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.

CHAP. VII. The description of the East Provinces, all save Mesopotamia and Aegypt.

AFter a man hath passed over the tops of the mountaine * 1.1 Taurus, which toward the East rise up a great height, * 1.2 Cilicia lyeth farre stretched out in length and breadth, a land enriched with all good things; and unto the right side thereof adjoyneth Isauria, a fresh and goodly coun∣trey in like sort, as well for plentifull vines, as aboundance of corne and graine, through the middest whereof runneth the navigable river Calicadnus. And veri∣ly this region two cities (besides many other good townes) doe beautifie, to wit, * 1.3 Seleucia, founded and built by king Seleucus, and Claudiopolis, which Claudius Cae∣sar erected as a Colonie. For the citie Isauria being afore time strongly walled and fenced, and long since subverted as a rebellious place, and wholly set upon deadly mischiefe, is hardly able to shew the tokens and remaines, and those verie few of the antient glorie that it had: But as for Cilicia that vaunteth it selfe of the river * 1.4 Cyd∣nus, ennobled it is by * 1.5 Tarsus, a faire and goodly citie (the founder of it, by report, was Perseus, the sonne of Iupiter and Danaë, or else one named Sandan, come out of Aethyopia, a wealthy man and a noble;) by * 1.6 Anazarbus also, which carrieth the name of him that first built it; and by * 1.7 Mopsutrehia, the habitation of that famous Prophet or Divinor Mopsus, who in his returne from the warlike voyage and ser∣vice of the Argonauts with the Golden fleece that they tooke away, wandring a∣part from the rest of his companie, and arriving upon the coast of Africke, died so∣dainly: and from that time his heroicke * 1.8 Manes, covered under Punicke mold, as medicinable, and for the most part causing health, cure and heale sundry griefs and maladies.

These two Provinces long agoe in the Pirats warre, intermingled with bands of brigands and rovers, and by Servilius the Proconsul subdued and brought under subjection, became tributarie. And these countries verily, scituat as it were in a promontorie, are severed from that part of the world by the mountaine * 1.9 Amanus. But the frontier bound of the East stretching forth along, and streight forward, rea∣cheth from the bankes of the river Euphrates, unto the borders of Nilus, bounding on the left hand upon the nations of the Saracenes, and on the right, lying open to the roaring sea: which tract, or coast, Nicator Seleucus being possessed of, very much

enlarged, when after the decease of Alexander the Macedonian, hee held the king∣domes of Persis in right of succession: Seleucus, I say, a mightie and victorious king, according as his * 1.10 sirname doth import. For making use to his owne advantage, of the multitude of people whom he had ruled a long time in peace, of rude and rusti∣call habitations he built cities, surely seated for much wealth and strength both; of which at this present, albeit they beare Greeke names, imposed upon them accor∣ding to the founders pleasure, yet loose they not their primitive names quite, which the antient erecters of them gave out of the Assyrian tongue. And after Osdroena, which (as hath beene said) we have put apart from this description, first * 1.11 Comage∣na, now called Euphratensis, greatly riseth up by degrees, a countrey well knowne by reason of three great cities, namely Hierapolis, old Ninus, and Samosata. Then lyeth * 1.12 Syria, spread abroad along a spacious and large plaine: and this hath much renown by Antiochia, a citie wherof the world hath taken knowledge, with which no other may compare as paragon, for affluence of commodities, as well home∣bred, as thither brought: by * 1.13 Laodicia also, and * 1.14 Apamia, by Seleucia likewise, most flourishing cities all even from their first beginning. Next hereunto is Phoe∣nice, bending up toward the mount Libanus, a region right lovely and beautifull, adorned with great and faire cities: among which, for pleasantnesse and name ex∣cell Tyrus, * 1.15 Sidon, and * 1.16 Berytus; and matchable to the same, * 1.17 Emissa and * 1.18 Da∣mascus, built in auncient times. Now these provinces (which the river * 1.19 Orontes, as it environeth them, and running along the very foot and bottome of that high hill * 1.20 Cassius, dischargeth it selfe into the * 1.21 Parthenian sea) Cneus Pompeius, after he had vanquished Tigranes, tooke from the kingdomes of the Armenians, and layed unto the Romanes dominion. The last of all the Syriae, is * 1.22 Palestina, stretched forth farre and wide, having plenteous storeof grounds well husbanded, trim and gay, with certaine excellent cities also, nothing inferior one unto other, but striving all as one would say by line and levell, to be alike and equall: as namely, * 1.23 Caesarea, which * 1.24 Herode founded out of the ground, in honor of * 1.25 Octavian the Emperour; * 1.26 Eleutheropolis, and * 1.27 Neapolis: in like sort Ascalon, Gaza, and Iulia, built in the age aforegoing. In these tracts there is no where to be seene a river navigable, and in most places hote waters of their owne nature arise out of the ground, me∣dicinable and holesome for many purposes. But even these countries also, Pom∣pey in like sort, when he had tamed the Iewes, and woon Ierusalem, brought into the forme of Provinces, committing the jurisdiction over them to a governour. Close unto this adjoyneth Arabia, reaching on the other side hard to the Nabataei; a rich land, flourishing with varietie of trade and traffique, replenished also with strong castles and piles, which for to repell the out-rodes and invasions of neigh∣bour nations, the men of old time in their watchfull care raised along the streights and passages, in meet places, and advantageous. This region also hath among some townes, cities likewise, to wit, * 1.28 Bostra, Geraza, and Philadelphia, with strong wals most surely fenced. And this very countrey, Traian the Emperour, when he had given it the name of a Province and set a governour over it, enforced to yeeld obedience unto our lawes, having many a time quelled and abated the swel∣ling pride of the inhabitants, what time as he made glorious and brave warre upon Media and the Parthians. Semblably, the Isle Cyprus, dissoigned afarre off from the firme land, and full of havens, two cities among other townes standing thicke, doe make renowmed, namely, Salamis and Paphus: the one in much request and reputation for the holy alta••s & shrines of Iupiter, the other for the temple of Venus.

Now the same Cyprus aboundeth in so great and so manifold plenty of all things, that standing in no need at all of forraine helpe, by the meanes that it hath of the owne, is able to build a great carricke or shippe of burthen, from the very bottome keele beneath up to the highest top-sailes, and having rigged & furnished the same with all tackling thereto belonging, shooteth it to sea. Neither bash I to say, that the people of Rome invaded this Isle, rather upon a greedy mind to encroch, than any just title thereto. For, after that king Ptolome, our confederat and allie, by oc∣casion that our treasure went low, was by vertue of a decree, without any fault on his part committed, proclaymed * 1.29 Outlaw, and thereupon hee voluntarily made himselfe away by drinking poyson; both it became tributarie, and the spoyles also thereof, as of an enemie state, were bestowed in a fleet, and brought into Rome ci∣tie by Cato. Now will I come backe againe to the order of my historie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Supposed to be the greatest in the world: and accor∣ding to divers na∣tions is knowne by sundry names.
• * 1.2

  Turcomania and Fini••bia.
• * 1.3

  Salefica. Nigro.
• * 1.4

  Carasit. Launcla.
• * 1.5

  Terassa. Davids Chytrao.
• * 1.6

  Azar, or Acserai.
• * 1.7

  Mamista. Clyca.
• * 1.8

  or Reliques.
• * 1.9

  Monte Negro. Postello & Bell••ni••
• * 1.10

  Nicator.
• * 1.11

  Azor. Mar. Nig.
• * 1.12

  Soria.
• * 1.13

  Laudichia. Ortel.
• * 1.14

  Hamous. Bellon.
• * 1.15

  Said. Nigro.
• * 1.16

  Baruti.
• * 1.17

  Camula. Nigro.
• * 1.18

  Seham, or Siam.
• * 1.19

  Oronz.
• * 1.20

  or Casius. Larissa. Theveto.
• * 1.21

  An arme or part of the Mediterra∣nean sea, thought to be the gulfe of A••azzo.
• * 1.22

  Terra-Sancta, or the Holy land
• * 1.23

  Azor. Pineto.
• * 1.24

  the Great.
• * 1.25

  Augustus.
• * 1.26

  Hebron, some∣times, now Cal••l.
• * 1.27

  In times past Sa∣lem, Sichem, and Ephron. Haebr.
• * 1.28

  B••tra. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.29

  Proscribi.