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

Of the sanctuary of Iuno in Troy which freed not any (that fled into it) from the Greekes at the Citties sack, where as the Churches of the Apostles saued all commers from the Barbarians, at the sacke of Rome. Caesars opinion touching the enemies custome in the sacke of Citties. CHAP. 4.

NOr could Troy it selfe that was (as I sayd before) (a) the mother of the Ro∣manes progeny, in al her hallowed temples, saue any one from the Grecian force and fury, though they worshiped the same gods: nay did they not in the very sanctuary of Iuno,

—(b) Ipso Iunonis asylo Custodes lecti (c) Phaenix, & dirus Vlisses Praedam asseruabant. Huc vndique Troia gaza Incensis erepta adytis, mensaeque deorum, Craterésque auro solidi, captiuaque vestis Congerit &c.

—To Iunos sanctuary Comes all the prey, and what they thither carry Is kept by choise men; the Phenician And dire Vlisses: thether the whole state Of Troies wealth swarmes, the gods, their temples plate, There lies the gold in heapes, and robes of worth Snatcht from the flaming coffers—&c.

Behold, the place dedicated vnto so great a goddesse was chosen out (not to serue for a place whence they might lawfully pull prisoners, but) for a prison wherein to shut vp all they tooke. Now compare this temple, not of a∣ny vulgar god, of the common sort, but of Iupiters sister, and Queene of all the other gods, vnto the Churches built as memorialls of the Apostles. To the first, all the spoiles that were pluckt from the gods and flaming temples were caried, not to be bestowed backe to the vanquished, but to bee shared amongst the vanquishers. To the second, both that which was the places owne and (d) what euer was found also els-whereto belong to such places, with all religious honor and reuerence was restored. There, was freedome lost, here saued: there, was bondage shut in; here, it was shut out: thether were men brought by their proude foes, for to vndergo slauery: hither were men brought by their pitti∣full foes, to be secured from slauery. Lastly, the temple of Iuno was chosen by the (e) vnconstant Greekes to practise their proud couetousnesse in, whereas the Churches of Christ were by (f) the naturally cruell Barbarians, chosen to

excercise their pious humility in. Perhaps the Greekes in that their victory spared those that fled into the temples of the (g) Common gods, and did not dare to hurt or captiuate such as escaped thither: But in that, Virgill plaies the Poet indeed, and faignes it. Indeed there he describes the (h) generall custome of most enemies in the sacking of cities, and conquests; which (i) custome, Cae∣sar himselfe (as Salust, that noble, true historian recordeth) forgetteth not to auouch, in his sentence giuen vpon the conspirators in the Senate-house: that (in these spoiles) the Virgins are rauished, the Children torne from their Pa∣rents bosomes, the Matrons made the obiects, of al the victors lust, the temples, and houses all spoiled, all things turned into burning, and slaughter: and lastly all places stopt full of weapons, carcasses, bloud, and lamentation. If Caesar had not named temples, wee might haue thought it the custome of a foe to spare such places as are the habitations of their gods: but the Senators feared the ru∣ine of their temples, not by an vnknowne or stranger enemy, but by (k) Catiline, and his followers, who were Senators and Citizens of Rome themselues. But these were villaines though, and their countries parricides.

L. VIVES.

MOther (a) of the Romanes] For the Troyans that came with Aeneas into Italy built Lauinium; the Lauinians, Albalonga, the Albans, Rome. But Saluste sayth that the Troyans themselues that wandred about with Aeneas without dwellings, built Rome at the first. (b) Iunonis] They are Aeneas his words Aenead. 2. (c) Phaenix] Amintors Son, * 1.1 and Achilles his Maister, one that taught him to say well and do well: Homer. Illiad. 3. (d) What euer was] There was at this sacke of Rome a huge quantity of gold taken out of the Va∣ticane, but by Alaricus his command, it was al restored. Oros. Lib. 7 (e) Vnconstant Greekes] It was the Greeks character at Rome, & therfore they called them Graeculi: and some coppies of Augustines bookes haue Graeculorū: here Cicero in his oration for Flaccus saith these words, Wherein we earnestly desire you to remember the rashnesse of the multitude, and the truely Gree∣kish l•…•…ity. So meaneth Lucian in his Me•…•…ces seruientibus, and •…•…mblichus calls his Greci∣ans, light-witted. (f) euen naturally cruell] This is added for more fulnesse to the compari∣son. The Barbarians are apposed to the Greekes; not all Barbarians, but the naturally sa∣uage and cruell, vnto those that would haue al humanity to be deriued from them alone. Cicero writeth thus to his brother Quintus, ruling then in Asia minor, which is Greece. See∣ing we rule ouer those amongst whom not onely humanity is in it selfe, but seemes from thence to be deriued vnto all others, verily let vs seeke to ascribe that chiefely vnto them from whom we our selues receiued it. (g) common gods] For the Greekes and the Troyans worshipped the s•…•…me gods. (h) generall custome] True, least his speech otherwise might haue made repre∣hension seeme rather peculiar vnto the Greekes then vnto other Nations in their conquests of Citties. (i) which custome] Caius Caesar being then Praetor (& afterwards Dictator) hauing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the conspiracy of Catiline, being asked by the Consul Cicero, what he thought f•…•… should be done vnto the conspirators; answered, as Saluste setteth downe; That these 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which he had rehearsed, must needs haue come to effect, not only in this war, by rea∣son it was domesticall, but that it is warres custome, to produce such bloudy effects, which the vanquished of all sorts are sure to feele. Tully against Verres saith thus: I omit to speake of the deflowring of free Virgins, and the rauishing of the matrons, &c. which were com∣mitted in that sacke of the Citty, not through hostile hate, nor military loosenesse, nor custome of warre, nor right of conquest. Thus farre Tully. (k) Catiline] The history is at large in Saluste: and else where I will take occasion to say some-what of it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Phaenix.