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 ORIGINAL OF the Parthians, and of the beginning of their kingdome, and how long it continued: of their kings, gouernment, and last destruction by the Romanes, in the time of Au∣gustus Caesar.

THe Parthians were (sometime) people of Scythia, and driuen frō thence as banished men, weried and ouerthrowen: and after, by long warres they came to the deserts of Hircania, and possessed the cōfines of those nations cal∣led Daces, and Maiani: for in the Scythian tongue, the Parthians doeth signifie banished men, so that the Parthians were first ob∣scure * 1.1 and base people, banished out of their countrey of Scy∣thia in the time that the Asyrians & the Medes flourished, and long after that the Persians had gotten the monarchie from the Medes. The Parthians were very rude, without lords or lawes to rule them, vntil the empire of Macedonia had gotten the masterie ouer the Persians: for at what time Alexander the great died, no Maccdonian would vouch safe to be king in Par∣thia, the successors of Alexander made no accompt of the Par∣thians, * 1.2 but as rude people, and mercenarie souldiers, neither

esteeming them nor their countrey: so simple a beginning the Parthians had, vntill they scattered themselues to serue as mercenarie souldiers: then beganne the Parthians to haue some fame by their seruice, which were (as I saide before) scant knowen.

It is written by Solinus, that Parthia grew into so large an * 1.3 Empire, that it conteined 18. kingdomes: these kingdomes are deuided into two partes, eleuen of the eighteene called the vpper kingdomes, beginning from the borders of Arme∣nia, passing along the Caspian sea coast to Scithia: the other seuen kingdomes haue on the West the Medes, on the South Carmania, & on the North Hircania the language of the Par∣thians * 1.4 is mingled partly with the Medes, and partly with the Scithians: their apparel after the custome of Scithia, their soul∣diers in fight were their seruants, of whom the Parthians had as great care, as of their children, teaching them in their youth to ride, to shoote, and to doe all other martiall ex∣ploits: for of fiftie thousand souldiers which they had against M. Antonius, were none free men but 450. all the rest were ser∣uants. The Parthians began to erect a kingdome, at what time raigned in Egypt Euergetes the thirde king, and in Ma∣cedonia raigned king Demetrius, likewise in Asia and Syria raigned Seleucus Gabinius the forth king. About this time the Carthagineans had great warres with the Numidians, which * 1.5 endured foure yeeres: of these warres Polibeus writeth. In the time of the first king of Parthia which was named Arsaces, Eu∣menes * 1.6 king of Bithynia inuaded Asia.

This king Arsaces deserued no lesse fame by his great prow∣esse and valiant deedes, by his fortun at warres and good suc∣cesse amongst the Parthians, then Cyrus did amongst the Per∣sians, or Alexander the great amongst the Macedonians. The Parthians so loued this Arsaces aliue, and so honoured him dead, that all the kings of Parthia after him were called Ar∣saces, with no lesse dignitie then the Caesars of Rome, or Pha∣rao•…•…s of Egypt, and yet a meane man in the beginning, who might more bragge of vertue, & knowledge, then of dignitie

or parentage: for before these Parthians, followed Eume∣nes in the warres of Asia, after Eumenes they followed An∣tigonus, after Antigonus they followed Seleucus Nicanor, after him Antiochus. At what time the Parthians reuoulted and made a choise of this king named Arsaces, who brought such * 1.7 renowne to the Parthians, such credite to the countrey, as en∣larged their confines, and augmented their Empire.

This time one Theodotus being but then President ouer 1000. Townes and Cities in Bactriana, proclaimed himselfe king of the Bactrians: with this king Theodotus, Arsaces entred * 1.8 in societie, and with his sonne after him: nowe when Arsaces had setled himselfe quietly in Parthia, he gaue them lawes to liue by, he did set and frame all things in order, hee builded Townes and Cities, and one chiefe Metropolitane Citie, and named it Daram.

This king had a sonne named Mithridates, who after his * 1.9 father reigned in Parthia with no lesse fame then his father, he leauied an armie of a hundred thousand footemen, and twentie thousand horsemen, fought with Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus king of Syria, with such inuincible courage, that Antiochus thought it his best way to haue peace with him.

When this king died, succeeded him Pampatius the third * 1.10 king in Parthia, who when he had reigned twelue yeeres, left behinde him two sonnes, the one named Pharnaces, the other Mithridates: the elder brother after the Parthian maner en∣ioyed his fathers seate, and his father surnamed Arsaces as the other kings were: This king ouerthrew a very stout Nation called Mardi, and did as his predecessors had done, adde some people, or wanne some countrey to Parthia, who ha∣uing many children when hee died, and hauing more care of his countrey then of his children, appointed his brother * 1.11 Mithridates to be king of Parthia, a man of great courage and singular vertues.

The same very time when Mithridates entred into Parthia as king, did Encratides likewise enter to the kingdome of the Bactrians, but these two kings prospered not alike: for Encra∣tides

after diuers and sundry battels giuen to him by the Sog∣dians, Dranganites, and Indians, wherein he gaue diuers repul∣ses * 1.12 vnto his enemies, but at length so wearied with continu∣all warres, hee was ouerthrowen and vanquished. In Parthia with better successe fought Mithridates with the Medes, whom after many doubtfull battels, Mithridates subdued the Medes, and brought them subiect vnder the Parthians, and appoin∣ted in Medea Bachasus to be lieutenant, and went himselfe in∣to Hircania, and then waged warres with the king of Elymees, which he vanquished and all his countrey, and ioyned them to the Parthians: so that Parthia was so strengthened by the Medes, the Elimees, & other nations, that they gouerned from mount Caueasus, to the riuer Euphrates: so that poore Parthia before a base people, and a rude countrey, are nowe become lords ouer the stoute Medes, so by Gods appointment king∣domes and Empires doe both flowe and ebbe: during this time Masinissa was by sundry battels driuen out of his king∣dome * 1.13 by Syphax king of Numidia.

At that time reigned in Syria, Seleucus Philopator their se∣uenth king, and in Egypt reigned Ptolomei Philometor the sixt king, Cornelius Scipio about this time triumphed ouer Asia. After this Mithridates death succeeded his sonne Phrahartes: * 1.14 who had not the fortune which his father had, for Phrahartes was sore vexed by the Scythians, who at the first came to aide the king of Parthia against Antiochus king of Syria▪ the souldi∣ers fell to mutinie for want of pay, and therefore wasted and spoiled the Confines of Parthia, burned townes, and rob∣bed * 1.15 countries, that Phrahartes was constrained to leauy an armie, and to make warres vpon the Scythians, whose lucke had beene better if hee had taried in Parthia, where hee left behinde him Himerus, too young a man to gouerne a king∣dome, who lost at home in Parthia, asmuch as Phrahartes lost in Scythia.

After Phrahartes was ouerthrowen by the Scythians, Ar∣tabanus * 1.16 succeded, who likewise shortly was slaine in the warres at Colchata, after whom succeeded his sonne Mithri∣dates

the second of that name, who for his noble deedes and * 1.17 valiant actes, was named Mithridates the great, and yet not so great as infortunate: for when he had reuenged the death of his father vpon the Scythians, plagued the Armenians, and had gotten diuers Nations subiect vnto Parthia, yet hee was banished from Parthia, and his kingdome giuen to Horodes his brother. Horodes hauing the kingdome of Parthia in his hand, hearing that his brother Mithridates had fledde into Babylon to auoide further feare, hee besieged Babylon, vntill by famine they were compelled to yeelde the Citie: Mi∣thridates hoping for pardon, yeelded himselfe to his bro∣ther: * 1.18 but Horodes▪ supposing that he would prooue rather an enemie then a brother, commaunded him to be slaine be∣fore his face.

By this time the Parthians grewe so great, and waxed so strong, that their fame extended into Rome, a Citie that coulde neuer abide no kingdome nor no countrey to florish * 1.19 beside themselues: and therefore the Romanes sent Marcus Crassus, one of the greatest men of Rome to Parthia, who had such conceiptes in his head, that the victorie of Lucul∣lus against Tigranes king of Armenia, and all that Pompei did against Mithridates king of Pontus, were but trifles to that which hee entended: for hee thought to conquer the Bactrians, the Indians, and the great Ocean sea.

For in his decree and commission to him giuen by the Senate, there was no mention made of the Parthians, which the Parthians knewe, and therefore sent Embassadours vnto Crassus, opening vnto him that hee offered warres vnto the Parthians, against his decree by the Senate: but Crassus more bold then wise saide, that Horodes king of Parthia shoulde an∣swere * 1.20 him in Seleucia. One of the Parthian Embassadours fell a laughing, shewing to Crassus the palme of his hande, saying, Haires shall sooner growe in the palme of my hand, before you come to Seleucia: and so with defiance of Crassus; the Embassadours returned to their king, telling him that he was to prepare for warres.

By this time Artabazes king of Armenia came to the campe of Crassus with sixe thousand horsemen, promising Crassus tenne thousand more horsemen, and thirtie thousand foote∣men, but that promise was not kept, for hee was assaulted by the Parthians in his countrey: beside, Crassus had in his armie fiftie thousand. Horodes king of Parthia made ready for Cras∣sus, * 1.21 and appointed one named Surena his lieutenant, the se∣cond man in all Parthia next to the king, in experience, va∣lue, reputation, and riches: for Plutarch saith, that when Sure∣na remooued with his owne houshold onely, he had a thou∣sand Camels to carie his sumpters, and two hundred Co∣ches of Curtizans, & a thousand men of armes armed from toppe to toe, beside another thousand more lightly armed: his whole traine & Court made aboue ten thousand horse.

Crassus thought long to giue battell vnto the Parthians, but the miserable sight of the ouerthrowen Romanes which were so martyred with such torments, shewing vnto their cap∣taines their handes fast nayled to their targettes with ar∣rowes, and their feete likewise shotte through and nayled to the ground, the forked arrowes fast in their bodies, and so wounded with speares and pikes, that the most part of the Romane gentlemen slue themselues, for so did Censorinus, and Publius Crassus himselfe commaunded one of his gentle∣men to kill him, whose head was cut off after by the enemie, * 1.22 and brought to his father for a present, whose sight killed the Romanes hearts.

Yet the olde Crassus shewed greater courage at that time then euer hee had done before: hee made an oration to his souldiers, when his heart was full of sorowe, brought them examples howe Lucullus ouercame not Tigranes, neither Sci∣pio, Antiochus the great without blood. Thus hee comforted his people, and perswaded them to turne their sorowes into furie, and to shewe themselues worthie Romanes for the re∣uenge of his sonnes death: but the inconstancie of Crassus fortune was no better then his sonne, after many vnlucki•…•… battels to bee slaine, and his head to be cut off as his sonnes

was, and twentie thousand Romanes slaine: beside Surena did send Crassus vnto Herodes the king his master into Ar∣menia. After Crassus and his sonne were thus shamefully * 1.23 slaine in Parthia, the Parthians so triumphed of this in feastes and playes, making rimes and iestes (as Plutarch saith) of both Crassus heads.

About this enuie beganne a quarrell in Rome, first be∣tweene * 1.24 Lucullus, and Pompei, and after betweene Pompei and Caesar: nowe the Romanes hauing susteined such foile in Par∣thia, and the Parthians such victorie ouer the Romanes, that Horodes king of Parthia, and his sonne Pacorus conceiued great pride therein, but pride will haue a fall, and so it fell to the Parthians.

After diuers great victories of many Countries, Venti∣dius * 1.25 a Romane lieutenant of Marcus Antonius, who fully reuenged the death of Crassus, with such a slaughter of the Parthians, that in the first battell that he had with Horodes, he slue Pharnabates, & Labienus, which two encreased much the Parthians fame, while Labienus was in Syria, two of the chiefe captaines he had: in the second battell he farre excelled the first, and slue many more of the Parthians: in this battell Pa∣corus * 1.26 the kings owne sonne was slaine.

This made the victorie of Ventidius more notable: this ex∣ploit was a full requitall of Crassus death, so that Ventidius a meane man borne, was the onely man that euer triumphed * 1.27 ouer the Parthians vnto the very last day of them: when newes of these victories came to Horodes, that his sonne Pacorus was slaine with all his armie, of whom hee heard before so well of in vanquishing and ouerthrowing diuers armies both in Asia and Syria, hee suddenly fell to such a furie, that hee be∣came beside himselfe, that for many dayes hee was dumbe * 1.28 without speach: and when hee spake any worde, hee spake nothing but Pacorus, hee thought that hee sawe him, that he heard him, and that he spake with him.

But in time after hee had recouered his former state, hee imagined of thirtie sonnes he had, who should be king after

him: at length hee bequeathed his kingdome vnto his sonne Phrahartes: this was the last king of Parthia. About this time * 1.29 much trouble was in Rome betweene Caesar and Pompei the great, the ciuill warres whereof had almost ouerthrowen the state of the Romanes, the which I will write of in the Romane historie: nowe when Phrahartes had slaine his father Horodes, and had possessed the kingdome of Parthia, hee doubting lest the like murther might happen to him, hee made sure woorke.

After hee had slaine the king his father, hee also slue his thirtie brethren: this tyrannie in the beginning of his go∣uernment, * 1.30 made diuers gentlemen of Parthia to forsake him, & to flee vnto Antonius, to whō (as Plutarch saith) Anto∣nius gaue diuers cities, as Larissa, Arethusa, & others. After this hee tooke a generall muster of all his armie, and of his confe∣derates that were come by commaundement to aide him from Armenia, and other places, so that Antonius had three∣score thousand footemen, and tenne thousand horsemen, be∣side * 1.31 thirtie thousand of other Nations. This puissant armie made all Asia to tremble, and yet no worthy exploite done, but besieging the Citie of Phrata in Media: the loue hee bare to Cleopatra was thought to be the cause of his ill lucke. * 1.32

In the meane time Phrahartes king of Parthia being aduer∣tised where Antonius left his engines of battell, hee sent a number of horsemen to fight with Tatianus, who was in that conflict slaine with tenne thousand more at that time: this troubled all Antonius armie: notwithstanding Antonius ha∣sted to battell with them, at what time hee put the Parthians to flight, without any great slaughter of the Parthians.

Antonius lingering still, and doing no great acte in Par∣thia, determined to giue ouer such craftie people: and though Antonius had ouercome the Parthians in eighteene seuerall battels, yet they gaue him diuers repulses and such * 1.33 ouerthrowes, as Antonius was most willing to let them alone and to depart from them, whome they followed in his re∣turne at the hard heeles to his great losse and shame.

This made Phrahartes king of Parthia so proude, that Antonius the great Romane tooke his flight from Parthia, that hee vsed such murther and tyrannie in his Countrie, that his owne subiects threwe him out of his countrie and kingdome, and placed in his seate Tiridates to bee king, vn∣till Phrahartes after hee had beene thus banished was ay∣ded by the king of Scythia to bee restored vnto his king∣dome againe.

Then Tiridates hearing that the Scythians came with a great * 1.34 armie to restore Phrahartes, he fledde into Spaine vnto Octa∣uius Caesar: thither likewise did Phrahartes send Embassadors: * 1.35 when Caesar had heard both the parties, the complaintes of the banished king Phrahartes, and the request of Tiridates say∣ing, that Parthia was fitte to be subiect to the Romane Em∣pire, affirming also that if it should please Caesar to substitute him lieutenant vnder the Romanes in Parthia, that he would with all Parthia holde with Rome.

Notwithstanding Caesar vsed in this great clemencie both wisdome and iustice, he commaunded that Phrahartes sonne shoulde bee king in Parthia, and that Tiridates (if it pleased him) should continue in Rome vpon Caesars charges, vntill his returne from Spaine, at which time Caesar hauing occasi∣on after he came home to Rome from Spaine, to go to Syria, and to dispose of those kingdomes which his predecessours had conquered in the East countries, and to set all things in order, he charged then that Phrahartes should make no warres * 1.36 against the Parthians, promising that hee and his posteritie should gouerne Parthia vnder the Romanes, willing and com∣manding him and the king his sonne to send those ensignes to Rome, which Marcus Crassus lost at Parthia, and cōmanded them to be true friends to the Romanes. The fortune of this Cae∣sar was such, that he could then cōmand with a word, more then Antonius▪ who sought it with blowes, or Crassus that sought it with his death. This Caesar afterward called Augustus, brought parthia to be a prouince vnto the Romanes, and en∣ded without warres, which other could not do with warres.

Thus the kingdome of Parthia which beganne in the hun∣dred thirtie three Olympiad, and ended in the beginning of the Monarchie of Augustus Caesar, in the hundred eightie eight Olympiad, after hee had conquered his friend Marcus Antonius: There reigned in Parthia eleuen kings, whose names are here vnder written.

• 1 Arsaces the first king, by whom the kinges of Parthia were all called Arsaces.
• 2 Mithridates the second king of Parthia.
• 3 Pampatius the third king of Parthia.
• 4 Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia.
• 5 Mithridates the fift king of Parthia.
• 6 Phrahartes the sixt king of Parthia.
• 7 Artabanus the seuenth king of Parthia.
• 8 Mithridates the great, the eight king of Par∣thia, and sonne to Artabanus.
• 9 Horodes the ninth king of Parthia.
• 10 Phrahartes the tenth king of Parthia.
• 11 The eleuenth and last king of Parthia, sonne to Phrahartes, and supposed to be called Phra∣hartes, after his fathers name.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pa•…•…thia.
• * 1.2

  Parthians not esteemed.
• * 1.3

  Solinus cap. 68.
• * 1.4

  Iustinus lib. 41.
• * 1.5

  Polibeus lib. 2.
• * 1.6

  Arsaces the first king of P•…•…rthia.
• * 1.7

  Parthia by Ar∣sices renow∣med.
• * 1.8

  Iustine lib. 41.
• * 1.9

  Mithridates 2. king of Par∣thia.
• * 1.10

  Pampatius 3. king of Par∣thia. Pharnaces 4. king of Par∣thia.
• * 1.11

  Mithridates 5. king of Par∣thia.
• * 1.12

  Iustine lib. 4.
• * 1.13

  Masinissa.
• * 1.14

  Phrahartes 6. king of Par∣thia.
• * 1.15

  I•…•…stine lib. 42.
• * 1.16

  Artabanus 7. king of Par∣thia.
• * 1.17

  Mithridates 8. king of Pa∣thia.
• * 1.18

  H•…•…rodes 9. king of Parthia.
• * 1.19

  Crassus sent to Parthia.
• * 1.20

  The answere of a Parthian vnto Crassus.
• * 1.21

  Surena cap∣taine generall of the Par∣thians.
• * 1.22

  Crassus slaine, and his head sent to the king of Par∣thia.
• * 1.23

  Enuie at Rome.
• * 1.24

  Plutarch in the life of Crassus.
• * 1.25

  Ventidius vi∣ctorie ouerthe Parthians.
• * 1.26

  Pacorus slaine.
• * 1.27

  Ventidius vi∣ctorie ouer the Parthians.
• * 1.28

  Horodes dumb.
• * 1.29

  Phrahartes the 10. king of Parthia.
• * 1.30

  Many reuoul∣ted frō Phra∣hartes.
• * 1.31

  The great ar∣mie of Anto∣nius.
• * 1.32

  Cleopatra.
• * 1.33

  Antonius de∣pa•…•…ture from Parthia.
• * 1.34

  Tiridates.
• * 1.35

  Caesars clemen∣cie andiustice
• * 1.36

  Diodo. lib. 42.