The history of the world

§. VI. Of other Princes and actions that were in these times.

THE first yeere of Manasses was the last of Romulus; after whose death, one yeere the Romans wanted a King. Then was Numa Pompilius a Sabyne chosen; a peaceable man and seeming verie religious in his kinde. He brought the rude people, which Romulus had employed onely in warres, to some good ciuilitie, and a more orderly fashion of [unspec 40] life. This he effected by filling their heads with superstition; as perswading them, that he had familiarite with a Nymph called Egeria, who taught him a many of Ceremonics, which hee deliuered vnto the Romans as things of great importance. But all these deuices of Numa were, in his owne iudgement, no better then meere delusions that serued onely as rudiments to bring the Sauage multitude of theeues and out-lawes, gathered into one bodie by Romulus, to some forme of milder dis∣cipline, then their boysterous and wilde natures was otherwise apt to entertaine. This appeared by the Bookes that were found in his graue, almost sixe hundred yeeres after his death, wherein the Superstition taught by himselfe was condem∣ned as vaine. His graue was opened by chance, in digging a piece of ground that [unspec 50] belonged to one L. Petilius a Scribe. Two Coffines or Chests of stone were in it, with an inscription in Greeke and Latine letters, which said, That Numa Pompilius the sonne of Pompo, King of the Romans lay there. In the one Coffin was nothing 〈◊〉〈◊〉; his bodie being vtterly consumed. In the other were his Bookes, wrapped

vp in two bundels of wax; of his owne constitutions seuen, and other seuen of Phy∣losophie. They were not onely vncorrupted, but in a manner fresh and new. The Pretour of the Citie desiring to haue a sight of these Bookes, when hee perceiued whereunto they tended, refused to deliuer them back to the owner, and offered to take a solemne oath that they were against the Religion then in vse. Hereupon the Senate, without more adoe, commanded them to bee openly burnt. It seemes that Numa did meane to acquite himselfe vnto wiser ages, which he thought would fol∣low, as one that had not beene so foolish as to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Doctrine wherein he in∣structed his owne barbarous times. But the poyson wherewith hee had infected Rome, when he sate in his Throne, had not left working, when hee ministred the [unspec 10] Antidote out of his graue. Had these Bookes not come to light, vntill the dayes of Tully and Caesar, when the mist of ignorance was somewhat better discussed; likely it is that they had not onely escaped the fire, but wrought some good (and perad∣uenture generall) effect. Being as it was, they serued as a confutation, without re∣medie, of Idolatrie that was inueterate.

Numa raigned three and fortie yeeres in continuall peace. After him Tullus Ho∣stilius the third King was chosen, in the six and fortieth of Manasses, and raigned two and thirtie yeeres, busied, for the most part in warre. Hee quarrelled with the Albanes, who met him in the field; but in regard of the danger, which both parts had cause to feare, that might grow vnto them from the Thuscanes, caused them to be∣thinke [unspec 20] themselues of a course, whereby without effusion of so much bloud, as might make them too weake for a common enemie, it might bee decided, who should command, and who obey.

There were in each Campe three Brethren, Twinnes borne at one birth (Diony∣sius sayes that they were Cosen Germans) of equall yeeres and strength, who were appointed to fight for their seuerall Countries. The end was, that the Horatij, Champions for the Romans, got the victory, though two of them first lost their liues. The three Curatij that fought for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (as Liuie tels it) were all aliue, and able to fight, yet wounded, when two of their opposites were slaine; but the third Hora∣tius, pretending feare, did 〈◊〉〈◊〉 away, and thereby drew the others, who by reason [unspec 30] of their hurts, could not follow him with equall speede, to follow him at such di∣stance one from another, that returning vpon them, he slue them, as it had beene in single fight, man after man, ere they could ioyne together and set vpon him all at once. Dionysius reports it somewhat otherwise, telling verie particularly, what wounds were giuen and taken, and saying, that first one of the Horatij was slaine, then one of the Curatij, then a second Horatius, and lastly the two Curatij, whom the third Horatius did cunningly seuer one from the other as is shewed before.

This is one of the most memorable things in the old Roman Historie, both in re∣gard of the action it selfe, wherein Rome was laid, as it were in wager, against Al∣ba, and in respect of the great increase which thereby the Roman State obtained. [unspec 40] For the Citie of Alba did immediately become subiect vnto her owne Colonie, and was shortly after, vpon some treacherous dealing of their Gouernour, vtterly ra∣zed, the people being remoued vnto Rome, where they were made Citizens. The strong Nation of the Latines; whereof Alba, as the mother Citie, had beene chiefe, became ere long dependant vpon Rome, though not subiect vnto it, and diuers pettie States adiacent, were by little and little taken in: which additions, that were small, yet many, I will forbeare to rehearse (as being the works of sundrie ages, and few of them remarkeable considered apart by themselues) vntill such time as this fourth Empire, that is now in the infancie, shall grow to bee the maine subiect of this Historie. [unspec 50]

The seuenth yeere of Hippomenes in Athens, was current with the first of Manas∣ses. Also the three last Gouernours for tenne yeeres, who followed Hippomenes, were in the same Kings time. Of these I find onely names, Leocrates, Apsander, and Erizias. After Erixias yeerely Rulers were elected.

These Gouernours for tenne yeeres, were also of the race of Medon and Codrus, but their time of rule was shortned, and from tearme of life reduced vnto tenne yeeres; it being thought likely that they would gouerne the better, when they knew that they were afterwards to liue priuate men vnder the command of others. I follow Dionysius of Halicarnassus, in applying their times vnto those yeeres of the Olympiads, wherein the Chronological table, following this worke, doth set them. For he not onely professeth himselfe to haue taken great care in ordering the rec∣koning* 1.1 of times; but hath noted alwaies the yeeres of the Greeks, how they did an∣swere vnto the things of Rome, throughout all the continuance of this Historie. Whereas therefore he placeth the building of Rome, in the first yere of the seuenth [unspec 10] Olympiad, and affirmes, that the same was the first yeere of Charops his gouerne∣ment in Athens; I hope I shall not need excuse, for varying from Pausanias, who sets the beginning of these Athenians some what sooner.

In the Raigne of Manasses it was, that Midas, whom the Poets fained to haue had Asses eares, held the Kingdome of Phrygia. Many fables were deuised of him; e∣specially that he obtained of Bacchus, as a great gift, that all things which he should touch, might immediately be changed into Gold: by which meanes he had like to haue beene starued (his meat and drinke being subiect to the same transformation) had not Bacchus deliuered him from his miserable facultie, by causing him to wash himselfe in the Riuer Pactolus, the streame wherof hath euer since, forsooth, aboun∣ded [unspec 20] in that precious Metall. Finally, it is said hee died by drinking Buls bloud; being inuaded by the Scythians.

In this age flourished that Antimachus, who (saith Plutarch in the life of Romulus) obserued the Moones Eclipse at the foundation of Rome.

The Milesians, or, (as Eusebius hath it) the Athenians hauing obtayned some power by Sea, founded Macicratis a Citie on the East of Aegypt. Psammiticus herein seemes to haue assisted them, who vsed all meanes of drawing the Greekes into Ae∣gypt, accounting them his surest strength. For neither Miletus nor Athens were now of power sufficient to plant a Colonie in Aegypt by force.

About this time Archias with his companion Miscellus, and other Corinthians,* 1.2 [unspec 30] founded Syracusae in Sicily, a Citie in after-times exceeding famous:

The Citie of Nicomedia sometime* 1.3 Astacus, was enlarged and beautified in this age by Zipartes natiue of Thrace. Sybilla of Samus according to Pausanias liued about this time.

About these times also was Croton founded vpon the Bay of Tarentum by Mis∣cellus, the companion of Archias that built Syracusae. Strabo makes it somewhat more ancient: and so doth Pausanias.* 1.4

About the same time the Parthenians being of age and banished Lacedaemon, were* 1.5 conducted by Phalantus into Italie: where it is said they founded Tarentum: but Iu∣stine* 1.6 and Pausanias find it built before, and by them conquered and amplified: and* 1.7 [unspec 40] about the same time Manasse yet liuing, the Citie Phaselis was founded in Pamphylia, Gela in Sicily, Interamne in the Region of the Vmbri, now Vrbin in Italie. About which time also Chalcedon in Asia, ouer against Byzantium (now Constantinople) was founded by the Megarcuses: who therefore were vpbraided as blind, because they chose not the other side of Bosphorus. It were a long worke to rehearse all that is said to haue beene done in the fiue and fiftie yeeres of Manasses: that which hath al∣readie beene told is enough: the rest being not greatly worth remembrance, may well be omitted, reseruing onely Ben Merodach, and Nabulassar, to the businesse that [unspec 50] will shortly require more mention of them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dion. Halic. l. 1. fol. 43. & 45.
• * 1.2

  Plut. & Euseb.
• * 1.3

  Whence in Strabo there is Sinus Astacenus a part of Pro∣pontis where this Citie stan∣deth. Paus. l. 5.
• * 1.4

  Hal. l. 3.
• * 1.5

  Strabo l. 6.
• * 1.6

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. l. 3.
• * 1.7

  Paus. l. 10.