Staff to support him by reason of his weakness Whereupon Sphinx as it is reported threw herself down Headlong from the top of the Rock And Oedipus marry'd his Mother unknown to him and begat of her Two Sons Eteocles and Polynices and Two Daughters Antigone and Ismene The Sons being grown up to Mans Estate came to the knowledge of the P. 186. Wickedness committed in their Family and therefore for the foulness of the Fact confin'd Oedipus so as that he should not stir Abroad and his Sons took upon them the Government first agreeing together to rule Yearly one after another by turns Eocles the Elder Brother reign'd first but when his Year was out he refus'd to give way to his Brother Polynices demanded the Government according to the Covenant between them but his Brother turn'd to him the Deaf Ear upon which he repair'd to Ardrastus King of Argos At which time Tydeus the Son of Oeneus King of Calydonia was fled out of Aetolia to Argos for Killing of his Nephews Alcathous and Lycotheus Adrastus kindly entertain'd them both and by command of the Oracle gave his Daughter Argia in marriage to Polynices and Deipyle to Tydeus The young Men being both in great Honour and Esteem and highly approved of by the King for their virtuous Qualifications Adrastus promis'd to restore them both to their own Countries Resolving therefore first to bring back Polynices he sent Tydeus on an Embassage to Etocles to debate the matter with him In his Return it 's said he was set upon by Fifty Men imploy'd by Eteocles to way-lay him all whom notwithstanding he slew and came safe beyond all seeming Probability to Argos Adrastus being inform'd of this piece of Treachery prepar'd all things necessary for the War and Procur'd Capaneus Hippomedon and Parthenopaeus the Son of Atalanta the Daughter of Sheneus to joyn with him Polynices also endeavour'd to persuade Amphiraus the Sooth-sayer to go along with them to the War against Thebes but he foreknowing he should fall in that War if he went refus'd to stir Polynices therefore presented Amphiraus his Wife with a †Or Necklace Golden-Chain which as is reported was bestow'd upon Harmonia by Minerva to persuade her Husband to joyn with them as one of their Confederates There being some Controversie about that time between Adrastus and Amphiaraus concerning the Kingdom they agreed together to refer the whole matter in difference both as to the Kingdom and the War to the decisive Judgment of Euriphile the Sister of Adrastus and Wife to Amphiaraus Hereupon she gave Judgment for Adrastus and that her Husband should joyn with the rest in the War against Thebes Amphiaraus though he lookt upon himself to be betray'd by his Wife yet prepar'd to go along with the other Captains But before he went commanded his Son Alchmeon that after he was dead he should kill Eriphyle who afterwards executed his Father's Commands by murdering his Mother but was some time after so terrify'd in Conscience with the horridness of the Fact that he went stark mad But to proceed Adrastus Polynices and Tydeus together with Four other Captains Amphiraus Capaneus Hippomedon and Parthenopeus with a great Army marcht against Thebes where Eteocles and Polynices kill'd each other Capeneus in attempting to scale the Walls was likewise slain The Earth open'd her Mouth and swallow'd up Amphiaraus and his Chariot together and so he was never more seen All the rest of the Generals likewise perish'd in this War except Adrastus and a great Slaughter there was among the common Souldiers whom the Thebans would not suffer to be carried off the Ground so that Adrastus was forc'd to leave them unbury'd and return to Argos The Bodies of the Slain thus lying unbury'd at Cadmea none daring to interr them the Athenians always commendable above others for their Humanity took care of this matter and bury'd them all And these were the Misfortunes that befel the Seven Captains in the War at Thebes But the Children of them that were Slain call'd †Epigoni to revenge their Born after Father's Deaths all joyn'd together and resolv'd to make War upon that City The Oracle of Apollo upon Enquiry answer'd them that they should overcome P. 187. Thebes if they made Alchmaeon the Son of Amphiaraus their General Whereupon Alchmaeon being accordingly with unanimous consent created Commander in chief consulted the Oracle both concerning the present intended Expedition and the Revenge that he was injoyn'd by his Father to execute upon Eripyle his Mother The Oracle commanded him to perform both because she not only receiv'd a Chain of Gold for what she did which was the occasion of his Father's Death but a rich †Or Garment call'd Peplus Vale likewise as a Bribe in order to the ruine of himself Venus they say heretofore bestow'd this Chain and Garment upon Harmonia the Wife of Cadmus but both were given to Eripyle the Chain by Polynices and the Vale by Thersandrus Polynices his Son that she might persuade Alchmaeon to go to the Theban War Alchmaeon therefore rais'd Souldiers out of Argos but great Numbers out of the Neighbouring Towns and with these he marcht against Thebes The Thebans issued out of the City against them upon which there was a sharp Ingagement but the Alchmeons at length got the Day The Thebans being thus overcome with a great Slaughter of their Citizens seeing themselves too weak for the other utterly despair'd of all future Success and therefore consulted Teiresias the Soothsayer what they should do Who advis'd them to abandon the City as the only means left for their Safety and Preservation The Cadmeans follow'd his Advice and in the Night forsook the City and fled to a Province in Beotia call'd Tilphotium The Epigonians afterwards enter'd and raz'd the City and being now Lords of all among others possessed themselves of Daphne the Daughter of Teiresias whom according to their Vow they devoted as the chief of their Spoils to the Oracle at Delphos The Daughter nothing inferior to her Father for the Art of Divination mightily improv'd it while she continu'd at Delphos for she was endued with those Parts and Qualifications that were to be admir'd She writ divers sorts of Prophetical Verses in a most artificial dress and composure out of which they say the Poet Homer borrow'd many Verses for the adorning of his Poems Being often in an Enthusiastical inspiration from the God she utter'd things that were Prophetical and therefore they say she was call'd a Sibyl For to be so inspir'd is in the Greek Language to act the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sibyl The Epigonians thus prosperously succeeding in their Expedition return'd at length loaden with Spoyl into their own Country Among those Thebans that fled to Tilphosium Tiresias dy'd and was bury'd by the Cadmeans with great Funeral Pomp and ador'd afterwards as a God Some time after leaving the City Tilphosium they invaded the Doreans and overcoming them in
Achaia Upon this they declar'd in the publick Assembly of the Achaians the occasion of their Embassy and desir'd them to grant their Request But Ant. Ch. 370. they of Helica had an Ancient Prophecie That then they would he in the greatest danger when the Ionians sacrific'd upon the Altar of Neptune remembring therefore this they would not suffer the Ionians to take the Images alledging that that Temple was not common to all the Achaians but peculiar to themselves only The same Addresses were made to them of Bura who were of the same Mind with them of Helica However the Ionians by publick Edict of the Achaians that the Prophecy might be fulfill'd offer'd Sacrifices upon the Altar of Neptune Upon this they of Helica seiz'd upon all the Goods of the Ionians and committed the Ambassadors to Prison and so carried it very impiously towards the Deity Therefore they say that Neptune being angry to revenge himself upon their Impiety by this Earthquake and Inundation of the Sea brought this grievous calamity upon those Cities And that it was done by him they use this for an Argument That it is generally believ'd that this God hath the power of Inundations and Earthquakes in his own hand and that Peloponnesus had been ever reputed the Habitation of Neptune and the Country Dedicated to him and that all the Peloponnesian Cities worship'd this God above all others Besides this they give a further reason of this sad Ant. Ch. 370. Accident There are as they say in Peloponnesus great Cavities under-ground which by the Sea flowing here and there through the Earth are turn'd into great Ponds and Lakes of Water And indeed it is very certain that there are Two Rivers in that Peninsula which apparently fall into the Caverns of the Earth For the Rivers which run by * A City in Aâ—cadia Pheneum in former Ages sunk in one place into the Earth and became invisible being swallow'd up in these Caverns under ground * Erasinus River Another was lost at a great opening of the Earth at * Stymphalus in Arcadia Stymphius and ran unseen under ground for the space of Two hundred Stages and rose up again near the City Argos To what is related is further added That none suffer'd but only they who were guilty of the Impiety before-mention'd And this shall suffice to be said of the Earthquakes and Inundations in Peloponnesus Afterward When Alcisthenes was Chief Magistrate of Athens and Eight Military Tribunes viz. Olymp. 102. 1. Ant. Ch. 369. * 25 Mile Lucius * Lucius Publius Valerius Valerius Publius Ancius Caius Terentius Lacius Menenius Caius Sulpitius Titus Papyrius Lucius Aemilius and * Marcus Fabius A Coinet in Peloponnesus Fabius Marcus bore the Consular Authority at Rome the Hundred and second Olympiad was celebrated at Aelis wherein Damon the Thurian was Victor At that time God by some Signs and Prodigies foretold the Fall of the Lacedemonian Sovereignty over Greece after they had enjoy'd it near Five hundred Years For a great Comet which from its shape was call'd the Fiery Beam was seen in the Heavens several Nights And not long after the Lacedemonians being overcome in a great Battle suddenly beyond all Mens imagination lost their Dominion Some Ant. Ch. 369. among the Natural Philosophers ascribe the Original of this Comet to proceed from Natural Causes and say that these sort of Meteors at some stated times do happen of necessity And that the Eminent Chaldeans in Babylon and other Astrologers have certainly and exactly foretold the appearance of these Comets And that it 's not to be admir'd tho' such things do happen accordingly but that it would be a greater wonder if they should not being that all things have their proper Courses and turns and at length by incessant Motions are brought into Act in fixed and stated Times and Seasons It 's related that this Comet was so very light that it cast a shadow upon the Earth like the Moon CHAP. VI. Artaxerxes sends again to make Peace among the Grecians All compli'd but the Thebans The Spartans raise an Army against the Thebans Epaminondas made the Theban General The famous Battle of Leuctra The terrible Seditions and Cruelties in Argos Jason of Pherae stirs up the Thessalonians to gain the Sovereignty of Greece Pollydore Prince of Pherea in Greece poison'd by his Brother Alexander Plot to depose Alexander King of Macedonia Treated with to that purpose ABout this time Artaxerxes King of Persia hearing that Greece was fallen into new Broils sent Ambassadors again to exhort them to live in peace one with another according to the late Establishment The Grecians readily compli'd with the Advice and Peace made again by the Mediation of Artaxerxes and all made Peace again among themselves except the Thebans For they were not admitted into the League because they challeng'd all Beotia to be under their own Government And it was Decreed that all the Cities should be bound by Oath to observe the League Being therefore excluded as they were before they kept Beotia under the sole Jurisdiction of their own City Upon which the Lacedemonians being inrag'd resolv'd to make War upon them as the common Enemies of Greece For their growing Pow'r began to be suspected lest being Masters of all Baeotia they should some Ant. Ch. 369. The Lacedemonians decree War against the Thebans P. 484. time or other catch an opportunity to deprive Sparta of the Sovereign Command Especially for that they were a Warlike Nation Inferior to none in Greece and by their daily Exercise in the publick Schools their Bodies became far stronger and besides had many valiant Commanders and especially three Epaminondas Gorgias and Pelopidas And to this may be added That the Thebans by reason of the Nobility of their Ancestors who were famous in the Heroick times were of Proud and Lordly Spirits and ever aspiring to great matters Upon this account the Lacedemonians this Year rais'd an Army compos'd of their own Cities and of their Confederates and prepar'd themselves for War So that When Phrasichides was Lord Chancellor of Athens and the Romans appointed Eight Military Tribunes to execute the Office of Consuls viz. Publius Manlius Caius Erenucius Olymp. 102. 2. Caius Sextius Tiberius Julius * Lucius Julius Lucius * Marcus Albinius Labinius Publius Fibonius Caius Manlius and Lucius Antistius The Thebans excluded from the common League were forc'd by their own strength alone to bear the brunt of the War against the Lacedemonians for by the Articles of the Peace Ratifi'd and confirm'd by all none of the Cities were to send them any Aid or Relief Therefore the Lacedemonians now that the Thebans were wholly desert'd decreed a War against them and were resolv'd to subject Thebes to the Lacedemonian State And forasmuch as all observ'd that the Lacedemonians made extraordinary preparations and that the Thebans on the other hand had none to stand by them
in which were carri'd about Forty thousand Soldiers together with Horse and Auxiliaries from the Pirats Besides there were on Board abundance of all sorts of Darts Arrows and other Engines fit for the carrying on of an Assault And along with all these there follow'd almost a Thousand Vessels belonging to private Men full of Wares and Merchandize And whereas the Country of the Rhodians had been free from all devastations for many years together a vast multitude of men that had inricht themselves by the losses of others in the War flockt thither from all places Demetrius therefore drawing up his Fleet in a line of Battle as ready prepar'd for a Sea sight commanded his Men of War Ant. Ch. 303. which carri'd Engines upon their Fore Castles to cast Darts and Arrows of three spans long to sail before and the Transport Ships and such as had Horses on board they that row'd in lesser Vessels tow'd after them by Cable Ropes In the Rear came the Pirats Vessels and a numerous Company as is before said of Merchants Ships loaden with Corn and other Provisions so that all the Sea between them and the Island and opposite shoar seem'd to be cover'd over with Ships which struck a great Terror and Amazement into those that had the prospect from the City For the Rhodian Soldiers who were plac'd upon the Walls there waited for the Enemies approach the old Men and Women likewise had a prospect of them from the tops of their Houses for the City was in its situation like a Theater and all being amaz'd and terrifi'd with the greatness of the Fleet and glittering of the Arms were in no small perplexity for all they had in this World was now lying at stake Demetrius now at last arriv'd at the Island and Landed his Men and then encampt Rhodes bes 〈…〉 by Demetrius near the City but not within the Cast of a Dart which done he forthwith sent out some of the Pirats and others fit for the purpose to spoil and pillage all before them both by Sea and Land He cut down also all the Trees of the Country next adjoining and raz'd the Towns and with the Timber and materials from thence he fortifi'd his Camp drawing round it a treble Trench and many great and strong Ramparts so that by the misery and losses of the Enemy he effectually provided for his Armies security Then by the labour of his whole Army and the Seamen that came along with him in a few daies he took in with a Rampart of Earth all that part of Ground lying between his Landing place and the City and inlarg'd the Haven for the more commodious Ant. Ch. 300. riding of his Ships In the mean time the Rhodians sent Ambassadors to him intreating him he would not do any thing that might be irreparable But when they perceiv'd he would not hearken to any Terms laying aside all hopes of composing matters they sent Messengers to Ptolemy Lysimachus and Cassander praying their assistance because that War was made upon them upon their account Both Inhabitants that were not Free of the City and Foreigners lately come in were admitted to take up Arms if they thought fit for defence of the place the rest of the Rabble tha were useless they put forth out of the City both to prevent scarcity of Provision and lest any uneasie under the present Circumstances they were in should betray the Town Then taking an account of the number of them in Arms they found there were of the Citizens Six thousand of Inhabitants and strangers One thousand They made likewise a Decree that all Servants that had approv'd themselves honest and faithful in all hazards and dangers P. 776. should be bought off from their Masters and set free and inroll'd into the number of the Citizens Then a Proclamation was made that whosoever di'd in the War should be buri'd at the publick charge and that his Parents and Children should be maintain'd out of the City Treasury that Portions should be given to the Daughters out of the publick stock and that the Sons when they were grown up should be crown'd and adorn'd in the Theater at the time of the Festivals of Bacchus with all sorts of Arms and Armour With these promises all were presently excited to stand to it to the last and Ant. Ch. 303. indure the utmost extremity and then they made it their business as far as it was possible to provide all other things that were necessary for all being unanimous the Rich brought in their Money and the Smiths and other workmen earnestly set themselves to the making of Arms and all were so intent upon their business that every one strove to exceed each other Some therefore imploi'd themselves in making Engines to cast Darts and shoot stones and others in making and preparing other things same repair'd the Walls where they were defective and many loaded men with stones to carry to the Walls They sent out likewise Three swift sailing Vessels against the Enemy and the Merchants that brought them in Provision These setting on them upon a sudden sunk many of the Merchant Ships who were gone ashore to rob and spoil the Country and burnt no few that were driven up to land and what they receiv'd for the Redemption of Captives they brought with them back into the City For the Rhodians had agreed with Demetrius what the value of Redemption on both sides should be that is for every Freeman a Thousand Drachma's and for every Servant and Bondman Five hundred Demetrius being furnish'd with plenty of all things necessary for the making of Engines began to make two call'd Testudo's the one against the Engines Ant. Ch. 303. that cast stones and the other against those that shot Darts and Arrows these they plac'd upon the Foredecks of two Transport Ships which mov'd from place to place and were chain'd close together He likewise made two Towers four stories high apiece higher than those Turrets belonging to the Town in the Harbour both which likewise were plac'd upon two Ships of equal height and joyn'd one to another that both might be equally ballast when they were forc'd forward He built likewise a Rampart upon a Fore footed piece of Timber nail'd together to float upon the Water in order to beat off the Enemy in any Attack they might make upon the Ships where the Engins were plac'd At the same time while he was making these he got together a Number of the strongest Water Boats and fenc'd them with Boards and Planks round and made Loop-holes in the sides to shut at pleasure and in these he plac'd Engines to shoot Darts and Arrows of three spans long at a great distance together with such Soldiers as knew very well how to make use of them and with them some Cretian Archers Coming up therefore with his Ships within the Cast of a Dart he sorely gall'd the Townsmen with his Darts and Arrows being the Engines in
of the Ground is still continually renew'd and the Inhabitants have an easie way to water it by means of a certain Engin invented by Archimedes the Syracusian which from its Form is call'd †A Snail 's Shell Choclia And whereas the Nile flows gently over it it brings along with it much Soyl which resting in low and hollow Grounds makes very rich Marishes For in these Places grow Roots of several Tasts and Savours and Fruits and Herbs of a singular nature and quality which are very useful both to the Poor and those that are Sick for they do not only afford plentifully in every Place things for Food but all other things necessary and useful for the Life of Man There grows in great Plenty Lotus of Lotus Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 13. c. 17. Ciborium which the Egyptians make Bread for the nourishment of Man's Body Here 's likewise produc'd in plenty Ciborium call'd the Egyptian Bean. Here are divers sorts of Trees amongst which those call'd * Persica Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 13. c. 9. Sycamore Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 13. c. 7. Bates Persica whose Fruit is of wonderful sweetness This Plant was brought out of Ethiopia by the Persians when Cambyses conquer'd these Places The Sycamore or Egyptian Fig-tree some of them bear Mulberries others a Fruit like unto Figs and bear all the Year long so that a Man may satisfie his Hunger at any time After the falling of the Waters of the River they gather the Fruits call'd Bates which for their sweet and delightful Taste are at Entertainments served up at last Course as delicious Deserts The Egyptians make a Drink of Barley call'd Zythus for smell and sweetness Zythus of Taste not much inferior to Wine They make a Liquor like Oyl for the feeding of their Lamps of the Juice of a Plant which they call Cici There are Cici many other Plants which grow in Egypt of admirable use which would be too tedious here to enumerate The River Nile breeds many Creatures of several Forms and Shapes amongst The Beasts of Nile Crocodile Vid. Plin. lib. 8. c. 25. which Two are especially remarkable the Crocodile and the Horse as it 's call'd Amongst these the Crocodile of the least Creature becomes the greatest for it lays an Egg much of the bigness of that of a Goose and after the young is hatcht it grows to the length of Sixteen Cubits and lives to the Age of a Man It wants a Tongue but has a Body naturally arm'd in a wonderful manner For its Skin is cover'd all over with Scales of an extraordinary hardness many sharp Teeth are rang'd on both sides its Jaws and Two of them are much bigger than the rest This Monster does not only devour Men but other Creatures that come near the River His Bites are sharp and destructive and with his Claws he tears his Prey cruelly in Pieces and what Wounds he makes no Medicine or Application can heal The Egyptians formerly catcht these Monsters with Hooks baited with raw Flesh but of later times they have us'd to take 'em with strong Nets like Fishes sometimes they strike them on the Head with Forks of Iron and so kill them There 's an infinite Multitude of these Creatures in the River and the Neighbouring Pools in regard they are great Breeders and are seldom kill'd For the Crocodile is ador'd as a God by some of the Inhabitants and for Strangers to hunt and destroy them is to no purpose for their Flesh is not eatable But Nature has provided relief against the increase of this destructive Monster for the Ichneumon as it 's call'd of the Bigness of a little Dog running up and down Ichneumon near the Water-side breaks all the Eggs laid by this Beast whereever he finds them and that which is most to be admir'd is that he does this not for Food or any other Advantage but out of a natural Instinct for the meer Benefit of Mankind The Beast call'd the †Hippopotamus or Sea-Horse Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 8. c. 25. River Horse is Five Cubits long Four Footed and cloven Hoof'd like to an Ox. He has Three Teeth or Tushes on either side his Jaw appearing outwards larger than those of a Wild-Boar as to his Ears Tayl and his Neighing he 's like to a Horse The whole Bulk of his Body is not much unlike an Elephant his Skin is firmer and thicker almost than any other Beast He lives both on Land and Water in the Day time he lies at the Bottom of the River and in the Night time comes forth to Land and feeds upon the Grass and Corn. If this Beast were so fruitful as to bring forth Young every Year he would undo the Husbandman and destroy a great part of the Corn of Egypt He 's likewise by the help of many Hands often caught being struck with Instruments of Iron for when he is found they hem him round with their Boats and those on Board wound him with forked Instruments of Iron cast at him as so many Darts and having strong Ropes to the Irons they fix in him they let him go till he loses his Blood and so dies His Flesh is extraordinary hard and of ill digestion There 's nothing in his inner Parts that can be eaten neither his Bowels nor any other of his Intrails Besides these before mention'd Nile abounds with multitudes of all sorts of Abundance of Fish in Nile Fish not only such as are fresh taken to supply the Inhabitants at hand but an innumerable Number likewise which they salt up to send Abroad To conclude no River in the World is more Beneficial and Serviceable to Mankind than Nile It s Inundation begins at the Summer * June 10th Solstice and increases till the †Sept. 10th Equinoctial in Autumn during which time he brings in along with him new Soyl and waters as well the Till'd and Improv'd Ground as that which lies waste and untill'd as long as it pleases the Husbandman for the Water flowing gently and by degrees they easily divert its Course by casting up small Banks of Earth and then by opening a Passage for it as easily turn it over their Land again if they see it needful It 's so very advantageous to the Inhabitants and done with so little pains that most of the Country People turn in their Cattel into the sow'd Ground to eat and tread down the Corn and Four or Five Months after they reap it Some lightly run over the Surface of the Earth with a Plow after the Water is fallen and gain a mighty Crop without any great Cost or Pains But Husbandry amongst all other Nations is very laborious and chargable only the Egyptians gather their Fruits with little Cost or Labour That part of the Country likewise where Vines are planted after this watering by the Nile yields a most plentiful Vintage The Fields that after the Inundation are pastur'd by their Flocks
yield them this advantage that the Sheep Yean twice in a Year and are shorn as often This Increase of the Nile is wonderful to Beholders and altogether incredible to them that only hear the Report for when other Rivers about the Solstice fall and grow lower all Summer long this begins to increase and continues to rise every day till it comes to that height that it overflows almost all Egypt and on the contrary in the same manner in the Winter Solstice it falls by degrees till it wholly return into its proper Channel And in regard the Land of Egypt lies low and Champain the Towns Cities and Country Villages that are built upon rising-ground cast up by Art look like the Islands of the Cyclades Many of the Cattel sometimes are by the River intercepted and so are drown'd but those that fly to the higher Grounds are preserv'd During the time of the Inundation the Cattel are kept in the Country Towns and small Cottages where they have Food and Fodder before laid up and prepar'd for them But the common People now at liberty from all Imployments in the Field indulge themselves in Idleness feasting every day and giving themselves up to all sorts of Sports and Pleasures Yet out of fear of the Inundation a Watch Tower is built in * Now Grand Cairo Memphis by the Kings of Egypt where those that are imploy'd to take care of this concern observing to what height the River rises send Letters from one City to another acquainting them how many Cubits and Fingers the River rises and when it begins to decrease and so the People coming to understand the Fall of the Waters are freed from their fears and all presently have a foresight what plenty of Corn they are like to have and this Observation has been Registred from time to time by the Egyptians for many Generations There are great Controversies concerning the Reasons of the overflowing of Controversies about the overflowing of Nile Nile and many both Philosophers and Historians have endeavour'd to declare the Causes of it which we shall distinctly relate neither making too long a Digression nor omitting that which is so much banded and controverted Of the Increase and Spring-heads of Nile and of its emptying of it self at length into the Sea and other properties peculiar to this River above all others though it be the greatest in the World yet some Authors have not dar'd to say the least thing Some who have attempted to give their Reasons have been very wide from the Mark. For as for Hellanicus Cadmus Hecataeus and such like ancient Authors they have told little but frothy Stories and meer Fables Herodotus above all other Writers very industrious and well acquainted with General History made it his Business to find out the Causes of these things but what he says is notwithstanding very doubtful and some things seem to be repugnant and contradictory one to another Thucydides and Xenophon who have the reputation of faithful Historians never so much as touch upon the Description of any Place in Egypt But Ephorus and Theopompus though they are very earnest in this matter yet they have not in the least discover'd the Truth But it was through Ignorance of the Places and not through Negligence that they were all led into Error For anciently none of the Grecians till the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus ever went into Ethiopia or so much as to the utmost Bounds of Egypt For those Places were never frequented by Travellers they were so hazardous till that King marcht with a Grecian Army into those Parts and so made a more perfect Discovery of the Country No Writer hitherto has pretended that he himself ever saw or heard of any one else that affirm'd he had seen the Spring-heads of Nile All therefore amounting to no more but Opinion and Conjecture the Priests of Egypt affirm that it comes from the Ocean which flows round the whole Earth But nothing that they say is upon any solid grounds and they resolve Doubts by things that are more doubtful and to prove what they say they bring Arguments that have need to be proved themselves But the Troglodites otherways call'd Molgii whom the scorching Heat forc'd †Bolgii to remove from the higher Parts into those lower Places say that there are some Signs whence a Man may rationally conclude that the River Nile rises from Streams which run from many Fountains or Spring-heads and meet at last in one Channel and therefore to be the most fruitful and richest River of any that is known in the World The Inhabitants of the Isle of Meroe who are most to be credited upon this account are far from inventing so much as any probable Arguments and though they live near to the Place in controversy are so far from giving any certain account of this matter that they call Nile Astapus which in the Greek Language signifies Water that issues out of a Place of Darkness so that they give a Name to the River to denote their Ignorance of the Place whence it springs But that seems the truest Reason to me that looks to be furthest from Fiction and study'd Contrivance Yet I am not ignorant that Herodotus who bounds Lybia both on the East and West with this River does ascribe the exact Knowledge of it to the Africans call'd Nasamones and says that Nile rises from a certain Lake and runs through a large Tract of Ground down all along through Ethiopia But neither are the Sayings of the Africans in this behalf as not altogether agreeable to Truth nor the affirmation of the Writer who proves not what he says to be of absolute credit But enough concerning the Spring-heads and Course of Nile let us now venture to treat of the Causes of the Risings of this River Thales who is reckon'd one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece is of Opinion that the Etesean Winds that beat fiercely upon the Mouth of the River give a Yearly Winds check and stop to the Current and so hinder it from falling into the Sea upon which the River swelling and its Channel fill'd with Water at length overflows the Country of Egypt which lies flat and low Though this seem a plausible Reason yet it may be easily disprov'd For if it were true what he says then all the Rivers which run into the Sea against the Etesean Winds would overflow in like manner which being never known in any other part of the World some other Reason and more agreeable to Truth must of necessity be sought for Anaxagoras the Philosopher ascribes the Cause to the melting of the Snow in Ethiopia whom the Poet Euripides who was his Scholar follows saying thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pleasant Streams of th'River Nile forsakes Which flowing from the Negro's parched Land Swells big when th' melting Snow to th'River takes Comes furling down and overflows the Strand Neither is it any
ease Thus dividing themselves into Companies they finish their Pursuit and feed together upon the Prey they have caught Very rarely it is that any of them are kill'd even by the fiercest or strongest of them but by slight they overcome might If they miss of their Prey they wash the Skins of those they have formerly taken and lay them upon a Fire made for the Purpose and scorching off the Hair under the Ashes and dividing the Skin amongst themselves with this hard Fare they satisfy their Hunger They teach the Boys to cast Darts exactly to hit a Mark and if they miss they suffer them not to eat And by this Means through pinching Hunger they become excellent Archers Not far from these towards the West inhabit the Ethiopians that are call'd Elephant fighters Elephantomachies They dwell in large and woody Forests where from the Tops of the highest Trees they diligently observe the Motions and Walks of the Elephants But they set not upon the intire Troops at once for that were to little Purpose but with wonderful Courage single them out as they come near to them For when the Beast approaches to the right side of the Tree where he that watches for him lyes hid just as the Elephant passes by he catches hold of his Tail with his Hands and clasps his Feet close to his left Thigh Then with his Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist l. 8. c. 8. right Hand he lays hold of a sharp Ax bound upon his Shoulder and managable by one Hand and with that gives him one Wound after another whereby he cuts the Nerves and Sinews of the Elephant's right Ham guiding and governing his Body in the mean time by his right Hand This Feat is perform'd with that admirable Quickness and Activity as if the Combat had been design'd to be ended no otherwise than by the Loss of one of their Lives For what could be expected since the Nature of the thing cannot admit of any other Conjecture but either the Man must dye or the Beast be overcome The Beast being thus Hamstrung not able to turn himself round by reason of the Slowness of his Motion sinks sometimes on that side where he is wounded and falls down and together with himself kills the Ethiopian Sometimes the Elephant dashes the Man against a Tree or a Stone and with his Weight presses upon him till he has kill'd him Some of the Elephants overmaster'd through the Smart and Torment of their Wounds never regard him that wounds them but run so long up and down the Plain till the Ethiopian behind by his continual hacking and cutting in one and the same place cuts his Sinews in pieces and at length altogether disables him and brings him down Whereupon the Ethiopians run in flocking and cutting of Collops of his Flesh while he is yet alive feed and feast themselves merrily together P. 113. The Manner of taking Elephants Some of the neighbouring Ethiopians take the Elephants without any Danger of their Lives at all overcoming Force by Slight For this Creature when he is full after feeding differs from all other four-footed Beasts in disposing of himself to Sleep For he cannot bend his Knees and lye down but sleeps leaning his Body to the side of a Tree so that the Tree by his frequent resort to it and pressing upon it withers and rots there being therefore many Signs and Footsteps of the Elephant's Walks by which the Hunters of this Prey discover where he rests himself they having found out the Tree saw it a little above the Ground till it be almost ready to fall then rubbing out the Marks of their Feet they go away before the Elephant comes there who afterwards in the Evening being full fed makes to his usual Resting-place and as soon as he leans with the Weight of his whole Body to the Tree down it falls and the Beast along with it and there lyes all Night with his Heels upward for he cannot possibly rise As soon as it's day they that saw'd the Tree come to the Place and there kill the poor Creature without any Hazard and build themselves Huts where they stay till they have eaten him up Next to these Nations upon the West inhabit those Ethiopians call'd Simoes To the South lye the Nation of the Struthophages for among them is a sort of Bird Simoes of a mixt Nature partly a Fowl and partly a Beast and thence it has its Name Struthophages She 's little less than the greatest Hart Nature has form'd her with a long Neck a round Body with Wings but a tender and small Head yet she has strong Thighs Ostrich and Legs and her Feathers are forkt and she 's so heavy and unweldy that she cannot fly above the Earth but she runs along with that Swiftness that she scarce touches the Ground With a brisk gale of Wind she mounts up her Wings and makes forward as swift as a Ship with her Sayls spread under Sayl. Against the Pursuer she defends her self with flinging of Stones which she throws with that Violence out of her Feet as out of a Sling but when the Wind is low her Wings flag and so being depriv'd of that natural Help she 's easily taken There are a great Number of those Birds and by divers Arts and Devices the Barbarians easily take Multitudes of them and feed upon their Flesh and make use of their Skins both for Vestments and Coverlets for Beds But when these Struthophages are set upon by the Ethiopians call'd Simoes for Arms they use the Horns of the †The Oryx is a Beast as big as a Roe-buck which has a Horn as sharp as it will pierce Brass Oryxes with which they repel the Assaults of their Enemies For they are very great and sharp at the Ends and these sort of Beasts do there so abound that their Horns are found scatter'd up and down and so they become of special use to the Inhabitants A little distant from these are the Acridophages bordering upon the Deserts Acridophages Locust-eaters lesser they are than other Men of lean and meager Bodies and exceeding black In these Parts in the time of the Spring the South Winds rise high and drive an infinite Number of Locusts out of the Desert of an extraordinary Bigness furnish'd with most dirty and nasty colour'd Wings and these are plentiful Food and Provision for them all their days They have a strange and peculiar way of catching of them for in their Country there 's a large and deep Vale extending far in P. 114. length for many Furlongs together all over this they lay Heaps of Wood and other combustible Matter of which they have Plenty in every Place and when the Swarms of Locusts are by the Force of the Winds driven thither then some of the Inhabitants go to one Part of the Valley and some to another and set the Grass and other combustible Matter on Fire which was before thrown among
was open and near at hand In the mean time while he was filling the Net by rouling of himself round in it some forthwith rid up with full speed to the Place who before the Beast could wind up himself ty'd up the mouth of the Net which was to the Top made very long on purpose for quickness of dispatch in this business Then with all speed they put Roulers under the massy weight of the Net to lift it up and so drew it forth The Serpent being thus shut up hiss't most dreadfully gnawing the Bulrushes with his Teeth and tossing himself to and fro as if he were just leaping out of the Net which the Hunters exceedingly fearing he would do drew him out upon the ground and by often pricking him in the Tail caus'd him to snap and bite there where he was most sensible of pain At length they brought him to Alexandria and presented the Beast to the King a most strange Monster and almost incredible And to admiration this Creature was afterwards made tame For keeping him low in want of Food he abated in his fierceness so as by degrees to be very gentle Ptolemy liberally rewarded the Hunters and kept and fed the Serpent thus tam'd a most wonderful sight to all Strangers that travell'd into his Kingdom It may not therefore be judg'd altogether incredible or accounted for a Fable what the Ethiopians have related since so vast a Monster has been expos'd to open view For they affirm that there have been seen Serpents amongst them of that extraordinary bigness that they have not only devour'd Cows and Bulls and other Beasts of that size but have even fought with Elephants themselves P. 120. For they so wrap themselves round their Thighs and hold them so fast that they are not able to move or stir and pricking up their heads from under the Elephants Trunk and looking direct upon them full in the Face with the fiery Rays that dart out of their Eyes strike them blind so that they fall down to the Ground as if they were struck with a flash of Lightning and when they are down they tear them in Pieces And now since we have given a clear and sufficient account of Ethiopia and Troglodita and the bordering Countries as far as to the Torrid Zone and of the Southern Coasts and Climates of the Red Sea and the Atlantick Ocean we shall proceed to the Description of the other parts bordering upon the * Red Sea Arabian Gulf which we have learnt partly from the publick Records in Alexandria and partly from those that have seen the Places themselves For this part of the inhabited World as likewise the British Isles and the Places lying far to the North are the least known of any other But we shall describe those Northern parts which border upon the Frigid Zone together with the British Isles when we come to treat of the acts of Caius Caesar who inlarg'd the Bounds of the Roman Empire as far as to those parts and by his means we come to the Knowledge of all those Countries which were altogether unknown to us before CHAP. III. A Description of the Coasts and Countries on both sides the Arabian Gulf or Red Sea The Perfumes of Arabia the Happy The Fortunate Islands A Description of part of Lybia The Spectras near the Syrtes THe * The Red Sea Arabian Gulf as it 's call'd empties it self into the Southern Ocean and stretches out many Furlongs in length where it falls into the Sea it s both bounded with Arabia and Troglodita It 's breadth both at the Mouths and where it 's lost in the Sea is about Fifteen Furlongs But from the Port of Panormus the opposite Shoar is one Days sailing The greatest breadth is at Mount Tyrceus and Macaria where the Sea is very rough and tempestuous nor can Land be seen from one side to another from thence it grows narrower till it fall into the Ocean In the Sea are many great Islands between which the Passage for Ships is very narrow and the Water very rough And this in short is the Situation of this Gulf. We shall begin at the †That is next the Ocean utmost Parts of this Sea and describe the Coasts on both sides and what is remarkable in each as if we were sailing along And first we shall give an account of the Coast on the * Westward Right Hand the Seat of the Troglodites The Troglodites take up all this part as far as to the vast Deserts All along the Shoar on this right side from the City of Arsinoe Mariners meet with many Rivers of Salt-water pouring down from the Rocks into the Sea After the passing these running Fountains appears a Mountain in a vast and large Plain of a red Colour which dazles the Eyes of all those that look earnestly upon it At the Foot of this Mountain is a Lake with an Entrance of many windings and turnings into it known by the Naâ—e of †Venus Aphrodites in this are Three Islands Two of which abound with Figs and Olives but the Third has neither yet breeds great numbers of those Birds they call Mâ—leogrides From hence you sail through a vast Gulf call'd * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acathar 〈…〉 s. Filthy or Acathartus and near unto it is an exceeding deep Current making a Peninsula carrying Ships through a narrow straight into the open Sea on the other side In sailing along by these Places there lies an Island surrounded with a deep Sea Fourscore Furlongs in length call'd the * Ophiodes Serpents Island because that in former times it abounded P. 121. with divers sorts of dreadful Serpents but in after-times by the diligence of the Kings of Alexandria it was so improv'd that now there 's not the least sign of any such Beast there But it 's not to be omitted for what Reason this Island was with so much charge improv'd The chief reason was for that in this Island was found the Topaz a resplendent Stone of a delightful Aspect like to Glass of a Golden colour and of admirable brightness and therefore all were forbidden to set footing upon that Place and if any landed there he was presently put to death by the Keepers of the Island These Keepers were few and liv'd a most miserable Life And lest the Stones should be stolen and carry'd off there was not a Ship left there and if any by chance pass near to these Places out of fear of the King they sail away as far off as they can The Provision that is imported is commonly soon spent and there 's nothing to be had that grows naturally in the Island and therefore when their Store grows low all the Inhabitants of the Village sit upon the Shoar waiting and longing for the arrival of the Provision Ships and if they stay longer than ordinary the People are driven to the utmost desperation This Stone grows in the Rocks darken'd by the
Flames in many Parts of it and streams of Fire even overflow'd the neighbouring Territory the Country lay wast and ruin'd for a great space and Tract of Ground together And in regard the Fire continu'd thus to spoil the Country for many years together the Inhabitants in a Consternation forsook the Eastern Parts of Sicily and went down into the West At length after many Ages the Sicilians with all their Families transported themselves out of Italy and setled in that part of the Island before forsaken by the Sicanians Where out of a covetous desire to gain more they incroacht still further and made incursions into the neighbouring Countries so that there were frequent Wars between them and the Sicanians till by a mutual Compact and agreement they settl'd the Boundaries of each others Territories of which we shall give a particular account in their Proper place and time The last that sent Colonies into Sicily were the Grecians and those very considerable who built Cities upon the Sea Coasts By the multitude of Grecians that resorted thither and the frequent and ordinary Commerce with them they learnt both the Language and the Grecians way of living and lost together with their own barbarous Dialect their very Name likewise and were call'd Sicilians Having said enough of these we shall now pass to the Islands called the Eolides which are seven in number The Eolide Islands call'd Strongyle Euonymus Didyme Phoenicusa Hiera Vulcania and Lipara in which last there 's a City of the same name These lie between Sicily and Italy P. 202. in a direct line from East to West and are distant from Sicily about an hundred and fifty Furlongs They are much of an equal bigness the greatest of them is in Circuit an hundred and fifty Furlongs They have been all subject to great eruptions of Fire the Passages of which by the openings of the Earth are apparent and visible at this day But in Strongyle and Hiera to this very time violent Vapours burst out of the Earth with a roaring dreadful noise abundance likewise of Sand and Fiery stones are Vomited out of the Ground the like to which may be seen about Mount Aetna For some affirm that from these Islands there are Caverns within the Earth that run out as far Aetna and so there 's a Communication one with another and therefore both these and those Breaches and Casmas of the Earth at Aetna cast forth their Flames at certain seasons by turns They say that these Islands anciently were desert and uninhabited and that afterwards Liparus Son of King Auson upon a sedition rais'd against him by his Brothers with a * Long Ships or Men of War Fleet well man'd Fled out of Italy into the Island from him call'd Lipara where he built a City of the same name and till'd and cultivated the rest of the Islands When he was old Aeolus the Son of Hippotas with some other of his Associats arriv'd in the Island and marri'd Cyane the Daughter of Liparus and investing the rest that he brought along with him with the same Rights and Privileges that the natural Inhabitants injoy'd he became supream Lord of the Island Liparus afterwards having a desire to return into Italy Aeolus assisted him in possessing the Country about Syrrentum where after he had reign'd with a general applause he dy'd and was bury'd in great state and funeral Pomp and honour'd by the Inhabitants as a Demy God This is that Aeolus which they say entertaind Vlysses in his Wandrings and was reported to be pious towards the Gods righteous towards Men and kind and courteous to Strangers It 's likwise reported that he taught Mariners the use of Sails and by the diligent observance of Fire foretold the rising of Winds whence he was feign'd to have a Sovereign power over the Winds and for his Piety was call'd the Friend of the Gods He had Six Sons Astyochus Xuthus Androcles Pheroemon Jocastes and Agathurnus who were all in great Reputation and esteem upon the account of the Fame of their Father's Vertues Amongst these Sons Jocastes reign'd as King over those Parts lying upon the Sea-Coasts of Italy as far as Rhegium Pheroemon and Androcles injoy'd that Part of Sicily from the narrow cut of the Sea to Lilibaeum That part of the Country that lyes Eastward was inhabited by the Sicilians the other towards the West by the Sicanians which several People were continually Quarrelling one with another But they freely submitted to the Sons of Aeolus for the sake of their Father's Eminent Piety and their own gentle and sweet Dispositions Xuthus reign'd in the Territory of Leontium call'd from him Xuthia to this Day Agathurnus possess'd the Region now call'd Agathynites and built the City call'd Agathurnum after his own Name Astyochus was Sovereign Lord of Lipara and all of them imitating their Father's Piety and Justice were in great Honour and Esteem After the Posterity of Aeolus had reign'd successively for many Ages together at last the Royal Line in Sicily was extinct After which the Sicilians were under an Aristocratical Government But the Sicanians fell to odds one with another about the Sovereignty P. 203. and for a long time together were imbroil'd in a Civil War Many Years afterwards when the other Islands through the Severity of the Kings of Asia were more and more empty'd of their Inhabitants some of Cnydus and Rhodes determin'd to transplant themselves to which end they created Pentathlus a Cnidian their Captain who deriv'd his Pedigree from Hippotes the Son of Hercules and under his Conduct they transported themselves into Sicily and arriv'd at Lilibaeum This fell out in the * About Seven Years after the taking and destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadonozer Ant. Chr. 585 Years Fiftieth Olympiad in which Epitilidas the Laconian was Victor At which time likewise it happen'd that Aegestanes and Selinuntes were at War one with another in which War joyning with the Selinuntines in one Battel they lost many of their Men and among the rest their General Pentathlus The Selinuntines being thus routed those of these Strangers that surviv'd determin'd to return Home to which purpose they chose Gorgus Thestores and Epitherides of the Houshold of Pentathlus to be their Captains who sail'd through the Tyrrhene Sea to Lipara where they were kindly receiv'd and easily perswaded to enter into a League with the Inhabitants and dwell among them who were then scarce Five Hundred that remain'd of those that came over with Aeolus Afterwards when the Tyrrhenians infested the Seas with their Pyracies being vext with their Incursions they prepar'd a Fleet for their Defence and divided themselves into several Parts some to till the Ground and others to guard the Seas against the Pirats Then injoying their Estates in Common and feeding together in Societies they continu'd for some time in this Community of Life Afterwards they divided Lipara wherein was situated the Metropolitan City amongst themselves the rest of the
the Paeans when they are just ready to charge the Enemy The Iberians especially the Lusitanians are singular in one thing that they do for those that are young and prest with â—ant but yet are strong and couragious get together upon the Tops of the Mountains and furnish themselves with Arms and having made up a considerable Body make Incursions into Iberia and heap up Riches by Thieving and Robbery and this is their constant Practice in despite of all hazard whatsoever for being lightly arm'd and nimble of Foot they are not easily surpriz'd And indeed steep and craggy Mountains are to P. 216. them as their natural Country and to these they fly for shelter because there 's no way in those Places for great Armies to pass And therefore though the Romans often set upon them and in some measure have curb'd them yet they were never able wholly to put an end to their Thieving and Robbing Having related what concerns the Iberians we conceive it not impertinent to say something of their Silver Mines For almost all this Country is full of such Mines whence is dug very good and pure Silver from whence those that deal in that Mettal gain exceeding great Profit And in the former Book we have spoken of the Pyrenean Mountains in Iberia when we treated of the Acts and Atchievements of Hercules These are the highest and greatest of all others for from the South-Sea almost as far as to the Northern Ocean they divide Gall from Iberia and Celtiberia running out for the space of * About 400 Miles Three Thousand Furlongs These Places being full of Woods and thick of Trees it 's reported that in ancient time this Mountainous Tract was set on Fire by some Shepherds which continuing burning for many Days together whence the Mountains were call'd †Pyrenean the parch'd Superficies of the Earth swet abundance of Silver and †Signifying Fiery in Greek the Ore being melted the Metal flow'd down in Streams of pure Silver like a River the use whereof being unknown to the Inhabitants the Phaenician Merchants bought it for Trifles given for it in Exchange and by transporting it into Greece Asia and all other Nations greatly inricht themselves and such was their Covetousness that when they had fully loaded their Ships and had much more Silver to bring Aboard they cut off the Lead from their Anchors and made use of Silver instead of the other The Phaenicians for a long time using this Trade and so growing more and more wealthy sent many Colonies into Sicily and the Neighbouring Islands and at length into Africa and Sardinia But a long time after the Iberians coming to understand the nature of the Metal sunk many large Mines whence they dug an infinite quantity of pure Silver as never was the like almost in any other place of the World whereby they gain'd exceeding great Wealth and Revenues The manner of working in these Mines and ordering the Metal among the Iberians is thus there being extraordinary rich Mines in this Country of Gold as well as Silver and Brass the Labourers in the Brass take a Fourth part of the pure Brass dug up to their own use and the common Labourers in Silver have an Euboick Talent for their Labour in Three Days time for the whole Soil is full of solid and shining Oar so that both the nature of the Ground and the industry of the Workmen is admirable At the first every common Person might dig for this Metal and in regard the Silver Ore was easily got ordinary Men grew very rich But after that Iberia came into the Hands of the Romans the Mines were manag'd by a throng of Italians whose Covetousness loaded them with abundance of Riches for they bought a great number of Slaves and deliver'd them to the Task-masters and Overseers of the Mines These Slaves open the P. 217. Mouths of the Mines in many Places where digging deep into the Ground are found Massy Clods of Earth full of Gold and Silver and in sinking both in length and depth they carry on their Works in undermining the Earth many Furlongs distance the Workmen every way here and there making Galleries under Ground and bringing up all the Massy Pieces of Ore whence the Profit and Gain is to be had even out of the lowest Bowels of the Earth There 's a great difference between these Mines and those in Atâ—ica for besides the Labour they that search there are at great Cost and Charge and besides are often frustrated of their hopes and sometimes lose what they had found so that they seem to be unfortunate to a Proverb But those in Iberia that deal in Mines according to their Expectations are greatly inricht by their Labours for they succeed at their very first sinking and afterwards by reason of the extraordinary richness of the Soyl they find more and more resplendent Veins of Ore full of Gold and Silver for the whole Soil round about is interlac'd on every hand with these Metals Sometimes at a great depth they meet with Rivers under-ground but by Art give a check to the violence of their Current for by cutting of Trenches under ground they divert the Stream and being sure to gain what they aim at when they have begun they never leave till they have sinished it and to admiration they pump out those Floods of Water with those Instruments call'd Aegyptian Pumps invented by Archimedes the Syracusian when Aegyptian Cochleans he was in Egypt By these with constant pumping by turns they throw up the Water to the Mouth of the Pit and by this means drain the Mine dry and make the Place fit for their Work For this Engin is so ingeniously contriv'd that a vast Quantity of Water is strangely with little Labour cast out and the whole Flux is thrown up from the very bottom to the Surface of the Earth The Ingenuity of this Artist is justly to be admir'd not only in these Pumps Archimedes but in many other far greater things for which he is famous all the World over of which we shall distinctly give an exact narration when we come to the time wherein he liv'd Now though these Slaves that continue as so many Prisoners in these Mines incredibly inrich their Masters by their Labours yet toyling Night and Day in these Golden Prisons many of them by being over-wrought dye under Ground For they have no rest nor intermission from their Labours but the Task-masters by Stripes force them to intollerable hardships so that at length they dye most miserably Some that through the Strength of their Bodies and vigour of their Spirits are able to endure it continue a long time in those Miseries whose Calamities are such that Death to them is far more eligible than Life Since these Mines afforded such wonderful Riches it may be greatly admir'd that none appear to have been sunk of later Times But in answer hereunto the Covetousness of the Carthaginians when they were
approach to the brink of the Fountain All the Land about for Two Hundred Furlongs round is consecrated to the Gods and the Revenues bestow'd in maintaining the publick Sacrifices and Service of the Gods Beyond these consecrated Lands is an high Mountain dedicated likewise to the Gods which they call the Throne of Celus and Triphylius Olympus for they report that †Call'd Caelum in Latin Vranus when he govern'd the whole World pleasantly diverted himself in this Place and from the top of the Mount observ'd the motion of the Heavens and Stars and that he was call'd Triphylius Olympus because the Inhabitants were compos'd of Three several Nations Panchaeans Oceanites and Doians who were afterwards expell'd by Ammon for it 's said that he not only rooted out this Nation but utterly destroy'd all their Cities and laid Doia and Asterusia even with the Ground The Priests every Year solemnize a Sacred Festival in this Mountain with great Devotion Behind this Mount in other Parts of Panchaea they say there are abundance of wild Beasts of all kinds as Elephants Lions Leopards Deer and many other wonderful Creatures both for Strength and Proportion In this Island there are Three chief Cities Hyracia Dalis and Oceanis The whole Country is very Fertile and especially in the production of all sorts of Wine in great Plenty The Men are Warlike and use Chariots in Battles after the ancient manner The whole Nation is divided into Three Parts The First Class is of the Priests with whom are joyn'd the Artificers The other Tribe consists of the Husband-men and the Third are the Militia and the Shepherds The Priests govern all and are the sole Arbitrators in every matter for they give Judgment in all Controversies and have the Power and Authority in all publick Transactions of State The Husbandmen Till the Land but the Fruit is brought into the Common Treasury and who is judg'd the most skilful in Husbandry receives the largest share of the Fruits for a Reward in the First Place and so the Second and the rest in order to the Tenth as every one merits less or more receives his Reward by the Judgment of the Priests In the same manner the Shepherds and Herdsmen carefully bring into the publick Stock the Victims and other things both by number and weight as the nature of the things are for it 's not lawful for any to appropriate any thing to themselves particularly except a House and a Garden For all the young Breed of Cattel and other things and all the Revenues are receiv'd by the Priests and they justly distribute to every one as their necessity does require only the Priests have a double Proportion P. 222. They wear soft and fine Garments for their Sheeps Wooll is much finer here than any where else both Men and Women likewise deck themselves with Golden Ornaments for they wear Necklaces of Gold and Bracelets about their Arms and like the Persians have Rings hanging in their Ears Their Shooes are such as others wear but richly beautify'd with divers sorts of Colours Their Soldiers for ordinary Pay defend the Country fortifying themselves within Camps and Bulwarks for there 's a part of the Island infested with most daring Thieves and Robbers who often lurch and surprize the Husband-men To conclude these Priests for Delicacy State and Purity of Life far exceed all the rest of the Inhabitants Their Robes are of white Linen and sometimes of pure soft Wooll They wear likewise Miters imbroider'd with Gold Their Shoes are Sandals curiously wrought with exquisite Workmanship and in their Ears hang Golden Ear-rings like to the Womens They attend chiefly upon the Service of the Gods singing melodious Songs in their Praises setting forth their glorious Acts and Benefits bestow'd upon Men. The Priests say they came originally from Crete and were brought over into Panchaea by Jupiter when he was upon Earth and govern'd all the World and alledge their Language for a Confirmation of this Assertion in as much as they retain many Words of the Cretian Speech among them And further say that they deriv'd from their Ancestors that Civility and kindness wherewith they entertain the Cretians the Fame and report of their ancient Consanguinity descending continually in a perpetual Succession to their Posterity They shew likewise a Record written as they say by Jupiter's own Hand at the time when he was on Earth and laid the Foundation of the Temple There are in this Island likewise Mines of Gold Silver Brass and Iron but not lawful for any to export them Nay it 's not lawful for any of the Priests to go out of the Verge of the Consecrated Ground and if any do it 's lawful for any Man that finds 'em to kill ' em They have under their Charge innumerable vast Vessels and other Consecrated things both of Gold and Silver which have been laid up there in honour of the Gods for many Ages The Gates of the Temple are of admirable Workmanship beautify'd with Gold Silver Ivory and Thyne Wood. The * Whereon he lay at Meals Bed of the God is Six Cubits long and Four broad of massy Gold most curiously wrought in every part and near adjoyning stands the Table as large and of the like Materials and Workmanship with the other in every respect In the middle of the Bed is plac'd a great Golden Pillar whereon are Letters inscrib'd call'd by the Egyptians Sacred Writing expressing the famous Actions of Vranus Jupiter Diana and Apollo written they say by Mercury himself Celus But this may suffice concerning the Islands lying in the Ocean over against Arabia We shall now speak of those in the Aegaean Sea near to Greece beginning Samothracia with Samothracia It 's said this Island was anciently call'd Samos and afterwards Samothracia to distinguish from one near to it call'd Samos built by Samus The Inhabitants are those that have ever been originally there so that there 's nothing certain handed down to Posterity concerning the first Inhabitants and Governors of this Place Some there are notwithstanding that report that it was anciently call'd Samos and afterwards Samothracia from Colonies that settl'd there out of Samos and Thrace The natural Inhabitants had anciently a peculiar kind of Speech some Marks P. 223. whereof remain in the Worship of their Gods at this Day The Samothracians themselves report that before there was any Flood in any other Nations there was a great one amongst them The first Irruption was at the Mouth of the * Two Rocks in the Thracian Bosphorus Cyneae and the other made through the Hellespont For they say that the Pontick Sea being once a standing Pool was so swell'd by the falling in of Rivers that being overcharged with Water it empty'd it self into the Hellespont and overflow'd a great part of the Coasts of Asia and laid a considerable part of the Champain Country of Samo-thracia under Water And as a manifestation of this some
upon the chief of the Citizens and especially those who could most influence the People and afterwards cut their Throats and so quite dissolved the Democracy But the Corcyreans were presently assisted by the Athenians and recoverd their Liberty and were resolved to execute Justice upon Ant. Ch. 427. the Ringleaders of the Defection But they through fear of punishment fled for refuge to the Altars of the Gods and as Suppliants begg'd Pardon both of the Gods and the People Euthydemus was Governor of Athens when Three Military Tribunes invested P. 316. Olymp. 88. 3. Ant. Chr. 426. Plague breaks forth again at Athens with Consular Power were again chosen at Rome Marcus Fabius Phalinius and Lucius Sereulius In their time the Plague broke out afresh when they were freed from this Contagion but very lately before It rag'd so exceedingly that they lost Four Thousand Foot Soldiers and Four Hundred Horse and of others Freemen and Servants above Ten Thousand And now because the Course of the History may require a Declaration of the Causes of this violent Distemper it is necessary for us in this place to set them forth Abundance of Rain had fallen in the Winter by reason whereof the Earth being over-wet in many Places especially in low and hollow Grounds the Water lay like standing Pools and those being corrupted and putrify'd by the heat of the Summer thence proceeded a Mist of gross and stinking Vapours which corrupted the Air as it often happens about filthy Marishes And besides the want of good Food much advanc'd the progress of the Disease for the Year before the Fruits by too much Rain were crude and unwholsom There was likewise a Third cause of this Distemper which was this the * That is Winds which come at stated and certain times every Year Plin. lib. 2. c. 47. Etesian Winds this Summer blew not by whose gentle Breezes the violent heat of the Air was constantly allay'd before at other times so that the Heat being now excessive and the Air as it were inflam'd Mens Bodies now wanting the usual Refreshment contracted an evil Habit from whence arose through the vehement and immoderate heat all sorts of burning Distempers And hence it was that many seiz'd with this Disease to free themselves from the burning heat that was in their Bodies cast themselves into Pits and Wells But the Athenians judg'd that Ant. Chr. 426. so grievous a Distemper was from God and therefore according to the charge given them by the Oracle they purg'd the Island Delos which was formerly dedicated to Apollo now polluted as they conceiv'd by burying many dead Bodies there Therefore all the Graves of the Dead were dug up and the Urns were transported into the next Island to Delos call'd Rhene and a Law was made that it should not be lawful for any for the time to come either to bury or to bear any Child in Delos They then likewise reviv'd the Panegyrick Festival in Delos now for a long time disus'd While the Athenians were thus religiously imploy'd the Lacedemonians with their Confederates in Peloponesus incamp'd in the Isthmos and there consulted together concerning the invading of Attica again But there then happening such terrible †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Earthquake Earthquakes in several parts of Greece that it so terrify'd and possess'd them with fear and awe of the Gods that they all return'd to their respective Countries For the horrible Concussions of the Earth were so great that many Cities near the Sea were sunk and drown'd And whereas that Tract of Land near Locris was before a Peninsula by the violence of the Earthquake a Channel was made through the Isthmos and the Place turn'd into an Island now call'd †Near Eubea now call'd Negropont Atalante While these things were doing the Lacedemonians sent new Colonies into Trachin and changed its Name into * There are many of this Name but this is near the Mountain Oeta and the Straits of Thermopyle Ant. Chr. 426. Heraclea The Reason was for that the Trachinians having had Wars with the Oeteans many Years had lost most of their Citizens And therefore being almost depopulated they addressed themselves to the Lacedemonians whose Colonies they were to repeople their City The Lacedemonians in regard they were their Countrymen and Hercules their Ancestor in times long past had resided at Trachin resolved to make it a large and beautiful City And to this end they sent a Colony thither out of their own City and out of others in Peloponesus to the number of Four Thousand and out of the rest of Greece as many as pleased were receiv'd as Members of the Cololony The whole number was little less than Six Thousand To conclude Trachin was at length so far inlarged that it contain'd Ten Thousand Men and when they had divided the Land adjoining by Lot they call'd the City Heraclea Stratocles being Archon of Athens the Consular dignity was conferr'd upon the Three Military Tribunes at Rome Lucius Furius * Medullus Metellus †Mamercus P. 317. The Acts of Demosthenes the Athenian General Lucius Pinarius and S. Posthumius Albus In the time Olymp. 88. 4. An. Mu. 3547. of their Government Demosthenes made Admiral of the Fleet by the Athenians with Thirty Ships well man'd join'd with Fifteen more from Corcyra and other Aids from the Cephaleans Acarnanians and Messenians inhabiting ‖ A City of Achaia now call'd Lepantum by the Venetians Ant. Chr. 426. Naupactus and so set sail for Leucas and when he had harrased and wasted the Country of Leucadia he bent his Course for Aetolia and there burnt and destroy'd many of their Villages but the Aetolians making head against them routed the Athenians who fled to Naupactus The Aetolians incouraged with this Victory with the aid of Three Thousand Lacedemonians march'd against Naupactus which the Messeneans then inhabited but were repulsed From thence they made an Expedition against * A City of Aetolia Molycria and took the City The Athenian General Demosthenes fearing lest they should attack Naupactus sent a Thousand Men out of Arcarnania to strengthen the Garrison He himself continu'd in Acarnania and fell upon a Thousand Ambraciots in their March and cut them almost all off Upon this the whole Strength of the †Ambracia City came out against him and he destroy'd most of them likewise so that the City was almost made desolate Hereupon he entred into a Consultation of assaulting Ambracia hoping it might be easily won by reason there were few left to defend it But the Acarnanians fearing that if the Athenians were Masters of the Town they should have more troublesome Neighbours than the Ambraciots were refused to follow Demosthenes Upon this Mutiny the Acarnanians became Friends with the Ambraciots and entred into a League of Peace and Amity for an Hundred Years Demosthenes thus deserted by the Acarnanians returns with Twenty Sail to Athens Presently after the