The history of the world

§ IIII. Of some other records testifying the vniuersall floud: and of two ancient deluges in Aegypt: and of some elsewhere.

SAint AVGVSTINE out of Varro affirmeth, that the Greekes and Latines made not any mention of the vniuersall floud, because they had no∣thing of antiquitie foregoing that of Ogyges; and therefore (accor∣ding to Rhodoginus before remembred) were all things among the Greekes (which antiquitie had worne out of knowledge) called Ogygia, [unspec 50] which we in English commonly call (worme-eaten) or of defaced date. But as all the parts of the earth were successiuely planted and peopled; and as all Nations had their proper times, and not their beginning at once and at the instant: so did euery familie which afterward became a great People, with whom the knowledge of di∣uine

letters was not receiued, finde no parent of more antiquitie, then such as they had themselues, nor allow of any before their owne; and as the Graecians, so did o∣thers vaunt themselues to be Indigenae, and growing out of the earth, or inuent some other prophane or ridiculous beginning. But the Chaldaeans had certayne knowledge of Noahs floud, as Berosus witnesseth; and Nicolaus Damascenus maketh particular mention thereof (as is aforesaid) though he also affirme by heare-say, that some Gi∣ants saued themselues vpon the Mountaynes Baris in Armenia, but speaketh not thereof as from any authoritie approued: vsing the word sermoest; That such a speech there was. And Eusebius remembreth a place out of the ancient Historian A∣bydenus:* 1.1 who writeth that Sissithrus, to preserue himselfe from a floud foretold him [unspec 10] by Saturnus, fled to the hils of Armenia by ship, ad Armenian nauigio confugiebat: who the third day (after the waters were fallen) sent forth birds, that finding no land to rest on, returned againe; which he also did a second time, but at the third returne the birds feet were couered with mudde and slime. To this effect are Eusebius words out of Abydenus, which may seeme a true description (though in other termes) of Noahs floud.

Cyrillus also affirmeth, that Alex. Polyhistor maketh mention of this generall floud. And Plato in Timaeo produceth an Aegyptian Priest, who recounted to Solon out of the holy Bookes of Aegypt, the storie of the floud vniuersall, which (saith he) hap∣pened long before the Graecian inundations. Fryer Annius his Xenophon remembreth [unspec 20] a third floud, which also Diodorus Siculus confirmeth, somewhat more ancient then* 1.2 that of Ogyges in Attica. For he named the generall floud for the first, which happe∣ned (saith he) vnder the old OGYGES, Sub prisco Ogyge, which was Noah; he calleth the second Niliaca: Hercules and Prometheus then liuing, 44. yeeres before that of Attica, in the 34. yeere of Belochus King of the Assyrians, though I doe not beleeue him as touching the time. But this floud couered a great part of the nether Aegypt, especially all that Region subiect to Prometheus; and hereof came the fable of the Vulture on Prometheus his liuer, afterward slaine by Hercules of Aegypt: which fiction* 1.3 Diod. Siculus deliuereth in these wordes: Fluuium propter cursus velocitatem, profun∣ditatem{que} aquarum Aquilam tunc appellatum, HERCVLEM cum consilij magnitudine, [unspec 30] tum virtute, volunt è vestigio compressisse, & aquarum impetum ad priorem cursum con∣uertisse: Vnde & Graeci quidam Poetae rem gestam in fabulam vertentes, HERCVLEM tradunt Aquilam PROMETHEI 〈◊〉〈◊〉 depascentem occidisse; This floud (meaning of Nilus) for the swiftnesse of his course, as also for the depth, was in those dayes called the Eagle: but HERCVLES by his great iudgement and vertue did againe compresse and straighten this Riuer, so farre extended and ouer-spred, turning it into the old channels: Whence certayne Greeke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (conuerting this labour and worke of HERCVLES into a fable) deuised that HERCVLES slue the Eagle, which fed on PROMETHEVS liuer; meaning that he deliuered Prometheus of that sorrow and torment, which for the losse of his People and Countrie (by the waters destroyed and couered ouer) he [unspec 40] suffered.

A fourth floud chanced about Pharus in Aegypt, where Alexander Macedon built Alexandria, as Annius conceiueth out of his Xenophon, who in this briefe sort writeth of all these inundations: Inundationes plures fuere: prima nouimestr is inunda∣tio* 1.4 terrarum sub prisco OGYGE: secunda Niliaca, &c. There were many inundations (saith this same Xenophon) the first which was vniuersall of nine Moneths, and this happened vn∣der the first OGYGES: the second was Niliaca, and of one Moneths continuance in the time of Hercules and Prometheus Aegyptians: a third of two Moneths vnder Ogyges Atticus: the fourth of three Moneths in Thessalia vnder Deucoelion: and a fift of the like continuance (called Pharonica) vnder Proteus of Aegypt, about the time of Helens [unspec 50] rape. Diodorus in his fift Booke and eleuenth Chapter, taking the Samothraces for his Authors, remembreth a floud in Asia the lesse and elsewhere, of no lesse destruction then any of the other particular inundations, saying, that the same happened before that of Deucalion: the Sea of Pontus and Hellespont breaking in ouer the land.

But there haue beene many flouds in diuers times, and ages, not inferior to any of these two last remembred, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Pharonica in Aegypt: as in the yeere of our Redemption 590. when in October of the same yeere, Gregorie then being Bishop of Rome, there happened a maruailous ouerflowing in Italie, and especially in the Ve∣netian Territorie, and in Lyguria, accompanied with a most fearefull storme of thun∣der and lightning: after which followed the great plague at Rome, by reason of the many dead Serpents cast vp and left vpon the Land, after the waters decreased and returned. And in the yeere 1446. there perished 10000. people, by the breaking in* 1.5 of the Sea at Dordroch in Holland: of which kinde I take that floud to be of Achaia or Attica. Before that and in the yeere 1238. Trithemius speaketh of an earthquake [unspec 10] * 1.6 which swallowed many thousands: and after that of a floud in Friseland, in which there perished 100000. persons. Strozius Sigog. in his Magia omnifaria, telleth of an inundation in Italie, in the time of Pope Damasus, in which also many Cities of Sicil were swallowed: another in the Papacie of Alexander the sixth: also in the yeere 1515. Maximilian being Emperor. He also remembreth a perilous ouer-flowing in Polonia, about Cracouia, by which many people perished. Likewise Viginier a French Historian speaketh of a great floud in the South part of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which fell in the yeere of our Lord 1557, with so dreadfull a tempest, as all the people attended therein the very end of the world, and iudgement day; saying, That by the violent descent of the waters from the Mountaynes, about Nismes there were remooued [unspec 20] diuers old heapes and mountures of ground, and many other places torne vp and rent: by which accident there was found both coyne of siluer and gold, diuers pee∣ces of plate, and vessels of other metall, supposed to be hidden at such time as the Goths inuaded that Prouince, in the yeere 1156.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. de 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. l. 9. c. 4.
• * 1.2

  Diod l. 1.
• * 1.3

  Nat. Com. l. 4. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. de aequia. Comm. per An∣nium, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 37.
• * 1.5

  Munster.
• * 1.6

  〈◊〉〈◊〉, & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 motus 〈◊◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊◊〉. 〈◊◊◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊◊◊〉 tota 〈◊〉〈◊〉 submersa 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & perierunt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 100000.