey flourished in Rome Caesar was also of great credite and had bene Questor and Tribune of the souldiers and after was sent Pretor to Spaine for Caesar was a valiant souldier and a skilfull captaine his prowesse and deedes of armes excelled Silla Marius Crassus Lucullus and Pompey Reade his life in Plutarch and you shall finde how many nations and howe many townes Caesar conquered in the warres with the Gaules he brought welnigh all Fraunce to subiection After hee warred vpon the Illyrians and Heluetians at what time Cassius Lopanus raigned king and soone after vpon the Britaines which at that time neuer heard of the Romanes whose prowesse and great courage Caesar in his owne Commentarie doeth much commende Caesar waged battell with diuers nations of Germanie as with the Tigurians the Belges and the Neruians for in Germanie are sundrie sorts of people as Sicambri Tenterides which Caesar subdued These conquests of Caesar made Pompey much to feare the greatnesse of him if hee should once come to be a Consul in Rome and therefore Pompey laboured to keepe Caesar still occupied in Fraunce in Spaine and in Germanie the onely souldiers of the worlde But Caesar could not bee kept backe but would be a Consul for
his long seruice and sent to Rome to his friends for that purpose The ciuil warres being thus ended betwixt Pompey and Caesar which continued fiue yeeres to the ouerthrow almost of the whole Empire and Caesar also after the ciuill warres of fiue yeres was slaine within 5. moneths Marcus the chiefe friend of Caesar a man of great credite in Rome was made Consul and for his greatnesse sake he was matched with Dolabella of this purpose done by the Senate to curbe Antonius for they doubted Antonius would aspire the kingdome as Caesar did Cicero laboured to bring Thrasibulus law called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Rome to quiet and pacifie the tumult and warre which was like to ensue by Caesars death But to no effect for the Senate tooke part with them which had slaine Caesar. Antonius sought by all meanes to reuenge Caesars death whereupon grew againe ciuill warres betwixt Octauius and Antonius This Octauius was sisters sonne to Iulius Caesar and he had adopted him to be his heire in the Empire of Rome in his testament This was called by the Senate to withstand the furie of Marcus Antonius So Pansa and Hircius then were Cōsuls ioyned with Octauius as both Eutrop. and Melancthon saith These 3. captaines went gainst Antonius and gaue him the ouetthrow Antonius fled to Lepidus an olde friende of Caesars and had at that time great bands of men readie they ioyned their force together but by Lepidus meanes Octauius and Antonius were made frendes These three Octauius Marcus Antonius and Marcus Lepidus had all the gouernment of the citie Octauius this time caused the Romanes to create him Consul when he was but twentie yeeres of age Euery man sawe how it would be in Rome and perceiued that this ciuil warre would exceede the rest before betwixt Silla and Marius and betweene Pompey and Caesar for Bratus and Cassius that slewe Caesar prepared an armie at Philippos a citie of Macedonia where they ioyned battell with Octauius and Antonius In this battell Cassius was slaine and in the next battel Brutus was slaine and an infinite nomber of nobilitie for during the warres that these triumuiri first had with Brutus and Cassius and their adherents and then with Sextus Pompeius the yonger sonne to Pompeius the great there were many Senators Consuls noblemen and gentlemen slaine on both sides It could be no other wayes considering the loue which the Romanes bare to Pompeius and their feare which they bare to Caesar. Now Lepidus one of Trium viri died in Affrica and the gouernment fell wholy betweene Octauius Caesar and Marcus Antonius Antonius had from Euphrates vnto the sea Illyricum and Caesar Octauius had from the sea Illyricum to the West Ocean but their friendship in gouernment continued not long It is an olde saying and true that Principalitie can abide no equalitie and therefore ciuill dissention fell betweene Octauius and Antonius Before they fell out betwixt themselues they slewe and murthered without lawe whom they lusted as Cicero Hortensius Lucullus with an infinite nomber of Senators of Consuls of noblemen and gentlemen which died in the warres of Brutus and Cassius And nowe againe newe ciuill warres beganne which continued twelue yeeres betwixt Octauius Caesar and Marcus Antonius but in the ende after many cruel battels and much slaughter Octauius got the victorie at what time Rome was so weakened by these ciuill warres that if then Pyrrhus Hanibal or Mithridates had liued they might soone haue conquered Rome Now when Antonius was vanquished by Octauius in a battell at Actium a towne of Epirus hee flead to Egypt being exempt of all hope to recouer his former state hee slewe himselfe and presently after him Cleopatra procured meanes to die for companie of her friend Antonius It is saide that Cleopatra affecting much the Empire of Rome was the cause of this ciuill discention for shee was the last Queene of Egypt after whose death Egypt was annexed to the Empire of Rome by Octauius and Cneus Cornelius Gallus was appointed lieutenant there This was the first Romane that gouerned Egypt Octauius Augustus after hee had vanquished Antonius and had gotten the whole Empire into his owne hand he became so louing to the people so gentle to the Senators and so liberall to the souldiers that he wanne the highest and lowest with great loue to fauour him The ciuil warres being thus ended Augustus became Consul the fourth time at what time hee entred into Rome with three triumphes the one ouer the Illyrians the second ouer Marcus Antonius the thirde ouer Cleopatra at what time hee was saluted by the name of Augustus and Pater patriae This time Ianus temple was shut the thirde time in Rome and now was the beginning of the peace and quietnes of the Romanes for from the building of Rome vntill Augustus raigne we reade that Ianus temple was not shut but twise before Augustus in whose time warres were pacified through the whole worlde and for ioy of these happie dayes the moneth Sextilis then was called Augustus after the Emperours name as his vncle Iulius had in the honour of his name the moneth then called Quintilis to be called Iulius This Emperour Augustus was fortunate in warres and circumspect in peace he enlarged greatly the Empire of Rome he annexed Egypt Hungarie Illyria Rhetia he vanquished the Danes in battel slew great armies of Germanes and brought 400. thousand Germanes forth of Germanie prisoners and placed them in France and replenished France with inhabitants of Germanie he brought Fraunce to pay tribute and brought Iudea a prouince vnder the Romanes During the time of the Consuls which endured 447. yeres it is to be wondered that one nation of one towne and that without a king but by Consuls should bring the most kingdomes of the world subiect to Rome as Affrike Hispaine France and Britaine of this side Rome made by Cōsuls to pay tribute vnto the Romanes beyond Rome Eastwarde and round about Rome Northward and Southward these kingdomes countreys were brought subiect to Rome and made prouinces of the Romanes by Consuls as Illyrians Istrians Dalmatians Macedonians al the Greekes the Medes the Thracians and the great Antiochus driuen out of Asia by Consuls of Rome Valiant Pyrrhus and mightie Mithridates kings of Epirus and Pontus ouerthrowen by Consuls of Rome Tigranes king of Armenia by Consuls Mesopotamians and Parthians brought in league with the Romanes by Consuls to be short all Syria Egypt and Sicilia were broght by Cōsuls of Rome to be prouinces vnder Rome What part of the world but Consuls of Rome were knowen Yea the Arabians and Saracens knewe the force of the Romane Consuls and when that the Romane consuls were lords of the whole world finding no nation able long to encounter with them their courage was such that they enuied one another greatly they spited one another in seruice and at last fel to
other busines of their owne they went into the Synagogues appointed and made for them and not into the temple which was onely for the citizens of Hierusalem for both were frequented in our Sauiours time proued by himselfe saying I haue taught in the temple and in so many Synagogues in Galilee Asia mentioned so that one temple was in Hierusalem and many Synagogues and so many that I finde in an Hebrew cōmentary 480. Synagogues were within the city of Hierusalem and diuers other Synagogues dispersed through all Iudea but God commanded that he should be but in one place worshipped which was first in Silo in the tribe and mount of Ephraim after in Hierusalem in mount Sion in the tribe of Iuda Of the vse of the Tabernacle after the temple was by Salomon builded the Talmudists write many fables which I omit to recite Samaria being thus the second time destroyed by Aristobulus and Antigonus the Pharisees corrupt euil and seditious men much enuied the prosperitie of Hircanus his sonnes perswading the people to hate him but Hircanus after that hee had done great seruice for the Iewes and brought all things in quietnes he foresawe things to come and after he had gouerned Israel 31. yeres leauing behinde him 5. sonnes he died All this while there was no king in Iudea since the captiuitie of Babylon 481. yeeres but now after Hircanus time Aristobulus his eldest sonne succeeded him in gouernment who by report of slaunderers and backbiters caused his brother Antigonus whom he loued very dearely to be killed being most falsly accused of his enemies he left his owne mother to perish for famine and put the rest of his brethren in close prison But after a while his conscience did accuse him and tortured him in such sort that Aristobulus commaunded to bee brought to the place where Antigonus his brother was slaine and being caried to the place hee vomited blood in such abundance that he cried and said O corpus impudens quousque retinebis animam quam materni ac fraterni manes flagitant and so with torment hee died leauing behinde him his wife Solome whome the Greekes call Alexandra shee enlarged the sonnes of Hircanus which Aristobulus layed in prison one of them named Iannaeus which was also called Alexander not well thought of by his father but nowe made king after his brothers death by the meanes of Alexandra Aristobulus wife he as soone as hee had obteined the gouernement vsed the like tricke as his brother did before him hee caused one of his two brethren to be slaine and the other hee esteemed with honour This being done he went with an armie against the citie of Ptolomais at what time Ptolome sirnamed Lathurus was driuen by his mother Cleopatra out of Egypt and being at Cyprus she forced him thence so that Ptolome the sonne and Cleopatra the mother vsed their policie and exercised their tyrannie one against another When Cleopatra had gotten the citie Ptolomais after a long siege her sonne againe being driuen out of Egypt Alexander king of the Iewes renewed friendship with Cleopatra for that her sonne Ptolome had plagued Iudea Now being ayded by Cleopatra hee tooke Gadara and a strong fort called Amathuta to whome Demetrius Euserus gaue battell and discomfited his armie and fled himselfe to the mountaines hee straight gathered some strength and hauing gotten 6000. souldiers againe in a readines pursued after Demetrius who for feare fled at that time After this the Iewes being sundry times thus afflicted by their owne crueltie and tyrannie they conspired against Alexander and were in armes oft times but still ouerthrowne Such was Alexanders hard happe that sixe yeeres he was molested afflicted and persecuted of his owne nations and subiects that hee slewe of them from time to time about 50000. and yet still moued hee them to hate him so that being demaunded by him of the people what they would haue him to doe they with one consent saide Hang thy selfe Alexander hauing taken the citie Betoma after much slaughter and blood he brought the wealthiest and chiefest men of the citie in bandes and fetters prisoners to Ierusalem where he commanded before his face where he sate in a high rome of his palace 800. of the greatest and chiefest men to be hanged and before they were hāged he likewise cōmanded that their wiues and children should be flaine before their eyes While this tragedy was played at Ierusalem by Alexander Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the falshod of Heracleon after whom succeeded his sonne Seleucus made warres with his vncle Antiochus sirnamed Cizicenus whom Seleucus tooke in battel and slew Alexander was at that time called of the Iewes for his tyrannie for his sirname Thracida for while Alexander liued 8000. Iewes liued out of their coūtrey banished came not to Iewry during the time of Alexāder which was 27. yeres The Iewes were miserably hādled vnder this king for Ptolome Lamyrus slew 30000. Iewes at one time he made the captiues and prisoners to eat the flesh of their own countreymen being slaine in the warres of Alexander Himself slew 600. of his subiects being moued allured to seditiō against their king by the Pharisees a sect of the Iewes that extremely hated Alexander Now his wife Alexandra called Salomine the time of her first husband Aristobulus she raigned quietly after her husband 9. yeres Alexander had 2. sonnes Hircanus and Aristobulus and though that Hircanus was the elder brother heire to the crowne yet did Aristobulus gather an army and inuaded Iudea while yet Alexandra his mother liued Antipater the Idumean and Aretas king of Arabia tooke part to ayde the elder brother Hircanus Alexander had giuen councel to his wife before hee died to speake faire to the Pharisees who could much perswade the people and also to conceale his death vntill she had gotten the castle of Ierusalem considering his life to be offensiue to the people and to make no accompt of his burial but let the people vse their discretion She vsing this her husbands aduice became in great fauour with the people in the meane season Aristobulus fortified himselfe being by nature very quicke industrious made himselfe strong and hauing corrupted the Romane Scaurus then Pompeius the great Embassadour to be his friend to the Senators Hircanus againe sent to Rome opening his iniuries accusing and declaring the infidelitie and corruption of his Embassador crauing their ayde and helpe being the elder brother to haue his right Vpon this cōplaint Pompey being then in Armenia against Tigranes and comming to Damascus being newly by Metellus and Lolius taken he repared to Ierusalem with an hoste of souldiers at what time Caius Anthonius restored to Hircanus the gouernment and the office of the high Priest hee caried captiue with him to Rome Aristobulus with his 2. sonnes Alexander and Antigonus This furie of domesticall sedition this tyrannie and
as Iosephus writeth thirtie thousand Iewes were slaine The calamities of the Iewes were such that they were compelled by the king of Egypt to feede vpon the dead carcases and bodies of their friendes and countreymen at what time many godly men of the Iewes were present beholding this myserie as Simeon Zacarias and others Beside this calamitie at what time the contention grew hote in Iuda betweene Aristobulus Antigonus and Alexander Ianneus the Iewes at that time were so plagued that Alexander sent for ayde vnto Egypt to Cleopatra for Iustine writeth that Cleopatra vsed Alexander her sonne too familiarly and that her great abomination was knowen in Egypt And therefore Ptolomey Lathurus was sent for by his owne subiects to come into Egypt for that the Queene Cleopatra his mother who had banished him from Egypt practised tyrannie and all kinde of crueltie in Egypt where hee raigned 8. yeeres After Lathurus raigned in Egypt Ptolomey Auletes father to the last Cleopatra some say her brother which was Marcus Antonius friende this king liued at Rome vntill such time as he was restored by Gabinius into his kingdome of Egypt at the commandement of the Senators This Auletes is named by Eusebius and Epiphanius Dionysius This king for some certaine offences and discords done to his subiects departed from Alexandria and sailed towards Rome hoping that Caesar or Pompey would restore him to his kingdome and being desirous to see Cato trauailed vnto him where he was occupied and opening the cause of his comming to Rome sought therein Catoes counsell who tolde him how he should finde Rome vnsatiable and that if Egypt were conuerted into siluer it would not suffice the Magistrates of Rome which saying of Cato Ptolomey found to bee true for after long being at Rome hauing fully satisfied the Senators and other magistrates he was sent by the Senators and specially by Pompey with one Gabinius to be restored to his kingdome againe where he raigned thirtie yeeres After whom succeeded his sonne Ptolomey Dionysius vnto whom Pompey the great fled from the battaile at Pharsalia hoping to haue some helpe for the friendship shewed to his father as you heard before But there Pompey was slaine by the kings commaundement and his head sent to Caesar and also when Iulius Caesar came after the like sauce was prepared for him but Caesar preuented it ouerthrewe him and put him to flight in the which flight the king thinking to escape Caesars hand entred into a cocke boate and was drowned amongst the rest for company The kingdome of Egypt was giuen by Caesar vnto Cleopatra Dionysius sister who raigned vntil the twelfth yeere of Augustus Caesar at what time she willingly died to accompany her louing friend Marcus Antonius shee was the last of the line of Ptolomeis and the last Queene of Egypt for after Cleopatra Egypt was made a prouince vnder the Romanes by Augustus Caesar at what time Augustus Caesar commaunded his lawes and decrees which himselfe caused to be engraued on a pillar of brasse and to be set vp in Alexandria for the Egyptians now made subiect to the Romanes to be gouerned by in like sort as Alexander the great the second conquerour before Caesar had done the like appointing officers and magistrates chiefe rulers named Nomarchas and two ouerseers Episcopi Of this Manethon tooke no notice and therefore Iosephus taunted him in his second booke Contra Appionem that hee had the heart of an asse and the impudencie of a dogge to make Egypt which was three seuerall times conquered first by Cambyses secondly by the great Alexander and last by Caesar equal to the Hebrewes which endured the force and saw the last destruction of Assur and Pharao Thus Egypt was the thirde time conquered by Iulius Caesar and by his nephewe Augustus Caesar and these many kings of the names of Ptolomeis raigned in Egypt from Alexander the great vntill the 12. yeere of Augustus Caesar. 1 Ptolomey Lagi raigned 40. yeeres 2 Ptolomey Philadelphus raigned 38. 3 Ptolomey Euergetes raigned 26. 4 Ptolomey Philopator raigned 17. 5 Ptolomey Epiphanes raigned 24. 6 Ptolomey Philometor raigned 35. 7 Ptolomey Euergetes the second of that name raigned  8 Ptolomey Phiscon raigned 29. 9 Ptolomey Lathurus raigned 17. 10 Ptolomey Alexander cum Matre Cleopatra raigned 10. 11 Ptolomey Auletes raigned 30. 12 Ptolomey Dionysius raigned  13 Cleopatra Auletes daughter some say his sister raigned 14. OF THE ANTIQVITIE of the Scythians of their lawes gouernments and life of their hardinesse in warres and of their victories ouer the Persians and Egyptians and their often inuasions into Asia SCythia is a countrey large and wide cōteyning within it selfe diuers and sundrie nations as Sages Nomades Massagetes Amazones Caspians Hircanians with many other nations bordering vpon Scythia dwelling within Scythia of the which particularly to write I thinke it needlesse the rather for that Pomponius Mela Solinus also Strabo in his 11. booke doeth describe Scythia and other nations which dwelt in Scythia exquisite and painfull men in describing countreis their townes their riuers their hilles their maners and natures And therefore lest I should seeme fabulous as diuers writers herein offend the Grecians specially who neuer thought their histories worth the reading vnlesse they were mingled with vaine fables I wil write of their warres and of their antiquitie therein I shal hardly escape fables of some Talmudist or other so difficult a thing it is to finde out a true beginning of antiquities in prophane histories as Liuie saith vt rerum vetustas sine errore esse nequit The Scithians are thought to be one of the ancientest nations in the world from whom diuers great kingdomes tooke their first originall as Celte or the olde Gaules which now are called Frenchmen Berosus affirmeth that Noah by the name of Ianus and all his familie dwelt first in Scithia Saga thence came to Chaldea and dwelt in Senar for during the time of Ianus Cameses and Saturnus and al the time from Ianus vntil Ninus the prophane writers called the golden world for then men liued without lawes and had all thinges in common This Plinie in his naturall histories affirmeth that the Persians called the Scithians Sagas There is great contention betweene the Scithians and the Egyptians concerning ther antiquities the historie whereof is written in Trogus Pompeius there after much disputation it is concluded Scitharum gens semper antiquissima that the Scithians had the soueraingtie ouer the Egpytians in antiquitie As the Egyptians excelled in great monstrous buildings so these Scithians exceeded for sweete and famous riuers as 1 Ister 2 Tyres 3 Hypanis 4 Borysthenes 5 Panticapes 6 Hypacaris 7 Gerrhus 8 Tanais 9 Moetin These Scithians who were rude and slauish people without maners or nourture excelled farre the Greekes which with great care and diligence studied to attaine knowledge and vertue for by howe
seuerall battels yet they gaue him diuers repulses and such ouerthrowes as Antonius was most willing to let them alone and to depart from them whome they followed in his returne at the hard heeles to his great losse and shame This made Phrahartes king of Parthia so proude that Antonius the great Romane tooke his flight from Parthia that hee vsed such murther and tyrannie in his Countrie that his owne subiects threwe him out of his countrie and kingdome and placed in his seate Tiridates to bee king vntill Phrahartes after hee had beene thus banished was ayded by the king of Scythia to bee restored vnto his kingdome againe Then Tiridates hearing that the Scythians came with a great armie to restore Phrahartes he fledde into Spaine vnto Octauius Caesar thither likewise did Phrahartes send Embassadors when Caesar had heard both the parties the complaintes of the banished king Phrahartes and the request of Tiridates saying that Parthia was fitte to be subiect to the Romane Empire affirming also that if it should please Caesar to substitute him lieutenant vnder the Romanes in Parthia that he would with all Parthia holde with Rome Notwithstanding Caesar vsed in this great clemencie both wisdome and iustice he commaunded that Phrahartes sonne shoulde bee king in Parthia and that Tiridates if it pleased him should continue in Rome vpon Caesars charges vntill his returne from Spaine at which time Caesar hauing occasion after he came home to Rome from Spaine to go to Syria and to dispose of those kingdomes which his predecessours had conquered in the East countries and to set all things in order he charged then that Phrahartes should make no warres against the Parthians promising that hee and his posteritie should gouerne Parthia vnder the Romanes willing and commanding him and the king his sonne to send those ensignes to Rome which Marcus Crassus lost at Parthia and cōmanded them to be true friends to the Romanes The fortune of this Caesar was such that he could then cōmand with a word more then Antonius who sought it with blowes or Crassus that sought it with his death This Caesar afterward called Augustus brought parthia to be a prouince vnto the Romanes and ended without warres which other could not do with warres Thus the kingdome of Parthia which beganne in the hundred thirtie three Olympiad and ended in the beginning of the Monarchie of Augustus Caesar in the hundred eightie eight Olympiad after hee had conquered his friend Marcus Antonius There reigned in Parthia eleuen kings whose names are here vnder written 1 Arsaces the first king by whom the kinges of Parthia were all called Arsaces 2 Mithridates the second king of Parthia 3 Pampatius the third king of Parthia 4 Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia 5 Mithridates the fift king of Parthia 6 Phrahartes the sixt king of Parthia 7 Artabanus the seuenth king of Parthia 8 Mithridates the great the eight king of Parthia and sonne to Artabanus 9 Horodes the ninth king of Parthia 10 Phrahartes the tenth king of Parthia 11 The eleuenth and last king of Parthia sonne to Phrahartes and supposed to be called Phrahartes after his fathers name OF THE ANTIQITIE OF Media of the originall of their Kings and of their common wealth gouernment and continuance THough the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Egyptians were conquered by the Persians yet I wil touch the historie of Media before I handle Persia for that the Medes likewise were made subiect vnto the Persiās for al these kingdoms came at length to Cyrus hand For as the kingdome of Media began atone time with the newe kingdome of Assyria after Sardanapalus time so they ended about one time and both these kingdomes by Cyrus taken vnto Persia and euen so of Lydia the next historie to this was also by the Persians subdued of the which also I meane briefely to speake before I handle Persia for so the course of time and the order of the histories doe require but now of the Medes For Strabo in the description of the kingdome of Media sayth that Parthia is bordered vpon the East side of Media and on the South it is inhabited with people called Cadusij and as Strabo writeth it hath other nations dwelling about the Sea of Hircania the riuer Halis as Herodote doth write is the Confines of both Media and Lydia And hee sayth further that the Medes were called Arij before and then long after that Medea came from Cholchos vnto Athens from Athens vnto this people then called Arij changed the name of the countrey after her owne name Media whō the Greekes called after that Medi by the name of Medea but otherwayes confirmed by Iosephus and by Zonaras in his first booke who say that Medi had their originall from Madai the sonne of Iaphet and of him as Melancthon sayth named Madei first and after of the Greekes called Medi. There were many Townes in Media first builded by the Macedonians inhabited by the Grccians as Laodicea Apannia Rhaga which Nicanor builded The Medes in times past florished a kingdome that gouerned many Countries and had vnder their Empire the most part of Asia vntill the Persians vanquished the Assyrians by king Cyrus which Cyrus afterwarde subdued the Medes and brought both Assyria and Media vnto the Empire of Persia. The chiefe Pallace of the kings of Media is called Eobatana where the kings of Media kept their Court euery winter Herodote which wrote his historie in the time of Xerxes sayth that after the Medes had conquered the Assyrians the Medes had no kings of long time after but euery Citie by popular state was then gouerned vntill Deiocis time who being wise and withall very ambitious plausible in his speach and gentle in his dealings wanne the peoples hearts to affect him much who by secrete meanes aspiring to the kingdome hauing many great friendes by councell to further him and with power to aide him vntill by common consent of the whole Estate hee was chosen King in the fourtie fiue yeere after the building of Rome and in the seuenth yeere of Numa Pompilius reigne the second king of Rome in the eighteene Olympiad For after that Arbaces then chiefe Gouernour of the Medes had ioyned in friendshippe with Bellochus lieutenant of Babylon and both conspired as you heard before in the historie of the Assyrians against Sardanapalus whom after they had with three or foure battels conquered the Assyrians with their Empire was translated vnto the Medes by Arbaces which Medes yet had no king created but were ruled and gouerned by Arbaces as Babylon was by Bellochus Nowe after that Arbaces had gouerned the Medes twentie eight yeeres at what time Procas Siluius reigned king ouer the Latines and at Athens Thespeius liued their tenth Iudge after their kings It is written that one Phidon of Argiue found about this time the vse of measures and weights This Arbaces began to reigne ouer the Medes
tenne hundreth thousand nauies insomuch that the Persians bragged that the Ocean seas had scant sufficient roome for their nauies that all Greece was not able to giue them ground ynough and scant place for their shotts in the aire with this insolencie the Persian armie marched While Xerxes this time was in preparing such a huge host the Grecians bestirred themselues with all care and diligence to call their force together and to gather their strength together from all parts of Greece The Athenians made fourtie nauies the Magarenses made twentie nauies the Chalsidenses so many as they of Athens made which was fourtie the Peloponesians twelue nauies the Lacedemonians tenne the Epidaureans eight and the inhabitants of Agineta two and twentie the Traezeneans made fiue nauies so that the whole nomber of the Grecians nauie was but two hundreth seuentie and ons The Athenians appointed to be their generall Themistocles and the Lacedemonians made Euribiades but the Persians could not finde a fit generall for so great an armie for as Herodotus doth record it there was in the campe of Xerxes an hundreth and seuentie Myriads of souldiers You must vnderstand that euery Myriad is compted for tenne thousand so that a hundreth and seuentie Myriads are to be taken for seuentie hundred thousand men which Xerxes had in his voiage to Greece which was in the seuenth yeere of his raigne when he sailed on the sea of Helespont and marched with more boldnesse then wisedome drinking a bowle of wine to the Sunne and throwing the cuppe after his draught into the sea making a vowe that hee would not returne from this iourney before hee had brought all Greece and Europe ioyned with Asia subiect to Persia. But hee was soone deceiued for the Persians fought for money to augment their treasure the Grecians fought for vertue to defende the libertie of their Countrey for this warre of Xerxes was more taken in hande for ostentation then for necessitie to doe iniurie and not to defend iustice The authours whereof God hath from time to time punished as Iosias that good king yet for such a fault hee was giuen to the hand of Necho king of Egypt an infidel Cyrus this Xerxes grandfather for taking vnnecessarie warres in hand against the Scythians was slaine by Tomyris a woman and now this king needlesse without cause offered thought to haue eaten vp all Greece he was made a runnagate and to flee from Greece his souldiers slaine his captaines drowned and himselfe hardly escaping for within two yeeres the Persians had foure ouerthrowes The first ouerthrowe was at Thermopila where hee lost twentie thousand Persians by three thousand Grecians After they were vanquished in two sundrie great battels vpon the sea the one hard by Artimesium in Thessalia the other by the Isle Salamines from whence Xerxes himselfe was secretly forced to flee in a little boate after he had lost the last battel to his great ignominie and shame which hee neuer recouered during his life Afterward leauing Mardonius behinde him with three hundreth thousande Persians the fourth battell was giuen him at Platea where the Persians likewise were ouerthrowen Mardonius slaine by a souldier of Sparta and all Greece triumphed of that victorie CHAP. III. Of the successors of Xerxes in Persia of their warres victories and gouernment of the state of Greece and of the prosperities victories and fame they had in Xerxes time THis time flourished Greece for it had many Themistocles which was wōt to say I ouercome my friends with patience my foes with celeritie after this victory it began to be strōg and to florish in same before al nations vntil ciuil warres for Caesar was demaunded by a Romane a friend of his how he conquered so many nations in so short a time he answered by celeritie for said Caesar it was a fault found in Hanibal that after he had taken Capua that he had not layd siege to Rome This great and mightie voyage of Xerxes being thus with losse and shame finished euen hee who was a terrour to the whole world and so called terror gētium before this time was now had in contempt despised of all Persia. Artabanus who then perswaded this iourney had 7. sonnes well esteemed of the Persians and perceiuing the contempt of Xerxes with the people and how he slew his brother after this great infamie of the warre when he returned home he tooke his brothers wife and his brothers daughter and committed incest with them both but his owne vncle Artabanus his fathers brother slew him after that Xerxes had raigned in Persia 21. yeeres But Mardonius could not perswade Xerxes before his going to Egypt for he went to Egypt in the second yere after Darius death and after he had subdued them brought them into a straighter seruitude then they were vnder Darius he made his returne towards Greece leauing behinde him in Egypt his brother Archemenes to gouerne the countrey After he had bene foure yeres in subduing Egypt the fift yere he tooke this voyage with great expedition to Greece Greece then flourished for euen at that time and specially after Xerxes time their fame grewe greater by their great victories had ouer Xerxes for in Greece euery citie seemed a kingdome and so continued vntil the Peloponesian warres such magistrats such captaines as Themistocles who by Thucydides was thus commended that he excelled for his wit that he wanted neither foresight of things to come neither memorie of things past neither vnprouided of things present and what hee knewe not he would learne and what he was taught he could performe ready of wit quicke of actions and circumspect in all his doings the honor and glory of all Greece After whom Pericles was had in great estimation in Athens So of Agesilaus and Cleomenes in Sparta of Epaminondas Pelopidas in Thebes and so the rest at that time in Greece of whom I haue written in the historie of Greece After him succeeded his sōne Artaxerxes the long handed for that the right hand was longer then the left a noble and a courteous prince and the first of this name of al the kings of Persia he began to gouerne Persia after Xerxes his father at what time Perdicas the second of that name the 11. king of Macedonia raigned To this Artaxerxes fled that worthy man Themistocles being banished from Athens whom often from destruction he saued and by whom the great ouerthrow was giuen to Xerxes and to his nauie to the glory of Greece and shame of Xerxes In this Artaxerxes time florished two great Philosophers Empedocles and Parmenides Many learned men of great fame liued in Artaxerxes time as Democritus and Heraclitus two philosophers the one laughing alwaies at the folie of the world the other alwayes weeping at the misery of the world Hipocrates that famous phisition serued this Artaxerxes in Court Gorgias and Pherecides Policlitus
Basilides and Menander the successor of Simon Magus of whom in Ecclesiasticall historie you may reade more The fault of this Adrian was that hee enuied the glory of Traianus and was most ambitious of honor and fame otherwise he aduauntaged the common weale of Rome more then any for as I saide he was called the father of the Countrie and his wife Sabina was also called Augusta hee ordeyned lawes to the Athenians which hee himselfe pickt out of Draco and of Solons lawes hee in person traueiled all the Empire of Rome hee builded a faire Temple vnto Venus hee was very circumspect about the treasurie and when hee had reigned twentie two yeeres hee died in most miserable paines in Campania about the age of threescore offering himselfe to bee slaine to any of his deare friendes These were the chiefe men in Rome when Adrianus reigned Amilius Aelianus Lucius Verus Acilius Auiola Cornelius Pasna C. Bellicius Torquatus Catilius Seuerus Titus Aurelius Fuluius which succeeded Adri anus in the Empire Titus Appronianus Quintus Agulinus Salinator and Rusticus Att. Titianus M. Acilius Glabriotus Auius Libo Iuuentius Celsus and Neratius Marcellinus Lenas Pontianus Antoninus Ruffinus Sergius Seruianus Seruilius Hasta and Valerius Messala With many other great men which then gouerned as officers and magistrates in Rome when Adrianus raigned in whose time such earthquakes fel that Nicopolis and Caesarea 2. great townes in Palestina fell to the very grounde in the one and in the other earthquake in Macedonia a great city and the most part of Nycena lay prostrate on the ground which was rebuilded by Adrianus This time reuolted the Brytanes from the Romanes but were by Trebelius as Spartianus writeth mitigated and brought againe to subiection Titus Aurelius Fuluius succeeded Adrianus in the Empire by adoption This was also called Antoninus Pius for the great pitie and gentlenesse which he vsed towardes all men A good Emperour compared of writers to that religious king Numa Pompilius in like sort as Traianus was likened to Romulus he was beloued as a father and feared as a king He was borne in Gallia Transalpina in a citie named Nemesa which in the time of Iulius Caesar was established a Colonie of Rome The Indians Hircanians and Bactrians sent Embassadours with giftes and presents to honour him He was wont to say that he had rather saue one friende then destroy a thousand enemies The people woulde often call him by these names Lord King Emperour Iudge Patrone and father he endeuoured himselfe rather to defend then to amplifie and the Empire he assigned to the most honest men the graue the learned and the iust men to haue offices and to beare rule in the citie he aduanced good men and detested euill men and vsed no rigour nor crueltie to them Kings and captaines in his time laide aside their warres and would bring their controuersies and quarels to be decided by the Emperour Antoninus Pius he was so iust and so pitifull in all causes towards all men that therein he farre excelled all the Emperours he much honoured learned men and had in his dayes many of them in his Court with him In his time was Alexander Seuerus borne which after was Emperour of Rome During the time of his whole gouernment which was 23. yeeres and 3. moneths there was neither warres nor quarels in Rome In this time flourished many excellent men as these vnderwritten Galenus the mirrour of Phisitions Ptolomeus the great Astrologer Apolonius Basilides 2. great Philosophers and scholemaster to the Emperour Verus Nesomedes a Musition Taurus a Philospher of Platoes sect Arrianus a Philosopher in Nicomedia Maximus surnamed Tyrus likewise a great Philosopher At this time the Iewes beganne to fall into a furie to kill both the Greekes and the Romanes and to practise much tyrannie both in Egypt and Alexandria and in Palestina at what time gouerned Tinius Rufus in Iudea vnder the Romanes but they were soone pacified and quieted CHAP. IX Of the good Emperour Ma. Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher and of his sonne Comodus of the difference in their gouernment of the loue which the father had in Rome and of the hatred and contempt which the sonne had of the murther and slaughter of diuers Emperours from M. Antoninus the 17. Emperour vntil the time of Dioclesian the 38. Emperour AFter Titus Antoninus succeeded Marcus Antoninus Verus in the Empire a man of rare vertues borne of a great stocke for his descent was by the fathers side from Numa Pompilius and by his mothers side from king Salentinus This Emperor was a very learned man and he raigned ioyntly with Lucius Antoninus for in his dayes the Romanes began to haue two Emperours of equall authoritie to gouerne the common weale These two were as Eutropius saith brethren and they waged battell against the Parthians which neuer rebelled from Traianus time by whom they were conquered vntill Marcus Antoninus time But they also conquered the Parthians rounde and brought a triumph and did solemnize the same with his brother This Verus Antoninus atchieued sundrie victories he wan Seleucia a famous citie of Assyria by meanes of these noble captains Statius Priscus which subdued Armenia that then rebelled and Auidius Cassius which likewise kept Media and Babylon in subiection But as this Lucius departed from the citie Concordia he died of an issue of blood after whome againe Marcus Antoninus gouerned as Emperour more to be maruei led at for his rare vertues then to be commended for his singuler learning This professed not in outwarde shew to be a Philosopher but in liuing He was had in such admiration euen from his infancie for his graue behauiour and sober life that Adrianus purposed then he being but a childe to leaue him as his successor In philosophie he was instructed by Apollonius a Chalcedonian Philosopher and he was brought vp in the Greeke tongue by Sextus Cherronesus nephewe to Plutarch the Emperour in the Latine tongue he was brought vp with Frontus a very great Orator so that Marcus Antoninus excelled all other Emperours in all kinde of knowledge he was exceeding liberall as at his warres which he had against the Marcomenes where the Vandales the Sarmatians and al Barbarie were ready to mainteine warres against the Romanes were seene for he made open sale of his plate he solde all his apparell and solde diuers iewels and ornaments of precious stones he solde all his substance to auoyde the exactions of his subiects But the victorie which then he obtained repayed all his debtes and brought againe his plate his iewels and all other his substance home for it is written that these warres continued three yeeres and were the most terrible warres and equall to the warres of Carthage And when he had reduced Rome to a most fortunate state and had raigned to the contentation of all men 18. yeeres and had liued 61. yeeres
he died and was canonized at the earnest labour of all the people after whom many mourned in Rome aswell of the people and citizens as Senatours He was also called Pater patriae with Traian Adrian Vespasian and with Augustus During the reigne of this good Emperour fell such a great pestilence in Italie among the inhabitants thereof and other prouinces about Rome that there were new lawes made and ordained for the buriall of the dead At this time Asianus and also Appollinaris Bishop of Hieropolis wrote both two bookes in defence of the Christian religion dedicated them to the Emperor Antoninus In Fraunce vnder Farabertus the 28. king then raigning in Fraunce dyed many by persecution for profession of christianitie at what time Lucius the sonne of Coyllus reigned king among the Brytanes who in the 13. yeere of his gouernment receiued the Christian faith as both Gyldas and Beda affirme Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna the disciple of Iohn the Euangelist came into Rome in Antoninus time whom Ireneus much commendeth Now for that the name of Antoninus was so much honored of the Romans it was decreed that none should be so named but by consent of the Senators such Consuls as then raigned for Antoninus became as great a name in Rome as Augustus was such was the loue and honour that the Romanes yelded to this name The Senators had no greater present to present Alexander Seuerus then to offer him that name and so to be called Seuerus Antoninus The vertue and rarenesse of the men made the name so honourable and therefore I will put them downe with the magistrates and Officers that ruled in Rome during the time of these two rare Emperours Antoninus Pius and Antoninus surnamed the Philosopher Plautius Syluanus Iulius Seuerus Marcus Aulius Antoninus Herodes Atticus Lollianus Auitus Grauius Maximus Seleucus and Ruffinus Gallicanus Glabrio Torquatus and Camerinus Marcus Vibullius surnamed Augur Atidius Cornelianus who had charge in Syria at Antoninus death Quintilius and Priscus Pescenius niger Metilius Bradua and Lucius Aelianus Lucius Aelius Verus Stacius Priscus and Auidius Cassius two notable captaines Aufidius Victorinus Iunius Rusticus and Elius Celsus Erutius Clarus Flaccus Piso and Iulianus which was afterward Emperour Claudius Pompeianus and Cethegus Heren Apronianus and Quintilinus These with many moe notable men that gouerned in Rome when Antoninus Pius raigned This Quintilinus whose house stocke Commodus the emperour after destroyed who likewise was by his father made Caesar and had triumphed before with his father These were the chiefe men that then bare rule in Rome in the time of Marcus Antoninus fewe such Emperours were founde in Rome after they dyed In time of Marcus Antoninus Smyrna a famous towne of Asia fell by an earthquake to the repayring whereof this Emperour bestowed much money and the Temple of Serapis was this time in Alexandria burned Nowe when Lucius Antoninus Commodus beganne his Empire after his father the vertue of his father shined the more beyng dead by the vices of the sonne that succeeded after who from his cradle was wicked cruell and beastly he so defamed himselfe with ryot and ribawdry that hee had three hundred concubines and three hundred delicate males youthes which he vsed as women he commanded his Colossus or image to be put vp and withall made a decree that he should be called God Hercules This shamelesse Emperour vnwoorthie of the name of Antoninus woulde play openly vpon the Theater with fencers and he vsed himselfe so hatefully that he was abhorred of all men and enuied as an enemie of mankinde and so he ended his life being either thratled or poysoned after hee had reigned thirteene yeeres For it was a woonder to see two good Emperours to succeede one another in Rome nay wee cannot reade but of onelie two which were good Vespasian and his sonne Titus all the rest cruell tyrants degenerated from kinde and in whom appeared nothing more then treason or murther After whome followed the Emperour Pertinax an aged man who had done much seruice and therefore aduaunced to the empire much against his will for he was 69. yeres olde when he was chosen Emperour scant hee had reigned eightie dayes but he was slaine of the souldiers and his head cut off and caried rounde about Rome by the commaundement of Iulianus who was the wolfe that caused this murther but he was well requited The like death happened to Iulianus being a man very factious and seditious and very ambitious this was nephew to that Iulianus which liued in Adrianus time he was discōfited by Seuerus Septimius at a place called Miluius bridge soone after slaine in his owne palace his head cut off and put vp in the market place at what time Pescennius was in Antioch and Septimius Seuerus was in Panonia both created Caesars But after that Seuerus slue Pescennius hee tooke the rule gouernment of the Romane empire was the first Emperour created forth of Affricke This was of great credite for he had bin treasurer and Tribune of the souldiers and at the last had the charge of the whole weale publike This the Senate gratified much according to his request and gaue him the name of Pertinax whome Seuerus loued so well that he both desired and commanded to be called Pertinax whose death Seuerus reuenged vpon Pescennius others He was a valiant man for he ouercame the Parthians and the Arabians and therfore was surnamed Parthicus Seuerus he subdued Britaine who then after the death of Lucius began ciuil wars betweene themselues and were almost vtterly conquered by Seuerus by reason the noble men and Britaine held ciuill warres During which time Clodius Albinus created himselfe Caesar in Fraunce whom he slue at Lugdunum whose head he sent to Rome and whose friends in Rome at his returne he persecuted to the last This Emperour was well learned and a great Philosopher This Emperour Seuerus after he had repayred many things throughout the Romane empire and had made Rome againe chiefe mistres of those prouinces lost he passed ouer the Sea vnto Britaine where after he had subdued them hee dyed among them in the citie of Yorke in the eighteenth yeere of his reigne Polidore doeth not agree with Eutropius in this but in the Romane historie Eutropius must be beleued After Seuerus succeeded his sonne Aurelius Bassianus who also was called Caracalla he was in conditions much like to his father but more sharpe he was out of measure giuen to sensualitie and carnall concupiscence he espoused his mother in lawe named Iuba of some named Iubba though vnder colour to demaund Artabanus his daughter king of Parthia in mariage which he falsly deceiued beside the expectation of Artabanus he slue many of the Parthians This Antoninus Caracalla hauing had a sight of Alexander the great his picture wherin he noted his sterne countenance with his head somewhat leaning to