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

Of the couetousnesse of Ninus, who made the first warred vpon his neighbors, through the greedy desire he had to increase his kingdome. CHAP. 6.

IVstine, that wrote the (a) Greeke (or rather vniuersall) historie after Torgus Pompeyus, not onely in Latine (for so did hee) but in a more succinct manner, beginneth his booke thus. (b) The sway and rule of nations at the first was in the hands of Kings, who gotte their heights of Maiestie, not by popular ambition, * 1.1 but by their owne moderate carriage, approoued by good men. The people had no lawe but (c) the Kings will. Their care and custome was the keeping, not the aug∣menting of their dominions limmittes. Euery mans kingdome was bounded with∣in his owne countrie. (d) Ninus of Assyria was the first th•…•…t followed the lust of Soueraigntie in breaking the olde hereditary lawe of Nations. (e) Hee first warred on the adioyning countries, subduing the people (as yet vnacquainted

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with Arts military) as farre as Lybia. And a little after: Ninus confirmed his conquest by continuing possession of it. And hauing subdued the neighbouring nati∣ons, from them hee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 stronger powers, and set farther footing into the world, vn∣till by making one victorie the continuall meanes of another, hee had made an entire conquest of all the East. (f) How truely so-euer hee or Trogus wrote this (for I haue found them both else-where erronious by true proofes): yet it is cer∣taine by the recorde of other writers, that Ninus enlarged the Assyrians Mo∣narchie exceedingly: And that it continued longer then the (g) Romaines hath done as yet. For as the Chroniclers doe deliuer vp account, it was MCCXL. yeares from Ninus his reigne, to the translation of this Monarchie to the Medians. Now to warre vpon ones neighbours, and to proceede to the hurt of such as hurts not you, for greedy desire of rule and soueraigntie, what is this but flatte the euery in a greater excesse and quantitie then ordinary?

L. VIVES.

THE (a) Greeke] Tro•…•…s Pompeyus wrote an vniuersall historie from the beginning of the nations vnto his owne times. This great worke did Iustine contract into an Epitome, cal∣ling it so: as Florus did Liuies workes: though more at large. I would Florus had not beene * 1.2 so briefe. Iustine is now read for Trogus. I haue heard some say they haue seene Trogus whole in Italy: it may bee so, in a dreame. (b) The sway] Euery family at first had a King, eyther * 1.3 the eldest, wisest, or most iust of the houshold: Afterwards, one king began to rule many fa∣milies, and some-times many Kings ouer one, whom the people were compelled to receiue as guides and gouernours, or watch-men ouer the weale-publike: nor did this election follow chance, nobilitie, nor ambition; euery mans owne priuate good, and the common good with∣all, which each man duly respected, made him choose the best and fittest man. (c) The Kings will] for if hee bee good, his will is better then a law, Arist. de Rep. (d) Ninus] Sonne to * 1.4 Belus, of him else-where. (e) Hee first] There were warres before him: the Aegiptians and the Africans warred with staues hardned with fire, which they called Phalanges, Plinie saith, * 1.5 that the Phaenicians were the first fighters. lib. 5. Vexores the Egiptian King, and Tanais the Scithian, saith Iustine, did first inuade the adioyning nations, for desire of glory. And Ninus first, for desire of Soueraigntie. (f) How truly,] The Greekes either through desire to flourish in * 1.6 their stiles, or for their countries admiration, or for delighting their readers, or by some na∣turall guift, haue not failed to lye wonderfully in all their Histories. And the Latines that medled with their affaires, being forced to follow them, fell into the same defect, as Trogus and Curtius Ruffus did. (g) Romaines hath] Of the continuance of the Assyrian Monarchy, * 1.7 there is no certaintie. It lasted MCCXL. yeares saith Eusebius. MCCCLX. saith Diodo∣rus Siculus. Thirtie lesse saith Ctesias, whose computation Iustine followes in the Asian af∣faires: nor is the number of the Kings knowne. They were thirtie saith Diodorus, thirtie sixe saith Eusebius, thirtie three Velleius, successiuely the sonne to the father, from Ninus to Sarda∣napalus. * 1.8 Augustine wrote this worke in the bginning of the raigne of Honorius and Theodo∣sius the younger, about MCLXX. yeare after Rome was built.