The history of the world

§. I. Of the number and names of the Persian Kings. [unspec 10]

OF the successors of Cyrus, and the continuance of the Persian Empire, there are many opinions; As that of Metasthenes, who hath numbred the Persian Kings and their times, as followeth.

• Darius Medus, and Cyrus iointly 2 yeares.
• Cyrus alone. 22 yeares.
• Priscus Artaxerxes. 20 yeares.
• Darius Longimanus. 37 yeares.
• Darius Nothus. 19 yeares. [unspec 20]
• Artaxerxes Mnemon. 55 yeares.
• Ataxerxes Ochus. 26 yeares.
• Arses, or Arsames. 4 yeares.
• Darius the last, conquered by Alexander. 6 yeares.

To which Philo agreeth; which number of yeeres added, make in all an hundred ninetie and one. But in this Catalogue Metasthenes hath left out Cambyses and Xerxes, and names Artaxerxes Assuerus for the immediate successor of Cyrus; in place (saith Melancthon) of Darius the sonne of Hystaspes: for Metasthenes, as Me∣lancthon coniectureth, doth not account Cambyses in the Catalogue, because his [unspec 30] raigne was confounded with that of Cyrus.

There is a second opinion, though ridiculous, of Seder Olam, who finds but foure Persian Kings from the beginning to the end of that Empire.

Genebrard, Schubert, and Beroaldus haue also a differing account from the Greekes; whom neuerthelesse Eusebius and most of the Latines follow, and so doth Krentz∣heim, who hath fully answered, and as I take it, refuted all the former Authors va∣rying* 1.1 from that account: For in this sort doe the Greekes marshall the Persian Kings with the times of their raignes.

• Cyrus in all.* 1.2 30 yeeres. [unspec 40]
• Cambyses, with the Magi. 8 yeeres.
• Darius Hystaspes.* 1.3 36 yeeres.
• Xerxes 21 yeeres.
• Artaxerxes Longimanus. 40 yeeres.
• Darius Nothus. 19 yeeres.
• Artaxerxes Mnemon.* 1.4 43 yeeres.
• Artaxerxes Ochus. 23 yeeres.
• Arsames. 3 yeeres.
• Darius the last.* 1.5 6 yeeres.

Which numbers, put together, make in all two hundred and thirtie. [unspec 50]

This account (as I haue said) the most Chronologers and the best learned ap∣proue. These Persian Princes being all warranted by the authoritie of the Scrip∣tures, as Peucer in his historicall Animaduersions hath gathered the places; finding

first Cyrus in the second of Chronicles, chap. 36. vers. 22, 23. Ezra 1. chap. 1. vers. 1. and often elsewhere.

Secondly Cambyses in the 11^th of Daniel, who may indeede be well esteemed for one of those three Kings in the second verse named, and so the marginall Commen∣tor vpon the Geneua vnderstands that place; but, vnder correction, mistakes the mat∣ter greatly, when he saith in the same note, that Darius 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was an enemie to the people of God, and stood against them: his great fauour and liberalitie to the Iewes being elsewhere proued.

Thirdly, is Darius Hystaspes found in Ezra the first, c. 4. v. 5 who in the sixt verse is also named Ahassuerus. [unspec 10]

Fourthly, in the eleuenth of Daniel verse the second, Xerxes is plainely foretold and described, and the great warre which hee should make against the Greekes by Daniel remembred.

〈◊〉〈◊〉, Artaxerxes Longimanus in Ezra the fourth, verse seuen, who is also called Arthasasta, c. 4. 1. lib. Ezra v. 7. and cap. 7. v. 7.

Sixtly, Darius Nothus, Ezra cap. 4. vers. 24. and cap. 5. vers. 6. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. cap. 12. vers. 22.

Seuenthly, Artaxerxes Mnemon in Nehe. c. 2. v. 1. who was father to Artaxerxes Ochus, and Arsames: for Darius the last he was of another Familie, the Line of Cyrus the Great ending in Ochus, who descended from Xerxes the sonne of Atossa, Cyrus his [unspec 20] Daughter; and the issue male of Cyrus failing with his owne Sonnes.

But to proceede. Eusebius with the Latines, following the Greekes, apply the be∣ginnings and ends of euery Persian King with their Acts, to some certaine Olym∣piad; As the war of Astyages (Cyrus his maternall Grand-father) and Alyattes (Croesus his father) to the nine and fortieth Olympiad; The beginning of Cyrus raigne to the beginning of the fiue and fiftieth Olympiad; The taking of Sardis by Cyrus to the eight and fiftieth Olympiad; The inuasion of Aegypt by Cambyses to the third yeere of the threescore and third Olympiad, and so of the rest. Which reference with good agreement betweene seuerall formes of computation adde the more credit vnto both. [unspec 30]

Againe, this historicall demonstration is confirmed by the Astronomicall com∣putation* 1.6 of Ptolomie, who refers the death of Alexander the Great, who died the 12. of Nouember, in the beginning of the hundred and fortieth Olympiad, to the foure hundred and foure & twentieth yeere after Nabonassar. And the Aera of Nabonassar beganne on the sixe and twentieth of Februarie: which conferred with the Olym∣piad, was in the ninth Moneth of the first yeere of the eighth Olympiad; So that whether we follow the accompt of the Olympiads, as doe the Greeke Historians, or that of Nabonassar with Ptolomie, we shall finde euery memorable accident to fall out right with each computation.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ptolomie reckons the time answerable to two hundred and foure and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 [unspec 40] Iulian yeeres, and an hundred and fortie daies from Nabonassar, to the sixteenth of Iulie in the seuenth yeere of Cambyses.

The Greekes, and namely Diodorus Siculus, place the taking of Aegypt by Cambyses in the second or third yeere of the threescore and third Olympiad, and the begin∣ning of Cambyses seuenth yeere in the first of the threescore and fourth Olym∣piad: which first of the threescore and fourth Olympiad runnes along with part of the two and twentieth of Nabonassar. The like agreement is consequently found about the beginning and end of Cyrus.

Likewise the twentieth of Darius, who succeeded Cambyses, is according to Ptolo∣mie the two hundred and sixe and fortieth of Nabonassar, which (obseruing the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 [unspec 50] of Nabonassars Aera and the Olympiad, viz. eight and twentie yeeres) it a∣grees with the third of the threescore and ninth Olympiad, where in it is placed by the Greekes. In this Iosephus agrees with the Greekes throughout, sauing that he ioy∣neth Darius Medus, whom Xenophon calleth Cyaxares, with Cyrus, in the destruction

of Babylon, which is true, and not contrarie to the Greeke computation, but may very well stand with it.

Lastly, the disagreements and confused accompts of those that follow the other Catalogue of the Persian Kings formerly rehearsed, doth giue the greater credit to this of the Greekes, which being constant in it selfe, accordeth also with the com∣putation of other Historians, and Astronomers, and likewise with the holy Scriptures.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chron. Krentz. fol. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 giues Cyrus but 29.
• * 1.3

  Melanct. but 20
• * 1.4

  Melanct. but 40 Melanct. 26.
• * 1.5

  Melanct. 4.
• * 1.6

  Ptol. in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lib. 3. cap. 8.