St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Whether it be credible, that the gods procured the peace that lasted all Numa's raigne. CHAP. 9.

IT is thought also that these are they that helped Numa Pompilius, Romulus his successor, to preserue that continuall peace that lasted all the time of his raign, and to shut the gates of Ianus his (a) temple; and that because hee deserued it at their handes, in instituting so many sacrifices for the Romaines to offer vnto their honour. In earnest, the peace that this Prince procured was thanke∣worthy, could hee haue applied it accordinglie, and (by avoiding so penicious a curiositie,) haue taken more paines in enquitie after the true diuinitie. But beeing as it was, the gods neuer gaue him that quiet

leasure: but it may bee they had not deluded him so fowlely, had they not found him so idle. For the lesse that his businesse was, the more time had they to en∣trappe him: for Varro recordeth all his courses, and endeauours to associate him∣selfe and his Citty with those imaginary gods: all which (if it please God) shall be rehersed in their due place. But now, since wee are to speake of the benefits which are pretended to come from those fained deities: peace is a good be∣nefit: but it is a benefit giuen by the (b) true God onely, as the raine, the sunne and all other helpes of mans transitory life are; which are common euen to the * 1.1 vngratious, and vngratefull persons as well as the most thankefull. But if these Romaine gods had any powre to bestow such a benefit as peace is vpon Numa, or vpon Rome, why did they neuer do it after, when the Romaine Empire was in grea∣ter maiesty and magnificence? was their sacrifices more powrefull at their first institution, then at any time after? Nay, many of them then were not as yet in∣stituted, but remained vnspoaken of vntill afterwardes, and then they were insti∣tuted indeed, and kept for commodity sake. How commeth it then to passe that Numa's 43. Or as some say 39. yeares were passed in such full peace? and yet those sacrifices beeing neither instituted nor celebrated vntill afterwardes; * 1.2 and the gods whom these sollemnities inuited, beeing but now become the gardians and patrons of the state, after so many hundred yeares from Romes foun∣dation vntill the reigne of Augustus, there is but (c) one yeare reckned, and that is held as wholy miraculous, which falling after the first African warre, gaue the Romaines iust leaue to shut vp the gates of warres Temple?

L. VIVES.

IAnus (a) his temple] Ianus was a god, whose temple-dore beeing opened, was a signe of wars, and being shut, of peace vnto Rome on all partes. This was erected by Numa, nere Argiletus * 1.3 his Sepulchre, as a monument of the fight against the Sabines, wherein a great deale of water bursting in at that gate, gaue the Romaines much furtherance to the victorie. And therevpon, it was decreed that that gate should be opened as it were to giue assistance in all designes of warre. He (that is, Numa) was the first that shut the gate that he builded, as saith Macrobi∣us, Saturnal. 1.) and Manlius the second time, after the first Punike warre. Augustus thirdlie. Liu. lib. 1. (b) true God] Therefore Christ our Sauiour gaue his disciples that peace which the world cannot giue (c) One yeare reckned] T. Manlius Torquatus &c. C. Attilius were Con∣sulls this yeare, if wee shall beleeue Eutropius, who is no bad historian. These Consulls ha∣uing triumphed ouer the Sardes, and hauing procured a settled peace both by sea and land, shut the gates of Ianus Quirinus, which not many monthes after was opened againe: A. L Posthumus Albinus, and Cn. Fuluius Centimalus beeing Consulls: or as others saie, Sp: Car∣bilius was in Fuluius his place: In the Illirian warre:

Notes

• * 1.1

  Peace be∣stovved on the vnvvor∣thy.
• * 1.2

  Numa's peace of 43. or 39. yeares.
• * 1.3

  Ianus.