bicause that commonly when the fronte of a battell is of such a bredthe the two winges are euer stretched out before and is made like the cressant of a moone where the middest is thickest and fardest in And it is wrytten also in other stories that Catulus him selfe accusing the malice of Marius bicause he did so spake it to excuse his owne dishonor As for the CIMBRES the troupes of their footemen comming out of their fortes leasurely did put them selves into a squadron as broade as long for in euery side they occupied almost thirty furlong but their horsemen which were fifteene thowsande marched before in sumptuous furniture For they had helmets on their heades facioned like wilde beastes neckes and straunge beuers or buffes to the same ware on their helmets great high plumes of feathers as they had bene winges which to sight made them appeare taller and bigger men then they were Furthermore they had good curases on their backes and caried great white targets before them and for weapons offensiue euery man had two dartes in his hand to bestow a farre of when they came to hand strokes they had great heauy swords which they fought withall neere hand But at that time they did not marche directly in rancke against the army of the ROMAINES but turned a litle on the right hand meaning to inclose the ROMAINES betwene them and their footemen that were on the left hand The ROMAINE Captaines founde their policy straight but they coulde not keepe their souldiers backe for there was one that cried the enemies fled and immediatly all the rest beganne to runne after In the meane time the footemen of the barbarous people that were like to a sea before them came forwards still then Marius hauing washed his handes and lifting them vp to heauen promised and vowed a solemne sacrifice vnto the goddes of a hundred oxen Catulus also made a vow lifting vp his handes to heauen in like maner that he would build a temple vnto fortune for that day and it is reported that Marius hauing sacrificed when they shewed him the intralls of the beastes sacrificed he cried out a lowde the victory is mine But when they came to geue the charge Marius had a great misfortune happened him powred apon him by goddes iustice who turned his craft against him selfe as Sylla wryteth for there rose very credibly so great a dust that both armies lost the sight one of an other And hereupon Marius being the first that ranne to beginne the charge and hauing placed his men about him missed to meete with his enemies and being passed beyonde their battell wandred a great while vp and downe the field whilest the barbarous people fought against Catulus So that the greatest fury of the battel was against Catulus and his army in the which Sylla wryteth he was him selfe and sayeth that the heate and the sunne which was full in the CIMBRES faces did the ROMAINES maruelous pleasure at that time For the barbarous people being very hard brought vp to away with cold bicause they were borne and bred in a cold contry shadowed altogether with woddes and trees as we haue sayd were to the contrary very tender against the heate and did melt with sweating against the sunne and gaped straight for breathe putting their targets before their faces sort was also in the hart of sommer about the seuen and twentie day of the moneth of Iulie that this battell was geuen and this dust also made the ROMAINES the bolder and kept them that they could not see the innumerable multitude of their enemies farre from them And euery man runninge to set apon them that came against them they were ioyned together in fight before that the sight of their enemies could make them afrayed And furthermore they were so good souldiers and so able to take paines that how extreame soeuer the heate was no man was sene sweate nor blow though they ranne at the first to set apon them this hath Catulus Luctatius him selfe left in wryting vnto the praise of his souldiers So were the most parte of the barbarous people and specially of the best souldiers slaine in the field And bicause they should not open nor breake their rancks the foremest rancks were all tyed bound together with girdells leather thongs long chaynes of iron and they that fled were chased followed into their campe by the ROMAINES where they met with horrible and fearefull thinges to beholde For their wiues being apon the toppe of their cartes apparelled all in blacke slue all those that fled without regarde of persones some their fathers other their husbandes or their brethren and strangling the litle young babes with their owne handes they cast them vnder the carte wheeles and betwene the horse legges and afterwards slue them selues And they say that there was a woman hanged at the ende of a carte ladder hauing hanged vp two of her children by the neckes at her heeles And that the men also for lacke of a tree to hang them selues on tyed slipping halters about their neckes vnto the hornes feete of the oxen and that they did pricke them afterwardes with goades to make them fling and leape so long that dragging them all about and treading them vnder feere at the length they killed them Now though nūbers were slaine by this meanes yet were there three score thowsand of them taken prisoners and the number of them that were slaine came to twise as many moe In this manner Marius souldiers spoyled the campe of the CIMBRES but the spoyles of dead men that were slaine in the fielde with their ensignes and trompets were all brought as it is sayd vnto Catulus campe which was a plaine testimonie to shewe that Catulus and his souldiers had wonne the field Strife rising thus betwene the souldiers of both campes about it that the matter might be tryed frendly betwene them they made the Ambassadors of PARMA their arbitrators who were by chaunce at that time in the army Catulus Luctatius souldiers led the Ambassadors to the place where the ouerthrowe was geuen shewing them the enemies bodies pearsed through with their pykes which were easie to be knowen bicause Catulus had made them graue his name apon their pykes For all this Marius went away with the honor of this great victory as well for the first battell he wanne alone when he ouerthrewe the TEVTONS and the AMBRONS as for his great calling hauing bene Consul fiue times And furthermore the common people at ROME called him the third foūder of the city of ROME thinking them selues now deliuered from as great a daūger as before time they had bene from the auncient GAVLES And euery man feasting at home with his wife and children offered the best dishes of meate they had to supper vnto the goddes and vnto Marius and would needes haue him alone to triumphe for both victories But he would not in any case but
one onely mightie eternal God father of gods men And to beleue that either goddes or demy goddes doo delite in murder or sheading of mans blood it is a meere mockery and folly But admit it were so they were no more to be regarded therein then those that haue no power at all for it is a manifest token of a wicked spirite when they haue suche damnable and horrible desires in them and specially if they abide styll with them Now the generalles and heads of the armie of the THEBANS being of sondry opinions Pelopidas being more afraid then before by reason of their disagreement a young mare colte or fyllie breaking by chaunce from other mares ronning and flynging through the campe came to staye right against them Then euery man beganne to looke apon her and to marke what a faire fyllie it was and red colored euery where and what a pride she tooke with her selfe to heare her owne neying Theocritus then the soothesayer being amongest them did beholde her and knew straight what the fyllie ment and so cried out foorthwith O happie Pelopidas loe here is the sacrifice thou lookest for seeke no other virgine for thy sacrifice but take this that God him selfe doth send thee When Theocritus had saide so they tooke the fyllie and laide her apon the tombe of Scedasus dawghters and put garlandes of flowers about her as they handled other sacrifices and then after their praiers made to the gods they did sacrifice her with great ioye and told Pelopidas vision in his dreame the night before through all the campe and the sacrifice they had made also according to the signification thereof Moreouer when they came to ioyne battell Epaminondas being generall drew all his army on the left hande bicause he woulde bring the right winge of the enemies army where they had placed the naturall SPARTANS further from the other GREECIANS their frendes and allyes that were set in the other wing of their battell that he comming with his whole power together to geue a charge vppon Cleombrotus their king being in a corner by him selfe might be distressed or ouerthrowen The enemies fynding Pelopidas intent beganne to chaunge their order and hauing men â—nowe ment to thruste out their ryght winge at length to compasse in Epaminondas But Pelopidas in the meane time sodainely preuented them and ronning with great furie with his squadron of three hundred men he set apon Cleombrotus before he coulde disorder his men to put furth the right winge and ioyne them together againe And so he founde the LACEDAEMONIANS not yet setled in their rankes and brake them in this disorder thrusting one in anothers place to put them selues againe in order notwithstanding the LACEDAEMONIANS of all other men were the only captaines and most expert souldiers in marshall discipline as men so trained and practised that no sodaine altering of forme or order in their rankes coulde either trouble or disorder them For they were men so trained that they could turne head or side vpon any sodaine occasion offered and coulde fight and order them selues in battell euery way alike So Epaminondas going to geue thonset apon them alone with the whole force of his battaile togeather not tarrying for others and Pelopidas also with an incredible corage and readines presenting him selfe in battell before them did put them into such a terrible feare that they cleane forgotte their skill in fightinge and their wonted courage sayled them For they cowardly turned their backes and their were moe LACEDAEMONIANS slaine that day then euer were before in any former battell Pelopidas therefore being neither gouernor of BOEOTIA nor general of all the army but onely captaine of the holy band did notwithstanding winne as muche honor and glorie of this victorie as Epaminondas that was gouernor of BOEOTIA and generall of all the armie In dede afterwardes they were both gouernors of BOEOTIA together when they inuaded the contrey of PELOPONNESVS where they made most parte of the cities people rebell against the LACEDAEMONIANS and take their parte As the ELIANS the ARGIVES and all ARCADIA and the best parte of LACONIA selfe notwithstandinge it was in the hart of winter and in the shortest dayes of the yeare and towardes the latter ende also of the last moneth of their yeares authority and rule hauing not many dayes to coÌ„tinew in office being forced to leaue their authority apon paine of death if they did refuse vnto other officers new chosen the beginning of the next moneth following Whereupon their other companions gouernors also of the contrie of BOEOTIA what for feare to incurre the daunger of the lawe as also to auoyde the trouble to lye in campe in the sharpest of winter they did vrge and perswade them to bring the armie backe againe into their contrie But Pelopidas was the first that yeelded to Epaminondas opinion and wanne the other THEBANS also to consent vnto it to be contented to be led by them to geue assault to the city selfe of SPARTA So through their perswasion they passed ouer the riuer of EVROTAS and tooke many litle townes of the LACEDAEMONIANS wasted destroyed all the contrie to the sea side leading vnder their ensignes an armie of threescore and ten thowsande fightinge men and all GREECIANS the THEBANS not making vp the twelut parte of them Now the honor and great reputacion of these two persones Epaminondas and Pelopidas brought their frendes and confederates that they followed them without any resolution of counsell or publike order and neuer opened their mouthes against them but willingly marched vnder their conduction And in my opinion truely me thinkes it is the first and chiefest point in the lawe of nature that he that is weake not able to defend himselfe should leane to one that is strong and able to defende bothe Euen much like to freshe water souldiers and rawe sea men that lying at sea in calme weather in safe harber are as lusty bragge with the masters bote-swaines as may be and let a litle storme of weather come apon them sodainely and that they be in any daunger then they looke on the masters hoping for no life but at their handes And euen in like maner the ELIANS and ARGIVES who though in all assemblies of counsel they woulde euer iarre and striue with the THEBANS for honor and superioritie in the armie yet when any battell came to be fought wherin they saw there was daunger then their pecockes brauerie was gone and they were glad to obey their generalles commaundement In this iourney they brought all the cities of the prouince of ARCADIA to be in league with them and tooke all the contrie of MESSENIA from the LACEDAEMONIANS which they peaceably enioyed and called home againe all the auncient inhabitantes of the same and restored them to their contrie and replenished the citie of ITHOME Then returninge afterwardes into their contrie by the citie
of the night as cause of his ouerthrow as he had do 〈…〉 the first conflict imputing his ouerthrowe to the mountaines the straights and the sea For sayd he Darius will neuer leaue to make warres with vs for lacke of men nor munition hauing so large a realme as he hath such a world of people besides but then he will no more hasard battell when his hart is done and all hope taken from him and that he seeth his army at noone dayes ouerthrowen by plaine battell After his Captaines were gone from him he went into his tent and layed him downe to sleepe and slept all that night more foundly then he was wont to doe before insomuch as the Lordes and Princes of his campe comming to waite apon him at his vprising marueled when they found him so sounde a sleepe and therefore of them selues they commaunded the souldiers to eate Afterwards perceiuing that time came fast apon them Parmenio went into Alexanders chamber and comming to his beddâ—â— side called him twise or thrise by his name till at the last he waked him and asked him howâ— chaunced that he slept so long like one that had already ouercome that did not thinke he should fight as great and daungerous a battell as euer he did in his life Why sayd Alexander laughing on him doest thou not thinke we haue already ouercomen being troubled no mâ—â— with running after Darius vp and downe a contrie vtterly destroyed as we should otherwise haue bene compelled to haue done if he would not haue comen to battell and destroyed the contrie before vs Now Alexander did not only shew himselfe before the battell but euen at the very instant of battell a noble man of corage and of great iudgement For Parmenio leading the left wing of his battell the men of armes of the BACTRIANS gaue such a fierce onset vpon the MACEDONIANS that they made them geue backe and Mazeus also king Darius Lieutenant sent certaine troupes of horsemen out of their battell to geue charge vpon them that were left in the campe to garde the cariage Parmenio being amazed with either of both attempts sent immediatly to aduertise Alexander that all their campe and cariage would be lost if he did not send presently to aide the rereward When these newes came to Alexander from Parmenio he had already geuen the signall of battell vnto his men for to geue charge Whereupon he aunswered the messenger that brought him these newes that he should tell Parmenio he was a mad man and out of his wits not remembring that if they wanne the battell they should not only saue their owne cariage but also winne the cariage of their enemies if it were their chaunce to lose it then that they should not neede to care for their cariage not for their slaues but only to thinke to dye honorably valliantly fighting for his life Hauing sent this message vnto Parmenio he put on his helmet The rest of his armor for his body he had put it on before in his tent which was a SICILIAN cassocke and vpon that a brigandine made of many foldes of canuas with oylet holes which was gotten among the spoyles at the battell of ISSVS His head peece was as bright as siluer made by Theophileus the armores his coller sutelike to the same all set full of pretious stones and he had a sword by his side maruelous light and of excellent temper which the king of the CITIâ—IANS had geuen him vsing commonly to fight with his sword at any set battel His coate armor was maruelous rich and of sumptuous workemanshippe farre aboue all the rest he ware It was of the workemanshippe of Hellicon the which the RHODIANS gaue him for a present and this he commonly wore when he went to battell Now when he did set his men in battell ray or made any câ—â—tion vnto them or did ryde alongest the bands to take view of them he alwayes vsed to ryde vpon an other horse to spare Bucephal bicause he was then somewhat olde notwithstanding when he ment in deede to fight then Bucephal was brought vnto him and as soone as he was gotten vp on his backe the trompet sounded he gaue charge Then after he had made long exhortacions to incorage the men of armes of the THESSALIANS and the other GRAECIANS also and when they had all promised him they would sticke to him like men and prayed him to lead them and geue charge vppon the enemies she tooke his launce in his left hande and holding vp his right hande vnto heauen besought the goddes as Callisthenes writeth than if it were true he was begotten of Iupiter that it would please them that day to helpe him and to encourage the GRAECIANS The Soothsayer Aristander was then a horsebacke hard by Alexander apparelled all in white a crowne of gold on his head who shewed Alexander when he made his prayer an Eagle flying ouer his head and pointing directly towards his enemies This maruelously encoraged all the armie that saw it and with this ioy the men of armes of Alexanders side encoraging one an other did set spurres to their horse to charge apon the enemies The battell of the footemen of the PERSIANS beganne a litle to geue way and before the foremest could come to geue them charge the barbarous people turned their backs and fled The chase was great Alexander driuing them that fled vppon the middest of their owne battell where Darius selfe was in person He spied him a farre of ouer the foremest ranckes in the middest of his battel being a goodly tall Prince standing in a charriot of warre compassed in rounde with great troupes of horsemen all set in goodly ordinaunce to receiue the enemy But when they saw Alexander at hand with so grimme a looke chasing them that fled through those that yet kept their rancksithere fell such a feare among them that the most parte dispersed them selues Notwithstanding the best and most valliantest men fought it out to the death before their king and falling dead one apon an other they did let them that the enemies could not so well follow Darius For they lying one by an other on the ground drawing on to the last gaspe did yet take both men and horses by the legges to hinder them Darius then seeing nothing but terror and destruction before his eyes and that the bandes which he had set before him for safegard came backe vpon him so as he could not deuise how to turne his charriot forward nor backward the wheeles were so hindered and stayed with the heapes of dead bodies and that the horse also being set apon and hidde in maner in this conflict fell to leapinge and plunginge for feare so that the charrettiers coulde no lenger guide nor driue them he got vp vpon a mare that lately had fole and so saued him selfe flying apon her And yet had he not thus escaped had not Parmenio once againe sent vnto
PERINTHE which king Philip did beseege at that present time they would haue pluckt the arrow out of his eye but he neuer fainted for it neither would suffer thē to pul it out before he had first driuē his enemies within the wals of their citie He toke this infamy very inwardly he was so sory for it that euery mā might see he was like to die for sorow Thē Alexander fearing he should die did pardō him bad him besides kepe the money which was giuē him Now the 30000. young boyes which Alexander had left to the gouernment of Capteines to trayne exercise them in the discipline of warre they being growen stronge men lusty youthes excellently well trained ready in armes Alexander reioyced when he saw them This notwithstanding did much discorage the MACEDONIANS made them greatly affraid bicause they thought that from thenceforth the king would make lesse accompt of thē For when Alexander would haue sent the sicke and impotent persons which had bene maimed in the warres into the low contry to the sea side they aunswered him that so doing he should do them great wronge to send these poore men frō him in that sort after they had done him all the seruice they could home to their contry frends in worse case then he tooke them from thence And therefore they said if he would send away some let him send them all away as men vnseruiceable specially sithence he had now such goodly yong daunsers about him with whom he might go conquer the world Alexander was maruelously offended with their prowd words insomuch that in his anger he reuiled them all put away his ordinary gard tooke other PERSIANS in their place making some the gard about his owne person others his vsshers heraulds ministers to execute his will and commaundement The poore MACEDONIANS seeing Alexander thus waited on them selues so shamefully reiected they let fall their stoutnes and after they had cōmoned of the matter together they were ready to teare thēselues for spite malice In fine whē they had laid their heads together they cōsented to go vnto his tent without weapōs naked in their shirts to yeld thēselues vnto him weping howling beseching him to do with thē what pleased him so vse thē like wretched vnthankful creatures But Alexander though his anger was now somwhat pacified did not receiue thē the first time neither did they also go their waies but remained there 2. daies nights together in this pitiful state before the dore of his tent lamenting vnto him calling him their soueraine king vntill that he came him self out of his tent the third day seing the poore wretches in this greeuous pitiful state he him self fel a weeping a long time So after he had a litle rebuked thē he called thē curteously gaue the impotēt sick persons leaue to depart home rewarding thē very honorably Furthermore he wrote vnto Antipater his Lieutenant that he should alwaies giue thē the highest place in al cōmon sports assemblies that they should be crowned with garlands of flowers Moreouer he cōmaūded that the orphans whose parents were slaine in the warrs should receiue the pay of their fathers After Alexander was come vnto the citie of ECBATANA in the kingdō of MEDEA that he had dispatched his waightiest causes he gaue him self again vnto publike sportes feasts pastimes for that there were newly come vnto him out of GRAECE 3. thowsand excellent masters deuisers of such sports About that time it chaūced that Hephastion fell sicke of an agew But he beeing a young man of warre did not regard his mouth as he should haue done but hauing spyed oportunitie that his Phisitian Glaucus was gone vnto the Theater to see the sports pastimes He went to dinner and eate a roasted Capon whole and dranke a great pot full of wine which he had caused to be set in water whereuppon his feuer tooke him so sorely that he liued not long after Alexander vnwisely tooke the chaunce of his death cōmaūded all the heares of his horse mules to be presently shorn in tokē of mourning that al the battlemēts of the wals of cities should also be ouerthrown hong vp pore Glaucus his Phisitian vpon a crosse cōmaūded that no minstrel should be heard play of any kind of instrument within his campe vntil that there was brought him an oracle from Iupiter Hammon cōmaūding that Hephaestion should be worshipped sacrificed vnto as a demy god In th end to passe ouer his mourning and sorow he went vnto the warres as vnto a hunting of men and there subdued the people of the COSSAEIANS whom he pluckt vp by the rootes and slue man woman and childe And this was called the sacrifice of Hephaestions funeralls Alexander furthermore beeing desirous to bestowe tenne thowsand talents coste vppon his obsequies and funeralls and also to exceede the charge by the rarenes and excellencie of workemanshippe amongest all other excellent workemasters he desired one Stasicrates for he had euer passing inuention and his worke was alwayes stately and sumptuous in any newe thinges he tooke in hande For he talking one daye with Alexander tolde him that of all the Mountaynes he knewe in the worlde he thought there was none more excellent to resemble the statue or image of a man then was Mount Atho in THRACIA and that if it were his pleasure he would make him the noblest and most durable image that should bee in the world which in his left hand should hold a citie to conteine ten thowsand persons and out of his right hand there should ronne a great riuer into the sea Yet Alexander would not harken to him but then was talking with other workemen of more straunge inuentions farre greater cost Now as he was ready to take his iorney to go vnto BABYLON Nearchus his Admirall came againe vnto him from the great sea Oceanum by the riuer of Euphrates and tolde him how certaine CHALDEAN Soothsayers came vnto him who did warne him that he should not goe into BABYLON Howbeit Alexander made no reckoning of it but went on But when he came hard to the walls of BABYLON he saw a great number of crowes fighting killing one of another some of them fell downe deade hard by him Afterwards being told him that Apollodorus the gouernor of the citie of BABYLON hauing sacrificed vnto the goddes to knowe what should happen to him he sent for the Soothsayer Pithagoras to knowe of him if it were true The Soothsayer denied it not Then Alexander asked him what signes he had in the sacrifice He aunswered that the lyuer of the beast had no head O gods said Alexander then this is an ill signe notwithstanding he did Pithagoras no hurt but yet he repented him that he did not beleue Nearchus words For this respect therefore Alexander lay much abroade
make them gouernors and heades of the same Pitheus grandfather to Theseus on the mothers side was one of his sonnes and founded the litle city of TROEZEN and was reputed to be one of the wisest men of his time But the knowledge and wisedom which onely caried estimacion at that time consisted altogether in graue sentences and morall sayinges As those are which wanne the Poet Hesiodus such fame for his booke intituled The workes and dayes in the which is read euen at this present this goodly sentence which they father vpon Pitheus Thou shalt performe thy promise and thy pay to hyred men and that vvithout delay And this doth Aristotle the Philosopher himselfe testifie and the Poet Euripides also calling Hippolytus the scholler of the holy Pitheus doth sufficiently declare of what estimacion he was But AEgeus desiring as they say to know how he might haue children went vnto the city of DELPHES to the oracle of Apollo where by Apolloes Nunne that notable prophecy was geuen him for an aunswer The which did forbid him to touch or know any woman vntill he was returned againe to ATHENS And bicause the words of this prophecy were somewhat darke hard he tooke his way by the city of TROEZEN to tell it vnto Pitheus The wordes of the prophecy were these O thou vvhich art a gemme of perfect grace plucke not the tappe out of thy trusty toonne Before thou do returne vnto thy place in Athens tovvne from vvhence thy race doth roonne Pitheus vnderstanding the meaning perswaded him or rather cunningly by some deuise deceiued him in such sorte that he made him to lye with his daughter called AEthra AEgeus after he had accompanied with her knowing that she was Pitheus daughter with whom he had lyen and douting that he had gotten her with child left her a sword and a payer of shoes the which he hidde vnder a great hollow stone the hollownes wherof serued iust to receiue those things which he layed vnder it and made no liuing creature priuy to it but her alone straightly charging her that if she happened to haue a sonne when he were come to mans state of strength to remoue the stone and to take those things from vnder it which he left there that she should then sende him vnto him by those tokens as secretly as she could that no body els might knowe of it For he did greatly feare the children of one called Pallas the which laye in wayte and spyall by all the meanes they could to kill him only of despight bicause he had no children they being fiftie brethern and all begotten of one father This done he departed from her And AEthra within fewe moneths after was deliuered of a goodly sonne the which from that time was called Theseus and as some say so called bicause of the tokens of knowledge his father had layed vnder the stone Yet some others write that it was afterwardes at ATHENS when his father knewe him and allowed him for his sonne But in the meane time during his infancie childehood he was brought vp in the house of his grādfather Pitheus vnder the gouernmēt teaching of one called Cōnidas his schoolemaster in honour of whom the ATHENIANS to this daye doe sacrifice a weather the daye before the great feaste of Theseus hauing more reason to honour the memorye of this gouernour then of a Silanion and of a Parrhesius to whom they doe honour also bicause they paynted and caste mowldes of the images of Theseus Now there was a custome at that time in GRECE that the yong men after their infancie and growth to mans state went vnto the cittie of DELPHES to offer parte of their heares in the temple of Apollo Theseus also went thither as other did and some saye that the place where the ceremonie of this offering was made hath euer sence kept the olde name and yet continueth Theseia Howbeit he dyd not shaue his head but before only as Homer sayeth like the facion of the ABANTES in olde time and this manner of shauing of heares was called for his sake Theseida And as concerning the ABANTES in trothe they were the very first that shaued them selues after this facion neuertheles they learned it not of the ARABIANS as it was thought of some neither dyd they it after the imitation of the MISSIANS But bicause they were warlike and valliant men which did ioyne neere vnto their enemie in battell and aboue all men of the worlde were skilfullest in fight hande to hande and woulde keepe their grounde as the Poet Archilochus witnesseth in these verses They vse no slynges in foughten fields to have nor bended bovves but svvords and trenchant blades For vvhen fierce Mars beginneth for to raue in bloody field then euery man inuades His fiercest foe and fighteth hand to hand then doe they deeds right cruell to reconpt For in this vvise the braue and vvarlike bande Doe shevv their force vvhich come from Negrepont The cause why they were thus shauen before was for that their enemies should not haue the vauntage to take them by the heares of the head while they were fighting And for this selfe same consideration Alexander the great commaunded his captaines to cause all the MACEDONIANS to shaue their beards bicause it is the easiest holde and readiest for the hande a man can haue of his enemie in fighting to holde him fast by the same But to returne to Theseus AEthra his mother had euer vnto that time kept it secret from him who was his true father And Pitheus also had geuen it out abroade that he was begotten of Neptune bicause the TROEZENIANS haue this god in great veneration and doe worshippe him as patron and protector of their cittie making offerings to him of their first fruites and they haue for the marke and stampe of their money the three picked mace which is the signe of Neptune called his Trident But after he was comen to the prime and lustines of his youth and that with the strength of his bodie he shewed a great courage ioyned with a naturall wisedome and stayednes of wit then his mother brought him to the place where this great hollowe stone laye and telling him truely the order of his birth and by whom he was begotten made him to take his fathers tokens of knowledge which he had hidden there gaue him counsell to goe by sea to ATHENS vnto him Theseus easilye lyft vp the stone and tooke his fathers tokens from vnder it Howbeit he answered playnely that he would not goe by sea notwithstanding that it was a great deale the safer waye and that his mother and grandfather both had instantly intreated him bicause the waye by lande from TROEZEN to ATHENS was very daungerous all the wayes being besett by robbers and murderers For the worlde at that time brought forth men which for strongnesse in their armes for swyftnes of feete and for
was chosen captaine of the great shippe Argus and had commission to sayle euery where to chase and driue awaye rouers and pyrates and to scoure the seas through out About this time Daedalus being fled from CRETA to ATHENS in a litle barke Minos contrarie to this restraint woulde needes followe him with a fleete of diuers vessels with owers who being by force of weather driuen with the coaste of SICILE fortuned to dye there Afterwardes his sonne Deucalion being marucilously offended with the ATHENIANS sent to summone them to deliuer Daedalus vnto him or els he woulde put the children to death which were deliuered to his father for hostages But Theseus excused him selfe and sayed he coulde not forsake Daedalus considering he was his neere kynseman being his cosin germaine for he was the sonne of Merope the daughter of Erichtheus Howbeit by and by he caused many vessels secretly to be made parte of them within ATTICA selfe in the village of Thymetades farre from any highe wayes and parte of them in the cittie of TROEZEN by the sufferance of Pitheus his grandfather to the ende his purpose shoulde be kept the secretlyer Afterwardes when all his shippes were readye and rygged out he tooke sea before the CRETANS had any knowledge of it in so much as when they sawe them a farre of they dyd take them for the barkes of their friends Theseus landed without resistaunce and tooke the hauen Then hauing Daedalus and other banished CRETANS for guydes he entred the cittie selfe of GNOSVS where he slewe Deucalion in a fight before the gates of the Labyrinthe with all his garde and officers about him By this meanes the kingdome of CRETA fell by inheritance into the handes of his sister Ariadne Theseus made league with her and caryed away the yong children of ATHENS which were kept as hostages and concluded peace and amytie betweene the ATHENIANS and the CRETANS who promised and sware they woulde neuer make warres against them They reporte many other things also touching this matter and specially of Ariadne but there is no trothe nor certeintie in it For some saye that Ariadne honge her selfe for sorowe when she sawe that Theseus had caste her of Other write that she was transported by mariners into the I le of NAXOS were she was maryed vnto O Enarus the priest of Bacchus and they thincke that Theseus lefte her bicause he was in loue with another as by these verses shoulde appeare AEgles the Nymphe vvas loued of Theseus vvhich vvas the daughter of Panopeus Hereas the Megarian sayeth that these two verses in olde time were among the verses of the Poet Hesiodus howbeit Pisistratus tooke them awaye as he dyd in like manner adde these other here in the description of the helles in Homer to gratifie the ATHENIANS Bolde Theseus and Pirithous stovvte descended both from godds immortall race Triumphing still this vvearie vvorlde aboute infeats of armes and many acomly grace Other holde opinion that Ariadne had two children by Theseus the one of them was named O Enopion and the other Staphylus Thus amongest others the Poet Ion writeth it who was borne in the I le of CHIO and speaking of his cittie he sayeth thus O Enopion vvhich vvas the sonne of vvorthy Theseus did cause men buylde this stately tovvne vvhich novve triumpheth thus Nowe what things are founde seemely in Poets fables there is none but dothe in manner synge them But one Paenon borne in the cittie of AMATHVNTA reciteth this cleane after another sorte and contrarie to all other saying that Theseus by tempest was driuen with the I le of CYPRVS hauing with him Ariadne which was great with childe and so sore sea sycke that she was not able to abide it In so muche as he was forced to put her a lande and him selfe afterwards returning abourde hoping to saue his shippe against the storme was forthwith compelled to loose into the sea The women of the countrye dyd curteously receyue and intreate Ariadne and to comforte her againe for she was marucilously oute of harte to see she was thus forsaken they counterfeated letters as if Theseus had wrytten them to her And when her groninge time was come and she to be layed they did their best by all possible meanes to saue her but she dyed notwithstanding in labour and could neuer be deliuered So she was honorably buried by the Ladies of CYPRVS Theseus not long after returned thither againe who tooke her death maruelous heauily and left money with the inhabitantes of the countrie to sacrifice vnto her yearely and for memorie of her he caused two litle images to be molten the one of copper and the other of siluer which he dedicated vnto her This sacrifice is done the seconde day of September on which they doe yet obserue this ceremonie they doe lay a young childe vpon a bed which pitiefully cryeth and lamenteth as women trauellinge with childe They saye also that the AMATHVSIANS doe yet call the groue where her tombe is sette vp the wodde of Venus Adriadne And yet there are of the NAXIANS that reporte this otherwise saying there were two Minoes and two Adriadnees whereof the one was maried to Bacchus in the I le of NAXOS of whome Staphylus was borne and the other the youngest was rauished and caried away by Theseus who afterwardes forsooke her and she came into the I le of NAXOS with her nurce called Corcyna whose graue they doe shewe yet to this day This seconde Adriadne dyed there also but she had no such honour done to her after her death as to the first was geuen For they celebrate the feaste of the first with all ioye and mirthe where the sacrifices done in memorie of the seconde be mingled with mourninge and sorowe Theseus then departing from the I le of CRETA arriued in the I le of DELOS where he did sacrifice in the temple of Apollo and gaue there a litle image of Venus the which he had gotten of Adriadne Then with the other young boyes that he had deliuered he daunced a kinde of daunce which the DELIANS keepe to this day as they say in which there are many turnes and returnes much after the turninges of the Labyrinthe And the DELIANS call this manner of daunce the crane as Dicaorcus sayeth And Theseus daunced it first about the altar which is called Ceraton that is to saye horne-staffe bicause it is made and builded of hornes onely all on the left hande well and curiously sette together without any other bindinge It is sayed also that he made a game in this I le of DELOS in which at the first was geuen to him that ouercame a braunche of palme forreward of victorie But when they drewe neere the coast of ATTICA they were so ioyfull he and his master that they forgate to set vp their white sayle by which they shoulde haue geuen knowledge of their healthe and safetie vnto AEgeus Who
plainely discerne all the ROMAINES campe and sawe howe they dyd range their men in order of battell Nowe one Giscon a man of like state and nobilitie as him selfe being with him at that time tolde him that the enemies seemed a farre of to be a maruelous number But Hannibal rubbing his forehead aunswered him Yea sayed he but there is another thing more to be wondered at then you thinke of Giscon Giscon straight asked him What mary sayeth he this that of all the great number of souldiers you see yonder there is not a man of them called Giscon as you are This mery aunswer deliuered contrarie to their expectation that were with him looking for some great waightie matter made them all laughe a good So downe the hill they came laughing alowde and tolde this prety leaste to all they met as they rode which straight from one to another ranne ouer all the campe in so much as Hannibal him selfe could not holde from laughing The CARTHAGINIAN souldiers perceyuing this beganne to be of a good corage imagining that their generall would not be so merylie disposed as to fall a laughing being so neere daunger if he had not perceyued him selfe a great deale to be the stronger and that he had good cause also to make no reckoning of his enemies Furthermore he shewed two policies of a skilfull captaine in the battell The first was the situation of the place where he put his men in order of battell so as they had the winde on their backes which raging like a burning lightning raised a sharpe dust out of the open sandy valley and passing ouer the CARTHAGINIANS squadron blewe full in the ROMAINES faces with such a violence that they were compelled to turne their faces to trouble their owne rankes The seconde policie was the forme and order of his battell For he placed on either side of his winges the best and valliantest souldiers he had in all his armie and dyd fill vp the middest of his battell with the worste of his men which he made like a pointe and was farder out by a great deale then the two winges of the fronte of his battell So he commaunded those of the winges that when the ROMAINES had broken his first fronte and followed those that gaue backe whereby the middest of his battell should leaue an hollowe place and the enemies should come in still increasing within the compasse of the two winges that then they should set vpon them on both sides and charge their flanks immediatly and so inclose them in behind And this was cause of a greater slaughter For when the midle battell beganne to geue backe and to receyue the ROMAINES within it who pursued the other very whotly Hannibals battell chaunged her forme where at the beginning it was like a pointe it became nowe in the middest like a cressant or halfe moone Then the captaines of the chosen bandes that laye out in both the winges made their men to turne some on the left hand and some on the right and charged the ROMAINES on the flankes and behinde where they were all naked so they killed all those that could not saue them selues by flying before they were enuironned They saye also that there fell out another mischief by misfortune vnto the horsemen of the ROMAINES and by this occasion The horse of Paulus AEmilius the Consul being hurte dyd throwe his master on the grounde whereupon those that were next him dyd light from their horse backs to helpe him The residue of the horsemen that were a great waye behinde him seeing them light thought they had bene all commaunded to light hereupon euery man forsooke their horse and fought it out a foote Hannibal when he sawe that sayed yea marie I had rather haue them so then deliuered me bounde hande and foote But for those matters the historiographers doe dilate more at large Furthermore of the two Cōsuls Varro saued him selfe by his horse with a fewe following him within the cittie of VENVSA Paulus being in the middest of the throng of all the armie his bodie full of arrowes that stucke fast in his woundes and his harte sore loden with grieuous sorowe and anguishe to see the ouerthrowe of his men was set downe by a rocke looking for some of his enemies to come and ryd him out of his payne But fewe could knowe him his head and face was of such a gore bloude insomuch as his friends and seruants also passed by him and knewe him not And there was but one young gentleman of a noble house of the Patricians called Cornelius Lentulus that knewe him who dyd his best endeuour to saue him For he lighted a foote presently brought him his horse praying him to get vp vpon him to proue if he could saue him selfe for the necessitie of his countrie which nowe more then euer had neede of a good and wise captaine But he refused the gentlemans offer and his intreatie and compelled him to take his horse backe againe though the teares ranne downe his chekes for pittie and raising him selfe vp to take him by the hande he sayed vnto him I pray you tell Fabius Maximus from me and witnesse with me that Paulus AEmilius euen to his last hower hath followed his counsaill and dyd neuer swarue from the promise he made him but that first he was forced to it by Varro and afterwardes by Hannibal When he had deliuered these wordes he bad Lentulus farewell and ronning againe into the furie of the slaughter there he dyed among his slaine companions It is thought there were slaine at this battell fiftie thousand ROMAINES foure thousand taken prisoners and other tenne thousand that were taken prisoners in two campes after the battell When this noble victorie was gotten Hannibals friendes gaue him counsaill to followe his good fortune and to enter ROME after the scattered number that fled thither so as within fewe dayes following he might suppe in their capitoll A man cannot easely gesse what was the cause that stayed him that he went not vnles it was as I thinke some good fortune or fauorable God toward the ROMAINES that withstoode him and made him afeard and glad to retire Whereupon they saye that one Barca a CARTHAGINIAN in his anger sayed to Hannibal Syr you haue the waye to ouercome but you cannot vse victorie Notwithstanding this victorie made a maruelous chaunge for him For hereupon all ITALY in manner came in to submit them selues to him where before he had no towne at cōmaundemēt nor any storehouse or porte through all ITALIE yea he did maruelous hardly with much a doe vittell his armie with that he could daylie robbe spoyle hauing no certē place to retire vnto nor groūded hope to entertain these warres but kept the field with his armie remouing from place to place as they had bene a great number of murderers theeues together For the most parte of the coūtrie dyd yeld immediatly vnto
Conon fled and the other being not much lesse then two hundred in number were euery one of them taken and caried awaye with three thousand prisoners whom Lysander put to death Shortely after he tooke the cittie self of ATHENS and rased their long walles euen to the ground After this great and notable victorie Alcibiades fearing sore the LACEDAEMONIANS who then without let or interruption of any were only Lords and Princes by sea and by lande he went into the countrie of BITHYNIA and caused great good to be brought after him and tooke a maruelous sūme of money with him besides great riches he left also in the castells of THRACIA where he dyd remaine before Howbeit he lost much of his goodes in BITHYNIA which certaine THRACIANS dwelling in that countrie had robbed him of taken from him So he determined to repaire forthwith vnto king Artaxerxes hoping that when the King had once proued him he should finde him a man of no lesse seruice then he had found Themistocles before him besides that the occasion of his going thither should be muche iuster then his was For he dyd not goe thither to make warre against the cittie of ATHENS and his countrie as Themistocles did but of a cōtrarie intent to make intercession to the King that it would please him to ayde them Now Alcibiades thinking he could vse no better meane then Pharnabazus helpe only to see him safely conducted to the Kings courte he proposed his iorney to him into the countrie of PHRYGIA where he abode a certaine time to attēd vpon him was very honorably entertained and receyued of Pharnabazus All this while the ATHENIANS founde them selues desolate in miserable state to see their empire lost but then much more when Lysander had taken all their liberties and dyd set thirtie gouernours ouer their cittie Now to late after all was lost where they might haue recouered againe if they had bene wise they beganne together to bewaile and lament their miseries and wretched state looking backe apon all their wilfull faultes and follies committed emong which they dyd reckon their second time of falling out with Alcibiades was their greatest faulte So they banished him only of malice and displeasure not for any offense him selfe in persone had committed against them sauing that his lieutenaunt in his absence had shamefully lost a fewe of their shippes and they them selues more shamefully had driuen out of their cittie the noblest souldier and most skilfull captaine that they had And yet they had some litle poore hope lefte that they were not altogether cast awaye so long as Alcibiades liued and had his health For before when he was a forsaken man and led a banished life yet he could not liue idely and doe nothing Wherefore now much more sayed they to them selues if there be any helpe at all he will not suffer out of doubt the insolencie pryde of the LACEDAEMONIANS nor yet abyde the cruelties and outrages of these thirtie tyrauntes And surely the common people had some reason to haue these thoughts in their heades considering that the thirtie gouernours them selues dyd what they could possiblie to spye out Alcibiades doinges and what he went about In so muche as Critias at the last declared to Lysander that so long the LACEDAEMONIANS might reckon them selues Lordes ouer all GREECE as they kept from the common people the rule and authoritie of the cittie of ATHENS And further he added that notwithstanding the people of ATHENS could well awaye to liue like subiects vnder the gouernment of a fewe yet Alcibiades whilest he liued would neuer suffer them so to be reigned ouer but would attempt by all deuise he could to bring a chaunge and innouation emong them Yet Lysander would not credit these persuasions before speciall commandement was sent to him from the Senate of LACEDAEMON vpon his allegiaunce that he should deuise to kill Alcibiades by all meanes he could procure either bicause in trothe they feared the subtiltie of his wit and the greatnes of his corage to enterprise matters of great weight and daunger or els that they sought to gratifie king Agis by it Lysander being thus straightly commaunded dyd send and practise incontinently with Pharnabazus to execute the facte who gaue his brother Magaeus and his vncle Sosamithres commission to attempt the matter Now was Alcibiades in a certen village of PHRYGIA with a concubine of his called Timandra So he thought he dreamed one night that he had put on his concubines apparell and how she dandling him in her armes had dressed his head friseling his heare and painted his face as he had bene a woman Other saye that he thought Magaeus strake of his head and made his bodie to be burnt and the voyce goeth this vision was but a litle before his death Those that were sent to kill him durst not enter the house where he was but set it a fire round about Alcibiades spying the fire got suche apparell and hanginges as he had and threwe it on the fire thincking to haue put it out and so casting his cloke about his left arme tooke his naked sworde in his other hande and ranne out of the house him selfe not once touched with fyer sauing his clothes were a litle singed These murderers so sone as they spied him drewe backe and stoode a sonder and durst not one of them come neere him to stande and fight with him but a farre of they bestowed so many arrowes and dartes of him that they killed him there Now when they had left him Timandra went and tooke his bodie which she wrapped vp in the best linnen she had and buried him as honorably as she could possible with suche things as she had and could get together Some holde opinion that Lais the only famous curtisan which they saye was of CORINTHE though in deede she was borne in a litle towne of SICILIA called HYCCARA where she was taken was his doughter Notwithstanding touching the death of Alcibiades there are some that agree to all the rest I haue written sauing that they saye it was neither Pharnabazus nor Lysander nor the LACEDAEMONIANS which caused him to be slaine but that he keeping with him a young gentlewoman of a noble house whom he had stolen awaye and instised to follie her brethern to reuenge this iniurie went to set fire vpon the house where he was and that they killed him as we haue tolde you thinking to leape out of the fyre The ende of Alcibiades life THE LIFE OF CAIVS Martius Coriolanus THE house of the Martians at ROME was of the number of the Patricians out of the which hath sprong many noble personages whereof Ancus Martius was one king Numaes daughters sonne who was king of ROME after Tullus Hostilius Of the same house were Publius and Quintus who brought to ROME their best water they had by conducts Censorinus also came of that familie that
that Iupiter appeared vnto him and commaunded him to signifie to the Senate that they had caused a very vile lewde daunser to goe before the procession and sayed the first time this vision had appeared vnto him he made no reckoning of it and comming againe another time into his minde he made not muche more accompt of the matter then before In the ende he sawe one of his sonnes dye who had the best nature and condition of all his brethern and sodainely he him selfe was so taken in all his limmes that he became lame and impotent Hereupon he tolde the whole circumstāce of this vision before the Senate sitting vpon his litle couche or bedde whereon he was caried on mens armes and he had no sooner reported this vision to the Senate but he presently felt his bodie limmes restored again to their former strēgth vse So raising vp him self vpon his couche he got vp on his feete at that instant walked home to his house without helpe of any man The Senate being amazed at this matter made diligent enquierie to vnderstand the trothe in the ende they found there was such a thing There was one that had deliuered a bōdman of his that had offended him into the hands of other slaues bondemen had commanded them to whippe him vp down the market place afterwards to kill him as they had him in execution whipping him cruelly they dyd so martyr the poore wretch that for the cruell smarte payne he felt he turned writhed his bodie in straūge pittiefull sorte The procession by chaunce came by euen at the same time many that followed it were hartely moued offended with the sight saying that this was no good sight to behold nor mete to be met in processiō time But for all this there was nothing done sauing they blamed rebuked him that punished his slaue so cruelly For the ROMAINES at that time dyd vse their bondemen very gently bicause they them selues dyd labour with their owne hands and liued with them emong them and therefore they dyd vse them the more gently and familliarly For the greatest punishment they gaue a slaue that had offended was this They made him carie a limmer on his showlders that is fastened to the axeltree of a coche and compelled him to goe vp and downe in that sorte amongest all their neighbours He that had once abidden this punishement and was seene in that manner was proclaimed and cried in euery market towne so that no man would euer trust him after and they called him Furcifer bicause the LATINES call the wodd that ronneth into the axeltree of the coche Furca as muche to saye as a forke Now when Latinus had made reporte to the Senate of the vision that had happened to him they were deuising whom this vnpleasaunt daunser should be that went before the procession Thereupon certain that stoode by remembred the poore slaue that was so cruelly whipped through the market place whom they afterwardes put to death and the thing that made them remember it was the straunge and rare manner of his punishment The priestes hereupon were repaired vnto for their aduise they were wholy of opinion that it was the whipping of the slaue So they caused the slaues master to be punished and beganne againe a newe procession and all other showes and sightes in honour of Iupiter But hereby appeareth plainely how king Numa dyd wisely ordaine all other ceremonies concerning deuotion to the goddes and specially this custome which he stablished to bring the people to religion For when the magistrates bishoppes priestes or other religious ministers goe about any diuine seruice or matter of religion an herauld euer goeth before them crying out alowde Hoc age as to saye doe this or minde this Hereby they are specially cōmaunded wholy to dispose them selues to serue God leauing all other busines and matters a side knowing well enough that whatsoeuer most men doe they doe it as in a manner constrained vnto it But the ROMAINES dyd euer vse to beginne againe their sacrifices processions playes and suche like showes done in honour of the goddes not only vpon suche an occasion but apon lighter causes then that As when they went a procession through the cittie and dyd carie the images of their goddes and suche other like holy relikes vpon open hallowed coches or charrets called in LATIN Thensae one of the coche horses that drue them stoode still and would drawe no more and bicause also the coche man tooke the raynes of the bridle with the left hande they ordained that the procession should be begonne againe a newe Of later time also they dyd renewe and beginne a sacrifice thirtie times one after another bicause they thought still there fell out one faulte or other in the same so holy and deuout were they to the goddes Now Tullus and Martius had secret conference with the greatest personages of the cittie of ANTIVM declaring vnto them that now they had good time offered them to make warre with the ROMAINES while they were in dissention one with another They aunswered them they were ashamed to breake the league considering that they were sworne to keepe peace for two yeres Howbeit shortely after the ROMAINES gaue them great occasion to make warre with them For on a holy daye common playes being kept in ROME apon some suspition or false reporte they made proclamation by sound of trumpet that all the VOLSCES should auoyde out of ROME before sunne set Some thincke this was a crafte and deceipt of Martius who sent one to ROME to the Consuls to accuse the VOLSCES falsely aduertising them howe they had made a conspiracie to set apon them whilest they were busie in seeing these games and also to set their cittie a fyre This open proclamation made all the VOLSCES more offended with the ROMAINES then euer they were before and Tullus agrauating the matter dyd so inflame the VOLSCES against them that in the ende they sent their ambassadours to Rome to summone them to deliuer their landes and townes againe which they had taken from them in times past or to looke for present warres The ROMAINES hearing this were maruelously netled and made no other aunswer but thus If the VOLSCES be the first that beginne warre the ROMAINES will be the last that will ende it Incontinently vpon returne of the VOLSCES ambassadours and deliuerie of the ROMAINES aunswer Tullus caused an assembly generall to be made of the VOLSCES and concluded to make warre apon the ROMAINES This done Tullus dyd counsell them to take Martius into their seruice and not to mistrust him for the remembraunce of any thing past but boldely to trust him in any matter to come for he would doe them more seruice in fighting for them then euer he dyd them displeasure in fighting against them So Martius was called forth who spake so excellently in the presence of them all
them selues out of the campe with targets of copper that made all plaine to shine with the brightnes of their steele and copper And all the hilles and mountaines thereabouts dyd ringe againe like an Eccho with the crie and noyse of so many fighting men one incoraging another In this order they marched so fiercely with so great harte burning such swiftnes that the first which were slaine at the incounter fell dead two furlonges from the campe of the ROMAINES The charge being geuen and the battell begonne AEmylius galloping to the voward of his battell perceyued that the captaines of the MACEDONIANS which were in the first ranckes had already thrust their pikes into the ROMAINES targets so as they could not come neere them with their swordes and that the other MACEDONIANS carying their targets behinde them had now plucked them before them and dyd base their pikes all at one time and made a violent thrust into the targets of the ROMAINES Which when he had considered and of what strength and force his walle and rancke of targets was one ioyning so neere another and what a terrour it was to see a fronte of a battell with so many armed pikes and steele heades he was more afeard and amazed withall then with any sight he euer sawe before Neuertheles he could wisely dissemble it at that time And so passing by the companies of his horsemen without either curaces or helmet vpon his head he shewed a noble cherefull countenaunce vnto them that fought But on the contrarie side Perseus the king of MACEDON as Polybius writeth so sone as the battell was begonne withdrewe him self and got into the cittie of PYDNE vnder pretence to goe to doe sacrifice vnto Hercules who doth not accept the fainte sacrifice of cowards neither doth receyue their prayers bicause they be vnreasonable For it is no reason that he that shooteth not should hyt the white nor that he should winne the victorie that bideth not the battell neither that he should haue any good that doeth nothing toward it nor that a naughty man should be fortunate and prosper The goddes dyd fauour AEmylius prayers bicause he prayed for victorie with his sworde in his hande and fighting dyd call to them for ayde Howbeit there is one Posidonius a writer who sayeth he was in that time and moreouer that he was at the battell and he hath written an historie conteining many bookes of the actes of king Perseus where he sayeth that it was not for fainte harte nor vnder culler to sacrifice vnto Hercules that Perseus went from the battell but bicause he had a stripe of a horse on the thighe the daye before Who though he could not very well helpe him self and that all his friends sought to persuade him not to goe to the battell yet he caused one of his horse to be brought to him notwithstanding which he commonly vsed to ryde vp and downe on and taking his backe rode into the battell vnarmed where an infinite number of dartes were throwen at him from both sides And emong those he had a blowe with a darte that hurte him somwhat but it was ouerthwart and not with the pointe and dyd hit him on the left side glawnsing wise with suche a force that it rent his coate and rased his skinne vnderneath so as it left a marke behinde a long time after And this is all that Posidonius writeth to defend and excuse Perseus The ROMAINES hauing their hands full and being stayed by the battell of the MACEDONIANS that they could make no breache into them there was a captaine of the PELIGNIANS called Salius who tooke the ensigne of his band and cast it among the prease of his enemies Then all the PELIGNIANS brake in apon them with a maruelous force furie into that place for all ITALIANS thinke it to great a shame dishonour for souldiers to lose or forsake their ensigne Thus was there maruelous force of both sides vsed in that place for the PELIGNIANS proued to cut the MACEDONIANS pikes with their swordes or els to make them geue backe with their great targets or to make a breache into them and to take the pikes with their handes But the MACEDONIANS to the contrarie holding their pikes fast with both hands ranne them thorow that came neere vnto them so that neither target nor corselet could hold out the force and violence of the pushe of their pikes in so muche as they turned vp the heeles of the PELIGNIANS and TERRACINIANS who like desperate beastes without reason shutting in them selues emong their enemies ranne wilfully vpon their owne deathes and their first rancke were slaine euery man of them Thereupon those that were behind gaue backe a litle but fled not turning their backes and only retired geuing backe towardes the mountaine Olocrus AEmylius seeing that as Posidonius writeth rent his arming coate from his backe for anger bicause that some of his men gaue backe other durst not fronte the battell of the MACEDONIANS which was so strongly imbattelled of euery side and so mured in with a wall of pikes presenting their armed heades on euerie side a man could come that it was impossible to breake into them no not so muche as to come neere them only Yet notwithstanding bicause the field was not altogether plaine and euen the battell that was large in the fronte could not allwayes keepe that walle continuing their targets close one to another but they were driuen of necessitie to breake and open in many places as it happeneth oft in great battells according to the great force of the souldiers that in one place they thrust forward and in another they geue backe and leaue a hole Wherefore AEmylius sodainly taken the vauntage of this occasion deuided his men into small companies and commaunded them they should quickly thrust in betwene their enemies and occupie the places they sawe voyde in the fronte of their enemies and that they should set on them in that sorte and not with one whole continuall charge but occupying them here and there with diuers companies in sundry places AEmylius gaue this charge vnto the priuate captaines of euery band and their lieutenaunts and the captaines also gaue the like charge vnto their souldiers that could skilfully execute their commaundement For they went presently into those partes where they sawe the places open and being once entred in among them some gaue charge vpon the flanckes of the MACEDONIANS where they were all naked and vnarmed other set vpon them behind so that the strength of all the corpes of the battell which consisteth in keeping close together being opened in this sorte was straight ouerthrowen Furthermore when they came to fight man for man or a fewe against a fewe the MACEDONIANS with their litle shorte swordes came to strike vpon the great sheldes of the ROMAINES which were very strong and couered all their bodies downe to the foote And they to the contrarie were driuen of necessitie to
he told the Senate of it who would not let slippe so litle a fault but wrote to the newe Consulls and they straight left their prouinces and returned againe to ROME willingly resigninge vp their offices That was a prety while after Againe also about the very present time we write of nowe there were two Priestes of noble houses and noble persones also the one called Cornelius and the other Cethegus bothe which were disgraded of their Priesthoode bicause they had not giuen the intrayles of the sacrificed beast in order as they should haue done Quintus Sulpitius in like maner was disgraded of his Bishopricke bicause his miter which the FLAMINES doe weare fell of his head in his sacrificing Minutius being Dictator also and hauinge chosen Caius Flaminius generall of the horesemen bicause they heard the noyse of a ratte at the electiō of Flaminius they were bothe put out of their authoritie and other chosen in their place Now though they were thus precise euen in trifles it was not by reason of any supersticion mingled with their religion but bicause they woulde not breake any iotte of the auncient institucions and ceremonies of their contrie But to our storie againe Flaminius beinge depriued of his Consullshippe Marcellus was created Consull in his place by the regents at that time called Interreges Marcellus being inuested in his office chose Cneus Cornelius for his companion and they say that the GAVLES beinge inclined to peace and the Senate of ROME also willinge to harken to peace Marcellus did stirre vp the people and made them rather desire warre Notwithstandinge they concluded peace at that time but the GAVLES GESSATES immediatly after renued the wars againe For there came ouer the mountaines of the ALPES a thirty thowsand of them they ioyned with the INSVBRIANS which were many moe in number then thēselues Now they being in a maruelous iolity went incontinently to lay siege to the city of ACERRES that standeth apon the riuer of Po and during the siege king Britomarus taking ten thowsande GESSATES with him went destroyed all the contrie about the Po. Marcellus hearing that left with his companion Cneus Cornelius al the armed footemen the third parte of the horsemē in his campe by ACERRES he him selfe with the residue of the horsemē six hundred footemē light armed marched towards the enemy trauelling night day vntil he met with the ten thowsand GESSATES nere vnto a village of GAVLE on this side the mountaines called CLASTIDIVM which was subiect not long before to the ROMAINES So he had no leasure to take rest nor to refresh his men a litle for the barbarous people knew straight he was come tooke him for no better then by and by ouercome bicause he had so fewe footemen And for his horsemen the GAVLES made no reckening of them for besides themselues are very good men at armes and excell all other in that fight yet were their number of horsemen farre aboue Marcellus Therefore they straight marched towardes him in a maruelous furie and with thunderinge showtes as if they would haue deuowred them at their comminge Britomarus their king aduaunced him selfe before all his company Marcellus fearing to be a compassed in behinde being so small a number he put out the winges of his horsemen as much as he could to haue the contrie at large so that his two wings were very slender vntill he came nere his enemies And being ready to gallop towardes the enemie it fortuned his horse beinge afraid with the noyse of his enemies turned about caried Marcellus backe againe in spite of his teeth But he fearing the ROMAINES supersticion in taking this for an euill token and that they woulde take a conceite apon the same plucking the bridle with his left hande turned his horse head againe vppon the enemie and then he worshipped the sunne as though he had not turned his horse by chaunce but purposely for that cause For it is the ROMAINES manner to turne about so when they do honor their goddes So when they beganne to ioyne battell he made a vowe to Iupiter Feretrian to offer vppe the goodliest spoyles of his enemies if he did ouercome The kinge of the GAVLES seeinge him at that instant imagined by the markes and tokens he saw that he should be the general of his enemies So he set spurres to his horse and gallopped towardes him from all his company geuing him defiance chalenged him shaking his staffe in his hande He was the goodliest persone and strongest man of all the GAVLES and his armor was all guilt and siluered and so set foorth with sundry workes and colours that it shined as the sunne Marcellus on the other side hauinge viewed all the army of his enemies through out and perceauinge none so richely armed as the king thought straight it was against him that he had made his prayer and vowe to Iupiter Then he put his horse in full cariere against him and came with such a force fury to him that he pearced his armor with his staffe and ouerthrew him but yet he killed him not dead wherupon he sodainly redoubled two or three strokes besides apon him and so slew him right out Then he lighted from his horse taking the dead kinges armor in his hande he lift vp his eyes to heauen and said O Iupiter Feretrian thou that doest from heauen beholde and direct all marshall feates and Captaines deedes thy selfe I call to witnes that I am the third ROMAINE Captaine that being generall of the army haue slaine with my owne handes the king and generall of the enemies and I promise here to thee to offer thee vp the richest spoyles of mine enemies so thy godheade will vowchesafe to graunt vs the like good fortune in all this warre besides His prayer ended the men of armes of the ROMAINES ranne in among the horsemen footemen of the GAVLES one being vnparted from an other and fortune did so fauor them that they wanne a passing victory in such a straunge and wonderfull maner as was incredible For it was neuer seene before nor since that so fewe horsemen did ouerthrow so great a number of men of armes and footemen ranged together Now when Marcellus hadde slaine the greater number of them and had gotten their spoyles all their baggage he returned againe to his companion Cneus Cornelius whom he founde makinge warres vnfortunately with the GAVLES before the greatest and most populous city they had called MILLAINE which the GAVLES on this side the mountaines take for their chiefe city and from whence all other had their first originall Whereupon they did all their possible endeuor to defende it and did as straightly besiege the Consull Cornelius as he did them Now when Marcellus was come to the campe againe the GESSATES vnderstāding that their king Britomarus was slaine in battel returned backe againe into their contry
gentleman of the city called Bandius a noble gentleman to the people and a valliant man of his hands This Bandius hauing sought valliantly at the battell of CANNES after he hadde slaine many a CARTHAGINIAN was him selfe in the ende striken downe and founde lyinge amonge deade bodies sore wounded and mangled whereupon Hanniball greatly commending his valliantnes did not onely let him go without ransome but furthermore presented him made him his hoste and frende Hereupon Bandius at his comming home to requite Hannibals honor and curtesie became one of those that most fauored Hannibal most perswaded the people of NOLA to take his parte Notwithstandinge this Marcellus thinking it to great sinne against the goddes to put a man to death that had made so great proofe of his valliantnes and had serued with the ROMAINES in their greatest warres and extremest daunger and who besides the goodnes of his nature hadde a maruelous gift also to winne mens good wills by his great curtesie when this Bandius came one day to do his duety to him Marcellus of purpose asked him what he was though he had knowen him long before only to take occasion to talke with him The other aunswered him his name was Lucius Bandius Then Marcellus seeming to be maruelous glad and to wonder at him sayed and art thou that Bandius they speake of so much at ROME whom they say did so notable seruice in persone at the battel of CANNES and neuer forsooke Paulus AEmilius the Consull but receaued so many woundes vppon thy body in defence of him Bandius aunswered that he was the man and therewith shewed him many woundes he had apon his body Marcellus then replyed alas thou that cariest such notable markes of thy vnfained loue towards vs what diddest thou meane that thou camest not straight againe vnto vs art thou perswaded we are so miserable vnthankefull that we will not worthily reward the vertue and valliantnesse of our frendes whom our enemies selues do honor After Marcellus had vsed this curteous speach vnto him and had imbraced him he gaue him a goodly horse for seruice in the warres fiue hundred Drachmes of siluer besides So after that time Bandius did euer take Marcellus parte and alwayes followed him being very faithfull to him and shewed him selfe very seueare and earnest to accuse them that tooke Hannibals parte in the city which were many in number had conspired among them selues that the first time the ROMAINES should go into the fielde to skirmishe with the enemies they woulde shut the gates after them take the spoyle of al their cariages Marcellus being informed of this treason did set his men in battel raye within the city hard by the gates behind them he placed al the sumpters cariage in good order besides that he made proclamation by trompet that no citizen apon paine of death shoulde approch the walles This occasion drew Hanniball to come hard to the city seeinge no watche apon the walles and made him the bolder to come in disorder imagininge there had bene some mutinie or sedition within betwene the noble men and the people But in the meane time Marcellus set open the gates being hard by and sayling out apon the sodaine with the best men of armes he had he gaue a charge vpō Hanniball in the voward Immediatly after came out his footemen at an other gate running straight vpon Hanniball with a wonderfull crie and showte so as Hanniball to withstand them was driuen to deuide his men in two companies But as he was deuidinge of them sodainely a third gate opened apon them from whence all the residue of the ROMAINES issued out who sette vppon the CARTHAGINIANS on euery side they beinge maruelously amazed to be so sodainely set on which they looked not for so hauing their handes full with those that came first apon them beinge scant able to defende them selues against them and seeinge this newe and last charge also they were forced to retyre This was the first time that euer Hannibals souldiers beganne to giue place to the ROMAINES who draue them backe vnto their campe and slewe a great number of them and did hurt diuerse of them besides For some wryte there were slaine of the CARTHAGINIANS at that conflict aboue fiue thowsande and of the ROMAINES there died not past fiue hundred men But Titus Liuius doth not set out the ouerthrow so great and yet confesseth that Marcellius wanne great honor by it that it made the ROMAINES maruelous valliant againe after so many and sundry battels as they had lost one after another for then they were perswaded that they fought not with an enemy altogether vnuincible but that he might somtime also as well as them selues receiue both losse and hurt Therefore one of the Consulls dyinge about that time the people caused Marcellus to be sent for placed him in his roome and in spite of the Senate they deferred all deputacion vntill his returne from the campe Marcellus came no sooner to ROME but he was chosen Consull in the deade mans roome by all the voyces of the people Notwithstanding when they went to choose him it thundered maruelously which the Priestes Augures tooke for an ill token but yet they durst not openly speake against his election bicause they feared the people Howbeit Marcellus of him selfe did willingly giue vp his Consullshippe and yet was it no exception to him for his seruice in the warres for they created him Proconsull and sent him againe to the campe at NOLA where he did seuerely punishe such as tooke Hannibals parte Who being aduertised thereof came thither with all possible spede to helpe them and euen at his first comming he offered Marcellus battell which refused it at that time Neuertheles he tooke his time when Hanniball hadde sent the best parte of his army to forrage as meaning to fight no more battels and then he set apon him hauing giuen his footemen long pykes such as they vse in fight apon the sea and taught them also howe to hurt the enemy a farre of keping them still in their handes But the CARTHAGINIANS hauing no skill of their pykes and fighting with shorte iauelings in their hands did strike downe right blowes which was the cause that they being set apon by the ROMAINES were driuen to turne their backes and flee before them So there were fiue thowsande of the CARTHAGINIANS left dead in the field foure elephants slaine and two taken aliue and furthermore three dayes after the battell there came a three hundred horsemen some of them SPANIARDS and other NVMIDIANS that submitted them selues to the ROMAINES Neuer came there such a misfortune before to Hanniball who had of lōg time kept together in great loue amity an army assembled of sundry barbarous nations and people Howbeit these three hundred continued euer after faithfull to the end both to Marcellus and to all other Lieutenants generals of the ROMAINES Shortely
selfe same instant serued the ITALIANS horse in the like manner so as both their horses fell dead to the ground Howbeit Pyrrus men that were about him saued him presently and flew the ITALIAN in the fielde although he fought it out right valliantly The ITALIANS name was Oplacus borne in the city of FERENTVM and was Captaine of a bande of men of armes This mischaunce made kinge Pyrrus looke the better to him selfe afterwardes and seeinge his horsemen geue backe sent presently to hasten his footemen forward whom he straight set in order of battell and deliuering his armor and cloke to one of his familiars called Megacles and being hidden as it were in Megacles armor returned againe to the battell against the ROMAINES who valiantly resisted him so that the victory depended longe in doubt For it is sayd that both the one side and the other did chase and was chased aboue seuen times in that conflict The chaunginge of the kinges armor serued very well for the safety of his owne persone howebeit it was like to haue marred all and to haue made him loose the fielde For many of his enemies set vppon Megacles that ware the kings armor and the partie that slue him dead and threw him starke to the grounde was one Dexius by name who quickely snatched of his head peece tooke away his cloke and ranne to Leuinus the Consul crying out alowde that he had slaine Pyrrus and withall shewed foorth the spoyles he supposed to haue taken from him Which being caried about through all the bands openly shewed from hand to hand made the ROMAINES maruelous ioyfull and the GREECIANS to the contrary both afeard and right sorowfull vntill such time as Pyrrus hearing of it went and passed alongest all his bandes bare headed and bar 〈…〉 holdinge vp his hande to his souldiers and geuinge them to vnderstande with his owne voyce that it was him selfe The elephantes in the ende were they in deede that wanne the battell and did most distresse the ROMAINES for their horses seeing them a farre of were sore afrayed and durst not abide them but caried their masters backe in despite of them Pyrrus at the sight thereof made his THESSALIAN horsemen to geue a charge apon them whilest they were in this disorder and that so lustely as they made the ROMAINES flie and susteine great slaughter For Dionysius wryteth that there dyed few lesse then fifteene thowsand ROMAINES at that battell But Hieronymus speaketh onely of seuen thowsande And of Pyrrus side Dionysius wryteth there were slaine thirteene thowsande But Hieronymus sayth lesse then foure thowsande howebeit they were all of the best men of his army and those whome most be trusted King Pyrrus presently hereupon also tooke the ROMAINES campe which they forsooke and wan many of their cities from their allyance spoyled and ouercame much of their contry Insomuch as he came within six and thirty mile of ROME whither came to his aide as confederates of the TARENTINES the LVCANIANS the SAMNITES whom he rebuked bicause they came to late to the battel Howbeit a man might easily see in his face that he was not a litle glad and proude to haue ouerthrowen so great an army of the ROMAINES with his owne men and the aide of the TARENTINES onely On thóther side the ROMAINES hartes were so great that they would not depose Leuinus from his Consullshippe notwithstandinge the losse he had receiued and Caius Fabricius sayed openly that they were not the EPIROTES that had ouercomen the ROMAINES but Pyrrus had ouercome Leuinus meaning thereby that this ouerthrow chaunced vnto them more through the subtilty and wise conduction of the Generall then through the valliant feates and worthines of his army And hereuppon they speedily supplied their legyons againe that were minished with other newe souldiers in the dead mens place and leauied a fresh force besides speaking brauely and fiercely of this warre like men whose hartes nothinge appawled Whereat Pyrrus maruelinge much thought good first to send to the ROMAINES to proue if they would geue any eare to an offer of peace knowing right well that the winning of the city of ROME was no easie matter to cōpasse or attaine with that strength he presently had and also that it would be greatly to his glory if he could bring them to peace after this his valliant victory And hereupon he sent Cineas to ROME who spake with the chiefest of the city and offred presentes to them and their wiues in the behalfe of the king his master Howbeit neither man nor woman would receiue any at his handes but aunswered all with one voyce that if the peace might be general to all they all priuately woulde be at the kinges commaundement and woulde be glad of his frendshippe Moreouer when Cineas had talked in open audience before the Senate of many curteous offers and had deliuered them profitable capitulacions of peace they accepted none nor shewed any affection to geue care vnto them although he offered to deliuer them their prisoners home againe without raunsome that had bene taken at the battell and promised also to aide them in the conquest of ITALIE requiring no other recompence at their handes sauing their goodwills only to his master assurance for the TARENTINES that they should not be annoyed for any thinge past without demaunde of other matter Neuertheless in the ende when they had hearde these offers many of the Senators yeelded and were willinge to make peace alleaginge that they had already lost a great battell and howe they looked for a greater when the force of the confederates of ITALIE should ioyne together with king Pyrrus power But Appius Claudius a famous man who came no more to the Senate nor delt in matters of state at all by reason of his age and partely bicause he was blinde when he vnderstoode of king Pyrrus offers and of the common brute that ranne through the city howe the Senate were in minde to agree to the capitulacions of peace propounded by Cineas he could not abide but caused his seruantes to cary him in his chayer apon their armes vnto the Senate dore his sonnes and sonnes in law taking him in their armes caried him so into the Senate house The Senate made silence to honor the comming in of so notable worthy a personage and he so soone as they had sette him in his seate beganne to speake in this sorte Hitherunto with great impacience my Lordes of ROME haue I borne the losse of my sight but now I would I were also as deafe as I am blinde that I might not as I doe heare the 〈…〉 rte of your dishonorable consultacions determined vpon in Senate which tende to subscribe the glorious fame and reputacion of ROME What is now become of all your great and mighty bragges you blased abroade through the whole worlde that if Alexander the great himselfe had come into ITALIE in the time that our fathers had bene in
and lodged with him When night was come the LACEDAEMONIANS counselled together secretly determined to send away their wiues and litle children into CRETA But the women them selues were against it and there was one amonge them called Archidamia who went into the Senate house with a sword in her hand to speake vnto them in the name of all the rest and sayd that they did their wiues great wronge if they thought them so fainte harted as to liue after SPARTA were destroyed Afterwards it was agreed in counsell that they should cast a trenche before the enemies campe and that at both the endes of the same they should bury cartes in the ground vnto the middest of the wheeles to the end that being fast set in the ground they should stay the elephantes and kepe them from passing further And when they beganne to go in hand withall there came wives and maides vnto them some of them their clothes girte vp round about them and others all in their smockes to worke at this trenche with the old men aduising the young men that should fight the next morning to rest them selues in the meane while So the women tooke the third parte of the trenche to taske which was six cubittes broade foure cubits deepe and eight hundred foote long as Philarchus sayth or litle lesse as Hieronymus wryteth Then when the breake of day appeared the enemies remoued to come to the assault the women them selues fetched the weapons which they put into the young mens hands and deliuered them the taske of the trenche ready made which they before had vndertaken praying them valliantly to keepe and defend it tellinge them withall howe great a pleasure it is to ouercome the enemies fighting in view and sight of their natiue contry and what great felicity and honor it is to dye in the armes of his mother and wife after he hath fought valliantly like an honest man and worthy of the magnanimity of SPARTA But Chelidonida being gone a side had tyed a halter with ariding knot about her necke ready to strangle hang her selfe rather theÌ„ to fall into the hands of Cleonymus if by chaunce the city should come to be taken Now Pyrrus marched in person with his battell of footemen against the fronte of the SPARTANS who being a great number also did tary his comming on the other side of the trenche the which besides that it was very ill to passe ouer did let the souldiers also to fight steadely in order of battell bicause the earth being newly cast vp did yeld vnder their feete Wherefore Ptolomie king Pyrrus sonne passing all alongest the trench side with two thowsand GAVLES all the choyce men of the CHAONIANS assayed if he could get ouer to the other side at one of the endes of the trenche where the cartes were which being set very deepe into the ground and one ioyned vnto an other they did not only hinder thassaylants but the defendants also Howbeit in the end the GAVLES began to plucke of the wheeles of these cartes and to draw them into the riuer But Acrotatus king Areus sonne a young man seeing the daunger ranne through the city with a troupe of three hundred lusty youthes besides went to inclose Ptolomie behinde before he espied him for that he passed a secret hollow way till he came even to geue the charge vpon them whereby they were enforced to turne their faces towardes him one runninge in an others necke and so in great disorder were thrust into the trenches and vnder the cartes insomuch as at the last with much a doe and great bloodshed Acrotates and his company draue them backe and repulsed them Now the women and old men that were on thother side of the trenche saw plainly before their face howe valliantly Acrotatus had repulsed the GAVLES Wherefore alter Acrotatus had done this exployte he returned againe through the city vnto the place from whence he came all on a goare blood coragious and liuely for the victory he came newly from The women of SPARTA thought Acrotatus farre more noble and fayrer to beholde then euer he was so that they all thought Chelidonida happy to haue such a frend and louer And there were certaine olde men that followed him crying after him goe thy way Acrotatus and enioy thy loue Chelidonida beget noble children of her vnto SPARTA The fight was cruell on that side where Pyrrus was and many of the SPARTANS fought very valliantly Howbeit amongest other there was one named Phillius who after he had sought long and slaine many of his enemies with his owne handes that forced to passe ouer the trenche perceiuing that his hart fainted for the great number of woundes he had apon him called one of them that were in the rancke next behinde him and geuing him his place fell downe deade in the armes of his frendes bicause his enemies shoulde not have his body In the ende the battell hauinge continued all the day longe the night did separate them and Pyrrus being layed in his bed had this vision in his sleepe He thought he â—â—rake the city of LACEDAEMON with lightning and that he vtterly consumed it whereat he was so passing glad that euen with the very ioy he awaked And thereuppon foorthwith commaunded his Captaines to make their men ready to the assault and told his dreame vnto his familiers supposing that out of dout it did betoken he should in that approache take the citie All that heard it beleued it was so sauing one Lysimachus who to the contrary sayed that this vision like him not bicause the places smitten with lightning are holy and it is noâ— lawfull to enter into them by reason wherof he was also affraied that the goddes did signifie vnto him that he should not enter into the citie of SPARTA Pyrrus aunswered him that saied he is a matter disputable to fro in an open assembly of people for there is no maner of certainty in it But furthermore euery man must take his weapon in his hand set this sentence before his eyes A right good signe it is that he vvould hazard life In iust defence of masters cause vvith speare and bloody knife Alludinge vnto Homers verses which he wrote for the defence of his contry And saying thus he rose and at the breake of day led his army vnto the assault On thother side also the LACEDAEMONIANS with a maruelous corage magnanimity farre greater then their force bestirred them selues wonderfully to make resistaunce hauing their wiues by them that gaue them their weapons wherewith they fought and were ready at hand to geue meate drinke to them that needed and did also withdrawe those that were hurt to cure them The MACEDONIANS likewise for their parte endeuored them selues with all their might to fill vppe the trenche with wodde and other thinges which they cast vpon the dead bodies and armors lying in the bottome of the ditche the
litle repulsed by reason of the hanging of the hill Marius gaue this order vnto his folke and therewithall was him selfe the first man that put it in execution for he was as trymme a warriour and as valliant a souldier as any man in all his army besides not one amongest them all would venter furder and be more bolde then him selfe So when the ROMAINES had resisted them and stayed them sodainely going with fury to haue wonne the hill perceiuing them selues to be repulsed they gaue backe by litle and litle vntill they came into the field and then beganne the formest of them to gather together and to put them selues in battell ray vppon the plaine when sodainly they heard the noyse and charging of them that were in the tayle of their army For Claudius Marcellus failed not to take the occasion when it was offered him bicause that the noyse of the first charge comming vp against the hills thereabouts vnder the which he lay in ambushe gaue him aduertisement thereof whereupon he caused his men presently to shew and running with great cryes came to geue a charge vpon those which were in the tayle of the barbarous people putting the hindemost to the sworde They made their fellowes whose backes were next vnto them to turne their faces so from man to man till at the length in shorte time all their battell beganne to wauer in disorder and they made no great resistaunce when they saw they were so charged before and behinde but beganne straight to flie for life The ROMAINES following them hard at the heeles killed and tooke prisoners aboue a hundred thowsande of them and tooke moreouer their cartes their tentes and all their cariage Which the whole army by consent agreed to present vnto Marius excepting nothing sauing that which was imbeaceled and conueyed away vnder hande Now though this was a maruelous honorable right noble present yet they thought it not a recompence sufficient for that he had deserued for the valure he had shewed of a famous Captaine in leading of his army for the good order he kept in this warre so happy thought they them selues to haue escaped so great a daunger Notwithstanding some wryters doe not agree that the spoyle of the barbarous people was geuen vnto Marius nor that there were also so great a number of men slaine as we haue spoken of But they say that after this battell the MARSSILIANS did inclose their vines with hedges made of dead mens bones and that the bodies being rotten and consumed vpon the fieldes through the great raine that fell vpon them the winter following the ground waxed so fatte and did soke the grease so deepe in the same that the sommer following they did beare an vncredible quantity of all sortes of frutes And by this meanes were Archilocus wordes proued true that the errable land doth waxe fat with such rottennesse or putrification And it is sayd aso that of ordinary after great battells there falleth great store of raine Either it is by meane of some god that powring downe pure raine water doth purifie wash and clense the grounde defiled and polluted with mans blood or else it happeneth by naturall cause For that the ouerthrow of so many dead bodies and of the blood split engendreth a moyst grosse and heauy vapoure which doth thicken the ayer that by nature is chaungeable and easie to alter from a very small or litle beginning vnto an exceeding great chaunge After this battell Marius caused the harnesse and spoyles of the barbarous people to be layed aside that were left whole and fayer to sight to beautifie enrich the pompe of his triumphe Then he caused the rest to be gathered together on a great heape and layed apon a stake of wodde to make a noble sacrifice vnto the gods all his army being armed about him crowned with garlandes of triumphe and him selfe apparelled in a long gowne of purple according to the custome of the ROMAINES in such a case and holding a torch burning in both his hands which he first lifted vp vnto heauen And as he was turning downe the torch to put fire to the stake of wood they saw some of his frends a good way of a horse backe comming post vnto him then sodainly there was a great silence made of all the assembly euery man desirous to heare what good newes they had brought When they were come and lighted of their horses they ranne straight to embrace Marius and brought him newes that he was chosen Consull the fift time and presented him the letters sent him from ROME confirming the same And thus this new ioy falling out besides the victory the priuate souldiers did shewe the great ioy and pleasure they tooke in both with great showtes and beating vpon their harnesse and the Captaines also they crowned Marius againe with new garlandes of laurell which they put about his head and that done he put fire vnder the stake of wodde and ended his sacrifice But that which neuer suffereth men quietly to enioy the good happe of any victory clearely but in this mortall life doth euer mingle the ill with the good be it either fortune or spight of fatall destenie or else the necessitie of the naturall causes of earthly thinges did shortely after this great ioy bring newes vnto Marius of his companion Catulus Luctatius the other Consull who was like a cloude in a fayer bright day and brought the city of ROME againe into a new feare and trouble For Catulus that went against the CIMBRES thought it was not for him to keepe the straightes of the mountaines in hope to let the barbarous people for passing bicause that in so doing he had bene compelled to deuide his army into many partes and had weakened him selfe very much if he had taken that course Wherefore comming a litle on this side the Alpes towardes ITALIE he planted him selfe vpon the riuer of Athesis and built a bridge apon it to passe and repasse ouer his men when he would and sette vp at either ende of the bridge two strong fortes well fortified that he might more cōmodiously helpe the places on the other side of the riuer if the barbarous people by chaūce would offer to force thē after they had gotten out of the straights of the mountaines Now these barbarous people had such a glory in them selues and disdained their enemies so much that more to shew their force and boldnes then of any necessity that compelled them or for any benefit they got by it they suffred it to snow apon them being starke naked and did clime vp to the toppe of the mountaines throw great heapes ofise and snow And when they were at the very toppe of all they layed their long broad targets vnder their bodies and lay all along apon them sliding downe the steepe high rockes that had certaine hanginges ouer of an infinito height In the ende they came to campe neere vnto the ROMAINES by
vnto him as if he had bene in deede Apolloes sonne and that he should openly read them in the presence of many witnesses And among the rest of the prophecies that he should read that specially for the which this long paltry fained drift was framed touching the kingdome of LACEDAEMONIA that it was better and meerelier for the SPARTANS they should choose them for their kinges whome they found the meetest men of all their magistrates But when Selenus was come of full age and brought into GREECE of purpose to performe this practise all the mistery was marde by the fainte heart of one of the players and companions of Lysander who holpe him to countenaunce this deuise who when the matter should haue taken effect shroncke for feare and let the misterie alone This notwithstanding nothing was bewrayed in Lysanders life time till after his death For he dyed before king Agesilaus returned out of ASIA being fallen into warres with BOEOTIA before his death or rather hauing him selfe made GREECE to fall into warres They doe reporte it other way and some lay the fault apon him other apon the THEBANS and other apon then both and they burden the THEBANS withall bicause they did vtterly ouerthrowe the common sacrifices which Agesilaus made in the city of AVLIDE And they say also that Andrâ—â—des and Amphitheus did raise this warre among the GREECIANS being before corrupted with money by the king of PERSIA to bring warres apon the LACEDAEMONIANS in GREECE and beganne to inuade and destroy the contry of the PHOCIANS Other say that Lysander was very angry with the THEBANS bicause they onely of all other their confederates did aske the tenth parte of all the spoyle which was wonne in the warre against the ATHENIANS and that they were not pleased that Lysander had sent the money away vnto SPARTA But aboue all Lysander did malice them most bicause they were the first that made way for the ATHENIANS to be deliuered from thop pression of thirty tyrannes whom he had stablished gouernors in ATHENS and in whose fauor to make them to be dreaded the more the LACEDAEMONIANS had ordained by a common edict that they that were banished and did flee from ATHENS might lawefully be taken and apprehended in what place soeuer they fled vnto and that whosoever should resist or let them to do it they should be proclaimed rebells open enemies vnto the LACEDAEMONIANS Againe to contrary this edict the THEBANS made an other very like meete for the glorious dedes of Bacchus and Hercules their auncestors for whom it was made that euery house and city through the contry of BOEOTIA should be open for the ATHENIANS that would come thither that he that would not helpe a banished man from ATHENS against him that would take him away by force should be fined and amerced at a talent And also if there were any souldiers that went vnto ATHENS through the contrie of BOEOTIA that the THEBANS should not see nor heare it This was no dissimulation to speake of that they should ordaine thinges with so gentle wordes and so meete for the people of GREECE and then that the dedes should not aunswer vnto their edicts proclamations For Thrasybulus and his fellowes of the conspiracie who kept the castell of Phyla they departed from THEBES with armor and money and the THEBANS did helpe them to beginne and practise their enterprise so secretly that it was not discouered These were the causes why Lysander was so earnestly bent against the THEBANS his choller being so extreame by reason of his melancholines that grewe dayly apon him more and more through his age he solicited the EPHORES so that he perswaded them to sende a garrison thither and him selfe taking the charge of them vndertooke the iorney straight with his men But afterwardes they sent kinge Pausanias also with an army thither who was to fetche a great compasse about to enter into the contrie of BOEOTIA by mount Cithaeron and Lysander shoulde goe to meete him through the contry of PHOCIDES with a great company of souldiers besides Now as Lysander went he tooke the city of the ORCHOMENIANS who willingly yeelded them selues to him as soone as he came thither From thence he went to the city of LEBADIA which he spoyled from thence he wrote vnto king Pausanias that departing from PLATEES he should march directly to the city of ALIARTE where he would not faile to meete him the next morning by breake of day at the towne walles These letters were intercepted by certaine skowtes of the THEBANS who met with the messenger that caried them Thus the THEBANS hauing intelligence of their purpose left their citie in custodie vnto the ATHENIANS who were come to aide them and departed out of THEBES about midnight and marched all night with great speede that they came to ALIARTE in the morning a litle before Lysander and put halfe their men into the citie Now for Lysander he was determined at the first to keepe his men apon a hill which is nere to the city and there to tary the comming of king Pausanias But afterwards when he sawe that the day was farre spent and that he came not he could tary no lenger but arming him selfe after he had made an oration vnto the confederates which he had brought with him he marched on with his men in battell ray longer then large by the high way that went vnto the city In the meane season the THEBANS that were left without the city leauing ALIARTE on the left hande did set vppon Lysanders rerewarde of his army against the fountaine called Cissusa where the Poets faine that the nurses of Bacchus did washe him when he came out of his mothers wombe bicause the water that commeth out of it though it be very clere and sweete to drinke hath notwithstanding I can not tell by what meanes a collour like wine and not farre thence there grow great plenty of Styrap trees The which the ALIARTIANS do alleage to proue that Radamanthus heretofore dwelt in that parte doe shew his sepulchre there yet to this day which they call Alea. And hard by that also there is the monumeÌ„t of Alemena which was buried as they say in that place was maried to Radamanthus after the death of Amphitryon But the THEBANS who were within the city with the ALIARTIANS stirred not vntill they sawe that Lysander with the first of his troupe was neere vnto the towne walles then opening the gates on the sodaine they made a salie out vpon Lysander slue him with his soothsaier a few other bicause the most part of the voward fled into the streÌ„gth of the battell Howbeit the THEBANS gaue theÌ„ not ouer so but followed theÌ„ so valiantly that they brake their order made theÌ„ all flie through the mouÌ„taines after they had slaine three thousand of theÌ„ in the field so were there three hundred THEBANS also slaine there who
trouble his enemies much be a helpe to saue them selues if they were ouercome and also to chase the enemies if so it happened they had the vpper hande bicause they were straungers and knew not the contrie When both battells came to geue charge Sertorius at the first was not directly against Pompey but against Afranius who led the left wing of Pompeyes battell and him selfe was in the right wing of his owne battell Howebeit Sertorius being aduenised that the left wing of his owne army against the which Pompey fought was in such distresse is they gaue backe and could abide no lenger if they were not presently aided straight left the leading of the right wing which he assigned ouer to other of his Captaines and ranne with all speede possible vnto the left wing which were then euen as good as flying And first he gathered them together againe which had turned their backes and after put those also in good order that were yet a fighting and so hauing encoraged them both with his wordes and the presence of his person he gaue a new charge againe apon Pompey more coragiously than before who thinking he had already wonne the field was then a chasing such as fled and caâ—he so fiercely apon him that he put all the whole army of the ROMANES to flight insomuch as Pompey him selfe escaped killing in the field very hardly being sore hurt saued by a straunge meane For the AFRIKANS of Sertorius hauing taken Pompeis horse which was richly trapped with harnesse of gold and other precious furniture falling out among them selues and fighting for deuision of the same in the meane time let Pompey goe and neuer followed after him Afranius againe on thother side whilest Sertorius was gone to helpe the other wing of his battel made them flie all that stoode before him followed killing of theÌ„ euen into the trenches of their campe entring in amongest them that fled and spoiled the campe being darke night knowing nothing of Pompeis ouerthrow neither could he withdraw his men from spoyle Sertorius also comming thither apon the instant finding Pompeis men in disorder slue a number of them and the next morning betimes armed his men againe and brought them out into the field to fight once more with Pompey But receiuing intelligence that Metellus was at hand he sounded the retreate and dislodged from the place he encamped saying had not that old woman comen I would haue whipped that young boy to ROME with roddes Now was Sertorius very heauy that no man could tell him what was become of his white hynde for them by all his sutteltie and finesse to kepe the barbarous people in obedience was taken away and then specially when they stoode in neede of most comforte But by good happe certaine of his souldiers that had lost them selues in the night met with the hynde in their way and knowing her by her colour tooke her and brought her backe againe Sertorius hearing of her promised theÌ„ a good reward so that they would tell no liuing creature that they brought her againe and thereupon made her to be secretly kept Then within a few dayes after he came abroade among them and with a pleasaunt countenaunce tolde the noble men and chiefe Captaines of these barbarous people how the goddes had reuealed it to him in his dreame that he should shortly haue a maruelous good thing happen to him and with these wordes sate downe in his chayer to geue audience Whereuppon they that kept the hynde not farre from thence did secretly let her goe The hynde being lose when she had spied Sertorius ran straight to his chayer with great ioy and put her head betwext his legges layed her mouth in his right hande as she before was wont to doe Sertorius also made very much of her and of purpose appeared maruelous glad shewinge such tender affection to the hynde as it seemed the water stoode in his eyes for ioy The barbarous people that stoode there by beheld the same at the first were much amazed therewith but afterwardes when they had better beâ—hought them selues for ioy they clapped their handes together and wained vpon Sertorius to his lodging with great and ioyfull showtes saying and stedfastly beleuing that he was a heauenly creature and beloued of the goddes whereupon they were maruelously pleased in their mindes and certainely hoped that their affayres should prosper dayly better and better Another time hauing straighted his enemies with scarcety of vittells in the territorie of the SAGVNTINES he was by force compelled to fight against his will for that they sent great troupes of men to sorrage the contrie to get vittells Apon then counter it was valliantly fought of either side where Memmius was slaine the valliantest Captaine Pompey had coragiously fighting in the middest of the battell Sertorius finding him selfe the stronger followed his first wing making great slaughter of those that withstoode him vntill he came vnto Metellus selfe who taried his comming defending him selfe more valliantly than was either hoped or looked for in a man of his yeares insomuch as he was at the last hurt with a partisan Which was such a dishonor to the ROMANES not vnto them only that saw it but vnto such also as heard of it that being all ashamed to forsake their Captaine and turning their shame into anger against their enemies they couered Metellus rounde about with their shieldes and targets getting him out of the presse and furie of the fight gaue such a fierce onset as they draue the SPANYARDS to flie Thus fortune chaunging the victory Sertorius to geue his scattered men time to saue them selues and leasure also for a new supply which he caused to be presently leauied to come at their pleasure fled of purpose into a citie of the mountaines of strong scituation and there setting a good face of the matter repayred the rampers and fortified the gates thinking nothing lesse then to abide there to be besieged but only to lay a baite for his enemies comming to besiege the citie hoping they should easily winne it and in the meane time left pursuing of the barbarous people which had therby good leasure giuen them to saue them selues Furthermore they tooke no order to suppresse the new supplie that was comming to Sertorius who had sent out his Captaines to the next cities shieres adioyning to leanie men with expresse commaundement that when they had mustered a conuenient number together they should sende them vnto him as they did So when he vnderstoode of their comming he easily passed through his enemies to meete them and with them sodainly came backe againe and harried his enemies worse then before somtime cutting their vittells from them by land through his ambushes and continuall suttle policies being quickely in euerie place whether they thought to go with his light army and on the sea also with certaine pirats pinneses with the which he scoored all the coast apon
maner That the women in those parts of long time haue bene commonly possest with the spirite of Orpheus and the diuine fury of Bacchus whereupon they are called Clodones Mimallones as much as warlicke fierce and doe many things like vnto the women of EDONIA and THRACIA dwelling about the mountaine AEmus Hereby it appeareth that this word Threskeuin signifying in the Greeke tongue too superstitiously geuen to the ceremonies of the gods came from them For Olympias aboue other womē louing to be inspired with such diuine madnes fury did celebrate their solemne sacrifices with a certaine horrible barbarous maner For in these daunces to Bacchus she caried a great number of tame snakes about her the which gliding apon the Iuie wherewith the women were dressed in those ceremonies winding thē selues about the litle iauelings they had in their hands the garlands about their heades therby they made men the more afraid of them Whereupon Philip after this dreame sent Ghaero MEGALOPOLITAN vnto the oracle of Apollo at DELPHES to inquier what it signified Answere was geuen him that he should do sacrifice vnto Iupiter Hammon honor him aboue all gods that he had lost one of his eyes with the which he peeping in at a crany of his chamber dore saw the god in forme of a snake lye by his wife Furthermore Olympias as Eratosthenes writeth bidding her sonne farewel whē he went to conquer ASIA after she had secretly tolde him alone by whom he was begotten she prayed him to be valliant to shew himselfe worthy his sonne that begat him Others tel also that she was angry with this report saying will Alexander neuer leaue to make me suspected of Iuno So it is that Alexander was borne on the sixt day of the moneth of Hecatombaeon in english Iune which the MACEDONIANS call Lous On the very same day the temple of Diana in the city of EPHESVS was burnt as Hegesias MAGNESIAN doth witnesse whose crie exclamation was so terrible cold that it was enough to haue quenched that fire It is not to be wondred at that Diana suffred her temple to be burnt being like a midwife busie about Alexanders birth But this is true that all the priests magitians and soothsayers which were at that time in EPHESVS iudging that this did prognosticate some maruelous great misfortune to come like men bestraught of their wits they ran vp downe the city smiting of their faces crying that some great plague mischief was borne that day vnto ASIA Shortly after that king Philip had wonne the city of POTIDAEA three messengers came to him the same day that brought him great newes The first that Parmenio had wonne a notable battell of the ILLYRIANS the second that his horse only wan the bell price at the Olympian games the third that his wife had brought him a sonne called Alexander Philip being maruelous glad to heare these newes the soothsayers did make his ioy yet greater assuring him that his sonne which was borne with three victories all together should be inuincible Now for his stature personage the statues and images made of him by Lysippus doe best declare it for that he would be drawen of no man but him only Diuers of his successors frends did afterwards counterfeat his image but that excellent workeman Lysippus only of all other the chiefest hath perfectly drawen and resembled Alexanders maner of holding his necke somwhat hanging downe towards the left side also the sweete looke cast of his eyes But when Apelles painted Alexander holding lightning in his hand he did not shew his fresh colour but made him somewhat blacke and swarter then his face in deede was for naturally he had a very fayre white colour mingled also with red which chiefly appeared in his face in his brest I remember I red also in the cōmentaries of Aristoxenus that his skin had a maruelous good sauor that his breath was very swete insomuch that his body had so swete a smell of it selfe that all the apparell he wore next vnto his body tooke thereof a passing delightfull sauor as if it had bene perfumed And the cause hereof peraduenture might be the very temperature constitucion of his body which was hot and burning like fire For Theophrastus is of opinion that the sweete sauor commeth by meanes of the heate that dryeth vp the moisture of the bodie By which reason also it appeareth that the drie hot contries pearched with heate of the sunne are those that deliuer vnto vs the best spices bicause that the sunne drieth vp the moysture of the outward parts as a matter of corruption This natural heate that Alexander had made him as it appeareth to be giuen to drinke to be hasty Euen from his childhood they saw that he was giuen to be chast For though otherwise he was very hot hasty yet was he hardly moued with lust or pleasure of the body would moderately vse it But on thother side the ambition desire he had of honor snewed a certaine greatnes of minde noble corage passing his yeares For he was not as his father Philip desirous of all kind of glory who like a Rethoritian had a delite to vtter his eloquence stamped in his coynes the victories he had wonne at the Olympian games by the swift running of his horse coches For when he was asked one day bicause he was swift of foote whether he would assay to run for victory at the Olympian games I could be content said he so I might run with kings And yet to speake generally he misliked all such contention for games For it seemeth that he vtterly misliked all wrestling other exercise for prise where men did vse all their strength but otherwise he him self made certen festiual daies games of prise for common stage plaiers musitians singers for the very Poets also He delighted also in hunting of diuers kindes of beastes and playing at the staffe Ambassadors being sent on a time from the king of PERSIA whilest his father was in some iorney out of his realme Alexander familliarly entertaining of them so wan them with his curteous entertainment for that he vsed no childish questions vnto them nor asked them trifling matters but what distance it was frō one place to an other which way they went into the high contries of ASIA of the king of PERSIA him selfe how he was towards his enemies what power he had that he did rauish them with delight to heare him insomuch that they made no more account of Philips eloquence sharpe wit in respect of his sonnes corage noble minde to attempt great enterprises For when they brought him newes that his father had taken some famous city or had won some great battell he was nothing glad to heare it but would say to his playfellowes sirs my father will
him that it was an ill signe Alexander thereuppon gaue order straight that they shoulde doe sacrifice for the health of Clitus and speciallie for that three dayes before he dreamed one night that he sawe Clitus in a mourninge gowne sittinge amongest the sonnes of Parmenio the which were all dead before This notwithstanding Clitus did not make an ende of his sacrifice but came straight to supper to the kinge who had that day sacrificed vnto Castor and Pollux At this feast there was olde drinking and all the supper time there were certaine verses song and made by a Poet called Pranichus or as others say of one Pierion against certaine Captaines of the MACEDONIANS which had not long before bene ouercome by the barbarous people and only to shame them and to make the companie laugh With these verses auncient men that were at this feast became much offended and grewe angrie with the Poet that made them and the minstrell that song them Alexander on thother side and his familliars liked them verie well and commaunded the minstrell to sing still Clitus therewithall being ouer-taken with wine and besides of a churlish nature prowde and arrogant fell into greater choller and sayd that it was neither well nor honestlie done in that sorte to speake ill of those poore MACEDONIAN Captaines and speciallie amongest the barbarous people their enemies which were farre better men then they that laughed them to scorne although their fortune much worse then theirs Alexander then replied and sayd that saying so he pleaded for him selfe calling cowardlinesse misfortune Then Clitus standing vp sayd againe but yet this my cowardlynes saued thy life that callest thy selfe the sonne of the goddes when thou turnedst thy backe from Spithridates sword and the blood which these poore MACEDONIANS did shedde for thee and the woundes which they receiued of their bodies fighting for thee haue made thee so great that thou disdainest now to haue king Philip for thy father and wilt needes make thy selfe the sonne of Iupiter Hammon Alexander being moued with these words straight replied O villen thinkest thou to scape vnpunished for these prowde words of thine which thou vsest continually against me making the MACEDONIANS rebell against Alexander Clitus aunswered againe too much are we punished Alexander for our paines and seruice to receiue such reward nay most happy thinke we them that long sence are dead and gone not now to see the MACEDONIANS scourged with roddes of the MEDES compelled to curry fauor with the PERSIANS to haue accesse vnto their king Thus Clitus boldly speaking against Alexander and Alexander againe aunswering and reuiling him the grauest men sought to pacifie this sturre and tumult Alexander then turning him selfe vnto Xenodochâ—s .. CARDIAN and Artemius COLOPHONIAN doe you not thinke sayd he that the GRAECIANS are amongest the MACEDONIANS as demy goddes that walke among brute beastes Clitus for all this would not geue ouer his impudency and mallapertnesse but cried out and bad Alexander speake openlie what he had to say or else not to bidde free men come to suppe with him that were wont to speake franckely if not to keepe with the barbarous slaues than honored his PERSIAN girdell and long white garment Then coulde Alexander no longer hold his choller but tooke an apple that was vpon his table and threw it at Clitus and looked for his sworde the which Aristophanes one of his gard that waited on him had of purpose taken from him And when euerie man came straight about him to stay him and to pray him to be contented he immediatly rose from the borde and called his gard vnto him in the MACEDONIAN tongue which was a signe of great trouble to followe after it and commaunded a trompetor to sound the allarme But he drawing backe would not sound whereuppon Alexander strake him with his fist Notwithstanding the trompetor was greatly commended afterwards for that he only kept the campe that they rose not All this could not quiet Clitus whereupon his frends with much a doe thrust him out of the halle but he came in againe at an other dore and arrogantly and vnreuerently rehearsed this verse of the Poet Euripides out of Andromaches tragedie Alas for sorovv euill vvayes Are into Grace crept novv a dayes Then Alexander taking a partisan from one of his gard as Clitus was comming towardes him and had lift vp the hanging before the dore he ranne him through the body so that Clitus fell to the ground and fetching one grone died presently Alexanders choller had left him straight and he became maruelous sorowfull and when he saw his frendes round about him say neuer a word he pluckt the partisan out of his body would haue thrust it into his owne throte Howbeit his gard about him caught him by the hands caried him perforce into his chamber there he did nothing all that night but weepe bitterly the next day following vntill such time as he was able to crie no more but lying on the ground onely laie sighing His frendes hearing his voice no more were afraid and came into his chamber by force to comfort him But Alexander would heare none of them sauing Ariftâ—nder the Soothesayer who remembred him of his dreame he had of Clitus before which was prognostication of that which had happened whereby it appeared that it was his desteny before he was borne This seemed to comfort Alexander Afterwardes they brought in Callisthenes the philosopher akinsman of Aristotles and Anaxarchus borne in AEDERA Of these two Callisthenes fought by gentle talke not mouing any matter offensiue to comfort Alexanders sorow But Anaxarchus that from the beginning had taken a way by him selfe in the studie of philosophie being accompted a braine sicke man and one that despised his companions he comming into Alexanders chamber also with him cryed out at the dore as he came in See yonder is Alexander the great whom all the world lookes apon and is affraid of See where he lies weeping like a slaue on the ground that is affraid of the lawe and of the reproche of men as if he him selfe should not geue them law and stablish the boundes of iustice or iniustice sithence he hath ouercome to be Lord and master and not to be subiect and slaue to a vaine opinion Knowest thou not that the poets saie that Iupiter hath Themis to wit right and iustice placed of either hand on him what signifieth that but all that the prince doth is wholy right and iust These wordes of Anaxarchus did comfort the sorowfull harte of king Alexander at that time but therewithall they made Alexanders maners afterwardes more fierce and dissolute For as he thereby did maruelously grow in fauor with the king euen so did he make the company of Callisthenes who of him selfe was not very pleasaunt bicause of his grauery and sowrenes much more hatefull and misliked then before It is written also that there was certain talke one night at
to be the sharpest and readiest of aunswer he did put them as he thought many hard questions told them he would put the first man to death that aunswered him worst and so the rest in order and made the eldest amonge them Iudge of their aunswers The question he asked the first man was this Whether the dead or the liuing were the greater number He aunswered the liuing For the dead sayd he are no more men The second man he asked whether the earth or the sea brought forth most creatures He aunswered the earth For the sea sayd he is but a part of the earth To the third man which of all beastes was the subtillest That sayd he which man hetherto neuer knew To the fourth why he did make Sabbas rebell bicause sayd he he should liue honorably or dye vilely To the fift which he thought was first the daye or the night He aunswered the daye by a day The kinge finding his aunswer straunge added to this speech straunge questions must needes haue straunge aunswers Comming to the sixt man he asked him how a man should come to be beloued If he be a good man sayd he not terrible To the seuenth how a man should be a god In doing a thing said he impossible for a man. To the eight which was the stroÌ„ger life or death life said he that suffreth so many troubles And vnto the ninth and last man how long a man should liue vntill sayd he he thinke it better to dye then to liue When Alexander had heard these aunswers he turned vnto the Iudge bad him giue his iudgement vpon them The Iudge said they had all aunswered one worse then another Then shalt thou die first said Alexander bicause thou hast giuen such sentence not so O king ê™ he if thou wilt not be a lier bicause thou saidst that thou wouldest kil him first that had aunswered worst In fine Alexander did let them go with rewardes He sent Onesicritus also vnto the other wise men of the INDIANS which were of greatest fame among theÌ„ that led a solitary quiet life to pray them to come vnto him This Onesicritus the Philosopher was Diogenes the Cinika scholler It is reported that Calanus one of these wise men very sharply proudly bad him put of his clothes to heare his words naked or otherwise that he would not speake to Him though he came from Iupiter him self Yet Dandamis aunswered him more gently For he hauing learned what maner of men Socrates Pythagoras and Diogenes were said that they seemed to haue bene wise men wel borne notwithstanding that they had reuerenced the lawe too much in their life time Others write notwithstanding that Dandamis said nothing els but asked why Alexander had takeÌ„ so painful a iorney in hand as to come into INDIA For Calanus whose right name otherwise was Sphines king Taxiles perswaded him to go vnto Alexander who bicause he saluted those he met in the INDIAN tongue saying Ocle as much to say as God saueye the GRAECIANS named him Calanus It is reported that this Calanus did shew Alexander a figure similitude of his kingdom which was this He threw down before him a dry seare peece of leather then put his foote apon one of the endes of it The leather being troden down on that side rose vp in al partes els going vp down with all still treading vpon the sides of the leather he made Alexander see that the leather being troden downe on the one side did rise vp of al sides els vntil such time as he put his foote in the middest of the leather then al the whole leather was plain alike His meaning thereby was to let AlexaÌ„der vnderstaÌ„d that the most part of his time he should keepe in the middest of his contry not to goe farre from it Alexander coÌ„tinued seuen moneths trauelling vpon the riuers to go see the great sea Oceanum Then he tooke ship sailed into a litle Iland called SCYLLVEYâ—S howbeit others call it PSITVLâ—â—â—â— There he landed made sacrifices vnto the gods viewed the greatnes nature of the sea OceanuÌ„ all the situacion of the coast apon that sea as farre as he could go Then he made his praiers vnto the gods that no conqueror liuing after him should go beyond the bounds of his iorney conquest so returned homeward He coÌ„maunded his ships should fetch a coÌ„passe about leaue INDIA on the right hand made Nearebus Admirall of all his fleete Onesicritus chiefe Pilote He him self in the meane time went by land through the contry of the ORITES there he found great scarsitye of vittels lost many of his men so that he caried not out of INDIA the fourth part of his men of war which he brought thither which were in al six score thowsand footemen fifteen thowsand horsmen Some of theÌ„ died of greeuous disseases others by ill diet others by extreme heat drowght the most of theÌ„ by hunger trauailing through this barren contry where the poore men liued hardly had onely a few sheepe which they fed with sea fish that made their flesh fauor very il fauoredly At the leÌ„gth when in three score daies iorney he had painfully trauelled through this contry he theÌ„ entred into the coÌ„try called GEDROSIA where he found great pleÌ„ty of al kind of vittels which the gouernour kings princes neighbours vnto the same did seÌ„d vnto him After he had refreshed hi army there a litle he weÌ„t through the coÌ„try of CARMANIA where he continued seueÌ„ daies together banketing going stil through the coÌ„ntry For night day he was feasting continually with his frends apon a scaffold loÌ„ger then broad rising vp of height drawn with eight goodly horse After that scaffold followed diuers other charrets couered ouer some with goodly rich arras purple silk others with trim fresh boughes which they renued at euery fields end in those were Alexanders other frends captaines with garlands of flowers apon their heades which drank made mery together In all this armie there was neither helmet pike dart nor target seene but gold siluer bowles cups flagons in the souldiers hands al the way as they went drawing wine out of great pipes vessels which they caried with them one drinking to another some marching in the fields going forward others also set at the table About theÌ„ were the minstrels playing pipping on their flutes shalmes womeÌ„ singing daunsing fooling by the way as they weÌ„t In all this dissolute marching through the coÌ„try in the middest of their dronkeÌ„nes they mingled with it sport that euery maÌ„ did striue to couÌ„terfeat all the insoleÌ„cies of Bacchus as if god Bacchus him self had ben there in person had led the mommery WheÌ„ he came vnto the kings castel of
my age taketh away feare from me for hauing so short a time to liue I haue no care to prolonge it further The shamefullest parte that Caesar played while he was Consul seemeth to be this when he chose P. Clodius Tribune of the people that had offred his wife such dishonor and profaned the holy auncient misteries of the women which were celebrated in his owne house Clodius sued to be Tribune to no other end but to destroy Cicero Caesar selfe also departed not from ROME to his army before he had set them together by the eares and driuen Cicero out of ITALY All these things they say he did before the warres with the GAVLES But the time of the great armies cōquests he made afterwards of the warre in the which he subdued al the GAVLES entring into an other course of life farre contrarie vnto the first made him to be knowen for as valliant a souldier as excellent a Captaine to lead men as those that afore him had bene counted the wisest and most valliantest Generalles that euer were and that by their valliant deedes had atchieued great honor For whosoeuer would compare the house of the Fabians of the Scipioes of the Metellians yea those also of his owne time or long before him as Sylla Marius the two Lucullians and Pompey selfe VVhose fame ascendeth vp vnto the heauens It will appeare that Caesars prowes and deedes of armes did excell them all together The one in the hard contries where he made warres an other in enlarging the realmes and contries which he ioyned vnto the Empire of ROME an other in the multitude and power of his enemies whome he ouercame an other in the rudenesse and austere nature of men with whom he had to doe whose maners afterwardes he softned and made ciuill an other in curtesie and clemencie which he vsed vnto them whome he had conquered an other in great bountie and liberality bestowed vpon them that serued him in those warres and in fine he excelled them all in the number of battells he had fought and in the multitude of his enemies he had slaine in battell For in lesse then tenne yeares warre in GAVLE he tooke by force and assault aboue eight hundred townes he conquered three hundred seuerall nations and hauing before him in battell thirty hundred thowsand souldiers at sundrie times he slue tenne hūdred thowsand of them tooke as many more prisoners Furthermore he was so entirely beloued of his souldiers that to doe him seruice where otherwise they were no more then other men in any priuate quarell if Caesars honor were touched they were inuincible would so desperatly venter them selues with such furie that no man was able to abide them And this appeareth plainly by the exāple of Acilius who in a battell by sea before the city of MARSELLES bording one of his enemies shippes one cut of his right hand with a sword but yet he forsooke not his target which he had in his left hand but thrust it in his enemies faces made them flie so that he wanne their shippe from them And Cassius Scaeua also in a conflict before the city of DYRRACHIVM hauing one of his eyes put out with an arrow his shoulder striken through with a dart and his thigh with an other and hauing receiued thirty arrowes vpon his shield he called to his enemies and made as though he would yeelde vnto them But when two of them came running to him he claue one of their shoulders from his bodie with his sword and hurt the other in the face so that he made him turne his backe at the length saued him selfe by meanes of his companions that came to helpe him And in BRITAYNE also when the Captaines of the bandes were driuen into a marrisse or bogge full of mire and durt and that the enemies did fiercelie assaile them there Caesar then standinge to viewe the battell he sawe a priuate souldier of his thrust in among the Captaines and fought so valliantlie in their defence that at the length he draue the barbarous people to flye and by his meanes saued the Captaines which otherwise were in great daunger to haue bene cast away Then this souldier being the hindemost man of all the Captaines marching with great paine through the myre durt halfe swimming and halfe a foote in the end got to the other side but left his shield behinde him Caesar wondring at his noble corage ranne to him with ioy to imbrace him But the poore souldier hanging downe his head the water standing in his eyes fell downe at Caesars feete and besought him to pardon him for that he had left his targette behinde him And in AFRICKE also Scipio hauing taken one of Caesars shippes and Granius Petronius abourde on her amongest other not long before chosen Treasorer he put all the rest to the sword but him and sayd he would geue him his life But Petronius aunswered him againe that Caesars souldiers did not vse to haue their liues geuen them but to geue others their liues and with those wordes he drewe his sworde and thrust him selfe through Nowe Caesars selfe did breede this noble corage and life in them First for that he gaue them bountifully did honor them also shewing thereby that he did not heape vp riches in the warres to maintaine his life afterwards in wantonnesse and pleasure but that he did keepe it in store honorably to reward their valliant seruice and that by so much he thought him selfe riche by howe much he was liberall in rewarding of them that had deserued it Furthermore they did not wonder so much at his valliantnesse in putting him selfe at euery instant in such manifest daunger and in taking so extreame paines as he did knowing that it was his greedie desire of honor that set him a fire and pricked him forward to doe it but that he alwayes continued all labour and hardnesse more then his bodie could beare that filled them all with admiration For concerning the constitucion of his bodie he was leane white and soft skinned and often subiect to headache and otherwhile to the falling sickenes the which tooke him the first time as it is reported in CORDVBA a citie of SPAYNE but yet therefore yeelded not to the disease of his bodie to make it a cloke to cherishe him withall but contrarilie tooke the paines of warre as a medicine to cure his sicke bodie fighting alwayes with his disease trauelling continually liuing soberly and commonly lying abroade in the field For the most nights he slept in his coch or litter and thereby bestowed his rest to make him alwayes able to do some thing and in the day time he would trauell vp and downe the contrie to see townes castels and strong places He had alwayes a secretarie with him in his coche who did still wryte as he went by the way and a souldier behinde him that caried his sword He made
sued to be discharged This was the effect of Tiberius purgation Now his friendes perceiuing the threats the riche and noble men gaue out against him they wished him for the safetie of his person to make sure to be Tribune againe the next yeare Whereuppon he began to flatter the common people againe afresh by new lawes which he preferred by the which he tooke away the time and number of yeares prescribed when euery citizen of ROME was bound to goe to the warres being called and his name billed He made it lawfull also for men to appeale from sentence of the Iudges vnto the people and thrust in also amongst the Senators which then had absolute authoritie to iudge among them selues a like number of the ROMANE Knightes and by this meanes sought to weaken and imbase the authority of the Senate increasing also the power of the people more of malice then any reason or for any iustice or benefit to the common wealth Furthermore when it came to the gathering of the voyces of the people for the confirmacion of his new lawes finding that his enemies were the stronger in the assembly bicause all the people were not yet come together he fell a quarrelling with his brethren the Tribunes alwayes to winne time and yet in the end brake vp the assembly commaunding them to returne the next morning There he would be the first man in the market place apparelled all in blacke his face be blubbered with teares looking heauely vpon the matter praying the people assembled to haue compassion vpon him saying that he was affrayed least his enemies would come in the night and ouerthrow his house to kill him Thereupon the people were so moued withall that many of them came and brought their tentes and lay about his house to watche it At the breake of the day the keeper of the chickins by signes of the which they doe diuine of thinges to come brought them vnto him and cast them downe meate before them None of them would come out of the cage but one only and yet with much a doe shaking the cage and when it came out it would eate no meate but only lift vp her left wing and put forth her legge and so ranne into the cage againe This signe made Tiberius remember an other he had had before He had a maruelous fayer helmet and very riche which he ware in the warres vnder it were crept two snakes vnwares to any and layed egges and hatched them This made Tiberius wonder the more bicause of the ill signes of the chickins notwithstanding he went out of his house when he heard that the people were assembled in the Capitoll but as he went out he hit his foote such a blow against a stone at the thresshold of the dore that he brake the nayle of his great toe which fell in suche a bleeding that it bled through his shooe Againe he had not gone farre but he saw vpon the toppe of a house on his left hand a couple of rauens fighting together and notwithstanding that there past a great number of people by yet a stone which one of these rauens cast from them came fell hard at Tiberius foote The fall thereof staied the stowtest man he had about him But Blossius the Philosopher of Cumes that did accōpany him told him it were a great shame for him and enough to kill the harts of all his followers that Tiberius being the sonne of Gracchus and nephew of Scipio the AFRICAN and the chiefe man besides of all the peoples side for feare of a rauen should not obey his citizens that called him and how that his enemies and ill willers would not make a laughing sporte of it but would plainly tell the people that this was a tricke of a tyran that raigned in dede and that for pride and disdaine did abuse the peoples good wills Furthermore diuers messengers came vnto him and sayd that his frends that were in the Capitoll sent to pray him to make hast for all went well with him When he came thither he was honorably receiued for the people seeing him comming cried out for ioy to welcome him and when he was gotten vp to his seate they shewed them selues both carefull and louing towardes him looking warely that none came neere him but such as they knew well While Mutius beganne againe to call the tribes of the people to geue their voyces he could not procede according to the accustomed order in the like case for the great noyse the hindmost people made thrusting forward and being driuen backe and one mingling with an other In the meane time Flauius Flaccus one of the Senators got vp into a place where all the people might see him and when he saw that his voyce coulde not be heard of Tiberius he made a signe with his hande that he had some matter of great importance to tell him Tiberius straight bad them make a lane through the prease So with much a doe Flauius came at length vnto him and tolde him that the riche men in open Senate when they could not frame the Consull to their wills determined them selues to come and kill him hauing a great number of their frendes and bondmen armed for the purpose Tiberius immediatly declared this conspiracy vnto his frends and followers who straight girte their long gownes vnto them and brake the sergeaunst iauelins which they caried in their handes to make roome among the people and tooke the tronchions of the same to resist those that would set apon them The people also that stoode furdest of marueled at it and asked what the matter was Tiberius by a signe to tell them the daunger he was in layed both his bands on his head bicause they coulde not heare his voyce for the great noyse they made His enemies seeing the signe he gaue ranne presently to the Senate crying out that Tiberius required a royall bande or diadeame of the people and that it was an euident signe bicause they sawe him clappe his handes apon his head This tale troubled all the companie Whereupon Nasica besought the Consul chiefe of the Senate to help the common wealth and to take away this tyran The Consul gently aunswered againe that he would vse no force neither put any citizen to death but lawfully condemned as also he would not receiue Tiberius nor protect him if the people by his perswasion or commaundement should commit any acte contrarie to the law Nasica then rising in anger sith the matter is so sayd he that the Consull regardeth not the common wealth all you then that will defende the authoritie of the law follow me Thereupon he cast the skirt of his gowne ouer his head went straight to the Capitoll They that followed him also tooke their gownes and wrapt them about their armes and layed at as many as they might to make them geue way and yet very few of the people durst meete with such states as
his vncle by the mothers side Such place tooke wrath in them as they regarded to kinred nor blood and to speake more properly they shewed that no brute or sauage beast is so cruell as man if with his licentiousnes he haue liberty to execute his will. While these matters were a brewing Cicero was at a house of his in the contrie by the city of THVSCVLVM hauing at home with him also his brother Quintus Cicero Newes being brought them thither of these proscriptions or outlawries appointing men to be slaine they determined to goe to ASTYRA a place by the sea side where Cicero had an other house there to take sea and from thence to goe into MACEDON vnto Brutus For there ran a rumor that Brutus was verie strong and had a great power So they caused them selues to be conueyed thither in two litters both of them being so weake with sorow and griefe that they could not otherwise haue gone their wayes As they were on their waye both their litters going as neere to ech other as they could they bewailed their miserable estate but Quintus chiefly who tooke it most grieuously For remembring that he tooke no money with him when he came from his house and that Cicero his brother also had verie litle for him selfe he thought it best that Cicero shoulde holde on his iorney whilest he him selfe made an arrant home to fetche suche thinges as he lacked and so to make hast againe to ouertake his brother They both thought it best so and then tenderly imbracing one an other the teares falling from their eyes they tooke leaue of ech other Within few dayes after Quintus Cicero being betrayed by his owne seruaunts vnto them that made search for him he was cruelly slaine and his sonne with him But Marcus Tullius Cicero being caried vnto ASTYRA and there finding a shippe readie imbarked immediatly and sayled alongest the coast vnto mount Circe hauing a good gale of winde There the mariners determining forthwith to make sayle againe he came a shore either for feare of the sea or for that he had some hope that Caesar had not altogether forsaken him and therewithall returning towardes ROME by lande he had gone about a hundred furlong thence But then being at a straight howe to resolue and sodainly chaunging his minde he woulde needes be caried backe againe to the sea where he continued all night maruelous sorowfull and full of thoughts For one while he was in minde to goe secretly vnto Octauius Caesars house to kill him selfe by the hearth of his chimney to make the furies of hell to reuenge his blood but being affraied to be intercepted by the way cruelly handled he turned from that determination Then falling into other vnaduised determinations being perplexed as he was he put him selfe againe into his seruauntes handes to be conueyed by sea to an other place called CAPITES There he had a very proper pleasaunt sommer house where the North winds called Etesiae doe geue a trimme fresh ayer in the sommer season In that place also there is a litle temple dedicated vnto Apollo not farre from the sea side From thence there came a great shole of crowes making a maruelous noyse that came flying towardes Ciceroes shippe whiche rowed vpon the shore side This shole of crowes came and lighted vpon the yard of their saile some crying and some pecking the cords with their bills so that euery man iudged straight that this was a signe of ill lucke at hand Cicero notwithstanding this came a shore and went into his house and layed him downe to see if he coulde sleepe But the most parte of these crowes came and lighted vpon the chamber windowe where he lay making a wonderfull great noyse and some of them got vnto Ciceroes bedde where he lay the clothes being cast ouer his head and they neuer left him till by litle and litle they had with their bills pluckt of the clothes that couered his face His men seeing that saying to them selues that they were too vile beasts if they would tarie to see their maister slaine before their eyes considering that brute beasts had care to saue his life seeing his so vnworthily intreated and that they should not doe the best they coulde to saue his life partely by intreatie and partely by force they put him againe into his litter to carie him to the sea But in the meane time came the murderers appointed to kill him Herennius a Centurion and Popilius Laena Tribune of the souldiers to wit Colonell of a thowsande men whose cause Cicero had once pleaded before the Iudges when he was accused for the murther of his owne father hauing souldiers attending vpon them So Ciceroes gate being shut they entred the house by force and missing him they asked them of the house what was become of him They aunswered they could not tell Howbeit there was a young boy in the house called Philologus a slaue infranchised by Quintus Cicero whom Tullius Cicero had brought vp in the Latin tongue and had taught him the liberall sciences he told this Herennius that his seruauntes caried him in a litter towards the sea through darke narrowe lanes shadowed with wodde on either side Popilius the Colonell taking some souldiers with him ranne about on the outside of the lane to take him at his comming out of them and Herennius on thother side entred the lanes Cicero hearing him comming commaunded his men to set downe his litter and taking his beaâ—e to his left hande as his manner was he stowtly looked the murderers in the faces his heade and beard being all white and his face leane wrinckled for the extreame sorowes he had taken diuers of them that were by helde their handes before their eyes whilest Herennius did cruelly murder him So Cicero being three score and foure yeares of age thrust his necke out of the litter and had his head cut of by Antonius commaundement and his hands also which wrote the Orations called the Philippians against him For so did Cicero call the Orations he wrote against him for the malice he bare him do yet continue the same name vntill this present time When these poore dismembred members were brought to ROME Antonius by chaunce was busily occupied at that time about the election of certain officers who when as heard of them saw them he cried out alowde that now all his outlawries and prosecutions were executed and thereuppon commaunded his head and his hands should straight be set vp ouer the pulpit for Orations in the place called Rostra This was a fearefull and horrible fight vnto the ROMANES who thought they saw not Ciceroes face but an image of Antonius life and disposicion who among so many wicked deedes as he committed yet he did one act only that had some shew of goodnes which was this He deliuered Philologus into the handes of Pomponia the wife of Quintus Cicero and when she had
daughter he named his sonne Alexander his daughter Cleopatra and gaue them to their surnames the Sunne to the one the moone to the other This notwithstanding he that could finely cloke his stramefull deedes with fine words said that the greames magnificence of the Empire of ROME appeared most not where the ROMANES tooke but where they gaue much nobility was multiplied amongest men by the posterity of kings when they left of their seede in diuers places and that by this meanes his first auncester was begotten of Hercules who had not left the hope and continuance of his line and posterity in the wombe of one only woman fearing Solons lawes or regarding the ordinaunces of men touching the procreacion of children but that he gaue it vnto nature and established the fundacion of many noble races and families in diuers places Nowe when Phraortes had slaine his father Orodes and possessed the kingdome many gentlemen of PARTHIA forsooke him and fled from him Amongst them was Manaset a noble man and of great authority among his contry men who came vnto Antonius that receiued him compared his fortune vnto Themistocles and his owne riches magnificence vnto the king of PERSIA For he gaue Monases three cities LARISSA ARETHVSA HIERAPOLIS which was called before BOMBYCE Howbeit the king of PARTHIA shortly after called him home againe vpon his faith word Antonius was glad to let him go hoping thereby as steale vpon Phraortes vnprouided For he sent vnto him told him that they would remaine good frends haue peace together so he would but only redeliuer the standerds ensignes of the ROMANES which the PARTHIANS had wonne in the battell where Marcus Crassus was slaine the men also that remained yet prisoners of this ouerthrow In the meane time he sent Cleopatra backe into AEGYPT tooke his way towards ARABIA ARMENIA there tooke a general muster of all his army he had together of the kings his cōsederats that were come by his cōmaundement to aide him being a maruelous number of the which the chiefest was Artauasdes king of ARMENIA who did furnish him with six thowsande horsemen and seuen thowsand footemen There were also of the ROMANES about three score thowsand footmen of horsemen SPANIARDS GAVLES reckoned for ROMANES to the number of ten thousand of other nations thirty thowsand men reckoning together the horsemen and light armed footemen This so great puisant army which made the INDIANS quake for feare dwelling about the country of the BACTRIANS and all ASIA also to tremble serued him to no purpose all for the loue he bare to Cleopatra For the earnest great desire he had to lye all winter with her made him begin his warre out of due time and for hast to put all in hazard being so rauished enchaunted with the sweete poyson of her loue that he had no other thought but of her how he might quickly returne againe more then he how might ouercome his enemies For first of all where he should haue wintered in ARMENIA to refresh his men wearied with the long iorney they had made hauing comen eight thowsand furlongs and then at the beginning of the spring to go and inuade MEDIA before the PARTHIANS should stirre out of their houses garrisons he could tary no lenger but led them forthwith vnto the prouince of ATROFATENE leauing ARMENIA on the left hand forraged al the contry Furthermore making all the hast he coulde he left behinde him engines of battery which were caried with him in three hūdred carts among the which also there was a ramme foure score foote long being things most necessary for him and the which he could not get againe for money if they were once lost or marted For the hie prouinc◠〈…〉 ASIA haue no trees growing of such height and length neither strong nor straight enough to make such like engines of battery This notwithstanding he left them all behind him as a hinderance to bring his matters intent speedily to passe and left a certaine number of men to keepe them and gaue them in charge vnto one Tatianus Then he went to besiege the citie of PHRAATA being the chiefest and greatest citie the king of MEDIA had where his wife and children were Then he straight sounde his owne fault and the want of his artillerie he left behinde him by the worke he had in hande for he was fayne for lacke of a breache where his men might come to the swords with their enemies that defended the walle to force a mount of earth hard to the walles of the citie the which by litle and litle with greate labour rose to some height In the meane time king Phraortes came downe with a great armie who vnderstanding that Antonius had left his engines of batterie behind him he sent a great number of horsemen before which enuironed Tatianus with all his cariage and slue him and ten thowsand men he had with him After this the barbarous people tooke these engines of battery and burnt them and got many prisoners amongst whom they tooke also king Polemon This discomfiture maruelously troubled all Antonius army to receiue so great an ouerthrow beyong their expectacion at the beginning of their iorney insomuche that Artahazus king of the ARMENIANS dispairing of the good successe of the ROMANES departed with his men notwithstanding that he was him selfe the first procurer of this warre and iorney On the other side the PARTHIANS came coragiously vnto Antonius campe who lay at the siege of their chiefest citie and cruelly reuiled and threatned him Antonius therefore fearing that if he lay still and did nothing his mens harts would faile them he tooke ten legions with three cohorts or ensignes of the Praetors which are companies appointed for the gard of the Generall and all his horsemen and caried them out to sorrage hoping therby he should easely allure the PARTHIANS to fight a battell But when he had marched about a dayes iorney form his campe he saw the PARTHIANS wheeling round about him to geue him the onset to skirmish with him when he would thinke to march his way Therefore he set out his signall of battell yet caused his tents and fardells to be trussed vp as though he ment not to fight but only to lead his men back againe Then he marched before the army of the barbarous people the which was marshald like a cressant or halfe moone and commaunded his horsemen that as soone as they thought the legions were nere enough vnto their enemies to set vpon the voward that then they should set spurres to their horses begin the charge The PARTHIANS standing in battell ray beholding the countenaunce of the ROMANES as they marched they appeared to be souldiers in deede to see them marche in so good array as was possible For in their march they kept the rankes a like space one
kill him a thing so damnable wicked and cruell of it selfe that he hardlie deserued to haue bene pardoned though he had killed Cicero to haue saued his Vncles life Nowe where they falsefied and brake their othes the one making Artabazus prisoner and the other killing of Alexander Antonius out of doubt had best cause and iustest colour For Artabazus had betrayed him and forsaken him in MEDIA But Demetrius as diuers doe reporte deuised a false matter to accuse Alexander to cloke the murther he had committed and some thinke he did accuse him to whom he him selfe had done iniurie vnto and was not reuenged of him that woulde doe him iniurie Furthermore Demetrius him selfe did many noble feates in warre as we haue recited of him before and contrarilie Antonius when he was not there in person wanne many famous and great victories by his Lieutenauntes and they were both ouerthrowen being personallie in battell but yet not both after one sorte For the one was forsaken of his men being MACEDONIANS and the other contrarily forsooke his that were ROMANES for he fled left them that ventred their liues for his honor So that the fault the one did was that he made them his enemies that fought for him and the fault in the other that he so beastlie left them that loued him best and were most faithfull to him And for their deathes a man can not praise the one not the other but yet Demetrius death the more reproachefull For he suffered him selfe to be taken prisoner and when he was sent away to be kept in a straunge place he had the hart to liue yet three yeare longer to serue his mouth and bellie as brute beastes doe Antonius on the other side slue him selfe to confesse a troth cowardly and miserably to his great paine and griefe and yet was it before his bodie came into his enemies hands THE LIFE OF Artaxerxes ARtaxerxes the first of this name of all the kinges of PERSIA a noble and curteous Prince as any of all his house was surnamed long hand bicause his right hand was longer then his left and he was the sonne of king Xerxes But the seconde whose life we presentlie intend to wryte was surnamed Mnemon as muche to say great memorie and he was the sonne of the daughter of the first Artaxerxes For king Darius and his wife Parysatis had foure sonnes of the which the eldest was this Artaxerxes the seconde Cyrus and two other younger Ostanes and Oxathres Cyrus from the beginning bare the name of the former auncient Cyrus which in the PERSIAN tongue signifieth the sunne But Artaxerxes was called before Arsicas although Dinon wryteth that he was called Oarses Howebeit it is vnlikelie that Ctesias although his bookes otherwise be full of fables and as vntrue as they are founde should forget the name of the Prince with whom he dwelt whom he serued and continuallie followed both him his wife and children Cyrus from his cradell was of a hotte sturring minde and Artaxerxes in contrarie manner more mylde and gentle in all his actions and doinges He was maried to a verie fayer Ladie by his father and mothers commaundement afterwards kept her against their wills being forbidden by them For king Darius his father hauing put his sonnes wiues brother to death he woulde also haue put her to death but her husband with teares made suche humble sute to his mother for her that with muche a doe he did not onely gette pardon for her life but graunt also that she shoulde not be put from him This notwithstanding his mother alwayes loued Cyrus better then him and praied that he might be king after his fathers death Wherefore Cyrus being in his prouinces of ASIA by the sea side when he was sent for to come to the Court at what time his father lay sicke of the disease he dyed he went thither in good hope his mother had preuailed with his father that in his will he would make him his heire of the realme of PERSIA For his mother Parysatis alleaged a matter very probable and the which in old time did helpe king Xerxes in the like case through Demaratus counsell She said that Arsicas was borne before her husband Darius was king Cyrus after he was crowned king All this could not preuaile For her eldest sonne Arsicas surnamed Artaxerxes was assigned king of PERSIA Cyrus gouernor of LYDIA and the kings Lieutenant generall of all the low contries of ASIA toward the sea side Shortly after king Darius death the new king Artaxerxes went vnto Pasargades there to be consecrated and annoynted king by the Priestes of the contrie of PERSIA The place of this Pasargades is a temple dedicated vnto Minerus the goddesse of battells as I take it where the newe king must be consecrated and when he commeth into the temple he putteth of his gowne and putteth on that which the old auncient Cyrus ware before he was king Furthermore he must eate of a certaine tart or fricacie made of figges with turpentine and then he must drinke a drinke made with vineger and milke There are also certeine other secret ceremonies which they must keepe and none doe know but the verie Priestes them selues Now Artaxerxes being readie to enter into all these ceremonies Tisaphernes came vnto him brought him one of the Priestes that had bene Cyrus schoolemaister in his youth and had taught him magicke who by reason shoulde haue bene more offended then any man else for that he was not appointed king And this was the cause why they beleued him the better when he accused Cyrus For he layd that Cyrus had conspired treason against the king his brothers owne person that he ment traiterously to kill him in the temple when he should put of his gowne Some doe reporte that Cyrus was apprehended vpon this simple accusacion by word of mouth Others write also that Cyrus came into the temple and hiding him selfe he was taken with the maner and bewraied by the priest So as he going to suffer death his mother tooke Cyrus in her armes and wounde the heare of her heade about his necke and tyed him straightly to her and withall she wept so bitterly and made suche pitiefull mone vnto the king her sonne that through her intercession the king graunted him his life sent him againe into his contrie and gouernment But this satisfied not Cyrus neither did he so muche remember the king his brothers fauor vnto him in graunting him his life as he did the despite he had offred him to be made prisoner Insomuch that for this grudge and euill will he euer after had a greater desire then before to be king Some wryters alleage that he entred into actuall rebellion against his brother by force of armes bicause he had not sufficient reuenue to defray the ordinary expence of his house howbeit it is a meere folly to say so For though he had
he could to keepe Dions souldiers from landing But they notwithstanding sodainly lept a land armed but slue no man For Dion had commaunded them the contrary for the friendship he bare the Captaine and they following the townes men hard that fled before them entred the towne hand ouer head amongest them and so wanne the market place When both the Captaines met and that they had spoken together Dion redeliuered the towne into Synalus hands again without any hurt or violence offred him Synalus on the other side did indeuor him selfe all he could to make much of the souldiers and holpe Dion to prouide him of all things necessary But this did most of all encorage the souldiers bicause Dionysius at their arriuall was not then in SICILIA for it chaunced so that not many dayes before he went into ITALY with foure score sayle Therefore when Dion willed them to remayne there a fewe dayes to refresh them selues bicause they had bene so sore sea beaten a long time together they them selues would not they were so glad to imbrace the occasion offred them and prayed Dion to leade them forthwith to SYRACVSA Dion leauing all his superfluous armor and prouision in the hands of Synalus and praying him to sende them to him when time serued he tooke his way towardes SYRACVSA So by the way two hundred horsemen of the AGRIGENTINES which dwell in that part called ECNOMVS came first to ioyne with him and after them the GELOIANS The rumor of their comming ranne straight to SYRACVSA Thereuppon Timocrates that had maried Aretè Dions wife and Dionysius the fathers sister and vnto whom Dionysius the yonger had left the charge and gouernment of all his men and friends in the citie he presently dispatched a post with letters to aduertise Dionysius of Dions comming He him selfe also in the meane time had taken such order that there rose no tumult nor mutinie in the citie though they all of them lacked no good will to rebell but bicause they were vncerteine whether this rumor was true or false being affrayd euery man was quiet Now there chaunced a straunge misfortune vnto the Messenger that caried the letters vnto Dionysius For after he had passed the straight and that he was arriued in the citie of RHEGGIO of ITALYES side making haste to come to the citie of CAVLONIA where Dionysius was he met by the way one of his acquiantance that caried a mutton but newly sacrificed This good fellow gaue him a peece of it and the Messenger spurred away with all the speede he could possible But when he had ridden the most part of the night he was so weary and drowsie for lacke of sleepe that he was driuen to lye downe So he lay downe vpon the ground in a wodde hard by the high way The sauor of this fleshe brought a woulfe to him that caried away the fleshe and the portmantew it was wrapt in and in the which also were his letters of aduertisement which he caried vnto Dionysius When he awoke out of his sleepe and saw that his portmantew was gone he enquired for it and went wandring vppe and downe a long time to seeke it howbeit all in vaine for he could neuer find it Therefore he thought it was not good for him to goe to the tyranne without his letters but rather to flie into some vnknowen place where no body knew him Thus ouerlate receiued Dionysius aduertisement by others of this warre which Dion made in SICILIA In the meane time the CAMARINIANS came and ioyned with Dions army in the highe way towards SYRACVSA and still there came vnto him also a great number of the SYRACVSANS that were vppe in armes which were gotten into the field On the other side certaine CAMPANIANS and LEONTINES which were gotten into the castell of EPIPOLES with Timocrates of purpose to keepe it Vpon a false rumor Dion gaue out and which came vnto them that he would first goe against their townes they forsooke Timocrates and went to take order to defend their owne goods Dion vnderstanding that being lodged with his armie in a place called MACRAE he presently remoued his campe being darke night and marched forward till he came vnto the riuer of Anapus which is not from the citie aboue tenne furlongs of and there staying a while he sacrificed vnto the riuer and made his prayer and worshipped the rising of the Sunne At the selfe same instant also the Soothsayers came and told him that the gods did promise him assured victorie And the souldiers also seeing Dion weare a garland of flowers on his head which he had taken for the ceremonie of the sacrifice all of them with one selfe good will tooke euery man one of them beeing no lesse then fiue thowsande men that were gathered together by the way and but slenderly armed with such thinges as came first to hand howbeit supplying with good will their want of better furniture and armor and when Dion commaunded them to marche for ioy they ranne and incoraged one another with great cryes to shew them selues valliant for recouerye of their libertie Nowe for them that were within the citie self of SYRACVSA the noble men chief Citizens went to receiue them at the gates in their best gownes The common people on the other side ranne and set vpon them that tooke part with the tyranne and spoyled them that were called the PROSAGOGIDES as much to say the common Promoters of men the detestablest villaines hateful to the gods and men For they like Sicophants and busie tale bearers would iet vp and downe the citie and mingle amonge the Citizens hauing an oer in euery mans matter being full of prittle prattle and busie headed to know what euery man sayd and did and then to goe cary it to the tyranne These men were they that had their payment first of all for they killed them with dry blowes beating them to death with staues When Timocrates could not enter into the castell with them that kept it he tooke his horse backe and fled out of the citie and flying made all men affrayd and amased where he came enlarging Dions power by his report bicause it should not seeme that for feare of a trifle he had forsaken the citie In the meane time Dion came on towards the citie with his men and was come so neare that they might see him plainly from the citie marching foremost of all armed with a fayer bright white corselet hauing his brother Megacles on his right hande of him Callippus ATHENIAN on the left hand crowned with garlands of flowers and after him also there followed a hundred souldiers that were straungers chosen for his gard about him and the rest came marching after in good order of battel being led by their Captaines The SYRACVSANS saw him comming and went out and receiued him as a holy and blessed procession that brought them their libertie popular state againe the which they had lost the
I am compelled against my minde and will as Pompey the great was to ieopard the libertie of our contry to the hazard of a battel And yet we must be liuely and of good corage considering our good fortune whome we shoulde wronge too muche to mistrust her although we followe euill counsell Messala writeth that Cassius hauing spoken these last wordes vnto him he bad him farewell and willed him to come to supper to him the next night following bicause it was his birth day The next morning by breake of day the signall of battell was set out in Brutus and Cassius campe which was an arming scarlet coate and both the Chiefetaines spake together in the middest of their armies There Cassius beganne to speake first and sayd the gods graunt vs O Brutus that this day we may winne the field and euer after to liue all the rest of our life quietly one with another But sith the gods haue so ordeyned it that the greatest chiefest things amongest men are most vncertaine and that if the battell fall out otherwise to daye then we wishe or looke for we shall hardely meete againe what art thou then determined to doe to flye or dye Brutus aunswered him being yet but a young man and not ouergreatly experienced in the world I trust I know not how a certaine rule of Philosophie by the which I did greatly blame and reproue Cato for killing of him selfe as being no lawfull nor godly acte touching the gods not concerning men valliant not to giue place and yeld to diuine prouidence and not constantly and paciently to take whatsoeuer it pleaseth him to send vs but to drawe backe and flie but being nowe in the middest of the daunger I am of a contrary mind For if it be not the will of God that this battell fall out fortunate for vs I will looke no more for hope neither seeke to make any new supply for warre againe but will rid me of this miserable world and content me with my fortune For I gaue vp my life for my contry in the Ides of Marche for the which I shall liue in another more glorious worlde Cassius fell a laughing to heare what he sayde and imbracing him come on then sayde he let vs goe and charge our enemies with this mynde For eyther we shall conquer or we shall not neede to feare the Conquerors After this talke they fell to consultacion amonge their friendes for the ordering of the battell Then Brutus prayed Cassius he might haue the leading of the right winge the which men thought was farre meeter for Cassius both bicause he was the elderman and also for that he had the better experience But yet Cassius gaue it him and willed that Messala who had charge of one of the warrelikest legions they had shoulde be also in that winge with Brutus So Brutus presently sent out his horsemen who were excellently well appoynted and his footemen also were as willing and readye to giue charge Nowe Antonius men did cast a trenche from the marishe by the which they laye to cutte of Cassius way to come to the sea and Caesar at the least his armye styrred not As for Octauius Caesar him selfe he was not in his campe bicause he was sicke And for his people they litle thought the enemies would haue giuen them battell but onely haue made some light skirmishes to hinder them that wrought in the trenche and with their darts and slings to haue kept them from finishing of their worke but they taking no heede to them that came full vpon them to giue them battell maruelled much at the great noyse they heard that came from the place where they were casting their trenche In the meane tyme Brutus that led the right winge sent litle billes to the Colonells and Captaines of priuate bandes in the which he wrote the worde of the battell and he him selfe riding a horse backe by all the trowpes did speake to them and incoraged them to sticke to it like men So by this meanes very fewe of them vnderstoode what was the worde of the battell and besides the moste parte of them neuer taryed to haue it tolde them but ranne with greate furie to assayle the enemies whereby through this disorder the legions were maruelously scattered and dispersed one from the other For first of all Messalaes legion and then the next vnto them went beyond the left winge of the enemies and did nothing but glawnsing by them ouerthrewe some as they went and so going on further fell right vpon Caesars campe out of the which as him selfe writeth in his commentaries he had bene conueyed away a litle before thorough the counsell and aduise of one of his friendes called Marcus Artorius Who dreaming in the night had a vision appeared vnto him the commaunded Octauius Caesar should be caried out of his campe Insomuch as it was thought he was slayne bicause his lytter which had nothing in it was thrust through through with pykes and darts There was great slaughter in this campe For amongest others there were slayne two thowsand LACEDAEMONIANS who were arriued but euen a litle before comming to ayde Caesar. The other also that had not glaunsed by but had giuen a charge full vpon Caesars battell they easily made them flie bicause they were greatly troubled for the losse of their campe and of them there were slayne by hand three legions Then being very earnest to followe the chase of them that fled they ranne in amongest them hand ouer head into their campe Brutus among thē But that which the cōquerors thought not of occasion shewed it vnto them that were ouercome that was the left wing of their enemies left naked vngarded of thē of the right wing who were strayed too far of in following of them that were ouerthrowen So they gaue a hot charge vpon them But notwithstanding all the force they made they coulde not breake into the middest of their battell where they founde men that receiued them and valliantlie made head against them Howbeit they brake and ouerthrewe the left wing where Cassius was by reason of the great disorder among them and also bicause they had no intelligence how the right wing had sped So they chased them beating them into their campe the which they spoyled none of both the Chieftaines being present there For Antonius as it is reported to flie the furie of the first charge was gotten into the next marish and no man coulde tell what became of Octauius Caesar after he was caried out of his campe Insomuche that there were certaine souldiers that shewed their swords bloodied sayd that they had slaine him and did describe his face and shewed what age he was of Furthermore the voward and the middest of Brutus battell had alreadie put all their enemies to flight that withstoode them with great slaughter so that Brutus had conquered all of his side and Cassius had lost all on the other
then Aratus came from the castell vnto the Theater of the citie whether repayred an infinite number of people aswell for the desire they had to see him as also to heare him speake vnto the CORINTHIANS So hauing placed the ACHAPANS of either side as the comming into the Theater Aratus being armed went vp into the chayer or pulpit for orations hauing his face quite chaunged both for the great paynes he had taken and also for lacke of sleepe so that his body being ouerwearied his spirits were euen done Now when all the assembly of the people seeing him in the chayer did humble them selues to shewe hâ—â—â— all the honor and kindnes they could possible he tooke his speare out of his left hand into his right and bowing his knee and body somewhat he leaned vpon it and so stoode a great while in this manner before he spake receiuing the cryes of ioy and clapping of handes which the people made praysing his valliantnes and blessing his good happe and fortune Then when they had done and were quiet againe he framed his countenance and began to make an oration vnto them in the name of all the tribe and common wealth of the ACHAIANS meete for the enterprise from whence he came and perswaded them to ioyne to the ACHAIANS So therewithall they presently deliuered him the keyes of their citie the which were neuer before that tyme in their power since the raigne of king Philip. Nowe touching the other Captaines of king Antigonus Aratus hauing taken Archelaus prisoner he let him goe but put Theophrastus to death bicause he would not goe out of CORINTHE Persaus Captaine of the castell seeing the castell but lost he secretly saued him selfe fled vnto the citie of CENCHREES And it is reported that as he was afterwards in talke of Philosophie where one mainteyning that a man could not be a good Captaine vnles he were a perfit wise man This q he is one of Zenoes opinions rightly the which heretofore pleased me best but now this young SYCYONIAN Aratus hath made me of an other mind Many writers doe report this saying of Persaus Furthermore Aratus wanne presently the temple of Iuno and the hauen of LICHAEVM where he tooke fiue and twenty shippes of king Antigonus and fiue hundred horse of seruice for the warre and foure hundred SYRIANS which he sold euery one of them The ACHAIANS left within the castell of the Acrocorinthe a garrison of foure hundred footemen and fiftye doggs and as many hunts all the which were kept for the watch of the castell Now the ROMANES wondring at the valliantnes of Philopaemen they called him the last of the GRAECIANS Euen so might I also in my opinion say that this acte is the last and most famous of all the GRAECIANS and deserueth to be equall aswell for valliantnes as also good successe with the greatest exploytes of the most famous auncients as that which followed immediatly after doth amply declare For the MEGARIANS reuolting from king Antigonus did straight ioyne with Aratus and the TROEZENIANS also with the EPIDAVRIANS did likewise enter into league and friendship with the ACHAIANS So at the first inuasion he made he went to spoyle the contry of ATTICA and crossed ouer to the I le of SALAMINA and spoyled and destroyed it euen as if he had deliuered the power and force of the ACHAIANS out of prison to serue his owne turne in any thing he thought good of Howbeit he sent home the ATHENIAN prisoners without paying of ransom and all of policie to make them desirous to rebell against the MACEDONIANS Furthermore he made king Ptolomy a friend and confederat of the ACHAIANS with condition that he should be Lieuetenant generall both by sea by lande For these respects Aratus was of maruelous estimation and credit with the ACHAIANS insomuch that where they could not yearely choose him their general being contrary to their law they chose him at the least euery second yeare but in effect all was done by his aduise and counsell For they saw plainly that it was nether honor nor riches nor friendship of kings Princes nor the priuate benefit of his owne citie wherein he was borne nor any other thing els that he preferred before the glory increase of the common wealth of the ACHAIANS For he was of opinion that cities by theÌ„ selues were but weake being ioyned together with the chaine of common benefit they were a strength one to preserue the other And in like manner euen as the parts that are in the bodies of brute beasts haue life sustenance being ioyned knit together straight so soone as there is any seperation of them th one from thother they liue no more putrifie euen so cities also were brought to decay by them that did disperse their societie among them in contrary manner did then againe increase when ioyning with any other great body city they were gouerned with wisedom good counsell So Aratus seing the chiefest cities thereabouts enioy their lawes and liberties thought it a shamefull thing to leaue the ARGIVES in slauery bondage Wherefore he practised to kil the tyrant Aristomachus that gouerned them both to shew him selfe thankefull to the citie for his bringing vppe there as also to ioyne that great mighty citie vnto the tribe of the ACHAIANS Now there were diuers men that had the harts and corage to vndertake to doe it of the which the chiefest were AEschylus and Charimenes the Soothsayer but they had no swordes for they were straightly forbidden by the tyrant and grieuous punishments ordeyned for them that should be found with any swordes Aratus therefore caused certen litle short daggers to be made at CORINTHE for them the which he sowed vp in packes caried on certen beasts loden with other baggage and stuffe But the Soothsayer Charimenes did impart this enterprise vnto a third man and made him one of the conspiracie with them AEschylus being very much offended with it beganne therefore to enter into practise by him selfe and left their company Charimenes perceiuing that tooke such a toye in his head in a mad moode that he bewrayed them as they went about to execute their enterprise This notwithstanding the most parte of the conspirators saued them selues and fled to CORINTHE So the tyrant Aristomachus was slaine shortly after by his owne men But then another tyrant Aristippus a crueller man than the first made haste to take the tyranny before he could be resisted This notwithstanding Aratus with all the young men of the ACHAIANS able to serue in the field went sodainly thither with ayde hoping to find them of the citie very glad to recouer their libertie Howbeit the people being acquainted and of longtime vsed paciently to beare the yoke of bondage there was not a man of them that would once take his part So he returned backe againe and did nothing sauing that thereby the ACHAIANS
also went out to speake vnto the souldiers that garded the Emperours person Moreouer bicause the ILLYRIAN legion lay out of the campe in a place called Vipsanus they dispatched away Marius Celsus with all spede a very honest man to get that place Galba in the meane time stood in dont whether he should come out of the pallace or not for Iunius would not let him goe but Celsus and Lacon perswaded him to go out Insomuch as they fell at great words with Iunius that went about to disswade him from it In this sturre there ranne a rumor that Otho was slaine in the field Immediatly after came Iubius Atticus one of the noblest souldiers of all the Emperours gard shewed his sword drawen crying that he had slaine Caesars enemie and thrust through the prease and got to Galba and shewed him his sword bloodied Galba looking him in the face asked him who commaunded him to doe it The souldier aunswered him the faith othe he had made vnto him Therewith all the people that stoode by cried out it was nobly done of him clapped their handes for ioy Then Galba taking his litter went out of his pallace to do sacrifice to Iupiter and also to shew him selfe openly Howbeit he was no soner come into the market place but he heard contrarie newes that Otho was Lord and Maister of the whole campe and armie Then as it happeneth in so great a prease of people some cried out to him to returne backe againe others would haue him to goe forward others bad him be affrayed of nothing and others willed him to looke to him selfe So his litter being thus turmoyled to and fro as tost vpon the sea sometime borne backe otherwhile caried forward first of all they saw certaine horsemen and then footemen also armed comming from Paules pallace all of them together crying out with lowd voice hence hence priuat man Then all the people set vpon a running not flying dispersedly but in heapos vpon porches and stalls in the market place as it had bene to haue seene some sight or sport Then one called Attilius Sarcello ouerthrew one of the images of Galba which was as it were beginning of open warres Others rounde about threwe dartes on euerie side of him against his litter But when they sawe they coulde not kill him then they came nearer to his litter with their swords drawen in their hands and neuer a man of his left with him to offer to defende him sauing one man onely whom the Sunne sawe that day amongest so many thowsands of men worthy of the Empire of Rome and he was called Sempronius He hauing receiued priuately no manner of pleasure at Galbaes handes but only to discharge his othe and duetie stepped before the litter and lifting vp a vine braunche he had in his hand with the which the ROMANE Captaines doe vse to beate their souldiers that haue offended he fell out with them that did set vpon him and prayed them to holde their hands and not to hurt their Emperour But in the ende when he saw they would not leaue but that they fell to it in good earnest he then drew his sword and bare of the blowes as well as he could vntil they hought him that he sell to the ground Then Galbaes litter being ouerthrowen right in the place called Curtius lake Galba lay on the ground armed in his curaces The traiterous souldiers flew vppon him and gaue him many a wounde and Galba holding out his necke vnto them bad them strike hardily if it were to do their contrie good So he had many wounds on his armes and his thighes as it is reported howebeit the souldier that slue him was called Camurius of the fifteenth legion Others doe reporte that it was one Terentius other also say Arcadius And some other doe call him Fabius Fabulus who hauing striken of his head wrapped it in the lappe of his gowne bicause he coulde not otherwise take holde of it for that he was all balde Howebeit his fellowes and consortes woulde not suffer him to hide it but rather that his notable fact he had done should be seene Therefore he set it vpon the point of his launce and so shaking the face of this poore olde man a wise and temperate Prince and chiefe Bishoppe and Consull he ranne vp and downe like madde women possessed with the spirite and furie of Bacchus at the feastes of Bacchus bowing downe his launce being all of a goare blood When his head was brought to Otho it is sayd he cried out alowd tush my fellowes this is nothing vnlesse you bring me also Pisoes head So not long after they brought him his head also For the young man being hurt fled and was followed by one called Marcus who slue him hard by the temple of Vesta So did they also kill Titus Iunius who openly confessed that he was one of the conspiracie against Galba and cried out to them that slue him that Otho did not know they did kill him This notwithstanding the souldiers strake of his head and Lacons also and brought them both to Otho to receiue the reward Howbeit as the Poet Archiloshus sayth Of seuen peraduenture slaine dead on the ground A thovvsand vvill say that they all gaue the vvound So there were diuers men at that time who being no partakers of this murther had bloodied all their handes and swordes and so shewed them bloodied to haue rewarde also but Vitellius notwithstanding made inquirie of them afterwardes and caused them to be put to death There came into the fielde also one Marius Celsus whome diuers men accused to haue perswaded the souldiers to aide Galba and the common people cried out and bad he shoulde be put to death Howebeit Otho woulde not suffer them to kill him and yet being affrayed to contrarie the souldiers mindes he tolde them they should not kill him so rashly bicause he was first to learne some thinges more of him So he commaunded them to binde him and deliuered him to be kept of those he trusted most Afterwards the Senate were presentlie assembled who as if men had bene new sodainlie chaunged from them they were or as if there had bene goddes they all sware by the name of Otho the which othe he him selfe had before sworne vnto Galba and did not keepe it and called him besides Augustus and Caesar the bodies of them that were slaine lying yet headles on the ground in the market place all in their Consulls robes And as for their heades the souldiers after they coulde tell no more what to doe with them they solde the heade of Titus Iunius vnto his daughter for the summe of two thowsande fiue hundred Drachmas And for Pisoes head his wife through intreatie begged it of one called Veranius On the other side for Galbaes head they gaue it vnto Patrobius and Vitellius seruanuntes who after they had vsed it as vilelie as they coulde deuise they
shepeheardes and heardemen keeping their catell thereaboutes maruelously affrayed But at the lengthe when the earthe and weight of one of the hilles which kepte in the lake as a walle from running ouer into the felde beganne to breake by reason of the waight and great quantitie of water that ranne straight with a maruelous extreme force and violence ouer all the arrable landes and groundes planted with the trees and so tooke his course into the sea the ROMAINES then not alone but the whole inhabitants of ITALY were wounderfully affrayed and iudged that it was some signe and prognostication of some wounderfull thing to come And there was no other newes currante in the campe which laye at siege of the cittie of VEIES insomuch as the very brute of it flewe ouer the walles of the cittie vnto them that were besieged And as it happeneth very ofte in long sieges that those which lye in campe doe oftentimes talke with them that are besieged there was a ROMAINE who fell acquainted and commonly vsed to talke familiarly with one of the cittie who could tell of many olde straunge things done and happened and was very skillfull aboue any other in the cittie in the arte of diuination or soothe saying The ROMAINE then tolde him one daye the violent breaking out of the lake ALBANVS and perceyuing that the other after he had heard him was as mery as a pye at the matter and that he gibed at their siege he tolde him further that his wounderfull chaunce was not only happened vnto the ROMAINES at that time but that they had bene acquainted with many other farre more straunge then this which he would very willingly open vnto him to see if there were any remedy that though the affaires of the common weale had but harde successe yet he would procure that his owne priuate matters might prosper well with him The VEIAN aunswered him he would heare them with a goodwill gaue good eare vnto him hoping to haue heard some great secret So the ROMAINE training him on still from one matter to another holding on his waye vntill he sawe he was a good distance of from the gates of the cittie he sodainely cought holde on him and by strong hand caried him awaye with him and with helpe of other souldiers which came ronning out of the campe vnto him he brought him to the captaines The VEIAN seeing him self thus forciblie vsed and knowing also that fatall desteny cannot be auoyded beganne to declare vnto the ROMAINES the auncient oracles and prophecies touching the fortune of their cittie by which it was reported vnto them that the cittie of VEIES should neuer be taken vntill the enemie had caused the water of the lake ALBANVS which should breake out to be brought backe againe and to turne it some other waye from thence that it should not fall into the sea This was caried vnto the Senate at ROME to be consulted of in counsail and there it was determined they should send to the oracle of Apollo at the cittie of DELPHES and aske him what they should doe therein So thither were sent great and notable men Cossus Licinius Valerius Politus and Fabius Ambustus who hauing ended their iorney by sea and receyued aunswer of that they demaunded returned home againe and amongest other oracles they brought one that sayed thus That through negligence they had omitted some auncient ceremonies in the holy dayes of the Latines And another willed them that they should by all possible meanes they could keepe the water of the lake ALBANVS that it fell not into the sea and should if it were possible bring it backe againe into his old place if not that yet they should cut as many trenches and ditches as might be that it might be droncke vp in the middest of the fields When these oracles were vnderstanded the priests prepared all things for diuine seruice and the people went about the water of the lake to turne it againe After these things were done the Senate in the tenth yere of the warres against the VEIANS put of all those which dyd beare office and created Camillus Dictator who named for generall of the horse men Cornelius Scipio And before he went in hande with any thing he made a vowe vnto the goddes that if it pleased them to graunte a happy ende of these warres in honour of them he would celebrate great playes and buyld a temple vnto the goddesse which the ROMAINES call Matuta which seemeth to be her whom we call Leucothea considering the ceremonies done in these sacrifices For they cause a chamber mayde to enter into her temple there they boxe her about the eares Then they put her out of the temple and doe embrace their brothers children rather then their owne They make many other ceremonies and they are much like vnto those that are done vnto Bacchus nurces and to the misfortunes that chaunced vnto Ino by reason of her husbands concubine After all these vowes and prayers made he entred with his army into the FALISSIANS territories whom he ouerthrewe in a great battell together with the CAPENATES also which came to ayde them From thence he went to the siege of the cittie of VEIES where perceyuing to take it by assaulte was not to be wonne without great daunger he beganne to vndermine it finding the earth all about very minable and with all so deepe that the enemies could perceyue nothing Nowe when his mining fell our according to his good hope he gaue and assaulte to the walles in all places alike about the cittie at one instante to bring out all the inhabitants of the cittie to man the walles Whilest they were all thus vpon the walles to make defence Camillus souldiers entred secretly through the mines within the castell harde by the temple of Iuno which was the chiefe Churche of all the cittie and whereunto the cittizens had most deuotion They saye that euen at that present time the generall of the THVSCANS dyd sacrifice vnto the goddes that his soothesayer hauing considered the intrells of the beastes offered vp in sacrifice cried out alowde that the goddes gaue the victorie vnto him which should happen to come vpon them in this sacrifice The ROMAINES which were within the mine hearing this brake the earth incontinently and leaped out crying and making noyse with their weapons wherewith the enemies were so astonied that they fled vpon it and so the ROMAINES tooke the intrells and caried them vnto Camillus And these be euen much like the Poets tales and fables Howbeit Camillus hauing by this meanes taken the cittie and seeing from the toppe of the castell the infinite goodes riches within the cittie which the souldiers spoyled made hauoke of he wept for very pittie And when those that were about him tolde him he was a happy man he lift vp his handes vnto heauen and made this prayer O mightie go Iupiter and you ô goddes which see and iudge
mens good and ill worckes you knowe right well that we haue not willingly without wrong and cause offered vs begonne this warre but iustly and by compulsion to be reuenged of a cittie our enemie which hath done vs great iniuries But if to conteruayle this our great good prosperitie and victorie some bitter aduersitie and ouerthrowe be predestined vnto vs I beseeche you then most mercifull goddes in sparing our cittie of ROME and this her army you will with as litle hurte as maybe be let it all fall and light vpon my persone alone And as he had spoken these wordes and was turning on his right hande according to the manner of the ROMAINES after they haue prayed vnto the goddes he fell downe flat before them all The standers by taking this fall for an ill token were somwhat troubled with the matter but after he got vp on his feete againe he tolde them that the thing he requested of the goddes was happened vnto him And that was a litle hurte in exchaunge of a great good fortune So the whole cittie being spoyled and rifled he was also desirous to carie Iunos image to ROME to accomplishe the vowe he had made And hauing sent for worckemen for this purpose he dyd sacrifice first vnto the goddesse beseching her to accept well of the ROMAINES good will that she would willingly vowchesafe to come and dwell with the other goddes who had the protection of the cittie of ROME Some saye that the image aunswered she was contented But Liuius writeth that Camillus made this prayer as he touched the image and that the assistants aunswered she was contented and would goe with a goodwill Yet they which doe affirme it was the image selfe that spake doe fauour this miracle grounding their proofe vpon the opinion of the fortune of ROME the which from so base and meane beginning had impossibly attained vnto so highe glorie and power as it had without the singular fauour of the goddes and that hath manifestly appeared vnto the world by sundry great proofes and examples They bring forth also such other like wonders As that images haue heretofore let fall droppes of swet from them that they haue bene heard to sighe that they haue turned and that they haue made certen signes with their eyes as we finde written in many auncient stories And we could our selues also tell such like wonders which we haue heard men of our time affirme which are not vncredible nor lightly to be condemned But for such matters it is as daungerous to geue to much credit to them as also to discredit them to much by reason of the weaknes of mans nature which hath no certen boundes nor can rule it self but ronneth somtimes after vanitie and superstition and otherwhile also dispiseth and contemneth holy and diuine matters and therefore the meane is the vertue not to goe to farre in this as in all other things besides it is the best Nowe Camillus whether his late enterprise performed in winning a cittie that stoode out with ROME helde siege with them tenne yeres together had put him into an ouerwening or conceipt of him selfe or that the wordes of the people which dyd blesse and prayse him had made him looke highe and presume vpon him selfe more then became the modestie of a ciuill magistrate and gouernour of the common weale one that was subiect to the lawe he shewed a stately triumphe set forth with all riche furniture specially for that him self was caried through ROME vpon his triumphant charret drawen with foure fayer white coursers This neuer captaine nor generall before him durst vndertake to doe neither any euer after him attēpted it for they thinke it is a sacred cariage and only mete for the King and father of the goddes This bred him much enuy amongest the citizēs which had not bene acquainted with so great statelynes There was another occasion also that made them mislike him much which was bicause he stood against the lawe put forth that they should deuide the cittie of ROME For the Tribunes of the people dyd set out an Edict that the Senate people of ROME should be deuided into two partes and that those on whom the lotte should fall should abide still in ROME and the other should goe dwell in the newe wonne cittie of VEIES These were the reasons to persuade this that both the one and the other sorte should be richer then they were before should more easely keepe their lands and goodes from the inuasion of their enemies by meanes of these two great citties The people which were multiplied nowe into great numbers had serued duetifully daūgerously thought it the best waye in the worlde Therefore they still cried out and thronged with great tumulte about their pulpit for orations praying that this lawe might be put vnto the voyces of the people But the whole Senate and wisest citizens among them iudging this motion of the Tribunes would be the destruction and not the diuision of the cittie of ROME could in no wise abide it should goe any further Whereupon they went prayed Camillus helpe who fearing to bring it to the pointe whether the lawe should passe or no dyd allwayes seeke new occasions and letts still to delaye put of the matter staye the confirmation of this lawe For these causes he was hated of the common people But the originall apparant cause of the peoples ill will towards him was for taking from them the tenth parte of their spoyles and it was not altogether without some reason and to saye truely the people dyd him much wrong to beare him such malice for that For before he went to the cittie of VEIES he made a solēne vowe to offer the tenth parte vnto the goddes of the spoyles of the cittie if he wāne the same But when it was taken and sacked whether it was that he was lotheto trouble the cittizens or hauing a worlde of busines in his head that he easely forgate his vowe he suffered the souldiers to deuide the spoyle amongest them to take the benefit to them selues Shortely after he was discharged of his charge he dyd enforme the Senate of his vowe Furthermore the soothesayers made reporte at that very time howe they know by certaine signes and tokens of their sacrifices that the goddes were offended for somwhat and howe they must of necessitie be pacified againe Whereupon the Senate presently made an order where it was vnpossible euery man should bring in againe the selfe same things he had gotten to make a new diuision of euery mans share that euery one therefore vpon his othe should present the tenthe parte of his gaynes he had gotten by that bootie There was great trouble about it They were driuen to vse great extremitie to the poore souldiers which had traueled sore and taken great paynes in the warres to make them to restore backe such a coloppe out of their gaine and