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Aurelianus.
AVrelianus borne of meane patentage, and as some say his father was a Colone or tenant to the famous Senat Aurelius betwixt D••cia and Ma∣cedonia, he raignd fi••e years and was not vnlike to Alexander the great, or to Caesar the Dictator, for he receiued the Citty of Rome, and deliuered it from hir opposites within three yeares, whereas Alexander by great victo∣ries trauelled 13. yeares, before he came into India. Caesar spent ten yeares in ouercomming Gallia, and 4. yeares in vanquishing the Romaines. Thys man did obtain three seuerall battels in Italy, at Placentia neere the riuer M••∣taurus, [ A] at the chappell of Fortune, and in the fieldes of Ticim. In this time Septimius was proclaimed Emperor among the Dalmatians, but he was pre∣sently beheaded by his own people.
When the coiners or monyers in his time rebelled, he repressed them, sparing no cruelty. He was the first man among the Romains which did wear a crowne on his head, and also vsed garments of gold, and precious stones, which before that time the Romaines were not acquainted withall. He com∣passed about the citty with stronger and larger wals then before, and com∣maunded the people to eate swines flesh, and aduanced T••tr••cius to bee the prouost of Lucania, who before that time had bin declared Emperor by the [ B] Souldiors in Gallia, telling him merrily that it was more Noble for him to rule some part of Italy, then to be a king beyond the Alpes. At the last one of his seruants hauing deceiptfully set downe the names of his ••riends and mi∣litary men, and co••nterfetted Emperour, made as though hee me••t to kill them; the which he secretly conueyed to them, they vpon sigh•• therof, thin∣king to preuent the worst, slue him in his iourney betwixt Hir. clia and Con∣stantinople. He was a crvell and bloody man, dreadful at all times, & a mur∣therer of his own sisters son, after his death there was no Emperor in seuen moneths.