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 ANTIQVITIE of the Scythians: of their lawes, gouern∣ments and life: of their hardinesse in warres, and of their victories ouer the Persians and Egyptians, and their often inuasions into Asia.

SCythia is a countrey large and wide, cōteyning within it selfe diuers and sundrie nations, as Sages, Nomades, Massagetes, Ama∣zones, Caspians & Hircanians, with * 1.1 many other nations bordering vpon Scythia, & dwelling with∣in Scythia: of the which particu∣larly to write, I thinke it need∣lesse, the rather, for that Pompo∣nius * 1.2 Mela, Solinus & also Strabo in his 11. booke doeth describe Scythia and other nations which dwelt in Scythia, exquisite and painfull men in describing countreis, their townes, their riuers, their hilles, their maners, and natures.

And therefore lest I should seeme fabulous (as diuers wri∣ters herein offend, the Grecians specially, who neuer thought their histories worth the reading, vnlesse they were mingled with vaine fables) I wil write of their warres, and of their an∣tiquitie, & therein I shal hardly escape fables of some Talmu∣dist or other, so difficult a thing it is to finde out a true begin∣ning of antiquities in prophane histories, as Liuie saith, vt re∣rum vetustas sine errore esse nequit.

The Scithians are thought to be one of the ancientest nati∣ons in the world, from whom diuers great kingdomes tooke * 1.3 their first originall, as Celte or the olde Gaules, which now are called Frenchmen. Berosus affirmeth, that Noah by the name * 1.4 of Ianus, and all his familie dwelt first in Scithia Saga, & thence came to Chaldea, and dwelt in Senar: for during the time of Ia∣nus, Cameses, and Saturnus, and al the time from Ianus vntil Ni∣nus, the prophane writers called the golden world: for then men liued without lawes, and had all thinges in common. This Plinie in his naturall histories affirmeth, that the Persi∣ans called the Scithians, Sagas. There is great contention be∣tweene * 1.5 the Scithians and the Egyptians, concerning ther anti∣quities, * 1.6 the historie whereof is written in Trogus Pompeius: there, after much disputation it is concluded, Scitharum gens semper antiquissima, that the Scithians had the soueraingtie ouer the Egpytians in antiquitie.

As the Egyptians excelled in great & monstrous buildings, so these Scithians exceeded for sweete and famous riuers, as

• 1 Ister. * 1.7
• 2 Tyres.
• 3 Hypanis.
• 4 Borysthenes.
• 5 Panticapes.
• 6 Hypacaris.
• 7 Gerrhus.
• 8 Tanais.
• 9 Moetin.

These Scithians who were rude and slauish people, with∣out maners or nourture, excelled farre the Greekes which with great care and diligence, studied to attaine knowledge and vertue: for by howe much the more the Scithians were more ignorant then the Greekes, so much the more the Scithi∣ans * 1.8 excelled the Greekes in vertue: their hardinesse and cou∣rage in warres was such, that they were accompted amongst all other nations the most inuincible people of the worlde, that it is doubtfull (as Iustine saith) whether the men or the women of Scithia be more famous: they attempted no lesse Signiories then the whole Empire of Asia, which Empire they so tamed with often inuasions, that the Scithians were

lords of Asia eight and twentie yeeres.

For at what time Ciaxares, otherwise called by the Pro∣phet Daniel, Darius Medus, layde siege to Niniue the chiefest * 1.9 citie of Assyria, and being euen then readie to take Niniue, the king of Scithia whose name was Madies, came with a great ar∣mie of Scithians & set vpon the Medes, ouerthrew them, spoy∣led and wasted at that time in their returne to Scithia, all Asia, and kept Asia vnder the kingdome of Scithia for the space of eight and twentie yeeres.

And againe before this time, the Scithians brought Asia to * 1.10 pay them tribute, at what time Tanais king of the Gothes was their general: and againe before that time, the Egyptians who with an armie set forward toward Scithia, at what time Vexo∣res raigned king in Egypt, the Scithians hauing intelligence of their ambassadors comming, answered in this sort, that they marueiled much that so famous a prince as the king of Egypt, should come to fish with golden hooks to Scithia so barren a countrey: saying further, that the Scithians had rather come to offer warres into Egypt, then to welcom them into Scithia, but such rude welcome as rude people can yeelde, the king of Egypt shall haue: and therewithall gaue to Vexores such * 1.11 a battell, that he was ouerthrowen, and cōstrained to take his flight to Egypt againe, and was so folowed at the hard heeles, that if bogs and marish ground had not stayed the Scithians, they would haue giuen him battel in Egypt, as they did com∣ming home through Asia, spoiling, wasting, and destroying it the thirde time. Iustine writeth this historie at large.

That time the Scithians absented themselues from their countrey in Asia so long, vntill their wiues sent vnto them, threatning them, that vnlesse they would out of hande re∣turne home, they would take their next neighbours for their husbandes, and further they should not come when they would: for after they did marrie their seruants that were * 1.12 left, as shepheards and swineheards at home, which resisted their owne masters, to haue their wiues, their houses and their owne countreis. The like historie is written of the Ama∣zones,

women of Scythia, who gouerne and rule their coūtrey without men with such fame, as Hercules, Cyrus, and Alexander the great can witnes of them.

The custome of these Amazones, lest their stocke should pe∣rish, was once a yere to accompany with people of their next * 1.13 confines for multiplication sake. And thereby being with child, if it should be a male child, they presētly kil him or send him to his father: if it should be female, she was exercised frō her cradle in al martial exploits, both on horsebacke and on foote, & she had the right dug or breast cut off, wherby they might exercise their bowes. Two Queenes raigned of the A∣mazones of passing great reports, named Marpesia & Lampedo, of whom both Asia & Europe haue tasted of their darts: these two Queenes, after they had won diuers townes in Asia, and also had builded other townes in Asia, they died vncōquered in their countrey. After them succeeded Otrera the daugh∣ter of Marpesia, who raigned together with her sister Antiopa. * 1.14 Otrera or Oreithia hauing an armie out of Scythia, leauing her sister Antiopa to defend Scythia, the fame and renowne of these * 1.15 two Ladies kindled Hercules and his felow Theseus with diuers yong gallants of Greece to saile to Hircania, a part of Scythia, who vpon the sudden, vnlooked for of Antiopa, with some slaughter of the Amazones, Hercules tooke Menalippe, and The∣seus tooke Hippolite, both the Queenes sisters. Otrera hearing of these newes, returned home with all hast, asked ayde of Sa∣gillus king of Scythia, to reuenge the wrong done by Hercules and Theseus against both her sisters, saying also that the Ama∣zones were Scythians aswel as he, & therfore not to deny ayde, promising the king that women should be as wel in the fore∣ward of the battel as men: but Hercules restored Menalippe to the Queene her sister againe, and Theseus married the other, * 1.16 by whom he got Hippolitus.

After Otrera succeeded Penthesileia, whose valiant acts and deedes in the Troyans warres against the Greekes, who knewe * 1.17 them not? After Penthesileia they succeeded orderly vntil the time of Alexander the great, at what time Thalestris raigned * 1.18

Queene of the Amazones.

I will leaue this part of Scythia thus much commended by the Amazones, and will briefly speake of other nations in Scy∣thia, as the Massegits, a people of wōderful courage, as by their warres against Cyrus might appeare: for after that Cyrus had brought the Medes, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Lydians, and all Asia vnder the Empire of Persia, hearing of the great harme and the inuasions that the Scythians had often done in Asia and Europe, hee leuied a huge armie, and passed towards Scythia, at what time Tomiris raigned Queene ouer the Massegites: who hearing of Cyrus cōming, though he was then the onely monarch and conquerour that brought all the East kings vnder Persia, yet she permitted him with al his armie to passe the riuer of Oraxis, and to come and to make choise to set his campe as pleased him best. Cyrus at that time vsed a strata∣gem, * 1.19 left his tents full of all delicate and daintie banquets, with all maner of wine, and fained to take his flight for feare of the enemies.

The Queene hearing of Cyrus flight, cōmanded her sonne * 1.20 named Spargapises out of hand to follow Cyrus with an armie of Massegetes. The yong Scythian being not acquainted with such galant banquets in Scythia, began to assaile Cyrus wine, but hee and all his armie were ouerthrowen without any sword drawen, or a blow giuen.

When Cyrus had returned, and found the Scythians some drinking, some sleeping, some dauncing, and all drunken, he slew them with the sword, and thought thereby that God fa∣uoured much his cause to haue such a victorie ouer the Scy∣thians * 1.21 without blood of the Persians, and therefore he erected a temple to the goddesse of that countrey, & appointed that day a solemne feast called Sacaea, which Cyrus consecrated in * 1.22 remembrance of his happie victorie.

When Queene Tomyris heard that her sonne Spargapises was slaine by Cyrus, and al his army, she leauied a great nom∣ber * 1.23 of the Massegetes together, and went in person her selfe to the battell, & that to the only battell that euer was in Scythia,

the greatest and the terriblest: for two hundreth thousand * 1.24 Persians were slaine, and Cyrus himselfe killed in that battel. Of Cyrus burial, his graue and his epitaph, and also the cruel∣tie of Thomiris to Cyrus being dead, I will write in the historie of Persia. After this great victorie of Tomyris, the Scithians had * 1.25 peace vntil Lanthinus time king of Scithia.

After Cyrus time, Darius Histaspis came to Scithia, who be∣ing * 1.26 denied of king Lanthinus daughter in mariage, he retur∣ned his loue to hatred: he waged battel against Lathinus, and brought to Scithia seuen hūdred thousand Persians, of whom he left behind him slaine in Scithia, fourescore & tenne thou∣sand, and Darius himselfe constrained to take his flight, with no lesse feare then danger into Persia againe.

In like sort the Scithians vsed Zopirona a general of Alexanders * 1.27 the great, in a battel giuen by the Macedonians to the Scithians, with such slaughter, that the whole armie of Zopirona was o∣uerthrowen, and himselfe hardly by flight escaped, as Vexores king of Egypt, & Darius king of Persia had done before: of such inuincible courage the Scithians were, being frō their birth ac∣quainted & brought vp in hardines, that life and death were esteemed alike: they made no accompt of victory for wealth and treasure, but for honour. Alexander the great, who had better successe in Scithia then any of his predecessors, liked the people so wel for their hardy and valiant enterprises, that he builded a city and named it Alexandria, which was the first citie that he builded in Scithia, which name was after raced by the Barbarians, and repaired againe by Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus, who according to his progenitors name, called it Seleucia. Into this citie (saith Solinus) Orodes king of Parthia conueyed the Romans that were taken at the slaughter of Cras∣sus. Strabo writeth, that Alexander the great builded 8. great * 1.28 townes amongst the Bactrians, and amongst the Sogdians, two large countreys of Scithia: also he saith, that Alexander de∣stroyed certaine cities in Bactria, a citie called Cariata, where Callisthenes the Philosopher was imprisoned by Alexander: in Sogdiana he destroyed a citie which Cyrus builded after his

owne name called Cira, hard by the riuer Iaxartes.

I reade of none sauing of Alexader, which ventured so much in Scithia, as the Scithians haue done in other countreis: you shall reade that the Scithians haue thrise inuaded Asia, haue driuen the Cimerians out of Europe, haue giuen to the Medes diuers ouerthrowes, specially in a great battell at Mount Cau∣casus, * 1.29 and after came into Media their owne countrey, wasted it, spoyled it, and did possesse it, as lords and rulers thereof, vntill by a stratagem of the Medes, the Scithians were slaine being drunken. After the Medes, the Egyptians were ouer∣throwen with their king Vexores, and put to flight. After the Egyptians, Phrahartes king of Parthia with all his Parthian ar∣mie, and almost all the countrey of Parthia, were at that time wellnigh conquered by the Scithians.

The Persians were twise by the Scithians ouercome, vnder * 1.30 Darius Histaspis, who was discomfited with all his armie, and himselfe glad to take his heeles: and vnder Cyrus the great king, who also after two or three battels, was slaine amongst the Scithians. It was thought a thing most renowmed to make an armie, and to enter Scithia. Liber Pater was the first that trauailed into Scithia, as farre as Panda a citie of the Sog∣dians, where the first altar was erected in testimonie of so fa∣mous an enterprise. The second altar was made euen in that * 1.31 place by Hercules. The thirde by Semiramis Queene of Assyria. The fourth and last altar was erected by Cyrus, and therefore it was compted one of the greatest commendations of Alex∣ander the great to make his voyage so farre, whereby hee had the name of the fift that also erected his monument: so in∣uincible were the nations of the Scithians, that they would take no iniurie at home, neither offer iustice abroade.

The antiquitie of the Scithians is such, that there is no great certaintie of their time, nor no sounde histories haue declared any thing formally, neither of their kings, nor of themselues, and therefore I wil briefly ende their historie in this place, onely setting downe the names of such kings as I found scattered in diuers histories of other kingdomes.

• ...

• 1 Scytha the first king of Scythia, of whose birth and begin∣ning the Scythians do much bragge. Reade Diodorus. * 1.32
• 2 Napis.
• 3 Pluto.
• 4 Sagillus.
• 5 Targitaus.
• 6 Plinos.
• 7 Scolopithus.
• 8 Penaxagora filius Sa∣gilli.
• 9 Tanais.
• 10 Indathirsus.
• 11 Saulius. This king killed the Philosopher Anacharsis, for that hee found him in Grecian robes executing the rites and ceremonies of the Greeks, in a sacrifice to Berecynthia, against the customes and lawes of Scythia.
• 12 Spargapithus.
• 13 Aripethes.
• 14 Sciles. This king was in like maner driuen out of his king∣dom for imitating the Grecians in their sacrifice to Bacchus: for the Scythians did mocke and floute the Greekes to alter themselues like faunes or Satires, some like men, some like wo∣men, and some like beasts with darts in their hands, and Yuie crownes on their heades, after the maner of the Grecians, which the Scythians could not abide.
• 15 Octomasades.
• 16 Lanthinus, which raigned in Scythia when Darius king of Persia came with an army of seuen hundreth thousand, and was ouerthrowen of the Amazones, Sogdians, Hircanians, and of diuers other nations, which dwel in Scythia: which to write itwere but labour in vaine. But a few of the Ama∣zones Queenes I will set downe, as
  • Pēthisileia which came to the Troy∣an warres against the Grecians.
  • Menalippe that gaue battell to Hercules.
  • Hippolite that gaue battel to The∣seus.
  • Tomiris that gaue battell to Cyrus and ouerthrew him.
  • Antiopia: and Marpesia.
  • Otrera and other warlik Queenes.
  • But of Tamberlanes greatnes of his armie, and victories against the Turke, how he toooke him, caried him in a cage with him to all his warres, and howe he vsed to tread vpō his necke as a blocke to mount on horsebacke, lute histories euery where are written.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Solinus cap. 60. 61.
• * 1.2

  Pomponius Mela lib. 3.
• * 1.3

  Beroaldus lib. 4. cap. 5.
• * 1.4

  Berosus lib. 2.
• * 1.5

  Plinie cap. 17.
• * 1.6

  Iustine lib. 2.
• * 1.7

  Herodotus lib. 2.
• * 1.8

  Scithians.
• * 1.9

  Ruffi•…•…us de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 origine.
• * 1.10

  Functius.
• * 1.11

  Vexores. Iustine lib. 2.
• * 1.12

  The women of Scithia maried their seruants.
• * 1.13

  Iustinus lib. 2.
• * 1.14

  Otrera the third Queene of Scythia.
• * 1.15

  Antiop the Queenes sister.
• * 1.16

  Iustinus lib. 2.
• * 1.17

  Penthesileia the 4. Queene of Scythia.
• * 1.18

  Thalestris.
• * 1.19

  Cyrus.
• * 1.20

  Spargapises Tomyris sōne.
• * 1.21

  Strabo lib. 11.
• * 1.22

  Sacaea.
• * 1.23

  Herodot. lib. 1,
• * 1.24

  Iustinus lib. 1.
• * 1.25

  L•…•…thinus king of Scithia.
• * 1.26

  Darius Hist•…•…spis ouerthrowen.
• * 1.27

  Zopirona ouer∣throwen.
• * 1.28

  Eight townes builded by Alexander.
• * 1.29

  Diuers coun∣treys ouer∣throwen by the Scithians.
• * 1.30

  The praise of Scithia.
• * 1.31

  Trophes set vp in Scithia.
• * 1.32

  Diodorus lib. 2. cap. 11.