The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Cæsarea in Palæstina vvrote 10 bookes. Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes. Euagrius Scholasticus of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes. VVhereunto is annexed Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus, of the liues of the prophetes, apostles and 70 disciples. All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by Meredith Hanmer, Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie. Last of all herein is contayned a profitable chronographie collected by the sayd translator, the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume, with a copious index of the principall matters throughout all the histories

CAP. V.

Of Germanus whom the soldiers made Emperour against his will.

VVHen the citizens of Edessa woulde not restore Priscus, the soldiers left him, and by force tooke Germanus captaine of the warefaringe soldiers in Phoenicia of Iabane∣sia, and proclaimed him their captaine and Emperour. While he refused the office, and they vrged it vpon him, there rose great contention of either side, for he would not be constrai∣ned, and they would needs compell him, they threatned to execute him, vnlesse he would willingly accept of the dignitie, he of the contrary protested openly he was neither affraide, neither woulde yelde one iote. At length they went about to lash him with whips, & to maime the members of his body: which torments they perswaded them selues verily he would not endure, that there was not in him more hardnesse to beare away stripes, then nature and yeares gaue them to vnderstande. they tooke him in hand, & knowing well inough what he was able to suffer, dealt very circumspect∣ly, lest they wounded him sore, vntil in thend they forced him to condescend, and with anoth to pro∣mise them his faith and fidelitie. Wherfore thus they compelled him whom they had ruled to rule, and whom they had gouerned to gouerne, and whom they led captiue to become their captaine. fur∣thermore they displaced all other officers, as captaines, tribuns, centurions, decurions, and placed in their rowmes whom pleased them best, & reuiled the empire with railing speaches. And though they bore them selues towards such as were tributary milder then the common vse and maner is of Barbarians: yet were they altogether alienated from their companions, & members with them of one common weale. For they tooke not their wayfaring vittailes by weight and measure, neither were they pleased with suche lodginge as was appointed for them, but tooke their owne lust for lawes, and pleasure for prescribed order.