The Roman historie containing such acts and occurrents as passed under Constantius, Iulianus, Iovianus, Valentinianus, and Valens, emperours. Digested into 18. bookes, the remains of 31. and written first in Latine by Ammianus Marcellinus: now translated newly into English. Wherunto is annexed the chronologie, serving in stead of a briefe supplement of those former 13. bookes, which by the iniurie of time are lost: together with compendious annotations and coniectures upon such hard places as occurre in the said historie. Done by Philemon Holland of the citie of Coventrie, Doctor in Physicke.

Annotations and conjectures upon the 23. Booke.

(a) THis Alypius] being deputie Praefect, was Vicarius Britanniae, which under Praef. Praetor. Galliarum was his Dioecesis, and contained five Provinces, Britannia prima, Britannia secunda, Maxima Caesariensis, Valentia, Flavia Caesariensis.

(b) This accordeth well with that of Hector in Homer, Iliad. μ.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

(c) This festival solemnitie by the first institution was holden at Rome the day before the Ides, i. the twelfth day of Aprill: Ovid saith it was upon the Nones, i. the fifth day of the sayd moneth. Therefore I suppose there is a defect in the copie, and for ad diem sextum Calendas, should be read ad diem sextum Aprilis, i. about the sixth day of April: unlesse you will say, that the Pompe here importeth not the great solemnitie it selfe, called Megalesia, or Megalentia, but some ceremoniall complement going before it, and then it might be 6. called [Aprilis,] i. the 27. day of March.

(d) Cicero citeth this Oracle or Prophesie in the second booke de Divinatione, in this verse:

Croesus Halym penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim.

(e) This Oracle we read in Herodotus Polymnia:

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

For whereas the Oracle darkely implyed, that they should build a wall of wood and there∣with defend themselves, by the counsell of Themistocles they built a navie of ships, and at sea vanquished the Medes.

(f) Pyrrhus] King of the Epirots, who derived his pedigree from Achilles, and so from Aea∣cus by the mothers side, and by the father from Hercules.

(g) Her sonnes name was Spargapises, generall of an armie against Cyrus the great king and ••ounder of the Persian Empire; whose hap was to be defeated and taken prisoner by Cyrus, af∣ter much bloud-shed, and afterwards slew himselfe: in revenge of whose death his mother To∣myris gave Cyrus a great overthrow, cut off his head, and put it into a paile of mens bloud killed in that battell, with certaine words of indignation. Iustin, Herodotus, Cleio. I find not that any more sonnes than this one were slaine, and therefore yee must admit here a Synecdoche, the plu∣rall for the singular, a usuall figure in Hellenisme.

(h) (i) Of Bitumen and Naphtha] somewhat hath beene said before, and more yee may read in Plin. Nat. Hyst. lib. 2. cap. 105.

(k) Brachmenes.] Certaine Philosophers, or Gymnosophists of India, called at this day Bramines. Strabo lib. 15. Hieronym contra Iovinianum lib. 2.

(l) Of these Abi•• and Galactophagi, who a little after are mentioned, Homer writeth Iliad. 13. where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is put for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, by the figure Syncope for the verse sake. But as touching the etymologie of the Abij, the Greeke Scholiast upon Homer putteth downe di∣vers conjectures; either for that they use not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, bowes, where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: or, if you take the said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, augmenting the signification, as the other is a priva∣tive thereof, they are implyed to be rich, for that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth riches: or else long lived, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is life: or that they be peaceable, and use no violence, of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that signifieth violence: or lastly, because they set not their mind on living daintily, in which sense it seemeth here to be taken: for those that desire riches and full fare, are commonly unjust and wrong do∣ers, whereas these were most righteous.

(m) Of these Mirmillones] see before.

Notes

• T Liva••••. •• de 〈◊〉〈◊〉.