The thre bokes of cronicles, whyche Iohn Carion (a man syngularly well sene in the mathematycall sciences) gathered wyth great diligence of the beste authours that haue written in Hebrue, Greke or Latine Whervnto is added an appendix, conteynyng all such notable thynges as be mentyoned in cronicles to haue chaunced in sundry partes of the worlde from the yeare of Christ. 1532. to thys present yeare of. 1550. Gathered by Iohn Funcke of Nurenborough. Whyche was neuer afore prynted in Englysh. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

The diuision of the realmes after Alexander.

ALexander had maryed Roxane the dou∣ghter* 1.1 of a prince in Persia, whiche was great wyth chylde whan the kyng dyed. Whan the kynge was deade, and there was none other true heyre of the kyngdome, than the kynges chylde, the princes toke counsel among them, how to gouerne the kyngdome a ryghte. First they thought it good to appoint certayne go∣uernours, vntyll the quene were delyuered: yf a man chylde were borne, the same should be kyng by* 1.2 inheritaunce and succession. Contrarywyse dyd some (among whom was Perdicas one) choyse in the kynges steade Arideus brother to Alexander, a man fearfull, and syckely: and to this agreed the moste parte. Neuerthelesse were the princes con∣strayned to choyse men, by whome the kyngdome should be gouerned: but amonge the gouernoures was Perdicas the chefe, and that in the name of Alexanders brother: vnder which pretense he pro∣cured in the meane season, that he myght by lytle & lytle optaine the whole kyngdome, and than began he to assaye fyrst wyth honcste engyns, afterwarde with open force also.

For he wo••d Cleopatra the syster of Ale∣xander,* 1.3 and trusted by that meanes easelye to op∣tayne the kyngdome. But Antipater that was* 1.4

gouernour in Macedonia feling this gyle of Per∣dicas, dyd hynder thys weddinge: wherfore dyd Perdicas on the other part his diligence, that An∣tipater might be taken and cast into preson. This is to be brefe nearehande the cause of the warre, whych was rysen amonge Alexanders princes. For Perdicas had hys rebellions: againste him on the other syde conspyred Antypater, Antigonus &* 1.5 Ptolomeus. And Perdicas inuaded Ptolome first in Egypte, where he was forth wyth slayne of hys owne souldiours. This was a worthy punishment the which he deserued, that was fyrst begynner of the sedicion amonge Alexanders princes. But ther could be no ende made of this tragedy, nother was there any hope of peace, without the adheren∣tes of Perdicas were fyrst oppressed also: yee there coulde no stedfast peace be hoped for in the worlde, seyng whan Alexander was deade, the world was as headlesse. Nother appeared any thyng els in so great a perturbation of all thinges, than that al ho¦nestye and gouernaunce beynge wholy ouerthro∣wen, there shoulde be a continuall willfulnesse o•• murthuringe amonge men. So lytle can lawful•• gouernaunces last in this worlde, without they be institute and preserued of God. But it semed to* 1.6 God, that oute of Alexanders kyngedome should•• sprynge foure mighty princes. For so was it pro¦phesyed of Daniel to come to passe, namelye, tha•• whan the bucks (whiche signified Alexander) on•• horne shoulde peryshe, foure other hornes should•• growe: the whiche the angell expoundeth of th•• foure kyngdomes institute after Alexander. Bu••

it is chefely to be maruayled at, that God woulde the realmes to come to those princes, which by de∣gre of bloude were neare to Philippe and Alexan∣der. Perdicas, which was not of the kinges bloud, was in the meane season depryued of this honor. For so doth it most commonely come to passe, that he which coueteth the common gouernaunce with∣out* 1.7 a lawfull callynge, & putteth himselfe in greate administrations of hys owne swynge, is reiected of God: as we se what happened to Absalon & some other. Moreouer these kyngdomes are diuided a∣monge those princes, which before were made de∣bities in the kyngdome by Alexander.

• Seleucus was made kynge of Syria.
• Ptolemeus was made kyng of Egypte.
• To Antigonus befell the kyngdome of Asia.
• Cassander ruled in Macedonia and Grece.

These kynges had cruel warres for the mo∣narchye, the which euery one coueted. But in Ma∣cedonia was the greatest slaughter. Cassander* 1.8 caused to put to death the moost honest quene, mo∣ther to Alexander, the whiche in dyenge shewed a very wounderful token of chastitye and constancy. For meting the hangeman frely wyth a coragious contenaunce, aboue the costume of women, she toke hym her heade to cutt of: and whan she fell doune, she couered her so wyth her rayment, that her bo∣dy should no where be disclosed dishonestly. As for Roxane Alexanders wyfe, caused Cassander to be taken & kept. But this vnfaythfulnesse hath God punyshed ryght well, whā after Cassanders death* 1.9 hys two sonnes Antipater & Alexander disquieted

eche other wyth warres, for the kyngdome of Ma¦cedonye. Antipater one of them, drewe to hym Ly¦simachus, which raygned by Hellespontus, whose doughter he had wedded also. But the other bro∣ther Alexander, requyred ayde of Demetrius, the sonne of Antigonus. But ether of them was slayn of hys companyon, of whom they trusted to haue ayde: Antipater of hys father in law, Lysimachus, and Alexander of Demetrius. Fynallye besell the kyngdome of Macedonye to Demetrius sonne to Antigonus: for he was an honeste and lucky prince in gouernaunce. Of this Demetrius haue all the* 1.10 other kynges of Macedony theyr ofspringe, vntyll these tymes, whan the laste of hys kynred was ta∣ken of the Romanes, in whom also ended the king∣dome of Macedony.

I set forth here the history brefely, and as it were euē in passing away, out of the which thesage reder may easely cōsider, that in Grece, whan they destro¦ied themselues, & vsed now the assistaunce of foren princes, peryshed all honesty of good maners wyth the dominion and commone welth. For this Deme¦trius (of whom we haue now made mencion) whan he was oft conuersaunt wyth the Athenians, they* 1.11 slattered him so shamefullye, that they called hym God, and wyth prayenge dyd hym godly worship: yea and in theyr sacrifice vsed they a seuerall songe of him, sayenge: that the other goddes were a slepe, only Demetrius was a true God, whych dyd watche for theyr health. These vngodly and dred∣full voyces testifye that at Athenes was vtterlye quenched and lost all honesty and godlynesse.

Now resteth it, that passinge ouer the kynges of Macedony, I rehearse the names of suche kyn∣ges, as haue raygned in Syria and Egypte. For these kyngdomes were the mightiest among those foure, and to knowe the order of these kynges, do∣eth greatly auayle also in holy scrypture, wherein often tymes is made mencion of them. For the Ie∣wes had great conuersacion and occupyenge wyth these two kyngdomes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Roxane wyfe to Alexander
• * 1.2

  The stryft a∣monge the princes after Alexanders death. Perdicas Arideus bro∣ther to Alex∣ander. Perdicas crafte.
• * 1.3

  Cleopatra.
• * 1.4

  Antipater.
• * 1.5

  Antigonus. Ptolomeus.
• * 1.6

  Of Alexan∣ders kyng∣dome are made foure kyngdomes.
• * 1.7

  Lawfull cal¦ling must be ensued.
• * 1.8

  The tyranny of Cassander The mother of Alexāder a rare exam∣ple of chasti∣te is put to death.
• * 1.9

  An example of venge∣aunce.
• * 1.10

  Demetrius kyng of Ma¦cedony
• * 1.11

  The vnsham¦fast sla••••ery of the Athe∣nians.