The consent of time disciphering the errors of the Grecians in their Olympiads, the vncertaine computation of the Romanes in their penteterydes and building of Rome, of the Persians in their accompt of Cyrus, and of the vanities of the Gentiles in fables of antiquities, disagreeing with the Hebrewes, and with the sacred histories in consent of time. VVherein is also set downe the beginning, continuance, succession, and ouerthrowes of kings, kingdomes, states, and gouernments. By Lodovvik Lloid Esquire.

OF THE FIRST ORIGINAL of the Persians: of the antiquitie of their Kings, of their common wealth and go∣uernment, and of their continuance, and how they haue beene called the great Kings, by the meanes and dignitie of Cyrus.

NOw hauing left Assur the second sonne of Sem in Assyria, and Ar∣phaxad the third sonne of Sem in Chaldea, & Lud the fourth sonne of Sem, in Lydia: I am come with Elam the eldest sōne of Sem vnto Persia. Of these foure sonnes of Sem, the Assyrians, Chaldeans, He∣brewes, & Lydians proceede. Ha∣uing also left Chus in Ethiopia, & Mizraim in Egypt, I come (as I said before) to Persia, then cal∣ed Elam: so Daniel nameth it, whē he saw the vision in the Pal∣lace in Susa in the prouince of Elam, by the riuer of Vlai: in this place Elam dwelt: and the nation were long named Elamites, whose historie I haue now in hand. Persia therefore is large and wide, reaching vnto the North as farre as Caspia 8000. * 1.1 furlongs, as Erastones setteth it downe, which is in accoumpt yeelding eight furlongs vnto a mile, a thousand miles: and from the Citie of Susa vnto Persipolis, 4200. furlōgs, which is

530. miles, and from thence vnto the confines of Carmenia, * 1.2 are 1600. furlongs. The Region of Persia is cōfined with Me∣dia on the North: Persia hath eastward Carmenia, & hath west∣ward Susia: for Susia is (as Strabo writeth) a part of Persia, & li∣eth betweene Babylon & Persia, & hath Susa that famous citie, where most often the kings of Persia vsed to bee, with it. The nations of the inhabitants of this Countrey are called Palis∣chores, another natiō called Achemenides: from these the olde kings of Persia were called Achemenides: for among the old Persians they had a law, that none should be king in Persia, but he should be of the stocke of Acheminides, which of long time continued before Cyrus, while yet the Persians were called E∣lamites, among the Hebrews, & of the auncient Greekes called Cephenes, all kings of Persia were called Achemenides: the like law was in Sparta, Corinth, Egypt, & with other natiōs for their kings, for that diuers kingdoms had by law cōfirmed, that no election of kings should be, but of those families which by lawe in recordes were allowed, as

• The kings of the Parthians were all called Arsaces, out of Arsaces stocke.
• The kings of Alba called Siluij from Siluius Posthumus, the third king of the Albanes.
• The first kings of Egypt were all called Pharaones.
• The kings of Corinth Bacidae, of the house of Bacis.
• The latter kings of Egypt called Ptolomei, after the death of Alexander.
• The kings of Sparta. Heraclides.

And so the Emperors of Rome named first Caesares, then were * 1.3 they called Augusti, and the third time they were named An∣tonini. Thus in these coūtries none might be king elected, but of these houses & families, yet in other kingdoms they were otherwayes elected, as

• The Ethiopians made choise of the most likeliest man in sight.
• The Medes in like maner vsed to make choise of no king, but such as ex∣celled in talenesse of person, and strength of body.
• In Libya none should be king, but he that could winne it with running: for he that was most swift, should be king in Libya: and so according to cu∣stome, and to the maners of euery Countrey or kingdome, any prince or king was elected and chosen.

Againe there be in Persia two other nations called Cirtij, and Marai, beside a sect of people named Magi. The chiefe Cities of Persia, before Babylon was by Cyrus wonne to bee a Persian Citie, were Susa, Parsagardia, Persepolis, and Gaza: for * 1.4 there the Persian kings had their monuments: in Gaza, there lay there treasure and wealth. Beroaldus in his Chronicles, Suetonius, and Tranquillus in August say, that the Persians were called of the Greekes in ancient time Cephenes, but they brag∣ged and boasted of a more auncient name, and called them selues Artaei. * 1.5

But after that, Perseus the sonne of Iupiter and Danaes had maried Andromada the daughter and heire of Cepheus, and had by his wife a sonne named Perses, after whose name then * 1.6 they being called Cephenes, are nowe called Persis, after the name of their king Persis.

This region of Persia was diuided vnto a hundreth twen∣tie Prouinces, in the time of Darius Hystaspis, the third king of * 1.7 Persia, appointing to euery Prouince a gouernor, that should pay certeine tribute vnto the king. Iosephus saith, Elam the eldest sonne of Sem, was the first original of the Elamites, now called Persians, a countrie most fertile and most florishing, which had soueraigntie ouerall Asia. After that, Cyrus from * 1.8 a priuate man brought vp by a heardman in an obscure place in Media, became lord of all Asia, king of the greatest part of the Eastkingdomes, and the conquerour of Astyages, king of the Medes, and of Croesus, king of the Lydians, and last of Bal∣thasar the last king of Babylon, and the last successour of Nabuchodonosor the great: hee fortified himselfe with strength of munitions, commanded garisons readie in euery great ci∣tie of Persia, appointed races of horses to bee had in all the * 1.9 Empire of Persia, and euery gouernour of euery Prouince to furnish the king with horses and men necessarie to defende the countrie: for the Medes, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Lydians and Egyptiās, were by this time brought subiects vnder the Persiās.

And therefore their wealth must be infinite: for in Artax∣erxes time there was an hundreth and twentie Prouinces vn∣der

the Monarchie of Persia, as Iosephus writeth. Ctesias and Dionisius, two great writers of Persian histories affirmed, that the king of Persia was woont to haue in his Pallace, fifteene thousand euery day to dinner and supper: for they receiued out of Asia euery yeere fourtie thousand and fiftie talents.

For when Alexander the great had conquered Persia, and * 1.10 had taken Babylon, he found a hundred fiftie and seuen thou∣sand talents, and yet not so much as Cyrus left behind him (as * 1.11 Strabo saith) and no maruell: for Cyrus had all the wealth of Iudea, and the treasure had in the Temple at Ierusalem which was infinite, of Assyria, Chaldea, Lydia, and Media, and therefore Herodot called him Cyrus the great king, and after Cyrus time all the kings of Persia would be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the great kings.

For in all the histories you shall not reade, that the Ro∣manes who afterward likewise mastered the whole worlde, had so much treasure at one time, as either Cyrus had left in Persia, or as Alexander had found in Persia: yet Persia before Cy∣rus time was obscure and of no fame, subiect vnto the Medes: for Cyrus had long warres & many battels with Euilmerodach in Assyria, with Croesus in Lydia, with Astyages in Media, & with * 1.12 many kings before he had rest, and before hee had brought the Monarchie vnto Persia, and to be called the great king.

Cyrus began his Empire at Babylon, at what time Seruius * 1.13 Tullius, the sixt king of the Romanes reigned in Rome, and A∣masis gouerned Egypt: In Cyrus time the temple of Apollo was burned in Delphos the second time. Cyrus obteined the king∣dome of Persia in the beginning of the eighteene Iubilee, and in the third yeere of the eightie Olympiad, which much differ from Diod. Siculus, who affirmeth that Xerxes the fourth king after Cyrus, tooke his voiage into Greece, in the seuentie fiue Olympiad, from Polybius, that affirmeth Xerxes went into Greece in the 74. Olympiad: in the like error is Halicarnasseus, Herodot, and others: some affirming Cyrus to begin his Empire in the 50. Olympiad, some in the 54. some in the 57. some in the 60. Olympiad, & thus they erre some 30. Olympiads, some 20. some

more, and some lesse of the true time of Cyrus: for in the sacred historie by sound testimonie it was laid downe by Daniel and in Nehemias, the very time of Cyrus.

Now after that Cyrus had brought all these kingdoms vn∣der the monarchie of Persia, he tooke Armenia in hand, & ha∣uing conquered the king & the countrie of Armenia, Tigranes the kings sonne of Armenia, a familier old friend of Cyrus, hea∣ring of Cyrus victorie ouer his father, he then being farre frō Armenia, returned home with all haste, and besought Cyrus not to thinke of the warres betweene his father and him, but to remember the amitie & familiaritie which was betweene them both: and therefore Tigranes entreated Cyrus to haue the crowne after his father, paying vnto Cyrus such tribute as he would appoint: to which request Cyrus consented, ap∣pointing * 1.14 fiftie talents yerely to be paid to the kings of Persia, which is three thousand crownes. After the conquest of Ar∣menia, * 1.15 Cyrus passed with his army vnto Phrygia, Cappadocia, and Arabia, who coulde not long hold out, but partly yeelded, and partly conquered, were brought subiect and to pay tri∣bute vnto Cyrus. Cyrus was woont before he entred into bat∣tell, to sing a song to Castor and Pollux, and to march as the olde Spartanes, with hymnes and odes to the muses to solace their hearts, and to auoide feare that might occupie their heads otherwayes. Cyrus his garde or chiefe souldiers about him were called Homotimi, as the best souldiers vnder Alex∣ander * 1.16 the great were call Argyraspides, vnder Achilles named Myrmidones, vnder Pyrrhus called Dolopes, and so of other * 1.17 great conquerors which had a peculiar name of their chiefe souldiers. Nowe the last and the greatest victorie was ouer the Babylonians, which he attempted not before he grew great and strong by other victories: for truely before Babylon was wonne, the monarchie was in Assyria.

We reade of no king that conquered so many kingdomes as Cyrus did, neither of such fauour with God: for no doubt he was instructed of Daniel to know and to confesse the God of * 1.18 Israel, as appeared by his care and diligence in ayding the

Iewes after the captiuitie vnto Ierusalem, in suffring them qui∣etly to returne with wealth & treasure, in cōmanding all his princes of Syria and subiects, to fauour & to helpe them, with a decree made for the building vp of their temple vnto God, which had raised Cyrus to punish the blasphemie of that Chaldean king Balthasar, and to make an end of his kingdome, and by Cyrus to restore the kingdome againe of Israel, which * 1.19 was ouerthrowen by the Chaldeans. Cyrus being then the one∣ly conquerour ofthe world, & hauing vnder the Persian scep∣ter all the East kingdomes, he had in mind the woonted ma∣ners of the Scythians, how they came often times from Scythia, and rushed in armes vnto Asia, spoiled, wasted, and destroy∣ed the regions and countries about Asia. Cyrus made warre vpon the Massagites, which were of the stocke of the Gothes: of these Messagites came the Getes and the Sueuians. While Cy∣rus was occupied in these warres, Cambyses reigned in Persia sixe yeeres, so that the gouernment of Cyrus and of his sonne Cambyses were compted all one for two yeeres, because Cyrus tooke his warres in hand needelesse to Scythia.

And beside, he was warned by Soothsayers, by the di∣uination of Swalowes which were seene in the tents of Cyrus, being vnluckie birdes, not to goe to Scythia: for Swalowes * 1.20 flying about the tentes of Pyrrhus, in the warres of Italie, and also lighting vpon the sailes of Mar. Antonius nauies in his warres against Augustus, prognosticated to them both cala∣mitie & destruction: nay God, with whom Cyrus should haue consulted, who brought him from Harpagus clawes, saued him from Astyages sword, defended him from Croesus snares, and gaue him so many victories.

God vsed the like example vpon Iosias, Salomon, Osias, and Dauid, as hee did nowe vpon Cyrus, for that Gods seruaunts * 1.21 should knowe their infirmities, and confesse that God gi∣ueth victorie: for as Iosias was slaine in Mageddo, by Necho king of Egypt, so Cyrus trusting in his owne strēgth, was ouer∣throwen with all his armie of the Massagites. Cyrus head was cut off by Tomyris Queene of Scythia a woman, and throwen

into a great vessell ful of blood, with spiteful wordes saying, * 1.22 Satia te sanguine quem sitijsti: yet Dyodorus saith, his body was hanged vpon a gibbet, & his head throwen into a barrel full of blood: for Cyrus before that time had taken Spargapises, ge∣nerall * 1.23 of the Massegites, ouerthrowen the whole hoste of the Massegites, and had slaine Queene Tomiris sonne Spargapises. Of the histories of Cyrus, reade Zenophon and Herodot, where you may be satisfied of the whole life of Cyrus, and also of his death. In Cyrus time when the Hebrew prophets in Israel en∣ded, * 1.24 then the Philosophers in Greece began: Thales with his successours after him in Ionia, a man of great antiquitie a∣mongst the Grecians, who taught them first the obseruations of the starres, the eclipses of the Sunne and Moone, the di∣uisions of the yeere, and the number of the dayes. The other taught in the Confines of Italie: they were called Pythagorici, the one in Miletum, the other in Tarentum. There were in Greece before this time certeine wise and learned Poets, as Homer, Hesiodus, and Orpheus, and Linus, that were had in great honour in Greece.

It is written by Aristobulus, that Cyrus had vpon his tombe diuers Epitaphes, as this, O homo, ego Cyrus Asiae Rex, ne mihi se∣pulturam inuideas. O man, I am Cyrus king of Asia, suffer Cyrus without enuie, this seuen foote ofgroūd to couer his bones. Onesicritus rehearseth in Strabo many Epigrames vpon Cyrus tombe, and Cyrus himselfe in these wordes crieth out in Zeno∣phon: Non auro non argento condi, sed corpus terraereddi: though Zenophon reporteth other wayes of Cyrus death, reciting an * 1.25 oration that Cyrus before hee died, called before him all his Nobles, to whom he made long speach concerning the im∣mortalitie of the soule, exhorting his two sōnes Cambyses the elder, & Smerdis the yonger, whō Zonaras named Tamaraxes, to vse iustice in their gouernment, bequeathing to Cambyses the Empire of Persia, withall the kingdoms thereunto belon∣ging, Assyria, Chaldea, Lydia, with all the rest of his kingdomes, Prouinces, & Territories, sauing Media, Armenia, & Cadusia, which Cyrus bequeathed to his yongest sonne Smerdis.

Of this Cyrus read Zenophon, and see how Vlisses is set forth by Homer, Aeneas by Maro: so is Cyrus magnified by Zenophon. * 1.26 Cambyses succeeded Cyrus his father, not in vertue and iustice, not toperforme his fathers will, but to breake the decree which Cyrus made after the captiuitie to the Iewes for their re∣turne to further the temple: the tyrannie of whō if you list to be acquainted withal, reade Herodot the 3. booke, & you shal know the whole life of Cambyses, who after Cyrus death vsed al kinde of murthers, fomed in blood, raged in tyrannie, gathe∣red an armie of Persia, and of Greece, mooued warres against Amasis king of Egypt.

The cause of this warre doth Herodot in this sort set downe: * 1.27 Cambyses had councell to aske Amasis daughter in mariage of some backe friend of his: Amasis sawe the full intention of Cambyses, coulde not tell well howe to answere Cambyses: hee thought this way to deceiue him: there was one only daugh∣ter of Aprie king of Egypt left aliue of that stocke, a wise and a * 1.28 very faire woman named Nitetis: this Amasis the king with all sumptuous tyre, with golde & substance plentifully, did send to Persia to king Cambyses, with whom shee was in great fauour & loue by the name of Amasis daughter, saluting her daily by that name, vntill Nitetis spake these wordes.

O Cambyses, thou art much deceiued to take me for Amasis daughter: I am king Apries daughter & the last of that house, whom Amasis the king sent vnto you: he killed my father, and he nowe thus vsed you. Vpon this, Cambyses sent vnto the king of Arabia, to licence him with his armie to haue pas∣sage to Egypt: which being then graunted, Cambyses spoyled, wasted, and burned, vntill hee came to Memphis, where hee thought to finde Amasis aliue, but he found his sonne Psamme∣ticus. Memphis being taken by Cambyses, another battell was * 1.29 fought by Nilus, where likewise Cambyses got the victory af∣ter a great slaughter: of this Herodot doth write, that when tri∣all was made of the dead souldiers, whether the Persians or the Egyptians had the harder scull, it was found that the Persi∣ans heads were so soft, as any small thing would breake it, and

the Egyptians head so hard, that nothing skant might breake * 1.30 it: the reason was, that the Egyptians were woont euen from their youth to shaue their heads, & so hardened them by the heate of the sunne, that it is a woonder in Egypt to see a balde man. And the Persians were wont to beare vpon their heads such great mighty hats called Tiaras, rowled in such sort, that * 1.31 their heads were mightie & monstrous, that by the warme∣nes thereof they were so soft as wooll.

Nowe Cambyses waxed so cruell by this victorie, wasted where he came, committing sacriledge, adding one euill to another, fearing his owne conscience, suspecting his brother Smerdis, sent his trustie and secret friend Phraxaspes to kil him, maried his owne sister, who hearing of her brothers death, mourned and wept, wherefore Cambyses slue her. After this, when his deare friend Praxaspes had intreated him secretly to spare wine, the cause of his disquietnes, certifying him what hard opinions the Persians had of him, & how they would be glad to haue Cambyses to be Cyrus sonne, sober, & temperate: Cambyses answered in this sort: thou shalt see whether I be so∣ber * 1.32 or no: goe thy waies, bring thy sonne vnto me, & set him to stand against the doore. This being done, Cambyses com∣manded the yong man to put his left hand vpon his head: he tooke his bow, & shot him into his hart, & smiling vpō Prax∣aspes he said, behold how sober I am, & what a steady hand I haue amongst the cups: yet as not contented to rage, to mur∣ther, and to vse tyranny against those that were aliue, but he would satisfie himself vpon dead men, he caused Amasis king of Egypt his body being dead & buried in his graue to be takē * 1.33 vp, to be beaten, whipt, & to be wounded with swordes and daggers, and last to be burned to ashes against the lawes of Persia: for that the Persiās honor the fire as a god, & therfore not lawful to feede vpon dead bodies: against the lawes of E∣gypt, for the Egyptians take their fire to be a liuing creature, & to deuoure any thing that is put into it, and therefore the E∣gyptians were wont to salt their dead bodies, lest they shoulde be deuoured of vermins. Neither were the old Romanes▪ wont * 1.34

to burie the bodies of the dead for a long time: for I reade of none buried with the Romanes before Sillas time the Dicta∣tor: * 1.35 for this was the custome of those daies, that wheresoeuer any Romane should die, hee should bee brought dead to his owne house, and there be kept seuen dayes, the eight day he should be buried, and the ninth day the ashes buried, & that in his owne house, at what time they sacrificed to Proserpina nouendiale sacrificium: for so also it was among the Grecians, as * 1.36 you may reade in Plutarch, after the funerall of Philopoemen: his ashes were couered with garlands, & flowres, and nose∣gaies, all the souldiers crowned with garlandes of lawrell in token of diuers victories: but this funerall was appointed for a captaine or a Prince that died as a conquerour in the field: yet the funerall potte, where the ashes of the dead were laid, should be caried with great solemnitie, and be kept as a mo∣nument among his friendes and kinsemen in great honour, before their gods Penates or Lares.

And here a little to speake of buriall, wee reade in Genesis, * 1.37 that Abraham bought a fielde of Ephron the Hittite, to burie his wife Sara, and to burie the rest of Abrahams stocke: this was a possession of burial vnto Abraham, & he paied 400. shekels. Iacob dying in Egypt with wis sōne Ioseph, cōmāded his bones to be brought to Hebron. Ioseph after that charged also his bre∣thren * 1.38 that his bones should be caried to his fathers graue in Hebron: but of the maners & orders of funerals in euery king∣dome it is set downe in my other booke. But let vs returne to Cambyses, where hauing subdued Egypt, and ready further to warre vpō the Ethiopians, which was a kingdom ioyned to E∣gypt, at what iime newes came frō Persia by a messenger, that his brother Smerdis had vsurped the kingdome, letters were sent frō the two Magi, which Cambyses left ouer seers of Persia in his absence, to all partes of Egypt, to signifie the same.

For Patizitis (so one of the Magi was named) had found a kinseman of Smerdis most like in all points vnto him: this be∣ing instructed, was crowned king in Persia by the name of * 1.39 Smerdis Cyrus sonne, and being proclaimed king by heralds, and by post letters sent to signifie the same to all Countries,

that all countries should obey Smerdis and not Cambyses: and so that herald certified Cambyses.

By this terrour and feare Cambyses called Praxaspes, consul∣ted with him, and demaunded whether hee had perfourmed his charge concerning Smerdis: to whom he said, I haue bu∣ried Smerdis with my owne hand. Cambyses being thereby en∣bouldened, demaunded the trueth of the herauld: hee char∣ged him to speake trueth, whether Smerdis my brother gaue thee this charge, or any els in Smerdis name: to whom he an∣swered, In trueth I neuer sawe Smerdis Cyrus sonne, sithence the time that Cambyses tooke his iourney from Persia vnto E∣gypt: but euen he whom Cambyses made his deputie in Persia, gaue me this in commaundement to doe.

Cambyses making him ready with all haste possible to goe * 1.40 with his armie to Susa, and leaping on horse backe, his sword fell out of his sheath, and pearced him through his thighes, of the which wound within twentie dayes after Cambyses di∣ed, when he had reigned seuen yeeres and fiue moneths.

Cambyses before his death, sawe the like dreame as Iu. Caesar did the night before he was slaine in the Senate, who seemed in his sleepe to flee aboue the cloudes, and to sitte vpon the * 1.41 throne of Iupiter, and that vpon the sudden hee was throwen downe to the earth. The like Cambyses dreamed of his bro∣ther * 1.42 Smerdis, whē he thought that sitting vpō Cambyses seate, his head reached vpto the heauens, so that almost the like ef∣fect happened to them both: for Cambyses had knowledge by the oracle at Butis, that he should die in Ecbatana, but he knew not that another Ecbatana was in Syria, beside that in Media, * 1.43 and therfore was deceiued. Yet Cambyses left this example of iustice behind him: he vsed one of the Iudges named Sisamnis in this sort, that being corrupted with money to giue sen∣tēce against iustice, he caused him to be slaine, & to flay him, * 1.44 & to lay his skin for a couer vpō the seat of iudgemēt for the next Iudge that came afterto leane vpon. And he appointed Otanes Sisamnis sōne tosucceed his father, brought him to the * 1.45 iudgement seate, and shewed him his fathers skin, cōmaun∣ding him to behold the same, before he would giue sentence in any thing.

CHAP. II.

Of the two Magi that vsurped Persia after Cambyses time: of Darius Histaspis and his good gouernment, of Xerxes the great, and his warres in Greece: of his ignominious flight from Greece, and of his death in Persia after his flight.

NOw while Cambyses was thus in Egypt, these two Magi gouerned Persia seuen * 1.46 moneths in bountifull sort, forgiuing tributs and taxes, and graunting liber∣ties and freedom for the Persians to liue as they listed. Writers doe varie about the name of these two. Iustine called these two Magi, Comaris and Oropastis: He∣rodotus doeth call the one Patizites, and the other Smerdis. Zo∣naras * 1.47 nameth the elder Tanoaxeres, but it is not materiall: for Eusebius doeth not nomber these two amongst the kings of Persia.

But in the eight moneth one of the seuen princes or gouer∣nours of Persia ouerthrew these Magi: then these seuen prin∣ces being vertuous and welbeloued of the people, agreed in loue and faith one with another, one preferring another to * 1.48 the kingdome, that it was hard for the people to make choise of any of them: yet to them the election was referred. Otanes one of the seuen princes, thought that it was not necessary to haue a king, to make a free common wealth bound to a Mo∣narchia: he perswaded the countrey to liue vnder the law of popular state called Democratia, euery city to haue their magi∣strate, * 1.49 and euery prouince to haue such gouernours as might defende the countrey with lawes and armes: affirming the greatnes of a king to approch the nature of a tyrant, and ther∣fore most dangerous: for when they giue ouer to be kings in doing iustice, then they begin to be tyrants in committing rage and furie. Megabisus held a contrary opinion, allowing * 1.50 not a popular state, who are neuer quiet, neuer constant, drawen one day of this side, to morow of another, affirming the furie and rage of the people to be intollerable, and like

the streame of a violent flood, without wisdome in gouern∣ment, without reason in iudgement, and euen like Hidra that monstrous beast of Lerna, neuer satisfied, neuer cōtented, ne∣uer quiet: and compared it to the saying of Demosthenes, that populus was one of the three monsters at Athens, which raig∣ned at one time, Noctua, draco, & populus, the owle, the dra∣gon, * 1.51 and the people.

Megabisus therefore disliked a Democraticall cōmon wealth, perswaded that some of the wisest and best learned should be chosen for a state: for to good men belong good counsell (said he) and they will in conscience and trueth refourme things amisse: his reason tended to haue a common wealth called Oligarchia, or Aristocratia, and not a popular state. The thirde Darius spake, disanulling both Otanes and Megabisus opinion, declaring by examples of diuers kingdomes, the * 1.52 defect of kings, as Zenophon and Herodotus most largely dis∣course, and amongst Philosophers approued the best state of a common wealth to be a Monarchie: alleadging also by Cy∣rus * 1.53 last will and Cambyses, that while any of Cyrus stocke liued, * 1.54 that they by succession should enioy the Scepter of Persia, and if the house of Cyrus should faile, then to make an electi∣on of a king by the seuen princes of Persia and the people. And therefore both in reason a king is to be elected, and by them commaunded of Cyrus to be confirmed.

The other foure, which yet had spoken nothing, but dili∣gently hearing these three before, they all consented with Darius, and supposed that common wealth to be best, where a Monarchie is, the soueraigntie whereof is in a king: and therefore they agreed all to elect a king: and to auoyde con∣tentions and quarrels, they committed to Fortune their election in this sort, That all the seuen princes should be a * 1.55 horsebacke the next morning in the suburbes of the citie to talke of this matter, and that whose horse should neigh first after Sunne rising he should be king in Persia. They all to this consented, and euery prince rode sumptuously to the place. These were the names of the seuen princes.

• ...

• Otanes.
• Intapher∣nes.
• Gobrias.
• Megabisus.
• Astphatines.
• Hidarnes, * 1.56
• And Darius.

The night before they should ride to the place, in the morning Darius consulted with the master of his horse, ope∣ned the whole cause, and asked his deuise by arte. Oebarus * 1.57 (so his name was) assured Darius of some secret helpe: hee brought Darius horse that night to a mare, to that place where they should meete in the morning. Darius riding vp∣on that horse by the counsell of Oebarus, the next morning met according to their agreement altogether. Darius horse hauing bene with the mare in that place, beganne lustily to praunce, and to neigh lowdly: whereat the other sixe prin∣ces lighted immediatly from their horses, and saluted him as their king.

This Darius now king of Persia had maried a daughter of Cyrus named Atossa, of whom hee had Xerxes. Within some * 1.58 space after Darius came to the kingdome, the Assyrians be∣ganne to reuolt from him: hee layed siege to Babylon twen∣tie * 1.59 moneths, and could not preuaile, vntill one Zopirus a sub∣tile Persian, who yeelded Babylon to Darius hand, by this poli∣cie: he himselfe did cut off his owne eares, his nostrels, and * 1.60 came all bloodie to Babylon, accusing Darius crueltie, who for perswading him to raise his siege and to spare blood, he vsed me as you see.

The Babylonians light of beliefe, thought it trueth, made him captaine ouer a band of souldiers, who for his more cre∣dit with the Babylonians, gaue two or three light ouerthrowes to Darius men, and by this meanes brought Babylon to Darius hand. Of this Zopirus was Darius wont to say when he held a pomegranate in his hand, that he wished nothing more in * 1.61 the world, then to haue so many Zopirus as the pomegranate had kernels.

Now is Babylon the second time taken by the Persians. When Darius was quietly setled in Babylon, he made warres vpon the barbarous Scythians: for euen as Cyrus was wont to driue the barbarous nations from Asia which came from the region of Arctoa: so Darius tooke that course by his chiefe captaine Me∣gabisus, to clense Persia from strangers: the Getes, the Cimmeri∣ans, * 1.62 and the Sauromats inhabited in Asia and about Thracia. * 1.63 For of the Cimerians came those Germans called Cimbri, and from the Getes came likewise the Gothes. These Getes yeelded to Megabisus: the Scythians he could not vanquish. * 1.64

But after some warre he returned vnto Greece, sent ambas∣sadours vnto Amintas king of Macedonia to haue free passage * 1.65 through his countrey: which being graunted more for feare then for loue, Amintas entertained the ambassadours of Per∣sia very liberally, brought them to a banquet, where after much rioting of wine, they handled rudely the Macedonians ladies that beare them companie.

Alexander the sonne of Amintas, and the great grandfather of Alexander the great, being discontented with their beast∣lines, desired the king his father to take his rest that night, ta∣king vpon him the entertainment of these Persians: who after his father was gone, he consulted with certaine noble men of Macedonia, that they should come in most gorgious and sumptuous attire like women in the apparel of women, with * 1.66 their naked weapons close vnder their garments, comman∣ding them when they should so beastly handle them next, to stabbe them vnto the heart.

In the meane season Alexander desired them that the ladies might withdraw themselues for a time, promising them they * 1.67 should presently returne to beare them companie: in the meane time while these ladies were absent, came the Macedo∣nian lords in forme and shew of ladies, and perfourmed the wil of Alexander in all points, when they saw occasion offred.

At this time Pisistratus that gouerned Athens, had a sonne * 1.68 named Hippias, which was banished his countrey for his cru∣eltie toward the citizens, and was with Darius, who hearing

that his brother Hipparchus was slaine, made meanes to Da∣rius that hee would vouchsafe to ayde him to his countrey: which was the rather granted, for that Darius was offended with the Athenians, for that they aided the Ionians against him in that warre called bellum Ionicum, when they tooke Sardis and burned it.

He caused presently a hundreth thousand footemen, and * 1.69 tenne thousand horsemen to accompany Hippias to Athens, who whē they came within two mile of Athens, the Athenians with these newes were sore afrighted, & stood in great doubt whether to yeelde or to resist them, vntill Miltiades a famous captaine comforted them by the coūsell of Callimachus tooke in hand to fight with the Persians. He had tenne thousand of Athens, and ten thousand Platenses, here was his whole force: but in that battel that noble fellow Miltiades, and Callimachus * 1.70 with his Greekes, gaue the ouerthrowe to the Persians in the fields called Marathon, to the nomber of sixe thousand three hundreth, by the counsel of Callimachus. Thus much Melan∣cthon affirmeth: but Iustinus saith, that there were sixe hun∣dreth thousande Persians, of the which (saith hee) two hun∣dreth * 1.71 thousande were slaine, and the rest put to flight: but this warrewas after that which was at Marathon, when Darius vpon the hearing of these newes, was three yeeres in prepa∣ring for it.

With this Miltiades flourished in this warre Themistocles, a gallant yong gentleman of Athens: this Themistocles was wont to say (after that fielde fought in Marathon, and the Persians vanquished) that the victories and triumphes of Miltiades could not suffer him to sleepe: but his sonne Xerxes perfour∣med * 1.72 it, as it shalbe spoken hereafter. In Esdras it is referred to Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon, whom the Hebrewes tooke to be Asuerus. Hitherunto Eusebius doeth agree.

In this warre Pisistratus two sonnes died, Hipparchus and Hippias: Hipparchus Plato so commended him, that he was cō∣uersant * 1.73 with learned men, he loued Simonides, he brought Ho∣mers Iliads first to Athens, & caused the Grecians in any solemne

meeting to sing Homers verses: his delight was to preferre learned men, and to reuerence wise men, and for that onely * 1.74 cause he was esteemed the wisest man of Athens. But to Da∣rius againe, whom Zonaras saide that he was the husband of Esther, which in the Scripture is called Asuerus. Melancthon writeth, that Darius Histaspis was that Assuerus that maried Esther: and here the history of Esther might be well brought in, sauing it is in the Bible: for Herodotus saith, that Darius ma∣ried * 1.75 two women, the one named Aristona which may be the name of Esther, as wel as the name of Vasthi to be Atossa which was Cyrus daughter, on whom he got Xerxes who succeeded after him, though Artabazanes the eldest sonne by Aristona or * 1.76 Esther made claime to the kingdom, and opposed himselfe a∣gainst Xerxes: yet whē Darius made warres with the Grecians, and afterward with the Egyptiās, in the which iourney Darius died, he appointed Xerxes to gouerne Persia in his absence, and to be king after him if he should die in warres, for that his * 1.77 mother was Cyrus daughter, and for that Cyrus was called by the Persians Pater patriae.

The goodnes of this king was fully proued, at what time the Church was miserably afflicted by that wicked Haman and hindred by that cruel Cambyses against the decree of Cyrus: he confirmed the decree, and gaue licence and full libertie for the Iewes to build their temple according to Cyrus decree: for God raised Cyrus, Darius, Artaxerxes, Nabuchodonosor, Euilmero∣dach * 1.78 to be pillars and defenders of his Church. When Darius had raigned 36. yeeres, he died, in whose dayes the kings of Rome ended their kingdom, and their monarchie fel to a new forme of state called Aristocratia. In the time of Darius raig∣ned Aristodemus in Cuma a towne of Italy, not as king, but as a * 1.79 tyrant, with whom the barbarous nations had open warres. This cōtention betwene Artabazanes & Xerxes was ended by Instaphernes: but Herodianus saith, by Demaratus Ariston, to both their liking, iudging the crown to be Xerxes according to Da∣rius will and the request of Persia, and Artabazenes so satisfied that one loued another. In Darius Histaspis time raigned in

Madonia Alexander Amintas sonne their 10. king. Herodotus also this age wrote his history, which after it was read in Athens he was of more credite amongst the Grecians, though Strabo cal∣led * 1.80 his booke Mythistoriam, fabulous histories, as Budeus wri∣teth. Sophocles and Euripides liued in Darius time, and Socrates was borne.

Darius Histaspis a litle before he died, after he had heard the newes of the Grecians victorie at Marathon, being before offended with the Athenians for that they inuaded Sardis, now ten times more kindled to reuenge these iniuries, po∣sting all Asia, and sending to all his prouinces, prepared such force, that he was three yeeres in prouiding men and muni∣tions against the Grecians, at which the Egyptians reuolted from Darius, which were by Cambyses before subdued, he then * 1.81 had thought to make his voyage to Egypt, and appoynted Xerxes his sonne by Cyrus daughter Atossa, to gouerne in his absence Persia: betweene whome and his brother Artaba∣zanes, some strife (as you heard before) grewe about the gouernment.

But Xerxes after his fathers death, was the fourth king of Persia, who taking that warre in hande against the Egyptians, * 1.82 which his father Darius thought to haue taken, had hee not bene by death preuented, not yet thinking to reuenge the Greekes, vntill Mardonius his aunts sonne had perswaded him. He gathered such an armie, as the like is not read, sauing of Tamberlane the Scythian king, of whom the history is publike: this great preparation of Xerxes was consulted and through∣ly waighed before it was taken in hand, for Artabanus Xerxes owne brother thought it not a necessarie warre. Mardonius his neere kinseman perswaded the contrary saying, that Xer∣xes with that force might bring all Europe subiect to the Em∣pire of Asia. Mardonius sentence preuailed. * 1.83

Xerxes made readie his armies: the nomber were so ma∣ny, as scant could bee accompted, for hee had twelue hun∣dreth and seuen Nauies: the Scythians, and the Persians, the Phaenicians; which dwelt in the lande of Palestine, brought

three hundreth nauies, the Egyptians two hundreth, the Cy∣prians * 1.84 one hundrerh, the Silicians one hundreth, and the Lici∣ans brought fiftie nauies, Dores which dwell in Asia brought thirtie, they of Caria brought seuentie, the Ionians an hun∣dreth nauies, the Aeolians threescore, and the inhabitants of Helespont, brought an hundreth nauies, so that Herodotus * 1.85 accompts the whole nomber of the nauies to be three thou∣sand: but Iustine writeth, that Xerxes had in his companie to∣wardes * 1.86 Greece, tenne hundreth thousand nauies, insomuch that the Persians bragged, that the Ocean seas had scant suffi∣cient * 1.87 roome for their nauies, that all Greece was not able to giue them ground ynough, and scant place for their shotts in the aire: with this insolencie the Persian armie marched. * 1.88

While Xerxes this time was in preparing such a huge host, the Grecians bestirred themselues with all care and diligence to call their force together, and to gather their strength to∣gether from all parts of Greece. The Athenians made four∣tie nauies: the Magarenses made twentie nauies: the Chalsi∣denses * 1.89 so many, as they of Athens made, which was fourtie: the Peloponesians twelue nauies: the Lacedemonians tenne: the Epidaureans eight, and the inhabitants of Agineta two and twentie: the Traezeneans made fiue nauies: so that the whole nomber of the Grecians nauie was but two hundreth seuen∣tie and ons.

The Athenians appointed to be their generall, Themistocles: and the Lacedemonians made Euribiades: but the Persians could not finde a fit generall for so great an armie: for (as Herodotus doth record it) there was in the campe of Xerxes an hundreth * 1.90 and seuentie Myriads of souldiers. You must vnderstand, that euery Myriad is compted for tenne thousand, so that a hun∣dreth and seuentie Myriads are to be taken for seuentie hun∣dred thousand men, which Xerxes had in his voiage to Greece, * 1.91 which was in the seuenth yeere of his raigne, when he sailed on the sea of Helespont, and marched with more boldnesse then wisedome, drinking a bowle of wine to the Sunne, and throwing the cuppe after his draught into the sea, making a

vowe that hee would not returne from this iourney, before hee had brought all Greece and Europe ioyned with Asia, subiect to Persia. But hee was soone deceiued: for the Per∣sians fought for money to augment their treasure, & the Gre∣cians fought for vertue to defende the libertie of their Coun∣trey: for this warre of Xerxes was more taken in hande for * 1.92 ostentation then for necessitie, to doe iniurie and not to de∣fend iustice.

The authours whereof God hath from time to time pu∣nished: as Iosias that good king, yet for such a fault hee was giuen to the hand of Necho king of Egypt an infidel. Cyrus, this Xerxes grandfather, for taking vnnecessarie warres in hand against the Scythians, was slaine by Tomyris a woman: and now this king needlesse without cause offered, thought to haue eaten vp all Greece, he was made a runnagate, and to flee from Greece, his souldiers slaine, his captaines drowned, and himselfe hardly escaping: for within two yeeres the Per∣sians had foure ouerthrowes.

The first ouerthrowe was at Thermopila, where hee lost * 1.93 twentie thousand Persians by three thousand Grecians. After, they were vanquished in two sundrie great battels vpon the sea, the one hard by Artimesium in Thessalia, the other by the Isle Salamines, from whence Xerxes himselfe was secretly for∣ced to flee in a little boate, after he had lost the last battel, to his great ignominie and shame, which hee neuer recouered during his life.

Afterward, leauing Mardonius behinde him with three hundreth thousande Persians, the fourth battell was giuen him at Platea, where the Persians likewise were ouer∣throwen, * 1.94 Mardonius slaine by a souldier of Sparta, and all Greece triumphed of that victorie.

CHAP. III.

Of the successors of Xerxes in Persia: of their warres, victories, and gouernment: of the state of Greece, and of the prosperities, victo∣ries, and fame they had in Xerxes time.

THis time flourished Greece, for it had many The∣mistocles, which was wōt to say, I ouercome my friends with patience, & my foes with celeritie: after this victory it began to be strōg, and to flo∣rish in same before al nations, vntil ciuil warres: for Caesar was demaunded by a Romane a friend of his, how he conquered so many nations in so short a time? he answered by celeritie: for (said Caesar) it was a fault found in Hanibal, that * 1.95 after he had taken Capua, that he had not layd siege to Rome.

This great and mightie voyage of Xerxes being thus with losse and shame finished, euen hee who was a terrour to the whole world, and so called terror gētium before this time, was * 1.96 now had in contempt, & despised of all Persia. Artabanus who then perswaded this iourney, had 7. sonnes well esteemed of the Persians: and perceiuing the contempt of Xerxes with the people, and how he slew his brother, after this great infamie of the warre, when he returned home, he tooke his brothers wife, and his brothers daughter, and committed incest with them both, but his owne vncle Artabanus his fathers brother slew him, after that Xerxes had raigned in Persia 21. yeeres. * 1.97

But Mardonius could not perswade Xerxes before his going to Egypt: for he went to Egypt in the second yere after Darius death: and after he had subdued them, & brought them into a straighter seruitude then they were vnder Darius, he made his returne towards Greece, leauing behinde him in Egypt his brother Archemenes to gouerne the countrey. After he had bene foure yeres in subduing Egypt, the fift yere he tooke this voyage with great expedition to Greece. Greece then flou∣rished: * 1.98 for euen at that time, and specially after Xerxes time, their fame grewe greater by their great victories had ouer Xerxes: for in Greece euery citie seemed a kingdome, and so continued vntil the Peloponesian warres: such magistrats, such

captaines, as Themistocles, who by Thucydides was thus com∣mended * 1.99 that he excelled for his wit, that he wanted neither foresight of things to come, neither memorie of things past, neither vnprouided of things present, and what hee knewe not, he would learne: and what he was taught he could per∣forme: ready of wit, quicke of actions, and circumspect in all his doings, the honor and glory of all Greece. After whom Pe∣ricles was had in great estimation in Athens. So of Agesilaus and Cleomenes in Sparta: of Epaminondas & Pelopidas in Thebes: and so the rest at that time in Greece, of whom I haue written in the historie of Greece.

After him succeeded his sōne Artaxerxes the long handed, * 1.100 for that the right hand was longer then the left, a noble and a courteous prince, and the first of this name of al the kings of Persia: he began to gouerne Persia after Xerxes his father, at what time Perdicas the second of that name, & the 11. king of Macedonia raigned. To this Artaxerxes fled that worthy man * 1.101 Themistocles, being banished from Athens, whom often from destruction he saued, and by whom the great ouerthrow was giuen to Xerxes and to his nauie, to the glory of Greece, and shame of Xerxes. In this Artaxerxes time florished two great Philosophers, Empedocles and Parmenides. Many learned men of great fame liued in Artaxerxes time, as Democritus and He∣raclitus, two philosophers, the one laughing alwaies at the fo∣lie of the world, the other alwayes weeping at the misery of the world. Hipocrates that famous phisition serued this Artax∣erxes * 1.102 in Court, Gorgias and Pherecides, Policlitus and Herodotus. Greece began to florish in philosophie, and in all knowledge about this time. In this kings time the Romanes sent to A∣thens for the lawes of the twelue tables, at what time the Ro∣manes created tenne men named Decemuiri, to interprete the * 1.103 lawes. About this time Titus Liuius writeth that the French∣men came out of Scythia, first with one Marcomirus, to the nomber of 489. thousand to the confines of Germanie, where they were called first Nemmagi by the Saxons: the second name they had of Cambra the Queene, and were called

Sicambri, and the third name of Francus a king, they were na∣med Franci, as you may reade more in the history of France.

But to returne to Artaxerxes, whose zeale to the Church was such, that he commaunded the Edict of Cyrus to be per∣formed, which was hindred by Cambyses, and by Darius Histas∣pis his owne grandfather, who after once he had permitted the Iewes to haue Cyrus decree performed, a good king, yet he was letted to doe that which now his sonne doeth, by reason of the warres which hee had in Egypt and Greece: for then warres were put to silence in Asia and in the East part.

At this time Artaxerxes did send Esdras with great treasures * 1.104 and substance to Ierusalem, in the seuenth yere of his raigne, to build vp againe Ierusalem, to repaire the temple, & to restore to the Iewes their common wealth. This Artaxerxes is named in Esdras to be Darius by the prophet Aggeus and Zacharie, at what time a great multitude of the Iewes came from Babylon * 1.105 with Esdras to Ierusalem, though Sisines the gouernour of Sy∣ria and Phoenicia would had hindered them, had not Artax∣erxes commanded to helpe them.

All this time Artabanus mused how he might destroy Ar∣taxerxes to haue the kingdom: for to that end before he slew Xerxes this kings father, & that imagination was strong with Artabanus, laying the like snares to murther Artaxerxes: but * 1.106 Artaxerxes hauing intelligence of the same, and fearing Arta∣banus sonnes, seuen stout and gallant gentlemen, he gathered an armie of souldiers, as though he had some secret voyage in hand, amongst whom Artabanus was soonest and readiest armed: and as Artaxerxes vewed his armie, he spied Artaba∣nus * 1.107 in armes, of whom stil he stood in feare, vntil he preuēted the danger with Artabanus death to saue his owne life. The Iewes toke this Artaxerxes to be Darius Histaspis sonne, whom they called Assuerus by queene Esther. By this good king Ne∣hemias was sent after Esdras to Ierusalem, with the like rewards as before. From the seuenth yeere of this Artaxerxes, sirna∣med the long hand, some do beginne the seuentie weekes of Daniel, concerning the comming of Messias. About this

time Pericles died, a noble Captaine of Athens that succee∣ded * 1.108 Themistocles: and Plato was borne, whose master Socrates flourished at that time. Thucydides which liued in the time of Artaxerxes saith, Themistocles was driuen from Athens, and banished vnto Persia, yea & to come to serue this king, whose father he anoyed so much, and whose people he vanquished in foure great battels: so vngrateful Athens was towards The∣mistocles, Aristides, Alcibiades and others, of whom I do speake in the historie of Greece.

The Iewes had some quietnes from Artaxerxes time the fift king of Persia, vntill the time of Ochus the eight king of Persia. Likewise the Grecians were in rest, and had the cities & coun∣treis to vse with free libertie by meanes of this king Artaxer∣xes: for the Athenians and the Peloponesians were made friends for fourteene yeeres, of whose warre afterwarde Thucydides continueth his history, and writeth the calamitie of Greece, which ensued the ciuill warres of the Grecians. After folowed the Peloponesian warres, which continued 27. yeeres, to the * 1.109 ouerthrowe of all Greece. In the seuenth yeere of this warre died Artaxerxes, after he had raigned fourtie and foure yeres: this warre began before Augustus Caesar foure hundreth yeres.

About this time Capua was taken of the Samnits, and Mace∣donia was in many places wasted and burned by a Thracian * 1.110 captaine called Sitalices. Agis was king in Lacedemonia this time, and Archidamus raigned in Sparta. There liued more learned men in Artaxerxes time then in any one kings time, and that in euery part and coast of the world, and therefore it is not amisse to put them in one place, for that they were at one time, I meane one age: especially of Romanes & Grecians.

• Esdras and Nehemias, two noble Iewes.
• Aggeus and Zacharias, two godly Prophets.
• Empedocles and Parmenides, two great Philosophers.
• Phericides, an Historiographer of Syria.
• Cratinus, a great writer of Tragedies and Comedies.
• Sophocles and Euripides the Tragaedians. And
• Proclitus a Philosopher.
• ...

• Democritus and Heraclitus, two Philosophers.
• Hippocrates, a famous Phisition, attendant vpon king Artaxarexes.
• Ctesias, a Persian Chronographer, and one of Artaxerxes houshold.
• Socrates flourished this time, and Plato his scholer was yet but yong.
• Herodotus and Thucydides, two great writers.
• Aristophanes and Protagoras, whose bookes were burned in Athens by a publique Edict.
• And a litle after, Pindarus and Diogoras the Philosopher.
• Zeuxes and Phidias, two renowmed cunning men in cut∣ting or grauing Images, statues, in painting most ex∣cellent, which skill amongst the Grecians was much esteemed.
• In Artaxerxes time liued Miltiades, Themistocles, Cimon, and Pericles, foure famous Athenians.
• In Rome Lucius Sicinius dentatus, a very strong man, Tribune of the people: of whose strength Plinie in his seuenth booke, Cap. 28. and Solinus, Cap. 6.
• In Artaxerxes time the Romanes sent to Athens for the twelue Tables which Solon had made, to be had in great reuerence amongst the Grecians.

In Persia after Artaxerxes succeeded Darius Nothus: this ma∣ried * 1.111 Artaxerxes sister. Bibliander thought him to bee Xerxes sonne: others named him Xerxes the seconde: others affir∣ming him to be Artaxerxes sonne: but it is not much mate∣rial, for Chronographers omit to put him amongst the kings of Persia: so Ctesias himselfe a Persian writer, who liued in his dayes, and serued his predecessour Artaxerxes. While this Darius raigned in Persia, the Egyptians againe began to reuolt: at what time Amartheus gouerned Egypt, and Orestes raigned king in Macedonia.

The Athenians made this time a league with the Lacedemo∣nians: likewise they concluded a peace with the Argiues, and with the people of Mantinea, by the counsell of Alcibiades.

This time gaue the Lacedemonians a great ouerthrow to the * 1.112 Argiues, whereupon peace was concluded, Agis being then king in Lacedemonia, and himselfe generall in the fielde at Te∣gaea. The state of Greece was to be lamented from time to time: for as they did thinke all the world to be barbarous be∣side themselues: so of themselues they could not agree, vn∣til all Greece was through ciuil warres destroyed and wasted, one countrey bickering at another, and one citie enuying an other, that they who triumphed oft ouer the strong Persians, are now troden vnder foote of their next neighbours.

For in this Darius Nothus time, when the Athenians had gi∣uen an ouerthrow to the Syracusans, the Lacedemonians enuied * 1.113 so much Athens, that they sent a great companie of souldiers with Gilippus their captaine, to bring downe the victories of the Athenians, at what time the Athenians were ouerthrowen, and the Syracusans triumphed. In this warre died that noble fellow Nicias the generall of the Athenian armie, with many mo famous Athenians, which shalbe more at large in another place, when we speake of Greece, be declared. The Rhodians this time did reuolt from the Lacedemonians, whereupon the Lacedemonians sent ambassadours to Persia to this Darius to haue his friendship, and to ioyne with the Lacedemonians in a league of peace: for the Medes likewise (as the Egyptians did before them) reuolted from Darius: for at that time Egypt and Media began to rebel against Darius.

About this time Alcibiades, who succeeded Nicias in Athens, * 1.114 had gotten a great victorie at Chalcedon, ouerthrew the cap∣taine Pharnabazus taken by Zantium, and was thereby made chiefe captaine of the Athenians, being absent from Athens.

Now when Darius had raigned nineteene yeeres in Persia, * 1.115 he left behind him two sonnes, Artaxerxes sirnamed Mnemon, to whom he bequethed the kingdome of Persia being his el∣dest sonne, and Cyrus his second sonne, to whom likewise he gaue certaine cities and prouinces vnder his gouernment. Cyrus not well contented with his fathers will, hee secretly rose in armes against his brother his father yet liuing: who

commaunding Cyrus to be brought vnto him, layd him for a time in prison, and kept him in fetters of golde.

But after Darius time, it grew to further malice and to open warres: for Cyrus bearing the name of the former auncient * 1.116 Cyrus, (which was a deare name among the Persians) was the bolder to fall out with his brother, supposing that the Per∣sians would the more fauour him for the names sake, which in trueth among the Persians was much honoured. Cyrus was from his cradle of a hot stirring minde, Artaxerxes milde and gentle in all his actions: hee was named first Arsicas, and is with many writers so called.

Now when Artaxerxes was consecrated king at Pasargar∣des in the temple of Minerua by the priestes of Persia, reports were made vnto him, that Cyrus his brother had conspired his death, and had layed waite to kill him: of the which Ar∣taxerxes * 1.117 was by his counsell perswaded to trie out the trea∣son of Cyrus: which being found out, yet by the meanes of his mother Parysatis who loued Cyrus dearely, hee was of that fault pardoned.

Notwithstanding the great courtesie of Artaxerxes to∣wards Cyrus, he after this thirsted more for the kingdome of * 1.118 Persia then before: for this king Artaxerxes Mnemon, follow∣ing his grandfathers steps Artaxerxes the long handed in all goodnes and vertue, hee was much beloued of his subiects, honoured of his countrey, and of all countreys much estee∣med: he gaue himselfe to heare suiters causes, and to let his poore subiects to haue accesse vnto him to open their cau∣ses. Now such as desired innouations and change, gaue out * 1.119 that the greatnes of the Empire of Persia stood in neede of a king that should be alwayes in armes, such a prince as Cy∣rus was: these people stirred vp Cyrus to open warre against his brother, who leauing the gouernment of Lydia, being al∣so generall lieutenant of all Asia giuen vnto him by his fa∣ther Darius, sent messengers vnto Lacedemonia for helpe, ga∣thered of Greece and of barbarous nations, to the nomber of thirteene thousand, beside his owne force, and marched * 1.120

boldly forwarde, vntill hee heard that Artaxerxes had an * 1.121 armie of nine hundred thousand fighting men: yet Cyrus went forward, and gaue him battell and diuers sore assaults, * 1.122 but preuailed not: this warre is of Xenophon excellently de∣scribed and set foorth in all points. In this battell was Artax∣erxes hurt, by Cyrus his owne hand, but afterwarde the mi∣serie and the extremitie of Cyrus was such, as by Plutarch is set in the life of Mnemon. The cause of this warre was ambiti∣on, and the desire of Cyrus to the kingdome: but (as Melan∣cthon saith) the rather moued hereunto by his mother Pary∣satis, * 1.123 who hated Statira Artaxeres wife, to the death.

The great magnanimitie, iustice, modestie, liberalitie, and other singular vertues which shined in this Cyrus, is of Xeno∣phon not forgotten in his booke de Cyriminoris expeditione: for * 1.124 after Cyrus death, all those that boasted to haue slaine him, were by Parysatis meanes Cyrus mother so persecuted, that they died most miserably, as Artasyras and Mithridates. To be short, this Parysatis the kings mother found no rest, vntil she * 1.125 had poisoned the Queene Statyra her daughter in law. In the meane season, Agesilaus king of Lacedemon maketh warres with the Persians: Artaxerxes wisely looking to the warre, sen∣deth Hermocrates to the most part of the cities of Greece, with great treasures of gold and siluer, to raise the rest of the Greci∣ans against the Lacedemonians. During this garboile betweene Artaxerxes and Agesilaus, Parysatis was sent to Babylon to * 1.126 come to the Court: for the king kept not his anger long a∣gainst his mother. After this, Artaxerxes tooke a iourney a∣gainst the Caduceans, sent an armie to Egypt, who had reuoul∣ted from his father, and thought to recouer both Media and * 1.127 Egypt.

Nowe the King entering into some yeeres, hearing of some sturre and contention betweene his two sonnes, Dari∣us and Ochus, either of them aspiring into the kingdome, the yonger being Ochus a valiant man, but of a hot nature, & had some in the Court that wrought both with the king, & with his sister Atossa, who loued him dearely, & (as Plutarch saith)

too dearely, by a crime betweene them both suspected.

Notwithstanding Artaxerxes proclaimed Darius his eldest sonne to be king, to see whether the like contention and re∣bellion would grow betweene his children, as fell betweene him and his brother Cyrus, & to put Ochus his younger sonne * 1.128 out of all hope to succeede in Persia a king after his father: he commaunded according to the lawe of Persia, that his sonne Darius should weare the point of his hatte right vp in token of his succession: for it was not lawfull to any, sauing to the king or to his successour, to weare his hatte with the point vpward.

There was likewise a custome in Persia, that when any * 1.129 should be proclaimed successour or heire apparant to the crowne, he should request any one thing at the kings hand, and haue it: there was a very faire gentlewoman taken after * 1.130 Cyrus death in the campe by Artaxerxes, who had beene in great fauour with Cyrus a Grecian, borne in Ionia named Aspa∣sia, called for witte and beautie 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

This woman did Artaxerxes so esteeme, as when his sonne Darius craued this woman for his gift, he was much offended thereby, and yet must of force depart from her, according to the lawe of Persia, but it cost Darius his life: for after Aspasia was taken againe from Darius by his father, he began to be * 1.131 moued herein, and to conspire the kings death, being wel set forward by Tiribazus: for ill councell easely takes place, as Sophocles saith. But Artaxerxes had intelligence of this trea∣son, and layde waite to take them in that place where they had appointed to murther the king: and thus they being preuented, were adiudged to die according to the lawe, both Darius and Tiribazus.

Nowe Darius being dead, Ochus Darius brother stood in good hope to be next heire to the crowne, and the rather, by the meanes of his sister Atossa, of whom some suspition was * 1.132 spread abroad of incontinencie betweene Artaxerxes her owne father, and Atossa whom hee maried afterward, yet hee feared the succession of his brother Ariaspes, for the Persians honored him mst.

Artaxerxes had another sonne named Arsames, a very wise and a valiant man, whom his father loued dearely, which O∣chus well vnderstood, and therefore hee determined to en∣trappe them both: his malice and crueltie was such, for that he knewe his brother Ariaspes to be simple and plaine, he sent * 1.133 some secrete messengers with threatning wordes from the king, forging terrible newes to terrifie his brother, telling him howe the king was determined to execute extreme iu∣stice vpon him for diuers pretended treasons proued against him: poore Ariaspes was put in such dispaire of his life, that he ended all with a cuppe of drinke.

King Artaxerxes vnderstanding of his sonnes death in such * 1.134 sort, tooke it very heauily, and beganne to suspect Ochus the more: he then laid his loue altogether vpō Arsames one of his bastard sonnes (for he had sixe score children by cōcubines, and he had but three onely legitimate) Ochus hauing brought to passe al his purpose, sauing Arsames, who being in the grea∣test fauor with the king, could no longer abide to deferre his intent, entised Harpaces, Tiribazus sonne, to make an ende of this tragedie to kil his brother, which he performed: which * 1.135 whēit was told the king, being very weake & almost gone for age, he tooke it to his hart, & consumed the few daies which were behind of his life, in great anguish & sorow, after he had liued foure score & foureteene yeeres, & had reigned in Per∣sia 62. yeres: Thus the house & stocke of noble Cyrus ended. * 1.136

CHAP. IIII.

Of the tyranny of Darius Ochus: of his sōne Arsames, and of the vtter confusion and last ruine of the Persians, in the time of the last king Darius surnamed Codomanus, by Alexander the great.

IT was found that this Artaxerxes Mnemon, sur∣named with the Grecians the great, was a noble, wise, & discreete prince, in respect of the succes∣sion that reigned after him. Eusebius tooke this to be Assuerus, which maried Esher, as the He∣brues did: but Zonaras, Bibliander, Melancthon, with others af∣firme Darius Hystaspis, as before is spoken.

During the long reigne of this king, reigned in Macedonia foure kings one after another, Pausanias, Amintas, Argeus, and the fourth Amintas againe: in Egypt gouerned Nectanebus, and in Sparta, after the death of Agis gouerned Agesilaus, a wise valiant prince, who inuaded Phrygia, scattered the ar∣mie of Tisaphernes the Persian, and put him to flight at the ri∣uer Pactolus.

In this kings time was Lysander, that so much plagued the Athenians, slaine by the Thebans, a man of great fame amongst the Lacedemonians: diuers are of opinion, that he reigned not so long as Plutarch saith: some attributing fourtie, as Ruffi∣nus: * 1.137 others 36. as Functius doth: but it is not materiall: hee was a iust, modest, and a wise king: Persia, Asia, and all Greece, and specially Iudea might so say, when they sawe the tyran∣nie of Ochus, who succeeded him.

About this time in Rome Camillus triumphed ouer the peo∣ple * 1.138 called Veyans, when M. Manlius and Lu. Valerius were Consuls. In this Artaxerxes time liued Mausolus king in Ca∣ria, * 1.139 of whose wife named Artimesia it is thus reported, that when the king her husband died, she made him such a sump∣tuous tombe, so worthie a monument, so braue a building, that it was compted for the rarenesse thereof, one of the se∣uen wonders of the world: for Artemesia had the most skilful∣lest cunning men of that age, as Timotheus, Scopas, Brixias, and Leocharas. Likewise reigned in this time in Thessalia a great * 1.140 tyraunt Alexander Pheraeus, who was wont to burie men a∣liue, and to put others in the skinnes of beares and wilde bores, and then to set houndes vpon them to teare them in pieces: others hee would binde to a post naked, and woulde himselfe both shoote and throwe dartes to kill them. In a battell against this tyraunt Pelopidas that valiant Theban cap∣taine was slaine, and afterward the tyraunt was killed by his owne wife.

In this Artaxerxes time Rome was laid siege vnto, and ta∣ken * 1.141 by the Frenchmen: but by Camillus the Romane dictator manfully rescued, to the ouerthrowing of the Volcos, and the

Hetruscans: hee subdued their people, wasted their townes, and afterward builded vp Rome againe, repaired the Capitoll after that he had repulsed the Frenchmen, and made them * 1.142 most willing to flee from Rome. About this time two great Townes in the Countrey of Poloponesus in Greece, were swal∣lowed vp by an earthquake, called Helice and Burae.

• Plato the Philosopher, about this time florished.
• Aristotle was yet a yong man, Platoes scholler, fourtie and foure yeeres yonger then his master.
• Diogenes liued this time: so farre doeth Xenophons histo∣rie of the Grecians reache: for hee began where Thu∣cydides left.
• Socrates Platoes master, was nowe in Athens poisoned.
• Demosthenes borne in the one yeere with Aristotle, a fa∣mous Orator afterward.
• Ctesias a Persian Historiographer, serued this king Ar∣taxerxes in his house.

Artaxerxes Ochus after he had killed his two brethren Ari∣aspes * 1.143 and Arsames, succeeded his father, not in iustice, but in tyrannie: not in gouerning of his subiects, but in murthering of princes: of all the kings of Persia most cruell: yea Cambyses coulde not match him: for after hee had played the beare at home with his owne people, he plaied like the lion abroade amongst other nations, specially with the Iewes, who liued all this time in tranquilitie, enioying Halciones dayes in buil∣ding * 1.144 vp Ierusalem, in repayring the Temple, in rearing vp the walles, in planting againe religion, and inhabiting Iudea, and so possessing the libertie of the Countrey graunted first by Cyrus, cōfirmed by Darius, but fully permitted by Artaxerxes, surnamed Longhanded, Esdras, Nehemias, Zorobabel, being in∣strumēts thereunto appointed, & authorised by these good kings. But this cruel Ochus after he had destroied the stocke of

Cyrus in the beginning of his gouernment, he laid siege to Si∣don, kept them most miserably without any hearing of peace or offering of mercie, though it was by the best and grauest citizens humbly entreated for, whom hee most cruelly slue without respect to the lawe of armes: whereat the citizens being desperate to see his tyrannie, they burned the towne * 1.145 and themselues, to the number of fourtie thousand.

After this, Ochus tooke his voiage to Ciprus, where reig∣ned at that time a familiar friend of his named Euagoras, whō he, after he had taken Ciprus, and made slaughter most cruelly of the citizens, killed without respect of olde amitie and ac∣quaintance. Of this Euagoras there is extant an eloquent ora∣tion * 1.146 of Isocrates: hee proceeded forwarde in armes to Egypt, where he exercised the like tyrannie with sword & fire with∣out mercie, vntill he had subdued Egypt: thence he went, fo∣med in blood vnto Phoenicia, with all tyrannie he could de∣uise. Nowe after he had subdued Sidon, Ciprus, Egypt, Phoenicia, he woulde not spare Iudea the next prouince vnto Phoenicia, which had beene in great rest from Artaxerxes the long han∣ded vntill this time: at what time cōtention grew betweene two brethren about the office of the high Priest at Ierusalem, Iohanna who was then the high Priest, and Iesus who sought ayde at Vagoses hand the Persian: to auoide this helpe Iohanna slue his brother in the temple of Salomon.

Thus they did prouoke God to anger, and God raised Va∣goses, Ochus lieutenant to be their enemie, brought him to Ie∣rusalem, went to the temple which was prophaned and pol∣luted * 1.147 with blood. Vagoses spoiled it, caried the treasures with him: to whom the high Priest had tolde him that he did most wickedly so to defile the temple: hee answered, Not so wic∣kedly as thou in killing thy brother. Whē he had both spoi∣led Ierusalem and the temple, and brought the Iewes vnder O∣chus foote to pay tribute vnto the Persians for the space of se∣uen * 1.148 yeeres: after this he brought diuerse families of the Iewes captiues with him vnto Hircania: this great calamitie endu∣red * 1.149 vnto Alexander the great, which when he came to Ieru∣salem,

made all things well againe. Of this Ochus there is no good thing to be written, though Herodot doeth not altoge∣ther omitte him. Ctesias doth make likewise mention of him, * 1.150 and doth write of his birth, of his life, and of his gouerment, and doeth much varie from others: for Ctesias euer flattered the Persia kings, forwhich Plutarch in many places reproueth him. In this time reigned king in Macedonia Perdiccas, who was taken by the Illyrians in battell: after him succeeded Phi∣lippus Amintas sonne, and father to Alexander the great, who began to moue warre against the Athenians, and continued after against other cities of Greece for three yeeres.

In the eleuenth yeere of Ochus was Alexander the great borne: the same selfe day was the temple of Diana in Ephesus burned, at the which time Philomelus a captaine of Phocea in * 1.151 Greece, spoiled the temple of Apollo at Delphos: thereby grew great warres called sacrum bellum, which continued tenne yeeres in Greece. About this time Clearchus the tyraunt reig∣ned * 1.152 in Heraclia, and Spartacus the sonne of Leuconis reigned as king in Pontus.

In the eleuenth yeere that Phillip reigned king in Macedo∣nia, * 1.153 Greece was sore troubled and vexed: for Philip with an ar∣mie of Macedonia tooke Myciberna, Tiro, and Olynthus, three great townes of Helespont: hee pursued the Phoceans vnto the temple of Apollo at Delphos, who thinking to haue sanctuarie, were burned: the rest of Phocea yeelded to Philip. Timoleon a noble captaine of Corinth sailed to Sicilia, ouerthrewe the ca∣stell of Syracusa, and made a popular state of Syracusa: he deli∣uered the Greekes that were in bondage in Sicilia vnder the Carthagineans, vnto their countrie, & banished the thousand traiterous souldiers that had forsakē Timoleon in Sicilia. This * 1.154 time Philip subdued the Illyrians, vāquished the Thracians, and deliuered Thessalie from tyrants, that long gouerned in Thes∣salia: he made free al the cities of Greece frō all the incursions of barbarous nations, & concluded a peace with the Greekes.

The olde Persians had this custome when they went to warres, to goe in red cassockes according to the Persians ma∣ners:

so did Artaxerxes enter to battell with his brother Cy∣rus, * 1.155 at what time euery souldier should put an arrowe with his name written on it, into a large great coffer that stood in the kings Court: which arrowe if he returned aliue from the warres, hee shoulde at his comming to Persia take his ar∣rowe out of the coffer: for by arrowes left in the coffer, they knewe who they were, and howe many that died in their warres.

• This time died Plato, and Speusippus succeeded him in his schoole, after whom succeeded Xenocrates.
• Aristotle the Philosopher florished in this time.
• Demosthenes and Aeschines, two famous Orators, bore most swaynowe in Athens.

After Ochus had reigned in tyrannie twentie sixe yeeres, he was vsed euen as he had vsed others, slaine of Bagoas, and * 1.156 his sonne called Arsames being very young succeeded him: who when he had bene foure yeres king, and had growen in∣to some stature of body, Bagoas feeling a gilitie conscience, for that he had killed Ochus the kings father, fearefullest some reuenge would fall vnto him, he to preuent the danger there∣of, practized the like conspiracie against the sonne, as he did before against his father, & slue the young king: this was the ende of Ochus, and his sonne Arsames: no marueile to see ty∣rants * 1.157 die by tyrannie.

This Bagoas would haue had translated the kingdome of Persia, after this murther of the father and the sonne, and his great tyrannie vnto one Darius, gouernor at that time of Ar∣menia: for he had murthered al them that issued out of Cyrus: for whē Artaxerxes Mnemon had made warres with the Cadu∣ceans, one of those nations chalenged Monomachian, which is * 1.158 a combate, with any one Persian that durst take him in hand: Darius one of Artaxerxes captaines fought with this Caduce∣an and slue him, to whom the gouernment of Armenia was giuen for that seruice by Artaxerxes.

Nowe Bagoas when he had brought Darius to be king in

Persia, stil his conscience tormented him, and doubted much Darius, & fearing lest he should haue the reward of a traytor, hee deuised to poyson Darius: but of the conspiracie Darius had such intelligence, as Bagoas was forced to drinke that * 1.159 draught which hee had prepared for Darius, and so Bagoas dranke his owne poyson, and dyed.

Nowe the great kings of Persia (for so were they called in * 1.160 respect of their force and power) continued no longer, their race ended, their kingdom cameto an Aliens hand, a forreine prince, who in short time waxed strong and stout withall, not inferiour to any of his predecessors: who hauing intelli∣gence of a great armie of Macedonians and Grecians by Philip king of Macedon sent to Asia, hee gathered his force, and ha∣uing * 1.161 already a huge hoste of Persians, hee appointed a gene∣rall ouer them called Memnon, a Rhodian, a singuler skilfull souldier. In the meane season Philip died, and his sonne Alex∣ander the great succeeded him, a yong gallant king, of twen∣tie yeeres of age: this stept in into his fathers roume, he en∣terteined his fathers souldiers, and tooke the warres of Asia in hand. Darius hearing of Alexanders setting forward, made him ready, stirred the cities of Greece against him, so that di∣uers of Greece vnderstanding the force, power, and florishing state of Persia, dehorted their countrie men from Alexander, * 1.162 and to sticke and to staie with Darius.

The Thebanes began to forsake the Macedonians, saying they would fight with the Persians, which had often defended the libertie of Greece. Demosthenes traueiled as much as lay in him, to bring the Athenians to ioyne with the Thebanes, and so to stand with the Persians: for Demosthenes so hated Alexan∣der, * 1.163 that he called him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Aeschines sayth. This moued Alexander to some anger: he returned to Greece, began with the Thebans, destroyed and brought the citie of Thebes euen to the ground, after he had slaine sixe thousand Thebans, and taken captiues thirtie thousand.

Then Alexander sent to Athens, required those men which perswaded this warre, to be sent vnto him, which was Demosthenes, Lycurgus, and others. Here Demosthenes perswa∣ded

the Athenians with a fable of the wolfe, who offred peace to the shepheards vpon condition to banish their dogges, opened the meaning of Alexander, and the danger ensuing: * 1.164 and therefore Demades an eloquent Orator, & one that lo∣ued peace was sent vnto Alexander to entreate for peace: which was graunted by Alexander in such gentle sort, that he wan great fauour in all Greece: such was the clemencie and li∣beralitie of this prince, that all Greece with one consent made him the generall & defender of their liberties.

Now hauing laid al things quiet in Greece, he came in the second yere of his reigne toward Asia. In the meane seasō Da∣rius king of Persia hauing leauied a great armie, sent his cap∣taines * 1.165 & lieutenants to tarie Alexander at the riuer Granicus, and there to giue battell, where Alexander must fight of ne∣cessitie, that riuer being the only barre to stop his entrie vnto Asia. Darius had two captaines, named Rosases, & Spithridates, who being valiant men, began the battell, & did set vpon A∣lexander both together. Alexander was in great daunger, had not Clitus his foster brother saued him at that time: for many * 1.166 came at once vpō him: yet Darius in the endhad the worst: for the Persians stood not to it, but turned their backes and fled, and Darius armie was put to flight. This was the first battell fought betweene Darius & Alexander, at the riuer of Granicus. In the second battell Darius himself comes in person against * 1.167 the great Alexander, hauing leauied in Susa a great power of sixe hundred thousand fighting men, trusting much in the multitude of his souldiers, the rather further emboldened by a dreame which Darius sawe. Beside all this, hee waxed more bould, for that Alexander staied so long in Cicilia, supposing him to be afraid: so partly by his great army, & partly by his dreame (which was, that he saw all the Macedonian army on a fire) & partly for that he thought Alexander durst not come, he waxed proud, & vsed contemptuous words against Alex∣ander, * 1.168 saying hee feared nothing so much, as that Alexander would flee, before he would come at him: but he was satisfi∣ed by one Amintas a banished man of Macedonia, who knewe wel the disposition of Alexander. This second battell happe∣ned

in Cicilia, where Darius was put to flight: howbeit, Alex∣ander was hurt in one of his thighes with a blowe of a sword. * 1.169 Chares writeth, that Darius himself hurt him, & saith also, that Darius & Alexander fought hand to hand in this battel. Darius lost a hundred ten thousand of his men, yet scaped Darius and fled, but his wife Statira, and his mother Sisigambis, and * 1.170 two of his daughters were taken by Alexander.

Darius hauing two ouerthrows already, & seeing the great nes of Alexanders inuincible courage, hauing but 30000. Gre∣cians in his armie, with which smal number he conquered all Asia, & all the East countries, Darius sent Embassadors to A∣lexander * 1.171 with letters to diuers of his friends about him, to en∣treate of peace, offering Alexander 10000. talents, with Meso∣potamia, & all the countries, signories, and lands on the one side of Euphrates, with one of his two daughters in mariage, that they might be kinsemen & friendes: but it would take no * 1.172 place with Alexand. except Darius submitted himselfe in per∣son vnto the curtesie of Alexand. Now Statira Darius wife di∣ed in trauell of child being captiue with Alexander after the second battell, which encreased much the misfortune of Da∣rius. When Darius Embassadors tooke no effect for peace, then he gathered a greater armie then the second, & had got∣tenne * 1.173 hūdred thousand fighting men against Alexander at the riuer of Euphrates, making his praier vnto his gods, that if the kingdome of Persia must needes haue an end either through diuine reuenge, or by naturall change, that none but Alexan∣der might sit in Cyrus throne after him. Alexander with his ar∣mie went to meete with Darius: the battell was fought at Ar∣belles by report of most writers, though Plutarch & others na∣med it Gausameles: the victorie happened vnto Alexander, vn∣to the ouerthrowe of Darius, and last destruction of Persia. * 1.174

Thus the great Empire of Persia, the glory and renowne whereof all the world spake of, is brought to an end by Alex∣ander in three battels, with 30. thousand men. The treasure which Alexander caried away from Persia vnto Macedonia, loded tenne thousand Moyles, and fiue thousand Camels.

The kingdome of Persia continued from Cyrus vnto Alex∣ander the great: for as Cyrus gate Chaldea and Assyria vnto Per∣sia from Balthasar the last successour of Nabuchodonosor: so A∣lexander got Persia from this Darius, which was none of Cy∣rus posteritie vnto Macedonia, though in trueth Arsames the sonne of Ochus Darius predecessor was the last of Cyrus house: and yet Melancthon sayth, that Darius was Arsames sonne, and so doeth Eusebius. Thus ended the great kingdome of Persia: in like sort as they had by Cyrus woone it, so nowe by Darius they lost it: therefore I thought it necessarie to set downe the names of the kings of Persia, howe many they were, and how long they reigned, from Cyrus the first, vntill Darius the last king of Persia.

• 1 Cyrus the first king of Persia reigned twentie and nine yeeres.
• 2 Cambyses his sonne the second king of Persia, reigned seuen yeeres and more.
• 3 Darius the sonne of Hystaspis the third king of Persia, reigned 36. yeeres, maried to Atossa Cyrus daughter.
• 4 Xerxes Darius sonne reigned twentie one yeeres.
• 5 Artaxerxes long handed reigned 44. yeeres.
• 6 Darius Nothus reigned nineteene yeeres.
• 7 Artaxerxes Mnemon reigned fourtie yeres. Functi∣us saieth thirtie sixe yeeres. Plutarch doeth write that he reigned sixtie two yeeres.
• 8 Ochus his sonne after he had killed both his brethren, Ariaspes and Arsames, reigned twentie sixe yeres.
• 9 Arsames the sonne slaine by Bagoas, reigned 4. yeeres.
• 10 Darius the last king of Persia, ouerthrowen by Alex∣ander the great, reigned sixe yeeres.

Thus the Greekes laye them downe in their Cataloge, though Eusebius otherwaise sets them downe. Darius Medus, * 1.175 of whom mention is made in Daniel, is here of the Grecians omitted. Iosephus thinkes him to be Ciaxeres Astyages sonne: and so Xenophon agreeing with Iosephus, placeth Darius Medus before Cyrus. Metasthenes doeth not much dissent from the

Greekes in his Cataloge, sauing that he speaketh not of Cam∣byses, because hee reigned in his fathers time: for hee was ap∣pointed to be king in Persia in the absence of Cyrus, who in his owne person went against the Scythians at that time.

Likewise Metasthenes omitteth to speake of Xerxes, who * 1.176 for the like reason being in great warres at that time from home in Greece, leauing behinde him to gouerne Persia his sonne Artaxerxes: so that Metasthenes writeth, that Darius Medus and Cyrus, reigned together two yeeres, and then pas∣seth to Darius Hystaspis, which is also called Assuerus, making no mention of Cambyses name: and then he goeth to Artax∣erxes * 1.177 the long handed, passing ouer the name of Xerxes his fa∣ther: the cause is layd downe by Melancthon: in the rest Me∣tasthenes doth agree with the Greekes.

After that the Persians the strongest and the greatest na∣tions of the world had gotten the Monarchie of the Assyri∣ans & Chaldeans, not by the sword of Cyrus, but by the idolatrie of Balthasar, whom God gaue ouer vnto Cyrus hand, making an end of one, and beginning with the other: for the finger of God doth appoint Monarchies according to Sirach, say∣ing: No kingdome shalbe translated, if wickednesse of the king and kingdome be not the cause thereof. Nabuchodonosor was conuer∣ted and confessed Gods power: Euilmerodach his sonne ac∣knowledged the Highest: but Balthasar through blasphemie and idolatrie lost the Empire of Assyria: Euen so in Persia, while Cyrus, Darius Medus, Darius Hystaspis, Artaxerxes gouer∣ned Persia, the Persians florished, they were lordes of the whole world. Nowe when Alexander had abated their pride and di∣minished * 1.178 their force, & had taken their Empire from them vnto Macedonia, and had substituted lieutenants and gouer∣nours vnder him in all kingdomes and countries, where the Persians had before soueraigntie: for as the Persians were ob∣scure and of no fame before Cyrus time, so after Alexander the great, their renowne was lost, their pompe and their pride decayed, & their kings afterward of small accompt: for nowe Macedonia and the Grecians triumphed, and the Persians being

destroyed and scattered without any king or any prince of * 1.179 fame to gouerne them, vntill the time of Alexander Seuerus Emperor of Rome, fiue hundred & fiftie yeres after Alexander the great, at what time liued in Rome Vrbanus Bishop there at that time: this Emperour had a mother named Mammea, a wise and a discreete woman, who hauing knowledge that O∣rigen, a great man in the Church of God was then at Anti∣oche, * 1.180 sent for him, and so enterteined him as a rare iewell in those dayes. At that time reigned in Persia one Artaxerxes, who being of the name of the auncient kings of Persia, was * 1.181 likewise wise and valiant, and in processe of time grewe so strong, that he ouerthrew Artabanus king of the Parthians, and thereby restored to the Persians a beginning of a newe king∣dome.

CHAP. V.

Of the estate of the Persians vnder the Romanes after the time that they were conquered by Alexander the great, vntil the time of Alexander Seuerus Emperour of Rome 550. yeeres after, at what time began the newe kingdome of Persia by one Artaxerx∣es, and of his successors, vntill the Persians the fourth time were vtterly destroyed by the Saracens.

THe Persians againe began to take strength, and to drawe together in the fourth yere * 1.182 of Alexander Seuerus reigne, in the which time florished many great and famous learned men, which were for their singularitie elected Counsellers to the Emperour, as

• Fabius Sabinus.
• Domitius Vlpianus.
• Aelius Gordianus.
• Iulius Paulus.
• Pomponius Alphenus.
• Florentius and Martianus.
• Calistratus and Hermogenes.
• Venulcius and Triphonius.
• Metianus and Celsus.
• Porculus & Modestius,

pro∣fessours of all the ciuill lawe, and to Papinianus a singular rare man in those dayes: but of this matter Lampridius doth write

at large. But let vs nowe returne to Persia, and to the newe * 1.183 kingdome which had beene so long without king or king∣dome, but kept vnder of euery nation not daring to name a king from Darius vntill this Artaxerxes.

This first king of the newe kingdome of Persia, after hee had slaine Artabanus king of Parthia, and had reigned fif∣teene yeeres: hee was ouerthrowen and subdued by the Ro∣mane Emperour Alexander Seuerus, of whom hee triumphed * 1.184 in the ninth yeere of his Empire, though some hold the con∣trarie, that Alexander in that battell was discomfited by Artabanus.

In this time the Romanes had gotten three great victories, one in Mauritania by Furius Celsus: the seconde in Illirico by Varus Macrinus: and the third in Armenia by Iunius Palinatus, three famous Romanes: of these victories Lampridius maketh mencion: Herodianus sayeth, that in Fraunce reigned Hilde∣gastus, a king much honoured of the Frenchmen, by whose * 1.185 diligence and pollicie Fraunce, which was then rude and barbarous both in liuing and in maners, became ciuill and pollitike: for vnto this time their building was very base and simple in Fraunce. About this time Origene was called from * 1.186 Alexandria vnto Caesarea, where he made his booke entituled De Martyrio.

And nowe was Iulius Affricanus of great estimation after * 1.187 Artaxerxes succeeded Sapores, the second king of Persia: this reigned thirtie one yeeres, hee had sore warres with Gordia∣nus * 1.188 king of Affrica: this Gordianus pronounced open warres, and commaunded their temple of Ianus to be opened as the Romanes did vse when warre was proclaimed: hee destroyed many Cities and Townes, and continued his warres against * 1.189 the Persians, made great hauocke in all places, and gaue the repulse to Sapores: howe be it Gordianus was by conspirators deceiued, and of him whome hee deserued well of, by trea∣cherie slaine of one Philip, surnamed Arabs.

This Philip gouerned the Romanes fiue yeres, and builded a towne of his owne named Thracia, called Philippus Caesar, at

what time the plaies Ludi saeculares, were set forth with such * 1.190 pompe in Rome, as the like to that time were not seene. The Parthians inuaded Armenia, droue the king called Tyridas * 1.191 out of the countrie, tooke his children, & possessed his coun∣trie: certeine sectes of heresie began in Arabia, which Origen did ouerthrow: in Affrike likewise questions grew, whether * 1.192 heretikes being conuerted from their errors might be rebap∣tized: of this Ciprian, and the ecclesiasticall histories write, * 1.193 and of a councell called concerning the same: for Berilhis a∣bout this time bishop of Bostherna, fell to a monstrous error, denying the eternitie of Christ. In the twelfth yeere of Sapores reigne happened such a sicknesse in the most part of the world, specially in Egypt and Alexandria, that Ciprian thereby tooke an occasion to write a booke entituled De morta∣litate. * 1.194

About this very time the Gothes rushed into Asia, spoiled townes and cities, wasted many countries, burned the great temple of Diana at Ephesus, and did great harme: the Germanes * 1.195 ioyned with the Frenchmen, gathered a huge armie very strong against the Romanes, ented into Italie, made hauocke in all places, vntill they came to Rauenna. Trebellius setteth downe the spoile that the Gothes haue done in Greece, in Pon∣tus, and in Macedonia. But to returne to Sapores king of Persia, who in the seuenteenth yere of his reigne got a great armie of souldiers, entred into Syria, Cilicia, & Capadocia, committed great crueltie and slaughter, vntill Valerian the Emperour met him in Mesopotamia, and gaue him battel, where the king of Persia was ouerthrowen and taken by the Emperour, by * 1.196 whom he was kept captiue in miserable seruitude all his life afterward in Persis. Odenatus held then the whole Empire of the East in his hand at this time, which being slaine by his coosin Maeonis, Zenobia Odenatus wife, a famous woman re∣uenged her husbands death, after the king her husband had * 1.197 vanquished the Persians, and had put the king Sapores to flight, and pursued him vnto the citie of Ctesiphon, where he besie∣ged him, and brought him to great extremitie.

This Zenobia ruled the Palmyrians with her two yong sonnes Herreminianus and Timolaus, and as Trebellius writeth of her, she sent an armie of souldiers against Egypt, vnder two vali∣ant captaines Sarba and Timogenes: she was wise, learned and stoute, and compted for her courage and magnanimitie a se∣cond Semyramis. In the last yeres of Sapores king of Persia, was Paulus Samosatenus in the last council had at Antioche, cōdem∣ned * 1.198 as heretike, and put from his bishopricke, by Aurelian the Emperor. The third king of Persia was called Ormisdates: this * 1.199 raigned but one yeere, and did nothing worth the writing. But Aurelianus hauing asswaged the furie and sedition which then was at Rome, sent his armie to Thracia and to Illyria, where * 1.200 he vanquished the Barbarous nations, slewe the grand cap∣taiue of the Gothes by the riuer Danubius, ouerthrew the Sue∣•…•…ians, Sarmates and Germanes, and slew of the Almanes fifteene thousande: thence he returned his force vnto the East, van∣quished the Palmireans, and their famous Queene zenobia, and after he inuaded Egypt, and triumphed ouer these nati∣ons in Rome.

After this, he began to persecute the Christians, and to send * 1.201 his commissions abroad vnto all places, with great crueltie to vexe and to molest the Church: but in the middest of his tyrannie he was slaine by conspiracie of his owne seruant, * 1.202 betweene Bizantium and Heraclea: the heresies of Manichees began in Aurelianus time.

Now in Persia began Vararanes their fourth king, and ano∣ther * 1.203 of that name succeeded him the fift king of Persia, of whom there was nothing done during nine yeeres which they raigned, worth the reciting. After these succeeded in Persia Narses the sixt king of the Persians: this began to flou∣rish * 1.204 and to waxe strong, gathered force about him, and be∣gan to warre in Mesopotamia, and in Armenia, wasted, subdued and vanquished all the prouinces thereabout, tooke Galerius. in hand, and gaue him in battell the ouerthrow. This Maxi∣minus * 1.205 Galerius being elected together with Constantius Chlo∣rus, both Emperours for two yeeres, the Romanes had then

their handfull to do: diuers nations reuolted from them, and many countreis were in armes against them, and they much weakened from the force and power of the olde Romanes, by reason of the treason and murther, one Emperour finding meanes to kill another: therefore Constantius was made a gouernour of a great armie of Romanes to resist the force of Fraunce, Hispaine, Affricke and Italy. Galerius appointed ge∣nerall against Greece, Illyrica, Persia, and the East countreys: either of these two had the name of Caesar giuen them, and well worthie.

For Constantius discomfited the Germanes, made free the Frenchmen, subdued and slewe threescore thousand of the * 1.206 Almanes: Maximinus hee on the other side vanquished the whole armie of the Assyrians, gaue the ouerthrowe to Narses king of Persia after the first battell, and at that time brought vnder the Romane Empire fiue prouinces.

Misdates the eight king of the Persians raigned seuen yeres * 1.207 and nine monethes, in whose raigne happened in Tyre and Sydon such an earthquake, that innumerable people were slaine thereby: that houses and whose streetes fell downe to the grounde, in the yeere of CHRIST, three hundreth and sixe.

In the which time Dioclesian the Emperour, in the nine∣tenth yeere of his raigne, began extremely to persecute the * 1.208 Christians, which cōtinued most cruelly for thirteene yeres. Of such persecution shall you scant reade in all the Ecclesia∣stical histories: this Emperour was so proude, that after hee had done his triumph in Rome with such pompe and magni∣ficence, * 1.209 he commaunded his subiects to adore him, and to worship him with some diuine seruice, Fratrem solis & lune se nuncupans, putting golden shoes on his feete, wrought with pearles and precious stones, with an edict giuen, that his no∣bles and great men should kisse his feete. By this time Sa∣por the ninth king of the Persians had raigned seuentie yeres: he was crowned (as Functius saith) in his mothers wombe, * 1.210 hee plagued those Christians that dwelt then in his territo∣ries,

with taxes, tribute, and with all crueltie, at length per∣secuted them with open murther and slaughter: for he slew Simeon Archbishoppe of Seleucia, with a hundreth more in one day of Christians: hee layed siege to Nisibis, and got Singara, Bizabda, and Amyda, three great townes from Con∣stantius * 1.211 that were vnder the Romanes, tooke them, scattered and destroyed the Romane armie, that peace was offered to Sapor at that time by the Romanes.

Of this king Sapor, and of his great warres called Persi∣cum * 1.212 bellum, of his long gouernment, and of his often perse∣cution against the Christians, reade Eutropius and Pompo∣nius Laetus. During his raigne Constantine the great, was * 1.213 made Emperour of the Romanes, the sonne of Constantius the last before him sirnamed Chlorus, a good Emperor, he sought peace, and restored peace, specially to the Christians, which were before so persecuted by Dioclesian, by Valerian, by Sapor, and by the Emperour Licinius, which presently succeeded his vncle Constantine.

Eusebius sayeth, that Helena the wife of Constantius Chlo∣rus, * 1.214 and mother to Constantine the great, founde the Crosse vpon the which our Sauiour CHRIST died, in Ierusalem. Of * 1.215 this the Romane Papists make much more adoe then of the Sonne of GOD who died thereon: for the Messias our Saui∣our they robbe of his glory and honour, and the Crosse of wood they worship and adore.

This Constantine builded two famous great cities, the one * 1.216 named Helenopolis after his mothers name, being before cal∣led Drepana an auncient citie in Bythinia, the other hee buil∣ded, and named it after his owne name Constantinopolis, be∣fore called Bizantium, a very auncient citie in Thracia. At this time died in Syria and Cilicia, a great multitude of people of famine and hunger.

This time was Athanasius called from exilement by the Emperour Constantine, and was sent vnto Alexandria, where hee was sore vexed by the Arrians, a secte of heresies sprong vp in those dayes by one Arrius of whome the rest

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were named Arrians. Donatius, an arch heritike, a beginner of other heresies, of whom many heritikes flowed in Affricke. * 1.217 Constantine though he could keepe the Church from tyran∣nicall persecution by restoring of peace, yet hee could not stop the rage of heretikes which in his dayes were many: as the Sabellies, the Manichees, the Donatists, the Arrians, and the Nouatians: yet God raised singular learned men to defend his Church, as Origene, who suppressed them, & disputed against them, in Arabia, and in Affrica. After him Cyprian bishop of Carthage, Lactantius a very eloquent man, and Ambrose bishop of Millaine: but of this you shall reade more; where I entreat of Councils and Synods in the March of Martyrs.

But now to the kings of Persia. Artaxerxes succeeded Sapo∣res, * 1.218 in Persia the tenth king, and raigned 11. yerees: of whom as of the rest, litle or nothing is to be written: for then the kings of Persia were not of such fame, or of such force, as be∣fore while they ruled as lords ouer the worlde, for two hun∣dreth and thirtie yeeres. Now they had much to doe to de∣fend themselues from inuasions, the monarchie had passed away to Macedonia, their wealth, power and countrey were brought to nothing by Alexander the great: the kingdome of the Gothes and the Vandales began first their gouernment to∣gether * 1.219 with this Artaxerxes: the first kingdome of Hunni and of Lombardie, began also now to take footing in the yeere of our Lord three hundreth seuentie and fiue.

This time a nomber of Christians were againe restored to their countrey, which had bene banished before: likewise more then fourescore thousand of Burgundines, which inha∣bited about the riuer Rhene, became Christians at once, at what time Theodosius the Emperour gaue two or three bat∣tels to the Gothes, ouerthrew them, and constrained them to goe out of Thracia, with their king Athanaricus.

This time liued Ambrose bishop of Millaine, and Gregorie * 1.220 Nazianzenus died, two famous learned men, in whose time two Councils were called, the one in Rome, and the other in Constantinople. Theodosius the Emperour hearing that Maximus

was proclaimed Emperour by his owne souldiers in Armori∣ca, which is called now litle Britaine, made an armie against Maximus, who now had taken Gratianus, and slew him at Lug∣dunum, and had driuen Valentianus from his gouernment in * 1.221 the West part to flee to Theodosius.

By this time stept to be king in Persia Sapores the second of that name, and the eleuenth king of the Persians: he raigned * 1.222 fiue yeeres, who without any warres liued his time in rest. In his dayes were signes seene in heauen in the likenes of a doue, which burned and appeared for thirtie dayes, as Euse∣bius reporteth, which I omit. Litle is to be mentioned of the last kings of Persia, for that the Romanes kept them stil downe.

About this time Theodosius went with his sonne Honorius to Constantinople, leauing behind him in Rome Valentianus to go∣uerne, who within a short time by false conspiracie of Euge∣nius was destroyed, whereby Eugenius vsurped the Empire: of this you shall reade more in the Romane Empire. Augustine * 1.223 a great clearke and one of Ambrose disciples, was now bishop of Hippo in Affrica.

I thought good once for that I finde little or nothing worth the writing of the kings in Persia in those dayes (for that the Macedonians, and after them the Romans, had brought Persia and all other kingdoms to subiection for a long time) to set the sects and sundry sorts of heretikes that began like monsters to trouble the Church, to write of councils had * 1.224 herein by generall consent, of the opinions sprong of that time, and of their consultation: yet for that we hasten to end the historie of these later kings of Persia, of whom (as I haue said) litle is to be written, sauing of some few kings, as Artax∣erxes the first that restored to the Persians their kingdome, af∣ter he had slaine Artabanus king of the Parthians. Againe Sa∣pores the second king of Persia, Narses the seuenth king, and Sapor the ninth king of Persia: these kept tacke with the Ro∣manes, vexed Mesopotamia, Armenia, and other countreis, (as you heard before) persecuted the Christians, and did some actions that they seemed to shew a shadow of the olde Per∣Persiaus,

but to small effect: for the Saracens (as before you * 1.225 heard) haue fully mastered them, and quite destroyed them, and so they came to their decay, first by Cyrus, then by Alex∣ander and by the Macedonians, and the thirde time by the Ro∣manes, and last by the Saracens.

After Sapores the eleuenth king of Persia, entred Varanes the twelft king, who raigned twelue yeeres: in whose dayes were many signes in heauen, much earthquake in sundry places of the world, herefies, contentions, and many straunge questi∣ons demanded, as An Deus habeat corpus, & membra, and such other absurd and blasphemous quarels grew. Euen this time Auricular confession was abrogated by Nectarius then bishop * 1.226 of Constantinople, for filthie and many fornications cōmitted in those dayes by priests and deacons. The Frenchmen de∣nied tribute vnto the Romans also this very time: vpon which occasion, warre grew againe new betweene the Romanes and the Frenchmen in the time of Valentianus the Emperor. Hun∣ni were most busie in diuers parts of the East, spoiling Arme∣nia, and Pannonia, & passing ouer the riuer Ister, entred Thra∣cia, wasting and destroying al places that they came vnto.

About this time Nectarius (of whom you read a litle be∣fore) * 1.227 being bishop of Constantinople died, in whose place suc∣ceeded Chrysostom a famous learned man, of no lesse learning then vertue, who in the Council gathered at Cyprus, where Ori∣gens bookes were condemned by the auctoritie of Epiphanius and Theophilus two great learned men, and for that Chryso∣stome would not subscribe thereunto, he was put out of Coun∣cill, * 1.228 and banished from his bishopricke: howbeit, he was with great honour receiued againe vnto Constantinople with∣in a short space after.

But to hasten out of the history of Persia. Isdigertes the thir∣teenth * 1.229 king raigned 21. yeeres in Persia, of whom wee reade nothing, but that he vexed and molested the Christians, and especially those he persecuted whom he found in any terri∣torie of his, and yet within a while the Christians had good successe in Persia, and the king much contented with them, * 1.230

pleasured and aduanced them, vsing them courteously and gently. Honorius now Emperour of the Romanes, associating * 1.231 himselfe with Constantius whom hee sent to Fraunce, and by whom Constantine then was slaine, who gouerned at that time in Britannie, to whom Placidia Theodotius daughter was committed, and againe from Honorius giuen to his friend * 1.232 Constantius in mariage, by whom Constantius got Valentinus the thirde of that name: Constantius grew in such fauour with Honorius the Emperour by his great seruice in Fraunce and in Hispaine, that he was taken and chosen by Honorius himselfe to be his associat in the Empire.

About this time all the Iewes that were cōmorant in Alex∣andria, * 1.233 were thence expulsed with much blood and great slaughter, and this was done by Cyrillus then bishop of Alex∣andria. This time also was there a Councill at Carthage, where the heresies of the Pelagians were quite ouerthrowen: then died that great learned man S. Hierome. * 1.234

Now in Constantinople the Arrians fell in great discord be∣tweene themselues, which continued twentie and fiue yeres, and after that againe vnited and were made friends. In these dayes Paulus Orosius wrote his historie, and Nestorius was re∣mooued * 1.235 from Antioch to be bishop at Constantinople. The Iewes againe as they were by the iustice of God scattered vn∣to all places of the world, so had they no rest in any place of the world, as you heard erst of the Iewes in Alexandria: so now likewise in Creete they had a false Moyses fained, whom then they so honoured, and whose lawes they obserued: and yet Eusebius saith, that a nomber of them at that time were con∣uerted * 1.236 and became Christians.

At this time in France, Faramundus was by common * 1.237 consent of the people elected and named king of Fraunce, who died seuen yeeres after he came to the kingdome. Mar∣comirus succeeded him being his owne brother, and he raig∣ned eighteene yeeres: of whose actions and liues, you shall in the histories of Fraunce reade more. The Frenchmen be∣ganne here to record and to nomber the kings of the whole

countrey of Gallia, which vntill that time were called Reges * 1.238 Francorum, kings of Fraunce, being a parcel of Gallia. This hap∣pened in the yeere of the worlde foure thousand three hun∣dreth eightie and seuen, and in the 300. Olympiad. By this time raigned in Persia Varanes the fourth of that name, and after him raigned his sonne Varanes the fift of that name, and they * 1.239 both raigned 37. yeeres, and they had warres with the Ro∣manes also. In the time of this last king Varanes, began the In∣dictions of Constantine the great.

Now againe the third time the Persians begin to quaile: for in the time of Corsoes and his sonne Hormisda the last king of Persia, the Saracens became lords and gouernours ouer the Persians, in the yeere of Christ our Sauiour 634. These are the names of these latter kings that raigned in newe Persia.

• 1 Artaxerxes the first king that restored the new king∣dome of Persia, raigned 15. yeeres.
• 2 Sapores raigned after him being the 2. king. 31. yeres.
• 3 Ormisdates. 1. yeere.
• 4 Varanes. 3. yeeres.
• 5 Varanes the second of that name. 16. yeres.
• 6 Varanes the thirde of that name. 4. monethes.
• 7 After him Narses. 7. yeres
• 8 Misdates. 7. yeeres.
• 9 Sapor raigned 70. yeeres: this king was crowned in his mothers wombe.
• 10 Artaxerxes the second of that name. 11. yeres.
• 11 Sapores the second of that name. 5. yeeres.
• 12 Varares the 4. 12. yeres.
• 13 Varanes the 5. of that name. 12. yeeres.
• 14 Isdigertes. 21. yeeres.
• 15 Varanes the fift of that name. 20. yeeres.
• 16 Varanes the sixt of that name. 17. yeres.
• 17 Perozes. 20. yeres.
• 18 Canades. 12. yeres. Lambases Procopius doeth call this Blasen, raigned 4. yeeres.
• 19 Cosroes. 48. yeres.
• 20 Hormisda Cosroes his sonne, and last king of the Persians, raigned 8. yeeres.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Strabo lib. 15.
• * 1.2

  Pomponius. Mela lib. 3. The descrip∣tion of Persia.
• * 1.3

  Alex. lib. 3. cap. 16.
• * 1.4

  The kings of Persia all cal∣led Achemini∣des. The Persians called first Ce∣phenes.
• * 1.5

  Artaei.
• * 1.6

  Perse.
• * 1.7

  The Persians before called Elamites.
• * 1.8

  Diodo. lib. 13.
• * 1.9

  Iosephus lib. 11. cap. 6.
• * 1.10

  Curtius lib. 5.
• * 1.11

  The wealth of Persia in the time of Cyrus.
• * 1.12

  Zenophon. Paeda lib. 8.
• * 1.13

  Cyrus began his Empire.
• * 1.14

  Fiftie talents are three thou sand crownes.
• * 1.15

  Xenophon lib. 2. & 3. Paedag.
• * 1.16

  Homotimi. Argyraspides.
• * 1.17

  Myrmidones. Dolopes.
• * 1.18

  Cyrus by David instructed.
• * 1.19

  Cyrus.
• * 1.20

  Swallowesvn∣lucky birdes.
• * 1.21

  Melancthon lib. Chron 2.
• * 1.22

  Diodor. lib. 2. cap. 11.
• * 1.23

  Herodot lib. 1.
• * 1.24

  The first in∣fancie of Greece.
• * 1.25

  The death of Cyrus. Zenophon. lib. 8. Paedago. Zonar. lib 1. cap. 29.
• * 1.26

  Cambyses the 2. king of Per∣sia.
• * 1.27

  Herod. lib. 3.
• * 1.28

  Nitetis sent to Cambyses.
• * 1.29

  Memphis takē by Cambyses.
• * 1.30

  Difference betweene the Persians and the Egyptians.
• * 1.31

  Strabo. lib. 15.
• * 1.32

  The tyrannie of Cambyses.
• * 1.33

  The Persians worship the fire.
• * 1.34

  Herodot. lib. 3.
• * 1.35

  Silla.
• * 1.36

  Nouen. liales pulu•…•…res.
• * 1.37

  Genesis 2. 3.
• * 1.38

  Abrahams field for bu∣riall.
• * 1.39

  A counterfait Smerdis.
• * 1.40

  Cambyses by his owne sword slaine.
• * 1.41

  Alex. lib. 3. cap. 26.
• * 1.42

  Oracles are doubtfull.
• * 1.43

  Herodot. lib. 3.
• * 1.44

  Sisamnis skin.
• * 1.45

  Melancthon. 2. Chron. His sonne O∣tanes.
• * 1.46

  Two Magi go∣uerned Persia 7. moneths.
• * 1.47

  Herodot. lib. 3.
• * 1.48

  What state should go∣uerne Persia.
• * 1.49

  Otanes for De∣mocratia.
• * 1.50

  Megabisus the second for Oli∣garchia.
• * 1.51

  The three monsters of Athens.
• * 1.52

  Darius perswa∣sion for a Mo∣narchie. Lib. Paedag.
• * 1.53

  Herodotus 3.
• * 1.54

  Cyrus last will.
• * 1.55

  A deuise for the ection of a king in Persia.
• * 1.56

  The names of the 7. princes of Persia.
• * 1.57

  Oebarus poli∣cie.
• * 1.58

  Darius king of Persia.
• * 1.59

  Babylon besie∣ged.
• * 1.60

  Zopirus subtil∣tie.
• * 1.61

  Darius saying of Zopirus.
• * 1.62

  Cimerians.
• * 1.63

  Getes.
• * 1.64

  Scythians.
• * 1.65

  Persian ambas∣sadors sent to Macedonia.
• * 1.66

  A worthie hi∣storie of Alex∣ander Amintas sonne.
• * 1.67

  Iustinus lib. 7. & Herodot. 5.
• * 1.68

  Pisistratus.
• * 1.69

  Hippias by Da∣rius ayded.
• * 1.70

  Melanct. lib. 2 Chron.
• * 1.71

  Herodotus 7.
• * 1.72

  Iustine erred.
• * 1.73

  Hipparchus a wise man.
• * 1.74

  A•…•…an lib. 8. Lib. 1. cap. 16.
• * 1.75

  Herodot. lib. 7.
• * 1.76

  Melancton lib. 2. chron.
• * 1.77

  Herodot. lib. 7.
• * 1.78

  Good kings by God raised.
• * 1.79

  Dionysius lib. 7.
• * 1.80

  Lib. de esse.
• * 1.81

  Melancton lib. 2.
• * 1.82

  Xerxes a king of Persia.
• * 1.83

  Mardonius.
• * 1.84

  The huge ar∣mie of Xerxes.
• * 1.85

  Herodotus 7.
• * 1.86

  Iustinus lib. 2.
• * 1.87

  The vaine brags of Xerxes.
• * 1.88

  Diodor. lib. 11.
• * 1.89

  The Grecians preparation for Xerxes.
• * 1.90

  Myriad is 10000.
• * 1.91

  Seuen hun∣dreth thou∣sand men.
• * 1.92

  Xerxes need•…•…∣lesse warre.
• * 1.93

  Xerxes lost foure great battels. First at Ther∣mopila. 2. At Artime∣sium. 3. At Sala∣mines.
• * 1.94

  4. At Platea.
• * 1.95

  Caesars saying of Hannibal.
• * 1.96

  Reade Herod. his sixt booke to the end of this Xerxes.
• * 1.97

  Herodot. lib. 7.
• * 1.98

  Functius lib. 2.
• * 1.99

  Themistocles.
• * 1.100

  Artaxerxes the fift king of Persia.
• * 1.101

  Thucyd. lib. 1.
• * 1.102

  Many learned men flourish.
• * 1.103

  Leges duodecim tabularum.
• * 1.104

  Artaxerxes good benefits to the Iewes.
• * 1.105

  Esdras cōmeth from Babylon.
• * 1.106

  Artabanus snares.
• * 1.107

  Melancthon lib. 2. Chr•…•…n.
• * 1.108

  Pericles.
• * 1.109

  Artaxerxes Mnemon liued about 400. yeeres before Augustus Cae∣sar.
• * 1.110

  Thucidid lib. 2.
• * 1.111

  Darius No∣thus.
• * 1.112

  Thucidides lib. 5.
• * 1.113

  The Syracu∣sans.
• * 1.114

  Alcibiades vi∣ctorie at Chal∣cedon.
• * 1.115

  Darius Nothus died. Artaxerxes Mnemon.
• * 1.116

  The name of Cyrus.
• * 1.117

  Plutarch. in Artax.
• * 1.118

  Cyrus warres against Artax∣erxes.
• * 1.119

  Diodorus lib. 14.
• * 1.120

  Cyrus armie •…•…3. thousand.
• * 1.121

  Artaxerxes
• * 1.122

  9 hundred thousand.
• * 1.123

  Mela•…•…cthon 2. Chron. Pary s•…•…is Artax. mother
• * 1.124

  Lib. 8.
• * 1.125

  S•…•…atyra Ar∣taxerxes wife. Agesilaus.
• * 1.126

  Parysatis sent for to Babylon.
• * 1.127

  Diodor. lib. 15.
• * 1.128

  Ochus.
• * 1.129

  A custome a∣mong the Persians.
• * 1.130

  Melancthon 2. Chron.
• * 1.131

  Plutarch in Artax.
• * 1.132

  Atossa maried to her father Artaxerxes.
• * 1.133

  Ariaspes.
• * 1.134

  Artaxerxes M•…•…n had 60. children by concu∣bines.
• * 1.135

  Arsames killed by Tiribazus sonne.
• * 1.136

  Artax. reigned 62. yeeres.
• * 1.137

  Ruffinus de origine Persar.
• * 1.138

  Camillus tri∣umphed.
• * 1.139

  Mausolus tombe.
• * 1.140

  P•…•…nij. lib. 36. Alex. Pheraeus a tyrant.
• * 1.141

  Eutropius lib. 2. T. Lini. lib. 6.
• * 1.142

  Eutrop. lib. 1.
• * 1.143

  Ochus 8. king of Persia.
• * 1.144

  Darius Ochus compared to Cambyses.
• * 1.145

  Reade this miserable hi∣storic in Diod.
• * 1.146

  Oros. lib. 3. cap. 7
• * 1.147

  Melancthon 2. Chron.
• * 1.148

  Vagoses Ochus lieutenant.
• * 1.149

  The Iewes plagued by Ochus.
• * 1.150

  Ochus a cruell king.
• * 1.151

  Iustinus lib. 8.
• * 1.152

  Functius lib. 3.
• * 1.153

  Philip of Ma∣cedon.
• * 1.154

  Plutarch in Ti∣moleon.
• * 1.155

  If you will know of Cyrus fully, reade Xen•…•…phon de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 l. and also de exp•…•…dt. Cyri.
• * 1.156

  Ochus slaine of Bagoas.
• * 1.157

  Arsames, Ochus sonne slaine by Bagoas.
• * 1.158

  Darius the last king of Persia.
• * 1.159

  Bagoas dranke of his owne poyson.
• * 1.160

  Diodod. 17.
• * 1.161

  Alex. the great
• * 1.162

  Melancthon 2. Chron.
• * 1.163

  Thebes de∣stroyed.
• * 1.164

  Demades sent to Alex.
• * 1.165

  The first bat∣tell betweene Alex. and Dari. at the riuer of Granicus.
• * 1.166

  Melanct. lib. 2. Chron.
• * 1.167

  600. thousand n the 2. battel of Darius in Cicilia.
• * 1.168

  Darius con∣temptuous words of Alex.
• * 1.169

  Alexand. hurt.
• * 1.170

  Darius, his wife his mother, & his daughter taken.
• * 1.171

  Darius sent Embassadors.
• * 1.172

  Reade Curtius of Alexander.
• * 1.173

  An other ar∣mie of Darius of 10. hundred thousand.
• * 1.174

  Diod. lib. 17.
• * 1.175

  Functius.
• * 1.176

  Xerxes omit∣ted by Metast∣henes.
• * 1.177

  Melancthon 2. Chron.
• * 1.178

  11•…•…. Olympiad.
• * 1.179

  Alex. Seuerus anno Christ. 225.
• * 1.180

  Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 18.
• * 1.181

  Olymp. 251.
• * 1.182

  Agath. lib. 2. & 4. de bello Gothorū.
• * 1.183

  The Persians without king from the 112. Olymp. to 251. Olymp.
• * 1.184

  Herodimus.
• * 1.185

  Hildegastus.
• * 1.186

  Herodian lib. 6. Orig•…•…ne.
• * 1.187

  Iu. Affrican.
• * 1.188

  Gordianus.
• * 1.189

  Eutrop. lib. 8.
• * 1.190

  257. Olymp.
• * 1.191

  Eusebius.
• * 1.192

  Hist. eccle. lib. 6. cap. 2.
• * 1.193

  Ciprian lib. 1. epist. 2.
• * 1.194

  Trebellius.
• * 1.195

  Oros. 〈◊〉〈◊〉, cap. 22.
• * 1.196

  Sapores taken.
• * 1.197

  Zenobia Odena∣tus wife.
• * 1.198

  Paulus Samo∣satenus.
• * 1.199

  Ormisdates the third king of Persia.
• * 1.200

  Aurelianus great victo∣ries.
• * 1.201

  His persecu∣tions against the Christians.
• * 1.202

  Ecclesiast. 7. cap. 26. Orosius lib. 7. cap. 23.
• * 1.203

  Vararanes the fourth king of Persia.
• * 1.204

  Narses the sixt king of Persia.
• * 1.205

  Constantius Maximinus.
• * 1.206

  Eutrop. lib. 10.
• * 1.207

  Misdates the eight king of Persia.
• * 1.208

  Dioclesians per∣secution.
• * 1.209

  Pomponius Laetus.
• * 1.210

  Ruffinus de orig. Perfi.
• * 1.211

  Eutrop. lib. 10.
• * 1.212

  Ammia. lib. 19. & 20.
• * 1.213

  Const•…•…ntine the great.
• * 1.214

  Helena.
• * 1.215

  Eusebius trip. lib. 2. cap. 18.
• * 1.216

  Helenopolis and Constantinopolis builded by Constantine the great.
• * 1.217

  Diuers sects of heresies.
• * 1.218

  Artaxerxes the tenth king of Persia.
• * 1.219

  The kingdom of the Gothes, the Vandales, and of Lom∣bards at this time began.
• * 1.220

  Ambrose bi∣shop of Mil∣laine.
• * 1.221

  Lugdunū is Li∣ons in France.
• * 1.222

  Sapores the 11. king of Persia.
• * 1.223

  Augustinus.
• * 1.224

  Of heresies, and of Coun∣cils.
• * 1.225

  The Persians foure times subdued.
• * 1.226

  Auricular con∣fession abro∣gated. Tripar. 9. cap. 35.
• * 1.227

  Trip. 10. cap. 24.
• * 1.228

  Ioan. Chry∣sostome.
• * 1.229

  Isdigertes the 13. king of Persia.
• * 1.230

  Trip. 8.
• * 1.231

  Honorius.
• * 1.232

  Constantine died in Bri∣taine.
• * 1.233

  Tripar. cap. 12.
• * 1.234

  S. Hierom died.
• * 1.235

  Paulus Orosius.
• * 1.236

  Tripar. cap. 9.
• * 1.237

  Faramundus.
• * 1.238

  The Frenchmen began to be kings of all Gallia.
• * 1.239

  When the O∣lympiads en∣ded, the Indi∣ctions of Con∣stantine began.