by wild Beasts than Men. A little after began the Egyptian Dynasties which were in number four the Theban Thinitican Memphitican and Tanitican Dynasties whose respective Metropolitan Cities were Thebes This and Memphis in the Higher Egypt and Tanis seated in that part of the Country called the Lower Egypt but the first that seems to have possest all Egypt was Menes the first King in each Dynasty He seems to have been the same with Cham Noah's Son Sir John Marsham has a Catalogue of his Successors Sec. 1. and onwards who is to be consulted with concerning the Antiquities of Egypt About these times Fohi seems to have flourished as first Emperor of China though their Calculation exceeds that of the Hebrews which we follow and doth better accord with the Greek of the Septuagint but wherein the error lies who can tell See Is Vossius de Aetate Mundi The Kingdom of Scicyone in the Peloponnesus is thought to have had its beginning not long after whereof Aegialeus was the first King who is placed by Chronologers about these times See Petavius Arts seemed to have flourished about the end of this Period and Architecture was now first known because certain Pyramids of a Stupendious bigness and height are thought to have been built at this time in Egypt but seeing the beginning of all Ancient History commences here we have commonly no more than the Names of Kings and Patriarchs and Fables beyond At this very time Idolatry seems to have sprung up in the World seeing before now all Mankind worshipped one only God And this was the Original thereof Men knew that there were certain separate Essences which were called Angels besides the Supream God whom the Almighty sent as his Legates or Embassadors and if I may say so as it were lesser Gods unto Men. These Mankind at first worshipped as Gods Embassadors as we see the Hebrews themselves held them in great Reverence But when they once fell into that Notion that the Supream God committed Empires Cities and Families to the care of these lesser ones they grew by degrees almost forgetful of the Supream Deity and shewed that Reverence to those lesser Gods that was due to him alone Then they fell into an opinion that the Souls of Excellent Men after their decease were admitted into the Order of those lesser Deities and hence it came to pass that Deceased Kings were worshipped as if they had been taken into the number of the Gods All which however did not hinder but that that Ancient and True Opinion still Survived amongst most Nations that there was a Supream God and that it was upon him alone that the rest of the Inferior Deities had their dependance Moreover because Angels sometimes delivered Oracles in Statues as John Spencer concerning Urim and Thummin prettily conjectures the Heathens erected Statues to their Gods And it should seem afterwards to have come to pass that when both the Worship and Manners of the Gentiles displeased the Angels of Light because they saw many put them up in the place of the Creator they forsook them and the Angels of Darkness succeeded in their places whence the Scripture says the Heathens worshipped Devils not that the Heathens did believe they adored Evil Spirits which we call Devils but because their Temples and Statues were only inhabited by Devils But the discussion of these things require a larger Volume The Calling of Abraham The Third EPOCH From Abraham's Calling to the Law given by Moses are 431 years which makes up The Third PERIOD The year of the World The year before Christ 2022. 1962. IDolatry being now grown prevalent in the World God was pleased to make choice of some Family from among the rest of Mankind wherein the Knowledge and Worship of one only Supream God might be kept up and therefore he called Abraham one of the Posterity of Sem out of Ur of the Chaldees and commanded him to go into the Land of Canaan where he made himself oftner and more clearly known unto him by the Ministry of Angels and especially gave him that Signal promise that it should some time come to pass that one of his Posterity should bring the Blessings of Heaven unto all Nations A little after the coming of Abraham into the Land of Canaan as there were several petty Kings both on this and the other side of the Euphrates there hapned to be a War between them as you have it in Gen. 14. where mention is made of Amraphael King of Sinaar or Babylon not as King of all Asia as is commonly thought the Kings of Babylon then were but as the Companion of Kedorlaomer King of Elam who was much more Potent as having certain Kings in the Land of Palaestine that were his Subjects And here is an Invincible Argument for the overthrow of that opinion concerning the Kingdom of Babylon that it extended over all Asia before Abraham's time under Ninus and Semiramis and Ninyas Semiramis Son seeing Amraphael was King of Babylon at this time and not Arius as they would have it who follow Ctesia or Ninyas the Son of Ninus as Vopiscus after Africanus is of opinion neither was the King of Babylon equal in power to the King of Elam There were several Kings in these times in the Land of Palaestine among whom Abimelec and Melchisedec are mentioned and who yet retained the knowledge of the True God The Scriptures also contain the History and Birth of Ismael Isaac Esau and Jacob which may be consulted for that end 2046. 1938. Abraham was 99 years Old when God gave him his Commandment about Circumcision and the same year were Sodom Gomorra Adma and Tseboim overthrown with Lightning setting fire to the Sulphurous Earth which thereupon sunk whereunto the River Jordan and other Rivulets flowing and mixing their Waters with the Sulphurous matter formed the Lake Asphaltites concerning which I have made a particular Dissertation elsewhere This Conflagration which Lot with his Wife and Daughters was flying from reach'd his Wife who out of Curiosity stopped or turned her face back and made her give up the Ghost with the fright of such a dreadful Spectacle for so are those words in Scripture to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and she was a Statue for ever that is she grew stiff and remained like a Statue in the same place which we have also shewed in another Dissertation 2122. 1857. In Isaac's Days Inachus founded the Kingdom of the Argives in the Peloponnesus and had Successors of which see Petavius Tanaquillus Faber a very Learned Man after he had observed in his Notes upon the Bibliotheca of Apollodorus That there was nothing in Greece older than the time of Inachus says that Inachus was of Eternal Original which the Name of it self sufficiently discovered for that Inachus was no other than Anach or Enach from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in old Greek which word as is manifest from the Writings of the Poets signified a God or Gods So far he We
of Abraham out of Mesopotamia to the time of the Law given by Moses which we referr to the year of the World 2453 before Christ 1531 and comprehends 431 years The Fourth commences from the time of the Law given by Moses from whence to the taking of Troy we reckon 347 years in the year of the World 2800 before Christ 1184. The Fifth is the Destruction of Troy from whence to the building of the Temple of Jerusalem which was effected An. M. 2992 before Christ 992 are comprehended 192 years The sixth is the Building of the Temple at Jerusalem by Solomon which was 216 years before the first Olympiad which is computed to fall in the year of the World 3208 before Christ 776. The Seventh is taken from the first Olympiad from whence are reckoned 238 years to the return of the Jews from the Babylonish Captivity that hapned An. M. 3446 before Christ 538. The Eighth is the Freeing of the Jews from the Babylonish Captivity by Cyrus which fell out 336 years before Carthage was overcome by Scipio An. M. 3782 before Christ 202. The Ninth is taken from the Subduing of Carthage which hapned 202 years before our Saviours Birth and fell out in the year of the World 3984. The Tenth is the Birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ from which to the Conversion of Constantine the Great to the Christian Faith are reckoned 312 years which fell out An. M. 4296. The Eleventh is taken from the Conversion of Constantine which hapned 488 years before the Reign of Charles the Great which begun in the year of our Lord 800 An. M. 4784. The Twelfth we fetch from the Reign of Charles the Great with which we close up this our Compendium of Ancient History Now as for those Intervals of time that flow between the several Epochs them we call Periods The Creation The First EPOCH From the beginning of the World to the Deluge are computed 1656 years which space contains The First PERIOD The year of the World The year before Christ 1. 3984. THE most accurate Chronologers do reckon that the World was Created in Autumn in the Month of October concerning which you may consult Dionys Petavius his Ration Lib. 2. p. 2. as also his book De Doc. temp p. 2. l. 9. c. 7. We are informed by no other History besides the Scripture what was done in this Interval of time which yet at the same time speaks of things with that obscureness and brevity that but little knowledge of those times can be got from thence Recourse may be had to the first six Chapters of Genesis where after the Creation of the World these are the principal Events to be met with The Creation of Adam and Eve their sinning and begetting Cain and Abel 129. 3855. Cain Slew his Brother Abel when Adam and Eve had no other Sons besides them but afterwards begat Seth the Scripture says nothing of any Children they had of the Female Sex save that before Adam dyed he begat Sons and Daughters Gen. 5.4 987. 2997. Enoch was Translated to Heaven without tasting of Death 1536. 2448. God forewarns the corrupted World of the Deluge by Noah an hundred and Twenty years before it came to pass Here two things are observable the long life of the Antediluvian Patriarchs and their food They lived then many Ages which when some Men have not been able to digest they have said they were Monthly years so that 1200 years before the Deluge made up no more than 100 Solar years but how ridiculous this is will immediately appear by observing of the Computation for according to their Calculation Seth who is said to have begot Children when he was 105 years old must have begot his first born at nine years of Age and others as Enoch Cainan and Mahalaleel must have done so much sooner See Lanct Div. Inst lib. 2. c. 12. As to their Food most of the Ancient and many of the Modern Writers have been of Opinion that they lived only upon Fruit and that eating of Flesh did not begin till after the Flood which is very likely from Gen. 9.3 The Deluge The Second EPOCH From the Deluge to the calling of Abraham are 366 years which Interval makes up The Second PERIOD The year of the World The year before Christ 1656. 2328. GOD sent the Deluge to destroy the Corrupted Race of Mankind from off the face of the Earth and Noah with his Family alone escaped whereof there remain clear Footsteps in the Ancient Monuments of the Heathens concerning which among others Hugo Grotius may be consulted in his Annotations on the first Book of V. R. C. as also Sam. Bochartus in his Phaleg lib. 1. The Memory of Noah and his Sons Sem Cham and Japheth remained among the Heathens though obscured with divers Fables as they have shewed 1809. 2175. Then Mankind began to Build the Tower of Babel to preserve them a Name among Posterity and about which they might fix their Habitations least they should be scattered over the face of the Earth But through Discord they were dissipated into different Regions and it came to pass in process of time that the Original Language underwent various changes among a People that were so remote from one another Of this you may see what we have writ in our Philological Comment upon Gen. 11. The Posterity of Sem fixed their Seats in the upper Asia of Cham partly in Asia and partly in Africa and of Japheth in the lesser Asia and Europe See Gen. c. 10. as also the forecited Bochartus Soon after the first Discipation of Mankind Nimrod the Son of Chus who in the Chaldee is called Bar-Chus whence the name of Bacchus amongst the Greeks began to settle his Empire in Mesopotamia the beginning of whose Kingdom were Babylon Ezech Chalne and Acchad in the Land of Sinaar that is Babylon from whence he went out into Assyria and built Nineve Rechoboth Chalach and Rosen as Moses relates Gen. 10.10 11. by which words is only meant that he laid the Foundation of those Cities which were afterwards so called for Nineve was so named some ages after by Ninus See Bochartus his Phaleg Lib. 4. c. 12. But whether the Kingdom descended from this first King to his Posterity is uncertain Africanus doth indeed recite the Names of seven Chaldean Kings and six Arabian that Reigned in Babylon but these are clearly different from those which some have produced out of Ctesia The first that Africanus has is called Evechous but that in Ctesia is Belus and therefore all these are to be reckoned amongst the obscure number See Is Vossius and Dion Petavius Kingdoms were in those times very small and what has been usually said of that great Empire of Babylon whose bounds were extended by Ninus the Son of Belus who is thought to have been Nimrod through all the greater Asia is a meer Fable The Earth in those days was in a manner incumbred every where with Trees and inhabited rather
I. Simon Fecit A COMPENDIUM OF UNIVERSAL HISTORY FROM The Beginning of the World To the Reign of The Emperor CHARLES the Great Written Originally in Latin By Monsieur Le CLERC Done into English Nescire quid antea quà m natus sis acciderit id est semper esse Puerum Cicero LONDON Printed for M. Gillyflower in Westminster-Hall J. Tonson at Grays-Inn-gate next Grays-Inn 〈◊〉 W. Freeman at the Bible in Fleet-street J. Waâ—â—â—â— in the Temple and R. Parker under the Royal-Exchange MDCXCIX THE AUTHOR'S EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader THERE is no necessity I should take upon me to set forth the Vsefulness of those Tracts wherein the History of Mankind is contracted into a narrow compass the vast number of such sort of Books which have been publish'd by learned Men especially from the Time when good Literature has begun to revive in these our Western Parts doth sufficiently evidence the Sentiments of the learned World in this matter These are the only Two things that can be required at my hands first why I chose rather to project a New Method of my own than make use of others Industry after the labours of so many learned Men that are still extant and then to shew the Reason of my Design Both which I shall dispatch in a few words In the Course of my Studies I could not but observe that most of these sorts of Epitomes were either too long or too short so that there was a Deficiency in both that obstructed the Reader from receiving the benefit he hoped for in the perusal of them for they are written to the intent they may be frequently turned over by the Studious and almost retained in their memories which cannot be if they are of the larger size For the Design of such Works as these is That the Times wherein the most remarkable Events that have happened among all Nations may be notified and that the Chronology of them compared one with another may be revolved upon so that who were Cotemporaries among the remotest Nations and what things fell out in the same Age may be easily produced But this cannot be done if your Historical Compendiums be too short of which there are very many in which the Chronology is too summarily comprehended Both these faults we have endeavoured to shun herein and therefore we have followed Dionysius Petavius the most accurate of Chronologers in this our Epitome till the Year of our Lord 533. to which he brought down his Annals Not that we look upon him to have been wholly free from error in so perplex'd a thing and that admits of so much variety nay we have noted some here But undoubtedly he is less guilty than those who have wrote before him neither are they rashly to be called Faults that oppose some Conjectures wherewith Chronologers do now a-days abound What was chiefly wanting in those Epitomes that are already extant and for the amending whereof we have applied our selves in this our COMPENDIUM we have taken to be these things 1. A truer though short Narration of many things which were not very aptly represented in the days of our Ancestors such as those Matters that are boasted of concerning the Four Monarchies and many others 2. A pointing to several Modern Writers from whom a fuller knowledge may be had of several things which we have briefly mention'd 3. A more accurate and truer expounding of many Particulars relating to the Holy Scriptures and Ecclesiastical History than is found elsewhere Most Writers have as it were combined in every thing to commend and approve of those who have succeeded in their Designs when on the contrary they have mostly condemned others and laden them with Reproaches who have had the misfortune to be born down with the number of Voices as if prosperous Events and the multitude of Consents were infallible arguments of Truth or that whoever were commended in Ancient Times were worthy of Praises as those who were condemned should be really guilty But herein we neither absolve nor condemn any Man saving that the thing it self does clearly absolve or condemn them and for the most part we have also barely declared the thing as it was without making any enquiry what Opinions were true or false but what really happened and actually came to pass AN INDEX of the PERIODS I. PERIOD From the Creation of the World to the Deluge pag. 4 II. PERIOD From the Deluge to the Calling of Abraham p. 5 III. PERIOD From Abraham to the Law of Moses p. 10 IV. PERIOD From the Law till the Taking of Troy p. 15 V. PERIOD From the Taking of Troy to the Building of the Temple of Jerusalem p. 22 VI. PERIOD From the Building of the Temple to the First Olympiad p. 25 VII PERIOD From the First Olympiad to the Return of the Jews p. 29 VIII PERIOD From the Return of the Jews to the Taking of Carthage p. 43 IX PERIOD From the Taking of Carthage to Jesus Christ p. 80 X. PERIOD From the Birth of Christ to the Conversion of Constantine p. 96 XI PERIOD From the Conversion of Constantine to the Reign of the Emperor Charles the Great p. 125 A COMPENDIUM OF Universal History FROM The beginning of the World to the Reign of the Emperor Charles the Great AS we are wont when we learn Geography in order to remember where the less noted Towns and more inconsiderable Burroughs stand to six in our Memories the Situation of the Principal Cities about which we place those other lesser ones and Villages so when we study History it will be of advantage to us to settle in our thoughts certain Times that are remarkable for some illustrious Event to the end we may refer unto them whatever we meet with in the Monuments of the Ancients which sort of Events are distinguished by the Name of Epochs because our Minds do as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inhere or dwell upon them when they are imployed to divide the Age of the World by the help of those Epochs into certain intervals of time This our Compendium is distinguished into twelve Epochs and therein we take in whatever has happened from the beginning of the World to the Reign of Charles the Great For here an end ought to be put to Ancient History for about these times it was that the Roman Empire was utterly destroy'd and new Kingdoms set up both in Asia and Europe The first Epoch shall be the Creation of the World which according to the Computation of Dionysius Petavius whom we shall follow for the future happened the year before Christ 3984. From hence to the Deluge will be comprehended an History of 1656 years for it was in that year of the World the Universal Deluge hapned before our Saviour's Birth 2328. The Second shall be Noah's Flood from whence to the calling of Abraham which hapned in the year of the World 2022 before Christ 1962 are computed 366 years The Third shall be taken from the calling
shall not meddle with his Etymology but give our own Opinion of it The Phoenicians in Old Times were the first Navigators and such as adventured to Sail to remote Countries now the Name of the Phoenicians is derived from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anac for the Phoenicians were as it were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bene-Anac as Bochartus shews at large Chan. lib. 2. c. 1. that is the Sons of Anak or Anakims which were famous in the Land of Palaestine and that it should be so will appear to be no wonder if we will allow that those who came first into Greece were of the number of them who were called Anakims so that the first Inhabitants of that Coast might have been called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anakims Anakim Inachus and hence it came to pass that Gods and Kings were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those as it were who were of the stock of the Anakims being translated into the number of the Gods or such as sprang from them who first Reigned in Greece as the Syrian Princes were called Hadads the Egyptian Pharaohs and Ptolomies and the Roman Caesars from some excellent Person who was the Founder of the Empire and bore that Name 2202. 1782. Ogyges built Eleusine in Attica and six and twenty years after during his Reign in that Country happened that which was called the Ogygian Deluge in those parts above two Hundred years before that of Deucalion's Perhaps this Story had its original from Noah's Flood which in Hebrew may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Deluge of the Ocean Mabboul Chab from which word it may be the Name of Ogyges was formed So also they have confounded Noah's Deluge with that of Deucalion as we shall see by and by 2237. 1747. Joseph the Son of Jacob being Sold by his Brethren was carryed into Egypt and there as you have it in Genesis being raised into great Authority he sent for his Father and his whole Family thither and setled them in Lower Egypt in the Land of Goshen with the King of Egypt's leave 2373. 1611. Moses the Deliverer and Legislator of the Israelites was born at a time when all the Male Children of the Israelites were commanded to be slain through Pharaoh's cruelty Cecrops was said about this time to have gone from Egypt and planted a Colony in Attica where he built twelve Cities and made Laws for Government A little after happened Deucalion's Flood in Thessaly which the Greeks confound with that wherein all Mankind Perished as they do Deucalion with Noah For Example the Scripture says that Noah was a Man of the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isch Haadamah that is an Husbandman which words may also be turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Husband of Pyrrha or Red for Adamah signifies Red as well as Earth Hence when the Phoenicians told the Greeks that he in whose time the Deluge hapned was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vir Rubrae that is of the Earth they fancied their Deucalion to have a Wife whose Name was Pyrrha Deucalion also can hardly be the Name of one Man but there are rather two words couched under this one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 digle jon vexilla Ionum the Banner of the Ionians whereby they meant some Troops that had escaped the Deluge They are afterwards said to have filled desart places with Colonies by throwing of stones which were turned into Men because indeed their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abanim which word in the Phoenician Tongue signifies both Sons and Stones possest themselves of those places That this Deluge was not universal and so that one Man and one Woman were not the only Persons that survived it is manifested by Justin out of Trogus Pompeius Lib. 2. c. 6. in these words There were some escaped by flying to the tops of Mountains or by being carryed in Ships to Deucalion King of Thessaly by whom for that reason the Race of Mankind was said to have been repaired The Phoenicians who filled Europe with their Colonies as Bochartus excellently proves in his Canaan did certainly about these times under the Conduct of Cadmus arrive in great numbers in Greece whither they brought their Religion and a vast number of Fables no small part whereof the same Great Man hath made manifest to arise from their own ill understood words The History of Moses may be taken out of the Scripture his Flight from Egypt his Return and chief Miracles have hapned in this our third Period The Law given by Moses The Fourth EPOCH From the Law given by Moses to the Destruction of Troy are 347 years which comprehends The Fourth PERIOD The Year of the World The Year before Christ 2453. 1531. VVHEN the Children of Israel had continued in the lower Egypt for 217 years and suffered a cruel Bondage under the Kings of that part of the Country who by the Egyptians are called Shepherds and took away that Country from the Ancient Egyptians they were at length after the working of divers Miracles freed by Moses as the Scriptures declare They increased to a vast Multitude in Egypt seeing there were six hundred thousand Men able to bear Arms that went out of the Country from whence we may gather that they amounted in all at least to two Millions of Souls These passed the Red-Sea in one Night which by the following method might be done in the space of eight hours let us suppose that the space of the Sea so divided to each side as it was might contain an Army whose front consisted of two hundred Men that is about two hundred paces broad and let us suppose that the Israelites filled all that space so that the front of the Army or Multitude consisted of two Hundred and lastly let us grant that the Chanel of the Red-Sea contained in breadth the space of two hours passing over so that 120000 Men might be contained in the Chanel of the Sea so long and so broad marching in a Body whose front was made up of two hundred Men. Which Notion carries nothing of absurdity in it seeing every one at least is allowed a pace square for six thousand Paces takes in at least two hours Journey which if multiplyed by 200 which was the breadth allowed for the dryed space this will make up 120000 paces square Hence 't is manifest that the first Rank of the Army might reach the opposite Shoar in two hours time and that Body which followed the six thousand Men two hours after by which method 120000 Men might pass through that Sea in four hours Now let us allow the other four hours for the rest of the People and all the Children of Israel might pass over in the space of eight hours But it is to be noted that the Red-Sea might have been narrower and the space from whence the waters were driven larger from whence it follows that that passage throught might have been done in less time than we have assigned It seems wonderful
that such a vast number of People could be contained in the lower Egypt but the wonder will be lessen'd to him that considers how populous and fertil Egypt was of Old Concerning which consult J. Vossius observ var. c. 10. Neither could there be any danger in the Opinion though we were to grant that the Copyers or Transcribers might through neglect mistake in the number so as that they are sometimes found in our Books to be more than really they were But of this we shall speak elsewhere After they had passed dry-shod through the Red-Sea they lived forty years in the Desarts of Arabia where what befell them is contained in Exodas Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomy There it was more especially that they received the Law which comprehended three sorts of Precepts The first related to good Manners and were common to all Mankind alike others related to Sacred Rites and the third were established for the Government of Civil Society The Moral Precepts were approved of by all Civilized Nations and every Wife Man as to the Ceremonials there are several of them taken from those of the Egyptians which God established by a Law because the Israelites were already used to them those being rectified which might be faulty concerning which you may consult the Famous J. Marsham and J. Spencera There were also many things in their Polity alike from whence it came to pass that the Athenian Laws agreed in many things with those of the Hebrews as Learned Men and especially Sam. Petyte have observed which last has made a Collection of them because that as Cecrops the first King of Athens being an Egyptian born brought his own Country Laws into the Country of the Athenians so also Moses by God's Command the Children of Israel having been used to the Laws of Egypt commanded many Precepts out of them though he added many particular ones But above all others this was peculiar to the Common-wealth of Israel that God was the chief Magistrate therein and that there was no name of any other Polity could agree with it so that a new one was to be invented which they called a Theocracy 2493. 1421. Moses dyed before he got into the Land of Canaan leaving to the Jews that Law which he had given them in the Name of God 2498. 1486. Joshua having Subdued the Land of Canaan divided it among the twelve Tribes and dyed eight years after 2570. 1425. The Argives having turned out Gelanor the last King of Inachus's Race gave the Government to Danaus who came from Egypt into Greece 2525. 1459. When the Children of Israel after the Death of Joshua fell into Idolatry they were Conquered by Cuschan King of Mesopotamia and paid him Tribute for eight years but at length they were delivered by Othoniel the first Judge after Joshua in Israel 2583. 1401. The Israelites returning again to their former sins were subdued by Eglon King of Moab who was Slain by Ehud their second Judge Some think that Minos Reigned about this time others will have him to have Reigned King of Crete much later some again contend there were two of them one more Ancient and a famous Law-giver and the other co-temporary with Theseus who also lived about the end of this our Period The Kingdom of Troy was Erected and Enlarged in the lesser Asia by Dardanus Erichthonius Tros Assaracus Laomedon and some other Princes Pelops the Phrygian the Son of Tantalus Reigned in Peloponnesus and left his Name to all that Country At this time the Isthmian Games were institutedh which were Celebrated in Honour of Archemorus every third year at the Isthmus of Corinth But some will have them to have been Consecrated to the Memory of Archemorus by Adrastus and those Captains that went to Thebes which hapned later perhaps these only restored them in Honour of Archemorus Belus in the same Age Reigned in Assyria and after his Death was reputed to have been taken into the number of the Gods 2663. 1321. Jabin King of Canaan Subdued the Israelites but they were delivered Twenty years after by Deborah and Barak 2730. 1254. He was Succeeded by Gideon who overthrew the Midianites without fighting this Man was otherwise called Jerubbaal and Sanchoniathon of Berytis consulted him when he writ his History which he composed in the Phoenician Tongue and which Philo-byblius translated into Greek of which version there are some fragments still remaining See Sam. Bochaâ—tus in his Canaan lib. 2. Cap. ult You may also consult Henry Dodwell's Dissertation concerning it who would have Sanchoniathon to be a Supposititious Author 2770. 1214. Abimelech the Son of Gideon after he had Slain his Seventy Brethren Invaded the Office of Judge He was Succeeded by Thola Jair and Jephtha whose Deeds are recorded in the Book of Judges We shall only observe out of the History of Jephtha who vowed his Daughter in Sacrifice that some Learned Men have thought the Fable of Iphigenia to have sprung from thence whom the Greeks are said to have Slain in Aulis Certainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not much differ about which you may consult Capellus in his Diatriba de voto Jephthae But these belong to the following Period Many things during the time of these Judges in Israel worthy of Remembrance have hapned both in the East and West which cannot be reduced to any certain year Ninus the Son of Belus Reigned in the Greater Asia in the time of Deborah the same that built Niniveh and extended the Empire of Assyria far and near through Asia It was then this Empire seems to have begun to Flourish so as that Ninus may be esteemed as it were the founder of it The Computation of Herodotus is herein more exact from which it appears that the Empire of the Ancient Assyrians lasted only 500. years especially in the upper Asia After Ninus his Death his Widow Semiramis Ruled the Empire concerning whom as well as Ninus you may read Justin lib. 1. Palaetyrus or old Tyre was built in the Reign of Ninus as some would have it but others have thought it to be much older As for Greece there were several Kings who Reigned one after another as well in Athens as in Peloponnesus In Erichthonius his Reign who was the fourth King of the Athenians from Cecrops were the Panathenaea or Minerva's Festival instituted and under Erichtheus the Sixth King were appointed the Eleusinian Sacrifices in Eleusis a City in the Province of Athens which were attended with very Great and Sacred Rites and Phoemonoe was the first Priest at Delphos that delivered Oracles in Hexameter Verse Amphion Reigned in these times at Thebes and Perseus at Mycene A little after the time of Baruck the Theban Hercules the Son of Amphitryon and Alcmene Flourished He was believed to have been Jupiter's Son because in Old Times all that were Valiant were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Jupiter's Sons even as the Hebrews called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
in the fourth year of the fifth Olympiad the Archons which till now had continued in Office for life were at Athens made to hold but for ten years and the first of them was Alcmaeon After the Reign of fourteen Kings in Italy from the time of Aeneas Romulus Numitor's Grandson set up a new Kingdom of which Rome was the Metropolis whose Foundations are thought to have been laid about the end of the third year of the sixth Olympiad whence from the following year that way of reckoning from the building of the City dates its beginning Year of World Before Christ Olymp. Building of the City 3231. 753. VI. iv 1. Romulus first King of the Romans Reigned thirty eight years and the year following the Conquerors at the Olympick Games began to be crowned whereas they had before no other reward save that their Names were Registred among the publick Records Those Crowns were made of Pine Apple Olive-Trees c. 3237. 747. VIII ii 7. While Phul and Tiglath-Phalasar his Successor Reigned in Assyria and fixed their Royal residency in the City of Ninive Nabonassar began his Reign in Babylon whence the most celebrated Aera of Nabonassar took its beginning among the Chaldeans This Person seems to have restored the Babylonish Empire which was fallen and to be the same with him who was called Baladan whose Son was Merodac 2 Kings 20.12 See Petavius Lib. 9. c. 52. De Doct. temp The Sabines having by a certain Stratagem possessed themselves of the Rock Tarpeia were troublesom to the Romans and both Parties being ready to decide the difference by a Battle they were by the intervention of the Roman Matrons made friends so as that they coalesced both into one People and Tatius and Romulus Reigned jointly together 3241. 743. IX ii II. The Messenian War between the Messenians and Lacedaemonians began this year and lasted for twenty years till the Messenians were utterly overthrown Aristodemus a brave Man being General of the Messenian Forces Pausanias and Justin may be consulted hereupon 3258. 743. XIII iii. 28. In the time of Hezekiah King of Judah the Lacedaemonians were overthrown in a great Battle by Aristodemus who to propagate an off-spring prostituted their Wives from whence sprang the Parthenians who thirty years after under the Conduct of Philantus the Son of Aracus who was the Author of the prostitution of the Women going to seek out new Habitations possest themselves of Tarentum in Italy See Justin L. 3. 3263. 721. XIV iv 33. Salmanassar who Succeeded Tiglath Phalasar in the Kingdom of Assyria this year which was the last of Hezekiah's Reign after he had taken Samaria and Hosheah King of Israel carryed the ten Tribes Captive into Assyria and Media and Transplanted into their room other Nations given to Idolatry the History whereof may be read 2 Kings 17. and from them sprang those People who were afterward called Samaritans who received the Law of Moses and of the Books of Scripture allowed the Pentateuch only to be Canonical and they have the same to this day written in the old Hebrew Characters ' which the Jews have changed for the Chaldee ones 3269. 715. XVI ii 39. Romulus as we have already said the first King of the Romans and cotemporary with Hezekiah while he mustered the Army in the Marshes of Caprea upon the sudden rising of a Tempest was never seen more Some would have it that he was killed by the Senate and that afterward to avoid the scandal of it he was taken into the number of the Gods as if Mars had snatched him up into Heaven See Dionysius Halicarnas Lib. 1. About this time Sennacherib King of Assyria entred with an Army into Judaea as is set forth 2 Kings 19. But in the lesser Asia that Gyges who was so famous for his Wealth Governed being the first King of Lydia of the Mnermnadan Race after four others descended from Hercules of whom the last whose name was Candaules he with the Queens assistance cut off 3270. 714. XVI iii. 40. Numa Pompilius Succeeded Romulus in the Kingdom of Rome who improved the City by Religious Ceremonies and Civil Laws and Reigned three and forty years Next year Merodac King of Babylon while Assaraddon Sennacherib's Son ruled in Assyria sent Ambassadors to Hezekiah as we read 2 Kings c. 20. Assaraddon is thought to have invaded the Kingdom of Babylon which opinion is grounded upon this Argument in that there is no further distinction made after that in Scripture between the Kings of Babylon and Assyria 3286. 698. XX. iii. 56. Wicked Manasses Succeeded his Father Hezekiah who eight years after being carryed captive into Babylon upon his repentance was restored again and Reigned in all 55 years In his time the Medes under the conduct of Arbaces shook off the yoke of the Kings of Babylon and constituted Dejoces who was a Man eminent for Justice and Equity to be their King by whom was built the famous City of Ecbatana concerning whose name and largness you may consult Bochartus in his Phaleg l. 3. c. 14. 3297. 687. XXIII ii 67. From this time forwards the Archons at Athens were chosen annually and the first of them was Creon The Messenians the nineteenth year after the first War which they had waged with the Lacedaemonians revolted from them under the leading of Aristomenes who for the space of fourteen years valiantly defended them But at last the Lacedaemonians after ten years Siege took Messina and put an end to the War And the remainder of the Messenians upon the overthrow of their Country Sailed into Sicily where they possess'd themselves of Zancle which they called Messinâ—… 3313. 671. XXVII ii 83. The year before the Messenians Sailed thither Tullus Hostilius Succeeded Numa Pompilius and Reigned three and twenty years Egypt from the time of Sesostris King of that Country who we have told you was cotemporary with Rehoboam was molested with intestine troubles and divided into parts among diverse Princes until again in this Age it was brought under the obedience of Psammetichus alone concerning which see Sir John Marsham ad Saec. 16. 3326. 658. XXX i. 96. Cypselus began to act the Tyrant at Corinth and held it for thirty years having expelled the Bacchiades who hitherto had had the chief management of the Publick whence it came to pass that Demaratus the Corinthian Sail'd into Italy for fear of that Tyrannical Government and fixt himself at Tarquinij a City of Etruria 3341. 643. XXXI ii 111. Manasses King of Judah was Succeeded by his Son Amon who after he had Reigned two years left Josiah to Succeed him who was a pious and good King 3345. 639. XXX ii 115. Ancus Martius the fourth King of Rome began his Reign now which he continued for four and twenty years Then Solon was born the Law-giver of Athens and the year before Thales Milesius both which were of the number of those seven famous Wisemen of Greece The names of the other five who were equal to
these two were these Periander the Corinthian Pittacus a Mitylenian Bias of Priene Chilon the Lacedaemonian and Cleobulus the Lindian Of these see the Book writ by Ausonius intituled Ludus Septem Sapientum A few years after Phraortes the Son of Dejoces King of the Medes having laid Siege to Ninive perished with the greatest part of his Army but Cyaxares his Son who Succeeded him in the time of King Josiah going about to Revenge his Fathers Death renewed the Siege of the said City the Father or Grandfather of Nebuchodonozor being then King of Babylon While Cyaxares was ingaged in that Siege the Scythians under the Conduct of Madye making an Eruption out of Scythia over-powered him and so roving through all that part of Asia which is more to the South held it under their power for eight and twenty years 3359. 625. XXXVIII vi 129. This year according as Dionys Petavius conjectures Nabopolassar Nebuchodonozor's Father began his Reign in Babylon and as Berosus says who writ his Annals of the Chaldaeans in Alexander's time he appointed a Lieutenant under him over Egypt Phoenicia and Syria whom afterward Rebelling against him he reduced by his Son Nebuchodonozor unto obedience 3361. 623. XXXIX iv 131. Draco corrects the Laws of Athens and made such severe ones that they were said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be writ not with Ink but with Blood 3370. 614. XLI iii. 140. This year Tarquinius Priscus the fifth King of Rome began his Reign and continued it for 28 years He was Son to Demaratus the Corinthian who before being named Lucius at Lucumum was upon his living at Tarquinij called Tarquinius 3374. 610. XLII iii. 144. After Josiah was overthrown and killed by Necho King of Egypt he was Succeeded by Jehoahaz his Son who Reigned only three Months for being carryed into Egypt Nechoh put Jehoiakim into his room who Reigned eleven years 3376. 608. XLIII i. 146. Nabopolassar sent his Son Nebuchodonozor this year into Syria that he might bring the Kings Lieutenant that had Rebelled against him to his duty which when he had effected he over-ran Judaea took Jerusalem imposed a Tribute upon King Jehoiakim and carryed away some of the People into captivity among whom was Daniel the Prophet Having returned from thence to Babylon he Succeeded his Father in the Kingdom and from hence they compute the beginning of the seventy years which Jeremiah speaks of c. 30. The Scythian Nomades a few years after when they had held Asia for 28 years being feasted by Cyaxares being made drunk with Wine and fallen fast a sleep were utterly cut off by him 3385. 599. XLV ii 155. This year Nebuchodonozor dispossest Jehoiakim who Rebelled against him of his Kingdom and put his Son Jehoiachin in his stead who did not Reign above three Months and some days for he Rebelling also he was besieged in Jerusalem by an Army from Babylon to whom he Surrendred himself and was carryed thither This was the second Captivity wherein Ezekiel Mordecai and Josedek the High-Priest were carryed away Then Nebuchadnezer made Mattaniah his Uncle King in stead of Jehoiakin and called him Zedekiah who was the last King of Judah and Reigned eleven years In these times flourished Epimenides and Anaximander the Philosophers Aleman and Alcaeus the Poets and Sapho the Poetess and from this Age forwards Greece abounded with such Wits 3390. 594. XLVI iii. 160. Solon not long after being Pretor in Athens corrected Draco's Laws which were too severe as Platarch Relates in Solon's Life The same year Astyages the last King of the Medes Succeeded his Father Cyaxares Nebuchadnezer being then King of Babylon who three years after took Jerusalem and put out Zedechiah's Eyes after he had Slain his Children before his face and saving a few poor People led all the Jews into Captivity He also not long after according to Ezechiel's Prophecy c. 26. and so on took Tyre after a long Siege and levelled it with the ground which must be understood of Palaetyrus that stood upon the Continent not of the new City that was built in the Island and which was now first built For when the Tyrians saw that they were no longer a match to the Chaldaeans they carryed every thing that was valuable with their Wives and Children into the Neighbouring Island leaving the old City to the Chaldaean Army and built a new one in that Island See Sir John Marsham ad Saec. 18. After Nebuchadnezer had subdued the remainder of Judaea and Palaestine he Conquered the Ammonites and Moabites and the Egyptians soon after also 3397. 587. XLVIII ii 167. Now the Amphyctions that is Senators chosen out of all Greece who sat at Delphos about the management of the publick concerns of that Country appointed the Pythian Games to be celebrated every fourth year as well as the Olympick ones in honour of Apollo 3407. 577. L. iv 177. Servius Tullius the sixth King of Rome Reigned 41 years who was of so obscure an extract that his Parents were not known whence Seneca in his CVIII Epistle says This shews that there were two Kings of Rome one of which hath no Father and the other no Mother For who Servius's Mother was is doubtful and as for Ancus he had no Father he being called Numa's Grandson which words are worth noting because they are a clear illustration of those words of the Author to the Hebrews where Melchisedec is said to be without Father and without Mother Next year Nebuchadnezer having made Amasis Governor of Egypt he slew King Apries whom Jeremy calls Vaphree and after he had for some years Ruled Egypt in the name of the King of Babylon he shook off his yoke At the same time the Nemaean Games were first celebrated by the Argives and then it was that Aesop the Phrygian and Author of the Fables flourished among the Greeks 3420. 564. LVI i. 190. Evil-merodac Succeeded Nebuchadnezer his Father and Reigned three years Neriglissor Son in Law to Nebuchadnezer having Slain him substituted his own Son in his room and as his Guardian managed the Government for five years whom therefore Daniel the Prophet attributes to Baltassar for so was his Son called About these times Pisistratus first played the Tyrant at Athens who being afterwards twice ejected recovered his power as often within the space of sixteen years Then also Astyages the last King of the Medes according to Justin and others was divested of his Rule by his Grandson Cyrus but according to others whose opinion as being grounded upon Xenophon's Authority we the more readily favour He dyed when Neriglissor King of Babylon made War upon him and left Cyaxares II. to Succeed him who made Cyrus the Son of his Sister Mandanes the Daughter of Astyages and of Cambyses King of Persia who pay'd Tribute to the Medes absolute Commander of his forces though we cannot deny but Marsham reconciles these two opinions in this manner when besides the Kingdom of the Medes whose capital City was Ecbatana he makes
another of the Medes and Persians For he thinks that Cyaxares the first King of the Medes whom he supposes to have been Assuerus delivered the Persians whom his Father Phraortes had Conquered to his Son Darius to be governed by him as their King Whom Daniel c. 9.1 calls as he conjectures Darius the Son of Assuerus of the Seed of the Medes And Cyaxares I. had Astyages for his Successor in the Kingdom of the Medes Dispossest by Cyrus but Darius who was also called Astyages the Grandfather of Cyrus had Cyaxares for his Successor See Marsham ad Saec. 18. But there are many things that do occasion me to dissent from him though otherwise it must be confessed that there can be nothing almost besides conjectures in this business 3426. 558. LV. iii. 196. Craesus last King of Lydia Reigned sixteen years his Father being still alive as Petavius supposes The Poets Ibycus Simonides and Stesichorus as also the Philosopher Anaximenes flourished at this time 3429. 555. LVI ii 199. After the Death of Neriglissor Baltassar his Son Reigned alone nine Months at the end whereof he was Slain by Nabonides's faction or as Petavius thinks by that of Darius the Mede and Nabonides or Darius the Mede succeeded him In this Age lived Xenophanes of Colophon the Philosopher and Theognis the Poet Sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now flourished Phalaris the Tyrant of Agrigentum flourished then also one Perillus is said to have made him a brazen bull hollow within wherein he shut up Men alive and putting fire under it made their crying to seem like the bellowing of a Bull. But the first on whom the experiment was tryed was Perillus himself of whom Ovid in his first Book de Arte Amandi after he had said that Busiris slew the Man who first taught him to pacifie the Gods with the blood of his Guests speaks thus Et Phalaris tauro violenti membra Perilli Torruit infelix imbuit auctor opus Justus uterque fuit neque enim Lex aequior ulla est Quà m necis artifices arte perire suá 3440. 544. LIX i. 210. Croesus King of Lydia marched against the Persians or the Army of the Medes and Persians commanded by Cyrus the Persian and while he hoped to return home Conqueror he was deluded by the Ambiguous answer of the Oracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For having past over the River Haly he was overcome by Cyrus and upon the taking of Sardis was made a Prisoner and carryed into Captivity leaving all Asia unto Cyrus A little after flourished Anaximander the Milesian who foundout the obliquity of the Zodiack and Pherecydes of Scyros not the Syrian for he was not of Syria but of the Isle of Scyros who was Pythagoras his Master who not long after were followed by Hipponax and Hippicus the Poets In these times lived Consucius in the furthermost parts of Asia among the Chineses who was an excellent Philosopher Of whom see Mart. Martinius in his History of China lib. 4. and Philip Coupletius in his Proem to Confucius Not long after Croesus his overthrow when Harpagus in Cyrus's Name governed the lesser Asia the Phocaeans being weary of his Rule left Asia and Sailed into Gaul where they fixed their Seats about a place where now Marseilles stands and built that City 3446. 538. LX. v. 216. This year Cyrus having subdued the King of Babylon's Confederates marched to Babylon it self which he took and for his Reward his Uncle Cyaxares who dyed soon after bestowed his only Daughter Mandanes upon him whom when he had marryed he was made Heir to all Cyaxares his Kingdom and gave a beginning to the Persian Monarchy which had not any equal to it before Daniel the Prophet lived to this time who was carried captive into Babylon by Nebuchadnezer to whom under Nabonidus or Darius the Mede the last King of Babylon the Prophecy of the Seventy weeks was Revealed upon the elapsing of which the Messias was to come as we shall see hereafter The Return of the Jews The Eighth EPOCH From the Return of the Jews out of the Babylonish Captivity to the Subduing of Carthage are 336 years which makes up the Eighth PERIOD Year of the W. Year before Christ Olymp. of the Building of Rome 3446. 538. LX. v. 216. THE same year wherein Cyrus began his Reign upon the taking of Babylon he put forth a Decree wherein the Jews who were held in Captivity by the Kings of Babylon were ordered to Rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem in obedience to which they returned in great numbers into their own Country under the Conduct of Zorobabel together with Josua the Son of Josedec the High Priest Two years after they laid the Foundations of the Temple and erected an Altar But the Samaritans their Neighbours who also worshipped the God of Israel while they pretended a readiness of themselves to assist the Jews in the work and were refused by the Jews they endeavoured by their Calumnies to induce the King of Persia to put a stop to the further carrying on of the building Esd 4. In these times Simenides of Ceos Anacreon of Samos Lyrick Poets and Xenophanes the natural Philosopher and Poet flourished amongst the Greeks 3451. 533. LXI iv 221. This year Tarquinius Superbus the last King of the Romans having Slain his Father in Law began his Reign which continued for four and twenty years Five years after Cyrus wageth War with the Scythians if you believe Justin and Herodotus and was slain by Thomyris Queen of Scythia But Ctesias says that he was wounded in a Battle he fought against the Derbices and dyed three days after having first given many good Precepts to his Sons Cambyses and Tanyoxares But Zenophon clearly describes him dying pleasantly in a good old Age after he had Reigned thirty years He was Succeeded by Cambyses II. King of Persia who Reigned seven years and five Months Cambyses upon the Death of Amasis King of Egypt and his being Succeeded by Psammenitus in that Kingdom invaded it where after he had done many cruel Acts and in the mean time commanded his Brother in Persia to be put to Death he at last ran mad and not long after was wounded and dyed After his Death a certain Magician called Smerdis very much resembling Tanyoxares both in body and face took upon him to be the same Person and Reigned seven Months Petavius thinks this Man to have been Artaxerxes whom Esdras makes to Succeed Ahasuerus c. 9.7 See his Book de Doct. temp lib. 12.27 About these times Polycrates the Tyrant of Samos was crucified by Oron Governor of Sardis who took him by a stratagem after he held the Tyrannick power for eleven years with great Success 3436. 521. LXIV iii. 233. After the counterfeit Tanyoxares had hid himself seven Months he was at last taken and destroy'd by the Seven Peers of Persia who conspired against him and one of their number viz. Darius the Son of Hystaspis was made choice of in his room
In the Second year of his Reign the Jews begged leave to finish the begun work and at length after sixteen years began to build again notwithstanding all the efforts of the Samaritans to obstruct them who were always very obnoxious to the Jews The Temple was entirely finished within the compass of six years and a little after the Passover was kept at Jerusalem Esd 6. A few years before to wit in the fourth of Cambyses his Reign before the Birth of our Saviour 527 upon the Death of Pisistratus Tyrant of Athens Hippias Succeeded who was his Eldest Son and held the Government for eighteen years Hipparchus a very Learned Man was his Brother who is said to have compiled the Rhapsodies of Homer into one Volume which were before in several scattered pieces This Man seeing he maintained the Tyranny of his Brother was Slain by Harmodius and Aristogiton who though they were themselves killed in the midst of the Guards yet this did so incense the Athenians that they Divested Hippias of the Government who strove now to maintain it in vain and so put an end to Pisistratus his Tyranny 3472. 512. LXVIII ii 242. Not long after the Province of Babylon Revolted from King Darius which however after a long Siege of the City of Babylon he recovered by the cunning of Zopyrus While these things were doing in Greece and Asia Tarquinius Superbus the last King of Rome was expelled from thence because that his Son Sextus Tarquinius Ravished Lucretia and immediately thereupon the Kingly Authority was Abrogated and two Consuls created in the place of the Kings The first that executed that Office were L. Junius Brutus and L. Tarquinius Collatinus which last was by P. Valerius who succeeded him forced to lay down because of his invidious Name as not long after M. Horatius succeeded Brutus who was Slain in Battle a Catalogue of the Consuls that succeeded you have in Petavius About these times Pythagoras of Samos flying both from Samos and the Rulers of it for fear of the Tyranny exercised there went an exile into Italy Syloson Polycrates's Brother was then Tyrant of Samos Hence 't is manifest that Ovid who makes Pythagoras to be Numa Pompilius his Tutor is guilty of a gross Anachronism Next year after the Creation of Confuls at Rome M. Valerius Poplicola in his second Consulship Triumphed for his Conquering Tarquinius and the Etrurians whom he excited to make War upon the Romans But his Victories rendring him afterwards suspected by the People he made a Law whereby a Citizen that was called into question for his life might Appeal from the Consuls and the Senate to the People In the mean time the Family of the Tarquins making it their constant business to seek for aid among the Neighbouring Nations against the Romans stirred up Porsenna King of Etruria to make War upon them in which War the Romans did great exploits and amongst others M. Horatius Cocles Mutius Scaevola and Cloelia Virgo very much signalized themselves by whose Valour more especially Porsenna was brought to raise the Siege of Rome which he had invested and to grant a Peace to the Romans A little after the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus was Consecrated by M. Horatius At that time Darius being to make War upon the Scythians made a Bridge over the Thracian Bosphorus and then over the Danube from whence passing over into Scythia after he had lost a great part of his Army he returned into Asia leaving Megabazus to subdue Europe with Eight hundred thousand Men as being perswaded thereto by Hippias the Tyrant of Athens who by the assistance of the Persian Forces thought to reassume his lost power Megabazus Conquered Thrace and Macedon for the King of Persia as also the Ionians but having been overthrown by the Athemians upon several occasions Darius was so incensed at it that he resolved to make War upon Greece In these times flourished Heraclitus the Ephesian and Democritus of Abderis both famous Philosophers The Romans won many Victories over the Sabines and Vejentians they brought also the Latines who made a bustle and stir against them after various overthrows wherein the Romans still worsted them to renew their Alliance with them to whom they added the Volsci and Aequi who also gave them trouble 3491. 493. LXXI iv 261. But the Romans themselves could scarce be at Peace at home for the Commonalty finding they were opprest with the extortions of the Nobility passed over the Anien to the Hill called Mons Sacer as if they designed to erect another Republick without any Nobility but they were brought back to Rome by the Speech and Dexterous Management of Menenius Agrippa There it was that three Tribunes of the People were first created by a Law which they called the Holy Law to whose number two more were afterwards added who were to defend the Privileges of the Commonalty against the Nobles The Power of these Magistrates was esteemed most Sacred and no Law could be enacted without one of them were present While these wranglings were at Rome Darius made open War upon Greece and Mardonius his Son in Law was the first that expelled their respective Tyrants out of the Cities of Ionia and reduced Thrace and Macedon again which had shaken off the Persian yoke under its obedience 3492. 490. LXXII iii. 264. At length when he had entred Greece he engaged at Marathon a City of Attica with the Athenians and Plataeensians who under the Conduct of Miltiades whose number did not exceed ten thousand Men overthrew three hundred thousand of these Barbarians Darius soon after as he was preparing for a new expedition dyed At this time flourished Aeschylus the Athenian a Tragick Poet and Sophocles his Country-man was now born who excelled him in the same sort of Poetry Now the Athenians by the advice of Themistocles built the Pyraeum and Gelo became Tyrant of Syracuse C. Marcius Coriolanus being Banished from Rome excited the Volsci to make War upon this Country and being made their General he besieged Rome whose Siege when he could have taken it he raised at his Mothers tears and intreaties 3498. 486. LXXIII iii. 268. Sp. Cassius in his third Consulship was the first Author of the Agrarian Law which was made about dividing the Land of the Hernici whom the Romans and Latines had Conquered but next year the same Cassius as affecting Tyranny was thrown down headlong over the Rock Tarpeia and so perish'd 3500. 484. LXXIV i. 270. While the Romans waged War with the Vosci Vejentians and Aequi their Neighbour Nations Xerxes fourth King of Persia succeeded Darius and Reigned twenty years in the fourth of his Reign he made War upon Greece whither he Transported his Land Forces consisting of eight hundred thousand Men over a Bridge made cross the Hellespont His Navy consisted of above twelve hundred Ships But he was first beaten by the Athenians more especially under the Conduct of Themistocles in a Naval fight at Salamis and three hundred Spartans
under the leading of Leonidas durst with wonderfull boldness oppose his Land-forces at the Streights of Thermopylae where valiantly fighting they were every man of them Slain But that vast Army was next year utterly overthrown at Plataea a City of Boeotia Mardonius being General of the Persians as Pausanias and Aristides were of the Graecians In these times flourish'd Pindar the Poet and Anaxagoras the Philosopher 3057. 477. LXXV iv 277. Caeso Fabius who with the single Family of the Fabij to the number of three hundred and six of ripe years and four thousand Vassals made War against the Vejentians was overthrown by them at the River Cremera and the whole Army destroyed of which Ovid in his Fastorum says Una dies Fabios ad bellum miserat omnes Ad Bellum missos perdidit una dies One day the Fabij all One day the Fabian Race made all extinct But that many things are false herein as that amongst such a number of Men grown there was one under Age is shewn by Dionys Halicarnasseus and the matter is handled at large by Jac. Perizonius in his Observ c. 5. At this time Sicily was imbroil'd several ways what with Gelon and Hieron Tyrants of Syracuse and Theron of Agrigentum within and the Carthaginians from without who endeavoured to possess themselves of it 3510. 474. LXXVI iii. 280. Artaxerxes was made partner with his Father in the Kingdom About the same time Sophocles began to teach the way of Tragedies and a few years after was the most excellent Tragedian Euripides born In the same Age also flourished Herodotus of Hallicarnassus who is the most Ancient of all the Greek Historians we have 3514. 470. LXXVII iii. 284. Cimon the Son of Miltiades Admiral of the Athenians Fleet took away several Cities of Asia from the Persians and overcame them at Sea with two hundred and fifty Ships only when they had no less than three hundred and forty and a little after gained another Victory over their Land Forces at Eurymedon a City of Pamphylia The Athenians at that time waged War with good success against their Neighbours in Greece and gave divers overthrows to the Thassians Thracians and Aeginetans The Lacedaemonians also brought the Hilotes and Messenians who Rebelled against them under Subjection again having sent home the Auxiliary Troops of Athens because of the suspicion they had of them 3516. 468. LXXVIII i. 286. T. Quinctius General of the Romans obtained a Victory over the Voscians and after the taking of Antium Triumphed Next year upon the Death of Hieron in the Isle of Sicily succeeded his Brother Thrasibulus in his Tyranny over Syracuse but being expelled by the Syracusians he went into Banishment to Locris and from that time forward the Syracusians enjoyed a free State for 40 years together till Dionysius his days 3519. 465. LXXVIII iv 289. Artabanus the Hyrcanian slew Xerxes and Accused his Brother Darius of the Parricide before Artaxerxes whom as we have said Xerxes had made his Copartner in the Empire Darius being condemn'd to die Artaxerxes was wounded by Artabanus but afterwards slain by him whence he obtain'd the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Long Hands and began this year to Reign alone and Reigned XL years To him Themistocles fled in his Banishment who was very kindly received and rewarded by him The same Artaxerxes was a great favourer of the Jews and in the twentieth year of his Reign gave Nehemiah leave to Rebuild the Walls of Jerusalem when Cyrus had only allowed them the favour of Rebuilding the Temple Nehemiah finish'd that work in a very short time notwithstanding all the opposition made to the contrary by the neighbouring Samaritans Ammonites and Arabians 3522. 462. LXXIX iii. 292. In the mean while there was a Law made at Rome after several Tumults raised by the People which was called the Terentian Law concerning the Quinqueviri that were to be created with consular power as well from among the Commonalty as Nobility The year after Ap. Herdonius the Sabine with four thousand Exiles and Servants seized on the Capitol but soon after by the assistance above all others of the Tusculans they were driven out Thenceforward the Romans gave many overthrows to the Sabines and Aequi and when it hapned so that Minucius the Consul through ill management was Besieged by the Aequi in his Camp Quinctius Cincinnatus being called from his Plow to take upon him the Office of Dictator he conquered the Aequi and made them Slaves The Athenians this very time under the Conduct of Leocrates often beat the Corinthians and Epidaurians and forced Garrisons upon the Aeginetae and Megarensians after which under the leading of Myronides they Routed the Lacedaemonians and from this spark was afterwards that flame of the Peloponnesian War kindled 3530. 454. LXXXI iii. 300. Petavius thinks that Daniel s Seventy weeks ought to take their beginning from this year See Lib. 12. de Doc. temp This same year upon the Abrogating of the Terentian Law concerning the Quinqueviri there were three Embassadors sent into Greece to make an inspection into the Laws of that Country and especially into those of Athens that they might amend the Roman Laws by them Upon the return of the Embassadors which was three years after the Tribunes of the People and Consuls were laid aside and the Decemviri constituted to set down the Laws of the Common-wealth who were the first that reduced the same into ten Tables which by the addition of two more to them afterwards made up those Famous twelve Tables which were the foundation of the whole Body of the Roman Laws After the Republick had for the space of two years or a little more been Governed by this sort of Magistracy it reverted to its Ancient form upon this occasion As the Decemviri demeaned themselves but indifferently in their charge and that Appius Claudius had made Virginia a free Maiden of Rome a Slave out of the hopes he had to enjoy her her Father Virginius Slew him made the People Mutiny and brought things so to bear that the Office of the Decemviri was Abrogated and Tributes of the People and Consuls were chosen again While these things were doing in Rome Nehemiah returning from Chaldaea together with Ezra the Scribe Rectified the corrupt manners of the Jews and pressed upon them the observation of the Law of Moses From this time it was that the Jews began to gather the Books of Scripture together into one Volume which is the same we have at this day But seeing that the Jews during the Babylonish Captivity had almost forgot the Hebrew Tongue and way of Writing the Ancient Books were written in Assyrian Characters and what was read in the Hebrew Tongue in the Scriptures was expounded to the People in the Chaldee See Lud. Capellus concerning the Hebrew letters But the Samaritans when they received Moses his Law before the Phoenician or Ancient Character was grown quite obsolete preserved them from whence it comes
Hiero of Syracuse being seven years before chosen General by the Soldiers was this year saluted King of Syracuse The Romans in the mean time wage various Wars with the Tarentines Samnites Bruttians Vmbrians Picentians and Salentines wherein they always came off Conquerors The Carthaginians fearing so much fortune gave the Tarentimes some assistance and so they broke the League which they had hitherto observed with the Romans Seeing therefore that in the fourth year after Hiero took upon him the Dominion of Syracuse the Mamertines who had possessed themselves of Messena were molested by him and the Carthaginians and for that reason sought assistance from the Romans the first Punick War began 3720. 264. CXXIX i. 490. Appius Claudius Caudex the Consul transported an Army into Sicily and so worsted Hiero that he was necessitated to leave the Mamertines and to retreat to Syracuse Because we have made mention of this War we will briefly recount the chief Events thereof without the interfering of other things Wherefore next year Man Valerius Maximus and Man Ottacilius being Consuls they sailed into Sicily as the Consuls of the succeeding years did who won divers Victories over the Carthaginians and Sicilians The Romans who knew nothing hitherto of Maritine Affairs did in the fourth year of the War set out a Fleet and the year following under the auspicious Conduct of C. Dulius the Consul overcame the Carthaginians in a Sea-Fight though they were very skilful in Maritime Affairs as they did often also in the succeeding years tho' they underwent divers Shipwracks In the ninth year of the War after the Carthaginians had to no purpose opposed their Fleet of Three hundred and fifty Ships against that of the Romans consisting of Three hundred and thirty which was Commanded by M. Attilius Regulus they could not hinder the Roman Army to make now their first Descent into Africa Regulus in the beginning performed many things very successfully but next year he was overcome and taken by Xantippus the Lacedaemonian This Man's Fortitude is very admirable who when he was taken and sent to Rome by the Carthaginians to treat about the Redemption of Prisoners but supposing at the same time that the thing was a Dishonour to the Commonwealth he disswaded the Senate from it and returned into Africa where if we believe Appian he was cruelly put to death by the Carthaginians in a Cave full of Iron Spikes But Jac. Palmerius upon Appian shews that this sort of Death is fabulous After this the Romans being worsted in divers Naval Fights and lessened by Shipwracks were for some years compelled to yield the Dominion of the Seas to the Carthaginians but in the three and twentieth year of the War having repaired their Fleet they beat the Carthaginians near Agates an Island on the African Coast under the Conduct of Q. Lutatius the Consul and next year which was the twenty fourth they granted Peace to the Carthaeginians upon hard Conditions In the beginning of this War Eumenes after Phileterus held the Principality of Pergamus in Asia and Nicomedes King of Bithynia gave the Name of Nicomedia to the enlarged City of Astacus The Republick of Achaia began to flourish about the middle of this War About thirty years before divers Cities of Achaia entring into a Confederacy gave beginning thereunto and entrusted the same to be administred by two Praetors that were chosen soon after But afterwards the Supreme Power was devolved upon one and the first that exercised that Charge alone was M. Carynensis who after four years time was succeeded by Aratus of Sicyone who though but twenty years of age brought his Country to enter into a Confederation with the other Cities of Achaia Between the first and second Punick War Learning began to be cultivated at Rome Livius Andronicus was the first that wrote Fables who for his Contemporaries had Ennius Pacuvius Naevius and other Poets given to promote the Art in their Mother-Tongue 3749. 235. CXXXVI ii 519. The Romans quickly appeased the Tumults that arose both in Africa and Sardinia and having made Peace every where did now the first time shut the Temple of Janus after the days of Numa afterwards they won divers Victories of the Gauls Ligurians and Sardinians At the same time Teuta Queen of the Illyrians permitted her Subjects to pirate by Sea and pillage the Coasts of Italy The Romans sent C. and L. Coruncanus to make complaint hereof unto her of whom Lucius speaking bolder than the other was contrary to the Law of Nations slain But next year the Queen was overcome and forced to pay Tribute And a little after the Romans having sent Embassadors to the Achaians Aetolians Athenians and Corinthians began now the first time to intermeddle with the Affairs of Greece But almost all the Greeks having entred into a stricter Alliance made Antigonus the Tutor of Philip King of Macedon their General 3764. 220. CXL i. 534. The Carthaginians in this and the preceding Age possess'd themselves of the greatest part of Spain Asdrubal was Governor there for the space of eight years who both held and enlarged that Province more by Gentleness than Arms. But his Successor Hannibal a Man intent upon War and new Undertakings broke the Peace with laying Siege to Saguntum a City in Confederacy with the Romans which without any regard had to the Roman Embassy after seven months he took The same Embassadors insisted at Carthage That Hannibal should be given up to them But their Demands were rejected 3766. 218. CXL iii. 536. Hence sprang the Second Carthaginian War which commenced twenty four years after the First When Rome was reduced almost to the last extremity in it by Hannibal she was delivered by Scipio who for that reason was sirnam'd The African This War continued for the space of seventeen years whereof you have a compendious and elegant Description in Florus We shall now return to the Jewish Nation of whom we have almost said nothing since the time of Alexander These People were infested by the Kings of Syria and Egypt divers ways and 't is said that Antiochus King of Syria being overcome by Ptolemy Philopater King of Egypt attempted to enter into the Temple of Jerusalem but was kept out from thence by a Miracle and that Philopater going about to force the Jews who lived in Egypt to abjure their Religion was also warned from Heaven to desist The Empire of Parthia is said a little before this to have taken its Original in Asia the first King whereof was Arsaces from whom the succeeding Kings were called Arsacidae At the same time also several of the Eastern Nations strove who should soonest shake off the Macedonian Yoke But others there are who would have these things to have come to pass in the time of the first Punick War Philip King of Macedon in the heat of the Second Carthaginian War made a League with Hannibal and falling into Peloponnesus cut off Aratus by Poison At the same time Laevinus the
other Outrages there Soon after he endeavoured by exquisite Torments to bring the Jews to abjure their Religion many of whom he forced to it though he was not able by the cruellest kinds of Death he could think of to frighten others to it among which number were Eleazar and his seven Brethren of whom read 2 Mac. vi vii 3816. 168. CLIII i. 586. Matthatias one of the Lineage of Aaron fled to the Mountains of Judaea and invited those Jews who were zealous for their Old Religion to come and join him but he dying the following year left Judas Maccabaeus his Son to succeed him who performed many famous Exploits against Antiochus his Captains Now the reason why Matthatias's Sons were called Maccabees was because these letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Machbai were on their Ensigns which are the initial letters of these four words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who among the gods is like unto thee O Lord They were also called Hasmonaei from the Chaldee word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Princes 3819. 165. CLIII iv 589. Judas after he had won many Victories over Antiochus's Generals purged the Temple that had been polluted and consecrated the same by a new Dedication on the 25th Day of the Month Casleu that is November the 23d Hence it was that the Feast called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or The Dedication of the Temple was celebrated every year Next year Antiochus being dead Judas began to take upon him the Office of High-Priest though he could not yet take the City of David where Antiochus Epiphanes had planted a Garrison While he laid Siege to it Antiochus Eupator the Son of Epiphanes came with an Army to Jerusalem and for some time sate down before it but having afterwards patcht up a Peace he entred the City and took and demolish'd the Walls thereof A little after this Demetrius Soter this Prince's Uncle who had been long kept for an Hostage at Rome privately left the City went into Syria and having recovered his Father's Kingdom slew Antiochus and Lysias his chief General and then growing angry with the Jews he was soon after by the artifice of Alcimus who lay upon the catch for the High-Priesthood brought to make a League with them But the Peace was of no long duration for next year a War broke out between them and Judas Maccabaeus fought Bacchides Demetrius's General and slew him Now it was that Eumenes and Attalus Kings of Pergamus lived as also Hipparchus a famous Astronomer among the Greeks not to forget Pacuvius of Brundusium a Tragedy-Writer among the Romans 3835. 149. CLVII iv 605. The Carthaginians molesting Masinissa King of Numidia who was Confederate with the Romans and building Ships contrary to the Articles of the last Peace gave a beginning to the Third Punick War which was carry'd on by Sea and Land by both Consuls and within four years finally terminated with the Destruction of Carthage by Scipio Aemilianus Much about the same times began the Achaian War occasioned by the Achaians driving out the Roman Legates from thence as also the War in Spain against Viriatus who invaded Lusitania 3839. 145. CLVIII iv 609. The Jews under the Conduct of Jonathan the Brother of Judas did well enough neither were the Kings of Syria at Enmity with them and Jonathan brought things so well to bear that he made a League with the Romans and Lacedaemonians which last he accosted in a very honourable manner as if they had been originally descended from the same Stock as the Jews 1 Maccab. xii He was succeeded in the Office of High-Priest by his Brother Simon three years after the fore-mention'd League 3851. 139. CLXI iv 621. The Achaian War was terminated within a year after the first commencement of it and the City of Corinth being burnt by L. Mummius Achaia was reduced into the form of a Province which is so much the more to be wonder'd at that the Jews should a little before make an Alliance with the Lacedaemonians who were in Confederacy with the Achaians But in Spain things were carry'd on with various successes until now that Scipio Aemylianus after a long Siege destroyed Numantia Simon two years before this being treacherously slain by Ptolemy his son-in-Son-in-Law he was succeeded by John Hyrcanus his Son who was at first in amity with Antiochus Sidetes but afterwards becoming his Enemy laid some of his Cities waste and among others Sicima and Garizim where the Temple that had been built above two hundred years before was utterly destroyed Then he subdued the Edomites and forced them to be Circumcised because they were the Posterity of Abraham The very same year that Numantia was taken died Attalus and left the Romans his Heir and the now bringing of rich Hangings Paintings Pictures Precious Moveables c. out of Asia into Italy began to infect the Romans with Luxury and debauch their Manners That year also Tiberius Gracchus Tribune of the People raising a Sedition in the City was slain It was not long after that the Romans began to lead Colonies into Gallia Transalpina after they had subdued the Inhabitants of the Province of Narbonne whilst all things in Asia were turned topsie-turvy by base Murders among the Kings of Syria Demetrius was killed by his Wife Cleopatra for Rhodogunes's sake She also did the same by his Son Seleucus who had assum'd the Kingly Power without her Authority Antiochus Grypus reigned in his stead who made his Mother Cleopatra that would have given him Poison drink it her self After which he waged War with his Brother Antiochus Cyzicenus for a long time with various success 3873. 111. CLXVII ii 643. This year began the Jugurthine War the History whereof is written by Salust King Jugurtha corrupted some of the Roman Commanders with Money and received great Overthrows from others of them till at length after the Revolution of eight years he was led in triumph by C. Marius then Consul At that time it was that Aristobulus upon the Death of Hyrcanus succeeded as High-Priest and reigned one year leaving the Kingdom to Alexander Jannes his Brother who was greatly distressed by Ptolemy Lathurus King of Egypt Marius overcame the Teutones and Ambrones at a Place called Aquae Sextiae and from henceforward the Romans began to oppress the Gauls 3830. 94. CLXXI. iii. 660. Ariobarzanes being by Mithridates expelled the Kingdom of Cappadocia was restored by L. Sulla Propraetor of Cilicia and this gave a beginning to the Mithridatick War which kept the Roman Armies in play for forty years together A little after Nicomedes King of Bithynia being expelled by the same Mithridates was reinstated by Sulla But Mithridates the very next year after the Restitution of Nicomedes having levied a greater Army seized on and wasted Phrygia took care to put to death all the Citizens of Rome that were in Asia and that in one day and invaded Macedon Thrace and Greece Sulla was at that time engaged in the Italian War and gave
the Samnites a great overthrow Marius in the mean time by the assistance of C. Sulpicius Tribune of the People endeavoured to deprive him of his Command But Sulla returning out of Campania to Rome slew Sulpicius and put Marius to flight Italy was again much afflicted the following year with the Armies commanded by Marius Cinna Carbo and Sertorius while Sulla won many Battels from Mithridates and wasted his Army Marius dying of Sickness Cinna being then Consul L. Flaccus succeeded Sulla in the Command but his own Lieutenant Fimbria killed Flaccus who being afterwards forsaken by the Army that went over to Sulla slew himself Nay Cinna was also slain by the very Army he got ready to march against Sulla leaving the Consulship to Carbo alone who refused to accept of the Terms of Peace offered him by Sulla This Man therefore marched out of Greece at the Head of Thirty thousand Men and with them overthrew a much more numerous Army of Cn. Norbanus Flaccus the Consul in Battel At the same time Q. Sertorius who had an Army in Italy despairing of any good Success went into the farther Province of Spain which fell unto his lot to govern But Cneus Pompeius who afterwards conquered him joined Sulla with three Volonian Legions being then but Three and twenty Years old Sulla next year overthrew C. Marius the other 's Son in battel at Praeneste and then possessing himself of the City confiscated the Estates of his Enemies He also fought with and overcame the Praetor Damasippus Marius Carrinates and the Samnite Troops before the Gate called Collina He was afterwards made Dictator which Office after three years space he laid down of himself 3906. 78. CLXXV iii. 676. Hyrcanus upon the death of King Alexander his Father succeeded him in the Kingdom of Judaea and reigned eleven years In the mean time Sertorius in Spain being one while beaten another while Victor worsted the Roman Armies commanded by Metellus and Pompey in divers Battels till that after five years both himself and Perpenna his Lieutenant were slain by the Treachery of their own Men whereby Pompey had the opportunity of recovering Spain At that time Servilius conquered the Isaurians and took their Cities in Cilicia from whence having got the Sirname of Isauricus conquered the Pirates and reduced Cilicia and Crete into the form of a Province he triumphed L. Lucullus engaged in the Mithridatick War and won many Victories over that King That War called the Servile one breaking forth under the Conduct of Spartacus it was with difficulty put an end to in three years space by M. Crassus the Praetor and Cn. Pompeius Cicero was then Quaestor in Sicily and began to be famous for his Eloquence Varro also with Lucretius Catullus and other learned Men lived in those days 3917. 67. CLXXVIII ii 687. Servilius having not perfectly destroyed the Cilician Pirates and others who having repaired their Shipping infested the Seas every where Pompey was entrusted with an extraordinary Commission to clear the Seas from those Robbers which he perform'd with that celerity that he either took them all or having burnt their Ships rendred them incapable of more mischief in the space of forty days The same Pompey being next year sent against Mithridates did at length put a final period to that War and so had the honour of Triumphing He performed also many famous Exploits almost throughout all Asia Then Hyrcanus King and High-Priest of the Jews was put out of the Pontificate by his Brother Aristobulus who exercised that Charge for the space of three years but being taken Prisoner by Pompey when he conquered Jerusalem he was together with his Children sent to Rome and Hyrcanus restored again to his former Office The same year Cicero being Consul delivered the Commonwealth of Rome from a most dangerous Conspiracy Cataline who was the Chief of it being overcome and slain by Petreius Lieutenant to Anthony the other Consul 3924. 60. CLXXX i. 694. Pompey Crassus and Caesar having contracted a strict Friendship one with another formed a Design of oppressing the Commonwealth now distracted with divers Factions Caesar obtained Gaul for his Province and held the same for ten years Syria fell to Crassus his lot from whence marching against the Parthians he was together with his Son P. Crassus and the whole Army hemmed in by their Horse and slain The two Provinces of Spain came to Pompey's share In the mean time Cicero was sent to and recalled from Banishment Hyrcanus in Judaea being driven out of Jerusalem by Alexander the Son of Aristobulus was restored by Gabinius This same Gabinius that he might lessen the Authority of the Grand Synedrim or Council at Jerusalem erected four more like thereunto viz. at Gadaris Amathus Jericho and Saphoris While Caesar was getting several Victories over the Gauls and Germans Pompey dedicated his Theatre and gave Plays wherein ten Lions and eighteen Elephants were slain But Crassus as was said before warring rashly against the Parthians perished in the said Expedition 3933. 51. CLXXXII ii 703. Cicero this year got a Decree of the Senate to make him Proconsul in Cilicia and after having overcome some bands of Robbers in Mount Amanus and taken some Castles was saluted by the Army with the Title of Imperator Cassius also at the same time valiantly defended Syria against the Irruption of the Parthians so that they were forced to be gone re infectâ Next year after the Senate had in vain required Caesar to dismiss his Army broke out the Civil War between him and Pompey wherein first Caesar entring Italy with his Army drove the Senate and Pompey from thence Then Pompey's Troops in Spain submitted to him and after that returning victorions to Rome he entred upon the Consulship and having transported his Army over into Epirus he overcame Pompey himself who flying into Egypt was slain by Ptolemy Caesar pursuing Pompey thither was very like to have been cut off by the King of Egypt yet he overcame the Alexandrians and entred upon the Office of Perpetual Dictator He conquer'd Scipio Pompey's Son-in Law in Africa the following year and at last in the fifth year from the first breaking out of the Civil War beat Pompey's Sons in Spain by which last Victory he got the Sovereign Power entirely into his hands Then he bethought himself of regulating the Course of the Year and seeing the preceding one which was called the Year of Confusion by his Command consisted of 445 Days this which was the 45th before the Birth of our Saviour was the First Julian Year the same being made up of 365 Days and 6 Hours which being set together make One Day in every Fourth Year the same being called the Bissextile or Leap-Year See Pet. Rationar p. 2. l. i. c. 1. He was slain in the fourth year of his Dictatorship and the sixth after the commencement of the Civil War on the First of March in the Senate-House There was one Antipater an Edomite by Nation who
would not obey him to take off his Father by Poison to be put to death and in their ruine was also Papinian the Lawyer involved because he would not consent to the said Execution 215. Agrippinus Bishop of Carthage having held a Council in these times Enacted That Hereticks should be Re-baptized 217. Antoninus the Emperor after he had ravaged the Kingdom of Parthia and was come back to Mesopotamia was taken off by Opilius Macrinus by the means of Martialis the Centurion after he had reigned for six years But Macrinas himself after one year's Reign together with his Son Diadamenianus whom he had made Caesar was slain by the Soldiery Antoninus Alagabalus a most wicked Emperor succeeded him He was at first a Priest of Alagabalus a God of the Emisseni from whom he had his Name for Alah gabal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Mountain-God or God of the Mountain The Emissenians worshipped God under the form of a Mountain which they believed to have fallen down from Heaven and who was esteemed to be the chief among them as is set forth at large by Is Casaubon and Claud. Salmasius upon Heliogabalus of Lampridius He introduced the Worship of his Name-sake-God into Rome and built him a Temple there He adopted his Cousin-German Alexander Mammea's Son whom he called Caesar and after he had reigned three years and nine months was together with his Mother Julia slain at Rome in a Tumult made by the Soldiery and thrown into the Tiber. 222. Alexander a good Prince assumed the Imperial Dignity He is said to have worshipped Apollonius Tyanaeus Christ Abraham and Orpheus in his private Chapel so that we do not find the Christians much molested in his Reign Nay it 's said that he would have built a Temple for our Saviour which Adrian was affirmed to have designed who commanded Temples to be built in Cities without any Statues in them He also allowed especial Privileges to the Jews and if any suffered Martyrdom in his Reign the same must be attributed to certain Lawyers whose Counsel he made use of and who were great Enemies to the Christians Amongst others Vlpian Pomponius Celsus Modestinus Paulus Proculus and Venuleius were famous 231. About these times it was that Origen undertook a most useful Work upon the Old Testament he put forth that called by the Name of Tetrapla where you have first the Hebrew Text in Hebrew Characters then the same in Greek after which follows the four famous Versions of the Septuagint Aquila Symmachus and Theodotion whence sprang the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not from the number of the Columns but of the Versions for the Columns were five whereas the Versions were no more than four An Example whereof we have subjoined in this place 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Hebraic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX Int. Aquila Symmach Theodot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But seeing that in the Reign of Antonine Caracalla there were three Versions more found in a great Tub at Jericho which they called the Fifth Sixth and Seventh there were with the addition of these two Columns more made one whereof took up the Fifth place as the Sixth and Seventh who were looked upon as all one took up the other and perhaps there was no great difference between them That work being ended in this manner they called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the same consisted of fix Versions the Sixth and the Seventh being reputed but for one But Epiphanius and some other eminent Writers have given this Edition the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they had a regard to the Columns and not the Versions that is they allowed two Columns for the Hebrew Text and six for the Versions for the reason already given They have also for the same reason called that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we before with Origen and Jerom have distinguish'd by the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen hath also done this in the Septuagint's Version that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that which was vulgarly used wherein are many things added or borrowed from other Interpreters he hath distinguish'd them which were not the Septuagint's with Asterisms and Lines but in the Hexapla hath inserted the Septuagint's unmix'd As to this point you may consult Eusebius lib. vi cap. 16. of his Ecclesiastical History and Henry Valesius upon him as also Is Vossius adtertias Objectiones Ric. Simonii Andrew Masius's Pref. to the Greek Text of Joshua may withal be seen upon this occasion From this Origen several of whose Pieces are quite lost but many still extant as from an Everlasting Fountain have the Fathers of the Greek Church drawn almost all their Writings neither did St. Jerom borrow a little matter from him though his great Opponent nor Ruffinus Presbytes of Aquileia who stuck close to his part who also translated much of him into Latin He was afterwards accused of divers Errors concerning which you may consult Sulpicius Severus in his Dialogues Indeed as to those Controversies relating to Grace yea and to the Holy Trinity and other Points of Christian Theology he hath very different Sentiments from those which afterwards prevailed especially in the Latin Church At that time flourished Gregory Thaumaturgus and Julius Africanus who were great Admirers of Origen In this Age it was that Artaxerxes the Persian after he had overcome and slain Artabanus restored the Empire to the Persians or rather suppress'd the Name of Parthia yet Alexander overcame this Prince but was soon after together with his Mother slain by the Soldiers when he had reigned thirteen years In his Reign lived Dio Cassius who wrote the Roman History 235. Maximinus whose Father was a Goth and Mother an Alane succeeded him being made Emperor by the Soldiery without the concurrence of the Senate This very year to which Writers refer the Sixth Persecution the Gordians Father and Son usurp the Empire Which was no sooner made known at Rome but the Romans by the Authority of the Senate revolted from Maximinus and chose Twenty Senators to take care of the Publick Weal But after the Revolution of one year the Gordians were slain by Capelianus and Maximinus himself while together with his Son he laid Siege to Aquileia was cut off also The Senate presently advanced Maximius and Pupienus into his Place But these as being beloved by the People and hated by the Soldiery ran the same fate in the following year 238. Gordianus yet a Child was chosen Emperor by the African Legions who by the Assistance of Misitheus his father-in-Father-in-Law a most valiant and learned Person held the Dignity for six years But not being able to hinder Philip the Arab from killing him and getting himself to be Praefectus Praetorio or Captain of the Life-guard in his room he was slain the next year by the same Person 244. M. Julius Philippus together
made a difference between Arius and Alexander the Bishop and that from thence it was that occasion was taken to preach the Consubstantial Doctrine This Philostorgius was indeed a favourer of Arius's Opinion but there is no reason we should give him no manner of credit and all as is usual to those of the opposite Party 324. About the same time began Licinius out of hatred to Constantine to trouble the Christians and soon after brake out into open War but being overcome by Constantine in some Engagements both by Sea and Land he was brought to comply yet Constantine finding at last that he and Martinianus whom the other had made Caesar could not forbear forming of new Designs and Attempts he commanded his Head to be struck off 325. But as the Controversie about the Celebration of Easter of which we have already made mention in the time of Victor Bishop of Rome did still the more heighten the Differences between Arius and his Opponents there was a Synod appointed to be called to meet at Nice from all the Roman Empire wherein met cccxviii Bishops and the same began on the 14th of June and ended on the 25th of August following In this Council it was Enacted That all should celebrate Easter on the same Day that is the first Sunday after the Fourteenth Day of the New Moon next succeeding the Vernal Equinox There was also a Creed or Confession of Faith made wherein that Opinion that opposed Arius's Sentiments was confirmed As for the Creed you will find it in Socrates l. i. c. 8. of his Eccles Hist But because this Synod was accounted to be the first Oecumenical Council we shall contrary to our custom say somewhat more concerning it In the first place There were great Contentions between the Bishops which is expresly affirmed by Eusebius cap. xiii lib. 3. of the Life of Constantine though Constantine in a grave Speech exhorted them all to Peace and Unanimity These are his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Some began to accuse their Neighbours while others defended themselves and returned the Accusation upon their Opponents Neither could their Wranglings be composed any otherwise than by throwing their Petitions into the fire There is no small Controversy about the meaning of the Nicene Creed concerning which you may read Stephen Curcellaeus's Dissertation de Vocibus Trinitatis c. where he shews the Nioene Fathers believed there were Three Gods equal to one another There were Five Bishops who would not subscribe and they were Eusebius of Nicomedia Theognis of Nice Maris of Chalcedon Theonas of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais These said they could not consent to admit of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that may be said to be Consubstantial which proceeds from another either by Partition or Flowing or Eruption by Eruption as the Bud is from the Roots by Flowing as Children from their Parents and by Partition as two or three small vials from a mass of Gold But none of these ways can the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Word be the Son of God But the Synod said that the Son was from the Father without any Partition as it might be in Corporeal things but they made use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as signifying only the Equality of the Substance and not Numerical Unity Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea who sat near the Emperor in the Synod was at first dubious whether the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be allowed of but at last upon granting him to make his Interpretation he gave way to it He said He approved of it for peace sake as he did also of those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Begotten not made because they said Made was a word that was common to all other Creatures that were made by the Son wherewith the Son had nothing like unto them and moreover that he was not made like unto those things made by him but was of a much more excellent Substance than all the Creatures which indeed the Divine Oracles taught us to be of the Father by some secret method of Generation That he was Consubstantial with the Father implied no more than that the Son hath nothing of likeness in him to the Creatures he had made but that he was like unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father alone of whom he was begotten and that he was of no other Subsistence or Substance but of the Father These things which are taken out of Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea's Epistles as you have them in the foremention'd place of Socrates and others that might be mention'd do sufficiently manifest unto us that the Nicene Fathers had other sort of Sentiments than what the Modern Christians have in relation to the said Point The Arians also themselves did at length acquiesce except Theonas and Secundus with the Creed of that Synod and allowed of it but upon that Condition as you have it in Athanasius's Second Apology That Arius who himself also allowed thereof should not return to Alexandria Athanasius next year was advanced into the See of Alexandria who while he was yet but Deacon stiffly opposed Arius Philostorgius hath many things in relation to him that are not much to his Reputation which perhaps are as little to be credited as what the Consubstantial Men have said concerning Arius and therefore are yet no more to be rejected than these 326. The same year which was next after the Synod Crispus Caesar upon account of his being suspected to have committed Incest with his mother-in-Mother-in-Law was put to death by his Father's Command And Fausta being kept in custody till the following year was killed in a Bath because she was thought to have falsly accused Crispus Ablavius who afterwards attained to the Honour of being Consul hath set forth Constantine's Cruelty in the following lines Saturni aurea saecla quis requirat Sunt haec gemmea sed Neroniana Then Constantine and his Mother Helen built several Churches in Judaea Jerusalem Mount Olivet and Bethlehem 330. The Council of Nice by the Definition they made could not extinguish the Dissentions reigning among the Christians In Egypt there were great Animosities between the Arians and Athanasians Which last the Consubstantial Writers have so far favoured that they have condemned the other's Proceedings in all Points This year there happened a Tumult at Antioch arising from the same Cause which Petavius after Baronius hath mistakingly assigned to the Year 324 and cites Eusbius's Authority for it to no purpose when that Author in Constantine's Life lib. iii. cap. 60. speaks of things quite different therefrom and such as happened five years after the Synod was held as H. Valesius upon that place in Eusebius hath demonstrated Vpon the death of Paulinus Bishop of Antioch they had great feuds amongst them in that City about the Choice of a Successor the Arians being obstinately bent to have Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea translated thither Euseb lib. iii. de Vita Constantini cap. 57. At
Sentiments of the Manichaeans concerning the Liberty of Man About these times Valentinian the Younger put forth an Edict in favour of the Arians while Theodosius on the other hand did many things in favour of the Homoousians as they called them So that the pious Rules no less strove with one another by the Authority of the Emperors whom they endeavoured to engage on their side than they did in Reproaches and Anathema's Now it was that Cyril of Jerusalem flourish'd and Jerom and John both Presbyters of Antioch which last was called Chrysostom began to grow famous and about two years after the latter was made Presbyter when the Antiochians had thrown down the Statues of Theodosius he made those Orations which are known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At the same time Maximus the Tyrant was overcome and slain by Theodosius at Aquileia Neither did his Son Victor survive him long for Count Arbogastes cut off his Head in Gaul Theodosius restored to Valentinian what he took from Maximus Two years after the People of Thessalonica having slain a principal Officer of his Theodosius commanded a great slaughter to be made of them For which reason St. Ambrose shut him out of the Church of Milan till he had given signs of a Publick Repentance neither was he admitted in till after the expiration of some months as other Penitents used to do Moreover he made a Law That the Execution of Sentence past should be deferred for Thirty Days Valentinian also the same year made a Law concerning Deaconesses and Women consecrated to God That they should give nothing to the Churches Which was Repealed not long after And this proved to be the fate of all the Edicts that seemed to take any thing away from the Clergy A Decree of the same Emperor had a like success wherein it was Enacted That Monks should not enter into Cities but dwell in solitary Places For the same was disused in three years after or thereabouts 391. Eugenius relying upon the aid of Count Arbogastus invaded the Western Empire and Valentinian not long after died of a Wound he received of Arbogastus at Vienna He was a Catechumen aâ— that time and desired Ambrose to Baptize him before he went upon the Expedition he had projected against the Barbarians But though he died unbaptized yet Ambrose in his Funeral Sermon stick'd not to say that he was saved Then began great Wranglings to arise about Origen's Opinions between John Bishop of Jerusalem and Epiphanius Bishop of Salamis in Cyprus whose Epistle concerning the said John of Jerusalem's Errors is still extant and was turned into Latin by St. Jerom. Paladius of Galata and Ruffinus a Presbyter of Aquileia were favourers of the same Opinions You may consult Sulpitius Seuerus's Dialogaes and the Origeniana of P. D. Huetius upon this Subject Theodosius being accompany'd with Honorius whom the year before he had created Augustus marched against Arbogastus and Eugenius and having joined Battle was worsted the first day But he overcame the day following the Winds as they said fighting for him Theodosius died the year after this Victory Ruffinus had dispossess'd his Son Arcadius of the Eastern Empire to whom his Father had assign'd it had it not been for Stilicho Honorius's General who defeated and slew him Then Augustine who had been ordained Presbyter five years before was made Bishop of Hipp. Claudian the last of the Latin Poets flourish'd at that time Eutropius was assisting to Stilicho in the overthrowing of Ruffinus but they could not agree long Eutropius made it his business to get the former who was going to the East declared an Enemy to the Commonwealth by the Emperor and Senate and endeavoured from under Honorius's Command to take away Africa by the means of Gildon wherein he proved at first successful But Mascezel Gildo's Brother having received supplies of Men from Stilicho overcame his Brother and distressed him so far by his Victory that he went and hang'd himself and himself soon after was by Stilicho's Command thrown over a Bridge into the River 398. John Chrysostom was made Patriarch of Constantinople a Person no less addicted to a severity of Discipline than famous for Eloquence While he ruled the Church of Constantinople Gainas a Confident of Eutropius having made a League with the Barbarians so far deceived him that in some time he effected his ruine But after divers Commotions raised in Constantinople he was at length slain himself in Thrace At the same time Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria having assembled a Synod took care to have Origen and his Followers condemned He used ill the Origenian Monks of Egypt who in vain fled for Protection to St. Chrysostom 400. Then it was that Alaricus King of the Goths wasted Italy and had Gaul and Spain assigned him by Honorius to dwell in There were several Synods held about these times in Africa against the Donatists whom at length seeing they could not do it by Arguments they overcame by Force And this St. Augustine in his Epistle to Vincentius asserts to be lawful 403. St. Chrysostom not long after was condemned by Theophilus of Alexandria and some other Bishops at the Instigation of Eudoxia the Empress whom he had offended by inveighing against the Plays that were celebrated in honour of her at her Silver Statue which stood not far from the Church Next year he was exil'd into Cilicia thence into Armema and in the fourth year of his Banishment died at Comana upon the Euxine Sea 408. Arcadius himself who sent him into Banishment died also not long after leaving Theodosius his Son an Infant behind him and whom he recommended to the Protection of Isdegerdes King of Persia who discharged the Trust committed to him with great fidelity Stilicho endeavouring to get his Son Eucherius made Caesar was slain Whereupon Alaricus offered to enter into a League with Honorius But the latter rejecting the Terms the other advanced with his Army twice to Rome and at last took the City while one Constantius an obscure Person who invaded the Empire was in the mean time slain in Gaul Alaricus when he had taken and plundered Rome did at his departure take along with him Placidia Honorius's Sister and bestowed her in Marriage on Ataulphus his Kinsman who upon the other's death that happened in a short while after succeeded him in his Dominions 413. About these times Coelestius a Disciple of Peâ—…gius who was a Scot or Britain was condemned â—n the Synod of Carthage Pelagius's Tenet was That all Men had strength enough and to spare bestowed upon them by God whereby freely to discharge their Duty and that they stood in no need of other extraordinary Grace to help them therein besides what the Providence of God bestowed upon all Men and That Infants were neither capable of Vice nor Vertue which then only exert themselves when they become adult Others who denied the said liberty and believed most Men through an Eternal Necessity which they called Predestination
whence arose great Janglings 450. Theodosius having once expelled his Wife Eudoxin and Sister Pulcheria whose wise Counsels had been a long time useful to him from the Court did now upon a sense of his errour recall them and died not long after after he had appointed Marcianus to succeed him who together with his Wife Pulcheria taking the Reins of Empire into his hands assembled the Council of Chalcedon which was styled the Fourth General one and wherein Eutyches and Dioscorus were condemned From these times it seems to have come to pass that the Abyssines and others in Egypt who were infected with Dioscorus's Doctrine have begun to oppose other Christians as there were many in Babylon who followed Nestorius's Opinions remnants of whom continue to this day both in Africa and Asia Though Attila at that time was overcome in some Battels by Aetius yet he wasted Gaul and Italy far and near in which Age they say the City of Venice had its beginning many Persons for fear of Attila flying into the Island wherein the same is situated 453. He died the year after he had quitted Italy 454. Valentinian not long after he had put Aetius to death was himself cut off by Maximus a Senator who had advised him to that Fact But Eudoxia Valentinian's Wife called Geisericus out of Africa who possessing himself of Rome transported vast Riches from thence into Africa and marry'd Eudoxia's Daughter of the same Name to his Son Hunericus 455. Avitus in the mean time usurped the Empire in Italy while Merâ—veus who was the third in descent from Pharamund and who distinguish'd the first Race of the Kings of France by that of the Merovingian according to his own Name reigned among the Franks Theodoricus King of the Goths brought the Suevians who held part of Spain under his Subjection after he had made their King Rechiarius his Prisoner being encouraged thereunto by the Persuasions of Avitus 457. But this Person next year being forsaken by the Gauls and Goths lost both his Empire and his Life At the same time died Martianus Emperor in the East and was succeeded by Leo with whose consent Majorianus was made Emperor of Ravenna But this Prince after four years Reign was slain by Ricimer and succeeded by Severus In those times it was they say that the Egyptian Monks of the Eutychian Persuasion raised Commotions under the leading of Timotheus Aelurus and that at last they advanced him into the Episcopal See of Alexandria when they had slain Proterius but that Aelurus soon after was banish'd by the Emperor Leo. 463. Peter Fullo another seditious Person having expelled Martyrius invaded the See of Antioch They say this Peter held the same Opinion as the Theopaschites who affirmed That not only Man but God had suffered and that he had added to the Trisagium who died for us these words Sancte fortis Sancte Deus Sancte Immortalis qui passus es pro nobis miserere nobis O Holy and Strong Holy God Holy and Immortal who hast suffered for us have mercy on us But he was quickly banish'd by Leo. 465. This year Severus by the Treachery of Ricimer a Patrician was poisoned and died after whose decease there was an Interregnum for one year when Theodoricus King of the Goths departed this life and left his Son Evaricus to succeed him After this did Leo the Emperor send Anthemius a Nobleman to Rome and made him Augustus 467. In the mean time Geisericus who with a strong Fleet wasted the Coasts of Greece being overcome by Lea's Generals sued for Peace and confined himself within the Bounds of Africa But soon after he raised new Commotions which were difficultly quelled because of the Treachery of Basiliscus whom Leo sent against him 472. Anthemius was slain by Ricimer his son-in-Son-in-Law and Olybrius advanced to his Place who died the same year His Successor was Glycerius After him came Majorinus and then Nepos all of them in the space of two years There were also others who rashly snapt at the Western Empire which they could not hold At length Augustulus the Son of Orestes was the last Emperor of the West 474. Leo in the East left a Son of his own Name Leo II. who made Zeno his Colleague in the Empire and not long after by his death gave Basiliscus and opportunity to invade the Empire who expelled Zeno But he in a short time recovered his Station and made an Exile of Basiliscus in which state he died 476. In the mean time the Ostrogoths wasted Illyricum and Italy while the Arabian Saracens did the same by Mesopotamia or caused the People to ransom it for Money The Herulians also being called in by Nepos's Favourers whom Augustulus had succeeded divested this last of the Throne and at length PUT AN END TO THE WESTERN EMPIRE So that their King Odoacer took the Government upon him 482. Acacius whom Zeno had advanced to the See of Constantinople was the occasion of his writing a Letter to the Clergy and Monks of Egypt wherein he reconciled the Tenets of those who followed Dioscorus's Opinion with the Decrees of the Synod of Chalcedon And those who followed the said Decrees were by others called Melchites because they embraced the Opinion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Melech the King for in the Arabick Language used by the Egytian-Arabs that is the Name they give a King as 't is also in the Hebrew Zeno would have the Egyptians subscribe this Epistle which in inserted in Evagrius's Ecclesiastical History lib. iii. cap. 14. but herein they did not comply with him The same was also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was written with a design of reconciling the contending Parties The Synods of Nice Constantinople and Ephesus are approved of therein but that of Chalcedon is left out and this Confession of Faith inserted We confess one only begotten Son of God and God made true Man our Lord Jesus Christ These words are taken out of the Chalcedon Creed See Evag. l. 2. c. 4. consubstantial with the Father according to the Divine Nature and the same consubstantial with us according to his Humanity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who came down and was begotten by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and the Mother of God That he is One and not Two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For we call both the Miracles and Sufferings which he endured of his own accord in the flesh the Miracles and Sufferings of One but for those who divide or confound them or introduce a phantom we by no means receive them for that true and sinless Incarnation from the Mother of God made no accession of another Son for the Trinity always remains the Trinity though God to wit the Word one of the Trinity was Incarnate Those who have followed this Edict because they have neither condemned the Eutychians nor others nor yet adhered to the Heads of any one Faction have been called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Doubting and
Colleague in the Empire and died not long after This Prince began his Reign with the Persecution of Hereticks whose Opinions he Condemned by Edicts which are still extant in his Code and with a War against the Persians which his Generals because of their Discord managed with ill Success The Kings of the Hunns and Herulians did then embrace the Christian Faith as Tzathus King of the Lazians had done not long before in whose Favour Justinian made War upon the Persians There were great Differences in the mean time in the Families of the Kings of France which Petavius hath distinctly set out who also shews there were divers Synods held in France as one at Orange against the Semipelagians and another at Arles for them each of them boasting their Sentence to be the Opinion of all Christians Justinian at the same time publish'd both his Novellae and his Code while his General Belisarius waged War against the Persians and overthrew them whence it came to pass that Narses and Aratius Princes of Persia took part with the Romans But the same Persians renewing the War at the Instigation of Alamandurus Prince of the Saracens overcame Belisarius in a bloody Battel 532. This Year a great Sedition was raised in Constantinople by the Prasinan and Venetan Factions with whom the Monks and People falling in occasioned a great Slaughter in the City and struck such a terror into the fearful Emperor that he would have left the Place and was hardly restrain'd from it by the Perswasions of Theodora his Wife There were two Persons whom the common People chiefly struck at in that Sedition and they were John the Cappadocian who was Captain of the Guard and the Lawyer Tribonianus who was Treasurer both of them very different from one another herein That the latter was a most Learned Person but the other illiterate yet they agreed in this that both of them were abominably Covetous Tribonianus published Justinian's Code Institutions and most of the Laws that bear the Name of that Emperor but the Sedition at length was supprest by the Conduct of Narses and Belisarius A strange Question was started among the Divines of Alexandria in the Reign of Justinian whether to wit the Body of Christ was corruptible or incorruptible before the Resurrection Those who thought his Body was incorruptible denied he had suffered any thing but contested that a fantastical Body was only put upon the Cross which is the Opinion of the Mahometans at this day They who contended that Christ's Body was altogether like unto ours because the Apostle to the Hebrews said He was made in all things like unto us Sin excepted became divided into two Factions some among whom Timothy of Alexandria was one denied that it followed from hence that any thing was unknown unto Christ while Themistius his Deacon urged most warmly that he was ignorant of some things But these last were branded as noted Hereticks with the Name of Agnoëtae from whence arose great Commotions in the Reign of Justinian 533. This Emperor set upon the Vandals in Africa where they had now fixed themselves almost for an Age and within two Years space successfully drove them out thence by the Conduct of Belisarius whil'st himself besides the abovemention'd Collections of the Laws set forth the Digests which are as it were a Body of all the Ancient Laws From thence Belisarius where they often overcame Theodahatus King of the Goths at whose Misfortunes the Goths were so disturbed that they slew him and advanced Vitiges into his room who stoutly withstood the Romans and reigned Four Years 539. He was at last constrain'd to deliver himself up into the hands of Belisarius who lead him in Triumph to Constantinople but soon after in the absence of Belisarius the Affairs of the Goths began to have a better Aspect in Italy first under the Conduct of Theudibaldus and then of Totilas while the Roman Generals wasted away their time in Idleness 545. The Doctrine of Origen concerning the Pre-existence of Souls and the end of Punishments being defended by some Origen was again Condemned in Paelaestine Theodorus Bishop of Caesarea who was a favourer of those Opinions says that if it were lawful to Condemn a Tenent after the Author's Death that then the Opinions of Theodorus Bishop of Mopsuesta Theodoritus of Cyrene and Iba of Edessa should be Condemned because they wrote what was contrary to the Determinations of the Synod of Chalcedon tho' they were not Condemned by it Hence sprang those three Factions which wrought great Disturbances in the East while some Condemned those three Men and others declined it Vigilius Bishop of Rome after some delay Condemned them and made himself suspected of Eutychianism tho' he afterwards be silent in that Matter till the Sitting of the Council 553. Italy in the mean time was torn to pieces by the Romans and Goths until Narses overcame and slew Totilas after he had reigned almost Eleven Years The fifth General Council was held the same Year at Constantinople wherein the three fore-mentioned Writers were Condemned against the will of Vigilius Bishop of Rome but the same was at length confirmed by that celebrated at Rome tho' they had condemned the Writings which had been approved of in the Synod of Chalcedon The French in the mean time finding the Goths decline in Italy invaded the remainders of their Conquests in France and began also to draw nigh to Italy whereinto together with the Almains they made several Incursions in spite of Narses who was Governor thereof 561. Some who had conspired against Justinian being detected and taken accused Belisarius as being guilty of the same Crime who thereupon was seized with all his Family but next Year was discharg'd being now an old Man Some Authors who were too great Favourers of the See of Rome feign'd a Story that his Eyes were put out and he reduced to beg because he contested with the Roman Pontiffs for the Empire but the Greek Writers Procopius and Agathias who wrote the History of these Times wherein they lived make mention of no such thing He died the Second Year after the said Accusation 563. It 's said that Justinian the Emperor who had plagued the Hereticks with so many Edicts fell into their Opinion himself who believed that Christ's Flesh was incorruptible and could not suffer and began to persecute those who were of another Sentiment wherein indeed he did not give us a new instance of his former Cruelty but turned the same upon others He died two years after leaving behind him most excellent Laws to the Roman World But he was a Prince not fit for War because he was of a timorous Nature and therefore mistrustful and Covetous if we believe the Historia Anecdota of Procopius Towards the end of his Reign Ethelbert King of Kent embraced the Christian Religion being instructed therein by Augustine the Monk who was sent from Rome thither Columban the Presbyter is said to have gone at the same time
from Ireland to the Picts and to have converted them also to the Faith From henceforward the Christian Religion flourish'd in that Island which before seemed to have lain hid therein seeing the same if we believe Gildas a British Writer of those times had been brought thither in Tiberius's days 565. Justin II. Steward of the Houshold and his Sister's Son succeeded Justinian in the Empire who because he did not go out of his Palace by reason of a Meagrim wherewith he was afflicted he could not give a Hearing to the Complaints of the People against the Nobles which yet were very great but they had Satisfaction given them through the prudent Management and Severity of the Captain of the Guard Narses in the beginning of his Reign was called out of Italy and Longinas put into his room who was the first Exarch of Ravenna At that time Alboinus King of the Lombards leaving their Habitations in Germany invaded part of Italy where they erected the Kingdom of the Lombards 578. Justin died without doing any thing memorable and left Tiberius Anicius Constantine for his Successor Leovigildus King of the Goths in Spain is said at this time to have forbidden that any of those who went from the Homoousian or Consubstantial Party over to the Arians should be rebaptized by them as had been practised before but that they should only be admitted by the Imposition of Hands with this set form of Words If he gives Glory to the Father through the Son in the holy Spirit which Evagrius also says was in use among the Arians in the East 582. Tiberius did in the mean time overthrow the Persians in several Battles by his General Mauritius whom for that reason he created Caesar because he had overcome the Enemy with a small Army and falling Sick not long after he appointed him to be Emperor and gave him his Daughter Constantina to Wife The Avarians made War upon him but without Success while the French fought with the Lombards and the Saxons with the Suevians who had taken Possession of their Seats in Germany while the Saxons were with the Lombards in Italy These last People after the Death of Alboinus were without a King for Ten Years but at last they advanced Atharitus to the Regal Dignity who prevailed mightily over the Romans in Italy Recaredus at the same time quits Arianism and espouses the Consubstantialists Opinion in Spain and for that reason had the Appellation of Catholick given him Mauritius by his Generals Philippicus and Commentiolus worsted the Persians in divers Battles at what time Gregory sirnam'd the Great was chosen Bishop of Rome in a Season when a great Plague raged there Gregory soon after wrote his Dialogues and Evagrius bears Testimony that he wrote his History in the same Age. The Avares and Sclavi having possess'd themselves of Pannonia and the neighbouring Countries Mauritius was almost continually at War with them therefore as he was resolved to keep an Army upon the Frontiers of the Empire to defend the remote Provinces he chose rather that they should take up their Winter Quarters in the Enemies Countries than there which so disgusted the Soldiery that they rebelled against him and chose Phocas a Centurion to be Emperor who presently laying hold of the opportunity marched with a Body of his Troops directly for Constantinople and soon after when he had first slain Mauritius's Sons before his Face put him to Death also who shewed wonderful Constancy in this Tragedy 602. This Phocas is said to have given the Title of Vniversal Patriarch to the Bishops of Rome and a right of Precedency before the Bishop of Constantinople which hapned during the Incumbency of Boniface who next to Sabinianus succeeded Gregory and was the Third of that Name 606. Phocas as he had begun went on to reign cruelly and condemned all to Death whom he suspected to be in the least guilty of any Innovation without excepting his own Sons in Law Hence it was that several conspired together against him and Heraclius and Gregoras made an Agreement between themselves that he should be Emperor that Killed him wherein Heraclius prevail'd who immediately together with his Wife Eudoxia took upon him the Imperial Dignity This Prince observing Phocas's neglect of Military Affairs made it his first Care to levy an Army to oppose the Persians who ravaged all the Frontiers of the Empire Soon after died his Wife after she had brought him forth a Son whom he named Heraclius and dignify'd with the Title of Augustus then with the Permission of Sergius the Patriarch he Married Martina his own Niece 5. 〈◊〉 that time a most wicked Woman in France whose Name was Brunechildis sowed Discord between her Nephews Theodobertus and Theodoricus disturbed the Royal Family and at length after he had been twice overthrown procured Theodobert to be slain by his Brother She her self afterwards took care to have his Children put to Death and then removed Theodoricus also by Poison out of the way who was Succeeded by Clotair his Cousin-German and who obtained the Monarchy of all France which was before divided between the Brethren Now the first Attempts of Heraclius to raise an Army proving slow and faint because he was naturally averse to War the Persians and Avares rejecting the terms of Peace he offer'd them pressed him hard on both Sides so that he went seriously to work about forming an Army wherewith having now made Peace with the Avares he might at least repress the Insolence of the Persians for which end he was forc'd to borrow Silver and Gold Plate and other the Sacred Treasure of the Church Wherefore the War commenced in the Twelfth Year of his Reign at the beginning whereof the Persian General Saes having contrary to the Law of Nations made his 70 Ambassadors Prisoners sent them to King Cosroes who being Angry that he had not taken Heraclius himself commanded Saes his Skin to be flea'd off alive and put Sarbarus into his Command 622. Mahomet this year being accused of Sedition in Mecha a City of Arabia fled to Medina which for that reason by the Arabs is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Medinath ol Nabi the Jurisdiction of the Prophet from this year it is that the Mahometans begin their Aera which they called by the name of Hegira i. e. flight It 's said Mahomet was at first a Keeper of Camels but that afterwards by conferring with a certain Monk whose name was Sergius who was a follower of Manetes's Phantastical Opinion he became well instructed in the Notion of Predestination for which the Mahometans are great Sticklers and for those who thought Christ himself had not Suffer'd but that a Phantasm was substituted in his room which is believed by Mahomet's Followers to this day From hence it was that the Crafty Man had an itching desire to erect a new Sect in the World whereof himself was Head wherefore having Married his Mistress whom he had served in looking after her Camels he
afterwards for this reason named Gebal-Tarich that is the Mountain of Tarich whence comes the word Gibraltar Roderick endeavoured to no purpose to drive out the Saracens from thence but there they continued wasting the Neighbourhood for the space of two years till having called in fresh Forces often defeated and at last slain Roderick they seized in the Year 713 on all Spain In the mean time Justinian the Emperor by the unheard-of Cruelties which he exercised in the Chersonesus because there had been Attempts in that Province to betray him forced the Inhabitants to make choice of Philippicus for their Emperor whose Eyes being put out not long after was succeeded by Artemius who was also called Anastasius whom Rufus Praefect of the Army was instrumental to advance to that Dignity and therefore Philippious was justly punish'd seeing himself a little after he had seiz'd on the Empire had slain Justinian and his Children 714. Artemius also had his turn for the Army which he had sent into Phoenicia against the Saracens having slain their General and fearing Artemius's Displeasure made one Theodosius a Syrian and Collector of the Tribute-Money Emperor though against his will He marched to Constantinople laid Siege to it for six months at length took the Emperor Artemius and thrust him shaven into the Monastery of Thessalonica 716. But in about two years after Leo whom Artemius had before sent to be General into Armenia and who stood hitherto for him took upon him the Imperial Dignity which the Armenians and Saracens tendred to him and made Theodosius his Son Prisoner who having been advanced against his will to be Emperor did voluntarily relinquish and going to Ephesus he and his Son both took Holy Orders upon them Leo soon after by the help of that which they call'd Ignis Graecus or Powder not unlike that made use of by us at this day burnt a great Fleet of the Saracens Isaac Vossius in his Oservat cap. xv may be consulted concerning the Invention of that Fire A new Fleet of the same Nation consisting of Four hundred Ships was also partly destroyed by Leo and partly by Storms The Emperor had the same year a Son born to him who at his Baptism befoul'd the Baptismal Water and for that reason was call'd Constantine Copronymus But Artemius who had fled to the Bulgarians and by their help endeavoured to recover the Empire was the following year betrayed by them to Leo and slain 722. In these times Charles Martell Mayor of the Palace in France after other great feats in Arms subdued the Saracens also who were ravaging the neighbouring Provinces compelling them to retreat over the Pyrenaean Hills and did many other famous Exploits And making War upon Adgillus the Son of Radbodus King of the Frisons forced him to embrace the Christian Religion and by his Authority was very helpful to Boniface an English-Saxon who by the Command of Pope Gregory II. preached the Gospel in Germany 722. It 's said the Emperor Leo endeavoured to do the same thing by the Jews at that time but with ill Success for those whom he compelled to be Baptized either fled elsewhere and abjured it or shut themselves and their whole Family up in their Houses and setting them on Fire were burnt He endeavour'd not long after this to throw out the Images which the Bishops had introduced into the Churches wherein he found Opposition from the People whom the Priests incensed against him Gregory Bishop of Rome condemned his Edict and having entred into an Alliance with the Lombards refused to pay the usual Tax to the Exarch of Ravenna who govern'd Italy under the Emperor and at last brought things so to bear that the Exarch himself was driven out of Ravenna and he sought for Aid of Charles Martell who in the Year 726. won a great Victory of the Saracens that if Leo should attempt any thing in Italy by force he might be opposed by French Arms. This Martell also at the Request of Willibrordus Bishop of Vtrecht constrained the Frisons who would not according to their King's Example embrace the Christian Religion by force of Arms at least to feign themselves Christians In the mean time Leo did not so easily prevail against the Iconolatrae or Image-Worshippers in the East who stiffly withstood him while the Exarch Eutychius with the Assistance of the Venetians recover'd Ravenna 731. This year Venerable Bede finish'd his Ecclesiastical History of the English and in the next Leo Married Irene the Daughter of Chaganus King of the Chazari whom he had taken care to have brought up in the Christian Religion to his Son Constantine and contended sharply with the Bishop of Rome about the Images which last would have them again introduced into the Churches and expell'd the Eastern Bishops that favoured Gregory's Party Tho' the Saracens possess'd themselves of Spain yet Pelagius who was descended from the ancient Stock of the Goths preserved the Country of Asturia out of their hands and transmitted the Dominion thereof to his Posterity wherein he was not a little favoured by the great Slaughter which Charles Martell made of the Saracens in these times his Son Flavilla succeeded him and then Alphonso his son-in-Son-in-Law who deducing his Pedigree from Reccaredus would as well as he be styled the Catholick which title being neglected by his Successors was again conferred upon Ferdinand of Arragon by Pope Julius the Second 740. Luitprand King of the Lombards did this year divest Transamundus of the Dutchy of Spoleto and wasted the Territories of the Bishop of Rome for from the time that the Authority of the Eastern Emperors began to decline in Italy the Bishops of Rome Usurped the Dominion of that City and the adjacent Country 742. Next year died three Men of the greatest Authority of any in that Age viz. the Emperor Leo Gregory III. Bishop of Rome and Charles Martell Mayor of the Palace in France The first of these was Succeeded in the Empire by Constantine Copronymus the other by Zacharias and the third by his Sons Carloman and Pippin Artavastus endeavoured to deprive Constantine of the Empire while he was engaged in a War against the Saracens but he overcame him at last However Walidus of Damascus King of the Arabs making use of the Contest between them ravaged Natolia or Asia minor and seem'd to menace the Empire with greater Evils had he not been next year prevented by Death wherein also died Luitprand King of the Lombards who had it not been for the intercession of Pope Zachary would have driven Eutychius quite out of Italy 751. While Pippin now his Brother Carloman was turned Monk managed all Affairs in France at his Pleasure under Hilderic a sluggish Prince he proved at length unsatisfied with the Chief Power and nothing would serve but he must assume the Royal Name also therefore having dispatch'd Ambassadors to Pope Zachary he desired that Stupid Hilderic might be shut up in a Monastery and himself declared King as being more