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.

CHAP. II.

Of the renowme and fame of Macedonia during the raigne of Alexander the great, of his conquest and victories ouer all the East: of his dangerous warres in India, Egypt, and in Scythia, and of the subduing of Darius, and the taking away of the Mo∣narchie from Persia into Macedonia.

ALexander the great being of twentie yeeres of age, succeeded and exceeded his father Philippe, both in vertue and in vice: they were thus farre one from another in nature, that what Philip did through pollicie and subtiltie, that A∣lexander would doe with open strength and courage: Philip reioyced when hee * 1.1 might deceiue the enemie, Alexander when he coulde ouer∣throw them: Philip more politicke like afoxe in council and deuice, Alexander like a lion more fierce and couragious in conquering and subduing: Philip sought meanes to be belo∣ued of his enemies, and to make his foes his friendes, Alex∣ander sought to be feared, and to make his friendes his foes. These and such other comparisons doeth Iustine setforth be∣tweene * 1.2 the father and the sonne.

Alexander beganne to raigne (by Curtius computations) after the building of Rome foure hundreth twentie and fixe yeeres: at what time Ca. Sulpitius, and Lu. Papyrius were Con∣suls * 1.3 of Rome, in the hundreth and eleuenth Olympiad, when Iaddus was hie priest in Hierusalem. Plutarch writeth, that A∣lexander was descended from Hercules by Caranus side, and that of his mothers side he came of the blood of Aeacides by Neoptolemus. Olympias his mother dreamed the first night * 1.4 that she lay with Philip, that lightning fell into her bellie, and that light fire dispersed it selfe in diuers flames about her: and king Philip also dreamed, that he did seale his wiues bellie, and that the seale left behinde it the print of a lion. * 1.5

Alexander was borne the sixt day of Iune, on the very same day that the temple of Diana was burned: he had diuers graue

tutours and gouernours. Leonidas was chiefe gouernour vn∣to * 1.6 Alexander, for that hee was a noble man and a kinsman to the Queene Olympias. Aristotle was his chiefe tutour, one of the greatest Philosophers and best learned men in his time. King Philip had taken before, the citie of Stagira, where Ari∣stotle was borne.

While this Alexander was yet yong, one Philonicus a Thes∣salian had brought Bucephalus a gallant horse to be solde vnto * 1.7 Philip: the price was thirteene talents: they brought the horse to the fielde to be ridden, whom they founde so rough, that the riders said he would doe no seruice, affirming that it was vnpossible to tame him, they found him so churlish, yerking out and suffering no man to come nigh him. King Philippe commaunded them to take the horse away. Alexander mis∣liked the riders and tooke the horse in hande, being a very * 1.8 yong man, and turned him towards the sunne, (for that Alex∣ander saw before that the horse started at his owne shadowe) Alexander vsed the horse so, that he rode him, and made him as gentle as could be, both with the spurre and with the bitte, and so lighted from the horse: to whome Philippe his father then said (for ioy weeping,) Seeke a greater kingdome sonne * 1.9 then Macedonia is: for Macedonia is to litle for thee. This Au∣lus Gellius, Plutarch and Plinie doe affirme. This horse Alex∣ander kept for his owne saddle vntill the warres of India, where the horse with sickenesse died: where hee made a mo∣nument in memorie of Bucephalus, a towne after the name of * 1.10 the horse, and named the citie Bucephalia, which hee builded vpon the riuer Hidaspis. Reade the whole 16. booke of Diodor. * 1.11 Siculus of the warres and gouernment of Philip.

Now as soone as Philip his father died, he went into Pelopo∣nesus in Greece, & there called al Greece together, and claimed the soueraigntie which his father had ouer them against the Persians: which being granted, & he being by cōmon consent appointed their only & chiefe gouernour against the Persians: within short time after many of these cities beganne to mur∣mure against Alexander, and to reuolt frō Macedonia. When

Alexander perceiued that the Athenians, the Thebans, the Ar∣giues, the Lacedemonians, the Arcadians, studied and conuented together for the libertie of Greece, he presently without any delay (as his nature was) had warre with Thessalie the next countrey vnto Macedonia: after, he subdued Thermopyla, and vrged the Amphictions which were then appointed Iudges * 1.12 vniuersally for all Greece, that with al their decrees and lawes they would mooue Greece by faire meanes to surrender the gouernment which his father had, and also to him graunted. After that, the Athenians sent ambassadours, and offered all courtesie to Alexāder: the Corinthians likewise sought to please him in like sort, which Alexander accepted in good part, and returned with his armie from Greece into Macedonia: hee was scant in Macedonia, but the Grecians according to their cu∣stome beganne to send from citie to citie, to stand against A∣lexander in the defence of their countrey: the Thebans sent ambassadours to the Arcadians, the Arcadians to the Argiues, the Argiues to the Aeolians, to whom the Athenians sent also by the perswasions of Demosthenes, though they were before the first that entreated for peace at his hand.

Alexander hearing of these often false dealings, he then cō∣meth * 1.13 from Macedonia and Thracia with a huge armie of thir∣tie thousande footemen, and three thousand horsemen, and vnderstanding that the Thebans had him in contempt, he ful∣ly determined to destroy their citie in such sort without mer∣cie, that it should terrifie all Greece thereby: he layed siege to Thebes three dayes, and the fourth day he made it euen to the * 1.14 ground: there was not death spared neither to children, nor to women: the slaughter was so terrible, that there was slaine within the citie of Thebes aboue sixe thousand, maimed and taken aboue 3. hundreth thousand: this fell in the hundreth and in the last yeere of the 11. Olympiad. This terrour made Greece to quake.

Alexander being more angrie with Athens then with the rest, he sent ambassadours to Athens to haue the 10. Orators sent vnto him: for Alexander knew that the Orators whetted

the people to reuolt, and that they perswaded the Athenians with their eloquencie alwayes to rebell. Athens was put now to her shift, vntill Demades, one of the Orators, sought licence to goe to Alexander from the citie as an ambassadour: hee vsed that force of eloquence to Alexander for peace, which Demosthenes vsed against Alexāder to the Athenians for warres: by Demades perswasion Alexander was wonne to pardon the Athenians againe. Alexander returned into his owne kingdom, and left Greece in quiet for a short time.

After, Cassander the sonne of Antipater builded vp Thebes * 1.15 againe: and then Alexander made himselfe ready to goe vn∣to Asia, and with great celeritie (as his maner was) hee brought his armie out of Europe into Asia: hee had in his band thirtie and two thousand footmen, fiue thousand hors∣men, and an hundreth and eight shippes.

These newes being brought vnto Darius the last king of Per∣sia, which had vnder his gouernment all the East kingdomes, and sawe him selfe so strong that hee called him selfe king of kings, and cousin to the gods, he litle esteemed the report, and * 1.16 made small accompt of the Macedonian nomber, commaun∣ded some of his princes to take Alexander and to beate him like a childe with a rodde, and after to bring him vnto Da∣rius: but Alexander was no longer in getting the victory ouer * 1.17 the huge hoste of the Persians at the riuer of Granicus, then Da∣rius was in directing his captaines to beate Alexander with rods: this was the first battell and victorie which Alexander had, where twentie thousande footemen and 250. horsemen were slaine.

After this battell, Alexander tooke Lydia in hand, wanne the * 1.18 citie of Sardis, and shortly all Lydia: hee tooke Ephesus, and Miletum, two famous cities: hee besieged Halicarnassus, wa∣sted and spoyled it to the ground. Alexander in this voyage after he had brought Lycia and Pamphylia vnder his wings, he * 1.19 still inuaded Darius prouinces and territories further to pro∣uoke him to warre: many wondered at the a gilitie of Alex∣ander, and fearing much the greatnesse and good successe of

Alexander being so yong a king, that they beganne both to feare him and to loue him, and to forsake Darius. Alexander went forwarde still conquering and subduing all countreys: he came into the territories and prouinces of Darius, and hee entred Paphlagonia and came to the citie called Ancyra, who without any strokes yeelded themselues by these occasions of Alexanders good successe.

Darius thought it was but fortune, and not the deserts of * 1.20 Alexander: he caused therefore a great muster at Babylon, and made an armie readie of seuentie thousand footmen, and thir∣tie thousand horsemen of the Persians: he also had beside ten * 1.21 thousand horsemen of the Medes, and fiftie thousande foote∣men: two thousand Bactrians horsemen, and ten thousande footemen: he had of Armenia fourtie thousand footmen, and seuen thousand horsmen: of Hircania sixe thousand: of the De∣rinces fourtie thousand footmen, and two thousand horsmen: from the Caspians eight thousand footemen, and two hundred horsemen of Greece were ioyned vnto Darius, that expected the ouerthrow of Alexander with his thirtie thousand: he had such a huge nomber, that he feared that Alexander would flie before he came to make battel: for so Darius saide to Amin∣tas the Macedonian.

But it came to passe otherwise: Alexander had the victorie * 1.22 in that place which Darius appointed: this battel was fought in Cilicia, where Alexander killed aboue a hundreth thousand * 1.23 footemen, and tenne thousand horsemen of Darius men: this was the second battell, in the which Darius mother, and his wife, and two of his daughters vnmaried, were taken prisoners and brought to Alexander, whose misfortune he more piried, then he reioyced at the victorie: such was the clemencie of * 1.24 Alexander vnto these miserable captiue Ladies, yea such was his chastitie, though they were (as Plutarch faith) most come∣ly and faire, not once to offer any worde of dishonour to them. A greater conquest (as I take it) to ouercome himselfe; then the victorie against Darius.

Alexander after this victorie remoued his campe to Ma∣rathon,

thence to Phoenices and to Biblon, and hauing gotten these three cities, hee came to Sydon a famous citie, wanne that also: for all Syria and Phoenicia (Tyre excepted) were brought by Alexander subiect vnto Maccdonia: hee besieged Tyre, and continued seuen moneths both by land and by sea: for it was a citie of inuincible force, and kept Alexander hot * 1.25 assaultes, vsing all engines and pollicies, and yet stoode in great doubt of the getting of Tyre, vntill one night he drea∣med that Hercules helde out to him his hand ouer the walles of Tyre and called him by his name: then he followed, and continued his siege, vntill he had quite ouerthrowen Tyre. This towne was builded by Agenor. * 1.26

While Alexander conquered and subdued all places, Da∣rius was not idle to prepare his forces to giue the thirde * 1.27 battell vnto Alexander: hee sent to Bessus his lieutenant in Ba∣ctria, commaunding him to come with as many souldiers as possiblie he could, and so the rest of his lieutenants: he like∣wise sent and to make as great an armie as might yet terrifie Alexander: hee sent to the Scythians, and to the Indians, and * 1.28 brought his force to Babylon. At that time hee had thrise as many as he had in Cicilia.

In the meane season Alexander went to Gaza one of the * 1.29 chiefest cities of Syria: at this towne Alexander had two seue∣rall wounds very dangerous, and yet not so dangerous as the victorie was famous: thence he remooued his tents and pas∣sed forwarde to Egypt, sent his footemen to Pelusium: he him∣selfe with few chosen souldiers passed ouer Nilus to Memphis, and thence to all the parts of Egypt, where he was receiued as * 1.30 a conquerour without battel giuen. When he had set things in order in Egypt, altering neither their lawes nor their cu∣stomes, he went forward and found a place where he builded the citie Alexandria, and named it after his owne name.

After he had conquered all Egypt, this citie was builded in * 1.31 the seuenth yeere of Alexanders raigne, foure hundreth and twentie yeres after the building of Rome, at what time Caius Petileus, and Lu. Papyrius were consuls in Rome as Liuie writes.

When Alexander had brought all things to passe as he wisht, hee left two ouerseers in Egypt with foure thousand souldiers with them, the one was a Macedonian named Pencestes, the o∣ther a Rhodian named Aesculus, and returned and pitcht his tents hard by a little village of Assyria called Arbela, where the * 1.32 last and the greatest battell was betweene Darius and Alex∣ander. But because I haue spoken of these three great victo∣ries of Alexander in the histories of Persia, where I opened particularly the whole discourse of the warres, I may passe to other matters with this farewell to Alexander, that so fewe in nomber, with so yong a king against such a mightie mo∣narche, as at that time had almost all the world vnder his go∣uernment, and yet in three victories his kingdomes was taken from him, aboue a hundred thousand slaine, and Darius him∣selfe fled, and being hard followed was slaine by Bessus.

Of this Alexander Daniel prophecied, that such a king should come that might doe what hee list. Iustine sayeth, that Da∣rius * 1.33 had in his armie three hundreth thousand footmen, and a hundreth thousand horsemen. Diodorus varieth much from that nomber, and so doeth Curtius: Plutarch saith that Darius * 1.34 had tenne hundreth thousand fighting men at that battell at Euphrates. Also some writers differ for the place, that this great battel was not at Arbeles: Plutarch a man of great iudge∣ment, * 1.35 whom I had rather folow in matters of any controuer∣sies, then any other in this historie betweene Alexander and Darius, therefore he setteth downe the first victorie at the ri∣uer Granicus, the second victorie in Silicia, the thirde at Gausa∣meles, and not at Arbeles, as the most writers affirme.

After these victories which Alexander had, he remooued to Babylon, where he continued 34. dayes, from Babylon to Susa where hee found within the castle foure thousand talents in ready coine of gold and siluer, beside other infinite treasures. These townes yeelded to Alexander after the last ouerthrow of Darius without any assalt giuen: and frō Susa went after Darius to Media where he fled, and where he found Darius slaine by Bessus one of his owne captaines which was Darius lieutenant * 1.36

ouer the Bactrians. This Bessus perceiuing that Alexander was following hard at the heeles of Darius, thinking much to please Alexander slewe his owne lorde and master: for the which Alexander rewarded him not according to his expe∣ctation, but according to his deserts, commaunded that hee should bee bound betweene two trees, and by horses to bee * 1.37 drawen in pieces. It is written that when Alexander saw Da∣rius dead, hee wept and couered his bodie with his owne * 1.38 cloake: so wept Iulius Caesar when he saw the head of Pompey, and Antigonus when he saw the head of Pyrrhus, though they were enemies. Nowe by Darius the Persians lost their mo∣narchie, * 1.39 and by Alexander the Macedonians wanne it.

Aristotle hearing of Alexanders good successe, his victories and his conquests ouer so many nations to be such, wrote vn∣to the king, putting him in remembrance that GOD giueth victories, and kingdomes are giuen by GOD, to do good and not euill, to vse iustice and not iniurie, to be a king and not to be a tyrant. By this time Alexander had raigned eight yeeres king in Macedonia, after hee had conquered the Carians, the Lydians, the Cappadocians, the Phrygians, the Paphlagonians, and * 1.40 the Pamphylians: also he subdued the Cilicians, the Syrians, the Phoenicians, the Armenians and the Persians, the Medes and the Parthenians, and was king of all the East countreys: yet hee was not satisfied, for he sawe the Scythians, the Hircanians, the * 1.41 Bactrians, the Sogdians, the Massagets and the Sagaes and the In∣dians vnconquered, he could not quiet his minde before hee had subdued these nations.

Alexander sought where he might heare of a kingdome vnconquered, and hearing of Hercules actes and exploits in the West kingdomes, he fully had determined after hee had brought all Asia and the East countreys as he did to subiecti∣on, to leade his armie and to passe into Affricke, to Carthage and to Numidia, and thence to Gades to see Hercules pillars: * 1.42 thence hee thought to leade his armie vnto Iberia, which is Spaine, and from Spaine to the Alpes, and so to Italy, and from Italy to Epire, leauing no where in his minde vnconquered:

So he fumed and fretted at the fame of Achilles, of Theseus, and of Hercules: for Hercules was the onely man that Alexander * 1.43 emulated, hee thought of Hercules as Caesar thought of Alex∣ander. This king was of such wonderfull hautinesse, that hee thought that the earth might not suffer two Alexanders, no more then the heauens might cōtaine two Sunnes: so he an∣swered Darius when he entreated for peace, and offered thir∣tie * 1.44 thousand talents for his wife and his daughters.

And Alexander hearing Democritus the Philosopher affir∣ming that there were many worldes, hee brake out in teares, * 1.45 and in great furie saide: Is there more worldes then one, and yet I haue not conquered halfe one world? But hee was pre∣uented with a contrary course, he fell to take ease at Babylon, where he gaue himselfe to banquets, to riot, to surfeting, and to drinking, and so hee bestowed in Babylon the rest of his life in all kinde of pleasures and pastimes. Hee maried the Per∣sian ladies with noble men of Macedonia, and he himselfe ma∣ried Statira Darius daughter: hee married in Susa eightie and * 1.46 two nohle men of Macedonia vnto the Ladies of Persia and Media vpon one day, and made a braue large tent of foure * 1.47 furlongs about, and appointed an hundreth gorgeous riche beds: where also the kings bed was furnished with too much riches to be spoken of. I will they should reade Quin. Curtius, * 1.48 and Diod. Siculus, of the riche and sumptuous solemnitie of this feast, of the regall magnificence of Alexander, of the pompe and glorie of these Macedonian mariages with these Persian Ladies.

After these great mariages of himselfe and of his nobles, * 1.49 and of his sumptuous feast which continued fiue dayes, hee made also a solemne feast of cōmon mariages, where 9000. * 1.50 were maried, to whom Alexander gaue a cup of gold to euery one to honour the feast. He became from a famous conque∣rour, * 1.51 a voluptuous man, a drunkard furious and fell, at last in his rage to kill and to murther his dearest friendes, as Hermo∣laus, Parmenio, yea Clitus his owne foster brother, who saued Alexanders life at the battel at Granicus, at what time Rhosaceris

a Persian captaine had slaine Alexander, had not Clitus bene: he slewe Calisthenes the Philosopher for his good counsell. Alexander saide, Odio qui sibi non sapit: he could not abide to * 1.52 heare any praise of his owne father Philip, he would be called the sonne of Iupiter, disdained his noble men and olde soul∣diers of Macedonia that serued his father: he forgote to doe good (as Pindar truely said) and gaue himselfe to be a tyrant after Babylon was taken.

Alexander was modest, discreet, wise, iust in iudgment, tem∣perat in diet, for a time, but the reward of sinne fel vpon him, many hated him, and many conspired his death: as Sostratus, Philota, Antipater, Epimenes, Nicostratus and Anticles, but Epime∣nes disclosed his conspiracie to his brother named Eurilochus, to whom Alexander gaue 50. talents for these newes, and par∣doned * 1.53 Epimenes, but the rest he executed. Yet still more con∣spiratours grewe, in so much that Antipater his lieutenant in Macedonia, yea as some do suspect, by Aristotles counsell, poy∣son was sent from Macedonia vnto Babylon, and deliuered to Cassander which was Antipaters sonne, to Iolla and to Philippe, * 1.54 which were Antipaters brethren, which were of the kings priuie Chamber, and these when they sawe their time, be∣stowe a cuppe of drinke vpon Alexander for his last fare∣well: which when he perceiued that there was no helpe, he tooke his ring from his finger and gaue it to Perdica, with a commandement giuen, that his body should be caried to Iu∣piter * 1.55 of Ammon. Yet some write that he died of a hot feuer.

A little before hee died he was demaunded who should raigne king after him: he answered, euen he that is most wor∣thie to come after me. And then being againe asked at what time he would haue his body buried: he answered, when you are at rest and quietnesse. And so it came to passe, that hee was left vnburied in Babylon vntill Olympias his mother came from Macedonia, and caused his bodie to be caried to Alex∣andria: * 1.56 for assoone as Alexander died, they contended to bee kings, and so forgot to burie Alexander according to his commaundement.

Thus Alexander after hee had liued thirtie two yeeres, and raigned twelue, he died, at what time happened the saying of Demades to be true, that the kingdomes and souldiers of A∣lexander * 1.57 should be like a Ciclope without an eye: surely so it came to passe, that after Alexanders death the most part of the worlde was without a king: for Alexander had so many kingdomes, that when hee died hee left no king behinde him, vntill againe they beganne with the sworde to claime king∣domes.

After Alexanders death, who died two hundreth and eight * 1.58 yeeres before Iulius Caesar was slaine, during twelue yeeres which Alexander the great raigned in the whole: hee raigned sixe of these twelue yeeres king ouer the Chaldeans and the As∣syrians, ouer the Medes and the Persians, leauing Roxana king Darius daughter great with childe, for the which the Macedo∣nians did her great honour: for king Darius had three daugh∣ters, Statira, Roxana, and Bersene, who were all married vnto Alexander.

This time beganne the Romanes to flourish, and had con∣quered the Sabins, the Samnits, the Latines, the Fidenats, the He∣truscanes, the Volscanes, and diuers other countreys, and be∣ganne to looke further from Rome vnto other kingdomes of the worlde. For nowe had triumphed in Rome during the raigne of Alexander, these many gallant fellowes.

• 1 Marcus Valerius Co∣rinus.
• 2 C. Mar. Corolyanus.
• 3 Tit. Manlius Tor∣quatus.
• 4 Lucius Papyrius.
• 5 Fabius Maximus.
• 6 Mar. Curius.
• 7 Lucius Voluminus.
• 8 Caius Sulpitius. And
• 9 Caius Decius.

And as Liuie saith, al these seemed in courage and prowesse to be yong Alexanders. * 1.59

Notes

• * 1.1

  Comparison betwene Phi∣lip and Alex∣ander.
• * 1.2

  iustin. lib 9.
• * 1.3

  Melanct. lib. 2.
• * 1.4

  Olympias dreame.
• * 1.5

  Philippes dreame.
• * 1.6

  Leonidas Alex∣anders gouer∣nour.
• * 1.7

  Bucephalus.
• * 1.8

  Bucephalus ta∣med by Alex∣ander.
• * 1.9

  Plutar. in vita. Alex.
• * 1.10

  Curtius lib. 9.
• * 1.11

  Diodor. lib. 16.
• * 1.12

  The incōstan∣cie of the Gre∣cians.
• * 1.13

  Diod. lib. 17.
• * 1.14

  Thebes de∣stroyed.
• * 1.15

  Alexanders voyage to Asia.
• * 1.16

  Darius opinon of himselfe.
• * 1.17

  The first vi∣ctorie at the riuer Granicus.
• * 1.18

  Ruffin. de orig. Maced.
• * 1.19

  Q Curt. lib. 3.
• * 1.20

  Darius caused a muster at Babylon.
• * 1.21

  Darius armie.
• * 1.22

  Plutar. in vita Alexand.
• * 1.23

  The second victorie of A∣lexander in Cilicia.
• * 1.24

  Melanct. lib. 2.
• * 1.25

  Tyre besieged and taken.
• * 1.26

  Tyre by Agenor builded.
• * 1.27

  Q. Curt. lib. 4.
• * 1.28

  D•…•…rius 3 pre∣paration a∣gainst Alex∣ander.
• * 1.29

  Gaza be∣sieged.
• * 1.30

  Diod. lib. 17.
• * 1.31

  Alexandri•…•… builded 420. yeeres after the building of Rome.
• * 1.32

  The thirde battel of Alex∣ander at Ar∣bela.
• * 1.33

  iustin. lib. 11.
• * 1.34

  Curtius lib. 5.
• * 1.35

  Plutarch. in Alexand.
• * 1.36

  Darius slaine by Bessus.
• * 1.37

  The punish∣ment of Bessus.
• * 1.38

  Plut. in Alex.
• * 1.39

  Melanct. lib. 2 Chron.
• * 1.40

  Diod. lib. 17.
• * 1.41

  Curtius lib. 7.
• * 1.42

  Alexander de∣termined to imi•…•…ate in his victories Her∣cules.
• * 1.43

  The hautie minde of A∣lexander.
• * 1.44

  Alexander pa∣•…•…em non patitur.
• * 1.45

  Diod. lib. 17.
• * 1.46

  Roxana.
• * 1.47

  The first feast.
• * 1.48

  Q. Curt. lib. 7. & 8.
• * 1.49

  Melanct. lib. 2.
• * 1.50

  Q. Cur. lib. 8.
• * 1.51

  The 2. feast.
• * 1.52

  Odio qui sibi non sapit.
• * 1.53

  Plutarch. in Alexand.
• * 1.54

  Diuers opini∣ons of Alex∣anders death.
• * 1.55

  Curtius.
• * 1.56

  Melanct. 2. Chron.
• * 1.57

  The kingdom of Alexander compared to a Cyclope.
• * 1.58

  Buchol. in Chro. Alexander died 280. before Caesar was slaine.
• * 1.59

  Liui. lib. 9.