the other that pursu'd her she got off But all making one way to the Bridge of Boats and such a vast Multitude of Men thronging together in one strait and narrow Passage the Queen's Souldiers miserably perish'd by treading down one another under foot and which was strange and unusual Horse and Foot lay tumbling promiscuously one over another When they came at length to the Bridge and the Indians at their Heels the Consternation was so great that many on both sides the Bridge were tumbled over into the River But when the greatest part of those that remain'd had got over Semiramis caus'd the Cords and Tenons of the Bridge to be cut which done the Boats which were before joyn'd together and upon which was a great Number of Indians not in the Pursuit being now divided into many Parts and carry'd here and there by the force of the Current Multitudes of the Indians were drown'd and Semiramis was now safe and secure having such a Barrier as the River betwixt her and her enemies Whereupon the Indian King being forewarn'd by Prodigies from Heaven and the Opinions of the Soothsayers forbore all further Pursuit And Semiramis making Exchange of Prisoners in Bactra return'd with scarce a third part of her Army A little time after Semiramis being assaulted by an Eunuch through the treacherous Contrivance of her Son remembred the former Answer given her by the Oracle at the Temple of Hammon and therefore pass'd the Business over without punishing of him who was chiefly concern'd in the Plot But surrendring the Crown to him commanded all to obey him as their lawful King and forthwith disappear'd as if she had been translated to the Gods according to the Words of the Oracle There are some which fabulously say she was metamorphos'd into a Pigeon and that she flew away with a Flock of those Birds that lighted upon her Palace And hence it is that the Assyrians Her End But others say she was kill'd by her Son Ninyas soliciting him to incestuous Embraces adore a Dove believing that Semiramis was enthron'd amongst the Gods And this was the * End of Semiramis Queen of all Asia except India after she had liv'd Sixty two years and reign'd Forty two And these are the Things which Ctesias the Cnidian reports of her in his History Athenaeus and some other Writers affirm that she was a most beautiful Strumpet and upon that account the King of Assyria fell in Love with her and at first was taken into his Favour and at length becoming his lawful Wife she prevail'd with her Husband to grant her the sole and absolute Authority of the regal Government for the space of five days Taking therefore upon her the Scepter and royal Mantle of the Kingdom the first day she made a sumptuous Banquet and magnificent Entertainments to which she invited the Generals of the Army and all the Nobility in order to be observant to all her Commands The next day having both great and small at her beck she committed her Husband to the Goal And in Regard she was of a bold and daring Spirit apt and ready to undertake any great Matters she easily gain'd the Kingdom which she held to the time of her old Age and became famous for her many great and wonderful Acts And these are the Things which Historians variously relate concerning her CHAP. II. Ninyas succeeds Semiramis His close and slothful Manner of Life The Reign of Sardanapalus His Luxury and Effeminacy His Epitaph Depos'd by Arbaces the Mede and the Assyrian Empire overturn'd Nineveh raz'd AFTER her Death Ninyas the Son of Ninus and Semiramis succeeded and 3. Ninyas reign'd peaceably nothing at all like his Mother for Valour and martial Affairs For he spent all his Time shut up in his Place insomuch as he was never seen of any but of his Concubines and Eunuchs for being given up wholly to his Pleasures he shook off all Cares and every thing that might be irksome and troublesome placing all the Happiness of a King in a fordid Indulgence of all sorts of Voluptuousness But that he might reign the more securely and be fear'd of all his Subjects every year he rais'd out of every Province a certain number of Souldiers under their several Generals and having brought them in the City over every Country appointed such a Governor as he could most confide in and were most at his Devotion At the end of the year he rais'd as many more out of the Provinces and sent the former home taking first of them an Oath of Fidelity And this he did that his Subjects observing how he always had a great Army ready in the Field those of them that were inclin'd to be refractory or rebel out of fear of Punishment might continue firm in their due Obedience And the further Ground likewise of this yearly Change was that the Officers and Souldiers might be from time to time disbanded before they could have time to be well acquainted one with another For length of Time in martial Imployments so improves the Skill and advances the Courage and Resolution of the Commanders that many times they conspire against their Princes and wholly fall off from their Allegiance His living thus close and unseen was a Covert to the Voluptuous Course of his Life and in the mean time as if he had been a God none durst in the least mutter any thing against him And in this manner creating Commanders of his Army constituting of Governors in the Provinces appointing the Chamberlains and Officers of his Houshold placing of Judges in their several Countries and ordering and disposing of all other Matters as he thought sit most for his own Advantage he spent his Days in Nineve After the same manner almost liv'd all the rest of the Kings for the space of Thirty Generations in a continu'd Line of Succession from Father to Son to the very Reign of Sardanapalus in whose time Sardanapalus The Assyrian Empire to Sardanapalus continu'd 1360 Years This is Justin's Account and agrees best with the Holy Scriptures So Velleius Paterculus agrees and the Reign of Belus or Nimrod 55 Years The beginning of his Reign falls in Ann. Mun. 1718. And Sardanapalus his Fall was in Ann. Mun. 3078 in the 19th of Jehu 543 Years before the Taking of Babylon by Alexander the Great Ant Chr. 872 Vid. Helvicus's Chron. the Empire of the Assyrians devolv'd upon the Medes after it had continu'd above Thirteen Hundred and Sixty Years as Ctesias the Cnidian says in his Second Book But it 's needless to recite their Names or how long each of them reign'd in regard none of them did any thing worth remembring save only that it may deserve an Account how the Assyrians assisted the Trojans by sending them some Forces under the Command of Memnon the Son of Tithon For when * Teutamus Teutamus reign'd in Asia who was the Twentieth from Ninyas the Son of Semiramis it 's said the Grecians under their General
sometimes foreshewing Hurricanes at other times Tempestuous Rains and then again exceeding Droughts By these they say are often portended the appearance of Comets Eclipses of the Sun and Moon Earthquakes and all other the various Changes and remarkable effects in the Air boding good and bad not only to Nations in general but to Kings and Private Persons in particular Under the Course of these Planets they say are Thirty Stars which they call Counselling Gods half of whom observe what is done under Stars Counselling Gods the Earth and the other half take notice of the actions of Men upon the Earth and what is transacted in the Heavens Once every Ten Days space they say one of the highest Order of these Stars descends to them that are of the lowest like a Messenger sent from them above and then again another ascends from those below to them above and that this is their constant natural motion to continue for ever The chief of these Gods they say are Twelve in number to P. 83. each of which they attribute a Month and one Sign of the Twelve in the Zodiack Through these Twelve Signs the Sun Moon and the other Five Planets run The Course of the Sun Moon and the Five other Planets their Course The Sun in a Years time and the Moon in the space of a Month. To every of the Planets they assign their own proper Courses which are perform'd variously in lesser or shorter time according as their several motions are quicker or slower These Stars they say have a great influence both as to good and bad in Mens Nativities and from the consideration of their several Natures may be foreknown what will befal Men afterwards As they foretold things to come to other Kings formerly so they did to Alexander who conquer'd Darius and to his Successors Antigonus and Seleucus Nicanor and accordingly things fell out as they declar'd which we shall relate particularly hereafter in a more convenient time They tell likewise private Men their Fortunes so certainly that those who have found the thing true by Experience have esteem'd it a Miracle and above the reach of Man to perform Out of the Circle of the Zodiack they describe Four and Twenty Stars Twelve towards the North Pole and as many to the South Those which we see they assign to the living and the other that do not appear they conceive are Constellations for the Dead and they term them Judges of all things The Moon they say is in the lowest Orb and being therefore next to the Earth because she is so small she finishes her Course in a little time not through the swiftness of her Motion but the shortness of her Sphear In that which they affirm that she has but a borrow'd light and that when she is eclips'd it 's caus'd by the interposition of the shadow of the Earth they agree with the Grecians Their Rules and Notions concerning the Eclipses of the Sun are but weak and mean which they dare not positively foretel nor fix a certain time for them They have likewise Opinions concerning the Earth peculiar to themselves affirming it to resemble a Boat and to be hollow to prove which and other things relating to the frame of the World they abound in Arguments but to give a particular Account of 'em we conceive would be a thing foreign to our History But this any Man may justly and truly say That the Chaldeans far exceed all other Men in the Knowledge of Astrology and have study'd it most of any other Art or Science But the number of Years during which the Chaldeans say those of their Profession have given themselves to the study of this natural Philosophy is incredible for when Alexander was in Asia they reckon'd up Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand Years since they first began to observe the Motions of the Stars But lest we should make too long a digression from our intended Design let this which we have said concerning the Chaldeans suffice Having now therefore spoken of the Assyrian Empire and its Translation to the Medes we shall return to that part of our History from whence we broke off Whereas remarkable Authors have differ'd among themselves about the large Empire of the Medes Empire of the Medes we conceive we shall not stray from the Duty of true and faithful Historians if we compare the different relations of Writers one with another Herodotus indeed who liv'd in the time of Xerxes says that the Assyrians were conquer'd by the Medes after they had held the Empire of Asia for the space of five Hundred Years That thence for many Ages after there was no one King that had the sole and absolute Authority of the Empire but that the Cities in every Place enjoy'd their own Laws in a Democratical Government At length after the Course of many Years he says one * Cyaxares besieges Nineve and taketh it An. Mun. 3348 about 3 or 4 years after the death of Josiah before Christ 600. Herod Cyaxares renown'd for his Justice was advanc'd to the Throne and that he was the first that subdu'd the neighbouring Nations to the Medes and gave beginning to that Empire whose Posterity afterwards brought under the bordering Countries and inlarg'd their Dominions and continu'd their Empire to the time of Astyages who was conquer'd by †Conquered by Cyrus An. Mun. 3391. Before Christ 557. Cyrus and the Persians of whom we shall now only give a touch in short and shall treat more distinctly and particularly hereafter when we come to the Times more proper for this Purpose For in the second year of the seventeeenth Olympiad as Herodotus says Cyaxares was elected King by the Medes But Ctesias the Cnidian who was later then Herodotus and liv'd about the time of Cyrus his Expedition against his Brother Aâ—taxarxes for being then taken Prisoner for his Skill in Physic he was taken into the King's Favour and continu'd with him in great Honour and Esteem for the space of seventeen years Out of the publick Records in which the Persians by force of some Law made for that Purpose had in Order of Time noted and registred the ancient Affairs and Things done in the Kingdom he industriously pick'd out every thing that was remarkable and methodically compos'd them into an History and brought them over into Greece In this History he declares that after the Overthrow of the Assyrian Empire all Asia was under the Power of the Medes and that Arbaces who overcame Sardanapalus as is before related was sole Monarch and that after he had reign'd eight and twenty years his Son Mandauces succeeded him who reign'd over all Asia fifty years After him reign'd Sesarmus thirty years then Artias Fifty after whom succeeded Arbianes two and twenty years In his time it s said a great War broke out between the Medes and the Cadusians upon the Occasions following One Parsodes a Persian for his Valour Prudence and other Virtues was a Man
ejected by the Thracians call'd Edones Two and Thirty Years after the Athenians sent thither a Colony of Ten Thousand Men. But these being destroy'd by the Thracians at Drabiscum two Years after the Thracians recover'd the City under Apion their General This City subject to so frequent changes of War Brasidas made it his business to subdue To this end marching thither with a great Army he encamp'd at the Bridge near to the City and presently possess'd himself of the Suburbs The next day they of Ant. Chr. 425. Amphipolis being greatly terrify'd surrendred the Place upon conditions that all that would might leave the City and take their effects with them And soon after he took in many other neighbouring Cities amongst which the chief were Sime and Galepsus both Colonies of the Thracians and Myrcinus a Town of the Edones He likewise fell a building new Ships at the River Strymon and sent for fresh Supplies from Lacedemonia and other Confederates He also caus'd great store of Arms to be made by which he arm'd the new rais'd Men and furnish'd himself with Darts Weapons and all other Provisions And being thus compleatly provided he march'd from Amphipolis and encamp'd at a Place call'd * The Sea Shoar Acte Here were Five of the Towns partly inhabited by Grecians of Andros and partly by a mixt multitude of Barbarians descended from the †Iberians a People of Macedonia near the River Stremon Said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Two Tongues Bissalte People of a double Tongue Having brought these under his Power he fell upon Toron built by the Chalcideans but then in the power of the Athenians Here by the Treachery of some of the Inhabitants in the Night he was let into the Town and so won Toron And thus far the Expedition of Brasidas prosper'd this Year In the mean time there was a Battel fought by the Athenians A Battel by the Athenians with the Beotians at Delium at Delium in Beotia with the Beotians upon the accounts following The then present Government in Beotia was displeasing to some who desir'd to set up a Democracy in the Cities These Malecontents Ant. Ch. 425. discovered their Designs to the Athenian Generals Hippocrates and Demosthenes and engaged to deliver up the Cities in Beotia This was a very welcome Overture to the Commanders And that the Business might the better be effected they divided the Army and Demosthenes with the greater part made an incursion into Beotia But the Beotians being well prepared having had notice of the Treachery he marcht back without doing any thing Hippocrates in the mean time invaded Delium possessed himself of the Place and to prevent the March of the Beotians that way fortify'd Delium with a Wall which lies near to Oropia and the Borders of Beotia lying towards the Mountains But Pantoedas the Beotian General gathered out of all the Cities of Beotia the best and choicest Souldiers and with a great Army and a swift March made for Delium for he had with him little less than Twenty Thousand Foot and a Thousand Horse The Athenians on the other side were more in number but not so well arm'd for coming hastily and suddenly out of the City many were ill furnished both as to Arms and other Necessaries This was the condition of The manner of the Fight at Delium P. 322. Ant. Chr. 425. both Armies yet very hot and eager on both sides to fight In the Army of the Beotians the Thebans were in the Right Wing the Orchomeans in the Left and the Beotians in the main Body Those that were call'd Heniochans and Paraebates that is the Charioteers or those that fought in Chariots were plac'd in the Front these were the best Souldiers in number Three Hundred The Athenians were forc'd to join Battel before they were perfectly drawn up in Battalia but it was fought with great Courage and Resolution on both sides The Athenian Horse charg'd with that Bravery that in the beginning they put the Enemies Horse to flight Then the Foot engaged and that part of the Athenian Army that opposed the Thebans by the violence of the Enemy's Charge were quite broken in pieces and routed But the rest of the Athenians chas'd all the other Beotians and pursu'd them a long way with a great Slaughter On the other side the Thebans being strong Bodied Men left the chase of their Enemies and fell upon the other Pursuers hew'd them down dispers'd and utterly routed them and thus the Thebans highly advanc'd their Reputation by this signal Victory As for the Athenians some of them fled to Oropus others to Delium some made to their Ships and the rest fled every way as their Lot and Fortune led them till Night put an end to the Pursuit There were not Ant. Chr. 425. above Five Hundred of the Beotians kill'd but many more of the Athenians and if Night had not come on most of them had been cut off but that sav'd them and gave a check to the fury of the Conquerors Yet the number of the Slain was so great that with the Price of the Spoils the Thebans built a great Walk or Gallery in the Forum and adorn'd it with many * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Statues of Brass and even cover'd over the Temples with Brass and the publick Buildings in the Market Place with the Arms and Shields of their Enemies And with the Riches got in this Fight they set up Sports and Shews at Delium After this Victory the Beotians assaulted Delium with that fury that the greater part of the Garrison were kill'd in defending the Place Two Hundred only were taken the rest escaped to their Ships and with other Inhabitants came to Athens Into this Disaster fell the Athenians by their crafty Designs against the Beotians In Asia Xerxes the Persian King died after he had reigned one Year some say only Two Months To him succeeded Sogdianus for the space only of Seven Months who being kill'd Darius injoy'd the Kingdom Nineteen Years With Darius Nothus begins to Reign this Year Antiochus of Syracuse the noble Writer of the Affairs of Sicily ends his History beginning at King Cocalus and consisting of Nine Books When Amyntas was chief Magistrate of Athens Caius Papirius and Lucius Olymp. 89. 2. Scione a City in Thrace Ant. Ch. 424. Julius were Roman Consuls In their time the Scioneans now slighting the Athenians by reason of the late Defeat given them made a defection to the Lacedemonians and gave up their City into the protection of Brasidas then General of the Army in Thrace And those who escap'd out of Lesbos after the taking of Mitylene by the Athenians who were no small Number some time before contriving how to return into their Country join'd together and possess'd themselves of Antandrus from whence taking their opportunity they issued forth and set upon the Garrison at Mitylene At which the Athenians being incens'd command was given to Aristides
For whereas they might before have easily made Theramenes and the rest of his Party their Patrons and Advocats in the Accusations laid against them being Men that were excellent Speakers and of great Interest and that which was most considerable were best acquainted with every thing that was done in the Battle Now on the contrary they had so Ant. Chr. 403. far disoblig'd 'em that they became their most bitter Enemies and Prosecutors For when the Letters were read to the People they were presently all on fire against Theramenes But he having clear'd himself their Rage was all turn'd again upon the other Officers The People therefore assign'd 'em a Day to be heard and order'd the Forces to be deliver'd over to Conon whom they exempted from this Bill all the rest they commanded by an Absolute Decree forthwith to return Among whom Aristogenes and Protomachus fearing the Rage of the People fled But Thrasyllus Calliades Lysias Pericles and Aristocrates return'd to Athens with agreat number of Ships upon this Confidence that by the Mediation of those they had brought along with them who were very many they should be acquit But after the Assembly came together the People yielded a quick Ear to the Accusations and whatever the * The Orators or Counsel for the People Demagogues said it was well taken but when the Accus'd began to speak a Tumult arose and they could not be heard in their own Defence And besides the Relations of them that were kill'd did no little further their Ruin who came weeping and wailing into the Senate earnestly desiring that the Commanders might suffer for their Neglect The Brave Athenian Officers put to Death by the People in not Burying them who had valiantly lost their Lives for their Country At length the Friends of the Dead and those that prosecuted with Theramenes of whom many were then present prevail'd And thereupon the Commanders were condemn'd to die and their Estates to be conficate Sentence being thus given just as they were leading to Execution by the ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sheriffs Lictors Diomedon one of them an Excellent Souldier and reputed a Just Man and Eminent in all other Virtuous Qualifications stood up and Silence being made through the whole Assembly thus began Ye Men The Speech of Diomedon of Athens we heartily wish that the Sentence now pronounc'd against us may issue in the Prosperity and Happiness of this City But since Fortune has prevented us Ant. Ch. 403. from paying our Vows and giving Thanks to the Gods for the Victory 't is most just and fit You should perform it See therefore that Ye do it to Jove to Apollo and P. 387. the Glorious Goddesses for by Prayers to them we have overcome the Enemy When he had said this he was hurry'd away with the rest to Execution many of the Best of the Citizens bemoaning his Fate with Tears For he who now went to suffer never in the least complain'd of the Hardness of his Case but only advis'd his Countrymen who then acted so wickedly to make their Addresses to the Gods which was a clear Indication of a Man of a Pious and Generous Spirit little deserving such base and unworthy Usage In short the Eleven Commanders were all put to Death by the Officers appointed by Law tho' they had never done the City the least Injury but on the contrary benefited their Country by a Victory gain'd in a Sea-Fight the Greatest that was ever fought by Grecians against Grecians and besides were Men whose Valour had been remarkable in several Battles and who had had Statues before erected in Memory of their Victories The People were then so desperately mad and Ant. Ch. 403. enrag'd by the Orators beyond all Bounds of Justice that they gratify'd their Anger and Revenge upon Men that were not only Innocent but deserv'd rather Honour and Rewards But not long after both the Accusers that stir'd up the People and the People themselves who gave Credit to their Criminations sorely Repented of what was done as if God himself had taken Revenge of them for the Fact For they that were so willing to be deluded by these Malicious Instigations not long after receiv'd the Reward of their Folly when not One but thirty Domineering Masters were by force set over them Then was Callixeus he that gave Sentence of Death against the Accus'd upon this Change of the People charg'd as one that had deceiv'd them and without being admitted to any Defence was Committed and carry'd to the Common-Goal but by the help of some Friends breaking through the Walls he fled to the Enemy at Deoelea so that by the Avoiding of Death at this time he was pointed at as it were by the Finger for his Notorious Wickedness not only at Athens but amongst all the other Grecians abroad all the Days of his Life after These are almost all the Things that are reported to be done this Year Amongst Philistus the Historian the Writers Philistus concludes the First Part of the Affairs of Sicily with this Year and with the Taking of Agrigentum comprehending in seven Volumes the History of above Eight hundred Years He begins the other Part where the former ended and proceeds in his Relations contain'd in four Books About this Time died Sophocles the Death of Sophocles Tragedian the Son of Theophilus ninety Years of Age. He gain'd eighteen Victories upon the Stage It 's reported of him That when he Acted his last Tragedy and Euripides came off Conqueror he fell into so violent a Laughter that he fell down dead Appollodorus Ant. Chr. 403. a Writer of Chronicles reports that Euripides likewise died this Year But others relate That being entertain'd with Archelaus King of Macedonia once walking abroad into the Fields some Dogs met him by whom he was torn in pieces and so miserably perish'd a little before this Year CHAP. XV. Lysander made Sole Admiral of the Lacedemonian Fleet. He takes Caramium The Ruin of the Athenian Fleet at Aegos Potamos Athens taken by Lysander The End of the Peloponesian War THE Year next before being ended Alexias was made Archon of Athens this Year Olymp. 93. 4. and at Rome three Military Tribunes again executed the Places of Consuls Caius Julius Publius Cornelius and Caius Servilius During their Magistracy after the Commanders An. M. 3567. were put to Death the Athenians made Philocles General of the Army and Ant. Chr. 403. delivering the Fleet to him sent him away to Conon Commissioning them with a Philocles and Conon joyntly Commission'd Joynt-Power in the Management of the War When he came to Conon at Samos he Man'd all the Ships to the number of an hundred seventy three Twenty of these he left there and with the rest he and Conon set Sail for the Hellespont Lysander in the mean time High-Admiral of the Lacedemonian Fleet with 35 Sail P. 388. which he had got
Battel at Issus But to return to the Kings themselves Darius with all his Army being thus routed fled and by changing from time to time one Horse after another the best he had he made away with all speed to escape out of the Hands of Alexander and to get to the Governors of the Upper Provinces But Alexander with the best of his Horse and chiefest of his Friends pursu'd him close at the very Heels earnestly longing to be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of Darius But after he had rid Two hundred Furlongs he return'd at midnight into the Camp and having refresh'd his weary Body in the Baths went to Supper and then to his rest In the mean time one came to the Mother of Darius and told her that Alexander was return'd from the pursuit of Darius and had possess'd himself of all the rich Spoils of his Tent. Upon which there was given up a great Shriek and Lamentation amongst the Women and from the multitude of the Captives lamenting with the Queen at the sad News all places were fill'd with Cries and Lamentations The King understanding what Sorrow there was among the Women sent Leonatus one his of Courtiers to them to put an end to their Fears and to let Sisygambres the Mother of Darius know that her Son was alive and that Alexander would have respect to their former Dignity and that to confirm the Promise of his Generosity by his Actions he would come and discourse with them the Day following Whereupon the Captives were so surpriz'd with the sudden and happy Turn of their Fortunes that they honour'd Alexander as a God and their Ant. Ch. 331. Fears were turn'd into Exultations of Joy The King as soon as it was light with Hephestion one of the trustiest of his Friends Alexander's great Humanity towards the Persian Captives went to visit the Queens When they entred in regard they were both habited alike Sisygambres taking Hephestion for the King because he was the more comely and taller Man fell prostrate at his Feet but the Attendants by the Nods of their Heads and Pointing of their Fingers directed her to Alexander whereupon being much asham'd and out of Countenance by reason of Mistake she salutes Alexander in the same manner she had done before the other Upon which he lift her up and said Mother trouble not nor perplex your self for that Man also is Alexander By which courteous and obliging Title of Mother to a grave and honourable Matron he gave a clear Demonstration of the Respects and Civilities he intended towards them all Having therefore own'd her for a Second Mother he presently confirm'd his Words by his Actions For he order'd her to be cloath'd in her Royal Robes and restor'd her to all the Honours becoming her former State and Dignity For he gave her all her Attendants and Houshold Servants and Furniture allow'd her by Darius and added also as much more of his own Bounty He promis'd likewise to dispose of the young Ladies in Marriage far better than if their Father had provided Husbands for them and that he would educate the King's little Son as carefully and honourably as if he were his own Then he call'd him to him and kiss'd him and taking notice that he was not at all dash'd nor seem'd to be in the least afrighted turning to Hephestion and those about him This Youth but Six Years of Age says he carries in his Countenance Marks of a stcut and brave Spirit above his Age and is better than his Father He further declar'd That he would take care of the Wife of Darius that nothing should be wanting to her in order to the support and maintenance of her Royal State and former Prosperity Many other kind and gaining Expressions he us'd insomuch as the Ladies fell a weeping in Showers of Tears Ant. Ch. 331. out of Transports of Joy upon account of the Greatness of their unexpected Felicity After all he at length put forth to them his Right Hand to kiss upon which not only they who were immediately honour'd with those Kindnesses set forth his Praiâ—e but even the whole Army cry'd up his incomparable Grace and Clemency And indeed I conceive that amongst the many Brave and Noble Acts of Alexander none of them were greater than this nor more worthy by History to be handed down to Posterity For storming and taking of Cities gaining of Battels and other Successes in War are many times the Events of Fortune more than the Effects of Valour and Virtue but to be compassionate to the miserable and those that lie at the Feet of the Conqueror must be the Fruit only of Wisdom and Prudence For many by Prosperity grow high-crested and are so far swell'd with Pride by the favourable Blasts of Fortune that they are careless and forgetful of the Common Miseries of Mankind so that 't is common to see many to sink under the weight of their prosperous Successes as an heavy Burden they are not able to bear Therefore though Alexander was many Ages before us who are now living yet the remembrance of his Virtue justly challenges Honour and Praise from all those that succeed him in future Generations As for Darius being now got to Babylon he musters up his broken Troops that were escap'd from the Battel of Issus and though he had receiv'd so great an Overthrow yet he was not at all discourag'd but writ Letters to Alexander whereby he advis'd him to use his Good Fortune and Success moderately and offer'd him a great Sum of Money Ant. Ch. 33â— for the Ransom of the Captives He promis'd likewise to give up to him all that part of Asia with the Cities which lay on that side within the * This was all Narolia Course of the River †Now Casilimer in Paphligonia Halys if he were willing to be his Friend Whereupon Alexander call'd a Council of War and laid before them such Letters as he judg'd most for his own Advantage but conceal'd the true ones By which Contrivance the Ambassadors were dismiss'd without any effect of their Embassie Darius therefore concluding that Things were not to be compos'd by Letters sets himself wholly to make preparation for War To which end he arm'd those Soldiers that had loft their Arms in the late unfortunate Battel and rais'd others and form'd them into Regiments He sent likewise for those Forces he had through Haste left behind him in the Upper Provinces when he first began his Expedition To conclude he was so earnest and diligent in recruiting his Army that they were now twice as many as they were at Issus for they made up a Body of Eight hundred thousand Foot and Two hundred thousand Horse besides a vast multitude of hook'd Chariots These considerable Actions were the Events of this Year CHAP. IV. Alexander marches towards Egypt Besieges Tyre Prodigies of Tyre The Tyrians bind Apollo with Golden Chains The Inventions of the Tyrians to defend
succinct an Account as we can tracing the Steps of Homer Hesiod and Orpheus George Monachus or the Monk who writ in Greek a Chronical History Out of the History of Diodorus concerning the Corinthian Kingdom HAving given an Account of these Things it remains we should now speak of Corinth and Sicyon how they were planted and inhabited by the Doreans for almost all the Nations in Peloponnesus except the Arcadians were removed from their ancient Seats at the time of the return of the Heraclidae who leaving out Corinth in the Division sent Messengers to Aletes and gave him the said Province together with the neighbouring Territory This Man became very famous and enlarg'd Corinth where he reign'd 38 years After his Death the eldest and next of Kin ever succeeded in the Kingdom down to the Reign of Cypsellus 427 years after the return of the Heraclidae The first that reign'd at Corinth after Aletes was Ixion who held the Kingdom 38 years After whom Agesilaus reign'd 37 years and after them Prumnes 35 years and his Son Bacches as long who was the most famous and renown'd of any of his Ancestors so that those that reign'd after him were not call'd Heraclidae but Bacchidae After Bacches Agelas enjoy'd the Throne 30 years Eudamus 25 Aristomedes 35 who after his Death left behind him a Son call'd Telestes a little Child who was depriv'd of his Father's Kingdom by Agemon his Uncle and Guardian who reign'd 16 years After him Alexander came to the Crown and enjoy'd it 25 years and was then kill'd by Telestes who had been before depriv'd of the Kingdom of his Ancestors which he now regain'd and possess'd it 12 years and then was murder'd by some of his own Kindred and Automenes reign'd in his stead One year after which the Bacchidae the Posterity of Hercules enjoy'd the Kingdom for above 200 years and all govern'd together with equal Authority but every year they created one among themselves Prytanis who had the Power of a Monarch for 90 years till the time of the Reign of Cypsellus who put an end to that sort of Government These therefore are the Kings of Corinth Bacches reign'd 35 years The same George of the Original of the Romans A Fragment out of the 7th Book of Diodorus Siculus SOme Writers have erroniously held that Romulus who built Rome was the Son of Aeneas But this cannot possibly be true since there were many Kings that reign'd in course between Aeneas and Romulus the City being built the 2d Year of the 7th Olympiad which was above 430 years after the Trojan War For Aeneas gain'd the Kingdom of the Latines 3 years after the Destruction of Troy and reign'd only 3 years and after his Death was ador'd as a God Ascanius his Son succeeded him and built Alba call'd at this day Longa. He gave the City this Name from the River which was then call'd Alba and now Tiber But Fabius who writ an History of the Roman Affairs speaks otherwise of the naming of this City For he tells a Story how Aeneas was foretold by the Oracle that a Four-footed Beast should shew him the way to the Place where a new City should be built which came thus to pass Being about to sacrifice a * Alba is White White Sow then big with Young made her escape and ran away to a Hill whither she was pursu'd and there she brought forth 30 Pigs Aeneas wondring at the Accident and calling to mind the Answer of the Oracle forthwith went about to settle Inhabitants in the Place but being warn'd by a Vision in the Night to desist and not to build till after 30 years then next ensuing he left off his Design till the number of Years was compleated The Eclogs or Fragments of Diodorus Siculus out of the 21 st 22 d 23 d 24 th 25 th and 26 th Books that are now lost Out of the 21st Book 1. ALL Vice is to be avoided by every Wise Man but especially Covetousness For this through hopes and desire of Gain prompts many to acts of Injustice and so becomes the occasion of the greatest Mischiefs to Mankind For being * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Olymp. 119. 4. Ant. Ch. 299. in the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very highest Sphere of Wickedness it involves not only mean Men but even Kings themselves in extream Calamities For Antigonus King of Asia as an Example of this Truth out of his insatiable desire beginning a War against Four other Kings who join'd against him viz. Ptolemy Lagus King of Aegypt Seleucus King of Babylon Lysimachus of Thrace and Cassander the Son of Antipater King of Macedonia perish'd in Battle * At Issus in Phrygia Plut. in Pyrrhus Anian lib. 7. being shot through the Body with Multitudes of Darts and Arrows tho' afterwards Bury'd in a Royal manner and his Son Demetrius with his Mother Stratonice who were then in Cilicia were forc'd to sail away with all the Wealth they had to Salamis in Cyprus that remaining still in the hands of Demetrius 2. Agathocles King of Sicily burnt all the Macedonian Fleet and so freed Corcyra when Agathocles frees Corcyra it was Besieg'd by Cassander both by Sea and Land and very near and likely to be taken Oh the many uncertainties of War For Folly and Fraud many times effect as great things as true Valour and Courage 3. Agathocles being return'd to the rest of his Army from Corcyra when he heard that the Ligurians and Tyrrhenians who were his Mercenary Soldiers had assisted those Agathocles King of Sicily puts 2000 Mercenaries to the Sword who kill'd his Son Archagathus in his absence put them all to the Sword to the number of Two thousand Upon which Account the Brutii deserting him he resolv'd to Besiege their City call'd * Aetini People of Sicily Agathocles takes Crotona in Italy Aethas But the Barbarians in great numbers falling upon him suddainly in the Night cut off Four thousand of his Men and so he return'd to Syracuse 4. Agathocles rigg'd out a great Fleet and sail'd into Italy and having a design to march his Army to Crotona he sent a Messenger before to Menedemus King of Crotona who was his particular Friend not to be afraid of his Motion which was meerly to deceive him and purposing to Besiege the Place he gave out that he was sending away his Daughter Lanassa with a Royal Fleet to Epirus to Marry her And by this Fraud he came upon them when they were unprovided and never suspected him Thereupon applying himself with all earnestness to the Siege he block'd up the Place by a Wall drawn from Sea to Sea And having by his Mines and Batteries ruin'd the greatest House of the Town the Crotoneans out of fear open'd their Gates and receiv'd his Army into the City who breaking in like a Flood first rifl'd all the Houses and then put all the Men to the Sword He likewise made a League with the
the Torrid Zone the Water is boil'd and therefore this River is sweeter than any other in the World for Heat does naturally dulcorate Water But this Reason is easily refuted for its plainly impossible that the River should rise to that height and come down to us from the opposite Zone especially if it be granted that the Earth is round But if any yet shall be so obstinate as to affirm it is so as the Philosophers have said I must in short say it 's against and contrary to the Laws of Nature For being they hold Opinions that in the nature of the things can hardly be disprov'd and place an inhabitable part of the World between us and them that are opposite to us they conclude that by this device they have made it impossible and out of the reach of the Wit of Man to confute them But it is but just and equal that those who affirm any thing positively should prove what they say either by good Authority or strength of Reason How comes it about that only the River Nile should come down to us from the other opposite Zone Have we not other Rivers that this may be as well apply'd to As to the Causes alledg'd for the sweetness of the Water they are absur'd For if the Water be boyl'd with the parching Heat and thereupon becomes sweet it would have no productive quality either of Fish or other Kinds of Creatures and Beasts for all Water whose Nature is chang'd by Fire is altogether incapable to breed any living thing and therefore being that the Nature of Nile contradicts this decoction and boyling of the Water we conclude that the Causes alledg'd of its increase are false The Opinion of Oenopides of Chios is this The Waters say he that are under the Earth in Summer-time are cold and warm in the Winter as we see by experience in deep Wells for in a sharp Winter they are the least cold but in Summer they are the coldest of any other time and therefore saith he there 's good reason that Nile in the Winter should grow low and contracted because the Heat in the Bowels of the Earth exhales much of the Water which cannot be supply'd in regard no Rains fall in Egypt But in Summer-time when the Waters that lye deep in the Earth are no longer exhal'd then the Channel of the River according to the order of Nature fills without any obstruction But to this it may be answer'd that many Rivers in Africa whose Mouths lye parallel with this River and run the like Course yet overflow not like Nile For on the contrary they rise in Winter and fall in Summer which clearly evinces his Falsity who endeavours with a shew of Reason to oppose the Truth But to the true cause * This is now found to be the true Reason at this day Agartharchides of Cnidus comes nearest For he says that in the Mountainous parts of Ethiopia there are Yearly continual Rains †From the 10th of June to the 10th of September from the Summer Solstice to the Equinox in Autumn and therefore there 's just cause for Nile to be low in the Winter which then flows only from its own natural Spring-heads and to overflow in Summer through the abundance of Rains And though none hitherto have been able to give a Reason of these Inundations yet he says his Opinion is not altogether to be rejected for there are many things that are contrary to the Rules of Nature for which none are able to give any substantial Reason That which happens in some parts of Asia he says gives some confirmation to his Opinion For in the Confines of Scythia near Mount Caucasus after the Winter is over he affirms that abundance of Snow falls every Year for many Days together And that in the Northern Parts of India at certain Times there falls abundance of Hail and of an incredible Bigness And that near the River Hydaspis in Summer-time it rains continually and the same happens in Ethiopia for many Days together and that this disorder of the Air whirling about occasions many Storms of Rain in Places near adjoyning and that therefore it 's no wonder if the Mountainous Parts of Ethiopia which lies much higher than Egypt are soakt with continual Rains wherewith the River being fill'd overflows especially since the natural Inhabitants of the Place affirm that thus it is in their Country And though these things now related are in their nature contrary to those in our own Climates yet we are not for that Reason to disbelieve them For with us the South Wind is cloudy and boysterous whereas in Ethiopia it 's calm and clear and that the North Winds in Europe are fierce and violent but in those Regions low and almost insensible But however after all though we could heap up variety of Arguments against all these Authors concerning the Inundation of Nile yet those which we have before alledg'd shall suffice lest we should transgress those Bounds of Brevity which at the first we propos'd to our selves Having therefore divided this Book because of the Largeness of it into Two Parts having before determin'd to keep within moderate Bounds we shall now end the first part of this Treatise and continue in the other those things that are further remarkable in Egypt coherent with those before beginning with the Actions of the Kings of Egypt and the antient way of Living among the Egyptians THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOK OF Diodorus the Sicilian CHAP. IV. The First way of Living of the Egyptians Gods and Demy-Gods their Reigns in Egypt The antient Kings of Egypt Menis c. Their several Works Thebes built by Busiris The stately Sepulchers Oblisks and Temples there A Description of Osimanduas's Sepulcher Memphis built by Uchoreus Meris's Lake Sesostris or Sesoosis his famous Expedition and great Works THE First Book of Diodorus is divided into Two Parts by reason of the Greatness of it the First whereof is as a Preface to the whole Work and in which an Account is given of what the Egyptians say concerning the Beginning of the World of the first Creation of the Universe and of those Gods that built Cities in Egypt and call'd them after their own Names of the First Men and their antient way of Living of the Worship of the Gods and the building of Temples by the Egyptians Moreover of the Situation of Egypt and what strange things are related of Nile the Causes of its Inundation and the various Opinions of Philosophers and Historians concerning it Wherein likewise is set down the Confutations of the several Writers In this we shall handle and go through those matters that have a dependance upon the former After we have distinctly set forth the antient way of Living among the Egyptians we shall then begin with their first Kings and declare the Acts of every one of them successively down to Amasis They say the Egyptians in antient Times fed upon nothing but Roots
overflow the Land and so cause Fenns and standing Ponds nor by flowing too little prejudice the Fruits of the Earth for want of Water To this end he cut a Trench all along from the River into the Lake Fourscore Furlongs in length and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three Plethras Three Hundred Foot broad into this he let the Water of the River sometimes run and at other times diverted it and turn'd it over the Fields of the Husbandmen at seasonable times by means of Sluces which he sometimes open'd and at other times shut up not without great labour and cost for these Sluces could not be open'd or shut at a less Charge than Fifty Talents This Lake continues to the Benefit of the Egyptians for these purposes to our very Days and is Now in being Eight Leagues in compass only call'd the Lake of Myris or Meris to this Day The King left a place in the middle of the Lake where he built a Sepulcher and Two Pyramids one for himself and another for his Queen a Furlong in Height upon the Top of which he plac'd Two Marble Statues seated in a Throne designing by these Monuments to perpetuate the Fame and Glory of his Name to all succeeding Generations The Revenue arising from the Fish taken in this Lake he gave to his Wife to buy her †Sweet Ointments and other fine things Pins which amounted to a Talent of Silver every Day For there were in it Two and Twenty sorts of Fish and so vast a number were taken that those who were imploy'd continually to salt them up though they were multitudes of People could hardly perform it And these are the things which the Egyptians relate of Myris Seven Descents after they say * Sesostris in the time the Israelites were in Egypt Sir Walter Rawl Sesoosis reign'd who excell'd all his Ancestors in great and famous Actions But not only the Greek Writers differ among themselves about this King but likewise the Egyptian Priests and †Bards Vsh Ann. says he was the Son of Amenophis that was drown'd in the Red Sea in the Year of the World 2513 and this Expedition was the Nine First Years of the Children of Israel's being in the Wilderness Vsh Ann. p. 20. Poets relate various and different Stories concerning him We shall relate such as are most probable and agreeable to those Signs and Marks that are yet remaining in Egypt to confirm them After his Birth his Father perform'd a noble Act and becoming a King he caus'd all throughout Egypt that were born the same Day with his Son to be brought together and together with his Son to be bred up with the same Education and instructed in the same Discipline and Exercises conceiving that by being thus familiarly brought up together and conversing one with another they would be always most loving and faithful Friends and the best Fellow-Souldiers in all the Wars Providing therefore every thing for the purpose he caus'd the Boys to be exercised daily in the Schools with hard and difficult Labours as that none should eat till he had run a * 27 Miles Hundred and Fourscore Furlongs And by this means when they came to be at Mens Estate they were fit either to be Commanders or undertake any brave or noble Action both in respect of the vigour and strength of their Bodies and the excellent Endowments of their Minds Sesostris in the first Place being sent with an Army into Arabia by his Father with whom went his Companions that were bred up with him toil'd and troubl'd himself with the hunting and killing of Wild Beasts and then having at last overmaster'd all his Fatigues and wants of Water and Provision he conquer'd all that barbarous Nation which was never before that time subdu'd Afterwards being sent into the Western Parts he conquer'd the greatest part of Lybia being as yet but a Youth Coming to the Crown after the Death of his Father incourag'd by his former Successes he design'd to subdue and conquer the whole World Some report that he was stirr'd up by his Daughter Athyrte to undertake the gaining of the Empire of the World for being a Woman of an extraordinary Understanding she made it out to her Father that the Conquest was easie Others incourag'd him by their Divinations foretelling his Successes by the Intrals of the Sacrifices by their Dreams in the Temples and Prodigies seen in the Air. There are some also that write that when Sesoosis was born Vulcan appear'd to his Father in his Sleep and told him that the Child then born should be Conqueror of the Universe and that that was the reason why his Father assembled all of the like Age and bred them up together with his Son to make way for him with more ease to rise to that height of Imperial Dignity And that when he was grown to Mans Estate fully believing what the God had foretold he undertook at length this Expedition To this purpose he first made it his chief Concern to gain the love and good will of all the Egyptians judging it necessary in order to effect what he design'd so far to ingage his Souldiers as that they should willingly and readily venture nay lose their Lives for their Generals and that those whom he should leave behind him should not contrive or hatch any Rebellion in his Absence To this end therefore he oblig'd every one to the utmost of his power working upon some by Mony others by giving them Lands and many by free Pardons and upon all by fair Words and affable and courteous Behaviour He pardon'd those that were condemn'd for High Treason and freed all that were in Prison for Debt by paying what they ow'd of whom there was a vast Multitude in the Goals He divided the whole Country into Thirty Six Parts which the Egyptians call †Provinces Nomi over every one of which he appointed a * Nomarchus Governor who should take care of the King's Revenue and manage all other Affairs relating to their several and respective Provinces Out of these he chose the strongest and ablest Men and rais'd an Army answerable to the greatness of his Design to the number of Six Hundred Thousand Foot and Twenty Four Thousand Horse and Seven and Twenty Thousand Chariots of War And over all the several Regiments and Battalions he made those that had been brought up with him Commanders being such as had been us'd to Martial Exercises and from their Childhood hot and zealous after that which was brave and virtuous and that were knit together as Brothers in Love and Affection both to the King and one to another the number of whom were above Seventeen Hundred Upon these Companions of his he bestow'd large Estates in Lands in the richest Parts of Egypt that they might not be in the least want of any thing reserving only their Attendance upon him in the Wars Having therefore rendezvouz'd his Army he march'd first against the
their Hourly Imployment Sacrifices Diet c. Their Burials The division of Egypt Their Trades in Egypt Courts of Justice Their Law Proceedings The several Laws of Egypt Beasts and Birds ador'd in Egypt as Lions Wolves Cats the Bird Ibis Kites c. Costs in their Burial of these Creatures Reasons given of this Adoration SInce sufficient hath been said of the Egyptian Kings from the most ancient The Customs of the Egyptians Times to the Death of Amasis leaving for a while what remains till a more proper time we shall now give a brief account of those Laws and Customs of the Egyptians that are most to be admir'd and may especially delight and profit the Reader For many of the ancient Customs of the Egyptians were not only allow'd by the natural Inhabitants but were greatly admir'd by the Grecians so that every Learn'd Man earnestly coveted to travel into Egypt to learn the Knowledge of their Laws and Customs as things of great weight and moment And though the Country anciently forbad all reception to Strangers for the Reasons before alledg'd yet some of the Ancients as Orpheus and Homer and many of latter times as Pythagoras the Samian and Solon the Lawgiver adventur'd to travel thither And therefore the Egyptians assirm that Letters Astronomy Geometry and many other Arts were first found out by them and that the best Laws were made and instituted by them To confirm which they alledge this as an undeniable Argument that the Native Kings of Egypt have reign'd there for the space of above Four Thousand and Seven Hundred Years and that their Country for all that time has been the most prosperous and flourishing Kingdom in the World which could never have been so if the Inhabitants had not been civilized and brought up under good Laws and Liberal Education in all sorts of Arts and Sciences But we shall omit what Herodotus and other Writers of the Egyptian History relate who wilfully pursue and prefer prodigious Stories before Truth and relate a company of Fictions meerly for Sport and Diversion sake and shall give an Account of such things as we have carefully perus'd and examin'd recorded in their Books by the Egyptian Priests The First Kings of Egypt liv'd not after the way and manner of other Monarchs The way of Living of the First Kings of Egypt to do what they list without Controul but in every thing conform'd themselves to their Laws not only in the publick Administration of the Government but in their daily private Conversation and their very Meals and Diet. For among their Attendants they had neither Slaves for Servants nor such as were born in their Houses but the Sons of the chiefest of the Priests after they attain'd to the Age of Twenty Years brought up and educated more nobly than any other of the rest of the Egyptians that having such noble Attendants upon his Person of the best and highest Rank in the Kingdom to be always with him night and day he might not do any thing that was base and blame-worthy For no Prince is apt to be very wicked except he have some ready at Hand to incourage him in his Lusts There were Hours set apart in the Night as well as the Day wherein the King Hours set apart was to do something injoyn'd him by the Laws and not to indulge himself in his Pleasures When he rose in the Morning the first thing he was to do was to peruse all the publick Letters and Advices sent from all Parts that he might order his Concerns the better by having perfect knowledge of all the Affairs of the Kingdom Then Washing himself and putting on his Splendid Robes and the Ensigns and Badges of his Royal Authority he went to Sacrifice to the Gods When the Victims were brought to the Altar it was the Custom for the High The Priests Prayers for the King Priest in the presence of the King and People standing round about him to pray with a loud Voice for the Health and Prosperity of the King who righteously rul'd and govern'd his Subjects wherein he recounted all the Virtues of the Prince his Piety towards the Gods his kindness to his People how Continent Just Magnanimous and Faithful he was how Bountiful and what a Master he was over all inordinate Appetites and Passions how he was Mild and Gentle in inflicing Punishments upon Offenders less than their Deserts and Bountiful in distributing of his Rewards When the Priest had utter'd these and such like Commendations he at last pronounc'd a Curse upon all such Offences and Miscarriages as had been ignorantly committed yet withal clearing the King and laying all the Blame and Guilt upon his Ministers and Advisers And this the Priest did that he might thereby induce and persuade the King to an Awe of the Gods and to live so as might be pleasing to them and likewise by Praise and Commendation rather gently to win upon him than by harsh and rugged Rebukes to drive him to the practice of Virtuous Actions Afterwards when the King had view'd the Intrals and * Atton'd the Gods by Sacrifice History read finish'd his Sacrifices the Priests read out of the Sacred Records the Edicts Laws and most useful and remarkable Actions of such as were most famous in their Generations that the Prince might seriously consider and ponder upon what was most commendable in those Examples and imitate them according to the Rules there prescrib'd For there were not only set Times allotted for dispatch of publick Business and Administration of Justice but likewise for taking of the Air Bathing lying with the Queen and almost every action of their Lives The Custom was likewise for the Kings to feed upon plain and ordinary Meat Diet. as Veal and Goose and to drink Wine according to a stinted measure which might neither overcharge their Stomacks nor make them drunk Such a moderate Diet was prescrib'd as that it seem'd rather to be order'd by a Skilful Physitian for Health sake than by a Law-maker It is indeed to be admir'd and very strange that the King should not be left to his liberty for his daily Food but much more is it to be admir'd that he could not do any publick Business Condemn or Punish any Man to gratify his own Humour or Revenge or for any other unjust Judgment not to be given to gratify the King's Passion Cause but was bound to do according as the Laws had ordered in every particular case The Kings observing those Rules according to the ancient Custom were so far from thinking it dishonourable or being uneasy under it that they lookt upon themselves to live most desirable and happy Lives and judg'd that all other Men who inconsiderately indulg'd their natural Appetites did many things that were attended with great Losses or apparent Hazards at the least yea that some though they know beforehand that what they were about to do was ill and unjustifiable yet overcome either with
being reliev'd by the Athenians Garison under the Command of Leosthenes who had been before left there Alexander set upon the Athenians themselves It so hapned that as they were watching and had set a Guard upon Alexander's Fleet which then lay at Panormus he fell upon them on a sudden and obtain'd an unexpected Victory For he not only rescu'd his Men out of the Imminent dangers wherewith they were surrounded at Panormus but likewise took five Athenian Gallies and one of Peparethus and Six hundred Prisoners The Athenians being enrag'd at this misfortune Condemn'd Leosthenes to Death and Confiscated all his Goods and made Charetes Commander in his stead and sent him with a considerable Fleet into those parts who spent his time only in scaring the Enemies and oppressing the Confederates For Sailing to Corcyra a Confederate City he stirr'd up such Seditions and Tumults there as ended in many Slaughters Rapines and plundering of Mens Goods and Estates which caus'd the Athenians to be ill spoken of by all the Confederates committing many other villanies and to summ up all in a few Words he did nothing but what tended to the disgrace and dishonour of his Country Dionysiodorus and Anaxis Boeotian Writers who Compos'd an History of the Grecian Affairs end their Relations with this Year And now having given an Account of those Affairs and things done before the Reign of Philip according to our first design P. 508. we shall put an end to this Book In the next following shall be Comprehended what Ant. Ch. 359. ever was done by that King from the beginning of his Reign to the time of his Death with other things that happen'd in the known parts of the World ASIAE Veteribus Cognit◠Tabula BOOK XVI IT 's the Duty of all Writers of History whether they Treat of the Actions of Kings PREFACE or of particular Cities to relate the Whole from the Beginning to the Conclusion For we conceive that hereby the History is both better remembred and more clearly Understood For imperfect Relations without Knowledge of the Issue of what is begun gives an unpleasant Check to the Diligent Reader 's eager Expectation But where the Matter is drawn down by a continu'd Thred to the end of the Narration such Writings make the History compleat in all its Parts but more especially if the Nature of things done do lead the Writer as it were by the Hand This Course is by no means to be neglected Since therefore we are now come to the Affairs of Philip Son of Amyntas we according to the former Rule shall endeavour to comprehend in this Book all the Actions of this King For he reign'd as King of Macedon Two and Twenty Years who making use at the first but of small means at length advanc'd his Kingdom to be the Greatest in Europe and made Macedon which at the time of his coming to the Crown was under the servile Yoke of the Illyrians Mistress of many potent Cities and Countries And through his Valour the Grecian Cities voluntarily submitted themselves to him and made him General of all Greece And having subdued * The Phocians those that Robb'd and Spoil'd the Temple at Delphos coming in aid of the God there he was made a Member of the Senate of the Amphictyons and for a Reward of his Zeal to the Gods the Right of Voting in the The Court of the Amphictyons was the great Court of Greece which sate at Delphos in Phocis like to the States-General at the Hague Vid. Paus Lib. 10. Cap. 8. The Phocians had two Votes in that Assembly Senate which belonged to the Phocians whom he had overcome was allotted to him After he had overcome the Illyrians Paeones Thracians Scythians and the Countries adjoyning to them his Thoughts were wholly imploy'd how to destroy the Persian Monarchy But after he had set free all the Grecian Cities and was promised Forces to be raised for the Expedition into Asia in the midst of all his preparations he was prevented by Death But he left those and so many more Forces behind him that his Son Alexander had no occasion to make use of the Assistance of his Confederates in the Overturning of the Persian Empire And all those things he did not so much by the Favour of Fortune as by the Greatness of his own Valour For this King excell'd most in the Art of a General Stoutness of Spirit and Clearness of Judgment and Apprehension But that we may not in a Preface set forth his Actions before hand we shall proceed to the orderly Course of the History making first some short Remarks of the Times that went before CHAP. I. Philip an Hostage at Thebes makes his Escape Beats the Athenians After makes Peace with them Subdues the Paeones and routs the Illyrians and makes Peace with them WHEN Callimedes was Archon at Athens in the Hundred and Fifth Olympiad in which Porus the Cyrenian was Victor Cneius Genucius and Olymp. 105. An. M. 3612. Ant. Ch. 358. Lucius Aemilius Roman Consuls Philip the Son of Amyntas and Father of Alexander who conquer'd the Persians came to the Crown in the manner following Amyntas being brought under by the Illyrians was forced to pay Tribute to the Conquerors who having taken his youngest Son Philip as an Hostage deliver'd him to be kept by the Thebans who committed the young Youth to the Care of * Polymnis was the Father of Epaminondas the Father of Epaminondas with order to look to his Charge with all Diligence and honourably to Educate and Instruct him A Pythagorean Philosopher was at that time Tutor to Epaminondas with whom Philip being brought up he improv'd more than ordinary in the Pythagorean Philosophy And both these Scholars imploying the utmost of their Parts and Diligence in the Prosecution of their Studies both by that means became Famous for their virtuous Qualifications Epaminondas it 's known to all having run through many Hazards and Difficulties beyond all expectation gain'd the Sovereignty of all Greece for his Country And Philip having the same Advantages shew'd himself nothing inferior to Epaminondas in glorious Atchievements For after the Death of Amyntas his Eldest Son Alexander succeeded him in the Kingdom but Ptolemy Alorites murder'd him and Usurp'd the Government and he himself was serv'd with the same Sauce by Perdiccas who being afterwards overcome in a great Battel by the Illyrians and kill'd * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In a Critical Conjuncture in the very time when there was most need of a King Philip the Brother made his escape and took Possession of the Kingdom now in a very shatter'd Condition For there were above Four Thousand Macedonians kill'd in the Fight and those that surviv'd were in such Consternation and Fear of the Illyrians that they had no heart left for the Prosecuting of the War Ant. Ch. 358. About the same time the Paeones Neighbours to the Macedonians in contempt of them wasted their Country
the Persian War by Neoptolemus his Verses Philip's Pride His Murther The Cause of it and how it was done and by whom WHen Pythodorus was chief Governor of Athens and Quintus Publius and Tiberius Olymp. 111. 1. Ant. Ch. 334. An. M. 3609. Aemilius Mamercus were Roman Consuls the Hundred and Eleventh Olympiad was celebrated wherein Cleomentis Cletorius wan the Prize In this Year Philip began the War against the Persians and forthwith sent A taâ—us and Parmenio before into Asia to free the Greek Cities there from Slavery He himself intending to have the Concurrence of the Gods consulted the Oracle at Delphos whether or no he should be victorious over Philip consults the Oracle the King of Persia The Answer was thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ox is crown'd when 's end is near at hand To offer him a Man doth ready stand This doubtful Answer Philip constru'd to his own advantage as if the Oracle had expresly foretold that he should lead away the Persian King as a Victim to the Sacrifice But in truth it fell out quite otherwise and by the effect it appear'd that it had a contrary Signification to wit that Philip in a Throng at the time of a Sacred Festival was to be knock'd on the Head like a Bullock crown'd with a Garland for Sacrifice In the mean time he was very jocund as if he had conquer'd Asia already and concluded the Gods were engag'd with him in the Expedition Without delay therefore he offer'd most costly and magnificent Sacrifices and at the same time solemnized the Marriage of his Daughter Cleopatra by Olympias He Marry'd her to Alexander King of Epirus Brother of Olympias Having therefore a desire of a considerable Appearance of Philip's pompous Festivals at the Marriage of his Daughter Cleopatra the Graecians at this Nuptial Festivity conjoin'd with his Religious Sacrifices he made most pompous Preparation for the Entertainment of his Friends and Guests both with Musick Dancing and Feasting To this End he Invited those that were his special Friends and Familiars all over Greece and commanded his Servants and Attendants that they should invite as many Strangers from all Places as were of their own Acquaintance And his main design in all this was that he might assure all the Graecians of his Kindness towards them and testify his Gratitude by these Friendly Entertainments for the Honours conferr'd upon him A vast Concourse of People therefore were got together from all Places to the Solemnity of these Nuptials which were magnificently Solemniz'd at * Or Aegeas Aeges in Macedonia with all sorts of Sports and Plays so that not only Noblemen and Persons of Quality but even many great Cities presented Philip with Crowns of Gold Among the Cities Athens made one and when the Common Cryer with a loud Voice presented the Crown sent from them to Philip he clos'd with this That if any Plotter of Treason against Philip should hereafter slee to Athens for shelter he should be forthwith deliver'd up By this accidental Publication of this Cryer it seem'd to be intimated as it were by some Divine Providence that some piece of Treachery was near at hand to be executed There were several other the like Words as by a Divine Instigation uttered which portended the King's Death There was then at the Festival Neoptolemus the Tragedian Neoptolemus the Poet. remarkable above all others for the Loudness of his Voice and Famous and Eminent in other respects He had commanded him to repeat some Verses which he was ordered to compose especially relating to the Persian Expedition Whereupon he began to recite a Witty Poem proper as he thought to Philip's intended Passage into Asia wherein he set forth the Glory and Greatness of the Persian King and though he was so Famous all the World over yet that Fortune would some time or other bring him down The Poem was thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Y 're Minds are Higher than the Sky o'er-grown The greatest part of Earth you wish y 're own Houses to Houses join Fools without end You would y 're Lives as well as Lands extend But doleful Death alas Although ye do Creep towards it will gallop unto you Of long Hopes very shortly cut the Clue He added likewise other to the same Sense with these But Philip resting wholly upon these recited his Thoughts were altogether full of his Conquering the King of Persia And he much revolv'd in his Mind the Answer given him by the Oracle which agreed in all Points with the Words of the Tragedian After the Feast for that time was ended and the Sports were to be renew'd the next Day a great number of People in the Night-time flock'd into the Theatre And whereas twelve Images of the Gods amongst other sumptuous Preparations most curiously wrought and richly adorn'd were brought forth in pompous Procession the Image of Philip cloth'd like the Gods in every respect made the Thirteenth hereby arrogating to Philip's Pride himself a Place as if he would be inthron'd among the * There were 12 chief Gods among the Greeks they were call'd Olympii their Names Jupiter Mars Mercury Neptune Vulcan Apollo Juno Vesta Minerva Ceres Diana Venus Vid. Herodotus in Terpsicore Gods The Theatre being now full he himself came forth cloathed in a white Robe his Life-Guard following him at a great Distance designing thereby to evidence it to all that he judg'd himself secure in the Hearts and Affections of the Grecians and therefore stood not in need of the Guard of his Halberteers While he was thus with loud and joyful Acclamations cry'd up as it were to the Stars and the whole Multitude resounded his Praise upon a sudden and beyond all Mens expectation he was treacherously †Phi. murder'd murther'd But for the Clearer and more distinct Understanding of the History in this matter we This was about our 24th of September The manner and occasion of Philip's Murther shall first relate the Causes and Grounds of this Assassination There was one Pausanias a Macedonian of the City call'd Oristis one of the King's Esquires of the Body and for his Beauty dearly belov'd of him This Man taking notice how much another young Youth of the same Name was doted on by Philip fell upon him with very foul and opprobrious Language telling him he was an * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hermaphradite for that he prostituted himself to the Lust of every one that would He resented this Disgrace very ill but conceal'd it for a while Afterwards consulting with Attalus what was to be done for the future he determin'd presently after in an unusual manner to put an end to his own Life For within a while after in a Battel wherein Philip was engag'd against Plurias King of the Illyrians Pausanias in the heat of the Fight interpos'd himself between the
that the Name of the King was only chang'd but that the Government should not be manag'd a jot worse than it was when his Father was alive He courteously likewise gave Audience to the Ambassadors and desir'd the Grecians that they would have the same Kindness for him that they had for his Father which he so esteem'd as that he look'd upon it as part of his Inheritance Then he employ'd himself in the frequent Trainings of the Soldiers and in Martial Exercises and brought the Army readily to submit to his Commands Attalus the Uncle of Cleopatra Philip's other Wife conspir'd to gain the Kingdom and therefore he resolv'd to take him out of the way For Cleopatra was brought to bed of a Son a few Alexander â—n rives how to kill Attalus Days before the Death of Philip and Attalus was sent a little before as General with Parmenio his Colleague with an Army into Asia where by his Bribes and fair Tongue he so gain'd the Hearts of the Soldiers that the Army was wholly at his Devotion Therefore the King conceiv'd he had just cause to be jealous of him lest if he should side with the Grecians who he knew were his Enemies he should by that means gain the Kingdom to himself Therefore he made choice of Heccateus one of his Friends and sent him with a considerable Army into Asia with Command to bring over Attalus alive if Ant. Ch. 333. he could and if he could not effect that to take the first Opportunity to kill him When he came into Asia he join'd his Forces with Attalus and Parmenio and watch'd a fit Opportunity to execute what he was commanded In the mean time Alexander being inform'd that many of the Greciani were hatching some Mischief in order to new Commotions his Thoughts were greatly perplex'd and Conspiracies among the Grecians against Alexander disturb'd For the Athenians Demosthenes stirring them up against the Macedonians rejoyc'd at the News of Philip's Death and resolv'd that the Macedonians should no longer domineer over Greece To this end they sent over Ambassadors to Attalus and privately consulted with him concerning the Management of the whole Affair and stirr'd up many of the Cities to assert their Liberties The Etolians made a Decree to recall the Exiles of Acarnania whom Philip had driven out of their Country The Ambrociots by the Persuasion of Aristarchus drave outthe Garison that was there and restor'd the Democracy The Thebans likewise decreed to cast out the Garison that was in the Citadel of Cadmea and that Alexander should never with their Consent have Command in Greece The Arcadians Ant. Ch. 333. also as they were the only People that refus'd to give their Consent that Philip should be General of Greece so they now rejected Alexander The rest of the Peloponnesians as the Argives Eleans Lacedaemonians and some others were with all their might for their own Government To conclude many of the Nations beyond Macedonia waited for an Opportunity to rebell and great Commotions there were among the Barbarians in those Parts Notwithstanding all which and the Fears that were every where in the Kingdom and though he was but a Youth yet in a short time beyond all expectation he overcame all those Difficulties and made all plain and clear before him reducing some to their Duty by fair and smooth Words and others through fear and dread of Punishments and the rest he compell'd by force to stoop to his Sovereignty In the first place he so far gain'd upon the Thessalians both by Promises of large Rewards and by his smooth and courteous Language telling them how near of kin he was to them by his Descent from Hercules that they by a Publick Decree declar'd him General of Greece as that which descended to him from his Father Having gain'd this Point he brought over the bordering Nations to the same Good Opinion of him Then he went to Pyle and in the Senate of the Amphictyons he so manag'd his Matters that by the General Consent of all he was created Generalissimo of all Greece He assur'd the Ambrociots Alexander made General of Greece in a kind and smooth Oration made to them That he had that Kindness for them that he would presently restore them to that Liberty which they so lately sought to recover But to strike the greater Terror into those that regarded not his Words he came with a swift March with an Army of Macedonians in an hostile manner into Baeotia and encamping near Cadmea struck a Terror into the City of the Thebans About the same time the Athenians hearing of the King 's coming into Boeotia slighted Ant. Ch. 333. him no longer For the Quickness of the Youth and his diligent dispatch of Business greatly terrify'd the Revolters Hereupon the Athenians order'd every thing they had in the Country to be brought into the City and the Walls to be repair'd and guarded as well as they could and sent Ambassadors to Alexander to beg pardon that they had no The Athenians send Ambassadors to Alexander sooner own'd his Sovereignty and order'd Demosthenes to accompany the Ambassadors But he came not with the other to Alexander but return'd from Citherone to Athens either because he was afraid upon the account of the Speeches he had publickly made against the Macedonians or that he was not willing to displease the Persian King For it is reported that he had receiv'd great Sums of Money from the Persians to beat down the Interest of the Macedonians by his Orations Which was hinted they say by Eschines in one of his Speeches wherein he upbraids Demosthenes for taking of Bribes in these Words Now the King's Gold plentifully bears all his Charges But this will not serve his turn long for * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a debaucht Course Covetousness is never satisfy'd with Abundance But to proceed Alexander return'd a very courteous Answer to the Ambassadors which freed the Athenians from their Fears and he order'd all the Ambassadors and * Of the Amphictyons Members of the Council to meet him at Corinth where when those who were usually Members of the General Council were come the King by a gracious Speech so prevail'd with the Grecians that they created him General of all Greece and decreed him Aid and Assistance against the Persians in order to revenge the many Injuries the Greeks had receiv'd Ant. Ch. 333. from them Having gain'd the Honour he thus sought for he march'd back with his Army into Macedonia Having now given an Account of the Affairs of Greece we shall relate next what things were done in Asia For Attalus presently upon the death of Philip began to set up for himself and to that end made a League with the Athenians in order by their joint Concurrence to oppose Alexander But afterwards he chang'd his Mind and fent a Letter written to him by Demosthenes to Alexander and in many smooth and flattering Expressions endeavour'd to
clear himself of all those Crimes and Miscarriages that were laid to his charge However he was afterwards kill'd by Hecateus according to the King's Command upon which the Macedonian Army in Asia laid aside all Thoughts of a Defection for that Attalus was now gone and Parmenio greatly lov'd Alexander But being we are now about to write of the Kingdom of Persia it 's necessary that we begin our Relation a little higher Lately in the Reign of Philip * Darius Ochus Ochus poison'd by Bagoas Ochus rul'd over the Persians hated by all for his Ill Nature and Cruelty towards his Subjects Bagoas therefore a Colonel in the Army and an Eunuch but a wicked and beastly Fellow poison'd the King by the help of his Physician and plac'd the King's youngest Son Arses upon the Throne He likewise murder'd the New King's Brothers who were yet very young that being thus bereft of his Relations he might be more observant to himself But the Young Man abhorring the Wickedness of this Wretch and plainly by many Tokens discovering his Design to punish him Bagoas smelling it out murther'd Arses and Arses murder'd by Bagoas all his Children in the Third Year of his Reign The Royal Family being thus extinct and none of that Race left who could make any Title to the Crown he advanc'd one of his Friends call'd Darius to the Kingdom He Ant. Ch. 333. was the Son of Arsanus the Brother of Artaxerxes King of Persia But the Fate of Bagoas was very remarkable for having habituated himself to Cruelty he resolv'd likewise to poison Darius in a medicinal Potion But this Treason being discover'd the King sent Bagoas justly punish'd by Darius friendly to speak with him and when he came deliver'd to him the Cup and forc'd him to drink it off And indeed Darius was judg'd worthy to enjoy the Kingdom being look'd upon as the most Valiant Man among the Persians For heretofore when Artaxerxes was engag'd in a Battel against the Cadusians one of the Enemy of a strong Body and couragious Spirit challeng'd any of the Persians there present to a single Combat which when none would dare to undertake this Darius enter'd the List and kill'd the Cadusian For which he was highly rewarded by the King and gain'd the chiefest Reputation for Valour among the Persians And for this reason also he was accounted worthy of the Crown of Persia and began to Reign about the same time that Philip dy'd and Alexander succeeded in the Kingdom The Valour therefore of Alexander meeting with such a Man as this for his Adversary to cope with was the occasion so many Battels were fought for the Empire with that Resolution as they were But these Matters will appear more clear hereafter when things come to be distinctly and particularly related For the present we shall return to the Ant. Ch. 333. orderly course of the History * Darius Codomannus conquer'd by Alexander Darius being advanc'd to the Throne of Persia a little before the Death of Philip he was contriving how to avert the War threatned and bring it over to Macedonia it self But when he was dead and so the King freed from that Fear he slighted and despis'd the Youth of Alexander But being for his Valour and Activeness of Spirit in dispatch of Business at length created General of all Greece the Fame and Valour of the Young Man was * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every Man's mouth And Darius now began to look about him and employ'd his chief Care to raise Forces and fitted out a great Fleet and made choice of the best Officers he could procure to Command his Army which was now very great and numerous among whom Memnon the Rhodian was one a Brave man both for Valour and Discipline Him the King Commanded to march to * Cyzicus an Island in the Propontis and a City there Cyzicus with Five thousand men and to endeavour to take in that City Who in order thereto march'd his Army over the Mountain Ida. Some fabulously report that this Mountain was so call'd from Ida of Meliseus It is the highest Mountain of any about the Hellespont In the middle is a Cave as if it A Description of Mount Ida. were made of purpose to entertain the Gods in which it is reported That * This was Paris the Son of Pâ—iam called Alexander who decided the Controversy between Juno Minerva and Venus by giving the Golden Apple to Venus as the fairest Paus l. 5. c. 19. Alexander gave Judgment concerning the Goddesses Here it 's said the * The Sons of Minerva and Apollo Idei Dactyli were born who were the first that were taught to work in Iron †Cybele by the Mother of the Gods A thing also very Wonderful and Remarkable is ascrib'd to this Place For at the rising of the * In August Dog-Star there is such a Serenity and Calmness of the Air upon the Top of the Mount as if it were there above all Storms and Winds and then even at Midnight the Sun seems to rise so as that its Rays appear not in a Circular Form but casts abroad Flames of Fire here and there at a great distance so that it seems as if Flakes of Fire in several Places overspread the Earth which within a little while after are contracted into one Body till they come to the quantity of Three * Three hundred Foot Plethras At length when the Day is at hand there appears as it were the compleat Body of the Sun inlightning the Air as it uses to do at other times But to proceed Memnon having pass'd over this Mountain assaults Cyzicum on a sudden Ant. Ch. 333. Memnon and was very near surprizing of it But failing in his Design he harrass'd the Country and return'd loaden with a rich Booty In the mean time Parmenio took Grynnius by Storm and sold all the Inhabitants for Parmenio takes Grynnius Slaves Then he besieg'd Pitane but Memnon approaching the Macedonians in a Fright quitted the Siege Afterwards Callas with a Body of Macedonians and other Mercenaries fought with the Persians in the Country of Troas and being overpower'd with Number was beaten and forc'd to retire to Rhetium And in this Condition was Asia at that time Alexander having quieted all the Commotions in Greece march'd with his Army into Thrace which struck such Terror into those People that had caus'd Tumults and Disorders there that he forc'd them to submit to his Government Then he invaded Peonia and * Now Dalmatia or Sclavonia Illyria and the People bordering upon them and having subdu'd those that had Revolted he likewise brought under his Dominion the Barbarians next adjoyning While he was engag'd in these Wars he receiv'd Intelligence that many of the Graecians were about to Revolt and that a considerable Number of the Greek Cities particularly Thebes had already actually rejected his Sovereignty He was hereupon in a great Rage
together for their remaining Liberties But the Athenians in regard they had receiv'd many Kindnesses and Marks of Honour from Alexander beyond all the rest of the Cities continu'd quiet and firm in their Duty But many of the Peloponnesians and some others entred into the League and inroll'd their Names as Soldiers for the Army so as according as every City was able they sent forth the choicest of their Youth and rais'd an Army of Twenty thousand Foot and Two thousand Horse The Management of the whole War was left to the Lacedaemonians who were resolv'd to lay all at Stake and made Agis General Antipater hearing of the Defection of the Greeks compos'd all Matters relating to the War in Thrace as well as he could and march'd with all his Forces into Greece having no less than Forty thousand Greek Auxiliaries as Confederates Hereupon a great Battel was fought wherein Agis though he behav'd himself with great Valour and Resolution was kill'd and at length the Lacedaemonians having stood to it stoutly for a long time upon their Confederates giving Ground likewise retreated towards Sparta There fell of the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates in this Battel above Five thousand and Three hundred Of those with Antipater Three thousand and Five hundred There was one Thing very Remarkable concerning the Death of Agis Having fought with great Gallantry and Resolution and receiv'd many Wounds he was carry'd off by the Soldiers in order to be brought back to his own Country but being surrounded by the Enemy and finding no likelihood to escape he charg'd his Soldiers forthwith to be gone and preserve themselves for the further Service of their Country He himself remain'd and with his Sword in his Hand fought it out upon his Knees and kill'd several of the Assailants till at length being shot through the Body with a Dart he there dy'd after he had reign'd Nine Years Thus far for Europe we shall now return again to the Affairs of Asia CHAP. VII Alexander comes to Babylon The Wealth found there Views his Troops at Sitacana The Riches there Thence goes into the Country of the Uxians Marches towards Persepolis A Company of maim'd Greeks met Alexander His Bounty to them He takes Persepolis gives it up to the Plunder of the Soldiers The Riches of the Cittadel of Persepolis Alexander's Feast at Persepolis Persepolis burnt at the Instigation of Thais Darius murder'd DArius being routed at Arabela fled towards the higher Provinces to the end that he might both by the distance of the Place recruit himself and likewise have more time to raise a new Army He came first to Ecbatane where he stay'd for some time and there receiv'd his broken Troops that came in to him and arm'd again such as had lost their Arms. He sent likewise for the Militia out of the Neighbouring Provinces and dispatch'd Messengers to the Lord-Lieutenants and Commanders in Bactria and the upper Praefectures wishing them to abide firm to him in their Faith and Loyalty Ant. Ch. 328. In the mean time Alexander after he had buri'd those that were kill'd in the Battel enter'd Arbela where he found abundance of rich Furniture of the Kings and vast Treasures of the Barbarians amounting to Three thousand Talents of Silver But because he judg'd that the Air thereabouts must needs be infected through the Stench of the Bodies that lay there slain he presently remov'd his Camp and came with all his Alexander comes to Babylon Forces to Babylon where he was chearfully receiv'd by the Inhabitants and splendid Entertainment afforded to the Macedonians And there his Army was refresh'd after the many Toils and Difficulties they had undergone And thus in the Confluence of all Things desirable and free and noble Entertainment of the Citizens he continu'd in the City above Thirty Days Then he made Agatho of Pydna Governor of the Castle with a Garison of Seven Hundred Macedonians To Apollodorus of Amphipolis and Menetes of Pelea he gave the Government of Babylon and of all the Prefectures as far as to Cilicia and order'd them to raise what Forces they could and gave them a Thousand Talents for that purpose He made Mithrinas who betray'd the Castle of Sardis Lord Lieutenant of Armenia Of the Monies that he found in Babylon he gave to every Horseman * About 19 l. Six Minas to every Auxiliary Five to each of the Macedonian Phalanx Two and to every Foreign Mercenary Two Months Pay The King removing from Babylon as he was in his March there came to him Recruits from Antipater Five hundred Macedonian Horse and Six thousand Foot Six hundred Recruits come to him Thracian Horse and Three thousand Five hundred Trallians From Peloponnesus Four thousand Ant. Ch. 328. Foot and almost a Thousand Horse Among these were sent Fifty of the Sons of the King 's special Friends from Macedonia design'd by their Fathers to be of the King's Life-Guard Having receiv'd these he march'd forward and came after Six Decampments into the Province of Sitacina And here he stay'd several Days in regard the Country abounded in all Things necessary for the Life of Man and for that he had a mind his Soldiers should refresh themselves after their tedious March And had a Purpose likewise to take a more exact View and Account of his Troops and to inlarge the Commands and Governments of his Captains and Commanders and so to strengthen his Army both by the Number of Soldiers and Valour of their Officers All which he forthwith put in Execution and making choice of the most Deserving with the utmost Care possible he advanc'd many from very considerable Places of Trust and Authority to much higher Preferments by which means he both promoted his Officers and gain'd their Hearts and Affections at the same time He took care also for the better Government of the Common Soldiers and by many new Inventions put every thing into a better Order and Posture than they were before To conclude when he had so manag'd every thing as that he had gain'd the Love of the whole Army and made them in all Points observant to his Commands and was assur'd for Valour they would give Ground to none he march'd forward in order to finish by fighting what further remain'd When he came to the Province of Susiana he presently without any difficulty gain'd the Possession Ant. Ch. 328. of Susa the Royal City the most beautiful Palace of the Universe which was voluntarily surrender'd to him by Abuletes the Lord Lieutenant of the Province But some Writers Enters Susa have said That this was done by order from Darius himself to them that otherwise would have been both Loyal and Faithful to his Interest and that this was done by the Persian King for this end that Alexander being taken up with Matters of such great Moment as taking Possession of famous and noble Cities and loading himself with vast Treasures Darius might gain more time for the raising of fresh
likewise Purple Gowns upon his Friends and cloath'd all his Horsemen in the Persian Habit. He began likewise to carry his Concubines along with him from place to place as Darius us'd to do who had almost as many as the Days in the Year and were the greatest Beauties that could be found throughout all Asia These stood round the King's Bed every Night that he might take his choice of whom he pleas'd to lie with him However for the most part he follow'd the ancient Customs of his Ancestors and us'd the other but seldom lest he should offend the Macedonians and when some notwithstanding complain'd of the King he stopp'd their Mouths with Gifts and Bribes About this time Intelligence was brought him that Satibarzanes one of Darius his Lord Lieutenants had kill'd all the Soldiers he had committed to his Charge and was join'd in Conspiracy with Bessus to make War upon the Macedonians whereupon he march'd out against him Satibarzanes had got all his Forces together into Chrotacana a most Noble City in those Parts and naturally fortify'd but as soon as the King came in sight being terrify'd with the Greatness of the King's Army and the Valour of the Macedonians which was now cry'd up all the World over he hasted away with Two thousand Horse to Bessus to procure help from him with all speed The rest of his Forces he ordered to make to a Ant. Ch. 327. Mountain near at hand which was full of straight Passes and where they might lye close and secure when they durst not Engage with the Enemy in the open Field Upon this the King was so intent and diligent as he always was that though they had shelter'd themselves in a large Rock and naturally strong yet he reduc'd the Besieg'd to those streights as that he forc'd them to Surrender themselves Afterwards having reduc'd all the Cities in this Province in the space of Thirty days he left Hircania and came to the Royal City of * Drangina where he Encamp'd and refresh'd In the Province of Drangiana â—n Persia his Army About tâ—is time a most wicked Plot was laid against Alexander very unworthy the A Plot against Alexander Goodness of his Disposition For one of the King's Friends call'd Dimnus blaming the King for something he had done and thereupon become Enrag'd at him contriv'd to Assassinate him This Man had a Catamite call'd Nicomachus whom he dearly lov'd him he went about to persuade to join with him in this Wicked Design But being a very young Youth he discover'd the whole Business to his Brother Cebalinus who fearing lest some other should be before him in the Discovery resolv'd to make the first Discovery to the King Thereupon he goes to the Court and first meets Philotas and acquaints him with what he had heard and intreats him to inform the King what was hatching out of hand Philocas whether through Covetousness or that he was one of the Conspirators it 's not certain minded not to make the Discovery of what had been imparted to him For though he went in to the King and had a long Discourse with him of divers matters Ant. Ch 327. yet he told him nothing of what Cebalinus had related to him But when he came out told Cebalinus that he had not had as yet a fit Opportunity for opening of the Matter to the King but that the next Day he would take him aside by himself and discover all that Cebalinus had made known to him Philotas neglecting the Business the next Day also Cebalinus was afraid lest if it should be discover'd by some other Person and so he himself should be in great danger Therefore he wav'd Philotas and goes to one of the King's Pages and tells him the whole Plot wishing him forthwith to acquaint the King and then withdraws himself into the Armory and there lay private The Page took the Opportunity when the King was in the Bath and related to him the whole Matter told him by Cebalinus and that he then lay hid and secret in the Armory At this the King was greatly staâ—tled and forthwith order'd Dimnus to be seiz'd and now fully inform'd of the Conspiracy sent for Cebalinus and Philotas When every thing after strict Examination was fully discover'd Dimnus stabb'd himself Philotas confess'd his Neglect in not making the Discovery but utterly deny'd that he had any hand in the Conspiracy The King hereupon committed the Examination of the Business to the Judgment of the Macedonians who after many Arguments and Debates Pro and Con condemn'd Philotas and the rest of the Conspirators to die amongst whom was Parmenio who was ever thought to have been one of the King 's most faithful Friends And though he was not Ant. Ch. 327. then present himself yet it was suspected that he manag'd the Business by his Son Philotas Philotas therefore being put upon the Rack confess'd the whole Plot and so he and the other Conspirators were put to Death according to the manner of their Philotas put to Death own Country Alexander Lyncestes also who was before accus'd of a Conspiracy against the King suffer'd in the same manner He had been now three years in custody but his Trial was deferr'd to that time for the sake of Antigonus who had a great kindness for him and between whom there was a particular Friendship and Familiarity But being then brought before the Macedonian Senate and having nothing by way of Plea to say for himself he was Executed with the rest Then Alexander dispatch'd some away upon Dromadary Camels to prevent the Report of Philotas his Punishment and by that means caus'd Parmenio the Father of Philotas to be seiz'd unawares and put to Death he was then Governor of Media and was intrusted with the King's Treasures in Ecbatana which amounted to an Hundred and Fourscore thousand Talents About the same time he sever'd from the rest of his Army all such as had given out harsh Expressions against him and grumbl'd at the Death of Parmenio and all those who had written false and scandalous Letters to their Friends in Macedonia relating to the King's Affairs All these he cast into one Company or Regiment which he call'd the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unruly Company lest by their unseasonable Jangling and Prating they should corrupt the rest of the Macedonians After these things thus done and that he had settl'd his Affairs in Drangina he march'd against the Arimaspi as they were anciently call'd but now * Benefactors Evergetae which Name was given them upon the following account Cyrus who was the first that translated the Empire from the Medes to the Persians in a certain Expedition he had undertaken being brought into great Extremity in a barren Country for want of Provision insomuch as the Ant Ch. 327. Soldiers to satisfy their Hunger were forc'd to eat the Flesh one of another the Arimispi at that time brought to his Army Thirty thousand Carts
Death was anointing himself and his Royal Robes and Crown that while laid upon the Throne the Fetters of one of the Natural Inhabitants that was then in Chains fell off and unloos'd of their own accord and the Person not being discern'd by any of the Watch pass'd through the Court-Gates without any Opposition and made streight to the Throne and put on the Royal Robes and Crown upon his Head and sate upon the Throne without any disturbance Which Fact being nois'd abroad the King was amaz'd at the strangeness of the Thing and went to the place and without any Rebuke calmly ask'd the Man Who he was and who advis'd him to do so Who plainly and simply answer'd He knew nothing at all This strange Accident was referr'd to the Consideration of the Augurs by whose Advice the poor Wretch was put to death that the Evil portended if any were might fall upon his own Head The King having now got his Robes again sacrific'd to the Gods his Protectors But however he continu'd much disturb'd and perplex'd in his Mind and then began to reflect upon what the Caldeans had foretold and fretted against those Philosophers that persuaded him to enter into Babylon but admir'd the Art and profound Wisdom of the Ant. Ch. 322. Caldeans To conclude he curst those who by subtil Arguments had disputed against the Necessity of Fate Not long after God shew'd another Prodigy concerning the Change of the Kingdom The King had a desire to see the * This he had newly made Haven at Babylon and being come there they went on board with some of his Nobles that attended him and while they were sailing the King's Ship was separated from the rest and tossed to and fro for several Days together so as that he wholly despair'd of his Life and being at length carry'd through a narrow Creek where Bushes and Trees grew thick upon both sides his Turbant or Diadem by one of the Boughs was pluck'd off from his Head and hurl'd into the Water which one of the Mariners spying swam to it and for the better securing of it clapt it upon his own Head and swam back to the Ship After he had wander'd up and down three Days and three Nights he return'd at length safe with his Diadem to his Friends and again consulted the Soothsayers concerning this Prodigy who advis'd him immediately with all diligence to offer splendid Sacrifices to the Gods But at the time of these Sacrifices he was invited by one Medius a Thessalian one of his Friends to a Banquet where when he was in his Cups and even drunk with Wine he quaft off the Great Bowl call'd Hercules his Cup Whereupon as if he had been struck with a Thunder-bolt he fetch'd a deep Sigh and was then presently led out by his Ant. Ch. 322. Nobles and so left the place Those who had him in their Charge forthwith laid him upon his Bed and there diligently attended him His Distemper increasing his Physicians were call'd in but they were not able to administer any thing for his Relief At length his Sickness was so violent and his Pains so great that he himself despair'd of Life and in that Condition drew off his Ring from his Finger and deliver'd it to Perdiccas His Commanders then ask'd him To whom Sir do you leave the Kingdom He answer'd To the most Deserving And when he utter'd his last Words he told them That the Chiefest of his Friends and Commanders would solemnize his Funeral when he was gone with Blood and Contention And thus died Alexander when he had reign'd Twelve Years and Seven Months having perform'd such Mighty Acts as no King ever did before him Alexander's Death nor any since to this day But because some Writers differ as to the Cause and Manner of his Death affirming that he was poison'd by a deadly Potion given him it 's necessary to relate what they have reported concerning this matter They say that Antipater whom Alexander had made his Viceroy in Europe fell out with Olympias the King's Mother of which at first no great matter was made because the King would not hear any of the Accusations against him But afterwards the Quarrels and Heart-burnings growing higher and higher the King out of his Piety and Awe to the Gods conceiv'd it his Duty to gratifie his Mother whereupon he gave many apparent Signs and Tokens of the Alienation of his Affections from Antipater And as further Fuel to the Flame the putting to death Parmenio and Philotas Ant. Ch. 322. did not a little terrifie and afright the Nobility And therefore it 's said he order'd his Son who was Alexander's Cupbearer to put Poison into his Wine But because he was a Man of great Power in Europe after the Death of Alexander and that Cassander his Son succeeded him in the Kingdom many Historians durst not say any thing in their Writings of Poison However it 's very apparent that Cassander was a great Enemy to the Concerns of Alexander For he suffer'd the Body of Olympias after she was murder'd to lie with Disdain unbury'd and he made it his great Business to re-edifie Thebes which Alexander had raz'd to the Ground When the King was dead Sisigambris the Mother of Darius with abundance of Tears bewail'd the Death of Alexander and her own desolate Condition upon that account insomuch as to the last Minute she would neither eat nor see the Light and so the Fifth Day after died of Hunger in extream Sorrow but with as much Glory and Reputation Having now brought down our History to the Death of Alexander as we design'd in the Beginning of this we shall proceed to give an Account of the Acts of his Successors in the following Books BOOK XVIII PYthagoras the Samian and some others of the ancient Natural Philosophers PREFACE held that the Souls of Men were immortal and that to foretell future Events at the very point of Death when the Soul is even parting with the Body is the Effect and Consequent of this Truth To which Homer witnesses when he brings in Hector when he was even breathing his last telling Achilles that he should die within a very short time afterwards The same is attested of many others of later Times and confirm'd especially by the Death of Alexander the Macedonian who dying at Babylon and being ask'd by his Commanders and those about him at the time he was giving up his last Breath Who should succeed him he answer'd The most Worthy * Or The Best For I foresee says he that great and grievous Quarrels amongst my Friends will be the Sacrifices to me after my Funeral Which hapend accordingly for the Chiefest of his Commanders fell together by the Ears about the Principality and great Wars after the Death of Alexander broke forth amongst them Whose Actions are contain'd in this Book which will clearly evidence to the studious Reader the Truth of what is now said The former comprehended all
for that none of the succeeding Kings since Battus govern'd so Justly and Righteously as he did for he reign'd mildly and gently content only with the Name of a King and that which was most commendable of all was that he carefully kept and maintain'd the Worship of the Gods but his Successors always ever since have reign'd Tyrannically and converted the publick Treasure to their own private Use and neglected the Service of Arcesilaus the Gods 22. Demonax of Mantinea was the Arbitrator to allay the Sedition among the Cyrenians Demonax a Person in great Honour and Esteem for his Wisdom and Justice When he arriv'd * A City in Arcadia at Cyrene all their differences were referr'd to him and he reconcil'd the Cities one to another upon these Terms and Conditions 23. Lucius Tarquinius King of the Romans being carefully educated from a Child and Lucius Tarquinius much addicted to the Liberal Sciences was much admir'd for his virtuous Qualifications by all and therefore when he attain'd to Man's Estate he was in great favour and much esteem with Ancus Martius then King of Rome and together with the King order'd and manag'd many of the weighty Affairs of the Kingdom Being very Rich himself he liberally supply'd the wants of others and was Courteous and Obliging to all and therefore cry'd up greatly for his Wisdom 24. Solon was the Son of Execestides heb was an Athenian and his Ancestors Inhabitants of the Island Salamis for Wisdom and Learning he far excell'd all of his time being Virtuously Solon Before Christ 622. In the time of Josias King of Judah inclin'd from his Youth he apply'd himself to the Study of the best Arts and Sciences And having long inur'd himself to all sorts of Learning he became the Great Master and Champion of every Virtue For being under the care of the best Tutors from a Child when he grew up to Man's estate he associated with such as were esteem'd the greatest Philosophers upon the account of which Converse he was esteem'd one of the Seven Wise Men and was not only preferr'd before all the rest but likewise before all others that were Eminent for their Wisdom He was in great honour for making of Laws and admir'd by all for his singular Prndence in his private Discourses and Answers and giving of Counsel and Advice When the Athenians grew Ionians in their Manners and became in a high degree Luxurious and Effeminate Solon by degrees gain'd them to the love of Virtue and Honourable Actions For Hermodus and Aristogo principled and instructed by his Laws and Discipline overturn'd the Tyranny of Pisistratus 25. There was one Myso of Malea living i a Town call'd Chenae who lay most commonly Myso in the Fields obscure unknown almost to every body upon the Expelling of Periander the Corinthian for his Tyranny and Cruelty was taken into the Society of one of the Seven Wise Men. 26. Chilo liv'd according to his Doctrine which is a thing rare to be found For we may see many Philosophers in our Age who talk at a great rate yet their Manners and Chilo Wise Man Course of Life are Filthy and Abominable who look and speak like grave and wise Men yet by their actions give themselves the Lye But Chilo besides his virtuous Life all his Days conceiv'd and utter'd many excellent things worthy of Remark 27. Pittacus of Mytelene was a Man not only to be admired for his Wisdom but was such Pittacus Wise Man Flourished about the 42 Olympiad a Citizen as Lesbos never before produc'd the like nor ever like to be as I think any such after him till it produce plenty of sweet Wine For he was an excellent Law-maker and Civil and Courteous towards all his Fellow-Citizens in all their Meetings and publick Assemblies and freed his Country from three most grievous Calamities Tyranny Sedition and War He was a most prudent and courteous Man ever ready to excuse other * Which will never be Men's faults and therefore seem'd to be a Person perfectly Virtuous in every respect for in making of Laws he was Prudent and Politick Faithful to his Word Valiant in War and one that scorn'd corrupt Lucre and Gain 28. The Prieneans say That Bias having redeem'd from the hands of Robbers some Captive Messenian Virgins Persons of considerable Quality he took them into his own House Bias Wise Man and honourably entertain'd them as his own Daughters And when their Relations and Kinsdolk came to Perene to seek after them he restor'd them to their Friends without taking any thing either for their Dyet or Redemption but on the contrary presented them with many Gifts out of his own Estate And therefore the Ladies lov'd him as their own Father both for his noble Entertainment and the largeness of his Bounty so that when they return'd home they were still mindful of his Kindness to them And therefore when the Fishermen of Messenac drew up with their Nets nothing but a Brazen Tripode whereon was inscrib'd these Words * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the Wisest they procur'd it to be given to Bias. He was the most Rhetorical and Eloquent Man in his time but far different from all others in the use he made of his Eloquence for he was not Mercenary or aim'd at Gain but us'd it for the Relief of Men indistress which is rare now to be found 29. Cyrus the Son of Cambysis and Mandana Nephew to Astyagis King of the Medes for Valour Cyrus Prudence and other Virtues excell'd all others in the age wherein he liv'd for his Father gave him Royal Education encouraging him to every thing that was high and brave And even while he was a Boy he gave evident Tokens of his attempting great things at one time or other his Virtue and Valour appearing now before hand so evidently while he was but a Child 30. Astyages King of the Medes being beaten in a Battle and forc'd to a dishonourable Astyages Flight was enrag'd at his Soldiers and disbanded all his Officers and plac'd others in their rooms but as for those that were the occasion of the flight he pickt 'em out of all his Troops and put 'em to death thinking by this Example to make the rest more careful in the discharge of their Duty when they came to fight For he was naturally cruel and implacable but his Soldiers were so far from being terrify'd by his Severity that in hatred of his Cruelty and Inhumanity every one of them were ready to revolt and to that end began to meet together in great companies and talk Treason stirring up one another to revenge the deaths of their fellow Soldiers 31. Cyrus they say was not only valiant against an Enemy but mild and gentle towards Cyrus his Subjects therefore the Persians call him their Father 32. One Adrastus a Phrygian by casting a Dart at a Boar in Hunting accidentally kill'd Adrastus Atys the Son of
the Cities generally came flocking in to him insomuch that Ambassadors came to him from all Cities inviting him by their publick Decrees to come in to them calling him their God and Deliverer And upon notice of the Kings approach the People came hudling out of the several Cities in white Garments to to Salute him and receiv'd him with great joy and acclamation 6. Mithridates his Party sweeping all before them in Asia as they went without Controul all the Cities strangely Revolted from the Romans And as for the Lesbians they resolv'd not only to yield up themselves to the King but to deliver up Aquilius also Mithridates cited by Ush An. ibidem who flew away to Mitilene and lay there to be Cur'd of a Disease Whereupon they sent to his Lodgings a Company of choice Youths Stout and Resolute who came rushing into the Room where Aquilius was and took him and bound him supposing he would be a most rare Present and very acceptable to Mithridates But Aquilius tho' he was but as yet a Youth perform'd a most Noble and Heroick Act for preferring Death before Disgrace and the punishments of a Slave he prevented them that were ready to hurry him away and kill'd himself With which desperate Act those that came to take him along with them were so Terrifi'd that they durst not approach him * But Plin. Nat. Hist lib. 33 c. 3. says Mithridates pour'd melted Gold down his Throat for his Covetousness Ush An. 518. Ant. Ch. 88. This was in the War between Mithridates and tue Romans His Valour and Resolution therefore was cry'd up every where who by the putting an end to his own Life had rescu'd himself with an undaunted Courage from the Torments design'd to be Executed upon him 7. In order to a Sea Fight the Rhodians were overmatcht in nothing but in the number of Ships and in all other respects they were far Superiour as being the better Pilots knew better how to order their Ships ply the Oars had the more sprightly Soldiers and the more expert Commanders whereas on the contrary the Cappadocians were but Fresh water Soldiers seldom exercis'd at Sea Fights and which commonly proves the Bane of all did all Tumultuously and without any Order It 's true indeed they were as cheerful and ready to Ingage as the Rhodians because they were to Fight just under the King's Eye and therefore desir'd to approve their Loyalty and Affection to him and in regard they only overpowr'd their Enemies in number of Ships they us'd all the Arts and Contrivances they could devise to Surround and Hem them in 8. Caius Marius was the most renown'd Person of any of his time when he was young he was ambitious of Honour and Glory free from Covetousness and perform'd many Caius Marius occasion'd great troubles in Rome noble Acts both in Europe and Africa so that his Name was famous and cry'd up in all Places But when he grew old and coveted the Riches of King Mithridates and the Wealth of the Cities of Asia and sought against the Laws to have the Province which was allotted to Cornelius Sulla to be transferr'd to him he fell justly into many Calamities for he not only miss'd those Riches which he Coveted but lost all that were his own the Quaestors by reason of his extraordinary Covetousness being sent to seize upon all his Goods for the publick Use He was moreover by the Judgment of the People condemn'd to die but escap'd that punishment by flight and wander'd Solitarily and alone up and down Italy and at length got into Numidia poor and destitute of all things Afterwards when the Civil Wars broke out in Rome he join'd with those that were judg'd Enemies to the Romans and being Victorious he was not contented with his Return into his own Country but rais'd great Commotions in the Commonwealth But at length having gain'd the Seventh Consulship and by his own Misfortunes learn'd the inconstancy of Fortune he was unwilling to put things to a hazard any more And therefore foreseeing the dreadful War Sylla was bringing upon his Country he Murder'd himself but leaving behind him the Seeds of a most grievous War he involv'd his Son and Country in most dreadful Calamities For his Son being forc'd to contest with an Enemy more Potent than himself he most miserably perisht upon taking of the City in a Vault whither he fled to hide himself And the People of Rome and Cities of Italy having been now long ingag'd in a cruel War fell under most dreadful Calamities For two principal Men of the City Scaevola and Crassus without any Course of Legal proceedings were Murder'd in the Senate whose cruel Murder plainly evidenc'd the greatness of those Miseries that then threatned both the City and all Italy For the greatest part of the Senate and the most eminent Men of the City were slaughter'd by Sylla and no less than 100000 Soldiers were slain either in Mutinies or Battles and all these Miseries were at first occasion'd by the Covetousness only of Marius 9. Lucius Cornelius Merula who was chosen Consul in the room of Cinna when Cinna agreed to Peace upon Condition he might be restored to the Consulship approv'd himself a good Citizen and evidenc'd his extraordinary love to his Country For addressing himself to the Senate and People and Discoursing concerning what might most tend to the publick good he promis'd he would be the Procurer of Peace and whereas he was chosen Consul much against his Will he declar'd he would now freely of his own accord give up his Authority into the hands to Cinna upon which he forthwith surrendred his Consulship and became a private Man The Senate hereupon sent Ambassadors to Cinna and having agreed with him upon the Terms of Peace introduc'd him into the City 10. Lucius Sylla being greatly straiten'd for want of Money rifled Three Temples Lucius Sylla that were full of devoted Gold and Silver that is the Temple of Apollo at Delphos of Aesculapius at Epidaurus and the famous Temple of Jupiter at Olympus out of which last he carry'd away a vast Treasure for that it had never been before violated But as to the Temple at Delphos the Phocians in the time of the sacred War had drain'd it of its Wealth When Sylla therefore had thus heap'd up a mighty mass of Gold and Silver and other Treasure he was sufficiently furnish'd with Money to carry on the War in Italy But having without all Fear or Sense of Religion thus robb'd the Temples he consecrated a piece of Land to the Gods for the maintaining of yearly Sacrifices in lieu of the Money And would often in a Joke and Jest say That he was sure to be Victorious in all Encounters who had the Gods for his Assistants and for that end had help'd him with Money 11. Fimbria having out-ran Flaccus and gotten a long way before him in his March Fimbria his Soldiers spoil the Country by License Cited Ush
them Neither is it to be wonder'd at inasmuch as the Honours given to the Gods are various some sort of Honours given to one and others to another especially those Honours of later time Nay those Honours given to some of the Hero's differ from Divine Honours 'T is not therefore fit to confound these things nor to advance Men above themselves and all Mankind besides and to degrade the Gods by Worshipping them with the same Worship wherewith we adore Men. Alexander himself would not suffer any private Man to usurp the Regal Dignity and Honours due to himself though he gain'd 'em by the unjust Suffrages of the People much more justly therefore may the Gods be angry if any mortal Man assume to himself Divine Honours or accept of them from others However let Alexander be esteem'd as in truth he is by many degrees the most Valiant of them that are Valiant the greatest King amongst all other Kings and amongst Generals the most Worthy to Command But as for thee Anaxarchus 't is thy Duty above any other to instruct Alexander in these things that have been spoken and to dâ—ter him from the contrary for thy Conversation he daily makes use of in order to improve in Wisdom and Learning Neither does it become thee to be the beginner of this Discourse but rather to remember that thou art not advising Cambyses or Xerxes but the Son of Philip descended from Hercules and Achilles whose Ancestors came out of Argos into Macedonia and maintain'd their Empire not by Arbitrary Power but by Ruling according to the Laws and Customs of the Macedonians But Divine Houours were not confevr'd upon Hercules himself by the Grecians while he was living nay nor when he was dead before the Oracle at Delphos commanded that he should be worshipp'd as a God But if there be but few that are in the Country of the Barbarians we ought to entertain the same Sentiments with them And I earnestly entreat thee Alexander to remember Greece for whose sake this Expedition was undertaken by thee in order to add Asia to Greece And now consider whether when you return thither you can be able to compel the free People of Greece to adore you as a God or excepting them of Greece you can impose this Dishonour and Slavery upon the Macedonians only or whether it be fit that quite different Honours be there allow'd you being the Grecians confer only those that are Human according to the Custom and Manner of the Greeks when at the same time only the Barbarians worship you as a God after the manner of Barbarians But if it be objected That Cyrus Son of Cambyses was the first of all mortal Men that was ador'd by Men as a God ana that since that time this Adoration has continued amongst the Medes and Persians yet you are to consider how his Pride was curb'd by the Scythians a poor and indigent People And how other Scythians again reduc'd Darius to more sober Thoughts of himself and the Athenians and Lacedaemonians Xerxes and Clearchus and Xenophon Artaxerxes only with Ten thousand Men and Darius now overcome by Alexander when at that time no Divine Honours were decreed to him When Calisthenes had spoken these and other things to the same purpose Alexander took it very heinously but what he said was very grateful and acceptable to the Macedonians which being known Alexander sent some to urge the Macedonians to remember the Adoration of the King upon which there being a great silence those among the Persians that were most Eminent for Birth and Honourable for Age all rose up together and * Prostrated themselves ador'd him But Leonatus one of Alexander's Friends when he saw one of the Perfians sordidly prostrating himself he fell a laughing at the poor and mean Gesture of the Persian at which Alexander was at the first very angry but was afterwards pacifi'd Some write that the King drank in a golden Bowl to them with whom he had made the Compact to adore him in a Ring as they sat and that the first that pledg'd him presently arose and * By Pâ—ystratâ—â— ador'd him and then kiss'd him and so in order the rest did the same one after another But when it came to Calisthenes's turn he rose up and drank off the Bowl and when he had done without adoring him drew near to the King to kiss him Alexander was then accidentally discoursing with Hephestion and therefore did not mind whether he omitted the Adoration or not But Demetrius the Son of Pythonax one of Alexander's Friends observing when Calisthenes approach'd to kiss Alexander inform'd him that Calisthenes had not ador'd him upon which the King turn'd away from him and thereupon Calisthenes said he must now be discarded with the Loss of a Kiss I cannot indeed praise either any of these things that tended to Alexander's Dishonour or the Moroseness of Calisthenes for I conceive it had been enough for him modestly to have carry'd himself and for him who would serve the King to promote his Affairs to the best advantage as far as ever he was able And therefore I am of Opinion that Calisthenes was not without just cause hated by Alexander by reason of the unseasonable liberty of his Speech and foolish Malepertness For which reason I believe Credit was more easily given afterwards to his Accusers by whom he was charg'd to be in the Conspiracy with the Pages against the King's Life and to others who affirm'd that they were put on to it by him The Conspiracy was thus There was an Order formerly made by Philip that from among the Sons of the Macedonian Nobility when they grew up to Men's estate choice should be made of some from time to time to attend upon the King both to be Squires of his Body and Gentlemen of his Bedchamber These Youths when the King was about to ride receiv'd the Horses from the Querries and led them to the King and after the Persian manner help'd him to mount and waited upon him whenever he went forth a Hunting Among these there was one Hermolaus the Son of Sopolides who studied Philosophy and was Scholar to Calisthenes The Report is That a wild Boar in the course of Hunting meeting Alexander this Hermolaus prevented the King who was aiming at him and kill'd the Boar. The King hereupon being in a rage to have the Opportunity of killing the Boar snatch'd out of his hand commanded that the Youth should be whipt in the presence of all the other Pages and have his Horse taken from him Which Disgrace he not being able to bear open'd his Mind to Sostrates the Son of Amyntas one of his Companions of the same Quality and his Bosom Friend and declar'd to him that his Life wou'd be but a Burden to him unless he could revenge the Injury done him upon Alexander and it was no difficult matter to persuade Sostrates being his special Friend to join with him in this Traiterous Conspiracy Antipater