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 that wicked and most blasphemous king Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus the great, and the type of Antichrist: of his vsurpation and tyrānie of the kingdom: of his sacking and crueltie in Ierusalem: of his bloody warres, and persecutions of Christians.

DVring the warres of Antiochus the great with the Romans, ciuil warres began in Greece againe betweene the Athenians and the Aetolians. Of these warres reade Polibius and Plutarch in the life of Philopomen. Likewise Mithridates king of Parthia waged battel with the Sinopians. About this time Si∣phax king of Numidia was after sundrie battels by Masinissa * 1.1 ouerthrowen and driuen out of his kingdome. This time Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia conquered those people called Mardi, astoute nation, as Iustine saith.

In the time of Antiochus the great, there happened in one yeere 57. earthquakes, insomuch that Rhodes and Caria were so shaken thereby, that the huge idole of Phaebus (called Colossus solis) fell.

In these dayes an infant was borne hauing a head like a sow, and many other mōstrous things fel in the time of Antio∣chus as Liui reporteth. Eratosthenes the philosopher florished in this time. The Romans were so strong in these dayes, as Car∣thage, * 1.2 Numidia, and all Affricke were subdued: Greece, Macedo∣nia, Pontus, and all Asia were conquered: all kings of the world almost came then to Rome, to see the maiestie of the Romanes, to behold their triumphes, and to offer themselues in seruice. The end of this great king was to be slaine by rude countrey people, as he would rob the temple of Belus: he that thought to conquere the stoute Romanes, was conquered by silie and simple men of Syria: he that brought all Greece and Asia vnder his becke, had this his death by his rashnesse and folly, and as * 1.3 Melancthon saith of Antiochus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Of an ill be∣ginning proceedeth an ill ending.

When this Antiochus so was killed, he left behinde him 3. sonnes, and one daughter maried to Ptolomey, of whom Phi∣lometor was borne: his sonnes were named in this sort: Seleu∣cus * 1.4 sirnamed Philopater was the eldest, who raigned 12. yeeres: of whom we reade nothing worth the memory, a man giuen to all vices, to all idlenes, lust, wickednes, and powling of his subiects. This history is onely written in the Macabees, where Simon vttereth what treasure was in the temple, and how He∣liodorus was sent by the king to take them away: but hee was striken of God, and had the repulse with such terrible sightes * 1.5 and strokes, that Heliodorus wished death rather then life, vn∣till the high Priest Onias prayed for him. Of this Seleucus Da∣niel saide, In loco Antiochi stabit vilis questor, &c. for there was nothing left vnspoken by Daniel before hand, which should happen afterward. This Seleucus beganne to raigne after his father in the 125. yeere of the Grecians raigne in Syria, after the building of Rome 566.

After this Seleucus died, Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes, the second sonne of Antiochus the great, being a pledge then in * 1.6 Rome with Demetrius, hearing that his father was dead, hee se∣cretly fled from Rome, and came with al force vnto Syria, vsur∣ped the kingdome, and draue Seleucus sonne out of his coun∣trey: this began his gouernment in the 130. yeere after Alex∣ander the great his death. Polibius affirmeth this man to bee such, as no wickednes escaped him, craftie and subtile, furious and ful of al mischiefe, and of the best writers named the type of Antichrist. Of the furie of this Antiochus, and of other kings of Syria, Daniel doth fully describe them, and doth fore∣shewe their tyrannie against Iudea. Reade the 11. of Daniel, where he prophecieth against the kings of Syria, together with the Persians, Grecians, Egyptians and Romanes, howe all these should afflict Iudea.

This Antiochus in the beginning of his raigne, beingfully * 1.7 acquainted with the Romanes power, hauing bene so long in Rome a pledge for his father, dissembled with the Senators, and bare himselfe a friend vnto the Romanes for feare more then for loue: after that he had filled Ierusalem with blood, and * 1.8 had killed Onias the high priest, a holy & godly man, he tooke money of Iason which was Onias brother, and made him high priest, who receiued Antiochus with al reuerence & duetie in∣to Ierusalem, who slew the best citizens, spoiled the towne, and robbed the temple: this was his first voyage to Ierusalem: the high priest Iason which Antiochus had made, plaied the tyrants * 1.9 part, slew his owne citizens, and made hauocke in Ierusalem of his owne countreymen, friends and kinsmen: but this king and this priest had the like reward by God appointed, shame and confusion. Read the Machabees, and you shal haue the hi∣storie before you, that Iason, after he had wandered from citie * 1.10 to citie like a vagabond, hated of all people, and beloued of none, being banished from Ierusalem, died most miserablie in Arabia, being accused before the king then named Areta. Some write that he fled from Arabia to Egypt.

But I wil returne to that cruel monster king Antiochus, who

after he had dissembled with the Romans, pretended care and gouernment ouer the yong Philometor king of Egypt, being his sisters sonne: for Cleopatra the daughter of Antiochus the great, was married to Epiphanes, who had giuen her for her * 1.11 dowrie Coelosyria, Samaria, Iudea, and Phenicia, by whom this Philometor was gotten.

This yong king being yet in his minoritie and tender of yeeres, and by his father (when he died) committed to the fi∣delitie of the Senators of Rome, whom he made tutors ouer his sonne Antiochus: Epiphanes clayming some title to ouersee * 1.12 the yong king his nephew, led an armie frō Syria vnto Egypt, vnder pretence of loue & care towards his nephew the yong king: but he more thirsted for the kingdom then he esteemed the king: he laied garisons in Memphis, and filled all the cities of Egypt with souldiers, specially Pelusiū, and other strong ci∣ties. * 1.13 Philometor misdouted these endeuors of Antiochus, and so suspecting his vncle to be one that waied more the kingdom then the king, he fled to his yonger brother to Alexandria, sent to the Romans for aide against Antiochus: who perceiuing that they were put in trust to haue some care of this king by his fa∣thers last wil and testament to them cōmitted, they determi∣ned to send Popilius frō the Senators, to cōmand Antiochus as his father before him was cōmanded to depart out of Egypt, and to suffer king Philometor to enioy his kingdom quietly.

While this Romane ambassador was preparing to come, An∣tiochus hasted his purpose in folowing fast at the heeles of Phi∣lometor, which was the elder brother, & therfore by succession king of Egypt: he shipped in Cyprus, and from thence to Coelo∣syria, thēce to Egypt, and so passing ouer Nilus, to Leusnies a ci∣tie not farre from Alexandria: where the Romane ambassador * 1.14 Popilius met him, and deliuered the minde of the Senators in writing to him: which being read, he paused, and said that he would consider further, and cōsult with his friends to answere the Senators. Popilius hauing a white sticke in his hand, made * 1.15 around circle about king Antiochus saying, Answer the Romans * 1.16 before thou go out of this circle, that I may declare to the Se∣nators thy words.

Antiochus was so amased at the stoute words of Pōpilius, that * 1.17 he was constrained to say, I will doe that which the Senators would haue me to doe. And so he was forced in great furie to depart out of of Egypt, but hee reuenged his wrath vpon the poore Iewes: hee so plagued Iudea with spoile and slaughter, and caused them to forsake their true and ancient religion which they had from Moses: hee burned the bookes of Moses, * 1.18 and of the Prophets: he made the idole of Iupiter Olympus to be set vp and to be worshipped, and commaunded all idola∣trie and wickednes to be had in Ierusalem in reuerence. This proude king entred into the temple of Salomon, after hee had made such a slaughter of yong and olde, of women and chil∣dren, that within three dayes 80. thousand were slaine, and 40. thousand taken prisoners.

Menelaus the traitour, the high priest, a murtherer before * 1.19 of Onias, and now a traitour to his countrey, brought Antio∣chus into the citie, guided him from place to place, that af∣ter hee had taken 800. talents away from the temple, he gate him away to Antiochia, thinking in his pride to make men saile vpon the drie land, and to walke vpon the sea. The filthinesse and abomination of this beast is set foorth in the Macabees in the second booke the fift and sixt chapters, from the begin∣ning vnto the ende.

This was the second comming of Antiochus to Iudea and to Ierusalem, in the eight yeere of his raigne, two yeeres after his first being in Ierusalem: whose comming, and whose do∣ings were by the Prophet Daniel before spoken: for he saide, * 1.20 that this tyrant should continue 3500. dayes in wasting and spoyling of Iudea, in prophaning the temple, in killing and murthering of Gods people. The nomber of these dayes are sixe yeeres and sixe monethes: so long endured this wolfe. * 1.21 After this, Habuit mercedem, God rewarded him: for he died in such torments, that his bowels were eaten with wormes, and himselfe brought in such miserie, that he died according as he liued, after hee had raigned twelue yeeres. During his time, the warres continued in Macedonia betweene Perseus the

last king, and Titus Aemilius the Consull, and at length the conquerour of Perseus. Prusias king of Bythinia came with his sonne Nicomedes to Rome, where he commended his sonne to the Senators. About this time Terentius flourished.

Nowe when Antiochus surnamed Eupator had entred in his * 1.22 fathers seate, in the 150. yeere of the Greekes being in Syria, and in the beginning of the 26. Iubilee, he folowed his fathers steppes, came with an armie to Ierusalem, and besieged the ca∣stle of Sion: but while he laied siege, his generall Lysias tolde him that his kingdome was inuaded by the enemies. Then he concluded peace with Iudea, and returned in all haste into Sy∣ria, * 1.23 brought Menelaus that wicked and cruell high priest with him, who after much mischiefes done, died at Beroea, a towne of Syria. Antiochus had not reigned but one yeere, but Deme∣trius Soter fledde from Rome where he had bene a pledge, du∣ring the whole gouernment of his brother Antiochus Epipha∣nes, which was twelue yeeres, and during some yeeres of his graundfather Antiochus the great: he came to Syria, entred the Citie of Tyrus, where his souldiers apprehended both the king and his generall Lysias, whom Demetrius commaunded * 1.24 to be killed, before hee should see them, though Eupator was his sisters sonne.

This Eupator ended his life, after hee had reigned but two yeeres. In the meane time, Onias the sonne of Onias the high priest, which was also slaine by Menelaus who succeeded him: this Onias being of the Iewes surnamed the iust, lamen∣ting * 1.25 much the miserable estate of Iudea, fled into Egypt to king Pto. Philometor: and hauing licence of the king, he builded a temple in the citie of Heliopolis, to the likenesse of the temple in Ierusalem, according to the saying of Esai, In that day shall the altar of the Lord be in the middest of the land of Egypt: and the Lord shalbe knowen of the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall knowe the Lord. In that day Assur shall come to Egypt, and Egypt into Assur.

This Demetrius sent Alcimus against Iudas Machabeus, who * 1.26 by flatterie entred into Ierusalem, and slue three score of the chiefe and greatest men of the citie, & after gathered a num∣ber

of wicked persons together, who did much harme in Iu∣dea: to whome king Demetrius sent Nicanor with an hoste of * 1.27 souldiers to ayde Alcimus. This Nicanor blasphemed God, prophaned the temple, threatned the Iewes, and came to Bethoron, where Iudas Machabeus gaue him battell and ouer∣threwe him.

This Demetrius was no lesse cruell to the Iewes, then either his father or his brother were before him: hee played the beare, vntill Alexander Epiphanes, Antiochus Eupators sonne came to the Citie of Ptolomais. Iustine saith, that this Alexander was a base man borne, named Prompalus, and that hee was * 1.28 made by others to take this name vpon him, and to say that he was Antiochus sonne. Atalus king of Asia, Ptolome Philome∣tor king of Egypt, and Ariarathes king of Capadocia, counselled Prompalus to inuade Demetrius kingdome, which was done, and a battell giuen, in the which Demetrius was slaine, after * 1.29 he had reigned tenne yeeres.

Now after Alexander had the victorie of Demetrius, he clai∣med to be the king of Syria by succession, fayning himselfe to be Antiochus Eupators sonne: hee maried Cleopatra king Philo∣metors daughter of Egypt: the mariage was celebrated in the Citie of Ptolemais. This Alexander was not ayded by these kings for any great affection they bare him, but for the ha∣tred they had towardes Demetrius, who was so ambitious, proude, and cruell in the beginning of his reigne, that these three kings, of Egypt, of Asia, and Arabia, had susteined losse and harme before Demetrius was ouerthrowen by Alexander: he had two sonnes, whom hee sent with great treasures to a * 1.30 friende of his named Gindius, to auoide the daunger of the warres: the elder of them was named Demetrius after his fa∣thers name, who hearing of his fathers death and of the riot and lust of this Alexander, a man giuen to al vices and wicked∣nesse, came into Syria being aided by the king of Creete, and possessed certeine Cities in Syria: he appointed his generall one Appolonius, who too much trusting his owne force and * 1.31 courage, was in the first battell by Ionathas ouerthrowen.

Ptolome within a short time came with a great armie to see▪ his sonne in lawe in Syria: to whom all the cities opened their * 1.32 gates to welcome their king of Egypt, they rather thinking that hee came to make peace betweene Demetrius and A∣lexander: but Ptolome imagined howe hee might deceiue them both for a kingdome: hee placed his souldiers in di∣uers Cities of Syria: and because Alexander was then in Ci∣cilia, hee tooke occasion to offer him warres by taking his daughter away from him, whome hee gaue in mariage a∣gaine to Demetrius.

Alexander hearing that his wife was taken from him, and maried to Demetrius his mortall enemie, summoned his fa∣ther in lawe to battell, wherein he had the ouerthrowe, and * 1.33 was forced to flie to Arabia where Alexander was taken and slaine, and his head sent by the king of Arabia to Egypt to king Ptolome. Thus was Prompalus (otherwaies named Alexander) throwen downe from the throne of his kingdome, deceiued * 1.34 by fortune, and reuenged by iustice. This reward he had, to faine him selfe Antiochus sonne, and falsely to alter his name from Prompalus vnto Alexander, that Ptolome who ayded him to the kingdome and gaue his daughter in mariage to him, the same Ptolome droue him out of the kingdome, and had both his head and his crowne giuen him. But Philometor en∣ioyed not long these great honors: for within three dayes af∣ter he had receiued Alexanders head, Ptolome died: so long he * 1.35 ware the crowne of Syria. When the Syrians heard that Alex∣ander was dead in Arabia, and Ptolome dead in Egypt, they slue all the souldiers of Ptolome which were left in garisons in the Cities of Syria, and receiued Demetrius Nicanor to be their king, which was Demetrius Soters sonne. Nowe when Deme∣trius * 1.36 had recouered his kingdome againe, he fel in short time in as great contempt with all men for his slouthfulnesse, as his father before him was for pride: and to auoide that fault, he waged warres with the Parthians, to whom he gaue two seue∣rall ouerthrowes by the aide of the Bactrians, and the Persians: * 1.37 but afterward he was taken, and sent prisoner into Hircania to Arsaces king of Persia.

While Demetrius was in these warres, Ionathas the high * 1.38 priest was by deceipt slaine by Trypho: also he slue young An∣tiochus, ouer whom he was tutour, and reigned three yeeres king in Syria. Cleopatra Demetrius wife fearing the tyrannie of this Trypho, and knowing her husband to bee captiue in Hir∣cania, shee maried Antiochus Soter her husbands brother, shee being then in the citie of Seleucia. Antiochus leuied an armie, came to Syria, pursued Trypho, from whom reuoulted all his souldiers, and he himselfe fled. Antiochus possessed Syria qui∣etly: and calling to mind the pride of his father, & the slouth∣fulnesse * 1.39 of his brother, for which faultes they were both hated of their subiects, hee vsed great diligence and faire meanes to winne those cities which had reuoulted from his brother: yet according to his predecessours the kings of Sy∣ria, he beganne shortly after this good mind to molest Iudea: he besieged Hircanus the high priest in Ierusalem, but he tooke money, and remoued his siege.

In the twelfth of his reigne, Antiochus beganne to warre a∣gainst Phrahartes king of the Parthiās, leuied an armie of eigh∣tie thousand men. Phrahartes had Demetrius the brother of Antiochus in custodie with him, to whom his father Arsaces * 1.40 had promised him before he died to restore him to his king∣dome, and thereupon gaue his daughter in mariage. The king of Parthia was ouerthrowen and driuen to slight in two or three battels, leauing al Parthia wasted and spoyled by An∣tiochus. In the meane time Demetrius was sent by Phrahartes to his kingdome, while Antiochus was absent from Syria.

In this warres of Parthia Antiochus came to Babylon, where * 1.41 many kings gaue him the meeting: for hee waxed great and strong: and there hearing that his brother Demetrius was commen to Syria from Parthia, and was receiued againe to his kingdome, he made haste to returne with his souldiers to Syria: but Phrahartes had prepared an armie vpon the way to meete him, and to giue him battell, where Antio∣chus * 1.42 was slaine.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Polib. lib. 4.
• * 1.2

  Liuius lib. 3.
• * 1.3

  Antiocus is slaine.
• * 1.4

  Seleucus Phi∣lopater the se∣uenth king of Syria.
• * 1.5

  Heliodorus pu∣nishment.
• * 1.6

  Antiochus Epi∣phanes.
• * 1.7

  Antiochus Epi∣phanes the 8. king of Syria.
• * 1.8

  Ioseph. lib. 1. & cap. 1. de be•…•…ud.
• * 1.9

  Melanct. lib. 2. Chron.
• * 1.10

  Machab. 2. cap. 5.
• * 1.11

  Cleopatra ma∣ried to Epi∣phanes.
• * 1.12

  Philometor Cle∣opatras sonne by Ptolomey Epiphanes.
• * 1.13

  Functius lib. 3. Comment.
• * 1.14

  Popilius was sent to An∣tioch.
• * 1.15

  Iustin. 34.
• * 1.16

  Popilius words to Antiochus.
• * 1.17

  Tit. Liuius lib. 5. Decad. 5.
• * 1.18

  The tyrannie of Antiochus.
• * 1.19

  Machab. 2. cap. 5.
• * 1.20

  Daniel cap. 8.
• * 1.21

  Ioseph. lib. de an∣tiquit. 12. cap. 13.
• * 1.22

  Antihchus Eupator.
• * 1.23

  Demetrius So∣ter the 9. king.
• * 1.24

  Ioseph. lib. 13. cap. 4.
• * 1.25

  Esai. cap. 19.
• * 1.26

  Alcimus sent by Demetrius to Ierusalem.
• * 1.27

  Melanct. lib. 2. Chron.
• * 1.28

  Alex. other∣wayes Prom∣palus.
• * 1.29

  Demet. slaine by Alex. other∣wayes Prom∣palus.
• * 1.30

  Iustine lib. 35.
• * 1.31

  Apollonius De∣met. generall slaine.
• * 1.32

  Funct. lib. 3. Coment.
• * 1.33

  Ioseph. lib. 13. Cap. 8.
• * 1.34

  Alex. head sent from A∣rabia to Egypt.
• * 1.35

  Ptolo. dyed.
• * 1.36

  Demetrius Ni∣canor.
• * 1.37

  Demet. taken prisoner.
• * 1.38

  Ionathas the high priest slaine.
• * 1.39

  Antiochus So∣ter.
• * 1.40

  The king of Parthia ouer∣throwen.
• * 1.41

  Antiochus a∣gainst the Parthians.
• * 1.42

  Iustine lib. 38.